The Spurs have demoted 29-year old small forward to the bench. In his last five games, Jefferson is averaging 25.4 minutes, 9.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He has now played in 55 games (50 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 31.0 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Jefferson has played like a guy who suddenly looks a lot older than 29 years old and that is not a good thing for the Spurs. They will need him to step up if they want to make it to the second round of the playoffs this season.

36-year old SG/SF Michael Finley is finally showing his age. He has played in 23 games (5 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 15.8 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. This appears to be Finley’s swan song for the Spurs as he doesn’t appear to have much left in the gas tank.

Small forward Richard Jefferson has looked nothing like the player he was earlier in his career. He has played in 49 games (48 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 31.2 minutes, 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The Spurs really need Jefferson to shoot more because that is why he was brought to San Antonio. He is still getting starting minutes so the Spurs expect him to play better and they need him to do that from here on out.

The Spurs will be without starting point guard for several games with a sprained left ankle. He has played in 40 games (all starts) this season for the Spurs and he is averaging 32.2 minutes, 16.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. George Hill will move into the starting line-up to replace Parker and he is a solid player. Hill has played in 44 games (9 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 25.2 minutes, 10.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. This will hurt the Spurs some as Parker is one of the best players on the team but Hill is a solid player so they won’t fall too much.

It looks like age and injuries are finally catching up with the 32-year-old Manu Ginobli.  He is having his least-productive season since his first year in the NBA in 2002-’03 with the Spurs.  He even had better numbers last season in a 44-game injury-plagued season.  He is only hitting 40% of his shots and 36% of his threes, while averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals.  Ginobli is obviously still very effective and still looks like the old Ginobli at times, but he looks a step slower and a little hobbled this season.  That is probably why he is only getting 26.5 minutes per game this season.  Considering the few amount of minutes he is getting, he is putting up some pretty good numbers.  He has been such a good player for the Spurs the last few seasons though, that this season is almost a disappointment for the Argentina native.  Ginobli can still be one of the most dynamic and dangerous players on the court at times, and if he gets himself healthy and back in form come playoff time the Spurs will be a very dangerous team to play in the West.