Spurs playing a game of bridge

[duncan228]

Spurs playing a game of bridge
As with the Celtics, age of lineup the wild card
By Gary Washburn
Globe Staff

SAN ANTONIO - It’s been two seasons since the Spurs dusted the Cavaliers for their fourth NBA le in nine years. The Spurs not only were accustomed to winning, they used their highly effective model of roster building to play deep into June annually.

While the 2007-08 version lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals - not a shabby follow-up to an NBA le - last season’s Spurs were taken out by the Mavericks in the first round, leading to major uncertainty as to whether the most critical parts of the dynasty were losing steam.

Tim Duncan is aging. Manu Ginobili has wrestled with ankle problems over the past few years. And while Tony Parker is brilliant, he can’t carry the Spurs by himself. For perhaps one final run, the Spurs dramatically altered their roster, adding Antonio McDyess from Detroit, acquiring Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee, and adding draft steal DeJuan Blair, who had a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds in last night’s 90-83 loss to the Celtics.

The mainstay from the four les is coach Gregg Popovich, who is managing a revamped roster filled with aging but talented veterans (sound familiar, Celtics fans?), and trying to determine whether his club is skilled enough to compete in the Western Conference.

The Spurs are 9-7 after last night’s loss, and like every other team in the NBA, they used the matchup against the Celtics as a litmus test. Popovich is not as confident in this team as in ones past; uncharacteristic losses to Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Portland have caused concern.

“They persevered all night long, the tenacity was there but they were sloppy,’’ Popovich said of his players. “Against one of the best teams in the league, you got to play for 48 or it’s going to bite you in the butt.

“I learned that they have character. They’re not going to hang their head. They’re going to continue to play hard, but we know full well that we’re making too many mental errors in games. Those errors are really glaring tonight against a team so good.’’

The Jefferson and McDyess moves were intended to help San Antonio compete with the likes of the Lakers and Nuggets. But the Spurs already have seven losses in a home-heavy schedule and have wilted against teams with winning records. Last night was their first game against one of the league’s elite teams, and they made a slew of mistakes (19 turnovers, 10 missed free throws).

The question is whether the Spurs may be too old to be considered a le contender. Duncan, 33, has already missed two games to rest. McDyess, 35, is an effective power forward but hardly the jumper he once was. Ginobili, 32, is shooting just 38 percent through his first 11 games.

The Spurs are trying to transition to newer bodies while capitalizing on Duncan’s final years. Popovich is in the precarious position of having to fight for playoff position in the regular season but also rest bodies and limit minutes for the playoffs, especially with Duncan.

Similar to Boston’s Big Three, the Spurs have three All-Star-caliber players with lots of miles, and Popovich, despite his self-deprecating ways, is a genius at managing his team.

“It’s an ongoing, day-to-day, subjective, by-the-seat-of-my-pants decision,’’ he said. “We’ll tell Timmy to take a hike. He won’t like it. But the good thing is, their Big Three and our Big Three are character guys. They understand it. Their teammates understand it. And as they all get up in age, it’s even more important.’’

Not everyone can blend in well with the Spurs’ philosophy. Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford bring in veteran players who are willing to take less money for the opportunity to win.

San Antonio has allowed free agents who would have commanded big-money contracts to leave. Duncan earns $22 million, Jefferson $14 million, Parker $12 million, and Ginobili $10 million. The Spurs build around that core with system players such as Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, and Roger Mason.

“This is my first time coming into a situation with a group of guys that’s always been established,’’ said Jefferson, who scored just 6 points in 35 minutes. “They won 54 games last season without me, without a lot of the new additions, with a lot of injury problems, so our goal is to improve on what they accomplished.

“That’s what they always predicated themselves on here - the ability to win championships. Some teams talk about that and some teams are about that. It’s taken very seriously here.

“You hear other teams say they want to get to the le, LeBron or Miami, but this team has done it, and you know whatever they do, they are serious about it.’’

It’s too early to say whether the Spurs will be legitimate le contenders, but with Popovich in command, every decision has the long-term goal in mind. Just as in Boston.

[lennyalderette]

we played some good but more bad, and if jeff doesnt get it going and parker wont drive, then we arent going anywhere. i think well be ok, by the 20 game mark.esp seeing the turnovers and the final score. oh and dont forget the 3pt and freethrow shooting. i dont know how we kept it close!think it had something to do with a kid missing acls