Top 30 NBA Spurs (Updated every Sunday)

[gospursgojas]

Steven Jackson was alot better that Chuck Person

[FromWayDowntown]

The next two includes The Whopper and the Worm:

18. Dennis Rodman, 1993-95: The greatest rebounder in team history, his average of 17.3 rebounds in the 1993-94 season remains the Spurs' all-time best, topping the 16.8 he averaged in 1994-95. To better appreciate those seasons, consider that next-best on the list is David Robinson's 13.0 in 1990-91. Rodman has nine of the top 10 single game rebounding marks, including a 32-rebound game that stands as No. 1. He had 10 games of 25 or more rebounds among the 118 he played in silver and black. That the Spurs traded him after two seasons had to do with his occasionally bizarre behavior, nothing to do with his effort or performance.

17. Billy Paultz, 1976-80 and 1982-83: "The Whopper" was a mountain of a man who joined the team for its final ABA season, then helped it make a smooth transition into the NBA. Some of the screens he set with his wide body for George Gervin, James Silas and Mike Gale were legendary. He also was a capable scorer and solid rebounder. He had surprising athleticism for a player of his bulk, which allowed him to block 543 shots in his five NBA seasons. He led the team in blocks in its first three seasons in the NBA and was No. 5 in the NBA in blocks in 1977-78, at 2.43 per game.

The list as it stands
17. Billy Paultz
18. Dennis Rodman
19. Robert Horry
20. Mark Olberding
21. Steve Kerr
22. Vinny Del Negro
23. Mario Elie
24. Gene Banks
25. Mike Gale
26. Chuck Person
27. Coby Dietrick
28. Dave Corzine
29. Willie Anderson
30. Stephen Jackson

[Solid D]

Paultz had very long arms and legs with a thick, short upper body. His arms hung to the side in a similar fashion to Kevin McHale. Whopper was highly effective and productive inside. He knew a lot of little tricks of the trade. He also had a nice mid-range jumper when he squared-up.

Del Negro had a smooth jump shot, similar to Beno Udrih. TV broadcaster Dave Barnett and analyst Coby Dietrich coined the phrase the Vinny "Hair Fake" (I forget which one of them originated the term). Vinny D. was a matador on defense.

[MosesGuthrie]

The Whopper kicked ass.

[Beaverfuzz]

No Walter Berry? I want my money back!

[MosesGuthrie]

No Walter Berry? I want my money back!

"My game does not consist of fundamentals."

[Horry For 3!]

19. Robert Horry, 2003-present: The instant "Big Shot Rob" nailed the 3-point shot that beat the Detroit Pistons in pivotal Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals, he cemented a spot in Spurs history. The game-winner ranks among the greatest clutch shots in Spurs and NBA history. The Spurs went on to win that series in seven games, giving Horry his sixth NBA championship — he won three with the Lakers and two with the Rockets. His numbers for the Spurs are not imposing, but since joining them, he has been the team's most reliable big man off the bench and one of the team's prime playoff performers. In just three seasons, Horry already ranks fifth in playoff 3-pointers made (52), ninth in playoff blocks (31) and 10th in playoff rebounds (236).

My boy

[sprrs]

My biggest problem with the list so far is Steve Kerr is way too high. The guy had a handful of good games for the Spurs in parts of four seasons in San Antonio. He was a gigantic bust in his first go around with the team. When the Spurs brought him back, he had his best regular season (4 points, 1 assist) and for once showed up in the playoffs ... but that was only in a couple games.

If not for his one game against the Mavericks in his final season (a game in which the Spurs were going to win anyways and the real heroes were Stephen Jackson and Malik Rose), Kerr doesn't make the list. No way I rank him ahead of Mario Elie and Stephen Jackson -- players who had one solid season and where huge parts of championship teams. I don't even think you can rank him ahead of players who had multiple good seasons such as Gene Banks, Willie Anderson and Vinny Del Negro.

He did a pretty damn decent job in '03 as the backup PG when Speedy was injured. And as FWD said, he did have a fairly impressive last two games of the finals. But at the same time he could probably have settled to rank lower.

[whottt]

I agree that Kerr shouldn't be ranked ahead of Jack and Elie...well ok it doesn't bother me as much with Jack as it does with Elie.

