Well, Spurs got problems and trying to fix them, could mean trades, maybe Beno and Barry, for Magette and Mo Peterson. From Exp-News:

"These are the situations that make or break teams," coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've always used the trying times to test our character in the sense of looking at what we can improve so we're a more disciplined, better executing team ... at playoff time.
"When you're in a little bit of a slump and not winning as many games as you'd like to, it has to be looked at as a great opportunity to get back to all the basics. That's what we try to do. It's been our goal every year, even in championship years.
"We've always had these periods and we've always dealt with them so we can be better come playoff time. We'll see if this group can do the same thing as past groups have."

To hasten that process, the Spurs are considering changes to their lineup and roster. Among the possible moves: Giving Matt Bonner more, if not all, of Robert Horry's minutes. The Spurs acquired Bonner for his shooting, but his rebounding and hustle have been infectious.


Team officials also are concerned about making the same mistake they did last season when they stuck with another aging veteran, point guard Nick Van Exel, too long.

Shortening the rotation at the two wing positions from four players to three. Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen would continue to start, but some of the coaches think that dividing the backup minutes between Brent Barry and Michael Finley has made it difficult for either reserve to settle into a rhythm.

If Popovich decides to use only one player in that role, Barry could get the nod given that he has ranked among the NBA's leaders in 3-point accuracy most of the season. But Finley is the more active defender of the two and Barry has struggled with his shot since the league switched to the leather ball, making just 1 of 11 attempts.

Popovich returned Beno Udrih to the backup point guard role the past three games, but Udrih hasn't done much to prove he deserves to keep the job. He missed all six of his shots Friday and passed up other open looks, once again causing team officials to question whether he is capable of performing in pressure situations.

The Spurs continue to pursue trade possibilities. Friday's loss also further exposed the difficulties the Spurs have in matching up with the Mavericks, given their lack of athleticism at some positions.
Team officials continue to speak with the Clippers about swingman Corey Maggette. The Spurs have been hesitant about parting with both Barry and Udrih in a possible deal, but that could change. Bonner's name also has come up in talks with the Clippers.
The Clippers, according to a Western Conference official, are in talks with at least three other teams, and might not feel as pressured to move Maggette given that they also have fielded offers for Cuttino Mobley.
The Spurs have inquired about Toronto forward Morris Peterson, but those conversations haven't yielded much
So thats where we are folks, just hanging in there:hoops:

Sounds like you guys aren't standing pat. I think we are even though we're down to a rookie PG playing. Where's the 10 day contract? The Pistons are playing a rookie!

Shortening the rotation at the two wing positions from four players to three. Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen would continue to start, but some of the coaches think that dividing the backup minutes between Brent Barry and Michael Finley has made it difficult for either reserve to settle into a rhythm.



Since I picked SA to win it all, I will give my two-cents worth. Bowen is not nearly as effective as a starter and is much more valuable as defensive stopper and he can be a hard matchup when he hitting his jumpshots.

In his place I would start Finley. Pop must have something against this guy, because it obvious that if he can play 30 minutes and get into the team rhythm from the beginning, then it makes Parker/Ginobili much more effective. We are talking an easy 20 pts a game with Finley...what a waste... because it shortens his range from 30 to 20 ft and he is much more dangerous at this range.

Pass, great observation. I don't think Pop has a thing against Finley, I think he is just trying different combinations, different plays, trying to figure out how to keep us from digging a hole. Just like with Horry. He has nothing against Horry, but realizes his limitations at this stage of his career. He can't get mad or disgusted when he doesnt have game, like with Nuggets the other night (36.8% shooting, missed all 3 shots), but he makes adjustments, uses Horry when he senses he is ready. So Pop goes more and more to Matt Bonner, who has been a real spark for Spurs.

Horry is 36, it's his 15th year in NBA, he has been in playoffs every year, past the first round every year. From Mike Monroes SA Exp-News:

Horry said "I wont say I got plenty left in the tank, but I got some left...there's just some nights I'm just dog-tired, for no reason."

He and Bonner are real tight, he's teaching Bonner the Spurs "system"

"I've got to teach him how to block a shot, though. He doesn't know how to block a shot. Sometimes all you've got to do is just get your hands up. Intimidation is a factor. Block one, and everybody is going to go, 'Ooh, I don't want to take it in there.'"

Horry just shook his head when Bonner blocked three shots — his career high — against Denver.
"Career high?" Bonner said. "I think those were the first three blocks of my career. Two of them were on (5-foot-5) Earl Boykins, so don't get too carried away."

I didnt realize ex-Spur Devon Harris was with Hornets. He had a great game against Wizards yesterday. We have Wiz tonight here, Bulls at Chi Monday and Lakers here Wednesday. Busy week for us:cheerleader:

Hope Spurs and Pistons can get their games going. Sure dont want to see no one else in Finals:hoops:

I

Hope Spurs and Pistons can get their games going. Sure dont want to see no one else in Finals


No argument there; in that case, just for forget about what I said concerning Finley.

We had the Wiz tonight, they had a tough night coming off a loss to Hornets last night. Arenas and his guys played 40 min each last night, then come to us with no energy, playing the same kind of minutes. Arenas only got 17 pts to his usual 30 points. Their coach got ejected for 2 techs when he went on court pushing among his players yelling at the ref about a call/non call. It was in the 3rdQ.

Then in the 3rdQ Matt Bonner got hurt. Had to be carried off the floor. MCL injury, will have MRI Sunday but looks like he could be out 6 weeks, which I really hate to see. He is totally a Spurs favorite.

As usual, the guys get a 20 point lead, then let the opposition gain on us. It happens all the time, dont know why. Robert Horry started tonight. He got a tech in 4th quarter for "unsportmanship". He was trying to block Arenas and Arenas fell down. And because Horry was standing over him (looking at him, I guess) he got a tech. I think he was just shocked that Arenas fell down and looked like he was crying.

Oh well, Bulls are next. Glad you guys got the win. Keep goin':cheerleader:

He and Bonner are real tight
:inlove: lol

:inlove: lol Pretty cute, Merc.

Dang it, bad news, Red Rocket cant play 2-6 weeks, good news he doesnt need surgery, no tear to anterior cruciate, but does have tear to MCL. Horry is going to have to get another buddy:)

I know we lost to Bulls, totally outplayed, only saw box scores which didnt look bad, but havent seen any report. Maybe too many TOs?

Next game here, Lakers. Hope we can freeze them out. I know we arent having it as bad as other parts of country, but dang, it's down to 30 here and freezing.:cold:

Buck Harvey in SA E-N made the comment that Spurs loss to another good team is another sign they don't have enough. He figures right now the Spurs are sixth seed. Not even sure if a trade would help, and the only one to consider at this time would be Corey Maggette who Clips have been trying to trade for a year.

He thinks Maggette needs remedial course in b-ball IQ, he's more reactionary than smart, but warts and all, he is a passionate player.

Full article MySA.com: Buck Harvey (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/bharvey/stories/MYSA011607.01D.1Dbuck.2bd6c14.html)

(Roscoe, first time I tried the link thing, hope it takes:) )

(Roscoe, first time I tried the link thing, hope it takes:) )
Awesome job BSA!

Nothing much said here about the Bulls game, but I found out why Tony is in Pops doghouse. (exerpt from nwi.com)

San Antonio (27-12) got 22 and 21 points, respectively, from Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, the latter also grabbing 16 rebounds. But it was point guard Tony Parker who found a place in Popovich's doghouse with just six points and two assists in 27 wasted minutes.

The Bulls kept Parker from penetrating, where he's at his very best, and took away his outside game as well. Was he hurt?

"It would've made more sense if he was hurt, but he's fine, which is not the way that he played if you catch my drift," said Popovich, gritting his teeth.

Did the Bulls do anything differently against the Spurs' second-leading scorer? "Not a damn thing," Popovich replied. "He came up with that game all by himself. Very 'creative.' He couldn't do that twice, hopefully."

The Spurs shot .395, gave up 17 points off turnovers, and 20 on second-chance points.

"It was probably my worst game of the season. I had nothing going," Parker said.

:cheerleader:

Tough loss tonight. Couple of thoughts:

The Spurs are not the Suns and Pop should know that you can run with the Lakers.

The team is getting away from Pop's methodology: deliberate style, good positioning, set plays, excellent looks...and keeping Duncan involved. P and G look good running around, but do they keep an even rhythm for the rest? They actually played into the Laker's hands.

Another home loss is tough to comprehend...welcome aboard. Can't wait for the Piston's to have some away games.

You lost to a good team that is going to be a force come playoffs. If LA meets the Suns again, the Lakers will take them in six (or maybe five).

Yep, Pass, got a long row to hoe. I was thinking this morning, last night a lot of us had a case of the "AWfuls" AW=Almost Wins. There was us with LA 100 Spurs 96, you guys with Jazz 100 Pistons 99 and Suns 100 Rockets 91. I dont think any of us had bad games, loss because of gross error, just having to plod through it.

Right now, people think we're mediocre and we are certainly struggling, but we know we have problems and trying to correct them without hitting the panic button and just go for the "flash". Here is a link to article this a.m. by Marty Burns SI.com who says Spurs need to send in reinforcements. Guys we look at are Maggette who may not mesh with core. Then there is Bonzi and Kerilenko, not likely, as they are from teams who will not want to help a West Rival.

SI.com - Writers - Marty Burns: Veteran-laden Spurs could use a little help - Wednesday January 17, 2007 1:08PM (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/marty_burns/01/17/spurs/index.html)

I think the important thing is to realize what you need to fix and reach out for some creative solutions. The window is still open, dont know for how long, but we all gotta hang in there. I absolutely do not want anyone in Finals except Pistons and Spurs.:hoops:

Got a chance to watch Pistons tWolves the other night, such a rare treat, so went back and forth watching Spurs/Hornets and Pistons. I think Pistons look good. Yeah, I saw the ejections, but it must have been ejection night, Pop got ejected mid 1stQ.

One thing I noticed is that announcers really lay it on Pistons about their probs and not playing as well as they used to, yet they kind of give Pop a free pass that Spurs are not playing well. Speaking of not playing well, Pop didnt even talk to reporters after last game, saying there is only so many sound bites you can give "not playing well...need to be more consistent...etc." Assistant coach Carlesimo said "I really think we're a team that controls our own destiny. When we play well, we can beat anybody, but we're an adventure when we don't play well."

Full article SA E-N MySA.com: MySanAntonio.com: Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012107.01C.BKNspurs.sixers.1b78314.html)

I think the difference between the Pistons/Spurs is the coaching. Pop KNOWS what it takes to get to the finals, every year it's the same thing, you go through an up/down season, but you never take your eye off the end goal, the FINALS. It's like art. Every painting goes through a horrible stage, you just want to toss it and start over, but you just work through it knowing that even if you started a new one, it would go through that stage. So you keep working at it, trusting that it will become what it will.

From reading this forum, I feel Flip does not have that "been there, done that" finals experience, not many guys do. So, what he does is work on the present, not gearing up for that big push because he is unaware of what that "big push" is. Intellectually, Flip probably knows his B-ball very well, probably has fantastic plays, but if you cant get it across to the people that actually execute your plan or vision, it's like it never happened, it's still somewhere in that "playbook".

Rather than get a new coach, why not get a consultant? Like LB is for the Sixers right now? Obviously, not LB, but someone who can work with Flip's personality (he appears so insecure). Someone who's been deep in the playoffs, who can rally the troops, can fight in the trenches.
That's why the media is off POP's case, they know he's gonna come out of it when it's time. Piston's have the talent, no doubt. I'm counting on it:) So, instead of shopping for more talent, why not go for Big Brother helping out Flip? There must be someone out there somewhere.

Well, got the Sixers tonight, Celtics tomorrow, both away games.
GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

If you bring in a consultant, you undermine the coach to a degree. The players aren't stupid.

The ongoing Flip debate is pretty polarized. Pop also works closely with the Spurs GM and has a ton of clout when it comes to moving and acquiring players, something I am not sure the Pistons afford to any of their coaches, and probably part of the issue with LB (who always wanted someone other than who he had).

The key thing about a playoff coach is that at one point, you will be called on to win a game or few at YOUR position. You will have to outcoach the guy on the other sideline. If Pat Riley doesn't come back, I like our chances. If he does, Flip will become a key player between tipoff and 0:00 4th quarter.

Roscoe, I hear what you say about undermining the coach. I may have talked about this after Piston/Spurs finals, if not with you, someone knowledgeable. I felt that LB let down the Pistons, he knew their dependence on him, he didnt adjust when Pop did, and even tho I have never seen a replay of that game, I can still see the disbelief on Pops face as he hugged Larry, like he knew damn well that Larry knew what he should have done and didnt. I questioned at that time why Joe Dumars, who had to see what was happening, didnt step in. I was told that no one undermines the coach, it looks bad, and other coached wont want to ever work for that organization. See, in my opinion, that's BS.

You mean if a coach is out there having a mini-stroke, a senior moment, a "where am I" no one will step in? Hey, a doctor is captain of the ship, but believe me, if he has a lapse of judgment, breaks technique, no one is quiet, you cant be, you have to speak out.

So, what if the players lose confidence in their coach? They seem to have lost respect already. A peer player shouldnt be in charge, it's not his job. It's like children deciding who their teacher should be, or if they dont like it, they dont have to listen.

Bringing in a consultant would not undermine the coach, he will not be the coach, he will help Flip see alternative solutions that Flip may not have the confidence to make (even with asst coaches). You know, I'm sure it has been a unique experience for Flip to come from a University where your players are students, you are the coach/teacher who automatically gets attention and respect, without question. Then you come to the NBA world, more is demanded of you, everything you do is questioned and it's easier to stay the middle ground, mediocre, make no waves, and everything is smooth. So you don't win ships, so what, look at all the teams that don't. It's safer to be mediocre.

It's gonna take someone with balls to WANT to win. The players have the talent. They have to depend on their coach to out coach the opposition. Pop isnt watching the other players, he's watching their coach and seeing what plays he calls. It was fun Spurs/Mavs last game when Avery pulled something new on Pop and Pop pulled something new on Avery. I'm just saying, get someone to help Flip get some fire in his belly. To heck with what anyone thinks, tell them it's his daddy. :)

I don't want to pound4pound jack this thread BSA but my take is that the Pistons and Larry were down on one another, the writing was on the wall and both sides knew it. The Pistons wanted Larry out and Larry said fine, I'll leave when you fire and pay me. Under better circumstances, I truly believe we would have beat the Spurs. That series was literally that close.

Toronto brought in consultants the last couple seasons. One to prop up the rookie GM, and one to prop up the rookie coach.

The new Raps GM got rid off both of them. You are either strong enough to do the job or you are not. I think what Joe did in a roundabout way was add two veteran voices to the bench in Cowens and Porter. He could do that because 1) the Pistons did not win last year, and 2) neither of the two guys they replaced brought significant resumes.

What we saw last night was a team that came to play. It seemed to be a concious decision by the veterans to take charge and play very hard against a lousy opponent. That works. The problem is how you motivate a team when they don't bring 100%. It's easy to coach a self-motivated superstar like KG. Not so easy to motivate Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell when they are mad at ownership for their contract situation.

Hey Roscoe, I really appreciate you talking to me about this. You see, I too (as well as a good part of SA) felt that Pistons could have/should have beat Spurs. It was that close, and even I, as someone not even into the games could see there was something wrong. I didnt know until later all of the probs between LB and the drama, but it looks like for at least ONE game (even tho you never intended to come back) you had a PROFESSIONAL obligation to take your team the very best you could, and I felt he didnt. Maybe he was mad at management, Detroit, etc. but what he did was a personal and selfish decision and he let the team down. That's why I want a rematch, with Spurs as good as they can be and Pistons as good as they can be...no dramas, just good championship basketball.

Anyway, it's interesting about Raptors and consultants. Guess it just makes a difference how you go about it. What about the guy you all mention, Chuck Daly? Anyway, whatever it takes for us to end up at Finals, I hope it works. Hey, Mavs barely beat Heat today:)

Barbara, I like the idea of a consultant... what is Daddy Rich's going rate these days?

Barbara, I like the idea of a consultant... what is Daddy Rich's going rate these days?

Merc, that's so funny. When I wrote "tell him that's his daddy" I had no idea who Daddy Rich was:) I love it when something like that happens. Like CWebb taking the number 84 because his little nephew had a dream with him winning and wearing that number. That thrills me, and I really believe in stuff like that, kids are so perceptive, especially in dreaming.

Well, I wont beat a dead horse anymore, it's just that the coaching thing has really bothered me. Thanks for the input.

BSA, this one is for you...

» The Jackie Butler Alarm - SLAM ONLINE (http://slamonline.com/online/2007/01/the-jackie-butler-alarm/)

BSA, this one is for you...

» The Jackie Butler Alarm - SLAM ONLINE (http://slamonline.com/online/2007/01/the-jackie-butler-alarm/)
Thanks Roscoe, :pound: Watching Celt/spurs. Did you know their veteran is only 24 y/o? About 5 of Celts out with injuries, and 3 of their starters are out of high school. And on top of that, they're ahead of us now.

We beat the Celts the other night, but I just dont understand how we let huge leads (like 20) dwindle down to 3-5 point diff. I know we made a ton of TOs but I couldnt understand Tony not taking shots. Today I saw Johnny Ludden SA E-N comment on Pop making Tony shoot less.

"He wants me to try to do a better job of getting everybody involved and try to take less shots," Parker said. "I try to get more shots for Michael Finley and Brent Barry and to get their confidence going."
Parker had eight points and eight assists in Sunday's victory. He had 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting against Boston with five assists and five turnovers.
After averaging about 19 points a game for much of the season, Parker said he's had to change his natural instincts a bit.
"I'm trying to do my best to help my team out and get something going," he said. "My offense will always come back. I just try to be more as a passer these last two games and get everybody involved."

We play Rockets here tonight. Did you all see Mutumbo (sp?) and his family with President Bush last night who recognized Mutumbo for his humanitarian gifts of building hospitals, etc in Africa. It was beautiful.

Well, Rockets came to play last night and we came to watch. Not sure if its cause Rockets played so well or we played so bad. I think its because Rockets were really good. I have wondered why Jackie Butler hasnt been playing, the few times I saw him I thought he was good but here is a little insight from Spurs Mailbag, SA-Exp News:

What is the deal with Jackie Butler? Why isn't he getting more minutes for everyone to see what he can do?
– Wes, Denton
The Spurs have seen what he can do in practice, and it isn’t much.
He also didn’t help his cause last week in Chicago. Pop put him in for the final minute, the Bulls missed a shot, the rebound bounced right to him and he didn’t move a half-foot to get it. One of Chicago’s players went around him, grabbed the ball and put it back up for a layup.
I know one minute of playing time isn’t going to produce a fair assessment of someone’s skills. But that someone should at least pretend to do something.

If nothing else, Jackie recently received a lesson in inactive-list etiquette.

After Matt Bonner injured his knee and couldn’t walk off the court, Tim and athletic trainer Will Sevening started to carry him. Michael Finley and Eric Williams quickly ran over to take their place. As Finley and Williams started to haul Bonner off, Tim yelled at Jackie – the only player not in uniform – to go help.

No one knew how long it was going to take to get Bonner to the locker room, so what would have happened during that time if Pop wanted to put Finley or Williams in the game?
Jackie just stared blankly at Tim. Tim yelled again while pointing toward Bonner: “Go help!” Jackie nodded and trudged off after the players.

Here’s the problem: He’s 21 years old, he showed up out of shape and his work ethic has been questionable at best. It also didn’t help that he came from a chaotic situation in New York where he probably didn’t have much structure. This doesn’t mean Jackie won’t ever develop into a rotation-worthy player. I just don’t expect it to happen this season.

Hmmmm, guess that answers my question.

Barb, the Spurs are still an elite team but are going thru the same midlife crisis that the Pistons are going through. They have their four core players Duncan, Manu, Tony and Bowen, but the rest of the bunch, Horry, Finley, Vaughn, Eric Willams and Barry are aging fast with 9 or more years of wear and tear on there bodies.

Even though it looks like Pop plays his young guys, they can't seem to mesh all of the time and are struggling just like ours. Your Jackie Butler is our Amir Johnson.

I know the Spurs fans are feeling the pain too. I can't believe they have already lost 8 home games. The Pistons have matched that stat too. In fact the Pistons, Spurs and Nuggets are the only teams in the league that have better road records than home records.

