WEDNESDAY WIRE (On Thursday)

What now?

Just when it looks like we are finally hitting our stride, the basketball fates throw one more curve ball down the pipe, as Tony Parker becomes the latest victim of San Antonio’s ailing basketball karma. In my last article, I said the game in Cleveland was the marker that would indicate the Spurs’ ability to make a run this season; there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that George Hill is as good as Pop’s man-crush would indicate, and Manu’s old and decrepit body hasn’t failed him yet. The bad news is the Spurs are extremely shallow at the guard position, and while we competed honorably against Cleveland (minus King James and in their own house), when we were in position to close out the game, we couldn’t get it done.

Tony Parker’s chances of continuing his dominance from last year were slowed by nagging injuries, which is disappointing, but it makes him much easier to replace when he can’t play. George Hill took advantage of the opportunity and now excels in his new role as the starting point guard. In the 9 games Parker has missed this season, Hill managed to substitute Tony’s average of 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, with 17.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. George also adds two new elements to the mix; he is a much more aggressive defender and his long-ball is extremely reliable. Making up for the dip in assists, is the master, Manu Ginobili, elevating his season average from a respectable 3.7 to a commanding 7 assists per outing. With Parker sidelined, Manu has also been able to increase his scoring, rebounds, and 3-point percentage. Even the scorned Richard Jefferson has managed to raise his game, and at times, was able to lead the Spurs in some of Parker’s absences earlier in the year. But hiding beneath all of these great improvements is a weakness that wasn’t exposed until now.

Replacing Parker means Pop must commit Hill and Manu to the starting line-up. At first glance it doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but as I reveal the new bench unit, the truth will become painfully clear: Matt Bonner, Roger Mason, DeJuan Blair, Richard Jefferson, and Malik Hairston. If you like suspense thrillers forget about buying a movie ticket, look no further than the Spurs’ bench. Their unpredictability will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. How will they blow this lead? Who’s going to clank the next three-pointer? It is down right terrifying. The leading role in this thriller is, apparently, Roger Mason. Now that Finley is gone, Parker is injured, and Hill is starting, Mason has been elevated from the dog house to sixth man. In 25+ minutes against Cleveland he was 1-10 from the field, 0-8 from deep, and 0-1 from the line; he might be better off staying in Pop’s dog house. Can any explain to me why Mason took 3 times as many shots as Richard Jefferson during the Cleveland game? The second squad is, and should be, the Richard Jefferson show! Look, I love Roger Mason, but I have no desire to watch him hoist up 10 shots a game until he gets his stroke back. We picked up Jefferson for this reason, let the man play!

There is no doubt in my mind the Spurs will make the playoffs, but don’t expect much more than that. Tim has been able to rest and is playing great in limited minutes, Manu is hotter than Ben Roethlisberger’s latest tabloid scandal, and Hill has been a breath of fresh air amidst the disappointments that continue to plague the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately, Manu won’t be able to continue his gutsy performances for the rest of the season, he will eventually break down, and the bench might as well be empty. Consider the rest of the season a chance to get to know Ian Mihimni and Malik Hairston, as they look to earn a greater role on the team next year. Spurs fans, through caution and your expectations to the wind; let’s enjoy the rest of the season, it should be quite a show.


P.S. Congratulations to Michael Finley, he had a fine performance in his debut with the Boston Celtics.

WEDNESDAY WIRE

One Play Could Mark the Turning Point for San Antonio

Those of you who are married have probably found yourselves in a situation like this many times. You and your spouse are kicking back one afternoon and arrive at an impasse during a life-changing conversation about what color your 90 year old neighbor’s hair really is. As both of you scramble to track down the correct answer to one of life’s more pressing issues, the truth becomes painfully clear, you are wrong. This is the point in the conversation when you go take a long bathroom break and hope your spouse forgets about it. I don’t know how it works for you, but in my house victory is not simply a passing moment. Instead, it is marked on the calendar and celebrated by daily taunting. I am reminded by the sinking feeling I get every time we leave the house and my wife sees the dear old neighbor and politely shouts out, “Hi, what beautiful PINK hair you have!” A constant living memorial to the “ONE” time I was wrong. The Spurs have done that to me and many of their fans this year. Every time they step out on the court that sinking, disgusted feeling creeps back in and we are once again reminded of our new and humbling place in the NBA, middle of the pack and run of the mill. The only thing they have done well this season is not doing things well, and I have completely run out of creative ways to describe their mediocrity. A faint ray of hope now shines. If the Spurs somehow manage to scrounge out a playoff spot and make waves in the post season, we will trace the turning point to one person, making one play, just one week ago.

