Thursday, January 31, 2008

Biggest PPG Increaser & Thoughts-Roundup & Mighty Mouse The Saviour


*If you don’t know, Spurs fans are in one big agony these days. Therefore my last blog entry is older than twenty days, huh. But I’m an optimist. However, tonight vs. Suns... The Kickin’ Of Spurs Butts Night.

*When Tim Duncan, our "holy hero", went down that Sunday-December evening with a scary injury, it looked bad. Very bad. I was so scared, I couldn't even breathe normally during the second half of Blazers-Spurs. Thanks God, it turned out to be a minor injury, a four-game out. The first game without Tim, a rivalry against Mavs, we won. There were hard fouls, anger, passion and all. Manu was there, playing like all-around warrior, dunking ferociously with a sore hand. Later, we dispatched Jazz, so that Duncan's sore ankle was good for one reason: Spurs can play and win sans their leader (actually, two big games they're able to weather).

But what if Tim's injury happened to be serious? Like missing the 07-08 campaign including playoffs? What if? It bugged my head one night in December, so I decided then that I would write someday before Christmas Eve my list of The 100 Things That Are Downright Unpleasant And Still Better Than TD's Major Injury (in no particular order). But I totally aborted this vision because of its supposed bad karma, I didn't want to jinx Spurs' season. Please note that I wasn't going to include ones like "Isiah Thomas For A Fired Gregg Popovich", 'cos this would have been worse not just than Tim's torn ligaments, but worse than Greenpeace's own TV channel. Hmm, no effort, no Top 100. And whay I'm writing about it in the first place? It's thoughts-roundup here, ladies & gentlemen! (Screw it, I should have written that 100 Things, because now San Antonio loses, loses and loses. I’m an IDIOT!!)

*Maybe I was the only one who predicted before the season that Miami Heat would not make the playoffs this season. How true.

*Beno Udrih is smiling while Spurs are frustrated and is the biggest point per game increaser. Here's the table. (Beno has to be delighted as a new King.)
06-07 07-08
1. Udrih 4.7 13.8 +9.1
2. Gay, 3. Aldridge, 4. Salmons, 5. Ronnie Brewer (gms through Jan. 21)
Beno, good luck the rest of the season!

*Hornets are the hottest team in the NBA. The trio of Paul-West-Chandler is devastating. Add Peja... And they even have Mel Ely, he’s like your good-luck charm.

*Celtics slowed down slightly, meanwhile, why nobody mentions Mavericks? Dallas is the only team out there placed in the top 10 in scoring (No. 9 at 101.1 ppg) and scoring defense (No. 9 at 96.3 ppg).

*No commets about Suns, because tonight’s showdown vs. Spurs is closer and closer... ‘Sota kicked their asses twice. Miami once. Just a thought.

*Pistons have trouble against Bulls, an information from my source says that’s because Ben Wallace knows EVERYTHING about his former teammates. Noah is cute... boxing with an assistant coach, lol. Cavaliers are back and LeBron has them on a high note.

*Trail Blazers are a pleasure to watch. Warriors are crazy, Nellie’s experiment with Webber will explode, I guarantee. Jazz are tought to beat. (Kyle Korver was a major steal for them.) Lakers are facing troubles on their upcoming road trip. Or better said, The Doom?

*Magic. Hedo Turkoglu is magical. If he ain’t chosen as a reserve (ASG) by coaches, I’ll jump into river. Raptots are crawling. Calderon + Bosh, new heroes in Canada. Wizards... I can’t wait for The Return of Gil The Blogger.

*Rockets are off the playoffs right now. Do I need to visit my doctor? Rockets? Out? Western conference is The Slaughterhouse. Nuggets, go for Kidd! Nene, hopefully you shall be okay. Kings have Kevin Martin, B-Miller, Salmons, Francisco Garcia, Beno, Bibby, Artest... They should be title contenders, huh? I’m just joking.

*Hawks are on the right pace. Bobcats’ team is fascinating to behold thanks to that Gerald-JRich combo. Bucks are bleak, so to speak. T-Wolves are getting better and better. Al Jefferson is a massive force. He went something like 40/19 one game. He’s like Shaq with less pounds.

*Sixers have Willie Green, Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith. A happy team. And, I almost forgot Rodney Carney! No comments on Knicks. Bulls are average. GM Paxson has hot lines, huh? Hello, this is Mr. Paxson. We’re interested in...

*Pacers should trade JO and Tinsley, my All-Star pick. It’s confirmed, I’m a dumb man. Nets are in a total skid. Kidd’s mouth is bigger than his game. Jason is going to Dallas, according to my divine sources, forming an unstoppable force with Dirk and Josh Howard. Grizzlies have one interesting thing - they lose close games.

*Clippers are a train wreck. SuperSonics’s win over Spurs was a good one. Heat are officially started to TANK games. At least Mark Blount is a fierce competitor.

*Spurs’ recent game against Utah Jazz was the perfect example of how the things are going in San Antonio these days.

An uncharacteristic sloppy ball-handling (20 turnovers). Tony Parker (four TOs), Tim Duncan (seven TOs), Manu Ginobili (four TOs). TD has troubles operating in the pivot. An offensive rhythm is nonexisting. No inside-out basketball. Screen/roll defense? Nah. Parker (1-7, 5 points) was like one-footed warrior - good God coach Pop shelved him after this game, his foot is sorely hurt. Where’s Spurs’ perimeter D? TD ain’t in a good mental shape. Where’s the cluch poise? Where are clutch plays. Ime Udoka got tooted for a tech and banished when we had the last chance to something.
Stats overview: SAS registering only 11 assists for their 31 field goals.from 15-feet and beyond, 12-38, a mere 31.6 percent. Where are the shooters? Better said, the scorers? Brent Barry, please come back soon.

It's gotten so bad that Tim Duncan couldn’t even watch from the bench. Imagine my mood at home.

*Spurs’ reactions after the game summed up by Manu: *Horrible.* TD said: *We have to have a short memory and come out tomorrow. I don't care what Seattle's record is or who they are, we need to go out there to play well and get some confidence going.* (Note: another heartbreaking loss.) *It has to start somewhere.* It HAS to start somewhere. Good luck in Phoenix, guys!

*One optimistic news: Mighty Mouse To Rescue. Veteran point guard Damon Stoudamire decided he will sign with Spurs. He figures to move immediately into the team’s playing rotation. Now 34, Stoudamire played in 29 games this season for Memphis, averaging 7.3 points. He’s making 38.3 percent of his 3-pointers this season and 39.7 overall. You maybe remember him as a great baller for Portland Jail Blazers. Maybe he’ll save Spurs tonight. Just a thought.

*I’m slowly buying the fact posted by one of New Orleans crazy fans, that David West is the best PF in the league. Everyone refers to West as the most underrated player in the league, but he’s more than just that. He’s a force. He’s special: he kills you like an invisible tank or what. God, he's always open! He sinks midrange jumpers like putting a coin in the ocean. Runs the floor, is a good trailer on a fastbreak, very accomplished one-on-one scorer. Just watch that ridiculous 15-for-19 outburst vs. Spurs’ defense. David West, if you are not in the ASG in February, then... shoot the coaching dogs, lol.

*Tonite’s predictions:
LAL at DET *** DET win
DAL at BOS *** DAL win
CLE at SEA *** CLE win (LBJ 45 points.)
SA at PHX *** SA win (I’m delirious.)

p.s.: whether he returns to action this season or not, marbury has already provided one more piece of evidence that he always makes his team better - when he leaves it. (-charley rosen)
p.s.2: kwame brown is unable to chew gum and clap his hands at the same time. (-charley rosen)
p.s.3: *it’s funny. when we lose 2 games in a row in san antonio, it feels like we’ve lost 15.* said t-parker. (now it’s way worse than just two losses.)
p.s.4: the odds of a jazz-cavs finals? 200-1! don’t say i didn’t warn you. (bill simmons)

Posted by Foreigner in CS - Jan 31 2008 9:05PM

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