LeBron James who isn’t quite over the flu, scored 22 points in his return to the Cleveland lineup after staying home sick for the last game. Though not completely healthy, James said he still felt pretty good after going 7 of 14 from the field and grabbed 6 rebounds.

He and two teammates was tested positive this week for Influenza A. James spent two days this week just lying in bed.

“I’m down probably 20 percent of what I know I’m capable of playing at,” James said.

Mo Williams scored 15 points and had 6 assists for Cleveland, while Shaquille O’Neal finished with 8 points and 13 rebounds.

 Spurs center Antonio McDyess had a solid game with 8 points and 4 boards, George Hill was again impressive scoring 13 points, handing out 3 assists, grabbing 2 rebounds without a single turnover.

It’s noteworthy that 11 of his 13 points came from the free throw line indicating that he attacked the rim and attracted contact with regularity.

DeJuan Blair had 7 points and 2 boards in just 10 minutes of action. While Malik Hairston added 11. Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili didn’t play for the Spurs.

Jamario Moon scored 12 points and Russell Robinson had 11 for Cleveland.

Both teams used this game to have a longer look at their new additions, the Spurs gave Bogans and McDyess a little more playing time. While the Cavs gave more minutes to Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. So it’s not a clear indication on who has the upper hand when the regular season starts. But still, it feels good to get the win…

Game Highlights…

More importantly, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked healthy. Coach Pop mentioned before that he will use these preseason games to evaluate the new comers and camp hopefuls. But as the start of the NBA season approaches, Popovich will turn his focus on getting the team ready for the regular season, beginning tonight with the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“In the beginning, it goes from evaluation, of both talent and conditioning, towards execution by the end of the preseason,” Popovich said. “By then, the evaluation is done, and you know who’s going to be in your rotation, for the most part. You’ve got to get people ready to play the first game, conditioning wise.”

If that’s the case, we should expect more playing time from our starters in this game. While this game still doesn’t count, it’s very important to see how will the new lineup play out against some tough competition.

Like the Spurs, the Cavs also had an off season overhaul of sorts. They are tougher upfront after getting Shaq and Leon Powe, then they improved their depth by adding Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

Even if this is only a preseason game, I hope to see TD-Dice-Parker-Manu-RJ together on the floor. It would be a joy to watch, last game we saw the value of having an athletic wing in Jefferson, McDyess is still has that reliable mid range shot and rebounding instincts and Manu is slowly becoming Manu again.

Ian, Hairston, Haislip, Bogans and even Williams should also be given minutes because it will help the coaching staff in deciding who will eventually make the Spurs’ rotation. Blair and Hill are given, they could definitely contribute right away.

Ian, Haislip and Bogans are all included in the lineup but how can they help is still a question mark (specially Keith). Although Mahinmi has shown improvements and Haislip had his moments.

And lastly, with Hairston and Williams on the bubble; the Spurs should finally decide. Or as Pop suggested they may leave the final roster spot open. Personally, I want Hairston to get that final spot.

After seeing him grow and be patient with the Spurs system; I became a fan. His professionalism, hard work and dedication to defense is very Spur-like. But that’s just me, hopefully all things will fall into place.

As the Spurs prepare for the start of the season, we should all be excited. After all that wheeling and dealings; it’s obvious that the Spurs are going “all in”. It could be argued that this is perhaps the most talented Spurs lineup during the Duncan-era, but that’s secondary.
This year, the Spurs wants it; Duncan would loved to reach title number 5 first… And this may sound a broken record, but if healthy and everybody’s role snug into place; the Spurs will definitely give it a hell of a fight…

While Blake Griffin took care of business on the offensive end, scoring 23 points and grabbing 7 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 93-90 preseason victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Griffin scored 10 points in the first quarter and had 13 in the third. The Clippers outscored the Spurs 29-26 in the fourth quarter behind 13 points from Al Thornton.

