Harvey: Bar Scene: There's Recognizable Doom

Bar scene: There's recognizable doom
Buck Harvey

I'm in a bar, and it's the first round, and the Spurs coach is telling me that his team is doomed.

This is 1985 in Denver. The late Cotton Fitzsimmons is the coach.

He might have been the least popular Spurs coach in history. Had there been an Internet then, he would have been called a moron and worse. George Gervin was heading toward addiction, and Artis Gilmore was calcifying, but all of this was Fitzsimmons' fault.

Fitzsimmons would eventually land with the Suns, and he did all right with them. Today, a banner honoring him hangs in the arena in Phoenix.

So there we were in a bar, and he was admitting to things he would never tell a TV camera or his team. He knew, and here's a hunch:

For the first time since the century began, Gregg Popovich knows, too.

The kicker to the Fitzsimmons story is that the Spurs beat the Nuggets the next day. I kidded Fitzsimmons afterward, and he still had a knowing look.

Just one game, he said.

He was right. The Spurs would lose the series.

Anything is possible tonight, too. If the Spurs react well to Saturday's loss, and if they get a few calls, then a lot of people in San Antonio will be reassured.

But a former NBA coach watched the opener, and he saw what Fitzsimmons saw in 1985. He saw aging players, and he saw weaknesses usually exposed over 48 minutes.

“That's an injured, lame-duck team,” he said of the Spurs.

He recommends to Popovich what most recommend today. At best, use Matt Bonner in a Steve Kerr role; bring him off the bench to shoot a couple of threes in short stretches.

Otherwise alternate Drew Gooden and Kurt Thomas, and bang Dirk Nowitzki. That's been the best way to play Nowitzki.

Another thing: Make Nowitzki play defense.

Mostly, though, the coach sees a talent crisis. Tim Duncan scored Saturday night, but he's not right. He couldn't defend the rim, and he couldn't take Erick Dampier off the dribble.

The defense starts with him, but it ends elsewhere. The Spurs put their worst defender on Dallas' best scorer (Bonner on Nowitzki), and their second-worst defender on Dallas' second-best scorer (Michael Finley on Josh Howard).

Then there's no Manu Ginobili. “He means everything to them,” he said.

This fits into another theory. The Mavericks underachieved this season on their way to 50 wins, while the Spurs overachieved to win the division. The Spurs adjusted to injuries, and they stuck to their principles, and they earned the No. 3 seed.

That's a contrast to Fitzsimmons' Spurs. While they also leaned on a young point guard, Johnny Moore, the veterans weren't overly upset with the idea of an early vacation.

Popovich has none of that. But he has to know what Bonner can't do, and how limited Duncan is right now.

And Ginobili? Popovich has admitted to this already.

“We aren't going anywhere if he's not healthy,” he blurted out in early March.

“Pop knows what he has,” said the former coach. “He knows if he beats Dallas, it's a huge success. But he also knows that not only can't they beat the Lakers, for the first time they have to worry about Denver if there is a second round for them. Sometimes in the back of a team's mind, they know that winning a first round is short-lived anyway.”

I've never been in a bar in any city with Popovich. But while he studies the film of Game 1, and he tries to find ways to win, he also sees the cracks more clearly than anyone.

Coaches usually do.

Oh yeah this makes me feel alot better!!!!!!!!!

:lol the darkest article I've read on MySA in a long time, damn!

Is this article supposed to pass as somewhat of a jab to Pop game plan of playing Bonner?
If it is, then it's pretty well hidden and fairly mild.

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“That's an injured, lame-duck team,” he said of the Spurs.

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True.:(

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“Pop knows what he has,” said the former coach. “He knows if he beats Dallas, it's a huge success.

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Also true, but even twice as depressing.:depressed

So which former coach will be calling the game tomorrow? (Assuming, Harvey actually talked to a former coach)

this is garbage...

Great article. Loved the part of him and cotton in bar dicussing the spurs. Also funny are posters who think buck steals their takes.

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Originally Posted by timvp

:rolleyes Just source ST, bro.

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Wow, I think everybody knows what needs to be done, except that stubborn old man! :pop:. To bad all these local sports writers don't have the nads to
question him on his Bonner love.

Buck Harvey. It's against his religion to say write something positive about the Spurs :lol

the writing is on the wall though, I can't deny that (overachieving season)

What kind of fucking article is this.

This article sucks. It's too early in the playoffs to be a realist.

Interesting article........

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Originally Posted by duncan228

Bar scene: There's recognizable doom
Buck Harvey
“Pop knows what he has,” said the former coach. “He knows if he beats Dallas, it's a huge success. But he also knows that not only can't they beat the Lakers, for the first time they have to worry about Denver if there is a second round for them. Sometimes in the back of a team's mind, they know that winning a first round is short-lived anyway.”

I've never been in a bar in any city with Popovich. But while he studies the film of Game 1, and he tries to find ways to win, he also sees the cracks more clearly than anyone.

Coaches usually do.

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Two points --

1. Pop looked despondent at the post-game presser -- liked he peeked over the mountain and had to figure out a way to report to the wagon train that it was Death Valley on the other side.

2. The players sound confident, unworried and optimistic. Like they think they can win (and more than just this series).

So who is right? Buck seems to think it's Pop.

we didn't overachieve at all..people apparently seem to forget how good this team was when Manu returned, up until the injuries to Manu and Duncan..

Dallas didn't underachieve, they just aren't that good..

Truthful article...can't bitch about that.

:depressed:depressed :cry :cry Now I'm more depressed than ever..

The sad thing is that Buck knows the only way to get Pop to stop playing Bonner and Finley so much is to say that "an ex-NBA coach" said so.

We've only been saying that for 83 games now.

In my opinion, any article that slams Pop gets him that much closer to retirement - and that will be a very good thing.

The atricle in the OP outlines exactly what a bunch of rational fans around here were saying a week ago, and we got reamed for it (mostly by mouse's 462,351,700 handles, but still... :lol ). Oh, and Buck forgot to mention that TP has been carrying the team for 6 weeks and now looks tired as buggery.

I'll be ecstatic if this team makes the second round because that's an overachievement given the injuries and late-season shakeup.

Cheer to the end, but don't expect a trophy this year - it will take a miracle. That's partly why I want Pop to play Hill - blood the kid and get him some playoff experience so that he's ready next year, because we will be back here then, hopefully healthier.

Well, he's not saying what anyone doesn't already know. Spurs AREN'T going to win a championship this season. Even if they get past the Mavs, the later rounds are going to be a lot more difficult than in the past due to no Ginobili and an aging supporting cast and Duncan's health issues.

This offseason is going to be a big one. Spurs will need to change their entire team personell around if they want to be a championship contender. Even with a healthy Ginobili this season, the Spurs don't have the level of defense required to beat a team like the Lakers or Cavs.

"This offseason is going to be a big one."

If history is any guide .... no.

After a couple of mediocre, injury-ridden seasons, Tim (and Pop) retire, Tony goes to a bigger market, the $$ value of the franchise plummets, costing the Spurs owners $100M. Someone in another city buys and moves the Spurs.

Then again, they might win tonight, so La Vie en Rose returns Tue morning. :)

Fuck that...

He recommends to Popovich what most recommend today. At best, use Matt Bonner in a Steve Kerr role; bring him off the bench to shoot a couple of threes in short stretches.

Otherwise alternate Drew Gooden and Kurt Thomas, and bang Dirk Nowitzki. That's been the best way to play Nowitzki.

Another thing: Make Nowitzki play defense.

these are all good ideas. where was this guy before game 1???

As long as you have Tim, Tony and Manu under contract, you can build around them. We should have had a great year this year and won it all but things didn't go our way.

1. Tiago Splitter didn't come over.
2. The Blazers drafted Batum (Don't believe for a second the Spurs had Hill # 1 on the list.)
3. Manu was injured for most of the year
4. Tim has been playing through injuries for at least half the year


Add all that up and Coach Pop deserves credit for getting this team to win its division. He's not a magician. He can't make players into something they are not. We didn't have the health or talent to go all the way this year. Hell, we may not be good enough to get by Dallas. At least that train wreck is somewhat healthy and they have some youth on their side.

