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Harvey useless as always
What made Spurs ruins them today
Buck Harvey
Blame it on bad luck. Blame it on bad personnel decisions.
Blame it on Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley entering their golden years. Blame it on the bronze medal.
Blame it on the beard, too, if you wish.
But also blame it on the Spurs' philosophy.
This happens to be the same philosophy that made them champions.
Right now, none of the blame matters. The Spurs have trouble scoring, and they have trouble stopping others from scoring, and that's a combination once unthinkable with a healthy Tim Duncan on the floor.
Then Duncan sits, and unthinkable becomes unbelievable. The Spurs' lineup at times on Friday night became precisely what Jeff Van Gundy said it was while announcing for ESPN.
Then, as if Walter Berry were back in town, Van Gundy said those Spurs on the floor represented the least talent of any group in the league.
Any NBA team that loses two all-star level players will suffer, and then there are the other injuries that have stopped the Spurs from building cohesion. All of these broken parts add up — Kurt Thomas' hamstring, Fab Oberto's heartbeat, George Hill's thumb, Ian Mahinmi's ankle and Finley's jumper.
Still, the Spurs aren't just struggling, and this isn't just about injuries. This is about the Spurs' philosophy.
Once they found their three stars, they chose to build everything to fit around them. Gregg Popovich valued intelligence and personality in his locker room, and the Spurs' staff searched for players who paid attention and listened to detail.
The Spurs weren't averse to talent. They just believed chemistry mattered above all else in their supporting cast.
It's worked well enough to sometimes beat those who jumped higher and scored more easily. Last spring, with Manu Ginobili already limping, the Spurs didn't edge the Hornets on the road in a Game 7 because they were physically superior.
The Spurs have ended up with this shallow talent pool sometimes out of necessity. Drafting low in the first round, with Peter Holt's payroll needing to stay under the luxury tax, the Spurs have had to find bargains.
Sometimes, too, they've made the right moves, only to have them backfire. Tiago Splitter, for example, is a 7-footer who would help the Spurs' defense, and the rising Euro lured him to stay overseas.
But sometimes the Spurs have passed up talent because they wondered if it would fit their exact puzzle. They wondered, for example, if Luis Scola would be a good partner for Duncan, since Scola is more of a scorer than a defender.
Anyone who has seen Scola in Houston knows that, yes, he could play next to Duncan. Today, Scola could play 40 minutes next to Duncan.
The Spurs, trying to duplicate what worked before, gave a lot of money to Matt Bonner. They thought Bonner, like Robert Horry, could shoot threes and extend a defense. Bonner, unlike Horry, strains to do anything else.
They rewarded Bowen with a 3-year deal, when others would have been hesitant given his age, because he represented the ultimate example of chemistry. Powerful in his role with the Spurs, he might not have played for other teams.
The Spurs have always loved Finley's professionalism, and they saw something similar in the collegiate profile of Hill. Ime Udoka was made to be a Spurs piece under Popovich, and then there's the bright spot of this early season.
Roger Mason Jr., with versatility that allows him to blend and make shots, looks like a steal.
With a healthy Ginobili and Tony Parker, Mason would be an ideal complement. But with those currently in uniform, Mason is not enough.
That's the status of this roster of role players. They made sense because they fit — individually, they are not enough.
They will look awful again, and they will struggle to win even a few games in the next weeks. If Ginobili and Parker can't find their form fast enough when they return, the Spurs will be in the lottery.
Then?
The Spurs' philosophy will be tested again.
Harvey useless as always
I dont mean to sound rude at all but why does he always point out the obvious??
blame it on cheapskates in the front office.
Finleys jumper
I also hate to say it, Harvey is garbage but what he tells this time is true. If the 2009 draft is deep just like this year perhaps losing is a great idea to add future young star from lottery pick...I mean Heat got Beasley and last time I checked, the kid definitely can score and perhaps more on D.
I mean..guys..thats how we got Duncan, when D Rob was down..then we got lucky. Lottery pick will be nice,but I guess many of you will disagree. I give up hope to get something from free agency..cause Spurs is either lack money or luck. I do not know how Rockets can fit budget for TMac,Yao,Artest,Battier plus they also bought Scola's contract which Spurs think was too much..I should not mention Dallas (they got bunch of people with heavy payroll right there) or Celtics. Just in case 2009 draft is deep...there is nothing wrong with hoping.
Buck Harvey Spurstalk Redux Column #193,205.
Any NBA team that loses two all-star level players will suffer, and then there are the other injuries that have stopped the Spurs from building cohesion. All of these broken parts add up — Kurt Thomas' hamstring, Fab Oberto's heartbeat, George Hill's thumb, Ian Mahinmi's ankle and Finley's jumper.
He sure does....
+1, he's lurking here somewhere
Probably has nothing better to write about.
Buck Harvey was here...
Chemistry is a wonderful intangible. Championships cannot be won without it. However, it does not score points, block shots or rebound. It does take talent to win too - even among role players.
Undoubtedly.
However, for those who don't read the forum, not a bad summary of events.
Buck is no great writer, but give the guy a break.
You really couldn't be more wrong.Undoubtedly.
However, for those who don't read the forum, not a bad summary of events.
Buck is no great writer, but give the guy a break.
The front office at some point decided to go the "No Talent" direction. Trading Luis Scola for NADA. What the ever-living ?
yeah this writer is full of it. Everyone has the same amount to spend to stay under the cap.
I never understand the Harvey hate. I'm not sure what people expect. He's writing for a general audience but I'll agree that his points have been covered here before. With as many posters here, that's not surprising.
However, I did find the Berry comment amusing. This is totally 1988 all over again with the results we're seeing. The Spurs would be lucky to have the Walter Berry of old on the team right now. They could probably use his scoring.
True dat on all points.
One thing Walter Berry could do was score the basketball.
As for Harvey, he's a lightening rod and may be rehashing a bit, but it aint like he's lying.
Harvey isn't a bad writer. I've read a few of his guest columns on the Rangers in the Dallas paper before and you'd think it was written by someone other than the Buck. The Express News forces many writers to dumb down their style to accommodate the general audience's reading level, which in San Antonio is fairly low compared to other large cities across the Nation. So if you don't dig his writing style, think its too simplistic and stilted, then blame the 100,000+ dropouts in the area for keeping San Antonio stupid.
Back on topic, the Buck is totally rehashing here and in a few months when the ship is righted, he will hit his readers with a column led; "What made the Spurs makes them today."
Lots of sports teams have forums. The hate on Buck comes from the fact that about 99% of his articles on the team appear to be nothing more than articles summarizing discussions had here.
And this isn't some thing where because we talk about everything that we've touched every topic there is to talk about the Spurs, it's because his articles on topics being discussed here seem to pop up within a week of what we're discussing.
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No kidding.