Chron: Spurs' transition to youthful team leaves Rockets guessing

Nothing beats pent-up flatulence.



theSAGE

 

Steve the Turnover
Yao Ming the Stripped

 

Sad, when the first reply I that comes to mind when I read a "Parker has more maturity than Steve comment - by SA Rockett" IS:

"Well If WE HAD ELTON BRAND...!"


(I'm going back into hiding.) Audi,folks.

ls.

 

I think this qualifies as signature material.

 

Check Duncan's GPA at Wake Forest and you will know the difference. This guy's mental age is 36, so Spurs are not a young team compared w/ us. Our youth excuse is still ON.

Tim Duncan would get his PhD in 2 yrs if he likes.

 

More about TD.

http://www.olic.com/NBA/XXL/timduncan_may1098.htm

Tim Duncan, May 1998
by Vlada Olic
INTRO

Tim Duncan and San Antonio seem like a match made in heaven. For the first time since the 1992 draft and Shaquille O’Neal, a well-rounded, dominating player was leaving the college ranks and would become a unanimous number one pick. A versatile seven-footer who had improved his game in every one of his (full) four college seasons, Duncan would be equally coveted by every NBA team, from the Shaq-dominated Lakers to the sizeless Warriors. But of all the teams that could realistically hope to get him (those missing the 1997 playoffs and making the draft lottery), only one offered a legitimate opportunity for instant stardom and playing time on a competitive level – the one that got him. “It would be so much tougher going to a team a lot less prepared, a lot less organized than this team, with a lot less of a core, because this team has such a great core already,” Duncan said after the draft. “This way a lot of pressure will be taken off me.”

SPURS BKGND

San Antonio Spurs fans know better than anyone that you need to pay your dues before something good happens. After all, Texans take their history seriously, and nowhere is that more obvious than by the ruins of the fort that gave birth to that state’s sense of pride - the Alamo. Only a few miles off to the east lies the Spurs home – the AlamoDome.

When the long-struggling franchise finally got its hands on a legitimate super-star, drafting center David Robinson back in the 1987 draft, the team and its supporters had to wait another two years before the Admiral finished his military service with the U.S. Navy and could join the club. But he was well worth the wait, as the Spurs improved by 35 wins in his rookie year (21 to 56) and made the playoffs.

Then last year, a series of untimely injuries to key players destroyed the team. San Antonio was once again kicked back into the NBA’s cellar, managing only 20 wins – a league-record 39 fewer than the year before. Suddenly, memories of the miserable ‘80s were fresh in everyone’s mind. But when the Spurs won last summer’s NBA draft lottery and with it the Tim Duncan sweepstakes, the proud ancestors of those brave Texans who defended the country at Alamo knew they had good reason to fiesta by the old fort. The team’s happy days were there again.

ROOKIE YEAR SUMMARY

Even the most optimistic Spurs die-hards, however, couldn’t have expected the dream-season that 1997-98 turned to be. Led by the duo of seven-footers Robinson and Duncan, San Antonio one-upped its old turnaround from eight years ago, winning an NBA record 36 games more than last year, and finishing the year at 56-26, second in the Mid-West division. David and Tim played together at the 1998 All Star game in New York, and were jointly named to the 1998 NBA All Defensive Second Team. With the injuries behind them, the Spurs’ nucleus of quality players + rookie sensation Duncan, became one of the hottest teams in the league, and certainly one of the most enjoyable to watch. Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich credits Duncan’s attitude in life and basketball for the way the two have clicked. “I knew right off the bat he would be a good match for David because there would be respect there,” says Popovich. “That’s where it’s all got to start.” Robinson is grateful: “He makes me think the game a little smarter.”

How thoroughly dominating was Duncan? He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding, blocks and field-goal percentage, and ranked seventh in assists – as a power forward! Not surprisingly, he won every single rookie-of-the-month award of the season, en route to the predictable Rookie of the Year honors, for which he received 113 of the 116 votes cast, or 97.4%. “It’s a goal I had coming into this year,” says Duncan. “I wanted to play well this year and win this award.” Former NBA coach Kevin Loughery offers even more praise: “Duncan is a tremendous player who not only should be the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year, but also should get some votes for MVP.” By comparison, only Robinson and Ralph Sampson managed to win all of the monthly awards, and Shaq got 98% of the votes back in 1993. Not bad company, especially for a kid who inadvertently started playing basketball only nine years ago after Hurricane Hugo destroyed the pool he was training in and forced him to abandon competitive swimming – only temporarily, he thought.

CHILDHOOD

Timothy Theodore Duncan was born in 1976 on tiny St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (population: 55,000). The day he was born, his mother Ione wept with joy, for after two daughters she and her husband William finally had a son. Like most of the natives on this beautiful island, the Duncans’ were a closely knit family, no richer, no poorer than others.

All of their youngsters were gifted athletes, picking swimming as their number one sport. Their mother worked night-shifts so that she would never have to miss a meet. Ione kept pushing them to excel. “She was my biggest fan,” says Duncan. “Every meet she was the loudest parent there. Somehow, I could always pick out her voice yelling over everybody else.” From Ione came the life motto that Tim remembers and repeats to this day: Good. Better, best.
Never let it rest,
Until your good is better
And your better is best.

Cheryl, the oldest daughter, was a great swimmer, but the other two kids were world-class. By the age 13, Tim was ranked among the best in the United States in 400-meter freestyle, and still holds 50 and 100 freestyle records on the island. And Tricia represented the Virgin Islands in the 1988 Olympics. “Timmy was even better than me,” says Tricia. “There is no doubt in my mind that he would have gone to the 1992 Olympics and held his own against the world.”
Would have… In the fall of 1989, two catastrophes interfered with Duncan’ career as a swimmer. First Ione was diagnosed with breast cancer, devastating the family. Then came Hugo, the deadly hurricane that ravaged through Christiansted, ruining the only Olympic-sized pool on the island as well as the modest hospital where Tim’s mom was being treated. For a while, Ione had to undergo her cancer treatment in a tent. She lost her battle the following spring, a day before her son turned 14. “The hurricane broke Tim’s routine by taking away our pool,” says Tricia. “Then when mom passed, he lost his motivation.”

One of the few things left standing on the island after Hugo was a basketball rim outside the Duncans’ front door, a Christmas gift from Cheryl who was living in Ohio. Their father, a mason by trade, made sure the pole was strong enough to withstand the many tropical storms. It did, and after Hugo, Tim started playing hoops. “I remember thinking after the basketball season ended, I’d go back swimming,” says Duncan. “But then basketball season never ended.”

After Ione’s death, Cheryl and her husband Ricky Lowery, a former walk-on guard at a small Ohio Division III school, returned to St. Croix. And it was Lowery’s passion for basketball that drew Duncan to the game even more. “Timmy, let’s shoot a few,” Lowery would tell his brother-in-law. “How many swimmers do you see driving Porches?”

Tim was only a ninth-grader, but he slowly learned how to stand his ground in their one-on-one games on the modest makeshift court outside the family house. Since he was only six feet tall, Lowery taught him how to play the perimeter game, as they worked tirelessly on shooting, passing and ball handling. The learning progress was hampered by logistics – there were only four indoor courts on the entire island.

As Duncan grew another eight inches during high school, becoming one of the tallest men on the island, his abilities on the court increased as well. He dominated opponents in every aspect of the game, but faced no real opposition on the island. Duncan and Lowery knew St. Croix is a small place far away from Division I college basketball, and tried to persuade mainland schools that Tim was a worth-while “project”. They got some helped when a team of NBA rookies visited the island, and a 16-year-old Duncan played well against Alonzo Mourning.

COLLEGE

Still, only four colleges actively tried to recruit him, and of those only Providence and Wake Forrest were on the basketball map. But Wake almost passed. Demon Deacon coach Dave Odom went to interview Duncan at his home, and was initially disappointed in the youngster’s apparent lack of interest, as he was watching TV during their conversation. Still, Duncan was able to repeat every word. “I was amazed,” says Odom. “He has this innate ability to look distracted but to take in everything around him.” Explains Duncan: “I was listening, but the 49ers were on. It was the fourth quarter.”

