Here's the thing about sports; sometimes you get lucky. Tonight, Minnesota was lucky.
I thought we played as well as necessary. Any other night, the Spurs would have won that game by 15. Minnesota simply made more shots than they should have tonight, and that will happen several times this season. It's why, in my Spurs' season win total prediction formula, I gave the Spurs an 85% chance of winning games that had an FSOGS of lower than 3. You never know when this will happen, you just know that it will.
But who really cares about the outcome? @ManuGinobili just tweeted, "I have the 5th Metacarpral of my my left hand fractured. I guess I'll miss a few weeks. Sad day 4 me." No Manu, it's a sad day for basketball. Manu was off to an incredible start. Before this game, I put the team stats for the teams I find interesting into a spreadsheet: Heat, Celtics, Lakers, Grizzlies, Thunder, Mavericks, Nuggets, Clippers, Pacers, Spurs, Bulls, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, and Hawks. I wanted to derive the top players' Points per Minute because I assumed Manu would be up there. (This is what I do when I'm bored. I think of ways to statistically make my favorite players stand out.) Here are the results, with the constraint of more than 20 minutes played per game:
| Rank | PLAYER | Min/ Game | Pts / Min |
| 1 | Andrew Bynum | 32 | 0.91 |
| 2 | LeBron James | 37 | 0.89 |
| 3 | Manu Ginobili | 26 | 0.77 |
| 4 | Blake Griffin | 37 | 0.76 |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | 36 | 0.76 |
| 6 | Kobe Bryant | 34 | 0.74 |
| 7 | Carmelo Anthony | 35 | 0.72 |
| 8 | Dirk Nowitzki | 31 | 0.7 |
| 9 | Al Harrington | 24 | 0.69 |
| 10 | DeJuan Blair | 24 | 0.68 |
Manu was on pace to be even more ridiculous than we could have expected. He was in shape. He was healthy. He was Manu at this best. Now, (cue the sad violin music), he's out.
The Spurs will have to find a way to win. I believe in this team. I think this is a championship caliber team. A champion would find a way, and I think the Spurs will.
Here's the silver lining; Pop will be forced to play Danny Green. Before the season began, I asked Dale, JRW, if he thought Danny Green was for real. Every time I've seen this guy play I left impressed. He's a gamer. He has athletic ability, is a great defender, and can shoot. Why haven't we heard the Spurs' coaching staff gush about this guy as they do every other up and comer? Tonight, my man beat the Golden Boy, Ricky Rubio, down. He gave the rookie as tough a time as the current rules allow. Every time Rubio caught the ball, Green was hounding him. I liked it. Keep an eye on Green; with this opportunity, I expect him to create some ripples.
Your Three Enemies:
3.) Michael Beasley
The epitome of Bill Simmons' "Irrational Confidence Guy." When he gets hot, he gets hot, and it sucks. It doesn't suck because he scores, we can live with that. It sucks because he puts forth effort in every aspect of the game. Suddenly, he's rebounding, defending, and hustling. When he's missing, he essentially checks out. When he's hot, he plays to his full potential, and that's what the Spurs encountered.
2.) Kevin Love
He's like Matt Bonner, except good. He hits the three, defends, and rebounds. He is a match-up nightmare. Tim and Tiago are too slow, Blair is too small, Bonner is too slow and too small. I keep thinking that Kawhi may be a good option, but Pop wouldn't roll those dice. Kevin Love is a beast, and he's our enemy.
1.) Lady Luck
Lady Luck really had it out for us. Manu does something he's done 20,000 times in his career, and this time it results in a fractured bone. The Timberwolves shot 43.7% from the field and 34.5% from three point land in their four previous games this season. Last year, they shot 44.1% from the field and 37.6% from three. Tonight? 57.7% and 57.1%. And that's understated. They cooled off when the game was out of reach. Hopefully, Lady Luck wanted to hit us when it would hurt the least; at the beginning of the season. Manu, may Lady Luck grant you a swift recovery.
0 recs | 328 comments
Agree about Green. He was a nice addition to a sad evening of news. He’s deceptively athletic. Solid D. Sweet shot as well.
grego21 - January 2, 2012
This was the first “good look” I’ve had of Danny Green and was wondering if it were just coincidental; kid was quite impressive!
I bet my neighbors are wondering who Michael Beasley is and why I wish so many terrible things on him.
Iullaby - January 2, 2012
The score was 56-48 when Manu's phalange flopped.
It was 106-96 at the end of the game. I suppose his absence could have accounted for that extra two points in the final spread, but he hadn’t been doing anything to help the Spurs take over to that point.
I hope he recovers quickly because he’s a suffering human being.
Cynical Jason - January 2, 2012
Ha, clearly a Minnesota fan. I can tell because you utilized the subject line and do not know what you’re talking about.
Fred Silva - January 2, 2012
Actually.
I commented over at Canis Hoopus how creepy it was that nobody here uses the Subject line. For the sake of argument, what did I write that led you to believe that I “do not know what [I’m] talking about”?
