How did we manage to win 54 games last year...

[timtonymanu]

with Bonner, Finley, and Mason starting?

And they nearly cost us the game tonight.

[Chieflion]

The Spurs overachieved last season. Now, it is coming to bite them in the ass.

[BlackSwordsMan]

ime udoka

[HarlemHeat37]

Our big 3 was playing a lot better and Mason/Bonner were like 45+% 3-point shooters for the majority of the year..

[SenorSpur]

God only knows.

[z0sa]

Chemistry is everything.

[Kori Ellis]

Tony Parker was winning games by himself sometimes, and the D was better *cringe*

[baseline bum]

Tony Parker was healthy.

[Sean Cagney]

God only knows.

^^^^^^^^^ THIS.......... I wondered that often myself.

[Stringer_Bell]

I think it was a general sense of bunker mentality that got us through games, and the majority of the time there was a feeling like we could slug it out with anyone if it came down to the last minute. Last season, in the last minute it was the Spurs fighting hard to execute as best they could for being "old and slow." This season, in the last minute it's the Spurs giving into other teams because the new pieces aren't locking down at the end of games.

And yea, TP did take over games single handily sometimes and didn't take shit from anyone.

[androck]

Parker was healthy, Bonner was healthy, and everyone knew the system. Last year Bonner had a career high in 3PA and he was shooting them at .440. It's going to take him a while to bounce back from his broken hand and find his stroke again.

[Sean Cagney]

Parker was healthy, Bonner was healthy, and everyone knew the system. Last year Bonner had a career high in 3PA and he was shooting them at .440. It's going to take him a while to bounce back from his broken hand and find his stroke again.

Yeah and even BONNER DOES? He will still choke come playoff time or big game time, he is not our answer and never was. Mason was a stud last year in clutch shots too, just as much if not more than Bonner on any end of the means. They both flamed out late and are not a key for us! Parker being helathy check, that was out KEY! He was our star last year.

[SenorSpur]

TP had to carry way too many games by himself. At the time, he claimed that type of load to be too taxing on him. However, I think he's started to like it a bit too much, because he's not demonstrated the ability to reel himself back into the team.

[MaNu4Tres]

We had two players that were the best at their position. Not to mention our shooters shot lights out.

Tony Parker was the best point guard in the league last year.

This year he's not even in the top 5 in his conference....

[SenorSpur]

We had two players that were the best at their position. Not to mention our shooters shot lights out.

Tony Parker was the best point guard in the league last year.

This year he's not even in the top 5 in his conference....

That's what happens when you don't get proper rest during the offseason. I don't care how young you are.

[duhoh]

TP had to carry way too many games by himself. At the time, he claimed that type of load to be too taxing on him. However, I think he's started to like it a bit too much, because he's not demonstrated the ability to reel himself back into the team.

True that.

Chemistry was pretty good though.

[rayray2k8]

Don't tell that to the Bonner fan club members. They still think he's effective. :lmao

[Obstructed_View]

Don't tell that to the Bonner fan club members. They still think he's effective. :lmao

Either that or they don't think that a team that's won multiple championships with its defense needs to worry about whether or not the fourth big on the bench hits three pointers in order to win.

[ElNono]

Tony Parker was winning games by himself sometimes, and the D was better *cringe*

this... Bowen for short spells and 5 steps slow was still better than the junk we have out there now...

[Bukefal]

Tony Parker was winning games by himself sometimes, and the D was better *cringe*

This.

TP was on fire, he was healthy. He carried the team in so many games and Mason and Bonner were so much better last season.

[urunobili]

TP was playing superstar level basketball... no more no less than that...

[hater]

Tony Parker Longoria

[sandman]

It's going to take him a while to bounce back from his broken hand and find his stroke again.

Sig worthy...

[EmmanuelTimothyDavid]

We have a hardworking team last year. And We still have Bruce Bowen.....

[easy7]

Along with Parker playing lights out, there were players like Boner and Mason who went into really hot streaks who helped reach that 54 wins number. These same players with the hot shooting streaks disappeared against Dallas in the playoffs.

[jhuan16]

Because last year Grizzlies and Thunders suck, all the shitty team is getting better this year. No more easy win for the spurs.

[vander]

OP sort of answered his own question, Matt Bonner was vital, Mason played better than RJ has so far, still hoping RJ figures it out by playoff time

[Brazil]

IMO- TP- No Chemistry issue- Mason saving our asses many times in the clutch- Lower competition

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

basically winning close games that we been losing this year...pretty much...
TP and mase (and bonner at times) were clutch down the stretch...which is clearly missing this year:(

[Pauleta14]

The overall level of the league wasn't as high as this year

+ Tony was "freaking" Parker last year...

[PDXSpursFan]

tony parker was healthy.

+1

[LOL@MavsFan]

Our big 3 was playing a lot better and Mason/Bonner were like 45+% 3-point shooters for the majority of the year..

Manu played less than half of the games last yr

[androck]

Don't tell that to the Bonner fan club members. They still think he's effective. :lmao

Bonner is the best role player on the Spurs. He trails only Duncan this year in adjusted plus/minus. No one in the "Bonner fan club" considers him anywhere near the level of the Big 3 when healthy, but for $3M he's a bargain. The fact remains that the Spurs consistently outscore their opponents when he's on the floor. You can't say that about George Hill or "clutch" Roger Mason Jr.

[ElNono]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_bruce_bowen.jpg

Played in 80 games. Average of 18 mpg.