On February 24th the Spurs were locked in a fiercely contested battle. The young and upcoming Oklahoma City Thunder had something to prove when Kevin Durant took flight to deliver the knock-out blow against a battle tested, weary squad, trying with every ounce of failing energy to hold on to a win. Then the unexpected happened. Mustering all of his strength Manu Ginobili runs down a future NBA MVP and denies his rim-rocking, back-breaking, demoralizing jam. Once again, Manu had delivered the unthinkable, and changed the course of yet another important game. It is not just the block that is significant, it was the one time this season that I remember a San Antonio Spurs player not shutting down at the end of a game changing play. Manu said after the game that he expected to be on the wrong end of a Kevin Durant poster, but he attacked anyway. This is the Spurs of old, clawing together wins at whatever cost. When I saw Manu go up and get that ball, I took mental note. How the Spurs respond to this moment would make or break the rest of the season. They followed Manu’s heroics with a 14 to 31 point first quarter massacre at the hands of the Houston Rockets, and humiliation rained down once again. While the first quarter was forgettable, the Spurs’ bench led the team back. In surprising fashion, the second and third team players resisted the urge to quit, outscoring Houston’s starters 35 to 24 in the fourth quarter, eventually losing the game by only 5 points. On paper it is a loss, but for the Spurs it was a step in the right direction. The Spurs have ridden Manu’s energy shock wave to beat the Thunder, Suns, and Hornets. The improvements are subtle, but when you look closely, they are key signs that this sleeping giant finally has a pulse.

In the last four games the Spurs are showing signs of life. Rebounds are up and turnovers are down. We are putting up 4 more points per game, while scoring 6 more points in the paint, leading to more free throw attempts. Richard Jefferson has picked up key areas in his game including shooting nearly 50% from the field, scoring more points, and grabbing an average of 3 more rebounds. Manu is filling in other areas, nearly doubling his rebounding, while adding more assists and steals. George Hill is thriving in his new role as a starter averaging 39 minutes per game, shooting 54% from the field and a sizzling 57% from down town. He too has increased rebounding and adds 7 more points per game to the mix for San Antonio. After 58 games, we are beginning to see what this team is capable of.

The Spurs have been comatose; no hustle, no heart, and no pulse. Lying there on the table with no signs of life, the flat-line calls, signaling the end, is here. Dr. Ginobili scrambles to the ready, pulled out the defibrillator, and shocks us all. The numbing drone of the line is interrupted with one quiet beep. Then another, and another, everyone scrambles back to their positions, fighting for more life! Can they maintain the energy and focus? Will they be able to finish the task at hand? It is yet another turning point for the Spurs, if they let this one slip by, they will be fumbling away the last opportunity they have to regain any life this season. March 8th we travel to Cleveland to rumble with the King, we will find out there, how this story will end.

WEDNESDAY WIRE

Lottery Bound?


I just got back from watching my kids’ basketball team get beat. I have to say, with as terrible as my kids are, it is the most entertaining thing I have ever seen. Surprisingly, it is fun to watch people run around on the court without a clue of what they are supposed to be doing; as long as they are six years old. Unfortunately, I am not so entertained by what I see on the court with the San Antonio Spurs. Over the last 13 years the Spurs have been the most successful sports franchise, amassing 700 wins and winning nearly 70% of their games. They have out-performed even the greatest franchises in every sport including the L.A. Lakers, baseball’s Yankees, hockey’s Redwings, and the NFL’s Broncos. I have tried to resist the notion that the Spurs may not be the team of years past, and despite all of my desperate clinging to fading greatness, they have done nothing to convince me otherwise. In the last five games we have only squeaked out 2 wins, while shooting 42% from the field and only 32% from downtown. The cliché may hold true “every good thing must come to an end.” So, has the Spurs’ run finally ended?

