Championships Ain't Easy

[timvp]

San Antonio Spurs, thank you for a fun regular season. That was a blast. You worked hard for months to put yourselves in a position to win NBA championship #5. Though always a longshot to actually win it all, you were able to give us hope.

Nobody wanted this early of an exit in the playoffs. But I don't doubt the effort. I don't doubt the dedication. The heart was always willing even when the body wasn't.

Thank you for today. And I still believe in a tomorrow.

And to Spurs fans, thank you for being the most dedicated. We wanted it. That's why this hurts so much. But if winning a championship was an easy thing to do, the four championship trophies wouldn't shine as bright.

Thanks to everyone here. Enjoy the offseason, however long it lasts. I hope to see you around. And I hope you still believe in the cause. The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.

[mattyc]

Hear hear.

[Obstructed_View]

First rounds ain't easy when you hamstring yourself, underestimate your opponent, and ignore common sense.

[Dex]

Thanks for everything, timvp. :tu Enjoy the summer and best wishes to the fam.

[NewJerSpur]

Word.....well said. I'm still looking forward to next year and will be interested to see what happens with the roster.

[xtremesteven33]

:tu

Tim Duncan needs help...Horry said it years ago.

The torch needs to be passed. Build him a statue outside the AT&T center, Father Time got the best of him this year....

Damn great season...

[TE]

Reality sucks right now.

[Spurs Brazil]

San Antonio Spurs, thank you for a fun regular season. That was a blast. You worked hard for months to put yourselves in a position to win NBA championship #5. Though always a longshot to actually win it all, you were able to give us hope.

Nobody wanted this early of an exit in the playoffs. But I don't doubt the effort. I don't doubt the dedication. The heart was always willing even when the body wasn't.

Thank you for today. And I still believe in a tomorrow.

And to Spurs fans, thank you for being the most dedicated. We wanted it. That's why this hurts so much. But if winning a championship was an easy thing to do, the four championship trophies wouldn't shine as bright.

Thanks to everyone here. Enjoy the offseason, however long it lasts. I hope to see you around. And I hope you still believe in the cause. The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.

:toast

:lobt::lobt::lobt::lobt:

[Budkin]

Thanks timvp and Kori for making this the best bball community on the internet.

[phxspurfan]

Here, here. Hope they play Splitter some next year.

[siraulo23]

:tu

It was a fun regular season.
Props to the spurs for fighting and not lose at home in game 5.
Props for fighting tonight after getting down double digits in the first quarter.

[scottspurs]

No small market team will ever be able to duplicate what the spurs have done. I think that Coach Pop learned his lesson this season. Defense win Championships. Spurs need a low post scorer and a wing defender. Two tough players to find, but you never know the Spurs have been pretty lucky in the last 25 years.

GO SPURS GO FOREVER

[Manu20]

:toast

We just ran to a Grizzles team that attacked our weakness from the guards to the forwards hell I thought I saw their coaching staff posting up the spurs coaching staff......:lol

[Fabbs]

The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.
:lol :lmao
That made my night.

Good night for now timvp.

[DesignatedT]

time for the off-season talk. fun.

[NewJerSpur]

Thanks timvp and Kori for making this the best bball community on the internet.

This.

[DPG21920]

GD it. This is the first round were talking about. Against the greenest of green teams. Yes I love them, but this one is a nasty mark on Spurs history and there is no escaping that.

It's a sad and devastating end to a magical run.

[Obstructed_View]

The Spurs have some good young talent, and Gary Neal was obviously a gem of a find, and has shown that he's not intimidated by big moments. We can probably count on a twin tower lineup next year, a chance to audition some long threes with some upside, and a return to defense. Can't forget the potential arrival of of RR (woot).

On the downside, a new coach might be too much to hope for, which means the Spurs will have to flail through games without adjustments or remotely sensible timeout plays, and the Spurs are likely to have to part with something pretty good in order to move Richard Jefferson. Hopefully it's nothing more than George Hill.

[Chomag]

Still love my Spurs but they have got to come back with a very different team next year to stay competeing.

[Capt Bringdown]

Defense wins championships. We must get pointed back in that direction, somehow.

[Brazil]

GD it. This is the first round were talking about. Against the greenest of green teams. Yes I love them, but this one is a nasty mark on Spurs history and there is no escaping that.

It's a sad and devastating end to a magical run.

End of an empire is never a beautiful thing to see

Its sad but I love the Spurs the players almost all of them

It has been a great RS at least

[TheChillFactor]

I read every day and rarely post, this is a great place thank you for maintaining it.

