Spurs Basketball

I have a New Web site!

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:42:00 +0000

Hi friends, sports lovers and Spurs fans!

I now manage my new Spurs website! @SPURS WORLD!

Visit it Daily and keep your comments coming over there!

Thanks - Robby : ) GO SPURS GO!

I'm officially Joining ProjectSpurs!

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:36:00 +0000

Hi Guys! As most of you probably know; I already wrote some articles for Project Spurs. We will be having a live blog and chat for the Utah-Spurs game tomorrow at Project Spurs. Join the discussion, it will be fun!

Here are links to the articles I already wrote at PS. Kindly check them out! Comments from you guys will be very much appreciated...

Manu carries Spurs past Raptors

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

With some offensive explosion from Manu, and George Hill being steady at the point; the Spurs are back on track.

Playing without two of their starters (Duncan and Parker ankle listed as day-to-day), the gritty Spurs finally scored an impressive win over the Raptors.

Although the Spurs didn't play particularly well on defense, they made up for it on offense.

Manu scored a game high 36 points, handed out 8 dimes and grabbed 8 rebounds. Jefferson played a complete all-around game scoring 24 points, grabbing 8 boards while dishing out 7 assist. Hill added 22 points and 5 assists for the Spurs.

Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 32 points and 10 boards, Turkoglu had 20, and Bargnani added 17.

The Spurs got plenty of help on offense. Matt Bonner played effectively off the bench scoring 18 points, McDyess had 7 points and 10 boards, Blair chipped in 6 points and 7 rebounds while Bogans added 9.

Calderon had 13 points and 9 assists, Belinelli scored 12 and Amir Johnson added 10 points and 5 rebounds for the Raptors.

More than anything, you've got to admire how the Spurs played despite being shorthanded. A lot of desire, aggressiveness and hustle.

If the Spurs plays this way every night, other teams should watch out. But this is just one game, we need to see more consistency on their play.

But like what Pop said during their last game, "It's a step in the right direction". Hopefully they can sustain this momentum and win their next game against the Mavericks...

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Writing @ ProjectSpurs...

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:41:00 +0000

Hi folks! Just want to let you guys know that I'll be writing articles for ProjectSpurs for the meantime. Having said that, posts around here might be fewer than usual. Mike and Jeff are doing a great job over at ProjectSpurs. They also hosts live chat/blogging when the Spurs have games I'd be happy to see you guys there...

I know the Spurs have been struggling, and spurs fans might have low morale right now. But it's too early for that. Remember that the Spurs usually starts slow, we should see improvements on their play this coming week.

Keep your heads up! There's a lot of games left to be played... Go! Spurs! Go!

Spurs' road woes continues...

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:36:00 +0000

"We committed too many mistakes from the get-go, It's too bad. It shouldn't be happening. We've really got to step out and try to play 48 minutes." Ginobili said.

That line says it all, the Spurs remain winless on the road as the Trail Blazers jumped on them early; then hold on for a 96-84 victory at the Rose Garden.

Brandon Roy scored 24 points, Steve Blake had 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Greg Oden added 14 points, 8 boards and 4 blocks for the Blazers.

Richard Jefferson led the Spurs with 19 points, Manu Ginobili had 17, while Tim Duncan finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

To make matters worse, Tony Parker sprained his ankle during the game and could be out for a week. With 2:36 left in the first half, Parker appeared to come down awkwardly, called timeout and left the floor for the locker room and didn't return.

X-rays taken at the arena were negative, he will be re-evaluated after the team returns to San Antonio.

Even without Parker, the Spurs actually made a game out of it. After falling behind by 15 in the first quarter, the Spurs crawled back into the game in the fourth, when Antonio McDyess began hitting his jumpers.

With 2:57 to go, the Spurs pulled within 85-77 on a Jefferson dunk; but Steve Blake answered with a 3-pointer that sealed it for the Blazers.

The Spurs have been struggling so far. They can't seem to put it together yet, but at least their defense showed up. The offense was a different story, as they shoot a measly 38% from the field.

Despite their early woes, Coach Pop was surprisingly patient; saying that the Spurs' near miraculous comeback was "a step in the right direction".

Pop's patience is understandable; he's running a team with a bunch of new guys. But sooner or later that will change, considering how tough the West is; you can't put yourself into a big hole.

A step in the right direction is nice, but the Spurs should also start winning; doing it against Toronto should be a good start...

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Boozer leads Utah over Spurs

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:42:00 +0000

For the fourth time in 4 games the Spurs continued to struggle with their defense as they fall to the Jazz 113-99 in Utah.

Carlos Boozer scored 27 points and 14 rebounds while Deron Williams had 27 and 9 assists. Andrei Kirilenko added 12 points with 6 assists and rookie Wesley Matthews scored a career-high 12 points for Utah.

Tim Duncan had 15 points, 13 boards and 3 blocks, Tony Parker had 21, DeJuan Blair added 14 points and 9 rebounds and Manu Ginobili chipped in 11 points for the Spurs.

Mehmet Okur and Ronnie Brewer scored 10 apiece as all five Utah starters scored in double figures.

The Spurs were totally outplayed in this one. The Jazz outscored them 64-46 inside the paint, and 16-8 on fastbreak points.

STATS dont lie: The Jazz beat the Spurs in every major statiscal category through out the game. Rebounds: 41-36, Assist: 23-14 and Steals: 9-4 all in favor of Utah.

