My God, how are the Spurs not in the Finals?

[Marcus Bryant]

:(

[angelbelow]

its that FUCKING schedule.

[angelbelow]

and the celtics are fully heathly..

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

We wouldn't beat the Celtics anyways

[NewJerSpur]

One more win in L.A. should seal it....wonder what Phil's excuse will be for this embarrassment.

[angelbelow]

We wouldn't beat the Celtics anyways

if our team was 100% its tough to say.

[Marcus Bryant]

Man, the Celtics are having a "good, old fashioned time."

[Man of Steel]

Total meltdown on Lakersground.net. Laker fans have a million comments complaining about the refs.

[1Parker1]

Celtics defense is amazing.

Spurs made the Lakers bench of Sasha Vuijic, Farmar, and even Luke Walton look like amazing players. Celtics are making them look the way they really are; Inexperienced, streaky shooters, who bring energy but not much else.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

if our team was 100% its tough to say.

No... even at 100% our offense wouldn't be good enough to beat the Celtics Defense

[Marcus Bryant]

Funny, it's always about the refs with those douches. On to the Galaxy, I guess.

[Marcus Bryant]

Breen hoping for a Lakers comeback.

[whottt]

Because the Spurs got old, Manu was hurt, they played two tough tough series prior to meeting the Lakers, and the Lakers played better D.


And yeah, we wouldn't have beaten the Celtics anyway, even with an easier schedule and no injuries.


Because the Celtics play better D too, best in the league this season.

[lefty]

We lost to THESE Lakers ?????? :bang

Man, 1 injury and we are not the same team

[tmtcsc]

I was thinking the same thing. But I have to agree, we may not have made it past Boston. Manu's injuries would have caught up to us by then for sure. With a healthy Manu, we would have won it all.

Have the Fakers been EXPOSED or what ? When we were losing to them, I wrote that thread that said "The Lakers are Awful" and got thrashed for it. I meant what I said. Just because the Spurs were busy blowing leads and turning the ball over and Manu was hobbling, it didn't take away from the fact that the Lakers remain a one-man team. It's Kobe, Odom and Gasol and a washed up Fisher who can't stay in front of anyone anymore. The bench is decent but that's it.

Hell, I knew the playoffs were going to be a tough stretch when the Suns gave us trouble. They suck out loud too. They are worse than the Lakers. As you can tell, I was thrilled that we beat the Hornets.
That was a tougher team than the Lakers. Results be damned.

[timvp]

Healthy, I like the Spurs against the Celtics. It'd be a low scoring series but that'd favor the Spurs. The Celtics only clutch player is Pierce ... and he's not amazingly clutch. I'd take Ginobili or Duncan in the clutch over Pierce. Hell, Parker has developed into a clutch player too.

Spurs vs. Celtics would be like 74-71 type games but I'd give the Spurs a slight edge. It'd be a lot like Spurs vs. Pistons 2005 ... except the Celtics don't have the same clutch players that the Pistons had.

[lefty]

I was thinking the same thing. But I have to agree, we may not have made it past Boston. Manu's injuries would have caught up to us by then for sure. With a healthy Manu, we would have won it all.

Have the Fakers been EXPOSED or what ? When we were losing to them, I wrote that thread that said "The Lakers are Awful" and got thrashed for it. I meant what I said. Just because the Spurs were busy blowing leads and turning the ball over and Manu was hobbling, it didn't take away from the fact that the Lakers remain a one-man team. It's Kobe, Odom and Gasol and a washed up Fisher who can't stay in front of anyone anymore. The bench is decent but that's it.

Hell, I knew the playoffs were going to be a tough stretch when the Suns gave us trouble. They suck out loud too. They are worse than the Lakers. As you can tell, I was thrilled that we beat the Hornets.
That was a tougher team than the Lakers. Results be damned.

Interesting.

I would rather lose in the WCF than losing in the Finals.

[1Parker1]

Because the Spurs got old, Manu was hurt, they played two tough tough series prior to meeting the Lakers, and the Lakers played better D.


And yeah, we wouldn't have beaten the Celtics anyway.


Because the Celtics play better D too.

Celtics defense is for real. I didn't think the Celtics could win against LA, but looking at them, I don't see how the Celtics DON'T win it now. Lakers bench which was a big edge for them against the Spurs, Jazz, and Nuggets is not a huge edge against the Celtics. Their bench is coming up huge, not only that but the Celtics have a more experienced bench. Vuijic, Farmar, Walton, Radmonvic (not really a bench player), are not overly impressive. Spurs just had a shitty bench this season.

[Spurtacus]

Total meltdown on Lakersground.net. Laker fans have a million comments complaining about the refs.

Do they ban Spurs trolls over there? I feel like a little revenge. :flag:

[clubalien]

We wouldn't beat the Celtics anyways

I think that is true.
even years =eastern champs
odd years spurs champs:flag:

[tmtcsc]

Interesting.

I would rather lose in the WCF than losing in the Finals.

Yeah, I think so too. We are 4-0 in Finals appearances. The Fakers will have lost to the Pistons and Celtics (most likely). Losing sucks..period but being in the Finals and losing ? That's gotta really suck. Of course, as Spurs fans, how would we know what that feels like ? :king

[itzsoweezee]

Because the Spurs got old, Manu was hurt, they played two tough tough series prior to meeting the Lakers, and the Lakers played better D.



this almost sums it up. although the celtics played two tough series too.

but more than anything, it was the spurs pathetic, atrocious offense that was responsible for the loss to the lakers. no athletic big men for the spurs = the guards have to make jumpshots.

[Borosai]

We have a few answers here. One that stands out at this very moment is scoring droughts. Each time the Lakers started cutting into the Celtics' lead, Boston replied with a run of their own. They can put the ball in the basket when needed, and the Spurs couldn't. That's just one reason, of course. Defense is another.

The way the Spurs were playing, they weren't going to win this year. But at their best, I'd pick them against any team.

[angelbelow]

im watching the game, i dont see that many bad calls. i think if anything the refs are favoring the celtics based off of normal home court favoring standards, but nothing more.

[Mr. Body]

The Lakers really don't have that great a squad. They were playing above their heads against depleted teams.

Plus, Phil Jackson seems to bomb in Finals now. We'll see if that lasts. 2004 his team got destroyed. So far he's getting killed again.

[Marcus Bryant]

Damn. The Celtics are all up in there, I guess.

[Mr. Body]

im watching the game, i dont see that many bad calls. i think if anything the refs are favoring the celtics based off of normal home court favoring standards, but nothing more.

The refs are having no impact on this game. They're not the reason the Lakers are completely and utterly overmatched.

[timvp]

These are the same Celtics that almost lost to a worse version of the Cavs that the Spurs swept last year. If Pierce didn't have the game of his life Boston would be fishing right now. The Hawks almost beat them. Their defense is good but only at home in the playoffs.

Bowen on Pierce. Parker on Allen. Ginobili roaming off of Rondo. Thomas/Oberto/Horry on jumpshooting KG. Duncan on Perkins. The Celtics bench relies on old players like PJ and Cassell ... but that veteran craftiness wouldn't work against the Spurs geezers.

Got damn it that would have been a great series. And I would have loved it to see the Spurs take down the Celtics. And I think they would have too. I was worried about them before the playoffs started ... but with Ray Allen in full choke mode, Parker could have easily guarded him. That was the one matchup I was worried about.

[whottt]

These are the same Celtics that almost lost to a worse version of the Cavs. If Pierce didn't have the game of his life Boston would be fishing right now. The Hawks almost beat them. Their defense is good but only at home in the playoffs.

Bowen on Pierce. Parker on Allen. Ginobili roaming off of Rondo. Thomas/Oberto/Horry on jumpshooting KG. Duncan on Perkins. The Celtics bench relies on old players like PJ and Cassell ... but that veteran craftiness wouldn't work against the Spurs geezers.

Got damn it that would have been a great series. And I would have loved it to see the Spurs take down the Celtics. And I think they would have too. I was worried about them before the playoffs started ... but with Ray Allen in full choke mode, Parker could have easily guarded him. That was the one matchup I was worried about.


Yeah...because Ray Allen always chokes against us :rolleyes

[lefty]

Yeah, I think so too. We are 4-0 in Finals appearances. The Fakers will have lost to the Pistons and Celtics (most likely). Losing sucks..period but being in the Finals and losing ? That's gotta really suck. Of course, as Spurs fans, how would we know what that feels like ? :king

Arrogance ? :lol

[whottt]

The Lakers don't look any worse against the Celts than we did this season...


I know, I know, regular season...which is why our season is over now.

[timvp]

Celtics are the best evaaaaar !!!!!! ... ignore the Hawks and Cavs laying 120+ on them repeatedly

[Solid D]

Spurs aren't in the Finals because they weren't the defensive team they have been in previous years. I'm sorry but .444 Opp. FG% wasn't good enough to carry them when they weren't shooting that well.

.444 is a bit embarrassing for a team predicated on defensive stops as their primary thrust.

The Celtics have been the best defensive team all season. They finished with .419 Opp. FG% (1), .316 Opp. 3 pt % (1), +10.25 Point Differential (1). That's why I felt the Celts would win the championship, even before the playoffs started. I think it's their year because they are the best defensive team and outscore everyone by double digits.

In a year where "green" is the buzzword in everything from technology to ecology, Green is in this year.

[tmtcsc]

Arrogance ? :lol

Arrogance Earned. Plus, that's all I got right now as my team is at home early.:lol

[Marcus Bryant]

This Finals is probably more frustrating for Spurs fans than Laker bandwagoners.

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs aren't in the Finals because they weren't the defensive team they have been in previous years. I'm sorry but .444 Opp. FG% wasn't good enough to carry them when they weren't shooting that well.

.444 is a bit embarrassing for a team predicated on defensive stops as their primary thrust.

The Celtics have been the best defensive team all season. They finished with .419 Opp. FG% (1), .316 Opp. 3 pt % (1), +10.25 Point Differential (1). That's why I felt the Celts would win the championship, even before the playoffs started. I think it's their year because they are the best defensive team and outscore everyone by double digits.

In a year where "green" is the buzzword in every from technology to ecology, Green is in this year.

Greens make me regular, boss.

[1Parker1]

In a year where "green" is the buzzword in everything from technology to ecology, Green is in this year.

:lol That's one way to look at it...

[whottt]

MB and Timvp are just pissed because the Lakers are losing.

[timvp]

Yeah...because Ray Allen always chokes against us :rolleyesLook what the Spurs style of defense did against Allen. Spurs would have guarded him the same way the Cavs did. Double off Rondo to not allow Allen any looks off of screens. Turn KG into a jump shooter. Put Bowen on Pierce. Pierce turns into a whiny Vince Carter versus Bowen. The old players cancel each other out.

The road games against the Celtics would have been like 55-55 heading into the fourth. At home the Spurs would have rolled them. The Celtics defense disappears on the road.

Of course this is assuming at least a 90% healthy Manu but still ... neither of these teams in the Finals are too great. These Lakers might be the softest team to ever make the Finals.

[GSH]

We lost to THESE Lakers ?????? :bang

Man, 1 injury and we are not the same team


One injury and a no-show Finley. A couple of 3-pointers per game would have gotten us past the Lakers. The difference was that small. But we would have needed a healthy Ginobili (back to regular-season form) and a reasonably productive Finley for the Finals. Two missing pieces is enough to say that we just didn't have the horsepower.

