Has anyone been disappointed with the quality of basketball we’ve seen this season? We knew that with a short preseason and a compacted schedule that things were going to get a little rough. I wouldn’t say I’ve been disappointed, but I have noticed that at times things do get a little sloppy. A few bad passes in a row, an airball here and there, this definitely isn’t a year for style points.

On top of all that, since teams are having to play so many games in a shorter period of time than they’re used to, some of the star players we’ve become accustomed to seeing every night are getting more rest. As a fan, are you disappointed if you go to see Tim Duncan play and he sits the entire second half? Do you feel like you don’t get your money’s worth if your favorite team doesn’t play up to their potential because they’re on the last game of a back-to-back-to-back?

I, for one, am really just happy that we got a season this year, I just like seeing basketball being played. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sort of sees it the same way, he doesn’t much care about the lower quality of basketball being played because it’s the same for every team.

"It's sort of irrelevant, really," Popovich said. "Because whatever fatigue there is, it's equal for everybody."

And he’s right. All the teams are playing this compact schedule, busting their butts to play three games in a row or travelling across the country overnight to play in a game the next day. It has to be hell on the players and they’re doing the best they can.

Let this be a lesson though. Next time let’s try and solve all the labor disputes before the season actually starts.

Briefing Session

After winning their second road game of the season on Monday, the San Antonio Spurs (11-7) return home, where they are 9-1. The Spurs host the Al Horford-less Atlanta Hawks, the Hawks come into the Alamo City with a highly efficient defensive reputation, and the third best record overall in the NBA.

Case No. 19: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 13-5, road: 5-4,  last 10 games: 8-2, vs. West: 2-1

Commendable areas for the Hawks

• Defense: First off, through 18 games, the Hawks have not allowed an opponent to shoot 50% or better. The Hawks hold their opponents to 43% shooting from the field and limit their opponents to 91 points per game which is ranked 7th in the NBA.

• Offense: The Hawks score an average of 97.9 points per game; which is ranked 6th in the league. The team shoots 45% from the field; which is ranked 10th in the league, and they shoot 39% from beyond the arc (5th in NBA). The Hawks’ passing is ranked 4th in the NBA with 22.4 assists per game and they take care of the ball as they’re ranked second to last with 12.9 turnovers per game.

Deficient area for the Hawks

So far statistically, the Hawks aren’t terrible in one specific category. If they’re not ranked in the top of most categories, they’re ranked somewhere in the middle of the others. When you have a strong defensive unit like Atlanta does, the rest of your system begins to produce effectively on all other parts of the floor. no comments

While he was in Russia going to a student league All-Star game, former Spur Robert Horry did an interview with a Russian website that provided some interesting points for debate.

He was asked who the best player he ever played with was. Check out his response.

“I would say Hakeem Olajuwon and Kobe Bryant. The things The Dream could do on the floor were phenomenal for a big man. And the dedication that I saw in Kobe, I didn’t see in anywhere else. And I think that he’s not given enough credit for this: he has spent a lot of time and energy to become what he is now. I don’t want to offend anybody, but those two stay above everybody else.”

Horry played with the San Antonio Spurs from 2003 to 2008, so he never played on the same team as David Robinson, but he did play alongside a guy named Tim Duncan. I’m not saying that Duncan needs to be ranked higher than Olajuwon, but I think Horry needs to at least acknowledge Duncan on his list. I’m sure Horry didn’t intend to offend anyone with this comment, but I think it’s an insult to his tenure with the Spurs.

He dropped another interesting tidbit in his interview. He suggested that it may have been Lakers coach Phil Jackson that started the whole feud between Shaq and Kobe. no comments

Yesterday the San Antonio Spurs announced that they are retiring former All-World defender Bruce Bowen's number 12 jersey. Shortly after that, Bowen spoke with Spurs.com about what it means to have his jersey number retired.

Spurs.com: “What’s the significance to you on joining those players and jerseys that hang in rafters?”

Bruce Bowen: “First thing I thought about is exactly what you just said.  Those names that are up there, just to be mentioned with those guys and to be side by side with them, I think it speaks of the caliber of people and the character they possess as Spurs players.  When you speak about legacies people tell, ‘You should have your number retired.’ I would tell them that it’s not up to me. I didn't play this game to have my number retired.  I'm fortunate to have this opportunity because of Tim, Tony, Manu, those guys and of course Pop and Peter Holt.  For Pop to have a vision and give a young man like myself a try, as someone he felt could add something to the club. And to him for giving me the opportunity to feel as special or as important as every other player that we had those great runs with.”

The part of the interview that stuck out the most was Bowen telling a lot of what he'll remember most about his career is the connections he made with both members of the Spurs organization and the San Antonio community.

When I first heard about Bowen's jersey being retired I wasn't totally behind it, but then I first looked at how many All-Defense teams he made but more importantly every thing he did in the San Antonio community. Hat's off to you, Bruce. Spurs fans can see Bowen get his jersey retired Wednesday, March 21 against Minnesota.

Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki isn't playing right now and while he's not blaming playing in international competition, he is speaking up about his experience playing the Olympic qualifier this summer (Hat tip to ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan for the knowledge).

"Playing in the Euros, looking back now was obviously not the right decision, but it was a decision I made for my country," Nowitzki said. "But it definitely didn't help me get ready for the season. So I started working out basically late November, then I had a good three weeks or a month for five, six games a week, so it wasn't cutting it. I consider this week here, for me, as another week of training camp where I can use it and get better. Got a little fire back; a lot of guys say I'm done. I obviously read the stuff. Hopefully, I'll be back soon."

Dirk added that between last year's extra long summer and the European Championship, he was sick of basketball. To add fuel to the anti- international play fire, Mavs owner Mark Cuban reiterated his dislike for letting NBA players compete in international play without letting the owners have some imput on the matter.

"It's just the epitome of stupidity that we would allow ourselves to be used so other corporations" -- as Cuban calls the Olympics -- "can make tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars," Cuban said. "There's some guys sitting at the Olympic headquarters going, 'Those dumb-asses, we're taking all their best guys for nothing.' "

Cuban isn't just talking about Dirk's injury. no comments

There are seven teams in the NBA right now with only one loss at home, and six of those teams have .500 records or worse on the road. Of those seven teams, the San Antonio Spurs have one of the worst road records at 2-6. The Atlanta Hawks are 5-4 away from home, but they’re looking to improve their away record on their upcoming road trip which includes a date with the Spurs this Wednesday in San Antonio.

The Hawks, much like the Spurs and a large group of other teams have looked like a completely different team when they’re away from home. If you’re going to compete for a championship, you have to find ways to win on the road, the Hawks are trying to prove they can do just that.

“I’m looking for that consistency on the road where we can go out, night in and night out, and play smart basketball,” Head Coach Larry Drew said. “We realize when we are on the road, we can’t play on the road like we do at home and just go out there and just fire away. We have to be smarter in controlling the tempo and making sure we get the shots that we want and make sure that we keep crowds out of the game.”

The Hawks have a very tough test coming up, but it’s a great chance to test their road skills. When the NBA had to throw this year’s schedule together at the last minute, we knew it was going to make for some interesting travel days. The Hawks have to go from Milwaukee to San Antonio to Detroit to New Orleans to Toronto. Doesn't really make sense, does it? Granted, they get a travel day in between each game, but that still has to take its toll. The good news for the Hawks is that all of those teams are below .500 except for the Spurs, so they’ll have a chance to improve their road record against lesser opponents and maybe get their confidence up for the bigger games.

If this shortened season has taught us anything, it’s how important it is to win away from your home crowd. The teams that head to the finals are going to be the ones who pull out those tough wins on the road. It’s something the Spurs probably know already, and they’ll no doubt be working on the rest of the season.

Former San Antonio Spurs center, Fabricio Oberto, could be on his way back to the NBA, according to several sources.

Oberto is reportedly currently mulling a one-year contract offer by the Chicago Bulls to become Joakim Noah's primary backup.

Oberto, who is currently playing with Atenas de Cordoba as he prepares for the London Olympics, played for the Spurs from 2005 to 2009 and was part of the Spurs' 2007 championship squad.

Oberto retired from the NBA due to a heart condition early last season but has talked about a return to the NBA on several occasions and could join the Bulls now that he has been cleared medically.

"The first proposal made by Bulls was for a workout, but the offer was turned down. Bulls want him as backup of Joakim Noah. Now the final decision belongs to Fabricio" said his agent Carlos Prunes.

Oberto confirmed the proposal made by Bulls but added that now he needs to workout to get ready for London 2012.
"I have a very important proposal from Chicago Bulls. But now I am focused to working out and be ready for London 2012. So far, the NBA is a bit far" said Oberto.

Who said Tim Duncan's best years are behind him?

Last night the San Antonio Spurs won a nail-biter against the New Orleans Hornets 104-102 thanks in large part to TD. Duncan finished with 28 points and seven rebounds including the go-ahead shot which put the Spurs on top as he proved talks of his demise may be a bit premature.

Check out TD's game-winning running hook-shot over the Hornets' Emeka Okafor including that bit of swagger he shows after hitting the shot.

Of course this isn't the first time Duncan has been clutch. Who can forget his shot over the Phoenix Suns in the 2008 N.B.A. playoffs.

With five seconds remaining and the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets tied at 102 a piece, veteran Tim Duncan put the grand finale on his spectacular performance by driving past Hornets center Emeka Okafor and sinking a one handed fade-away sky-hook to give the Spurs a 104-102 win on Monday evening.

Alongside Duncan’s team-high 28 points and seven rebounds, Tony Parker had a career night as the French point guard passed for 17 assist’s while also adding 20 points. On this night in New Orleans, the Spurs finally found their missing shots on the road.

The Spurs got off to a slow start as the Hornets were able to get a nine point lead early in the first quarter, but the Spurs’ bench came through with a 13-2 run to keep the team close after the first quarter. By halftime, Duncan already had 15 points, and Parker had already chalked up a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists. Yet, the Hornets continued to shoot over 50% in the first half. no comments

The San Antonio Spurs will look to snap their two-game losing streak tonight as they face the New Orleans Hornets in New Orleans.

The road hasn't been kind to San Antonio (1-6) but playing against the Hornets might be what the doctor ordered for the Spurs' road woes. The Hornets are one of the worst teams in the NBA at 3-13 and 1-8 in New Orleans.

But as the Spurs head into tonight's contest, let's take a look at five things to watch for in tonight's matchup.

• Keep the Hornets off the boards. The Hornets rank 4th in the NBA in rebounds per game (44.1), 4th in offensive rebounds per game (12.6) and are 13th in defensive rebounds per game (31.5).
• Spurs would be wise to pour in the points tonight. The Hornets are 0-2 when opponents score 100 points or more.
• Be aware of Jarrett Jack Spurs! Jack is one of only three players in the league who are averaging at least 16 points, seven assists, and four rebounds per game this season.
• If the Spurs are leading at the half, they just might win. New Orleans is 0-9 when trailing at halftime.
• "The Titan" is having an impact. Hornets rookie big man Gustavo Ayon (who the Spurs had interest in this offseason) is averaging 8 points, 5.3 rebounds in just over 17 minutes in a recent three-game stretch.