Hollinger: Spurs Might Have Hard Time Making Playoffs

[benefactor]

Spurs are 14-2 against sub-.500 teams and 6-9 against .500 teams. Spurs had a chance to prove the doubters wrong in the away game at NO and they blew it by choking down the stretch. Getting embarassed by Orlando, the day after, didn't help SA's rep much either.

Your argument really doesn't work here. In 5 of those losses we were at less than full strength. The other loss you mentioned, Orlando, is a loss that most teams would have taken. We didn't get to Orlando until 3 am and then had to play that evening. We should have won the Hornets game...but that game could have been seen as a big step in the right direction, as we had been blown out there late in the season last season and in the playoffs with the exception of Game 7. You are looking at things on paper...just like Hollinger...without considering anything else.

The Phoenix win was nice but the team was thoroughly outplayed that night(Suns shot a better percentage and outrebounded the Spurs) and needed a buzzer beater to pull out a win. The team shouln't have even needed the 2OT to beat a team like the Grizzlies.

Again...you choose to just look at the game without looking at anything else. The Spurs just got through playing 5 games in 7 days with 2 back to backs. Phoenix...meanwhile...got to sit at home and do nothing from the 21st to the 25th. And of course, they looked rested while we looked flat. But we gutted it out and won. Looking at the whole picture, the Phoenix game is more of a reason to fear us instead of counting us out.

Hill and Bonner have been piss poor lately(Hill avg 1.5 ppg the last four games while Bonner's looked lost ever since the NO debacle). Spurs are going to need these two to step up because Parker and Duncan are having a hard time carrying the team(especially difficult with a hobbled Ginobili).

I agree that Hill and Bonner will need to step up. I will be more worried about them if they are still playing the same after the RRT.

[Flux451]

The will lose at memphis and Miami thank you ass kisser

I have two images of Sporkiller.

A 15 year old loner with a lot of acne on his forehead, gets ignored by his popular girl crush, who hates living in Arizona cuz it is hot a there and his team gets owned by the Spurs.

Or an oversized twinkie till i die, receding hairline, lonely pathetic guy at end of bar, wasting away his life in front of a computer awaiting every moment to bash Spurs low times in the season cuz his team is the D-league version of the Silver Stars.

Sorry, had a bad day. But I mean it.

[m33p0]

hohum.

[SpursFanFirst]

It was the bucks! We can never, never, never, beat the Bucks! Where were we in the rankings after we beat the Suns? It's so subjective. Believe Spurs fans! Believe!

Hey Ashbeeigh - It looks like you can come back to the chat room now!
See you there Friday.

[pawe]

When Mason, Hill and Bonner got to get their groove on...a lot of people will eat crow come June.

[Findog]

Happy New Year Findog.

Happy New Year to you too.

[Johnny RIngo]

Your argument really doesn't work here. In 5 of those losses we were at less than full strength. The other loss you mentioned, Orlando, is a loss that most teams would have taken. We didn't get to Orlando until 3 am and then had to play that evening. We should have won the Hornets game...but that game could have been seen as a big step in the right direction, as we had been blown out there late in the season last season and in the playoffs with the exception of Game 7. You are looking at things on paper...just like Hollinger...without considering anything else.

Spurs aren't the only team that has to deal with injuries.

Again...you choose to just look at the game without looking at anything else. The Spurs just got through playing 5 games in 7 days with 2 back to backs. Phoenix...meanwhile...got to sit at home and do nothing from the 21st to the 25th. And of course, they looked rested while we looked flat. But we gutted it out and won. Looking at the whole picture, the Phoenix game is more of a reason to fear us instead of counting us out.

I disagree. Spurs were getting key stops in the last two minutes of the game(mostly because of Duncan's great defense on Amare) and they ended up wasting ALL of those possessions. Just like the NO game, Spurs had multiple chances to take the lead and choked down the stretch. The Suns game should have never came down to the buzzer beater(it made for a great finish but that doesn't mean it was smart basketball).

I just find it strange that an experienced team like the Spurs still finds ways to choke so badly. I blame it on the weak bench. We overly rely on out big three with occasional help from Finley and Mason. That gives us five players that actually contribute. This team needs Hill and Bonner to start contributing again because the Spurs have a difficult schedule coming up.

[kcplayboi_26]

also, you guys are fat:

http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/1480



Let's go celebrate another Spurs win by polishing off 18 burritos at Taco C.

lol ohhh shiiiet wow

[tlongII]

The Spurs will be one of 3 teams fighting for the 7 and 8 seeds in the West. They might make it and they might not.

