Boris Diaw | SAN ANTONIO SPURS TICKETS

Diaw back in Phoenix with ‘loading up’ Spurs

PHOENIX — Boris Diaw will take the floor at the U.S. Airways Center tonight, and at times it will feel like a homecoming.

Diaw spent the most productive seasons of his career here from 2005 until being traded to Charlotte in December 2008. He still owns a house in the area.

And like most other prominent members of the Phoenix Suns from that era, Diaw also occasionally experiences flashbacks of fruitless playoff trips against the Spurs.

“They were the team to beat, and we never could get past them,” said Diaw, a 6-foot-8 forward acquired by the Spurs last week. “That was a long time ago. It’s in the past.”

Much has changed since Diaw left Phoenix.

For starters, he is on the other side of the Spurs-Suns divide, his “we” and “them” having been transposed when he signed a free-agent deal in San Antonio last week.

When Diaw returns to his former home court tonight, to face his former team, he will literally be wearing black, a symbol of his changed place in the rivalry. As far as Phoenix fans are concerned, he might as well embrace the change fully and don a Darth Vader mask.

“It feels different,” Diaw said of switching allegiances. “But it’s the same goal of going as far as possible.”

Diaw’s arrival marks the latest step in a midseason makeover unprecedented in San Antonio, designed to turbo-charge the Spurs’ pursuit of a fifth NBA championship before franchise cornerstone Tim Duncan retires.

In a span of eight days, the Spurs potentially added three new rotation players to a roster already good enough to post the second-best record in the Western Conference.

First, the front office swapped Richard Jefferson — the Spurs’ starter at small forward for 192 games — to Golden State for Stephen Jackson, a clutch-shooting ghost from the team’s championship past.

Then, the Spurs signed Diaw, two days after his contract was bought out in Charlotte.

The team has one more move still in the hopper, awaiting backup point guard Patty Mills to resolve visa issues so he can begin spelling Tony Parker.

For Spurs players who have been here a while, and have never witnessed a shake-up quite so bold, the point was undeniable.

“We knew we were going all-in,” guard Manu Ginobili said.

The flurry of roster moves sent a clear signal to the Spurs’ top competitors as well.

“They are loading up for a run,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “They are like a lot of us. They see this thing is pretty wide-open, and they have a great shot.”

In the 33-year-old Jackson, the Spurs have a battle-tested swingman who arrived touting his ability to “make love to pressure.”

Rescued from Milwaukee, where he clashed with coach Scott Skiles, Jackson brings an edge and sense of swagger to the Spurs’ bench.

A skilled and versatile forward, Diaw affords the Spurs another ample posterior to set screens and defend the paint against the West’s top big men.

For the remade Spurs, the biggest challenge going forward will be finding time to get the new pieces accustomed to playing with the old ones. The compact lockout schedule leaves little time to practice, and the playoffs are a little more than a month away.

“You just hope the guys can absorb as much as they can,” coach Gregg Popovich said.

For Diaw, simply slipping into a silver and black jersey seems surreal.

The Spurs knocked him from the playoffs three times when he was with Phoenix. By the time Phoenix finally broke through, sweeping the Spurs in the 2010 second round, Diaw was already in Charlotte.

The Suns’ closest call during Diaw’s tenure came in 2007. Phoenix had evened the conference semifinals at 2-2 with a Game 4 victory in San Antonio, only to have Diaw and Amare Stoudemire suspended for Game 5 for leaving the bench area after the Spurs’ Robert Horry bounced Steve Nash into the scorers table.

The Spurs won Game 5, and ultimately the series, en route to their fourth NBA title.

“We were in good position,” Diaw said. “We know how close we were. It was heartbreaking.”

Having been unable to beat the Spurs while with the Suns, Diaw is content enough to join them.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Big night from Big Three stops Pacers

By Jeff McDonald

George Hill walked into the ATT Center again Saturday night and noticed something peculiar about the gym he used to call home.

The view from the visiting locker room looks similar to the view from the home digs.

“Same old team,” Hill said. “Nothing has changed.”

Speaking in the hours before his former team, the Spurs, reeled off a 112-103 victory over his new team, Indiana, Hill meant his comments as a compliment.

He was half right. And he was half wrong.

The Spurs have changed in undeniable ways since Hill, a player coach Gregg Popovich once dubbed his favorite, was traded to the Pacers in June. Rookie Kawhi Leonard has taken Hill’s place on the roster and Patrick Mills his stall in the locker room, and the Spurs have loaded up for the stretch run by adding Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw.

At their core, however, the Spurs are what they’ve been since long before Hill arrived.

For nine-plus seasons and three titles, the Spurs have been Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Saturday, they were again — even in throwback Dallas Chaparrals uniforms and knee-high socks that were an homage to the ABA.

Duncan recorded 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Parker and Ginobili each added 18 points and five assists as the longest-tenured trio in the NBA pushed the Spurs (36-14) to a seventh straight win.

“Manu, Tim and Tony led the way,” Popovich said. “Those three were all good at the same time.”

How’s this for never changing? Since Ginobili arrived in 2002 to complete the Big Three, the Spurs have not lost a home game to Indiana.

Hill would be pleased to find Popovich hasn’t changed much either. Before the game, Popovich spent two minutes waxing sentimental about Hill’s three seasons with the Spurs and his place in this community.

“He’s just an incredible human being,” Popovich concluded.

Pause.

“But I traded his ass.”

Hill had nine points, seven rebounds and six assists, but his old team used a 15-1 run in a 39-point second quarter to build a 22-point lead.

