If anyone is up this morning tune in to NBA TV as they are showing the 1991 playoff game between the Golden State Warriors and san Antonio Spurs. Players featured are David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, Paul Pressey, Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, etc.
Thanks for the heads-up but I'm going to pass. The Spurs meant a lot to me at 20 years old and that playoff loss really stung. It was disgusting. It was a sign of things to come in the David Robinson era. Lovable losers who never had what it took to win a Championship. Thank God for Tim Duncan.
After the high taking the blazers to gm 7 OT as a coming out party for the Spurs, this was just the beginning of many many playoff disappointments.
I liked the Spurs, but they weren't my hardcore favs pre-Duncan era. Because of that, I feel like I tend to see it more objectively. 95 was their best chance. If the Spurs had not lost the opening game of the WCF in Houston (by 1 pt), they would have won that series, imo. That game was for the mental edge, and the Spurs f'd it up.
Besides that year, Spurs fans heartbreak should be pretty mitigated, imo. 95 was their chance though.
Agreed. Houston was Dream at the tail end of his prime, a past-prime Drexler and a bunch of scrubs. Had they lost Game 1 at home, they'd have thought that 94 was a one-and-done scenario and been content to lay down and die against a more talented team. But winning that game, they felt like viable champions.
NBA TV only show the Spurs playoff games when they lose, no thanks! I wish they would show the 2014 Spurs vs Miami playoff series & the 2017 Spurs vs Houston series
To be fair, who was going to win in an era with MJ/Pippen, Shaq/Penny, KJ/Barkley ,Stockton/Malone, Clyde/Cassell/Dream, Ewing and Reggie? Robinson was a one man band in the 90s.
To be fair, in the early days of TD, he played against these guys in the finals
1. Knicks with none of those aforementioned stars (Spree, Allan Houston, Camby)
2. Nets with Kidd + a bunch of young guys who were all good but not on the level of the aforementioned guys
3. Pistons with a hall of fame defense and 4 all stars but arguably none on the level of the aforementioned guys
4. LeBroom with a bunch of scrubs
...and even Duncan lost against the better teams of his era (Shaq/Kobe Lakers, Dirk Mavs, Kobe/Pau Lakers etc)
Last edited by phxspurfan; 07-30-2017 at 08:39 PM.
1. The Spurs beat the Knicks easily 4-1. They cruised through the playoffs behind a stellar defense and swept the Lakers and Portland to do it. That Lakers team featured Kobe and Shaq. No, that was a well deserved Championship.
2. The Spurs, behind MVP Tim Duncan, beat a solid Nets team that featured an MVP of their own in Kidd, ended up in the finals back to back. They were the best team the East had to offer. Not sure the Spurs owe apologies for that.
3. The Spurs beat the defending Champion Pistons for their 3rd le and did so without David Robinson on the roster. no, I'm not giving an inch on our opponent being worthy. That Pistons team was solid and as you mentioned - featured 4 All Stars and the Defensive Player of the Year. They may not have had superstar names but I still believe that was the best TEAM the Spurs beat for a le. No apologies. They had great chemistry, weren't old and knew how to win.
4. Cleveland - Yeah, they sucked but at least the Spurs swept them. That's all I have to say about that.
5. Miami Heat - Spurs dethroned a back2back NBA Championship team with at least 3, maybe 4 HOF'ers on the roster. The Spurs were arguably the best team in 2013 & 2014.
The expectations were sky high for the Spurs to at least reach the WCF in 1991. I'm not sure it was a Championship worthy team but after their gritty, hard fought playoff series in 1990 against the eventual WC Champion Blazers - I thought they would have a great showing. It was a pitiful performance and one that actually scarred my faith in ever believing in the team until TD showed up. Golden State - A team of midgets kicked their ass up and down the court. They get out-hustled, out-coached and out-physicaled & GS ran circles around them. 3 pointers rained down, Terry mings was marginalized by the likes of Tyrone Hill and Vincent Askew. WTF? Tom Tolbert even showed up his more famous Arizona teammate Sean Elliott.
It was a nightmare all the way around.
Last edited by tmtcsc; 07-30-2017 at 11:08 PM.
It was also the start of those unsettling load nervous groans / moans of worried spurs fans that could felt like wind throughout the arena that happened throughout all the 90s playoffs home games...until 99.
Seriously? Your mind must have distorted the repressed memories because it would be highly unfair to place the blame on David for 1991.
His stat line for the series was crazy efficient.
25.8 PPG on 68.6% FG%
13.5 RPG
2.0 APG
3.8 BPG
1.5 SPG
86.8% FT%
He was just surrounded by weaker players and was asked to do way too much. You replace Paul Pressey with the 85-86 Milwaukee version of himself and maybe the Spurs would've gone further, or perhaps David Wingate who never really fit in... Give them some depth and they certainly could've challenged the Bulls that year.
Meanwhile the Warriors fielded a squad with three All-Stars who all shot over 53% from the field for the series. The Warriors were only an 8th seed that year because of injuries to Sarunas Marciulionis (a prototype Ginobili player) who was the X-factor for the Warriors those "Run TMC" years.
Last edited by Phenomanul; 07-31-2017 at 05:27 PM.
I never blamed David. I said the "David Robinson era". David was easily the best player on the team and the pride of San Antonio. He was "The Franchise" before Tim arrived and a Top 50 all-time player. During his run, he played for the likes of Larry Brown, Bob Bass, Jerry Tarkanian, John Lucas, Bob Hill and finally Greg Poppovich. The front office was terrible and inept. Nah, it wasn't on David. If not for him, there might not have even been playoff appearances.
The Spurs lost that series because they couldn't shoot. That was an issue until the Spurs got Dale Ellis. You double David or Terry and you have anderson and Strickland clanking open jumpers. Hardaway, Mullin , Richmond all could hit open jumpers when there was a double.
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