Pounding The Rock

Update on Splitter

AusTechSpur — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:49:05 -0000

I found this on Tiago's performance in the Euroleague Final Four.

From DraftExpress and the review of the Euro Final Four.

Tiago Splitter had 17 points for Tau on 5-7 shooting from the field. He was terrific with his back to the basket inside, commanding double teams and finding the open man, using nice pivot moves and even hitting a pretty swooping hook shot in the lane. Maybe the 7-14 he shot from the free throw line will convince him to work on getting rid of the ugly hitch he has in his mechanics from the line, but regardless, there is no question that the San Antonio Spurs got a huge stud—a player worthy of a top 10 pick fall to them at the end of the first round.

Does He Look Like a Hassellhoff Fan?

pollackj — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:38:24 -0000

via www.nba.com

Since it is 7am here and I am too full of excitement and caffeine to sleep before work, I figured I would try my hand at a game recap. Let me know if it sucks.

Tim Duncan is a champion. Hornets fans who were hoping that the Spurs game 3 win was like Dallas' game 3 win in Round 1 have already realized their mistake. Tim Duncan is not Dirk Nowitski, he doesn't play like Dirk, he doesn't lead like Dirk, and most of all, his team doesn't fold when the games start to matter (like Dirk's).

We all knew that TD was going to come on strong tonight. He had been sick and underperforming during the first three games of this series. Maybe he was "due," maybe he had something to prove, maybe the Hornets just played him differently, but TD went off. 22pts on 10-13 shooting from the field, 15 boards, 4 blocks, and 3 assists (including a Manuesque zinger to TP underneath), and 5 Tyson Chandler fouls meant that the Spurs were going back to NO with the series all tied up.

Now he has done that which causes NO fans to tremble, he made the Hornets think. He is in their head. Scrappy-doo is pissed, West is pushing people and complaining to officials, Chandler is cussing himself out on the bench, Peja is forcing up 10 ft runners with two guys in his face. Sure, this isn't all the work of TD, but he made it possible. His defensive and offensive presence allow the lesser Spurs (read: all of them) to do what they do best instead of having to force the issue.

Because of Duncan, Thomas and Oberto can stay closer to West because they know TD has the rim protected. Because of Duncan, Parker can go under the screen because he knows TD will push Scrappy out and give him time to recover. Because of Duncan, Bowen can invade Peja's personal space because a driver will simply end in another awkward layup attempt. Because of Duncan; Bowen, Finley, Ginobili, Udoka, Horry, Barry, Parker, and Thomas can all shoot open jumpers off of New Orleans double-teams.

Tonight, once again, we are reminded that this is Duncan's team. Pop may be the front-man, Ginobili is our favorite, Parker is the flashy one, but in the end it all comes down to #21. When Duncan plays well, the Spurs win. When Duncan does not play well, the Spurs do not win.

Other Observations:

It may just be me, but I'm really getting tired of Scrappy-doo getting the Jordan treatment. One play in the 3rd quarter illustrated this best: Paul drove into the lane, barely missed Bowen with his right elbow (which was above his own shoulder) barreled into Parker with his left forearm, threw the ball wildly at the basket, and was rewarded with 2 fts. (Please note: I'm not complaining about the calls in general today, if anything I think the reffing favored SA, but I HATE the idea that superstars are somehow entitled to get those calls).

Udoka seems to be getting more comfortable as the playoffs go on. Let's hope he continues to get playing time, as he is our best rebounding win player and is the only Spur who can match up well with a fully-functional Bonzi Wells (who, I admit, we haven't seen this series).

David West is a bitch. I know that Oberto flopped on his elbow/push underneath the basket, and I suspect TD probably did on the other end as well, but West just cannot control his frustration when he is playing poorly. The Spurs have gotten into his head in each of the last three games. His response is usually a mixture of covert violence and complaining to the refs.

Reggie Miller is an alien who is still learning the English language. I don't think this requires an explanation.

Let's Go Spurs. Take game five and really get these kids doubting themselves.

Express Yourself: Our Favorite Spurs

FiCS — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:59:52 -0000

Are you a Spurs fan 24/7? Do you know a guy named Mike Mitchell? If your responses are yep and yep, you can express your thoughts on your most favorite Spurs past and present. By the way, here are some Spurs-related research lists.

