Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Blazers Oct. 31

[timvp]

In the first road game for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008-09 season, the Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers put on an entertaining show. After leading by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter, the Blazers were able to hold on to win 100-99 when Michael Finley’s short jumper rimmed out at the buzzer.

The Spurs dug their way out of their fourth quarter hole in large part due to a barrage of three-pointers by Ime Udoka, Michael Finley and Roger Mason, Jr. With less than a minute to go in the game, LaMarcus Aldridge hit a long jumper to put the Blazers up by three points. Two free throws by Tony Parker cut the lead to one and after getting a stop with less than ten seconds to go, the Spurs pushed the ball up the court and Mason fed Finley for the potential game-winning jumper.

The Blazers deserve a lot of credit for playing a very good game. After getting rolled in their first game of the season by the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland played much better in front of their home fans. With Greg Oden out with an injured foot, the Blazers relied on their dynamic duo of Aldridge and Brandon Roy, who both played exceptionally well.

Also impressive for the Blazers was Nicolas Batum, a player the Spurs reportedly targeted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. In fact, some reports indicate that Batum was actually the preferred pick when the Spurs were picking at 26th overall. However, the Blazers made a move to acquire the 25th pick of the draft to snag the 19-year-old French born small forward. At 6-foot-8 with an never ending wingspan, Batum is extremely long for a small forward. He’s active defensively, a capable ballhandler, a good passer and seems to have a decent outside jumper. It looks like Portland landed a gem.

For the Spurs, this loss was a bitter pill to swallow after making such an inspired comeback. The good news is the Spurs repeatedly fought back and had a good shot to win it at the end.

Tim Duncan

42 minutes, 27 points, ten rebounds, two assists
12-for-19 from the field, 3-for-4 at the line

Tim Duncan had another very good offensive game. He dominated in the paint with an array of post moves and other moves that relied simply on brute strength. Unlike the first game of the season, he only hit one perimeter shot the whole game. Offensively, Duncan looks exceptionally good, especially for this early in the season. His defense and rebounding, however, still need to catch up to his offense. He did end up with ten boards but he had an opportunity to grab another half dozen or so. Although, it’s tough to nitpick when Duncan is out there giving very good effort for 42 minutes without a lot of help in the frontcourt. Overall, I’m very happy with how Duncan has started the season. He looks fresh, energized and ready for a successful season.
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Tony Parker

39 minutes, 24 points, 11 assists, four turnovers
10-for-19 from the field, 4-for-4 at the line

Despite a few bad decisions here and there, Tony Parker played well. As his statistics indicate, he did a very good job of creating for himself and others. On shots outside of the paint, he connected on five of his seven attempts. That continued a trend that began in preseason in which Parker has looked very comfortable shooting the ball. His passing and his defense were also both impressive against Portland. Like Duncan, Parker has played more than well enough for the Spurs to win their last two games.
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Bruce Bowen

22 minutes, two rebounds, one assist
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers

It’s not quite time to push the panic button but this is the second straight game that Bruce Bowen had a bad performance. His defense against Roy was decent but not to the level we expect from Bowen. Offensively, he hasn’t been able to get involved. As a result of his ineffective play, he once again saw more bench minutes than playing time. While it’s possible that Bowen has lost a step, I think the more likely scenario includes a combination of factors. First, with Manu Ginobili out, it’s easier for the opposition to stay at home and take him totally out of the offense. Defensively he seems out of rhythm, plus he’s not getting much assistance in terms of help defense at the rim. If he keeps up this level of play over the next couple of weeks, it’ll be time to be alarmed. Right now, it’s too early to draw a conclusion.
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Michael Finley

34 minutes, 16 points, four assists, two rebounds
5-for-11 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 3-for-3 at the line

Michael Finley delivered a very nice performance against the Blazers. He was the third leading scorer and hit a number of big shots. Unfortunately, he didn’t hit the shot that mattered the most at the end of the game. On offense, Finley did a good job of taking and making long three-pointers to keep the Spurs in the ballgame. Defensively, he gave good effort, although the results were still lacking. He continually sags off his man and gives wide open jumper. While it’s partly by design since his lateral quickness doesn’t allow him to effectively defend against penetration, he’d be a bigger help on that end of the court if he would avoid sagging every time up the court. That said, any defensive shortcomings were negated by his offensive production in this particular contest.
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Matt Bonner

