Manu20
06-24-2005, 03:36 PM
Built to last by Marty Burns
Spurs, Pistons poised to lead NBA title chase in '05-06
Posted: Friday June 24, 2005 1:14PM; Updated: Friday June 24, 2005 1:26PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/marty_burns/06/24/spurs.future/index.html
SAN ANTONIO -- In the euphoria of his team's NBA title Thursday night, Tim Duncan couldn't help but crack a joke when a reporter prefaced a question at the post-game news conference about the team's future by noting that the Spurs forward wasn't the team's GM.
"Not officially at least," Duncan interrupted, cracking up the room full of reporters.
Kidding aside, Duncan is more than happy to let others handle personnel matters. And why not? The Spurs, under the direction of coach Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford, have been one of the most well-managed teams in the NBA over the past seven years. With Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all signed through 2010, San Antonio could well be adding more hardware to their trophy case in years to come.
With Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker signed for another five years, the good times should continue in San Antonio.
"It's a great feeling. A great feeling," Duncan said. "In years past we've lost six, seven, eight, nine guys in a year, and rebuilt. I think we've really got a core here that we're in love with, that obviously is a pretty decent core, and we're going to have it together for a couple years."
Like the Spurs, the Pistons also appear to be in excellent shape to make another title run in '06. Other than coach Larry Brown, whose health issues might prevent him from returning to the bench next season, Detroit's entire core should be back next season. The team's top seven players are signed through then, with the only free agents this summer being seldom-used reserves Darvin Ham, Elden Campbell and Horace Jenkins.
The big question for the Pistons will be whether they play with the same intensity under a new coach should Brown decide to step down. However, the Pistons are still relatively young -- Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace are the only starters older than 30 -- and they have the makeup to play hard no matter what. After coming so close in the Finals this year, they also might have extra motivation.
"Everybody is hurt and disappointed right now," Ben Wallace noted Thursday night. "But everybody is going to come back ready to play."
The scary thing for the Pistons -- and the rest of the NBA -- is that the Spurs might be even better next season. With no starter over age 29, San Antonio's core players are still improving. Their only significant free agents are Robert Horry (who can opt out of his contract, but might re-sign), Devin Brown, Tony Massenburg and Glenn Robinson. Assuming they bring back Horry, the Spurs should not miss a beat. In fact, with another season to develop cohesion and work midseason newcomer Nazr Mohammed more into the flow, they should be even better defensively.
The Spurs also hope to sign Luis Scola, a 6-foot-9 Argentine power forward whom many consider the best forward in Europe right now. Scola, Ginobili's teammate on the gold-medal winning Argentine Olympic team, has been playing in Spain but is reportedly interested in coming over to play in the NBA. The Spurs own his rights since they drafted him in the second round of the '02 draft. He would give San Antonio a valuable big body off the bench to spell Duncan and add depth to the frontcourt.
As for the Pistons, they will have the mid-level exception to try to sign a free agent that can add depth to their thin bench. GM Joe Dumars says he also hopes to get improvement from Darko Milicic and second-year guard Carlos Delfino, both of whom languished at times under Brown. If there would be a silver lining to Brown's departure in Detroit, it would be that those two young prospects could get fresh starts.
A lot can go wrong between now and next June, of course. But on paper at least it looks as if the Spurs and Pistons should be top contenders again for the 2006 NBA. That would be fine with Duncan, who wouldn't mind getting a few more rings (and perhaps Finals MVP awards).
"It's the greatest feeling in the world," he said. "We have a team that will able to try to [win titles] in years to come, try to continue to get back to this point."
Duncan wasn't kidding about that. And the rest of the NBA surely isn't laughing.
Spurs, Pistons poised to lead NBA title chase in '05-06
Posted: Friday June 24, 2005 1:14PM; Updated: Friday June 24, 2005 1:26PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/marty_burns/06/24/spurs.future/index.html
SAN ANTONIO -- In the euphoria of his team's NBA title Thursday night, Tim Duncan couldn't help but crack a joke when a reporter prefaced a question at the post-game news conference about the team's future by noting that the Spurs forward wasn't the team's GM.
"Not officially at least," Duncan interrupted, cracking up the room full of reporters.
Kidding aside, Duncan is more than happy to let others handle personnel matters. And why not? The Spurs, under the direction of coach Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford, have been one of the most well-managed teams in the NBA over the past seven years. With Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all signed through 2010, San Antonio could well be adding more hardware to their trophy case in years to come.
With Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker signed for another five years, the good times should continue in San Antonio.
"It's a great feeling. A great feeling," Duncan said. "In years past we've lost six, seven, eight, nine guys in a year, and rebuilt. I think we've really got a core here that we're in love with, that obviously is a pretty decent core, and we're going to have it together for a couple years."
Like the Spurs, the Pistons also appear to be in excellent shape to make another title run in '06. Other than coach Larry Brown, whose health issues might prevent him from returning to the bench next season, Detroit's entire core should be back next season. The team's top seven players are signed through then, with the only free agents this summer being seldom-used reserves Darvin Ham, Elden Campbell and Horace Jenkins.
The big question for the Pistons will be whether they play with the same intensity under a new coach should Brown decide to step down. However, the Pistons are still relatively young -- Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace are the only starters older than 30 -- and they have the makeup to play hard no matter what. After coming so close in the Finals this year, they also might have extra motivation.
"Everybody is hurt and disappointed right now," Ben Wallace noted Thursday night. "But everybody is going to come back ready to play."
The scary thing for the Pistons -- and the rest of the NBA -- is that the Spurs might be even better next season. With no starter over age 29, San Antonio's core players are still improving. Their only significant free agents are Robert Horry (who can opt out of his contract, but might re-sign), Devin Brown, Tony Massenburg and Glenn Robinson. Assuming they bring back Horry, the Spurs should not miss a beat. In fact, with another season to develop cohesion and work midseason newcomer Nazr Mohammed more into the flow, they should be even better defensively.
The Spurs also hope to sign Luis Scola, a 6-foot-9 Argentine power forward whom many consider the best forward in Europe right now. Scola, Ginobili's teammate on the gold-medal winning Argentine Olympic team, has been playing in Spain but is reportedly interested in coming over to play in the NBA. The Spurs own his rights since they drafted him in the second round of the '02 draft. He would give San Antonio a valuable big body off the bench to spell Duncan and add depth to the frontcourt.
As for the Pistons, they will have the mid-level exception to try to sign a free agent that can add depth to their thin bench. GM Joe Dumars says he also hopes to get improvement from Darko Milicic and second-year guard Carlos Delfino, both of whom languished at times under Brown. If there would be a silver lining to Brown's departure in Detroit, it would be that those two young prospects could get fresh starts.
A lot can go wrong between now and next June, of course. But on paper at least it looks as if the Spurs and Pistons should be top contenders again for the 2006 NBA. That would be fine with Duncan, who wouldn't mind getting a few more rings (and perhaps Finals MVP awards).
"It's the greatest feeling in the world," he said. "We have a team that will able to try to [win titles] in years to come, try to continue to get back to this point."
Duncan wasn't kidding about that. And the rest of the NBA surely isn't laughing.