I don't know what to expect from the 2008-09 Spurs

[lefty]

- With Barry gone, our offense is going to struggle a lot; he was perfect for our motion offense, great passer, great shooter, great IQ, and a real catalyst off the bench.

- I like the additions of Hill, Gist and Mason, but what is to expect? Is Pop going to change the way we play on offense?
Gist and Hill are athletic players, and Mason is mostly a 3 point shooter.
George Hill, unlike Jaques Vaughn, seems to be an agressive scorer

- Michael Finley: we know he is mostly a jump shooter now; he can make big big shots, but he can also have shitty series (as in the 08 WCF); he lives (yes he is still alive) and dies by his outside shooting.

- Manu Ginobili: we need a 100% healthy Manu to win the title; period.
Against the Lakers in the WCF, he was like 50%, and had only one big game; and it was our only win of the series.
Manu is healthy now, but is going to play in the Olympics, and considering how Lithuania just destroyed Argentina, you expect Manu to play 200% in Beijing in order to try to get one medal.
I hope Argentina gets kicked out early from the tournament, that way he can get more rest.
I'm crossing my fingers here.

- Matt Bonner: if Horry leaves, will Pop give him more minutes? what can he bring to the Spurs beside his outside shooting? I wish I had the answer.

- Oberto: he owes us big time; he played like shit last season, to the point he got outrebounded by Farmar and Fisher :bang
What-The-Fuck.
He's good at passing the ball, moving without it, and boxing it out, but what about, hum, rebounds ?????

- Kurt Thomas: no concern here; super pro, excellent defender and can knock down the mid-range J consistently.

- Tim Duncan: as long as he is healthy, he is the best player in the league; period. But he is gonna need help, he can't win it all by himself

- Popovich: because of the 2 aforementioned players (KT and TD), no more fucking small ball !!!!!!!!!!!!! :flipoff
And I hope your'll make some smart decisions in the playoffs, like keeping a player who is on fire on the court (Barry), and bench an ice cold shooter (Finley). It just makes sense !
The man crush for Findog has to stop.

- Tony Parker: I don't know if he can get to the next level; I don't think he will; yes, he is a perennial all-star, but that's it; yes, he was the 2007 Finals MVP, but it was against a shitty defense.
I hope he has matured a bit more; during the Hornets series, he went into 1-on-1 mode against CP3, causing a lot of careless turnovers; what the hell was that??? During the playoffs, against a contender ?????
This is not a pickup game, what was he trying to prove ?
He made a big shot in game 7, but he could have cost us the series as well

- Clutch factor: if Horry leaves, who will make big shots for us?
Tim, Manu, and Bowen make all kind of big plays in crunch time (stops, rebounds, baskets); Finley has made some big shots for us.
It's gonna be interesting to see who stands out for us if Horry leaves.

- Bruce and Ime: Bruce is still important for us; he played amazing D in the first 2 round of the 2008 playoffs, but you could see he was tired against Kobe Bryant.
Udoka had a nice 1st season as a Spur; excellent D, and good scoring. He is comfortable in the Spurs system, and for that reason he should get more minutes during the regular season; that way, Bowen doesn't run out of gas towards the end of the playoffs.

- WGAF ???? It's 2009, and we win the title every 2 years, so :toast :lobt2::lobt2::lobt2::lobt2: :lobt2:

[ducks]

I do not know what to expect because I do not even know if manu will be heathy
I also do not know if the big three will be healthy for the playoffs
I also do not know what to expect because I do not know if they will be a trade like gasol to a power house team this year

[lefty]

I do not know what to expect because I do not even know if manu will be heathy
I also do not know if the big three will be healthy for the playoffs
I also do not know what to expect because I do not know if they will be a trade like gasol to a power house team this year

I agree

[honestfool84]

you can expect a lot of jumping on and off the spurs bandwagon - a lot of fans calling for manu's trade by november, and pop's head by february.

and then the same fans back on towards may.
that, you can expect.

[ducks]

I think tp has one more level in him
his passes are better and better all the time
tp will never average the assist that nash did
also nash assist went up over 3-4 a game when suns old coach

steve's old sun coach made his numbers better then they should have been
the spurs will start out slow because tp and hill will take time to find out where the new guys want the ball

[lefty]

you can expect a lot of jumping on and off the spurs bandwagon - a lot of fans calling for manu's trade by november, and pop's head by february.

and then the same fans back on towards may.
that, you can expect.

True; you can add the 200 threads that will pop every 5 minutes

[K-State Spur]

basically the same thing for every team since 2006. if the spurs catch a few breaks and play their best ball at the right times - they could be standing on the pedestal when it's all said and done. (that may sound like a big 'if', but there are really only a handful of teams that can say that.)

if the breaks go against them and the team struggles at inopportune moments, we'll be bitching and moaning again next offseason.

IMHO, the 2005 team was really the last one that had any real margin for error, and even that squad pulled it out by the skin of its teeth.

for as much we complain about the way last season ended, i'd still take our big 3 over the champs' big 3 any day of the week. and the role players on this team are capable of matching what theirs did.

[ducks]

the playoffs is about matchups
spurs got a break and got by the hornets
spurs need to win the one of the first 2 games of any series in playoffs
if they do not they ususally are in trouble

[Marcus Bryant]

Expect a...

http://hoopedia.nba.com/images/b/b0/Larry_obrien_championship.jpg

[underdawg]

the playoffs is about matchups
spurs got a break and got by the hornets
spurs need to win the one of the first 2 games of any series in playoffs
if they do not they ususally are in trouble

What break? We played a lot of games in short amount of time which didn't go well with our age. Were we fortunate to get by a youthful athletic team that hadn't been there before? Yes.

