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.

.

Posted 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.

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