I said it in the Parade at the Alamodome, in San Antonio: "I'm not leaving without another ring". This year the only option we have is the le. Imagine that we won the championship deservedly, everyone remained (except Devin Brown) and we added three tremendous players (Fabri Oberto, Nick Van Exel and Michael Finley). Last season, we were not satisfied with only playing the finals, so this year, less.
Everyone's surprise were the new players. We know Fabri Oberto very well. But no one expected the arrival of Van Exel and Finley, not even the people of San Antonio. Van Exel's signing was more foreseeable but I thought Finley was going to choose Phoenix or Miami. He decided to join us and we are very happy.
We don't have to think that the arrival of them will clear minutes for us. I think that they are giving me rest. I feel that Pop and RC Buford take care of me very well. I know they look for the best for me, and for Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, as we are the main column of the team. Finley is not going to play 35 minutes, he is going to give us quality minutes. That we always need from the bench: quick points and the ability to change the game. Both will give us a hand, because they have experience in closing games and they are good shooters. Although last season we were better in shooting than before, always is good to add, as you have a player like Duncan who generates a lot of space. I am generating free space too and is helpful for me to play with shooters.
Anyway, we are not going to transform in a team who depends on that. Popovich doesn't like three pointers too much. Everything will depend on the inteligency of each one, how we connect and everyone understand his role. Bruce Bowen and me feel comfortable to know we have such players behind us.
If you look at the bench of San Antonio, you will see that it can compete with more than twenty starting lineups from the NBA: Van Exel, Finley, Barry, Horry and Oberto. It's a great team for a second alternative. It will allow us to keep the intensity without errors. It give us a depth that it's not seen in a team very often.
There are many reasons why a lot of players want to come to San Antonio. Because in the last years it has gained an impressive reputation. It's a team incomparable to any others. Players like Finley resign money and protagonism to be with us. They know the treatment here is very good and they always will have the possibilty to win. It's an example to follow. The rest of the franchises look, studies and try to copy it. Also they don't spend too much money, as they are in the middle of the salaries table.
I believe that for that reason the mentality of the compe ion in general is changing a little. The teams are trying to begin playing more responsibly. What it sells more is to win. The franchises, no matter how pretty they play, gain money when they are champions. Perhaps they will sell some more t-shirts, but the money arrives from the television, the prizes and the finals.
About the rest of the teams, Phoenix was built very well. They changed a little their style: they were all offensive, they saw that they needed to be a little more balanced and looked for a little game on the other end. Miami also has a great team, although it is unknown, because they added new players who are used to have protagonism (Jason Williams, Gary Payton and Antoine Walker). Indiana is going to be above because it is the same team which played well last year losing Jermain O'Neal to 30 games, Stephen Jackson for 40 and Ron Artest for all the season. This year they are going to play all together and they added lithuanian Sarunas Jasikevicius, a great player. Detroit maintains the same team and added Maurice Evans and is going to be there. But, as I said before, in certain way, everything will depend on us.
If something differentiates this season respect to my previous years in the NBA is that for the first time I rested and made a good preparation. The main thing is that I trained very well. I finished the finals with four kilos (9 lbs.) less and now I have one more kilo of my habitual weight, so I recovered almost five kilos. My intention is to arrive at the 94 or 95 kilos, and I am in 91 or 92. It was not the objective obtaining it already, it is something that I am going to obtain little by little. I have time, we have more than a month until the start, so I will follow with the weights. Later, in the season is very difficult to raise, there you have to maintain, nothing else.
I also had thought to make a special work of jumping, but we cancelled it because one slight tendinitis in my left knee. I didn't want to begin the season with some sequel. Now we are going to make a work of four days very hard of double turn and other four lighter in Saint Thomas, in Virgin Islands.
Some are wondering why it is important to raise weight. Well, to be stronger in the shocks with the rivals or to go better to the rebound, to defend a player bigger than me who plays in the post or to gain the ability to play there. When you add good kilos (non fat, but muscles), always works, you don't lose agility. You are more powerful, more explosive. Like always, the season is going to be long, so it is essential to be prepared well.
Reply With Quote