As a high school senior, Duncan was dominating Lowery in their one-on-one games. But was the skinny 17-year-old (he skipped third grade and was a year ahead of his age) ready for the ACC, by far the most competitive conference in all of college basketball? “When Timmy came here, I heard stories from our coaches that he was a project,” says Randolph Childress, his former Wake Forrest teammate who played with the Detroit Pistons last season. “So one day I walk into the gym and see this tall guy who grabs a rebound, puts the ball between his legs, dribbles coast to coast and slams. I went to see our coaches, and I told them, ‘Hey, there’s a tall kid in the gym doing some incredible things, and if he’s not Tim Duncan you better recruit him fast.’”

Duncan initially appeared to be out of his league. In his first collegiate game against Alaska-Anchorage – also the first time he ever saw snow – Duncan went scoreless. Later that fall, against Clemson, the Tigers loud-mouth center Sharone Wright dominated him completely. “Sharone handed Tim his head,” says Odom. “It was a man against a young boy, one thunder dunk after another. I got worried about Timmy. I called him into my office the next day, and I eased my way into the conversation because I didn’t want to scare him. Suddenly he interrupts me and says, ‘Coach, I’m fine. I’m just out there having a good time.’”

Just another case of Duncan’s laid-back appearance fooling those around him, or lack of heart? “Some people think he doesn’t care enough on the court,” says Philadelphia 76ers forward Joe Smith, who used to match-up against Duncan all the time while at the University of Maryland, a fellow ACC school. “Don’t be fooled. He’s much more vicious than he looks.”

Soon, Duncan was playing in full form. After a moderately disappointing freshman season, he set the school’s blocked-shots record as a sophomore after only 51 games. (His career average of 3.98 is third-best in the NCAA, behind O’Neal and Robinson.) In that second season, Duncan dramatically improved his scoring (16.8 from 9.8), rebounding (12.5 from 9.6) and assist total (2.1 from 0.9). Tim exhibited a unique combination of size, power and finesse, having retained the perimeter game his brother-in-law taught him in St. Croix and mastered the big-man’s dueling in the ACC.

There was even some talk about joining fellow conference sophomores Smith, Rasheed Wallace, and Jerry Stackhouse into the NBA two years ahead of schedule. A month before the 1995 draft, Golden State’s general manager Dave Twardzik was adamant about Duncan’s potential. “The number one player is Tim Duncan. He’s the best in college. It’s not even close.” The Warriors had the top pick that year and would have used it on the 19-year-old Duncan, who was 6-10 and still growing! Instead, they had to settle for Smith. “I was not ready, says Duncan. “I felt I was just too young to be in the NBA.”

So, the learning process continued. Duncan added some muscle and low-post moves. He started shooting with both hands, as his scoring averaged jumped again to over 19 points per game. Come draft time, Golden State loved him again. Warriors’ head scout Ed Gregory, the man responsible for discovering such overseen stars as Latrell Sprewell and Tim Hardaway and snatching them with low draft picks, knew Duncan would last that long, but he couldn’t hide his excitement. “If he was 23, I’d still love him,” said Gregory. “But you’re really impressed when you realize he’s only played basketball five years. Then you also see the growth he’s made from his freshman year to his junior year when he was 19.”

As a senior, Duncan led Division I in rebounding (14.7), finished 10th in blocked shots (3.3) and field goal percentage (.608) and was 28th in scoring (20.8). “It seems like every time you turn around he’s staring you in the face,” observed Missouri forward Derek Grimm. “I could have sworn there were four or five Tim Duncans out there.” Duncan won ACC Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, leading the conference in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. He netted 20+ points in 19 of 31 games, and grabbed at least 15 rebounds on 17 occasions. “Duncan is just, well, just put down we had no answers for him,” said Mississippi State coach Richard Williams.

But individual greatness didn’t translate into team success, at least partly due to the limited supporting cast Duncan had at Wake Forrest. “I think all these players around Timmy –and even I, as his coach – approach every game with a real sense of responsibility, because we hate to let him down,” Odom said at the time. “We all appreciate that he’s here with us when he could have been a millionaire right now in the NBA.” Although he won the Wooden and Naismith awards and was college basketball’s consensus Player of the Year as a senior and was ranked the top player by the Associated Press, U.S. Basketball Writers, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Tim never took the Demon Deacons to the Final Four and last year lost to Stanford in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals’ strategy was simple. Coach Mike Montgomery told his players to let Duncan score his points “because he always does,” and instead concentrate on shutting down Tim’s teammates.

