It appears James Anderson's rehab stint with the Austin Toros was shorter than expected.

Mikkayla Guillett of Toros Nation is at the Cedar Park Center covering the Toros-Thunderbirds game and spoke to trainer Dice Yamaguchi about Anderson's absence from the bench tonight.

Yes you read that correctly. Anderson who had been rehabbing an injury with the Austin Toros for the past few days was present during warm-ups and seemed to be doing well. By tip-off Anderson was missing from the bench. At half-time it was confirmed by the Toros trainer Dice Yamaguchi that Anderson was driving back to San Antonio for tonight’s game.

Anderson averaged 14.5 points and two rebounds in 14 minutes per game in his two-game stint in Austin. After watching both games, it appears he's having no problems on offense, but his defense and lateral quickness is not where it was before his injury and he'll still need more time to work on his conditioning before he is back in game shape.

Toros coach Brad Jones noted on Thursday night that Anderson seemed tired after an increase in minutes. While he will be available for tonight's game against the Rockets, the Spurs will likely start him off with about ten minutes of playing time and gradually increase it every game.

Jeff Garcia and I will be covering tonight's game and will monitor Anderson's progress while he trades out his Toros #33 jersey for his Spurs #25 jersey. 

The San Antonio Spurs will soon begin their annual Rodeo Road Trip but Spurs' DeJuan Blair will be planning a side-trip to the upcoming Superbowl where the Pittsburgh native will be there to cheer on his hometown team Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.

(video woai.com)

• Matt Bonner will miss his seventh straight game on Saturday against the Houston Rockets according to Tim Griffin. Gary Neal is also undetermined to play after being injured in the Utah game on Wednesday night:

The Spurs have announced that forward Matt Bonner will miss Saturday’s game against Houston as he continues to recover from a bone bruise on his right knee.

It is undetermined if rookie guard Gary Neal will play against the Rockets after he sustained an injury to his rear end and his left knee late in the Spurs’ victory at Utah Wednesday night. 

• After missing a career high 26 games last season; Spurs point guard Tony Parker is relieved the team hasn’t had to endure any major injuries thus far, writes Tim Griffin:

“This year, I don’t want to talk about it too much,” Parker said. ”I’m just happy everybody’s healthy.”

• ESPNs J.A. Adande has any interesting article regarding Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson; Jackson discusses his “supposed” retirement at the end of the season. Jackson also gives his thoughts on why the Lakers can still defeat the Spurs and other contenders:

He believes the Lakers can catch the San Antonio Spurs, who currently have a six-game lead over the Lakers in the Western Conference, for the No. 1 playoff seed, but is confident the Lakers are experienced enough to win a series if they have to play the Spurs or Celtics or Heat without homecourt advantage.

• Today, the Canadian National Basketball team discovered the teams they will be grouped with this summer, in 1 of 2 attempts to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. The Canadians are looking to add the firepower of Spurs forward Matt Bonner to their lineup, writes Eric Koreen:

San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner is included in that group. The New Hampshire native will have been a Canadian resident for two years this June, with three years the necessary time to allow a player to play for his country.

• Glen Fine (Inspector General Justice) of the Department of Justice is leaving his position after ten years. Fine was once a former draft pick of the Spurs but chose to take his career into politics, writes Jolie Lee:

His career could have taken a much different turn earlier in his life. As an undergraduate at Harvard College, Fine had been drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. However, Fine said he knew he would not make a career out of basketball.

• The San Antonio Spurs have signed a three year deal with Express Jets to setup a new “courtside club” for clientele at the AT&T Center.

"We are excited to partner with such a first class organization as the San Antonio Spurs" says Express Jets president Jason Leavelle. "We felt like this was a unique opportunity, and being a San Antonio based company allows us to continue our support in the local community and continue our quest to be the leading provider of private aircraft solutions.

• Buisnessinsider.com’s sports section released an intriguing article comparing NBA teams in to “mumblecore” movies:

(If you're not familiar with the film genre that emerged in the late aughts known as "mumblecore," this New York Times article's a good primer. Essentially, it's a group of lo-fi, low-budget movies that expanded on the serial vignettes previously seen in films like Richard Linklater's Slacker.)

San Antonio Spurs: The Pleasure of Being Robbed - Both have clear French influences. 

San Antonio Spurs' rookie James Anderson has been sent to the Austin Toros (Spurs' D-League affiliate) to continue to get back in game shape after fully recovering from his injured right foot he suffered back in November.

After last night's Toros game against the New Mexico Thunderbirds, Toros' coach Brad Jones spoke on Anderson and directions he received from the Spurs on Anderson's recovery.

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