San Antonio Spurs

[HarryPotter25]

Gregg Popovich takes loss to Warriors well, fires shots at Cavaliers

Following a 30-point loss to the Golden State Warriors in a highly anticipated regular-season matchup between two historic teams, the San Antonio Spurs coach wasn't happy but he also wasn't devastated. In fact, he joked with reporters that "we almost got them" referring to the Warriors and then took a shot at the Cleveland Cavaliers and the way they handled the David Blatt situation and firing. From Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News:

"We almost got them," Gregg Popovich began.

He was just warming up. "My opening comment here will be," he said, "I'm just glad my general manager wasn't in the locker room, because it might have gotten me fired."

Told of that, R.C. Buford had his own line:

"We'll see how Wednesday goes."

Spurs executive R.C. Buford piling on to the joke there certainly adds a bit more.

[..Ali..]

Paano mo nasabi?

ayan. baog nga haha 30 pts tambak

[Guiness]

Watching the game against the Warriors. The Spurs didn't look like the team who won 13 straight games before they lost this one. Anyone who actually know how the game of basketball is played knows, that this was not how the Spurs played, not even close. Careless self inflicted turnovers were one of them. It wasn't what the Warriors were doing that affected them, it was more on what the Spurs did wrong. Sloppy play killed the Spurs here. It felt more like Pop was trying to feel out this game by trying certain matchups putting certain players together to see how they would work. If he wanted to really test the Warriors he would have played Duncan, but once i saw that he held Duncan out of this game i kind of knew that this wouldn't be the kind of game the Spurs were going to play all out, given the fact that they will have to play each other 3 more times in the season. Pop wasn't even all that grouchy as per his usual demeanor when it came to the questions in the media after the loss. I think the Spurs will be fine. I guess the one thing that i was a little bit annoyed with was with Aldridge's play. How could he just let Draymond Green embarass him like that. Pop is a master at getting his message across when one of his players gets outplayed this badly. In fact, i like the way the Warriors beat them this bad. It will only fuel the media to go put focus and exposure to the Warriors. Come playoff time, everyone will know, why the Spurs are the Spurs.

[ppdd]

spurs bounced back by defeating HOU

SAS 130 - 99 HOU

remain undefeated (25-0) @ home

[sakmybaby]

close game

[HarryPotter25]

Spurs Vs Rockets thoughts http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/images/misc/black_downward_arrow.png

 

1) Starting Kyle was interesting. It goes against the grain of what we've been doing all year. I wonder if this was an adjustment in preparation for the Warriors. Either way he played very well. On offense he played within himself and made plays. On defense, he was crafty, although it was easy to hide him with non penetrating threats. It was when we played him against capela that I was really watching. He played smart with box outs and fouling when he was beat.

 

2) was it just the lineup or did it seem we were playing at a faster pace. Thoughts here

 

3) watching Duncan on the bench gave me some hope that he'll still be with the team when he retires. He's so much of a gamer it might be attractive. He looked really involved and his mere presence made a difference.

 

4) Aldridge had a bounce back game and that was promising. Watching him play against Howard as center made me come to a realization that if he wants to be tougher he needs to grind against players like Howard, and Jordan, and Drummond. He's not gonna overcome his weakness by taking the easy way out. Him wanting to not play center may be the problem. He has the size to play center and he needs that imo. But, as a defender he lacks the instincts of a Duncan. Many times tonight he stunted and didn't try to alter shots. I understand he was trying to not let Howard go off but there were times he could of made more of an impact.

 

5) overall great bounce back game. Very dominant and focused. Good sign. Seems we have gotten over the Houston hump. Really liked the small ball and developing Kyle there. Curious not to see juice tonight but green was hitting so we didn't need him. Still think the bench lacked energy without any of the Kyle, juice, boban three.

[inked]

Duncan will not play against Cleveland

[HarryPotter25]

The NBA announced on Wednesday that San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be coaching the 2016 Western Conference All-Star team. This will mark the fourth time Popovich has coached in the All-Star Game.

 

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will coach the Western Conference All-Stars in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, to be televised by TNT at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 14 from Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Head coaches whose teams have the best records in each conference following the games played two weeks prior to the All-Star Game serve as the All-Star Game head coaches, but no head coach is allowed to participate in two consecutive All-Star Games.

