Passing of the torch in San Antonio

 

Aldridge could make the Spurs better than ever before

 

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past couple of days, or you just don’t follow sports, then you should be well aware that LaMarcus Aldridge will play for the San Antonio Spurs next season, and about three more after that. On July 4, Aldridge and the Spurs agreed to a 4 year, $80 million dollar deal. Aldridge of course was the number one target this free agency season, and is one of the leagues best forwards. Aldridge met with around seven different teams since July 1st, and after a couple of days, and two meetings with Gregg Popovich, and the Spurs organization, the 29 year old decided to join the Spurs. It’s a move that makes so much sense not only for Aldridge, but for the Spurs organization as well. Aldridge of course was born, and raised in Texas, now gets to play for a Texas team, and along side the greatest power forward of all time, in Tim Duncan. Again, the move makes so much sense to me. Aldridge being a 4x NBA All Star, teaming up with a 15x NBA All Star, and a 5x NBA Champion in Duncan, and it’s a move that should scare every team in the NBA.

It kind of reminds me of when David Robinson was edging into his retirement, and the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997. Back then, Duncan was the young buck, and was learning from Robinson. Robinson couldn’t have passed off the torch to anyone better, and Duncan seems to be doing the same with Aldridge. I expect this season to be Duncans’ last, and wouldn’t it be great if he could go out on top, as Robinson did in 2003. When looking at the team they have right now, the Spurs can definitely do it. Looking at their starting lineup, I just wanna crown them the champs right now. Tony Parker running Point guard, with Danny Green back for 4 more years at the Shooting guard position, and of course, you have the defensive player of the year in Kawhi Leonard at Small Forward for five more years. The most impressive however, has to be the duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan at the four and five spots. Again, it reminds me so much of when Duncan teamed up with David Robinson for the end of Robinson’s career. Of course Duncan and Robinson won two championships out of their five years together, which is very impressive. Although Aldridge and Duncan won’t be together for five years, they could definitely leave some damage for a season or two. By joining the Spurs, Aldridge has a great chance at his first championship, and the league knows it. By adding Aldridge, the Spurs become an easy favorite to win it all this season, right next to teams like the Cavaliers, and Warriors. I completely think the Spurs could win it all this season, as long as they can stay healthy throughout the course.

When many think of the Spurs post Duncan era, they think of a playoff team, with no real possible championship contention. That’s not the case anymore. By signing Danny Green, and Kawhi Leonard to multi year deals, they’ve allowed themselves to become championship contenders for 3 to 5 more years, and by adding LaMarcus Aldridge to the mix, they become a 5 to 10 year championship contender. That would be like 35 years of championship contention if you add all of Robinson’s years with Duncan’s years, with Leonard and Aldridge’s years. It amazes me how great the Spurs organization is by being able to bring in new pieces every year, and being able to re-sign so many players every year, they allow themselves to be championship contenders year after year. No question the best franchise in sports over the past 20 years.

By adding the formula of great players, with a great coaching system, and great organization, the San Antonio Spurs have set themselves up for many more years of success. I wouldn’t be shocked if they won it all this season, next season, and even the one after that. I think by putting Aldridge in a Spurs uniform, the Spurs chances of a championship are greater than ever. Watch out other teams, because the San Antonio Spurs are better than ever, and that’s saying quite a lot.

A.B

Announcement : This will be my last NBA article for the World of the A.B for a while. I’ll be writing more NBA articles as we get closer to the season. However, if you want to keep reading my NBA work, make sure to follow me on My Twitter where I share all of my articles. Also, I’ll still be writing more Fantasy Football content for the blog this summer! Thanks! 

Updated Spurs Free Agency Preview

  A couple of months ago, I gave my predictions on what the 2015 San Antonio Spurs team would possiblly look like. Now as we inch closer to the start of free agency, we’re starting to see more realistic possible outcomes. So as of now, here’s what we know :

• The Spurs have several big free agents of their own that they still have to think of re-signing.
• Big names like LaMarcus Aldridge could be heading for San Antonio as well.
• The Spurs cap room isn’t too high.

Right now the Spurs free agents are :

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Marco Belinelli, Cory Joseph, Aron Baynes, Jeff Ayres, Matt Bonner, and Reggie Williams.

To me, there’s really only around 4 players from that list that I really want back. Of course I want Duncan, and Manu to return for one more season, and I think we NEED to get back Kawhi Leonard. Those three I really want back. I would love to get Danny Green back, but if we look to pursue Aldridge, getting back Green seems very un-realistic. However, if we can re-sign Marco Belinelli, I’d be fine. In today’s article, I’ll give a few Free Agent names that I want the Spurs to sign, and why.

