Thanks to veteran foursome, Spurs still believe their future is now

Web Posted: 10/28/2006 08:00 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

It was at the start of the 1986-87 season, nearly two decades ago to the day, that the Spurs first learned it was sometimes better to be lucky than good.

Bob Weiss had replaced Cotton Fitzsimmons as coach, George Gervin was playing in Italy and the team would go on to lose a franchise-record 54 games.

A month later, general manager Bob Bass left New York with a red chameleon and the draft rights to David Robinson.

Fate intervened once again during the 1996-97 season.

Robinson injured his back, broke his left foot and Dominique Wilkins led the Spurs in scoring. With Gregg Popovich having named himself coach after firing Bob Hill, the team set a record with 62 losses.

One month later, the Spurs won the right to draft Tim Duncan.

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As the 2006-07 NBA season begins this week, the Next Great Big Man is waiting in the wings. He stands 7 feet, blocks shots and is mature, team-oriented and even-tempered. And, with a few breaks, and another 60 or so losses, he just might be available this summer.

Robinson in '87. Duncan in '97. Greg Oden in '07?

"Well," Popovich said, grinning, "Timmy's foot has been bothering him a little bit. I'm going to watch it real closely and give him a couple more days.

"We'll have to make some tough decisions."

Karma willing, Popovich has no desire to ping-pong his way to another lottery miracle. For all the talk of age and slippage that followed last season's second-round loss to Dallas, the Spurs still think their future is now.

"We honestly believe we had every reason to win it last year and it came down to one play, to two plays, whatever it may be," Duncan said. "All that is, is fuel. I feel we're right back in the mix."

More than a few people agree. In the NBA's annual survey of its general managers, the Spurs were selected most likely to win this season's championship. The 12 votes they received were four more than the Mavericks and eight more than the defending champion Miami Heat.

Depending on how one chooses to look at last season's Western Conference semifinals, the Spurs were either one rebound, one missed shot or one questionable call from beating Dallas. Or, an errant Jerry Stackhouse 3-pointer from being swept.

The Spurs naturally chose to believe the former, which is why most of them spent much of the summer lamenting their early vacation. Duncan compared the loss to a "bad beat" in poker. Popovich, and several others, said the defeat was even harder to stomach than their second-round exit two years earlier when Derek Fisher pureed their hearts with his .4 shot.

"If we would have been good enough to win that year, we would have gone to L.A. (for Game 6) and won," Popovich said. "But last year I thought at the end of Games 3, 4 and 7, we had some real tough breaks. We've had some of those breaks go our way the years we won. It's amazing how some of those things that are out of your control need to go your way.

"That's why every year there are probably four or five teams that can win a championship, but you don't really know which one it will be. Nobody would have guessed Miami was winning a championship last year. Everybody thought they were going in the toilet."

There was some sentiment, mostly local, that the Spurs also had flushed their best chances to win another title. As dominant as Duncan looked in the playoffs, he had spent much of the season playing on a sore right foot, averaging career lows in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

Manu Ginobili seemingly couldn't go more than five games without turning his ankle or taking a knee in the thigh. Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Brent Barry had each passed at least their 33rd birthday.

"I didn't pay attention to that," Popovich said. "If we had won, we would have been 'Experienced Juggernauts.' It would have been 'Experience and Corporate Knowledge, Look What it Does for You.' But when you lose in overtime in the seventh game, there's got to be something wrong. It's 'we didn't play the big guys' or 'we're too slow or to old.'

"What we really do need is to get a young perimeter player in the program that we can start working with over the next couple of years. If we didn't make any additions in that area in a couple of years, we'd definitely be a little long in the tooth."

For now, though, the Spurs think they have the right blend of experience and youth. The average age of the 14 players with guaranteed contracts is just under 30 years.

"If they're talented players, and obviously they have the versatility, I think experience helps right to the bitter, very end," Miami coach Pat Riley said of the Spurs,

Though none of the Spurs' offseason moves sent shivers through the league, they did add more flexibility and athleticism with the acquisitions of Francisco Elson, Jackie Butler and Matt Bonner. Whether those three can provide an upgrade over departed centers Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed remains to be seen.

The Spurs' core, as usual, remains their strength. Duncan, Ginobili, Bowen and Tony Parker will be playing together for the fifth consecutive season.

"It's like we haven't missed a beat," Duncan said.

Coming off his first All-Star season, Parker has looked as confident as ever. A career 69.9 percent foul shooter, he made all 22 of his free throws through the first six exhibition games.

Ginobili hopes he'll have an easier time finding his rhythm this season, though Popovich said he'll still worry about his frenetic guard's health.

"He has to be whole for us to win a championship," Popovich said.

The same could be said of Duncan. After reporting to camp in excellent shape, Duncan said his foot hasn't troubled him. His teammates have noticed the difference.

"He's not limping," said Finley.

That's good news for the Spurs, considering the rest of the West also seems to be brimming with confidence. Dallas picked up three playoff-tested veterans (Anthony Johnson, Devean George and Austin Croshere). Phoenix is getting Amare Stoudemire back. Houston traded for Shane Battier then landed Bonzi Wells just before training camp opened.

Utah, New Orleans, Golden State and Minnesota, none of which made the playoffs last season, also appear to have improved during the summer. From top to bottom, Popovich thinks the conference is as strong as it has ever been.

"I don't think there is a bottom anymore," said Jacque Vaughn, the Spurs' new reserve point guard. "To be honest with you, the bottom used to be the Clippers, and they've dispelled that notion."

In recent years, the Spurs have responded well to challenges, following their previous two second-round exits with a championship. So, for now, Greg Oden can wait.

If you ask the Spurs, time is still on their side.