In response to the Mirage, I give you...Sandbagging

[Man In Black]

While Ding writes for an LA Area, if Spurs fan takes a step back, then SF would understand why Ding needs to write that shit. Imagine if he told his readership that Kobe's knee is going to be a constant issue, that Barnes' injury is serious and might not have him at 100% when he gets back. No matter how LAL Bandwagon slices it, they have DFish and Steve Blake for their backcourt. Other than the start of the season, Blake has been so bad, that I've decided to give him a new moniker..meet SFish. You wish he was as good as Fish but truthfully, they're both terrible.

It's easier to say that everyone else isn't really that strong and you're not really that bad than to face the truth that you aren't really that strong and those teams are actually really good.

Oh and for the LAL Bandwagon(And the National Media that hang off their jockstraps), you guys that say the Spurs can't possibly play this well in the 2nd half of the season(Barring injury, of course), I give you this tidbit of info:

Fran Blinbury writes that the Spurs have lost more games in the second half of the season only TWICE in the 8 seasons since moving to the AT&T Center.

Anyways, here's that article link:
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/01/13/11/Spurs-taking-unique-approach-to-dominati/landing_spurs.html?blockID=390716&feedID=3629




The Spurs may wish to spread the word of a declining Duncan, whispering half-truths on the toll age has extracted from him. But few in the league will fully believe, unless the Spurs' season ends somewhere short of another championship.




What if San Antonio is merely sharpening, refining its ability to lean on other weapons, all the while knowing it won’t walk into battle without the most powerful in its arsenal?

What if the notoriously slow-starting Spurs have sandbagged their way to that 33-6 record? What if Duncan is biding his time, conserving his energy and preparing to unleash a playoff fury?

What if? It’s a demoralizing thought.

[jjktkk]

Good article, thanks for posting MIB. :tu

[Cessation]

Timmeh waiting to unleash his playoff fury, he would too, I've seen him do it.

[honestfool84]

great article. i cannot wait to see Duncan unleash himself these playoffs.

[honestfool84]

thanks for the post, MIB.

[SequSpur]

Good article...finally Spurs getting some kind of Pub.....but...

Duncan is just gettin old...his tank is almost empty.

[Man In Black]

But Bean boy ain't? Who said this year my knee is bone-on-bone? Who sits out practices and shootarounds? Bean does. One needs to sayit. For every LAL fan that says Bean is a constant, there's a Spurs fan that says Tim is. The difference is that Tim didn't have off-season surgery, nor is he complaining about having bone-on-bone pain. Plus, outside of Bonner's current knee issue, the core Spurs players are all playing. We can say that Splitter yet hasn't shown us anything but fleeting glimpses of production but he's already played a whole hell of a lot more than we ever saw from Ian Mahinmi or Jackie Butler or any other supposed Big with some skills.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

I hadn't allowed myself to think that. I'm so unaccustomed to the Spurs starting out the gate this hot, I've just kinda been enjoying the ride as a fan. In the back of my mind, the law of averages must play out, imho, and given the fact that Pop is not inclined in the slightest to chase regular season records, I've been expecting a tapering off in the second half of the season.

But if I let my fancy take flight (a la the OP), and consider that this is probably the hungriest (and healthiest) Spurs squad since '03, then I take pity on the rest of the league. Really, I do. We've all seen Timmy take it up innumerable notches when the playoffs hit after dealing with injuries and pulling heavy minutes for 82 games--how much moreso can/will he improve off a season of virtual rest (by his standards). Those in the know, know his game is not done by any stretch of the imagination, and this time around he's gonna be so fresh it's not even funny.

I'll reserve my excitement about a possible 5th title until after the ASB, but suffice it to say that if history and health both hold, this Spurs team could be headed not just down in the annals of Spurs lore, but those of the NBA as well.

[jestersmash]

Duncan's not going to be some offensive beast come playoff time. He still won't command double teams in the post. He still won't be able to finish with as much efficiency around the rim as he used to.

That said, I expect his rebounding and perhaps interior defense to increase come playoff time. These are areas where extra "hustle" can always help. You can always expend more energy to jump a little bit higher to try and secure more rebounds. You can always expend more energy to try and contest shots just a little bit better.

It's not worth expending this much energy in regular season games. Why subject your knees to more wear and tear than necessary just to potentially win a couple of games more during the regular season?

Duncan will always be our "ace in the hole" consistent 3rd option if Parker/Ginobili struggle from the field. Parker is highly efficient usually but will have an off day here and there. Ginobili is and always will be highly streaky. The article makes it seem like Duncan will magically become our 1st option again averaging 25/10 throughout the playoffs. Not likely.

[Man In Black]

Duncan's not going to be some offensive beast come playoff time. He still won't command double teams in the post. He still won't be able to finish with as much efficiency around the rim as he used to.

