truth to the light.

The continued underappreciation of Tim Duncan.

2013-03-21T23:07:00.001-05:00

At the time of this post, 1,168 regular season games played.

The soon to be 37-year-old Tim Duncan continues to perform at a level, in his 16th season, that most players can only imagine.

After Tim Duncan was diagnosed with degenerative knee tendinosis in 2009, the end felt near. Duncan hobbling up and down the floor with a bulky left knee brace. Struggling to back down players, barely getting off the ground to shoot or rebound.

Everyone knew he would slow down, but not so dramatically. So painful to the point where Spurs fans, (probably just me), were hoping he would retire. No reason to prolong the rebuilding process or take up salary cap space, for a guy who was barely the 3rd most productive player on the team.

Tim Duncan didn't have anyone to pass the torch to and had no chance of retiring on top, like David Robinson did. The Spurs were just going to suffer in mediocrity with an oft-injured Manu Ginobili and an aging Tony Parker.

Only none of that happened.

He changed his off-season training regiment. Losing weight to make himself lighter and taking pressure off his knee. He improved his jumpshot, becoming more of a stretch-4, instead of the center he had morphed into after the days of Rasho, Nazr and Fabricio.

It's not only what Timmy did, it's what the Spurs built around him as well. The Kawhi Leonard trade, bringing over Tiago Splitter, signing fringe NBA players like Danny Green or Gary Neal and turning them into vital pieces in the rotation.

The old and boring Spurs had done the inconceivable...they built nearly an entire new roster, without ever having to go through a rebuilding period.

And a new Tim Duncan was at the forefront.

Tim Duncan 2.0 circa 2012-2013.

I can't tell you how many Spurs games I've purposely missed or skipped throughout the years. Taking the regular season for granted, because it was a foregone conclusion that they would make the playoffs. No one paid attention until after the Rodeo Road Trip.

Out of Tim Duncan's 1,168 games, I've probably seen a little more than half. Sadly, a good portion of those have been games I've watched the last three seasons.

In an effort to be a more knowledgeable and appreciative Spurs fan, I watch as many games as possible now. Whether it's a Thursday night nationally televised game against the Thunder, or a Monday night laugher versus the Hornets.

So of course when I see Tim Duncan already with a double-double, 33 seconds into the 3rd quarter versus the Mavericks, I'm taken by surprise.

Did young Tim ever do that?

Did Tim secretly go to Germany with Kobe and get the Regenokine procedure done too?

Those are questions I ask myself now, because of how lackadaisical I used to treat Spurs games. No shame in admitting, I used to be one of those fans.

Now here we are a month away from playoff contention, and Tim Duncan is 0.1 rebounds away from averaging a double-double. Something he hasn't done since 2010, where he averaged 31 minutes a game. This season? 29 minutes.

Per 36 minutes, Tim's averages this season are 20 points and 12 rebounds. Numbers not seen since 2008.

Two of the most mind-blowing statistics in regards to "Tim Duncan Version 2.0" are blocks and free throw percentage. The notoriously poor free throw shooting Duncan, is averaging 81% from the line this season. He's never eclipsed 80% in his career, and hasn't come close since 2002 (79.9%). Then there's blocks. Averaging 2.7 blocks a game, which hasn't been done since 2004. Duncan is third (!!!!!) in the NBA in blocked shots.

So what's the secret behind the rejuvenated Tim? Only he knows.

And honestly, who cares? I implore you to enjoy it while it lasts. As someone who didn't regrets not enjoying vintage Tim Duncan as much as possible during the championship years, I get nothing but joy watching him takeover games nowadays. Sure, he's not trying to cross anyone over, like how he abused Hot Rod Williams in his first ever playoff game. And, yeah, he's not putting guys on posters as often. But he is still getting the job done, night in and night out.

What Duncan is doing this late in his career is remarkable. No longer will I regret not properly cherishing vintage Tim Duncan. Because he's still playing at "vintage" Tim Duncan level.

After Game 4 of the 2007 NBA Finals, Tim Duncan told LeBron James, "This is going to be your league in a little while...but I appreciate you giving us this year."

Seven years later, Tim Duncan has arguably the best shot at stopping LeBron James.

210, 8, 7.

2013-03-04T23:02:00.003-06:00

Ed. note: First post in 10 months. Not bad, right? This post was written after the Spurs were eliminated by the Thunder in the 2012 Western Conference Finals. It was never published, because I never felt fully comfortable with it, and let me be honest...it was an emotional bitch to write. Also, this isn't the first time I've written a Spurs obituary, only to be proven wrong. So as the Spurs sit with the best record in the NBA, at 47-14, let us have a laugh at my expense. Killing off the Spurs too soon.