Most Spurs NBA Seasons 1977-1989

1. Johnny Moore 10

2. George Gervin 9

3. Mike Mitchell 7

4. Mark Olberding 6

5. James Silas 5

5. Mike Gale 5

5. Billy Paultz 5

5. Artis Gilmore 5

5. Alvin Robertson 5

10. Larry Kenon 4

10. Paul Griffin 4

10. Coby Dietrick 4

10. Gene Banks 4

10. Dave Greenwood 4

10. Frank Brickowski 4

Most Spurs NBA Seasons in the 90’s

1. David Robinson 10 (‘99 ring (and ‘03 ring))

2. Sean Elliott 9 (‘99 ring)

3. Avery Johnson 8 (‘99 ring)

4. Terry Cummings 6

4. Willie Anderson 6

4. Vinny Del Negro 6

7. J.R. Reid 4

7. Will Perdue 4 (‘99 ring)

9. Rod Strickland 3

9. Sidney Green 3

9. Antoine Carr 3

9. Monty Williams 3

9. Chuck Person 3

9. Carl Herrera 3

9. Cory Alexander 3

Most Spurs NBA Seasons since 1989-90

1. David Robinson 14 (‘99, ‘03 ring)

2. Sean Elliott 11 (‘99 ring)

2. Tim Duncan 11 ! (‘99, ‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring) (! = active)

4. Avery Johnson 10 (‘99 ring)

5. Malik Rose 8 (‘99, ‘03 ring)

6. Tony Parker 7 ! (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

6. Bruce Bowen 7 ! (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

8. Terry Cummings 6

8. Willie Anderson 6 (7 overall - 1988-89)

8. Vinny Del Negro 6

8. Manu Ginobili 6 ! (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

12. Robert Horry 5 ! (‘05, ‘07 ring)

13. J.R. Reid 4

13. Will Perdue 4 (‘99 ring)

13. Jaren Jackson 4 (‘99 ring)

13. Antonio Daniels 4 (‘’99 ring)

13. Steve Kerr 4 (‘99, ‘03 ring)

13. Brent Barry 4 ! (‘05, ‘07 ring)

19. Rod Strickland 3

19. Sidney Green 3

19. Antoine Carr 3

19. Monty Williams 3

19. Chuck Person 3

19. Carl Herrera 3

19. Cory Alexander 3

19. Charles Smith 3

19. Terry Porter 3

19. Danny Ferry 3 (‘03 ring)

19. Devin Brown 3 (‘05 ring)

19. Rasho Nesterovic 3 (‘05 ring)

19. Sean Marks 3 (‘05 ring)

19. Beno Udrih 3 (‘05, ‘07 ring)

19. Michael Finley 3 ! (’07 ring)

19. Fabricio Oberto 3 ! (’07 ring)

Most Spurs NBA Seasons 1977-2008

1. David Robinson 14 (‘99, ‘03 ring)

2. Sean Elliott 11 (‘99 ring)

2. Tim Duncan 11 ! (‘99, ‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

4. Johnny Moore 10

4. Avery Johnson 10 (‘99 ring)

6. George Gervin 9

7. Malik Rose 8 (‘99, ‘03 ring)

8. Mike Mitchell 7

8. Willie Anderson 7

8. Tony Parker 7 ! (‘03, ‘05, ‘07 ring)

8. Bruce Bowen 7 ! (‘03, ‘05, ‘07 ring)

12. Mark Olberding 6

12. Terry Cummings 6

12. Vinny Del Negro 6

12. Manu Ginobili 6 ! (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

Former Spurs Ultimate Roster (retired/*inactive Spurs; at least 5 seasons/**4 seasons)

- Robinson

- Elliott

- Moore

- Johnson

- Gervin

- Rose*

- Mitchell

- Anderson

- Olberding

- Cummings

- Del Negro

- Silas

- Gale

- Paultz

- Gilmore

- Robertson

- Kenon**

Posted by Foreigner in CS - May 11 2008 9:58PM

Ginobli Sucks has been banned

Matthew Powell — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:31:17 -0000

Yes, I could have done this a long time ago. I probably should have. This if the first non-spammer I've ever banned and I didn't do it lightly. I tried to avoid it because it will likely encourage other, more obvoius trolls to come out of the woodwork.

I have no problem with non-Spurs fans posting here. However, there is a requirement. You have to consistently show a modicum of intelligence, and you have to be here for a reason other than antagonization. The former requirement is a total double-standard; moronic Spurs fans can post here all they want. The second applies to everyone. In fact, if I found out a PtR member was going to other blogs and behaving like Ginobli Sucks I would ban them from PtR. NO questions asked.

I should have banned him the minute I saw his user name and further comments about Manu. It's on thing to call him any of the following: a flopper, overrated, bald, foreign, or big-nosed. I can see pssible truth to any of those comments. But to say he "sucks?" And then to follow it up with comments like you actually believe that? That's just stupid, and you're just trying to piss people off. Do it somewhere else.

Round 2, Game 4: vs New Orleans

AusTechSpur — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:53:54 -0000

In 2002, there was a great movie released called Bubba Ho-tep. Most of you guys have probably never heard of it. I'm telling you RIGHT NOW that you should watch it. The movie is just brilliant. It's about two guys in a retirement home in East Texas that is being stalked by a chaps wearing mummy. One of the guys is an Elvis impersonator who now thinks he is Elvis, the other is a black man who thinks he is JFK. What does Bubba Ho-tep have to do with the Spurs? Nothing. This is about US, the PtR family. We, like the old men, are being attacked by an Undead enemy --blog trolls-- who attempts to slap his lips on our assholes to suck our souls. We need to band together, be diligent, and watch our assholes until this antagonist has been vanquished.

In the meantime, bone up on your game day rituals and routines. LatinD wants to know what they are and how much you are willing to bring to the Mojo table.

Poll

The Spurs finally got a 'W' and now trail 2 games to 1. How do you see this series ending?

You can win game 4 too!

LatinD — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:11:21 -0000

So yeah, the Spurs need to repeat what they did in game 3, and we must have a big game from our Huge Three, and Pop needs to make some defensive adjustments, et cetera, et cetera. I'm not really worrying about those details, because frankly, I can't do much about it. I trust the Spurs, and I trust Pop and his team.

What I can do is work on the general mojo and win the game with the most powerful tool a sports fan has: sheer superstition.

Some of you know that I didn't comment on the game thread till the final minute of the game. I was stuck downtown because of my job and was risking missing the game entirely, but I managed to ditch my boss right before tipoff, and quickly found a cybercafe whose kind owner let me install Sopcast to watch it. So I did exactly that, and right after Manu's awesome shot's second replay was shown, I quickly took a cab back home, to watch the rest of the game. I only missed about half of the third quarter, but I still didn't comment on the thread till I was certain of the victory - that's right, because I didn't want to jinx us.

The playoffs, and particularly this series' rough start, has driven my superstition to an all-time high. Matthew asked Michael the other day whether he really believed that his beard had any effect on the games. Well, Matthew, I'm an engineer, like you, so know perfectly well that we're taught all about logic. If you ask me whether I truly believe in all this jinx/counterjinx/mojo/positive vibes crap, believe in it deep down, really truly think anything I'll do will have an effect on the game... honestly, despite what every rational bone in my body says - I really don't know. But just in case, I'm going to go with the flow.

If anything this kind of thing makes me feel like I'm contributing to the cause somehow, and helps me keep the stress levels down. I know it's a silly thought, but I'm a silly person.

So! For game 4, I'm pulling out all the stops: I'm going to the same cybercafe, already booked the same computer I was using that night, and have just talked a friend into driving me home at halftime so I don't miss half a quarter again. And I definitely won't be commenting on the game thread from the moment I post the preview to the final minute of the game.

I'm pretty sure we're going to win game 4, because the gods up there (foremost amongst them Flying Spaghetti Monster) won't let my sacrifice go in vain. I also know that poor SiMA has condemned himself to Internet silence to keep the winning ways alive, so that will help too. (My heart goes out to you, SiMA, really. You're taking one for the team.)

