NBA FanHouse

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manu Ginobili Getting Up More Shots ... All Over His Body

Rob Peterson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Injuries

When it comes to protecting yourself from rabies, it seems as if hand sanitizer won't cut it.

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili -- three-time NBA champ, Olympic gold medalist, NBA All-Star, exterminator extraordinaire and scourge of PETA -- has been required to get shots for rabies, the San Antonio Express-News reports, because of his quick reflexes and a chance encounter with a bat on Saturday night:

Ginobili took four shots Monday in the hip and arm, and he is scheduled for four more such sessions over the next month. "It was pretty funny at the time," Ginobili told the San Antonio Express-News. "Now it's not. I got like a million shots for rabies."

If you haevn't been living in a (bat) cave, you know by now a bat flew into the AT&T Center during the Spurs-Kings contest, causing a slight delay and more than a couple of freak-outs. Ginobili, in one of his best on-court moments since finding Robert Horry all alone at the 3-point line in overtime of Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals, swatted the bat to the court, scooped up his prey and handed it to a clearly skittish security guard.

What happened next was a matter of debate.

PETA thought it was dead, and they let the world know that Ginobili should have taken pity on the poor creature. But Ginobili didn't kill the bat. Turns out, he stunned it (and the crowd, who gave him a standing O for his Manu-a-mano defense), which is the reason he was getting precautionary rabies vaccinations.

Because someone released the bat into the wilds of central Texas, no one could do a test on the bat to see if it was carrying the disease. Hence, Ginobili will be subjected to series of shots for the next month. On Monday, he sported bandages covering the vaccinations.

"It wasn't so much fun," Ginobili told the Express-News. "But the bat survived. I'm fine. I'm not going to have rabies."

Phew! Though the thought of a rabid off guard caught the Spurs, well, off guard.

"Everybody was worried about H1N1," said Richard Jefferson to the Express-News. "Now you've got rabies to worry about."

Don't worry about swine flu, Richard. You have plenty of hand sanitizer for that.

Manu Ginobili Getting Up More Shots ... All Over His Body originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Suns, NBA Power Rankings

We're just a week into the season, so don't get mad if your team isn't where you might have expected. It's just that if we go by what we've actually seen, as opposed to what's been predicted, then this is for the most part where teams should fall based on their early performances. But if you're offended by the spot your favorite team holds, fear not: they likely have 79 regular season games remaining to right the ship.

1. Magic (3-0)
Sure, they've only beaten Philly, New Jersey and Toronto. But they've done so by an an average margin of double digits, and they've done it without the suspended Rashard Lewis. Might be the deepest team in the league; time will tell how they match up against the big boys.
2. Celtics (4-0)
Opened the season with a solid road victory in Cleveland, before absolutely pummeling inferior competition for the next three games. If the whole team plays with that Rondo-sized chip on its shoulder for the entire season, who knows what Boston is capable of.
3. Nuggets (3-0)
Impressive wins against Utah and Portland already, and Carmelo Anthony could be to this season what Dwyane Wade was to last season: someone with something to prove, and maybe a dark horse candidate for MVP.
4. Mavericks (2-1)
Can't blame them for losing to Gilbert Arenas' supremely motivated squad in the opener, especially after they regrouped nicely by throttling the Lakers on the road in their second game. This team has one of the best pick-and-roll offenses in the league when it's firing on all cylinders, which will be extremely tough for most other teams to stop.
5. Lakers (2-1)
With Pau Gasol missing the first three games of the season, L.A. has looked far from spectacular. Their lack of depth has been exposed, and Ron Artest has yet to fit in. Still, an 18-0 run in the third quarter on Sunday put away the Hawks, and the Lakers did it with defense, offensive rebounding, and getting out on the break for easy baskets. They're the defending champs for a reason.
6. Spurs (2-1)
The one game that Tim Duncan has looked like his old self this season -- when he put up 28 and 16 against the Bulls -- San Antonio lost. In the two wins, Tony Parker was the catalyst, leading the team in scoring and getting everyone else involved. Of course, if Ginobili continues to play the role of Batman, the sky's the limit.
7. Suns (3-0)
Undefeated against the Clippers, the Warriors, and the T'Wolves, the Suns aren't exactly world-beaters. But after squeaking out a close one in L.A. to open the season, Phoenix has had no trouble imposing their will on their opponents, on the way to a couple of comfortable victories. A tough five-game road trip awaits, but this is a confident group that will likely surprise a team or two on that East coast swing.
8. Heat (3-0)
Undefeated is undefeated, and despite some fairly weak competition (Bulls excepted), that's where the Heat stand. Still, they've done it convincingly, with the second best point differential in the league at 14.3.
9. Rockets (3-1)
Yeah, I'm surprised they're this high, too. But you can't deny three straight wins, including Monday's in Utah where they held Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to a combined nine points on 1-of-8 shooting, while getting eight players in double figures offensively.

10. Cavaliers (2-2)
Can't really justify having LeBron and company any lower than this, but have they really earned it? It's going to be a while before the Cavs are clicking, and with the team trying to get familiar with Shaq and work Delonte West back into the offense, the gap in the standings could be pretty big by the time things get figured out.

11. Hawks (2-1)
Played two and a half solid games really, before completely falling to pieces in the third quarter against the Lakers. This is a long, athletic team that has no trouble on either end of the floor, so consistency and mental toughness will be the qualities that they search for as the season goes on.

12. Wizards (2-1)
Gilbert Arenas appears to be all the way back, and has led his team to a couple of nice wins to start the season, even as the club is missing Antawn Jamison. Tough back-to-back at Cleveland and then hosting Miami will tell us a lot about where this team is at right now.

13. Trail Blazers (2-2)
Brandon Roy can be All-World, but he's struggled shooting the ball since the Denver game. Andre Miller is -- at least so far -- a very underwhelming addition. The injuries to Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge aren't going to help the team get straight early, but we have a long way to go, and Portland is still loaded and can be right there when it counts at the end of the season.

14. Thunder (2-1)
As Kevin Durant goes, so goes the Thunder? KD had 25 and 11, then 25 and 12 in his team's first two games -- both victories. He struggled a bit against the Blazers with 16 and 5 (on a miserable 3-21 shooting), and OKC managed just 74 points in their first loss of the season.

