SA pwns IND, 122-109

Slim Duncan can finally bend over to pick up a loose ball. (from NBA.com)

SAS x IND, 122-109, and I am an elated fan.

Some game notes:

The Silver Lining

• Tim Duncan gets lighter than last year, and has lost 10-15 lbs of weight twice in two years already. The medical team has been trying to bring a bounce back to his step and at the same time alleviating the stress on his knees and his previous plantar fasciitis injury. Twenty-three points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and four blocks tallied by Duncan like it was 1998.
• Tony Parker got faster than he was last season, after making a full summer's rest. I'm not saying he's back to being 'Le Blur' but a fast Parker is better than last year's limping Frenchman. Solid near double-double for TP (20 pts, 9 ast).
• Although Manu Ginobili gets paid star money, he looks diluted, and I'm not judging from thinning crown of hair. Six of 14 FG, and five out of nine from deep. Twelve million for a spot-up shooter is not the best thing, but Spurs fans like me are hoping he's biding enough to make Texas and Argentina proud in the playoffs. Twenty-two points for "Left-handed Kobe".
• George Hill and James Anderson are the caliber of shooters that San Antonio needs:Intense, solid, and gutsy enough to swish the money balls from the corner. I expected Hill to start, and though he looked bad in the first half, he made up for it in the second half.
• Richard Jefferson scored 16 points. Anything he scores over that 12.3 ppg he averaged last season is an improvement. Fair $10 M price for 16 a night.
• Spurs have the "win the games you should" mindset.

Spurned Spurs

• High-volume scoring meant that the Spurs were led to play Indiana ball. This isn't the usual tempo that Popovich intends to play in, but over time Coach Pop has tempered the team to play micro-ball.
• DeJuan Blair was known in the NCAA for pwning taller guys like Hasheem Thabeet, but Roy Hibbert owned him in this one, using seven inches and one year of experience as an advantage over Blair. Preseason Blair might've gotten stage fright at the start, but he'll get used to it.
• The hype surrounding Gary Neal in the Summer League and the preseason has cleared, and he will have to regain Pop's trust by hitting buckets in scrub time. He's a shorter 2009 Roger Mason Jr., and he can be a liability once he loses his sweet stroke.
• Roster hopeful Bobby Simmons goes 0-2. I wish we would've kept James Gist or Marcus Cousin in the roster instead. I'll give him time to, in his words, 're-invent himself'.
• Tiago Splitter will be out until next Monday, when the Spurs face the Clippers.

And other random thoughts:

• Though it is highly unlikely the parties concerned set up a deal, Danny Granger would be a great fit in San Antonio. Passable athleticism, great size for small forward, and a sweet shooting touch. He has had issues with regression, as mentioned by Larry Bird, maybe because he's a good player playing for a bad team. If he played in the San Antonio system, he doesn't need to create shots for himself because the Spurs guards incessantly drive and kick-out.
• Although they took a taste of their own medicine, the blistering Pacers are still overlooked. A bunch of these guys can help out a championship caliber team. Hibbert has silently improved over two seasons. Forward Josh McRoberts has finally found use for his hops, and developed his range as well. Mike Dunleavy can still shoot, and an overpriced TJ Ford can play valuable minutes at back-up. They look like they're headed to the lottery but the pieces are all there.
• I won't give the Spurs a playoff standing until they've beaten bigger fish. The Rockets are 0-2 but they gave the Lakers a scare. Dallas has improved their defensive fortress (and is a team in my dark horse list for the championship). The Thunder are all still on the positive side of 20, and the Blazers are in a good position to contend with a year of chemistry under their belts.
• The Suns suck, and will not sweep anyone out of the playoffs this year. Just kidding, I'm expecting them to develop a chemistry mid-season and will turn out to be a surprise.