Richard Jefferson, had his most productive game in the preseason, scoring 15 points in 16 minutes, all in the first half. Marcus Williams also had his best game so far. He finished with 11 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds.

DeJuan Blair had a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards, George Hill chipped in 13, Ian Mahinmi had 7 points and 5 boards while Malik Hairston had another good all-around game for the Spurs, scoring 9 points, dishing out 5 assist with 2 steals and a rebound.

Eric Gordon, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman sat out for the Clippers.

Overall, a great win by the Clippers and a good learning experience for the Spurs young guns…

Game Highlights…

What about this pic? For sure you were not expecting it, neither was I… One of the best sportsmen of the world, Mr. Tiger Woods!
— Manu Ginobili

Spurs fans, Tell me what you think? please leave your messages at the comment section thanks!

Interesting matchups that I’d like to see is Blair vs. Griffin, Hill going up against Gordon and Ian Mahinmi and DeAndre Jordan battling it out in the middle.

This should be fun to watch, the Clippers have a young core of Blake-Gordon-Thornton-Jordan while the Spurs would certainly go with their new additions and their young guns. I hope Haislip plays this time and Ian, Hairston and Bogans gets extended minutes.

What makes this game more interesting is the fact that Blair seemed excited to play against Griffin. He says he is looking forward to the potential matchup with Blake Griffin, the former Oklahoma All-American. Not because Griffin was the top pick in the June draft in which Blair fell to 37th, but because it gives the two a chance to rekindle a friendship spawned during the draft process.

Blair said, “I can’t wait to see him, I haven’t seen him since the draft. I talked to him in the summer and told him congratulations. He’s a good person, and I hope everything works out for him.” So Blair is a nice guy off the court. But when they start playing, even if it’s just a preseason game; DeJuan will play his game, not to show off. But to learn the system more and make himself a better player. And also to remind everyone what they’ve been missing…

Popovich said, “The way we look at it, (not filling the final spots) is most likely, unless somebody shows you that you are crazy to cut them because they have played so damn well.”

“There’s got to be one or two guys show us we’re crazy to cut them. If they play that well, we’re going to have to keep one or two more bodies than we probably had planned on.”

The Spurs have two players with partial guarantee, Williams and Hairston. Before training camp starts, I wrote an article about the Spurs’ roster situation. At the time, I thought that the Spurs will probably choose between Williams or Hairston. And now the Spurs are thinking twice or maybe thinking ahead.

Leaving the last roster spot available is actually not a bad idea; in the past the Spurs have used it to make some additions or roster changes right around the trade or free agent deadline. Roster Flexibility is a good thing. And in my opinion, that option is mostly needed by the Spurs this year. Mainly because we haven’t seen how the current roster will play out. So if things don’t go well (crossed fingers), having a free roster spot certainly helps.

I’m not saying that the camp hopefuls are bad. In fact I’m hoping that the Spurs will finally decide to give Hairston the nod. He’s showed that he can play defense and provide some offense too. In the first three preseason games at least, I think he’s played better than Bogans.

So why am I pushing for the Spurs to sign Hairston? If I think roster flexibility is good? Well, The Spurs essentially has two expiring contacts when the February trade deadline comes Ratliff and Bogans, four if you include Bonner and Mason. So even if the Spurs chose to fill in the last roster spot there is still some wiggle room if they have to. (I’m not suggesting the Spurs to trade all of them maybe one or two as the need arises)

Last season they waived Pops Mensah-Bonsu to acquire Gooden, This season the same thing could be done. The Spurs front office is smart so I trust them; but as a fan, I see Hairston as one important piece maybe the final piece to the Spurs championship puzzle this year. He has worked hard for it and I think he’s earned it…

Remember, most teams past on Blair on draft night. Then he said this “All the teams that didn’t pick me I’m gonna make you regret it”. This is just a preseason game, but it’s now clear that Blair is for real. (Click here for Game highlights!)