12 minutes, five points, two rebounds
2-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers

Matt Bonner started at center so he could defend against Aldridge. The Blazers exploited that matchup repeatedly, with mostly positive results. However, to Bonner’s credit, he did force Aldridge into tough shots a number of times. Bonner’s biggest mistakes in the game were picking up fouls in bunches. The Spurs were hurt by Bonner getting himself in foul trouble, especially considering they only had three active bigmen. Offensively, Bonner was much more poised than usual. He made a couple of good passes and showed much better shot selection. Overall, he wasn’t nearly as frazzled as he was in the opener.
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Roger Mason, Jr.

29 minutes, 14 points, four assists, two rebounds
6-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers

Watching the Spurs fall to 0-2 isn’t exactly loads of fun. What is exciting, though, is seeing how well Roger Mason, Jr. is fitting into the Spurs system. He’s showing an extremely well-rounded game that will certainly help the Spurs greatly as the season progresses. Not only is he shooting the ball very well, the pace at which he plays is perfect for how the Spurs run their offense. He’s smart with the ball and already has formed good chemistry with Duncan when they run a two-man game. He came to the Spurs with a reputation of having poor shot selection but, if anything, he’s not shooting enough. Defensively, I also really like what he’s doing. He not only can defend out on the perimeter, he’s also tough down on the blocks and when fighting through screens. He still has areas where he can improve but Mason has played just about as well as anyone could have expected after two games.
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Kurt Thomas

20 minutes, two points, five rebounds
0-for-1 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line

Kurt Thomas again didn’t play too well. Offensively, he was practically invisible and even though he crashed the offensive glass repeatedly, he was unable to pull down even a single offensive rebound. On the defensive end, Thomas was nothing special. He pulled down a couple of tough rebounds but also lost one or two he should have corralled. Even though he’s entering his second season with the Spurs, it appears he’s still trying to figure out where and how he can help the team.
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Ime Udoka

19 minutes, six points, three rebounds
2-for-5 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers

Ime Udoka wasn’t playing too well early on but really came alive in the fourth quarter. In addition to hitting two important three-pointers, his defense was also impressive. He got placed onto Aldridge when the Spurs went small and did a better job than any big had done against him. He fought him for room on the block and forced Aldridge to go out on the perimeter. I’m impressed with the calmness Udoka is playing with so far this season. Last year, Udoka would sometimes get too trigger happy offensively and would try too hard defensively. He’s doing a great job of not trying to do too much right now.
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Desmon Farmer

13 minutes, five points, two turnovers
1-for-3 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line

In search of offense, Desmon Farmer got some action against Portland. For a player who made the team basically due to his fearlessness on the offensive end of the court, he sure was hesitant and unsure of himself. While that’s understandable for a player with such little NBA experience, it probably didn’t help his cause for a long-term spot on the roster. If he’s to have a role on the Spurs, it’s going to be as a consciousless gunner who comes out looking to fill it up. He didn’t do that this game, although he’ll likely have another shot to prove to the coaches he can in fact be instant offense of the bench.
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Jacque Vaughn

Nine minutes, two rebounds

Jacque Vaughn didn’t do much of anything – good or bad. Defensively, he pressured the ball well and on the other end he came down with an offensive rebound. That’s about the extent of the available Vaughn analysis.
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Gregg Popovich


Pop obviously didn’t want the Spurs to drop to 0-2. He played Duncan and Parker a combined 81 minutes and he was pulling out all the stops coaching-wise. He did a good job of figuring out small ball would be effective and that lineup was instrumental in the Spurs getting back in the game. Whether the Spurs should have called a timeout at the end of the game is debatable, however I liked the look Finley got at the buzzer. It’s interesting to see how fast Pop has warmed up to Mason. Not only has he involved Mason in the offense already, he had him guarding Roy for a majority of money time. Even when there was a timeout and he could come back to Bowen for a stop, he kept Mason as his lead defensive perimeter player.
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Offense
The offense was actually really good for San Antonio. They shot nearly 56% from the field, knocked in 9-of-16 three-pointers and 14-of-15 from the line. They lost the game mostly due to having 14 fewer field goal attempts and nine fewer free throw attempts. The reason for the disparity can be traced back to the eight more offensive rebounds the Blazers pulled down and the eight more turnovers for the Spurs. When the Spurs actually had the ball, they did a fine job of putting it in the hole.

