Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Report: Adelman hired as new coach of T’wolves

Former Houston coach Rick Adelman has been hired as the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Monday that two league sources have reported that , who was fired after last  season.

Adelman, 65, directed the Rockets to winning records each of his four seasons. His last two teams failed to make the playoffs, leading to his contract not be renewed after the 2010-11 season.

During a 20-season coaching history for four NBA teams, Adelman directed his teams to a 945-616 record. He earlier coached Portland, Golden State and Sacramento, leading the Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.

Adelman is a veteran coaching with a deep history around the league. He inherits a growing young team led by forwards Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. But working with rookie point guard Ricky Rubio could test his patience.

Manu looks rusty, but Argentina cruises to easy win over Paraguay

Argentina showed Tuesday why most observers have pegged them as a heavy favorite to win the FIBA Americas  tournament.

“The Golden Generation” jumped on Paraguay early and cruised to an 84-52 victory in their first game of the tournament at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

For Spurs Nation, the best part of the game was seeing Manu Ginobili playing in mid-season form, without the “Robo Cop” bandage on his broken right arm from the playoffs.

Ginobili started at shooting guard, but served more in the role of a playmaker than as a shooter for his team. He struggled at times with three of Argentina’s 12 turnovers, but also added 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. 

The Argentina defense allowed Paraguay to shoot only 30 percent from the field. And their offense was strong as they sliced through Paraguay’s match-up zone defense for 69 percent shooting in the first quarter en route to an early 30-8 lead and cruised from there.

Former Spurs center Fabricio Oberto did not play in Tuesday’s game as he recovers from a ruptured muscle in his hand. He is expected to be ready for Argentina’s game Friday against Puerto Rico.  

Paolo Quinteros led Argentina with 19 points and Luis Scola added 14, including his first five field-goal attempts.

The Argentinians return to action at 4 p.m. Wednesday against Uruguay. Their first-game performance was a strong statement heading into the rest of the tournament.

No, not the nose! Sinus infection nearly benches Manu

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — Spurs guard Manu Ginobili acknowledged Monday that he missed Argentina’s Sunday practice session with a sinus infection that robbed him of good sleep for a couple of days.

Ginobili told the Express-News he wasn’t sure he would feel well enough to suit up against Canada in the first game of the second round of the FIBA Americas pre-Olympic qualifying tournament here.

A round of antibiotics eased the infection, and Ginobili on Monday scored 16 points, with six rebounds and five assists, in Argentina’s 79-53 victory over Canada.

“I had two really bad days and nights, just couldn’t breathe easily,” Ginobili said. “Yesterday (Sunday) I started with some medicine and slept about nine hours.

“That sleep was very helpful for me, but this is a tough tournament if you are not sleeping well. You play four in five nights, then have one day off, and now we have four in four. So resting is huge, and yesterday, by the time we were to come to practice I just couldn’t make it. But I had a good night and today was a different story.”

Manu’s recovery wasn’t good news for Canada, but at least it allowed Spurs draftee Cory Joseph, the former UT star, to meet him briefly during the pre-game exchange of gifts.

“He welcomed me to the family,” said Joseph, a Toronto native who is Canada’s starting point guard.

“We will get to talk much more at training camp in about a month,” Ginobili said. “Well, at least I hope it will be in about a month.”