Except they aren’t. This team’s measurement of success is not the same as a normal year without COVID protocol affecting availability. And I say that for all NBA teams. Not a single team right now has a record showing how good or bad they are.
They are what their record says they are.
Except they aren’t. This team’s measurement of success is not the same as a normal year without COVID protocol affecting availability. And I say that for all NBA teams. Not a single team right now has a record showing how good or bad they are.
The West -- alongside the league -- is pretty flat right now, with Denver and Portland not looking great, for example. The Spurs look much different than they did the first 10-15 games (many of which they would win if played again). At this point, I'd be close to surprised if they weren't a playoff team at the end. Maybe something changes, but they look like a handful.
Yeah, OK, Bill Parcells.
Except they do. Staying healthy and available has always been a caveat for team success. It doesn't matter how good the roster is. It only matters how good the team on the floor is.
Except they don’t. You don’t think availability by COVID is roll of the dice right now? It’s like having a freak injury happen to your players. It’s not equivalent to “staying healthy”. You don’t anticipate or prepare for COVID. It happens to you even if youre vaccinated or masked.
Which is a statement proving yourself kinda wrong.
The team on the floor can change from night to night so you never know what team you're getting until you all matchup with relatively healthy rosters for an extended period of time.
Not perfect health, but relative health and then you know a of a lot more.
The records are all a little anomalous because of extenuating factors for every team on any given night.
Right now?
All I can say is like the way the Spurs are playing and I'm thoroughly enjoying the growth through this season for the team.
Maybe a little action ends up happening at the end of the season.
Either way, maybe we need to play Eubanks more so we aren’t TOO good and kill our draft prospects for a top pick.
Exactly. As of Monday the west was still 10 games ahead of east (don't remember who said east was better this year). Since the players only meeting they have been a different team so they basically started their season over n hit reset button. They also don't need consistent 20 plus scorers because they're a loaded team and unknown players can go off any night so defenses don't know who to focus on and are spread thin.
UPDATE: Point differential is now up to +2.0, making our expected record 18-14. That would put us at #5 in the West.
Last edited by Uriel; 12-26-2021 at 09:43 PM.
Not sure we're top 5, but I'm not sure we'll be too far behind the Lakers. Their schedule is murder.
Spurs litterally doubled their point diff with tonight victory vs. the mighty pistons... They're +2.0 now...
Anyway, I agree that's not irrealistic to target the top 5-6. Took some games to find their iden y but they're at least a 50-50 team and probably better.
FWIW, FiveThirtyEight’s ELO rating and Basketball Reference’s Simple Rating System also have the Spurs as the #5 team in the West.
So does ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.
Basically, all the advanced team stats are saying the Spurs are top 5 in the West right now.
Before this thread was made, DJ didn’t have COVID
after this thread was made, DJ gets COVID
hardcore jinx thread
Yikes. Didn't know he had Covid. Hopefully, he isn't swarmed with symptoms and actually gets some rest as he's been carrying the team on his back until recently.
At this point I'd be surprised to see the Lakers finish above the Spurs.
I'll say this: this is a cool moment for the Spurs, especially given the drain of the Nephew drama and then the DDR disaster, so to speak.
Lots of young players improving. Starting to win (even if more lottery balls makes more sense, this is still fun to watch). And not too many players locked up on second contracts yet, so lots of young players contributing. That seems really rare, to have a team playing well, with only DJ as our "star" but not in a heliotropic sense with everyone built around him like how its done with literally every other team. At some point some player won't get resigned and we'll have to prioritize this player over that one, and a more rigid talent hierarchy will establish itself, but for now, it's such a refreshing, democratic counterpoint to the rest of the NBA, if that makes sense. And if this is Pop's last season? What a way to go out. Maybe not glamorous, but with a surprising amount of grace given what a disaster the NBA has become.
Woh that's pretty deep. Pop proving all da haters, including those here (take keys away from gpa?), wrong n giving them all one last, how the F u like us now?! Everyone thought we were tanking n gonna suck but what we got is a case of COTY
Spurs winning enough to miss out on getting the badly needed star in the draft.
Maybe the point you're all missing is they don't need anything. Primo will get called up, Collins will be active and we'll be done...plus whatever happens with thad
Just trade thad for a pick and were golden
Our record has been this good because we have not been hit hard with Covid like a lot of teams have. Well it looks like we finally getting hit and we are going to take a hard nose dive lots of L's coming due to us not being a good team having terrible bench and the nail in the coffin COVID....etc...........
Yeah you can’t bring up Covid or injuries when the whole league is dealing with it. We aren’t a top 5 team in the west. But I think we have shown some talent in areas that give me faith in the team. We need to cut bait with half the team though next year. Lonnie, bryn, young, Ewwbanks and Zollins.
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