McDonald: Postcards From Media Day

[duncan228]

Jeff McDonald: Postcards from media day

Well, it seems the Spurs have decided to play a 36th season of NBA basketball. Which means we here at the E-N have decided to cover it.

The new season began, unofficially, with Monday's media day. These day-before-training-camp extravanganzas typically seem to catch the Spurs players and coaches in the best mood they'll be in for the next several weeks.

To wit, some notes, quotes and anecdotes from today's fes ivities:

* Roger Mason, the team's keynote offseason acquisition, was so eager to make a first impression that he didn't need an alarm clock.

"I couldn't sleep last night, and that's the honest truth," said Mason, a swingman erstwhile of the Washington Wizards. "I woke up at 6 this morning."

It was a happy day-before-media-day for Mason, who gleefully spent his last remaining free day watching his hometown Washington Redskins stun the Dallas Cowboys. He wasn't shy about celebrating the victory -- Mason says he exhanged trash-talking text messages with new teammate Bruce Bowen, an unapologetic Cowboys fanatic.

Mason stopped short of wearing his favorite piece of Redskins garb to meet the media. Again, it's all about first impressions.

"I almost came in with my Redskins slippers today," he said. "I had second thoughts, since I'm in Texas now."

* More than one Spurs veteran was asked about the arrival of George Hill, the 22-year-old rookie point guard drafted in the first round in June. Doesn't that throw off the age curve of what was, until recently, the oldest team in the NBA?

"I think we're probably going to cut him," Manu Ginobili said. "He's too young."

No need, Tim Duncan said.

"We're alright," he said. "We're still old."

* Michael Finley, one of those "old" guys, was nearly unrecognizable. Finley showed up at camp having lost 15 pounds -- down to 220.

The 35-year-old Finley decided he needed to play at a trimmer weight this season, to avoid the fatigue he believes caught up with him last season.

"I started working out two days after we were eliminated," Finley said. "I worked out every day this summer."

He also completely altered his diet, cutting out fried foods altogether and drastically limiting his intake of red meat. He subsists mostly on fresh fruits and vegetables, and eats four or five smaller meals a day instead of three larger ones.

* The most frequent topic of conversation Monday, however, had to be Gregg Popovich's beard. He arrived sporting the same white thicket of whiskers he'd been tending since the Western Conference Finals.

"I like what he's going for," Duncan said. "It's an intimidating look."

The future of Popovich's beard remains firmly in Duncan's hands.

"Whatever Tim tells me to do, I'll do," Popovich said. "If he wants it cut, it's gone. If he likes it, I'll leave it."

Of course, Popovich made it clear even that was a joke. The real master of his overgrown follicles, he says, is his wife Erin.

"She's reserving her judgment until I shower and get it trimmed," Popovich said. "I haven't done that all summer."

At this point, a certain Spurs beat writer noted that perhaps Erin Popovich doesn't want to be married to a Phil Jackson lookalike. Popovich laughed.

Hey, it's media day. Everyone's in a good mood.

[timvp]

Michael Finley, one of those "old" guys, was nearly unrecognizable. Finley showed up at camp having lost 15 pounds -- down to 220.

The 35-year-old Finley decided he needed to play at a trimmer weight this season, to avoid the fatigue he believes caught up with him last season.

"I started working out two days after we were eliminated," Finley said. "I worked out every day this summer."

He also completely altered his diet, cutting out fried foods altogether and drastically limiting his intake of red meat. He subsists mostly on fresh fruits and vegetables, and eats four or five smaller meals a day instead of three larger ones.

Sounds like good news. Finley main problem last season is he had no lateral quickness on defense. He also wore down big time in the playoffs.

Not sure if his weight loss program will help but it might. If he can be even the defender he was in 2006 and maybe mix in a couple more drives, he might be worth a role off the bench.










Then again, I remember Jaren Jackson doing the same thing going into the 2001 season and he ended up worse.

[T Park]

Michael Finley if 50 billion times the player Jaren Jackson could even dream of.

