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Damn Skippy.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ook/index.html
A step in the right direction
Duncan keeps Spurs rolling despite nagging injury
Tim Duncan's sore right foot is starting to feel better.
At least Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thinks it is.
Popovich really doesn't know for certain because, well, Duncan doesn't exactly open up like Dr. Phil when he asks him about it.
"He's been a real compe or in the sense that he never talks about his injuries," Popovich said last Thursday before his team's victory at Phoenix. "Whenever I ask him, or people ask him, he just says he's fine.
"He doesn't want it to be an excuse. He just tries to figure out ways to get through this particular game or this particular week or whatever. He just wants to make sure he's as healthy as can be come playoff time."
Bothered by a case of plantar fasciitis, Duncan has not been himself much of this entire season. As of Sunday, the two-time MVP was averaging career lows in scoring (18.8 per game), field goal percentage (.482) and blocks (2.02). His rebounding rate (11.2) was the second lowest in his nine NBA seasons, just a tick over the 11.1 he posted a year ago. In late February he went through a stretch of 11 games in which he averaged just over 14 points on 38 percent shooting.
Lately, however, Duncan has appeared to move better on the court. He's been more aggressive in the post. He's catching up to rebounds. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday's win over the Rockets. He had 22 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), 15 boards and three blocks in a win over the Blazers on March 4.
"I've been feeling a lot better, as healthy as I have all season," Duncan said afterward, in a rare revelation of his feelings. "Right now it's just about shots going down and continuing to work through it."
The Spurs know Duncan won't be 100 percent all season. Plantar fasciitis usually requires months of rest to heal completely. And there have been some setbacks, particularly on the second night of back-to-backs. But even a limited Duncan has been good enough for San Antonio to win 22 of 27 games to climb back to the top of the Western standings
"We think in the last two weeks or so it actually has bothered him a little less.... We think," Popovich said. "But, really, he'll need the summer to take care of it."
If Duncan is starting to feel better, the rest of the NBA should be very afraid. Despite injuries that have limited Duncan and Manu Ginobili much of the year, the Spurs have a 49-14 record, the best in franchise history after 63 games. Their victory over the Rockets moved them into a tie with the Mavs for the best record in the West, and within 1½ games of the Pistons for the NBA's top mark.
Tony Parker has been the obvious difference for San Antonio, but he has hardly been alone. Nazr Mohammed has had some big nights of late in the middle, joining Rasho Nesterovic in an effective center tandem. Bruce Bowen once again leads the NBA in three-point accuracy while doing his usual yeoman's work on defense.
Other than some shaky rebounding nights and a problem with back-to-backs, San Antonio looks solid at both ends. The Spurs are back to their usual spot leading the NBA in points allowed (95.1) and field goal percentage allowed (42.6), but this year they also rank third in field goal percentage (.472). If they get hot down the stretch, San Antonio could become the first team to lead the league in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense since the 1980-81 Sixers.
With 10 of their final 19 games at home -- including a contest against the Mavs on April 7 -- the Spurs also appear to have the edge in the all-important race for the Southwest Division le and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. However, they do have four more back-to-backs. Eight of their 14 losses this season have come in the second game of a back-to-back, including last Friday's home loss to the Lakers.
Given the advanced age and the number of games this team has played over the past few seasons, along with the somewhat hobbled states of Duncan and Ginobili, it's not surprising the Spurs might have trouble summoning the energy to play at peak form on consecutive nights. Their age -- and lack of quickness in some areas -- also has shown up in the rebounding department. San Antonio ranks only 18th in the NBA in total rebound percentage (they finished sixth a year ago) and has been outrebounded in 26 of 63 games this season.
The good news for the Spurs, of course, is that there usually aren't any back-to-backs in the playoffs. Meanwhile, older veterans like Nick Van Exel, Michael Finley, Robert Horry and Brent Barry know how to pick up their intensity for the games that truly matter. At that point, age and experience usually become more of an asset than a liability.
Of course, it's still going to come down to Duncan's foot. Which means we'll just have to wait to find out, since Duncan isn't going to talk about it.
Damn Skippy.
MVP... z yeah.
the rebounding problem makes no sense to me--this team did not change that much from last year, where did the rebounding go? It's not as if we had a major roster overhall
No more T-Mass, thats where*end sarcasm*
I didn't know that ... with all those stupid games this team have lost this season (Bulls, Lakers, NO, ...) this team is becomin' part of SAS' history ... good for them.
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