Is it possible that we all somehow managed to forget about the San Antonio Spurs? No exciting trades or thrilling storylines this season, but they've looked pretty damn good in two games against Phoenix. Meanwhile, the Suns are seeing that one cost of the Shaq trade is that they lost a very good perimeter defender and now don't have a real way to guard Parker and Ginobili on the outside. Maybe some of the guys who looked too old during the regular season were just taking it easy and are ready to buckle down now? Given that it's an even-numbered year, I bet they don't get the rings and take the offseason to retool some of the secondary players, but still it's amazing how San Antonio manages to sneak up year after year.
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The Spurs, Of Course
23 Apr 2008 01:42 pm
Comments (66)
The spurs are sqeaking by the suns, while the
hornets are crushing the mavs by 23.
The hornets also made the spurs look really bad
two late season games.
I do remember 2005 when the spurs and detroit
made each other look bad (20+ point beatdowns),
but the hornets (ie. CP3) look dangerous.
(And I am a spurs fan.)
Jesus, I cannot take another year of hack, flop and bitch basketball. They just kill my interest.
Of course, I'm going to get a lecture from someone about how they "play the right way", how they're "old school", and how anyone who really loves basketball loves the spurs, etc. etc. etc....
Yep, the Spurs are evil. But it warms my heart a little to see my opinion of the Shaq trade vindicated. Last night they had Boris freakin' Diaw guarding Tony Parker at key moments. The result was exactly what you would expect.
Meanwhile, if they had kept Kurt Thomas and Marion, they'd have the same team that almost beat the Spurs last year. I'd say their chance at beating them this time would be at least 50-50. Ha.
I did state in the predictions thread that I could see the Spurs either losing in the first round or going all the way. But I think I was wrong about both of those outcomes. The Spurs will have a tough time getting by NO in the 2nd round, and if they win that, I think they'd definitely lose to either the Lakers or Jazz in the conference finals.
If they pull it off this year, it will be their most impressive run yet. They are not as good as years past, and everyone else is better.
And yes Freddie, I think they are pretty amazing to watch. Especially Obi Wan Ginobili, aka The Sickness. What makes him most amazing is that in South America he is right-handed. Its kinda like the toilet flushing thing.
Phoenix is dumb.
Speaking as a Spurs fan, no I'm not surprised by SA's performance. What I do find interesting, however, is that the Spurs - who used to base much of their success largely on a dominant front line - are now a team to be feared because of their backcourt. Parker and Ginobili are emerging as a much more central offensive threat than they'd been in the past (not that they weren't weapons in the past, but probably not to the extent than they are now). Just an interesting development from my point of view.
If SA manages to make it past the first round (I still think Phoenix has an excellent chance to get back in the series - if they can figure out the Spurs backcourt), I am confident about their chances in the conference semis. I know everyone is excited about New Orleans, and rightly so (and they're certainly making chopped liver out of Dallas), but in the end, the Spurs have the size, agility and experience to get past them (in six!). SA/Lakers would be an awesome series, of course.
Keep in mind that it took 2 game-tying 3's, one by Duncan, for the Spurs to win game 1. This series really should be tied 1-1.
The 3rd quarter by the Suns was just pathetic. You can always count on Barbosa and Diaw to shit the bed in the postseason. Diaw could't make Parker or Micheal f'ing Finley pay in the post. Jesus Christ. Grant Hill was picking up some of Marion's former permiter assignments (and doing pretty well) but it looks like he's done for this series. The Suns really, really need to develop a bench- I have no idea how they expect to win a championship (let alone win the West) when they only have a seven man rotation.
Exactly Vinn. Paul/West/Chandler is really not more troublesome than Nash/Stoudemire/Snaq.
that's not an entirely fair statement, mpowell - that kind of game takes place in the playoffs all the time. super-tight squeakers are a part of playoff life.
The 3rd quarter by the Suns was just pathetic. You can always count on Barbosa and Diaw to shit the bed in the postseason. Diaw could't make Parker or Micheal f'ing Finley pay in the post. Jesus Christ. Grant Hill was picking up some of Marion's former permiter assignments (and doing pretty well) but it looks like he's done for this series. The Suns really, really need to develop a bench- I have no idea how they expect to win a championship (let alone win the West) when they only have a seven man rotation.
The 3rd quarter by the Suns was just pathetic. You can always count on Barbosa and Diaw to shit the bed in the postseason. Diaw could't make Parker or Micheal f'ing Finley pay in the post. Jesus Christ. Grant Hill was picking up some of Marion's former permiter assignments (and doing pretty well) but it looks like he's done for this series. The Suns really, really need to develop a bench- I have no idea how they expect to win a championship (let alone win the West) when they only have a seven man rotation.