That said, I expect his rebounding and perhaps interior defense to increase come playoff time. These are areas where extra "hustle" can always help. You can always expend more energy to jump a little bit higher to try and secure more rebounds. You can always expend more energy to try and contest shots just a little bit better.

It's not worth expending this much energy in regular season games. Why subject your knees to more wear and tear than necessary just to potentially win a couple of games more during the regular season?

Duncan will always be our "ace in the hole" consistent 3rd option if Parker/Ginobili struggle from the field. Parker is highly efficient usually but will have an off day here and there. Ginobili is and always will be highly streaky. The article makes it seem like Duncan will magically become our 1st option again averaging 25/10 throughout the playoffs. Not likely.

I didn't read that he'd be a 1st option. What I agree with is that TD will raise his game when needed most. That's a constant. Let's say he incrementally rises to 18 & 10. Couple that with the production the Spurs other 2/3rds of the Big 3 and now opposing defenders have to deal with a Tim who DOES NOT DEFER AS MUCH, who will play to abuse post defenders but still has the ability to deftly pass if needed. In the reg season, observation has shown that once Tim passed the ball out, it rarely comes back. I actually think that's a Pop wrinkle that Pop will adjust in the 2nd season. He's already set the trap to scouts all over the L. But, in the playoffs, when the ball goes out, it will just as likely go back in to Tim, who has, as always, set himself on the re-post. With all the action focused on the perimeter, I see Milwaukee over and over again. Okay not that completely wide open but he'll get looks off the numerous play action up above.
bmTqeVdwP44

[pookenstein]

Great article. Thx for posting MiB.

[Fireball]

Duncan's not going to be some offensive beast come playoff time. He still won't command double teams in the post. He still won't be able to finish with as much efficiency around the rim as he used to.

That said, I expect his rebounding and perhaps interior defense to increase come playoff time. These are areas where extra "hustle" can always help. You can always expend more energy to jump a little bit higher to try and secure more rebounds. You can always expend more energy to try and contest shots just a little bit better.

It's not worth expending this much energy in regular season games. Why subject your knees to more wear and tear than necessary just to potentially win a couple of games more during the regular season?

Duncan will always be our "ace in the hole" consistent 3rd option if Parker/Ginobili struggle from the field. Parker is highly efficient usually but will have an off day here and there. Ginobili is and always will be highly streaky. The article makes it seem like Duncan will magically become our 1st option again averaging 25/10 throughout the playoffs. Not likely.

Thanks for clearing that up, because I think the same. In the playoffs Duncan will play some more minutes which especially helps on the defensive side. Everybody who thinks he will be able to average 20 pts in the playoffs should have a reality check. But he will be there on the offense, when needed!

[Seventyniner]

Tony Parker has played the most minutes for the Spurs this season: 1383 total, with a 32.9 average per game. This places him at #49 in the league for total minutes played, and #67 for minutes per game.

This means the rest of the team has played less, and yet the Spurs sit at 36-6. Some of this is due to better-than-average performance in close games, but the Spurs still lead the league in point differential and efficiency differential. This team has great depth for the regular season, and the big guns will be nice and fresh in the playoffs.

[K-State Spur]

I don't think it's out of the question that duncan could go for 17-18 ppg in the playoffs, which isn't that far off from 20.

For all the talk about him falling off last year, he was still 19/10 with 52% shooting in the postseason. The only problem with that (once we got to the PHX series) was that they could guard him straight up with guys like Frye & Stat (as opposed to Lopez, who is a better defender, but was more limited offensively). Timmy would still have a decent game - but in the past, he DESTROYED the Suns if they weren't making him the focus of their defense.

Thus, we see the shift this year to a more Tony/Manu based attack. I fully expect that Tim will see a small jump in his numbers come playoffs, but the Spurs won't be nearly as reliant on it compared to even as recent as last year.

[ChuckD]

??? Tim did 19/10 in the playoffs last year? Do you think he's degraded since LAST YEAR?

I didn't, and haven't seen anyone say 25/10, but shit, 18/12 is completely within the realm the way he's rebounding this year, and with increased playoff minutes.

Every time someone says he's done, I always think back to the first Denver game. It was the second of a B2B, at altitude, and we needed to slow it down in the second half. Timmy just put us on his back, and fucking went right at Denver's big front line to the tune of 28/16.

[hater]

Good article...finally Spurs getting some kind of Pub.....but...

Duncan is just gettin old...his tank is almost empty.

finally a good post from you son

[TampaDude]

Spurs = 2011 NBA Champions

Deal with it.

[BlairForceDejuan]

Duncan does this EVERY year. This is no surprise. He is declining - reality is reality - but only an ignorant fool thinks this is the Tim Duncan they will see in the playoffs.

He's Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan.

[jsandiego]

Duncan's not going to be some offensive beast come playoff time. He still won't command double teams in the post. He still won't be able to finish with as much efficiency around the rim as he used to.

That said, I expect his rebounding and perhaps interior defense to increase come playoff time. These are areas where extra "hustle" can always help. You can always expend more energy to jump a little bit higher to try and secure more rebounds. You can always expend more energy to try and contest shots just a little bit better.

It's not worth expending this much energy in regular season games. Why subject your knees to more wear and tear than necessary just to potentially win a couple of games more during the regular season?

Duncan will always be our "ace in the hole" consistent 3rd option if Parker/Ginobili struggle from the field. Parker is highly efficient usually but will have an off day here and there. Ginobili is and always will be highly streaky. The article makes it seem like Duncan will magically become our 1st option again averaging 25/10 throughout the playoffs. Not likely.
+1
His presence will be felt on the defensive end and rebounding. Offensive numbers will increase in proportion to extended minutes played.

[Frenzy]

A sleeping giant huh..

[Cane]

As long as the Spurs, specifically the big 3, are healthy then they can definitely contend. Even when they're not 100% they still hustle and give more effort than you'll see in the reg season.

IIRC Spurs are one of the 3 teams thats in the top 10 of both offense and defense so far as well.

Considering the paycuts the Big 3 took over the years, the fact that they got swept by the Suns last playoffs, and that this season and the next are probably the last 2 best shots at a championship with this core....then you have all the reasons you need for the Spurs to raise their game as the season goes on.

[GSH]

But, in the playoffs, when the ball goes out, it will just as likely go back in to Tim, who has, as always, set himself on the re-post. With all the action focused on the perimeter, I see Milwaukee over and over again. Okay not that completely wide open but he'll get looks off the numerous play action up above.



I wish I thought that was going to happen. I commented about this a couple of seasons ago. Whenever Tim does try to re-post, he virtually never takes the ball back closer to the basket. Sometimes he manages to hold his ground, but a lot of the time he gets it back a step or two farther out. And that includes the playoffs. It's a problem. And with the weight he's lost to take some of the strain off his knees, it's probably not going to get better.

Tim is still a great player, but his post game is less than it used to be. And the inability to re-post closer to the basket is one of the specific places it has faded. He'll step it up for the playoffs - he always does. But more of it is probably going to have to be jumpers and 12-footers off the glass.

[Man In Black]

I wish I thought that was going to happen. I commented about this a couple of seasons ago. Whenever Tim does try to re-post, he virtually never takes the ball back closer to the basket. Sometimes he manages to hold his ground, but a lot of the time he gets it back a step or two farther out. And that includes the playoffs. It's a problem. And with the weight he's lost to take some of the strain off his knees, it's probably not going to get better.

Tim is still a great player, but his post game is less than it used to be. And the inability to re-post closer to the basket is one of the specific places it has faded. He'll step it up for the playoffs - he always does. But more of it is probably going to have to be jumpers and 12-footers off the glass.

No, I disagree. That turns Tim into Garnett and that's NEVER been Tim. In the past, we all know this, there's been an OVER-RELIANCE on Tim. Which meant that when the ball was going into the post, that Tim was gonna 4-down the team to victory. This year, Pop has established an UNDER-RELIANCE on Tim.
Pop throws fastball with the perimeter attack and the curve with Tim. It's more balanced but playing to the strength of what to do next. It's this balance that keeps the opponent off-balance. I'm holding the optimism line, but unlike LAL bandwagon, my team has the record and, for the most part, steady play, that backs up my hypotheses.
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[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

Pretty damn demoralizing thought

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

for the rest of the league that is

[GSH]

No, I disagree. That turns Tim into Garnett and that's NEVER been Tim. In the past, we all know this, there's been an OVER-RELIANCE on Tim. Which meant that when the ball was going into the post, that Tim was gonna 4-down the team to victory. This year, Pop has established an UNDER-RELIANCE on Tim.
Pop throws fastball with the perimeter attack and the curve with Tim. It's more balanced but playing to the strength of what to do next. It's this balance that keeps the opponent off-balance. I'm holding the optimism line, but unlike LAL bandwagon, my team has the record and, for the most part, steady play, that backs up my hypotheses.
:flag: :flag: :flag: :flag:


I'm not going to debate the whole CIA Pop theory - just talking about Tim re-posting.

Tell you what. Watch the next few games, and look for Tim to re-post. Then tell me if you see him get the ball closer to the basket. I'd be surprised if you see it happen once. And it didn't just start being an issue this season. It was really obvious in the playoffs last season.

It doesn't matter if that has never been Tim's game. It's his game now. And it's not an indictment on Tim. A lot of good big men have extended their careers by shooting from farther away from the basket. McDyess used to be a beast around the rim, too, and now he shoots a lot of jumpers. He was smart enough to adjust.

Tim can still finesse his way to the rim, but he needs that shot off the glass to keep defenders honest. But you aren't going to see him playing re-post closer to the basket like he used to. At least not very often.