Solid D
01-02-2007, 01:01 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/mysa01012007.webSpursMailbag.en__.4518c50.html
Web Posted: 01/02/2007 12:22 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
CLEVELAND – For much of the past decade, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson have routinely proven to be two of the Spurs’ most difficult covers.
It might be time to now add LeBron James to that list.
If James plays like he has in his past two games against them, the Spurs could be in for a long evening. The 22-year-old forward scored 35 points when Cleveland won in San Antonio on Nov. 3. He had 44 when the Spurs lost here last season.
James, who also had 32 points in another victory over the Spurs during his rookie season, has caused similar trouble for many teams. But there haven’t been too many players who have consistently frustrated the Spurs like Bryant and Iverson.
What separates James from some of the league’s other top scorers is his combination of strength and athleticism. In their loss here last season, the Spurs twice thought they had James wrapped up for a foul only to watch him power through for a layup.
While the Spurs can throw Bruce Bowen on many an opposing team’s top scorer and not fret too much about the outcome, that isn’t the case with James. Bowen has had his most trouble with strong, physical players like James, Bonzi Wells and Carmelo Anthony.
As a result, whether the Spurs win or lose tonight could be determined by how they defend James as a team.
I'm wondering if any of the Spurs received a flu shot this year.
–Lee Butler, Charleston, W.V.
Yes they did. As they do every year.
But flu shots, from what I’ve been able to deduce from the Centers for Disease Control website (and, yes, that’s the type of extensive research we try to provide here at the Mailbag) do not prevent stomach flu. Go figure.
Flu shots reduce the risk of contracting various strains of influenza. They don’t protect you from other “flu-like” illnesses like gastroenteritis, a more common stomach ailment often referred to as “stomach flu.”
Outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships have been somewhat common in recent years. That’s also probably what leveled the Spurs last week.
So far, Pop has been one of the few people among the Spurs spared by the stomach virus.
“But,” Popovich said, “I didn’t get a flu shot.”
Why is Tim not taking control of the games like he used to before? Also why does Parker think that he have to take so many shots?
–Julian, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
I think you answered both questions yourself. From what I can deduce, Tim is not taking control of games like he used to because Parker is taking so many shots. And Parker is taking so many shots because Tim is no longer taking control of games like he used to.
EVEN WHEN ALL WERE WELL WE KEEP HAVING THESE DEFENSIVE MELTDOWNS!! CAN'T THESE COACHES DO SOMETHING! SOMEBODY IS FAILING AT THEIR JOB! S.A. HAS TOO MUCH TALENT TO BE CONTINUING WITH THESE DEFENSIVE FAILURES! THEY ARE GOING TO COST A CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR FOR SURE IF THINGS AREN'T CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!
–C.W. Irwin, Port Neches
I first want to applaud you for setting a Mailbag record for most exclamation points in a sentence with 12. But as much yelling as you seem to be doing over the Spurs’ defensive lapses, I can assure you of this much: You would have been drowned out by Pop after last week’s loss to Milwaukee.
As far as your claim that the Spurs have “too much talent to continue with these defensive failures”: Talent only gets you so far in the NBA if you’re not athletic enough to use it.
Why don’t you allow Ginobili to run as point to see if he could get a little size at point guard?
–Joe Huennekens, Oakland, Calif.
Unfortunately, the decision isn’t up to me seeing as I neither coach nor own the Spurs. But if I did, I would try to clone Manu and have him play all five positions.
Manu already serves as a point guard of sorts. It’s not uncommon for him to initiate the offense and the Spurs rely on his penetration to create scoring opportunities just about as much as they do that of Tony.
If you’re suggesting Manu should back up Tony instead of say Beno or Jacque, Brent Barry is a more likely option for that role. But in either case, it’s wise to remember this piece of age-old wisdom: Size doesn’t always matter.
Do the Spurs look to make any type of trade before the deadline and who might they look to deal?
–Joseph Rodriguez, San Antonio
The Spurs are always looking at possible deals before the trade deadline. Finding one that works, however, is the hard part.
In the past three seasons, the Spurs have made one Deadline Day trade (Malik Rose for Nazr Mohammed) and had two others all but done before they collapsed (Rose for Kurt Thomas; Brent Barry for J.R. Smith). You can probably expect to hear three names come up in conversations this season: Eric Williams (he has an expiring contract); Jackie Butler (he’s young and not playing); and Beno Udrih (he has a cheap contract, he’s young, he’s skilled and he seems to have signed a three-year lease in Pop’s doghouse).
