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+10000
I was expected to be hammered after the Spurs took a nosedive on Wed vs. the Lakers (and rightfully was by a few after a night when the bottom line is Duncan was terrible, and the Spurs clanked multiple open opportunities) but I firmly believe this team is still vastly under-rated; and has been given up for dead by far too many media pundits, every trolll on this site, and a few Spurs fans.
However, I want to give them more and state openly, a strong belief that the Spurs may still have their very best basketball ahead of them this year.
The bottom line is this team since Finley left in has shown "addition by subtraction" and despite a brutal schedule, has been surging. The Spurs in the Duncan, Manu and Parker era have had tough times before and rose to the occassion many times to doubt them (including when all but a few gave up on them when they were hammered by the Hornets in the first two games of classic series before seemingly coming out of near death experience and beating a very strong team that year.)
They have been a resilient bunch this year through many injuries and wierd lineups (that Popovich seems to have finally abandoned) to count them out yet.
I also believe that Popovich (who is still also still a damm fine coach) at some point recently has told Manu to take the reins. I would not be surprised if Popovich has told Manu that this year this team is yours that he has the permission to free wheel out there to try to take it as far as you can. Whatever, has turned the switch back on (most likely just better health) Manu has been playing the last 15 or so games again, as well as any player in the league and, most importantly, despite long minutes still looks very fresh and surely seems unafraid of the stout challenges ahead.
Furthermore, despite, all the bad play this year there have been enough signs to me of a true revival. There have been several stretches of games recently against top tier opposition to doubt that this team still believes in itself or is really lacking as much talent or will as some naysayers have said.
This week alone, the win over the Cavs (and 2 out of 3 vs the Okies, Lakers, and Cavs and 3 out of 5 against tough teams) is demonstrative that this team is truly not that far from competing with any and potentially beating any top tier team, at any time.
Also is no player in the NBA, Kobe included, whom has anymore compe ive fire than Manu (and only a few, ala Kobe, at his position with more talent).
Importantly, with Manu surging himself, the Spurs now again have that end game go to guy and I expect their will not be as many late game dissapointments going forward as we have endured this year [and by the way, Manu has also been rated the most clutch player in the NBA and remains under-rated by parts of the media and fans (don't believe me? search on Google - "Manu Ginobili, most clutch player in the NBA". http://www.nba.com/2009/news/feature...ame/index.html is one example]
This team also importantly still has one of the largest point differentials in the leage which is a potent indicator of playoff success.
Furthermore, while Duncan is also banged up, I have seen him also rise to the occassion too many times in the playoffs to count the Spurs out, and they will also be adding in the last 10 or so games and the playoffs the best player of anyone in the league out with injuries, in Parker.
Add Manu and Jefferson at least contributing some nights. Hill's considerable talents and guts; and Pop's and the team's faith in a system and team defense - this team is not dead and has the full potential to challenge and throw a serious scare (if not beat) any team in the league in a playoff series.
After the end of this regular season ,the Spurs will also feel like they are on a relative vacation without odd travel back and forth accross the coasts, multiple back to backs to end the season and having faced a guantlet of top tier teams. In the playoffs they will get days off and some relative rest after this brutul end run to a strange season.
As such, I believe that like "tempered steel" this resilient and still very talented team will continue to surge and having run a strange scheduling guantlet (seemingly as tough as any team ever to end the reguluar season), will not fear any challenge ahead.
Mark my words - any team they face in the standing above them in the first round will have their hands full. Most importanlty, this team is led this year by the indomitable will and talent of Manu, has the intelligence and still under-appreciated drive of a proud Duncan, and perhaps best of all, the rare sight of a stud named, Tony Parker, returning on fresh legs. The "three amigos" that have led the Spurs the last half decade DO HAVE ONE MORE STRONG PLAYOFF RUN IN THEM (THAT WHILE IT MAY NOT END IN A CHAMPIONSHIP, ALTHOUGH DON''T EVEN RULE THAT OUT) THAT WILL MAKE SPURS FANS PROUD.
Watch and Learn naysayers - this team will surprise many.
Last edited by Rummpd; 03-27-2010 at 05:27 AM.
+10000
Agree! Go spurs!
The Big 3 blueprint in the past was alternating TP/TD/Manu dominating the initial goings of games and then allowing one of them (the one who was able to rest) close the game in the fourth.
TP has always been a great player out of the gates and has been effective in getting teams on the heels early in games by relentlessly attacking. Right now, that element is what is missing, cheap half-court points and that type of defensive breakdown pressure. He also rarely gets outplayed by opposing PGs when healthy.
If TP can come back at 80-85% healthy and provide that extra offensive gear to relieve pressure from TD and Manu of carrying the load early on and Manu can keep his energy level up...well...then all we have to do is hope Hill/RJeff/Dice can maintain or up their level of play.
It's dicey, but at least there's a glimmer of hope.
I agree with the OP, the problem is and has been all year is consistency. The Laker game on Wed. was like 2 different games. Despite our weaknesses, IF the Spurs can play well for 4 quarters they are a really good team. Turnovers, and players going MIA needs to stop.
Now Ruumpd, I can understand your opinion better and respect it because you're actually explaining yourself and not like the other thread where no offense you sounded like you were talking out of your ass.
I do agree with you. The thing that worries me though is consistency. RJ, Dice, Hill, Bogans, and Bonner are very inconsistent. Some nights they look really productive like tonight and other nights they look like crap (Lakers game). And also will they be confident in the playoffs? I can count on Dice and Hill to be but what about the others?
And of course a well rested Tim and a healthy Parker makes everything easier.
The second half of the Lakers' game, 31 points!!, characterizes the Spurs more accurately than the Cavs game. Couldn't play 48 minutes, or even 36 minutes, couldn't hit a shot, no hustle, no help from the bench, and a mediocre Tim.
Any playoff success the Spurs will be on the road, starting all 4 series in the other team's gym.
We'll see Sunday if the Cavs game was a tease, was fool's gold.
Last edited by boutons_deux; 03-27-2010 at 09:35 AM.
OP is spot on with his assessment. You don't have to be a perpetual optimist to realize that this team is not dead yet. If anything, they believe in themselves, which is the most invaluable intangible a team can have, IMO.
There are 2 things now I'm waiting for:
1. How Parker will be integrated into the rotation and if his hand is healthy.
2. Can Dice start to hit that mid range jumper consistently (this really is my #1, because there are games where he could have 15-20 pt games but missed 4-5 of those mid range shots, sure he still ended up with 10 pts, 8 boards; but those extra points would have helped in some of the losses the Spurs had)
Call me corny, but Rudy Tomjanovich's quote, "never underestimate the heart of a champion", definitely applies to the Spurs. Barring injuries, you just can't count them out.
I was just talking about that, but couldn't identify who orginally said that.... yeah!!!...good read!
"never underestimate the heart of ..."
Manu GEEENOBLEEEE
the spurs have one of the best rosters in the league. so they definitely have the potential to make a big run.
poor coaching and injuries have been holding them back.
Good luck with this...
Wow what a close regular season home win does to the confidence level.
The only thing wins do now is mess up the draft pick, it goes lower and lower.
The spurs are not winning a le this year. They cannot beat the lakers.
No, the spurs have a weak frontline and you won't get too far in the playoffs with that.
Depending on the matchup they can get out of the 1st round.
I think denver can beat the lakers
spurs may not have to face them
I have one simple question - do you believe this team is capable of championship-level defence sustained over 4 7-game series? I'm afraid I don't. And the offense, while sparkling at times, is still prone to droughts. The way we used to get through those droughts is by stopping the other team for long stretches, something we simply can't do any more.
Sure, this team will win a series or two, but I notice that you stopped a long way short of predicting a championship.
Surprise? Yes. Surprise to win the prize? Unfortunately no.
lakers are beatable this year
if someone beats the lakers out
spurs would know it would be easier to get to the finals
duncan would be more competivate
This team IS done.
The only chance for a championship is major injuries happen in every other 50%+ teams.
A championship contender is not defined by a game alone, but by a consistent defensive posture that shouts to the world that it will not back down on any given night.
I just hope the Spurs become this again.
you make it clear you believe in this team, but there are two issues you didn't address:
1. Duncan still has no help on the front line defensively. At this point in his career as long as he's forced to kill himself to defend everything he'll never be efficient offensively, which the Spurs need. The bottom line is that without defensive help Duncan is done winning rings.
2. You tout the return of Parker as some potential huge upgrade. But what we're really looking at is another likely lineup change that will futz with the shaky chemistry that has developed in the last couple weeks. Unless Pop opts to bring in Parker off the bench in Manu's old role, this is going to get really dicey. Jefferson has shown no chemistry at all with Parker. At this point he and Manu are joined at the hip. Your post assumes (or at least lets the reader assume) that Parker will be a seamless addition that will only help the team, but all the evidence we have to this point indicates otherwise. And this isn't an anti-Parker rant; last year his play masked a lot of the structural problems the Spurs were (and are) facing.
Last edited by Mark in Austin; 03-28-2010 at 06:52 AM.
Good post...I couldn't have said it better myself.
parker has watched manu and rj together
he knows where rj wants it now more
Yes you naysaryers better all start reading and learning the truth about this reslient spurs team!
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