Defense
Defensively, the Spurs still weren’t where they need to be to win without Ginobili. The Blazers shot 46.3% from the field, which is at least a couple percentage points too high. Letting the Blazers get 13 offensive rebounds is unacceptable, as is forcing only six turnovers. Part of the problem right now for the Spurs is their lack of intimidation in the paint. They had no blocks against the Blazers and only three in the opening game.

Drive to Five
The Spurs are off until Tuesday when they take on the Dallas Mavericks at the AT&T Center. While it’s not a must-win situation, the Spurs could really use a victory to stop the bleeding. They haven’t played too horribly in the first two games but it’s time to put that elusive first W on the board.

[mystargtr34]

Good stuff, i noticed the same thing you pointed out about Udoka in the first game. Although its only been 2 games, i feel much more comfortable with him on the court now compared to last season. He's calm, relaxed and really looks like hes fitted in and found his role in the offense. He should continue to get better.

Even though they havent got much from Bruce, Kurt and Bonner, and nothing from Oberto, the Spurs could very easily be 2-0. The Grant Hill buzzer beater swung the momentum in the Suns game and the Brandon Roy shot both were pretty much the difference in the games. Its definately got a bit to do with luck, but they really gotta knuckle down on those last second plays, not just run by the man and throw a hand up hoping for a miss.

Also, it was great to see them fight back the way they did today, im not overly worried, once we get Fab back and hopefully a bit of an athleticism injection from Ian and George, things should be fine.

[Rynospursfan]

Good to see timvp's game thoughts back this year. I really enjoyed them last year. I watch every game on league pass but it is cool to see his observations and compare them with mine.

I went to the game last night, great game even though we lost. One thing that should be kept in mind is how rocking the Rose Garden was last night. This was the home opener for the Blazers. They even had Earth Wind and Fire playing a concert while they introduced the players.

The game was fun even though we lost, would have been a lot more fun had Finley hit that shot though. BTW, happy Halloween everyone. Lots of people dressed up at the game and walking around the east side of Portland tonight. This was the first time in a while I have not been sitting at home handing out candy to all the kids watching basketball on the tube. One of the first people we saw dressed up that caught my eye was Santa. He was looking at my wife and I saying Santa is watching. My wife said that Santa has to be a Spurs fan, she just wasn't buying it. I got a picture of this dude later, he told us we were going to get cole in our stockings. Clearly not the real Santa. Speaking of Santa a buddy of mine sent me a text during the game. He said "What's up with Pop's look. I just repleyed "that is Santa Pop to you"

Even though I only sprug for nosebleed tix I wanted to go down where the Spurs were shooting around and grab some pix. I started down the tunnel to the baseline where the Spurs were shooting around and this dude stops me. "He says hey! Spurs!" or something like that. There are always plenty of Spurs fans representing at the Blazer games when the Spurs are in town. I said hey to him as I too was dressed head to waist in Spurs gear as well. I shake the guys hand and he asks me, are you a Spurs fan. I motion to my shirt and hat like what the do you think man? He then tells me that he is Ime Udoka's brother. I said "oh yeah, you look just like him" and he did. He said "yeah kinda" I talked to him for a little bit longer and then went to grab a couple of pictures. I got down to the court and the usher was giving me crap so I had to move away a bit.

I met back up with my wife and we went to get some drinks. I got my $8 beer and we hit up the seats. The Blazer fans seemed a lot more y than I had seen in a while. Even with Oden hurt there was a feeling that they had confidence in their team. Rudy Fernadez was a big hit. I expected him to be but didn't know that it would happen this quick. At the beginning of the game and throughout it to some degree the offensive rebounds that Portland was getting was really pissing me off. The Spurs didn't look like they were being fundamental. Just box out your man and trust trust your teammate that they will pull down the board.

Anyways the blazer fans around us were pretty cool. Stewie from Family Guy and the Joker were sitting in front of us. Seen a bunch of Jokers today but this guy seemed to be the best one. I try to be classy and a true Spurs fan other than when Steve Blake is involved. I just think that guy sucks and has no business being a starting point guard in this league. Plus there is always at least one Blazer that I like to boo but much less now than the Jailblazer days. My wife says that booing isn't nice.

