"Neal latest unsung hero for Spurs" FoxSports story

[biba]

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/12/30/10/Neal-latest-unsung-hero-for-Spurs/landing_spurs.html?blockID=382334&feedID=3742

Neal latest unsung hero for Spurs

By Steve Hunt
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
December 30, 2010

Gregg Popovich definitely has one of the best eyes for talent in the entire NBA. Year in and year out, the San Antonio head coach does an outstanding job of finding guys who will not only fit well into his system but thrive in it.

The latest example is 6-foot-4 two guard Gary Neal, who signed a three-year deal with the Spurs in July after a successful four-year run overseas. Neal is Mano Ginobili’s backup but has seen time in 31 games and is averaging 8.1 points, 2.5 boards and one assist in just under 18 minutes a night.

With 2010 first-round pick James Anderson continuing to be sidelined with an injury and George Hill also working his way back, Neal has seen plenty of run and Popovich couldn’t be happier with the results thus far.

“He’s been very important to us, especially providing scoring off the bench. He sticks his nose in defensively, does a good job and has shown a quick confidence level to take shots and make shots,” the San Antonio head coach said after Thursday morning’s shootaround. “He’s been a real plus for us.”

Neal started his collegiate career at LaSalle before transferring to Towson to finish out his eligibility. After going undrafted in 2007, he went to Turkey and led the league in scoring. Since then, he has played for FC Barcelona, Benetton Treviso in Italy and spent last year in Spain. Those years in Europe have definitely helped him so far in the Alamo City.

“The biggest thing will be the experience of playing at that level,” Neal said. “I got a better understanding of my game and a better knowledge of how to play like what to do and what not to do. I think that’s helped me in this situation with the Spurs. Everything is pretty much scripted. Everything that you’re supposed to do is what you do. I’m supposed to shoot threes in the corner and I do. That’s helped me understand and accept my role here.”

After the Spurs gave him a three-year contract over the summer, he admits his expectations were high heading into his rookie season in the NBA but even he didn’t expect to log this many minutes so early in the year.

“It’s good to get a chance to play. I take of advantage of the time that I had when George [Hill] was out and I got 25-30 minutes. I thought I played well,” Neal said. “We happened to win the majority of those games. It’s just a process. I’m starting to get an understanding of the system offensively and defensively and just trying to improve day by day.”

Like most rookies who has played for him, Popovich has never been hesitant to offer some words of wisdom.

“He told me to just play defense, play hard and rebound. He said my offense will come,” Neal said. “Good shots will fall. You’ll get good shots. Just take the open shots. Most of all, he’s been on my butt to play defense and play hard.”

Playing for someone like Pop can be tough at times but Neal is glad he has a good core of longtime Spurs to ask plenty of questions like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili.

“When you come into a situation with those guys that have won championships, been on winning teams and who are good people, it makes your job easier. You’re coming into a system and Coach Pop has 977 plays and 36 defensive schemes,” Neal said. “When you can talk to those guys and they can walk you through it on the court and stuff like that, it helps the coaching staff. Just being around those guys, they’re guys that are willing to help and willing to teach. That makes things easier for a guy like me.”

Tonight, he should be one of the first players off the bench once Popovich wants to give Manu some rest. And facing the Mavericks, who are right behind the Spurs in the West standings is something he knows will be a stiff challenge.

“Anybody you play that’s one or two games behind you in the division is an important game. We just played the Lakers and they’re a Western Conference powerhouse and the champion. That was a statement game for us, a benchmark for us to find out where we really are and tonight will be another one,” Neal said. “Dallas is a good team. They have great players, a great record and we’re playing in Dallas. It’ll be a great test for us.”

Even though he spent several years overseas, technically, he is still a rookie. And that means he has to endure several rookie rites of passage but with the Spurs, that’s nothing too demeaning.

“I had to pick up doughnuts. We share the duties between me, James Anderson and Tiago Splitter. We have to pick up doughnuts from Krispy Kreme but the guys here are great,” Neal said. “There’s no rookie hazing or anything like that, no pink backpack or anything like that.”

Logging this many minutes so early could pay huge dividends later in the year. It was a similar situation with Hill last season. He took his lumps early on but by the time the playoffs rolled around, he was ready for a steady diet of playoff basketball. A similar scenario could be playing out with Neal.

