Preview

by sungo on Oct 10, 2007 12:12 AM CDT

San Antonio Spurs
Last Year's Record: 58-24
Key Losses: Jackie Butler, Luis Scola
Key Additions: Ime Udoka, Ian Mahinmi

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

The Spurs, going with the "if it ain't broke" school of thought, brought just about everybody back from last year's championship team. They even went so far as to give Jacque Vaughn a two year contract and sign Bruce Bowen through the 2009-10 season, when he'll be thirty-eight years old. Ime Udoka, a relative new face in the NBA despite being 30, was brought over from Portland and will likely get most of Brent Barry's minutes. Ian Mahinmi, a young French "P"F drafted a couple years ago, will probably spend the entire year playing for the NBDL's Austin Toros. Lastly, there's Marcus Williams, a second-round pick out of Arizona. He's young and tallish.

San Antonio also traded Jackie Butler and the rights to Argentinian PF Luis Scola to Houston for a second round pick. This was purely a cost-cutting measure and made me all sorts of grouchy.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

The Spurs' players have a unique and unbreakable spirit of paternal camaraderie that is fostered by weekly knitting sessions held at Beno Udrih's quaint, but comfortable, downtown loft. Also, on the longer road trips they reenact various scenes from BBC's version of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, with leader Tim Duncan resolving disputes regarding who gets to play Elizabeth Bennet.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

The relentless dirge sounding the pending team-wide infirmity and Matt Bonner's insistence on performing Mariah Carey's "Emotions" in the locker room despite his inability to hit any of the high notes.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Most of the organization wants Tim and Tony to "just freaking get it over with and make out already."

5. Can you think of one compelling reason to watch the Spurs during the regular season?

Uh, besides the possibility of Joey Crawford and Tim Duncan getting into the slap fight to end all slap fights, I would have to say "no."

Predicted Record: 55-27

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Re: Preview

technically, they didn't lose scola. he was never signed to play with the spurs. that said, i still get the feeling that rc & pop had something against signing him because it just made too much sense to bring him into the spurs.

by dmcnulla on Oct 10, 2007 1:15 AM CDT reply actions

Re: Preview

Nice post. It made me lol, but that may be because I've been up for...Oh, fuck me. 18 hours starting at noon yesterday. Christ. I'm gonna die. SO bad.

Autobots, transform and roll out!

by Hideyori on Oct 10, 2007 6:42 AM CDT reply actions

Re: Preview

The Spurs, going with the "if it ain't broke" school of thought, brought just about everybody back from last year's championship team

...which has worked SO well in past years following a championship. The only significant offseason move they've ever made following a ring was the Finley pickup, that was a no-brainer... especially at the time. The window for championships in the Duncan era is closing - this is the only repeat chance the Spurs will have until they luck into another franchise player a decade or two from now.

chaos... panic... pandemonium... my work here is done.

by rick2g on Oct 10, 2007 10:44 AM CDT reply actions

Re: Preview

what? spurs didn't change a lot in 2000 (when duncan was hurt), but they changed a lot by 2001.

00-01: derek anderson, ferry,

01-02: parker, steve smith, sjax (did not play until 2002-2003), charles smith, parks

02-03: willis, ginobili, kerr, claxton, mengke freaking bateer

03-04: rasho, hedo, horry, devin brown, and charlie ward

04-05: nazr, big dog, massenburg, beno udrih

05-06: finley, van exel (in a negative way), and oberto

06-07: elson, vaughn

07-08: udoka, scola (just kidding)

by dmcnulla on Oct 10, 2007 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions

Re: Preview

I meant significant moves. They won in 1999, and the biggest priority that offseason? Re-signing Jaren Jackson. They picked up Derek Anderson after they got bounced in '99-'00.

'03 was suppose to be a "rebuilding" year; Robinson was retiring, and we had a second-year point guard who couldn't legally purchase alcohol, an unknown rookie from Argentina, and drop-out from the New Jersey Nets named Stephen Jackson who didn't play a single minute the previous season. ...and let us not forget that Speedy Claxton led the team during many critical playoff moments since Tony was suffering from a serious case of being French. But after winning that championship? The only non-scrub-related move we made was to pick up Rasho to "replace" #50.

In '05, they won with Nazr starting in the playoffs despite having just joined the team near the trade deadline, Brent was in his first year with the Spurs. And, yes, that offseason, we DID sign Finley... but SOMEONE had to eventually sign him, and why not us? However, we had to sign VanExel to get him, and that's a wash in my book. What else did we do to improve the team that go-round? We signed another Argentinian, who wouldn't contribute significantly until he'd ridden the pine for a year.

And after winning this year? Our biggest move was the guy we DIDN'T sign.

Honestly, I don't know what my point is here, but I think we seem to do better when there's significant entropy among not just the scrubs, but the mid-rank players on the team. Every championship year, we've had someone from the rank-and-file step up and bail our main guys out. In '99 it was Jaren Jackson. In '03 it was Stephen Jackson and/or Steve Kerr. In '05, Nazr and Horry were the unexpecteds who pushed us over the top against Detroit. I think '07 was the only year where it really was just Tim, Tony, and Manu - which is another reason why this championship run (except for the schadenfreude which was the Phoenix series) was my least favorite so far. All our best opponents fell by the wrong sword. Dallas fell to Golden State. Phoenix beat themselves as much or more than we beat them. Detroit lost to Cleveland fer cryin' out loud. Pussy ass broom-bait Cleveland. The land Jordan razed and sowed with salt, where never shalt there grow a championship, no matter how many #1 picks or favorable and-1 calls they get. And why? Because LeBron, much like Zoolander, CAN'T FUCKIN' GO LEFT!

...ok... I'm drunk. Laters.

chaos... panic... pandemonium... my work here is done.

by rick2g on Oct 10, 2007 11:46 PM CDT up reply actions

Re: Preview

You say 55-27, I say 57-25, why? I don't know. Pure contrarianism I guess.

by Hipuks on Oct 10, 2007 3:00 PM CDT reply actions

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5. Can you think of one compelling reason to watch the Spurs during the regular season?

To see Manu Ginobili escape more vicious pile-ups than a NASCAR driver. The "Tim Duncan missed a free throw" drinking game is also fun.

by 0signal on Oct 10, 2007 10:02 PM CDT reply actions

Re: Preview

57-25, sounds about right to me. The windo for winning 'chips in the Duncan Era is coming to a close, and the Duncan Era is gonna be over entirely soon as well. Howeva, this year the window is wide open, I still say there is a move to be made at some point during the season. I just don't know what the move will be yet. In any event, I am ready to see a Spurs repeat.

"The road to success is always under construction."

by DennardC on Oct 11, 2007 5:04 PM CDT reply actions

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*window

"The road to success is always under construction."

by DennardC on Oct 11, 2007 5:05 PM CDT reply actions

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i would say that oberto was the guy that stepped up to "bail out" the big guys on 07, but it wasnt that much of a "bail out" as in previous years; which actually makes this past ring worthy of cherish. translation = if the rest of the league couldn't beat this bunch last year, how could they this time around? injuries are the only way.

by bones on Oct 12, 2007 1:17 PM CDT reply actions

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Bones, about your comment on Fab OBERTO, you have my support

VAMOS ARGENTINA!!! Please visit my blog @ http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com

by sivanjohn on Oct 15, 2007 8:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Re: Preview

i expect the beijing olympics to be very difficult time for me emotionally, as i have to pull for the punks representing my country to beat my favorite players: manu, fab and luis scola.

now that scola is out of the picture, maybe the spurs can get diego logrippo (kidding....kind of) or pablo prigioni.

by bones on Oct 17, 2007 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions