"Argentina showed Tuesday why most observers have pegged them as a heavy favorite to win the FIBA Americas tournament.

"The Golden Generation" jumped on Paraguay early and cruised to an 84-52 victory in their first game of the tournament at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

For Spurs Nation, the best part of the game was seeing Manu Ginobili playing in mid-season form, without the "Robo Cop" bandage on his broken right arm from the playoffs.

Ginobili started at shooting guard, but served more in the role of a playmaker than as a shooter for his team. He struggled at times with three of Argentina's 12 turnovers, but also added 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. "