Adversity is GOOD!!!

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We steamrolled through 10 wins in a row in the playoffs last year, 20 in a row total games. As painful as it is, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to stomp their eyeballs out today, fighting through adversity is more valuable, I think, than sweeping 4-0 and resting. The very bright spot today for me was that Mr. Ginobili, with a short turnaround, found his shot today after missing both freethrows. So hopefully the guys get back to San Antonio tonight late, the wives/girlfriends cook breakfast and give up the booty in the morning, and they can watch film today and make the adjustments for game 5.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

We steamrolled through 10 wins in a row in the playoffs last year, 20 in a row total games. As painful as it is, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to stomp their eyeballs out today, fighting through adversity is more valuable, I think, than sweeping 4-0 and resting. The very bright spot today for me was that Mr. Ginobili, with a short turnaround, found his shot today after missing both freethrows. So hopefully the guys get back to San Antonio tonight late, the wives/girlfriends cook breakfast and give up the booty in the morning, and they can watch film today and make the adjustments for game 5.

Agreed, I think that taking this in 6 will still allow for ample rest, in fact I would say the ideal amount (so we arent rusty), and allow us to build confidence. Winning is always good but if we cant learn to step our level up then we wont win it all anyways.
This is a good thing. Every playoff run has had adversity. In 07, the Phoenix series. In 05, the Sonics series and the Pistons series. In 03, the Mavericks series and LA series. In 99, Memorial Day miracle. We will be better for this, I like this.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yes, adversity is a good thing, as long as we overcome it in the end! ;)

[Sean Cagney]

Yeah, if we can win it will be good. Right now it doesn't feel good though.
Agreed, I think that taking this in 6 will still allow for ample rest, in fact I would say the ideal amount (so we arent rusty), and allow us to build confidence. Winning is always good but if we cant learn to step our level up then we wont win it all anyways.
This is a good thing. Every playoff run has had adversity. In 07, the Phoenix series. In 05, the Sonics series and the Pistons series. In 03, the Mavericks series and LA series. In 99, Memorial Day miracle. We will be better for this, I like this.

Yep, those were title teams though with guys in their primes. I don't compare this team to those teams. They had the likes of Elie, Elliott as role guys, later teams had Kerr, Jax, Manu, Barry, Bowen and Horry etc. They didn't suck in games like today like Neal or Leonard did.

[Budkin]

Yeah, if we can win it will be good. Right now it doesn't feel good though.

Yep, those were title teams though with guys in their primes. I don't compare this team to those teams. They had the likes of Elie, Elliott as role guys, later teams had Kerr, Jax, Manu, Barry, Bowen and Horry etc. They didn't suck in games like today like Neal or Leonard did.

I can think of plenty of series where we gave away games with those guys.

2003 Suns Game 1
2003 Lakers Game 4
2003 Mavs Game 1
2003 Mavs Game 5
2005 Nuggets Game 1
2005 Sonics Game 3
2006 Kings Game 4
2007 Nuggets Game 1
2007 Suns Game 4
2008 Lakers Game 1

In every one of those series save for 2008 we brushed off the disappointing loss and won the series. We can at least beat the Warriors. Spurs got this.

[tesseractive]

Yeah, if we can win it will be good. Right now it doesn't feel good though.

Yep, those were title teams though with guys in their primes. I don't compare this team to those teams. They had the likes of Elie, Elliott as role guys, later teams had Kerr, Jax, Manu, Barry, Bowen and Horry etc. They didn't suck in games like today like Neal or Leonard did.

Those guys had bad games too. I mean, the '99 team basically stomped the league, but the '03, '05, and '07 teams didn't. And some of those guys were proven winners when they got here, but the reason we remember others of them so fondly is not because it was obvious at the time that they were gritty and indomitable, but because they proved they were by winning.

I like Kawhi, Danny, Boris, and Tiago. I think they're the best supporting cast we've had since Bowen retired. Gary is a nice guy to have against teams where you can hide him on defense. I wish we had another big man and another perimeter player off the bench that were showing signs that they can play in June -- Cory seems like a possibility, but he's not there yet.

If this team proves it's good enough to contend, then these losses will just be bumps in the road, like the 2 we lost to LA in '03, or the 3 we lost to Detroit in the '05 Finals, and all the others. And if this team is ultimately not good enough to contend, well, losses are pretty much inevitable, right?

[DMC]

This team doesn't need a reminder after playing hundreds of games together. If they do they're already done. Adversity isn't always a good thing. The fact that it's adversity means it's a bad thing, overcoming it is good.

[Sean Cagney]

Those guys had bad games too. I mean, the '99 team basically stomped the league, but the '03, '05, and '07 teams didn't. And some of those guys were proven winners when they got here, but the reason we remember others of them so fondly is not because it was obvious at the time that they were gritty and indomitable, but because they proved they were by winning.

I like Kawhi, Danny, Boris, and Tiago. I think they're the best supporting cast we've had since Bowen retired. Gary is a nice guy to have against teams where you can hide him on defense. I wish we had another big man and another perimeter player off the bench that were showing signs that they can play in June -- Cory seems like a possibility, but he's not there yet.

If this team proves it's good enough to contend, then these losses will just be bumps in the road, like the 2 we lost to LA in '03, or the 3 we lost to Detroit in the '05 Finals, and all the others. And if this team is ultimately not good enough to contend, well, losses are pretty much inevitable, right?

I still don't liken this team do those! Detroit in 05 was a title team! Repeat they almost did! This team we are playing is not near the D team they were. I agree on the LA series, still they had vets and were threepeat champs! Kobe and Shaq in their primes! This team we are playing is not as good as those guys we faced then and this Spurs team is not as good as our title teams either IMO. Tim being young makes a huge difference alone, hell he was a one man team out there sometimes. I agree it's a possibility they get past this round and there is a bump in the road we speak of! I don't know after that though? First things first get this series over with, not and easy task.

[DMC]

I can think of plenty of series where we gave away games with those guys.

2003 Suns Game 1
2003 Lakers Game 4
2003 Mavs Game 1
2003 Mavs Game 5
2005 Nuggets Game 1
2005 Sonics Game 3
2006 Kings Game 4
2007 Nuggets Game 1
2007 Suns Game 4
2008 Lakers Game 1

In every one of those series save for 2008 we brushed off the disappointing loss and won the series. We can at least beat the Warriors. Spurs got this.

All that from your memory? Wild Cobra, is that you?

[Sean Cagney]

I can think of plenty of series where we gave away games with those guys.

2003 Suns Game 1
2003 Lakers Game 4
2003 Mavs Game 1
2003 Mavs Game 5
2005 Nuggets Game 1
2005 Sonics Game 3
2006 Kings Game 4
2007 Nuggets Game 1
2007 Suns Game 4
2008 Lakers Game 1

In every one of those series save for 2008 we brushed off the disappointing loss and won the series. We can at least beat the Warriors. Spurs got this.

Yes but I had no doubt that team then would win those series! If I did have doubt I knew they had a shot atleast! LA series scared me, Seattle series did a little bit as well! PIstons series had me terrified at one point! Other than that I knew we were good enough to win it all that year and our guys would come through. We gave away games, but it was evident then we were the better team IMO. I agree we can atleast beat the Warriors, well lets hope anyways. This next game is SCARY! If they catch fire like game 2 we are in big trouble, lets hope we go back there up 3-2.

[ElNono]

I would disagree that adversity matters with this team for what's left of this season. We are who we are at this point of the season. The only players that actually have the ability and the green light to go 'off-script' are the big 3, which already are carrying the load, and know adversity pretty well. Pop also isn't one to knee-jerk until it's way too late. We're either going to get it done with what got us here, or not. The 'lesson learned' stuff likely comes after the season is over, IMO.

[Poolboy5623]

This GS team reminds me of the ole suns series they use to have....were like hell to get through, and relieved when the series was over...I just hope they can pull it out. Im not saying the spurs will win it all, but I'm gonna be pretty disappointed if they lose to the warriors(everyone's new favorite team)..

[m33p0]

well i hope that loss would light a fire under their asses. they can't just show up and expect the other team to fold just because they have 4 championship banners hanging up the rafters.

