SPURS:

More often than not, it’s something we’ve found ourselves doing with the stoic consistency of Tim Duncan. There were times he’d put up 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds and if it happened in a loss, it would seem you’d always hear about a couple of tentative post moves or an ill-timed or costly turnover. The standard of play a fan can become accustomed to and expect is really quite amazing—and even more so when it just seems to come so effortlessly, naturally.

Really, if any team has a superstar or special talent, even the best of fan bases are susceptible. It just so happens that the San Antonio Spurs’ fan base has more to take for granted than most.

I’ll never forget the year Manu arrived. Two of the first, lasting memories that come to mind, were a thunderous left-handed drive and dunk over Erik Dampier—then a Golden State Warrior—and the comments of an ESPNEWS anchor during a Spurs’ highlight, opining about the ridiculous highlight-to-play ratio of the Argentine rookie. From the minute he stepped onto the court and into the collective consciousness of Spurs’ fans everywhere, there was just something different about him. He was streetball with class. He was style-meets-substance. Ginobili captured the imagination of fans, coaches and teammates alike. He immediately found disdain and admiration from his peers, both stemming from an undeniable respect they had for the results or play. Maybe more so than any Spurs’ player has past or present, he forced the faithful to find the edge of their seats—and he never let them leave (and it didn’t hurt to be  a Spanish-speaking, charismatic personality in a strong Hispanic market).

Kurt Helin recently wrote about the latest segment dedicated to Manu Ginobili from NBA Access. Rasual Butler, Shannon Brown, Channing Frye and Caron Butler all spoke to what’s been referred to as the “Euro Step” (via a South American—go figure ) and the difficulty of defending it, him.

I mean, I know he’s going left, and I try to stop him,” Frye says. “And I just looked at Coach like, ‘Hey, man, ya know, I don’t move my feet that fast.’

It’s always amusing to hear broadcasters, scribes, coaches and players state that, “You know he’s going left.” And maybe they’re correct, to an extent. Manu does go to his left more often than not. But like the rest of his game, looks can be deceiving.

Manu Ginobili goes to his left—the opposition can’t seem to get that right.

By Mikkayla Guillett, Toros Nation/Project Spurs

I recently had the privilege to speak with Austin Toros Lewis Clinch on what went wrong in the fourth quarter in the Toros recent loss against the Utah Flash (106-98) and how he hopes the team can improve during their upcoming road trip.

Enjoy!

Part 1:



Part 2:



Please visit Toros Nation for more great coverage on the San Antonio Spurs' D-League affiliate the Austin Toros.

On this episode of the Spurscast, Mike and Jeff discuss our thoughts on the San Antonio Spurs recent play and if there are certain aspects of the Spurs that need improvement on despite the fantastic start to the seson.

In the second half of the show we put under the Spurscast microscope Spurs' rookie Tiago Splitter and assess his play this season.

All this and much more on this episode of the Spurscast! The first and original Spurs podcast!

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Ya know, we really have come along way, Coach. It seems as if just yesterday I was cursing you and your decision to oust Bob Hill—in retrospect, not one of my finer moments, and none-too-fair to you. But, in all fairness, Hill didn’t just look good on the sidelines, it was as if he came from Miami Vice’s central casting. And let’s be honest, Coach, any adolescent at the time would have felt the same way. I’m not proud of the way I acted, but Don Johnson is Don Johnson—and Don Johnson you ain’t.

But, see, I didn’t get it back then. I was just a punk kid, prone to the superficial. Nuance was lost on me. I knew what I was seeing and I knew there was more to the game than putting the little orange ball in the hole, but I was immature. Irrational, even. I was a fanatic in the worst sense of the word: passionately ignorant.

So even as I saw my hero, The Admiral (have-you-seen-his-biceps?!?), David Robinson, getting unfairly taken apart by the media, Bob Hill was still Don Johnson. And, really, so what if he watched a team zone-up his star defensively on one end while tasking his own to defend the opposition’s (Olajuwon) one-on-one at the other? Crockett had his pros and cons—apparently  devising  half-court defensive schemes would fall into the latter. (But, man… he sure knew how to dress, and his hair was spectacular.)

Thankfully, and appreciatively, though, you never held that against me. You truly were a gentleman, often allowing my criticisms and inflammatory rhetoric to simply roll off your back. It went in one ear, and out the other. Had I not known any better, I would have believed my words had fallen on a deaf ear or were simply inaudible. But I did know better. You were the better man, above it all—a mountain of a man—and for that you should be commended—I will truly never understand how it is you’ve managed to put up with me for all these years or how you managed to stay focused on the task at hand as I berated and/or questioned your tactics from the comfort of my home. But you did, and because of that—just days away from the fourteenth anniversary of Hill’s firing (Dec. 10, 1996)—we can both look back and laugh. We really have come a long way, Coach.

The San Antonio Spurs improved to an NBA best 17-3, matching their best start in franchise history (2007-2008 season) by beating the New Hornets 109-84.

Unlike their two first meetings, this one was a blowout. The Spurs never trailed and even led by 38 points at one point in the game.

Let's take a look at the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

58.6 - The Spurs shot a blistering 41-70 (58.6%) from the field and held the Hornets to just 33-75 (44%) field goal shooting.

50 - San Antonio made 11-22 (50%) of their 3-pointers while the Hornets just made 3-8 (37.5%).

46 - The Spurs won the inside battle outscoring the Hornets 46-40 on inside points.

29 - The Spurs shared the ball well, they had 29 dimes for the game compared to 22 for the Hornets.

25 - The Spurs' 25 point win is their largest margin of victory this season.

19 - Tony Parker had a game-high 19 points and added six assists, three rebounds and two steals
 for the Spurs.

16 - Chris Paul led the Hornets with 16 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.

13 - Richard Jefferson added 13 points and four rebounds for the Spurs. David West and Trevor Ariza had 13 each for the Hornets.

11 - Tim Duncan had 11 points, nine boards and two block shots in just 19 minutes of action. George Hill and Gary Neal added 11 points a piece for the Spurs.

10-8 - DeJuan Blair had 10 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes.

7 - The Spurs are 7-0 when they make at least 10 three-pointers for the game.

0 - Matt Bonner scored 14 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc and had zero turnovers for the game.

Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal in 33 minutes of action. While Tiago Splitter had five points two rebounds and one steal in 18 minutes. 

What's Next? The Spurs will host the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Wednesday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

Even though San Antonio Spurs rookie James Anderson is still out of the line up nursing an injury, it certainly hasn't stopped him from giving back to the local San Antonio community.

Anderson took time out to help the San Antonio Food Bank sorting out food to make sure there is enough for the holidays:

"It means a lot, you know, just giving back and it's something I look forward to continue to do," said the San Antonio Spurs' rookie guard James Anderson. (source kens5.com)

Sure Spurs fans may be caught up in the team having the best record in the NBA and playing some of their best basketball in recent years, it's nice to see Anderson put things in perspective and see helping others is what truly matters in life.

SPURS:

Coach Gregg Popovich was ejected from the game with 1:10 left in the third quarter.

The San Antonio Spurs entered the final period with a 15 point deficit but never gave up, San Antonio leaned on their defense and got a 107-101 come from behind victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

What are the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' win? Let's find out!

89.2 - The Spurs went to the line a lot and they delivered. They made 33-37 (89.2%) of their free throws while the Wolves made 20-25 (80%) from the foul line.

59 - The Timberwolves crashed the boards, out-rebounding the Spurs 59-37.

36 - The Spurs used a strong fourth quarter to get back and win the game, they outscored the Timberwolves 36-15 in the final period.  

28 - Michael Beasley had a game-high 28 points for Minnesota.

25-18 - Kevin Love had a monster game, he scored 25 points and grabbed 18 boards but still it wasn't enough to get a Wolves win.

22-10 - Tim Duncan filled the stat sheets with 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.

20 - George Hill provided the needed spark off the bench, he scored 20 points and grabbed a crucial rebound with 1:02 remaining. Tony Parker snapped out of his shooting slump and had 20 points and five assists for the Spurs.

16 - The Spurs were better in transition as they outscored the Wolves 16-7 on fast break points. Manu Ginobili scored 16 points for the Spurs.

15-10 - Richard Jefferson added 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes of action.

13 - Ginobili went 1-10 from the floor but made 13-13 from the foul line, including the go ahead free throws with 1:13 remaining. The Spurs have won 13 consecutive games against the Timberwolves.

0 - Jefferson and Hill did not turn the ball over while playing 34 minutes or more. The Timberwolves are 0-10 against teams above .500 so far this season.

Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had three points, one rebounds and one steal in 10 minutes of action. Tiago Splitter was scoreless but had two assists and two rebounds in eight minutes of playing time.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the New Orleans Hornets at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Sunday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

Boston Celtics' Marquis Daniels reflected on his younger days growing up and playing basketball in an interview with CSNNE.com. In the interview he mentioned his favorite player was San Antonio Spurs' legend David Robinson:

"So my favorite player, up until I was about 9 years old, was [San Antonio Spurs great] David Robinson," Daniels told CSNNE.com. "I had the number 50 jersey and everything."

Pretty flattering for Robinson; however, my only gripe is he was Daniels' favorite player up until he was nine years old? Come on Daniels. Robinson should be your all-time favorite player. Robinson was one of the NBA's most dominant players and his basketball resume is something any player wishes they owned.
 
Regardless, this is a nice compliment from Daniels and like Robinson, I should just be thankful someone considered a Spurs legend as one of their favorites.