San Antonio Spurs Dynasty

I Still Hate NBATV, But the Mavs Announcers Aren't Half Bad

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:17:00 +0000

If you didn't see this game coming, I don't know what to tell you. It would have been fantastic if the Spurs could have closed this out in 5, but it also would have been a monumental task. The Mavs are too good, too proud, and too resilient to go down in 5 games, on their home court, losing 4 straight.

They came out with intensity that we just couldn't match. They were deflecting our passes, getting steals, and getting out and running. They were attacking the rim, working inside-out, and executing beautifully. On the other hand, the Spurs played without fire, were careless with the ball, lazy on rotations, settled for jump shot after jump shot, and played as if they knew their best chance to win the series was in Game 6. Which it is. But you never want to play a playoff game as if you have margin for error. If the Mavs rally and end up winning this series, we'll look back at Game 5 as the turning point.

Manu Ginobili is not playing well. He has come up clutch in some big moments, so we give him the benefit of the doubt and a free pass. But his shot is not looking good, he is having trouble converting at the rim, and he is careless with the ball, seemingly responsible for at least half of our turnovers. Turning the ball over against the Mavs is about the worst thing you can do, as it allows the team to get out and run, which is the only way they can beat us. By taking care of the ball and making our shots, we are slowing the Mavs down. Right now, Ginobili is doing neither.

Game 6 is our season. We need the energy, we need the hunger, and we need the crowd. The Mavs are more than capable of beating us on our floor, and we don't want to go back to Dallas for a Game 7. It's time to put this series away.

Happy Birthday, Big Fella

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Just sit back, Tim, and enjoy the present the rest of the guys got you. Manu and Tim and Pop told them what you like, and George, DeJuan, Richard, and Antonio went out and got it for you. It's your birthday, you shouldn't have to do any heavy lifting today. Get us some boards, play some good defense. But leave the scoring to everybody else; they got this.
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Things are starting to get chippy. It's bound to happen in any playoff series, especially one so hard fought and between two teams that know each other so well. 3 flagrant fouls, one ejection, and probably more bruises and sores than can be counted.

The Mavs came out hungry, as was to be expected. This was a game that they needed to win. In the 2nd quarter it seemed as if they were going to run away with it. But the Spurs came out in the 3rd quarter ready to play. George Hill couldn't miss a shot; DeJuan Blair's energy finally started to outweigh his naivete (welcome to the playoffs, young man). But make no mistake--this game was won with with our 2nd half defense. It was superb. We were rotating hard and smart, being disruptive, and giving Dirk lots of different looks. Dirk is a great player, and he made smart passes that led to open 3s. But for the Mavs to win, Dirk needs to score efficiently, and we really limited him tonight.

What can we say about George Hill? He surely deserves his own paragraph. On a night when none of the Big 3 had particularly good games, George Hill carried us. Yes, he carried us. 5 3-pointers, tons of clutch shots, and his usual long-armed pesky defense. He was the flash point of a very nice subplot for this game: the continued stepping up of the Spurs "other" players. Jefferson played a solid game; McDyess continued his superb defense on Dirk and made a handful of clutch jumpers; and DeJuan was the beast we fell in love with in the regular season, creating positive plays out of nothing with sheer force of will and hustle. That's the player that deserves time on the floor.

A word of caution, though: don't start counting your chickens. Being up 3-1 is fantastic, and assures us a close-out opportunity on our home floor. But the Mavs have a lot of pride and experience, and they will not go down without a fight. Remember 2006. A 3-1 lead is not safe. How we play in Game 5 will say a lot about this team's character. The Mavs will come out hungry and scrappy and playing with a sense of urgency that neither team has had yet. Will we handle their best shot and make it a close game, with a chance to win the game and the series in the closing minutes? Or will we let up just a bit, content in the knowledge that we have a Game 6 back in San Antonio to try and close the series out?

The difference between those two could be the difference between a nice playoff run and a championship run.

A note to TNT: Overall, you do great work, and I really like Doug Collins calling our game. But you're broadcasting a basketball game, not an art house indie film. I don't need the eye-level handheld camera shots during action; I don't need the crazy, unique angles. Just give me the standard camera perspective, so that I can see all the action. Thank you.

I'm Sure There's a Ginobili Nose Joke In Here Somewhere

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:50:00 +0000

Oh my, that was a good game.

Did you see the rotations in the second half? That's right, you didn't. Because there weren't any. At this rate, Game 4 is going to be 5-on-5, call your own fouls, first to 100 wins. Pure craziness.

Carlisle seems to be taking a lot of early heat for playing only 7 players in the second half (and really, Marion only spelled Dirk for a few minutes, so it was basically 6). I'll let the Mavs bloggers handle that one. But I will say that the line-up they played with for most of the second half is the line-up I fear the most from the Mavs. That Barea sure is a pest, a classic "love to hate" Mavs player.

Pop was just as restrained in the second half, playing 7, and only 6 in the 4th quarter (I'm pretty certain that McDyess came in for Bonner--our very last substitution [not counting in the final moments of the free throw game]--early in the 4th).

As long as our players can handle it, I like our tight rotation. Blair needs to play a few minutes in the first half (possibly each half) to spell Duncan, but probably no more than 10 total. Blair doesn't look quite ready for the bright lights of the playoffs yet, but his activity and energy is neutralizing his inexperience while on the floor. Bonner can play 15-20 spelling McDyess and Duncan. Ginobili, Parker, Hill, and Jefferson will play all the minutes for the 1, 2, and 3 spots. Ginobili and Parker will be on the floor in crunch time. The decision between Jefferson and Hill will come down to match-ups and who is playing better on that particular night.

Tonight it was Hill, who seems to finally be healthy and finally ready for the playoffs. His value to the team is immeasurable on both ends of the floor. As good as his offense was tonight (hitting clutch baskets, breaking down the defense), his defense was even more important. He is our best perimeter defender. Ginobili causes more havoc, but Hill is better in isolation. Welcome to the playoffs, Hill. After Game 2, Duncan said that we will need at least one other player to step up each game. Between Hill and Jefferson, I'm confident we'll get that more often than not. And don't sleep on McDyess and Bonner; both are capable of going for 15-20 points in a game.

The best news of all is just how good the Big 3 are playing. Each had crucial stretches of the game where they put the team on their back. Duncan owned the first half. Ginobili gave us back control of the game in the beginning of the 4th quarter. Parker hit at least 3 huge baskets late to put the game out of reach. I had forgotten just how good this team is when all 3 of those players are playing well, as it has been so long since they've all been healthy and clicking together. Me likey.