Still, Duncan was named to The Associated Press All-America First Team by a unanimous vote, becoming the first player to repeat as a unanimous selection since O’Neal. Tim capped his brilliant four-year career at Wake Forrest by winning NABC National Defensive Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season. He finished his career as the all-time leading shot-blocker in Atlantic Coast Conference history with 481, second in NCAA annals behind Colgate’s Adonal Foyle who played against much weaker opponents.

How deep was Duncan’s impact on the college game? Consider the “pep talk” Wofford coach Richard Johnson gave his team before a game against Wake. “Let me tell you guys about who you’re playing tomorrow,” said Johnson. “Someday your six-year-old kid will ask you for a Tim Duncan jersey for Christmas. This is your chance to play a future NBA Hall of Famer, your turn to face the greatest player any of you will ever meet.”

NBA

When last summer’s draft came around, there was no doubt San Antonio would grab Duncan with the top pick, giving the Spurs instant offensive power and a pair of seven footers to clog the middle on defense. “I know the expectations but I try not to dwell on that.” Duncan said in training camp. “I’ve never been one to be scared of certain situations. I’ve never gotten a lot of fear out of playing basketball.” The biggest problem the organization had was trying to decide who would play center and who would slide down to power forward. “After watching Tim a little bit I got a feeling that I might be playing a lot more center than I thought,” said Robinson. “Tim passes better than I do, he handles the ball better than I do, he shoots better than I do. He has great hands around the basket. He’s a great rebounder. I think his potential is sky-high.”
During the pre-season, Robinson was showing signs he was still a bit raw, following last year’s series of injuries (lower back strain and fractured foot) that forced him to miss 76 games. Duncan regularly outplayed the Admiral in practice and scrimmages. But when November came along, David took his game to the next level, and the young rookie had to work harder than ever before just to keep pace and fulfill fan’s expectations of a “partnership of equals” in the San Antonio paint. “In the first four or five games, David just came out and really dominated,” says former Spurs point guard Doc Rivers, now a TV commentator with TNT. “Tim’s numbers went down and I think he was almost in awe of David like, ‘Hey, he really can play.’ I think he thought what David was doing in the preseason was how David really plays and then when David took it to the next level, Tim was starting to defer too much. I think now they have figured it out perfectly, but it took them some time. For some people, time means two or three years. For Tim and David, it meant two months.”

As a rookie, Duncan developed a phenomenal ability to finish with either hand, making him unstoppable at times in the low post. His baseline spin is sensational, and his shooting range seems to have settled around 16-17 feet. And Tim certainly doesn’t lack in creativity – working on thundering dunks and creative passes all season long. (Against the Rockets, he passed the ball to himself off the glass.) On defense, some teammates say he is already a better rebounder than Robinson. “He’s one of the best rebounders to come into the NBA in years,” says Loughery. “He can rebound with anybody. He has great hands and a great feel for the game.” At this year’s All Star game, where Tim became the first rookie participant since Grant Hill in 1995, although Duncan played the fewest minutes (14) nobody on the court grabbed more boards than him (11). “Once he learns to root people out from under the basket, he’ll be even stronger,” says Popovich. Duncan’s biggest negative remains his free-throw shooting, hovering around 66%, unacceptably low for a major go-to guy down the stretch and one of the Spurs top two offensive options.

Still, going into the playoffs, Coach Popovich likes the chemistry of the team. “I think David has been really impressed with Tim’s game and some of the things Tim does that David doesn’t do,” says Popovich. “And Tim has been in awe of some of the things David does that he doesn’t do. So they complement each other more than people realize. It’s something you just couldn’t ask for more of.” The Twin Towers concept was tried once in Texas already (Houston of the mid 1980s with Hakeem Olajuwon and Sampson), but with Will Perdue, Popovich has three seven-footers, and has been giving them extended minutes together after Sean Elliot went down with an injury. “It’s taken a while to get this far and we have a long way to go still,” says Duncan. “But I think right now we’re feeling each other pretty well.” Rivers thinks Robinson and Duncan are a lethal combination: “The problem they give you is when you beat one, you still have to score over the other. The best way to beat them is to get them out of the game.”

