Hornets-Spurs Preview

With Tim Duncan's career quickly approaching the finish line, the San Antonio Spurs may have acquired the right pieces for another championship run with their star center.

Coming off their longest summer break since 2000, the Spurs open their season Wednesday night, when they host a New Orleans Hornets team that's also looking to bounce back from a first-round playoff exit.

Duncan, a four-time NBA champion, begins his 13th season following a disappointing 2008-09, when San Antonio was eliminated by Dallas in five games. Duncan, slowed by tendonosis in his right quad toward the end of the season, averaged 19.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in that series as the Spurs failed to reach the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 1999-2000.

"It's very logical, it's very real. I've got a couple years left on my career, and hopefully I can end it strong," Duncan, 33, said during training camp. "I know the window for me is closing."

In a somewhat surprising move, the Spurs acquired forward Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee in June for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto.

Jefferson has $29.2 million left on the final two years of his deal.

"The face of the league has changed significantly over the last two years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've hung in there as long as we can, and this year we're going to have to spend money like some other people."

San Antonio also signed veterans Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff in the offseason to bolster its frontcourt.

With teams possibly fearful of his two reconstructive knee surgeries, Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair fell to No. 37 in this summer's draft, where the Spurs gladly selected the All-American forward that led the nation in offensive rebounds last season with 5.6.

"It's no secret there are medical issues. Obviously that was a deal that didn't work in DeJuan's favor," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "But we're the fortunate recipients of that."

San Antonio is hoping Manu Ginobili's injury woes are in the past, after injured ankles forced him to miss 38 games and the playoffs in 2008-09.

Ginobili enters the final year of his contract.

His backcourt mate, Tony Parker, injured his right ankle over the summer while playing for the French national team, but the three-time All-Star is healthy after posting career highs with 22.0 points and 6.9 assists last season.

While Hornets point guard Chris Paul looks to follow up what was arguably his best season -- he averaged a career-best 22.8 points with league highs in assists (11.0) and steals (2.8) -- he knows New Orleans is not among the favorites to come out of the West after its first-round playoff exit to Denver in the spring.

"It's nice to fly under the radar," Paul said. "A couple years ago, when we had a successful season (a franchise-record 56 wins), we flew under the radar, so I'm excited about that again this year."

Paul, who finished fifth in last season's MVP voting, won't have Tyson Chandler to pass to this season after the Hornets traded the center to Charlotte for Emeka Okafor.

"What we've done is we've changed things -- intentionally -- because sometimes we have to break out of what's comfortable in order to grow," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. "Adding Emeka to our team forces us all to make changes and forces us all to take steps to move further."

Okafor, who averaged 13.2 points and was fifth in the NBA with 10.1 rebounds in 2008-09, has never played in a postseason game, but with Paul running the Hornets' attack, Okafor begins his sixth season with a renewed sense of optimism.

"(Paul is) one of the premier point guards in the league, and having a good experienced point guard makes all the difference in the world," he said. "So I'm very interested to see how that dynamic works."

Hornets coach Byron Scott, beginning the final year of his contract, is looking for increased production from third-year forward Julian Wright, who will likely move into the starting lineup in place of Peja Stojakovic, whose chronic back problems limited him to 61 games last season.

"(Julian) has to be ready to take the next step," Scott said. "The opportunity is going to be given to him now. If he doesn't take it, it's all on him."

All-Star forward David West scored a career-best 21.0 points per game with 8.5 rebounds in 2008-09. He averaged 23.5 points and 10.5 boards as the Hornets and Spurs split four games last season.

New Orleans has lost three straight and nine of 10 in San Antonio.