I think it's time to...

[Marcus Bryant]

...end all the 'Spurs will win 70+ games/greatest team of all time' bullshit. Spurs fans act like last season's version was dominant in the postseason, but I'm not sure if getting blown out by 30, choking in your 1st home elimination game and being one quarter away from choking away two home elimination games + the title in the Finals fits that mold. Lest we forget that a nondescript Sonics team almost took them to 7. Sure, on paper they look good, but games aren't played on paper.

Maybe at some point this season they'll be good enough to beat down the softest playoff team in the league on the road while sleepwalking. They're not there now.

Perfection, nay it is.

[ducks]

if pop would not tinker with the lineup
spurs could win 70
spurs could win 70 if pop had the nerve to bench manu tell he was 100%
other players would step up if he was on the bench

[HB22inSA]

...end all the 'Spurs will win 70+ games/greatest team of all time' bullshit. Spurs fans act like last season's version was dominant in the postseason, but I'm not sure if getting blown out by 30, choking in your 1st home elimination game and being one quarter away from choking away two home elimination games + the title in the Finals fits that mold. Lest we forget that a nondescript Sonics team almost took them to 7. Sure, on paper they look good, but games aren't played on paper.

Maybe at some point this season they'll be good enough to beat down the softest playoff team in the league on the road while sleepwalking. They're not there now.

Perfection, nay it is.

I've been saying this for months now.

[ObiwanGinobili]

for the record.. I was/am thinking more like 63-65 wins.

:angel

[HB22inSA]

for the record.. I was/am thinking more like 63-65 wins.
Oh no, not you too, Obi!!!

The Spurs will struggle to win 60 this year.

[Brodels]

As I said earlier, I would be thrilled with a 5-4 start. It's going to take some time and good health for this team to perform at a high level night in and night out.

They have a long way to go.

[Solid D]

I've been saying this for months now.

I guess Pop has been listening to you, then, because that's what he's been saying, also.

[Vashner]

I think I predicted 60-61 games. But more from potential injury than sloppy play.

The 70 win's.. that is kinda bandwagony talk. It jinxs things too.. ask pop about 70 wins and you'll get a dirty look.

[HB22inSA]

Solid D, you have to agree that the hype this year has been beyond excessive. I mean, EVERYONE is picking the Spurs to repeat.

[Solid D]

Yes, most definitely.

[smeagol]

spurs could win 70 if pop had the nerve to bench manu tell he was 100%
other players would step up if he was on the bench
Huh?

So Manu was the reason we lost against Dallas?

Who from the bench was going to step up?

Finley and Barry both played the same amount of minutes as Manu and scored 2 and 5 points respectively. Van X was scoring alright but he was blowing his defensive assignments.

So please elaborate. Who was going to step from the bench? Manu despite a bad game was our third best scorer.

In any case, MB is right. 70 wins is crazy. 62 is more like it.

[ducks]

when your teamates KNow you are not playing because you are hurt they step up. When duncan was out rasho played much better. The bench would step up if manu was out. Someone would step up.
spurs are fine they usually start off slow due to pop tinker with the lineup.
the spurs did not lose because of manu but because pop forgot who his star point guard was.

[FreshPrince22]

Good post. People act like the Spurs slaughterd the Pistons or something, when it could have gone either way. Came down to the last 5 minutes of the last game. Now, people are picking the Spurs to win 70 games and sweep through the playoffs, and the Pistons to win at most 50 games and exit in the 1st or 2nd round. It really blows my mind. I know the Spurs added Finley and all, but Mo Evans is proving to be the steal of the offseason, and with the new coach we've got 2-3 more bench players that are being utilized (arroyo, delfino, darko), unlike before. I still think it will be a Pistons/Spurs rematch, and hopefully another series going down to the wire.
________
Marijuana card (http://medicalmarijuanacard.info)

[MaNuMaNiAc]

when your teamates KNow you are not playing because you are hurt they step up. When duncan was out rasho played much better. The bench would step up if manu was out. Someone would step up.
spurs are fine they usually start off slow due to pop tinker with the lineup.
the spurs did not lose because of manu but because pop forgot who his star point guard was.
yeah, ducks, because there is no way the Spurs would have lost with Parker playing 40 minutes right? http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smirolleyes.gif

