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Oh ..
duncans serious.....
Buck Harvey: Spurs' edge: Duncan has been waiting
Web Posted: 04/17/2008 12:45 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Tim Duncan sat at his locker Wednesday evening, watching a replay of an earlier game against the Jazz, when he saw himself slip on a clumsy pivot move.
Still sitting, he rolled his chair, kicking his feet against the floor like a little kid, until he was close enough to grab the remote. Then he replayed the moment, over and over again, until he had seen it 10 times.
What followed made it official.
Duncan is paying attention now, isn't he?
All the Spurs appeared interested Wednesday. It was if they put on a dress rehearsal for the playoffs, and the word Gregg Popovich used afterward to describe his team fit that.
"Purposeful," he called them.
Their problem is that their next opponent will be as purposeful. A year ago, the Spurs and Suns drew blood and anger, and now one franchise will feel disgust and failure within two weeks.
Duncan has never known this kind of loss. He's been the opposite of Tracy McGrady, getting out of the first round every year he's been in uniform, and his first time set the tone. Then, in 1998, Duncan pounded the Suns in a matchup similar to this one. Both teams won 56 games that season.
After that, Duncan didn't face that kind of first-round fear. As a high seed, the Spurs drew beatable opponents. Even last year, when the Spurs were also a third seed, their first-round opponent, Denver, won only 45 games.
This is different. The Suns had the conference's best record when they gambled on Shaquille O'Neal. Who knows? They might be the best again, even if the record doesn't show it, and what Shaq has done against Duncan suggests that.
Duncan has gone 15 for 40 in their two meetings this year, both Spurs losses. But has Shaq found a way to control Duncan? Or did these games say more about what Duncan has become in the regular season?
He has never cared for stats, and he quit caring about the Olympics after seeing FIBA officials at work. He once cared about the MVP award, as well as All-Star appearances, but he's gotten over most of that.
Haircuts, clothes, media attention — all were long ago placed in the who-cares drawer. And as the years went along, he's cared less and less about the regular season, too.
He hasn't skated, exactly, as Shaq has. He's used the regular season as a nice way to get in shape.
Duncan has never gone that far. The only four games he missed this season were after he strained an ankle and knee, and his numbers this season indicate he's been paying attention most of the time.
Still, Duncan has come to see the regular season for what it is — simply prologue for what comes later. He can get pumped up for rivalry games, but he mostly endures the first 82 games with an emotional inability to reach the gear he wants.
Little wonder the Spurs struggled at times this season. Teams often didn't double Duncan, which led to fewer open looks for the other Spurs. And over the past month, even against power teams in the conference, Duncan's body language has screamed without much ambiguity:
"Could we please get to the playoffs?"
Wednesday was about that. The Spurs understood they needed to put everything together, no matter how that impacted seeding. They needed to get Manu Ginobili back, and for Brent Barry to make a shot, and for Tony Parker to return to last June.
They needed, too, for Duncan to zone in and treat the Jazz as he did in the playoffs a year ago. He did, scoring the first basket of the game, before following with an assortment of blocks and rebounds.
One sequence: Duncan dove at Carlos Boozer, forcing a Boozer miss, and Duncan kept running. Ginobili came up with the rebound, looked up and threw a long pass to Duncan sprinting to the other end.
"Tim Duncan was running the floor," said Jerry Sloan, reacting to the sight. "He set the stage for everyone."
That's what he's done for his career. And now comes Shaq, and a rival, and a series where something has to give.
Pull up a chair.
Duncan has.
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LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.3f2d3d5.html
Oh ..
duncans serious.....
Nice. I knew he'd rise, he always does. I can't wait to see him in action. I think we haven't seen anything yet. This could be one of Duncan's strongest post-seasons. It will have to be if the Spurs want to get out of the West.
Time to show the world this is the Tim Duncan Era, and put an end to Shaq.
#21 will rise here folks believe and watch in amazement. This is one of the best players of all time and he is going to prove it when it matters most. I will never lose faith in Tim Duncan, NEVER!!!!
Too bad Robert Horry wont likely be playing during this series
I had to read it again.
Thanks for posting it some_user86. It's what I've been waiting for, the return of Playoff Duncan. It's my favorite time of year.
It was my pleasure.I had to read it again.
Thanks for posting it some_user86. It's what I've been waiting for, the return of Playoff Duncan. It's my favorite time of year.
The season begins and ends with Timmy. The team struggles when he struggles.
I believe.
Nice article.
the playoffs is here....
let loose the dogs of war!
C'mon Timmy show that fat who the man is
Last edited by DAF86; 04-17-2008 at 03:54 AM.
San Antonio Spurs is "Team" Duncan, PERIOD.
Little wonder the Spurs struggled at times this season. Teams often didn't double Duncan, which led to fewer open looks for the other Spurs. And over the past month, even against power teams in the conference, Duncan's body language has screamed without much ambiguity:
"Could we please get to the playoffs?"
A knee at full strength is not necessary to hip-check someone.
win or lose, we will all know who are the bandwagoners...
I agree. Manu and Tony are terrific but TD is the key matchup IMO. Hope he doesn't allow shaq to intimidate him the way Malone did a couple of years back. I'd like to see him take it strong against Shaq or whomever the Suns put on him.
Great article
It's TD time now
If Duncan doesn't bust the Suns ass in the playoffs we are done
Last game was very encouraging. I began to doubt whether the Spurs even wanted to repeat after March/April. But now I know they want it as bad as ever.
Anyone who doesn't know by now that Duncan plays twice as better in the playoffs than in the regular season hasn't been paying much attention. He always kicks it up a notch, while that can be said for most everyone who competes in the nba playoffs, it especially rings true for him.
Nice word choice.
Looks like Tim is ready to rumble.
This is who Tim is now. He paces himself through the reg season to get himself ready to go for the playoffs and then he turns it all the way up and goes to war. Why anyone will be shocked when he plays great in this series will be beyond me?? And he will play great because he is Tim ing Duncan.
Thanks for posting.
Tim Duncan, in 25 playoff games against Shaquille O'Neal's teams:
25.8 ppg
12.9 rpg
48% FG (227-470)
73% FT (189-260)
4.1 apg
2.4 bpg
Just sayin'.
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