some_user86
04-16-2008, 02:18 AM
NBA: Numbers game
Web Posted: 04/15/2008 11:19 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
By this time in any normal season, Spurs coaches have already begun to look ahead to their potential first-round playoff opponent.
Film clips have been pulled. Preliminary plans have been made. Impromptu strategy sessions have broken out over lunch breaks.
This season in the wild, wild Western Conference, however, has been anything but normal.
Thanks to the tightest playoff chase in recent memory, one in which the drama has lasted all the way to the final day, the Spurs haven't been afforded the luxury of pressing fast forward on the end of the regular season.
"You're just trying to play your next game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "You can't really worry about who you're going to play in the playoffs yet."
In a sense, the postseason begins with tonight's suddenly meaningful regular-season finale against Utah at the AT&T Center.
Win, and the Spurs can lock up third place in the West and home-court advantage in the first round.
Lose, and they could open themselves up to their nightmare scenario — a four-way tie for third, which would leave them as the sixth seed and force them to open the playoffs on the road against the Jazz.
At least by the end of the night, the Spurs will know where to point the team plane for the first round.
"It's the last game before the playoffs, and we want to get going on the right track," forward Ime Udoka said. "Regardless of who you play, it's good to win the last one."
Still, the Spurs remain less concerned with who they play in the playoffs than how they are playing heading into them.
They are 4-3 in April, and the three losses haven't been pretty. All of them came against playoff-bound teams by one-sided margins — by 26 at Utah, 17 at home against Phoenix and by 21 at the L.A. Lakers.
The Spurs have played well defensively, probably as well as at this time last year, but have struggled mightily at times on offense. Before breaking out for 101 points in a victory at Sacramento on Monday, the Spurs had averaged 79 in their previous five games.
Popovich admits he's more concerned about the Spurs' offensive lulls than he has been at this point in the past, and tonight's opponent only serves to underscore his unease.
The last time the Spurs met the Jazz, on April 4 in Utah, they matched a franchise low by scoring 64 points.
"We're a good defensive team," Popovich said. "We're just offensively challenged."
Ask Tim Duncan to name the Spurs' most urgent concern heading into the postseason, and he offers a pair.
Health is one. Scoring is 1B.
"We've got to start scoring some points," Duncan said. "We've really struggled the last few games putting the ball in the hole. Defensively, we've been pretty solid. We just aren't scoring when we need to."
Those two pressing issues — health and offense — are somewhat interrelated.
The Spurs played the past three games with leading scorer Manu Ginobili out with a strained groin and have just now gotten Brent Barry back after he missed 80 days with a calf injury.
If Barry can rediscover his groove after his extended layoff, it would go a ways toward boosting the Spurs' scoring numbers.
Before his injury, Barry was the team's deadliest 3-point shooter, hitting 43 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 7.3 points per game off the bench. He was 0 for 3, all on 3-pointers, in four minutes in his return against Sacramento.
"I almost forgot what number he was," Tony Parker said. "Hopefully, he can play a few more minutes against Utah and try to get in a little rhythm before the playoffs."
For that reason, Popovich will eschew another April tradition. This year, he plans on actually playing his starters in the finale, though Ginobili's status remains uncertain.
"We need to play," Popovich said. "We're still trying to get a rhythm on offense. Brent needs to play with Tony and Timmy."
And so, the Spurs will close the season tonight as they've never before. Win or lose, the next step will be different too.
They will find out the who, what and when of their first playoff game. And, for the first time, start planning.
[email protected]
LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041608.01E.bknSpursJazz.en.37cb5ae.html
Web Posted: 04/15/2008 11:19 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
By this time in any normal season, Spurs coaches have already begun to look ahead to their potential first-round playoff opponent.
Film clips have been pulled. Preliminary plans have been made. Impromptu strategy sessions have broken out over lunch breaks.
This season in the wild, wild Western Conference, however, has been anything but normal.
Thanks to the tightest playoff chase in recent memory, one in which the drama has lasted all the way to the final day, the Spurs haven't been afforded the luxury of pressing fast forward on the end of the regular season.
"You're just trying to play your next game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "You can't really worry about who you're going to play in the playoffs yet."
In a sense, the postseason begins with tonight's suddenly meaningful regular-season finale against Utah at the AT&T Center.
Win, and the Spurs can lock up third place in the West and home-court advantage in the first round.
Lose, and they could open themselves up to their nightmare scenario — a four-way tie for third, which would leave them as the sixth seed and force them to open the playoffs on the road against the Jazz.
At least by the end of the night, the Spurs will know where to point the team plane for the first round.
"It's the last game before the playoffs, and we want to get going on the right track," forward Ime Udoka said. "Regardless of who you play, it's good to win the last one."
Still, the Spurs remain less concerned with who they play in the playoffs than how they are playing heading into them.
They are 4-3 in April, and the three losses haven't been pretty. All of them came against playoff-bound teams by one-sided margins — by 26 at Utah, 17 at home against Phoenix and by 21 at the L.A. Lakers.
The Spurs have played well defensively, probably as well as at this time last year, but have struggled mightily at times on offense. Before breaking out for 101 points in a victory at Sacramento on Monday, the Spurs had averaged 79 in their previous five games.
Popovich admits he's more concerned about the Spurs' offensive lulls than he has been at this point in the past, and tonight's opponent only serves to underscore his unease.
The last time the Spurs met the Jazz, on April 4 in Utah, they matched a franchise low by scoring 64 points.
"We're a good defensive team," Popovich said. "We're just offensively challenged."
Ask Tim Duncan to name the Spurs' most urgent concern heading into the postseason, and he offers a pair.
Health is one. Scoring is 1B.
"We've got to start scoring some points," Duncan said. "We've really struggled the last few games putting the ball in the hole. Defensively, we've been pretty solid. We just aren't scoring when we need to."
Those two pressing issues — health and offense — are somewhat interrelated.
The Spurs played the past three games with leading scorer Manu Ginobili out with a strained groin and have just now gotten Brent Barry back after he missed 80 days with a calf injury.
If Barry can rediscover his groove after his extended layoff, it would go a ways toward boosting the Spurs' scoring numbers.
Before his injury, Barry was the team's deadliest 3-point shooter, hitting 43 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 7.3 points per game off the bench. He was 0 for 3, all on 3-pointers, in four minutes in his return against Sacramento.
"I almost forgot what number he was," Tony Parker said. "Hopefully, he can play a few more minutes against Utah and try to get in a little rhythm before the playoffs."
For that reason, Popovich will eschew another April tradition. This year, he plans on actually playing his starters in the finale, though Ginobili's status remains uncertain.
"We need to play," Popovich said. "We're still trying to get a rhythm on offense. Brent needs to play with Tony and Timmy."
And so, the Spurs will close the season tonight as they've never before. Win or lose, the next step will be different too.
They will find out the who, what and when of their first playoff game. And, for the first time, start planning.
[email protected]
LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041608.01E.bknSpursJazz.en.37cb5ae.html