I'm still in shock over the events of the past week...

[MannyIsGod]

I think you're kidding yourself if you honestly think its still attainable with this core. Its over.

[Brazil]

The Spurs have some good young talent, and Gary Neal was obviously a gem of a find, and has shown that he's not intimidated by big moments. We can probably count on a twin tower lineup next year, a chance to audition some long threes with some upside, and a return to defense. Can't forget the potential arrival of of RR (woot).

On the downside, a new coach might be too much to hope for, which means the Spurs will have to flail through games without adjustments or remotely sensible timeout plays, and the Spurs are likely to have to part with something pretty good in order to move Richard Jefferson. Hopefully it's nothing more than George Hill.

I agree I love Pop but we need new perspectives starting by a new coach. I wish we could steal Monty for instance

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

Build him a statue outside the AT&T center

I didn't think about a statue, that would be cool. But Duncan shouldn't retire yet.

[MannyIsGod]

The Spurs can be a good above average team but in the West that likely means 5-8 seed considering the Lakers will be better, Dallas will likely be better, and Memphis, OKC, and Denver will all improve. Maybe Portland too if Oden can ever stay healthy (LOL I know).

But the Spurs don't have a franchise player anymore. And they're not as good as the 04-06 Pistons. They're not going to win a championship without a franchise player.

[Das Texan]

The one thing that just frustrates me to no end about this team for the last month and into the playoffs was just the amount of stupid mental mistakes this team made.

I can live with basketball related mistakes. But the stupid mental mistakes drives me insane and cause me to want to throw my tv through the fucking window.

The Championship Spurs didnt make those riducliously stupid mental mistakes in the vast numbers that this team did. And thats what really sickens me about this entire series.

[crc21209]

Thanks timvp! :toast And thank's to all the SpursTalk people here who stuck around from Game 1 of the NBA season. It really sucks to go down this way in the 1st round, but I've watched this team my whole life growing up, and I remember crying as a little kid when the Spurs would lose just about every year in the 1st round (mainly to the Utah Jazz) and as I grew older, the team won titles, and I savored them with all I have, mainly because I knew just how damn hard it was to win 1, let alone 4. I'll always be a Spurs fan, and one day #5 will come, it just wasnt meant to be this year, but I'll be here, cheering and cussing Pop and the rest of the team out with each and everyone one of you for years to come! :toast

[Bruno]

thanks timvp and kori for making this the best bball community on the internet.

+1.

[xellos88330]

One season ends, and the off season begins. I just hope there isn't a lockout.

[Leetonidas]

At least we didn't get swept...

I think the Spurs should trade Hill/Blair/Bonner/McDyess/RJ (not gonna happen I know) and maybe even Parker. Pop should just be the president of BB Ops and let Sloan or Adelman take over. It's a long shot, but we should also call Dwight Howard just in case...something like a sign and trade including something like Parker/Jefferson/Hill/Blair/Bonner + picks for Howard/filler. I know RJ is untradeable but Otis Smith is a dumbass and traded for a washed up Arenas so you never know.

[Capt Bringdown]

With Duncan's decline, the Spurs lack any kind of power game. Our lineup is all finesse/jumpshooters, that's why we've been so easy to beat in the playoffs for years now.

Unfortunately there's no easy way to remedy that situation, as every team except the Lakers is looking for post players. Bigs are the key these days.

[Obstructed_View]

GD it. This is the first round were talking about. Against the greenest of green teams. Yes I love them, but this one is a nasty mark on Spurs history and there is no escaping that.

It's a sad and devastating end to a magical run.

This humiliation has been years in the making, and has been well-earned by lots of poor decisions.

"Why did you draft (small shooting guard) instead of (long three)?"
"Why did you trade (post up/rebounding power forward) in order to sign (three point shooting tall person)?"
"Why did you retain (veteran with limited talent) over (rookie/young player with much higer upside)?"
"Why did you extend (giant expiring contract who failed to show up)?"
"Why did you abandon (style that won you four titles) for (style that never won anyone anything)?
"Why are you starting (small-forward/power-forward hybrid) as a center?"
"Why did you change the starting lineup and insert (corpse of power forward) at center?"
"Why did you refuse to play (team's best center) any minutes with (team's best power forward)?"

The answer from Pop fans was so often: "lol like (small detail) will make that much of a difference."

Funny how the Spurs became a victim of their own long-cherished philosophy. They weren't defeated by the blows of the Grizzlies, but of all the blows that came before.

