Blame Game

[Ghost Writer]

I am wa-a-a--a-ay late to drudge up recent wounds, but who did you all blame for the WCFs loss to the Mavs?

I can't explain Manu fouling Dirk on the way to the basket up by 3. Just want your quick thoughts on this. I personally knew we blew it when we let Dirk tie it up in that spot.

I know many here probably think Pop was a fool for not forcing Avery to play "big ball."

I don't think Pop had a choice. Nazr and Rasho weren't Shaq.

I thought Duncan was brilliant in the playoffs.*















*positive note

[4001 STEREO SPUR]

The spurs shouldn't have choked away the first half.

Man you sure have a lot of posts. What's up w/that?

[MoSpur]

Where have you been? We all killed one another over this like two months ago.

[ducks]

I blame injuries to manu and tp

both were hurt and dallas got up early
and when they got healthy they almost came back and won the series

[ducks]

Where have you been? We all killed one another over this like two months ago.

his job does not let him post anymore hardly :depressed

[jman3000]

I'm just proud of the fact we weathered Dallas shooting .. what? 88%? in the first q and fought all the way back in the end. Incredible to watch. Too bad about that foul though.....

[Holgfx]

For one thing, I can't explain why the referees called a foul that late in the 4 quarter?! In the media, one reporter asked Pop if he was surprised the foul was called late in the game. Pop said "Yes". In the last 6 games there wasn't even a foul being called late in the game so why this time? Mmm.

The wounds have healed and I am looking forward to the next season. :blah

[spurster]

It's all GW's fault. Without his posts, the Spurs didn't know what not to do.

[jman3000]

For one thing, I can't explain why the referees called a foul that late in the 4 quarter?! In the media, one reporter asked Pop if he was surprised the foul was called late in the game. Pop said "Yes". In the last 6 games there wasn't even a foul being called late in the game so why this time? Mmm.

The wounds have healed and I am looking forward to the next season. :blah

uhhh ..... wtf? he grabbed his freaking arm for christ sakes.

[Please_dont_ban_me]

It's odd Manu/Pop aren't getting ripped like Tony Parker would if it was him who fucked up.

Anywho, I think the general consensus is that Manu's foul was extremely stupid, and we shouldn't have gone small ball. But who's the say the series even goes 7 games if we hadn't played small...I guess we'll never know.



But we definately know if Manu hadn't fouled we would be in the finals. =(

[Solid D]

Dirk was the biggest matchup problem. Tim couldn't guard Dirk because of the likelihood of foul trouble. Rasho, Nazr and Horry were not able to play with the quickness and physical perimeter D that Haslem and Walker could on Dirk.

The Spurs having Nazr and not Malik worked out the year before in getting past Denver, Seattle, Phoenix and Detroit. The Spurs having Nazr and not Malik didn't work out so well in getting past Dallas. Malik always did a nice job in defending Dirk out on the floor...he has similar quickness and physicality to Haslem and Walker.

Manu uncharacteristically made bad decisions in 2 or 3 playoff games this year. He had the ball on two of them and the one on Dirk was on a help D situation. In a close game, a mistake is magnified. With a series of this magnitude (7 games), the foul will be remembered forever by Spurs fans. The pain will be eased, however, with another championship...and I think this team has at least one more in them before Timmy retires.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I think the current rules of the game catered more to the Mavericks style of play than to the Spurs. The Mavs have the personnel that allowed them to thrive in the NBA's new world of small ball.

I think the Spurs are admitting to as much by letting Nazr go and by trading Rasho. Similar to how the Spurs transformed themselves into a roster capable of beating the Jazz a few years back, and later molded themselves into a group capable of matching up with the Lakers, I think we're going to see the current Spurs (attempt) to change their roster into a team that fits the NBA's new mold.

[FromWayDowntown]

As disappointed as I was in the ultimate result, that disappointment was tempered by a broader view of the series. I'm more convinced than ever that this group has whatever quality it is that makes champions champions -- the heart of a champion, whatever. They didn't get it done this time, and there are many, many reasons for that. But in the old days, the Spurs would have just rolled over and died after Game 4. The old Spurs would have rolled over and died down 20 at home in Game 7. This group didn't do that, largely because the core of Duncan and Parker and Ginobili didn't seem willing to allow it to happen. Finley seems to add to that. I think, despite the loss, that the series was indicative of that kind of mentality; couple that with the emotional fuel of feeling like they let it slip away, better health for both Duncan and Ginobili, and a handful of necessary tweaks to allow this team to deal better with the new NBA, and I think they've got a great chance to make a run at it again this coming season.

