[2014] The Finals

Will the Spurs end our long national nightmare?


  • Total voters
    31
  • Poll closed .
San Antonio Spurs win the finals with a score of 87-104. and to the youngest NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard with 22points 2 assist and 10 rebounds. Congrats to San Antonio Spurs what a great revenge
 
Beware Spurs players in free agency. They can look amazing on the Spurs, but they are hothouse flowers when they are expected to play something other than heavy motion offense with more selfish teammates.

For example, Gary Neal this year.
Yup, which is why I can never understand why any Spurs player would want to sign elsewhere. I'm just talking about the defensive effort you see between IT/Mills though.
 
I've always admired the San Antonio Spurs as an organization, ever since Tim Duncan arrived. What an amazing group of INDIVIDUALS who play as a TEAM. And the coaching staff. Of course this starts with Pops, what an amazing, classy, and humble man. I love his interviews during the game. No need to candy coat what's going on. He's absolutely hilarious during his interviews, but he gets his point across, and his players respond. What can I say about Tim Duncan that has not been said about Tim Duncan? One of the most amazing, quiet, and extremely effective players to ever play the game of basketball. Tim doesn't let his mouth do the talking. He makes sure his game does that for him. What I love about the Spurs as an organization is that they have proven that, outside of Tim Duncan, you do not need the number one pick, or a top 5 pick, or a top 10 pick even, to succeed in this league. You just need the right pick.

Watching the Spurs play basketball on the court is just music to my ears. The passing, the shot selection, the defense.....everything is done the way they are all supposed to be done. No one on that team hardly takes a bad shot, or makes a bad pass, or takes a stupid foul. They play the game the way the game is supposed to be played. Wait, did I hear someone say that the Spurs are "boring"?. Well, if the Spurs are "boring" then I guess "Boring Wins Championships". Hey, I'd rather be boring and win championships than be fun and not win diddly squat.

Congratulations to the SAN ANTONIO SPURS on another amazing championship season. You are the team that every other NBA team out there fears on the court, and you are the team that every other NBA team out there wants to be like on the court.
 
K

KingMilz

Guest
Glad to see Boris Diaw win a chip I literally thought his career was going to be over on the Bobcats when he started looking like Orlando Shawn Kemp, they really looked a different team when they moved him into the starting line up OKC/Miami had zero answers for that starting unit.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
I understand that. And I still stand by my claim...
Well, this Spurs team had 25.2 assists per game with a pace of 95.0 for the season. The best-passing Kings team was the '03-'04 team which had a total of 26.2 assists per game on a pace of 92.8. By a simple measure that would be better than, not several notches below, this year's Spurs.
 
I understand that. And I still stand by my claim...
Coach Pop refers to it as "the ball doesn't stick". The multiple passes are quick and efficient, which gives the defense no chance to relax. In this regard, I agree with you. It goes beyond stats or pure average number of assists. Eric Spolstra described it as "exquisite" basketball.

Their style of play and efficiency is so convincing, that it has everyone around the league reconsidering what they should do with their team, or attempting to rely on anything less than total team play. Nobody's "eye test" is off here.

In thinking back, I can't remember the last team who passed the ball this quick and efficiently. They might be the best ever at this, since before the three point arc was added
 
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I hope it will be Spurs in 5!! 4-1 Spurs ;) with the Finals format of 2-2-1-1-1, it will be an advantage for the Spurs..I imagine Spurs taking care of home home court and lead 2 games off the bat, then steal 1 at Heat homecourt, comeback to finish the Heat in 5 at home ;) Spurs looked old beating the Mavs in 7, but destroyed Portland 4-1 , really suprised me as Portland had the length, speed and athleticism to beat the Spurs. Then beat OKC by limiting Durant and let Westbrook hoist some bricks. OKC i think was a tougher match-up with Westbrook driving the lanes. LBJ looks older and a bit slower now although a better shooter now, DWade is playing pretty good and Ray Allen is Ray Allen. But Spurs now have a more experienced core with Green and Leonard including Splitter. Bench is pretty solid with Mills, Diaw, Ginobili, Bellineli. Pop also learned his lesson when he subbed-out Duncan on that critical play where Bosh got the offensive rebound and Allen hit that incredible 3. Spurs should be back on top! Either way really excited for this finals rematch.
Big congratulations to the Spurs!!! Surprised Spurs won 3 straight with big blow-outs against the 2 time defending champs, Heat.
 
So many similarities with the Spurs and the early 2000s Kings. Small market, Amazing ball movement and team play, great passing bigs, great PFs (Duncan/Webb), Great bench, Great 6th man (Bobby Jackson/Manu Ginobili), Lockdown defender (Leonard/Christie), great 3pt shooter (Peja, Danny Green) etc.
 
