Kori Ellis
02-06-2007, 12:44 AM
Despite losses, Parker insists there is progress
Web Posted: 02/05/2007 11:00 PM CST
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA020607.04D.BKN.Spurs.1c0b834.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Watching Tony Parker walking gingerly across the floor at the Spurs' practice facility gave rise to more concern for a team in the midst of a losing streak, a long road trip and a near-crisis of confidence.
Parker quickly allayed fears and set a positive tone as the team's five-day hiatus nears an end.
"It's just a little tendinitis," Parker said. "I'm OK. It's going to be fine."
With the Spurs about to leave for the final five games of their eight-game rodeo road trip, a stretch that begins Wednesday in Washington, D.C., against the Eastern Conference's top team, Parker tried his best to assure that the Spurs are going to be fine, too.
They may just have dropped back-to-back games against two of the Western Conference's best teams, but the All-Star point guard found some comfort in the Spurs' play.
"It's going to be funny, what I'm saying," Parker said, without the slightest hint of laughter, "but I know we lost in the last two games, but I still think we are improving and are turning the corner a little bit, slowly but surely."
What Parker saw, even in losses at Utah and Phoenix, were stretches of excellence that hinted the Spurs are correcting their problems despite having fallen seven games behind the Mavericks in the Southwest Division.
"Two years ago we always used to win those tight games — all of those," Parker said. "This year, it's like a little circle. It turns around, and you lose all those games, except the Lakers game. So we just have to keep working, working hard. I think we're very close to winning those games and we just have to keep pushing."
Losing at Utah and Phoenix puts more pressure on the Spurs in the final five games of the road trip that concludes Feb. 14, just before the All-Star break.
That, said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, also can be a good thing.
"Yeah, it actually does," Ginobili said. "But the way we have been playing in January we just want to get better and change the pace of the season and get on a nice streak."
Monday's practice was even longer than Sunday's, which went over two hours and included a lengthy video re-hash of costly mistakes from the Spurs' two losses. The team will have a third-straight practice session — a regular-season rarity — today before leaving for Washington.
"Practice is always important," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "whether it's one practice in three weeks or three in a row, like we're going to have here. Practice is never unimportant, that's for sure."
Popovich said there was a serious tone to the last two workouts.
"(It was) a good chance to improve execution and let a lot of guys play, guys who don't normally get much of a chance to go five-on-five because they're 10th man or 12th man," he said.
"(We worked on) many things. It doesn't matter if you have the best record in the league or the worst record. Basketball is made up of a lot of components, so you can pick out almost anything and get better at it."
Notebook: Brent Barry sported a wrap on his right shin after a collision during practice with Jacque Vaughn. Barry and Michael Finley put in 30 minutes of extra shooting practice, and Barry snowed no ill effects from the bump. Vaughn apparently escaped injury.
Web Posted: 02/05/2007 11:00 PM CST
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA020607.04D.BKN.Spurs.1c0b834.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News
Watching Tony Parker walking gingerly across the floor at the Spurs' practice facility gave rise to more concern for a team in the midst of a losing streak, a long road trip and a near-crisis of confidence.
Parker quickly allayed fears and set a positive tone as the team's five-day hiatus nears an end.
"It's just a little tendinitis," Parker said. "I'm OK. It's going to be fine."
With the Spurs about to leave for the final five games of their eight-game rodeo road trip, a stretch that begins Wednesday in Washington, D.C., against the Eastern Conference's top team, Parker tried his best to assure that the Spurs are going to be fine, too.
They may just have dropped back-to-back games against two of the Western Conference's best teams, but the All-Star point guard found some comfort in the Spurs' play.
"It's going to be funny, what I'm saying," Parker said, without the slightest hint of laughter, "but I know we lost in the last two games, but I still think we are improving and are turning the corner a little bit, slowly but surely."
What Parker saw, even in losses at Utah and Phoenix, were stretches of excellence that hinted the Spurs are correcting their problems despite having fallen seven games behind the Mavericks in the Southwest Division.
"Two years ago we always used to win those tight games — all of those," Parker said. "This year, it's like a little circle. It turns around, and you lose all those games, except the Lakers game. So we just have to keep working, working hard. I think we're very close to winning those games and we just have to keep pushing."
Losing at Utah and Phoenix puts more pressure on the Spurs in the final five games of the road trip that concludes Feb. 14, just before the All-Star break.
That, said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, also can be a good thing.
"Yeah, it actually does," Ginobili said. "But the way we have been playing in January we just want to get better and change the pace of the season and get on a nice streak."
Monday's practice was even longer than Sunday's, which went over two hours and included a lengthy video re-hash of costly mistakes from the Spurs' two losses. The team will have a third-straight practice session — a regular-season rarity — today before leaving for Washington.
"Practice is always important," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "whether it's one practice in three weeks or three in a row, like we're going to have here. Practice is never unimportant, that's for sure."
Popovich said there was a serious tone to the last two workouts.
"(It was) a good chance to improve execution and let a lot of guys play, guys who don't normally get much of a chance to go five-on-five because they're 10th man or 12th man," he said.
"(We worked on) many things. It doesn't matter if you have the best record in the league or the worst record. Basketball is made up of a lot of components, so you can pick out almost anything and get better at it."
Notebook: Brent Barry sported a wrap on his right shin after a collision during practice with Jacque Vaughn. Barry and Michael Finley put in 30 minutes of extra shooting practice, and Barry snowed no ill effects from the bump. Vaughn apparently escaped injury.