San Antonio Spurs Short Season 2011-2012**

Originally posted by 49erstrandedinclev:
I wonder if Pop is going to play Duncan tonight or is he going to give him the DNP- OLD

I bet he doesn't play more than 12 minutes like on Tuesday.

Originally posted by global_nomad:

Originally posted by 49erstrandedinclev:
I wonder if Pop is going to play Duncan tonight or is he going to give him the DNP- OLD

I bet he doesn't play more than 12 minutes like on Tuesday.

I was actually amazed how long Pop played him last night considering the game was over starting the 4th.

Originally posted by dobo:
50 win season still a theoretical possibility. I just hope they don't fall apart in the early rounds, which has become something of a tradition since 2008.

It's all about injuries. Manu wasn't right vs Memphis and Parker and Duncan are playing better now than they were last year. We are a much deeper team and have more length at the SF/SG spots this year.

Pending injuries, we are back. We assimilate any player we acquire to high level unselfish play:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Spurs became the only team in the league to sweep a pair of back-to-back-to-backs this season by completing the California swing with a 127-102 win over the Kings. The more-meaningful achievement? Three cruise victories that allowed coach Gregg Popovichto still find rest for his main players despite the taxing schedule.

Even for a team that puts the entire emphasis on the postseason, to where Popovich remains unwavering in his plan to conserve minutes even if it means losing the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference to Oklahoma City, the trip was a major success. There were the three wins, of course, but they stuck to the ideal script of stepping on lottery-bound Golden State on Monday and Sacramento on Wednesday and looked impressive in beating the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers in between.

"It's better than the alternative," Popovich said. "Everybody wants to be in a rhythm now. It's too late in the season to go into a slump and lose out of five or something like that. To be winning down the stretch, nobody would trade that."

Even better for the Spurs that Popovich never had to stage another mass rest period of sitting Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parkertogether for an entire game, as had seemed inevitable at the start of the trip. Duncan was the only one to sit out, missing Wednesday's game at Power Balance Pavilion.

"It's special because it shows how deep our team is," Stephen Jackson said. "On a night like this when our best player is not playing, Tim Duncan, and we're able to win by 20, it says a lot about how deep this team and how the coaches have us prepared. They're getting us focused to play anybody. We're playing these guys like we're playing any big team, and that's how we've got to approach every game."

San Antonio returns home for games against the Lakers, Cavaliers and Trail Blazers before finishing the regular season with a back-to-back road set with Phoenix and Golden State.

The fact that the bold was on the road is even more impressive.

I really don't care about he one seed now. We have the two locked up and if we get to a situation where seeding matters then we are in good shape because that would mean we are playing OKC in the Conference finals and a chance to go to the NBA finals. We are a veteran team and home court is not as big a factor as being healthy and rested is.

The Big 3 is Looking awesome tonight. They are having there way with the Lakers right now.

The Big 3 is Looking awesome tonight. They are having there way with the Lakers right now.

If the Suns finish # 8, I want the Spurs to finish # 1.

Congrats on the asswhoopin (again). You guys are playing very well, right now. I think your only problem might be that they could be blowing their wad. We shall see how it plays out.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Congrats on the asswhoopin (again). You guys are playing very well, right now. I think your only problem might be that they could be blowing their wad. We shall see how it plays out.

Yeah. I hope they haven't peaked too soon. But for now, Spurs held a bball 101 course and the Lakers showed up to learn.

The SG and SF depth is rediculous for us. We have a lot of length, youth, and athleticism.

Also, you know you have shooters and you are a high scoring team when SJax is probably your most passive shooter.

Originally posted by Joecool:
The SG and SF depth is rediculous for us. We have a lot of length, youth, and athleticism.

Also, you know you have shooters and you are a high scoring team when SJax is probably your most passive shooter.

Yeah when was the last time that happened, I have also been really impressed how quickly Boris Diaw has fit in he is going to be a big asset in the playoffs

Originally posted by dobo:
Some good stuff first. Splitter has been starting alongside Duncan, which hopefully has given them a chance to develop chemistry, and Diaw has done a remarkable job integrating into the system. His passing and his movement on offense have been superb and he's done a good job making up for his lack of height on defense, which was notably on display against Gasol. Blair is now the odd man out, which is where he belongs. The wings are in really, really good shape. Love the addition of Jack; his toughness more than makes up for his occasional sloppiness IMO. Leonard and Green are great role players. Manu is rounding into form, at just the right time.

Some bad stuff. This team is heavily dependent on Parker. He's been great, but the Spurs have run him hard this year. He's got a lot of miles on his body, and his backup is Patty freakin' Mills. Manu is also a constant injury risk. The Spurs have done well enough without Manu during the regular season, but that won't work in the playoffs. Basically, all of the Big 3 need to be in top form and there is always a nontrivial chance that one or more of them will be injured or fatigued.

I think that was a great break down. I think Manu is starting to hit top form right now, he is starting to hit the step back shot which has been a staple of him. This also is probably the freshest I have seen Duncan around playoff time in the last 5 years. I still think the spurs need to improve some of there defensive rotations because they are going to have some poor shooting nights, as all teams do in playoffs, so we are going to have to play some shut down defence. Overall I think that the spurs are better prepared for a deep playoff run, because of our increased depth and. (touch wood) they are a lot healthier

Timmy not starting tonight hopefully we don't need him tonight.

that was big seeing OKC getting beat to day along with San Antonio winning. Getting closer to clinching the 1 in the west.