So... what happens when SA plays MIA again?

[KL2]

Assuming they make it out if the west. Is Green going to be able to set an NBA finals record for 3's again? Is TP going to be able to be a top 3 player in the league, will a 38 year old Duncan be as great as he was last year, will role players knock their shots down like they did this year, will they be able to turn Lebron into a jump shooter again? Will they ALL be on the court when they make it to the finals?


A lot of things went right for SA last year, especially in the playoffs. Replicating that is going to be extremely difficult, and a lot of people don't realize that. Just wondering how people here or even our FO could be happy with the resigning of Manu/Splitter(when they didn't do jack shyt aside of 1 game), and pretty much staying the same.


SA is going to need Leonard to develop into a borderline superstar for SA to win the title next year, I'd love it to happen, but that's far from guaranteed.

[Poolboy5623]

If the things, you mentioned, in paragraph 1 don't happen....the spurs won't make it back to the finals. If they do happen, well..lets just wait and see?

[SilverSpur]

I believe Indiana will beat Miami next year so it will be a all ABA finals. Pacers vs Spurs. San Antonio wins 4-1
Duncan retires a champion

[Fabbs]

http://www.comedypet.com/images/Popovich_Poster_02_big.jpg

[Darius McCrary]

I shudder to imagine Manu in that scenario.

[cjw]

Will Lebron be able to HIT all his jumpers again? Will Allen & Miller outshoot Danny Green from 3 (yes it really happened, go look it up)? Will Parker be hobbled from an injury in game 3?

A lot of "what ifs" on either side. Hopefully we'll get through a tougher west to see what happens next time around. OKC will be healthy, Clippers will spread the floor, GS and Hou could be better, etc.

[Keepin' it real]

Pop sits the Big 3. Heat sit their Big 3. Close game goes down to the wire.

[poop]

Bonner will have a monster series averaging 32 and 16 and shut down lebron on D, carrying us to victory.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Bonner will have a monster series averaging 32 and 16 and shut down lebron on D, carrying us to victory.

It's his destiny :lol

[HarlemHeat37]

Miami is going to be on their 4th straight run to the Finals, which is nearly impossible to accomplish, tbh..it's far from a lock that they will be in the Finals, tbh..

Spurs match up very well with any other East team, since Splitter can stay on the floor and be effective against the Nets/Pacers/Bulls, tbh..

The Spurs can beat any team using their conventional lineup..the teams that could give the Spurs problems are small-ball teams like Miami/Golden State/OKC, tbh..

[jehawk81]

Tbh

[spurraider21]

IMO

[BatManu20]

Fwiw

[Skull-1]

AFAIK.

[jehawk81]

FTL

[siraulo23]

I'd be so stoked if the spurs can get there again

[intlspurshk]

Just hope Net and Heat kill each other

[Skull-1]

TWSS....

[rudwick]

Bonner will have a monster series averaging 32 and 16 and shut down lebron on D, carrying us to victory.

Playing the backup pg position.

[TheGoldStandard]

Playing the backup pg position.

Matt "Magic" Bonner

[sventhedog]

best case scenario. kawhi becomes an allstar. parker plays great in the finals. manu stops turning it over. spurs win 2014 title. duncan retires.

but seriously, people tend to over-think. so many things could happen in a year (injuries, trades, whatever). winning is always a possibility but then so is losing.

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

Well if everyone is healthy, Spurs win. Despite being another year older, Duncan will still dominate Bosh, hopefully Tiago's balls grow at least a littlle, Parker will be even better, hopefully Ginobili adjusts to a new role and his limitations, and Kawhi will be that much better and will be a much bigger factor.

[Venti Quattro]

They'll lose again

[KaiRMD1]

Should that happen again they by god ol' sport, you can repeat the past.........and then you can change it to the way it was supposed to be.

[Sean Cagney]

They'll lose again

LOL if you guys make the playoffs you won't escape the first round!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Russo21]

Pisspoor offseason for SA. Best front office in the NBA? :lmao What a joke.

[admiralsnackbar]

Pisspoor offseason for SA. Best front office in the NBA? :lmao What a joke.