Cynical Jason - January 2, 2012
Losing Manu affected every aspect of the game for the Spurs. He acts as our point guard. He creates our opportunities. Losing him was deflating for the entire team and cleary affected the outcome of the game, regardless of the score when he left. The Spurs run on Manu, and without him we are a much worse team. Comparing the score when he left to the final score is silly. The Wolves were red hot at the beginning, and Manu would have given the Spurs a completely different look than the Wolves saw in the second half tonight. If the Wolves stayed hot, then they probably would have won. But with Manu in there, averaging .77 points per minute, who knows?
Fred Silva - January 2, 2012
So
you propose a hypothetical situation that Ginobili’s presence would have made a significant difference while discounting my hypothetical situation suggesting that Ginobili’s absence didn’t mean that much, and I “don’t know what [I’m] talking about.”
Okay.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Try not to take it so personally. Fred hates everyone. :)
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
No harm.
I was just wondering if there was an actual argument hiding in that rant.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
I do find it amusing that the trolls come out from opposing teams whenever they beat the Spurs.
In case you’re not a troll, Ginobili acts as our catalyst. For sure, we probably wouldn’t have won the game with Manu, but to act as if him getting injured didn’t help the Timberwolves cause is just fooling yourself. Of course, I wouldn’t expect any less from someone who comes over to an opposing team’s site and says “Your team isn’t as good as you think it is”, after we lose a game. So please, be nice, and think if you were in our shoes.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
I don’t think I wrote anything like “your team isn’t as good as you think it is.” I don’t think I wrote anything trollish. I think we Wolves fans know exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes, whether those shoes be losing a game, having a disappointing start to a season, seeing your core players age, or having a significant injury.
We get it. We’ve been there. Welcome to the club.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Jordan, see Jason’s comment below in praise of PtR and our community if you still have doubts about his trollishness.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I can see that he’s a nice guy, but his statement was geared towards being inflammatory and that’s what being a troll is.
You don’t go onto another teams forums/website and state, “Nothing would have changed if your best player hadn’t gotten hurt” without trying to get a rise out of people. At least in my humble opinion.
I love that other fans are willing to come to PtR and post on our site trying to create discussion, but I don’t appreciate starting off a discussion with a trolling statement. It kinda gives off a bad first impression.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
(I can’t tell you how hard it is to not start in the Subject field).
I’m sorry that you perceive that as trolling, Jordan. I was just making a point: the game wasn’t going the Spurs’ way before Manu got hurt, and that didn’t change significantly to the end. That’s demonstrable, and it’s factual. As such, it doesn’t seem like trolling at all.
I discount Manu’s injury as a significant factor in the outcome of the game. Does that mean I’m a troll, or does that mean I’m a human with a different opinion? I’m pretty conscious about avoiding trolling behavior, as this recent post demonstrates.
In any case, I know it was more fun for us Wolves fans than it was for you Spurs fans. To that, I say, “Now the Wolves have won one of nineteen meetings. Sorry we make you feel so bad.”
See you on the 27th.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
I think you guys are cool, just bad timing really. Any fanbase tends to get a little edgy when their star players get injured, so they tend to view a lot of comments as negative, reasonable or not.
Also…
I take some issue with this statement, because this is why the game is played for four quarters, not two. Sure Manu hasn’t done anything up to that point but part of the beauty of the game lies on adjustments made, and the accumulation of little plays that eventually turn the tide. Manu is a master at reading a game’s flow, making those subtle adjustments, and doing the little things necessary to spark his team.
But of course, it’s perfectly understandable if fans of the other team see the opposite side of the speculation coin.
silverandblack_davis - January 3, 2012
I accept your apology and while your statement is your own opinion you have to understand that you’re posting it to another team’s site that just lost their best player. Put yourself in our shoes for a second and how would you feel if Love had gone down and one of our members had gone over to Canis Hoopus and said something of similar opinion. He would have been given a ride out of town on a short stick.
I agree with SBandD above in that the timing of this post is what makes it trollish. I understand that you made a perfectly valid statement, but to do so on another teams site is what is trollish about it.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Jordan, my reply got so long-winded that I had to turn it into fanpost. Please go here to continue this discussion.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I don’t see his statement as being ‘geared toward being inflammatory’ — partially because I’m judging him by everything he’s posted, and not by a single comment. Look at all of the complimentary things he’s said about Manu, the Spurs and PtR. That’s NOT the work of a troll.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I agree with Jason, but will keep my head down. I don’t want to start this up again.
Fred Silva - January 3, 2012
I hit enter and 200 more comments appeared. Looks like this was all sorted out.
Fred Silva - January 3, 2012
That happens sometimes. The SBN engine is good, but it’s not quite perfect yet!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Perhaps Fred ‘s seeking to prove himself a philosopher by hurting your feelings. Perhaps it wasn’t Fred talking, but instead it was the pain of losing our best player.
Well, in all honesty it probably was Fred after all. But at least allow me to thank you for your wishing Manu a quick recovery. That’s much appreciated.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Hate to see valuable players hurt.
First, I don’t like seeing people hurt, no matter who they are. Second, the games are less meaningful when the significant players don’t play. I don’t like the way Ginobili flops, but the rest of his game is awesome.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
I see that we agree far more than we disagree, and I’m sorry that our lack of Subject Line usage creeps you out. We avoid it to honor an Argentine amongst the PtR faithful whose sensibilities it offends. =]
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Care to explain that? I’m truly curious.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Oh, nothing more than one of the guys who used to be a main writer for PtR (LatinD, God rest his school weary-soul) has very strong views about the look of a page that constantly alternates between lines of bold text, and lines of standard text. Because of his standing on the site and his extreme distaste for the look of a comment thread sprinkled with Subject lines (often with no body to them at all) we all agreed to use it only when absolutely necessary.
Now we do so mainly out of habit, and we’ve become like one of those foreign countries you go to (like South Dakota) and wonder why everyone wears their belt buckles upside down, or something.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Quirks are cool.
Hard to make an objective judgement on aesthetics. I guess we “foreigners” just stand out that much more when we stumble in.
For what it’s worth, I think you guys have a great community. Looking at the Mavs and Thunder sites is depressing. This is the first NBA SB Nation board I’ve seen that rivals Canis Hoopus in posting frequency and poster camaraderie.
Cheers. We’ll encounter each other again on the 27th!
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Cheers!
The 27th it is!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Cynical Jason is an English teacher.
When one student develops a distaste for writing topic sentences, or writes exceptionally grating and ill-considered ones, I feel fairly confident that he doesn’t instruct the others to avoid writing them at all.
Still, it’s kind of sweet. When in Buenos Aires….
feral - January 3, 2012
Also, may I recommend the site's search feature?
One which is next-to-unintelligible when one doesn’t have subject lines to scan.
feral - January 3, 2012
Me too
Stop-n-Pop - January 3, 2012
Here is the answer.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Oh knoes, we got “panked”. =(
alamobro - January 2, 2012
Too early?
alamobro - January 3, 2012
that hand looks broken!
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
You can hardly see the 5th finger at all!!!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
it’s broken completely off!?…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
Hard to tell, I need another angle.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
HAH
alamobro - January 3, 2012
I cry “FOUL!” since that’s obviously a right hand.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
“chopped”
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
I don’t know what that means, but if this is indeed a panking, I never want to be panked again.
Manu ex Machina - January 3, 2012
You’ve just been Panked!
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
Well Played ! =D ( I also have something of a mancrush on Kutcher)
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Turn it green, £ers.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I’ll play along with your no subject line thing (although part of me wants to write the whole thing in there cause this just baffles me)
Wes Johnson hitting all 6 of his shots… I’ll give you that being bad, down right awful luck
Manu getting injured… I’ll give you that as bad luck
Beasley showing up at the game, could be bad luck, but if you watch the Tolliver 3 at the end of the game against the Mavs last night, Beasley wasn’t celebrating with the team, he was sitting on the bench thinking to himself, this a game after only playing something like 8 minutes because of poor play. I believe he finally realized what his role is on this team and that he needs to not settle for mid-range J’s and actually try on D.
However everything else I think you can blame on the Spurs effort. I saw very few contested shots and even fewer contested threes. It would be like Wolves fans complaining that Duncan started 5-5 as dumb luck. No, it’s just the Wolves D forgetting the last 15 years existed and that Duncan can actually knock down a jumper from the elbow/top of the key and maybe they should guard him.
You could also say that the Spurs were very lucky, because Rubio had his worst game of the season after just breaking down the Heat and Mavs in consecutive games
All-in-all, I would just say that the Wolves played better and wanted it more. That being said, I wouldn’t worry about it as a Spurs fan (and I’m sure you’re not), one of your best players gets to rest for a few weeks in a very compact season and will be fresh come playoff time (not to mention some guys will get experience in their expanded roles) cause it’s not like you guys are going to miss the playoffs.
uofmike - January 3, 2012
you done?…
;)
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
Nope.
I don’t think that’s a horse
uofmike - January 3, 2012
It DOES look kind of mule-like, doesn’t it?
Trip, it’s time to get a better gif.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I was kind of thinking llama, but then I asked myself, where did he get the llama?
uofmike - January 3, 2012
boo me…
=(
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
now I have to obtain video of someone actually beating a dead horse… peta will not be happy with y’all…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
Ever heard of claymation?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
hum a few bars…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
I thought their second album was the bomb.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Nope! Their 2nd album was “Da Bomb”
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
uofmike - January 3, 2012
crap, that kind of looks like a hump-less camel
uofmike - January 3, 2012
not as easy as it looks, huh?
;)
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
ha, was just thinking that
uofmike - January 3, 2012
yours is better, by the way…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
that’s just because my guy is grabbing his crotch for some reason
uofmike - January 3, 2012
He’s adjusting his trousers, it’s completely different.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I thought it was an early, rejected Michael Jackson video for “Beat It”.
