San Antonio Spurs ‘09-10 NBA season preview
Last year we debuted the “Highs and Lows” system — previewing the NBA season by predicting the respective ceiling and basement for each team. Same theme, different season…
Added: Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair, Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans
Lost: Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, Ime Udoka, Drew Gooden, Fabricio Oberto, Jacque Vaughn
Ceiling: NBA championship
The way some people are saying this season is San Antonio’s last real shot at a championship in the Tim Duncan era, you’d think the Spurs are using “This Is It” as their marketing slogan. It’s not quite that bad … True, Duncan isn’t as dominant on a day-to-day basis as he once was, but the 33-year-old still has at least a couple runs left. And as good as rookie DeJuan Blair has been throughout the summer and the preseason, his biggest contribution — along with veteran pickup Antonio McDyess — is that he will help keep Duncan from wearing down before the playoffs … Meanwhile, Tony Parker is hitting his prime just in time for Duncan to afford a step backwards … The third member of the Big Three, Manu Ginobili, took the summer off, and if his ankles hold up, he’ll be his usual crunch-time killer self as arguably the third-best SG in the West and an All-Star candidate … But the biggest difference between this year’s Spurs and last year’s version is Richard Jefferson. He brings a new element of athleticism and offensive explosiveness at small forward that San Antonio hasn’t had since Stephen Jackson contributed to the 2003 championship; RJ’s defense isn’t on Bruce Bowen’s level, but he’s another guy capable of scoring 20 points a night and he has plenty of postseason experience … Roger Mason, Keith Bogans, Mike Finley, Matt Bonner and Theo Ratliff will play their roles like the title-hungry vets they are, George Hill is a sleeper pick to have a solid year as TP’s backup, Gregg Popovich will have the right plan in place, and the Spurs are going to be a serious problem for the rest of the League.
Basement: Conference semifinals
Last spring, before the Spurs/Mavs first-round playoff series, I based my pro-San Antonio argument mostly on the fact that Duncan had never been knocked out in the first round of the postseason — not even in college. So while it turns out there is a first time for everything, the ‘09-10 Spurs are too good and have too many weapons to make a repeat early exit … There are some areas of concern, though. First and foremost is Duncan’s durability. And right behind that is Ginobili’s durability. Not to mention aging key players like McDyess, Finley, Ratliff, and RJ is no child at 29 years old … While the Spurs got better on offense, did the defense suffer? You can see why Bowen, Thomas, Udoka and Oberto were ultimately expendable, but did the front office perhaps overreact to the Dallas series (when Duncan and Parker got zero help on offense)? Will guys like Jefferson, Finley, Mason, Blair and the forever-injured Ratliff be able to do their part in maintaining that brick wall San Antonio has become known for?
*** *** ***
10/21 — Miami Heat
10/19 — Oklahoma City Thunder
10/19 — Milwaukee Bucks
10/15 — Portland Trail Blazers
10/14 — Chicago Bulls
10/13 — Golden State Warriors
10/12 — Toronto Raptors
10/9 — Houston Rockets
10/8 — Detroit Pistons
10/7 — Memphis Grizzlies
10/6 — New York Knicks
10/5 — New Orleans Hornets
10/2 — Atlanta Hawks
9/30 — Sacramento Kings
9/29 — New Jersey Nets
9/28 — Denver Nuggets
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October 21st, 2009 at 9:39 am
svigi says:
Hopefully they will strong,that’d make things more interesting in the West.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:44 am
Kermit the Washington says:
Once again, the Spurs are the only team LA should truly fear. These guys get up for Lakers series’ no matter what.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:24 am
Ross says:
They’ll still be one of the best defensive teams in the league.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
That's whats up says:
not one of those players we let go are better than the ones coming in.
Upgrade at all positions.
The only question is whether the Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals will be in L.A. or San Antonio
October 21st, 2009 at 11:01 am
Claw says:
Blair is a Beast!
How does that guy make it to the 2nd round?
October 21st, 2009 at 11:13 am
ToAn says:
@ Claw
yeah i don’t get it either…i mean if he continues to play this good in the regular season than i don’t understand what this “scouts” are doing all year. he is really solid, plays maybe the the best ball from ALL rookies in the preseason… and all teams pass on him in the 1st round. did he have a “troubled” past or what
October 21st, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Tig obamo says:
blair is a problem but teams didnt want him cuz he dont got none acl’s
October 21st, 2009 at 12:05 pm
BiG ShoT BoB says:
It’s because he’s basically running on knees held together by rubberbands ar this point.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:57 pm
flavur says:
Yeah teams really need to find out what their scouts are doing cus if they saw what he was doing in college killing hasheem thabeet and everything him having no acls should not be a problem.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:45 pm
JH says:
As a Spurs fan for life…I’m worried about the team’s future…but excited for the playoffs. So much, that part of me wants Stern to shorten the NBA season. But ever increasing costs won’t make that even a possibility.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Ian says:
the basement is the conference finals? and 3rd best sg in the west? when healthy in the league.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:18 pm
chris says:
look at the average age….chances the critical spurs will all be healthy for the playoffs is zero. remember how they got timmy? no david robinson for a whole year, during which they lost SIXTY-SEVEN GAMES! spurs have been dodging injury bullets for years, luckily having duncan AND parker AND ginobili more or less healthy for the playoffs for years. I am betting one of their big three will be out for the playoffs this year, and even if they have jefferson and mcdyess healthy for the playoffs (big if) they still won’t make the western semis.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
egypt says:
damn chris…. lot of negativity there
Say Ginobli is out again… u dont think Jefferson and Mcdyess take them to the conference finals at the least? Team is deep and whatever they are lacking they will surely pick up at the trade deadline….
