duncan228
04-12-2009, 12:44 AM
Week in Review/Preview: Spurs set to miss May madness (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Week_in_ReviewPreview_Spurs_set_to_miss_May_madnes s.html)
By Douglas Pils - Express-News commentary
When the NBA playoffs start on Saturday, take a look at the top three teams in each conference.
The NBA champion will come from one of those six squads, proof positive that in the NBA the regular season counts and only in college does postseason madness prevail.
The only team outside its conference's No. 3 seed to reach the NBA Finals this decade was the 2006 Dallas Mavericks, who despite being a No. 4 seed had the West's second-best record at 60-22. (Rules have been changed to keep that from happening again.)
This decade, the top three seeds are 48-6 in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Now that you've got that number, here's another — zero. Of the six teams who pulled off the first-round upsets — five No. 6 seeds and a No. 8 — none made it past the next round.
In case you were wondering, no fifth seed, the Spurs' slot as of Saturday, has reached the conference finals this decade.
Consider that when you hear the following sentiment expressed between games at Sacramento today and Golden State on Monday.
“Gregg Popovich says he's more concerned about the Spurs' health and not so much about their playoff seeding when the postseason begins.”
He's not talking about health as it relates to this year's playoffs. He's talking about the 2010 playoffs.
So, for those thinking that Tim Duncan missing a few minutes here and a few seconds there might mean something when the Western Conference finals begin sometime in May, start planning those summer vacations if the Spurs don't leapfrog Houston and Portland.
And that's assuming you don't already consider the Spurs dead without Manu Ginobili.
By late May, those in Silver and Black will be talking about how happy they are that this summer includes no World Championships, no Olympic qualifying and no Olympics.
That will give older legs, balky knees and surgically repaired lower legs time to rest.
Week that was
Freak of the Week
Ex-Rampage goalie Al Montoya rebounded from his first bit of NHL hardship by putting the San Jose Sharks’ Presidents’ Cup trophy celebration on hold Thursday. He stopped 40 of 41 shots in the Coyotes’ 4-1 victory in San Jose. That was one start after he gave up six goals to the L.A. Kings.
“It feels good (to win) coming into a building like this, in a playoff-hockey environment,” Montoya said after improving to 3-1 for Phoenix, making Rampage fans wonder how he went 7-17-2 for them. “I just wanted to go out there and prove myself.”
Montoya is giving up an average of 2.08 goals per game and has a save percentage of .925. If he could manage that over a full season, he’d be the best netminder in the NHL.
Best
Not just about one: We saw it at the Ryder Cup, but other Americans besides Tiger Woods — Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry, etc, — are proving at the Masters that they can play a little, too.
Hooray: Baseball’s back.
Worst
Hello, free speech: The NCAA says it’s against the rulebook for a North Carolina State student to start a Facebook page asking top recruit John Wall to play in Raleigh. It’s a good thing Thomas Jefferson didn’t have the NCAA to contend with. We might have missed out on Delaware.
Too short: Losing Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, to a senseless accident that appears to have been caused by a drunk driver is the kind of lesson we all should be tired of learning. Remember to live each day to the fullest, because it takes an instant to lose it all.
Weekly Planner
MONDAY 13
Texas baseball: The Astros, who split 16 games with the Pirates in ’08, go to Pittsburgh, while quick starters, the Orioles and Rangers, meet in Arlington.
TUESDAY 14
NFL schedules: We know that the Cowboys drew the AFC West and home dates with the Falcons, Panthers and Seahawks. Now, we’ll know when.
WEDNESDAY 15
Hornets at Spurs: The Spurs could be fighting to stay among the top three in the West, while the Hornets could be trying to avoid the Lakers.
THURSDAY 16
Heritage at Hilton Head: Golf moves a little southeast to South Carolina, where Boo Weekley has won back-to-back for his only two PGA Tour titles.
SATURDAY 18
NBA playoffs: The road to glory begins, while in Phoenix the Suns are free to attend the Subway Fresh Fit 500, where they definitely won’t find the Spurs.
This decade's six NBA 'Cinderellas'
2001: (6) Hornets beat (3) Heat (lost to Bucks, East semis)
2003: (6) Celtics beat (3) Pacers (lost to Nets, East semis)
2005: (6) Pacers beat (3) Celtics (lost to Pistons, East semis)
2006: (6) Clippers beat (3) Nuggets (lost to Suns, West semis)
2007: (6) Nets beat (3) Raptors (lost to Cavs, East semis)
2007: (8) Warriors beat (1) Mavericks (lost to Jazz, West semis)
By Douglas Pils - Express-News commentary
When the NBA playoffs start on Saturday, take a look at the top three teams in each conference.
