Last Season: The Spurs struggled all season long and never looked like an elite team but still managed to win their division and procure the three-seed in the playoffs. Manu Ginobili injured himself during the Olympics and only played in 44 games. Without Ginobili to spark this team, the Spurs fell to the Mavs in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first time they had been eliminated in the first round since 2000.

Acquisitions: F Richard Jefferson, F Antonio McDyess, C Theo Ratliff, G Keith Bogans, F DeJuan Blair, F Marcus Haislip

Departures: G Bruce Bowen, F-C Fabricio Oberto, F-C Drew Gooden, C Kurt Thomas, G-F Ime Udoka, G Jacque Vaughn

Starting Five: F Richard Jefferson, F Tim Duncan, C Matt Bonner, G Tony Parker, G Roger Mason

Bench Mob: Manu Ginobili, DeJuan Blair, George Hill, Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans, Matt Bonner, Michael Finley

Most Interesting Man in the World: Tony Parker – He’s married to Eva Longoria, can get to the lane at will, speaks French, but there is NO WAY he can pass for a rap star. Maybe this type of thing flies in France but you’re not going to see this on MTV any time soon (or a channel that actually plays music videos).

Over the Hill: Antonio McDyess – McDyess will fit in nicely for the Spurs and will provide a great option from the bench but the way DeJuan Blair is playing there might not be as many minutes to go around. In Detroit, McDyess had to play a bigger role than he will on the Spurs and that will cause a decrease in stats.

Ready to Break Out: George Hill – Gregg Popovich called Hill, “my favorite player on the entire team.” I’m going to take that as a good sign. The Spurs have given Hill a lot of work at the point position this summer and he has responded. He is a great backup behind Parker and is ready to show how far he has progressed from his rookie season.

Outlook: After last year’s disappointing finish it looked like the Spurs dominance in recent years was coming to an end. But then they revitalized the franchise by picking up Richard Jefferson for next to nothing. Jefferson brings another scoring threat and some much-needed athleticism to San Antonio. Jefferson puts the Spurs back on the map as a contender but it’s not the only move the Spurs made this offseason. They got rid of veterans Kurt Thomas, Bowen, and Gooden and brought in veterans McDyess and Ratliff. The Spurs have always gotten the most out of veterans by cycling in new vets that want to win a championship.

So far it seems the Spurs got a steal getting DeJuan Blair in the second round of the draft. Through four preseason games, Blair has averaged 16 points and over 9 rebounds.

The Spurs improved at every position and added much-needed depth at every position. After a one year hiatus they will return as one of the elite teams in the league.

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