Tim Duncan, PF – Duncan’s already done so much for this franchise, and the fact that he’s currently 40 years old doesn’t help an anti retirement argument, but if you look at his stats from last year, they’re pretty good for a 39 year old big man. Duncan was so successful last season, that there’s no way he doesn’t come back. Not only that, but I highly doubt he wants to end his amazing career of off a devastating first round, game 7 loss to the Clippers. Duncan stays to get one last chance at a sixth ring.

Manu Ginobili, SG – There have already been a few reports that if Duncan stays, Manu will too. Towards the end of last season, people were starting to question Manu’s play style, saying that it doesn’t really work anymore. But we forget that Manu has come up big for us recently, and he has proven that some times he can get it going and can provide 15-25 points. Same thing I said for Tim, I think for Manu. No way both guys want to end their career off with a game 7 Clippers loss.Both successful players, and both well earned future hall of famers. They both should return for one more season.

Kawhi Leonard, SF – He’s already been called the face of the franchsie. Kawhi’s already accomplished so many things at such a young age, there’s no way the Spurs let him walk away. Kawhi has the potential to become a great player, and if I know that, than the Spurs organization has to be aware of it too. Kawhi’s a must sign player.

Danny Green, SG – Because Green wants so much money, I don’t think he’ll return to San Antonio next season. Hopefully I’m wrong, because I love Danny. He’s a great defender, a terrific passer now, and of course, a cold blooded sharp shooter. Green has the potential to change the outcome of any Spurs game, and has proven to be a valuable weapon these past couple of years. I hope Green stays, but as of now, it’s very unlikely.

Marco Belinelli, SG – If Green leaves, I think the Spurs have to re-sign Belinelli. There were already times last season where Belinelli proved he could be a potential starter for the Spurs, and if Green leaves, Beli could take over his spot. Beli’s almost just as good a shooter as Green is, however, he’s nowhere near the defensive play making of Green, which could be a problem for the team if they decide to get Belinelli. However, at the same time it could be easily fixed, and Belinelli could get better at defense quickly. If Green leaves, the Spurs could get Belinelli back. Again though, cap room’s the main issue.

LaMarcus Aldridge – One of the leagues best big men, great shooter, terrific defensive player, would fit the Spurs system perfectly, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah, all stuff we already know. By adding LaMarcus Aldridge to their squad, the Spurs chances of winning another title would go way up. Not only could Aldridge be useful next season, but think about this. He would be learning from one kf the greatest in Tim Duncan, and would play alongside Duncan. When Duncan eventually retires, Aldridge fills his spot better than anyone else could, and the Spurs are still dominant for a long, long time. I think if the Spurs get Aldridge, everything changes for them.

So with that all said, if it was all up to me, realistically of course, here’s what my 2015-2016 version of the Spurs would look like :

Tony Parker – PG

Danny Green / Marco Belinelli – SG

Kawhi Leonard – SF

LaMarcus Aldridge – PF

Tim Duncan – C

Bench players : Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili, Kyle Anderson, Boris Diaw, others I could really care less

Now you may have noticed that I don’t have Tiago Splitter there. That’s because I think in order to actually get Aldridge and Green or Belinelli, we’ll have to trade someone, and I could see Splitter being that guy. The Spurs just drafted a seven foot center from Serbia, who could eventually take Splitters spot. Sorry Tiago, but if someones gotta go, I see it being you.

In the end, with Free Agency being right around the corner, I feel like the Spurs we know from last season, will be a really different team this year. Whether that means Aldridge comes to San Antonio, or guys like Danny Green are gone, it’ll be a different looking team. Can’t wait to see what happens on July 1st when Free Agency starts.

A.B

The Greatest Power Forward of all time.

  

Nowadays, You’ll hear things like “Who’s the greatest NBA player of all time?” Or, Who’s better? “Jordan or Kobe?” Or once in a while you’ll hear “Magic or Bird?” or even “Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell?”, questions like that. But when was the last time you ever heard someone ask you who the “Greatest Power Forward of all time is?” Chances are, not recently. Why is it that no one talks about the Power Forward position? Now, there’s two possible reasons why no one really gets into debate over the greatest power forward of all time …

1. Everyone already knows who the sure answer is, or …
2. No one really cares enough to discuss the topic in conversation, and they’re too obsessed with the Shooting Guard, or Center position debates.