For all we get from experience and character, we are still old and slow and need to play that much better to make up for it.

Every year it seems, we are counted out because we are too old. I have no reason to believe that we won't make the roster moves and adjustments to get back to contender status next year.. Or at least they will try. We have the smartest guys working for the Spurs and we have lots of cap room coming up in a couple of years.

I still have faith in this team's future. Pop is stubborn to a fault at times by sticking with vets but look how hard they play for him. Michael Finley has rewarded Pop's confidence by playing terrific the last couple of weeks. He's being asked to do a lot more than even he expected, I'm sure.

Pop can only hope that Bonner's character shines through and he comes back with a much better performance. Folks, the majority of our roster consists of role models and band-aids. Before we call for Pop's head, we need to recognize what he's had to work with.

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Originally Posted by ManuTim_best of Fwiendz

This article sucks. It's too early in the playoffs to be a realist.

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:lol :lol

"former NBA coach" is the new Benjamin P. Broadhind.

I'm glad Phoenix fans appreciated Cotton. He was worth as many championships to them as he ever would have helped bring to us.

When did Jon Barry start coaching ?

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Originally Posted by I Love Me Some Me

"former NBA coach" is the new Benjamin P. Broadhind.

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:lol thought the same thing.

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Originally Posted by I Love Me Some Me

"former NBA coach" is the new Benjamin P. Broadhind.

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"Gee, Mr.Broadhind, I think the vets on the Spurs have a chance to pull this team into the finals."

"Son, get the last decade's stars out of your eyes. This year's chance of a championship for the Spurs is as dead as a stogie I smoked a week ago. The race ain't always to the young, swift and strong--but that's the way to bet."

So if we win tonight everybody will step off the ledge and become optimistic again right? Geez, give me a break. At least wait until we're down 2-0 or 3-0 to if you're gonna right this garbage. But after the FIRST GAME of the Playoffs? Give me a break.

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Originally Posted by wildbill2u

"Gee, Mr.Broadhind, I think the vets on the Spurs have a chance to pull this team into the finals."

"Son, get the last decade's stars out of your eyes. This year's chance of a championship for the Spurs is as dead as a stogie I smoked a week ago. The race ain't always to the young, swift and strong--but that's the way to bet."

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Very nicely done.

I didn't know Cotton coached the Spurs.

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Originally Posted by lefty

I didn't know Cotton coached the Spurs.

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What you say? Cotton-ball....

What you play? Cotton-ball....


I remember hearing this on the radio as a young child after having come to the US for the first time. I was used to soccer all that time in Europe so:

I asked my dad : "What are the rules for playing Cotton-ball?"

He simply said: "You wouldn't like Cotton-ball....."

It was one of those things that you can't really appreciate until you're older I suppose.

Buck Harvey pretty much said the obvious that we've all stated. Bonner can't guard Dirk. He should only get limited minutes. He should only play situational minutes. Finley was sagging off of Howard way too much for fear of being beaten off the dribble. They need to stick Bowen on Howard to pest him. Drew needs to take more minutes so that he can beat up Dirk down low and get him in foul trouble.

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Originally Posted by Baseline

The sad thing is that Buck knows the only way to get Pop to stop playing Bonner and Finley so much is to say that "an ex-NBA coach" said so.

We've only been saying that for 83 games now.

In my opinion, any article that slams Pop gets him that much closer to retirement - and that will be a very good thing.

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the bad thing is that he is going to retire until Duncan retires and he is going to waste Duncan's last years:depressed

Nothing wrong with this article...we all know the handwriting is on the wall...whether it is this series or the next, the Spurs will not be celebrating #5 this Summer.

:depressed

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Originally Posted by Jimcs50

whether it is this series or the next, the Spurs will not be celebrating #5 this Summer.

:depressed

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