Official Spurs Thread

[benefactor]

You knew I had to start one...

Much uncertainty surround the Spurs as we start the year. Ginobili will be out until around Christmas, so TP, TD and the role players will have to step up and hold us above water until then. This could be a blessing in disguise. This will give Ime Udoka and Roger Mason Jr. more minutes, helping both of them get well established into the system.

Mason Jr. looks like he could be a diamond in the rough. When given meaningful minutes in Washington he averaged over 17ppg and he is a good defender. If he can get in the area of at least 12ppg early on then maybe he can take the better part of Finley's minutes(still can't believe we resigned him).

Udoka really came on late last year. If he can score consistently he can come in at the 2 while Bowen is in the game...which could prove to be an extremely effective defensive lineup. I have read articles that say he has been working extremely hard this summer to improve his offensive game. Hopefully it shows.

[ab]

I gotta feeling there is going to be only about two peolpe posting here.



BTW here is you a flag for your Spurs man...

[spurstexanstros]

you had to go there a-b


Dont worry Tissue mac and his "exit only" friend Yao will once again prematurly exit and leave you rockettes fans un fulfilled.

[spurstexanstros]

I agree 100%. the Spurs will spen all season flying under radar because experts will say they are old. ( even though they dumped most of their age ( Horry and Barry). and most of them will pick the teams that look good on paper, but in the end, your team the San Antonio Spurs shall once again raise the larry O'brien trophy and get their fifth title.

DRIVE FOR FIVE.

[ab]

Just seen where Ginobli is going to be out until mid December. That sucks. i dont like to see anyone injured. Even ol' flip-flop.

[benefactor]

Yeah...it sucks. If he would have had his ankle taken care of before the Olympics he would be ready by now, but I am just wasting keystrokes talking about that. There was no way anyone or anything was keeping him from competing in the games. I keep hearing good things about Roger Mason Jr., who we picked up from the Wizards. Hopefully he can shoulder some of the scoring load until Manu gets back. As long we can stay in the middle of Western Conference pack and Manu/TD/TP are all healthy come playoff time I like our chances as good as anyone.

[benefactor]

Finley a lean, mean shooting machine

Bryan Chu - Express-News

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a resounding message for his players at the end of last season.

Look into the mirror.

Michael Finley did just that.

“I didn't like what I was seeing,” Finley said.

Entering his 14th NBA season, Finley lost weight and improved his conditioning by reconfiguring his offseason regimen — perfect timing with the news of Manu Ginobili being out until December after having left ankle surgery.

Finley, 35, started working out just two days after the Spurs bowed out of the Western Conference finals. He went back home to Chicago and straight to Tim Grover, a sports enhancement specialist at Attack Athletics who has worked with the likes of Michael Jordan and Dwayne Wade. Along with pickup games, Finley went through muscle-activation training, massages and therapy to recharge his body. Grover noticed a dip in Finley's lateral movement, so they concentrated on the flexibility in his hip area to improve his mobility.

Physical fitness aside, Finley changed his diet completely. More salads, lean meat, fruits and vegetables. No fried food, desserts, sugary items and Tex-Mex, and limited red meat. Now, he eats 4-5 smaller meals per day.

Finley was 235 pounds at the end of last season and has now dropped to 220, the lightest he's been since his days in Dallas.

“I feel lighter, I feel better,” he said. “I just want to be prepared physically and mentally. Mentally, knowing that the opportunity of playing more minutes will be there, and I just want to be prepared at that task. Physically, I wanted to be in the best shape that I could be.”

The proof is in the pack, as in six-pack. Finley looks svelte and strong. Not bad for the 10th-oldest player on an NBA roster.

“Unbelievable,” said Grover of Finley's work ethic. “He is one of the strongest and most dedicated clients I've had.

“Right now his body compares to a 30-year-old. Barring any serious injury, he can easily give the team 30 minutes if needed.”

Though the younger perimeter players such as Ime Udoka and Roger Mason likely will see an increase in minutes with Ginobili out, it's also likely that Finley will fill a similar role to a year ago.

Last season, Finley started 61 of 82 games. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.9 minutes. He was especially effective from deep, sinking 37 percent of his 3-pointer attempts, making 132, the second most in his career.

With Robert Horry not returning and Brent Barry signing with Houston, Popovich called signing Finley “very important.”

“Losing Michael would've really been a depreciation in corporate knowledge if you will,” said Popovich, who hasn't tabbed a starting lineup outside of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. “His leadership on top of that is paramount to our success. He's a really respected player in the locker room also.

“His role will be the same. We want him to shoot the basketball and knock it down.”

Finley signed a two-year deal worth $5 million, with the second year at his option.