This was our golden era team's response to the rumor that this current Spurs team's passing is several notches above them.

Spurs reply: and you made the NBA finals how many times again?

Our old Kings team might have been the better passing team, but there's no question which team has had more longevity and success. I'd take winning a championship over boasting about being the better passing team any day of the week.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Spurs reply: and you made the NBA finals how many times again?

Our old Kings team might have been the better passing team, but there's no question which team has had more longevity and success. I'd take winning a championship over boasting about being the better passing team any day of the week.
The Kings of the early 2000's were the better passing team, especially when you take into account that they weren't an old established team with a history of playing together for years and years. That doesn't take away from the Spurs accomplishment in any way, shape or form - nor should it. I honestly cannot believe some of the things people can find to argue about.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
Spurs reply: and you made the NBA finals how many times again?

Our old Kings team might have been the better passing team, but there's no question which team has had more longevity and success. I'd take winning a championship over boasting about being the better passing team any day of the week.
Cool story, bro. Spurs Report is three blocks down.

No need to belittle or dismiss what our team accomplished in order to acknowledge the greatness of the Spurs.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
I'd take winning a championship over boasting about being the better passing team any day of the week.
That's a bit of a strawman. The point was not to boast about being a better passing team than the Spurs, the point was to challenge the argument that the Spurs' passing this year was "several notches above" the best passing the Kings had in their heyday.
 
The Kings of the early 2000's were the better passing team, especially when you take into account that they weren't an old established team with a history of playing together for years and years. That doesn't take away from the Spurs accomplishment in any way, shape or form - nor should it. I honestly cannot believe some of the things people can find to argue about.
I could say the same. This thread is about the Finals and some Kings fans take offense that people are forgetting the passing of our Kings team in the past and have crowned the Spurs the best passing team. But really why the Spurs are only getting attention now is because they won a championship with it. We never even made the finals. That's also fact, it isn't belittling our best team. Had we had the longevity and success that their team has had I'm sure people wouldn't forget about us.

But anyway my intention was just to respond to Rain's light hearted "challenge" and to say that we as Kings fans shouldn't be so ... Arrogant? Yea we might have had the best passing team but we haven't won diddly squat.

Capt's post is very accurate, only I disagree that some are not boasting but merely challenging. No need to drag this on any further, Kings were the better passing team, Spurs are a heck of an organisation. The end.
 
Kings may have been a better passing team in our prime, but... on this stage, against this opponent, to put on a freaking rout like that - just a freaking CLINIC on moving the ball... I've never seen anything like it by the Kings or anyone else. It was really something.
I think the other difference is of course the evolution of the 3 pointer and its usage in the modern NBA. I love how Pop says he hates the invention of the 3 point line but has still found a way to incorporate it so effectively into their system and offense.

Also getting lost in all the talk of their offense is the Spurs' defense. They held Miami, who had the #1 offense in the postseason way below their scoring average (or so I think). Heat certainly contributed to it by simply not playing up to par (e.g. Wade), but it goes to show the depth of their team and ability to play both ends of the court effectively.

I really hope that I get to cheer for the Kings in the playoffs some day soon. It's really been a long time.
 
I hope it will be Spurs in 5!! 4-1 Spurs ;) with the Finals format of 2-2-1-1-1, it will be an advantage for the Spurs..I imagine Spurs taking care of home home court and lead 2 games off the bat, then steal 1 at Heat homecourt, comeback to finish the Heat in 5 at home ;) Spurs looked old beating the Mavs in 7, but destroyed Portland 4-1 , really suprised me as Portland had the length, speed and athleticism to beat the Spurs. Then beat OKC by limiting Durant and let Westbrook hoist some bricks. OKC i think was a tougher match-up with Westbrook driving the lanes. LBJ looks older and a bit slower now although a better shooter now, DWade is playing pretty good and Ray Allen is Ray Allen. But Spurs now have a more experienced core with Green and Leonard including Splitter. Bench is pretty solid with Mills, Diaw, Ginobili, Bellineli. Pop also learned his lesson when he subbed-out Duncan on that critical play where Bosh got the offensive rebound and Allen hit that incredible 3. Spurs should be back on top! Either way really excited for this finals rematch.
I just realized my hope/prediction happened ;) I was looking for this post and forgot I posted it here at Kingsfans. Yeah the Kings of 2002 sure do play like the 2014 Spurs, except 2014 had Leonard who was able to guard Lebron and have him play defense as well on the other end. As good as the Spurs played and passed the ball, it was Leonard's defense on Lebron that put a stopped on the Heat offense. Maybe if the Kings had Ben Wallace who was able to guard Shaq maybe maybe the Kings would have had a ring too.