from ESPN's 101 things we learned this season

[td4mvp3]

39. Spurious
Why are the Spurs more vulnerable than expected? (Remember when San Antonio was a nearly unanimous pick to win it all, and some were predicting 70 wins?) Because their vaunted front office picked up some cubic zirconia when it signed Michael Finley (12.5 PER), Nick Van Exel (10.2) and Fabricio Oberto (10.2). Suddenly the Spurs are barely five deep and banged up to boot. For real. -- ESPN.com

[Solid D]

'Got you right where they want you, ESPN.

[gospursgojas]

Most of its true, except for Finley being a C/Z.

[PM5K]

Michael Finley has probably single handedly won more games than any other Spur this season, or sealed victories for us...

[Rummpd]

BSPN nothing about two hobbled starters = INANE

[Vinnie_Johnson]

19. Bandwagon ass-cats
No players -- or fans -- carry a chip on their shoulder quite as well as those in Detroit. Even when the media showed the Pistons some love, Rasheed Wallace spat back, not ready to forget and forgive the lack of respect he'd been feeling: "We'll see them bandwagon ass-cats come May and June

[Xylus]

47. Parlez vous basketball?
The land that gave us the Statue of Liberty, The Coneheads and Gerard Depardieu provided another gift in 2005-06: The league's two most improved players. Frenchmen Tony Parker and Boris Diaw both raised their games to new levels to help the Spurs and Suns to division titles … and a possible showdown in the Western Conference finals.

[picnroll]

Pop's always been a coach who's brought in seasoned vets to rely on. That's who he's trusted and relied on come playoff time. Sometimes it's work, Elie, Kerr, Ferry and sometimes it hasn't Kersey, Porter. This year he's stretched it reeeaaall far with Van Slow and Finley, to add to Barry. It's pretty scary when you think that the Spurs don't have a single decent perimeter defender they can sub in for Bowen, Parker, Ginobili. Especially scary with the new rules changes favoring perimeter offensive players. This is the weakest perimeter defnsive team the Spurs have had in some time. Maybe Pop and Buford miscalculated. Next year the Spurs need a serious revamp of the bench.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

WHo the hell was predicting 70 wins? Even the homerist of homers here thought that was unrealistic. They also neglect the improved play of Brent Barry, and the fact that despite all of their struggles through the season, they are looking more and more like the SPAMers we know and love as the playoffs near.

[cheguevara]

39. Spurious
Why are the Spurs more vulnerable than expected? (Remember when San Antonio was a nearly unanimous pick to win it all, and some were predicting 70 wins?) Because their vaunted front office picked up some cubic zirconia when it signed Michael Finley (12.5 PER), Nick Van Exel (10.2) and Fabricio Oberto (10.2). Suddenly the Spurs are barely five deep and banged up to boot. For real. -- ESPN.com

Duh, Tim Duncan's injury. They are actually a better ballclub than last year if you ommit that.

[mike detroit]

Most of its true, except for Finley being a C/Z.


yeah, he's more of a fugazi

[Pero]

93. Stare at this
Gotta love Ron Artest. When he went to the Kings, he chose 93 for his number. Ninety-three? It represents "infinite intensity," says Ron-Ron. "Just stare at it for two hours, you'll see what I'm talking about." -- ESPN.com

:lol

[ShoogarBear]

3Michael Finley (12.5 PER), Nick Van Exel (10.2) and Fabricio Oberto (10.2).

What are those numbers? Per something, or P.E.R.?

[Pero]

I think P. E. R. means player efficiency rating,

[Pero]

... or not. Too high for them.

[td4mvp3]

... or not. Too high for them.
no, you're right. i just don't know how they calculate it, but that's what it stands for.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

64. Playoff seeding matters
The NBA won this year's Horse Out of the Barn award by belatedly reconsidering its playoff seeding approach -- after it was too late to stop a Dallas-San Antonio showdown in the Western Conference semis. Although any semi-rational 5-year-old could have seen this coming from a mile away, it apparently didn't occur to the league (until now) that two of its best teams could meet in an early round if they were in the same division. -- J.H.


why bother having divisions? if there is no reward for winning the division then dont have them, simple. just leave it was conferences

[Fabbs]

WHo the hell was predicting 70 wins?

Magic Johnson on TNT to Ernie and Chuck Barkely.

[timvp]

Sometimes it's work, Elie, Kerr, Ferry and sometimes it hasn't Kersey, Porter.

Uh I think signing Kersey in '99 worked.

[mikejones99]

They coulda got 70 if they were totally healthy all year like Detroit.

[ALVAREZ6]

1. BSPN
Although we are the most widely known sports covering company/station, we are probably the worst. I have no idea why people even bother listening to us. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, what is taking you guys so long? I've been bent over for a couple of years now and ya'll still haven't punished me.

[Samr]

Did Shawn Kemp get no. 7?

[Obstructed_View]

WHo the hell was predicting 70 wins? Even the homerist of homers here thought that was unrealistic.
I don't remember anyone predicting 70, although it was discussed here in a couple of places. The interesting thing is that the Spurs never played with any urgency the entire season and will probably end up with 63 wins. Does anyone doubt that there were seven wins that got away in there somewhere?

[Samr]

Well now that spring training is comming to a close, I predict a 16-win season.

[spurofthemoment]

yeah, he's more of a fugazi
damn is that sheed doin a windmill

[spurofthemoment]

Uh I think signing Kersey in '99 worked.
he sure did