training camp opened!!

Spurs training camp opened yesterday in the Virgin Islands. They will spend a week there before heading back stateward to begin playing the preseason schedule, including an extra game in Miami, the proceeds of which will benefit Katrina and Rita victims. The University of the Virgin Islands offered to host them, and since Tim Duncan is a native son, it is a nod to him to have camp there.

They come into this camp with their most talented roster. Popovich indicated that if the season started tomorrow, they would run out the same starting five as for the finals - Parker, Ginobili, Bowen, Duncan, and Muhammed. I would not be surprised to see Nesterovich beat out Muhammed, quite frankly. For all of the abuse he has taken nationally, he is a superior post defender, and if he shows up healthy and in shape and plays well this preseason, it will be tough for Nazr to hold his spot. And if Parker does not show more than he did in the European championships, he will not get a whole ton of minutes with Van Exel behind him.

All in all, this team has a ton of talent, and chemistry will be huge. But getting people to buy in to the system has never been Pop's problem, so this should be a banner year again for the Spurs. It is not too much to expect, I think, for them to have the best regular season record in team history if Duncan stays healthy.