The 2014 Spurs = One of the greatest teams ever

[dg7md]

Discuss.

[sook]

yes.

so not much discussion really , :lol

[HemisfairArena]

Easily,,,

[100%duncan]

Fucking yes.

[dg7md]

No all-stars, Finals MVP Kawhi, the deepest, best bench in history... dominated a team full of all-stars. Which other team in history did this? None.

[lefty]

It's so nice that the Heat get to spend Father's day with their daddy, the Spurs.

[Malik Hairston]

Greatest team of my lifetime, tbh..highest point-differential in a playoff run in NBA history, innovative style that has never been seen before, and against tough competition, too..

[midnightpulp]

Greatest team of my lifetime, tbh..highest point-differential in a playoff run in NBA history, innovative style that has never been seen before, and against tough competition, too..

:cry But the Ibaka injury :cry

:cry But Miami was tired out from 4 Finals :cry

[Thread]

You'll be judged not on what has transpired to this point, but, rather from this point on.

Riley was a great planner, but, he did not plan out from last June. He walked away from it, and it followed him every step of the way to this June.

[Darth_Pelican]

Getting pushed to a game 7 against an 8 seed would usually hurt a team's chances as being in the greatest ever discussion, but the way they mopped the floor with everyone after that makes up for it.

[Malik Hairston]

^^the Mavs series was the best thing that could have happened to the Spurs, tbh..

Pop going against the other elite coach in the NBA and taking his best shot, and game 7's blowout set the rhythm for the rest of the playoffs..

[phyzik]

I don't think there is any comparison.... This is easily the Greatest team ever. You might argue the 72-10 Bulls but they did not have a bench like this... No way they could legitimately go 10-13 deep and expect production like this Spurs team can.

[dg7md]

I don't think there is any comparison.... This is easily the Greatest team ever. You might argue the 72-10 Bulls but they did not have a bench like this... No way they could legitimately go 10-13 deep and expect production like this Spurs team can.

True. I do think the 72 win Bulls are the best ever, but people should realize just how good this one team was... we're up there among the greatest in history.

[Arnold Toht]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.

[m>s]

this is only the 4th best spurs championship team..let's not get carried away

[dg7md]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.

Yeah they should, did you see what we did to the defending champs and Thunder? I'm not saying we are better than the Lakers or Bulls of that era but it's foolish to claim we aren't one of the best — we dominated the so-called best basketball team with the best player in the world...

[SupremeGuy]

Somewhere from 1-3 best teams ever. Complete domination of an allstar team.

[ffadicted]

Great team tbh

[capek]

Definitely!

btw, when did lefty get pinked btw? timvp's first order of business upon return tbh? :lmao

[mercos]

Easily one of the top 5 teams of all time. One of the most dominant playoff runs ever, including the largest average margin of victory in Finals history, against a two time defending champion no less.

[100%duncan]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.
:cry :cry

[cd021]

+271 in 16 wins average margin of victory +16.9

the answer is yes. Quite possibly the most dominant run to a championship.

[whitemamba]

Said this earlier myself tbh, this was def the best spur team/team in general I have ever seen.

[DMC]

Here's what I think:

1. History will record that the Spurs had a soft ride to the Finals because Dallas took them to seven games, and Portland was a flukey jump shooting team. Ibaka was hurt and the Helter Swelter in game 1 caused Lebron to have muscle issues that he never fully recovered from.

2. The Spurs shot the ball incredibly well

3. The Finals MVP being KL will make the "team" aspect of the statement in the thread title solid, however historians tend to remember individual performances in the playoffs and there were no gawdy numbers by any Spurs player... too many good players, not enough great ones basically.

4. Basketball purists will consider this team as the gold standard for ball movement, fluid offense and staunch defense using what you have available to you.

5. GMs all across the league will use this team's results as boardroom material to hold coaches' feet to the fire on their RS and playoff records.

6. Phil Jackson just took over in NY but is already embarrassed and though he tweeted a congrats, I expect to hear or see something regarding the injury situation and the fact that Spurs haven't repeated as champs. He's got a hard row to hoe and the Spurs just made his job harder because he's a superstar stacking coach, not a team builder, yet the Knicks might challenge him to build a team instead of just buying one (doubt it).

7. Look for more interest in Pop's system now, and for assistant coaches to be coaxed away with lucrative offers elsewhere.

Best performances I've ever seen (in the wins) and collectively for the playoffs, never seen anything like it since Shaq was in his prime. It was truly a pleasure to watch the games especially after watching the Eastern Conference playoffs where guys were just chucking everything they touched, no ball movement and basically just a facade of defense due to no real offense.

Will be talked about for at least a day before the entire conversation turns to Lebron's decision.

[HI-FI]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.
As long as Duncan rings.

[KaiRMD1]

Basically, the ol' sports' system trumped Superstar ball in one of the most dominating ways. This team destroyed the MVP and the former champions in a single playoff run.

[SupremeGuy]

:cry :cryHe's letting the hurt flow, tbh. It's beautiful. lol

[Kidd K]

Any Spurs fan who says yes will probably get labeled a homer, but it really is true. They crushed everyone and set records of ass kicking dominance against the b2b champs with the best player in the NBA on that team. Nearly fucking swept them with all blowouts.

This is what happens when David Stern retires :lol



Getting pushed to a game 7 against an 8 seed would usually hurt a team's chances as being in the greatest ever discussion, but the way they mopped the floor with everyone after that makes up for it.

And before it too. Don't forget Spurs had a 19 game winning streak full of 15-25 point blowout wins until they locked up the top seed and started coasting (which led to the first round rust).

[BlackSwordsMan]

Poor t-mac he joined at the wrong year to leech a free ring.

[Malik Hairston]

It'll never be replicated, too..

It takes a GOAT coach with an innovative system, star players that take paycuts and don't care about playing a reduced role, an emerging star, and an abundance of elite role players and shooters..

The rest of the league will still have players taking 25 million a year and chucking 20 shots per game while past their prime, tbh..

[21209]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.

Haters gonna hate

[jARS mEsH sEt]

It could be one of the greatest teams ever in terms of influencing how the game is played. It'll be interesting to see the % of isolation possessions other teams have going forward.

[Arnold Toht]

You can't tell me this streaky jump shooting team can legitimately challenge Kobe & Shaq in a 7 game series.

[Malik Hairston]

It could be one of the greatest teams ever in terms of influencing how the game is played. It'll be interesting to see the % of isolation possessions other teams have going forward.

ISO basketball this season was already at the lowest rate it has been since the 80s, so it will probably continue to decline, especially after seeing the Spurs win the title, but the problem of big egos and denial of decline from aging, former stars will hurt teams in attempts to build a Spurs-like team..

[Malik Hairston]

You can't tell me this streaky jump shooting team can legitimately challenge Kobe & Shaq in a 7 game series.

Kobe and Shaq that were outplayed by Sacramento, an inferior version of these Spurs, and couldn't handle their ball movement?:lmao..the Spurs move the ball better than that Kings team, in addition to having much more shooting and tons more defensive players..

[Arnold Toht]

Kobe and Shaq that were outplayed by Sacrameno , an inferior version of these Spurs, and couldn't handle their ball movement?:lmao..

Beat them 3 straight times, rigged or not rigged.

[Franklin]

Harlem fag hyping up the Spurs to save face for his nigga Lebron imho, actually this Spurs team isn't even one of the 3 best Spurs teams you've seen.

[Arnold Toht]

How do you defend Daddy? Cover him with that soft vanilla ice cream Splitter? Or that 38 year old shit bag?

[midnightpulp]

Beat them 3 straight times, rigged or not rigged.

Tit, you looking forward to Byron Scott taking the helm?

And that 7th pick. My God. Mitch will it turn it into gold.

[ElNono]

ISO basketball this season was already at the lowest rate it has been since the 80s, so it will probably continue to decline, especially after seeing the Spurs win the title, but the problem of big egos and denial of decline from aging, former stars will hurt teams in attempts to build a Spurs-like team..

Yup. Advanced stats have changed the landscape of the league. Furthermore, with the new CBA and cap-space being a premium, some of those contracts handed out to players you describe really handicap teams.

As far as this being one of the greatest teams ever, well, time will tell. Definitely one of the best, if not the best, Spurs team ever (as far as TEAM is concerned).

[Baam]

Greatest team of my lifetime, tbh..highest point-differential in a playoff run in NBA history, innovative style that has never been seen before, and against tough competition, too..

When were you born ?

Anyway the GOAT team is the 86 Celtics...

This is the best Spurs team but hard to compare it to the great teams in history...

[Malik Hairston]

When were you born ?

Anyway the GOAT team is the 86 Celtics...

This is the best Spurs team but hard to compare it to the great teams in history...

I didn't watch the 80s teams, tbh, so I don't include them..

I don't think any of the teams in the 2000s were special, other than maybe the 2001 Lakers, tbh, but their competition was overrated..I don't think a 1 or 2-man team could beat these Spurs, it would take a team effort, so probably one of the loaded 80s Celtics/Lakers teams..

Spurs struggle against super-athletic teams with length/rim protection, but I can't remember any great teams in the 2000s or 90s that were super athletic..maybe the early 90s Bulls..

[Arnold Toht]

In order, since '96.

1996 Bulls
2001 Lakers
2009 Lakers
1997 Bulls
2000 Lakers
2007 Spurs
2014 Spurs
1998 Bulls
2012 Heat
2004 Pistons
2008 Celtics
2010 Lakers
2002 Lakers
2011 Mavericks
2005 Spurs
2006 Heat
2013 Heat
1999 Spurs

[davethedope]

Id say yes, and also for the reasons laid out in this thread probably the last "great" team of the nba's era of "great" teams.

now we're firmly in the era of one shot champions, 08 celtics, 11 Mavs, etc. as examples of this paradigm shift
'

[Robz4000]

Same

[FkLA]

In order, since '96.

1996 Bulls
2001 Lakers
2009 Lakers
1997 Bulls
2000 Lakers
2007 Spurs
2014 Spurs
1998 Bulls
2012 Heat
2004 Pistons
2008 Celtics
2010 Lakers
2002 Lakers
2011 Mavericks
2005 Spurs
2006 Heat
2013 Heat
1999 Spurs

The '99 team closed the 50 game season with a 31-5 record and went 15-2 (best ever at the time) in the playoffs. Youre on crack if you think theyre last tbh.

[Ashy Larry]

Easily. Props bitches. Don't like ya but I respect ya.

[Ashy Larry]

In order, since '96.

1996 Bulls
2001 Lakers
2009 Lakers
1997 Bulls
2000 Lakers
2007 Spurs
2014 Spurs
1998 Bulls
2012 Heat
2004 Pistons
2008 Celtics
2010 Lakers
2002 Lakers
2011 Mavericks
2005 Spurs
2006 Heat
2013 Heat
1999 Spurs

anyone of those three peat Lakers squads would easily shit on the 2009-10 back to back squads

[midnightpulp]

Easily. Props bitches. Don't like ya but I respect ya.

Props, Larry. Glad you enjoy old school, team basketball with great ball movement.

[Arcadian]

The stats speak for themselves...largest margin of victory in Finals history. :toast

[midnightpulp]

The stats speak for themselves...largest margin of victory in Finals history. :toast

People will find a way to denigrate the accomplishment, like saying the Heat are tired or whatever, but the Spurs made them that way. Too many teams and star players are used to playing ISO AAU type basketball that doesn't demand the kind of defensive rotations and activity the Spurs were forcing the Heat into with their ball movement. These Spurs are also an elite defensive team, as well.

[TVI]

No team that goes 7 games against an 8th seed should go with names like the '01 Lakers and 96 Bulls.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j385/yorname/mad-1.png

[DMC]

It doesn't matter if this team is "best ever". It just matters that they were best NOW. The trophy is the same regardless.

However, none of those in the discussion were constructed from the island of misfit players like the Spurs were. The Bulls and 2001 Lakers were juggernauts, built as such and run as such. A championship is a championship, and the Spurs left no room for doubt about this one. The fact that anyone is discussing them with the best teams ever is amazing to me, since there is no individual on the team who's even in the top 10 in the league.

[DMC]

No all-stars, Finals MVP Kawhi, the deepest, best bench in history... dominated a team full of all-stars. Which other team in history did this? None.

I see the Spurs this year as two teams, not just one. The bench, in my opinion, could have contended for a playoff spot on their own. In the East the Bench likely makes the 2nd round.