The San Antonio Spurs set a new record for the best start in franchise history and currently hold the best record in the NBA at 18-3. They are on a three game winning streak and are coming off an impressive 109-84 pounding over the New Orleans Hornets and a relatively easy 111-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

After 21 games, the Spurs rank 2nd in offensive efficiency rating, 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 7th in defensive efficiency rating and 5th in effective field goal percentage.

This team is different from last year.They are more consistent on both ends of the floor and are winning a lot of ball games early this season. However, with the way they are playing right now, could they be peaking too soon?

What I know is they took advantage of a relatively easy early season schedule and then later on won against some of the stronger teams in the league including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz.

They are playing good basketball, but if you watch the Spurs closely, they haven't been that dominant in most of their games.

They had the habit of starting out slow and then regain momentum on the second half. So far this season, the Spurs have won at least four games coming from behind including twice against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yes, I said the Timberwolves! The bottom line is, they are yet to display a full four quarters of Spurs basketball. Ok, maybe the recent 109-84 victory over the Hornets is an exception.   

Yes, Manu Ginobili is having an MVP caliber type of year, Tony Parker is finding more balance between scoring and passing, Richard Jefferson has been efficient and productive, George Hill is providing the needed offensive punch off the  bench, Matt Bonner is shooting the lights out on some given nights and rookie Gary Neal has been a pleasant surprise.

Nevertheless, even with the great start, it is certain the Spurs has still a lot to improve.

They've managed to stay atop the NBA standings with Tim Duncan having a career low on points, rebounds and minutes per game and DeJuan Blair still adjusting to his new role as the team's starting center.

And here's more, Tiago Splitter has yet to find consistent playing time despite the reality that he could be a factor later this season and perhaps the post season. Right now, he's still on the learning phase and will need to be patient with the Spurs' very careful approach.

Rookie James Anderson is still sidelined with an injury, he has provided immediate impact early in the season before suffering a stress fracture. When he comes back, he will surely add more depth on the Spurs' already deep backcourt rotation.  

But Spurs fans need to understand that this team cannot play at this high level game-in and game-out for the remainder of the season. They will drop one, two, or even three games in a row but it will be no cause for alarm. Look at the defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers. They recently suffered a four game losing streak. It happens. It's the NBA. 

So while the Spurs are enjoying their best start in franchise history, one thing is for sure, this team has yet to reach it's full potential and it's not even close.

Now to answer the question on whether the Spurs are peaking too early . . . not at all.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the Spurs are peaking too early?

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 111-94 to set a franchise record for best start after 21 games.

The Warriors also lost Stephen Curry during the second quarter to a sprained right ankle. He was dribbling behind the 3-point line when he called a timeout and fell to the ground in pain. 

Curry was helped off the court by teammates and did not return. The team said X-rays were negative.

Now, let's take a look at some of the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

52.2 - The Warriors shot well from beyond the arc connecting on 12-23 (52.2%) three pointers. The Spurs weren't bad either making 12-26 (46.2%) of their shots from the 3-point line.

48 - The Spurs owned the shaded area outscoring the Warriors 48-38 on inside points.

33 - San Antonio was so effective in transition, scoring 33 fast break points compared to just 13 from the Warriors.

31 - Warriors' forward Reggie Williams had a big night, he finished with a career-high 31 points on 11-16 field goal shooting, including 8-10 from behind the arc. The Spurs displayed some crisp passing and had 31 assists for the game.

25 - The Spurs' 25 straight home wins against the Warriors is the longest active streak against a single opponent in the NBA.

19 - Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points, nine assists, two rebounds and a steal. Monta Ellis had 19 points and six assists for the Warriors.

17 - George Hill scored 17 points off the Spurs' bench and went 3-4 from the three point area. Tim Duncan had eight points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 17 minutes of action.

16 - David Lee added 16 points, 13 boards and six assists for the Warriors.

15-13 - DeJuan Blair scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his third double-double this season.

12 - Manu Ginobili had 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals for the Spurs. While Tiago Spiltter added 12 points off the bench.

3 - Chris Quinn had three points and one assists in three minutes of playing time.

0 - Ime Udoka was scoreless in 16 minutes, but contributed four assists.

Rookie Watch: Tiago Splitter had 12 points, six rebounds, one assists and a steal in 24 minutes of action. Gary Neal had seven points, three rebounds and one assists in 16 minutes of action.

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

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

SPURS:

More often than not, it’s something we’ve found ourselves doing with the stoic consistency of Tim Duncan. There were times he’d put up 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds and if it happened in a loss, it would seem you’d always hear about a couple of tentative post moves or an ill-timed or costly turnover. The standard of play a fan can become accustomed to and expect is really quite amazing—and even more so when it just seems to come so effortlessly, naturally.

Really, if any team has a superstar or special talent, even the best of fan bases are susceptible. It just so happens that the San Antonio Spurs’ fan base has more to take for granted than most.

I’ll never forget the year Manu arrived. Two of the first, lasting memories that come to mind, were a thunderous left-handed drive and dunk over Erik Dampier—then a Golden State Warrior—and the comments of an ESPNEWS anchor during a Spurs’ highlight, opining about the ridiculous highlight-to-play ratio of the Argentine rookie. From the minute he stepped onto the court and into the collective consciousness of Spurs’ fans everywhere, there was just something different about him. He was streetball with class. He was style-meets-substance. Ginobili captured the imagination of fans, coaches and teammates alike. He immediately found disdain and admiration from his peers, both stemming from an undeniable respect they had for the results or play. Maybe more so than any Spurs’ player has past or present, he forced the faithful to find the edge of their seats—and he never let them leave (and it didn’t hurt to be  a Spanish-speaking, charismatic personality in a strong Hispanic market).

