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Memorial Day weekend of 1995. Do you remember where you were on that day? Well I remember it all to vividly as I was sitting in my hotel room at the Stouffer Renaisannce Plaza eating breakfast and watching the highlights of the Spurs defeating the Houston Rockets that Friday night. I found myself actually thinking that this team (at that time) could do it. Win both games here in Houston, go home and defeat them on Tuesday, maybe lose in Houston on Thursday but then be on their way to the 1995 NBA Finals on Saturday night.
Ah but it just wasn't meant to be.
Fast forward to Mother's Day, May 9th, 1999. Instead of a 62-20 regular season record, this year's team has a 37-13 record. They have home court advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they are in it. They have key players in Sean Elliott, David Robinson and Avery Johnson. What's different from the 1995? This year this team has ALL the weapons needed to possibly get their first of probably many NBA championships.
Itšs ironic but the more things that change the more they stay the same. While Bob Hill is no longer head coach, Gregg Popovich is. In 1995 it was Popovich that put that team together. Hill was the coach but Pop had made the necessary moves to bring back Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson. He was the one who had thought that Doc Rivers would be the necessary component for veteran leadership. It was Popovich that wanted Terry Cummings to be the 'bruiser' coming off the bench. Well thatšs not a new recipe for success.
Where the 1995 team had its faults, the 1999 may actually be able to do the work necessary to get over that hump.
This scenario may be reminiscent to many but the two teams have very few similarities. Four years later Robinson, Elliott and Johnson are surrounded by players who bring experience, dedication and hard work that will be necessary to defeat Utah or Portland in the conference championship.
At starting power forward this team has Tim Duncan. In 1995 that position was taken by one Dennis Rodman. And where is Dennis Rodman now?
At shooting guard it was Vinny Del Negro in š95. Del Negrošs weak spots included defense and being a serious outside threat. This year that position is taken by Mario Elie.
Sean is back to being about 85% healthy and that's scary for other teams.
A.J. and David are still there in their spots.
There was also one aspect of the game that this year's team has that in 1995 was to our detrement. -We now have a bench.
This year the bench is probably as strong as Portland's. Jaren Jackson and Steve Kerr spell Elie. Antonio Daniels spells A.J. Will Perdue spells both Tim and David while Jerome Kersey brings the bruising, physical play of a Terry Cummings with a 16 foot jump shot. Then you have Malik Rose. Rose makes all the difference in this year's case. Hešs blue collar and the team likes that. He brings everything that Dennis Rodman was supposed to bring talent wise and he leaves the attitude in another dimension.
It will be interesting to see if this year's team can live up and beyond the expectations of the 1995 team. The series between the Minnesota Timberwolves is going to be a measuring stick to see how strong this team truly is. Yet the true test is going to be after this gets out of the first two rounds? Are they capable of defeating a Portland or Utah in a seven game series? Or will they falter like the '95 team did four days after winning game four in Houston on NBC?
Only time will tell.
By Gregory Moore
