bigfundamental21
04-02-2008, 07:22 PM
Good Read about our Spurs ability to overcome and to continue to prove people wrong!
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700001965
You must be logged in to comment on a blog entry. (http://my.nba.com/login!withRedirect.jspa)http://my.nba.com/images/read-16x16.gif Spur Forward, (as Contenders) Fall Back (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700001965)
Mar 31, 2008
Posted by: Ben Couch (http://my.nba.com/profile.jspa?userID=300028179)
http://www.nba.com/media/b_bowen_250_20080331.jpg
"Whoa, roadblock! Aaand ... we're clear."
D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images
The Western Conference playoff race is officially ridiculous. In the best way possible:
Three teams have 50 wins. No. 1 New Orleans leads No. 6 Houston by only 1.5 games (http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html). And after Golden State knocked off (http://www.nba.com/games/20080330/DALGSW/gameinfo.html) the Mavericks last night, there's now a three-way tie for seventh (that the Nuggets win via tiebreaker), causing Denver to start "buzzing with NBA playoff atmosphere (http://nuggdoctor.blogspot.com/2008/03/denver-is-playoff-bound-for-now.html)," though the Warriors fans got a reality check (http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/story/2008/3/30/153739/513).
There's trade regret (http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3317511&searchName=broussard_chris&campaign=rsssrch&source=chris+broussard&univLogin02=stateChanged). There's a Hornets bandwagon that grows bigger (http://hardwoodparoxysm.blogspot.com/2008/03/stretch-run-new-orleans-hornets.html) by the day. There's teams potentially repositioning themselves (http://hardwoodparoxysm.blogspot.com/2008/03/is-there-such-thing-as-tanking-to.html) as they determine the best-case matchup (http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2008/03/finishing_kick_for_the_rockets.html). There's Dallas looking for defense (http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/you-want-d-play-dampier.html), Morris Almond understanding why he's not a part of the race (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800000971), and Phil Jackson taking half-joking swipes at his training staff (http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-heisler31mar31,1,3364507.story?track=rss).
And columnists everywhere (including our own Lauren Brill (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800001025)) are beginning to play a hearty round of "How well (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/david_aldridge/20080329_David_Aldridge___The_next_role_for_O_Neal _still_a_work_in_progress.html) is Shaq working out (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/03/28/weekly.countdown/index.html?eref=writers) as he settles in (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jack_mccallum/03/20/suns/index.html?eref=writers) with the Suns?"
My favorite part of this whole kick (and Paul Coro's (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/20461)) is that after being written off midseason again for being "too old" or "too banged up" or "too ... whatever," the San Antonio Spurs managed to win 50 games before any other team in the Western Conference. They reached the plateau -- for a ninth straight season -- with a 99-84 pounding (http://www.nba.com/games/20080328/MINSAS/boxscore.html) of the Timberwolves on Friday. And of course the Hornets had one fewer win, but one fewer loss, which meant that San Antonio couldn't even take over the top spot in the West. They had to "settle" for jumping from fifth to second in the playoff seeding.
The best illustration of how San Antonio accomplishes this is by reviewing their game log (http://www.nba.com/spurs/schedule/). The Spurs have dropped only lost three or more consecutive games on two occasions (3, Jan. 26-29; 4, March 12-17), but have flipped winning streaks of 11, seven (and counting!), five, four (four times) and three (once) games. They've followed 15 13 of their 23 losses with wins -- a stat skewed by a recent stretch in which they dropped six of seven.
And after the seven instances San Antonio has dropped at least two games, the team has rebounded to match the losses with an equal or longer winning streak five times.
Even when they're struggling (see the aformentioned 6-of-7 stretch), they come out on top: The Spurs finished March 12-6. As Coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA033108.04D.BKNspurs.notebook.34fd87f.html):
"It was the toughest month we've ever had, and we survived. We lost a few more than we normally lose in March, but I think we got pretty good health and good energy and I think we got better in the month. That's the important part." Consistency and confidence will get you everywhere. It's a large part of the reason San Antonio is one of four teams to make the playoffs in each of the last six seasons, along with the Mavericks, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets. Two of those four are in danger of failing to respond to their playoff party invites.
Here's a hint: The Spurs are not one of them.
We'll learn not to doubt them someday.
