• The San Antonio Spurs are off to their best start in team history at 36-6. They are also close to making history:

These last 40 games represent an opportunity for the Black & Silver to make some history, to do what some NBA observers thought might never be accomplished again.

If the Spurs can secure as many wins in these next 40 games as they did during the first 42, then they will match what the Chicago Bulls did 15 seasons ago when Michael Jordan and his supporting cast finished with 72 wins.

The Bulls’ 72-10 record still stands as the best in NBA history. (source bizjournals.com)

• The Spurs hot start to the NBA season might have been a surprise for many but not to former Spurs' legend George Gervin:

The Spurs success was no surprise to Gervin.“I felt good about them when I saw them in preseason,” Gervin said. “They have guys staying healthy, like the big three. Then you have guys like Gary Neal and DeJuan Blair that's being consistent. So anytime you have that with the Spurs, you have really good production. I'm real proud of my team and I'm looking forward to seeing them take it all the way.” (source mydesert.com)

• Spurs' former coach Mo McHone will take over as head coach for the D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce:

The team is expected to announce today the hiring of former San Antonio Spurs coach Mo McHone. McHone's hiring, first reported by the Argus Leader's Terry Vandrovec, has been confirmed by FanHouse.

McHone, the Skyforce's franchise leader in wins with a career record of 172-102 in the regular season, previously coached the Skyforce from 1995-1999 and then again during the 2006-07 season. In the postseason for Sioux Falls, McHone has amassed a 29-22 record and led the team to the championship in the 1996 CBA Finals. (source nba.fanhouse.com)

• NBA.com crunched some surprising numbers for Spurs fans:

For most of the season, the San Antonio Spurs were the best team in the standings, but not by the numbers.

San Antonio is one of only three teams who rank in the top 10 both offensively and defensively. They have the No. 1 offense (109.6 points scored per 100 possessions) and the No. 7 defense (100.2 allowed). The two others are the Lakers (third and eighth) and Heat (fifth and third).

• Spurs' legend George Gervin spoke about still being called rookie by NBA great Julius "Dr. J" Erving:

“I was Doc's rookie in the ABA,” said Gervin, the Hall of Famer with the San Antonio Spurs. “He's 61 and I'm 58 and he's still calling me rookie. But that's the closeness of the ABA. We had that kind of relationship. Now we get to tee it up together.” (source mydesert.com)

• Express News' Tim Griffin on the Spurs' knack for comebacks.

Squeaky Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs' D-League affiliate Austin Toros continues to provide Toros fans a glimpse into life in the D-League with Squeak TV episode four. Enjoy.

Denver Nuggets' coach George Karl likes what he is seeing from the San Antonio Spurs this season and when asked who would he pick to win it the 2011 NBA title, he picked the his former team as a player, the Spurs:

"I think right now, if I had to pick a team that I think could win it, I'd probably pick San Antonio."

Why?

They win close games," Karl added. "They win at home, they're a good defensive team and they are a powerful offensive team. They have more depth than I've ever seen them have. They have more versatility than they've had in a long time

"And this is the first time I've seen (coach Gregg Popovich) turn on the mental edge early in the season. He (usually) waits. He kind of waits for that rodeo trip, or after the All-Star (break) - let's win 10 in a row or 13 out of 15 or something like that. He's put the gas pedal down pretty hard all season long." (source denverpost.com)

And how could he not pick the Spurs? The Spurs boast the league's best record at 36-6, and winning without relying on Duncan as much should make other teams in the Western Conference a bit worried come playoffs.

Have you ever tried pretzel M&Ms? They're M&Ms, but with a bit of pretzel in the middle, instead of chocolate or a peanut.

Four days ago, I was telling someone a story about Mark Hamill on the set of Star Wars, and saw someone else with a bag of M&Ms. Without thinking – or asking for permission – I reached in the bag and popped a pair of blue M&Ms in my mouth (I like the blue ones). When I tasted the odd, but tantalizing taste of sweet chocolate mixed with a hint of salty pretzel, and that extra bit of crunchiness – I, well, I Frodo'd. I was Frodo leaving the Shire, I was Luke leaving Tatooine, Alice down the rabbit hole, Neo in the Matrix, Potter at Hogwarts. I was transported to another world because someone put a pretzel inside a piece of candy.

