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Mediocre = .500 not 3rd best record in the league.
But point taken, I guess. *shrug*
In the last few weeks, I have come to the realization that this Spurs team is not a contender any longer. I am resigned to the fact that the Spurs' championship years are officially over. In the Tim Duncan era, the Spurs never lost to the Rockets at home, the Spurs had a huge winning streak against the Jazz and always found ways to win in the end of close games, but for the most part they just punished the Jazz, and the Spurs never lost a season series to the Mavericks or the Cavaliers. Our team can now only beat the likes of the Charlottes (oops), the Bostons and the New Jerseys of the league, and throw in a few wins over the Wizzards, and Magic and other Eastern playoff teams.
Now in just a few short weeks, all that has changed. The Spurs are nothing more than a shadow of their former selves. The will is still there, but they just do not have the talent to beat the top teams any more. I still love them, and I will still follow them, but my expectations are trivial.
I can now just look back with nostalgia and try to remember the good times, the times when the Spurs were the team everyone on TNT touted as the team to beat, the organization that every team should try to emulate, and the team that played deep into the playoffs.
Alas, now I can only look forward to an occasional win over an overconfident legitimate contender, a win only possible because the Spurs snuck up on them at the right time and upset them. I will smile to myself knowingly, for this will cause their fans on their boards to curse their coaching staff for allowing their team to lose to a team like our beloved, but mediocre NBA team.
Mediocre = .500 not 3rd best record in the league.
But point taken, I guess. *shrug*
Will you change your mind if they win tonight?
Wait till we get knocked out of the playoffs until you get nostalgic
No, you're wrong. The talent is there, but the will is not...right now.
3rd best record in the league . . . for now.
Since Christmas they are 11-8
It's about time you broke out your jinxing capabilities for good use.
It's clear that Suns and Mavs are better right now than Spurs and it seems higly unlikely that Spurs beat them in a 7 game serie.
However, I still think that Spurs' are talented enough to win it all. I will wait to see how they are in march/april before saying that they won't win this year.
I think it is question of kicking a couple of as***s to realign the will
its hard to tell in this league who will win it all. 3 years ago the no name pistons beat a unbeatable allstar laker squad. the next year the suns had the hype to win a championship but lost to us in 5. The next year Detroit was on a tear and they slaughtered us both matches but they fell apart in the playoffs. Miami won the championship and beat a good dallas team, and miami wasnt even in the same league as spurs or dallas but they came out on top. Anything can happen...............
With all due respect to a poster with 28K+ posts, I think your analysis is flawed. While you may be right about where the Spurs now find themselves in the hierarchy of the league, I believe it has more to do with the rise of the teams you mentioned as opposed the decline of the Spurs. Pho has never been better, the Mavs have assembled more talent than ever, Utah has its best team in years, the Rockets have TMac and a 7'6"er unlike anyone the league has ever seen. Let's see if the Spurs can adjust to this improved level of compe ion before we bury them.
its age. after the road trip things will balance out
Very well said. I agree with you 100%. It seems to me that once they are in their struggle, people simply 'give up'. And once they get their swagger back, everyone is quick to jump the bandwagon, which is something I certainly HATE. But it happens all of the time. I too criticize the Spurs on disappointing losses, it's a natural reaction, because I care when they lose. BUT, I DON'T GIVE UP on them and say that their championship contending days are over. It's not over, period.
On a side note: From the way the Spurs are playing (CURRENTLY), I don't see them pulling it out against Phoenix tonight. Until they show me that they've regained their swagger, then I can atest that they'll prevail against their opponents. This is a reality and not being BIASED. Too many people here are simply too biased. They don't see or refuse to see the reality. You hit the nail right on the head with what you mentioned. The Spurs will lose some games, and win most. But, this is an up and down season, like every season. They will bounce back...plain and simple. The playoff season is what counts. I feel they will be a favorite to win, because they are still healthy. People need to be patient and let it be. The Spurs are missing just one ingredient: P-O-I-S-E. I've been dictating this word way too many times, and will continue to do so until they get back to where they belong...TRUE LEGITIMENT CONTENDERS.
At least Duncan and the Spurs still own the Celtics. Don't puss out folks, the playoffs are a long ways off. The Spurs will be ready by April, they only have upside.
Kori, it is mediocre to me if you can not win it all....not that they are not capable of being the 3rd best team, but if you are one and done in the playoffs, then that is mediocre, IMO.
No offense intended.....just waxing philosophical.
one bandwagoner jumping off the wagon
do not let the door hit you on the way out!
How can it be that Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Houston and Cleveland all got so much better in just one year? It is more likely that the Spurs have slipped and will continue to do so, given their ages.
My intention is not to argue here, I just had to turn a page on a new Spurs chapter and lower my expectations.
Well let's not jump off the wagon so soon, guys. Still alot of ball to be played and our time as a powerhouse isn't yet over.
However, this is clearly the weakest Spurs team since ... 01?
It's not a question, with the Spurs anyway, of how hard they play. They played their hearts out last night, the night before, and just about all the time. They lost to Utah because Utah made the plays at the end and are, generally speaking, younger, bigger, faster, and more talented. As are the Mavs and the Suns.
So ... is this team championship caliber? No, I don't think so. But it's nothing a couple of offseason moves and good draft picks won't fix. We still have Tim, Manu, Tony, after all.
"3rd best record in the league."
In Jan, they played at a 46-36 rate. 0.560 ball, which would put them a 7th WC seed today, and starting with Suns or Mavs in first round.
Ca c'est tres mediocre, Mme Ellis.
I disagree about the talent. The talent is there, but the will/desire to play defense and RB is not. The Spurs have a serious psychological problem, not a talent problem, and not something a trade in the next couple weeks is gonna fix.
It's Tim's team, fixed/winning or broken/losing, and it's his team to fix.
We've seen Francisco and Fabricio play MUCH better. Tim has to tell them, confront them, that the defense and RB and no excessive fouling (and the season) is riding on their shoulders no less than it is on the Big 3s' shoulders. Both those guys have to pick it up.
It doesn't just matter what rate they played in January. The games in the other months count too.
Man this picture just about sums up the season so far...
Yeah there's a similar one of Tony from yesterday too. I felt sorry for both of them.
Quitters
RIF
Jim said "In the last few weeks,..."
One can write off Nov/Dec annually as "Tim always starts slow..", "new guys", etc,etc. But consistently bad play in Jan with a .0.560 record isn't really Spurs in the last 4 years.
If I heard correctly, some TV guy said the Spurs are 25-6 on the RRT in the previous 4 years. That would be 6-2 on this RRT. If they finish 4-4, Jim would be more right than you.
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