Even with key players absent during the preseason, the Spurs, relying on the formidable presence of Yao Ming and the unpredictable sharpshooting of Arenas, swept through the preseason games once again, achieving a perfect 8-0 record!
Among the three rookies this year, Parker was the most low-key.
Besides Yao Ming, Arenas, and Parker, another new addition to the Spurs had an outstanding preseason: Stephen Jackson!
Yes, the man who would later be dubbed "The Saint of War" after the infamous Malice at the Palace!
Stephen Jackson was actually a second-round pick in 1997, but he couldn't establish himself in the NBA right away. His troublesome personality, rebellious temper, and chaotic off-court life quickly led the Suns to give up on him. For the next few years, Stephen Jackson bounced around overseas leagues, making a living in Australia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.
Last season, the Nets, desperate for players, signed Stephen Jackson and even gave him a starting position to prove himself. As a result, Stephen Jackson was found to be illegally carrying a firearm during a police search of his car... and he lost the hard-won opportunity.
However, his excuse, "I don't even know how to fire a gun," became a joke in the league. It also caught the attention of Popovich, who noticed this "talented yet individualistic" bad boy!
Popovich never shied away from bad boys; in his opinion, bad boys are only bad because they haven't applied their abilities in the right way.
So, this summer, Popovich, who was picking up bargains from all over, brought the gaunt, struggling Stephen Jackson, who could barely feed himself or his children, to San Antonio on a bargain contract of 2 years and 1.5 million dollars!
Desperate, Stephen Jackson accepted Popovich's olive branch and was determined to turn over a new leaf... with one precondition: while under Popovich's tutelage!
During his two seasons with the Spurs, Stephen Jackson indeed stayed out of trouble. There were no legal issues, not even any off-court news. He dedicated most of his time to training, transforming from a pure scorer who lost the ball on drives and relied on pull-up jumpers to a valuable role player who fought hard on defense, shot threes sharply, and never gave up...
For the new season, Head Coach Popovich had already drafted a general outline of the player lineup.
Starting Lineup: Center David Robinson, Power Forward Duncan, Small Forward Bowen, Shooting Guard Ginobili, Point Guard He Xi Meng.
Second Unit: Center Yao Ming, Power Forward Malik Rose, Small Forward Stephen Jackson, Shooting Guard Danny Ferry, Point Guard Parker.
Third Unit: Arenas, Terry Porter, Mikki Moore, Mark Bryant, Cherokee Parks.
Because of David Robinson's presence, Yao Ming would have to start the season as a reserve! However, given David Robinson's limited playing time, Yao Ming's minutes would essentially be on par with David Robinson's.
Perhaps, as the season progressed, Yao Ming's playing time might even surpass David Robinson's. Due to his status and position, David Robinson could not be anything less than a starter unless he was injured, and even then, a ceremonial start had to be ensured. He Xi Meng had already communicated this clearly with Yao Ming before trading for him to join the Spurs.
Big Yao was not someone who cared about empty titles; relatively speaking, he cared more about what he could learn and how much he could grow with the Spurs. On this matter, He Xi Meng guaranteed: "You'll be an All-Star in two seasons!"
Yao Ming smiled and nodded, "I believe you!"
On October 30, 2001, the 2001-2002 season officially kicked off!
The Spurs' first game of the new season was a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers!
During the offseason, the Clippers had traded their second overall pick in this year's draft, Tyson Chandler, to the Bulls for the more mature 1999 number one overall pick, Elton Brand, intending to build their team around Brand!
It must be admitted that Brand's individual performance with the Clippers was decent, earning him the nickname "King of the Clippers." However, during the seven seasons Brand was the absolute core of the Clippers, their best regular-season record was sixth in the Western Conference in the 2005-06 season! This was the only time the Clippers made it to the playoffs...
Meaning, for the next seven years, the Clippers spent six of them languishing in the Western Conference's basement.
This season, the Clippers had just completed their rebuild and were feeling ambitious. But facing the formidable Spurs right at the start meant they were unlikely to get off to a winning start.
The Clippers' starting lineup consisted of Center Olawakandi, Power Forward Brand, Small Forward Odom, Shooting Guard Piatkowski, and Point Guard McInnis.
The Clippers' inside combination of Olawakandi and Brand, while seemingly strong, was no match for the Spurs.
As soon as the game started, David Robinson beat the clumsy Olawakandi, giving the Spurs the first possession of the new season!
He Xi Meng brought the ball past half-court. Seeing the two Clippers big men battling hard with David and Duncan for position inside, He Xi Meng raised his hand and unleashed a "snipe" towards McInnis!
McInnis didn't even have time to react before He Xi Meng released his three-point shot!
"Something's wrong! He Xi Meng doesn't play like this! And the Spurs aren't playing this offensive rhythm either!"
McInnis, bewildered, looked back at the flying basketball! This was San Antonio, the Spurs' home court. He Xi Meng was intimately familiar with these hoops... Over the past two seasons, He Xi Meng had made countless three-pointers against these baskets, both in practice and in games...
The first points of the new season, He Xi Meng delivered! And it was a three-pointer!
The Spurs fans in the arena immediately erupted in cheers, celebrating the team's first basket of the new season!
Turning around, McInnis cautiously dribbled the ball up court and passed it to Brand inside. Brand was double-teamed by Duncan and Bowen, forcing him to pass it back out. McInnis took advantage of a teammate's off-ball screen, shook off He Xi Meng, and cut into the Spurs' paint. Then, with a pull-up jumper, he avoided the blocks from David and Duncan, sinking the two-point shot!
Well, McInnis was pretty feisty, returning the favor to He Xi Meng! Even though it wasn't a three-pointer, it was just as spirited. Yes, this was good; He Xi Meng preferred tough opponents. Against those who weren't tough, He Xi Meng lacked the same offensive drive...