Game 4 promises to be another instant classic. These teams just know each other so well and match up with each other so well. No lead is safe and no game is over until the buzzer. As important as this game was to win, Game 4 is just as important. We can't have any let up. We need to go back to Dallas up 3-1, with at least one chance to put the series away at home.

Meet the Newest Spurs Fan

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:08:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure this is what Pop had in mind.

Meet Parker. He is my friend's new puppy who was in large part named based upon my suggestion. I got the idea from the Spurs. I suggested Parker, Duncan, and Finley (all sound like good dog names), and she really liked Parker. She says he is not named after Tony Parker, per se, but he's definitely an influence.

He's all black except for a small white/silver tuft of fur on his chest, which you can just barely make out in the picture. Already in uniform. He's sweet and cuddly and just about the cutest thing you could ever hope to see.

Let's win one for Parker.

The Dogs Have Their Day

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the post season, San Antonio.

After The Spurs' disappointing Game 1 loss in which the team played with a noticeable lack of energy and intensity, Pop called out the team, saying many of them had played like "dogs". The most obvious target of these comments was Richard Jefferson, and with good reason. He had a horrible game. But I feel like the canine criticism extended well beyond Jefferson, even as far up as Duncan and Ginobili, who both had spotty outings in the opening game.

In Game 2, everything seemed to turn around. Jefferson was a new man, hitting jump shots, driving to the basket, nabbing offensive rebounds, diving to the floor for loose balls. We saw the player we envisioned when we signed him in the offseason. We don't need a player that averages 20 points a game--we just need a player who is a threat to score 20 points a game. If Jefferson has to be accounted for, then that opens everything else up for Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker. Then it becomes pick your poison. You can cheat off Jefferson, but run the risk of having him go off for 17 points in a half. Stay at home and honor his scoring prowess, and watch Duncan and Ginobili put the game away in the second half. Beautiful.

While Jefferson was the most dramatic improvement between games, everybody played better. Duncan was masterful with 25 points and 17 boards. But more important was the way in which he ripped out the heart of the Mavs comeback and put the game away with 8 straight points late in the 4th. He just looks so good right now. Ginobili is still being a bit too careless with the ball (especially around Kidd), but his ice water-in-the-veins 3 pointers were vintage Manu. Parker played another solid game off the bench, preventing us from really ever having a dip in offense. Bonner hit some open 3s (and needs to continue taking them whenever they give them to him). McDyess continued his unheralded scrappy play, keeping so many balls alive on the offensive end and playing solid D on Dirk.

I'm still worried about Hill. He needs to show up in this series. He started to show some flashes in the second half as he drove to the rim off turnovers and got to the free throw line, but he doesn't look right. He's guiding his shot, rather than just shooting it; and he seems timid, fearful of the moment. We need Hill to step up. I feel like we're getting close to a break-out game for him. Call it a hunch. I think playing at home will help his confidence.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Blair at this point. I think he's being used exactly as he should, which is mostly to spell Duncan. That gives him about 10 minutes a game. Right now his energy and his tenacity is doing just slightly more good than harm, but he's having a lot of trouble scoring the ball. His offensive rebounds and putbacks are a big part of our offense (even if it's just 8 points a night), and right now he can't get the ball back in the basket. Plus, he's struggling to guard anyone on the Mavs since he's so undersized compared to the Mavs frontline. Again, like Hill, I think playing at home will help his confidence and might allow him to have more of a positive impact on the next two games.

The other big development from Game 2 was Pop's shortening of the rotation. Quite honestly, it was a very welcome sight. He went to (more or less) an 8-man rotation, with Parker, Ginobili, and Hill in the backcourt, Jefferson at the 3 (with Ginobili subbing in for him primarily), and a four-man front court rotation of Duncan, McDyess, Bonner, and Blair. Mason, Jr. got some spot duty in the first half, but outside of that, no other Spurs player saw the floor until the final minute. This is the rotation that we need moving forward. For better or worse, these are our 8 best players, and the players that we are going to win or lose with. Mason, Jr. and Bogans have had their moments, but over the course of the season, have proven to be more of a liability than a help, and this isn't the time to be hoping for turnarounds. You dance with who brought you, and you only play the players you can trust unconditionally.

Game 2 was a great win, but don't read too much into it. As I said in the series preview, every game is going to have its own unique character and feel, and there really won't be any momentum carry over between games. What happened in Game 1 really had no bearing in Game 2; what happened in Game 2 won't affect anything in Game 3. At this point, between these two teams, there really aren't even any adjustments left to make. Just roll the ball out there, and see which team beats the other team on that given night. Eventually, one team will win four of the games.

Where Art Thou, George Hill?: The Death of the Championship Role Player

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:04:00 +0000

The Spurs Organization has many philosophies that it lives by, the most notable being "pounding the rock." One of my favorites happens to be our philosophy on filling out the roster with our role players: find professionals who will fall in line behind the superstars and would run through a wall to win a game.

The championship years are littered with these types of players. Think Bruce Bowen. Think Robert Horry. Think Malik Rose. Hell, even think Stephen Jackson, Brent Barry, and Michael Finley. These are all players who did their job, knew the system, rarely made mistakes, and could be counted upon in tense end-game situations. Championships are won on the talents of superstars, but they're also won on the backs of superlative role players. 10 minutes of Robert Horry swung the 2005 Finals in our favor.

People decry the aging Big 3, wondering if they still have the talent and the juice to lead the Spurs to another championship. But the dirty little secret of these Spurs is not the decline of the Big 3--it's the lack of role players willing to run through a wall to get that ring.

The Big 3 all played very good (though not great) Sunday night. Manu and Tim were a little too careless with the ball. Ginobili, especially, needs to tighten up his passing. Kidd has very obviously studied his tendencies and knows when to expect that across the body pass, which he picked off several times.

The Big 3 weren't the problem, though. It was everybody else (I'm going to exempt Antonio McDyess, who I thought played a great role player game, and his heart and hustle were commendable). We got nothing from anybody else. Jefferson got two early fouls and more or less vanished; Bonner, while playing hard, missed shots he usually makes and that we need him to make; Keith Bogans is NOT Bruce Bowen; Roger Mason, Jr. is a gunner who can no longer gun; DeJuan Blair had very little impact either way.

