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16th of June, 1999. The Spurs V's The Knicks The Spurs have reached the finals for their first time ever. But the Spurs are not happy just to be here. They are out there to win. Small Forward: This is the key match up of the series---it is the difference in a Spurs’ sweep or a competitive series. Sean Elliot, after having to guard a bigger guy in Rasheed Wallace last series, now has to contend with a faster guy in Latrell Sprewell. Last series, much was made of Rasheed Wallace’s excellent play as he averaged 20 ppg as Portland’s leading scorer. What went unnoticed by many is that Sean averaged 15 ppg. A five point advantage is not that big of a deal when you are comparing one team’s primary scorer to another team’s third scoring option. So like last series, Sean will have to put up numbers close enough to Sprewell’s numbers so that it is only a slight advantage. Sean has increased his scoring average in each series so far in the playoffs and I suspect he can do it again. Basically, New York likes to do two things with Spree: isolate him facing the basket on the long wing or have him post on the wing. That is about as creative as they get with Spree, the rest of up to him to do something with it. The key for Sean is to LET HIM SHOOT any outside shot he wants. Sprewell shot only 38.6% from the field against Indiana. Take away all his layups from that stat and I would be afraid to look at the percentage then. Spree has also shot a horrific 11.1% from three-point range for the playoffs with NONE made against Indiana. Spurs can live with him shooting like that. So unless he starts to hit his jumpshot, let him shoot. In fact, Elliot should encourage him to shot. He could just yell, "Shoot it!" when Spree gets the ball outside, but I don’t think Elliot talks much thrash on the court (unlike me :). To coax him to shoot, Elliot should play off him on the perimeter, giving Spree a step or two. Anytime Spree does a pumpfake, Elliot can’t bite on it. If he does, Spree will get by him. Just by holding his position and giving Spree room to shoot, Elliot can encourage him to shoot from the perimeter. When Spree posts at that mid-range spot he likes, the bigger and stronger Sean just needs to push him out a little further and play it the same way. Fortunately for Spree (and unfortunately for us), Sprewell is not totally in love with his jumpshot. Spree’s main thing is attacking the basket and he can do it with the best of them. Sean initially playing off Spree will allow Sean some space to recover when Spree attacks. Sean does have good lateral movement and was able to keep step with Kobe Bryant the majority of the time when the Spurs faced LA. Still, Spree will get by him. However, as a rookie, Sean learned a simple technique when faced with such a situation: when the player drives, just try to direct him towards David Robinson. The 10-year veteran Sean Elliot has perfected the technique and the Spurs now have a second shotblocker waiting back there in Tim Duncan. Sprewell will quickly find out that it is nowhere as easy to get a floater in the lane against San Antonio as it was against Indiana. At the other end, Elliot just has to do what he has been doing all playoffs long---hit the open jumper. Sean has shot a sweltering 46% from three-point range. Sprewell likes to gamble off his man on defense, but Latrell will quickly learn that you can’t gamble off of Sean. Once the jumpshot starts falling, Elliot will be able to get Spree off his feet with a pumpfake and then take it to the hole. Of course, Spree can stay at home, too, and let Sean shoot. But New York cannot live Sean shooting 46% from three. When either Dave or Tim are out and their is more room to work down low, Sean can pull another part of his game that many NBA teams don’t know about. Thanks to spending some time this last summer at Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp, Sean has a post game. Having a full three inches and 30 lbs on Spree, Sean can post him up all he wants. This play can be used whenever you need a score or just to see if Sean can draw some fouls on Spree. Note to Pop: Please call this play. Overall advantage, New York but it will probably only a slight one like last series.
Will Larry Johnson be able to play? Does it really matter? Against Indiana, Larry played well averaging 16.5 ppg and got on a hot streak from three-point range (39%). Although the Knicks will miss his three-point shooting because it would make one of our big guys come out on the perimeter to guard him, the rest of LJ’s game would not be too effective against San Antonio. Against the Pacers, Larry had a quickness advantage against the Davises, but he would not against Tim Duncan. Plus, Duncan has a major size advantage on him too. Another problem with Larry’s game is that he does too many pumpfakes. Against a team like San Antonio, all that does is just allow the other shotblocker to come over to help. Starting for New York will be Kurt Thomas. There was a time a while back when Kurt Thomas averaged an insane 28.9 ppg and 14.6 rpg--but that was COLLEGE! The former TCU Hornfrog became only the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding. Since entering the NBA, however, the most Thomas has produced is 9.0 ppg and 5.9 rpg and that was as a rookie. So far in the playoffs, he is getting 5.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg. Thomas really doesn’t have post moves and isn’t that effective on offense. Thomas does have a decent 15-foot jumper. The shot left him against Miami and Atlanta, but he found it again against Indiana, shooting 50% for the series. To defend Thomas, Tim Duncan just has to see if Thomas is hitting his jump shot. If he is, Duncan must respect it and stay with him. If not, that is Duncan’s free pass to roam on defense. On the other end, Duncan has a few advantages on Thomas---like 4 inches of height, 20 lbs, strength, speed, skills, athleticism, etc---just a few advantages. Kurt Thomas will have an easier time holding back a crumbling dam---it would be safer, too. To counter that massacre, New York will bring Marcus Camby off the bench. New Yorkers talk about how great Camby is and Marcus does deserve a lot of respect for his play this post-season. But what they don’t realize is that Duncan is just about as fast and much more skilled. Because of his discipline and fundamentals, Duncan will still have a big advantage against Camby in the post. Plus, Duncan is still stronger and bigger than Camby which Duncan will use to his advantage. Also, Camby has become quite in love with his shot blocks in the playoffs. A little fake should be able to get Marcus off his feet and allow Duncan to even get him into major foul trouble. While guarding Camby, Duncan just has to put a body on Camby to prevent Marcus from getting offensive put-backs, the source of most of Camby’s points against Indiana. Camby will find it is nowhere near as easy to crash the boards to the Spurs as it was on Indiana. The Pacers’ frontline does not have the speed of the Spurs’ frontline. Also, the Pacers’ frontline has always been poor at rebounding, something the Spurs’ is not. Duncan has a much better chance of keeping a body on Camby than anyone in a Pacers’ uniform. More importantly, Duncan (and Robinson) attack the defensive boards, they don’t just wait for it fall into their laps. Another can do on Camby is allow Camby to shoot most any jumper he wants. Camby simply does not have an outside shot. If it is not a dunk or layup, Camby is not really effective. Overall Advantage: Spurs, bigtime.
