Granted training camp has begun in the NBA but pretty soon these guys are going to have to actually begin playing some games so us bloggers have some material to write about. Until then, however, we are more than willing to speculate endlessly on the upcoming season - who will stand out, what to expect, how we stack up. Perhaps the most prominent figure in the eternal speculation is the San Antonio Spurs' most promising acquisition arguably since Tim Duncan:  yes, I am talking about Tiago Splitter.

We have looked at Splitter from many different angles in this off-season - what skills he will bring to the table, how will he compete with his counterpart big men, how he has performed in the World Championships and how that translates to the NBA.

Splitter will be joining some very talented individual players in the 2010-2011 NBA rookie class. This begs the question - does Tiago have what it takes to emerge as a Rookie of the Year candidate for the Spurs? This may raise another question in your mind as you are reading this - isn't it way too early to begin prognosticating end of the season awards?

Yes.

Am I going to do it anyway?

You bet.

First though, lets whet our palate with some history. Four out of the last five Rookie of the Year winners were guards. The NBA, after all, is a guard dominated league. They have also all averaged over thirty minutes per game in their inaugural seasons.  Immediately, Splitter is placed at a disadvantage. As a center, he clearly does not fit into the first category and, knowing Spurs coach Popovich as we do, I find it unlikely that Tiago will see more than thirty minutes per game as a rookie. Though I won't call it impossible, it is highly unlikely. These statistics only put Splitter at a disadvantage if he is competing against players who fit the profile better. That brings us to our next question - who will be Splitter's chief competition for the award?

Bleacher Report takes a look at what I believe to be the top four candidates in 2010-2011:  John Wall, Blake Griffin, Evan Turner, and DeMarcus Cousins. They quickly have eliminated Cousins based on the fact that a true "center" has not won the award since Shaq back in 1992 - a statistic working against our man Splitter as well.  Narrowing the field to Wall, Griffin, and Turner they have this to say:

John Wall has simply a better situation with the Wizards than Griffin and Turner have.  Nevertheless we can’t forget that Blake Griffin was the favorite last year.

John Wall has 50 percent chance of winning it, while Griffin has 20 percent and Turner 15 percent.

This seems like solid analysis. Wall is joining a Wizards team that lacks a leading scorer and will need him to perform immediately.  During his time with Kentucky, Wall has more than demonstrated his ability to be an effective scorer and was arguably the most talented player in the NCAA last season as a freshman. On a fully stacked Kentucky team, Wall averaged almost 17 points per game in 34 minutes of play. What can we expect on a much less talented team? At least as many minutes and even more opportunities to put points on the board. At this admittedly early point in the year, Wall is your odds-on favorite to emerge from the pack early and often this season.

Contrast Wall's opportunity with Splitter's. Tiago will be joining a Spurs team already contending for an NBA Championship without him.  He is coming to play for a coach that does not like to rush young talent. Anyone remember George Hill as a rookie? And even his head coach doesn't expect him to have a large impact in scoring - a big problem considering he will be the one drawing up the plays.  Pop recently said in regard to Tiago's offense, "He's a really, solid player who's going to have a great NBA career, but he's not going to lead us in scoring." 

For a Rookie of the Year candidate that is game, set, match.

Fret not Spurs fans. As we have said here on Project Spurs many, many times Splitter's success should not be measured in such terms.  He is not the next Duncan. I am utterly convinced that Splitter will make an immediate impact with the Spurs, but only as an effective role player. Perhaps down the line he will take his place amongst the top players in the NBA, but for now, set your expectations to "stun."  He won't be our Rookie of the Year, but he may just help to carry this team to another NBA Championship.

Trey Gilder, we hardly knew ye.

Last week it was reported the San Antonio Spurs had brought Gilder in for a workout, which led most to deduce he'd be joining the team for their 2010-11 training camp.

Not so much.

In what is at the very least coincidental and in the very likely correlation, the Spurs and Bobby Simmons are now in the courting phase.

