The San Antonio Spurs unveiled their new slogan for the upcoming NBA season called "Suit Up."

“’Suit Up’ is a campaign that calls for all of San Antonio; the fans, sponsors, local businesses and our community, to be part of the team, the game and the passion of Spurs basketball,” said Spurs Sports & Entertainment Vice President of Marketing and Sales Frank Miceli. “Together we make a team, and we look forward to another great season of support from the most loyal and energetic fans in the NBA.”(source Spurs.com)

Though not as catchy as the "Go Spurs Go" chant, it works.

What are your thoughts Spurs fans?

According to the San Antonio Express-News, former Spurs' play-by-play announcer, Jay Howard, is battling cancer in both of his kidneys, called  renal cell carcinoma.

Surgery on Aug. 3 removed roughly half of one kidney. Another surgery set for Sept. 8 likely will cost him half of the other.

But Howard, the voice of the Spurs from 1989-2001, said doctors have told him his prognosis is excellent. The cancer has been found to be contained in both kidneys and hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes.

“They don’t know why I had two tumors growing at the same time,” said Howard, who has been with Planto Roe since 2005. “But they said that this kind of cancer could have been growing for five years.”

Howard, a fan favorite for his days with the Spurs and Ticket 760, will be in our thoughts and prayers as he prepares for his surgery next month.

With a few months until the San Antonio Spurs' season opener, we are in basketball purgatory. The days just keep getting hotter while basketball seems to be getting farther. Thankfully the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey will give us a sigh of relief, but that's the World Championship, not the NBA.

So as I sit in my front yard, spraying myself with the water hose and thinking of basketball seasons past, here's a list of ten things Spurs fans should be on the look out for during the 2010-2011 season.

1.The arrival of Tiago Splitter

After years of wishing and wanting, the wait for Tiago Splitter is over. Splitter will finally be in a silver and black uniform when the regular season tips off against the Indiana Pacers on October 27th but will Splitter be the "Robin" to Tim Duncan's "Batman"? The peanut butter to his jelly? The Laverne to his Shirley? Splitter has everything he needs to be successful in San Antonio. He already has great foot work and a wonderful knowledge of the game having played professional basketball since he was 15. Playing alongside Duncan and for an organization that believes in him and what he's capable of, will only add confidence to his well developed game.

However, Spurs fans were concerned with the reigning Spanish League MVP. As reported here on Project Spurs, Splitter suffered a muscle contusion in his left thigh while playing overseas for Brazil but after an MRI the injury was minor. Splitter has said he will play in the World Championship in Turkey. Spurs fans know all to well the complications that arise from injuries to Spurs players playing during the summer. Hopefully playing in the World Championship against Team USA will give him a little taste of the NBA.

Oh and if you have not seen the Project Spurs exclusive interview with Splitter, click HERE.

2. Will the real Richard Jefferson please stand up?

Disappointing is not the word most Spurs fans thought they were going to use when asked about the play of Richard Jefferson during the 2009-2010 season, but it is. Jefferson's last season is as disappointing as this years film by M. Night Shyamalan "The Last Air-Bender." The graphics look amazing and the plot seems intriguing but the casting is terrible and the movie is just a huge let down. But there is always the possibility that the sequel will be better then the first movie.

And that's what we Spurs fans are hoping for. That the Jefferson sequel will be more productive and entertaining then last seasons show. There is no reason for it not to be. Jefferson is still in the prime of his career and is a highly explosive player. With one year under his belt he should feel a little more comfortable in the system and hopefully he'll be willing to take some of the five million open jump shots that he passed up last year.

3. DeJuan Blair: more minutes, no knees, no problem

The steal of the 2009 NBA draft, look for Blair to get more minutes this season. Last season Blair averaged 18 minutes per contest while pulling down 6.4 rebounds a game. If coach Popovich plays Blair around 24-26 minutes a game, look for not only Blair's rebounds to increase but also his 7.8 points a game to go up as well. After making the NBA All-Rookie second team and earning Co-MVP of the Rookie Challenge, it seems like the sky is the limit for this young beast. He shown a really strong commitment to the Spurs for taking a chance on him despite his lack of ACLs in his knees. ACLs or no ACLs Blair will continue to play hard and earn those extra minutes.

