kht
05-18-2023, 02:31 AM
We can't retroactively look in hindsight (knowing we won 2014) and say we should have also won in 2013. Who says the Spurs would equally be as hungry? Who says they still practice and focus as hard? Who says the loss didn't help them manage late game situations better?
In fact, we almost lost in the first round to the Mavericks. OKC coulda easily beat us if Westbrook doesn't go Hero Mode, Kawhi doesn't make that clutch steal, Manu misses that 3, and Duncan gets his turnaround shot blocked. We dodged many bullets in 2014. If Lebron doesn't cramp up and Danny Green doesn't go off in Game 1, we're looking at a 0-2 hole going back to Miami. Bounces of the basketball that could have gone the other way.
Assuming we win Game 1 in 2017 and Kawhi doesn't get Zaza'd, that's not a guarantee series win either. Golden State would have made adjustments. The Spurs were cooked. Parker already went down, and David Lee ends up getting injured as well. Assuming we get past the Warriors, a healthy Cavs team awaits us. The 2017 Cavs would be heavy favorites I think with the injuries to the Spurs.
Point being we maxed out on Kawhi and got a ring out of him (that being our ceiling all along... one ring, no more or no less). We lucked out not giving him the max and crippling our franchise. Outside of 2019/2020, he's been injured literally every year. In the scenario that Kawhi's happy and his uncle isn't in his head, we get 1 year of healthy Kawhi on his original contract and 1 year of healthy Kawhi on his new max contract (of 5 years), leaving the Spurs out to dry for the next 4 years. Somehow him forcing his way off the team gifted us the #1 pick this year. Thank you Basketball Gods.
The icing on the cake is that Charlotte, in the opposite conference, ends up with the #2 pick (to best bolster their roster) and has a real shot at being a playoff team next year. This is the best case scenario for the NBA Draft Lottery this year. We own their protected 1st round pick for one of 2024 and 2025, meaning we want them to be a playoff team.
All this to say... it doesn't hurt anymore.
In fact, we almost lost in the first round to the Mavericks. OKC coulda easily beat us if Westbrook doesn't go Hero Mode, Kawhi doesn't make that clutch steal, Manu misses that 3, and Duncan gets his turnaround shot blocked. We dodged many bullets in 2014. If Lebron doesn't cramp up and Danny Green doesn't go off in Game 1, we're looking at a 0-2 hole going back to Miami. Bounces of the basketball that could have gone the other way.
Assuming we win Game 1 in 2017 and Kawhi doesn't get Zaza'd, that's not a guarantee series win either. Golden State would have made adjustments. The Spurs were cooked. Parker already went down, and David Lee ends up getting injured as well. Assuming we get past the Warriors, a healthy Cavs team awaits us. The 2017 Cavs would be heavy favorites I think with the injuries to the Spurs.
Point being we maxed out on Kawhi and got a ring out of him (that being our ceiling all along... one ring, no more or no less). We lucked out not giving him the max and crippling our franchise. Outside of 2019/2020, he's been injured literally every year. In the scenario that Kawhi's happy and his uncle isn't in his head, we get 1 year of healthy Kawhi on his original contract and 1 year of healthy Kawhi on his new max contract (of 5 years), leaving the Spurs out to dry for the next 4 years. Somehow him forcing his way off the team gifted us the #1 pick this year. Thank you Basketball Gods.
The icing on the cake is that Charlotte, in the opposite conference, ends up with the #2 pick (to best bolster their roster) and has a real shot at being a playoff team next year. This is the best case scenario for the NBA Draft Lottery this year. We own their protected 1st round pick for one of 2024 and 2025, meaning we want them to be a playoff team.
All this to say... it doesn't hurt anymore.