GrandeDavid
04-22-2006, 09:41 AM
Evidently a 63 win campaign and two titles in three years are unimpressive to some, particularly in the media. Maybe its that Detroit is truly that great, which they appear to be. But either way, the Spurs come into tonight's game against Sacramento with a helluva lot to prove to the doubters...that is, if the professional, highly cohesive and efficient Spurs really care what the national media talking heads think.
It seems that everywhere I click on the net, the Pistons are overwhelmingly picked to win the championship and, in two major city newspapers I skimmed, I read in one the Spurs would fall to the Kings, and in another they'd fall to the Mavs. At ESPN.com, out of the panel of 8 "experts" (yeah right-simple beat writers is all they are), only 2 pick the Spurs to win it all. 5 pick the Pistons. A couple pick the Mavs over the Spurs.
And now Mike Kahn of Foxsports has evidently jumped on grisly Charley Rosen's weak take wagon (Finley is a stopper!?) in saying that the title is already Detroit's. Emphatically so.
I'm not saying that Detroit should not be favored, what with home court and their own "point to prove" after last year's 7 game classic against San Antonio. But facts are facts, and the Spurs are the dogs. That, by the way is great news. The Spurs historically have played well when placed a bit under the radar.
Meantime, Ron Artest is talking smack about the Spurs, Tony Parker is showing what I believe to be too much respect for Mike Bibby before this series starts. As with Denver last season, seems the Spurs have drawn yet another mis-seed in the Kings, who have been playing more like a top three seed since Artest has been aboard.
Sure, the Spurs are overwhelmingly favored to get through the West, BUT, I don't want to hear one wise crack from Detroit about the lack of respect they receive as a team. That is complete and utter bullsh!t. The San Antonio Spurs, typically, are given lip service to their defense and "corporate knowledge" play, but are clearly rooted against by many in the national ratings hungry media. The lack of respect rallying cries belong to the Spurs entering this playoff campaign. But the pro's pros probably won't even draw that whiny card once, not in public, at least. But inside them, they've gotta be feeling some competitive hearts of champions juices flowing right about now.
So if I'm either a Spurs role player or Tim Duncan, I cannot wait till tipoff tonight to start answering the doubters and start reminding the "experts" and the competition who the defending champs are.
I'm starting to feel that a championship this season would be the most satisfying of all the previous ones. It won't be easy, but I think the Spurs are gonna come out swinging. Who knows, perhaps even in in caged beast fashion like the threepeat, switch-flipping Laker teams.
It seems that everywhere I click on the net, the Pistons are overwhelmingly picked to win the championship and, in two major city newspapers I skimmed, I read in one the Spurs would fall to the Kings, and in another they'd fall to the Mavs. At ESPN.com, out of the panel of 8 "experts" (yeah right-simple beat writers is all they are), only 2 pick the Spurs to win it all. 5 pick the Pistons. A couple pick the Mavs over the Spurs.
And now Mike Kahn of Foxsports has evidently jumped on grisly Charley Rosen's weak take wagon (Finley is a stopper!?) in saying that the title is already Detroit's. Emphatically so.
I'm not saying that Detroit should not be favored, what with home court and their own "point to prove" after last year's 7 game classic against San Antonio. But facts are facts, and the Spurs are the dogs. That, by the way is great news. The Spurs historically have played well when placed a bit under the radar.
Meantime, Ron Artest is talking smack about the Spurs, Tony Parker is showing what I believe to be too much respect for Mike Bibby before this series starts. As with Denver last season, seems the Spurs have drawn yet another mis-seed in the Kings, who have been playing more like a top three seed since Artest has been aboard.
Sure, the Spurs are overwhelmingly favored to get through the West, BUT, I don't want to hear one wise crack from Detroit about the lack of respect they receive as a team. That is complete and utter bullsh!t. The San Antonio Spurs, typically, are given lip service to their defense and "corporate knowledge" play, but are clearly rooted against by many in the national ratings hungry media. The lack of respect rallying cries belong to the Spurs entering this playoff campaign. But the pro's pros probably won't even draw that whiny card once, not in public, at least. But inside them, they've gotta be feeling some competitive hearts of champions juices flowing right about now.
So if I'm either a Spurs role player or Tim Duncan, I cannot wait till tipoff tonight to start answering the doubters and start reminding the "experts" and the competition who the defending champs are.
I'm starting to feel that a championship this season would be the most satisfying of all the previous ones. It won't be easy, but I think the Spurs are gonna come out swinging. Who knows, perhaps even in in caged beast fashion like the threepeat, switch-flipping Laker teams.