Tim in Surrey - January 3, 2012
man, that’s a napping camel!
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
apparently your job is tougher than it looks
uofmike - January 3, 2012
First ever recorded death by caining. There must have been quite a few blows in that caining.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
As opposed to death by abeling?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Know anyone named Abel? I would never name my kid Abel, I mean, your claim to fame is, you got killed by your brother. Wheres the fun in that?
alamobro - January 3, 2012
revenge
uofmike - January 3, 2012
There is no fun in getting killed by your brother.
But you DO get quite famous for it.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Does that mean you’re un-Abel?
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Sure it is, for a picture of a hump-less camel.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Dang! Reply fail!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Unintentionally hilarious, though.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Agreed.
It kinda rhymed too. Weird, huh?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
That’s kinda badass.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
damnit!!!
(what the hell is it then?)
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
Nope. It fact, its probably a lama, or a mutant long necked horse.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
*In fact
alamobro - January 3, 2012
It’s a bloody HORSE FFS! The ears and the legs are a giveaway.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
Love it!
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
DEAD giveaway?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
rec’d hard
KA1Z3R - January 3, 2012
play_splitter - January 3, 2012
Doesn’t really look like the horse is dead—or that he’s beating it.
Tim in Surrey - January 3, 2012
that horse looks like he’s trying to tap out…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
You’re right! I hadn’t noticed it before. And here I’d always heard that the horse was an expert submission artist.. Looks like he just couldn’t handle the ground and pound.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Nice work all the same.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
yes…
In the 666 - January 3, 2012
“No, it’s just the Wolves D forgetting the last 15 years existed and that Duncan can actually knock down a jumper from the elbow/top of the key and maybe they should guard him.”
That was aggravating as hell, and the blame had to be split between Darko and Love. There were times when Kevin looked at Timmeh open six feet away and just stopped moving.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Right now, the Spurs offense isn’t built to drop the ball into Timmy in the post and move aside while he operates and draws the double-team or beats his man one-on-one. It’s a ball movement offense that creates space for shooters who work away from the ball to get to their comfort spots and receive the ball.
If Love runs at Timmeh before he takes his shot, then he’ll just put the ball on the floor and drive past. Kevin might not have challenged the jumper to your liking, but at this point in his career, Duncn’s less dangerous as a jump shooter than he is being chased off that spot. Also, he will probably make or miss that shot at the same rate, regardless of whether someone throws a hand in his face.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Couldn’t you guys discuss the intricacies of the Wolves D on your own page? Kind of going through a mourning spell here and would appreciate being left alone for a while to grieve with family members only.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
Hey, let’s go easy on fans from other blogs who are being respectful.
Cynical and uofmike are discussing the game and have offered condolences. Let’s be classy and not force out just because we lost (and lost Manu).
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
+1
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
I see nothing disrespectful with my post here.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
You mean other than telling us to go away? %
(On Canis Hoopus, “%” is the tongue-in-cheek indicator (since there isn’t a sarcasm font). Now you know.)
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
I was fine until I saw this….
“I can promise you, almost all of Parkers shots were very contested that game… I wanted to kill Randy Foye for not breaking Parkers 5th metacarpal and getting him out of the game”
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
To be fair, that wasn’t “Cynical Jason”.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
To be fair, I’m not exactly at my best right now, and these ‘visitors’ in the past haven’t exactly had good intentions. Not saying Cynical is a troll like the other one circulating right now or others long ago, but keep in mind I have my eye on you. Not that I could do anything about it anyway.
And I don’t think losing our MVP for at least 4 weeks in a 14 week season is anything to take lightly or be used as a joke less than 4 hours after its happened.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
Joseph, I think that’s clearly a sarcastic remark from a guy who’s being clever with the way that Tony destroyed them previously, and pretending that he was rooting (months before it happened) for a very specific injury to occur, only to a different Spurs player, who actually did it to himself.
Let’s take a deep breath. I don’t think these guys mean any harm. Is that not enough for you?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
yes, nothing was meant by that.
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Being witty sometimes means being misunderstood.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
But I didn’t see that little “%” symbol
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
LOL you’re pissed at everyone right now huh?
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Nah, I was actually pointing out that we can’t tell when they’re being sarcastic even though they introduced us to a way to tell they’re being sarcastic. My brain… it hurts!! I N C E P T I O N
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
First time using it eh?
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
TWSS
Tim in Surrey - January 3, 2012
To be fair, they hadn’t introduced that yet.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
This.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
T %
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Ok, now you’re making MY brain hurt.
Does that mean that you don’t really mean your
T?J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
% … ?
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
We can convey such emotions with symbols now
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Too true. As long as we agree on their meaning.
Of course, letters are symbols too…
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Oh my god, I’ve just cracked the code in the Mona Lisa! We’re going to the Vatican!