[Sobe_Kucks]

basically winning close games that we been losing this year...pretty much...
TP and mase (and bonner at times) were clutch down the stretch...which is clearly missing this year:(

+1

I recall last year one broadcaster mentioned that the Spurs had more 1 or 2pt victories than any other team in the league. He said they were "Living on the Edge" I think the chinks in the armor showed in last years reagular season not being able to close out games and probelms with execution in the last 2min. But the ball bounced their way more often than not last year. Now in crunch time they are still losing leads or not able to make the big push. Everyone has gotten a year older and Parker's body has been playing basketball non stop, Gino and Parker aren't the 2min clutch players, we have no defensive stopper (aka Bruce), and Jeff/Dyess aren't the ones that will shoot a clutch three this season. Mase bailed us out of a few of those games we should have lost last year. The problems were still there. We saw what happened in the playoffs.

[LOL@MavsFan]

Bonner is the best role player on the Spurs. He trails only Duncan this year in adjusted plus/minus. No one in the "Bonner fan club" considers him anywhere near the level of the Big 3 when healthy, but for $3M he's a bargain. The fact remains that the Spurs consistently outscore their opponents when he's on the floor. You can't say that about George Hill or "clutch" Roger Mason Jr.

Is this a joke? :lol B/c I can't stop laughing. Bonner needs to make ONE outside shot before you can say he is even in the rotation of role players. Are you a closet ginger?:lmao

[jdev82]

Tim Duncan carried this team on his back until the all star break. then Tony Parker carried the team the rest of the way.

[ginobili fan]

Basically the answer is : Tony Parker

[ShoogarBear]

WTF, a Tony Parker love thread?

[androck]

Is this a joke? :lol B/c I can't stop laughing. Bonner needs to make ONE outside shot before you can say he is even in the rotation of role players. Are you a closet ginger?:lmao

Sorry, sweetie. Don't let my facts get in the way of your opinions.

[z0sa]

Basically the answer is : Tony Parker

This is a copout, guys, if you want to tie our two seasons in together (and you should) .. Parker was playing 'much better' (I honestly don't think it has as much as to do with his PF as his mentality), and he being slowed definitely has had its effects on this season, but I think his attempt (and overall pressure) to gain chemistry with his teammates has slowed him down probably half as much as his PF/fatigue. He may be the main reason we won last season --

-- but our team will not win a title this season playing last season's ball. Problem is, we should be winning more games, not less, even using a similar formula. What gives?

We've got guys like RJ and Dyess, a much healthier Tim, and we actually have a healthy Manu at this point. They are more than able in picking up what should be a more than manageable amount of slack for TP's dropoff in statistical production. We've added the pieces to avoid worrying too much about TP's steady injury - yet here we are suffering because of it.

That was obviously the entire idea behind obtaining them and getting healthy - to give TP and co some help. If playing the same brand of completely TP dominated ball was our idea going in, no one should be surprised at the results since TP is not healthy and we have more primary scoring options. Chemistry doesn't improve whenever guys don't feel they are put in a role where they are both comfortable and can succeed.

The problem this season, therefore, is chemistry.

This season's final woes - come playoff time - might solely rest on Parker's inability to hit jumpers consistently or score as efficiently in the paint, but that I consider a copout.. Tim has stepped it up this season but our other guys just aren't producing consistently enough to pick up a more than manageable amount of slack from Parker.

Rather than at least partially blaming injury for a 3rd consecutive season's failures, I'm gonna put the blame where it should be: on Pop and the rest of the guys, for not stepping up when Parker needed you.

[SCdac]

Many of you have really covered the answer already so I won't go into depth about our team, one thing that shouldn't go unnoticed is not the Spurs fluctuation in terms of success, but other teams in the western conference as well. It wasn't quite as much of a rat race to make the bottom half of the playoff bracket in the west last year. Neither the Grizzlies or Thunder won more than 25 games last season, but at about the half way mark they're both at 28 wins and 26 wins, respectively. The Suns, with the whole Terry Porter-Shaq mess, miss the playoffs last season at 46-36 and now they're on pace for a 6th seed. We had no problems with the Jazz last season (Boozer missing 2/3 games though), yet this season they've thoroughly had our number. Against those 4 last season we were something like 11-3, and swept the Jazz and Grizz in the RS, this season, so far, we're at 2-7 with losses to each team... Simply put, other teams are steadily improving while the Spurs are barely treading water.

[vander]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_bruce_bowen.jpg

Played in 80 games. Average of 18 mpg.

:rollin:rollin

and in those 18 minutes, the Spurs played even basketball, but for the 30 minutes he was on the bench, the Spurs outscored their opponents by about 4 points.

meanwhile (and you know what's coming :lol)

while Matt Bonner was on the court, the Spurs outscored opponents by by just over 4 points, when Matt Bonner was off the court, the Spurs were slightly outscored

just an astounding coincidence I'm sure, somehow Bonner was able to psychically predict whenever the team was about to get hot and go on a run, and he would convince Pop to put him in there at that time; then, when he sensed a cold spell coming, he took himself out of the game and told pop to put Bowen in :lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

[spurtech09]

spurs new each other very well...spurs have couple of new guys this year that are still trying to learn pops system

[timtonymanu]

i made this thread as more of a sarcastic thread but it was turned into an informative one. i probably should have made it more obvious. but still nice to read about last season. damn i really miss it compared to this one.