Does Spurs current streak feel like it should?

[sananspursfan21]

Spurs have one 5 straight games yes, but they haven't really beaten a good team. IMO the best team they beat is a tie between houston and milwaukee. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, i'm happy and i realize that Spurs need wins regardless of who they beat. It just doesn't feel as good as it could.

hopefully a win at home to boston will remedy this. anybody else feel like i do

[The_Game]

wins are wins in the regular season. getting the most wins come end of the regular season is what matters.

however wins against the elite are down to just bragging rights

[honestfool84]

wins are wins in the regular season. getting the most wins come end of the regular season is what matters.

however wins against the elite are down to just bragging rights

i'm surprised i'm doing this...but................................+1

[dbestpro]

The issue of Spur victories is not who you beat, but how you beat them that is important. The game against Houston was an ugly defensive game. Just how we like it. It was Spurs ball to the core. TP against Philly really showed me something as he worked his tail off to get everyone involved. He may just become that high assist PG, yet.

[sananspursfan21]

wins are wins in the regular season. getting the most wins come end of the regular season is what matters.

however wins against the elite are down to just bragging rights

ummm okay. i realize that, but you feel better about wins when they're against great teams

[Chomag]

I do feel that 2 of the wins might have been were we lucked out from how bad we played in them. However a win is a win and we really wont know how well we fair untill the boston game where we Finnaly play a "REAL" opponent. If we turn the ball over like we have been doing I don't believe an Elite team such as boston will be as forgiving for us as these scrub teams have.

Getting tiered of seeing us beating up crappy teams.:lol

[Rummpd]

This streak is fine* as Pop seemingly has solidified in his minds a decent starting lineup + with Manu health concerns abating; and when Spurs have won (as they will) 15-20 or so going into January - all the Legler and other B.S.'ers out there ranting about an unmotivated old or chronically injured team missing playoffs and other concerns = will be history.



It also won me two bets in LV!

[elbamba]

I only care about wins against elite teams in April-June.

[elbamba]

Except Dallas and LA. It is always nice to beat either of those two teams.

[The_Game]

ummm okay. i realize that, but you feel better about wins when they're against great teams

Yeah of course, they do sometimes have alot of bareing on what will happen in the playoffs. Just look at Dallas/GS a few years back, Magic/Cavs from last year....however Lakers lost both games to Orlando last year but beat them in 5 in the playoffs.

I will say this though...the Lakers had their way with every elite team in the regular season last year apart from Orlando and went on to win the title...it can be a factor but getting the most wins is what matters. Although that didn't workout well for the Cavs last year and even though they had the most wins they had a poor record against the elite.

so in a way it does matter but still think the most wins means more sometimes as having that possible game 7 over the rest of the elite is key.

[kace]

ummm okay. i realize that, but you feel better about wins when they're against great teams

i couldn't agree more.

i mean, as spurs fans, we used to care only about PO because we knew our team was right there, with the best teams if not above.

Lately, since our last trophy, it seems that every big game against the very best teams, we are the challenger, not the favorite.

we always were underdogs in the media, but not for spurs fans or true bball fans. lately, it has changed, and i have to honestly admit that most of the times, i'm now fearing a loss against those big teams (Boston, LA........) and very happy (and somewhat surprised) when we get a win.

don't know what is our record against those very best teams for the last two seasons. but i'll take those wins with pleasure. I want to see where my team belongs quickly.

[easjer]

Winning against a good team versus a bad team doesn't feel any different. Now losing to a bad team - that is frustrating, because you ought to beat them. But at this point in the season, I'm just looking for the pieces to come together. I care more about good play in a loss than bad play in a win. I didn't mind the Dallas game, because I was really pleased with the game play in the fourth and coming back to force OT in a game they had no business possibly winning. I liked their defense. Putting those pieces together to make a good team is what I'm interested in right now.

Having a winning record is nice though, don't get me wrong.

[easjer]

So important, I felt I needed to say it twice.

But then I changed my mind.

Lakerfan is right about this one. Win is a win right now.

