• San Antonio Spurs’ forward Matt Bonner continues to rehab his injured knee and will not join the Spurs
on the road trip to Utah to play against the Jazz:
“He hasn’t improved a lick,” Popovich said. “It still isn’t getting any better. We’re real concerned about it.”
Also, the Spurs have not made a decision on whether to keep Larry Owens:
“They haven’t given me feedback (about whether he’ll be re-signed),” Owens said. “I just can’t worry about any of that. If I get minutes, I have to go out there and bust my tail. After that, we’ll see what happens.” (source Express News)
• Now that San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been announced as the 2011 Western Conference All-Star coach, he and the assistant coaches will have to fill out the bench and according to Popovich, Golden State Warriors’ Monta Ellis might have a spot:
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich conceded Ellis is “having an All-Star kind of year.” (source mercurynews.com)
• Bloguin’s own Stepien Rules, listed their NBA divisional All-Star teams and for the Southwest Division, a few Spurs made the list:
SG – Manu Ginobli, San Antonio Spurs. Best player on the best team in the West (and quite possibly the entire league), he’s been playing at another level this season. A level I didn’t think he’d have in him at this age, but him being a starter has rejuvenated him to a degree where he’s a genuine contender as MVP right now. If he can avoid those niggly injuries he’s become accustomed to, the Spurs will be for real come May and June.
C – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs. Duncan is having the worst year of his glittering career with measly averages of 14 points and 9 rebounds. Yep, those are career lows. He’s still had a couple of vintage Timmy games and he still hits that bank shot from the corner better than anyone else, but Duncan has accepted that his legs aren’t what they used to be and has accepted a smaller role in what the Spurs do. Scary, that he’s probably option 4 on this team when they need a bucket at times. Right now, would you bet against him and Pop winning it all again? Thought so.
Reserves
PG – Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs.
SF – Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
• Stepien Rules also listed who they want to see on the 2011 Rookie All-Star squad and Spurs’ Gary Neal made the cut:
SG – Gary Neal, San Antonio Spurs. At the start of the season I had fellow Spur James Anderson pegged for this spot, but Andersons injury has resulted in Neal stepping up. He’s had some big games when the Spurs needed a spark, and for $525,000 a year may be the bargain deal of the season. Great to see him embracing his second chance at NBA Stardom, good for him.
• Express News’ Tim Griffin talks about the Spurs bench.
• Two men in El Paso, Texas were arrested for fraud which included Spurs tickets:
El Paso promoter Ramiro Guzman, one of two El Pasoans who pleaded guilty to bribing elected officials in South Texas two years ago, was sentenced to four months probation on Monday by a federal judge in McAllen, according to court records.
According to court records and the indictment issued in 2008, both men admitted that the items they gave to officials included tickets to a San Antonio Spurs basketball game, tickets to Houston Astros baseball games and tickets to an Oscar de la Hoya boxing match in Las Vegas at a cost of $6,500. (source elpasotimes.com)
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