Category: In the News

Spurs well positioned to endure the lockout

San Antonio’s unique position as the strongest NBA market in terms of fan interest should make the Spurs less susceptible to fallout from the lockout than other league franchises.

Bill Nielsen, vice president of sales for the Scarborough Sports Marketing Group, said the Spurs have traditionally dominated his company’s measurements of fan awareness and support in the NBA.

And because of that support, Nielsen doesn’t believe that a lengthy lockout will erode local support and interest for the team.

Scarborough’s most recent list indicates that 61 percent of thousands of fans interviewed in the San Antonio area have either watched a Spurs game at the ATT Center, listened to a Spurs game on radio or watched a Spurs game on television in the last year.

That figure is the best of the 29 NBA American markets the company surveys. Toronto isn’t included in the Scarborough list.

“That’s a very healthy number when three out of five persons in San Antonio have that kind of contact with the team,” Nielsen said. “In layman’s terms, it indicates that if you live in San Antonio, you are going to be a Spurs fan.”

Because of that broad-based community awareness and support, Nielsen said the Spurs shouldn’t feel a lockout-related pinch that might be inflicted on other NBA teams once the league’s labor differences are settled.

“It bodes well for them,” Nielsen said. “I wouldn’t expect there to be a hangover (after the lockout) because of that traditional support they have.”

The Spurs ranked at the top of Scarborough’s most recent list of NBA franchises, which was generated for the first half of 2011.

Cleveland is second at 58 percent, followed by Boston (50 percent), Utah (47 percent) and Phoenix (45 percent) among the top five franchises. New Jersey (11 percent) is the lowest.

Scarborough has analyzed sports teams, leagues and markets among other consumer research for more than a decade. The Spurs have traditionally ranked at the top of the NBA’s “watched on television/attended/listened on radio” rankings during that time.

The NBA’s top numbers in that category don’t match those of other teams in other major sports in Scarborough’s “WAL” rankings. The NFL’s New Orleans Saints lead all professional sports franchises at 87 percent. The St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball have a “WAL” ranking of 73 percent to lead franchises in that sport.

But the Spurs’ traditional number at 60 percent is a solid one for any sports franchise, Nielsen said.

“I’m impressed with that number considering they haven’t won a title in several years,” Nielsen said. “When you win a title, it traditionally pushes your numbers to the top. Look at New Orleans. But the Spurs have held solid.”

NBA’s best in Texas

By DOUGLAS PILS
dpils@express-news.net

Now that the Dallas Mavericks have won a NBA title, a statistic that involves Texas teams and former Texas schoolboy star Shaquille O’Neal has been extended.

Either the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks or a team with Shaq has won 11 of the last 18 NBA championships.

The 2003-04 champion Detroit Pistons have a Texas connection with Texas Tech’s and Saginaw’s Darvin Ham, but most might find it ridiculous to fashion a streak that includes Shaq and Ham. Unless you love the Red Raiders, and then you don’t.

And we’d have to go add Beaumont Ozen’s Kendrick Perkins and the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, and then we’re just getting silly.

What’s not crazy is taking a look at the Texas teams’ best of all-time now that each can call itself an NBA champion. Here’s one man’s opinion of each franchise’s best five, plus a super sub:

San Antonio Spurs

PG: Tony Parker may rub some the wrong way, but he’s faster and a better scorer than Avery Johnson.

SG: Manu Ginobili is the engine that drives the Spurs, no matter if he’s starting or coming off the bench.

C: David Robinson saved the Spurs and helped create the good-guy image still prevalent eight years after his retirement. And the Hall of Famer could play a little, too.

SF: George Gervin still leads the franchise in scoring — if you include ABA numbers — and his 26.3 points per game will go unchallenged for years.

PF: Tim Duncan has been called the best power forward ever. Four rings and a decade of dominance in the tough Western Conference do little to dispute that.

Sixth man: Sean Elliott has the ring and the Memorial Day Miracle that pushes him over the likes of Mike Mitchell, James Silas and Larry Kenon.

Dallas Mavericks

PG: Jason Kidd gets the nod over Derek Harper for nearly three more assists per game in a Dallas uniform and because a ring eases the sting of Harper dribbling out the clock in 1984.

SG: Rolando Blackman was Dallas’ career scoring before a 7-foot German came around.

C: Tyson Chandler may only play one year in Dallas, but he gave the Mavs a title and a difference-making inside presence lacking since Roy Tarpley was sober.

SF: Mark Aguirre had the good fortune of getting traded to the Pistons and winning two NBA titles. He’s still Dallas’ best in points per game at 24.6.

PF: Dirk Nowitzki has coach Rick Carlisle calling him one of the top 10 players ever and now the best on the planet. For sure he’s the best to ever play in Dallas.

Sixth man: It’s funny that this slot comes down to Michael Finley or Jason Terry, since they once shared an intimate moment. But Terry’s 3-point numbers are better and he has that ring.

Houston Rockets

PG: Calvin Murphy made the Hall of Fame after 1,002 games and 17,949 points in a Rockets uniform and no other.

SG: Kenny Smith only played six seasons in Houston, but winning two titles and hitting seven threes in one Finals game puts him here.

C: Hakeem Olajuwon tops Houston’s charts in every key statistic and Nowitzki wishes he had post moves like the “Dream.”

SF: Robert Reid went from Clemens and St. Mary’s to two NBA Finals. He ranks seventh and sixth on Houston’s points and rebounds charts.

PF: Moses Malone gets pushed over to forward by Olajuwon.

Sixth man: Rudy Tomjanovich is third and fourth on Houston’s scoring and rebounding lists, and then he went and coached the Rockets to two championships.

Kawhi sees rebounding, defensive role model in Rodman

Some scouts see a link between new Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard and Hall of Fame forward (and former Spur) Dennis Rodman in terms of their work ethic, rebounding and defensive determination.

Leonard was described as the top defensive prospect at forward in the NBA Draft.

The former San Diego State standout doesn’t back away from those who might detect similarities in their games.

“I think that’s a good comparison,” Leonard said. “I try to go after every rebound like Dennis Rodman did. Some  nights he would come down with 20 rebounds. I had a night when I had 20 rebounds. It just shows how much passion we have on the defensive end how much energy we bring to the team.”

Like Rodman early in his career, Leonard is known for his fierce determination on the court. He’s also considered more of a physical player as he’s nearly 20 pounds heavier than Rodman during his NBA career.

“I’m just going to bring my hard work,” Leonard said. “Whatever Coach Pop wants me to do, I’m going to do. If it’s rebounding, that’s one of my strengths. Defense. Anything he wants me to do, I’m ready to do.”

The knock against Leonard — like Rodman during his NBA career — is a raw offensive game.

Developing his offense is one of Leonard’s major aims before the start of his first NBA training camp.

“I can dribble and get to the hole easily,” Leonard said. “I have a mid-range  shot. I just need to work on my 3-point shot, catch and shoot and pulling up in transition.”

Despite some of the negative scouting reports about Leonard’s offensive development, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said the Spurs’ organization has detected some strengths that sometimes go unnoticed.

“From our perspective we think he’s an underrated passer,” Buford said. “And he’s really a good facilitator within the offense.”

The Spurs could live with Leonard developing into a Rodman-type of player — if he steers clear of some of the off-the-court incidents that checkered Rodman’s career.