Is anyone really all that surprised that we didn't win it all this year??

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I mean yes, it's a surprise we didn't make the finals for sure, but this whole season we were all kinda waiting for this team to come together and turn into a well oiled machine heading into the playoffs as seasons of the past had proved the team normally does. But this year, people were saying "wait till the road trip" and then nothing happend.....we won the first 6 then dropped the last 2 killing all of our road trip momentum. then people said SPAM......and nothing happend. then people said SPAA (april)......and nothing happend. Then we all waited to flip the switch come playoff time and I had NEVER seen our defense be as blatantly atrocious as I did in the 2nd round vs Dallas. Maybe a lot of that has to be do with that gay shit small ball that murdered any hopes of having solid interior D but the truth is, the better team won that series as much as we all hate to admit it. This whole season we never really had any of those "the team came together tonight with a special win" games. that one miami win was nice when manu got injured and we rallied to win under parker's gutsy play but then the playoffs happend and once parker got kept out of the lane, devin harris stole his layup powers and parker reverted to jumpers which have about as high of a percentage going in as ben wallace's 3 pointers. We played tough, and I was super pissed at us being down 20 in game 7 in the 1st half, but despite manu's second "biggest spurs fuck ups in their playoff history" with his foul on dirk that cost us the series, (I still love the guy don't get me wrong but WHAT THE FUCK!) I am glad that the spurs showed heart in game 7 which is all a fan can really ask for. Having said all of this, this just never felt like our season. On paper this team shoulda won 70, but sadly the paper never translated to the court, and injury bugs plagued our aging team. This will be an interesting off season. We lost to the better team but I was hoping for at least a finals appearance (and with detroit looking weaker than ever surprisingly, maybe even a championship looked more realistic than ever had we advanced)

so if someone told you prior to game 1 of the playoffs

"the spurs won't win it all this year"

how surprised would you honestly have been?

[Leetonidas]

I expected them to win if they made it past Dallas. The ball didn't bounce our way.

[nbascribe]

Team wasn't hungry. Showed thoughout the regular season.

They kept flipping the switch and sometimes CPS just didn't give them any juice.

[Obstructed_View]

They went 6-2 on the road trip. They had the best record in the league after the all-star break. They could have won their first playoff game by 60 points if they wanted to. I would never in a million years have predicted Pop turning the Spurs into last year's Phoenix Suns and handing the WCF to Avery Johnson on a silver platter. Hats off to anyone who did.

[dknights411]

They went 6-2 on the road trip. They had the best record in the league after the all-star break. They could have won their first playoff game by 60 points if they wanted to. I would never in a million years have predicted Pop turning the Spurs into last year's Phoenix Suns and handing the WCF to Avery Johnson on a silver platter. Hats off to anyone who did.

I wouldn't say that we gave the Mavs the series on a silver platter, because we almost came all the way back from 1-3 to win that series using smallball, weather you liked it or not.

Anyway, I was a bit shocked at the turn of events, but I wasn't surprised THAT much. It just kinda sucked that the books will show that the Spurs got bumped in the second round in a series that felt like the NBA Finals.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I thought they'd make it to the finals at least. Didn't expect them to win, because they kinda had this mindset that, "oh we can rely on tomorrow" that flip the switch mentality. They weren't ever in attack mode, and achieved the 63 wins by flipping the switch and overcoming deficits, and/or rebounding from that "BACK-To BACK" excuse/self-fulfilling prophecy the next game. They only had 2 extra old guys this year, what gives? Spurs one weakness is their complacent mindset with a few exceptions. Manu, Bruce and Barry.

I'm still shell-shocked because none of that showed in the Post-season, they seemed hungry enough, and Mavs-Spurs series was classic. No Complacency there. The only thing that might have hurt them in that series was that it was "Too little, too late" and we were fighting uphill instead of finding our advantage over the Mavs. But the Mavs were too great to argue that we could have won if things were adjusted. They just played harder than us, and for more minutes than us.