Ginobili made a huge error at the end of Game 7 and that was unfortunate because it clouds the fact that he made so many gigantic plays in Game 7 that gave the Spurs a chance to win it in regulation. The Spurs were a team built on the old NBA paradigm and made to play against a team ready to play the new style. Even with a roster ill-equipped to play that style, the Spurs were thatclose to sending the Mavericks reeling (for years, probably) and likely grabbing back-to-back titles. If the Spurs could get into another matchup with Dallas and get anything out of Bonner, a backup point, and whoever ends up playing center here, it will be more than they got out of Nesterovic, Mohammed, and Van Exel; in a series that was as close as that one was, even just a little more from those spots and you win.

I think the Spurs were beaten by a team that was challenged the norm and won at a time when the Spurs were still the norm. I think, in the end, it will prove to be beneficial, despite costing the chance for a repeat.

[itzsoweezee]

popovich

i'm still confounded by what his defensive strategy was that series. oh right, it was to not play his shot blockers and post defenders and give the mavs easy layups. brilliant!

[Solid D]

I think the current rules of the game catered more to the Mavericks style of play than to the Spurs. The Mavs have the personnel that allowed them to thrive in the NBA's new world of small ball.

I think the Spurs are admitting to as much by letting Nazr go and by trading Rasho. Similar to how the Spurs transformed themselves into a roster capable of beating the Jazz a few years back, and later molded themselves into a group capable of matching up with the Lakers, I think we're going to see the current Spurs (attempt) to change their roster into a team that fits the NBA's new mold.

Good points, Chopper and FWD.

[Spurminator]

As far as Game 7, I blame the Mavericks for hitting 101% of their first half shots. As subpar as our small-ball defense was, they were knocking down everything, and it was too much to overcome.

[1Parker1]

It just seems to me that there are four things that can get you a championship ring:

1) You have to have an unbelievable, unstoppable crunch-time player (who can make his FT's): Kobe in the Lakers 3-peat, CBillups in 2004, Manu in 2005, Wade in 2006

2) You have to have an big man in the center who draws attention and double teams: See Shaq in the Lakers 3-peat and against the Mavs, Ben Wallace to a degree in 2004, and Tim Duncan in 2003, 2005.

3) You have to have some role players (and bench players) come up big for you-- See Horry, Fisher and gang during the Lakers 3-peat run, Prince and the Pistons bench in 2004, Horry and Barry in 2005, Payton, Walker, and Posey in 2006 for the Heat.

4) You have to have luck-- This is self explanatory

Obviously the team also has to play some semblence of defense, but that goes without being said.

Spurs problem was they were surly lacking in points 3 and 4. Our bench and role players outside of Finley were non-existent. NVE, Barry, Horry were all useless when given playing time. The Spurs also got some bad breaks with some foul calls, but that's neither here nor there anymore. Biggest thing that hurt the Spurs, IMO, was #1. Parker was hampered by injuries and was limited as was Manu. Manu also made uncharactericly bad decisions in crunch time this postseason which hurt the Spurs as well.

Basically, Spurs had 1 out of the 4 ingredients you need to win a ring in the NBA.

[CosmicCowboy]

I had a dream last night that the team that beat the Spurs went up 2-0 in the finals and then lost the next 4 games straight to the Heat...

Isn't that some crazy shit?

[Quadzilla99]

It just seems to me that there are four things that can get you a championship ring:

1) You have to have an unbelievable, unstoppable crunch-time player (who can make his FT's): Kobe in the Lakers 3-peat, CBillups in 2004, Manu in 2005, Wade in 2006

2) You have to have an big man in the center who draws attention and double teams: See Shaq in the Lakers 3-peat and against the Mavs, Ben Wallace to a degree in 2004, and Tim Duncan in 2003, 2005.

3) You have to have some role players (and bench players) come up big for you-- See Horry, Fisher and gang during the Lakers 3-peat run, Prince and the Pistons bench in 2004, Horry and Barry in 2005, Payton, Walker, and Posey in 2006 for the Heat.