The question is, what are you guys going to do to build up the positive mojo?

I expect something worthy from my fellow Spurs fans. At leas the irrational half of them.

Keep 'em crossed, fellas. We've got this.

Old Coach Wino Burns NOLA Reporters

JamesR — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:25:15 -0000

http://www.usatoday.com/community/profile.htm?UID=f06a7610a6fe2b78&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3af06a7610a6fe2b78Post%3a4811755b-164c-40a8-9c2c-5e117a62c0e0

-----------------

But that humor evanesced when a local reporter asked him if he thought the Hornets would continue to dare the Spurs to shoot 3-pointers.

POP: “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask them.”

SEMI-CLUELESS MEDIA PERSON: “That’s kind of what they did in the first game.”

POP: “They did a lot of things well.”

NEW ORLEANS RADIO GUY: “Will you try to change up your defenses on David West at all tonight?”

POP: “Right. We’re going to probably do four or five things you’ve never seen before in basketball.”

NEW ORLEANS RADIO GUY: “I sense sarcasm.”

POP: “That’s correct. We’re going to spend the afternoon inventing the light bulb. Those CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), a lot of people are having problems with them, so we’re going to think of something different.”

SEMI-CLUELESS MEDIA PERSON: “Do you have any words for Hugo, the mascot, by any chance?”

POP: “Who?” (media laughter)

(Someone chimes in, “the guy who jumped through the fire.”)

POP: “Why would you ask me that?”

The media is laughing now, but I sense Popovich doesn’t think this is all that funny.

TRYING-TO-BE HELPFUL LOCAL MEDIA PERSON: “Talking about the ring of fire.”

POP: “Hopefully that’s over with. We all know it wasn’t a great move. We all make mistakes.”

SAME GUY WHO ASKED ABOUT DEFENDING DAVID WEST: “Do you think you might try to use (Bruce) Bowen on David a little bit tonight?”

Ohmigod. This is going to set him off…

POP: “That’s a good idea! Look at this guy right here! He’s got all kinds of ideas! Let’s do that! What’s he gonna do, get 30? Maybe we’ll put Bruce on him. Bruce weighs, what 90 pounds? He’ll just knock the (bleep) out of him. That’ enough. You guys are terrible…”

End of interview.

cp3 and n.o., Meet "Class"

spursfan4ever — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:34:06 -0000

First off, sorry to my fellow PtR folks that I haven't been contributing to these boards too much in the last few days. They're called finals and they suck (especially in the business school at Texas A&M). I've been reading and enjoying everyone's comments, though, (well, except GS, of course. But enough about me, on to the real purpose of this post.

Really, it's about the new orleans hornets basketball team as a whole. As a Spurs fan, there are three categories of teams for me: teams I loathe, teams I respect, and teams about which I don't give a rip. Teams like the lakers, jazz, mavericks, and suns fall into the loathing category, of course. Up until now, teams I respected included the rockets, pistons, and hornets. I was impressed by the resiliency of the city of new orleans after Katrina (which hit close to home for me as I used to live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast). I was impressed by how tightly the big easy clung to it's sports teams. They wrenched their hornets back from OKC, and they even claimed their saints back from the Alamodome (don't get me wrong, I'm dying for an NFL team as much as any other SA sports fan, just not under those circumstances!). Then, a hornets team that had been the NBA's definition of mediocrity for years suddenly gained new confidence from a young point guard playing with poise beyond his years. I never watched any hornets games this season, but when I found out that chris paul was a grad of the great TIM DUNCAN's school, I immediately assumed that he was a keeper. I mean, how bad could he be if he even partially imitated Wake Forest's greatest roundball alum?

Needless to say, I had high hopes for this series. I was looking forward to a humble display of terrific basketball on both sides. Even if the Spurs lost, I wouldn't mind if it was to a team that showed they were deserving in both word and deed of dethroning the defending champs.

In short, the hornets have disappointed me on all fronts. When byron scott, with his smug smile, is far and away the classiest guy on the team, you have a problem. From paul's egregious DEAD BALL flops (a first for floppers foreign and domestic, by the way), to the normally mild-mannered peja sto-whatever-his-name-is' off-ball antics with Bowen (don't think I wasn't watching you, you conniving jerk), I have been completely disenchanted with the hornets as a team. I honestly believed paul would demonstrate at least a modicum of the class that his elder statesmen model their games after, but apparently I've been hoping for too much. I've never seen a point guard with such a deceptively foul attitude. He's been actively mongering all-out war on the floor, yet he's still sainted (pardon the pun) by the media, and the Spurs (predictably) are continually vilified. I swear, I've never seen such a uniting of the media against a defending champion. It's a crying shame, and the league should be ashamed of allowing the demonizing of the Spurs to get to this point. The miami freaking heat got more praise in 2007 as they were getting swept in the first round than the Spurs, who dismantled a ridiculously talented suns team that was custom-built to beat them.

If the hornets beat my Spurs, I will be the first to congratulate them on a job well done. Their chance to earn my respect, however, has been irrevocably lost, and if the Spurs can't do it, I hope another team (I don't care who) kicks the ever living crap out of them. Not because I hate new orleans, but because the hornets have no class.

Great win in Game 3, Spurs. Let's tie it up in Game 4!

GO SPURS GO!!! BTHO (Beat The Hell Outta) new orleans!

Peja Stojakovic, the Hornets' 3-point sharpshooter, was held to eight points on 2-of-7 shooting as he was guarded by San Antonio's Bruce Bowen.

VWolf — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:25:25 -0000

"Chris is going to score regardless. He's got the ball in his hands every single time. Every single play it's Chris Paul," said Parker, who had 11 assists. "He's going to score. So we decided to put Bruce on Peja and at least hold somebody down because Peja was killing us."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280508024

Read it and weep GS, read it an apologize GS, read it and bow to superior knowledge GS.

Game Thread for Round 2, Game 3: vs Hornets

AusTechSpur — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:29:11 -0000

Anybody that has been reading the game threads knows I think the officiating has heavily favored the Hornets. I think it has for two reasons: 1) The Hornets were at home. 2) They have been far more aggressive.

