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thank you, 228.
good read.
San Antonio Standing Strong as Western Conference Favorites
by Tim Furious
Betus.com
For ten years, no team has been more consistent than the San Antonio Spurs. The transition from David Robinson to Tim Duncan was flawlessly orchestrated, and the Spurs have been in the playoffs for the past ten straight years. They’ve even accounted for four of the last ten NBA Championships, and Gregg Popovich has become the best coach in the league outside of Phil Jackson. Consistency in a league that sees too many trades, and is crippled by free-agency and guaranteed contracts, is the unicorn of the current NBA. That’s why the Spurs are going to win the NBA Championship this year.
As the Lakers and Nuggets soared to the Western Conference Finals during the 2008-09 NBA betting season, the Spurs lost out to injury. The Big Three in San Antonio, Duncan-Parker-Ginobli, missed a total of 55 games last season. Without Ginobli, the Spurs were canon fodder in the first round against Dallas. While Tim Duncan is the game’s best power-forward of all-time, and Parker continues his ascension as an elite point-guard, Manu’s reckless lane crashing is what steadied the Spurs. Without him, and a healthy Duncan, the Spurs were helpless.
But there are two new arrivals in San Antonio that have me buzzing about this team. It’s always shard to find a in the armor of a team that’s won four championships in ten seasons, but injuries are a big concern for San Antonio. Yet, Duncan found a new power-forward to back him up in the NBA draft when Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair fell to them in the second round. And the first move of NBA free-agency may prove to be the most important. The Spurs acquired Richard “Skywalker” Jefferson from the wire, finding a replacement/backup to Manu Ginobli they so desperately needed.
Jefferson averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds as a Milwaukee Buck last season. He was a large reason the Bucks were such a spread busting favorite before Michael Redd’s knees exploded. Except for the New Jersey Nets era with Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, Jefferson has never been on a championship caliber team. The eight-year swing man has also survived the past two years without missing a single game, which is something of value to a Spurs team that is aging faster than they’d like to.
Blair is a longshot to be an NBA rookie of the year candidate, and his knees remain a question mark. But in reduced minutes, he can be damn effective. He bullied opposing power-forwards at the college level and was a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Tim Duncan accounts for 34 minutes a game, and McDyess and Blair will be able to pick up the slack in the rest of those other 14 minutes. Reducing Blair’s exposure to injury will be paramount to the success of the front court in San Antonio.
With a healthy Big Three, and some excellent role-players, including the sharp-shooting Roger Mason, the Spurs have plenty to be excited about. For once, this team may be about scoring, making their likelihood of busting the spread throughout the year an actual possibility.
The big buzz in Texas, however, is also swirling out of the speculation that the addition of Ron Artest to the Lakers is going to be a disaster. Artest is a me-first player, whose explosive nature has made him the most combustible player in the league. The Lakers just won an NBA Championship, and are entering the season as favorites to repeat yet again. But losing a role-player like Ariza to an attention- and calamity magnet like Artest could give the Spurs just the opening they want.
The clock is ticking on Duncan’s knees. The time is now for San Antonio.
thank you, 228.
good read.
she didnt write it
but she found it.
because mookie2001 is a stupid ass who doesn't understand what i meant..
thank you, 288, for finding it and posting it.
who's 288?
duncan228
Still a good summertime read.
i hope pop will coach the transition from duncan to the next franchise player(s)
my guess is that george hill and dejuan blair will be two of the next "Big 3"
Richard Jefferson as the "Skywalker"?
I'm getting tired of these articles
Bring on the Season
LMAO. From a betting site as well?The big buzz in Texas, however, is also swirling out of the speculation that the addition of Ron Artest to the Lakers is going to be a disaster. Artest is a me-first player, whose explosive nature has made him the most combustible player in the league. The Lakers just won an NBA Championship, and are entering the season as favorites to repeat yet again. But losing a role-player like Ariza to an attention- and calamity magnet like Artest could give the Spurs just the opening they want.
The clock is ticking on Duncan’s knees. The time is now for San Antonio.
Maybe he's trying to drum up people to put money on SA?
Yay
Jinxing
Yes she did. As obvious by the
San Antonio Standing Strong as Western Conference Favorites
by Tim Furious
Betus.com
in the article header.
You're a tool.
bwahaha! he called Artest an attention ... I think that is probably the only context in which you can call someone a in a professional setting.
Oh so she DID write it?
sorry Haley
So a team can lose in the first round in 5 with HCA to a team that got killed the next round yet with a couple additions they vault to the top of the conference?
Yeah, the Spurs are contenders but you gotta be one of the biggest Homers to put a team at the top of a conference considering their last 2 seasons.
Who's this 288 chick? Kinda sexy looking.
The 2010 Lakers probably won't be very good because they missed the playoffs in 2005. Different team. Different season.
5 seasons in difference is not the same as the following year.
People banking on SA's championship experience but only 4 guys on that team have won a ring.
Oh ok so it doesn't matter what players a team adds. If they didn't do well the previous year, they're not le contenders. Gotcha.
And I'm not saying they should be above the Lakers. But Laker fans "Dallas pwned you" argument is so tired and stupid.
LOL The Favorites? i dont think so
Didn't the Lakers win it this year with only Fish and Kobe having previous rings? You guys were also pretty much also-rans a/o 2007, so it wasn't 5 years, either.
And I think you counted wrong:
TD 4
Tony 3
Manu 3
Finley 1
Bonner 1
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