Richard Jefferson had averaged around 20PPG the last two seasons, and when the Spurs got him I figured he’d be a little under that, but as a whole Jefferson’s scoring stats are down But his FG% is a very healthy 47%, his highest since the 2005 season. So I guess the question i’d like to ask is, is Richard Jefferson performing at the level you originally expected he would? I think an argument could be made from both sides.

Last game: Jan 20, Utah Jazz 105 – San Antonio Spurs 98
Next game: vs. Houston Rockets, Jan 22 8:30pm ET

The Spurs have a very balanced attack right now, George Hill and DeJuan Blair have added more firepower to their bench. The Spurs age is a concern in back to back games and it was evident watching the Bulls game, the Bulls were beating to them to the ball all game.

The Spurs are still a very scary team but most nights they look flat, old and undersized, but this veteran team knows it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon and i expect them to start playing really good basketball after the all-star break like they do every season.

The addition of Richard Jefferson gives the Spurs some much-needed athleticism, solid defender and great at finishing on the break. The Spurs are an aging team whose window is closing, can Manu Ginobili hold up physically after playing 44 games last season and missing the playoffs. Tim Duncan may have slowed down but is still playing at a very high level, the addition of Antonio McDyess should help Duncan this season. George Hill had a solid rookie season and expect for him to playing an even bigger role for the Spurs this season. The Spurs were second on scoring defense and should be among the top five again this season.

Key Additions: Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair, Keith Bogans, Theo Ratliff

Key Subtractions: Bruce Bowen, Drew Gooden, Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto, Ime Udoka

Projected Starting Lineup: Tony Parker/ Roger Mason/ Richard Jefferson/ Tim Duncan/ Antonio McDyess

Key Reserves: Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley, George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Theo Ratliff, Matt Bonner, Keith Bogans

-Bennice

Just when it looked as if the Spurs were losing an edge and falling apart, they pulled off a deal to land another prolific scorer in Richard Jefferson, all of this coming while keeping their big three together. With Jefferson in the line-up, the deal keeps the Spurs among the Western Conference’s elite and gives them yet another weapon for their arsenal and another problem for opponents to deal with. While the players sent to Milwaukee didn’t produce like Jefferson can, San Antonio still lost a ton of depth and perhaps their best perimeter defender in Bruce Bowen. The signing of Antonio McDyess kind of replaces the lost of Kurt Thomas on the front-line, but the Spurs still lack a shut-down perimeter defender. Maybe the Bucks will release Bowen and he’ll return to the Spurs at some point during the 2009-10 NBA season. Either way, San Antonio looks like it’ll be able to challenge the Lakers this season for the right to go to the NBA Finals. Of course, it all hinders on how healthy they can remain during the season and if Jefferson can mesh within the system that is in place.

Injuries plagued the Spurs all season, which leads to the question of whether or not old age is finally catching up with the Spurs. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili spent a lot of time in and out of the lineup due to various injuries and for the first time since the new millennium, the Spurs will fail to win a championship in one of the odd years. Is their window closing or has it closed already? Or maybe the constant injuries ruined their chemistry and they could not get things going in time for the playoffs.

Whatever the case may be, this team needs a shot of youth, but without a first round pick in this draft, it’s going to be hard for them to add a young reliable guy. It’s possible that this current roster has one or two more good runs left in them, but management has to know that their window is going to close soon and there is no evidence that says the Spurs have a plan that they’ve put in motion. It’s hard to think that they’ll have a season where they’ll struggle and come across a potential Hall of Famer like they did with Duncan, but something needs to be in the words if they don’t want to fall off.

By: Dustin Chapman

Transactions

• Selected George Hill 26th overall.

• Selected Goran Dragic 45th overall and traded his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston (48th overall), a future second round draft pick, and cash.

• Selected James Gist 57th overall.

It’s a little alarming that San Antonio didn’t go with Mario Chalmers, but who’s to question an R.C. Buford draft pick? Hill is extremely athletic, can shoot the ball, and can give San Antonio a scoring burst off the bench. It’ll be interesting to see if Hill was the right choice.

Grade: C

Mike Monroe of MySanAntonio.com discusses the limbo the Spurs are in regarding their veteran free agents:

Three members of the Spurs’ core, each a veteran of at least 11 seasons, will become unrestricted free agents July 1.

Average age of Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas: 36.

Could a team hoping to get younger and more athletic seriously consider returning all three for next season?

First up is 14-year NBA swingman Michael Finley, who played all 82 games for the Spurs this past season and held respectable averages of 10.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Finley has spent the past three years in San Antonio, in which he has appeared in 241 regular season games and was a key contributor to the Spurs’ 2007 NBA title. One ring may not be of satisfaction for him, however, as he discusses the possibilities of fighting for another in black and white:

Finley, who started 61 games and increased his scoring average by more than a point over 2006-07, would love to return to the Spurs.

