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The greatest fist-pump in Spurs history

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Kurt Thomas to the Spurs baby!

SAN ANTONIO (TICKER) —Kurt Thomas was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, becoming the latest big man to head to a Western Conference contender via trade.

The Spurs acquired Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round pick.

The 6-foot-9 Thomas, in his 13th NBA season, gives the defending NBA champions much-needed size to complement Tim Duncan. In 42 games with the SuperSonics, the former Texas Christian star averaged 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Yahoo! Sports reported earlier Wednesday that San Antonio dropped under the luxury-tax threshold after the deal, possibly saving it about $2 million. In exchange, the report said the Spurs will send the SuperSonics a portion of the savings.

“Kurt Thomas is a tough, physical player who can defend, score and rebound,” said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, who negotiated the deal with his former assistant, Sonics GM Sam Presti. “We feel he will be a great addition to our roster and will add depth to our frontcourt.”

“I think the landscape of the West has put a premium on interior defense,” Buford said. “Now with the trades of recent days, that’s only improved.”

Presti seemed happy about his dealings with his former club.

“We feel very good about the trade that brings us the Spurs’ 2009 first-round draft pick, Francisco Elson and Brent Barry,” he said. “In particular, looking at the first-round pick, in combination with our other future picks, we have great flexibility to add to our core or acquire another impact player in the future.

“At the same time, Kurt is a tremendous person and player, and I appreciate his contributions this season and wish him success.”

Basically... my opinion is that Kurt Thomas is a p.i.m.p. First, he went to TCU... meaning he is already cool. Second, I don't know if anyone remembers last year's Western conference semis... Spurs vs. Suns. After Amare and maybe Nash in that series Kurt was the Suns MVP for sure. He basically shut down Tim Duncan and I don't ever remember him missing a 8-14 foot jump shoot.

The Spurs needed this move. I hate to see Brent Barry go, but with the potential Western conference playoff match-ups of Spurs-Suns, or Lakers we need another great defensive low-post presence. And the 7.5 point average doesn't hurt either. Now that we got Timmy and Kurt to match-up with Shaq/Amare and Gasol/Bynum, we are looking to make another deep playoff run for sure. I mean, when considering the Mavs, after trading Diop, how are than going to match-up with these front court tandems of the West.

I'll end in saying this about the playoffs in the West... that have already started.

Also... hope to see the Supersonics cut Brent "Burnt" Barry and him resign with the Spurs in 30 days, chuuuch!

Spurs mid-season player grades...

From the great poundingtherock.com... great stuff

Manu Ginobili (The Sickness, Opus, etc.) Grade: AA++++

What can be said that has not already been said? How about this? The man's play has given me an erection three different times this season. And one of those times I was wearing my Pope-blessed erection proof Chastity Chaps!

Tim Duncan (The Cornerstone, Timmeh!, etc.) Grade: B+

He's coming along after a lazyish start. Hasn't been hurt all that much.

Tony Parker (The Wee Frenchman, Frenchie McWonderbutt, etc.) Grade: B

He was pretty freaking awesome before he hobbled his ankle. And that shit with him doing Grease with Eva was funny as all hecky-shucks-darn.

Matt Bonner (The Gingerhead Man) Grade: B

Maybe it's been my imagination, but I swear he hasn't sucked. I swear. However, if you consider how little playing time he's gotten, and who Pop's playing in his place, well, he must of sucked the suckiest donkey balls ever sucked.

Pop (Coach Wino) Grade: D-

The only thing saving him from an F is the fact he hasn't physically injured Manu yet.

Robert Horry (Ear Muffs, etc.) Grade: G

Horry's proving it's ok if you suck balls as long as it's the coach's balls your sucking. Sorry. That was gross. Just picture that. Eww.

Michael Finley (Conspicuously Devoid of a Nickname as Far as I Can Remember) Grade: C

He tries hard all the time. His multi-directional fadeaways give me the runs.

Jacque Vaughn () Grade: D

During the RRT I nearly threw my effing shoe at my tv because that horrible color commentator kept going on and on about how well he'd been playing. He sucked balls. Check his stats. They were awful. He just shot the ball a lot out of sheer embarrassment. If Tony Parker played that way he'd be tarred, feathered and shipped out of town.

Fabricio Oberto () Grade: B-

Thoroughly uninspiring but sucks way less than Elson.

Bruce Bowen () Grade: B-

Not shooting all that well lately and takes way too many jump shots. Bruce, just because you practiced your running left hander all summer doesn't mean you get to shoot it every time you're open.

I'm out of time. Sorry Brent. Get well soon. Everyone else hasn't mattered. [Edit: Sorry, Ime, you matter, too.]

The Spurs are better than you

San Antonio Spurs Tux & Tennies event on February 2nd ... so the Spurs are boring huh?

Kidd deal might hurt Mavs in match-up against Spurs

EXACTLY.