15. Sixers (2-1)
In just 23 minutes per game off the bench, second-year player Marreese Speights is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a blocked shot per game, while hitting 18 of his 24 field goal attempts. Elton who?

16. Bulls (1-2)
Opened the season with a nice home win over the Spurs, before having to go to Boston the next night to get thrashed by the Celtics. Chicago then took Miami down to the wire, so the schedule-makers more than anyone are to blame for the Bulls' middle-of-the-pack ranking here.

17. Jazz (1-2)
Rough one against the Rockets on Monday, as Utah turned a three-point halftime lead into a 17-point home loss.

18. Bobcats (2-2)
Charlotte gets a little credit for standing at 2-2, but they did manage just 79 points against the awful Nets on Monday ... which was, in fact, good enough for a win, thanks to New Jersey's dreadful seven-point third quarter.

19. Knicks (1-3)
It took New York three overtimes to lose two of its games, before putting together a solid fourth quarter on Monday to get the team's first win of the season. Now if only they can get some consistency going so that D'Antoni doesn't have to change his starting lineup and rotations every night, they'll be in business.

20. Hornets (1-3)
New Orleans has no depth once you get past the starting unit, and the team looks to be far worse off than it was a season ago. So let me be among the first to say it: the Hornets are not making the playoffs.

21. Raptors (1-2)
Dropped two straight after beating the Cavs in their opener, but don't blame Chris Bosh: he's averaging 31 points and 14.7 rebounds through the first three games. *cough* contact year *cough*

22. Bucks (1-1)
Brandon Jennings is the story here, as he's done better than expected early, and led the team in scoring the first two games. Which is important, considering the fact that Michael Redd is going to be on the shelf for a couple of weeks with a knee injury.

23. Pistons (1-2)
Rip Hamilton has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, which has paved the way for Ben Gordon to both start and lead the team in scoring. Ws are what matter most though, and without Hamilton in the lineup, Detroit is 0-2.

24. Grizzlies (1-3)
Zach Randolph has two 30-point games in the team's first four, and O.J. Mayo put up a career-high 40 on Sunday. Allen Iverson made his debut on Monday, and big surprise: he was unhappy coming off the bench.

25. Clippers (1-4)
If Baron Davis ever finds his shot again, L.A. might become dangerous. Davis is shooting just 33% from the field through the team's first five games, having made just 18 of his 54 attempts.

26. Kings (1-3)
Kevin Martin's 48 led Sacramento to their first win of the season on Monday, an overtime joint over the Grizzlies. Between Martin and the potential of Tyreke Evans, the Kings might be worthy of more than an occasional flip over to their games on a random night of League pass action.

27. Timberwolves (1-3)
Kurt Rambis actually has his team running some basic triangle offense sets in this young season. Funny how things seemed to turn out a whole lot better with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol involved.

28. Warriors (0-2)
Stephen Jackson and Don Nelson have completely checked out, and couldn't care less what happens to this team this season. Not cool for guys like Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, and Stephen Curry, who are all talented young players with a potentially bright future in the league.

29. Pacers (0-2)
Rookie Tyler Hansbrough has been practicing, and could make his debut this Friday against the Wizards. That is all.

30. Nets (0-4)
Unbelievably bad, managing just seven points in the third quarter on Monday in Charlotte. Other lowlights included going over 11 minutes without a field goal, and getting outscored by the Bobcats 24-0 during a stretch that spanned the third and fourth quarters. Finally, the team lost Yi Jianlian to a knee injury in this one as well. I'd make a joke about how dismal things are for the Nets right now, but honestly, it's not even funny.

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili had a recent encounter with a bat at a recent Spurs game, the video of which has since been broadcast on almost every blog you can find. And in commenting sections on these sites across the world, people joked about how PETA would respond.

And now they have -- and it is exactly what you would expect from them.

From PETA.org:

Here's our take on it: To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one-with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.

Now, ordinarily, I wouldn't leave a hyperlink in a blockquote ... except PETA decided to link to their "Michael Vick" blog tag while describing one of the two things that Manu could be for "bludgeoning" the bat.

I normally have some ill-will-filled feelings towards PETA, because I tend to think they rely too much on publicity stunts and less on "actually helping animals."

But this time, they've really crossed the line; not only do they fail to realize that some fan (and not, you know, Manu) brought the bat in the arena, but they decided to compare what amounts to Ginobili's self-defense to Vick torturing dogs.

And that folks, is just a bunch of guano.

PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu

Tom Herrera — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili is many things: versatile guard, lover of alfajores, and now you can add "bat swatter" to his growing list of roles. As the Spurs and Kings played on Halloween night, someone had the bright idea to release a live bat at the AT&T Center. The bat tried to dive into Kevin Martin on a breakaway layup, and later delayed the game by flying low around the court before fluttering by Ginobili.

Bad move, bat. (Update: PETA Responds, Comparing Manu to Michael Vick. Seriously.)

An alert Ginobili tracked it and smacked the bat out of mid-air, then handed it off to arena staff as the crowd roared in applause. After getting a spray of hand sanitizer, the game proceeded as normal. Earlier in the game, the Spurs Coyote tried to corral the bat with a net, but all they really needed was Manu.

After the Spurs' victory, Ginobili had this to say: "I didn't think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name."

Added Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich: "He's never ceased to amaze me the years he's been here. ... He just did it again."

As Ball Don't Lie noted, this isn't the first time a flying creature stopped an NBA game. "Spirit," the Atlanta Hawks' real-life mascot, delayed a Hawks-Heat playoff game when it swooped down and perched on top of the backboard. One can only assume a hawk-bat hybrid straight out of Star Wars lore will be next to interrupt.

Curiously enough, Brett Pollakoff tried to snag some video of the Manu vs. bat showdown from the League Pass broadband DVR feature only to be denied by censorship. Hopefully no fines will be levied in the aftermath.

Update: On his Twitter page, Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee provided this one-of-a-kind official Spurs injury report for the fallen bat.

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spurs Look Winded in Loss to Bulls

Matt Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:18:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Spurs, NBA Last Night

You're going to have to forgive us here in the early season for a bit. If we don't report on trends that are developing, we're ignoring what we're seeing. If we do tell you what we see, we're over-emphasizing games that are so young in this season that they can't even legally get into a screening of New Moon.

Basically, that's my way of imploring you to remember that we do take these things with a gigantic mountain of salt, but here's what happened. And trust me, the Spurs are going to want to brush this one off.

The San Antonio Spurs consider themselves a championship contender. Loaded with talent both young and old, they consider themselves ready to compete with the Lakers for the Western Conference crown. But to do so they'll need to get the highest seed possible to face weaker opponents in early rounds. And in order to get that high seed, they'll need to win back-to-back games on the road. On Thursday they looked like that might be more of a challenge than they're ready for at this early stage, as the Spurs fell to the Chicago Bulls 92-85.

It was a night where the Spurs shot 19 percent from 3-point land, shot only 42 percent overall, and were beaten on the offensive glass, 15-8. But the most glaring thing you came away with in this game was that for a team that was supposed to have reloaded to get rid of that "old, tired" description that's hung around them for years, even when they were winning championships, the Spurs were blown away by the Bulls' speed, energy, and athleticism.

Tim Duncan did what he does, scoring 28 points on 19 shots with 16 boards and 3 blocks, a simply sublime performance. But Manu Ginobili was the only other Spur in double digits with 12, while Tony Parker shot 4-11, Richard Jefferson 3-9, and Roger Mason 0-4. Rookie sensation and instant hype machine DeJuan Blair had only 6 points and 4 rebounds in 12 minutes, good for a rookie, but close to what he'll probably produce night in and night out.

The Spurs were unable to close off penetration lanes, unable to block out Joakim Noah and Luol Deng (10 offensive rebounds combined), and unable to lock down Derrick Rose, who finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists with just one turnover. The Bulls consistently were able to produce quality ball rotations leading to open three pointers. If the Bulls had shot better than their putrid 19% from the arc, the difference could have been greater. As it was, Luol Deng looked capable of filling in some of the gap from Ben Gordon's departure, Derrick Rose looked like he was progressing, Joakim Noah is a top 10 center in the league right now, and Kirk Hinrich provides both shooting and defensive toughness with quality minutes.

Perhaps most startling is that the Spurs, normally so resolved mentally, could have such a flat night so early. Just last night they walloped the Hornets, running them ragged and dominating them defensively. But against a Bulls squad who arguably have a better roster 1-10 than the Hornets, the Spurs looked not only slow and languid, but lost.

I'd expect an unpleasant conversation happened in the locker room after Thursday's game and that the Spurs will answer. But the loss might also be best served as a reminder to the Spurs not to believe the hype, and that like they always preach, they've got to keep pounding that rock with the hammer if they want to collect the one for the thumb.

Spurs Look Winded in Loss to Bulls originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player to Watch: Manu Ginobili

Tom Ziller — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Preseason

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

It would be facile and possibly inaccurate to anoint Manu Ginobili as the most important comeback player of the 2009-10 season. After all, the success of the Wizards and Timberwolves surely depend on the health of Gilbert Arenas and Al Jefferson respectively more than the Spurs depend on Ginobili.

But -- while I would never endorse a bias of hype toward the greatest teams in the league -- it should be noted that Gil isn't going to take D.C. to parade level, and even Big Al won't land the Pups in the playoffs. Ginobili, though, could plausibly push his Spurs to the very top of the league. If Manu feels right, this is a legit championship team.

So, does Manu feel right?

There are two parallel concerns with Ginobili: his right ankle, which ended his 2008-09 season prematurely, and his age. (Manu turned 32 in July.) Whether the ankle is healed is a matter for medical professionals to assert. It's the age that bothers me moving forward. Because -- assuming Manu's weakened (but still excellent) 2008-09 performance can be attributed to the ankle -- it speaks anxiously as to what Ginobili's game might look like as he gets older.

Manu drove to the basket quite a bit less frequently than usual last season. He took more three-pointers per minute than ever, drew fewer fouls per minute than in each of the previous four seasons, and as a result had a scoring efficiency at the low end of his expected range. Of course, this low end of Manu's expected range is still absolutely wonderful, something most wings would kill for. But for Manu, it was a dip off his peak performance.

So again, let's attribute that offensive shift -- more and worse long jumpers, fewer and worse drives to the hoop -- to the ankle injury. Imagine Ginobili's ankle is now fully healed, a daydream we have no reason to believe to be false. Here's the issue: age will at some point do what the ankle injury did, which is to take away Ginobili's explosiveness. That explosiveness is so much a vital part of Manu's offensive game -- the ability to blow by defenders coupled with his sweet shooting stroke and artsy ball-handling give Manu the facets which have heretofore made the player virtually unstoppable. You take away the explosiveness, and as we saw last year the drives come fewer and become less effective, which hurts the increased rate of jumpers, which are now more assuredly defended.

But the advantage of aging over injury is that it is gradual, and it is cogently fought off with superior conditioning and strategic alterations. Manu has always been a dedicated player who (barring injury) comes into camp in tremendous shape. This isn't an aging Boris Diaw we're worrying about, you know? As per strategy, it could be as simple as playing Ginobili with Tony Parker more frequently, or otherwise finding a way to make Ginobili's minutes come as a second option rather than focal point. Manu's great contribution to the Spurs has been his ability to be the STAR off the bench -- soaking up a ton of possessions at impossibly high efficiency levels. If that needs to change to keep Manu at highly effective levels, it can. Taking pressure off Manu to do it all could boost his efficiency ... provided he can adjust into that role.

On top of all this uncertainty is the fact that (barring a last-minute, unexpected extension) Manu will be a free agent next summer. Ginobili's decision to press for clearance to play for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics -- where Ginobili aggravated a left ankle injury, requiring ill-timed surgery -- cost him a contract extension with the Spurs in advance of the 2008-09 season. To make that lost cash up, Manu needs to show the league he can still hang around an elite level for a few more years. While the Spurs may eventually shirk at paying him megabucks come July, they'll be happy to provide a canvas for his genius ... so long as it helps them get back to the Finals.

Player to Watch: Manu Ginobili originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: San Antonio Spurs

Matt Moore — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Preseason, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

Brothers and sisters, repent your sins. Cry unto the Lord that he will be merciful and spare you rebounds and point differential. Lo, the Spurrian nightmare has indeed returned, and the Earth will quake when they cry vengeance.

That's a fancy way of saying, "Dude, the Spurs are really good -- again. Check yourself."

