Well, here we are again. Another Monday, another TWSS post. And just now, as the offseason has gotten so monotonous that you can't bear it anymore, let me remind you that the Spurs start training camp on September 29th. As in, 8 days from now. [insert collective sigh of relief here.]
Just in time, too. The WNBA and Eurobasket are both winding down, which means the Spurs are starting training camp and preseason just in time to rescue us all from our boredom. But while we're waiting for that, let's find out what happened last week. Massive amounts of linkage, after the jump.
The Music
Well, we have more music than Kanye West can interrupt, because there's a lot of reading to be done.
JRW provided this one:
Latin D gives us a few choices as well:
LatinD's final choice is here. (NSFW)
My choices, for no particular reason other than I like them.
Sorry kids, no special sections this week. Bruce's retirement and David's HOF induction have both come and gone.
Everything Black, Silver And White
San Antonio Silver Stars
Speech sparked Silver Stars' turnaround | MySA.com
So, it wasn't because of LatinD's insistence that we all pay attention to them?
Position breakdown for Silver Stars vs. Phoenix Mercury series | MySA.com
Express-News WNBA writer Terrence Thomas profiles the key players and matchups in the Western Conference semifinals between the fourth-seeded Silver Stars and top-seeded Phoenix.
Silver Stars edge Mercury 92-91 - WNBA - Yahoo! Sports
Sophia Young scored 24 points to lead the San Antonio Silver Stars to a 92-91 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night in the opening game of the WNBA's Western Conference first-round series.
Phoenix beats San Antonio 106-78, evens series - WNBA @ Yahoo! Sports
Back to their high-scoring, fast-breaking ways, the Phoenix Mercury evened their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Silver Stars.
San Antonio Spurs
The Frenchness of Tony Parker | 48 Minutes of Hell
Guillaume Deschamps, French citizen, guest blogs about Tony Parker and his commitment to the French National Team.
An Open Letter to Gregg Popovich | 48 Minutes of Hell
Tim Varner has an idea about how Pop can get rid of those pesky sideline reporters that are always on his lawn.
Rediscovering Marcus Williams | 48 Minutes of Hell
Michael Schwartz of Valley of the Suns writes a follow-up to Tim V's interview with Marcus, from the perspective of someone who followed his collegiate career as a fellow student.
Media, Advertising, and the Game | 48 Minutes of Hell
Graydon Gordian looks into the divergence of perception vs. reality as it relates to the NBA.
Love To Hate | Project Spurs
Jeff Garcia shares some of the guys he loves to hate as a Spurs fan. It's a pretty damn good list.
Spurs sign Curtis Jerrells | Project Spurs
Michael A De Leon gives us a more detailed look at Jerrells.
HoopsHype.com | Spurs add guard Curtis Jerrells
Don't read to much into this, guys. The Spurs just need warm bodies for training camp. Although, if you want to try out for the Toros(see link below), Jerrells is probably standing in your way.
Chisholm: Spurs change game in order to make title push | TSN
The weakened Western conference inspired the San Antonio Spurs to go all-in this summer, committing to a $10-million luxury tax bill, all in the name of trying for at least one more title before Tim Duncan hangs 'em up. Tim Chishom breaks down the 2009-10 Spurs.
Just Sharing a wallpaper | SpursReport.com
SpursReport member JuanCaca made a wallpaper with a simple, effective message.
SPURS.com | Spurs Visit the San Antonio Food Bank
Present and future(?) Spurs George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Malik Hairston, Marcus Williams, Jack McClinton and James Gist recently visited the San Antonio Food Bank and helped out filling snack bags for young San Antonio residents.
Don't Just Respect the Spurs, Enjoy Them | Hornets247.com
Ryan Schwan of the New Orleans TrueHoop Network blog Hornets 24/7 tells us how he really feels. H/T to Tim Varner at 48MoH.
Food for Thought: Feeling Oberto's pain | MySA.com
Mike Finger: Most of us never dream we'll feel sympathy for millionaires, but a recent flight with Fabricio Oberto show that it's possible.
Spurs' Jefferson dislocates thumb | MySA.com
Richard Jefferson, the prize jewel of the Spurs' offseason makeover, dislocated his right thumb during a workout Tuesday, casting a degree of doubt over his availability for the start of training camp. No need to worry - we're only talking about training camp, folks - not any part of the season.
Austin Toros
The Toros are holding tryouts.
October 3rd in Austin, and October 11th in San Antonio.
Team France
[OK, so I know they aren't part of the Spurs' organization, but there's a relatively large portion of the Spurs' present and future personnel playing for Les Bleus.]
Parker watches as France beats Greece | MySA.com
Nando De Colo beat Greece on a last second shot in France's final game of group play at Eurobasket 2009.
EuroBasket: France 66, Spain 86 | 48 Minutes of Hell
Graydon Gordian recaps Team France's gigantic FAIL in the Eurobasket quarterfinals.
Parker, France earn spot in ’10 worlds | MySA.com
France beat Turkey in the losers' bracket of Eurobasket to earn a spot in next year's FIBA World Championships. So, we should get used to Tony and Ian playing overseas during the offseason. Poor Hedo...
This Week In Pounding the Rock
Gasol trade revisited.... - Pounding The Rock
PtR regular alamobro brings up a provocative subject. Hopefully, the Spurs have finally done enough to counter The Trade.
DEL POTROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Pounding The Rock
Just for clarification, Hipuks is Argentine. You may need a translator for this one.
Anagrams are Fun! - Pounding The Rock
CapHill gives us something to do in our spare time.
Poll: All Time Favorite Spur? - Pounding The Rock
A question that is painful to answer. Well, it's painful for some of us to choose, anyway.
Post/Poll: David Lee Sign-and-Trade? - Pounding The Rock
dfjmed asks if the Spurs should pursue SuperBonner.
The Spurs 3 difference makers - Pounding The Rock
Who's going to put the Spurs over the top?
WNBA Playoffs: Silver Stars Vs. Mercury Preview - Pounding The Rock
LatinD gives us a preview for the Western Conference WNBA Semifinal. Watch out, Diana - Becky's onto you.
Get your PtR phone app now on the iPhone and G1/Android - Pounding The Rock
Our [sometimes] benevolent overlord has been working hard this summer, and has something new for you to try. If you have an iPhone or Google phone, check it out.
PtR is bigger and badder - Pounding The Rock
The Grand Poobah of PtR introduces those of us who make up the "staff". What he doesn't know is that we've formed a union to demand at least one lexicon-worthy typo from him per week. And pie.
Yeah, it was a pretty slow week.
Around SB Nation
Kanye West is not a Steve Nash fan - Bright Side Of The Sun
Ha.
Blazers Sign Juwan Howard - Blazersedge
I'm surprised Pop didn't waive Hairston to do this.
Blazersedge: State of the Spurs (Ambassador Post)
A Blazers fan in San Antonio chimes in on the upcoming season's Spurs lineup.
NBA Locks Out Refs - CelticsBlog
"If you thought NBA refs were bad before..."
Chandler for Okafor, 2 Months Later - At The Hive
Our SBN counterparts for the Hornets take another look at the Emeka Okafor deal, two months later.
The circus is back in town. - Silver Screen and Roll
The Lakers have avoided off-the-court headlines for the past two seasons. With Ron Artest incoming, that is no longer the case.
Re-evaluating Jordan Farmar - Silver Screen and Roll
C.A. Clark examines the love-hate relationship that Lakers fans have with Jordan Farmar.
Ariza on Houston: "I've never felt so comfortable in my life" - The Dream Shake
Trevor Ariza apparently likes his new digs.
FOX Houston: Barry will not return to Rockets - The Dream Shake
Barry appears to be leaving Houston. Is he going to follow in Bruce's footsteps?
Help Name the New Frisco Team - Ridiculous Upside
Some suggestions for naming the D-League's new Frisco, TX team.
Ridiculous Transactions: 9/7-9/13 - Ridiculous Upside
A look at the previous week's transactions involving D-League players.
Fact or Fiction: The Orlando Magic's Offensive Philosophy Will Remain Relatively Similar - Third Quarter Collapse
The latest installment in 3QC's "Fact or Fiction" series examines the statement, "despite the roster shake-up, the Magic offense will remain stylistically similar."
Forget Superman; is Dwight Howard the Next Admiral? - Third Quarter Collapse
Dwight Howard has a body to rival David Robinson's, but does he have the game to match? 3QC investigates. Not sure I agree with them, though.
Fact or Fiction: The Orlando Magic Will Have Three All-Stars in the Upcoming Season - Third Quarter Collapse
Another installment in 3QC's "Fact or Fiction" series examines the statement, "the Orlando Magic will have three All-Stars by the mid-season break."
House: Designated Shooter - CelticsBlog
Jeff Clark profiles Eddie House.
Spoiler Alert: The One Where I Ruin the Season - Straight Outta Vancouver
djturtleface is going to do his own series of team previews. Pretty ambitious - he must have quite a bit of free time.
Wolves sign Pavlovic to 1 year deal (Yahoo!) - Canis Hoopus
Awful lot of activity in the T-Wolves front office this year.
Star or Black Hole? The Statistical Myth of Zach Randolph - Clips Nation
ClippersCurse(best username ever) gives Z-Bo a final evaluation, with some surprising results.
Fagan: Iguodala the Point Guard, and Practice Warrior - Liberty Ballers
Is Andre Iguodala going to play some point guard for the Sixers now that Andre Miller is in Portland?
The 14/16 Hypothesis: Year Two - Rufus on Fire
Cast your vote and predict which teams will make the NBA Playoffs this upcoming season. Perhaps we should do something like this...
Reasons for Optimism re: Salmons at SG Next Year - Blog a Bull
fundamentallysound (yet another awesome username) looks at how Salmons might help make up for the absence of one Ben Gordon.
Delonte West facing weapons charges - Fear The Sword
"Yes, you read it correctly, West was riding his motorcycle carrying two handguns and a shot gun - in almost Terminator 2-style."
A brief reminder where Mike Woodson doesn't make his money. - Peachtree Hoops
A look at Atlanta Hawks Mike Woodson's track record as a coach in the playoffs. Ummm, ouch.
Marvin Williams, the professional - Peachtree Hoops
A season preview of Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks. Man, the Peachtree Hoops guys can be some real Debbie Downers.
Heat coaching staff to take major pay cuts - Peninsula is Mightier
Pat Riley has asked some of those on the basketball side of things, who make considerably large salaries, to take pay cuts in order to retain more jobs for people with lesser roles in the team.
Tim Hardaway's #10 to hang in the AAA rafters - Peninsula is Mightier
Meh. I'm sure he means a lot to Miami fans, like Bowen does to us.
Position Battle: The Centers - Posting and Toasting
Come on, you just know it's gonna be Darko.
Training Camp Is Just Around The Corner, How Do You Feel? - Indy Cornrows
Training camp begins in less than a week for the Indiana Pacers. The guys at IC are not sure what to expect.
Remembering Pacers Co-Owner Mel Simon - Indy Cornrows
The news of Mel Simon's death resonated loudly throughout the Indiana Pacers organization yesterday. His many successful roles in life with the Pacers, the city of Indianapolis, shopping malls and his plethora of donations and charity-work meant the man had a larger than life effect on people across the city, state and nation.
Luther Head A Low-Risk Option For Pacers - Indy Cornrows
Luther Head joins the Indiana Pacers as a low-risk option who should be plenty motivated to stabalize his NBA career.
Who is the Greatest Player of All-Time? - Motown String Music
Who is the greatest player in NBA history? I like to think that you need to have one for each position, since the positions in the NBA are so different. This article concentrates on two MJ's.
RaptorsHQ Talks with Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams - Part I - Raptors HQ
Part 1 of 2 - RaptorsHQ Talks with former Raptor, Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams...
RaptorsHQ Talks with Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams - Part II - Raptors HQ
Part II of RaptorsHQ's interview with Jerome, "Junkyard Dog," Williams.
14 players in a new system: Fabricio Oberto - Bullets Forever
Analyzing how much playing time Fabricio Oberto will get for Flip Saunders this season.
What to take away from Gilbert Arenas' massive interview - Bullets Forever
Interpreting Gilbert Arenas' recent quotes.
Brendan Haywood, Flip Saunders and Ben Wallace: A cautionary tale, or nothing to worry about? - Bullets Forever
Flip Saunders didn't get along with Ben Wallace in Detroit. Does this mean he might not get along with Brendan Haywood in DC? The guys at Bullets Forever do a great job drawing the parallels.
Swish Appeal
Everybody give a big welcome to SBNation's newest hoops blog, dedicated to the WNBA. Long overdue, but just in time for the playoffs.
NBA Locks Out Referees, Set to Start Training Replacements Next Week - SB Nation
SB Nation's main NBA page will carry streaming updates of the referee lockout, just in case you want to know when Joey Crawford will return to torment us.