Batum was pretty impressive. That block on Duncan was huge. I think it energized him. I hope Hill comes back soon and shows me some stuff to forget how angry I was when the Rockets took him immediately before the Spurs picked.

I thought Mason looked really good. He will be a bright spot for the the Spurs this year. We do need Oberto back though. Hope his heart is doing well. Thomas is a good backup but I don't know that he has found his role on this team yet or at least hasn't had the opportunity to play it yet.

Timmy and Tony both looked really good again. Of course Tony got to play against Steve Blake most of the night so scoring shouldn't be a problem. What happened to Bruce at the end of the game? Pop needed to put him in the game and slow down Roy. Instead he chose to have Timmy trap. I guess I can't fault him too much though we got back into the game and had a shot to win it at the end.


It was cool to see Farmer play. Not sure what to think about him though. I kept wanting for the Spurs Bigs to go set a screen for him. His outside shot looks solid but I think he needs to get to the line and build some confidence by knocking down some free throws first.

Overall I think even sitting at 0-2 the Spurs still look strong. When we get our two Argentinians back they will be as good as any team in the league. The Blazers played a strong game tonight in front of a home opener crowd that had its back. If Pop can trust Mason a little earlier to put some points on the board then maybe this team wont have to rely on Timmy and Tony to score so much.

Just have to get ready for Dallas now, life is tough in the Western Conference. Now lets go win some games.

I took a bunch of pictures but seem to be technically challenged in getting them onto the internet due to their large size. Anyways here is a video they did during a timeout with Blaze the Blazer Mascot and our very own Coyote.

I can never remember how to post Youtube vids here so here is the link

[PM5K]

Am I the only one waiting (not hoping) for Mason to come back down to earth?

Has anyone ever come into this system and played even half as good in their first two games?

[timvp]

Good stuff, Rynospursfan

Thanks for the in-person perspective.

[polandprzem]

Spurs are lacking a bad mofo, as always.

Once again they lost at the end, once again Tim and Tony playing big amount of minutes, while for example LA or Boston rolling to decisive wins and letting they stars get as much breath as possible.
That gives a worry even if it's just begining of a season (dallas were 0-4 the year thay had the best record in the leauge).

What is noticable is total blocked shots by the spurs

zero

Tim did not blocked a single shot and was blocked 4 times already this season.

And rebounding aspect - 31 rebs is really low. (phily grabbed 61 last night)


Bowen - he is nobody on offense, now I hear that his D came down, if that will continue next year Bowen will be a role player of the bench.

The only, and I mean the only bright sopt is Mason, but still it gives spurs nothing as they can't take adventage of it.

[Allanon]

Overall, it was an entertaining game to watch as it was close throughout.

The Dallas game is a bit worrisome as they have some bleeding to stop as well.

Anybody know if Oberto will be back for the Dallas game?

[cool hand]

bruce may be done.

[mystargtr34]

Overall, it was an entertaining game to watch as it was close throughout.

The Dallas game is a bit worrisome as they have some bleeding to stop as well.

Anybody know if Oberto will be back for the Dallas game?

No definate but they said he would miss the first 2 games only so i would assume so. Either way were gonna get torched by Dirk, but Fab will at least limit some of the damage, Dirk might have gone for a 100 if Thomas is forced to defend him.

[Spurs Brazil]

The biggest problem in the 2 games were the lack of interior D.

Oberto may be back on Tuesday and think it'll help because it's impossible to play worst than Thomas now.

I hope when Oberto comeback Bonner is the 1st big of the bench and Thomas play less minutes until he gets in shape

[diego]

The biggest problem in the 2 games were the lack of interior D.

Oberto may be back on Tuesday and think it'll help because it's impossible to play worst than Thomas now.