But he played a bigger role in that championship than some people want to give him credit for though.

21 probably is too high....but I rank him ahead of Vinny just on principle.

[Solid D]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...e.276e808.html

The Top 30 NBA Spurs: No. 15 Malik Rose

Web Posted: 12/30/2006 08:44 PM CST

San Antonio Express-News

Thirty years ago the Spurs played their first NBA season after being one of four teams from the American Basketball Association to join the older league. To commemorate this anniversary, on Sundays the Express-News will recognize our selections as the 30 greatest NBA Spurs.
Here is No. 15:

Malik Rose, 1997-2005: Rose never was more than a spot starter during his seven-plus seasons with the team. Only once did he average double-figure scoring and his best season as a rebounder yielded an underwhelming average of only 6.4 per game. Yet Rose was considered one of the team's most vital players during a span that yielded two NBA championships.

He was one of the team's emotional leaders, an energized sixth man who could always be counted on to inspire both the team and its fans, as well as one of its toughest, smartest interior defenders.

Although he was just 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, his willingness to play in the pivot and push and shove with the monsters in the paint, including mammoth Shaquille O'Neal, was inspirational to his teammates.

Rose is seventh in games played in silver and black, appearing in 509 games. He pulled down 2,233 rebounds, 10th on the team's all-time list.

Even more impressive is where he ranks in those same categories on the team's playoff honor roll.

His 80 playoff games are fifth all-time and his 348 rebounds in the playoffs rank third. He was a major contributor in the 24 games of the 2003 NBA championship run, averaging 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.

The Spurs traded Rose to the Knicks for Nazr Mohammed in 2005, but he still remains very popular among Spurs fans.

[Willinsa]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...e.276e808.html

The Top 30 NBA Spurs: No. 15 Malik Rose

Web Posted: 12/30/2006 08:44 PM CST

San Antonio Express-News

Thirty years ago the Spurs played their first NBA season after being one of four teams from the American Basketball Association to join the older league. To commemorate this anniversary, on Sundays the Express-News will recognize our selections as the 30 greatest NBA Spurs.
Here is No. 15:

Malik Rose, 1997-2005: Rose never was more than a spot starter during his seven-plus seasons with the team. Only once did he average double-figure scoring and his best season as a rebounder yielded an underwhelming average of only 6.4 per game. Yet Rose was considered one of the team's most vital players during a span that yielded two NBA championships.

He was one of the team's emotional leaders, an energized sixth man who could always be counted on to inspire both the team and its fans, as well as one of its toughest, smartest interior defenders.

Although he was just 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, his willingness to play in the pivot and push and shove with the monsters in the paint, including mammoth Shaquille O'Neal, was inspirational to his teammates.

Rose is seventh in games played in silver and black, appearing in 509 games. He pulled down 2,233 rebounds, 10th on the team's all-time list.

Even more impressive is where he ranks in those same categories on the team's playoff honor roll.

His 80 playoff games are fifth all-time and his 348 rebounds in the playoffs rank third. He was a major contributor in the 24 games of the 2003 NBA championship run, averaging 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.

The Spurs traded Rose to the Knicks for Nazr Mohammed in 2005, but he still remains very popular among Spurs fans.

This is a ing joke, this scrub can't get his lazy ass off the bench for a bad Knicks team.

[Texas_Ranger]

This is a ing joke, this scrub can't get his lazy ass off the bench for a bad Knicks team.

He's got no motivation to play as a Knickboxer and he is old now, but as a Spur he was great in my opinion.

[baseline bum]

ing joke? Was it a ing joke when he dropped 25 on Dallas in game 2 of the 03 WCF in a must-win, after the Spurs blew game 1? How about when he ignited the run that finally allowed the Spurs to put New Jersey away in game 3 of the 2003 Finals when he dunked on Mutombo? People forget how close that series was, and the Spurs were struggling pretty badly until Malik got that throw-down, and looking at going down 2-1.

[Spurs Brazil]

ing joke? Was it a ing joke when he dropped 25 on Dallas in game 2 of the 03 WCF in a must-win, after the Spurs blew game 1? How about when he ignited the run that finally allowed the Spurs to put New Jersey away in game 3 of the 2003 Finals when he dunked on Mutombo? People forget how close that series was, and the Spurs were struggling pretty badly until Malik got that throw-down, and looking at going down 2-1.