Interim head coach Luke Walton led the Golden State Warriors to a 39-4 record in the season's first 43 games prior to the Jan. 22 return of head coach Steve Kerr. Despite Golden State holding the conference's best record (41-4, .911), Kerr is ineligible for the coaching honor because he led last year's West All-Stars. Popovich's Spurs (38-7, .844) have clinched the next best record in the Western Conference, earning the five-time NBA Champion his fourth nod as the head coach of the West.

The 2016 All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 14 in Toronto.

[HarryPotter25]

A team trainer and teammate Tim Duncan helped Ginobili to the locker room late in the fourth quarter after the guard collapsed to the court and doubled over in pain from an apparent knee to the groin area from New Orleans' Ryan Anderson. The Pelicans power forward was whistled on the play for an offensive foul.

Several Spurs and team personnel quickly rushed to check on Ginobili before helping the guard to his feet. Ginobili took a few steps, and nearly collapsed again, before a trainer and Duncan were able to walk him to the locker room.

"I don't want to joke with that," point guard Tony Parker said when asked about Ginobili's condition Wednesday. "It doesn't look good."

Added guard Danny Green: "Hopefully Manu's OK."

Spurs power forward David West said he thought Ginobili would be fine. But immediately after the game, none of the Spurs knew the extent of Ginobili's injury.

"I have no clue," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I haven't seen him. He wasn't in the locker room, I don't think. I don't know what the hell happened."

The Spurs entered Thursday in second place in the Western Conference with a 41-8 record, four games behind the Golden State Warriors. Ginobili is averaging 10.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, sparking a bench that now likely will turn to rookie wing Jonathon Simmons for more minutes and energy.

The Spurs also have been without Duncan, who has a sore knee. He's missed the past five games and was ruled out for Friday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. Popovich hasn't ruled out the possibility of keeping Duncan sidelined through the Feb. 14 All-Star Game.

[Guiness]

Ginobili will be out for at least a month after undergoing testicular surgery. Latest report by ESPN

[orionpax]

Spurs flying under the radar as usual. Hope Manu comes back soon

[Jon Don]

Fuc what you heard. Spurs at full strength is a tough out in a 7-game series, even against GSW.

[silipmanok]

Spurs team deserve respect. Team play talaga. Proven and tested. Not sure lang kung kaya pa nila makalusot sa west dahil sobrang ganda ng laro ng warriors but come playoff time sana healthy lahat ng players para maganda laban.

[BoySungkit]

Spurs team deserve respect. Team play talaga. Proven and tested. Not sure lang kung kaya pa nila makalusot sa west dahil sobrang ganda ng laro ng warriors but come playoff time sana healthy lahat ng players para maganda laban.

 

Looking forward to it... Lalo na dating kasama ni Pop si Steve Kerr diba?

[silipmanok]

Yup I also think steve kerr was a big part of the improvement ng warriors. Dami nya rin siguro natutunan kay popo.

 

And confidence na rin cguro ng mga players kaya significant improvement ng players specially curry.

 

I think spurs and warriors are both undefeated in their homecourt this season. Looking forward sa laban nila homecourt naman ng spurs.

[BoySungkit]

Yup I also think steve kerr was a big part of the improvement ng warriors. Dami nya rin siguro natutunan kay popo.

 

And confidence na rin cguro ng mga players kaya significant improvement ng players specially curry.

 

I think spurs and warriors are both undefeated in their homecourt this season. Looking forward sa laban nila homecourt naman ng spurs.

 

Yup... Yun din + yung next na labang sa OKC.

[ppdd]

Kawhi Leonard game winner over Aaron Gordon.

 

nice shot by Kawhi!

[incregobil]

go spurs go!

[Labuyo]

Sending positive vibes towards Manu recovering well from his injury/surgery.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Labuyo

[Nel Horan]

nag-iisang legitimate threat sa GSW..

[ppdd]

last game between Kobe and Timmy.. :'(

[HarryPotter25]

http://image.nj.com/home/njo-media/width620/img/nets_impact/photo/19772043-mmmain.jpg

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have hired Sean Marks of the San Antonio Spurs as their general manager.

Marks has spent the last five years with the Spurs, including the last two as assistant general manager. He was an assistant coach when they won the 2014 NBA title.

He is leaving one of the NBA's most consistently successful franchises to join a team that is 14-40 and has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Marks replaces general manager Billy King, who was reassigned Jan. 10, the same day coach Lionel Hollins was fired.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Thursday lauded Marks for his coaching and management experience, saying it "gives him a 360-degree view of the job at hand."

Marks played 12 years in NBA with six teams, including the Spurs.

[HarryPotter25]

http://img.vavel.com/spurs-huddle-nba-basketball-8116403659.jpg

http://www.basketevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/San-Antonio-Spurs-2015-2016-Duncan-Ginobili-Parker-Leonard.jpg

The San Antonio Spurs are known for their ability to find diamonds in the rough, and that’s often been the case while the team has had late-first-round picks after successful postseason runs. Arguably nobody has managed their roster better from a front office standpoint than the Spurs. With the veteran, future Hall of Fame Spurs leading the way, San Antonio’s front office has used its D-League to develop players into rotational pieces while making smart trades and picking the right free agents who fit into what they do. The Spurs have obviously had a lot of success, but just how exactly have they set up their future with the draft?

The Spurs’ 2011 draft was the key to everything. First, San Antonio traded its 2008 first-round pick and backup point guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for the 15th overall pick. San Antonio selected last year’s Defensive Player of the Year and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard with that selection. This year, Leonard has turned into an offensive force as well as the defensive dynamo he was last year, and he’s going to be the face of their franchise alongside LaMarcus Aldridge for years to come.

Then, San Antonio opted for point guard Cory Joseph at 29th overall, and after a few stints in the D-League, Joseph turned himself into a valuable depth piece as a third point guard. Joseph showed promise during his time with the Spurs, and after becoming a free agent this past summer, he signed a four-year, $30-million contract with the Toronto Raptors.

With their second-round pick, San Antonio went with international combo guard Adam Hanga at pick 59. Hanga has been playing overseas for the last four years, and it appears unlikely he’ll ever make his way to the NBA.

One of San Antonio’s biggest regrets (and they still probably don’t regret it all that much) in the draft during the past five years must have come in the 2012 draft. After trading with the Golden State Warriors for swingman Stephen Jackson, the Spurs gave up Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford and their 2012 first-round pick.

That first rounder turned into center Festus Ezeli, who’s proved to be an impact NBA player and someone who might be a part of Golden State’s future. San Antonio’s second-rounder was used on combo guard Marcus Denmon, but he signed to play overseas in France and continues to play there today.

The Spurs had another late pick in 2013 and they selected French combo forward Livio Jean-Charles at 28th overall. Jean-Charles showed flashes of defensive ability while on the Spurs’ Summer League team, but is still far too raw of a talent to make an impact in the NBA.

The team opted for another offensive-minded combo forward in the second round with Deshaun Thomas. Thomas played overseas for a bit before making his way to the Austin Spurs, where he currently continues to develop in their D-League system.

After winning the title in 2014, San Antonio had the last pick of the draft. The team opted to go with Boris Diaw-lite in Kyle Anderson. Anderson had multiple assignments to the D-League during his rookie campaign, and performed pretty well. He’s currently a part of the team’s 15-man roster and has played in 52 of the their 56 games.

San Antonio traded away Curtis Jerrells to the Hornets in October 2010 to receive another late second-round 2014 pick. The Spurs traded the 58th and 60th picks for Serbian small forward Nemanja Dangubic. It’s unclear if Dangubic will ever come overseas after signing a three-year deal in July 2014, although there’s an opt-out clause after each year.

San Antonio had its earliest of first-round picks in 2015 at 26th overall, and the team opted for international 7-footer Nikola Milutinov. However, Milutinov signed a three-year deal with Greek club Olympiacos this past July, so it might be some time before he makes an appearance in the NBA.

At 55th overall, the Spurs opted for a raw center in Cady Lalanne. Lalanne is just 6-10, but his 7-5 wingspan gives him some intrigue as a second rounder. Lalanne is currently on the Austin Spurs.

Grade: A

The Spurs’ 2011 draft set up their future success and stabilized everything during the 2014 championship run. The fact that they won a title during this span helps their grade as well, and the front office has done a wonderful job adding the right free-agent pieces and finding the right undrafted free agents to develop into NBA players. Obviously the older core of players have aided San Antonio’s success, but Leonard and Aldridge should help push this team into perennial title contention in the future.

[HarryPotter25]

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/35/51/74/7774012/16/920x920.jpg

 

First, he was a youngster learning his way with one of the league's most veteran teams.

