It hurts for me because I watched that '79 ECF series. The Spurs squandered a 3-1 series lead and lost to the Bullets. Game #7 was marred by even more crappy officiating than what we saw last night. That '79 team could've and shouldve been in the NBA Finals. In my mind, they would've fared very well versus the Seattle SuperSonics of Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams. That Spurs team could've easily been our very first le team.
Still not as bad as 06 & 04 but it's close.
I think the fact that it was the Thunder helped because the Spurs never really had a rivalry with them.
But when you start getting in the particulars of the season, then yeah it was a tough one.
I actually think they have one more run left in them, though very unlikely. The West is a Kevin Durant injury away from being wide open next year and Miami is getting broken up if they're out this year.
They'll be a tough out as long as Duncan is around.
I dunno, big market butthurt about '99 seems pretty contagiousYeah, he trolled the out of Spurfan...and it's still evident 13 years later as evidenced by your post.
Nice backpedaling, though.
PJ's gospel was adopted as truth by lakerfan to justify det asswhipping
'04 hurt more for me. 0.4 seconds for a shot that shouldn't of counted (late) after a miracle Duncan three over Shaq. That one should of been championship number 3, provide we would of beaten Detroit.
Then the '06 Ginobili foul on Dirk was just plain dumb. That hurt too, because we definitely would of won the Championship that year. These both hurt because I feel like these were wasted opportunities to get another ring. We may never see another chance to get back up there. We were lucky with Robinson and Duncan in the draft. OKC was lucky with Durant, the Lakers with Kobe. It's hard.
This year, you could tell that father time caught up to the Spurs, the deep roster didn't help in the end and our guys were tired when the rotation was cut short. No shame in losing to a bunch of outstanding 20 year olds. Full of energy. Better them than Dallas or LA or god, Miami getting another championship.
That's what I was thinking. Westbrook or Durant goes out for the season and this team can win it. That's really the only way. Who knows if Duncan wasn't injured in 2000...
Last edited by guzmangm; 06-07-2012 at 12:46 PM.
The way I see it:
Chances for the Spurs be on the WCF again next year, if all big 3 are healthy = 75%
But, chances of all big 3 to be healthy again <25%
Yeah, that's the best argument for 2006. That team should have won it. Everything about it screamed NBA champion.
Nothing about the 2012 screamed NBA champion other than they were really, really damn good for a while. But:
-Teams built around a point guard who passes as much as Parker haven't won in a long, long time.
-Championship teams don't have rookies in the starting lineup.
-The Spurs didn't have a top ten talent in the league. Parker was damn good this year but no one would say he's a transcendent talent. He just played his azz off and is really, really good. You can't compare him to a physical beast like Durant or LeBron though.
-As much as we wanted to fuzzy the math throughout the year, the defense was average.
-Championship teams don't rely on a ten-man rotation.
-At 36, Duncan was old to be carrying the amount of load the Spurs needed him to carry.
-Championship teams usually don't rely on midseason additions as much as these Spurs did.
-Ginobili was still pretty damn good but his pedestrian plus/minus numbers throughout the playoffs indicate he's fallen from his perch.
-Kawhi, Green, Neal, Splitter ... that's 40% of your rotation with two or less years of experience.
All that said, now thinking how great it would have been for this team to defy the odds and win the championship, it hurts to have gotten so close.
<<
None of the things you're writing are wrong. You haven't written anything that's factually incorrect. However, the thing that's frustrating a huge segment of the Spurstalk community about you, whether you care or not, is that you refuse to acknowledge the obvious.
Two things can be equally true. Of course you should be proud of the Spurs. We all should. Maybe they did overachieve somewhat. Maybe it was a borderline miracle they stayed healthy enough to get this far. And yes, the Thunder are god damn ridiculously good, especially Durant.
STILL, with all that being said, the people who are writing and complaining about what a travesty that officiating was AREN'T WRONG. Lots of neutral media people agree. It was obvious and blatant what was going on in that game.
You've got your head in the stand ignoring it just like Pop does, and it's pissing a lot of people off I think. It's some BS morality that doesn't help him or his teams and it's not helping you with the your Spurstalk community.
What's wrong with just being honest and calling a spade a spade?
That refereeing was a joke, tbh.
Also, Pop got schooled by Brooks. He panicked, got away from everything that was working the whole year and tried to win with a 7 man rotation. It was plainly evident the whole season he never liked Tiago and this series showed it.
The media and all these former players talk about how Pop gets so much respect because he treats Tim the same way he treats the 12th man on the roster, but that's clearly a lie. Five guys on this team are allowed to make 20 mistakes a night and the other five aren't allowed to make any. Pop has constantly overlooked all of Tiago's positives while harping on every negative.
The Spurs couldn't have used his offense in the second half when nothing else was working? Stubborn old fool.
And in spite of all that they were right there in game 4 and 5 and 6.. Would have beat the Heat or Celts in the finals..Yeah, that's the best argument for 2006. That team should have won it. Everything about it screamed NBA champion.
Nothing about the 2012 screamed NBA champion other than they were really, really damn good for a while. But:
-Teams built around a point guard who passes as much as Parker haven't won in a long, long time.
-Championship teams don't have rookies in the starting lineup.
-The Spurs didn't have a top ten talent in the league. Parker was damn good this year but no one would say he's a transcendent talent. He just played his azz off and is really, really good. You can't compare him to a physical beast like Durant or LeBron though.
-As much as we wanted to fuzzy the math throughout the year, the defense was average.
-Championship teams don't rely on a ten-man rotation.
-At 36, Duncan was old to be carrying the amount of load the Spurs needed him to carry.
-Championship teams usually don't rely on midseason additions as much as these Spurs did.
-Ginobili was still pretty damn good but his pedestrian plus/minus numbers throughout the playoffs indicate he's fallen from his perch.
-Kawhi, Green, Neal, Splitter ... that's 40% of your rotation with two or less years of experience.
All that said, now thinking how great it would have been for this team to defy the odds and win the championship, it hurts to have gotten so close.
2x
It frustrates the out of me. Danny Green, Matt Bonner, and yes even the Savior Splitter were all grossly gargantuan failures, forcing Pop to shorten the rotation at the worst of times.
Splitter and Green especially deserve my ire. Green choked hard, as hard or harder than Bonner ever has in his life considering Green had big duties on defense as well. Splitter getting beat by the ref on a post-up of Derek Fisher will rank among my top ten worst spurs memories ever.
'06 hurt worse. Much worse.
I watched each game this series and came away very impressed with OKC. I honestly think the Spurs beatdown in game two caused OKC to take the next step, and it actually happened in that third quarter. The Spurs were in a groove of historic quality offensively. It was beautiful to watch. And any other team playing against that would have folded. But OKC just kept coming. It was damn impressive. They started sharing the ball better, and Westbrook was slightly less out of control the rest of the series. They defended the Spurs brilliantly. They figured out what it takes to win. We all knew OKC had the talent to do this, I always questioned if the had the brains / heart. I'm not questioning it anymore. Props to OKC. If they play the next series as well as they played the Spurs, I'd be surprised if it's NOT a sweep.
I enjoyed the ride this year. It really would have been special to see this team win another ring. But to quote Jack:
"...those mother ers were just better than us."
Amen.
I don't remember 01 hurting at all. One, sure, they had no chance after Anderson was taken out, but still, that team didn't have it. It was Duncan, DA's modest second scorer role, and that's it. They had nothing on that Lakers team.
06 and 04 were much worse than this year. 09, 10, and 11 were also worse to me because I feel Pop let the team down those years with his bizarre coaching.
They lost this year to a team whose Big 3 were each better than any one of the Spurs Big 3. Pop's coaching wasn't going to be the difference, he doesn't win without the better players.
Cosign. Phuck.Immediately after Game 6, some of the pain was dulled by the fact that the Spurs put up a good fight in a hostile environment. The opposition did what they set out to do and the Thunder played well too. The Spurs did all they could given the cir stances, IMO.
But, damn, this one hurts. Bad. I never allowed myself to get too high even as the Spurs were on their historic run. I've seen too many harsh U-turns occur in the NBA playoffs to get too caught up in any hot streak. And I know it's just a game, blah, blah ... but this morning, after soaking everything in, I can honestly say that was the most painful end to a season I've ever experience.
The Spurs weren't a perfect team. Despite the hype, if they won it all, I would have maintained it was the fifth best of their championship teams. But, man, they were right there. One more win in their last four games and their chance at a championship is pretty damn good. If they would have won it all, it probably would have been the sweetest of the five just because the ride was so enjoyable due to the low expectations at the outset of the season.
And then you add in the fact that this was very likely their last chance to get it done, and the pain is magnified. The Spurs needed a miracle just to stay this healthy for this long. Duncan was able to somehow turn back the hands of time for one final glorious run. Ginobili, despite declining physical skills, was able to remain relatively close to his best level. But add another year to those two and we probably see a huge drop in play by next season's playoffs. With that, San Antonio's chances go from slim to none.
I've been a hardcore fan since David Robinson's rookie season. In that time, the most painful defeats I've experienced in order:
1. 2012
2. 2006
3. 1995
4. 2001
5. 2004
Ugh.
Well, I for one, can call a spade-a spade.
This post by crikside was nothing but truth.
I need to stay away from SpursTalk for a while. Every time I see the site I just get depressed again.
For me this one is just sad. I'm sad for them.
After all the wonderful, magical 'coincidences' and 'synchronocities' after 'synchronocities' that were being showered down upon The Spurs this whole year/season ... I swear... I truly, truly thought The Basketball Gods were on their sides this time. Heh ...
HOW???
WWWWWWWHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!??????????????????????????
... Ain't that some ...
No one could talk to me at work today I was still so pissed off.
This one hurts as bad 04. Not a perfect team, but I believed we were good enough to win it all. I still do.
I have no problem with OKC winning. Spurs didn't play great after game 2. Missed calls happened here and there. Got tired of Harden's flopping as the games wore on. But he made clutch shots.
This one hurts most of all because of the officiating in game 6. I felt we could win this game.
I think all of those series losses stink. I guess this one stings less because at least we've experienced several championships and the Spurs did kick some butt in light of beginning season expectations. Plus the fact that I'm older helps me put in perspective that its just a basketball game for which I don't get paid and doesn't help me grow, but it is entertainment and I enjoy the community cameraderie. Here are mine:Immediately after Game 6, some of the pain was dulled by the fact that the Spurs put up a good fight in a hostile environment. The opposition did what they set out to do and the Thunder played well too. The Spurs did all they could given the cir stances, IMO.
But, damn, this one hurts. Bad. I never allowed myself to get too high even as the Spurs were on their historic run. I've seen too many harsh U-turns occur in the NBA playoffs to get too caught up in any hot streak. And I know it's just a game, blah, blah ... but this morning, after soaking everything in, I can honestly say that was the most painful end to a season I've ever experience.
The Spurs weren't a perfect team. Despite the hype, if they won it all, I would have maintained it was the fifth best of their championship teams. But, man, they were right there. One more win in their last four games and their chance at a championship is pretty damn good. If they would have won it all, it probably would have been the sweetest of the five just because the ride was so enjoyable due to the low expectations at the outset of the season.
And then you add in the fact that this was very likely their last chance to get it done, and the pain is magnified. The Spurs needed a miracle just to stay this healthy for this long. Duncan was able to somehow turn back the hands of time for one final glorious run. Ginobili, despite declining physical skills, was able to remain relatively close to his best level. But add another year to those two and we probably see a huge drop in play by next season's playoffs. With that, San Antonio's chances go from slim to none.
I've been a hardcore fan since David Robinson's rookie season. In that time, the most painful defeats I've experienced in order:
1. 2012
2. 2006
3. 1995
4. 2001
5. 2004
Ugh.
1. 1995 (First championship seemed in the bag. I was younger and this one really let me down.)
2. 2006 (Manu's foul in Game 7 on our floor. Flat out cruel.)
3. 2001 (High expectations. Spurs left wallowing in a pool of humiliation. The Laker smack and fan jabs were harsh.)
4. 1990 (Blown 7 point lead with 2:30 left in Portland, Rod Strickland's no look out of bounds. No this wasn't necessarily a championship team, but you never know!)
5. 2004 (.4)
6. 2012 (Fantastic season, but the Spurs didn't lose to cupcakes. Sign of looming disaster as Spurs had to rally to win Game 1.)
I agree this hurts. I was trying to convey that last night. I'm actually still a bit in shock. I mean, I never saw this season being this good only to end so badly. I appreciate how the organization conducts themselves with such class but sometimes it seems like that replaces the fire needed in certain moments - 4th & 5th game & the 2nd half last night. This is a choke job. It doesn't cause me to love the Spurs any less and it doesn't diminish my appreciation and respect for Pop, Parker, Ginobili, & Duncan. But after all - and I mean all - the games I watched this year by the Spurs, the Spurs were the better team and they ed up.