Nowadays, Spurs and old seemingly are linked. Finley, a two-time All-Star and 16.7-point career scorer, is one of those on the ancient end, but that doesn't seem to bother him.

“I don't compare myself to others,” he said. “I know how long I've been in the league when I look into the locker room and I see young guys coming into the locker room at 22. That's a reality check in itself.

“(But) coming into this season, with Manu going down, I'm trying to be more consistent. I have an opportunity to play a little bit, and hopefully I can take advantage of it.”

Picture of Finley from the article:


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This is very encouraging. I was pretty pissed off when I saw we not only resigned him, but for two more years with his option on the second year. The thought of Pop starting him again and giving him too many minutes made me sick to my stomach. Its good to see him doing whatever it takes to be a contributor while Manu is sidelined. If we can get 12ppg out of him and Roger Mason I think we have a good shot of staying close to the rest of the contenders throughout the first part of the season.

[texanpride]

Oppps, Thought this was the Rockets thread. J/K

I do prefer the Spurs over the Mavs atleast.

[benefactor]

Well the preseason kicks off tonight, and for the first time in a long time I am pretty interested to watch. We have a lot of questions regarding who are key role players that will be behind the big three.

Free agent acquisition Roger Mason Jr. is the key guy in the bench rotation. Reports from camp on him are very positive. Popovich has said that he is "better than expected" as he has shown the ability to take his man off the dribble to compliment his already good 3pt range. He is a better perimeter defender than Finley or Ginobili, so if he can give us a scoring punch to go along with that he will play a big role in taking up the slack while Manu is out. The starting role he played with the injuries to guards in Washington last year suggests the ability is there. In 9 starts he averaged 17.4 ppg, 3.4 assists and 3 rebounds...shooting 53% from the field, 43% from distance and 90% from the stripe. Expecting him to duplicate those numbers may be a little lofty, but if he can give us 12ppg and 40% from distance I will be happy.

Our first round pick George Hill has tremendous upside but is still a question mark in some areas. He showed NBA level defensive skills in the summer league but struggled some with his shooting. In camp he has been working with Chip Engelland to polish his shot. He is very athletic and can get to the rim with his quickness. This has been a problem with the Spurs when Parker goes to the bench, so I hope he looks to score more off the dribble early on while he fixes the issues with his shot. Not to mention it will help with our infamous scoring droughts that are spawned by our players jacking up jumpers instead of attacking the rim.

Anthony Tolliver is another player I am hoping will shine during the preseason. He looked good during the Summer League...to the point where the Spurs signed him pretty quickly to keep other teams who might want his services from wooing him away. The hope here is that he can replace Bonner, who fell out of favor with Pop last season due to his inconsistent play. Tolliver shot 57% from distance during the summer and has a very smooth shooting stroke. If he can keep it in 40's from distance he can really help us stretch the floor in lineups where Duncan is at C while he is playing PF. I have read and seen nothing but positive things so far all around on him from his character to his basketball IQ. Lets hope it translates on the floor.

There are a few other names of note to keep an eye on. Salim Stoudamire was brought in from Atlanta and hopes to make the team as an instant offense guy off the bench. He strained a groin muscle on the first day of camp which could really hurt his chances as it has limited him from showing what he has to offer the team. He will not play tonight and only time will tell how long the coaching staff is willing to wait to see if he can contribute. If he can recover quickly and get into a few preseason games he may still have a shot. Ian Mahinmi is another player that is hurt that really needed to see some solid preseason minutes. He didn't really wow anyone in the Summer League and now he is out with an ankle sprain. Popovich has said that he wanted him to play 30min a game during the preseason and expressed disappointment in fact that he won't. There is a good chance he could wind up back on the Toros if he doesn't get healthy sooner than later. Another interesting camp invite is Desmon Farmer. He led the D-League in scoring last year with 24.7 ppg and shot 42% from distance. He shown he can score, going over 40 pts three times last season. The preseason will probably make or break his chances of finding a spot on our bench...but if he does not I am sure that they will assign him to the Toros for insurance in case of any injuries. His chances of being in a Spurs uniform are probably better than they would have been since Manu will be out and Pop will be looking for scoring off the bench.

[spurstexanstros]

I am starting to get fired up about this season. As the season gets closer I realize that noone is talking about the Spurs as a threat. This is sweet... I think that the Spurs are going to fly under the radar...let other teams go on win streaks and hopefully play well at the right time and be able to go into another teams gym and take away any team's home court advantage away. I think Ron Ron may get out of hand this season and the Rockets will continue to flame out. Portland and NO are still inexperianced but I believe that NO is the better team. Dallas will remain the softest team in the league with a lack of heart and intestional fortitude.

As for the Lakers, I think they advanced because of the Spurs mistakes during the NO series as well as the leads choked away. A pop led team adjusts from mistakes and reloads for the next year. I really hope everyone takes the spurs lightly and the result will be the fifth banner being raised in the At&t center and Timmy solidifying that he is the most dominate player of his era. (yes even better than shaq)

[benefactor]

Well...only one game left and the roster is almost complete. Stoudamire, Green, Watkins and Gaines are all history. That leaves Tolliver, Hairston and Farmer all looking to make the team. With two spots open, here's my thoughts on who should go and who should stay:

Tolliver has all but been told he is on the team. Pop and Duncan have both made public statements about how much they like him. He has not been outstanding IMO, but he will fill a need on this roster with his hustle and rebounding. He hasn't shot as well as I would have liked but I think that will come around, as he has a very nice looking stroke. He is very much an energy player and big upgrade from Bonner from a basketball intelligence standpoint. In short...him staying keeps Bonner on the bench and maybe even out the door. Anyone with working vision that has seen Bonner in the preseason will agree that this is a good thing.

Hairston is an interesting prospect that I thought would not make the team originally but has really worked hard to prove himself in the preseason. He is a good defender and a good athlete. His overall game needs some developing but he seems to have a very high ceiling. He has an NBA body and can play either the 2 or the 3. He has shown no fear going to the hoop and is not scared of bigger players that come to the hoop on him. I think he is worth keeping and developing on the Toros. It's one of those situations where we need to start thinking about what is beyond the TD/TP/Manu era. We have to start grooming players for the future and this guy seem to have all the tools needed.

Farmer is just a bad ass...plain and simple. He has show some Capt. Jack flashes in the preseason with his big three pointers and aggressive style. I can see him coming in off the bench at a crucial time and just sticking an opposing team in the stomach with a dagger. He is one of those players that if he is on, he might give you 15 points in a quarter. But for all his good there are negatives. He seems to play little defense...both on the ball and hustling back after a possession. He can play out of control at times and he doesn't really move well without the ball. So all in all he is pretty one dimensional right now. He could develop under some of our vets and Pop's guidance but it seems like it would be a crap shoot. If we had an extra spot, I would be all for keeping him...but we don't, so I have to choose Hairston over him for the reasons I stated above.

[spurstexanstros]

I think its gonna be harston because pop loves a versatile defender... first game against those perenial chokers the suns. I wonder what its like for their fan to loose to us in their last real game and then play the first real game against us.... I bet the spurs make their fans sick to the stomach...as the lakers did to us.

[ab]

Hack a Shaq? A thumbs up by your coach? C'mon guys you can do better than that. The Spurs have hit a all new low with this one. This blows the Ginobli flop out of the water.

[benefactor]

Oct 30, 2008 10:22:41 GMT -6 ab said:

Hack a Shaq? A thumbs up by your coach? C'mon guys you can do better than that. The Spurs have hit a all new low with this one. This blows the Ginobli flop out of the water.

I thought it was pretty funny. Pop with the beard really makes it.

[benefactor]

As far as my thoughts on the season opener go...I was more encouraged than discouraged. There was some problems on defense but I think those things can be corrected. Parker and Duncan both showed that they are willing to help carry this team while Manu is out. I was very happy with Roger Mason's contribution...In 30 min...12pts 4reb and 3ast...and 3-4 from distance. He looked a little bit lost during the preseason but he seems to be finding himself within the system. He showed some decent defense against Barnes too. With Finley looking pretty much like the same player from last year except in better shape, I am hoping Mason continues to excel so he can get most of Finley's minutes when Manu comes back.

Bonner...ugh. What do you say? He looked good in the first half but went back to being the brainless player he is in the second. Duncan was standing WIDE open under the rim and he jacks up a three...wtf? Then he was owned on defense late in the game. Bonner is what he is. He will always be inconsistent and hopefully Tolliver can come in and shoot well enough to keep Bonner out of any kind of heavy rotation minutes. As much as I don't care for him...we missed Oberto. He can be a liability on defense but he is a smart player on the offensive end and he passes well. Having him there would have most likely been enough for us to win.

[benefactor]

Well...its been a tough start so far due to being short handed, but in our first win last night Parker gave everyone something to talk about. 55pts, 10ast, 7reb. Unbelievable. He joins Michael Jordan and Oscar Robinson as the only players in NBA history to put up a 55/10 game.

[benefactor]

Good, confidence building win against a quality team last night. It wasn't pretty...but very few wins at this time will be. The defensive effort continues and players are stepping up in the right areas. Hill gave us an aggressive scoring lift and seemed to score right at the moments we needed it. That guy is going to be a helluva back up PG. But the stat of the night for me....Hill and Mason combine for 15 boards. That was the difference between winning and losing.