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John Salley though, Arsenio's long lost twin.
Yep, counts the exact same.
John Salley though, Arsenio's long lost twin.
Haha! Westbrook
On the contrary, I think of him as an artist on the basketball floor. He's like Michelangelo. Or maybe Donatello. Could be Leonardo. Or perhaps Raphael.
Media darlings, of course not.
The Spurs finished as the number one overall seed in the NBA that year...
And Derek was a part of that success because even in games when he didn't play well it forced LA to honor their man-to-man coverage on him.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...011080SAS.html
Wed Nov 8, 2000 Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs
Spurs Win 91 to 81
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...012010LAL.html
Fri Dec 1, 2000 San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers
Spurs Loss 100 to 109
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...102210SAS.html
Wed Feb 21, 2001 Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs
Spurs Loss 99 to 101
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...103090LAL.html
Fri Mar 9, 2001 San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers
Spurs Win 93 to 89 in OT
Season Summary: Series Tied 2-2 with each team taking one on the other's home court.
Derek had great games in 3 of those 4 games, and laid one egg. If you really think the number two scorer and playmaker for the Spurs that season would not have made a difference in that WCF series, and despite the fact that Derek's career was a dud after he left the Spurs --> because he was a great fit in Pop's system (but not so great out of it) --> then you weren't paying attention. Spurs also had home court advantage that year over the Lakers.
The Lakers really wanted that last game in LA and Pop outcoached Phil (Phil overplayed Shaq and Kobe) to take it from them. So even though LA's superstar duo combined for 71 points the Spurs nullified the contributions from a bench that had hurt them a month earlier in San Antonio.
So despite LA being the reigning champion at the time, to say the San Antonio had no shot at the le that year (had they been healthy) is legitimately undermining the context of that season. The Spurs would have given LA a run for their money.
Only losers and lazy people play an asterisk card.
I think I might also be related with the perception some people have of each team.
They might view some teams as not talented enough or undeserving, so if there are injuries or other cir stances, media can put an asterisk as if they won by luck more than anything. If it's a team with recognized / hyped talent then it doesn't matter that much, like they could have won anyway.
Maybe the Spurs fall under that category some times. Didn't some people, even in this board, commented that Miami had declined when the Spurs won in '14 even when the Spurs practically beat the Heat in '13? That wasn't even injury related.
Idk, it just occurred to me..
Season series, playoffs LA got rolling on another level. Okc swept the Spurs in 014, Spurs turn it up in the playoffs and win in 6, regular season is no indicator of later on. LA was on another level that playoffs, period.
Hence the fans of the team the Spurs beat that year....
All of this is a rather subjective argument... I'm simply trying to point out that Derek Anderson meant THAT much to the Spurs that season... You blow the Spurs off as if the Lakers were unbeatable... Duncan was playing MVP-level basketball, Robinson's back was still more than serviceable in 2001 (in fact there were some games that very season where Robinson played Shaq to a standstill)... Without an athletic perimeter threat, Anderson's absence hurt the effectiveness of of the Spur's inside/outside game... Also Kobe no longer had to expend as much energy on the defensive end, which further bolstered his effectiveness...
The Lakers steamrolled in those playoffs man, the Spurs did the same in 2014 with the point differential and I don't think honestly either team was going to be beat by ANYONE those years. Some teams just get on a roll at the right time man, it is what it is and the rest is history. I agree on DA being a part of that team that year though, without him their chances went from a okay shot to nothing at all against the Lakers (I still think they lose but not in a sweep). I can see and agree with what you said, no arguments there on your points you made.
In game 1 of that series, Juwan Howard took out DA with a flagrant 2 that was as bad a flagrant foul as I've ever seen. The Spurs held focus long enough to punish Dallas, but that was their championship. They weren't going anywhere without Anderson.
Anderson meant more to the Spurs than Kobe did to the Lakers in 2001. Without him their offense and defense just came to a crashing halt. People forget what a great fit he was with the team, probably because he never really amounted to anything after he left.
I had a chance to see the Spurs 3 times that season... Derek was a monster in each of those games... His game was graceful and he developed such great chemistry with Duncan, and DRob in such a short amount of time... it's a shame he bolted... And yes, I'm still pissed about Juwan Howard's dirty play that resulted in Anderson's separated shoulder, particularly because Laker fan never remembers it happened...
I don't mind that Laker fan doesn't remember it, as they had a championship to celebrate. What annoys me is that Spurs fans seem not to remember it.
yeah... just as bad...
I thought DA was a terrible fit, every other guard in the league went off of him that year. DA is one of the worst defenders I have ever seen. I remember Kobe averaged 38 a game on him that year.
who the is john salley? is he that actor from Eddie?
It wasn't just the playoffs. As soon as Fisher returned (he missed most of the season) that team became unbeatable. I laughed at all my Laker fan friends who said the team would get on track once Fisher was back, but that's exactly what happened.
He's the guy at the 1:20 mark in the video
99 - There was no better team in the playoffs, the Spurs peaked at the right moment. It's different to play 50 RS games versus 82, in a sense that injuries or fatigue may happen, but it wasn't Spurs fault the RS got shortened.Yeah the media always makes up some BS to try and take away from our championships.
1999: Lockout
2003: Lakers exhausted mentally from 3 peat, Horry's shot rimmed out
2005: If only the pistons had homecourt
2007: Pheonix players suspended, Mavs upset by Warriors
2014: Heat tired from 4 Finals trips in a row and Ibaka injured
Give me all the asterisks in the world, you beat who is in front of you, that is it, and that is all
03 - Duncan was the best NBA player, better then Shaq from there. There was no better team and the Spurs shut down all * talk.
05 - The Spurs passed through the Pistons en route to the championship. They were the best once again.
07 - The championship was won vs the Suns, and the Pop showed that season he's the master of offense too, not just defense. The Spurs managed to outgun the Suns. Even without Horry hip checking Nash, that caused Amare to get suspended, the Spurs had the pivotal 3:2 lead and two games to close out.
14 - While the Spurs were the best NBA team in 13 too, in 14 they were clearly better then anybody else.
It was actually 2:2 when Amare got suspended and we won Game 5 coming from 20 behind on a go ahead 3 pointer by Bowen with 40 seconds left. Im not sure we win that with Amare playing. But it still doesnt deserve an asterisk because we beat their ass in Game 6 when they had everyone.
Awww, got it.
Yea, they really went on a tear late in that year and I remember later in the year saying this team looks like they are a problem.. Thing is they were really rolling then and steamrolling teams until game one of the finals in which they lost in OT.
I think I was the only person on Sprusreport (no spurstalk back then) who thought LA was going to take that series. Of course I figured it would be in 7 and not 4.
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