Sophia: I guess it's only safe to say the issue has "simmered" down. He's no longer publicly pleading to go home, he's no longer despondent in front of fans and media, and he's looking as if he's enjoying the season. He started out the pre-season and the beginning of the season well, but I think that he's ultimately unhappy with his role on the Blazers - behind Brandon Roy, and now Wesley Matthews- and this fact makes me think he still wants to be moved. I have no doubt he and his agents, after being fined numerous times over the summer and in pre-season, are in quiet and discreet talks with management.

This is undoubtedly going to be a very tough game for the Blazers. If the Blazers continue their energy on offense that we've seen in the past few games, I think they'll have a good enough chance . But , the Blazers will have to play their hearts out and the bench MUST SHOW UP. Last night, the starters played over 40 minutes each. On the road, the bench has to step up, and I am worried the Blazers will be dragging a little from fatigue on Sunday, not that I can blame them. So, the Blazers need a solid, well rounded showing from the bench. If they don't , Blazers lose, big time. 

Looking at the match-ups tonight, which would you say is key for Spurs and Blazers fans to watch?

In an interview with ESPN.com, Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant was asked if he feels the San Antonio Spurs were still capable of their great play so far this season despite new faces to the team and an aging Tim Duncan:

"Of course … of course. Why wouldn't I? The last couple of years they've had to deal with injuries all year long. But now they're healthy. Tim looks great. They have incredible coaching. All those guys know their roles. There's no question about them. … They've been this way for a decade. Fans continue to be surprised, but they're not sneaking up on us."

Bryant on playing the Spurs:

San Antonio directly blocked the Lakers' path to the championship more than once -- yet, as Kobe said, it's not as contentious. "It's not mean," he said. "It's not nasty. Even when they're playing you, they're nice guys. Even when Tim knocks you on the floor, he'll help you up. He'll continue to kick your butt, but … they play the game. They don't play that mean.

Nice to hear Bryant paying respect to the Spurs and rightfully so. The Lakers were touted as the team to beat in the Western Conference heading into the new season but it has been the Spurs who been playing fantastic and sit atop the NBA with the best record at 19-3. The Lakers on the other hand have been faltering, went on a four game losing streak, and lost to the Chicago Bulls recently.

Granted the road to the NBA Finals does go through Los Angeles and the Lakers are still a solid squad with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Bryant but the Spurs will confidently face that road knowing they will be more than just another team to prevent a Lakers three-peat -- they might actually be a serious threat.

The San Antonio Spurs won their fourth straight to maintain the NBA's best record with a 108-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

It was close through three quarters until the Spurs found their shooting touch during the final period outscoring the Hawks 37-23.

It's now time to take a look at some of the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

53.2 - The Spurs hit their stride in the fourth quarter and finished the game 41-77 (53.2%) shooting from the floor while holding down the Hawks to just 36-80 (45%) field goal shooting.

50 - The Hawks shot 7-14 (50%) from behind the arc but the Spurs weren't that bad either making 10-21 (47.6%) of three point attempts.

40 - The Spurs and the Hawks were even in the paint, both teams scored 40 inside points.

23 - Jamal Crawford had a game high 23 points for the Hawks.

18 - Richard Jefferson scored 18 points on 6-8 field goal shooting including 5- 6 from beyond the arc. He made three 3-pointers in the final period to help the Spurs pull away. Manu Ginobili also had 18 points for the Spurs.

16 - DeJuan Blair had a great all-around game, he scored 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, had four steals and three assists for his fourth double-double of the season. George Hill added 16 points and three rebounds off the Spurs' bench. The Spurs won the game by 16 points. 

12 - Tim Duncan had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block in 28 minutes of action.

0 - Tony Parker and Jefferson did not commit a single turnover for the entire game.

Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had four points, two assists and two rebounds in 13 minutes. Tiago Splitter had one rebound and one assist in one minute of floor time.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the Portland Trail Blazers at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Sunday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

The San Antonio Spurs take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. The Hawks come into San Antonio winning seven of their last eight games without their star Joe Johnson. As a matter of fact, the Hawks are 4-1 without Johnson.

To talk about the game, I turn to fellow Bloguin NBA blogger Deborah of Hawks Highlights one of the best Hawks site on the Internet. We discuss the Hawks inconsistency, what Atlanta has to do to win the game tonight, which matchup should Spurs and Hawks fans keep an eye on, and much more.

Jeff: So Joe Johnson. What is his prognosis and any chance he can come back soon for the Hawks?

Deborah: The Hawks are still going with 4 to 6 weeks (Now a week less). It was just to remove loose bodies, so he should recover completely and be ready to play when he is released.  
 
Seems lately the Hawks have been letting games go. Case in point their recent loss against the 76ers and a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. You have any reason why this is occurring and is this an epidemic for Atlanta?

The Hawks have two problems.  One is that the bench is quite iffy.  Some games they will perform very well and some guys they may as well not show up at all.

The second is that they have no true center and matchups with teams with a big man inside can be problematic.  The bench is a matter of just getting in gear.

The center problem is not going away this season, unless the Hawks change what they have said previously which was that they intend to go with what they have – period.
 
OK let's talk about tonight's game. The Hawks are an atheltic team which can get up-and-down the court. However, this Spurs team is not the same "grind-it-out" team as in the past and are running more this season. What do the Hawks have to do to escape San Antonio with a win?

The Hawks must have their motion offense moving the entire game.  They can’t play close the whole game or even worse try to play catch up late.  They also have to play good defense and also not commit turnovers.  
 
What matchup should Spurs and Hawks fans look for in the game tonight?

Whomever the Spurs match on Maurice Evans.  He is in starting for Johnson and some games he has done well and some not so much.  He matched up really badly with Wade when the Hawks played the Heat.  If the Spurs can match up someone along the lines of a Wade with Evans, the Hawks are going to get very little production out of him.
 
The Hawks haven't exactly beaten the upper-crust of NBA teams in their recent win streak. Taking on the Spurs tonight in San Antonio will be daunting. However, the Hawks seem to thrive on the motion offense. Is this the key for the Hawks to win?

The Magic aren’t considered the upper crust anymore? The Hawks have gotten wins against some “easier” teams, but the win against the Magic was a good one especially since the Magic are on top of the division right now.  The motion offense is definitely the key to the win for the Hawks, with it working well they have 5 and 6 guys in double digit points without it, they generally lose games.
 
Prediction. Which team wins and final score.

As much as I want the Hawks to win and think that they could, I don’t feel that they will.  Spurs 98 Hawks 95, because they like to lose by 3.

To read the Q&A I did with Deborah at Hawks Highlights click HERE.

The San Antonio Spurs set a new record for the best start in franchise history and currently hold the best record in the NBA at 18-3. They are on a three game winning streak and are coming off an impressive 109-84 pounding over the New Orleans Hornets and a relatively easy 111-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

After 21 games, the Spurs rank 2nd in offensive efficiency rating, 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 7th in defensive efficiency rating and 5th in effective field goal percentage.

This team is different from last year.They are more consistent on both ends of the floor and are winning a lot of ball games early this season. However, with the way they are playing right now, could they be peaking too soon?

What I know is they took advantage of a relatively easy early season schedule and then later on won against some of the stronger teams in the league including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz.

They are playing good basketball, but if you watch the Spurs closely, they haven't been that dominant in most of their games.

They had the habit of starting out slow and then regain momentum on the second half. So far this season, the Spurs have won at least four games coming from behind including twice against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yes, I said the Timberwolves! The bottom line is, they are yet to display a full four quarters of Spurs basketball. Ok, maybe the recent 109-84 victory over the Hornets is an exception.   

Yes, Manu Ginobili is having an MVP caliber type of year, Tony Parker is finding more balance between scoring and passing, Richard Jefferson has been efficient and productive, George Hill is providing the needed offensive punch off the  bench, Matt Bonner is shooting the lights out on some given nights and rookie Gary Neal has been a pleasant surprise.

Nevertheless, even with the great start, it is certain the Spurs has still a lot to improve.

They've managed to stay atop the NBA standings with Tim Duncan having a career low on points, rebounds and minutes per game and DeJuan Blair still adjusting to his new role as the team's starting center.

And here's more, Tiago Splitter has yet to find consistent playing time despite the reality that he could be a factor later this season and perhaps the post season. Right now, he's still on the learning phase and will need to be patient with the Spurs' very careful approach.

Rookie James Anderson is still sidelined with an injury, he has provided immediate impact early in the season before suffering a stress fracture. When he comes back, he will surely add more depth on the Spurs' already deep backcourt rotation.  

But Spurs fans need to understand that this team cannot play at this high level game-in and game-out for the remainder of the season. They will drop one, two, or even three games in a row but it will be no cause for alarm. Look at the defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers. They recently suffered a four game losing streak. It happens. It's the NBA. 

So while the Spurs are enjoying their best start in franchise history, one thing is for sure, this team has yet to reach it's full potential and it's not even close.

Now to answer the question on whether the Spurs are peaking too early . . . not at all.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the Spurs are peaking too early?

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 111-94 to set a franchise record for best start after 21 games.

The Warriors also lost Stephen Curry during the second quarter to a sprained right ankle. He was dribbling behind the 3-point line when he called a timeout and fell to the ground in pain. 

Curry was helped off the court by teammates and did not return. The team said X-rays were negative.

Now, let's take a look at some of the numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent win.

52.2 - The Warriors shot well from beyond the arc connecting on 12-23 (52.2%) three pointers. The Spurs weren't bad either making 12-26 (46.2%) of their shots from the 3-point line.

48 - The Spurs owned the shaded area outscoring the Warriors 48-38 on inside points.

33 - San Antonio was so effective in transition, scoring 33 fast break points compared to just 13 from the Warriors.

31 - Warriors' forward Reggie Williams had a big night, he finished with a career-high 31 points on 11-16 field goal shooting, including 8-10 from behind the arc. The Spurs displayed some crisp passing and had 31 assists for the game.

25 - The Spurs' 25 straight home wins against the Warriors is the longest active streak against a single opponent in the NBA.

19 - Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points, nine assists, two rebounds and a steal. Monta Ellis had 19 points and six assists for the Warriors.

17 - George Hill scored 17 points off the Spurs' bench and went 3-4 from the three point area. Tim Duncan had eight points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 17 minutes of action.

16 - David Lee added 16 points, 13 boards and six assists for the Warriors.

15-13 - DeJuan Blair scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his third double-double this season.

12 - Manu Ginobili had 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals for the Spurs. While Tiago Spiltter added 12 points off the bench.

3 - Chris Quinn had three points and one assists in three minutes of playing time.

0 - Ime Udoka was scoreless in 16 minutes, but contributed four assists.

Rookie Watch: Tiago Splitter had 12 points, six rebounds, one assists and a steal in 24 minutes of action. Gary Neal had seven points, three rebounds and one assists in 16 minutes of action.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the Atlanta Hawks at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Friday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

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.