I sat back and soaked everything in.

The entire atmosphere like nothing I've experienced before. Staring aimlessly at the scoreboard, picking out all the random fiesta colored chairs in the arena, judging all the fans who didn't participate in the t-shirt whiteout. Even admiring the countless award banners won by the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

In 10 years of attending events at the AT&T Center, I've never felt such helplessness or heard the arena so silent.

It's as if everyone knew this was the end. The Thunder had come from down 0-2, to being one game away from a trip to the NBA Finals.

The cries of, "I want some nasty!" and bragging about a 20-game win streak, had faded.

Everyone held a glimmer of hope that the Spurs could steal one in Oklahoma City and force a potential game 7, but reality was that OKC already had a nail in the coffin. Oklahoma City was Daft Punk: Harder, better, faster and stronger than the Spurs in every aspect. And in some cases smarter, with Scott Brooks shifting Thabo Sefolosha onto Tony Parker, neutralizing the Spurs offense.

James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will be remembered as the three names that ended the Spurs reign as championship contenders. Solidifying them as the "old" team that analysts had labeled San Antonio as for the past five years.

So there I sat in Section 210, Row 8, Seat 7, on June 4th. Reminiscing and reminding myself of the last 15 years of excellence. Every James Harden jumper was a stab in the chest. Every point Kevin Durant scored, felt like it took a year off my life.

Ginobili's age, Duncan, Green and Diaw's impending free agency...all key pieces to what seems to be the Spurs last hurrah, could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

Nothing will ever be the same again. The golden age of Spurs basketball is no more. There's nothing more to be done, except to enjoy the Heat and Thunder usher in a new era of competition to the NBA.

The scariest part is knowing the San Antonio Spurs may never make it this far again. Fans have taken 50-win seasons and playoff appearances for granted.

Nothing can take away the accomplishments of this organization and the ability to argue the Spurs as one of the greatest franchises in sports history, as long as it's cherished correctly. And it can't be cherished until reality is accepted.

Reality is, Father Time is undefeated. The Spurs dynasty is his newest casualty.

Album of the Week

2012-05-18T11:15:00.001-05:00

Even though we're a week late with this release, we still have to acknowledge the greatness that is Ab-Soul's new album, Control System.

This is part of the album review off of HipHopDX.com:

Ab-Soul's talent is to be cherished as that of a quintessential emcee, his particular skill set running in sharp contrast to that of his thriving LA based peers whose raps are largely devoid of lyricism and introspection. With #controlsystem he shows great promise having gone from his crew's underdog to a present spotlight where he is equally confident and conflicted, sharing his pain and conviction through versatile and dexterous flows.

Hit the jump for Tracklist and download link.

CONTINUE READING

Album of the Week

2012-05-09T09:42:00.001-05:00

Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 2

It's been a good week for music, as Meek Mill started it off on Monday with his highly anticipated mixtape Dreamchasers 2. We still have another big release coming on Friday, but this should help jumpstart you out of your mid-week funk.

The Maybach Music Group artist did a hell of a job getting Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Wale, 2 Chainz and more, as great features to help his buzz out. The mixtape crashed DatPiff and trended worldwide on Twitter as the download has racked up 2 MILLION DOWNLOADS in less than 3 days.

The tracklist and download link are below:

Download Dreamchasers 2

Quick Hits: Rob Parker's suits must be stopped.

2012-05-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

Apparently the couch from "That 70's Show" was saved by Rob Parker's wardrobe.

Try not to stare at the picture too long, you might become disoriented and have a seizure. Our favorite ESPN 2 minion, Rob Parker, decided that it would be a good idea to follow up his shiny suit man appearance, with this lovely plaid ensemble. But I won't make anymore jokes. I'm going to let the wonderful people of Twitter pick apart his wardrobe choice.

And my personal favorite...

In other words, this guy...

Welp.

Album of the Week

2012-04-26T12:29:00.001-05:00

The return of T3L means the return of our Album of the Week feature. This week, we bring you a new artist out of Los Angeles by the name of Iman Omari, and his debut 8-track project, "Energy."

There's really not much background information on Iman Omari, even after searching his YouTube channel, Tumblr, Twitter and Soundcloud page, I still came up blank. But if you want to download the album, head straight over to his website to download it for free off of Mediafire.

