DeJuan Blair might play on Thursday, it just depends if the Spurs and Happy Walters like the way all their little duckies are lining up.  The Spurs, by the way, typically sit players during summer league in order to free up minutes for others. In all likelihood, Blair would have missed a game regardless of contract negotiations. Last night’s absence is a non-story.

The game featured one noteworthy performance by Ian Mahinmi and two perception solidifying efforts from George Hill and Malik Hairston.

Ian Mahinmi played with frantic energy, running the court like a gazelle and making his rotations with an I-want-to-play urgency. He finished the game with a triple double, collecting 12 points, 16 boards, and 10 fouls in 28 minutes. Let’s start by discussing the ugly triplet, the fouls.

This will seem counter-intuitive, but I take those 10 fouls as a good sign. First, it’s summer league for more than the players. I’m confident that at least half of the whistles were blown by officials who are still finding their way. Put differently, Mahinmi played with a physicality that will serve him well against NBA bigs. In fact, he played with a physicality that is necessary against the sort of players he’ll see during the regular season. By November, most of tonight’s whistled bumps and nudges won’t be called fouls, they’ll be called good defense. It’s great to know that Mahinmi is not afraid to mix it up. His excesses will be easy enough to reign in.

Mahinmi’s point total for the game is deceiving. He established terrific low block position on multiple occasions only to be passed over by his teammates. He could have had another 4 or 5 buckets, easy. He worked hard running the court, beating his man to the block and establishing shop. For his size, Mahinmi is both fast and quick. He’s fast running the court end to end and he’s quick on face ups and pivot spins. His first step is a dart.  At points, he’ll need to settle and become more methodical executing his post moves. But for now, I think the Spurs should encourage him to play at high speed. Not only will it give their front court a different look, but Mahinmi will collect fouls from slow-footed defenders. On one possession, he faced up from 18 feet and blew past his man with a simple ball swing and explosive first step.

Mahinmi’s board work was Blairesque. He simply owned his space with a combination of desire and technique. A handful of his rebounds were of the impressive variety–Mahinmi forcefully boxed out his man and showed the strength and timing necessary to covert the possession. DeJuan Blair is an all-world rebounder, but Ian Mahinmi showed the goods to hold his own in the pursuit of a loose ball.

Ian Mahinmi’s shot blocking is raw. On the game, he had two commanding highlight reel blocks that will enrage Gregg Popovich. One was a half-courter that sent the center fielder into the wall. Mahinmi will learn that it’s more important to assume possession of the ball than to reset the opposing offense. But the talent and timing of a good shot blocker is there. More encouraging to me was his consistent ability to alter shots. I counted 3 clear shot alterations that forced the Nuggets into a bad possession. He’ll refine this skill in time.

The offseason is young. Mahinmi took a big step forward this game, but he needs to maintain this momentum for the remainder of the summer.  Assuming modest progression between now and November, Mahinmi is talented enough to earn occasional minutes as the team’s 5th big.  But more substantial rotation minutes are not unthinkable. To my mind, he’s the team most intriguing wild card.

Malik Hairston is a different player than a year ago. Defensively, he held the uber-athletic Sonny Weems to 2 of 16.  We’ve known that Hairston is capable of sturdy defense, but it’s still nice to be reminded. Offensively, Hairston is taking shape as a legitimate perimeter player. He shoots with confidence and is able to get to the basket on unspectacular but effective dribble drives.  One’s imagination is not strained by the thought of Hairston in the rotation. He’s not there yet, obviously. But if he continues to push himself this summer, especially on his ball handling and outside shooting, Hairston has all the promise of a more offensively talented version of Ime Udoka.  Malik Hairston must sense the opportunity that exists for him this season–Ime Udoka remains unsigned and Mike Finley’s game has lost the battle against age. The minutes available behind Richard Jefferson are for the taking.

George Hill teased us again with his talent. It’s tough to gauge his ceiling, but there is no question that he will be a vital component to the Spurs’ championship aspirations. What is so striking about Hill is how many things he does poorly. He needlessly dribbles into the baseline, he’s lost when trapped and bothered by full court pressure, and his recognition off screens is still underdeveloped.  In other words, he’s nowhere near his ceiling. But he’s covered considerable ground, and his flaws are correctable.  His game is evolving at an exciting pace. If they remain healthy, the Spurs will have the best backcourt in the league.

Thinking more collectively, this game suggests a new wrinkle to the Spurs’ program. George Hill is tremendoes at getting to the foul line. So is Richard Jefferson. Ian Mahinmi’s odd combination of size and speed attracts fouls. Traditionally, the Spurs have not been a team that beats their opponents at the foul line. This season will be different. There is every reason to believe the Spurs’ ability to attack the hoop will be a headache for their opponents. The summer of 2009:  the gift that keeps giving.

I’ve not written about other players because their performances were either unimportant or disappointing. In a nutshell, James Gist is not making a strong case for himself. He needs more time overseas or in Austin, which, he should take note, did wonders for Malik Hairston. Jack McClinton does not look like an NBA player, although it’s still early. He can turn it around. Right now, Marcus Williams will easily beat him out for the final roster spot. But it’s a Wednesday morning in mid-July. There is plenty of time for things to change.

Haislip  was expected. Hairston is a little bit of a surprise. I’ve written early and often about Hairston, boring you with his name since the beginning of last season. The odd thing about the signing is its timing. It’s early. Summer league hasn’t even begun. But I suppose the Spurs wanted to lock Hairston up before other teams saw him in summer league.  He must have looked good during offseason workouts.

The Spurs never disclose contract details, and this time is no different. But the smart money says that Hairston’s deal is  partially guaranteed, enough to keep him from the siren calls of another team’s camp.