[TE]

great read

[rmt]

Wonder how Splitter feels sitting on the bench and seeing a (much less accomplished) rookie get so many minutes while he piles up DNPs - Coach's decision.

Splitter's over his injuries. Popovich needs to play him so he'll be ready for the playoffs and the Lakers if Blair bombs and when Bonner chokes. Doesn't hurt to have more options.

Love the Neal acquisition - seems like a cold-blooded shooter. We'll see in the playoffs. I remember feeling this way about Roger Mason Jr. too in the RS.

[DMX7]

977 plays?

[objective]

fwiw, Gary Neal has more twenty point games (3) than any rookie except Wall or Griffin.

[Danny.Zhu]

977 plays?

I doubt it. Or maybe 90% of the plays were made for Finely.

[Cessation]

lol donut runs

[WalterBenitez]

HOly crap 9 hundred plays, wow ... BTW Neal is being doing a great job, good talent and looks like a gread guy.

For sure is going to ASG, right?

[TDMVPDPOY]

HOly crap 9 hundred plays, wow ... BTW Neal is being doing a great job, good talent and looks like a gread guy.

For sure is going to ASG, right?

hopefully his in the rookie game and 3pt shootout...

[Jason R]

hopefully his in the rookie game and 3pt shootout...

What I remember about the 3 pt shootout is that it was the day that Roger Mason Jr. made it painfully clear he wasn't going to be clutch the rest of the season. His performance was awful, and it never got better.

[Muser]

Neal will be in the rookie game, idk about the 3pt contest though.

[boutons_deux]

unsung? not true among Spurs fans and serious bball watchers.

unknown? surprising? yes

Talent and hustle, a damn good combo.

[ploto]

I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him.

[etbluffer]

I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him.


Why?

[SenorSpur]

Excellent read. Thanks for posting.

[Mark in Austin]

nice article. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for Steve Hunt stories in the future.

[DMC]

The reason any of these players are unknown is because we watch only NBA ball. We don't watch Euroleague (most of us) and we have no way to watch some other leagues. There's some serious talent lurking out there. Not everyone who plays great ball had a high profile road.

[Capt Bringdown]

I hope Neal's minutes won't be impacted by the return of Anderson. Not one second.

[The Truth #6]

I hope Neal's minutes won't be impacted by the return of Anderson. Not one second.

Maybe a small decrease will keep him from hitting a rookie wall? Who knows, hard to say.

Hopefully Manu gets a rest more than anyone.

[100%duncan]

neal should have been our secret weapon

[biba]

Originally Posted by ploto
"I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him. "


Neal should have been drafted. Should not have been a "unsung hero". But he had to deal with an accusation of rape while at La Salle University. At the trial he was found not guilty (2005).
Some people will not root for him because of the accusation.

Even if the jury said: no guilty. He has to live with it.

For those who have studied a little bit the case, sure Gary Neal made bad judgment. But it would be very difficult to call it a rape.
He made sex with a drunk student girl at a bball camp. That night she got drunk but refused to leave at her girlmates requests to stay with Neal and another guy in their room.Then, the 2 guys made sex with her as she was drunk (cho-cho nickname, got it?). She never said no or stop. Trial facts.
After some days she said it was non-consensual.

This kind of situation is hard to evaluate. I was not there and you neither. Yes he was stupid. As the judge said: "This court does not condone the lack of respect you showed the victim, yourselves, and the lack of responsibility".

I'd just say: give Gary Neal a chance.

[ploto]

Every person decides his or her criteria for which players, actors, and musicians for whom he or she will root and support. Some people still attend Mel Gibson movies and can separate what he has done and said personally from what he does artistically. Others do not. For me, what Neal did is beyond the line. I am not talking about a legal case and whether or not he was found guilty. I am talking about his admitted personal actions. They are too offensive for me to look past and become a fan of his basketball game. Others can, and that is their choice. It is also my prerogative not to, as well.

[EricB]

Typical Ploto to come in and shit on the Spurs.

Nothing to see here.