TRACKLIST:

Quick Hits: Rob Parker's wardrobe malfunctioned today.

2012-04-24T13:04:00.003-05:00

Rob Parker celebrates Earth Day with a suit made out of 100% recycled Twix wrappers.

Man. Michael Jordan has made plenty of questionable wardrobe choices throughout his life, but nothing quite as terrible as this. T3L's favorite ESPN talking head, Rob Parker, decided it would be a good idea to wear a suit that appears to be made out of the same material Nike creates Foamposites out of. And the jokes were outstanding.

Here's the Behind the Scenes video of the First Take crew clowning on Pimp of the Year, Rob Parker.

A Nation of Fanalysts

2012-04-23T20:33:00.001-05:00

Apparently the answer was, "Because I wear his shoes and you don't motherf^%&er!"

I try not to watch First Take. I hate contributing to that shows ratings, because it gives Skip Bayless a bigger audience to troll. Actually, with the exception of a few programs, I hate watching ESPN period. The entire network has become focused more on the Entertainment aspect than Sports.

I saw the perfect analogy on Twitter today: "Skip Bayless is like a bad car accident you don't want to watch, but you always turn you head to look."

But ESPN has managed to take it to another level of stupidity today. Instead of using their own "analysts" who sometimes know what the fuck they're talking about, First Take has gone the way of SportsNation and continues to use pop culture icons (like Wale, pictured above) to generate more ratings, without actually talking sports.

A sports show, on a sports network, not talking about sports? That's Un-American!

The motivation for this post were the comments Wale made regarding the San Antonio Spurs. When posed with the question "Who wins the Western Conference?" Wale dismissed the idea saying the Spurs were "old and boring." TYPICAL NO NOTHING JACKASS ANALYSIS.

And even after Skip Bayless flooded him with facts and stats, Wale, again went full-retard and said "That's cute. What they're doing is really cute."

Cute.

I try so hard to not overreact and go on profanity laced tirades when writing. And I also try not being biased. I'm about to fail at both of those. As a fan, I have to defend my team. So hit the jump for what is about to be the most vicious, caps-locked abused, Drew Magary inspired rant Blogger has ever seen.

It's time to let the NBA die

2011-10-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

Figured this would be a good topic to welcome everyone back to the blog. I can't guarantee we'll be around for good and continue blogging, and I can't speak for the others, but I will definitely make an effort to contribute and write for as long as I can keep the desire. Maybe be a week, a month or a year...only time will tell. But with that, welcome back to Truth to the Light. #T3L

What the hell else should I talk about? The Yankees getting eliminated? The craptacular Cardinals/Rangers World Series that starts on Wednesday? I'm not gonna talk about football while the Packers sit at 6-0, I'm just gonna let them do their thing. (Although I'm still disappointed in how terrible the defense is compared to last year.) Let's talk lockout. I want to start ranting and swearing, so hit the jump ASAP.

Grey Area.

2011-06-11T13:06:00.007-05:00

A long time ago, an album was created out of pure brilliance and dedication.

A project that reflected the universal theme that is music, while celebrating the diversity of it.

An album that mashed together two of the biggest icons in music.

...A project you probably have never heard.

CONTINUE READING

The Lesser of Two Evils.

2011-06-07T15:18:00.003-05:00

Last semester I took a class in Psychology at Texas Tech. This class was a requirement more than anything else, and one in which I didn't expect to learn much. After the Miami Heat's closeout victory of Chicago, I began to ponder who my choice was to bring home the title. Then, for some strange reason, I remembered something that I learned in Psychology: "Occam's Razor." It states: "A principle that generally recommends selecting the competing hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions, when the hypotheses are equal in other respects." In English, the one that is simpler to choose.

Hit the jump for the breakdown.

CONTINUE READING

This Wasn't Supposed to Happen

2011-05-05T12:42:00.004-05:00

Where We Left Off
At the end of the 2010 Spurs season, I remember having the most depressing conversation ever with a close friend about the future of the franchise.

There was nothing we could do. The Spurs were heavily over the cap. And there was no way to get under.

Then Richard Jefferson opted-out of his contract, leaving $15 million on the table. Generic 'know nothing' Spurs fan was ecstatic.

"Good, he was a waste of space anyway!"

But what those people didn't realize - he just handicapped San Antonio. They couldn't sign someone to replace him. His opting-out only took us out of the luxury tax. The Spurs were still over the cap. The only thing they could hope for is that Jefferson would sign a new contract extension at a cheaper price, allowing the Spurs to avoid the luxury tax.