Few teams have managed that, as Duncan netted a total of 56 double-doubles in 82 games, by far the best in the league. “Boy, I’ll tell you what, he is one of the best rookies I’ve seen in this league -- ever,” said (former) Nuggets Coach Bill Hanzlik after his team lost to Duncan and the Spurs. “He just contributes in so many areas. He plays defense, he blocks shots, he rebounds, he scores in the low post, he dribbles up the court. Other guys that I’ve seen as rookies – Patrick Ewing and others – Tim’s the best.”

When all is said and done, Duncan’s pro coach thinks his young star’s attitude is what really sets him apart from so many players of his generation. “He’s not impressed with himself when he does something that’s astounding,” says Popovich. “He’s not depressed when he makes a mistake. He just keeps competing. He just keeps playing. He’s got no MTV in him at all.” Duncan’s college coach seconds that sentiment. “If you’re looking for a fearless warrior who plays his A game every single night, you’d have a hard time finding anybody better than Timmy in any era.”

The league has noticed that too, rewarding Duncan appropriately. He used to be St. Croix’s best known ambassador on the mainland, but this summer Tim Duncan will get a chance to represent the United States on Dream Team IV at the World Championships in Athens. “Mom never got to see Timmy play ball seriously,” says his sister Cheryl. “But I think she’s looking down from heaven cheering him on, the loudest voice among all the angels. I think Timmy still hears her.”

 

Steve Francis hasnt won anything yet, how could you compare him to an MVP. Steve Francis had his season ruined by the way he was pumped up by John Lucas at Westside, prior to seasons start. He started by going crazy thinking he would be this years MVP. This distraction took away any chance of him being the Point Guard we all want him to be.

 

I am typically an optimist, but I came off with a touch of depression after reading Lopez's article. The Spurs will be scary for years to come. I hope they don't end up blocking our future title runs in the way the great Pittsburg teams of the 70s blocked the Oilers' path.

 

Um...not only does the article point this out, indirectly, it is the article's most resonating point.

The Spurs are young, yet don't play like it. The Rockets are young, and use it to make excuses for why they play bad. Another one of Rudy's screw-ups this year, if you ask me, using the young excuse at all. This should have never ever ever been brought up byt eh coach and allowed to infiltrate the inner organization. It's one thing when the sportscaster makes this point, completely different when you start to use it as a blanket excuse yourself.

If anything is obvious, its that the Rockets need a change in leadership. Maybe this simply means waiting till next year for Yao to lead by domination. However, that process may take longer than we expect, if it ever happens at all witht eh current makeup of the squad. That leaves the two current leaders; Francis on the court, Tomjanovich off of it. IMO, one has to go.

 

man....that was a good article....and left a sour flavor in my mouth......

 

hmmm...lets see here..if you look up and down the roster the rockets have alot of "kids" in the 25-27 age range which is *young* but by no means so young that they need to use it as a crutch. The only exceptions being Mr. Ming at 22 and EG at 20. I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say Ming is not your average 22 year old because he has as much playing expereince as most veterans (international b-ball). If you look at the Spurs, Kings, and Mavs they also have very "young" vital pieces to their teams and have never used the BS "young" excuse when they struggled in earlier years.

Mavs:
Dirk -- 24 years old
LaFrentz -- 26 years old
Nash -- 28 years old
Finley -- 29 in a few days

how can they win all these games and have all these players under 30!?

same with the Kings and Pacers. Webber is the old man at age 30! But perhaps most alarming is the SUNS!! They are just as young as we are and I have never heard the sorry excuse of "youth" used to justify their mistakes on the court. Maybe its because their coach would rather teach his players about how to play the game rather than go with the flow and use the same tired excuse when things go badly. Its a crutch Rudy T is using and its hurting the team because they don't have to feel liable for what goes on during the game because they always have the same, tired excuse to fall back on. No more excuses....coach the players and take the losses on yourself Rudy.

 

TIM DUNCAN IS 26?!?!? Man..............they are like younger than us.

 

Very good.
Age is not the excuse for bad performance.
Yao is young,but he plays well so far.We have the talents-Steve,Yao...,why we lost 8 games in last 13 games?Not flexibla in sustitute the player who is not involved in the game.No throughout plan to insist on.
IOM,with core of Yao and steve,we can do better,maybe it's difficulty for Rudy.

 

They also have so much salary cap room next year as well it's kind off scary.We are struggling although we should be optimistic with Yao on our team for the future but we have a long way to go.