River Walk Chronicles ♦ ///

[KidJustin]

go Maggs! i really miss him on the Clippers

[hova-]

Maggette was a good acquistion I guess. Still, you could really need some more depth on the SF spot.

[Houndy]

Agreed with hova. Maybe a 2nd round pick

[Bucket]

Overall, Anderson had a good rookie year.

[Kenny]

Love the layout of your player reviews. The attention to detail you put in this is really spectacular. Hoping Jeff Williams falls in the draft and becomes a patented San Antonio steal

[Cruzerr]

Such an empty spot. You need some dept, and fast. A nice draft pick

[Mavs4Life]

You could use a better back-up SF. Anderson's good, but you could problably get some better depth in the draft.

[Gamebreaker]

I'm down with Maggette too. I don't know though, somebody who's more of a three point threat would probably be a better fit with the Spurs big 3.

Hope you still keep him, I think.

[Justine.]

Maggette has been a better player than Jefferson, so great acquisition Improve that SF slot though, sign some veterans or maybe steal some sleepers in the draft

[Valor]

I still can't get the idea that Maggette plays for the Spurs in your association

[kibaxx7]

2010/11 Season Review :: The Power Forwards
nba.com/spurs/beat | June 28th, 2011

♦ NBA experience: Two seasons, both with San Antonio (2009-10 & 2010-11)
♦ Age: 22
♦ How the Spurs roster was built: Second round pick in 2009 NBA Draft, 37th overall selection
♦ Games played (starts): 71 (69)
♦ Statistical averages: 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.9 steals, .501 FG%, .000 3PT%, .824 FT%, 26.0 minutes

♦ What went right: Dazzling? No. But DeJuan was an ideal 5th man for the Spurs in his first season as the starting power forward. Between the Big 3 and Corey Maggette, Blair was the perfect role player, largely responsible for doing the little things that transformed the Spurs into a 63-victory team. He posted career-highs in points, rebounds and steals, also lowering his turnovers while playing 71 games (from 82 contests last year). He had nine double-doubles in the regular season and pulled down double-digit rebounds in 12 games (including a 20-rebound game). Along with that, he rarely made mistakes. He even canned 82.4 percent of his shots from charity stripe -- an overwhelming improvement from last season: only 54.7 percent.

♦ What went wrong: Since defenses were focused on slowing down Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Corey Maggette, the Spurs were often left searching for an occasional scoring option. At times Blair proved capable -- he had 33 games in double-digit scoring. But other times he couldn't pass the 5-point barrier. Since his strength isn't creating offense for himself, he largely depended on Manu or Tony Parker to generate open spaces for him. The Spurs wouldn't mind seeing his offensive numbers rise, but the team is extremely happy with the intangibles that Blair has brought. No one is going to have too much of a gripe with his play as long as he continues to do the little things that help San Antonio click next season.

♦ Best games: Season-high 21 points to defeat Minnesota in November; 16 points and a season-best 20 rebounds to win at Orlando; 16 points, ten rebounds and four steals in a triumph against Memphis; 12 points, 15 boards and three assists to stun Boston in March; 17 points and ten rebounds in the season finale at Phoenix.

♦ Offseason projects: After multiple injuries made him sit in the injury list for 11 games this year, Blair is a dependable player. The coaching staff knows he will do everything possible to report to training camp in top physical condition. The initial part of the summer will allow him to provide some rest. He said he feels comfortable, but still feels some pain from time to time. It’s going to take time; he can play with it, but there is not a guy in the NBA who is playing 100 percent without any bumps and bruises. When talking contract status, his deal goes through the 2011-12 season, with a player option in 2012-13.

♦ Video Music :: Junior Jack • “E Samba” ♦

♦ NBA experience: One season with San Antonio (2010-11).
♦ Age: 26
♦ How the Spurs roster was built: First round pick in 2007 NBA Draft, 28th overall selection
♦ Games played (starts): 82 (5)
♦ Statistical averages: 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, .517 FG%, .000 3PT%, .821 FT%, 23.5 minutes

♦ What went right: While players like Duncan or Drew Gooden played some minutes at the 4 spot, Tiago was the one other player on the roster who played the majority of his minutes at the position. He appeared in all 82 games during his rookie season, knocking down 51.7 percent of his field goal attempts and a 82.1 percent from the free throw line. Now, outside of Texas, who would have guessed that an international power forward, coming after three seasons in Europe, would emerge as a reliable and powerful backup, contending the entire year for the Sixth Man of the Year award? Probably no one. Despite his 232-pound frame, the Brazilian used his relentless energy and glass work to play a key role. After Duncan, he was the team's best low-block defender, with 1.2 rejections per game (3rd among rookies) and second-leading rebounder of the squad, being a constant double-double threat (even posting five in a row in the playoffs). He also became an effective scoring option by running the pick-and-roll with Ginobili and Maggette.