Also, San Antonio did not announce the signing of James Gist today. May not mean anything, but it’s a notable silence.   With both Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams inked to deals, the Spurs now have three small forwards on roster, not counting Mike Finley. Ime Udoka, take note.  The Spurs could well enter the season with a small forward depth chart of Richard Jefferson, Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams. I’m taking the optimistic high road and saying the Spurs see Williams and/or Hairston as ready for the rotation. But we’ll see.  The youth movement is underway.

A final note in passing: The Spurs bench boasts three players who have been mainstays for the Austin Toros. Some of our readers have asked–reasonably, I might add–where they might find fruit from the Austin project. I submit that that fruit is on its way, all bowed and pretty in a big bushel.

Since the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs, I’ve tried to paint a big picture of their options this summer. Those sort of discussions always gravitate toward marquee names. That’s fun, and given the current state of team, entirely possible, but as some of our readers rightly point out, the Spurs are not typically in the business of chasing names. They do things differently in San Antonio. Much of what they do is done off radar.

Unless you’re one of our French readers, you’re not likely to know the name Austin Nichols.  Nichols is, many would argue, the best player of French Pro A.  He’s a noted defender and dead-eye shooter. In this season’s EuroChallenge, Nichols shot 53% from within the arc and 36% from beyond it.  As a SG/SF, his 22.3 points per game sit atop of the French League scoring chart.  Here’s a little taste:

Nichols can curl and catch, he can corner 3, he can finish at the rim. In an April 2009 interview, former University of Michigan star–now a member of the French league–Daniel Horton said, “[Austin Nichols] is hands down the best shooter I have ever played with, maybe the best shooter I’ve ever seen.”

Before establishing himself with Hyeres-Toulon, Austin Nichols played college ball at Humboldt State and then a couple seasons in the D-League. He’s hoping to parlay his recent play into an NBA contract.

The San Antonio Spurs have invited him to an early summer mini camp, and he’d like to summer league with them from there. Last week, I spoke with Nichols about the summer ahead–a summer in which he intends to “buckle down and get ready to work.”

“I feel like this is a tremendous opportunity for me,” Nichols said.  From my perspective, the opportunity is tailor fit. As our readers know, the Spurs like to spread the floor with shooters so that Tim Duncan can do work. One of the most pressing questions facing the team is how to replenish their wings, for the 2009 season and beyond.  Nichols agreed with me that his skill set and strengths are a great fit for San Antonio.

But in true Spur fashion, Nichols’ fit runs deeper than what he brings to the court. L’Equipe recently ran a feature on him in which he was characterized as the “anti-star.” That is, a star of high skill and high character. I couldn’t help but ask him to speak to the character question: “I was always taught that no matter what you can do or what you accomplish you have to stay grounded and humble,” he remarks.  “This is because everything that has been given to you can be taken away just as fast.  I also feel that if you are humble and grounded then you don’t become complacent and you always strive to better yourself as a player and a person.”

The L’Equipe feature quotes his current coach, Alain Weisz, with this evaluation: “He isn’t a killer and I don’t know if he will ever become one. However, I think he has the profile to be a NBA starter. He is in the Bruce Bowen mold, a strong defender able to knock corner 3′s…To me, he is better than Pietrus.” (Thanks to Bruno for tracking down the article and providing a translation for the quote.)

With the big summer ahead, I asked Austin what he has planned. “My plans for the summer pretty much consist of doing whatever it takes to maximize my chances of making an NBA roster,” he said.  “I was fortunate enough to get invited to the Spurs mini-camp and I was invited to the Cavs mini-camp as well.  I don’t know if any other opportunities will arise, but, if they do, I’ll attend those as well.  For training, I am going to work out with Phil Handy this summer.”

What will a day in the gym look like for Nichols?  “A typical day of workouts for me consists of doing you regular routine things at first.  Like shooting, dribbling, defense, etc.  After that I like to focus on improving my weaknesses and perfecting my strengths so depending on the day the workout would be geared toward those things.  Don’t really have a set routine, but I do like to be as efficient as I can be in my workouts.”

That hard work has taken Nichols from Humboldt State into the French League MVP conversation.  This summer he hopes it takes him a few steps further. Austin Nichols will attempt to be the next car in the Bruce Bowen-Ime Udoka-Roger Mason Jr. train. The same train that players like Udonis Haslem rode into the NBA.

One thing those players have in common–each one does at least one thing really well, and each player gives strong effort on the defensive end. We know this about Coach Popovich:  he’d sign a mossy stone with limited handles if he thought it could defend. Based on what others are saying about Nichols, he has a puncher’s chance.

The final question I asked Austin is why the call of the NBA still appeals to him—he’s a star where he’s at, and opportunity for a bigger contract with a Euroleague club is undoubtedly in waiting.  His response is the same one Roger Mason would have given a few years back: “It’s the highest level of basketball and it demands the most from an individual on a daily basis.  I belong in the NBA because I can meet that challenge.  Not to say that I’m above anyone else or anything like that, but I feel that maximizing my potential and the level of my game means playing in the NBA.” So, it’s about more than fulfilling a dream. It sounds like Austin Nichols wants to become a better Austin Nichols.

My plan is to chronicle Nichols’ journey this summer. He’s kindly agreed to let 48MoH check in with him along the way. If Austin has his way, that journey will go from mini camp to summer league to training camp to an NBA roster. Maybe the Spurs roster.  I’ll keep the updates flowing. Check back often.  Until then, check this out.

(HT: T.J. Thompson for shining the light on Nichols back in early April. And thanks for the video link, too.)

In his year-end analysis, the dependable Jeff McDonald wrote that Roger Mason Jr. “Will become more valuable as he becomes more comfortable at the point.” About George Hill he wrote, “Will see more time once he learns to be a point guard.” Some of you might be thinking that McDonald mailed those sentences in. But that not the case. He’s got the pulse of a confusing backcourt situation. It’s the sort of confusion that may work itself out naturally as players develop, or it may require some front office intervention.

What We Know

Tony Parker is an ace. He’s entered into the land of elite players this season, and promptly set up camp and unfurled his flag. He’s only 26. He and Tim Duncan anchor the team. His task for the summer should be extending his range out to the three point line. We’ll see.