Popovich and the Spurs have made no secret of their less-than-certain status behind Richard Jefferson at the small forward position. They've made no claims that they in fact know exactly how they plan to address the need and complete their roster's puzzle.

They're keeping an open mind and given the dearth of free-agent options, they're probably open to suggestion.

So it should come as no surprise what was believed to be a week ago, isn't the reality of today. Simmons simply wasn't on their radar, or at least wasn't believed to be attainable.

He is now.

Simmons didn't seek out the Spurs the way Keith Bogans did a year ago. He made the rounds and was actually working out for the Mavs about the same time Gilder was working out for the Spurs. But like so many things in life it doesn't matter how you get there, only that you do.

Simmons is "there," with the Spurs, so what now?

One of the D-League's first significant success stories, the NBA's 2004-05 Most Improved Player and eventual $46.4 million-dollar-man, Simmons comes with plenty of question marks.

As Mark Deeks of ShamSports puts it:

Simmons's career transition from "can do anything except shoot" to "can do nothing but shoot" is complete.

While simplistic and a bit tongue-in-cheek, the best humor's usually weighted in truth.

Deeks (Sham) isn't all that off-base.

Simmons has always had an ideal build for a small forward. He's over 6-7 in shoes, he's got a 7-foot wingspan, he's by no means frail ... he's nothing if not a quality piece of clay.

After being traded twice, waived and being drafted by the Mobile Revelers two years after entering the league, Simmons molded himself into a quality midrange player. Free-throw line extended and off the elbows, chances are you'd see a quality shot and not too many turnovers, either.

While the shooting is still likely there and the ability to take care of the ball likely remains, that "can do anything except shoot" seems a distant memory. Between surgeries, age and the affect playing on bad teams has on one's fundamentals, edge and focus, one has to wonder just how effective a player he still is.

Offensively, at this point, he could actually do quite well playing off a trio like the Big 3. He's not a player that's looking to create on his own, get to the free-throw line or make plays for others, he's a finisher -- so long as it's not at or above the rim. Give him a skip-pass, hit him in transition, find him on a kickout for a midrange jumper, off a rotating defense or just an in-rhythm 3, Simmons is a capable player -- it's not out of the realm he could actually look a better fit offensively than Jefferson at times. It's simply skill-set.

Prior to this past year, Simmons averaged 47.5% from the 3-point line's left corner on 137 attempts. He also managed to shoot 44.6% from the right corner during the 2008-09 season, which could bode well for him and the Spurs. It's no secret the small forward sees plenty of opportunities from the corners -- the spacing is partially dependent upon those opportunities and it's one of the reasons Jefferson's abandoning of the 3-point line during last year's playoffs really compromised the Spurs half-court offense; closer in proximity, easier to defend.

Defensively, Simmons and Jefferson are of a similar mold at this stage. At his best, Simmons is more adept at disrupting passing lanes and moving his feet than Jefferson, but he's in no way leaps and bounds a better defender. They're both physically strong and capable against players of similar stature but their effectiveness tends to depend upon the opposition, not necessarily the other way around.

Seeing as last year can't be used as any true barometer or gauge by which to judge the player Simmons has become, not when he was viewed as nothing more than an expiring contract and apart from their current youth movement, one can only look to the most recent play in order to get the best read possible.

In the last two seasons prior to last year (2007-08, 2008-09) Simmons has averaged:

• Games:    70.5
• Minutes:  23.05
• Points:       7.7
• FG%:       43.5
• 3P%:        39.9
• PER:        11.15

Somewhat amazingly, Simmons has only surpassed what's deemed to be the average player's PER mark, 15, in one season (2004-05).

The Spurs can't solely depend on Manu Ginobili and George Hill to provide all of their postseason 3-point shooting and given their other potential options are a rookie (Jame Anderson) and two veterans making the jump from overseas (Gary Neal and Kirk Penney), it couldn't hurt to have another option at their disposal.

However, Popovich is impressed with Simmons albeit it is just the beginning of training camp.

"Bobby has been impressive because he came without a guarantee," Popovich said. "He wanted to show that he's better than what the conventional wisdom is out there."