Granted, I like M&Ms, but that's all I was expecting – just a Plain Jane ordinary M&M experience, and then wham! I'm hit with something not only amazing, but entirely unexpected. I had to figure out why that pretzel made the M&M so much better and moreover why I never saw it coming.

The San Antonio Spurs are 36-6, the best record in the Association, and they are just like that pretzel M&M.

At the start of the season we were all expecting a regular M&M; we expected the Spurs to be good, not great, to notch a pedestrian 50 wins and march in a neat line to a second round playoff exit, with only a possibility of slight variation. I wrote that I was more sure the Spurs would not win a title this year than I have been any previous year and while there were a handful of optimists, most analysts – even a majority on this site – did not predict a title for the Spurs this season. A league best record at the half way point is not a title, but it is a clear indicator that we did not see the pretzel coming.

The question now is: what exactly were we wrong about? There are four popular preseason predictions, or opinions, concerning the Spurs that come to mind.

Age and Injury
Who said it? Project Spurs, pretty much everyone else
Probably the consensus concern analysts had coming into this season for the Spurs was the age of the roster, and the potential increase of injuries that would bring. Last season injuries were a nuisance, and everyone being a year old made many of think that problem would only get worse. The wear and tear on the Big Three was chief among the injury concerns.

What actually happened:
Forty-one games into the season, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have played and started in every single game. Jefferson and Blair have also rounded out the starting five with perfect physical consistency. Having these players healthy and on the floor all together is an obvious benefit, but more the intangible effect is having the starting five develop consistency. There's a chemistry among this group that never developed between any five players last season and that wouldn't be possible without everyone being healthy.

Tim's minutes (lack thereof)
Who said it? Pounding the Rock, Bleacher Report, Dime Mag
Going hand-in-hand with the general age concern were worries about Duncan's role as he goes through the latter part of his brilliant career. Duncan has been a picture of consistency throughout his career, but the mileage he's put on his body by carrying a team through thirteen seasons and often deep playoff runs (plus offseason basketball) has taken a toll on him. We came into the season knowing that if he was one hundred percent healthy and rested he'd be vintage Timmy, but we also knew "one hundred percent healthy and rested" would be a fleeting sight.

Tim would have to be rested significantly during the regular season and that would limit the Spurs to an average output during the standard 82 games, in exchange for a hopeful run in the playoffs with a rested Tim Duncan.

What actually happened:
Duncan has played in all 41 games, and while he's trending for a career low for season averages in minutes and points, his rebounding and defensive exploits are remarkably efficient (9.5 boards and two blocks per game in less than 30 minutes of average play time). He's also shooting 73% from the free-throw line. Moreover, the Spurs are winning games with only moderate amounts of Tim Duncan.

DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner and Antonio McDyess are doing a fine job of spelling the front court in Duncan's absences. Ginobili and Parker seem to be handling the go-to scorer responsibilities as a balanced tandem. Coach Popovich and staff seem to have cracked the code – they've established a winning formula that doesn't rely on heavy doses of Duncan. It's only the midway point, but this formula seems highly sustainable.

Youth in question
Who said it? Project Spurs, 48 Minutes of Hell
We heralded the arrival of Tiago Splitter, but were cautious about how well he would adapt to NBA basketball. James Anderson and Gary Neal seemed both packed with potential, but both were unproven and would be asked to contribute big this season. George Hill was a the favorite to have a break out season, but most of his success came in a relatively short spurt last season because of injury to Parker. We were hopeful, but mildly skeptical about the youth movement.

What actually happened:
Gary Neal happened, that's what. The 6-4 shooting guard (almost-but-not-quite a real combo guard) has had some explosive performances including a 21 point effort against Dallas before New Year's and back-to-back 22 point outings against Phoenix and Denver going into Christmas. He's averaging 8.7 points per and shooting nearly 40% from three. His points and energy off of the bench have been almost Ginobili-like in their importance to the team's success and he's epitomized the pretzel theory of unexpected goodness.

Hill and Blair have both landed about where we expected them, which is not a bad thing. Splitter has had some struggles with injury and generally come along slower than some had hoped he would. James Anderson showed a promising start to the season before suffering a stress fracture in his fight foot.

