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The spurs have been underrated by ESPN 4 years in a row and for some reason expects us to win 5 less games next year.


2013 ESPN Summer Forecast (Actual finish)

OKC 58-24 (59-23, #2)
LAC 57-25 (57-25, #3)
SAS 55-27 (62-20, #1)

2012 ESPN Summer Forecast

OKC 59-23 (60-22, #1)
LAL 59-23 (45-37, #7)
SAS 54-28 (58-24, #2)

2011 Winter Forecast

OKC 48-18 (47-19, #2)
DAL 45-21 (36-30, #7)
LAL 42-24 (41-25, #3)
LAC 41-25 (40-26, #5)
MEM 40-26 (41-25, #4)
SAS 40-26 (50-16, #1)

2010 ESPN Summer Forecast

LAL 58-24 (57-25, #2)
OKC 52-30 (55-27, #4)
DAL 52-30 (57-25, #3)
DEN 49-33 (50-32, #5)
PRT 49-33 (48-34, #6)
SAS 48-34 (61-21, #1)

Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Why do the spurs get over looked every year?

Boring, old, no one player to take over a game blah blah blah.

Let them keep forgetting about us, it works in our favour.

I fail to see how it works for us. I doubt Thibs or any other NBA coach, GM or star player falls for the ESPN bull.

Eff the Media lol , lbj can blow his nose and that would be the top story -_- ...

We never make the big headline grabing moves or changes so we always get overlooked.

I couldn't care less

And it's not just the media.

I still remember a mod (a jazz fan) coming up with a season preview last season and he had the Spurs as a lottery team
And that was just after we went to the Finals.

People really need to understand that Duncan will be elite until he retires and as long as he is a Spur, San Antonio will be a contender.

While the NBA has its problems, and media attention can potentially affect who ends up on a team's roster, media rankings have absolutely no impact on whether the team (given its personnel and cohesion) earns a championship. Performance obliterates hype. Lots of people in the media actually take performance seriously, and they should realistically be the ones you give any attention to.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't particularly have a problem with how the ESPN forecast rated them this year. While I think they're still better than the Thunder, the Spurs are going to pace themselves in the regular season and might cough up a couple/few games they wouldn't if playing straight. Predicting the Spurs to fall 5 games may look harsh, but the Thunder are predicted to fall 1 game despite having its three best players in their mid-20s (and ostensibly getting better) -- the bias isn't against the Spurs as much as against anyone doing exceedingly well or exceedingly bad. Even the media darlings (Cavs) are one game below the Spurs despite playing in the soft East (a nice piece or two flipping conferences isn't going to shift the conference balance of power). I think ESPN's forecast for the Spurs is actually close this year, but it might be the Spurs riding their defending champion status (usually something that delivers a bias, but it's offsetting the market bias that usually works against the Spurs).

... we've still got over two months before they start playing meaningful games, don't we?

ChosunX wrote:I fail to see how it works for us. I doubt Thibs or any other NBA coach, GM or star player falls for the ESPN bull.

Of course it does, because as seen last year, many opponents felt the same way towards the Spurs.

And to add to this, not having huge media hype and expectations helps to keep the team focused, grounded and not having to worry about buying into their own headlines.

Phreak50 wrote:

ChosunX wrote:I fail to see how it works for us. I doubt Thibs or any other NBA coach, GM or star player falls for the ESPN bull.

Of course it does, because as seen last year, many opponents felt the same way towards the Spurs.

You have examples?

OKC is still a two-man team; and now that has no wing-man with size who can commit defensively, and STILL no PF/C that can is a definite offensive threat with creation. Ibaka can't create, only receive. They failed to replace Thabo's 3/D role. Unless Lamb or Morrow are going to be Bruce Bowen-types on defense (not).

Reggie Jackson is a pest but, isn't Harden.

franktony wrote:I couldn't care less

And it's not just the media.

I still remember a mod (a jazz fan) coming up with a season preview last season and he had the Spurs as a lottery team
And that was just after we went to the Finals.

People really need to understand that Duncan will be elite until he retires and as long as he is a Spur, San Antonio will be a contender.

A jazz fan on the GB has the Lakers winning 15 games next yr ... Those Jazz fans extra salty for us successful teams haha

I mean i dont expect us to be great but come on .. Atleast 30-35 wins lol

KobeBryant24 wrote:

franktony wrote:I couldn't care less

And it's not just the media.

I still remember a mod (a jazz fan) coming up with a season preview last season and he had the Spurs as a lottery team
And that was just after we went to the Finals.

People really need to understand that Duncan will be elite until he retires and as long as he is a Spur, San Antonio will be a contender.

A jazz fan on the GB has the Lakers winning 15 games next yr ... Those Jazz fans extra salty for us successful teams haha

I mean i dont expect us to be great but come on .. Atleast 30-35 wins lol

Well, I just saw it and it's the same guy lol

I think he definitely has something against SA and LA

I mean, I don't see LA making the playoffs because the West is stacked right now, but only 15 wins is ridiculous unless they do it on purpose, something that I don't see happening with Kobe over there.

The other shoe drops:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11373 ... -champions

Thunder's forecast is one game ahead of the Spurs in the regular season (with the Spurs sandbagging a bit by resting players), but the Spurs are favored to win the conference come playoff time. By the way the tallies are shaping up (in the context of conference strength), Spurs will also be favored to win the title.

Well done, ESPN.

*bursts into flames*

The media sucks, spurs are too old, past their primes etc etc blah blah blah. Same crap each year.

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/08/27/wester ... rs-thunder

SI's got the Spurs on top of the West standings and probably the league.

ESPN's forecast has Spurs #2 in the regular season but winning the title.

Marc Stein will rank the Spurs #1 because he's contractually-obligated to put the defending champs in the #1 slot.

Against all odds, I think the media are coming around this year. We're just not seeing that perception in quality translate to more quantity of coverage/analysis/broadcasts. The off-season analysis end is somewhat understandable, because the Spurs aren't providing drama, and they're already a known quantity (it's why the Clippers and Thunder also aren't producing many stories, aside from the Clippers' change in ownership), but it's less-justified once the season starts.

With great quantity comes a lack of privacy...

Do we want that?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulg9n8ou1Dw[/youtube]

^
I really really wanna party with Boris Diaw.

I actually felt pretty good about the way the press treated the Spurs this year. Obviously, they still gave the 'glitter' to the other marquee teams, but once the playoffs started, most of the journalism I saw was pretty respectful, and dare I say, even complimentary.

I think a lot of people came 'round to recognize how special Spurs basketball has been, particularly over the last three years.