Barry surfaced in last week’s talks regarding Los Angeles Clippers’ swingman Corey Maggette, but the Spurs have been reluctant to move him – at least in that deal – because he’s finally playing like they hoped he would when they signed him.
Why don’t you guys get some big centers? Spurs got a bad defense because they don’t have a good center. Tim Duncan is getting old. He can't play defense and at same time take care of offense. I think Spurs need some big centers.
–Dean Pannil
First off, why does everybody keep putting this stuff on me? Where in this Mailbag does it say, “Email Johnny: He’ll orchestrate trades, make lineup changes, fire coaches AND get Tim Duncan’s autograph for you!”
If I had that kind of power, the first thing I’d do is give myself a hefty raise for having to put up with this kind of pressure every week.
Second, Tim is not old. Mike Monroe is nearly twice Tim’s age. Now, that’s old.
Tim isn’t as dominant in Year 10 as he was in Year 3, so I don’t expect him to shut down Amare Stoudemire. But I’m also not sure there’s another big man in the league who can.
I also don’t think Tim’s occasional defensive problems have had as much to do with age as they do focus. Sometimes he gets too frustrated with the officiating. But when he’s feeling (and thinking) right, he still ranks as one of the top three defenders in the league.
Third, what do you mean by “big centers?” The Spurs already have one 7-footer in Francisco Elson. If you mean “big, lumbering centers,” the Spurs had one of those last season in Rasho, and he couldn’t get off the bench against Dallas.
I can count the number of dominant centers in the league on one finger: Yao Ming. Duncan also qualifies in my book, but he prefers to be called a forward.
Shaquille O’Neal isn’t the force he once was because of injuries, but Stoudemire can join that group if he stays healthy and learns to impact the game more on the defensive end.
The Spurs don’t ask too much of their centers even when David Robinson was lining up next to Duncan in the 2003 NBA Finals. Defend. Rebound. Hit the occasional open jump shot.
Elson has shown the ability to do that. Just not consistently.
If Elson doesn’t improve, the Spurs best option might be to make Tim the full-time center and go shopping this summer for an athletic forward. In either event, however, I won’t be the one making the decision.
Web Posted: 01/02/2007 12:22 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
CLEVELAND – For much of the past decade, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson have routinely proven to be two of the Spurs’ most difficult covers.
It might be time to now add LeBron James to that list.
If James plays like he has in his past two games against them, the Spurs could be in for a long evening. The 22-year-old forward scored 35 points when Cleveland won in San Antonio on Nov. 3. He had 44 when the Spurs lost here last season.
James, who also had 32 points in another victory over the Spurs during his rookie season, has caused similar trouble for many teams. But there haven’t been too many players who have consistently frustrated the Spurs like Bryant and Iverson.
What separates James from some of the league’s other top scorers is his combination of strength and athleticism. In their loss here last season, the Spurs twice thought they had James wrapped up for a foul only to watch him power through for a layup.
While the Spurs can throw Bruce Bowen on many an opposing team’s top scorer and not fret too much about the outcome, that isn’t the case with James. Bowen has had his most trouble with strong, physical players like James, Bonzi Wells and Carmelo Anthony.
As a result, whether the Spurs win or lose tonight could be determined by how they defend James as a team.
I'm wondering if any of the Spurs received a flu shot this year.
–Lee Butler, Charleston, W.V.
Yes they did. As they do every year.
But flu shots, from what I’ve been able to deduce from the Centers for Disease Control website (and, yes, that’s the type of extensive research we try to provide here at the Mailbag) do not prevent stomach flu. Go figure.
Flu shots reduce the risk of contracting various strains of influenza. They don’t protect you from other “flu-like” illnesses like gastroenteritis, a more common stomach ailment often referred to as “stomach flu.”
Outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships have been somewhat common in recent years. That’s also probably what leveled the Spurs last week.
So far, Pop has been one of the few people among the Spurs spared by the stomach virus.
“But,” Popovich said, “I didn’t get a flu shot.”
Why is Tim not taking control of the games like he used to before? Also why does Parker think that he have to take so many shots?
–Julian, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
I think you answered both questions yourself. From what I can deduce, Tim is not taking control of games like he used to because Parker is taking so many shots. And Parker is taking so many shots because Tim is no longer taking control of games like he used to.
