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2008 and 2009
2007
1999
2005
2003
2008 and 2009
99 05 03 07
99 team toughest road to finals
05 same as above
03 weak team that overachieved
07 duncan exposing everyone
99 : 15 wins, 2 losses (including 2 sweeps)
03 : Didn't we destroy the Lakers by more than 20 points at Staples Center ????
The 2003 team was an enigma. They occasionally lost focus, but when they were on, they just CRUSHED teams, like the huge comeback at Dallas in game 6, or destroying the Lakers to prevent a 4 peat. I think that team had the most talent, but the least focus.
My list:
1999 - the first, and at 15-2 the most dominant run
2007 - great run, and TP's debutant ball.
2003 - great talent, inconsistant
2005 - Nazr. Need I say more? Thank God for long haired Manu.
03 : I agree ; plus, at the begininning of the season, we were supposed to be in a rebuilding mode (new players, Robinson's last season) ; I was just an amazing run, and it was so great to watch Robinson retire with an unexpected ring.The 2003 team was an enigma. They occasionally lost focus, but when they were on, they just CRUSHED teams, like the huge comeback at Dallas in game 6, or destroying the Lakers to prevent a 4 peat. I think that team had the most talent, but the least focus.
My list:
1999 - the first, and at 15-2 the most dominant run
2007 - great run, and TP's debutant ball.
2003 - great talent, inconsistant
2005 - Nazr. Need I say more? Thank God for long haired Manu.
05 : People make fun of that, but long-haired Manu is so agressive and confident; with shorter hair, it'S not the same ; weird, but true
2003 was clearly the best of them all.
1. They beat the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, that everybody still goes on about, how they'd still be winning championships today had they not been busted up.
2. The Admiral & Duncan, two of the best players of all time together on one team. And before you get on about Robinson having nothing left, your kidding yourself! He'd still be killing it today.
3. Manu might have waiting, but Internationally Manu was already killing it.
4. Big Dogg!
oh and 1999*
That was 2005.4. Big Dogg!
I gave 1999 a slight edge over 2003 because they were mentally tougher, and from the point of being 6-8 there was never a Spurs team that had the "on" switch in the "on" position for a longer, more dominant run. They finished out 31-5 and followed that with a 15-2 playoff run. That is some ing dominance, playing .868 ball over a period of months at crunch time, when the games count.
the '99 team might not have been the most talented but they were the best TEAM. 15-2 with 2 sweeps, hard to argue with that
I just know I had no doubts the 2003 team was going to be the champion right about the time of the road trip...and that's the only one of the champion teams I've been 100% certain was going to win the le no matter what was thrown in their way.
I disagree that team was inconsistent...that team won every big game they played...usually in the 4th with about 5 mins left they'd just clampdown and strangle their opponents. They didn't lose a big game all year. They didn't lose a statement game all year.
They won 60 games which was the second best record ever for a Spurs team and they took out a 3 time champion, a 60 win team, and a returning NBA finalist.
Not other Spurs team took out that caliber of compe ion all in the same post season.
The closest would be the 2005 team...and it took them 7 games to win it.
I agree with your impression of the 2003 team but I put the 2005 team first for exactly the reasons you didn't.
The '05 team struggled, Duncan was hurt. They didn't win every big game, every statement game. There were questions about whether they could pull it out.
And they did. Against all odds, they pulled out a championship that lots of people thought they couldn't.
To me, that's a team that has it.
i have such a hard time ranking 2nd through 4th, but #1 in my mind is 1999. the opponents were shaking in their boots no matter how far ahead they were or how little time was left.
1. 2003 - Duncan was at his peak, it was great to see what he did in the court. Manu was great as a rookie, and beating the Lakers was like the icing on the cake.
2. 2005 - Manu was unbelievable, and Barry was still great.
3. 2007 - Sweep.
4. 1999 - I ranked this last, prolly because it was a lockout year.
Whereas I wasn't sure they would win the championship until they came back from 19 down vs. the Nets in game 6. That team was terribly inconsistent in that if they EVER built up a big lead, they got incredibly lazy and let the other team in the game. Think games 1 and 5 versus Dallas, games 3 and 5 versus the Lakers. There were moments in every series where they could have blown it and lost.
As a matter of fact, the safest bet for them to win a game was to have them fall into a huge deficit, rather than a huge lead. They always seemed to be able to fight back and win a close game if they had to claw their way back in. The 2003 team probably tore up my insides more than any other championship team.
you guys really know how to overrate the 2007 team
1. '03 Spurs - This team was versatile. If you watch the matchups against Dallas, Pop played Jack on Nowitzki. Nellie wasn't the first to do it. Not to mention Tim Duncan was absolutely at his best in 2003. He was a monster on both ends of the court, night in and night out.
2. '99 Spurs - The Admiral was on the decline but still played at an all-star level. This team would absolutely shutdown the paint and grind out games with hard nosed, physical defense. They were head and shoulders the best team that year.
3. '05 Spurs - Big Shot Bob came up huge and made up for his '04 debacle against the Lakers. Game Five against Detroit was one of the most grueling wars of attrition I have ever seen. Manu Ginobili became a full fledged superstar, imo.
4. '07 Spurs - The stars aligned just right. Cleveland and Utah replaced Dallas and Detroit as contenders. And it was obvious Phoenix wasn't ready. Tony Parker plays at a new level in the Finals and his MVP was well deserved.
Here's the deal about the 99 team...which IMO, is the only other one in contention for best championship team...
I think any of our championship teams would have won a championship that year. 15-2? Probably not...but win it all? Yeah I think any of them would have. So while that one may have had one of the most impressive post season runs ever...IMO, it also had the easiest schedule of any of our champion teams.
I agree about the 07 team being over-rated...this past years team was the weakest of them all. It got lucky Dallas was taken out...I wouldn't say we got lucky against the Suns...more like our experience showed. They won't make those mistakes again.
It's a tossup between the 99 and 03 teams but I really don't think any of our other teams would have won the le in 03...
Forget inconsistent, that team was very consistent when it came to big games.
2007 16-4... hard to argue with results. The team this year didn't just win closeout games, they blew them open with no doubt. The team was an efficient beast all PO, I don't think they are overestimated.
I won't rank them because it's incredibly stupid to do so, like ranking your children. They're all equally great.
Game 6 vs LA : perfect
Well, considering that EVERY playoff game is a big game, I don't agree with you on their consistency. They were very inconsistent, and in almost every series. They were also the ONLY one of the four teams to drop a home Finals game before the switch of venue. Yeah, they fought back, but most of the time it was from a hole that they dug for themselves by dropping a dumb game like NJ game 2 or Dallas game 1.It's a tossup between the 99 and 03 teams but I really don't think any of our other teams would have won the le in 03...
Forget inconsistent, that team was very consistent when it came to big games.
DUNCAN, bro. Duncan was great in 2003.
I think if we had Nazr in last postseason we lost as 2006
2003
1999
2005
2007
1. 1999 Spurs - David was still in his prime, and completely cut off any interior scoring. They had a great bigman rotation with Robinson/Duncan/Perdue/Rose, were strong at the three with Elliott and Kersey, got good outside shooting at the two from Elie and JJackson, and AJ played the best season and playoffs of his career. David was still an NBA superstar who kept teams from being able to double Duncan.
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2. 2007 Spurs - Not that deep of a team, but the team has never had three guys do what Duncan/Parker/Ginobili did this postseason. Plus, Bruce was a monster the whole playoffs.
3. 2003 Spurs - Incredible depth at every position.
PG: Parker/Claxton/Kerr
SG: Jackson/Ginobili
SF: Bowen/Jackson
PF: Duncan/Rose
C: Robinson/Rose/Willis
They were young though, and could go into some massive offensive droughts that almost cost them the le. Still, when they were hot they were completely untouchable, and Duncan was annihilating everyone that year.
4. 2005 Spurs - Duncan's injury kept this team from being as good as the 99 team. They owned the league until that game in Detroit when Tim turned his ankle, and with a healthy Duncan I think the series would have gone 4/4/5/6. Manu was insane, especially in that Denver series.
Last edited by baseline bum; 09-03-2007 at 11:35 AM.
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