As the series moves back to SA, here's what I think the Spurs need to do to turn the series and the calls in their favor.

We have to hit our outside shots. We have had a ton of open looks that we have passed up and we have missed a ton of open shots. We need our shooters to shoot and we need our shooters to make shots. NOTE: This does not include Bruce Bowen shooting 20' jumpers from the wing on the break or having him curl around screens looking for his shot.

We have to play aggressive defense. Our decision to back off Paul has killed us. We have turned into a passive team instead of an aggressive team. The way we are playing defense reminds me of how we play the Mavs some times. In our focus to cut off penetration, by backing off Harris, we open up all the passing lanes and the Mavs could pass the ball without any pressure on their passes (neither the passer or the receiver is challenged). This makes ball movement too easy. Any decent team will shred you if they can move the ball around the court with impunity.

Also, a lack of pressure on the ball allows the passer to throw much more accurate passes allowing the receiver to catch it where they want to establish their shooting rhythm. The Spurs need to make the Hornets passers uncomfortable.

Lastly, the lack of aggression on the ball handler means that we don't have bodies around the guy with the ball. This is the main reason the Hornets are getting calls and we are not. When we drive the lane there is more than one guy with his body against or near our guy. It is very difficult for the refs to call a foul, especially a reach foul, in a crowd. However, if only one defender is near the driver then it is very easy to see contact.

In summary, we need to play aggressive Spurs defense. We need to pick Paul up at half court. We need to go over screens and have our bigs show like we do against Nash and Amare. We need to pressure the ball constantly. We need to make them uncomfortable. They have looked way too comfortable on offense.

Poll

Spurs are down 2-0, how does this series end?

Let’s Keep It Real Here, We’re Not Gonna Win AKA David West Stings

FiCS — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:53:18 -0000

Monday, May 05, 2008

Let’s Keep It Real Here, We’re Not Gonna Win AKA David West Stings

Yep, everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout... how easily LA Lakes with KB24 swept and embarrassed Nugs.
...how Jazz with D-Will outfought tougher-than-expected Rockets.
...how Celts couldn’t get rid of Hawks ‘til G7.
...how Pists turned on their engines when it mattered vs. Sixers.
...how Magic with Dwight Superman dominated Raps.
...how Cavs with LBJ eliminated Wizs in a smack-talk series.
...how Spurs got Suns into oblivion.
...and how Hornets with CP3 flew past Mavs to the Semifinals...

...however, everybody keeps overlooking a real hero of NO Hornets. And it’s not Paul. It ain’t their mascot Super Hugo, either.

He’s 27-year-old leader. Again, Paul is the best Hornet. But David West (my buddy Valdes calls him ‘Stings’) is the real leader and soul of New Orleans basketball.

West attended and graduated from Xavier University, where he spent all four college years. (It’s not a typo, baby.) West was a four year starter and his jersey was retired immediately following his senior year in which he led Xavier to a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. West was named as a first team All-American his senior year and the 2003 Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Year, averaged 20.1 ppg. and 11.8 rpg. as a senior. West led Xavier to 94 wins in his four seasons while finishing as Xavier's all-time blocked shot leader (228 blocks) and second on XU's all-time scoring (2,132 points) and rebounding (1,308 rebounds) lists. West was also named as the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year three years in a row.

So why he was still overlooked in the 2003 Draft? Noone knows.

West was drafted by Hornets, eighteenth overall. After two out-of-the-radar seasons, in 2005-06, West stepped up, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and .512 FG%, while starting all 74 games he appeared in. He came in second in voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award for the 2005-06 season, behind Boris Diaw. He also saw some time at center, due to the team's lack of a true big man, while also showning clutch capabilities, converting three game-winning jump shots. The following season he ended with averages of 18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He also had five 30+ games and thirteen 20+ games, although he missed 30 games due to an elbow injury. West's powerful displays continued in 2007-08, as he increased his statistics again, and was chosen as a reserve player for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game.

You know this guy now, don’t you?

He’s got Xavier’s ‘X’ tattooed on his arm which displays, on either side, "My life, my way". His ‘DX’ nickname is a combination of his ‘X’ tattoo and the first letter of his first name, while he also claims to be the Hornets' X-factor.

Coming into the series with Spurs. We knew he’s very good. But we still overlooked him when things revolved around ‘The Best In The NBA’ lists. His PF’s regular season, 20.6 ppg/8.9 rpg/2.3 apg wasn’t considered as a wake-up call for NBA bandwagon fans. The truth is, while he’s not involved in the highlights that much, West is one of the league's best but least-known players. He does some of everything - averaged 22.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks against Dallas. He's a terrific spot-up shooter and almost as good off one or two dribbles. He's adept at dribbling from open spaces and driving to the rim and will hit the jumper if his defender explodes away to prevent the drive. He'll post up anyone as well. He's definitely a tough matchup for anybody and plays with an enforcer's attitude. If Paul is out or struggling, Hornets look to West for leadership and scoring. He's very good on the other end as well as the team's best shot-blocker and he's very good at taking away his opponent's best stuff. Bottom line, he plays like a beast, but a very skilled and smart one.

I love West and his game and, overall, Hornets are a symphatetic bunch of guys (except for Wells, Bonzi), but I’m not so pleased that I see him on the floor when my Spurs are involved. And while his skills are superb, it’s his behavior and persona that are much more frightening. Simply, he’s Anti-Amare. And that creates real troubles, dude. Look at Harvey’s column about ‘Stings’:

***
David molds David, and Spurs feel it
/abbreviated version/
By Buck Harvey

David West was always a Spurs fan. He loved David Robinson, and how Robinson handled himself, and West talked about that Sunday. This should make Spurs feel even older. Those who grew up liking them are now beating them. This should also worry Spurs. West is averaging 30 points this season in Hornets' wins over Spurs, and he isn't some airhead who will get caught up in the glory. He will also not throw a party and invite Josh Howard. West stayed in school for four years, and he believes in being steady and professional, and he doesn't care that few in the country realize how good he is. As role models go, Spurs have been too good. As defenders go, Spurs have not been so good. West did what he wanted to do Saturday; had he not started slowly, including missing a dunk, he might have gone for 40 points.

