duncan228
10-29-2008, 01:00 PM
Entering New Season, Spurs Must Answer Questions (http://www.woai.com/content/sports/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=015a592d-dc4c-4156-b721-0dc593552f9c)
Reported by: Kori Ellis
As the San Antonio Spurs embark upon the 2008-09 NBA season, there are more questions than usual floating around their South Texas home. With one-third of the Big Three sidelined and the memory of a defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals still fresh, Spurs fans are hardly a confident bunch at the moment.
Thankfully for the Spurs and their fans, the 82-game marathon of a regular season will offer plenty of time for answers to arrive. Here is a look at the top ten questions facing the Spurs as they tip off their season tonight against the Phoenix Suns:
How will the Spurs survive without Manu Ginobili?
It’s going to be difficult. Last year during the regular season, Ginobili was arguably the team’s best player. For San Antonio to keep their head above water, they will need Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to play extremely well. If either comes out of the gates struggling, the Spurs could find themselves in hole quickly. Besides Duncan and Parker, the team will need offensive help from role players such as Michael Finley and Ime Udoka.
Is Tim Duncan still in his prime or is he beginning the descent?
He’s still more than good enough to be the lead piece of a championship team. While he probably can’t jump as high or run as fast anymore, he’s still undoubtedly one of the top three bigmen in the NBA. That said, with Ginobili sidelined the Spurs need Duncan to be better than he was during the regular season last year when averaged 19.3 points a game.
Who will backup Tony Parker?
In a perfect world, the job would taken by rookie point guard George Hill. Hill, who was drafted in the first round with the 26th overall selection, was impressive in preseason before suffering a sprained thumb. However, the jump from tiny IUPUI to the NBA will be a difficult one, so there’s a chance Hill won’t be able to keep the job. In such a scenario, the job would likely fall to veteran Jacque Vaughn or newcomer Roger Mason, Jr.
What happens if Bruce Bowen loses a step?
Now this is one scenario that the Spurs don’t have an answer for on their roster. Bowen’s ability as a perimeter defender is extremely important to the team's overall defensive performance. If Bowen is unable to keep up with the top players in the league, that would make it nearly impossible to win a championship. The Spurs could try using Udoka in Bowen’s stead, but Udoka simply isn’t at Bowen’s level defensively. For San Antonio to go far in the playoffs, the Spurs need 37-year-old Bowen near the top of his game.
Did the Spurs do enough in the offseason?
Good question. The offseason started with the big hope that the team could attract Corey Maggette to San Antonio. That obviously didn’t happen but the Spurs insist that Mason was their second option in free agency. While the jury is definitely still out on Mason, he theoretically could be a very good scoring option off the bench for San Antonio. Outside of Mason and the drafting of Hill, the Spurs didn’t do much else in the offseason. Only time will tell if the Spurs needed to make a bigger splash.
Which bigmen will step up?
It’s definitely true that the bigmen positions on the Spurs have a lot of question marks outside of Duncan. Fabricio Oberto was good during the 2007 playoffs but underwhelmed during last year’s postseason. Kurt Thomas is a rough and tough veteran presence but he’s getting up there in age. Matt Bonner and Anthony Tolliver are both perimeter shooting power forwards who hustle but lack overall skill and experience. And finally, Ian Mahinmi played well for the Austin Toros last year but hasn’t shown much at the NBA level. The Spurs need at least one of the bigs to step up and fill the void next to Duncan.
Will the bench be strong enough?
Yes, if Ginobili comes back healthy. To keep Ginobili refreshed and spry into the postseason, you have to think that head coach Gregg Popovich will bring him off the bench for the duration of the year once he returns. Outside of Ginobili, the reserves don't look very impressive on paper. To have a strong bench, the Spurs will have to hope for Udoka, Mason or Hill to perform better than expected.
Do the Spurs have enough offense to avoid droughts?
To stave off droughts, the Spurs will need offensive production outside of the Big Three. That most likely means production from either Finley or Mason. Finley had his moments last year but wore down near the end of the season. Mason is a player who could be a real difference maker offensively. If he can average double-digits and give the Spurs a dependable scoring threat, that may be enough to keep those ugly offense stretches at bay. Though it is a small sample size, last season in nine starts with Washington, Mason averaged 17.4 points on 52.6% shooting.
Did other teams in the Western Conference pass the Spurs by?
This is absolutely a valid concern. The Los Angeles Lakers got better during the offseason, as did a number of other contenders including the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Hornets. All told, however, if the Spurs are healthy and playing at their absolute best, they have the ability and the experience to conquer any situation.
Can the Spurs win the whole enchilada?
It won't be easy. The NBA has a lot of talented teams at the moment. This San Antonio squad is facing as many questions as they have in the last half decade. Then again, none of the previous four championships were easy either. The Spurs will need a couple of breaks to go their way, good health and a few players producing at a higher than expected level.
