Antonio McDyess is officially a member of the San Antonio Spurs, strengthening Protect the Paint’s prediction that the Spurs are the team to beat for 2010.

McDyess (and draft choice DeJuan Blair) joins Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner to give San Antonio an incredibly strong, versatile frontcourt. Duncan does everything. He might not rap or be covered in tattoos. He’s never assaulted anyone, so his street-cred is lacking, but he’ll go down as one of the best basketball players ever.

McDyess' shooting touch can now help a contender. (credit:picapp.com)

Bonner started last season, but most likely will come off the bench for the new Spurs. His 44 percent from beyond the arc brings defenders out of the paint freeing up space for Duncan. Blair—the 37th pick in last month’s draft out of Pittsburgh—is a rebounding machine. This is a man who can protect the paint.

Which brings us to McDyess. The number two overall back from the 1995 Draft averaged 9.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last year in 62 games with Detroit, starting out as a reserve and eventually gaining a starting position because of his steady play. He might not have the same psycho look in his eye Kurt Thomas (traded to Milwaukee) did, but immediately makes the Spurs a much better rebounding team and more physical.

Jefferson will be slashing teams apart at will. (Credit: picapp.com)

Throw in the acquisition of Richard Jefferson—excellent defender, gets out on the break, in his prime—and the Spurs add the athleticism they lacked last season.

Tony Parker and a healthy Manu Ginobili, along with Duncan, McDyess, and Michael Finley gives the team five players who at some point have been All-Stars. The Spurs head into the season with their deepest roster ever, and this is a franchise that has won four NBA titles.

PROJECTED ROTATION

STARTERS/RESERVES

Tony Parker/George Hill
Roger Mason/Manu Ginobili
Richard Jefferson/Michael Finley
Tim Duncan/DeJuan Blair
Antonio McDyess/Matt Bonner

The five reserves are better than the majority of the starting five for the rest of the league.

McDyess—who will be 35 when the season begins—might not be in his prime, but even though the Lakers added Ron Artest and the Mavs traded for Shawn Marion, it will be incredibly difficult for these two teams or anyone to get past the Spurs in 2009-10.

The combo of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker has won three titles already, and, provided the injury bug doesn’t bite, should make for at least one more.

Forget the Shaquille O’Neal trade to Cleveland.  Lets focus on the franchise that made the largest strides this off season.

The San Antonio Spurs are now a major threat to win the NBA title in 2010.

RIchard Jefferson will be on his best team ever. (Credit: nbainchina.com)

San Antonio dumped old horses Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and the intermittent Fabricio Oberto, receiving Richard Jefferson in return. This liquidation of old players for a player with 6 seasons of playoff experience and loads of productivity remaining is the best off season move in the NBA thus far.

Odds are probable the Spurs plan to resign Oberto if he is waived by Detriot.

We ask Gregg Popovich only one thing: Are you complaining now about the league voting on trades? If you have been living on an island or a 3rd world country lacking internet connectivity you would not know how Popovich publicly ripped the Pau Gasol trade .

Here is his is what Pop had to say upon discovering Pau Gasol was being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and a pair of first-round picks:

What can stop Gregg Popovich's Spurs now? (Credit: daylife.com)

“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” said Popovich. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”

Really Pop? Do you still possess these convictions now that you just pulled off an even more lopsided trade? Should the league be able to vote on trades? Would you like that committee to still be assembled?

How many coaches in the Western Conference would vote “yes” to this transaction?

San Antonio now has 4 bonafide scoring threats, all of whom are highly capable of erupting for 30 or more points at any given moment.

Can Manu Ginobili and the Spurs fight past LA? (Credit: interbasket.net)

Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, should be able to rip opponents apart now. Once a double team collapses, the options to dish to Richard Jefferson, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner for open 3s will wreak havoc to all defensive schematics. When all else fails, San  Antonio can spread the floor, and dump the ball into an isolated Tim Duncan for one on one post play.

If his ankle is fully recovered, Manu Ginobili should have no problems picking up 6th  Man of the Year.

Tim Duncan will keep opponents D honest. (Credit: onemanfastbreak.com)

Tim Duncan is a highly apt passer from the post, and he now has one more option forcing teams to play him straight up. Duncan’s scoring and assists total should see a spike this year. Duncan will make sure everyone is a beneficiary of defenses trying to figure out how to guard them.

The harsh reality is that the Spurs managed 54 wins in 2008-09. They did so with Parker out 1 month, Ginobili in and out all season recovering from his ankle surgery, and Tim Duncan’s problematic sore knees. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix makes it hard to imagine even the Lakers getting past them in 7 games.

San Antonio will have a higher playoff seed than 2008-09 (3rd), if not the #1 seed. With home court advantage for the majority, if not all of their match ups, the post season will become easier.

Look to see them in the NBA Finals in 2010. Oh yeah, and winning the NBA Championship.