George Hill was easily the most disappointing player of all. I'm willing to cut him some slack if he's still injured, though he claims he is not. He got the start, and did almost nothing in the first half. Pop gave him just over 2 minutes in the second half, and then yanked him for the rest of the game. And I can't blame him. He was clearly not right. Whether it was the lingering injury, fear of the moment, or something else entirely, he was giving us nothing.

If we're to have any success in this series and moving on further in the playoffs, we need to get something from players 4-9. The Big 3 can not carry us through this series, let alone to a championship. And the truth is, they never have. Every great championship team has role players that propel the team forward at critical moments. Right now, we have none. Sadly, the other bench seems to be littered with them.

It's common to proclaim the death of a team and the end of a series after one game. If San Antonio wins Game 2, the entire complexion of the series changes. And there's plenty of good to take away from this game. Despite subpar play from almost our entire roster AND Nowitzki having one of the most amazingly efficient playoff games ever, we only lost by 6. There's plenty of hope, and plenty of reason to think we still have a great chance.

But somebody not named Duncan, Ginobili, or Parker is going to have to force their way into the narrative of the series and impose their will on a stretch of game that just might swing the whole series.

Through the Looking Glass

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:03:00 +0000

It seems fitting that our post-season begins where it ended last year: with the Dallas Mavericks. It's a nice reversal from a year ago, as we've seemingly switched spots, with the Mavs winning the division and being the higher seed, and the Spurs as the lower seed peaking at the right time. Despite the seeds, when these two teams meet, all conventional wisdom goes flying out the door. Season record doesn't matter, homecourt advantage doesn't matter, head-to-head doesn't matter, match-ups don't matter...every game is going to be a battle, it's own unique campaign within the larger war.

That's all the pre-series analysis you get. For one, my computer died on me and I'm doing this all on my phone. But more importantly, it's the Mavs. We seemingly play them every year in the playoffs, and there isn't a team that we know better (or that knows us better). And yet this year is completely different. Both rosters have lots of new faces. Both teams have numbers showing their superiority and their inferiority.

Basically, it's a toss up, and anyone who claims to know better is lying, delusional, or a genius. The truth is, I don't know who will win, and I don't know who has the advantage, if there is any. Nothing will surprise me in this series, except Jason Terry being likeable. It's no longer about analysis or prognostication--it's about playing better than the other team and exerting your will.

The West is wide open this year. Do the Spurs have another run left in them? We've been waiting almost a year to find out. Sunday, the answer begins.

Go Spurs Go.

Reversing A Reversed Trend

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:17:00 +0000

Early in the season, we couldn't beat the good teams but beat up on the bad teams.

Lately, we've been whipping the good teams and losing to the bad teams.

Thankfully, tonight we didn't allow a bad team to get the jump on us. After a slightly shaky start to the game, we seized control in the second quarter and really opened up the game. It's pretty telling when most of your leading scorers are scrubs because there was so much garbage time.

The best thing to take from this game--besides reaching 50 wins for the 11th straight season--was just how good the team looked. Parker seems to be getting his zip back, and his passing actually looks better than ever. If he gets fully reintegrated to the team, we may look back at the injury as something of a blessing, as it allowed his other nagging injuries to heal, and also helped Hill and Ginobili really emerge. Speaking of which, Hill came back tonight and looked great. Hopefully there will be no ill effect from the injury. Ginobili was great as always. Bonner looked really good. Bogans literally (almost) couldn't miss from 3. All the bench players played great, as well.

But Duncan. Oooh, boy did Duncan look good. His moves were fluid and refined. His movement was smooth. He had lift, he had energy. He's definitely in playoff mode. Get here already, playoffs!

Looking Forward:

With Portland beating OKC tonight, The Thunder have locked up the number 8 seed, and we're assured 6 or 7. If Portland wins Wednesday against the Warriors, they lock up the 6 seed. If we lose on Wednesday, Portland is the 6th seed. The only way we can get the 6th seed is with a win and a Blazers loss.

Honestly, I don't know which seed is better to have. It's all about the match-up. Do we want to play Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, or Denver? My choice, in order, would be Denver, Phoenix (those two might be tied in my mind, hard to choose), Dallas, Utah.

Interestingly, if Dallas beats us on Wednesday, it ensures that we meet them in the playoffs, as they would clinch the 2 seed and we would clinch the 7 seed. If we beat them, they could fall all they way to 4, and we could rise to 6, though we could still meet them as the 3-6 match-up. Do you think they want to avoid us in the first round? If so, maybe they'll throw the game. Of course, the last time they did that, the Warriors snuck into the playoffs, pulled off the greatest upset in first round history, and 6 weeks later we were hoisting our fourth Larry O'Brien trophy. Karma's a bitch.

The other question is: do we have anything to play for? Do we want to face Dallas? If we rest starters and concede the game, we get Dallas in the first round. Personally, I'd prefer to play to win and let the chips fall where they may.

Some people have been hoping that we might actually face the Lakers in the first round. While I agree that they have been playing very poor of late and are quite vulnerable, I'd still rather avoid the champs and Kobe as long as possible. Despite their troubles, they still have Kobe, they still have Pau, they still have Jackson, and they're still a great team. They've been there, and they know what to do. (Hey, kind of like us.) Give me the Mavs or the Nuggets or the Suns in the first round, please.

Everything will be decided by the end of the day on Wednesday. This is the best time of the NBA year.

Jekyll and Hyde

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:46:00 +0000

I don't understand any better than you do how we can lose to the Grizzlies at home on a day's rest and then go into Denver--one of the most difficult places to get a road win--the very next night and whip the Nuggets by 20 in a game that they desperately needed to win to stay on pace with the Mavs for the 2nd seed. I just don't. We played great tonight. Our defense was Spursian, and we allowed almost no offensive rebounds and 2nd chance points. Our offense was solid if unspectacular. The game had a very playoff-like feel, with the pace grinding to a halt, the stakes being raised, and the team that could execute better and play with more energy would win. And we did. A night after it seemed like we never might again.

So I'm just going to throw my hands up, be thankful for the win, and stop trying to understand this team. Until the next game.

Looking Forward:

The win put us a half game up on the Blazers and moved us back into 7th place, however tenuously. Let's look at the remaining schedules of the two teams we're fighting with and see what might happen.

We play Minnesota at home on Monday and at Dallas on Wednesday to close out the season. The way the team's playing, it seems we're more likely to lose to Minnesota and beat Dallas. I hate to predict anything, but for worst case scenario's sake, let's say we go 1-1, finishing with a record of 50-32.