I agree

[wildbill2u]

Here you go. No Silas? Tough . It's about points.

1. David Robinson 987 34269 20790 7365 14221 .518 6035 8201 .736 25 100 .250 3083 7414 10497 2441 1387 2954 2417 2836
2. George Gervin (H) 709 24471 19383 7526 14647 .514 4258 5061 .841 73 240 .304 1108 2284 3392 2070 892 647 1976 2121
3. Tim Duncan 666 25245 14689 5615 11123 .505 3436 5016 .685 23 113 .204 2141 5879 8020 2092 529 1650 1928 1833
4. Mike Mitc 488 15992 9799 4152 8429 .493 1480 1888 .784 15 67 .224 920 1763 2683 679 319 227 796 1262
5. Sean Elliott 669 22093 9659 3492 7499 .466 2112 2643 .799 563 1485 .379 751 2190 2941 1700 522 257 1199 1452
6. Larry Kenon 318 11550 6733 2799 5678 .493 1134 1373 .826 1 9 .111 1045 2172 3217 1063 547 121 811 783
7. Avery Johnson 644 20009 6486 2700 5544 .487 1064 1500 .709 22 137 .161 262 1047 1309 4474 713 121 1262 1196
8. Alvin Robertson 389 12525 6285 2570 5327 .482 1084 1438 .754 61 228 .268 808 1279 2087 2094 1128 204 1148 1336
9. Artis Gilmore 380 12387 6127 2208 3562 .620 1711 2370 .722 0 12 .000 1094 2577 3671 579 194 700 1008 1282
10. Willie Anderson 451 13611 5946 2487 5228 .476 915 1170 .782 57 233 .245 487 1307 1794 1874 505 279 1001 1234

I'm curious if these points include the ABA stats?

[wildbill2u]

You haven't seen anyone say that, because its not true.

If you think all Gervin did is score then you didn't watch him play and you missed the bigger picture.

They used to have an award (can't remember the name) based on the total stats, not just scoring, of the highest rated player in the league. Gervin won it two or three times.

And the bigger picture was the graceful athleticism with which Gervin scored. I never missed a game for about the first ten years of the franchise and i can tell you that in every game, Gervin made at least one "Omigawd" shot that made the Spurs worth the price of the ticket.

San Antonio was not a 'basketball" town, but People came to see that kind of play. You could make a good argument that Gervin saved the franchise in the early days by putting butts in the seats. Not many players can make that kind of contribution.

[wildbill2u]

Okay I did......according to NBA.com:
Perdue Reg. Season 515%
DRob Reg. Season 518%

You make outlandish statements like this and you want us to take you seriously?

1. Tim Duncan
2. George Gervin
3. David Robinson
4. Artis Gilmore
5. Sean Elliot
6. Manu Ginobilli
7. Alvin Robertson
8. James Silas
9. Terry mings
10 Tony Parker

I unfortunately never got to see Silas or Kenon play....I moved here in 1980.
My list order isn't in any real particular order....I just used numbers to make look neat and orderly.

Not a bad list at all although Parker may move up a lot since he has so many good years left ahead of him.

Gilmore and mings were great players, but by the time they came here, like John Lucas, they were past their glory years. I remember the first time I saw mings play that I thought he had the most sculpted body I'd even seen on a basketball court. Unfortunately for mings, when he was traded here the Spurs didn't have as much talent to put around him as they had in past years.

I suspect that whoever is creating the list for the paper is going by career stats, not Spurs contributions. I'm not sure that they belong that high on a Spurs list over Kenon and Mitc for example.

[K-State Spur]

This is a ing joke, this scrub can't get his lazy ass off the bench for a bad Knicks team.

Who cares what he is doing now? From 2000-2003, he was one of the best bench players in the league.

It was time to move him and that move was necessary for the 2005 le, but it doesn't mean that we should disrespect what he did when he was here.

