Does anyone else share a concern about the Spurs' ability to sustain energy over the course of the season, in back-to-back games, and/or in overtime situations?
This has been bugging me since last season when the team had fewer back-to-back games than a lot of other teams in the league, but had a wretched record in the second games of the back-to-backs because they couldn't seem to play with any energy in the second games. It was like they had just been on a Bataan Death March or something. What are we going to do this year when we likely have even more back-to-backs than we had last year?
Moreover, the Spurs superstars rarely play as many minutes per game as many other teams' superstars do, so that we can "save them" for the playoffs. That is at least the philosophy we have been told. That's just fine, as long as it works. But something seems wrong when our super-super star (Tim) is getting cramps so badly by the end of the second overtime with Dallas that he can hardly move, much less play as well as he would like. I don't understand why the training staff didn't realize how much trouble he was in and give him fluids at halftime or something.
The bottom line seems to me that we are missing some "wins" during the season because we want to "save" people for the playoffs, but when we get to the playoffs, we are still less able to last through the rugged games than other teams' players who haven't had as much "rest" throughout the season. Is Tim gonna have to wear "buttons" on his chest again this year in order to have enough energy to get through the games?
We always hear a lot about how hard the training regimen is for the Spurs. Is it TOO hard? Is it too soft? Are we not paying enough attention to training? What does anyone think?
It helps when you have a serviceable bench so the starters can get some rest in the playoffs.
In game 7 vs Mavs, the Spurs 6,7,8 men played only 34 minutes out of 265, scored 2 pts, 1 AST, 5 RB. That's not a championship bench. .
I'd like to see the +/- for those 6,7,8 men for that game, and for the entire WC semis.
IIRC seeing it here, Nick's +/- was horrbile.
Sit a banged up Tony, and slide backwards in the game.
http://www.nba.com/games/20060522/DALSAS/boxscore.html
nope. stamina was not the reason we lost to the mavs.
Our bench is really weak, and that hurts. At one time, we had game-changers jumping in at second string, but now the only guy who can offer anything above average is Michael Finley, and he's an old man. No one else will ever break a game open or take the game over even for two minutes, with the outside exception of a potentially good Jackie Butler.
Did you wanna have manu come off the bench??
It's a bit of a concern for me, EVAY. The Spurs have some depth but they will still need their core players to be able to play well, even in OT games in the playoffs when stamina is key. I remember Timmy saying after Game 7's disappointing loss that they (he) just "ran out of gas" at the end.
Lots of people here are concerned about Manu's physical condition because of his 100% effort every minute he is on the floor and his fearless style of play. Stamina figures into that equation.
My biggest concern regarding stamina, of all the players, is for Tony Parker. When he hits the wall, it is so dramatic and obvious. It occurs in the back-half of the season for him and it occurs in the 2nd halves of games. He starts out pushing the pace but by the start of the 4th quarter, Tony labors as though he's dragging his legs through mud.
When the head of the snake, the floor leader and PG is sluggish, it's a concern.
I can try to do it, but it will take me a while to figure it out.
Don't bother, just working form the boxscores, any jerk can see the Mavs bench destroyed ours over the series, esp in Game7, Mavs bench played 70 minutes and scored 29 pts in 70 minutes.
For all the talk about the Spurs bench being like a second NBA team, and the Flip killing the Pistons by playing them so much in the season, it was the "saved for playoffs" Spurs who pooped out with an MIA bench.
Uh... No.
Lookin at the way Fin played in that series, it is safe to say SA may have lost in 5 or 6 games if it wasnt for the bench.
I'm not worried. They just need the right mental approach.
It's a long season, just sit back and enjoy it for whatever happens. Its feels good to just be able to watch the Spurs again.
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