The Spurs have gotten veteran consistency from Hill and Blair, and the unexpected contributions from Neal have clearly added to their higher than expected win percentage.

Inconsistent outside shooting
Who said it? Dime Mag, Pounding the Rock
The Spurs have been know as a good outside shooting team and while the percentages from last season (around 36%) weren't atrocious, Pounding the Rock writer Josh Guyer probably said it best: "... [the Spurs] had guys who were supposed to be shooters but couldn't buy a shot to save their careers when it mattered". We've witnessed inconsistency in key moments, seen acceptable shooting sink to unacceptable shooting in pressure situations and rightly ascertained a need for improvement.

What actually happened:
Matt Bonner heard us and got angry – very angry. The Red Rocket is torching the net to the tune of 50% shooting from behind the three-point line. Jefferson is shooting 42% and Neal and Ginobili are both in the high 30s percentage-wise. As a team the Spurs are shooting right at about 40%, second best in the league, just barely behind Golden State.

OK Spurs fans it's time to voice your opinions. What are your thoughts?

Remember when the New York Knicks were considered the laughing stock of the NBA? You could practically give tickets away for a Knicks game in the past but not anymore.

Seems with their improved season and addition of Amar'e Stoudemire, a Knicks game is not longer a game to skip. Add a young up-and-coming player like Wilson Chandler, solid rookie like Landry Fields, and steady point guard Raymond Felton and you got yourself one great matchup tomorrow in the AT&T Center.

Let's not forget, the Spurs will be seeking some pay-back after suffering a stunning loss to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden this past month.

To be there for all the excitement, and to help the Spurs exact some revenge on New York, get your tickets by clicking HERE. Still lots of seats available.

Box Score | GameFlow

The Spurs extended their winning streak to seven games on Wednesday night with a 104-95 home win against the Toronto Raptors (13-29).

The Raptors, coming in on a four-game losing skid, had trouble scoring early while the Spurs got out to a 10-0 run, but that was no sign of what was to come.

The Raptors used their zone defense to stifle the Spurs when the Spurs weren't shooting themselves in the foot with sloppy passes and execution.

By the time halftime had come around, the Raptors had built up a 53-42 lead and forward DeMar DeRozan bested his season scoring average of 15 points per game by five points, scoring 20 in the first half.

If that wasn't enough to make you shake your head, the Spurs, who are second in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, had missed all of their shots from beyond the arch through two quarters.

Luckily for the Spurs, they found their stroke and made defensive adjustments, even surprising DeRozan with double teams that led to turnovers.

The Spurs went on a 13-2, 16-4 and 13-4 run al in the second half to turn the tables on the Raptors, taking the lead and never looking back.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with 23 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. DeJuan Blair finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Parker (17), George Hill (14) and Tim Duncan (10) also scored in double figures.

With the win, the Spurs are now 36-6 on the season and 23-2 at home. They'll look to improve on that against the Knicks on Friday night.

In Retrospect

Jeff Garcia spoke to Sean of Hoop Heads North prior to the game and got his key matchup and prediction.

"I think the matchup between DeRozan & George Hill should be an interesting one - two young players continuing to solidify themselves in the league and make a presence felt on their team. If I was a betting man, I'd put my wager on the Spurs, but if the Raptors play solid defense that they are capable of (we've seen stretches of games this season!) then the Raptors could pull the upset in a very close game."

Quoteable

"It’s definitely frustrating. It’s a killer. We were beating up on one of the best teams in the NBA, but we got to hold the lead. It’s definitely frustrating.” - DeMar DeRozan.

In Black and White

Imperfect Blair sparks imperfect win (San Antonio Express-News) 

Raptors hold tough against Spurs (Toronto Sun) 

Spurs outmuscle Raptors as Blair starts (Raptors Republic)

Fantasy Focus

DeJuan Blair is averaging over 14 points and 9 rebounds through his last three games, including a 18 point, 13 rebound outing against the Dallas Mavericks. Blair has been inconsistent this season, but if he continues to put good games together, he's definitely worthy of your watch list.

Tweeting the game

Los spurs no se cansan de ganar, esta vez a mis Raptors con partidazo del rookie DeRozan, gran primera temporada!!! All Star del tirón - @topa89.