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
verra nize
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
haha
To be honest I don’t comment much at Canis Hoopus because during the last few years SnP kind of gave up on the team and stopped writing about them and I couldn’t stand all the negativity or recipes for asian food so I didn’t read the site. Spent most my time reading Real GM boards instead.
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Fair enough. Welcome to PtR! There are many different types of people. And to make sure you get on the Boss man’s good side. He thinks Inception was the worst movie ever. So just make sure you hate on it whenever you see him…
Btw, Boss man = J.R. Wilco
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
sounds good
How does he feel about the South Park take on it? (if he’s seen it)
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Shoot me a link and I’ll watch it.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Fair warning, if you aren’t a South Park fan or are offended by the show, you may not like it. But it is pretty clever.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s14e10-insheeption
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Halfway through. Dude it’s awesome!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
lol glad you like it.
The taco within a taco within a taco bell within a KFC is probably my favorite part, I lost it when I heard that
uofmike - January 3, 2012
I just got there and bounced back here during the commercial. Hilarious.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I’m going to go to bed or throw some stats sheets together on why Rodgers should be the MVP over Brees, the joy of going to a college with a J-Term.
Have a goodnight and good luck the rest of the season, I hope too many people here weren’t offended by anything I said.
uofmike - January 3, 2012
You’re fine, on that count, sir.
Take it easy.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
The new “Star Trek” was the second-worst movie ever. “Pearl Harbor” was the worst I’ve seen in a theater. “Inception” was a bauble, but mildly enjoyable as long as you’re fine with elaborate puzzle boxes containing nothing much.
There. I was just tip-toeing through ’til then.
feral - January 3, 2012
Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I might just co-opt that usage and take it mainstream on PtR.
Thanks, CJ.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I think that might work.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
Yeah me too %
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
You’re such a smart guy. %
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
And he’s witty, too %
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
LMAO, you f$ckin clowns.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
FIFY
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
FTFY
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
The thing is, it avoids the sar-chasm. That being the gap occurring when one side does not recognize sarcasm, or even mild self-deprecation, in the other.
feral - January 3, 2012
It’s a great idea, but I can see myself NOT using it at times just to keep from taking all of the joy out of being so blatant about what I mean all the time.
Gotta keep SOME room for subtlety, don’t we?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I never ever use it myself. But then I consider myself such an eloquent writer of two-sentence blurbs on sports blogs than my tone cannot possibly be misconstrued.
(See, now, there would be an example of the self-deprecation.)
feral - January 3, 2012
%
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
See, it's awesome
(no %)
Stop-n-Pop - January 3, 2012
Rubio was decent until Pop put Green on him.
Spurs contested many of the Twolves shots and they still dropped. I’m not talking about the ones that Blair, who played horrible, left Love open.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
That’s true.
Rubio seemed to have trouble with Green’s height and physical defense. Either that or he was deferring to Ridnour’s hot hand. No, I specifically remember Ricky looking discombobulated at the arc, not knowing where to go.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Now THAT is the name of my next album.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
You mean your first album?
DrumsInTheDeep - January 3, 2012
Well, my next LP, yeah.
EP’s still count, don’t they?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
All I know is, I looked up “JollyRogerWilco” on iTunes and was sorely disappointed.
DrumsInTheDeep - January 3, 2012
It’s under my stage name, Gordon Sumner.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Well Luke had the easier defender as well. Ford, who doesn’t have size or Parker, who has more size, but is only a slightly above average defender. Easier to differ for Rubio with Green on him.
Green’s D is underrated and not really known by many. This probably has helped earn him some more consistent minutes, especially with Manu’s departure (and James Anderson starting) for a while.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
TBH, Greens D wasn’t even known by me!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
:)
grego21 - January 3, 2012
And by no means, am I saying they were free of any blame. However, they did hit a lot of tough shots. Those don’t always fall, and what Freddy says is right a little bit based off of those shots. Those 3-pt shots for example were pretty much the difference in the game.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
lets just call this even for Parker hitting 13 of 17 shots against us a couple years ago and I seem to remember practically every one of those being at the end of the game
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Whether his shots were luck or not, that wasn’t my point. I don’t remember if he was contested in each basket or not.
However, Spurs did contest a lot of those 3-pt makes. They didn’t contest all of them, but the percentages are extraordinary. They shot well above the mean.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I see what you mean.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I see what you did there.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
And I just saw your preview. Looking good, I must say.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Thanks!
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I can promise you, almost all of Parkers shots were very contested that game… I wanted to kill Randy Foye for not breaking Parkers 5th metacarpal and getting him out of the game
uofmike - January 3, 2012
I KNEW that T-wolves fans were horrible human beings who cheer for broken bones and root for illness. And now I have PROOF!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I actually barely realized the severity of the injury, no one had mentioned it was broken, and I jus clicked on a news link. GAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Yeah, it’s bad news.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
BOOOO !!!!!!!!!!
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Troll, u shall be remebered.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
*mem
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
with a statue?