Coach Jerry Sloan was happy with his team's performance saying: "We played a lot harder, I was proud of the way we played. Everyone was involved, trying to help each other and give us chances to win."

"Everybody was active, especially from the defensive end, Okur said. From the first second until the 48th [minute] everybody was active. That's the way we've got to play every night." Okur said.

Carlos Boozer was pleased on how they finished the game: "We've got to finish off games like we did tonight, We needed to play a full 48 minutes of basketball and that's what we got tonight. Prior to this game, we hadn't done that."

Coach Pop and Tim Duncan might have summarized what happened to the game and points out some reasons for the Spurs' early struggles.

"We've got a lot of work to do to become a good defensive team and Utah obviously took advantage of that tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They are always an aggressive club and they do a great job of fighting for 48 minutes."

"They got the momentum going early on and got rewarded for their physical play," Duncan said. "We knew it would be that kind of game."

The Spurs haven't won a road game yet this season, they know that a good start would be nice. But chemistry takes a while especially with six new players being added to the mix. Maybe in a month or two, we will see a different Spurs team.

As fans we should be a little more patient, I know we all have high hopes this season, it's too early to be worried.

I'm sure Coach Pop and the Spurs will figure things out. Just give them a little more time...

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Badder than Ace Ventura

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Written by ' Dsilverlining

After that bat-shit crazy smackdown in San Antone, Manu was interviewed, "When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news. So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Back in Argentina that's what we do, hunt bats. Our hobby." Argentina apparently is a no fly zone for you Twilight shapeshifters. But Filipinos are even badder still.

Dracula's worse nightmare

Count Dracula, beware!

In the Philippines (my hometown), nothing is spared of the fruit bat once it's been caught.

To prepare it for cooking, the entire bat is skinned, and the two glands found at the base of its limbs are removed.

It is then chopped into bite-sized pieces, sautéed in oil, garlic, vinegar, tomatoes, pepper, laurel leaves and simmered until the broth has almost dried out.

Filipinos consider these fruit bats a delicacy.

Take that, PETA haters!

Rotation Fix?

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:54:00 +0000

In their first 3 regular season games, I can't help but notice some adjustments that needs to be addressed with the Spurs lineup rotations.

First of all, I'm no expert; I'm just another die-hard fan like you guys. Coach Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the NBA right now in my opinion.

I believe that he has his own reasons for doing things a little different from everybody else.

In other words, He's unpredictable and maybe a step ahead on most of his peers. I'm not blaming him for the sorry loss in Chicago;

I think we lost that game because the Bulls want it more than we do. And maybe because it's the second set of back-to-backs. (Although, I can't convince myself with that excuse).

Anyway, so much about that; it's just one game. We move on to the next, and we try to improve right? I'm not too worried about a slow start. The Spurs after all are known to gain momentum during their annual rodeo road trip.

As Mike Monroe pointed out, developing chemistry though the first months of the season is nothing new for Popovich. Another thing to consider is how to integrate the new guys.

To be honest, I don't like Finley and Bonner (with all due respects) at the starting lineup. It makes the Spurs vulnerable on the defensive end early in the game. With Duncan , Parker and Jefferson, I don't think we will lack offensive production to start the game.

The Spurs has always valued defense. I think we should not go away with that. Instead of trying to outscore opponents at the start, we should focus more on defense and establish it early.

A starting lineup of Duncan-McDyess-Jefferson-Mason-Parker seems reasonable enough to me. TD, RJ and Tony should be there no doubt. But why do I like Dice and Mason to start?

I know McDyess is still learning the system, Popovich usually trusts guys that knows the system more ( a logical choice). But by starting Dice, the Spurs will have a better front court defense. More importantly, it will give McDyess more time to familiarize himself with the system and how to play alongside Duncan.

Mason for Finley is a little bit hard to justify at this point. Because Finley is playing better than Mason is right now.

But here's the thing, Finley plays almost the same whether he starts or comes off the bench. And based on my observations from last year; (sorry I don't have the stats to back it up.) Roger Mason seem to play better when he's starting.

Remember how he played when Manu was out? It could be a mental thing with Mason. Early in the season, I think it would be a good idea to insert him back to the starting lineup. That way, he might gain more confidence and therefore find his shooting touch.

Manu is our super punch off the bench. He's so good at it, and it's not an easy thing to do. Bonner and Finley are good players, but they would be of better use coming off the bench to provide some spark shooting those 3's when the need arises.

Hill and Blair getting 20 minutes a night seems about right. Ratliff is being used correctly, although I don't expect him to play the full 82 season games.

At some point, he should be placed on the Inactive list to give guys like Haislip and Mahinmi a chance to perform and prove themselves. Alternating those players in the inactive list might be a good idea.

Bogans, in my opinion is being evaluated by Pop early that's why he's a part of the rotation. In the preseason games at least, Hairston proved to be more deserving of the spot.

I'm inclined to think that sooner or later, Hairston is gonna be activated and Bogans will be riding the bench.

It's still early in the season and with a long break, I expect the Spurs to perform better. This team is deeper and better than a year ago.

It may take a while to see them at full strength, but it wouldn't hurt either if some of the little things are corrected or at least given attention early on...

Bat Update: Posted by Manu

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:21:00 +0000

This was posted by Manu on his Facebook account. Let's hope he's perfectly healthy and safe...

I bet he is; he's Manu Ginobili for Christ's sake! Thanks for sharing this Manu...