“I’m not ready to hang it up yet,” he said Saturday, after the final meeting with coaches at the team’s practice facility. “I still feel I can give a team some added help.

“In a perfect world, I’d love to stay here and help reclaim a championship. But I understand it’s a business, so from that standpoint, I have to remain open-minded.”

Next, we have Robert “Big Shot Rob” Horry, who has been a part of two NBA championships as a member of the San Antonio Spurs (2005, 2007).

Horry, 38, finished a disappointing season by never leaving the bench during the Spurs’ Game 5 loss to the Lakers.

Nevertheless, he said he’s “up in the air” about retiring.

“Eighty percent of me wants to play,” he said. “I’m sure when I get in the gym and see people bouncing the ball, it will turn into 100 percent. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

If he returns for a 17th season, he wants it to be as a Spur.

“It’s basically here, or nowhere else,” he said, “but I’m not going to close the door. If somebody has a chance of going to the playoffs and has a team I respect and players I like and think I can enjoy battling with, I’d look into that situation. Other than that, no.”

Horry said he understands his physical skills have diminished with age, but believes he remains capable of contributing to a good team.

“If I stuck around,” he said, “I’d still be better than a lot of the players. I might not be as fast as a lot of them, or as quick, but I’m smarter than 98 percent of the league.”

Finally, we have Kurt Thomas, who appeared in 28 regular season games with the Spurs in 2007-2008 after being acquired in a mid-season trade with Seattle.

Thomas, meanwhile, played his best game of the playoffs in the Spurs’ final game. With 2007 draft pick Tiago Splitter’s apparent decision to stay in Spain, it’s more likely the Spurs will re-sign Thomas.

We are unsure of what will transpire with these three savvy vets, but regardless of what happens, “Pop” guarantees changes:

Spurs coach and executive vice president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich said the Spurs are certain to adjust their roster.

“We usually adjust,” he said, “first, based on guys who don’t have a contract, whether they want to come back or we want them to come back.”

It’ll be very interesting to see what R.C. Buford and the crew have in store in the coming months. San Antonio’s mini-dynasty has looked to have come to an underwhelming end, and it’s time to build a new unit around the foundation of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

By: Dustin Chapman

The San Antonio Spurs were well on their way to steal Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on the road at the Staples Center. There they were in the middle segment of the third quarter, sitting on a 20-point lead and all of the pressure shifted to the Lakers. The problem? When pressure is shifted towards LA, it means that 2007-2008 league MVP Kobe Bryant has an opportunity to play hero, and he did just that.

Los Angeles was, once again, trailing by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but climbed on the back of their superstar, who showed no remorse. Jump shots? All day. Penetration? Absolutely. Improvisation with the dribble? Of course. Getting his teammates involved? You bet. Kobe Bryant was absolutely spectacular throughout the entire second half of Game 1, where he scored 25 points and dished four assists to lead his Lakers to victory.

Kobe Bryant wasn’t the only reason, however. The Laker defense deserves nearly as much credit as Bryant individually, as they locked in from the mid-third quarter to the final buzzer. In the fourth quarter, LA’s defense held San Antonio to just 13 points, as opposed to their previous three quarters of giving up over 20 points.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were exceptional throughout the majority of the game, combining for 48 points, 28 rebounds, and eight assists. Unfortunately, the rest of the team shot just 35.7% from the field and simply had no answer for “The Black Mamba.”

Final Score: San Antonio 85, Los Angeles 89

This series is far from over, but for an aging team looking to capitalize on one of their final opportunities to win a title as a group, this certainly was not a good sign.

Every year, the NBA brings us a great fun and entertaining event called the NBA Playoffs. This event always features great teams like the Pistons and Spurs.

This past regular season, the Spurs were somewhat “underachievers” , not really performing up to their expectation as a great team in the league. However, they still managed to get into the playoffs with their annual solid play and handed the Suns another disappointing end to the post-season with a 4-1 defeat. The Spurs are one of the most(if not the) deadliest teams during the playoffs, and needless to say, are the favorites to win the championship this year.

The Spurs are led by future hall of famer Tim Duncan, Quick and mighty skilled point guard Tony Parker, and flopper/shooter/slasher/passer/handler Manu the great Ginobili. Their supporting big man cast consists of Kurt Thomas(flopper), Robert Horry(another flopper), and Fabric man Oberto. Their wing includes ‘hacksaw’ Bruce Bowen, oldtimer Michael Finley, tuffgong Udoka, and Brent Barry. Let’s not forget Jacque Vaughn and Damon Stoudamire can both provide energy off the bench if needed.

Add all that to the great coach Gregg Popavich, and you got yourself a championship team.

There is my explanation on why the Spurs are the favorite to win the championship. If you did not enjoy this then you can goto hell.

THANKS

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