[sananspursfan21]

Yeah of course, they do sometimes have alot of bareing on what will happen in the playoffs. Just look at Dallas/GS a few years back, Magic/Cavs from last year....however Lakers lost both games to Orlando last year but beat them in 5 in the playoffs.

I will say this though...the Lakers had their way with every elite team in the regular season last year apart from Orlando and went on to win the title...it can be a factor but getting the most wins is what matters. Although that didn't workout well for the Cavs last year and even though they had the most wins they had a poor record against the elite.

so in a way it does matter but still think the most wins means more sometimes as having that possible game 7 over the rest of the elite is key.

yah, it's just a confidence thing really. i'd be just as happy if the spurs beat UCLA Bruins (i should hope they beat a college team). i'll just be a little more confident when the spurs beat the celtics.... or LAKERS! :lol

[Dex]

You can only play the games that are on the schedule.

After a 3-game losing streak, this 5-game winning streak feels great. We don't look like world beaters yet by any means, but we are starting to see progress and have managed to somewhat right the ship.

If the Spurs can manage to tack on a win against Boston, I think that will raise the hype on this streak significantly.

[sananspursfan21]

So important, I felt I needed to say it twice.

But then I changed my mind.

Lakerfan is right about this one. Win is a win right now.

oh yah, and duncan even said all they want is to get a streak going. and you're right, sometimes confidence in a team is built on beating up on losing teams. i agree with anyone saying "a win is a win" but as a fan, you gain more confidence with big wins than sliding past the crappy teams.

[benefactor]

5 wins is 5 wins...especially with the way we started. I don't really put much stock in the Boston game. I'd love to win it, but we are still very much a work in progress. I'd give us about a 40% chance of winning against Boston right now. IMO, this team is not ready to beat elite teams....yet.

[Dex]

9-6 > 4-6

[kace]

5 wins is 5 wins...especially with the way we started. I don't really put much stock in the Boston game. I'd love to win it, but we are still very much a work in progress. I'd give us about a 40% chance of winning against Boston right now. IMO, this team is not ready to beat elite teams....yet.

that's what i said in my post above. for how long are we feeling that way ? too long IMO. i want to feel like the Spurs are the favorite every game again.

[easjer]

oh yah, and duncan even said all they want is to get a streak going. and you're right, sometimes confidence in a team is built on beating up on losing teams. i agree with anyone saying "a win is a win" but as a fan, you gain more confidence with big wins than sliding past the crappy teams.

I think what you mean to say is that as a fan you (or if you are writing first person, 'I') gain more confidence.

I don't feel the same way. Of course I want to beat elite teams, and playing elite teams is definitely used as a yardstick to evaluate where they are, but I'm not going to be terribly concerned with any particular win or loss in November/December.

[NFGIII]

I agree with benefactor - wins are wins / still a work in progress / would love a win against Boston but the Spurs aren't consistent yet. When the Spurs play consistently on both ends then I'll believe they have become the elite team we all think they will be. Just not there yet.

:flag:

[DesignatedT]

Spurs have one 5 straight games yes, but they haven't really beaten a good team. IMO the best team they beat is a tie between houston and milwaukee. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, i'm happy and i realize that Spurs need wins regardless of who they beat. It just doesn't feel as good as it could.

hopefully a win at home to boston will remedy this. anybody else feel like i do

Yes it feels just like it should. not like the spurs control the schedule... we happened to have 5 games in a row against mediocre teams and we won all 5 just like we were supposed to. so it feels perfectly fine.

[lennyalderette]

I do feel that 2 of the wins might have been were we lucked out from how bad we played in them. However a win is a win and we really wont know how well we fair untill the boston game where we Finnaly play a "REAL" opponent. If we turn the ball over like we have been doing I don't believe an Elite team such as boston will be as forgiving for us as these scrub teams have.

Getting tiered of seeing us beating up crappy teams.:lol


i like the streak as well, but i second this because they will capitalize on every turn over and execute. pop has to really point out turnovers or single out the players that are consistently t/o prone. another 15 t/o game to the celtics will not be pretty

[benefactor]

that's what i said in my post above. for how long are we feeling that way ? too long IMO. i want to feel like the Spurs are the favorite every game again.
Yeah...me too. We'll get there. As I said in another thread, December looks to be a good month to establish some rhythm. Let's see where they are after that.

