Today's Project Spurs' fan email comes from Tony Villanueva. He asks:

1. Sign Shaq for ticket sales and to as a veteran to teach your younger center players.

2. Extend & restructure your veteran players contracts, for example, Manu, could become one of your player/coach in his last 1 or 2 yrs of his contract.  (Jerry Jones-Dallas Cowboys was great in doing this).

3.Richard Jefferson, sign and trade or Roger Mason could become a much better player if given additional time, but must learn to play defense.

Hi Tony,

Since you opted to start with one of my "favorite" NBA topics, let's just get down to it.

In case you did not hear, Shaquille O'Neal recently signed with the Boston Celtics. So there goes the idea of him signing with the San Antonio Spurs.

You should go see how Celtics fans feel about Shaq in Boston at RedsArmy.com.

Personally, I'm not a Shaq fan. I am probably not the only one in San Antonio who feels this way, but I've not really liked the guy since his turn in the 1996 movie "Kazaam." I just think the Spurs could do better and find another big man who is interested in actually working as a team, not just as a player. Say former Spur Fabricio Oberto who is a free-agent.

As for extending and restructuring contracts, I am all for that idea. As a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, I know what you're talking about and I like it. I think Manu Ginobili would be an excellent player-turned-coach because he has the right attitude, definitely has the skills and genuinely seems to want to help the whole team achieve the main goal. Tim Duncan would also make an excellent coach with one stipulation - that he not pass on his poor mentality in bringing himself down when his game is suffering. That is another place Ginobili could stand to start working with Timmy - fixing his mentality.

Anyone who listened to the Spurscast earlier this week knows how I feel about Richard Jefferson - I'm not his biggest fan, but I am all for giving him another shot as R.C. Buford and the front office crew see fit. I know he can play a good game, but I really felt like he didn't give it everything he had this past season. Roger Mason is on his way to New York to join the Knicks, which makes me a little sad.

I really liked him at the very beginning of his time with the Spurs and genuinely hoped he would become a big play-maker for them. He's had some good moments, but maybe it's time for a change. I could see trying for a single season to improve his defensive skills, but otherwise - good luck in New York, Money Mase.

Thanks for the fan email Tony!
Emily

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According to ESPN, the Phoenix Suns have hired former San Antonio Spurs' scout, Lance Blanks, as their new GM:

Lance Blanks was named the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

Before joining Cleveland, Blanks worked in the scouting department of the San Antonio Spursfor five years. He will become the fifth former member of the Spurs organization to be hires as a general manager in recent years, joining Ferry, ex-Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard, Oklahoma City's Sam Presti and New Orleans GM Dell Demps.

With another former Spurs' front-office member joining the ranks of general managers, this demonstrates the value other NBA teams see in the Spurs system. It's the winning formula which has produced four NBA titles which other teams desire to tap into.

To say the Spurs really are a wealth of NBA front-office talent would be an understatement.

Who is the better power-forward? Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett? This question has been debated ever since these two players squared off for the first time in the NBA. So who better to ask than someone who has played with both players.

In an interview with rtvslo.com, former San Antonio Spur, Rasho Nesterovic, was asked who left a better impression on him: Garnett or Duncan?

This is a very rough translation but here is what he had to say:

I must say that to me especially Duncan. It is a true team leader. Garnett is a phenomenal basketball player, with exceptional [...] and knowledge, but I think that is mentally strong enough to be a team leader. Where [he] to stay in Minnesota, in my view, it won the rings. Thus, when he went to Boston, he made the right move and he did it because the Celtics Paul Pierce, who is the team leader says that in the critical moments range bins.

Basically for Nesterovic, Duncan gets the edge since he won NBA titles with the same team and Garnett didn't. Also he states Duncan is a better leader.

Though you have to wonder if he didn't pick Garnett seeing how he used to get constantly taunted by him for not being intense on the court when the two were team mates with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

So who do you feel was the better power-forward or do I even have to ask that question on a Spurs blog?

The San Antonio Spurs are perhaps one of the best NBA franchises at finding overseas talent. From Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and even Luis Scola, the Spurs have proven they have a knack for discovering foreign talent.

Recently, the Men's 18-year old European Championship was held in Lithuania and guess which team had scouts in the stands looking for possible new talent? The Spurs.

From July 22 - Aug.1, the European championship for 18-year old players was held in the Siemens Arena and Lietuvos Ryto Arena in Vilnius.

The championship was observed by many NBA scouts who were looking for new stars. The new talent searchers for the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets (the scout of the latter club is Arturas Karnisovas, former player of the Lithuanian national team) were carefully noting each move on the court of would-be NBA legends. (source baltictimes.com)

Hopefully the Spurs' scouts found a future player for the Spurs in Lithuania.

In the NBA, the point guard position is considered the most difficult position to play. It's not simply putting the ball in the basket. One has to be the floor leader, direct teammates, carry the burden of being the coach's voice on the court and much more.

It might be even tougher for a young point guard trying to make it in the NBA when the team is a championship caliber team like the San Antonio Spurs with head coach Gregg Popovich, who demands a lot from his point guard. Ask Tony Parker when he first arrived to the Spurs.

Curtis Jerrells knows a thing or two being a point guard with the Spurs. In 2009, the Spurs signed Jerrells to their summer training camp and though he did not make the Spurs squad, he was offered a chance to be play for the Austin Toros (the Spurs’ NBDL affiliate) to develop his game.

In March 2010, Jerrells was called up from Austin to join the team because of an injury to guard Garrett Temple. Although he did not receive time on the court during the Spurs' regular season or playoffs, one thing for sure is he has been observing and learning what it takes to be a point guard in the NBA.

“I didn't actually play but being there I got to observe Tony (Parker) and George (Hill) and other guys who play my position like Garrett (Temple). Those guys were just talking to me and being able to sit back and just watch, it's one of the best ways of learning other than actually being out there," said Jerrells to Project Spurs.

As Jerrells said, what better way to learn the point guard position than to be on the same team with the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, Parker, and an up and coming point guard like Hill.

But what exactly is he learning from two quality guards in the NBA?

“The pace they play at. You have to know when it's time to play at certain paces. You can't always play fast and you can't always play slow,” said Jerrells about what he learning from Parker and Hill. “Tony does a good job at playing with great pace. He is a great scorer but also a great passer.”

As Jerrells mentioned, controlling the pace of the game is an area he is learning but learning when to score and when to distribute the ball is another area he is targeting, “One of the biggest things for me is I am a good scorer and a good passer but I still got to know at what times of the game I should score and what times of the game I should pass and find other guys. That's been one of my biggest steps for me this season."

You have to hand it to Jerrells. He knows the Spurs are a wealth of basketball knowledge which goes beyond Parker and Hill. The Spurs boast a Hall of Fame coach like Popovich and a Hall of Fame player like Tim Duncan.
"He is very intense and he can be on both sides," said Jerrells when I asked him about Popovich's coaching style,  "He knows when he needs to get after you and he knows how to come at you in a different way. That's part of coaching. You know how to get the best out of them."

As for Duncan, he was not shy to talk about what Duncan has done for his development, "He is one of the most vocal guys on the team. He is like a quarterback down low. He sees a lot," said Jerrells to Project Spurs. "He often talks to Tony, Tony often talks to him and for them the game is about communication. Being on the same page and you got a good chance at winning. That's why those guys are just winning!"

"When you get on the court for the first time and you see Manu (Ginobili), you see Tony and you see Tim, you are like man, it's just a blessing to be here on the floor with those guys at the same time."

Speaking of winning, Jerrells mentioned to me how he had an opportunity to be with the Spurs during the 2010 playoffs which was an eye-opening experience for him, "It was the playoffs and every body was taking everything seriously and every body was at their fullest. When you are watching that level, at that angle you come away with a lot of good stuff."

With Jerrells as the primary point guard for the Spurs at the Summer League, the team finished with a 5-0 record. 

Though the game of basketball is a team game and it took a team effort for the Spurs to go undefeated in the Summer League, I leave you with this which pin-points the biggest lesson learned by Jerrells as a point guard. 

He already has shown he has learned to take individual responsibility for the team's performance on the court and is maturing as a point guard, "As a point guard you are leading the team and we win as a team. As a point guard a lot falls on my shoulders."

