Harvey: Duncan Heals On The Gun

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051108.Harveyheal.en.39647d2.html

Buck Harvey: Duncan heals on the Gun
Buck Harvey

There's a shooting machine in the Spurs' practice facility. It's called the “Gun 6000.”

The device comes with a wide net that sits above and around the rim, and basketballs bounce into the net and funnel downward. After a few seconds the ball spits out of an opening, not unlike ball-return machines made for tennis.

And had you come into the gym in June of 2006, just weeks after the Spurs last lost a playoff series, you would have seen what was there Saturday:

Tim Duncan, wearing earphones, lost in his world of fundamentals and repetition, alone and on the Gun.

This is how he heals himself.

An IV also helped last week, but no one is sure when his virus started and when it stopped. Gregg Popovich insists Duncan was OK for Game 1, for example, but others disagree.

After all, Duncan ended with five points and three rebounds in the series opener. Is that normal? Maybe his fever didn't spike until after the game, but there probably was something going on inside of Duncan.

A migraine-like headache followed, as did a 103-degree fever. The Spurs' medical staff dropped the temperature to about 100 for Game 2, but there's no question he was affected. He felt far better Thursday, but he also wasn't 100 percent.

Little of this news was coming out at the time, true to the nature of the Spurs' organization, and the privacy made sense. Why tell everyone Duncan isn't feeling well? Let Byron Scott double-team a sick man.

Knowing Scott, he might have sensed something was wrong with Duncan. The last playoff game he coached before this spring was against the Spurs in the 2003 Finals.

The Nets doubled Duncan then, too, albeit with different results.

In the clinching Game 6, Duncan posted the first triple-double in the Finals in 10 years — 21 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. He also was two blocks short of only the fifth quadruple-double in league history.+

That was five years ago, when Duncan was the two-time MVP. Age, and the rise of his international backcourt, has reduced the frequency of double teams every year.

But the Hornets stick with the plan from the old days, coming at Duncan as consistently as any team has this season. Maybe they wouldn't have changed even if Duncan had played with a thermometer in his mouth, because there are other advantages.

Such as: Doubling helps keep Tyson Chandler out of foul trouble.

Given how these first three games have been played, don't expect the Hornets to alter much. They would be in position to sweep tonight had just a few things gone differently Thursday.

Still, there's another factor in all of this, and it's the one the Spurs have leaned on for a decade. Duncan. He may not be as lively as he was in 2003, but he's certainly better than what he has been against the Hornets.

He's also healthier now, and there's an analogy for this. In 2006, Dwyane Wade played with the flu in the first two games against Dallas in the Finals, when the Heat lost badly. When Wade healed, the series changed.

Now it is Duncan's turn. With another two days rest, he will be quicker, and he will be sharper. He will react to double teams better, and he will rebound and defend. This is the Duncan who makes the Spurs think they can eventually win a game in New Orleans.

He looked animated in drills with teammates Saturday. Then, after practice, with other Spurs playing on the next court, Duncan went to his machine.

Larry Bird once did the same with manual bounce-back nets. Bird sometimes, too, needed to find a way back.

The Gun 6000 has become Duncan's way. They say you can walk into the facility at 11 p.m. in the summer and find Duncan alone and on the Gun. The shooting practice itself certainly helps, but it's about more than that. The place he's searching for can be as emotional as it is physical.

So Saturday Duncan put on the earphones, and he caught and released, over and over. When he finished, he unplugged the Gun 6000, pushing it off the court, and he sat down by himself and watched his teammates. By all appearances, he appeared to be 98.6 again.

[1Parker1]

:lol Didn't Duncan get hit on the face with that machine??

[1Parker1]

:tu Good news though that he's feeling better. And also that there's somewhat of an explanation as to why the Spurs lost games 1 and 2 so badly.

Knowing that Duncan has yet to play fully healthy in this series gives me great hope that tommorow we may see the old Duncan. A healthy Duncan completely changes the dynamics of this series, bigger than any adjustment or counter adjustment the coaches can make.

[T Park]

Duncan goes off tommarow, Spurs play the same rotation, win by a bigger amount, HOrnets crack and fold.

[jag]

Duncan goes off tommarow, Spurs play the same rotation, win by a bigger amount, HOrnets crack and fold.

As a young team i wonder what type of pressure they really feel in this series...sometimes it seems as if they don't feel any at all.

I certainly hope you're right though.

[duncan228]

As a young team i wonder what type of pressure they really feel in this series...sometimes it seems as if they don't feel any at all.

It does seem like they don't feel any pressure. Maybe pressure is the wrong word. They're young, they're confidant. Kind of like teenagers...you can't tell them anything, they know it all. :lol

What I watch for are the little things. The mistakes at crucial moments. A wrong pass, a bad decision. That's where the "pressure" will show. That's where the Spurs excel. The Spurs execute, even under duress. I don't think the Hornets have enough duress behind them to react quick enough when it matters. They will rattle, it's human nature. And the Spurs will capitalize on it.

[justanotherspursfan]

As a young team i wonder what type of pressure they really feel in this series...sometimes it seems as if they don't feel any at all.

I certainly hope you're right though.
They still think they're in a replay of the Dallas series. Win 2 at home, lose 1 one the road, then close the series out with 2 more wins. Heck, they probably even think that even if they lose tomorrow, it's no big deal because they still have 2 more home games.

I think they don't realize that they're one loss away from going home with a 2-game losing streak and under suffocating pressure.

Unless you've been there and lost a crucial game you could have won and watched a series slip away from you, you don't always realize that you have to fight for every game the way the Spurs fought for Game 3 of the Suns series.

Maybe the Hornets will win Game 4 and skip along to victory. But not knowing the price of losing a game here and there is going to hurt them sometime between now and June for sure.

[braeden0613]

:lol Didn't Duncan get hit on the face with that machine??
thats the first thing i thought of too...im sure someone still has the gif to show us

[jag]

It does seem like they don't feel any pressure. Maybe pressure is the wrong word. They're young, they're confidant. Kind of like teenagers...you can't tell them anything, they know it all. :lol

What I watch for are the little things. The mistakes at crucial moments. A wrong pass, a bad decision. That's where the "pressure" will show. That's where the Spurs excel. The Spurs execute, even under duress. I don't think the Hornets have enough duress behind them to react quick enough when it matters. They will rattle, it's human nature. And the Spurs will capitalize on it.


That all makes sense, it just seems like since they haven't been here before they are playing like they have nothing to lose...because they really dont have anything to lose. No one expected them to be here, they're just going out and playing loose AND with attitude.

Tomorrow/today is going to be big. I look for the Hornets to come out fast again and the Spurs to try and "survive" the first few minutes.

[duncan228]

That all makes sense, it just seems like since they haven't been here before they are playing like they have nothing to lose...because they really dont have anything to lose. No one expected them to be here, they're just going out and playing loose AND with attitude.

Tomorrow/today is going to be big. I look for the Hornets to come out fast again and the Spurs to try and "survive" the first few minutes.

We're thinking the same. The Hornets have nothing to lose, they're playing with house money now. And that shows in their game. The Spurs know what's at stake, they've tasted both sides of it. It appears that Duncan is healthy, and the rest hopefully helped Manu and Parker's various ailments. I love our chances. It's a game we need, it's going to be hard enough to get one in NO. The Hornets will come out strong, they have every game. This time I expect the Spurs to be able to withstand it better and control the pace of this one from the tip. If they do fall behind early, I still expect the grind it out and get the win that they're capable of pulling out.

[Trainwreck2100]

That all makes sense, it just seems like since they haven't been here before they are playing like they have nothing to lose...because they really dont have anything to lose. No one expected them to be here, they're just going out and playing loose AND with attitude.

Tomorrow/today is going to be big. I look for the Hornets to come out fast again and the Spurs to try and "survive" the first few minutes.


They're playing with the confidence of having been in this situation before (last series) it will be interesting how they react when it comes down to the end and they see these ain't the Mavs and they won't roll over

[PlayoffEx-static]

They're playing with the confidence of having been in this situation before (last series) it will be interesting how they react when it comes down to the end and they see these ain't the Mavs and they won't roll over

That's what I'm thinking. Anyone plays loose and easy when they're up in the series, and there's no "have to win" games. That changes for NO if we win game 4. Game 5 becomes almost a must for them.

[TDfan2007]

Great article. I'm feeling a lot better about tomorrow's game now.

Also, it's funny to note how addicted to basketball Tim is. He never seems to get sick of practice. Simply amazing for a guy that good to still have such a great work ethic. Obviously, given his lack of God-given talent, that work ethic is what got him here in the first place.

Another reason why I liked this article is that I can relate.

There's a 24-hour gym by my house and during the summers I'd go there frequently around 11-midnight and work on my shot. It's REALLY cathartic.

[wijayas]

Definitely good news. Spurs is still Timmy's team!

[ancestron]

Never give up. Never surrender.

[Princess Pimp]

Duncan goes off tommarow, Spurs play the same rotation, win by a bigger amount, HOrnets crack and fold.
you are an idiot!

[Princess Pimp]

They still think they're in a replay of the Dallas series. Win 2 at home, lose 1 one the road, then close the series out with 2 more wins. Heck, they probably even think that even if they lose tomorrow, it's no big deal because they still have 2 more home games.

I think they don't realize that they're one loss away from going home with a 2-game losing streak and under suffocating pressure.

Unless you've been there and lost a crucial game you could have won and watched a series slip away from you, you don't always realize that you have to fight for every game the way the Spurs fought for Game 3 of the Suns series.

Maybe the Hornets will win Game 4 and skip along to victory. But not knowing the price of losing a game here and there is going to hurt them sometime between now and June for sure.

Just like in (Spurs-Lakers) 2004 series? :lol

[Princess Pimp]

They still think they're in a replay of the Dallas series. Win 2 at home, lose 1 one the road, then close the series out with 2 more wins. Heck, they probably even think that even if they lose tomorrow, it's no big deal because they still have 2 more home games.

I think they don't realize that they're one loss away from going home with a 2-game losing streak and under suffocating pressure.

Unless you've been there and lost a crucial game you could have won and watched a series slip away from you, you don't always realize that you have to fight for every game the way the Spurs fought for Game 3 of the Suns series.

Maybe the Hornets will win Game 4 and skip along to victory. But not knowing the price of losing a game here and there is going to hurt them sometime between now and June for sure.
what an idiot, that was a blowout

[carina_gino20]

KG_ZHSUonK4

[justanotherspursfan]

what an idiot, that was a blowout
Exactly. They were up 2-0 and they came out and destroyed the Suns like the whole series was on the line. Which is exactly what the Hornets didn't do in game 3.

But thanks for playing. See you next year -- you know, if you make the playoffs again.

[Princess Pimp]

But thanks for playing. See you next year -- you know, if you make the playoffs again.


Yeah see you next year... Your days are numbered!

You are going fishing next week!!!!!

[justanotherspursfan]

Just like in (Spurs-Lakers) 2004 series? :lol
A brutal lesson the Spurs have used to help lead them to two more titles.

A shame the Suns don't learn any lessons. They just complain they were jobbed and go on to lose all over again the next year. :lol

[Princess Pimp]

:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol:rollin

:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin:lol:lol
KG_ZHSUonK4

[justanotherspursfan]

Yeah see you next year... Your days are numbered!

You are going fishing next week!!!!!

Nah. I never make arrangements for fishing trips until well into June.

[Princess Pimp]

Nah. I never make arrangements for fishing trips until well into June.
Not this year...

Wait for my bitch telling you to put me on the "ignore" list as she doesn't like the exchange

[ChumpDumper]

Is this pretty much what you thought your life was going to be?

[justanotherspursfan]

Not this year...

Wait for my bitch telling you to put me on the "ignore" list as she doesn't like the exchange

Oh look, it's a Suns fan whining again.

Maybe if y'all keep whining for long enough you'll get a do over on all the years your teams choked in the playoffs. :rolleyes :violin :cry

Oh wait, that's right. The Suns have never actually lost a basketball game. They've just been robbed of their rightful victories because the NBA hates ratings. :dramaquee

[timvp]

Nice article. Adding a 100% healthy Duncan is never a bad thing.

[Deb]

When they showed closeups of TD on Friday, you could definitely tell he was, or had been, ill. He had huge dark circles under his eyes.

So watch out Hornets, if he is totally well, you're in for a hell of a ride tonight.

[boutons_]

http://www.gun3.com/the-new-improved--gun-6000-.html

... with videos, and horrible music.

[SpursFanFirst]

KG_ZHSUonK4


:lmao I don't care how many times I see that video...it still makes me laugh as hard as the first time.
Tim looking completely pissed combined with Manu doubling over with laughter...it's just too much! :lol

When I saw the title of this story, I assumed something similar happened.
Thank God we have a healthy Timmy back! I was a little concerned after Game 1...before we knew he was sick. It just didn't seem right.

Watch out Hornets! :ihit

[tp2021]

A brutal lesson the Spurs have used to help lead them to two more titles.

A shame the Suns don't learn any lessons. They just complain they were jobbed and go on to lose all over again the next year. :lol

They don't lose the next year! The Sterns just get all the calls again! :p:

[nfg3]

duncan228,JaG,Trainwreck2100,moneyPlayoffEx-static,et all..... are right on the money about having to deal with the pressure that is about to placed on them by the Spurs. This ain't no Mav team and how the Hornets respond will most likely determine the outcome of the series. If they fold and lose game 4 then the pressure of a game 5 must win on their HC will be tremendous. Then I expect the Spurs to take that game and end it at home in game 6. If they don't then expect a 7 game series with the Spurs chipping away at the rock. It's all about putting the Hornets in an uncomfortable situation and sooner or later something has got to give. I've mentioned this in several other threads - The Spurs have been there and done that while the Hornets are newbies to this. Round 1 against the Mavs doesn't qualify as having gone through this type of situation IMO.

The Hornets are an incredibly talented team but young. I believe that they will eventually crack but if they don't then hats off to them.

:flag:

[spursfan09]

:lol Didn't Duncan get hit on the face with that machine??

It must be a love hate relationship :lol

[Fernando TD21]

It must be a love hate relationship :lol
:lmao