San Antonio Spurs

[tackielarla]

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5. San Antonio's desire to acquire one more big man (preferably a floor-stretching big man) to counter the Lakers and Boston is no secret.


The surprise stems from the rumbles I've heard about Detroit free-agent-to-be Rasheed Wallace having legit interest in joining the Spurs to team up with his 2005 NBA Finals nemesis Tim Duncan, with 'Sheed chief among the Pistons unsettled by the realization that big changes are undoubtedly coming in that locker room.

Don't see a real trade possibility here -- given that the Pistons are unlikely to take back anything other than expiring contracts for the expiring deals possessed by Wallace and Allen Iverson unless they have a chance to trade for someone like Stoudemire or Chris Bosh -- but it's something to file away for free agency.

Another note for the future on Iverson: Detroit is far more unlikely than likely to find a workable trade home for Iverson after the Pistons' struggles since acquiring A.I. from Denver in the first week of the season, but I've heard multiple executives say there might be a better-than-expected market for the 33-year-old in free agency this summer as long as his demands are not exorbitant.

"There's never been a time where we're all touched by the economy at the same time," said one exec, suggesting that Iverson will appeal to a few teams just because of his ability to sell tickets.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...adetalk-090205

[tackielarla]

Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Celtics - Feb. 8

Following multiple days of rest and the hubbub created by the decision to sit the Big Three for a game, the San Antonio Spurs were back in action Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics. In this battle of the past two NBA champions, the Spurs were able to make the final run and flee Beantown with a 105-99 victory.

The final two and a half minutes featured a lot of back and forth action. With the Spurs up by a single point, Kevin Garnett nailed two consecutive buckets to put the Celtics up by three. Matt Bonner then got a 14-footer in the lane to drop. After a miss by Garnett, Roger Mason, Jr. got the rebound, dribbled the ball up the court, utilized a Tim Duncan screen and buried a leaning three-pointer to give the Spurs a two-point lead with 20 seconds remaining. A litany of free throws by Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley and Mason ensued before the win was a reality.

Despite the loss, the Celtics played well. Their defense is in a little bit of a slump but they are very solid on both sides of the court. On the backs of their Big Three, there’s no doubt that Boston will make a lot of noise once again in the playoffs.

Overall, the Spurs have to be thrilled with this win. It was a fantastic effort all the way around. Even when the execution failed, the energy and determination never waned. The comeback win at the end should give the team even more confidence in late-game situations going forward.

Tim Duncan

39 minutes, 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists
9-for-16 from the field, 5-for-5 from the line

Tim Duncan had a quiet yet effective performance. He never really stood out as dominating the action but at the end of the day, his presence was undeniable. If have to nitpick, I thought Duncan could have been more aggressive, especially with his post moves in the second half. Defensively, Duncan played well for a majority of the night, however his rotations out to the perimeter were sometimes a step slow. On the whole, Duncan played a very smart ballgame. With the amount of pressure the Celtics apply on defense, they want their opposition to force the action and fall into their trap. Instead, Duncan played it cool and took what was given.
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Manu Ginobili

31 minutes, 19 points, three assists, three rebounds, three steals, four turnovers
6-for-11 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 5-for-5 at the line

At the beginning, Manu Ginobili was erratic and appeared a bit frazzled. He missed his first shot and then had three turnovers in the span of a minute. However, after two scores at the end of the first quarter, Ginobili found his rhythm. From that point forward, Ginobili played extremely well. On offense, his shot selection was good and he illustrated a lot of patience. His decisions on when to shoot from the outside, when to try to get to the hoop and when to pass were nearly flawless. Defensively, Ginobili gave a lot of effort. Although Ray Allen got away from somewhat, his physical D on Paul Pierce was impressive. Following Mason’s three-pointer, Ginobili helped seal the game when he recovered an Allen fumble on the inbounds pass and subsequently drew a clear path foul. All in all, Ginobili bounced back very well from his rough start and had himself a fine game.
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Tony Parker

32 minutes, seven points, seven assists, three rebounds
3-for-12 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers

The Celtics obviously wanted to make life difficult for Tony Parker and they were wildly successful in doing so. Parker, who was pressured and trapped for almost the entire affair, never found an offensive groove. He compounded the issue by forcing shots and taking the team out of their rhythm, especially in the third quarter. Even though the Celtics deserve some of the recognition for Parker’s struggles, he definitely assisted in his own demise. Thankfully, Parker helped out in the passing department, finishing with seven assists and only one turnover. His defense was somewhat feeble in the opening quarters but he eventually toughened up and brought more energy on that end.
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Roger Mason, Jr.

31 minutes, 11 points, three rebounds
3-for-9 from the field, 2-for-6 on three-pointers

For the first 47 minutes and 40 seconds of the game, Roger Mason, Jr. wasn’t doing much right. If he wasn’t missing shots, he was fumbling balls out of bounds or getting burnt on the defensive end. Then, out of nowhere, he authored his next chapter of game-winning heroics. It’s good to see that even if he’s struggling, Mason has no problem taking and making big shots. On defense, even though he had a lot of points scored on his watch, I thought he showed signs of improvement. His recovery when going around screens is improved and his off the ball awareness is getting more consistent.
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Michael Finley

27 minutes, seven points, two assists
1-for-4 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line

Prior to his free throws at the end of the fourth, Michael Finley wasn’t very helpful. He struggled finding open space on the offensive end and became a liability on the defensive end. Though he’s played decent defense at times this season, this was certainly not one of those times. Finley’s legs seemed to be dragging and he reactions all seemed to be a beat slow. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what Pop saw to warrant 15 minutes of playing time, much less 27 minutes.
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Matt Bonner

36 minutes, 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals
10-for-17 from the field, 3-for-6 on three-pointers

With six possible Hall of Famers on the court, who woulda thunk that the first half was going to be the Matt Bonner Show? The New Hampshire native scored 16 points in the first two quarters in what amounted to a home game. Scoring from both the perimeter and drives to the bucket, Bonner looked as confident as ever. In the third quarter, Bonner appeared to fatigue – although that didn’t stop him from banking in a three-pointer. After regrouping, Bonner scored a rare clutch basket with under a minute to go in the game. And when I say rare, I mean rare. When was the last time Bonner hit a shot with fewer than five minutes remaining in a game and the score separated by five or less points? You have to go all the way back to Nov. 11 against the Rockets when Bonner hit a three-pointer in the outing that helped catapult him back into the rotation.
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Kurt Thomas

19 minutes, six points, five rebounds
3-for-5 from the field

Kurt Thomas gave the Spurs an understated yet valuable performance. Offensively, Thomas made two big baskets at the beginning of the fourth period, one of which was following an offensive rebound. On defense, Thomas did a good job of matching the physicality and effort of the Celtics frontline, though he did have a few miscues on that end. Overall, it was a worthwhile night at the office for Thomas.
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George Hill

16 minutes, seven points, three rebounds, one assist
3-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line

In George Hill’s first stint of action in the first half, the rookie out of IUPUI didn’t do much of anything. That all changed when Hill entered the game in the fourth quarter. In a stretch of less than three minutes, Hill scored seven points on two jumpers at the end of the shot clock and a twisting layup. In the midst of his run, Hill took a hard hit and fell to the ground holding his shoulder. After his injury was diagnosed as a stinger, he was able to split a pair at the charity stripe. On defense, Hill brought a ton of energy and helped nullify some of Rajon Rondo’s athleticism. On the road against the defending champs, it was great to see Hill step up and have a hand in the victory.
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Bruce Bowen

Seven minutes
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers

Bruce Bowen got most of his minutes in the third quarter following the Celtics’ 10-0 run to begin the half. Though he missed all his shots from the field, Bowen helped cool off Boston. His defense wasn't spectacular but he gave the Spurs a physical defender out on the perimeter that they were lacking.
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Fabricio Oberto

One minute, two points, two rebounds
1-for-1 from the field

After not playing all game, Pop suddenly put Fabricio Oberto into the contest with six minutes remaining in the game. Pop was frustrated with defensive mistakes by both Thomas and Bonner and decided to go with the Argentine bigman for a minute of action. In his 62 seconds on the court, Oberto was able to tally two points and two rebounds. His field goal came off of an offensive rebound following a Duncan miss.
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Gregg Popovich


I thought Pop’s gameplan was very good, especially on the defensive end. He had his team sag off of Rondo and the Celtics bigs and sent immediate help whenever Pierce or Allen got into the lane. The plan basically dared the Celtics to win the game via the jumpshot. On offense, he wanted the Spurs to push the ball and get into their sets earlier than usual to not allow the Celtics to setup their potentially smothering defense. As far as his rotation was concerned, I thought it was smart for the most part. Giving Hill and Bonner more minutes worked out well, though more of Bowen and less of Finley probably wouldn’t have hurt.
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Offense

Over the last two seasons, the Celtics have had the undisputed best defense in the league. On Sunday afternoon, the Spurs made Boston look average. The Spurs totaled their 105 points on 48.8% shooting from the field, while hitting 8-of-21 from three-point range and 19-of-21 from the line. The assist-to-turnover ratio of 21-to-13 was admirable. In the second and fourth quarters combined, the Spurs were able to put 69 points on the board.

