combs84
06-08-2005, 08:19 PM
Even though I'm a full blown Piston fan...
One of my writers wrote a nice piece I thought you might enjoy on the Spurs. If not then oh well, thought I'd post it tho.
http://www.nbabasketballnews.com/
http://www.nbabasketballnews.com/Articles/GIVINGTHESPURSTHEIRDUE.htm
GIVING THE SPURS THEIR DUE
Nate Kemp
We may be witnessing something very special in basketball. The San Antonio Spurs of the Tim Duncan era are on the verge of making a place for themselves on the mantle of the greatest NBA teams ever. At the very least they’re close to being worthy of an argument that they deserve such notoriety. This is what happens when a team is one step from wining its third championship in seven years.
In five high spirited and entertaining games, the Spurs knocked off the Phoenix Suns. These Suns came into the Western Conference finals with the league’s best regular season record, the current MVP in Steve Nash and the man child Amare Stoudemire. It wasn’t enough.
Surely one can argue that the series would have lasted longer if Joe Johnson, the Sun’s best all around player, had been healthy to play from game one rather than making an appearance midway through after weeks of inactivity. However the ultimate outcome would have been the same, a fact made more evident by San Antonio winning all three of its road games.
By accomplishing that the Spurs proved that they were more experienced, more poised and more mentally tough. These descriptions carry over as well to Gregg Popovich and the other members of the coaching staff who oversee the team and set the tone. When it comes to the wars of NBA playoffs, Suns’ head coach Mike D’Antoni is only a bright-eyed, rising lieutenant compared to Popovich’s steely, seasoned Four Star General. Pops, as the San Antonio coach is often referred as, have programmed the Spurs into a cold, calculating killing machine that rely on detached but determined professionalism to eliminate opposing teams.
Under Popovich’s leadership the Spurs have won two championships by turning up their noses on any impulse for showmanship and flashy displays. A reliance on superb teamwork and intelligent, steady execution is their weapon of choice. That was what made their victory against the Suns so eye opening. San Antonio surprised this writer at least by choosing, more often than not, to run with the Suns and beat them at their own game. Instead of trying to win by holding Phoenix under 80 points, the Spurs allowed themselves to get in a running game and come out victorious even if giving up 114 points in the process. Who says you can’t teach an old general new tricks? Maybe Popovich finally realized he could add an element to his attack by allowing his speedy imports (Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili) to keep defenses off balance and provide the team easier points with their combination of speed, improvisation and flair. It was the equivalent of Pops walking into a Baskin-Robbins and realizing there were flavors other than vanilla.
In the series against the Suns the other advantages clearly in the Spurs’ favor were depth and veteran leadership. Mere minutes into first quarters when neither team had the upper hand, the Spurs would take Duncan or Ginobili off the floor and replace them with “old timers” like Robert Horry and Brent Barry. Talk about an embarrassment of riches. Barry hit more big shots for San Antonio during those five games than starters Richard Marion and Quentin Richardson made for Phoenix. To make matters worse the perimeter dependent Phoenix must have felt a punch to the gut when looking towards the Spurs bench and seeing Glen Robinson. One must assume the Suns would have loved to have an extra sniper like Robinson assist them when their starters faltered. But for San Antonio the Big Dog was just a luxury they could afford to keep glued to his chair in warmups. Then there’s Horry who not only has more championship rings (five) than any of the Suns, but also has more NBA Finals appearances than the top eight players on Phoenix combined. If that wasn’t enough the Spurs could also rely on Bruce Bowen to set the tone on defense and lock down more athletic players on the perimeter.
In the end though it all comes down to Mr. Under Appreciated himself, Tim Duncan. The forward/center has been the perfect soldier for Pops and the foundation on which these championship runs have been built. His popularity amongst fans may suffer because his style of play isn’t charismatic. Not to mention he doesn’t call attention to himself and has as much use for emotion on the court as a Vulcan refugee. But he has the footwork, the smarts, the fundamentals and the skills that far too many of the modern day players are lacking. Most importantly he plays both ends of the court, dominating when the ball is in his hands and when its in the hands of an opponent. He’s a quiet assassin who leaves his talking to others who sing his accolades.
