another preseason preview

[spectator]

bill simmons - http://espn.go.com/espnradio/player?rd=1#/podcenter/?id=5704072&########=1&callsign=ESPNRADIO

nba today - espn.com/nba (on the main page 10/20) or http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=3634017

[spectator]

on the nba today pod - the guys talk about how the spurs are totally done. then one of them says how the spurs got crushed against dallas in the PO. ok guys, we get it - you are totally prepared to make judgements on the spurs.

[duncan228]

The Wages of Wins Journal. Scroll about halfway down, the Spurs are after the Mavs.

Review and Preview of the San Antonio Spurs (http://dberri.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/review-and-preview-of-the-dallas-mavericks-and-san-antonio-spurs/)

http://dberri.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/review-and-preview-of-the-dallas-mavericks-and-san-antonio-spurs/

*********************

Griffin's take on it.

Wages of Wins predict another likely 50-win season for Spurs (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/tim_griffin/2010/10/wages-of-wins-predict-another.html)
By Tim Griffin

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/tim_griffin/2010/10/wages-of-wins-predict-another.html

[duncan228]

2010-11 San Antonio Spurs Preview (http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/news/news.aspx?id=4350283)
By Shawn Clarke
Sports Network

Try telling MMA legend Randy Couture he's too old to get into the Octagon and see what happens.

Take the same approach with the San Antonio Spurs and the repercussions could be costly. Counted out for a few years now because of an aging roster and a head coach that may have lost his touch, the Spurs will once again have to earn the respect they once demanded over the past 13 years or so.

There's no telling what Gregg Popovich has in store for the 2010-11 campaign with his veteran-laden squad spearheaded by aging future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Duncan has averaged more than 17 points and 10 rebounds every season since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 1997, and while his skills may be declining, he still serves as a legitimate threat.

During Duncan's tenure in San Antonio, the club has the best record in the NBA at 719-315 and four NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007). It also owns six Southwest Division titles and extended its streak of 50-plus wins in a season to 11 with a 50-32 ledger in 2009-10. While the Spurs' upcoming demise is being chronicled throughout the country, the combination of Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker still brings experience and leadership.

Hampered with injuries all last season, San Antonio is running out of chances to win a title in the Duncan-era and haven't hoisted the trophy since 2007. With age becoming an issue, the Spurs are trying to find more prominent roles for the their younger players much like George Hill, DeJuan Blair and Spanish League MVP and rookie Tiago Splitter. Splitter has garnered much hype and could be the leader of San Antonio's next generation.

Playing in a wide-open Western Conference will make it easier for Popovich's chances of making another deep run into the playoffs. The seventh-seeded Spurs beat rival Dallas in six games in the opening round, then were swept in four games by Phoenix in the semifinals. Perhaps better performances from players such as Richard Jefferson would have reaped profitable results.

"We just do things a little differently, and Pop expects more from people," Duncan said on the team's site. "When your head gets out of the way and you're allowed to play your game, things are better."

A more productive Jefferson coupled with no health issues from San Antonio's core group (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker) will keep fans in the Alamo City satisfied and prepped for another playoff journey.

2009-10 Results: 50-32, second in Southwest; lost in West semis

ADDITIONS: F Tiago Splitter; C Marcus Cousin; F Bobby Simmons; G Gary Neal; F James Gist

SUBTRACTIONS: G Roger Mason Jr; G Thomas Gardner; G Malik Hairston;

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:

PG- Tony Parker SG- Manu Ginobili SF- Richard Jefferson PF- Tim Duncan C- Antonio McDyess

KEY RESERVES: C/F DeJuan Blair; SF Matt Bonner; G George Hill; F Tiago Splitter

FRONTCOURT: Duncan is still a threat inside and hopes to build off a down year in which he posted 18 points and 10 boards in 31 minutes a game. He is the only player in NBA history to have garnered All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team honors in each of his 13 seasons and is the first player since Shaquille O'Neal to be selected to an All-NBA team for 13 consecutive campaigns. The bank-shot specialist also joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and O'Neal as the only players in league annals to record at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 2,000 blocks and 3,000 assists in a career.