The risk is minimal, the reward isn't all that high. But if the best of what's left of Simmons comes to fruition, he'd be a nice addition.

Just not the final piece to the puzzle.

• George Hill on the new San Antonio Spurs uniforms: "It looks pretty good, they say if you look good, you play good. A little tighter, little smaller, they're very light, hopefully I'll get to run a lot faster."

• Manu Ginobili on going from a starter to the bench, back to a starter...
"(The importance of starting) is not a Europe thing, it's more of an American thing. I just want to end the games and win."

Ginobili appears to be in great shape after not playing this offseason. He seems slimmer, has made his drills look very easy in training camp and got some oohs and aahs yesterday. In a drill where Spurs players were finishing with floaters and layups over an outstretched pole, Ginobili put an exclamation point on it with a dunk with some authority.

• While Trey Gilder was rumored to be on the training camp roster, he was not at media day or the first day of training camp. If he was going to be on the roster, it's likely that the addition of Bobby Simmons changed that.

Simmons will give Alonzo Gee and James Anderson some competition for the backup small forward battle. He looks like he's in good shape and has impressed Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

"Bobby has been impressive because he came without a guarantee," Popovich said. "He wanted to show that he's better than what the conventional wisdom is out there."

• Most of the players seem to think Richard Jefferson will shake off any first-year rust this season.

"When you come in that first year, you put pressure on yourself," said Antonio McDyess, who, like Jefferson, is coming into his second season with the Spurs. "You have some players here that have won four championships, so you kind of put pressure on yourself."

Today was the first day of training camp for the Spurs, and while several new players were trying to earn a roster spot, one veteran was beaming as if he had just been drafted.

"I'm definitely happy it's over, it was a good day," said Antonio McDyess, who is entering his second year with the Spurs. "I was very surprised at the talent we've picked up this summer, a lot of young guys that really can play and want to help this team."

While much of the preseason talk has centered around the Lakers and Heat as favorites this season, the 14-year NBA veteran says this year's Spurs squad may surprise some of the doubters.

"We've got something in store for a lot of teams, and we're going to be a big surprise to some people," McDyess said. "Coming off what we did last year was disappointing so we've got something to prove."

One of the players that may help the Spurs in surprising said doubters will be rookie big man Tiago Splitter, and McDyess had nothing but positive things to say about Splitter.

"He's really good, really strong, posts up strong, goes hard every play," McDyess said. "Hes a heck of a guy because he sits there and listens and catches on real quick. I was very surprised about how quick he catches on. It's a tough system to learn and he catches on really fast."

McDyess started the majority of games aside Tim Duncan in the post last season, but with the addition of Splitter, McDyess' role will be directly affected.

"I don't know what my role will be, but whatever it is I'm going to take it and I'm pretty sure it's going to be totally different than what it was last year," McDyess said. "A guy like him, he'll definitely have to be on the court so I'll take a backseat to him any day because he's a heck of a player."

The San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks are heated rivals. From Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban making remarks about the city of San Antonio, Spurs and Mavericks fans having heated exchanges during the course of the NBA season, to intense playoff matchups between the two teams, to say it's JUST a rivalry is an understatement.

However, if there is one player on the Mavericks who likes to toss fuel to the fire is Jason Terry. Well leave it to Terry to continue to add fuel.

During the 2010 NBA Summer League, Terry ran into Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich and had this to say when the two talked about the Spurs beating the Mavericks in the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs:

It was the Spurs, our rival,'' Terry said of the playoff loss. "And then I see Pop in Vegas. We talked a little and that was definitely part of the conversation, them beating us after we got the them (the previous year).''

"It's eating at me now,'' he said. "And until we get to the playoffs next spring and win a series and get to the conference finals and Finals, it's still going to eat at me.'' (source mavsblog.dallasnews.com)

This isn't the first time Terry expressed his dislike for the Spurs. He once referred to the Spurs as "dirty," said he takes it personally when he faces the Spurs and punched former Spur Michael Finley in the groin during the 2006 NBA playoffs.

