Satisfied...

[4001 STEREO SPUR]

I agree with samikeyp.
I think Duncan and the rest of the team would too.

We'll be satisfied when we're holding that trophy

It's nice to be back on a win streak, but we haven't proven anything yet!

[texas84]

I'm tired of all this "Spurs are getting older" talk. If you look at key players:

Erick Dampier is 31. Jerry Stackhouse is 32. Jason Terry is 29, Dirk is 28. Josh Howard and Devin Harris are young, but we've already seen what Howard's youth does last year, which is not much. He can start by calling a timeout when he's supposed to.

Tim Duncan is 30. Elson is 30. Ginobili is 29. Tony Parker is 24. Bonner I figure will play a key role somehow in the Spurs' success in the playoffs, he's only 26. Now if you look at the Spurs bench, they're old, but the bench doesn't equal the championship.

Other than the bench of Horry (won't log very many minutes in the playoffs), Barry, and Finley - What else makes the Spurs old and unathletic?

Horry won't get many minutes in the playoffs... HA! Don't know what dream world your living in, but Horry is your best big man after Duncan. He'll will be playing a lot come playoff time.

Finley's getting old, Barry's getting old, Vaughn is getting old, Bowen is getting old. The Spurs (my friend) are an older team.

They matter, but for the SPURS (not "us" if you want to be politically correct) to go to Dallas opening night and win on their floor, makes a big statement.

If you really consider the first game of the year a statement game... i don't know what to say.

[GrandeDavid]

I think the Spurs have re-established themselves to the position they were in before January 1 when they were 23-8: Top team and contender for the NBA championship.

From January 1-February 11, they had a 10-10 stretch, now they are starting off a 5-0 stretch. I personally never lost confidence in the Spurs, and right now, they are just beating teams they are supposed to beat, no huge accomplishment. I know I'm just stating a bunch of numbers, and the Spurs 5 straight victories featured 3 really easy teams, but it was the Spurs' careless losses to really easy teams that had people talking about the Spurs being on the decline and on the verge of a first-round elimination in the playoffs. They are now 3-0 after the All-Star break this year, and will continue their run as the best NBA winning percentage after the All-Star break in the Duncan era.

The team you saw tonight is very capable of beating Dallas. Dallas should hope that the current team in the past 5 games, doesn't show up in the playoffs.

So, who now here is satisfied with the Spurs for now at least? Five straight is a lot for the Spurs if they were as bad as some people were saying...

Nothing short of a championship will satisfy me.

[td4mvp21]

We beat two tough teams in Detroit and Denver. Denver always gives us trouble because they are bruisers in the paint and Anthony is a tough matchup for anyone, not to mention that they have A.I now. We struggled to beat Denver when we played them back in December and then now we kicked their asses bad. The other teams have been bad, but we wooped them. I like how we are playing. We need to keep this up because we have tough teams in Toronto, Orlando, and Houston coming up. If we can keep the win streak going then I'll be pretty impressed. I still don't know if we can beat Dallas though, it's going to take nearly perfect consistency and team effort.

[td4mvp21]

meh, it would've made a bigger statement had we not dropped our first four games, like you guys would've been the only team to have beaten us in those first two weeks...but the mavs weren't ready for the opening week, they should've been but they weren't, they didn't play the pre-season that the spurs had...anyway, if the spurs had a made a big statement in the first game then they wouldn't have gone on to lose the next two in a row, they would've really impressed upon the mavs that they were better with that *big* statement...but that wasn't the case.

I think it was more of a statement for us rather than to the Mavs...regardless of how they were playing, everyone is rusty opening night. The Mavs were actually up most of the game, if I remember right. It wasn't a huge statement but it definitely counts as a win agains the Mavs.

[jack0fspeed]

I'm tired of all this "Spurs are getting older" talk. If you look at key players:

Erick Dampier is 31. Jerry Stackhouse is 32. Jason Terry is 29, Dirk is 28. Josh Howard and Devin Harris are young, but we've already seen what Howard's youth does last year, which is not much. He can start by calling a timeout when he's supposed to.

Tim Duncan is 30. Elson is 30. Ginobili is 29. Tony Parker is 24. Bonner I figure will play a key role somehow in the Spurs' success in the playoffs, he's only 26. Now if you look at the Spurs bench, they're old, but the bench doesn't equal the championship.

Other than the bench of Horry (won't log very many minutes in the playoffs), Barry, and Finley - What else makes the Spurs old and unathletic

I don't think it's the age so much as the athleticism. The league trend is towards athletic tweeners that can run the floor. The new rules tilt the game in the favor of the perimeter player.

The Spurs have basically stuck with what has worked for them. They have a tough time forcing the tempo with the current personnel. Teams that are athletic and can rebound or create turnovers will give them trouble. The Mavs were contructed the way they were for a reason ... to beat the Spurs.

edit: And by the way, the Spurs should beat Houston. Without Yao the Rockets are a one man team.

[stretch]

The Mavs were contructed the way they were for a reason ... to beat the Spurs.

and to hopefully win a championship. doesnt mean a damn thing to simply beat the Spurs, as we all learned the hard way last season...

[stretch]

I think it was more of a statement for us rather than to the Mavs...regardless of how they were playing, everyone is rusty opening night. The Mavs were actually up most of the game, if I remember right. It wasn't a huge statement but it definitely counts as a win agains the Mavs.

that is the stupidest thing ive ever heard. that game meant NOTHING.

[DubMcDub]

We are very much on the way to that. The Spurs made a big statement opening night in Dallas, regardless what has happened since then.

What the does this even mean?

[td4mvp21]

that is the stupidest thing ive ever heard. that game meant NOTHING.

What is stupid is saying a win doesn't count because the team wasn't playing together. It was a statement for us, to beat the Mavs on the road opening night. That is a tough game.

[jack0fspeed]

either way, a regular season win doesn't mean much.

[td4mvp21]

either way, a regular season win doesn't mean much.

!!! MOTHER ER, that is so hypocritical.

[GrandeDavid]

either way, a regular season win doesn't mean much.

That's what the Heat said.

[jack0fspeed]

that is so hypocritical

I guess you don't get what I'm saying. Getting the #1 seed is important this year because there are 3 top teams. You can avoid playing one of the other 2 teams if you get #1. Otherwise you have to beat both in a playoff series.

But as far as individual regular season games go, they don't mean much. Just 1/82 of getting that #1 seed. I'd sooner lose all 4 regular season games against the Spurs and get that #1 seed than win them all and get the #2 seed.

[jeffdrums22]

This is very much akin to regarding Dwight Howard as a "fluke player." Josh Howard is legitimately an all-star player. The guy dropped 16 ppg and, probably more importantly, 7 rpg in the Spurs/Mavs 2006 series. It's not as if he's a poor player or he's some unheard of guy who has just suddenly appeared. Josh Howard's youth was a vital factor in the Mavericks reaching the 2006 Finals.

I don't disagree with the point that the Spurs are playing better -- albeit against very much weaker compe ion -- but it's asinine to me to suggest that Josh Howard is a liability for the Mavericks.

Josh Howard was not chosen originally as an All-Star reserve, he only made it in because of injuries to other real All-Stars and was picked by David Stern, enough said. I never said he was a bad player, but most of us outside of Dallas didn't know who he was before the Spurs series. Howard's youth was a factor in reaching the Finals, but also in losing the Finals.

Everybody knows at the end of Game 5, if the Mavs had their timeout called at the right time, and advanced it past half court, Dirk or some other Mavs player would have jacked up some wild shot with 2 seconds left that would have gone in and won the game, with Mavs leading the series 3-2, then taking the next on in Dallas. There's no denying it even from a Spurs fan. Fortunately for Spurs fans, we got to see Dallas fail. It was beautiful.

[jeffdrums22]

I don't disagree with the point that the Spurs are playing better -- albeit against very much weaker compe ion -- but it's asinine to me to suggest that Josh Howard is a liability for the Mavericks.

Yeah, playing better against weaker compe ion - But wasn't it the Spurs' losing to weak teams what got everyone talking about them struggling, etc. etc. etc. in the first place??? So now they're back to beating who they're supposed to beat, and still as good as they were prior to January 1.

[jeffdrums22]

What the does this even mean?

It means, we opened the 2006-2007 season beating Dallas, what better way to open the season? We will end the season the same way.

Regardless of our bumpy stretch of going 10-10.

But I guess with you from Dallas, anything that doesn't say "Dallas is the best and got robbed in the Finals", you are not capable of reading.

[FromWayDowntown]

Yeah, playing better against weaker compe ion - But wasn't it the Spurs' losing to weak teams what got everyone talking about them struggling, etc. etc. etc. in the first place??? So now they're back to beating who they're supposed to beat, and still as good as they were prior to January 1.

Actually, I think most of the concern about the Spurs season -- and their playoff prospects -- has less to do with losing to bad teams than it does with the following numbers:

1-2
1-1
1-2
1-2
1-2

Those are, of course, the Spurs records against Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Houston, and the Lakers. Complaints about losing to bad teams are one thing; complaints and concerns arising from the fact that the Spurs are 5-9 against the other top 6 teams in the West (Spurs excluded, of course) is far more substantial. I don't know that beating bad teams will end up turning those far more important numbers around.

I'd be far more "satisifed" to use your word, if the 5 game winning streak had come against Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Houston and the Lakers.

[jack0fspeed]

Everybody knows at the end of Game 5, if the Mavs had their timeout called at the right time ...

The Mavs shot themselves in the foot a number of times in last years playoffs. Howard's timeout, Terry's punch to the groin, Stackhouse flagrant foul on Shaq, DJ Benga doing whatever he did, Mark Cuban making an ass of himself every 5 minutes ...

Hopefully this year they'll handle themselves a little better. The coach can call his own timeouts now too (aka the "Josh Howard Rule"). So that will help.

[FromWayDowntown]

Josh Howard was not chosen originally as an All-Star reserve, he only made it in because of injuries to other real All-Stars and was picked by David Stern, enough said. I never said he was a bad player, but most of us outside of Dallas didn't know who he was before the Spurs series. Howard's youth was a factor in reaching the Finals, but also in losing the Finals.

Sure, but Howard's snub was widely decried by those who actually watch the games as a glaring omission on the part of the Western coaches. And I'm convinced that the West coaches, on the whole, would have put Josh Howard in the top 12 among West players at the break. You can try to put him down as a replacement All-Star, but the fact is that he was an All-Star, and he's played like an All-Star. You'd have to be completely oblivious to what's going on in the NBA to think that Josh Howard was anything other than a deserving All-Star this season.

I also have no idea what you mean when you say that "most of us outside of Dallas didn't know who he was before the Spurs series." You might not have known who he was, but I'd be willing to guarantee you that "most of us" who've posted around here for the last few years have known all about Josh Howard since the days before he entered the NBA. "Most of us" have understood that he's got the game to be a difference maker (read: All-Star) on teams that have legitimate le chances.

That you're myopic when it comes to player evaluation doesn't make your view that of the majority. You've made it quite evident around here that watching games -- particularly games that don't involve the Spurs -- is not a priority to you when it comes to assessments of players. I wouldn't think that such an approach would be shared by the majority of basketball fans.

Everybody knows at the end of Game 5, if the Mavs had their timeout called at the right time, and advanced it past half court, Dirk or some other Mavs player would have jacked up some wild shot with 2 seconds left that would have gone in and won the game, with Mavs leading the series 3-2, then taking the next on in Dallas. There's no denying it even from a Spurs fan. Fortunately for Spurs fans, we got to see Dallas fail. It was beautiful.

So Josh Howard made a terrible mistake in an important moment of a key game and you're convinced that he'll never be anything more than that? In that case, I'd hate to hear what you think of Manu Ginobili.

[Dirk Nowitzki]

I think the Spurs have re-established themselves to the position they were in before January 1 when they were 23-8: Top team and contender for the NBA championship.

From January 1-February 11, they had a 10-10 stretch, now they are starting off a 5-0 stretch. I personally never lost confidence in the Spurs, and right now, they are just beating teams they are supposed to beat, no huge accomplishment. I know I'm just stating a bunch of numbers, and the Spurs 5 straight victories featured 3 really easy teams, but it was the Spurs' careless losses to really easy teams that had people talking about the Spurs being on the decline and on the verge of a first-round elimination in the playoffs. They are now 3-0 after the All-Star break this year, and will continue their run as the best NBA winning percentage after the All-Star break in the Duncan era.

The team you saw tonight is very capable of beating Dallas. Dallas should hope that the current team in the past 5 games, doesn't show up in the playoffs.

So, who now here is satisfied with the Spurs for now at least? Five straight is a lot for the Spurs if they were as bad as some people were saying...

You are really setting yourself up for a HUGE dissapointment. Go ahead and have false hope that you can beat us or the Suns for that matter. The fact remains it will be Mavs/Suns 2007 WCF. The west comes down to those 2. No one else!

[samikeyp]

Fortunately for Spurs fans, we got to see Dallas fail. It was beautiful.

Watching Dallas fail did me no good seeing as how they Spurs failed two weeks before that. Saying "yeah well Dallas didn't win the le" after they dispatched the Spurs is almost as bad as those Mavs fans (not all but some) who said "yeah but we beat the Spurs" after losing in the finals. Myopic and stupid.

[GrandeDavid]

You are really setting yourself up for a HUGE dissapointment. Go ahead and have false hope that you can beat us or the Suns for that matter. The fact remains it will be Mavs/Suns 2007 WCF. The west comes down to those 2. No one else!

Cut the biased bull , will you? Have you even bothered to check San Antonio's record against Phoenix the past few years? Do you even recall that that same running and gunning and YOUNGER Phoenix team got worked over in what should've been a clean sweep, instead in five, during the 2005 WCF?

Wait until...or IF... your team wins one championship at this team's expense before bringing such weak takes to this house. Last year was a great chance, but it was blown. Now your team will face San Antonio again, and they'll be ready. Three and counting.

[Cry Havoc]

You are really setting yourself up for a HUGE dissapointment. Go ahead and have false hope that you can beat us or the Suns for that matter. The fact remains it will be Mavs/Suns 2007 WCF. The west comes down to those 2. No one else!

What did you say? I couldn't see your post, the glint of 3 rings was blinding me. You've won NOTHING, so until you have done something that people will remember past 2007, stop talking like you're the big kid on the block. Your overcompensatory arrogance shows how scared you are of the Spurs.

[DubMcDub]

It means, we opened the 2006-2007 season beating Dallas, what better way to open the season? We will end the season the same way.

Regardless of our bumpy stretch of going 10-10.

But I guess with you from Dallas, anything that doesn't say "Dallas is the best and got robbed in the Finals", you are not capable of reading.

No it means how in the is it "making a statement" to beat a team months ago and then lose to them twice at home since then? Using your own diversion of topic, I could similarly say that the Mavs sure "made a statement" to the Heat in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals.