ducks
06-01-2007, 10:15 PM
Spurs plan to rest up, work hard on break
Web Posted: 05/31/2007 11:01 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Robert Horry had already talked about his impending seventh trip to the NBA Finals, as well as Michael Finley's first. He had discussed the Spurs' ragged ride during the first half of the season and their subsequent U-turn into the playoffs.
Horry even expressed disappointment over no longer being able to purchase a summer home in Phoenix.
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So as the Spurs' eldest statesman prepared to leave the locker room late Wednesday, there was only one question left unasked.
Detroit or Cleveland?
"Deland," Horry said, smiling. "Detroit and Cleveland mixed. I just hope somebody soon."
For someone who seems perpetually planted at the intersection of Right Place and Right Time, Horry has reason not to fret much about which opponent the Spurs will draw in the Finals. But he is going to have to wait a while to find out.
With the Pistons and Cavaliers squared at 2-2 entering Game 5, the Eastern Conference finals won't end until Saturday at the earliest and Monday at the latest. Regardless, the Spurs will have a week to rest and prepare before opening the Finals on Thursday at the AT&T Center.
"It is kind of tough; I don't like usually to wait so much," Manu Ginobili said. "But what the heck? We're in the Finals. I can't complain about winning 4-1 in the conference finals."
The Spurs also are accustomed to having a lengthy layoff before the Finals. They had a similar seven-day break before facing Detroit in 2005. In their first trip to the Finals in 1999, they had nine days off while waiting for the New York Knicks to close out the Indiana Pacers.
In both cases, the Spurs went on to win the first two games of the series at home.
"You can either get too much rest and be too rusty," Horry said. "A lot of different things can happen. But (coach Gregg Popovich) has been good about keeping us in shape and keeping us focused and doing things we need to do to get ready for a game."
Popovich gave the Spurs Thursday and today off before they'll resume practice Saturday. His biggest concern is trying to keep the team from losing the rhythm it found in the playoffs.
"I think we just want to do everything we can practice-wise to stay sharp so that our execution is at the level that it is at now," Popovich said. "We don't want to go into Cleveland or Detroit and be 70 percent of what we are now. So practices will have to be intense.
"We will have to hope we don't get an injury. But to not practice to not get an injury would be counterproductive, I think."
At least one of the Spurs is looking forward to the time off. Finley tweaked his back last week in practice — the second time he's had problems with it during the playoffs.
"My main concern right now is just getting my body ready to go," Finley said. "I'm still a little banged up, but I'm a lot better. This week is definitely going to help me."
In the meantime, the Spurs plan to watch the Eastern Conference finals more closely than they did before finishing their series with the Utah Jazz.
Some within the organization would like to see the Cavaliers reach the Finals given their strong Spurs ties: Cleveland coach Mike Brown was an assistant for Popovich and general manager Danny Ferry played three seasons with the Spurs before moving to the front office.
But Brown's knowledge of his former employer — along with the difficulty LeBron James has given Bruce Bowen — has previously caused problems for the Spurs. The Cavaliers are 3-1 against them under Brown and this season ended a 16-game losing streak in San Antonio that dated to 1988.
"They are a carbon copy of us," Brent Barry said. "People talk about them being the San Antonio of the East and they certainly know our staff well and the things we try to do."
The players don't seem to have much preference about who they would like to play — or they're at least wise enough to not reveal it publicly. Should the Pistons get past Cleveland, the Finals would be a rematch of two years ago when the Spurs won in seven games.
"Detroit has veterans who have been in all kind of situations just like us," Jacque Vaughn said. "They are a composed, veteran team — again, just like us."
For now, however, the Spurs are content to relax for a while.
"For me, the next week is diaper changing, up early and swimming around with my kids," Barry said. "After that, we'll see what happens. But I don't think we are going to lose any of our sharpness.
"Coach Popovich does a good pretty good job of understanding where we need to be mentally and physically and I think we will do the job to be ready next Thursday."
Web Posted: 05/31/2007 11:01 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Robert Horry had already talked about his impending seventh trip to the NBA Finals, as well as Michael Finley's first. He had discussed the Spurs' ragged ride during the first half of the season and their subsequent U-turn into the playoffs.
Horry even expressed disappointment over no longer being able to purchase a summer home in Phoenix.
advertisement
So as the Spurs' eldest statesman prepared to leave the locker room late Wednesday, there was only one question left unasked.
Detroit or Cleveland?
"Deland," Horry said, smiling. "Detroit and Cleveland mixed. I just hope somebody soon."
For someone who seems perpetually planted at the intersection of Right Place and Right Time, Horry has reason not to fret much about which opponent the Spurs will draw in the Finals. But he is going to have to wait a while to find out.
With the Pistons and Cavaliers squared at 2-2 entering Game 5, the Eastern Conference finals won't end until Saturday at the earliest and Monday at the latest. Regardless, the Spurs will have a week to rest and prepare before opening the Finals on Thursday at the AT&T Center.
"It is kind of tough; I don't like usually to wait so much," Manu Ginobili said. "But what the heck? We're in the Finals. I can't complain about winning 4-1 in the conference finals."
The Spurs also are accustomed to having a lengthy layoff before the Finals. They had a similar seven-day break before facing Detroit in 2005. In their first trip to the Finals in 1999, they had nine days off while waiting for the New York Knicks to close out the Indiana Pacers.
In both cases, the Spurs went on to win the first two games of the series at home.
"You can either get too much rest and be too rusty," Horry said. "A lot of different things can happen. But (coach Gregg Popovich) has been good about keeping us in shape and keeping us focused and doing things we need to do to get ready for a game."
Popovich gave the Spurs Thursday and today off before they'll resume practice Saturday. His biggest concern is trying to keep the team from losing the rhythm it found in the playoffs.
"I think we just want to do everything we can practice-wise to stay sharp so that our execution is at the level that it is at now," Popovich said. "We don't want to go into Cleveland or Detroit and be 70 percent of what we are now. So practices will have to be intense.
"We will have to hope we don't get an injury. But to not practice to not get an injury would be counterproductive, I think."
At least one of the Spurs is looking forward to the time off. Finley tweaked his back last week in practice — the second time he's had problems with it during the playoffs.
"My main concern right now is just getting my body ready to go," Finley said. "I'm still a little banged up, but I'm a lot better. This week is definitely going to help me."
In the meantime, the Spurs plan to watch the Eastern Conference finals more closely than they did before finishing their series with the Utah Jazz.
Some within the organization would like to see the Cavaliers reach the Finals given their strong Spurs ties: Cleveland coach Mike Brown was an assistant for Popovich and general manager Danny Ferry played three seasons with the Spurs before moving to the front office.
But Brown's knowledge of his former employer — along with the difficulty LeBron James has given Bruce Bowen — has previously caused problems for the Spurs. The Cavaliers are 3-1 against them under Brown and this season ended a 16-game losing streak in San Antonio that dated to 1988.
"They are a carbon copy of us," Brent Barry said. "People talk about them being the San Antonio of the East and they certainly know our staff well and the things we try to do."
The players don't seem to have much preference about who they would like to play — or they're at least wise enough to not reveal it publicly. Should the Pistons get past Cleveland, the Finals would be a rematch of two years ago when the Spurs won in seven games.
"Detroit has veterans who have been in all kind of situations just like us," Jacque Vaughn said. "They are a composed, veteran team — again, just like us."
For now, however, the Spurs are content to relax for a while.
"For me, the next week is diaper changing, up early and swimming around with my kids," Barry said. "After that, we'll see what happens. But I don't think we are going to lose any of our sharpness.
"Coach Popovich does a good pretty good job of understanding where we need to be mentally and physically and I think we will do the job to be ready next Thursday."