"Just wanted to give you guys an update on the bat situation. As many of you already know, it wasn't a great idea. Not only for the fact that bats are great part of the ecosystem, but also, because some carry rabies, which is an incurable disease.

That's why I had to get vaccinated today (and it wasn't just one shot!). Only 0.5% to 3% of the bat populations carry the disease, but If you can't find the animal, it's not recommended to take any risks, it can kill you!

Since after the incident, the usher took it outside and the bat flew away (not lying!), there was no way of knowing if he was infected or not, so I had to do the safe thing.

Finally, please, don't do it at home or anywhere, avoid contact with bats, skunks, raccoons, rats and animals like that.

Thanks for taking the time to read this".

Manu Ginobili

Blair, Hill continues to impress...

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:54:00 +0000

A Blessed All Souls day to everyone! Forgive me for not making my own recap on the Spurs-Kings game. And in case you guys missed it, Manu swats a bat out of Midair. Just great, like they say; the legend on Manu continues...

Now on to the topic. With 3 regular season games under their belt, the Spurs reminded us of the familiar. We still have the 'Big Three'. Manu is regaining his old form, Tony is still Tony, and Duncan remains one of the best bigs in the game.

Some might question the last statement. After all TD, did not score in double figures in 2 of those 3 games (both wins). The reason? He didn't have to. In the game against the Bulls, he was a beast. It only shows that if needed, Timmy can still dominate.

This new-look Spurs is arguably the most talented roster during the Duncan era. And early in the season, signs are encouraging.

Except for that downer in Chicago, the Spurs had displayed it's balanced attack on offense. The defense still needs some work, but the fire power on this new lineup is so obvious. A team with a good mix of youth, experience and athleticism.

George Hill is making his mark. He's showing everyone that he can really play. No he's not your typical backup point, his assist totals may not wow you. But his tenacity on defense will.

Not only that, this guy can score; he's averaging 11.7 points, 3 rebounds, 1.33 steals and 1 block so far in just 20 minutes per game. I could also argue that he deserves more minutes, but that's another matter.

Another player to no surprise, has been playing fairly well. Although not as impressive like in his preseason games, DeJuan Blair has been steady.

On his debut, he posted a double-double 14 points and 11 boards. Yes he's still foul prone averaging 4 fouls per game, but that's because he's still adjusting.

In my opinion, his ability to defend the paint will improve a lot as the season goes on. And for a rookie an average of 8.3 points, 8.3 boards and 1.3 assists on 70% FG shooting ain't that bad right?

The Spurs are not impressive on their first three games... But I'm not discourage at all. This team is not yet in tip top shape.

Jefferson has to earn his paycheck, Mason has to find his shooting touch and at least in my opinion the rotation is not yet set (the starting lineup in particular).

With a lot of time and room for improvement, I'm optimistic enough that we could see a better team by mid February or March. For now, seeing the new guys fit into the system and watching our young guns grow and develop are enough reasons to get excited...

RELATED POSTS:

Downer in Chicago...

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:57:00 +0000

I know it's late, but I think this article it too good, it would be a shame not to be published.

You guys might not like it, because it's about our recent loss in Chicago. But I still felt like my friends' ('Dsilverlining) work deserves some credit. The points he mentioned on this article are worth noting.

It was just a few hours ago when we felt like a million dollars then suddenly shocker punches us.

System of a down
1. On D-Fense
The first glaring weakness was on defense ever since the second half of our opening game . Pop mentioned this in the post-game interview in NOH. I'm guessing he did not chew them out too much after that rousing victory.

Well, he should have had because the team was straying far from our renewed emphasis on D. Ever since training camp, Pop enunciated his desire to return to being the top defensive teams in the league. Defense was our calling card but apparently very few answered the call.

2. Offensive glass
Another issue is how the Bulls clearly whopped the Spurs on the offensive glass 15 vs. 8. That's the story behind the point difference, right there. The irony is we were No.1 in defensive rebounds last season. This is really getting on my nerves. Box-out for crying out loud.

3. Effort or the lack thereof
The third deficiency goes hand in hand with the first two - lack of passion. Spurs were severely out-hustled from the get-go. Surely, we expected a fired-up Bulls playing in front of a season-opening home crowd and should have taken the bull by the horns.

Instead, Spurs had a wet-dank-moldy raggedy response. So un-Spurlike. (Could it be the jet-lag? Excuses...excuses)

4. Tony, tony, tiny
Fourth demerit is on our starring pg.The TP that we know did not show up tonight. His stats: 8 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers in almost 35 minutes. (Could it be the fall? Excuse you). The French was toast or make that milquetoast.

There were some talks that this is slowly becoming TP's team. If this is the case then he should show more leadership. And to think that this was the guy who wanted a strong push from the start of the season. Show us the money.

5. Poopy
I just don't get why Pop is so hung up on Finley & Bonner on the starting line-up. Granted, Bonner showed some improvement. Still his production was negated by whoever he is guarding. TP is already a softy on D but by adding Finley & Bonner, we exacerbate the problem.
Plus, it puts more pressure on TD to provide help defense. And we don't want that added wear & tear.

We had a fighting chance to get the W. But we were done in by Pop's substitutions. He did not put in his best personnel. It should have been - TP, Manu, RJ, Blair & TD for most stretches. I'm all for experimenting but when it comes to the crucial part, we should go "all in". This just stinks.