The good thing is that the Piston brass knew something was amiss here and have made the first step of doing something positive by not botching the Cwebb signing and I am sure the Spurs brass will do something too. Do you think they will take Nazr back and send us Beno? :)

Ah-HAAA, you all fell for that old "Hey, he's a Spur" trick:pound: Next time Spurs try to unload something, run the other way:)

Yep, I think Spurs and Pistons are pretty much in the same boat right now. They still have time to fix it, just need to fly under the radar and let folks focus on the stars. Piston know how value-less winning all the regular season games was, and the Heat knew regular season wins didnt matter. What will matter is how we prepare for our finals.

After Friday we start our Rodeo Road Trip (AT&T center will be used for the Fat Stock Show and Rodeo). Matt Bonner said the rodeo trip was when the guys bunk and hunker down and talk about what needs to be done, how it can be done, etc. In other words, they get real close and when they come back they are rejuvenated.

You know, I sense Steve Nash's anxiety. He knows they are really wearing themselves down and when it comes to play-offs they aint gonna make it. You get a feeling he is at his peak, time for a ring is passing him by, and all the run and gun aint nothing but that..run and gun. He really doesnt even want to do the All Star Break, says its really the only time he has with his family. He knows its a great honor, etc., but, hey, enough is enough. (my words):sssh:

So, Pistons and Spurs are going to heal themselves, do what it takes and fly under the radar. See you at Finals:cheerleader:

Ah-HAAA, you all fell for that old "Hey, he's a Spur" trick:pound: Next time Spurs try to unload something, run the other way:)
I think the Spurs run the tightest locker room and have the best front office. You either fit, or you don't.

Yippee Yi Yi Ho Get along little dogies it's your misfortune and none of my own....yep started our rodeo trip with a great start. To read the reports of Lakers and Spurs you would think the Spurs won by a fluke and it really should have been the Lakers. Kinda disgusting until I read this (exerpt) with Phil Jackson take on game:

Lakers fail to finish the job
Despite Jackson's pleading, L.A. lets the Spurs rally from a 10-point deficit in the second half and win in overtime.
By Ross Siler
STAFF WRITER

With 6:40 left in the third quarter Sunday afternoon, Lakers coach Phil Jackson called timeout between two Manu Ginobili free throws and delivered a message to his players about missed opportunities.

"I told them that they were screwing it up,'' Jackson said, "and they were going to mess this game up if they didn't start taking advantage of it.''

For 3½ quarters, the Lakers were on their way to a season sweep of the San Antonio Spurs and a victory that would carry them into an eight-game road trip that starts Tuesday.
Then they were watching Michael Finley's 3-pointer sail in with 1.3 seconds left in overtime, giving the Spurs a 96-94 triumph and leaving the Lakers with a lesson about a 10-point lead that wasn't enough.

"You let San Antonio hang around long enough and they can find a way to win,'' Jackson said. "They showed us how to close.''

After taking a 67-57 lead into the fourth quarter, the Lakers went more than eight minutes without a basket and lost in overtime for the second consecutive home game. This one left the locker room more quiet, Jackson said, than after Friday's loss to Charlotte.

The difference Sunday was Finley's shot, coming on an afternoon he hit five of 10 3-pointers and scored 17 points. But Jackson could see the seeds of this loss planted when he called time out with the Lakers leading, 52-46, in the third quarter.

Lamar Odom had just come up empty at the foul line. The Lakers went on to make just 18 of 31 free throws (58.1 percent) in the game. All Jackson would say afterward was that enough was enough.

"I told them we're not practicing them any more in practice,'' Jackson said. "I'm sick and tired of taking 20 minutes out of practice to practice free throws when they're professional players.

"They have to do this on their own, this is their responsibility.''

It was truly the same frustration Spurs, probably Pistons, and other teams feel when they lose the lead and let the other team back in. It happens to everyone (just glad to see it happen to someone besides us:) ) So a wins a win. On any given day a team can win or lose. Just the way it goes. We have a back to back wed/thurs Jazz then Suns. Just gotta go and get it done. You guys did good last night, CWebb was a great pickup and he really loooks happy.

So, GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

What's funny is I didnt realize Bobcats had just beat Lakers Friday until I read the article. I went back and checked the Bobcats website and saw where they beat Lakers in 1 overtime Friday and they had also beat Lakers in Dec with 3 overtimes. Boy, those Bobcats are fighters:)

That Bobcat team is one player away. They need a bonafide PF so Wallace can move back to SF.

Isn't it wonderful to see the Zenmaster all tweaked out? The bad news is the Fakers are much improved from last year. Also the Pistons know about blowing a 10 point lead in the 4th Q. But only in a game 7 in the Championship! Hey try and keep the Suns and Mavs in sight or people will say, "Spurs who?"
P.S. only the Spurs and Pistons have better road records than home record.

Well, I'm glad it was T-Wolves who broke the Suns winning streak, not us. Kevin Garnett flat let them have it, and Nash said he was glad they beat them instead of them beating themselves:) Oh yes, that can happen, cant it?

I was twice as glad to see the Bobcats beat the Nuggets, 105-101. That dynamic duo didnt intimidate the Cats. Saw this on the Nuggets-Jazz game:


Iverson and Anthony put on a show, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Jazz. Anthony scored 37 points in his third game back from a 15-game suspension and Iverson had 33 points and six assists. Marcus Camby (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3084/) added 21 points and 10 rebounds, but no other Nuggets player scored more than five.

Can you believe that, NO OTHER NUGGETS PLAYER SCORED MORE THAN FIVE? Why bother to suit up? Hmmm, gonna be some unhappy Nuggets out there.

You know, I'm realistic, I see the game changing and next year it will complete it's transition most likely. Young guys, run and gun, teams built around star, etc. The summer teams will be gearing up to fit the new style. BUT, this year, right now, the two best teams, Spurs and Pistons have got to play the styles they have won with. They cant try and change now, just improve on what they know how to do. Go to Finals, this year. It's not time to wipe the dinosauers out, not yet:sssh:

gonna try and put this pic of Kobe after he fouled Duncan

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/images/0129kobe190.jpg (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA012907.01C.BKNSpurs.21feb09.html)

hey, it worked:)

Ouch, Jazz spanked us! Okur made 8 points in the LAST MINUTE! Wow, they are really picking it up since Boozer is out. I hate it that Boozer has a broken leg, even they are calling it a "hairline fracture" (that's what little kids get) because I think he will probably be out for some time. They played a good game, and like Tim Duncan says "We made too many mistakes". Ya think?

Well, the Suns are ready to start their win streak tonight, so hopefully we can put them off.

You guys played a great game last night, getting back that Piston swagger, getting it done. Cant help but love Maxiell from your posts. You know, he is so proud to be a Piston, nothing is going to deter him, he is still a kid, and wont be offended if he doesnt get minutes, but will just be so happy to be there and do as good as he can. Makes me think of kids I have known, just full of love.

Keep up the good work. We're gonna try. GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO:)

BSA, did you get a new(er) computer?

BSA, did you get a new(er) computer?

Yep, my old HP was 7 years old and had 65megabytes memory and was soooo slow, so I broke down and got a new HP with 1GB memory and I love it (play Pogo games on the internet:) ) I dont care if I use it for just a few months, it's worth it.

Hey, I saw this on Topix.net and it puts Spurs playing more in perspective. We're still one of the top teams, just working out stuff.

Everything is relative. Compare any team to the league-leading Dallas Mavericks or Phoenix Suns, and it looks as though something's wrong.
"Everybody keeps saying that. I don't see it," said Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. "They're on pace to win 58 or 59 games. I don't see it.
"I think it's unfair to San Antonio to think that something is amiss. The West is really hard, no matter where you go."

So, Spurs arent really off that much from last year, still have time to go. Dang, sure could have used the Red Rocket in the Suns game, we love that guy:)

Well, Spurs have been on 5 day hiatus trying to get it together, Parker says he thinks we are turning the corner. We play Wizards tonight and we beat Wiz last time so I'm sure we are on Arenas revenge list. Tony has some tendinitis, but he says not too bad.

Here's an exerpt from SA E-News with Pop's take on practice:

quote:
Monday's practice was even longer than Sunday's, which went over two hours and included a lengthy video re-hash of costly mistakes from the Spurs' two losses. The team will have a third-straight practice session — a regular-season rarity — today before leaving for Washington.

"Practice is always important," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "whether it's one practice in three weeks or three in a row, like we're going to have here. Practice is never unimportant, that's for sure."
Popovich said there was a serious tone to the last two workouts.
"(It was) a good chance to improve execution and let a lot of guys play, guys who don't normally get much of a chance to go five-on-five because they're 10th man or 12th man," he said.

"(We worked on) many things. It doesn't matter if you have the best record in the league or the worst record. Basketball is made up of a lot of components, so you can pick out almost anything and get better at it."
:hoops:

Spurs played a great game, Pop says the better game so far. In spite of the fact that Wiz was having an off night (Pop added that we all do) Spurs did great, executed well, and even closed out in the 4th Q without losing our hugh leads (which was becoming normal).

Arenas played 40 minutes, and Tony Parker played more than any Spur at 27 minutes. Pop says we played well for 48 minutes, and that's what it takes. I didnt think we would blow them out, though, just a little spanking. Pop says once again "this is what we do, we play defense and defense wins games."

Nice to see Pistons getting some breaks and working on being the top in the East. They just have to keep on doing what they do, what wins them ships, what strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents. SCARE THEM.

Okay you guys, getting ready to see you St Valentines Day. Will it be a St Valentines Day Massacre?:gun1: or just a plain old good Texas shoot out? Should be fun:)

I'm hoping the Spurs can turn the Playoffs into some old school 1990's basketball and meet the Stones in the Finals again. Stern would be so upset that his touch fouling, high scoring plan hadn't worked out.

Then we will unleash Dale Davis and neither team will break 80 in a 7 game series. The ratings will be worse than hockey in Mexico.

Wow, Pistons played great last night. Hey, Lakers stank, but that doesnt take it away from Pistons. Makes me feel really good about our upcoming game. I think Spurs and Pistons are about same level of turning the corners and the game will have that "old time religion" feel:) REMATCH!

We have Magic tonight, Heat Sunday, and will be on back2back Nets the 13th and PISTONS the 14th. Pop hasnt been playing Horry on the 2nd back to back game, so maybe he will sit:stirthepot:

GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO:cheerleader:

I hope you guys pound the Magic into the ground. Our lotto pick looks better and better everyday!

BSA, your boys let us down!

I hope Pop tears them a new one for losing to the Orlando Magicians!

BSA, your boys let us down!

I hope Pop tears them a new one for losing to the Orlando Magicians!

It sure gave Orlando a boost (SO SORRY). Pop gave the guys hell.
SA Ex-N:

While Popovich treated the Spurs to a 30-minute film session before their afternoon practice, he wasn't as concerned with the made-for-SportsCenter final play — which he simply called "unbelievable" — as he was with the 18-plus minutes that preceded it.


"When we score 104 points, we're supposed to win those games," Popovich said. "But when we let an opponent score 106, shoot 58 percent and score 58 points in one half, we should be embarrassed.
"That's too soft of a performance. It's just not competitive enough on the part of the group. ... We totally let down defensively."

Regardless, Popovich wants to see a better defensive effort than Friday's. Among the problems that showed up on film: The Spurs failed too often to run J.J. Redick off the 3-point line; they sometimes double-teamed Howard when they weren't supposed to and didn't double him as instructed on other occasions; and they allowed the Magic to take three offensive rebounds on the final possession of the third quarter, leading to a 3-pointer from Jameer Nelson that tied the game.
"Those kind of things are inexcusable, unacceptable and that's when a teammate lets his team down," Popovich said. "That's the part I'm actually angered about — that consistency of effort, consistency of physicality, consistency of focus is not there as far as the group is concerned.
"There's always a weak link someplace, and that's not good enough."


So, we play the Heat this afternoon, see if we can avoid one of those ESPN replays over and over:)


The Pistons are finally getting their due as the Beasts of the East. Keep up the good work. GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

PS roscoe, dont know how that turned out in bold!

Well it looks good in bold!

Well it looks good in bold!

Hey, so do you!:)

Spurs didn't fare too well in Florida...took a 4th quarter beating at the hands of DWade. Timmy D with a tough game on the offensive end. Spurs looked like the team fighting to get back to .500 (instead of Miami).

Six for 24 from Barry, Bowen, Finley, and Horry makes a big ol' hole. Seems to me the Spurs season depends on at least two of those guys playing a lot better for a long stretch.

Six for 24 from Barry, Bowen, Finley, and Horry makes a big ol' hole. Seems to me the Spurs season depends on at least two of those guys playing a lot better for a long stretch.

Yep, that's Pop's take too. He still says "we're still not playing physical enough, we're playing soft for too many minutes a game". They looked old and slow even against the old and slow Heat. Some think Spurs dont have another gear to go to. HMMMM, could be.

Poor old Beno is in Pops doghouse again. Pop has used Jacques Vaughn to back up Tony Parker past 3 games and has indicated he doesnt consider this to be short term. Exerpt from SA E-N:

A little more than two weeks ago, Popovich said he would back off Udrih in hopes he would start playing more confidently. Udrih responded with a productive performance, but his play and minutes were uneven the next three games.
Udrih didn't play against Miami. It was the second-straight game he did not play, and he is averaging only four minutes in the past six games.
Popovich has long been frustrated by Udrih's lack of aggression, but Udrih also is shooting a career-worst 35.4 percent, including 25.3 percent from the 3-point line, this season.
"I'm trying to get my confidence back in the practices," Udrih said. "It's harder than playing in the game, but that's how it is."

Beno says he isnt interested in looking for trade, he likes SA but it's up to the organization. :sssh:

You guys are doing great. Keep up the good work. We play Nets tonite and you guys tomorrow. At the rate you guys are going, I think you are going to spank us:) Oh well, better someone else beat up on us instead of Pop:stirthepot:

SPURS: Spurs Acquire Melvin Ely (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/melvin_ely_070213.html)

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have acquired Melvin Ely from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Eric Williams and a second round pick in 2009.

Ely, a 6-10 forward/center, is in his fifth NBA season. He has appeared in 24 games for Charlotte this season and is averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.2 minutes a game. Ely enjoyed his finest NBA season last year when he averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes in 57 games while shooting .508 (216-425) for the Bobcats. For his career Ely has appeared in 254 games for Charlotte and the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. The 28-year old was originally the 12th overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft.
Melvin Ely Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/elyme01.html)

We didnt hear about the trade until 6 oclock news when GM said we were going to try it, we needed to do something. They are so quiet around here, probably Pops disgust over the weekend, Spurs "soft" etc.
From what I hear, Melvin Ely has been up for trade for some time. We got Eric Williams with Matt Bonner and I didnt realize he wasnt working out, I know he hasnt played. Dang I will be glad when Red Rocket is back. I love to watch him play.

We beat Nets tonight, but they didnt have Jason Kidd. Spurs did seem more focused. Jacques Vaughn played well. Good luck tomorrow. We just want a good game, no injuries, everyone playing their best.
HAPPY VALENTINES PISTON FORUMITES:inlove:

I read PF comments on game, and frankly, I thought the Pistons played well. I didnt see anything sloppy, it looked like they were into the game, and, as is the Spurs custom, I expected them to fold in the final minutes of the 4th. I thought for sure Pistons could catch them in the final 3-4 minutes.

On the other hand, Spurs were ready for this one. Their play was up a notch and Francisco Elson and Jacques Vaughn came thru.

I remember Roscoe saying something about games are about coach vs. coach (sorry Roscoe if I messed it up) and I think Pop outcoached Flip. He quickly figured out Flips screens and counter-attacked. Flip couldnt (or wouldnt) adjust. Anyway, that's what the announcers said:)

Another thing, the announcers kept reminding us that Pistons were a top team, a genuine elite team that commanded respect. Yep, we won but Pistons made us work for it. :hoops:

Barb, the Spurs played like they had something to prove grabbing the lead by playing smart ball, hitting some tough shots and taking care of the paint on both ends. By the time the Pistons woke up and started going to the paint, Duncan blocked a couple and next few shots were altered reverse layup attempts that couldn't find the bottom of the hoop.

The Pistons were a good enough team to make a game of it, but it was too much to over come when our guys were thinking about vacation away from flip...:)


Good game for two good teams that may meet in June...hopefully for one of us anyway

BSA, big brother whupped up on little brother tonight. A big ol' woodshed whuppin'. The Spurs did not get our "A" game.

The Spurs did not get our "A" game.

No, but they whooped our "A"

I read PF comments on game, and frankly, I thought the Pistons played well. I didnt see anything sloppy, it looked like they were into the game, and, as is the Spurs custom, I expected them to fold in the final minutes of the 4th. I thought for sure Pistons could catch them in the final 3-4 minutes.

On the other hand, Spurs were ready for this one. Their play was up a notch and Francisco Elson and Jacques Vaughn came thru.

I remember Roscoe saying something about games are about coach vs. coach (sorry Roscoe if I messed it up) and I think Pop outcoached Flip. He quickly figured out Flips screens and counter-attacked. Flip couldnt (or wouldnt) adjust. Anyway, that's what the announcers said:)

Another thing, the announcers kept reminding us that Pistons were a top team, a genuine elite team that commanded respect. Yep, we won but Pistons made us work for it. :hoops:

They say you can't coach height. Well...you can't coach quickness either. Not only are you quicker, but you have slashers and just enough free-form to prevent lazy match up from our side. Even assistants (those unknown value contributors) can see our weak points and attack them.

Good pickup on your most recent trade...and wasn't it Pop who confidently insisted on staying the course with the present squad? You now have an All-Star center and and another solid big man to-boot, who might even think like a role-player.

I know there are a lot of people who think the Spurs are "boring" and they might be. They don't have the outgoing personality of Piston players or the attention of player problems that other teams have. They just kind of plod along, trying to make themselves better. Here is an exerpt from Nevada Review Journal by Steve Carp about Tim Duncan and how he thrives on game fundamentals:

Quote:
The Spurs have undergone numerous changes since Duncan sidekick David Robinson retired after the 2002-03 season, when San Antonio won its second NBA title. Duncan now works alongside the likes of Beno Udrih and Fabricio Oberto, but he keeps on rolling.

"As my teammates change, the coaches make the adjustments, and I just go along," he said.

It's the same mentality that made Bill Russell great. Like Russell, Duncan won't compromise his abilities. He'll make his teammates better, and that's why he would be a force in any era.

"He's a throwback kind of guy," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "His greatness is his commitment to excellence and his valuing every possession at both ends of the court. You don't see that a lot these days in players.

"Tim Duncan doesn't have many cheap possessions. When he's a decoy, he's a very good decoy. When he's a screener, he's a very good screener. He has a '60s mentality to the way he approaches the game."
It goes back to the fundamentals Duncan developed at Wake Forest. Despite his superior size and talent, Duncan would not take any short cuts. He worked hard in the gym and the weight room. He paid attention to his coaches. He played with a high level of intensity and intelligence -- and with a large dose of humility.

He's not really comfortable talking about himself. Even with everything he has accomplished, Duncan doesn't allow himself a pat on the back. He's motivated this season by the fact the Spurs made, for them, an early exit from the postseason last spring. San Antonio lost in the Western Conference semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks in seven games, and it has gnawed at Duncan since.

"We're not used to losing," he said. "Yes, it's definitely a motivating factor for all of us, not just myself."
That makes coach Gregg Popovich's job much easier.
"His game is simple," Popovich said. "He has perfected the simplicity of the game."
But Popovich also noted Duncan's work ethic and desire to win another championship make him the perfect leader for the Spurs.
"His passion hasn't waned at all," Popovich said. "He's just as hungry now as he was when we were going for our first championship (in 1999). That's what he plays for."
Teammates follow Duncan's lead.

So, nice to know the Spurs are hungry. Our problem is that Mavs are hungry too, maybe even hungrier. Dirk talked about how Mavs loss to Heat bothered him all summer. I hope Piston's have that hunger, a growl in the pit of their stomachs that makes them want Spur tacos:)

We just have to meet in Finals. GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

I read PF comments on game, and frankly, I thought the Pistons played well. I didnt see anything sloppy, it looked like they were into the game, and, as is the Spurs custom, I expected them to fold in the final minutes of the 4th. I thought for sure Pistons could catch them in the final 3-4 minutes.

On the other hand, Spurs were ready for this one. Their play was up a notch and Francisco Elson and Jacques Vaughn came thru.

I remember Roscoe saying something about games are about coach vs. coach (sorry Roscoe if I messed it up) and I think Pop outcoached Flip. He quickly figured out Flips screens and counter-attacked. Flip couldnt (or wouldnt) adjust. Anyway, that's what the announcers said:)

Another thing, the announcers kept reminding us that Pistons were a top team, a genuine elite team that commanded respect. Yep, we won but Pistons made us work for it. :hoops:

Thats a game, on the Pistons end, that you want to sweep under the rug and forget about. That game was not how the Pistons have been playing latetly and I would not go into too much Piston analysis based on that game.

Thats why they play 2 and the Pistons will give the Spurs more in the 2nd game in San. Should see a much better game.

Ah shucks...signed Timmay Duncan

Manu scored 24 straight points tonight?!?

Amazing stretch by Manu. At some point deep in the second he had outscored the opponent 24-23. A couple of jumpers here and there, but a lot of head down drives to the basket with circus finishes.

Amazing stretch by Manu. At some point deep in the second he had outscored the opponent 24-23. A couple of jumpers here and there, but a lot of head down drives to the basket with circus finishes.

Yep, that was quite a game for Manu, his first 40 point game. When Pop saw Manu was hot, he told the other guys to go thru Manu. When Pop was asked post-game about Manu, Pop just shook his head and said I have idea where he's coming from, I just let him go.:) It worked good because Tony Parker couldnt get a rhythm, till the final minutes. Red Rocket is back and it will take a little time for him to get in the flow.

The Hawks really came on strong, and I thought they were going to make us work for it. Pop said they are an athletic, aggressive team, but they havent learned to keep the intensity, that's where veteran experience counts.

The night before we played the hyped-up dynamic duo Nuggets and they didnt do nothin. Hmmmm, couldnt seem to play together.:sssh:

See where you guys are making good. Keep it up. Our next few games will be at home so maybe we can get some wins to catch the Mavs.

Yep, that was quite a game for Manu, his first 40 point game.

Pretty interesting, 40 from Manu, 30 from Duncan, and still a tie game heading into the fourth. Other than Barry's 18, no one else gets more than six.

It was a blowout with the Sonics tonight, and the Spurs are getting into their old form. Robert Horry said the difference in play is that instead of losing the game, or the lead, in the 3rd quarter, they play hard all 48 minutes. The lead gave the bench a full quarter to play and they all did good. Now, Monday we have the Raptors, and I know they will be tough on us, they are playing so well lately.

A great pre-game interview with Melvin Ely. He is really glad to be here, in fact he didnt go to All Star because he wanted to stay here, start getting into form and learning Pops plays. He doesnt expect Pop to play him any time soon, but knows when Pop plays him, he will be ready.

You guys keep up the good work. I think we will meet in the Finals:)

Spurs: Impressive Start After Break | HOOPSWORLD.com (http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_20991.shtml)
When the San Antonio Spurs began to play the Seattle Supersonics on Saturday, nobody in the AT&T Center thought that the game would be a complete annihilation of Ray Allen and company. As a matter of fact, the premise right now about the Spurs is that as a unit they simply are not cohesive enough and that the continuity needed to win in the playoffs simply is not there. Yet things do look a little different after the 102-71 win on Saturday because the team has strung five wins together and some very important pieces of their offense are coming together at the right time.

We are at that stage in the race when the good runners start to pull away from the pack.

We are at that stage in the race when the good runners start to pull away from the pack.

That's what I feel, turning the corner, getting into play-off mode. Someone asked Pop tonight what made the switch go from Off to On? Pop said there is no such "switch" that it's hard work, improvement and guys still learning to work together.

We played Raptors tonight and they are really good, if they can keep their core another year or two, they will be a competitive team to look out for. Most teams would just fold after the huge lead we had, but they fought all the way, in fact they cut our lead from 30 to 16 in the 4thQ and coaches had to send in the starters to staunch the flow.

Rasho played good against us and Matt Bonner played good against his former team. I didnt realize He was called "Red Rocket" because of the Canadian transit, because he didnt have a car and had to take the bus all of the time. I thought it was because he was a redhead:)

We dont play until Friday, Orlando, gonna have to watch them the last second:hoops:

It's going to be fun watching all these West teams bite the dust. There can be only one Grasshopper.

Yeah, I saw a feature on Bonner a year or so ago. He's from New England I believe and wants to go into politics when he retires from bball.

Pretty funny that he didn't own a car but apparently he is a super frugal guy.

It's going to be fun watching all these West teams bite the dust. There can be only one Grasshopper.

That's a damn perceptive tie-in: Nathanael West, Day of the Locust

Not familiar.
I was thinking of that movie with Sean Connery where they couldn't die unless they got their head chopped off. They all carried swords.

highlander

Thank you.

We took Orlando to the woodshed last night, then sent them on to Dallas so mavs can give them a whuppin tonight:) Got to admit, they played pretty good in the first half, just couldnt maintain it. Ginobili came up with the spurt to move it on.

We play Houston tonight, Yao Ming has been in full court practice, but they are not sure they want to play him yet. I think I would wait, would not want to risk it, not on a Spurs game.:sssh:

Hated to see Heat get away with the win, kinda hard to play against the refs, but Pistons will come up winners, Heat can't pretend too long:stirthepot:

Our blaming the refs is a copout BSA. The Heat are a less talented team than the Pistons with their own injury problems. We got out coached, outhustled and didn't convert our opportunities to steal a win.

Billups goes 2-14. If Tim Duncan went 2-14, the Spurs couldn't win either. Difference is, Timmy doesn't shoot that low a % because he can get his shot against almost anyone.

That's the difference between a legit MVP and a wannabee MVP.

I'm a little sour today...

Ohhhh Roscoe, don't be sour, here's a big hug from San Antonio and our gorgeous sunshine day:hug:

Well, we are zipping right along with our road swing, even though Tony Parker is out, and probably will be for rest of road trip. He got a hip strain when we played Rockets and has been out since. Other guys have been showing up and taking up the slack, especially Jacque Vaughn. Beno is "getting his confidence", I just dont understand how he can feel so insecure, when actually he plays really good. Michael Finley has got his rhythm and it shows. So, had the Clippers last night, face the Trailblazers tonight then Artest-less Kings after that.

I'm waching the guys doing "step" dancing (?) on Cold Pizza, They are soooo good, totally fascinates me.:)

I'm thinking about the Mavs this morning, and I'm thinking that they are going to be lulled into a complacency, keep winning without having to think, get into some bad habits that they cant break during playoffs. Just an idea, Avery Johnson won't allow it. Oh welllllllll:stirthepot:

You're right, Avery and complacency just don't go into the same sentence.

What got into 'Noboli? Dudes on fire.

What got into 'Noboli? Dudes on fire.

You know, when he got hurt early on, hurt his backside/butt and was off so long, when he came back, he started wearing padding and as far as I know, he still wears it. Maybe that gives him some confidence to do the weird stuff he does, knowing he probably wont get hurt. Pop worries about Tony and Manu throwing their bodies into it, and they both keep doing it.:)

Gotta play fearless.

Just finished the Trailblazer game. Wow, Blazers were ahead the whole game, just cruising along, no extreme effort from Spurs, and in the final minute, Spurs down by 5 and just kicked it up a notch to finish 99-94. Manu did his thing. Blazers and fans were dumbfounded, couldnt believe it was happening. Blazers really played well, just didnt count on Spurs coming out of the hole at the last minute.:)

The Spurs are the real deal. The Blazers are a bunch of talented, millionaire kids devoid of a work ethic or winning culture.

PopcornMachine's GameFlow - San Antonio @ Portland (http://www.popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20070306&game=SASPOR)
See this is why I don't like the sleaze bag Purrs. They let the Blaze think they were playing well when all along the Purrs were just toying with them. Sure enough come crunch time they dowse the Blaze with cold water. Rude just rude to the Blaze psyche and their fans. This is the kind of lazy BS the Pistons pull. Keep doing it and sooner or later the switch won't flip.

Notice the insertion of Mr. Bowen for the final +10 point stint.

PopcornMachine's GameFlow - San Antonio @ Portland (http://www.popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20070306&game=SASPOR)
See this is why I don't like the sleaze bag Purrs. They let the Blaze think they were playing well when all along the Purrs were just toying with them. Sure enough come crunch time they dowse the Blaze with cold water. Rude just rude to the Blaze psyche and their fans. This is the kind of lazy BS the Pistons pull. Keep doing it and sooner or later the switch won't flip.

Thee, you crack me up:) The Spurs dont go to a game to disrespect the other team and fans, They go in and watch everything the other team does, if they are a struggling team, they give them a chance to show what they've got. No need in going in and stomping them just because you can. Young guys on other teams grew up watching the Spurs, this is their chance to play with the big boys.

Rookie B. Roy commented:'They played like champions down the stretch,' Roy said. 'I'm going to learn from this game. They picked it up in the fourth quarter. Coach said that's what champions do.' That's still a young team learning.

On the other hand, Sacramento came out from the start, scratching and clawing and making the Spurs work. And Kings played all 48 minutes, didnt let up. Kings coach Musselman said "we scored 32 points in the 4th Quarter against the best defensive team in the league. That's a lot of points against San Antonio, especially down the stretch." And the Kings feel good about themselves and they should.

And sooner or later the flip wont switch? Hey we've had our share of last second end game surprises. It's okay:)

Barb despite the Spurs being 8 games back of Dallas, they may be better and believe me the Mavs are looking over their shoulders. The Pistons and Spurs have made just minor changes in the top six players, since their showdown in 2005.

The difference is you still got a good coach who can motivate and our coaching sfaff has changed and is still learning despite doing it for 15+years and having assistant coaches with rings of their own. Good luck down the road. (until you face us)

Only the extremely casual and foolish fans have forgotten about the Spurs... Everybody is raving over that gimick style of ball the suns play and slurping up dallas so much they foolishly are ignoring the sleeping giant spurs... Glad to say I'm not a member of that silly bunch, the spurs are firmly in my radar as a dangerous club... In the meanwhile I'm more concerned about how poorly and out of character my Pistons are playing... We've got to get our own ish together with the quickness, tonight wouldn't be a bad start either. Don't care if melo just had his first seed or not, our Pistons have got business to attend to TONIGHT! GO PISTONS!!!!!!!

