The Magical Ping Pong Ball Era

[rascal]

Yeah, "greatness" is defined by trading for a pick in 1980, only for the team you traded with to post the worst record in the NBA two years later, ensuring you the number one pick.

Luck.

The Lakers got Magic in a similar way. Because of a ridiculous and outdated rule (even by 1970s standards), the Jazz had to compensate the Lakers their number one pick when Gail Goodrich signed with them. The Jazz turned in the league's worst record in 1978, giving the Lakers the 1979 number one pick, which they used to draft HIV.

Yep, greatness. I guess a front office is great when it doesn't have to do anything and can just sit back and rely on a league rule to do the work.

No thats a smart move getting a first round pick through a trade that worked out.

[history2b]

Yeah, "greatness" is defined by trading for a pick in 1980, only for the team you traded with to post the worst record in the NBA two years later, ensuring you the number one pick.

Luck.

The Lakers got Magic in a similar way. Because of a ridiculous and outdated rule (even by 1970s standards), the Jazz had to compensate the Lakers their number one pick when Gail Goodrich signed with them. The Jazz turned in the league's worst record in 1978, giving the Lakers the 1979 number one pick, which they used to draft HIV.

Yep, greatness. I guess a front office is great when it doesn't have to do anything and can just sit back and rely on a league rule to do the work.

The league rule landed Wilt? Kareem? Drafted Mikan and Jerry West too?

Maybe that's how we got Shaq, Kobe and Gasol too... that pesky league rule that keeps ruining it for everybody else.

@ punchdrunk dork.

[Punchy]

I know you aren't the brightest guy Nono, but I'm not asking anyone to dwell on anything.

I'm just pointing out that the Spurs have had real success for only one period in their entire history apart of the NBA and that era of success came from one lucky ping pong ball that bounced their way.

I mean think about...

The entire existence Spurstalk, 95% of its inhabitants who are bandwagon Tim Duncan fans only even know about the sport of basketball because in 1997 in a room in NYC a little plastic ball with a Spurs logo on it pop up in a draft lottery. Crazy when you really think about.

A period has to start sometimes (yours in 1980*, ours in 1999), and it usually starts on a fortuitous turn of events (you getting lucky with Magic, us with Duncan).

* les won in Minneapolis when no one cared about basketball don't count. Neither do fluke, Miami Heat/Seattle Supersonic type les, like the one won in 1972, when Willis Reed was out of the whole series because of an injury.

[history2b]

64,000 dollar question for Spurs fans... I dare anyone, even a silent lurker from upstairs to answer this one question:

How many les do the Spurs win with Keith Van Horn (#2 pick) instead of Tim Duncan?

[history2b]

A period has to start sometimes (yours in 1980*, ours in 1999), and it usually starts on a fortuitous turn of events (you getting lucky with Magic, us with Duncan).

* les won in Minneapolis when no one cared about basketball don't count. Neither do fluke, Miami Heat/Seattle Supersonic type les, like the one won in 1972, when Willis Reed was out of the whole series because of an injury.

And if we were limited to one era of success like you, you'd have a point.

[Punchy]

The league rule landed Wilt? Kareem? Drafted Mikan and Jerry West too?

Maybe that's how we got Shaq, Kobe and Gasol too... that pesky league rule that keeps ruining it for everybody else.

@ punchdrunk dork.

And Wilt and Jerry West won you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o many les

Kareem was a nice signing. Can't hate on that.

[ChumpDumper]

Too bad lakerfan wasted all that time saying Duncan is no longer a factor. They all over this thread preemptively.

[Punchy]

And if we were limited to one era of success like you, you'd have a point.

Congrats. You're having your second era of success in the 2000s.

Maybe the Spurs will have another, maybe they won't. Who knows.

The Celtics are the only franchise that can really claim success across more than two eras.

They've won multiple les in 4 different decades, while you guys are at 2*.

* @ Minneapolis Lakers

[history2b]

And Wilt and Jerry West won you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o many les

Kareem was a nice signing. Can't hate on that.

More than the Spurs in any era before Duncan

[ohmwrecker]

The spurs did tank that season. Robinson could have come back towards the end of that year. I clearly remember that year and I was hoping the spurs tanked which they did.

I remember it too. There was no reason for Robinson to come back and possibly get injured again. Their record was too poor for it to make a difference. I also don't remember the Spurs purposefully trying to lose games. They didn't even finish last in the conference. The record only guaranteed them a lottery pick and certainly not the #1 (the Celtics had the worst records and highest odds of selecting first with 36 % chance).