Bono, Battier, and NBA Knighthood - SB Nation
Andrew Sharp of SBN compares Bono and Shane Battier. He doesn't like either one, apparently. I think he needs a hug.
Even More Hoops
Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " Nichols and Dime: What to Expect From Kobe Bryant, Quarter by Quarter
Stat nerd Jon Nichols confirms some of the reasons we hate Kobe, but respect the hell out of his ability.
Basketball-Statistics.com | What to Expect From Dwight Howard, Quarter by Quarter
Jon Nichols continues his series of shot-selection breakdowns, just not on Hardwood Paroxysm this time.
Debate in the Paint: Wizards Will Rise From the Injury Ashes -- NBA FanHouse
Tom Ziller (same guy from Sactown Royalty?) picks the Wiz as his predicted most improved team for the upcoming season.
LeBron James to star in 'Basketball' pic - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety
LeBron James will make his feature starring debut, playing himself in Fantasy Basketball Camp, a Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment comedy. And they wonder why modern films don't draw the crowds that they used to.
The 10 best sixth men of the decade - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
I wonder if the Spurs might have anyone on this list. In particular, WILL BDL GIVE AN ARGENTINE THE RESPECT HE SO CLEARLY DESERVES?
5 Second Rounders Who Will Make A Difference | Dime Magazine
Gee, I wonder who they could have picked for #1? Notice that #2 went to another team with a smart GM even later in the second round.
Grizzly details emerge - The Boston Globe
Chris Wallace "defends" the decisions that he's made as Grizzlies GM.
HoopsHype.com | Stephen Curry: "I definitely see myself as a Rookie of the Year candidate"
Somebody has an awful lot of confidence.
Beasley's father says son "learned a lot," to be released Sunday | South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Michael Beasley Sr. said Saturday that his son is scheduled to be released from a Houston rehab center Sunday and expects the Miami Heat to experience a more mature player upon the second-year forward's return to the practice court.
RealGM: From The Rafters - Five-Year Windows
Christopher Reina ranks the chances of various teams to win championships during the next 5-years. Looks like we're back to being under the radar - just the way we like it.
Reported Nets backer and Russian millionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov has suspect background | NY Daily News
The Russian billionaire who is on the verge of funding the Nets' long-awaited move to Brooklyn is a hard-partying bachelor who was arrested in 2007 on suspicion he was involved in an upscale prostitution ring.
PTR and Friends
National MS Society - Bike Event:
The MS Bike Tour is the largest organized cycling event in the United States, raising millions to fight multiple sclerosis. PtR member FreshmakerDTM is riding this year, and all donations are appreciated. Also, he promises to dance to "Barbie Girl" and post it on UStream if he reaches his fundraising goal. OK, maybe not that last part... but if Marbury was doing it, he would.
The Role Player's Realm: JMDP Roolz America
silverandblack_davis gives his reaction to Juan Martin Del Potro's win in the US Open.
Completely Off-Topic
Greek police find pot plants in high-way median
"A man has been arrested in northern Greece for allegedly growing marijuana in the median strip of the country's main, um, highway."
Tax police seize Maradona's earrings - Yahoo! News
Disrespecting Argentine legends? They have no idea what they're in for.
BBC News | Image of the Day
Look, it's the Milky Way - courtesy of the European Space Agency.
2008 Darwin Award: Thou Shalt Not Steel
A scrap metal thief gets a little more than he bargained for. By the way, the Darwin Awards are awesome - look around if you've never done so before.
Towering Turk looking for towering feeling
Looking for love: Male, Turkish, 39 years old, 8'1".
Cool Optical Illusions
Care to get high without doing drugs?
Because Internet is Multimedia
Pics of the Week
via Golden State of Mind.
For the record, this 'chop is still awesome. Thanks, LD.
Quotes of the Week
I'm just going to quote random PtR comments here.
If Hairston can live up to “Salami Horn Kit” we may have a whale of a player on our hands. - Gino20
TWES?? (That’s what Eva said??) - olf
Yeah, I try not to socialize with the “help” in my mansion. I don’t like mixing business with pleasure. It feels awkward. - SinCitySpur, from beyond the grave.
7 ahead after 3 quarters… we’ve got this CHIT! - LatinD, while disguised as Adam.
Well, that's it for this week. But hang on - next week, we'll have more to talk about.