Looking at how the Spurs responded from their most embarrassing playoff exit since the turn of the century is inspiring. To see a team's owner commit to paying the luxury tax in a massive economic downturn is impressive. To see a management group aggressively pursue a multi-positional upgrade through trading older established assets is what every team's fans want to see. And to see a team take a flyer on a player passed up by every other league thanks to injuries makes you happy to watch basketball be played.

It's also downright terrifying.

Richard Jefferson not only helps the Spurs' already sound defense by improving length and size, but also creates an immediate burst on offense. Antonio McDyess takes the grizzled-veteran big role previously occupied by Kurt Thomas and creates a younger, and possibly meaner, version. Theo Ratliff can clean up the glass as well as Fabricio Oberto did. And DeJuan Blair is either the biggest piece of fool's gold since the last highly-touted second round pick continuosly overlooked due to injury, or a diamond in the rough.

The same qualifiers exist for the Spurs as they do for everyone: no injuries, team chemistry, blah, blah, blah. I think we've seen enough from Gregg Popovich's work to know he'll manage the team chemistry, and trying to predict injuries is useless. And even with your average number of team injuries, the Spurs could probably withstand them. But Sweet BeJeebus, if they are healthy ...

Tony Parker coming into his prime. Tim Duncan with an actual summer to rest. George Hill with another year on him. Antonio McDyess on a team without seventeen self-destruct buttons. Richard Jefferson with a full complement around him, a team where he's the fourth option. Manu on a rehabbed wheel. There isn't a player on the Spurs that doesn't look to fit. They know how to win, they know how to play, and they know what they want. The Spurs are one of the few teams in the league that actually can say they have a goal for a championship.

Popovich knows how fleeting championship chances are. So does Duncan. And the thought of riding off into the sunset is one that must consume them. There are only two things that could stop the Spurs this season. Injury, and the Lakers. And we may end up seeing both of those challenges trumped.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 54-28 under Gregg Popovich. Finished 1st in the Southwest Division and 3rd in the Western Conference. Eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks (4-1) in the first round.

Offense: 108.5 points per 100 possessions, 13th in the NBA. 5th in shooting, 2nd in turnover rate, 30th in offensive rebounding, 30th in free throw rate.

Defense: 104.3 points per 100 possession, 5th in the NBA. 7th in shooting defense, 30th in opponent turnover rate, 1st in defensive rebounding, 1st in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Tony Parker led the team with 22.0 points per game, followed by Tim Duncan (19.3) and Manu Ginobili (15.3). Duncan paced all rebounders with 10.7 per game, more than double Kurt Thomas (5.1), who placed second. Duncan also led the team with 1.7 blocks a night, while Ginobili tallied a team-high 1.5 steals a game. Parker's 6.9 assists were tops, with Ginobili (3.6) and Duncan (3.5) neck-and-neck for second and third place.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Manu Ginobili.

There are two parallel concerns with Ginobili: his right ankle, which ended his 2008-09 season prematurely, and his age. (Manu turned 32 in July.) Whether the ankle is healed is a matter for medical professionals to assert. It's the age that bothers me moving forward. Because -- assuming Manu's weakened (but still excellent) 2008-09 performance can be attributed to the ankle -- it speaks anxiously as to what Ginobili's game might look like as he gets older.

See Tom Ziller's complete post on Manu Ginobili

Offseason Tracker

IN: Richard Jefferson (trade), DeJuan Blair (draft), Antonio McDyess (free agency), Keith Bogans (free agency), Marcus Haislip (free agency), Theo Ratliff (free agency)

OUT: Fabricio Oberto (trade), Bruce Bowen (trade), Kurt Thomas (trade), Drew Gooden (free agency).

FanHouse Preview: San Antonio Spurs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keith Bogans Will Sign With Spurs

Chris Tomasson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nuggets, Spurs, FanHouse Exclusive

Free-agent swingman Keith Bogans will sign a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs, sources confirmed Monday to FanHouse.

Bogans, a solid defensive player, is being looked at as an heir apparent to Bruce Bowen, who retired recently after being San Antonio's perimeter defensive stopper throughout much of the decade. The Spurs had been grooming Ime Udoka for that role, but they are electing not to bring him back as a free agent after he played two seasons with the team.

Bogans, who will sign a guaranteed deal worth the minimum of $1.03 million, last season averaged 5.6 points for Orlando and Milwaukee. He has a 7.5 average over six seasons.

Bogans also had been looked at by the Denver Nuggets. However, the Nuggets have had a contract offer out the past few weeks on guard Flip Murray and are continuing to wait on him.

Sources have told FanHouse that Murray has been offered the minimum of $1.1 million by the Nuggets. He is hoping to get the biannual exception of $1.99 million, but indications are the Nuggets, who are over the luxury-tax threshold, are unwilling to spend that much.

Murray also is being looked at by Charlotte. It remains to be seen if the Bobcats might come up with an offer that could pry Murray away from Denver.

Keith Bogans Will Sign With Spurs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does the West Have an All-Star Center?

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Hornets, Jazz, Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Warriors

Bylaws have been checked. Rules have been scrutinized.

And, yes, it has been determined the West must start a center in February's All-Star Game in Dallas.

So, gentlemen, lace up your high tops. The race to be the starting center for the West is as wide open as the Yukon Territory.

Houston's Yao Ming, who has been voted by fans the starter the past seven years (he did miss the 2007 game due to injury), won't play before the All-Star Break due to a fractured foot. It will be interesting to see if he's even on the All-Star ballot. If so, he'll probably win the voting without stepping on the court.

Shaquille O'Neal, an All-Star last season with Phoenix, has moved to the East with Cleveland. So he's out of the mix.

Who's left?

Not a lot.

The only candidate with previous All-Star experience is Utah's Mehmut Okur, named an injury replacement in 2007. Keep in mind, though, that was the year All-Star had a very loose meaning in the West considering four injury replacements were named.

One presumes Minnesota's Al Jefferson again will be on the ballot at center even though he really is a power forward who often is forced to play out of position. But it remains to be seen how Jefferson will be come back from a torn ACL that ended his season last February after he had averaged 23.1 points and 11.0 rebounds. But for now, even though the Timberwolves should still be subpar, let's make Jefferson the favorite.

There's another guy in the mix who was hurt much of last season. The Lakers' Andrew Bynum, who at least did return late in the regular season from a knee injury before stumbling around in the playoffs, might be a year away from truly being All-Star worthy. But Bynum, helped by being with the Lakers, was third in fan voting last season behind Yao and O'Neal.

