Tag: San Antonio Spurs

NBA’s best in Texas

By DOUGLAS PILS
dpils@express-news.net

Now that the Dallas Mavericks have won a NBA title, a statistic that involves Texas teams and former Texas schoolboy star Shaquille O’Neal has been extended.

Either the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks or a team with Shaq has won 11 of the last 18 NBA championships.

The 2003-04 champion Detroit Pistons have a Texas connection with Texas Tech’s and Saginaw’s Darvin Ham, but most might find it ridiculous to fashion a streak that includes Shaq and Ham. Unless you love the Red Raiders, and then you don’t.

And we’d have to go add Beaumont Ozen’s Kendrick Perkins and the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, and then we’re just getting silly.

What’s not crazy is taking a look at the Texas teams’ best of all-time now that each can call itself an NBA champion. Here’s one man’s opinion of each franchise’s best five, plus a super sub:

San Antonio Spurs

PG: Tony Parker may rub some the wrong way, but he’s faster and a better scorer than Avery Johnson.

SG: Manu Ginobili is the engine that drives the Spurs, no matter if he’s starting or coming off the bench.

C: David Robinson saved the Spurs and helped create the good-guy image still prevalent eight years after his retirement. And the Hall of Famer could play a little, too.

SF: George Gervin still leads the franchise in scoring — if you include ABA numbers — and his 26.3 points per game will go unchallenged for years.

PF: Tim Duncan has been called the best power forward ever. Four rings and a decade of dominance in the tough Western Conference do little to dispute that.

Sixth man: Sean Elliott has the ring and the Memorial Day Miracle that pushes him over the likes of Mike Mitchell, James Silas and Larry Kenon.

Dallas Mavericks

PG: Jason Kidd gets the nod over Derek Harper for nearly three more assists per game in a Dallas uniform and because a ring eases the sting of Harper dribbling out the clock in 1984.

SG: Rolando Blackman was Dallas’ career scoring before a 7-foot German came around.

C: Tyson Chandler may only play one year in Dallas, but he gave the Mavs a title and a difference-making inside presence lacking since Roy Tarpley was sober.

SF: Mark Aguirre had the good fortune of getting traded to the Pistons and winning two NBA titles. He’s still Dallas’ best in points per game at 24.6.

PF: Dirk Nowitzki has coach Rick Carlisle calling him one of the top 10 players ever and now the best on the planet. For sure he’s the best to ever play in Dallas.

Sixth man: It’s funny that this slot comes down to Michael Finley or Jason Terry, since they once shared an intimate moment. But Terry’s 3-point numbers are better and he has that ring.

Houston Rockets

PG: Calvin Murphy made the Hall of Fame after 1,002 games and 17,949 points in a Rockets uniform and no other.

SG: Kenny Smith only played six seasons in Houston, but winning two titles and hitting seven threes in one Finals game puts him here.

C: Hakeem Olajuwon tops Houston’s charts in every key statistic and Nowitzki wishes he had post moves like the “Dream.”

SF: Robert Reid went from Clemens and St. Mary’s to two NBA Finals. He ranks seventh and sixth on Houston’s points and rebounds charts.

PF: Moses Malone gets pushed over to forward by Olajuwon.

Sixth man: Rudy Tomjanovich is third and fourth on Houston’s scoring and rebounding lists, and then he went and coached the Rockets to two championships.

Kawhi sees rebounding, defensive role model in Rodman

Some scouts see a link between new Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard and Hall of Fame forward (and former Spur) Dennis Rodman in terms of their work ethic, rebounding and defensive determination.

Leonard was described as the top defensive prospect at forward in the NBA Draft.

The former San Diego State standout doesn’t back away from those who might detect similarities in their games.

“I think that’s a good comparison,” Leonard said. “I try to go after every rebound like Dennis Rodman did. Some  nights he would come down with 20 rebounds. I had a night when I had 20 rebounds. It just shows how much passion we have on the defensive end how much energy we bring to the team.”

Like Rodman early in his career, Leonard is known for his fierce determination on the court. He’s also considered more of a physical player as he’s nearly 20 pounds heavier than Rodman during his NBA career.

“I’m just going to bring my hard work,” Leonard said. “Whatever Coach Pop wants me to do, I’m going to do. If it’s rebounding, that’s one of my strengths. Defense. Anything he wants me to do, I’m ready to do.”

The knock against Leonard — like Rodman during his NBA career — is a raw offensive game.

Developing his offense is one of Leonard’s major aims before the start of his first NBA training camp.

“I can dribble and get to the hole easily,” Leonard said. “I have a mid-range  shot. I just need to work on my 3-point shot, catch and shoot and pulling up in transition.”

Despite some of the negative scouting reports about Leonard’s offensive development, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said the Spurs’ organization has detected some strengths that sometimes go unnoticed.

“From our perspective we think he’s an underrated passer,” Buford said. “And he’s really a good facilitator within the offense.”

The Spurs could live with Leonard developing into a Rodman-type of player — if he steers clear of some of the off-the-court incidents that checkered Rodman’s career.

McDyess delaying retirement party

Antonio McDyess’ career with the Spurs isn’t over just yet.

The Spurs and the veteran power forward/center have agreed to extend the guaranteed-salary deadline on McDyess’ contract for the 2011-12 season.

McDyess’ deal called for him to be paid $5.2 million next season unless the Spurs waived him by midnight EST on Thursday. With the NBA owners officially calling for a lockout of the players, beginning at 12:01 a.m. EST today, the agreement allows the Spurs to wait for the league and its players union to hammer out a new agreement before they are forced to waive a player they still believe can help their team if he wants to continue playing.

McDyess has indicated on numerous occasions that he intends to retire but has not filed formal retirement papers. Were the lockout to shorten the season to 50 or 60 games, there is some thought inside the Spurs basketball operations department that McDyess might be persuaded to continue playing.

Even if the Spurs decide to release the 36-year-old veteran of 14 seasons, a portion of McDyess’ deal is guaranteed.

The Spurs now have until the first day of the next player free-agency period, whenever that may be, to decide whether to waive McDyess before his final season is fully guaranteed.

McDyess and his agent, Andy Miller, agreed to the extension on Thursday.

McDyess joined the Spurs for the 2009-10 season, playing in 150 games over the past two seasons, starting 66. In 73 games last season, he averaged 5.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.