Portland plays the Lakers in LA on Sunday, then OKC in Portland on Monday, and they close out the season against the Warriors in Portland on Wednesday. OKC plays at the Warriors on Sunday, at Portland on Monday, and then finish out their season at home against the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Obviously, the first thing you notice is the game between OKC and Portland. Honestly, it's still too early to tell who we want to win that game, but in general we want the Blazers to lose since they hold the tiebreaker over us, and we can finish even with the Thunder since we hold the tiebreaker over them. A lot of it is going to depend on tomorrow's games, particularly Portland's game against the Lakers. The Lakers are in an interesting spot, in that if they beat the Blazers, they greatly increase the chances that they will face the Blazers in the first round. If they lose, then it remains a toss up, especially if OKC loses to Golden State (which I'm not counting on).

So for now, pay close attention to those two games tomorrow, and root for the Warriors and (gulp) the Lakers (that is, unless you want to face the Lakers in the first round). Believe me, as a Spurs fan and a Blazers fan, it pains me to write that. But this is playoff seeding we're talking about. Lines must be drawn and sides must be chosen.

Go Spurs Go.

Correlation Isn't Causation, Except When It Is

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:53:00 +0000

The Spurs suffered a crushing blow in their bid to stay out of the 8th spot. I didn't watch the second half of the game (and now I don't want to). But from what I saw in the first half, we were sluggish, lazy, and disconnected as a team. The Grizzlies--out of the playoffs and only playing for pride and a winning season--played as if the game was more important to them than it was to us. Think about that.

In the last 3 games the team has played poorly, regressing to early season mediocre form. Two things happened in that span that bear looking at: 1) George Hill went down with an injury; 2) Tony Parker came back from injury. Obviously we miss George, especially on the defensive end. His ability to pester the ball handler, keep dribblers out of the lane, and deny entry to wing scorers is vital to our defensive philosophy. And that's not even mentioning his scoring ability.

But is any of this recent mini-slump due in some part to Parker coming back? I'm not talking about a "Hill is Better For the Team Than Parker" debate, though I plan on getting into that in the offseason. More, is Parker disrupting chemistry that we had built over the run we put together while he was out? Is his re-insertion back into the rotation (and presumably, the starting line-up eventually) limiting the effectiveness of the "Super Manu" we had all come to love over the last month? To me, the ultimate question for now and moving forward is: can a maximum effective Tony Parker and a maximum effective Manu Ginobili exist on the same team? And if not, which is more valuable?

Looking Forward:

The schedule doesn't get any easier, as we travel into Denver tonight to play the Nuggets. Playing in Denver, against the Nuggets, on a back-to-back is hard. We need this win. Will the team respond?

After tonight's game I'm hoping to do a more thorough breakdown of the race between OKC, Portland, and San Antonio. It's not looking good.

That Nets loss is looking worse and worse.

I Never Thought I'd Say This, But I Hope We Don't Meet The Suns in The Playoffs

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:46:00 +0000

This isn't your father's Suns team. This team plays pesky, irritating defense. They still score bunches in fast-break and transition, but they can also score in half-court sets efficiently. They shoot better, if that's possible. And they actually have a bench, and a pretty good one at that. (D'Antonio's greatest flaw might be his inability to trust more than 7 or 8 players, running those players ragged throughout the season and burning them out by the playoffs).

They played very well; we didn't. There's lots of reasons why we wouldn't have played well, mainly that we're in the stretch of 5 games in 7 nights and they had been off for 3 days. One game does not a season make. But there was enough there to make us fear a potential playoff match-up with them. We had absolutely no answer for the Nash-Stoudemire pick and roll. It was almost embarrassing. Missing Hill obviously hurts us, but as good as his defense is, pick and roll defense is not his forte. (I find it interesting that Pop didn't employ Bogans on Nash, a la Bowen. Was he holding out for a potential playoff match-up? Does he not trust Bogans on smaller, quicker players?) There defense actually seemed to bother us, pestering us into TOs and miscues all over the place. They outplayed and outworked us, and it was just a tiny bit embarrassing.

On a happier note, it looks like Ginobili is finally getting his extension. Spurs fans around the world sigh a relief of happiness. Losing Ginobili would have been just short of disastrous for this team. I understand the reservations of paying a 33 year old swingman with injury issues who plays with reckless abandon $40 million over the next 3 years. I really do. Like I've said a million times, though: Pop is the brains, Duncan is the soul, and Ginobili is the heart. And you don't let your heart just up and leave. You pay whatever it takes to keep him around, and you go to battle with the guys you trust and love. Like Dingo said in a comment months ago (I'm paraphrasing here), "I'd rather go to war with Ginobili and lose than go without him." Agreed. We only have so many years of watching Ginobili's manic genius on the court, and I want to watch every minute of it, and I want him in the Spurs uniform.

And someday, years from now, I want to see his 20 hanging next to 21 in the rafters.

Looking Forward:

We have four games left. We need at least 2 wins to reach 50. Tonight against Memphis and Monday against Minnesota are our best chances. After our poor performances the last 2 games, I expect the team to come out focuses and take care of business. As great and surprising as the Grizzlies' season has been, they are officially out of the playoffs and have nothing left to play for. We have plenty left to play for.

The Western Conference is just insane right now. It seems like it gets crazier and crazier every year. We're in prime position to finish 6th or 7th, which is precisely where we want to be (moving up to 2nd or 3rd is a long shot), avoiding 4, 5, and 8 to avoid the Lakers half of the bracket. My really thorough analysis: we need to win as many of our remaining games as we can.

Of Our Remaining Games, Should Minnesota Scare Us the Most?

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:19:00 +0000

Dear San Antonio Spurs,
Thank you for winning this game, even though you made it too close for comfort. These games count as much as the ones against the Lakers and Magic. Seriously. Look at the rules.

Dear Tony Parker,
Welcome back. Now don't suck and don't mess up the amazing chemistry we've cultivated in your absence.

Dear George Hill,
I miss your shot...I miss your long arms...I miss your musk. When this all gets sorted out, I think me and you should get an apartment together.

Dear Manu Ginobili,
Thank your for making winning basketball plays, even when your shot sucks. Nice defense on Tyreke Evans. I love you.

Dear Utah Jazz,
Thank you for beating the Thunder and allowing us to move up to 6th in the West, even if Durant was most certainly fouled on that last play.

Dear Antonio McDyess,
Please keep making your 15 to 18 foot jumpshot. It kind of helps us out a whole lot.

Dear Kings Announcers,
Thank you for saying "It almost makes me want to spit up" (I'm paraphrasing) after Ginobili's insanely amazing layup in the first quarter. That made me almost spit up. Or at least want to.

Dear Pop,
Thank you for not pissing away a game that shouldn't have even been that close.

Dear Beno Udrih,
Thank you for never making us regret letting you go, except for that one kind of good game you had against us. You almost single-handedly lost the 2005 Finals for us, and I would have never forgiven you for that. You're welcome for the ring.

Dear NBATV,
Suck my balls. If you're going to show a certain game on your channel, and by showing that game on your channel you preclude people from being able to see the game on other outlets such as NBA League Pass Broadband, then please show that game in its entirety. I understand that the finish in Utah was crazy, but I just put in two hours to watching the Spurs, and I want to see how the pivotal stretch of that game plays out. Show us the clips of the Utah-OK City game during timeouts.

Speaking of timeouts, you should also cut to the game as soon as the action starts back up. Don't have a split screen with the game in a tiny little box on the right side, and the studio guys on the left. I don't really care what they're saying, especially when I can actually see the game they're talking about with my very eyes. Or at least I could if you'd put it on the full screen. If what Chris Webber and Kevin McHale are saying is so important, I'm sure you could figure out a way to play the audio while we watched the game on the full screen. I'm pretty sure that technology exists. I don't really need to see McHale's face when he's talking. Learn time management.

In conclusion, fuck you.

Looking Forward:

Dear Phoenix Suns,
In case you haven't noticed, we've been playing awesome lately. But so have you. This is a really important game for both of us. I hope we crush you, just like we have every time it's mattered.
Seriously, though, good luck. I secretly kind of like a lot of players on your team, especially Nash and Hill. But not Amar'e. Never Amar'e. I squeal with glee every time Duncan owns him in games. (By "own", I don't mean "scores more points than". That critical difference is what will always separate Duncan from Amar'e.)

Dear ESPN,
Thank you for knowing how to properly broadcast a game.

Don't Look Now, But We Don't Suck Anymore

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:33:00 +0000

If I'm honest with myself, I didn't think we could win this game. My best hope was for a moral victory, that we could keep it close and competitive. After the way they completely owned us in San Antonio a few weeks ago, never in my wildest dreams did I think we could go into Staples Center and not only win, but win handily.

From the 2nd quarter on, we completely controlled the game. Despite giving up a few too many offensive rebounds, our defense was ferocious, denying the Lakers good shots or even good execution. On offense, we were patient and ran the offense either through Duncan in the post or Ginobili in the pick and roll, our two greatest offensive weapons. We dictated the tempo, and never let the Lakers superior athleticism and length overwhelm us.

When the Lakers made a charge in the 4th and closed the gap to 2 points, I thought "uh oh...here comes the collapse." Instead, we rattled off a huge run (mostly on Ginobili's brilliance) and put the game away. We played with poise and calm down the stretch, and we outplayed the champs.

Maybe it's time to recalibrate our expectations for this team. All season we've been waiting for this team to step up and play like the team we've known from years past. And anytime we'd had a glimmer of this happening, the team would immediately crush our hopes and start sucking again. But our play over the last few weeks can't be denied (the NJ game excepted, and let's just agree to never talk about that game again, okay?). It's not just that we're winning--it's how we're winning. We've beaten the Lakers by 19, the Magic by 12, the Rockets by 17, and the Celtics by 21 (not to mention beating the league-best Cavs by 5). Any way you slice it, that's impressive.

If we continue to play this way, I like our chances in the first round against any team in the Western Conference, save the Lakers. I know we just beat them. But I don't want the defending champs in the opening round. Any other team? Bring them on. I'll put our best against their best and like our odds. In Ginobili and Duncan we trust.

Looking Forward:

Another TRAP GAME! warning. We play the Kings in Sacramento Tuesday night. The following night we have a huge game against Phoenix, and then Memphis and Denver (in another back to back) right after that. We need to take care of business, exactly like we didn't do in the game that shall not be mentioned.

For His Next Trick, Manu Will Turn Water Into Wine

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:33:00 +0000

That's the kind of game that makes you wonder where this Spurs team has been all season.

We played a really good game against a really good team. Maybe the 2nd best team in the entire league. Every Spurs player performed solidly. Manu was obviously the star, controlling the game like a bored puppeteer. Duncan was very impressive in the 2nd half (after missing most of the first half for daring to touch Dwight Howard), anchoring both ends of the court.

But we expect that out of those two. Often times the difference is in the margins, and our role players stepped up beautifully tonight. Jefferson shook off a rusty first half and gave us some key points and (more importantly) key hustle down the stretch. Bonner was active offensively, draining 3s and hitting his (now patented) hook shot. Roger had some good shooting, but most impressively got a block/save on Nelson. McDyess showed why we picked him up in the offseason and what he might bring come playoff time. And Hill was pretty normal, which is turning into a pretty good thing.

Late in the game we turned to the much-maligned tactic of intentionally fouling a poor foul shooter, in this case, Dwight Howard. I understand why people dislike it, because it makes the game agonizing to watch. But as a Spurs fan, I love the tactic, and I wonder why teams don't do it more. Time and again, it's proven effective for us, both climbing back into games and extending leads late in games. As Sean Elliott pointed out on the telecast, it has benefits beyond hoping a poor free throw shooter misses. It completely destroys the rhythm and flow of the other team's offense. It causes shooters to cool down, and makes a team go a long time without running a set or getting a shot off. And it can adversely affect the free throw shooter. We saw Howard lose his cool as he continued to brick ugly looking free throws. And we were able to extend our lead while we did it.

This game is also a demonstration of why we don't complain about the officiating. If we did, we'd most likely have to wait in line behind the Magic fans. The officiating was certainly questionable and made the game very choppy, but I don't think it trended in any particular way or in any particular team's favor. Ultimately, the officiating is part of the game, another factor that players must take into account in the game.

The best part of the game for me was Duncan's fourth quarter. This was vintage Duncan. Surely the rest in the first half did him some good. He was ferocious on both ends of the floor, and demanded the ball in the offense. This is the Duncan we need come playoff time. The Duncan who leads by effort and example, whose will to win is stronger than anybody else's on the floor, save Ginobili. I don't care so much about his offensive production, as long as his offensive presence is creating the space and rhythm that we need, and that his looks are clean. Where we need him is on the defensive end, the immovable object in the middle.

It's too bad we don't play in the Eastern Conference. In the last few weeks we've beaten 3 of the top 4 teams in the East, and took the 4th team to OT.

Looking Forward:

Our last game against the Lakers is on Sunday. The Lakers are supposedly reeling a bit. The last time we played them, they beat us something fierce. We need to make a statement in this game that we can play with them and that we will play with them. There's a strong chance this will be our first round opponent.

Manu Returns, and All Is Right With the World Again

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:27:00 +0000

The last 2 games against Houston demonstrate a nice progression this team has made over the last few months. The last time we played Houston, they just owned us as 3 different players scored 30 or more on us. Our defense was putrid, our energy was gone, and we looked bad. Tonight we looked a lot better. For a game against Houston--a team that we play notoriously slow, low-scoring games with--it was high-scoring and fast-paced. But our defense was better, our offense was superb, and we clearly looked like the better team. Granted, they were pretty thin with injuries. But we took care of business and pulled away in the second half, overwhelming them with execution, energy, and plain old talent.

For some reason, this game was not broadcast on League Pass Broadband, so I ended up watching it the old fashioned way--on an illegal feed from ESPN Deportes. The feed still gave us our hometown announcing crew, but all of the ads were in Spanish. And all the players were blurry. Was that George Hill racking up 30 points? Nice. It's quite a skill to be able to score 30 points in an NBA game.

In the big picture, I think that loss to NJ is going to bite us in the ass. One win could be the difference between the 6th or 7th seed and facing Utah or Dallas or Denver or Phoenix and the 8th seed and facing LA. That would be a tough pill to swallow.

Looking Forward:

We play Orlando in San Antonio on Friday night. They gave us a nice butt-whooping a few weeks ago in Orlando. It's time to return the favor.

Or at least get the win.

Really, San Antonio Spurs? Really?

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:44:00 +0000

That was my LEAST favorite game of the year.

Seriously, wtf?

I guess we know how important Ginobili is now. With him, we can beat the best team(s) in the league; without him, we can't beat the worst.

Any other analysis would be pointless. And by "pointless", I mean "insanely aggravating".

Looking Forward:

Probably more humiliation against Houston.

Starting To Come Together, Pepper...Starting To Come Together

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:31:00 +0000

That was my favorite win of the season.

I hesitate to say the best win of the season, though I think the case could (quite convincingly) be made. But it was my favorite. Everything just seemed to be working right, and it finally felt like the team had an identity and was playing together. Just great stuff to watch.

It seems redundant to keep talking about how great Ginobili has been over the last month or so, but come on.

Right now, Ginobili is one of the five to ten best players in the league. He is doing everything for this team. Everything. Scoring. Playmaking. Ball handling. Clutch defense. Leadership. Desire. I'm half-expecting him to rub his hands together and heal Tony Parker Miyagi style. He's reminding every Spurs fan why he is the fan favorite, and reminding the rest of the league why he has won everywhere he goes.

Jefferson had another great game. When I watch Jefferson, I'm not concerned about the numbers (though they were great tonight). What I'm watching is his activity and his engagement with the game. He needs to feel part of the action and feel like his presence affects the outcome of the game. That's why playing with Ginobili helps him so much, because Ginobili plays the ultimate team game. The two early fouls motivated Jefferson, and he came out in the 2nd quarter with something to prove.

Blair might have had the ugliest best game I've seen since Oberto was in the Silver and Black. Every time he touched the ball I was preparing myself to cringe, and I was very often rewarded with a cringe-worthy play. But he also got almost every offensive rebound in the 4th quarter, which took the air out of the game and the Celtics, thwarting any attempt at a comeback. We were hardly an offensive powerhouse in the final frame, but when every possession is essentially 2, and kills about 40-45 seconds of game clock, there's little chance of a comeback.

More than anything, over these last 5 games it just feels like we're finally a team. We have an identity, we have a rotation, and everyone seems to be contributing in the ways that best suit their skill set. And everyone seems to be playing well within their skill set, even Bogans. (Everyone but Mason, Jr. That's another story for another day.) For the first time all season, I feel like there's a chance to compete with any team in the west, save for the Lakers. But if we can stay out of 8th, we can "make some noise", as the cliche goes.

Again, all of this hope is tempered by the return of Parker. It's nothing to do with Parker's abilities or his game. But we've finally found a groove and a rhythm, after desperately searching for one all season. And now we want to disrupt that yet again? It's really an untenable situation. Parker is a great player, you'd be foolish not to put him back in the rotation. But for whatever reason, we're playing better without him, and we jeopardize losing that by changing anything.

Looking Forward:

Warning: TRAP GAME! TRAP GAME! We play the worst team in the league after scoring one of our biggest wins of the season. If ever there was an opportunity for a letdown, this would be it. Here's hoping we're better than that.

Not This Time...Not In Our House

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:06:00 +0000

A few weeks ago we let a very winnable game in Cleveland slip away in the last few minutes. It was a stinging loss. Heading into the 4th quarter last night, we were in a very similar situation: the game was virtually even, and the team that wanted it more and executed better was going to get the win.

Last night that team was the Spurs.

The 4th quarter was Ginobili time. He scored half of his 30 points in the final stanza, but also contributed assists, steals, and pesky defense. In the game against the Lakers, Pop tried to give Ginobili some rest late in the game. When Ginobili went to the bench in that game, the Lakers made their final push and sealed the game. Last night, Pop didn't make the same mistake; Ginobili never went to the bench, and we never lost control of the game.

I'm really liking where our rotation is at right now. I like the starting unit; I like what Bonner and Blair bring off the bench as the back-up bigs; I'm even happy with what Bogans is giving us. Last night, he was a bear on D, giving everything he could to James and Jamison. With Hairston and Mason, Jr. getting spot minutes, it seems like we're all but settled.

But then Parker comes back. What happens then? Will Ginobili go back to the bench? Will Hill go to the bench? Will Parker go to the bench? Despite Parker's brilliance, I'm a bit worried about what his reintroduction to the team will do, especially this late in the season. I'm really happy with our current starting unit. Will Parker mess up that chemistry? We know that Jefferson needs to spend as much time with Ginobili as possible. So would Jefferson move back to the bench if Ginobili does? Then who starts? Bogans? I like him much better off the bench. Do we move Hill to the bench, since he's proven that he can score 20 points a game and be a good creator, thus filling Ginobili's previous role as X-factor off the bench?

It's a lot to think about, and a decision that could ultimately decide just how far we go in the playoffs.