But I have to admit, I am REALLY enjoying all the excuses the Lakers' trolls are vomiting up. When Phildo Jackson actually took time to comment on Pierce leaving and returning to the game, I felt like they were cooked. But I bet he's not out of excuses yet.

[SRJ]

LMAO at Powe running 70 feet for a dunk. It's like scoring a goal in hockey from the other end.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Spurs would get torn up on the boards. Plus I truly think the Spurs need more athleticism and length on both the offensive and defensive end.

[Mr. Body]

Gasol is terrible when a guard is driving toward him.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

LMAO at Powe running 70 feet for a dunk. It's like scoring a goal in hockey from the other end.

The crazy thing is, I think they gave Rondo an assist on that

[1Parker1]

These are the same Celtics that almost lost to a worse version of the Cavs that the Spurs swept last year. If Pierce didn't have the game of his life Boston would be fishing right now. The Hawks almost beat them. Their defense is good but only at home in the playoffs.

Bowen on Pierce. Parker on Allen. Ginobili roaming off of Rondo. Thomas/Oberto/Horry on jumpshooting KG. Duncan on Perkins. The Celtics bench relies on old players like PJ and Cassell ... but that veteran craftiness wouldn't work against the Spurs geezers.

Got damn it that would have been a great series. And I would have loved it to see the Spurs take down the Celtics. And I think they would have too. I was worried about them before the playoffs started ... but with Ray Allen in full choke mode, Parker could have easily guarded him. That was the one matchup I was worried about.


:lol You're really oversimplifying things. Celtics defense this season is a lot better than the Spurs. For all the claims of "KG, Pierce, and Allen" being perennial chokers, I believe it's been those 3 same players who got them through 2 tough game 7's and a Game 6 on the road to get here. That's not choking. The Celtics bench relies on old players like PJ and Cassell? If I'm correct Cassell didn't even play much in the series against the Pistons. Leon Powe, Eddie House, Posey, Allen are all young and somewhat athletic bench players that could have given the Spurs interior defense some trouble. And you think Bowen would have had an easy time checking Paul Pierce? :lol

Celtics defense has been amazing all season long and postseason. You can say what you want about their bench, coaching, "Big 3" etc but they are great defensively...

[1Parker1]

These Lakers might be the softest team to ever make the Finals.

2006 Mavericks

[Phenomanul]

7 days before Game 1,
2 days off between Gm 1 and Gm 2,
2 days off between Gm 2 and Gm 3.... :rolleyes

Remind me again why the conference finals were rushed? :bang :pctoss

[SRJ]

The crazy thing is, I think they gave Rondo an assist on that

:lol Wow, if that's true.

[Mr. Body]

Remind me again why the conference finals were rushed?

*checks press guide*

Here it is: to ensure little rest for the aging Spurs.

p. 14

[whottt]

Look what the Spurs style of defense did against Allen. Spurs would have guarded him the same way the Cavs did. Double off Rondo to not allow Allen any looks off of screens. Turn KG into a jump shooter. Put Bowen on Pierce. Pierce turns into a whiny Vince Carter versus Bowen. The old players cancel each other out.

The road games against the Celtics would have been like 55-55 heading into the fourth. At home the Spurs would have rolled them. The Celtics defense disappears on the road.

Of course this is assuming at least a 90% healthy Manu but still ... neither of these teams in the Finals are too great. These Lakers might be the softest team to ever make the Finals.



The Spurs aren't who you thought they were anymore...they need some retooling.


Hopefully Pop won't get a roster full of his dream players ever again. Twice in a lifetime is enough.


Edit: I will consider this offseason a failure if Finley and Thomas are on this team next season.

[1Parker1]

:lmao :lmao And of course the Lakers go on a 29-9 run and somehow pull within 4. I blame Timvp for the jinx; Softest team to make it to the finals? :pctoss :lol

[SRJ]

Nice perfectly legal dunk by Radmanovic.

[timvp]

:lol You're really oversimplifying things. Celtics defense this season is a lot better than the Spurs.Regular season, yes. Playoffs? Harder to tell. The Celtics let the Hawks average more than 100 points per game when the Hawks played their three home games. And then the Cavs and Pistons aren't exactly known for lighting up scoreboards offensively in the playoffs.

If the Celtics would have had to play the Suns and Hornets, I highly doubt their defensive statistics would be too pretty.


For all the claims of "KG, Pierce, and Allen" being perennial chokers, I believe it's been those 3 same players who got them through 2 tough game 7's and a Game 6 on the road to get here. That's not choking. That's choking allowing those series to get that far. You can't give the Celtics credit for letting the Hawks and the Cavs drag the series to seven games. That was a horrible Hawks team and those Cavs were worse than the Cavs that the Spurs swept last year.

The Pistons series win was somewhat impressive but the Pistons haven't exactly been juggernauts in the ECF lately.



The Celtics bench relies on old players like PJ and Cassell? If I'm correct Cassell didn't even play much in the series against the Pistons. Leon Powe, Eddie House, Posey, Allen are all young and somewhat athletic bench players that could have given the Spurs interior defense some trouble. Powe is the only athlete off their bench ... and he's streaky. Not to mention he'd mostly be going up against Duncan. House isn't athletic. Posey isn't athletic. Allen doesn't play. The benches would have been pretty equal.


And you think Bowen would have had an easy time checking Paul Pierce? :lol Link to where I said that? Pierce hasn't exactly run through a gauntlet of great defenders this year.


Celtics defense has been amazing all season long and postseason. You can say what you want about their bench, coaching, "Big 3" etc but they are great defensively...Great defensively when the Hawks were lighting them up? Watch when the Lakers light them up on the road. Their defense goes AWOL once they leave Boston.

[ace3g]

Lakers only down 2 now, they came back from 30 down

38.4 sec left

[Supergirl]

Had Manu not sustained an ankle injury in Game 1 against Phoenix, I am convinced we'd be there. He played as hard as he could injured, and his play bailed us out a few times, but he just did not have enough for the grind of the playoffs.

But this Laker squad is not the best team in the West. This Laker team is a joke. Injuries are injuries, they're a part of the game - but sometimes, it means a mediocre team goes further than they should. Cleveland in the Finals was more proof of that.

Boston should be able to finish off the Lakers in 5.

[timvp]

:lmao :lmao And of course the Lakers go on a 29-9 run and somehow pull within 4. I blame Timvp for the jinx; Softest team to make it to the finals? :pctoss :lolI blame the Spurs fans waiving the white flag on a series that didn't even take place.

The great, great Celtics defense giving up 50 in the fourth.

ROFL.

[whottt]

I blame the Spurs fans waiving the white flag on a series that didn't even take place.

The great, great Celtics defense giving up 50 in the fourth.

ROFL.


:lol True, the Spurs wouldn't have a blown a lead against LA.

Great take :tu

[1Parker1]

I blame the Spurs fans waiving the white flag on a series that didn't even take place.

The great, great Celtics defense giving up 50 in the fourth.

ROFL.

The great, great Spurs defense this year let this same Lakers team come back THREE times from at least a 17 point deficit.

[whottt]

I blame the Spurs fans waiving the white flag on a series that didn't even take place.




I blame the SpursFans worried more about the Celtics winning a title than the Lakers losing...

Turn in your card.

[timvp]

:lol True, the Spurs wouldn't have a blown a lead against LA.

Great take :tu


The great, great Spurs defense this year let this same Lakers team come back THREE times from at least a 17 point deficit.

The Spurs blow a lead when they stopped scoring. Not giving up 50 points in a quarter. And where was timvp claiming the Spurs were a great, great defensive team.


I blame the SpursFans worried more about the Celtics winning a title than the Lakers losing...

Turn in your card.Rolling over and dying about a series that didn't happen is the way to ensure the Lakers lose?

:huh

[Capt Bringdown]

If we didn't have such a mental block against the Lakers we might be in the finals.

[Marcus Bryant]

Healthy Manu would have taken that shit over tonight. Ugh.

[timvp]

After the Lakers score 125 in Game 3, I wanna see the "Celtics defense is impenetrable!!" takes.

TIA :)

[Mr. Body]

The Spurs blow a lead when they stopped scoring. Not giving up 50 points in a quarter. And where was timvp claiming the Spurs were a great, great defensive team.


Pretty sure blowing a lead is a two-step/simultaneous process. You don't stop them plus you don't score. Unless you figured out a new way it happens?

In any case, the Celtics are creaming the Lakers, other than packing it in a bit too early tonight. They should take one in LA if they play well, then it's all over.

[ShoogarBear]

I think a healthy Spurs team would have beaten the Celtics. Like timvp said, they're not a clutch team, and none of them have been there before except Posey and Cassell. The Spurs would have had a huge mental advantage.

[timvp]

Pretty sure blowing a lead is a two-step/simultaneous process. You don't stop them plus you don't score. Unless you figured out a new way it happens?Uh yeah, how about scoring 34 points in the second half of Game 1? The Lakers scored as many points in that second half of that game as they did tonight in the fourth against the best defensive team in the history of the world. Spurs defense didn't lose Game 1.

[lefty]

After the Lakers score 125 in Game 3, I wanna see the "Celtics defense is impenetrable!!" takes.

TIA :)

1984 Finals all over again.

Perkins with the hard foul on Farmar.

Celts win title

[whottt]

Rolling over and dying about a series that didn't happen is the way to ensure the Lakers lose?

:huh



Ok, so let me rephrase...I blame the Spurs Fans more worried about shoulda coulda woulda than the Lakers losing.


Happy now?


You get back to waiting for Santa Claus...

Meanwhile, the real Spurfans have some hating to do.(and no, that doesn't mean RC Buford)

[mytespurs]

Pretty sure blowing a lead is a two-step/simultaneous process. You don't stop them plus you don't score. Unless you figured out a new way it happens?

In any case, the Celtics are creaming the Lakers, other than packing it in a bit too early tonight. They should take one in LA if they play well, then it's all over.

Yeah, I wouldn't exactly call blowing a 30 point lead then barely winning by 6 a creaming.

[timvp]

Ok, so let me rephrase...I blame the Spurs Fans more worried about shoulda coulda woulda than the Lakers losing.


Happy now?


You get back to waiting for Santa Claus...

Meanwhile, the real Spurfans have some hating to do.(and no, that doesn't mean RC Buford)What is this? 1985? My only rooting is for the Spurs. Moral victory championships ended a long azz time ago.

I hate the Lakers and the Celtics. There's no good outcome to this series. I'm still holding out hope that a ref scandal halts the NBA and the Finals are canceled . . .

[Mr. Body]

Yeah, I wouldn't exactly call blowing a 30 point lead then barely winning by 6 a creaming.

They destroyed them, then let up. They shouldn't have let up and hopefully take the endgame more seriously in LA. For most of the game the Lakers weren't even in the same building.

[SequSpur]

The only thing great about tonight's game was not watching the Spurs lose again.

The Spurs couldn't beat the Celtics. Shit, you all are smoking some crack. The Spurs got wacked twice this year by them.

Celtics and Lakers > Spurs


The Spurs made it as far as they could go. They need to retool.

