Congratulations Kurt Thomas Family!

[Solid D]

Bill Schoenning reports that Kurt's wife delivered a baby today. Naturally, Kurt will not be with the Spurs for the Denver game. Congratulations!

On another note, Ime Udoka will not play due to illness (flu).

[duncan228]

How sweet. Congrats to them.

[z0sa]

MIGHT explain a little.
Congrats of course.

[hater]

Kurt's boys can swim. congrats

[Darkwaters]

Congrats Kurt.

[duncan228]

Spurs' Thomas, Udoka both miss game (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Thomas_Udoka_both_miss_game.html)
By Mike Monroe

DENVER — Little did the Spurs know that when they brought forward-center Ian Mahinmi back from his injury rehab assignment with the NBA D-League's Austin Toros, and sent forward Anthony Tolliver to Austin, they would find themselves short of big men just four days later.

Veteran power forward Kurt Thomas was not with the Spurs for their game against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, having flown back to San Antonio immediately after the team's charter plane landed at Denver International Airport so he could be present for the birth of a healthy baby daughter.

Mahinmi was unavailable because of a strained left ankle, and Ime Udoka, who often guards power forwards when the Spurs use a small lineup, was back in San Antonio recovering from a bout with the flu. The Spurs entered their game with only three legitimate big men: Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner and Fabricio Oberto.

“We thought we could get away with four ‘bigs,'” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before Thursday's tipoff. “We didn't plan on three.”

Popovich expressed confidence the Spurs could survive the absences of Thomas and Udoka for one night, as long as his available big men could stay on the floor.

“The game may force us to (go small),” Popovich said, “but we've got 96 minutes there, and Timmy is going to play 35 or 36 and Matty will play 25 and Fabby's out there. So those three are going to play the minutes at those two positions, but at some point we will be small.”

No demotion: Spurs rookie point guard George Hill did not play in the second half of Tuesday's loss to the Pistons, but it was not because Popovich was unhappy with anything he had, or had not, done in the game.

Hill was to be back in his regular playing rotation, beginning with the game in Denver.

“It's something that a coach deals with from time to time,” Popovich said. “It was 60-58 late in the third quarter, with three minutes left. Then, we made some foolish plays, missed some shots and their aggressiveness got to us. I thought at that point maybe it would be better to have Jacque Vaughn in the game. He hadn't played in a while, and you want to keep players in the mix. Even if you haven't played somebody, it's good to keep them up. It's like watering a plant. You don't want it to die on you.

“It was a situation where that consistency is what I was looking for at that time, and I had to weigh that. Or, is it better to just say, ‘We want George to be X by the end of the year. ... Let him go fall on his face, or do well.' Well, we'd already done that with him here and there, but at that particular point I thought it would be an important win for us, and I thought Jacque might get us there. That's why I made that decision at that point.”

Empathy for Mitchell: The Spurs had some NBA neighbors at their Denver hotel Wednesday and Thursday. The Toronto Raptors, beaten by 39 by the Nuggets on Tuesday night, remained in Denver for two days of practice before heading to their next road game, Friday night in Salt Lake City.

The Raptors, though, arrived in Denver with one head coach and departed with another. Sam Mitchell was fired after Denver's 132-93 victory, replaced by Jay Triano, who conducted his first practices at the Gold Crown sports complex in the Mile High City.

Both Popovich and Nuggets coach George Karl expressed their unhappiness at Mitchell's dismissal.

“After a number of years we all kind of get numb to it,” Popovich said. “It certainly saddens each of us, because over a period of time you get to know the people, and they're all good people and good coaches. We all know by now that circumstances do that more often than not, rather than the ability, or inability, of a coach. We're all sort of prepared for it.”

[benefactor]

Congrats Kurt!

[lefty]

If the baby has his father's eyes, his wife certainly got a heart attack

But seriously, his baby can improve our rebounding.
CIA Pop

[timtonymanu]

Congrats Kurt!

[TMTTRIO]

Congrats to Kurt and his family. I wish them the best. By the way someone pointed this out to me but if you're into superstitions it seems like the years we win championships one (or more) of the Spurs wives has a baby. In '03 it was Speedy's wife. In '05 and '07 both Tim and Bruce. So now we have Kurt having one;). So who's going to be next? Manu? Tony?:lol It is kind of interesting to think about.

[Kori Ellis]

In '05 and '07 both Tim and Bruce.

In 2005, it was everybody in the organization almost. It was crazy... Tim, Bruce, PJ, Mike Bud, Sean Marks, Nazr... hmm, maybe more.

[FromWayDowntown]

Congratulations to Kurt and his wife (according to Schoening)/girlfriend (according to Marv). What a joyous occasion!

[Kori Ellis]

Congratulations to Kurt and his wife (according to Schoening)/girlfriend (according to Marv). What a joyous occasion!

I think it's his girlfriend. I don't think he remarried after the whole domestic violence/arrest all that with his former wife a few years back.

Nevertheless, congrats to Kurt and his family.

[YODA]

In 2005, it was everybody in the organization almost. It was crazy... Tim, Bruce, PJ, Mike Bud, Sean Marks, Nazr... hmm, maybe more.


Add Yoda to that list too.

[mystargtr34]

I think Ime was pregnant too

[tp2021]

I think Ime was pregnant too

The added size shouldn't hurt when defending the larger SF's in the league.

[mrspurs]

Congrats I guess. Kinda old to be a dad. I have 2 friends at the AT&T center who are 36 and their wives are expecting. They both have kids who are almost out of highschool. You would not believe the heck we give them. And they always say. Its their moms baby, not mine....hahahaha

[byrontx]

Congrats to Kurt & family.

I was 45 when my son was born (first). I really have no idea why that should be a problem.

[Taco]

If the baby has his father's eyes, his wife certainly got a heart attack

But seriously, his baby can improve our rebounding.
CIA Pop


bebé ojos locos ?


j/k

Congrats to the Thomas Family

[1Parker1]

:lol @ Pop...Timmy, Matty, and Fabby. Man, our bigmen sure are cool.

[SenorSpur]

No demotion: Spurs rookie point guard George Hill did not play in the second half of Tuesday's loss to the Pistons, but it was not because Popovich was unhappy with anything he had, or had not, done in the game.

Hill was to be back in his regular playing rotation, beginning with the game in Denver.

“It's something that a coach deals with from time to time,” Popovich said. “It was 60-58 late in the third quarter, with three minutes left. Then, we made some foolish plays, missed some shots and their aggressiveness got to us. I thought at that point maybe it would be better to have Jacque Vaughn in the game. He hadn't played in a while, and you want to keep players in the mix. Even if you haven't played somebody, it's good to keep them up. It's like watering a plant. You don't want it to die on you.

“It was a situation where that consistency is what I was looking for at that time, and I had to weigh that. Or, is it better to just say, ‘We want George to be X by the end of the year. ... Let him go fall on his face, or do well.' Well, we'd already done that with him here and there, but at that particular point I thought it would be an important win for us, and I thought Jacque might get us there. That's why I made that decision at that point.”


Even after Pop explained it, it still makes no sense. During the midst of the blowout loss to the Pistons, Pop still could've played Hill some in the 2nd half (end of the 3rd, beginning of the 4th) and still found minutes for JV in the latter half of the 4th. After all, it wasn't like there was any great production from the PG position anyway. And TP did admit, in his TNT interview, that he was gassed in the 4th quarter. He hadn't played upwards of 35 mins since he's been back. Very puzzling.

[timvp]

“It's something that a coach deals with from time to time,” Popovich said. “It was 60-58 late in the third quarter, with three minutes left. Then, we made some foolish plays, missed some shots and their aggressiveness got to us. I thought at that point maybe it would be better to have Jacque Vaughn in the game."Not sure if Pop lied on purpose or just pulled something out of his beard but that wasn't what happened at all.

When Pop put Vaughn into the game, the Spurs were up 57-50. They were on a 5-0 run and the Pistons hadn't scored in over three minutes. Enter Vaughn and the Pistons outscore the Spurs 39-20 the rest of the way. Predictably, the offense went into the tank with Vaughn running the show and Iverson repeatedly broke him down on the other end.

Not sure what game Pop was coaching . . .

[peskypesky]

Congrats to Kurt & family.

I was 45 when my son was born (first). I really have no idea why that should be a problem.

+1