Few saw this coming, even after West was named the Associated Press' college player of the year in 2003, his senior year at Xavier. Coincidentally, that was the year Robinson retired. Also coincidentally, Robinson won the same award 16 years earlier. But whereas Robinson's size and athletic ability were undeniable then, West was seen as a 6-foot-9 power forward without much power. West heard the critiques, and some came firsthand. *I remember one NBA guy sitting me down and saying, ‘At your size, you're going to have to do something drastic - either gain 40 pounds to become a Danny Fortson, or lose 30 pounds to adjust playing on the wing.'* He went 18th in the draft behind, among others, players named Reece Gaines and Troy Bell. And when West showed up at his introductory press conference in New Orleans, he came with no jewelry and a small entourage. Only his parents and girlfriend were with him. *One of the things I like about David,* Tim Floyd, the then-Hornets coach said that day, *is he lists his favorite basketball player as David Robinson.*

West worked, and his 17-foot jumper became automatic. He could always rebound, and defenders have found that his splay-footed first step seems to always get him to the basket. Only Amare Stoudemire compares to West and his inside-outside combination, and West is surer and smarter. Little wonder West was an All-Star this year. And with the All-Star Game in New Orleans, West should have been impressed with himself then. He wasn't. During a media session he saw Robinson, and West walked over, waited his turn and introduced himself. He told Robinson how much he admired him, and he met his sons.

Asked about that Sunday, West smiled and implied the two had just bumped into each other. But a Hornets staffer who was there that day said West was more excited about meeting Robinson than anything else that weekend. West thought it had been *the coolest thing*. So why Robinson? *He was one of those guys that, regardless of what negative things people said about him, he was a winner,* West said Sunday. *He never got out of character in terms of what he was, who he was. He didn't let things around him get to who he is. He may not have said it, but I always got that from him.* West has thought of Tim Duncan and all of Spurs in similar ways. *They go about their business,* West said. *They don't have to be flashy, all the bravado and stuff. Just get it done.*

Now West has become the Robinson/Duncan of Hornets. No player has been with the franchise longer. But West might be the NBA's least-known star outside of New Orleans. Gregg Popovich addressed that Sunday. *For some reason, he continues to be this underrated guy.* Popovich should know the reasons by now. West doesn't play to the hype, and he doesn't work in a large market. These are all parallels Spurs would enjoy. Except for now. The one player they can't figure out also wants to be like them.
***

There you have it. You read the picks before G1 of Spurs-Hornets and everybody picks Spurs in 6. Or 5. Even the most experienced NBA experts and pundits overlook Hornets’ great team. So why? Because they don’t consider
DX as a top tier player. All the talk is about Paul and his chance of single-hanedly burning the champs. Look, I’am not sayin’ San Antone can’t win this series and advance. They can. And they should. But...

...after watching in our SPURROOM with my buds how Hornets glide past Spurs behind 30 points from West in G1... the hope seems dim for us.

Heck, we aren’t done yet. There’ll be no residue from fire-extinguishers on the floor, TD will bounce back strongly, Pop will counter with his new master-like game plan, Manu will be crazy and maybe, Bowen will get ejected along with Paul. That’s all good news. All we need is a split after these two games.

But there will be DAVID WEST (one of the best in the NBA and better player than Amare), too, tearing Spurs apart, probably buildin’ the foundation for another blowout of Spurs.

p.s.: c.j. watson of warriors: *one thing that shocked me was during a timeout coach nelson doesn't say nothing. he just sits there and rubs his head.*
p.s.2: i thought of a great trade last night as melo was doing everything but taking his clothes off during the second half of the lakers game... what about a trade with melo and josh howard as the principles? obviously dallas would have to throw in more because melo has more value than howard, but wouldn't that make sense for both teams? dallas gets a much needed scorer to team with dirk - denver gets a much-needed intangibles guy who doesn't care if he gets the ball and also has some good weed connections. everyone wins. (-bill simmons)

Posted by Foreigner in CS - May 5 2008 8:18PM

check out my NBA blog at FiCSing.blogspot.com

That sounds about right

Gino20 — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:36:25 -0000

Not that it's of great concern to us right now, but the official NBA MVP ballot finally was revealed. Duncan finished 7th and Ginobili was 10th. No big whoop there, but it's nice to see Gino in the top 10 for that award considering how he often gets overlooked and may or may not ever finish that high again. The only other time he had this much MVP consideration of any kind in the Association was in the '05 Finals.

http://www.nba.com/news/kobe_mvp_080506.html

Reason to hope?

tomasito — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:16:24 -0000

Of course, there's always reason to hope... except for in 2001 when the Lakers steamrolled the Spurs. What other playoff series from Spurs or NBA history might offer the good guys from the Alamo City hope against the flopping punks from New Orleans?

1989-90 Western Conference Semifinals, Spurs vs. Portland

Kevin Duckworth injures his hand against Dallas in the first round, prompting rookie David Robinson to muse that he doesn't think anyone on Portland can guard him. Portland's fired up big men lead blowouts in games one and two, leading the national media to write off the upstart Spurs. The Spurs come back and respond with even larger blowouts at the Hemisfair (I can still recall the photo of Willie Anderson dunking beneath the caption "Spurs Answer Back!"). The Spurs would go on to lose both games 5 and 7 in heartbreaking fashion, both in OT.

Lesson: they looked totally overmatched from the opening tip in the first two games, but were the better team for the remainder of the series.

2004 Western Conference Semifinals, Spurs vs. Lakers

The Spurs boatrace the Lakers down the stretch in both home games. They looked younger and hungrier than the grizzled Shaq/Kobe/Payton/Malone Lakers. The series shifted to LA, where they eased up just a bit and got waxed in game 3, then let game 4 slip through their fingers when the Colorado Casanova went from courtroom to court and lit up the good guys in the second half. The Spurs' 3-point shooting, former Sacramento King, European small forward begins to miss after having been a deadeye shooter all series to that point, and goes into the tank for the remainder of the series. I will not speak of what happened next in the series--only to comment that some things, once seen, cannot be unseen, but rather are burned into the retina.

