San Antonio Spurs 2009-2010 Season Preview, Picks & Odds

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San Antonio Spurs 2008-2009 NBA Record: 54-28, 1st in Southwest Division

San Antonio Spurs 2008-2009 ATS (Against The Spread): 40-40-2

San Antonio Spurs Betting Trends & Betting Angles:

• 3-11 ATS past 14 at home to Mavericks

• 1-6 SU and ATS past 7 at New Orleans

• 18-2 SU, 17-3 ATS past 20 Feb home games

• 1-7 ATS past 8 within Southwest

• UNDER is 12-2 past 14 at home to Rockets

• 9-0 SU past 9 at home to Memphis

• UNDER is 6-1 past 7 trips to Memphis

San Antonio Spurs 2009-2010 Preview & Prediction

Nothing gets a fan base fired up quite like seeing ownership spend money to try and create a title contender. The addition of Jefferson and McDyess should add some life to the final years of the Duncan Dynasty.

San Antonio Spurs Coach: Gregg Popovich (14th season)

San Antonio Spurs Returning Players: Forwards Matt Bonner, Tim Duncan, Marcus Haislip; guards Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Malik Hairston, George Hill, Roger Mason Jr., Tony Parker, Marcus Williams; center Ian Mahinmi.

San Antonio Spurs Key Additions: Forward DeJuan Blair (draft), forward Keith Bogans (free agent), forward Richard Jefferson (trade from Bucks), forward Antonio McDyess (free agent), center Theo Ratliff (free agent).

San Antonio Spurs Key Subtractions: Forward Bruce Bowen (traded to Bucks), forward Kurt Thomas (traded to Bucks), forward Fabricio Oberto (traded to Bucks), forward Drew Gooden (signed with Mavericks), forward Ime Udoka (signed with Trail Blazers), guard Jacque Vaughn (free agent).

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Point Guards:

Tony Parker had a remarkable season, averaging a career-high 22.0 points, while still shooting better than 50 percent from the field. New Orleans’ Chris Paul did the same thing last year, with slightly better numbers. Otherwise, it’s been a long time since any NBA guard averaged at least 22 points while shooting 50 percent. The last player to do it was the late Drazen Petrovic for New Jersey in 1992-93.

Parker did his best to make up for the absence of Ginobili during the playoffs, pushing his scoring average all the way to 28.6 points.

George Hill was an obscure guard from IUPUI, but the Spurs obviously knew what they were doing by taking him in the first round a year ago. Hill faded after producing 11.1 points in November, but should remain a valuable part of the rotation.

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Off Guards:

Last summer, Manu Ginobili injured his left ankle playing for Argentina in the Beijing Olympics and missed the first three weeks of the season.

By February, he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right ankle. He sat for 19 games, tried to come back, but his season ended on April 6 when the injury became a full-fledged stress fracture. Overall, Ginobili
missed a career-high 38 games in June, an MRI exam showed the bone had healed and Ginobili expects to be 100 percent when training camp begins.

Ginobili’s injuries created an opportunity for Roger Mason, who turned out to be a bargain free-agent addition. Mason played in every game and averaged 11.8 points. He also showed an impressive knack for knocking down game winning shots, bearing the Clippers, Lakers, Suns and Celtics in the waning seconds.

Michael Finley turned 36 in March, but averaged 9.7 points and set a career-high in 3-point percentage .410. He’s under contract for another season.

Malik Hairston was waived twice and sent to the D-League during his rookie season. The 6-6 swingman came back for summer league and averaged 13.6 points.

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Small Forwards:

Richard Jefferson figures to be a safe investment for the Spurs because few players bring such versatility. The ninth-year forward can be a slasher or outside shooter on offense. He can guard most wing players and went to the Finals twice with New Jersey early in his career.

He’ll bring a strong personality to the locker room, which can be good or bad, but the biggest reason he’s been traded two straight summers is his big contract, which runs for two more years.

Matt Bonner started 67 games last year, compared to nine in his first four NBA seasons. With more rime to perfect his shooting stroke, Bonner ranked eighth in 3-poinr percentage at .440.

Marcus Williams, a 2007 second-round pick, averaged 23.0 points for the D-League’s Austin Taros last year.

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Power Forwards:

Ex-Detroit forward Antonio McDyess was included in the trade that sent Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson early last season. McDyess refused to play for the Nuggets, accepted a contract buyout and returned to the Pistons.

By the end of the year, that choice didn’t look so good. Billups led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals, while McDyess and the Pistons faded to 39 wins and a first round playoff sweep.

Through it all, McDyess averaged 9.8 rebounds, the third-highest total in his 13 NBA seasons. He added 9.6 points and shot 51 percent from the field.

The biggest surprise on draft night was probably Pitt power forward DeJuan Blair slipping all the way to the Spurs with the No. 37 pick. A first-team All-American, Blair led the nation in offensive boards (5.6 per game) and was fourth in overall rebounding (12.3).

The Spurs also signed Marcus Haislip, the No. 13 draft pick of Milwaukee in 2002, who spent the past three seasons playing overseas.

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Centers:

With 6-9 Antonio McDyess moving in at power forward, maybe Tim Duncan is in position to be named first-team All-NBA center this season. Duncan is the only player in league history to make an All-NBA team in his first 12 seasons. He’s been on the first team nine times, but was relegated to second team the past two years.

True, his numbers aren’t what they used to be. Duncan averaged less than two blocks per game last season for the first time. But 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds, fourth-best in the league, still qualifies as excellent production. Thea Ratliff was a terrific shot-blocker in his day. At age 36, Ratliff will probably see spot minutes this season.

Injuries kept Ian Mahinmi off the floor most of last year, but he showed signs of promise in the summer league. He had 15 points and nine rebounds against Memphis and No.2 draft pick Hasheern Thabeet.

San Antonio Spurs 2009-2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the San Antonio Spurs will finish 1st in the NBA Southwest Division .

San Antonio Spurs Betting

San Antonio Spurs NBA Championship Odds: +300

San Antonio Spurs Eastern Conference Odds: +1000

San Antonio Spurs 2008-2009 Betting Stats

San Antonio Spurs Straight Up: 54-28

San Antonio Spurs ATS: 40-40-2

San Antonio Spurs Home ATS: 17-23-1

San Antonio Spurs Away ATS: 23-17-1

San Antonio Spurs Record As Favorite: 43-17

San Antonio Spurs Record As Dog: 11-11

San Antonio Spurs Over/Under: 39-43

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