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Eh, you are getting annoying.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
I disagree.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
Let us agree to disagree then. ;)
alamobro - January 3, 2012
So you agree to disagree about agreeing? Or are you going to take it 3 levels deeper?
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I vote for the extra levels, please.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Inception really wasn’t THAT spectacular, guys. Good, above average, borderline great…but my mind was not blown.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
I would say that it was a decent serious action movie. Other than that though… I thought it was terrible.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
You will pay for that error in judgment, Jordan Leithart!
(Where’s the thunderbolt I ordered? Stupid delivery company!)
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
It must’ve gotten lost… IN YOUR MIND!
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Actually, what you are posting right now is merely a dream! Do you even remember how you got here? How you started posting?
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
All I know is that Leonardo Decaprio is inside my head somewhere shooting my brain cells off.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Well he’s certainly doing something to your brain cells.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Rawr!
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
As either Keanu Reeves or Joey Lawrence might say:
“Woah.”
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
I think spectacular becomes subjective. I think everyone can agree on “good” or maybe “great.” The rest becomes more on the subjective level. Oh, I don’t know what I’m saying….
grego21 - January 3, 2012
First of all, that wasn’t a conscious reference to Inception.
Second, you really should criticize Inception on this blog!
Third, the difference between “that spectacular” and “borderline great” is a matter of taste, and I’m just not going to argue over that right now.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Conscious reference?
Do we really want to go down this road….again?
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
Isn’t it too late to ask that question?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I must have missed my kick.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
Wait for a few minutes. There’s another one when the van hits the water.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Theres probably an inception reference buried in there, but I did not finish watching the movie. I was confused within the first 20 minutes, so I stopped watching.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
That was my main reference, but I could have also pushed it closer to Stephon Marbury’s talk about taking it to another level when he played for the Phoenix Suns against the Spurs after their game 1 victory
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Marbury was so classy. %
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Perfect teammate, too. %
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
And he actually ate Vaseline — no percentage.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
best line of the night
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Gah, now to try and get my mind off Manu…..
I have heard many good things about “Game of thrones”. Marvel has hired one of the directors to film Thor2.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
You should watch it. There’s something for everyone in that show.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I dont subscribe to cable TV.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Awww, well soon enough they’ll be on DVD/BD to rent. Or there are other ways..
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Then read the books.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
Dude, I have not read a book of fiction in literally over a decade. Just text books.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Read that fire and ice series
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
But you don’t get to see the naked ladies in the book. ;)
grego21 - January 3, 2012
That has not been my experience
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
with cold revenge towards the end of the year.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
so the same thing you guys do every year to us?
uofmike - January 3, 2012
That’s what we’re hoping for, if you don’t mind.
Actually, even if you do mind. Best to be honest, eh?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
With a flaming red panda.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
I know you love that red panda, but I prefer the ones whose cuteness isn’t covered over with bad animation.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
There’s one for everyone!
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
That’s more like it!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
hahahahahaha
I’ll take the flame one, more memorable
uofmike - January 3, 2012
Uh okay
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
It’s a meme SfS picked up on DBB when he did the FwtE with them last year.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
This red panda does fit in better with the scientific description of a red panda
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
It’s like a feast orgy all at once.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
…….
alamobro - January 3, 2012
I see you are so amazed you can’t speak
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Sounds like the exact definition of Matt Bonner.
bigtee34 - January 3, 2012
You mean Matt Boner? :)
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
GOL
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Sounds to me like these red pandas have it good. I wouldn’t mind dying by being eaten out to death.
the little o - January 3, 2012
TMI
KA1Z3R - January 3, 2012
This is why they call it a “mean.”
Opening night, the Timberwolves shot 3-22 from three and lost to the Thunder by four.
feral - January 3, 2012
Where do the Spurs go without Manu?
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
back to the friggin drawing board. Looking forward to seeing more James Anderson though.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
Not if he’s as sloppy as he was tonight. More Green, please.
SpursfanSteve - January 3, 2012
All you need to do is get three rec’s.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
BTW, “Red” was an entertaining film. You gotta make it past the first 25 minutes though, it gets way better after that.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
It had a weird end though. Also, why did Morgan Freeman have to die?
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
SPOILERS!!!
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Ah don’t worry, it’s not about the plot anyways
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
He doesn’t die. He just survives…
grego21 - January 3, 2012
He gave himself up to save Bruce Willis, Morgan had terminal liver cancer (unless it was a plot ruse) and wanted to go out with a bang, pun intentional.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Also Bruce Willis hitting on a much younger woman was just weird
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Wait… he doesn’t do that in all of his movies?
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
Yeah and he should really stop, he’s not getting any younger
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Doesnt that mean he should start doing it much more before getting older, instead of stopping?
alamobro - January 3, 2012
He has a quota!
