duncan228
03-20-2008, 01:18 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA032008.SpursBullsadvance.en.379156a.html
Spurs: Popovich opts for calm instead of panicking
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
CHICAGO — The Spurs boarded their northbound charter flight Wednesday afternoon with a bit of unwanted baggage in the luggage compartment: A four-game losing streak, their longest in the regular season in seven years.
The Spurs haven't lost five in a row since the 1996-97 season, which they did on seven occasions during an injury-plagued 20-62 campaign. The reward for their freefall of 11 years ago?
Tim Duncan in the ensuing draft lottery, followed by four NBA championships in nine seasons.
This time around, the Spurs are hoping it doesn't come to that. They are playing for the present, and for the postseason.
"We'd like to be in the playoffs," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, aware of the statement's obviousness.
As the losses have piled up this month, the Spurs have projected an air of calm. Popovich has continued to bang the drum of consistency, praising his team's competitive fire, claiming more concern in whether the team is improving than in whether it is winning.
Yet the Spurs have also come to grips with the sobering truth: Even at 44-23, their passport to the postseason is anything but a rubber-stamp formality. Many more well-played losses, and they could soon find themselves in the unaccustomed position of fighting for their playoff lives.
That's because the Western Conference is overflowing with playoff contenders as never before. At this time last year, the Spurs' record was only three games better than it is now, yet they had already clinched a playoff berth.
This year's race for the postseason, by contrast, seems poised to push into April.
"It's like the playoffs have already started for a lot of us," Popovich said.
Thanks in part to their four-game skid, only the third of the Duncan era, the Spurs have dropped from first in the West to sixth.
Popovich, for his part, says he doesn't care about that little numeral in parentheses next to "Spurs" in the standings, so long as it is less than nine. Anything greater than eight leaves the defending NBA champions shockingly out of the postseason altogether.
The Spurs haven't hit that danger zone just yet. They are still closer to first place (two games) than ninth (four). Beat a few teams in a row, and the Spurs could be back atop the West, especially now that they and the red-hot Houston Rockets own identical winning streaks.
"It's a fine line between a win and a loss," point guard Tony Parker said. "We're having a bad period, lost a couple games in a row. But all the games we were in the game. That's why we can't get in a panic mode."
The Spurs are optimistic the road to recovery runs through Chicago. Tonight, they face a 27-40 Bulls team scrapping for its own playoff place in the weaker Eastern Conference.
Even before boarding that charter jet, the Spurs made strides to answer one of their more pressing questions. More often than not during their losing skid, the Spurs' bench has been unproductive.
In order to coax more punch out of his group of reserves, Popovich returned to an old starting lineup in a 93-91 loss to Boston on Monday. He sent sparkplug Manu Ginobili and newcomer Kurt Thomas to the bench, inserting Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto in their place.
It was the same first five Popovich used during the playoffs last season, and for much of the first half of this campaign.
The result: Ginobili had 32 points, and a bench that had scored just 14 points in a loss at Philadelphia a game earlier had 52 against the Celtics.
Popovich so liked what he saw, he declared this to be the Spurs' starting lineup permanently.
In reverting to their old lineup, the Spurs hope to revert to their old selves.
They left San Antonio on Wednesday with some unwanted baggage in tow. They hope to leave it in Chicago for good.
"We are upset, of course," Ginobili said. "But we are really willing to change things and trust in our teammates, knowing we have the same team that won the championship last year. We still have our chances."
Spurs: Popovich opts for calm instead of panicking
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
CHICAGO — The Spurs boarded their northbound charter flight Wednesday afternoon with a bit of unwanted baggage in the luggage compartment: A four-game losing streak, their longest in the regular season in seven years.
The Spurs haven't lost five in a row since the 1996-97 season, which they did on seven occasions during an injury-plagued 20-62 campaign. The reward for their freefall of 11 years ago?
Tim Duncan in the ensuing draft lottery, followed by four NBA championships in nine seasons.
This time around, the Spurs are hoping it doesn't come to that. They are playing for the present, and for the postseason.
"We'd like to be in the playoffs," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, aware of the statement's obviousness.
As the losses have piled up this month, the Spurs have projected an air of calm. Popovich has continued to bang the drum of consistency, praising his team's competitive fire, claiming more concern in whether the team is improving than in whether it is winning.
Yet the Spurs have also come to grips with the sobering truth: Even at 44-23, their passport to the postseason is anything but a rubber-stamp formality. Many more well-played losses, and they could soon find themselves in the unaccustomed position of fighting for their playoff lives.
That's because the Western Conference is overflowing with playoff contenders as never before. At this time last year, the Spurs' record was only three games better than it is now, yet they had already clinched a playoff berth.
This year's race for the postseason, by contrast, seems poised to push into April.
"It's like the playoffs have already started for a lot of us," Popovich said.
Thanks in part to their four-game skid, only the third of the Duncan era, the Spurs have dropped from first in the West to sixth.
Popovich, for his part, says he doesn't care about that little numeral in parentheses next to "Spurs" in the standings, so long as it is less than nine. Anything greater than eight leaves the defending NBA champions shockingly out of the postseason altogether.
The Spurs haven't hit that danger zone just yet. They are still closer to first place (two games) than ninth (four). Beat a few teams in a row, and the Spurs could be back atop the West, especially now that they and the red-hot Houston Rockets own identical winning streaks.
"It's a fine line between a win and a loss," point guard Tony Parker said. "We're having a bad period, lost a couple games in a row. But all the games we were in the game. That's why we can't get in a panic mode."
The Spurs are optimistic the road to recovery runs through Chicago. Tonight, they face a 27-40 Bulls team scrapping for its own playoff place in the weaker Eastern Conference.
Even before boarding that charter jet, the Spurs made strides to answer one of their more pressing questions. More often than not during their losing skid, the Spurs' bench has been unproductive.
In order to coax more punch out of his group of reserves, Popovich returned to an old starting lineup in a 93-91 loss to Boston on Monday. He sent sparkplug Manu Ginobili and newcomer Kurt Thomas to the bench, inserting Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto in their place.
It was the same first five Popovich used during the playoffs last season, and for much of the first half of this campaign.
The result: Ginobili had 32 points, and a bench that had scored just 14 points in a loss at Philadelphia a game earlier had 52 against the Celtics.
Popovich so liked what he saw, he declared this to be the Spurs' starting lineup permanently.
In reverting to their old lineup, the Spurs hope to revert to their old selves.
They left San Antonio on Wednesday with some unwanted baggage in tow. They hope to leave it in Chicago for good.
"We are upset, of course," Ginobili said. "But we are really willing to change things and trust in our teammates, knowing we have the same team that won the championship last year. We still have our chances."