To The Victories Of A Spoiler

[Blackjack]

To The Victories Of A Spoiler
Blackjack - RTB -

http://nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com/j/apmegasports/200802232229809495272-pf.h2.jpg

Thirteen games remain and the Spurs’ fate in the balance.

My, how times have changed; as has expectation.

Gone are the forgone conclusions of a Lakers team being the only obstacle. And gone are the days of Tony Parker being the one player you needn’t worry. Sixty-nine games in and so much has changed, all while remaining the same; similar questions and worries applied to a new face and circumstance.

This team and their past resume lead fans, those who opine and competitors, to see this team as it could be. The endgame was all you need consider, as it was an assumed inevitability. Questions of fit and overall composition (go one-by-one down the roster and ask yourself what kind of role each player is capable of assuming on a championship team, and then ask what kind of role they have to play on the Spurs for them to be successful) would be overlooked in light of the brand that was Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Popovich and the Spurs.

Respect. The Spurs had earned it with a decade of dominance and received it (even if begrudgingly).

What that respect lead to, was the benefit of a doubt. Fans, commentators and opponents alike, dismissed early struggles and underwhelming play: ‘They’ll get it together. It’s only a matter of time.’, the prevailing wisdom.

But with time waning, a grueling schedule looming and a shorthanded team left to bear the brunt, ‘They’ll get it together.’ and, ‘It’s only a matter of time.’ has given way to, ‘They’re no longer a threat. And, ‘Their time is up.’

Championship aspirations have all but expired; the champions anchoring the Spurs’ roster?

Not just yet.

Manu Ginobili is back, if you hadn’t noticed. The dominant player of ’08 has all but reemerged and proven the talk of his demise, was, at best, premature. He’s back to putting his imprint on the game, as only he can, and playing with the heart and fire that’s always made this team special; the fear-instilling assassin is again the opposition’s bane.

Duncan has had one of the more remarkable seasons in recent memory. In context of all that transpired last year and the concerns borne from all that entailed, to have him be among the league-leaders in player efficiency for the majority of the year (putting up comparable numbers to his career averages in fewer minutes), it’s frankly something the Spurs just couldn’t have expected. He’s carried the team for a good part of the season (on questionable knees and a lack of adequate help), something that’s looked to take its toll of late, and he’s done so with the same class and professionalism that’s defined his career; his numbers have tapered, similar to last year, but fatigue, the opposition (blowouts) and others relieving him from the reins, looks to be the culprit more than the broken and worn player of last year.

With Duncan and Ginobili on board and playing the type of ball they’ve been able to display this year, there’s reason for hope if one’s expectation is adjusted.

From a perceived favorite to also-ran is a tough pill to swallow; it’s also not a fair description of the reality (middle-ground is hard to find when the expectation is consistently championship). But when the underachiever becomes the underdog? Now you’re talking. When the pressure of expectation turns into the freedom of none? You’ve got the making of a spoiler.

The Spurs have made some positive strides as a team and individually, recently. The defense has picked up, Jefferson’s found a semblance of game, and the experience Hill’s been getting in Parker’s absence can only bode well; the notion that he could play alongside him and be backing him up prior to the playoffs start, bodes even better. What if the time off improves Parker’s health considerably and he regains his form as quickly as he’s done in the past? Would that not instill some trepidation, and maybe even fear, in a Nuggets or Jazz team?

It should; the prospect of the Spurs having their Big 3 intact and playing anywhere near what’s become their standard would give them an opportunity of defeating either. Throw in an ever-improving Hill, a better knowledge of how to utilize Jefferson and an X-Factor like Blair, and there’s all of a sudden reason for optimism.

You can either take a defeatist attitude and allow this season’s ending to resemble a walking of the plank or being lead to slaughter; or you can allow yourself to enjoy a couple of the all-time great champions, the promise of their youth and accept this team for what they currently are: a spoiler.

It’s said to be good etiquette to properly alert someone of such a presence . . .

The Spurs finishing strong should suffice.

[DPG21920]

I agree with all of it. I have been saddened by this exact thing. It was one thing to say Manu does not have it and RJ does not fit. That was a built in reason to let your guard down. But now, with them playing well and the prospect of TP coming back? My expectations have been lifted.

[bobby4germany]

THANK YOU!!!! This was the best thing I have seen on here in some time! It is really great to see this team coming together at just the right time. IF we don't go all the way at least we will go down fighting! :ihit

[duncan228]

Nice perspective and nicely done Blackjack. :tu

[spurs10]

Very well written,thanks Blackjack. I've been feeling the same way. Seeing Manu back to being Manu. Tony getting the rest he so very much needed, Dice and Jefferson coming around, and Tim #&%*# Duncan...well folks, I do believe we have a basketball team!

