The San Antonio Spurs are off to their best start in franchise history. They will look extend their winning streak to 12 games when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at the Target Center.

The Spurs (12-1) defeated the Orlando Magic 106-97 in San Antonio last Monday pulling away in the final period while making 5 of 5 of their shots from beyond the arc.

The Timberwolves (4-11) are coming off a 117-107 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and will try their hardest to get back to the win column.

Offense has played a big part in San Antonio's early success. The team currently ranks second in the league in scoring averaging 107.6 points per game. The Timberwolves on the other hand, are last in points allowed at 110.4 per game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

SPURS:

According to the Express News, the San Antonio Spurs will announce the signing of free agent Ime Udoka, who played for the Spurs in 2007-08 and 2008-09. He is expected to sign for the veteran minimum at $1.46 million.

Though his first stint with the Spurs did not pan out as Spurs fans had hoped for, Udoka is a tough defender and will provide some much needed perimeter defense for the Spurs and well as guarding small forwards.

UPDATE:

The San Antonio Spurs have officially signed Ime Udoka:

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard/forward Ime Udoka . Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard/forward Ime Udoka . Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• The San Antonio Spurs have announced former player Malik Rose will rejoin the Spurs as a fill-in TV color commentator for Sean Elliott:

Rose will join play-by-play announcer Bill Land for his first road broadcast tomorrow night when the Spurs take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest. He will join Land for various games throughout the season, including the Nov. 28 game at New Orleans Hornets at 2 p.m. on FSSW.

“I have always thought Malik would make a great basketball analyst,” said Mike Kickirillo, Spurs director of broadcasting. “He always provided terrific insight in interviews and his reception with Spurs fans has been off the charts since he stepped into town. He will fit in well with Bill and do a great job stepping in for Sean.” (source Spurs.com)

• With the Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers heads above the rest in the Western Conference this season and holding a 12-1 and 12-2 records respectively, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson still doesn't feel any team from the West can break the 72 win record his 1996 Chicago Bulls team hold:

"No team in the West really can do it"

"In the West, it's going to be real tough for any team."

Jackson noted the challenges ahead for his Lakers and the Spurs.

"The Spurs really haven't made a swing out to the West Coast, we'll see how that goes," he said. "We'll have to make a quick run to the middle of the country, and then on to the East Coast in the next month.

"And our records will start to even out as we go along." (source ESPN.com)

Have to agree with Jackson. That 72 win Bulls team was loaded with talent and made up of players in their prime. Not to mention that team had a player by the name of Michael Jordan. Highly doubtful the Spurs or the Lakers can break that 72 win record.

On a side note, I cannot wait until the Spurs and Lakers have their first meeting of the season on December 28.

Yesterday, former San Antonio Spurs player Alonzo Gee found a new, but familiar, home. Unfortunately for Spurs fans, it wasn't Austin.

After being drafted by the Austin Toros out of Alabama with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 D-League draft, Gee quickly became a fan favorite in his rookie campaign which ended in an all-star nod and the rookie of the year award.

It didn't take long for teams to take notice. The depleted Washington Wizards came calling with a 10-day contract, which lead to another. In just a short time, Gee had gone from being an end-of-the-bench player to a starter and Verizon Center favorite. Gee averaged 7.4 points in just 16.5 minutes per game with the Wizards, including a 19-point outing against the Bobcats.

But soon Gee had another team calling and a very enticing offer to consider.

It was guaranteed playing time without a guaranteed contract in Washington or sitting on the bench in San Antonio with guaranteed money into the 2010-11 season, being on a playoff team and the chance to be mentored by three NBA stars.

Gee chose San Antonio and never looked back, until now.

Gee went on to sit and earn a check, a role he would know all too well in San Antonio.

Through summer league, Gee averaged 14 points and five rebounds in the most minutes he would play in silver & black.

While most thought Gee and Bobby Simmons would compete in training camp for the backup small forward spot, it was James Anderson who took that role. When Simmons was waived and when Anderson was diagnosed with a stress fracture that would keep him out from six to eight weeks, many in San Antonio thought Gee would finally get his time to shine.

But Gee would only play in two more games before he got his own walking papers.

Gee was one of the players I had high hopes for coming into this season. I though he would have a shot at making the roster out of training camp, but I sensed something was wrong when he couldn't buy a minute in preseason play.

The Spurs made a run at Gee likely on the thought of potential alone, but in all honesty, Gee was still not yet ripe for the picking for the Spurs. Gee made his money on athleticism and scoring, but not shooting. And it should be obvious by now that the Spurs will take risks on two types of players, shooters and defenders, of which Gee was neither.