Well in case you’re like me, and you’ve been asking yourself lately who the greatest power forward of all time really is, fear not, you’ll find the answer in the next couple of sentences. The real reason behind the lack of debate on this topic is a mix of the two options. No one really questions who the greatest is, because they already know who it is, and by knowing who it is, it makes them lose interest in the topic. To me, the greatest power forward of all time is an obvious answer, and should be an obvious answer to everyone. It’s the man who’s accomplished the most in all of his career in the NBA. The man who plays the game for the pure love of basketball, and the pure love of winning. The man who’s built his franchise, and never left it, even we he might’ve felt dissatisfied in it. The title “greatest power forward of all time” can belong to only one man, and that man, should clearly be Tim Duncan.

If there was ever a power forward greater than Duncan, than I sure would love to meet him, or at least read about him, and compare him to Duncan. The only possible options you can really throw against Duncan, are Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale, and Dirk Nowitzki. And even arguing one of those makes me scratch my head a little bit. Main reason Duncans better? His accomplishments. The accomplishments of  Duncan stack far higher than any of those four guys. Now, that’s not to say those men haven’t accomplished anything, because they all have. I just think when comparing them, Duncan’s had the most.

 Yes, Karl Malone is the second greatest leading scorer of all time, and is also higher on the rebounds list than Duncan is, and also just happens to have the same amount of league MVPs that Duncan has, but that all doesn’t make him better, career wise at least. Duncan has five championships, to Malones none, this being the biggest reason Duncan’s better than Malone. Same argument could be made against any of the others. Now, lets look at Charles Barkley. Barkley also has 0 NBA rings, and trails Duncan in every category. Yes, I said EVERY category. Barkley may have been a very exciting player to watch, but his career accomplishments aren’t even close to Duncans. Plus, it doesn’t help the fact that Barkley already called Duncan “the greatest power forward of all time”. Kevin McHale does have a couple of championships, but as a player, and still in the accomplishment category, Duncan beats him out. And while Dirk Nowitzki may have one championship, one league MVP, a finals MVP, and is about seven spots higher on the all time scoring list than Duncan is, he’s still not better than Duncan. Again, the accomplishments can not be compared to Duncan.The accomplishments of Tim Duncan are far higher than any other Power Forward to ever play the game, and that’s a clear fact.

Since entering the league in 1997, Duncan has quietly changed the game of basketball, and has quietly marked his name down as the greatest power forward to ever play basketball. His 5 championships are the most impressive, but his 15 NBA all star apperances, 2 League MVPs, and 3 finals mvps are also some of the few achievments Duncan has had. At 40 years old, he currentley ranks 14th in scoring of all time, 6th in blocks, and 8th in rebounds. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Another impressive stat Duncan holds is that since he was drafted by the Spurs in 1997, they’ve never failed to reach the post season, and never even failed to reach 50+ wins a season. And while playing in the post season, Duncan’s been one of the best. He’s top 5 in playoff scoring, and number one in playoff rebounds, and blocks. And you know what? He might not even be finished. There still might be more to Duncans legendary career.

Duncan has played 18 seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, and could definitely play at least one more. And why not? I mean the guys’s coming off of yet another All Star season, basically had to carry the Spurs to another playoff apperance with all the injuries that were going around in San Antonio last yeason, and continuously proved to the world that he still has a little bit left in the tank. And to me, there’s no way Tim Duncan ends his career off with a game 7, first round, heartbreaking, crushing elimination game like he had against the Los Angeles Clippers. Duncan already has a clear ballot to the NBA Hall of Fame, but he should still want a little bit more, and I think he does want more, which is why I believe he’ll stay for one more year, in attempt to win one final championship. But even if he calls it a career, then let him do it. He deserves to do so. He’s had a great career, and has played through some tough games, that should’ve taken a toll on him a long time ago. 

Anyways, I guess the point of this article, is that there isn’t anyone at the Power Forward spot that was better than Tim Duncan, and some people need to know that. Thanks for the read,

A.B

Timmy and Manu? Gasol or Aldridge? Spurs Free Agent Preview

 With the Spurs off season starting a lot quicker than they would’ve wanted, rumors have already been floating around them, that a new big man may be in town. Trail Blazers Power Forward, LaMarcus Aldridge might have his eyes on joining the Spurs this season, after his team lost in five games to the Memphis Grizzlies in round one of the playoffs. Coincidentally, the Memphis Grizzlies lost in six games the next round to the Golden State Warriors, and now their big man, Marc Gasol might have his eye on coming to San Antonio as well. Will either one of them join the Spurs? Well it could depend on many things. 