[Chieflion]

The Spurs will be one of 3 teams fighting for the 7 and 8 seeds in the West. They might make it and they might not.

[m33p0]

The Spurs will be one of 3 teams fighting for the 7 and 8 seeds in the West. They might make it and they might not.

always in touch with your inner .

[Lakers_55]

Spurs will make the playoffs. Jazz probably will be the 9th seed and miss out. The injuries will do them in. Of course last year, I thought Houston would fall out of the mix when Yao went down, but the Rockets kept winning.

However, no matter what the Jazz do, Spurs qualify.

[Spork KIller]

I have two images of Sporkiller.

A 15 year old loner with a lot of acne on his forehead, gets ignored by his popular girl crush, who hates living in Arizona cuz it is hot a there and his team gets owned by the Spurs.

Or an oversized twinkie till i die, receding hairline, lonely pathetic guy at end of bar, wasting away his life in front of a computer awaiting every moment to bash Spurs low times in the season cuz his team is the D-league version of the Silver Stars.

Sorry, had a bad day. But I mean it.

Truth hurts doesn't it?

[Flux451]

Truth hurts doesn't it?

It must, when it hits you that being a fan of a team that is legitimately stagnant will never let you enjoy basketball. That's why your ass tries to bring us loyal fans down...but ain't happening. Suns will never reach the championship caliber the Spurs have, that's why you're bitter.

It hurt when Mason drained that three didn't it?

[Rapper]

PER Diem: Dec. 31, 2008
By John Hollinger
ESPN.com


D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

Even with a healthy big three in San Antonio, the Spurs might have a hard time making the playoffs.


Checking out the Playoff Odds on Wednesday, there's a bit of a surprise out West.

According to Wednesday's simulations, the eight most likely playoff teams from that conference are the Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets, Hornets, Rockets, Jazz, Mavs and Suns.

You'll notice I didn't mention the Spurs. After Tuesday's 100-98 loss at home to Milwaukee, the Spurs project to finish ninth in the West with a 47-35 record. They're a lowly 14th in the Power Rankings -- more than a point behind No. 13 Dallas.

All this seems a bit odd just looking at the standings. San Antonio is 20-11, after all, with the third-best record in the West and just a half-game behind New Orleans in the Southwest Division race.

Intangible factors seem to be on the Spurs' side, too. They've compiled their record despite losing Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for big chunks of time, and they have a history of rallying in the second half of the season after ho-hum starts.

However, the Playoff Odds and Power Rankings underscore this: San Antonio hasn't played nearly as well as its record. The Spurs already have played 18 home games, tied with Boston for most in the league. Also, their opponents' .469 winning percentage is the worst of any team in the West.

Moreover, the Spurs have been remarkably mediocre since Parker and Ginobili returned to the lineup. Their past 10 games include close shaves at home against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Memphis, a home loss to the Bucks and a convincing defeat in Orlando.

As a result, the Playoff Odds project the Spurs to go just 27-24 in their final 51 games. This would be hugely disappointing from San Antonio's perspective, but its schedule is about to rise several notches in difficulty.

From Jan. 11 to March 4, the Spurs will play only eight of their 25 games at home. Of those eight, six are against high-caliber opponents: Orlando, Portland, Cleveland, the Lakers, Dallas and New Orleans. The other two games, against Indiana and New Jersey, aren't exactly gimmes, either.

And of the 17 road games, at least eight -- at L.A., Utah, Phoenix, Denver, Boston, Detroit, Portland and Dallas -- have to be considered likely or somewhat likely defeats. Of the 25 games, only two are against the bottom six teams in the West, and both are on the road.

Thus, the Spurs' position isn't nearly as strong as it appears in the standings. The Spurs aren't playing real well, and they'll get absolutely bushwhacked by the schedule if they don't start playing better real soon.

I agree with you, the spurs need to put a great effort for making into playoffs
But on the other hand I still believe that the spurs will give us a positive surprise during the playoffs

[crc21209]

What? Didn't you even catch the clever pun in the le of the piece? PER Diem . . . get it? That's pure sports writing gold, man!

At least I know my true fans, like Spork KIller, appreciate fine journalism when they see it.

lol this coming from a guy who thinks hes someone else and speaks as someone else. Woooooow. Get a life man.

