Phil Jackson: Spurs are "the team" I worry about

[CubanMustGo]

From an interview by Dan Patrick in the March 4th, 2010 Sports Illustrated:


DP: It seems like [San Antonio coach Gregg] Popovich is at his best this time of the year, when we're getting near the postseason. Is that the team you see in your rearview mirror and worry about?

PJ: Without a doubt.

He also mentions Dallas and Denver as teams to watch.

Rest of interview: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1167878/3/index.htm

[Cry Havoc]

The Spurs know the Lakers and their M.O. better than any other team in the league. Not a surprise. We're making a run without Parker, and if he comes back rested we could definitely be a scary team to play.

Think: Would it really be that shocking if the Spurs went to the WCF or even the Finals this year? Yeah, it would be surprising, but with this veteran laden team, not more so than some of the recent playoff runs by teams.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Nothing that godsend of Lady Luck says is to be taken seriously. Just can't wait for him to end up coaching a team with both LeBron and Dwight Howard in the year 2015.

[Man In Black]

The Spurs know the Lakers and their M.O. better than any other team in the league. Not a surprise. We're making a run without Parker, and if he comes back rested we could definitely be a scary team to play.

Think: Would it really be that shocking if the Spurs went to the WCF or even the Finals this year? Yeah, it would be surprising, but with this veteran laden team, not more so than some of the recent playoff runs by teams.

Welcome to the Nexus:hat

[ducks]

spurs to beat the lakers would need hill,manu and tp

rj would also NEED TO ATTACK NOT SETTLE
spurs then would win

[murpjf88]

Phil Jackson is full of shit.

[Juanobili]

Phil Jackson is full of shit.

[Sigz]

Phil Jackson is not worried.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Phil Jackson is just being polite because he knows the Spurs run is over.

[The Truth #6]

When he was worried in the past he would usually say the opposite. Hard to put much stock in What he says. He's just trying to motivate his team.

[Chillen]

Say the Lakers play the Spurs in the 1st round and beat them in 6 games, play Denver in the 2nd rd and beat them in 7 games, play Dallas in the WCF. That is a tough road of teams to have to go through after having won it all the previous year. They may have enough talent to get to the WCF but if they aren't playing at a high level at that point, even if they beat Dallas if the Cavaliers are waiting for them with home court advantage in the NBA finals all the wear and tear of going to the NBA finals twice once in 2008 losing to Boston and in 2009 beating Orlando, might just catch up to them a third straight time. You can already see signs of it in their play recently, they might feel fine physically but mentally there are teams that will be hungrier than them these upcoming playoffs.

[spurs10]

spurs to beat the lakers would need hill,manu and tp

rj would also NEED TO ATTACK NOT SETTLE
spurs then would win
Yes...and Tim of course!!

[KB24 MVP]

When he was worried in the past he would usually say the opposite. Hard to put much stock in What he says. He's just trying to motivate his team.

Agreed :toast

[silverblk mystix]

Judging by the way the lakers celebrated after beating the spurs a few days ago---I believe him...

the lakers do NOT want the spurs in the first round

[silverblk mystix]

Lakers dont give 2 shits if they meet the Spurs in the 1st round.


disagree again, lakers again, given too much credit by spurs fans

[kaji157]

That´s a lie, they would have beat OKC and Portland if they were looking for another matchup. And even rest some of their players (ie not play Kobe and the other 3 starters 42+ minutes) if this were true.

[greyforest]

gasol really fucks our offense since they don't have to double timmy, and now we don't have bowen to shut down kobe.

[BanditHiro]

gasol really fucks our offense since they don't have to double timmy, and now we don't have bowen to shut down kobe.

we never could? it was never about stopping kobe but rather all the other crap around him. to our defense they have no way of stopping a healthy parker and ginobili

[Johnny RIngo]

The Spurs know the Lakers and their M.O. better than any other team in the league. Not a surprise. We're making a run without Parker, and if he comes back rested we could definitely be a scary team to play.

Think: Would it really be that shocking if the Spurs went to the WCF or even the Finals this year? Yeah, it would be surprising, but with this veteran laden team, not more so than some of the recent playoff runs by teams.

Yes, especially when you consider how much unclutch role players we have on the team(Bonner, Mason, Bogans). None of those three have EVER come through in a playoff series.

[kaji157]

gasol really fucks our offense since they don't have to double timmy, and now we don't have bowen to shut down kobe.

I think Timmy did a pretty good job against him in 2008, Manu was just too injuried by then.
Plus, i think last game was an exception and not the rule.

[kaji157]

So they are losing games on purpose?:wow

Not sure by they rested a lot against OKC, trailed by 33 at the end of the 3rd... that´s very strange for a team like LA for sure.

All the starters rested the 4th quarter of course.

[alchemist]

It was an early April fools joke.

[Slippy]

Last time against the lakers , Spurs got a great bunch of looks from the perimeter all game. Not sure what's the reason, could be the laker's mistique but the Spurs shrivel against them often . From getting sloppy in the 4th to Spurs shooters missing wide open shots, mentally they give up. If the shooters hit from outide it chages the whole complexion of the game. If they are the first round opppnent im not as worried as many here. I can see why Phil feels the same. You gotta beat the best to be the best.

The health of the big three and how quickly Tony gets back into form being the most important factors.

[Whisky Dog]

That's not Phil saying it. It's Patty saying it and Phil doing what he does and just agreeing to get the interview over. If Patty had asked the question right instead of leading to a yes answer then it might mean a little something.

[rascal]

Lakers dont give 2 shits if they meet the Spurs in the 1st round.

Agree. Since the Gasol trade the Lakers have had no problems with the Spurs.

It would be 5 games max against San Antonio in the playoffs.

[Chillen]

If there is any team that would love to stick it to LA it would be the Spurs. Keep in mind that although the Lakers will probably prevail the Spurs have enough talent on their roster to make this a sort of interesting WCF like 1st round. Reminds me of when the Spurs/Suns met in the 1st round in 2008. The Spurs had to beat the Suns, Hornets and met the Lakers in the 2008 WCF and lost.

If the injury depleted Rockets can take LA to 7 games last season, the Spurs can do the same. Of course it may or may not happen, but this will potentially be a tough series for LA. Depends what the seeding is in 2 weeks or so.

[silverblk mystix]

Agree. Since the Gasol trade the Lakers have had no problems with the Spurs.

It would be 5 games max against San Antonio in the playoffs.

This is really,really lame and weak----

a few posts above you--- a lakers fan confidently stated how they want to play the spurs and bragged about how easy a win it would be...

and of course---a spurs fan here ---bowing ----or bending over for them states this garbage...

man up already---stop cowering in fear already---fuck the lakers---fuck their arrogant whiny fans---

or better yet---turn in your man card---turn in your spurs fan card,

sniveling, weasel, coward fair-weather-bandwagon fans are starting to make me sick,

woos

[Dex]

I dunno...I think the Lakers might have the appropriate fear of the Spurs.

On NBATV on Tuesday, they were interviewing Kobe and asked him which two teams, East and West, he though were sleepers to be dark horses in the playoff.

I believe he said Atlanta in the East, and in the West, he said, "for some reason, people continue to sleep on San Antonio, and I have absolutely no idea why".

[alchemist]

I dunno...I think the Lakers might have the appropriate fear of the Spurs.

On NBATV on Tuesday, they were interviewing Kobe and asked him which two teams, East and West, he though were sleepers to be dark horses in the playoff.

I believe he said Atlanta in the East, and in the West, he said, "for some reason, people continue to sleep on San Antonio, and I have absolutely no idea why".

On NBA sleeper teams for the playoffs: "In the East, I'm going to say Charlotte. I think Charlotte is extremely dangerous. In the West, for some reason people continue to sleep on San Antonio, which I don't get."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/notes.htm

guess those wins over Cleveland/Boston caught people's eyes.

[Dex]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/notes.htm

guess those wins over Cleveland/Boston caught people's eyes.

Good find, I couldn't locate the interview anywhere.

[rascal]

the spurs will not be the 8th seed.

[in2deep]

Only Pop fucks with Spursfan heads more than Phil

[yavozerb]

gasol really fucks our offense since they don't have to double timmy, and now we don't have bowen to shut down kobe.

:lol, your kidding right..

[WildcardManu]

One can dream for a scenario like this... deja vu Lebroom.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4482409440_174c8a54df_o.png

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

gasol really fucks our offense since they don't have to double timmy, and now we don't have bowen to shut down kobe.

It was never about stopping Kobe, just making sure he couldn't be the setup guy for the rest of the squad getting going.

[timtonymanu]

It's not about being scared, it's about reality. The Lakers are just better. That doesn't mean people are scared and bowing down. Yeah I'am hoping the Spurs can pull it off but the skys blue and LA would handle the Spurs in a 7 game series with home court.

You have to understand how silverblx feels. This is what you have to say: Bonner's been a part of the Spurs system for a while now so I think he'll know how to play in the playoffs. He'll be a surprise to most of you. Mason's in a contract year so he's gonna get out of his slump. Bogans imo will step it up. He's not that talented, but i think he will play hard and it will pay off. RJ and Dice will surprise you in the playoffs. Don't give up on them. Blair looks forward to competition so he'll do fine. Hill>Vaughn. Don't forget we also have a big 3 + Pop. Believe in them.



LMAO at silverblx pulling the turn in your spurs fan card. I guess fans with some sense are considered bandwagoners. GTFO with that weak shit.

[ulosturedge]

As it stands right now the Lakers are better then the Spurs. Anyone who doesn't see that is a complete homer. Them and I'd say the Magic give us the most problems. We don't match up well against them. Anyone who says bring on the Lakers in the first round is an idiot. The Spurs need to meet the Lakers in the 2nd or 3rd round to have a better shot. Assuming they found their way past the 1st round that would mean they are playing at a high level and with a high level of confidence. The Spurs are still trying to peak if at all possible, and that peaking would highly depend on a healthy and confident Parker.

Does this mean they can't upset the Lakers? Ofcourse not. They have enough talent to upset the Lakers. But the Spurs have to show more consistency and show better mental toughness, before I start believing they can beat L.A. in a seven game series.

[silverblk mystix]

As it stands right now the Lakers are better then the Spurs. Anyone who doesn't see that is a complete homer. Them and I'd say the Magic give us the most problems. We don't match up well against them. Anyone who says bring on the Lakers in the first round is an idiot. The Spurs need to meet the Lakers in the 2nd or 3rd round to have a better shot. Assuming they found their way past the 1st round that would mean they are playing at a high level and with a high level of confidence. The Spurs are still trying to peak if at all possible, and that peaking would highly depend on a healthy and confident Parker.

Does this mean they can't upset the Lakers? Ofcourse not. They have enough talent to upset the Lakers. But the Spurs have to show more consistency and show better mental toughness, before I start believing they can beat L.A. in a seven game series.


...in other words....

you are a closet laker fan and NEED to be convinced that the spurs can have a chance---BEFORE---you can decide if YOU have enough balls to just believe in the spurs...

but YOU have ALREADY bought the lakers superiority---hook,line & sinker...

but I am the homer because I have enough balls to believe that the Spurs ====play the right way---trust in each other---are taking their time to let things bloom---and give it their best shot at the END of the season...

ummm okay...

[Sisk]

spurs to beat the lakers would need hill,manu and tp

rj would also NEED TO ATTACK NOT SETTLE
spurs then would win

ducks i'm so proud of you!! you mentioned players other than TP!
:downspin:

[SenorSpur]

Last time against the lakers , Spurs got a great bunch of looks from the perimeter all game. Not sure what's the reason, could be the laker's mistique but the Spurs shrivel against them often . From getting sloppy in the 4th to Spurs shooters missing wide open shots, mentally they give up. If the shooters hit from outide it chages the whole complexion of the game. If they are the first round opppnent im not as worried as many here. I can see why Phil feels the same. You gotta beat the best to be the best.

The health of the big three and how quickly Tony gets back into form being the most important factors.

Phil's defensive philosophy generally calls for smothering the opposition's primary and secondary scorer, while forcing the role players to perform. He'll give Bonner wide-open looks all day long - as he didin the 2008 playoff series.

[Frenzy]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/notes.htm

guess those wins over Cleveland/Boston caught people's eyes.

:blah

[timtonymanu]

...in other words....

you are a closet laker fan and NEED to be convinced that the spurs can have a chance---BEFORE---you can decide if YOU have enough balls to just believe in the spurs...

but YOU have ALREADY bought the lakers superiority---hook,line & sinker...

but I am the homer because I have enough balls to believe that the Spurs ====play the right way---trust in each other---are taking their time to let things bloom---and give it their best shot at the END of the season...

ummm okay...

you still dont understand the point. but at least you know how pathetic you are now. :toast

silverblx is all butthurt because he doesnt have enough believers on his side. He has failed to make a reasonable argument of why the spurs will upset the lakers. Instead he follows it up with laker worshipper BS.

[Johnny RIngo]

If there is any team that would love to stick it to LA it would be the Spurs. Keep in mind that although the Lakers will probably prevail the Spurs have enough talent on their roster to make this a sort of interesting WCF like 1st round.

Not really. When your defensive stopper is Keith Bogans and your second best big man is Matt Bonner, then your team has HUGE fucking problems.


If the injury depleted Rockets can take LA to 7 games last season, the Spurs can do the same. Of course it may or may not happen, but this will potentially be a tough series for LA. Depends what the seeding is in 2 weeks or so.

Last year's Rockets had a lot of hustle players on their roster while the Spurs bench is made up of some of the most unclutch role players to ever put on a SA uniform.

[silverblk mystix]

you still dont understand the point. but at least you know how pathetic you are now. :toast

silverblx is all butthurt because he doesnt have enough believers on his side. He has failed to make a reasonable argument of why the spurs will upset the lakers. Instead he follows it up with laker worshipper BS.

I call B.S....

I don't give two shits if there are enough believers---but funny how much you DO believe in the Lakers----yet call yourself a spurs fan...

I think YOU don't understand the point....

that sure---on paper---the lakers are the team to beat---

but why all these comments that plainly state---as if it were fact---

that the spurs have NO CHANCE---avoid the lakers,etc....

the point is ----

maybe there are reasons to believe the lakers are better---

but the games have to be played and the spurs may prove all the doubters wrong---

but---go ahead and keep riding that laker nutsack---yet keep claiming you are a spurs fan....


and as far as your reasonable argument----

all you are asking for is some assurance that the spurs have a chance---because you NEED to be convinced that the big bad lakers are not so scary...

believe what you wanna and let's see how it plays out...

[Solid D]

I heard the interview while driving. I agree, that if Patrick had just asked the open-ended question "who do you worry about?" without suggesting the Spurs at the end, it would have been more interesting.

The Spurs have trouble with long, athletic teams and the Spurs have trouble with teams that run a lot of iso plays. In the Spurs/Lakers game last Wednesday at the AT&T Center, the Spurs were playing great until the 2nd half. That's when the Lakers upped their defense and then ran isolations almost exclusively. Kobe, Pau, Odom, and Artest all got clear-out sets for them to go to work.

In other words, the Spurs will have a very difficult time with the Lakers.

[Budkin]

Greg Popovich could never outcoach Phil Jackson... he's playing head games.

[21_Blessings]

Greg Popovich could never outcoach Phil Jackson... he's playing head games.

If Doc Rivers can out coach Phil Jackson, anyone can. And Pop had his way with Phil in 03.

[Sean Cagney]

I hope we get the Spurs. It will another easy series over them.I hope these words come back to eat your cocky azz over and over!!!!!!!!! I hope they eat you or LA alive!!!!!!!