Reported by: Kori Ellis
As the San Antonio Spurs embark upon the 2008-09 NBA season, there are more questions than usual floating around their South Texas home. With one-third of the Big Three sidelined and the memory of a defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals still fresh, Spurs fans are hardly a confident bunch at the moment.
Thankfully for the Spurs and their fans, the 82-game marathon of a regular season will offer plenty of time for answers to arrive. Here is a look at the top ten questions facing the Spurs as they tip off their season tonight against the Phoenix Suns:
How will the Spurs survive without Manu Ginobili?
It’s going to be difficult. Last year during the regular season, Ginobili was arguably the team’s best player. For San Antonio to keep their head above water, they will need Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to play extremely well. If either comes out of the gates struggling, the Spurs could find themselves in hole quickly. Besides Duncan and Parker, the team will need offensive help from role players such as Michael Finley and Ime Udoka.
Is Tim Duncan still in his prime or is he beginning the descent?
He’s still more than good enough to be the lead piece of a championship team. While he probably can’t jump as high or run as fast anymore, he’s still undoubtedly one of the top three bigmen in the NBA. That said, with Ginobili sidelined the Spurs need Duncan to be better than he was during the regular season last year when averaged 19.3 points a game.
Who will backup Tony Parker?
In a perfect world, the job would taken by rookie point guard George Hill. Hill, who was drafted in the first round with the 26th overall selection, was impressive in preseason before suffering a sprained thumb. However, the jump from tiny IUPUI to the NBA will be a difficult one, so there’s a chance Hill won’t be able to keep the job. In such a scenario, the job would likely fall to veteran Jacque Vaughn or newcomer Roger Mason, Jr.
What happens if Bruce Bowen loses a step?
Now this is one scenario that the Spurs don’t have an answer for on their roster. Bowen’s ability as a perimeter defender is extremely important to the team's overall defensive performance. If Bowen is unable to keep up with the top players in the league, that would make it nearly impossible to win a championship. The Spurs could try using Udoka in Bowen’s stead, but Udoka simply isn’t at Bowen’s level defensively. For San Antonio to go far in the playoffs, the Spurs need 37-year-old Bowen near the top of his game.
Did the Spurs do enough in the offseason?
Good question. The offseason started with the big hope that the team could attract Corey Maggette to San Antonio. That obviously didn’t happen but the Spurs insist that Mason was their second option in free agency. While the jury is definitely still out on Mason, he theoretically could be a very good scoring option off the bench for San Antonio. Outside of Mason and the drafting of Hill, the Spurs didn’t do much else in the offseason. Only time will tell if the Spurs needed to make a bigger splash.
Which bigmen will step up?
It’s definitely true that the bigmen positions on the Spurs have a lot of question marks outside of Duncan. Fabricio Oberto was good during the 2007 playoffs but underwhelmed during last year’s postseason. Kurt Thomas is a rough and tough veteran presence but he’s getting up there in age. Matt Bonner and Anthony Tolliver are both perimeter shooting power forwards who hustle but lack overall skill and experience. And finally, Ian Mahinmi played well for the Austin Toros last year but hasn’t shown much at the NBA level. The Spurs need at least one of the bigs to step up and fill the void next to Duncan.
Will the bench be strong enough?
Yes, if Ginobili comes back healthy. To keep Ginobili refreshed and spry into the postseason, you have to think that head coach Gregg Popovich will bring him off the bench for the duration of the year once he returns. Outside of Ginobili, the reserves don't look very impressive on paper. To have a strong bench, the Spurs will have to hope for Udoka, Mason or Hill to perform better than expected.
Do the Spurs have enough offense to avoid droughts?
To stave off droughts, the Spurs will need offensive production outside of the Big Three. That most likely means production from either Finley or Mason. Finley had his moments last year but wore down near the end of the season. Mason is a player who could be a real difference maker offensively. If he can average double-digits and give the Spurs a dependable scoring threat, that may be enough to keep those ugly offense stretches at bay. Though it is a small sample size, last season in nine starts with Washington, Mason averaged 17.4 points on 52.6% shooting.
Did other teams in the Western Conference pass the Spurs by?
This is absolutely a valid concern. The Los Angeles Lakers got better during the offseason, as did a number of other contenders including the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Hornets. All told, however, if the Spurs are healthy and playing at their absolute best, they have the ability and the experience to conquer any situation.
Can the Spurs win the whole enchilada?
It won't be easy. The NBA has a lot of talented teams at the moment. This San Antonio squad is facing as many questions as they have in the last half decade. Then again, none of the previous four championships were easy either. The Spurs will need a couple of breaks to go their way, good health and a few players producing at a higher than expected level.