George Gervin, better known as “The Iceman”, was one of the most prolific scorers the NBA has ever seen and he could keep his cool in the most pressure-packed situations (hence the “Iceman” nickname).  At the age of 20, he started his professional basketball career in the ABA with the Virginia Squires in the 1972-’73 season.  Gervin displayed his offensive skills right away, averaging 14.1 points as a young rookie and 23.4 points in his second season.  He joined the San Antonio Spurs (still an ABA team until the 1976 NBA merger) near the end of the 1973-’74 season and went on to play 11 more seasons for the Spurs, before playing his final year with the Chicago Bulls in the 1985-’86 season.  Gervin was silky smooth with the ball and was a clutch player who could score in bunches.  With his lanky arms and big soft hands, Gervin perfected the finger roll and it went on to be his signature shot.  In his career, Gervin averaged 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks with a 50% career field goal percentage.  Despite being one of the top players in the league for over a decade, “The Iceman” never made it to an NBA Finals.  That did not diminish his outstanding career though, and he was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

Keith Bogans has been starting at shooting guard this season for the Spurs and his main job is shooting the long ball. Bogans has played in 34 games (30 starts) for the Spurs so far this season and he is averaging 20.1 minutes, 5.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He is shooting well from everywhere on the floor hitting 47.6% from the floor, 42.1% from the three point line and 81.5% from the free throw line this year. Bogans gets a lot of wide open shots due to the defenses having to worry about other players and he is doing a good job of making them pay for it.

Tim Duncan has been outstanding for the San Antonio Spurs once again this season.  Many thought the 33-year-old Duncan was beginning to decline, especially when it seemed like his knee problems were slowing him down.  Well, Duncan is back to 100% and his play is about as good as it has ever been.  Duncan is averaging 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks.  He is playing only 31.7 minutes per game, the least in his career, but his efficiency is probably the best it has ever been.  He has led the Spurs to a 21-12 record this season and if the Spurs are healthy come playoff time, they have a great shot at bringing another Larry O’brien NBA Championship Trophy back to San Antonio.

PF/C DeJuan Blair has really played well when called upon by the Spurs. He has played in 33 games (10 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 16.8 minutes, 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Blair was a outstanding second round pick for the Spurs and he will be a starter in the near future for the team as he will make every team that passed on him pay for it.

The Spurs need starting small forward Richard Jefferson to quit being so shy with the basketball. He has played in 32 games (all starts) this season for the Spurs and he is averaging 31.4 minutes, 13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The Spurs need Jefferson to step up offensively and be the third option behind Tim Duncan and Tony Parker because he should be averaging around 17 points per game.