I can sympathize with your frustration at our FO's failure to secure a slam-dunk FA signing, but can you name another team with our resources that has done as well, as consistently, as the Spurs have? We have the best winning percentage in sports, man -- hate the FO's decision's all you like, but there ain't much empirical room for the shit you want to talk.

[Johnny RIngo]

Miami is going to be on their 4th straight run to the Finals, which is nearly impossible to accomplish, tbh..it's far from a lock that they will be in the Finals, tbh..

Spurs match up very well with any other East team, since Splitter can stay on the floor and be effective against the Nets/Pacers/Bulls, tbh..

The Spurs can beat any team using their conventional lineup..the teams that could give the Spurs problems are small-ball teams like Miami/Golden State/OKC, tbh..

This is all assuming Parker isn't exhausted from bullshit FIBA and if Duncan can have another comeback season

[Russo21]

The F/O is riding on the success of over a decade ago. The winning % is due to drafting a fella by the name of Tim Duncan who was a fucking lock to go number 1 no matter who had the top pick. A fucking retard would have picked him at no.1. Got lucky with Tony and Manu. Hill turned into Leonard who has turned into a machine but what else have they done. Overpayed Tiago and Manu, re-signed Boner more times then you can count, got rid of Scola for Jackie Butler, traded for Richard Jefferson, have a coach who benches Duncan in the final posessions of a closeout championship game. Drafted Javtakos, Karaulov, Sanikidze, Lorbek, Richards, Bertans, Hanga, most of whom will never play for the team. I wouldn't say the precious front office of ours are faultless.

[slick'81]

Spurs better have homecourt

[tmtcsc]

IHOP

[ffadicted]

Miami will not make it in the finals next year tbqh

[jesterbobman]

People get that the series was a toss up. We outscored them in total over 7 games, but they won 4-3, so obviously they're a far superior team.

Toss up again.

[K-State Spur]

Assuming they make it out if the west. Is Green going to be able to set an NBA finals record for 3's again? Is TP going to be able to be a top 3 player in the league, will a 38 year old Duncan be as great as he was last year, will role players knock their shots down like they did this year, will they be able to turn Lebron into a jump shooter again? Will they ALL be on the court when they make it to the finals?


A lot of things went right for SA last year, especially in the playoffs. Replicating that is going to be extremely difficult, and a lot of people don't realize that. Just wondering how people here or even our FO could be happy with the resigning of Manu/Splitter(when they didn't do jack shyt aside of 1 game), and pretty much staying the same.


SA is going to need Leonard to develop into a borderline superstar for SA to win the title next year, I'd love it to happen, but that's far from guaranteed.

1) First of all, your premise is flawed. Parker was excellent all year, but he was clearly NOT a top 3 player in league from the second half of game 3 on. Outside of one minute in Game 6, he rarely looked like the player we saw all year in the final 4.5 games.

2) It's also interesting that you note Green's shooting as likely unrepeatable (probably true), but then seem to lump Manu's performance into what we could expect again. I wholeheartedly agree with anybody who says that we're not going to see many Game 5 type games from him for the rest of his career, but I also think it's unfair to expect the worst game of his career (Game 6) and worst quarter of his career (4th in Game 7) to become the normal of what he will do from here on out.

3) Tiago's a bad matchup for current Miami team, we all know that. His value comes in matchups vs. the other big front lines around the league. In the West, can we get past MEM/HOU without 2 quality post defenders? Indiana was 3 quarters away from winning the East (or possibly even a single play if they hadn't broken down at the end of G1).

4) We all know how close the Spurs were at the end of G6. But, thinking of G7, if Shane Battier just has a *good* game instead of an *amazing* game, Spurs probably get that one as well. And Wade hitting a % of long jumpshots that he hadn't been all playoffs. None of the "lucky" things for the Spurs you note really took place in the final 2 games - and the team was right there (and that is WITH lebron/wade playing at top duo in the world levels).

5) The equation for next year is simple: a) Stay relatively healthy. b) improvements in the games of Kawhi/Green/Splitter must be > decline in games of Duncan/Parker. Anything Spurs get from Manu is gravy.

[jehawk81]

HEB

[timtonymanu]

Miami will not make it in the finals next year tbqh

Very possible. It's tough to make 4 NBA Finals in a row and their core is mostly old, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they did considering the beast that LeBron is.

[Horse]

Why does no one tak about how lucky miami was? You could argue chicago and indy were without their best player. Besides the lucky bounces and Pop losing his mind in the end of game 6 Parker was clearly not right. So I say it's more likely we get back to the finals than the heat. We should've won showed we were the better team. Indy will be better,chicago better and the nets way better.

[DrSteffo]

Spurs make one more FT and win.

[Leetonidas]

Spurs need a SF that can play PF in small ball situations effectively. If we find one somehow, or is Boris quits being a fatass, Spurs will shit on Miami next year, book that shit.

[Sean Cagney]

Spurs need a SF that can play PF in small ball situations effectively. If we find one somehow, or is Boris quits being a fatass,

:lol

[cd98]

Miami should feel good about the offseason. Not a lot of teams that can compete with them.

[K-State Spur]

Miami should feel good about the offseason. Not a lot of teams that can compete with them.

true, although the east shouldn't be quite the cakewalk for them that it has the past 3 years. At least not at the top (still envious that the majority of their games will be against a conference where 2/3 of the league is tanking, rather than the dogfights that most WC games will be).

If Rose comes back ~80% of what he was, the Baby Bulls have grown up around him.
Indiana brought everybody of note back. Granger gives them a second quality long wing and/or an intriguing trade chip once he shows he's healthy. CJ Watson was a sneaky good acquisition for this team since he hits open 3s and doesn't turn the ball over - their 2 biggest issues when matching up with the Heat.
Brooklyn is very flawed still. But consolidating the Nets and what was left of the Cs (+AK47) presents more of a challenge than those units apart.

Then the Knicks...okay the Knicks are no threat.

It would be nice if Miami had to go through at least a couple competent 54+ win teams this postseason before hitting the Finals.

[therealtruth]

People get that the series was a toss up. We outscored them in total over 7 games, but they won 4-3, so obviously they're a far superior team.

Toss up again.

We blew them out in game 3. But to me the key figure was the points allowed was under 80. We were pretty good at our best defensively. But we gave that up for small ball from game 4 onwards. You can say we didn't have a choice once they started Mike Miller but the key is without playing our defense our chances to win the series went down dramatically. That doesn't mean we didn't play well defensively with small ball. It's just was not on the same level as before and it takes more out of our players.

[SanAntonioSpurs23]

They'll lose again

[kobexxx]

Leonard looks for a trade to chase rings

[Kidd K]

Green won't hit threes like that again.

TP will more than likely play better. His worst series of the postseason was against the Heat (you can blame injury for that, or just say he choked, but the fact remains he can certainly be better).

I don't think Duncan will have a super game like he did in game 6 again, and he may not be as good as he was throughout this year, but if there's one guy who always gives you 100% when it counts, it's Timmy. Not worried about Mr. Duncan's contributions.

Did our role players knock down shots this year? Neal had a net negative presence besides one game, Manu shat the bed throughout the series, Splitter was a ghost, and outside of a couple games Diaw didn't appear to make an offensive impact at any point. Joseph didn't do much. So yeah I would assume we'd at least get the mediocre performance from them again.

I agree though about Leonard. Sadly, with our lack of additions, we're going to need Leonard to improve to top level immediately and somehow hope Duncan doesn't decline from last year while hoping everyone else stays the same and that Manu not only stops his noticable and swift decline, but that he actually reverses it and plays better. Unlikely scenerio. We needed to add a playmaker and it didn't happen.

[Vash StampedE]

If Spurs do get to reach that far again, then they just simply get another chance to beat Miami. I say "simply" because that's not what I'm entirely worried of as of the moment but rather the competition in the west. Aside from OKC, GS, Houston and LAC, with their recent offseason moves, have made themselves serious contenders to represent the west next season. But if next year the Spurs get back to the Finals, that would totally be a more epic playoff run than any year I can remember and winning it all would make that year arguably the best championship year: toughest competition and getting revenge against Miami.

[Kingsly Alexander]

Pendegraph WILL SOLVE ALL

[therealtruth]

Green won't hit threes like that again.

TP will more than likely play better. His worst series of the postseason was against the Heat (you can blame injury for that, or just say he choked, but the fact remains he can certainly be better).

I don't think Duncan will have a super game like he did in game 6 again, and he may not be as good as he was throughout this year, but if there's one guy who always gives you 100% when it counts, it's Timmy. Not worried about Mr. Duncan's contributions.

Did our role players knock down shots this year? Neal had a net negative presence besides one game, Manu shat the bed throughout the series, Splitter was a ghost, and outside of a couple games Diaw didn't appear to make an offensive impact at any point. Joseph didn't do much. So yeah I would assume we'd at least get the mediocre performance from them again.

I agree though about Leonard. Sadly, with our lack of additions, we're going to need Leonard to improve to top level immediately and somehow hope Duncan doesn't decline from last year while hoping everyone else stays the same and that Manu not only stops his noticable and swift decline, but that he actually reverses it and plays better. Unlikely scenerio. We needed to add a playmaker and it didn't happen.

Disagree. TP is not going to be able to do much if they have Lebron guarding him.

[Brunodf]

Hopefully Spurs coach will not be outcoached again

[Kidd K]

Disagree. TP is not going to be able to do much if they have Lebron guarding him.

Not only did LeBron not guard him that well, the national announcers (who are usually dense to all things not related to mega stars) even pointed out during the game why he wasn't effective guarding him. LeBron plays good iso defense. Parker is not usually an iso player, he uses screens all the time and also plays off the ball to lose his man.

In a nutshell, the best part of LeBron's defense doesn't work on Parker since he plays around it. LeBron's defense isn't geared towards guys like him, it's geared towards guys like Rose, Melo, and his teammate Wade's kind of games.

Parker was playing with a partially torn hamstring. It's a safe bet to assume he'll play better next time we meet. Parker was good/better the whole year until he tore the hamstring in the Finals.

[McGusto55]

Try and rebound

[cjw]

The F/O is riding on the success of over a decade ago. The winning % is due to drafting a fella by the name of Tim Duncan who was a fucking lock to go number 1 no matter who had the top pick. A fucking retard would have picked him at no.1. Got lucky with Tony and Manu. Hill turned into Leonard who has turned into a machine but what else have they done. Overpayed Tiago and Manu, re-signed Boner more times then you can count, got rid of Scola for Jackie Butler, traded for Richard Jefferson, have a coach who benches Duncan in the final posessions of a closeout championship game. Drafted Javtakos, Karaulov, Sanikidze, Lorbek, Richards, Bertans, Hanga, most of whom will never play for the team. I wouldn't say the precious front office of ours are faultless.

1. They traded nothing of value for RJ. They didn't have money to lure a free agent, so tried that route. Didn't work, but can't fault them for trying.

2. They didn't draft Lorbek. Just traded for his draft rights. Bertrans was drafted in the second round of the same draft with another pick they got in the Hill / Kawhi trade. Speaking of that trade, we possibly ended up with the #2 player from that draft.

3. Javtakos, Karaulov, Hanga drafted in the 50s. You almost never get an impact player there. Sanikidze also a second rounder. Richards was 49th overall. You almost never hit on a second rounder. But wait, we have multiple times! Last year's roster had 8 guys drafted in the second round / undrafted and if I remember correctly was a pretty good team.


For a team that hasn't owned a draft pick in the top 20 since 1997 - and yes, Duncan is a generational talent - I'd say they've done pretty well. Especially when considering that the last non-Spur drafted #1 overall to win a title with his original team was Hakeem.

[Raven]

maybe OP doesn't realize we didn't even sweat to come out of the west.

[TheGreatYacht]

Not only did LeBron not guard him that well, the national announcers (who are usually dense to all things not related to mega stars) even pointed out during the game why he wasn't effective guarding him. LeBron plays good iso defense. Parker is not usually an iso player, he uses screens all the time and also plays off the ball to lose his man.

In a nutshell, the best part of LeBron's defense doesn't work on Parker since he plays around it. LeBron's defense isn't geared towards guys like him, it's geared towards guys like Rose, Melo, and his teammate Wade's kind of games.