4) You have to have luck-- This is self explanatory

Obviously the team also has to play some semblence of defense, but that goes without being said.

Spurs problem was they were surly lacking in points 3 and 4. Our bench and role players outside of Finley were non-existent. NVE, Barry, Horry were all useless when given playing time. The Spurs also got some bad breaks with some foul calls, but that's neither here nor there anymore. Biggest thing that hurt the Spurs, IMO, was #1. Parker was hampered by injuries and was limited as was Manu. Manu also made uncharactericly bad decisions in crunch time this postseason which hurt the Spurs as well.

Basically, Spurs had 1 out of the 4 ingredients you need to win a ring in the NBA.

I agree with you on all of those that's what makes the Bulls and Pistons championships all the more amazing they are one fo the few teams to not have #2.

[Ghost Writer]

Good points, Chopper and FWD.

You, too, Solid.

I knew that the Heat would beat the Mavs, because Walker and even Posey could hang with Dirk on defense, allowing Shaq to be doubled and letting Wade go off, which is more or less what happened.

Unfortunately, we had no one who could guard Dirk.





P.S.

It wa stoo painful to post after the Spurs lost.

[Mark in Austin]

Glad you brought this up, GW. It's taken me a while to let the emotions calm down enough to look at things in a rational way, and I have a slightly different view of the reasons why the Spurs lost.

Although Dirk was a matchup problem, superstars are supposed to be. I think the Spurs defended him as well as can reasonably be expected. What really killed the Spurs was Terry and Harris's speed. I think that they really scrambled the defense much worse than Dirk did. If Tony had been closer to 100%, (or we had a backup with speed) I think the series would have gone the other way. Tony was still healthy enough to score, but he wasn't able to perform at the highest levels defensively.

Dirk was a constant the entire series, but look at the three games the Spurs won - in those games the play of Dallas from Terry and Harris was considerably worse than in the games Dallas won.

Spurs wins (Games 1,5,6):

Dirk N - 44 min 51.42 fg% 25.66 ppg
JTerry - 26 min 37.50 fg% 9.60 ppg (averaged over 3 games)
JTerry - 39 min 37.50 fg% 14.50 ppg (averaged over 2 games - suspension game not included)
Harris - 26 min 33.00 fg% 8.33 ppg

Spurs losses (Games 2,3,4,7)

Dirk N - 44.5 min 53.85 fg% 28.25 ppg
JTerry- 41.75 min 46.50 fg% 22.25 ppg
Harris - 35.75 min 56.40 fg% 16.00 ppg

Dirk's output was pretty even - he shot 2.43 percentage points higher and scored 2.59 more points in a half minute more court time in the Dallas wins. But check out Terry-Harris:

Combined, Terry and Harris were on the floor 12.75 minutes longer in Dallas wins. Terry shot 9.00 percentage points higher and averaged 9.6 ppg more; and Harris shot 23.4 percentage point higher and averaged 7.67 more ppg in Dallas wins. Even if you calculate Terry's averages using only two games for losses due to the 1-game suspension (which I don't think is appropriate in this case since what I'm trying to show is the combined performance of Terry-Harris over the three Dallas loses), Terry still averages 7.75 more points in Dallas wins than he does in the losses he played in.


I think it is definitely true that the Spurs adjustment to Dirk - Duncan as the lone big - altered the Spurs ability to play traditional Spurs defensive schemes effectively since there weren't two shot blockers to cover the basket. But they still could haver won the series if they had the legs to stay in front of Terry and Harris - who looked like they were running lay-up drills - not playing against one of the best defenses in the league - at times.

I understand the Rasho trade - but it would be a mistake to shift too much towards small ball because of one series. The ability to be flexible enough to play big and small is what will keep the Spurs contenders (if not favorites) to win the title for the next four years. A fast backup point / combo gaurd would make a big difference against teams like Dallas, and I think is the most critical need the Spurs need to address this offseason.

[Holgfx]

uhhh ..... wtf? he grabbed his freaking arm for christ sakes.
Mmmm..Did Manu grabbed the whole arm or was he just slight slapping the arm and most of the ball??

the fouls were never called most of the time LATE IN THE 4th QUARTER, and this foul call on Manu should not have been called. It would be a 1 point game. Ah well, I have moved on and will be expecting those once in a lifetime foul in the 4 quarter of the playoff..if any.

cheers,

:wakeup

[timvp]

Good posts so far. One key that hasn't been mentioned is the Spurs couldn't rebound to save their life in the playoffs. They got outrebounded in 11 of the their final 12 playoff games, including all the games against the Mavs.

