Yesterday, Project Spurs presented the All-Spur Three-Point Shootout. Spurs fans weighed in and left their thoughts. Today we present the All-Spur Dunk Contest. Enjoy.

With the All Star game coming up this weekend, one event all NBA fans look forward to is the Dunk Contest. The creativity, the power, the hang-time, and the rim-rocking dunks that get all in attendance off their seats.  Unfortunately for Spurs fans, no Spur was selected to compete for the dunk title.

But that won't stop us here at Project Spurs from having an All-Spur dunk contest.  The contestants will be from this year's Spurs squad. So without further delay here are the contestants for the 2010 All-Spur Dunk Contest.

George Hill

Just in his second season with the Spurs, Hill has made an impression not only on Spurs fans but also on Coach Pop. Not only can he get it done on the offensive and defensive end of the court, Hill is athletic and can get up and finish at the rim. Ask the Timberwolves.

Matt Bonner

Mainly known for his three point shooting, Bonner has shown he can get up and throw it down with some authority. No really he can. He has an epic two inch vertical, no hang-time, and no style means only pure Bonner awesomeness. Ask the Toronto Raptors if Bonner is just a shooter.

Richard Jefferson

He may be drawing the ire of Spurs fans right now with his lackluster play but there is no doubting Jefferson can finish with authority and with power. He can also still posterize a player. Ask Greg Oden.

Well there you have it Spurs fans. Your candidates for the 2010 Project Spurs All-Spur Dunk Contest.  Who will you be giving a "10" or a "0" to for their dunks? Will it be the young George Hill? How about Bonner or Jefferson? Who do you have winning the event?

Michael De Leon and Jeff Garcia went live minutes after the Lakers thrashing of the Spurs without Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.

We broke down the game quarter by quarter, discussed the Spurs problem areas, ranted about Richard Jefferson and took your calls.

Be sure to look out for our next live show next week.

Just when Spurs fans think it can't get any worse this season, now this. A year ago, in February 2009, we here at Project Spurs posted a story about photos surfacing of a nude George Hill. Well seems after a year, the issue has resurfaced.

"The San Antonio Spurs are SOL in their attempt to have nude pics of one of their players removed from a website -- for now -- because the site's lawyer just said the pics of their player's basketballs are there to stay."

For obvious reasons, the Spurs want the photos taken down since it shines a negative light on their otherwise "choir-boy" image.  Seems the Spurs organization will continue to fight the website in removing the photos.  

However, it's in Hill's and the Spurs best interest to take a page out of Greg Oden's book when his nude photos surfaced. Come clean and defuse the issue now. Don't drag this out fighting it in court. Coming clean, admitting it was a lapse in judgment and apologizing to the fans and to the Spurs organization will simply display Hill's character and willingness to take ownership in his mistake. It is simply that, a mistake. Now lets move on.

UPDATE:

George Hill has issued an apology over the nude photos.

In a statement issued by the team on Tuesday, Hill said: “A year ago I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I have matured and learned from this episode.”

This is exactly what Hill should have done a year ago in February 2009 when it first went public. Regardless, this was the right decision for Hill and the Spurs organization. Now let's move on.

According to a column by Ken Berger of CBS Sports, the Spurs may be looking to acquire Bulls big man Tyrus Thomas before the February 18 trade deadline.

Two Western Conference teams intrigued by Thomas are the Nuggets, patiently seeking a big man to contend with the Lakers, and the Spurs, who were characterized by two rival executives as desperate to acquire an athletic big man. “They feel like they have to do something, like they’re behind the eight ball a little bit,” one of the execs said. The Spurs have a full complement of expiring contracts that would intrigue the Bulls, who want to avoid losing a significant player with no compensation (see Ben Gordon) for the second straight summer.

I mentioned Thomas as a potential trade acquisition in my mailbag post yesterday about Manu Ginobili.

While the Spurs have a young athletic big man in DeJuan Blair, his height is certainly an issue and the Lakers took advantage of that last night. Have an explosive, athletic center next to Tim Duncan is intriguing, but Thomas is at a point where he's got to mature fast or he'll never be more than potential.

His days in Chicago are numbered after rookie Taj Gibson took his spot in the starting lineup and after he was suspended for cussing out Vinny Del Negro.

At times, Thomas looks like the next great big man who could one day become an all-star and other times he looks like a confused D-Leaguer playing his first NBA game. The mental aspect is a huge issue, but I think he could thrive under the tutelage of Tim Duncan and with Pop coaching him.

If the Spurs just lose a few expiring contracts, it might be worth the risk to get Thomas and see if he can turn into the center the Spurs have been looking for since David Robinson retired.

RJ on the trading block

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports wrote today about the Spurs patience with Richard Jefferson running low. He also mentioned that league sources say the Spurs have brought up Jefferson's name in trade talks with no takers.

As Jeff Garcia and I talked about on last night's Laker's recap live show, Jefferson has been a bust and is definitely not earning his $14 million contract.  I'm sure the Spurs will continue to shop Jefferson, and we'll have a few trade scenarios of our own on Project Spurs next week.

With the Spurs playing mediocre at best and last night's loss to the Lakers still fresh on Spurs fans minds, we here at Project Spurs thought we have some fun and lighten the mood.

This year's Spurs team has plenty of good three point shooters. When players such as Keith Bogans, or Mike Finley line up and from the three-point line, chances are great the ball is going in the basket.

However, in this year's NBA Three-Point Shootout in Dallas, no Spur was selected to participate.  But don't fret. We here at Project Spurs looked at the current roster and chose five players with the best percentage from the three-point line to participate in the Project Spurs' 2010 All-Spur Three-Point Shootout.

Here are the participants.

