ITT: post as if you're a ST user at this same time of season in December... 2002

[UNT Eagles 2016]

There was no cliff jumping because we weren't supposed to do that year. It was branded our rebuilding year by everyone (media, the franchise, etc). Then toward the end of the season, all the stories were how the spurs were doing so well in a rebuilding year.

Really? I thought 2004 was supposed to be the rebuilding year, considering David retired, and 8 other guys left (including several key rotation players and all the old guys except Kevin Willis). I don't think anyone expected the Spurs to not at least be in the playoff mix in 2003. In 02-03, the Spurs started out 12–9 and were 19–13 at the end of the calendar year after road losses to the lowly Knicks and then the Wizards on New Year's Eve. Most people at around that time had the Spurs in the 4-7 seed range and likely first round fodder with a second round ceiling.

[bdictjames]

Dang, are the Lakers gonna four-peat? Nobody can ever stop Shaq and Kobe, what a force. Can two players be top 10 of all-time?

I believe Tim Duncan can carry this team. If anyone can do it, Timmy can! It may take us a couple of years, before Manu and Parker develop, but we will be a force in the West for sure! I hope the Admiral stays healthy.

Can someone remind me why we still have Steve Kerr? Lol.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Dang, are the Lakers gonna four-peat? Nobody can ever stop Shaq and Kobe, what a force. Can two players be top 10 of all-time?

I believe Tim Duncan can carry this team. If anyone can do it, Timmy can! It may take us a couple of years, before Manu and Parker develop, but we will be a force in the West for sure! I hope the Admiral stays healthy.

Can someone remind me why we still have Steve Kerr? Lol.

Stephen Jackson sucks. His shooting form is awful, he's a turnover machine, and he doesn't seem to fit the Spurs' character model. Keep starting Steve Smith until this Emanuel kid gets good. I'm looking forward to meeting young Emanuel Gee-noh-bee-lee at Ihop next month.

[Duncanforthree]

This Ginobli guy is getting really good at drawing charges. I think it's all that long hair he has. Hope he never goes bald.

[Hemotivo]

2002/2003
Manu

[Drachen]

2002/2003
Manu

Speedy is saying "this is where your head will look like mine"

[Drachen]

Really? I thought 2004 was supposed to be the rebuilding year, considering David retired, and 8 other guys left (including several key rotation players and all the old guys except Kevin Willis). I don't think anyone expected the Spurs to not at least be in the playoff mix in 2003. In 02-03, the Spurs started out 12–9 and were 19–13 at the end of the calendar year after road losses to the lowly Knicks and then the Wizards on New Year's Eve. Most people at around that time had the Spurs in the 4-7 seed range and likely first round fodder with a second round ceiling.

I'm not saying that anyone expected them to miss the playoffs, just that we weren't going anywhere that year (first round fodder). We were supposed to be rebuilding on the fly (toward the end of that year and definitely after the le came all of those "we don't rebuild, we reload" articles and ads)

[TheGreatYacht]

I don't know why, but this Matt Barnes kid looks like he'll on us 13 years from now....

[SpursFanInAustin]

I'm not saying that anyone expected them to miss the playoffs, just that we weren't going anywhere that year (first round fodder). We were supposed to be rebuilding on the fly (toward the end of that year and definitely after the le came all of those "we don't rebuild, we reload" articles and ads)

A lot of media and fans pretty much had Lakers and Kings penciled in for a rematch in the WCFs. I believe there might have been some cliff diving after the Spurs lost that first road game of their first ever rodeo road trip to Minnesota.

Like I said before, a lot of our concerns were things like Duncan's pending free agency in the summer of 03, and everyone's contract except for Malik Rose, Bruce Bowen along with Parker and Manu's rookie contracts. We weren't sure if Duncan was going to bolt and San Antonio would be in rebuilding stage. It wasn't until around the AS-break (right around the time Spurs began to play well) that we felt confident Duncan would stay, especially around the time of March 6, 2003 when the Nets came to town in SA and rumors were beginning to circulate that Duncan was going to stay in SA and help recruit Jason Kidd to SA.

[Frank Dux]

Sitting at a table at the Backroom in Austin with my buddies watching games.

"There's a good chance I'll legitimately cry when D-Rob retires."
"Oh, dude. I'm definitely going to cry. Full-on tears."
"Yeah, there's no way we don't cry."

That's pretty much how every game went.

[gospursgojas]

Just scored some 5 dollar tickets for when Shaq and Kobe come to town. Sec 305 Row 85....Anyone know how the parking is at the arena?

[travis2]

I remember being at SR.com at the time (I didn't join ST.com until March 2003, when SA began to play well and get hot).

ST.com started in its current form around then. (I remember being one of the pre-release betas...checking out functionality, readability, things like that)

Steve Smith was still the starting 2-guard and was like "the RJ of 2002-03" and nicknamed "Herpes in the @$$" by one particular poster.

Oh, God I haven't seen the acronym HITA in years...

[eric365]

wassuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup?

[Blake]

"there's a red headed sharp shooter in Toronto that would be a perfect fit for the Spurs. He spaces the floor with his 3s and is awesome on his plus minus stats. Matthew Bonner, iirc"