some_user86
04-17-2008, 01:35 AM
Buck Harvey: Spurs' edge: Duncan has been waiting
Web Posted: 04/17/2008 12:45 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Tim Duncan sat at his locker Wednesday evening, watching a replay of an earlier game against the Jazz, when he saw himself slip on a clumsy pivot move.
Still sitting, he rolled his chair, kicking his feet against the floor like a little kid, until he was close enough to grab the remote. Then he replayed the moment, over and over again, until he had seen it 10 times.
What followed made it official.
Duncan is paying attention now, isn't he?
All the Spurs appeared interested Wednesday. It was if they put on a dress rehearsal for the playoffs, and the word Gregg Popovich used afterward to describe his team fit that.
"Purposeful," he called them.
Their problem is that their next opponent will be as purposeful. A year ago, the Spurs and Suns drew blood and anger, and now one franchise will feel disgust and failure within two weeks.
Duncan has never known this kind of loss. He's been the opposite of Tracy McGrady, getting out of the first round every year he's been in uniform, and his first time set the tone. Then, in 1998, Duncan pounded the Suns in a matchup similar to this one. Both teams won 56 games that season.
After that, Duncan didn't face that kind of first-round fear. As a high seed, the Spurs drew beatable opponents. Even last year, when the Spurs were also a third seed, their first-round opponent, Denver, won only 45 games.
This is different. The Suns had the conference's best record when they gambled on Shaquille O'Neal. Who knows? They might be the best again, even if the record doesn't show it, and what Shaq has done against Duncan suggests that.
Duncan has gone 15 for 40 in their two meetings this year, both Spurs losses. But has Shaq found a way to control Duncan? Or did these games say more about what Duncan has become in the regular season?
He has never cared for stats, and he quit caring about the Olympics after seeing FIBA officials at work. He once cared about the MVP award, as well as All-Star appearances, but he's gotten over most of that.
Haircuts, clothes, media attention — all were long ago placed in the who-cares drawer. And as the years went along, he's cared less and less about the regular season, too.
He hasn't skated, exactly, as Shaq has. He's used the regular season as a nice way to get in shape.
Duncan has never gone that far. The only four games he missed this season were after he strained an ankle and knee, and his numbers this season indicate he's been paying attention most of the time.
Still, Duncan has come to see the regular season for what it is — simply prologue for what comes later. He can get pumped up for rivalry games, but he mostly endures the first 82 games with an emotional inability to reach the gear he wants.
Little wonder the Spurs struggled at times this season. Teams often didn't double Duncan, which led to fewer open looks for the other Spurs. And over the past month, even against power teams in the conference, Duncan's body language has screamed without much ambiguity:
"Could we please get to the playoffs?"
Wednesday was about that. The Spurs understood they needed to put everything together, no matter how that impacted seeding. They needed to get Manu Ginobili back, and for Brent Barry to make a shot, and for Tony Parker to return to last June.
They needed, too, for Duncan to zone in and treat the Jazz as he did in the playoffs a year ago. He did, scoring the first basket of the game, before following with an assortment of blocks and rebounds.
One sequence: Duncan dove at Carlos Boozer, forcing a Boozer miss, and Duncan kept running. Ginobili came up with the rebound, looked up and threw a long pass to Duncan sprinting to the other end.
"Tim Duncan was running the floor," said Jerry Sloan, reacting to the sight. "He set the stage for everyone."
That's what he's done for his career. And now comes Shaq, and a rival, and a series where something has to give.
Pull up a chair.
Duncan has.
[email protected]
LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041708.01C.COL.BKNharvey.spurs.3f2d3d5.html
Web Posted: 04/17/2008 12:45 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Tim Duncan sat at his locker Wednesday evening, watching a replay of an earlier game against the Jazz, when he saw himself slip on a clumsy pivot move.
Still sitting, he rolled his chair, kicking his feet against the floor like a little kid, until he was close enough to grab the remote. Then he replayed the moment, over and over again, until he had seen it 10 times.
What followed made it official.
Duncan is paying attention now, isn't he?
All the Spurs appeared interested Wednesday. It was if they put on a dress rehearsal for the playoffs, and the word Gregg Popovich used afterward to describe his team fit that.
"Purposeful," he called them.
Their problem is that their next opponent will be as purposeful. A year ago, the Spurs and Suns drew blood and anger, and now one franchise will feel disgust and failure within two weeks.
Duncan has never known this kind of loss. He's been the opposite of Tracy McGrady, getting out of the first round every year he's been in uniform, and his first time set the tone. Then, in 1998, Duncan pounded the Suns in a matchup similar to this one. Both teams won 56 games that season.
After that, Duncan didn't face that kind of first-round fear. As a high seed, the Spurs drew beatable opponents. Even last year, when the Spurs were also a third seed, their first-round opponent, Denver, won only 45 games.
This is different. The Suns had the conference's best record when they gambled on Shaquille O'Neal. Who knows? They might be the best again, even if the record doesn't show it, and what Shaq has done against Duncan suggests that.
Duncan has gone 15 for 40 in their two meetings this year, both Spurs losses. But has Shaq found a way to control Duncan? Or did these games say more about what Duncan has become in the regular season?
He has never cared for stats, and he quit caring about the Olympics after seeing FIBA officials at work. He once cared about the MVP award, as well as All-Star appearances, but he's gotten over most of that.
Haircuts, clothes, media attention — all were long ago placed in the who-cares drawer. And as the years went along, he's cared less and less about the regular season, too.
He hasn't skated, exactly, as Shaq has. He's used the regular season as a nice way to get in shape.
Duncan has never gone that far. The only four games he missed this season were after he strained an ankle and knee, and his numbers this season indicate he's been paying attention most of the time.
Still, Duncan has come to see the regular season for what it is — simply prologue for what comes later. He can get pumped up for rivalry games, but he mostly endures the first 82 games with an emotional inability to reach the gear he wants.
Little wonder the Spurs struggled at times this season. Teams often didn't double Duncan, which led to fewer open looks for the other Spurs. And over the past month, even against power teams in the conference, Duncan's body language has screamed without much ambiguity:
"Could we please get to the playoffs?"
Wednesday was about that. The Spurs understood they needed to put everything together, no matter how that impacted seeding. They needed to get Manu Ginobili back, and for Brent Barry to make a shot, and for Tony Parker to return to last June.
They needed, too, for Duncan to zone in and treat the Jazz as he did in the playoffs a year ago. He did, scoring the first basket of the game, before following with an assortment of blocks and rebounds.
One sequence: Duncan dove at Carlos Boozer, forcing a Boozer miss, and Duncan kept running. Ginobili came up with the rebound, looked up and threw a long pass to Duncan sprinting to the other end.
"Tim Duncan was running the floor," said Jerry Sloan, reacting to the sight. "He set the stage for everyone."
That's what he's done for his career. And now comes Shaq, and a rival, and a series where something has to give.
Pull up a chair.
Duncan has.
[email protected]
LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA041708.01C.COL.BKNharvey.spurs.3f2d3d5.html