[xellos88330]

I wonder if Hollinger applies history to his equations. The Spurs seem to be able to just "turn it on" during the second half of the season. Does his mathematics involve those intangible statistics as well?

[Chieflion]

Hollinger is probably a Spurs hater or Spork Killer.

[Rogue]

hahaha

There you go es!!!

Failure is the only word for your season!!

WTF does this sucker mean? rockets or lakers?

waste no attention on this SOB.

[lotr1trekkie]

What is with Sperm Killer? Hopefully we see the Dusks in the first round and put them out of their misery, as usual. They have a former Deisel who is now a "little big assed engine that could". The Dusks are 2 seasons from the lottery.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Does this dildo just wait for the Spurs to lose so he can make an article bashing them?

[tmtcsc]

The Spurs will be one of 3 teams fighting for the 7 and 8 seeds in the West. They might make it and they might not.

The Spurs will be the 1 or 2 seed. The West is overrated. Who cares if we lose to the Bucks ? They aren't going to face us in the Finals. Its all about the Lakers, Hornets and Celtics. Those are the only teams that would give us trouble.

[benefactor]

Spurs aren't the only team that has to deal with injuries.

Indeed...all teams do. That doesn't mean that you can throw stats out there and try to prove a point about the Spurs not being good against good teams when most of those losses are when the Spurs were at less than 100%. Are you expecting us to be able to beat good teams without Tony and/or Manu?

I disagree. Spurs were getting key stops in the last two minutes of the game(mostly because of Duncan's great defense on Amare) and they ended up wasting ALL of those possessions. Just like the NO game, Spurs had multiple chances to take the lead and choked down the stretch. The Suns game should have never came down to the buzzer beater(it made for a great finish but that doesn't mean it was smart basketball).

You're right...we should have won by more...but we WON. We won a game where from the jump it was painfully obvious that Phoenix looked twice as fresh as we did and jumped out to an 11 point lead in the first few minutes. We won it on the road...after playing 5 games in 7 games while our opponent had 4 days of rest. The odds were completely stacked against us. Pointing out a couple of bad possessions and saying that equals failure is pretty shortsighted when you consider all the cir stances. Oh...and did I mention we won?

As for as the NO game goes...you must have not been watching us play there all last season. Before winning game 7, we lost there by 18 pts or more 4 times in a row. They have straight handled us on their home floor. We were compe ive right to the end in a game where we are still assimilating new faces with the stars...stars that are still working their way back from injuries(Parker had only been back a little over 2 weeks).

Could we have won by more in Phoenix? Yes. Could we have won the Hornets game? Yes. But its early in the season and to see what they have done while still dealing with the many factors I mentioned above is more than enough for me to feel encouraged going down the stretch. There are still worries about the front line and the role players but as I said, if we get past the RRT and there are still issues I will be more concerned.

[Flux451]

looked twice as fresh as we did

This seems to be the case here and there. It sucks seeing another team outplay Spurs. Not necessarily a team effort, but certain pieces aren't playing consistent. But I think things will change.
Bonner needs to become a man. Now he is looking at the ground when he bricks.
Manu is playing hard, I love his defense right now by the way. Looks like his shot is coming to. All he needs to do is not force things.
OBerto needs to come in and rebound his heart out. I like Oberto cuz he is smart and can pass extremely well. Something that has been missing recently in the post.
Tony is doing a great job. Defense needs some attention.
Mason needs to get involved more, whether its himself or others doing so. Money!!!
Bowen needs a little more PT.
Finely needs to stay in the game when he is on, out when not. He is predictable by the half. For him to score 20 and us to loss is unjustifiable.
Thomas has given us life down low with the absence of Bonner. He has been great. I love how active he is on defense. Get them blocks! old?
Hill needs move the ball more and be more aggressive. He is forcing things of late. I still like him as a back up. Against certain defenses he shines.
Udoka isn't getting enough minutes to get out of his funk. I still think he will show up soon. That or gets traded because our team has changed, and he doesn't fit anymore.
Tolliver slow down his shot, and keep giving us energy. He needs to be that spark, and keep at the defense.
Vaughn, well do what you do.
Tim lead us to a championship!!!

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

hahaha

There you go es!!!

Failure is the only word for your season!!

On top of the fact the Spurs have a better record than the Suns right now, we can't really talk after the Spurs have beaten the Suns 3 outa the past 4 years. Jon Hollinger's predictions have about as much reasoning behind them as my dog's predictions.