duncan228
01-21-2008, 12:03 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012108.05E.SpursBobcatspreview.en.22e8931.html
Pro basketball: Spurs can't wait for their traditional rodeo-road trip surge
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tim Duncan's right eye was a tad puffy when he arrived here Sunday to prepare for this afternoon's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Luther Head's finger had found its way into the eye socket in the first quarter of Saturday's loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, but there was no danger Duncan would not be ready for today's afternoon tipoff.
Physically, the Spurs, including Duncan, are healthier than they have been all season.
Mentally, their egos are badly bruised and their focus a little scattered.
"I don't think we're as mentally focused as we will be come playoff time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "The only question is: When will that kick in? Just as we ask every year."
Popovich always has relied on his team's annual rodeo road trip in late January and early February to bring his team together. Last season, it was after another disheartening loss to the Houston Rockets that he gathered them together, told them no player need fear being traded and admonished them to figure things out for the rest of the season.
There was no such speech after Saturday night's loss, but Popovich understands time is running out for such revelation. By week's end, the Spurs will have arrived at the mid-point of their 82-game regular season grind. In this season's Western Conference race, too late could come too early.
"Well, there are more teams in that category of top playoff teams in the West," Popovich said. "That's what makes it a little bit different.
"For a decade, or so, we've managed to peak at the right time every single year. I think the competitiveness is different in the league this year.
"Even though the West has been pretty good over that decade, there are more teams at the very top. You'd still like to be positioned one-two-three-four, going into the playoffs, rather than five-six-seven eight.
"That's not a sure thing anymore. So perhaps it needs to be kicked in a little bit sooner than usual, one might think."
The Spurs don't spend much time reading the standings, but they are aware the last seven times they have faced teams with winning records, they have lost.
Charlotte doesn't have a winning record, but that won't diminish the good feeling if the Bobcats manage to stop their latest mini-slide.
"It's true that it doesn't matter much if they have a winning record, or not," Manu Ginobili said. "We don't like losing. We are not playing well, and we could be doing so many things better. That is the part that hurts.
"We don't look at the standings much, but I think we are losing way too much."
Ginobili said the Spurs were better against the Rockets but are still not at the level they need to be playing.
"We lacked making a couple shots here and there," he said. "We're not as sharp offensively, but it was way, way better than the ones at home last week."
Charlotte has been playing its best basketball of the season since trading Walter Herrmann to the Raptors and acquiring former Spurs center Nazr Mohammed on Dec. 14. They have defeated both Atlantic Division-leading Boston and Northwest Division-leading Denver in the last 10 days.
Just like the Spurs, they have won five of their past 10 games.
Pro basketball: Spurs can't wait for their traditional rodeo-road trip surge
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tim Duncan's right eye was a tad puffy when he arrived here Sunday to prepare for this afternoon's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Luther Head's finger had found its way into the eye socket in the first quarter of Saturday's loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, but there was no danger Duncan would not be ready for today's afternoon tipoff.
Physically, the Spurs, including Duncan, are healthier than they have been all season.
Mentally, their egos are badly bruised and their focus a little scattered.
"I don't think we're as mentally focused as we will be come playoff time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "The only question is: When will that kick in? Just as we ask every year."
Popovich always has relied on his team's annual rodeo road trip in late January and early February to bring his team together. Last season, it was after another disheartening loss to the Houston Rockets that he gathered them together, told them no player need fear being traded and admonished them to figure things out for the rest of the season.
There was no such speech after Saturday night's loss, but Popovich understands time is running out for such revelation. By week's end, the Spurs will have arrived at the mid-point of their 82-game regular season grind. In this season's Western Conference race, too late could come too early.
"Well, there are more teams in that category of top playoff teams in the West," Popovich said. "That's what makes it a little bit different.
"For a decade, or so, we've managed to peak at the right time every single year. I think the competitiveness is different in the league this year.
"Even though the West has been pretty good over that decade, there are more teams at the very top. You'd still like to be positioned one-two-three-four, going into the playoffs, rather than five-six-seven eight.
"That's not a sure thing anymore. So perhaps it needs to be kicked in a little bit sooner than usual, one might think."
The Spurs don't spend much time reading the standings, but they are aware the last seven times they have faced teams with winning records, they have lost.
Charlotte doesn't have a winning record, but that won't diminish the good feeling if the Bobcats manage to stop their latest mini-slide.
"It's true that it doesn't matter much if they have a winning record, or not," Manu Ginobili said. "We don't like losing. We are not playing well, and we could be doing so many things better. That is the part that hurts.
"We don't look at the standings much, but I think we are losing way too much."
Ginobili said the Spurs were better against the Rockets but are still not at the level they need to be playing.
"We lacked making a couple shots here and there," he said. "We're not as sharp offensively, but it was way, way better than the ones at home last week."
Charlotte has been playing its best basketball of the season since trading Walter Herrmann to the Raptors and acquiring former Spurs center Nazr Mohammed on Dec. 14. They have defeated both Atlantic Division-leading Boston and Northwest Division-leading Denver in the last 10 days.
Just like the Spurs, they have won five of their past 10 games.