spurschick
06-03-2005, 03:10 PM
Multi-national Spurs honed for triple crown
By Mike Steinberger
Published: June 3 2005 19:22
San Antonio may be a small city in southern Texas but it is fast becoming the home of “hoop” dreams. On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs again booked their place in the National Basketball Association finals with victory over the Phoenix Suns. They now stand just four wins from their third NBA title in seven seasons.
Their opponents will be either the Miami Heat or the Detroit Pistons, the defending champions. The Heat can earn their first trip to an NBA final with a victory tonight in the sixth game of their best-of-seven series against the Pistons.
Perhaps because they play in a small, out-of-the-way city, the Spurs have always flown under the radar, which is a pity. In addition to being a remarkably accomplished team, they are arguably the most interesting franchise in all of American sport.
Whether it be against the Pistons or the Heat, the Spurs will take to the court for the finals with momentum and confidence to spare. They struggled a little in winning their first-round series against the gritty Denver Nuggets, and they struggled a bit more before finally subduing the Seattle Supersonics in a six-game, second-round contest. Against the Suns, however, San Antonio hit their stride, and in most impressive fashion.
Phoenix, possessors both of the NBA’s best record this year and of Steve Nash, its most valuable player, were comprehensively outplayed by the Spurs. Nash looked like a pinball trying to penetrate San Antonio’s smothering defence, while on offence the Spurs were a case study in smart, selfless basketball.
San Antonio raced to a 3-0 lead and, although they dropped the fourth game at home last Monday, they applied the finishing blows two nights later.
Should the Spurs now go on to win the championship, celebrations will ensue all over the globe.
It is, perhaps, surprising that the most international franchise in the NBA, itself the most globalised of the major American sports, should be a team that represents a small Texas city rather than a huge, cosmopolitan centre such as New York or Chicago. But, for reasons that have nothing to do with Texas and everything to do with the vagaries of NBA personnel decisions, the Spurs have become a mini-UN.
Tim Duncan, the team’s centre, is a native of the US Virgin Islands. Point guard Tony Parker is French and San Antonio’s other starting guard, Manu Ginobili, is a native of Argentina. Back-ups Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih are both Slovenians, while forward Sean Marks is a New Zealander.
Although the NBA has plenty of foreign-born players, the Spurs seem to span the globe just a bit more vigorously in their search for international talent. And it is widely acknowledged within the NBA that San Antonio is particularly adept at finding overseas players who can make the transition to the NBA.
Gregg Popovich, the coach, and general manager R.C. Buford were among the first in the league to recognise the quality of talent being cultivated in Europe, South America and Asia. And the Spurs have reaped the benefit with two NBA crowns and five division titles in the eight years that Popovich has led the team.
What is generally true of the NBA’s foreign players — excellent fundamentals and a more selfless, team-oriented approach than many homegrown NBA stars — is especially true of the Spurs. There was something almost symphonic about the way they played against the Suns; it was a consummate team effort of the sort rarely seen nowadays in the NBA.
That the Spurs are often dismissed as dull is a measure of how warped attitudes have become in the era of highlight-reel basketball. Perhaps a third NBA crown, after their victories in 1999 and again in 2003, will finally earn San Antonio the enormous respect they deserve.
However, against either the Heat or the Pistons, the Spurs will not have an easy time making it a triple.
The Heat, of course, boast Shaquille O’Neal, who remains the league’s dominant player. But stopping Miami is going to require a lot more than just limiting O’Neal’s impact. Heat guard Dwyane Wade has averaged nearly 30 points per game during the play-offs and is now evoking comparisons with Michael Jordan. Miami have had a championship aura throughout the season and it is going to require something special to puncture that.
The Pistons, should they even the series tonight at home and go on to win a seventh and deciding game at Miami on Monday, are also more than capable of ruining San Antonio’s summer. With the two Wallaces, Ben and Rasheed, as well as Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, the Pistons are loaded with talent. They proved it last year when they thrashed the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals and they have proved it again during this post-season.
Whether it is the Spurs-Heat or the Spurs-Pistons, this year’s final, which gets under way on Thursday night, could well be a classic. The three best teams in the league are the only teams left standing and it seems there is little if any daylight separating them from one another.