On a side note, looking forward, here's an idea I've been kicking around for a bit: what if we traded Parker this offseason to try and re-fortify the team for another 2-3 years behind Ginobili and Duncan? I know the popular idea is that Parker is the building block of the future once Duncan retires. But when Duncan's gone, Parker will be in his early 30s, an age when most PGs start to lose a step or two. With Parker's game being so heavily predicated on his speed and quickness, I don't think we'd want to make him the foundation of the team in his early 30s. With Ginobili proving he still has a few quality years left at his Ginobili best, and Hill proving a valuable piece (though different than Parker), think about what we could get on the trade market for a player of Parker's caliber?

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Looking Forward:

Hell week draws to a close with a game against Boston (in Boston) on Sunday night. So far we're 2-2 in this stretch, with only one of those losses being a bad loss. If we can go into Boston and win, that could change a lot of people's thoughts on this team.

We also need to keep winning to keep our position in the standings. We're only a half game up on Portland for the 8th seed (which we desperately need to avoid). We're also only 1 game behind OKC for the 6th seed. And being that this is the Western Conference, we could very easily move up into the top 3 with a prolonged winning streak and some losses by other teams.

Basically, we need to keep winning. That's the kind of top-notch analysis you get here.

That's Why They're the Champs

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:17:00 +0000

And that's why we're fighting to stay out of the bottom of the playoff seeding.

The Lakers came into our arena last night and showed us what championship basketball is about. It's about defense. It's about execution. And it's about trust. The most depressing thing about this game is that those are the things we used to show to other teams.

The first half of the game was a paper tiger. We had a 7 point lead (which we had as high as 10 at several points in the half), but it was almost entirely on the back of George Hill and Manu Ginobili. Hill scored 20 points in the first half. That's about what to expect from him over an entire game. It makes sense that he would regress to the mean in the second half, and that the Lakers would key in on him.

All the flaws that caused the game to slip away in the second half were evident in the first half: inferior defensive rebounding, sloppy execution, and horrible shooting. We were just able to cover them up with superlative play from our starting backcourt.

In the second half the Lakers came out determined to play aggressive defense. And boy, did they. They bodied us, pushed us around, pressured every dribble and every pass. They created turnovers and forced us into bad shots. They reminded us of what it takes to win a championship. We were unable to match the intensity and the execution, which has been a consistent theme of this team all year.

It's not as if we were without our chances, though. Our offense is designed very well, and it's designed to get shooters open looks at the basket. Shot after shot missed, and every clang off the rim was a nail in the coffin, a reminder of just how poor a shooting team we are this year. As coaches like to say, sometimes it just comes down to making shots. More often than not, we're not making shots this season.

The Lakers earned that win, and pretty clearly demonstrated that they are the best team in the Western Conference and possibly the entire league. It is essential that we stay out of the number 8 seed and avoid them in the first round.

Looking Forward:

The only team I would like to play less than the Lakers are the Cavs, who we play on Friday.

We're 1-2 on this brutal 5-game stretch. It's imperative that we win at least one of the next two.

And the Thunder Rolled

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:45:00 +0000

What? You didn't expect me to go all Garth Brooks on you guys? Perhaps AC/DC would have been the more appropriate reference, but it also seemed too obvious. But then again, maybe Garth is also too obvious. Of course, once he went off the deep end and became Chris Gaines, nothing seems "too obvious" with Mr. Brooks.

But now I'm just stalling. Why? Because I haven't watched the game yet. And by the time I do, it will be yesterday's news. So instead of talking about the game--which was a fantastic win--let's very briefly talk about playoff seeding.

With the win we slid into the 6th spot, just ahead of the Thunder. Both teams currently have the same record, but the Spurs won the season series 3-1, giving them the tiebreaker. (It's nice to actually hold the tiebreaker over a playoff team.)

The standings in the West, as currently constructed, really consist of 3 tiers. Tier #1 is the Lakers. At this point it seems very unlikely anybody will catch them. The second tier is Dallas and Denver, fighting for the #2 seed. As of today, Denver is just one game up on the Mavs. The third tier is everybody else, 4-8. Currently, that is, in order, Utah, Phoenix, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Portland.

I would argue that our best option is to finish in the 6 or 7 slot. As great as the #4 seed (and homecourt advantage in the first round) would be, I think our best option is to stay out of the Lakers side of the bracket, which would mean not being the 4, 5, or 8 seed. If we're the 6th or the 7th seed, we would face the Nuggets or The Mavs in the first round, and then most likely the other in the second round, if we were to win. That's a much nicer path to the Western Conference Finals.

Which of those two teams would we prefer to meet? I'd probably rather face the Nuggets, even though they are the slightly better team. I hate playing the Mavs. There's just too much history and animosity there, and I don't think we match up with them very well anymore.

Of course, as fate is not without a sense of humor (and perhaps irony), wouldn't it make sense that the Spurs would finish 6th and the Mavs 3rd, completely flipping last year's seedings? Then maybe we could upset them 4-1 in the first round.

Looking Forward:

The big, bad Lakers come to town Wednesday night. The next two games are the two best teams in the league, both at home. I think we need to win at least one of them, and I think our best chance is against the Lakers.

That's Gonna Leave A Mark

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:18:00 +0000

That was a wasted opportunity. It was doubly wasted because Oklahoma City lost tonight, and if we had won, we would have drawn into a tie with the Thunder. If Portland wins tonight (against Phoenix), it will be triply wasted, because then Portland would effectively leapfrog us (as they own the tiebreaker over us), putting us in the dreaded 8th spot.

Despite the wasted opportunities, it was a great game. It had a playoff atmosphere. Both teams played their asses off, there were lots of hard fouls and clutch shots, and the game came down to just a handful of possessions. In the end, we just couldn't get it done. If there are 2 things to point to, it would be offensive rebounding and 3-pointers. We gave up 21 offensive rebounds, most of which were converted layups off of missed shots. And we just didn't hit enough 3-pointers, going 8-24 (with Ginobili and Bonner hitting 7 of those 8). In particular, Hill missed a ton of open corner 3s (0 for 4 on the night). He has proven that that is a spot that he can consistently hit jumpers from, so let's just chalk it up to an off night.

When a game goes to overtime, it's easy to look at one or two small plays earlier in the game and say "what if?". That's usually a fool's errand. But tonight, it's easy to look at the steal and converted basket off an errant inbounds pass at the end of the first half and wonder, "what if?" It sure would have been nice to get those 2 points back at the end of regulation.

