The San Antonio Spurs will look to extend their winning streak to six games when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The Sixers (2-7) are coming off a 99-90 loss against the Dallas Mavericks while the Spurs (6-1) are on a five game winning streak and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 107-95 on their last outing.

The Spurs should have the advantage over the Sixers who will play their second night of a back-to-back in San Antonio.

Andre Iguodala was back in the starting lineup against the Mavericks after missing two games and scored 13 points. He will join Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday to lead the 76ers' offensive attack. Spurs' rookie James Anderson is expected to be out for two months because of a·stress fracture in his right fifth metatarsal.

KEYS TO THE GAME

SPURS:

Buy: Richard Jefferson

Jefferson was the much-ballyhooed acquisition of the 2009 offseason. A career 20 point per game scorer with high field-goal percentages, you figured you could not pass on him in the bottom end of your draft.

But after a $15 million dollar, 12 point per game season, you knew not to make the same mistake this season.

You probably consider yourself a fantasy guru, you've likely finished in the top three of your leagues the past 5 years, you watch Rick Kamla's fantasy show every year just to balk at some of his choices or draft strategy. You may have even stolen Kevin Durant in the middle of the first round of your draft, picked up Ramon Sessions a few years ago before he became a SportsCenter favorite. You pride yourself on being able to snag key players off waivers.

But there's also this, you're a San Antonio Spurs fan, and now you know exactly what I'm getting to.

As a Spurs fan, you know your beloved Tony Parker shouldn't be taken early because he doesn't have the assist numbers, you know that Tim Duncan may carry the load for your team one night and then he might not play the next night, especially if it's a back-to-back.

You are savvy enough to realize this, but when you see Duncan available in the second round or Parker available in the fourth, your Spurs homerism takes over and your draft strategy goes out the window. Raise your hand if you took Tiago Splitter late in the draft even though he was injured, but convinced yourself that he was a sleeper and was going to pay dividends.

So you know that Richard Jefferson was a bad bet even last year, because he was always the first or second option coming to a team where he'd play fourth fiddle. You knew that his scoring average would take a dip, but you saw his athleticism and you didn't mind sacrificing a few points because he'd likely have a high field-goal percentage.

So this year you stayed away and now some blogger is saying you should take a chance on him again.

But this year is different. Jefferson got back to basics this summer working with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and shooting coach Chip Engelland among others, and it's showing. He is more comfortable on the floor, he's averaged 18.6 points points and 3.7 revounds per game. But, Jefferson isn't looking like just a two-cat player this year. He's been effective beyond the arch, making 53 percent of his threes and shooting 58 percent from the field. His aggressiveness is getting him to the line.

I would probably be accurate in saying that Jefferson has been sitting on the waiver wire in your league all season, but if he continues to consistently put up big numbers, he won't be there for long.

Sure he may regress and have a few bad games, but here's the beauty of it, it's not much of a risk. You can waive one of your bottom of the roster guys, pick up Jefferson and just keep an eye on him. I would especially advise this if you are in a deep league.

The Spurs have been thankful they gave Jefferson a second chance, maybe you will be too.

Sell: DeJuan Blair

Like Jefferson, Blair worked hard all off-season, and that was apparent during the preseason. He played well enough to earn a spot in the starting lineup, but his struggles of late may earn him a spot back on the bench.

This season he's averaged 5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Pop may keep Blair at center a few more games, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him replaced with Antonio McDyess or Tiago Splitter within weeks. Blair's probably a better fit off the bench anyway.

If you picked Blair as a sleeper at the bottom of a deep league, it may be time to look elsewhere.

San Antonio Spurs' guard Tony Parker recently signed a contract extension with the Spurs to the tune of $50 million for four years.

So how is Parker going to spend his new fortune? How about purchasing a brand spanking new apartment in Switzerland overlooking Lake Geneva:

"Being at home feels like living in a James Bond movie," says Tony Parker, an NBA San Antonio Spurs basketball star. Last month, he bought one of the new apartments in the Du Parc Kempinski Private Residences development, at the top of Mont-Pèlerin overlooking Lake Geneva.

"With one touch you can manage everything: music, temperature, security and concierge services. You can even fill the bath remotely using your mobile phone. The 24-hour concierge takes care of cleaning, laundry, even restocking the wine cellar," he says. (source online.wsj.com)

How much are these apartments and what do you get with the price? Try this:

Price: About 31,000 Swiss francs (£20,000) per square meter
What you get: Givenchy spa, Davidoff Cigar Lounge, 16-seater cinema, 24-hour Quintessentially concierge membership and membership to the Mirador Country Club. Apartments managed by Kempinski hotel.

So if you have more than 31, 000 Swiss francs (31, 719.00 US dollars) or recently signed a $50 million pro-basketball contract, then this is the place for you.

The Spurs just announced that they have waived guard Garrett Temple.

Temple was signed last season after playing for the D-League's RGV Vipers. He averaged 6.2 points and 1.1 rebounds last season and looked very poised playing in the playoffs.

He was injured during summer league play, but appeared to be the favorite as the third point guard when Curtis Jerrells was traded to the New Orleans Hornets. Chris Quinn will likely be assuming those duties.

This season, Temple averaged two points, two rebounds and two assists in three games, but looked severely overmatched recently against Goran Dragic.

Temple, who seemed to be Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's "favorite player" this season, could easily find a home back in the D-League. The Toros would be a great fit, which makes me question why he wasn't just sent down to Austin.

With Temple gone, the Spurs roster now stands at 13 players, but it appears the Spurs will also be short another player.

According to the Spurs twitter account, rookie James Anderson will be out eight weeks with a stress fracture in his right fifth metatarsal.

Anderson is averaging seven points on .500 shooting beyond the arch in 17.5 minutes per game this season. His play this season made Bobby Simmons expendable, and now will leave the Spurs a little thin at backup small forward, which could mean some playing time for Alonzo Gee.

In an article by sports agent Arn Tellum, he discussed his dealings with the Memphis Grizzlies for his client Xavier Henry and the downside to performance-based bonuses and how it could set a bad precedent in the NBA.

Teams can offer salaries up to 120 percent of the player's slotted figure. "The process is relatively simple, and teams routinely offer the 20 percent maximum," reported The New York Times.

Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson was the first to agree to performance-based clauses in 2009. Another player to agree was Spurs' rookie James Anderson:

This year James Anderson, a shooting guard from Oklahoma State, was picked No. 20 by the San Antonio Spurs. He, too, accepted performance bonuses.

These concessions set a terrible precedent.

Basically it's the extra 20% teams tend to link to the performance-based bonuses. In essence teams can potentially save that percentage of money and in the end only offer 100% instead of the full 120%. Granted any sports agent will work hard to get the maximum contract amount for his client because they also have a vested interest in the full amount for their client which in turn lines their pockets.

When talking about the San Antonio Spurs' front office, to say they are business savvy is an under statement. During their dynasty period they were able to win four NBA championships while staying under the cap and were able to re-sign Richard Jefferson and restructure a contract to get under the salary cap this season. Not to mention signing Tiago Splitter, an MVP for the ACB Finals with Caja Laboral, at an incredible discount.

Now I have no idea what type(s) of performance-bonuses Anderson agreed to or how outrageous or reasonable they may be but if he doesn't accomplish the goals then the Spurs could pocket the 20%. Not to mention it could serve as motivation to get the best out of Anderson.

Whether you agree with performance-bonuses, Tellum, or not, leave it to the Spurs' front office to once again be financially savvy in every way possible. Sure a 20% savings may not be much but with the NBA hurting financially and the teams facing their own financial woes, this is just another way the Spurs remain smart in the business arena.

Look at the New York Knicks. That franchise has a recent history of being frivolous with their finances. Handing out large contracts to players (i.e. Eddy Curry) who do not live up to the generous offers, and are now coming out of financial disparity. The Spurs, on the other hand, continue to try to be fiscally responsible in this economic climate all the while remaining a competitive organization year-in and year-out in a small market like San Antonio.