[benefactor]

Every person decides his or her criteria for which players, actors, and musicians for whom he or she will root and support. Some people still attend Mel Gibson movies and can separate what he has done and said personally from what he does artistically. Others do not. For me, what Neal did is beyond the line. I am not talking about a legal case and whether or not he was found guilty. I am talking about his admitted personal actions. They are too offensive for me to look past and become a fan of his basketball game. Others can, and that is their choice. It is also my prerogative not to, as well.
Horrible comparison. Gibson is a grown man with repeated incidences and Neal was just a kid. You are taking something he did when he was 19 and using it to define him as a person now. If there were routine reports of him being a womanizer like Rothlisberger then I could understand where you are coming from, but to crucify him on one incident where he was both not fully mature and intoxicated doesn't make much sense.

[Obstructed_View]

I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him.

:lol like you've rooted for anyone in a Spurs uniform in years.

PS Hi, dummy.

[TIMMYD!]

Horrible comparison. Gibson is a grown man with repeated incidences and Neal was just a kid. You are taking something he did when he was 19 and using it to define him as a person now. If there were routine reports of him being a womanizer like Rothlisberger then I could understand where you are coming from, but to crucify him on one incident where he was both not fully mature and intoxicated doesn't make much sense.

+1. Can't define the personality of a player by something they did at a young age, years ago.

[JonNOKC]

Horrible comparison. Gibson is a grown man with repeated incidences and Neal was just a kid. You are taking something he did when he was 19 and using it to define him as a person now. If there were routine reports of him being a womanizer like Rothlisberger then I could understand where you are coming from, but to crucify him on one incident where he was both not fully mature and intoxicated doesn't make much sense.

100% correct

[duncan228]

Honeymoon not over for Spurs’ Neal (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/31/honeymoon-not-over-for-spurs%e2%80%99-neal/)
Jeff McDonald

...“It’s been like a dream,” Neal said. “It’s taken a lot of work to get here. I want to be a guy who sticks around.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/31/honeymoon-not-over-for-spurs%e2%80%99-neal/

[stealthjbravo]

Every person decides his or her criteria for which players, actors, and musicians for whom he or she will root and support. Some people still attend Mel Gibson movies and can separate what he has done and said personally from what he does artistically. Others do not. For me, what Neal did is beyond the line. I am not talking about a legal case and whether or not he was found guilty. I am talking about his admitted personal actions. They are too offensive for me to look past and become a fan of his basketball game. Others can, and that is their choice. It is also my prerogative not to, as well.

choo-choo :flag:

[DMC]

choo-choo :flag:
stealthjbravo has not made any friends yet

[ploto]

I am not defining him as a person. Nowhere did I do this. Nowhere did I judge the kind of life he lives now at all. I am simply stating that there are certain actions that preclude me from ever being a fan of someone. For me, this crosses that line. I was never a fan of Ron Mercer or Chauncey Billups either. As a woman, I will not look past certain actions simply because someone can play a sport.

[stealthjbravo]

stealthjbravo has not made any friends yet

I thought we bonded last night. :(

[mingus]

I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him.

you do root for him because you root for the team and he's a part of the team.

[Cessation]

People can't accept others differences, nothing new here.

[benefactor]

I am not defining him as a person.

As a woman, I will not look past certain actions simply because someone can play a sport.
:wakeup

[smrattler]

... but to crucify him on one incident where he was both not fully mature and intoxicated doesn't make much sense.


All we have to do is look at ourselves when we were teenagers and drunk. How many things did we participate in that were bad decisions, judgements, immature, and plain stupid risks that nobody knows about?

How different would people look at you if they knew some of that and would it be fair? Does that stuff in your youth define who you are today?

[Spurminator]

Ploto's entitled to her opinion.

I like redemption stories myself. Regardless of how you feel about what he did, it's not like he came out of it with no bruises. He did his time, so to speak.

[Mark in Austin]

All we have to do is look at ourselves when we were teenagers and drunk.

To be fair, it should be pointed out that not everybody was a drunk teenager. Some people have more common sense / self control than others. If a person decides they can't support an athlete because of his past actions, that is totally within their rights to do so.

Everybody has to draw the line of who to support, and to what extent, based on what they are comfortable with.

[jjktkk]

To be fair, it should be pointed out that not everybody was a drunk teenager. Some people have more common sense / self control than others. If a person decides they can't support an athlete because of his past actions, that is totally within their rights to do so.

