duncan228
04-12-2008, 10:41 AM
http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/other/04/12/0412golden.html
Ginobili, Spurs not currently dressed for success
Star can't be in street clothes if San Antonio is to excel in playoffs
By Cedric Golden
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio fans glancing behind the team's bench could easily spot veteran forward Robert Horry in a beige blazer Friday. And they could see the casually attired Brent Barry sitting nearby.
The 37-year-old Horry has a knee contusion. The 36-year-old Barry has a bad calf.
Two fan favorites. Neither will decide an NBA title this summer.
They're old guys by NBA standards. Good (not great) players who have made a fabulous living playing pro ball. Their prime earning years are miles behind them — that is, unless the ad execs from Icy Hot come calling in the offseason.
So it's not a shock to see Horry and Barry in their civvies as their respective careers wind down in a flurry of ice packs and rubdowns.
Manu Ginobili is another set of circumstances altogether. For the record, Ginobili was wearing a blue blazer and jeans — not an outfit conducive to winning world championships.
The only debate bigger than the one involving Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin is the status of Ginobili, who strained a groin muscle against Phoenix Wednesday night and ended up watching Friday's 95-74 win over Seattle with the rest of us. With respect to Tim Duncan, the greatest power forward to play the game, Ginobili has become the best player on this team and his health is the biggest concern dancing around in coach Gregg Popovich's head.
Ginobili's value can be summed up in two sentences. If he plays, the Spurs may repeat as NBA champions. If he doesn't, the Spurs won't make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
Ginobili will probably be back in good time but he won't be rushed. Pop is the best at managing a veteran ballclub and will play it smart with his best player. Popovich is one-part basketball coach, one part drill sergeant and one part Nurse Betty. No player logged more than 30 minutes against the Sonics, who proved the perfect tonic for a veteran Spurs ballclub that's long in the tooth and short on Ace bandages.
"At this point in the year, it's good to save up some energy and put some of that in the bank,'' Popovich said. "I thought we had a really good effort out of everybody off the bench. We played well, kept a good pace and played some impressive defense."
The Spurs are all about championships and they would have to go through some great teams to make it to the finals, where Boston or Detroit will be waiting. As crazy as the Western Conference is this year, the opponent doesn't really matter as much as the seeding.
The Spurs (54-25) would do themselves a huge favor by avoiding that fifth spot and a potential first-round meeting with the Utah Jazz, who would have home court advantage in that scenario. Real trouble, considering Utah is a physical bunch that sports a 35-4 record at a place called Energy Solutions Arena.
With three games remaining (at the Lakers, at Sacramento, and the regular-season finale at home Wednesday against Utah), don't be surprised if Ginobili sits for all three. Especially the last one, if home court advantage isn't at stake. Popovich has already listed Ginobili as doubtful against the Lakers, meaning he'll sit Sunday.
Ginobili is only 30 but there are real concerns about this team's durability over what could be a two-month playoff stretch. In a couple of cases — specifically that of Horry and Barry — it's not realistic to expect them to give you huge contribution, so depth becomes a problem in a postseason that's as much about attrition as it is about condition.
Horry's next big shot will be his first in a while. Barry was hurt when the Spurs traded him on Feb. 20. Now he's back in San Antonio, and he's still hurt.
It's not the perfect stretch run to a regular season in which there were offensive struggles and injuries, but San Antonio — with a healthy Ginobili — is still San Antonio.
"They're still the team to beat,'' said Seattle rookie Kevin Durant, who scored 20 points in his first game in San Antonio.
Durant's head coach is an authority on all things Spurs, since he spent the last six seasons as Popovich's lead assistant before joining Seattle prior to this season. P.J. Carlesimo, who received his 2007 championship ring before Friday's game, recalled a time when the Spurs went entire seasons without their big stars missing any significant game time because of injuries.
Those were called championship seasons, P.J.
"That's been the biggest problem for the Spurs this year,'' he said. "Most of the years when they were able to win, they were very fortunate, injury-wise. They're not quite as cohesive or quite as healthy as they've been in the other years going into the playoffs."
The Spurs are no different than the other contenders in the West. The Lakers are rolling but still waiting for center Andrew Bynum to return from a knee injury. Phoenix holds its collective breath every time Shaq pivots on that sore hip. Dirk Nowitzki is just regaining his stroke after injuring his ankle against the Spurs last month. Houston has played miraculously without Yao Ming, who is out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.
Most of these teams have health problems, and that adds even more spice to the playoff debate. That said, I'm picking the Western Conference champ — your guess is as good as mine — to wear the world champion's crown by the end of the summer.
If Ginobili's still wearing that blazer in the first round, it won't be the Spurs.
Ginobili, Spurs not currently dressed for success
Star can't be in street clothes if San Antonio is to excel in playoffs
By Cedric Golden
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio fans glancing behind the team's bench could easily spot veteran forward Robert Horry in a beige blazer Friday. And they could see the casually attired Brent Barry sitting nearby.
The 37-year-old Horry has a knee contusion. The 36-year-old Barry has a bad calf.
Two fan favorites. Neither will decide an NBA title this summer.
They're old guys by NBA standards. Good (not great) players who have made a fabulous living playing pro ball. Their prime earning years are miles behind them — that is, unless the ad execs from Icy Hot come calling in the offseason.
So it's not a shock to see Horry and Barry in their civvies as their respective careers wind down in a flurry of ice packs and rubdowns.
Manu Ginobili is another set of circumstances altogether. For the record, Ginobili was wearing a blue blazer and jeans — not an outfit conducive to winning world championships.
The only debate bigger than the one involving Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin is the status of Ginobili, who strained a groin muscle against Phoenix Wednesday night and ended up watching Friday's 95-74 win over Seattle with the rest of us. With respect to Tim Duncan, the greatest power forward to play the game, Ginobili has become the best player on this team and his health is the biggest concern dancing around in coach Gregg Popovich's head.
Ginobili's value can be summed up in two sentences. If he plays, the Spurs may repeat as NBA champions. If he doesn't, the Spurs won't make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
Ginobili will probably be back in good time but he won't be rushed. Pop is the best at managing a veteran ballclub and will play it smart with his best player. Popovich is one-part basketball coach, one part drill sergeant and one part Nurse Betty. No player logged more than 30 minutes against the Sonics, who proved the perfect tonic for a veteran Spurs ballclub that's long in the tooth and short on Ace bandages.
"At this point in the year, it's good to save up some energy and put some of that in the bank,'' Popovich said. "I thought we had a really good effort out of everybody off the bench. We played well, kept a good pace and played some impressive defense."
The Spurs are all about championships and they would have to go through some great teams to make it to the finals, where Boston or Detroit will be waiting. As crazy as the Western Conference is this year, the opponent doesn't really matter as much as the seeding.
The Spurs (54-25) would do themselves a huge favor by avoiding that fifth spot and a potential first-round meeting with the Utah Jazz, who would have home court advantage in that scenario. Real trouble, considering Utah is a physical bunch that sports a 35-4 record at a place called Energy Solutions Arena.
With three games remaining (at the Lakers, at Sacramento, and the regular-season finale at home Wednesday against Utah), don't be surprised if Ginobili sits for all three. Especially the last one, if home court advantage isn't at stake. Popovich has already listed Ginobili as doubtful against the Lakers, meaning he'll sit Sunday.
Ginobili is only 30 but there are real concerns about this team's durability over what could be a two-month playoff stretch. In a couple of cases — specifically that of Horry and Barry — it's not realistic to expect them to give you huge contribution, so depth becomes a problem in a postseason that's as much about attrition as it is about condition.
Horry's next big shot will be his first in a while. Barry was hurt when the Spurs traded him on Feb. 20. Now he's back in San Antonio, and he's still hurt.
It's not the perfect stretch run to a regular season in which there were offensive struggles and injuries, but San Antonio — with a healthy Ginobili — is still San Antonio.
"They're still the team to beat,'' said Seattle rookie Kevin Durant, who scored 20 points in his first game in San Antonio.
Durant's head coach is an authority on all things Spurs, since he spent the last six seasons as Popovich's lead assistant before joining Seattle prior to this season. P.J. Carlesimo, who received his 2007 championship ring before Friday's game, recalled a time when the Spurs went entire seasons without their big stars missing any significant game time because of injuries.
Those were called championship seasons, P.J.
"That's been the biggest problem for the Spurs this year,'' he said. "Most of the years when they were able to win, they were very fortunate, injury-wise. They're not quite as cohesive or quite as healthy as they've been in the other years going into the playoffs."
The Spurs are no different than the other contenders in the West. The Lakers are rolling but still waiting for center Andrew Bynum to return from a knee injury. Phoenix holds its collective breath every time Shaq pivots on that sore hip. Dirk Nowitzki is just regaining his stroke after injuring his ankle against the Spurs last month. Houston has played miraculously without Yao Ming, who is out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.
Most of these teams have health problems, and that adds even more spice to the playoff debate. That said, I'm picking the Western Conference champ — your guess is as good as mine — to wear the world champion's crown by the end of the summer.
If Ginobili's still wearing that blazer in the first round, it won't be the Spurs.