CubanMustGo
05-03-2006, 01:11 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/nba/playoffs/2006/2006/05/no-8-seed-these-kings-are-no-joke.html
A No. 8 seed? These Kings are no joke
Posted by Chris Mannix
SAN ANTONIO -- Gregg Popovich is no Pat Riley. That's not to say the Spurs' coach isn't as learned a strategist as Riley is. It's just that Popovich doesn't exactly share the same wardrobe as the Armani'd one. Before Tuesday night's game, Popovich emerged from the coaches' room appropriately (for Pop anyways) decked out in white socks and sandals. He was also wearing cloth-striped shorts -- you know the kind that look like boxers and feel like boxers but aren't exactly boxers? "I dressed for you guys," Popovich deadpanned before the handful of reporters gathered to hear his pregame sermon.
A comedian Popovich is not, but then again there is nothing funny about the way top-seeded San Antonio has been played by the Kings, who despite entering the postseason as the No. 8 seed are staunchly refusing to play the role of Spurs fodder. You won't get any argument from Popovich: He refers to the Kings as a "horrendous matchup" for his team, calling Sacramento "a legit 3 or 4 seed." "It's unbelievable that after winning 63 games," he said, "this is who we get."
Was Popovich setting the table for a Spurs downfall? Doubtful. Though an eighth seed winning a first round series is exceedingly rare (only the 1994 Denver Nuggets has accomplished the feat), no one seems to be surprised that Sacramento has managed to hold its own with the defending champions.
Sacramento has been effective at utilizing its superior size at the wing positions. Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest continued to punish the smaller Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen on the inside Tuesday. "We're going to put Bruce and Manu on high-protein diets," Popovich joked. The strategy is most effective on Bowen. An excellent perimeter defender, Bowen's strengths are neutralized when he is forced to body up underneath. What is costing the Kings is their lack of depth. While Wells was unstoppable for the fourth straight game, it wasn't until the final minute of the third quarter that someone other than Wells cracked double figures.
Regardless of the outcome of this series, have the Kings exposed a crack in the Spurs' armor? With Dallas lying in wait, one might think Mavs coach Avery Johnson is ordering swingmen Josh Howard, Adrian Griffin and Jerry Stackhouse into full pads for practice. Not exactly, said Brent Barry. "Unless Dallas finds a secret rule and pulls of a miraculous trade for Ron and Bonzi, it's not going to happen," the San Antonio guard said. "They are a different team than Sacramento; that's just not the way they play."
I guess we'll just have to wait to find out.
A few sidelights:
-- If you caught the Pearl Jam Canadian Tour last summer and thought you recognized the tall, gangly white guy packing up the stage, chances are you were right. Last offseason Barry toured Canada with the band as a roadie, a grunt job that entails packing guitars and picking up equipment. Barry has been friends with Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder and bass player Jeff Ament for seven years. It was an enjoyable experience for Barry, though there was one significant drawback. "Those guys are a little past the groupie phase," he said. "So that right there was disappointing." :lol Before the game Barry flashed Pearl Jam's latest self-titled album, which was released this week.
-- How happy are Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof with Artest? Joe sported a black T-shirt bearing the enigmatic Artest's face on the front and name on the back. Now that's making a statement.
-- Joey Crawford should officiate as many games as possible. Just before tip-off the perpetually scowling Crawford was chatting with fans behind the scorer's table. When one fan offered him a beer, Crawford joked that he had already had two. "I have a couple of drinks before every game," Crawford said, playfully holding out a shaking hand. "It calms my nerves."
-- Finally, the elevated level of passion is clear whenever I visit a one-team town like San Antonio. Billboards bearing the team's slogan "Go Spurs Go" are everywhere and everyone -- from restaurateurs to street vendors -- wants to talk Spurs basketball. Even my cab driver, after thanking me for the tip, pulled away shouting "Go Spurs Go!"
A No. 8 seed? These Kings are no joke
Posted by Chris Mannix
SAN ANTONIO -- Gregg Popovich is no Pat Riley. That's not to say the Spurs' coach isn't as learned a strategist as Riley is. It's just that Popovich doesn't exactly share the same wardrobe as the Armani'd one. Before Tuesday night's game, Popovich emerged from the coaches' room appropriately (for Pop anyways) decked out in white socks and sandals. He was also wearing cloth-striped shorts -- you know the kind that look like boxers and feel like boxers but aren't exactly boxers? "I dressed for you guys," Popovich deadpanned before the handful of reporters gathered to hear his pregame sermon.
A comedian Popovich is not, but then again there is nothing funny about the way top-seeded San Antonio has been played by the Kings, who despite entering the postseason as the No. 8 seed are staunchly refusing to play the role of Spurs fodder. You won't get any argument from Popovich: He refers to the Kings as a "horrendous matchup" for his team, calling Sacramento "a legit 3 or 4 seed." "It's unbelievable that after winning 63 games," he said, "this is who we get."
Was Popovich setting the table for a Spurs downfall? Doubtful. Though an eighth seed winning a first round series is exceedingly rare (only the 1994 Denver Nuggets has accomplished the feat), no one seems to be surprised that Sacramento has managed to hold its own with the defending champions.
Sacramento has been effective at utilizing its superior size at the wing positions. Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest continued to punish the smaller Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen on the inside Tuesday. "We're going to put Bruce and Manu on high-protein diets," Popovich joked. The strategy is most effective on Bowen. An excellent perimeter defender, Bowen's strengths are neutralized when he is forced to body up underneath. What is costing the Kings is their lack of depth. While Wells was unstoppable for the fourth straight game, it wasn't until the final minute of the third quarter that someone other than Wells cracked double figures.
Regardless of the outcome of this series, have the Kings exposed a crack in the Spurs' armor? With Dallas lying in wait, one might think Mavs coach Avery Johnson is ordering swingmen Josh Howard, Adrian Griffin and Jerry Stackhouse into full pads for practice. Not exactly, said Brent Barry. "Unless Dallas finds a secret rule and pulls of a miraculous trade for Ron and Bonzi, it's not going to happen," the San Antonio guard said. "They are a different team than Sacramento; that's just not the way they play."
I guess we'll just have to wait to find out.
A few sidelights:
-- If you caught the Pearl Jam Canadian Tour last summer and thought you recognized the tall, gangly white guy packing up the stage, chances are you were right. Last offseason Barry toured Canada with the band as a roadie, a grunt job that entails packing guitars and picking up equipment. Barry has been friends with Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder and bass player Jeff Ament for seven years. It was an enjoyable experience for Barry, though there was one significant drawback. "Those guys are a little past the groupie phase," he said. "So that right there was disappointing." :lol Before the game Barry flashed Pearl Jam's latest self-titled album, which was released this week.
-- How happy are Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof with Artest? Joe sported a black T-shirt bearing the enigmatic Artest's face on the front and name on the back. Now that's making a statement.
-- Joey Crawford should officiate as many games as possible. Just before tip-off the perpetually scowling Crawford was chatting with fans behind the scorer's table. When one fan offered him a beer, Crawford joked that he had already had two. "I have a couple of drinks before every game," Crawford said, playfully holding out a shaking hand. "It calms my nerves."
-- Finally, the elevated level of passion is clear whenever I visit a one-team town like San Antonio. Billboards bearing the team's slogan "Go Spurs Go" are everywhere and everyone -- from restaurateurs to street vendors -- wants to talk Spurs basketball. Even my cab driver, after thanking me for the tip, pulled away shouting "Go Spurs Go!"