The NBA champion will come from one of those six squads, proof positive that in the NBA the regular season counts and only in college does postseason madness prevail.
The only team outside its conference's No. 3 seed to reach the NBA Finals this decade was the 2006 Dallas Mavericks, who despite being a No. 4 seed had the West's second-best record at 60-22. (Rules have been changed to keep that from happening again.)
This decade, the top three seeds are 48-6 in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Now that you've got that number, here's another — zero. Of the six teams who pulled off the first-round upsets — five No. 6 seeds and a No. 8 — none made it past the next round.
In case you were wondering, no fifth seed, the Spurs' slot as of Saturday, has reached the conference finals this decade.
Consider that when you hear the following sentiment expressed between games at Sacramento today and Golden State on Monday.
“Gregg Popovich says he's more concerned about the Spurs' health and not so much about their playoff seeding when the postseason begins.”
He's not talking about health as it relates to this year's playoffs. He's talking about the 2010 playoffs.
So, for those thinking that Tim Duncan missing a few minutes here and a few seconds there might mean something when the Western Conference finals begin sometime in May, start planning those summer vacations if the Spurs don't leapfrog Houston and Portland.
And that's assuming you don't already consider the Spurs dead without Manu Ginobili.
By late May, those in Silver and Black will be talking about how happy they are that this summer includes no World Championships, no Olympic qualifying and no Olympics.
That will give older legs, balky knees and surgically repaired lower legs time to rest.
Week that was
Freak of the Week
Ex-Rampage goalie Al Montoya rebounded from his first bit of NHL hardship by putting the San Jose Sharks’ Presidents’ Cup trophy celebration on hold Thursday. He stopped 40 of 41 shots in the Coyotes’ 4-1 victory in San Jose. That was one start after he gave up six goals to the L.A. Kings.
“It feels good (to win) coming into a building like this, in a playoff-hockey environment,” Montoya said after improving to 3-1 for Phoenix, making Rampage fans wonder how he went 7-17-2 for them. “I just wanted to go out there and prove myself.”
Montoya is giving up an average of 2.08 goals per game and has a save percentage of .925. If he could manage that over a full season, he’d be the best netminder in the NHL.
Best
Not just about one: We saw it at the Ryder Cup, but other Americans besides Tiger Woods — Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry, etc, — are proving at the Masters that they can play a little, too.
Hooray: Baseball’s back.
Worst
Hello, free speech: The NCAA says it’s against the rulebook for a North Carolina State student to start a Facebook page asking top recruit John Wall to play in Raleigh. It’s a good thing Thomas Jefferson didn’t have the NCAA to contend with. We might have missed out on Delaware.
Too short: Losing Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, to a senseless accident that appears to have been caused by a drunk driver is the kind of lesson we all should be tired of learning. Remember to live each day to the fullest, because it takes an instant to lose it all.
Weekly Planner
MONDAY 13
Texas baseball: The Astros, who split 16 games with the Pirates in ’08, go to Pittsburgh, while quick starters, the Orioles and Rangers, meet in Arlington.
TUESDAY 14
NFL schedules: We know that the Cowboys drew the AFC West and home dates with the Falcons, Panthers and Seahawks. Now, we’ll know when.
WEDNESDAY 15
Hornets at Spurs: The Spurs could be fighting to stay among the top three in the West, while the Hornets could be trying to avoid the Lakers.
THURSDAY 16
Heritage at Hilton Head: Golf moves a little southeast to South Carolina, where Boo Weekley has won back-to-back for his only two PGA Tour titles.
SATURDAY 18
NBA playoffs: The road to glory begins, while in Phoenix the Suns are free to attend the Subway Fresh Fit 500, where they definitely won’t find the Spurs.
This decade's six NBA 'Cinderellas'
2001: (6) Hornets beat (3) Heat (lost to Bucks, East semis)
2003: (6) Celtics beat (3) Pacers (lost to Nets, East semis)
2005: (6) Pacers beat (3) Celtics (lost to Pistons, East semis)
2006: (6) Clippers beat (3) Nuggets (lost to Suns, West semis)
2007: (6) Nets beat (3) Raptors (lost to Cavs, East semis)
2007: (8) Warriors beat (1) Mavericks (lost to Jazz, West semis)