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Spurs will need fresh legs for title chase
by Dusty Garza, Special to FOXSports.com
The San Antonio Spurs looked tired and physically beaten by the time the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them during the Western Conference finals last summer. It was the furthest the Spurs had travelled in their four quests for a repeat title, but it wasn't enough.
Undermined by a lack of rest, a key injury to Manu Ginobili, and an infamous no-call foul against Brent Barry in the closing seconds of Game 4, the "old and tired" Spurs were dispatched in five games.
"It was tough because we always want to win championships," point guard Tony Parker says, "We had a couple of injuries so we weren't able to finish like we wanted to, but that's sports."
By the time the (hard fought) regular season had come to an end, the Spurs' record stood at 56-26 — tied with the New Orleans Hornets.
The Spurs had some opportunities to clinch the top spot in the West, but instead settled for the third seed heading into the playoffs. That forced them into a matchup with the rugged Phoenix Suns in the first round. That classic battle of a series was followed by a face-off against the young, hungry and very dangerous New Orleans Hornets, whom it took the Spurs seven games to fend off.
The Spurs, the NBA's oldest team, definitely looked a year older. During the summer, the front office decided to infuse some younger talent into the roster. But time and again, they were turned down by both free agents — Corey Maggette and Jannero Pargo among them — and draft picks like Tiago Splitter, who decided that better paychecks were waiting for them elsewhere.
As usual, the Spurs surprised everyone on draft day with their first-round selection of George Hill, a 6-2 shooter who wasn't projected to go until the middle of the second round. Spurs scouts had been keeping an eye on him at IUPUI in Indianapolis, and are convinced the former Summit League Player of the Year can contribute right away.
No doubt, Hill can score in bunches — but he must adapt his game to the point position. This is the very thing that Spurs' fans fear could be his demise. Coach Gregg Popovich, after all, has a reputation for impatience with point guards who don't pick up the nuances of his game quickly or adequately enough. Just ask Beno Udrih or Damon Stoudamire.
Interestingly, Stoudamire's departure after a very brief stint in San Antonio has opened the door for his cousin, Salim — who found himself frustrated, angry, and yet quite productive as a shooter during his first three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.
If the younger Stoudamire can bring some of his sniper-like shooting to San Antonio and crack the roster, he would be a welcomed pickup — especially when one considers that Ginobili will be sitting out the start of the regular season (perhaps until December) following his post-Olympics ankle surgery.
Roger Mason, a proven catch-and-shoot scorer who the Spurs tried to sign last season, flies in to help from Washington. He joins Michael Finley, another catch-and-shoot specialist, who re-upped with the Spurs in August.
Gone are Brent Barry (signed with Houston as a free agent) and Robert Horry (signed at a retirement home).
The Spurs are hoping young French big man Ian Mahinmi — who made his impression on scouts at the 2004 Under-18 European Championships — is finally ready to contribute in the paint after developing his game with San Antonio's NBDL club, the Austin Toros.
Power forward Anthony Tolliver picked up a two-year contract from the club after some impressive play in the NBA's summer league. Tolliver brings with him good rebounding, sound defense and good floor intelligence — and may wind up surprising a few folks if he can earn minutes in Pop's rotation.
Parker and Tim Duncan will continue to lead the squad offensively until everyone gels and picks up the team's "corporate knowledge."
Popovich has the team where he most likes them. Every time they've won a championship, they've been positioned as the underdog. He is one of those coaches who can take the right mix of players and go further than most expect — especially if he has them firing on all cylinders by April.
"The beginning of the season is always wonderful," Popovich said. "You look forward to all the competitive situations in camp. You get to look at the young guys. You put in new ideas, things you thought about all summer. It's always a fun time of year, without a doubt."
Something better work, because these Spurs aren't getting any younger. Defensive specialist Bruce Bowen is 37, Michael Finley is 35, Fabricio Oberto is 33, Duncan's 32 and Ginobili is 31.
"I think it's going to be the last year with the same team — with the same core," said Parker, who at 26 should be entering his prime. "I think coach Pop wants to give it one more chance with that team and I think we deserve it. We won three championships in the last six years, so we'll give it one more time. After this year, we're definitely gonna have to go younger. I think for this year, I'm confident that we can do it again."
The predicted starting lineup:
C — Fabricio Oberto
PF — Tim Duncan
SF — Bruce Bowen
SG — Roger Mason, Jr.
PG — Tony Parker
The bench: Jacque Vaughn, Roger Mason, Kurt Thomas, Ime Udoka, Michael Finley, George Hill, Ian Mahimni, and Matt Bonner.
Fighting for a roster spot: Salim Stoudamire, Desmon Farmer, Daryl Watkins, Devin Green, Malik Hairston and Brian Morrison.
My Roster:
PG-Tony Parker, George Hill, Salim Stoudamire
SG-Roger Mason Jr., Michael Finley, Devin Green, Manu Ginobili
SF-Bruce Bowen, Anthony Tolliver, Ime Udoka
PF-Tim Duncan, Ian Mahinimi, Charles Gains
C-Fabricio Oberto, Daryl Watkins, Kurt Thomas
I'd have Hill and Mason switch positions on and off since they can do both positions except for Hill on Point Guard who will take a while to learn and have Mahinimi switch from Power Foward to Center on some occasions. What I'm wondering is can Tolliver play the Small Foward.
