San Antonio Spurs Dynasty

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“Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”

January 3, 2016 /

Season 49, Game 35
San Antonio 121, Houston 103
29-6, 2nd in the West

Watching last night’s beatdown of the Houston Rockets felt good, didn’t it? A little bit of payback for the Christmas Day debacle.

It also represented, perhaps, a turning point for the season and perhaps for the franchise. More on this in a minute.

The turning point in last night’s game came in the last three minutes of the second quarter. After Kawhi Leonard tied the game at 50 with a shot at the rim, the Spurs went on a 10-2 run sparked by Aldridge, Leonard and Diaw.

The Rockets would respond with a run of their own in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter, tying the game at 65-65, but that would be their last gasp.

The Spurs would outscore the Rockets 31-7 in the rest of the quarter and the fourth would be little more than a formality.

* * *

Not a game goes by that I don’t think, what will the Spurs be like when the Big Three – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker – retire? What will become of the Spurs Dynasty?

Granted, Tony is healthier than he has been in years, and Manu looks rejuvenated, playing with more energy, and less anxious pressure, now that he no longer needs to be one of the team’s superstars.

Duncan is having a good year defensively, but is quietly stepping out of the limelight on the other end.

It’s hard to believe, but Tim is no longer part of the Big Three when it comes to offense, no matter how you look at it.

Win Shares? Tim is 4th.

Points per game? He is 5th, behind Leonard, Aldridge, Parker and Ginobili.

Total points? 7th.

Offensive rating? 11th.

And last night, for the first time in his 19-year career, Tim Duncan didn’t score a single point. And the Spurs won handily.

The Big Three finished with a combined 10 points – 2 points by Parker and 8 points by Ginobili, all scored in just 1 minute 45 seconds, pushing a 13-point Spurs lead to 19.


Photo: NBA.com

Leonard and Aldridge are now the anchors of the team. Last night they combined for 48 points and 15 points.

Call them the Big Two, or two parts of the new Big Three, with a third or fourth teammate stepping up to complete the triumvirate, depending on the circumstances and the opponent.

Two years ago, Duncan not scoring, and Tony only scoring 2, would have been bad news. Now it’s neither a shock nor a reason to be concerned.

This represents a big turning point for the Spurs. They no longer need Tim Duncan to score points to win games.

Last night also represented, we hope, a turning point in the season for Danny Green and Boris Diaw. Both had their best games yet.

Green finished with 18 points behind a season-best six 3-pointers, to go along with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.

Bobo’s game was arguably even bigger. He had a season-best 20 points to go with 8 rebounds, sure, but it was how he scored that was so impressive – from everywhere, in nearly every way…

Last night’s game against Houston was the Spurs fourth in a week against Western Conference teams which likely will be in the lottery, not the playoffs, come April.

The week ahead includes three teams in the Eastern Conference in the same position – Milwaukee, New York and Brooklyn.

The team’s winning ways should continue.

Go Spurs Go.

A Picture Says It All: Trimming the Fat

January 1, 2016 /

With the holiday season in full swing, the smells of treats and tamales fill the San Antonio air. As I write this, I’m enjoying my sister’s peanut butter cookies – don’t judge me. No matter where you live, there is holiday weight gain to be reckoned with, from all the delicious goodies that are so hard to say no to.

Except if you are a San Antonio Spur.

Learning to push aside breakfast tacos in favor of a nutrient-packed breakfast blend of juices and vegetables is one of many dietary changes the older members of the Silver & Black have had to incorporate into their lives. Tim Duncan has transformed a sensational career into a legendary one as he continues to beat Father Time’s roll call and his longevity is in no small part thanks to changes he has made to his diet. Tony Parker has made dietary changes, too, and it is paying big dividends with All-Star worthy playing. The other compatriot of the Big Three doesn’t discuss his eating habits, but must be watching what he eats as he continues to woo fans with his ripped physique, long after his flowing locks have lost their luster (and willingness to grow).

There are a few exceptions. Matt Bonner (a.k.a. the Sandwich Hunter) is notorious for noshing high calorie foods during his traveling off-days in search of the Hoagie Grail. He even claims that one of his best games came after eating a hoagie that should have put him to sleep. At the vibrant age of 35, his 6-foot 10-inch frame and pro basketball workout regimen allow him to process the calories. Since he isn’t asked to be the fastest or most aggressive player on the floor (nor put in a massive amount of minutes), the extra load doesn’t impact his expected work output. His eating habits are definitely an outlier in the overall Spurs game plan.

Not all sandwiches are conducive to good playing. Last month, Greg Popovich said Kawhi Leonard missed a game against the Sixers because of a bad Philly cheesesteak. Maybe Pop was kidding. Regardless, I bet The Klaw will pass on the gut punchers the next time he visits the City of Brotherly Love.

Diet and its effect on game play is no more evident than it is for Patty Mills, the player once called “a little fat ass” by Coach Pop. Although taller than the average Joe at 6 ft 0 in, he is considered one of the small guys in the NBA. This means there is really only one position he can play, a position which requires speed to perform at the highest level. In between the Spurs most disappointing Finals performance and its most glorious, Mills decided that in order for him to be the definite second option at the point guard position, he was going to have to add lean to his mean game. The result: a 2014 Finals performance (among others in the regular season) that had casual fans asking, “Who is that guy?”

So when you have a second portion this weekend, eat up and enjoy it to the fullest. And don’t forget to thank the Spurs for sacrificing, so we don’t have to.

Happy Holidays.

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