CEDAR PARK, TX - After appearing in six games for the San Antonio Spurs, rookie James Anderson suffered a right foot injury setting back a fantastic start to his NBA career.

After rehabbing his foot, the Spurs sent Anderson to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros, to begin getting back into game shape before heading back to the Spurs.

I caught up with Anderson, who finished with 17 points in limited action last night, before the tip-off of last night's Toros-New Mexico Thunderbirds game and we spoke about his Toros debut, how his foot is feeling and much more.

Jeff: 12 points in 12 minutes. Sounds like you haven't lost a step since you suffered the foot injury.

James: (smiles) I'm just trying to get back into a rhythm. I felt pretty good. I've been anxious to play ever since they told me that I was coming here to play a couple of games and I'm ready to get back on the court and just working my way back up.

How is the foot feeling?

The foot is feeling fine. I think it's 100%. Only thing right now is to try to get into a good rhythm, get my conditioning back so I can be ready to go when they call me.

Coming into the draft, most felt your defense was suspect. Has that been something totally unfounded?

Yeah it was. For the most part I'm a solid defender and that's what I'm continuing to work on. Out in Oklahoma State, I thought I was a solid defender. I defended some of the top guys in the (Big 12) conference every night. I take it upon myself to continue to work and get better and I'm going to keep doing that. On on a team like the Spurs you're going to have to play defense or you're not going to play at all. I'm just taking it upon myself to learn all the rotations we do with the Spurs and as of now I'm just learning to try to become a better one-on-one defender.

In the few games you suited up for the Spurs, what has been the biggest thing you have learned?

You can't rest. The minute you rest, that's when guys take advantage of it. You got to be alert, be ready, be in the defensive stance the whole time and just be active and energized the whole game.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is known to be hard on rookies. Is that true?

It's just a lot of teaching. I'm new to the organization, they treat all the rookies the same. They're just trying to teach them and make them feel comfortable in not only how they play the game but how they learn the game and that's what makes him such a great coach. He treats everybody the same. He has no favorites.

How long will you be playing with the Toros?

I really don't know. I'm just waiting on them to call me back. As long as I'm here, I'm just focusing on what I got to do here and do what I have to do to help the Toros win. When they call me, they call me and I'll be ready to go.

(At this point James takes time out of my interview to greet Toros fans and sign a few autographs for the children as they were huddled around us listening to the interview. Classy move on James' part.)

How was it as a rookie when you first stepped on the court with the Spurs "Big Three" of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker for the first time?

It was just crazy! To see them in person and to see them every day. Knowing you watched them coming up. I used to watch Manu all the time because we play the same position. Just watching Timmy and to see them all in person is  just a great thing to be a part of and it's a great feeling to know these guys.

Has Manu showed you the euro-step yet?

I kind of learned it a little bit by just watching him on TV. I can't do it as good as him but I think I can get it good enough to get by the defender.

With the Spurs having the best record in the NBA, is it shocking to you or did you see this coming?

This Spurs team is very special. This is something they haven't really did before (sic). We got off to a good start and we can't take it for granted. We got to keep pushing and working. Continue to get better as a team. Continue to learn what we are doing wrong on the defensive end. Just keep going forward and not take a step backwards.

• Troy Murphy Update: According to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN, on Wednesday, the New Jersey Nets announced Troy Murphy would not be rejoining the team for the remainder of their current west coast trip:

"Billy said we're just going to stay along the same path," Johnson said. "[Murphy] will not be rejoining our team."

The Nets are trying to trade Murphy, who has fallen out of the rotation and has not played since Jan. 7. 

• Tony Parker needs your help: Parker has been nominated as 1 of 8 players to have a chance to participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge at All Star Weekend on February 19. Spurs fans, please visit the link and vote for Tony to have a shot at participating in the event.

• Yahoo’s Marc Spears wrote about how the Spurs are under the radar nationally, yet they don’t mind the lack of attention:

“We laugh about it and love it,” Popovich said. “The less attention, the more time and focus we have to concentrate on what we’d like to do. Having the success we’ve had with championships, we don’t need anyone to give us credit.”

• According to CBSSports.com, Tony Parker has been advised to start shooting more jump shots from behind the arc:

Last week San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich asked guard Tony Parker to work on his long-range shot more. While he's only taken seven shots from downtown over his last five games, Parker is shooting at a high percentage over that span.

• Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune writes about how former Spurs player-now assistant coach Jacque Vaughn is enjoying coaching thus far:

"I love it, I really do," he said. "Playing was a dream come true. It was a thrill and this challenge is also a thrill for me.

"The day-in and day-out preparation, I love doing. I still get excited for the games. I still love practice. So I’m glad to be around, for sure."

• After losing to the Spurs on Monday, Golden State Warriors forward David Lee expressed his views on this years Spurs team; according to Lee, the Spurs aren’t a real contender, writes Tim Griffin:

“They’re a very frustrating team to play,” Lee told the Associated Press. “I don’t go out there feeling like they’re a better team than us. When you play the Lakers you look at their size and say it’s going to be a tough game.