[mexicanjunior]

At least we didn't get swept...


That must have been the Spurs rally cry... :lol

[Capt Bringdown]

The answer from Pop fans was so often: "lol like (small detail) will make that much of a difference."


This.
Details >>> "Believe"

[Obstructed_View]

The Spurs can be a good above average team but in the West that likely means 5-8 seed considering the Lakers will be better, Dallas will likely be better, and Memphis, OKC, and Denver will all improve. Maybe Portland too if Oden can ever stay healthy (LOL I know).

But the Spurs don't have a franchise player anymore. And they're not as good as the 04-06 Pistons. They're not going to win a championship without a franchise player.

The Spurs of December would have been good enough to get to the finals, and they didn't have a franchise player. The Spurs of this season with some of the young guys they failed to get integrated into the team, and with a return to defense, will be fine. Duncan can still play defense at an extremely high level, and they still have the best starting backcourt in the entire league.

[Brutalis]

The Spurs can be a good above average team but in the West that likely means 5-8 seed considering the Lakers will be better, Dallas will likely be better, and Memphis, OKC, and Denver will all improve. Maybe Portland too if Oden can ever stay healthy (LOL I know).

But the Spurs don't have a franchise player anymore. And they're not as good as the 04-06 Pistons. They're not going to win a championship without a franchise player.

This.

I will always root for my team, but the title contending days are over.

Really not looking forward to next year.

I'm ready for Pop to step down and Mike B to take over. Pop has been great but he is past his prime and is too stubborn.

[timvp]

GD it. This is the first round were talking about. Against the greenest of green teams. Yes I love them, but this one is a nasty mark on Spurs history and there is no escaping that.

Meh. Coming into the season, I thought the Spurs had about a 1% chance to win the championship. Coming into the playoffs, I thought it was about a 10% chance. So, while it was a big improvement, it was always unlikely.

Losing in the first round sucks but it's not like it would have felt good losing in the WCF or the Finals. I don't really care about anything other than a championship at this point.

[NewJerSpur]

The Spurs of December would have been good enough to get to the finals, and they didn't have a franchise player. The Spurs of this season with some of the young guys they failed to get integrated into the team, and with a return to defense, will be fine. Duncan can still play defense at an extremely high level, and they still have the best starting backcourt in the entire league.

:tu

[baseline bum]

It has been a hell of a ride, but it's over. I didn't like seeing the Spurs get their teeth kicked in night after night in the rebuild of the late 80s, but from those dark days the Spurs were able to land David Robinson, Sean Elliott, and Terry Cummings, and thus begin a golden era in this franchise's history that has extended until now. No pain, no gain. With the Spurs arena situation and spot in San Antonio stable and with the front office's skill in the draft, I think it makes sense to position the team so that it will be able to draft elite talent; I think it's the only way a small market team can be successful in this league.

[rayray2k8]

Spurs gave it their all, Pop played everyone that Spurs fans wanted them to play and lost. They didn't go silently into the night and despite injuries fought with what they had.
Very humbling moment, but it's obvious that the spurs need to rebuild and certain guys need to go.
Thanks for the great season guys. :toast

Now let me go drown away my sorrows.

[timvp]

I think you're kidding yourself if you honestly think its still attainable with this core. Its over.


The Spurs can be a good above average team but in the West that likely means 5-8 seed considering the Lakers will be better, Dallas will likely be better, and Memphis, OKC, and Denver will all improve. Maybe Portland too if Oden can ever stay healthy (LOL I know).

If Kobe ever gets old or Bynum's knee explodes for good, the Lakers will come back down to earth. Dallas? Kidd turning 50, Dirk being a year older and Chandler not playing for a contract will change things. I hardly consider Memphis, OKC, Denver, Portland or any other team in the west unbeatable. Other than the Lakers or OKC, I'd still take San Antonio's squad going forward.


But the Spurs don't have a franchise player anymore. And they're not as good as the 04-06 Pistons. They're not going to win a championship without a franchise player.

If the Spurs can get a few horses to help carry the team, I think they still have the closers needed to win playoff games. There's no franchise player right now but I'm hopeful that if the Spurs can get six or seven players going at a high level, it's still possible.

I think :wakeup

[MannyIsGod]

Kidd is ancient but what gives Dallas an edge is that Dirk is still a franchise player and you know Cuban will make trades to keep them competitive. The Lakers might have a quick fall out of true contention like the Spurs but we'll see. For now, they're still better and deeper.

I just don't think the Spurs can win in the playoffs when they get shut down that badly. You can't win those games without a guy that can take over, and they Spurs simply don't have that anymore.

I bet the people who bitched non stop about 4 down wish we could run that the way we used to.

[blizz]

We just won 61 games largely without Duncan. So yall are saying that in 5 months we're gonna be a 5-8th seed? C'mon...if we make the right moves, with another full year of experience to our young players and an off season for them to get better I really believe that we're going to be ok and relevant for the next 3-4 years. Call me crazy.

[Harry Callahan]

I agree with TimVP about LA and Dallas. They are walking in similar shoes to the Spurs, make no mistake about it.

Mr. Cuban is strutting around today saying "I told you so. We're gooooood" on the radio today. What an idiot. His roster is going to be a train wreck very soon.

LA will waltz through Dallas. OKC has the ability to take them down especially if Kobe is hobbled.

The Lakers will lose alot with the retirement of Queen PJ. Brian Shaw? Really? Kobe will run that team, and things will not run well.

[Leetonidas]

Trade for Howard/Nelson/Q. Richardson

Spurs:

Nelson/free agent/Quinn
Ginobili/Neal
Richardson/Anderson/Green
Duncan/Dice/Bonner
Howard/Splitter

Magic:

Parker/Arenas/Duhon
Hill/Reddick
Jefferson/Richardson
Turkoglu/Bass/Orton
Anderson/Allen

[underdawg]

We just won 61 games largely without Duncan. So yall are saying that in 5 months we're gonna be a 5-8th seed? C'mon...if we make the right moves, with another full year of experience to our young players and an off season for them to get better I really believe that we're going to be ok and relevant for the next 3-4 years. Call me crazy.

Spurs can be the #1 seed and it doesn't matter if they aren't built for the playoffs

[blaze89]

The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.


...and a lockout shortened season.


And careful what you wish for on the rebuilding talk, certain franchises have been in rebuilding mode for years.

This franchise has one losing season since 1989, and for a small market team its quite an accomplishment.

[DPG21920]

Meh. Coming into the season, I thought the Spurs had about a 1% chance to win the championship. Coming into the playoffs, I thought it was about a 10% chance. So, while it was a big improvement, it was always unlikely.

Losing in the first round sucks but it's not like it would have felt good losing in the WCF or the Finals. I don't really care about anything other than a championship at this point.

Sure, most feel the same way (meaning champs or bust), but it's about expectations. It's one thing not to win a title, but to reach your potential which most thought was the WCF.

Losing to MEM, despite what anyone says (and I was one of the biggest pro Memphis guys before the series) is a devastating upset. It was never about a title (although we all believed and hoped), but it was about going out losing to a better team, guns blazing. Not being swept last year and then this.

There is no way around it and while losing in the WCF would have sucked, we would have understood. This doesn't make sense.

[ElNono]

thanks timvp and kori for making this the best bball community on the internet.

+10

[Juanobili]

What a season. See you all on draft day.

[MarCowMar]

Thanks to:

Duncan, for playing with heart and giving us solid defense.
Dice, for battling with Randolph possession after possession.
Manu, for battling through injuries and willing us to some wins.
Hill, Blair, and Splitter, for working hard and improving even though the consistency is not there yet. I hope we're able to keep these guys instead of packaging them in trades.
Tony, well you tried hard and maybe we underestimated Conley and Allen. For whatever reason the offense just wasn't working.
Bonner, for playing about as well as could be expected given your limitations and the matchups. You still make me cringe when you're in the lineup but I no longer have the impression that you can't perform in the playoffs.
Neal, for being fearless and giving us a shot to pull this out.

RJ had a rough time and it's tempting to berate him, but he just doesn't fit in our system.

Pop is a great coach but he might want to think about giving someone else a shot. Do like Pat Reilly and sit back for a while. Let someone else run the daily grind of the regular season. Our guys looked well-coached in many ways, but they looked dejected and tired in many others.

Props to the Grizz. Great team. Composed. Great defender in Allen. Great post player in Randolph. Gasol is a talent and is making many of us eat our words about the trade that shall not be named. Nice substitutions in the 4th there after we took the one point lead.

And thanks to SpursTalk--best sports forum on the web!

[Chomag]

We just won 61 games largely without Duncan. So yall are saying that in 5 months we're gonna be a 5-8th seed? C'mon...if we make the right moves, with another full year of experience to our young players and an off season for them to get better I really believe that we're going to be ok and relevant for the next 3-4 years. Call me crazy.

