In announcing his timetable for retirement at the start of training camp, Tim Duncan accomplished a feat so rare that few of the all-time greats have ever achieved it. In signing Tony Parker to an extension-along with Manu Ginobili last year-that keeps the Spurs All-Star backcourt intact through their primes, the San Antonio Spurs [...]

By most accounts Richard Jefferson disappointed in his first year with the Spurs. Do similar historical examples suggest he is due to improve in 2011?

You know that silly debate whether Tim Duncan is a power forward or center? It kind of matters now. The Spurs are 2-1, but through three games they’re a below average defensive team. Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair are playing relatively poorly. This is not a statistical judgment. It’s one of those we-watch-the-games judgments. During the [...]

Providing compelling visual evidence supporting the legitimacy of +/- statistics, guard Gary Neal stepped in for an injured George HIll and posted a very sound +14. More than just empty numbers, Neal filled up the box score with 16 points, connecting on half of his eight 3-pointers and 6-for-10 overall. Part of the unit that [...]

AT&T CENTER — Having whittled an 18-point lead to three, Richard Jefferson lined up a open 3-pointer from the baseline with a little over a minute left — it was his only missed shot of the fourth quarter, and one that would have completed a furious comeback. “It looked good, I was already on my [...]

A night after the most ballyhooed Big Three in NBA history made their historical debut, an 80-88 loss to the Boston Celtics, the league’s most accomplished Big Three quietly opened their season in San Antonio. For the first time in what feels like ages, a healthy Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker shared the [...]

I stole the title of this post from last night’s Daily Dime Live. DDLer Anthony asked, “…if the Spurs keep playing defence (sic) like this, will your blog be renamed ’48 Minutes of What the Hell?’” It’s a good line, and befitting of the first 24 minutes of action between the Indiana Pacers and the [...]

The San Antonio Spurs don’t have much depth at small forward. Amongst the Western Conference’s playoff contenders, strong wing play is a staple. The Lakers boast Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, and Matt Barnes. Oklahoma City can use Thabo Sefolosha in place of Kevin Durant. When the game is on the line, the Blazers have their [...]

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said before San Antonio’s opening game against the Indiana Pacers that Tiago Splitter could be ready to play in time for the team’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. “I think after New Orleans, he’s got a good shot to be ready,” Popovich said. Popovich added that Splitter [...]

New season, new narrative. And with this season, there is that monster metanarrative creeping around the league: the Miami Heat. The Heat, as a story, are more imperial than meta. That story has one of those manifest destiny, send small pox to the Indians agendas going on. The Thing has a bloodlust, I tell you. [...]

Off to the left is my favorite Gregg Popovich-inspired Doc Funk moment of the preseason. It reinforces the general perception of Gregg Popovich as the NBA’s most beloved S.O.B. But anyone who regularly watches the Spurs knows this doesn’t quite square with reality. Gregg Popovich is an endearing personality, in part, because he is equals [...]

Matt Bonner has been among the Spurs most efficient players, but takes a very limited number of shots. Statistical analysis indicates this is with good reason.

In a post from today, the Express News’ Tim Griffin cites Vegas Insider’s prediction that the Spurs will win 48.5 games this season. Elsewhere, the Spurs are picked to win 50.5 games. Earlier this week, 48 Minutes of Hell’s in-house statistician wunderkind earmarked the Spurs for 48 wins, as well. The big hairy gnarly-mouthed takeaway [...]

Richard Jefferson spent months preparing for this moment, working through weeks and weeks of repetition until it became second nature, muscle memory taking over. So with eyes on him, and with an assist from Manu Ginobili, the Spurs small forward locked in, squared up, and….laughed? Surrounded by a few remaining beat writers , Jefferson, standing in [...]

The much anticipated 2010-11 NBA season is set to debut in just one week. All the marquee free agents have signed and several players returned from injury to participate in the preseason, but there are still many questions to be considered. In this weeks post, I will take a look at which rookies have performed [...]