The Past, The Present, The Playoffs

Samr · by **Samr** on Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:34 pm

By Samr 
SpursCentral.com 
April 20, 2005 
 
 
 
 
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” –Robert F. Kennedy 
 
 
 
The Past 
 
 
 
To look back on the season, it’s amazing. It’s amazing to see how far the Spurs have come. From beginning the pre-season with Valter Montiero, Rueben Boumtje-Boumtje, James Thomas, Romaine Sato, and Marque Perry, to winning two, back-to-back, double overtime games and, shortly thereafter, the Southwest Division title. It’s amazing to see what has taken place: the wins, the losses, the departures, the trades, the highs and the lows. 
 
Manu Ginobili did his best during the off-season to scare the season tickets out of every Spurs fan. He visited Denver, and scouted the free agent market. While everyone hoped he would remain a Spur, his productivity in Athens helped increase his market value tremendously. Fortunately, he resigned for the Spurs to the tune of $52 million over six years. The goal was for Parker to follow in his contractual footsteps. But in keeping with tradition, Parker again decided to make things stressful for the Spurs. Fortunately, he was only up for an extension, and not allowed to be courted by other teams. The worry was that, when he did become a free agent, his value would be higher and beyond what the Spurs could pay. This worry was compounded when he planted his feet at $66 million, and Peter Holt refused to pay more than $64 million. With the help of coach Gregg Popovich- a person who so actively tried to find Parker’s replacement a year earlier- and the not-so-subtle urging of Tim Duncan, Holt gave way and forked over the extra two million. The fact that Popovich would take a stand for his point guard was meaningful enough. The fact that both Tony and Manu would remain Spurs for the conceivable future, was a cause for celebration. 
 
Pre-season was a tangled mess of hopes and amazing potential. Everyone wanted to see James Thomas, the former UT star, make the roster and thrive. Everyone wanted to see LeRoy Hurd, UTSA’s latest export, follow in Devin Brown’s footsteps. Everyone wanted to see Brent Barry be the top off-season signing he was billed as. Everyone wanted to see the Spurs succeed with a rag-tag group of players, and build a championship with a roster more closely resembling a UN meeting than an actual basketball squad. Unfortunately, that did not happen. But the Spurs did shoot off the line to the tune of the best start in franchise history. 
 
With the exception of the Sonics, a team that found both Nemo and some chemistry during the off-season, the Spurs were blowing teams out of the water to an average of 11+ points per game. Duncan was dominating as usual, Parker had gotten over his early-season slump and any emotional attachment to LoLo, Manu was looking for the Most Improved Player award. Life was good. The team was in cruise control at 100+ points per game. The surprising talent in Beno Udrih made up for the surprising lack of talent in Brent Barry. Massenburg was sitting on the end of the bench where he belonged because the Spurs were completely injury-free. The rings were being made by the All-Star game. 
 
Then Pop made The Trade. Malik Rose, a fan-favorite and a local icon, was traded for someone with a silent “r” at the end of their name. Exactly. Nazr who? Malik Rose cried, Spurs players expressed their friendship and loyalty, Spurs fans gathered at Malik’s restaurant in a show of support, and restraining orders were filed against one blonde-haired fan. Pop was placed in the Witness Protection Agency and the Spurs struggled. They struggled to play together, to find that chemistry which suddenly left the team on a charter flight to New York. The losses were their final tribute to Malik. And they overcame it all. 
 
Nazr brought a certain Rodman-esque rebounding sense to the team. Or at the very least, he was aggressive. With an eye for the ball, especially on the offensive end, he played admirably when inserted into the game. But he didn’t look comfortable. He didn’t seem to know his place. Until Duncan injured his ankle. Then Rasho injured his. Walgreens was sold out of braces in a matter of hours from concerned fans worrying that the injury bug may bite them as well. With both the big man positions transferred to expensive suits on the sidelines (or in Duncan’s case, jeans and a t-shirt), Robert Horry, Tony Massenburg, and Nazr Mohammed were left to fill in the blanks. _______________________ 
"Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they're too scared, or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes" -Babe Ruth, "The Sandlot" 
 
Edited by: <A HREF=http://p204.ezboard.com/bsanantoniospurs62937.showUserPublicProfile?gid=samr@sanantoniospurs62937>Samr</A> at: 4/20/05 3:37 pm

Samr · by **Samr** on Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:36 pm

The Present 
 
 
 
The games will be legendary. Consecutive nights, consecutive double-overtimes, consecutive wins. Consecutive games without Tim Duncan. In 1999, it was the team chemistry. In 2003, it was David’s last year and the Rodeo Road Trip. In 2005, it will be the Double-Double-Double. It was that one defining moment when the fate of a season completely changes. It was the point in time when even the most pessimistic of fans has to stop and savor the moment. It is the realization that the Spurs could actually win the title. It started with the Malik trade. 
 
The Spurs benefited in two ways by trading Malik. For one, they got his contract off their hands. It was big, and he was not. Simply put. But the second, most important reason was that by trading Malik Rose for Nazr Mohammed, the Spurs got what they really needed: a true, backup center. At 6’10” and 208 lbs, Nazr can match up against the more powerful and athletic centers in the league. Malik was quick, strong, and aggressive, but he lacked the height to be a viable option against players like Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Stromile Swift, Amare Stoudemire, and others. Though Nazr didn’t have enough time to fully understand the system, his raw athletic abilities helped make up for any lack in familiarity with team’s philosophy. This proved true on the night of April 10. 
 
When the Spurs suited up for the second of their back-to-back, Nazr was placed in the starting lineup. In 34 minutes, he recorded 19 points, 3 blocks, and 15 rebounds, including 10 offensive rebounds. Two nights later, he scored 10 points while grabbing 14 rebounds- 7 offensive. Two games later he bucketed 8 points and 8 rebounds, but managed to block 5 shots. Clearly, he was getting comfortable. A player once labeled as offense-only, Nazr has really come into his own on the defense-first Spurs. 
 
In addition to Nazr, the recently-acquired Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson has proved he can still shoot as well. He bucketed 23 points on 7-11 shooting in the Spurs’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on April 18. Though he is not known for his defense, Robinson does his best to play physical and keep within the system, often at the expense of fouls. What he provides to the team is a tall, experienced small forward who can hit the mid-range jumper. Even after not playing for almost a full season, he managed to stay in respectable shape. He hopes to be a steady contributor as the Spurs advance. 
 
Owning the best record in the league would have been a great achievement. To have home court advantage throughout the playoffs is not as much a strategic advantage as it is a mental edge. As the Spurs vs. Grizzlies game wore down, it appeared such a lofty goal would still be within reach. A few Mike Miller shots, a Roho miss, and a bad call later, the hopes were finally put out of their misery. Just as well. Phoenix went on to beat Denver, thus eliminating the possibility of a top seed for the Spurs regardless if they won or not. Had they gone into overtime, they would have simply worn themselves out for naught. _______________________ 
"Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they're too scared, or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes" -Babe Ruth, "The Sandlot"

Samr · by **Samr** on Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:37 pm

The Playoffs 
 
 
 
Watch a competitive high jumper. They always start from the same place. About six paces back, and a bit to their off-hand side. They start out with some quick steps, then lengthen it out to slow but powerful strides. Like poetry in motion. They take off like a rocket, springing upward, going parallel, and contorting their bodies over the bar. As they crash land on their back, they only stare up at the bar. Is it still there? Did they do it? As they bounce on the safety mat, often tumbling off to one side or another, their only thoughts are if they accomplished their goal. 
 
Manu waited patiently with the ball, a little bit to the right of the free-throw line, preparing his body for the move to come. He took a few quick steps, shedding the initial defenders who could not back peddle fast enough. As he turned the corner, his steps lengthening into long, powerful strides. You knew what was coming. His one, final step propelled him upwards and toward the hoop. As he neared his destination, he contorted his body around one defender, allowing just enough of an opening to toss the ball high off the backboard. Then he took the hit. As soon as the ball left his hand, three or four arms appeared to stop his progress. For Manu, this didn’t matter. He does it several times a game. The landing under the basket was a bit rough, with Manu bouncing, sliding, and rolling his way to a stop safely by the cameramen. But as he slowed to a stop, his only thoughts were with the ball. He looked up, just in time to watch it bank down off the backboard and go through the net. He accomplished his goal. Like poetry in motion 
 
It is this devil-may-care attitude that made Manu an All-Star, and gave Parker a long-term contract. It is this selflessness which will surely end their careers prematurely. But it is also this same strategy that will carry the Spurs to their third championship. This type of self-sacrificing is what the Spurs will need in their upcoming playoff run. Though it was preached throughout the season that the team comes first, nothing is more indicative of how the players will take to this concept than watching them relentlessly sacrificing their bodies under the hoop for the sake of one basket. 
 
With an upcoming series vs. Denver, the Spurs will need all the help they can get. Denver- a team possessing two powerful bigs in Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, and the overall talent in Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller- will be a challenge no matter which way you look at it. The Spurs need to attack this team, to get under their skin, and to make them think that there is no hope. Just like the kamikaze pilots in WWII, placing their bodies in the way of certain death for the sake of larger accomplishment, the Spurs need to prove to the enemy- Denver- that they will go down fighting. Though hopefully avoiding the same fate as Japan, the Spurs strategy should be much the same. It is hard to fight when you know the other side is willing to lose. And with that, the reigns of the team will be placed on the shoulders of Emanuel Ginobili, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Brent Barry, Tim Duncan, and anyone else daring enough to sustain enemy fire for the sake of reaching their target. There will be some losses, as there have been with Manu and Duncan in the past, but so long as they accomplish their goal, none of it will matter in the end. 
 
With the Spurs getting ready to start the 2005 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, it is time to sit back and count your blessings. It is time to appreciate the fact that Manu and Parker are both contractually tied to the team for seasons to come. It is time to appreciate the Malik trade for what it was, instead of what it wasn’t. It’s time to appreciate the fact that Duncan sprained his ankle, thus forcing the Spurs to grow as a team and realize they could survive without him. It’s time to re-live the highs and lows of the season, looking back on what has been with a nostalgic sense of acceptance. But most importantly of all, it’s time to appreciate just being a Spurs fan. 
 
GO Spurs GO!!!! 
 
 
 
 
-a heart-felt Thank You to TheSick1 for his input and support- _______________________ 
"Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they're too scared, or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes" -Babe Ruth, "The Sandlot"

TheSick1 · by **TheSick1** on Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:13 pm

Good Job, Sam. I thought the way you covered the season in this article was great. You should definitely be proud of your work. 
 
Just to let everyone know....Sam, worked extremely hard on this and put in tons of effort and time. It's greatly appreciated, Sam. Keep up the good work. 
 
GO SPURS GO!

Blondie · by **Blondie** on Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:33 pm

<img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/clap2.gif ALT=":clap2"> - I just put it on our front page. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.sahoops.net/jackie/blondie4spursbanner.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

ManuFanAndrea · by **ManuFanAndrea** on Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:04 am

<img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/rock.gif ALT=":rock"> 
 
GO SPURS WIN!!!!! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20031208/ginobili_84938.jpg"/><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/AndreaJB/p1_lidge_all.jpg"/></div> 
<div style="text-align:center">"Sitting back and letting the home run come, that's probably not how we're going to be. And we're probably not going to lead the league in stolen bases. So, somewhere in between, we're going to have to be a team that pitches very well, plays very sound defense and squeezes the blood out of the opponent offensively. We're going to have to take advantage with what we can do. We can run, we're going to have some power, but I think we're going to be smart. We're going to have an intelligent team. If we have that, I think you've got to let the players do some things on their own." -- Phil Garner</div>

Samr · by **Samr** on Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:35 pm

I'm not quite sure where to put this so, uh.... Here. (needless to say, this took significantly less work) 
 
<img src="http://img249.echo.cx/img249/4935/meworry4ic.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

by **BiggDrew** on Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:05 pm

That was really great Sam and well-worth the 45 minutes it took to read it. I wouldn't have wasted so much time watching every game of the regular season if I knew you'd be able to recap it so well. 
 
I agree that Denver will be an enormus challenge. I also think we're going to sweep their asses. It's time to kick it into a higher gear. 
 
<hr /> 
<div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.sahoops.net/misc_imgs/MalikChestBump.jpg" style="border:0;"/><img src="http://www.sahoops.net/Wallpapers/MALIKth.jpg" style="border:0;"/><img src="http://www.sahoops.net/misc_imgs/MalikSlamsMutombo.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

The Past, The Present, The Playoffs