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Is it time to wonder who could not have seen this coming this season?
We appear to have past the tipping point. Our record against winning teams is very damning.
In watching this game, the Hornets broadcast team made a couple of key points that are particularly troublesome if you are a Spurs fan.
First, they indicated that when the Spurs resort to a trapping style of defense, it's not as effective because of the advanced age and lack of quickness on the part of most of their defenders. This point was repeated by the same broadcast team in an earlier contest between these two teams earlier this season. It's a salient point because they really do seem to struggle against younger, quicker teams - like the Hornets. Their rotations are late, if they come at all, and they don't seem as quick to rebounds and loose balls. We all know if the Spurs cannot defend the opposition, it doesn't really matter what they do on the offensive end.
Second point. They commented that the Spurs SHOULD NOT be considered one of the best teams in the West - despite having one of the better records in the conference. After turning down my reactionary bull alarm, I listened to their reasoning. They following that point with a troubling statistic. The Spurs have lost 12 out of their last 19 games against teams that have an above .500 record. This despite their recent 11-game winning streak. In looking at how they've lost games against better compe ion (NO, DEN, PHX, BOS), there may be a shred of truth there, too. Also let's also not forget, in the two losses to the Hornets, the Spurs had their "doors blown off" by this team.
As the playoffs draw near, both points do raise some concern about the Spurs ability to handle these teams in a 7-game playoff series. Is is time to wonder if the Spurs advanced age and lack of athleticism are now producing diminished returns?
Is it time to wonder who could not have seen this coming this season?
We appear to have past the tipping point. Our record against winning teams is very damning.
They always have the last few years. Young teams and hot jump-shooting teams.
Somehow the Spurs regular season struggles with those teams has never hurt them much in the playoffs.
We may be reading a bit too much into these tea leaves.
Nothing new here. Ayup, Spurs are slow on rotations...anytime we double there is always a man wide open. Spurs age and, more importantly...nagging injuries, is hampering them a lot.
Every win is hard fought, and it seems just the Spurs Pride and Stubborniness are getting those. We don't blow out anyone. Which prolly concerns me more than anything else. Our point differential has got to be a lot lower than years past.
This is nothing that hasn't been obvious to anyone paying attention. Shouldn't come as a surprise or a "new interesting thought" process here.
Yet...there is that pride and stubborness. We've never been athletic. We've always been old (little older now I guess...) I seriously thought last year we had no chance as well...for all the same reasons.
I dunno how the Spurs do it. I mean, how the have we been in first place...we seem to really suck most of the time.
Mebbe this year it all catches up to us.
But I don't think I'll bet on it.
Maybe, but at least last season, they went into the playoffs playing their best basketball. Can't say that now.
WOOOWW.....this forum jumps back and forth on every Spurs win or lose this year...
but its as simple as this...its all a mental thing
EVERY team that plays the Spurs this year have given it 110% because theyre are facing the modern dynasty of basketball. They want to beat this team more than any other team in the NBA. Other teams circle the day they face san antonio so they can be ready mentally and physically, while the spurs look at it as just another game. Have yall ever heard that basketball is the most mental game in sports? it is.....Yes the Hornets beat the crap out of us twice this year but whos counting this in the playoffs?
and enough about how the Spurs are getting too old. are they old? yes, but it doesnt mean theyre tooo old. i believe they have one more run in them....
and yes i am worried about thier offense but they are still the favorites to win the west....
in the words of Ric Flair
"TO BE THE MAN, YOU GOTTA BEAT THE MAN...."
Last game Hornets played before Spurs was Saturday @Rockets
Meanwhile Spurs played sunday @Suns and monday vs Nuggets... 2 tough games on a back to back.
So, 3 days of rest for a young team VS 1 day of rest for an old team.
Spurs were tired ! And Hornets full of energy. That was the big difference.
The stat :
Tony Parker : 2-3 3pts
Other spurs players : 0-15 3pts
AND Hornets played a GREAT game !!!