[jb4g]

Cant get too caught up in elite matchups in the regular season. These we were 5 games we all felt we "should" win, and its important to do so. The 82 game season has way more "should" win games than elite matchups. Handle your business with the "should" wins and you'll have a good record and a decent playoff seed. Besides, wins against the elite teams now really dont mean much other than bragging rights. A longer multiple game playoff series will determine the BEST teams.

[alchemist]

You should be thankful for these past 5 games honestly. These guys while playing their hearts out against Dallas/Utah/Thunder had low moral for those loses. When the chips are down all you want is a Win, it doesn't matter who it's against. You start to stack up Wins and the team's confidence is high again, which is what you need to beat these high caliber opponents coming up.

Not only that but you get to sharpen your defense/offense up for the big boys.

[TD 21]

5 wins is 5 wins...especially with the way we started. I don't really put much stock in the Boston game. I'd love to win it, but we are still very much a work in progress. I'd give us about a 40% chance of winning against Boston right now. IMO, this team is not ready to beat elite teams....yet.

Have you watched or paid attention the Celtics recently? They've been slipping by the game since their 6-0 start where they looked like world beaters. Yeah, they have a superior record to the Spurs and the best point differential in the league, but that's more of a residual effect from their start than an indication of how well they've played overall. Garnett has slipped big time, Wallace looks close to done, they're one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, they lack, not scoring, but what I'd call explosive firepower and even their vaunted defense is slipping by the game.

The Spurs are very much ready to beat the Celtics right now and if they don't, I'd be disappointed. It all sets up perfectly. They're the ones, for the first time in two years, who come in playing and looking like the better team. They'll be well rested after 3 days off, they're at home and they'll be healthy. No excuse not to win.

[guzmangm]

Crappy teams are just what the doctor ordered after the slow start...

[EricB]

Great teams beat up on the bad ones.

Great teams thats chemistry is still a work in progress don't blow out the bad ones, they beat them semi easily. Which IMO is what the Spurs have been doing.

[TIMMYD!]

These wins are building confidence and cohesiveness which we have wanted all season long. So yes, it feels like it should.

[crc21209]

This is the NBA. Any team can beat any other team on any given night. Look at the Nuggets losing to the T-Wolves last night. And especially the way this team started out...a 5 game-winning streak is awesome right now..

[Agloco]

We're going to find out over the next 3 games exactly where this team is at. Get the meltdown mops ready.

[HarlemHeat37]

Beating elite teams is a good barometer for the playoffs..it doesn't mean everything, but it's important IMO..

as of right now, what is the team supposed to do?..we haven't really been tested..you can only play the teams in front of you..

this team has shown us the flashes of what it could be, there's still a loooong way to go though..we need Manu to get healthy(huge ?) and we need RJ to get accustomed to playing with Tony and Tim..

We've only played 3 games against top-level teams, and we went 1-2..there were serious injuries in all 3 games, so it's kind of meaningless(in the Mavs games, both teams were shorthanded)..we haven't had a serious test yet, Boston will be the 1st..

You can only play the teams in front of you..for example, the Lakers have lost to the only top-level teams they've played against(Denver, Dallas), but they were shorthanded too, since Gasol wasn't playing..they don't play another top-level team until Cleveland on X-Mas IIRC..doesn't take away from how they're playing though(just using LA as an example because they're the top dogs)..

[Quiet Strength]

The spurs are winning and that's all that matters. Feels better to see them win than to see them lose. I'm happy about this win streak and I think the spurs are looking a little better each game. At least they are taking steps forward instead of backward.. Yes the teams the spurs have been beating aren't playing so well but the spurs hadnt been playing well either so a win against any team is a plus.

[DPG21920]

Beating elite teams is a good barometer for the playoffs..it doesn't mean everything, but it's important IMO..

as of right now, what is the team supposed to do?..we haven't really been tested..you can only play the teams in front of you..

this team has shown us the flashes of what it could be, there's still a loooong way to go though..we need Manu to get healthy(huge ?) and we need RJ to get accustomed to playing with Tony and Tim..

