ESPN Spurs Forecast

[024]

concerning the three categories the spurs struggled with last year, the team has done all it possibly could to plug up those holes. offensive rebounding, free throws, and turnovers can all be created by the offseason additions of blair, mcdyess, jefferson, and the return of ginobili. short of installing bionic ankles/knees on ginobili and duncan, spurs have gotten rid of their every weakness prevalent in 2008 and 2009. what hollinger does not recognize however, is that a 54 win team (tied with the nuggets) last year just got even better. a 53 win prediction, which is worse than last year, is pretty pitiful. spurs will win 55+ games.

[lennyalderette]

so we replace bowens 3ppg stats with jeffersons 20 ppg replace kurt thomas's 4ppg 3rpg with antonio mcdyess double double average replace vaughn's 2ppg 0rpg with bogans 7ppg/4rpg as a back up pg a healthy manu ginobili who was avg 15ppg injured lol, and a slimmer tim duncan who is in the best shape of his career since he won his mvp and we end up at the same place in the end? wow this guy is intelligent!!!! lets just get this going so we can see you closet laker fan sports writers seem like idiots when kobe's crying in the western conference finals once again because timmy had his way with you

[OrEmuN]

I thought it was an ordinary article, nothing new or different from what we have read from our sources. The only part that is interesting is the first part where he has highlighted "Spurs games were notable for the absence of turnovers, free throws and offensive rebounds by either side"

Besides that, the rest are quite 'cliche'. Everyone speak of us as too old, having health issues. Health affects everyone, not just those who are injuried last season. If Kobe goes down, that will render Lakers' chance of repeating to nearly zero. If Nowitski is injuried, Dallas may not make it past 1st round. If Carmelo/Garnett/Lebronis taken out for a season, Denver, Celtic and Cleveland would be screwed too.

All I am saying is that injury will surface anytime to any team. Its just easy to discredit us by harping on the issue that will affect everyone, not just us but that is his pregorative. I for one, hope that everyone stay healthy and we will beat everyone at 100%

[DPG21920]

Yes, injuries can effect everyone, but he is talking about probability. Duncan or Ginobili are more likely to be injured than Kobe, that is why it is pointed out.

[kbrury]

so we replace bowens 3ppg stats with jeffersons 20 ppg replace kurt thomas's 4ppg 3rpg with antonio mcdyess double double average replace vaughn's 2ppg 0rpg with bogans 7ppg/4rpg as a back up pg a healthy manu ginobili who was avg 15ppg injured lol, and a slimmer tim duncan who is in the best shape of his career since he won his mvp and we end up at the same place in the end? Wow this guy is intelligent!!!! Lets just get this going so we can see you closet laker fan sports writers seem like idiots when kobe's crying in the western conference finals once again because timmy had his way with you

........

[OrEmuN]

Yes, injuries can effect everyone, but he is talking about probability. Duncan or Ginobili are more likely to be injured than Kobe, that is why it is pointed out.

Yes, I could understand that but i wonder on the basis of that. Just because Duncan and Manu are injured last season? Those who are injuried can recover to play the whole season. Just look at Grant Hill, Vince Carter who has played nearly all the game last season despite having health issues earlier in the career)

If his basis is on age, Kobe is also on the 30s, along with Garnett, Shaq, Ray Allen, Carter, etc.

Anyway, just wish to point on the assumptions that he had made to make his prediction may not be correct.

[kbrury]

Yes, I could understand that but i wonder on the basis of that. Just because Duncan and Manu are injured last season? Those who are injuried can recover to play the whole season. Just look at Grant Hill, Vince Carter who has played nearly all the game last season despite having health issues earlier in the career)

If his basis is on age, Kobe is also on the 30s, along with Garnett, Shaq, Ray Allen, Carter, etc.

Anyway, just wish to point on the assumptions that he had made to make his prediction may not be correct.

There are so many factors involved when predicting just a single game let alone a season but articles like these for each team attract a large amount of readers. I think the statistics he provides in the article is just an attempt to make his prediction look more believable because really you can't use them on this Spurs team which has changed drastically.

So chances are he could be wrong on most teams because its just his educated guess.

[Obstructed_View]

Michael Finley, for instance, started 77 games and played 30 minutes a night because of the shortcomings of those around him.

Smell that? It's called irony.

[mountainballer]

what's the problem people?
Hollinger predicts a 53 wins season. that's good news, because the chance it in fact his predictions come true is almost zero.
(we will see 58 wins IMO)
if Hollinger had predicted a 60 wins season - now that's a reason to get nervous.

[EricB]

Yes, injuries can effect everyone, but he is talking about probability. Duncan or Ginobili are more likely to be injured than Kobe, that is why it is pointed out.

With all the miles on Kobe's body he's also due for some injuries as well.

Again, why isn't that pointed out?

[TDMVPDPOY]

you guys only think it is bad because he predicted you wouldn't make the finals..

no, its just fkn hollinger

[ambchang]

At least the Spurs are going to make the playoffs this year.

[K-State Spur]

The Spurs' advanced age and conservative playing style did produce one interesting element, however: Statistically they were a basket of anomalies, one of the truly unique teams in NBA history.

Translation: I was really really wrong about the Spurs last year, so I'm going to point out some stats that actually always describe the Spurs (in recent years), but call them anomalies so that absolve me of the fact that I have been enjoying the smell of my own farts too much to realize that my stats may not be the end-all-be-all predictors.