I remember reading a Buck Harvey article in the mid '00s about "enjoy the good old days now because they won't last". Amazing it is nearly a decade later and the Spurs are still playing at the level they are.

It is amazing to watch how on every possession when the Spurs come down it is constant movement with picks and cuts and passes. There was one possession I was watching last night where the Spurs had at least 5 passes that ended in Tony getting an opening and driving for a layup so ironically it was one of the few baskets that didn't actually have an assist. No team passes up good looks to get great looks like the Spurs, that's how they can shoot nearly 80% in the 3rd Quarter.

Then you watch OKC (like most other teams) and they are just hoping to set up a pick and roll or do a one on one matchup of some kind. Very rarely do you see plays with more than 2 players involved unless it is a rebound. It's all about trying to win on pure talent and athleticism.

That's why a guy like Westbrook will be lucky to be in the league in 5 years, once he loses half a step he suddenly becomes a combo guard that makes bad decisions and can't score like he used to. Ironically Tony Parker could have easily taken that path but he has worked hard from his first day in the league to become more than just a guy that can drive to the basket. Parker has developed into a highly disciplined player that can hurt you in half a dozen ways and knows how to make those around him better.

There are several things that this series has shown me, some of which I already knew.

1.) I always feared the Clippers more than the Thunder. The Clips atleast have an identity on offense. It may be a street basketball mentality for the most part, but it gets the job done with multiple people. When things start to slow down, they also have a pg who can create for his teammates.. He makes his teammates MUCH better. LAC also has the far superior coach. OKC is strictly a 1on1 dribble to create your OWN shot team. NOONE works without the ball in their hand.

2.) Brooks offense is terrible... but I would say its about 50/50 whose fault that is. Everyone wants to blame Scott Brooks for this. But IMO, a team like OKC requires a different brand of coaching than what Pop gets to provide the Spurs with. Teams with multiple stars and big personalities like Westbrook cant be coached like Pop coaches. Most stars require their coach to lean towards the way they like to play ball. To think Brooks can "reign in" a guy like Westbrook is just not realistic. 50% of their shortcomings in their offense fall on Westbrook, and more so, Durant, for their unwillingness to change the way they play.

3.) I always knew Lebron was the best player in the league, but watching these teams play, it feels like its NOT EVEN CLOSE between KD and LJ. Watching KD, he refuses to work without the basketball. He doesnt make anyone around him better. He only works to get himself shots, and when things arent working, he will totally shut down and stand around the perimeter... just STAND... doing nothing. Westbrook doesnt make anyone around him better either. They play individual basketball and it just doesnt work.
Lebron makes EVERYONE around him better. When he has the ball, he facilitates, he looks for the best PLAY, not the best shot. He isnt afraid of not taking the shot, just like everyone on the Spurs. Lebron impacts the game in everyway imaginable.

4.)The Heat. I fear Lebron and Dwade... Lebrons takeover mode is a scary thing to see. You know going into every 4th qtr, that Lebron usually spends the first 3 getting everyone involved and making the best play possible, but when its 4th qtr, Lebron goes for the kill. You are gauranteed to get his best shot, and it will ALWAYS lead to a strong push from the Heat.
BUT... the Heat seem somewhat similar to the OKC makeup in roster. They have 2 great players (if Dwade is healthy), and a weak interior. Bosh just isnt scaring anyone. Diaw and Splitter can both matchup with Bosh, but they dont have a big man that can play with ours down low. Lebron is the best low post enforcer they have. I think we beat the Heat just like we really beat them last year.

I don't think any of us can really appreciate just how big these blowouts really are. The Ibaka thing has nothing to do with the beat down the Spurs have put on the Thunder in games 1 & 2.

None of our main starters played a single minute in the 4th quarter... and we won by 35. That just doesn't happen, I don't care who's hurt and who isn't. We played several games this year w/out our MVP and it didn't matter, we still got the best record by a handful of games.

Truth is, there hasn't been a team that can hold our jock since Feb 1. And yeah, the Mavs put up a helluva fight for 6 games, but in the end, we beat them like a dusty rug in game 7. We are absolutely DESTROYING teams right now and it's absolutely unreal. I'm trying to grasp just how crazy it is, how lucky I am to be a Spurs fan right now, but I don't think I can. It's too big for me so I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy.

I wont be happy until Timmy is hoisting LOB #5. I have a feeling this team isn't happy either. I have never seen a spurs team so focused. 6 MORE WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Picturing myself on the riverwalk next month watching the parade... its a glorious site.

I think someone said it perfectly a while back in this thread... I'll add my own comments on top of what they stated.

There's only one sports team connection I have that even rivals my connection to A&M, and that is to the San Antonio Spurs.

Sure, I remember all too well the botched field goal hold by Romo against Seattle back in Jan. 2007, and how dejected I felt after that game.

But it does not even come close to how I felt after Game 6 last year, or the OKC series two years ago.

I feel like we're the anti-NBA NBA team. Stern hated us for that. The us against the world mentality is really felt all the way down to us Spurs fans, and that's a great thing. The organization is truly a stalwart group, in a day and age where the opposite mindset and attitudes of what the Spurs exude have never been more prevalent.

Game six was the worst sports moment of my life. By far.


That said, if Duncan lifts up championship #5 this year and wins Finals MVP, is there anyway you don't put him top 5 all time?

I consider him top 5 all time NOW. Longevity is a beautiful, underrated value. I prefer the 70,000 dollar sports car that lasts 17+ years and still roaring over the 80,000 dollar car that sputters out in 10.

Not that I could afford either one, just saying.

The Heat are a very good and dangerous team but honestly I don't see them as strong as last year. Without Miller they really only have Allen as a 3 Pt shooter and the tread on the tires is showing with much of their roster. They should be crushing the Eastern Conference teams and they are just getting by.

Lebron is the best player in basketball without question but he still needs help and I just don't know that the Heat have enough to give him. I don't see how they can match up on the inside with SA and I think the Spurs putting Leonard on Lebron is about as tough of a matchup as anyone can on him.

Simmons' 2012 update to the Book of Basketball had:
1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. KAJ
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Wilt
7. Duncan
8. Kobe
9. West
10. Oscar

I think Simmons moves Timmy into his top 5 on that Book of Basketball list when all is said and done.

93 - I agree. Ray Allen has only scored in double figures in 5 of the 11 playoff games, despite pretty weak opponents.

Allen is 15-45 from 3 in the playoffs this year. When he gets in the game, just run him through screen after screen.

Those Top 5/10 lists are all in what you value but Duncan's resume is pretty ridiculous at this point. When you consider sustained excellence for such a long period of time really only Kareem is in the conversation.

If you include longevity Duncan is definitely top 5. I think his peak performance was probably closer to top 10-15, but to be at such a high and consistent level from the start to the finish of his career for almost two decades is so much more valuable then what many of those players were able to do. Plus his defense typically doesn't get factored in like it should, when people talk about this stuff.

Another interesting note on the Heat, is Battier barely scores for them. I remember last year when he was bombing three's for them against the Spurs. With Battier not being productive, Miller gone and Allen old and showing it, you have to like our chances. The heat will likely have to outscore the Spurs with mostly contested twos, while the Spurs offense gets layups and threes like they always do.

Bosh is the X factor. If his jumpshot is on I think he can pull a big away from the basket and open up the slashing lanes for Lebron and Wade. I just don't think Bosh will beat the Spurs from outside though for a whole series.

Simmons loves him some spurs! If he weren't so annoying to listen to. I would actually enjoy his take

Not as good as the last one but still a good read since we won.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-playoffs-overnight-spurs-thunder-danny-green/

It did have this bit:

quote:

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Spurs training camps are probably closer to unglorified Vulcan mind melds. New players come in, Tim Duncan grabs their faces, and then he shares his wealth of knowledge. This is how we like to set down screens for our shooters; this is how you deal with Manu’s freestyling; this is Pop’s favorite wine under $30; sorry if you were expecting a Taco Bueno, it closed down.

---

The CW is always that Duncan didn't have as high of a peak as some others but I think that is also greatly overstated. I would put Duncan's '03 Season, especially with his playoff and especially close out game performances, up against anyone.

I agree. I also think it is a travashamockery that Duncan (and Bowen) never won DPOY.

I think people say his peak wasn't as high because he never had the 28ppg+ point seasons.

That Gif is insane!!! Who's that guy at the end smiling with Drago's wife?

But Rocky is my favorite movie of all time so I love the gif... awesome!

Didn't Drago lose in the end?

quote:

---

Simmons' 2012 update to the Book of Basketball had:
1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. KAJ
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Wilt
7. Duncan
8. Kobe
9. West
10. Oscar

---

Sure, but you have to subtract a couple of spots from the Celtics players, especially Bird, because it's Simmons. I don't think any objective basketball scribe would put Larry ahead of Duncan. Tim is so much better defensively that it doesn't even make for that close of a call. They were both dominant offensive players at their peaks, but Tim has been a dominant defensive player for almost his entire career, and even now is among the top 3-4 rim protectors in the league, while Bird was a mediocre defender except for getting steals.


[This message has been edited by DTP02 (edited 5/22/2014 3:05p).]

Not going to argue that Simmons is clearly biased towards the Celtics and I had quite a bit of problems with his rankings, but Bird did have 3 MVPs (up against Magic/Michael) and 3 rings.

Agree and I LOVED Larry Bird, he and Gervin were my favorite players as a kid. Duncan's resume is just on a different level than Bird's now. It's a bummer Larry's back gave out but in the end a career is a career.

Duncan picks up Ring #5 and you could make a strong argument for him against Magic honestly, that would tie then in ring count. Many BBall people would have a fit but if Duncan can pull off leading teams 15 years apart to titles and never dropping below effectively 50 wins its hard to ignore, especially when you consider Duncan has done it in an era of Free Agency and on a team that stayed under the cap.

Honestly I think Russell is greatly overrated when you consider no FA and the league was so small back then. Realize that the Celtics basically traded for the right to draft Russell because they promised the team with the #1 pick that they could get the Ice Capades to visit. Not that Russell wasn't great but winning 11 Titles back then was nothing like it is now. Those Celtics often played 9 teams and never more than 14 (with a lot of talent defecting from other teams to the ABA as well) en route to those championships.

We'd have home court this year against the Heat, right? That's a big difference.

Plus, for whatever reason, the Heat look much older to me this year. The Spurs look like they're peaking and on fresher legs. Plus they're pissed off and completely focused.

And that game 6 from last year was horrible. I remember going up 5, and my wife starts yelling that it's over. I look back at her with the angriest anti-jinx face ever...damn, that one was given away. Manu missed a FT. Kawhi missed a FT. Pop lost his damn mind keeping Duncan on the bench. That one hurts so much more than .4 or Manu's stupid foul on Dirk.

quote:

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Not going to argue that Simmons is clearly biased towards the Celtics and I had quite a bit of problems with his rankings, but Bird did have 3 MVPs (up against Magic/Michael) and 3 rings.

---

Well, you know what Isaiah Thomas would say...

I'm not saying Bird isn't top 10, but the two-way player disparity and the fact that Duncan is still playing at a high level at an age when Bird was a husk of himself really makes it a pretty easy call IMO.

[This message has been edited by DTP02 (edited 5/22/2014 3:41p).]

Agree completely on Russell being overrated. And the main person that talks about all these things is a huge Russell homer, which doesn't help.

The tough thing on Duncan vs Magic is Magic is SO popular and charismatic while Duncan doesn't care about that stuff. But Magic also had Kareem and Worthy and Cooper and all those other stars for the majority of his career.

quote:

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I agree. I also think it is a travashamockery that Duncan (and Bowen) never won DPOY.

---

I was at the game they played in Denver when they awarded Marcus Camby the DPOY trophy and the entire ceremony, TD just stared thru Camby. And then ate him up all game long. Sure TD hasnt been about the fame but you could tell it really pissed him off that he didn't win it.

So, um.... we just wait till Sunday I guess???

Seriously, who made these schedules anyway?

Sunday ratings > Thursday Ratings

depending on the sunday game time, i'll be watching game of thrones instead. i think OKC wins game three. so long as the spurs take 1 of 2 in OKC, this will be over in five.