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01-21-2007, 12:32 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012107.01C.BKNspurs.sixers.1b78314.html
Spurs search for consistent continuity
Web Posted: 01/20/2007 11:04 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
PHILADELPHIA — Weary of staring up at Dallas and Phoenix, or perhaps simply unable to see that far, the Spurs begin the second half of their schedule tonight with a long, hard look in the mirror.
The Spurs have the NBA's third-best record at 28-13, which says something, but they're also closer to beginning the playoffs as a sixth seed than a first, which might say even more.
They've already equaled last season's home loss total. They're 6-7 against the other seven Western Conference teams currently holding playoff seeds, and three of those victories came in the season's first two weeks.
They've lived up to their billing as the league's oldest team, surviving, largely, on the contributions of their three stars while lacking consistent production from their bench. Trade speculation, which usually doesn't filter into San Antonio until the first week of February, began blowing with gale-force winds more than a month ago and isn't expected to die down until a pair of younger legs are swept into town or the Feb.22 deadline passes.
But hope also apparently still springs eternal.
"We want to really get out of this slump," Manu Ginobili said. "I think things are going to go way, way better now."
Ginobili has been around long enough to know saying that and then having it actually happen are two different things. That might be why Spurs coach Gregg Popovich declined to speak to reporters after Saturday's practice: How many "we're-not-playing-well-but-we-have-considerable-room-for-improvement-and-that's-a-good-thing" sound bites can a single person deliver in one week?
"I really think we're legitimately a team that controls our own destiny," assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "When we play well, we can beat anybody. But we're an adventure when we don't play well."
The Spurs haven't shot well from the perimeter of late, going a combined 19 of 71 from the 3-point line in the past three games, and their defense, while noticeably better than a month ago, can still improve. But more than anything, last week's two losses told the Spurs they need to do a better job of playing together.
"When you're trying to force someone to the baseline, it's knowing the help is going to be there from the next guy," Carlesimo said. "Or when you're as good as Manu is or Tony (Parker) is, they can manufacture a shot whenever they want, but to know that if they make the pass to the open guy, that guy's going to make the shot.
"It's a two-way street. The confidence comes from success. We have to play a little bit better, and I think that trust in one another will come a little bit more easily."
The Spurs hope to get away from having one or two players take it upon themselves to try to win the game instead of working within the team's system.
"You just have to be concerned about making your teammates better," Ginobili said. "Once that happens and you feel you have your teammates' back, everybody's going to hustle and do whatever it takes to win. So it's about playing with even more passion."
Passion alone, however, won't solve all of the Spurs' problems. Beno Udrih, Michael Finley and Robert Horry have each shot poorly for much of the season, weakening the team's bench.
Then there's the ongoing question of whether the Spurs are athletic enough to survive in the West.
Team officials continue to look at trade opportunities but admit the roster they have now could well be the same one they have in a month. While the Spurs remain interested in Los Angeles Clippers forward Corey Maggette, so do about a half-dozen other teams. And the Clippers don't seem interested in anything the Spurs have to offer, and that includes a package of Brent Barry and Udrih.
So, for now, the Spurs will try to improve from within, beginning tonight against Philadelphia. Games against Houston, the Lakers, Utah and Phoenix over the next couple of weeks should give them a better idea of whether they're making any progress.
"If you want to give us a grade right now, it's about a C-plus," Horry said. "The good thing about it is we've got half (the schedule) out of the way, so we hope we have all of that out of our system."
Spurs search for consistent continuity
Web Posted: 01/20/2007 11:04 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
PHILADELPHIA — Weary of staring up at Dallas and Phoenix, or perhaps simply unable to see that far, the Spurs begin the second half of their schedule tonight with a long, hard look in the mirror.
The Spurs have the NBA's third-best record at 28-13, which says something, but they're also closer to beginning the playoffs as a sixth seed than a first, which might say even more.
They've already equaled last season's home loss total. They're 6-7 against the other seven Western Conference teams currently holding playoff seeds, and three of those victories came in the season's first two weeks.
They've lived up to their billing as the league's oldest team, surviving, largely, on the contributions of their three stars while lacking consistent production from their bench. Trade speculation, which usually doesn't filter into San Antonio until the first week of February, began blowing with gale-force winds more than a month ago and isn't expected to die down until a pair of younger legs are swept into town or the Feb.22 deadline passes.
But hope also apparently still springs eternal.
"We want to really get out of this slump," Manu Ginobili said. "I think things are going to go way, way better now."
Ginobili has been around long enough to know saying that and then having it actually happen are two different things. That might be why Spurs coach Gregg Popovich declined to speak to reporters after Saturday's practice: How many "we're-not-playing-well-but-we-have-considerable-room-for-improvement-and-that's-a-good-thing" sound bites can a single person deliver in one week?
"I really think we're legitimately a team that controls our own destiny," assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "When we play well, we can beat anybody. But we're an adventure when we don't play well."
The Spurs haven't shot well from the perimeter of late, going a combined 19 of 71 from the 3-point line in the past three games, and their defense, while noticeably better than a month ago, can still improve. But more than anything, last week's two losses told the Spurs they need to do a better job of playing together.
"When you're trying to force someone to the baseline, it's knowing the help is going to be there from the next guy," Carlesimo said. "Or when you're as good as Manu is or Tony (Parker) is, they can manufacture a shot whenever they want, but to know that if they make the pass to the open guy, that guy's going to make the shot.
"It's a two-way street. The confidence comes from success. We have to play a little bit better, and I think that trust in one another will come a little bit more easily."
The Spurs hope to get away from having one or two players take it upon themselves to try to win the game instead of working within the team's system.
"You just have to be concerned about making your teammates better," Ginobili said. "Once that happens and you feel you have your teammates' back, everybody's going to hustle and do whatever it takes to win. So it's about playing with even more passion."
Passion alone, however, won't solve all of the Spurs' problems. Beno Udrih, Michael Finley and Robert Horry have each shot poorly for much of the season, weakening the team's bench.
Then there's the ongoing question of whether the Spurs are athletic enough to survive in the West.
Team officials continue to look at trade opportunities but admit the roster they have now could well be the same one they have in a month. While the Spurs remain interested in Los Angeles Clippers forward Corey Maggette, so do about a half-dozen other teams. And the Clippers don't seem interested in anything the Spurs have to offer, and that includes a package of Brent Barry and Udrih.
So, for now, the Spurs will try to improve from within, beginning tonight against Philadelphia. Games against Houston, the Lakers, Utah and Phoenix over the next couple of weeks should give them a better idea of whether they're making any progress.
"If you want to give us a grade right now, it's about a C-plus," Horry said. "The good thing about it is we've got half (the schedule) out of the way, so we hope we have all of that out of our system."