Unfortunately, we do know something about his summer. He’ll be playing for the French National Team. This is a trend which will continue through 2012, barring injury. In other words, between regular season games, postseason games, and international competition, Tony Parker is 26 going on 28. You can’t fault him for playing for his country, but it does make one worry.  Nevertheless, he is near his prime, and in that respect the Spurs point guard situation is locked into stone.

Behind Parker, we have questions. The first is related to his French allegiance.  Will Popovich limit Parker’s minutes next season–at least for the first half–in order to rest him. Speaking for myself, I’d like to see Coach Popovich sit the Big 3 out of most back-to-backs.  And I’d like to see Tony Parker play closer to 30 minutes a game. Limiting his minutes would serve two important functions: resting his legs and allowing the Spurs time to develop their back up point guards. Popovich ought to make this a coaching prerogative for the 2009-10 season.

Who Is the Reserve Point Guard?

This is the question. With Jacque Vaughn’s contract now expired, the Spurs will have to find a 3rd point. This would typically seem inconsequential, but with their tight cap situation, it’s something worth thinking about. To my mind, the Spurs will either draft a point or find one through training camp. Near the end of the season, Marcus Williams played exclusively at point forward for the Toros. He knows the Spurs playbook, and would be an inexpensive option. Technically, he’s already under contract. At 6’7”, he’d give the Spurs a different look as a deep reserve point forward. I’m cheering for him to make the team, and I think his ability to advance the ball, initiate the offense and defend represent his best chance of sticking.

From a roster standpoint, the Spurs are not harmed by taking this risk because they have Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill on deck. Any of those players can sub at point if the Spurs are in a pinch. And one of either Mason Jr. or Hill really ought to be subbing at point full time. Popovich does a disservice to the team by veering between Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill.  He needs to choose one and consistently go to him in the role of backup point. But Pop’s problem is a real one–neither Mason Jr. nor Hill are really point guards. At least not yet.

Mason Jr. is a shooting guard. I’m not going to argue the point, because it should be obvious to everyone who watches Spurs basketball. He’s uncomfortable at point, he doesn’t have the skill set, and it goes against his best attribute, which is the ability to spot up and bomb. George Hill might be a point guard, but I’m not convinced it’s his natural position. It’s gonna take work. Moreover, Hill will receive the majority of his minutes on defensive duty, and this will often include the other team’s best wing.  When the Spurs go to bench in this way, Hill routinely plays shooting guard by default because Popovich must give a defensive account for the opposing point guard. In other words, if Hill is on assignment against Jason Terry, Parker or Mason Jr. will have to guard Jason Kidd. Otherwise, the Spurs are simply robbing from Peter to pay Paul.

If Bruce Bowen has in fact played his last game as a Spur, and I think that he has, the Spurs need to place an emphasis on upgrading their defensive personnel. Bruce Bowen was such an outstanding defender that very few players in the world can replicate what he does within the Spurs system (Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Kobe Bryant, Tayshaun Prince, and, perhaps, Dimitris Diamantidis). Assuming that none of those players are with the Spurs next season, the next best option, and the only option readily available, is to replace Bruce Bowen with two or three above average defenders, giving lock down duty to more players than in year’s past.   George Hill has already shown that he can be part of project. In this way, I think George Hill is more valuable to the Spurs than Roger Mason Jr. He’s cheaper, he has a higher ceiling, and he can defend. Too bad for the Spurs, that ceiling is still a long way off. Hence, the conundrum.

The Problem

If what I’ve said in the above paragraphs is true, then the Spurs have a problem. They’ll play George Hill at shooting guard for his defense, giving him what is leftover of Manu Ginobili’s minutes. And they’ll be forced to play Roger Mason Jr. at point guard, which is not his natural position. In short, I think the Spurs have too much going on at shooting guard (I haven’t even addressed Michael Finley in this discussion, even though he slides between 2 and 3).  They have a makeshift yet workable situation behind Tony Parker at point, but it’s not really ideal in terms of player development or setting a consistent, dependable playoff rotation. Meanwhile, the Spurs have a black hole at small forward where Finley is too old, Udoka is inconsistent, underwhelming and out of contract, and Bowen is a dead man walking. It’s an ugly mess.

Where am I going with all this? If the Spurs need to add a sweetener to their expiring contracts in order to facilitate a trade, especially a trade for an All-Star wing, they should choose either Roger Mason Jr. or George Hill as that sweetener. They’re both good players, but will be fighting one another for minutes while the Spurs languish on the wing. This is not to say the Spurs have to trade either player, just that they could be expendable in exchange for a greater good. It’s one of those situations that calls one to kill a good thing so that the better thing can live. Put differently, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, George Hill and Roger Mason Jr. is something of an overkill when you have such a desperate roster need elsewhere.

I’ll pick up with Part Two of this breakdown tomorrow morning.

If Pop decides to play small, he’ll likely use Ime Udoka at power forward, with either Tim Duncan or Drew Gooden at center.  Ime Udoka is an excellent rebounder for his size and could body Dirk Nowitzki and, say, Brandon Bass on the defensive end. This could provide a reasonably effective line up, but without Manu Ginobili I doubt it will provide enough offense for the Spurs to stick with it for too long. But it’s not a bad line up, and we shouldn’t lurch toward the television if Pop decides to employ it from time to time.

This series, unlike past seasons, Popovich has the option of more post scoring. Because of this–and the Ginobili injury–I expect Popovich to stick with a standard fare 5-man unit. As I mentioned in another post, the Spurs best defense of Dirk Nowitzki is forcing him to defend. Because of this, Pop would be well-served to run Tim Duncan and Drew Gooden together, early and often. If the Spurs employ a 3.5 bigman rotation of Tim Duncan, Drew Gooden and Matt Bonner (and Kurt Thomas, situationally), Dirk Nowitzki will have to defend every minute he’s on the floor. Moreover, a three-headed attack of Duncan-Gooden-Bonner should force the slow-footed Erick Dampier or ill-equipped Ryan Hollins into foul trouble. Attacking Dallas’ interior defense also provides the Spurs opportunity to make up for the loss of Manu Ginobili’s scoring through interior buckets and foul shots.