4. The knee of Tim Duncan

If you're like me then last year was painful for you to watch Timmy play in that huge knee brace. It is a sign of the times. Duncan is no longer the physically demanding post player he once was. His baby hook shot that was at one time unguardable was shot block candy for players like Dwight Howard and Brendan Haywood. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes per game, all career lows.

Despite playing all season with a lingering knee problem, Duncan played in 78 games and 18 points 10 rebounds a game ain't to shabby for guy who is 33 and has played in 1,147 games. Any NBA general manager would love to have Duncan's 18 and 10 a game on their team but Duncan brings more than stats to the Spurs. He brings leadership and confidence. He knows what it takes to win and even though he's getting up there in age, he can still show some of the younger players how it's done in the low post not with his body, but with his mind. Look for another stellar season from Duncan along with another All-Star appearance and, hopefully, a fifth title.

5. Bienvenido a Miami!

The Pat Riley production of the South Beach Circus comes to the AT&T center on March 4th. It'll be the first meeting between the two teams of the regular season and the game, like every other Miami game, will be aired live on ESPN. A possible finals match-up, this meeting helps the Spurs see where they stand towards the end of the season and how they match-up against the elite teams of the NBA. I know, March is almost a whole year away, but this gives you time to save up and buy tickets. This game will sell out, if it hasn't already, so start saving now and I'll meet you at the AT&T Center on March 4th.

6. James Anderson looks to make a splash

You might not know anything about Anderson but by the end of the season you will. Anderson was selected by the Spurs with the twentieth overall pick in this years draft and he bring the Spurs an aggressive scorer and perimeter defender known for clogging the passing lanes and coming up with big steals. The 2009 Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 22.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a game for the Oklahoma State Cowboys last season. Anderson looks to be another young player that can make a difference on this roster for years to come. In 2008 it was George Hill. In 2009, DeJuan Blair. This season it will be James Anderson. If given enough minutes, look for him to make one of the All-Rookie teams.

7. New contract Manu

With 16.5 points and nearly 5 assist a game last season, Manu Ginobili had one of his best seasons ever for the Spurs and he was rewarded with a three-year $38.9 million dollar contract. But now that Manu is locked up, will he continue to be as aggressive as he was last season? We all know Ginobili is one of the games most aggressive competitors, but will this new contract make his game complacent? Is his ankle finally healed? There are lots of questions when it comes to Ginobili but one thing is for sure, the Spurs need him to win a championship.

8. Spurs take on the Lake Show

The Spurs play Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers on December 28th in the Staples Center. This will be the first meeting between the two Western Conference powers. This is our first opportunity to see Splitter take on the biggest team in the west. This is also a great chance to take a look at George Hill and how he has developed as a defender. Hill will spend a majority of his time guarding Bryant, but Hill is a committed defender and should be able to complicate things for Kobe, if anyone can complicate things for Kobe. This leads us to our next thing to look for...

9. The rise of George Hill

Do you love Hill? Because you should. He's the future of the Spurs franchise and it seems like he is the only one who can really hold himself back from how great he can actually be. Hill had a superb second year coming in second place for the Most Improved Player award. With a mid-season injury to point guard Tony Parker, Hill stepped up and was a natural born leader. The real question is this season is he going to start? A Parker-Hill back court is a dream back court. They are two of the fastest guards in the League and could create match-up nightmares with both of them on the floor. But what about Ginobili? Will coach Gregg Popovich continue to have Ginobili come off the bench or will he start him and bring in Hill off the Bench? All these questions lead us to our final and perhaps the most important thing to watch for...