There really isn’t that much to say. Chris Dudley is a lot like Will Perdue, only a little more mobile and some more gas in his tank. David Robinson might think this is a practice session. Dudley is a decent rebounder but you can’t even count on him to convert a layup on offense. David is bigger, faster, stronger, more skilled, more athletic etc--just like the power forward match-up. Call this massacre match-up number 2. New York can use Camby on Robinson but that will leave Duncan on Thomas. Pick your poison! Actually, Camby will have a better chance guarding Robinson (but not much better) since Dave is not as strong a post player as Duncan. However, Robinson is a better shooter than Duncan. Camby must guard Dave’s jumper or the game is already over. With Camby pulled away from the basket because of Robinson’s jumper, Duncan will have even more room to abuse Kurt Thomas in the post. Robinson will also be able to get the impetuous Camby off his feet for some dunks and some fouls. On defense, Robinson will guard the same way as Duncan. Against Dudley, Robinson won’t even has to think about him. Robinson can roam the lane, blocking anyone’s shot as they come into his neighborhood. Overall Advantage: Spurs, bigtime.
Mario Elie is going to have his hands full. Allan Houston is a bit faster than Isaiah Rider, but much more importantly, Allan is a fantastic shooter. Elie will have to face-guard Houston, even if it means he gives up the drive. With the shotblockers helping, Elie can afford to do that. Houston is nowhere near as explosive as Sprewell and the shotblockers will have an easier time with him if he drives. With how great a shooter is, Allan Houston has been explosive in only two games so far in the playoffs. One time happened against Dan Majerle, a comparable defender to Elie, and the only other came against Reggie Miller who has no defense. The rest of the 13 other playoff games, he was just average with about 17 ppg which includes 5 games being defended by Reggie Miller and 4 games being defended but Steve Smith, another guy not known for defense. In fact, the 5 games against Majerle, Houston averaged 15 ppg. Average won’t be enough for New York to overcome San Antonio. On offense, Elie just has to show an occasional drive and might a running floater or jumpshot here and there like he did against Portland. He needs to really conserve his energy for defense. Advantage: New York.
Unlike a player such as Sean Elliot who has improved from the regular season and each series of the playoffs, Charlie Ward has headed in the opposite direction. From the regular season and with each series of the playoffs, Ward has just gone downhill. By the time he reached the Eastern Conference finals, Ward was basically nonexistent. In fact, his team suffered when he was in against the Pacers. He turned the ball over frequently and could not push the ball down the court. New York is now relying on Chris Childs at point guard. Childs is not much of a scoring threat but he does a better job at running the team than Ward. However, New York would like to more than 4 assist from the point guard they are relying on. Avery Johnson has put up better numbers than both of their point guards combined. AJ has proven that you can no longer leave him open. AJ is also faster than both Childs and Ward. He should be able to drive into the paint on them for a layup or two. His drive will also set up teammates as well. On the other side, neither Childs or Ward are as effective at driving nor are they as effective setting up their teammates. All AJ really has to protect against is Childs at the three-point line. Childs is not prolific, but he can hit the open three with some consistency. AJ will have to respect that. Overall Advantage: Spurs
With guys like Childs and Camby having to play significant minutes, you might as well consider them starters and their contributions have already been accounted for. After them, there is Rick Brunson and Herb Williams. They have not really given the Knicks anything all season and their is no reason to expect anything from them now. Waiting on the Spurs’ bench are Steve Kerr, Jaren Jackson, Antonio Daniels, Will Perdue, Jerome Kersey and Malik Rose. Kerr gives three-point shooting, Jackson gives defense and three-point shooting and Daniels gives some explosiveness towards the basket. Will Perdue brings size, solid defense and rebounding. Kersey bring energy and toughness. Everyone on the Spurs’ bench brings something to the team. Advantage: Spurs
I don’t like predicting sweeps, so I won’t. The Knicks earned their spot in the Finals and aren’t going to give up now. Still, I think the Spurs are too much of a match for them and will win in 5. But the Spurs can’t come out like the Pacers and expect things to be handed to them. So far, the Spurs have not looked pass the game at hand, let alone an entire series.
--Thank you, Minnesota Timberwolves for kicking the Spurs rear one game. If they hadn’t, maybe the Spurs would have never really come to life if they hadn’t. --Sprewell and Kersey when teammates once in Golden State. One time they got into a fight in practice. Spree left the fight to return with a two-by-four. Maybe P.J. Carlesimo should have taken that as an early warning side. --There was once a time when Childs and AJ were competing against each other to make the Spurs roster. AJ made the team and has been with the Spurs since. Childs went to the CBA were he was later called up by the New Jersey Nets.
Spurn has been a Spurs fan since he started liking basketball. Although, school has taken him away from San Antonio, he vows to return one day as a season ticket holder.
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