They arrive hours early to the AT&T Center, paint their faces black and sliver, wear everything and anything related to the Spurs and will gladly chant "Go Spurs Go" on command.

Of course I am talking about the San Antonio Spurs fans! Well Spurs fanatics, your efforts have not gone unnoticed.

According to Forbes.com, the Spurs' fan-base has been ranked in the top 10 of America's Best Sports Fans:

Right behind the Celtics at No. 8 are the San Antonio Spurs. Like their team leader, Tim Duncan, the Spurs are quiet champions. They’ve made the playoffs the last 13 seasons. Fan devotion is may be increased by the fact that they are the only big pro team in town.

Way to go Spurs fans. To rank eighth overall in all of the big four professional leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) speaks volumes.

You know what else speaks volumes? The fact Spurs fans beat out Los Angeles Lakers fans where they ranked 12th overall on the list.

Hola amigos y fieles seguidores de los San Antonio Spurs.  Hoy repasare unas noticias sobre los nuevos jugadores de los Spurs con ustedes.

El equipo de los Spurs se ha mantenido bastante ocupado esta temporada ya que se ha dedicado este verano a buscar jugadores elementales para reconstruir su equipo. Comenzamos con la impactante y emocionante noticia de nuestro mas nuevo jugador elegido la noche de la reclutacion de la NBA 2010, James Anderson. Este joven jugador de tan solo 21 años de edad fue reclutado de Oklahoma State University. Anderson fue reconocido como uno de los mejores anotadores de canasta y también como uno de los mejores pivots durante la reclutacion de la NBA 2010. Esperemos que este novato recién seleccionado para los Spurs sea una buena adición.

Definitivamente los Spurs han aprovechado muy bien su tiempo para contratar a varios jugadores excepcionales. Entre ellos sobre sale también el famoso y fenomenal jugador de baloncesto Tiago Splitter. Splitter de tan solo 25 años de edad y de nacionalidad Brasileña llega a nuestro equipo, los Spurs de San Antonio con múltiples reconocimientos, de acuerdo a Wikipedia.com entre ellos el de “El Jugador Mas Valioso de la Supercopa de España de baloncesto” para los años 2006 y 2007 y el jugador MVP de la liga Española para el año 2010.

Gary Neal también a firmado contrato con los Spurs. De acuerdo al Draft Express el joven jugador Neal de tan solo 26 años de edad firmo un contrato con los Spurs de tres años. Neal también nos trae experiencia como pívot ya que ha jugado en Pinar Karsiyaka, una liga de baloncesto de un equipo de multi-deportes basada en Turquía durante el año 2007-2008, para la selección de baloncesto del Fútbol Club Barcelona 2008, y también para Benetton Treviso, una liga de serie de baloncesto Italiana 2008-2010.

Un jugador que definitivamente nos sorprendio al haber sido renovado su contrato con los Spurs fue Richard Jefferson. La verdad no nos esperábamos esto debido a que la producción de Jefferson decremento significativamente esta ultima temporada causando un gran lamento entre los fanáticos de los Spurs por el intercambio que se llevo acabo la ultima temporada involucrando, a Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas, y Bruce Bowen. Jefferson a firmado un contrato de 4 años con los Spurs por un valor de 39 millones de dolares. El desglose es el siguiente: $8.4 millones para el año 2011, $9.3 millones para el año 2012, $10.2 millones para el 2013, y finalmente $11 millones para el 2014.

Hemos llegado al final de mi informativo por hoy. Muchísimas gracias por acompañarme. Recuerden mantenerse siempre informados aquí en nuestra pagina de Spurs donde nos comprometemos a tenerles la información de los Spurs mas actualizada. Hasta la próxima. no comments

The San Antonio Spurs had a busy summer resigning Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson, drafting James Anderson and Ryan Richards and then adding Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal. However, while the Spurs' lineup has arguably improved, a lot of teams made their own player movement in the offseason and after some roster shakeups within the league, the order of power in the NBA may have changed.

