spurschick
06-04-2005, 08:54 AM
Combo of Ginobili, Duncan, Parker puts Spurs on top of world
BY SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune
SAN ANTONIO - (KRT) - The San Antonio Spurs don't inspire great nicknames, such as the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. They don't promise wonderful theater, such as the Bulls in the 1990s. They're not much for memorable achievements, like the 1960's and 1980's Boston Celtics. Their premier player, Tim Duncan, doesn't even rate one of those greatest labels from his teammates.
"Tim is good," said forward Robert Horry, who is going for his sixth championship ring when the NBA Finals begin in Texas on Thursday. "But it's hard to label him because each person brought a different thing to the game. To pick the best, you had to go with `Dream' (Hakeem Olajuwon) because he did some of the things (Shaquille O'Neal) did, he does some of the things Tim does. He has a combination of both of them, so you had to look at him as probably being the best."
Duncan is so boring, the best nickname for him came from O'Neal, who calls him "The Big Fundamental" after Duncan's textbook playing style.
The Spurs most exciting player comes from Argentina, the slippery Manu Ginobili, who could pose for the old "before" ads for muscle building. Their most famous player could be speedy point guard Tony Parker because he dates "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.
But you better get to know them because this Spurs team, with championships in 1999 and 2003 when Duncan was Finals MVP, has the best chance to emerge as the next great NBA dynasty.
"It remains to be seen," said Brent Barry, who once was talked into believing this was possible again in Chicago in 1999. "But obviously this team is set up for a huge run if those guys stay healthy. It's the type of team set up for a dynasty. The last four, five, six years, they've competed at a high level. With those three players over the next five, six years, you could have something for the history books.
"It's an amazing combination of players. Tony is one of the speediest guards in the league who causes matchup troubles with his handling the ball and quickness. Manu has a way of energizing everyone and is a proven winner. Tim, arguably, by the end of his career could be one of the best, if not the best, big man over a period of time the league ever has seen.
"Then you take a look at the league. You've got older teams and others waiting for these (young) players to develop in maybe five years. But this team has been a constant with those three players. You have to get the trophies and the hardware and open people's eyes before you get revered in that sort of way. But with those guys for five or six years, it could be an amazing run."
It may not please the NBA, which likes to market its stars in verse and song.
Duncan mostly likes to stay in and organize team video-game tournaments. The franchise rejects questionable character. They lead in seeking out international talent, most of which find soccer interesting.
"I think this team's personality is more of Tim's personality," Horry said. "We just have a lot of low-key guys who enjoy playing the game of basketball, going out, having fun and pumping up their teammates in subtle little ways."
That should inspire some memorable videos.
But it's a team that meets the challenges well on the basketball court, perhaps more so now than when they won in 1999 and 2003.
Then it was a team dominated by the inside play of Duncan and David Robinson, with Ginobili and Parker just coming along in 2003. It relied primarily on defense, a methodical team that prospered when it could impose its style.
But with the unpredictable Ginobili and Parker, the Spurs have become adaptable, capable of both matching the open-court, high-scoring teams and battling inside with the bruising teams.
Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all averaged more than 20 points and the Spurs exceeded 100 points in each game in eliminating the Suns four games to one in the conference finals.
Earlier, when the SuperSonics started banging away with their big bodies, the Spurs slowed the game down and endured.
They met the challenge quickly of the league's hottest team in Denver.
Since Duncan arrived in San Antonio in 1997, the Spurs have the NBA's best record and are the only team to win better than 70 percent of its games. San Antonio also ranks highest among the four major U.S. team sports, even above the New York Yankees.
The Spurs have five division titles in that period and three times posted the NBA's best record. In that span, they have ranked in the top five in defense every season and never worse than third in points surrendered. Yet 10 times in these playoffs they've scored more than 100 points in a game and won nine of those.
"They are good," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They are doing things not that they shouldn't be able to do, but they do it when Ginobili goes behind his back, makes a right-handed shot where supposedly he can't go right. Robert Horry is known to hit that (three-point) shot and (we're) draped all over him, and he hits it anyway.
"(Duncan) could be the best player in the game. Ginobili and Duncan always make the right play, the right decision. Ginobili ... somebody is going to have to say it someplace ... is one of the best players on the planet."
And with the versatility and athleticism of Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs believe this is their best team yet.
"We have got a good young group because of people like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim," coach Gregg Popovich said. "Timmy is just beginning to reach his prime years. Nazr (Mohammed) is a young kid, Rasho (Nesterovic) is a young kid, Brent Barry still has good years ahead of him.
"It's a group that if we can keep them together for a while, we can continue to compete at a high level."