If the Spurs win the 2005 Finals, that would catapult Duncan into rare and distinguished company. No offense to Horry who won rings in a valuable backup role, Duncan is and has been the centerpiece of his teams. He is also the lone player left from the Spurs team that won it all six years ago so clearly the continuity begins and stops with him. Back in 1999 when San Antonio knocked out New York in five games and Duncan was Finals MVP, Popovich was quoted as saying “he's probably a little young to be a legend yet” when referring to his still wet behind the ears big man. Fast forward to 2005 where the legendary career of Tim Duncan, a star who has been First Team NBA during each of his first eight seasons, is forever written into NBA lore. If he joins Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal by delivering a third championship to San Antonio, that legend may move closer to rivaling the Alamo’s.
Respect must be given to the Suns who leapfrogged from the bottom to the top in just one season’s time all the while making fans across the globe with their style of play. There isn’t any shame in losing to such a tested champion like the Spurs. Yet if the Suns want to become champions themselves, if they want to reach the Spurs’ level, it will take more than just gaining experience. Chinks in the armor were exposed. When the Spurs turned up the defensive intensity the Suns were often thrown out off their game. Tony Parker stayed so close to Steve Nash you’d think the Canadian point guard was Eva Longoria. Hell, I expect Shawn Marion to get in contact with Bruce Bowen any day now and ask for his game back!
With the possible exception of Nash all of the Suns need improvement. That includes the gifted Joe Johnson who needs to be more assertive and decisive down the stretch. It also includes Stoudemire who wowed viewers with his explosiveness and toughness around the hoop and is about to lead the league in jersey sales if this series was any indication of what’s to come. This guy is so close to being great that you’ll soon only need to refer to him by his first name. I am a person who favors an age limit when it comes to the NBA draft, but in Stoudemire’s honor I’m tempted to produce t-shirts with the slogan “Real Men Skip College” printed across them. If he develops more of a post up game, gives more effort on rebounding and learns how to play defense, Stoudemire will be the game’s dominant player in the near future. You take that along with the Suns adding another big man and more quality depth off the bench and you’ll have a team capable of winning it all. If these steps don’t take place then what you may get instead is simply the latest version of the Chris Webber Sacramento Kings: exciting to watch but not enough of a threat to walk away with the jewelry.
That’s all just future speculation of course. In the here and now the Suns are in the rearview mirror on their way to a summer of fishing. It’s the Spurs, the superior team, who move on and battle the Detroit Pistons for a world title. It’s the Spurs who wait for another opportunity to add to their legacy. And the legacy of Tim Duncan.
One of my writers wrote a nice piece I thought you might enjoy on the Spurs. If not then oh well, thought I'd post it tho.
http://www.nbabasketballnews.com/
http://www.nbabasketballnews.com/Articles/GIVINGTHESPURSTHEIRDUE.htm
GIVING THE SPURS THEIR DUE
Nate Kemp
We may be witnessing something very special in basketball. The San Antonio Spurs of the Tim Duncan era are on the verge of making a place for themselves on the mantle of the greatest NBA teams ever. At the very least they’re close to being worthy of an argument that they deserve such notoriety. This is what happens when a team is one step from wining its third championship in seven years.
In five high spirited and entertaining games, the Spurs knocked off the Phoenix Suns. These Suns came into the Western Conference finals with the league’s best regular season record, the current MVP in Steve Nash and the man child Amare Stoudemire. It wasn’t enough.
Surely one can argue that the series would have lasted longer if Joe Johnson, the Sun’s best all around player, had been healthy to play from game one rather than making an appearance midway through after weeks of inactivity. However the ultimate outcome would have been the same, a fact made more evident by San Antonio winning all three of its road games.
By accomplishing that the Spurs proved that they were more experienced, more poised and more mentally tough. These descriptions carry over as well to Gregg Popovich and the other members of the coaching staff who oversee the team and set the tone. When it comes to the wars of NBA playoffs, Suns’ head coach Mike D’Antoni is only a bright-eyed, rising lieutenant compared to Popovich’s steely, seasoned Four Star General. Pops, as the San Antonio coach is often referred as, have programmed the Spurs into a cold, calculating killing machine that rely on detached but determined professionalism to eliminate opposing teams.
Under Popovich’s leadership the Spurs have won two championships by turning up their noses on any impulse for showmanship and flashy displays. A reliance on superb teamwork and intelligent, steady execution is their weapon of choice. That was what made their victory against the Suns so eye opening. San Antonio surprised this writer at least by choosing, more often than not, to run with the Suns and beat them at their own game. Instead of trying to win by holding Phoenix under 80 points, the Spurs allowed themselves to get in a running game and come out victorious even if giving up 114 points in the process. Who says you can’t teach an old general new tricks? Maybe Popovich finally realized he could add an element to his attack by allowing his speedy imports (Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili) to keep defenses off balance and provide the team easier points with their combination of speed, improvisation and flair. It was the equivalent of Pops walking into a Baskin-Robbins and realizing there were flavors other than vanilla.