He did.

With Jefferson in at 4-years and $40 million, the Spurs were sitting in prime financial position to bring over Spanish League MVP, and 2007 1st round draft pick, Tiago Splitter, who was supposed to be the answer to our frontcourt problems.

They did. (Thanks to the Mid-level exception.)

Then the Spurs resigned a 30-year old Matt Bonner to 4-years and $16 million contract. A move that I expressed my hate about over and over and over again. (I'd rather not get into it again...I don't want to be reminded that we're stuck with him for another 3-years.)

The Spurs still needed to find a backup shooting guard that could be a reliable three-point shooter and be a servicable perimeter defender. The Spurs drafted James Anderson out of Oklahoma State with the 20th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Just a guy that wouldn't make mistakes and spell Richard Jefferson/Manu Ginobili whenever he could.

And we already know about the Gary Neal story...

Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford were content on bringing this core back. The team that finished as the 7th seed in the Western Conference at 50-32...the team that completely dismantled the second seeded Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round, only to get swept by the 3rd seed Phoenix Suns. A team they constantly use as their whipping toy. But they were no longer a problem as Amar'e Stoudemire ~~took his talents~~ signed with the New York Knicks. The Lakers were the only thing in the way, since they were 2-time defending champs. But anything is possible when the Spurs and Lakers play...things were going alright.
CONTINUE READING

Album of the Week

2011-05-05T09:14:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since we've done an Album of the Week entry. I normally like to leave those to Aaron and his extensive music collection, but I couldn't go another day without posting this. (Especially now that I've listened to it all the way through at least 5 times.)

If you're hip to the breaking music scene, I'm sure you've heard of the buzz behind Odd Future member, Frank Ocean. And if not, don't worry, as always T3L has you covered. Before Frank Ocean was Frank Ocean, he went by the alias of Lonny Breaux. And as it turns out, "Lonny Breaux" had a pretty good collection of songs already recorded.

Frank Ocean's latest piece of work is actually Nostalgia, Ultra (Download and Tracklist included below) but The Lonny Breaux Collection is a must have, as it contains 64 (yes, sixty-four) unreleased songs by Frank Ocean before his big break. There's maybe three songs that are duplicates, but that's an anomaly.

(Hit the jump for DL link and Tracklist to both of Frank Ocean's mixtapes)

CONTINUE READING

Eight Letters That Saved A Season

2011-04-29T16:27:00.013-05:00

Outside of San Antonio, Gary Neal isn't very well known. Outside of San Antonio, the only reason you would know Gary Neal is for all the wrong reasons. (See J.R. Smith, Tyreke Evans and the handshake fail). Or maybe you only know Gary Neal because of his sexual assault charges back in college.

But regardless of the reason, one must admit the great job he's done this season. A guy that came out of Summer League, received a guaranteed contract, and only saw the floor thanks to an injury to rookie James Anderson.

His shot was more than just a game tying three-pointer to send it into overtime. His shot was more than just an opportunity to stave off elimination.

CONTINUE READING

10 Best Drake Songs ...Thus Far

2011-04-07T00:49:00.005-05:00

10. "Congratulations" (So Far Gone ...Bonus Track) This song combines a nice sample from Coldplay's smash hit "Viva La Vida," bold lyrics, and efficient use of Auto-Tune at timely points throughout. While this is a boastful track, Drake manages to find a way to NOT sound like a pompous windbag. Mainly because he possesses more creativity than most.

HIT THE JUMP FOR THE REST OF THE LIST...

CONTINUE READING

Brian Cashman Thinks You're Abusive

2011-04-03T03:14:00.003-05:00

Everyone seems to agree nowadays that the Mets have taken over as the laughing stock of Major League Baseball.

So much so that Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, decided the media needed to know how he felt about the ways the Mets use their players.

According to an article on ESPN New York's website, Cashman felt that the Mets overused left handed reliever, Pedro Feliciano, who recently inked a 2-year deal with the Yankees, with a club option for the 2013 season.

CONTINUE READING

Album Of The Week:

2011-03-30T20:09:00.006-05:00

"ReturnOf4Eva" by Big K.R.I.T.

