Spurs - For Real Or Not?

[td4mvp21]

The Spurs before they turned the corner < the mavs.

the spurs now? equal with the mavs. The mavs have been on a tear all season but now, the spurs are back on the mavs level.

No, the Spurs before: <<<Mavs
Now: <Mavs

We still need more consistency, and hopefully (and I mean HOPEFULLY) some production from Ely.

[SpursDynasty]

Teams on the current Mavs' winning streak:

Kings, Sonics, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Rockets, 76ers, Bucks, Rockets, Heat, Nuggets, Hawks, Timberwolves, Cavaliers

If you give the Spurs that same schedule, they can also win 14 in a row. Am I right or am I right?

I think the problem with many teams is when they show up to play Dallas, they give them too much respect, far more than they deserve. Teams play pathetic against Dallas, they don't even show up. I see Dallas play and I don't see them as being any better than Utah or SA. I am not taking anything away from Dallas, teams should always beat who they are supposed to beat, which is what they've been doing all year. The Spurs and Utah play Dallas better than any other team in the NBA though.

"The only team we're concerned with are those boys down I-35" - Stackhouse referring to the Spurs.
"It's personal. I don't like them and they don't like me." Stackhouse referring to the Jazz.

[SRJ]

Which for me is to say they have been capable of doing it all year, they just refused to play well.

Was this just a poor choice of words on your part? Because "refused to play well" to me implies a conscious choice to play poorly.

"Man, Pop's been pissing me off lately. I'm just gonna grab ass in my 20 minutes and I don't really care if we win or not." - refusing to play well.

[ShoogarBear]

So you want to just ignore he was injured?

Cool.

He was told to shoot 20-25 times in the playoffs last year by Pop. If you have a problem with him not passing enough, take it up with the coach. He carried the Spurs almost all last season and got pretty hurt at the end of the Sac/beginning of Mavs series. And he still managed to score 20 a game.

Give it up Kori. For some people the clear priority is, in this exact order:

1. Praising Manu when he does good.
2. Having an excuse for when Manu doesn't do well.
3. Hoping that Tony does poorly.
4. Finding an excuse to rip Tony even when he plays wells.
5. Whether the Spurs win or not.

[SpursDynasty]

Keys to Spurs' playoff success:

1. Beat who you are supposed to beat in the reg. season (they've done this lately)
2. Play atleast .500 or better in the reg. season vs Dallas, Phoenix, Utah (They are .500 vs Phoenix, 1-2 vs Utah and Dallas, with 1 game remaining against each of these three)
3. Ignore the NBA commentators
4. Finished 3rd or better in the West

[mabber]

Give it up Kori. For some people the clear priority is, in this exact order:

1. Praising Manu when he does good.
2. Having an excuse for when Manu doesn't do well.
3. Hoping that Tony does poorly.
4. Finding an excuse to rip Tony even when he plays wells.
5. Whether the Spurs win or not.

That is so true on this site!

In regards to the thread topic...I don't understand why anyone ever thought the Spurs were not for real?

[powerpower]

Give it up Kori. For some people the clear priority is, in this exact order:

1. Praising Manu when he does good.
2. Having an excuse for when Manu doesn't do well.
3. Hoping that Tony does poorly.
4. Finding an excuse to rip Tony even when he plays wells.
5. Whether the Spurs win or not.

SEROUSLY, CAN YOU GUYS FORGET ABOUT MANU VS TONY. ITS GETTING REDICILOUS

[SpursDynasty]

Give it up Kori. For some people the clear priority is, in this exact order:

1. Praising Manu when he does good.
2. Having an excuse for when Manu doesn't do well.
3. Hoping that Tony does poorly.
4. Finding an excuse to rip Tony even when he plays wells.
5. Whether the Spurs win or not.

Haha, this is the best post I've ever read in my life! Post Of the Year Award here!

[SRJ]

In regards to the thread topic...I don't understand why anyone ever thought the Spurs were not for real?

Thank you, Mavs fan. It surprises me too, but in order to see what's going on, you have to look at the season as a whole. Even through their roughest stretch of basketball this season, the Spurs were still among the top five teams in terms of winning percentage and point differential. Their defense has improved steadily over the course of the entire season.

Some fans look at the season differently, and that's why you have some differing conclusions. I don't think a three-game stretch here or a five-game stretch there is as useful as looking at all of it, and a three-game losing streak can create a sense of panic. No team is as good as a winning streak indicates, and no team is as bad as a losing streak indicates.

[ShoogarBear]

"For Real", to a Spurs fan in this day and age, means at minumum proving to be one of the top two teams in the league. Anything else is considered a disappointment. And right now there are still questions about that.

Yes, it's spoiled, but also realistic in that we know that we don't have very many years of Tim Duncan in his prime left, and we don't want to waste them.

[ArgSpursFan]

Give it up Kori. For some people the clear priority is, in this exact order:

1. Praising Manu when he does good.
2. Having an excuse for when Manu doesn't do well.
3. Hoping that Tony does poorly.
4. Finding an excuse to rip Tony even when he plays wells.
5. Whether the Spurs win or not.

Are you serius?,I really feel like most people here gets harder on manu tham on tony,when things aren´t going so good.

[mabber]

Thank you, Mavs fan. It surprises me too, but in order to see what's going on, you have to look at the season as a whole. Even through their roughest stretch of basketball this season, the Spurs were still among the top five teams in terms of winning percentage and point differential. Their defense has improved steadily over the course of the entire season.

Some fans look at the season differently, and that's why you have some differing conclusions. I don't think a three-game stretch here or a five-game stretch there is as useful as looking at all of it, and a three-game losing streak can create a sense of panic. No team is as good as a winning streak indicates, and no team is as bad as a losing streak indicates.

Obviously, there are different ways to win a championship. The Mavs having a really good regular season shouldn't come as a surprise since they blew the finals last season. They have a fairly large chip on their shoulder right now and it's showing in the "regular season"...they have more focus this season than everyone else. Everyone is going to be focused come playoff time so it will just come down to who has the best team at that time. You can't expect a team like the Spurs to have that focus in the regular season since they've won les already (it's just human nature). The real question for Spur's fans is if they think the Spurs are a better team than Dallas when both teams are equally focused. I think the Mavs are better, but I don't think the margin is that great where an injury or a couple of bad breaks couldn't turn it in the Spur's favor (assuming they met in the playoffs).

[ArgSpursFan]

Obviously, there are different ways to win a championship. The Mavs having a really good regular season shouldn't come as a surprise since they blew the finals last season. They have a fairly large chip on their shoulder right now and it's showing in the "regular season"...they have more focus this season than everyone else. Everyone is going to be focused come playoff time so it will just come down to who has the best team at that time. You can't expect a team like the Spurs to have that focus in the regular season since they've won les already (it's just human nature). The real question for Spur's fans is if they think the Spurs are a better team than Dallas when both teams are equally focused. I think the Mavs are better, but I don't think the margin is that great where an injury or a couple of bad breaks couldn't turn it in the Spur's favor (assuming they met in the playoffs).

When you´re playing a Conference or NBA Finals,It´s more important,to think that you are better tham the team you´re playing against tham the fact of being or not better tham them.It´s all MENTAL.

[mabber]

When you´re playing a Conference or NBA Finals,It´s more important,to think that you are better tham the team you´re playing against tham the fact of being or not better tham them.It´s all MENTAL.

I somewhat agree with this and it's why the Mavs finally beating the Spurs last season was huge for them. The Spurs always had the mental advantage over Dallas and now they don't. I don't think Dallas has that advantage over the Spurs though...I think it's equal now.

[SRJ]

Obviously, there are different ways to win a championship. The Mavs having a really good regular season shouldn't come as a surprise since they blew the finals last season. They have a fairly large chip on their shoulder right now and it's showing in the "regular season"...they have more focus this season than everyone else. Everyone is going to be focused come playoff time so it will just come down to who has the best team at that time. You can't expect a team like the Spurs to have that focus in the regular season since they've won les already (it's just human nature).

Intuitively, that seems right, but to me the very characteristic of great teams is that they overcome human complacency. The worst record the Spurs have had in the Duncan era was in 2000 (53-29), the season Duncan missed the last 13 games. The worst record the Lakers had in the Shaquille era (and remember, the Lakers were percieved as the ultimate "flip the switch" complacent team) was 2003 (50-32), when Shaq missed 15 games. Jordan and Phil Jackson never had a full season together when they won less than 56 games. I believe championship coaches have a way of minimizing the human tendency to coast.

The real question for Spur's fans is if they think the Spurs are a better team than Dallas when both teams are equally focused. I think the Mavs are better, but I don't think the margin is that great where an injury or a couple of bad breaks couldn't turn it in the Spur's favor (assuming they met in the playoffs).

I agree with this.

[Dalhoop]

If you look at Phoenix and Dallas' streaks this season, they have been against easy teams as well.

I will have to cry foul on this one.

12 game streak (11/9 to 12/1) - Included wins vs the Spurs, Suns and Wizards
13 game streak (12/13 to 1/5) - Also included the Spurs, Suns and lakers (a tough game for us)
8 game streak (1/9 to 1/24) - Including the Jazz and Lakers (Again, a tough game for the Mavs)

Only the current streak has been devoid of top teams ... You can only play the teams on your schedule.

[mavs>spurs2]

Nothing's changed, either the mavs suns or spurs will represent the west in the finals.

[aaronstampler]

So you want to just ignore he was injured?

Cool.

He was told to shoot 20-25 times in the playoffs last year by Pop. If you have a problem with him not passing enough, take it up with the coach. He carried the Spurs almost all last season and got pretty hurt at the end of the Sac/beginning of Mavs series. And he still managed to score 20 a game.

Listen, he was told to shoot a lot vs. THE KINGS because Adelman was stupid enough to leave Bibby on him. Bibby's the worst defensive player in the NBA so I have no problems with Tony shooting it every time against them. This year if you noticed they abandoned that matchup and let Bibby guard Bowen (he kept leaving him repeatedly and Bruce had his season high that day).

But against Dallas, the matchup is different. They're gonna put Harris on him and he's a good defensive player. We're gonna need him to pass more.