Michael Finley

Though only played a few games this season for the Spurs, Finley is a reliable three-point threat for the Spurs. This season he is averaging 37% from behind the arch. He can nail the three from anywhere behind the arch. Just ask the Phoenix Suns.

Roger Mason

Money! There is a reason why Roger Mason has this nickname.  If he is taking a three, more than likely the ball is finding its way into the basket. In his first season with the Spurs, he made the Clippers, Suns and Lakers pay for leaving him wide open. He also was a contestant in the 2009 NBA Three-Point Shootout and finished with 13 points.  This season Mason is averaging 39% from the three-point line.

George Hill

Hill's game is developing before our eyes and one area he has gotten better at is his three-point shooting.  This season he is averaging 38% from the arch and even showed the Lakers he can hit a buzzer-beating three pointer.

Matt Bonner

Bonner can light it up from beyond the arch. His stroke might look awkward but Spurs fans can rest easy knowing Bonner is setting up for a three-point shot in a game. He is perhaps the most reliable three-point shooter on the team.  This season he is shooting 39% from the three-point line.

Keith Bogans

Known more for his defensive presence on the court, Bogans has shown he can hit the three. Especially from the corners. But will this translate in this three-point shootout? For the season, Bogans is shooting 38% from the arch.

There is the field Spurs fans.  The racks are ready, the money ball is ready, and the clock is ready to go. All five guys can hit the shot but only one can be crowned a winner. Who is going to win it? Leave us your thoughts and pick the winner.

Come back tomorrow when we will host the Project Spurs 2010 All-Spur Dunk Contest.

Well not really eight guys for this episode but we still managed to get six guys to join . In this episode we had Rey Moralde from The No Look Pass, Glenn Moore from the Dug Out Sports Show, Jared Wade from 8 Points, 9 Seconds & Both Teams Played Hard, Zach Harper from Cowbell Kingdom & Talk Hoops, John Karalis from Reds Army, and myself.

In this brand spanking new episode, which was co-hosted by myself and John Karalis, we discuss Kevin Garnett's knee and realize John likes to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. We also discuss the All-Star game, who got snubbed, and Glenn Moore takes issue with being called a "typical Cavs fan."  I tried my best to cool him down.  Also how much of a trooper is Zach? Guy manned up and came on the show even though he lost his voice and could barely speak.

Unfortunately Mike De Leon could not join the show but I did give a state of the Spurs address and propose what they need to trade for before the end of the trade deadline.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast.

Rest of The 8th Seed Crew:

Rey Moralde from The No Look Pass
Glenn Moore from The Dug Out Sports Show
Jared Wade from 8 Points, 9 Seconds & Both Teams Played Hard
Zach Harper from Cowbell Kingdom & Talk Hoops
John Karalis from Reds Army
Adam Best from Fansided

"Last night, I was watching the Spurs-Blazers game and about 8 minutes into the 1st quarter, David Aldridge said that the Spurs aren't going to re-sign Manu? If that's so we definetly should trade him. I know that he's definetly a game changer and we wouldn't have won those titles without him, but he's on a decline. We should try and trade him for Bosh or even Granger, and keep RJ because I think he would be more comfortable and we will still have the big 3! But what I'm getting at, did I seriously hear that we aren't going to re-sign Manu? Instead of him going to a possible contender next year like Boston, Cleveland, Nuggets or the feared Lakers, then we should make a trade for him if we are not going to re-sign him." - Samir Patel

Samir,

You heard right, and according to a few of our sources, this is no surprise. I can't help but think this is a mistake though. Sure, Manu's had his share of injuries, but I've said for quite some time that I think the Spurs could work out a deal to keep Manu short-term at a reduced contract.

Manu has said money isn't an issue any more so I don't understand why they couldn't offer him a reduced salary as part of a 2-year extension where the second year is a team option. Currently, Manu is making $10.7 million a year. To stay a Spur, I think Manu would take $6 million a year and I think that is a fair amount to pay him.

If they were so concerned about cutting costs, why would they ever offer Antonio McDyess a guaranteed three-year contract starting at $4.5 million a year.

Manu's stats may be down across the board, but yet he's still averaging more than Richard Jefferson in points, assists and steals in five less minutes a game. Manu also plays hard on both sides of the floor. If that sounds like a shot at Jefferson, it should. Jefferson is set to make $15 million next year, yet the Spurs can't offer $6 million to Manu, one of few Spurs who seems to have some passion and intensity left.

If they can't sign Manu, they should at least attempt to trade him for a young, athletic swingman or center. I'd rather get something instead of nothing. I do know that I'm not ready to see Manu in another jersey, but I also know Bosh and Granger are not realistic. Tyrus Thomas is more on the money of what we could expect in return.

For more on San Antonio without Manu, be sure to check out Lance Fell's article posted last week.

Got a mailbag question? Send it in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or click the contact link above.

Don't be an asterisk. No we are not talking about Phil Jackson's snide remark regarding the Spurs 1999 NBA title.

Project Spurs was asked to help promote the "Don't Be An Asterisk" campaign aimed at preventing young men and women from using steroids in sports in conjunction with the upcoming Winter Olympics. Obviously, we were honored we were asked to assist in this campaign.

Some of the facts on the website about steroids were eye-opening and somber.  The effects of steroid use on the body of men and women are devastating. Also there are testimonials from the athletes competing in the upcoming Winter Olympics. Testimonials from Jennifer Rodriguez (Long Track Speed Skating) discussing steroids to Manuel Guerra, Jr. (Sledge Hockey) on his training regiment, the website is something all young athletes must visit.

Please visit the "Don't Be An Asterisk" website by clicking HERE and check out the official facebook page by clicking HERE.