By Bill
Ingram
Monday, July 28th, 2003
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Yes, yes, I know. Yes, I have heard that the Lakers are assembling an all-star
team to take the court in purple and gold next season. Karl Malone and Gary
Payton would seem to make the Lakers, already sporting Shaquille O'Neal and
Kobe Bryant, a shoe-in to win the Western Conference and get themselves back
into the winner's circle for another ring ceremony. True, on paper, it's
hard to conceive of a team that actually has the talent to compete with the
Lakers ... unless you look a little ways down, closer to the border between
Texas and Mexico.
There's a team down there that played a little quality basketball of their
own, taking the league by storm over the second-half of the season and riding
that momentum all the way to the NBA finals. Perhaps you've heard of Tim
Duncan? He may not have the flair of Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, but in
his own way, he quietly dominates anyone who tries to get in his way. Like
Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, or Larry Bird, Tim Duncan dominates in many
different ways.
He can score 50 points, but he also realizes something that is lost on most
of the young stars of the NBA. Duncan knows that an assist counts just as
many points as a basket, and that passing to an open man is more effective
than trying to force something over a collapsing zone-defense. That realization
carried the Spurs past the Lakers, Mavericks, and Nets. That realization
will make the improved San Antonio Spurs even more lethal during the 2003-04
campaign.
The Lakers have been busy, but the Spurs have not been sitting around polishing
the Larry O'Brien Trophy, either. Losing David Robinson was the most significant
event in the recent history of the Spurs franchise, but the Spurs wasted
no time bringing in a very-capable replacement. After speaking briefly with
free agents Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand, the Spurs signed Rasho Nesterovic
to a long-term deal that will assure the Spurs of a formidable starting
front-line for the foreseeable future. Enough? No.
The 2003 NBA Finals belonged to the Spurs. The Nets were able to stay in
the series by playing ugly-ball and by taking advantage of the one area of
weakness the Spurs had: clutch-shooting. Late in games, they forced Tim Duncan
to give up the ball, and twice the Spurs were unable to knock down wide-open
threes that would have been game-winners.
Once, it was Emanuel Ginobili and once, it was Stephen Jackson. With time
running down, Duncan forced a low-post zone and dished out to an open shooter.
Each time, his man missed the shot. Two missed shots caused the San Antonio
Spurs to go through a six-game series instead of wrapping up a tidy little
sweep of the New Jersey Nets. Thanks to the Lakers, that won't be a problem
any more.
Robert Horry. The man has hit more clutch shots, more game-winning threes,
than any played in playoff history. You just about take it for granted that
if he's open, the game is over. He did it five times for the Rockets (twice
to Charles Barkley's Suns), several times for the Lakers (thanks, Vlade Divac),
and now he will be able to work his championship mojo for the San Antonio
Spurs.
After being told that his option was not being picked-up by the Lakers, Horry
hopped the next plane to the River Walk and signed on with yet another
championship team. Horry has five rings, but his other hand has plenty of
room. If it had been Horry instead of Ginobili and Jackson taking those threes
in June, the finals would have been two games shorter. Signing Horry was
a masterstroke, but the Spurs were not finished.
Jumping in bed with the Pacers and Kings, the Spurs managed to trade some
unused cap space for three-point threat Ron Mercer and the versatile Hedo
Turkoglu. They then told Kevin Willis and Steve Kerr that they could go ahead
and stick around to defend their championship -- all of a sudden, the moves
made by the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves don't look all that impressive.
You can say you read it here first. The San Antonio Spurs are going to repeat
as champions in 2004. Tim Duncan will again be the MVP of the league.
ABC will be busy cramming in as many Lakers games as they can, maybe even
forgoing some of their normal evening programming in favor of plastering
the L.A. All-Stars on their primetime schedule. David Stern will be in his
office, daydreaming of the ratings and the proceeds to be had from a Lakers
championship. Meanwhile, the blue-collar guy will be leading his small-market
franchise back to the NBA finals. The Spurs are back and better than ever.
Underestimate them at your own peril.
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