That's not to say that Gee isn't an NBA-capable player, as made obvious by the Wizards signing, he just wasn't Spurs-ready yet. 

The latest player of the San Antonio Spurs waiving spree is Danny Green.

Green, who was originally signed on November 17, appeared in two games for the Spurs averaging three points in 4.5 minutes per game. 

Since the start of the season, the Spurs have waived Bobby Simmons, Garrett Temple, Alonzo Gee and now Green. Curtis Jerrells was also traded before the season started.

With the Spurs owning the best record in the league and off to a quick start, it appears they aren't interested in carrying on extra players and who is to tell them otherwise considering their current lead atop a very competitive Western conference.

However, one common thread among all of the latest cuts has been a lack of playing time, so if they can't get on the floor, something must not be going right in practice, or perhaps the Spurs just have not found the player that fits and is deemed worthy of a roster spot.

When San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich asked the team for a fast start, I’m sure even he couldn’t imagine that they would be 12-1 after 13 games. Knowing him, he still is not satisfied with the team winning 11 in a row with two impressive wins on the road against the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But what can Spurs fans take away from this hot start and what does this team have that last years team didn't have? Let's take a look.

Level of competition.

One of the major differences this year from last, is the Spurs are beating the teams they are supposed to beat. Last year the Spurs would seem to play down to the competition level of the teams and they paid the price by losing close games to sub-par teams. Remember the loss to the New Jersey Nets, the worst team in the NBA, last season?

In the playoffs, they paid the ultimate price by having to settle for the seventh seed instead of a top four seed, which would have gave them home court advantage in the first round. That was the lowest seed the Spurs have clinched in the Tim Duncan era.

Panic mode.

Another change from last years team to this years is the “panic button." If you watch enough basketball it is easy to notice every team goes on a run at one point or another in a game, sometimes even two or three runs. When this happened to the Spurs last year, they went in panic mode and would just take the first shot they even caught a glimpse at.

This year, they are more relaxed and take their time to find the right shot they want whether it takes four, five or six passes. The team is looking like more of the Spurs teams of old rather than the team we saw all of last year.

Chemistry.

A word which gets tossed around for every team in sports.

It’s one thing to add a bunch of pieces to a team but if there is no chemistry then it will not work out plain and simple. The Spurs seem to be on the same page more often than not this year and the win/loss column reflects that. Richard Jefferson looked lost at times last year and was very hesitant to take any shots.

This year he is more involved and understands his role on this team. DeJuan Blair would commit foolish fouls after fouls last year and take himself out of games, but this year he seems to have his head in the game and has played smart basketball thus far. However, he can be forgiven seeing how he was a rookie last season.

New faces.

Although the Spurs did not add too many new faces to the roster, two of the new faces are working out soundly for them. Tiago Splitter has not played many minutes, but he takes advantage of the minutes he is given. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers he showed signs of what he is capable of and had his best game as a Spur. Gary Neal provides a knock down shooter who is not reluctant to shoot the ball. In this young season, Neal has shown that he is always ready and willing to shoot, even when his shot is not falling for him all game long.

A healthy Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan.

Simply put, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan got a full summer off to rest and heal nagging injuries. With a rested Big Three, it's no wonder the Spurs have jumped out to this hot start.

The 2010-2011 season may be young, but this years San Antonio Spurs team sure do look like they are on a mission with something to prove. If the team can stay healthy they are certainly in the mix of things in the ever so tough Western Conference.

Recently Alonzo Gee was waived by the San Antonio Spurs but has since signed on with the Washington Wizards. However, prior to joining the Spurs last season, Gee played with the Wizards and showed he can play at the NBA level.

Now that he has now rejoined the Wizards, Gee reflected on his decision and his time with the Spurs.

"It was a big decision," Gee said on Monday after rejoining the Wizards when his stint with the Spurs ended with him getting waived last week. "I thought about it, because going to the Spurs, they was going to the playoffs. It was giving up playing time and sitting. I had to think about it."

But Gee saw the benefit in going to San Antonio. "Just how they approach the game, how everything is serious, everything is family like," he said. "It's just a great organization."

Gee just never got an opportunity to play, which led him back to the first organization that provided him an NBA platform. "I didn't know what was going on. But like I said, I'm glad to be here," Gee said. "It's over with and I got to get ready for the game" against Philadelphia on Tuesday. (source washingtonpost.com)

Though Gee did not have much of a chance to crack the rotation in San Antonio, he has proven he can play at the NBA level and will have a great opportunity to show this in Washington. Last season with the Wizards, he averaged 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11 games, scoring a career-high 19 points.

The San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 106-97 victory over the Orlando Magic. 