And those 61 games ment what in the playoffs?

[pooh]

The door has officially been slammed shut, goodnight now.

[baseline bum]

Fuck off, Pooh.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

San Antonio Spurs, thank you for a fun regular season. That was a blast. You worked hard for months to put yourselves in a position to win NBA championship #5. Though always a longshot to actually win it all, you were able to give us hope.

Nobody wanted this early of an exit in the playoffs. But I don't doubt the effort. I don't doubt the dedication. The heart was always willing even when the body wasn't.

Thank you for today. And I still believe in a tomorrow.

And to Spurs fans, thank you for being the most dedicated. We wanted it. That's why this hurts so much. But if winning a championship was an easy thing to do, the four championship trophies wouldn't shine as bright.

Thanks to everyone here. Enjoy the offseason, however long it lasts. I hope to see you around. And I hope you still believe in the cause. The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.

Well said, sir. :toast

This hurts even more than last season because this team was so cohesive and played such beautiful basketball for the first 60 games, then something changed (I'm not exactly sure what), they lost faith in their ability to win, and choked their way to this early exit. I could see it coming from mid-March, but that doesn't soften the blow at all. Horrible end to a mostly ecstatic season.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Can anyone explain to me what happened to this team from early-March onwards? One day they were playing incredibly clever, cohesive offensive basketball, and even had an extra defensive gear in the 4th Q when they needed it, then over night that all disappeared. WTF happened?

[DPG21920]

They played too many minutes?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

They played too many minutes?

Maybe. Maybe it's as simple as that. Fucked if I know... :depressed

[angelbelow]

Wasn't all that fun after February.

[ElNono]

Can anyone explain to me what happened to this team from early-March onwards? One day they were playing incredibly clever, cohesive offensive basketball, and even had an extra defensive gear in the 4th Q when they needed it, then over night that all disappeared. WTF happened?

Other teams starting to gear up for the playoffs and peaking happened, while we just regressed...

[DPG21920]

Maybe. Maybe it's as simple as that. Fucked if I know... :depressed


It was a joke :lol. They played very low minutes. I broke down that they played the equivalent of 6-8 less games than the other contenders big 3 minutes wise.

[DMC]

Meh. Coming into the season, I thought the Spurs had about a 1% chance to win the championship. Coming into the playoffs, I thought it was about a 10% chance. So, while it was a big improvement, it was always unlikely.

Losing in the first round sucks but it's not like it would have felt good losing in the WCF or the Finals. I don't really care about anything other than a championship at this point.
This is how I have felt since the end of last season. I was even glad we got past Dallas last year and considered our season pretty good because of it. We drew a bad card with Memphis in the 1st round, but like you said, it was going to happen at least in the WCF and expectations only build as you go along, rarely do they level out. So I would have been more disturbed by a WCF loss than this one.

I don't care about the "upset" thing. It's just talking points for the media and star struck fans.

[rwb]

This hurts even more than last season because this team was so cohesive and played such beautiful basketball for the first 60 games, then something changed (I'm not exactly sure what), they lost faith in their ability to win, and choked their way to this early exit. I could see it coming from mid-March, but that doesn't soften the blow at all. Horrible end to a mostly ecstatic season.

Pop went to All Star Weekend. As well as I can recall, that's when everything changed. He was useless as a coach because he didn't know what to do with all those stars on his team so he just gave them all carte blanc while he farted and burped on the bench. Blair showboated and partied and next thing you know he's either on the bench or chained to Bonner. Once the starting lineup dynamic and rotations went wacky, the team seemed like it didn't know how to work together anymore. Once Splitter was healthy he was too lazy to work with him so when he was needed he wasn't ready. In addition, Pop's, "It's just basketball," comment and lack of belief in his own team's chances in the media couldn't have given his guys a whole lot of encouragement. I can only imagine what his halftime speeches are like: "Okay, you fellows are adults and you know what you need to do to win so go and do it before the game is over." Probably no Win One For the Gipper heart-tuggers from this dude.

I think Coach has been awesome and the right man for the job for about 15 years but now he needs to go. Time to move to the front office and hire someone with some fire in his belly to motivate this team.

Oh well. I'm just glad they didn't lose at home. I can now not care about basketball until next year. Until then...

:flag::flag::flag::flag::flag::flag::

[Borosai]

San Antonio Spurs, thank you for a fun regular season. That was a blast. You worked hard for months to put yourselves in a position to win NBA championship #5. Though always a longshot to actually win it all, you were able to give us hope.