Blair led the Spurs to victory over the Miami Heat scoring 28 points on 11 of 13 shooting adding 4 boards, 4 assist and 2 steals. He scored 15 of his points in the final quarter, including a nifty basket inside with 1:02 left as the Spurs erased an 11-point deficit over the final 12 minutes
 

Coach Pop said some nice things about Blair. “He’s a real mobile, agile player, even though he’s got the girth that he has, It’s a heck of a gift.“

Ian Mahinmi played well too scoring 9 points, grabbing 3 rebounds and blocking 3 shots. George Hill added 12 points, Michael Finley scored 10, Curtis Jerrells had 9 and Malik Hairston had a good all-around game scoring 6 points, dished out 5 assists, grabbed 4 boards and added 1 block and a steal for San Antonio, which played without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

“It’s just hard work and my teammates trusting in me and just trying to adjust to the system,” Blair said. “I’m not showing it, but it’s a problem for me. Adjusting to the system is kind of hard, but I’m getting it.”

• “The One Big Addition”: DeJuan Blair
• Ian Mahinmi: It’s time for you to show up…
• Spurs Camp: Plenty of options
• New look Spurs Cruise past Olympiacos
• Rockets beat the Spurs in Pre-season Opener
• PtR Preseason Quick Cap: Spurs 95, Heat 93

Game Highlights…

Shooting Guards

 Dwayne Wade
Will he dominate? And once again carry the offensive load for the Heat? It will be interesting to see how he reacts against the new look Spurs defense.

Richard Jefferson
Although he’s a Small Forward, he actually starts at the 2 spot (at least in these preseason games) so he will have to guard Dwayne Wade. Does he have the athletic ability and strength to keep D-Wade in check? I guess we have to find that out.

Small Forwards

James Jones
A deadly spot-shooter from downtown, he could emerge with some value as a 3-point specialist if he’s fully healthy this season.

Keith Bogans
Has not been impressive so far, but he can also shoot the 3 and play some tough D. Playing against Jones is something to look forward to.

Point Guards

Mario Chalmers
He’s played reasonably well as the Heat’s starting point guard. Some would say that the Spurs should have picked him up instead of Hill. But their averages last season is not a clear indication on who’s the better player. Chalmers played 32 mins. per ball game last year compared to Hill’s 16.5

 
George Hill
Last year, Coach Pop thought he wasn’t ready (although I disagree, sorry Pop!). He played well in the playoffs series against the Mavs and has developed his game since. He was impressive during the summer league, and so far has been solid in his first two preseason games this year.

Power Forwards

Michael Beasley
He’s a Power Forward in my opinion, and he can score and contribute in a variety of ways, provided that he’s given more playing time. He was much more productive when he earned extended minutes averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 boards in 19 starts for the Heat last season.

DeJuan Blair
He’s been great so far; a beast on the boards and has a good feel for the game. A hard worker with a great attitude. If he can continue what he does he could be Duncan’s backup. (sorry can’t get a small closeup picture of Blair)
 

Centers

Udonis Haslem
With Jermaine O’Neal out with an injury, he should start at center. Although under-sized, he’s a hustle type of player with great rebounding instincts and a tough defender too.

Antonio McDyess
Some say he’s too old to contribute. But this guy has averaged close to a double-double last year. And He’s a perfect fit to the Spurs. I even call him San Antonio McDyess.

This game should be interesting to watch given the fact that, Miami will probably play all their starters (except Jermaine of course) in this preseason game. I expect the Spurs to limit the minutes of their starters, like the last time they played.

I hope McDyess, Jefferson, Blair, Bogans, Mahinmi, Ratliff, Hairston and Hasilip to have more playing time. That way the coaches can have a better grasps on how they can contribute to the team (specially Ian, Malik, Bogans and Haislip).

It’s all about evaluation, and it’s just a preseason game, but I guess it’s not bad to hope for another win….

“It feels pretty good,” Duncan said. “I’ve gone through four or five braces throughout the summer, trying to find the right one, the one that feels good, and that’s the one I came up with so far.”

The Spurs outworked the Greeks and made it a one sided affair early on as they led 39-21 after one quarter of play. Roger Mason looked comfortable scoring 10 points on 4-5 shooting from the field including 2-3 from 3 point range. Blair had 9 points and 2 rebounds in limited minutes.

Ian Mahinmi played fairly well, scoring 7 points and grabbing 2 boards in just 8 minutes of action. McDyess had 4 points and 5 boards, Matt Bonner and Theo Ratliff also played adding 6 and 3 points for the Spurs. While Von Wafer, Teodosic, Bourousis, and Linas Kleiza had 11, 9, 7 and 4 points for the Olympiacos squad respectively.

It’s just a pre-season game but it’s a win nonetheless…

That means he will probably give more time playing to the Spurs’ new comers and camp hopefuls. But surprise! Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express writes this nice piece about the Big three all playing in the Spurs next preseason game to be played at the AT&T center arena at 7:30 PM CT versus the Olympiacos Greek Team. Here is a great pre-game preview from my friends @ Pounding the Rock! (Thanks Tim C. & silverandblack_davis)
Manu Ginobili sounds excited when he learned that Tim and Tony will join him in their next preseason game. He said this “It’s important for us to get to play again together, It’s going to be a fun game. I really can’t wait.” Well if Manu can’t wait, so are the Spurs fans. The prospect of Blair and TD playing together upfront should be a joy to watch. Seeing Tony and Manu on the backcourt should get us all fired up. But I expect them to get limited time, 10-15 minutes perhaps?

Coach Pop will probably give more playing time to Hill, Blair, RJ, Hairston, Haislip and Mahinmi. These players in my opinion are the players to watch (by the Spurs coaching staff) during this preseason.

Hill, is showing signs that he can run the team well. Blair is a rebounding machine, something that the Spurs lacked last season. Jefferson needs floor time to get comfortable with his new teammates. And Hairston, Haislip and Ian will probably make the Spurs roster.

Giving them more playing time during these preseason games will give the Spurs coaches a better gauge on what to expect from these guys. This is just a preseason game, but it should be fun to watch! I hope the Spurs win this time. Not that it really matters, but it always feels good to win right?

I would say he’s a bit unlucky the past years, I mean how would you explain the series of injuries that happened to this guy? Remember the ankle injury he sustained that required exploratory surgery because a tiny bone chip won’t show up on MRI results? Then just this September, he got a little scare when he strained a hamstring while playing for the French national team in the Eurobasket. But that’s all in the past.
Now it looked like he’s finally healthy and in good shape. He’s matured enough, and I think he’s ready (maybe too eager) to contribute. Before coming to the NBA, he played two seasons in France and last year he spent his time playing with the Austin Toros where he showed improvement and flashes of his potential.

This season is very important for him. It could make or break his NBA career, and so far he hasn’t impressed. But at least his basketball instincts are good and his uncommon size and athleticism sets him apart from other bigs. McDyess even said this about him “Oh, my goodness, this guy is good, I wondered why I hadn’t heard more about him. I love his game.”

He has potential no doubt, but in order for him to stick with the Spurs; he must show that he belong. To my mind he’s a younger version of Theo Ratliff, quick hands and feet with great shot blocking instincts. If he can stay healthy, now is his best shot. He is slowly developing some low post moves that could really help him on offense and his long arms and quickness, if used properly could be a great asset for the team.

I think for Ian to get better, he needs to add some weight; bulk up a little bit. He also needs to strengthen his leg muscles so that he can’t be easily out of position when he boxes out for a rebound or try to make a move in the paint.