"Just double his dribble, Pop. You'll be fine."

In a recent comment thread, NickyDubs asked, “So I don’t recall what we tried earlier in the season, but who do you think we’ll send at Dirk?”

The short answer is Matt Bonner and Ime Udoka, but that doesn’t say much. The Spurs have some personnel problems, one of which has been there since preseason. That is, they don’t really have a big who can guard face up bigs like David West and Dirk Nowitzki. So, in that sense, the Spurs will have to live with containing the German rather than stopping him. But who can really stop Dirk Nowitzki?  Still, the unfortunate options of Bonner (mediocre defender, lacks the necessary speed to keep up with dribbling Dirk) and Udoka (good defender, but forced to guard a taller player out of position) is problematic. What about Bruce Bowen? This is merely conjecture, but I suspect Popovich will use him in spot duty to slow Jason Terry and occasionally double up on Dirk.

The Spurs have not played the Mavericks in the playoffs since the Warriors defeated them in 2007. In that series, Don Nelson brilliantly sent a small pest at Dirk’s dribble every time he put the ball on the floor–as soon as the ball touched hardwood the Warriors swarmed Nowitzki. This resulted in some turnovers, but more than anything it effectively disturbed Nowitzki’s rhythm. Dallas, of course, lost the series. I’m not sure Popovich is planning the same attack, but I hope so. Between Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker and, hopefully, George Hill, the Spurs have the sort of double team personnel that could make this a successful strategy.

Allow me a quick rabbit trail on George Hill. Pop has said that Hill will not be playing much this postseason. Disappointing, but not surprising. But Popovich made these statements prior to drawing the Mavericks. George Hill’s defense is a great option against Dallas not only because of his ability to hurt Nowitzki on the double team, but because the Mavericks have numerous penetraters that trouble the Spurs. George Hill could harass J.J. Barea or Jason Terry into difficult shots, limiting their damage. As much as we wonder about how the Spurs will guard Dirk Nowitzki, I’m more concerned about their ability to prevent Dallas’  guards from penetrating. This, to my mind, is the key to the series.

But returning to the question of guarding Nowitzki, there is one more option at the Spurs disposal: attack him on offense. The last time these two teams played one another in the postseason, the Spurs were more limited in terms of frontcourt scoring options. In this series, Hasselhoff can’t vacation while guarding Nazr Mohammed or Rasho Nesterovic. The Spurs should run their offense at Dirk Nowitzki whenever he draws Tim Duncan or Drew Gooden; they should make him work to close out on Kurt Thomas’ pick and pops and Matt Bonner’s three ball.  These are not the same teams that played in 2006, and I think the Spurs can exploit the Mavericks in ways they could not back then.  Hopefully the series has the same feel and drama, but the Xs and Os could be much different.

The highlight of the night was Bruce Bowen’s effort against Kevin Durant, who has looked every bit the superstar against the the Spurs this season. Durant still looked like a future MVP, but Bowen made KD work for his points, “holding” him to 7-16 for 24.  Durant finished with a +/- of -10. The Spurs and Thunder have squared off 3 times in recent weeks, and this is the first game in which Kevin Durant appeared even remotely bottled up. In every contest against San Antonio, the Thunder have simply located Michael Finley and ran plays at him. In the last two contests, this gave rise to a Kevin Durant highlight reel. But not last night.

Bruce Bowen is not what he used to be, granted. But you know what the blues singer says, “he’ll’ forget more about defense than others will ever know.”   Bowen’s work on Durant set a tone for the entire evening. The game was won because in nearly every instance, the Spurs preferred defense to offense, a reversal of trend from the recent rotation carnival. Bruce Bowen’s future with the Spurs is uncertain. I’d love to treat the sentimentalist in me to a few encores before the curtain closes.

Beyond appreciation for Bowen, here are a few scattered bullets to muse on:

• Tim Duncan had a very quiet 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Never the uber-athlete, his ailing knees have further restricted his lift around the rim. He scored by imposing his big fundamentals, not by overpowering his man. He shot selection was smartly attuned to his condition–he put shoulders into his defender to create space for hook shots, he played the glass, he dropped stepped around lousy positioning. In some ways, this is vintage Tim Duncan. But it seemed like more. Tim Duncan performance seemed like a tangible response to the Manu Ginobili injury, to his own legs, and to the 6 point stinker he put up against Cleveland. It’ll be interesting to see if Popovich plays Tim Duncan against Portland this evening. Graydon Gordian takes this on in a post from earlier this morning.
• Drew Gooden played a great game. He had 20 points in 29 minutes, including an important 6-6 from the line. But it’s his 2 blocks that speak to his defensive intensity. Or, put differently, if this season’s final chapters are about defense, Drew Gooden showed he wants a role. His defense was far from flawless, but it was also more than adequate. Welcome to Spurs basketball, Drew. We’re glad to have you.
• When we right our histories of the Spurs Dynasty, this season will be remembered by a handful of talking points. Tony Parker’s emergence as an All-League player is certainly part of that conversation. Tony Parker should finish 5th or 6th in MVP voting. I suspect he’s Second Team All-NBA, as well. Only Bryant, Wade, and Paul are better backcourters. Last night’s 21 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals is an increasingly common statline.
• Matt Bonner played 18 minutes, but his stats are almost invisible. Kurt Thomas, on the other hand, registered 6 points and 7 boards in 16 minutes. Thomas was something of a one man scrum.  If defense is this season’s final movement, Bonner should fall and Thomas lift. Matt Bonner is good situational play, but he fits the offensive model. That model died in Cleveland.
• If Ime Udoka was 2 inches taller, he’d lead the league in rebounding. His rebound rate is remarkable. He played a deserving 27 minutes, and his final numbers are exactly what the Spurs need from him: 9 rebounds, a steal, a block, and good, tough-nosed man defense. If he scores, that’s gravy. But they really need him to board.
• Pop is one decision away from being back on my Christmas Card list. He needs to find minutes for George Hill. Roger Mason Jr. returned to form last night, and that is in large part because of a return to the starting shooting guard slot, where he has been most comfortable this season. Pop is still relying on him as a back point, however, when Parker is on the bench. My contention is that Pop should look to Mace’s scoring when Parker gets rest, but should allow George Hill to advance the ball and impose his defense on the opposing point. But it’s hard to complain. In yesterday’s pregame post, I hoped that this game would function as a reset button, returning the Spurs to a more familiar defense-first brand of basketball. And that’s what happened. Hooray, Pop!

Going forward, I expect the Spurs to continue along the path of ugly it up, slow it down, grind it out. And I’m pleased. It’s good to be home.

The Spurs are hobbled by injury. They’ve given away games to the Thunder and Celtics. In each case, the game was lost by uncharacteristically bad execution down the stretch. Moreover, even when they win, it’s not in impressive fashion. The Spurs are now 10-5 in games decided by one possession. 15 one possession games is a bundle. That number makes me uncomfortable.

And now Houston, 1/2 game back of the Southwest Division lead, comes into San Antonio. Many of us have been waiting for this Spurs team to flip the proverbial switch. Today, they have their chance. But, as Anup Shah points out, it’s a big game for Houston too.

At a basic level, I’ll be satisfied with a win today. Moving closer to securing the 2 seed is the big picture plot point of today’s game. But there are two late season subplots emerging that I’m watching carefully. The first is simple enough: will the Spurs snap out of their 3 point shooting slump? For good or ill, this is a team that thrives when connecting from deep. Popovich’s offense is committed to the 3 point shot. His roster is largely built around the spacing provided by Duncan and a surrounding cast of 3 point specialist. The 3 pointer is not a luxury for Pop and crew, it’s a necessity. Subplot No. 1.

The second subplot is actually an entangled network of major and minor storylines, all of which are coming to a boil. It can be summarized in this way: what will the postseason rotation look like? With an injured Ginobili and a newly acquired Gooden, one wonders if the Spurs will set a proper rotation yet this regular season. And if they do, how much court time will the recently (re)introduced players have shared together? 5 games? 10? It takes more than a pregame shootaround to regain rhythm and game shape. Will the Spurs enter the playoffs out of sync and out of shape? We’ll see.

But beyond Gooden and Ginobili, there are decisions to make elsewhere. A semi-successful late season experiment has put Pop in a tough spot. Several games back, he began using Roger Mason Jr. as his back up point and gave Hill minutes at shooting guard. The move has yielded mixed results from Big Shot Rog. His play at point has been erratic. Some nights he looks good. Other nights, not so much. For Hill, on other hand, the move has yielded fruit. In fact, Hill’s defense against the Celtics–and in other recent contests–was a revelation. His late game minutes against Ray Allen and Eddie House were, dare I say, Bowenesque. Hill deserves 15-20 minutes per game on defensive merits alone.   It won’t happen this season, but an eventual starting backcourt of Parker and Hill would make sense. What’s the problem, then? Here’s the rub: once Ginobili returns, Pop will have difficulty finding minutes for Mason, Hill, and Manu at shooting guard. Who is his back up point? Who deserves more minutes as second fiddle shooting guard? It’s a good problem to have, but someone is likely to play less minutes than he deserves.

Related this this, is the issue at wing. Finley is in a rut, but Bowen’s recent play is spectacular. In fact, I’m in favor of his re-assuming starts at small forward. For all the misery that is 6 missed free throws, it was a joy to watch Bowen obliterate Paul Pierce in the 4th quarter of Friday’s game. The Bowen/Hill tag team nearly rendered Allen and Pierce invisible. Bowen is back to playing classic Bruce Bowen defense. Maybe we should tip our hat to Popovich for knowing enough to rest “Brucie” for the first 60 games.  We might look back on that decision as a stroke of genius.  Meanwhile, Ime Udoka, too, has come alive. If one placed the last 5 games in a vacuum, there is no doubt that Udoka and Bowen, offensively challenged as they may be, deserve minutes over Mike Finley, who has gone from smoking hot to fire hose in that span. It seems inconceivable to me that Popovich would give Bowen, Hill and Udoka (who defense against teams such as Houston is valuable) heavy minutes because of the offensive liabilities it creates. Finley is the offensive antidote to their defensive splendor. You have to play him, right? I think so. But it would be nice to know if Parker, Mason, Ginobili, Duncan and Gooden provide enough offense to give the defensive triumvirate of Bowen-Hill-Udoka more burn.

As I said earlier, I’m not sure how the final rotation will shake out. But it will be fun to see how things settle.

The Spurs played well-enough for the final 3 quarters, winning each one by margins of 3, 7, and 1 respectively. But after the Lakers pounded the Spurs in the 1st, one got the sense that the teams were going through the motions.  Neither team wanted to lay it all out there unless the effort actually counted for something. But the Lakers are too far ahead in the standings and the possibility of battling for home court advantage is too far gone for that to be true.   Neither team is naive enough to believe that this game was anything more than a meaningless little flicker. But I can’t help but draw on a few observations which might portend bigger things this postseason.

Last night’s contest marked the 5th consecutive game in which Coach Pop subbed for Parker by sliding Roger Mason from 2 to 1. Without Ginobili or Gooden, the rotation is far from set. But the Mason maneuver has proven effective. Ultimately, Mason provides Pop with scoring and floor leadership sans Parker. When Ginobili returns, the Mason-Manu tandem ought to strengthen the 2nd unit, providing insulation against San Antonio’s notorious scoring droughts. It’s a smart move, and one I expect to continue from here out.

With Mason’s promotion to back up point, fans might reasonably assume that George Hill is out of the rotation. But such assumptions are way off base. Hill, too, has received an unlikely promotion from Popovich. He’s quickly becoming the team’s defensive stopper. Pop is calling Hill’s number in the mid 2nd quarter and for most of the 4th. Sunday’s game against Phoenix saw Hill play the entire 4th quarter–he responded by playing lock down D on Steve Nash. Tuesday’s contest against the Bobcats saw more of the same long 4th quarter minutes. And last night? Pop opted to guard Bryant with Hill, not Bowen, during the games final minutes. Can you imagine that? Pop chose the rookie over the league’s best perimeter defender this decade.

Kobe Bryant still managed to crush the Spurs, but Hill played him as tightly as could be expected. Watch the game highlights in the video player to the right of this post–Bryant’s game clinching 3 had more to do with his offensive brilliance and far less with any defensive failures on the part of Hill.  In fact, I was impressed with Hill’s 4th quarter defense against Bryant, despite the forfeiture of 4 or 5 inches to the world’s best player.  Offensively, Hill is a work in progress. Defensively, he’s quietly emerging as an ace in the hole.

It’s not just me. Hill has won the confidence of his coaches and teammates. He’s an eager understudy to Bruce Bowen, who provides private tutelage and a library of game film as part of Hill’s ongoing education. George Hill is not far from becoming an All-League defender. That’s a big claim, I know. But the Spurs have found a new Bruce Bowen, albeit more of a Chris Paul-slowing combo guard than a Kobe Bryant-bothering swing. Size is size.

After Tuesday’s Bobcats game, Tony Parker made this remark: “George did a great job again on defense. He was physical and got some steals, rebounds, rotation, he did a little bit of everything covering for everybody. He’s a young Bruce Bowen.” After the same game, Popovich tipped his hat in the same direction: “He’s doing a great job. He’s playing fantastic defense. He hits the boards and is aggressive on the offensive end. The last two games he’s been on the floor at the end of the game, so that should tell you something.” Or, even more tellingly, Popovich made this statement after last night’s loss: “If you’ve watched him, then you should know (why he was on Kobe). He plays a heck of a defense and he does a good job.” In other words, Pop says, “Isn’t it obvious? The kid is a stopper.”

This is all to say, the Spurs are beginning to find their defensive identity. This development is far more important to me than any meaningless late season game against the Lakers. Hill, Bowen, and even recent vintage Udoka, are finding a way to co-exist. Setting aside the 1st quarter, the Spurs held the Lakers to 18, 25, and 24 in the final 3 quarters. I’ll take those numbers every night against the Lakers. The sluggish start and decimation on the boards were the problem, but those things are correctable. The Spurs are too disciplined to give up many 35 point quarters. In fact, I doubt we see that sort of let down in another game this season.  Any loss is tough, but the Spurs heart beats to the tune of defense. Over the last month, I’ve heard a low rumble thumping from just beneath their breast. Popovich is finding a way to get production from what was heretofore the most underwhelming defensive squad of his tenure. Hill is a big part of that recovery.

Turning to the other side of the ball. If the Manu Ginobili injury has any silver lining, it’s the emergence of Tony Parker as an elite NBA scorer. Yes, you read that correctly. Tony Parker is one of the league’s best scorers.  He only had 25 and 9 last night, but that’s par for the course over the Manu-less stretch. And even though Parker shot 10-18, the Lakers did a tremendous job defending him. The most noteworthy aspect of that 10-18 is that Parker was limited to too few shot attempts. The Spurs needed a big game from him–without Ginobili, the Spurs need Parker to put up 25 FGAs. For the most part, last night’s game did not teach us anything that we didn’t already know. The Spurs are the 2nd best team in the West, trailing the Lakers. The Lakers are a strong No. 1 seed. But it did serve as a reminder that the Lakers ability to pack the lane and guard Parker with an army of long arms is an incredibly problematic proposition for the Western Conference Finals.  When Phil Jackson opts to put Trevor Ariza on Tony Parker (a trump card he held back last night), I get a little queasy. His on the ball defense of Parker might be the best in the league. For that reason alone, I’d favor the Spurs consideration of Ariza as an MLE candidate this offseason. But I’ll save that for another time.

On a side note, Drew Gooden played all of 4 minutes against the Lakers. It was only a quick little glimpse, but he looked good. In a game wherein the Spurs were murdered on the glass, his rebound per minute effort gave Spurs fans reason to hope. Increasingly, I see Gooden as a home run addition.  In fact, the Spurs will never run a single play for him and he’ll still tally near double-double production every game.

Finally, this game taught me something about the Spurs accustomed late season ascension: it’s not going to happen this year. Gooden needs time to work into the rotation. Ginobili may not return for another couple weeks. Duncan is playing at less than 100%. As cocky as this sounds, I suspect Pop will use the first two rounds of the playoffs to work his team into shape. The playoffs provide focus and an opportunity to practice. It will provide Duncan’s weary legs rest during the oft-repeating 3 and 4 day lay offs. The second season is built for an old, smart team like San Antonio.  Last night’s game left me with a renewed sense of fear of the Lakers. They’re the most talented team in the league; they’re the Spurs toughest position-by-position match up. But the game also left me with a certain knowledge that the Spurs will not lose a 7 game series to anyone other than the Lakers, Celtics, and Cavs.  If the team can return to good health, I’ll give them a puncher’s chance against the 3 lead dogs.

Update: The San Antonio Express News’ Mike Monroe took the same tact as myself for this game: George Hill. He’s written a nice column that gauges the reaction of Hill on Bryant from multiple perspectives. On a side note, the Lakers-Spurs respect-fest is in full swing this year. Every pre and post game media session is all hugs and kisses from these guys. See Popovich exhibiting an anti-Artestian Kobe Bryant man-crush in this article.