We've made some changes, but our core is still there. Our starting 5 will probably be the same that we had last year, except Mason instead of Finley. That said, it comes down to how our new additions fit in and how quickly they adjust. We did look awfully slow at times in the playoffs. Hopefully, young legs will keep our offense going instead of becoming stagnant like it did.

[lefty]

What break? We played a lot of games in short amount of time which didn't go well with our age. Were we fortunate to get by a youthful athletic team that hadn't been there before? Yes.

We've made some changes, but our core is still there. Our starting 5 will probably be the same that we had last year, except Mason instead of Finley. That said, it comes down to how our new additions fit in and how quickly they adjust. We did look awfully slow at times in the playoffs. Hopefully, young legs will keep our offense going instead of becoming stagnant like it did.

And I still believe in the NO conspiracy (all the hotels booked, the plane, etc....) :bang

[knee-knee-3]

On a side note, I expect a premature Laker exit, followed by Steven A. Smith swallowing his tongue.

[timvp]

Without reading, I'm going to guess a few shots at TP and Pop while also giving Manu an injury excuse.

[timvp]

Without reading, I'm going to guess a few shots at TP and Pop while also giving Manu an injury excuse.Damn, good guess :tu

lefty needs to throw a changeup.

[E20]

I expect a championship season. It is an odd year.

[underdawg]

Without reading, I'm going to guess a few shots at TP and Pop while also giving Manu an injury excuse.

The basic questions are:

1. Will Manu be healthy?
2. Can Tony still improve like he has every season before this one?
3. If Manu is healthy and Tony continues to improve, will Tim's presence be more supplemental than years past? If true, we'll be in good shape.

Otherwise, we'll need to depend on Tim because Tony can't create plays like he needs to and Manu will be often MIA due to his health. If that's the case, we obviously would be in a deep hole.

[lefty]

Damn, good guess :tu

lefty needs to throw a changeup.

You gussed right because it's the truth.

You are trying to be cynical but you really suck at it.

[timvp]

You gussed right because it's the truth.

You are trying to be cynical but you really suck at it.I guessed right because you've thrown the same pitch for the last six months.

[Kori Ellis]

If Manu, Tim and Tony are healthy, the Spurs have a good shot at the title, as always.

But their depth is a huge question mark. If you assume Thomas, Tim, Bruce, Manu and Tony are the starting five, the rest of the team is sketchy.

Bigs
Oberto - We know what he can and can't do.
Mahinmi - Who knows if he'll be able to even log minutes against NBA competition without getting into fast foul trouble.
Bonner - Could be traded.

3/4's
Tolliver - Partially guaranteed contract. Could just be a summer league phenom and be cut by the end of training camp.
Gist - might not even make the team

Wings
Mason - Did he have a fluke shooting year last year, or did he actually improve?
Udoka - Extremely inconsistent. Wouldn't be surprised to see him traded.
Finley/Whoever - Probably won't see many minutes

Points
Hill - Didn't show any ability to finish in summer league, which is scary. Probably will be a decent shooter. Don't even know if he's good enough to beat out Vaughn.
Vaughn - Like Oberto, you know what he can do and can't do.

I just wish there were two guys on the bunch that were consistent and reliable. I don't think that the Spurs have that (yet). However, there are definitely a lot of "hopefuls."

[underdawg]

Hill showed some hints of offense, but he did show consistent defense and he did show the ability to get other players involved. He'll be fine - I think everyone forgets that Vaughan was limited to that above. Hill will be a better scorer - not an issue.

Tolliver is a question mark, but he is long and if his outside shooting continues to improve like it has he'll definitely be an asset. You can't teach length, but as some players that have come to the Spurs you can teach defense.

Gist has too much athletic talent to not make the team. He runs the floor well and his ability to jump quickly is rare and valuable.

Ian will be fine if he's given a chance. Everyone knows that he has raw athleticism, but no one's ever seen him play with players like Duncan, Tony and Manu. My point is that if you put him in a scenario where he's a mop-up type of player (offense and defense) I think he'll show his worth.

Udoka will be better - he showed improvement during the last half of the season even though he sputtered in the playoffs. I give him a pass, since that seems to be common with most players that join the Spurs.

Mason is unknown, but he obviously impressed our FO enough to make such a quick move to snatch him up after we knew we wouldn't get CM. He just needs to be adequate on D and hit open shots. If he gets 10 ppg with us, then he will be a success.

Our bench was pretty mediocre last year and getting some effort, speed and athleticism out it this year will be an obvious improvement over last year. I think that you would have a tough argument (at this point) that our FO didn't address those weaknesses. There's probably one more move to make (Finley or another FA,) but I think our roster has improved.

[mystargtr34]

I think the team rests more or on Tony Parker than people think.

If he has another level to give, which i think he does, he could get us over the hump. As of right now i consider him the slightest of notches below Deron and CP3 and on par with guys like Nash, Baron and a select few others.

Of course having the big 3 100% healthy is the most important thing, but even then i dont think you can consider this team to be the strongest. Alot will depend on the unknown such as Mason, Mahinmi and Hill stepping up, which is worrisome.

I cant wait.

[lefty]

I guessed right because you've thrown the same pitch for the last six months.

And I will do it for the next 6 months

[mystargtr34]

Hill showed some hints of offense, but he did show consistent defense and he did show the ability to get other players involved. He'll be fine - I think everyone forgets that Vaughan was limited to that above. Hill will be a better scorer - not an issue.

