Kori Ellis
10-10-2005, 03:33 AM
Heat, Spurs play today, but looking down road
Web Posted: 10/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA101005.3D.spurs.8ab4f87.html
MIAMI — Perhaps eight months from now, if Michael Finley and Antoine Walker have adjusted to no longer being full-time starters; if Nick Van Exel and Gary Payton have graciously accepted fewer minutes; if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have successfully weathered another season, and Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade have done the same; then the Spurs and Miami Heat might find themselves paired in the NBA Finals.
For now, however, the teams aren't looking too much past their preseason opener tonight at American Airlines Arena. While the exhibition is for a good cause — the game's proceeds will go to help victims of Hurricane Katrina — it's still an exhibition.
"We're not expecting a whole lot from them, and they're not going to expect a whole lot from us," Duncan said. "But it's a great opportunity to see what they have and what they're working with."
The Heat, like the Spurs, are working with a few new pieces.
After falling short against Detroit in the seventh game of last season's Eastern Conference finals, Miami remade its roster by acquiring Walker in a sign-and-trade deal with Boston; trading for Memphis point guard Jason Williams and swingman James Posey; and signing veteran point guard Payton. In the process, Miami lost two starters: point guard Damon Jones and small forward Eddie Jones, one of its best defenders.
"It's going to be cool to see how they look," Robert Horry said. "But you know, you're not going to really see anything. They're going to try to work a lot of guys who are new into the offense and check out rookies and people trying to make the team."
The Spurs will likely do the same. Before flying here Sunday afternoon, the team ended training camp with one more practice in St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands. So far, coach Gregg Popovich likes what he has seen from his new additions: Finley, Van Exel and Fabricio Oberto.
"It's been a good week," Popovich said. "We kind of picked up where we left off. With all their experience, the new guys just caught everything really quickly and had no problem."
The Spurs and Heat initially weren't scheduled to play each other in the preseason. After Hurricane Katrina hit, officials from both teams agreed to add the game to their schedule to raise money for the Gulf Coast victims.
Horry, who is from Alabama, said his family was spared the storm's worst. But he saw its effect in Houston when thousands of evacuees were brought to the Astrodome. He also visited evacuees in Austin and held a charity poker tournament to raise money for those displaced by the storm.
"It's amazing how many people need help," Horry said. "I'm just happy (the NBA) is still trying to give help. A lot of times when it's not on the news as much, people kind of forget about it. This keeps it on people's minds that those people are going to need help for years and years to come."
O'Neal, for one, would also like to put on a good show.
"Of course, it's not the Finals, so we're not going to go 1 million percent," he told the Miami Herald, "but we might go 850,000 percent."
And eight months from now?
"Who knows what might happen?" Bruce Bowen said. "I'm not saying we're going to the Finals or they're going to the Finals ... but it will be interesting."
Web Posted: 10/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA101005.3D.spurs.8ab4f87.html
MIAMI — Perhaps eight months from now, if Michael Finley and Antoine Walker have adjusted to no longer being full-time starters; if Nick Van Exel and Gary Payton have graciously accepted fewer minutes; if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have successfully weathered another season, and Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade have done the same; then the Spurs and Miami Heat might find themselves paired in the NBA Finals.
For now, however, the teams aren't looking too much past their preseason opener tonight at American Airlines Arena. While the exhibition is for a good cause — the game's proceeds will go to help victims of Hurricane Katrina — it's still an exhibition.
"We're not expecting a whole lot from them, and they're not going to expect a whole lot from us," Duncan said. "But it's a great opportunity to see what they have and what they're working with."
The Heat, like the Spurs, are working with a few new pieces.
After falling short against Detroit in the seventh game of last season's Eastern Conference finals, Miami remade its roster by acquiring Walker in a sign-and-trade deal with Boston; trading for Memphis point guard Jason Williams and swingman James Posey; and signing veteran point guard Payton. In the process, Miami lost two starters: point guard Damon Jones and small forward Eddie Jones, one of its best defenders.
"It's going to be cool to see how they look," Robert Horry said. "But you know, you're not going to really see anything. They're going to try to work a lot of guys who are new into the offense and check out rookies and people trying to make the team."
The Spurs will likely do the same. Before flying here Sunday afternoon, the team ended training camp with one more practice in St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands. So far, coach Gregg Popovich likes what he has seen from his new additions: Finley, Van Exel and Fabricio Oberto.
"It's been a good week," Popovich said. "We kind of picked up where we left off. With all their experience, the new guys just caught everything really quickly and had no problem."
The Spurs and Heat initially weren't scheduled to play each other in the preseason. After Hurricane Katrina hit, officials from both teams agreed to add the game to their schedule to raise money for the Gulf Coast victims.
Horry, who is from Alabama, said his family was spared the storm's worst. But he saw its effect in Houston when thousands of evacuees were brought to the Astrodome. He also visited evacuees in Austin and held a charity poker tournament to raise money for those displaced by the storm.
"It's amazing how many people need help," Horry said. "I'm just happy (the NBA) is still trying to give help. A lot of times when it's not on the news as much, people kind of forget about it. This keeps it on people's minds that those people are going to need help for years and years to come."
O'Neal, for one, would also like to put on a good show.
"Of course, it's not the Finals, so we're not going to go 1 million percent," he told the Miami Herald, "but we might go 850,000 percent."
And eight months from now?
"Who knows what might happen?" Bruce Bowen said. "I'm not saying we're going to the Finals or they're going to the Finals ... but it will be interesting."