[coopdogg3]

I predict an 81-1 Spurs record. Then they get swept in the first round in the play-offs by the Lakers. :lol

[Leetonidas]

I hate how when the Spurs lose one game everyone is all over them. Just because they're 2-1 doesn't mean they can't go 70-12. They just never got in a rhythm last night and that will happen from time to time. Manu will be his regular self again soon. C'mon, if the Spurs won 20 straight and were 20-1 would you guys be saying a bunch of crap? The only way the Spurs aren't getting to 70 is by not playing or injuries. This team has great potential, just let them work with each other.

God, when Jason Terry hit that buzzer beater on us in Atlanta in 03' were you guys saying "Oh there's no way the Spurs can get 60 wins now"? Geez, it's only 3 games. Give it time.

[slayermin]

I predict an 81-1 Spurs record. Then they get swept in the first round in the play-offs by the Lakers. :lol

That shit ain't funny, man.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Huh?

So Manu was the reason we lost against Dallas?

Who from the bench was going to step up?

Finley and Barry both played the same amount of minutes as Manu and scored 2 and 5 points respectively. Van X was scoring alright but he was blowing his defensive assignments.

So please elaborate. Who was going to step from the bench? Manu despite a bad game was our third best scorer.

In any case, MB is right. 70 wins is crazy. 62 is more like it.


Finally, it is nice to see some of our posters who can spell well.
Sorry, but for a while there it just seemed like every post I saw had major mistakes (some of which I know were not just typos) and it began to bug me a little.
Solid D, Smeagol, thank you! Now, I don't feel alone here. :blah

[E20]

81-1 bitches just watch.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Oh no, not you too, Obi!!!

The Spurs will struggle to win 60 this year.


well I have to pick a # that is possible yet still incredible. Call me a romantic. - but I believe. :lol

[MI21]

Yeah, I predcited 56-60 wins, I just don't see the Spurs winning 70 games or anything crazy like that with the way they play. The 1996 Bulls, this team is not.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I hate how when the Spurs lose one game everyone is all over them. Just because they're 2-1 doesn't mean they can't go 70-12. They just never got in a rhythm last night and that will happen from time to time. Manu will be his regular self again soon. C'mon, if the Spurs won 20 straight and were 20-1 would you guys be saying a bunch of crap? The only way the Spurs aren't getting to 70 is by not playing or injuries. This team has great potential, just let them work with each other.

God, when Jason Terry hit that buzzer beater on us in Atlanta in 03' were you guys saying "Oh there's no way the Spurs can get 60 wins now"? Geez, it's only 3 games. Give it time.


All right, I understand where you all are coming from and I think most (or all- I just don't remember everything you said) of what you wrote Marcus is true.

One loss in the third game of this young season, the first one on the road, with a team that is still getting to know each other does not in and of itself immediately and completely remove the possible record achievements of this team.

However, I think about this situation more like TexasBalla1001 does.
The general tenor of your (Marcus, Solid D, Smeagol) statements seems to be more negative than is warranted. Marcus appears to favor a negative, glass is half empty view. Solid D is a realist, looking at the probabilities. I am not going to argue that a record is probable. There are many possible roadblocks and it is the case that some teams fail to realize their potential. I think that the quality of each of the Spurs as human beings greatly reduces the chances that team chemistry issues will derail them. That normally is the single, biggest risk when one team accumulates an extraordinary amount of talent. Injuries are the second biggest danger to a team fulfilling its potential. So, as I say, I will not present an argument that the Spurs will probably break a record for wins this season. However, I will argue that the statement that this Spurs team could potentially break a record for wins is appropriate and true. Further, I argue that statistical arguments which support this case lack their equivalent for other teams. Hence, it is meaningful to state that the current version of the Spurs have the potential to win more games than any other team and that this applies in a unique way to the Spurs.

