Spurs, Celtics slouching towards playoffs; count them out at your own peril

[duncan228]

Spurs, Celtics slouching towards playoffs; count them out at your own peril (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/30/spurs-celtics-slouching-towards-playoffs-count-them-out-at-your-own-peril/)
Kurt Helin

Back at the All-Star break, a Celtics vs. Spurs finals seemed like a good bet. Sure, it made the guys who count the profits at ABC/Disney nervous — you know they want Lakers/Heat, and they really don’t want the Spurs — but the Celtics and Spurs were playing the best basketball by far. That matchup promised execution and smart basketball.

Today, not so much.

The Spurs have lost four in a row and have Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili banged up. Then Gregg Popovich sat Tony Parker because he might get injured at some point. They’re old and it’s showing say the doubters.

The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10, still don’t have Shaquille O’Neal back while Kendrick Perkins is banging bodies next to Kevin Durant. Ray Allen can’t even get his hands on the rock. Celtics fans are giving lip service to last season — when Boston limped into the playoffs then turned it on — but they don’t believe it. You can hear it in their voices.

Spurs and Celtics fans are right to be worried.

But not about the recent slumps.

Those will pass. Those are the things that come with veteran teams and smart veteran coaches getting guys healthy, resting teams for the playoffs. Come the playoffs, those slumps and what has caused them will disappear faster than Chris Brown’s career.

The things to worry about are bigger issues, ones there before the slumps.

Keep reading... (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/30/spurs-celtics-slouching-towards-playoffs-count-them-out-at-your-own-peril/)

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/30/spurs-celtics-slouching-towards-playoffs-count-them-out-at-your-own-peril/

[lefty]

Garnett is gonna be so intense

[Libri]

Garnett is gonna be so intense

Like this?

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l668sa3ELv1qc8v00o1_500.jpg

[lefty]

Like this?

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l668sa3ELv1qc8v00o1_500.jpg:lol:lol:lol:lol




:lolhttp://www.slamdumb.com/images/comics/11_8_10.jpg

[Libri]

:lol

[cheguevara]

" I’m not speaking to nobodies these days"
http://static.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/kevin-garnett.jpg

[hater]

We Gone Bully Them Niggas

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/4688/hlzhuo25.jpg

[Juggity]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_24_09.jpg

[lefty]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_24_09.jpg
:rollin

[DeadlyDynasty]

The saddest thing about both of these teams is that their fates were sealed off the court, rather than on it. Ainge sabotaged the C's by trading Perkins, and Pop's refusal to play Splitter important minutes will be their inevitable downfall in the postseason.

Ainge and Pop failed, plain and simple.

[anonoftheinternets]

The saddest thing about both of these teams is that their fates were sealed off the court, rather than on it. Ainge sabotaged the C's by trading Perkins, and Pop's refusal to play Splitter important minutes will be their inevitable downfall in the postseason.

Ainge and Pop failed, plain and simple.

lottery numbers please?

[LkrFan]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_24_09.jpg

:lmao

[DeadlyDynasty]

lottery numbers please?

2, 15, 24, 16, 17, and 7

[Libri]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_24_09.jpg

:rollin

[wontstartdumbthreads]

lottery numbers please?

9, 20, 21, 24, 34 with super ball as 14

[honestfool84]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_24_09.jpg

:rollin:rollin:rollin

[duncan228]

Pair of championship contenders faltering as postseason nears (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/03/31/celtics.spurs/)
Ian Thomsen
SI.com

The Celtics and Spurs have led their conferences for much of this year, but with the playoffs within reach they've been losing their grip.

The East-leading Bulls have moved past Boston, and Miami is on the verge of overtaking the No. 2 Celtics.

San Antonio has been the NBA's healthiest contender, and the importance of that health has been reinforced by the last two weeks. After Tim Duncan sprained his ankle in a March 21 win against the Warriors, the Spurs lost their next four games against playoff teams, with three of them on the road, and with three other big names -- Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Antonio McDyess -- also sidelined during loss No. 4 against Portland.

No matter that the loss diminished the Spurs' conference lead to 3½ games over the hot Lakers. Coach Gregg Popovich was making two statements: The health of his starters was the priority, and he was confident in his team to maintain the top seed over the closing final two weeks.

The Celtics have been dealing with injuries and roster turnover all year, and lately it's been overwhelming. They've lost seven of 12 to find themselves racing to hold off the Heat, which is why Boston's visit to San Antonio on Thursday has swelled in importance. These are two older teams that might have been seeking to ease out of the regular season, based on their earlier play. But now that things have gone wrong, both the Celtics and Spurs need to pull themselves together, in body and in spirit, in time for the playoffs.

The Spurs were on the verge of reuniting their rotation after Duncan joined his teammates for a full practice Wednesday. The Celtics, however, were in a more vulnerable spot, as noted by the changing tone of coach Doc Rivers. One year ago, when Boston was going 27-27 after Christmas to backslide into the playoffs, Rivers was routinely upbeat after losses, assuring everyone that his team would compete at the highest level when healthy. He turned out to be right, as the Celtics survived their No. 4 seeding to come within a few minutes of beating the Lakers in Game 7 of the Finals.

Keep reading... (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/03/31/celtics.spurs/)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/03/31/celtics.spurs/

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Like this?

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l668sa3ELv1qc8v00o1_500.jpg
:lmao

[rmt]

The saddest thing about both of these teams is that their fates were sealed off the court, rather than on it. Ainge sabotaged the C's by trading Perkins, and Pop's refusal to play Splitter important minutes will be their inevitable downfall in the postseason.

Ainge and Pop failed, plain and simple.

Truer words have never been said.

Why the Celtics would mess with team chemistry when they went 7 games with LA without Perkins is beyond me. Pop's stubbornness will be the downfall of Duncan's last real chance at a ring. It's inexcusable to have the very missing piece to your defense sitting on the bench collecting DNP-CDs.

[Muser]

Like this?

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l668sa3ELv1qc8v00o1_500.jpg

The Timmy one is funny too :lol

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/4_23_10.jpg

[TheIllusionist]

The Spurs peaked way too soon and gave everyone the illusion they had a shot at the title.

[GrandeDavid]

Like this?

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l668sa3ELv1qc8v00o1_500.jpg

HAHAHA!!!!

Garnett strikes me as a backpeddler like Melo. Talks all that yang but if its truly about to go down, he'll crater in and backpedal the length of the court.

[GrandeDavid]

Truer words have never been said.

Why the Celtics would mess with team chemistry when they went 7 games with LA without Perkins is beyond me. Pop's stubbornness will be the downfall of Duncan's last real chance at a ring. It's inexcusable to have the very missing piece to your defense sitting on the bench collecting DNP-CDs.

I'm still holding onto a slight glimmer of hope that Splitter has cracked the rotation based on his recent performance. I wish Pop would start him a few regular season games next to Duncan just so that he can see that, yes, it will actually work. Wait until next season. What!? When Duncan is 35 and with more mileage on those knees? You do it NOW, Popovich.

[Obstructed_View]

Problem is, Pop's highly unlikely to even have the idea to play them together. Duncan is apparently a power forward, and somehow by that retarded logic, so is Splitter. Pop has no problem playing four guards on the floor at once, but he won't put two power forwards into the game at the same time.

[Tp9gospursgo]

http://slamdumb.com/images/comics/11_20_09.jpg
I like this one lol