Post Game Press Conference Grades

[Mavs<Spurs]

Perhaps. I don't think the Nuggets of this year are better than the Nuggets of 2005. Iverson did a better job of taking the ball out of Carmelo's hands than the Spurs ever could.

I need more time to see the Suns defense to decide if this year's team is better than the 2005 team as well. I know this year's Spurs team could be better than they were in '05. The Spurs had a ten point lead at the end of the first quarter of each of the first two games in Phoenix back then, IIRC.

As a Spurs fan, I'm certainly not looking five playoff victories in a row in the mouth, I'm just saying as a basketball observer that the Spurs can play better. I think they played better during their streak than anyone in the league this year. If that team shows up for the rest of the playoffs they don't lose another game.

Make no mistake, I'm enjoying watching the games, unlike last year watching smallball give up layup after layup.

We both probably agree that last year was a terrible year for a Spurs fan.

I hated it.

[Obstructed_View]

We both probably agree that last year was a terrible year for a Spurs fan.

I hated it.

I made an analogy one day about watching a dog wander onto the freeway. You know something bad is probably going to happen but your hope makes you keep watching. That's the way I felt last year.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I made an analogy one day about watching a dog wander onto the freeway. You know something bad is probably going to happen but your hope makes you keep watching. That's the way I felt last year.

Exactly. Nazr and Rasho were playing so bad that Pop didn't have confidence in playing them. Tim's PF was trouble and he couldn't cover the paint completely by himself.

Despite our record, I think that we all knew that this team was very beatable.

[Obstructed_View]

You make legitimate points.
I can see what you are saying.

However, I feel that there is more room to criticize the other teams than there is to criticize the Spurs, relatively speaking. And this is a comparison.
(I could point out the weaknesses that I see in other teams and make a pretty good argument that whatever the Spurs weaknesses in their recent games, they appear to be more impressive than any other team- with the possible exception of the Pistons who played the Magic (who are not as good as the Nuggets).

Perhaps you disagree.

Possibly so, but I know the Spurs far better than any other team, so I have more criticisms. For better or worse, I've seen them play their best this season and it's above where I've seen anyone else play this year. They certainly have the potential to be the best team, and they are so good they could win it all playing at less than their best. I think they are playing much smarter than last year's team or the '03 championship team so far, which is an advantage.

[Obstructed_View]

Exactly. Nazr and Rasho were playing so bad that Pop didn't have confidence in playing them. Tim's PF was trouble and he couldn't cover the paint completely by himself.

Despite our record, I think that we all knew that this team was very beatable.

Nobody showed up for game 2 except Duncan, yet the coach only saw fit to bench the centers. Huge mistake. I'll never be convinced otherwise. Of course, I can point to the fact that the Spurs lost to defend my point. I don't want to get into that again. It just makes my stomach hurt. The Spurs won't win the championship this year without Elson and Oberto playing.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Possibly so, but I know the Spurs far better than any other team, so I have more criticisms. For better or worse, I've seen them play their best this season and it's above where I've seen anyone else play this year. They certainly have the potential to be the best team, and they are so good they could win it all playing at less than their best. I think they are playing much smarter than last year's team or the '03 championship team so far, which is an advantage.

For me, that 03 team was a team of destiny - example-Horry's shot in 03 could have gone down, Stephen Jackson was somewhat unpredictable, Manu could be great or terrible, Tony was up and down.

A lot of things fell into place for that team.

I feel that the 99 team was unbelievable in terms of the front line, obviously.

The 05 team was really Tim, Manu and Horry, and excellent defensively.

This team has weaknesses at the center position especially, rotation, rebounding, keeping the defense honest...


If Manu can get on track and Finley, Parker and Tim maintain, then we should win it all.

If not, we can still get there, but it will be much harder.

The other thing, though, about Manu's game is as Sean Elliot reminds us, "Manu Ginobili's game is all about winning. Yeah, maybe you can get a guy to give you the same amount of points and rebounds. But Manu's Game is all about Winning" I think that the point he is getting at is the hustle, the defense, the fact that Manu can so strongly influence a game without having to score and that he will do whatever it takes to win, regardless of whether it shows up on the stat sheet or people credit him for it.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I really liked what I heard and I saw from Tony Parker after the game.

His comments portend good things from him in game 2.

[lefty]

What about D'Antoni?

[Purple & Gold]

I loved how Nash called out the rest of his team in terms of them not having a certain "fire" for game 1.

That's what I caught. He definitely called his teammates out.

[thousandth]

Nobody showed up for game 2 except Duncan, yet the coach only saw fit to bench the centers. Huge mistake. I'll never be convinced otherwise. Of course, I can point to the fact that the Spurs lost to defend my point. I don't want to get into that again. It just makes my stomach hurt. The Spurs won't win the championship this year without Elson and Oberto playing.

The Spurs won´t win the championship with Vaughn
Elson makes me miss Nazhr. and Rasho. and Malik. and...But, I like Oberto.