Everybody has to draw the line of who to support, and to what extent, based on what they are comfortable with.

+1. Well said.

[smrattler]

To be fair, it should be pointed out that not everybody was a drunk teenager. Some people have more common sense / self control than others. If a person decides they can't support an athlete because of his past actions, that is totally within their rights to do so.

Everybody has to draw the line of who to support, and to what extent, based on what they are comfortable with.


Thanks for telling me so many things I didn't know. :sleep

[awktalk]

Wonder how Splitter feels sitting on the bench and seeing a (much less accomplished) rookie get so many minutes while he piles up DNPs - Coach's decision.

Splitter's over his injuries. Popovich needs to play him so he'll be ready for the playoffs and the Lakers if Blair bombs and when Bonner chokes. Doesn't hurt to have more options.


Or maybe Pop understands that Splitter is not fit for this league. He has absolutely no offensive skills that you could draw up a play for. His defense on 4s and 5s is so soft because he's a twig. His only positive attribute is junkman, to clean up misses and pull down easy defensive boards. The dude is a tool and will never be anything more unless he bulks up 30 LBs and learns to shoot outside of 6 feet.

[benefactor]

To be fair, it should be pointed out that not everybody was a drunk teenager. Some people have more common sense / self control than others. If a person decides they can't support an athlete because of his past actions, that is totally within their rights to do so.

Everybody has to draw the line of who to support, and to what extent, based on what they are comfortable with.
You are right...everyone was not. But in the same breath it's pretty unfair to judge anyone because they were, regardless whether or not they are a sports athlete. When my brother was 18, he picked a girl at the club that was on several different drugs and took her back to his house. I was there, and I can tell you that she had know idea where she was for the better part of the evening. He took her to the back room anyway and had sex with her.

My brother is now in his 30's and is married with two kids. His a faithful, loving husband and a good provider. He would give the shirt of his back to you if you legitimately needed it. Would it be fair to him if those who knew about this incident in his past to judge him for it now?

[Mark in Austin]

You are right...everyone was not. But in the same breath it's pretty unfair to judge anyone because they were, regardless whether or not they are a sports athlete. When my brother was 18, he picked a girl at the club that was on several different drugs and took her back to his house. I was there, and I can tell you that she had know idea where she was for the better part of the evening. He took her to the back room anyway and had sex with her.

My brother is now in his 30's and is married with two kids. His a faithful, loving husband and a good provider. He would give the shirt of his back to you if you legitimately needed it. Would it be fair to him if those who knew about this incident in his past to judge him for it now?

Current behavior doesn't make up for past actions. We are all responsible for what we do and the mistakes we make. Your brother might be a great person now, but that doesn't change what he did in the past. You might have your shit together too, but that doesn't change the fact that (according to you own post) you stood by and did nothing while you brother had sex with a girl without her consent.

[Mark in Austin]

Or maybe Pop understands that Splitter is not fit for this league. He has absolutely no offensive skills that you could draw up a play for. His defense on 4s and 5s is so soft because he's a twig. His only positive attribute is junkman, to clean up misses and pull down easy defensive boards. The dude is a tool and will never be anything more unless he bulks up 30 LBs and learns to shoot outside of 6 feet.


Fail. Splitter has great instincts on both sides of the ball, particularly in PnR sets. Just listen to how Sean Elliott raves about him.

[Chico]

"I’m supposed to shoot threes in the corner and I do." That one made me laugh..

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs latest victory over the Mavs has been met with some perspective, by the locals, mainly because of the absence of Dirk. However, it seems that the latest buzz around this game has been about Gary Neal.

For those who aren't privy to the temperature of SportsTalk here in the D/FW metroplex, the latest musings on the Spurs from the locals go something like this:

"Well it looks like the Spurs have done it again."

"I've never heard of this guy Gary Neal"

"Who is this new rookie?"

"Where the hell did this guy come from?"

"First Hill, then Blair, now this new kid Neal"

[benefactor]

Current behavior doesn't make up for past actions. We are all responsible for what we do and the mistakes we make. Your brother might be a great person now, but that doesn't change what he did in the past. You might have your shit together too, but that doesn't change the fact that (according to you own post) you stood by and did nothing while you brother had sex with a girl without her consent.
So mistakes you make at 16 or 18 should be held against you today. Got it.