Parker was playing with a partially torn hamstring. It's a safe bet to assume he'll play better next time we meet. Parker was good/better the whole year until he tore the hamstring in the Finals.That is what sucks when a team relies on a point guard as a franchise player. How do you stop most point guards in the NBA that are 6' 2" or shorter? Just put a bigger defender on them. That is why Danny Green was so successful guarding Steph Curry and Mike Conley Jr. Parker has the quickness to get by bigger defenders and get to the rim but instead he does the opposite by settling for jump shots. So long as Danny Green doesn't develop a post game, TP will always be guarded by bigger defenders come playoff time. No doubt that Parker's hamstring injury was also a major reason why Parker was slowed down.

[BatManu20]

It'll be a lot tougher this year to make it to the WCF imo, esp with a healthy Westbrook back. But, if the Spurs do somehow make it back, they would likely lose if they play Miami again imo. Duncan's another year older, Splitter can't play against them, and Manu is essentially done as a reliable scorer. Miami is bringing back the same championship team again. We didn't really improve the team much this offseason. Belli is solid, but he certainly doesn't put us over the top by any means. We still have no backup SF. Hopefully Kawhi continues to improve, but I don't think it will be enough. PLus injuries are always a concern with our old players.

If another team can somehow defeat Miami in the ECF (highly doubtful cause the East is so weak), then I think we'd have a good shot to win it all. I think we'd beat Indy or Brooklyn in 5 or 6. But I don't see Indy, Brooklyn, or NYC overtaking Miami. I think they make it to a 4th straight Finals, which would result in a 3-peat unfortunately.

[kobexxx]

same result

[TampaDude]

Spurs will get #6 on the B2B. :hat

[DrSteffo]

Some people think that they can predict the future in detail. It's human nature to try but of course it's impossible. Injuries will happen, some players will be better than expected, some worse, someone will miss one FT out of two and someone will hit an important 3-pointer. Before last season the Lakers were the favourites. Shit happens and some of it ís good shit.

[Brutalis]

Well they will both have 5 players that start. Typically a center, power forward, small forward, shooting guard, and a point guard. They will then play exactly 4 quarters which are 12 minutes each. Three points if they make a shot outside that half moon looking line and two within it. The team that scores the most wins. I am almost sure that is what exactly will happen.

[therealtruth]

1. They traded nothing of value for RJ. They didn't have money to lure a free agent, so tried that route. Didn't work, but can't fault them for trying.

2. They didn't draft Lorbek. Just traded for his draft rights. Bertrans was drafted in the second round of the same draft with another pick they got in the Hill / Kawhi trade. Speaking of that trade, we possibly ended up with the #2 player from that draft.

3. Javtakos, Karaulov, Hanga drafted in the 50s. You almost never get an impact player there. Sanikidze also a second rounder. Richards was 49th overall. You almost never hit on a second rounder. But wait, we have multiple times! Last year's roster had 8 guys drafted in the second round / undrafted and if I remember correctly was a pretty good team.


For a team that hasn't owned a draft pick in the top 20 since 1997 - and yes, Duncan is a generational talent - I'd say they've done pretty well. Especially when considering that the last non-Spur drafted #1 overall to win a title with his original team was Hakeem.

Strained hamstring. Anyway TP's own words are that he played bad and he can't blame it on the hamstring.

[phxspurfan]

They will have to guard Leonard. There will be no "hiding" LeBron on him next time, if there is a next time.

[Sean Cagney]

They will have to guard Leonard. There will be no "hiding" LeBron on him next time, if there is a next time.

Leonard played his butt off on those finals, I think he awoke Lebron a few times with some of his moves out there and the Heat as well.... If there is a next time! I hope there is a next time we make the finals and we win. I don't care who they play when they get there as long as there is a win! Heat, Bulls or Indy etc.

[superbigtime]

Pop will rest Tim.

[TDomination]

Spurs will have homecourt and will win in 6 or 7 games. Proving homecourt made all the difference this past year.

[TheGreatYacht]

Spurs will have homecourt and will win in 6 or 7 games. Proving homecourt made all the difference this past year.I love your signature.