We've only played 3 games against top-level teams, and we went 1-2..there were serious injuries in all 3 games, so it's kind of meaningless(in the Mavs games, both teams were shorthanded)..we haven't had a serious test yet, Boston will be the 1st..

You can only play the teams in front of you..for example, the Lakers have lost to the only top-level teams they've played against(Denver, Dallas), but they were shorthanded too, since Gasol wasn't playing..they don't play another top-level team until Cleveland on X-Mas IIRC..doesn't take away from how they're playing though(just using LA as an example because they're the top dogs)..

Pretty much this. The Spurs have been struggling and they need to get to the point where they beat the types of teams they have been recently with ease.

Even though the Spurs need these wins, I personally don't think it tells us anything. The only wins I care about are quality wins. If you look at all the teams that go to the finals in previous years, the vast majority have a .500+ record against quality opponents (meaning teams with winning records). If a team is beating up on the weak, and consistently losing to the top teams, they will be exposed in the playoffs and their win record will be heavily overrated.

[Chomag]

OR we could just play and beat up on Sacramento for the rest of the season. That would definitely have us prepared for playoff teams when we face them.

As long as we are winning right?

[quentin_compson]

The winning streak feels good and it was important to take advantage of the string of home games.

Much more important, however, is that the Spurs are getting it together defensively right now. You will have nights when you can beat teams in a shootout like we had against Toronto. And the great thing is we have a lot more offensive weapons than in the last couple of years. But improving on the defensive end is the best thing about our current streak.

[senorglory]

Feels good, even if the Spurs are not at their best, yet.

To be honest, I don't feel too bad about the loses and slow start. I thought we looked o.k. during those loses and I don't necessarily dislike the ways we lost those games. The silver lining I saw in the grey clouds of early season futility included the following: active and effective bench; Hill, Bogans, Bonner, Finley, McDyess, and Blair doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing; a rusty but still effective Duncan; a growing defensive presence; improved team rebounding totals; and although not yet stellar, a solid across the board contribution from Jefferson. He's gonna fit in. Parker will be gangbusters again, and Duncan will be back to his Big Fundamental self. (and Ginobili... Ginobili, we'll leave for a later discussion.)

Parker's sprained ankle doesn't appear to keep him out much longer, or bother him long after his return, and Duncan will play himself into better game shape in the next few weeks. RJ hasn't found his Spurs groove yet, but nevertheless, has contributed in all statistical categories in a way that makes me think he will fit with this team as the season wears on. Plus he's given us two espn worthy dunk highlights, which is more than we've had around here since some time before our Ginobili broke. And of course, how can a Spurs fan not feel good about McDyess and his beautiful jump shot! Holy cow that 12 to 15 foot shot is gorgeous, and has been too long absent from the Spurs game. Swish, Swish, Swish!

Seriously, this is going to be a fun season.

[BlackBellamy]

Yes, the current streak brought us above .500, put us back in the top eight in the West, got Duncan in rhythm and most importantly showed a few fluid, cohesive efforts for the Spurs. The only reason beating the (say) Lakers feels better than taking out the Sixers is the bragging rights and a greater understanding as to how we will fare in play-off contention. A 'W' of any sort is still a mark in the win column regardless of team, I'll take as many of those as I can get early in a season with a re-vamped, stiil gelling, Spurs team.

[senorglory]

Also, consider what Pop had to say about the win streak (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3876318#post3876318):
“We have more good players this year than we had last year,” he said. “Or, I could say I invented some new plays that nobody else knows and that are unbelievable.”

So there's that.

[alchemist]

OR we could just play and beat up on Sacramento for the rest of the season. That would definitely have us prepared for playoff teams when we face them.

As long as we are winning right?
Yes! Who doesn't see the logic of beating Sacramento and then competing against better opponents? :rolleyes

[VivaPopovich]

No. They are beating crappy teams by marginal amounts. If you want to win a championship your team has to be firing on all cylinders every game. If Pop is going to play Matt Bonner 20 minutes a game, then he better average 20 minutes a game all throughout the playoffs, otherwise the entire season would have been counter-productive.

Either idea is a terrible idea by the way.