Tag: James Anderson

Uncertainty reigns as Spurs’ camp begins

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

When the Spurs take to the practice floor today for the start of a shortened training camp prelude to a shortened season, they could be without a starting small forward and a starting center.

There will be a scant 17 days to fill out the roster, integrate new players, re-install the playbook and generally approach some semblance of playing shape before the 66-game regular-season opens Dec. 26 against Memphis.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, despite his reputation as something of a control freak, swears he is cool with all of this.

“I’m not uncomfortable about anything,” Popovich said. “We’re going to camp like we would any other year, and you go do your job.”

At the dawn of this strangest of training camps, with free agency opening the same day as practice, uncertainty reigns supreme across the NBA.

Outside of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, it’s hard to say who exactly will be present on the Spurs’ post-lockout practice court when the doors swing wide this afternoon.

The Spurs are strongly considering waiving small forward Richard Jefferson under the NBA’s new amnesty clause, though the leading candidate to replace him — former Dallas swingman Caron Butler — agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

And Antonio McDyess, the Spurs’ playoff starter at center, is thought to be leaning toward retirement, but hasn’t informed anybody of anything.

“I wish I had an answer for you,” McDyess’ agent, Andy Miller, said Thursday. “But I don’t.”

Answers for the Spurs’ dilemma at small forward have proven just as elusive.

Though Jefferson has informed multiple teammates of the Spurs’ intention to waive him, the team could rethink that plan if no better option presents itself.

With Butler off the table, the Spurs remain in the hunt for Washington’s Josh Howard, who had a positive visit with Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford earlier this week, while also clinging to the fading hope they can sway 39-year-old Grant Hill away from Phoenix with the promise of a two-year deal.

“I always trust (the front office) and trust their judgment to improve our team,” said Parker, who will definitely be getting a new backup at point guard in Indiana expatriate T.J. Ford. “Knowing Pop, we want to try and win it, so I know they’re going to bring in guys who are competitive.”

McDyess, 37, was a recluse in Houston for most of the lockout as he contemplates whether to return for a 16th season he never intended on playing in the first place.

The three-year contract he signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2009 included a nice retirement bonus: $2.64 million guaranteed in 2011-12, whether he suits up or not.

The Spurs have until today to waive McDyess and cut him a check for that $2.64 million. If they don’t, the entirety of his $5.22 million pact becomes guaranteed.

Buford calls McDyess’ status for the start of camp “unclear.” One potential reason for the ambiguity: McDyess’ contract is constructed in such a manner as to make him an enticing trade chip to a team in search of salary cap relief.

After last season, Spurs officials were hopeful McDyess — who averaged 5.6 points and 5.7 rebounds over the past two seasons — could be persuaded to return for an abbreviated campaign.

For now, signs seem to point to McDyess being absent at least for the start of camp.

“I’m his agent and his friend,” Miller said. “The one thing I’m not is his therapist. He’s got to make the decision that’s in his best interest.”

Perhaps McDyess can afford to sit tight. For the rest of the Spurs, whoever they might be, training camp is here.

Ready or not.

2011-12 ROSTER

The Spurs open training camp today with many famil- iar faces, a couple who arrived midseason and are in their first Spurs camp, and some brand new faces.

Old guys
SG James Anderson, 22
C DeJuan Blair, 22
F-C Matt Bonner, 31
PF Tim Duncan, 35
SG Manu Ginobili, 34
SG Gary Neal, 27
PG Tony Parker, 29
PF Tiago Splitter, 26

Rookie guys
PG Cory Joseph, 20
SF Kawhi Leonard, 20
PG Devin Gibson, 22

First-time guys
SF Da’Sean Butler, 23
G-F Danny Green, 24
PG T.J. Ford, 28

Maybe guys
SF Grant Hill, 39
F-G Josh Howard, 31
SF Richard Jefferson, 31

Long-gone guys?
PF Antonio McDyess, 37
PF Steve Novak, 28
PG Chris Quinn, 28

Source: Express-News research

Spurs slowly getting business in order

The Spurs unlocked the doors to their practice complex Thursday morning, but players didn’t exactly barge through.

Maybe they knew members of the team’s medical staff were waiting inside, ready to give each player the requisite preseason physical exam.

Who likes an ice-cold stethoscope pressed against bare skin anyway?

