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Dawson’s NBA debut ranks among S.A.’s best

Eric Dawson was thrust into the lineup quickly in his first game with the Spurs last week.

With Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan out, the former Sam Houston standout notched nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 31:41 of playing time in the Spurs’ 137-97 loss Tuesday night at Portland.

He became only the third San Antonio-area high school player to see action for the Spurs, joining West Campus’ Devin Brown (132 games, 2002-05) and MacArthur’s Keith Edmonson (40 games, 1983-84).

Dawson became the 13th player from a San Antonio-area high school to log time in the NBA and the third in the past two seasons, according to .

Express-News staff writer Tim Griffin takes a look at how Dawson’s debut compares with those of other San Antonio-area players from the past:

Bo Outlaw, Jay: Scored 13 points in 22 minutes for the Los Angeles Clippers at the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 15, 1994. Outlaw averaged 5.4 points in 914 career games.

Shaquille O’Neal, Cole: Scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for Orlando against Miami on Nov. 6, 1992. O’Neal averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds in 1,207 career games.

Eduardo Najera, Cornerstone Christian Academy: Scored 10 points in 23 minutes for Dallas against Milwaukee on Oct. 31, 2000. Najera is averaging 5.0 points in 604 career games.

Eric Dawson, Sam Houston: Scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 31:41 for the Spurs against Portland on Feb. 28, 2012. Dawson is averaging 4.5 points after two games.

Askia Jones, Marshall: Scored eight points in 16 minutes for Minnesota at Denver on Nov. 4, 1994. Jones averaged 4.1 points in 11 career games.

Bob Kinney, Jefferson: Scored six points for Fort Wayne against the New York Knicks on Nov. 3, 1948. Kinney averaged 9.5 points in 118 career games in the Basketball Association of America and the NBA.

Fennis Dembo, Fox Tech: Scored four points in one minute for Detroit at Phoenix on Nov. 18, 1988. Dembo averaged 1.2 points in 31 career games.

Jeff Foster, Madison: Scored two points in three minutes for Indiana at Charlotte on Nov. 4, 1999. Foster is averaging 4.9 points in 763 career games.

Devin Brown, West Campus: Scored two points in four minutes for the Spurs at Memphis on Nov. 4, 2002. Brown averaged 7.2 points in 465 career games.

Keith Edmonson, MacArthur: Scored two points for Atlanta against Washington on Nov. 2, 1982. Edmonson averaged 6.0 points in 87 career games.

Ivan Johnson, Fox Tech: Scored two points in six minutes for Atlanta against New Jersey on Dec. 27, 2011. Johnson is averaging 4.8 points in 29 career games.

Robert Reid, Clemens: Failed to score for Houston at Kansas City on Oct. 21, 1977. Reid averaged 11.4 points in 919 career games.

Ben Uzoh, Warren: Failed to score in six minutes for New Jersey at the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 15, 2010. Uzoh is averaging 3.7 points in 44 career games.

tgriffin@express-news.net

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NBA players from San Antonio

With his debut last week, Eric Dawson became the 13th player from a San Antonio-area high school to log time in the NBA, and the third to see action for the Spurs. Express-News staff writer Tim Griffin takes a look at how Dawson’s debut compares with those of other San Antonio-area players from the past.

Askia Jones, who played for Marshall, is not pictured. Jones scored eight points in 16 minutes for Minnesota at Denver on Nov. 4, 1994. Jones averaged 4.1 points in 11 career games.

Eric Dawson (right), Sam Houston: Scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 31:41 for the Spurs against Portland on Feb. 28, 2012. Dawson is averaging 4.5 points after two games. (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)

Devin Brown, West Campus: Scored two points in four minutes for the Spurs at Memphis on Nov. 4, 2002. Brown averaged 7.2 points in 465 career games. (Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News)

Fennis Dembo, Fox Tech: Scored four points in one minute for Detroit at Phoenix on Nov. 18, 1988. Dembo averaged 1.2 points in 31 career games. (Associated Press file photo)

Keith Edmonson, MacArthur: After his Purdue days, scored two points for Atlanta against Washington on Nov. 2, 1982. Edmonson averaged 6.0 points in 87 career games. (Express-News file photo)

Jeff Foster, Madison: Scored two points in three minutes for Indiana at Charlotte on Nov. 4, 1999. Foster is averaging 4.9 points in 763 career games. (Douglas C. Pizac / Associated Press)

Ivan Johnson, Fox Tech: Scored two points in six minutes for Atlanta against New Jersey on Dec. 27, 2011. Johnson is averaging 4.8 points in 29 career games. (John Bazemore / Associated Press)

Eduardo Najera (center), Cornerstone Christian Academy: Scored 10 points in 23 minutes for Dallas against Milwaukee on Oct. 31, 2000. Najera is averaging 5.0 points in 604 career games. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

Shaquille O’Neal (top), Cole: Scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for Orlando against Miami on Nov. 6, 1992. O’Neal averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds in 1,207 career games. (Steve Simoneau / Associated Press)

Bo Outlaw, Jay (right): Scored 13 points in 22 minutes for the Los Angeles Clippers at the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 15, 1994. Outlaw averaged 5.4 points in 914 career games. (William Luther / San Antonio Express-News)

Robert Reid, Clemens: Failed to score for Houston at Kansas City on Oct. 21, 1977. Reid averaged 11.4 points in 919 career games. (Express-News file photo)

Ben Uzoh, Warren (left): Failed to score in six minutes for New Jersey at the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 15, 2010. Uzoh is averaging 3.7 points in 44 career games. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press)

Ginobili’s return may throw wrench into works, for now

NEWARK, N.J. — A small crowd of students gathered outside the nondescript community college gym in midtown Manhattan on Friday, straining for a glimpse of the NBA team that had invaded their school.

