duncan228
03-09-2010, 12:28 PM
Winded Spurs winding down
Spurs' season heading the way of Parker's bum hand (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/shaun_powell/03/09/spurs.hobbled/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
Shaun Powell
NBA.com
An X-ray of Tony Parker's right hand confirmed the bad news. If a similar scan was done of the 2009-10 Spurs, do you think the results be ominously identical?
Broken. Fractured. Splintered. Use whatever cracked-up description you want to attach to the present-day Spurs, now at the first serious crossroad of the Duncan-Parker-Manu era. They haven't exactly looked imposing this season. And the injury sustained by Parker last weekend was just the tobacco-flavored icing on the cake.
With a month and change left in a season in which they must finish without their human blur of a point guard, the Spurs are slapped with the indignity of -- imagine this -- groveling for a bottom playoff spot, a possibility that's harder to swallow than a Spalding.
Teetering on the edge of the seven- or eight-spot is no way to start a new decade for a team that essentially dominated the old one. And while some may suspect this signals the beginning of the end for Duncan's run of championships -- sorry, not taking that leap just yet -- there are some serious issues that need addressing before the Big Fundamental can get back on that champagne train:
Manu Ginobili. Is he still a solid, productive and healthy part of the Spurs' core? The good news: He's only missed five games without sacrificing any of his floor-burn tendencies, not bad for someone who's never played a full season and started this season with bad wheels. The bad: Despite dropping 38 points on the Cavs on Monday, he's shooting just 41 percent, not exactly what you'd want from your sixth man. The uncertain: He's a free agent this summer and he and the Spurs keep doing this wait-and-see mating dance. Plus, Ginobili will be 33 this summer -- usually a slow-down benchmark.
Parker. He was in the midst of a suspiciously down year when he broke his hand Saturday against Memphis. He's averaging 16.5 points and 5.7 assists, a stumble from his career-best 22 ppg and 6.9 apg last season. While he's still slippery and dangerous (and a good compliment to Duncan), you wonder how effective Parker's shooting will be in the postseason ... assuming there is a postseason.
Richard Jefferson. At this point, to the casual observer, Weezy Jefferson might look better in a Spurs' uniform. To say RJ hasn't lived up to the (possibly inflated to begin with) expectations in San Antonio would be cruel, because he hasn't been awful; just not as good as advertised. The Spurs were hoping he'd be insurance for Ginobili and relieve Parker of the scoring load. Instead, Jefferson has looked soft, somewhat sheepish and possibly overwhelmed by the burden. It's not easy going from a No. 1 or 2 option, as he was in New Jersey and Milwaukee, to a No. 3 or 4 (or even a 5) option. When you're the main option, you don't sweat it when you miss six shots because the ball will find you again. As a No. 4 option, however, six misses seem a lot bigger. Jefferson is averaging 12 points but still hasn't had his "wow" moment. Is it too late?
Supporting cast. The Spurs have always prided themselves for building a championship team around Duncan without the benefit of lottery picks or high-priced free agents. Such is the sterling legacy of team president R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich. Has anyone spent so little (in terms of money and assets) and won so much over so long a period of time? This might be unprecedented in the free-agent era. Over the years, Pop and Buford got Parker and Ginobili late in the draft and grabbed a plethora of valuable role players on the cheap: Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Stephen Jackson, Brent Barry, Steve Kerr, etc. Now? George Hill is a comer and DeJuan Blair has definitely been a draft discovery. But there's no difference-maker.
It all comes back to Duncan, of course. Until he goes down with a major injury or suffers a talent dip, the Spurs will always be among the mix. And Duncan, as he famously does, is pacing himself through another typical Duncan season, ready to hammer someone in the spring.
But this hasn't been a typical Spurs' season in his era. They may not win 50 games or finish in the top-half of the conference or even make the playoffs; all would be agonizing firsts for Duncan. And even if they did reach the postseason, a first-round date with the Nuggets, Lakers or Mavericks would almost surely spell one-and-done.
They could use this moment to band together and stick it to those who are dismissing them as an after-thought champion, at least for the next few weeks. Or more likely, they'll stay true to their confusing season, which, much like their point guard's hand, looks bent out of shape.