One may keep notes as statistics are being given. One may write down the names of the best teams and then write down the statistic which is said to support the claim made for the Spurs and an equivalent if one exists for the other teams one is comparing to the Spurs. One will find that while some of the better teams have some equivalent statistics in some categories, no team has an equivalent for every statistic which supports the claim made.


Certainly, on balance, the Pistons Spurs Finals was extremely close. We clearly did not slaughter the Pistons by any stretch of the imagination.
Athletic, physically aggressive teams seem to give us trouble.

However, let's review. Nuggets win game 1 while Tim can barely stand up.
Spurs take the next four include both games in the Mile High Nugget Arena, beginning with a blowout win in game 2.

Spurs win both games 1 and 2 against the Sonics very handily. Their dominance was established prior to the injuries that the Sonics suffered. Game 3, we lost because Tim missed a 5 or 6 foot hook which rimmed out, a shot that he will make most of the time. He makes that shot and Spurs win in four or five. Despite Tim injuring his other ankle, we win game 6 in Seattle.

We beat the Suns three straight games, a team that had the best record in the league. We held them to 39 points at the half of Game 3. The series was over, once we were up three to nothing. Tim's ankles were still troubling him. Our road record in the playoffs was 6-2, a 75 % winning percentage which was identical to our home playoff record. That's pretty darn good.

We played the Pistons and blew them out twice at home. Game 3, we were tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Game 4 was even worse than game 3 and never close. Manu's injury made him completely ineffective. In game 5, as much as people want to jump all over Tim for his poor fourth quarter performance from the floor and at the free throw line as well as the turnover in overtime, Tim put up big numbers. 26 points and 19 rebounds is a monster game. He did this in a hostile arena in the most important game of the season. Tim put us in a position to win if and only if Horry puts on his superman cape, which he did. We had just won a big game on the road and the Pistons backs were against the wall, producing a competitive win for the Pistons. Game 7, Tim started off 4 of 7 and then went 0 for 8 or something like that. However, he righted himself, put us on his back and forced the Pistons to double team him. Tim was on a roll and they knew it. He had put their front line in foul trouble since they could not guard him effectively without fouling him. This gave him more favorable matchups and forced them to back off of him. When that happened, he ate them alive. Tim accounted for a big percentage of our points. While he shot about 50 % from the field in that period, he also got to the line and handed out several key assists. There would have been more assists had Parker or Horry made the open shots that came from Tim drawing a double team and passing the ball back out to them. This is pretty good for a team whose main guy is injured against a very good Detroit team.

Considering our best player was injured, I think that it is fair to state that this was an impressive performance.

Some of you may remember the 99 team. We had an auspicious beginning. However, we closed the year 31-5 or something like that. Now, that team lost 2 games during the entire playoffs. The focal point of both this team and that team is the same, Tim Duncan.

This team also won it all in 2003. It is difficult to avoid the obvious: this current team is much better than the 2003 team. It also had Tim Duncan. He had to do a lot on his own because David's back and his age prevented him from being effective. Tony's game was more spotty than it is now. Manu was reckless with the ball, coughing up a lot of turnovers. This team had Stephen Jackson starting.

Manu clearly raised his game last year to that of an elite player. Tony Parker has a legitimate chance to make the all star team this year, which is an extrapolation based not on the impressive games he has played this year, but rather based upon the significant improvements he has made based upon year over year comparisons. Tim Duncan is still at a point where age is not affecting his game yet. He is still the best basketball player in the world, which is not solely the position of a few Spurs homers, but rather the considered opinion of a number of objective basketball analysts. A large and representative group of sportswriters named Tim Duncan as the best basketball player in the history of the game this past year.

Let's review a few of the relevant statistics. Tim has won the mvp of the regular season twice (prior to this year which I am not yet counting although perhaps I should go ahead and book it), has won 3 championship rings which was accomplished through his efforts in meriting the finals mvp 3 times. This man has made first team all NBA defense all eight years that he has been in the league. He is consistently a leader in double doubles and shot blocks. He has made the all star team every year he has been in the league. He won the rookie of the year as well. In game 6 against the Nets in 2003, Tim in setting a new record for most blocked shots in a Finals, came only 2 blocked shots shy of the first ever quadruple double in the Finals, the most dominating game I have ever seen any player play, including the heroics of His Heirness, .

Good outside shooting has, in each of the Finals that the Spurs have won, put them over the top. Manu has proven that the can knock it down from beyond the arc. Robert Horry has made more 3 point shots in the Finals than anybody else ever. NVE leads all current players except Ray Allen in 3 point shots made. Michael Finley is a proven shooter. Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen have both been two of the elite 3 point shooters in the game for a number of years.

The defense of the Spurs has been superior or equivalent to that of any team in recent memory. Shots blocked, points per game, field goal percentage, defensive rebounding, defending against the 3 (both % and absolute quantity) and limiting opponents' transition baskets all attest to the quality of their defense. Tim and Bruce are all NBA first team defense. Later, Manu might join their ranks.

Their ability to penetrate into the lane creates severe problems for the opposition. Tony and Manu can get to the rim at will, leaving offensive rebounds there for the taking, or once at the rim then dishing to the open shooter getting to the free throw line as a direct result.

The bench of the Spurs compares favorably to any recent championship team. Many of the players on the bench were starters for most of their careers. Some of them might still be starting if they were playing for another team. Granted that some of them are somewhat older, but the demands upon their bodies are much less. One could consider them a starting team which simply averages fewer minutes, minutes that they are capable of filling as well as most other starters for most other teams.

Given that the nucleus of this team, Tim Duncan, has won 3 titles, its core group of guys around him have won 2 or more rings, their defense is one of the two best in the league, the offensive talent on this team is equal to that on any team, it is realistic to think that this team has the potential to win more games than any Spurs team has, possibly even equalling the record set by Jordan's Bulls.

Saying that it is possible and realistic is not a statement of what is probable. At this point, one can only evaluate this team "on paper". This tells us that the potential for the Spurs is higher than the potential for any of the other NBA teams this year and higher than the actual achievements made by previous teams.

In summary, it is appropriate to recognize that the best version of a team which has a higher winning percentage than any US team in any major professional sport in the Tim Duncan era has the potential to win more games than any other NBA team has thus far.



Hence, until one finds an answer for these arguments based upon superior statistical support from the record of the Spurs, one can not legitimately claim that only Spurs homers believe that the Spurs have the potential to break the record for wins in a way that does not apply to other teams. QED.
:fro

[samikeyp]

Solid D, you have to agree that the hype this year has been beyond excessive. I mean, EVERYONE is picking the Spurs to repeat.

that is not the Spurs fault or even the fans fault. Maybe everyone says it because they believe it. I agree that the 70 win talk is fallacy but hey, if someone wants to think that...let them. Personally I don't care how many the Spurs get in the regular season...as long as they get 16 in the playoffs.

[ducks]

the spurs would have had alot of better shot at winning against mavs if tp played all of the 4


nve can not play d

[Mavs<Spurs]

All right, I understand where you all are coming from and I think most (or all- I just don't remember everything you said) of what you wrote Marcus is true.

One loss in the third game of this young season, the first one on the road, with a team that is still getting to know each other does not in and of itself immediately and completely remove the possible record achievements of this team.

However, I think about this situation more like TexasBalla1001 does.
The general tenor of your (Marcus, Solid D, Smeagol) statements seems to be more negative than is warranted. Marcus appears to favor a negative, glass is half empty view. Solid D is a realist, looking at the probabilities. I am not going to argue that a record is probable. There are many possible roadblocks and it is the case that some teams fail to realize their potential. I think that the quality of each of the Spurs as human beings greatly reduces the chances that team chemistry issues will derail them. That normally is the single, biggest risk when one team accumulates an extraordinary amount of talent. Injuries are the second biggest danger to a team fulfilling its potential. So, as I say, I will not present an argument that the Spurs will probably break a record for wins this season. However, I will argue that the statement that this Spurs team could potentially break a record for wins is appropriate and true. Further, I argue that statistical arguments which support this case lack their equivalent for other teams. Hence, it is meaningful to state that the current version of the Spurs have the potential to win more games than any other team and that this applies in a unique way to the Spurs.

One may keep notes as statistics are being given. One may write down the names of the best teams and then write down the statistic which is said to support the claim made for the Spurs and an equivalent if one exists for the other teams one is comparing to the Spurs. One will find that while some of the better teams have some equivalent statistics in some categories, no team has an equivalent for every statistic which supports the claim made.


Certainly, on balance, the Pistons Spurs Finals was extremely close. We clearly did not slaughter the Pistons by any stretch of the imagination.
Athletic, physically aggressive teams seem to give us trouble.

However, let's review. Nuggets win game 1 while Tim can barely stand up.
Spurs take the next four include both games in the Mile High Nugget Arena, beginning with a blowout win in game 2.

Spurs win both games 1 and 2 against the Sonics very handily. Their dominance was established prior to the injuries that the Sonics suffered. Game 3, we lost because Tim missed a 5 or 6 foot hook which rimmed out, a shot that he will make most of the time. He makes that shot and Spurs win in four or five. Despite Tim injuring his other ankle, we win game 6 in Seattle.

We beat the Suns three straight games, a team that had the best record in the league. We held them to 39 points at the half of Game 3. The series was over, once we were up three to nothing. Tim's ankles were still troubling him. Our road record in the playoffs was 6-2, a 75 % winning percentage which was identical to our home playoff record. That's pretty darn good.

We played the Pistons and blew them out twice at home. Game 3, we were tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Game 4 was even worse than game 3 and never close. Manu's injury made him completely ineffective. In game 5, as much as people want to jump all over Tim for his poor fourth quarter performance from the floor and at the free throw line as well as the turnover in overtime, Tim put up big numbers. 26 points and 19 rebounds is a monster game. He did this in a hostile arena in the most important game of the season. Tim put us in a position to win if and only if Horry puts on his superman cape, which he did. We had just won a big game on the road and the Pistons backs were against the wall, producing a competitive win for the Pistons. Game 7, Tim started off 4 of 7 and then went 0 for 8 or something like that. However, he righted himself, put us on his back and forced the Pistons to double team him. Tim was on a roll and they knew it. He had put their front line in foul trouble since they could not guard him effectively without fouling him. This gave him more favorable matchups and forced them to back off of him. When that happened, he ate them alive. Tim accounted for a big percentage of our points. While he shot about 50 % from the field in that period, he also got to the line and handed out several key assists. There would have been more assists had Parker or Horry made the open shots that came from Tim drawing a double team and passing the ball back out to them. This is pretty good for a team whose main guy is injured against a very good Detroit team.

Considering our best player was injured, I think that it is fair to state that this was an impressive performance.

Some of you may remember the 99 team. We had an auspicious beginning. However, we closed the year 31-5 or something like that. Now, that team lost 2 games during the entire playoffs. The focal point of both this team and that team is the same, Tim Duncan.

This team also won it all in 2003. It is difficult to avoid the obvious: this current team is much better than the 2003 team. It also had Tim Duncan. He had to do a lot on his own because David's back and his age prevented him from being effective. Tony's game was more spotty than it is now. Manu was reckless with the ball, coughing up a lot of turnovers. This team had Stephen Jackson starting.

Manu clearly raised his game last year to that of an elite player. Tony Parker has a legitimate chance to make the all star team this year, which is an extrapolation based not on the impressive games he has played this year, but rather based upon the significant improvements he has made based upon year over year comparisons. Tim Duncan is still at a point where age is not affecting his game yet. He is still the best basketball player in the world, which is not solely the position of a few Spurs homers, but rather the considered opinion of a number of objective basketball analysts. A large and representative group of sportswriters named Tim Duncan as the best basketball player in the history of the game this past year.

Let's review a few of the relevant statistics. Tim has won the mvp of the regular season twice (prior to this year which I am not yet counting although perhaps I should go ahead and book it), has won 3 championship rings which was accomplished through his efforts in meriting the finals mvp 3 times. This man has made first team all NBA defense all eight years that he has been in the league. He is consistently a leader in double doubles and shot blocks. He has made the all star team every year he has been in the league. He won the rookie of the year as well. In game 6 against the Nets in 2003, Tim in setting a new record for most blocked shots in a Finals, came only 2 blocked shots shy of the first ever quadruple double in the Finals, the most dominating game I have ever seen any player play, including the heroics of His Heirness, .

Good outside shooting has, in each of the Finals that the Spurs have won, put them over the top. Manu has proven that the can knock it down from beyond the arc. Robert Horry has made more 3 point shots in the Finals than anybody else ever. NVE leads all current players except Ray Allen in 3 point shots made. Michael Finley is a proven shooter. Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen have both been two of the elite 3 point shooters in the game for a number of years.

The defense of the Spurs has been superior or equivalent to that of any team in recent memory. Shots blocked, points per game, field goal percentage, defensive rebounding, defending against the 3 (both % and absolute quantity) and limiting opponents' transition baskets all attest to the quality of their defense. Tim and Bruce are all NBA first team defense. Later, Manu might join their ranks.

Their ability to penetrate into the lane creates severe problems for the opposition. Tony and Manu can get to the rim at will, leaving offensive rebounds there for the taking, or once at the rim then dishing to the open shooter getting to the free throw line as a direct result.

The bench of the Spurs compares favorably to any recent championship team. Many of the players on the bench were starters for most of their careers. Some of them might still be starting if they were playing for another team. Granted that some of them are somewhat older, but the demands upon their bodies are much less. One could consider them a starting team which simply averages fewer minutes, minutes that they are capable of filling as well as most other starters for most other teams.

Given that the nucleus of this team, Tim Duncan, has won 3 titles, its core group of guys around him have won 2 or more rings, their defense is one of the two best in the league, the offensive talent on this team is equal to that on any team, it is realistic to think that this team has the potential to win more games than any Spurs team has, possibly even equalling the record set by Jordan's Bulls.

Saying that it is possible and realistic is not a statement of what is probable. At this point, one can only evaluate this team "on paper". This tells us that the potential for the Spurs is higher than the potential for any of the other NBA teams this year and higher than the actual achievements made by previous teams.

In summary, it is appropriate to recognize that the best version of a team which has a higher winning percentage than any US team in any major professional sport in the Tim Duncan era has the potential to win more games than any other NBA team has thus far.



Hence, until one finds an answer for these arguments based upon superior statistical support from the record of the Spurs, one can not legitimately claim that only Spurs homers believe that the Spurs have the potential to break the record for wins in a way that does not apply to other teams. QED.
:fro


Okay, now I must have the record for the single longest post of all time.
This was not an attempt to win by filibuster (so don't employ the nuclear or constitutional option). This is Battle blog material, no?

[baseline bum]

One loss isn't going to convince me this isn't one of the most stacked teams the NBA has ever seen. I called 68, but 70+ wouldn't surprise me.

[HB22inSA]

Personally I don't care how many the Spurs get in the regular season...as long as they get 16 in the playoffs.
That's all that counts.

They could win 47 games and get the 8th seed for all I care, as long as they get it done in the playoffs.

[Brodels]

Okay, now I must have the record for the single longest post of all time.
This was not an attempt to win by filibuster (so don't employ the nuclear or constitutional option). This is Battle blog material, no?

Shorten it up and post it in the battle blog section.

[TDMVPDPOY]

1 game loss, wait till we lose 11 more then we can throw out the 72-10 or 82 record, so far we are on track for 81-1 :D

[George Gervin's Afro]

My problem was with the lack of energy we played with. There was no sense of urgency and the Mavs were playing like it was their superbowl. We are not goods enough to just show up and win...but I think this loss was a good lesson early in the season. I am not too concered with the mavericks..

[Extra Stout]

Yeah, the team is a little overhyped. Bill Simmons et al. have been predicting 70 wins, but that's just because NVE and Finley are big names.

Last year's squad was on a 65-win pace before Duncan got hurt the first time. That also was before the Rose/Mohammed trade. I think maybe some folks are taking that, figuring that Finley, NVE, and Oberto are gargantuan upgrades over Brown, Udrih, and Rose/Massenburg, assuming this team will be healthy because of its depth, and therefore adding about 5 wins.