Exactly Vinn. Paul/West/Chandler is really not more troublesome than Nash/Stoudemire/Snaq.
Except that Paul can actually guard somebody.
Exactly Vinn. Paul/West/Chandler is really not more troublesome than Nash/Stoudemire/Snaq.
Except that Paul can actually guard somebody.
I think I'd like the Spurs even if I didn't live in San Antonio.
I'd love to see them repeat for once and firmly establish their place in history before they start to break apart this team.
"Hack, flop and bitch" sounds like a good description of the folks who like to run down the Spurs every year. The Spurs are a modest team that plays good basketball. When their three stars - Tim, Tony and Manu - are all "on" they are nearly unbeatable. Unfortunately, they haven't always been on during the regular season, especially when they've played top tier teams like New Orleans and Boston. So I am worried that they may still fall short this year, but I'm getting more hopeful as the playoffs progress.
Ah, so that's how triple posts happen.
Dear Atlantic,
Fire McArdle and use the money savings to upgrade your comment section because it sucks Satan's left nut.
It's not a series until somebody loses a home game (or you get to Game 7). All San Antonio has done is to hold home court - nothing more.
One thing I didn't realize, though, is how bad Grant Hill would be. Wow - he is a complete non-factor. They might as well be playing DJ Strawberry instead.
It is amazing how much better they are when they play Duncan for 42 minutes instead of 34. Say what you will, this is still the best player in the game. He doesn't score the way he once did, but that is mainly because he doesn't have to and isn't on the floor for the same minutes he was in his youth. But he dominates on both ends of the floor and does whatever is required for the team to win.
The Spurs coaching staff is much better than Phoenix's. This is the fourth or fifth match-up between the Suns and Spurs since 2003 in the play-offs, and the coaches always put them in a place to win.
Finley always plays much better when he gets a ton of minutes. In the regular season, Spurs play big most nights, and you only have 96 minutes to divide among Bowen, Finley, Ginobili, Barry, and Udoka, so he usually only gets 20-25 minutes. In the play-offs, we play small much more often, we play Manu at the back-up point for most of the time Parker sits, and we get more minutes for our best players. He was huge in the series against Dallas two years ago, and he was integral to beating the Suns last year.
It is too early to put them in the second round yet, too early to talk about a potential match-up with New Orleans, let alone talk about the chances of winning the titles. But we all best wait till the hand hits the mat for the third time before we proclaim the Spurs eliminated.
It's funny to hear the media (announcers AND studio guys) start to jump back off the Shaq trade bandwagon like a sinking ship.
Phoenix certainly did a better job of incorporating Shaq mid-season than I ever thought they would. And a lot of the initial criticisms (including some of mine) turned out to be wrong. Shaq didn't kill their transition game. He didn't clog things up for Amare (quite the opposite, in fact). He managed to be a better offensive presence in their halfcourt than I expected. He does indeed give Duncan trouble without requiring double-team help. And he didn't break down like the washed up fatty I thought he was.
But there are still some things on the negative side of the balance sheet for this trade, and the Spurs have been able to exploit them big time in this series. Shaq's terrible at guarding pick and rolls. They miss Marion's perimeter defense like crazy. And can you imagine the Suns of days past, the Suns that always seemed to have four three-point threats on the court and spaced the floor like no team in history, getting essentially blanked for the whole third quarter? Now, a lot of that shooting left before the Shaq-Marion trade, but that was the deal where they officially gave up on the notion of spreading the floor with perimeter shooting.
Paul/West/Chandler is really not more troublesome than Nash/Stoudemire/Snaq.
That's nuts. All three are better defenders at this stage of their careers than their Suns' counterparts. Tony Parker will not have any games like last night's against New Orleans.
"One thing I didn't realize, though, is how bad Grant Hill would be. Wow - he is a complete non-factor. They might as well be playing DJ Strawberry instead.
I actually had the same thought. A injured, old- by-NBA standards Grant Hill just can't keep up with Parker. They may as well give Strawberry some playing time and see if he can hassle Parker. D'Antoni seems to think the Earth will swallow him whole if he plays his bench.
Also - two unrelated points. First, why the hell is TNT showing the Boston-Atlanta inevitable blowout instead of Detroit-Philly? That's horrible. Second, what Pooh said about Chris Paul - I don't think he's a great defender.