For the Spurs, a familiar triumvirate cleared the path. It was the third consecutive game Duncan, Parker and Ginobili had reached double figures together. When that trio combines for at least 50 points, the Spurs are 6-0 this season.

When rallying Indiana climbed within eight multiple times in the final five minutes, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili scored to nudge the lead back to double-digits.

“They fought their way back,” Duncan said of the Pacers (30-21). “I thought we finished well. We made some stops there at the end.”

The Spurs won despite being outshot 53.2 percent to 50 percent. They made 27 of 33 free throws — with Duncan hitting 9 of 9 — and outrebounded the NBA’s second-best rebounding team 40-32, including 10 offensive boards.

The Spurs survived a pair of 18-point nights from Indiana’s Danny Granger and Paul George, as well as a 15-point, four-block line from Roy Hibbert, using a bench that outscored the Pacers’ reserves 51-29.

When Indiana coach Frank Vogel sought to explain Saturday’s outcome, however, he pointed to the usual suspects.

“Anytime you have Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, that foursome is capable of doing anything,” Vogel said.

Anything?

“They have a championship core,” Vogel said. “They have a legitimate shot of winning it all.”

It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. From the other side of the ATT Center, with a different point of view, Hill likely noticed as much.

jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter: @J_McDonald_SAEN

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Spurs 112, Pacers 103: March 31, 2012

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers’ Roy Hibbert (55) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) attempts a fade away shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Roy Hibbert (55) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Stephen Jackson (03) makes a pass over Indiana Pacers’ Leandro Barbosa (28) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tony Parker (09) goes up for a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ George Hill (03) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Former Spur and current Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (03) enters the game against Spurs’ Tony Parker (09) and Danny Green (04) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) drives around the basket looking to make a pass against the Indiana Pacers’ David West (21) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) shoots over the Indiana Pacers’ Leandro Barbosa (28) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22) reaches high to defend a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Leandro Barbosa (28) in the first half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers’ Roy Hibbert (55) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tony Parker (09) goes the basket against the Indiana Pacers’ David West (21) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) gets fouled as he attempts a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Roy Hibbert (55) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) takes a moment to chat with former teammate, current Indiana Pacer George Hill (03) at the end of their game at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) gets a hug from former teammate, current Indiana Pacer George Hill (03) at the end of their game at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (right) chats with Tony Parker (09) during a timeout in a game against the Indiana Pacers at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Danny Green (04) takes a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George (24) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (02) takes a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Darren Collison (02) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Stephen Jackson (03) attempts a shot against the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George (24) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Manu Ginobili (20) discusses the game with teammate Boris Diaw (33) while seated on the bench with Tim Duncan (21) during their game against the Indiana Pacers at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

A Spurs Silverdancer performs before the start of the Spurs game against the Indiana Pacers at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (22) lays up the ball against the Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger (33) in the second half at the ATT Center on Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012. Spurs defeated the Pacers, 112-103. Kin Man Hui/Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

Leonard recalls short time with Pacers

By Jeff McDonald

It doesn’t take Kawhi Leonard long to recount the entirety of his career as an Indiana Pacer.

NBA commissioner David Stern announced him as the 15th pick in the June draft. Someone handed Leonard a Pacers ball cap as he walked up on stage at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He shook the commissioner’s hand. He walked off stage.

“And then a media person in the back told me I had been traded,” Leonard said.

Leonard was the property of the Pacers for all of five minutes before being informed he’d been swapped to the Spurs in a pre-arranged deal for guard George Hill.

The Spurs rookie small forward faces his, ahem, former team for the first time tonight when the Pacers visit the ATT Center.

It’s not as if Leonard will be out for revenge against the team that traded him. He’s enjoying life as a starting member of a Spurs team boasting the Western Conference’s second-best record.

He recalls being neither stunned nor daunted by the trade.

“It still felt good,” Leonard said. “I got drafted that day. I was happy with whatever team wanted me.”

Acquired for his skills as a defender and rebounder, Leonard is averaging 8.3 points, an offensive output that has surprised coach Gregg Popovich. In March, the 6-foot-7 Leonard is contributing 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

“He’s been great all year long,” Tim Duncan said. “Even with Pop getting on him at times, he responds the right way. That’s big for a rook.

“The steals, the one-man fast breaks, all those things — they’re great for us. He adds a new dimension to our team.”

Nash missing Diaw: After obtaining a buyout from Charlotte a little more than a week ago, recently acquired forward Boris Diaw admits he talked to his old friend, Steve Nash, about the possibility of reuniting in Phoenix.

But Diaw wouldn’t go so far as to call it a recruiting pitch.

“He’s a friend, so I talk to him every now and then,” said Diaw, who played for Phoenix from 2005 to 2008. “We were talking about it, when people knew I was on the verge of being bought out by Charlotte. I got some interest from a few teams.”

According to a report in the New York Post, citing an unidentified source, Nash is upset Suns management didn’t do more to lure Diaw back to Phoenix.

Diaw, 29, instead signed with the Spurs, where has averaged 2.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals in five games.

False Aussie advertising: Patrick Mills, the Australian point guard who joined the Spurs over the weekend, is sheepish to admit it.

He has indeed been to Outback Steakhouse. What’s more, he kind of liked it.

“I go there for the cheesy fries,” Mills said.

Yes, it’s a little like Yao Ming frequenting Panda Express. Or Eduardo Najera noshing at Taco Bell.

Mills is quick to point out to American diners that Outback probably isn’t the best representative of his home country’s cuisine.

“I might be the most Australian thing in there,” Mills said

jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN