Bill Simmons on the Spurs

[Strange Botwin]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100510&sportCat=nba

THE WHATEVER-THE-HELL-U2'S-LAST-ALBUM-WAS-CALLED AWARD FOR "MOST ABRUPT END TO A PHENOMENAL RUN"

To the Duncan-era Spurs: Four titles, 13 straight 50-win seasons (I'm including the stupid lockout season) and a boatload of fantastic memories. OK, not really. But we got to watch Duncan (the best power forward ever), Ginobili (the best international guard ever if you're not counting Nash, and you shouldn't, since Canada isn't really "international"), Parker (who perfected the celebrity relationship), Popovich (the best coach of the past 15 years), and two really fun rivalries (Spurs-Suns, Spurs-Mavs). Look, you can't stay on top for more than a decade without getting a top-three lottery pick or having Chris Wallace trade you a top-three lottery pick. That's just the way this league works. So hold your head up high, Spurs. Fantastic run. When players are bawling in their locker room because they finally beat you (like Nash did after Game 4), you know you accomplished something great. And you did.

[spurs_2108]

Good points.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Mavs fan is not gonna be happy to see that.

[jiggy_55]

Strange Botwin,

LMFAO at the David Robinson "gangsta" pic!

[Borosai]

He's right, but there's still one more ship sailing in.

[Budkin]

It seems like that's the meme of the week: The end of the Spurs. Those writers aren't thinking. All this team needs is a few more youthful athletic players around the big 3 and we'll still be right there contending. Steve Nash is 37 for fuck's sake.

[sananspursfan21]

yah, good spin on things, but i'm still believin' there's another championship, or good hard run at one

[The Truth #6]

A few injuries hurt us in the end but basically Tim and Manu ran out of gas. That's not going to get better next year unless we play a lot of young players. And then if we do that, we are at risk for missing the playoffs, which we barely made this year. It's basically over but we can still be competitive and in the mix if a few things go our way. Simmons saw a similar slow downhill demise with the Celts in the 80s so I'll give him credit for having some insight into the situation.

[TFloss32]

Did Steve Nash really cry after Game 4?

[davidbowie]

i can live with that summary. just glad i was old enough to remember and experience it all and got to go to a bunch of great games.

BUT...i swear i had this same exact convo/feeling with myself this time last year. the whole its been a good run, you cant be on top forever oh well im content etc etc. we'll see what happens.

[EricB]

WTF Nash cried?!?!

[WildcardManu]

Still, it makes you think back at the memories.

[NFGIII]

Did Steve Nash really cry after Game 4?


WTF Nash cried?!?!

When I read that I started :lol. I know losing over the years has really sucked for him and the Suns but to cry after finally beating the Spurs? And in order to be champs you still have two more series to win?

Dude you're far from the promised land so I think you had better calm down and focus on what's coming next. He will but that reaction is somewhat peculiar to me.

[dreamcastrocks]

Did Steve Nash really cry after Game 4?


WTF Nash cried?!?!

Tears only came out of one eye. :D

[Whisky Dog]

In the NBA you're either on or near the top, or you should be looking at any way to get a top pick in a superstar draft.

[jb4g]

[quote] Look, you can't stay on top for more than a decade without getting a top-three lottery pick or having Chris Wallace trade you a top-three lottery pick. That's just the way this league works. [quote]


damn true statement right there, we should all have pride in the fact that our team has been among the elite for more than a decade.

[cantthinkofanything]

[quote] Look, you can't stay on top for more than a decade without getting a top-three lottery pick or having Chris Wallace trade you a top-three lottery pick. That's just the way this league works. [quote]


damn true statement right there, we should all have pride in the fact that our team has been among the elite for more than a decade.

This is why I can't pick a team to root for. I don't want Kobe or Shaq to get a fifth ring. I don't want Orlando or Phoenix to get their first. That leavas Boston but it's hard for me to root for Kevin Garnett.