Beyond the closed double doors, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was going through a full-team, full-contact practice that would determine his availability for tonight’s game in New Jersey.

After about an hour, Ginobili emerged with the answer to one question, immediately giving rise to a host of others. Yes, he would play against the Nets, making his return from a broken left hand after a 39-day absence.

But.

“I don’t have great expectations for the first couple of games,” Ginobili said. “I just want to contribute, help a little bit. Just try to fit in again.”

Tonight at the Prudential Center, Ginobili rejoins a team on a roll. The Spurs went 15-7 in the 22 games he missed since his Jan. 2 injury in Minnesota, and own the NBA’s longest current winning streak at six games.

The Spurs (18-9) have ridden a wave of team chemistry to the top of the Southwest

Division, one spot below Oklahoma City in the Western

Conference. Players and coaches alike recognize the team might have to push pause on all of that to reintegrate the 34-year-old Ginobili into the rotation.

“Maybe it screws us up for a while, maybe it doesn’t,” coach Gregg Popovich said.

But.

It has to be done. The alternative — not reintegrating Ginobili — is too absurd even for words.

“No disrespect to my young teammates, but I don’t care how good they’re playing,” All-Star point guard Tony Parker said. “I’ll play with Manu any time of the day, even if he’s 50 percent.”

Popovich will ease Ginobili along slowly, perhaps bringing him off the bench at first, almost certainly limiting his playing time for a while.

Asked whether he has targeted a specific number of minutes for Ginobili tonight in New Jersey, Popovich said, “Not many.”

In truth, Ginobili has been gently prodding to get back on the floor since the start of the rodeo trip Monday in Memphis. As the days passed, Ginobili’s request became progressively more forceful.

Ginobili said he has full confidence in his surgically repaired fifth metacarpal. He doesn’t feel compelled to subdue his instinctive, breakneck style to accommodate it.

“I went for a couple steals (in practice), and I felt good,” Ginobili said.

That’s notable given the way Ginobili injured himself in the first place — making a feverish swipe at Minnesota’s Anthony Tolliver for a steal.

Ginobili admits he is in no kind of playing shape after the extended time off, but argued the only way to get there is on the court.

“I want to play,” said Ginobili, who was averaging a team-best 17.4 points at the time of his injury. “I need to be there. I can’t play one-on-one all year long.”

Having finally carved out an hour in the lockout-condensed schedule for a full practice, Popovich figures now is the time.

“He’s Manu,” Popovich said. “When he’s ready to go, you don’t care if you’re winning, losing. It doesn’t matter. He’s coming back.”

Ginobili’s return won’t come seamlessly.

Popovich will have to tweak a rotation that has produced results to find an increasing number of minutes for him. Somebody who is playing well — be it Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal, Richard Jefferson, maybe even Parker — will lose time.

The Spurs might have to take a small step back in order to take a giant leap forward. If that’s the cost to get Ginobili back and in stride come playoff time, they are willing to pay it.

“We need Manu bad,” Parker said. “If we want to go anywhere — anywhere — in the playoffs, we need Manu 100 percent. It’s not even a question.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

LBJ’s big dunk punctuates Super Sunday S&D effort

An angry LeBron James didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

The Miami All-Star forward was fouled hard on the previous play by Toronto. So when he made a key steal late in the Heat’s 95-89 victory, he made absolutely sure of his basket.

James’ rim-rattling dunk punctuated a 30-point effort in the Heat’s victory as it helped put away the pesky Raptors.

“You have to create energy for yourself, especially in these early games,” James told ESPN.com’s Heat Index. “I was just trying to create energy for myself and my teammates.”

It enabled Miami to claim its 10th victory in 12 games and moved within one game of Chicago for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The late surge also enabled James to lead Sunday’s Studs and Duds on an abbreviated Super Sunday schedule.

STUDS

Miami F LeBron James: Notched 30 points, nine rebounds and was plus-11 in the Heat’s triumph over Toronto.

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Produced 25 points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocked shots and was plus-16 in the Heat’s victory over the Raptors.

Boston F Kevin Garnett: Went for 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and was plus-12 in the Celtics’ victory over Memphis.

Boston F Paul Pierce: Notched 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and was a game-best plus-28 in the Grizzlies’ triumph over the Grizzlies.

DUDS

Memphis C Marc Gasol: Limited to seven points on 3-for-14 shooting, had seven turnovers and was minus-26 in the Grizzlies’ loss to Boston.

Memphis G Mike Conley: Went 2 for 8 from the field with three turnovers and was minus-25 in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Celtics.

Toronto G Jose Calderon: Held to eight points with five turnovers and was a team-worst minus-13 in the Raptors’ loss to Miami.