Dallas is the only team I really fear

[The_Game]

Mavs are a different team than last year, I don't think it will effect them. Last year was last year. They are pretty strong mentally. Really we have to prove we are mentally ok for the playoffs after throwing away game 7 last year. works both ways really.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

1. Benefit of the doubt? With who, the refs? They didn't have it last year either...if that's what you are saying.

2. Three point shooting with the Spurs is better than any other team so that point falls by the wayside also.

3. "Period." Why not just use "." and economize?

Think through what you are going to say first. Your argument will carry more validity.

1. Yes, the benefit of the doubt with the refs; Why? because dallas players drive the ball, and the Spurs are too hesitant, soft, and old --they will not be able to stand in front of their man, so they'll just grab like they've been doing with a lot of other athletic teams.

2. Relative to the Mavs, I consider the Spurs to be not so good a three point shooting team. This is a mavs/spurs topic isn't it? I'm not comparing the Spurs to any other team.

3. I'm en led to type any way I want. And you use the term economize as if it doesnt apply to you, because your not doing much of it yourself with your pointless ridicule/correcting.

[1Parker1]

1. Yes, the benefit of the doubt with the refs; Why? because dallas players drive the ball, and the Spurs are too hesitant, soft, and old --they will not be able to stand in front of their man, so they'll just grab like they've been doing with a lot of other athletic teams.

2. Relative to the Mavs, I consider the Spurs to be not so good a three point shooting team. This is a mavs/spurs topic isn't it? I'm not comparing the Spurs to any other team.

3. I'm en led to type any way I want.

2. In response to the 3 point shooting, Spurs lead the entire league in 3 point shooting, that includes the Mavs.

[mavsfan1000]

Last year I thought the spurs were the better team but once Harris was inserted into the lineup that is when the mavs were brought to the next level. Now this year they started off with Buckner in the starting lineup which was the worst option as a starter. Insert Harris back in the starting lineup and boom they are 24-3 in the last 27 games. I think the biggest advantage of having Harris in the starting lineup is his great defense against opposing point guards.

[Cherry]

werent we saying things like this about Detroit last year around this time?

yes

[Ronaldo McDonald]

2. In response to the 3 point shooting, Spurs lead the entire league in 3 point shooting, that includes the Mavs.

Yes, but I do understand that the Spurs also have a poor record against the "good" teams. How well do they shoot the three against those teams? The Mavs?

I'm not convinced the Spurs are better then the Mavs, much less the even Suns, at shooting the three, despite what stastics show. In a seven game series against one of those teams, I find it hard to believe the Spurs three point percentage wouldn't drop, at least a little. When you think about the success the spurs have had against the bad teams and the lack of against the good teams, I dont think it would be wrong to surmise that the statistics may not be very reliable when put you put the Spurs and Mavs in a series and evaluate certain particulars such as three point shooting percentage. I would think that there would be some disparity...

[Solid D]

Yes, but I do understand that the Spurs also have a poor record against the "good" teams. How well do they shoot the three against those teams? The Mavs?

I'm not convinced the Spurs are better then the Mavs, much less the even Suns, at shooting the three, despite what stastics show. In a seven game series against one of those teams, I find it hard to believe the Spurs three point percentage wouldn't drop, at least a little. When you think about the success the spurs have had against the bad teams and the lack of against the good teams, I dont think it would be wrong to surmise that the statistics may not be very reliable when put you put the Spurs and Mavs in a series and evaluate certain particulars such as three point shooting percentage. I would think that there would be some disparity...

...which has nothing to do with your original point. Yes, the Spurs' 3 point shooting will probably drop below 40% against the Mavs or Suns. They are the #3 and #1 ranked teams respectively in Opp. 3 Pt. %. It doesn't necessarily mean that 3-pt. shooting is the key in the Spurs/Mavs matchups.
The Spurs shot 57% (8-14) from the arc and lost to Mavs in Game 4 of the playoffs last year.

[Budkin]

Plain and simple, rebounding killed us last year. If we don't improve in the rebounding department, we will fall to the Mavs again.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I just did moron

Manu is not that good. He is a good player who can score but is really only on jason terry's level. which isn't bad but he is no star player who you should depend on that much. He's there to fill a role and be the 3rd scorer.

Where the have you been for the past 3 playoffs??

[TwoHandJam]

What I don't like about the Spurs vs. Dallas matchup is our lack of perimeter defense. Dallas has many players that like to break down defenses by driving ... Harris, Terry, Dirk, Howard, Stackhouse. All those guys can put pressure on our defense and usually break it down, either creating scoring opportunities or putting key players in foul trouble.

We can only really counter with three reasonably good perimeter defenders in Parker, Bowen and Manu. That's five threats vs. three and this creates big problems. When the Spurs D breaks down on the perimiter, the last line of defense is the interior D and since David's retirement and Horry's precipitous decline, our interior D has been soft at best. Relying on Elson to be a shotblocker in crunch time during playoff games is risky to say the least and he still isn't comfortable with the system.