[jjktkk]

Well written. For the past decade the Spurs have made winning championships look so easy, some younger Spur fans might not remember the pre Ducan era or even the pre Robinson era. This had been a hell of a ride with this group of Spurs.

[urunobili]

wow Blackjack is becoming one of the top10 posters of ST :tu

I'm a fan :toast

[raspsa]

The Spurs were never favorites to win it all anyway so nothing has really changed. They've had a difficult road to get where they are today. I am looking forward to TP coming back and finally we should have a healthy Big 3 available along with more consistent play from the others. The Spurs won't be pushovers in the POs and can still surprise everyone with a little luck of course. I don't have any complaints, just enjoying Duncan and Manu and TP while they're still around.

[alchemist]

:toast :downspin:

[Mel_13]

You can either take a defeatist attitude and allow this season’s ending to resemble a walking of the plank or being lead to slaughter; or you can allow yourself to enjoy a couple of the all-time great champions, the promise of their youth and accept this team for what they currently are: a spoiler.

Thanks, Blackjack and well said.

A perfect rejoinder to all the Debbie Downers and "realists". This is a fan message board. Fans look for signs of hope and pull for their teams to win. They enjoy the victories, even as they come with less frequency. Champions still play in San Antonio even if a championship team does not.

Of course, we understand that this team does not measure up to recent predecessors. It is not denying the 'reality' of the current situation when a fan engages in fanatic support of the home team.

To those who live in and around San Antonio, but will not pay to see a team that is less than championship caliber, all I can say is: your loss. The opportunities to see Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play live in your hometown are dwindling away. When they're gone, they're not coming back.

[diego]

nice write up.

my main hopes/concerns for the POs, assuming we do finish strong and make it:

1) parker coming back in time to get a rhythm.
2) Jefferson not shriveling
3) Bonner not shriveling
4) either Blair or Dyess have step up. hopefully both.
5) pop must play a short rotation and ride his best players, no need to manage minutes when we'll be lucky to advance from one round to the next.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Timely post, Blackjack. Love the stuff you bring!

[santymrc]

Thanks, Blackjack and well said.

A perfect rejoinder to all the Debbie Downers and "realists". This is a fan message board. Fans look for signs of hope and pull for their teams to win. They enjoy the victories, even as they come with less frequency. Champions still play in San Antonio even if a championship team does not.

Of course, we understand that this team does not measure up to recent predecessors. It is not denying the 'reality' of the current situation when a fan engages in fanatic support of the home team.

To those who live in and around San Antonio, but will not pay to see a team that is less than championship caliber, all I can say is: your loss. The opportunities to see Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play live in your hometown are dwindling away. When they're gone, they're not coming back.

This is so true Mel... +1
Well written Blackjack, keep it up, your posts are great reading.

[Manu-of-steel]

Thanks blackjack. You have lifted the sagging spirits of some posters here, by presenting the reality in a glass which is half-full, not half empty.

[Brazil]

wow Blackjack is becoming one of the top10 posters of ST :tu

I'm a fan :toast

I'm on the Blackjack bandwagon too ! :toast

[Blackjack]

My expectations have been lifted.

I see what you did there; spoken like one of the O.G.'s of THC that you are.:smokin


Thanks, Blackjack and well said.

A perfect rejoinder to all the Debbie Downers and "realists". This is a fan message board. Fans look for signs of hope and pull for their teams to win. They enjoy the victories, even as they come with less frequency. Champions still play in San Antonio even if a championship team does not.

Of course, we understand that this team does not measure up to recent predecessors. It is not denying the 'reality' of the current situation when a fan engages in fanatic support of the home team.

To those who live in and around San Antonio, but will not pay to see a team that is less than championship caliber, all I can say is: your loss. The opportunities to see Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play live in your hometown are dwindling away. When they're gone, they're not coming back.

Thanks, Mel (and to everyone else for that matter), and very well put.

I'm a realist and a die-hard, which can often leave one conflicted, but I try to separate the two when it enters the realm of discussion.

Talking shop ... it's all about what is and what isn't (or what I believe to be is or isn't, anyway). It's never personal and it's never cut and dry or black or white; it's a game consisting of gifted, imperfect people that promise to remain so no matter how many zeros are to the left of the decimal point. I'll have my points of contention with particular moves or many a thought process, players and coaches alike, but there's always the all encompassing, superseding factor that overwrites it all.

Fandom.

This Duncan era has been the Golden Age of basketball for a Spurs fan and it's likely in it final throes. But it's not over yet, and even if you can't get down to the AT&T Center or see every game from the comfort of your own home, it'd be wise to appreciate what you do have and get to experience (because this isn't the norm). There are 27 teams (out of 30) who haven't the championships of little ol' San Antonio, and that's to say nothing of the regular-season success and the frequency of playoff appearances; the hometown obviously did something right along the way. So if the team's to come up shorter than one would hope, or even if it's to fail miserably, the disappointment and frustration will only last for so long; the passion that brings forth such emotion doesn't leave but come to the forefront as the others subside.