You don't win championships if you can't rebound.

[Obstructed_View]

Avery rotated four seven footers, usually with two on the floor at any given time. I'm glad Pop didn't force him to play "big ball". When you rely on Michael Finley to be a good defender and Robert Horry to be a shot blocker and Tony Parker to be a three point shooter, you are gonna fuckin' lose.

[furry_spurry]

Defense-- Dallas scored over 100 points in all 4 games they beat the Spurs. Dallas never scored over 100 on Miami the whole Finals.

Also, for the entirety of the series, the Spurs won close game after close game (in addition to getting blown out once)-- not one decisive victory of their own. Actually, they ended the season with a number of losses and close calls. To me- they never quite "got there" this season.

I think the question remains- can Manu and Horry ever repeat what they did in 2005?

[Obstructed_View]

Defense-- Dallas scored over 100 points in all 4 games they beat the Spurs. Dallas never scored over 100 on Miami the whole Finals.

Also, for the entirety of the series, the Spurs won close game after close game (in addition to getting blown out once)-- not one decisive victory of their own. Actually, they ended the season with a number of losses and close calls. To me- they never quite "got there" this season.
Completely fucking the rotation and the lineups will do that to a team. Unfortunately the Spurs peaked in the first game of the playoffs and never got a chance to do it again.

[SequNets]

Good posts so far. One key that hasn't been mentioned is the Spurs couldn't rebound to save their life in the playoffs. They got outrebounded in 11 of the their final 12 playoff games, including all the games against the Mavs.

You don't win championships if you can't rebound.


Good point. I see that the Spurs have addressed this problem by getting rid of the players that didn't play in the playoffs.

Nice.

:fro

[Obstructed_View]

Good point. I see that the Spurs have addressed this problem by getting rid of the players that didn't play in the playoffs.

Nice.

:fro
Yeah, but those guys suck. Dirk was going to score 50 points a game and foul Duncan out in 12 minutes, and Howard was going to score 40 a game. Man, that would have been a terrible series.

[ducks]

ok he is updated time to close this thread before I get mad that the spurs last
I just got over it

[FromWayDowntown]

Good posts so far. One key that hasn't been mentioned is the Spurs couldn't rebound to save their life in the playoffs. They got outrebounded in 11 of the their final 12 playoff games, including all the games against the Mavs.

You don't win championships if you can't rebound.

That's a great point. It wasn't just a playoff problem -- they got abused at times during the regular season too, including two drubbings by Detroit.

It brings up another point, I think.

Pop learned against Sacramento that Nazr and Rasho, for whatever reason, weren't terribly effective against guard and wing-oriented offenses. Against SAC, there was a bit more leeway to play them, because the matchups allowed it. In that series, Pop could play Tim on 4-type player (Thomas and Abdur-Rahim) and allow Rasho/Nazr to deal with Miller.

When the Kings went small -- much smaller than the Mavericks ever did -- with Bibby, Martin, Wells, and Artest, those bigs couldn't do a damned thing to help the Spurs; the Spurs struggled at those points much like they struggled with Dallas. In the end, the Spurs won that series because they were more talented and deeper than the Kings. When they ran into a Mavericks team that was equally talented and, perhaps, deeper in the sense that it was better equipped to constantly dictate the style of the game, the problems that Sacramento exposed were truly exploited.

Think about it: even with time on the court against SAC, Rasho and Nazr didn't do much in the way of rebounding or blocking shots -- the very things that the anti-small ball crowd argues they would have done for the Spurs against Dallas. Rasho had 5 blocks against the Kings, but 3 of those came in one game; he had 27 rebounds in 6 games, but he had 10 in Game 3 and another 7 in Game 1, which left 10 rebounds in the other 4 games. Nazr was probably worse -- he had 25 rebounds in 5 games, but at least 11 of those 25 came in garbage time at the ends of Game 4 and 6.

The notion that Rasho and Nazr were going to patrol the lane and rebound and block shots against the Mavericks strikes me as somewhat fanciful. They had their chance to do it under much better circumstances (more favorable matchups for them) against SAC and sucked. How could anyone (particularly Pop) realistically expect that those numbers would improve against Dallas?

