Rounding into form

[FromWayDowntown]

Fair points, but where does the accidental tip-in by Asik at the end of the Pelicans game fit in? That was the least likely of all.

No doubt. Hence my caveat that the hypothetical game isn't really the basis to evaluate teams.

There are probably some other game changing late-game plays that went the Spurs' way and have slipped my mind.

Still, I think there is a point in saying that the team might not be as pedestrian as the record would suggest.

[Andthentherewas21]

The hypothetical game can get crazy sometimes, but there's an argument that the Spurs are 4 identifiable plays:

• the Gasol 3 at the end of regulation in the 3OT MEM game
  
• just about any play late in the first OT against PRT in the 3OT game
  
• Young's crazy shot at the end of OT in the LAL game, and
  
• the botched inbounds late against DET

from having the 3rd best record in basketball.

True, but on the other hand the Spurs were 30 seconds and up 5 points from winning a championship in 2013. As fans we should take solace in the fact the Spurs haven't been getting blown out, but at the same time they get credit for the games they win, not the ones they narrowly lose. I definitely understand the point your trying to get across and agree with it to an extent, just think we need to acknowledge that the issues closing out close games is bigger than a lot of fans want to believe.

[ElNono]

Manu is really the catalyst.... hope he can have a 2nd part of the season like last season, tbh...

[phxspurfan]

I think the Spurs are still going to struggle a bit this month before rounding into form. They're still a step slow, IMO. I'm expecting them to not start peaking until sometime after March 1st.

[spurs10]

Manu is really the catalyst.... hope he can have a 2nd part of the season like last season, tbh...

Manu is looking good. Yes, he is going to have to be the "catalyst" he was last year, but Tim is going to have to keep playing at this high level, and Tony will have to turn the corner. TP seemed to do just that in the Heat game on 2/6. I think TP has been coasting more than anyone, as if he is saving a little something for the end of the season and playoffs.

[Sean Cagney]

Manu is looking good. Yes, he is going to have to be the "catalyst" he was last year, but Tim is going to have to keep playing at this high level, and Tony will have to turn the corner. TP seemed to do just that in the Heat game on 2/6. I think TP has been coasting more than anyone, as if he is saving a little something for the end of the season and playoffs.

All of the above will have to happen. Kawhi will have to continue being himself as well and developing, all of that has to come together for them to make any kind of run.

[99 Problems]

Red Mamba & Dirk (ASG) have both dunked this season. I'm reading into that that Spurs are on target

[hater]

I think the Spurs are still going to struggle a bit this month before rounding into form. They're still a step slow, IMO. I'm expecting them to not start peaking until sometime after March 1st.

they will start peaking when Parker raises it up a notch. and yes that will probably be in March

[Gospursel]

As I remember it, I didn't become convinced last season that the spurs had the drive and passion until game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. They showed flashes of great play and had some decent wins (and a lot of bad losses to good teams) before the playoffs, but it wasn't until they HAD TO WIN that I started to see champions. I'll reserve judgment until then.

[024]

Too early to declare victory. Spurs are still the number 7 seed when many here predicted them to be the 3 or 4 seed by the all star break (). The Spurs are in a tough Western Conference and it will be a grind to get HCA just in the first round. With the brutal upcoming road stretch coming up, I don't expect the Spurs to make any jump in the standings until after March. But they better go on a good win streak in March because there is very little time left to climb the standings.

[xellos88330]

Nice reference. LOL!!!

[EVAY]

Too early to declare victory. Spurs are still the number 7 seed when many here predicted them to be the 3 or 4 seed by the all star break (). The Spurs are in a tough Western Conference and it will be a grind to get HCA just in the first round. With the brutal upcoming road stretch coming up, I don't expect the Spurs to make any jump in the standings until after March. But they better go on a good win streak in March because there is very little time left to climb the standings.

This is well said.

The notion that the Spurs can move up in the standings by playing as well as they played AFTER the first 6 games of the first round last year assumes that the other teams cooperate by losing more than the spurs.

As my friend the attorney says, that assumes facts not in evidence.

I hope they are right. But the Spurs can only control what their games look like any more. Unfortunately, we are in the position of not controlling the standings any more by winning out.

Best of luck to the Spurs for the last 29 games! Hopefully, no more injuries to our guys.