First off, the Duncan Era really has masked the amount of fair-weather, bandwagon fans that help to make up the San Antonio fan base. It's been rearing its ugly head for a few years now but it's getting comical at this point -- can't help but laugh seeing all of the roaches come out donning the opposing teams colors at the AT&T now that the Spurs have gone a few years without a le and are on the downside of their dominance.
That little observation aside, I tried to convince myself this team was legit, that maybe they'd find a way to win a le when they really had no business doing so (see: Heat), but that's just part of being a fan -- never much fun when there's no room for hope. But, alas, it is what it is ... they are who they are.
The Spurs played over their head, ac ulated wins and a high seed by taking advantage of their good fortune -- a home-laden early-season schedule and an unheard of amount of health. But it was/is nothing more than a housing bubble.
Had Splitter been given minutes and become more important than Bonner or Blair in the coaches' eyes, maybe that changes; had James Anderson been given the same time and not suffered injury, maybe he's the Courtney Lee of '09 and he and Splitter could have been the upgrades the Spurs needed to bring home No. 5.
But this team isn't much better than they were last year. Healthier? Yes. More offensively talented? Yes, that too. But they're only good enough to come up short and disappoint as things stand. The expectation going into the season has been thrown out the window in light of all that has transpired. Namely, winning.
Really, the Duncan Era ended in '07, officially. 2008 was a tip of the hat to the team that won Coach Pop his fourth, not a reinforcement of belief or talent the following year. They stood pat, and they gave it one of a run -- and maybe they even get it done had they been given the good fortune of health and a functional plane.
But '09 officially began the Pop Era. 2009 is when Tim Duncan legitimately became a center and the franchise's workhorse was finally given too much work ... too much of a defensive burden. The offense picked up, the defense started to slide -- and slide and slide.
It's not Bonner's fault. He is who he is -- a nice player asked to be something he's not and do more than he's capable. He was never gonna be what Duncan needed in a frontcourt mate. This team is a champion so long as Duncan can be Duncan or he and his frontcourt help can combined to produce Duncan's dominance of yesteryear.
Blame the front office for not opening the wallet soon enough. Blame the coach for getting bored and trying to reinvent the wheel. Blame injury, blame planes, blame officiating, blame Jobu ... or not.
Six losses in a row sucks.
But for those of us who have rooted for the Spurs for over 20 years, it comes with perspective.
You can't take 4 rings off the scoreboard and you can't truly know how good that is to know without going through rough patches like this -- genuine fandom will outlive every player and coach donning the Black and Silver today.
Hopefully I'll be able to root for them as the team from San Antonio and not Kansas City or Seattle. But I know that's a very distinct possibility -- the AT&T is already having a hard time selling out and Holt's not profiting all that much, if any.
My hometown team has a lot of fair-weather, bandwagon fans. Here's hoping they're nowhere near the majority.
Judging by this board, it's a LARGE majority.
Quality post, enjoyed the read.
I'll always be a Spurs fan, no matter what.
good post
I'm a spurs fan since 2001, and not because I'm some kind of bandwagonist, I was 13 then and I'm from spain, not that I had a chance to root for a team earlier.
Is sad that the FO has done so little to help bring decent talent the last years of the greatest PF ever. And when we finally have Splitter here Pop just plays more and more that sandwich eater. Great, just great.
Amen. The younger Spurs fans only know championships , not that thats a bad thing, but for obvious reasons, they/we have high expectations. Maybe we older fans just appreciate the great run the Spurs have been on a little more. I'm disgusted with the losing streak, but still enjoying the ride.
Great post. I'd still give em a punchers chance in the playoffs. But no matter, I appreciate the ride they gave us this year.
Yea let's just all give up
It's over and all.
Until our guys still there on their legs we got a chance.
It's not great but it still is.
Blackjack U quitter !
You are not alone in this spursfan. i feel the same way about my favorite team.
i still think they've got a chance. a small one but it's still a chance.
you were right though at the beginning of the season when you said that Pop would fall in love with Bonner at that would set us up failure. unfortunately, you were right.
Pop ruined this ing team with his smallball pussy bull . he was mind controlled by Bonner.
Damn yup I was waiting for Splitter and Anderson to be in base rotation as well ...
One could hope that Pop is bluffing. It's a huge game of Liar's Poker.
If he craps out, he's gotten the team to 4 les. I hope he get's a good flop and the Spurs get that elusive thumb ring.
Well, I suppose admitting that we are not good enough and quitting is better welching on stupid guarantees.
Great Post OP, I guess this wont be as painful anymore once the Spurs become just a regular NBA team again after Duncan hangs it up. 4 rings is nothing to be ashamed of but I would love to have seen Timmy get at least one more.
Still there is hope, hope that Pop gets kidnapped for at least untill after the playoffs.
Been a Spurs fan since 1992. Been through good times and bad. But as a fan, it's my right to call out my team when they are underperforming. C'mon, folks...whatever Pop is doing right now AIN'T WORKING. Sure, the Spurs will be in the playoffs, but right now they have no momentum at all. First round fodder, to be sure. Oh, well...it would've been a nice symmetry to bag #5 this year...but sports doesn't work that way.
I guess in some ways it's better to have reality come crashing down now then in the playoffs like last year. That Phoenix series was miserable after all the hope from the first round.
At the same time, we've all been able to see that they never did the things that win you championships all year long. This ain't the SPAM Spurs, they died with Bowen and prime Timmy. While I'd have loved to see Splitter and even Anderson (had he not been injured) play more from the onset, I still get the feeling that even that wouldn't have been enough.
This was a fun season though and it really helps keep things in perspective, especially when you see how other fan bases have it. Can't really complain when you've got multiple rings.
Really only one franchise has had it better in the last decade and they have a unique combination of luck, money, and location working heavily in their favor. I think too many Spurs fans get greedy and think why that can't be us.
5-4 Kobe must be interminable for Spurs Fan.
Bill Russell, 'nuff said.5-4 Kobe must be interminable for Spurs Fan.
6 in-a-row.......Now 'nuff said.
Greed has nothing to do with it esp. when your team had a lead over whole league by a big margin and now playing like a lottery team. Have no concentration and no power.
Waht was working earlier this season is not anymore. Ppl forgot how the spurs were playing in the 1st half of a season. Right now it's a different ball game.
Pop said he will not change the way spurs play just because they lost here and there but now it's comical seeing Bonner not being the same guy as he was earlier.
Collapse again. A spurs collapse - others might say.
There is nobody that can rise this team mentally for the important stretches and important moments of the games.
I mentioned it in my thread but again ppl could not translate my post and were laughing at me.
Screw it - half of my life I was spurs fan and it's heart breaking moment again.
I mean again
Why stop at 6? They gonna lose 'em all.
I've felt genuinely bad when other teams I hate (i.e., Heat, Mavs, Celtics, Suns) have fallen on hard times this season.
Not you guys, though.
You had this comin'.
wait, wait, wait.........
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...88&postcount=1
What the are you doing here?
Kobe shall ring Jordanesque this glorious June.
Kobe shall also ring heavenly sevenly in 2012.
Props to a quality thread and realistic outlook from the OP
Not so much for me, but, for my Luva & for Kool I'd be eternally grateful. They're both fine fellows.
+...Kobe 7-4 & 7-6 over Duncan & Jordan respectively would be pisser.
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