What’s the problem with Tim’s Spurs?Newsflash: There is something wrong in San Antonio. Dropping six of seven games in March is a sign of trouble, no matter how placid Tim Duncan’s expression is. We dug through the record books for the last time that San Antonio took L’s in six of ten games: January 2004. That team finished second in the Midwest and fell victim to the Shaq/Kobe steamroller in the second round of the playoffs. Slumping to 44-23 and sitting in the six seed in the West, the defending champs are in totally unchartered territory.
“March is horrible, we were talking today that at least since I’m here I don’t remember a month like this,” said Manu.
The Spurs have been particularly horrible on the glass during this skid. They’ve been outrebounded in each of their six losses, totalling a 54-rebound deficit when taken together. Tim Duncan hasn’t been pulling his usual weight on the boards, pulling down 9 per game in these L’s. In that one win over Denver, Timmy cleaned the glass for 18 rebounds. Plus, he’s not getting much help from his supporting cast. Kurt Thomas is San Antonio’s second man on the boards, and he’s averaging a measly 5.5 in each of the losses.
And as bad as San Antonio’s been on the glass, they’ve been worse on D. Over these last six, they’ve allowed their opponents to shoot just under 49% from the field. New Orleans headlined that stat, posting 100 points on 58% shooting.
But according to ESPN’s Daily Dime, the Spurs assess the problem as mental weakness…
“We’re kind of insecure, a little lack of confidence,” Ginobili said. “So when things start to go bad, we don’t have the same response as when things go right.”
“This thing lately is in our heads, it’s not physical,” Bowen said. “Right now we are not completing, not finishing our games the way we would like.”
March 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
lm98100 says:
FIRST!!!! WHATEVER THAT MEANS
March 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
daquest?on says:
the spurs are getting older by the minute and its showing… thats what you get for signing old veteran players such as kurt thomas, mighty mouse, and brent barry
March 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Kobeef says:
It sounds crazy but the spurs have a pretty good chance of missing the playoffs if they keep losing.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
K Dizzle says:
I’ll say it again. Years of deep playoff runs and international ball in the summer is catchin up. Injuries, losses in March, and in the span of 2 weeks have gone from 1st to 6th in the west. We’ll see
March 18th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
they spending too much time messing around with them mexicans over there.
they need some youth and athletiscism. maybe they should sign corey maggette in the offseason
timmy d has no help on the frontline
manu is a bitch
bruce bowen makes bitchassness plays that would make puffy scream on mtv
and parker is a newly wed who has his wife running him
March 18th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
djKianoosh says:
I’ve been saying for a minute that Tony Parker does not seem to be playing like he did in last year’s playoffs. He just doesn’t seem to have his quickness quite at that level. They need more balance between their big three, and as for the role players, the bigs need to step up and block/rebound better. They are getting hurt down low, just being out rebounded. maybe Pop will force some of his guards to start helping out with the boards. that would take away from their few break opportunities, but rebounds equal possessions after all. K Dizzle might be right with the international ball for Parker, but both Duncan and Ginobili rested this past summer. That’s partially why Manu is doing so much better this year, though he’s starting to wear down now too.
at the end of the day, I just have a feeling they’ll figure it out and just make some minor tweaks to shore up these “little things” as they’re calling it. They’re not in panic mode, but because the way the west is this year, they’re close to it. a couple more losses and they might drop to 8th.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Myrie says:
As long as the Spurs make the playoffs, they’ll be good and have their swagger. It doesn’t really matter what seed they have. Their the only team in the West that can/will be favored to win playoff games on the road.
In fact, I think they play better on the road in the playoffs anyway. So as long as they make it, they’ll be the most dangerous team.
As for their long term future, they do have to get younger and more athletic. And they need a decent quality big to go along side Tim Duncan.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
AB_40 says:
ey djK parker is still recovering from that heel injury that he head/has in his left foot. He’s been having that the whole season. Plus Tim Duncan didn’t step it up against shaq nor againtst KG someone needs to talk to him that he needs to show who he is against those guys. the young bigs amare, dwight, (yao). He don’t have problesm with them but these older guys who he played since well entering the leuage they know him now so he has to step it up against them too show ‘em he’s boss. Ok it’s still the regular season but still.
ps kurt thomas needs 10 and 10 every game for em.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Nothing But Truth says:
No way the Spurs NOT make the playoffs. They’ll get their shit together. They have too good of a player in Tim Duncan and coach in Pop to let them slip THAT far off the map. Things will get a little better when Brent Barry comes back. They haven’t been hitting their 3’s lately. The Spurs will be fine, no need to worry.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
QQ says:
^I thought the Spurs waived Barry?
March 18th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Andrew Katz says:
QQ -
I think San Antonio traded Barry to Seattle in that deal that brought Kurt Thomas to the Spurs.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Marcus says:
I’d favor the Lakers to also win on the road, if they’re healthy, cause they have this guy he wears #24, absolutely deadly in the 4th quarter, or when playing my raptors
March 18th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Nothing But Truth says:
They did trade Barry, but the Sonics waived him and if he wanted to resign with the Spurs he has to wait 30 days or so before he can.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Celts Fan says:
I said a few weeks ago that I thought the Spurs decline away from legit contender had started and that this may be the last year their window is really open wide (NO, Utah, and LAL are on the rise and only getting better, Portland’s a wild card for next year moving forward, not to mention the usual suspects in Dallas and Houston just to name the teams in the West.) I got KILLED at the time for saying it (and some of it was just said quickly, so it got misinterpreted too.) The Spurs are still dangerous, but I’ll say it again, when you start aging and moving away from contention, that happens slowly. You come up just short one year, then shorter the year after that, then suddenly you realize you haven’t won a chip in years, your team’s gotten old, and the window’s closed. Look at the 80’s Lakers and Celtics that spent year after year battling it out for best team in the NBA, then suddenly the Bad Boys win a few rings and that’s a wrap for both of them. Same thing with the early 90’s Dallas Cowboys (and I hate to draw the parallel, but the Patriots of this decade are shaping up like a team that could fall into this .)
You don’t realize that the end was actually the end until you look back on it, since the superstar stays, you still have that, “Well, we have Tim Duncan (or Tom Brady, or insert any superstar) so I like our chances!” mentality until it’s obvious that guy you still have, isn’t the same guy (or doesn’t have the same cast around him) as the one that won all the rings. It’s much rarer for teams like Jordan’s Bulls or Elway’s Broncos to just have the star walk away so fans know that that’s that. It’s usually a slow, drawn-out process that you don’t realize is happening.
The Spurs have Manu, Tony Parker, and we’ll put Tiago Splitter in there just in case he becomes as good as advertised, but beyond that, they are an old team with late draft picks. Maybe they’ll strike gold again in the draft (Manu 57th overall? awesome, I know I’m glad the Celtics used the 55th pick in that draft to grab Kris Klack!) but if not, they’re gonna have a tough time over-hauling that roster in time to be championship-level-competitive while Timmy’s still in his prime. Duncan is one of the best players ever and TP/Manu are great compliments, so on the strength of them alone, they should stick around and could keep going, but I think they’re an old team that’s started declining. They may have a “win a chip from the 6th seed” run in them before all’s said and done, but I think this is the last year they really have a chance to win one as one of the true favorites (and may be the last year they have a good chance to win one period.)
March 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Myrie says:
Same can be said for the Detroit Pistons.
Last season was their last year to really compete for another title.
Pistons and Spurs will be 2nd round playoffs exits for the next 3 seasons.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Nothing But Truth says:
The Spurs have at LEAST 2 or 3 good years left before everything goes to hell IMO.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Celts Fan says:
I disagree on Detroit. If SA had a Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Rodney Stuckey, Jarvis Hayes (he’s been too good not to keep for longer-term after this year, right?), and to a lesser extent, Aaron Afflalo, they’d be in position to keep dominating and meshing younger, developing guys into the mix. I love the youngsters Detroit has. San Antonio doesn’t have that. Young to the Spurs is the guy that’s fast enough to be the first one in line for the early bird special at The Sizzler
March 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
daquest?on says:
the sonics waived brent barry and he said he will resign with the spurs
March 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
djKianoosh says:
Celts fan, that was brilliant. I agree completely. this year is their best shot. it’s downhill after that unless they reload somehow. and Tiago, dang, they could use him right now. and why did they get rid of francisco elson again? maybe kurt thomas isn’t the upgrade they hoped he would be.
brent barry coming back will shore things up, but maybe it’s Michael Finley.. he’s cracked double digit points only twice in March and he’s shooting under 30%. that’s brutal.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Celts Fan says:
Nothing but Truth, yes, you’re right, and those 2 or 3 years are the slowly getting eliminated earlier and earlier years that are the time between the last chip and the realization of what’s up.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
daquest?on says:
tiago splitter is not as good as advertised, ive seen him personally when he was playing for brazil, i mean he is good but he most likely will be a sub in the nba and i dont think he will be the savior in the future for the spurs
March 18th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
daquest?on says:
luis scola was having his was agaisnt tiago when i saw argentina and brazil play
March 18th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Captain America says:
Luis Scola for ROY, that’s all.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
fallinup says:
I’ll be surprised if SA makes it out of the first round. But championship worthy, I doubt it..not in the faster and stronger West.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Celts Fan says:
I figured Tiago wasn’t as good as advertised, otherwise, why all the in the draft, outta the draft, over the past few years, then staying overseas? (probably a buyout for that) Either way though, plenty of guys do develop as they get older or just find a good fit in a role in the right system and see that role slowly expand. Shit, Jason Maxiell was an end of the bench afterthought 3 years ago. Nothing wrong with a sub (Tiago) as long as he can fill the role.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:50 am
todd says:
Keep on hating, keep on doubting. All this old talk is getting… old. I remember last year when everyone was saying they couldn’t win the championship. What happened to that prediction? The league and the media still have a lot of repsect for the Spurs, it’s sad that casual fans don’t.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:26 am
word says:
Fuck the spurs no one wants them in the Finals and no one enjoys watching them play, they are boring as hell. They old and really signing Kurt Thomas as a starter was a dumbass move that guy is barely mediocre these days, he didn’t do shit in Pheonix that’s why they booted his ass. The NBA sucked last year that’s why they won the finals but this year a lot of teams got their shit together and its a hell of a lot better than watching the spurs old raggedy asses. Fuck a spur!
March 19th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Celts Fan says:
Todd, who said they couldn’t win last year? No one. They weren’t the clear cut favorites, but no one was dismissing them as a contender. Come on man…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:36 am
for real says:
Spurs will roll this year.
Last year, I really felt the Spurs would have lost to the Mavericks, if the Mavs didn’t pull one of the worst choke jobs in history.
other than that, we just stackin’ trophies
March 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
. says:
.