I'd also say our lack of rebounding that's carried over from last year is equally deadly against a team like Dallas that likes to crash the boards. You just can't afford to give such an efficient offensive team like that second chances. It's suicide. If I'm not mistaken, the Mavs have not lost a contest this year when they've outrebounded their opponents.

Avery knows the Spurs system better than any other opposing coach and he exploits the weaknesses in our personnel very efficiently. Unless we can address these two key areas (perimeter defense, rebounding) we are going to be at a disadvantage in a series against the Mavs.

[SenorSpur]

What I don't like about the Spurs vs. Dallas matchup is our lack of perimeter defense. Dallas has many players that like to break down defenses by driving ... Harris, Terry, Dirk, Howard, Stackhouse. All those guys can put pressure on our defense and usually break it down, either creating scoring opportunities or putting key players in foul trouble.

We can only really counter with three reasonably good perimeter defenders in Parker, Bowen and Manu. That's five threats vs. three and this creates big problems. When the Spurs D breaks down on the perimiter, the last line of defense is the interior D and since David's retirement and Horry's precipitous decline, our interior D has been soft at best. Relying on Elson to be a shotblocker in crunch time during playoff games is risky to say the least and he still isn't comfortable with the system.

I'd also say our lack of rebounding that's carried over from last year is equally deadly against a team like Dallas that likes to crash the boards. You just can't afford to give such an efficient offensive team like that second chances. It's suicide. If I'm not mistaken, the Mavs have not lost a contest this year when they've outrebounded their opponents.

Avery knows the Spurs system better than any other opposing coach and he exploits the weaknesses in our personnel very efficiently. Unless we can address these two key areas (perimeter defense, rebounding) we are going to be at a disadvantage in a series against the Mavs.

Very well said.

You have articulated wonderfully the obvious weaknesses and vulnerabilities with this version of our Spurs team.

That's what happens when you invest in two 34+ year-old swingmen (Barry & Finley), who both are defensive liabili es.

Over the course of the summer, Pop has continue to claim that fans have over-emphasized the age on the Spurs roster and that we wouldn't be complaining had the team won that Game 7. I say BULL .

This team got brutalized on the perimeter by the Mavs and I had hoped the FO would have done something to address this during the offseason - they did not. If he wants to play "small ball", he absolutely needed to get quicker and longer on the perimeter - especially with the recent rule changes.

Unless the pull the proverbial "rabbit out of their ass" before the trade deadline, expect the Spurs to get exposed again if they face the Mavs in a 7-game series.

[exstatic]

I just did moron

Manu is not that good. He is a good player who can score but is really only on jason terry's level. which isn't bad but he is no star player who you should depend on that much. He's there to fill a role and be the 3rd scorer.

Jason Terry goes to bed at night and dreams of being on Manu's level of clutchness and playoff stepup ability. As MANY here have pointed out, regular season doesn't matter, and that's the only time they may be on the same level.

[Amarelooms]

Jason Terry goes to bed at night and dreams of being on Manu's level of clutchness and playoff stepup ability. As MANY here have pointed out, regular season doesn't matter, and that's the only time they may be on the same level.

Lol whatever Spurs homer. Manu and clutchness?? Based on what lol. I rather have Terry taking a game winning shot than Manu.....

[Ronaldo McDonald]

...which has nothing to do with your original point. Yes, the Spurs' 3 point shooting will probably drop below 40% against the Mavs or Suns. They are the #3 and #1 ranked teams respectively in Opp. 3 Pt. %. It doesn't necessarily mean that 3-pt. shooting is the key in the Spurs/Mavs matchups.
The Spurs shot 57% (8-14) from the arc and lost to Mavs in Game 4 of the playoffs last year.

How does it not have anything to do with my original post?

Maybe you need to read my original post again, because I'm not going to go over it for you.

And, I never said that three point shooting was the one and only KEY in a Mavs/Spurs matchup. It was one of two. And I dont merely consider the general three point percentage shooting key, but more important, consistency in the area from players I have already mentioned. It's key because it keeps Mavs players on their toes, and if players are missing long, it means defensive rebounds will be long, which triggers a transition offense, something the spurs are not suited to defend given the age of some of their players.

Last year, when the Spurs played the Mavs in the playoffs, Robert Horry was practically useless because he couldn't hit the three; needless to say, if he was hitting, even occasionally, they would have taken the series. How many potential daggers did he miss (or not take) last year? And three point shooting isn't important?

[VaSpursFan]

Dallas has many players that like to break down defenses by driving ... Harris, Terry, Dirk, Howard, Stackhouse. All those guys can put pressure on our defense and usually break it down, either creating scoring opportunities or putting key players in foul trouble.

this is the perfect seque into the maggette thread. this is what maggette can bring to the table which is really critical during playoffs, a rebounding swing man that slashes to the basket causing all kinds of havoc on defenses and getting key folks into foul trouble...while hitting his foul shots.

[TwoHandJam]

this is the perfect seque into the maggette thread. this is what maggette can bring to the table which is really critical during playoffs, a rebounding swing man that slashes to the basket causing all kinds of havoc on defenses and getting key folks into foul trouble...while hitting his foul shots.

True, sometimes the best defense is a good offense. I don't think this is true all or even most of the time but the Spurs have definitely lost some of their defensive edge this year in no small part because of the roster they have. They have been trying to win games with their offense more and I'm not sure it's by design or necessity.

Maggette certainly wouldn't bolster our defense but he couldn't be worse than Barry (could he?), he puts pressure on opposing defenses, he'd help our rebounding, he's younger and he would fit in a smallball lineup (ugh). Hard to argue with that.

[Leetonidas]

Lol whatever Spurs homer. Manu and clutchness?? Based on what lol. I rather have Terry taking a game winning shot than Manu.....

And have him miss it right?

But what about the lose ball Manu will dive for?

Or the steal he will get?

Or the block?

Or the perfect pass?

Or shredding the defense?

Or splitting defenders?

Or knocking down a three?

Or getting to the foul line?

Manu Ginobili doesn't need to score to be clutch, he does everything well in crunch time.

[phxspurfan]

yes

nice sig! I was gonna comment on the heights of the players, but on second glance, they look really accurate! =P

[VaSpursFan]

True, sometimes the best defense is a good offense. I don't think this is true all or even most of the time but the Spurs have definitely lost some of their defensive edge this year in no small part because of the roster they have. They have been trying to win games with their offense more and I'm not sure it's by design or necessity.

Maggette certainly wouldn't bolster our defense but he couldn't be worse than Barry (could he?), he puts pressure on opposing defenses, he'd help our rebounding, he's younger and he would fit in a smallball lineup (ugh). Hard to argue with that.

the rules have changed the game making the typical spurs lockdown defense less effective. we need to adapt. maybe our focus shifts to rebounding versus lockdown d. dallas isn't known as a defensive lockdown team, but they sure do rebound the out of the ball. we should have learned from this last season...which means we need to address this. as you mention, if we go small ball, it would be nice to have a 3 on the court that would aggressively rebound the ball unlike bruce. i love bruce, but you can't box out a 7 footer, you just have to go after the ball harder than him and make him come over the back.

right now we're not doing either particularly well. we gotta pick our poison.

[SenorSpur]

Maggette certainly wouldn't bolster our defense but he couldn't be worse than Barry (could he?), he puts pressure on opposing defenses, he'd help our rebounding, he's younger and he would fit in a smallball lineup (ugh). Hard to argue with that.

Another home run!

For everyone who claims Maggette isn't a good defensive player - my answer to that is neither are Finley and Barry. The Spurs have plenty of shooters. By using Maggette to break down opposing defenses and get to the FT line, the Spurs will have yet another weapon for late game situations. After all, Maggette is an 87% FT shooter.

The Spurs absolutely HAVE to do this deal. Frankly, I'm surprised no one has made a deal for him yet.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Despite thoughts that if we had won game 7 pop would've been seen as a genius for small ball, I honestly think if Terry wasn't suspended for game 6 (which was his fault for getting suspended I know) the series would've been over in 6



I hope a good trade happens in february or a miraculous burst in rebounding

I dont mean to downplay the suns but I think we can handle them in a 7 game series

The Mavs are our primary focus

It's a shame they have to play us on the end of a b2b even though they're a tidy 7-0 on b2b's this season

damn mavs fans, appreciate how much props I'm giving your team this may not happen again!

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Isn't January a little bit too early for you bandwagon folk to be starting panic threads? For all you "worried" little es, maybe you guys should just be Mav fans an than have nothing to worry about. Its pathetic how some of you guys are quick to give up on our season, and then call out our players for being soft. Maybe we should start some threads about how soft some of our fans are.

Meanwhile, I'll hold judgment on our team and its season come March/April. Until then some of you head cases should take some paxil and put this season in to prospective. There's still a whole lot of basketball to be played from now through the playoffs. Many things can happen from now and then. And can some one please tell me when have the Spurs ever made any noise pre-rodeo road trip? Besides not to take away from the mavs, but they only have a one game difference in their record from this year compared to last year.

[gilmor]

Never underestimate the heart of the true champions.. the Spurs..
Anyway, I think Spurs vs Mavs will go for broke.. 7 games .. and it will be tense as last year

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Despite thoughts that if we had won game 7 pop would've been seen as a genius for small ball, I honestly think if Terry wasn't suspended for game 6 (which was his fault for getting suspended I know) the series would've been over in 6

My thoughts exactly! Any thing can happen. I don't look at this mav team the same way I looked at the Shaq/Kobe laker teams. When we played the lakers we flat out got our asses handed to us. Last year we put up a great fight with out even playing our style of basketball. And this year the season series is split at one a piece. During both games both teams didn't really do anything to separate them selves from another IMO. It will be interesting to see how the game on Friday will play out.

[Pablo Escobar]

poeple forget its just a job to these guy they could give a about the season untill they get to the playoffs
and i bet its like if we lose then its just an early vacation