Duncan's astronomical numbers helped him pass Mitch Richmond for 33rd place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Duncan, with 20,641 points, is set to pace former San Antonio greats George Gervin and David Robinson on the scoring list. A treasure chest loaded with advice and knowledge of the game, Duncan can still dominate at this level.

Center Antonio McDyess has seen better days and may even lose his job to the rookie Splitter. McDyess can also play power forward and appeared in 77 games a season ago, averaging just 5.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. While McDyess is watching his back for Splitter, second-year man Blair has a true shot at making a few starts this season. He made more than 20 starts down low last season and is a rebounding machine. Blair, however, must cut back on the fouls and turnovers. Splitter has a lot to prove and the former Spanish League MVP wants to show that he can be a valuable asset in year one. The Spurs like his 7-foot frame and long arms, reminding them of former star Robinson.

The high-priced Jefferson played in all but one game last season, but averaged just 12.3 points and 31:06 minutes per contest. Jefferson took his huge contract to the Spurs and often struggled on the floor by missing shots, committing turnovers and not executing in transition. The former Arizona star needs to be more aggressive with the ball and start making plays on his own instead of looking for one of the big three to come through. San Antonio is really counting on Jefferson to get back to his scoring ways in New Jersey.

BACKCOURT: Ginobili plays as if he's possessed and enjoyed a solid year with 16.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals. The frenetic defender is one of the best finishers in the game and turned it on following the All- Star break last season with 21.5 ppg. Not too many athletes can pull off the types of plays Ginobili does and he makes coaching easier on Popovich.

The tread on Ginobili's tires may be wearing thin, but that still won't stop him from competing. Remember, Ginobili has played deep into the postseason every year in the league.

Parker, meanwhile, hopes to be back at full strength after he played in just 56 games last season because of injuries. Parker is the leader on the floor and gets everyone involved with his timely passes and speed. The sharp- shooting Parker ignored trade rumors in the offseason and remained committed to improving his game after letting his team down in 2009-10. Parker averaged 16.0 points last year -- his lowest output since a 16.6 average in 2004-05.

The former first-round draft choice is in a contract year and be sure to watch Parker drain the majority of his sweet-stroking shots from mid-range.

BENCH: George Hill played well as Parker's replacement and will be one of Popovich's top guys off the bench. He posted 12.4 points and 2.9 assists in 78 games a season ago, and will battle rookie James Anderson for playing time. Alonzo Gee, Gary Neal and Garrett Temple will also get looks.

Blair and Splitter are San Antonio's young and top reserves down low, while Matt Bonner is a sharp-shooting small forward. Expect to see Splitter working a lot with Duncan to get acclimated with the position and the league.

COACHING: With four NBA titles to his credit Popovich has the fourth best winning percentage (736-362) of any coach in NBA history behind Phil Jackson, Billy Cunningham and K.C. Jones. He surely doesn't mind the surrounding company, but would one day enjoy being considered the best at his job.

Popovich is one of only 16 coaches that have won 700 or more games and has earned respect from around the league with his intimidating style of coaching and knowledge of the sport. He expects nothing less than 100 percent from all of his players and his resume speaks for that.

STEVE SCHWARZ'S FANTASY FOCUS: Duncan (ADP 32), Ginobili (ADP 34) and Parker (ADP 101) produce year-after- year, but this time around, some of the youngsters like Splitter and Blair may help out too. That will make them a better team, but lessen their fantasy value. Duncan's minutes have dropped in each of the last two seasons and by design should continue that trend in 2010-11. Hill and talented rookie Anderson (Oklahoma State) may allow Parker and Ginobili to log less minutes too, so beware for drafting them too high.

OUTLOOK: Competing for their fourth Southwest Division title in seven years is going to be an uphill battle for the Spurs. They finished second in the division a year ago and still have to get past Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and an improving Memphis squad. Experience and leadership, not the aging bodies, will represent what this San Antonio squad is all about in its quest towards another deep push into the playoffs. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have plenty of tips to pass around the younger guys as well, while Jefferson shoots for a redemptions season following his low-output performance a year ago. The Spurs probably won't capture the NBA title for the fifth time since the 1998-99 campaign, but still have the talent to come awfully close.

[Chomag]

Bonner is a small forward? My God I hope that never happnes.

[ajballer4]

That last one was all sorts of wrong

[duncan228]

2010-11 NBA SEASON PREVIEW: SAN ANTONIO SPURS (http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=338321)
Tim Chisholm

Is it possible for a season of Spurs basketball to avoid being determined by the Big Three?

It's a tricky (and misleading) question, to be sure. After all, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili spent most of the last decade as the league's preeminent Big Three, assembled before Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen went to Boston and are possession of more rings (three to one) than the Celtics trio. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and the Spurs also marched in lockstep as it pertained to keeping the core together, as all three could have made more money by breaking up and playing elsewhere but none were willing to part each others company. They have been everything and then some for the Spurs since 2002 and it seems like heresy to suggest that their impact on the Spurs fortunes have been diminished.

That is why the question was somewhat misleading. At this point, barring catastrophic injuries, we have a fairly reasonable idea of what to expect from the Big Three in San Antonio. Duncan with give you 20-and-8 on fantastic percentages while playing intelligent post defense. Parker will devour teams with his speed and his ability to get to the basket and finish at an unbelievable rate (two years ago, when he was fully healthy, he shot 65% at the rim on 7.1 attempts per game, by far the most shots at the rim by a point guard). Ginobili will play his whirling dervish style, and he seemed to re-discover himself after the All-Star break last season, going for 21.4 ppg, 5.6 apg and 4.2 rpg heading into the Playoffs. For those three, barring injury, you can take their production to the bank.

That's why in a way they have made themselves so irrelevant to their own cause. They are so consistent that one doesn't have to wonder if they are going to show up and play, or if they do how well they'll manage to do it. For the Spurs it really comes down to the guys surrounding them and how well they can lift the periphery of the team around the Big Three that will determine the ultimate success of the team this year.

The key Next Three for the Spurs are George Hill, DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter. Yes, Richard Jefferson needs to play better, blah, blah, blah, but these three are the real X-Factors for the club this season. Hill had a breakout sophomore season for the Spurs last year, helped especially by the playing time he was granted playing for the injured Tony Parker (he started an unexpected 43 games last season). He is the Spurs primary guard off of the bench now, he can slide between both backcourt positions, and while his mid-range shooting is lacking, he's a great three-point shooter and a solid finisher around the rim. His ability to play heavy minutes this season (allowing Parker and Ginobili to stay fresh) will be huge when the Playoffs roll around for the club.

After George comes the Spurs two key ‘other' bigs, Blair and Splitter. Blair proved to be the steal of the draft last year, a second-round pick (37th overall) that averaged 6.4 rebounds in just 18.2 minutes per game last year and blended seamlessly into the Spurs team-oriented attack. Splitter, last year's Spanish League MVP, brings an active center to play alongside Duncan and, like George, will help tremendously in keeping Duncan's minutes down this season in an attempt to keep him fresh for another post-season run.

If these players can step up and be relied upon to perform all season long for the Spurs, it could return San Antonio to near the top of the Western heap (they are only two seasons removed from a run to the West Finals). If not, then Gregg Popovich could be forced to overtax his Big Three in the regular season and that could force another first-round exit for the club and essentially begin the deconstruction of the preeminent dynasty of the last ten years.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP

PG – TONY PARKER
Parker is in a rare situation for a Spurs veteran this season: unsure of where he'll play next season. Currently Parker is playing on an expiring $13.5-million contract and there is no clear-cut guarantee that the Spurs will extend it before it expires. It runs contrary to how the Spurs have conducted their business in the past, but with the team struggling in the post-season the last two years they are not rushing into signing Parker long term, especially without seeing how his body reacts after a season spent on and off the injured reserve list. Unlike Ginobili, who was extended last season, Parker is younger and would demand a longer and more expensive pact. If the Spurs struggle during the regular season, it could begin the countdown to Parker's last days in San Antonio a lot quicker than most figured it would begin, but the team could also opt to lock him up at any time this season and negate all of this speculation. He'll have to play the games and let the chips fall where they may.

