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Spurs Brazil
10-08-2007, 03:09 PM
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2007/10/jeff_mcdonald_c.html

Jeff McDonald: Calling All Point Guards
Are you a healthy male between the ages of 20 and 35? Can you sort of dribble a basketball, maybe even a little bit? Could you maybe be at the American Airlines Center in Dallas at 7:30 tomorrow night?

Then you stand a pretty good chance of getting to play point guard for the Spurs.*

Here's what the Spurs' point guard picture looks like heading into their preseason opener against the Mavericks:

Tony Parker, who has been taking things slow in training camp after a can't-slow-down summer, probably won't play. His backup, Jacque Vaughn, is out with a strained calf. Vaughn's backup, Beno Udrih, is still nursing a broken finger. He won't be playing, either.

That leaves the point guard minutes to be split between a pair of undrafed rookies -- Darius Washington and Anthony Lever-Pedroza. Washington you might remember as The Guy Who Missed The Free Throws for Memphis in in the 2005 Conference USA championship game against Louisville. Lever-Pedroza you might know as the son of former Denver great Fat Lever.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after Monday's workout that he doesn't know which will start against the Mavericks. He also said he doesn't really care. It's preseason, after all.

For what it's worth, Washington spent the most time with the first team at practice Monday. He couldn't help feeling like basketball's version of Forrest Gump.

"A lot of people can't say they started with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and people like that," Washington said.

Show up in Dallas tomorrow night, gentle reader, and maybe you can.**

* -- not really.
** -- again, not really.

phxspurfan
10-08-2007, 03:11 PM
I can probably D up Maurice Ager for a few seconds.

timvp
10-08-2007, 03:44 PM
Hopefully Vaughn's injury isn't serious. I was looking forward to him getting some extended minutes during preseason.

I think Darius Washington will be fine as a preseason starter. I was impressed with him in summer league a couple seasons ago. He reminds me of a poor man's Jamaal Tinsley -- good passer, good feel for the game, decent touch around the basket.

ChumpDumper
10-08-2007, 03:53 PM
I'm sure Brock Gillespie is available.

Seriously though, I'm all for getting as much burn for the potential Beno replacements as possible.

Darkwaters
10-08-2007, 04:37 PM
I'm sure Brock Gillespie is available.

Seriously though, I'm all for getting as much burn for the potential Beno replacements as possible.

My thinking exactly. If one of those guys happens to rise to the occasion it will be right out in the open for everybody to see. I hope either Darius Washington or Pedroza can show something that is at least superior to Mr. Udrih.

ShoogarBear
10-08-2007, 04:47 PM
Then you stand a pretty good chance of getting to play point guard for the Spurs.*WTF, don't give the enemy ammo like this. :lol

Bruno
10-08-2007, 04:53 PM
I hope too Pop will use Barry or Manu at PG during the preseason.
Spurs likely will only carry 2 point guards on the active roster : if something happen to Vaughn or Parker, Spurs will need an emergency PG. Giving some playtime at PG to Manu or Barry during the preseason could help them to be more efficient as emergency PG.

ShoogarBear
10-08-2007, 04:58 PM
For those of you who never saw him play, Fatty Lever was one of the NBA best forgotten players. Check out these stats for a 6'3" point guard:

1987 18.9 PPG 8.9 RPG 8.0 APG 2.5 ST/G (second team All-NBA and All-Defense)
1988 18.9 PPG 8.1 RPG 7.8 APG 2.7 ST/G
1989 19.8 PPG 9.3 RPG 7.9 APG 2.7 ST/G
1990 18.3 PPG 9.3 RPG 6.5 APG 2.1 ST/G

Now, those numbers are inflated because he was playing for the Doug Moe Nuggets (think today's Phoenix Suns on steroids). Still the guy could fill up a boxscore.

ChumpDumper
10-08-2007, 05:51 PM
I hope too Pop will use Barry or Manu at PG during the preseason.
Spurs likely will only carry 2 point guards on the active roster : if something happen to Vaughn or Parker, Spurs will need an emergency PG. Giving some playtime at PG to Manu or Barry during the preseason could help them to be more efficient as emergency PG.IMO they have already proven themselves as emergency backups. If we are going to do that, I only want Barry out there getting more minutes at this time.