Reply With Quote
people get paid to write this ?
Ventre: Duncan might have his wake-up call
Feud with referee could spark star, Spurs against tough Suns, Mavs
By Michael Ventre
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18137535/
In a pre-fight “Tale of the Tape,” Tim Duncan has a decided edge over Joey Crawford.
Duncan is about to turn 31; Crawford is 55.
Duncan is 7-0, Crawford stands roughly about 5-8.
Duncan’s reach is undetermined, but suffice to say he has a giant wing span that would allow him to stick and move freely, whereas Crawford has stubby little arms that might occasionally graze Duncan’s kneecaps as Duncan keeps him at bay with one arm extended and its hand pressed on top of Crawford’s dome.
Of course, all bets are off if the bout involves ultimate fighting rather than traditional boxing. There’s really no telling what Crawford might do to Duncan. Given Crawford’s ornery nature, Duncan’s only hope would be to try to get the IRS to go after him again.
This topic comes up, of course, because in an unusual sequence of events, the Spurs’ superstar big man and the NBA’s most pugnacious bulldog have called each other out. Soon their respective posses will be exchanging insults about each others’ mamas, pretty girls will choose sides and an impartial observer will be assigned to oversee the combatants’ bling.
But perhaps what is says more than anything is that Tim Duncan has some fighting spirit, which isn’t always apparent. And it may have surfaced at the perfect time, when pundits are conceding the West le to Dallas, and if not Dallas, then Phoenix.
Now, he may not get a chance to beat up Joey Crawford, but he could take out his aggression on the teams in the Spurs’ path to the championship.
The tiff between Duncan and Crawford happened Sunday afternoon in Dallas. Crawford assessed two technical fouls to Duncan only 1 minute and 16 seconds apart. Before the second, Duncan was laughing on the bench. Duncan alleges that Crawford saw him laughing and said repeatedly, “Do you want to fight?”
Duncan also claims he said nothing to Crawford except the words, “I got fouled.” Crawford disagrees, alleging that Duncan was “complaining the whole game.”
The issue between these two men won’t be settled in the parking lot. Parking lots at NBA games these days are crammed to capacity, so there’s no room for a good donnybrook between two bare-knuckled amateur pugilists. Plus they’d have to pay the valets to move some cars out of the way, there would be insurance concerns, fights would break out among media over pay-per-view rights, advertisers would want a piece of it. The world is a much more complicated place.
Of course, one area where a good old rock ‘em, sock ‘em row is not only condoned but encouraged is on the hardwood, where the stage is prepared for Duncan and the Spurs to prove that they’re not obsolete and not irrelevant despite the noise that the Mavericks and Suns are making.
One glimpse into the Spurs’ under-the-radar personality this season involves the fact that Duncan is getting almost no love for Most Valuable Player, even though in the past you couldn’t utter the name of that award without also mentioning Duncan in the same breath. He’s averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and almost 2.5 blocked shots per game, and as usual, the Spurs would be nowhere without him.
That isn’t to suggest that Dirk Nowitzki’s numbers (about 25 points, 9 rebounds per game) or those of Steve Nash (about 19 points, 12 assists) aren’t worthy or superior, but rather that Duncan at least belongs in the discussion, and the fact that he really hasn’t been underscores the Spurs’ relative acquiescence this season.
True, it’s difficult to label the Spurs disinterested when they’ve had the best record in the NBA since the All-Star break, 23-4 entering Monday night’s game at Memphis. Of course they’re still potent. Of course they’re still a factor.
But are they a factor in the sense that they’ll really make the Suns sweat in the conference semis, maybe even push them to a Game 7?Or can they win the championship?
Duncan claims that Crawford “came into the game with a personal vendetta against me.” At this moment Stu Jackson, the NBA’s VP of basketball operations, is poring over tapes of Sunday’s game to try and read Duncan’s lips throughout the contest to see if he’s telling the truth. When Jackson is finished, he’ll probably suspend Kobe Bryant for one game.
What will be apparent on review is that Duncan showed a little gumption. It’s that time of year when NBA fans expect passion out of their stars. They also expect victories, and on that count the Spurs failed to deliver on Sunday in Dallas. The Mavericks are tough anywhere but especially difficult at home.
The major reason the Mavs prevailed in this particular game had to do with Duncan’s absence. After Crawford tossed him — only the second time he’s been ejected in his 10-year career — the Spurs went cold, failing to score a bucket over the final six and a half minutes. Besides being handy to have around in terms of amassing points and rebounds, Duncan is the Spurs’ spiritual leader. If he’s not there, they don’t get anywhere.
It is a wise warrior who knows when to retreat, regroup, and then come back fighting again even stronger. This might be the case with Duncan. He may have trouble in some playoff games when he looks out on the court and sees that his old nemesis Joey “The Thumb” Crawford is dancing in place as his handlers woof encouragement. But overall, his sense of outrage and his newly stoked fire can only help San Antonio.
This one may go the distance.
people get paid to write this ?
I liked it, at least he broke out the thesaurus and didn't use 1st grade words. It's an entertaining piece, makes some good points (pay-per-view would want to get in on the fight) and Duncan definitely belonds in any MVP conversation. Also loved the Kobe suspension reference. LOL
the NBA’s VP of basketball operations, is poring over tapes of Sunday’s game to try and read Duncan’s lips throughout the contest to see if he’s telling the truth. When Jackson is finished, he’ll probably suspend Kobe Bryant for one game.
Im not a dinasaur
- thesaurus
Joey “The Thumb” Crawford
Aw... he called us pretty.
Duncan’s reach is undetermined, but suffice to say he has a giant wing span that would allow him to stick and move freely, whereas Crawford has stubby little arms that might occasionally graze Duncan’s kneecaps as Duncan keeps him at bay with one arm extended and its hand pressed on top of Crawford’s dome.
Joey swinging anc cussing.
Timmy holding Joey at bay, yawning, " I'm not listening. lalalala"
Gosh, you'd hope that a chance to grab the 2nd seed would be enough of a wakeup call.
Not the proudest moment in Timmy's "leadership" file. Piss poor, actually.
tim duncan should take out his anger on whoever we face in the playoffs.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
