The Roster: Duncan, Ginobili

In the lead up to the NBA season, I'm taking the time to slowly but surely go through every player who is likely to suit up in the silver and black this year and at least give some brief thoughts on their likely contribution. I know some of these players better than others, so some will subsequently receive lengthier consideration, but everybody gets a little attention. Today we finish off the roster with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Tim Duncan:

The centerpiece of our dynasty, Tim Duncan continues to be the foundation for the Spurs success. The best power forward in the history of the game, he remains one of the best players in the NBA, despite being past his prime. His offensive repertoire is just shy of indefensible: most opposing teams merely hope to limit him rather than stop him. He is obviously best known for his bank shot, although he has a more varied set of moves than is often attributed to him. He has been able to sustain such a high level of play because he does not rely on his athleticism. He secures rebounds mostly by being in position. He puts the ball through the hoop with infallible mechanics. Eventually his game will deteriorate, but for now he will remain a force to be reckoned with.

Blessed with a combination of intelligence and character, Duncan's level of play is infectious. He understands Popovich's system and style in its entirety and therefore is as prepared as anyone to impart wisdom to his fellow teammates. But unlike many superstars, he addresses them with a mutual respect that ensures that they are listening.

Duncan's most underrated virtue may be his clutch shooting. If one takes a look back at his career, there are numerous instances in which he has nailed do-or-die shots from any number of spots on the floor. His 3-pointer in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs this year comes to mind, but actually, he has an even more incredible shot that goes unnoticed. During the 2004 playoffs, he nailed a 20-foot jumper to put the Spurs up by 1 against the Lakers in game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals despite being excellently defended by Shaquille O'Neal. Few people focus on that shot, as Derek Fisher hit an even more miraculous shot as time expired moments later. Had Fisher missed, Duncan's shot would be a staple of playoff of lore.

Manu Ginobili:

Sixth Man of the Year and the Spurs' leading scorer last season, Ginobili has surpassed his role as "firestarter" and now is amongst the top shooting guards in the league. He is an excellent outside shooter, as well as an inventive and deadly finisher at the basket. He is strongest with his left hand, although his quick first step allows him to jet past defenders in either direction.

Ginobili very well may be the most competitive Spur on the roster, which is saying something given the number of rings the team collectively owns. He does not understand how to take plays off or give less than 100%, making him both an inspiration to those around him and an exciting player to watch. His style is more dynamic than most men on the roster, as he can genuinely score from anywhere on the floor and is more likely to gamble on the defensive end of the ball.

Ginobili currently has an injury to his left ankle that will keep him out until December of this season. His presence will be missed, but won't be crushing. The team is too balanced and too disciplined to allow the absence of any one player to effect its standings dramatically (consider how well the team played while Duncan was sidelined last season). More important than he come back soon is that he come back completely healthy. In this past season's playoffs he played on the same hurt ankle, and it affected his style of play dramatically. In particular he was unable to drive to the lane with the frequency and intensity with which he normally does. Were he to return at full strength, it would go a long way towards putting this team back into championship contention.

The Roster: Parker, Mason, The D-Leaguers

In the lead up to the NBA season, I'm taking the time to slowly but surely go through every player who is likely to suit up in the silver and black this year and at least give some brief thoughts on their likely contribution. I know some of these players better than others, so some will subsequently receive lengthier consideration, but everybody gets a little attention. Today: Tony Parker, Roger Mason, and an assortment of D-League hopefuls.

Tony Parker:

2007 Finals MVP and smoother operator Tony Parker is the only member of the big three who very well may have his best basketball in front of him. Although Tim Duncan remains the foundation for success, Parker has genuinely assumed the mantle of "floor-general." Under the tutelage of Popovich and Duncan, Parker has become one of the premier point guards in the league.

Parker is blessed with blinding quickness, as well as a preternatural sense of pace that allows him to catch defenders off guard. It's not so much that Parker is shockingly fast as it is that he can go from 0 to 60 and back to 0 in no time flat. He uses this ability to score effectively on the fast break as well as in half-court settings. At this point, Parker's ability to attack the basket may be the Spurs' most potent/feared offensive weapon. Although Duncan's bank shot and Ginobili's ability to finish receive much attention, Parker's ability to get into the lane is increasingly becoming the number one priority for opposing defenses.

Parker has worked tirelessly to improve his jump shot, even going through the rigorous process of changing his actual mechanics. He was unable to develop a consistent three-point shot, and subsequently has stopped taking so many outside shots. He easily gets mid-range looks because defenders are so concerned about him beating them off the dribble. If he ever develops a consistent mid-range shot, he will be a very difficult man to defend effectively.

Roger Mason:

Brought in to replace the loss of Brent Barry, Mason is a classic Spurs small forward: Solid defender, solid outside shooter, capable point-forward if need be (in fact, ESPN lists him as a PG). Last season, Mason averaged 9.1 points per game while shooting 39% from beyond the 3-point line. As best I can tell he can be counted on for a similar amount of production this season. Aside from reliable outside shooting, a staple of any Spurs role player, Mason adds a little bit of youth and athleticism to our aging roster. Brent Barry will always have a special place in my heart, but he's 36, while Mason is only 28. It's a meaningful step forward for a front office that almost seems to hold a grudge against anybody under 30. Until the season gets going, I probably won't have much more to say about Mason, as he seems to fit into the Spurs system in obvious ways.