San Antonio Spurs' rookie James Anderson suffered a right foot injury in Novemeber but now has been cleared to play.

Currently he is playing with the Austin Toros (Spurs D-League affiliate) to get back into game shape before coming back to suit up for the Spurs and if Spurs fans are curious as to the strength of his right foot he seems perfectly fine.

Forty six games into the season and the San Antonio Spurs currently lead the league with a 39-7 record. While most NBA observers still believe the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics or Miami Heat will eventually win it all, the Spurs can't be taken for granted.

Except for the 96-72 embarrassing loss to the New Orleans last January 22, the Spurs have played well enough, continue to win ball games and show continued improvement on the defensive end.

They are currently 7th in league in defensive efficiency and 4th in effective field goal percentage and for good measure here are some stats over their last 10 games.

The decline in points per game average indicates that the Spurs are now finding more balance using their running game and half court plays which is a good thing as the playoffs approaches.

Their offense is also one of the league's best, they are currently third in offensive efficiency and fifth in assist to turnover ratio.

All these numbers suggest the Spurs are playing great basketball; however, there are many factors as to why the Spurs remains the best in the league.

One of them is health, although they have their share of injuries such as rookie James Anderson, three-point specialist Matt Bonner and George Hill. Regardless, the Spurs have been lucky enough to have their starters healthy all season which is key.

Besides that, the Spurs' offense has also evolved into a good mixture of running game, inside plays and consistent outside shooting. In fact, it could be argued that they are actually a better offensive team this season compared to their championship years.

The Spurs' backcourt is looking top-notch at this point and their bench have more fire power than ever. If and when Anderson comes back and play like he plays earlier in the season, the Spurs will be really tough to beat.

Nevertheless, the Spurs still need to raise the level of their defense like in the past before having serious thoughts on winning another title, allowing the Jazz to connect on 55 percent of their shots in their most recent victory won't make the cut. 

Not only that, one of the most pressing issue for the Spurs right now is length. Sure they are winning more than ever before and have used the same starting line up all season with great success. But it is no secret that the game pace become more slower when the post season arrives.

If that's the case, will the Spurs have enough size against teams with huge frontline like the Lakers, Mavericks or Boston? Tim Duncan is Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair plays above his height but lacks consistency and McDyess has shown that there's still plenty left on his tank. But for them to get over hump, they will need Tiago Splitter to play his role and maximize his talent. If they believe otherwise they should look for another big to help them out.

The Spurs will be the first one to admit this fact and for that, they know they still have a lot of work ahead. With coach Gregg Popovich at the helm and Duncan, Ginobili and Parker healthy as ever, they have their best shot but with this current group their margin for error becomes relatively smaller especially during the post season.

Yes, the Spurs has have been impressive so far and it's safe to say the no one expected them to be on top of the standings at this point of the season, but fair or not their true success will only be measured by winning a title this season, anything less than that might be considered a failure in San Antonio.

According to Forbes, the San Antonio Spurs are the NBA's best bang for the buck team:

We looked at the last five completed seasons to determine which teams were the best when it comes to performance versus pay. Playoff wins counted twice as heavily as regular-season ones. For player costs we included spending on player benefits, but not luxury tax payments. We compared each team’s annual performance and spending to the league median and averaged those five years of numbers. The Spurs fared the best at 47% above the NBA average.

The Spurs have averaged 56 regular-season wins (second best in the NBA) and an NBA-high 10.6 playoff wins over the past five years. They have done that with player costs that average $73 million annually, only ninth highest in the NBA. Credit coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford, who have been with the team since before Duncan arrived. It’s the kind of stability rarely seen in a league where only seven coaches have been on the sidelines for four full seasons with their current teams. Owner Peter Holt has seen the value of his team soar from $122 million to $404 million since Duncan arrived as the consistent winning helped get AT&T Center built mostly with public money.

Coming in second place was the Phoenix Suns and third was the Cleveland Cavaliers. Failing to make the list was the Dallas Mavericks.

This is just another reason why Spurs fans should appreciate this team and the winning culture it has brought to the city of San Antonio. Be proud Spurs fan.

The San Antonio Spurs withstood a late rally to beat the Utah Jazz 112-105 for their 10th win in the last 11 games.

The Spurs improved to a franchise-best, 39-7 record after 46 games. The Jazz are known for their comeback victories this season, overcoming deficits of more than 15 points seven times.

However, the Spurs made just enough clutch plays down the stretch to spoil Utah's comeback bid.

What are the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent victory? Let's find out!

79.3 - Both teams went to the foul line often, the Spurs shot their free throws a bit better, making 23-29 (79.3%) foul shots, while the Jazz connected on 21-28 (75%) free throws.

54.7 - Utah shot a blistering 41-75 (54.7%) from the floor. The Spurs weren't that bad either, hitting  41-80 (51.3%) of their field goal attempts.

39 - Deron Williams had a game high 39 points with 17 coming in the final quarter. He also had nine assist and four rebounds for the Jazz. The Spurs leads the league win 39 wins after 46 regular season games.