But as the saying goes, "In every cloud, there is a silver-lining. So let's look at the sparkling thinggies.

1. Admiral-ble TD
On the season opener, some fans were alarmed at the Big Fundamental's production. They said he was just not in game shape or the gimpy knees. But the most plausible explanation is that Duncan is now assuming the role Robinson played when he was at the sun set of his career.
This is a guy who doesn't care about stats but how to win. He will deliver only what the team needs. And what you saw last game was 'ol boring Timmeh (28, 16 ho hum). Right now, Timmy's eye is on the grand prize. No more no less.

2. Resurgent Manu
It was such a gratifying sight to see His Sickness showing vintage Manu. He needs to play more than 26 minutes or even the whole fourth quarter to regain his deadly form (compared to Finley's 28 mins.) And when he does, good times are a comin'

3. Debeast quickie
Though playing in limited minutes (13), DeBeast was able to hold his own. Pop needs to utilize this talent more if we want a spark off the bench. Memo to Pop: Unleash the Beast!

We have a long season to go, guys. It's not time to push the panic button and sound the alarms yet. My personal tip to new Spur fans, Curb your enthusiasm.

your friendly neighborhood Spur basketcase,

DSL.

Spurs Weekly Bullets: Rumors and Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:46:00 +0000

Hi again Folks! I'm checking in to give you some updates about our beloved Spurs. By the way, If you guys noticed; we have a new contributor to this site... 'DSilverlining he's a PtR regular and wants to help me out with the posts around here. I think he's great guy, kindly check out his first post.

Now on to the Bullets...

Tim Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell thinks that George Hill is a great perimeter defender, I have to agree...
Last week, I wrote a post about our Tres Pistoleros, not expecting that two of them will be at Spurs' starting lineup. We losts to the Bulls, but here's an ice breaker.
Graydon Gordian of 48 Minutes of Hell tells us that the Spurs will not pick up thier option on Ian Mahinmi. Maybe a possible trade bait? or a challenge for Ian to get better...
Great Weekly Roundup by our good friend from Pounding the Rock! silverandblack_davis.
Michael De Leon of Project Spurs takes a looks at the Fantasy and Real-World of the Spurs.
True Hoop's Chris Broussard talks about a possible Stephen Jackson Trade.
Jeff Garcia of Project Spurs is asking if a Manu-Jackson swap is acceptable.
Mike Monroe of Express News says that Blair returns to scene of the crime.
And finally, here's an old post but worth reading. I heard a news that Bowen is joining ESPN as an analyst; we wish him well...

That's it for now... Happy reading!

Survey: Who will be the "Next Bowen"

noreply@blogger.com ('DSilverlining) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Spurs basketball regulars, I'm helping Robby add some mojo to our fledgling blog. To do that we want your valued opinion. so here it goes...

The previous games exposed our glaring weakness in defense. After Bruce's departure, we sure miss a lock-down defender to shut down the opponent's top scorer.

Who do you think will be the "Next Bowen"?

a. Blair Force One
b. Keith Bogans
c. Malik Hairston
d. Pop's pet Hill
e. The Runaway Groom Jefferson
f. Marcus Haislip
f. Ex-Spur/Spur-to be Capt Jack
g. Team defense
h. Some other dude
i. There can never be another Bowen

Deng, Bulls beat Spurs

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:11:00 +0000

We had a good live blog/chat for the Bulls-Spurs Game provided by our friends at Project Spurs.

Unfortunately, the Bulls won the game. The Spurs had a horrible shooting night beyond the arc, and so did the Bulls.

So why did we loose the game? I hate to say this, but the Bulls simply outplayed and outhustled the Spurs.

The Bulls had the advantage in almost all statistical category that counts, Rebounds: 52-44, Assists: 20-15, blocks 9-5.

We didn't play good D and Tim Duncan was the only bright spot for the Spurs. Scoring 28 points, grabbing 16 boards with 3 blocks, 2 steals and 2 dimes. Manu added 12. No other Spurs reached double figures. A complete turn around after a great game against the Hornets.

While the Bulls had a balanced scoring night, they had six players in double figures. Luol Deng had 17, Hinrich with 14 and Derrick Rose had 13 points and 7 assists. Joakim Noah had a double-double adding 10 points and 10 rebounds.

It would be nice had the Spurs won the game. But it's still early in the season, Bonner and Finley in the starting lineup still bothers me (with all due respects).

I think it's a great learning experience for the team. It's a fine example that basketball is a team game. You can't win alone with talent, everything else needs to fit into place.

Tonight, the Spurs didn't play good team basketball; they also need to work on their defense. I expect the Spurs win their next game against the Kings.

After that, they will have a long break; enough for them to make the necessary adjustments to make the team better.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Spurs' balanced attack too much for Hornets

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:15:00 +0000

In thier season opener, the new look Spurs played well and displayed a balanced scoring attack winning 113-96 over the New Orleans Hornets.

Tony Parker landed hard in the 3rd quarter, leaving the game with 17 points. He was able to walk back to the bench on his own and seems fine.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Parker simply had the wind knocked out of him after falling to the court almost horizontally following a layup.

Manu Ginobili, scored 16 points and had 4 assists. While Tim Duncan added 9 points and 12 boards.

Meanwhile, DeJuan Blair was impressive in his NBA debut, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds (5 offensive) in just 22.5 minutes of play.

Popovich said "He's showing really good maturity so far, You just have to give him credit. He's got a great way about him and let the game come to him."