I hope when Oberto comeback Bonner is the 1st big of the bench and Thomas play less minutes until he gets in shape

especially the rebounding! i'm worried about KT and bonner rebounding so poorly right now. several times i felt bad for duncan, he was alone out there having to do everything only for his teammates to give up the boards.

but mostly i wanted to say, how about TP! his shot has been great and he's made some excellent passes, i think he is STILL improving. Tony setting up Tim inside should be the first option every time down (more points in the paint= less 3's)

[raspsa]

The most frustrating thing for me was seeing the Spurs getting outhustled on their defensive board. Any idea when Tolliver will rejoin the team? He might have provided some badly needed rebounding.

[Spurs Brazil]

The most frustrating thing for me was seeing the Spurs getting outhustled on their defensive board. Any idea when Tolliver will rejoin the team? He might have provided some badly needed rebounding.

I think he'll be ready to go on tuesday

[SenorSpur]

Good to see timvp's game thoughts back this year. I really enjoyed them last year. I watch every game on league pass but it is cool to see his observations and compare them with mine.

Same here. These recaps are a must read and very much appreciated.

Batum was pretty impressive. That block on Duncan was huge. I think it energized him. I hope Hill comes back soon and shows me some stuff to forget how angry I was when the Rockets took him immediately before the Spurs picked.

For me watching this kid Batum was indeed a bitter sweet experience. One on hand, I enjoyed getting an extended look at him in real game action and not against summer league scrubs. He reminds me a bit of Tayshaun Prince, with his length and defensive prowess. On the other hand, it was such a "kick to the groin" knowing the Spurs were literally one pick away from having him on the roster.

He is exactly what our SF position has been lacking. It's a goddamn shame that he's not here and I curse both the Rockets and Blazers for their maneuver. Two new teams have just been added to my personal list.

[Spurs Brazil]

On the other hand, it was such a "kick to the groin" knowing the Spurs were literally one pick away from having him on the roster. He is exactly what our SF position has been lacking.

I don't even want to think about it. The guy is only 19 and would be perfect in our system.

[Bender]

I couldn't believe all the ORs the blazers were getting.

First time I've seen Farmer... couldn't watch any preseason games.

Mason seems a great pickup. Someone posted above that he will "come back to earth..." But it's not like he's playing like a superstar now, he's just playing a good all-around game.

a few times, the commentators said something like "it's Parker & Duncan against the Blazers"

10 minutes to go, I considered turning the game off and spending some time with the wife. But next thing I knew, spurs were making a push and the game went to the wire... so the wife lost and I stayed to end.

I'm not a huge fan of oberto, but I am more than ready for him to come back.

Vaughn is the perfect 3rd string PG, but it sure would be nice to have more of a scorer for a 2nd PG. I've never seen Hill play either since I couldn't watch any SL or preseason games. I wonder when Hill can start playing...

Ryno - thanks, good read. timvp - thanks again for the game recaps.

[Spurs Brazil]

Defense
Defensively, the Spurs still weren’t where they need to be to win without Ginobili. The Blazers shot 46.3% from the field, which is at least a couple percentage points too high. Letting the Blazers get 13 offensive rebounds is unacceptable, as is forcing only six turnovers. Part of the problem right now for the Spurs is their lack of intimidation in the paint. They had no blocks against the Blazers and only three in the opening game.

Do you think Pop will give Ian a chance to show what he can do?
I think he can help improve our interior D but I don't know if Pop will play him, especially with the time he's out.

[picnroll]

Bruce Bowen


22 minutes, two rebounds, one assist
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers

It’s not quite time to push the panic button but this is the second straight game that Bruce Bowen had a bad performance. His defense against Roy was decent but not to the level we expect from Bowen.

Bowen is sure getting a gold ticket pass. Roy was blowing by him down the middle tearing the Spurs D apart like Bruce was a week old cadaver. He was doing a Finley impersonation trying to stay in front of Roy.

[benefactor]

Thanks for the thoughts timvp. Once again, this is another loss that you come away knowing that it would have been different if we actually had Oberto. Thomas has struggled so far but he missed a lot of training camp, so he might need a little more time to find his rhythm. Mason again looked great which means Finleys extended minutes days are numbered. Finley still looks like he can contribute, but with Mason's great play on both sides of the ball he will be better served coming off the bench and hitting a few shots in situations that play to his strengths...like the set plays they run for him occasionally.

