Buck Harvey: Duncan's One Flaw?

[pache100]

That's fine. It just helps when what he writes has some relationship with reality. Numerous times it doesn't. He will write negatively about Tim and the Spurs, saying things that most basketball analysts (with or without any relationship to the Spurs) believe are untrue...

This is what Harvey does for the town and people of San Antonio, while covering Tim and the Spurs.

I agree. Sometimes his articles are right on target and tend to favor the Spurs. These are the ones that seem the most factual to me (and I'm not saying that just because I'm a homer...it just seems like there are more points to these articles that can be backed up by statistics or verified some other way). Then, at times, when reading a Buck Harvey article, it seems like I am reading the perspective of a hardcore fan of some other team (any other team). Buck Harvey is a hometown newspaper writer. He needs to decide whether he's a Spurs fan or not. If he IS, he needs to state such and write accordingly. If he's NOT, he needs to state such and decide what kind of fan (of which team) he IS and write accordingly. Even though some of his pro-Spurs articles appear to be deep, insightful, and meaningful, the things he says (that make no sense) on the days he appears to be someone else's fan make me su ious of everything he says. I get tired of his mind games and trying to decide who he is rooting for today.

[Marcus Bryant]

And where do you suppose we get this depth at? You've been whining like you're on the rag for the last two months about the 14th and 15th guys at the end of the bench (like Sanders).

Well, Cornbread, you actually sign guys when they're available in the offseason. Lynch and GRobinson are still available, if the Spurs were really willing to carry some depth this season.

Oh wait, if we only had Devin Brown, his 4.0 PPG, and his bad back this would all be better.

Well, Devin Brown managed to beat out one of the Spurs' current swingmen for a rotation spot last season. Kinda hard to ignore that fact.

Straw man? I was pointing out your infatuation with scrub players. I don't think you're happy unless you can root for a team full of Rudys.

Funny, a team full of solid role players has helped this team win 3 championships.

[Extra Stout]

By the way, so what if Duncan's effectiveness is partially dependent upon getting calls?

Is Manu any different?

Is Shaquille O'Neal any different?

Was Karl Malone?

Was Michael Jordan?

Was there ever a superstar so great that you could bludgeon him half to death the entire game and he'd still get 25 and 10 on 55% shooting?

[Marcus Bryant]

Stop going to Shaq because 'Toine is heating up from beyond the arc.

[Extra Stout]

Hmm, my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall Horry coming off the bench for 15, Manu dropping in 23, and because of those two efforts we were close enough at the end of the game for Tim to do his thing. Owned. Good night

Yes. Your memory is fuzzy. No, really your memory is a complete fabrication you created to back up your ty argument.

Tim Duncan did his damage in the latter half of the third and the early part of the fourth quarters. He got the Pistons frontline in foul trouble and opened things up for his teammates (like Manu and Horry) because Detroit had to throw everybody at him.

By the way, Tim Duncan took 27 of the Spurs' 68 shots in that game, or 40%. The other night, Tim took 18 of the team's 83 shots, or 22%. He wasn't even the leading shooter -- Parker had 20 attempts. There is no objective evidence that Duncan was looking for his own shot at the expense of his teammates.

Basically, you have no point. Your arguments are based upon things than happened only in your imaginary little world. Perhaps they make sense there.

[boutons]

"no objective evidence that Duncan was looking for his own shot at the expense of his teammates."

he kept trying to shoot when he was effectively neutralized by his own screwed up head and/or by the defense. He was so upset and out of rythem he couldn't make his FTs at the rate of previous games.

Tim simply wasn't effective, continuing 4-down cost us the game.

Don't pull him, he's valuable as non-scorer, esp when the frontcourt, esp 3G's @ 57%, was scoring great.

[ShoogarBear]

Was there ever a superstar so great that you could bludgeon him half to death the entire game and he'd still get 25 and 10 on 55% shooting?

Nope. That's not the point, though.

My problem with Tim is not so much that he does or doesn't get calls. It's his tendency to withdraw into his little s of funk and look like he's just completely given up.

Now, I KNOW that's just Tim's way of working through stuff, but he's got to realize that body language has an unsettling effect.

When things didn't go Michael's or Larry's or Magic's way, they just got pissed. They never got that scared,helpless look. Maybe it didn't win them that particular game, but damn, you knew they were going to come back strong the next one.

