Nate Duncan: "the Spurs have been more like a regular season paper tiger since 2011"

[spursistan]

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/duncdon/2016/12/18/15-in-60-western-conference-121816-part-2 @58:00 min

The Duncan/Leroux podcast is usually a good nerdy listen, but I find this rather harsh statement..LOL at equating a team that's been Champion/Finalist/WCFinalist during that period to the Toronto Raptors..

All things considered-- 2011 aside-- this team has quietly overachieved in the playoffs considering their two best core players (TD/Manu) were over 33 at the start of this decade...Even the Thunder loss last season looks better in retrospect seen how OKC were few minutes away from taking out Golden State in 5 after destroying them at home..

[dabom]

Well the guy is a faggot. Our 2 best players are in their prime. :lol

[spursistan]

Like for example in 2015, Spurs probably should have lost that series in 5, yet they were in position to close out at home in Game 6 and led on the road with 2 minutes left in G7 while having 39 yo Tim Fuckin' Duncan as their best player throughout..

[spursistan]

Though I might agree with him on Pop not having any tricks up his sleeve for the playoffs anymore :lol

[dabom]

Our whole make up is nothing like 2011. What is that guy talking about? :lmao

[itzsoweezee]

These guys are both warriors stans. Fuck them both. However, I do agree that the Spurs were only regular season superstars last year. They didn't have that extra gear that real contenders have. The playoff Spurs were basically no different than the regular season Spurs last year. Hopefully Popovich is willing to make severe lineup adjustments this playoffs. Because the starting is pretty trash.

[MaNu4Tres]

Love Pop, but he shit the bed the last two post seasons.

He did in 11' and 12' as well.

[HarlemHeat37]

I hate basketball hipsters, but they're correct that the Spurs are closer to pretenders, tbh, at least so far..they have much more talent than the 2011 team, though, and their best player isn't a PG(which is generally a positive in the NBA)..

Like last year's team, this season's Spurs team has fatal flaws that are going to be more difficult to correct than the flaws of the other top teams(Warriors' lack of size, Clippers' lack of depth and Cavs' lack of defense)..

[Down Under]

It completely changed after Jefferson got traded. 2013-2014 we were the best team and 2015 Splitter couldn't move (matched up well with Griffin) and Manu was hurt too.

[BillMc]

2014 team were champions and the 2013 as close as you can to be champs against a damn good Heat team. 2012 team also was a WCF team and of championship quality.

Those don't sound like paper tigers since 2011 to me...

[Kawhitstorm]

I agree the '10-'11 Spurs were a fluky 60 win team like the Nuggets team that won 57 games but the '15 & '16 playoff runs were derailed by injuries. Otherwise, the '12, '13 & '14 postseason runs were a clash of the titans.

The current squad is basically a tier above the '10-'11 squad assuming Softridge plays like he did in the second half of last season.

[MaNu4Tres]

I agree the '10-'11 Spurs were a fluky 60 win team like the Nuggets team that won 57 games but the '15 & '16 playoff runs were derailed by injuries. Otherwise, the '12, '13 & '14 postseason runs were a clash of the titans.

The 11' team was derailed by injuries (Manu broken arm) and Pops inability to play the right guys (Bonner & Blair over Splitter).

[TD 21]

I don't think they've over or under achieved; I think they've more or less done what they should have.

You can be a dominant regular season team on the strength of chemistry, continuity, depth and IQ, but the playoffs are generally where superstar talent trumps all and all 3 playoffs losses in the past half decade were to teams with superior star power.

It actually shows just how good and resourceful this team has been, that even when they couldn't overcome that, they always at least gave those teams a tough series. They never got destroyed, like the Hawks repeatedly have been by the Cavaliers.

[Joseph Kony]

lol so not winning a title every season is being a paper tiger? Spurs made WCF, Finals, then won a chip but were paper tigers? :lmao

what a shitty take. Spurs ran into bad matchups or had injury issues in 2011/2015, and should have beat OKC last season if not for a lot of questionable officiating. A paper tiger would be a team like LA, always having a good record, looking imposing, then choking and failing to ever even make a conference finals. Maybe in 2011 I might agree but this is such a shitty take it doesnt even warrant being taken seriously tbh

[Kawhitstorm]

The 11' team was derailed by injuries (Manu broken arm) and Pops inability to play the right guys (Bonner & Blair over Splitter).

