The Denver Nuggets, if the rumor mill is to be believed, have been searching for an additional big man since being dispatched by the Lakers in last season’s Western Conference Finals. While the Nuggets have been sifting through names like Jeff Foster or Brendan Haywood, the Spurs may have settled on a permanent starting frontline partner [...]

For the first time this season, the Spurs look like a team that can consistently beat quality opponents. Last night’s advanced box score tells the story in numbers, but the game also gave rise to a few developing trends. I’d like to use this recap to highlight this game’s place in that context.

There are lots of positives to take away from tonight’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers: the continued excellency of Tim Duncan; Tony Parker’s reignited aggressiveness; and what you might generally refer to as 48 minutes of sustained focus on both ends of the floor. But for me the story of the game is the [...]

In my recap of Monday’s Bucks-Spurs game, I touched on one of the team’s more controversial topics: The talent and usage of Matt Bonner. There are a proud few who claim that his ability to spread the floor and gaudy advanced statistics speak to his importance to the team, even if his vanilla-flavored style isn’t [...]

Even though San Antonio and Dallas played one another just last week, that game is already ancient history. The Spurs were without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in their first go-round with the Mavs, and Richard Jefferson led the team with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. With Parker and Duncan back in the [...]

You know what they say about a team’s final five being more important than its starting five. Well, that’s all true. In a perfect world, one free of foul trouble and injury concerns, a coach finishes the game with his best five players on the floor. Through 8 games, George Hill is unquestionably the Spurs’ [...]

During the offseason, I suggested that the Lakers had begun a movement of super-contenders by changing the model for winning an NBA championship from 3 stars and a bunch of role players to a 5 star, get-out-our-way template. To make this thesis work, I considered Andrew Bynum a star player. Many readers took exception. “Andrew [...]

Although the tactical details of basketball can be rather complicated, the underlying strategy is surprisingly simple. At a certain point, it is merely a question of number and proximity.

NBA Stats As the “L” emerged from underground somewhere between North/Clybourn and Fullerton, I hurriedly checked my phone to learn the score of the game. Typically I am not that anxious when I miss the first half of a game; I’ve missed plenty before. But when I checked the score before I left the newsroom, [...]

Through five games, the San Antonio Spurs are consistently getting beat on the boards. They currently rank 25th out of 30 teams in rebound rate. The Spurs are the 18th worst offensive rebounding team in the league; they’re ranked 27th in defensive rebounding rate. In terms of raw numbers, San Antonio is losing on the [...]

Although a disappointment, I’m hesitant to read too much into the Spurs Thursday night loss to the Bulls. The Spurs may have gotten younger this offseason but, as I said during the “early edition” of my recap, the Spurs are going to struggle on the second night of back-to-backs when on the road against high [...]

The Spurs tipped off their 2009-10 campaign in impressive fashion, defeating the New Orleans Hornets 113-96 in the season opener at home this evening. It’s hard to imagine an opening game that inspires more confidence moving forward. I think the overwhelming truth that must be taken from tonight’s game is how deep this squad is. [...]

There are two things to know about Theo Ratliff. The first is that he’s not durable. He’s played a (near) full season of basketball only once this decade. In the most recent two seasons, he played 26 and and 46 games, respectively. This first set of numbers should give fans a sense of how the [...]

Some of the most interesting questions facing the coaching staff this season revolve around our big men. The frontcourt has depth and a diversity of skill sets. Figuring out how to organize that depth will be a challenge, although a far more pleasant challenge than figuring how to navigate last season’s lack thereof. One of [...]

If you took a quick poll of which new Spur fans are most excited to watch this season, Antonio McDyess probably wouldn’t come up that often. Despite having a higher PER than Richard Jefferson last season and 13 years worth of NBA experience on DeJuan Blair, McDyess’s arrival in San Antonio has had nowhere near [...]