duncan228
12-04-2008, 02:09 AM
Spurs' big step begins with no limp (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_big_step_begins_with_no_limp.html)
Buck Harvey
They stuck a device on Tim Duncan's chronic left knee last summer, and then they tightened as if they were straightening a board.
Those in the practice facility aren't sure, but they think Duncan's facial expression may have changed.
When the knee had been extended past a certain point, they locked the device. This is what they do to worn joints with a decreased range of motion.
But that's about all the adjusting they've had to do. Duncan is in Denver tonight, where he played his first NBA game a dozen seasons ago, and he looks lively and active and fresh.
He also looks, again, like the reason the Spurs can straighten out their problems as they straightened out his leg.
The chemistry difficulties should be expected, what with injuries and roster additions. Gregg Popovich usually takes until February anyway before he finds what he wants, and George Hill learned how twisted this process can be.
After a string of high-scoring games, Hill didn't take a shot against Detroit and sat out the second half. The same kid who has impressed everyone with his toughness wasn't needed when Popovich thought the Spurs were soft?
Knowing Popovich, there was some lesson involved. Knowing Popovich, he didn't like his rotation much, either.
He couldn't have liked the fourth quarter. Then, Rasheed Wallace stood on the 3-point line and forced Duncan to make a choice: Either stay with Wallace or stop the other Pistons from driving. Duncan opted to do neither.
His teammates were as passive and confused. And afterward, Duncan didn't stick around to explain what had happened, choosing to duck the media.
That's a contrast to, among others, David Robinson. After similar losses, Robinson always stood at his locker and answered every painful question.
But Spurs management doesn't care if Duncan walks away from an interview — as long as he's walking somewhere. His health will determine everything about this season and the next several to come, and Robinson, again, is the contrasting measurement.
Robinson played in 610 regular-season and playoff games before his spine bent the wrong way, and he was never quite the same again. Next week, Duncan will play in his 1,000th.
The knee that required surgery in 2000 has been bothersome at times, and some in his locker room think this knee has handicapped him more in the past than he lets on. No one can tell; Duncan usually saves his concerns for the referees, after all.
But that's about the extent of it.
Duncan has kept playing at about the same level, year after year, and his Nuggets opponents tonight show the other side. Kenyon Martin and Nené have combined to play fewer games over the past three seasons than Duncan.
Duncan has endured some sprained ankles and plantar fasciitis along the way. But this season, he's playing more and scoring more, appearing as fit as he has since his MVP years, and he also looks freer.
Give some credit to Popovich for this. He's preached to Duncan for years to not hesitate when he has an open outside shot. This season, Duncan is doing just that.
There was something else going on early, too, when Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were out. Instead of being bored by the early season, as he sometimes was in the past, Duncan had a spark.
Why? He probably enjoyed being The Option again. And he probably liked the challenge of trying to scratch out wins with a makeshift group.
Now the others are back, as are an assortment of sticky issues. Is Bruce Bowen a 30-minute player anymore? Can anyone play the big-man spot next to Duncan? Does any of it matter if the Lakers continue to roll as they have?
Tonight won't make the Spurs feel much better. They have yet to win a road game against a team as strong as the Nuggets, and the Spurs won't win this one.
But if they have one reason to believe things can change, it's Duncan. He's walking out for the next tip in Denver, after all, much as he did for the first one.
Buck Harvey
They stuck a device on Tim Duncan's chronic left knee last summer, and then they tightened as if they were straightening a board.
Those in the practice facility aren't sure, but they think Duncan's facial expression may have changed.
When the knee had been extended past a certain point, they locked the device. This is what they do to worn joints with a decreased range of motion.
But that's about all the adjusting they've had to do. Duncan is in Denver tonight, where he played his first NBA game a dozen seasons ago, and he looks lively and active and fresh.
He also looks, again, like the reason the Spurs can straighten out their problems as they straightened out his leg.
The chemistry difficulties should be expected, what with injuries and roster additions. Gregg Popovich usually takes until February anyway before he finds what he wants, and George Hill learned how twisted this process can be.
After a string of high-scoring games, Hill didn't take a shot against Detroit and sat out the second half. The same kid who has impressed everyone with his toughness wasn't needed when Popovich thought the Spurs were soft?
Knowing Popovich, there was some lesson involved. Knowing Popovich, he didn't like his rotation much, either.
He couldn't have liked the fourth quarter. Then, Rasheed Wallace stood on the 3-point line and forced Duncan to make a choice: Either stay with Wallace or stop the other Pistons from driving. Duncan opted to do neither.
His teammates were as passive and confused. And afterward, Duncan didn't stick around to explain what had happened, choosing to duck the media.
That's a contrast to, among others, David Robinson. After similar losses, Robinson always stood at his locker and answered every painful question.
But Spurs management doesn't care if Duncan walks away from an interview — as long as he's walking somewhere. His health will determine everything about this season and the next several to come, and Robinson, again, is the contrasting measurement.
Robinson played in 610 regular-season and playoff games before his spine bent the wrong way, and he was never quite the same again. Next week, Duncan will play in his 1,000th.
The knee that required surgery in 2000 has been bothersome at times, and some in his locker room think this knee has handicapped him more in the past than he lets on. No one can tell; Duncan usually saves his concerns for the referees, after all.
But that's about the extent of it.
Duncan has kept playing at about the same level, year after year, and his Nuggets opponents tonight show the other side. Kenyon Martin and Nené have combined to play fewer games over the past three seasons than Duncan.
Duncan has endured some sprained ankles and plantar fasciitis along the way. But this season, he's playing more and scoring more, appearing as fit as he has since his MVP years, and he also looks freer.
Give some credit to Popovich for this. He's preached to Duncan for years to not hesitate when he has an open outside shot. This season, Duncan is doing just that.
There was something else going on early, too, when Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were out. Instead of being bored by the early season, as he sometimes was in the past, Duncan had a spark.
Why? He probably enjoyed being The Option again. And he probably liked the challenge of trying to scratch out wins with a makeshift group.
Now the others are back, as are an assortment of sticky issues. Is Bruce Bowen a 30-minute player anymore? Can anyone play the big-man spot next to Duncan? Does any of it matter if the Lakers continue to roll as they have?
Tonight won't make the Spurs feel much better. They have yet to win a road game against a team as strong as the Nuggets, and the Spurs won't win this one.
But if they have one reason to believe things can change, it's Duncan. He's walking out for the next tip in Denver, after all, much as he did for the first one.