• Buford on new additions, offseason goals

Spurs.com recently interviewed Spurs' General Manager R.C. Buford to discuss the outlook for the 2010-11 season.

Spurs.com – What were the goals and needs of the team leading into this past summer? 
RC – We wanted to do what we could to keep together a group that had a lot of transition last year and to have a great deal of internal improvement. We wanted to add a big next to Tim Duncan, a wing defender and improve our shooting.

Spurs.com – Did all of that really start with extending Manu’s contract last season?
RC – Yes. That jump started the process.

Spurs.com – You added a big in Tiago Splitter during the offseason. What are the expectations?
RC – It’s exciting to bring Tiago into our program. I think we have to be fair to him though and allow him the time to transition into a pretty sophisticated environment. He’s played a lot of places, but this will be new to him from both the standpoints of our system and the NBA as a whole. 

Spurs.com – What does 2010 first round draft pick James Anderson bring to the table and how is his health?
RC – From a wing perspective, he has good size for his position. He had a prolific college career and as a scorer he meets one of our needs. He’s been rehabilitating his hamstring almost the entire summer with the intention of being ready for training camp, so we really haven’t seen a lot of him in our summer development program.

For more, including Buford's thoughts on Gary Neal, Alonzo Gee, Curtis Jerrells, Garrett Temple and Danny Ferry's role with the team, go to Spurs.com for the full interview.

• Duncan among most likable sports personalities

In an article in the Charlotte Observer, some of the most likable and unlikable athletes were listed, according to their
"Q" Score.

Q scores essentially measure "likeability" according to the American public through extensive data surveys and research. There were 1,800 men and women of various racial backgrounds, broken down into percentages consistent with the latest census, who ranked 198 sports personalities from most liked to least liked earlier this year.

The list of likeables had just two African Americans, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan.

Not surprisingly, Lebron James and Ben Roethlisberger were among the least likable.

• Spurs work out Gilder

Today, the Spurs worked out 6-9 forward Trey Gilder.

Gilder split time between the Albuquerque Thunderbirds and the Maine Red Claws in the D-League last season and also spent some time with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He averaged one point per game with the Grizzlies and 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Thunderbirds and Red Claws.

Gilder appears to be a player in the mold of Hakim Warrick, a big that needs to add some bulk, weighing in at 205 lbs.

The Spurs likely brought Gilder in to see if he was worthy of an invite to training camp, which starts next week.

For more on Gilder, check out a profile Jon of Ridiculous Upside wrote on him while he was still a rookie with the 14ers.

• Tissot signs Tony Parker to ambassador team

Swiss watchmaker Tissot signed Spurs guard Tony Parker as a Global Ambassador today.

Tissot is the official timekeeper for FIBA and gave the FIBA World Championship MVPs watch awards.

French professional basketball player Tony Parker is joining the high profile Tissot ambassador team. This appointment adds a further highlight to the brand's passion for the fast-paced, precision-dependent sport.

Parker joins Danica Patrick and several other professional athletes on the ambassador team.

With the season fast approaching and NBA fantasy drafts coming even sooner, I talked to fantasy analyst Erik Ong of Give Me The Rock about where fantasy owners, and specifically Spurs fans, should look at drafting Spurs players.

While it is easy as a Spurs fan to make impulse decisions, like drafting Tim Duncan with the first overall pick or Tiago Splitter midway through the draft, Ong says it's best to be patient. picking up key pieces early on before you draft your fan favorite.

While Duncan may have gone in the first round years ago and even a lottery pick before then, you should be able to draft him in the third round after you've gone after some multi-category all-stars.

"Tim Duncan is in decline but it is shorter or smaller in increments in comparison to the other big men. Tim Duncan is quite good in the first half of the season, but his numbers go down in the second half of the season because Pop rests him more," Ong said. "He actually played two less minutes per game in 2009-2010. That being said, we've only downgraded him slightly, we have slotted him in temporarily at 30th overall, which is still pretty decent with all these young guns popping up."