Then, he became one of the league's best players and the Most Valuable Player of the 2007 NBA Finals.

Now, Tony Parker jokes that his role as a veteran role player has taken him to his "third career" with the Spurs.

My first career I was behind Timmy and Manu [Ginobili] as the third option," Parker, 33, said. "I was trying to get better as a player and a point guard. Then Pop gave me the key in 2011, and it was my team for four or five years. And now I'm back to being a third option [offensively], more of a distributor and more of a defender.

"It's like a third career for me, but it is great. I love my role. As long as we win. You know on our team, ego, we don't care about that. We just want to win a championship. If that's what I have to do to win a championship, that's what I do. I want to win the ring. Individually, I have plenty of accolades with All-Stars and All-NBA and stuff like that. It doesn't really bother me because at the end of my career, what people will remember is how many rings I got."

Parker is averaging fewer points than in any since his rookie season as a 19-year-old rookie in 2001-02. But in the article, he sounds comfortable with his new position with his team.

Before the season, Parker told Yahoo he had an "easy conversation" with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich about deferring to Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.

"Now it's their team. They have to go, and 'The Big Three' (

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Parker), we take a back seat," Parker said.

Parker spoke in the story of the historic nature of the Spurs' season. San Antonio is off to the fastest start in franchise history, but it's not receiving much national attention because of Golden State's even faster beginning.

And interestingly enough, Parker admits to a more-than-passing interest in the Spurs' three remaining games with the Warriors. The next game approaches on March 19.

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The San Antonio Spurs have the best record in franchise history at this point in a season. Coach Gregg Popovich, however, isn't happy with their recent efforts without Kawhi Leonard.

With Leonard potentially out for a fourth straight game, the Spurs will try to tighten things up defensively and continue their domination of theSacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

San Antonio (47-9) trails only Golden State's 50-5 record for the best in the NBA, and the Spurs have returned from the All-Star break to win two of three. However, they've allowed an average of 109.7 points over that stretch, a far cry from their league-low 92.7 on the season.

The defensive issues, which were on display in Sunday's 118-111 win at lowly Phoenix, have come without Leonard - the reigning defensive player of the year. He's also the team's top scorer at 20.2 points per game, and the league's top 3-point shooter at 48.2 percent.

"I'm concerned. It's terrible," Popovich said. "We stink on D right now. We'll see if we can get better."

If Leonard is unable to play, Kyle Anderson is expected to start in his place again. Anderson has averaged 9.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting in three games in Leonard's spot.

Tony Parker has helped compensate for Leonard's absence, averaging 20.3 points during that span after scoring 22 against the Suns. Patty Mills is also picking up the slack with 36 points over the last two games, matching his career best with six 3s Sunday.

Parker - unlike Popovich - isn't too worried about the recent defensive woes, which include allowing teams to shoot 48.4 percent from the field and 43.7 from long range.

"We know we're not going to beat everyone by 20 or even win every game," Parker said, "but it's definitely good to go through this experience and learn from it."

The Spurs rarely have problems with the Kings (24-31), winning 34 of the past 38 matchups, including 17 of 19 in Sacramento.

They extended their overall winning streak in the series to four with a 106-88 victory at Sleep Train Arena on Nov. 9.

The Kings have followed a 1-8 stretch with a three-game winning streak, averaging 114.7 points.

DeMarcus Cousins is scoring 34.7 points per game over that stretch, hitting 54.8 percent from the floor. The All-Star poured in 39 points in a 114-110 victory at Denver on Tuesday, sweeping the home-and-home set coming out of the break.

"I'm just playing my game," said Cousins. "That's the best way to put it."

He's also fourth in the league with a career-high 27.3 points per game, and has scored 42.8 on 59.6 shooting in his past four home contests.

Cousins scored 21 against the Spurs in November but missed 15 of 20 from the field. His career 16.6 scoring average against San Antonio is his second-lowest against any opponent after Memphis (15.6).

Rudy Gay was limited to 10 points in that meeting, but he's averaging 20.7 points and made 7 of 14 3-pointers over the last three games. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks Tuesday.

The Spurs are 4-1 on this stretch of eight straight road games caused by the annual rodeo at AT&T Center.

[pacanton]

Spurs are the epitome of teamwork mixed with overall stability in terms of front office and players. Doesnt hurt that Pop is their Team president and coach