Kori Ellis
10-20-2004, 10:56 AM
By Warren Blatt, NBA Editor
2003-04 FINISH: 57-25
OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Brent Barry (G) - Free Agent; Linton Johnson (F) - Free Agent; Tony Massenburg (F) - Free Agent; Valter Monteiro (G) - Free Agent; Viktor Sanikidze (F) - Trade with Atlanta.
OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Matt Carroll (G) - Waived; Alex Garcia (F/G) - Waived; Jason Hart (G) - Signed with Charlotte; Ron Mercer (G) - Signed with New Jersey; Hedo Turkoglu (F/G) - Signed with Orlando; Charlie Ward (G) - Signed with Houston;
2004 DRAFT PICKS: 1. (28) Beno Udrih (G, Slovenia); 2. (52) Romain Sato (G, Xavier); 2. (57) Sergei Karaulov (F).
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: PG Tony Parker, SG Emanuel Ginobili, SF Bruce Bowen, PF Tim Duncan, C Radoslav Nesterovic
COACH: Gregg Popovich
(Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs look like they should make a run at winning their third NBA title in seven years.
San Antonio entered the 2004 NBA playoffs as the defending champions, as it had defeated the New Jersey Nets in six games in the 2003 finals. The Spurs reign as champions ended in the conference semifinals when Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them in six contests.
The loss to the Lakers, who may have shifted the power of the Western Conference back to San Antonio when they trade O'Neal to the Miami Heat, gave the Spurs a lot to think about in the offseason.
San Antonio's front office had some big decisions to make, as defensive stopper Bruce Bowen, guard Manu Ginobili and forwards Robert Horry and Hedo Turkoglu were all free agents.
Bowen, Horry and Ginobili all re-signed with the Spurs, while Turkoglu decided to take his game to Orlando. San Antonio went out on the open market and signed free agents Brent Barry, who can play both guard positions, and forwards Linton Johnson and Tony Massenburg. Barry gives San Antonio a veteran who plays smart basketball, while Massenburg and Johnson add depth to the frontcourt.
Two-time MVP Tim Duncan is still the go-to guy, while 22-year-old point guard Tony Parker continues to improve and could be on the cusp of becoming an All- Star. Duncan had another outstanding season for the Spurs in 2003-04, as he averaged a team-high 22.4 points in 69 games. Parker recorded a team-best 5.5 assists per contests and was second on the club in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
Head coach Gregg Popovich is back. He has guided the Spurs to a pair of NBA championships during his tenure. Popovich was named the 2003 NBA Coach of the Year and has led San Antonio to the NBA's best regular season record three times (1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03). His philosophy will remain the same once again this year, as he will stress defense and will make sure that the offense revolves around Duncan.
Re-signing Bowen, Ginobili and Horry was huge for San Antonio. Bowen can knock down the jumper from beyond the arc as he made 36.3 percent of his attempts, and finished the regular season with averages of 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.02 steals. The 27-year-old Ginobili, who was one of the leagues best sixth men in 2003-04, was third on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) 2003-04 and played a little more then 29 minutes per game, while Horry, who is the only active player with five NBA Championships on his resume, gives San Antonio a veteran forward who rises to the challenge in the postseason.
The taste of the playoff loss to the Lakers is still fresh. With O'Neal residing in the East, the Spurs have to be the favorite in the West and they will be out to prove to the rest of the league that last year's playoff loss was just a bump in the road.
BACKCOURT
Barry, Ginobili and Parker give the Spurs a solid threesome in the backcourt. Parker will be the lead guard and can team with either player to form the starting backcourt.
Parker is quickly becoming one of the best point guards in the league. His quickness combined with his playmaking ability and outside shooting make him a very difficult player to guard. Parker is also displaying leadership skills, which makes him even more important to the Spurs.
The 32-year-old Barry averaged 10.8 points and 5.8 assists in 59 contests for the Seattle SuperSonics last season. The addition of the 6-6 Barry was the key to San Antonio's offseason, as Popovich will be able to shuffle his lineup in ways that will certainly cause matchup problems for the opposition. Popovich will be able to use Barry, Parker and Ginobili at the same time which will cause teams to have to guard the perimeter a lot more closely, opening up the low post for Duncan. Barry's versatility will prove to be invaluable.
