Johnny Ludden: Spurs dynasty may be coming to a close

[Loquacist]

Spurs limping into the playoffs

By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports Apr 8, 4:57 pm EDT





San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has a saying for these moments: We will or we won’t. So Pop threw up his hands again this week and shrugged his shoulders. The Spurs know there’s no replacing Manu Ginobili. They’ll pledge to play hard and smart, and they’ll try to control whatever else they can control. In the end, they’ll win or they won’t. No matter what happens, they’ll come back next season and try to do it again.
But deep down, the Spurs know something else: At some point, there won’t be a next season. Not for Tim Duncan. If the past few months have proven anything, it’s that the clock has finally begun to tick for the Spurs and their greatest player.
For all the concern about Ginobili’s ankles, the Spurs’ success in these playoffs was always hinged to Duncan’s health. For weeks, Duncan has told friends how much his knees have bothered him, and that’s telling for one reason: He never complains about his injuries.






Duncan’s production picked up over the past week, but Wednesday brought further evidence of how much he’s labored. Though the Spurs had stopped using Duncan in both games of back-to-backs, Popovich relented after Duncan played well Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The move was a mistake. Duncan offered little, scoring just four points as the Spurs wasted a 19-point lead and lost to Portland.
“I don’t want a hero,” Popovich told Duncan after he finally pulled him off the court. “We need you healthy.”
The Spurs think they can still be a tough out in the playoffs without Ginobili – but only if Duncan is effective.
“That,” one Spurs official cautioned, “is the big question.”
The Spurs have always understood the fragility of success. To win championships, you need to be good, but you also need to be healthy and lucky. Too often this season, they haven’t been all three. Even with Ginobili and Duncan at full speed, the Spurs’ hopes of beating the Los Angeles Lakers were fleeting. The Lakers are that good and they figure to get better after Andrew Bynum returns.
Trailing by a point after the first quarter of Sunday’s game in Cleveland, Popovich was asked by an ABC sideline reporter what the Spurs needed to do next.
“We have to be as good as the Lakers,” he said, “and we’re not.”
But with Duncan and Ginobili both healthy? With Tony Parker enjoying the best season of his career? The Spurs would have entered their series against the Lakers with a chance, a small chance, but still the best one the West could offer against the conference’s reigning champs. A year ago, Ginobili entered the West finals on a bad left ankle, and the Spurs pointed to his ineffectiveness as one reason why the Lakers overwhelmed them so easily.
Now? A stress fracture in Ginobili’s right ankle is expected to sideline him through the end of the playoffs. Though Ginobili complained of stiffness during Sunday’s loss to the Cavs, he told the medical staff he was feeling fine the following morning when he went in for tests. The results dazed him and his teammates.





The Spurs know they can’t replace Ginobili’s fire. Unlike any player in the franchise’s history, he thrives on pressure. On Wednesday, the Spurs signed Marcus Williams for help. They needed Reggie Miller.
Most frustrating for the Spurs: Ginobili’s injury likely eliminates another opportunity for Duncan to win his fifth championship. As much as the Spurs would prefer to not look into the future, Duncan won’t be around forever.
Popovich has said he’ll retire 30 seconds after Duncan, and there’s probably as much truth in that as humor. Parker has jokingly asked Duncan to give him enough advance warning of his retirement, so he, too, can clear out. Even some of the team’s longtime business employees plan to leave when Duncan does.
When Duncan considered signing with the Orlando Magic nine years ago, former Spurs forward Sean Elliott pointed to one of his teammate’s SUVs to explain what awaited the franchise should Duncan not stay.
“See that Suburban over there,” Elliott said. “Drive it to the Mexico border and leave it there for three days. Then go back and see how much has been stripped.
“That’s what this team will look like if Tim Duncan leaves. There might be a window switch left.”
Duncan now will leave behind at least four championships, along with the window switch. He recently told legendary Boston Celtics center Bill Russell he wants a fifth le before retiring; he’ll have three years left on his contract after this season to chase one. But with Duncan, the Spurs are forever in win-now mode. That’s one reason they considered taking on Vince Carter’s burdensome contract at the trade deadline and why they also tried to make a three-for-one deal for Marcus Camby. If Duncan needs help, the Spurs will try to get it for him, future be damned.
The Spurs built their championship rosters by plugging in experienced role players around their three stars. Duncan, however, is the one who makes it all work. So when he struggles as he did the past two months, it doesn’t matter whether Ginobili is in the lineup, the Spurs are also going to struggle.
This fall, Duncan looked as fresh as he has in years. He spent the summer throwing truck tires and boxing, and reported to training camp lean and hungry. Popovich encouraged him to show more confidence in his jump shot to also reduce the pounding he would take in the post. Few big men played better during the season’s first half.
Eventually, however, the aching in Duncan’s knees slowed him. This is what comes from the wear and tear of 12 NBA seasons, from enduring all those postseason battles. Already, Duncan has played in 155 playoff games, essentially adding another two full seasons to his career.
Larry Bird recently told the Boston Herald that Kevin Garnett’s injury troubles this season were inevitable for someone who had played so hard for so long. The same holds true for Duncan.
“It’s gonna catch up with you sooner or later,” Bird said.
The Spurs don’t have time to worry about that. The playoffs start next week and they won’t have Ginobili. They’ll need to lean on Duncan as they always have, and they’ll hope he feels as good in April as he did in November. As Popovich likes to say: They’ll win or they won’t.
And if they don’t?
For now, there’s always next season.

[Solid D]

It's not hard to see Pop has been pushing the age and personnel envelope for two or three years. We see it and it's not pretty. We feel it and realize the double-meaning in adding a "new wrinkle". We taste it and it's bitter.

When Timmy is gone, some of the players may stay in San Antonio but only in the off-season. As for me, I'll be here - as the good Lord wills, because I'm a foul weather fan, too...even if I have to endure watching Quinn Snyder and his staff coach the Spurs to a 32-50 lottery.

[Kermit]

32? Nice to know that you're a "glass is half full" kind of person.

[redskinfan]

"Johnny Ludden: Spurs dynasty may be coming to a close"


Boy Ludden is good, how did he figure this out?

[Solid D]

32? Nice to know that you're a "glass is half full" kind of person.

I said "if" and I said "32" because if Quinn were coach, I think he would do a good job with kids and scrubs.

[Thomas82]

The Spurs are not done by a long shot!!

[NewJerSpur]

IMHO, it all depends on how we draft moving forward as age really begins to affect at least two of the big three. Free Agency can put us over the top (depending on the year's class and the hidden nuggets found) but the draft has given SA it's foundation.

[Loquacist]

"Johnny Ludden: Spurs dynasty may be coming to a close"


Boy Ludden is good, how did he figure this out?

To be fair, the "dynasty may be coming to a close" is my word paraphrase.


But the Big Three trio of Duncan/Ginobili/Parker can't hang around forever.

Parker will be here for a long time, so maybe the Spurs can still build around him somewhat.

[balli]

I thought he was pinked already.

[SenorSpur]

It's not hard to see Pop has been pushing the age and personnel envelope for two or three years. We see it and it's not pretty. We feel it and realize the double-meaning in adding a "new wrinkle". We taste it and it's bitter.

When Timmy is gone, some of the players may stay in San Antonio but only in the off-season. As for me, I'll be here - as the good Lord wills, because I'm a foul weather fan, too...even if I have to endure watching Quinn Snyder and his staff coach the Spurs to a 32-50 lottery.

Word. I'll be here too. Reminiscing about the championship days of old. I got through the post-Gervin, pre-Robinson days of the 80's. It wasn't pretty.

Speaking of not pretty, I still don't believe the way to extend the championship window is by taking on bad contracts of older players for the sake of rolling the dice and trying to get lucky. Adding more age to an already old roster isn't the key.

[Creation88]

sooooo doom and gloom.

[Solid D]

sooooo doom and gloom.

Well, not for mouse. He'll just find another bandwagon to hop on.

[Loquacist]

Something big needs to gel together in the next 2 years.

[urunobili]

There is another run on him... I just know it... and It could actually be this same season... TD aint going down without another one

[Baseline]

An article like this only puts more focus on how re ed it was for Manu to play in the Olympics last summer. He gambled with one of Tim's remaining years, and he lost big time.

But as much as he screwed himself by getting hurt, he screwed his team even moreso.

If I had to guess, I'd say Duncan would just as soon have another good two-guard on the team at this point. Manu is good, but he can't be relied upon anymore, physically or on the court - he's wildly inconsistent at this stage of his career, and he's 31. Obviously past the prime of an athletic two-guard.

[lefty]

Spork Killer in 3, 2,...

[gaKNOW!blee]

If Manu can come back healthy next year. This team has 1-2 more runs in them.

Thats it.

[SenorSpur]

I said "if" and I said "32" because if Quinn were coach, I think he would do a good job with kids and scrubs.

The more I think about it, you've hit on an excellent point here. Pop, much like Duncan, has been and continues to stay in the game strictly for championships. Which explains why Pop has no use for young players. They simply cannot help him achieve his "win now" objective. It's certainly obvious that he doesn't trust them. Pop is not unlike a lot of veteran coaches, in his su ion and reluctance to develop rookies.

I simply can't see Pop hanging around after Duncan leaves and starting all over, like his buddy Jerry Sloan has done. I can't see him overseeing a rebuilding effort, and enduring the growing pains that come from losing. Why should he bother?

I believe it will take another coach, like a Quin Synder, to truly pull focus and develop a younger core of talent. Perhaps that's the best way.

[NewJerSpur]

The more I think about it, you've hit on an excellent point here. Pop, much like Duncan, has been and continues to stay in the game strictly for championships. Which explains why Pop has no use for young players. They simply cannot help him achieve his "win now" objective. It's certainly obvious that he doesn't trust them. Pop is not unlike a lot of veteran coaches, in his su ion and reluctance to develop rookies.

I simply can't see Pop hanging around after Duncan leaves and starting all over, like his buddy Jerry Sloan has done. I can't see him overseeing a rebuilding effort, and enduring the growing pains that come from losing. Why should he bother?

I believe it will take another coach, like a Quin Synder, to truly pull focus and develop a younger core of talent. Perhaps that's the best way.

If we draft Tim's heir apparent, Pop's might stick around another 10-12 years. Might be tough considering the chips that had to fall our way just to have the opportunity to consider drafting him, but hopefully he's out there. I REALLY like Tyrus Thomas, but it will take a king's ransom to tear him away from the Bulls with the improvements he's been making. He needs to bulk up and work on his post game, but he's a guy IMO that can be built around.

[TheDarkSide.]

If we draft Tim's heir apparent, Pop's might stick around another 10-12 years. Might be tough considering the chips that had to fall our way just to have the opportunity to consider drafting him, but hopefully he's out there. I REALLY like Tyrus Thomas, but it will take a king's ransom to tear him away from the Bulls with the improvements he's been making. He needs to bulk up and work on his post game, but he's a guy IMO that can be built around.

tyrus thomas?? no way. he pretty much is just athletic and can catch alley oops, he has a terrible jumpshot but apparently doesn't realize it, i'll pass. I'd rather have a Brook Lopez.

[NewJerSpur]

Lopez is pretty good but he forces the action in the post and doesn't get calls, leaving many of his shots down there looking arrant. Tyrus' jumper and his range is improving, he just has no real post game. He also plays more consistent defense than Brook and exhibits more hustle on the floor (although to Lopez's defense he carries around more weight). He can also take guys off the dribble which is great for a big because unlike moves in the post, that can't really be taught at this level. He's going to make a great leader and is the biggest spark on their team IMO.

[Loquacist]

Popovich is milking as much as possible in as short as time remaining as there is.