The assertion that the Spurs purposefully tanked the season to get Tim Duncan is ludicrous and fantastical.

[ChumpDumper]

64,000 dollar question for Spurs fans... I dare anyone, even a silent lurker from upstairs to answer this one question:

How many les do the Spurs win with Keith Van Horn (#2 pick) instead of Tim Duncan?

Why does this matter so much to you?

[Punchy]

64,000 dollar question for Spurs fans... I dare anyone, even a silent lurker from upstairs to answer this one question:

How many les do the Spurs win with Keith Van Horn (#2 pick) instead of Tim Duncan?

The same number of les the Lakers win with Dave Greenwood.

[history2b]

Congrats. You're having your second era of success in the 2000s.

Maybe the Spurs will have another, maybe they won't. Who knows.

The Celtics are the only franchise that can really claim success across more than two eras.

They've won multiple les in 4 different decades, while you guys are at 2*.

* @ Minneapolis Lakers

They won't, lol. Because the evidence of the Spurs history clearly shows that the only success enjoyed by SA came from a plastic ping pong ball that bounced its way.

If you had just one other era of success I'd say, ok Punch, you gotta shot. But right now the evidence shows its only "the Magical Ping Pong Ball Era" and that's it.

[Punchy]

More than the Spurs in any era before Duncan

How about the era after Duncan?

[history2b]

I remember it too. There was no reason for Robinson to come back and possibly get injured again. Their record was too poor for it to make a difference. I also don't remember the Spurs purposefully trying to lose games. They didn't even finish last in the conference. The record only guaranteed them a lottery pick and certainly not the #1 (the Celtics had the worst records and highest odds of selecting first with 36 % chance).

The assertion that the Spurs purposefully tanked the season to get Tim Duncan is ludicrous and fantastical.

No it is not because holding out healthy players who can play is the definition of tanking idiot.

[history2b]

How about the era after Duncan?

You got a big fat 0 there too

[ChumpDumper]

No it is not because holding out healthy players who can play is the definition of tanking idiot.

He wasn't healthy.

Again, why is this so important to lakerfan?

[history2b]

Why does this matter so much to you?

Maybe I want to see if Spurs fans have the balls to answer the question honestly.

My guess is no, not one solitary soul with have the balls and so far I am right.

[ChumpDumper]

Maybe I want to see if Spurs fans have the balls to answer the question honestly.

Why is that so important to you?

My guess is no, not one solitary soul with have the balls and so far I am right.

You merely want them to agree with your opinion.

Kinda pathetic tbh.

[ohmwrecker]

No it is not because holding out healthy players who can play is the definition of tanking idiot.

To what end? Risk aggravating the injury or a new injury to your franchise player so you can have a highly unlikely, miraculous shot at a #1 draft pick?

Who's the idiot, really?

Your definition is absolutely incorrect also.

[history2b]

He wasn't healthy.

Again, why is this so important to lakerfan?

Cleared for play = healthy.

Holding him out because you didn't want to risk injury is what every player on every team can claim every night, aka bull .

Saying you had nothing to gain because you aren't going to make the playoffs is still tanking.

[Punchy]

They won't, lol. Because the evidence of the Spurs history clearly shows that the only success enjoyed by SA came from a plastic ping pong ball that bounced its way.

If you had just one other era of success I'd say, ok Punch, you gotta shot. But right now the evidence shows its only "the Magical Ping Pong Ball Era" and that's it.

Yeah. Cause signing Bruce Bowen, and seeing the potential in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (the great Lakers FO drafted Devean George in the 1st round that year ) had everything to do with luck.

Have the Lakers ever made a lower round draft pick that resulted in an all-star caliber player other Nick Van Exel?

[ohmwrecker]

Saying you had nothing to gain because you aren't going to make the playoffs is still tanking.

I ask you again . . . for what purpose?

[history2b]

Why is that so important to you?

You merely want them to agree with your opinion.

Kinda pathetic tbh.

Not at all. Again, I want to see if anyone here has the balls to actually share that opinion whether it is the same is mine or not.

[ChumpDumper]

Cleared for play = healthy.

Nope.

Holding him out because you didn't want to risk injury is what every player on every team can claim every night, aka bull .

They can, it's often a legitimate concern.

Saying you had nothing to gain because you aren't going to make the playoffs is still tanking.

Not really. There's no way of proving the team with Robinson would magically win out.