Lastly, and I think more importantly he needs to be mentally tough. It’s clear that he can play. In fact, he’s very active on both ends of the floor when he does. He is also comitted to defense. But he needs to focus and relax a bit, don’t be too anxious or try to do a lot of things at the same time. That way he can stay away from those ticky tack fouls, and with that he can be more effective. The longer he stays on the floor, the more time he can prove that he’s worth the wait.

Matt Bonner played pretty well pumping in 14 points and 3 rebounds; George Hill was solid with 15 points, 4 assist and 3 rebounds as he played the most minutes for the Spurs (30 mins 26 secs. to be exact) and DeJuan Blair was great scoring 16 points, grabbing 19 rebounds (8 offensive) and handed out 2 assist. If this is a sign of things to come, then the Spurs will be very tough to beat when the games begin to count. (Video highlights at the bottom of this post!)

Even if the Spurs lost, I’m not too worried. It’s their first game and It’s the pre-season. Of course winning the game would be nice but at least the Spurs saw their new additions play. Jefferson scored 6 points in 15 minutes of action and Haislip had 7 points.

Overall, it looked like the Spurs will have a great season. Considering the fact that they played without most of their starters, they still managed to stay in the game for three quarters. It’s interesting to see how will they develop their team chemistry as the season goes along.

Important things to note: Hill looked comfortable at the point. Blair is a rebounding machine and knows how to use his body, Bonner looked like a rotation player for the Spurs, and Hairston wants that 15th spot badly and he could really contribute.

On the other hand, it seems that some Spurs needs more time to blend in. Haislip needs to cut on his turnovers, Ian must get tougher and smarter (enough with those fouls already). Manu needs to get his rhythm back and Bogans should relax and let the game come to him, same goes to Mason.

To be fair, the Rockets played well and hard as always. Carl Landry led them with 19 points, rookie Chase Budinger played a good all-around game. And Luis Scola, Brooks and Ariza; all played fairly well. They deserve to win.

Related posts:

Links from SPURS.COM, Pounding the Rock and San Antonio Express.

Manu, steal and dunk….Very nice! Seems like he has his bounce back. Tim Duncan video after the jump.

TD plays 3 point shootout after practice and winning it! Enjoy!

His mentor at the time was Bruce Bowen, in fact he has these collection of CD’s he calls “Brucie’s greatest hits”. Now Bruce is gone, so as Fabricio and Kurt Thomas. The lineup changed dramatically during his stay.

Now the Spurs have Jefferson, Blair and McDyess. Because of these acquisitions, it’s easy to overlook the other roster moves the Spurs have done.

Well, for starters, they got YouTube sensation Marcus Haislip, who in my opinion will surprise a lot of people this coming season. His athleticism will be useful for the Spurs, I think he can guard the likes of Lamar, Dirk, Lewis and maybe LeBron. He’s a ‘mobile 4′, I believe, so he could split time playing the 3 or 4 spot. Also his chip on his shoulder could provide some extra motivation to play better.

Then we have Theo Ratliff, a lot of people will say that he’s too old (He’s 36 already) and oft-injured (He has back and hip issues) to contribute. But the Spurs don’t need him to give heavy minutes, maybe 10-15 minutes a night would be enough. There are games where he will not probably play at all. But what he can bring to table is very important because he has proven that he can defend. Mainly, he can block and alter shots here is a lovely piece about Ratliff by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express. Also, it’s noteworthy to mention that he could mentor Ian Mahinmi. They have some similarities, both have quick feet and can get off the floor quickly. A trick or two from Theo can certainly help the developing young big.

And then there’s Keith Bogans, many say that He’s a poor man’s Bruce Bowen (which by the way, sounds good enough for me). He is a decent ball handler, a tough-minded defender who plays with physicality. He will make his man work for his points and can hit jumpers on the offensive end. As a third string SG, that should be enough.

These are not earth shaking moves, but it could prove to be just as important for the Spurs. Because it will provide them much needed depth in the NBA’s marathon season. As Mike Monroe puts it, new players give Spurs depth across the board. We still have many questions on our minds, but it should be an exciting season…

Enter DeJuan Blair the rookie that fell into their laps as other teams elected to pass because of worries on his ACL-less knees. Make no mistake about it Blair is a talent, and in my opinion he is NBA ready. But of course the Spurs knew that it’s not enough. They needed another guy with experience, one that will provide depth to their thin frontline. A guy who knows what it takes. A guy who has been there…

 The Spurs knowing what it takes to win an NBA championship. Looked into free agency and tried it’s hardest to get their man… Rasheed Wallace but things didn’t turned out as expected. Wallace signed with Boston instead. When that happened, the Spurs signed Marcus Haislip, and then quickly turned their eyes on Antonio McDyess. It’s reminiscent of what happened in last year’s free agency when they tried to get Corey Maggette but ended up with Roger Mason, we all know how did that turned out right?

This time, the Spurs tried to get Rasheed and instead got McDyess, I’d say good for us! (with all due respect to Wallace). I like the guy, although I like McDyess better… Why? Because in my opinion McDyess is a better fit.

But admit it, none of those moves will matter if Duncan and Ginobili are not healthy (with all due respect to Tony). Heading into the camp, it’s great to know that both of them are in ‘good shape’.

Duncan’s knees are ‘pain free’ and according to Jeff McDonald of Express News Manu is healthy once again.

Adding RJ, Dice or Blair is nice, but for the Spurs to win their 5th title they need their leader and their super sub. Remember Duncan is the base, the foundation, the cornerstone while Manu is the X-Factor, the power punch, and the hot sauce of the Spurs’ Jalapeño…
The Spurs are not the same without either of them. In 2000, when Duncan was sidelined with an injury the Spurs failed to advance to the 2nd round. Last year, when Ginobili got hurt the same thing happened, so you go figure.
Now with a the Spurs lineup completely healthy, things are looking good. “It’s on paper, now it’s up to us to put this on the floor”. That’s how Duncan said it, I think he too is excited about this coming season. And who wouldn’t? The Spurs starting five of Duncan-Parker-McDyess-Jefferson-Mason looked solid . Then you have guys like Manu, Blair, Finley, Hill, Bonner, and Ian off the bench, wow!

I’m not saying that the Spurs are going 82-0 this season. But if the new additions fit in snugly to their role, come playoff time most teams will have a lot of headache playing against them. Spurs fans are too worried about the match up problems the Lakers or Dallas may present…

But ask yourself this questions, who’s gonna stop Duncan at the post? With McDyess hitting mid-range jumpers consistently doubling him will be a disaster. And how about Ginobili slashing through traffic only to find an open Jefferson or Mason waiting for the corner 3 if the defense choose to collapse on him?

Then there’s Parker arguably the fastest Point Guard in the NBA today. Guard him too close he’s gone; go under him? He can hit his jumpers at a descent rate. More importantly he now has plenty of offensive weapons to choose from. He could have a career high assist wise this coming season. That’s just the starting five how about the bench?

Coach Pop may have a problem at the start on how to play with his ‘new toys’. But just the same I bet you, opposing coaches will have trouble figuring out ways to stop them. This is the new-look Spurs. They are more balanced offensively and defensively, with a nice blend of experience, youth, talent, athleticism and leadership. That’s why if this team can stay healthy, other teams should watch out…

If you have read the news, a lot of people are lending a helping hand to the victims from aspiring politicians to multi-national companies. This kind of calamities seem to bring the Filipino people closer and thus stronger…

My heart goes to the victims, many people have died and lost their homes let’s pray for them. Meanwhile, it’s really good to know that people from all over the world are pouring aid to the Philippines. If you can help, please do…

 For once, this is not about the Spurs; it’s about saving lives, it’s about friends, it’s about family. I’m lucky enough to know that my relatives back in the Philippines (I’m half Filipino) are safe and sound. But that doesn’t mean I just sit here and stay happy. Friends; prayers can help… Please kindly offer some of your time praying for the victims it can go along way…

Just when everyone think they are done with their offseason makeover, they acquired the services of Ratliff and if that’s not enough just last week they shored up their backcourt with Keith Bogans for good measure. After all those moves, you would think the Spurs are building a roster of 20. But they do this for a purpose.