Hornets coach Byron Scott called Blair "a monster."

"You know, a 6-5, 6-6 center who comes in and plays 22 minutes and gets 14-11 is pretty impressive, Especially for a rookie." Scott said.

Blair has a humble approach, saying "My teammates are taking me under their wing and showing me what to do, it's been excellent to have that."

Chris Paul scored 26 points and got a technical foul along with Jefferson after they exchanged words at midcourt following Parker's hard fall.

David West chipped in 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, and Emeka Okafor had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his first game for the Hornets.

Six players scored in double figures for the Spurs. Matt Bonner and Roger Mason had 11 apiece and Michael Finley had 10.

Richard Jefferson struggled in his debut scoring 5 points on 1 of 7 shooting. George Hill and McDyess had 9 points a piece off the bench.

It's a great way to start the season, the Spurs' bench gave them the needed spark.

Post game thoughts, Bonner and Finley started for the Spurs. They played well offensively, but both of them struggled on defense.

Matty was attacked early on by David West resulting to 12-6 lead by the Hornets. In my opinion, Bonner should come off the bench. But maybe Coach Pop is sticking to those who knows the system for the time being.

Finley shot the ball very well, going 4-6 from the field. But he didn't play good D. Roger Mason might start in his position, I like Manu coming from the bench, he's so effective that way.

I also expect McDyess to start at the center spot later in the season. I think Pop is still in the "integrating the new guys" mode. Nice win! See you guys tomorrow as we play the Chicago Bulls...

Game highlights...

Spurs Fans are the Best!

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:07:00 +0000

So tomorrow is the opening night for the Spurs. LatinD from PtR provides us this great round up of everything black, silver and white this week.

The regular season has started. As of this writing, the Celtics already won over the Cavs 95-89. And the Wizards beat the Mavs 102-91 on the road! Anyway, I just want to have a little more fun before we play the Hornets tomorrow (Nice preview from Tim C. at PtR).

The Spurs are arguably the model organization in the NBA right now, and in my humble opinion just like the team; Spurs fans are one of the best! No Kidding! Here are some of the reasons why...

Isn't she lovely? wait that's Tony's Wife...

Even with advanced age, we are still pretty passionate on the game. I mean that in a nice way.

Pirates Love the Spurs...

Spurs fans are creative and knows how to show their Love and Support...

Sister Marie (not her real name) is a happy Spurs fan.

These are her friends....

Guys, this is one pretty hot Spurs fan, don't you think?

It's not even Halloween, but Jason is getting ready for the Spurs season opener...

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Comeback here tomorrow for game recaps and video highlights. Hope we get the win! Go! Spurs! Go!

Power Rankings Top 15: Let's start the season!

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Last month, I made my first NBA Top 15 Power Rankings. With the season about to start, it's good to have another look on how things our going in the NBA. Click here to comment and submit your own rankings!

LEGEND:
( ) - Last month's rank
NR - Not Ranked in the Top 15
Outside Looking In - Teams on the bubble, might break into the Top 15

Now on to the Rankings...

1 (1) Los Angeles Lakers
They are the defending champs, so they start out at number 1.

2 (2) Orlando Magic
Lewis will be suspended for 10 games at the start of the season, but this team have a deep bench. I think they can handle Lewis' absence pretty well and they are looking sharp too going unbeaten in the preseason games.

3 (3) San Antonio Spurs
DeJuan Blair has been very impressive, George Hill looked solid at the point (how many times do I have to say those lines?). And the 'Big Three' are starting the season all healthy.

4 (5) Boston Celtics
Garnett is back healthy and with Rasheed Wallace coming in Bean town, their frontcourt looked scary good.

5 (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
A talented team no doubt. But LeBron's future with the Cavs is still uncertain, Delonte West has provided all the drama and Shaq looked... heavy don't you think?

6 (6) Portland Trail Blazers
They secured their future, signing Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge into long term contracts. Greg Oden might get better, Batum needs surgery but luckily they are deep at the 3 spot.

7 (8) Dallas Mavericks
They improved their lineup too with Gooden, Shawn Marion and Tim Thomas in tow.

8 (7) Denver Nuggets
J.R. Smith's absence in the first 7 games of the season will hurt. Remember that Danthay Jones is no longer with them too.

9 (11) Atlanta Hawks
The addition of Joe Smith and Jamal Crawford makes them a clear cut number 4 in the East.

10 (9) New Orleans Hornets
I'm not a fan of the Chandler-Okafor trade. Having said that, things might not be easy in the Big Easy. I could be wrong...

11 (10) Utah Jazz
A team that always play hard. They have a good core in Deron Williams, Kirilenko, Millsap and Okur. With Jerry Sloan as their coach, they should be fine with or without Boozer.

12 (14) Phoenix Suns
The return of Amare in the lineup during the preseason was encouraging, and Channing Frye looked comfortable with them.

13 (12) Chicago Bulls
Luol Deng is back, the question is can he easily be last year's Ben Gordon? Derrick Rose is still 'out of condition'. But Noah is working on his game.

14 (NR) Philadelphia 76ers
Let's assume that Elton Brand stays healthy. With Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights, Young and Willie Green in the lineup, the 76ers could exceed expectations.

15 (NR) Toronto Raptors
With offseason acquisitions Hedo Turkoglu, Jarret Jack and Belinelli in the lineup, Bosh should be pleased right? Now they have to play some D.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Rockets
They deserve to be here, last season's run was impressive. They still have Battier and Scola, and McGrady might play later in the season.