♦ What went wrong: He has a (very) limited shooting range. A 10-footer could become a huge weapon in Splitter's arsenal; he wasn't a scoring threat outside of the paint. Since that was the case, most defenses played off him and focused their attention on Duncan. Despite this, he managed to become an important cog for the Spurs, taking on defensive assignments against bigger players in some parts of the season and coming up with key boards. Partly due to the acquisition of fellow frontcourt reserve Gooden in February, his playing time gradually decreased a little. However, after Duncan was missing for the series against Dallas in the playoffs, he appeared in full scale.

♦ Best games: His first 20/10 game in his NBA career, with 22 points and ten rebounds, in a loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles; 17 points and 13 boards to defeat Phoenix in December -- kickstarting four double-doubles in a row; 15 and 11 to propel the Spurs over Golden State in Oakland; 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks to defeat New Jersey, prior to the All-Star Weekend; 20 points in March to kick Phoenix again.

♦ Offseason projects: Since the Spurs aren't deep at power forward, Splitter will plenty of playing time next year too. He does need to improve his offensive production by developing a midrange jumper, but his other small things, those who aren't visible in the boxscore, are valuable. Gooden, who came to the team in the trade that sent Antonio McDyess to Milwaukee, can play some power forward. But he has been the most comfortable in the center slot, as a backup to Duncan. If the Spurs draft one more bigman in the draft, it won't hurt Splitter's chances in the coming season; it's all about resting Duncan for the playoffs.

♦ Video Music :: LCD Soundsystem • “Us v Them” ♦

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[kibaxx7]

Mr. Flip has aged to a veteran. This is a great overall team. Every position has a strong presence leading it.

Thanks man, I'm happy with how the team looks right now, but I need to add more pieces if I want to win the title.

Good stats from you Forwards, hope Maggette could find his home in San Antonio (He doesn't have any distant home! So far )

He will have to find it, he ain't gonna leave.

go Maggs! i really miss him on the Clippers

Maggs has taken the team's athleticism to a whole new level

Maggette was a good acquistion I guess. Still, you could really need some more depth on the SF spot.

Agreed with hova. Maybe a 2nd round pick

Such an empty spot. You need some dept, and fast. A nice draft pick

You could use a better back-up SF. Anderson's good, but you could problably get some better depth in the draft.

I'm down with Maggette too. I don't know though, somebody who's more of a three point threat would probably be a better fit with the Spurs big 3.

Hope you still keep him, I think.

Maggette has been a better player than Jefferson, so great acquisition Improve that SF slot though, sign some veterans or maybe steal some sleepers in the draft

Yep, thanks guys. SF and a new bigman is the players I'm gonna look for in the draft.

Overall, Anderson had a good rookie year.

Yeah, James had a nice first year. His long-range jumpers saved me more than once.

Love the layout of your player reviews. The attention to detail you put in this is really spectacular. Hoping Jeff Williams falls in the draft and becomes a patented San Antonio steal

Thanks a lot man! Sorry to disappoint you, but Jeff wouldn't have playing time here. With Tony, George, also Manu, it wouldn't be a good home for him. But he's a first round pick, so he can be happy.

I still can't get the idea that Maggette plays for the Spurs in your association

He ain't gonna leave, so you better get used to him

Coming soon -- Centers -- the last position of the review, and OFFSEASONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!1!!!!11!!

[Mavs4Life]

Yes, offseason. You need an all-around forward for some depth, & a new center, both Duncan (Or is it Blair that you started at the C?) & Gooden are aging.

[Gamebreaker]

Only two power forwards too?

Guess there's gonna be like 6 centers, heh...

[Martti.]

You don't have a true C, do you? I'm guessing Timmy and Gooden play C. That said, you should get a true, big C.

[hova-]

Blair is cool, Splitter is the perfect role player if you ask me. I'd like to get more out of Blair, maybe send him into a big man camp or something like that.

[µTorrent]

Tiago Rocks Man!

[Bucket]

Blair Power Forward? Ehm, I think he plays better in Center position. Splitter is a future in your association.

[Valor]

I still can't get the idea that Maggette plays for the Spurs in your association

He ain't gonna leave, so you better get used to him

Haha, well glad to see you sticking with the roster at any rate. Large changes for the Spurs is not realistic so good job

[Larvae]

Theirs got to be a lot of thrill for you heading into the Off Season.

