Kori Ellis
11-03-2004, 01:47 AM
With Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Barry in place, Spurs feel they're built for success
Web Posted: 11/03/2004 12:15 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110304.1C.BKNspurs.adv.1b741add.html
One hundred twenty-two million to Tim Duncan. Fifty-two million to Manu Ginobili. Forty-two million each to Malik Rose and Rasho Nesterovic.
For each of the past three summers, Spurs chairman Peter Holt and his fellow owners have dutifully pulled out their wallets, signing off on one longterm contract after another. They gave 20-plus million to Brent Barry. Another 12 to 14 to Bruce Bowen.
Tony Parker was the latest to cash in Monday when he agreed to a $66 million, six-year extension. All told, the Spurs have committed almost $360 million — or roughly the same amount it would take to build two more SBC Centers — to seven players.
But while the Spurs' paychecks have grown, their expectations have not. They open the 2004-05 season against Sacramento tonight at home with the same hopes they've had for much of the past decade.
"We've got pressure even if we didn't have the contracts," Parker said. "It seems like the Spurs always have pressure because we want to win championships. This doesn't change nothing."
For a change, the Spurs have changed very little, aside from lightening Holt's bank account. They will have the same starting five as they did for last season's opener. Nine of the 15 players on their roster are returnees from last season. A year ago, they brought back just six.
"Sometimes numerous moves," Popovich said, "can very often not mean near as much as one or two critical small moves."
The Spurs hope that holds true this season. Their two biggest acquisitions of the summer were Barry, who was lured away from Seattle, and point guard Beno Udrih, who was drafted with the 28th pick.
Of the two, Barry is expected to have the more immediate impact. Though Popovich has refrained from giving him many minutes at point guard until he has a better understanding of the team's plays, Barry is versatile enough to play all three perimeter positions. He runs the floor well and is a good passer, which should generate more fast-break opportunities.
"I'm looking to find exactly how my role is going to define itself," Barry said. "That's the biggest thing. The roles for every player, if your name is not Tim or Tony, seem to change, and you just have to adjust with that."
The Spurs will be happy enough if Barry knocks down a shot or two. He struggled with his shooting for much of the preseason, though none of his new teammates were complaining.
"He's been confused a little bit," Duncan said. "We've got a lot of stuff we've put in and I think that's been his only downfall. He's kind of thinking the game instead of just playing it, which is what he's best at. Once he gets it down and it's kind of natural to him his game will come back, his shooting will really take off and he'll be a big part of this."
The Spurs have far less adjusting to do than many of their Western Conference peers. While coach Gregg Popovich said he was disappointed to see the Los Angeles Lakers dismantled — he compared their breakup to the fall of the Soviet Union — Duncan thought the Spurs would have had a new benchmark even if Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson had stayed.
"Detroit is the champion now," Duncan said. "That's our goal. They're defending champions and that's who we're going after."
The Spurs hope to contend not only this season, but also in the seasons that follow. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, the team's three best players, are under contract through at least the 2009-10 season.
Holt naturally wouldn't mind seeing a favorable return on his investment.
"Well of course the onus is on them to produce," Holt said. "But they're professional. They produce whether we've been in contract talks or not and I'm talking about Tim and Manu and Tony.
"I've never worried about these guys laying down on us. These guys are going to play to the peak of their ability, every game, every year."
Motivation, Parker said, shouldn't be a problem. Not when they still remember how last season ended.
"We know we messed up last year," Parker said. "We were playing very well the last two months of the season and we played great at the beginning of the playoffs.
"We knew we blew a good opportunity to win a second one. We don't want to do the same mistake this year."
Web Posted: 11/03/2004 12:15 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA110304.1C.BKNspurs.adv.1b741add.html
One hundred twenty-two million to Tim Duncan. Fifty-two million to Manu Ginobili. Forty-two million each to Malik Rose and Rasho Nesterovic.
For each of the past three summers, Spurs chairman Peter Holt and his fellow owners have dutifully pulled out their wallets, signing off on one longterm contract after another. They gave 20-plus million to Brent Barry. Another 12 to 14 to Bruce Bowen.
Tony Parker was the latest to cash in Monday when he agreed to a $66 million, six-year extension. All told, the Spurs have committed almost $360 million — or roughly the same amount it would take to build two more SBC Centers — to seven players.
But while the Spurs' paychecks have grown, their expectations have not. They open the 2004-05 season against Sacramento tonight at home with the same hopes they've had for much of the past decade.
"We've got pressure even if we didn't have the contracts," Parker said. "It seems like the Spurs always have pressure because we want to win championships. This doesn't change nothing."
For a change, the Spurs have changed very little, aside from lightening Holt's bank account. They will have the same starting five as they did for last season's opener. Nine of the 15 players on their roster are returnees from last season. A year ago, they brought back just six.
"Sometimes numerous moves," Popovich said, "can very often not mean near as much as one or two critical small moves."
The Spurs hope that holds true this season. Their two biggest acquisitions of the summer were Barry, who was lured away from Seattle, and point guard Beno Udrih, who was drafted with the 28th pick.
Of the two, Barry is expected to have the more immediate impact. Though Popovich has refrained from giving him many minutes at point guard until he has a better understanding of the team's plays, Barry is versatile enough to play all three perimeter positions. He runs the floor well and is a good passer, which should generate more fast-break opportunities.
"I'm looking to find exactly how my role is going to define itself," Barry said. "That's the biggest thing. The roles for every player, if your name is not Tim or Tony, seem to change, and you just have to adjust with that."
The Spurs will be happy enough if Barry knocks down a shot or two. He struggled with his shooting for much of the preseason, though none of his new teammates were complaining.
"He's been confused a little bit," Duncan said. "We've got a lot of stuff we've put in and I think that's been his only downfall. He's kind of thinking the game instead of just playing it, which is what he's best at. Once he gets it down and it's kind of natural to him his game will come back, his shooting will really take off and he'll be a big part of this."
The Spurs have far less adjusting to do than many of their Western Conference peers. While coach Gregg Popovich said he was disappointed to see the Los Angeles Lakers dismantled — he compared their breakup to the fall of the Soviet Union — Duncan thought the Spurs would have had a new benchmark even if Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson had stayed.
"Detroit is the champion now," Duncan said. "That's our goal. They're defending champions and that's who we're going after."
The Spurs hope to contend not only this season, but also in the seasons that follow. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, the team's three best players, are under contract through at least the 2009-10 season.
Holt naturally wouldn't mind seeing a favorable return on his investment.
"Well of course the onus is on them to produce," Holt said. "But they're professional. They produce whether we've been in contract talks or not and I'm talking about Tim and Manu and Tony.
"I've never worried about these guys laying down on us. These guys are going to play to the peak of their ability, every game, every year."
Motivation, Parker said, shouldn't be a problem. Not when they still remember how last season ended.
"We know we messed up last year," Parker said. "We were playing very well the last two months of the season and we played great at the beginning of the playoffs.
"We knew we blew a good opportunity to win a second one. We don't want to do the same mistake this year."