(13) Heat
With no serious offseason moves D-Wade must be unhappy

Thunder
They stay at the OLI, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden played well in the offseason.

(15) Pistons
The addition of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon might help, but I have to see them on the floor first and how will they fit in with the 'old Pistons'.

DROPPED OUT
Bobcats
With Raja Bell injured, the Bobcats will be hard-pressed to make a strong start.

Wizards
Jamison's shoulder injury means Arenas and Butler will have to carry the load for the Wiz.

Clippers
Blake Griffin's NBA career looked promising until the team revealed that he had a broken left kneecap. He could miss up to 6 weeks.... ooouuccchhh!

Agree with my rankings? You can voice out your opinion @ the comments section of this post. Thanks! Now let the season begin...

Spurs Waive Marcus Williams

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:03:00 +0000

The Spurs waived Marcus Williams, the roster now stands at 15. Despite some news in the past that the Spurs might trim down that number to 14, I expect the Spurs to keep the 15 man lineup for the mean time.

Malik Hairston's performance during the preseason was solid and he's still D-League eligible, meaning he can switch time playing for the Toros and the Spurs during the season. This will give him more playing time if he can't get enough minutes with the Spurs.

Williams is a nice player to have, the guy has talent. I hope he decides to play in Europe this season, and then comeback next year with more experience. I think that will be good for him and the Spurs.

One could argue that Williams played better than Bogans or even Haislip in the preseason. They could be right, but Haislip's style of play is different; he brings another dimension to the Spurs game. His tremendous athleticism and ability to defend mobile bigs will come in handy.

On the other hand, Bogans has not shown anything yet. But he's a veteran and at least in the past, has proved to be a reliable backup. More importantly, both Haislip and Bogans have guaranteed contracts. So either way Williams is the odd man out, having said that, I don’t think we will see anymore roster cuts soon. A trade might be a possibility later in the season, but that's an entirely different story.

I like the current roster as it stands, the first few games of the season will tell us what to expect. I don't think the Spurs will come out of the gates and start recording winning streaks; but I wouldn't be surprised either. The season is about to begin, I'm so excited to see this new look roster on the floor, aren't you?

Spurs Weekly Bullets: First Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Hi Folks! We only have a few days left before the Spurs' season opener against the Hornets. With the regular season about to start, I figured more Spurs news will be coming; so decided to make a regular entry that I would like to call, Spurs Weekly Bullets. It's not necessarily a weekend blog but rather a frequent posts of links within the site and other websites related to Spurs Basketball.

This is my first of many (hopefully!) Spurs Weekly Bullets because I don't want you guys to miss great stuffs that is related to the silver and black... I also included a new video section located at the left sidebar of this site (check it out!). I'll try to add more videos as the season goes on...

The Bullets:

Manu Ginobili tells us that "The only objective is to win the championship" posted by jalberto and translated by urunobili at Pounding the Rock!
Make no mistake about it, the Spurs is Tim Duncan's team. But I think the torch is slowly being passed to Tony. Also with a healthy Duncan and Ginobili, the Spurs should be ready this season.
Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell says that Hairston is obviously deserving of a spot on someone’s roster. The challenge is weighing his talent against the big backdrop questions of team needs, the salary cap, and projecting the roster forward.
ESPN's Bill Simons says that Duncan is healthy, happy, rested, in shape and is already the greatest power forward ever (bottom of the post).
Jeff McDonald of Express-News thinks that with upgraded cast, Duncan is poised for final act, McDyess and RJ joined the Spurs because they couldn't beat them; and the Spurs are weighing their options on Mahinmi.
David Thiessen of Project Spurs tells us that we have to be a little more patient with the Spurs this upcoming season.
Now that the preseason is over, BlaseE from PtR shares us his thoughts.
And Mike Monroe of Express-News reminds us that the Spurs aren't only team that got better.

That's it for now my friends! Hope you guys enjoyed it...

Spurs' "Other Trio"

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:56:00 +0000

After the most active offseason in recent memory, much of the talk in the past few months has been focused on the Spurs' new additions, free agent signings and camp hopefuls. It's normal; fans would love to know more about the new guys coming to their team.

These days much of the news about the Spurs would headline Blair, Hill, Jefferson and McDyess. Even Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans and Malik Hairston have been on the news lately. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean I don't like it. In fact most articles on this site are about the 'new guys' and the 'Big three'.

But this time, I would like to give the spotlight on some of the least mentioned Spurs. Let me make it clear, if the Spurs are to win a title this coming season; they need a healthy Big three (have we heard or read about that a million times already?).

The newcomers like Blair, Jefferson and McDyess are great additions. They certainly boost our chances to win it all this year. But like any other championship year, we need players that know their roles and the system, players that complement stars.

In past we have players like Robert Horry, Brent Barry, Fabricio Oberto, and Steve Kerr fit into that role. This year, we have at least three players that can fit into that role. I'd like to call them, the "Other Trio."

Remember Roger Mason Jr.? In my opinion this guy remains to be the best pure shooter on the team. Last season he showed that he can really shoot. At some point last year he can even be considered as one of the league’s clutchest shooters; Hitting big shots when the game is on the line. He even earned the moniker 'Big Shot Rog' because of his late game heroics.