"As far as the four spot, it's quite tight in the second round, so he's going to slide down a bit.  As far as consistency and reliability, I'd still say Tim Duncan is still your money bet, followed by Manu. "

Some Spurs fans may be surprised not to see Tony Parker over Tim Duncan and Manu in fantasy drafts since he did have a full offseason of rest after a season where he struggled with injuries and saw his numbers come down drastically. But while many will say Parker is on the decline, Ong isn't one of them.

"We've got Tony Parker listed as our bounce back candidates. We fully expect Tony to give us those 20 points and 50 percent field goal shooting this year," Ong said.

That's good news for Spurs fans who saw him average 16 points in only 56 games last season. But what about George Hill and his emergence. Ong advises not to sleep on Hill as he may provide some solid fantasy points as a late draft sleeper.

"I like George Hill, I see him as a potential late round flyer," Ong said. "George will be a key factor in providing a solid rotation for your guards."

Speaking of guards, James Anderson is expected to make an impact in his rookie season, but will that translate to fantasy and should over-eager fans look at drafting him late?

"Not in a 12 man league, but maybe in a league with more depth," Ong says. "I expect Manu to take a lot of the minutes at the two, and from the depth charts I've been studying, Manu is slated as the started shooting guard. I think (small forward) is a better position for him."

Another player we are all ready to see in the silver and black is Tiago Splitter, but with Pop's rookie treatment, will Splitter get enough playing time to shine for your team.

"Up top, I'm very happy for your team now that you got some young blood to transition from your solid, ever dependable Tim Duncan." Ong said. "I'm very excited for Tiago Splitter and of course DeJuan Blair is awesome, he showed some flashes of brilliance."

"From what I've seen so far, Blair looks pretty good and he's insanely athletic so he's got some promise over there. Fantasy wise, he's going to get challenged by the NBA-readiness of Tiago Splitter," Ong said. His fantasy and real progress is going to be hampered by Tiago's instant impact."

For more Spurs fantasy analysis, make sure to listen to the audio interview as it has even more fantasy information, including draft advice on Richard Jefferson.

And if this doesn't make you ready for your draft, go check out the 2010 Draft Guide and the player rankings at Give Me The Rock.

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According to basketusa.com, San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker said he will join the French national team for Euro 2011:

"If I'm not hurt, I'll be there (at Euro 2011). I have already warned the Spurs. We spoke with Ronny (Turiaf) and Joakim (Noah). We'll all be there to try to go to the London Olympics."

Interesting to note Parker warned the Spurs about his intent to play for France. With this being his last contract season with the Spurs, does this mean he has intentions of remaining with the team?

The San Antonio Spurs have been relatively quiet on the player movement front after the signing of Gary Neal. Should the team decide to bring their current roster to camp, they will have 14 players under contract, three of them (Curtis Jerrells, Alonzo Gee and Garrett Temple) not fully guaranteed.

As I have mentioned in the past the Spurs still need to add another player to provide more depth at the small forward position and maybe another big man to round out their front line rotation.

Enter free agent Erick Dampier.

Dampier recently became a free agent when the Charlotte Bobcats decided to waive the final year of his contract to get under the luxury tax. However, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski he is already finalizing a lists of teams he'll meet in the future. On top of the lists are the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks.

Should the Spurs join the bidding war to get Dampier's services?

There are reasons why many teams have expressed their interest in him. Even at age 35, he is an imposing presence inside the paint, could help on the defensive end of the floor, and be an enforcer type of player for any NBA team.

Last year, Dampier averaged 6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 55 games for the Dallas Mavericks. Getting him will bolster the Spurs' lineup as he will add more size, length, toughness and experience on the teams' front court.

But the real question is, will there be any mutual interest between him and the Spurs and is the 1.7-1.8 million leftover from the MLE or the two million bi-annual exception enough to entice him to sign with San Antonio. Also the Spurs have Antonio McDyess, Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan to man the middle and the question then becomes will there be any minutes to spread around? 