For one, the future of Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili is still undecided. I’m hoping they both come back for at least one more season, but that’s just me. I think that their decisions could very much affect Gasol, or Aldridge joining the Spurs.

 Another elephant in the room, is that the Spurs still have many other free agents that I’m sure they would like to re-sign. Along with Duncan, and Ginobili, the Spurs still have eight more free agents left. Of those ten, including Duncan, and Manu, I think they could get six or seven of them to come back to the team. Below, are their ten remaining free agents, and next to them are my predictions on whether they’ll remain a Spur, or go somewhere else.

• Tim Duncan – Stay. Duncan played an amazing 2014-15 season, from beginning, to middle, to end. And there’s no way he ends his career off of a heart breaking game 7 loss against the Clippers. Duncan stays for one more year.

• Manu Ginobili – Stay. Tough one, but I think Manu will play one more year, simply because Timmy will stay for one more.

• Kawhi Leonard – Stay. There’s no way Kawhi goes somewhere else this offseason. The Spurs love Kawhi, and believe he’s their future, and it seems that Kawhi loves San Antonio, so much he already said he would like to play for them his entire career.

• Danny Green – Stay. This past week, Danny Green met with the New York Knicks organization. I don’t know why, but I do know if he leaves the Knicks for the Spurs, he’ll never win an NBA Championship again. If he’s smart, he’ll stay.

• Marco Belinelli – Stay. Marco really has improved this past season, and played a great series against the Clippers. If the Spurs know what they’re doing, they’ll get him back. 

• Cory Joseph – Leave. I like Co-Jo, but I don’t see him staying. He’s the Spurs 3rd string Point Guard, when he would be a 2nd string Point Guard almost anywhere else. Some team will get him, and give him more playing time.

• Aron Baynes – Stay. Aron Baynes has impressed me lately, and if he’s impressed me, chances are, he’s impressed the Spurs organization too. They should be able to ge him back, and for a cheap cost as well. 

• Jeff Ayres – Leave. The Spurs don’t really use him that much, so I don’t think they’ll make a large effort in trying to keep him. He’ll most likely leave. 

• Matt Bonner – Stay. Bonner wants to stay, and I think the Spurs would want him back. Another player they should get back for cheap.

• Reggie Williams – Leave. He played very few minutes for the team, and in those few minutes, he didn’t play great. I think Kyle Anderson is enough for the Spurs this year, no real need for Williams.

Ten free agents, seven will stay. So along with those seven, the Spurs also still have : Tony Parker, Patty Mills , Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, and Kyle Anderson. So that makes twelve. If the organization wants Aldridge, or Gasol, someone most likely, has to go. 

Another rumor I’ve heard, is that a trade involving Mills, Splitter, or Diaw would come into play This makes me upset, because I like all three, but if it takes trading Tiago Splitter, and a draft pick for a soon to be free agent like Gasol, or Aldridge, then I of course would be happy with it. I want Patty, and Boris to stay though. Nothing against Tiago, but if he left, I’d be okay with it. I just think that he hasn’t had a great season in my eyes, and if getting rid of him is what it takes to get a Gasol or Aldridge, get rid of him.

But back to any Aldridge or Gasol debate. If I could pick one of the two, I’d want Gasol. For one, LaMarcus Aldridge had thumb surgery recentley, and will need to rest for 8 weeks. That’s 8 less weeks getting ready for the Spurs. Secondly, to Me, Gasol plays a little bit better. Yes, Aldridge has better stats, but just by watching Gasol play, he’s been playing really well lately. Actually … scratch that! I want Aldridge. His game has gotten so much better. Plus, he’s one of the few bug men with a jump shot. He’s One of the leagues best big men. Actually, no, Gasol! Ugh. This is too difficult! Both guys are great players, and should only get better. If somehow, the Spurs can bring in one of them without getting rid of any key players, I’d be extremely happy.

If it was up to me, the Spurs starting lineup would look something like this : 

PG – Tony Parker

SG – Danny Green

SF – Kawhi Leonard

PF – Tim Duncan/LaMarcus Aldridge

C – Marc Gasol/ Tim Duncan

And have the back ups look something like this : 

PG – Patty Mills

SG – Marco Belinelli

SF – Manu Ginobili 

PF – Boris Diaw 

C – Tiago Splitter

And stick Aron Baynes, Kyle Anderson, and Matt Bonner in there once and a while, and there’s your future 2016 NBA Champions! I can see it now!

To sum it all up there’s still a lot unknown for the 2015-2016 San Antonio Spurs, and hopefully, they see this blog post, and take my advice! Anyways, it should be crazy, and very exciting to see what happens next for the Spurs. Thanks for the read, and keep following! 

AB

End of a Spurs Dynasty?

  

With only a few seconds to go in game 7 of the first round of the Clippers-Spurs series, Clippers Point Guard Chris Paul took a shot that seemed to almost freeze time. The shot went up, and all that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili have accomplished seemed like a faded memory, and a thing of long ago. Paul hit a jumper off the backboard, and left the Spurs with only a second to work with. Which of course wasn’t enough time, and the Clippers would hold on for the heart racing win, and advance to the next round, ending the Spurs season in the blink of an eye. But they may have ended something more than one season. They may’ve ended the Spurs dynasty.

Even though he plays like he’s 29 years young, Tim Duncan is now 39 years of age, and is possibly face to face with calling his career over. Duncan hasn’t put up MVP numbers, nowhere close as a matter of fact, but he has definitely played like an MVP caliber player. While players on the Spurs got injured left and right, it was Duncan who put the team on his back, and led them to another Playoff appearance, something he’s always done since being drafted by the Spurs in 1997. Duncan also reached his 15th NBA All star appearance this season. So in my eyes, there should be no reason why Duncan can’t come back for another season. He’s still playing fantastic basketball for the Spurs, and definitely doesn’t want to end his career off of a devastating loss, like the one he took against the Clippers last Saturday night. Duncan still has the heart like a lion, and the appetite of a champion. He should come back again for at least one more season.

Manu Ginobili on the other hand, still appears to be a mystery. The soon to be 38 year old Shooting Guard has thrown himself around the court so many times in his lengthy career, that I’m really surprised he hasn’t retired already. But like Duncan, he has the heart of a lion, and appetite of a champion. Ginobili averaged only 10.5 points per game this season, which happens to be his second to worst career low, only better than his rookie season of 7.6 ppg. It’s pretty clear that he’s struggling right now. Manu’s age has caught up to him at last, and could force him to call his career over. After the heartbreaking Game 7 loss, Head Coach Gregg Popovich, (who is also being questioned on his return for next season), said that he, and the Spurs core will “probably come back” next season. Which I guess is good news. Recently, Manu said that he may take up to a month to figure his future out, and his decision may reflect off of Duncan’s decision to either stay or go. And Because Tony Parker’s still on a contract, he won’t be going anywhere yet.

Overall, the season for the 2015 San Antonio Spurs ended way too quickly, and there’s no reason why the “Core Four” of Pop,Duncan,Tony, and Manu should leave. All are doing their job pretty well still, and the Spurs are still obvious title contenders next season, especially if they re-sign players like Kawhi Leonard, and Danny Green, and possibly sign a star like Lamarcus Aldridge, or Marc Gasol. Ultimately, I think that if Duncan returns, Manu will return for one last ride. Pop will be back, and a summer of resting should heal Tony Parker of any injury, and should help him get back to his dominate self for next season. Once they lock up Kawhi, and other key players like Green and Belinelli, they should focus on another big player, like a Aldridge, Gasol, or even Kevin Love possibly. If everything comes into play, the San Antonio Spurs should have one more season left of the “Big Three” era, and are definitely title contenders for next season. In a way, the first round loss to the Clippers may be a good thing afterall. 

Thanks for the read, AB.

AB 2015 NBA Playoff Predictions : Round Two

With the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs finally over, I had to get my Second Round picks underway before round 2 starts. So after a somewhat good round one, here are my round two predictions. 

Western Conference :

(1) Golden State Warriors vs (5) Memphis Grizzlies 

The Warriors were … well better than I thought in round one. I predicted them to beat the Pelicans in 5 games, they did it in 4. They had an extremely impressive come from behind victory in game three, and overall had an impressive first round series. Stephen Curry played amazing, which rubbed off on everyone else, and the Warriors quickly swept the Pelicans. The Grizzlies also did better than I thought in their series. They took out the Trail Blazers in five games, and I thought that series would go to seven. Silly, silly me. Marc Gasol seems like he can’t miss, and that who ever he’s guarding can’t make a shot.The Grizzlies are playing fantastic basketball, and are again trying to get to the Finals.Good team versus good team, but I think the Warriors are the better team. Curry will be an un-stoppable force, and I see the Warriors winning in six games. (GSW – 4 MEM – 2)

