• Buford on new additions, offseason goals
Spurs.com recently interviewed Spurs’ General Manager R.C. Buford to discuss the outlook for the 2010-11 season.
Spurs.com – What were the goals and needs of the team leading into this past summer?
RC – We wanted to do what we could to keep together a group that had a lot of transition last year and to have a great deal of internal improvement. We wanted to add a big next to Tim Duncan, a wing defender and improve our shooting.
Spurs.com – Did all of that really start with extending Manu’s contract last season?
RC – Yes. That jump started the process.
Spurs.com – You added a big in Tiago Splitter during the offseason. What are the expectations?
RC – It’s exciting to bring Tiago into our program. I think we have to be fair to him though and allow him the time to transition into a pretty sophisticated environment. He’s played a lot of places, but this will be new to him from both the standpoints of our system and the NBA as a whole.
Spurs.com – What does 2010 first round draft pick James Anderson bring to the table and how is his health?
RC – From a wing perspective, he has good size for his position. He had a prolific college career and as a scorer he meets one of our needs. He’s been rehabilitating his hamstring almost the entire summer with the intention of being ready for training camp, so we really haven’t seen a lot of him in our summer development program.
For more, including Buford’s thoughts on Gary Neal, Alonzo Gee, Curtis Jerrells, Garrett Temple and Danny Ferry’s role with the team, go to Spurs.com for the full interview.
• Duncan among most likable sports personalities
In an article in the Charlotte Observer, some of the most likable and unlikable athletes were listed, according to their
“Q” Score.
Q scores essentially measure “likeability” according to the American public through extensive data surveys and research. There were 1,800 men and women of various racial backgrounds, broken down into percentages consistent with the latest census, who ranked 198 sports personalities from most liked to least liked earlier this year.
The list of likeables had just two African Americans, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan.
Not surprisingly, Lebron James and Ben Roethlisberger were among the least likable.
• Spurs work out Gilder
Today, the Spurs worked out 6-9 forward Trey Gilder.
Gilder split time between the Albuquerque Thunderbirds and the Maine Red Claws in the D-League last season and also spent some time with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He averaged one point per game with the Grizzlies and 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Thunderbirds and Red Claws.
Gilder appears to be a player in the mold of Hakim Warrick, a big that needs to add some bulk, weighing in at 205 lbs.
The Spurs likely brought Gilder in to see if he was worthy of an invite to training camp, which starts next week.
For more on Gilder, check out a profile Jon of Ridiculous Upside wrote on him while he was still a rookie with the 14ers.
• Tissot signs Tony Parker to ambassador team
Swiss watchmaker Tissot signed Spurs guard Tony Parker as a Global Ambassador today.
Tissot is the official timekeeper for FIBA and gave the FIBA World Championship MVPs watch awards.
French professional basketball player Tony Parker is joining the high profile Tissot ambassador team. This appointment adds a further highlight to the brand’s passion for the fast-paced, precision-dependent sport.
Parker joins Danica Patrick and several other professional athletes on the ambassador team.
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