What exactly does LA have to do to prove they are a better team then the ****ing Spurs? Winning the last 8 out of 9 playoff games against the Spers is not enough I guess?
napster: I visit boards for both the entire league and specific teams, and the opinions here on the Spurs are unlike any I've ever seen anywhere else. I mean, in the middle of this season, when the Spurs were at their lowest point of the season (still an excellent 36-21 record), there were people here talking about them maybe not even making the playoffs. It's that bad. I'm not saying the league-wide perception is that the Spurs are worldbeaters... but it's nowhere close to what the fans on this board would have it. Why hasn't it occurred to you that the Lakers' outstanding defense forced the entire Spurs team into the same situation in every 4th quarter? Because it's not the defense. That outstanding defense didn't force Tim Duncan to hold the ball and wait for the double team, instead of making an aggressive move to the basket. That outstanding defense didn't force Antonio Daniels to miss wide open threes and wide open eight footers. That outstanding defense didn't force Tim Duncan to miss free throws down the stretch. That outstanding defense didn't force Terry Porter to slip and fall down on the biggest play of game 4. That outstanding defense didn't make David Robinson airball a crucial free throw. The Spurs simply had a comedy of unforced errors, and that was the difference in the series. Because of that, the Lakers were the better team for those five games-- they didn't have the unforced errors. But, the Spurs didn't have those errors all season. LA just ran into a Spurs team playing some of their worst basketball in months, and it showed in the results. The Lakers won the series fair and square. But, I will continue to believe that a 100% healthy Spurs team playing at a relatively high level is better than LA. This year, neither of those things happened, and that's just the way it goes sometimes.
I could swear you said that the Spurs were "clicking on all cylinders" as the series started. You're so in denial man.
I did, before the series started. For whatever reason, the Spurs team that played against LA was nowhere near the team that ended the season and played in the first round. I'm not really sure what it is I'm denying... I said the Lakers won fairly, and I recognize I have to deal with the insults for another year. However, I choose not to believe the LA-biased media, who would try and credit the Laker defense if the other team missed 100 layups. There's very few of the Spurs errors in execution that weren't self-inflicted, and so far, no one has proven otherwise. That's my one comfort in that series... I at least have confidence for winning next year. It's not like last year, where the Lakers just clearly outclassed the Spurs. This year, the Spurs had the players, but their unforced errors did them in. It's correctable.
The Spurs did the exact same thing in every single game in the 4th quarter vs the Lakers - they didn't do it versus the Sonics, they didn't do it that much during the regular season. But lo and behold, they go up against the Lakers, and what an unfortunate set of coincidences - they happen to have 5 consecutive terrible 4th quarters, they make the same mistakes, leave the same shooters open, take the same stupid shots. Maybe. Just maybe. And this is just a theory of mine. The Lakers had something to do with that. I mean, I knew the Lakers would go on a big run in the 4th to kill the Spurs., everyone in chat knew it, everyone on the Lakers knew it - and most damaging, everyone on the Spurs team knew it.
The Cat: hehe...hoho...I know that I can count on you to give me a good laugh! As R0ckets03 pointed out, how in the hell were the Lakers lucky against the Spurs or not as good as SA when they have beaten them in the playoffs 8 out of the last 9?? I hate the Lakers as much as anyone, but I'm willing to give them their due and admit that they were the better team than the Spurs. Rockets fan more than a Spurs fan, Cat??? I seriously doubt it....and your questioning of why so many people bash the Spurs on a Rockets site is so downright laughable that it makes me type ROTFLMFAO!!!!!! Let's look at it like this...do you think that people who post on a Florida State football site would like someone always defending the Florida Gators?? I almost get the impression that you think that because the Spurs are in Texas like the Rockets that we should all be rooting for them in the playoffs because the Rocks are not there. Ummm...not going to happen, I would rather root for the Lakers or perish the thought....the Jazz! However, I actually enjoy this, so I hope you keep your stamina up and do this forever because this is what always will happen when the Spurs play the Lakers. And regardless of what TheFreak thinks, I, too, enjoy patting myself on the back. starts patting himself on the back BTW - Thanks for not re-signing Jung Bong...he should come in quite handy for me.
Cat, you're well into the realm of self-parody now. If someone else posted what you said about any two teams besides the Lakers and Spurs, you'd be laughing your head off at how ridiculous the claim was. And this is so damn true that it isn't funny. Have you caught on to the irony of your signature yet, Cat? The Lakers were immortal in the eyes of the Spurs, including Duncan -- that's why San Antonio froze up in the 4th quarter of every game when L.A. made its run. Might the better team occasionally cough up a game through mental errors? Sure ... the Lakers lost Game 2, for example. But by definition, the better team doesn't gag up four games out of five. Oh, and is it your opinion that the "LA-biased media" . . . includes the San Antonio Express-News? Throughout the past week, the Lakers displayed an uncanny knack for making sure that the open shots the Spurs took were not shots they were used to taking, a trend that continued on Tuesday. The Lakers said after Game 4 that a big key to their late-game defense was keeping the Spurs from establishing rhythm. They made sure that continued in Game 5.