 

 (2) Houston Rockets vs (3) Los Angeles Clippers 

After a VERY exciting series against my San Antonio Spurs, the LA Clippers proved they can compete with almost anybody. Blake Griffin, and Chris Paul played great throughout the series, and with production from guys like J.J Redick and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers can beat any team. And even though the Rockets did defeat the Mavericks pretty easily in round one, I think it’s the Clippers that will step up this round. It seems that the Clippers are on a mission right now, and I see them playing another tough series against James Harden and the Houston Rockets, and I see them winning… as much as that hurts to say following a game 7 Spurs loss. Anyways, Clippers play great in round one, should carry to round two. Give me Clippers in seven games. (LAC – 4 HOU – 3)  

 

Eastern Conference :

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (5) Washington Wizards 

Now this should be a good series. The Hawks-Wizards series should be a very exciting one, mainly because both teams are very hungry for a chance in the Eastern Conference Finals, but as we know, only one can get it. I like the series that Paul Pierce played against the Toronto Raptors in round one, and John Wall has played nothing but phenomenal all season long, and especially during round one. And even though the Hawks had to go to six games to beat the Nets, I think they’ll take care of business against the Wizards in round two. The team chemistry will be there, and they should play much better in round two, then they did in round one. Give me Hawks in six. (ATL – 4 WAS – 2) 

  

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (3) Chicago Bulls

With the injury of Kevin Love staring the Cleveland Cavaliers dead in the eye, it’ll definitely be harder for them to defeat a Chicago Bulls team that’s coming off of a 54 point victory against the Milwaukee Bucks, and currently rolling, and rolling fast. The Bulls are playing great basketball at the moment, and you could argue that they can definitely beat the Cavaliers this round. But they won’t. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving will have to step up, and I think they will. Lebron will have an amazing series offensively, and should be good on the defensive side too. The loss of Love will make an impact, but it won’t be enough, and I see the Cavs barely squeaking by, in a very close seventh game. Cavs in seven. (CLE – 4 CHI – 3)  

 
Eastern Conference Finals (matchup picks) :

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference Finals (matchup picks) :

(1) Golden State Warriors vs (3) Los Angeles Clippers

Well, thanks for the read! Every view means  a lot, but I’d love for them to get higher! Please share the blog, or posts from it, and spread the word of the WOAB! With the Spurs sadly out of the post season, I’ll be writing more about their future for next and upcoming seasons, and I’ll be keeping up with the rest of the league as well. I’ll also be writing more about Fantasy Football this upcoming summer, and the Patriots off season. So stay tuned! Thanks again, enjoy the rest of the playoffs! 

A.B

Spurs Player Profile 2 : Tiago Splitter

  The San Antonio Spurs are very well known for their mixed salad team of star players, who come from countries from all over the world. You got guys like Tony Parker and Boris Diaw from France, Marco Belinelli from Italy, and so many more, but one of the most underrated, and biggest pieces to the Spurs puzzle for success is 6″11 Brazilian Big Man Tiago Splitter. Since he was drafted by the Spurs in 2010, Tiago has become one of the Spurs biggest offensive weapons. His height and skill allow him to average 8.2 points per game. His footwork, and hook shot leave me stunned. He just makes it look so easy every game. But what really impresses me the most, is Tiago’s defensive beast. 

 The deadly combination of Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter surrounding the paint is a Block Party just waiting to happen. Night in and Night out, Tiago comes to work, and shows what he can bring to the team. Tiago may only average 4.8 rebounds per game, but sometimes, the numbers really do lie. When I watch Tiago play, it feels like he gets 4.8 rebounds per quarter. Tiago may not be putting up great numbers on paper, but his defense has gotten the Spurs to many places, and should continue to get them to many more. And even though I called the “Duncan/Splitter duo” a “Block Party”, they don’t really block that many shots, well one of them doesn’t. Duncan does a great job blocking shots, and an even better job at altering shots, making defenders take tougher shots. Which is what Tiago has been doing. It’s clear to see that Duncan has taken Tiago under his wing. Like Duncan, Tiago makes opposing players take harder shots, which of course leads to a Spurs rebound once in a while, which then leads to Spurs ball, a Spurs score, and eventually a Spurs win. Cause and Effect baby. 

