Pounding The Rock 10 hours ago
Nikola Jokic modeled his game after several Spurs power forwards
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports And you can definitely see it by watching him. Following a Game 1 win against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic sat down with the NBA TV crew and asked by former Spur Steve Smith who he modeled his game after. After joking it was Shaq, he went on to say that while he didn’t watch much NBA basketball growing up, when he got to the NBA, he listed three Spurs in Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Boris Diaw, plus Dirk Nowitzki. Nikola Jokić says he patterned his game after Tim Duncan LaMarcus Aldridge...
Pounding The Rock Jun 2, 2023
Open Thread: Tony Parker took over in the 2007 NBA Finals
SetNumber: X78261 TK1 R19 “You just saw it in his eyes, he was gonna get it done” “You just saw it in his eyes, he was gonna get it done.” -Tim Duncan Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/ LeBron James, one of the greatest players to ever play the game, spent his first NBA Finals being swept by the San Antonio Spurs. And for the first time in the franchise’s history, the Finals MVP did not go to Tim Duncan, it went to French point guard Tony Parker. The contrast of James to Parker underscores the difference between a prodigy vs. the contributions of...
Pounding The Rock Jun 1, 2023
We now have a potential date for Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs debut
Photo by Jean Catuffe/ Will Wemby make his Spurs debut in the California Summer League Classic? With the Spurs invited to participate in the California Summer League Classic, we now have a potential Spurs debut date for likely top overall pick Victor Wembanyama. July 3 is the day to mark on your calendars, when the Spurs will face off against the Charlotte Hornets, who will pick second overall in the NBA Draft, in Sacramento. There is some skepticism regarding whether or not Wemby will actually participate in the Summer League due to his participation in the French...
Pounding The Rock Jun 1, 2023
Scouting Wemby’s performance in the French playoffs
Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via The Four Down podcast looks at the Spurs big men, and the team’s options with its second round draft picks. Victor Wembanyama and the Metropolitans 92 are storming their way through the LNB Pro A playoffs with another win over Asvel, going up 2-0 in the best of five series. The Spurs potential first pick of the NBA Draft has averaged 19.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.4 blocks on 47/28/83 shooting splits. On top of his strong counting stats, Wemby has been a difference maker on the defensive end. His length and...
Pounding The Rock Jun 1, 2023
Open Thread: Spurs will participate in California Classic Summer League
Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via First chance to see Spurs draftees in action Per a Spurs Press release: The Sacramento Kings announced that Golden 1 Center will host the fifth annual California Classic Summer League, presented by Ticketmaster, for players and teams preparing for NBA action. The San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets, who hold the No. 1 and No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft respectively, will join the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat for an expanded Classic. Beginning July 3, the six teams will play a...
Pounding The Rock May 31, 2023
2020 Lakers, meet the 1999 Spurs
Lakers fans are finding themselves having to defend their 2020 championship’s legitimacy, and Spurs fans can relate. If Twitter existed in 1999, Spurs fans probably would have been just as uptight and protective of their championship team’s legacy as Lakers fans are of their 2020 one today. As many may remember — or for our younger crowd, be aware of — 1999 was in a lockout-shortened season. You never hear about the 1998-99 season, just the 1999 one because it began in February after a new CBA was reached, with 50 games crammed into three months before the playoffs...
Pounding The Rock May 31, 2023
Team Building Lessons from the Conference Finals
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports What the Spurs can learn from the NBA’s best The NBA Conference Finals were oh so close to being historic. The Nuggets handled their business against the Lakers, despite the best efforts of LeBron James in game four. In the East, the Celtics got heroics from their role players and nearly pulled off the first ever comeback from a 3-0 deficit but were blown out in game 7 on their home court. In classic NBA playoff fashion, the superstars shined the brightest. Nikola Jokic has established himself in NBA history with his first Finals...
Pounding The Rock May 31, 2023
Open Thread: The Spurs remember Uvalde
Photo by Michael Gonzalez/NBAE via One year after Robb Elementary Last week on May 24, people gathered to support and remember the tragedy that befell on the town of Uvalde, which suffered a school shooting one year ago. From the moment it began, an outpouring of support came from throughout Texas. The San Antonio Spurs were there and made special effort to offer assistance and opportunity to help the community grieve, gather, and smile again. Last October, the Spurs annual intersqaud scrimmage took place in Uvalde. The Spurs posted this. At the first home game last...
ClutchPoints May 31, 2023
Victor Wembanyama’s epic between-the-legs dunk will have Spurs fans giddy for the NBA Draft
NBA Draft top prospect Victor Wembanyama caught the attention of San Antonio Spurs fans after throwing down a sick between-the-legs dunk during warmups. The 19-year old French professional basketball player did so while warming up for a game with his team, the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A. Despite standing at 7’4, he […] The post Victor Wembanyama’s epic between-the-legs dunk will have Spurs fans giddy for the NBA Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Pounding The Rock May 30, 2023
Wembanyama and Mets 92 defeat ASVEL in Game 2 of the LNB Pro A Semifinals
Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via With this win, Wembanyama and Mets 92 are now one win away from the LNB Pro A Finals Victor Wembanyama and the Metropolitans 92 got off to a hot start against top rated ASVEL Basket but had to edge out a victory on a last second three-pointer to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the LNB Pro A Semifinals. While not a statistically spectacular game, Wemby would showcase his all around talents throughout the game. Offensively, Wemby had several strong finishes at the hoop, overpowering the defenders. Something Spurs fans can look...
Pounding The Rock May 30, 2023
Five Prospects the Spurs Should Consider in the Second Round
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports Taking swings in round two could pay dividends for the young squad Spurs Twitter has been ablaze with trade machine ideas for acquiring another lottery selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. Ever since the Spurs received the number one overall pick in the draft, where they will most likely be taking Victor Wembanyama, the idea of pairing him with another high level talent has intrigued many. Once that idea was substantiated by a rumor from NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe, things really heated up. But what if they can’t find a good deal to...
Pounding The Rock May 30, 2023
NBA Finals are set
Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Denver Nuggets will host the 8th seed Miami Heat For a meant it looked like the Boston Celtics were going to go down in NBA history as the first team to comeback from a 3-0 hole. But it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, Erik Spoelstra will make his sixth trip to the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler will make his second trip to the Finals with the Heat. This is only the second time an 8th seed has made it through the Eastern Conference to the Finals. The last was the 1998-99 New York Knicks. Spurs fans know how that shook out. The Denver Nuggets have...
Pounding The Rock May 29, 2023
Discussing Keldon Johnson’s fit with Wemby
Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via And what if Victor leads his team to a French title? As summer approaches, talk of player movement and potential trades is heating up. San Antonio Spurs fans might have noticed Keldon Johnson’s name included in any number of theoretical trades the last few weeks. A clearly talented player on a team-friendly contract could be San Antonio’s best asset to trade for another lottery pick, or a player on another team they think would better complement Wembanyama. Or he could be a long-term running partner for the French phenom. With a...
Pounding The Rock May 28, 2023
Open Thread: Spurs Coyote Camp is coming
Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via A bevy of summer activity opportunities is a click away Click HERE to view 10 Spurs sports camps for kids. All camps take place during the summer. There are all-girl camps, all-boy camps, overnight camps, skills camps, and the ever popular Coyote Camp taking place during June and July, exactly the time when your kids are sitting around looking for something fun to do. Spurs camps keep kids physically fit, lowers their screen time, avoids some of that excessive heat, and engages young people in athletics, friendly-competition, and...
Pounding The Rock May 27, 2023
Open Thread: The Boston Celtics could be the first NBA team to comeback from a 3-0 playoff deficit
Photo by Jim Rogash/WireImage Can lightning strike twice for Beantown? When the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics both ended up down 3-0 and facing a sweep, I opined that the Lakers would win Game 4 and Boston would get swept. For one, the Lakers were playing on their homecourt. Also, they had LeBron James. Much to my own demise, I often give too much credence to the great one. When the Spurs led 3-1 against the Heat in 2014, James stated that he plays best with his “back against the wall.” Of course, the Heat lost game four proving otherwise. James, the...