And the main reason is to win. Plain and simple that’s been their goal in the past and that will never change. This team has valued winning more than any other team in the league. And this coming season is no exception.

In 2008, they had their best shot of repeating but a lot of things happened; Manu not being 100%, the Game 1 collapse against the Lakers in the conference finals and some breaks (Fisher’s Foul on Barry) that didn’t went their way.

The following year they stayed put and added an important piece in Roger Mason. With a healthy ‘Big 3′, they know they can compete. But then again things didn’t go their way; Manu was injured (again!) in the olympics. Tony hurt his ankle and even Duncan had his fair share of time off the court. That hurt the Spurs chances last year.

They couldn’t get in a rhytm, and don’t have enough time to gel. Even the late addition of Gooden didn’t help. In short when the playoffs came last season they weren’t ready, not up to the task…

But it’s NOT because of lack of focus or preparation; and it’s definitely NOT because they don’t have the will or the desire to win. They were just too wounded at the time. As Parker would say it “We don’t have enough firepower to match up with them.” But this coming season? It’s a different story.

The Spurs are definitely better. With the current lineup (yes, with Bonner), barring significant injuries; I like our chances… It could be argued that this might be the most talented Spurs roster during the Duncan era.

Most people or so focused about the RJ or Dice acquisition. Some would even say that Jefferson is not worth it (although he’s overpaid) and is already past his prime, and that McDyess is just too old to produce consistenly. But let me say this, they just don’t get it!

The Spurs doesn’t expect a title by merely adding Jefferson, McDyess or Blair. They are just pieces to the Spurs’ championship puzzle…

They quickly forget that we still have Finley, Mason and Hill. And more importantly we have a great Coach in Gregg Popovich who in my opinion is the best coach in the NBA today (sorry Phil).

I would say that besides the ‘Big 3′ being healthy, the next most important thing going for Spurs is Coach Pop. The way he handles his players amazes me, I mean the guy has great influence to the Spurs team to the point that it nearly takes his own personality.

Now, with so much at stake the Spurs needs to trust him even more. Yes we definitely have upgraded talent wise, but how are you gonna use that talent effectively and efficiently is the next step and it’s a great challenge.

Let me remind you that in San Antonio expections are so high; anything less than a championship is a disappointment. In last year’s playoffs they were wronged or embarassed I guess, and so they’ve reloaded not to impress but to tell everyone that “Hey we’re not done yet, we’re just getting started. Just wait and see“.

We should expect a thrilling and exciting season… It’s about to begin let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride…

Here’s my take…

(1) Los Angeles Lakers
If Ron Artest fit in nicely to a team that already includes Kobe, Gasol, Odom and a healthy Bynum they are favored to repeat. But if he starts acting up that’s an entirely different story; loosing Ariza may prove too costly.

(2) Orlando Magic
Last year’s runner-up just added Vince Carter, Bass and Barnes. Although they lose Hedo and Lee; Rashard can now play his natural position and they should be better on offense and solid upfront. How about developing some post moves Dwight?

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers
The team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year got Shaquille O’Neal. Then included Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Leon Powe to their roster. They should be better right? But It still depends on how LeBron leads this team; plus can Shaq defend the pick n’ roll?…

(5) Boston Celtics
Picking up Rasheed Wallace and adding Daniels is nice. Rondo is still getting better and they also retained the services of Glen Davis. But how much does Ray Allen have left? and KG’s knees is a cause for concern.