However, with Anderson's NBA debut for the Spurs scoring 10 points in 26 minutes off the bench, and his recent play on both ends of the court, it seems he might reach whatever set performance goals and the Spurs will happily pay Anderson the full contract.

Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili scored 22 points a piece as the San Antonio Spurs (6-1) extend their winning streak to five with a 107-95 victory over the injury riddled Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers (1-8) played without leading scorer Eric Gordon, big man Chris Kaman and veteran point guard Baron Davis.

Now let's check the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

86.7 - The Spurs showed improvement from the foul line, they made 26-30 (86.7%) of their free throw shots, including 7-7 from Ginobili.

70 - The Clippers made their outside shots connecting of 7-10 (70%) from behind the arc. The Spurs weren't that bad either, making 11-18 (61.1%) of their 3-point shot attempts, including 4-7 from Jefferson.

41- The Spurs controlled the boards on this one, out rebounding the Clippers 41-34.

25 - The Clippers are 1-25 in San Antonio during the Duncan era.

23 - The Spurs used their running game and was successful with it, they outscored the Los Angeles Clippers 23-11 on fast break points.

22- Ginobili and Jefferson scored 22 points a piece the lead the Spurs in scoring. Tim Duncan skipped the morning shoot-around because of flu-like symptoms played just 22 minutes and had 6 points and 6 boards.

18- Rasual Butler led the Clippers with 18 points and five rebounds. Also 18 is the current winning streak of the Spurs over the Clippers.

11 - The Spurs protected the paint pretty well, they had 11 blocks compared to the Clippers' four. Duncan and Tiago Splitter had three blocks each.

8 - DeJuan Blair seem to get out of his shooting funk he scored 8 points on 4-9 shooting from the field and had 7 rebounds, one steal and one block in 28 minutes of action.

Rookie Watch: Splitter had 6 points, 4 rebounds and three blocks in just 16 minutes of action. James Anderson scored 7 points on 2-3 shooting from behind the arc. Gary Neal just played a little over a minute and had 1 point, one rebound and an assist. A bit surprising considering he played well in their previous game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

What's Next? The Spurs will face Elton Brand and the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Over the summer, DeJuan Blair dedicated time to improve his game and physical conditioning. He worked on his mid-range jump-shot and learned some back-to-the-basket moves. His offseason regimen seemed to pay some dividends, playing great basketball during the preseason games, to earn a starting spot in the San Antonio Spurs' lineup.

However, six games into the young season, Blair has struggled with his starting role.

He is averaging 4.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting just 27% from the field in 23 minutes of action. The glaring setback in Blair's game is field goal shooting and he seems to be a better fit off the bench.

In 82 game last season, Blair averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds on 55.6% field goal shooting in just 18.2 minutes per ball game. This means Blair was more effective coming from the bench last year compared to being a starter this season. But it's still early, for all we know, he might still be finding his way through the starting lineup, and could get out of his early shooting slump in the coming games.

Nonetheless, it's an interesting point of discussion. The Spurs could benefit more by making some lineup changes. For instance, Antonio McDyess has played well early and appears to be in prime condition despite being 35 years old. In six games this season, McDyess has averaged 7.2 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field in 24.5 minutes per game.

McDyess had a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds) against the Houston Rockets last Saturday and then followed it up with 7 points, 5 boards and four blocks performance against a hard-fighting Charlotte Bobcats team.

And then there's Tiago Splitter, the Brazilian big man who was the center of the Spurs' offseason revamp. Splitter is slowly catching up with the Spurs' scheme of things and despite missing the entire preseason due to injury, he has been effective so far in four regular season games for the Spurs with limited time on the floor.

In four games, Splitter is averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds on 54% field goal shooting in just 11.8 minutes per ball game. He is also aggressive in attacking the basket and is savvy around the rim scoring on put backs. Against the Bobcats, Splitter scored five points, grabbed four rebounds (three offensive) and had one steal in 11 minutes of action.

This only means the Spurs have a lot options on whom to use as their starting center including Tim Duncan.

But here's the thing, the Spurs are 5-1 and are currently on a four game winning streak with Blair as their starting center, so why fix something if it isn't broke right?

What do you guys think? Is it time to bring Blair back to the bench? If so, who should be starting?

According to Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla, George Felton, San Antonio Spurs Director of College Player Personnel, went on a scouting trip throughout Spain this summer, scouting some of the brightest young international players.

Reportedly one of his stops was in San Pablo to take a closer look at Tomas Satoransky, a 19-year-old shooting guard from the Czech Republic.

Satoransky is one of the more highly regarded 20 and under players in Europe and was sixth in scoring in the U20 tournament this summer, averaging 15.8 points to go along with six rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.6 steals.

According to eurohopes.com, Satoransky has some room to grow, but has a great skillset to grow on.

Satoransky is a skinny, athletic play-maker with excellent size at 6-6. He gets off the floor extremely well and can really finish around the rim, but is most notable for his excellent feel for the game, as he sees the floor incredibly well and is an absolutely spectacular dunker.  Tomas mixed in a strong first step with excellent footwork and some spin-moves, showing great fluidity and coordination to go along with his nice size. Although he didn’t always have the strength to finish his moves inside. He plays with a strong winning spirit, looking highly unselfish, yet still being very active, even if his perimeter shooting needs to improve.

Satoransky plays point guard in Europe, but he has the size to play shooting guard if he improves his perimeter game and bulks up a bit.

The Spurs have tapped into Europe to build their team for the last decade and it looks like they won't be stopping any time soon.

It may be a little too soon for Satoransky, but don't be too surprised if the Spurs turn heads by drafting another skinny 19-year old point guard from Europe.

X-factor.  Noun.  A hard-to-describe influence or quality.

Every championship team has one or more.  It's the player that seemingly comes out of nowhere and does the little things necessary to take a team's stars from good to great.  The x-factor is rarely a marquee name.

San Antonio Spurs fans will find it hard to forget the performance of Steve Kerr in the 2003 playoffs.  Without him, there may be one less banner hanging in the AT&T Center today.  The Los Angeles Lakers had Ron Artest. The Boston Celtics had Rajon Rondo.  The Chicago Bulls had too many to name. Players that probably aren't Hall of Fame bound; in fact, they may not even make an All-Star game.  But they play above expectations when it counts and take their team to a new level of competition.

Expectations.  Every player has them.  Some are high, some are low.  The stars meet or exceed them night in, night out, year in, year out - Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, George Hill - fans know what they are going to provide when they hit the hardwood.  But one need not look further than the LeBron James experience in Cleveland to know that they cannot do it alone.

So who is going to be the x-factor that takes the Spurs to the next level in 2010?

Richard Jefferson.

That's right, you heard me.  RJ - the man Spurs fans love to hate heading into this season- is poised to give the Spurs the edge they need to contend for another NBA championship.

It makes perfect sense if you think about it.  Jefferson's sub-par play last year disappointed everyone, there is no doubt.  But when he did play well, it almost certainly led to a Spurs victory. 

In 2009-2010 when RJ scored double digits, the Spurs were 38-16.  The Spurs were over twice as likely to win with Jefferson scoring in double digits as they were when he laid a proverbial egg.  This is no coincidence.  He fills a crucial gap in the Spurs offense that, when playing well, makes the Spurs very tough to beat.

He's proving the hypothesis already this season.  Jefferson is on a tear.  He is averaging 18 points per game shooting 60% from the field and over 50% from the three-point line.  He hasn't become a bigger part of the offensive game plan - he averaged 9 shots per game last year to his 10 shots per game so far this season - he is simply playing better.

And it can hardly be argued that this was expected by anyone following the Spurs.  The talk of the off-season was who could the Spurs pick up to fill his role in the offense;  how would Tiago Splitter perform; could James Anderson mature fast enough to help the Spurs immediately?  With all of the attention off of him, Jefferson managed to find his game in the off-season and it has shown.

Keep watching.  He will prove me right.  You'll see.