The looooooooooong awaited second offering from Krizzle dropped Monday, via returnof4eva.com. The hype for this ~~mixtape~~ album snowballed over the past year, to the point where disappointment was not an option. Right on cue, the Mississippi emcee delivered another classic. All 21 tracks were produced and mixed by the young king himself, which alone stands as a testament to his work ethic and creativity. This time around, he called in on southern legends Bun B, Ludacris, David Banner, and Chamillionaire for features. Most importantly, not once was K.R.I.T. overshadowed by them, leaving HIS signature mark on every single track. The soulful samples and smooth backdrops set up what felt like a modern-day, hybrid Outkast/UGK album. His lyrics were simple yet deep, with universal themes that any person could connect to. From the slab banger "Rotation," to the heartfelt spilling of his soul "The Vent," K.R.I.T. leaves you speechless and wanting more after every track fades out. As i've said before, the man is wise beyond his years, all we can hope is that he stays true to his roots and keeps dropping timeless music. This tape is the anthem for all that is the south, and a blessing from up above.

Favorite Tracks: Dreamin', Time Machine, The Vent

Download the album via his website, in exchange for an e-mail address. Hit the jump for footage of the listening party and the tracklist.

CONTINUE READING

Snoop's Tribute

2011-03-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

Snoop pays tribute to fellow musician and good friend Nathaniel "Nate Dogg" Hale, who died March 15th of heart failure.

Album Of The Week:

2011-03-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

Had to go to a mixtape this week. "2 Weeks Notice" by Blood Type

First of all, don't let all the incredible features and production credits overshadow the fact that Blood Type really put in work on this tape. I was absolutely shocked to see these guys as I walked through the doors at the SXSW Smokers Club show last weekend, and wish they had more stage time. This tape quantifies the fact that the Miami duo is a breath of fresh air to hip-hop right now. Enjoy the wholesome subject matter, and the great story telling ability they use to enhance their rhymes. If i've said it once, i've said it a thousand times...you can't beat music you can relate to.

Hit the jump for the tracklist and DL link.

CONTINUE READING

Undeniable: LeBron James

2011-03-15T23:14:00.002-05:00

My third LeBron mix video. Check out the other two as well.

"What More Can I Say" and "Power"

R.I.P. Notorious B.I.G.

2011-03-09T13:07:00.002-06:00

May you rest in peace Christopher George Latore Wallace. Your music will live forever.

(May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)

Even With Previous Success, Gregg Popovich Remains Underrated

2011-03-09T00:03:00.002-06:00

The Spurs were a tale of two different teams this weekend. After annihilating the Heat on Friday night, San Antonio turned around and allowed themselves to get destroyed the same way Sunday afternoon by the Lakers.

Should the Spurs be worried? The best team (records wise) in the NBA, was just shellacked by two-time defending champions...in their own house. Where they just came off winning 22 straight games.

...sadly, this isn't the first time San Antonio has been dominated this by someone this season.

Even though the bench made this game more respectable then it really was, it doesn't change the fact that Los Angeles outplayed San Antonio in every imaginable aspect. You can't allow your opponent to shoot 10% higher than you. You can't let your opponent out rebound you. And you certainly can't commit more turnovers than your opponent.

But after such an abysmal performance, there's no reason to press the panic button.
CONTINUE READING

The Making Of Act 2

2011-03-07T19:49:00.000-06:00

Video uploaded today by Jay Electronica.

I think I speak for all hip-hop fans when I say I have been intensely anticipating the release of Act II ever since digesting Act I. Though we have been waiting for this tape for ~~seemingly a lifetime~~ four years, i'm sure it will be well worth the wait. After all, who else could rap nine minutes to the soundtrack to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Well...rap to it WHILE making it dope conceptually and lyrically. I just hope he stays in the natural creative process now that he has signed to Roc Nation. I would HATE to think Jay-Z is limiting or influencing subject matter and consequently the quality of the project.

Enjoy the first preview.

Album Of The Week:

2011-03-02T23:31:00.001-06:00

"A Strange Arrangement" by Mayer Hawthorne

Mayer Hawthorne, get to know the name. If you listened to this without knowing what it was, you would think it was from the 70's. I mean that in a good way. I can't really name another artist that is crafting this type of soulful, old school sound. "A Strange Arrangement" speaks for itself. Hit the jump for a couple songs and DL link to the album.

CONTINUE READING

Misplaced Villainy

2011-03-02T21:42:00.005-06:00

This probably is the angle of the story you won't hear much about.

An angle that you may not care about.

Definitely the angle that gets overlooked in the sea of hatred that exists between the American people and LeBron James.

Last summer, 10 million viewers were turned into nothing more than zombies, anxiously awaiting LeBron's announcement of where he would sign to pursue a championship and establish his legacy.

Only, "announcement" wasn't quite the right word.

CONTINUE READING