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
He’s like a cradle robber or something
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Yea, but that woman isnt exactly a spring chicken, shes gotta be at least 30.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Well the directors did do their best to make her seem like she had no options because she answered telephones for a living
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Mary-Louise Parker is 47. Lets subtract a few years for filming time and she was like 44 when it was being made. She’s pretty hot. Watch Weeds for reference if you want to see her body (or boobs)
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Goodness. I am usually not NEARLY that BAD a judge of age.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
You were probably distracted by the boobs
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
That’s the default answer for just about any male.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
but that’s the best part he gets older but they stay the same age.
bigtee34 - January 3, 2012
Hes Bruce Willis. Nuff said.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Come on.
Richard Gere and Winona Ryder.
Harrison Ford and Ann Heche.
Sylvester Stallone and whoever that woman was in The Expendables.
That’s a Hollywood institution!
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Jason Statham?
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
That’s her name!
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Hold on now. Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. A) she’s a thespian and B) she’s Bat-shit crazy. If anything that pairing was a little too believable. Also isn’t he married to Ally Mcsnack wrap.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
I laughed.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
GOL
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Interestingly, Morgan Freeman played a character named “Red” in Shawshank….. He lives on….
grego21 - January 3, 2012
And Shawshank was the greatest piece of motion picture magic ever.
KA1Z3R - January 3, 2012
I thought Red was decent to watch in the first 25 minutes. It wasn’t as solid as the last half, but it had moments. The film had a similar feel to The Whole 9 Yards
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I liked that one. I guess I’ll have to see Red now.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
There was a pretty cool scene with a rocket
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
It was better than Whole 9 Yards I think, but Bruce Willis character has that kinda care free feel to it.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Yes…more Green
MikeyKosa - January 3, 2012
Anderson had an off night, I would say. That said, Green will be in the second unit. It seems obvious that this is “Anderson’s opportunity”, but it might actually be Green’s this time around.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
To Walmart….
Spurs have their best depth at the wing positions. They get Neal back soon as well.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Hey, save it for the post, my good man!
=}
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
I’m done. :)
grego21 - January 3, 2012
I actually see this as a blessing in disguise. I think Manu will probably sit out till the All-Star break (whenever that is) but hopefully sooner. At least it protects his ankles from a grueling schedule.
Jordan Leithart - January 3, 2012
+1
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Was it a typo or do you REALLY love the Pacers?
cliptakular - January 3, 2012
Spurs Yoda - January 3, 2012
Did yall see that howard got a flagrant 2?
Spurs Yoda - January 3, 2012
Neal needs to get back soon.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
He will be. Green getting time is not a bad thing either.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
and JA.
Spurs Yoda - January 3, 2012
Well he was already getting the most time of the new wings, but yes, he’ll get more. Green actually becomes a rotation player now (at least for the short term)
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Do you mean &erson?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
It took me a few posts in the game thread to realize someone wasn’t having a malfunction every time that happened. That actually amused me.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Why thank you. That’s one of my very own.
It very nearly didn’t survive. Our resident OK State fan almost destroyed it upon its birth. But here it is, going strong!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
A look at other notable broken metacarpals in recent years
http://mobile.mysa.com/mysa/db_41315/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=LBzsXDZk
Spurs Yoda - January 3, 2012
I am going to pretend I did not see the “4 to 6 weeks” part. I will look at that again tomorrow.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
4 minium bro. Neal will be back. Manu rested. Worried not, i am.
Spurs Yoda - January 3, 2012
Manu just needs to get a robo-hand and everything will be fine
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Why should he take a step-down in quality from what he’s already using?
Like a robo-hand would be as good as a Ginobili!
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Wait a minute, Dwight Howard had 5 steals? wut
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
I think the Warriors have a chance to beat the Spurs with Manu out
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Not after we insert Anderson and hes goes off for 28 points !
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Warriors have a lot of weaknesses. And the defense they play does has a hole.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
The basket, right?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
LOL no basically the “new” defense the Warriors employ is a very aggressive pick and roll defense. Our guards still cannot defend anyone so to hide the fact that we cannot defend other guards, we are very aggressive on the perimeter. The guards gamble for steals (like always) and when a pick and roll comes, our big man hedges VERY hard and basically sort of double teams the guard. Someone rotates over to cover the rolling big man. We also do some post denial where our big man tries to steal the entry pass because we can’t defend post-ups well. Basically we are ridiculously aggressive on defense, so on pick and rolls you need to find the open man, usually in the corner or something. Also, always look to break down Curry or Ellis when Udoh is not in the game because we have no shot-blockers other than Udoh.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Their defense is still very inconsistent. Lee was out against the Phoenix Suns.
Without him, they just get murdered on the boards even more. Curry just getting back from that ankle injury. If Spurs keep them on the arc, they’ll be fine.
They also aren’t a very good road team. That said, they might listen to Jackson, but very little preseason and training camp won’t change a team over night.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Part of the problem with this defense is that it requires a lot of effort to make up for the lack of talent. This is why it looks inconsistent – they just can’t keep it up game to game. We got destroyed by the Sixers. And we still don’t have a “real” offense.
