"The Prestige"

[Blackjack]

Cutter:

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."

Michael Caine, 'Cutter', probably didn't know or care to think that his then lines would transcend the big screen. And he certainly never knew they'd find their way into a San Antonio Spurs piece (can't say I'd hold it against the guy).

But if he cared to revisit the famous dialogue from his 2006 film: 'The Prestige', he might just find that the words were equally suited for the hard court; the big screen has never been devoid of metaphors.

Act1: "The Pledge"

The magician shows you something ordinary:

For all the success and accomplishments the San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed over the last handful of years, their lineup, athletically, would seem to be pretty ordinary. They hadn't the high-flyers, nor the overly imposing athletes. They had their Big 3: one land-locked Hall-of-Famer in Tim, and two explosive below-the-rim (for the most part) players in Tony and Manu. The Big 3 were complimented by a group of veterans who had already seen their best days athletically, and, for some, overcame not having the preferred size with smarts, guts and guile; Bowen put the clamps on players one-through-four, while playing the small forward position in a shooting-guard's frame; Horry and Oberto, among others, were made to look old, slow and over-matched on numerous occasions during the year, yet they always seemed to find a way. You were given the impression of something ordinary, as weary as you were to concede it being.

Act2: "The Turn"

The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary:

The Big 3 were certainly not ordinary, but their supporting cast you could certainly make an argument for. Each year the team would add or bring back a low-cost veteran and essentially fill out the roster with role-players; specialists. Their front office was the epitome of efficient, as they churned out 50-plus win seasons left and right; a second-round appearance was all but guaranteed. They would win two Championships, appear in the three Conference Finals and make one Conference Semi-Final between the years 2005-2008; an impressive feat for a team as fiscally responsible and less-than-aggressive when upgrading their roster. They indeed turned what looked to be ordinary, into the extraordinary.

Act3: "The Prestige"

You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled:

The payoff. The Spurs were an extremely successful bunch and, on the surface, would seem to do things above board and in a first-class manner (a viewpoint held by more than most). But they had more than their fair share of detractors. To some, they were old and boring. To others, they were pompous, arrogant (in the front office) and dirty (on the court); it's not surprising such feelings would exist. Their success had to come at someone else's expense, after all. But when it was all said and done, a team that could look so outclassed, physicaly, at points during the season, somehow found a way to get it done. Bruce Bowen with his slight-of-hand; Robert Horry all but vanishing before revealing himself come season's end; Fabricio Oberto's ability to make the referees see something that wasn't there, as he created the illusion of contact. It was all there for you to see at the time, but you couldn't truly appreciate or understand what it meant. It had just become part of the trick; never did it really register that it might be "the trick". But that was the brilliance. Because as the supporting cast's efforts were made not to be seen by casual observers or those wielding the whistle, seemingly making them to disappear, the Spurs were able to bring them back year-after-year.


"Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."

Coach Pop and the front office would be served well to call Michael Caine; they need all hands on deck, if they're going to find a way to bring "it" back.

[timvp]

Nice writeup :tu

[Obstructed_View]

:clap

[Blackjack]

Thanks. It's about all my high school education could muster. :hat

[ElNono]

Great writeup, thanks!

[intothechaos]

I don't even think Tesla himself can conjure up a device to bring the spurs back this season. Maybe one that would make Pop disappear... That would be somethin..

[Obstructed_View]

I don't even think Tesla himself can conjure up a device to bring the spurs back this season. Maybe one that would make Pop disappear... That would be somethin..

The drawback is that as soon as you make one disappear, another one pops up.

[intothechaos]

The drawback is that as soon as you make one disappear, another one pops up.

that's not good.... :bang :bang :depressed

[DxB]

Nice piece... it was a great movie too now that i think about it

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I think the Spurs would do well to give Michael Caine a call anyways because adding him would make them younger and more athletic.

[intothechaos]

Can Mr. Caine bring Batman as well?

[Blackjack]

The drawback is that as soon as you make one disappear, another one pops up.

I'd be fine with another Pop if he had a room full of Bowen and Horry, though.


I think the Spurs would do well to give Michael Caine a call anyways because adding him would make them younger and more athletic.

True, Caine is a hell of an athlete; his crossover is ridiculous and his youth could aid the team in transitioning after Tim (definitely a Pop-type. :tu).