Still can't believe DeJuan slipped in the draft. I'll be saying that for years, but really. #Spurs - @stackmack

The Four Factors

 

The San Antonio Spurs played poorly in the first half falling behind by 11 points at halftime. However, they were more focused in the second half and played better on both ends of the court.

As a result, the Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 104-95 extending their winning streak to seven games and improved to 36-6 which is their best ever after 42 games.

Here are some of the numbers on this Spurs' latest victory.

82.8 - The Spurs shot well from the free throw line making 24-29 (82.8%) foul shots. The Raptors weren't that bad either, shooting 20-25 (80%) of their free throw attempts.

49 - The Spurs won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Raptors 49-38.

28 - DeMar DeRozan had a game-high 28 points and added four steals, and three rebounds for the Raptors.

23 - The Spurs shared the ball better, they had 23 assists for the game compared to 20 dimes by the Raptors. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

22 - Both teams were dead even on fast break points, scoring 22 points each. DeJuan Blair had another brilliant performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Spurs.

17 - The Spurs outscored the Raptors by 17 points in the third quarter to take control of the game. Tony Parker had 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for San Antonio.

14 - Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon scored 14 points a piece for the Raptors. George Hill added 14 points and had six rebounds off the Spurs' bench.

10 - Tim Duncan added 10 points and 12 boards for the Spurs. Jerryd Bayless and Sundiata Gaines scored 10 points each from the Raptors' bench.

8 - Antonio McDyess gave the Spurs a big lift, he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and had three steals in 28 minutes of action.

0 - Gary Neal and Hill did not commit a single turnover for the entire game.

Rookie Watch: Neal scored eight points and had one assists in 21 minutes. Tiago Splitter had one block in 1 minute of playing time. James Anderson was activated and in uniform, but did not play against the Raptors.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Friday.

Follow me on Twitter @RobbyLim21

• San Antonio Spurs' Antonio McDyess might reconsider retirement after this season:

“If I could play here another year,” McDyess said, “I would definitely contemplate it.” (source Express News)

• Former Spurs' Assistant Coach PJ Carlesimo - now an assitsnt coach with the Toronto Raptors - gave his two cents on why the Spurs are so successful and said where Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich got the blueprint for his coaching style:

Carlesimo, now Jay Triano’s lead assistant in Toronto, spent five years under Popovich and had a front row seat for one of the most finely tuned machines in the NBA.

“Primarily it’s because of Timmy and 1A because of Pop,” Carlesimo said, pinpointing the reasons for the success when he was there.

“I’m prejudiced by I think (Popovich) has been the best coach in the league for a long time.

“He’s had two of the best players in the league and he’s had a lot of other good players with them but so have a lot of coaches who coach teams in the league.”

But ask Carlesimo the model for the blueprint and he believes it is Jerry Sloan’s early days in Utah.

“Pop will be very candid about it,” Carlesimo said. “He modelled it on Utah.” (source torontosun.com)

• Express News' Tim Griffin talks about the plus-minus totals from Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

• NBA.com listed it seven surprises in the 2010-2011 NBA season and the Spurs made the list:

The Spurs return: Coach Gregg Popovich can keep saying that his team really has to tighten down on its defense and shouldn't be mentioned as the best team in the league. Tim Duncan can maintain that the Spurs haven't proven anything yet.

The San Antonio Spurs' have an all-time roster that boasts two all-NBA big men like David Robinson and Tim Duncan, so it's only natural you're going to hear comparisons from time to time.

Through the years we've heard the comparisons of Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and others to the Spurs' "Twin Towers."

Now Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin is the latest to have his name mentioned in the same breath as Duncan and Robinson.

ESPN's Outside the Lines recently did a feature on Blake Griffin called "Blake Effect" and Skip Bayless said Griffin will not have the same kind of rookie impact Robinson had on the Spurs.

Bayless also said Griffin will have to prove his toughness to the NBA. Sound familiar?

There's no doubting Griffin is having an outstanding rookie campaign, but how does it stack up to those of Robinson and Duncan?

Griffin is currently averaging 22.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 37.3 minutes per game through his first 40 games of the 2010-11 season.

Robinson averaged 24.3 points, 12 rebounds and 3.89 blocks in 36.6 minutes per game during the 1989-90 season.

Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just over 39 minutes per game in 1997-98.

While all three stat lines seem familiar, all three players came into completely different situations.

Robinson and Duncan were expected to win right away, and both did, making playoff appearances in their rookie years. Robinson took a 21-61 team and turned them into a 56-26 team in one season that included a trip to the Western Conference semifinals.

Duncan's rookie year was also a dramatic turnaround, resulting in a 56-26 season, but he had help from Robinson and Sean Elliott.

While the Clippers are currently on pace to make a slight improvement over last season's record, it's not likely that Griffin's addition to the team will result in a playoff berth.

Regardless of stats and records though, what Griffin is doing with the Clippers is definitely special and worthy of your attention. For Spurs' fans though, it'll take a few championship rings to put him in the same class as Duncan and Robinson. 

The San Antonio Spurs (35-6) will look to start the second half of the season off on the right foot as they host the Toronto Raptors (13-28).

The Spurs are currently on a six game winning streak and sit atop of the NBA standings with the best record in the league. The Raptors will look to snap their four game losing streak tonight in San Antonio but it will prove to be a daunting task facing the NBA's best team.

To talk about tonight's matchup, I turn to fellow Bloguin blogger Sean at Hoop Heads North a fantastic site for all things Raptors.

In this Q&A we talk about the state of the Raptors after the departure of Chris Bosh, the addition of Leandro Barbosa for Toronto, tonight's contest and much more.

Jeff: This is a question I'm sure you heard over and over but how big of an impact has the loss of Chris Bosh been to the Raptors franchise and is it safe to say the franchise is in a rebuilding phase?

Sean: The loss of Chris Bosh has definitely been huge. There is no way you can immediately replace 24 points and 10 rebounds in your line up. So, this has forced the Raptors organization to rebuild and assess the youth and draft picks they have. The next 6 months will be very interesting time for the Raptors organization - the trade deadline, the NBA entry draft, expiring contracts and the Bosh-trade exception must be used by then. The team will no doubt have a brand new look for the start of the 2011-2012 season.
 
Speaking of losses, Hedo Turkoglu was a flop and was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Leandro Barbosa. Granted Barbosa recently got injured but how do you asses the trade?

At face value, one would look at Hedo's production in Orlando and Leandro's production in Toronto and say "Why would you make that trade?". But we all know that Hedo was not a leader in Toronto, on or off the court - he essentially played when he wanted to play. Colangelo had no choice but to move him. In addition to that, Hedo's numbers in Phoenix, after being initially traded from the Toronto, were pedestrian at best. Leandro Barbosa on the other hand has come in and given the Raptors veteran leadership and he's been willing to help younger players like Bayless, Weems, DeRozan, and Gaines. Unfortunately Leandro continues to be plagued by injury, but as far as the dynamic in the locker room and off the court, Leandro has been a great fit.
 
Andrea Bargnani just seems to not develop a more consistent game. One game is looks great and in another he can't get things going. Now with Bosh gone, do the Rators need more out of Bargnani or is this the best we will see out of him?

I don't think Andrea Bargnani will ever be a franchise player, he just does not seem to have the personality build for that kind of role or responsibility. Overall I have been happy with Bargnani's play this season, but you are right - there are times or games where he isn't able to have the impact the organization and fans alike want him to have. I think the moves the Raptors make between now and July will definitely be focused on trying to bring in another player who can create his own shot and be effective in the clutch, who can help take the pressure off of Bargnani and while still allowing players like DeRozan to continue to grow.
 
Let's talk tonight's matchup. The Raptors are a very young squad facing a battled tested Spurs squad. What should the Raptors do to escape San Antonio with a win?

The Raptors MUST commit to the defensive end of the floor. They pulled out a huge win in Texas the last time they were there against Dallas, and if not for a poor third quarter effort against Houston the game may have ended differently. But it all comes from a commitment to giving 100% on the defensive end.
 
What matchup would you tell Spurs and Raptors fans to keep an eye on? Also, what's your prediction for tonight's game?

I think the matchup between DeRozan & George Hill should be an interesting one - two young players continuing to solidify themselves in the league and make a presence felt on their team. If I was a betting man, I'd put my wager on the Spurs, but if the Raptors play solid defense that they are capable of (we've seen stretches of games this season!) then the Raptors could pull the upset in a very close game.