[Houndy]

Blair is great, and Tiago is perfect for the bench, almost like a Jason Terry-like player in a PF body

[kibaxx7]

2010/11 Season Review :: The Centers
nba.com/spurs/beat | July 1st, 2011

♦ NBA experience: Fourteen seasons, all with San Antonio (1997-98 :: 2010-11)
♦ Age: 35
♦ How the Spurs roster was built: First round pick in 1997 NBA Draft, first overall selection
♦ Games played (starts): 73 (73)
♦ Statistical averages: 14.7 points (career-low), 10.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists (career-low), 1.1 steals (career-high), 3.0 blocks (career-high), .576 FG%, .000 3PT%, .855 FT%, 32.8 minutes

♦ What went right: Tim did what few players in the league are willing to do: sacrifice his personal game to make the squad better. Checking his numbers this year makes some Spurs fans kind of sad after seeing his stats from past years, but that gave him his first Defensive Player of the Year award. With career-highs on steals and blocks (three!) per game, Tim dethroned Dwight Howard as the best defensive guy in the league. When he was on the floor, the defense was superior and opponents were frightened. Despite being 35, he is still a huge key to the success of this team. No one certainly knows how much longer he will play, but it's clear that just his presence is huge for San Antonio.

♦ What went wrong: To make up for Tim, the back injury he suffered in December did not seem to affect him on the court; in fact, he was at his best after he returned. Unfortunately for him, a new injury, a separated shoulder, kept him out of the entire West Semis series against Dallas. Yes, his statistics dipped across the board, due to, obviously, age. He probably has a couple of seasons left on his body. Believe it or not, the Spurs went 14-1 without him this year (9-0 in the regular season, 5-1 in the playoffs). That shows the organization has a plan in mind for when Timmy hangs the sneakers.

♦ Best games: Too many to count. He had 41 (yes, 41) double-doubles, six of them 20/10 double-doubles. He also posted 5-, 6- and even a 9-block game this season. 14 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks to defeat the Clippers; 22 points, 12 boards and six rejections to thump Philadelphia; 14 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots at Golden State; 20 and 15 rebounds to defeat New Orleans; 20 and 13 to defeat the Warriors again; 11, 17 and five rejections to win over Portland; 19 points, 16 boards and nine (nine!) blocks against the Toronto Raptors; there were also six double-doubles in a row from March 2 to March 12, averaging 15.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 blocks in those games. MONSTER!

♦ Offseason projects: Though there has been speculation that this injuries will hamper him in upcoming seasons, coach Gregg Popovich said he expects Tim to be back, ready to go, by tip-off of the next season. Given his lengthy track record, it’s reasonable to believe he is trying to recuperate from this setbacks to end his career with a bang. We are not sure if he will play beyond his deal, but we all hope he gives us, Spurs fans, another few moments for history.

♦ Video Music :: Stardust • “Music Sounds Better With You” ♦

♦ NBA experience: Nine seasons; half a season with Memphis (2002-03); two and a half with Orlando (2002-03 and 2003-04); three and a half with Cleveland (2004-05 :: 2007-08); one with Chicago (2007-08 :: 2008-09); half a season with San Antonio (2008-09); half a season with Dallas (2009-10); half a season with LA Clippers (2009-10); half a season with Milwaukee (2010-11) and another half with the Spurs (2010-11).
♦ Age: 29
♦ How the Spurs roster was built: Obtained from Milwaukee, trading Antonio McDyess and Garrett Temple to the Bucks (February 17, 2011)
♦ Games played (starts): 82 (57)
♦ Statistical averages: 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals, .494 FG%, .000 3PT%, .803 FT%, 23.6 minutes

♦ What went right: After three months of always being in the starting lineup of the Milwaukee Bucks, Spurs owner Thierry Tirieux gave general manager R.C. Buford the finger-up and pulled the trigger on the trade, to give Gooden a second stint with San Antonio. Individually, it was a typical season for him; like his entire career, he has always averaged somewhere between the range of 10 and 12 points per game, as well as between 6 and 9 rebounds. Apart from Tiago Splitter, he emerged as one of the most consistent second-unit contributors.

♦ What went wrong: During the latter portion of the schedule, following the trade to the Spurs, he played fewer minutes and that's logical, with Duncan, Splitter and DeJuan Blair being the main guys in the rotation. Despite his often significant contributions, specially during the Spurs' marvellous 14-2 month of March, he ultimately judged it as a disappointing year for him because he couldn't crack the starting 5 with the Spurs, like he did with the Bucks. He wasn't spectacular, but no one expected him to be; he did make an impact, though.

♦ Best games: He had nine double-doubles with Milwaukee (two 20/10) before coming to Texas. In his debut with the Spurs, he had 12 points, seven boards and two steals in loss to Oklahoma City; 12 points and five boards a in a loss to his former club, Memphis; a 18-point, 10-rebound statline, his only double-double with San Antonio, in April against Sacramento; 14 points and seven rebounds in the season finale at Phoenix.