Want a darkhorse candidate? Denver's Nene averaged 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, and could be even better now that he has fully recovered from testicular cancer surgery in January 2008.

"My motivation is different than last year,'' Nene said. "Last year, I was trying to overcome cancer, and I surprised myself (with his play). This year is different. ... But my goal is not to be an All-Star. My goal is to help the team go farther than last season (the Western Conference finals). But, if I deserve (to be an All-Star), I will be there.''

Nene is fully healthy after suffering a broken left arm in Denver's last playoff game. He took about six weeks off, and said now his "arm is perfect."

The native of Brazil also got his Green Card during the offseason. He's working to become a U.S. citizen, while also maintaining his Brazilian citizenship, although that is still a few years off.

Want some other West All-Star center candidates? Golden State's Andris Biedrins is a Latvian double-double machine. Portland's Greg Oden is still raw, but don't count him out yet.

There's the two-headed Clippers monster of Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman, who strangely were both listed on the All-Star ballot last year at center, which meant Clippers fans weren't allowed by rules to vote for both. There's New Orleans' Emeka Okafor, who arrived from Charlotte for Tyson Chandler in a swap of big men.

By the way, don't dare call Tim Duncan a center. The committee that drew up the All-Star ballot two years ago tried to put him on at that position. The complaining was so loud from San Antonio he soon was switched back to power forward.

So there you go. Every possible West All-Star starting center candidate has been mentioned (and, yes, Erick Dampier, you were intentionally excluded even though the All-Star Game is in your home city). As for a reserve in the game who's a center, that's probably not going to happen.

The rules call for NBA coaches, who vote on reserves, to select a backup center. But coaches are allowed to vote for somebody who doesn't play the position regularly. So, with top-notch centers in the West as common as Halley's Comet sightings, they'll likely just slide a power forward over to that spot.

But somebody who's listed as a center is going to have to start the game for the West. For any big man out there who wants some day to tell his grandchildren he once started an All-Star Game, now's your chance.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Does the West Have an All-Star Center? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: ABA Began Play 42 Years Ago, and Legacy Remains

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Spurs

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Tuesday, there are 42 days remaining.

The uniforms arrived. The sneakers showed up. So did the basketballs.

Well, there was one problem with them. They were the wrong color.

The American Basketball Association had been formed 42 years ago to compete against the stodgy NBA, and the Denver Rockets and Oakland Oaks were set to make their preseason debuts Sept. 27, 1967 at a Phoenix high school. But one of rules of the newfangled league was to play with a red, white and blue ball, and the balls on hand all were brown.

No problem.

"The commissioner, George Mikan, told us to just get a brown ball and paint it,'' said Bob Bass, a longtime NBA and ABA coach and executive who was the first coach of the Rockets. "So the PR guys painted it, and it was terrible. The ball was so slick there were like 45 turnovers in the first half.''

Eventually, genuine red, white and blue balls began to arrive. And the ABA played its first regular season game Oct. 13, 1967, when the Oaks defeated the Anaheim Amigos 134-129.

The ABA lasted just nine seasons, but its legacy continues. Aside from giant Afros and wild fastbreak play, the league popularized the three-point shot, which didn't enter the NBA until 1979. And the dunk contest was born in the ABA.

Four teams were admitted into the NBA from the ABA in 1976: Denver, Indiana, New Jersey and San Antonio. All the Spurs have done is win four of the past 11 NBA titles.

The ABA provided the first pro stop for basketball legends Julius Erving, George Gervin, Moses Malone and David Thompson. It's where Larry Brown and Hubie Brown got their head-coaching starts.

Two icons inducted into the Hall of Fame last Friday each chose men with ABA roots to be their presenters. Michael Jordan went with Thompson and David Robinson with Gervin and Larry Brown.

Of course, the Hall of Fame is a sore spot for some ABA enthusiasts. There are nine players in the Hall who played in the ABA. But Erving, Gervin, Malone, Thompson, Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Cliff Hagan, Connie Hawkins and Dan Issel are enshrined primarily because of what they accomplished in the NBA.

Some have called for ABA legends Roger Brown, Mel Daniels and Artis Gilmore to be inducted. Roger Brown's career ended before the merger with the NBA, and Daniels was then over the hill. Although Gilmore did become an NBA All-Star, he was truly dominant in the ABA, averaging 22.3 points and 17.1 rebounds in five seasons.

In addition, some call for coach Bobby Leonard, who led the Pacers to three ABA titles, to be enshrined. The only coaches in history to have won three or more NBA and ABA titles are Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich and Leonard."A lot of people are forgetting the ABA and what was accomplished. It's like the old Negro Leagues (in baseball).''
-- longtime ABA guard Mack Calvin

"A lot of people are forgetting the ABA and what was accomplished,'' said Mack Calvin, a longtime ABA guard. "It's like the old Negro Leagues (in baseball).''

One ABA event, though, is pretty hard to forget. Early in the 1975-76 season, with three teams having just folded and the ABA down to seven teams, league officials knew the days were numbered.

So the ABA came up with a slam-dunk contest during halftime of its All-Star Game to serve as a final hurrah. On, Jan. 27, 1976 in Denver, Erving took off from the free-throw line to throw down a memorable dunk and defeat Thompson, who earlier had made what he calls the first-recorded 360.

"Everything came together,'' said Carl Scheer, a longtime ABA and NBA executive who, as Nuggets general manager, played a key role in the 1976 ABA dunk contest and in bringing a similar show to the NBA in 1984 when the NBA All-Star Game was played in Denver. "It was one of those nights that happen once in a lifetime.''

It wasn't enough, though, to save the ABA, which folded half a year later after Erving's New York Nets had defeated Thompson's Nuggets to win the league's final crown. But it didn't take long for ABA veterans to establish themselves in the NBA.

In the first NBA All-Star Game played after the merger, five of the 10 starters had ABA roots, and Larry Brown of the Nuggets was the West coach, his team having the conference's best record at the break. Taking the floor at the start Feb. 13, 1977 in Milwaukee were Issel, Thompson and Bobby Jones for the West and Erving and George McGinnis for the East.

The ball was brown. But none of them seemed to matter, especially Erving, named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Tip-Off Timer: ABA Began Play 42 Years Ago, and Legacy Remains originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retired Players Association Reaches Out

Tim Povtak — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Spurs

Charles Smith isn't looking just for guys like John Stockton and David Robinson, former players going into the Basketball Hall of Fame this week. He's looking for guys liker Isaiah Rider and David Vaughn, former players struggling to make the transition from NBA player to Everyday Joe.

Smith is the executive director of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), a position he took eight months ago with the intent of signing up every former player he could find - with an emphasis on those who needed some help.

More: NBA Washout David Vaughn Back From The Depths of Despair

"So many guys just don't know we're out there,'' said Smith, who played 10 years in the NBA before retiring in San Antonio in 1997. "We have to do a better job of getting the word out.''

It didn't take Smith very long -- only a few hours -- to find Vaughn after reading a story about him on FanHouse. Vaughn, who played parts of four seasons in the NBA, quietly struggled in Orlando after his money ran out in recent years. He never had registered with the NBRPA and never knew the assistance it could provide.

"From the superstars, to those who have fallen on hard times, we can use them all,'' Smith said. "We want them all.''

Smith estimated Tuesday that only 600 of a possible 2,500 former players were part of the organization, which can provide post-playing-days assistance through a variety of programs that can include counseling, continued education, job placement, financial planning or financial assistance.

"It's no different than an executive or CEO of a company who suddenly gets pushed out the door, and his phone stops ringing,'' Smith said. "Sometimes they just need advice on where to turn, what to do next.''

Retired Players Association Reaches Out originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: The 50 Greatest Players ... Time to Make Some Substitutions

Matt Steinmetz — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Lakers, Spurs

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Monday, there are 50 days remaining.

Back in 1996, the NBA asked a group of basketball experts to come up with a list of the 50 greatest players in the history of the league. It was the 50th anniversary of the NBA, after all.

It was an impressive list, of course, with the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, etc. The full list can be seen here.

A hundred years from now, those players likely will still be on any list of top-50 players in league history. But what about some other players on that list, the ones toward the back end of 50 ... Paul Arizin, Dave Bing, Sam Jones, Hal Greer, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Walton, Robert Parish and a few others?

Who knows when the NBA will come up with their next list? Maybe there will be a Top 75 list in 2021. All we're saying is that if the NBA decided to redo that list today, they would have to replace three former players with three current ones: Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

And it would only be a matter of time before LeBron James would elbow his way into the Top 50. Heck, the only real question is whether or not he deserves to be there right now.

Other players would merit consideration also, such as Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and perhaps Allen Iverson. And let's not forget Bob McAdoo, who very well could have been on the original list.

It's been almost 15 years since the NBA announced its list of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time. In other words, it's time to make a few substitutions. Here goes, checking in ...

Tim Duncan for Bill Walton: Duncan may very well go down as the greatest power forward in NBA history. He has to be on this list. Has to be. So, as tough as it is, we're removing Walton. You might suggest Walton should stay and Parish should go. We're keeping Parish on the list because of his durability, particularly when compared with Walton.

Kobe Bryant for Hal Greer or Dave Bing: Again, who is going to keep Bryant off this list? You can't do it. But somebody's got to come off. You make the call: Greer, Bing or someone else?

Kevin Garnett for Dave DeBusschere: There is no doubt that DeBusschere was a fierce rebounder, rugged defender and an important part of the Knicks' 1970 championship season. But is there anyone out there who would really take DeBusschere over K.G.? Didn't think so.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Tip-Off Timer: The 50 Greatest Players ... Time to Make Some Substitutions originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: David Thompson's 53 Points in a Half

Tim Povtak — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nuggets, Spurs

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Friday, there are 53 days remaining.

Never has the NBA seen such a final-day, two-man showdown in the race for a scoring title.

Only four times in league history has a player scored 53 points or more in a one half of a game. And two of those came on the same day -- April 9, 1978 -- when David Thompson and George Gervin waged a thrilling battle that was held six hours and 1,500 miles apart.

Thompson scored 53 of his 73 points in the first half for the Denver Nuggets, who were playing that afternoon in Detroit on the final day of the regular season.

Gervin, knowing just what he needed to win the scoring title, had 53 of his 63 points in the first half that night for the San Antonio Spurs, who were playing in New Orleans.

The two high-scoring, high-flying stars were linked by their earlier days in the ABA, and they forever have been linked by that last-day scoring duel.

Gervin won the title with a 27.22 ppg scoring average. Thompson finished second at 27.15, the tightest two-man scoring finish in history.

"That was one of the greatest days in NBA history,'' said Doug Moe, then the Spurs head coach but now a consultant for the Nuggets. He made the comment in 2003 to FanHouse's Chris Tomasson, who was doing a 25-year anniversary story for the Rocky Mountain News.

Thompson made an incredible 20 of his first 21 shots that day and 20 of his 23 by halftime to reach 53. Gervin had the opposite start to his day, missing his first six shots, yet he still scored 33 points in the second quarter, breaking the NBA record of 32 that Thompson had set earlier in the day. The 33 points in a quarter remains an NBA record today.

The 53 points in a half fell short of the NBA record set 16 years earlier by Wilt Chamberlain, who had 59 points in the second half of his infamous 100-point game against the Knicks in Hershey, Pa. Kobe Bryant eclipsed the 53 also in 2006 when he scored 55 points for the Lakers in the second half against the Toronto Raptors.

Previously on FanHouse:
Tip-Off Timer: David Robinson Scores 71, Edges Shaq for Scoring Title

Tip-Off Timer: David Thompson's 53 Points in a Half originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Few Tears for Bruce Bowen's Retirement

Tom Ziller — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs

When Bruce Bowen officially announces his retirement in a San Antonio beauty salon Thursday, the nation will not be overcome with nostalgia. Spurs fans will send Bowen away with a hearty thanks and fond memories. But for any NBA player who has played against him and any fan who has watched Bowen hassle their own's teams star, this is a day of celebration.

The Rash is gone.

Like all defensive nuisances, Bowen has garnered a lot of respect around the league. While he never managed to win a Defensive Player of the Year award (Ben Wallace won four during Bowen's peak), the Rash did get voted to the NBA's All Defense team eight straight seasons, including five seasons on the first team. The Spurs themselves, from Gregg Popovich to Tim Duncan, have always championed Bowen's dedication and defensive skill. Even some opponents have begrudgingly acknowledged the passionate defense the Rash displayed over his career.

