• 4 of20

I could be making enough to buy season tickets if I built houses with the bricks the Spurs keep throwing up.  Ime Udoka and Roger Mason together made four of their 20 attempts from the field. Udoka had open looks all night and had trouble connecting whereas Roger Mason looks to be missing Tony Parker. Parker used to be able to drive, draw double teams and pass out. I think part of Mason’s success was due to Parker and he’s having to make an adjustment to George Hill and he’s also spending some time running the point. Anthony Tolliver was also 2 of 8 and made one of his six three-point attempts and Jacque Vaughn put up a doughnut on five attempts. If the Spurs want to swim, or at least keep their heads above water without Tony and Manu, they’ll have to knock down shots.

• Defense

The Spurs have been last in defensive efficiency early this season, but last night we saw several glimpses of defense. George Hill, Mason and Udoka were able to jump into passing lanes for steals and turn them into baskets at the other end. Tolliver also hustled for rebounds and loose balls, and I hope Satan enjoys the snow in hell, because Fabricio Oberto had 9 rebounds to go along with four aces and two kills.

• Lineup Experimentation

I like that Pop changed the lineup a bit to try to get the most out of his players and experiment with different rotations in an attempt to try to find out what works best. Bowen and Finley seemed to do well off the bench and I liked the energy Hill, Mason and Udoka brought to the starting lineup. I’m sure Pop will continue to shuffle the lineup to adapt to different teams or situations.

• The Verdict on Hill

George Hill started his first game at point guard but it’s not easy to give an overall grade on his performance. I liked some of the things he did, disliked others and saw areas for improvement. Normally, I’d want to see more of him distributing the ball, but with Parker out, the Spurs need offense. He was too tentative early and looked to pass when he had a clear path to a layup. After Pop got in his ear during a timeout, he looked to penetrate and get his shot more. He’s also a little shaky at setting up the offense, but I really like what he did at the defensive end. He was only credited with one block, but I saw at least two and he grabbed rebounds from all over the floor. He also limited both Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson to a combined 3 of 17 shooting performance.

Overall, it was good to see the Spurs get a win at home over an improving and inspired Knicks team. I liked that they were able to sustain the lead at the end, but it’ll still be a rough road ahead until Tony and Manu come back.

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When you are passionate about a team, it is easy to allow your emotions and bias to control your perception of your team.  With our high hopes of every year being “our year” sometimes we have to take a step back and look at the big picture. I attended the Portland Trail Blazers’ home-opener last night against your San Antonio Spurs, and here are my impressions of the Spurs squad this season:

Come back soon Manu…
This team needs Manu Ginobili back desperately. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are doing everything they can to keep this team afloat, but they just don’t have enough reliable scorers outside of these two to put pressure on opposing defenses and ultimately put up enough points to win the games that they expect to. The Spurs seem to have a lot of great role players, but none of those players seem to fill the role of “third scorer” that Ginobili has held for quite some time.

Their depth and matchup ability (right now) is suspect
While the Spurs have always had that consummate “team mentality” this year’s squad seemed noticeably thin. In all likelihood, the addition of Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto would alleviate this feeling, but when guys like Matt Bonner, Desmon Farmer and Roger Mason (who played surprisingly well I might add) are getting significant run – this is not a good thing for your team. I think the losses of players like Brent Barry prove to be more substantial than people initially expected. I couldn’t help but snicker to myself when the Spurs matched up Bonner to guard LaMarcus Aldridge to start the game.

They are still the Spurs
Duncan and Parker looked just as good as ever last night and showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. I was about ripping my hair out when Duncan was abusing Aldridge and Joel Przybilla in the first half like he was playing against sixth-grade B-teamers. Parkers lightning fast first-step and solid mid-range/inside finishing abilities make him extremely deadly. The Spurs have always exuded a calm confidence, and that certainly wasn’t absent last night. Even with the Rose Garden at full force, I think everyone in the arena had a feeling that the Spurs would somehow find a way to win, as they have for the past decade. This feeling was certainly heightened as the ball went off of Michael Finley’s fingertips in a last-second shot from the baseline. Although it was a disorganized and frantic play, I think most Spurs fans would put good money on a mid-range jumpshot from Michael Finley to win the game, so this one almost did go their way.

Everyone discounts the Spurs every year. There are always sexier teams, with new transactions or highly-marketed stars that always capture the leagues limelight and high-expectations. But the Spurs have been a model of consistency, and they will likely be in the thick of things once the playoffs come around. While I think this team’s gigantic championship window is beginning to slowly close, I still wouldn’t want to face them in a seven-game series.

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Before the game I posted four questions I wanted answered, so I’ll revisit those first before adding a couple other thoughts.

First, I wondered if Duncan could repeat his strong showing from Wednesday. They definitely need him to play like a MVP without Ginobili around. He answered with 27 points and 10 rebounds. He was aggressive early on and finished with 12-of-19 shooting. I would have liked to see some more rebounds and a couple blocks, but I think he held back a little bit knowing that he couldn’t get in foul trouble. The Spurs spent most of the game playing small out of necessity because Matt Bonner and Kurt Thomas are useless these days, so Duncan has to play as much as he can, which was 42 minutes tonight. I worry that he will burn out because of too much play time early this season, but Pop has no other choice.

I also wondered where the extra scoring would come from. Finley provided an extra scoring punch early on and finished with 16 points. However, the Spurs only had four players score in the first half, and one was Desmon Farmer with two points. Pop’s beard must have light into Roger Mason at half because he had yet to attempt a shot. Mason was a different player in the second half, showing a willingness to drive and find his own shot. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Both players will have to continue, especially Mason because he is the best at creating his own shot after Tony Parker.

My third question was whether another big man would step up. That was a resounding no. Matt Bonner should not play. It’s as simple as that. Don’t expect his game to change. We know what type of player he is by now. He picked up four fouls in 12 minutes and provided five points and two rebounds. He can’t defend, rebound, move his feet, dribble or post up. I would rather the Spurs start in smallball mode because it’s more effective. Thomas wasn’t much better, grabbing five boards and committing three fouls in 20 minutes. He can’t jump or stay with faster big men anymore, and the Blazers young bigs abused him. Even their young small forwards abused him down low. The Spurs are traditionally one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, but I don’t like how they look right now up front.

Finally, I was curious how Nicolas Batum would play considering many expected him to fall to the Spurs. Unfortunately he played as well as I expected. A 6′8” small forward who sweats athleticism, Batum simply outhustled the Spurs on numerous occasions to finish with 12 points, 2 blocks and a steal. The Spurs could have used a player like him tonight and pretty much every night from here on out. Only 19 years old, it hurts not having Batum. Just another player to add to the list (Josh Howard, Luis Scola top it).

I just wanted to throw out a couple more thoughts before putting this game behind me.

I really liked how Mason played in the second half. He blew past his man a couple times to finish at the rim, which is something rarely seen outside of Parker or Ginobili. He will have to continue this aggressive play. Normally Pop is slow to integrate new players, but he has no choice but to play Mason major minutes with Ginobili sidelined. However, I do have one complaint. On the last play of the game, Mason was coming down the lane with only one player in his way, and if I remember correctly it was a guard. Instead of passing to Finley he should have gone up strong and tried to dunk or lay the ball in. He had the momentum and an opening to finish strong.

Finally, I must admit that I don’t like how the Spurs look right now. Games that used to be gimmes are going to be battles. Duncan and Parker, who finished with 24 points and 11 assists, have to play perfectly every night as long as Ginobili is out. Every night is going to be a battle to score 90-95 points. Bruce Bowen, Jacque Vaughn, Fabricio Oberto, Bonner and Thomas simply aren’t scoring options. Perhaps they can average 15 points combined this season, but I honestly don’t expect much more than that. Seriously. None of these guys can score. You’ll notice that every big man besides Duncan is on that list, which is another major problem. Expect the Spurs to play more smallball this year than before because Duncan has no help up front. Traditionally they are one of the best defensive rebounding teams, but the Blazers abused them with 13 offensive rebounds and attempted 14 more shots. Folks, this could be a long month or two until Ginobili returns. Expectations will have to adjust.

