T. Tirieux | Didn't work. To recycle bin

[kibaxx7]

lol perfect 8-8,nice game by you

Thanks man. I didn't have a really good game, this last one...

Nice pickup game. The training camp sounds tough but maybe its cause u got Pop the drill Sergeant =]

Pop's a great guy. He will end up saying my name in the final 15-man roster.

Good performance in the pickup game. I definitely have to get out and run a bit, you totally reminded me of that. Especially the set run, we do that in soccer, too.

Yep it's very common in soccer too. Thanks for dropping by.

I read the blog.

Great game this time. Perfect from the field and getting 7 assists.

Thanks man, I hope more read the blog

[Fresh8]

The White team was much more talented. Shame you lost to them!

[3PK]

Best of luck, I personally think you'll get it. I found it easy to get picked in training camp. I played 5 minute quarters with a Power Forward and averaged about 7 points and 9 boards. Best of luck

[Mark.]

This is a great read dude. Much easier for you to recap as well

[kibaxx7]

Thierry's Blog: I give you, your 2009/10 Spurs
SanAntonioSpurs.com | October 12nd, 2009

The morning practices have been beginning at 10am, but today, Pop had us at the gym by 8am. He told the other coaches that watching video tape of the practices gave him a whole new perspective on what was being accomplished and what still needed to be done; that's why the early wake-up call. He wanted the team to sit and watch tape of the workouts. It was broken down much the same way game tape is handled. We were on the court for over three hours, working on shooting and defense once again. Once again, there were referees on the courtside and we went with some live action, five-on-five drills. Pop split up the team into five-man groups, and each group would get five possessions. The shot clock was set at :15. Pop would call a series of plays, and then let the point guards decide and call out what plays to run. Score was kept, and, as always, the losers had to run. I went with the easier ones to get the ball to the inside guys like DeJuan, Tim and Matt, and we won. No running today

Not to sound like a broken record, but Manu again had a terrific practice and really shined in the five-on-five drills. As I mentioned in my last blog installment, he played some small forward, some off-guard, and ran some time at the point, that's for when Tony, George or me get injured and we need a quick replacement. I realized I probably haven' t mentioned Antonio enough; he's been very solid, and had a great practice. It's obvious the coaches are very high on him, considering he has been a really good pickup in free agency. He's an absolute beast in the paint. He's a great rebounder, and a great defender, and has shown some pretty good offensive skills as well, considering his age and his almost 15 years in the league. Pop was very complimentary of the effort today at practice, but, as always, did jump on us pretty good a few times. Those normally come early, where he sets the tone. He's always stressing to his team that he's not going to stand them just going through the motions. One line we've heard a lot is, “if you're go through the motions now, then you're going to do it during the season!” We will take rest tomorrow, following five days of intense workouts at the practice facility in Texas, and, being he's giving us tomorrow off, he wanted to make sure today's workout was very crisp, and very valuable.

The great moment came after the practice and Pop mentioned my name at the end, like: Blair, Bogans, Bonner, .......... Tirieux... ah, happiest day of my life. Finally, Darren Mack and the ageless Chucky Atkins were cut, with Melvin Ely and me taking the 2 final spots. You can see the complete roster behind. As you know, the pre-season begins tomorrow; 7 exhibition games: against Houston, a contest with Boston, at Miami, visits by the Clippers and Cavaliers, and two trips, to OKC and Indiana. You can also listen to all the games on radio, on WOAI-AM 1200 station. See you there!

[kibaxx7]

The White team was much more talented. Shame you lost to them!

Yeah they killed us... Manu and TD were everywhere. Now they are my teammates.

Best of luck, I personally think you'll get it. I found it easy to get picked in training camp. I played 5 minute quarters with a Power Forward and averaged about 7 points and 9 boards. Best of luck

Here I averaged 5 points, 2 rebs and close to 10 assists... they just couldn't sign Atkins

This is a great read dude. Much easier for you to recap as well

Thanks bro. Also, I think you will all be happy to hear I won't be doing any game recaps. I'm now going weekly recaps like hova does... it's really quicker... but I'm posting my statline in all games.

[Martti.]

Congrats on making the team!

[Fresh8]

Yes! Congratulations on making it!

[anthony22]

congrats Tirieux,you're the next Tony Parker,right ?

[Azzdogs]

Good work on making the squad.

[Lamrock]

I'm quite surprised that you made the team averaging what, 9 points and 7 assists? Anyway, congrats. Looking forward to your first game.