35 - The Spurs shot 7-20 (35.0%) from behind the arc while the Jazz just made 2-12 (16.7%) of their 3-point attempts.

33 - San Antonio had a slight edge on the rebounding department edging the Jazz 33-31 on the boards.

26 - Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 26 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.

23 - Tony Parker added 23 points, six assists and three rebounds for San Antonio but also committed five turnovers. The Spurs had 23 dimes compared to Utah's 21.

22 - Al Jefferson chipped in 22 points and nine boards for the Jazz. 

13 - Tim Duncan had 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one block and a steal for the Spurs. Gary Neal scored 13 points off the Spurs' bench while C.J. Miles also scored 13 points from the Jazz bench.

10 - George Hill had 10 points and three rebounds for San Antonio while Andrei Kirilenko had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Jazz in 37 minutes of action.

0 - Richard Jefferson, DeJuan Blair, Hill and Neal did not commit a single turnover for the entire game.

Rookie Watch: Neal scored 13 points and had two assists in 20 minutes of action. Tiago Splitter had one steal in seven minutes. James Anderson was assigned to the Austin Toros and scored 12 points in his debut.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the Houston Rockets at the AT&T Center on Saturday.

Follow me on Twitter @RobbyLim21

By D'Ann Faught
Cross-posted from TorosNation.com

One of the benefits of the NBA D-League is that the fans get a sneak peek at some talent of the future. Attendees to the Austin Toros morning game on Wednesday got a special treat when James Anderson, the San Antonio Spurs 2010 first-round draft pick, suited up for the Toros in a conditioning stint.

James Anderson was drafted 20^th overall this year by the San Antonio Spurs from Oklahoma State. The 6’6” guard from Oklahoma State started off a promising season in San Antonio, averaging 7 points per game and converting on 50% of his three-point attempts. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Anderson was sidelined in mid-November with a stress fracture in his fifth metatarsal. The injury required surgery and has kept Anderson on the bench since November.

After rumors had been swirling for over a week, James Anderson was finally assigned to the Austin Toros to get some game time in the D-League before his return to San Antonio. Good news for Spurs fans? Anderson looked strong in his debut during the Toros win today, getting 11:35 of playing time and scoring 12 points for the victors.

Anderson went in for 5:12 in the first quarter, but then sat out for the remainder of the first half. Anderson said the first five minutes he was “just trying to get loose and find a good rhythm.” Having not played with the team he also faced the challenge of “getting a feel for the guys.” In the third period, he came out and started contributing right away on the scoreboard. Anderson said he was happy to be “able to create…able to find some guys and some shots for himself.”

After the game Anderson said his foot felt good and that he felt like he was “back to 100 percent.” He mentioned that it felt good playing on it and landing on it, but he knew that he would have to work to be ready for the Spurs when they call. Anderson said that the Spurs have not given him any timetable for his return, but instead were playing it by ear and seeing how he progresses. While Anderson will likely be with the Toros for a few games to work into playing more minutes and getting back into basketball condition, it will not be long before he is back in the NBA at this rate.

It appears Larry Owens' time in San Antonio will be extended at least another ten days, according to an official announcement from the Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed forward Larry Owens to a second 10-day contract. Owens signed his first 10-day contract with the Spurs on January 16 becoming the second call-up of the 2010-11 NBA Development League season.

Owens, a 6-7, 210-pound forward, has appeared in five games for the Spurs, averaging 1.8 points in 5.2 minutes per game. He is shooting .600 (3-5) from the field and .333 (1-3) from three-point territory.

With James Anderson getting back into playing shape with the Toros in Austin, the Spurs had the space to keep Owens around and he'll have another ten days to prove to the Spurs that he belongs in San Antonio.

Ranking	Team	Last poll	Change	Record	Avg Ranking
3		7	4	34.6	2.5
		"I hate to say it, but I still see this team wearing down as the season progresses."-Thunderballers

The San Antonio Spurs ranked third in the Bloguin NBA Power Rankings for the month of January. Coming in first was the Boston Celtics and second the Miami Heat.

I can see why the Celtics would come in first especially getting the win, without Kevin Garnett, over the Spurs but to come in behind the Heat is questionable. Spurs have a better record than the Heat in the month of January unlike the Heat. To see the complete Bloguin NBA Power Rankings, click HERE.

OK Spurs fans time to chime in on the power rankings. Do you agree or disagree where the Spurs ranked?

The Spurs announced today that they have assigned James Anderson to the Austin Toros.

Anderson, a 6-6, 215-pound guard, has been out since November 11 when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Before the injury, he appeared in six games for the Spurs, averaging 7.0 points and 1.5 assists in 17.7 minutes per game. He is shooting .424 (14-33) from the field and .500 (10-20) from three-point land.

Anderson is the first player the Spurs have assigned to the Toros this season. The Toros host the Reno Bighorns today at 11:00 a.m. at the Cedar Park Center.

Anderson will have the opportunity to work himself back into playing shape in Austin while seeing more time on the floor for the Toros.

For more on the Toros and to keep tabs on Anderson's progress while in Austin, visit our sister site, Toros Nation.