Ten things to watch as NBA camps open

3. Item: The San Antonio Spurs have admittedly changed their style to a certain extent and have publicly said superstar Tim Duncan will play center a lot more this year as they play smaller and faster.

What this really means: Everyone seems to have forgotten that the Spurs played smaller and faster last season, were within one game of the best record in the NBA, and lost to the Mavericks in the second round in a series that was so close, it was a travesty one of the teams had to lose. In other words, they are close to being back to the team that won three titles in seven years — but how much energy do they have left?

For one thing, Duncan didn't play in the summer for the first time in years — which allowed him to get healthy in the wake of their early exit. We'll see what kind of competitor he is. Manu Ginobili must return healthy considering how erratic he was with ankle and foot problems last season. Tony Parker was magnificent in the regular season and put up his best numbers, but he is still far too erratic as a scorer and playmaker in the playoffs. Enough about his youth; he's been around long enough to now that he should consistently perform as an elite point guard in the postseason. You'd better believe coach Gregg Popovich believes the same thing.