Post by Sideshow Bob on Dec 29, 2011 8:48:56 GMT -6
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Remember These Guys?
By Andrew McNeill
TrueHoop Network
SAN ANTONIO -- Amidst all the hoopla of Lob City, the same old San Antonio Spurs did what they make a habit of during the regular season, taking care of business in a 115-90 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Winning in the regular season is like death and taxes as long as Tim Duncan is in uniform for San Antonio. This season, like many before it, has been deemed the last rodeo for the Spurs. Last season's first-round exit to the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies shined a spotlight on many of San Antonio's fatal flaws -- several of which have yet to be addressed.
However, last season's team still had the Western Conference's best record and the core of that team returns. The Spurs entered this lockout-shortened NBA schedule with a starting five that opened the majority of games last season and the synchronicity that many teams can only hope to achieve by the end of this season.
At the same time, the Spurs introduced three relatively new faces to the rotation. Tiago Splitter and James Anderson both had their rookie campaigns sabotaged by injuries, and Kawhi Leonard joins the rotation after two college seasons at San Diego State. The combination of those three players gives the Spurs a formidable defensive second unit, though one that has trouble creating its own shots offensively.
Against the Clippers on Wednesday night, San Antonio showed off its "corporate knowledge" as, time and time again, players made the extra pass at the right moment to find teammates open for good looks. "Give San Antonio credit," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said after the game. "They were cutting hard and they were moving the basketball."
Two wins in their first two games, the Spurs already show all the makings of a spring playoff run, whether anyone expected them to or not.
