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Considering that the essential core of the team is coming back next year (Tim, Manu, Tony, Bruce, Michael, Robert, Brent, heck throw in Beno too), I hardly think the Spurs are pissing Duncan away.
Spurs got damn lucky with Robinson and Duncan
what if the Spurs had the #1 pick in 2000 with Kwame or this year?
Spurs are just pissing away Duncan and taking him for granted, Duncan's greatness is why the Spurs have 3 les and D Rob's greatness why the Spurs where a good squad in the 90's
Considering that the essential core of the team is coming back next year (Tim, Manu, Tony, Bruce, Michael, Robert, Brent, heck throw in Beno too), I hardly think the Spurs are pissing Duncan away.
A significant chunk of the essential core you listed will be 35 or over next season. You can't count on those guys anymore.
If we can't count on anyone over 35, then why was Bruce chosen to tryout for the Dream Team in 2008? Just curious.
If I'd said Parker being injured was the reason the Spurs lost, that might be an excuse, I was simply saying that his inability to walk the night before the game might be the reason someone was was faster than he was. You've seen Parker torch Harris enough to know it's at least feasable.
Yet tossing five years of successful game planning to the wind is exactly what he did. The only rationale for completely keeping Rasho and Nazr out of the last five games of the series has been ifs and buts, generally by the "dirk would have scored 50 a game" crowd. I like Popovich as much as anyone does, so it doesn't exactly make me happy to accuse him of panicking. Until someone comes up with a more adequate explanation, that's what I'm stuck with.
If the Spurs start changing their gameplan as soon as they face the Mavericks, the Mavericks will kick their ass again.
Actually, if Stackhouse takes the easy 2 or Dirk hits the tip-in in game 1, the Mavs have a chance to sweep. Ifs and buts in early games are tough to predict because teams react differently from losses and wins. Game 7 went to overtime. That's definite. The series was therefore close. The Mavericks, in my opinion, benefitted greatly from Pop and his staff's complete inability to coach the team or prepare a gameplan.
First off, its a try-out, not a selection. Having said that he will most likely make the team .... and play very few minutes. USA Basketball is trying hard to appear that they are looking to feild a more complete team then just the scoring machines of times past. This means that defensive players, rebounders and "bangers" will get invites to try-out for the team.If we can't count on anyone over 35, then why was Bruce chosen to tryout for the Dream Team in 2008? Just curious.
The real question is will the actualy select a well-rounded team, or just pick the star players again.
Hopefully they learned their lesson in the last olympics.
I would argee with this, he would be played by the Center and torch them... unless the Spurs would go to a Zone. By going small with Harris, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Diop; there is no-one for the center to guard if you want to keep Duncan from guarding Dirk and risking foul trouble. Add to the situation that if you put Bowen on Dirk in the line-up then you have these match-upsThe only rationale for completely keeping Rasho and Nazr out of the last five games of the series has been ifs and buts, generally by the "dirk would have scored 50 a game" crowd.
Harris -- Parker
Terry -- Manu
Howard -- Center
Dirk -- Bowen
Dampier -- Duncan
Because Duncan guards Diop/Dampier and Bowen gets Dirk .. there simply is nowhere for a Spurs center to play on defense .... Howard is WAY to quick to be guarded by a Center. This is why the Spurs centers didn't get any play ... because they cannot cover Howard or his replacement Stackhouse, its not a knock on them, its just the way the Spurs are set-up
Even with the greatest center in the game (Shaq) the Heat had to go Zone to keep him on the floor when the Mavs went small. It just so happened that the Zone idea worked, but still, if the Spurs had a center worth talking about ... who would he play vs the Mavs speed line-up ... because you know ... thats the only line-up that the Spurs are going to see this upcomeing year
Last edited by Dalhoop; 07-14-2006 at 02:14 PM. Reason: code error
The center guards the rim. The Spurs played zone against a smaller, quicker, more athletic Nets team in 2003 and did fine. In fact they spent way more time playing zone than they did pulling both of their starting centers out of the rotation. They've played man over zone before as well. I'd much rather dare Howard and Harris to beat the Spurs with their jumpshots than let them go to the rim or the foul line a thousand times. , I'd rather dare Dirk to do the same. The Spurs traditionally won with shot blocking, not with great man-to-man defense. The lack of both is what killed them.
The Nets had horrible shooters.
That's a workable strategy against some teams, and hopeless against others.
Yeah the Nets were one of the worst shooting teams in the league. That's a horrible comparison considering the mavs have much better shooters.
Yeah, but they have the same number of Finals victories
Like Devin Harris and Josh Howard? Please. Jason Kidd and Kerry Kittles will outshoot those two any time.
I agree. Against a Mavericks team that is scoring at will in the paint and shooting about 80 percent, it seemed like it would have at least been worth a try rather than sending your centers back to San Antonio on the bus after game 2.
Besides my nuts and my sack I am a she. =(
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