Only three Spurs showed up for physicals Thursday: team captain Tim Duncan, second-year guard James Anderson and first-round draft pick Cory Joseph.

Most other members of the team aren’t expected to arrive until the weekend, and authorized offseason workouts won’t begin for another day or two.

According to one eyewitness, Duncan looked fit and trim.

All-Star point guard Tony Parker is scheduled to take a flight from Paris today and is expected at the practice facility Saturday or Sunday.

All-Star guard Manu Ginobili — who had been in San Antonio for a few weeks before the Nov. 10 breakdown in labor negotiations — will be in town Wednesday, according to his agent, Herb Rudoy.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and his staff continued talking to representatives of free agents so the club can be prepared for the opening of free agency, scheduled for Dec. 9.

A report in the Argentine sports publication Ole! on Thursday quoted former Spurs center Fabricio Oberto expressing hope that he might return to the Spurs for one more season.

According to that report, the Spurs had talked with Oberto’s Argentina-based agent before the lockout and showed interest in bringing the 36-year-old center back to the team.

Buford would neither confirm nor deny the team’s interest in the big man.

Traded by the Spurs in the 2008 deal that acquired forward Richard Jefferson, Oberto retired from the Portland Trail Blazers last season after suffering a recurrence of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that twice sidelined him during his four seasons with the Spurs.

Cleared in July to play for Argentina in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Oberto was a solid contributor to his national team winning the gold medal in that grueling tournament. He is expected to play for Argentina during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Meanwhile, a significant hurdle on the path to a new collective bargaining agreement has been cleared. The players union will be reconstituted after receiving recertification cards from more than 260 player members. This will allow bargaining to continue with the NBA in an effort to complete a collective bargaining agreement in time for the planned Christmas Day opening of the 2011-12 season.

Spurs notebook: Players arrive in ship shape

For the first time in nearly six months, Spurs forward Matt Bonner stood before a bank of television cameras Tuesday wearing sweat-stained workout gear, not a sport coat.

A leading voice for the National Basketball Players Association during the NBA lockout, Bonner was happy to be back inside the Spurs’ practice facility, even if it meant passing a grueling fitness test administered by new strength and conditioning coach Matt Herring.

“It was not tougher than running up the mountains in New Hampshire,” said Bonner, referring to his usual lockout workout. “But it was not easy, regardless.”

By lunchtime Tuesday, 10 Spurs players had graced the door of the practice gym: Bonner, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Gary Neal, Richard Jefferson, James Anderson, Da’Sean Butler, Danny Green and rookies Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph.

Manu Ginobili was expected to arrive late Tuesday, with DeJuan Blair also en route.

Until the league’s new collective bargaining agreement is ratified, coaches are not allowed to supervise on-court workouts. Though facilities across the league have been unlocked since Thursday, players’ activities have been limited to physical exams, conditioning work and light shooting drills.

“Everybody seems in pretty good shape,” said Bonner, who was headed to New York for a final round of collective bargaining meetings this afternoon. “The person I worried about most was myself. I passed the fitness test this morning, so I was pretty excited.”

One player who arrived in peak physical condition was Parker. The 29-year-old point guard began his offseason leading the French national team to its first Olympic berth since 2000. Since early October, Parker had been playing with ASVEL Villeurbanne, the French League team he co-owns.

He played his final game with ASVEL last week.

“I’m just happy to be home and happy to be back to my normal life,” Parker said. “It was fun in France, but definitely better here.”

FREE AGENTS IN TOWN: Free-agent small forward Caron Butler made his visit to Spurs headquarters Tuesday as scheduled, his agent, Raymond Brothers confirmed via text message.

Butler, 31, has averaged 16.6 points in a nine-season career. He had last season cut short in Dallas after tearing his right patella tendon in a game on New Year’s Day.

Also scheduled for a Tuesday visit to San Antonio was Washington swingman Josh Howard, who has averaged 15.1 points over eight seasons, most of them spent in Dallas.

BRING ‘EM ON: Parker said he was looking forward to opening the season Dec. 26 at home against Memphis, the team that bounced the Spurs from the first round of the postseason last April.

The Grizzlies defeated the top-seeded Spurs in six games, becoming just the second No. 8 seed in the best-of-7 era to advance past the first round.

“There’s definitely a lot of motivation there,” Parker said. “I want to play them in the playoffs, but I’ll start with the first game of the season.”