[DDS4]

2005 Spurs > 2006 Spurs.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

2006 Playoff Spurs might be the worst defensive team the spurs had since '98.

[rayray2k8]

2005 Spurs > 2006 Spurs.
I agree.
They played with a chip on their shoulder last year.
Where this years mindset was "dont fuck up".
But its more like this.
Manu 2005 > Manu 2006
He was the difference maker last year..
Ginobili struggled alot during the playoffs this year and his error got the best of him.
But honestly, I didnt think the spurs would be able to beat detriot.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I agree.
They played with a chip on their shoulder last year.
Where this years mindset was "dont fuck up".
But its more like this.
Manu 2005 > Manu 2006
He was the difference maker last year..
Ginobili struggled alot during the playoffs this year and his error got the best of him.
But honestly, I didnt think the spurs would be able to beat detriot.
Hopefully Manu 2007 >> Manu 2005, Manu 2006...

The injuries + Living up to 2005 expectations got the best of him.

I think if the team had two things : Rebounding, Same hardnosed Defense of Old,

Manu wouldn't have been in position to screw up 1 point margins (and save us from losing them/ holding onto them). Spurs of 2005 attained the leads and kept them. This year we were just scraping by banking on the "Superman comeback" after 20 point deficits. Which is not enough.

Next year the pressure will be lifted and everything's reset back to zero.

[Doc Jerome]

This team never really got it. Time is ticking, and the window of opportunity is down to 3 years. After that, TD will be officially in decline.

Stay tuned, . . .

[1Parker1]

The fact that they were injured most of the regular season, didn't get Finley & Barry really contributing until the second half of the season, the with NVE proving to be a bust.....the fact that they still managed to win 63 games and the best record in the Western Conference really had me thinking they could still go to the Finals.

So yes, I was a little surprised they didn't win it all this year. Hell, 4 days later, and I'm still in shock it's over :pctoss

[DarrinS]

At the end of the day, this turned into another playoffs where Tim was money, but we couldn't find anyone to hit perimeter shots. The defense may not have been as good as '05, but its hard to defend 7 footers that hit fade away jump shots (although Bruce's block on Dirk was brilliant).

If I've said this once, I've said it a gazillion times: Every year that the Spurs won a championship, there was at least ONE bench player that stepped up BIG TIME.

Anyone remember Jaron Jackson? Steve Kerr? Robert Horry?


Those years when the Lakers were killing us, the offense fed the ball into Tim and stood there watching him. When he did kick out the ball, no one could hit a freakin jump shot. I started to see that a little bit in this years playoffs.

Tony Parker. I love you, man, but you seem to fade away at the worst times.


Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[MadDog73]

Team wasn't hungry. Showed thoughout the regular season.

They kept flipping the switch and sometimes CPS just didn't give them any juice.


Bullshit. You don't take the lead with 30 seconds left in Game 7 if you're not hungry.

Dallas didn't want it more, they just had, [gasp], a deeper bench.

Hard to believe, with all the hype at the beginning of the season, I know.

The good news is, the Spurs will come even more focused and ready next year.

[T Park]

I would never in a million years have predicted Pop turning the Spurs into last year's Phoenix Suns and handing the WCF to Avery Johnson on a silver platter


Too bad the Suns from last year had better big men than the Spurs this year, so thats a stupid statement.

[Borosai]

You know, throughout the season I never felt completely confident in the team. They did really well, but I never thought that they were in sync and ready to make a run to the finals. Against Sacramento, it became obvious that something was wrong. Bad defense and no rebounding...since when do the Spurs suck at both? So it wasn't a huge surprise, but I thought they did have a good chance, but came up short. Next year will be much better I think.

[DarrinS]

Too bad the Suns from last year had better big men than the Spurs this year, so thats a stupid statement.


I wish people would STFU already about the so-called "small ball". Feeding the ball into Tim on the low post, on almost every possession, IN NO WAY, resembles the Phoenix Suns.


By the way, if we had a "big" that could play worth a shit, don't you think Pop would have played him?

Ok. I'm done.

[boutons_]

Rebounding/blocking out is all about desire and hard work by everybody, not only vertical reach by the bigs. We all know the Spurs were frequently destroyed on the boards and lost. Same goes for team defense.

Not making errors at crtical points, aka execuction, is all about focus, concentration, intensity, which are fuled by desire.

