Tag: In the News

Red-letter dates on Spurs’ schedule (circle them in pencil)

Here are some games not to miss on the Spurs’ 2011-12 schedule, lockout permitting. With the NBA labor crisis still nowhere near a resolution, we’d circle these dates in pencil, and hold off on hiring a babysitter for now.

for complete schedule.

Nov. 2 — The Spurs open the season at home against Milwaukee. The last time the Bucks visited the ATT Center, Manu Ginobili sank them with a buzzer beater.

Nov. 4 – First visit of the season from the Dallas Mavericks, who much to the chagrin of folks in San Antonio can now add “defending NBA champions” to their official title. The Spurs also face the Mavs on Jan. 29 and March 17 in  Dallas and on April 8 again at home.

Nov. 9 — First of two visits out west to take on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. After this, Spurs won’t face Lakers again until April, when they close the season by playing two of the final four games against their West Coast rivals.

Dec. 17 — Reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls come to San Antonio, repaying the Spurs’ visit to the Windy City on Nov. 30.

Dec. 26 – First of four revenge games against the Memphis team that knocked the Spurs from the playoffs last season in an historic 1 vs. 8 upset. This one will be at the ATT Center. Spurs also face the Grizzlies on Jan. 3 and Feb. 14 in Memphis and at home on April Fool’s Day.

Dec. 31 – Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style. Sort of. Spurs ring in 2012 by hosting the Toronto Raptors.

Jan. 11 — Ex Spurs guard George Hill will face his former team for the first time since his draft-night trade to the Pacers. This game  is in Indiana. Hill comes home to San Antonio on March 30.

Jan. 17 – Spurs vs. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh in Miami. Enough said. Heat make their lone visit to ATT Center a few weeks later, on Feb. 1.

Feb. 6 – Spurs open nine-game rodeo road trip, beginning in Washington. Trip will also take them to Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, Memphis, Los Angeles (Clippers), Utah and Portland before concluding Feb. 23 in Denver.

March 7 – The only trip to the ATT Center for Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and the reconstituted New York Knicks is part of a seven-game homestand that follows the rodeo trip. After the rodeo leaves town, the Spurs finish with 16 of their final 22 games at home.

Ex-Spur Schintzius thinks his mullet got him traded

Dwayne Schintzius was one of the original characters in the history of the Spurs franchise.

Old-school fans still remember his mullet haircut and his free-throw shooting woes during his brief one-season stint with the team. He was the Spurs’ No. 1 choice in the 1990 draft, but played only 42 games with the team before he was swapped to Sacramento after his rookie season.

Schintzius believes his mullet-style  lobster haircut he wore during his season with the team was the major reason for the trade.

It seems that then-Spurs general manager Bob Bass didn’t like the haircut and wanted his prized rookie to trim his locks. 

“He told me to cut it,” Schintzius  (hat tip Project Spurs.com). “So I got it cut and sent him the shavings in an envelope. I’m not sure he appreciated that. And then, away I went.”

Schnitzius was swapped for Antoine Carr. It began a journey that saw him play for six teams in an injury-plagued, nine-season NBA career.

Those frequent trades were something that Schnitzius told Johnson he accepted as part of being a professional athlete.

“After the first time, it wasn’t a big deal to move around,” Schintzius said. “Whoever signed my check, as long as I got paid, I was good.

“You’re always moving, finding a new place to live, new places to eat and shop, making new friends. All of the above. But you just say, ‘Oh well. It is what it is. I’m a professional athlete.’ It’s part of the deal.”

Even if his hair might have caused the first swap.

Younger Spurs planning organized workouts during lockout

Several of the younger Spurs have met and plan to start organized workouts soon.

Spurs guard Danny Green told Jeff Garcia of Project Spurs.com that he has been in contact with several of his teammates . Several of them recently returned to San Antonio to map plans during the workout.

“I saw them actually about a week or two ago,” Green told Garcia. ” We all went back. We talked about dates we want to go back and work out with each other.”

The organized work could be a boon for Green, a former North Carolina standout who appeared in eight game during two stints with the Spurs last season after spending most of the season with the Reno Bighorns in the NBA’s Developmental League. Green scored a season-high 13 points against Phoenix in the regular-season finale on April 13 and averaged 8.7 points in his final four games with San Antonio. He also made the Spurs’ playoff roster, averaging 1.3 points in seven minutes of playoff action over four playoff games.

“The main guys we worked out with at the end of the summer were mostly the young guys,” Green said. “James Anderson, Da’Sean Butler, Gary Neal was there for a little bit, George Hill before he got traded. I’ve seen him (Hill) about two weeks to when I was in San Antonio for the WNBA All-Star game was there. We saw that game.

“Cory Joseph, I’ve kept in touch with him. Hopefully we will go back again, I think in about a week or two, to go workout again with each other. Me, Cory, Da;Sean Butler, James Anderson mostly the young guys. We keep in contact with each other, stay in shape, and we’ll see what happens from there on.”

The organized work will be critical for the young players, who will miss an opportunity to work with Spurs coaches and trainers during the lockout.

Green’s late-season spurt could help him challenge for a roster spot at either shooting guard or small forward if he keeps improving.

That’s why his summer work with other Spurs players will be so critical for him.