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Perfect read the night before this monumental game. I hope Manu can sleep. Thanks for posting this and good luck to us all!! Go Spurs!
What happened last year can help us a lot now
SAN ANTONIO.- Honestly, I dreamed of being up 3-1 when we won the first game of the series in San Antonio, but after we lost the second we knew things were going to be difficult. We traveled to Miami with the mentality of taking both games, we weren’t thinking of taking just one game and see what happens afterwards. But we didn’t imagine we would take both with such authority. We know we’re in a very good position, but we have to think we have to take it now, instead of thinking there are more chances. We can’t think about any other chance, because it can be counterproductive.
Visually, this might be the San Antonio team that plays the best, but it’s not like we’re trying to play pretty or over do the passing. It’s what we need to do to score. Perhaps if we look at games from 2007, we used to look more for a single assist or a shooter and it was just a couple of passes per possession. That’s not enough now, because they’re extremely good defending, very athletic: that is why, from the second or third pass, we start moving the ball again, and have another two or three more passes until we get to a good position to score. It’s a way to overcome the physical superiority they have.
We haven’t changed the way we play, everybody knows their role on the team and that’s been like that for a while; perhaps it’s Tony now that gives up a bit more of his game, because he’s the one that has the ball more in his hands during the regular season. I don’t necessarily have that problem, I handle the ball in very specific situations. So that’s the way we have to attack. Do we want to be champions or just be a footnote in the newspapers? We want to be champions, so that’s the way we have to attack. I’m sure Lebron would do the same if that’s the best way for them to beat us, or Wade, or whoever. But Lebron is the best in the world and he has to have the ball in his hands, and perhaps that’s what works for them, because the more he has the ball, the more effective they are. They’re strategies, part of what each team needs to do.
I’ve heard a few of my teammates mention that what happened last season helped them as motivation during the regular season, but personally, during the regular season, it didn’t for me. I play because I like to play, because it’s what I did all my life. I embrace the challenge, the life basketball gives me. And since I like it and enjoy it, I want to do things well. Because if we end up winning 25 games instead of 55, I don’t enjoy it. I think what happened last season can help us a lot now, in this situation, in making sure we’re not overconfident, value each possession, be mentally focused, and to make sure we know the game isn’t over until it’s over. That doesn’t mean that Miami can’t play out of their minds and win 3 games, because it can happen, they’re extremely good. But what happened last year will help us to make sure we have no distractions.
Having my family with me is very important, because they feel how I feel at every moment. I can see how important is for them to win the next game, as important as it is for me. It helps me and I feel the support. Not to talk about basketball, because I don’t want to do that with anybody, that’s clear and they know. But on the emotional aspect it’s important, because my kids are also there, a little older now, where the interaction is complete, it helps me and it’s fantastic. That helps me to get away from the pressure. You do keep it in the back of your head, and sometimes you have to fight yourself to get out of basketball. Because I might be playing with my kids and I think Lebron is coming to steal the ball, or how to defend the pick and roll, or how to attack their defense. It’s something that’s always there, around. But if there’s anything that helps me put the pressure on the side for a while, that’s my kids. It’s extremely difficult at this time, mentally, to get away from the pressure that a situation like we’re in right now brings. It’s complicated not to think about it, get away from it. It’s hard to read a book, because I start doing it, I re-read the same paragraph like five times and I stop, because I start thinking what if this or that happens. It’s not negative thoughts, but just an important amount of pressure. Perhaps when you’re 22 or 25 you have certain ingenuity that doesn’t let you realize that you’re at this stage; It happens more to me now, that I have some more experience. Back in 2011 in Mar del Plata I couldn’t sleep due to the excitement. Last season, before game 7 it was the same thing. The adrenaline is way high, and that’s why I try to look for something that entertains me enough to get me out of that situation. But during instances with such big stakes, where you’re so close to win a championship, they’re extremely intense. Sometimes you can suffer a bit, but then I think “this is why I play the game for and not a lot people has the possibility to be here”.
For us, there’s no tomorrow, hopefully we have everything clear and we play like it since the first minute. I think during the first three or so minutes it’s going to be clear if we’re with that kind of mentality or not. I hope we can play as a unit. We could lose, they have the weapons, but the mentality, emotion, passion, that stuff we can’t leave behind. We have to throw the punches and come right out of the gates like that. The physical aspect doesn’t matter for just one game; we have to show how well we know our game plan and execute it.
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Excuse any typos, enjoy the read.
Original article in Spanish here:
http://canchallena.lanacion.com.ar/1...ve-mucho-ahora
Perfect read the night before this monumental game. I hope Manu can sleep. Thanks for posting this and good luck to us all!! Go Spurs!
Thanks. Now boys, just win the 16th game tomorrow.
Nice read. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, I've read, listened and watched my fair share of Manu interviews since '97. You can tell by the way he wrote this one -the words he chose, the subjects chosen- that the team is pumped for tonight. Win or lose, either can happen, but they won't be complacent, not for second in this game.
Great write up. Let's win this thing tomorrow. Go Spurs.
Great read. Thanks for the translations as always, ElNono
Manu is an awesome writer tbh
"But on the emotional aspect it’s important, because my kids are also there, a little older now, where the interaction is complete, it helps me and it’s fantastic. That helps me to get away from the pressure. You do keep it in the back of your head, and sometimes you have to fight yourself to get out of basketball. Because I might be playing with my kids and I think Lebron is coming to steal the ball..." Imagine that... its´like a ing monster chasing you in every aspect of your life... Buahhhhhhhhh
Awesome.
Manu appears to be stronger than at this time last season when he was feeling insecure about everything.
Good read. Thanks
Lebron probably having similar type of flashbacks, staring Kawhi.
Thanks as always for the translation! Great read. Love Manu's posts
Manu is going to have a stretch where he drops in 2-3 threes in a short period of time tonight. Miami will not be able to get out to him, Danny, and Patty. They will rain threes down on them and get it going. Miami will not be able to match that right now.
Lebron will be great, yes. The "others" will mostly shrivel. There is no way they can feel confident. If one or two of our guys are not knocking down shots or locking in on D, Pop will just go to the next man on the bench - no problem.
They will get offensive flow at some point and run the Heat players around a lot (especially at home).
There should be positive pressure going on for the Spurs tonight. They know they can do this if they focus. I'll be a basket case watching the game early. Hopefully that won't last too long.
Thanks for the translation, Nono.
Great article.
Thanks El Nono.
Always appreciated these translations and articles. This is very well translated... It feels like Manu himself wrote it!
Translations like these are why Spurstalk remains the best Spurs community despite everything.
Manu pretty much said that Spurs fans suck and Argentina rules. He also enjoys trolling Spur fan with turnovers at critical moments in the game. True story.
Skull-1 and TheGreatYacht will be friending you soon
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