[StoneBuddha]

Damn, nice post. I had to summon all my brain power to give it the proper reflection it deserved.

Things are bleak, but hepefully things can turn around. The Spurs haven't killed themselves in the standings, we're just really down because of the quality of their recent play and the fact they squandered the easy part of the schedule. It will be hard to turn around but it's not a fatal blow.

We're in much better shape than last year even though we don't feel that way. Last year, we lost Manu and had a 65% Duncan. This year, the pieces are there. Just have to make them fit.

:flag:

[TJastal]

Damn, nice post. I had to summon all my brain power to give it the proper reflection it deserved.

Things are bleak, but hepefully things can turn around. The Spurs haven't killed themselves in the standings, we're just really down because of the quality of their recent play and the fact they squandered the easy part of the schedule. It will be hard to turn around but it's not a fatal blow.

We're in much better shape than last year even though we don't feel that way. Last year, we lost Manu and had a 65% Duncan. This year, the pieces are there. Just have to make them fit.

:flag:

+1

As bad as things are, and as fucking stupid as POop has been with his " Let's bench Duncan on all B2B" whackass theory and reluctance to give Hairston and Mahinmi minutes I believe in the players to overcome as long as they stay healthy (might not happen if POop keeps playing an 8 man rotation).

I believe in the big 3, I believe Jefferson will have an epiphany and start playing like the ferocious competitor we know he's capable of, I believe McDyess will play like the seasoned vet he is, I believe Blair/Bonner/Mason Jr and all the bench players will step up their games.

The players will get this done, one way or the other, despite the moron trying to "coach" them.

[beachwood]

Excellent post. I used to get so angry after every Spurs loss, but now I've almost become apathetic. It's like I'm getting used to losing now. I can't believe I just said that about my beloved Spurs...

[redzero]

I knew Christian Bale was using a twin all along.

[Blackjack]

CnQnLcQJ6EE&feature=related

Self-aggrandizing bump? Most definitely.

But Mason, Bonner and Bogans . . .

Need I say more? :depressed

[Shastafarian]

Sounds like a sex move. I think one that is more apt for what happened last night is "facial".

[carina_gino20]

Nice. I missed this the first time. I loved the book and the movie.

Btw, nice definition of flopping:


Fabricio Oberto's ability to make the referees see something that wasn't there, as he created the illusion of contact.

[Solid D]

Very clever, Blackjack.

Actually, I think the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Michael Caine is helping the Mavs this year.

[Blackjack]

Very clever, Blackjack.

Actually, I think the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Michael Caine is helping the Mavs this year.

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Dirty-Rotten-Scoundrels-ps03.jpg

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Dirty%20-Rotten-Scoundrels-m05.jpg

That takes me back. :lol

[Solid D]

:lol Ah yes. Ruprecht.

[Blackjack]

Ruprecht, do you want the genital cuff? :lmao

[Parker2112]

Cutter:



Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."


Michael Caine, 'Cutter', probably didn't know or care to think that his then lines would transcend the big screen. And he certainly never knew they'd find their way into a San Antonio Spurs piece (can't say I'd hold it against the guy).

But if he cared to revisit the famous dialogue from his 2006 film: 'The Prestige', he might just find that the words were equally suited for the hard court; the big screen has never been devoid of metaphors.

Act1: "The Pledge"

The magician shows you something ordinary:

For all the success and accomplishments the San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed over the last handful of years, their lineup, athletically, would seem to be pretty ordinary. They hadn't the high-flyers, nor the overly imposing athletes. They had their Big 3: one land-locked Hall-of-Famer in Tim, and two explosive below-the-rim (for the most part) players in Tony and Manu. The Big 3 were complimented by a group of veterans who had already seen their best days athletically, and, for some, overcame not having the preferred size with smarts, guts and guile; Bowen put the clamps on players one-through-four, while playing the small forward position in a shooting-guard's frame; Horry and Oberto, among others, were made to look old, slow and over-matched on numerous occasions during the year, yet they always seemed to find a way. You were given the impression of something ordinary, as weary as you were to concede it being.