 However, Tiago has been bitten by the awful Injury bug throughout his whole career in the NBA. Since entering the league, he’s only played 1/5 seasons with 65+ games. His healthiest season so far was in 2012-2013 when he played 81/82 games, other than that the game per season has all ranged around the 50’s- 60’s. But when Tiago is healthy, the Spurs are a much better team. When Splitter’s on the court, the Spurs have shown to play better, and win more games. Tiago’s fantastic offense, and dazzling defense has helped the Spurs so much, in so many ways.One huge moment Tiago had was in the 2014 NBA Finals. Tiago played great for the Spurs during those 5 games, and helped the Spurs reach their goal of yet another NBA Championship. 

 
And just because I miss the NBA Finals so much, and wanted to insert a link to this article, here’s a throwback to a Monstrous block made by Tiago in Game 4 of last years NBA Finals. It was a play that really added more confidence to the Spurs, and gave them even more momentum for the rest of that series.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFxH1-fPeXo 

 Tiago also stepped up hugely for the Spurs in their other Playoff match ups during last seasons Championship run. The way I look at it, if Tiago Splitter can play at a high and effective level, and most importantly STAY HEALTHY, then the San Antonio Spurs shot of repeating get even higher.

 

Thanks for the quick read, please like, comment, share and follow for more Spurs stuff, and other Sports stuff. Also please follow me on Twitter for more Sports related tweets (https://twitter.com/AlexWBergeR)! And be sure to stay tuned, because my next article should be pretty good, as I’ll be giving my 2015 NBA Playoff Predictions for the Eastern and Western Conference match ups. Where I’ll be predicting every matchup, including the NBA Finals. It Should be fun! Thanks again! And Spread the word! A.B 

A Spurs Future

  Since entering the league in 1997, Tim Duncan has now put in a great case for himself to be the greatest Power Forward to ever play the game. Duncan’s long list of accomplishments, such as 5 time NBA Champion, 2 time league MVP, 3 time Finals MVP, and his 15 All Star Game Selections are just some of his many accomplishments, and at the age of 38, Duncan’s still doing what he’s always done. Another big piece of the Spurs puzzle of success is Argentinean Guard Manu Ginobili. Manu’s success comes from coming off the bench, and providing a “Sixth Man” type role for San Antonio. Manu’s won 4 championships, and is the only NBA player to win Sixth Man of the Year,and be an NBA All Star in one season. Both guy’s have already done so much, and when it’s all said and done, botha should be Hall of Famers. But is the “Big Three” era coming to an end? Duncan, Ginobili, and Tony Parker have spent many years together in San Antonio, and are now all at the age of 30 years old. Duncan almost 39, Ginobili’s 37, and Parker’s the youngest at age 32. The Spurs were Champions last season, and will definitely make the Playoffs this season, something the Spurs have done every year since Duncan entered the league. But what exactly does the future look like for the Black and Silver? 

What we know  

 We know that in 5 years from now, most likely, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili won’t be in the NBA anymore. Parker, probably, but he’d be ready to close his career out too at that time. So the Duncan era has maybe 1-2 more seasons. I expect Tim to at least play again next season, and why not? He was good enough this season to play another All Star Game, he can still dominate the Power Forward position, and because Gregg Popovich does such a great job managing the Spurs minutes, Duncan’s been able to keep playing so fresh night in and night out. I also expect Manu to return next season, but I expect him to retire right around the same time as Tim, leaving only Tony left in the equation for a little bit. Let’s not forget who won NBA Finals MVP last season though. Kawhi Leonard, at only the age of 23 years old, has become one of the league’s best all around players, and is definitely one of the games most underrated players. So as long as the Spurs orginization can keep Leonard (who’ll be a Free Agent this coming summer) in San Antonio, he could spend most of his career a Spur.But assuming Duncan and Ginobili retire after this season, here’s what the Spurs would be looking at : 

PG- Tony Parker                                                                SG- Danny Green                                                                             SF- Kawhi Leonard                                                                           PF- ???                                                                                             C – Tiago Splitter 

 Which isn’t a bad lineup…mainly because it’s basically what the Spurs have now, just no Duncan, and if the Spurs play the Free Agent game, they could be just fine without Duncan and Manu.
 

Free Agency  

 As you may have already heard, the upcoming 2015 NBA Free Agency session, should be a crazy one.What I mean by that, is that tons of stars will potentially be leaving their 2015 team, and heading on to a new one. Stars like Atlanta Hawks Power Forward Paul Millsap. Who’s been a huge part of the Hawks success this season, and could definitley fit the Spurs system. Another big name guy that could possibly come to San Antonio if Duncan and Manu retire is Marc Gasol. The Spurs have been keeping an eye on Gasol for a while now, and would love to get the big man, if he decides to leave Memphis. Of course the biggest guy on their list is still Kawhi. Kawhi Leonard’s been showing so much potential and growth in San Antonio, and has often been called “The Future” of the Spurs. I mean, Imagine Tony Parker running point, Danny Green still shooting his 3’s, Kawhi doing his thing, and adding Marc Gasol with Tiago Splitter down low. That could definitely work. Not to mention, the fantastic bench the Spurs have had the past couple of seasons. 