Mar 31, 2008 12:30 PM EDT
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700001965
You must be logged in to comment on a blog entry. (http://my.nba.com/login!withRedirect.jspa)http://my.nba.com/images/read-16x16.gif Spur Forward, (as Contenders) Fall Back (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700001965)
Mar 31, 2008
Posted by: Ben Couch (http://my.nba.com/profile.jspa?userID=300028179)
http://www.nba.com/media/b_bowen_250_20080331.jpg
"Whoa, roadblock! Aaand ... we're clear."
D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images
The Western Conference playoff race is officially ridiculous. In the best way possible:
Three teams have 50 wins. No. 1 New Orleans leads No. 6 Houston by only 1.5 games (http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html). And after Golden State knocked off (http://www.nba.com/games/20080330/DALGSW/gameinfo.html) the Mavericks last night, there's now a three-way tie for seventh (that the Nuggets win via tiebreaker), causing Denver to start "buzzing with NBA playoff atmosphere (http://nuggdoctor.blogspot.com/2008/03/denver-is-playoff-bound-for-now.html)," though the Warriors fans got a reality check (http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/story/2008/3/30/153739/513).
There's trade regret (http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3317511&searchName=broussard_chris&campaign=rsssrch&source=chris+broussard&univLogin02=stateChanged). There's a Hornets bandwagon that grows bigger (http://hardwoodparoxysm.blogspot.com/2008/03/stretch-run-new-orleans-hornets.html) by the day. There's teams potentially repositioning themselves (http://hardwoodparoxysm.blogspot.com/2008/03/is-there-such-thing-as-tanking-to.html) as they determine the best-case matchup (http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2008/03/finishing_kick_for_the_rockets.html). There's Dallas looking for defense (http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/you-want-d-play-dampier.html), Morris Almond understanding why he's not a part of the race (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800000971), and Phil Jackson taking half-joking swipes at his training staff (http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-heisler31mar31,1,3364507.story?track=rss).
And columnists everywhere (including our own Lauren Brill (http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800001025)) are beginning to play a hearty round of "How well (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/david_aldridge/20080329_David_Aldridge___The_next_role_for_O_Neal _still_a_work_in_progress.html) is Shaq working out (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/03/28/weekly.countdown/index.html?eref=writers) as he settles in (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jack_mccallum/03/20/suns/index.html?eref=writers) with the Suns?"
My favorite part of this whole kick (and Paul Coro's (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/20461)) is that after being written off midseason again for being "too old" or "too banged up" or "too ... whatever," the San Antonio Spurs managed to win 50 games before any other team in the Western Conference. They reached the plateau -- for a ninth straight season -- with a 99-84 pounding (http://www.nba.com/games/20080328/MINSAS/boxscore.html) of the Timberwolves on Friday. And of course the Hornets had one fewer win, but one fewer loss, which meant that San Antonio couldn't even take over the top spot in the West. They had to "settle" for jumping from fifth to second in the playoff seeding.
The best illustration of how San Antonio accomplishes this is by reviewing their game log (http://www.nba.com/spurs/schedule/). The Spurs have dropped only lost three or more consecutive games on two occasions (3, Jan. 26-29; 4, March 12-17), but have flipped winning streaks of 11, seven (and counting!), five, four (four times) and three (once) games. They've followed 15 13 of their 23 losses with wins -- a stat skewed by a recent stretch in which they dropped six of seven.
And after the seven instances San Antonio has dropped at least two games, the team has rebounded to match the losses with an equal or longer winning streak five times.
Even when they're struggling (see the aformentioned 6-of-7 stretch), they come out on top: The Spurs finished March 12-6. As Coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA033108.04D.BKNspurs.notebook.34fd87f.html):
"It was the toughest month we've ever had, and we survived. We lost a few more than we normally lose in March, but I think we got pretty good health and good energy and I think we got better in the month. That's the important part." Consistency and confidence will get you everywhere. It's a large part of the reason San Antonio is one of four teams to make the playoffs in each of the last six seasons, along with the Mavericks, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets. Two of those four are in danger of failing to respond to their playoff party invites.
Here's a hint: The Spurs are not one of them.
We'll learn not to doubt them someday.
Mar 31, 2008 12:30 PM EDT