I'm not rooting for SA, but rather rooting against the Nugz, @heypartner. My brother-in law in SA has season tickets and grew up there. We get a great deal of enjoyment out of arguing about and against each other's teams. If SA were to advance to the WC Finals (not certain at all, but not impossible, either - same for us), eliminating the Spurs would be a truly wonderful thing, also some payback for those titles they have that we don't, when I had to listen to endless BS from the guy. Both teams have a hard slog to get there, to battle for the Finals and what we all dream of, another shot at the title. I hope it turns out that way. To be clear, if it isn't already, I hate the Spurs! I'm also a huge admirer of Pop, which you'll understand isn't the same as liking his team. ;-)
Jokic really does get a lot of bad calls from refs, wrt block/strip of DeRozan, who even knew it was clean, by trying to pass the loose ball.
Hey guys lets lose games on purpose to avoid playing the rockets and OKC!!! How'd that work out for you Denver...
I think you underestimate the Spurs culture, as much as I hate to say. Normal players turn into valuable players turn into stars there. You have to be around the coaching staff and management. It is like they turn into WWalkers, not the wights, the Generals.
But in Houston, it's just the system, right? I think you are overrating their development (if you are saying it has Volumes more examples v Rockets) because you saw those players in the playoffs more benefitting from HOFers, who would have been HOFers anywhere. I'm not saying we should give Houston more credit (just using HOU as a credible example), rather the point is that I just think you are overrating player development in general. It's OK, everyone does.
Sure except that did not have Houston in mind talking about them. Spurs kind of an island of their own. Mostly because Pop was GM and coach and he works well with Buford. The track record is unbeaten IMO. It just is. They are the most successful in the last 20 or 21 years. That is not even debatable. They have a better record than the Lakers (arguable but they got more money and more fame), Detroit, Celtics, Heat, Mavs........all those who won. And GSW. If by overrating you mean acknowledging their results, then yes, sure. I hate them for it though. San Antonio being a small to midsized market. You know I have started "Are the Spurs done"threads the last 5 to 8 years. Lul. I give up.
If this is true (wrt Player Development), then it should also hold-up and not be debatable even without Duncan. You take Duncan away, and all of a sudden, other teams like Houston are in the same conversation. As long as you have a culture of winning, being professional Top-Down, and don't cut corners on coaching/scouting staff needs, there is more than one way to execute a system of development. The rest is the players' own Will to Work. If that weren't true, then we'd know it from the younger ranks of the NCAAs. I'm not talking about Pop's ability to find and coach anyone who fits his system and style (MDA has that), nor the Winning (Duncan helped a lot), and certainly not the power of consistency and stability in maintaining the same coaching staff (my main gripe about Les Alexander), just commenting about what appears to be you saying SA's organization is vastly superior to everyone else wrt creating a skills-development school of sorts.