10. New York, New York?

If you are a Spurs fan, then it's no secret the New York Knicks and Tony Parker have been linked to each other with many trade rumors and unfortunately for Spurs fans, he might be in love with them. Recently reported here on Project Spurs, Parker's wife Eva Longoria-Parker simply said "yes" when asked if her husband would like to play in New York. With Parker coming off an injured filled season and still in the prime of his career, should the Spurs try and trade the former Finals MVP before he leaves via free agency? If he's traded, will Hill be ready to take over as point guard? How will all these trade rumors affect the play of Parker?

This is a very complex and tricky situation for everyone in the organization but Parker and coach Popovich have a great relationship. If there's any two that can work through this, it's these two. Let's also not forget, this is Parker's final contract year so be watching for contract extension talks, if any.

So there you have it. Ten things to look out for this season. While there are a variety of other story lines, these were some of the things I'll be watching this season. Please feel free to leave a comment on what you will be looking for this season.

Hopefully next season we'll be looking for "Defense of the Spurs fifth title" as something to watch for in the 2011-2012 season.

With the 2010 FIBA World Championship fast approaching, the Canadian national team was trying to get San Antonio Spurs' forward Matt Bonner to join the team. He tried to rush the paper work to become a Canadian citizen but was denied.

Matt Bonner will not be granted quick citizenship to play for Canada at the world basketball championship.

Bonner's request for a speeded-up approval process was rejected for a second time this week by the ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Wayne Parrish, chief executive officer of Canada Basketball, accepts that Bonner's Canadian debut will have to wait until after the world championship, set to start in Turkey Aug. 28. (source theglobeandmail.com)

That huge sigh of relief is from Spurs nation.

As the NBA offseason continues, so do rumors of San Antonio Spurs' guard Tony Parker being traded to the New York Knicks and once again, another rumor has raised its ugly head courtesy of Eva Longoria-Parker.  No matter what Parker says publicly, like a Justin Timberlake song, the rumors just won't go away.

For a New York Knicks fan perspective, I recently sat down with fellow Bloguin NBA blogger LIVES from Knicks Fanatics Blog to discuss the possibility of Parker as a member of the Knicks.  Here is what he had to say.

Jason: What is the local New York media reporting on the Parker trade rumors?

LIVES: Of course the response is mixed depending on who and what you read.  Some fans seem excited about a possible trade because we would see more of Eva Longoria-Parker in celebrity row.

Seriously, Tony Parker is a very good player even at age of 28 but he is not very high on any New Yorker's priority list which right now includes 1) Carmelo Anthony, 2) the development of the Knicks' youngsters, 3) giving Raymond Felton a chance to boom or bust, 4) Chris Paul, 5) building an invisible electric fence around MSG synchronized to Isiah Thomas' body 5) Carmelo Anthony (yes, again) and then somewhere down the line, Tony Parker.  After being burned by LeDecision, Knicks fans are only willing to invest emotionally in huge developments as far as it concerns other team's players.  They know that fulfillment of those emotional hopes will cost big in terms of losing a little of our youth, perhaps Danilo Gallinari and/or Wilson Chandler, but they want to be competitive with other teams like the Heat for years to come.  Tony Parker with a salary of $13.5 Million at the age of 28 is actually too high for our blood for someone who New Yorkers don't see as a big time game changer like Chris Paul who is seen as a physically stronger and more dynamic 25 year-old.

What is your sense of how seriously we should take these rumors?

If this drama was an opera, I would characterize it somewhere between soap and falsetto.

In other words, I have no idea, but without a third team involved the Knicks could not possibly trade for Carmelo Anthony and Tony Parker at the same time. The way I read the rumor in the New York Post where it seems to have gained its momentum is that someone overheard Eva talking about her husband wanting to come to New York.  I don't recall the last time a desperate housewife's whispering desire dictated whether a team would be forced to make a trade.

How are Knicks fans reacting to the possibility of Parker coming to New York?

Mixed, but not really that excited. Right now on KnicksFanaticsblog.com, no one is really talking about it.  If Isiah Thomas had a hand in getting him to New York, it would be a big discussion, probably not in TP's favor.

How do you think the addition of Parker will affect the Knicks' chances of competing for the top spot in the East?