I really don't think you need to be telling me what team I support. If I was a Spurs fan, don't you think I would have 5900+ posts at their site, instead of about 30? If I was a Spurs fan, don't you think I'd be registered under a Spurs name on their BBS, instead of "The Cat" with a Mobley picture and proclaiming myself to be a Rockets fan who also cheers for the Spurs (when they don't play Houston)? If I was a Spurs fan, why would I show up in the chat during every Rockets-Spurs game, cheering my heart out for the Rockets? If I was a Spurs fan, why would I wear my Rockets jersey and actually boo the Spurs starting lineup when I go to the games? If I was a Spurs fan, why would I spend so much time over the past two years defending the Rockets whenever the rest of the board turns against them? You don't dare need to be questioning my loyalty to the Rockets. I'm as much of a fan as anyone on this board. Also, I just can't understand the rivalry. Yeah, we're in the same state, but who cares? First off, for it to be a rivalry, both teams need to win meaningful games against each other, which the Spurs didn't do in our championships and the Rockets aren't doing right now. Second, because the Spurs lost so many huge games to the Rockets, don't you think there would be some animosity on their end? Since they're the team losing in the crucial games in the rivalry, shouldn't they have the more hate? I visit their BBS frequently, and though there's a couple of people who hate the Rockets, most of them are just indifferent. The rivalry is virtually nonexistent from their perspective, and since they're the team that's been humilated in the playoff meetings between the two, it doesn't make sense for them not to care but for the Rockets to care. However, I actually enjoy this, so I hope you keep your stamina up and do this forever because this is what always will happen when the Spurs play the Lakers. Just like '99, right? Swopa: Yup, the SA media is biased too. A Spurs insider on their BBS said before the series that about 99% of the SA media on the road in LA thought the Spurs had no chance to win a game at Staples and no chance to win the series. They did the first, and almost did the latter. Most media members don't watch the games as closely as any of us do. They just see Shaq and Kobe, and automatically assume that it's the same team as last year and that the rest of the league has no shot. Wrong. It's not the same team. But, the media has a preconceived notion that it is, and at every opportunity they're going to kiss the Lakers @ss to make themselves look good. Plus, it's one of those unsaid rules of journalism sports columns that you always credit the winning team. If you try and put the blame on the team that choked and give the other team no credit, you're going to come across as a sore loser to "average Joe" sports fan, and that's going to limit your reading audience. It doesn't matter if it's true or not; you have to cater to what your readers want to read, and a lot of them don't want to hear the complaining. Pued: Sorry, I don't care what the evidence says, I can't accept the Lakers defense as reasoning for the Spurs missing wide open shots that they had made all games prior, and I can't accept the Lakers defense as reasoning for Tim Duncan holding the ball instead of taking it to the basket as he had all game. BGM: Good for you, I'm looking forward to a championship banner in the first year of the SBC Center...
The Cat: Don't you get a chip on your shoulder with me, dude. I have always been someone who was in your corner & you know that. You should also know that I normally don't post long posts anymore unless it is something that really bothers me or is something that I don't understand. That post was really, in essence, a bunch of posts rolled up into one. In reading threads in which you constantly defend your "second" team, I found myself in bewilderment at reading some of the stuff you would say. It's like Swopa so eloquently said, "You have become a cartoon character". So, you got over 5900+ posts, so what? mrpaige, who is not even a Rockets fan, has over 3000 and probably would have had more if he wasn't gone for a while back in the winter. You just happen to like posting about basketball more here than him. Oh and this statement really made me laugh here, "If I was a Spurs fan, don't you think I'd be registered under a Spurs name on their BBS, instead of 'The Cat'". Hmmm...one of your email addresses that you have used has the word or name of "Duncan" in it & Duncan isn't your real last name. So, yea, great argument there about being a Rockets fan But hey, there's nothing wrong with being a fan of 2 teams. Personally, I couldn't do it and I really don't understand it. I like the Rockets and only the Rockets. You know how many playoff games I have watched in the last 3 seasons? Probably enough to count on one hand. I just can't get into watching them if the Rockets are not in them (however, I may watch the Kings and Lakers series just because I might be bored). And you are right, no one here should begrudge your right to root for whoever you want, but I have noticed a disturbing trend with you. First it was with the Texas Longhorns football team and now this (and there might have been others), it's never the other team was better is the reason why your team is lost...it's stupid **** excuses like the officials or they (the team that won) was lucky not better than your team. Man, when people who hardly even post here come out and laugh at some of this garbage that you use as excuses, I think it is worth the time to sit back and evaluate this line of thinking. I do enjoy reading your posts, and you have always been a good guy to me, but I'm just trying to point out to you that this coming up with excuses stuff is lame & makes me believe that Swopa is right.....you have become a cartoon character - one whose posts are read for entertainment value but are not respected.