When the season began, we were not only a playoff team, but a serious contender for the championship. Now, we have not only slipped out of contention, but we are teetering on the edge, balancing uncomfortably in 7th place in the West, just one game ahead of the resilient Trailblazers. I have long held the belief, for a sports franchise to continue being great, they must choose at some point to forego immediate success and build for the future while they are still viable. The Spurs took some steps this summer to begin that process when they acquired Richard Jefferson, but in light of this year’s disappointments, did little to continue the process before the trade deadline. With several teams salivating at the 2010 free agent class, there were plenty of motivated sellers giving us an opportunity to land younger talent or even better draft selections. In classic Spurs style we made no splashes at the deadline, but this is not our classic Spurs situation. Even though opportunity passed us by, there are plenty of chances for redemption over the next couple of years.

The Spurs rebuilding opportunities may begin with the unthinkable, missing the playoffs and landing in the lottery. As I highlighted in my “Goodbye Spurs” article, the Spurs have an extremely difficult second half this season, paired with the poor performance and nagging injuries, combine to make a perfect recipe for disaster. This decline has been imminent for several years beginning with our franchise best 63-19 season in 2005 until now. Early last decade the highly favored Lakers were in a similar situation, inconsistent play, leading to stressed prime time egos, and culminating with Shaq being shipped off to Miami. The Lakers fell from 56 to 34 wins from 2003 to 2004. Leading to a series of risks and changes that have brought them back to the top of the league, beginning with drafting a high schooler named Andrew Bynum, then in 2007 acquiring Gasol and Ariza, propelling them back into contention. This is our first rodeo in San Antonio either. In 1996 injuries and poor play, led the Spurs to our lottery miracle, subsequently landing us the best power forward of all time. If we don’t make the playoffs, at least, we can have a decent first round pick. Allowing us to pair that pick with another player and possibly trade for another star or a higher lottery pick to pursue a new franchise player through the draft.

The Spurs will not be major players in the 2010 free agent pool, but we have several quality players with expiring contracts coming up the following season. Do not underestimate the power of a massive expiring contract to a team wanting to make some moves in 2011 when players like Al Horford, Carmelo Anthony, and David West. Kevin Durant, and Tony Parker are all prizes any up and coming team would cherish. Between 2010 and 2011, the Spurs have 10 of their 14 players reaching the end of their contracts. We could see a much more conservative R.C. Buford, possibly paving the way for a big 2011 summer bringing us back to the top. If the Spurs do not believe they will be major players in the 2011 free agent pool, we could make some moves with a sign and trade, dealing draft picks, or moving expiring contracts.

The next three years could be a trying time for this franchise and the fans, but a little patience would be prudent. I’m not waiving the white flag of surrender, and believe me, I would prefer to see a miraculous turn around this year, but if the signs are right, and our season is all but over, there is a silver lining. Much like the Lakers rapid rebuild from 2004-2006, we too could find ourselves leading the West once again and fighting for another championship in just a few years. Maybe we are not lottery bound this year, but whether we like it or not our stars are getting older and the rebuilding process is closer than we think.

WEDNESDAY WIRE

“Who ‘Dat!?”


The streets of New Orleans fill with wine and celebration, “Lombardy-Gra” is the new celebration that is sending this once down trodden city into frenzied delight. In San Antonio “Who ‘Dat?” is not being shouted by blissful fans on the cusp of achieving greatness, instead in the bewilderment that surrounds not just this city, but the entire nation. The San Antonio Spurs have gone from NBA Dynasty to West coast whipping post. The Spurs are no longer being described in terms of relative greatness, but by the words “average, mediocre, and confused”. What has taken this team from the pinnacle of success to the drudges of the mundane?

A trade of historic proportions lifted the great Richard Jefferson from the Bucks for a handful of ageing players and expiring contracts, bringing in the playoff tested Antonio Mcdyess, and adding the shot-blocking prowess of Theo Ratliff only added to the legend that is Greg Popovich, R.C. Buford, and the entire Spurs organization. Now, more than halfway through the season, the Rodeo Road Trip nearing midway, and the trade deadline approaching at a desperate pace, many doubts remain about the greatest sports franchise of the past decade. The Championship Spurs of years past are all but gone, and the facility that once made this team great is now lacking and wreaking havoc.

The Spurs in the past decade have been the standard for team defense, putting a strong focus on rebounding, forcing low percentage shots, and shot blocking. Now, the Spurs are simply average in most of these categories ranking 13th, 11th, and 15th respectively; we are also in the bottom third of the league in forcing turnovers. The past two games have been perfect examples, shining the light on the Spurs’ team deficiencies and exposing the Spurs squad as being simply average. The Spurs held an 11 point lead midway through the third quarter against an extremely anemic Blazers team. The old Spurs would have sent this young, and undermanned, team into a tail spin, likely beating them by 20 points; the current Spurs team blows a commanding 11 point lead and loses the game by three. Against the Lakers, missing two of their best players, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, the Spurs were competitive through the first half. The old Spurs make their half time adjustments, and then put the clamps on in the fourth quarter to bring their team to victory. The current team after a dominating first quarter delivered a weak second, folded and gave away the next two quarters, finishing with a double digit loss. Where is the focus? Where is the intensity?

There was a time when the Spurs walked onto the court, especially in San Antonio, there was no beating them. If a team somehow managed to pull out a win, the physical and emotional impact of the game would often leave the opponent weak and uncompetitive in their next few outings. There is one less obvious deficiency on this year’s team, an emotional leader. The one player, that despite all odds, can get the entire team to rally and change the course of the game; Mario Elli, Avery Johnson, and Robert Horry have filled this role for past Spurs’ teams. Greg Popovich would jump in from time to time and go off on a referee, get ejected, and send the Spurs on a game winning run. Who is that player on this year’s team? Who has been that player for the past 3 years? The championship attitude and swagger has left, and now resides with the LA Lakers and Lebron James (no one else in Cleveland has any idea what is going on). Someone on this roster needs to step up, show some fire and heart, so when these tough games come there is someone we can turn to. If the Spurs’ brass does not believe this player exists on the current roster, a move needs to be made to find that piece of the puzzle.

The Spurs lack toughness as well; the gritty, hard-nosed, pit bull-type aggressiveness that made teams regret stepping on the court with the Silver and Black. If you go on YouTube and type “Bruce Bowen” in the search, hundreds of videos come up with people expressing their disgust for Bruce’s dirty play. “The Worm”, Will Purdue, and Bruce are just a few of those players that brought that toughness to the Spurs. We need a player who is willing to get down right dirty on the court. In Game 4 of the 2007 play off series with Phoenix, Robert Horry sent Steve Nash careening into the scorer’s table, he didn’t bend down and help him up. He turned his head and walked away, clearing the Phoenix Suns’ bench, effectively swinging the series momentum back to the Spurs with a simple hip check. No one on this team seems to want to make any contact. I would rather see a team who commits twice as many fouls for being too aggressive (on offense and defense), than players who look like they just got a manicure and don’t want to get their nail polish messed up. Paul Millsap, Chris Anderson, and Matt Barnes are a few names that come to mind.

Obviously the Spurs have chemistry problems on the court, but it is not just game play that is causing the Spurs’ problems. Attitude, leadership, and aggressiveness are also contributing to the team’s recent tailspin. These issues can be overcome, but it will take a remarkable turn-around by players and coaches alike. The Trade Deadline looms just ahead, offering the Spurs one more chance to add a key piece for their championship run. The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting farther away, and hope for another playoff appearance is quickly evaporating. The time of reckoning is here for the Spurs, if they pass the test, they too will hear the celebrating in the streets as we achieve greatness once again.