It's not a series until somebody loses a home game (or you get to Game 7). All San Antonio has done is to hold home court - nothing more.
Except 94% of teams that go up 2-0 win the series, so that cliche is total nonsense.
The burden is on the road team to steal one of the first two games. The Suns didn't get it done. Now they have to win 4 of 5. I'm supposed to believe that's not a bad situation to be in?
Is it possible that we all somehow managed to forget about the San Antonio Spurs?
No, it's not possible, as long as we're including comments by Jasper, who has for some time thought it patently obvious that San Antonio would win the conference. http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/04/official_playoff_predictions_1.php#comment-1905457
SA/Lakers would be an awesome series, of course.
Nope. Duncan and co. will dismember the Lakers in five games.
No the Spurs only looked good in one of their first two games at home, which they won because the Suns handed it to them and because of heavy doses of flopping and travelling. This Spurs team *is* getting old. They had a pretty poor record against the better teams in the West, but beat all the teams they should have beat. That's a sign of team that wins with experience but can't keep up with the best clubs.
"I have no idea how they expect to win a championship (let alone win the West) when they only have a seven man rotation."
Seven players was all the cheapskate owner is willing to pay for. This is a guy who sold first round draft picks.
"Of course, I'm going to get a lecture from someone about how they "play the right way", how they're "old school", and how anyone who really loves basketball loves the spurs, etc. etc. etc...."
Not from me. I love Duncan's game, but I'm sick of Ginobili and Bowen. I'd much rather watch a Jazz or Pistons game if I want a bowlful of "play the right way".
No the Spurs only looked good in one of their first two games at home, which they won because the Suns handed it to them and because of heavy doses of flopping and travelling. This Spurs team *is* getting old. They had a pretty poor record against the better teams in the West, but beat all the teams they should have beat. That's a sign of team that wins with experience but can't keep up with the best clubs.
"I have no idea how they expect to win a championship (let alone win the West) when they only have a seven man rotation."
Seven players was all the cheapskate owner is willing to pay for. This is a guy who sold first round draft picks.
"Of course, I'm going to get a lecture from someone about how they "play the right way", how they're "old school", and how anyone who really loves basketball loves the spurs, etc. etc. etc...."
Not from me. I love Duncan's game, but I'm sick of Ginobili and Bowen. I'd much rather watch a Jazz or Pistons game if I want a bowlful of "play the right way".
"That's nuts. All three are better defenders at this stage of their careers than their Suns' counterparts. Tony Parker will not have any games like last night's against New Orleans."
But see this game, before the Spurs big three all took turns getting hurt:
http://www.nba.com/games/20071109/SASNOH/boxscore.html
Compare Parker's and Paul's +/-
Al, Chris Paul's not a great defender, but he's at least an average defender, which is moer than you can say about Nash. Hell, Raja Bell and DJ Strawberry are the only guys on the entire Suns roster who qualify as average defenders.
"Nope. Duncan and co. will dismember the Lakers in five games."
Come on, dude - I'm a life-long SA fan, but I aint ready to place a wager on a Spurs win yet.
Assuming the Spurs can finish off the Suns without draining their batteries too much, the Spurs-Hornets series will look a lot like Spurs-Jazz did last year. David West and Tyson Chandler are exactly the kind of player that gets exposed as a second tier star in the playoffs (a la AK47). The scariest thing about the Spurs is that they look like they're back, but their 3 point shooters haven't come around (apart from a couple timely hits from Finley at the end of game 1). Barry is still out of sorts. Bowen isn't even trying to shoot. Parker and Ginobli aren't hitting outside shots at the rate they were last year, and Finley has struggled all season. If two or three of those guys start hitting their shots again consistently, they should take care of N.O., and it's going to be a hell of a series with the Lakers.
One thing I didn't realize, though, is how bad Grant Hill would be.
Yea, he's been a major disappointment. Very bizarre. It's as if he's lost his basketball instincts.
But see this game, before the Spurs big three all took turns getting hurt:
http://www.nba.com/games/20071109/SASNOH/boxscore.html
Compare Parker's and Paul's +/-
Ever hear of on the job training. One-third of Chris Paul's NBA education happened after that game. This game, with the entire Spurs big three has the exact opposite result in +/-. It's more recent with the teams fighting for top spot, so it's a bit more germane. Plus, Scott is a better coach than D'Antoni.
Nothing like cherry-picking games. Compare Parker's and Paul's respective +/- numbers in this game:
http://www.nba.com/games/20080126/NOHSAS/boxscore.html
In Grant Hill's defense, he is hurt. It was a gametime decision as to whether he would play. He was ineffective because his body has broken down (again), not because he has lost instincts.
There is no reason for the three point shooters to get going in this series. When Shaq is on the floor, we attack him with the pick and roll and score at will. When he is on the bench, throw the rock to Duncan in the post and let him embarrass the flavor of the month crappy defender the Suns have on him.
It isn't brain surgery.
Second, what Pooh said about Chris Paul - I don't think he's a great defender.
He's A) at least adequate, and B) Parker isn't the type to take advantage of his weakness, which is that he's tiny. Plus since he's a scoring point by nature, he lights Parker up for days and days until they send Bowen over to hit him on the knee, Kerrigan style.
In Grant Hill's defense, he is hurt. It was a gametime decision as to whether he would play.
He obviously should not have played.
I agree with Waingro above that D'Antoni would rather have his head explode than go deep into his bench. But if it were me, I'd bench Hill until he is fully recovered and give the minutes to Giricek (who D'Antoni lets play 10-15 minutes now, and who has played OK).
Second, what Pooh said about Chris Paul - I don't think he's a great defender.
He's A) at least adequate, and B) Parker isn't the type to take advantage of his weakness, which is that he's tiny. Plus since he's a scoring point by nature, he lights Parker up for days and days until they send Bowen over to hit him on the knee, Kerrigan style.
Look, Paul is a better defender than Nash, of course. But his weakness is not jsut that he's small, it's also that he doesn't stay in front of guys that well. And the biggest problem the Suns have had with Parker is that he beats Nash and goes straight to the hole (which he does as well as anyone). I think Parker would go around Paul and to the basket almost nearly as well as he goes around Nash. Kidd just can't exploit that too much because Kidd can't make layups and thus doesn't go to the basket anymore.
Also, OT a bit - anyone who thinks that Devin Harris would be doing a better job on Paul than the Mavs are now is nuts. Harris isn't very good at keeping people in front of him either.
I've taken to calling them the San Antonio Peteys. The fuckers annoy me that much.
"Shaq's terrible at guarding pick and rolls. They miss Marion's perimeter defense like crazy."
I don't recall the Suns EVER being good at guarding pick and rolls, even with Marion. None of their perimeter players ever seem to try and fight through and over the screener.
Frankly, for all the criticism given the Suns defense, I think it's their undisciplined, loosey-goosey offense that gets them in trouble in the playoffs. In the 4th quarter last night, they had Nash, Shaq and Amare on the court...and they were trying to post up Boris Diaw? Nash has also never figured out those incredibly difficult passes in traffic he makes during the regular season, become too difficult even for him when the defensity intensity gets cranked up in the playoffs. I remember a playoff game a few years ago when Amare was out with an injury and they kept running the exact same pick-and-roll plays with Nash and Kurt Thomas that they run with Nash and Amare...even though Thomas is a completely different offensive player.
There is clearly one area where the Suns miss Marion but, again, it's on offense. Marion is the ultimate garbage player who can score without having any plays run for him. The Suns don't have anyone like that now, so they're vulnerable to bad scoring doughts like last night.
Mike
Also, OT a bit - anyone who thinks that Devin Harris would be doing a better job on Paul than the Mavs are now is nuts. Harris isn't very good at keeping people in front of him either.
Check out Harris' and Paul's respective +/- numbers in this game:
http://www.nba.com/games/20071214/NOHDAL/boxscore.html
Everybody surprised the Spurs are beating the Suns simply haven't thought much about how stupid the Shaq trade was. The Suns are simply not better than they were with Marion, who gave them more on offense and defense than Shaq does, and frankly, is just as good a rebounder.
Marion can guard at least one of Parker or Manu.
Anyway, Nash is still quite good, but Bowen has neutralized him so he isn't playing "great".
Amare is just a half-great player. Great sometimes. But not a superstar, the kind who will make the plays you need to win it all. Plays no D. Sulks.
Those are the Suns two best players.
After that, Shaq is over-the-hill.
Hill, over the hill.
Raja Bell is way overrated and has been made to look foolish repeatedly by Manu (try forcing him right, Raja).
The fat french guy just ain't a championship caliber player. He had one good year, and now he's a liability on defense and too un-agressive on offense. There is simply no need for a point forward in an offense where Nash controls the ball 85% of the time.
The speedy Brazilian has amazing talent but way too inconsistent and can't guard a fire hydrant. Michael Finley still eats dudes lunch.
After that, nothing...
