Spurs embarassed in home court loss to Bulls. 99-67

[BUMP]

with Duncan playing.

lets hear the excuses

[ATX Spur]

with Duncan playing 12 minutes.

Asked and answered, troll.

[z0sa]

with Duncan playing 12 minutes during a preseason game.

answered even more accurately

[Jimcs50]

It will be a long season, I'm affraid. I think the Spurs' chances of winning the division is small. Pop blew it last year and that was their last chance to win the championship for many years. Look at the way Nazr is playing in Detroit, he is playing great. Had he played against Dallas more than token mins, the Spurs would be going for the 3 peat.

Quote:




with Duncan playing 12 minutes during a preseason game.

Chicago's starters played only 19 mins- 21 mins....so what is your point?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

with Duncan playing.

lets hear the excuses

Actually...

Spurs shrug off blowout with starting five in tune

Web Posted: 10/20/2006 12:07 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

Oh, the joys of preseason basketball. With a little less than two weeks before the start of the season, the Spurs know this much about themselves: If they intend to win another championship, they'll probably need Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

With the Spurs' starters playing only the first quarter, Chicago rolled to a 99-67 victory Thursday night at the AT&T Center. The only people fleeced worse were those among the 16,224 fans in attendance who paid to watch.

Coach Gregg Popovich gave the team's new additions and the players trying to make the roster most of the minutes in the second half. They helped generate 67 points, the second-fewest the Spurs have ever scored in a preseason game.

Aside from struggling to contain Chicago guard Ben Gordon, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter, the Spurs' starters looked like they have for much of the preseason. In 12 minutes of work, Tim Duncan scored 11 points (making 5 of 6 shots), grabbed four rebounds and rejected Bulls rookie Tyrus Thomas at the rim.

"The first five is fine," Popovich said. "They know what we want to do, and they're getting in shape.

"The first seven or eight guys know exactly what's going on, but we want to find out about eight, nine, 10 and 11 and how that's going to work for us over an 82-game schedule."

Melvin Sanders didn't play because Popovich wanted to take a longer look at the other five players with non-guaranteed contracts. He made his first three cuts after the game, waiving center Jared Reiner and swingmen Rich Melzer and Olu Famutimi.

The Spurs now have 17 players on their roster. They have to cut at least two more before the start of the season.

"We got a good look at some of the guys we might want to keep, or not keep," Popovich said, "so hopefully we got a little bit smarter."

Fabricio Oberto started at center for the fourth consecutive game and had five points, one rebound and a nifty pass to Parker for a reverse layup in eight minutes. Francisco Elson had nine rebounds in 24 minutes, which were nine rebounds more than he had in Saturday's game against Orlando.

While recognizing that Elson is still learning the system, Popovich likes the potential of the team's new 7-foot center.

"He's shown me some things I didn't think he had," Popovich said. "I think he can play one-on-one basketball. I think I can isolate him in certain situations with the right people. I'm not sure if he even believes that yet.

"He's got some really quick feet. He's got a great first step. I think a big, big dose of confidence and understanding the role might make him a much better player than people have seen in the past."

Elson, who had four turnovers Thursday, has yet to show much of his offensive skills. He hopes to use the final three exhibition games to get more acclimated to his new teammates.

"Pop has given me a lot of freedom to do some stuff," Elson said. "But right now I'm just trying to get comfortable playing and doing what I've got to do to make myself feel comfortable on the team.

"I can do that stuff in practice, but I have to carry it over into the game."

Injury update: Beno Udrih (sore right hamstring) and Eric Williams (bruised right Achilles' tendon) didn't play.

Popovich said Williams hopes to play Saturday against Miami. He said Udrih, who has been out the entire preseason, could be cleared for contact early next week.

"He has to pass a fitness test first before he can play," Popovich said.

Notebook: Parker's free-throw shooting has improved enough that he took a technical foul shot in the first quarter even though Ginobili was on the floor. Parker made the free throw, making him 15 for 15 in the preseason. ... The only time the Spurs scored fewer points in a preseason game was when they lost 83-64 to Houston on Oct. 25, 2003.

So will the Mavs not be pussies and raise their preseason championship banner on opening night or are they waiting for the Warriors game for that one, too?

[cornbread]

with Duncan playing.

lets hear the excuses

And the Mavericks currently have a 1-3 record in the preseason. The worst in the division. Care to elaborate on that?

Save your bull for November 2nd when it actually matters.

[boutons_]

BUMP plonk!

Hey, slomo, any progress on "Add to ignore list" on the pulldown menu? I got a feeling the Mavs trolls are going to be very numerous.

[JGrice02]

Chicago's starters played only 19 mins- 21 mins....so what is your point?

His point is that the outcome of a preseason game that amounts to a battle of the benches (players 5-12 on both teams) isn't exactly relevant to how a team will perform in the regular season or the playoffs.

It's like saying the Chicag Bears were going to suck this season because they lost all their preseason games. Well, when your first team (best players) only see time at the beginning of the game the outcome isn't exactly telling of how the team will perform.

You want to say the Bulls have better backups than the Spurs? Go right ahead. That is about all you can say and even that opinion is reckless at best.

[dougp]

It will be a long season, I'm affraid. I think the Spurs' chances of winning the division is small. Pop blew it last year and that was their last chance to win the championship for many years. Look at the way Nazr is playing in Detroit, he is playing great. Had he played against Dallas more than token mins, the Spurs would be going for the 3 peat.

Chicago's starters played only 19 mins- 21 mins....so what is your point?

You know you can change the team tag under your name, Jim.

[nkdlunch]

Mav fans collective IQ has dropped considerably after BUMP joined. and beleive me, it was damn low already

[Phenomanul]

[QUOTE=Johnny_Blaze_47]Actually...

Actually...

[QUOTE=Express-News]

... The only time the Spurs scored fewer points in a preseason game was when they lost 83-64 to Houston on Oct. 25, 2003. [QUOTE]

[QUOTE]


Things turned out pretty good that season, didn't they?

[Fabbs]

... The only time the Spurs scored fewer points in a preseason game was when they lost 83-64 to Houston on Oct. 25, 2003.

Game, set and match.

[FromWayDowntown]

[QUOTE=Phenomanul][QUOTE=Johnny_Blaze_47]Actually...

Actually...

[QUOTE=Express-News]

... The only time the Spurs scored fewer points in a preseason game was when they lost 83-64 to Houston on Oct. 25, 2003. [QUOTE]

Things turned out pretty good that season, didn't they?

Yeah, if a 6 game elimination that was hastened by Derek Fisher's shot at .4 in Game 5 is a "pretty good" season.

A preseason game in October 2003 was played after the 2003 Finals and before the 2003-04 season, which led into the 2004 NBA Playoffs, which got us the memory of .4

[Mr. Body]

Hahahahahahahaa

FWD FTW!

[z0sa]

.4 was a bull shot... everyone knows it. the season wouldve turned out as a repeat if not for it, or at least another trip to the finals.

[san antonio spurs]

FWD owning as usual

[Fabbs]

Anyone actually watch the game?

[dbestpro]

Defintion of a preseason game The Coach"s Encuclopedia":
A scrimmage were effort is minimalized and coaches insert plays to maximize the iden y of mistakes. In most cases the running of plays that are difficult to execute are paramount. Plays that you excel should be limited as it serves no purpose for the development of the game unless it is an issue of assessing players who may be cut or on the bubble. Scoring or winning is perhaps the least valued product of a preseason game and only serves value to fans who know no better.

[Condemned 2 HelLA]

"Mavs trolls".
Isn't that redundant?

"Mav fans collective IQ".
Come on.
You know damn good and well mentioning the words "Mavs" and ANYTHING relating to the word "intelligence" in the same breath is completely ludicrous!!!

[LEONARD]

Definitely not a good sign for the Spurs '06-07 season...

[Mixability]

Anyone actually watch the game?

I was at the game last night.

Bonner looks lost. Tim looked pretty quick in his limited minutes. Fabio had some hustle, hopefully it transfers to the reg season/playoffs.

[ChumpDumper]

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm just glad to see that Operation Greg Oden is in full effect.

[Extra Stout]

Definitely not a good sign for the Spurs '06-07 season...

You're right... without major contributions from Melvin Sanders and Rich Melzer, there is no hope.

[Louis2]

with Duncan playing.

lets hear the excuses

The usual excuse:

"It's a preseason game!!!""

LOL