The D-Leaguers:

Aside from the usual gang, a bevy of development league players will be trying to earn a spot during training camp. The most likely to end up in a Spurs uniform next season are Ian Mahinmi, Anthony Tolliver, and Desmon Farmer. Darryl Watkins and Devon Green will also be trying to earn a spot on the roster. Mahinmi has been a successful member of the Austin Toros, the Spurs D-League affiliate, and is perennially on the cusp of earning a permanent spot on the roster. Tolliver played for the Iowa Energy where he averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. I actually haven't seen much of Desmon Farmer, but Matt Moore has a good breakdown of Farmer's potential over at Ridiculous Upside that I recommend taking a look at. As far Watkins and Green go, I assume they know the rules of basketball, but beyond that your guess is as good as mine.

The Roster: Finley, Bowen, Stoudamire

In the lead up to the NBA season, I'm taking the time to slowly but surely go through every player who is likely to suit up in the silver and black this year and at least give some brief thoughts on their likely contribution. I know some of these players better than others, so some will subsequently receive lengthier consideration, but everybody gets a little attention. Today: Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Salim Stoudamire.

Michael Finley:

At 35 years old, Finley is no longer the amped gunner we once knew, but his stroke remains pure, his competitiveness alive and well. His shooting percentage slipped a tad last season, enough so that his position on the starting five needs to be seriously considered. To be honest, I don't know where Popovich is at regarding Finley's place in the rotation. With the additions of Stoudamire and Mason, we have two new outside shooters who may be more consistent than Finley at this point. But hell or high water, Popovich likes who he likes (see Robert Horry for further evidence), and Finley remains solidly on Pop's good side, which means #4 could be seeing more minutes than is probably appropriate.

Finley does have one characteristic which, at least for me, makes him a valuable member of this team: He takes things personally. In particular, he takes offensive failure personally. There is nothing I love more than when Finley gets pissed. Somewhere in that long and lean body of his is the memory of a man who could score in bunches. And oftentimes, when the shots just aren't dropping, it's Finley who nails a couple to get things back on track. It's difficult to quantify this type of contribution, but if you watch closely, you can see it. I don't think Finley deserves the minutes he's had in the past,but I am happy that he will likely end his career as a Spur (the number of times I am going to type that during this roster breakdown is absurd).

Bruce Bowen:

The most controversial member of the current Spurs roster (and honestly, probably ever), Bowen is well known for his lock-down defense and even better known for his somewhat unorthodox tactics. He's undoubtedly lost a step or two over the years, but still has the potential to entirely negate an opposing player's presence on the floor (see his defense on Peja Stojakovic during the Western Conference Semi-Finals for further details). That being said, like Finley, Bowen's position as a starter needs to be reconsidered. And again, like Finley, Bowen is a Popovich favorite and will in all likelihood start 82 games. Just for the record, I am more comfortable with Bowen starting than Finley. As I noted a moment ago, He doesn't have the lateral quickness he used to but he will still be an All-NBA defensive player.

I wouldn't exactly call Bowen an "offensive liability" as he shoots 40% from beyond the arc, but he only does so from his signature spot in the corner. He also only does so when he is completely open, which is the unidentified shortcoming of Bowen's limited offense: most other "sharpshooters" would have inflated shooting percentages if they only took the uncontested looks Bowen is getting. That being said, I do salute him for having the maturity to mostly play within his ability (when Bowen infrequently puts the ball on the floor it gives me a small heart attack).

In regards to Bowen's reputation for being a dirty player, I actually penned a reasonably lengthy defense of his style of play back in May. Take a look, as I continue to stand by what I wrote on the matter.

Salim Stoudamire:

The newest addition to the Spurs roster, Stoudamire was brought in to help the bench provide some sorely needed offensive production. I'm not sure whether this will come to pass or not, as I will openly admit I have only watched Salim play a couple of times, but Ziller seems confident, and that's good enough for me. In theory, his preference for the long ball should fit perfectly into the Spurs offensive scheme.

I'll take this opportunity to say that, whether or not Salim is successful as a Spur, this is a step in the right direction. We need to get younger, and we need to unashamedly go after guys who can score (At points I almost feel Popovich is trying to field an offensively inept team out of spite). I lost countless hours of sleep mulling over how professional basketball players could possibly have such a difficult time scoring for such unbearably long stretches during a game. I don't know if I've ever seen a "contender" flatline offensively the way the Spurs were prone to do last season.

The Roster: Udoka, Hill, Oberto

In the lead up to the NBA season, I'm taking the time to slowly but surely go through every player who is likely to suit up in the silver and black this season and at least give some brief thoughts on their likely contribution. I know some of these players better than others, so some will subsequently receive lengthier consideration, but everybody gets a little attention. Today: Ime Udoka, George Hill, Fabricio Oberto.