Last edited by "go spurs go"; 10-04-08 at 08:46 PM.
Reason: Missed some other words
Yes, the Spurs DID look tired in the Lakers series, but it wasn't due to age. It was because they were really tired. After that grueling 7-game series with the Hornets, everyone conveniently forgets the being stuck on an airplane until 3 am leading into the next series, then the rapid fire game schedule every other day, then the infamous "no foul" call on their home floor in game 4. It reminded me so much of the loss to the Mavs in 2006, having to start the series immediately after the Kings series was closed out.
No championship team gets dissed like the Spurs. Age is less of a problem with the Spurs, because they don't rely on athleticism to win, but precision team basketball. Knowing our system inside and out is much more important than being able to jump out of the gym. Guys like Oberto just aren't great one-on-one players, and they weren't great one-on-one defenders four years ago.
I'll repeat again, if the Spurs simply get some reliable scoring off the bench that can consistently net an extra 10-12 points a game, they will be champions again. Key injuries forced the core Spurs players to expend more to finish the regular season than usual and also cost them HCA.
My Roster:
PG-Tony Parker, George Hill, Salim Stoudamire
SG-Roger Mason Jr., Michael Finley, Devin Green, Manu Ginobili
SF-Bruce Bowen, Anthony Tolliver, Ime Udoka
PF-Tim Duncan, Ian Mahinimi, Charles Gains
C-Fabricio Oberto, Daryl Watkins, Kurt Thomas
I'd have Hill and Mason switch positions on and off since they can do both positions except for Hill on Point Guard who will take a while to learn and have Mahinimi switch from Power Foward to Center on some occasions. What I'm wondering is can Tolliver play the Small Foward.
It's on right towards bottom of the page. Also, check out some of the comments:
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AZfan80
10/4/2008
6:31 PM
I am a Suns fan so therefore hate the Spurs. But these people that talk about the Spurs and Suns for that matter being done or possibly missing the playoffs are just ignorant. These two teams could win 45 games on talent alone. Both teams will be fine and both teams have one run left in them. Laker fans please remember and I know your great at running your mouth but The spurs finished one game behind and the Suns finished two games behind so the playoff picture could have looked much different. As always GO SUNS but will always have a great respect for the Spurs and their fans.
mclyne
10/4/2008
5:24 PM
The Spurs are done. I cant beleive that there great front office couldn't get any young talent in there this summer. Lakers will only have to compete with the Hornets now.
TheRealWildCats
10/4/2008
4:11 PM
congrats spurs fans - your team qualifies for the seniors league...
now that the eurpoean step - i.e. the flop, has been outlawed so to speak..do you really think the spurs will finish this season any where near the playoffs??
polileo45
10/4/2008
4:00 PM
"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION!"
-Rudi Tomjanovich
minnesota_joe
10/4/2008
2:26 PM
they've got a couple more chances. if they get a better (easier) matchup in the first round, and ginobili comes back healthy around halfway, look out.
great100
10/4/2008
1:30 PM
The Spurs have been a great team, so face reality and cherish the memories, because the sun is now setting. Treasure the past championships and don't be greedy. They are still a playoff team, but that's about it.
giantforlife90
10/4/2008
1:05 PM
The spurs should be fine as long as they don't get in to big of a hole while ginobli is gone. If they stay in the middle of the pack they'll be fine cause he'll come back fresh and healthy, ready to go. It should be another successful season for the best team over the past decade.
markk3441
10/4/2008
1:02 PM
As long as Duncan is there and effective, the Spurs will always be a threat in the West. No matter what their record ends up this year, NOONE ever really wants to play them in the playoffs.
Offensively though, that starting 5 the author has up there looks pretty anemic other than Parker and Duncan.
Yes, the Spurs DID look tired in the Lakers series, but it wasn't due to age. It was because they were really tired. After that grueling 7-game series with the Hornets, everyone conveniently forgets the being stuck on an airplane until 3 am leading into the next series, then the rapid fire game schedule every other day, then the infamous "no foul" call on their home floor in game 4. It reminded me so much of the loss to the Mavs in 2006, having to start the series immediately after the Kings series was closed out.
No championship team gets dissed like the Spurs. Age is less of a problem with the Spurs, because they don't rely on athleticism to win, but precision team basketball. Knowing our system inside and out is much more important than being able to jump out of the gym. Guys like Oberto just aren't great one-on-one players, and they weren't great one-on-one defenders four years ago.
I'll repeat again, if the Spurs simply get some reliable scoring off the bench that can consistently net an extra 10-12 points a game, they will be champions again. Key injuries forced the core Spurs players to expend more to finish the regular season than usual and also cost them HCA.
I agree with most of your comments. The only thing I dont agree on is 10-12 points off the bench. We need someone to help Tim under the paint. Lets not forget all those blowouts in NO. 10-12 points wasnt gonna help us when we couldnt make a stop. Ill never forget the looks on Tims face after a blowout loss. Getting blown out isnt something our spurs were used to. Imo that took alot of out them. We had to change our gameplan trying to hack tyson to slow them down. If Ian doesnt man up to his name, or we dont find Tim some help, I can see those blowouts coming again. Im not looking forward to that. The guys we picked up were for helping Manu and TP. Not sure how they're gonna help Tim in the paint.
Well, that is why I, for one, have no qualms about Manu missing 30 or 40 games and others along the way missing five or ten. It all adds up to more rest. As long as they are all reasonably healthy and sort of rested, the rest of the league will still very be wary of the Spurs, even if the pundits and fans from other cities have written them off.
I think the Sun fan is very accurate in what he said too. The Suns retooled and reschooled could be another sleeping giant to be reckoned with. Quite possibly the Spurs and Suns, for similar reasons, are the two biggest question marks/also read sleepers in the league. If some of their supposed negatives do become positives, look out!! Everyone pretty much knows what they will get from LA, Dallas, Houston, NO, and Utah, but the Spurs and Suns are a bit of an enigma. Oh, and by the way, that only leaves one open playoff space. Dallas might not make it. In fact, I will make this wacky prediction, they don't and either Portland, San Diego, or the Warriors do. The Warriors and Dallas are both scrapping for the nine spot, though.
"I think it's going to be the last year with the same team — with the same core," said Parker, who at 26 should be entering his prime. "I think coach Pop wants to give it one more chance with that team and I think we deserve it. We won three championships in the last six years, so we'll give it one more time. After this year, we're definitely gonna have to go younger. I think for this year, I'm confident that we can do it again."
Great article. For once, it seems Fox Sports knows what the hey they are talking about.
Originally Posted by :
Power forward Anthony Tolliver picked up a two-year contract from the club after some impressive play in the NBA's summer league. Tolliver brings with him good rebounding, sound defense and good floor intelligence — and may wind up surprising a few folks if he can earn minutes in Pop's rotation.
We need a guy like Tolliver to help the front line. Especially against some of the young big ment hat rattled us so much last season. Not only do we have a couple of those in New Orleans, but the Lakers with Bynum back will give us problems unless we have young big guys of our own to counter the attack.
Everyone pretty much knows what they will get from LA, Dallas, Houston, NO, and Utah, but the Spurs and Suns are a bit of an enigma. Oh, and by the way, that only leaves one open playoff space. Dallas might not make it. In fact, I will make this wacky prediction, they don't and either Portland, San Diego, or the Warriors do. The Warriors and Dallas are both scrapping for the nine spot, though.
Hey Old Timer, Clippers moved to Los Angeles like 25 years ago!
us not relying on athleticism is pure BS.
our 2 best scorers (tony and manu) use a lot of athleticism to get their points by slashing to the basket. plus we rely on bruce`s athleticism for him to stay in front of his man. plus, old legs mean they get tired and start missing shots (finley for an example), and slow big men (oberto) can`t guard the elite of today`s big men because they are not athletic enough.
plus, when playing small ball, it`s better if your small players can run and rebound the ball, to give the other team defensive problems.
when bruce and manu will lose a step you`ll see how important is athleticism.
there is no team in professional basketball who doesn`t rely on athleticism. while i`ll agree tim relies less on athleticism, as a team we still need it
Yeah, I had a brain fart. I just can't bring myself to even think of their building and that other team they share it with. It seems like they haven't really done diddly since they moved. Maybe it screwed their karma all up.
I just hope the rest of the world continues to write off the old, tired leggged Spurs until someone tells them it is time to eat some feathery humble pie again in late June.
KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell are all in their 30's also.
Sam Cassell is 39, almost 40 years old!!!
But no one talks smack about them.
Good point
KG 32
RA 33
PP 31 Average 32 median 32
TD 32
EG 31
TP 26 Average 29.666 median 31
Support -well Rondo and Perkins are quite young,
That is the difference.
Even when you look at the lakers Gasol is 28, Kobe 30, Fisher 34
Jordan Sasha and the newly apointed heir to Mikan Wilt & Kareem Bynum are young.
The Hornets are younger but with the exception of CP they are not extremely young
The big problem age wise is our role players- Finely, Bruce, Vaughn, Thomas.
I think if two of the newish additions have breakthroughs (not even earth shattering) the Spurs have a chance.
Outside of the Lakers and Houston No team made significant improvements in my mind. Still not sure about Bynum and Artest in Houston.
Along with adding up the Celtics and Spurs ages we have to consider the number of games played.
Over the last 5 years I'm sure the Spurs core of 30 plus players have logged many more minutes because they have consistently gone deeper in the playoffs.
Also we'll see how the Celtics do this year. All of the player (sans Cassell) were fighting to etch their names in the history books. For Allen, KG, Pierce they were seeking to define their careers. That will give you a certain kind of motivation that defies age.
I think the Spurs have to get help from the likes of Bonner, Tolliver, Farmer, Ian, Mason if they want to win it all in '09.