Do us all a favor and don't have any children.

[duncan228]

How NBA contenders handle their depth (http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/01/01/11/How-NBA-contenders-handle-their-depth/landing.html?blockID=383085&feedID=3742)
By MIKE FISHER
FOXSportsSouthwest.com | DallasBasketball.com

It is not the sport itself, but the marketing contrivances of the NBA – Christmas Day was promoted as "LeBron vs. Kobe" with little bother for the other schlubs in baggy shorts – that creates the illusion that basketball is about the individuals, like golf or wrestling or chess.

This is messianic bluster that can apply on a particular possession or even in a slightly larger slice of basketball life. But it doesn't get the best teams in the NBA through the 82-game grind.

That's where depth becomes a necessity, screwing up the mano-a-mano mirage as it does.

Here's a ranking of how the top contending teams are faring when it's time for someone beside their marquee guys to share the stage:

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: His name is Gary Neal.

He played college basketball at Towson and at LaSalle. He is an undrafted rookie. He is a 6-foot-4 combo guard. He is 26, having banged around professional basketball in Turkey and Spain and Italy.

And then he showed up for the Spurs' Summer League team, dazzled, and got himself a three-year contract.

Now he's averaging 8.5 points per game, including scoring 21 on Thursday to help the Spurs beat Dallas.

This is how the Spurs do it. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, of course, are the foundation of the club that possesses the league's best record. But the Spurs do it in other ways, too.

His name is Gary Neal.

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

The rest of the contenders, hit the link for the write-ups.

2. Boston Celtics
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Miami Heat
5. Chicago Bulls
6. Dallas Mavericks

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/01/01/11/How-NBA-contenders-handle-their-depth/landing.html?blockID=383085&feedID=3742

[Agloco]

I wish so much it could be anyone but him. I just can not look at the guy and root for him.

Sounds like something to take up with the woman in the mirror tbh.

[ace3g]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/12/31/honeymoon-not-over-for-spurs%e2%80%99-neal/

lol at the photo they used for that headline

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/files/2010/12/spurs500-garyneal20101231-436x402.jpg

[stealthjbravo]

lol love it!

[itzsoweezee]

So mistakes you make at 16 or 18 should be held against you today. Got it.

Do us all a favor and don't have any children.

sorry, but rape is a *little* more serious than a mistake

[mingus]

A lot of sexual predators act pathologically. The FACT is that Gary Neal made a stupid mistake when he was younger and seems to have grown from it. It was a grave error in decision making. Forgive the man and move on.

[Mark in Austin]

So mistakes you make at 16 or 18 should be held against you today. Got it.

Do us all a favor and don't have any children.

I'm not saying people have to be perfect. Nobody is. But demanding a fan cheer for Gary Neal when she doesn't want to and gave her reason why is just a little silly, don't you think?

Using a personal anecdote of somebody else acting irresponsibly (or possibly criminally, it's unclear based on your story) doesn't change the fact that every fan has the right to choose who they want to support.

As far as holding mistakes against somebody - I'm cheering for Gary. It seems to me that he regrets what happened, has paid a large price personally and finacially, and has done his best to put his life back together - hell, he just got married a couple months ago.

Everybody deserves a second chance, if they take responsibility for their actions. That doesn't mean that everybody has to cheer for the person who gets a second chance though.

[benefactor]

sorry, but rape is a *little* more serious than a mistake
He was acquitted. For all any of us know the girl was full of shit. You know how many girls get drunk every single weekend and go home with some stranger and have sex with them? A lot.

[ducks]

Wonder how Splitter feels sitting on the bench and seeing a (much less accomplished) rookie get so many minutes while he piles up DNPs - Coach's decision.

Splitter's over his injuries. Popovich needs to play him so he'll be ready for the playoffs and the Lakers if Blair bombs and when Bonner chokes. Doesn't hurt to have more options.

Love the Neal acquisition - seems like a cold-blooded shooter. We'll see in the playoffs. I remember feeling this way about Roger Mason Jr. too in the RS.

they play different postions
splitter right now is in a bafd spot because booner is playing well and blair is also
then dice has been playing better then normal this earlier in the year