Tim Duncan closed out the championship with a monster game: 46 Minutes, 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 blocks. 2 blocks from a quadruple double. MVP. Still want Kobe over Duncan? No freaking way. TM_Direct Elite Member Registered: Oct 2002 Posts: 1468 03-24-03 09:44 AM "...I still say SHAQ is the MVP.....the spurs will be swept out of the playoffs again by the Lakers." ElCubano Elite Member Registered: Jul 2002 Posts: 927 04-29-03 08:00 AM Quote from OPTIONAL777: "Kobe is hurting, Fox is done, and Shaq can't keep up the pace of his effort on Sunday. They are in big trouble....I LOVE IT!!! I take a 1 cyber dollar bet that the Lakers will beat KG and his crew.........and will most likely win the championship...."
You were right and i was wrong and I have a lot more respect for Tim Duncan now......although, I make a cyber bet now that LA wins it all next year......they need the ratings
....I have been known to be wrong...looking back I was wrong, but looking forward I will go with LA wins next year....
Picking the Lakers right now, or anyone, without knowing how the free agent market settles out, makes little sense to me. The free agent LA gets is critical, and if San Antonio were to get Jason Kidd, that would be formidable.
Gary Payton age 35, or Jason Kidd, age 30.....who would you choose? San Antonio is 1 year older, which is a good thing. Lakers are one year older, which is a bad thing with an old team. We shall see if Payton will take a pay cut. Jermain O'Neal, age 24, is also a potential fit for San Antonio. O'Neal overaged 20.8 points, 10.3 boards, and 2.0 assists...and San Antonio can afford him. O'Neal would make a fine forward to Duncan's center, which he will now likely assume the role of with Robinson's retirement. I also expect Duncan, 27 to become thicker in the body and stronger. Shaq is now 31 years old, and his motivation is still in doubt.
I totally agree...lets wait and see what happens when the smoke clears.....I think a paycut for a chance at a ring is a no brainer, but hey money isnt everything to me....peace
Duncan is the most valuable player without question, but is Popovitch the best coach? I haven't watched the Spurs much all year, but the way his backcourt was struggling this series, why not give Kerr and Steve Smith more time? Kerr produced big everytime he got in, even as Tony Parker played worse every game. Nothing against Parker, he played great in a few games, but Smith never got off the bench. Also, I know Kevin Willis is old, but he looked pretty good against the Lakers. Yet he never got in the game against a Nets team that was very thin up front. The combo of Duncan and Willis could have been devastating.
Why would the Spurs want a 30 year old Jason Kidd for a zillion dollars a year? They need a point guard who can hit the three and take pressure off Duncan. That's not Kidd's game. They already have a potential future star in Tony Parker. He will not develop if they get Kidd. Going after Jermaine O'Neal makes a lot of sense for them. They could also look to upgrade at small forward, with maybe an Antawn Walker.
Fortunately, finally! It's over. Payton over Kidd in this setup any day. But as was stated, the issue is with the coaching. Adding Payton to Kerr and the like on the bench doesn't make much sense. Giving Duncan and Payton the proper assortment of tools would be great. I'd love to see the "Glove" added to the SA mixture. Then Parker could really have a great clinic to learn from. The team handling skills and maturity of Payton mixed in with the rest of the shooting power that resides there would only enhance Parker's abilities. Kerr has a year left in him easily in that instance. With the salary room and the draft, they could get a quality power forward. Either a project or an established force. The question truly is, would the coach know what to do with them if they did?