Another Update: Johnny Ludden adds more color to the Spurs’ appreciation of Kobe Bryant. During the waning moments of last night’s game the fans in the AT&T Center cheered Bryant with a little M-V-P chant. What’s this all about? My theory is two-pronged. 1) Kobe Bryant has always shown respect to the Spurs, including a complimentary orientation toward Bruce Bowen. Bryant and Bowen get along. This alone endures Bryant to the San Antonio faithful. 2) Spurs fans deeply respect professionalism and excellence. Bryant is both those things in spades. This is even more remarkable when one considers that the Lakers are hated in South Texas. I can safely say there isn’t another non-Spur to whom Spurs fans would show this kind of love. Only Bryant. He’s a unique nemesis in that way. Fans who were at last night’s game question the veracity of Ludden’s suggestion that the M-V-P chants originated with the home crowd.  I’ve been reading Ludden for as long as I can remember, so when he writes something I tend to accept it at face value. But in this case, I want to withdraw comment. He was likely mistaken.

Last night the Spurs defeated the Bobcats in San Antonio to sweep the season series 2-0. For 3 1/2 quarters Charlotte put up a good fight but a lockdown defensive stand by the Spurs to close the game brought us the win.

For the second game in a row Ime Udoka saw a lot of court time (25 minutes) and for the second game in a row he played decently. He didn’t shoot as well as he did against the Suns but none of his shots were ill-advised and his defense and rebounding were reliable. I don’t know what has inspired Pop to suddenly give Ime a second chance; after a poor start to the season he seemed permanently relegated to the end of the bench. All I know is that, if Ime can show some consistency on the court, he would be a valuable asset come the playoffs. Mostly I see him as a defensive tool because he has the size and the aggressiveness to handle oversized wings (like Lamar Odom). I guess it’s worth noting that Udoka didn’t really find his way into the rotation until about this time last season and was a worthwhile contributor in the playoffs.

When not pondering the mystery of Udoka’s minutes, I spent much of last night’s game frustrated. It’s clear that the Bobcats have improved greatly since they acquired Diaw and Bell for Richardson but we still shouldn’t have allowed this team to play us so close. Our defensive intensity in the closing minutes made that all the more clear. Yes, it’s nice to know that when the game is on the line we can break a team down at will but I would have like to have seen us play with a tad more aggression from start to finish.

The game’s notable performances came from Kurt Thomas and George Hill. (Mason shot well and Duncan and Parker both had double-doubles but at this point, are any of those really that notable?) A commenter recently noted that Thomas’ play has really improved as the season has progressed. I couldn’t agree more. At this point he has turned into a reliable anchor for the defense when Duncan is on the bench. At the beginning of the season he was rather ineffectual but I think I underestimated the effect his pre-season injury had on the sharpness of his play. For all the huffing and puffing I did about our frontcourt for the majority of the season, I feel surprisingly content with the play of our big men.

George Hill had a strong game as well. His defensive abilities are often talked about in terms of his length and his athleticism: He has the natural gifts to be a talented defender. But as the season has gone on he has turned into a more tenacious defender is well. He is developing into an incessant annoyance for opposing guards. He has always had the quickness (and focus) to close out on shooters and make penetration difficult but in recent weeks he has been more aggressive in man-to-man situations. When covering the ball handler, he plays his man tighter and is more active with his hands. He also had a nice, efficient offensive output yesterday evening, going 3-3 from the field and 2-2 from the line.

Brief side note: Were the referee’s driving anyone else insane last night or was it just me? I didn’t feel they were calling an uneven game (the Bobcats committed 17 personal fouls, the Spurs 18) but I felt, for much of the first half, they were calling it absurdly tight. At this point it doesn’t matter but at the time it was genuinely disrupting my enjoyment of the game. Definitely one of those “let ‘em play, ref” moments. I just wanted to see if anyone else felt similarly.

Our next game is against the Lakers, who are coming off of an embarrassing loss to Portland. It will be the second game of a back-to-back for LA, the first of which is tonight in Houston. After all the buzz about that Michael Lewis’ article, all eyes are going to be focused on Battier’s defense of Kobe. We’ll see if Shane is as clever as Lewis thinks he is.

Ed. Note: As commenter “John” correctly noted, Odom will miss tonight’s game against the Rockets, not tomorrow’s game against the Spurs. I edited the final paragraph to reflect that.

For 3 1/2 quarters, the Spurs were productive on the offensive end of the floor (at the beginning of the 3rd we suffered an inevitable but comparatively brief drought). We average just over 19 free throw attempts a game but the Spurs found their way to the charity stripe 27 times this afternoon. A collectively hot hand from outside allowed us to match the Suns’ impressive 1st quarter 30 point performance but our consistent penetration (and clutch mid-range shooting down the stretch) is what helped us remain in control for the majority of the game. Even in the 3rd, during which our offense was least effective, we remained focused on reaching the rim. During that time our players best equipped to make their way into the paint were Roger Mason and Matt Bonner (in other words, we had no one equipped to make their way into the paint), but for 48 minutes we never lost sight of the value of getting high-percentage shots in the lane.

Against such a porous defense, it’s easy to think our offense won it for us. But, in the true spirit of Spurs’ dogma, it was the defense that secured the win. Our most impressive quarter of the game was the second, in which we held the high-powered Suns to a mere 15 points. Steve Nash hit a 5-foot jumper with 5:18 left in the second to tie the game 45-45. The Spurs would go into the locker room at half up 58-45. For over 5 minutes, the Spurs held the Suns scoreless. This is no easy feat. Part of it can be attributed to the Spurs’ “killer instinct,” part of it to Shaq’s poor conditioning (he was productive in both the 1st and the start of the 3rd but by the end of each half he was completely irrelevant). Either way, when the Spurs got serious on the defensive end, the Suns struggled to respond.