If the Jason Kidd deal is completed, don't expect the San Antonio Spurs to lose belief in their ability to compete with the Dallas Mavericks in a seven-game playoff series. Dallas presented them more matchup problems than any Western team, and one of the toughest was presented by the super-quick point guard Devin Harris, a tough cover for Tony Parker.

Kidd never has been able to blow by Parker, even five years ago. Soon, he will be 35.

Further, DeSegana Diop had some success defending Tim Duncan. The Mavericks like Brandon Bass, but he does not have Diop's length. If the deal goes down, Dallas will miss his defensive intensity.

Source: Express-News

"Manu Ginobili is a bad boy"

"Manu Ginobili's a bad boy," Cavs coach Mike Brown said.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Manu Ginobili is planning a trip to Las Vegas during this weekend's NBA All-Star break. Alert the roulette wheels, blackjack tables and pit bosses.

Watch out. This guy's on a serious roll.

Ginobili made a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high 46 points as the San Antonio Spurs, back on the floor where they won the NBA title last season, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-105 on Wednesday night.

Knocking down shots from every corner of the floor, Ginobili made 4-of-4 3-pointers and scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Spurs, who began the final period down by four.

"I'm just happy he's on my team," Tim Duncan said. "He's unbelievable when he gets rolling like that. The funny part is, I've seen him do it before."

Following Ginobili's hot hand, the Spurs went 7-of-8 on 3s and shot a blistering 78 percent (14-of-18) in the final 12 minutes.

After James misfired on a 3, Ginobili drained his fourth 3 of the quarter to make it 103-95 with 3:10 left, a shot that drew gasps from the sellout crowd.

"It was unbelievable," James said. "There's nothing you can do when a guy get hot like that. He shot step-back 3s. He shot pull-up 3s. It was a great performance by Manu."

Ginobili is indeed a "bad boy," and should have been selected for the 2008 NBA All-Star game. Straight ballin'.

Spurs HEB Commercial

Where Spurs Happen

OHHH SNAP!! Spurs Ice Cream Baby

H-E-B Introduces First Ice Cream Inspired by the San Antonio Spurs (Originally called "In your face Mavs fans chocolate")

SAN ANTONIO -- In another San Antonio first, H-E-B has unveiled the first official ice cream inspired by the San Antonio Spurs. Proudly introduced under the H-E-B Creamy Creations line, Slam Dunk Chocolate Chunk — chocolate coated crisps and a chocolate swirl dunked in vanilla ice cream — features unique packaging in the team’s distinctive black and silver colors with the Spur’s Coyote taking center stage in a slam dunk pose. The 2007-2008 home game schedule is also listed on the packaging. The limited edition Spur’s Slam Dunk flavor will be available throughout the 2007-2008 basketball season in approximately 165 H-E-B stores throughout Central and South Texas. “There’s no bigger Spurs fan in Texas than H-E-B and we are proud to call them our hometown team,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B Group Vice President of Public Affairs and Diversity. We wanted to do something special to mark their four NBA championship titles and this gives fans the opportunity to combine two favorite past-times – watching the Spurs and eating Creamy Creations ice cream.” Creamy Creations was introduced in H-E-B stores in 1998. The ice cream which is made specifically for Texas taste buds is produced in San Antonio at H-E-B’s Ice Cream Plant. Annually, H-E-B produces 3.6 million gallons each year of Creamy Creations to keep up with customer demand.

Popovich has become NBA's Bill Belichick

Great article by Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo! Sports about how Greg Popovich has become NBA's Bill Belichick

His superstar, Tim Duncan, had left $11 million on the negotiating table with his contract extension, passing on max-out money so the Spurs could surround him with championship talent well into his mid-30s. This was a Brady-esque move for the New England Patriots of the NBA, one that reaffirms for basketball's Belichick why he's the most blessed sideline soul in the sport.

By the way, what kind of superstar would you have on your team? The Tim Duncans of the world who get it and put their team before themselves or the greedy A-Rods of the world of who only care about themselves and how much money they earn? That's why the Spurs are champions and why no one can question Tim Duncan's selfless greatness. Chuuuch.

Good Pics

The NFL (Vick), the NBA (Donaghy), MLB (Bonds), and the Tour de France (Rasmussen) are all embroiled in scandal. Oh yeah, and ALBERTO GONZALES.

Big Shot Bob

Charles Hayden

Did Buford want to trade Duncan for # 1 Oden?

Today Truehoop writes about a very interesting topic from Oregonlive.com article, which talks about the offers Portland Trailblazers GM Pritchard was getting before the draft for the number one pick where they would for sure take Greg Oden of Ohio State. Here is a little bit of the peice... it is very interesting...

... shocking offer Pritchard reportedly got at the draft combine: "Sitting high in the stands at the Milk House arena where the marginal prospects scrimmaged -- far from the courtside seats Pritchard so preferred -- Pritchard that morning was approached by a general manager of a Western Conference power. With bright lights illuminating the court below, Pritchard sat in a darkened corner with the general manager. The general manager wanted the Blazers' No. 1 pick. And he was willing to offer a player that will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer." I have heard this story more than once too, and once again I think you can figure it out. "A Western Conference power?" What's that, like Dallas, Phoenix, and San Antonio? You know we're not talking about Steve Nash 'cause the Suns' whole system only works with him. And at this point I'd say it's a stretch to call Dirk Nowitzki a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. So ... you're a smart kid. You figure it out. If it's true, that's shocking, right? I heard this rumor more than once before the draft, but never in a way that makes me feel certain it's true. It could have been a rumor started in Portland to drive up the value of the top overall pick...

