Spurs break out the Metamucil

[Muggum]

Robert Horry: Age 36
Bruce Bowen: Age 35
Brent Barry: Age 34
Michael Finley: Age 33
Nick Van Exel: Age 35
Tim Duncan: Age 30

It's truly heartwarming to see this. I can't even tell you.

Only problem: The core of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili is young(ish), and the Spurs could easily reshuffle and acquire younger role players to replace the top five above.

Hasn't really happened yet this offseason, though! =)

 

[boisesuns]

The Flopping will eventually wear down Manu.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Flopping will eventually wear down Manu.

Yeah. So sad. He'll probably develop a bad back from flopping. Too bad he doesn't play against Shaq more. I bet he would quit flopping if Shaq stepped on him.

 

[Louis]

The Flopping will eventually wear down Manu.

The same thing gets said about Nash and his style of play. And Nash just finished up a season where he logged his career high in minutes.

Though he showed obvious signs of fatigue and health concerns in the playoffs, the "fear factor" of Nash becoming seriously hurt hasn't played out.

No reason to believe that Manu would be any different.

 

[carrrnuttt]

The same thing gets said about Nash and his style of play. And Nash just finished up a season where he logged his career high in minutes.

Though he showed obvious signs of fatigue and health concerns in the playoffs, the "fear factor" of Nash becoming seriously hurt hasn't played out.

No reason to believe that Manu would be any different.

S. A. R. C. A. S. M.

 

[asudevil83]

amazing what kinds of things just fly over people's heads

 

[George O'Brien]

Back to the age issue, I think the Spurs were built for the short run and now can't run.

Seriously, the Mavs are not that quick and were able to run the Spurs out of their series. Now that they don't have Mohamed, the Spurs aren't even the power team they were either.

I expect to see a wholesale reshuffling in San Antonio soon.

 

[Muggum]

I wonder how long they have to pay Barry, Horry, Bowen, Finley, etc.

 

[George O'Brien]

According to Hoopshype, Barry and Horry have two years. Bowen has a year and then a team option. Finley and Oberto have a year and then player option. Eric Williams and Bonner have one year each.

 

[Gaddabout]

I don't think age is the Spurs' problem. The window for another championship is still open for them. The question right now is how are they going to improve their matchups with the Mavs. The question for the Suns is how are they going to improve their matchups with both teams.

 

[Goldfield]

I don't think age is the Spurs' problem. The window for another championship is still open for them. The question right now is how are they going to improve their matchups with the Mavs. The question for the Suns is how are they going to improve their matchups with both teams.

The way I see it, The Spurs are gunna worry about the Mav's. While the Mav's get to worry about the Spurs...

The Suns get to run & gun their way to a championship...

If Amare is back(will the real STAT please stand up) there is no stopping this team, I am pumped and cant wait to see what unfolds...

 

[George O'Brien]

The Spurs are in great risk of falling to fourth seed, where they would have to deal with a team like the Clippers in the first round.

Make no mistake, trading Nesto and losing Mohamed (they combined for 36 minutes a game and 9.2 rpg) will radically alter the Spurs strength inside. Even with them, the Spurs only outrebounded their opponents by just over 1rebound per game. Horry may get more minutes, but he averaged only .20 rebounds per minutes.

I suppose they may suprise, but I think the Spurs are no longer an elite team.

 

[F-Dog]

The Spurs are in great risk of falling to fourth seed, where they would have to deal with a team like the Clippers in the first round.

I doubt they'll drop past the third seed.

The Spurs already lost Horry; the next question is, how long Bruce Bowen can hold out. I hope D'Antoni makes sure to give Bruce plenty of work with the national team this summer.

 

[George O'Brien]

I doubt they'll drop past the third seed.

The Spurs already lost Horry; the next question is, how long Bruce Bowen can hold out. I hope D'Antoni makes sure to give Bruce plenty of work with the national team this summer.

Have they changed the rules about seeding that meant the division winners go 1,2,3?

 

[SunsTzu]

Have they changed the rules about seeding that meant the division winners go 1,2,3?

Yes. Each division winner will be a top 4 seed but they will seed the top 4 based on record. Also HCA will be based purely on seeding.

 

[Errntknght]

Also HCA will be based purely on seeding.

Are you sure about this? It's still possible that the #5 seed will have a better record than the #4 seed...

 

[George O'Brien]

Also HCA will be based purely on seeding.

Are you sure about this? It's still possible that the #5 seed will have a better record than the #4 seed...

As long as division winners get priority, there is a chance that three teams in one division will have a better record than one of the division winners.