There's nothing wrong with having a strong opinion or disagreement with anything that goes on on the floor or in the front office, it's part of what makes a place like this thrive, just don't let yourself lose sight of what we're witnessing here and the fact that it could very well be the last we ever see of it.

Like I said before, we've got two of the all-time great champions nearing the end of their career and still playing at a high level . . .

Enjoy it (all of it).

[silverblackfan]

Very nicely written, Blackjack. It really brings into focus these last 10 years and how the ebb and flow of the Spurs season has been a joyful thing to behold. Fans enjoy watching their team show them not only a way of winning, but a sense of purpose and character that we all wish to have.
Thanks Blackjack and thank you Spurs for making our fandom the envy of the rest of the league.

[Man In Black]

Welcome to the nexus...
Where feelings, facts, & fantasy meet.

You don't know what you can achieve until it's done.

[ElNono]

:tu

[Blackjack]

Welcome to the nexus...
Where feelings, facts, & fantasy meet.

You don't know what you can achieve until it's done.

You're right. You never know.

And that's what keeps us here hoping that what looks to be nothing more than a would-be spoiler ... spoils the whole damn thing.:toast

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Fantastic post. Best optimistic article of the year. Good to see the Spurs looking much better. Hopefully this Lakers game can be a springboard as it would be great to have one with few games left.

:tu

[Man In Black]

You're right. You never know.

And that's what keeps us here hoping that what looks to be nothing more than a would-be spoiler ... spoils the whole damn thing.:toast
You would think these doom/gloom peeps would have remembered what the Spurs did the NBA in 2003, when the odds were even more against them...but either they refuse to acknowledge the past, or they fail to imagine the possibilities. It just means that pessimism weighs on them heavily.

[Ignignokt]

This thread needs some Victoria, Texas love.

[L.I.T]

Amen Blackjack.

As you said, it's time to just be a fan of the team. I wonder if some fans haven't forgotten how to do that. To just enjoy watching a team of passionate players put their all into making the playoffs and trying to do something special. Who knows? This could very well be the last 17 games (including the minimum first round games) where we see Manu and Duncan play together. When TP comes back, those games could very well be the last games where we see the Big 3 together.

I for one would prefer to enjoy the tail end of an era. And besides, it's kinda fun to cheer on a team again without any expectations. I always missed the underdog aspect of the Spurs: even when they were winning their first three championships, they were the underdogs.

[BillMc]

To The Victories Of A Spoiler
Blackjack - RTB -

http://nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com/j/apmegasports/200802232229809495272-pf.h2.jpg

Thirteen games remain and the Spurs’ fate in the balance.

My, how times have changed; as has expectation.

Gone are the forgone conclusions of a Lakers team being the only obstacle. And gone are the days of Tony Parker being the one player you needn’t worry. Sixty-nine games in and so much has changed, all while remaining the same; similar questions and worries applied to a new face and circumstance.

This team and their past resume lead fans, those who opine and competitors, to see this team as it could be. The endgame was all you need consider, as it was an assumed inevitability. Questions of fit and overall composition (go one-by-one down the roster and ask yourself what kind of role each player is capable of assuming on a championship team, and then ask what kind of role they have to play on the Spurs for them to be successful) would be overlooked in light of the brand that was Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Popovich and the Spurs.

Respect. The Spurs had earned it with a decade of dominance and received it (even if begrudgingly).

What that respect lead to, was the benefit of a doubt. Fans, commentators and opponents alike, dismissed early struggles and underwhelming play: ‘They’ll get it together. It’s only a matter of time.’, the prevailing wisdom.

But with time waning, a grueling schedule looming and a shorthanded team left to bear the brunt, ‘They’ll get it together.’ and, ‘It’s only a matter of time.’ has given way to, ‘They’re no longer a threat. And, ‘Their time is up.’

Championship aspirations have all but expired; the champions anchoring the Spurs’ roster?

Not just yet.

Manu Ginobili is back, if you hadn’t noticed. The dominant player of ’08 has all but reemerged and proven the talk of his demise, was, at best, premature. He’s back to putting his imprint on the game, as only he can, and playing with the heart and fire that’s always made this team special; the fear-instilling assassin is again the opposition’s bane.

Duncan has had one of the more remarkable seasons in recent memory. In context of all that transpired last year and the concerns borne from all that entailed, to have him be among the league-leaders in player efficiency for the majority of the year (putting up comparable numbers to his career averages in fewer minutes), it’s frankly something the Spurs just couldn’t have expected. He’s carried the team for a good part of the season (on questionable knees and a lack of adequate help), something that’s looked to take its toll of late, and he’s done so with the same class and professionalism that’s defined his career; his numbers have tapered, similar to last year, but fatigue, the opposition (blowouts) and others relieving him from the reins, looks to be the culprit more than the broken and worn player of last year.

