(My Sportsbook) - San Antonio opened the brand new SBC Center with an emphatic 91-72 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The impressive effort was likely the first of many for the Spurs in their new surroundings.

Tim Duncan, the man the Spurs hope will be the main attraction in their 18,500-seat arena during the upcoming years, scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half and grabbed 15 rebounds in the team's home opener.

The reigning NBA MVP was the ultimate factor in persuading the citizens of San Antonio to approve the building of a basketball-friendly arena to replace the spacious Alamodome, which debuted only nine seasons ago.

However, Duncan is eligible to become a free agent after this season and teams have been clearing up cap space over the past couple of seasons in hopes of luring the franchise player.

Duncan has been mum on the issue, but seems likely to stay. Not in the Spurs' favor is that David Robinson is retiring after this season. While the center's production has dramatically declined over the last few seasons, the future Hall of Famer draws enough attention to make life easier for Duncan down low.

Malik Rose, who the Spurs re-signed in the offseason, has stepped up his play this season and is making a bid to become Duncan's complimentary force in the frontcourt. Rose's scoring average of 13.0 ppg this season is almost seven points above his career average. He's also averaging 8.7 rebounds despite coming off the bench.

Just in case Duncan is considering jetting, the Spurs are trying to convince him to stick around by surrounding the Wake Forest product with a core of young talent.

The Spurs snagged point guard Tony Parker in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft and the 20-year-old Frenchman has played liked a wise veteran so far, especially in last year's postseason. With the addition of Argentine Emanuel Ginobili, who shined in the 2002 World Championships, the Spurs feel they have their backcourt of the future.

Parker is averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 assists this season, while Ginobili has posted an average of 8.7 points over his first three NBA games.

While the future is bright, the current backcourt situation has been hampered by injuries. Backup PG Speedy Claxton left Friday's game against Toronto with a dislocated right shoulder and was placed on the injured list. He was to undergo an MRI on Monday after which a timeline for his return will be determined.

Steve Smith, who has played just one game this year, is also expected to be sidelined for the next two weeks with a strained groin.

The Spurs added some much-needed depth at the guard position by signing guard Devin Brown. Brown appeared in six preseason games for the Spurs and averaged 5.8 points before being placed on waivers on October 23.