Wall Street Journal: The Completely Awesome San Antonio Spurs

[SenorSpur]

Can you hear that? It's the most bizarre and overdue and welcome development. An audible basketball buzz rattling out of San Antonio. The unimaginable is finally happening—years, maybe even a decade late. The universe is finally getting around to loving the Spurs. Suddenly, it's Spurs this, Spurs that. Spurs, Spurs, Spurs. Tim! Manu! Tony! Pop! The fascination is swelling, the bandwagon is loading up. The San Antonio Spurs are suddenly…sexy.

OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. Maybe it's not Spurs sexytime yet. But it should be.

Read on:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324682204578515203543126878.html?m od=WSJ_topics_obama

[KaiRMD1]

It'll never be Spurs sexytime and that's the way they like it

[Darkwaters]

Eh, you're always going to get glowing articles when you're one of only two teams remaining.

[mrjap2x]

Would have been better if the author name was removed on the tab.

[exstatic]

Eh, you're always going to get glowing articles when you're one of only two teams remaining.

You watch, the announcers will be fawning all over SA in the Finals. Makes me vomit.

[lefty]

Lol every big media sucking the Spurs' taco meat now

Where were thay before the playoffs

[SpursRock20]

Lol every big media sucking the Spurs' taco meat now

Where were thay before the playoffs

The major consensus (I, not included) was that the Spurs were not going to do anything in the playoffs before it started. I don't blame the media for thinking the same thing that most of us were.

[Sean Cagney]

The major consensus (I, not included) was that the Spurs were not going to do anything in the playoffs before it started. I don't blame the media for thinking the same thing that most of us were.

Yes they did look HORRIBLE the last month of the year, but something started to change after game 2 against GSW! LAL sucked and we blew them out! Most teams might not have swept them though? GSW Warriors after game 2 the Spurs started to come alive! 7-1 since then! Thats when they started.

[SpursRock20]

Yes they did look HORRIBLE the last month of the year, but something started to change after game 2 against GSW! LAL sucked and we blew them out! Most teams might not have swept them though? GSW Warriors after game 2 the Spurs started to come alive! 7-1 since then! Thats when they started.
Got hot at just the right time :toast. Hopefully we can keep that fire burning against the Heat, no pun intended :hat

[Sean Cagney]

Got hot at just the right time :toast. Hopefully we can keep that fire burning against the Heat, no pun intended :hat

Last year we peaked too early and flamed out before we met the HEAT! This year I hope in our 7-1 run we continue to burn up and then roast the HEAT! Lets hope they are hot now and continue it for 4 more wins! That would be great to defeat the Heat! I know we don't have HC this time! Hopefully we win one there and then we have three at home, get it done there or win two! I am way ahead of myself I know but I hope it's Spurs in 5 or 6.

[SpursRock20]

Last year we peaked too early and flamed out before we met the HEAT! This year I hope in our 7-1 run we continue to burn up and then roast the HEAT! Lets hope they are hot now and continue it for 4 more wins! That would be great to defeat the Heat! I know we don't have HC this time! Hopefully we win one there and then we have three at home, get it done there or win two! I am way ahead of myself I know but I hope it's Spurs in 5 or 6.
You and me both. After seeing the Heat in this series, they are reminding me more and more of the '07 Cavs and less of the '12 Heat. I don't mind Lebron being the hero, team ball always trumps hero ball.

[Slippy]

Great read. For everybody posting these sort of articles including senor .. Thank you. Can't get enough of them

[Spur|n|Austin]

Great read. For everybody posting these sort of articles including senor .. Thank you. Can't get enough of them

I'm with you and also with others in regards to the love; it's nice to be appreciated every once in a while, even if its taken almost two decades. At least we know we've been here all along, and it's nice to know that. I also liked the Jeff Bridges comparison. :lol

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Everybody jumping on the bandwagon. Who's next? Rascal?

[manufan10]

Everybody jumping on the bandwagon. Who's next? Rascal?

You couldn't pay rascal enough money in the world for him to become a Spurs fan.

[TampaDude]

If Wade and Bosh play against the Spurs like they did last night against the Pacers, the Heat is getting swept in the Finals.

[Old School 44]

With the Spurs ending the season poorly, these playoffs couldn't have been setup nicer for the Spurs.

Round 1 - THE PRACTICE ROUND - against a much hyped Laker team. Even with all the injuries, some still thought the bigs of the Lakers could pull them through against a poor performing Spurs team. I remember the jockeying for position for the 7th-8th seeds. Everyone wanted the Spurs. The Lakers were so short handed, there was no way the Spurs were going to lose this series. Even so, the hype remained because it's the Lakers. I've always said the Spurs typically bring their best games for the Lakers, just because all the media attention that comes with their franchise. In fairness to the Lakers they were decimated by injuries in their backcourt and had no chance. This really was a scrimmage for the Spurs, they got their legs back, got healthier and regained some confidence.

Round 2 - THE CINDERELLA SERIES - Against the sharpshooting, highly entertaining young guns of the Warriors, the Spurs were getting out played by the new darlings of the playoffs. They could have easily been down 2-0. Steph Curry was incredible. Klay Thompson's game 2 was crazy. But late in this series, we found our defense, especially from our supporting players, Green and Leonard. Also, Parker got healthier. Nice challenge by the Warriors, but SPLASH go the splash brothers. As crazy as this sounds, I actually think after all is said and done, this will be looked at as our toughest series in these playoffs.

Round 3 - STILL NO RESPECT SERIES - The Grizzlies were playing great, defeated CP3 and the Clips, defeated last year's Western Conference champs and Kevin Durant. The talking heads think this is the end of the line for the Spurs. The Grizzlies defensive superiority will shut down the Spurs. Duncan's too old for the "best big man" in the game today, Marc Gasol. Z-Bo will dominate the inside. All defensive first team Tony Allen will shut down Parker and Mike Conley will at least play Parker to a draw. "Grit and Grind" comes to the Alamo City and gets out "Grit and Grinded". RESPECT RESTORED.

Round 4 - THE FINALS - I actually think the better matchup for the Spurs is the Heat. The Pacers are younger and deeper. Wade doesn't look like himself. Bosh...no worries. Pop can devise something to contain LeBron. The Spurs can contain their 3 pt shooters. I like the underdog role some will still give the Spurs against the Heat. As the team with the best record, I never liked the 2-3-2 finals format. I think it favors the lower seed. It will be ideal for the Spurs to start on the road against the Heat in this format.

[DarrinS]

If anything has gotten dull, it's claiming that the Spurs are dull. That's so five years ago.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

I never liked the 2-3-2 finals format. I think it favors the lower seed. It will be ideal for the Spurs to start on the road against the Heat in this format.


I actually think 2-3-2 favors the home team, and that's because Games 6 and 7 - typically games in which a series is closed out - are at home.


Whereas the 2-2-1-1-1 format gives the underdog team a chance to win a series in six games, at home, on game 6.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

As for those who call the Spurs boring, I'd take boring champions over entertaining runner-ups any day.

[Old School 44]

I actually think 2-3-2 favors the home team, and that's because Games 6 and 7 - typically games in which a series is closed out - are at home.


Whereas the 2-2-1-1-1 format gives the underdog team a chance to win a series in six games, at home, on game 6.

My thinking is the lower seeded team should never have the opportunity to potentially play more home games before the higher seeded team. Given the choice, I think the higher seeded team would prefer the 2-2-1-1-1 format over the 2-3-2 format.

[romain.star]

Can you hear that? It's the most bizarre and overdue and welcome development. An audible basketball buzz rattling out of San Antonio. The unimaginable is finally happening—years, maybe even a decade late. The universe is finally getting around to loving the Spurs. Suddenly, it's Spurs this, Spurs that. Spurs, Spurs, Spurs. Tim! Manu! Tony! Pop! The fascination is swelling, the bandwagon is loading up. The San Antonio Spurs are suddenly…sexy.

OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. Maybe it's not Spurs sexytime yet. But it should be.

Read on:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324682204578515203543126878.html?m od=WSJ_topics_obama

"Spurs this, Spurs that" uses to happen during every run to the Finals. It will end 2 or 3 weeks after the Finals last game to give room to the Lakers/Knicks/Heat/Bulls circus

[PÒÓCH]

" if a guy like Tony Parker played in a city like New York, he would be five times as popular and be on the cover of GQ three times a year and own an underwater disco restaurant with Mario Batali and Robert De Niro."

----This

[gameFACE]

LOL David Stern and LOL America constantly buying the big market team kool-aid (Yankees, Giants, Celtics, Lakers, Red Sox, etc). Same thing happens in Hollywood movies.

What I really hope at this point is that SA can finish the job. Shove the Spurs dynasty down hack sports journalists who write the same thing over and over year after year. Give 'em the Spurs chorizo!

Go Spurs :tu

[thiste]

The way I see it, after a training camp first round, the Spurs defeated the "best shooting backcourt in the NBA" with the Warriors, and then the "best frontcourt in the NBA" with the Grizzlies. That is great training for any opponent in the Finals.
Granted we haven't faced a great SF like LeBron, but I think we're well prepared to shut down the rest of the Heat. Put Kawhi/Green on Wade, Tim/Tiago on Bosh and I like our chances. No one man in our team is going to stop LeBron anyway so I'd opt for team defense and lots of help to keep him on his toes.

:flag:

[The Reckoning]

doesn't an article come out like this every year the spurs are in the wcf? that's what's boring tbh.

i've heard "spurs aren't boring" moreso than they are. wgaf.

[tesseractive]

" if a guy like Tony Parker played in a city like New York, he would be five times as popular and be on the cover of GQ three times a year and own an underwater disco restaurant with Mario Batali and Robert De Niro."

----This

Best quote of the article. Also, I would very much like to eat at Tony's underwater disco restaurant, tbh..

[Kool Bob Love]

Great read.