[dropstep4421]

anybody remember gene banks out of philadelphia

[FromWayDowntown]

For whatever it's worth:


Top 30 NBA Spurs: No. 14 Bruce Bowen

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Bruce Bowen, 2001-present: If there is one player who has epitomized the Spurs' lock-down approach to defense during the run to two NBA les in the 21st century, it is Bowen. The 6-foot-7 forward never has averaged more than 8.2 points per game and is neither a prolific rebounder or assist man. What he has been through his five-plus seasons is the heart and soul of one of the NBA's best defensive outfits.

Bowen has earned a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive team each of the past six seasons, a first-team selection each of the past three seasons. He was second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year last season. His reputation for locking up some of the league's best offensive players has grown to the point some of them have accused him of using unfair tactics. In fact, Bowen's primary tactic is relentless hard work and preparation.

Bowen came to the Spurs as an unsigned free agent in 2001 and immediately became a starter. He arrived with a reputation as a solid defender without a perimeter shot, but he's developed into an uncanny 3-point shooter. He has made more than 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in all but one season he has been with the Spurs. This season, he moved into second place on the Spurs' all-time list of 3-pointers made. Even more impressive is his standing on the list of playoff 3-pointers made: No. 1. He is fifth on the regular-season list for 3-point field goal accuracy.

Bowen has moved into 10th on the list of games played; is tied for fifth in playoff games played; fifth in playoff blocks and 10th in playoff steals.

An iron man who has the longest active streak of consecutive games played in the NBA, Bowen is No. 1 on the Spurs' list of consecutive games.

Active in community outreach, he received the NBA's Community Assist award in January 2006.


The Top 30 NBA Spurs: No. 13 Johnny Moore

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Thirty years ago, in 1976, the Spurs played their first NBA season after being one of four teams from the American Basketball Association to join the older league. To commemorate this anniversary, the Express-News will recognize our selections as the 30 greatest NBA Spurs. Here is No. 13:

Johnny Moore, 1980-90: One of three players in club history to record 20 assists in a game and the Spurs' all-time No. 2 assist man, Moore's number, double-zero, was retired by the club on March 20, 1998. He was recognized by the team both for his courage in battling a devastating disease, Desert Fever, in his final seasons as a player, as well as for his accomplishments on the court.

The cat-quick guard played college ball at Texas and was obtained by the Spurs from Seattle for cash on June 30, 1979. It was money well spent, as Moore became the team's starter at point guard and one of its key players for the next five seasons.

He led the NBA in assists in the 1981-82 season and was third in steals, at 2.06 per game. He was second in assists (9.8) and third in steals (2.52) in 1982-83; fifth in assists (9.6) in 1983-84 and third in assists (10.0) and second in steals (2.79) in 1984-85. His 10.0 assists in 1984-85 is the second-best single-season assist mark in club history.

Moore shows up on the team's all-time Top 10 in games played (6th, 519), assists (2nd, 3,865) and steals (3rd, 1,017). Those numbers would have been even more impressive had he not been diagnosed on Dec. 26, 1986, with Desert Fever. Though doctors warned him that the disease could be fatal, he managed to return to the court, though he played only four games in the 1987-88 season and sat out the entire 1988-89 season. He returned to play 53 in his final season, 1989-90.


Top 30 NBA Spurs - No. 12: Artis Gilmore

link

Thirty years ago the Spurs played their first NBA season after being one of four teams from the American Basketball Association to join the older league. To commemorate the anniversary, on Sundays the Express-News is recognizing our selections as the 30 greatest NBA Spurs. Here is No. 12.
Artis Gilmore, 1982-87: After winning the 1981-82 Midwest Division le, the Spurs were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by the Lakers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Management's response was an off-season trade for Gilmore, the Chicago Bulls' 7-foot-2 center regarded as the strongest man in the league, one of the few capable of battling Abdul-Jabbar in the post. "The A-Train" made an immediate impact, averaging 18.0 points and 12.0 rebounds and leading the NBA in field goal percentage (62.6 percent) as the Spurs went 53-29 and won another Midwest le. Again, the Spurs went to the Western Conference finals, where Gilmore battled Abdul-Jabbar in a series that ended with a heartbreaking 101-100 loss in Game 6 at HemisFair Arena.

