It’s not a new story, just one that matters. The San Antonio Spurs are a very different offensive team this season. In their Game 3 victory against the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs didn’t make a single three pointer. Not one. The Spurs were 4-19 on three point attempts in Game 1 against the Suns.

“For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me…it was Tuesday.” —Street Fighter: The Movie And so renews the most heated one-sided matchup in recent NBA history. The San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns are an interesting story to tell, depending on who tells it. [...]

For all the anticipation surrounding Manu Ginobili’s return, it was the San Antonio Spurs focus and attention to details that were most sorely missed in the Game 1 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. For much of the past decade the trinity of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker carried the headlines, but it was [...]

If you wrote a book about this season, which story lines would play most prominently in your retelling of the story. The decline of Spurs’ defense? The slight but unmistakable devolution of Manu Ginobili’s game? Tony Parker’s game-weary legs? The promise of DeJuan Blair and George Hill? Tim Duncan’s squandered brilliance? The emergence of small-ball [...]

With around 7 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Spurs found themselves ahead by 12. The previous play had featured a nice back-to-the-basket move by DeJuan Blair, and after Peja Stojakovic dribbled into a 16-foot spin-around fadeaway miss (not the shot the Hornets want Peja taking), Duncan secured the rebound and San Antonio was [...]

Tonight when the Spurs and Lakers renew their decade long rivalry, the defending champions will likely be without the services of their star center/power forward. But even as the Lakers are expected to miss Pau Gasol for a fifth straight game since suffering a hamstring injury, his impact still reverberates through both franchises. When the [...]

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Philadelphia 76es 97-89 last night, extending their winning streak to 5. The Spurs are now 9-6. So far as winning streaks go, the current run is nothing to brag about. The Spurs have played 4 of 5 at home, beating Washington, Milwaukee, Golden State, Houston and Philadelphia. Prior to [...]

In the obituaries written for the career of Bruce Bowen, you were likely to find something along these lines: Judging by his statistics, Bruce Bowen is not good at anything. And yet, he managed to remain a key contributor in the NBA for more than a dozen seasons. Seriously, look at his stats…most statistics show [...]

Video of Bowen’s retirement press conference. Zach Lowe of CelticsHub with the day’s best: “That’s right—”Bruce Bowen groin” is apparently the most popular string of words typed into Google about Bruce Bowen. Sadly, “Bruce Bowen defense” ranks a distant 9th.” Tom Ziiller of Fanhouse: “And while Bowen is said to be a great guy — [...]

Over the last year and a half Tim and I have written extensively about Bowen and his importance to the franchise. In fact, Bruce has been the inspiration for much of the writing of which I am most proud. It is an honor to revisit some of that writing here today: Giving Bowen His Due: [...]

There are reports that Bruce Bowen will hold a press conference at Yardley’s Spa (which he and his wife own) this afternoon. After he was unable to reach an agreement with the Boston Celtics, he is widely expected to announce his retirement. Whether he intends to announce his retirement or not (it is completely reasonable [...]

My appreciation of advanced statistics was borne out of my love for Bruce Bowen. Odd, huh? Bowen finished last season with a PER of a mere 5.37. But think about it. Great defense is sublimation. According to current measures it’s only vaguely quantifiable, but it elevates the game of basketball. It takes takes basketball to [...]

The Boston Globe’s Peter May has written a solid article about the Spurs offseason. May covers a lot of the same ground as Johnny Ludden’s August 8 article, but it’s still a fresh read. It’s humorous that when the Spurs make a major roster move, Gregg Popovich is careful to note Tim Duncan’s approval. May [...]

The always provocative Wendell Berry is good at digging for disease, never becoming arrested at the surface, staring at symptoms. He wants to get beneath all that.  In a thoughtful Harper’s piece dated May, 2008 –Faustian Economics: Hell Hath No Limits–Berry takes on the disease of limitlessness.  Early last year, Berry was responding to the [...]

Work with me for a second. Assume the Spurs close out the offseason in style, signing an impact player with their MLE. They go into camp as a favorite, and all their efforts and newly acquired talent put the team back in the Finals, against, say, the Cavs. The series is tight, and all the [...]