Spurs struggling on the Road.

[Sense]

Spurs have been killed on the road. Reason? In my opinion, the spurs don't spark up from the begginning to send in a message. We play dull and without energy on the road. This gives the a crowd a chance. The crowd will eventually react at a play, but if the game is close...the spurs are doomed.

A good example was yesterday, we just played ugly... the crowd didn't react until they noticed they had a chance.

They didn't really, but the fact that the crowd reacted, made the jazz better and the spurs worse.

They can't get opportunities like this....

If this continues, we won't have a chance in Phoenix.

[Experiment2100]

When Febrary comes they have the annual rodeo road trip, and that's usually when they step it up on the road.

[Sense]

Exactly, they need that 14+ winning streak they made. I haven't seen any, they had 2 last year.... a 14+ winning streak after the -4 streak, and the last rally going into the playoffs.

[Experiment2100]

I just noticed, they are 2-3 in last 5 road games.

[CHAMPS AGAIN]

Only 4 or 5 teams have fewer loses than the SPURS on the road.The mavs. have a better road record than home record so I guess they play dull and with no energy at home.

SPURS NBA CHAMPS IN 2005

[Sense]

Only 4 or 5 teams have fewer loses than the SPURS on the road.


It's never good if you are the best team in the NBA.

You need to perform on the road.

[boutons]

7 losses of the Spurs' 8 total losses have been on the road.

"Only 4 or 5 teams have fewer loses than the SPURS on the road"

4 are better, sorted by road records:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2005&group=league&column=roadWinPercent&order=false&seasontype=2

No surprise. The best teams have the best road records. Spurs have the worst road record among the best teams. Those giveaway games @TOR, @MEM, @ORL, @SAC, @UTA don't go away in end-of-season races for WC top seed.

Spurs remaining road games in Jan:

@ Houston
@ Phoenix
@ Sacramento
@ Portland
@ Seattle << starts Rodeo road trip

... and the next 6 games are on the mostly-EC Rodeo road trip (including @WAS and @MIA).

So, we'll find out in the next 4 weeks if the Spurs can harden-up their squishy, middle-of-the-road balls and become known as the NBA's best road team, as they were in 02/03, losing only 14 road games. Spurs lost 17 road games in 03/04, 3 behind MIN and IND.

Spurs road record is 11 - 7 today. What will the Spurs road record be on 17 Feb after the rodeo trip and the next 11 road games?

22 - 7?

19 - 10?

11 - 18?

In 03, the Spurs were NBA top seed and NBA champions.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2003&group=league&column=roadWinPercent&order=false&seasontype=2

In 04, DET came out of 4th seed:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2004&group=league&column=roadWinPercent&order=false&seasontype=2

... to win the NBA, but DET got over-the-hump Rasheed only in mid-Feb, showing that ending the season strong pays off in the playoffs. I would say 04 was unusual finals, where EC - WC topseeds did not get into the finals.

The Spurs ended the 04 season (SPAM) stronger than anybody in the NBA with a 11-game win-streak, then a 6-game playoff win streak, 17-straight wins, only to collapse against the Lakers. The Spurs had all the skills, but not the toughness in adverse situations, ie, not really tested.

While some say the regular season losses and seeding don't count, I think playing the seaon for highest seeding is an objective worth shooting for, as it's a self-imposed goal and test to measure yourself against. When the Spurs are playing so well, it's not often that the Spurs are faced with a serious challenge from another team. Blowing off the 6 road losses as meaningless is stupid. In the SAC, HOU, UTA losses, the Spurs got down to crunch time, and didn't execute. That's meaningful.

[boutons]

bump

[Sense]

Definately something to doubt, I don't think that we can tell at this moment if the Spurs will step it up. I haven't seen any big runs, and when it seems as if they are playing well, they lose one on the road.

In order to see improvement we need to win in phx. Today the team looked beatable, and there's been teams that have beaten them at home, that have no real chance at making it. Don't make me think of em.

Anyways, Spurs MUST win at Phx.

[Rummpd]

Take the other side of coin = Spurs almost unbeatable at home so far, tonights game not impressive but 15 Pt win is 15 Pt win.

If they take their current 18 and 1 and finish out of 22 remaining 18 and 4 (could at current pace do better!!) = 36 and 5

They could go on the 23 remaining road games say 15 and 8 = 26 road wins. Not unteneable based on Spurs past at all and maybe some of these bizarre outcomes will go the other way. Will probably lose 3-4 to the very good teams plus some of the teams fighting for playoffs etc.

12 more losses = Spurs with 62 and 20 record. May not lock up number 1 but pretty darn strong and Spurs could have an upside of a game either at home or away.

Time will tell, I had predicted 63 wins early in season and Spurs still on tract for that - if sweep Dallas, Houston and Suns = we should all relax (recognizing will be hard but doable).

MadDoc

[boutons]

As I said elsewhere, Spurs could be a 65-win team, but drop 5-6 games on FTs, 2 or 3 losses on Tim's FTs alone. So 60 is kinda of a ceiling for the Spurs with FT-pathology, imo.

[Sense]

yeah 60 is looking worse and worse, it seems as if we are just messing up too much, on stupid games. If other teams find out what makes the team lose, or if we don't step it up on the road, more than likely the Spurs will get a similar record as last year.

55-60.

Eh, I have my doubts.

[Rummpd]

Relax - last two years Spurs had probably 23-24 wins at this point or so and came close to 60.

Time will tell. This mini funk (actually 2 losses in awhile) may actually be a blessing to inspire some heroic efforts next two weeks.

I stand by 63 +/- 2 games max.

MadDoc

[CHAMPS AGAIN]

:smokin :smokin
Definately something to doubt, I don't think that we can tell at this moment if the Spurs will step it up. I haven't seen any big runs, and when it seems as if they are playing well, they lose one on the road.

In order to see improvement we need to win in phx. Today the team looked beatable, and there's been teams that have beaten them at home, that have no real chance at making it. Don't make me think of em.

Anyways, Spurs MUST win at Phx.