[Marcus Bryant]

I'm still holding out hope that a ref scandal halts the NBA and the Finals are canceled . . .

This summer would be the perfect time for that to be flushed out.

[ace3g]

I love how laker fans are complaining about Kobe and the Lakers not getting to the FT line, but I can see something from a non bias view, Kobe with his pinky injury, in these playoffs is determined to score more of his points with jump shots. In fact, he rarely drives to the hoop anymore for a contested layup or dunk, I think he knows if he injures that finger on a dunk or layup, the Lakers season is over so he is playing more conservative game with jumpshots and 3's.


Sure there are probably a few missed calls here and there but Kobe isn't getting fouled because he is not attacking the rim(with defenders between him and the basket) nearly as much before the injury

[Marcus Bryant]

Oh well, at least tonight thinned out all of the Laker fan morons from this forum.

[Mr. Body]

I love how laker fans are complaining about Kobe and the Lakers not getting to the FT line, but I can see something from a non bias view, Kobe with his pinky injury, in these playoffs is determined to score more of his points with jump shots. In fact, he rarely drives to the hoop anymore for a contested layup or dunk, I think he knows if he injures that finger on a dunk or layup, the Lakers season is over so he is playing more conservative game with jumpshots and 3's.


Sure there are probably a few missed calls here and there but Kobe isn't getting fouled because he is not attacking the rim(with defenders between him and the basket) nearly as much before the injury

Yeah, no one on that team takes it inside. Other than Kobe, as you say, and Gasol, but Gasol is too soft to do anything other than his semi-hook flip shot.

[Josepatches]

We lost to THESE Lakers ?????? :bang

Man, 1 injury and we are not the same team


7 games against the Hornets with no rest.Game 1 up by 20 in the third quarter.foul on Derek Fisher.Manu's injury.Good luck....

A lot of things could had change the winner of the series.The Lakers deserve to be in the Finals but we could have won with only a few changes
IMO the rest was the key but if we had won the game one maybe the history could be different.But I think we lost the big lead we had in game 1 and game 5 because we were tired.Lakers had more time to rest before the series and they played 2 game less in the playoffs too.

I'm happy with our post-season.We won the series against The Suns.We won in NO the game 7.It was not a bad post-season.We still be one of the best team of the league and that´s not easy.We won four times.Obviously we can win every year

[Avitus1]

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0802/nba_g_crawford_275.jpg

[tmtcsc]

Oh man, they should have just rolled over and died. Trying to come back from that many points down and then losing it by 6 stings worse than just getting blown out.

Throw some fuel on the fire....PSYCHE !!

[DDS4]

This year hurts, but not as bad as '06.

I had NO doubt in my mind the Spurs could have beaten the Heat in the Finals.

[Solid D]

You can never count a team out with Kobe Bryant on it. Never. That's why this NBA Finals continues to intrigue - going back to LA for three games. With that said, the Celtics are still a great defensive team. Even with the 3 losses against ATL, where ATL outshot the Celts and outhustled the Celts, Boston has still regrouped when they needed to put forth the effort and their defense has been all about effort.

Even with those 3 ATL games, Boston has held their opponents to .425 FG% and .326 3-pt % in 22 playoff games. Before Boston took their foot off the gas pedal, they had held LA to 61 points through 3 quarters...so it's not like the Lakers figured something out. The remaining games will be determined by effort.

[rascal]

Healthy, I like the Spurs against the Celtics. It'd be a low scoring series but that'd favor the Spurs. The Celtics only clutch player is Pierce ... and he's not amazingly clutch. I'd take Ginobili or Duncan in the clutch over Pierce. Hell, Parker has developed into a clutch player too.

Spurs vs. Celtics would be like 74-71 type games but I'd give the Spurs a slight edge. It'd be a lot like Spurs vs. Pistons 2005 ... except the Celtics don't have the same clutch players that the Pistons had.

How can you continue to pick the spurs every year? This year the spurs were not that good against the top teams in the league. Thats a good indicator that the team was not that good. Boston had the best record in the league.

[SenorSpur]

I had fully expected for the Spurs to have exposed the Fakers, in this fashion, for being the frauds that they are. Instead, it's the Celtics who have uncovered the flaws in the play and mental toughness of the Fakers.

Personally, I never believed the Fakers were as good defensively, as the public proclaimed. Because of matchups, I projected the Hornets would have been our toughest opponent, rather than the Fakers. Simply because they were a better defensive team. The Celtics were overlooked for being THE best defenisve team in the NBA this year - by far. However the success they are having so far only proves just how poor an offensive team the Spurs were against the Fakers.

[Oh, Gee!!]

No... even at 100% our offense wouldn't be good enough to beat the Celtics Defense


it's amazing what happens when you make freakin shots!

[tmtcsc]

I had fully expected for the Spurs to have exposed the Fakers, in this fashion, for being the frauds that they are. Instead, it's the Celtics who have uncovered the flaws in the play and mental toughness of the Fakers.

Personally, I never believed the Fakers were as good defensively, as the public proclaimed. Because of matchups, I projected the Hornets would have been our toughest opponent, rather than the Fakers. Simply because they were a better defensive team. The Celtics were overlooked for being THE best defenisve team in the NBA this year - by far. However the success they are having so far only proves just how poor an offensive team the Spurs were against the Fakers.

Yep. I thought the Hornets would be our toughest foe. Even though we beat them, I still think they were the toughest match-up. I know that sounds crazy but schedule, injuries and poor play contributed much more to our losing than our opponent did.

[jack sommerset]

Yep. I thought the Hornets would be our toughest foe. Even though we beat them, I still think they were the toughest match-up. I know that sounds crazy but schedule, injuries and poor play contributed much more to our losing than our opponent did.


3 of the 4 victorys the Spews had against the Hornets came on a total of 9 days rest. Schedule, clearly the older more expierence team benifitted from that.

Injuries, West and Chandler were hurt. Bynum of the Lakers did not even play. Seemed MORE than fair.

This was a great run from the Spews. No matter what you think they would not beat the Lakers or the Celtics, They were very fortunate to get the Hornets when they did.

[xtremesteven33]

The only reason we lost to the Lakers was the schedule. nothing else.

I was the first one to say these Lakers are not a great team. theyre a good team, but not close to being great. The Lakers had like 6 days of rest before they played the Spurs and the Spurs had really 1 night of rest.

had the spurs had at least 2 days of rest we couldve finished off game 1 and the whole series would be changed.

[SPURSGOAT]

Total meltdown on Lakersground.net. Laker fans have a million comments complaining about the refs.

Hah! I remember those trolls jumping on us for complaining about the officials... ie Crawford...:lol

[Oh, Gee!!]

The only reason we lost to the Lakers was the schedule. nothing else.

I was the first one to say these Lakers are not a great team. theyre a good team, but not close to being great. The Lakers had like 6 days of rest before they played the Spurs and the Spurs had really 1 night of rest.

had the spurs had at least 2 days of rest we couldve finished off game 1 and the whole series would be changed.


and had the Spurs scored more points than the Lakers, they woulda won.

[Sway]

I’m going to have to raise the BS flag on those of you saying the Spurs are better than Lakers or Celtics. You can talk the Spurs would’ve, should’ve, or could’ve all you want, but that don’t change the facts. The Lakers beat the Spurs which means they were the better team, no way around that. People can make all the excuses they want but that won’t change the scoreboard. Honestly, there is no way anyone can reasonably make the argument that the Spurs are a better team than the Celtics. Especially if you have watched the game 1 & 2 and seen how handily the Celtics have beaten the Lakers.

I see this as no different than a Suns fan coming on Spurstalk and talking mess about how they were the better team and how they would have beat the Lakers. Lets keep it real…

[cze1860]

i think suprs need a champion，and suprs fans need too。

[tmtcsc]

3 of the 4 victorys the Spews had against the Hornets came on a total of 9 days rest. Schedule, clearly the older more expierence team benifitted from that.

Injuries, West and Chandler were hurt. Bynum of the Lakers did not even play. Seemed MORE than fair.

This was a great run from the Spews. No matter what you think they would not beat the Lakers or the Celtics, They were very fortunate to get the Hornets when they did.

You over estimate Bynum big time. The Hornets gave everything they had. Are you seriously comparing Tyson's injury and West's back problem to Manu's injuries. Dude, that's not even close.

The Hornets are a 3 1/2 man team. West, Paul, Tyson and sometimes Peja. Take Peja out of the picture and the match up gets easier. It gets 4-1 easier after dropping 2 early games.

They do what they do over and over and over again. They should be applauded for that. They are the exact opposite of Golden State. They milk the hot hand as well as any team out there. Experience had nothing to do with them losing. They did everything they could to beat us except bring it for 48 minutes on the road.

They laid down and lost focus. -- They also got out-coached, They relied on the home court and fell short in the biggest game of the year. If they find themselves another reliable scorer who can create off the dribble, I'd put them ahead of the Lakers next year.

If we add the right pieces (scoring off the bench), I'd still give the Spurs the nod.

Brought to you by the totally biased Spurs fan: TMTCSC.

But still, I'm not kidding.

[tmtcsc]

I’m going to have to raise the BS flag on those of you saying the Spurs are better than Lakers or Celtics. You can talk the Spurs would’ve, should’ve, or could’ve all you want, but that don’t change the facts. The Lakers beat the Spurs which means they were the better team, no way around that. People can make all the excuses they want but that won’t change the scoreboard. Honestly, there is no way anyone can reasonably make the argument that the Spurs are a better team than the Celtics. Especially if you have watched the game 1 & 2 and seen how handily the Celtics have beaten the Lakers.

I see this as no different than a Suns fan coming on Spurstalk and talking mess about how they were the better team and how they would have beat the Lakers. Lets keep it real…


On paper, I can't argue with you. But Manu's injury changed all that. Had he not played at all, would you still be so quick to say that the Lakers were the better team ? I don't think so. Manu tried his best to contribute but it was a disaster.

So lets put it this way, next year I have NO fear of the Lakers winning the West. I don't see us having to get back to the drawing board to figure out how to beat the Lakers. We just need to be healthy.

[Nbadan]

We just need to be healthy.

I don't see how the Spurs are gonna have a well-rested Manu with him playing in the Olympics this summer...unless the Spurs sit him for the first half of the season....then they lose home-court advantage to both the Lakers and Hornets....

[DazedAndConfused]

The Spurs are not in the Finals because they lost 4-1 to the Lakers. They are an old aging team and had too many key players not 100% due to injury which tends to happen when your team is old. It's no coincidence that they ran out of steam, you need depth to survive the playoffs and the Spurs didn't have it.

Would they have beaten LAL in the 1st round with a healthier Ginobli? Who knows, that's irrelevant. The sooner you realize that the better.

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs are not in the Finals because they lost 4-1 to the Lakers. They are an old aging team and had too many key players not 100% due to injury which tends to happen when your team is old. It's no coincidence that they ran out of steam, you need depth to survive the playoffs and the Spurs didn't have it.

Would they have beaten LAL in the 1st round with a healthier Ginobli? Who knows, that's irrelevant. The sooner you realize that the better.

Hard to argue.

[Nbadan]

Ok....but let the action on the court decide games...and a foul is a foul if it happens in the first few seconds or the last....

[DazedAndConfused]

Ok....but let the action on the court decide games...and a foul is a foul if it happens in the first few seconds or the last....

No arguments here. The officiating in the NBA is a fucking joke. They have way too much power over who wins/loses games.

[mrspurs]

Celtics defense is amazing.

Spurs made the Lakers bench of Sasha Vuijic, Farmar, and even Luke Walton look like amazing players. Celtics are making them look the way they really are; Inexperienced, streaky shooters, who bring energy but not much else.

since day one i wanted to see how these 3 players would play together,(kg,allen,paul). and i was impressed on how well they, and this team played defense...imo the celts were the only other team that played 5 on 5 straight out man on man defense, with kg and perkins helping downlow....it reminded me of the dave,tim days defense.....play tough on the outside, lure them into the middle and get it swatted.....:flag:

[timvp]

The Spurs are not in the Finals because they lost 4-1 to the Lakers. They are an old aging team and had too many key players not 100% due to injury which tends to happen when your team is old. It's no coincidence that they ran out of steam, you need depth to survive the playoffs and the Spurs didn't have it.

Would they have beaten LAL in the 1st round with a healthier Ginobli? Who knows, that's irrelevant. The sooner you realize that the better.0-2.

[MiamiHeat]

This year hurts, but not as bad as '06.

I had NO doubt in my mind the Spurs could have beaten the Heat in the Finals.

nah, 06 was their year man. nobody was going to stop the HEAT that year.

Wade was a freak, he played like MJ and he was still 100% healthy back then. and shaq was still motivated to win his first ring after kobe/lakers.....you had a starving Pat Riley that would do anything to win a ring again........gary payton the same.........antoine walker the same.........Alonzo mourning.......

that team was not going to lose

[fotan2]

If pistons were heathy enough , they would've knocked Celtics down .

injuries beat both us and pistons

[SenorSpur]

The playoffs are as much about attrition as talent and experience. It was not only the injury bug that caught up to the Spurs during the playoffs, but their age, inability to generate offense, a lack of contributions and depth from the role players also contributed to their demise.

[Dopey310]

nah, 06 was their year man. nobody was going to stop the HEAT that year.

Wade was a freak, he played like MJ and he was still 100% healthy back then. and shaq was still motivated to win his first ring after kobe/lakers.....you had a starving Pat Riley that would do anything to win a ring again........gary payton the same.........antoine walker the same.........Alonzo mourning.......

that team was not going to lose

lmao.. refs handed games 5 and 6 to the Heat. Everybody knows that.

[Solid D]

Amazing comeback by the Celtics led by their defense to go up 3-1. Defense is the reason the Spurs were not playing against Boston tonight.

[Capt Bringdown]

It was not only the injury bug that caught up to the Spurs during the playoffs, but their age, inability to generate offense, a lack of contributions and depth from the role players also contributed to their demise.

Cant discount those factors, I still believe it was mainly our mental block regarding the Lakers. We competed much better against the Suns and Hornets.

Had we not curled up on the floor in a fetal position in game 1, who knows? It seems we were so close to getting the monkey off our backs and then...look, there's no other way to put it, we got scared.

Honestly, the combination of .04 and this year, plus all the other BS history, I hope we never see these fuckers again in the playoffs.

We need an X factor against the Lakers. Maybe next year we'll find it. Business as usual won't cut it.

[underdawg]

You say that, but we actually match up very well against their offense. Bruce annoys the hell out of Ray Allen, Manu gets under Paul Pierce's skin. Tim vs. KG, do I need to argue this point? KG isn't playing well against Gasol, and Tim is 5 times the defender of Pau. Then i think our role players would pretty much take care of them. And the Celtics would have next to no answers for a Finals Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

Good points, but where we probably would have a problem would be with Posey, Poe, and possibly PJ with KG in the game at the same time. Even though it was a regular season game, Big Baby had a good game against us and he's not even sniffing playing time in this series. Our weakness is definitely not having long players to defend the rim - other than Timmy.

[Capt Bringdown]

Too bad we couldn't have picked up this dude...He's been frick'n HUGE for them.
PJ Brown >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kurt Thomas

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/28/fullj.e5843e2eab1fd84f65ea42217a0d0711/e5843e2eab1fd84f65ea42217a0d0711-getty-80398144mw050_nba_finals_ga.jpg

[spurscenter]

its that FUCKING schedule.

in any David stern era, there has never been 7 games in 14 days in a western conference finals

ever

[m33p0]

Yep. I thought the Hornets would be our toughest foe. Even though we beat them, I still think they were the toughest match-up. I know that sounds crazy but schedule, injuries and poor play contributed much more to our losing than our opponent did.
the hornets were the spurs' toughest foe. and the spurs paid a heavy price for it by losing in miserable fashion the next round.

[The_Game]

You say that, but we actually match up very well against their offense. Bruce annoys the hell out of Ray Allen, Manu gets under Paul Pierce's skin. Tim vs. KG, do I need to argue this point? KG isn't playing well against Gasol, and Tim is 5 times the defender of Pau. Then i think our role players would pretty much take care of them. And the Celtics would have next to no answers for a Finals Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

don't be such an idiotic homer

our role players would pretty much take care of them? WHAT FREAKING ROLE PLAYERS...we don't have any. They are garbage players, we have the big 3 but nothing after that...NOTHING

Spurs would be lucky to score 70 against this celtic defense...it's quite amazing.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

don't be such an idiotic homer

our role players would pretty much take care of them? WHAT FREAKING ROLE PLAYERS...we don't have any. They are garbage players, we have the big 3 but nothing after that...NOTHING

Spurs would be lucky to score 70 against this celtic defense...it's quite amazing.

I wouldn't count out the Spurs if they had gotten on the Finals stage, because of our big three/four....

but...Like the Suns, Celtics are the better talented team, and way deep. And they actually play well-disciplined defense, with average to good defenders from their bench to their starters. Beating them would have required our big 3 averaging 80 PPG, like against the Suns , against an inadequate coach....

Spurs fans would more likely have been sick ALL summer from a Finals, Near-Repeat disappointment, than having undergone
their typical even year exit before the Finals.

Our Big 3 > theirs (slight to good edge)

Their bench + Role Players >>>>>>>> ours, and this series I didn't realize how lucky Boston was.

Everyone overlooked the small acquisitions and additions they've had Posey, House, Rondo's rebounding and defense, PJ Brown.

All we had this year was Barry stepping up.

Oberto stepped back,
KT too new on O,
Finley :vomit:

who else?? How many players played for us again?

[tmtcsc]

How can you continue to pick the spurs every year? This year the spurs were not that good against the top teams in the league. Thats a good indicator that the team was not that good. Boston had the best record in the league.

Would you knock it off with that crap about our record against the best teams in the regular season ? It doesn't mean shit. Last year, the best team in the East swept us in the regular season. What happened to your logic when we faced them in the Finals ?

We SWEPT their asses. Dude, you need to find another team to cheer for. You're a negative little ninny. Pop can't do this, the Spurs can't do that, we aren't good, we weren't good...just negative bullshit. Go jump on Boston's bandwagon.

[DazedAndConfused]

I wouldn't count out the Spurs if they had gotten on the Finals stage, because of our big three/four....

but...Like the Suns, Celtics are the better talented team, and way deep. And they actually play well-disciplined defense, with average to good defenders from their bench to their starters. Beating them would have required our big 3 averaging 80 PPG, like against the Suns , against an inadequate coach....

Spurs fans would more likely have been sick ALL summer from a Finals, Near-Repeat disappointment, than having undergone
their typical even year exit before the Finals.

Our Big 3 > theirs (slight to good edge)

Their bench + Role Players >>>>>>>> ours, and this series I didn't realize how lucky Boston was.

Everyone overlooked the small acquisitions and additions they've had Posey, House, Rondo's rebounding and defense, PJ Brown.

All we had this year was Barry stepping up.

Oberto stepped back,
KT too new on O,
Finley :vomit:

who else?? How many players played for us again?

BOS would have obliterated the Spurs. People are seriously underestimating how good their team is because of their early playoff struggles.

[T Park]

BOS would have obliterated the Spurs. People are seriously underestimating how good their team is because of their early playoff struggles.


Keep your head in the sand dumb and stupid.

[mrspurs]

oh yeah and how could i forget...the easiest answer of them all..........we are not in the finals because(drum roll) we didnt have Homecourt Advantage....like an old lp stuck cos the needle is worn out, we only needed a few more wins and ladys and gentlemen we would still be playing.....and i agree with whomever said we could beat the celtics in a 7 game series.....its that simple.....pop and buford wasted away games trying to teach mighty mouse a system he wasnt gonna learn anyways...and the kurts move so late in the season, once again, pop and buford bonehead moves...we pretty much dismantled a proven championship team in the middle of the season, by letting beno go(then tp gets hurt) waste games with damon(which failed so we had togo with manu at point which drained him leaving him unhealthy for the PO's) and then waste games teaching kurt our system(in which imo pop finally just got tired of watch players make layups on us and finally said heck with it kurt go in and play whatever style you play and benched horry)....i also agreed with whomever said our defense which was at its worst of our championship years....next time pop says homecourt isnt that important, dont believe him......go spurs go

[SenorSpur]

Cant discount those factors, I still believe it was mainly our mental block regarding the Lakers. We competed much better against the Suns and Hornets.

Had we not curled up on the floor in a fetal position in game 1, who knows? It seems we were so close to getting the monkey off our backs and then...look, there's no other way to put it, we got scared.

Honestly, the combination of .04 and this year, plus all the other BS history, I hope we never see these fuckers again in the playoffs.

We need an X factor against the Lakers. Maybe next year we'll find it. Business as usual won't cut it.

Really? Do you really believe the Spurs have a mental block against these Fakers? Never thought about that. If what you're saying is true, then that would imply that the Spurs haven't buried 0.4. It means the Spurs were psyched out by a Kobe, Fish and bunch of younger guys.

Personally, I don't believe that to be true simply because the Spurs had trouble holding big leads all season. They played down to the level of interior competition all season and they never "flipped that switch" during or after the Rodeo Road trip. One last thing, Bryant, Walton and Fisher are the only holdovers from that 2004 Fakers team.

I simply believe they were gassed, injured and couldn't match the energy and athleticism of a younger, hungrier team. Our big three was simply worn down from carrying the load every single game. The lack of contribution from the bench players hurt the team all season. It shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone that they failed to come through during that series.

[SenorSpur]

Too bad we couldn't have picked up this dude...He's been frick'n HUGE for them.
PJ Brown >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kurt Thomas

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/28/fullj.e5843e2eab1fd84f65ea42217a0d0711/e5843e2eab1fd84f65ea42217a0d0711-getty-80398144mw050_nba_finals_ga.jpg

I remember reading somewhere that the Spurs were one of several teams that did try to pry Brown out of retirement. I believe he rebuffed them.

[timvp]

The weak defense of the Spurs held the Lakers to 93.4 points per contest through five games.

The best defensive team of all-time AKA the Celtics have held the Lakers to 94.2 points per contest through five games.

Again, I fail to see how defense was the downfall for the Spurs this season. If Manu would have played as well as Ray Allen, the Spurs would still be alive ... or perhaps floating down the San Antonio River.

Ah well, injuries happen. :depressed