The Spurs may have faced their toughest test of the young season and prevailed late for an NBA-best record of 12-1. Orlando Magic's four game winning streak was snapped.

Now it's time to look at the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' latest victory.

63.2 - San Antonio made 12-19 (63.2%) of their shots from behind the 3-point line, including all five of their attempts in the fourth quarter.

40 - The Orlando Magic controlled the boards and out rebounded the Spurs 40-31.

32 - The Spurs used a strong fourth quarter run to put the game away, they outscored the Magic 32-20 in the final period.

26 - Dwight Howard had a game-high 26 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Magic.

25 - The Spurs shared the ball better, they had 25 assists compared to the Magic's 19. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 25 points, nine assist and six rebounds.

24 - Tony Parker had a great all around game, he had 24 points, 10 assists and three rebounds for San Antonio.

15 - Tim Duncan had 15 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks in 28 minutes. Matt Bonner also had 15 points on 4-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Jameer Nelson had 15 points and five assists for the Magic. 

9 - The Spurs took care of the ball, they only committed nine turnovers for the game compared to the Magic's 16.

7 - Both the Spurs and the Magic had seven steals. Duncan and Howard had three steals a piece for their respective teams.

2 - Duncan and Howard had two blocks shots each.

0 - Jefferson, McDyess and Bonner had zero turnovers for the entire game. 

Rookie Watch: After playing 26 minutes against the Cavaliers, Tiago Splitter just played less than minute and was scoreless. Gary Neal was also scoreless in 11 minutes and had one rebound.

What's Next? The Spurs will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

Alright, I’ll admit. I’m a fan. First, and foremost.

Tiago Splitter’s arrival has been so long in the waiting and so desperately needed, that patience can easily run its course. And as much as one tries to remove themselves enough to think of clear mind and sound rationale, fandom has a way of rearing its ugly head. I get it. Guil-ty-as-charged.

So with this new found outlook and a little better objectivity, the question becomes much clearer:

Has Coach Pop bust out the crock pot?

It’s understandable that the process and acclimation period would take a little longer for any first-time NBA player, even if said player is a 25-year-old Spanish League champion and MVP of both its Finals and regular season. It’s more than understandable that it might take a little longer getting up to speed if that player suffered an injury during his first training camp upon making the jump from overseas. There’s absolutely nothing surprising—at least, one shouldn’t be surprised—that Splitter’s insertion into the rotation and into the NBA way of life would take a little more time – whether there was an injury or not.

But there’s taking it slow and there’s taking it slow. It’s one thing to ease a player into the game, into the terminology, into all that it is to be an NBA basketball player. It’s quite another to in the middle of that process find yourself saying it’s inappropriate for a player of Splitter’s caliber to play – Tiago Splitter is, and represents more to this team, than a situational player. This is a player who’s talent allows for a team to dictate match-ups not be dictated to.

Prior to Splitter’s career-best line of 18 points, 5 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had received to DNP-CDs, the first coming against Chicago and the second against Utah. They were two teams with formidable frontlines and one could easily find themselves believing represented a great opportunity for Splitter to play.

It was not to be, though, and it’s not as unforgivable or unconscionable as knee-jerk fandom can allow you to believe. Yes, Splitter could have played. And, yes, the San Antonio Spurs probably would have been—at a minimum—no worse for the wear. But Chicago went smaller with Deng playing the 4 (power-forward) and with a big road game against Utah—the first game of a back-to-back—fresh legs and the friendly confines of the AT&T Center would seem to serve the team and Splitter well.

As much as one can rationalize the logic and find some kind of method to the madness though, in the end, it’s still, well, madness: finding reason to not play one of your better players isn’t all that sound a premise. Unless…

If your working from the premise that you’ve got a talented, crucial piece to the puzzle being a first-year NBA player, someone making the cultural, professional and athletic jump from overseas, someone whom in the process of that jump got tripped up with an injury before being able to take flight, someone that also happens to be coming off a long summer of National Team play and has had a history of nagging injuries slowing him down at times in his career, more method seems to materialize than madness. Maybe—just maybe—the Coach may be onto something; a big picture can’t be painted with one single broad brush.

So while we see the flashes of pick-and-roll brilliance, the stellar position D and the potential of Splitter to lift this Spurs team back atop the league as one of its missing, crucial pieces, we may just have to bring the fervor to a simmer – getting the minutes to both learn the NBA game and gain the respect of its officials seems to be taking a backseat to making sure the 6-11 Brazilian is up to speed, healthy and rolling, by the time this regular season ends.

Do you smell what the Pop is cooking?

Yeah, yeah I did . . .

Follow Nick Kapsis @Project_Kap