Notice the insertion of Mr. Bowen for the final +10 point stint.
Yeah Pop put the ringer in, took the kids lunch money.

Hey guys, thanks for encouragement, but I think Spurs and Pistons are so much alike, and if they can get their "old ways", no one can beat them and surely they will be in finals. As you know, Spurs have been struggling on and off, trying for some kind of consistancy. They finally "got it" and this is what Tim D said after the Kings game:


While handing out praise for Ginobili's clutch play in the fourth quarter, Spurs All-Star center Tim Duncan (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3173/) was more impressed with the defense his team has played during the streak, when no opponent has scored more than 94 points. "I don't know what it is, but we have turned the corner (on defense) and been more consistent," said Duncan, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds. "We use the regular season to get into form and get ready for the playoffs. Maybe it's taken us that long to understand playing defense, but we're starting to do it."

Now, this is from a guy who has been playing defense all along, and even he, and Pop and meshing the new guys take work. I think that is where the Pistons are right now, the regular season gets the guys ready for the playoffs. If the Pistons can use the rest of their games, honing the defense for which they are famous, and keep their eyes on the playoffs, treating each opponent with respect as a potential contender, learn from them, I know they will make it. We are the same championship teams we were, this is probably the last time this caliber and type of play will get together. so, great job on the Nuggets, GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

"If the Pistons can use the rest of their games, honing the defense for which they are famous, and keep their eyes on the playoffs, treating each opponent with respect as a potential contender, learn from them, I know they will make it. We are the same championship teams we were"
Nice try BSA.
Gelling the team for the playoffs isn't something FlipS understands. Pop yes. Flip no. Purr house of cards falls if Nobili or Parker blows out a wheel. We're finding we can't replace any of our starters without losing something big. CWebb can't cover for Sheed. All those guys you tried earlier showed weakness.
Good health to you.

Actually, Thee, you are right. It takes a "championship" mentality to break through those final weeks, get that killer competetive edge and make the run. Pop has it, Avery definitely has it and the diff between the 2 will be Pop's experience (hopefully:fingerscr ) I have the feeling Pop has more control over his guys than Avery has his, sometimes he looks really pissed, cant help but love the guy.

I think Flip S. doesnt have that Finals maturity or mentality because he hasnt been there, not his fault, but he has to have been there to feel it. Some folks do "just enough" are happy not to lose, not to win, stay in the middle, be mediocre. I think I would get him a "consultant" guy, someone to feed him, someone who's been there, someone not threatening, but he has to know there is another step to go. Otherwise, how can he relate to his team, who have be champions?

Another thing I don't understand is how a guy can put his team in jeopardy by getting selfish techs. Nets did it last night.


When no foul was called after Kidd went down hard following a missed shot with Duncan defending, a loudly complaining Frank got a technical. Kidd then got two of his own and was ejected with 4:17 left in the third.
"I was surprised by all of them (the technicals)," Kidd said. "I don't complain about calls unless I've got a legitimate case, and tonight I did."
Frank got a second technical and had to leave the court. Finley made that free throw, and one other off a technical given to Moore, who said he got his when, "I walked over to (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) and asked him how much did they pay the refs tonight." Real class, huh?

I can see losers like the Nets losing their cool, but Pistons have to keep their composure, no matter what, because teams are going to know they can push the right buttons and make the Pistons lose.:sssh:

Good luck with the Clippers today, we have them here again on Tuesday. :)

OFF TOPIC BUT I GOTTA VENT, FOLKS:

I am still so mad about Kings playing Artest yesterday and I have yet to see anyone except a female sports talker express her rage.

This is about family violence, a major major problem in our society. Forget about "innocent till proven guilty", Artest has a history, a pattern of violence toward women, and it looked like the Kings were going to follow through leaving him off the roster until he could get help, go to court, etc. Then suddenly, Artest "sees the light" as a new father (and why this kid? what about his other 3?) how he had dishonored his family, the organization, Sacramento, etc. What a bunch of bull. And, like it was all okay because the team needed him, and after all, basketball is really more important than social issues.

Well, fact is, the Kings played better without him. They played a hell of a game against Spurs without him. I tell you, this is gonna come back and bite Maloofs in the butt, really hard. Now when I see "NBA CARES"
I go "yeah, really" when you see that NBA teams work with kids, many many of whom are the sad and helpless kids of domestic violence. The Kings, Artest, NBA should all make huge donations to womens shelters, the only place that these mamas and kids can go to, so they wont be beaten or killed.

I am really mad. I'm not through with them yet, but dang it, you would think when you finally get to be 75 years old you wouldnt have to try and take care of these things. Oh well, so be it.:drillsergeant:

I think Flip S. doesnt have that Finals maturity or mentality because he hasnt been there, not his fault, but he has to have been there to feel it. Some folks do "just enough" are happy not to lose, not to win, stay in the middle, be mediocre. I think I would get him a "consultant" guy, someone to feed him, someone who's been there, someone not threatening, but he has to know there is another step to go. Otherwise, how can he relate to his team, who have be champions?


I bet you are a teacher and your favorite course is called "Urban Myths."

...and it looked like the Kings were going to follow through leaving him off the roster until he could get help, go to court, etc. Then suddenly, Artest "sees the light" ...it was all okay because the team needed him, and after all, basketball is really more important than social issues.


Oh yeah. Convenient of Artest to wait until the Michigan judge lifted his probation or this would have landed him back in jail here.

Not sure my other post went through, so will try again.

Just wantd to say I am sooooo happy Mavs got beat, especially by Don Nelson and his GSW. His game plan to doube Dirk forced 23 Dallas TOs and erratic shooting.

From Yahoo Sports:

Nowitzki became visibly frustrated in the third quarter, flattening Davis for an offensive foul before comically swatting a loose ball out of a cameraman's hands in his fury. Johnson removed him from the game while Harrington hit a free throw to put Golden State ahead by 23. Two possessions later, Nowitzki was whistled for a technical foul for chirping from his seat on the Mavs' bench.

Chirping? What is chirping? I think it's funny, I'll bet that is a side of Dirk that Avery is very familiar with.:) Now, let's go get 'em before they get their rhythm back:stirthepot:

Well, our winning streak is over, you know it's gonna come, but I was kind of hoping it would be the Pistons to break it. Bucks are good, beat us before, and Pop expected them to come out with passion and intensity to support the new coach, and they did. Spurs never could match it. So, glad they had a hot night and looks good for the new coach, who is an ex-Spur:) .

That winning streak wasn't going to last forever, but how did the Spurs manage to get a 2-game skid going by losing at home...to the Celtics? :eek:

That winning streak wasn't going to last forever, but how did the Spurs manage to get a 2-game skid going by losing at home...to the Celtics? :eek:

Well when the hot teams lose, they always seem to skid at least a couple of games before getting back in gear. Pistons loss 3 of 4 at the beginning of the month after winning 10 of 11. Mavs lose 2 in row after winning 17 straight and now Spurs lose 2 after winning 13 in a row. that is why it is hard to get that media driven goal of 70. This just in Suns follow suit and lose two in a row too.

Spurs were due to run into a couple of scrubs teams who were going to play above their head

That winning streak wasn't going to last forever, but how did the Spurs manage to get a 2-game skid going by losing at home...to the Celtics? :eek:

I think that was a psyche thing Spurs didnt count on. I mean, St Patricks Day in Boston? Can you imagine the Green everywhere and a bunch of rowdy Irish? And Celts hadnt beat Spurs in 17 years? No way Spurs were going to win that day:)

Besides, Manu probably had it right, Spurs getting too cocky. There is a difference between Piston "swagger" and Spurs "cocky". Swagger is the real deal:sssh: Im proud of Pistons beating Suns and I count them as beating Mavs too, regardless of the score. Looking forward to Friday with you guys, I think it will be a great game, hoping both teams play tough and healthy.:hoops:

I don't understand how anyone can get cocky with Gregg Popovich constantly :director: at them!

Moore, who said he got his when, "I walked over to (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) and asked him how much did they pay the refs tonight." Real class, huh?
---------------
Nice
--------------
As for Artest, it sounded like he was retreating when the women brought out a foreign object. Not condoning anything but things tend to go south quick for idiots.

...but things tend to go south quick for idiots.

Ron must be sailing by the coast of Chile. He's going to be wishing he had a nice fat dog to keep him warm soon.

RED ROCKET!

RED ROCKET!

Yep, we love our red rocket. How did we get so lucky to land him?

Well, we officially have clinched a play off spot, so for real it will be Mavs, Suns and Spurs. We played Pacers last night, and what gets me is that Pacers were playing a pretty tight game until the second half, when that jerk Jamaal Tinsley ejected himself, like a spoiled brat he threw the ball into the stands in a tantrum.

His team could have really used him, some of the guys were playing through injuries, so why does he do this to his team, no matter how he feels personally? After he got ejected, the Pacers were so disrupted, they just fell apart. Doesnt he care what he mentally did to his team?
What a jerk:gun1:

Good luck with Rockets tonight. Yao has trouble planting his feet (he gets tangled up in his legs) so use that little morsel of info to beat them:)

Spurs are getting ready for you guys. Media hype is building it up as a pre-Finals match. The beast in the east and the best in the west. I think spurs and pistons are all pretty healthy right now, they are playing team, they are looking good, they are both playing with intensity and passion (when they want to). I give the edge to the Pistons, even tho the game is a back-to-back, there is the revenge factor.

I guess what it will boil down to is which team has a hot night, gets the ball to fall, gets low turnovers. It always is:stirthepot:

Oh, I almost forgot, the town is hopping with basketball fever. We have
NCAA regional finals Thursday 3/22, PISTONS/SPURS 3/23 and NCAA finals Sat 3/24. San Antonio is one of 4 cities to host regional rounds. The Final Four games were held here in 2004 and we will host again in 2008. So I guess that makes us the b-ball capitol of Texas, forget Bobby Knight and "looking at Lubbock in my rear view mirror":)

Oh, Knights okay, you gotta love the guy.:hoops:

Popovich Interview (http://www.spursreport.com/spurspopshow.html)

Popovich Interview (http://www.spursreport.com/spurspopshow.html)

Number 1 on my list and coached by Nellie. Also a GM.

"He's going to be wishing he had a nice fat dog to keep him warm soon."
-----------
Yeah animals seem to relate to certain human frailties. Like some know when their master is about to have a siezure and can warn them.
Unfortunately when MCA's dog came up starving we all knew there would be a stupid attack to follow.

