Our San Antonio Woes

[Jazzman20]

I found myself with a little extra time on my hands tonight, so I decided to do some research regarding a topic that has left me completely, and utterly flabbergasted for nearly a DECADE. Since the year 2000, the Jazz have played the Spurs a total of 35 times, with San Antonio winning 28 of those contests. 22 games have been played IN San Antonio, with the Spurs winning all 22 of them (this includes the playoff meeting between the two teams in 2007). The Jazzes closest margin of defeat was 4 points (twice), and the greatest was 33 (again, twice). According to my math, which I double and triple checked, the Spurs have beaten us by an average of 16.4 pts. Holy freaking ticking timebombs' batman! Why is this so?! And when will this come to an end?!

I just don't understand it. Granted that the Spurs are a great team, this is just getting pathetic. On paper, we match up with them quite well (which I know doesn't equate to much, but hey, its something ). I think that everyone who has ever seen the Jazz play well know that they are definitely capable of beating a team like San Antonio on their home floor. And, we HAVE beaten teams that are just as good or BETTER than S.A. on THEIR courts, but for some reason we just can't bring ourselves to score enough points and play enough defense to beat the loathed San Antonio Spurs IN San Antonio.

I know we're a crap road team. That has become painfully evident to me after watching the Jazz consistently over a time span of 15 years. But its obvious. The Spurs have our number. Below are the statistics I uprooted from various sites online.

2000-2001
San Antonio 0-3

2001-2002
San Antonio 0-3

2002-2003
San Antonio 0-3

2003-2004
San Antonio 0-4

2004-2005
2-2

2005-2006
0-3

2006-2007
2-2 Regular Season
4-1 Post Season

2007-2008
2-2

2008-2009
0-2
Third Game TBD

35 Games played since 2000-2001

San Antonio 28 (all 22 meetings in SA won by SA) compared to Utah's 7 wins in SLC

Haven't won in San Antonio since February 28, 1999

25, 6, 19, 29, 23, 9, 8, 9, 25, 33, 33, 7, 9, 4, 23, 20, 20, 4, 7, 18, 7, 23

Since the 2000-2001 Season, San Antonio has beaten the Jazz by an average of 16.4 ppg. Wow.

SO, who wants to bitch and moan with me?

[TexJazz]

We are now closer to victory. One day we will win in SA again.

[schneiderjazz]

I see plenty of reasons why the Spurs own us. They're a good defensive team. They have a dominant big in Duncan. Parker is arguably the best guy at penetrating and finishing in the league. Ginobili is a pretty good swingman. And they also have a bunch of good 3 point shooters. Since we can't stop any decent big man, anyone who can penetrate, any good swingman and we also can't guard the 3 point line, it's pretty much a given that we'll struggle against the Spurs. They're also pretty good at home and we suck on the road. One more reason why it seems we can't win at SA.

[Jazzman20]

You made some great points, but I don't see any of them explaining why we just simply get annihilated by the Spurs every time we set foot in the AT&T center. I don't see a good excuse for a team like the Jazz to lose by 25 points to anyone, even if we are in a slump.

[MeestR]

its the black and silver. they are intimdating colors. think about it. the last time jazz won in SA, spurs still had teal and pink paint on the floor. obviously, its all in the head, and this only confirms it.... its plainly the colors.

[seejaydeja]

Na, it's all poppovich, that guy is a **** bad ass

[tylero87]

Two words:


TIM DUNCAN


/Thread

[jazzfan1971]

Last time I watched us play them it was Parker and Gino's speed that killed us. Duncan wasn't much of a factor.

It appears to me that we are/were incapable of staying in front of Gino and Parker. I think this is exacerabated be the fact that our bigs are incapable of protecting the basket once those two are past their own defender.

So, even if we rotate to give help, we just end up giving up open 3s to guys like Bowen or Mason in the corners.

It's a bad situation. But, I think it all starts with Deron and whoever we have at Shooting Guard. If those guys can keep in front of their man I think we can beat San Antonio. If they can't, or if the refs won't allow them, we are in a lot of trouble until we get a shot blocking center in there to erase some mistakes.

[carrottop12]

Don't worry, when this guy is gone we will start winning there again.

[@ndrew]

Actually, I'm more close to Jazzfan position. Popp does know, who to explode our weaknesses on defense, so they are shooting a lot goood % 3's and go to a paint a lot (Ginobili and Parker).
I think I'm more afraid of their head coach other then particular player.

[Lava Rock Kid]

Its Karma, We used to dominate San Antonio. And remember what Malone did the David Robinson.

When is this Karma finally going to be paid back.

[Reckless]

Spurs are the best coached, best disciplined team in the NBA. That's why

[erudite23]

^^^^This response is the closest so far.


The latest version of the Utah Jazz has some very specific mental issues that manifest themselves under adverse circumstances, and teams that play with precision, grit, intelligence and purpose tend to expose that trait for what it is.

Our wings, Ronnie and CJ, do not rotate well and have a very hard time keeping track of their assignments. Korver has a hard time getting to his. Boozer and Memo both lack the drive to consistently cover our ass on the PnR. We are intimidated by teams who can take a punch, because we're used to being the team that does that, and when we run into someone that isn't fazed when we land a solid blow, it freaks us out.

Finally, we have guys who just plain don't get it at times, and make bad decisions under pressure.


All of these things combine to make us this teams whipping boy. They are grim, fearless competitors that go about their business like a freakin machine. That freaks us out.

Oh, and they're really really good.



I think this stretch is coming to an end. Before the year, I guaranteed a victory in SA. Now I"m not so sure, but if we don't get it this year, we will definitely get it next year.

[dalekjazz]

It is like when Larry Bird was on the Celtics the Jazz were never able to win in Boston, even when the Celtics started becoming mediocre during Bird's latter years. Only when Bird retired were the Jazz able to win in Boston

[dalekjazz]

The amazing thing is that since Duncan has joined the Spurs the scrubby Milwaukee Bucks have a winning record of 12-10 against San Antonio with the Bucks winning multiple times in San Antonio and many close games going both ways. Heck even the pathetic Clippers have managed to win in San Antonio and once took San Antonio to overtime since the last time the Jazz won there. The Jazz have not even been able to take San Antonio to overtime since they last won there.

[Denizfeital]

In my opinion the problem is 100% mental issue.

The Jazz face them and they assume they are gonna lose the game. Its terrible when that happens.

Once they played us without two of the main three guys (I dont recall who was there) and we thought: "there is our chance to break the slump".

We ended the game losing by 30+ points.

If we could play those players and put a (for instance) Detroit jersey on them, I am quite sure that we would win the game.

Regards,

[Reckless]

Too bad we couldn't play the spurs tonight, they were missing both Duncan and Ginobili. Cavs are killing them