The Spurs' desire was there in spurts, at times, but way too often they were blown out and totally uncompetitive in big season games, looking like they couldn't defend shit, never mind the Title.

I'm not saying the Spurs didn't have a great season, but they didn't have that little extra Championship edge, had the same weaknesses in playoffs (rebounding, defense) that we saw in the season, that would have one close games, rather than losing them.

Giving up 64 points in the first half of a Game7 at home, no matter how hot the Mavs were shooting, is just suicide, shows a lack of desire and hustle and defense in a fucking elimination game. Unbelievable. The Mavs wanted it a lot worse, and they came prepared to take it. Playing only 24 minutes of a Game7 sent the Spurs fishing.

[angel_luv]

Team wasn't hungry. Showed thoughout the regular season.



How do you figure when we won a franchise record 63 games this year and finished by fighting our way back to a game 7 against Dallas?

[DarrinS]

Rebounding/blocking out is all about desire and hard work by everybody, not only vertical reach by the bigs. We all know the Spurs were frequently destroyed on the boards and lost. Same goes for team defense.

Not making errors at crtical points, aka execuction, is all about focus, concentration, intensity, which are fuled by desire.

The Spurs' desire was there in spurts, at times, but way too often they were blown out and totally uncompetitive in big season games, looking like they couldn't defend shit, never mind the Title.

I'm not saying the Spurs didn't have a great season, but they didn't have that little extra Championship edge, had the same weaknesses in playoffs (rebounding, defense) that we saw in the season, that would have one close games, rather than losing them.

Giving up 64 points in the first half of a Game7 at home, no matter how hot the Mavs were shooting, is just suicide, shows a lack of desire and hustle and defense in a fucking elimination game. Unbelievable. The Mavs wanted it a lot worse, and they came prepared to take it. Playing only 24 minutes of a Game7 sent the Spurs fishing.


I agree with most of that. But, you have to admit, Tim played his ass off in the series. I was a little surprised that he had NO REBOUNDS in the first half (if memory serves). He eventually ended up with 15 or so.

[MoSpur]

I didn't feel "it" all season. The Spurs didn't have "it" all season. I know they set a record for wins in the regular season, but I still thought there was something missing. I am not sure as to what "it" was though.

[MadDog73]

I didn't feel "it" all season. The Spurs didn't have "it" all season. I know they set a record for wins in the regular season, but I still thought there was something missing. I am not sure as to what "it" was though.


Missing a three pointer in Game 7? One uneccessary foul? One missed free throw?

Seriously, this series was so close, I am surprised the Spurs didn't win it all.

They could have, no doubt in my mind.

[nbascribe]

Bullshit. You don't take the lead with 30 seconds left in Game 7 if you're not hungry.

Dallas didn't want it more, they just had, [gasp], a deeper bench.

Hard to believe, with all the hype at the beginning of the season, I know.

The good news is, the Spurs will come even more focused and ready next year.

Game seven my ass. This series should have not reached that point. The Spurs squandered chances in games three and four. This team has struggled all year. Even Pop has said that numerous times.

They weren't hungry and it had nothing to do with the bench. Manu made a bonehead move in game seven. He follows orders, and we're going to game two tonight.

I'm not going to make any excuses for this team. They played like shit and they deserved to get beat for playing as such.

[boutons_]

"record for wins"

Fool's gold. "the season don't mean shit" so has no value in the playoffs.

No SPAM this year. Spurs were only 7-3 in April, all 3 losses were @ATT, to Mavs, Kings (both those home losses foreshadowed the Spurs difficulties in first 2 rounds), and Magic.

The Spurs had no mo going into the playoffs, and then they couldn't find the mythical switch.

[ducks]

I am surpised they did not get to finals

however due to the health against mavs
tp hurt 3 games
manu hurt one to 2 games

duncan being hurt all year then finnally healthy in playoffs but was not used to playing that much hurt. also it caught up with him in game 7


few right bounces spurs would be playing suns

[MadDog73]

Game seven my ass. This series should have not reached that point. The Spurs squandered chances in games three and four. This team has struggled all year. Even Pop has said that numerous times.

They weren't hungry and it had nothing to do with the bench. Manu made a bonehead move in game seven. He follows orders, and we're going to game two tonight.

I'm not going to make any excuses for this team. They played like shit and they deserved to get beat for playing as such.


Jesus Christ, it's not like they were playing a bunch of scrubs!

The Mavs are a great team. The Spurs made some bone-headed plays, but saying they "played like shit" is a total fucking lie.

"Playing like shit" is being swept. Players don't "play like shit" and, as you say, have a great chance to be playing Game 2 in the WCF tonight!

[Oh, Gee!!]

Not surprised. Nothing is guaransheed in the NBA.

[boutons_]

"Playing like shit" is being swept.

... Spurs were "swept" by playing like shit in the first half of Game7. No matter how tough they played the last 24 minutes, they lost the game in the first half, which the Spurs admit was the worst half they played all season.

How does a Championship-ready team come into a Game7 @home totally unready to play? They don't, and that's why the Spurs aren't Champions this year.

[MadDog73]

"Playing like shit" is being swept.

... Spurs were "swept" by playing like shit in the first half of Game7. No matter how tough they played the last 24 minutes, they lost the game in the first half, which the Spurs admit was the worst half they played all season.

How does a Championship-ready team come into a Game7 @home totally unready to play? They don't, and that's why the Spurs aren't Champions this year.


Agreed. That said, they had the game won with 30 seconds left. So, what does that tell you?

Spurs weren't playing like shit the whole game...

[shaq_h8ter]

I'm a bit surprise that they didn't win it all.
But the Mavs were better than I thought they were.

I do have to question POP a little.
It seemed we played the Mav's game and not the Spurs' game by only having Tim out there for a legit center.

When we did that we just took and lengthed the Mavs bench by 1 to 2 big men all to defend Tim and block shots.

I know it's all about matchups but come on we did let the MAVs dictate match ups and the game.

Sorry for the Rant I just had to let it out...

[boutons_]

"what does that tell you?"

It tells me the Spurs were better than the Mavs, but they didn't have that Championship edge and focus to avoid bonehead plays when up 3 with a few seconds remaining.

If the Spurs had come out ready to play all 48 minutes like they did the last 24 ...

The Spurs' first half was a "what were they thinking" event.

And Pop has been extremely mellow all season.

Timmy rubbing off on him?

3 Titles have extinguished Pop' fire?

[mavsfan1000]

I'm a bit surprise that they didn't win it all.
But the Mavs were better than I thought they were.

I do have to question POP a little.
It seemed we played the Mav's game and not the Spurs' game by only having Tim out there for a legit center.

When we did that we just took and lengthed the Mavs bench by 1 to 2 big men all to defend Tim and block shots.

I know it's all about matchups but come on we did let the MAVs dictate match ups and the game.

Sorry for the Rant I just had to let it out...

Reasons for small ball
1. Finley has a better chance to guard Dirk or Howard than Mohammad or Rasho
2. Finley gives the spurs an extra 3 point shooter which makes it hards for the mavs to double team Duncan without getting burned.
3. Dallas is forced to expend more energy on defense chasing down a quicker spurs team than if they went big.

So in conclusion if the spurs went big Duncan would've seen many more double teams and the offense wouldn't have been the same while Dirk goes off on Rasho or Mohammmad from the perimeter.

[ducks]

Did You Know? In 73 NBA playoff games (not including last night's Detroit-Miami game), 14 have been decided by 2 points or less (tying a 1995 record) and 23 have been decided by 5 points or less. Teams are shooting 46.1 percent, the highest mark since 1993. The 2-point field-goal percentage is 49.1, the highest since 1991, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

[MoSpur]

Did You Know? In 73 NBA playoff games (not including last night's Detroit-Miami game), 14 have been decided by 2 points or less (tying a 1995 record) and 23 have been decided by 5 points or less. Teams are shooting 46.1 percent, the highest mark since 1993. The 2-point field-goal percentage is 49.1, the highest since 1991, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Stern's dream come true.

