Spurs notebook: Bad shooting doesn’t concern Duncan

MINNEAPOLIS — Spurs captain Tim Duncan seemed amused Saturday to learn about Raptors coach Dwane Casey’s new motivational tool. Casey had a 1,300-pound boulder placed in the locker room at Air Canada Centre to reinforce a “pound the rock” theme in his first season as Toronto’s coach.

Duncan adopted Gregg Popovich’s hammer-the-rock philosophy as a rookie, and he continues to lean on it through a tough start to his season. His playing time has been limited through the first four games for a variety of reasons: three first-quarter fouls in the season opener and Popovich’s decision to sit him during the second half in Houston on Thursday. Playing time aside, Duncan also has struggled with his shot.

Heading into tonight’s game at Minnesota, Duncan has made only 14 of 41 shots (34.2 percent). A career 50.8 percent shooter, Duncan said there is little to do but keep firing away until his accuracy returns.

“I finally got one to drop late,” he said of his 4-of-13 shooting against the Jazz on Saturday. “I’m getting just about every shot I want. I just can’t seem to put them in the hole.

“Hopefully, down the stretch here in the next couple of games, I can finally get some to go.”

SHORT-TIMERS: Popovich’s plan to limit the playing time of his veteran players — especially the Big Three of 35-year-old Duncan, 34-year-old Manu Ginobili and 29-year-old Tony Parker — is off to a good start.

Richard Jefferson’s average of 29.0 minutes per game is tops among all players. Of the Big Three, Parker’s 28.8 minutes per game is tops. Ginobili averages only 25.8 minutes per game and Duncan just 22.3, less than backup center-forward Tiago Splitter’s 24.8.

Ten Spurs average at least 14.8 minutes per game as Popovich has gone to his bench early and often, mindful of the grind of 66 games in 120 days.

Except for the opener, when Duncan left early with three fouls, Jefferson has been the first starter to come out, replaced each time by rookie Kawhi Leonard. He has been getting significant time with the second unit, even late in games.

“Over the course of 10-plus seasons, I’ve played 42 minutes a night (but I’ve also) played 31 minutes a night,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s a matter of getting in that group.

“The second unit is without Manu and Tony and Tim, so I’m able to get a few more looks, a few more shots. I feel comfortable in that group. But in whatever Pop needs, whatever position he puts me in, I’m going to try my best.”

THREE-FICIENCY: With the notable exception of the loss in Houston, the Spurs have been remarkably efficient from long range. Their 10-for-16 shooting beyond the arc in the victory over Utah pushed their season percentage to 37.6. Without their 2-for-17 performance against the Rockets, they are 30 for 68 (44.1 percent).

Ginobili made his first five 3-pointers against the Jazz. Utah’s C.J. Miles got a finger on his sixth attempt, deflecting it enough that it fell short of the rim.

“First two games I felt pretty good, but in Houston I couldn’t make one,” Ginobili said. “(Saturday) it felt great. I’m not the kind of shooter who will go 5 for 5. It was different (Saturday). We moved the ball. I didn’t force the shots. I was open, and I made them.”

Few practices in busy Spurs schedule

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

The Spurs will spend part of the first day of the new year in the air and the first night of 2012 on the road.

Aside from the Lakers, who played three games in the first three days of the lockout-delayed season, the Spurs have one of the busier early schedules. Tonight’s game at the ATT Center against the Jazz will be their fourth game in six nights. By the time they conclude their second set of back-to-back games — Golden State on Jan. 4 and Dallas on Jan. 5 — they will have played seven in 11 days, with six of those crammed into eight days.

With four travel days included among the 11 days, there is little likelihood they will have a single practice before Jan. 6, an off day between home games against the Mavericks and Nuggets.

Lack of opportunity is but one of the reasons the quality of play this season will suffer from the diminished practice. Because the Spurs have only 13 players on their roster, rather than the 15 they have carried each of the past three seasons, full five-on-five work in practices likely will be curtailed.

“Everybody’s got fewer bodies for a variety of reasons,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It gives one a little bit of concern, injury-wise, but it’s going to be difficult to have very many really good practices during the season. The bodies that all of us used to have maybe aren’t quite as important in that regard, anyway. It’s going to be tough to do.”

If there is no opportunity for a full practice soon, Popovich said he will ask some of the young players to come to the team’s practice facility so shooting guard Gary Neal can get some full-contact work to prepare him for a return to action, likely next week.

Meanwhile, James Anderson is trying hard to shrug off the fact he won’t get to watch the Fiesta Bowl on Monday night, when the Spurs will be playing the Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis.

“It should be a great bowl game,” said Anderson, who played at Oklahoma State. “I’ll just have to Tivo it.”

Career first: DeJuan Blair’s 22 points against the Rockets gave the third-year big man from Pittsburgh consecutive games with 20 or more points for the first time in his career, but not his best two-game total.

Blair last season scored 18 in a Feb. 8 road win over the Pistons and followed with 28 points in a road victory in Toronto the next night.

At 22, Blair is the youngest of the Spurs’ starters, so it’s no surprise he logged more court time than the rest of the starters on Thursday night, nearly 29 minutes.

Popovich’s decision to rest his older players in the second half of what would turn out to be a blowout loss didn’t surprise him.

“That’s how it’s going to go the whole season,” Blair said. “The whole season is going to hit us right on the head, really fast. So we’ve got to use every chance to be ready for it.”

Beasley attempts to buff image with ballet, PR agent

The last we heard from Minnesota forward Michael Beasley, he was trying to on a New York City playground.

Since then, Beasley has determined he needs to transform his public image.

As such, Beasley is practicing ballet and hired a public-relations agency. He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune he’s not the sullen athlete that after reports earlier this summer.

“I want everyone to know that I’m not this monster that they perceive,” Beasley told the Star-Tribune. “I’m a really nice guy.”

Beasley is promoting an “All-Star Classic” Friday night in Minneapolis that will benefit several local charities.

The ballet work has helped him pare about 15 pounds since the end of the season. Beasley now weighs about 225 pounds.  

“I don’t really dance,” he said. “I do it for the stretching.”

Beasley is adamant he doesn’t own a tutu.

“No, no, no, no,” he replied. “I wear shorts and a shirt.”