Spurs uses depth to fend off Kings

This article is cross posted at Spurs World.

Playing their fifth game in six nights, the San Antonio Spurs was supposed to be a tired team.

However, with the team’s depth, and coach Gregg Popovich able to rest some of his key players during the five-game stretch, the Spurs hold off a hard fighting Sacramento Kings squad.

Manu Ginobili scored 20 points and added five assists off the bench, and rookie Kawhi Leonard continues to impress, finishing with 19 points and nine boards on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, and the Spurs beat the Kings 117-112 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.

Tim Duncan added 18 points and eight rebounds, Gary Neal had 13 points, Tony Parker finished with 10 points and 10 assists and Stephen Jackson had eight points, three rebounds and one steal for San Antonio.

Isaiah Thomas scored a career-high 28 points and had 10 assists for Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins added 25 points and 11 rebounds, Marcus Thornton scored 18 points, and Jason Thompson had 15 points in a losing cause.

Spurs outguns Magic

 This article is cross-posted at Spurs World

Tony Parker had 31 points and 12 assists, and Tim Duncan had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Spurs closed a seven-game home stand by defeating the Orlando Magic 122-111 on Wednesday night.

Tim Duncan held his own against Dwight Howard, as the Spurs defeat the Magic for the second time this season.

Jameer Nelson scored 25 points and had seven assists, while Dwight Howard had 22 points and 12 rebounds on the eve of the NBA trade deadline.

Parker whose averaging 29.8 points in his past four games, was serenaded by chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” in the closing minutes.

Magic spokesman George Galante confirmed that Howard informed the team before Wednesday night’s game against the Spurs that he will not waive the early termination clause in his contact, which would have guaranteed Howard sticking around at least one more season.

Howard said publicly this week he wants to finish the season in Orlando and encouraged the front office to “roll the dice” on re-signing him this summer. The Magic, however, are looking for stronger assurances they can realistically hang onto the NBA’s most dominant big man.

Howard did not speak to reporters before the game amid talk of him calling a team meeting earlier in San Antonio to discuss his future. Neither general manager Otis Smith nor team president Alex Martins made the trip to Texas.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy batted down pregame questions about Howard’s meeting.

“I don’t even want to talk about it. It’s so tiresome,” Van Gundy said. “I’ve been dealing with this for three months. Nothing’s fresh to me. Talk to somebody else about it.”

Ryan Anderson added 19 for Orlando and Hedo Turkoglu scored 17.

The Magic are 28-16 and seven games behind first-place Chicago. Howard is averaging 21.2 points and a career-best 15.2 rebounds.

Manu Ginobili returned to the bench while recovering from a hip flexor, scored 14 points in 23 minutes. Tiago Splitter and rookie Kawhi Leonard had 12 points apiece and Richard Jefferson added 11 points.

The Spurs have their own trade-deadline decision to make — The abrupt retirement of T.J. Ford this week leaves San Antonio thin at the point guard position, and the adding another big man will probably help them in preparation for the playoffs.

The likelihood of a Spurs trade, however, is dim with the team already paying the NBA’s luxury tax.

The team’s best chance to improve their roster this season is to look closely on the waiver wire and perhaps snatch a player or two to give their lineup added depth.

San Antonio will return to action on Friday night when they visit the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

Parker returns, lead Spurs over Wizards

This article is cross-posted at Spurs World.
 
After a one-game absence, Tony Parker scored 31 points in his return to the starting lineup to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 112-97 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Tony Parker scored 31 points, leading the Spurs to victory over the Wizards.

Parker, who missed Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a strained right quadriceps, hit 13-of-18 shots and had seven assists.

Tiago Splitter scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds of the bench, while Tim Duncan added 14 points and nine boards in 28 minutes of action.

DeJuan Blair had a double-double finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Spurs extended their winning streak over the Wizards to 12.

Washington has lost nine of its last 11 and fell to 3-15 on the road.

JaVale McGee led the Wizards with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Jordan Crawford added 19 points.

Before the game, veteran Spurs point guard T.J. Ford abruptly retired following the latest scare to his surgically repaired spine, which once sidelined him for an entire NBA season.

Ford was injured on March 7 when Knicks guard Baron Davis elbowed him in the back, knocking him to the ground. The 28-year-old Ford didn’t move for several minutes and wobbled while being helped off the court.

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the second quarter, Washington cut the deficit to nine in the fourth but could get no closer.

The Wizards’ defense offered little resistance in the first half, as the Spurs took a 63-49 halftime lead while scoring 44 points in the paint. San Antonio hit 28 of 45 shots and had assists on 23 of those baskets.

Manu Ginobili returned to the starting lineup, but went to the locker room with what appeared to be leg cramps midway in the third quarter. Ginobili finished with eight points and seven assists in 20 minutes of play.

The Spurs will wrap up their seven-game home stand on Wednesday night when they host the Orlando Magic.

Spurs pounded the Knicks, Ford hurt again

This article is cross-posted at Spurs World.