Also, Hill has shown the ability to get into the lane in the Summer League, he has a good first step. He didd struggle finishing for the most part but he did have a couple of nice moves where he was fouled and still finished. But hes a late first round pick, hes gonna have his deficiencies, its a matter of how/if he overcomes them.

Tolliver is a question mark, but he is long and if his outside shooting continues to improve like it has he'll definitely be an asset. You can't teach length, but as some players that have come to the Spurs you can teach defense.

Gist has too much athletic talent to not make the team. He runs the floor well and his ability to jump quickly is rare and valuable.

Ian will be fine if he's given a chance. Everyone knows that he has raw athleticism, but no one's ever seen him play with players like Duncan, Tony and Manu. My point is that if you put him in a scenario where he's a mop-up type of player (offense and defense) I think he'll show his worth.

Udoka will be better - he showed improvement during the last half of the season even though he sputtered in the playoffs. I give him a pass, since that seems to be common with most players that join the Spurs.

Mason is unknown, but he obviously impressed our FO enough to make such a quick move to snatch him up after we knew we wouldn't get CM. He just needs to be adequate on D and hit open shots. If he gets 10 ppg with us, then he will be a success.

Our bench was pretty mediocre last year and getting some effort, speed and athleticism out it this year will be an obvious improvement over last year. I think that you would have a tough argument (at this point) that our FO didn't address those weaknesses. There's probably one more move to make (Finley or another FA,) but I think our roster has improved.

I think we can all be comfortable with Hill's shooting ability given his numbers over his college career. Alot of his minutes will be played alongside Manu in the second unit, where Manu will be the primary ball handler and play maker. As long as he can get us into the set and knock down the open jumpers he will make the team better on offense. On defense, as everyone has who has witnessed him play has said, hes already NBA ready in that regard. He has a massive wingspan and quick feet and should be a ball hawk on that end. Rajon Rondo caused all sorts of havoc in the Finals using his speed and length.

[mrspurs]

what to expect? hmmm.....so far the only player that has any kind of real nba experience is roger mason........kurt should be a bit better(cos of time but is to short),duncan lost a step i dont expect it back, so has bowen and manu, tony as you said still can take his game another level....and fab imo wouldnt be here if manu wasnt around....we are still a great team and on any other yr. i would say 'said set up another trophy spot"....but then i look at LA and NO and i think............we are gonna get killed in the paint again, those teams are gonna get better, they have played together long enough now and still are young(like our spurs used tobe when tony,manu and duncan started playing)......we on the other hand are imo, not good enough yet to win a 7 game series against either of them(unless maybe we win HCA)......unless we make some serious changes before or during the season, next season will be like the last, expect pop to slow the game down, hack a whoever cant shoot free-throws, and (i hate saying this, but i saw alot of it last season) giving up...look at it this way, if your LA you already know you can beat SA and it dont take 7 games, if your NO you already helped yourself(by signing posey) and that should help whip SA by 20 something more then once this coming season....for those of yall who depend on other players getting hurt, yall better start hoping soon......i love my spurs, but i type what i see

[Fabbs]

If Manu, Tim and Tony are healthy, the Spurs have a good shot at the title, as always.

But their depth is a huge question mark. If you assume Thomas, Tim, Bruce, Manu and Tony are the starting five, the rest of the team is sketchy.
Yet if there is no solid bench to limit the regular season minutes of these three, why should we think another 82 game regular season will not injure/gas out one or more of these three?
I don't get the FO and Lord Poppycocks plan (plan?) to keep all three of these healthy before and during the playoffs.

[exstatic]

you can expect a lot of jumping on and off the spurs bandwagon - a lot of fans calling for manu's trade by november, and pop's head by february.

and then the same fans back on towards may.
that, you can expect.

+1

[JPB]

I think the regular season could be a bit more exciting this year due to the arrival of several new young intriguing players.
It will be interesting to see how they're doing and if they could contribute and help spurs get another title (or not).

Last RS were more boring from this point of view.

[mystargtr34]

It definately feels different this season to past seasons.... i dont think there has been this much uncertainty since i can remember.

[mystargtr34]

which is about 3 years.

[ShoogarBear]

- With Barry gone, our offense is going to struggle a lot; he was perfect for our motion offense, great passer, great shooter, great IQ, and a real catalyst off the bench.

When did Brent Barry become the 2008 version of The Great Overrated Steve Kerr? Yeah, he finished strong, but it's not like the Spurs weren't perfectly capable of big-time struggling on offense even when he played. Sure it would have been nice to have him around as a 9th or 10th man, but he's not an irreplaceable cog.


- I like the additions of Hill, Gist and Mason, but what is to expect? Is Pop going to change the way we play on offense?
Gist and Hill are athletic players, and Mason is mostly a 3 point shooter.
George Hill, unlike Jaques Vaughn, seems to be an aggressive scorerThe biggest thing Pop has to do is realize that he doesn't have veterans like Finley, Barry, and Horry who he can give a string of erratic time or DNPs to and then just throw out there and expect them to produce. He needs to give Mahinmi, Hill, Mason, and yes Bonner consistent PT no matter what for the first few months so that they can really know what they can do. This will probably cost the Spurs a few games, quite possibly one of the worst first half-seasons in the Duncan era (which is saying something).

Pop's going to have to coach his @ss off, 2003-style. Even then, the Spurs may only end up with 50-52 wins, but it will be all about where the young guys are at the end of the year.

I'm starting to have serious reservations about The Savior. He's looking like a more defensively-aware Francisco Elson. His offense seems to be a lot of finesse/junk that I don't think will play in the big leagues. And I don't see anything that makes me think he will be a consistent rebounder. Hopefully I'm wrong.

