what do the Spurs have to do?..

[HarlemHeat37]

it has become embarrassing..but some of these losses have been really close..pretty much every game was close until the 4th, and some of them went down to the last minute..is age slowing us down in the 4th?..

Duncan isn't getting enough shots, and even when he is, he hasn't been giving us what we need..Parker isn't taking care of the ball..Pop hasn't been coaching as well as he usually does..we have 3 superstars, but we can't score when it is needed..

the D is pathetic..none of the perimeter players on this team know how to switch to the open man..Tony Parker's D has been terrible since he returned..

what does this team need to do? I'm actually scared for the Bulls and Kings games..

[wizardg]

Tim has to lay it on the line.

Tim's lack of fire is making the game harder for Manu and Parker and Bowen and all the rest.


He's only 31. He'll be 32 next month.

Other than that.

Damon should play ahead of Jacques.
Finley has to shoot 45% from 3.
WE can bring Barry back.
Parker can shoot the ball better.

Pop can tear into their asses.
Duncan, Finley need more passion

[HarlemHeat37]

I think for the first time in years, Pop and Duncan need to realize that Timmy needs to play playoff basketball at this point of the season..he can no longer wait for the playoffs..he needs to step it up like he usually does, except now..we might not even make the playoffs at this rate, so I'd like to see him step up..

we NEED Barry..moreso just to replace Finley..he isn't shooting well, so he doesn't provide anything at all..he's a terrible entry passer and passer in general, and a terrible defender..Barry will at least give us some nice play making ability if his shot is off..

I want to see Pop work on the spacing and work on the D in practice..they better have a grueling practice tomorrow..

[Ballings7]

I think we need to go on another significant stretch of games

I'm not worried about Finley's shooting, he's been and is better than he's been this last some of games.

I agree Tim does need to step it up more than usual.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

SAs free agent signings really haven't panned out the way I thought they would.

Kurt Thomas is a guy I expected would come in and rebound well, hit the open shot, set picks and give hard fouls. He's not active enough IMO, especially on the boards. Additionally, Thomas' presence has made Oberto's minutes somewhat dubious in the rotation. Horry's even getting a lot of minutes that were going to Oberto.

Speaking of Horry, he's not that effecitive (but then again it's not the playoffs, yet.) I think just throwing him out there ahead of other guys who might be having better years isn't necessarily helping.

Damon has no role now if Jacque Vaughn's the number 2 PG. Stoudamire really didn't show all that much, but I think he's better than Vaughn.

The thing I really see happening, besides chemistry issues developing is that SA doesn't have good perimeter defense like they did in the past.

Bowen's probably on his way out after this season IMO.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Next season, the Spurs can add Splitter, a competent backup PG, and one veteran scoring PF and they'll be competitive as always.

[Ballings7]

Bowen's probably on his way out after this season IMO.

He signed a 2-year extension this off-season. If anything he'd go to the bench.

Speaking of Horry, he's not that effecitive (but then again it's not the playoffs, yet.) I think just throwing him out there ahead of other guys who might be having better years isn't necessarily helping.

He has to get some minutes to keep him active at least. And aside from some solid games here and there (which there has been), doing what he does, he's not going to give you much in the regular season.

You take what you can get with him in the regular season, then he becomes more of a factor in the playoffs. Even with him being a year older, and starting the season later, that's probable to be there again

Damon has no role now if Jacque Vaughn's the number 2 PG.

Damon hasn't been able to hit his shots nearly enough or consistently. Either he just won't be doing that, or, he will be and has to get a rhythm going still. I just don't know.

If Damon's not hitting his shots, I'd expect JV will get the minutes like before. I like JV more anyway because he does more, specifically and especially defense.

And Barry will be coming back, who will have to get some games under him.

The thing I really see happening, besides chemistry issues developing is that SA doesn't have good perimeter defense like they did in the past.

I disagree there, I haven't seen issues of note, on the season. At times there has been, sure, but not a constant.

I have been disappointed with Kurt not hitting his jumpshot more often, and I agree he should generally be more active.

As a whole though, the play will go up in the playoffs. I don't think that's something to worry about.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Thanks for the response. I really don't watch SA enough, so my post certainly wasn't a great one.

If the perimeter defense isn't a problem then it's gotta be your bigs.

Duncan's a one-man show inside right now. SA doesn't have bigs with bounce.

What was so bad about Elson?

[Donald Kaufman]

What bothers me about this slump is not so much the losing itself, but the teams we're losing to. We used to drop the ones we should've won but we always got up for the big games.

In years past we would've beat teams like Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, NO and lost to Milwaukee, NJ etc.

We're not beating the "elite" teams like we used to, and that's a big concern right now.

We can't simply expect to turn it on in the playoffs either. The West is way too tough to coast at all anymore.

[Ballings7]

Duncan's a one-man show inside right now. SA doesn't have bigs with bounce.

What was so bad about Elson?

Elson was playing fine before he hurt his ankle, then combined with Horry playing more and eventually getting into the rotation, Elson coming back played very limited to no minutes, and didn't do much of anything in the time he got. He couldn't get back into the rhythm he had prior to his injury. Even in his 1st season with the Spurs.

He had a trend of making iffy decisions at times, also.

Generally, I liked him quite a bit for his athleticism and size on both ends. Defended very well against Dirk 2 or 3 times, too.

If the perimeter defense isn't a problem then it's gotta be your bigs.

I think the defense has been consistent, overall. But maybe there have been things I haven't picked up with certain players. I'm just going on collective memory from continuity on the season.

In this stretch, the play just hasn't been wide-range from the team like it needs to be.

We're not beating the "elite" teams like we used to, and that's a big concern right now

Yeah, I haven't liked how that's gone, for sure. Missing Tony for certain ones has played a part there, and if the team was playing more typical, we would of won more of them.

We can't simply expect to turn it on in the playoffs either. The West is way too tough to coast at all anymore.

Your first sentence is about the playoffs, but the 2nd is about the regular season.

Everybody turns it up in the playoffs, especially us. I don't see it being any different this season, in terms of awareness and mind-set of the team. The ability should follow with that.

This isn't coasting time anymore, too, if any, it's minimal. I think the coasting has been done. This is simply a different kind of situation as of late, at this time of year for the team, but I think it should stop now.

[UDRIH14]

give duncan the green light to shoot

i cant stand it when he shoots less than that certain someone

[ceperez]

They've got to call more plays for Duncan.

Ginobili has to spend too much effort lately just to keep the team afloat.

There's just no energy from the bench players!

Unlike other teams, I have yet to see a player, other than the big 3, step up big time. Look at the other teams, for the Celtics Cassel and Rondo stepped up big time on this game. The problem is, it's as if the entire team is waiting for the playoffs.

We are also consistently out rebounded.

Finally...

Finley looks finished. Can't recall a game in a long time where he consistently hit his shots. last game 1-5 2 points, 1 rebound in 26 minutes!

Kurt Thomas... isn't grabbing the rebounds... last game 4 rebounds .. finished.

Damon Stodamire ... too small... no more shot... finished.

Horry ... 1-5 on the 3pt range... not a single game all season that he's played well.... finished.... but you just never know.

It is really bad... we can't beat the elite teams... we haven't blown out another team in ages... there's just no fire power.. there's just no reliable backup for the big three.

what's even more depressing... players that we used to have... scola, udrih, devin brown, ely are thriving elsewhere!

[Ballings7]

Horry ... 1-5 on the 3pt range... not a single game all season that he's played well.... finished.... but you just never know.

Well, that's just exaggerating, because there's been certain games where's been a noticable factor. Since he's been in the rotation (around early February). But expecting much from him other than that in the reg. season is just pointless. Now, he may be really below what he usally is in the playoffs, but I'd lean to not on that.

what's even more depressing... players that we used to have... scola, udrih, devin brown, ely are thriving elsewhere!

Melvin Ely is thriving? No he's not. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/361 ... dNSTykvLYF

And, Beno wasn't going to and didn't fit in with us. Playing in a limited role doesn't suit him because he needs to get shots and have the ball in his hand, more than a restricted amount, to be effective and consistent. That is what he's gotten with the Kings. And, when Bibby came back, Beno went to the bench in a similar role and production, like he was for most of his time with us. For the majority of that stretch off the bench, he was not nearly as effective as he was before, compared to before when he was claimed off waivers, filling in for Bibby. When Bibby was traded, Beno went back to playing like he was, before Bibby came back.

Beno's injuries didn't help him. He also had something negative going on with Popovich at times.

Also a defensive, team-playing PG like Vaughn fits better behind Tony. Vaughn took Beno's job over in mid-February last season, and did a solid job there.

[DBMethos]

I'd really like to see where we're at when Brent gets back. He adds so much to this team not just in terms of deadeye 3-point shooting, but reliable ball-handling, heady play-making, energy, and an infectious positive attitude.

[Rique]

Spurs have some work to do.

First of all, they are coming apart in the second half. After reading a bit, most of the players are saying it is mental and that their confidence is shot. Spurs need to get that confidence back some how. Winning is the way to do it, but to win you have to focus a bit more. YOu gotta suck it up and play aggressive. Gino has been doing that, Parker has been picking it up and that is about the only place I see the effort. Udoka is playing well as well. Duncan seemed a bit out of it this last game.

Second...Finley needs to sit. Why does he get special treatment when other players are sent to the bench if they aren't producing? Damon was sent to the bench because he wasn't performing. I'd say do the same to Finley. He's had a couple of games where he only made one shot. This last game 1/5 2points, 1 assist, 1 rebound if I'm not mistake. Someone pointed out his averages like 3.5 rebounds a game and he only has 10 in the last 5 or 6 games. 1.5 assist per game and he only has 2 assists in the last 5 games. Finley has one of the lowest +/- out of the entire team down there with Damon and Oberto. Oberto has stunk it up but at least Oberto shows a few signs of energy and rebounding.

Make Finley earn the spot. I know that as a player if I was seated for a couple of games it would piss me off and I would try harder to get some PT. I assume if Finley cares at least one bit he should respond the same way. He is a veteran, he shouldn't expect to be babied.

One other thing that is surprising me. Bowen has had a pretty bad +/- as well. I don't know if its just because he's been playing when a crappy lineup is out, but I remember in the previous seasons Bowen almost always had one of the top +/- numbers for the team. Actually he was the best last year if I'm not mistaken. Over the last 10 games he's 4th worst! I'm not sure what is going on there.

In first place at +/- we have Ime, which goes to show that he does seem to be filling in well for Bowen somewhat. Ime does need to hit a few more shots however.

Robert Horry....HE finally gave some good minutes. I think Pop calling him out finally got him motivated. Horry was playing like a grandpa the laast few games and finally picked up his energy for this one. I like it.

AND the role players need to step it up. They need to do their part. I watched the Pistons role players the other day and by gollly those guys were amazing. Confidence galore, shots dropping from everyone and everywhere. THe stars on that team didn't even have to try. Our role guys need to od the same for the big 3. Help them out. This isn't their team its everyones team and everyone has a job to do, now do it!

Finally, its on Pop to give the players confidence. I honestly don't even know why these guys are doubting themselves. They are the fricking DEFENDING CHAMPIONS!!!! What more confidence do you need?!?!?!? What better confidence builder than knowing your the best team in the FRICKING LEAGUE!? Everyone is making trades to compete with you, come on, suck it up and quit feeling sorry for yourselves. It is time for the Spurs to go out there and start feeling like they are better than other teams. Don't be afraid of teams coming back in a game, actually hope a team tries to come back so that you at least get some competition during the game so that you get better practice for the playoffs. Don't fear the challenge, EMBRACE the challenge. This isn't about trying to avoid being thrown out of the playoffs, this is about knowing you're going to make the playoffs and knowing you're going to win every series. You have to be cocky, you have to be conceited a bit! You're the best, now act like the best and show everyone out there who the BEST team is!

[Magz50]

Basically we need Timmy to be Timmy. He hasn't looked sharp at all in the past month, maybe it's because it's still the reg season and he's stepped off the gas a bit, but he's been just going through the motions, the one game he got fire lit under him was the win vs Denver when KMart was going at him. We need him to get like that every game and take more shots.

Man watching the Spurs lately has been depressing but i'm not giving up on them yet. As long as we make the playoffs we'll always be a good shout for the chip. However we need to make sure we make the playoffs first.

[HarlemHeat37]

I just wanna make the playoffs at this point..if we ever get it back into form, we can beat anybody..

Brent Barry should be able to help this team out a lot..the best 3-point shooter on the team, and he can actually pass the ball unlike Finley..Finley's absolutely useless when he isn't making his shots..

Duncan needs to play playoff basketball..but I'd also like to see the perimeter D improve..Parker has been TERRIBLE defensively since he returned..those are two important factors..

if Udoka could make some shots, he would be perfect, and could take away a lot of Bruce's minutes..

[johnnyjohnnyjohnny]

What do we have to do? That's easy.

DRAFT PLAYERS WHO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT 10 YEARS TO SEE PLAY.

While I do enjoy being able to brag to my friends about the Spurs organizations ability to draft our big 3 as opposed to having to trade or acquire through free agency as every other team has... I do think we need to become a bit more aggressive in both markets.

Our more immediate concerns would be lack of production from the bench and old men. Currently, Horry and JV are complete wastes of minutes... they give us absolutely nothing with their play time. I'm not sure what Damon's role is when he comes in, and Finley is either good or completely crap. There's no in between. Parker and Gino should switch roles, where Gino is the official 'PG' and Parker is more of a 'SG'. PG's are supposed to manage the game and create scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates, no? Gino is 50x better at that than Parker. Duncan needs to be more involved in the offense. He should always be in our top 2 in FGA's in a game, more often #1 than #2. The offense needs to flow through Duncan at least 75% of the time that he is in.

We've lost our confidence? A few weeks ago we were the best in the West.

[Tiga]

Kenny Smith's column on champs...

1. Style of play: A team should have a defined style. Are they a halfcourt team or a fastbreak team? Are they defensive oriented?A team needs a defined style, so when things aren

[Blame Rasho]

We need a heart of a champion type resurgence with TD. He needs to carry us.

I mean he needs to go unholy in the playoffs. I could care less about where we end up in the seedings. We can win on the road and take care of business at home.

He has to perform at the "Dream" level. He has done it before so I have faith in that happening.

The thing is that he just isn't getting touches in the box. Hey it is great that Paker and Manu can score on a iso but that should we shouldn't get away from our bread and butter.

For the love of god... bench Finely... he sucks. He has lost it.

Get Barry in the game. He doesn't shoot dumb shots at least.