Defense

Even though the Spurs executed their defensive gameplan rather well, Boston was still able to score points at a healthy clip. For the game, the Celtics shot 50.6% from the floor and handed out 28 assists to only 11 turnovers. Where the Spurs excelled was limited three-pointers (3-for-11) and free throw (8-for-11). San Antonio also had a 40-39 advantage on the glass.

Drive to Five

If this wasn’t the most meaningful victory of the season, it is positively near the top of the list. The Rodeo Road Trip continues in New Jersey on Tuesday when the Spurs take on the Nets. The Nets aren’t a great team at the moment but they’ve won four out of their previous five games and they were able to play the Spurs close in the AT&T Center a few weeks back. Get this win and keep the momentum flowing.

Believe.

[kamikaze426]

Roger Mason Jr. = Big Shot Jr.

[mrxxxx]

murag spurs gud ug cavz ani finals

[skyblue_lord]

murag spurs gud ug cavz ani finals

dili bro... oy...... lakers Vs boston japun,..... ni

[tackielarla]

dili bro... oy...... lakers Vs boston japun,..... ni

Ahhh. Nindotas tagna da.

[tackielarla]

HORRY TO JOIN THE KINGS? PERHAPS...SORT OF


John Salmons or Brad Miller may very well never play for the San Antonio Spurs, but the mere possibility of how one or the other could get there is worth revealing because of the other name involved.

Robert Horry.

According to a source close to the Spurs, San Antonio has interest in Salmons or Miller and the only way of landing one of them may be by way of the man who so many Kings fans despise. Horry the Kings-killer is not playing and has shown no signs of coming out of retirement, but he may be the only way San Antonio can land Salmons or Miller. The Spurs, according to the source, are considering which player helps them more and trying to figure out what it would take to bring one of them on board. The big three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are obviously untouchable, and there aren't a whole lot of intriguing or attractive players or contracts beyond that.

Enter Horry, who would re-sign with San Antonio for this season only in a deal worth (insert necessary $ figure here) and then be traded. He would then be waived by the Kings while chuckling on his way out the door with a huge check in hand, with the Kings also possibly taking back Michael Finley (expiring deal worth $2.5 million) and getting out from underneath a contract (Salmons or Miller) they no longer see as part of the big picture plan. Because Horry played last season, I believe it's within the post-retirement timeframe that this sort of deal would still be allowed by the league. The part where this likely falls apart - if it's ever discussed at all - is the Kings wanting more.

San Antonio doesn't have a first-round pick this year, although they could give up second-round picks for 2009 and/or a future first-rounder. Now because Salmons' deal is worth $5.4 next year (with a player option for 2010-11 worth $5. and Miller's expires next year at $12.2 million, it is obviously easier to get to Salmons' number (or within the collective bargaining agreement-mandated 125 percent). The Spurs are just one a number of teams looking at the Kings' roster and pondering the possibilities, but the context and history surrounding this one would make this move far more comical than the rest. - Sam Amick

Kings Blog and Q&A: Overtime: Beloved Kings honored (C-Webb)...and hated Kings hired (Horry)?

[MalditohoN]

bottom line is can the spurs take this year? i think their biggest burden is the lakers on the west and in the east are boston and orlando. but i have big hope that they will be the champion this year. especially their new additions like mason and hill.

go spurs go!

[tackielarla]

bottom line is can the spurs take this year?

Ain't that the bottom line for all teams every year?

i think their biggest burden is the lakers on the west

Agreed. And they could say that we are their biggest burden. Works both ways, you know.

go spurs go!

Oh yeah! Believe brother! Apir!

[aykiman]

ahaka aning roger mason oi...

bai tackie, kaybaw ka asa na siya puyo?ehehe..

akong putlan og kamot..hehehe..

aw bisan usa ka tudlo lang..hehehe..