Puhlease..

That being said, it can't hurt.

Why the not.

[timvp]

Michael Finley if 50 billion times the player Jaren Jackson could even dream of.

Puhlease..

Uh, no. Jaren Jackson in the '99 playoffs was much better than Finley has ever played while with the Spurs. Not only was Jackson clutch, he played lockdown defense.

[Solid D]

Jeff McDonald: Postcards from media day

Well, it seems the Spurs have decided to play a 36th season of NBA basketball. Which means we here at the E-N have decided to cover it.

...and it seemed like you were ACTUALLY waiting to see if they would.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

you guys are going to love Mason I just hope he is ready for the Spurstalk fire when he has a bad game

[timvp]

...and it seemed like you were ACTUALLY waiting to see if they would.

[T Park]

Uh, no. Jaren Jackson in the '99 playoffs was much better than Finley has ever played while with the Spurs. Not only was Jackson clutch, he played lockdown defense.

Are we seriously comparing the better player?

seriously?

[timvp]

Are we seriously comparing the better player?

seriously?

It looks like we are. You think Finley has played at a higher level while with the Spurs than Jaren Jackson circa '99 playoffs? Even if Finley is a better offensive players, Jackson was about 500 times better on defense.

[DPG21920]

I think he means career better player

[baseline bum]

That doesn't sound like a good diet at all for a professional athlete. I wish we still had Ferry here to teach players what they should be doing with their bodies.

[completely deck]

I like that Finley is taking this extra chance seriously.

[lurker23]

I'm very happy about this news concerning Finley. He's never been one of my favorites, partially because he often seemed to take shots that were completely out of the typical Spurs offense, and partially because I like Brent Barry and felt like he didn't get his share of minutes at times. (A few other reasons, including defensive ones, but they're not worth detailing, really.) However, neither are really fair or rational critiques, particularly because Pop openly gave Finley the green light to take those shots that most players shouldn't take in this system.

Subsequently, I haven't been very happy about his resigning, and have repeatedly said that I hope his role is severely limited. While I still hope that Mason gets the start over him while Ginobili is out, this more-in-shape Finley sounds to be more motivated to filling his role effectively this year. If this is the case, I welcome him back into the fold and hope he'll be a strong veteran presence and a good mentor to Mason and possibly even Hill and Stoudamire.

[timvp]

That doesn't sound like a good diet at all for a professional athlete. I wish we still had Ferry here to teach players what they should be doing with their bodies.

I wonder if Ferry has LeBron on those wheat grass shakes.

[Avitus1]

Good read. I am hoping for the best outta that training camp.

[Anti.Hero]

I'm expecting big things from Bonner this year. Look for more 12/15/07 (whenever that GoldenState game was) games from the red viking of doom this year.

In fact, don't be surprised if Kurt and Oberto are playing thumb wars at the end of the bench by February.

[T Park]

That doesn't sound like a good diet at all for a professional athlete. I wish we still had Ferry here to teach players what they should be doing with their bodies.

?

Really? vegetables, low fat aren't good for the athlete?


Should he be hitting the red meat and pasta hard?

[jcrod]

?

Really? vegetables, low fat aren't good for the athlete?


Should he be hitting the red meat and pasta hard?

Depends, you need carbs to have energy. Vegs and fruits don't have much carbs.

more good carbs = more fuel = more sustained energy

[carina_gino20]

No update on Manu's rehab?

[Solid D]

No update on Manu's rehab?

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105999

[carina_gino20]

Thanks, Solid. This was the first thread I checked.

[Solid D]

I drank too much iced tea (caffeinated) so I'm still awake.

[Russ]

One or two of these young guys is gonna step up and be huge. It won't be anyone the Spurs drafted though.

[Slomo]

...and it seemed like you were ACTUALLY waiting to see if they would.

I had a similar thought when I read it but you said way better than I would have.

[MoSpur]

I hope Finley trimming down is a good thing. I doubt it can be a bad thing.