Tony Parker scored 32 points and the San Antonio Spurs dealt Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks a third consecutive loss, 118-105 on Wednesday night.

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili looked like his old self against the New York Knicks.

San Antonio pounded it on the inside, outscoring the Knicks 60-38 on inside points, on their way to a 54.1 percent shooting night.

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili added 17 points apiece in Ginobili’s second game back after missing two weeks with a strained stomach muscle.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with 27 points.

The Knicks have lost six of nine, they bear little resemblance to their Lin-inspired resurgence before the All-Star break.

Lin came out of nowhere last month and delivered the Knicks the play-making point guard they craved for, but New York’s transition has been anything but seamless since Anthony returned February 20 after missing seven games, mostly because of a groin injury.

The Knicks are 2-5 with Anthony back in the lineup.

“You have to work through. But there’s no reason why it can’t co-exist,” D’Antoni said. “There’s no reason why everybody shouldn’t do well. We just got to find the right balance of everybody getting into their spots.”

Lin scored 20 points and had four assists, while Amare Stoudemire had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Gary Neal scored 12 points and found his way back into the starting lineup as the Spurs ease Ginobili back into playing shape.

Manu played 25 minutes, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor and added a team-high six assists.

DeJuan Blair, Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter added 10 points apiece for the Spurs.

It was a convincing win for San Antonio, which had lost two of its last three at home after returning from the winningest nine-game road trip in NBA history, when the Spurs went 8-1 and quietly climbed to the second-best record in the West.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t stick around to see the end, getting ejected at the end of the third quarter following a heated exchange with officials over foul calls.

A scary moment came in the second quarter when Spurs point guard T.J. Ford lay on the floor for more than three minutes.

The Spurs said the veteran point guard received a stinger after getting elbowed in his back.

Ford appeared wobbly while being helped off the court and back into the tunnel. He didn’t return to the game.

Spurs whipped Bobcats

This article is cross-posted at Spurs World.

Tony Parker scored 15 points, and the San Antonio Spurs cruised past the Charlotte Bobcats in the second half for a 102-72 victory on Friday night.

Richard Jefferson scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the Spurs victory over the Bobcats.

The Spurs (25-11) bounced back from a rare home loss earlier this week against the Chicago Bulls to win for the 13th time in their last 15 games.

The Bobcats (4-30), who were playing San Antonio for the only time this season, have lost four straight and 20 of their last 21.

Richard Jefferson scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds, while Tim Duncan had 14 points and eight boards for the Spurs.

Matt Bonner added 14 points, Kawhi Leonard had 10 and Gary Neal and Tiago Splitter chipped in nine points each off the bench.

Corey Maggette and Boris Diaw each scored 14 points for the Bobcats, who were held below 100 points for the 21st straight game.

San Antonio outrebounded Charlotte 55-37, with DeJuan Blair leading all players with 11 rebounds.

San Antonio, which was playing the second game of a seven-game homestand, never trailed after the first quarter.

The Spurs’ defense frustrated the Bobcats throughout the game, with Charlotte hitting only 31-of-83 shots. Starting guards D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson combined to shoot 5 of 21.

The Spurs led 51-41 at halftime behind Parker’s 13 points and Duncan’s 10 points and eight rebounds. San Antonio held Charlotte to 17-of-49 shooting in the half to help overcome 10 turnovers.

Charlotte started the game well and had a 16-12 lead in the opening period, but the Spurs went on a 11-0 run and led 29-20 after the first quarter.

Jefferson’s 3-pointer with 4:23 left gave the Spurs a 17-16 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish throughout the game.

The Spurs will be back in action on Sunday night when they host the Denver Nuggets.

Splitter, Ford might return to action, Spurs still have a lot of work to do

This article is cross-posted at Spurs World

The San Antonio Spurs have outdid themselves during the first half of the season finishing with a 24-10 record, good for second-best in the West and TNT analyst Charles Barkley picked the Spurs over the weekend to win the Western Conference.

After missing 24 games this season, T.J. Ford might be able to play Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

But it doesn’t mean the team is letting their guards down.

“I saw that,” Tony Parker said. “ But we have a lot of work to do and we need Manu Ginobili at 100 percent.

It’s like I told everybody at the All-Star break. We’re not going anywhere without Manu at 100 percent.

“Oklahoma City is a very, very good team. The Clippers are a very, very good. Dallas is good, too. We need everybody ready to go and at full strength. If not, we aren’t going to go anywhere.”

There is some good news too, the Spurs’ injury situation appears to be getting a little better (via Spurs Nation).

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said reserve point guard T.J. Ford could return to the lineup for Wednesday’s game against Chicago.

Ford has missed the last 24 games with a torn left hamstring.

“I’m feeling good. It’s still a process,” Ford said after Tuesday’s practice. “It felt good to finally practice with these guys, get out there and get a little contact. Usually I’m out there working with the coaches, one on one, so it felt good today.”

“I think he’s going to dress. He may or may not get in,” Popovich said. “I’d like to get him a few minutes if I can.”

That step would be a big boost for Ford, who signed with the Spurs as a free agent in order to boost depth at point guard.

“It will feel good to be in a uniform,” Ford said. “If it’s just me shooting some layups in layup drill I’ll take that. Little baby steps.”

But Ford said he doesn’t expected he could play for an extended period.

“Short, short,” Ford said with a chuckle. ” Not too many long stretches.”

But any break would be a boost for Parker, who has played extended minutes and leads the team with an average of 34.3 minutes per game. It’s the most that Parker has logged since his third season in the NBA.

”Yeah, it looks like he’s ready to go,” Parker said. “He practiced well this morning. Hopefully we can get everybody and be full strength.”

Rookie forward Kawhi Leonard missed practice as he recovered from tightness in both calves that he sustained in the Spurs’ most recent game Thursday night. The injury kept him out of the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend on the following day.

Popovich said that Gary Neal (hamstring) and Tiago Splitter (strained calf) will be game time decisions against the Bulls. Ginobili (strained oblique muscle) is out and Popovich hinted that Leonard likely will not play Wednesday night.

The Splitter situation

I know most Spurs fans (myself included) are wondering (wishing?) if Tiago Splitter will ever come to play for the Spurs. Well we have a lot of reasons why we like him to come over: He is a big man with good athleticism and skills.
Runs the floor well and is agile for his size (6'11") .
Has a nice shooting touch, a good (and developing)
low post moves, a solid defensive player, descent rebounder
and shot blocker. He also loves to dunk (although Pop might have a problem with that...) The best part? He's still young (only 24!) so he can still develop and polish his game even more. That's not to mention his great hair and unique name.

Of course he needs to get stronger and tougher. It's also noticeable that he tends to shy away from contact and does not play a physical style (playing for the Spurs, that will change). He is also a poor free throw shooter and is foul prone so he needs to limit his mistakes although he's still maturing.

We probably all know he's really good and his game could translate to the NBA. But the real question is will he ever play for the Spurs? That's a tough one.

Let's consider the facts:

• In June 2008, Splitter signed an extension with Tau Ceramica that will keep him through 2011-2012 season (His contract is until June 30, 2012 to be exact).
  
• He has an option (exit clause) to sign with an NBA team after the 2009-10 season, but includes a provision requiring the team to pay an unspecified amount to Tau Ceramica to buyout the remainder of the deal if he exercises the option.
  
• The Spurs are limited to paying only $500,000 to buyout Splitter's contract. (The remainder will have to be paid by Tiago himself)
  
• If he chooses to come over next year, the Spurs will have to pay him out of the MLE because they are over the cap. Maybe around 3-4 million. Now would that be enough? I'm not sure, (I don't have the exact figure of his current annual pay).


• There is also the possibility of Splitter being a trade asset before the February trade deadline. But if I'm the Spurs I would be very cautious trading his rights, I don't want him to be Scola 2.0, Tim Varner provides a more detailed explanation on this end.
  

So what are the odds of Tiago joining the Spurs next year? First it should be noted that prior to his contract extension with TAU, Splitter expressed that he wants to go the NBA. The reason why he opted to sign an extension? Economics, plain and simple. At the time, the Spurs are allowed to pay him around $970,000, it's a rookie scale that limits the amount first-round picks can be paid (he was the 28th pick in 2007). TAU offered him 3-4 times as much. So you do the math...

Now if Splitter decides to play for the Spurs next year, he can have an offer around 3-4 million (as I mentioned above) Because by that time, the Spurs are no longer tied up with the rookie scale limitations. But I think if it comes down to money matters, ultimately it will be up to Tiago... He has to weigh his options, what he really wants and what he thinks is the best for him. He also seems to know Manu quite well so that could only help. And if this interview is any indication, there is a fair chance he might end up playing for the Spurs next year. Also the idea of learning and playing alongside TD (one of the greatest big man to play the game) and McDyess (veteran smarts and savvy) might entice or intrigue him even more. As it would help hone his game and with the Spurs system he can develop his physicality.



It's also worth mentioning that if ever he plays for the Spurs next year, he could potentially have a bigger paycheck (although he has to wait) by the time he gets to sign his next contract (As TD will probably take even less pay or retired by that time). In short, Splitter can be the Spurs' future big man along with DeJuan Blair and Ian Mahinmi and is an important piece for Spurs in transition to the post-Tim Duncan era (I know that still might be 2-3 years from now, but it's hard to argue the value of having Tiago Splitter ASAP). So is he coming? I can only speculate and help you connect the dots. I'm inclined to think that he is (maybe it's my Spurs bias?). Because in my opinion, next year is the best time for him to be a Spur. A little more time to learn, a little more time to get comfortable, a little more time to develop and a great time to prove his worth. It's too early to tell, but it's not a stretch to say that the Spurs could become favorites to win the title with him in the lineup. A nice additional piece for a team that is already contending for the NBA title year in and year out...