You can’t say that you weren’t warned.

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Can Duncan repeat his stellar performance from two nights ago? He will have to look for his shot often without Ginobili to shoulder some of the scoring load. He was aggressive against Phoenix and I’m looking for that attitude again.

Who will be the third scorer? Roger Mason looked good against Phoenix and he might be the most reliable scorer right now after Parker and Duncan, which isn’t saying much. I’m looking for him to find open threes and also attack the basket. He isn’t the best slasher but he is better than the other options.

Will any other big man play well? Without Fab and Mahinmi, the Spurs are thin on the frontline. Like Manute Bol thin. Kurt Thomas can grab some boards, but his struggled on defense at times against Phoenix. LaMarcus Aldridge is a quicker power forward and can give him trouble. Lets not talk about Matt Bonner. I don’t expect much from him and he didn’t show much.

How will Nicolas Batum play? Spurs fans will remember how Batum wanted the Spurs to draft him. He would have been an absolutely perfect fit as a long, athletic 3. Just perfect. Of course Houston drafted him and traded him to the Blazers. Instead we have George Hill, a shooting guard moonlighting as a backup point guard. Just think about what could have been.

I’ll be back after the game to take a look at these questions. Hopefully it will be a better finish that on Wednesday. 

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Note: We apologize for the audio problems. We tried a new streaming audio service and unfortunately it was the source of the problem.

Mike and Jeff recap the Spurs opening night loss to the Suns, go over the box score and give out our first shiny and rusty Spurs of the night. In the Silver & Black Insider, we talk about two audio clips from Charles Barkley and Eric snow discussing the Spurs chances and Ian Thomsen of SI says the Spurs will beat the Celtics in the finals this year. After a few Spurs notes, including a Fabricio Oberto injury update, we go to our new segment, the hot seat. It’s great to be back and we look forward to bringing you weekly shows again as well as one live blog a week.

<a href=”http://projectspurs.com/podcast/download/sc102908.mp3″>Direct Download</a>

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Season Preview

Southwest Division Preview

Western Conference Power Rankings

Spotlight on Roger Mason

Games to Watch

Breaking down the best of the rest

Predictions

Season Preview Podcast

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The Spurs come into the 2008-09 season with one of the big three sidelined until December. Will the Spurs so-called youth movement in the offseason be enough to keep them above .500?

Additions: Roger Mason, George Hill, Desmon Farmer, Anthony Tolliver, Pop’s Beard
Subtractions: Robert Horry, Brent Barry, Damon Stoudamire

Backcourt
Aside from Tony Parker, this has to be the Spurs weakest area. At point guard, I expect Parker to improve even more on his numbers from last year. He’ll get more touches and will be relied on more with the absence of Ginobili. I don’t think Parker is yet in his prime and his game continues to expand. Last season we saw his assists increase while turnovers weren’t as much of an issue. That was apparent in the first round of the playoffs last season against the Suns. Parker consistently outperformed Nash and in one game netted more than 40 points and 10 assists.

As solid as Parker is, point guard becomes a weakness when he heads to the bench. Jacque Vaughn will likely start the season as Parker’s primary backup and while he is a solid vet who will make smart decisions and play tight d,  Vaughn becomes a liability on offense and because of his reluctance to shoot and inability to regularly hit mid-rang jumpers, defenders will sag off of him to double Duncan. George Hill is still a question mark. He still has a ways to go before he can be considered an NBA-caliber point-guard, but he is able to contribute in other areas. He’s an excellent on the ball defender, has long arms to grab steals and don’t be surprised if he ends up grabbing more rebounds than some of our bigs. If Hill can regain the shooting touch he displayed at IUPUI, he’ll likely keep defenders honest. Roger Mason has played some point and Desmon Farmer can also fill in, but he’ll likely be in a suit on the sidelines for most of the season.