Tony Parker is a quality guard with a championship pedigree.  He knows how to play the game and he plays hard.  He is a known commodity but it really depends on the system, who the Knicks have around him and how much D'Antoni is willing to rely on him.  If Raymond Felton is not going anywhere, which he isn't at this point, then there is the possibility for a fractured lockerroom.  If the Knicks have Parker, Anthony and Stoudemire that is a formidable threesome with the possibility of some outstanding ball from Anthony Randolph, Rony Turiaf and Kelenna Azuibuke.  I'm assuming such great fortune would cost us Gallinari and/or Chandler.  Such a roster would certainly have MSG rocking and the fans excited.  However, Parker and Studdy (Stoudamire) won't get the fans that much more excited and hopeful than Felton and Studdy. After the LeBron  fiasco, fans are willing to look at the long view which extends our ability to contend beyond Parker's projected shelf life.

Assuming the trade rumors are true, how do you personally feel about adding Parker to the roster? Is he the best option for the Knicks or do you think they should pursue other options?

There are always a lot of options out there, but they mean little without a plan to construct the team.  So far it seems that the Knicks are stumbling into their design as opposed to pre-planning and preparing for it other than creating cap space.  So much of what we can do depends on the willingness of someone to take on Curry's contract.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, we have been unable to place any intrinsic value on Curry himself by playing him, but anyone who wants to compete in the free agency market or wants more cap space to build their team over time will eventually take Curry off our hands, but who will take it and give us quality in return.

The other problem we have is that other teams are very competitive in the free agency market and have been very savvy in creating cap space even up to the free agency deadline. For months, New York writers were bragging about how much more cap space the Knicks had than everyone else and at the last moment teams like Chicago and Miami were becoming bigger players, plus they already had a foundation to attract good players.  If Stoudemire stays healthy and Anthony Randolph develops they improve our chances of attracting top talent that chooses to come to New York when they are able to make the choice.  Right now those who claim they want to come to New York don't have the choice.  Right now the power is in the hand of the team owners in Denver, San Antonio and New Orleans and they have the choice to deal with those who have something more to bring to the table.  Curry's contract, a couple of young players and a distant draft pick may not be enough for the big moves we want to make.

Tony Parker is a good option but not the best and not essential.  I would rather wait until he hits free agency and see who is out there and whether we can get his numbers in terms of years of service or money down.  $13.5 million plus per year for five years?  I don't think so.

Thanks to LIVES for taking time out to join this Q&A. For everything Knicks, checkout his site Knicks Fanatics Blog!

Spurs rookie James Anderson was in New York to take part in the annual rookie photo shoot. Following are a few of his photos.

Go to Spurs.com for the rest of the photos.

The video coordinator is the life-line to the coaching staff when it comes to breaking down an opposing team's plays on offense and defense. Not only that, it is not uncommon to see NBA video coordinators work their way up to higher positions among the team such as an assistant coach or even a head coach in the NBA.

In an article from NBA.com on the life of the Phoenix Suns' video coordinator, there was this interesting tidbit about how the Suns were preparing for the San Antonio Spurs after the Spurs eliminated the Dallas Mavericks from the 2010 NBA playoffs: 

“When San Antonio was up 3-1 (against the Mavs in the playoffs), we started preparing more for the Spurs. By the time they clinched, 75 percent of our work was done.”

For example, when preparing for San Antonio during the playoffs, Valcarcel was able to determine that the Spurs ran post-ups about 80 possessions within nine games. In addition, they were looking to get Tim Duncan the ball in early post-ups at least 10 times within a game.

In the end, all this homework paid off for the Suns as they swept the Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals finally defeating their nemesis in the playoffs.

Now if they can only win a title like the Spurs have done four times.

Michael and Jeff bring on Red's Army's John Karalis to talk about their Team USA coverage in New York that started late last week and had them working full days all this past weekend.

We start the show off by discussing the team and their strengths and weaknesses and how they will adapt to the trapezoid lane and hand-checking rules. Each of also us gives our projected starting lineups.

After the analysis, Jeff and John go into detail on the backstories of their days covering Team USA, how they got the Tiago Splitter interview and why Jeff is now Ian Mahinmi's best friend.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download

Intro Music: Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against The Machine.