SG – MANU GINOBILI
Ginobili has been a reserve for much of his career, a tactic used by Popovich to try and protect his fragile body from playing too many minutes throughout the season. With George Hill aboard, though, the Spurs look to finally have a high-usage guard option aside from Ginobili that can protect him minutes-wise off of the bench. Unlike system players like Roger Mason, Hill is active and makes plays for himself and others, which makes him an ideal candidate to come into games and change the flow, much like Ginobili did when he was a reserve. The Spurs will definitely be cautions with Manu's minutes after inking him to a fresh three-year deal, but expect him to start a lot more this season than he has since he started all the games he played in '04-'05.

SF – RICHARD JEFFERSON
There are two camps when it comes to predicting Jefferson's potential for this season. One camp insists that last year was an outlier in his career, a career-low PER caused by playing in a rigid system that forced him to adapt rather than adapting to him. They say that a year under Pop taught him how to survive in San Antonio and this season will bear the fruit of that labor. The other camp suggests that last year showed the world how limited a player Jefferson actually is, that his PER has been on a steady decline since '07-'08 and that his identical pre-and-post-All-Star numbers indicate he was no better off having spent time in the Spurs system as he was when he first got there. His 9.7 ppg on 41% shooting this preseason suggest the latter camp may be on to something.

PF – TIM DUNCAN
In writing 150 individual player previews for the league's various starting lineups, there are about 5-to-10 of them that are nearly impossible to do because there is literally nothing left to be said about the player. Even in a year where he's said t be slowing down, Duncan maintains his career-average PER (25.0), goes for 18-and-10 every night shoots his best percentages in three years. Also, he did that playing a career-low 31.3 minutes per game. Is he losing a bit of foot speed, making it harder to guard pick-and-rolls? Sure, a little. Duncan, though, insists that he's in the best shape of his career and you know that all of the doubting that is going around about his abilities as an aging veteran must be stoking the competitive fires in one of the most underrated competitors in the history of the NBA.

C – TIAGO SPLITTER
DeJuan Blair has played so well in the preseason that there is a chance that he'll get to do the Paul Millsap thing and start as an undersized big for the Spurs, but in the long run the Spurs will probably want to use Blair's energy off of the bench. That brings Splitter into the starting five; a low-maintenance big that plays a style that is easy to integrate into just about any system. He moves well on defense, he knows how to read the game at both ends of the floor, and while he lacks the raw physicality of many NBA bigs, he makes up for it by knowing how to exploit angles to great effect. People were so high on the Spurs finally bringing him over that he may be a tad overrated heading into the regular season, but he's nonetheless a perfect addition to this club and one of the key players that the die-hard basketball viewing public is dying to see in action. He just looks like such an ideal fit for the San Antonio way of basketball. We'll see.

[Spurs Brazil]

Expert predictions: San Antonio Spurs
Predicted Finish For San Antonio Spurs: 2010-11


ANALYST COMMENT PREDICTIONS

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com | Adande's picks
Gregg Popovich is the best at managing his stars' minutes, only the payoff has decreased lately. Tiago Splitter's arrival makes the Spurs less dependent on Tim Duncan, but is that a good thing?
Southwest: 2 West: 6

Chris Broussard, ESPN Mag | Broussard's picks
This is the last hurrah for this historic group -- and I don't expect it to be much of a hurrah. No way the Spurs miss the playoffs, but if some of the younger squads emerge, I wouldn't be surprised by an eighth seed. One thing that could derail a mundane season is Tony Parker playing for a contract.

Southwest: 2 West: 6

Chad Ford, ESPN.com | Ford's picks
The Spurs continue to find a way to stay relevant, even as their core ages. The emergence of George Hill and DeJuan Blair was a revelation last season and I'm expecting a significant contribution from rookie Tiago Splitter this year. Not sure the Spurs can challenge the Lakers, but they'll be tough.

Southwest: 1 West: 4

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live | Harper's picks
The mystique of the Spurs seems to have completely worn off, but their talent level is still very high. They have some more legitimate size with Tiago Splitter finally joining the NBA. As always, the health of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili controls the Spurs' hopes of contending.

Southwest: 3 West: 7

John Hollinger, ESPN.com | Hollinger's picks
Yes, the window is still open. Point differential says they were better than their record a year ago, and the addition of Tiago Splitter and presumed return to health of Tony Parker mean the Spurs should move back to their familiar perch in the West's top 3.
Southwest: 1 West: 3

Tim Legler, ESPN | Legler's picks
Their days of winning 65 and rolling to the finals are over. Big question is how they can get George Hill and DeJuan Blair more involved. Tiago Splitter is physical and will take a lot of pressure off Tim Duncan.

Southwest: 2 West: 7

Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com | Sheridan's picks
With Manu Ginobili being moved into the starting five, this is really the first time you can make the argument that he is the most important player on the team -- ahead of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. I've got 'em in 53-win territory, which will be one or two short of what they'll need to top Houston.

Southwest: 3 West: 5

Marc Stein, ESPN.com | Stein's picks
The biggest threat to the Lakers out West might still be San Antonio's familiar faces, provided that Tiago Splitter is indeed an immediate impact player and Tony Parker (contract year) and Richard Jefferson (lots of offseason work) indeed have big bounce-back seasons in store.

Southwest: 2 West: 4


Michael Wallace, ESPN.com | Wallace's picks
As long as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are on the court and Gregg Popovich is on the bench, the Spurs are title contenders. Richard Jefferson was a disappointment last season. But a fresh start and improvement from George Hill and DeJuan Blair are in order.

Southwest: 2 West: 4

Brian Windhorst, ESPN.com | Windhorst's picks
Seems like they've been waiting for big man Tiago Splitter for a decade and he comes at the right time. These dogs can still hunt but they are on the decline and have been searching for an infusion. Manu Ginobili was masterful in a contract year; they need the same magic from Tony Parker to have a chance.

Southwest: 2 West: 4

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2010/news/story?page=Predictions1011-Spurs

[duncan228]

Hit the link for the rest of the division.

Division preview: Southwest (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/14182116/division-preview-southwest)
By Ben Golliver
Special to CBSSports.com

Predicted order of finish (2009-2010 records):

1. Dallas (55-27)
2. San Antonio (50-32)
3. Houston (42-40)
4. Memphis (40-42)
5. New Orleans (37-45)

San Antonio Spurs

What has to go right: The same things that have been going right since Timmy D. was drafted out of Wake Forest: defense, rebounding, smart play and teamwork. These are Duncan's strengths and make up the identity of the Popovich era. There's no reason to believe they will go missing this season. In an ideal world, forward Richard Jefferson found his game over the summer and comes back this season contributing in a productive manner befitting his large contract. Also, Parker plays like he's in a contract year -- which he is -- taking the pressure off some of San Antonio's more anonymous wings on the offensive end.

What could go wrong: Injuries. Ginobili is 33 years old, Duncan is 34 years old and Parker is 28 years old, although he has logged a ton of miles thanks to all the deep postseason runs over the years. Losing one of the big three to injury wouldn't be crippling; losing two for an extended period of time could mean draft lottery time.

X-factor: The biggest question around this Spurs team: How good, exactly, is rookie center Tiago Splitter? He hails from Argentina and comes to San Antonio at the age of 25 after being named MVP of the best professional league in the world aside from the NBA, Spain's ACB league. His size (6-feet-11) is impressive, but he missed the preseason because of a calf injury so he largely remains a question mark. If he plugs nicely into the gaping hole next to Duncan in San Antonio's frontcourt, watch out.