Manny: you can't like players on other teams if you're a Rockets fan? Yeah, that's a great argument. Also, Manny, I really don't think you understand my personality. You can beat me ten straight times in a game of one on one in basketball, and I still might not admit that you're better than I am. When I see failure in sports or anything, I don't accept not being as good as someone as an answer. I look to see the reasons for the loss, and I work that much harder to change it for the next time. That's partially the way I look at sports. I don't care what the other team does; there's not too much you can do to control that. I look at what my team does, and when I see unforced errors costing my team games, I can't accept "the other team being better" as reasoning for the loss. They were better for the series, but it not for these unforced errors, they might not have been. As for re-evaluating my thinking on this series, I might consider doing so if someone besides a die-hard Spurs hater or Laker fan was critical of me for these views. Furthermore, it's not like I respect the opinions (on the Spurs only, not saying this on the Rockets) of some posters in this thread, so that's not a major issue with me. I agree that I go overboard defending the Spurs onthis board... but only because everyone else goes overboard spewing garbage about how much they suck after every loss. Believe me, I have a lot more worthwhile things to say than this, but I never have the time to post them because I'm constantly stuck defending the trash posted in this forum.
This is the last time I'm going to dial the clue phone for you on this subject, since it appears you may be beyond the reach of rational discussion. If one team repeatedly coughs up games due to "unforced errors," and the other team repeatedly makes the clutch plays necessary to win, the other team IS better. Hell, if "not being able to execute in the closing minutes of a close game" didn't count in defining what makes a team good, the Warriors would be one of the best teams in the league.
Swopa: Exactly. Cat: I still fail to see how if one team has beaten another in the playoffs 8 out of 9 how someone can still come up with excuses for the team that has lost 8 out of 9 other than just admitting that the team that won the 8 out of 9 is the better team.
The Lakers were the better team in the series; I said that already. But the Spurs didn't play that way all season long, so I have a hard time believing that was an accurate representation of the entire season. However, the Lakers were the better team when it counted, so anything else doesn't matter. I said that a few days ago, and accepted it o-a few days ago. All I want to talk about now is the Kings and Lakers, because that series isn't over and done with.
No, but it's an accurate representation of what happens when they play a better team four or five times in a row, with the right to keep playing depending on who wins. Which doesn't happen in the regular season, but does happen in the playoffs.
Cat, If you hadn't noticed, '99 was the exception, not the rule. Phil Jackson wasn't there. Shaq and Kobe were always at each others necks. The Lakers are as clutch as the old Houston Rockets, and they have no competition. The Rockets couldn't handle the Sonics, the Lakers can handle everyone. Please, all I ask is that you stop the "everyone here's biased" bull**** as if you're not the most biased spurs fan on the board... Sure, I'm a Spurs hater, so much that I actually predicted Seattle to beat the Spurs (which was of course myself hoping they'd beat the Spurs). The thing is, in the Sonics series, I was watching each game hoping for everything to go right for the Sonics so they could win. When the Spurs play the Lakers, I hardly pay any attention until the last quarter because it's painfully obvious that the Spurs are no match for the Lakers in crunch time. You need to admit you're a biased Spurs fan (and a biased Lakers hater) that still won't give the 2 time NBA champs credit, instead you say "The Spurs lost it, the Lakers didn't win it." The Spurs will continue to lose it as long as Kobe and Shaq are in LA. Blah Blah Blah 1999, big freaking deal, if you hadn't noticed, the Lakers are a much better team than that 99 team. They actually hit clutch shots and play as a team now. So unless you want to sound like a blind spurs fan grasping for straws, please stop bringing up 99 as if it means anything now...
I'll stop talking about 1999 once everyone else stops talking about 2001. The Spurs had three new starters and six new players on this season's team that were non-existent in 2001, and the identity was much different. Is it different from 1999? Yup. Is it different from 2001? Yup. That year, the average margin of victory was over 20 points a game... in all but one game, it wasn't even close in the fourth quarter, much less the Spurs having a lead. Personally, I think the past is the past. I care about the teams right now, and how they are playing, not the way completely different teams played years ago. I agree with your point about 1999, but I also feel the same way about 2001, and I'm not going to stop the references to 1999 until we drop what happened last season. The Spurs are a different team now. BTW, on the Lakers handling everyone, I haven't seen them handle this version of the Kings yet...
