 |
Season Begins
Football has its pad-popping sweaty two-a-days. Baseball has the promise of warmer weather and Florida palm trees. In basketball, however, there are only a few subtle developments that signal the start of another season. The training camp and preseason games are sometimes arduous reminders for the players that the long 82 game grind is about to begin. Yes, the weather does begin to get cooler in most places (apparently not in San Antonio) and Halloween is usually a good indicator that it's NBA Hoops time once again. In these parts there's also a ritual that takes place every other year, and that is the appearance by Commissioner David Stern as he says some nice things about the Spurs organization and fans, and then hands out the hardware; championship rings that represent the ultimate prize for the endless hours of practice, shootarounds and 2:00 AM arrivals that make up a typical NBA season.
Many players say the toughest thing to do after getting the rings is focusing on playing the game after all the pomp and circumstance. Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, never one to live in the past, emphasizes the importance of putting the previous season in the rear view mirror and focusing on the task at hand, and that of course is the 2007-2008 season.
Manu in Fine Form
Don't look now, but Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is acting like its the playoffs. That is...he's making it very tough on the opposition. In Miami on Tuesday night, Ginobili checked in about halfway through the first quarter. Before long you could hear oohs and aahs coming from the Heat fans, as Ginobili basically took over the game. His aggressive drives to the basket resulted in seven free throws....he hit every one. He also hit nearly everything else he tried, as he missed only one of seven shots from the field.
Before departing the game for good early in the fourth quarter, the lefty from Bahia Blanca scored 22 points in under 19 minutes of play. Ginobili joked with reporters that he doesn't have any bruises on his body just yet, so he may not exactly be in mid season form. One thing we know from watching him over the past six seasons; there's plenty more where that came from.
Udoka Feels The Fit
Spurs forward Ime Udoka admits that his route to the NBA has been less than conventional. "It's been a long journey, but I feel like I've been rewarded by coming to a team like the Spurs", said Udoka, who spent last season with his hometown Portland Trail Blazers. For Udoka, there have been many roads, complete with exits and detours. He played two seasons of junior college ball at Eastern Utah, one season at the University of San Francisco and finished his college career at Portland State. Then the real excursion began, first with Charleston of the NBA Development League and a training camp cameo appearance with the Lakers before heading back to Charleston. Then it was off to Europe for the '04-05 season, where he split time between Spain and France. He came back to the states for the 05-06 season, getting cut by the 76ers before enjoying a breakout season with the Fort Worth Flyers of the "D" League. By averaging 17 points and playing aggressive defense, Udoka earned a shot with the Blazers and started 75 games last season, averaging 8.5 points per game and hitting 40% from three point range. He is excited to be in San Antonio, and has drawn praise from the coaching staff. Assistant coach Mike Budenholzer says the fact that Udoka has played in so many different enviroments and programs has helped him adapt quickly to the Spurs system. Udoka says he takes pride in his defensive abilities, which should benefit him greatly in his new surroundings and is one of the main reasons the Spurs signed him over the summer. Bowen A Lock In San Antonio
When the name Bruce Bowen is uttered around many NBA cities, compliments may not immediately follow. Coaches and fans don't enjoy watching him pester, annoy, and aggravate their best players. In San Antonio, however, it's a completely different story. The Spurs recently rewarded Bowen with a contract extension that will likely take him to retirement in Silver and Black.
Make no mistake about it, Bowen is a Spur through and through, and an integral part of the past three Spurs NBA titles. His ability to effectively defend several positions on the floor, his knack for hitting timely three pointers in the playoffs (remember Game 5 at Phoenix in May?) and his blue collar work ethic (the NBA's longest current consecutive games played streak at 436) all endear him to the San Antonio faithful. He is also extremely active in the community, is a leader in the locker room and is courteous to everyone he encounters...at least until you try to score on him.
Back To Basics
Building a foundation. No skipping steps. Back to basics. You might not think that all of these fundamental phrases would apply to a veteran ballclub that has won three NBA championships in the past five years, but that's exactly what Head Coach Gregg Popovich is stressing as the Spurs participate in their 35th training camp. In one drill, chairs are set up in three different areas of the court and the players are required to work on their footwork by pivoting around the chairs. Pop admits that a few players may roll their eyes when asked to perform such tasks (he called it a fifth grade drill), but it's these simple tasks that have built the base of the Spurs' impressive run. |
