Things Can Only Get Better
Is it just me, or does it feel like the San Antonio Spurs are marching towards a fourth NBA title? Things have certainly been good for the Spurs lately, and can only get better.- After their win against the Kings tonight, the Spurs have the best record in the league since the All-Star Break, winning 22 of 25. That includes victories against the Pistons, the Jazz and the Suns.
- Back in February, the Mavericks and Suns were running away from the Spurs and the rest of the league, and now the Spurs look like the team to beat. The Spurs face the Mavericks in four days.
- Steve Kerr thinks the Suns got nothing on the Spurs, and he's right.
- Duncan may be the best defensive player and the league's MVP.
- Ginobili is widely regarded as a leading candidate for the league's Sixth Man.
- Popovich was Coach of the Month for March -- the ninth time he's received the award, which is just two short of Pat Riley's record 11.
- ESPN ranked the Spurs #1 for Fan Satisfaction among NBA teams, and #2 among all sports franchises. Take that, Mavericks fans.
- A little icing for all this cake: the Mavericks could end up facing the Warriors in the first round, who beat them twice in two games this season. Avery, can you say "six game series?"
posted by D Strickland at 10:12 PM
4 Comments:
Bad Dingo! Very, very BAD Dingo! Do not, repeat, DO NOT jinx the Spurs when they're playing well! If you're not already knocking on every last piece of wood around you, I'm personally going to hunt you down and shatter several minor bone groups with a corked baseball bat!
Your next post better be RIFE with references to Tony's lack of love for the assist, how much better Manu was in 2005, fire and brimstone about Tim's free throws, and maybe a few speculative insinuations about the Coach's drinking problems. And don't even THINK about slobbering over Finley's performance tonight! It was a one night deal, and it's not going to happen again. EVER.
Ya hear?
-rick2g
Nine consecutive Coach of the Months in March is a very impressive statistic!
Unfortunately, it isn't true....
In 2004, Hubie Brown won it in March.
In 2005, George Karl won it in March.
Pop has *only* won it in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007.
-MTW
rick2g,
Geez, I touched a nerve, didn't I?
I'm not at all superstitious, so I'm unafraid of jinxing the Spurs with anything I say here. You should talk to Bramlet, though. That guy likes to burn the opponents images in effigy as part of his pre-game ritual, even when he watches on TiVo delay!?
I'm sure that Michael's next post will contain enough piss and vinegar to counter my mild adulation.
Btw, we're looking for writers. Let me know if you're interested.
MTW,
Thanks for the correction. Pop has been chosen Coach of the Month nine times, with five of those awards coming in March, as you pointed out. Pat Riley has the record with 11, but I doubt that will stand as long as Pop is still coaching.
>> Is it just me, or does it feel like the San Antonio Spurs are marching towards a fourth NBA title?
It's just you Dingo.
The Mavericks won their 65th game against just 13 losses and that puts them in elite company.
They are just the 12th team in NBA history to reach 65 victories and the first to do so since the 1999-2000 LA Lakers, who went 67-15 and won the first of three titles.
With four games still to play, the Mavericks still have a chance to match the second-best record in NBA history, 69-13, which has been done twice.
All of this success and Avery is still letting key guys take games off down the stretch. I can't understand why he isn't focused on the race for first in ESPN's Hollinger rankings. The Mavs need a very strong finish to catch the Spurs, who have a lead of more than 2.5 points in the formula-I-don't-understand-based rankings. A bad finish might knock the Mavs all the way down to No. 5.
Hey, Hollinger did get one thing right. He said Mavs wouldn't win 70 this regular season because NO team has ever won 70 without a point differential of 15+ (or something like that). That was fabulous, brilliant, absolutely awe-inspiring statistical analysis...based on a sample of one. The man's a genius!
In no way, shape, or form does Tim Duncan deserve the MVP. He's got a much better cast around him and has for years that he has benefited from. Btw, nice pulling-out-a-W-somehow against the Sacramento Queens last night. My argument for Dirk is that if it's close, the award should go to the guy on the team with the best record. You can't blame Dirk for the Finals collapse and not give him credit for the 60-something wins this season.
The Spurs are a nice little team, but their time has come and gone. If the thought of the tax man coming to town on April 15th scares you, just wait till little Timmy gets a big taste of Rawlings served up by Dirk himself!
Mavs4Ever
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