I am on the James Gist bandwagon. If he can defend his man in the low post (not just help on others), he may be more of what we'd like Ian to be.

Truthfully, I have no idea if George Hill is going to be the second coming of Alvin Robertson, or the second coming of Jacque Vaughn.


- Michael Finley: we know he is mostly a jump shooter now; he can make big big shots, but he can also have shitty series (as in the 08 WCF); he lives (yes he is still alive) and dies by his outside shooting.I'd still rather have Finley taking a big shot outside of anyone out of the big 3. As long as he's a 9/10/11th man, I'm fine with keeping him. If Pop insists on playing him starter's minutes, the Spurs are in trouble.


- Manu Ginobili: we need a 100% healthy Manu to win the title; period.No duh. Which is why people need to STFU about him not getting a lot of PT during the regular season. The book is closed on whether he can play big minutes, and the answer is no.


- Matt Bonner: if Horry leaves, will Pop give him more minutes? what can he bring to the Spurs beside his outside shooting? I wish I had the answer.My biggest concern about Bonner is that he has shown a distinct lack of clutchness with the Spurs. He's had a fair number of open shots at crucial moments, and I don't recall many of them falling. Lots of things can be overcome with more PT, but usually clutch is something that either you have or you don't.


- Oberto: he owes us big time; he played like shit last season, to the point he got outrebounded by Farmar and Fisher :bang
What-The-Fuck.
He's good at passing the ball, moving without it, and boxing it out, but what about, hum, rebounds ?????Oberto is what he is. A known quantity. That's not going to change. He will hurt teams that forget about him, but if somebody puts even a little effort into stopping him, he will not be a factor.


- Kurt Thomas: no concern here; super pro, excellent defender and can knock down the mid-range J consistently.I'm hoping to see a little more from him on offense than they got last year.



- Tim Duncan: as long as he is healthy, he is the best player in the league; period. But he is gonna need help, he can't win it all by himselfAnd, like Manu, he can't get burned out in the regular season. Which is why it's key that Mahinmi and maybe Gist get some minutes.


- Tony Parker: I don't know if he can get to the next level; I don't think he will; yes, he is a perennial all-star, but that's it; yes, he was the 2007 Finals MVP, but it was against a shitty defense.Cleveland was a sh!tty defense? Fail. Maybe not the best defense to stop a Tony Parker, but the only strength they had besides LeBron was D.


- Bruce and Ime: Bruce is still important for us; he played amazing D in the first 2 round of the 2008 playoffs, but you could see he was tired against Kobe Bryant.He sure wasn't tired in game one. (Pop: :shootme) But yes, this would be a good season for Pop to decide at the outset that Bruce is only going to play 25-30 minutes a game.


Udoka had a nice 1st season as a Spur; excellent D, and good scoring. He is comfortable in the Spurs system, and for that reason he should get more minutes during the regular season; that way, Bowen doesn't run out of gas towards the end of the playoffs.Udoka had his moments, but he also showed a tendency to be nervous and unclutch with open shots. Hopefully this will improve, but like with Bonner, the lack of clutch has me worried.

Fortunately, they will have a chance to test Hill, Mason, and maybe Gist and Hariston for clutchness, and at least one may come through.

[AFBlue]

If Manu, Tim and Tony are healthy, the Spurs have a good shot at the title, as always.

But their depth is a huge question mark. If you assume Thomas, Tim, Bruce, Manu and Tony are the starting five, the rest of the team is sketchy.

Bigs
Oberto - We know what he can and can't do.
Mahinmi - Who knows if he'll be able to even log minutes against NBA competition without getting into fast foul trouble.
Bonner - Could be traded.

3/4's
Tolliver - Partially guaranteed contract. Could just be a summer league phenom and be cut by the end of training camp.
Gist - might not even make the team

Wings
Mason - Did he have a fluke shooting year last year, or did he actually improve?
Udoka - Extremely inconsistent. Wouldn't be surprised to see him traded.
Finley/Whoever - Probably won't see many minutes

Points
Hill - Didn't show any ability to finish in summer league, which is scary. Probably will be a decent shooter. Don't even know if he's good enough to beat out Vaughn.
Vaughn - Like Oberto, you know what he can do and can't do.

I just wish there were two guys on the bunch that were consistent and reliable. I don't think that the Spurs have that (yet). However, there are definitely a lot of "hopefuls."

Probably the most realistic breakdown I've read....even if it is pessimistic.

There are questions all the way up and down this roster with the exception of Tim and Tony, who should benefit from a long summer off.

1) Will Manu get healthy, stay healthy, and regain his form?

2) Will KT and Udoka step it up in their second year with the team?

3) Will Mason prove to be more than a one-year wonder and can he pick up the system quickly enough to be an instant contributor?

4) Will Vaughn and Oberto continue their consistent, albeit limited, production?

5) Will the young guns (Mahinmi, Hill, Tolliver?, Gist?, Hairston?) take advantage if given opportunity?

I think you're likely to see a mixed bag of answers to those questions above, but if the answer to the top three is "Yes" then the Spurs have a good shot at the title.

At this point I'm only really convinced with #2 and #4, and that's not going to be enough. I hope I'm wrong!

[DPG21920]

I think the regular season could be a bit more exciting this year due to the arrival of several new young intriguing players.
It will be interesting to see how they're doing and if they could contribute and help spurs get another title (or not).

Last RS were more boring from this point of view.