Once again, Popovich gets the best out of his bench as they poured in 64 points on the hapless Sonics. (of course Genobli is part of that bench and he had about 19 himself).

It was a 41 point victory for the Spurs and I just watched their scrubs blitz the Sonics scrubs in the last six minutes of the game (garbage time) stretching a 20 point lead to 41. I know the Pistons bench players played well today, but the Spurs 10-12 players normally play every game and tonight the look like the starters (Ok they were playing the Sonics scrubs, so maybe I am sensationalzing things a bit). :MusicBigGrin:

Someone just emailed this to me--check out the reason for Horry's DNP in this Yahoo boxscore (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2007032609). Someone there must have a cheeky sense of humor. :lol:

Spurs: Don’t Sleep on the San Antonio Spurs | HOOPSWORLD.com (http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_21392.shtml)

The NBA may be sleeping on the success the Spurs are having, but come playoff time you can bet the road to the Finals still leads through San Antonio. After all, their pattern is to win the championship every other year – and they didn’t win last year.

Roscoe, it seems to me that a team that wins a ship, misses it the next year, that's why I dont think Heat will win EC, Piston's time now. And if the guys keep playing in play-off mode, I think we will have our MATCH:)

Spurs/Piston game had all the good, bad and ugly for both teams that you will find in the play-offs. Spurs are hot, they dont intend to decimate the other team, but the bench is so aggressive, it's like they are still auditioning for the coaches and the score is 5 down. Glad to see Melvin Ely play the other day, dont know if he did anything. Apparently he came here in really bad physical condition, so the major thing has been to get him fit. He's a low post player and can use right and left hooks to basket. Maybe he will be our secret weapon. But the Red Rocket kid is our baby, what a guy.

Anyway, smells like playoffs to me. We just have to keep our guys healthy, mentally and physically. Dont want injuries down the stretch. Robert Horry has abdominal contusions and is out for a while. Abdominal contusions always makes me think of "ruptured spleen" blunt force trauma to abdomen and doesnt show up for a week or 10 days. Sure hope he is okay.

GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO

Spurs can handle anything coming out of the West. And the Pistons or Heat.

Well, we are winding down now, played the Suns and next hurdle will be Mavs on the 15th. Our next 3 games are home, GSW, Portland and Kings, 2 away, then last one home. Really didnt know how we would handle the Suns, but we never let them get in a rhythm and in a comfort zone by keeping them low scoring. We didnt let them get us into the trap of run and gun, when they could beat us, but, as the announcers kept saying we "imposed our will".

I liked the idea of that, "imposing our will", our will to win, our will to take the game where we wanted. Because I think the Pistons and Spurs are so much alike, when they want to, I think Pistons will "impose their will" too, and I still look forward to a Piston/Spurs rematich.

Good thing the game ended when it did, Suns finally figured out what to do in the last minute or so and we ended only 5 points ahead. Dang I hate those finishes:hoops:

Yep. I reckon the Spurs will win it all again. In my eyes, they have orchestrated their season perfectly to this point.

TaShawn, right now we have to try and come out of the West, and there is no guarantee that we will make it. Then we have to meet the East, and I have faith it will be the Pistons. I hope so, Pistons are the only team that knows how to play the Spurs. I dont think Heat can play 7 games, Shaq cant pull off the whole thing, he will wear out.

Spurs have been under the radar, and its worked for us. Folks are quick to call us "old and slow" and I'm sure same is said about Pistons. What people dont realize is that is our style, it fits the defense that Pop plays, it is to slow down the other team, this isnt the All Star break to show off moves and how athletic we are. It's to play smart basketball. That's why Spurs and Pistons need to keep on doing what they "know", what has gotten them to the finals before, what they do best, and dont give in to the flavor of the month. So let's go for it! GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO:cheerleader:

I like the Spurs ability to control the tempo even better than the Pistons.

The Dallas/Denver game tonight was very strange though. Both teams barely broke the 70 point mark. It reminded me of what the Finals could be like with SA vs. Det.

I would like nothing more than to see a 7 game NBA Finals with neither team breaking 90 points. What other rules would they change after that? Lower the basket to 9 feet? Allow 6 players on offense?


The only thing that makes me nervous is that SA matches up so well against us. I think the Pistons would have a better chance against Pho or Dal.

TaShawn, this is Steve Kerr's, Yahoo Sports take on Suns Spurs game: Exerpt:

Of more concern for the Suns, though, is the manner in which the Spurs controlled the tempo Thursday night.
For most of the game, Phoenix's vaunted running attack was held in check. San Antonio used its execution in the half court to slow things down, accomplishing that task by taking care of the ball and establishing Tim Duncan in the post. Tony Parker attacked when he had an advantage and got plenty of easy hoops in scoring a season-high 35 points, but in the half court, the Spurs opted not to launch quick jump shots that might result in rebounds and fast breaks. Instead, they went to Duncan, who had his way with Stoudemire and Boris Diaw (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3724/).

Unable to deal with Duncan by using smaller defenders, the Suns were forced to counter with Kurt Thomas (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3012/). While Thomas did a great job defensively on Duncan, his presence meant Phoenix couldn't go with its small, quick lineup to expose matchups and quicken the pace. The result was a tempo that San Antonio was very comfortable with.
Therein lies the rub for the Suns: If they go small, they can't guard Duncan. If they put Thomas in the game, they can't run. That's why the Spurs have been the one NBA team capable of slowing down Phoenix the past couple of years. And by keeping the Suns in the half court, San Antonio has been able to deny them open looks at three-pointers.

So, even tho its tempting to take the quick jump shots, you cant give the Suns any advantage, and really have to control yourself and follow the plan.

As far as the Mavs go, they are good, but they lose their composure easily, and once that happens, they are gone. You can almost see the turning point in their game (of course Dwight Howard was out with foot injury). Anyway, IMO. I agree that Pistons can beat Mavs and Suns but I still want Spurs/Pistons rematch. With all players healthy, mentally and physically. Spurs have been pretty healthy so far, Horry still out with abdominal contusions, and there is some worry there, he is to get an MRI to see what's going on. Also, Michael Finley has really come through this year, last year he was uncertain to what his role was and has found his fit this year. Pop worries that Manu and Tony are too fearless and could get injuries.

So, you guys keep up the good work, stay healthy and see you in the Finals:cheerleader:

So, if my memory serves me right, Detroit and SA both held the Suns to 85 points, which was the lowest 2 games of the year for Phoenix.

I know that Phoenix could have scored more against both teams if things had been clicking for them, but most teams can't shut down the Suns even on a bad night.

SA vs. Det is highly probably... but it could very easily be Dal vs. Mia as well. That's why they play the games I guess.

Injuries are the wild card.

That's a real concern, injuries. Pistons and Spurs need to really be careful in these final games, because many of these teams are fighting for playoff spots, or don't have anything to lose, so just want to put a player out. Last night in game with GSW it was a good clean game and Warriors were putting up a good fight (they always do).

The last couple of minutes Pop pulled all the players and put in the reserves. Announcer said with so many injuries in the league right now, Pop didnt want to risk his players without cause. About that time, 48 seconds left, GSW Matt Barnes knocked the hell out of our reserve James White. He hit him so hard it knocked him up into the air and crashed to the floor. It was totally uncalled for, not even an attempted block, he had to go out of his way to hit White. The ref immediately ejected him. I mean, it was the first time White had even been in a game, poor guy. Barnes was determined to get a Spur, and he did.

So, watch out for subtle (and not so subtle) attempts to injure our players. Sure cant afford any injuries now:)

Played Portland last night. A game fact shown pre-game, showed that Trailblazers havent beat Spurs since 2002, and it had Rasheed Wallace listed as a player for the team then:)

Rasheed plays Tim Duncan as well as anyone. Robert Horry however is a different matter.... :MusicBigGrin:

Big Shot Bob must be up to something. He hasn't made any noise all season.

Big Shot Bob must be up to something. He hasn't made any noise all season.

Horry played the other night and said he felt like he was able to. Yahoo Rumor said Horry was going to retire after this season, he would first talk Pop and his son before making decision. So, dont know what Big Shot up to, Thee:confused:

I thought this was interesting article on players and player injuries. Found the blog on Express News site, this is exerpt:

Quote:
From the floor boards to the scoreboards, AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney will be blogging with his thoughts on the NBA throughout the remainder of the season:
---
WEDNESDAY, April 11:
There goes two more superstars we might not see again until next season.
The Boston Celtics announced tonight that Paul Pierce is getting a head start on summer vacation because of his sore left elbow. Kevin Garnett may not play again in Minnesota because of an injured right quadriceps.
Add them to Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Joe Johnson, and you'd have the foundation for a pretty good team.

So, whose fault is it?

Phil Jackson and George Karl have said the NBA should look into the length of its season. But commissioner David Stern, perhaps sarcastically, spun it around today and said maybe the coaches are to blame.

"I think we should do an analysis of minutes because sometimes the very people who make the observations keep their players in for long periods of time," Stern said. "I've always been of the view that one issue is there may be so many minutes in a player's legs and it becomes the coach's obligation to marshal the assets well and to make sure that the players within the context of the team get rotated.

"We used to only have a 12-man roster but now we effectively have a 15-man roster and that people say they must have the 15. If they must have the 15, then we ought to take a look at the players who are 13, 14 and 15 to see what their minutes are."

These injuries don't stop, and coaches are going to have to use those 13 through 15 guys whether they want to or not.

As we play our final games, I would love to see GSW in 8th place, and they have a chance to get there. They would play Mavs and so far they have beaten Mavs 2-0, and Nellie knows how to beat the Mavs. :)

He'll go out with a bang.

Anyone watching the Spurs-Mavericks game? Do those refs have an agenda or what? Throw out Dunkan because he is laughing at an idiotic call, and then just call everything the Mavericks way? And I am a Pistons fan, as you all know, I don't care who wins, but I am sure the refs won't get in trouble for this bull. That's just what NBA has become - a league of agendas. Push the "popular" teams as much as you can, who cares about the fans. It's all about the mightly $$$.

Do those refs have an agenda or what?
Joey Crawford thinks he's the star of every game he referees.

Wow, what a day. I coldnt believe it. We sort of beat ourselves.