That 1982-83 season would be the high point for the Spurs during Gilmore's time in San Antonio. The next four seasons became a time of transition that included the end of the George Gervin era. Through it all, Gilmore was a rock in the middle. He averaged 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and shot 62 percent in 380 games. He also blocked 700 shots.

Gilmore is all over the Spurs' record book and his position atop the team's list of most accurate shooters might be the most unreachable. He also ranks third all-time in rebounds (3,671), third in blocks (700), fifth in free throws made (1,711) and ninth in points scored (6,127).


The list as it stands
12. Artis Gilmore
13. Johnny Moore
14. Bruce Bowen
15. Malik Rose
16. Terry mings
17. Billy Paultz
18. Dennis Rodman
19. Robert Horry
20. Mark Olberding
21. Steve Kerr
22. Vinny Del Negro
23. Mario Elie
24. Gene Banks
25. Mike Gale
26. Chuck Person
27. Coby Dietrick
28. Dave Corzine
29. Willie Anderson
30. Stephen Jackson

[baseline bum]

I think Bowen's pretty underrated at 14. Anyone who remembers how bad our defense was in the the Chucky Brown/Derek Anderson/Antonio Daniels days should appreciate what Bowen has meant to the team. Every night from October 1999 to May 2001 was a guaranteed 20+ on 50% shooting for the opposing team's shooting guard. Bruce came and stopped that immediately.

[timvp]

I think Bowen's pretty underrated at 14. Anyone who remembers how bad our defense was in the the Chucky Brown/Derek Anderson/Antonio Daniels days should appreciate what Bowen has meant to the team. Every night from October 1999 to May 2001 was a guaranteed 20+ on 50% shooting for the opposing team's shooting guard. Bruce came and stopped that immediately.

Yeah, no way Johnny Moore > Bruce Bowen. Moore had a good 4.5 year stretch, but only one of those teams won at least 50 games.

Averaging 9-10 assists on teams with Gervin, Mitc , Gilmore and Banks isn't really a huge accomplishment. Especially when he did nothing in the playoffs.

[FromWayDowntown]

Johnny Moore might be the most overrated Spur ever. He was well-liked and fit nicely with Gervin and Mitc , but he was never an All-Star and never made any sort of All-NBA team. He won an assist le in 81-82 and finished in the top 5 in the league in assists in 3 other seasons; but as timvp correctly notes, it would have been difficult for him to avoid that accomplishment on those teams. He also holds the franchise record for assists in a playoff game with 20 in a first round game against Denver in 1983.

He had one great playoff run in 1983, averaging 22.5 ppg and 14.6 apg. But part of those numbers might be the fact that the Spurs averaged 132 in the WCSF against Denver and 111 in the WCF against LA. Take that run away, and Moore is about a 7.5 ppg, 5.5 apg sort of player in his other 30 playoff games. Hardly the stuff of legends.

It was terribly unfortunate that he was struck down with Desert Fever. Aside from that misfortune, I'm not sure though that there was ever anything about Johnny Moore that warranted the sort of accolades that he now gets. He was a nice player on some good teams -- a difference maker in the history of the franchise? Not at all.

The fact that his number was retired has forever changed the evaluation of the "greatness" of Spurs, I think, and will diminish the value of that recognition for all but the greatest of the great.

[whottt]

Johnny Moore > AJ and if AJ's name doesn't come up real ing quick after Moore's this list is going to be an even bigger joke than Zunni.

[FromWayDowntown]

Johnny Moore > AJ and if AJ's name doesn't come up real ing quick after Moore's this list is going to be an even bigger joke than Zunni.

I'll leave the guts of that argument for others who care more about it.

Statistically, though, AJ was a better scorer than Moore over the course of his career -- despite the fact that the pace of the game slowed dramatically on a league-wide basis during the latter portion of AJ's long stay in San Antonio -- and only slightly less prolific as a passer (7.4 to 6.9), again despite the dramatically slower pace of the game after 1998 or so. AJ shot a better percentage for his career by a significant margin (.487 to .460), despite the fact that AJ couldn't hit a long jump shot to save his life for most of his career.

And for ratio purposes, I don't think you can exclude Moore's later games (post-Desert Fever) without also excluding the intermittent games/minutes that AJ got in his first few runs with the Spurs.