I just hope everyone can be patient and not place to high of expectations on the young guns. Hopefully they play hard on D, compete and learn what it takes to win at this level. We can not expect them to all be all-stars after week 1.

Should be fun to watch and see what Pop does, this is where you will see how good of a coach he is.

[timaios]

- Tony Parker: I don't know if he can get to the next level; I don't think he will; yes, he is a perennial all-star, but that's it; yes, he was the 2007 Finals MVP, but it was against a shitty defense.

Game 1: SA 85, CLE 76
Game 2: SA 103, CLE 92
Game 3: SA 75, CLE 72
Game 4: SA 83, CLE 82

In game 1, 3 & 4 : average points for Spurs = 81 pts.
What a shitty defense !!!


I hope he has matured a bit more; during the Hornets series, he went into 1-on-1 mode against CP3, causing a lot of careless turnovers; what the hell was that??? During the playoffs, against a contender ?????
This is not a pickup game, what was he trying to prove ?
He made a big shot in game 7, but he could have cost us the series as well

OMG :lmao

[Spurtacus]

I expect the 08/09 Spurs to contend for another title.

[lefty]

Game 1: SA 85, CLE 76
Game 2: SA 103, CLE 92
Game 3: SA 75, CLE 72
Game 4: SA 83, CLE 82

In game 1, 3 & 4 : average points for Spurs = 81 pts.
What a shitty defense !!!



OMG :lmao

For Cleveland's D, I'm not talking numbers, but the way Parker penetrated at well, not to mention their bad transition defense

[timaios]

For Cleveland's D, I'm not talking numbers, but the way Parker penetrated at well, not to mention their bad transition defense

Or Parker was too good for them.
Whatever.

[Fabbs]

Game 1: SA 85, CLE 76
Game 2: SA 103, CLE 92
Game 3: SA 75, CLE 72
Game 4: SA 83, CLE 82

In game 1, 3 & 4 : average points for Spurs = 81 pts.
What a shitty defense !!!
Actually that is "Pop O" cuttin it loose.

[T Park]

Tony Parker: I don't know if he can get to the next level; I don't think he will; yes, he is a perennial all-star, but that's it; yes, he was the 2007 Finals MVP, but it was against a shitty defense.
I hope he has matured a bit more; during the Hornets series, he went into 1-on-1 mode against CP3, causing a lot of careless turnovers; what the hell was that??? During the playoffs, against a contender ?????
This is not a pickup game, what was he trying to prove ?
He made a big shot in game 7, but he could have cost us the series as well



One of the church of Manu's lead members slams Parker again for no reason.

Typical.

[lefty]

Actually that is "Pop O" cuttin it loose.

Exactly

[Obstructed_View]

The Spurs' biggest problem on offense was the inability for anyone to hit a mid-range jumper. Thomas, Hill and Mason can hit them, and I'm sure it will be a point of emphasis going forward. Add to that the abilities of the players brought in on the defensive end, and the problem has almost gone away. I'm not worried at all this season as long as everyone is healthy.

[Anti.Hero]

I fear NO will knock us out.

I just want an 07-08 December MANU in the 08-09 Playoffs.

[urunobili]

- Kurt Thomas: no concern here; super pro, excellent defender and can knock down the mid-range J consistently.


his J sucked ALL playoffs...

[AFBlue]

his J sucked ALL playoffs...

KT actually did pretty well considering he had spent less than half a season with the Spurs before the playoffs.

Thomas is a smart player with a consistent skill set...he'll be fine.

[urunobili]

KT actually did pretty well considering he had spent less than half a season with the Spurs before the playoffs.

Thomas is a smart player with a consistent skill set...he'll be fine.

i agree he did well... his J just wasn;t there...

[nfg3]

I see two basic factors effecting the Spurs - health and the new additions.

1) Health - TD and Manu in particular. Pop is going to have to manage their minutes so as to have them ready come playoff time. But a major injury to either of those two or TP and all bets are off.

2) Role/new players - they are going to have to get substantial minutes in order to fit into the Spurs system. This goes hand in hand with Pop managing the minutes of the above players. There are so many questions marks here:

Ian: Is he really ready to contribute or not? I see "ups" only to be followed with "downs". Very inconsistent but has upside to help the Spurs. Wait and see.

Mason: Kori stated it - was last year's stats a true improvement or just a flash in the pan. Was it real?

HIll: Can he be the backup PG we have been looking for? What did he do to impress the Spurs so much as the have them use the 1st rd pick on him? So far I've seen glimpses but nothing consistent.

Gist/Hairston: will either even make the team?

Bonner: do or die season. Inconsistent so far.

Udoka: Was improving towards the end of last year and maybe this year he steps it up. During the playoffs I saw times where he was very good only to be followed but times where he was forcing the issue. Can't guard athletic wingman like Bruce can - Kobe just killed him - but plays good D overall.

I just see a lot of inconsistency in our bench this coming season. A lot of untried and unproven players. Pop no longer has the luxury of inserting vets into the games all the time. We will have to live with these younger and more immature players in the hope that with sufficient PT they can overcome that disadvantage and start to contribute.

I expect to win less games next year but hope that by the annual RR trip things will begin to take shape and we can get rolling after that.

This next eseason is going to be a roller coaster one. I see a lot of ups and downs and ST will be busting a gut over it.

[Gino]

From an outsiders perspective, I think the key to the Spurs will be the Ginobili's health and the pure firepower of their role players.

[Brutalis]

All I know is, Manu better not fuck it up this playoffs like he did the last series against LA. If people wanna use the injury excuse then he shouldn't have even played. Throwing the ball to random fans in the crowd and chucking up Gilbert Arenas type shots killed us. He ruined so many possessions and after we got sent home we all wanna complain that it was okay cause he was hurt. No.