I don't think it works that way. Is Finley a huge upgrade over Brown in a bench role? Finley gives you a lot more offense, and if Manu sits out a game, you can plug Finley into the starting lineup and hardly miss a beat. But coming off the bench, Brown was one of those "intangibles" guys who did a lot of things. Finley is a less versatile "instant offense" player.

As for NVE vs. Udrih... well Udrih started red-hot last year before he hit the wall and lost some confidence. His teammates were amazed at how good his passes were. NVE is another of those "instant offense" players. He's looking for his shot first, just like Parker. And his defense is, um, not his strength. He's a veteran, he's cagey, he knows his role, but he's not going to be for the Spurs what he was for Dallas in 2002-03 because that's not how this team works.

As for Oberto... he's putting forth a lot of effort, setting good screens, and doing some little things, but so far with regard to executing the basics of the Spurs defensive scheme, he has been a giant ball of suck. However, he has yet to pull his jersey over his head and let his man scoot uncontested for a layup.

So I don't see, at least not yet, how this team is supposed to add 5 wins from what last year's team was doing at its peak. At best, they can weather injuries better than the 2004-05 crew and stay on a torrid pace if they ever get there. That would yield 65 wins tops.

As for the Dallas loss, well, the Spurs got blown out at Seattle early in the season last year. Big deal. I guess Dallas will be a tough out. That makes sense -- AJ has had a full training camp to teach the Mavericks what the Spurs' Achilles heel is --> midrange defense.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Marcus, if you are entitled to say Spurs are a terrible team that has no chance whatsoever at winning 70 games after one loss, we are entitled to our opinion that while it may not be probable, it is possible after our win on the road.

Denver, Cavaliers (new and improved), Dallas on the road and Chicago on the road. 3-1 with this series of opponents, still trying to get everyone familiar with our schemes and comfortable playing together and with the added pressure of being the world champs is not that bad. It is very possible, perhaps likely, that we will finish this road series with a 7-1 record = .875 winning percentage, on pace for a 70 win season. And obviously the best games are ahead for this Spurs team, when they get to know each other better and get to know the schemes better.

[Leetonidas]

:tu

[Marcus Bryant]

Marcus, if you are entitled to say Spurs are a terrible team that has no chance whatsoever at winning 70 games after one loss, we are entitled to our opinion that while it may not be probable, it is possible after our win on the road.


Um to be a 60 win team and win a championship is not "terrible". Get some perspective, please. Thanks.

[FromWayDowntown]

Um to be a 60 win team and win a championship is not "terrible". Get some perspective, please. Thanks.

That lack of perspective is truly remarkable.

Given their struggles on the road -- both last season and so far this season -- it would be remarkable for the Spurs to reach even 62 wins. But, in the end, 62 wins is likely to be enough to win the division and have HCA throughout the playoffs, which is ultimately all that might matter.

In any event, it's hardly controversial to say that the Spurs won't win 70 games, or even 65 games; it's realistic, if you've paid attention.

[Marcus Bryant]

It's not hard to see why fans believe the Spurs can stop concerning themselves with finding ways to improve.

[TDMVPDPOY]

currently 3-1 on target for 81-1

[jcrod]

They won 59 games last season with Duncan hurt most of the last 15 games. Haviing TP, Manu and TD playing another season together, plus and improved bench could easily boost their win totals to 7-10 games. I see 65-67.

[leemajors]

the spurs will win 70 games if marcus bryant hits 3 million posts by the end of the season. pick up the pace, MB. we're depending on you.

[Extra Stout]

Haviing TP, Manu and TD playing another season together, plus and improved bench could easily boost their win totals to 7-10 games. I see 65-67.
Health is the biggest thing. But once you get past 60 wins, it takes a LOT to get each additional win. Going from 60 to 65 wins takes a much greater improvement than going from 50 to 55 does.

[sanman53]

I think this is awesome we are even able to have Spurs and 70 wins in the same discussion, or even 80 wins by some of you all.