The game ended on a similar note. The Suns put together a heroic attempt to remain competitive but a flood of steals by the Spurs made Phoenix’s loss seem inevitable. Although the general storyline is familiar (spurs lockdown on D, win in crunch time), the way it happened is a tad uncommon. Our defense is most effective when forcing low-percentage shots and getting in position to secure the rebound. But we held off the Suns by filling passing lanes and producing turnovers. Creating steals often seems too risky. A failed attempt will most likely leave a man open and lead to an easy bucket for the opposing team. But our late-game turnovers didn’t feel like gambles; they felt surgical.

Some impressive outside shooting by Leandro Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Steve Nash kept the game from getting completely out of hand but our offense remained too efficient and our defensive rebounding too consistent. By avoiding the Hack-a-Shaq and needing shooters on the floor, the Suns left themselves in a tough position when it came to rebounding. Down 10 with 4 to play, the Suns just weren’t getting the second chance looks it takes to pull off the comeback.

If I had to give away the game ball, it would go to Tony Parker and not just because he put up another 30-point game (12 of which came in the 4th for those of who you don’t think Parker can make shots in the clutch). He was also a key piece in our defensive stands. Duncan sat for much of the 4th quarter. During that time, Parker dictated the outcome of the game on both ends of the floor. He made crisp rotations, swiped a couple of the previously mentioned steals, drained mid-range jumpers, and finished at the rim. This afternoon we did not see Parker’s most impressive offensive performance of the season but we received a balanced, focused effort from our All-Star point guard.

Somewhat unexpectedly Ime Udoka saw 24 minutes of court time this afternoon (he is averaging 12.9 minutes a game this season). He used them wisely, going 4-8 from the field while hauling down 2 boards and dishing 2 dimes. Equally unexpectedly, Malik Hairston received a DNP-CD. Between Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, and Jared Dudley, the Suns play a SF-heavy rotation which explains Udoka’s minutes. But Hairston’s absence caught me off guard.

In recent weeks Hairston has been one of the first players off the bench. Against a fast-paced team like the Suns (who in some instances we encouraged to out-run themselves instead of trying to slow them down) Malik’s athleticism seems like a valuable asset. My guess is that Pop thought exposing an unsophisticated player like Malik to the Suns’ up-tempo style was dangerous. Playing at such a quick pace is alluring for a rookie but can lead to poor defensive decisions and too many offensive gambles. It may also be a sign that Malik hasn’t shown enough progress to make it into our playoff rotation.

Fabricio Oberto didn’t play as well but, given how shallow the Suns’ frontcourt is without Amare Stoudemire, I am not particularly surprised. Oberto sees limited minutes when we face teams with only 1 imposing big man. With Duncan and Shaq entering and exiting in unison for nearly the entire game, Oberto’s presence never really seemed necessary.

I’ll avoid making some awful “setting Suns” remark here, but I will say that, if Phoenix plans on making the playoffs, they better get hot and do it fast. They are 4 games out of the 8th seed with 19 left to play.

On Tuesday the Spurs face the Bobcats in San Antonio. In our first meeting this season the Spurs narrowly won a hard-fought game in Charlotte 86-84.

Ime Udoka

A 52 point triple double can take your mind to weird places. It has me thinking about Ime Udoka.

When Ime Udoka arrived in San Antonio there were suggestions that he was Bruce Bowen’s heir apparent.  The Portland coaching staff often touted Udoka as their top defender and LeBron James once listed him as a difficult one on one match up. And then, of course, there was the legendary Gabe Muoneke account of Ime as the Afr-I-Can who can kill his Fu-fu. The Blazers coaching staff was fond of describing Udoka in this way:

Regarded by his coaches as Portland’s best perimeter defender, Udoka has drawn the toughest assignment in most every game. In the first 40 days of the season, for example, Trail Blazer Coach Nate McMillan called on Ime to defend some of the NBA’s greatest offensive threats, namely LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Michael Redd, Grant Hill and Rashard Lewis.

“They’re all really tough assignments, ” Ime says, “but what I appreciated about it is that guarding them reaffirms for me that I have been prepared to play in this league. Yes, they’re great players, but I haven’t felt overwhelmed in playing them.”

“What I like about Ime’s defense,” says McMillan, “is that he doesn’t fall for a lot of head fakes and shake and bakes. He’s learned sound defensive fundamentals,” such as keeping his feet on the floor, moving quickly laterally, and keeping the player with the ball in front of him.

Blazer assistant coach Maurice Lucas likes Udoka’s versatility. Lucas told the Portland Tribune’s Kerry Eggers, “It’s surprised me, the multiple positions he can play. His basketball IQ is real high.”

Udoka has hard time finding the court these days, and he was upstaged by D-league standout Malik Hairston on Tuesday night. He’s averaging 13 minutes a game this season (which seems high to me), a 7 minute dip on his career average. After Tuesday night’s contest, the rabid contigency of the Spurs faithful were calling for Malik Hairston to replace Udoka in the depth chart.

What does this have to do with LeBron James?

Not that James can be defended, because we know he can’t. But when Udoka first signed with the Spurs I had visions of Bowen and Udoka tag-teaming to slow players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the conference and league championship rounds. I no longer maintain such visions. Bruce Bowen has been replaced by Michael Finley in the starting line up; Ime Udoka is always teetering on the brink of a DNP-CD. Neither player has enough offense to warrant long minutes, and both players have lost a little something on defense. This last point is often overstated with regard to Bowen, who is still capable of great defense in spot duty. But since his arrival in San Antonio, Udoka has been more effective as a small ball four than lock down wing. And although I don’t think Hairston will replace him in the rotation, I’m confident such a move would not signal a drastic drop in production. Hairston, ironically, has more promise as a swing defender.

In other words, I’ve always feared that players like Bryant and James could take any given game during a playoff series. In past seasons, however, my confidence in the Spurs ability to slow these players was bolstered by the Bruce Bowen option. This is no longer the case. The Spurs will have to find another way around the aforementioned scoring greats if they are to win a title this season.