EVEN WHEN ALL WERE WELL WE KEEP HAVING THESE DEFENSIVE MELTDOWNS!! CAN'T THESE COACHES DO SOMETHING! SOMEBODY IS FAILING AT THEIR JOB! S.A. HAS TOO MUCH TALENT TO BE CONTINUING WITH THESE DEFENSIVE FAILURES! THEY ARE GOING TO COST A CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR FOR SURE IF THINGS AREN'T CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!
–C.W. Irwin, Port Neches
I first want to applaud you for setting a Mailbag record for most exclamation points in a sentence with 12. But as much yelling as you seem to be doing over the Spurs’ defensive lapses, I can assure you of this much: You would have been drowned out by Pop after last week’s loss to Milwaukee.
As far as your claim that the Spurs have “too much talent to continue with these defensive failures”: Talent only gets you so far in the NBA if you’re not athletic enough to use it.
Why don’t you allow Ginobili to run as point to see if he could get a little size at point guard?
–Joe Huennekens, Oakland, Calif.
Unfortunately, the decision isn’t up to me seeing as I neither coach nor own the Spurs. But if I did, I would try to clone Manu and have him play all five positions.
Manu already serves as a point guard of sorts. It’s not uncommon for him to initiate the offense and the Spurs rely on his penetration to create scoring opportunities just about as much as they do that of Tony.
If you’re suggesting Manu should back up Tony instead of say Beno or Jacque, Brent Barry is a more likely option for that role. But in either case, it’s wise to remember this piece of age-old wisdom: Size doesn’t always matter.
Do the Spurs look to make any type of trade before the deadline and who might they look to deal?
–Joseph Rodriguez, San Antonio
The Spurs are always looking at possible deals before the trade deadline. Finding one that works, however, is the hard part.
In the past three seasons, the Spurs have made one Deadline Day trade (Malik Rose for Nazr Mohammed) and had two others all but done before they collapsed (Rose for Kurt Thomas; Brent Barry for J.R. Smith). You can probably expect to hear three names come up in conversations this season: Eric Williams (he has an expiring contract); Jackie Butler (he’s young and not playing); and Beno Udrih (he has a cheap contract, he’s young, he’s skilled and he seems to have signed a three-year lease in Pop’s doghouse).
Barry surfaced in last week’s talks regarding Los Angeles Clippers’ swingman Corey Maggette, but the Spurs have been reluctant to move him – at least in that deal – because he’s finally playing like they hoped he would when they signed him.
Why don’t you guys get some big centers? Spurs got a bad defense because they don’t have a good center. Tim Duncan is getting old. He can't play defense and at same time take care of offense. I think Spurs need some big centers.
–Dean Pannil
First off, why does everybody keep putting this stuff on me? Where in this Mailbag does it say, “Email Johnny: He’ll orchestrate trades, make lineup changes, fire coaches AND get Tim Duncan’s autograph for you!”
If I had that kind of power, the first thing I’d do is give myself a hefty raise for having to put up with this kind of pressure every week.
Second, Tim is not old. Mike Monroe is nearly twice Tim’s age. Now, that’s old.
Tim isn’t as dominant in Year 10 as he was in Year 3, so I don’t expect him to shut down Amare Stoudemire. But I’m also not sure there’s another big man in the league who can.
I also don’t think Tim’s occasional defensive problems have had as much to do with age as they do focus. Sometimes he gets too frustrated with the officiating. But when he’s feeling (and thinking) right, he still ranks as one of the top three defenders in the league.
Third, what do you mean by “big centers?” The Spurs already have one 7-footer in Francisco Elson. If you mean “big, lumbering centers,” the Spurs had one of those last season in Rasho, and he couldn’t get off the bench against Dallas.
I can count the number of dominant centers in the league on one finger: Yao Ming. Duncan also qualifies in my book, but he prefers to be called a forward.
Shaquille O’Neal isn’t the force he once was because of injuries, but Stoudemire can join that group if he stays healthy and learns to impact the game more on the defensive end.
The Spurs don’t ask too much of their centers even when David Robinson was lining up next to Duncan in the 2003 NBA Finals. Defend. Rebound. Hit the occasional open jump shot.
Elson has shown the ability to do that. Just not consistently.
If Elson doesn’t improve, the Spurs best option might be to make Tim the full-time center and go shopping this summer for an athletic forward. In either event, however, I won’t be the one making the decision.