Act2: "The Turn"

The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary:

The Big 3 were certainly not ordinary, but their supporting cast you could certainly make an argument for. Each year the team would add or bring back a low-cost veteran and essentially fill out the roster with role-players; specialists. Their front office was the epitome of efficient, as they churned out 50-plus win seasons left and right; a second-round appearance was all but guaranteed. They would win two Championships, appear in the three Conference Finals and make one Conference Semi-Final between the years 2005-2008; an impressive feat for a team as fiscally responsible and less-than-aggressive when upgrading their roster. They indeed turned what looked to be ordinary, into the extraordinary.

Act3: "The Prestige"

You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled:

The payoff. The Spurs were an extremely successful bunch and, on the surface, would seem to do things above board and in a first-class manner (a viewpoint held by more than most). But they had more than their fair share of detractors. To some, they were old and boring. To others, they were pompous, arrogant (in the front office) and dirty (on the court); it's not surprising such feelings would exist. Their success had to come at someone else's expense, after all. But when it was all said and done, a team that could look so outclassed, physicaly, at points during the season, somehow found a way to get it done. Bruce Bowen with his slight-of-hand; Robert Horry all but vanishing before revealing himself come season's end; Fabricio Oberto's ability to make the referees see something that wasn't there, as he created the illusion of contact. It was all there for you to see at the time, but you couldn't truly appreciate or understand what it meant. It had just become part of the trick; never did it really register that it might be "the trick". But that was the brilliance. Because as the supporting cast's efforts were made not to be seen by casual observers or those wielding the whistle, seemingly making them to disappear, the Spurs were able to bring them back year-after-year.



"Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."


Coach Pop and the front office would be served well to call Michael Caine; they need all hands on deck, if they're going to find a way to bring "it" back.

I am between 99.999 and 100% sure this "Prestige" lead-in was used earlier in the season on 48 minutes of hell....

[Avitus1]

Well shit that was pretty good, makes me want to watch that movie again... and it makes me want to break out my Spurs Championship DVDs which are far more enjoyable.

[Blackjack]

I am between 99.999 and 100% sure this "Prestige" lead-in was used earlier in the season on 48 minutes of hell....

Not that I'm aware of (and you'd think that I'd be aware of).

I wrote this back in January so maybe that's what you remember. But if they did use it, I honestly don't remember seeing it or posting it.

I was actually trying to put a finger on what the Spurs had lost. The aura, the presence, the prestige that had instilled respect and a certain fear-factor for the opposition. When I hit on the word "prestige", I thought about the movie and went to look at some quotes to see if there was something I could maybe tie in. (It had been a while since I had seen it and I needed a bit of a refresher.)

Once I read that quote the piece pretty much wrote itself. I never predetermine how I'm going to write anything, I let whatever it is just flow naturally and whatever it is it is. But in this one instance, with this particular quote, it gave me somewhat of a skeleton and the means to just fill in the gaps.

So, no. It's not plagiarized, if that was even what you were implying. But if Tim or Graydon used the quote at some point, well ... great minds think alike. :D

[MaNu4Tres]

Great write up Blackjack :tu...Never saw this thread til now.

Nice Bump..

As for Pop, he needs to make the right adjustments. If he doesn't and stubbornly goes to Mason/Bogans/Bonner as the main nucleus off the bench, Spurs are in a lot of trouble.

I'm lighting candles, dusting off my rosary and praying Pop realizes this before it's too late.

More Temple, More Blair, More Dyess, Less Bonner and to hell with Mason/Bogans and small ball.

[Blackjack]

Amen,'Tres. Amen. :tu

I couldn't help but watch that game and think to myself: This looks to be the norm and not the exception if Pop stays the course. For all the added talent and raised expectations that came with said talent, the Mavs are a better team as well. And they're as well-equipped as ever to give the Spurs nightmares.

Really, the teams look to be almost exactly where they were in relation to last year: The Mavs are just too good for the Spurs to get by without a supporting cast. Last year's Tony and half-of-a-Tim might as well be this year's Big 3 with the upgrades of the Mavs. What we saw from the Mavs and Spurs in Game 1 seems more or less what each team's proven to be: Dallas a legit contender and the Spurs an inconsistent, ill-fitted (skill set and age/experience of their best players) and inopportunely injured team; if it's not one thing with these Spurs it's another.

So Pop's gotta realize he's seen this movie before. He knows how this ends should he choose to follow the same path. It's time to nut up or shut . . .

QavDD6MKAL4

It's time to leave Mason in baggage, use the Centerpiece to balance the hues and textures of the bench, get Blair in the game as much as possible, and break GT in with some trial-by-fire. Playoffs style.