[dare]

wow you made the team already, hope you will be send in the D-league

[kibaxx7]

Spurs bench for the first game of the preseason - M. Finley; T. Tirieux; M. Bonner; D. Blair; G. Hill; T. Ratliff; R. Mason; and coach Popovich

Preseason :: Week 1 (October 13 - October 19)

Tim Duncan is the tent pole in the middle. Tony Parker is the part organizer, part leader, often in the spotlight, making sure the play runs on time. But truth be told, it's Manu Ginobili who can transform the Spurs from an entertaining and competent basketball squad into the best in the league. Two-fifths of last year's starting lineup were traded away for high-flying Richard Jefferson to inject energy and athleticism into the offense. The rookies, draft pick DeJuan Blair and the wonderkid from France, Thierry Tirieux, have already impressed many of the Spurs coaches with aggressiveness on the backboards and around the hoop, and additions Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff bring the wizened know-how of veterans who are seeking one more chance at glory.

But get beyond the newcomers' buzz and maybe the biggest reason the Spurs can consider themselves back in the thick of the Western Conference mix and once more contenders for a championship is the return of Ginobili to good health. He is the one who elevates the Spurs from playoff team to, "Uh-oh! How do you stop that?" He not only scored, he defended. He didn't just ignite the Spurs, he helped them explode to their championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He gets to the rim for layups and dunks and draw fouls; the Spurs need their fire-starter Ginobili to be back in the lineup with his old spark at both ends. He draws double-teams away from Duncan and now can open things up more and allow Jefferson to go 1-on-1; Jefferson must spread the floor, attack the basket and ease the offensive burden on the Spurs Big 3. With Duncan healthy (he must play less to keep his knees fresh and ready for the long drive into June) and Parker in good shape, Ginobili can be himself again. The Spurs have a shot again. The first of two Spurs preseason weeks starts today with a matchup against the Houston Rockets and continues tomorrow with a contest with the Boston Celtics, both at the AT&T Center, finalizing with a trip to face the Miami Heat and a comeback to Texas to square off against the Los Angeles Clippers.




This Rockets need Trevor Ariza take responsibility and see if he can handle a season in which the Rockets will be missing their perennial All-Star center Yao Ming following reconstructive foot surgery and, for at least the first couple of months, Tracy McGrady, who had microfracture knee surgery. Of all the free agents who changed teams over the summer, none of them will be expected to change his game as much as Ariza, the 6-foot-8 swingman who'll go from sitting in the back of the pit as the Lakers made championship music to leading the orchestra of the wounded Rockets. Only two Rockets, Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks, averaged double-figure scoring in either the 2008-09 regular season or the playoffs.

While the Rockets point to the acquisition of a young, athletic type player as a long-term addition, the fact remains that Ariza will be needed to significantly increase output and to be more assertive as an alpha dog this season. He is, after all, replacing McGrady, a former two-time NBA scoring leader and the Rockets' overall lineup is in desperate need of points. To that end, the complementary part, who became a quite effective spot-up shooter with the Lakers, spent the summer working on his ball-handling, on attacking the rim and on getting his own shot off the dribble. Ariza has dealt with lower expectations his whole career, and a lot of people said he wasn't going to be much. There are a lot of questions, but none bigger than: “can he lead a team?” We're gonna find out.

Prediction Game :: Who will score more points? (Ariza / Ginóbili / Same)



While the matter of the volume level may be open for debate, what's not is Boston's ability to roar back into the 2010 NBA championship conversation because the Big Megaphone is back in the lineup. Last spring, Kevin Garnett was on the bench, sidelined by a balky right knee that limited him to just 57 games on the season, the fewest he'd played in a decade. Without him, the Celtics still had enough in the splendid performance of Rajon Rondo and the late-game heroics of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to outlast the upstart Chicago Bulls through all of the drama and all of the overtimes in their instant classic first-round playoff series. Yet without him, the Celtics eventually could not apply enough defensive pressure to prevent Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis from scoring big hoops and fell to the Magic in the second round, ending the defense of their title.

The truth is, Garnett had questions in his own mind until he put the rehab and the drills behind him and just played. As odd as it may seem, he is no longer the teenaged phenom who bounced into the NBA in 1995. He's 33 now, entering his 15th season, and it is his presence that lifts the Celtics from playoff contenders to championship caliber. Assuming Rasheed Wallace fits right into the picture, he'll give the former champs bench scoring and another player with attitude. With their loudest voice back on the floor, the Celtics appear ready to make loud noise again.

