Does Spurs current streak feel like it should?

[alchemist]

You should be thankful for these past 5 games honestly. These guys while playing their hearts out against Dallas/Utah/Thunder had low moral for those loses. When the chips are down all you want is a Win, it doesn't matter who it's against. You start to stack up Wins and the team's confidence is high again, which is what you need to beat these high caliber opponents coming up.

Not only that but you get to sharpen your defense/offense up for the big boys.

[TD 21]

5 wins is 5 wins...especially with the way we started. I don't really put much stock in the Boston game. I'd love to win it, but we are still very much a work in progress. I'd give us about a 40% chance of winning against Boston right now. IMO, this team is not ready to beat elite teams....yet.

Have you watched or paid attention the Celtics recently? They've been slipping by the game since their 6-0 start where they looked like world beaters. Yeah, they have a superior record to the Spurs and the best point differential in the league, but that's more of a residual effect from their start than an indication of how well they've played overall. Garnett has slipped big time, Wallace looks close to done, they're one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, they lack, not scoring, but what I'd call explosive firepower and even their vaunted defense is slipping by the game.

The Spurs are very much ready to beat the Celtics right now and if they don't, I'd be disappointed. It all sets up perfectly. They're the ones, for the first time in two years, who come in playing and looking like the better team. They'll be well rested after 3 days off, they're at home and they'll be healthy. No excuse not to win.

[guzmangm]

Crappy teams are just what the doctor ordered after the slow start...

[EricB]

Great teams beat up on the bad ones.

Great teams thats chemistry is still a work in progress don't blow out the bad ones, they beat them semi easily. Which IMO is what the Spurs have been doing.

[TIMMYD!]

These wins are building confidence and cohesiveness which we have wanted all season long. So yes, it feels like it should.

[crc21209]

This is the NBA. Any team can beat any other team on any given night. Look at the Nuggets losing to the T-Wolves last night. And especially the way this team started out...a 5 game-winning streak is awesome right now..

[Agloco]

We're going to find out over the next 3 games exactly where this team is at. Get the meltdown mops ready.

[HarlemHeat37]

Beating elite teams is a good barometer for the playoffs..it doesn't mean everything, but it's important IMO..

as of right now, what is the team supposed to do?..we haven't really been tested..you can only play the teams in front of you..

this team has shown us the flashes of what it could be, there's still a loooong way to go though..we need Manu to get healthy(huge ?) and we need RJ to get accustomed to playing with Tony and Tim..

We've only played 3 games against top-level teams, and we went 1-2..there were serious injuries in all 3 games, so it's kind of meaningless(in the Mavs games, both teams were shorthanded)..we haven't had a serious test yet, Boston will be the 1st..

You can only play the teams in front of you..for example, the Lakers have lost to the only top-level teams they've played against(Denver, Dallas), but they were shorthanded too, since Gasol wasn't playing..they don't play another top-level team until Cleveland on X-Mas IIRC..doesn't take away from how they're playing though(just using LA as an example because they're the top dogs)..

[Quiet Strength]

The spurs are winning and that's all that matters. Feels better to see them win than to see them lose. I'm happy about this win streak and I think the spurs are looking a little better each game. At least they are taking steps forward instead of backward.. Yes the teams the spurs have been beating aren't playing so well but the spurs hadnt been playing well either so a win against any team is a plus.

[DPG21920]

Beating elite teams is a good barometer for the playoffs..it doesn't mean everything, but it's important IMO..

as of right now, what is the team supposed to do?..we haven't really been tested..you can only play the teams in front of you..

this team has shown us the flashes of what it could be, there's still a loooong way to go though..we need Manu to get healthy(huge ?) and we need RJ to get accustomed to playing with Tony and Tim..

We've only played 3 games against top-level teams, and we went 1-2..there were serious injuries in all 3 games, so it's kind of meaningless(in the Mavs games, both teams were shorthanded)..we haven't had a serious test yet, Boston will be the 1st..

You can only play the teams in front of you..for example, the Lakers have lost to the only top-level teams they've played against(Denver, Dallas), but they were shorthanded too, since Gasol wasn't playing..they don't play another top-level team until Cleveland on X-Mas IIRC..doesn't take away from how they're playing though(just using LA as an example because they're the top dogs)..

Pretty much this. The Spurs have been struggling and they need to get to the point where they beat the types of teams they have been recently with ease.

Even though the Spurs need these wins, I personally don't think it tells us anything. The only wins I care about are quality wins. If you look at all the teams that go to the finals in previous years, the vast majority have a .500+ record against quality opponents (meaning teams with winning records). If a team is beating up on the weak, and consistently losing to the top teams, they will be exposed in the playoffs and their win record will be heavily overrated.

[Chomag]

OR we could just play and beat up on Sacramento for the rest of the season. That would definitely have us prepared for playoff teams when we face them.

As long as we are winning right?

[quentin_compson]

The winning streak feels good and it was important to take advantage of the string of home games.

Much more important, however, is that the Spurs are getting it together defensively right now. You will have nights when you can beat teams in a shootout like we had against Toronto. And the great thing is we have a lot more offensive weapons than in the last couple of years. But improving on the defensive end is the best thing about our current streak.

[senorglory]

Feels good, even if the Spurs are not at their best, yet.

To be honest, I don't feel too bad about the loses and slow start. I thought we looked o.k. during those loses and I don't necessarily dislike the ways we lost those games. The silver lining I saw in the grey clouds of early season futility included the following: active and effective bench; Hill, Bogans, Bonner, Finley, McDyess, and Blair doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing; a rusty but still effective Duncan; a growing defensive presence; improved team rebounding totals; and although not yet stellar, a solid across the board contribution from Jefferson. He's gonna fit in. Parker will be gangbusters again, and Duncan will be back to his Big Fundamental self. (and Ginobili... Ginobili, we'll leave for a later discussion.)

Parker's sprained ankle doesn't appear to keep him out much longer, or bother him long after his return, and Duncan will play himself into better game shape in the next few weeks. RJ hasn't found his Spurs groove yet, but nevertheless, has contributed in all statistical categories in a way that makes me think he will fit with this team as the season wears on. Plus he's given us two espn worthy dunk highlights, which is more than we've had around here since some time before our Ginobili broke. And of course, how can a Spurs fan not feel good about McDyess and his beautiful jump shot! Holy cow that 12 to 15 foot shot is gorgeous, and has been too long absent from the Spurs game. Swish, Swish, Swish!

Seriously, this is going to be a fun season.

[BlackBellamy]

Yes, the current streak brought us above .500, put us back in the top eight in the West, got Duncan in rhythm and most importantly showed a few fluid, cohesive efforts for the Spurs. The only reason beating the (say) Lakers feels better than taking out the Sixers is the bragging rights and a greater understanding as to how we will fare in play-off contention. A 'W' of any sort is still a mark in the win column regardless of team, I'll take as many of those as I can get early in a season with a re-vamped, stiil gelling, Spurs team.

[senorglory]

Also, consider what Pop had to say about the win streak:
“We have more good players this year than we had last year,” he said. “Or, I could say I invented some new plays that nobody else knows and that are unbelievable.”

So there's that.

[alchemist]

OR we could just play and beat up on Sacramento for the rest of the season. That would definitely have us prepared for playoff teams when we face them.

As long as we are winning right?

Yes! Who doesn't see the logic of beating Sacramento and then competing against better opponents?

[VivaPopovich]

No. They are beating crappy teams by marginal amounts. If you want to win a championship your team has to be firing on all cylinders every game. If Pop is going to play Matt Bonner 20 minutes a game, then he better average 20 minutes a game all throughout the playoffs, otherwise the entire season would have been counter-productive.

Either idea is a terrible idea by the way.