[wisnub]

I expect they will go to West Finals..but I dont know whether they can pull it off...West is too strong as much as I hate to admit it. There will be lots of bandwagon jumpers, but i didnt give a fuck..People got rights to choose their fave team. Personally I dont like bandwagoners. The point is that Spurs will continue to be a top championship hunter,regardless of whatever people say..Im fucking dissapointed in how this season end,but I always be Spurs fan,even if they're losing and playing. The loss taste bitter...but being in Western Conference Finals is a dream for some NBA teams. Spurs fan got extremely high expectation and accustomed in winning...i dont try to be a dick but we should be grateful and appreciative to the team that we support,whatever the result may be. Beside they are the ones who go to war,not us.

[wisnub]

I expect nothing..but i would love to see video of Spurs parade in SA famous river.....and see Manu's crying in joy

[tlongII]

It will be one and done for the Spurs in the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

[024]

i think i may be the only one who thinks the spurs have dramatically improved. first of all, offense wasn't the only problem the spurs faced last year. the spurs dropped from being the number one defense to the third/fourth. the reason the rockets were able to win so many even without yao was because their defense improved immensely during the second half of the season. shane battier will be better than bowen next season as bowen gets older. defense still wins games.

with that said, both offensively and defensively, kurt thomas will be an upgrade over oberto, mason will be an upgrade over finley, and george hill, because he's younger and quicker, will be an upgrade over vaughn. the whole spurs strategy is to play suffocating defense combined with a structured offense to lull the opponent to sleep. offensive droughts don't matter much as long as the opponent doesn't capitalize during the time period. with improvements on both the offensive and defensive end, the spurs will be better.

udoka played surprisingly well in the playoffs. by surprisingly well, i mean he did not suck. another year of experience with the team will make him a very good bench player. finley can still play, he might even be better because he won't have to play so many minutes. all he has to do is enter, take a few shots and hopefully make some to give others some rest. losing barry was bad but finley can fill that role now.

although so much hope is generated around mahinmi, gist, and tolliver, i doubt any of them will see any playing time during the playoffs unless they grow up VERY fast. gist is the only one i can see playing during the playoffs because of his good rebounding, defense, and ability to finish around the rim. can be good paired with either duncan or thomas.

and simply not having horry back is a tremendous upgrade. it would be nice to have someone replace his minutes though, maybe gist. but simply removing his 19.4 FG% from the playoffs is a big boost. i remember someone on ESPN saying that the hornets should pray that horry doesn't get suspended for that back screen on west because horry was killing the spurs.

the spurs also now have true reliable backup point guards during playoff time. vaughn hardly saw any action last year and usually leaves ginobili or 36 year old barry picking up the slack. but now mason and hill will fill that role, giving ginobili more flexibility to play shooting guard. hill, barring some major choking should see consistent minutes during the playoffs. i think his defense is good enough against the second unit point guards out there. let his offense and pg skills develop and he'll be good enough to lead the spur's second unit.

when your starters consist of one hall of famer, two all-stars, one veteran center, and a top two perimeter defender, that team can compete with any team. upgrading the bench now only increases the chances of winning. i don't know where all the negativity is coming from.

[DROB4EVER]

I think this years team withstanding any injury to the big 3 will be better than last years no doubt. Last years bench was old and not consistent in what they gave us. I think they weekend our D when they were on the court.

This years bench while not as experianced will give us more speedl, better D and rebounding and should provide enough of a scoring punch to help us not have so many scoring droughts.

Hill Ian Manu Oberto Gist and Fin, not a bad bench. Our D is my concern. We are no longer holding teams to shooting 40% like the old days, teams are shooting 45-46% against us. We have also seen our ppg decrease. I think we need to improve in both areas to win another title and so far I think we have improved our firepower but not our D as much as I would like.

Love to see us go trade for a shot blocker like Williams from jersey or heck even boone would be nice. Or sign Ratliff.

We also need to dump Bonner so we can have room for another youngster to get some pt.

[MannyIsGod]

I can't believe I just read "He's a perinal all-star but thats it". Thats IT? How many teams in the league have ONE perinal all-star much less 2?

[ducks]

I can't believe I just read "He's a perinal all-star but thats it". Thats IT? How many teams in the league have ONE perinal all-star much less 2?

not only that but a finals mvp:bang:bang:bang:bang:bang:bang:bang

[honestfool84]

I can't believe I just read "He's a perinal all-star but thats it". Thats IT? How many teams in the league have ONE perinal all-star much less 2?


two?

ahem:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_fo4CG3MTjFY/RJFVY6E5ABI/AAAAAAAAALQ/lGayVG5dGqc/060522_big_three_court_gt.jpg

[1Parker1]

I said it last year and I think the same problem will be around this year; Spurs offense is waaaaaaaaaay too overreliant on the Big 3 to produce night in and night out. It's become predictable and it definitely takes a toll on them in the regular season. Spurs needed to get some better shooters this offseason, and the best they got was Roger Mason and an unknown PG from an unknown school. I know their options were limited, but honestly, they still need to do a lot more work this offseason or even next midseason if they want to be contenders.

[bus driver]

And I hope your'll make some smart decisions in the playoffs, like keeping a player who is on fire on the court (Barry), and bench an ice cold shooter (Finley). It just makes sense !
The man crush for Findog has to stop.

TRUE!!!


:flag::lobt2::flag:

[angelbelow]

we'll be fine. just sit tight and watch.