[alchemist]

I heard the interview while driving. I agree, that if Patrick had just asked the open-ended question "who do you worry about?" without suggesting the Spurs at the end, it would have been more interesting.

The Spurs have trouble with long, athletic teams and the Spurs have trouble with teams that run a lot of iso plays. In the Spurs/Lakers game last Wednesday at the AT&T Center, the Spurs were playing great until the 2nd half. That's when the Lakers upped their defense and then ran isolations almost exclusively. Kobe, Pau, Odom, and Artest all got clear-out sets for them to go to work.

In other words, the Spurs will have a very difficult time with the Lakers.
Sending doubles to cover Kobe every time = loss

That and Artest defense is what killed the Spurs in the 2nd half.

[Solid D]

Sending doubles to cover Kobe every time = loss

That and Artest defense is what killed the Spurs in the 2nd half.

I agree that Artest's defense was a huge contributor to the Lakers' defensive effectiveness. It wasn't doubling Kobe "every time" that beat the Spurs. Tim was routinely beaten 1-on-1 with Pau iso'd. McDyess was beaten badly by Odom off the dribble and on hustle plays and Kobe was doubled frequently in the first half, yet the Spurs led by 8 at halftime. Kobe was left open for 3s twice in the 4th quarter, once inexplicably by Jefferson. So, I completely disagree on your 2nd point.

[TD 21]

The Spurs have to play the Lakers one-on-one in most instances (I can see occasionally doubling Bryant when he's posting up Hill) because even though the Lakers are a mediocre outside shooting team, it makes no sense to double when they have either a height or quickness advantage a generally three spots on the court. If it's mismatches the Spurs are worried about, then they'll be doubling all game long.

Just play them straight up and if guys like Gasol and Odom can beat the Spurs be isolating them to death, then fine, but I'd rather make those two have to play at an extremely high level every game (I'm talking about a potential playoff series) than give the Lakers wide open three's to bury the Spurs.

I don't have the numbers on this to back me up, but it seems that since the Lakers acquired Gasol, the Spurs have surprisingly done a solid job defending the Lakers in the half court, where they lost (in the past it was their own lack of offense) is from giving up wide open three's and getting killed off the dribble/in the post. You can't give them everything, so cut out their open three's and take your chances with playing them straight up. Little known fact about the Lakers: they're not a great or even very good offensive team.

[NFGIII]

The Spurs know the Lakers and their M.O. better than any other team in the league. Not a surprise. We're making a run without Parker, and if he comes back rested we could definitely be a scary team to play.

Think: Would it really be that shocking if the Spurs went to the WCF or even the Finals this year? Yeah, it would be surprising, but with this veteran laden team, not more so than some of the recent playoff runs by teams.

Surprising but as of now the LAL, Mavs and Nuggets aren't playing that well. All those teams seem to be coming back to earth. The Suns is the hot team in the West as of now. There might be an oepn window here for the Spurs but caome the POs things might settle down again.

The LAL are still the team to beat but anyting in a series is possible.


I heard the interview while driving. I agree, that if Patrick had just asked the open-ended question "who do you worry about?" without suggesting the Spurs at the end, it would have been more interesting.

The Spurs have trouble with long, athletic teams and the Spurs have trouble with teams that run a lot of iso plays. In the Spurs/Lakers game last Wednesday at the AT&T Center, the Spurs were playing great until the 2nd half. That's when the Lakers upped their defense and then ran isolations almost exclusively. Kobe, Pau, Odom, and Artest all got clear-out sets for them to go to work.

In other words, the Spurs will have a very difficult time with the Lakers.

Their length has killed the Spurs and it will be difficult to ewn that series but not impossible. Odds are they wont though. The Spurs are missing a dependable/serviceable 5. Something that hasn't been here since '06.

Anyway our role players will have to step up consistently for the Spurs to have a realistic chance to win. A scenario that scares me. :depressed