Yahoo Sports exerpt:
Dallas' Jason Terry (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3333/) and Bowen got offsetting technicals for jawing at each other less than two minutes into the second half. There were hard fouls both ways, then Duncan got a technical with 2:20 left in the quarter for arguing about an offensive foul against him. He went to the bench soon after, then was tossed from there because of something he said. He'd been laughing about a call that went against San Antonio.

Hey, maybe this is our Piston/Spur preview:) Timmy and Sheed getting ejected for laughing and smiling:cheerleader:

barb, I don't think Timmy's technicals were justified unless he made an off color remark that we didn't hear. Joey Crawford was trying to make a statement that he is star too??? in the war between the two best teams in the league

LaDre, I'm curious about what was said, since this was on ABC we didnt get any post-game with Pop and Spurs. I did see the close up of Tim laughing and pointing and he lights up the room when he laughs, just like Sheed has the biggest smile and laugh in the league:)

I hope GSW gets 8th and plays Mavs and beats them. Sweet Revenge!

Well, just got the local news, and of course they are talking about it big time. Timmy said Joey has a personal vendetta against him, he doesnt know why, he only said 3 words to him the whole game, after 1st tech he said "i got fouled" (tech) then went to bench and a minute later got 2nd tech for laughing about call against Spurs. Crawford side of story is Timmy called him "a piece of *doodoo" .Timmy says Crawford wants to be on TV and only way he gets attention is calling techs. This is 3rd tech he's called on Timmy in 2 weeks.

Pop said he would talk about it in private with the league, wasnt going to get into it with media right now. So, that's where it stands right now.:hoops:

No disrespect BSA, but if I was a ref, I would give Timmie 2 techs for looking so glum at the start of each game.

Watching Tim Duncan is depressing. It's like his personality is on a thorazine drip.

Yeah BSA that was a BS call... I think the Spurs/Nuggets matchup will be a classic...
Camby/Nene vs Duncan
A.I. vs Parker
Melo vs Bowen
Ginobili vs Finley

Nuggets offense vs Spurs "D"

No disrespect BSA, but if I was a ref, I would give Timmie 2 techs for looking so glum at the start of each game.

Watching Tim Duncan is depressing. It's like his personality is on a thorazine drip.

That's funny Roscoe because he does look like that at games. But locally, these guys are really funny, they do the HEB (Tx grocery chain) commercials, the one tonight has Timmy doing blind-taste test of Nacho chips on PoP (tastes fair), Barry (mmm good) Bruce Bowen has bag of "cow chips". Anyway, just like I have come to know you guys through this forum, and you are so funny and I know the Pistons have a sense of humor, too.

I saw sports show that says Crawford started screaming at Timmy "you wanna fight? You wanna take it outside and fight?" I think the guy is crazy, having a mental breakdown. Maybe the league will decide not to let him ref any Spur games. Somethings coooo-koooo.:stirthepot:

lol crawford vs Timmy= severly injured white man...
think Rudy tomjanavich of the 00's

For all we know Timmay can't fight. Punk his droll dull azzzz.

Yep, Joey gets suspended through NBA Finals then will have to meet with Stern to see about re-instatement:

Referee Crawford suspended for actions toward Duncan - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-refereesuspended&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Spurs havent made comment yet. :stirthepot:

So Stern does have an opinion on how the refs should behave and punishes them if they violate that? Interesting... very interesting.

At first, I thought the other refs might side with Joey and there would be a backlash, but I think Stern made it very clear and has put the other refs on notice. Apparently Stern has had probs with Joey for some time, and this was final straw, he had to do something:)

This is a good thing for the entire league... No sir Mr. Crawford you are not beyond retribution.

Omberto got hurt in Mavs game, got an irregular heartbeat:

From Yahoo:
After seeing a cardiologist, Oberto was determined to have heart arrhythmia caused by taking a hit to the chest in Sunday's loss to the the rival Dallas Mavericks (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/dal/).
"He got hit in the neck during the Dallas game and thought he was fine, then he said he felt racy," Popovich said. "He said he felt racy and his whole body sped up. We're just very lucky he said something."

Okay, guys, let's do it! FINALS:cheerleader: Stay healthy, focused, mean and intense. GO PISTONS/GO SPURS GO:)

Okay folks, we jumped in the water, splashed around a little, now it's time to swim. For some reason, I am not surprised about the Nugget win, (or the Spur loss) because it's game1. The thing about Spurs (and Pistons) they have play-off experience and the natural flow will take it's course. We havent seen what Nuggets had, really had, until yesterday.

It's like Texas hold-em. We've seen the flop, they showed us pretty much what they got, the turn will show our adjustments, and the river will be when we get them. :)

I think Nuggets were as good as they will get, which was pretty good. Will they prevail? I don't think so. Pop will figure out an answer.

Was I glad to see GSW win? You BET! Can't see Avery making adjustments yet, because he really hasnt figured Nellie out, but Cuban sure looked pissed:)

Glad Lakers got beat, Heat got beat, hated to see Raptors get beat, and glad to see Pistons get the Magic. :cheerleader:

Admit it BSA you're shaking in your cowgirl boots.
No free chili.

Admit it BSA you're shaking in your cowgirl boots.
No free chili.

Hey Thee, I'll start shaking in my boots when Pop shakes in his:) So far, we're just doing the old Texas 2 step. It's funny, Denver is here during our FIESTA, week long of daily parades, crazy cascarone cracking, etc. One Nugget thought it was Spurs-mania and made comment that SA only had one sports team, so that's why we go all out!

This is the week we celebrate when Santa Ana was captured in the Battle of San Jacinto, you know Santa Ana beat us at the Alamo:stirthepot: , so our new enemy is Denver.

I was a big Alamo fan.
Too bad they got ripped apart. Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett WOW!
I was 10 back then.

Well BSA, looks like the Spurs aren't beyond thuggery. Now Big Shot Bob is getting into it.
Bowen should be suspended for the rest of this series.
The Suns are too quick for them, therefore the frustration.
Good night now.

Well you guys, looks like it could be a REMATCH:) Suns/Spurs could have gone either way but happy to win game 6 and not have to go to PHX. What ultimately will work for Pistons and Spurs is their experience, and these play-offs really show that experience counts.

Good luck with Cavs, sweep them:gun1: I'm not sure we will have an easy time with Jazz, seems like when we played them in season they really made Spurs work, maybe the only time we won was when Boozer was out. So will just have to play it out.

GO PISTONS/ GO SPURS GO:hoops:

We know Big Game Bob is going to retire. I think it was calculated to get a couple impetuious Suns suspended. What did he have to lose?

Good luck with Cavs, sweep them:gun1:...out.

GO PISTONS/ GO SPURS GO:hoops:
Purrs did. I'm happy for you.
2007 NBA CHAMPS
SAN ANTONIO PURRS
congrats

After the finals, I felt that it would probably be another year or 2 before Spurs won again, but I have to tell you, after watching them Sunday at the Spurs championship ceremonies (oh yes, 8hour river parade etc.) THEY REALLY LOOKED GOOD! I think they can make a run for it and get us a back2back. I think many of the teams, with their "coming of age" players who are developing into really strong teams, won't be able to do it this year, not enough time. They are out there and will eventually gel. In the meantime, Pop will just let other teams do what they do, and he will adjust accordingly, sort of like he did last year. It will be harder this year with the target on our back, and hard to fly under the radar, but I think we better do it now while other teams are more or less unorganized:sssh:

You watch Barbara: next year, the Spurs will start a little slower than the Suns, Mavericks, or Warriors, and the media will completely overlook them for the rest of the season. Under the radar and to the finals once again.

These media cats never learn.

I know,Linwood. Those early losses In Nov to the Cavs really fooled them into a state of false security. LBJ kept reminding his fans that they had beat the Spurs..twice. Then I guess he just dismissed them as an unworthy opponent and didnt pay any attention to how their game had improved. Tough lesson to learn kid.

I will tell you who I worry about. Avery Johnson. I think Kirk and Cuban tried to throw him under the bus, and if I was Avery, I would get myself out of D ASAP. Remember when D Wade talked about how Kirk wasn't a leader, etc (several weeks before end of season and Kirk got all pouty and Cuban jumps to his defense (on his website no less)? Then everytime Avery would get a plan, it was like it had to be approved by Kirk. Hey, that body language was pretty telling. Then when GSW were killing them, Kirk whines about how no plans are being run for him the way he is used to shooting and that is why his game was off. Avery looked very quiet but fuming underneath. THEN, Cuban starts bawling when he hugs Kirk and tells him how much he loves him and it wasnt his fault they lost...then (wink, wink) it was probably (point, point) AJ. I saw no support for Avery, and I think it will some to a head during next season. He needs to go to a team that shares his vision of winning!

I would love to see Nash come to Spurs. He is so good, so competitive, has such talent and BBIQ. The window for Nash is closing, Suns wont make it for at least 3 more years because their style is so inflexible and Nash needs his ring. He wont get one with Suns as they are now. Hell, he's only been there 3or 4 years, it's not like he owes them anything.

Just some rambling thoughts folks:)

Nash to the Purrs?
Tony is the Finals MVP. Bup-Bup for Tony straight up.

Steve Nash would never ever ever go over to the Dastardly Spurs.:faint: I mean they don't even play the kind of ball he's best at. He would be so wasted on that team.

And why would they give up Tony Parker, who is a monster (in a magnificently diabolical way) for that team. Tony Parker is the perfect match for the team he's on...let's not mess with success here.

Steve Nash is my favorite player. The Spurs....my least favorite team that I am just now learning "to love to hate" instead of plain ol' hate.
If Nashie became a Spur, my basketball fan life would be one of eternal suffering. :crying:
Congrats and all Barb:winner_first_h4h:...but please don't put such a scary idea in my head.:gaah:

Hi Aurora:) Nah, just wishful thinking on my part. Actually Nash is friends with most all Spurs, Michael Finley thought about going to Suns because of Nash. But Nash has the strongest desire, an intensity to win, wanting to impose his will...He needs to get a ring NOW, with the Spurs. He couldnt seem to get that idea of winning across to his teammates and you could tell he was so frustrated at times.

Anyway Aurora, I know how you can feel about some players. I would love to see Adam Morrison be a Spur, that guy makes me laugh, Pop calls him a basketball junkie. I'm afraid he will burn out if he cant get a team who can teach him and work with him, without causing damage to his health which now has sevre type I diabetes.

:)