I know he went missing in action in last season's playoffs. But I am confident that this year will be different, with Manu coming back and Hill improving everyday; I think Roger Mason will be more comfortable with his role clearly defined. And that is to catch and shoot the ball.

What about Michael Finley? In my opinion, he remains to be one of the best clutch shooters in the league (sorry Mase!). It's because of the fact that he was able to deliver in clutch situations during the playoffs (Remember his performance in 2007 playoff series against Denver?).

Just this week he reminded everyone of what he is capable of doing. He scored 20 points, made five 3-pointers in just 17 minutes of action to lead the Spurs to a 119-102 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's just a preseason game, but it's still basketball. Finley's value to the team is not limited to being able to hit shots. His veteran smarts and savvy can help the new and young guys learn the system more quickly.

And then there's Matt Bonner, most Spurs fans (including myself) has made him a target on possible trade discussions. I think that he was an easy target for two main reasons. His inability to defend his man effectively, and his failure to make his shots when it counted most.

But last year's situation was unfair for Bonner. He's was our starting center if you guys remembered, and that limits his effectiveness. I think Bonner is more of a forward, a shooting big to be exact. More like Horry, but to lesser extent.

This season things should be different. He would definitely come off the bench, I think the Spurs will use him in game situations where they need to stretch the floor a bit more. If Bonner can focus on just shooting the basketball and don't think too much if he misses a shot, he could be helpful.

The Spurs are serious about winning the title this year, if these guys can stick to their role and do it effectively; things could be a lot easier for the Spurs. I'm not saying that the Spurs are clear favorites to win the title. All I'm saying is, they are a lot more better this year... and if every players gets into the same page? Watch out league! the Spurs are coming...

Spurs Waive Curtis Jerrells

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:12:00 +0000

The Spurs waived Curtis Jerrells today, bringing down the roster count to 16.

Jerrells showed what he can do during the camp and played well in the preseason. But not good enough to make the roster. He played against tough competition (Hairston and Williams for the final spot). Also, the signing of Keith Bogans before training camp may have hurt his chances to make the team.

Waiving Jerrells was no surprise (with all due respect). Malik Hairston has been solid and George Hill has shown that he is capable of running the team.

The Spurs still need to make one more cut or maybe two before the regular season starts, depending on how many players Pop wants to keep.

I think Williams is on his way out, an arrangement to play in Europe could be done if Pop decides to limit the roster to 14. This will leave an open roster spot for flexibility.

In my opinion Malik Hairston should make the team, his defensive skills and hustle is hard to ignore. He is probably one of the Spurs' better perimeter defenders right now.

I would want the Spurs to keep a 15 man roster. Bogans deserves a shot even though he has been a disappointment so far. If the Spurs felt the need to improve, they can still make a roster move just around the February deadline if they have to...

Related Posts:

The Young Duncan...

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:30:00 +0000

I was thinking of writing another post when I happen to see this pic. It's nice to see Duncan showing great emotions during his younger years in college.

Will we see some of this in the coming season? Maybe or maybe not... Anyway the Spurs won today beating Kevin Durant and the Thunder 119-102.

Here's a nice game recap by Lauri and another by ATS of Pounding the Rock.

Hope you guys liked the Duncan pic and the game recaps by my friends at PtR.

Here are some videos from the Thunder and Spurs game. Enjoy!

Key additions, will help in Spurs' success

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:47:00 +0000

With only 2 preseason games left, the Spurs are happy to have a healthy team. Ginobili and Duncan are getting back into game shape, Parker's ankle is completely healed, DeJuan Blair's ACL-less knees are strong enough to help him grab those boards. Jefferson is getting to his comfort zone, McDyess looked steady as ever and Coach Pop is getting intense with the Spurs practices as he prepares the team for the regular season.

This is probably one of the most exciting season for the Spurs. Even Tony Parker is eager to see the Spurs' new look roster which includes newcomers Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans and rookie DeJuan Blair.

Parker said. "The next game is going to be pretty good to see where we're at."

With a lot of new additions and tremendous upgrade in talent, it's easy to say that the Spurs are back in title hunt. At least on paper, I would certainly agree.

But some people (or most depending on whom you ask) are quick to react and say that Jefferson is past his prime, His athletic ability diminished and that he will have trouble guarding big time players like Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade. While in McDyess case, they'd say that he's simply too old to be able contribute to the Spurs title hopes.

Well in my humble opinion, the Spurs are pretty much in good shape right now. When they made the trade for Jefferson, they didn't expect him to provide 20 points and become Bowen's replacement as the team's defensive stopper. They simply expect him to be an additional threat on offense, play some defense and provide athleticism at the 3 spot.

His performance this preseason is not quite impressive. But it's encouraging, specially in his last game where he showed what he can do on offense.

In McDyess, the Spurs finally got another big that can really play next to Tim Duncan. While age is a factor, it's important to note that Dice does not rely much on his athleticism. He plays with his smarts and basketball instincts, the aspects of his game that I really like are his reliable mid range jumper and his box-out mentality. And he works hard on every play.

What about Blair? So far the guy has been very impressive. He can definitely rebound and score, a hard worker and a quick learner. More importantly he enjoys playing, his passion for the game is evident, and he has the right attitude. That's not to mention the he is quickly becoming a Spurs fan favorite.

While Ratliff and maybe Bogans to a lesser extent are good additions. Ratliff can still defend, His shot blocking ability is still there and his presence on the Spurs' locker room together with Dice and TD will help the young bigs develop and learn faster.