I have two big worries right now. Rebounding and Bowen. The rebounding might improve some when Tolliver and Oberto get back, but we are still lacking big time in the physicality department. Hopefully we can make a move at some point to bring in another PF/C to help shore up what looks to be a rather soft front line. In regards to Bowen...I am also not quite ready to hit the panic button. But make no mistake, we cannot afford for him to have a significant drop off this season if we have any plans on being a le contender. His perimeter defense has been key in the playoffs at some point almost every year that we have won it all. I hope we are not still having this conversation in December.

[SenorSpur]

One thing about older players, when they start to decline, it seemingly happens overnight. We've got 80 games to go, but Bruce looks as though he's really declined. However, if anyone paid attention to the Fakers series, the evidence was there then too. We were all focused on the Manu injury and it's impact on the series, meanwhile Kobe, Vujacic and others were running circles around our perimeter defenders - Bowen being the biggest surprise.

How Pop could've honestly expected to continue gambling on Bowen to maintain his usual level of defensive excellence without showing some dropoff, season after season is beyond me. Especially given Bowen's age and the fact that he routinely has to guard the opposition's best player and best athlete. Compare that to the fact there is no younger, defensive-minded, swingman (and I do not count Udoka), waiting in the wings, it's short-sighted and inexcusable.

[Mr. Body]

Batum was tailor-made to be a Spur. He is not.

[SenorSpur]

Thanks for the thoughts timvp. Once again, this is another loss that you come away knowing that it would have been different if we actually had Oberto.

I disagree. Sure we could've used Oberto's size as another body on the frontline, along with his six fouls, but Oberto isn't exactly the kind of player who routinely has a direct effect on the game. His skill set is severely limited in several areas. Areas in which the Spurs are sorely lacking.

I have two big worries right now. Rebounding and Bowen. The rebounding might improve some when Tolliver and Oberto get back, but we are still lacking big time in the physicality department. Hopefully we can make a move at some point to bring in another PF/C to help shore up what looks to be a rather soft front line. In regards to Bowen...I am also not quite ready to hit the panic button. But make no mistake, we cannot afford for him to have a significant drop off this season if we have any plans on being a le contender. His perimeter defense has been key in the playoffs at some point almost every year that we have won it all. I hope we are not still having this conversation in December.

Agreed on both points.

With regard to the frontline, the lack of rebounding and physicality was obvious in the playoffs, as the Hornets man-handled the Spurs on the glass and in virtually every other aspect of the series - except experience. Oberto and KT simply do not provide enough help on the boards, protecting the rim or defending the low post area to qualify as solid running mates for Tim. If Tim doesn't get all these things done, it simply doesn't happen.

As for Bowen, and I will say this again, we saw the first signs of the Bowen decline during the WCF versus the Fakers. In several sequences, Kobe ran around him as though he was standing still. Sure Kobe normally does that to everyone - everyone except Bowen. Without Bowen at the top of his game defensively, and his sometimes clutch 3's from the corner, the Spurs have no shot of making a deep playoff run, much less winning a le.

It's sad that we have to start the season and witness what was, in my mind, already evident when last season ended. The Spurs needed a bigger boost from their complimentary players. I'm pleased that Pop sought to address the backcourt depth, as Mason and Hill look like keepers. Time will tell if Ian is worthy of being a rotation player. However, while he was chasing PGs, Pop should've paid more attention to the backup SF & backup C positions too.

[romad_20]

He is exactly what our SF position has been lacking. It's a goddamn shame that he's not here and I curse both the Rockets and Blazers for their maneuver. Two new teams have just been added to my personal list.

Agreed. He looked great.

The team just needs time. A lot of injuries and new pieces and nothing but time is going to help get this team playing as a unit. I think Mason is going to be big once Manu comes back. He's going to start taking Finely's minutes, I hope.

I still hope we make a trade. Not that there is much out there, but we have got to get someone longer and more athletic at the 3. How many years have we been saying this?

[SenorSpur]

Agreed. He looked great.

The team just needs time. A lot of injuries and new pieces and nothing but time is going to help get this team playing as a unit. I think Mason is going to be big once Manu comes back. He's going to start taking Finely's minutes, I hope.

I still hope we make a trade. Not that there is much out there, but we have got to get someone longer and more athletic at the 3. How many years have we been saying this?

If the clock started ticking when SJax left the building, that would be five years ago.

[manufor3]

mason, why didn't you take the shot!!!