Suns have been overrated for years, they have never been built to win in the playoffs, have a choker of a coach, and traded for Shaq three years too late.
Be fun if they got swept...
And the biggest problem the Suns have had with Parker is that he beats Nash and goes straight to the hole (which he does as well as anyone).
Yup, and against the Suns he doesn't have to worry once he gets past Nash, because Stoudemire is a terrible defender, and Shaq is too old and slow to effectively come over and make Parker miss.
Tyson Chandler and David West are much better defenders than the two big Suns and -- while they'll probably have a harder time with Duncan due to size -- they will not give Parker many easy drives like he had last night.
Duncan and co. will "dismember" the Lakers in five games? Nah. The Lakers can neutralize two of their big three with All-Stars (Gasol on Duncan, and Kobe on Manu) and wear Parker down with toughness (Fish) and speed (Farmar). If the last game of the season is any guide, the Lakers will gut it out, especially with home court advantage, which likely would have been worth at least one game to the Suns already.
But I wouldn't count out New Orleans against either the Spurs or the Lakers. They know exactly how they want to win, and they've been making huge shots all year long. A lot of us kept expecting them to fade, like another talented young team (Portland). They didn't. Why should they go away now?
Geaux Hornets.
on march 6, on whatever matthew's basketball thread of the day was, i noted that my favorite mid-season deal for this season (as opposed to the long term, where the steal of gasol ranks number one) was the spurs emphasizing their core strengths by picking up kurt thomas and that as a result, i was suddenly seeing the spurs winning again for the first time all season.
i decided not to get into the endless game-by-game back-and-forth, but as someone else noted, what's that "we" business? some of us remember the spurs....
PS. Al, what were you doing commenting here and not giving full concentration to barcelona - man u?
Anyway, Nash is still quite good, but Bowen has neutralized him so he isn't playing "great".
In which case, the Suns really need someone on the bench who'll come in, break Bowen's jaw, and then enjoy a one-year suspension in which he will be able to visit every NBA arena outside of San Antonio and be greeted with a standing ovation.
on march 6, on whatever matthew's basketball thread of the day was, i noted that my favorite mid-season deal for this season (as opposed to the long term, where the steal of gasol ranks number one) was the spurs emphasizing their core strengths by picking up kurt thomas and that as a result, i was suddenly seeing the spurs winning again for the first time all season.
i decided not to get into the endless game-by-game back-and-forth, but as someone else noted, what's that "we" business? some of us remember the spurs....
PS. Al, what were you doing commenting here and not giving full concentration to barcelona - man u?
PS. Al, what were you doing commenting here and not giving full concentration to barcelona - man u?
That Al's out of town?
Nah, I'll give the Al-bot credit on this one: cagey match, more penalty appeals than chances, not that compelling, sets the stage for next week.
Back in his early years, a tough foul or two would completely take Parker out of a series. He took a viscious (unintentional) knee to the head in the first minute of game one and took a hard foul from Shaq in the middle of game two. No way 2004 Tony goes on to lead the team in scoring.
This thread has me all tasty for the Hornets. Here's hoping for a sweep for both teams so we can get that series started.
I think the commenters that pointed out the terrible Suns bench are onto something. Why doesn't D'Antoni get more flack for never cultivating a bench? He does this every year but all anyone talks about is how he changed the style of the game.
PS. Al, what were you doing commenting here and not giving full concentration to barcelona - man u?
TiVo. I was thinking of stepping out of work and going down the street to my local Irish pub to watch it, but decided not to - I probably will next week if I have time.
Also, thanks to pseudonymous for ruining it! I'm reading between the lines of his comment that it was a draw...
Curtis - I Still think spurs/suns will go 6 or 7. And I think the Mavs will get a win at home. Though I'd like an extra night or two of rest before the Spurs mercilessly dispense with the upstart Hornets. Patience...
On my way to SA tonight for a little NOISA/Fiesta.
Curtis - I Still think spurs/suns will go 6 or 7. And I think the Mavs will get a win at home. Though I'd like an extra night or two of rest before the Spurs mercilessly dispense with the upstart Hornets. Patience...
On my way to SA tonight for a little NIOSA/Fiesta.
The Spurs are pure evil. Manu is whiny flopper. Duncan is just whiny. Bowen is a thug. Thomas's posistion could best be described as blocking back. Pop started fouling Shaq in the 3rd quarter up by 6. That disrespects the game. Seriously, how does anyone like this team?
just to maintain the soccer hijacking, pseudonymous, al once committed the same error that you did: assuming that we all watch soccer matches in real time.
when it comes to a major american sport, i think you get no quarter when it comes to discussing results in a blog like this, but when it comes to soccer, i follow the no discussion of actual results until the next day policy (and now Al does too...).
still, i expected a barcelona partisan like al to watch this one in real time....