Lesson: If the Hornets ease up in game 3 and the Spurs blow them out, it's back on.

Lesson 2: Even if the Spurs win the series, there is the danger that their flaws will be exposed by a better team in a later round, as with the Lakers and Pistons in the Finals.

2005 NBA Final, Spurs vs. Pistons

The Spurs outclass the Pistons in games 1 and 2 by about 20 points in each game, due largely to hot shooting and lethargic play from the Pistons once the game got out of reach. Game 3 is back and forth until Beno comes in and commits like 10 turnovers in the span of a minute to go from a 2 point lead to a 10 point deficit, and the Pistons are off and running, and are largely the better team for the remainder of the season. Only Robert Horry's being possessed for an hour by the ghost of Larry Bird saves the series (Larry hates the Pistons so much he donated his ghost to the cause of beating them despite reports of his continued existence).

Lesson: The Hornets have looked like the better team, but that's largely on the strength of their shooting be so hot. If they cool off, and the Spurs start making shots, they could get back in the series.

Lesson 2: Even if that happens, the Spurs have put themselves into a precarious position where even if they right the ship and outplay the Hornets, the series could turn on an out-of-the-blue performance from an unlikely contributor (Bonzi Wells?).

So what does this all mean? Is there reason to hope? In all of the above series, a team appeared outclassed early on, only to come back and look like the better team. Think of all the open looks the Spurs were getting, even though they weren't going in. Reggie Miller made some dumbass comment about the Hornets' "awesome" defense after they closed out on a couple of shooters, only to leave Manu with a wide-open three, which he missed.

In the end, I think the Spurs' chances hinge on Manu. If he's just been playing poorly, I think the Spurs still have a chance. If he's hurt, and this is what we can expect from him, then our Spurs are D-U-N done.

Chat With Stampizzle

Aaronstampler — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:35:49 -0000

I think Wayne (AusTechSpur) had a brilliant idea last week where he asked people to ask him questions and he'll answer them one at a time, so I'm going to copy it. I already asked his permission and everything, so it's cool.

So go ahead, ask me anything. Spurs, The NFL draft, hockey, baseball, The NBA playoffs, TV, movies, music, pop culture, women, food, politics, etc. I'll try to be funny and not sound like too much of an idiot. But please be warned, I know next to nothing about technology or the economy.

Anyway, go ahead and think up questions until Tuesday midnight, San Antonio time. I'll answer them early Wednesday morning.

Finding the Calm

CMoney — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:45:39 -0000

A few months ago I was having a conversation with my roommate, who is a firefighter, about fear. I was asking him a multitude of questions in which his answers revealed more about myself than I cared to know. For the life of me, I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of running into a burning building. How do you temper the fear? When Hell and all its demons are staring you right in the face, how on God’s green earth do you not become paralyzed? His answer was simple yet profound. “You find the calm.” He continued to explain that when everything around you is in absolute chaos, the one constant you can depend on is staying calm. Fear is a natural self-preservation response hardwired into our brains. Why run from something so important to our survival? Instead, channel the fear. Allow it to awaken your senses and hone in on what your body is telling you. Relish the epinephrine dump and rely on your animalistic instincts that have evolved for thousands of years. For the past few months I have been replaying those four words in my head. “You… find… the… calm.”

These words came back to me the first time I watched the Kobe and Shaq, There Can Only Be One, commercial. This is the one where they both talk about the fear of losing in the playoffs and how they like the fear. It was in this moment that I realized that my roommate was spot on. Fear is an emotion felt by everyone regardless of creed, status or profession. In a moment of clarity, I saw the elusive obvious… The reason the San Antonio Spurs are so successful is because they know how to find the calm. In Hollywood style fashion, I replayed in my mind all of the nail-biting moments over the Spurs’ ten year run. I thought back to that warm summer night in 2005 when my father and I attended Game 7, only to be rewarded with watching my team of champions lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. I was reminded once again a few weeks ago in Game 1 vs. Phoenix, when we just wouldn’t be denied. And even in bitter defeat, I’ve seen a calmness only extruded by champions. How else can you explain coming back from a three games to one deficit, against Dallas in 06, to force Game 7? Only then, to be down by 20 points late in the 2nd quarter and again comeback to force overtime…

For those of you who have seen the film The Departed, I’m reminded of the scene where Leonardo DiCaprio is talking to his psychiatrist, trying to get her to comprehend what I’m telling you now. “You sit there with a mass murderer. A mass murderer.... Your heart rate is jacked. And your hand…. steady. That's one thing I figured out about myself in prison. My hand does not shake. Ever.” You see, no matter what happens to this team, our hand does not shake. Not a quiver. Not a tick. Nothing. We have a sense of calm that instills fear in the hearts of our opponents. A fear that stems from a lack of understanding… How can a team be so poised, so unflappable, so stoic? Well my friends, we now know the answer.

The flop-o-meter has to be revised

carina_gino20 — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:53:17 -0000

The flop-o-meter has to be revised because CP3 just launced a new brand of flopping.

From MySA.com's Mike Finger

With 2:38 left in the third quarter, Bowen caught Paul's hand on a jump shot, and when a foul wasn't called, we witnessed what might have been a playoff first:

A dead-ball flop.

Paul and Bowen bumped into each other as both approached an official, and Paul fell backwards as if he was trying to draw a charge.

Round 2, Game 2: @ New Orleans

AusTechSpur — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:44:03 -0000

A motivational message from SiMA to our Spurs.

TO: the San Antonio Spurs

PRE-GAME, 2008 NBA Playoffs Game 2

Guess what? You lost on Saturday night. You lost in a blowout to a younger team. Angry? No?

Well, you’re the defending World Champions with nothing left to prove. But you’re old and slow and inconsistent and dirty. Your coach is overrated and your players distort the rules of the game to be successful. You just got embarrassed and shown up on national TV by the newly anointed media upstarts. No one outside of your immediate fan base is pulling for you, and most don’t believe that you can even do it. Your time has past, and you did so much but were never even truly a dynasty.

Now are you pissed off? Good, because that fire and passion and focus will be critical during Game 2.

Each time the stoneworker brings that hammer down to meet the rock in a violent collision, his hands bleed and pulse with pain unimaginable. Each time, to seemingly no effect, the hammer strikes the rock and more pain shoots through the stoneworker’s body. Each time he faces fear that his efforts are fruitless and aloof. Each time the pain and frustration threaten within to overpower him.

But each time, the rock grows weaker. Even when he cannot see it or feel it, the rock is already slowly breaking. Each time, he moves onward out of grit and determination. Each time, through the pain and fear and frustration, he knows he gets closer to completely breaking through.

The Hornets are good. They’re fast and determined, and they have threats on the floor at all times. They beat you in EVERY way on Saturday, and showed you that it will be more than challenging getting through them. They are worthy of praise and respect, and should be taken very, very seriously.

That said, there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING that New Orleans brings to the table that you haven’t seen before.

Chris Paul?!

Please. He’s a great player, and a fantastic talent; but he’s nothing you haven’t vanquished before. Remember Jason Kidd in his prime? Steve Nash? Allen Iverson? Deron Williams? Chauncey Billups? They were all darlings of the pundits as well, each touted as the prototypical guard….. and shredded by your game.

David West?

Who? Know how every year there’s an athlete that makes the All-Star Game as a mercy pick, and then fades back to being just an above-average player the next year? Guys, I’d like to introduce you to David West. If you can’t guard David West and recognize his game and glaring weaknesses, you have no business putting on the uniform. The mascot that caught the arena on fire before halftime of Game 1 could narrowly survive a bear attack and simultaneous heroin overdose, and then immediately go on to post up David West. You can handle Dirk, Amare, Bosh, Brand, Pau, and Boozer….and David Freakin’ West hands you your ass. This cannot happen. It must not happen. It’s one thing to allow your reign at the top to fall by the hands of a proven and viable big man. But David West is NOT the Achilles Heel of this team. Rotate men on him, push him away from the basket, do not allow ANY put backs or alley-oops. We WILL stop David West.

Remember both Nuggets series’ of several years ago. Remember the world’s collective love for the ‘exciting,’ and ‘new,’ and ‘dangerous’ and ‘promising’ Denver team. Remember losing Game 1 each time. Remember the fear and the doubt. Remember that each of us felt that it could be the end, that we could be too old and too incomplete to compete anymore. Remember the adjustments made, the passion you re-entered the series with, and remember the following overwhelming victories. We have done it before, and it will be done again.

The rage you feel is good. It hones and polishes us. It makes us stronger and less full of fear. But the fear is there; there’s no denying that. The fear that this New Orleans team is younger and stronger and faster and more confident looms within each one of us. But it is THAT fear, if kept small and controlled deep within, that will propel us forward. We must continue to bang away at that stone. We must continue to swing the hammer and bring it down, however painfully. You will be hurt and you will be tired. But there’s no such thing as a testimony without a test, and these guys will be testing us for 7 games.

The only thing beating you is desire. Little league teams around the country using your team as an example paused in confusion on Saturday. You do not hustle. You do not box out. You make passes so weak and risky that the elderly could intercept them. You play with no urgency or understanding of what it takes to be a champion, while the rookie team on the other bench laughs at you and collects your turnovers! You MUST protect the paint! You MUST challenge all shooters! You MUST rotate on defense and understand that we are not defending as individuals, but as one unit. We are each carrying a portion of the load, and we each need to see that the entire load will fall if one fails in his task. Provide smothering help D. Go under the pick and rolls. Take charges. Play SMARTER than New Orleans. Many times we beat teams with more talent, more speed, only because we are smarter. We are more experienced. We must add desire to that, and play with all three in harmony. When we do this as you know, no one in the world can compete with us.

We WILL win this series. We are better suited for 7 games, and know what it takes to overcome adversity. Call upon that knowledge right now! We HAVE better individual players, but must only play as one to defeat New Orleans.

We have the best player on the planet in Tim Duncan. No big man has more rings, more playoff success, more poise, and more basketball wisdom than Timmy. His defensive game is unparalleled. His offense cannot be contained. 1-9 performances are rare, and never duplicated. Anyone can be off for a night. But no one can thoroughly dominate a basketball court like Tim Duncan can. And he does not tolerate failure.
We have the best 6th man in the league in Manu Ginobili. He has won at every level possible, and knows what it takes to be a champion. He cannot be defended, and can single-handedly change a game or series by seizing the situation, and providing a passion that no one in the game can match. But he never plays his best unless down, and he’s down right now. Injuries and pride have sharpened his determination, and nothing will slow that.
We have arguably the best playoff point guard in the game in Tony Parker. His speed is matched by no one, and he doesn’t feel fear. He may not be the jump shooter or facilitator of his adversary, but he knows what winning requires, and he’s ready to prove himself yet again.
We have Bruce Bowen, the game’s best perimeter defender. The man who makes all of the big plays, controls the game on a psychological level, and can be completely relied upon to smother a hot offense. He also cannot be stopped from the corners.
We have Kurt Thomas and Ime. They are terrifyingly scary, and can kick your ass. They MUST be counted on for a physical presence. We need to be more of a bully in this series and stop expecting New Orleans to bow in respect! The Hornets’ youth and lack of control will show through upon being pressured and roughed.
We have the game’s most feared playoff clutch shooters in Brent Barry and Findog and Robert Horry. When doubling or tripling Tim persists, they will destroy New Orleans from the arc.
Every one of our role players will be counted on for experience and production. Our bench is prepared and ready to deliver when called upon.
And finally, we have the game’s best playoff coach. No other coach adapts and prepares for an opponent like Gregg Popovich. No other coach strikes more fear and respect into teams than ours. He has proven his superiority time and time again, and will this series as well. His game plan for Game 2 will include adaptations unimagined by Byron Scott, and unforeseen by the Hornets players. Breaking down an opponents offensive and defensive strengths, ESPECIALLY after a loss, is where Coach Pop excels and consistently delivers.

Do not doubt, and do not fear. Fear is nothing more than the evidence of a lack of faith, and we are faithful to our goal. We have been beaten before, and we will be beaten again. But we WILL eventually break the rock. We will eventually dismantle a New Orleans team unaccustomed to playoff basketball. We will destroy the fragile psych of a team easily stopped by strong defense. No one in the world can or will beat Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich 4 out of 7 games. No one is equipped and ready to do so, and these four will not allow it. We will take Game 2 and even the series. From then on, we have home court advantage and will not allow a loss in San Antonio.

So far as the cliché goes, New Orleans did what was required of them. No series begins until a road team wins, and we hoped to win one away from San Antonio. Game 2 is that game. When we go back to San Antonio tied, this becomes a new series with the pressure completely on New Orleans; and that is something they’ve never dealt with. Get out early, do not let up, and make smart decisions. We’ll have several days to rest, tonight is the time to put everything you have on the floor. Do not allow Paul to become a distributor and involve the entire offense. 30 points from their playmaker is fine, so long as he doesn’t MAKE plays with 10+ assists. Play physical down low, and hustle for EVERY play. Move the ball, and exploit New Orleans’ fatigue on transitions late in the game. We have them where we want them right now, confident bordering on arrogant and feeling secure without adjustments. Execution will be the key to this series, and we will execute to perfection playing as one. They feel that they have contained Tim Duncan, and we’ll allow them to feel that. We will exploit their double teams by rotating the ball, and hitting our shots. We will drive the paint relentlessly, and kick out to the open shooters when they collapse. They want to play physical, and that’s fine. We will play physical in the paint, drawing quick fouls upon their bigs. We will eliminate the fear of back door cuts and alley-oops by removing their post up threats. We will hustle on every play, diving for loose balls and fighting for all rebounds. We will force Paul into shots he doesn’t want with crippling defense and the cutting off of penetration.

I still stand by my prediction of the San Antonio SPURS in 5 games. We will not settle for our reign being stopped by a young and inexperienced upstart team. We’re definitely not through winning championships, and this year will not settle for the lack of a chance. Each of you is important and critical to the goal. We do not need a superstar performance to defeat New Orleans, but it IS critical in our system to have great play from each role. We got these guys, and will win tonight if we play as one. This is the time we’ve built and waited for, and now is the time to again surprise the world. Go out and KNOW that we’re winning, and do not settle for failure. We now know what it’s like to lose and will not accept it again. Keep pounding away, regardless of fear and set-back, and do not concede. You are the World Champions, and only fail if you allow it to be taken away.

GO SPURS GO

Poll

How do you see this series going down now?

Euroleague Spurs....

bren — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:29:38 -0000

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=whittelleurofinalfoupreview080502

Heres a pretty good article about the upcoming Euroleague Final Four, it has some really nice bits about Splitter, Javtokas and even Ian Mahinmi.

I think its become pretty obvious the Spurs are getting old and need some youth and athleticism in the front court, hopefully Splitter and Mahinmi can provide that next year, so if you can add both of those guys and perhaps someone like Brandon Rush in the draft, youd had some decent replacements for Horry, Finley etc..

Game 2 Adjustments

tomasito — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:12:15 -0000

Yikes. Despite a promising start, our boys got hammered in the second half, and looked a whole lot like the spuRS we had to put up with in the last couple of weeks of the season. Here's what I think is the prescription for game 2...

First, none of the adjustments will matter if Timmy doesn't make his little hook shots and bank shots, and if the rest of the guys don't knock down the open j's. Right now, Parker's the only guy I feel confident in shooting. Even Ginobili seems to be in a funk; maybe he's hurt more than they are letting on.

First, I would move Timmy onto David West. He absolutely destroyed Old Man Muffs, FabO, and Crazy Eyes. I don't know that TD would shut him down, but he would do better than those three guys did. And you'd have less to worry about with those other guys on Chandler; maybe he gets a few more offensive rebounds, but it's not like Timmy kept him off the boards entirely.

Secondly, if Timmy is guarding West, that means that West will often have to pick Timmy up defensively in quick transition, because it will be tougher for Chandler to pick up Duncan in a cross-matchup. If West is guarding Duncan, maybe TD can put some fouls on him.

Psychologically, maybe that will get TD a little more engaged and focused, that he has a mano a mano battle against the other team's best big. If the Spurs can't win that matchup, they don't have a chance in the series anyways.

I think Peja played about as well as he is capable of playing. I don't think any adjustments are in order on that front. He won't continue to make all of those little floaters and pull up j's. If he does, well, it's just not your day.

If Duncan struggles in the low post again, it might make sense to pull Duncan away from the basket offensively and get him involved with pick and rolls with Manu and Tony. That will get him some shots without having to worry about the coming double.

That said, I think game one boiled down to a couple of factors:

1. West, Stojakovic, and Wells all played and shot as well offensively as they are capable of playing. They may continue to play well, but it would surprise me if they continued to play THAT well.

2. Duncan and Ginobili (after the asinine ring of fire) played as poorly as they are capable of playing. Ginobili had a string of momentum-turning turnovers with the game in the balance in the 3rd quarter. If the Spurs score on those possessions, maybe they stem the tide, but instead, the turnovers unleashed a deluge.

3. The Spurs wings HAVE TO hit their open shots. Otherwise, this could go the way of the Lakers series in 2004, where Turkoglu, Bowen, and Devin Brown combined to shoot something like 15% from 3.

Usually, the "they played well, we played poorly" card gives you hope, because you figure it will turn around. I think it will turn around, but will it turn around by 15-20 points? That call is harder to make.

Before the series, I thought "at least it's New Orleans," because I don't especially dislike NO and figured it would hurt less losing to them than it would losing to the Suns, Lakers, or Mavs. I'm starting to dislike CPunk3 (flopping to try to draw a tech on a dead ball?) enough to where that's no longer in play. I guess it goes to show that a fan will turn on any opponent their team has to face.

Round 2, Game 1 - Second Half Thread

AusTechSpur — Sun, 04 May 2008 03:23:43 -0000

We're knocking it over here for the second half. The thread is getting monstrous.

More words are needed here.