(6) Portland Trail Blazers
The team remained intact; Andre Miller providing veteran presence in the backcourt can only help. This team is young and loaded with talent. And after getting to the playoffs last year, they gained needed experience and should be a dangerous team.

(7) Denver Nuggets
Last year’s accomplishment could be tough to duplicate. I might have ranked them a little low but they didn’t make a big move in the offseason then loose Danthay Jones and Linas Kleiza to free agency. In my opinion this will hurt their perimeter defense and bench production. But I like the acquisition of Lawson because it will definitely give Billups much needed rest making him more effective down the stretch. Carmelo Anthony is getting more consistent and their front line is solid with Nene, Martin and Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen in the fold.

(8) Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs slightly improved their frontcount because of Drew Gooden. Marion will never be the same, Kidd is aging; rookie Rodrigue Beaubois might provide solid contribution at the backcourt. But their success still lies on Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Terry playing at a high level.

(9) New Orleans Hornets
They still have Chris Paul and David West. I think Ike Diogu will surprise a lot of people, and Darren Collison looks promising. But giving Butler away and trading Chandler for Okafor is a head scratcher…

(10) Utah Jazz
This team is solid and plays hard with a possible starting 5 of Deron Williams, Kyle Korver, Kirilenko, Millsap and Okur you can go wrong right? Although the Carlos Boozer situation could be a distraction. But with Jerry Sloan as coach, they should be focused.

(11) Atlanta Hawks
They should get better. Jamal Crawford gives them another scorer (Joe Johnson’s prayers are answered!) and Joe Smith is a veteran prensence at the post who could mentor Al Horford. They also kept their key guys Bibby, Pachulia, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams from last season’s playoff run.

(12) Chicago Bulls
Luol Deng coming back healthy, Derrick Rose gaining tremendous experience in last year’s playoffs, and Brad Miller and Salmons in training camp are all good news. But they might miss the spark and offensive production Ben Gordon provides.

(13) Miami Heat
I might be ranking them too high but they still have Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O’Neal (if healthy) and Haslem. A year of experience for Beasley and Chalmers certainly helps and they have solid backups in Quentin Richardson, James Jones, Cook and Magloire

(14) Phoenix Suns
May make or miss the playoffs (again?!). Yes they have Nash, Jason Richardson, Barbosa and Grant Hill. But the bottom line is will Amare return to his old self? that remains to be seen…

(15) Detroit Pistons
They lost Iverson and Rasheed. But this team has an exciting core. Hamilton, Prince, Charlie Villianueva, Rodney Stuckey and Maxiell or Kwame should start. Then they’ve got Gordon coming off the bench (which fits him). Chris Wilcox is an underrated acquisition and Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers are possible steals. After last season’s disappointment, the Pistons will go nowhere but up.

Outside looking in:
In my opinion these teams can possibly make the playoffs this upcoming season,

Raptors because they now have Hedo Turkoglu, Jarret Jack and Belinelli. That’s additional firepower.

Wizards Arenas returning healthy. Randy Foye will give them a reliable ‘true’ point guard and the possible contribution of Oberto to a lesser extent should not be overlooked.

76ers main key is Elton Brand staying healthy. Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights, Young and Willie Green are all good. They also picked Holiday but loose veteran point guard Miller to the Blazers.

Thunder thier young core of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha, and Russell Westbrook looks good on paper. They also have added James Harden and Serge Ibaka. If their talent translate on the court, watch out!

Clippers they got Blake Griffin but more importantly, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan has a year of experience. Veterans Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby should play inspired basketball and they also got Rasual Butler.

Bobcats after a year trading their players, Coach Brown molded this team the way he likes it. They showed improvement last year. So will they finally be make the playoffs? It’s still a long shot although Tyson Chandler and Flip Murray’s arrival can help.

Agree with my ranking? Feel free to voice your opinion @ the comments section of this page. This should be a very exciting season NBA fans!