The Organization   

 Of course Duncan, Manu, and TP are all special players, and very talented players, but in some way, it seems as though the San Antonio Spurs organization deserves more credit than they actually get. The way they seem to easily sign, and re-sign players every off-season is phenomenal. And the way they scout players from all over the world, and get them to play for the Spurs is just as impressive. It seems as if they could recruit monkey’s from China or something, and they’d play good basketball. That’s just how it is. Gotta give the Spurs organization credit, where credit is due. 

 
What does the Future hold? 

I love the Big Three almost as much as the next guy, but in a way, I think the Spurs will be just fine for a while without them. Reason being, the organization has always done a fantastic job when players leave, and I think that Kawhi will eventually be ready to fully take over the Spurs one day, and become a top 10 NBA player, but he still needs some growing time.However, I think that when Kawhi develops, it’ll be the same time when Timmy and Manu call it a retirement. I also think that when the Big 3 era’s over, the Spurs can still be a good Playoff Contending team, they won’t be as dominant, but they can still be good for a while. 

A.B

Spurs Player Profile 1 : Danny Green

Starting as of now, I will be writing “Spurs Player Profiles” for some of the players on the Spurs. It’ll basically be just a passage where I talk about the player, and what I like and want from them. The first “Spurs Player Profile” Player will be Shooting Guard, Danny Green. 

“TARHEEL TRIPPLE!” I can just hear Spurs commentator Bill Land yelling it now. That’s the phrase Spurs fans say after sharp-shooter Danny Green knocks down a casual three pointer. Makes sense, because from 2005 to 2009, Green played his college ball for the North Carolina Tar heels, and can knock the three ball down from anywhere on the court. After playing four seasons at North Carolina University, Green was drafted by the Cleveland Cavilers in the 2nd round of the 2009 NBA draft. However, Green was only a Cavalier for his rookie season, and ever since he was traded, he’s been a Spur ever since.

The Danny Green we know now has been getting better at scoring in the paint, taking a couple of dribbles, and popping up for a mid-range jump shot, but of course he’s known for his red hot, always hit three ball. Green’s most famous career moment so far, may have been when he caught fire in the 2013 NBA Finals series vs The Miami Heat. Although The Spurs may have lost that series, they relied heavily on the 3 point shooting from Green, who had the most three pointers in a seven game NBA Finals series with 27 three’s, in that series. We can argue that if San Antonio finished the job in 2013, and won the championship, Green could’ve won the Finals MVP Award. But of course we now that they came up short that season, but hey, we all know what happened a year after that! When Danny Green became an NBA Champion on the Spurs.

Danny Green’s record breaking three’s in the 2013 NBA Finals series : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3JSWmM8F9E

For the 2014-2015 NBA Season, Green’s setting career high’s for… well just about everything. His free throw percentage is at 0.870 percent, which is the best on the team. He’s averaging 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks, which are career high’s for him as well. And on offense, he’s averaging 1.8 assists per game, which is tied for his career high in 2012, and 12.1 points per game, which is another career high for Danny. And another impressive fact, if Danny nails more than 25 more three pointers for the rest of the season, he’ll pass his season high in three’s made in a single season. As of now, it may seem like a little bit of a challenge, and a tough task, but anything’s possible, especially when you’re Danny Green.

Every game, just by watching Danny Green, you can see just how hard he’s been working his career, and this season. Definitely one of the game’s most improved players, and one of the NBA’s most underrated players. If he can keep up his great play, and continue to knock down BIG three’s, and shut down defense, he could help the Spurs get into another Playoffs run, yet again this season.

A.B
For more Spurs stuff, you can check out the “Spurs Basketball” page, right here on the blog. You can also follow me on twitter (https://twitter.com/AlexWBergeR), where I tweet, and re-tweet MANY Spurs stuff. 

Please comment, like, or share this blog to anyone that might like The Spurs, or the NBA in general, as my next upcoming posts will be involving :

• My Eastern Conference playoff seed predictions 
• The future for Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili 
• Another “Spurs Player Profile” 

So be sure to stay tuned!