That team overachieved to win 61 games playing Bonner/Blair over Splitter in the regular season. Bonner/Blair/Neal were playing 20+ minutes while being exempt from garbage time.:lol

[MaNu4Tres]

That team overachieved to win 61 games playing Bonner/Blair over Splitter in the regular season. Bonner/Blair/Neal were playing 20+ minutes while being exempt from garbage time.:lol

I don't think they overachieved at all to win 61 games that year. Memphis played out of their minds to win that series. Plus, Manu didn't play game 1, and played the remainder of the series with his right arm in a sling because it was broken.

On top of that, Pop refused to match up with Gasol/Randolph by throwing Blair and Bonner out there over and over until it was too late. I blame injuries and Pop on that run.

[spurs10]

Someone might want to mention the WCF, b2b Finals, and 2014 championship to be his guy. He is embarrassing himself. :lol

[Seventyniner]

lol so not winning a title every season is being a paper tiger? Spurs made WCF, Finals, then won a chip but were paper tigers? :lmao

what a shitty take. Spurs ran into bad matchups or had injury issues in 2011/2015, and should have beat OKC last season if not for a lot of questionable officiating. A paper tiger would be a team like LA, always having a good record, looking imposing, then choking and failing to ever even make a conference finals. Maybe in 2011 I might agree but this is such a shitty take it doesnt even warrant being taken seriously tbh

[TheGreatYacht]

I hate basketball hipsters,https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/528024925609529345/cM8T66cF_400x400.jpeghttps://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000694998406/da91b1a836fea3ee73e4c39c5ee3f810_400x400.jpeg

[TheGreatYacht]

Those nerds probably use worthless advanced stats. The same ones that say Kyle Anderson is an elite defender.

[dabom]

Those nerds probably use worthless advanced stats. The same ones that say Kyle Anderson is an elite defender.

:lmao

[Kawhitstorm]

I don't think they overachieved at all to win 61 games that year.

The Spurs had a point differential of 5.7 (Nuggets had 5.1) & an SRS of 5.86 (Nuggets had 5.37). The defense was also ranked 11th just like the Nuggets. The Spurs overachieved to win 61 games while the Nuggets overachieved to win 57 games.

The Spurs lost Manu while the Nuggets lost Gallo then both got bounced in the 1st rd by a lower seed who looked like the better team through 6 games.

It's not a coincidence that the Mavs got hot & smoked a weak Western conference when nobody expected them to get past the 2nd rd when the playoffs started.:lol

[RD2191]

:lol warriors fans

[RD2191]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/528024925609529345/cM8T66cF_400x400.jpeghttps://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000694998406/da91b1a836fea3ee73e4c39c5ee3f810_400x400.jpeg

:lmao faggots

[Spur|n|Austin]

2014 team were champions and the 2013 as close as you can to be champs against a damn good Heat team. 2012 team also was a WCF team and of championship quality.

Those don't sound like paper tigers since 2011 to me...


Someone might want to mention the WCF, b2b Finals, and 2014 championship to be his guy. He is embarrassing himself. :lol

:lol I mentioned these obvious points to him in a tweet; let's see his response.

[TimDunkem]

Those nerds probably use worthless advanced stats. The same ones that say Kyle Anderson is an elite defender.

But...Chinook says he plays incredible defense so it must be true. :lol

[hater]

Then what does that make the Clippers? :lol

[HarlemHeat37]

I hate basketball hipsters, but they're correct that the Spurs are closer to pretenders, tbh, at least so far..they have much more talent than the 2011 team, though, and their best player isn't a PG(which is generally a positive in the NBA)..

Like last year's team, this season's Spurs team has fatal flaws that are going to be more difficult to correct than the flaws of the other top teams(Warriors' lack of size, Clippers' lack of depth and Cavs' lack of defense)..

Just re-read the OP and realized he wrote since 2011..if that's the case, then that's just stupid, tbh:lol

The 2011 and 2016 teams were the only pretenders IMO..

[HarlemHeat37]

I find it funny how hard the media tries to avoid crediting the 2014 Spurs, tbh:lol..I don't listen to former players(ew) or mainstream media, but the few NBA-related podcasts I follow constantly downplay the dominance of that 2014 team(not directly dismissing them, but conveniently ignoring them when discussing this era of basketball)..

[TimDunkem]

I find it funny how hard the media tries to avoid crediting the 2014 Spurs, tbh:lol..I don't listen to former players(ew) or mainstream media, but the few NBA-related podcasts I follow constantly downplay the dominance of that 2014 team(not directly dismissing them, but conveniently ignoring them when discussing this era of basketball)..

As well as playing up the recent GSW teams saying things along the lines of "ushering in a new era of team ball" despite the fact that they did everything but literally rip pages out of the 2014 Spurs playbook, and that Curry tries to go hero mode all the time which is the antithesis of team ball. :lol

[RD2191]

Don't the spurs gave the same success as the warriors in the past 5 seasons?

[DMC]

Well the guy is a faggot. Our 2 best players are in their prime. :lol

That's a bit misleading though. Teams with great players in the sunset of their careers might still have their "best players" in their primes. Players in their primes should be the best.

[Kawhitstorm]

I find it funny how hard the media tries to avoid crediting the 2014 Spurs, tbh:lol..I don't listen to former players(ew) or mainstream media, but the few NBA-related podcasts I follow constantly downplay the dominance of that 2014 team(not directly dismissing them, but conveniently ignoring them when discussing this era of basketball)..

Players are the ones that acknowledge the 2014 Spurs dominance, OKC fan boys will forever cite Ibaka's fake injury as the reason for why they got smoked despite Porker being injured THROUGHOUT the entire postseason.:lol

LeBron is the only guy that consistently acknowledges the Spurs & Tim's dominance, tbh.

[OrEmuN]

WTF are these two idiots talking about?
GSW is the biggest regular paper tiger in history last year.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Listening to what the podcast said, OP did sort of twist his words a bit, Duncan is saying they are more of a regular season paper tiger now more so than they've ever been. Which is pretty true, tbh.

[SuperCam]

these are the same faggots that declared that iso ball was dead last year and that soft finesse shooting teams would win forever :lol


Riley had the formula right twenty years ago... rebounds = rings. isoball wins deep in the playoffs. finesse faggotry doesn't.

[TheGreatYacht]

these are the same faggots that declared that iso ball was dead last year and that soft finesse shooting teams would win forever :lol


Riley had the formula right twenty years ago... rebounds = rings. isoball wins deep in the playoffs. finesse faggotry doesn't.
JR Spliff then went on and outscored Kalyn Thompson :lol

:lol fans of soft finesse shooting teams

[Ice009]

Yet another freaking idiot. Spurs were the best team in 2013 and 2014, and had a real good chance to win it all in 2012 and 2015 (if not for the injuries to Splitter/Parker). 2016, they also had a puncher's chance, but less of a chance than the previous 4 seasons. This guy is a complete tool. If he calls that a paper tiger, I'd love to have those same chances every year. Most team's fans would KILL for that kind of so called 'paper tiger' team.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/duncdon/2016/12/18/15-in-60-western-conference-121816-part-2 @58:00 min

The Duncan/Leroux podcast is usually a good nerdy listen, but I find this rather harsh statement..LOL at equating a team that's been Champion/Finalist/WCFinalist during that period to the Toronto Raptors..

All things considered-- 2011 aside-- this team has quietly overachieved in the playoffs considering their two best core players (TD/Manu) were over 33 at the start of this decade...Even the Thunder loss last season looks better in retrospect seen how OKC were few minutes away from taking out Golden State in 5 after destroying them at home..

Not to mention we got dicked hard by the refs in 2012 and 2016. And were a shot away from a repeat in 2015.

[Seventyniner]

Rawr.