In the series against the Suns the other advantages clearly in the Spurs’ favor were depth and veteran leadership. Mere minutes into first quarters when neither team had the upper hand, the Spurs would take Duncan or Ginobili off the floor and replace them with “old timers” like Robert Horry and Brent Barry. Talk about an embarrassment of riches. Barry hit more big shots for San Antonio during those five games than starters Richard Marion and Quentin Richardson made for Phoenix. To make matters worse the perimeter dependent Phoenix must have felt a punch to the gut when looking towards the Spurs bench and seeing Glen Robinson. One must assume the Suns would have loved to have an extra sniper like Robinson assist them when their starters faltered. But for San Antonio the Big Dog was just a luxury they could afford to keep glued to his chair in warmups. Then there’s Horry who not only has more championship rings (five) than any of the Suns, but also has more NBA Finals appearances than the top eight players on Phoenix combined. If that wasn’t enough the Spurs could also rely on Bruce Bowen to set the tone on defense and lock down more athletic players on the perimeter.
In the end though it all comes down to Mr. Under Appreciated himself, Tim Duncan. The forward/center has been the perfect soldier for Pops and the foundation on which these championship runs have been built. His popularity amongst fans may suffer because his style of play isn’t charismatic. Not to mention he doesn’t call attention to himself and has as much use for emotion on the court as a Vulcan refugee. But he has the footwork, the smarts, the fundamentals and the skills that far too many of the modern day players are lacking. Most importantly he plays both ends of the court, dominating when the ball is in his hands and when its in the hands of an opponent. He’s a quiet assassin who leaves his talking to others who sing his accolades.
If the Spurs win the 2005 Finals, that would catapult Duncan into rare and distinguished company. No offense to Horry who won rings in a valuable backup role, Duncan is and has been the centerpiece of his teams. He is also the lone player left from the Spurs team that won it all six years ago so clearly the continuity begins and stops with him. Back in 1999 when San Antonio knocked out New York in five games and Duncan was Finals MVP, Popovich was quoted as saying “he's probably a little young to be a legend yet” when referring to his still wet behind the ears big man. Fast forward to 2005 where the legendary career of Tim Duncan, a star who has been First Team NBA during each of his first eight seasons, is forever written into NBA lore. If he joins Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal by delivering a third championship to San Antonio, that legend may move closer to rivaling the Alamo’s.
Respect must be given to the Suns who leapfrogged from the bottom to the top in just one season’s time all the while making fans across the globe with their style of play. There isn’t any shame in losing to such a tested champion like the Spurs. Yet if the Suns want to become champions themselves, if they want to reach the Spurs’ level, it will take more than just gaining experience. Chinks in the armor were exposed. When the Spurs turned up the defensive intensity the Suns were often thrown out off their game. Tony Parker stayed so close to Steve Nash you’d think the Canadian point guard was Eva Longoria. Hell, I expect Shawn Marion to get in contact with Bruce Bowen any day now and ask for his game back!
With the possible exception of Nash all of the Suns need improvement. That includes the gifted Joe Johnson who needs to be more assertive and decisive down the stretch. It also includes Stoudemire who wowed viewers with his explosiveness and toughness around the hoop and is about to lead the league in jersey sales if this series was any indication of what’s to come. This guy is so close to being great that you’ll soon only need to refer to him by his first name. I am a person who favors an age limit when it comes to the NBA draft, but in Stoudemire’s honor I’m tempted to produce t-shirts with the slogan “Real Men Skip College” printed across them. If he develops more of a post up game, gives more effort on rebounding and learns how to play defense, Stoudemire will be the game’s dominant player in the near future. You take that along with the Suns adding another big man and more quality depth off the bench and you’ll have a team capable of winning it all. If these steps don’t take place then what you may get instead is simply the latest version of the Chris Webber Sacramento Kings: exciting to watch but not enough of a threat to walk away with the jewelry.
That’s all just future speculation of course. In the here and now the Suns are in the rearview mirror on their way to a summer of fishing. It’s the Spurs, the superior team, who move on and battle the Detroit Pistons for a world title. It’s the Spurs who wait for another opportunity to add to their legacy. And the legacy of Tim Duncan.