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t's a kind of group hysteria, some kind of mental problem the team shrink or leader needs fix, even with the few B2Bs remaining.
Spurs' horrific B2B record is not physical.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...rs-table_x.htm
Scorer's Table: Load of back-to-back games drags down Spurs' record
By David DuPree, USA TODAY
Back-to-back games are the dread of NBA teams, though a necessary evil in an 82-game schedule.
Only six teams have a winning record in the second game of back-to-back contests — the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. The most notable team not on that list is the San Antonio Spurs, the team with the NBA's second-best record.
The Spurs are 49-14 but only 4-8 in the second game of back-to-backs, putting them in the bottom fourth of the league in that category.
"I can't understand, just because it's a back-to-back," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. "Every team does them, and probably nobody is as bad as us. One guy can be tired. Two, maybe. But the whole team?"
Part of the problem with the Spurs in back-to-back games is possibly fatigue, as they are the oldest team in the league with an average age of 30.2 years.
They still have four sets of back-to-back games remaining, and if their performance doesn't improve, it could cost them the home-court advantage in the playoffs. Their toughest Western Conference compe ion is the Mavericks, also 49-14. They are 9-6 in back-to-backs, however, with three sets left.
Spurs star Tim Duncan has played most of the season with plantar fascitiis in his right foot and has struggled in the second game of back-to-backs, averaging 14.4 points and shooting 38.8% in those 12 games.
Coach Gregg Popovich said he is considering resting Duncan and Ginobili in the second game of the Spurs' four remaining back-to-backs. He said his decision will be based on how fatigued he feels the two are. "That's the classic dilemma," Popovich said, "You want to keep going to win the division, but what's more important, being healthy or winning the division?"
If the Spurs were at least .500 in the second game of back-to-backs, they'd have a 51-12 record, which would be the best in the NBA.
"That's the attrition of the schedule in this league," Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Playing back-to-backs can throw a team off."
When Jackson's Chicago Bulls set the NBA record of 72 wins in the 1995-96 season, they were 22-2 in the second game of back-to-backs. The most back-to-backs any team plays this season is 22, by the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. The Spurs and Heat play a league-low 16 back-to-backs.
There is no set minimum or maximum number of back-to-back games a team plays, and the league tries to schedule as few of them as possible. "We try to minimize it as best we can," said Matt Winick, the NBA's vice president of scheduling and game operations.
No team plays games on three consecutive nights, and in the playoffs, back-to-backs are rare. When they do occur, they involve the same teams, so neither gains an advantage. The last time there were back-to-back playoff games was in the 2003 conference semifinals. Detroit and Philadelphia played back-to-back games in the East, and Dallas and Sacramento did it the same two days in the West. The 76ers won both games against the Pistons; the Mavs and Kings split.
"Extenuating cir stances could cause teams to play back-to-backs in the playoffs," Winick cautioned, looking to this postseason. But he added that the league will do everything it can to avoid them.
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The San Antonio Spurs have the second-best record in the NBA, but in the second game of back-to-backs they have the worst record of any of the teams with the 10 best overall records. How the top 10 compare:
Overall record Record in back-to-back games Back- to-back games left
Detroit 50-12 13-5 4
San Antonio 49-14 4-8 4
Dallas 49-14 9-6 4
Phoenix 43-19 9-5 5
Miami 41-21 7-4 5
L.A. Clippers 36-25 6-8 5
Cleveland 36-28 7-10 4
Denver 35-29 6-7 3
New Jersey 33-28 7-8 5
Memphis 34-29 8-9 4
*Through Sunday's games
t's a kind of group hysteria, some kind of mental problem the team shrink or leader needs fix, even with the few B2Bs remaining.
Spurs' horrific B2B record is not physical.
If we see a comparison, the Spurs have more B-B games than any other tearms this season. It's not a favorable schedule to the injured Tim and Gino.
"Spurs have more B-B games than any other tearms this season."
??? Spurs are now at 4-8 = 12 B2B, while Pistons, Mavs, Suns, Clips all have more B2Bs than the Spurs at this point.
It said we have a league low 16 back-to-backs....
that's what i thought too, but this:
"The Spurs and Heat play a league-low 16 back-to-backs."
would seem to contradict that directly.
Pistons have already played 18 b2b. Spurs 12. Pistons have 4 left. Pistons will have 22 b2b, Spurs will have 16.
Interesting...I thought every team had the same number of back-2-backs.
If you're going to rest players, why rest both Tim and Manu the same game? Is the Spurs record in the second game going to improve by resting them both? Why not rest one the first, the other the second?
Pop said on the Pop Show that he's not necessarily planning on resting them both in the second game. That he's just going to see how they feel, etc.If you're going to rest players, why rest both Tim and Manu the same game? Is the Spurs record in the second game going to improve by resting them both? Why not rest one the first, the other the second?
Last year the Spurs were only 10-9 in back-to-back games. . .only 2-4 in back-to-back games after March 1st. They still won the le.
In 2002 the Spurs were 17-4 in b2b's during the regular season and were ousted in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
I don't think it really matters in the grand scheme of things other than it gets people upset and worried on the internets.
And yet it is so obvious they struggle on back to backs. Why wait any longer? How much more obvious does it have to become, Manu or Timmie going down with an injury that keeps them out of the playoffs? Why is he only considering a move to more bench people playing on the back end of B2Bs?
Being in Finals two of last three combined with the oldest average age should mean no shame whatsoever that many Spurs might be worn down. Play the bench people! Thats what a t-e-a-m is all about.
"they struggle on back to backs"
Tim probably suffers from his PF day after a game.
But Manu? and the rest of the team? What's their excuse for having a B2B record much worse than other top teams?
That means the Spurs are 45-6 when they have at least one day off between games. That is a .882 winning percentage. Impressive.
I heard that Tim refuses to take a game off just for "rest". These b2b seem to be our biggest compe or this season. We have 4 more left and two of them will be right next to each other making it 4 games in 5 nights starting with our next game after NOK tonight. I wonder if Tim will get a cortisone shot tomorrow to help for the rest of the season? Pop has said that they can give him no more than 2 more shots this season.
What is your problem?
True. Especially when you consider how many back-to-backs the Spurs will play in the playoffs.
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That's not necessarily true, the Mavs and Kings had to play a back to back in 03'. It hasn't happened very often in the playoffs, but it has happened.
Everyone should have the same amount of back to backs. Those schedule problems should be fixed since players get hurt a lot on the second night of a back-to-back. The best solution is not to have them but I guess the nba can't do that.
Is getting annoying.
How many playoff games are played back-to-back? Thank you.
Speaking of back to backs, I was up late last night too.
I need to get some shut eye. Miss me, k? G'nite friends.
Spurs played a back to back in the playoffs one year.
I don't think there will be 4 b2b in a row in the playoffs
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