Bill Russell: If You Like Good Basketball, You Should Like the Spurs

[flipcritic]

http://www.nba.com/playoffs2007/news/billrussell_postseason.html

If You Like Good Basketball, You Should Like the Spurs
If you want to see a good team play, you watch the Spurs. People who complain otherwise are just trying to find something negative to talk about. How is it that a team is winning, but you don’t like the way they’re winning? To me that seems kind of dumb.

Neither the Lakers with Magic nor the Bulls with Michael looked the same. Anybody who doesn’t like watching Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Ginobili play might want to seek help. They might need a therapist.

Tim Duncan Boring? Definitely Not
The same goes for those people that say Tim Duncan is boring to watch. Just look at how many championships Tim Duncan has won. That should tell you something. If he wins four or five championships, to say that he is boring is like comparing Da Vinci and Picasso. They were both geniuses with two different styles.

When Tim Duncan was a rookie, I said he was the most efficient player in the league at the time. In watching him play, he has the least wasted motion and emotion. He is terribly, terribly efficient. Everything he does had a purpose. I love watching him.

Don’t Only Judge A Player By His Numbers
If you go by conventional methods – points, rebounds and assists – Tim Duncan’s numbers never reflect the way he plays. He is one of the few guys that the way he plays, the other team has to pay for that. The other team is penalized by the way he plays with or without the ball. I’ve said before one of the most important skills is being a good passer. However, a good pass, doesn’t always result in an assist. Some people say, 'Well the guy made a pass that resulted in a layup, so that’s a good pass.'

But a good pass is a pass to make plays, not a pass to get rid of the ball. Duncan makes good passes to make plays. Not all of them necessarily go to making an assist. Many times his initial pass sets up the motion that the Spurs want for their offense. Usually he determines the pace of their game by his passing. If you notice, you see less one-on-one when he is playing. That is one of the good things about that team. With different guys on the floor, they play different. They don’t try to have the guy who checked in play like the guy that he substituted for.

Let The Duncan Historical Comparisons Wait For Retirement
Where does Tim Duncan rank among the best big men of all-time? I can’t say since I never look at a guy historically while he is playing because you don’t know what he is going to do in his remaining years. His body of work is not yet complete. Remember they were questioning Steve Nash winning the MVP because he hadn’t won a championship? Looking at it now, you can say that was not only incorrect, but unintelligent.

For me, I watched George Mikan play as a high school kid. I felt privileged to watch these great guys play. Every one of them is unique and none of them plays like anyone else. Instead of trying to figure out how good they are, I think you should just enjoy watching them play. Wilt and I played center completely different. Oscar, Magic and Michael Jordan played guard completely different. Larry and Elgin Baylor and Bob Pettit played forward completely different.

[samikeyp]

That pretty much ends the debate.

If anyone is more qualified to speak on this than Bill Russell, I would like to know who that is.

:tu

[jaffies]

Yeah, but when we say this, we're just blind homers.

[E20]

This is a good article.

[samikeyp]

Yeah, but when we say this, we're just blind homers.

True....that is why it means much more coming from a legend.

[PM5K]

The Spurs aren't boring, but they could certainly be more exciting, at the same time I'll take consistent winning over anything else...

[samikeyp]

The Spurs aren't boring, but they could certainly be more exciting, at the same time I'll take consistent winning over anything else...

That is it, right there. The haters out there seem to forget that point.

[conqueso]

That's the most incomprehensible drivel I've ever seen. I feel like I have actually become dumber as a result of reading that.

Although this article was good for one thing: it unequivocally proves that Bill Walton was in fact awmyplace.

[samikeyp]

Bill Russell....not Bill Walton....and he was dead on.

[mikekim]

That's the most incomprehensible drivel I've ever seen. I feel like I have actually become dumber as a result of reading that.

Although this article was good for one thing: it unequivocally proves that Bill Walton was in fact awmyplace.

Oh well, I liked it.

[romad_20]

Bill Russell, pffft, what the fuck does he know? :rolleyes ESPN says they just ruined the entire playoffs, I'm going with them.

:spin

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Good article, Bill Russel is actually a pretty good NBA analyst because he doesn't cave into all the hyperbole. I'd much rather watch San Antonio or Detroit than Cleveland, their offense is absolutely putrid to watch. The "LeBron James Isolation Show" really doesn't get my blood flowing.

[jaespur21]

Tony Park and M Ginobili are very exciting. Timmy is my favorite player of all time. but i hate that ppl say we are boring when manu and tony do some dope shit

[Solid D]

That's the most incomprehensible drivel I've ever seen. I feel like I have actually become dumber as a result of reading that.

Although this article was good for one thing: it unequivocally proves that Bill Walton was in fact awmyplace.

Wow.

[T-Pain]

obviously bill russell knows his basketball

[L.I.T]

Hmmmmm...one the greatest winners and team players of all time, commenting on a player who will go down in history as one of the greatest winners and team players.

Works for me.

[milkyway21]

he was with us joined the Admiral game 1 vs Detroit 2005 Finals how can I forget that?

..coming from the NBA's Lord of the Ring :clap Thank you!

[AnkleBreaker21]

he makes really good points, but haterz only see and hear what haterz wanna see and hear

[milkyway21]

Bill Russel said once... he was tired of him being ignored in the MVP Awards so what he did he collected rings instead.
:bling:bling:bling:bling:bling:bling:bling:bling :bling :bling :bling :bling:bling:

sounds like Tim Duncan to me:rolleyes
:lol

[Strike]

I still don't understand how winning is boring! The Spurs are the winningest team of ANY professional sports franchise in the last decade. They have the highest winning percentage of any pro sports team in basketball, baseball, football and hockey. They make the playoffs EVERY freaking year, usually in the top 4 in the western confence. Most importantly, they win titles. Every year they are one of the top contenders in the NBA to win it all.

How is that boring?

[DDS4]

That's the most incomprehensible drivel I've ever seen. I feel like I have actually become dumber as a result of reading that.

Although this article was good for one thing: it unequivocally proves that Bill Walton was in fact awmyplace.

I'm failing to see the sarcasm. Or is there any?

[lrrr]

I still don't understand how winning is boring! The Spurs are the winningest team of ANY professional sports franchise in the last decade. They have the highest winning percentage of any pro sports team in basketball, baseball, football and hockey. They make the playoffs EVERY freaking year, usually in the top 4 in the western confence. Most importantly, they win titles. Every year they are one of the top contenders in the NBA to win it all.

How is that boring?

Exactly, they outscored the "exciting" suns 4 out fo 6 games

[DarrinS]

Good article, Bill Russel is actually a pretty good NBA analyst because he doesn't cave into all the hyperbole. I'd much rather watch San Antonio or Detroit than Cleveland, their offense is absolutely putrid to watch. The "LeBron James Isolation Show" really doesn't get my blood flowing.


But, you have to admit, Lebron is a pretty damn good basketball player, especially considering his age.

[nkdlunch]

Bill Russel is someone I would listen to

[missmyzte]

That pretty much ends the debate.

If anyone is more qualified to speak on this than Bill Russell, I would like to know who that is.

:tu
Well said Mike.

[LilMissSPURfect]

Spurs Excite Me!

[easjer]

Strike, it's boring if it's not your team. Particularly if it's not your team and you are only a casual fan who doesn't really watch the game. It appeals to that fair play sense of Americana that leads people to advocate for children playing games with no winners so everyone feels good.

And you have to admit that while the Spurs have some flashy plays every now and then, most of what they do that we as fans find so engaging would be lost on someone who doesn't watch a lot of basketball. Casual fans follow the ball, so they may miss a lot of the defense that denies the ball, denies penetration or deflects the offensive intentions. They don't understand why they don't dunk it everytime, or why they just stand there and pass the ball around. They don't understand the beauty of setting up four screens and finding the open man for an uncontested layup.

So yeah, I get how people who don't watch a lot of basketball think it's boring.

I don't get people who are paid to do what many of us would find a dream job - that is, watching basketball and reporting on it - claim that the Spurs are boring. Those guys DO watch enough and should know better. For them, the boring label is applied in anger because the Spurs are consistent, they are quiet, they are blue collar. If locker room/chemistry problems exist, they never breathe a word (and their behavior leads one to suspect they don't exist). The Spurs don't play with a lot of flash and when they interview, they make bland statements largely pertinent to the game. There is no trash talking or ref baiting or anything. Where does the story come from? Because who would want to write or read a story about the Spurs doing the same thing they did last game or the game before that?

[GrandeDavid]

Well said Mike.

Wordness Uppus.

[smrattler]

True....that is why it means much more coming from a legend.

Very true. And you have to tap the brakes sometimes on how much weight you give what you think of your own team and players. Whether we believe it or not, we aren't 100% unbiased, we are probably very biased. That's why it's good to get a very qualified but outsider's unbiased opinion.

Like the beautiful baby syndrome. Everyone that has their first baby is pretty sure that they are looking at the most beautiful baby there has ever been. Side by side with the Gerber baby, the Huggies baby and other famous babies, you are sure they are no challenge, this kid's the real deal hands down. And it doesn't help that your parents, brothers, sisters and close friends tell you the same. But you later realize they aren't unbiased and neither are you.

So, you can wait for Gerber, Huggies or some Nick Jr. show producer to call you up and confirm what you're sure is the truth. Or you can say it really doesn't matter, this is my baby, it's the best ever and I don't care if anyone agrees or not.

The Spurs are my baby and I couldn't care less if outsiders agree as long as I've got my family behind me. But it's nice when Gerber stops by and confirmed what we already knew.

(Holy crap... what did I just write?)

[Displaced Spurs Fan]

Strike, it's boring if it's not your team. Particularly if it's not your team and you are only a casual fan who doesn't really watch the game. It appeals to that fair play sense of Americana that leads people to advocate for children playing games with no winners so everyone feels good.

And you have to admit that while the Spurs have some flashy plays every now and then, most of what they do that we as fans find so engaging would be lost on someone who doesn't watch a lot of basketball. Casual fans follow the ball, so they may miss a lot of the defense that denies the ball, denies penetration or deflects the offensive intentions. They don't understand why they don't dunk it everytime, or why they just stand there and pass the ball around. They don't understand the beauty of setting up four screens and finding the open man for an uncontested layup.

So yeah, I get how people who don't watch a lot of basketball think it's boring.

I don't get people who are paid to do what many of us would find a dream job - that is, watching basketball and reporting on it - claim that the Spurs are boring. Those guys DO watch enough and should know better. For them, the boring label is applied in anger because the Spurs are consistent, they are quiet, they are blue collar. If locker room/chemistry problems exist, they never breathe a word (and their behavior leads one to suspect they don't exist). The Spurs don't play with a lot of flash and when they interview, they make bland statements largely pertinent to the game. There is no trash talking or ref baiting or anything. Where does the story come from? Because who would want to write or read a story about the Spurs doing the same thing they did last game or the game before that?

Well said! :toast