 

[Joe Mama]

If Tony Parker's healthy the San Antonio Spurs will have no trouble running. I really think the Dallas Mavericks were fortunate to make it to the Finals this year. They faced a San Antonio team with nagging injuries and barely got by them. Then they were blessed by the Bell injury to a Phoenix Suns team that was already decimated by injuries.

Joe Mama

 

[SunsTzu]

Also HCA will be based purely on seeding.

Are you sure about this? It's still possible that the #5 seed will have a better record than the #4 seed...

Yeah, they want to reward all the division winners with HCA for one round atleast.

 

[George O'Brien]

If Tony Parker's healthy the San Antonio Spurs will have no trouble running. I really think the Dallas Mavericks were fortunate to make it to the Finals this year. They faced a San Antonio team with nagging injuries and barely got by them. Then they were blessed by the Bell injury to a Phoenix Suns team that was already decimated by injuries.

Joe Mama

Actually, older teams are the ones that hurt the most by nagging injuries.

As for the Mavs being lucky, I tend to agree. It is not clear they can deal with the Suns speed with Diop or Dampier in the lineup, but can't really go small.

 

[Muggum]

Look at it this way, we almost beat the Mavs with them at full strength and us without our best player (Amare) and another starter (Raja).

If the teams had both been full strength, we'd have won (see the previous year).

If we had enjoyed the Mavs' luck and they had suffered our luck, we would have had Amare and Bell healthy, and they would have been missing Nowitzki and... say... Stackhouse.

We would have SWEPT them.

So for Mavs fans who think they somehow 'owned' the Suns this past year...

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. (one of those old slow, sarcastic claps from Saturday Night Live) They backed into the finals, trust me.

If we're healthy, the Mavs aren't ever sniffing the finals again.

 

[nowagimp]

If Tony Parker's healthy the San Antonio Spurs will have no trouble running. I really think the Dallas Mavericks were fortunate to make it to the Finals this year. They faced a San Antonio team with nagging injuries and barely got by them. Then they were blessed by the Bell injury to a Phoenix Suns team that was already decimated by injuries.

Joe Mama

Thats about what I remember. I remember if Manu listens to pop and does not foul on the last play of regulation with the spurs up 3, spurs win the series. Tony Parker was playing on a sprained ankle and looked a 1/2 step slow. Dont get me worng, I loved it, that manu pulled a homer simpson on that play, but that play was th eonly reason the Mavs averted a collapse in that series.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If Tony Parker's healthy the San Antonio Spurs will have no trouble running. I really think the Dallas Mavericks were fortunate to make it to the Finals this year. They faced a San Antonio team with nagging injuries and barely got by them. Then they were blessed by the Bell injury to a Phoenix Suns team that was already decimated by injuries.

Joe Mama

Joe - you keep talking about teams being fortunate to make the Finals year after year after year but injuries are ALWAYS a part of the playoff run - You've called out the Pistons back in 2004 (even though the Lakers also got the Finals beating Minnesota, after they were down 2-1 and Cassel went out for the rest of the playoffs) and two years ago the Spurs didn't face a healthy Suns team in the WCF and the Pistons faced a banged up Miami team, and then we have the Mavs this year and so on and so on. Bottom line - if you're an elite team and healthy, it's most likely you're going to get to the Finals because the NBA is a war of attrition. The strong and healthy survive.

That's what worries me most about our boys. It's not their talent - it's that very key players are coming off serious injuries and considering the NBA is a war of attrition, I'm fearful of how they'll hold up come championship time.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

That's what worries me most about our boys. It's not their talent - it's that very key players are coming off serious injuries and considering the NBA is a war of attrition, I'm fearful of how they'll hold up come championship time.

I have concerns that the system might play a role in the continuing injury problems. More possesions = more opportunities for injuries.

 

[Joe Mama]

Joe - you keep talking about teams being fortunate to make the Finals year after year after year but injuries are ALWAYS a part of the playoff run - You've called out the Pistons back in 2004 (even though the Lakers also got the Finals beating Minnesota, after they were down 2-1 and Cassel went out for the rest of the playoffs) and two years ago the Spurs didn't face a healthy Suns team in the WCF and the Pistons faced a banged up Miami team, and then we have the Mavs this year and so on and so on. Bottom line - if you're an elite team and healthy, it's most likely you're going to get to the Finals because the NBA is a war of attrition. The strong and healthy survive.

That's what worries me most about our boys. It's not their talent - it's that very key players are coming off serious injuries and considering the NBA is a war of attrition, I'm fearful of how they'll hold up come championship time.

cheese I was actually going to write something similar to this at the end of my post, but I got lazy. I do think the Mavericks were fortunate. However the point I was trying to make was that the San Antonio Spurs are far from done, and they can run.

I realize that in order to win a championship your team has to have a fair amount of luck as well as the depth to cover injuries.

Joe