[BillsCarnage]

Hey, i've said before and throughout the season that apathy would be the Spurs biggest oppenent. It's something the Spurs have appeared to have since Duncan has come onboard. Maybe it's because he's such a mellow guy and doesn't show too much emotion. It's not meant to be a rip on the Spurs or TD, but they haven't been able to win back-to-back titles yet.

Last years team had that killer instinct. This years team, even more talented, appeared to go through the motions at times. They shouldn't have fallen behind Dallas 3-1, but they did. And when they've been put in that postion in the past they've failed to step up. They rallied in gm7, but again should never have been down by 19 on their home court in a gm7.

I really thought it would have been the opposite; that the Spurs would have crushed Dallas in gm7. But in the end (OT) Dallas wanted it more.

[MoSpur]

TD was a monster and the MVP of that series. He killed Dallas all by himself in just about every game.

[mavsfan1000]

TD was a monster and the MVP of that series. He killed Dallas all by himself in just about every game.
Tim Duncan benefitted from the small lineup more than anyone. If he had that lineup all year he would be the MVP. :lol A center clogs the paint on offense as much as defense.

[DarrinS]

Tim Duncan benefitted from the small lineup more than anyone. If he had that lineup all year he would be the MVP. :lol A center clogs the paint on offense as much as defense.

Tim is one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. It doesn't really matter too who he's playing against.

Tim's game, IMO, is MUCH more impressive that Dirk's because Dirk is a perimeter shooter and doesn't have any difficult defensive assignments.

[boutons_]

"Dirk is a perimeter shooter"

Not really, anymore, not primarily.
I was surprised at how few 3Gs he took against us.
His preferred jumpshooting areas are around either elbow.
And his newly found offensive rebounding gives hime plenty of garbage points.
And he had several gutsy, thru-traffic And1 drives to the hole against us, inlcuding the one that sent us fishing.

With the way his jumper was falling, he could have very well settled for a jumper with no criticism on that last play from where he was at 15 ft, but he chose to drive. A Champion's decision, and execution.

He runs like he had rickets as a child, :lol but he's become fucking unstoppable as jumpshooter, rebounder, driver. What he lacks in man-on-man defense is more than makes up for with his rebounding at both ends, which is impressive beyond his RB numbers since he doesn't play under the basket, so crashes the boards extremely well from outside. More proof that rebounding is more about desire and hustle than vertical reach. Ask 6'5" Sir Charles. Nazr and Rasho are just just lazy, clueless tall men.

Dirk is the player this year who deserves to have the critics' sound level meter pegged on the far left.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

When it got to the point where we all knew Pop would not stop playing Small Ball, I was not surprised when we lost, just extremely angry.


How can you be surprised that we lose a series in which we played from behind 6 out of the 7 games, 3 out of every 4 quarters?

How can you be surprised that we lose a series in which we played from behind 6 out of the 7 games, 3 out of every 4 quarters?


It deserves to be said twice because this past series sickens me.

I am still angry, and I still hate Dallas more than ever in my entire life. I also hate small ball.

[MadDog73]

Grrrr....

Pop wouldn't have played small ball if his bigs did something useful...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

So it was just coincidence that he played them for 63 wins?

Or was it coincidence that those 63 wins were all against teams that were incapable of using mobile forwards to make our center useless and incapable fo getting duncan into foul trouble (also said teams had no swift young athletic wings)

[MadDog73]

So it was just coincidence that he played them for 63 wins?

Or was it coincidence that those 63 wins were all against teams that were incapable of using mobile forwards to make our center useless and incapable fo getting duncan into foul trouble (also said teams had no swift young athletic wings)

All 63 wins weren't against the Mavs, that's for sure.

As timvp says, evolve or die. Pop made the changes he thought necessary, and we went from a blowout Game 2 loss to 5 very close games that could have gone either way.

I don't believe Rasho or Nazr would have won Game 3, 4, or 7, but that's just my opinion, an opinion that happens to be backed up by a Coach who's won 3 NBA Championships.

[mavsfan1000]

Most teams don't have bigs at the 4 that can hit 3's and drive well. Any team that has this can exploit San Antonio and force them to go small.

[SenorSpur]

I'm not surprised we didn't win it all - just surprised we didn't at least get to the NBA finals.