Ime Udoka:

Anybody who read this blog during the season knows I am an unashamed cheerleader for Udoka. A savvy journeyman who played increasing minutes over the course of last season, I think he will be a productive member of this squad for several years. He is thought of as the heir apparent to Bruce Bowen, and in some ways this is true but in some ways he is likely to be a much more versatile member of this team.

Udoka is a lock-down perimeter defender in the mold of Bowen (he did an excellent job covering Odom during the Western Conference Finals-check out Odom's stats from the second half of game 1, when Udoka was glued to him), but he has the strength and fearlessness to bang in the post. He is only 6-6, but he plays above his height. Also like Bowen, he is an effective outside shooter (37% from beyond the arc last season), although he is comfortable letting it fly from spots other than the corner.

Unlike Bowen, he can make effective decisions off the dribble. He's not some miraculous ball-handler, but the man can find the space to get a good mid-range look or to hit the cutter. I don't have some misguided dream that one day Udoka will be a primary scorer on this squad, or even a starter. But as far as our role players go, he probably inspires the most confidence in me. I would also like to note that the man is a complete bad-ass.

George Hill:

Hill was our first-round pick in this year's draft, and I'd be lying if I didn't say there isn't a number of other players who were available at the time I wish we would have taken. That being said, I think he potentially could be a valuable member of this squad. According to Jeff over at Project Spurs, Hill is already a bust, but I'm willing to give the man a chance. I guess Hill was chosen because Popovich believed he was that special combination of tenacious defender/selfless player that the Spurs crave. But during summer league play, he proved surprisingly inept on the offensive end of the ball. Nonetheless, I can still see him challenging Vaughn for the backup spot at the point. If he can prove to be a responsible ball-handler and an aggressive defender, there is no reason he couldn't be a regular contributor to the second squad. Sadly, I don't hope for much more out of this guy.

Fabricio Oberto:

Oberto, Manu's shaggy headed compatriot and our starting center, was a valued member of our 2007 championship squad and will remain a reliable however limited member of our starting 5 this year. I think he is a decent defender (given the caliber of player he is often asked to cover), and a surprisingly creative passer for a post-player. His primary offensive contribution comes in the form of garbage buckets, but he and Manu also run the pick and roll quite effectively. At this point, Oberto's likely contribution seems self-evident: He's been a 5 and 5 player for a couple of years and is likely to remain so. At the end of the day, he is a hard worker and competent companion to Duncan in the frontcourt.

The Roster: Bonner, Vaughn, Thomas

Although I will be a part of a couple of season preview projects, including Spurs previews for both Celtics blog and Hardwood Paroxysm, I wanted to take the time and do an extended breakdown of the roster the Spurs have assembled heading into this upcoming season. I've watched some of these players countless times, others I came to know better this past season, still others I've mostly just read their scouting reports. So I'm not going to act as if I know all these players inside and out, but I will give each at least a brief moment of attention. Today we'll begin with Matt Bonner, Jacques Vaughn and Kurt Thomas.

Matt Bonner:

Bonner is at best a peripheral figure on the Spurs roster. Everybody has a soft spot in their heart for "human victory cigar" type players, so obviously I don't harbor any ill will when it comes to Bonner, but there is no reason to act like he will be anything more than a pale-faced blur at the end of the bench. For a 12th man, he is a decent defender, and has a charmingly irrelevant proclivity for shooting from beyond the arc. But you have to actually spend time on the court to affect the outcome of games, something Bonner just won't do unless the outcome has long before been decided.

Jacques Vaughn:

Vaughn is the backup point guard to Tony Parker, although his job may be in jeopardy now that we have drafted George Hill. Popovich has said explicitly that the backup job at the point is up for grabs. Vaughn is a limited player, but plays relatively mistake free ball (.7 Turnovers/15 minutes per game) , which is fundamentally what the Spurs want out of him. Whether Parker or Vaughn, we don't rely on our point guards to be too inventive in terms of ball distribution. In fact, Ginobili (and Barry) probably brought the ball up as often if not more than Vaughn this past season. Obviously Hill is a massive x-factor, but between Parker, Hill, Ginobili and Mason (whom Popovich likely plans on playing at the point forward) I expect Vaughn to become an increasingly irrelevant member of the roster.

Kurt Thomas:

In the winter of his NBA career, Thomas is likely to retire as a Spur. He was acquired from the recently deceased Supersonics during last season to help counterbalance against the increasingly loaded front-courts of the Western Conference (Shaq/Amare; Gasol/Bynum/Odom). Despite his age he remains a solid post defender. He lacks lateral quickness but makes up for it with savvy. He isn't a prolific scorer, but has a good sense of his own limitations on that half of the floor. His preferred shot is a straight on 8 to 10 footer from the top of the paint, and he will only take that if genuinely open. Although I would have preferred that Buford and Popovich had used this off-season for a bit of youthful rejuvenation, I fundamentally trust Kurt's decision making when on the court, and am content to see him in the silver and black for a couple more seasons.