But you get a nickname like "The Rash" for a reason, and to be quite honest Bowen earned it. It's hard to argue that Bowen's grab-push-pull style didn't help force the NBA to adopt its more stringent hand-check rules earlier this decade, preventing defenders from, well, checking offensive players with their hands. Bowen's rep for hand-checking his adversaries was so great that Lakers coach Phil Jackson publicly dubbed the Spur "Edward Scissorhands."

But Bowen did his biggest damage with his feet. Ask Wally Szczerbiak.

Isiah Thomas called Bowen dirty for undercutting Jamal Crawford, later telling his Knicks players to break Bowen's neck or foot. (What Zeke actually said is disputed.) The undercutting accusation has been made by several other high-level players over the years. Amar'e Stoudemire said Bowen attempted to injure him during a playoff game by kicking the back of his Achille's tendon. In that same series, Bowen was given a flagrant foul for kneeing Steve Nash in the crotch. Bowen's shots on Ray Allen (including a well-documented post-whistle kick to the back) led Allen to dissolve the pair's friendship. Vince Carter claims Bowen intentionally injured him with an undercut in 2004, ending Carter's season, and attempted to do the same thing in 2005.

The oeuvre is massive. The nickname was earned. And while Bowen is said to be a great guy -- generous, kind and sharp -- in his personal life, he was no picnic on the basketball court. "Good riddance" isn't quite the right sentiment, but he should know that most of the NBA will not miss him.

For Bowen, that's probably a compliment.

Few Tears for Bruce Bowen's Retirement originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Five Centers for 2009-10

Tim Povtak — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Magic, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves

Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle until your third cup of coffee?

As the opening of NBA training camps approach, we'll start breaking down the league by position, presenting our biased opinions with an eye on personal prejudices and the upcoming season. Remember, it's not who the best was last season -- that's history -- but who will be the best over the next 82 games and into the playoffs.

Since we're starting with centers, we'll have to begin by discussing those we don't like this season.

Yao Ming doesn't make the Top Five because he can't play with a bad foot. Shaquille O'Neal doesn't make the Top Five for the first time since he entered the league because he doesn't move his feet anymore, too out of shape after playing Goofball all summer. Bill Russell doesn't make it, even though at 75 he still could outplay half the centers in the league today.

These will be the best five centers, whether they like it or not.

Dwight Howard, Magic: There is no argument, and not even a debate on No. 1, which makes it kind of boring. He's just too athletic, too strong physically and too motivated for anyone else to challenge him for the top. The rest of the league should be worried because he's going to continue improving for a couple more years.

He led the Magic into the Finals last season, and he's such a dominating presence that unless the front office screws up and lets the team erode around him, he'll keep them near the top of the league for the next decade. After leading the league in rebounding and blocked shots, he'll improve offensively this season.

Amar'e Stoudemire, Suns: With Shaq now in Cleveland, Stoudemire will return to the middle and have a great season without anyone else clogging up the lane for him. He shines because he can outrun most of the centers in the league, and it's pretty tough not to excel offensively when Steve Nash is your point guard.

The issue with Stoudemire is staying healthy. He has struggled with that serious eye injury, and he'll play with a different set of goggles now to protect the injury. Motivating him more will be his disappointment that the Suns didn't give him the contract extension he wanted. It's good to have a great player in a contract year.

Al Jefferson, Timberwolves: For all the grief that Kevin McHale took a few years ago over trading Kevin Garnett, give him credit for getting back Jefferson, a future star. Jefferson, 24, was averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds when he blew out his right knee last season.

He said recently he expects to be 100 percent when this season begins. If that's true, new coach Kurt Rambis will have a solid foundation from which to built this team. He has a nice low post game and good fundamentals, both compliments of McHale and the work he did with him.

Tim Duncan, Spurs: No, he doesn't call himself a center, but that's what he is, and this is our list. For whatever reason, Duncan wants to be known as a power forward, which is like calling Michael Vick a dog trainer. At 7-0, 260 pounds, he has been one of the top two centers in the league for many years, but he is beginning to slip.

The Spurs have geared up and added pieces this season in hopes of making another run at a championship before Duncan finishes his career. He deserves all the acclaim he has received as a future Hall of Famer, winning with unbelievable consistency.

Andrew Bynum, Lakers: We've heard for the last few years about this guy's potential, and this is the year he really puts it together. He has so many weapons around him now that defenses can't afford to focus on him.

With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and now Ron Artest as teammates, opposing teams will ignore Bynum, leaving him to dominate around the basket. He has all the tools. One of the reasons the Lakers are expected to repeat as champions is that Bynum will get considerably better this season. He cracks the Top Five as a surprise pick, but his confidence will soar.

Top Five Centers for 2009-10 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Bruce Bowen Play Next Season?

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:40:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Spurs

There's a loophole in the NBA's trading rules that goes something like this: one team will include a player in a deal -- usually a guy who's older, can still play a bit, but won't command a ton of attention on the open market -- only to see that player waived by his new team, and be signed a month later by the team that dealt him in the first place.

(Don't believe me? Just hop into your DeLorean and ask Brent Barry about it back in 2008.)

Many observers wondered if that's exactly what San Antonio was planning to do with Bruce Bowen, after he was included in the deal with Milwaukee that brought Richard Jefferson to town. But according to Gregg Popovich, it's not likely that Bowen will be back as a member of the Spurs next season.

Bruce Bowen ... went to Milwaukee in the Jefferson trade. The Bucks waived him at the end of July and he is a free agent. Might he be part of another Spurs run, albeit in a subordinate role?

"I've given him no such indication,'' Popovich said. "He might come back with the right team in the right situation, but it's probably not going to be San Antonio."

If Bowen won't be back in San Antonio, the question becomes, will he be back at all? While it's of course possible, it seems like a longshot at this point.

A season ago, Bowen's minutes and production dipped precipitously from his averages over the previous nine.

In the seven seasons before 2008-09, Bowen started every single game he appeared in. Last season? He played in 80 games, but started just 10. In the eight seasons before this last one, Bowen averaged over 30 minutes a game in those appearances. In 2008-09? His minutes dropped to just under 19 per game.

If you're Bowen's agent and are trying to secure him a spot as a tag-a-long on a title-contending team, you could tout his three-point shooting percentage of a season ago, which was over 42 percent, and was his highest since the 2002-03 campaign. But let's be honest -- despite the recent success rate, no one's signing Bowen solely as a deep threat for a team looking to make a multi-round run into the post-season.