A couple of observations, from the last few games:

--I know we like to give Bonner crap for just about everything other than his 3-point shooting. But his driving, though it looks unsightly and clumsy, is rather effective. And this little half-teardrop/half-hook shot that he's developed is pretty good. It shows that he puts a lot of work into his game. Obviously the scouting report on him would be to run him off the 3-point line; for him to get better, his counter would be to develop a driving game. It's not pretty or elegant, but it's effective.

--Has anyone else noticed that George Hill's passing has improved greatly? He's becoming a sort of hybrid of Parker and Ginobili. Not quite as good as either, but he has some of the attacking panache of Parker, and he's starting to develop some of the court wizardry of Ginobili. The bounce pass he threw to Jefferson after the steal was just sick; and the two handed wrap around pass he made to Duncan off of a pick and roll was Ginobiliesque.

Looking Forward:

No time to dwell on could-have-beens. Tonight's game against Oklahoma City is critical. We still sit a half game behind them. With a win, we can leapfrog them; with a loss, we fall even further back. We need to win one of the games in this back-to-back set.

Some Teams Play Bad Defense, Some Teams Play No Defense...And Some Teams Are The Golden State Warriors

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:38:00 +0000

Wow. That was fun.

Looking Forward:

Murderer's row is upon us. At Atlanta, at Oklahoma City (back to back), home against the Lakers, home against the Cavs, at Boston. It would be fantastic if we could win at least 2, hopefully 3 or 4 of these games. The first 2 might be the most winnable.

Last time we played Atlanta, we took care of them pretty handily. At the time, we all thought it was a turning point in the season. Oh, to return to simpler times.

I Spent A Week In Florida One Day

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:35:00 +0000

We had to see this game coming. We knew we were going to lay an egg soon. The Magic have played us tough over the last few years, and we just didn't have it tonight. We couldn't make a shot to save our lives, we were late on defensive rotations, and all the loose balls just went against us.

We hung in the game for the first quarter, and, thanks to some Matt Bonner 3s, were within fighting distance at half time. But Orlando ran away with it pretty much at the start of the second half. That's what happens when you score a measly 4 points over about a 9 minute stretch.

George Hill, Tim Duncan, and Antonio McDyess all had memorable nights in their unmemorability. Duncan especially had a bad night, shooting 1 for 10 and pretty much getting owned by Howard on the offensive end. Such is life.

There are some positives to be had from this game, mostly in the continued impressive play from Ginobili and Jefferson. During the first half--when it was still a game--both were playing extremely well. Ginobili was getting to the hoop at will, driving around players like they were practice cones and laying it off the glass at impossible angles. I love that Ginobili. Jefferson had everything working: his outside shot, his drives to the hoop, his rebounding. He made his first 7 shots. I believe at halftime Jefferson, Ginobili, and Bonner (on account of his late 3 balls) were responsible for 32 of our 42 points.

My love affair with Malik Hairston continues, as well. He didn't have a particularly memorable game. But more and more he looks like he belongs on the court with the big boys. His offense gets better every day, especially his slashing. On defense, he's a playmaker. Sometimes he gets beat off the dribble, and sometimes he'll get lost on rotations (happens to most players in their first year in the Spurs system). But he'll make incredible athletic and intelligent plays, getting key steals and blocks when they're needed. I'm not saying he should be starting; but can you think of a better player to play behind Jefferson in the rotation?

Looking Forward:

We play Golden State at home on Friday. This falls under the "Must Win" category. Our next 5 games after that reads like a playoff call sheet: Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Lakers, Cleveland, and Boston. We need to take care of business when it's easy to take care of. We usually beat Golden State, but you never know what to expect against them. Playing them very often resembles something different than NBA basketball, and you just have to stick it out for 48 and assume that if you play your game, at the end, you'll have more points.

We usually do.

Carry On My Wayward Son

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:08:00 +0000

I didn't get to see the Spurs game tonight, and I probably won't be able to. Since it was on NBA TV, I have no way of watching it after the fact, as League Pass Broadband blocks the nationally televised game.

So I have nothing insightful to say about the game. (This is where you would insert the joke that I never do.) We won. We had a big lead, gave most of it back, then held on to win. Manu was spectacular...again. From the highlights I saw, it looks like we played pretty well. Yay us.

So instead of any analysis, I'd like to point you over to Pounding The Rock, where LatinD has been sharing his adventures following the Spurs for a week or two just prior to the all-star break. David (that is his real name) is from Argentina, and made a pilgrimage of sorts to the US to specifically follow the Spurs. He has been documenting his travels. His pieces are thorough, insightful, and very funny. He's a hell of a writer, and should make most of us native-English speaking Americans feel ashamed.

This article chronicles his time in Portland, my home town. It's always enjoyable to read about your town from somebody else's perspective. You can link to all of his other entries at the top of the page. I highly recommend it.

Looking Forward:

Tonight's win puts us at 40. We only have to win 10 of our next 17 to get to 50. Easier said than done. Wednesday night starts the most grueling part of our schedule, as we take on Orlando in Orlando. A win could be considered a wide range of things, including a statement or a breakthrough. We've had no luck beating good teams on the road. Hopefully our luck will change.

Playing the Clippers Just Makes Me Sad

noreply@blogger.com (secretchord53) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:54:00 +0000

Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake used to play for the Blazers. They were important parts of a winning team and culture. They played hard and made important plays in big games.

Now they're on the Clippers, and I just feel sorry for them. I know these guys get paid millions of dollars to play a game, but it still must be soul-crushing to go from Portland to a situation like the Clippers. It's awkward to see them playing for someone else, kind of like running into an old friend or lover who has fallen on hard times. Remember when the games used to mean something? Remember when we cared?

I'm happy for the win, though. And I'm happy to see our younger players getting lots of playing time and performing well. I have a serious basketball crush on Malik Hairston. And I'm digging our newest call up, Cedric Jackson. He plays hard, plays good defense, and is athletic. Down the road, the team is definitely going to need a 3rd PG on the roster; he could certainly be a valuable asset in that regard.

Looking Forward:

OK, we've taken care of business, winning three games that we should have won. Tuesday night we play the Heat in Miami. This is one of the games I have marked as a swing game. We have a realistic shot at winning, but it won't be easy. Miami is by no means a great team, but playing on the road is always difficult, and they're fighting for their playoff lives, as well. We can't waste opportunities for wins; we can't lose these swing games.