coaching is too good for them to have all that talent and not even play the lakers for the west title….
who else could contend outside LA? hornets jazz rockets suns are all worse than previous years… mavs straight up roster to roster aren’t as talented and they have worse coaching than the spurs… nuggets aren’t deep AT ALL, they lost people and got nobody back but a future pg in Lawson… I mean I just dont see anyone outside of LA being able to hang
October 21st, 2009 at 4:20 pm
control says:
Spurs are going to be a force in the league as long as TP and TD are doing their thing. Gregg’s system is PERFECT for those two players, and those two players are PERFECT for the system, it’s a match made in heaven and short of one of those two dying or retiring, it can be executed over and over and there’s almost nothing any team can do about it.
Adding the new players just gives them a boost to help them get a good seed in the playoffs.
Manu being an old man and more injury prone than Tmac (but with 1/10th the skills) doesn’t do anything to help or hinder the Spurs, because he isn’t really an impact at all.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:06 pm
the cynic says:
The Spurs are a solid big man away from legitimately challenging the Lakers. Ratliff isn’t going to cut it
October 21st, 2009 at 6:46 pm
rangerjohn says:
WOW chris is predicting injury and a 1st round exit? thats crazy. this team is A LOT deeper then last years team, so figure manu is out, dyess and jefferson combined are already better then the core from last season. if duncan goes down instead, well he will be missed but between blair and dyess and the other mix of bigs they can get through on a perimiter game. as long as they dont somehow end up in the 8th spot facing the lakers they get AT LEAST to second round , multiple injuries are a different story.
cynic, who would you suggest? i like a mason/bonner/mahinmi for camby trade since last yrs deadline. mason is already replaced by jefferson/manu to easy, plus hill will be taking his minutes too. bonner would be easily replaced by camby other then the 3 ball but the defense would be light years better, and mahinmi has shown he can be an all-star in the d-league but thats about it.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Ian says:
control
i like u but u get a big FUCK U from me today please more injure prone the tmac? goh 1/10 the skills please man let me know when tmac hits the second round the only thing the team needed to advance was his punk ass injured while the spurs lost manu and lost in the first round with duncan ever. to much proof to back my case
lets not forget tmac has 1/10 the heart
October 21st, 2009 at 8:26 pm
the cynic says:
@rangerjohn
Camby would be the dream scenario; a trade for Gortat would probably be out of the question. Its going to be really tough to find someone who is going to be able to match up with Bynum (I’ve been to 2 preseason games and he is ready to take the step all the crazed die-hards said he took 2 years ago). Blair will most likely be useless against the lakers because of front court match ups unless he can magically handle Gasol, Chuck Hayes style. Mcdyess will have to match Odom’s and Gasol’s athleticism. Duncan isn’t going to be able to handle Bynum down low unless he can get him in foul trouble quick. I guess my answer to your question is I have no clue. Camby and Gortat are the only guys I think could get the job done who could potentially be available. Maybe you guys should trade for chuck hayes and stick him on Bynum and hope Chuck can work his post defense magic. Spurs still have a uphill battle no matter what, in order to take out the lakers
October 21st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
the cynic says:
celtics probably have the best match-ups to challenge the lakers
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:47 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Lol @ Ian
Tmac is light years ahead of Ginobli talent wise and since both have basically not played for 2 years as much as Spurs LOVE Ginobli;
Hes a second rate McGrady (with 1/5 the skill; ill be generous)
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
The Show says:
WoW u guys DO NOT KNOW GINOBILI @ ALL!!!! U really think T Mac is better than Ginobili talent-wise??? Ill give T Mac some credit 4 being a scorer, but Ginobili is WAY better as a shooter and driver. He can dunk over Yoa Ming and make kobe look like a standby…T Mac cant do that anyway with those gimpy knees of his…he should really consider retirement…from the playoffs that is (hes NEVER going to make to the semifinal even if his team wins 24+ games in a row in one season) THATS why Ginobili is better talent-wise…
October 26th, 2009 at 9:09 am
VBG says:
T-Mac dunked over Shawn Bradely. I’ve never seen Ginobili dunk on a 7 footer. T-Mac has a better jump shot, is a better playmaker, and is just as athletic.