With Ginobili out, Michael Finley and Roger Mason will be asked to step up and play a larger role. Finley came in to training camp 15 pounds lighter and he seems to have bulked up a bit as well. He began working 2 days after the Spurs Western Conference Finals loss to the Lakers.  I’m hoping Finley has lost more than a couple of pounds. Losing his inconsistency and hesitation to shoot when the game is on the line would be a nice change. Roger Mason almost joined the Spurs a year ago when the Spurs had him in for workouts. The Spurs ended up getting their man this summer, albeit at a much higher salary. Mason is known as a player who can light it up off the bench. I follow the Wizards regularly, so I saw my share of Mason last season and liked what I saw. I liked that Mason wasn’t just a spot-up shooter and he showed some versatility by starting at point guard when the Wizards lost both Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels to injury. So far this preseason, Mason hasn’t shown much. His shooting percentages have been off, but we are still more than 24 hours away from the Spurs first regular season game, so I’ll hold off judgement for now. Mason will likely have more minutes this season than he has his entire career. The opportunity will be there, and if he can take advantage of it, the countdown to December may not be as painful. I don’t put it past Pop to activate Farmer if he needs instant offense. Farmer has come out of nowhere and impressed this preseason. In fact, Pop’s reason for keeping Farmer on the roster was “ball go in hole.”

Frontcourt
Pop will likely start the same frontcourt he did last season. There have been several reports out of training camp that said Bruce Bowen has not lost a step. I expect more of the same from him this season. He’ll look to hit the corner three and defend the opponent’s best player every game. I expect more of Ime Udoka this season. Udoka will be Bowen’s primary backup and he should get consistent minutes under Bowen. Udoka will continue to hassle guards and forwards on the perimeter, fill passing lanes and take his shots when he gets them. Anthony Tolliver, who can play both forward positions, did not play well through preseason, but shined in Summer League action. If activated, Tolliver can be expected to rebound and get hustle points. He’s worked on his range and shooting since he left college, so he can hit the three-ball and mid-range jumper as well.

Tim Duncan will be the same unappreciated, but dominating big man he has been. I really do not expect Duncan to show any signs of a decline. He’ll be the first priority on offense, look to pass out to open shooters and clean up the mess on the other end of the court. Backing him up will be Kurt Thomas. Thomas is a smart vet and is an asset on defense. He can defend the dour and five, rebound and hit a face up 12 footer with accuracy. I really expect Thomas to contend for and eventually win the starting center spot sending Fabricio Oberto to the bench where he can daydream about Karch Kiraly.

When Ian Mahinmi recovers from his injury, he’ll probably be activated and backup Oberto at center. He hasn’t done anything to stand out through summer league and preseason, but he does have height, speed, athleticism and long arms to swat away shots. Aside from Tim Duncan, the Spurs haven’t had a shot blocker in the post since David Robinson and I look forward to seeing Ian redeem himself in become a presence in the paint.

With all the age on this roster, will this be the year it catches up with the Spurs? I ased this same question in last season’s preview and said no. I would have to disagree this year. I think the Spurs age as well as their decision to not strengthen weaker areas through free agency and the draft will end up hurting them. I’m usually more optimistic, but unless Manu comes back on a tear and some of our new players step up, I thing the second round will be the farthest they get this season, especially in an improving western conference.

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Dallas Mavericks
Rick Carlisle is taking over this spirited bunch, and eager to prove that Avery Johnson was the cause of their problems, they’ll be bringing their A game all year long.  Nowitzki has been the face of this franchise for a decade, but he is no longer the de facto leader.  Kidd is here, and ready to make his presence felt.  Long known for having the ability to will his team to victory, Kidd will enable his teammates to get shots they aren’t accustomed to.  However, outside of Josh Howard, there isn’t a stellar defender on this team.  DeSagana Diop is a decent shot blocker, but doesn’t bring much of anything else to the table.  If Carlisle, in one year, can whip this team into a solid defensive mindset, the versatile offensive capabilities of most of the roster should take care of itself.  The Mavericks will again provide a tough matchup for anyone, but in their desperation move to acquire Kidd, their window may have passed if they can’t get it done this year.