[MannyIsGod]

two?

ahem:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_fo4CG3MTjFY/RJFVY6E5ABI/AAAAAAAAALQ/lGayVG5dGqc/060522_big_three_court_gt.jpg

At least you choose an appropriate screen name. You really had to edit that?

Does the name Tim Duncan ring a bell?

[Galileo]

NBA Spurs since 1977

NBA championships

Even numbered years = 0
Odd numbered years = 4 (4 of the last 5)

Western Finals appearances

Even = 2 (including last year)
Odd = 7 (including 6 of the last 7)

Spurs look good in '09.

[your_pimp]

- With Barry gone, our offense is going to struggle a lot; he was perfect for our motion offense, great passer, great shooter, great IQ, and a real catalyst off the bench.

- I like the additions of Hill, Gist and Mason, but what is to expect? Is Pop going to change the way we play on offense?
Gist and Hill are athletic players, and Mason is mostly a 3 point shooter.
George Hill, unlike Jaques Vaughn, seems to be an agressive scorer

- Michael Finley: we know he is mostly a jump shooter now; he can make big big shots, but he can also have shitty series (as in the 08 WCF); he lives (yes he is still alive) and dies by his outside shooting.

- Manu Ginobili: we need a 100% healthy Manu to win the title; period.
Against the Lakers in the WCF, he was like 50%, and had only one big game; and it was our only win of the series.
Manu is healthy now, but is going to play in the Olympics, and considering how Lithuania just destroyed Argentina, you expect Manu to play 200% in Beijing in order to try to get one medal.
I hope Argentina gets kicked out early from the tournament, that way he can get more rest.
I'm crossing my fingers here.

- Matt Bonner: if Horry leaves, will Pop give him more minutes? what can he bring to the Spurs beside his outside shooting? I wish I had the answer.

- Oberto: he owes us big time; he played like shit last season, to the point he got outrebounded by Farmar and Fisher :bang
What-The-Fuck.
He's good at passing the ball, moving without it, and boxing it out, but what about, hum, rebounds ?????

- Kurt Thomas: no concern here; super pro, excellent defender and can knock down the mid-range J consistently.

- Tim Duncan: as long as he is healthy, he is the best player in the league; period. But he is gonna need help, he can't win it all by himself

- Popovich: because of the 2 aforementioned players (KT and TD), no more fucking small ball !!!!!!!!!!!!! :flipoff
And I hope your'll make some smart decisions in the playoffs, like keeping a player who is on fire on the court (Barry), and bench an ice cold shooter (Finley). It just makes sense !
The man crush for Findog has to stop.

- Tony Parker: I don't know if he can get to the next level; I don't think he will; yes, he is a perennial all-star, but that's it; yes, he was the 2007 Finals MVP, but it was against a shitty defense.
I hope he has matured a bit more; during the Hornets series, he went into 1-on-1 mode against CP3, causing a lot of careless turnovers; what the hell was that??? During the playoffs, against a contender ?????
This is not a pickup game, what was he trying to prove ?
He made a big shot in game 7, but he could have cost us the series as well

- Clutch factor: if Horry leaves, who will make big shots for us?
Tim, Manu, and Bowen make all kind of big plays in crunch time (stops, rebounds, baskets); Finley has made some big shots for us.
It's gonna be interesting to see who stands out for us if Horry leaves.

- Bruce and Ime: Bruce is still important for us; he played amazing D in the first 2 round of the 2008 playoffs, but you could see he was tired against Kobe Bryant.
Udoka had a nice 1st season as a Spur; excellent D, and good scoring. He is comfortable in the Spurs system, and for that reason he should get more minutes during the regular season; that way, Bowen doesn't run out of gas towards the end of the playoffs.

- WGAF ???? It's 2009, and we win the title every 2 years, so :toast :lobt2::lobt2::lobt2::lobt2: :lobt2:


Do not expect anything...

Your team is done!

[your_pimp]

NBA Spurs since 1977

NBA championships

Even numbered years = 0
Odd numbered years = 4 (4 of the last 5)

Western Finals appearances

Even = 2 (including last year)
Odd = 7 (including 6 of the last 7)

Spurs look good in '09.

Stupid asses who still live and feed from the past.

No title in 09.

[ChumpDumper]

A sunfan is trying to talk smack?

Oh, sorry -- I forgot.

A rocketfan is trying to talk smack?

[anakha]

Do not expect anything...

Your team is done!

If nothing else, Louis is pretty consistent with his trolling. :lol

[DROB4EVER]

I said it last year and I think the same problem will be around this year; Spurs offense is waaaaaaaaaay too overreliant on the Big 3 to produce night in and night out. It's become predictable and it definitely takes a toll on them in the regular season. Spurs needed to get some better shooters this offseason, and the best they got was Roger Mason and an unknown PG from an unknown school. I know their options were limited, but honestly, they still need to do a lot more work this offseason or even next midseason if they want to be contenders.

If they want to be contenders? They did what they needed to do, they added a young shooter who can also handle the ball something Fin cannot do. He can also play more than 20 min pr game without needing 3 days off.

He will be a better defender as well. We added a young very good player in Hill who will give us a better defender of the bench, has more range than vaughn and will be a threat to score by mid season.

We added a young big who can run the floor as well as any 4 or 5 and has shown a good post game and nice 15ft jumper as well as the ability to put the ball on the floor a dribble or two.

We added a young super athletic 3-4 who at the very least will provide a good defender, shot blocker rebounder at the 3 and can beat his man down the floor most of the time.

We may still sign Fin after he comes to ters with the fact he is no longer a good NBA player and will be limited where ever he goes to spot duty.

