Just for comparison

[MajorMike]

... in 2003, we were 22-14 and 30-16 (with same 30 wins and 14 losses).

And, oh by the way, Dallas was 38-9 that year around this time.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Just for comparison, why don't you tell us all who was coaching the Mavs at the time.

[fitzgerald]

... in 2003, we were 22-14 and 30-16 (with same 30 wins and 14 losses).

And, oh by the way, Dallas was 38-9 that year around this time.


I can tell you that record was not realistic. We were outscoring teams and playing no defense. (like some other team today). We could build a big lead and lose it in a blink of an eye. Don Nelson was coaching and had no desire to play defense. You are not comparing apples to apples.

[Mr. Body]

This time in 2003 I had little doubt the Spurs could and probably would win the Championship. The only obstacle was Los Angeles, and we had a thrilling, dynamic new player getting healthy and coming off the bench in Manu Ginobili.

This year I have little doubt the Spurs will get wrecked by Dallas and our bench is as barren as Death Valley.

[MajorMike]

This time in 2003 I had little doubt the Spurs could and probably would win the Championship. The only obstacle was Los Angeles, and we had a thrilling, dynamic new player getting healthy and coming off the bench in Manu Ginobili.

This year I have little doubt the Spurs will get wrecked by Dallas and our bench is as barren as Death Valley.


Do you think that is for sure? Or do you think your level of expectation has changed?

[Mr. Body]

Do you think that is for sure? Or do you think your level of expectation has changed?

Oh, no. I'm quite certain.

[TDMVPDPOY]

for comparison, this team is probably the worst spurs team in duncan era.....

[MajorMike]

for comparison, this team is probably the worst spurs team in duncan era.....

Records before end of Jan:

1997-1998 30-14
1998-1999 32-13 (after like number of games)
1999-2000 28-16
2000-2001 29-15
2001-2002 29-15
2002-2003 29-16
2003-2004 29-16
2004-2005 34-10
2005-2006 31-10
2006-2007 30-14

[johnpaulwall21]

well according to captain crunch it looks like 1999-2000 could be. but who knows i mean we got less losses than the 03 championship team. Did detroit win it last year when they were compared to the 95-96 bulls, hell naw and detroit do look like this years dallas mavs.

[GrandeDavid]

I thought about this as well. But also agree with the comment that we aren't comparing apples with apples. Dallas is a different team, a WAAAAAAAAAY different team than in 2003. This Dallas team would bury that 2003 team. This new edition is tough on both ends, very, very deep and hungrier. No comparison.

But I believe you are making the point that the Spurs also endured some rough early patches and were able to get their stuff together by the playoffs. I agree with you. I think the Spurs can and will improve and will be ready come playoff time. But whether that's good enough to overcome Dallas remains to be seen. At this point in time I obviously have my doubts. But only time will tell.

[baseline bum]

That '03 team had reasons to have a bad early season start. Ginobili was injured for most of 2002 and Steve Smith was the incumbent shooting guard. That team was also almost unbeatable after January 1st. This team has been horrible since the new year, and is loaded with Steve Smiths, with no Stephen Jacksons in sight.

[johnpaulwall21]

ginobili wasnt that good his rookie year, i dont think him being hurt coming off the bench really caused us to lose those games. Remember Duncan carried that team to the championship.

[WalterBenitez]

so, this team sucks ... ?? :wakeup

[baseline bum]

ginobili wasnt that good his rookie year, i dont think him being hurt coming off the bench really caused us to lose those games. Remember Duncan carried that team to the championship.

What? Who hit the game-winner in game 3 of the 2003 Finals? What about the strip of Jefferson at halfcourt in game 6? Ginobili was maybe the 3rd or 4th most important player on that 2003 team. He was one of the main reasons the team got through LA.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Records before end of Jan:

1997-1998 30-14
1998-1999 32-13 (after like number of games)
1999-2000 28-16
2000-2001 29-15
2001-2002 29-15
2002-2003 29-16
2003-2004 29-16
2004-2005 34-10
2005-2006 31-10
2006-2007 30-14

You would have a tangible argument if the Spurs were playing the game in a vacuum.

Problem is, they're not and Dallas isn't going to have the same problems it had in 2003 because it's got one of the best coaches in the league at the helm instead of a guy in Nellie who thought defense was a four letter word.

I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, but then again you think the RPI is the most important stat regarding seeding in the NCAA tournament so I can't fault you in being stuck in some stupid numbers.

[mabber]

I can tell you that record was not realistic. We were outscoring teams and playing no defense. (like some other team today). We could build a big lead and lose it in a blink of an eye. Don Nelson was coaching and had no desire to play defense. You are not comparing apples to apples.

Exactly, we were similar to the Phoenix Suns of this season.

We were outscoring everyone (and playing no defense) but when the playoffs came EVERYONE knew that the Spurs were gonna beat us that year. I was surprised we won 2 games in that playoff series.

[johnpaulwall21]

What? Who hit the game-winner in game 3 of the 2003 Finals? What about the strip of Jefferson at halfcourt in game 6? Ginobili was maybe the 3rd or 4th most important player on that 2003 team. He was one of the main reasons the team got through LA.

what i was talking about was the regular season record, i said ginobili injured didnt have a big enough impact to make us lose those games in the regular season. It was like this year, we had several new guys who didnt know the system well and it didnt click for a while.

[EVAY]

There is not a meaningful comparison between any team under Nelly and the Dallas team this year. We have to face it guys...this team has as much talent as many of our prior championship teams, it has the same head coach, but the assistant coaches have changed for the spurs, and the league's game has changed. Where we excelled in the prior years was in physical, pound-it-out basketball. That is not the way the game is played these days, except in San Antonio ( and maybe Houston), and we don't have the coaching staff to accomodate the difference. DON'T START ACCUSING ME OF TRYING TO GET POP FIRED... THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!!!!

This is about recognizing who we are as a team, go smallour strengths are and where the league is. If you want to beat the Spurs this year, either have your team coached by a former Spur (player or assistant coach doesn't seem to matter) who learned the game from Pop, or pull your center at some point in the game. If you do the latter, we will always respond in kind ( never mind the fact that we expressly went out and got people (Elson, etc.) who were able to "keep up" with the fast pace of the game as it is played today), and we go "small", we can't win. I don't know why we cant'. I'm not blaming it on coaching or any particular player....but when we "go small" we lose the games, and everybody else in the league has figured that out but us.

I will continue to go to the games andwatch every game on tv as I have for the last ten years, but...please...let's not kid ourselves....without some drastic mental and offensive changes...we will go home by the second playoff round this year...and maybe the first.