Spurs' season heading the way of Parker's bum hand (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/shaun_powell/03/09/spurs.hobbled/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
Shaun Powell
NBA.com
An X-ray of Tony Parker's right hand confirmed the bad news. If a similar scan was done of the 2009-10 Spurs, do you think the results be ominously identical?
Broken. Fractured. Splintered. Use whatever cracked-up description you want to attach to the present-day Spurs, now at the first serious crossroad of the Duncan-Parker-Manu era. They haven't exactly looked imposing this season. And the injury sustained by Parker last weekend was just the tobacco-flavored icing on the cake.
With a month and change left in a season in which they must finish without their human blur of a point guard, the Spurs are slapped with the indignity of -- imagine this -- groveling for a bottom playoff spot, a possibility that's harder to swallow than a Spalding.
Teetering on the edge of the seven- or eight-spot is no way to start a new decade for a team that essentially dominated the old one. And while some may suspect this signals the beginning of the end for Duncan's run of championships -- sorry, not taking that leap just yet -- there are some serious issues that need addressing before the Big Fundamental can get back on that champagne train:
Manu Ginobili. Is he still a solid, productive and healthy part of the Spurs' core? The good news: He's only missed five games without sacrificing any of his floor-burn tendencies, not bad for someone who's never played a full season and started this season with bad wheels. The bad: Despite dropping 38 points on the Cavs on Monday, he's shooting just 41 percent, not exactly what you'd want from your sixth man. The uncertain: He's a free agent this summer and he and the Spurs keep doing this wait-and-see mating dance. Plus, Ginobili will be 33 this summer -- usually a slow-down benchmark.
Parker. He was in the midst of a suspiciously down year when he broke his hand Saturday against Memphis. He's averaging 16.5 points and 5.7 assists, a stumble from his career-best 22 ppg and 6.9 apg last season. While he's still slippery and dangerous (and a good compliment to Duncan), you wonder how effective Parker's shooting will be in the postseason ... assuming there is a postseason.
Richard Jefferson. At this point, to the casual observer, Weezy Jefferson might look better in a Spurs' uniform. To say RJ hasn't lived up to the (possibly inflated to begin with) expectations in San Antonio would be cruel, because he hasn't been awful; just not as good as advertised. The Spurs were hoping he'd be insurance for Ginobili and relieve Parker of the scoring load. Instead, Jefferson has looked soft, somewhat sheepish and possibly overwhelmed by the burden. It's not easy going from a No. 1 or 2 option, as he was in New Jersey and Milwaukee, to a No. 3 or 4 (or even a 5) option. When you're the main option, you don't sweat it when you miss six shots because the ball will find you again. As a No. 4 option, however, six misses seem a lot bigger. Jefferson is averaging 12 points but still hasn't had his "wow" moment. Is it too late?
Supporting cast. The Spurs have always prided themselves for building a championship team around Duncan without the benefit of lottery picks or high-priced free agents. Such is the sterling legacy of team president R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich. Has anyone spent so little (in terms of money and assets) and won so much over so long a period of time? This might be unprecedented in the free-agent era. Over the years, Pop and Buford got Parker and Ginobili late in the draft and grabbed a plethora of valuable role players on the cheap: Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Stephen Jackson, Brent Barry, Steve Kerr, etc. Now? George Hill is a comer and DeJuan Blair has definitely been a draft discovery. But there's no difference-maker.
It all comes back to Duncan, of course. Until he goes down with a major injury or suffers a talent dip, the Spurs will always be among the mix. And Duncan, as he famously does, is pacing himself through another typical Duncan season, ready to hammer someone in the spring.
But this hasn't been a typical Spurs' season in his era. They may not win 50 games or finish in the top-half of the conference or even make the playoffs; all would be agonizing firsts for Duncan. And even if they did reach the postseason, a first-round date with the Nuggets, Lakers or Mavericks would almost surely spell one-and-done.
They could use this moment to band together and stick it to those who are dismissing them as an after-thought champion, at least for the next few weeks. Or more likely, they'll stay true to their confusing season, which, much like their point guard's hand, looks bent out of shape.