The San Antonio Spurs have done a decent job over the summer retooling the roster. This team is definitely better than a year ago with the addition of Tiago Splitter, James Anderson and Gary Neal. Nonetheless, improvements to the the current lineup can still be done. In particular at the small forward position and they can use another big man for insurance.

With regards to their financial situation, the Spurs have little room to maneuver. They only have the bi-annual exception worth $2 million and around $1.7-1.8 million left over from the mid-level exception that they can offer to available free agents.

Here is a list of free agents the Spurs could target despite their limited funds to help improve their roster for the upcoming season.

Jarvis Hayes - 6'8" Small Forward, 7 year pro

Why should the Spurs sign him? He has good size for a small forward, handles the ball pretty well and can drive to the basket. This guy is active on defense and can still score, last season he averaged 7.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 45 games for the New Jersey Nets.

Why should he join the Spurs? Throughout his career, he hasn't have the chance to play for winning team, the Spurs present that option. Playing a supporting role on a winning team that can possibly compete for the NBA title could get him going.

Rodney Carney - 6'7" Forward, 4 year pro

Why should the Spurs sign him? He will add youth, athleticism and depth for the Spurs at the Small Forward position and his freakish wingspan (6'10") is a nice asset. With those gifts, he could be a good perimeter defender for the Spurs.

Why should he join the Spurs? It's a shame that with Carney's athletic gifts and talent, his game has yet to translate into an NBA level. However, the Spurs are in need of a perimeter defender and Carney could be that guy. With a defined role, a great coach and an effective system; he could finally find his niche in the league.

Bobby Simmons - 6'6" Guard-Forward, 8 year pro

Why should the Spurs sign him? Despite being a little old for NBA standards at 30, he is one of the better available free agent wing in the market. He is a 40% career 3-point shooter, can score and defend well. His selfless approach and attitude towards the game has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.

Louis Amundson - 6'9" Forward, 4 year pro

Why should the Spurs sign him? He was a key player off the bench for the Phoenix Suns last season. He will bring energy, toughness and rebounding to the team and is quite effective on the inside shooting 53.9% from the field for his career. His similar style of play with DeJuan Blair might make the Spurs think twice but another big man on the team wouldn't hurt.

Why should he join the Spurs? Should the Suns decide to let him go, what do you think is the best thing to do? Joining a rival team in the Western Conference where you have to most chance to play against you're former team is a good option. The Spurs fits into that category.

Fabricio Oberto - 6'10" Center, 5 year pro

Why should the Spurs sign him? He played great along side Tim Duncan during his time in San Antonio and is good at setting up picks and screens. He knows the Spurs' system quite well and was an effective player during his time with the Spurs, helping the the team win a championship in 2007.

Why should he join the Spurs? Another chance to play alongside one of the greatest big man of all time (Tim Duncan) should be enough reason. Add the fact that he could again team up with his fellow Argentinean countryman Manu Ginobili and this deal looked sealed and delivered.

There you have it Spurs fans. Which player(s) do you think the Spurs should add to make them better? Did we miss a free agent that could possibly help the Spurs? Send us your thoughts.

As you all know, Project Spurs had the privilege of covering Team USA at the World Basketball Festival in New York City this past weekend with most of the action taking place at Rucker Park in Harlem.

It was a fantastic time. Project Spurs was able to get exclusive interviews with Tiago Splitter and Nando de Colo for San Antonio Spurs fans and I interviewed many more basketball players such as former Spurs player Ian Mahinmi and Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose.

Helping me out in covering the event was John Karalis from Reds Army.  He made this video montage of the events at Rucker Park to share with our loyal fans the sights and sounds of this past weekend. Huge thanks to him for making the trip to New York City to help me out with the events at Rucker Park.

Special thanks goes out to the NBA, USA Basketball and Nike for allowing Project Spurs to cover this huge event.

Enjoy!

RedsArmy.com: The weekend at Rucker Park from John Karalis on Vimeo.