BTW I think Curry’s ankle is fine now.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Their players don’t necessarily fit the defensive mindset either. I’m not saying it can’t get better. I’m just saying, don’t expect that much in the next game.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
That can change. Bad habits can be broken, but not in a shortened season. I think GS, if they gain some stability can become an interesting team out west. They are probably better off having been matched on Jordan’s offer sheet.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Yes. Now I remember reading about it.
Guess we’ll see it up close and personal come Wednesday.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Defense. They misinterpreted Mark Jackson’s Momma there goes that man to “Momma there goes that man, right to the basket unguarded”
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Defense was okay the first two or three games. But part of that was being at home and part of that was having energy. We just can’t keep it up because we do not have good individual defenders, especially on the perimeter.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
You’ll enjoy the FwtE piece on Wed. It’s between me and Natez of GsoM. We’re in the middle of it now.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Ooh, sounds exciting.
BTW, in my opinion we can never get anywhere with this backcourt, either Ellis or Curry (preferably Ellis) should be traded. Curry is also not a “true” point guard, more of a good passing shooting guard. Lee can help carry the offense because he is very talented there, but you need to play him with a good defensive center because Lee is simply not a good help defender. Our small forward spot is the weakest spot (Dorell Wright is solely a spot up shooter, he cannot drive or do anything else).
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
They should try and move Ellis while his value is still pretty good. Sooner or later, it’s going to become too late.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
HOW ’BOUT THE CAAAAVS
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
What did they do?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Do they have a chance against the Spurs?
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
They lost to the Suns and shot 50% from the field. They also hit like 7 or 8 three point shots. They can’t rebound still and still turn it over. Oh and they don’t play defense.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Yeah rebounding is a part of defense, and we couldn’t rebound. Nash also always lights up Curry, and he did that today (again). Nash is such a good ball handler that being aggressive against him is useless.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
Panic Stations everyone.
I think we should trade TP for Kobe Bryant. And then in 6 weeks when Manu’s healthy, trade Kobe for Rubio and a six pack. Oh no the Wolves wouldn’t go for that. Trade Kobe for Ridnour and a six pack.
Whenever I’m angry I just start hating on Kobe.
Joseph Parkes - January 3, 2012
At this moment, I’d rather have Tony than Kobe.
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
But, most of all, you’d like to have … whom?
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Since you asked…Maya Moore.
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
I was arguing all last year that the Timberwolves should have drafted her. Now that Rubio’s here, that doesn’t make as much sense, but I thought she’d be the best guard on the Wolves prior to his signing.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
No way man
She wouldn’t have brought a championship to the Wolves. This could be the start of a long dominance for the Lynx if they’ve broken through already. Minnesota needs the Lynx now more than ever.
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
I won’t argue with that. I just knew she was an upgrade over Jonny Flynn, Luke Ridnour, Wayne Ellington, and Wes Johnson.
Cynical Jason - January 3, 2012
Don't forget her value as a player coach
Maya > Rambis.
Stop-n-Pop - January 3, 2012
Actually, scratch that
Most of all, I’d like to have a halfway competent defensive coordinator.
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
You’re not alone, my friend.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Night all, gonna go rent “Super 8”. The road was always bumpy, even in the years the trophy was ultimately hoisted, so step away from that ledge.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Good movie. Dakota Fannings sis is the lead girl in it. I think she does a good job. I was shocked at how old she was after looking post viewing. Good cast.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
She’s frickin’ beautiful.
silverandblack_davis - January 3, 2012
KA1Z3R - January 3, 2012
hah
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Rec’d with impunity.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Nice.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
You aint kiddin. Shes 13 now , so she had to be around 12 at the time the movie was filmed. She looks like shes 17. Just finished the movie. It was ok.
alamobro - January 3, 2012
Spurs should have signed Kwame Brown. He can’t hit a free throw. True Spur right there.
doubleteapot - January 3, 2012
It’s ok. We’ve still got Skynyrd.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Is that an expansion pack for Skyrim where you wander the Alabama countryside collecting six-packs and playing concerts?
DrumsInTheDeep - January 3, 2012
Nope, it’s my first attempt at a nickname for Kawhi.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
Or Big Ben
WaveOcean - January 3, 2012
Over 2 hills, but i more bodies can’t hurt. I’d take a card board cut out of Drob at this point.
grego21 - January 3, 2012
Ahh shit. Well I think it’s safe to assume we’ll dip down a bit from last season’s win total (in a pro-rated way, of course). But like other non-title seasons, I want to hope against hope.
silverandblack_davis - January 3, 2012
Carry on, dear Davis. Carry right on.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
THE Stephania Bell (ding) sent me a DM. I asked her about Manu's hand.
Without knowing specifics, hard to say from distance. Can be surgical depending on break. No doubt further eval today.
Direct message sent by Stephania Bell (
Stephania_ESPN) to you (DartFred) on Jan 03, 12:20 PM.Nothing ground breaking, but how cool is twitter?
Fred Silva - January 3, 2012
Answer: VERY.
J.R. Wilco - January 3, 2012
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