[Xylus]

I'm not sure where Simmons heard that Nash cried after the series ended. This is the first time I've heard about it.

[ffadicted]

I find these things funny mostly for the fact that we played our best basketball of the season towards the end, Ginobili was an all star until breaking his nose (related or unrelated), tony parker was injured all year, RJ couldn't have been worse.... and we STILL won 50 games and beat the #2 seeded mavs, before running into a retarded hot suns team

This season was an improvement over the last, front court reinforcement is coming, we have our highest draft pick to work with since tim duncan, and things are looking great. Yet people are jumping off the spurs ship like never before. It's hilarious. Next year is actually the best I've felt about our chances since 2006 (i feel better about next year then I felt about 07). Look back into our history and you'll see what one year with the same group/one year for a player does to the performance of the team/the player.

[DDS4]

*sigh*

Simmons forgot the Spurs-Lakers series too.

[Chomag]

I find these things funny mostly for the fact that we played our best basketball of the season towards the end, Ginobili was an all star until breaking his nose (related or unrelated), tony parker was injured all year, RJ couldn't have been worse.... and we STILL won 50 games and beat the #2 seeded mavs, before running into a retarded hot suns team

This season was an improvement over the last, front court reinforcement is coming, we have our highest draft pick to work with since tim duncan, and things are looking great. Yet people are jumping off the spurs ship like never before. It's hilarious. Next year is actually the best I've felt about our chances since 2006 (i feel better about next year then I felt about 07). Look back into our history and you'll see what one year with the same group/one year for a player does to the performance of the team/the player.

The problem is that our top guys are completely out of gas by the second round, and Spurs still needed to go 2 more rounds. There needs to be some big changes, or else Spurs will face the same dilemma next season because those top guys are only getting older. you really can't count out the fact that other teams will be even better next year making it even harder for the aging spurs to keep the high level up. Staying pat will only make it worse on on our guys.

Our big 3 just has so many miles on them fighting for championships all these year, God bless them!

[Budkin]

I'm not sure where Simmons heard that Nash cried after the series ended. This is the first time I've heard about it.

Who cares if he did cry. It was an emotional release. Michael Jordan literally sobbed after he won his first title.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0611/nba_jordan2_580.jpg

[TIMMYD!]

Who cares if he did cry. It was an emotional release. Michael Jordan literally sobbed after he won his first title.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0611/nba_jordan2_580.jpg

Yeah, but it was a championship.

[crc21209]

yeah, but it was a championship.

+1000000000000000000000000

[Dre_7]

Yeah, but it was a championship.

:lol Very true.

[Jason R]

It seems like that's the meme of the week: The end of the Spurs. Those writers aren't thinking. All this team needs is a few more youthful athletic players around the big 3 and we'll still be right there contending. Steve Nash is 37 for fuck's sake.

This isn't 'new talk'. Similar was said last year and this year, outside of a great hot streak at the end, we never seriously looked like championship material.

[Jason R]

I find these things funny mostly for the fact that we played our best basketball of the season towards the end, Ginobili was an all star until breaking his nose (related or unrelated), tony parker was injured all year, RJ couldn't have been worse.... and we STILL won 50 games and beat the #2 seeded mavs, before running into a retarded hot suns team

This season was an improvement over the last, front court reinforcement is coming, we have our highest draft pick to work with since tim duncan, and things are looking great. Yet people are jumping off the spurs ship like never before. It's hilarious. Next year is actually the best I've felt about our chances since 2006 (i feel better about next year then I felt about 07). Look back into our history and you'll see what one year with the same group/one year for a player does to the performance of the team/the player.

I hope that pie in the sky tastes good.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

As long as Splitter comes this summer, we will win one more in the TD era. Book it.

[jag]

I hate when people say "book it." Like anyone really feels it's a lock just because you decided to say book it. Splitter coming doesn't ensure a title...not in the slightest.