The reality is that what once made Bowen a desirable roster addition -- his dirty/aggressive defensive play against the league's elite scorers -- is a talent that, at 38 years old, the man simply no longer possesses.

Sure, it's possible that a team like the Celtics might add him late in the season as they did with veterans Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore last year, or Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown during their 2008 title run. But unless someone can find some value in adding him to the roster, it's quite possible that Bruce Bowen might find himself without an NBA home next season.

Will Bruce Bowen Play Next Season? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Admiral Scores 71

Tom Ziller — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Spurs, NBA Videos

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Monday, there are 71 days remaining.

Going into the final day of the 1993-94 season, Shaquille O'Neal, a second-year phenom, led the race for the scoring title with a 29.3125 points per game average. David Robinson, the 28-year-old Spurs star, trailed at 29.2658 points per game.

In his early game against the Clippers, Robinson needed to score enough points to put Shaq away before Shaq's own late game against New Jersey. The Admiral later told Basketball Digest he thought 50 points would be safe -- that Shaq could score 50, but it'd be difficult for him to do so in such a situation. So Robinson went into his game in L.A. looking for 50 points.

He got 71.

Robinson walked away with the scoring title (Shaq scored only 32) and the biggest scoring night in the NBA since David Thompson hung 73 points on the Pistons to win the 1978 scoring title on the season's final day. NBA.com has an announcer-less highlight reel cobbled from the local broadcast from that night; the eerie lack of rah-rah is oddly compelling.

It's unclear whether today's stars would get away with taking 40 FGAs to win the scoring title on the final day of the season. The Spurs had nothing at stake in The Admiral's 71-point game, but just imagine the beating LeBron or Kobe would get for chasing individual accomplishments these days.

Tip-Off Timer: Admiral Scores 71 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tony Parker Gets Injured in France, Bristles at Spurs' Concern

Tom Ziller — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:17:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, FIBA, NBA Injuries

Tony Parker, training with the French national team in advance of the Eurobasket 2009 qualifying tournament, suffered what appeared to be a minor ankle injury during a scrimmage against Austria last week. He left the gym on crutches, but an MRI executed by the French and overseen by a Spurs official on location revealed no ligament damage. Parker planned to be ready for this Wednesday's tournament opener against Italy.

But the Spurs have told Parker to return to San Antonio for more tests and observation, according to the San Antonio News-Express. And Parker isn't too happy about it.

The French team released a statement regarding the matter. This Parker quote (translated by moi) is included:

San Antonio demanded that I return to be seen by the franchise's doctors. I sincerely do not understand the decision considering the tests carried out by both French and Spurs doctors. I regret what has happened. I must follow my club's requests but I hope to return to the French team as soon as possible to participate in the qualifiers.

The Spurs may or may not clear Parker. If they do, he may or may not be back in France in time to rejoin the team before Wednesday's match. (Swollen ankles tend not to do well in flight. Let alone transatlantic flight.)

This isn't new for the Spurs. The team fought rather strongly to keep Manu Ginobili out of the Olympics last summer after an injury limited his playoff effectiveness months prior. But Manu proved he was fit, and convinced the Spurs to let him free. Of course, Manu re-injured his ankle in a 20-point loss to the United States in the Olympic semifinals, eventually requiring surgery and potentially costing Ginobili a contract extension. Manu missed the first dozen games of the NBA season and eventually called it a season early due to continued problems with the ankle. This injury basically sunk the Spurs' season, and it can be argued that it could have been avoided had Manu skipped the Olympics. (As it is, Argentina only earned bronze in the Games four years after taking gold.) Some reward for letting Manu play, right? So the concern for Parker (who has consistently refused S.A.'s pleas to sit out international play) is understandable.

It's in San Antonio's best interest to keep Parker off the court without angering Parker. Throwing a cautious wrench into his plans is a good way to start. France needs beat Italy and Finland in round robin play, as well as beat the winner of a group made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Portugal, to qualify for September's Eurobasket tournament in Poland. Without qualifying for Eurobasket, it will be virtually impossible for France to qualify for the 2010 World Championships in Turkey, and very difficult to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Tony Parker Gets Injured in France, Bristles at Spurs' Concern originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lakers, Cavs to Headline NBA's Christmas Day Schedule

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:08:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, Suns, Trail Blazers, Warriors

It certainly doesn't take a basketball savant to figure out what the NBA's main event will be on Christmas Day. The league typically uses the holiday to showcase its top teams (or juiciest story lines) to the masses, so the report out of Cleveland that Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and the Cavaliers will face Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers in the afternoon game should come as no surprise.

Last season, though, there were a whopping five games on the holiday slate. And since the remainder of the schedule isn't expected to be out until sometime in early August, here's a look at some contenders for the remaining four spots.

Magic vs. Celtics: If Kevin Garnett is somewhat back to his old self, this is a good opportunity to see what a full-strength Celtics team looks like against a revamped Magic team that made it to the Finals. Besides, you can't go wrong with two of the top three projected teams in the East going head-to-head, and (as Matt Moore reminded me) getting to see the replay of Glen Davis hitting that game-winner and decking that kid over and over again would be priceless.

Spurs vs. Mavericks: Great playoff history here, and two teams in the West that made a lot of off-season moves to get back to contending for the top spot in the conference. Let's see which one has the early advantage.

Nuggets vs. Blazers: The Nuggets went to the Conference Finals, and many believe that the Blazers are going to be the next big thing. If they're truly a team on the rise, Portland is going to have to beat the proven contenders. Denver is a good place to start.

Miami-Atlanta: An NBA Christmas without Dwyane Wade would feel like I got a huge lump of coal in my stocking. This game would be a rematch of possibly the most boring seven-game playoff series ever, but the possibility for even the smallest amount of revenge usually revenge usually seems to intrigue the NBA scheduling overlords.

Suns-Warriors: We all know that neither one of these teams is going to the Finals, unless they buy a block of tickets from the Staples Center box office. But hey, who doesn't like scoring? The over/under for this one should be around 245, and casual fans will surely tune in to see the madness.

Are there any other match-ups that might be more interesting, or are there any other teams you'd like to see? Go ahead and sound off in the comments.

Report: Lakers, Cavs to Headline NBA's Christmas Day Schedule originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lakers, Cavs to Headline NBA's Christmas Day Schedule