[m33p0]

I can think of plenty of series where we gave away games with those guys.

2003 Suns Game 1
2003 Lakers Game 4
2003 Mavs Game 1
2003 Mavs Game 5
2005 Nuggets Game 1
2005 Sonics Game 3
2006 Kings Game 4
2007 Nuggets Game 1
2007 Suns Game 4
2008 Lakers Game 1

In every one of those series save for 2008 we brushed off the disappointing loss and won the series. We can at least beat the Warriors. Spurs got this.

this one feels like new orleans.

[therealtruth]

Spurs need to win this. It will be at least the 4th time in the past few years they've been favored to win and dropped the ball. That means Pop has been dropping the ball.

[tesseractive]

I still don't liken this team do those! Detroit in 05 was a title team! Repeat they almost did! This team we are playing is not near the D team they were. I agree on the LA series, still they had vets and were threepeat champs! Kobe and Shaq in their primes! This team we are playing is not as good as those guys we faced then and this Spurs team is not as good as our title teams either IMO. Tim being young makes a huge difference alone, hell he was a one man team out there sometimes. I agree it's a possibility they get past this round and there is a bump in the road we speak of! I don't know after that though? First things first get this series over with, not and easy task.
Ok, what about 2003 Mavs as a comparison? They were a young, high-flying team that we mostly didn't respect at first after having knocked off the Lakers, and they made it a series. We still won it, but they took it to 6, and there were times when they looked more threatening than that.

Later years made it clear that the Mavs were a legit team, even if that core never won a title, but at the time, they seemed like a team we should have been able to steamroll. If Golden State keeps their core together and can avoid the injury bug, my guess is that the next few years will demonstrate that they have more deep playoff runs ahead of them too.

[Johnny RIngo]

We steamrolled through 10 wins in a row in the playoffs last year, 20 in a row total games. As painful as it is, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to stomp their eyeballs out today, fighting through adversity is more valuable, I think, than sweeping 4-0 and resting.

Dumbest comment I've seen thus far. Last year, we came back from 20 down in an away game against the Clippers. How is that not overcoming adversity? Spurs fans are trying to spin these losses into something positive but it's NEVER a good thing to win a series in six or seven games instead of four or five. The extra rest is essential especially for a team so dependent on older players like the Spurs.

[Sean Cagney]

Ok, what about 2003 Mavs as a comparison? They were a young, high-flying team that we mostly didn't respect at first after having knocked off the Lakers, and they made it a series. We still won it, but they took it to 6, and there were times when they looked more threatening than that.

Later years made it clear that the Mavs were a legit team, even if that core never won a title, but at the time, they seemed like a team we should have been able to steamroll. If Golden State keeps their core together and can avoid the injury bug, my guess is that the next few years will demonstrate that they have more deep playoff runs ahead of them too.
We should have swept Dallas that year or atleast took them out in 5! WE had a 14 lead in the fourth in game one, blew that! Game 5 we blew a 17 pt lead, both at home! No way in hell that should have went 6, we built huge leads in that series and blew two games! No way that team should have come close to us! I laugh at Mavs fans who said they could have won with DIRK, yeah F in right. You were down 2-1 with him in, should have been 3-0 us. BTW as I said what do past teams have to do with this one here? I am sorry man but past is past! This series could be a choke or a past we did it again! Nothing is for sure now, which makes it that much more scary! I just hope we win game 5 now, period.

[8FOR!3]

Agreed and if this doesn't light a fire under our asses then we were never good enough to get by the rest of the playoff teams anyways.

[Horry Hipcheck]

The Spurs suffered immensely through Games 1 and 2, and instead of folding in Game 3, they came out and executed. Game 4 was theirs for the taking, I agree, but I don't think it was a loss that tips the series in GS' favor. The Spurs have shown that they respond to adversity fairly well, and they've also shown that they can shut Oracle Arena right the fuck up. They'll respond in Game 5, and Game 6 will be entirely familiar territory. Even if the Dubs force 7, the Spurs have the savvy to close it out on their home floor. It will just take longer than Spurs fans with long term memory loss would care to see.