Sure it's nitpicking, but maybe the lack of that kind of at ude is what cost the Spurs in 04.

[pache100]

When things didn't go Michael's or Larry's or Magic's way, they just got pissed. They never got that scared,helpless look. Maybe it didn't win them that particular game, but damn, you knew they were going to come back strong the next one.

Haven't you ever seen Tim set his jaw, put his head down, run like the ens, and get that "YOU are NOT going to take this away from me" gleam in his eye? He gets it at officials, other teams, and Mark Cuban. Tim gets pissed, too. Sometimes it's enough and the rest of the team catches it...sometimes not. Sometimes he can do it by himself, whether they are on board or not...sometimes not. But, I have never seen him give up. I have seen the "deer-in-the-headlights" look on Rasho's face; I've seen it on Tony's face; I've seen it on Nazr's face. I have never seen it on Tim's nor Bruce's face. What I see when Tim "goes inside himself" is DETERMINATION. Never fear.

As for "coming back strong in the next one"...I usually pity the fools that have to play the Spurs after a loss, especially a bad loss.

[ShoogarBear]

Haven't you ever seen Tim set his jaw, put his head down, run like the ens, and get that "YOU are NOT going to take this away from me" gleam in his eye?

Yeah, I've seen it. I didn't say he never gets it.

But, I have never seen him give up. I have seen the "deer-in-the-headlights" look on Rasho's face; I've seen it on Tony's face; I've seen it on Nazr's face. I have never seen it on Tim's nor Bruce's face.

You must not have seen Game 4 of the Finals. And if you remember, Horry completely saved Tim's ass in Game 5.

[boutons]

"Horry completely saved Tim's ass in Game 5."

re-watching game5 on NBATV on the weekend before tipoff week broght this home to me like never before. Tim was painful to watch, I winced several times, even knowing how it ended.

[conqueso]

How's he supposed to know he's going to miss all night long from point-blank range? This is some of the lamest 20-20 hindsight I've ever seen.

It's actually not hindsight. When I play basketball and I'm having an off night, when the shots I know I can usually make just aren't falling and I'm missing two foot layups for some inexplicable reason, I realize it during the course of the game and alter my contribution. I still call for the ball, still make a move, but will no longer shoot unless I'm wide ing open or it's a cherry-picking layup or something. You can just feel when you're off. Of course you never know you're going to end up exactly 3-18 or whatever, but when you've taken 10 or 11 shots and only made three, it's pretty easy to look inside yourself and say "I don't have it tonight." These are the times that Tim should be passing and facilitating, not trying to force shots.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Basically, you have no point. Your arguments are based upon things than happened only in your imaginary little world.

Imaginary little world? Tim Duncan went 3-18. We lost by 15. Welcome to reality, pal.

How's he supposed to know he's going to miss all night long from point-blank range?

Spoken like a goober who has never played sports in his life, particularly basketball.

If you'd ever played anything other than your playstation, you'd know. As should Tim.

BTW, love the personal attacks. Some people just have to compensate for a weak argument.

[Marcus Bryant]

BTW, love the personal attacks. Some people just have to compensate for a weak argument.

Funny, you often resort to using such attacks.

[milkyway21]

Hmm, my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall Horry coming off the bench for 15, Manu dropping in 23, and because of those two efforts we were close enough at the end of the game for Tim to do his thing.

is this true?

i thought we were suddenly down 9 pts early in the 3rd, then Duncan after a timeout, controlled the game diving for the ball on the floor, a 3pt play and in no time erased the lead

then Detroit asked for a timeout w/ Spurs leading. It was in that timeout told Manu "be ready because I won't be taking the shots all the time, I might pass the ball back to you".
Then Manu began his spurt, then Bowen made one from the arc(pass from Duncan, too).

and I thought this might be the reason why Duncan earned his Finals MVP.

ohh, maybe i was watching another game.

[Samr]

Duncan may have one bad game in twenty, but Harvey writes about one GOOD article in twenty.

[pache100]

Duncan may have one bad game in twenty, but Harvey writes about one GOOD article in twenty.

Right on the money.

As for backing off on your contributions when you feel you are "having an off-night"...you will never pull out of a slump if you quit trying. The only way to get through it is to play through it. That's what Pop preaches to Tony all the time. If you quit, you just stay down and never come out of it.