Buck Harvey : Grizz nearly win, which is their fault

[Bruno]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...s.363161b.html


Web Posted: 12/21/2006 12:18 AM CST
Buck Harvey
San Antonio Express-News


The Spurs should celebrate something that happened exactly 10 years ago this week — David Robinson broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

The unveiling of a statue in the AT&T Center would be appropriate, since there wouldn't be an AT&T Center without this injury. But is anyone sure what a bronzed fifth metatarsal would look like?

As all Spurs historians know, the broken bone led to a broken team, then to the Tim Duncan lottery, then to championships. Rarely has such failure led to such success, and others, on the 10-year anniversary of that literal break, should see that.

Such as the Memphis Grizzlies.

They act like they want to win.

Memphis, at first glance, seems to be doing just fine without any advice. The Grizzlies came into San Antonio on Wednesday night with the league's second-worst record, then lost another.

But they face stiff compe ion from other stiffs, because everyone can see what awaits the luckiest loser in June. Ohio State's Greg Oden will be the next Shaq-Duncan franchise changer.

Charles Barkley says that. And when asked Wednesday whether teams will dump games this season to get Oden, Barkley told an interviewer, "Everybody is going to do it."

The Philadelphia 76ers already are but, again, without much strategy. The 76ers should have delayed sending Allen Iverson to Denver for two reasons: They were losing just fine with Iverson in limbo, and they would have also made the Nuggets' draft pick they obtained better with every Denver loss.

Still, Philly has already put together the league's worst record. By getting so little immediate help in return for Iverson, the franchise surely can maintain something around the 20-win plateau for the season.

The Spurs have to respect that. Being bad is how they became the model franchise they are today. Being bad is also how Gregg Popovich found a way to coach for a decade.

That's a Memphis problem now. Whereas Popovich was his own boss in 1997, Mike Fratello won't feel as secure when he heads toward the lottery.

But the Spurs overcame that once, too, since 20 years ago, they dipped into the lottery for Robinson with a coach who would never see Robinson in uniform. But it was the one 10 years ago that set the bar.

There is no hard evidence the Spurs dumped games then. Robinson's injury was real, as was one that forced Chuck Person to miss the entire season.

But there wasn't much urgency, either. By the spring, Robinson was caddying for Corey Pavin at the Masters, and Sean Elliott, out with knee issues, was inspiring his Arizona Wildcats at the Final Four.

Were they tanking? Barkley, laughing Wednesday, said they were.

The Spurs laugh about it now, too. Asked this fall if they might engineer another collapse to keep the 10-year trend going, one official playfully said during training camp: "If you see Pop come back from France with a few key injuries, you will know where we're going."

But Tony Parker's finger healed. Duncan never looked better. And now the Spurs couldn't get proper lottery odds unless they went on a 40-game losing streak.

It is someone else's turn, and Memphis is the closest to the Spurs' old formula. Pau Gasol would be an ideal complement to Oden, and then there's this: Gasol also broke his fifth metatarsal in his left foot last summer.

Considering the state of the West — especially now that Iverson has arrived — the best Memphis could do even if healthy is remain average. And after the Grizzlies started so poorly this season without Gasol? No one would have been surprised if Gasol needed extra time to heal.

Gasol instead came back last week, and Fratello held him out at the end of a double-overtime win against Seattle. But there was Gasol against the Spurs, re-entering after the Grizzlies took late leads before losing.

A loss is a loss. But do the Grizz have what it takes to be really bad?

[milkyway21]

But they face stiff compe ion from other stiffs, because everyone can see what awaits the luckiest loser in June. Ohio State's Greg Oden will be the next Shaq-Duncan franchise changer.

Charles Barkley says that. And when asked Wednesday whether teams will dump games this season to get Oden, Barkley told an interviewer, "Everybody is going to do it."

i thought they say Oden would like to stay in college next yr? headscratcher

so we'll just watch who's the loser getting the lottery this time?

Philly just had their 12th consecutive L last night...battling it out with Memphis.

[RonMexico]

i thought they say Oden would like to stay in college next yr? headscratcher

so we'll just watch who's the loser getting the lottery this time?

Vince Young vowed he was going back for his senior year, too - it can just happen that way...

[leemajors]

barkley also said he thinks oden is really enjoying playing in college and just might stay in that interview on PTI.

[Mr. Body]

It's still a crazy good draft without Oden in it, but a lot of other players need to leave early for that to happen, too.

[timvp]

If I'm not the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Nuggets, Jazz, Pistons or Heat, I'm tanking the year to go after Oden. Oden is already the best defensive player on the planet and the best defensive center I've seen since David Robinson in his prime.

[Phenomanul]

If I'm not the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Nuggets, Jazz, Pistons or Heat, I'm tanking the year to go after Oden. Oden is already the best defensive player on the planet and the best defensive center I've seen since David Robinson in his prime.

I just hope that he lands on a team with bad management.... Why? so that they make it difficult for him to produce a Championship Contender during his first couple of years... In an aspiration for more and after consultation with his boyhood idol (David Robinson) I would hope that Oden then elected to sign with SA after his rookie contract is over.... It will be the Parker/Oden Show 4 years from now. One can dream.