Houston Rockets
The biggest splash of the summer may have been made when Houston acquired Artest, and head coach Rick Adelman knows all too well what he’s capable of.  However, something has to give.  There are only so many touches for the oft injured Ming and McGrady, and Artest won’t be happy unless he gets his share as well.  Team defense should be ratched up a notch with Artest on the wing though, making it tough for anyone to score against this group.  It will again be painful for Spurs fans to watch Scola put up very solid numbers, and Barry will provide a shooting touch off the bench.  Despite having the talent to advance far into the playoffs, it seems as though chemistry will be the downfall of this team.

Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis, you are the weakest link.  In a division populated with championship caliber teams, this is the obvious pick for won’t make the playoffs.  This team will have no trouble finding someone to take care of the ball, with a roster sporting Conley, Jaric, Lowry, and Mayo.  They will prove to be a popular trade talk team, as other teams look to find backups for their established point guards.  The post is a glaring weakness here, with rookies Hamed Haddadi and Marc Gasol coming in above 7 feet, and Milicic at an even 7.  With Milicic yet to live up to his potential, they will be seeing what the newcomers can offer in the NBA.  The underrated Hakim Warrick will have ample opportunity to show his rebounding skills though, as Antoine Walker has joined this team, and will provide a plethora of missed shots.  If your fantasy team will need rebounding, this could be a good roster to look at.  Another rebuilding year in Memphis, but long term potential is obvious.

New Orleans Hornets
The scariest team in the southwest gave the Spurs a run for their money in last year’s playoffs.  Led by otherworldly stud Chris Paul, this is a team that can get down the floor and light you up, and then shut you down at the other end.  CP3 showed that with a mix of lob passes, drives, and kickouts, he is nearly unstoppable.  But with the loss of Pargo, it seems as though the backup job is unfilled, but that may have already been taken care of with the addition of Jared Jordan.  Jordan has proven to be a passing wizard, but we’ll find out soon enough how well that translates out of college.  Chandler will continue to be a one man wrecking crew in the post, with a shot blocking prowess to be feared, and David West can seemingly score from anywhere on the floor.  Meanwhile, a similar tandem will rock the perimeter, as newcomer Posey is a solid defender, and Stojakovic still has the potential to erupt on any given night.  As much as I hate to say it, Byron Scott might be coaching the west’s representative in this year’s championship.

San Antonio Spurs
We’re all quite familiar with the show in south Texas.  Duncan and The French Flash will be an inside-inside punch on offense, and once Ginobili returns, one of the league’s most feared slashers will cause opponents far and wide to cry foul.  It’s a given that they will perform, but the rest of the roster is more curious.  Can Bowen still lock everyone down at 37 years old?  Can Hill become the backup guard Popovich envisions?  Will Udoka take his game to the next level?  Can Bonner fill the shoes of Horry (of 2 years ago)?  Does Finley have anything left?  Will Oberto play like he did in the Olympics?  Is Mahinmi ready to be the sidekick and backup that Duncan needs?  How fast will Mason pick up on the Spurs system?  Will Stoudamire shoot like he did in Atlanta, while playing within the team atmosphere rooted deep in the culture?  This team will be made or broken by the role players.  If the big 3 don’t need to put up 80 points every night to win, it will be a good start.  If a newcomer can prove to be capable of initiating the offense and creating their own shot, it will be a huge help.  If everyone can get back to the business of playing rock solid defense, instead of the holes that exposed themselves  late last year, it’s practically guaranteed.  Perhaps the best thing San Antonio has going, is it will be an odd year.

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