Prediction Game :: Who will pull down less rebounds? (Perkins / McDyess / Same)



The one-man show performed by Dwyane Wade last season was the kind not normally witnessed in the NBA. 50 points against Orlando, followed by his 16 assists the next game against the Pistons, 50 points-through-three-quarters eruption on New York, a 41-9-7-7 line against the Cavaliers, and so on. A typical game for Wade was 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a handful of steals, along with plenty of clutch moments and new admirers. He will need to replay it this season for Miami to reach 40 wins and the postseason because, once again, he's light on help. When does the one-man act get old to a player?

Well, pretty quickly, actually. Wade didn't have a choice last season but to play the role, because Miami broke in two rookies, Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley and veteran Jermaine O'Neal. They added swingman Quentin Richardson (traded four times in a space of a month) a couple of days ago. And 2009-10 is shaping up as an experimental season. The Heat are loaded with young and barely-tested talent as the franchise prepares to slice payroll for the free agent heaven of 2010. But, Wade doesn't want to extend his solo act beyond this season. Either Miami must buy a star or two next summer, or the only star on the roster will be gone. Wade is a free agent, too, in 2010. That's a story for tomorrow. Right now, the trick for Wade is to stay healthy. He had durability issues until last season, when he played 79 games. And he must salvage the season by putting Miami into the playoffs. A Heat without Wade would beg for 25 wins. Allow your imagination to wander with regard to what Wade will do for an encore. Not that he has anything to prove.

Prediction Game :: Will both Parker and Chalmers get at least 6 assists? (Yes / No)



The Clippers are on the verge of... well, no one can say for sure. But there they are, before dramatic possibilities as 2009-10 begins with the mix of youth and experience that underscores the potential crossroads season. They could break through to the Playoffs, it wouldn't be a shock; or they could come apart at the seams, and not disappointing-season, frustrated-roster come apart at the seams. The Clippers have huge money invested in Baron Davis and Chris Kaman and big money in Marcus Camby as an expiring contract. If the Playoff run is not materializing as the trade deadline approaches, a second consecutive season of going nowhere fast could easily become the impetus for major changes and a new direction that emphasizes developing the kids. Now, add No.1 pick Blake Griffin. Camby will also play center and Griffin could also spend time at small forward, which means both will get big minutes. And if the approach changes, power forward is likely the signal as well, with Camby the top trade candidate on the team -- a big man in the final season of a contract who can make a major contribution to a title push would be a golden-ticket find for someone.

Coach and GM Mike Dunleavy does not, however, consider this a last-chance season for the core of the roster. He is certain to be right in at least one regard: the core includes 25-year-old Al Thornton, 20-year-old Eric Gordon and 20-year-old Griffin, potentially 60 percent of the starting lineup. If the standings do become the latest Clippers letdown, building through youth will become more important. Life on the verge, of something.

Prediction Game :: Will Blake Griffin get a double-double? (Yes / No)

[kibaxx7]

Congrats on making the team!

Yes! Congratulations on making it!

Good work on making the squad.

Thanks guys

congrats Tirieux,you're the next Tony Parker,right ?

I wouldn't say the next TP, I would say that he is my mentor Something like Billups and Ty Lawson.

I'm quite surprised that you made the team averaging what, 9 points and 7 assists? Anyway, congrats. Looking forward to your first game.

5 points, 3 rebs and almost 10 assists.

wow you made the team already, hope you will be send in the D-league

Why's that? So I get more minutes and stats?

Hey guys, be sure to check the Prediction Game. The questions are on the preview. Anyone who wants to participate, you have 24 hours (I'm posting the week recap tomorrow at this hour)!

[Fresh8]

Ariza
McDyess
Yes
No

[|)e8*]

Manu
perk
ye
no

[C-77]

Congrats man!
Manu
McDyess
Yes
No

[Martti.]

Ariza
Mcdyess
No
No

[dare]

Ginobili
McDyess
Yes
No

I want you to be in the D-league so that you will have a challenge to get to the team but it's not going to happen anyway

[Cartar]

Ginobili
McDyess
Yes
Yes

[The X]

You look good in Spurs' warmups

[Valor]

wow, u made it with those numbers? i had to average a triple double (with 6 spg) to make it as a pg......
congrads!

[hova-]

Yeah you made it. Congratz

Ginobili
McDyess
No
No

[Mark.]

Manu
Perkins
No
No

Congrats on making the team dude

[Azzdogs]

Ginobli
McDyess
Yes
No