With Duncan and Ginobili on board and playing the type of ball they’ve been able to display this year, there’s reason for hope if one’s expectation is adjusted.

From a perceived favorite to also-ran is a tough pill to swallow; it’s also not a fair description of the reality (middle-ground is hard to find when the expectation is consistently championship). But when the underachiever becomes the underdog? Now you’re talking. When the pressure of expectation turns into the freedom of none? You’ve got the making of a spoiler.

The Spurs have made some positive strides as a team and individually, recently. The defense has picked up, Jefferson’s found a semblance of game, and the experience Hill’s been getting in Parker’s absence can only bode well; the notion that he could play alongside him and be backing him up prior to the playoffs start, bodes even better. What if the time off improves Parker’s health considerably and he regains his form as quickly as he’s done in the past? Would that not instill some trepidation, and maybe even fear, in a Nuggets or Jazz team?

It should; the prospect of the Spurs having their Big 3 intact and playing anywhere near what’s become their standard would give them an opportunity of defeating either. Throw in an ever-improving Hill, a better knowledge of how to utilize Jefferson and an X-Factor like Blair, and there’s all of a sudden reason for optimism.

You can either take a defeatist attitude and allow this season’s ending to resemble a walking of the plank or being lead to slaughter; or you can allow yourself to enjoy a couple of the all-time great champions, the promise of their youth and accept this team for what they currently are: a spoiler.

It’s said to be good etiquette to properly alert someone of such a presence . . .

The Spurs finishing strong should suffice.

Well done! :toast:toast:toast:toast

[team-work]

Thanks, BlackjackTo those who live in and around San Antonio, but will not pay to see a team that is less than championship caliber, all I can say is: your loss. The opportunities to see Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play live in your hometown are dwindling away. When they're gone, they're not coming back.

As overseas fan, I can only envy what you San Antonians can enjoy and be proud of. Of course, we can take a holiday, apply for the US visa, travel to your city, buy a ticket and watch a Spurs game. But these cannot be done so often, if not once in a life. What a blessing for you to have a model franchise with legendary players and great management. Pop does look more and more like a dictator regarding player rotations but is still a good coach. Though this year they may fall short of contending for a championship, the team understands what they need to do, i.e. giving all they can on court and fight till the last seconds.

I can hardly imagine what it is like to have a sports franchise in your locality which is followed by fans from every continent.

[stéphane]

Really really nice write up.

I like the emphasis you put on the fact that at some point being the underdog drives your thirst for wins and relieve you from the pressure of expectations

[Quasar]

Well done!

But..... MAHINMI!

Where is he? :)

[Blackjack]

Well done!

But..... MAHINMI!

Where is he? :)

Well ... I think Pop's answer to the Ian Mahinmi question was pretty telling.

* Hear what he said. * (http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6151941/)

[Matches Malone]

"Raising the bar" at its best expression, plus a great hope-lifting piece.
Congrats, Blackjack!
Believe.

[jb4g]

well done sir.

it starts tonight. For everyone who is at the game, join me in being louder than all the damn Faker fans that will show up

I still believe

[TD 21]

Well written. I can't be satisfied or content with this team playing the role of spoiler, but I can and will enjoy watching the remaining time left in Duncan's career. It's become increasingly popular to rip into him in recent years, but the reality is, all things considered, the season he's had has been outstanding.

Like I said in another thread, I don't see this season as the official end of the era. Next year they could conceivably have a better chance at a deep run than this season and if they don't, then let the record show that '08 was really the end of the era.

[Blackjack]

It ain't over yet, but it's surely coming to a close.

It's hard to see guys like Tim and Manu and a team like this, seemingly in their final throes of a championship era, being relegated to spoiler status ... but there's not much you can do about it; contentment's a word that surely doesn't come to mind. You take the bad with the good, though, and appreciate greatness when it's in your midst.

As has been mentioned, this could very well be the last we see of the Big 3. It's not inevitable by any means, but I'll be damned if I don't treat it as such and make sure to not take them, or this whole thing, for granted.

In the meantime, I hope the Spurs find a way to make a little noise and show realists like myself, and the Debbie Downer's of the world, why it's never a bad thing to just believe . . .

[Manufan909]

I'm on the Blackjack bandwagon too ! :toast

Me three!!!!!

I'm glad blackjack linked this thread in timvp's reconsidering the possibilities one, or I never would have read such a marvelous take.:toast

[jestersmash]

That's actually a damn well written article, and believe me I don't give that compliment out often. Most of what I read is mediocre.