+1
Initially, I didn't want to blame the refs. But some of those plays just kept replaying in my head the rest of the night. Seemed like 8 calls in a row were offensive fouls or defensive fouls on the Spurs.
Neutral friend who doesn't like the Spurs but watched a few games with us this year asked, does "Pop hate Tiago?"Also, Pop got schooled by Brooks. He panicked, got away from everything that was working the whole year and tried to win with a 7 man rotation. It was plainly evident the whole season he never liked Tiago and this series showed it.
The media and all these former players talk about how Pop gets so much respect because he treats Tim the same way he treats the 12th man on the roster, but that's clearly a lie. Five guys on this team are allowed to make 20 mistakes a night and the other five aren't allowed to make any. Pop has constantly overlooked all of Tiago's positives while harping on every negative.
The Spurs couldn't have used his offense in the second half when nothing else was working? Stubborn old fool.
Maybe he does?
Either way, massive overreaction and a mental meltdown regarding that play in my book.
These are my rankings:
1. 2006 - We lost in overtime of game 7 at home against the rival Mavericks in Tim Duncan's prime. This is easily the #1 hardest loss.
2. 2004 - The way it happened makes this one utterly sour. Game 5 should have been Tim duncan's finest moment, his version of The Shot, and he was the best player on earth at the time...only for a scrub like Derek Fisher to take it away in an impossible manner? no.
3. 2012 - We dominated the regular season and won 20 straight games, plus two other 11 game streaks. We wonour first 10 playoff games...only to lose 4 in a row, in part due to disappearing acts of role players, in part due to bad coaching strategy, and in part due to -bag officiating.
4. 2011 - This was the comeback year for the Spurs. After two disappointing seasons, we kicked ass in 2011. Then Ginobili broke his elbow in the final game of the season, and we lost in the first round to a team tha possibly "tanked" to play us.
5. 2008 - This was our chance to finally repeat as champions. Once again, in a game 5 swing-game, we lost to the Lakers in a close game. I really wanted to see Duncan and Garnett face off in the finals. It would have been epic.
I was too young to care in 1995, and even 2001 is a vague memory for me...I'm 23 now, so I was 6 in 95 and 12 in 01. I became a hardcore fan in the 2002-03 season - a good time indeed!
hardest for me for sure only because i really wanted the trio to get a last run at the finals but the thunder and that town were hungry like the spurs were in 99 it was their time
Agreed. It was pretty much just a lovely combination of so many sides of -bagness. Simple as that.
I never in my life expected to say this, Timvp, but Crikside is right in this one.
2006. I was at that game holding my granddaughter when Ginobili made the three pointer that put us up by three. Javie was officiating and I thought to myself at the time (mentioning something to 4 year old didn't seem useful)
so I thought...Javie is going to find a way to give this to Dallas. I don't know how, but he will. He always loved Dallas, and he called the foul on Ginobili. Since the foul was real but didn't change the basket by Dirk and would have ben ignored by refs who didn't have an agenda, I was angry.
But here's the thing, folks:
In both THAT game (2006) and the .4 game, the Spurs still had a chance!
All Dallas got from that call was an overtime period. We lost during the overtime.
In the .4 game, the Spurs still had a chance in the Series! That was a game 5 and we had the chance to go L.A. and get another.
But in BOTH those situations, the Spurs didn't come back from a mental let-down, and it began with Pop in both instances. He said after the .4 shot, "I don't know how anybody comes back from something like that". I knew that we wouldn't and we didn't.
I love Pop and hope he will be our coach for as long as he wants to be. But trying to be realistic, one of the great things that we all love about Pop is that he is very cognizant that basketball is not life, and other things are more important than basketball. That outlook occasionally bites us in the rear.
Pop is not the absolute best ever at getting his team mentally and emotionally in the place they need to be to finish things out. Doesn't mean he isn't a hall-of-fame coach. Just means that sometimes he doesn't come through.
The refs took this game last night. I'm upset for the Spurs that they lost and this was such a great chance for them...but I don't hold any Spur or coach responsible for doing anything other than playing their hardest and trying their best.
Thank you Spurs for an absolutely wonderful year!! You all made us all proud and we owe you big time.
But Timvp...Crikside really is right this time. Sorry.
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