Bonner's pretty much a necessary evil in this series but it should be in small doses. This is what you paid 'Dyess for. It's time to put your best available talent on the floor and let the chips fall where they may; the intangibles and intelligence of their the supporting cast isn't capable of overcoming their shortcomings anymore. At least with that approach you've got a shot (and a pretty decent one should George find his health).

Chips fall where they may, or season ends before May. ... What's it going to be, Pop?

[MannyIsGod]

Amen,'Tres.
So Pop's gotta realize he's seen this movie before. He knows how this ends should he choose to follow the same path. It's time to nut up or shut . . .


Pop has been one of the greatest coaches in the NBA for some time now, but his strength has never been making adjustments on the fly. He's come up with excellent defensive schemes that made use of his personal at the time in a very effective and efficient manner.

The problem now is that he's lacking those players yet he still tries to win in the same way.

While Pop has been a great coach, I don't expect great things from him any longer. He is what he is and I don't see that changing.

No, expecting him to suddenly become a different coach than the one we've known for the past decade plus is simply wishing for miracles to happen. We saw last year how he refused to play Hill and how that proved to be a mistake. We saw Sunday how he misused Blair and how he refuses to realize that Mason and Bogans provide nothing to this team at all. That is who Pop is and I don't see that changing in this series or ever.

In order for the Spurs to win this series players like Mason, Bonner, and Bogans will have to hit shots and the Big 3 will have to play well because the chances of Blaor Hairston or Temple playing meaning minutes are about as much as Pop giving up wine.

Whether it be Van Exel, Horry, Vaughn, or Finley, Pop has shown a propensity for going to veterans who clearly have their gas tanks on empty far too much. He loves his vets and he doesn't trust young players to do what he feels needs to be done.

We've all seen this before, many times and for years. Don't give yourself hope it will change. Just pray Mason and Bogans play well. However small the chances of that happening are, they're greater than the chances Pop will bench them in favor of younger players.

[Blackjack]

I actually don't disagree with any of that. I think we all know what needs to happen, as much as a message board coach and GM can know what needs to happen, and that simply knowing won't lead to this coach doing.

The one thing that gave me hope, at least as it pertains to seeing the youth play, was hearing the way Sean was talking and the way Pop utilized Temple down the stretch (in essentially must-win games). But I'd never bank on Pop straying from what's become the norm in recent years or that he'd allow the Hill situation of last year to effect his decisions this year. Again, you'd hope it would ... but you know better.

I just can't wait to see the triumvirate of Bonner, Mason and Bogans out there. Oh, and it's especially pleasing to see 2 of the 3 in a small ball lineup against the Mavs. Can this shit get any better? No, I don't think so. :shootme

[spurs10]

I don't believe the upgrade of Butler and Haywood equal the return of Manu and a more fit Tim Duncan by a long shot. The Spurs played sloppy and paid the price.
That being said, thank you to Blackjack for the thoughtful words. I believe we will bounce back on Wednesday, if they play great and win...so be it.

[UnWantedTheory]

Nicely written, but dramatic & unnecessary. Movie meets the unfactual. This is real life...For the most part of the post, it displays very poor metaphors. Come on guys, do we really need to do this? Kind of cheezzzyyy is it not ?.....

[Man In Black]

The way Dallas wins is truly, "sleight of hand." I saw the game and while the Spurs made far too many mistakes early on, all it took to get a W, was 2 more minutes of consistent, mistake free ball. I say that Dallas wins that way because it's an illusion that they are very good defensively and that ultra-efficient.
I expect that in game 2, the Spurs will give us those needed minutes of consistent, mistake free ball and we come back to AT&T 1-1.

Nice write-up Blackjack :thumbsup

[polandprzem]

Nahh

You know what?

Everybody says the old spurs trick does not work and we [they] are not gonna see a bunny.
Pop is sweating on a stage while people watching him trying to get the bunny of the hat. The thing is the bunny already escaped and Pop did not noticed.

for whatever reason I still think pigeon will fly of that hat. Imagine that. What a trick. Nobody would expect that. Pure genius Pop magician superstar hero!
Even manu would not need magnets in this series.


Okay but seriously can we cover Mason with the towel
then remove it
then having Lebron on spurs bench and mason in starting five in Cleveland?