Skip, we obviously watch basketball for different things, but i gather that if you want poetry in motion unimpeded by game-disrespecting fouling, there's a sport called gymnastics on which you might cast an eye....
Howard,
I'll Im looking for is people who don't cheat or disrespect the game. It's not so much to ask for and yet the Spurs can't deliver. Evil, evil, evil.
richard, i can understand why people might have thought that, say, the piston bad boys were an evil, pernicious influence on the game of basketball, but the spurs? get a sense of perspective!
but as for respecting the game, i've been waiting for my first chance to pull this chesnut out (it won't be my last, i can assure you!).
when i was a young lad, in the early '60s, my parents got me a subscription to sports illustrated for my 11th birthday, and the very first issue i received featured a cover story by frank ramsey called "smart moves by a master of deception" but subtitled "how i draw fouls and win games."
in it, ramsey revealed, for the first time for publication, some of the various tricks by which he drew charges or got fouls called on the defender (and ramsey was a great foul shooter), moves that we all know about today but which were a bit wow back then (complete with drawings). and here's what he said: "All the pros know about this sort of thing. They know what I've been getting away with, without having to see drawings. But it isn't easy to combat these moves when they're done properly."
in short, back in 1963, the kinds of things you're apparently concerned about were all old hat already: they've always been part of basketball and by your standards, every member of the hall of fame has disrespected the game.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1075469/4/index.htm (SI recently put a whole bunch of old material online, including this article, so i heartily recommend it for students of basketball history)
and while i'm having this stroll down memory lane, along similar lines, there was a fabulous bill russell piece in 1965 called "the psych and my other tricks," in which he told the following basketball-disrespecting story:
Everybody in the league knows that Baylor—otherwise the complete player—can't move too well to his left. But in one moment of desperation in one of the playoffs I gave up trying to steer him left, and I let him come right. At the last minute I took one giant step sideways, and he ran smack into me and drew a foul for charging. I mean, it ain't exactly psychological, but you do what you can.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1077812/4/index.htm
I could like the Spurs except for Bowen. Part of that is that I don't particularly like Shaq either. I can't wait until they play the Lakers and Kobe "accidentally" elbows him in the head about 30 times.
For those like Mr. Yglesias who like to bad mouth Pau Gasol, the results from the Lakers' first playoff game: 36 points, 16 boards, 8 assists. Who needs Shaq?
SLC:
Golly, 36 points against the Iron Curtain Denver Nuggets defense.
Consider Chris Paul against the spurs in a 25 point win: 26 points, 17 assists. (The Spurs had 18 total assists.)
The jury may still be out on Gasol
"Is it possible that we all somehow managed to forget about the San Antonio Spurs?"
We all? No. Not people who know something about basketball.
I wanna hear some more about how people who think the Nuggets don't play good defense are misreading the stats because they play at such a fast pace. They look awful on defense tonight.
Howard,
You're comments are well and good as far as they go and certainly cheating is part of any game and always will be. But what I was referring to in respecting the game was Pop's decision to foul Shaq in the back court. Now if you want to talk about back in day if you had done that to Wilt(a worse free throw shooter than Shaq) he would have righttfully elbowed the guy in the face. He may have gotten a foul but he wouldn't have been kicked out the game and he certainly would not have been suspended. But I'm sure no one ever tried that. Now you can say it's within the rules of the game, but so was the four corners. And when Dean Smith came up with that, he also disrespected the game.
Now as to your boy Ramsey, I guess the question would be, did he have a sense of entitlement if the refs didn't call the fouls that he used his trickery to get. Becasue that is what's wrong with the Spurs. They are not just floppers, they are whiny floppers with a sense of entitlement. And that makes them evil.
And by the way, give me the Bad Boys over these Spurs anyday. At least they didn't try to wear the halo when they were being nasty.
Skip
These Spurs are about as likable as Dick Cheney and about as boring as watching water drip off my chest after taking a shower.
Re catclub
Mr. catclub is ignoring the 16 rebounds and 9 assists. Compare that to LeBron James performance against the equally pathetic Wizards.
Comments closed May 07, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
The NBA - it's full of surprises! The most exciting playoffs EVER!
Posted by Gabriel | April 23, 2008 2:02 PM