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I can see it now.
This forum will overreact even more now than ever before whenever this team loses, and God forbid they lose 2 straight.
All this hype is actually getting to be very tedious.
Talk about Spurs is getting repe ious
By Peter May | October 30, 2005
Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...itious?mode=PF
Everyone loves the Spurs. Except, perhaps, new Spur Nick Van Exel.
''I went up to him a few days ago and asked him if he'd ever been on a worse team," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. ''And he looked at me and said, 'Nope. Never have.' "
It was, of course, a situation in which Popovich and Van Exel had tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. San Antonio sleepwalked through a 1-7 exhibition season, even as everyone and anyone who is charged with making predictions has the Spurs penciled in as the putative 2005-06 NBA champions.
Hey, it's not just us ignorant writers who like Pop's gang. Seventy-seven percent of the league's general managers -- 23 of 30 -- picked the Spurs to repeat, which sort of makes you wonder what the other seven were thinking. It's the largest percentage in the four-year history of the survey, which is conducted by NBA.com.
Popovich has been in this position before. The 1999 Spurs won the NBA le and failed to repeat. The 2003 Spurs won the NBA le and failed to repeat. Is the third time going to be the difference?
''If it isn't, they'll know who to blame," Popovich cracked. ''But in all seriousness, the first time around, Timmy [Duncan] got hurt, so there was no way we were going to repeat. The second time, we did well during the regular season, but there was the Derek Fisher shot and we couldn't make any outside shots [in losing to the Lakers in the conference semifinals]. But that, too, was a different team than the one that won it the year before, because [Steve] Kerr retired and [Danny] Ferry retired and we didn't bring back Stephen Jackson [who was a big part of their 2003 le team]."
This time around, everyone is back -- and then some. The starting five are back. Two of the key subs, Beno Udrih and Robert Horry are back. And to pile on, the Spurs brought in Van Exel, Michael Finley, and Argentine Fabricio Oberto to make them ridiculously deep.
Popovich said the players have fallen in love with Oberto, one of the key guys on the Argentina national team, a unit Popovich said ''plays the game the way it's supposed to be played and is the one team I enjoy watching as much as any." Oberto was a scramble replacement for his Argentine teammate Luis Scola -- yes, the Spurs own his rights, too -- when Scola couldn't extricate himself from his European deal.
''Oberto is the ugliest-looking good player I have ever seen," Popovich said. ''On one hand, he's stiff, he has no moves, he can't shoot -- and our guys love him because he sets good picks and rolls to the basket and makes excellent passes out of the post."
Oberto will be a regular part of the rotation, one that is in a bit of flux because Nazr Mohammad has been away tending to family issues. Ideally, Popovich would start Mohammad and then bring in Oberto, leaving Rasho Nesterovic as the No. 3 center (an expensive and available one, at that). But Mohammad is not expected to be in game shape for the season opener, which likely means that Nesterovic will start and Oberto will come off the pine.
It's an impressive lineup that, unfortunately, the fans of Boston see only once a year. The Spurs come through early, Nov. 11, and we all know how long it's been since the Celtics have beaten the Spurs. It almost seems that a Celtics victory will happen only when Duncan decides he'd rather nurse a pina colada under a mango tree in St. Croix than play another season.
Unfortunately for Boston, and everyone else, Duncan is on the books for five more years. That doesn't automatically translate to five more les, but, for now, the Spurs are clearly the team to beat.
I can see it now.
This forum will overreact even more now than ever before whenever this team loses, and God forbid they lose 2 straight.
All this hype is actually getting to be very tedious.
Man, Brent Barry doesn't get any respect. Unless this guy wasn't talking about the seven player rotation during the championship run, but Beno's key subs ution during... that three our four game stretch during the middle of the regular season where he played kind of good...
I don't care about the hype, I just want the friggin' season to start already. And an extra $200 so I can get NBA League Pass, but I digress. I don't think people are so much tired of talking about the Spurs as tired of waiting for the regular season to start. But it's only a couple more days until the season starts, then all the talk means nothing... It's game time.
If we lose im goin to blame it on scolas agent hahaha
''Oberto is the ugliest-looking good player I have ever seen," Popovich said. ''On one hand, he's stiff, he has no moves, he can't shoot -- and our guys love him because he sets good picks and rolls to the basket and makes excellent passes out of the post."
Pop is right about Oberto because the guy looks like he has no game. If you guys ever get a chance, tape a game or two and then go back and just watch him move on the floor. He has a knack for anticipating other players movement and he does a great job of sliding his hips and feet into a spot where he can react on both sides. Everybody knew that he had a high b-ball IQ but he has great anticipation and he knows how to get through the clutter in the lane.
The best player I have ever seen at this was Dennis Rodman. There were times over the years that I would just review games Rodman played in and show my kids how he would position his body to get through clutter in the paint.
Oberto will do alot of small things well. He is going to be a great compliment to this group and he will get alot of easy buckets this year. He will never get huge stats but he will do so many little things that Pop will have a hard time keeping him off the floor.
So what are we doing with Scola?
Last I knew, he was very upset with us not bringing him over and wanted his rights traded.
Is he still something that we might bring over next year? Or will he still be ticked off?
He had like a $15 million dollar buyout on his contract.
^^^ so are going to keep him as an option in the future?
Are you talking about Fabricio or Rasho? Becouse that is exactley what Rasho do and everybody still complains about his game (I am not talking about shots or dunks!!!)
Rasho does some things that don't get recognized. I think the major problem many have with Rasho is his lack of "balls" at times. I like Rasho because he is a good team guy and he works pretty hard when he is on the court. From what I see of him he loses confidence and is not strong enough to take alot of the pressure that comes in the playoffs and beyond. He still has value because he plays good team defense and is a good team guy.
I'd be happy with Rasho's game at Oberto's price.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Beno Udrih? The comment actually stood out to me.
Peter Holt, is that you?I'd be happy with Rasho's game at Oberto's price.
You do realize top 10 centers get that of money dont you?
At 15 million I really don't think so, especially considering he hasn't proven anything in the NBA
hmmmm, and I wonder what's #1 on Popovich's list of most important things...He still has value because he plays good team defense
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