Ginobili will give the Spurs energy on the offensive end. He is a hard-nosed player who is always playing at 100 miles per hour. Ginobili, like Parker, continues to improve as plays more games and as his minutes increase so will his production.
Devin Brown, who averaged four points in 58 games for the Spurs in 2003-04, will see some minutes at shooting guard. The 25-year-old Brown, who can also play small forward, seemed to come on in the postseason against the Lakers as he averaged 8.5 points in the six-game series. The Spurs hope Brown can carry over his performance from the playoffs into the new campaign.
The bottom line is that Barry, Ginobili and Parker will eat up the majority of the minutes in the backcourt. As long as all three stay healthy, the Spurs have to feel good about their situation at guard.
FRONTCOURT
Duncan is the obvious force when it comes to San Antonio's frontline. The 7-0 Duncan is the backbone of the Spurs. His steady play is the key to the Spurs' success. The offense is built around his skills, as Popovich likes his team to work the ball around the perimeter and then into Duncan, who is always the No. 1 option on every trip down the floor.
Twenty-eight-year-old Radoslav Nesterovic will be patrolling the middle once again for the Spurs. The 7-0 center started all 82 contests for San Antonio last season and averaged 8.7 points and 7.7 boards per game. Nesterovic is not a dominant big man, but he can score down low and is not afraid to bang for rebounds.
Bowen makes up the third piece of the starting frontcourt for San Antonio. His role is simple, play tough defense against the other teams top scorer. Bowen understands his role and he does it well.
Horry, Malik Rose, Massenburg and Johnson add a lot of depth to the Spurs' bench. The 34-year-old Horry, who averaged 4.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 81 games for the Spurs last season, is a solid reserve who can play center or power forward, while Rose, who has reportedly had problems with Popovich in the past and could be on the way out, Massenburg and Johnson will fill in when injuries or foul trouble becomes an issue.
OUTLOOK
The addition of Barry will prove to be a great one. Popovich is a great coach and he knows how to get the most out of his team. With Parker on the verge of becoming an All-Star and the consistent play of a healthy Duncan, San Antonio has to be the favorite in the Western Conference. Sixty wins during the regular season and a third championship in seven years is a possibility.
2003-04 FINISH: 57-25
OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Brent Barry (G) - Free Agent; Linton Johnson (F) - Free Agent; Tony Massenburg (F) - Free Agent; Valter Monteiro (G) - Free Agent; Viktor Sanikidze (F) - Trade with Atlanta.
OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Matt Carroll (G) - Waived; Alex Garcia (F/G) - Waived; Jason Hart (G) - Signed with Charlotte; Ron Mercer (G) - Signed with New Jersey; Hedo Turkoglu (F/G) - Signed with Orlando; Charlie Ward (G) - Signed with Houston;
2004 DRAFT PICKS: 1. (28) Beno Udrih (G, Slovenia); 2. (52) Romain Sato (G, Xavier); 2. (57) Sergei Karaulov (F).
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: PG Tony Parker, SG Emanuel Ginobili, SF Bruce Bowen, PF Tim Duncan, C Radoslav Nesterovic
COACH: Gregg Popovich
(Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs look like they should make a run at winning their third NBA title in seven years.
San Antonio entered the 2004 NBA playoffs as the defending champions, as it had defeated the New Jersey Nets in six games in the 2003 finals. The Spurs reign as champions ended in the conference semifinals when Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them in six contests.
The loss to the Lakers, who may have shifted the power of the Western Conference back to San Antonio when they trade O'Neal to the Miami Heat, gave the Spurs a lot to think about in the offseason.
San Antonio's front office had some big decisions to make, as defensive stopper Bruce Bowen, guard Manu Ginobili and forwards Robert Horry and Hedo Turkoglu were all free agents.
Bowen, Horry and Ginobili all re-signed with the Spurs, while Turkoglu decided to take his game to Orlando. San Antonio went out on the open market and signed free agents Brent Barry, who can play both guard positions, and forwards Linton Johnson and Tony Massenburg. Barry gives San Antonio a veteran who plays smart basketball, while Massenburg and Johnson add depth to the frontcourt.
Two-time MVP Tim Duncan is still the go-to guy, while 22-year-old point guard Tony Parker continues to improve and could be on the cusp of becoming an All- Star. Duncan had another outstanding season for the Spurs in 2003-04, as he averaged a team-high 22.4 points in 69 games. Parker recorded a team-best 5.5 assists per contests and was second on the club in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
Head coach Gregg Popovich is back. He has guided the Spurs to a pair of NBA championships during his tenure. Popovich was named the 2003 NBA Coach of the Year and has led San Antonio to the NBA's best regular season record three times (1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03). His philosophy will remain the same once again this year, as he will stress defense and will make sure that the offense revolves around Duncan.
Re-signing Bowen, Ginobili and Horry was huge for San Antonio. Bowen can knock down the jumper from beyond the arc as he made 36.3 percent of his attempts, and finished the regular season with averages of 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.02 steals. The 27-year-old Ginobili, who was one of the leagues best sixth men in 2003-04, was third on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) 2003-04 and played a little more then 29 minutes per game, while Horry, who is the only active player with five NBA Championships on his resume, gives San Antonio a veteran forward who rises to the challenge in the postseason.
The taste of the playoff loss to the Lakers is still fresh. With O'Neal residing in the East, the Spurs have to be the favorite in the West and they will be out to prove to the rest of the league that last year's playoff loss was just a bump in the road.
BACKCOURT
Barry, Ginobili and Parker give the Spurs a solid threesome in the backcourt. Parker will be the lead guard and can team with either player to form the starting backcourt.
Parker is quickly becoming one of the best point guards in the league. His quickness combined with his playmaking ability and outside shooting make him a very difficult player to guard. Parker is also displaying leadership skills, which makes him even more important to the Spurs.
The 32-year-old Barry averaged 10.8 points and 5.8 assists in 59 contests for the Seattle SuperSonics last season. The addition of the 6-6 Barry was the key to San Antonio's offseason, as Popovich will be able to shuffle his lineup in ways that will certainly cause matchup problems for the opposition. Popovich will be able to use Barry, Parker and Ginobili at the same time which will cause teams to have to guard the perimeter a lot more closely, opening up the low post for Duncan. Barry's versatility will prove to be invaluable.
Ginobili will give the Spurs energy on the offensive end. He is a hard-nosed player who is always playing at 100 miles per hour. Ginobili, like Parker, continues to improve as plays more games and as his minutes increase so will his production.
Devin Brown, who averaged four points in 58 games for the Spurs in 2003-04, will see some minutes at shooting guard. The 25-year-old Brown, who can also play small forward, seemed to come on in the postseason against the Lakers as he averaged 8.5 points in the six-game series. The Spurs hope Brown can carry over his performance from the playoffs into the new campaign.
The bottom line is that Barry, Ginobili and Parker will eat up the majority of the minutes in the backcourt. As long as all three stay healthy, the Spurs have to feel good about their situation at guard.
FRONTCOURT
Duncan is the obvious force when it comes to San Antonio's frontline. The 7-0 Duncan is the backbone of the Spurs. His steady play is the key to the Spurs' success. The offense is built around his skills, as Popovich likes his team to work the ball around the perimeter and then into Duncan, who is always the No. 1 option on every trip down the floor.
Twenty-eight-year-old Radoslav Nesterovic will be patrolling the middle once again for the Spurs. The 7-0 center started all 82 contests for San Antonio last season and averaged 8.7 points and 7.7 boards per game. Nesterovic is not a dominant big man, but he can score down low and is not afraid to bang for rebounds.
Bowen makes up the third piece of the starting frontcourt for San Antonio. His role is simple, play tough defense against the other teams top scorer. Bowen understands his role and he does it well.
Horry, Malik Rose, Massenburg and Johnson add a lot of depth to the Spurs' bench. The 34-year-old Horry, who averaged 4.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 81 games for the Spurs last season, is a solid reserve who can play center or power forward, while Rose, who has reportedly had problems with Popovich in the past and could be on the way out, Massenburg and Johnson will fill in when injuries or foul trouble becomes an issue.
OUTLOOK
The addition of Barry will prove to be a great one. Popovich is a great coach and he knows how to get the most out of his team. With Parker on the verge of becoming an All-Star and the consistent play of a healthy Duncan, San Antonio has to be the favorite in the Western Conference. Sixty wins during the regular season and a third championship in seven years is a possibility.