Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Saluting a few more of the season’s stars

The NBA All-Star break arrived almost at the midpoint of the 66-game schedule, a convenient stopping point to consider those who are in the lead for the postseason awards. Express-News NBA beat writer Mike Monroe delivers his choices:

COACH OF THE YEAR

Gregg Popovich, Spurs: Before the season began, nobody expected the Spurs would have the second-best record in the Western Conference, and that was before Manu Ginobili broke a bone in his left hand and later strained an oblique muscle. Popovich has given his youngest lineup in years the confidence to believe it can succeed, yet has also kept a wary eye on Tim Duncan’s playing time.

Other candidates:

• Rick Adelman, Timberwolves

• Kevin McHale, Rockets

• Erik Spoelstra, Heat

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers: For such a young player, especially one with such limited college experience, Irving has shown an amazing ability to score, including in crunch time.

Other candidates:

• Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves

• Kemba Walker, Bobcats

• Norris Cole, Heat

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Jeremy Lin, Knicks: The easiest selection of any of the awards, even if the sample size isn’t as large as we’d like. An undrafted player who has become a productive star fits this award perfectly.

Other candidates:

• Tiago Splitter, Spurs

• Ryan Anderson, Magic

• Paul George, Pacers

SIXTH MAN AWARD

James Harden, Thunder: Like most recent winners of this award, he plays starter minutes, especially in crunch time. It’s not uncommon for him to play all 12 minutes of fourth quarters.

Other candidates:

• Jason Terry, Mavericks

• Lou Williams, 76ers

• Matt Bonner, Spurs

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Serge Ibaka, Thunder: The league leader in blocked shots has changed the Thunder’s defensive dynamic, making the middle no-man’s land for opposing team’s slashers and drivers.

Other candidates:

• Dwight Howard, Magic

• Josh Smith, Hawks

• LeBron James, Heat

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Twitter: @Monroe_SA

Spurs notebook: Popovich appreciates Lin’s stupendous play

NEW YORK — This afternoon, and much to coach Gregg Popovich’s chagrin, the Spurs will board a team charter flight from New York to Detroit, ending a five-night, stress-free stay in Manhattan that included the hassle of only one game to play.

During his extended time in the city, Popovich has come to share at least one thing in common with other denizens of the Big Apple.

Turns out, he’s just as Lin-sane as the rest of them.

Popovich has never seen New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin play a full game, but he’s seen the highlight clips.

“He looks damn good, that’s for sure,” Popovich said.

When the Spurs arrived in New York in the wee hours Thursday morning, Lin was still barely a blip on the NBA radar. By the time they leave today, a victory over New Jersey tacked to their record, Lin is a bona fide international celebrity.

Undrafted out of Harvard, a graduate of the Development League and nearly cut by his third team this season before his recent outburst, Lin has led the Knicks to a 5-0 record in five starts at point guard.

The 109 points Lin scored in those games marks the best scoring start of any player since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, surpassing the mark of 101 held by Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson.

Lin mania hit a fevered pitch in New York after he outdueled Kobe Bryant with 38 points to lead the Knicks past the Lakers on Friday at Madison Square Garden, less than 2 miles from the Spurs’ hotel.

“It seems out of the blue,” Popovich said. “All of a sudden, this guy is kicking everybody’s butt, and nobody can stop him. It seems improbable, and that’s why the story’s so great.”

Road killing it: Don’t look now, but the Spurs are becoming road warriors.

After starting the season 0-5 away from the ATT Center, the Spurs have won six of their past nine road games, including four in a row.

In the first three games of the rodeo road trip, the Spurs have trailed for just 13:31 of clock time. Most of that (10:15) came in a grinding 89-84 victory at Memphis that kicked off the trek.

“We’re improving on the road,” All-Star point guard Tony Parker said. “We’re going in the right direction. Just have to keep building on it.”

Worth the trip: If there was ever a season for skipping the All-Star Game in favor of a nice, relaxing vacation, this lockout-compressed campaign would be it.

Parker wouldn’t dream of it.

“I never take breaks,” said Parker, who will make his fourth All-Star appearance Feb. 26 in Orlando, Fla. “I play with the (French) national team. I played during the lockout. I love basketball.

“For me, it’s a great opportunity. I don’t get to play in the All-Star Game every year.”

Parker’s selection comes with the blessing of his coach.

“When somebody plays as good as he’s played, and worked as hard as he has, and kept us above water like he has, it’s just a thrill that he made it,” Popovich said.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Blair says team can’t afford to let up now

DENVER — No team in NBA history ever fared better in a stretch of nine consecutive road games than the Spurs did on the rodeo road trip that concluded Thursday with a 114-99 victory in Denver.

Awaiting the Spurs when this weekend’s All-Star break concludes: Seven straight at the ATT Center, where they are 13-1. It is the second-best home-court record in the league, behind only Oklahoma City’s 15-1 mark. The seven-game homestand is to begin Wednesday with a game against the Chicago Bulls, whose 27-8 record is second-best in the Eastern Conference.

DeJuan Blair, who matched his career high with 28 points to spark the Spurs to their 114-99 victory in Denver, said it was more important to focus on the game in Denver as the first game of the second half of the season, rather than the end of the rodeo trip.

“We’re playing great, and we’re ready for the second half of the season,” Blair said. “The first half is over and we played good. We went 8-1 on the road trip. It was pretty cool, but we’ve got to keep playing. The first game back is Chicago, so we know we’ve got to keep playing well and just play hard.”

Blair’s most productive game of the season on Thursday was tonic for the Spurs’ interior game that is missing second-year center Tiago Splitter, likely to miss the first three games of the homestand. He made 12 of 21 shots — season highs in both categories — and grabbed 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, another season high.

Coach Gregg Popovich was happy to see Blair’s aggression.

“He and Tony (Parker) worked really well together,” he said. “Tony got him in positions where he had the ball, but DeJuan’s a really unique player. You never know what you’re going to get, as far as how he’s going to score.”

Avoiding a bad conversation: Popovich found himself rationalizing his decision to rest both Tim Duncan and Parker in Tuesday’s blowout loss in Portland, but he had an easy answer for everyone who questioned it: Duncan’s chronically sore left knee, diagnosed with tendinosis and supported by a knee brace in every practice and game, simply can’t be overworked if he is going to be effective during the playoffs.

“Everybody is going to do it at some point this season,” he said, “and it’s based on minutes played. Sometimes, it’s just got to give, and you’ve got to sit them in hopes it will pay off down the road and Timmy won’t come to me and say, ‘My knee is hurting.’

“I don’t want to hear that statement, and if he plays every game, I will hear that statement before playoffs. I’m just trying to guard against it, and if I make an error I will make it in the direction of caution, rather than the other direction.”

Missing Orlando: Splitter said his strained right calf muscle responded well to treatment he has received while remaining with the team and its athletic training staff for the final three games of the rodeo road trip. His leg feels better than he anticipated a week after the injury occurred during the Spurs’ win over the Clippers in Los Angeles.

He had been selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge, the first event of All-Star Weekend in Orlando.

“I will miss it,” he said, “but it is very important I continue to receive treatment on my injury. (Head athletic trainer) Will (Sevening) has done a great job, and it is improving a lot.”

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Twitter: @Monroe_SA