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Unless we get backdoor swept here and then return to the Finals again next year to finally win it in a sweep.Then we would have almost encountered all possibilities to losing before finally winning one.
While the Spurs were likely going to lose to the Lakers (helped that the Lakers coasted against the Thuggets & Jazz, Boozer's nuts shriveled up in the playoffs, particularly against the Lakers) that year anyway, wasn't the layoff after the 7 game series against the Hornets pretty short?...IIRC Manu was banged up per the par, & that series against New Orleans was just awful, the only compe ive game was game 7, the home teams prior to that had blowouts. Those 08-09 Spurs teams were as ancient as it got...this team from this season & last would have annihilated those back to back le Fakers, & would have a great series against the 08 Celtics, beating them in 7, imo.
Unless we get backdoor swept here and then return to the Finals again next year to finally win it in a sweep.
Unfortunately your nightmare memories will be added one more2008 - Lost in the WCF to our bitter rival Lakers after winning a crazy game seven series versus a Hornets team that just couldn't miss at home. Players like Ime Udoka, Vaughn, a tired Bowen, washed up Finley, washed up Robert Horry...Kurt Thomas all receiving rotation minutes...
I remember after getting bounced after that game 5 how old and washed up the team looked collectively tbh. Was depressing as ...
2009 - Lost in five to another heated rival in the Mavericks. Finley was still on the roster as was Bowen...two players that probably should've retired after the previous year's bitter end to the season. Lmao this was the Roger Mason year. LMAO Drew Gooden actually got rotation minutes for a time...Manu went down which resulted in him being out for the playoffs...who knows? Maybe we could've challenged the Mavs that year had Manu played.
2010 - After beating the Mavs in a rematch the Spurs were skunked out of the playoffs in embarrassing fashion to the Suns who had a Goran Dragic dominate in that one notorious shooting display. This was the year that the Spurs finished seventh and I remember everybody saying they preferred the Mavs despite the low seed (due to the rivalry). Dark times featuring rotation minutes for Jefferson, the centerpiece Keith Bogans, an old washed up McDyess...birth of the turd towers...holy how did we manage to beat the Mavs that year?
2011 - Came out like gangbusters to start the season...fizzled out after the All-Star break and drew a hungry Grizzlies team. All in all probably the most embarrassing years during this time span. Losing to an eighth seed was just indescribably bad. That Manu injury on the last game of the season was just the start of the end. Even if we would've beat the Grizzlies that year, I don't see how we would've been able to overcome OKC that year. OKC probably would've beat us tbh. Speaking hypotheticals of course.
the memory of Randolph going ape on the entire Spurs frontline...Gasol dominating Timmy...Allen, Vasquez and Sam ing Young of all people hitting jumpshot after jumpshot...relying on a Hail Mary Gary Neal three at the buzzer to stay alive in a Game five at home...man lol
Jefferson was still on the team...as was McDyess, an inconsistent George hill etc. Turd towers were alive and well.
2012 - The team was relatively consistent throughout the season...then they racked up 10 straight to finish the season (some of those games were won by reserves only). Swept a hapless Utah jazz team and an up and down Clippers team...then winning two straight at home against OKC...sigh, then you know the rest of the story.
losing that game 5 at home...then getting ed by officiating to end our season in game 6.
2013 - 6 (28 seconds away) and Game 7...............
I know we haven't had it as bad as other fanbases...but it's been a long time since 2007. 7 long years to be exact...
Finish the the damn job, Spurs. It's your time to win.
The 2014 - spurs lead the series by 3-1 afterwards the heat win 2 games in a row to force a game 7 at AT&T center LBJ scores 50+12+9 something like that in game 7 and makes a historical 3 pointer buzzer beater to win the championship 3 years in a row in 2OT
will it be a worst memory of all time?
Fair points and great at ude, tbh... but you just wouldn't know unless you've been through all of them like we have. It sucks to endure all of that, knowing that we could have had 6 or 7 les by now if not for occurrences like those. We would have beaten the Heat in the 2006 Finals for sure... but I'm for sure we could have given the Pistons a run for their money in 2004. We probably would have beaten the Heat in 2012 as well tbh...I actually didn't become a fan until the '07-'08 season. I was in-and-out throughout the year, but after that Game 1 against Phoenix - you could see why I got addicted afterwards
With that said, it really surprises me that your entire post is referred to as the "Dark Era" of the past 20 years or so. When to be honest, I thought it was a pretty damn good time (bare with me here.)
From '08-'11 the Spurs made the playoffs EVERY year, they pulled of a huge upset against the Mavericks, they made the WCF, they gained a 60-win season, add in 3 HoF players, Pop, George Hill, Blair getting all-rookie awards, overall it was much more than what 50-70% of other NBA teams accomplished during that time period.
With that said - these past 3 years have been a BLAST for me as a fan. I never knew what it was like to have good perimeter defense (thank you Finley/Mason/Jefferson) so when Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green came out of nowhere it felt surreal, for once the Spurs had the right assets to contain other teams. Splitter got more minutes, Neal/Mills fell from the sky, Pop got an at ude adjustment, suddenly the Spurs have 3 consecutive WCF appearances along with 2 conference les - last year they were 28 seconds away from winning the ship, this year they have 3 more tries to close it out. Other than a dynasty, what more could a fan ask for? Especially one of a small-market city.
The entire purpose of this post is how it AMAZES me how some of these fans still aren't satisfied with their team. And I'm talking about the ones who witnessed 3-4 NBA championships.
"0.4"
"Manu costed us 2006
"Hero-ball
"6
Are all common complaints. My question is, why? Why do you all focus on every negative part of the Spurs' history, acting like they have "bad-luck." They aren't in Los Angeles, or Boston, Miami, Chicago, etc. the fact they can even get so far every year is amazing on it's own.
For every .4 or 6, there's the Memorial Day Miracle. Or Robert Horry's Game 5. Or Game 6 against Dallas in '03. I want the championship as bad as everyone else, but the 'woe is me' is getting really old.
I remember thinking back in 2009 that it was all over. Manu couldn't stay healthy and we had Bowen, Finley, and Kurt Thomas looking like grandpas. I believe our other key players were Roger Mason, Matt Bonner, and Ime Udoka. Actually got me excited when we traded for RJ.
I remember thinking back in 2009 that it was all over. Manu couldn't stay healthy and we had Bowen, Finley, and Kurt Thomas looking like grandpas. I believe our other key players were Roger Mason, Matt Bonner, and Ime Udoka. Actually got me excited when we traded for RJ.
So the bad times are:
- WCF
- 1st round exit
- WCSF
- 1st round exit
- WCF
- NBA Finals
I think Clippers or Wolves or a dozen of other team would take it as their best run in franchise history
Naah...I'd win $12,000, so it's all good.
We didn't reload after '07. You have to still look to improve even if you win.
Even if the Spurs got past the Lakers in 08 they would have got crushed by the Celtics. Nothing will top game 6 that game crushed me
One thing I think is missing from the above is the evolution of Pop's system. 2011 was a key year where Pop adopted and adapted some of the innovations from D'Antoni and Adelman. I would call it the beginning. The disappointing end was because he hadn't figured out how to add playoff level size and defense yet, and we had depth and injury issues.
I would call 2012 the emergence, where Pop really innovated beyond the other coaches and created a free flowing weak side motion offense centered around Parker, but that sacrificed offensive rebounding in favor of transition D. The addition of Diaw brought it to another level as his skill set matched what Pop was trying to do.
2013 is the completion, where Pop fused his motion offense with great team defense and bifurcation of personnel in transition to improve rebounding. It was in 2011 to 13 we saw however one traditional trait, the heavy reliance on a superstar, who was Tony. It was a slight weakness as he went down in the finals and frankly even if he didn't, unless you are the best player in the league, the best player can beat you.
So if we get the le, I will call 2014 the fulfillment, not just in our goals but in the Naismith basketball ideal. Ball moves everywhere. We doubled our legit ballhandlers. Almost everyone can shoot and can play with speed. The options in the motion offense exploded, making fixating on TP or anyone else a difficult proposition. Of course if you don't fixate, then TP, DG or someone ignored can kill you. This is a special team with special personnel that make this all work.
Nope, there was a day in between. Game 7 versus the Hornets was May 19, Game 1 versus the Lakers was May 21.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_NBA_Playoffs
The years between the last le and this year (and we still haven't won the le so far) have been contributing years to this team having become the premier, dominating, winning team of ANY sport over the Duncan era.
I WAS a fan for all of the le runs, and as a matter of fact, I was a season ticket holder for all of the le years. I no longer am, but I do know what it was like in those years…and in the years since.
I take some grief from some posters around here for essentially being a 'rah-rah great team' kind of poster, which some folks seem to believe makes a fan indiscriminate or somehow flawed.
Not only am I impressed with what the team has done in the years in which it DIDN'T win the championship, I go further than that in saying that it is a measure of mental health to decide (and it is a decision) to be glad for what you have rather than focusing on 'what might have been' or always wanting more. This is less a criticism of those who bemoan our lack of 'back-to'backs' or focus on the reasons for losses in the years in which we came close than it is a piece of advice for folks who are a whole lot younger than I am. Life is easier to live focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. It's just that simple.
And if the worst thing you have to complain about is the years your favorite sports team didn't get a championship, you are very very very lucky people.
Quite a few teams would call that their best run.
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