ESPN.com predicts challenging future for Spurs

The state of Texas has accounted for seven NBA titles since 1994, with the Spurs claiming four, Houston two and Dallas notching the most recent championship. 

The “Texas Triangle” has traditional been a source of power teams. It might not be quite as rosy in the future.

Chris Palmer of ESPN.com has an interesting breakdown of all three teams in a recent Insider post. Of them, San Antonio might be facing the biggest test to return to elite status.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about the Spurs’ current outlook:

The Spurs’ 61-win regular season had head coach Gregg Popovich’s name in the Coach of the Year conversation all season long. As surprising as their Western Conference-best win total was, the manner in which they were bounced from the playoffs was even more stunning and exposed serious flaws in the Spurs’ game plan. They simply matched up poorly with an upstart Memphis Grizzlies team that became just the second No. 8 seed to topple a No. 1 seed since the NBA expanded the first round to best-of-seven. While age and injuries are probably their biggest concerns, Tim Duncan (34 years old), Manu Ginobili (33) and Tony Parker (28) missed only a combined 12 games last season. But there are a handful of other players on the roster over 30 who simply can’t match the speed or intensity of young teams such as the Grizzlies and Thunder. The Spurs were still highly effective on defense last season, but there’s no getting around the fact that this bunch is nearing the end of its run and is about to enter a major rebuilding phase.”

Here’s what Palmer had to say about the Spurs’ leadership with R.C. Buford and Popovich running the franchise.

“You don’t win four championships without an unseen mastermind behind the scenes. R.C. Buford, arguably the best GM in the NBA, has been the architect of the past three Spurs title runs and one of the most successful executives in American pro sports. The master of the Euro draft-and-stash, he convinced Popovich to go for Parker (three All-Star appearances, 2007 Finals MVP), had a hand in snagging Ginobili 57th overall in 1999 and has seen his gamble on DeJuan Blair pay off. ”He’s proved he can build and maintain a dynasty. Now he’s got to prove he can rebuild one. Buford won’t likely have the good fortune of rebuilding around an all-time great at his position as the Spurs did in 1997, when Duncan became the cornerstone of their brilliant 15-year run. Those rebuilding efforts also might include finding a new coach, as it’s hard to imagine Popovich, owner of four championship rings, slogging through the basement of the Southwest Division while Buford mines distant lands for the next Ginobili.

 ”But even dicier for Buford is what to do with soon-to-be free agent Duncan. Buford must balance the needs of the team with showing the utmost respect for a Spurs legend who made the success of the past 15 years possible.”

And here’s are Palmer’s comments on the team’s key needs heading into the upcoming season.

“Of all the Texas teams, the Spurs have the most work to do at the bargaining table since their key needs likely won’t come through the draft lottery. San Antonio needs an injection of youth, and needs it fast. The Spurs are in desperate need of athletes who can keep up with the speedy teams and sustain an up-tempo brand of basketball over long stretches of minutes. This could be the year the Spurs really start acting their age. During the playoffs, the Spurs simply couldn’t keep up with the spry legs and speed of the Grizzlies. Teams saw that and will surely try to exploit it. What was an ugly exit from the postseason could turn into an ugly demise of San Antonio’s “Big Three.”

It’s a dire prognosis for a team that has made the playoffs every year during Duncan’s tenure with the team and claimed  four NBA titles.

What about it Spurs Nation? Do you think the upcoming future appears to be as bleak as Palmer predicts?

And if not, why do you have faith the Spurs still have another title challenge left  in them?

 

 

 

Could more of Blair’s ‘Trust Issues’ get owners to end their lockout?

As a singer, Spurs forward DeJuan Blair is a heck of a rebounder.

In a performance that makes Tony Parker’s short-lived career as a French rap artist seem worthy of a Grammy, Blair is spending his time away from basketball this summer working on his rapping/singing.

But after painfully listening to one of his first releases, the 22-year-old Blair might consider talking to Delonte West about working at the Home Depot instead of a follow-up to his latest musical effort.

Blair has released .” It’s a gloomy song riddled with profanity, binge drinking references, racist and sexist remarks (severe warning for extreme profanity) that no Spurs player has ever embraced. It’s a stark contrast from the professionalism we’ve seen from the franchise in the Tim Duncan/David Robinson era.

Maybe Blair is bored. Or maybe he does think he might have a career in music.

But after listening to Blair’s “singing,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s words about him after the season seem especially prescient now.

Blair started quickly last season in his second season with the team , but ballooned to more than 300 pounds midway through the season before he lost some of the weight late in the season by cutting fast food from his diet.

After the season, Popovich challenged Blair again in comments he made to Spurs beat writer Jeff McDonald after the Spurs’ first-round upset series loss to Memphis. Blair failed to play in either of the final two games of the series.

Popovich said that Blair’s career with the team doesn’t depend on “working on his jumper or developing a jump hook. It’s not defense.”

“It’s personal discipline, responsibility and maturity,” Popovich told McDonald. “That will get him to the next level. Short of that, he’ll have a hard time.”

His musical careeer assuredly isn’t a good way to get into Popovich’s good graces or to develop maturity during the lockout.

Trust me about Popovich’s “Trust Issues” on this one.

TP set for his own French cartoon series

It’s been a busy off-season for Tony Parker.

First, there were all those nasty trade rumors. But after getting a chance to get back to France, he’s been participating in some non-playing pursuits.

His recent commercial for Body Axe spray where he plays God in ais getting heavy play back in his home country. (Hat tip Project Spurs.com)

And he’s also announced he will be a part of a new French basketball-themed cartoon called The show follows a group of young basketball players who travel the United States with Parker taking on rival teams.

During his recent trip to France, Parker appeared on French TV show “High 5″ and debuted the first scenes of his show. Here’s a .

I know a little bit about cartoons from my own recent fatherhood with my boy. Parker’s show looks a lot like the “Scooby Doo” shows my son likes with Parker in the starring role and plenty of basketball thrown in for good measure.  

But I especially liked !” After checking the set design and some of his co-stars, French television looks a lot like a Saturday Night Live sketch.