I think that's particularly true because of the matchup problems that Dallas presented. When the Mavs played a lineup that didn't compel three quality perimeter matchups on the defensive end, Rasho and Nazr could hang in there a bit, because Duncan could slide to Griffin and allow the bigs to deal with Diop and Dampier. When Dallas added offensive firepower by replacing Griffin with Harris, those guys couldn't have hoped to guard anyone on the floor without exposing Duncan to either significant foul trouble or serious fatigue, either of which would have been fatal to the Spurs.

I don't mean to put everything on Rasho and Nazr (and I don't mean to completely absolve Popovich), but I think the point is a valid one to debunk arguments concerning Pop's willingness to go small against Dallas.

In the end, what did the Spurs in -- and what they almost overcame at the end of Game 7 -- was a roster that was close but not quite prepared to play multiple styles. And ultimately, the Spurs were exposed as a team that, because of a lack of athleticism among its bigs, couldn't do important things like rebound effectively against teams with athletic and aggressive rebounders.

[SequNets]

When Rasho and Nazr played in the playoffs, the Spurs won a championship. They beat Denver, Phoenix, Dallas and Detroit.

Now let me hear some more BS examples... Bottom line the Spurs had more tools to win this year playing their way and didn't capitalize on it for some unknown pop damn reason.

Oh well, life goes on... the pack has caught up and is running by. The window was partially open.

The reason why the Spurs lost was because of the one thing between Manu's ears. His brain.

Straight up, no excuses. Manu lost this series by himself. Everyone that played minutes gave their hearts out only to have it fucked up by Ginobili.

There was no reason to unload players or lose players.

63 wins and a Game 7 Ginobili foul pretty much wrapped it up.

Go Nets.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

As far as Game 7, I blame the Mavericks for hitting 101% of their first half shots. As subpar as our small-ball defense was, they were knocking down everything, and it was too much to overcome.



This is something I hardly ever seen mentioned anymore. They seriously missed like only one shot in the first quarter and were shooting ~78% for the first fucking half.

The mavericks were on a mission, and played the best ball in their entire franchise HISTORY against the Spurs that series. And what happens? The spurs beat themselves out of it with an idiot manu move. It happens, gotta let it go, manu is still a total idiot, but he did hit many great shots, so did finley, so did parker, so did duncan. We played our hearts out and were one foul from repeating. Oh well, live and learn.
Still a waste of Duncan's prime though.

[EVAY]

As disappointed as I was in the ultimate result, that disappointment was tempered by a broader view of the series. I'm more convinced than ever that this group has whatever quality it is that makes champions champions -- the heart of a champion, whatever. They didn't get it done this time, and there are many, many reasons for that. But in the old days, the Spurs would have just rolled over and died after Game 4. The old Spurs would have rolled over and died down 20 at home in Game 7. This group didn't do that, largely because the core of Duncan and Parker and Ginobili didn't seem willing to allow it to happen. Finley seems to add to that. I think, despite the loss, that the series was indicative of that kind of mentality; couple that with the emotional fuel of feeling like they let it slip away, better health for both Duncan and Ginobili, and a handful of necessary tweaks to allow this team to deal better with the new NBA, and I think they've got a great chance to make a run at it again this coming season.

Ginobili made a huge error at the end of Game 7 and that was unfortunate because it clouds the fact that he made so many gigantic plays in Game 7 that gave the Spurs a chance to win it in regulation. The Spurs were a team built on the old NBA paradigm and made to play against a team ready to play the new style. Even with a roster ill-equipped to play that style, the Spurs were thatclose to sending the Mavericks reeling (for years, probably) and likely grabbing back-to-back titles. If the Spurs could get into another matchup with Dallas and get anything out of Bonner, a backup point, and whoever ends up playing center here, it will be more than they got out of Nesterovic, Mohammed, and Van Exel; in a series that was as close as that one was, even just a little more from those spots and you win.

I think the Spurs were beaten by a team that was challenged the norm and won at a time when the Spurs were still the norm. I think, in the end, it will prove to be beneficial, despite costing the chance for a repeat.


Are you Pop? Anyway, I actually agree with this analysis. We never would have gotten this far had Manu not been Manu for us. Bad decision on the last play, but I agree it shouldn't have been called. That's Javie for you, not Manu.

