SPUR-EVER: Ten Titles

The Raptors continue to spin their wheels. The Spurs defense was on-point tonight, with big men Timofey Mosgov (16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block) and Jarret Allen (6 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal) suffocating the Raptors inside. Taurean Prince had himself another great showing with 2 points and 6 rebounds to go with 2 steals. Brandon Ingram sneaked 4 steals to pair with 13 points and 5 assists. Omri Casspi hit 3 from downtown in limited action, satisfying the home crowd. The highlight of the game came courtesy of Jarrett Allen swatting big man Marc Gasol (9 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) at the rim on a dunk attempt. On the other end of the court, Jeremy Lin (5 assists) dished it to Mosgov for the alley-oop jam. A score once close erupted in the second half to a double-digit spread, as San Antonio by a mark of 23 despite missing five free throws. It was not the prettiest basketball, as both teams combined for 27 turnovers, yet it was San Antonio's ...

Zach LaVine tried to hold on for the Bulls win. Things started out well, after a nice pick and pop play by Murray & Mozgov for the big man's finesse jumper, but the Bulls tore up the interior breaking out to a huge 39-22 advantage after the first quarter. The Spurs began to shrink the floor, waking up on defense and luckily getting shots to fall from deep, enough to win the second quarter 29-21 and the final half also, 33-26 & 33-27 respectively.   Overcoming a twenty-four point hole was no easy feat as the Bulls desperately clung to the hot potato lead whenever possible, but it was a drive by Avery Bradley and an up-and-under scoop layup by Dejounte Murray that gave the Spurs a five-point yield. Brandon Ingram slammed the ball back home after a close miss by Jarrett Allen, wowing the crowd on the put-back dunk. The Spurs came together as a collective force, with every player showcasing individual value for the squad, as Dragan Bender splashed in the long ball, Jarr...

The Spurs got the home win tonight. A close game turned into a comfy cruise at home for the Spurs, watching Joe Harris dribble behind his back to lose the defender and splash in a 3PT dagger for the 91-107 lead with 1:47 left to play. San Antonio edged Minnesota in the first quarter, 19-25, then again by a point in the second, going on to the win the second half also 27-23/33-35. The new-look squad was led by the impressive debut of Taurean Prince (21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 8-9, 2-2 3PT). Behind him was Brandon Ingram's 16 points, on a shaky 6-13 display (1-6 3PT). J.R. Smith got burn in this one, balling his way to 14 points on 3-5 from downtown. Jarrett Allen scored 11 points, and Dejounte Murray's double-double was a nice treat for the fans as he reminded everyone of his floor vision. His relief, Jeremy Lin, also notched 10 points. Avery Bradley had 7 points, as did Dragan Bender. Joe Harris hit another three for 6 points, and Timofey Mosgov had 7 reboun...

Coach Pop welcomes Tim Duncan to the sidelines. With free agent buzz quieting down to a simmer, the Spurs training camp is underway with many new faces on the court and on the training staff, especially former player and champion Tim Duncan, who has officially replaced Ime Udoka (bound for a bigger role with the Philadelphia 76ers) after never quite leaving the Spurs organization since his retirement. "Oh, yeah. We've been busy. We've got ourselves a bunch of new guys to welcome and mold into our own, see what they offer on the court, except for old Timmy," Popovich remarked. "Calling me old, now?" Duncan joked next to his former coach. "I'mma let him do all the work," Popovich went on. "Nothing ever changes around here, I guess," Duncan chided. The Spurs have only four players left from last year's roster: Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Avery Bradley & Dragan Bender. The team still has time to make decisions on t...

The Spurs see potential in the Croatian big man. After his option was declined by the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs traded for Dragan Bender - a talented tall shooter that hasn't quite realized his #4 Pick potential - and welcomed flashes of strong defense and potent scoring ability on the wing during the second half of the season and in the playoffs. There were doubts that Bender would make a return to San Antonio, with rumors of interest from international teams and the recent acquisition of other raw prospect Jarrett Allen and veteran Timofey Mosgov filling the 5 spot. However, Bender did a solid job at being the third string center in the mix with Kyle O'Quinn & Joakim Noah last season. With both of those players gone, Bender offers less of the unknown at the center spot. The loss of Skal Labissiere at the four position also means more playing time there, given the similarly new arrivals of Taurean Prince & P.J. Tucker. The second year of Bender's contract i...

Lin is a slasher/playmaker veteran talent. Once praised by Coach Popovich during the days of "Linsanity", Jeremy Lin has bounced around the league all the while consistently proving on the court that Taiwanese guys can play basketball and that racism is bad. Lin, the Harvard graduate, joins the Spurs on a MLE deal, the biggest payday for his market, making it an easy choice. Lin is a trustworthy playmaker, ideal for a second unit, with the ability to close out a game here or there as seen during his days in Charlotte, and slash his way to the basket when points become hard to find. A philanthropist, Lin should fit in nicely with Coach Pop and the rest of this new-look roster, as his personality is lauded for being friendly and a good spirit to have around during the long NBA season. Lin will definitely see lots of action, despite a bad knee injury to his patella tendon that cut short his tenure with the Nets, before being misused by the Hawks and Raptors. One of the t...

Versatile wing player Taurean Prince is coming home. "Coach P. & R.C.", as always, have executed a vision for the team's future as the Spurs move forward from a decade of dominance, with the value of relevancy and success paramount. A three-team trade was made official by the league today, involving the Nets and Rockets. Taurean Prince, the Hawk-turned-Net, Baylor alum, will be coming to the Spurs in a homecoming acquisition. Prince, during the off-season, hosts youth basketball camps in San Antonio and still holds his home state of Texas close to his heart. He is a diligent, auspicious talent whose career-high 36 points last season raised eyebrows, able to defend well on the perimeter and shoot from beyond the arc, along with driving to the rim. In his exit interview, Prince prioritized effort and visible impact to a team's success over a stat sheet: that centralized focus and heart is highly-sought in San Antonio. Although he will be a restricted free ag...