E20
05-23-2006, 09:06 PM
Spurs face new obstacle this offseason
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs woke up Tuesday facing a new identity: They're no longer the best team in the NBA, the Western Conference or even their division.
Heck, they're not even the best in Texas.
The Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Spurs in a tremendous second-round series, winning Game 7 in overtime Monday night and tipping the balance of power in what can now be called a great rivalry.
"It was so close -- two overtimes, three games by one or two points, it was very good basketball," San Antonio point guard Tony Parker said. "It just didn't go our way."
The Spurs trailed 3-1 in the series and were down by 20 in Game 7, despite being at home. They rallied to take their first lead in the closing minutes, but couldn't hold it.
"We had a last chance to make the shot and win the game and the series," said Manu Ginobili, who fouled Dirk Nowitzki on a layup with 21 seconds left in regulation, leading to the tying point, then missed a potential winning shot with about 6 seconds left.
"It is hard. You have to move on and go on from it."
The Spurs long have been the bullies along Interstate 35, collecting division titles and championships while the Mavericks kept changing players and identities. San Antonio respected Dallas, but never doubted it was the better team.
This series changes that. And with former San Antonio star Avery Johnson having used his version of Popovich's system against them, the Spurs face the legitimate concern that the Mavericks are the team with the brighter future.
Dallas proved to be younger, faster, deeper and more balanced than the Spurs. Sure, it took an entire series and then some to prove it -- and even then only barely -- but those tiny differences tend to get wider over time.
So it's only logical to expect whatever moves Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford make in the coming months will be done to help them match up with the Mavericks.
The Spurs certainly won't overhaul anything. This team did just set a franchise record for regular-season wins and is coming off two titles in three years and three in seven.
Even if they wanted to, it wouldn't be easy. San Antonio already has 10 players under contract for next season.
The most significant free agent is center Nazr Mohammed, who hardly played against Dallas as Popovich went mostly with Duncan and four players 6-foot-7 and under. Reserve Nick Van Exel has talked about retiring.
Free agents may consider taking less to play with Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and to be part of a winning organization. That's what lured Michael Finley, who started two playoff games.
Other than trades, San Antonio may look overseas. The Spurs own the rights to Ginobili's fellow Argentine Luis Scola, a 26-year-old power forward; Parker's fellow Frenchman Ian Mahinmi, a 19-year-old power forward; and Lithuania's Robertas Javtokas, a 26-year-old center.
The ages of those players might be especially intriguing.
The 24-year-old Parker and the 28-year-old Ginobili were the only 20-somethings San Antonio used in Game 7.
While Duncan turned 30 during the first round and proved he's still in the prime of his career (41 points in Game 7, career-best 32.3 per game vs. Dallas) and defensive whiz Bruce Bowen shows no signs of turning 35 next month, time is ticking for the rest of the Spurs.
Finley, a reserve most of the season, is 33. The three players who came off the bench were 34-year-olds Van Exel and Brent Barry, and 35-year-old Robert Horry.
Considering the reserves scored two points Monday night, adding players with younger, fresher legs who can provide Popovich with more scoring options and more lineup combinations might be high on the offseason to-do list.
The Mavericks, and the rest of the NBA, certainly are bracing for San Antonio to remain tough.
The organization blended Duncan with David Robinson to win a championship, won another with Robinson as a spare part, then won again without him.
And they did go down fighting this year.
"This is the best series I've ever played," Duncan said. "It was about the ball, whether the ball bounced one way or another, and the result is just how it bounced."
__________________________________________________ _____
I would not expect San Antonio to try and build around to defeat the Mavericks, that would mess up with their defensive scheme and completely throw out what everybody knows as Spurs basketball.
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs woke up Tuesday facing a new identity: They're no longer the best team in the NBA, the Western Conference or even their division.
Heck, they're not even the best in Texas.
The Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Spurs in a tremendous second-round series, winning Game 7 in overtime Monday night and tipping the balance of power in what can now be called a great rivalry.
"It was so close -- two overtimes, three games by one or two points, it was very good basketball," San Antonio point guard Tony Parker said. "It just didn't go our way."
The Spurs trailed 3-1 in the series and were down by 20 in Game 7, despite being at home. They rallied to take their first lead in the closing minutes, but couldn't hold it.
"We had a last chance to make the shot and win the game and the series," said Manu Ginobili, who fouled Dirk Nowitzki on a layup with 21 seconds left in regulation, leading to the tying point, then missed a potential winning shot with about 6 seconds left.
"It is hard. You have to move on and go on from it."
The Spurs long have been the bullies along Interstate 35, collecting division titles and championships while the Mavericks kept changing players and identities. San Antonio respected Dallas, but never doubted it was the better team.
This series changes that. And with former San Antonio star Avery Johnson having used his version of Popovich's system against them, the Spurs face the legitimate concern that the Mavericks are the team with the brighter future.
Dallas proved to be younger, faster, deeper and more balanced than the Spurs. Sure, it took an entire series and then some to prove it -- and even then only barely -- but those tiny differences tend to get wider over time.
So it's only logical to expect whatever moves Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford make in the coming months will be done to help them match up with the Mavericks.
The Spurs certainly won't overhaul anything. This team did just set a franchise record for regular-season wins and is coming off two titles in three years and three in seven.
Even if they wanted to, it wouldn't be easy. San Antonio already has 10 players under contract for next season.
The most significant free agent is center Nazr Mohammed, who hardly played against Dallas as Popovich went mostly with Duncan and four players 6-foot-7 and under. Reserve Nick Van Exel has talked about retiring.
Free agents may consider taking less to play with Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, and to be part of a winning organization. That's what lured Michael Finley, who started two playoff games.
Other than trades, San Antonio may look overseas. The Spurs own the rights to Ginobili's fellow Argentine Luis Scola, a 26-year-old power forward; Parker's fellow Frenchman Ian Mahinmi, a 19-year-old power forward; and Lithuania's Robertas Javtokas, a 26-year-old center.
The ages of those players might be especially intriguing.
The 24-year-old Parker and the 28-year-old Ginobili were the only 20-somethings San Antonio used in Game 7.
While Duncan turned 30 during the first round and proved he's still in the prime of his career (41 points in Game 7, career-best 32.3 per game vs. Dallas) and defensive whiz Bruce Bowen shows no signs of turning 35 next month, time is ticking for the rest of the Spurs.
Finley, a reserve most of the season, is 33. The three players who came off the bench were 34-year-olds Van Exel and Brent Barry, and 35-year-old Robert Horry.
Considering the reserves scored two points Monday night, adding players with younger, fresher legs who can provide Popovich with more scoring options and more lineup combinations might be high on the offseason to-do list.
The Mavericks, and the rest of the NBA, certainly are bracing for San Antonio to remain tough.
The organization blended Duncan with David Robinson to win a championship, won another with Robinson as a spare part, then won again without him.
And they did go down fighting this year.
"This is the best series I've ever played," Duncan said. "It was about the ball, whether the ball bounced one way or another, and the result is just how it bounced."
__________________________________________________ _____
I would not expect San Antonio to try and build around to defeat the Mavericks, that would mess up with their defensive scheme and completely throw out what everybody knows as Spurs basketball.