And unpopular this may seem, but I'm giving Bogans a little more time. Some guys can quickly adjust to the system, for others it takes a while. He's an NBA veteran that has proven to be dependable backup. If he can get back to that, it would definitely boost the Spurs' depth at the 3 and 2 spots.

I'm not saying that the Spurs success mainly rely on these guys. It still begins and ends with the 'Big three'. But there is no doubt in my mind that with these key additions, the Spurs' chances of winning the title this coming season has improved a whole lot.

One thing that the Spurs should focus on besides being healthy, is team chemistry. While the talent in the Spurs lineup is pretty obvious, getting the players in the same page so to speak takes a little while.

As Coach Pop would say it,"the chemistry between the new Spurs and old Spurs — the learners and returners, is still a work in progress."

The road to success takes time, it's a process. The Spurs are smart enough to know this. A championship team is not built over night, you need to take steps on the right directions to attain your goal.

For now, as the season approaches; being healthy and having 'new weapons' to throw at the oppossing teams should be enough. The Spurs are in the right path, one step at a time and they'd get there...

Related Post:

Spurs beat Cavs in Pre-season tune up

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:38:00 +0000

Tony Parker scored 22 points, dished out 7 assists and had 3 rebounds. Tim Duncan added 13 points, 9 boards and 1 block, all in the first half. And the San Antonio Spurs beat the Cavaliers 105-98.

LeBron James who isn't quite over the flu, scored 22 points in his return to the Cleveland lineup after staying home sick for the last game. Though not completely healthy, James said he still felt pretty good after going 7 of 14 from the field and grabbed 6 rebounds.

He and two teammates was tested positive this week for Influenza A. James spent two days this week just lying in bed.

"I'm down probably 20 percent of what I know I'm capable of playing at," James said.

Mo Williams scored 15 points and had 6 assists for Cleveland, while Shaquille O'Neal finished with 8 points and 13 rebounds.

Spurs center Antonio McDyess had a solid game with 8 points and 4 boards, George Hill was again impressive scoring 13 points, handing out 3 assists, grabbing 2 rebounds without a single turnover.

It's noteworthy that 11 of his 13 points came from the free throw line indicating that he attacked the rim and attracted contact with regularity.

DeJuan Blair had 7 points and 2 boards in just 10 minutes of action. While Malik Hairston added 11. Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili didn't play for the Spurs.

Jamario Moon scored 12 points and Russell Robinson had 11 for Cleveland.

Both teams used this game to have a longer look at their new additions, the Spurs gave Bogans and McDyess a little more playing time. While the Cavs gave more minutes to Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. So it's not a clear indication on who has the upper hand when the regular season starts. But still, it feels good to get the win...

Game Highlights...

Spurs getting ready for the start of the season

noreply@blogger.com (Robby Lim) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:15:00 +0000

After four preseason games, the new look Spurs have shown us a glimpse of what to expect. DeJuan Blair is quickly learning the system and has been impressive, George Hill is proving to be a capable backup point. Ian Mahinmi has finally found a little rhythm, McDyess has been steady and looked like a Spur for years, Jefferson is getting to his comfort zone, and Hairston and Williams is battling it out for the final spot.

More importantly, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked healthy. Coach Pop mentioned before that he will use these preseason games to evaluate the new comers and camp hopefuls. But as the start of the NBA season approaches, Popovich will turn his focus on getting the team ready for the regular season, beginning tonight with the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"In the beginning, it goes from evaluation, of both talent and conditioning, towards execution by the end of the preseason," Popovich said. "By then, the evaluation is done, and you know who's going to be in your rotation, for the most part. You've got to get people ready to play the first game, conditioning wise."

If that's the case, we should expect more playing time from our starters in this game. While this game still doesn't count, it's very important to see how will the new lineup play out against some tough competition.

Like the Spurs, the Cavs also had an off season overhaul of sorts. They are tougher upfront after getting Shaq and Leon Powe, then they improved their depth by adding Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

Even if this is only a preseason game, I hope to see TD-Dice-Parker-Manu-RJ together on the floor. It would be a joy to watch, last game we saw the value of having an athletic wing in Jefferson, McDyess is still has that reliable mid range shot and rebounding instincts and Manu is slowly becoming Manu again.

Ian, Hairston, Haislip, Bogans and even Williams should also be given minutes because it will help the coaching staff in deciding who will eventually make the Spurs' rotation. Blair and Hill are given, they could definitely contribute right away.

Ian, Haislip and Bogans are all included in the lineup but how can they help is still a question mark (specially Keith). Although Mahinmi has shown improvements and Haislip had his moments.

And lastly, with Hairston and Williams on the bubble; the Spurs should finally decide. Or as Pop suggested they may leave the final roster spot open. Personally, I want Hairston to get that final spot.

After seeing him grow and be patient with the Spurs system; I became a fan. His professionalism, hard work and dedication to defense is very Spur-like. But that's just me, hopefully all things will fall into place.

As the Spurs prepare for the start of the season, we should all be excited. After all that wheeling and dealings; it's obvious that the Spurs are going "all in". It could be argued that this is perhaps the most talented Spurs lineup during the Duncan-era, but that's secondary.
This year, the Spurs wants it; Duncan would loved to reach title number 5 first... And this may sound a broken record, but if healthy and everybody's role snug into place; the Spurs will definitely give it a hell of a fight...