♦ Offseason projects: Many people criticized San Antonio's trade for Gooden because the bigman has four years remaining on his contract. But if the move can bring the Spurs another title in the next two or three years, the move will pan out as successful. The consensus says that when an NBA player reaches his sixth or seventh season of his career (in this case, ninth), it’s difficult to make an improvement in production and performance. Gooden agrees; the only thing for him would be to extend his range a little to give him one more weapon.

♦ NBA experience: Seven seasons; two with Toronto (2004-05 and 2005-06); five with San Antonio (2006-07 :: 2010-11)
♦ Age: 31
♦ How the Spurs roster was built: Obtained from Toronto -- along with Eric Williams and a 2009 second round pick -- in exchange for Rasho Nesterovic (June 21, 2006)
♦ Games played (starts): 46 (0)
♦ Statistical averages: 4.6 points (career-low), 3.3 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.3 steals, .442 FG%, .337 3PT%, .813 FT%, 11.2 minutes

♦ What went right: Bonner spent the entire season vying with Antonio McDyess (and then, Drew Gooden) for the backup center role behind Duncan. He was projected to provide some defensive strength and also outside scoring, as one of the few bigmen in the league adept at 3-pointers. He did post one double-double in December when Duncan was out with a back injury, and had six games in double-digit scoring (three in a row in January)... that when coach Popovich gave him minutes. With Duncan, Gooden, Splitter and Blair all healthy for big part of the season, Bonner struggled to find playing time.

♦ What went wrong: Although he was moved ahead of Blair in the rotation in a couple of games -- when Blair was coming back from an injury and McDyess was placed in the starting five -- , he never found his groove. Splitter's overall increase in minutes as the season progressed, along with the emergence of Gooden after the All-Star Weekend, combined to decrease Bonner's court moments. The bigman from Florida appeared in 81 games for the Spurs in 2008-09, but his number of appearances dropped to 65 last year and 46 this year, even though he was healthy for virtually the entire season. Even with Duncan being sidelined for 11 games and Blair for nine, Bonner played a career-low 515 minutes. In the playoffs, he had four DNPs in the series against New Orleans and two in the Semis against Dallas, and he spent the entire Western Conference Finals in the inactive list.

♦ Best games: 14 points and five rebounds in a win at Utah in November; seven points and 11 boards in December against Phoenix; a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double at Orlando; 11 points and seven boards at Minnesota; 13 points against Phoenix in the last game of the regular season.

♦ Offseason projects: All signals point to Bonner leaving the team. If the Spurs do engage on draft day trade talk, expect Bonner to be used as a trade chip. His long range is a big asset for any team; he has three years remaining on his deal.

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[kibaxx7]

Yes, offseason. You need an all-around forward for some depth, & a new center, both Duncan (Or is it Blair that you started at the C?) & Gooden are aging.

Finally man, offseason period! IMO, the team needs a true 7-footer for the center position. Almost all my bigmen could play both C and PF, so I need a true center. I had Blair at PF because his short height would kill me in the playoffs.

Only two power forwards too?

Guess there's gonna be like 6 centers, heh...

Not 6 centers, but 6 bigmen. It's all about resting TD.

You don't have a true C, do you? I'm guessing Timmy and Gooden play C. That said, you should get a true, big C.

Exactly, that's the plan. On the scouting reports I saw a couple of good 7'0'' centers, hopefully they fall to the last picks of the first round.

Blair is cool, Splitter is the perfect role player if you ask me. I'd like to get more out of Blair, maybe send him into a big man camp or something like that.

Splitter is great for the bench. And yes, I will give Blair more practice too.

Tiago Rocks Man!

He almost got 6MOTY this year, will go for MIP next year.

Blair Power Forward? Ehm, I think he plays better in Center position. Splitter is a future in your association.

I play him as PF because of his 6'7'' height... TD played great for me at center.

Haha, well glad to see you sticking with the roster at any rate. Large changes for the Spurs is not realistic so good job

The team roster still needs a few tweaks.

Theirs got to be a lot of thrill for you heading into the Off Season.

Yes there is. My first true offseason! Can't believe this is happening

Blair is great, and Tiago is perfect for the bench, almost like a Jason Terry-like player in a PF body

Tiago is the perfect sixth man. That role was for George Hill before, but Banana Splitter earned it fair and square.

Tomorrow -- offseason kicking off!

[hova-]

Hell yeah, Stardust. This song is on my all-time playlist, man! I love Timmy Ds game on this vid, just like IRL, no fancy stuff, but extra effective. I don't like his jumpshot though, doesn't look like his real release.

About Gooden, I don't know, you seem to come along well with him, but I have never been a fan of that trade of McDyess. Basically, McDyess was old and would have retired soon, giving you some space for younger players. Gooden will get older, certainly not better - and - earn a lot of money over the next three years.

[Bucket]

Not very good season in scoring for TD, but still career high in steals and blocks. Gooden was a very good back-up for TD.