J.T.
11-28-2007, 01:29 AM
Couldn't find anything on this subject after doing a brief search. Might be a touchy subject for some Spurs fans but I'm interested in knowing what you guys think... here it goes.
Through the Robinson and Duncan eras, the Spurs have had their share of postseason heartbreaks to go along with their dynastic success. That success has given us legendary game winning or game changing shots that gave the Silver & Black the win in swing games, series clinching games, and championship clinching games. But then there were the ones that didn't go in or are forgotten because the Spurs were eliminated. I'd like to get some input from other fans as to which shots are the proverbial top 10 of "what could have been". I'll start it out with the most recent two shots that got away.
1. Tim Duncan, Game 5, 2004 WCSF - I hesitated to rank this one in first place, but after thinking about a bit, it became apparent that this shot is the best of the Ones That Got Away. This shot put the Spurs on top after a ferocious comeback, and was one of the most difficult shots Tim Duncan has made. As I watched the ball leave his hands, I didn't think it was going in. That far away from the basket, and shooting over Shaq... and then it goes in! It would have been one of the most ecstatic wins I've witnessed just because of the comeback coupled with such a difficult shot being the game winner. It was an amazing shot to say the least. If the Spurs had won the game and gone on to win the series, we would have called it The Duncan Dagger.
2. Manu Ginobili, Game 7, 2006 WCSF - This was my original No. 1 before I deliberated over which should get top bid. This is a special shot for me because I was in attendance at the game. The Spurs had come back from an enormous deficit, both in the game in the series. Up by 3 with 30 seconds to play, it appeared that the game would become a free throw battle, and that Pop would send in the best FT shooters to put the icing on the cake. That shot could have capped off the biggest comeback in Spurs history, but Manu gave it right back to the Mavericks on the ensuing play. The bright spot about this shot not going down in history is that Manu has improved his game and not lost any confidence. That is the kind of moment that could derail the career of a lesser player. Because of the nature of the shot and what it would have stood for if the Spurs won the game, we would have called it "The Shot" in the same sense as many clutch moments in the NFL are named (The Drive, The Fumble, etc.).
Through the Robinson and Duncan eras, the Spurs have had their share of postseason heartbreaks to go along with their dynastic success. That success has given us legendary game winning or game changing shots that gave the Silver & Black the win in swing games, series clinching games, and championship clinching games. But then there were the ones that didn't go in or are forgotten because the Spurs were eliminated. I'd like to get some input from other fans as to which shots are the proverbial top 10 of "what could have been". I'll start it out with the most recent two shots that got away.
1. Tim Duncan, Game 5, 2004 WCSF - I hesitated to rank this one in first place, but after thinking about a bit, it became apparent that this shot is the best of the Ones That Got Away. This shot put the Spurs on top after a ferocious comeback, and was one of the most difficult shots Tim Duncan has made. As I watched the ball leave his hands, I didn't think it was going in. That far away from the basket, and shooting over Shaq... and then it goes in! It would have been one of the most ecstatic wins I've witnessed just because of the comeback coupled with such a difficult shot being the game winner. It was an amazing shot to say the least. If the Spurs had won the game and gone on to win the series, we would have called it The Duncan Dagger.
2. Manu Ginobili, Game 7, 2006 WCSF - This was my original No. 1 before I deliberated over which should get top bid. This is a special shot for me because I was in attendance at the game. The Spurs had come back from an enormous deficit, both in the game in the series. Up by 3 with 30 seconds to play, it appeared that the game would become a free throw battle, and that Pop would send in the best FT shooters to put the icing on the cake. That shot could have capped off the biggest comeback in Spurs history, but Manu gave it right back to the Mavericks on the ensuing play. The bright spot about this shot not going down in history is that Manu has improved his game and not lost any confidence. That is the kind of moment that could derail the career of a lesser player. Because of the nature of the shot and what it would have stood for if the Spurs won the game, we would have called it "The Shot" in the same sense as many clutch moments in the NFL are named (The Drive, The Fumble, etc.).