I'm sure Spurs fans are enjoying hearing the loss to the Spurs in the playoffs is still bothering him and his comments will just further cement Spurs fans dislike for him.

When the San Antonio Spurs released their 2010 training camp roster, New Zealand's Kirk Penney was noticeably left off.

However, Project Spurs' Michael De Leon is at the Spurs' training camp today and reports the Spurs have added him to the roster.

As expected, Kirk Penney has been added to #spurs training camp roster.

With the San Antonio Spurs' training camp fully underway, the Spurs will now have a closer look at the players they've invited hoping to find some answers in addressing the teams' immediate needs.

One of the more glaring needs for the team right now is a backup small forward. Enter Alonzo Gee.

He might have the inside track at backing up starting small-forward Richard Jefferson and should the team decide on giving him a fully guaranteed contract, I believe Gee has the physical tools and talent to make it to the next-level.

On offense, Gee is very athletic and is good at attacking the basket. His long strides and explosive first step are his main offensive assets.

He knows how use his athleticism to his advantage, is quick in changing directions and has very good body control. He is also capable of finishing over defenders at the rim, is extremely aggressive and will not shy away from contact which will earn him trips to the free-throw line.

On the defense, Gee could potentially be an effective perimeter defender because of his size and athletic ability. He is already good at moving without the ball but he still needs to have a better lateral quickness and be more consistent on the defensive side of the floor.

His journey to the NBA was not easy. He went undrafted during the 2009 NBA Draft but he was signed and played in the NBDL with the Austin Toros. He averaged 21 points and 6.6 rebounds on 51% shooting from the field per game. Those numbers earned him the NBDL Rookie of the Year honors for the 2009-2010 season.

He also has some NBA experience when he played for the Washington Wizards last season and he didn't disappoint. In 11 games with the Wizards, he managed to produce 7.4 points and 3 rebounds in just 16.5 minutes per ball game and shot an impressive 77.8% (7-9) from beyond the arc. Although he needs to work on his free throw shooting. With the Wizards he averaged 62% from the charity stripe. Not terrible but can be better.

In those eleven games, he recorded a double-double when he scored 13 points and grabbed 10 boards against the Denver Nuggets on March 16 and scored a career high 19 points in his first NBA start against the Charlotte Bobcats. Bottom line is this guy can play.

And with the Spurs' thin rotation at the small forward position, he has a good chance of making it to the final roster. He has a lot of areas to improve on but that's what training camp is all about. 

Given the proper knowledge, focus and training he will become a better player when the season starts and that might get him the edge to become the backup small forward.

Nevertheless, he will definitely have some competition with veteran Bobby Simmons and another camp hopeful James Gist to get earn that spot.

The San Antonio Spurs have kicked off their 2010-2011 training camp and aside from the usual Spurs such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and the rest of the crew in camp, a few new faces will be trying their best to secure a roster spot.

There are so many things to watch for during this training camp. The slimmer-than-ever Duncan according to coach Pop (though Duncan said at media day he gained some weight), how a rested Parker and Ginobili will perform and the continuing progression of George Hill. But there are other notable aspects to watch for during the 2010 Spurs' training camp.

Here are four.

• Kirk Penney vs. Gary Neal

With the need for reliable shooting, the Spurs brought in a pair of sharp-shooters. They signed Gary Neal and added New Zealand's Kirk Penney to the training camp roster. Though Penney is not on the camp roster, he is in San Antonio and is expected to sign a training camp deal soon.

Penney displayed a fantastic performance at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for New Zealand. To sum it up -- he was New Zealand. He average 24.7 points while shooting 45.8% from the field and 36.7% from the three-point line. He also finished second in scoring at the World Championship and averaged more points than Team USA's Kevin Durant. Not to mention he scored 37 points against Lithuania.

Neal also displayed a great shooting performance at the 2010 NBA Summer League. He led the squad with 16 points per game and was 30 of 60 from the field and 17 of 34 from beyond the 3-point line in Las Vegas. Because of this, the Spurs signed him to a deal.

With both of these players fighting for a roster spot it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Penney showed his worth at a higher level of competition in Turkey but Neal is no stranger to playing internationally.

Both have a deadly outside shooting stroke and will address the need for shooters. Should be great to see these two players go head-to-head.

• The small-forward spot

Richard Jefferson is the only true small-forward on the Spurs' roster. This begs the question -- who backs him up?

On the training camp roster is rookie Anderson, Alonzo Gee, James Gist and Bobby Simmons. All could possibly back-up Jefferson at the small-forward position.

Some feel Anderson can play the small-forward position but his natural spot is the shooting-guard position. Though he might see some playing time at the position.

This leaves Gist, Gee and Simmons.

Gist has been in-and-out of Spurs' summer leagues and training camps since he was drafted in 2008 but continues to suffer injuries which derails any progress. Case in point this past NBA Summer League. After starting off hot for the Spurs, he suffered a wrist injury causing him to bow out early. He has the talent but can he stay healthy?

Gee might have the inside track. He had a stellar performance at the 2010 NBA Summer League not to mention he is young, athletic and shown he can play at the NBA level when he was signed by the Washington Wizards last season when he averaged 7.4 points, three rebounds and shot 47.5% from the field.

Simmons played in 23 games with the New Jersey Nets last season and averaged 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. For his career, he has averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds. The former 2005 NBA Most Improved Player suffered an ankle injury in 2006 which forced him to miss the entire 2006-2007 NBA season. Though he might be "old" for NBA standards, he might be a decent back-up for Jefferson.

• Rookie James Anderson

Anderson has been considered a steal for the Spurs when he was drafted at 20 in the 2010 NBA Draft. Everyone knows he is a scorer and showed it while at Oklahoma State.

For his career Anderson started in 99 of 101 games for Oklahoma State. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.11 steals while shooting 46% from the field, 37% from three-point range and 79% from the free-throw line.

However, he nursed a hamstring injury and did not participate with the Spurs at the 2010 NBA Summer League. This camp will be a measure of how he will perform against NBA level talent and to see if the hamstring is fully healed. His defense has been questioned but if any coach in the NBA who will instill the defense-first philosophy is coach Gregg Popovich.

ESPN's College Gameday analyst Rece Davis had this to say when I asked him about Anderson:

He's a mid-size, athletic guy, very strong and he has the physical ability to breakdown defenses at the pro level. He is also an explosive scorer.

CBS Sports' college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg had glowing comments about Anderson when I spoke with him about the Spurs' rookie:

A quality NBA prospect like Anderson with good size, terrific range, and I understand he is a hard working kid, a coach-able kid and for San Antonio to add a piece like that, that's a win-win.

I don't know many who come in ready to play defense at a high level in the NBA. This is something one can acquire and get better in. He will be fine. If he is willing to work and learn he will be fine.

Will Anderson live up to the "NBA Draft steal" hype will finally be answered during camp and in the preseason. This will definitely be something to watch for during training camp.

• Tiago Splitter

How spectacular is it going to be for Spurs fans to finally see Splitter in a Spurs' uniform after a three year wait. Not to mention teaming up with Duncan in the paint will also be something to put a smile on fans' faces.

But will he live up to the expectations of Spurs fans?

Fans and the rest of the NBA saw what he can do at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and he impressed. He displayed great foot-work, a nice jump-hook, a nice back-to-the-basket game and can run up the floor.

During the World Championship for Brazil he averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Though he can stand to increase his rebounding numbers.

However, the biggest thing to watch for is seeing how quickly he can mesh with Duncan in the post. It will be a change for him since he was the main-guy with Caja Laboral so how soon he will adapt to taking a lessor role will be interesting.

Also, it is going to be fun to watch him run the pick-and-roll with Parker and Hill.

Spurs guard Tony Parker's name has been mentioned in trade rumors all summer.  Even throughout draft week, many warned that he may be wearing another team's colors by the end of the week.

Parker went on the record today from Spurs media day to set the record straight.

"I just want to focus on this season," Parker said. "I can't control you or anybody else in the media, can't control what their going to say, inventing stuff that my wife said. I had a great conversation with Pop and I'm ready to go."

With his impending free agency, rumors have been swirling about Parker possibly joining the New York Knicks, but according to him, he has no intention on changing area codes this summer.

"I've said that plenty of times but nobody listens, they just want to create stories, it sells better," Parker said. "I just hope Spurs fans know I want to stay here."

While he is clear about wanting to stay, the nine-year NBA veteran didn't answer either way when asked about his choice of either signing an extension or testing the free agent waters next summer.

"We'll see, we'll see. For now I just want to focus on the team," Parker said. "If the Spurs want to do something, I'd be willing to listen obviously, but well see, it's a long way."

Parker will be answering similar questions all season long. Just a year ago, it was Spurs guard Manu Ginobili who was answering those questions before he signed his multi-year extension in April.

Ginobili's example will be one that Parker hopes to follow during his contract year, not to mention heeding his advice.

"Basically just focus on the team and what Pop's saying and the next play and the next game," Parker said on Monday. "I had plenty of conversations with Manu."

While there's been a media circus this offseason from the LeBron James decision to the latest Carmelo Anthony trade scenarios, you're not bound to see that from Parker.

"Pop and R.C., they know I'm not going to do anything crazy. We always have great conversations," Parker said. "I'm happy to be here, they know that, and I'm not going to create something crazy. I'm focused for this year. I'm very motivated, I worked hard this summer and I'm ready to go."

Last season, Parker missed 26 games due to injury. While most Spurs fans were ready to hand him the keys to the organization after a 2008-09 campaign in which he averaged 22 points and 6.9 assists per game, now there is talk on whether or not he is on his decline after a decrease in his numbers across the board.

So does Parker have something to prove, both to himself and the naysayers?

"Yea definitely a little bit to a certain extent. I missed twenty games, the most games I've missed in my ten years in the NBA," Parker said. "I played great in 2009. I want to go back to my level in 2009."

"You miss five games and they think you retire," Parker said. "It was the same thing with Manu. Everyone wanted to get rid of Manu last year and that's crazy, you can't get rid of Manu. Manu is one of the best players in the NBA."

Parker was recently on record saying this season was the Spurs' last chance at a winning a title with the big three, and today, he seemed optimistic about the Spurs' chances.

"I think we're more hungry and everyone's rested. We have a better bench," Parker said. "Tiago Splitter is ready to play. He won everything in Europe and he's coming here a little bit like Manu when he came with a lot of experience."

"I like our chances, we just have to stay healthy and see what happens."

It all starts tomorrow with the first day of training camp. Project Spurs will be there, so be sure to check back for posts throughout the day.

With the 2010 San Antonio Spurs' season closing in fast, Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich fielded a few questions at the Spurs' 2010 Media Day.

Project Spurs' very own Michael De Leon was in attendance and was able to get some quotes from Popovich.

For Pop it was business as usual but one thing is for sure, he immediately squashed any starting point guard controversy between Tony Parker and George Hill.

"Tony is the starter," said Pop when asked about the rotation between Parker and Hill during last seasons' playoff run.

And speaking of Parker, with everyone knowing he is in his final contract year with the Spurs, Pop was asked about how he would like to see Parker approach this season.

"I don't have to think about it. I know how he is going to approach it. He's going to approach it professionally. His number one interest will be to make our team as good as he possibly can. There's no other approach that I don't think he'd even think about."

As for the newest member of the Spurs, rookie James Anderson, Pop gave Spurs fans a sigh of relief on his health and his hamstring.

"Well he's ready to go. He is cleared for 5-on-5 play and full practice. He is not in very good shape as you might imagine since he has been in rehab mode all summer. But he is healthy and he'll slowly have to get in shape then we will see what we have."

But will Anderson immediately contribute to the team, not even Pop is certain.

"But right now I don't know where he fits or if he's going to be able to help us quickly, or if it's going to take a while or not at all."

Hopefully the "not at all" option is off the table for Anderson come time for the team's regular season opener against the Indiana Pacers.