Get used to them. They're not going away.
BY SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune
SAN ANTONIO - (KRT) - The San Antonio Spurs don't inspire great nicknames, such as the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. They don't promise wonderful theater, such as the Bulls in the 1990s. They're not much for memorable achievements, like the 1960's and 1980's Boston Celtics. Their premier player, Tim Duncan, doesn't even rate one of those greatest labels from his teammates.
"Tim is good," said forward Robert Horry, who is going for his sixth championship ring when the NBA Finals begin in Texas on Thursday. "But it's hard to label him because each person brought a different thing to the game. To pick the best, you had to go with `Dream' (Hakeem Olajuwon) because he did some of the things (Shaquille O'Neal) did, he does some of the things Tim does. He has a combination of both of them, so you had to look at him as probably being the best."
Duncan is so boring, the best nickname for him came from O'Neal, who calls him "The Big Fundamental" after Duncan's textbook playing style.
The Spurs most exciting player comes from Argentina, the slippery Manu Ginobili, who could pose for the old "before" ads for muscle building. Their most famous player could be speedy point guard Tony Parker because he dates "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.
But you better get to know them because this Spurs team, with championships in 1999 and 2003 when Duncan was Finals MVP, has the best chance to emerge as the next great NBA dynasty.
"It remains to be seen," said Brent Barry, who once was talked into believing this was possible again in Chicago in 1999. "But obviously this team is set up for a huge run if those guys stay healthy. It's the type of team set up for a dynasty. The last four, five, six years, they've competed at a high level. With those three players over the next five, six years, you could have something for the history books.
"It's an amazing combination of players. Tony is one of the speediest guards in the league who causes matchup troubles with his handling the ball and quickness. Manu has a way of energizing everyone and is a proven winner. Tim, arguably, by the end of his career could be one of the best, if not the best, big man over a period of time the league ever has seen.
"Then you take a look at the league. You've got older teams and others waiting for these (young) players to develop in maybe five years. But this team has been a constant with those three players. You have to get the trophies and the hardware and open people's eyes before you get revered in that sort of way. But with those guys for five or six years, it could be an amazing run."
It may not please the NBA, which likes to market its stars in verse and song.
Duncan mostly likes to stay in and organize team video-game tournaments. The franchise rejects questionable character. They lead in seeking out international talent, most of which find soccer interesting.
"I think this team's personality is more of Tim's personality," Horry said. "We just have a lot of low-key guys who enjoy playing the game of basketball, going out, having fun and pumping up their teammates in subtle little ways."
That should inspire some memorable videos.
But it's a team that meets the challenges well on the basketball court, perhaps more so now than when they won in 1999 and 2003.
Then it was a team dominated by the inside play of Duncan and David Robinson, with Ginobili and Parker just coming along in 2003. It relied primarily on defense, a methodical team that prospered when it could impose its style.
But with the unpredictable Ginobili and Parker, the Spurs have become adaptable, capable of both matching the open-court, high-scoring teams and battling inside with the bruising teams.
Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all averaged more than 20 points and the Spurs exceeded 100 points in each game in eliminating the Suns four games to one in the conference finals.
Earlier, when the SuperSonics started banging away with their big bodies, the Spurs slowed the game down and endured.
They met the challenge quickly of the league's hottest team in Denver.
Since Duncan arrived in San Antonio in 1997, the Spurs have the NBA's best record and are the only team to win better than 70 percent of its games. San Antonio also ranks highest among the four major U.S. team sports, even above the New York Yankees.
The Spurs have five division titles in that period and three times posted the NBA's best record. In that span, they have ranked in the top five in defense every season and never worse than third in points surrendered. Yet 10 times in these playoffs they've scored more than 100 points in a game and won nine of those.
"They are good," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They are doing things not that they shouldn't be able to do, but they do it when Ginobili goes behind his back, makes a right-handed shot where supposedly he can't go right. Robert Horry is known to hit that (three-point) shot and (we're) draped all over him, and he hits it anyway.
"(Duncan) could be the best player in the game. Ginobili and Duncan always make the right play, the right decision. Ginobili ... somebody is going to have to say it someplace ... is one of the best players on the planet."
And with the versatility and athleticism of Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs believe this is their best team yet.
"We have got a good young group because of people like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim," coach Gregg Popovich said. "Timmy is just beginning to reach his prime years. Nazr (Mohammed) is a young kid, Rasho (Nesterovic) is a young kid, Brent Barry still has good years ahead of him.
"It's a group that if we can keep them together for a while, we can continue to compete at a high level."
Get used to them. They're not going away.