Tom Orsborn, Sports Writer

$2 — Swen Nater, C: Because Nater played only two ABA seasons with the Spurs, I’d much rather go with Billy “The Whopper” Paultz in the pivot, but budgetary restraints force me to choose the big Dutch Man. Nater, who helped John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins win a pair of national titles as Bill Walton’s backup, became a fan favorite in San Antonio after he earned ABA rookie of the year honors in 1974 by averaging 14.5 points and 13.6 rebounds. In his sophomore season, he was even better, averaging 15.1 points and a league-best 16.4 boards. But the Spurs traded him in the offseason to the New York Nets in a controversial deal that brought them Larry Kenon.

$2 — Larry Kenon, PF: The versatile 6-9, 205pound “Special K” averaged more than 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds for five straight seasons from 1974 through 1980, including four straight campaigns of 20-plus points. A powerful, creative dunker who was also a scoring threat from outside, Kenon helped make the Doug Moe-coached Spurs one of the most exciting teams in basketball and nearly helped them reach the NBA Finals in 1979.

$2 — Mike Mitchell, SF: “Mitch” is the only member of my high-scoring squad who didn’t play in the ABA, but he represents an era when the Spurs forged their long-time rivalry with the Lakers. With the Atlanta native taking some of the scoring pressure off Gervin, the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals in back-to-back seasons in 1982 and 1983, losing both times to the Magic Johnson-led Showtime Lakers. Over a fiveperiod span from 1981 through 1986, the 6-foot-7 Mitchell, who died in 2011, averaged nearly 22 points for the Spurs while shooting 50 percent from the field.

$5 — George Gervin, SG: Cheating here a little bit to get a lineup that pays homage to the highly entertaining ABA squads that built the foundation for what the Spurs would become, and here I am getting with one of the greatest — and coolest — pure scorers in NBA history: “The Iceman.” The franchise’s first Hall of Famer after winning four NBA scoring titles and averaging 25 points or better eight times in his 14-season ABA/NBA scorer, Gervin was the superstar the Spurs needed to make it in San Antonio. With his trademark finger roll and feathery jumper, the Detroit native helped make HemisFair Arena the loudest venue in basketball.

$4 — James Silas, PG: Had it not been for injuries, Silas likely would have been a perennial All-Star caliber player. The Stephen F. Austin standout was an incredibly strong guard for someone who carried just 180 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, and he could score all over the court. With his 1970s Afro and puka shell necklace, he rivaled Gervin in the cool department and earned a great nickname — “Captain Late” for his knack for hitting clutch shots. Again, without the injuries, he likely would have enjoyed several season of averaging more than 20 points, five assists and four rebounds like he did when he earned his secondstraight ABA All-Star nod in 1975-76.*