Well the only first-ballot hall-of-famer here is Tim Duncan... are they trying to say that R.C. Buford was trying to trade Duncan for Oden on the eve of the draft. That's insane, it goes completely against what the Spurs organization is all about. Although Oden would carry one's franchise for over decade, that would be no reason to trade Tim Duncan, the best power forward of all time at age 31 in the middle of his prime (my opinion).

Well, maybe he was talking about Dirk or Nash, but Dirk isn't a first-ballot HOF (my opinion) and Nash is the Sun's whole team... and they both suck, just kidding. Anyways, there is no way the Spurs are trading Duncan, but it is very intriguing to think that Buford might have been talking to Portland for this deal to happen before the draft... I think it's total lunacy and probably completely made up, but that's just me.

SPURS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!

More Tim Duncan Quotes

“I wish I could be involved in the high-flying off the glass stuff, but that's just not what I do, ... So I go out there, I play. I take my open shots and I try to move the ball around.”
Tim Duncan quote

“Everything's not clicking yet, but we're heading that way. It was a great learning experience today being able to fight back and staying with each other.”
Tim Duncan quote

“Bruce is always awesome, it doesn't matter who (he's defending), [lebron] or anybody else in the league, ... He's going to make them work for every point that they get. ... He was in his face every shot he took.”
Tim Duncan quote

The Dreaded 2-3-2

I just want to take a second to talk a little crap about the format of the NBA Finals, which is 2-3-2. Meaning that the home court advantage team gets the first two games at home and the last two, if the series goes to seven games. So, is this really home court advantage? Personally I wouldn't want to be the home team because if home court stays true, the home team will be facing an elimination game during game six.

Every other series in the NBA playoffs is in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. In this case, if home court stays true, the only elimination game the home team will face is game seven. So, why does the NBA do this. There are several theories, but the only one that is valid is the reason of the sports media. When the format is 2-3-2 they only have to make two trips from city to city.

I think this is total crap. For example, I believe one of the main reasons why the Dallas Mavericks lost the NBA Finals last year to the Miami Heat is because of the format of the series. Everyone won their respective home games... (games one-five) and then the Mavs faced an elimination game in game six. We all know that game five of an NBA playoff series is the most crucial when the series is close and especially when is is tied 2-2 and in the NBA Finals this (game 5) is not on the home team's court like every other series. But I guess we have to cater to the worthless media. I know it's tough for them to travel... Another one of David Stern's brilliant ideas.

SI Covers

Lets compare last week's Sports Illustrated cover to this week's.

Last week...

This week...

Now... Obviously, both of these covers and inside articles on Lebron and Duncan are in praise of some great basketball players, but I just want to take a moment to discuss them. The one on Duncan is four pages long and the one on Lebron is nine pages long. Hmm... maybe this means something. Oh yeah... and a whole half of a page in Duncan's article has a insert about Lebron. Wow. I know no one in the country wants the Spurs to win another championship (outside of San Antonio), but does the media really have to be that biased and subjective. So, it's "present vs. future" is it? More like good vs. bad the Spurs vs. Lebron or the best in the West vs. any horrible team out of the East. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have no chance, and I mean no chance to beat the Spurs in a seven game series. Spurs in five.

Good Pics

So, the Spurs are dirty???

Last night, Amare Stoudemire was on the "Best Damn Sports Show" on the Fox Sports network and he was asked about the Spurs-Suns series, obviously. He still took his position that the Spurs are a dirty team, even though his team could not match the physicality of the series... so naturally he chooses to continue his whining. He also said that the outcome of the series would have been different if he had not been suspended for running on the court, like an idiot, during an altercation. Stating that if that not had happened, the finals would be Suns and Cavs.

All right Amare, don't you think it's about time you said to yourself that you got out played by a better team and stop complaining. I mean, I know you were frustrated after game six when you lost to the Spurs, enough that you left the floor without shaking any one's hand like a real man or sportsman would. Amare is nothing but a complaining punk.

OH YEAH... I want everyone to check this video out... This happened two years ago when the Spurs played the Suns in the playoffs and the Spurs had a series advantage of 3-1 and a lead of about 8 points with 8 minutes to go and went on to beat the Suns. In this play, a Sun's player intentionally kicks Tim Duncan in the crouch when he is going up for a shot. My point is that no one involved with the Spurs called the Suns dirty after this or since then. We forgot about it and moved on and beat the crap out of the Suns. We focused on playing basketball and not talking about ridiculous allegations of dirty play. Way to go Amare... sportsman of the year goes to you.

Video: Good Defense