Spurs lacking championship mentality

If we could have made a T-Mass for Yoda deal we wouldn't be talking about the possibity of not winning the championship. It would be a lock!<br>
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I don't get it. No team has won more games than the Spurs, so if we don't have championship mentality, who does? <p><!--EZCODE CENTER START--><div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://kobefallingdown.web1000.com/santa.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br>
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Something tells me Malik left the Spurs some gift certificates to Phili's Phamous <p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br>
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I know we have the record. I know we have all the right pieces. I also know that we have dropped a number of games to teams we should have stomped on by 20+, and a number of teams that were missing one of their top players. We've lost @Toronto, @Memphis, @Orlando, @Utah, @Portland, and home against the Gasol-less Grizzlies. Those kinds of losses are hard to swallow. <br>
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Obviously this is a veteran team. Our team's confidence is solid. Losing to the Grizzlies at home even though Gasol and Swift were out did nothing to rattle the Spurs confidence. In that respect we're solid. We took the loss and moved on. The problem is that we have those kinds of losses in the first place, and that we have so damn many. My problem with Seans comments is that he used that lack of focus the Suns have as a horrible, horrible trait but failed to recognize that the Spurs are having the same problems, and have been feelign the effects all year. <br>
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I want this team to stomp on the opposition and kick them when their down. Right now it feels like the Spurs don't really want it, and it has been like that through wins and losses. This time of year I expect the Spurs to kick it into another gear but it hasn't happened. We have a great team, but a a great team playing at 75% of their potential is just a good team. <br>
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Without the embarrassing losses we'd be 53-8. That is how good this team should be. <p><!--EZCODE HR START--><hr /><!--EZCODE HR END--><br>
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<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>some freshly crunched numbers...<br>
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going into the Utah game..<br>
record: 28-7 average score 97-86<br>
included win streaks of 6, 8, 4, and 5<br>
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the games following the Utah game..<br>
record 19-6 average score 96-88<br>
included win streaks of 4, 5 and 5<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>
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thanks. i crunched these #s a while back too. i'd like to know the FG% from those games. those 2 pts that we're giving up more per game actually adds up. we've gone from 11pt margin to 8?<br>
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i don't know. something is missing since that game. since then we've been playing mediocre against teams we should be pulverizing. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :shakehead --><img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/shakehead.gif ALT=":shakehead"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p></p><i></i>

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The Spurs are the best team in the NBA despite not being the most talented because we have the best system<hr></blockquote><br>
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What?????????????????????????????? <img border=0 src="http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/chairshot.gif" /><br>
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If we did well last season, with Hedon't as "starter", no doubt this year will be a lot better.<br>
We are the best. And we're going to win this championship. <br>
And that will prove that we have talent, heart and passion enough to be the best team in the world. Period.<br>
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2004-2010 dynasty <img border=0 src="http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/winner.gif" /><br>
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Honestly, I would be more worried if the Spurs had lost against the good teams. The players tend to get relaxed against weaker squads and take the win for granted. Otherwise you can't explain losses to Memphis and Utah, to name a couple. I don't think it's something to worry about though, it's not like any of those teams will be in the playoffs. And even if they are, THEN will be the time for the Spurs to show the killer instinct. Remember last season when they Grizzlies beat the Spurs what, twice?. Then in the postseason things reversed and it was a clean sweep.<br>
If the team had lost against the top teams, we would be complaining about how the Spurs only beat the bad teams (we were saying that a year ago, weren't we?). You can't win them all! <p><!--EZCODE CENTER START--><div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://kobefallingdown.web1000.com/santa.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br>
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</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p204.ezboard.com/bsanantoniospurs62937.showUserPublicProfile?gid=lepramaniac>Lepramaniac</A>  <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://www.gifs.cc/argenti_C1.gif" BORDER=0> at: 3/10/05 11:05 pm<br></i>

It was a go but apparently they wanted Mass and a 1st rounder. <p></p><i></i>

^I agree completely with that. You can't be TOO picky, every game can't be won. Sure we have lost games we should have won, and our record should be better than it is, but you can say the same thing about EVERY top team in the league! If the Spurs have the best record so far they have to be doing something right. And like Lep said, better to be beating the good teams and losing a few to the bad teams instead of the other way around, like it was last year! All this lack of focus and killer instinct stuff, sure it's a problem sometimes, but it's a problem for every team in the NBA. Besides who else in the West do you think really has a mental edge over the Spurs? It certainly ain't Phoenix. I can't see Dallas, Seattle, or Sacramento taking 4 out of 7 games from the Spurs. Memphis and Houston are capable of putting up a fight, but in the playoffs, beating the Spurs.....forget about it. The bottom teams like the Lakes and Nugs...not even worth talking about. I agree that the toughest matchup could come in the Finals against Miami or Detroit. Pistons will be tough because they've shown they can win it all and they've got the experience, but I don't see them as anything the Spurs couldn't handle. Miami will be tough with Shaq of course. But remember the Spurs playing LA in the playoffs? All those times we lost to the Lakers in the playoffs was because of Kobe Bryant going off on us, not because of Shaq having monster games. We're actually pretty good at containing Shaq, making him work...better than most other teams do against him anyway. And Dwayne Wade is very good, he plays under control, he's definitely a better team player with Shaq than Kobe was. But he's still no Kobe, he may have a big playoffs but I still can't see him continually slicing through our defense and dropping 40+ on us like Kobe has done in numerous times in the past. <p></p><i></i>

I heard a quote from Brent Barry saying after the All Star Break that we will see a new attitude from the Spurs, one of focus and renewed drive. However, Malik Rose was traded away and the wind quickly left the sails on that boat. <p>--<br>
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While I have followed these boards for some time this is the first time I have gotten around to posting. <br>
I found this topic very interesting with regards to this Spurs team lacking the right mentality. I feel that we have the hunger necessary to win the championship. It is just with this team it is less visible. Players the caliber of a Duncan and Ginobili will look to win a championship year in year out and they have the proper mentality to do it. It is only understandable that we have dropped games here and there to teams we should beat. When you look at a team with the talent and experience of the Spurs we should really beat most teams anyway. You have to remember that to some of these lousier teams that a win over the Spurs is their equivalent of winning a title. Like the past Lakers and Celtics teams of past we are a team every other looks forward to, so it is natural that we may lose to a team we shouldn't because they probably want it more that night. Also it id not surprising to see a drop off in our caliber of play lately. We have been tired and hurting, and unlike in years past we got off to a quick start instead of a slow one. In the last several years this time of the season is where we expect to see our team dominate and we are not. Back on the subject of mentality the Spurs are not well known for their killer instinct, as they have given up plenty of big leads. I can not count the number of times we gave up big leads on the road to our 2003 championship. So finally put we may not have the killer instinct but we still have what it takes to win a championship. Sorry for the long winded speech and I hope it ended up making sense. <p></p><i></i>

Welcome, Crawler, and good take. <br>
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There are still a few chapters left in the season and a number of weapons that this team hasn't taken advantage of. <br>
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Nazr is a legit center, arguably better than Rasho, and hasn't had the chance to break a sweat yet. Brent hasn't found comfort in our system. Tony is still showing flashes of immaturity. Beno has been in a mini-slump lately. Horry has been very inconsistent. <br>
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All in all we've come a long way but there is still a ways to go. There is a ton of room for improvement. I just want to consistent domination. Anything less is a true underachievement. <p><!--EZCODE HR START--><hr /><!--EZCODE HR END--><br>
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Horry is not inconsistent, he amazingly consistent in his role on the court. His stats depend on the role he's asked to play, the 4 or the 5, and the amount of minutes he gets. Keep in mind he's been injured for much of the last 2-3 months. <p><!--EZCODE HR START--><hr /><!--EZCODE HR END-->MistiLynn<br>
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Horry does good things, but sometimes he goes a week or two or three between fgs. He usually finds a way to be productive on court, but he's not a consistent scoring threat. <p><!--EZCODE HR START--><hr /><!--EZCODE HR END--><br>
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The Spurs have only shown this year what they have shown in many others: win during the regular season. I still think what's missing with this team is the same thing that was missing last year - a guy with attitude, cut throat mentality, chutzpah, etc. You can only be so professional before your gut has to kick in.<br>
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Twice in the Duncan/Robinson era the Spurs did go from win in the regular season to win in the playoffs/finals. In '99 there was Mario Elie. Didn't take any s*** from anyone! A junkyard dog. He made a trey and looked the other teams players in the eye putting in the dagger. In '03 there was SJax. He's no Mario Elie. To be Honest his stats that year aren't very different from Barry's this year. But despite his flaws he made the shot when it counted. He WANTED to take the shot like Kerr did.<br>
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Is there anyone on the team like that this year? I don't see it yet. Maybe it will be Manu. I was hoping it would be Malik but that didn't pan out. He's wasn't the guy for that role. Again, you can only be so professional and someone has to step up. <p><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:black;font-family:helvetica;font-size:x-small;">(Hey! It's me.................................................PokerFace21)</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--></p><i></i>