Here's my take.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Orlando Magic -I know. I must be crazy to rank the Magic above the Miami Heat but hear me out. The Magic kept the core of Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. They will not need time to develop chemistry on the court. Plus they added Quentin Richardson, Chris Duhon and rookie Daniel Orton. This team is solid and could really be the team to beat in the East.

2. Miami Heat- Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh plus a solid supporting cast that includes Udonis Haslem, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Carlos Arroyo, Mario Chalmers and James Jones could be scary good. They haven't proven anything yet, but with a team loaded with enormous talent they should be right up there. The team recently added 3-point specialist Eddie House. However, they will need time to develop the needed chemistry to make it work.

3. Boston Celtics - They breathe defense but many say this team is old. Still they were a win away from the NBA title last year. They added Jermaine O'Neal and rookie Avery Bradley and they might be a better team than a year ago if they can stay healthy. Losing Tony Allen will hurt their bench and perimeter defense.

Dark Horse: Chicago Bulls - One of the busiest teams this summer. The addition of Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver to a core of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng made them a well rounded team. Plus they may have the deepest bench in the league after adding Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and Kurt Thomas to their solid roster.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Los Angeles Lakers - If it ain't broke why fix it? They are the defending champions. They still have Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and Pau Gasol and significantly improved their roster by adding Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff.

2. Dallas Mavericks -I see some raised eyebrows. I know that the Spurs ousted them in the playoffs last season but the truth is this team is loaded with a lot offensive weapons, Dirk Nowitzki, Caron Butler, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion can all score at any given night. Getting Tyson Chandler adds athleticism, length and defense to their front court and rookie Dominique Jones could provide additional spark off the Mavericks' bench.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - This team made the playoffs last year and gave the Lakers a run for their money. A year of experience in the postseason could make the difference and the ever improving core of young guns in Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook could be exciting to watch and tough to beat at the same time.

Dark Horse: San Antonio Spurs -Most Spurs fans feel with Tiago Splitter in tow the team is already a title contender. While there is some truth to that, like most power teams, the Spurs' offseason work is not yet done. Adding a tough perimeter defender should be a top priority and with the lack of quality free agents to fill that void, the Spurs must be creative to get a decent perimeter defender.

Take note that Malik Hairston is no longer with the team, leaving either Alonzo Gee or James Anderson as Jefferson's primary backup at the small forward position. That means perimeter help is badly needed. George Hill is capable but does lack the height to defend bigger perimeter players on other teams and quicker guards. Remember last years playoff match-up against Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash? Nash made Hill look silly.

Adding another big man could also help. I know that the team already have Tim Duncan, Splitter, Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair and Bonner up front but Blair and McDyess are both undersized and Bonner is a shooting big. Getting another big body with length is in order to match-up well with teams like the Lakers and Mavericks.

With that being said, there is no doubt that this Spurs team has improved compared to last season. In my mind the team is just one or two solid roster moves away from being a serious title contender this upcoming season.

There are available free agents the Spurs could reasonably acquire considering their financial situation. Former Spur and current Washington Wizard free-agent, Fabricio Oberto, is available to add another big man for insurance.

Still who can they get with not much money to offer?

Which player(s) should the Spurs pickup to complete their roster? Fire away at the comment section and give us your feed back.

On this episode of the Spurscast, the women of Project Spurs, Spurscast En Espanol host Arianne Villanueva and staff-writer Emily Allen, take over the Spurcast to voice their thoughts on the offseason player additions for the San Antonio Spurs.

Arianne questions whether Tiago Splitter's style of play will translate into the NBA, Emily defends the resigning of Matt Bonner and much more!

The Spurscast! The first and original Spurs podcast!

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Music: "Fully Alive" by Flyleaf

Note: The ladies would like to know your thoughts on this show. Please leave your comments and if we get a positive response then the ladies will be back for future shows.

With what might turn out to be their final offseason move, the San Antonio Spurs signed former Towson star, and Italian league player, Gary Neal, to a three-year deal last week.  Neal proved to be a pleasant surprise on the Spurs' undefeated summer league team, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 50% from the three-point line. 

During Neal's current stint in Italy, he lead the league in scoring on 65% shooting from the field.  While his offensive game appears to be fairly complete, defensively he often struggles.  Here is how Draft Express evaluates this portion of his game: