Question for the masses

[TampaDude]

Very true. The Spurs winning the le last year despite the lack of front court depth is a testament to how good Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and the rest of the team played and how Pop coached. But, the older Horry and Oberto get, the problem becomes more and more glaring. Maybe Mahinmi can contribute next year. Maybe Splitter is the key. But, while some Spurs fans remain infatuated with a long small forward or a back up point guard, the biggest issue for the Spurs for the last 2-3 years has been front court help for Tim Duncan. It's amazing the Spurs have had as much success as they've had with Tim Duncan carrying so much front court responibility.

Ah...what we wouldn't give for another DRob...

[41times]

In light of the Spurs being so dangerously close to the brink of elimination, I have a question for the Spurs community. To what do you attribute the cause of the Spurs recent struggles?

Age?
Fatigue?
Desire?
Overconfidence?
Lack of motivation?
Lack of mental toughness?
3rd Quarter Blues?
Superior opponent?
Coaching?

Good thread because it will address some of the needs for the Spurs going to next season.

Its not: Coaching, mental toughness, overconfidence, motivation.

The key thing(s) IMO is Age. And with age leads to fatigue against younger teams. Age also leads to diminished skills especially in guys like: Finley, Horry, Barry and Bowen.

The Spurs have had great success over the last 8 years because they have had a great set of Star Players combined with quality role/bench players that contribute when necessary.

The failure of the Spurs lately is in large part due to the lack of contribution from the role/bench players. Those guys have gotten older and slower.

The game today is a young mans game, ie. more athletic, quicker faster guys. If you role players have gotten to old or slow to compete with these younger teams like New Orleans for example, it presents a problem. Boston was lucky game 7 was on their court because Atlanta's youth almost got them!

So for the Spurs to be successful going forward, they have to introduce some youth onto the team. The young guys are full of desire and determination and are usually fearless and sometimes cluelless. Every good team needs at least 3 young guys, 3 middle aged experienced guys and 3 guys who have been through the wars. The rest of the lineup can be anything.

If the Spurs don't introduce some youth next year, the current crop of Stars won't win any more les there. IMO.

[SpursDynasty]

In light of the Spurs being so dangerously close to the brink of elimination, I have a question for the Spurs community. To what do you attribute the cause of the Spurs recent struggles?

Age?
Fatigue?
Desire?
Overconfidence?
Lack of motivation?
Lack of mental toughness?
3rd Quarter Blues?
Superior opponent?
Coaching?

Overconfidence and lack of motivation.

It's New Orleans.

Spurs in 7.

[Obstructed_View]

The thing that has plagued them all season: inconsistency.

[NoWhereMan]

Life and basketball can be a at times.

[slayermin]

They relaxed after they beat Phoenix.

Hopefully, they realize they still have a heart beat.

[Man of Steel]

All of the above.

Plus refs in the third quarter prevent our guys from penetrating the lane by allowing Manu and Tony to get raped without any calls and calling chicken calls on our guys;

Manu's ankles

Hornets youth and athleticism

[diego]

no doubt the hornets are a good team, and if they beat us it will be because they outplayed us.

but that doesnt mean that there werent things the spurs fo/coaching staff/players couldnt do better.

though most issues come down to how the roster is formed, that is the most complicated thing to change and i really think this roster has enough to beat the hornets.

really, i think this series scott has done a very good job pushing pop's buttons, and pop is a stubborn man. great coach, but stubborn. and then, where chris paul is finding the space to get in to the paint however possible, tony and manu are not. we can moan about health and refs but the bottomline is paul is penetrating at will but manu and tony arent. peja and peterson are outshooting the spurs 3 pt brigade (which is nearly half our roster).

i've always been a proponent of pounding the ball into the paint to get the other team in foul trouble, but i've come to realize this is a risky strategy- if the calls dont go your way you just get beat up while the other team breaks away.

so there are several things that could have and could still be changed, on both ends of the court. until this series is over, its impossible to make a real judgement. i dont think its the same to lose in game 7 OT on a buzzer beater, than if the hornets win all 4 games so convincingly. In that case you can bet everyone here will be questioning everyone from Duncan and Pop to Bonner and the coyote.

[poo-doe wayne-o]

Overconfidence and lack of motivation.

It's New Orleans.

Spurs in 7.

if your seeing unmotivated play by the hornets moreso than the spurs, point it out please. and yes, they think they can do it.


ya, ive seen your posts before.

many people here say things that might not be too realistic.

most cases of such are more the result of being diehard spurs fans than being foolish.

you not so much.


spurs dynastys next rally cry,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SPURS IN 8 !!!!

[Brutalis]

Tim Duncan is surrounded by old, slow, immobile teammates in the front court. Teams that have athletic front courts can exploit this. It's suprising the Suns weren't able to except for the fact that hack-a-Shaq may have played a bigger role than people initially gave credit for in that series win.

Even if the Spurs were to get past the Hornets, you will find similar problems against the Lakers or the Jazz. Who on the Lakers is Kurt Thomas and Oberto going to guard? Gasol or Odom? On the Jazz, if Kurt and Oberto guard Boozer, you want Duncan running all over the perimeter chasing Okur's three point shooting?

The Spurs desperately need an athletic and mobile front court big man to help Duncan out.

Did you not see the Spurs/Jazz WCF last year?????

[Avitus1]

3rd Quarter piss aways...