Spurs window closed?

[Ballings7]

Last year against the Lakers.

Just for people saying "Duncan's going to get worse". An example of Duncan's energy last season he brought out, really turned it on from the rodeo trip and after the all-star break.

[taii1234]

Last year against the Lakers.

Just for people saying "Duncan's going to get worse". An example of Duncan's energy last season he brought out, really turned it on from the rodeo trip and after the all-star break.

1 highlight out of the season. What is that suppose to mean?

Vince carter can get a top 10 dunk of the season next year, does that mean hes going to play like the VC from the Raptors?

Like I said, the Spurs are a good team, but not a title threat anymore.

[old rem]

still third seed at worst this year unless they decide to tank the regular season as a strategy

manu and parker looked spry, leonard's only getting better, splitter will play more etc. etc.

At best...the Spurs are a longshot who MIGHT have one more year. At best...it takes MAJOR luck for them to top the Thunder or Lakers. A year later...they may have to think rebuild.

[Blame Rasho]

Here's who the Spurs have beaten in the playoffs since their last title:

2008 - Suns and Hornets
2009 - n/a
2010 - Mavs
2011 - n/a
2012 - Jazz and Clippers

Bleh. 3 young teams with no playoff experience, and 2 highly flawed veteran teams.

It is interesting how a highly flawed team in just one year beat the Lakers(in a sweep) and Thunder one year after being eliminated in the 1st round yet again....oh and they somehow beat the Heat in the finals as well...Wait... they were done right just like the Spurs were done right? It is just funny how people marginalize the Spurs without even thinking about what they are saying.

[old rem]

I'm not saying I'd pick them to win, but if people's argument for the Spurs not being a contender is because they didn't go the finals since 2007...how is that a practical measuring stick? The team made it to the WCF, played a close series, and ended up losing. Perhaps they're worse than OKC and the Lakers. So what? Even with Rose the bulls were worse than Miami and that doesn't stop them from being a contender. So long as the distance between the teams isn't so drastic that nothing could overturn the outcome, the Spurs are still reasonable contenders...just like the bulls will be contenders when Rose is back.

The Spurs ARE a TEAM...in the sense that they do better than the sum of the parts, but NOW? The reality is that it's a 3 man thing. Were they slapped togather lately and not coached to the Max...they ain't more than a borderline playoff team. The Spurs milk MAX effect off what they have, but now are OLD. For a year? MAYBE SAS can be the #4 or 5 in the West, but they have ZIP when it comes to top 2. NO way. VERY little window now..

[Glen20]

ive officially written them off

[gino_giode]

Spurs are an excellent regular season team. But they'll fold in the 2nd round. Just too much fire power from LAL and OKC, and SA's guns are rusting.

[TwentyOne920]

Spurs are an excellent regular season team. But they'll fold in the 2nd round. Just too much fire power from LAL and OKC, and SA's guns are rusting.

That's assuming Pop doesn't set up the Spurs' record in such a way LAL and OKC bleed each other white in the 2nd round.

As it is what hurts the Spurs is that no one on that team gets superstar calls anymore, and that's what teams need to win it all nowadays.

[Sofa King]

History reminds me to never count the Spurs out. There window should have closed long ago but they still keep coming back.

[TwentyOne920]

History reminds me to never count the Spurs out. There window should have closed long ago but they still keep coming back.

The only way I'd really count them out is when:

Duncan calls it a career;
Ginobili's body fails to hold up for the last time;
and they decide to rebuild by trading Parker away.

[justinandimcool]

Tbh, EVERYTHING went perfect for us last year. Short season, TP played great, best bench in franchise history, Lakers had an off year, faced a young team in the WCF, everyone was HEALTHY at the end, and still couldn't get it done. It hurt.

So yeah, the title window is probably closed. It really depends on Kawhi. If he can be the scorer and slasher we want him to be, you can prop it open for another year.

But lol at making the Spurs out to be failures. There are 26 other teams that are in a worse position right now, we as fans can keep our head up high, stay under the radar and enjoy another great season.

[inquisitive]

it depends on the health...also, if they can avoid playing both the lakers and okc, they have a good shot at winning the west. i think they probably match up better against the lakers too. i do think they need another backup big like Kwame Brown.

[DEEP3CL]

It's amazing how this thread always comes up in some different form every time. Look for me it's simple, the heart of that Spurs team is TD, Tony, Manu and Pop. And without getting super graphic, until the heart is ripped out of the core of that franchise the Spurs will be like Jason Vorhees.

Even when you think they're dead, them SOB's ( I mean that in a respectful tone ) will keep lurking around. The Spurs may not be built to withstand battles with certain teams, but what they can do is make you exert energy, extend you a bit.And are just dangerous enough to beat you in a series.

People are undercutting the Spurs as far as it's series with OKC. They thrashed them in Game 1, and lead for most of Game 2. If not for a horrid 6 1/2 minutes of the 4th, they would've pulled out that game.

I know this, and this is fact...there isn't one team in the west who'll claim they'd want to play the Spurs in a series. And there isn't a fan of any team who would want that either. Anybody thinking that is lying to themselves.

[sportjames23]

You can never count them out until the end. Spurs have been proving people wrong for years now.

Yup, they've been proving people wrong for the last...5 years, right?

[Darain]

Because of this thread, spurs will get the first seed again

[CodyB_]

With a front office like that, there window is perpetually open. They are constantly a 50 win team, have a nack for spotting potential and developing their players. I'll mention that they CONSTANTLY have a good salary situation also, I remember looking at their salary when they last won the chip, and they weren't far over at all, meanwhile the Lakers, Nets, MAvs etc. were all way up there.

The Spurs will get a bigtime player, resurrect a declining player and have an excellent supporting cast. Mix that with the best coaching staff in the game, the most professional demeanor and the propensity to reinvent and adapt to a changing league and they'll be contenders again.

I'm a Laker fan. The first I would do if I was Lakers GM (Kupchak's amazing offseason aside) would be to change the culture of big moves and shakes to a grassroots powerhouse that RC Buford has built.

[Donald Kaufman]

We're well-coached, well run, we play together as a team...we're not going anywhere. Deal with it, haters.

[[GR]]

Apparently going to a WCF isn't an accomplishment. Guys are talking like they went out in the first round.

The thing is that Spurs are known for developing players...but they hadn't been developing their current players.

What? Parker just had his best season, Danny Green had his best season, Kawhi improved tremendously as the year went on, they turned Neal into a solid role player, and Splitter improved, although he still has a ways to go.

[L3GEND4RY]

way past done. just like the Celtics.

lol no thread is complete without this guy. we get it, buddy.

[KGboss]

way past done. just like the Celtics.

Says the blazers fan.