NBA Countdown: No. 4 San Antonio Spurs

[duncan228]

NBA Countdown: No. 4 San Antonio Spurs (http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/40187/nba_countdown_no._4_san_antonio_spurs)

Leading into the Oct. 27 season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the NBA teams, counting backward from its Sept. 25 Power Poll. For more great NBA content, order your copy of our Pro Basketball yearbook, or pick one up at a newsstand today.

By Fran Blinebury
Sporting News Yearbooks

It would have been easy for the San Antonio Spurs to walk out onto the stage this season for a curtain call, take a collective bow and say their work has been done. With four NBA championship banners hanging from the rafters since 1999, they have had as good a run as any team over the past decade.

So, it would have been understandable to expect that an era was coming to a close, especially with Tim Duncan getting up in years, Manu Ginobili starting to carry around more chips and cracks than old china and the team getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs last spring by Dallas.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the junkyard. A franchise that always has played it pretty close to the vest financially whipped out a wad of cash over the summer and bought enough chips to get back into the contenders’ game.

In the eye of an uncertain economy that prompted many NBA teams to put a lock on their wallets during the offseason, the Spurs sprinted past the luxury-tax threshold to acquire Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess.

With those two moves alone, the Spurs leaped to about $8 million over the dollar-for- dollar tax line. The final tariff bill is likely to breach $10 million, on top of a payroll pushing $80 million.

To major owner Peter Holt and the Spurs’ brain trust of coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford, it was not a wild gamble as much as a calculated bet to push their pile of chips all in to the middle of the table.

“We strongly feel we’ve got a real opportunity here at the end of the Tim Duncan era,” Holt said. “If you’re in this business long-term, you’ve got to take care of the opportunities that come up—even though, short-term, it’s going to cost you some real money.”

With the addition of high-flying veteran Jefferson, the Spurs have given themselves a shot of athleticism and a path to easy fast-break points that should alleviate the burden on their half-court offense. Now point guard Tony Parker once again has a running mate who gets down the floor and finishes in transition.

Jefferson’s presence also should take some of the pressure off Ginobili, who, after a season with ankle injuries, cannot play at the same breakneck pace for the full 82 games anymore.

McDyess provides the Spurs with some much-needed depth on the front line. And the addition of rookie DeJuan Blair, who dropped into the Spurs’ lap with the 37th pick in the draft, might be the icing on the cake. Blair was the best rebounder in college basketball a year ago. Though other teams were scared off by a pair of previous knee injuries, the Spurs are betting that he can hold up and finally provide some punch at a position where they’ve struggled in recent seasons.

Then there is Duncan, who when healthy can play at a level that has made him arguably the greatest power forward in the history of the game. So, as long as the window of opportunity is still there with Duncan, the Spurs are gambling that they can wriggle through the opening.

Fast facts
2008-09 record: 54-28
Last playoff appearance: 2009 (lost in conference quarterfinal)
Coach: Gregg Popovich

Burning question
Can Richard Jeff erson make it a Big Four?

Injuries and age have left the Spurs’ Tony Parker-Tim Duncan-Manu Ginobili formula less reliable than it had been for years. Duncan is still an outstanding big man, and Ginobili is among the league’s best bench players when healthy, but each has lost a step. In order to rely less on them, San Antonio added Richard Jefferson, who has a career scoring average of 17.7 points. That should provide the Spurs the depth they have lacked over the last two years, and return them to the elite of the Western Conference for the remainder of Duncan’s career.
— Sean Deveney

View from the other bench
(an opponent breaks down the Spurs)

“Nobody has ever doubted the championship- level talent of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But over the past several seasons it had become pretty obvious that the Spurs didn’t have enough talent in their supporting cast—especially to survive an injury. Now bringing in Richard Jefferson should give them a set of young legs to get down the floor in the running game to take full advantage of Parker’s talents. ...

“The possible downside to what the Spurs have done is maybe investing a whole lot of money in Jefferson, who has a lot of years and miles on his wheels already and might have left his best days back with the Nets.

Rookie to watch: F/C DeJuan Blair

Blair’s ACL problems with both knees in high school scared off some teams in the draft and let the Spurs get the young rebounder they needed at No. 37. Blair averaged 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in the preseason.

Inside the numbers:

41: Games in which San Antonio’s top three scorers (Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili) played together in 2008-09, 17 fewer than the trio’s previous low in their seven years together.
12: Consecutive seasons the Spurs have finished in the league’s top three in scoring defense.
82: Games Richard Jefferson has started each of the last two seasons, something no other current Spurs player has done in consecutive years since Duncan in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Additions: Marcus Haislip, F (Milwaukee), Antonio McDyess, F (Detroit), Theo Ratliff, C (Philadelphia), Richard Jefferson, F/G (trade, Milwaukee), Keith Bogans, G/F (Milwaukee)

Subtractions: Drew Gooden, F (Dallas), Fabricio Oberto, C (trade, Milwaukee), Kurt Thomas, F (trade, Milwaukee), Bruce Bowen, F (trade, Milwaukee)

[TIMMYD!]

Wonder who's number 1?

[duncan228]

The Baseline Sees All: San Antonio Spurs (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-thebaselineseesallsa&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp%20duncan/lead204.jpg

Elsewhere in our web of basketball knowledge, you'll find comprehensive team previews by experts intimately acquainted with what makes these NBA teams tick, where they've been and what might be next for them. So why another set of previews? Because sometimes, it's worth listening to your crazy uncle about that broken leg before you take a second trip to the doctor's office.

I will grudgingly acknowledge the greatness of the Spurs as readily as the next man. The real dynasty of our era has not only survived shifting personnel and changes in style, but also is overseen by a coach who belongs in the best-ever conversation. That said, let's stop being surprised by San Antonio—by the way their scouts always manage to dig up gems, or by Gregg Popovich's ability to plain out-brain his opponent. Or by the way the team seems to win and win, no matter what goes wrong.

I know it works better with the Spurs' mystique (or anti-mystique) to say so, but let's admit it: Aging or not, this team has been fueled by the three-headed star beast of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, which might explain why they were dramatically knocked off by the Mavs last spring. At this point, in today's West, the injured Manu couldn't just be replaced by a sneaky pickup getting burn—no disrespect to George Hill or Roger Mason, Jr.

The Spurs are still the Spurs. But like all other teams near the top, they're a team of stars. And that's why getting Richard Jefferson over the summer was so important. Say what you will about the former Net (and Buck), but Jefferson's an offensive threat comparable to Stephen Jackson when he was a Spur. It's an acknowledgement that to win a ring, you need to load up—even if you're the Spurs.

It's true, Duncan is slowing down, and Manu's falling apart. Popovich can coach around that. The bench is deep, as usual, if not exactly glamorous. But the key is getting Jefferson established as a major factor—someone who could step up if one of the big three went down, or ideally, could become part of an attack that's more potent than ever. There are all the other Spurs trappings, of course; signing Antonio McDyess is one of the most underrated moves of the summer. So while Jefferson may not be Shaq, Sheed, Vince or Artest, he's still a big pickup for the Spurs, who are keeping up with the times while sticking to their guns. That's why you can never count San Antonio out, why every game against them is a big one and why no team is anxious to draw them come playoff time.

Most likely breakout: Pitt's DeJuan Blair was projected as a first-rounder, a rebounding machine whose game looked to translate well to the pros. Then, much to everyone's suprise, he fell like crazy, only to have the Spurs scoop him up in the second round. Not that playing behind Duncan and McDyess leaves much room for air time, but don't overlook how interesting San Antonio has gotten with its line-ups over the years. If Blair does prove to be as effective at cleaning up the glass as expected—he's certainly looked it in preseason—Popovich will find a way to sick him on the rest of the league. You can bet Blair is waiting for a chance to make the teams that passed on him pay.

Most likely letdown: This is kind of a no-brainer, since Jefferson's arrival pretty much puts that writing on the wall. But Michael Finley, who has now been in the league 14 years, is on his last legs. He's still capable of shooting and will be called on in the playoffs, no doubt. And yet while Duncan, Parker and Manu march on into this next incarnation of the sport's most persistent powerhouse, Finley is being put out to pasture. It's not exactly a sad ending, seeing as he was a model soldier for the Mavs, watching them rise from the cellar to a perennial playoff team, and then came to SA, where he earned his ring. In a very quiet way, though, this is the end of an era.

Blog superstar: I am so sick of hearing that San Antonio, and Pop in particular, is secretly the smartest, funniest, loosest team in the league. They show us scraps, but it's almost like—and this is in keeping with how they're perceived—they're smugly holding out on us. Would it kill them to give us a full-on reality show? Maybe in the offseason, they could do a celebrity Amazing Race. It could double as sub rosa scouting. That sounds about par for this organization.

Signature game: When the Spurs "stun" the Cavs, Celtics, Magic or Lakers, and then about a day later everyone realizes there's no reason to be "stunned"—this is the Spurs we're talking about here.

Why else you should care: Because resistance is futile.

[eyeh8u]

Wonder who's number 1?


seriously?, its gonna be LA

on the off chance you were being sarcastic, im sorry

[duncan228]

Related:

Most Improved Teams video:

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/player/nba/Y_Sports_NBA_Coverage/16255588;_ylt=Avs1Nf1rfHTSBr5pIxkguzm8vLYF

Ball Don't Lie Spurs Preview:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136713

[duncan228]

SI.com's NBA Enemy Lines (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/spurs.scout/)

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Spurs

Richard Jefferson can make a big difference because he can score on the drive and he runs the floor so well, which gives them somebody to play in the open floor with Tony Parker. He can play the 2 and the 3, and he is still a good defender. If Manu Ginobili is healthy like they say, they can make a big championship run. If he is hurt off and on like usual during the regular season, maybe they can survive it because Jefferson can step in and fill the role of getting them 20 points a night.

Jefferson is a guy with Finals experience during his years in New Jersey. He has played a lot of different styles and he has been coached, so he's going to fit in real easy. There are plenty of ways to plug him into their playbook, and he understands the team concepts from his years of playing with two very good players who controlled the ball in Jason Kidd and Vince Carter. Coming over from a losing team in Milwaukee, he's going to be happy every day. I keep thinking of the easy baskets he's going to get from running the floor with Parker. They've kept trying to draft kids or bring in guys to do that, but they've never had the complete package they're getting from Jefferson.

If everyone is healthy, I figure their best lineup in the fourth quarter is going to be Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson, Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess -- which is really good. It's why I'm picking them to win the championship.

As far as the health of their key players, the most important one is Parker. If he goes down, that's a big hole that can't be filled because Parker has already been through it all playing for Gregg Popovich. His point guards have to be strong-minded people who can think on their own. George Hill was good for a while last year as a rookie backup until people started game-planning against him and Pop started demanding more from him. They lack a great backup point, and they may miss Jacque Vaughn for the few reliable minutes he used to give them.

After Parker, Duncan's health is the next most important. If Timmy is hurt here and there during the season, they can still have McDyess as somebody who can score in the same areas of the floor. They can afford small injuries during the season and still come in with a high seed. But they need to find a way to have everyone healthy going into the playoffs.

I thought Duncan looked pretty good last year. They can't depend as much on him as they used to, and most of the time he's playing center instead of power forward, especially on defense. He can't play the 4 and guard Dirk Nowitzki all over the floor. By defending the center, he can use his intelligence, skills and size to guard Erick Dampier or other big men. On offense, his role doesn't change much. He doesn't run the floor and finish coming down the lane like he used to. He has continued to improve his passing over the years. I don't think he's as active blocking shots, but he still affects the game that way. He's still among the league leaders in rebounding. He shoots a high percentage and his free-throw shooting is improving.

McDyess will end up playing a lot with Duncan, and then he'll shift into Duncan's role when he goes to the bench and they go smaller. Jefferson could even play some 4 in those lineups.

McDyess was a great pickup because it's been a long time since they've had a second frontcourt scorer they could depend on. Plus, he has been a tremendous rebounder the last two years. He's a 35-year-old who has missed hardly any games because of injury over the last five years since he had his knee surgeries, so they may be playing with fire a little bit there because they need him to stay healthy.

Ginobili is their biggest health risk. His game hasn't changed very much over the years, but I wonder if Pop wishes he would change some more -- that he pick his spots and wouldn't play with reckless abandon all of the time so he could stay healthier. As far as changes, whereas he used drive and finish with a dunk, he's finishing with a lot more layups now, though he'll still dunk on you if you fall asleep on him. He used to run floor all the way, but now he runs to the three-point line more. When he runs to the three-point line, he runs there to get you to bite and then he's going to up-fake and drive the ball inside. Maybe his consistency in finishing is not quite what it used to be, but I don't see a big drop-off in style.

Parker is the second-best point guard in the league. I still have Steve Nash at No. 1 with Parker just behind him. Parker is up there so high because he does a lot of different things and he's done it at the championship level. He doesn't shoot the three as well as some of the other top point guards, but he has gotten better every year, and at 27 he's not much older than Chris Paul or Deron Williams. He's just as fast as any of those other point guards, and he takes smart shots and shoots a higher percentage than they do. He hits big shots and he does all of that while still running his team at a championship level, which is the biggest thing of all. He has won conference championships and NBA championships, while Paul and Williams haven't achieved that level yet.

Roger Mason has the ability to back up Parker, so maybe Mason's ability to play both guard spots enabled them to let go of Vaughn. Mason's minutes should be down a bit this year, though he'll still be an important guy in the rotation because he can shoot the ball. He was another guy who was making those big shots at the end of games until teams started to game-plan against him, and then once he had that attention and teams were taking away some of his stuff, he didn't have an answer for it. But he still shoots the ball well, he makes his free throws and he plays good defense. He seems to have a lot of positives, though I just don't know if he's been through the wars enough for Pop to depend on him when it really matters.

Michael Finley still makes shots and still plays hard. He's smart enough to take advantage of opportunities when he gets them. Matt Bonner isn't a great driver, but he shoots the ball so well out to the three-point line that it takes pressure off Duncan because you have to guard Bonner out there. He plays hard, and though he's not a great defender, he is crafty and he guards well enough to let Duncan stay back in the paint. He's bought into everything they've asked him to do.

If they can get anything out of rookie forward DeJuan Blair, that would be a bonus. Everybody seems to be high on him, but I'm not so sure. He's really short and heavy, and if he's not playing a lot, he can become really heavy. That alone worries me more than all of the talk about his knee problems. Another new big man for them, Theo Ratliff, is as serviceable as any of the guys they've had in the post in recent years. He can still run the floor and block shots here and there. I like the pickup of Keith Bogans because he's another multidimensional guy who can defend and knock down threes while fitting in with their style of play. Marcus Haislip, who came over from Europe, will end up being a guy who can fill in. He is a pretty good athlete who is more of a face-up shooter like Bonner. He has the skills to give them as much as they got from Kurt Thomas the last couple of years.

I wonder if they see potential any longer in young big man Ian Mahinmi. In the summer league, he never does anything that makes you say, Wow. Occasionally he'll run the floor for a tip-dunk. He's long, he can block shots and he runs, but overall I don't see it.

Let's not put too big of an emphasis on the players at the end of their rotation. If they go deep in the playoffs and challenge the Lakers, that means their Big Three as well as McDyess are all healthy, which enables the other guys to serve as seventh, eighth and ninth men. And in that kind of limited role, I would have confidence in them too.

One reason Popovich is so successful is that he's his own boss. He doesn't have to worry about keeping his job every day, and so he can rest his players and pace them through the season with more confidence than a lot of other coaches. But they've also built a philosophy based on the whole team rather than the individuals. If one guy is out one night, they have somebody who steps in and knows the role well enough as the backup guy because they drill him on it so well. He promotes a lot of confidence among the guys who aren't starters. The best thing about Pop is that he holds everybody to the same standard. If Duncan or Parker messes up, he'll get on him just as hard as he'll get on Hill when he messes up. So everybody feels like they're part of the whole on the same level. And even though there obviously are differences in who is playing and who isn't, he holds everybody to the same standard of accountability. As a guy coming off the bench, you can appreciate that.

[freemeat]

a lot of great finds, 228! thanks for sharing!

[TIMMYD!]

seriously?, its gonna be LA

on the off chance you were being sarcastic, im sorry

I was.

[jag]

SI.com's NBA Enemy Lines (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/spurs.scout/)

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Spurs


Parker is the second-best point guard in the league. I still have Steve Nash at No. 1 with Parker just behind him.

That's all you need to know about that "scout's" opinion.

[TIMMYD!]

That's all you need to know about that "scout's" opinion.

As much as I hate saying it, Chris Paul is number 1.

[AussieFanKurt]

Thanks Duncan228 !

[TIMMYD!]

The Baseline Sees All: San Antonio Spurs (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-thebaselineseesallsa&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp%20duncan/lead204.jpg

Elsewhere in our web of basketball knowledge, you'll find comprehensive team previews by experts intimately acquainted with what makes these NBA teams tick, where they've been and what might be next for them. So why another set of previews? Because sometimes, it's worth listening to your crazy uncle about that broken leg before you take a second trip to the doctor's office.

I will grudgingly acknowledge the greatness of the Spurs as readily as the next man. The real dynasty of our era has not only survived shifting personnel and changes in style, but also is overseen by a coach who belongs in the best-ever conversation. That said, let's stop being surprised by San Antonio—by the way their scouts always manage to dig up gems, or by Gregg Popovich's ability to plain out-brain his opponent. Or by the way the team seems to win and win, no matter what goes wrong.

I know it works better with the Spurs' mystique (or anti-mystique) to say so, but let's admit it: Aging or not, this team has been fueled by the three-headed star beast of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, which might explain why they were dramatically knocked off by the Mavs last spring. At this point, in today's West, the injured Manu couldn't just be replaced by a sneaky pickup getting burn—no disrespect to George Hill or Roger Mason, Jr.

The Spurs are still the Spurs. But like all other teams near the top, they're a team of stars. And that's why getting Richard Jefferson over the summer was so important. Say what you will about the former Net (and Buck), but Jefferson's an offensive threat comparable to Stephen Jackson when he was a Spur. It's an acknowledgement that to win a ring, you need to load up—even if you're the Spurs.

It's true, Duncan is slowing down, and Manu's falling apart. Popovich can coach around that. The bench is deep, as usual, if not exactly glamorous. But the key is getting Jefferson established as a major factor—someone who could step up if one of the big three went down, or ideally, could become part of an attack that's more potent than ever. There are all the other Spurs trappings, of course; signing Antonio McDyess is one of the most underrated moves of the summer. So while Jefferson may not be Shaq, Sheed, Vince or Artest, he's still a big pickup for the Spurs, who are keeping up with the times while sticking to their guns. That's why you can never count San Antonio out, why every game against them is a big one and why no team is anxious to draw them come playoff time.

Most likely breakout: Pitt's DeJuan Blair was projected as a first-rounder, a rebounding machine whose game looked to translate well to the pros. Then, much to everyone's suprise, he fell like crazy, only to have the Spurs scoop him up in the second round. Not that playing behind Duncan and McDyess leaves much room for air time, but don't overlook how interesting San Antonio has gotten with its line-ups over the years. If Blair does prove to be as effective at cleaning up the glass as expected—he's certainly looked it in preseason—Popovich will find a way to sick him on the rest of the league. You can bet Blair is waiting for a chance to make the teams that passed on him pay.

Most likely letdown: This is kind of a no-brainer, since Jefferson's arrival pretty much puts that writing on the wall. But Michael Finley, who has now been in the league 14 years, is on his last legs. He's still capable of shooting and will be called on in the playoffs, no doubt. And yet while Duncan, Parker and Manu march on into this next incarnation of the sport's most persistent powerhouse, Finley is being put out to pasture. It's not exactly a sad ending, seeing as he was a model soldier for the Mavs, watching them rise from the cellar to a perennial playoff team, and then came to SA, where he earned his ring. In a very quiet way, though, this is the end of an era.

Blog superstar: I am so sick of hearing that San Antonio, and Pop in particular, is secretly the smartest, funniest, loosest team in the league. They show us scraps, but it's almost like—and this is in keeping with how they're perceived—they're smugly holding out on us. Would it kill them to give us a full-on reality show? Maybe in the offseason, they could do a celebrity Amazing Race. It could double as sub rosa scouting. That sounds about par for this organization.

Signature game: When the Spurs "stun" the Cavs, Celtics, Magic or Lakers, and then about a day later everyone realizes there's no reason to be "stunned"—this is the Spurs we're talking about here.

Why else you should care: Because resistance is futile.

He's twice as good as Sheed.

[Spurs Brazil]

Thanks D228!

[boutons_deux]

Sheed is a very good talent, up there with Tim, but you only see it a few minutes a game, and a few games/season, and less and less these past 3 or 4 years. A wasted career.

[exstatic]

Sheed is a very good talent, up there with Tim, but you only see it a few minutes a game, and a few games/season, and less and less these past 3 or 4 years. A wasted career.

Here's all you need to know about 'Sheed's talent: he could have been Tim, he was just too lazy. We were discussing wasted careers in another thread, guys like Tim Thomas, Derrick Coleman, and I'm pissed I didn't remember RW.