Records: Lakers 55-25 (1 seed, tie); Spurs 54-25 (2 seed, tie) Offensive ratings: Lakers 114.7 (3rd); Spurs 108.9 (14th) Defensive ratings: Lakers 107.3 (9th); Spurs 103.5 (3rd) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Vladimir Radmanovic, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol Spurs: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto Lakers Notes: I'm not sure I thought, even with Pau back, the Lakers could get the one seed back. And, as Goo said in the comments, I feel like I need a shower afte... lire la suite
Lien du post: http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2008/04/13/preview-and-chat-the-san-antonio-spurs/
TNT Notes Jan. 10th: The Detroit Pistons Defeat The San Antonio Spurs In Big Road Win Miller on whether the Spurs/Pistons match-up is a potential NBA Finals preview: “I’m sure Boston will have something to say about this, and (so will) Phoenix and Dallas in the West, but when it comes to experience you have to go with Detroit for the simple fact they’ve been (to the Finals before). I don’t want to discredit what Boston has done to this point, but I like (the Spurs and Pistons) and I don’t think (the Pistons) have reached the zenith of their potential, even though they are a veteran-led team. They are going to show a lot more as the season goes on...I like (the Spurs and the Pistons to make it to) the Finals.” Game 1: Detroit Pistons (90) @ San Antonio Spurs (80) Saunders on the Pistons match-up against the Spurs: “Our guys look at these guys as the rivalry of the West, they faced them three years ago in the Finals. You’ve got great match-ups- you’ve got (Tim) Duncan against Rasheed (Wallace), Chauncey (Billups) against (Tony) Parker and either (Bruce) Bowen or (Michael) Finley against Rip (Hamilton), so their main players are going against our main players.” Fratello on San Antonio’s interior defense: “That’s not how (Detroit) built this lead, the way they did it was with four-foot or five-foot shots or lay-ups. I don’t think I remember a team getting that many interior scores against San Antonio’s defense in a long, long time. When you look at the statistics, (San Antonio is ranked) 20^th in the league in opponent’s field goal percentages. That’s not the Spurs; they are always one, two, or three. They always have those two shot blockers up there contesting interior play.” Prince on the difference in the Pistons’ start between their loss the night before in Dallas versus their fast start against the Spurs: “In last night’s game we let Dallas be the aggressor first and we started playing catch-up. Tonight we tried to be the aggressor and come out and establish ourselves and we did a great job of that in the first quarter.” Barkley on the open race in the West: “The Spurs aren’t the Spurs right now. A lot can change between now and the end of the season. I have no idea (who will win) in the West, it’s still up for grabs. I haven’t seen the Spurs be the Spurs and I don’t think the Lakers are for real. Portland is playing terrific, but Utah has disappointed me and Denver has disappointed me. The West is up for grabs.” Miller on the calm demeanor of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the huddle after halftime: “When you’re a four time World Champion like Gregg Popovich, you don’t panic. You understand that is a 48 minute game and you realize that for the first 24 minutes of that first half you didn’t give your best effort. But in this next 24 (minutes) let’s move the basketball, let’s get some good shots and let’s control what we can, which is the tempo. They are gradually getting back in this ball game.” TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Spurs coach Gregg Popovich after halftime. Miller on the compelling match-ups shaping up in the West in the NBA Playoffs: “Think about if the playoffs started today with Phoenix having the number one seed against Golden State, that’s a compelling match-up. This San Antonio Spurs team going against Denver, there’s history there (between the teams). The two teams that are really surprising are Portland who would go against the Lakers. Could you imagine if the playoffs started today with those matchups in the West? “ Barkley on the San Antonio Spurs: “I’m concerned about the Spurs. They are missing an energy or something right now. There’s a long way to go (in the season) but even though they have one of the best records in the game, they are just missing something, like an energy level.” Butler on how the team is dealing with star guard Gilbert Arenas’ injury: “Guys are really stepping up in all aspects of the game. There’s no one particular guy, (Antawn Jamison and myself) are setting the tone, but Roger Mason, Antonio Daniels, Brendan Haywood, he’s having a career year, Andray Blatche, some of the younger guys are stepping up to the forefront.”
Les San Antonio Spurs, tenants du titre, se sont qualifies pour la finale de la Conference Ouest du Championnat NBA, en s'imposant 91 a 82 face aux New Orleans Hornets lundi lors du match N.7 a La Nouvelle-Orleans.
This is the latest in a series at FB&G that will run through the start of the season, focusing on some of the top teams in the West and maybe a couple from the East. In this installment we’ll touch on one of our biggest rivals over the past decade, the San Antonio Spurs. (Cue the Deathstar music) ~Darius As Reed pointed out in his epic “Know Your Enemy”: The Phoenix Suns post, the San Antonio Spurs are our most traditional rival in the last decade. They have the combination of Coach, GM, and players that have posed the biggest challenge to us since Phil Jackson first started (not) pacing (and really, just mostly sitting on) the sidelines and leading the Shaq/Kobe teams to post-season glory. They are a model franchise in the NBA, with 4 Championship rings in the Popovich/Duncan Era and contiue to make trips deep into the playoffs every spring. If there is one team (besides the Lakers) that will be remembered from the immediate post Jordan period of the NBA, it would be the San Antonio Spurs. Last season was the typical effort from the Spurs. They battled their way to over 50 wins for the ninth(!) consecutive season and advanced deep into the post-season. And, just as in every other one of those stellar campaigns, it all started with Tim Duncan. Duncan continues to be the catalyst for the Spurs, and even though some have argued that he’s lost a step, he’s still one of the elite players in this league, combining fundamental play with exceptional basketball IQ to do what is needed to help lead his team to victories. His tremendous defensive instincts (both in one on one play and in the team structure) powered one of the NBA’s best defenses and helped smother opponents to the tune of 90.6 pts. allowed per game and also placed him on the All-Defensive (2nd) team, a feat he’s accomplished every season that he’s been a pro. But as a team, last season would not be the Spurs’ year. Coming into the season as the defending champs (which is already a strike against them, considering they’ve never repeated as champs in three previous tries), the Spurs had a tough hill to climb as injuries to key players and improvements from other teams made their quest to repeat an extremely difficult task. In the playoffs they easily dispatched of the Phoenix Suns in the first round, but were then pushed to the limit by the upstart Hornets (where only experience and some Game 7 moxie helped them pull out the victory), and ultimately fell to our team in a series that many thought would go longer than the 5 games that it actually took. And although the Spurs were clearly hampered by an obviously not 100% Ginobili in their loss to the Lakers, I think that they would have struggled to beat us even if Manu was healthy considering Kobe’s ability to score at will with his jumpshot and how the Spurs didn’t have the bench to play with our 2nd unit. So, as in seasons past, the Spurs look to retool on the fly and compete in a tough divion, and an even tougher conference, hoping for another chance to win a title. This upcoming season will be an interesting one for the Spurs. Over the past few seasons, they watched their role players get old and have not been able to find young players capable of stepping in to replace the production that their steady veterans have provided. But this year, they will not have a choice and will need some of their young players to make strong contributions. Gone are Robert Horry and Brent Barry. And while Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas return, they are now just spot players and should not be counted on for major contributions, even if they are feeling younger by practicing some new training techniques. So the Spurs will be looking for solid minutes from younger players that are unproven in this league. Guys like Ian Mahinmi, their 2005 first round pick out of France who’s shown very good improvement over the past year in the D-league and has flashed good athleticism that could help boost the Spurs frontcourt. The Spurs understand that Mahinmi is still raw, but he’s got talent and they’ll be looking for his size, length, and the bounce in his step to add a dimension to their rotation. They’ll also be looking to Salim Stoudamire, the former Hawk whose long distance jumper and ability to handle to ball (some) will hopefully replace some of what Brent Barry has provided recently. Besides them, rookie guard George Hill from IUPUI will get some run and try to help bolster their PG rotation after they traded away Beno Udrih early last season (if Hill’s name sounds familiar, it should. He’s the player that the Lakers brass was supposedly very high on in this past draft, hoping to snag him with our 2nd round pick, instead picking up Joe Crawford). However the one young player that the Spurs were hoping they could rely on will not be available to them this next season. Tiago Splitter is the Brazillian big man with first round talent whose rights are owned by San Antonio. He’s played very well in Europe over the past two seasons and the Spurs were hoping to bring him over this next season to have him bolster their F/C rotation. Splitter’s bruising style on offense and defense combined with his hustle and energy would be valuable to any NBA team, but match what the Spurs need to help Duncan almost exactly. But Splitter decided to stay in Europe instead and signed a contract to remain with Tau Ceramica of the Spanish League. Splitter’s decision was doubly hurtful for the Spurs as many think it was their reliance on a future this upcoming season with Splitter that swayed them to trade Luis Scola to the Rockets before last season. Can the Spurs make another run? Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili remain. And while Ginobili is still on the mend from surgery, the team (and even more importantly the head coach) has a positive perspective as he can now, finally, heal from the injuries that plauged him during the playoffs and the Olympics. Injuries that sapped him of his trademark explosiveness and ability to play to his full ability. And even though some of the Spurs players are getting older, they are still contributors and continue to fill roles that help win games. Bruce Bowen, though not the all world defender he once was, is still a major irritant to wing scorers and can still hit that corner 3 pointer. Jacque Vaughn is still a decent back up PG that has refined his mid range jumper and avoids mistakes. Fabricio Oberto is still a quality big man that works well in tandem with Duncan, hustles on defense and the glass, and brings a craftyness and savvy that few big men operate with. And Ime Udoka is becoming the new Bowen...making timely jumpers and providing perimeter defense, putting a strong body on the leagues top scorers and playing within the Spurs team defensive concepts. There’s also new addition Roger Mason (from the Wizzards) who is another wing player that can hit the 3 pointer and play a good enough all around game to crack the rotation, helping to replace the departed Brent Barry and be a contingency for a declining Michael Finley. In the end, the Spurs are still a western power. Especially when they have 3 all-star players and a head coach that I’d take over every other coach in the NBA not named Phil Jackson. Can they combine new pieces with their veteran core to make another run? I’m not sure (I wouldn’t bet against it, though). But I do know that, when healthy, they’re as tough an out as any team in the league. Ultimately, I see the Spurs competing hard for their division title with the Hornets and the improved Rockets and still in contention for a top 4 seed. If they can survive the first part of the season when Ginobili is out and have Duncan and Parker stay healthy, they’ll be in the mix. Their time is not over yet, and though there are other teams that are improved and will be strong as well, I see our longtime rival being right there this season...again.
Pronostic San Antonio Spurs - New York Knicks Pronostic San Antonio Spurs - New York Knicks @ 2.53 (Unibet) Prono San Antonio Spurs - New York Knicks confiance : 7.5/10 Prono San Antonio Spurs - New York Knicks mise : 10 € Sans ses deux grandes stars (Tony Parker et Ginobilli), San Antonio va se casser les dents contre un New York qui a vaincu Utah la nuit derniere
Records: Lakers 12-8; Spurs 17-4 Offensive ratings: Lakers 111.2 (8th); Spurs 114.4 (3rd) Defensive ratings: Lakers 106.1 (12th); Spurs 104.9 (10th) Spurs: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Matt Bonner, Francisco Elson The Spurs Coming In: Tim Duncan is officially listed as questionable for tonight. However, seeing as he wasn’t the one who beat the Lakers last time they played that doesn’t mean a ton. He only had five points. Despite the Duncan injury the Spurs have continued to bring Ginobli off the bench the last couple games, going with a starting five that puts a lot of pressure on Parker to provide the scoring. When Ginobli does come in he is lighting it up, shooting 42.9% from three in his last 10 games. Parker and Ginobli are carrying the scoring load of late, although the Spurs role players are all capable of having a big night. Matt Bonner dropped 25 the other night. Hope his mom clipped that story for the scrapbook. The reason that Bowen had a big game (and the Lakers lost) was that Parker and Ginobli got into the lane at will, the Laker defense collapsed on them and the Spurs kicked out to wide open guys at the three point line. There was other fun, like when the Lakers guards went under the screen on the pick and roll, and San Antonio drained the open shot behind the screen. The Lakers defensive goal was to defend the paint and they got burned by a team that could space the floor and shoot. Also, the Lakers had a lot of empty trips thanks to 19 turnovers, plus they shot 2 of 16 from beyond the arc (the Spurs defend that shot as well as any team in the league. The Lakers cannot really stop Parker or Ginobli one-on-one, the problem last game was that the entire perimeter defense collapsed on those two when they started to drive, leaving Bowen and others wide open looks from three. The Lakers have to trust their rotations, trust their bigs coming from the weak side to make some blocks. If they do that, you go a long way toward stopping the Spurs (and playing better defense on the whole). Tonight’s Game: Where We Miss The First Five Minutes Because The Early Game Runs Long Happens: Yes the Spurs have injuries to their big three, but part of what has made them THE SPURS the last decade is that they play their system well, right down to the 12th man on the bench. This team is no pushover, regardless of who plays. That said, if the Lakers stay disciplined on defense and stay in their system, they can win a close game. This will be a good measuring stick for just how well the Lakers are playing now.
Records: Lakers 55-25 (1 seed, tie); Spurs 54-25 (2 seed, tie) Offensive ratings: Lakers 114.7 (3rd); Spurs 108.9 (14th) Defensive ratings: Lakers 107.3 (9th); Spurs 103.5 (3rd) Spurs: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto Spurs Coming in: The Lakers catch a big break today as Ginobli is not expected to play due to a groin strain. Of course, that break didn't help Seattle at all a few nights ago as Parker took on more of the offensive load and the Spurs cruised I'm not in the camp of “The Spurs Are Done” but the more I see them lately the more I think they will not win the title this year. The reason isn't the big three — Duncan, Parker and Ginobli have played well all season and that has really continued of late (the spurs are 8-2 in their last 10). In the last 10 all three are averaging at least 16.6 points per game. (That said, Parker is shooting 45.9% and is not hitting his threes, he is someone to lay back on right now). Also, the Spurs have been getting solid play from Finley of late. And it is not the Spurs defense, which is still the third best in the league for the season. It's been even better of late, opposing teams are shooting just 44.6% (eFG%) in the last 10. To me, that defense is what keeps them in contention. But they don't get the play off the bench that they used to, and I think that will be their downfall in the playoffs. Ime Udoka has had good stretches, same with Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry. But the fact of the matter, you have to have solid group of role players to win a title, and I think the big three in San Antonio no longer have the supporting cast to get them another ring. For more Spurs info, check out Pounding The Rock. The other thing about the Lakers defense - it always leads to fast break points when they are playing it right. That would be a big help today, the Spurs like it slow (28th in pace in the league). Push the tempo and they become more uncomfortable. (Although, part of what makes the Spurs fantastic is they never stop doing what they want to do, they don't get sucked into your game. That is a veteran team.) Well, I guess I should say it's not all about the Lakers defense - the teams Spurs have had the most trouble with this year are the ones that are the most offensively efficient. Against the teams that are the 10 best shooting teams in the league, the Spurs have won “just” 48% of the games, and the teams that move the ball the best (as determined by racking up assists) beat the Spurs 54% of the time. Basically, if the Lakers play their offense they should score, and that will put pressure on the Spurs offense, not that team's strong suit.
Les champions en titre de la NBA, les San Antonio Spurs ont remporte une victoire contre la Nouvelle-Orleans, leur permettant de revenir au score lors des demi-finales des playoffs de la Conference Ouest. La prochaine rencontre est decisive.
Records: Lakers 27-12 (3 seed); Spurs 26-13 (6 seed) Offensive ratings: Lakers 112.1 (5th); Spurs 111.0 (8th) Defensive ratings: Lakers 105.4 (6th)(; Spurs 104.4 (4th) Spurs: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Jeremy Richardson, Tim Duncan (they can call him a forward all they want, he plays center) The Spurs Coming In: The Spurs are in the middle of their traditional “just before the All-Star break swoon.” And by swoon we mean 5-5 in their last 10, 10-10 in their last 20. The Spurs do this every year, it has no bearing on the Spurs you will see in April and beyond. One other guy to watch for is Ime Udoka, who has been bringing the defensive energy for the Spurs off the bench. His minutes keep going up, and if Pop is giving you minutes you are doing something right. Last Time These Two Met: The Lakers picked up a win last month, but that game will look nothing like this game. First, Parker and Duncan sat out for the Spurs, plus Ginobli got in foul trouble and missed much of the fourth quarter. The Lakers were sloppy but got the win anyway. They can't pull that off tonight. In a game early in the season the Spurs dominated the Lakers, but this is a different Lakers squad in terms of confidence now, so I'm not taking much from that one either. Plus Matt Bonner had 15 in that game — if that is the Spur that beats you, you were destined to lose that game. Keys To The Game:One thing to watch tonight is pace — the Lakers want to push it, the Spurs want to slow the game down (the Lakers average almost 9 more possessions per game than the Spurs). If one team can control the tempo, that will be a big advantage. What the Spurs do on offense is not really complex but very hard to stop — they get the ball inside to Duncan, or through penetration by Parker and Ginobli, then if you double or collapse on defense they kick it out to the three point line where Finley, Barry and Horry (or Bowen in the corner) are waiting to shoot. It works because stopping any of the Big Three is very hard to do one-on-one (the Lakers will really miss Ariza tonight for that reason). Still, Kwame and the rest of the Lakers need to protect the paint first and foremost — the other Spurs can beat you, but make them do it and not Duncan or Parker. On defense, the Spurs are the best rotating team in the league, so the Lakers shooters are going to have a hand in their face tonight (particularly Fisher, I bet). They still need to hit the shots and make moves when isolated.
Les champions NBA sortants, les San Antonio Spurs, se sont assures la troisieme place de la Conference Ouest en battant Utah (109-80) mercredi lors de la derniere journee de la saison reguliere.