Kurt Helin recently wrote about the latest segment dedicated to Manu Ginobili from NBA Access. Rasual Butler, Shannon Brown, Channing Frye and Caron Butler all spoke to what’s been referred to as the “Euro Step” (via a South American—go figure ) and the difficulty of defending it, him.

I mean, I know he’s going left, and I try to stop him,” Frye says. “And I just looked at Coach like, ‘Hey, man, ya know, I don’t move my feet that fast.’

It’s always amusing to hear broadcasters, scribes, coaches and players state that, “You know he’s going left.” And maybe they’re correct, to an extent. Manu does go to his left more often than not. But like the rest of his game, looks can be deceiving.

Manu Ginobili goes to his left—the opposition can’t seem to get that right.

By Mikkayla Guillett, Toros Nation/Project Spurs

I recently had the privilege to speak with Austin Toros Lewis Clinch on what went wrong in the fourth quarter in the Toros recent loss against the Utah Flash (106-98) and how he hopes the team can improve during their upcoming road trip.

Enjoy!

Part 1:



Part 2:



Please visit Toros Nation for more great coverage on the San Antonio Spurs' D-League affiliate the Austin Toros.

On this episode of the Spurscast, Mike and Jeff discuss our thoughts on the San Antonio Spurs recent play and if there are certain aspects of the Spurs that need improvement on despite the fantastic start to the seson.

In the second half of the show we put under the Spurscast microscope Spurs' rookie Tiago Splitter and assess his play this season.

All this and much more on this episode of the Spurscast! The first and original Spurs podcast!

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Ya know, we really have come along way, Coach. It seems as if just yesterday I was cursing you and your decision to oust Bob Hill—in retrospect, not one of my finer moments, and none-too-fair to you. But, in all fairness, Hill didn’t just look good on the sidelines, it was as if he came from Miami Vice’s central casting. And let’s be honest, Coach, any adolescent at the time would have felt the same way. I’m not proud of the way I acted, but Don Johnson is Don Johnson—and Don Johnson you ain’t.

But, see, I didn’t get it back then. I was just a punk kid, prone to the superficial. Nuance was lost on me. I knew what I was seeing and I knew there was more to the game than putting the little orange ball in the hole, but I was immature. Irrational, even. I was a fanatic in the worst sense of the word: passionately ignorant.

So even as I saw my hero, The Admiral (have-you-seen-his-biceps?!?), David Robinson, getting unfairly taken apart by the media, Bob Hill was still Don Johnson. And, really, so what if he watched a team zone-up his star defensively on one end while tasking his own to defend the opposition’s (Olajuwon) one-on-one at the other? Crockett had his pros and cons—apparently  devising  half-court defensive schemes would fall into the latter. (But, man… he sure knew how to dress, and his hair was spectacular.)

Thankfully, and appreciatively, though, you never held that against me. You truly were a gentleman, often allowing my criticisms and inflammatory rhetoric to simply roll off your back. It went in one ear, and out the other. Had I not known any better, I would have believed my words had fallen on a deaf ear or were simply inaudible. But I did know better. You were the better man, above it all—a mountain of a man—and for that you should be commended—I will truly never understand how it is you’ve managed to put up with me for all these years or how you managed to stay focused on the task at hand as I berated and/or questioned your tactics from the comfort of my home. But you did, and because of that—just days away from the fourteenth anniversary of Hill’s firing (Dec. 10, 1996)—we can both look back and laugh. We really have come a long way, Coach.

The San Antonio Spurs improved to an NBA best 17-3, matching their best start in franchise history (2007-2008 season) by beating the New Hornets 109-84.

Unlike their two first meetings, this one was a blowout. The Spurs never trailed and even led by 38 points at one point in the game.

Let's take a look at the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

58.6 - The Spurs shot a blistering 41-70 (58.6%) from the field and held the Hornets to just 33-75 (44%) field goal shooting.

50 - San Antonio made 11-22 (50%) of their 3-pointers while the Hornets just made 3-8 (37.5%).

46 - The Spurs won the inside battle outscoring the Hornets 46-40 on inside points.

29 - The Spurs shared the ball well, they had 29 dimes for the game compared to 22 for the Hornets.

25 - The Spurs' 25 point win is their largest margin of victory this season.

19 - Tony Parker had a game-high 19 points and added six assists, three rebounds and two steals
 for the Spurs.

16 - Chris Paul led the Hornets with 16 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.

13 - Richard Jefferson added 13 points and four rebounds for the Spurs. David West and Trevor Ariza had 13 each for the Hornets.

11 - Tim Duncan had 11 points, nine boards and two block shots in just 19 minutes of action. George Hill and Gary Neal added 11 points a piece for the Spurs.

10-8 - DeJuan Blair had 10 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes.

7 - The Spurs are 7-0 when they make at least 10 three-pointers for the game.

0 - Matt Bonner scored 14 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc and had zero turnovers for the game.

Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal in 33 minutes of action. While Tiago Splitter had five points two rebounds and one steal in 18 minutes. 

What's Next? The Spurs will host the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Wednesday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

Even though San Antonio Spurs rookie James Anderson is still out of the line up nursing an injury, it certainly hasn't stopped him from giving back to the local San Antonio community.

Anderson took time out to help the San Antonio Food Bank sorting out food to make sure there is enough for the holidays:

"It means a lot, you know, just giving back and it's something I look forward to continue to do," said the San Antonio Spurs' rookie guard James Anderson. (source kens5.com)

Sure Spurs fans may be caught up in the team having the best record in the NBA and playing some of their best basketball in recent years, it's nice to see Anderson put things in perspective and see helping others is what truly matters in life.