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nice read. Tim's got his "cold blooded assassin" look going...it's not swagger...but it is deadly serious for the Mavs....
Tim Duncan`s eyes
By Ted Sevransky
Sat, May 20, 2006
Ted Sevransky is a handicapper with Covers Experts.
http://www.covers.com/articles/artic...2&theArt=80078
The Spurs won their first NBA championship back in 1999, as the low post tandem of Tim Duncan and David Robinson carried San Antonio to a 4-1 series win over the Knicks in the Finals.
That championship, however, was somewhat lightly regarded at the time – it was an awkward, strike shortened season and the Spurs faced the upstart No. 8 seed New York Knicks in the Finals, the only No. 8 seed in NBA history to advance that far in the playoffs.
Hopes weren’t high for a repeat le, with Portland, the Lakers and Sacramento all improving dramatically in the Western Conference. The Spurs lost Sean Elliott to a kidney ailment that curtailed his NBA career, while the Admiral was no longer the powerhouse center that he once was. It was Tim Duncan’s team now, and Duncan wasn’t ready to lead them.
I remember the Lakers sweeping the Spurs out of the playoffs in 2001, then dominating them 4-1 in the playoff in 2002, en route to their third consecutive le. At the time, the Lakers exuded confidence in every close game, every tight situation. Tim Duncan looked like a lost little boy, with fear in his eyes, particularly in that first series when San Antonio got swept.
I mean that quite literally – you could see in Duncan’s eyes by Game 2 of that series that he was simply outmatched and outclassed by L.A. His eyes told the story and I bet against the Spurs in Game 3 and Game 4, eschewing the zig-zag theory in favor of the ‘bet on the better team’ theory, which proved to be a profitable decision for myself and my clients.
Tim Duncan didn’t look like a lost little boy last night, as the Spurs rallied to beat the Mavs, forcing a Game 7. San Antonio was not sharp early on, but they rallied to tie the game at 71-71 early in the fourth quarter. Then, Duncan hit one of his trademark bank shots and was fouled, hitting the free throw as well, to give the Spurs a three point lead.
You could see it in Tim Duncan’s eyes, right then – the Spurs were not going to lose this ballgame. Sure, Dallas went on another run to regain the lead. Sure, it was Michael Finley who hit the biggest shot of the night, nailing a trifecta with under three minutes to play to give San Antonio the lead for good. But it was Duncan’s confidence, Duncan’s championship mentality that was the difference maker, in my opinion. His eyes told the whole story.
Dirk Nowitzki’s eyes told the opposite story. Nowitzki has never been able to hit the big shot in the playoffs. His Mavs team has always come up short around this time of the year. And, with the game on the line last night, Dirk looked tentative. He looked scared. He passed up open shots to feed Devin Harris, Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse, instead of taking over the game himself. You could see it in his eyes -- the Mavs were not going to win the biggest game of Nowitzki’s life.
Nowitzki ended up being the goat, taking an absolutely horrible shot, a contested, fall-away 3-point try with plenty of time left on the clock and the Mavs flush with timeouts. And Duncan’s confident look inspired his team to earn a very tough victory and give their le chances a much needed boost as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 7.
Confidence means more than experience in the NBA playoffs. Teams with a swagger perform better than teams with any shred of tentativeness or uncertainty. Heading back on the road for Game 7, it’s going to take a Herculean effort from Nowitzki and the Mavs to overcome that look in Tim Duncan’s eyes.
nice read. Tim's got his "cold blooded assassin" look going...it's not swagger...but it is deadly serious for the Mavs....
Heading back on the road for Game 7, it’s going to take a Herculean effort from Nowitzki and the Mavs to overcome that look in Tim Duncan’s eyes.Nice article.
If this does not make you a BELIEVER nothing will.
Yeah it's basically the exact opposite look that you see in Tony Parker's eyes.
You're still here?
I was sure someone would find you hanging from a shower rod this morning after you jumped in the third quarter last night.
these bandwagon fans are idiots. i saw him posting during the game and he completly gave up. now all of the sudden hes back.
I think it's a tradition by now.
A nice article but I don't think this guy realizes that Duncan was hurt and did not play in the 2000 playoffs.
I made this up this Duncan / Hendrix remix
Well, I’m a voodoo chile
Lord I’m a voodoo chile
Well, the night I was born in the Virgin Islands
Lord I swear the moon turned a fire red
The night I was born in the Virgin Islands
I swear the moon turned a fire red
Well my poor mother cried out lord, the gypsy was right!
And I seen her fell down right dead
(have mercy)
Well, mountain lions found me there waitin’ to tame the Mavs
And set me on a eagles back
Well, mountain lions found me there waitin' to tame the Mavs
And set me on a eagles wing
(its’ the eagles wing, baby, what did I say)
He took me past to the outskirts of the 3 point line,
And when he brought me back to the paint,
He gave me a 2003 champ's ring
Hey!
And he said fly on, fly on Timmy fly on'
Because I’m a voodoo chile, baby, voodoo chile
Hey!
Well, I make love to you after the game,
And lord knows you’ll feel no pain
Say, I make love to you in your sleep after the game,
And lord knows you felt no pain
(have mercy)
’cause I’m a million miles away on a Champion air 727 charter
And at the same time I’m right here in your picture frame on my laptop
(yeah! what did I say now)
’cause I’m a voodoo chile
Lord knows I’m a voodoo chile
Well my basketballs are made of leather
From far away as jupiters sulphur mines
Say my arrows are made of desire, desire
From far away as jupiters sulphur mines
(way down by the methabe sea where Artest is now fishing, yeah)
I have a humming bird fish finder Avery can use and it hums so loud,
You think you were losing your mind, hmmm...
Well I float in madison garden in 99'
And arizona is the next stop red sand Sun's and greasy Nash
(yeah)
I float in liquid at madison garden, oh Avery said the champaigne got in thru his skin..
Way down in arizona red sand Nash waits to get his ass kicked
Well, I taste the honey from a flower named blue,
Way down in california where Artest is fishing
And the n new york drowns as Malik Rose hold his hands
’cause I’m a voodoo chile
Lord knows I’m a voodoo chile
Yeah!
im on a spurs message board because this is the best damn forum i have ever been on. im rooting for the spurs because i hate the mavs. but if there was any way both teams could lose i would take it an a heartbeat.
I don't see where that would change anything...
2000 = Phoenix loss in first round
2001 = Lakers sweep
2002 = Lakers in 5
2003 = Trophy
I only saw him mention 2001.
The Mans the cerebral assassin ........
HHH's got nothing on Duncan.........
I like the intent of the article...but I don't really agree with the way it makes the point.
Duncan was never why we didn't win a le...just like David Robinson wasn't...it is entirely the supporting cast that has determined our le worthiness for the past 20 years.
Duncan got injured in 2000 and the reason we got beatdown by the Lakers in 01 was because we were ancient on the perimeter and could not stop Kobe Bryant...and Anderson got injured.
Who knows...if we had Bruce Bowen back then we just might have beat them.
Duncan got that look on his face because he was flat out embarrased at how badly Kobe was destroying us.
In 2002 LA did not dominate us in that 4-1 series victory...We held a 10-15 point lead going into the 4th quarter of every game in that series and then they'd just double/triple Duncan and watch Smitty, Porter and Ferry choke the game away.
Dominated? No...in some ways we dominated LA more in that series than we did in the series we actually beat them.
IF Duncan looks more relaxed and sure now it's because he knows he's got a freaking awesome supporting cast and he doesn't have to do everything every night...as the game 6 win proves...he wasn't that great in the early part of that game. Confident or not...and if not for Manu in the first half, and Finley stepping up...we'd have gotten our ass kicked no matter how confident Duncan looked.
Dirk has been hitting big shots. We all hate him but he is incredible throughout this series. Realise the strengths of the opponent is the first step to beat them.
Weren't you the one busting TD's chops earlier in the season?
DANG!
Maybe the best Timmy pic Ive ever seen.
Was this taken during this series?
I don't give much credence to the article. Dirk's eyes didn't look any different to me last night than they did in the games they won. Dirk was everywhere last night. He was fiery and enthusiastic. He was trying to win the game but he didn't get much support from Stack and Devin. He had 21 rebounds!!! I have spent many years in business watching body language and eyes and it's true, eyes can tell a lot. In this case, I think the writer misses the mark.
yep game 5
#21 is good
1999 team dominated because David Robinson was in his prime.
2000, 2001 - Duncan was just beginning to round into form, but the Spurs had no answer for Kobe Bryant. Hence, they brought Bruce Bowen in in 2001-2002. Perhaps more significantly, in 2002-2003, they brought in Manu Ginobili.
You guys realize that Manu has been in the league 4 years and won two championships already? If/when we win this year, he'll have won a championship 3 out of 4 years in the league. That's incredible. And I think it lends evidence to who the real difference maker on the Spurs is, with all respect to Tim Duncan. The three keys to winning are Timmy, Manu, and Bruce Bowen - not necessarily in that order.
People as i saw you were talking about tim´s eyes i thought it would be a great idea if you could see the OLD MANU
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