What do you think? Should the Spurs target Dampier or are there any other available free agents the Spurs should consider?

New Orleans Hornets head coach Monty Williams had some great things to say about San Antonio Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich:

"Pop taught me how to look at the game," Williams said. "He taught me to always keep learning, to look at other coaches, talk to guys overseas, to always be open to ideas. But more than anything, he's about defense.

"Nate (McMillan) and Pop are a lot alike in that they don't mess with the game. They both have great respect for how the game should be played and they don't go for fluff. They both like to keep things simple." (source nba.com)

Williams isn't the only person in the NBA to give thanks to Popovich. From Sam Presti with the Oklahoma City Thunder, to new Hornets' GM Dell Demps, many got their start with the Spurs. 

According to examiner.com, the San Antonio Spurs worked out former Atlanta Hawk Mario West:

Most recently, he was released from the Hawks and has worked out for the San Antonio Spurs already.

West is a 6'5", 210 lbs. guard from Georgia Tech.

The former 2007 college slam dunk champion played in 39 games for the Hawks last season and shot 57% from the field, 60% from the free-throw line and averaged 0.8 points.

He had a season and career high in points with 10 against the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. He also spent time in the NBDL with the Maine Red Claws.

He is now to workout for the Boston Celtics.

With all eyes on San Antonio Spurs' rookie center Tiago Splitter, he comes into the NBA with some expectations. Especially from Spurs fans who have been yearning for a legitimate center to play along with Tim Duncan.

However, do not expect Splitter to be the team's leading scorer according to Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich:

He'll have a great NBA career, but it will (not) be our leading scorer or something. Go grab rebounds, defend, running the court, make good decisions and do well with the community.  It will not be our ball security - said the coach.

Tiago is a very solid player. It is a professional, ready, and Manu Ginobili was when it came to the NBA. He has been through a lot, played against great players in adverse situations. Of course it will have to adjust to some different rules. The game in Europe is much more physical than here - the coach explained.

Splitter will get his numbers and will most likely average a low double-double or close to it. Also, with players such as Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, there would not be enough touches for Splitter to put up consistent high-scoring nights.

The San Antonio Spurs will kick off training camp soon and Tim Duncan will head into training camp slimmer than ever according to Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday that Duncan returned this summer in even better shape than a year ago, when the perennial All-Star reported to training camp 15 pounds lighter. (source victoriaadvocate.com)

This is fantastic news for Spurs fans. Duncan is getting older and entering the twilight of his NBA career.

Last season, the sight of him wearing the knee braces probably made Spurs fans cringe. However with this slimmer-than-ever version of Duncan will only do wonders for his aching knees and help keep him healthy all season long.

CBS Sports broadcaster and new Indiana Pacers' Vice President of Basketball Relations Clark Kellogg was in New York City to help announce the new Capital One Cup.

The Capital One Cup is a new premier award for excellence in on-field performance in Division I college sports. It awards one men’s and one women’s NCAA® Division I athletics program for their cumulative on-field performance across multiple sports during the fall, winter and spring athletics seasons.

Once the seasons are done, $200, 000 will be awarded to the winning program (men's and women's sports) for graduate level scholarships. The winners will be announced during the annual ESPY awards.

After the press conference I had a chance to speak with Kellogg who is an Advisory Board member for the Capital One Cup. We spoke on the new award, his new role with the Pacers, San Antonio Spurs' rookie James Anderson, losing to President Obama, and more.

Jeff: Tell me your thoughts on being part of the Advisory Board for the Capital One Cup.

Clark: It's unbelievable to be targeted as someone who can serve in an ambassador and Advisory Board member role to the degree Capital One would be comfortable with. I know Capital One is about excellence, commitment, integrity, teamwork and the Capital One Cup is looking to shine a light on those kinds of ingredients in terms of on field performance across a number of men's and women's college sports at the Division 1 level. To be part of such an Advisory Board with representation from all sports, every gender and to be able to shine a light on not just championships on the field or court but to be able to be a part of the Capital One Cup, which is going to provide funding for scholarships for student athletes in their post graduate pursuits, to me it's a healthy, positive, win-win. It gives us a chance to shine a light on sports that may not get as much attention as football and basketball do.

Will the Capital One Cup opportunity ever be offered at the Division 2 level?

I'm not sure but I think Capital One's approach with the Capital One Cup was to distinguish it from the Director's Cup which is in fact a similar award but does in fact cover Division 1, 2, 3 and NAIA. I think Capital One with the Capital One Cup is locked into the Division 1 sports team and going across men's and women's sports and distinguishing between men's and women's sports. You will have a winning men's program and women's program with the Capital One Cup and both of those programs  will receive $200, 000.00 and the sports represented are tiered so points are given a three-multiplier and you got tier 2 sports and tier 3 sports. I think that balances the scales in terms of giving proper weight to the different sports across both genders and in terms of accumulating points.

You were recently hired as the VP of Player Relations for the Indiana Pacers. Looking forward to that?

(laughs and smiles) I am! I actually got started Jeff in the middle of July. I still live in Columbus, Ohio so I commute every other week to Indianapolis. I'm really excited about the opportunity. It's an awful lot. It's a VP level position with the Pacers organization. It's primarily a mentoring program for our players to try to equip them in their own personal development as far as financial education, networking, being involved in our community. Really empowering them to become champions on and off the court. Many of our players come to us at 19, 20, 22 years of age, not college graduates, not very developed in life skills and in maturity. To help them begin to get some practice in those areas is something that is important to me. Hopefully we can serve our players in that capacity.

Sounds like the Pacers found the right guy.

Well I certainly hope so Jeff. Thanks. I'm going to give it my best.

You have be be loving the experience Danny Granger got playing for Team USA.

Larry Bird and I talked about that last week. Larry played a couple of times internationally and he was just raving about what that experience can do for Danny. It just has to help him see things more broadly. Help him in his own individual development but I think it will help him bring back a real zest for wanting to be a leader for the Indiana Pacers in a way that fits his personality, his position as our highest paid player and our best player.

Pacers now have two new players -- Darren Collison and James Posey. Looking forward to working with them?

(smiles) Very much so! I've gotten to know Darren a little bit through his time at UCLA. James Posey I don't know personally but know of him as a good veteran, solid teammate, a winner, a high-character, high-quality guy. Those are ingredients that you need when you are trying to get things turned around. I think both of those guys will bring some value to our team.

You cover college basketball and saw James Anderson of Oklahoma State closely and in the NBA Draft he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs. Your thoughts.

He is going to a great organization. Anytime you can be drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, the leadership from ownership, to (Gregg) Popovich, to everybody else in the organization, they are champions in every sense of the word.

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. Great for James because he is going to be around Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Tony Parker. Those are quality guys that have been in NBA finals and won championships. They have established a culture of winning. Anytime a young player can step into that from day one, it really sets the tone for his career being about the right things. That to me speaks volumes so that's a reason a lot of people look at the Spurs drafting Anderson as a great steal.

Some look to Anderson's defense as an issue. Should Spurs fans be concerned?

You know everyone has some "wart" in their game when they are coming from college to the pros. It's a faster game, it's a physical game, it's a mans game at the NBA level. So 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.

You lost a game of P.O.T.U.S. to President Obama. Want a rematch?

(laughs) No I don't need a rematch. The one time on the White House court with our President was quite and honor and a thrill. He knows I can take him if I wanted to. He knows that!

San Antonio Spurs' fans get your thumbs ready as the Spurs' roster has been announced for the upcoming NBA Jam for the Nintendo Wii and the NBA Elite 11 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Here is the lineup for the Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (players). David Robinson and George Gervin (legends). The combinations of these five players will be awesome.

Now Spurs fans can see a Parker-Gervin backcourt, team up Duncan and Robinson once again to relive the "Twin Towers" era or finally see two of the best shooting-guards in Spurs' history, Ginobili and Gervin, play together.

Game to be released on October 5.