What we lost, a creeky 4 who gave us nothing all yr long and could not hit a shot to save his life. And a 36yr old 9th man. Who played well in the playoffs but is a turnstile of a defender.

I say the offseason was Ok. I would have liked to add a true small forward who can score and is over 6-5. And wouldnt mind having upgraded at Center but you can only have so many players.

I think the spurs will see how things go and if they need to make adjustments they may be willing to use the Trade Exc to try to make an improvement.

[Septic]

Who cares we've had more than enough proof it's rigged.

[ceperez]

If they want to be contenders? They did what they needed to do, they added a young shooter who can also handle the ball something Fin cannot do. He can also play more than 20 min pr game without needing 3 days off.

He will be a better defender as well. We added a young very good player in Hill who will give us a better defender of the bench, has more range than vaughn and will be a threat to score by mid season.

We added a young big who can run the floor as well as any 4 or 5 and has shown a good post game and nice 15ft jumper as well as the ability to put the ball on the floor a dribble or two.

We added a young super athletic 3-4 who at the very least will provide a good defender, shot blocker rebounder at the 3 and can beat his man down the floor most of the time.

We may still sign Fin after he comes to ters with the fact he is no longer a good NBA player and will be limited where ever he goes to spot duty.

What we lost, a creeky 4 who gave us nothing all yr long and could not hit a shot to save his life. And a 36yr old 9th man. Who played well in the playoffs but is a turnstile of a defender.

I say the offseason was Ok. I would have liked to add a true small forward who can score and is over 6-5. And wouldnt mind having upgraded at Center but you can only have so many players.

I think the spurs will see how things go and if they need to make adjustments they may be willing to use the Trade Exc to try to make an improvement.

Great summary! Definitely not spectacular but decent off season.

Did you forget to mention Tolliver?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I doubt the Spurs would have beaten the Hornets without Parker. I love how fans bust on him.

[Solid D]

True Chopper, and you know what? I'm still not sure how the Spurs beat the Hornets at their place.

[I. Hustle]

http://www.wnba.com/media/WNBAEG-LP-header.jpg

[Manufan909]

Experience.

[barbacoataco]

I get the feeling that the Spurs are going to emphasize their defense next year. If you look at who they signed: Mason (especially before last season) is known primarily as a defensive player. Hill and Gist are good defenders coming out of college. They resigned Thomas who is the only Spur who can defend Shaq type players.
Maybe their off-season looks a little bland because they went with more defensive type players. Personally, I like this strategy. The Spurs have won championships with defense. Last year they were scored on so easy at times that it was painful to watch. I have been a fan since 1988, and I can take losing. But I would rather lose with a good defense.

[DROB4EVER]

Great summary! Definitely not spectacular but decent off season.

Did you forget to mention Tolliver?

Yes I did forget, I like him alot but I dont think hes gonna get alot of burn. He is a 1 trick pony right now. I like his size and hope he develops into more than a spot up shooter. Still like to add more via trade.

[DROB4EVER]

I get the feeling that the Spurs are going to emphasize their defense next year. If you look at who they signed: Mason (especially before last season) is known primarily as a defensive player. Hill and Gist are good defenders coming out of college. They resigned Thomas who is the only Spur who can defend Shaq type players.
Maybe their off-season looks a little bland because they went with more defensive type players. Personally, I like this strategy. The Spurs have won championships with defense. Last year they were scored on so easy at times that it was painful to watch. I have been a fan since 1988, and I can take losing. But I would rather lose with a good defense.

I dont see us being a real great defensive team, like we were a few years ago without adding another shot blocker. We give up to many easy looks in the paint. Last year teams shot like 45% against us and that is really a high clip. We need to get it down to 41-42%

And rebound better

[venitian navigator]

I dont see us being a real great defensive team, like we were a few years ago without adding another shot blocker. We give up to many easy looks in the paint. Last year teams shot like 45% against us and that is really a high clip. We need to get it down to 41-42%

And rebound better

I agree.
Dikembe Mutombo ? David Harrison ? Adonal Foyle ?
I think we need a shot blocker/rebounder (at least for some minutes) in case Mahinmi does't show he's a stud...

[DPG21920]

Sean Williams with the trade exception?

[wildchild]

- With Barry gone, our offense is going to struggle a lot; he was perfect for our motion offense, great passer, great shooter, great IQ, and a real catalyst off the bench.

- Matt Bonner: if Horry leaves, will Pop give him more minutes? what can he bring to the Spurs beside his outside shooting? I wish I had the answer.

- Oberto: he owes us big time; he played like shit last season, to the point he got outrebounded by Farmar and Fisher :bang
What-The-Fuck.
He's good at passing the ball, moving without it, and boxing it out, but what about, hum, rebounds ?????

- Popovich: because of the 2 aforementioned players (KT and TD), no more fucking small ball !!!!!!!!!!!!! :flipoff
And I hope your'll make some smart decisions in the playoffs, like keeping a player who is on fire on the court (Barry), and bench an ice cold shooter (Finley). It just makes sense !
The man crush for Findog has to stop.



We'll miss Brent 'cause the new guys aren't a shooter or passer like him.
Oberto played like shit last season? You've forgotten something? Oberto played good games in regular season and in playoffs. Without him we hadn't beat Hornets while KT...well, he didn't a good job.
Oberto couldn't have been done better than the way he did in last games of the round in New Orleans and we won.
So, I’m sorry to dissapoint you but Pop loves small ball. Anybody Oberto Rasho Thomas Elson...Doesn't mather who is the TD's partner.