Nobody wanted this early of an exit in the playoffs. But I don't doubt the effort. I don't doubt the dedication. The heart was always willing even when the body wasn't.

Thank you for today. And I still believe in a tomorrow.

And to Spurs fans, thank you for being the most dedicated. We wanted it. That's why this hurts so much. But if winning a championship was an easy thing to do, the four championship trophies wouldn't shine as bright.

Thanks to everyone here. Enjoy the offseason, however long it lasts. I hope to see you around. And I hope you still believe in the cause. The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.

True.

[baseline bum]

The Spurs won with incredible depth early in the season, but those role-players couldn't keep up once the games really started to matter and Tim and Manu are too old to make up for it. March and after it's your main horses that have to carry you, and but it's not 2007 any more.

[ElNono]

1st Rounds Ain't easy either these days...

[jjktkk]

This current Spurs team maxed out their potential imo. Although Duncan is still a force defensively, teams no longer fear Tim's post game. Besides Memphis being a matchup nightmare, with no consistant post game, the Spurs couldn't counter when Memphis starting taking away the Spur's 3s. Next year, unless Splitter drastically improves his offensive game, or Tim finds the fountain of youth, it will, unfortunately, be more of the same.

[Dingle Barry]

My friend, a 1990s bandwagon bulls fan holdover, was telling me in december that the spurs were peaking. I laughed in his face and did the whole SPAM thing. Sucks for me now.

[spurs10]

Thank timvp and Kori. It was a very cool send off. It's horribly strange to think about this season not being as good as the last. Who'd have thought that? All this is next to nothing compared to time you spend with your kids. All the best to you and yours.

[Obstructed_View]

Spurs Pummeled After March

[1Parker1]

Spurs Pummeled After March

:lol

[TJastal]

Pop went to All Star Weekend. As well as I can recall, that's when everything changed. He was useless as a coach because he didn't know what to do with all those stars on his team so he just gave them all carte blanc while he farted and burped on the bench.

So, basically he did the same thing there as he does when coaching the spurs.

[rascal]

I think you're kidding yourself if you honestly think its still attainable with this core. Its over.

You thought it was attainable this year a couple of days ago.

[20beastie45]

San Antonio Spurs, thank you for a fun regular season. That was a blast. You worked hard for months to put yourselves in a position to win NBA championship #5. Though always a longshot to actually win it all, you were able to give us hope.

Nobody wanted this early of an exit in the playoffs. But I don't doubt the effort. I don't doubt the dedication. The heart was always willing even when the body wasn't.

Thank you for today. And I still believe in a tomorrow.

And to Spurs fans, thank you for being the most dedicated. We wanted it. That's why this hurts so much. But if winning a championship was an easy thing to do, the four championship trophies wouldn't shine as bright.

Thanks to everyone here. Enjoy the offseason, however long it lasts. I hope to see you around. And I hope you still believe in the cause. The fifth championship won't be easy but it is still attainable. Reinforcements, improvement, better strategy and better luck ... and that stone may very well crack next season.

Goodnight, for now.

:toast

I will talk shit like everyone else. The fact is I LOVE MY SPURS. I yell,curse,gasp etc. on every single play in every single game in every single year. It's funny how people on Spurstalk dislike the shit talking about your own team....IT'S BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR TEAM!!!


I really would like to thank Tim Duncan. It took my Dad decades to see the spurs win a championship. You spoiled us with your phenomenal basketball skills. I will never forget what you did for this city!

TD21 is :king

[kobyz]

i said it before, we lost a chance to do somthing in playoff at the end of the trade deadline, when our front office were so stopid to think we are good enough and they didn't do even single trade or move, it was arrogance, stupidity i don't know, but in the situation we were that was so fucked up, we could have been with one more move maybe a contender and instead we become a first round losers, but we didn't do it, didn't give up future assets to succeed right now and we got punished for that.

[TDMVPDPOY]

get exposed is easy...

[SA210]

The Spurs can be a good above average team but in the West that likely means 5-8 seed considering the Lakers will be better, Dallas will likely be better, and Memphis, OKC, and Denver will all improve. Maybe Portland too if Oden can ever stay healthy (LOL I know).

But the Spurs don't have a franchise player anymore. And they're not as good as the 04-06 Pistons. They're not going to win a championship without a franchise player.

Manu is our franchise player right now. We just need to get him some help. We have a shot next year, we just need our coach to get his focus back on D and make the right moves and learn his frickin lesson. He screwed up and he needs to understand that.