[furry_spurry]

Good point. I see that the Spurs have addressed this problem by getting rid of the players that didn't play in the playoffs.
:tu

[FromWayDowntown]

Good point. I see that the Spurs have addressed this problem by getting rid of the players that didn't play in the playoffs.

Nice.

:fro

Maybe they've addressed it by trying to find players who can play during the playoffs.

Just a thought.

It's not 2005 anymore.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Bonzi looking like freaking Dennis Rodman on the glass against us.

I'm not sure the Spurs are going to be able to fill those needs for a long three and a center who can rebound, defend, and create a shot. I'd love to think we'll fill those gaps, but I'm not sure how it will be done, barring a couple of miracle trades. '06-'07 could be one of those transitional seasons as the Spurs make moves in an effort to clean up the roster and plan for '07-'08. I'd expect to see the status quo in terms of personnel moves where the Spurs sign a couple of veterans in an attempt to plug some holes in the lineup.

Can you say Spreewell??

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Can you say botched roster

[Obstructed_View]

If the Spurs had made the decision to go to smallball ten games earlier, they would have won the championship. They were playing against a good Mavericks team while learning on the fly. By the end of the series, they had it pretty much figured out and were every bit the equal of the Mavs, despite being very tired and very beat up. It took an insane first half and a little luck for the Mavericks to get out of that series with a win. Getting down by double digits to good teams was a problem they had all year, and proved to be their downfall. Manu's foul was bad, but it was completely excusable IMHO. The Manu that's afraid to commit the foul is the Manu that's afraid to take the three that put them up in the first place.

Moral victories are for losers, but if the Spurs stick with what they know for the playoffs, they'll probably be fine.

[gospursgojas]

I like how if anyone else brought all this old stuff up, folks would be all over him/her.

:fro

[furry_spurry]

Maybe they've addressed it by trying to find players who can play during the playoffs.

Just a thought.
"no-defense; no-rebounding" Bonner :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

"no-defense; no-rebounding" Bonner :lol

If Bonner can stay on the floor by offering the sort of athleticism that neither Rasho nor Nazr possesses, the "no-defense; no-rebounding" Bonner will outdo them by grabbing a rebound here and there. He doesn't have to average 10 boards a night to be a better playoff fit than either Rasho or Nazr.

[furry_spurry]

If Bonner can stay on the floor by offering the sort of athleticism that neither Rasho nor Nazr possesses, the "no-defense; no-rebounding" Bonner will outdo them by grabbing a rebound here and there. He doesn't have to average 10 boards a night to be a better playoff fit than either Rasho or Nazr.
So, Bonner can cover Dirk?

Better play-off fit-- depends who you play. Maybe the Spurs play the Rockets in the first round-- followed by the Clippers-- and Bonner can shut down Yao and Brand. :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

So, Bonner can cover Dirk?

Better play-off fit-- depends who you play. Maybe the Spurs play the Rockets in the first round-- followed by the Clippers-- and Bonner can shut down Yao and Brand. :lol

That's not what I said. I just said that if Bonner can stay on the floor even for a few minutes each night in the playoffs without being completely overmatched from an athletic standpoint, he'll bring more to this team than Rasho or Nazr could in similar circumstances.

I'm by no means proclaiming that Matt Bonner is a defensive stopper who should be expected to hold down centers -- I'm by all means saying that Matt Bonner is here because he's more capable of playing and defending an someone on the floor when teams play more athletic lineups without completely disrupting the Spurs' schemes than either Nazr or Rasho. Is that simple enough.

It wouldn't be very difficult to outproduce the playoff numbers of Rasho or Nazr from 2006, but I'm relatively sure that neither Rasho nor Nazr would outproduce those numbers if either stayed in San Antonio.

[Solid D]

When Rasho and Nazr played in the playoffs, the Spurs won a championship. They beat Denver, Phoenix, Dallas and Detroit.

No, not quite. They didn't play Dallas. As mentioned before, they beat Denver, Seattle, Phoenix and Detroit.

[furry_spurry]

I'm by all means saying that Matt Bonner is here because he's more capable of playing and defending an someone on the floor when teams play more athletic lineups without completely disrupting the Spurs' schemes than either Nazr or Rasho. Is that simple enough.

No- Bonner is here because he has an expiring contract.

[violentkitten]

spurs got beat because they the mythical warrior nazr mohammed turned out to be worthless

[timvp]

No- Bonner is here because he has an expiring contract.

I call BS on that.

The Spurs danced Bonner around the media after the trade. When the Spurs get someone who is just a salary filler, they tend to pretendt hey don't exist. Ron Mercer, Jamison Brewer and now Eric Williams were never more than cap fillers and the Spurs treated like such.

Bonner will surprise this year.

:smokin

[violentkitten]

here is my tribute to jamison brewer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ug7WEUxH68)

[carina_gino20]

Mmmm..Did Manu grabbed the whole arm or was he just slight slapping the arm and most of the ball??

the fouls were never called most of the time LATE IN THE 4th QUARTER, and this foul call on Manu should not have been called. It would be a 1 point game. Ah well, I have moved on and will be expecting those once in a lifetime foul in the 4 quarter of the playoff..if any.

cheers,

:wakeup

as i remember, games 3-7 had late fouls called. there was that phantom call against Barry allowing Dirk to give Dallas a 1-pt lead. Then there was that Bowen handcheck, whch could have gone either way but shouldn't have been called in a tight game like that.

[polandprzem]

Good posts so far. One key that hasn't been mentioned is the Spurs couldn't rebound to save their life in the playoffs. They got outrebounded in 11 of the their final 12 playoff games, including all the games against the Mavs.

You don't win championships if you can't rebound.

Now you are talking about rebound all the time - big :rolleyes



Btw. I'm forcing myself to watch the Finals game today. It will hurts, maybe I will destroy something in my house, but I have to do it....

[Ghost Writer]

Bonner will start.

Horry turned into Ferry last playoffs... the old stiff version that could not guard anyone on the perimeter.

No one rebounded aside from Duncan.

Manu is still the real deal.

[furry_spurry]

The Spurs danced Bonner around the media after the trade. When the Spurs get someone who is just a salary filler, they tend to pretendt hey don't exist.They are just trying to make the best of the situation, but he does not fill any of their primary needs. It's not like the Spurs targeted Bonner as some prized player they wanted to trade for-- Toronto really wanted Rasho.

[Obstructed_View]

Would one of the mods please change furry's title from "Believe" to "Panic", please?

[furry_spurry]

I'm not panicked. I am at utter peace because I know the truth. :)

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I like how if anyone else brought all this old stuff up, folks would be all over him/her.

:fro

Being from the old school earns you some credit. It's called respecting your elders. Believe me, if GW ever comes back like the GW of old, there will be plenty of folks getting 'all over him'.

[SpursWoman]

Being from the old school earns you some credit. It's called respecting your elders.

:tu


Regardless of what Walton proclaims, GW is the original straw that stirs the drink. :drunk

[z0sa]

I think the question remains- can Manu and Horry ever repeat what they did in 2005?

Manu just needs to be injury free - he was injured multiple times last season and this complicated things for him. Injuries need time to heal.

And Horry just needs to be Horry. He has had countless seasons where he played as good as he did in the 05 playoffs.

[furry_spurry]

Manu just needs to be injury free - he was injured multiple times last season and this complicated things for him. Injuries need time to heal.

And Horry just needs to be Horry. He has had countless seasons where he played as good as he did in the 05 playoffs.
Manu made a lot of mental mistakes in the play-off this year and Horry has only had one good play-offs in the past 4 years. 2003, 2004, & 2006 were not good.

[CaptainLate]

Manu just needs to be injury free - he was injured multiple times last season and this complicated things for him. Injuries need time to heal.

And Manu doesn't give them time to heal. Combined with the way he plays, he may not serve out the remainder of his contract. He'll retire due to nagging problems with injuries.

[Quadzilla99]

The ref in game 4 for the foul at the end on Bruce.
Manu for his foul on Dirk (we wouldn't have been in the game w/o him though).
Our centers for not being able to impact the game enough to stay on the floor.
NVE for being old and shot.
Our whole team for laying a scomplete egg in game 2 and the first half of game 7.
Ginobili for not forcing Harris to go to his weak left hand earlier (took him 4-5 games to figure out Harris is right handed).
The NBA rule changes for making defense illegal and touching somebody on defense (even with your pinky) a foul.

There's plenty of blame to go around every time you lose though.