They've got time to turn it around. This happens to the Spurs just about every year, where they just have a horrendously bad stretch and then suddenly snap out of it and start giving effort for the whole game. The catalyst is typically a terrible embarassing loss which allows Pop to embarass the team publicly and call them out, followed by an effort win like the Pistons game last year. One of the pieces is in place.
To me, these are the telling signs:
Traditionally, the Spur veteran teams had good road records and wins against good teams ... regular searons or not.
Spurs are almost a lock to win at home, but on the road, they have the worst record of an elite team. Don't tell me the Jazz, they aren't Elite, Utah's road record is beyond pathetic.
Add to that, an 8-6 record in the division and the worst vs west conference record of all the top teams.
Have a cavalier at ude if you want. The points have merit. At some point, if the Spurs do not repeat, these points will be hashed and rehased over and over again.
Pop plz make something happen!
At half time, one of the New Orleans coaches said their strategy was to run the Spurs because "they are an old team and NO has young legs." He didn't mention the grueling schedule the Spurs are playing this month, but that goes without saying.
Which makes it even harder to overcome large deficits. The Spurs do not have enough scoring and are not defending well enough to overcome get back into games. Combine that with poor FT shooting and it's a disastrous recipe.
road record is a very good indicator.
Spurs are just 17-15 and at serious risk of dropping to/below .500 in the next week.
Those are two great points and they may be true, but a win over the Pistons this Friday could change all that.
I don't know, Maybe I'm watching this team with my heart and not my head. With that said, I do take solace in knowing that if the Spurs win against Det and Phi this weekend then they will have the exact same record they had last year at this time (46-20). That alone forces me to believe they know what they're doing and the ship can get turned around just like last year.
They do have a tougher ending schedule this year, but that could serve as either a springboard into the playoffs or a tailspin. I guess I'll just have to see how it plays out.
Good points and I celebrate you as one of the most clear posters on this forum but I'm not going to freak out on these losses. I can come up with several excuses as well as to why they lost in addition to those brought up but the fine NO folks.
The spurs have unmatched mental toughness compared to the rest of the league except perhaps the old Detroit team. I can see them getting their act together as soon as they smell blood (ring/playoff time).
Pop's real magic wand will come out and the heart of a champion will rise again. Spurs roster has many rings and they are proven winners, able to win when it counts, when it matters and they know how to do it.
They will be relentless in their pursuit to get another ring. Just let them smell a little blood. They can even lose the first game of the series as it has happened before but from then on things will be different.
2-18 on threes.
There's your ball game.
Relying on threes and long twos. THERE'S your ball game.
All of a sudden not driving the ball to the hole and not playing pressure defense, like they did back on the 23rd is alot of the problem I'd say.
all of a sudden we are becomin like the suns team in past few years, live by the 3, die by the 3
PS. we need barry asap
OH STOP are you kidding me here?? Spurs are the defending NBA champs, they have the best big man in the game, an all star PG, Manu playing his best ball ever and are 44-20 on the year 2nd in the west and they should NOT be seen as one of the best in the west, LOL. Don't pay attention to that garbage. WE have beat the Suns, we beat the Hornets and we beat Dallas this year. Don't overreact so much to one game and a delusional broadcast team trying to sell their team as the team to beat.
I appreciate your kind words and I agree with you in theory.
Past history has proven that we should trust in Pop and the big three to right the ship. The most telling point is a championship-caliber team should be playing their best brand of ball as they drive toward the playoffs.
Like everyone else, I want and hope they repeat. However we know at some point, the Spurs continual drive to be repeat as NBA champions, and at thee same time striving to be the annual winners of the "oldest team in the league award" will have diminishing returns.
Games like this make many of us wonder if they've reached that threshold. As valuable as age and experience are in the playoffs, there is something to be said for having some fresh bodies and fresh legs to provide energy and hustle when the "old heads" are struggling.
Look dude, I merely offered up both these points as fodder for discussion to the forum. If you read my entire post, I indicated that my :"bull alarm" went off when they made the claim. Next time, read the entire post before YOU overreact.
I didn't overreact you did. You said your bull alarm went off and then validated every damn thing they had to say. Read your own posts before you get pissed off when someone calls it into question.
Believe in them ing Los Sporks, will ya?
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