By Mike Steinberger
Published: June 3 2005 19:22
San Antonio may be a small city in southern Texas but it is fast becoming the home of “hoop” dreams. On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs again booked their place in the National Basketball Association finals with victory over the Phoenix Suns. They now stand just four wins from their third NBA title in seven seasons.
Their opponents will be either the Miami Heat or the Detroit Pistons, the defending champions. The Heat can earn their first trip to an NBA final with a victory tonight in the sixth game of their best-of-seven series against the Pistons.
Perhaps because they play in a small, out-of-the-way city, the Spurs have always flown under the radar, which is a pity. In addition to being a remarkably accomplished team, they are arguably the most interesting franchise in all of American sport.
Whether it be against the Pistons or the Heat, the Spurs will take to the court for the finals with momentum and confidence to spare. They struggled a little in winning their first-round series against the gritty Denver Nuggets, and they struggled a bit more before finally subduing the Seattle Supersonics in a six-game, second-round contest. Against the Suns, however, San Antonio hit their stride, and in most impressive fashion.
Phoenix, possessors both of the NBA’s best record this year and of Steve Nash, its most valuable player, were comprehensively outplayed by the Spurs. Nash looked like a pinball trying to penetrate San Antonio’s smothering defence, while on offence the Spurs were a case study in smart, selfless basketball.
San Antonio raced to a 3-0 lead and, although they dropped the fourth game at home last Monday, they applied the finishing blows two nights later.
Should the Spurs now go on to win the championship, celebrations will ensue all over the globe.
It is, perhaps, surprising that the most international franchise in the NBA, itself the most globalised of the major American sports, should be a team that represents a small Texas city rather than a huge, cosmopolitan centre such as New York or Chicago. But, for reasons that have nothing to do with Texas and everything to do with the vagaries of NBA personnel decisions, the Spurs have become a mini-UN.
Tim Duncan, the team’s centre, is a native of the US Virgin Islands. Point guard Tony Parker is French and San Antonio’s other starting guard, Manu Ginobili, is a native of Argentina. Back-ups Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih are both Slovenians, while forward Sean Marks is a New Zealander.
Although the NBA has plenty of foreign-born players, the Spurs seem to span the globe just a bit more vigorously in their search for international talent. And it is widely acknowledged within the NBA that San Antonio is particularly adept at finding overseas players who can make the transition to the NBA.
Gregg Popovich, the coach, and general manager R.C. Buford were among the first in the league to recognise the quality of talent being cultivated in Europe, South America and Asia. And the Spurs have reaped the benefit with two NBA crowns and five division titles in the eight years that Popovich has led the team.
What is generally true of the NBA’s foreign players — excellent fundamentals and a more selfless, team-oriented approach than many homegrown NBA stars — is especially true of the Spurs. There was something almost symphonic about the way they played against the Suns; it was a consummate team effort of the sort rarely seen nowadays in the NBA.
That the Spurs are often dismissed as dull is a measure of how warped attitudes have become in the era of highlight-reel basketball. Perhaps a third NBA crown, after their victories in 1999 and again in 2003, will finally earn San Antonio the enormous respect they deserve.
However, against either the Heat or the Pistons, the Spurs will not have an easy time making it a triple.
The Heat, of course, boast Shaquille O’Neal, who remains the league’s dominant player. But stopping Miami is going to require a lot more than just limiting O’Neal’s impact. Heat guard Dwyane Wade has averaged nearly 30 points per game during the play-offs and is now evoking comparisons with Michael Jordan. Miami have had a championship aura throughout the season and it is going to require something special to puncture that.
The Pistons, should they even the series tonight at home and go on to win a seventh and deciding game at Miami on Monday, are also more than capable of ruining San Antonio’s summer. With the two Wallaces, Ben and Rasheed, as well as Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, the Pistons are loaded with talent. They proved it last year when they thrashed the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals and they have proved it again during this post-season.
Whether it is the Spurs-Heat or the Spurs-Pistons, this year’s final, which gets under way on Thursday night, could well be a classic. The three best teams in the league are the only teams left standing and it seems there is little if any daylight separating them from one another.