jAZ
09-23-2004, 04:26 PM
There is always hope...
http://www.nba.com/spurs/history/spurs_history.html?nav=ArticleList#20
1995-96: Spurs Can't Shake Playoff Blues
Prior to the 1995-96 season, the Spurs traded Dennis Rodman to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Will Perdue. While Rodman's talents ultimately led the Bulls back to the NBA championship, the hope was that the trade would be addition by subtraction. Rodman, though an unparalleled rebounder, proved distracting to the Spurs in their quest for a title.
The move paid off in the regular season, where the Spurs didn't miss a beat. They completed the season 59-23 to capture their second straight Midwest Division title, only three games off their record-setting pace of the previous year. Team chemistry was remarkable, and according to coach Bob Hill "the best I've ever been around."
The talent was equally extraordinary. Sean Elliott and David Robinson represented the West at the All-Star Game, and the backcourt of Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson posted the league's best assist to turnover ratio. They shored up their front line with the acquisition of Charles Smith and Monty Williams from New York in February. In March, they posted a perfect 16-0 record, tying them with the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the best month in NBA history.
But come playoff time, the Spurs faced the same question. Could they win in the postseason? They proved to Phoenix that the answer was yes, winning three games to one in the first round best-of-five series. In the second round, the Spurs battled the Utah Jazz to six games, but as in 1994, the Jazz toppled the Spurs, handing San Antonio's hope of that still elusive trip to the Finals.
1996-97: Injuries Sink Spurs, But Land Duncan
The 1996-97 season was one of the most frustrating in franchise history for the San Antonio Spurs, but ultimately may turn out to be for the best.. Although the Spurs lost David Robinson to injury, managed only 20 wins and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1988-89 season, they struck gold in the 1997 Draft Lottery, landing the first overall pick and draft rights to super prospect Tim Duncan.
Injuries decimated the Spurs, none more so than that of Robinson, who returned from back problems only to suffer a broken foot. The former MVP appeared in only nine games. Chuck Person was even less fortunate, missing the entire season following back surgery. Charles Smith missed 65 games with an arthritic right knee and Sean Elliott missed 43 games with tendinitis in the right knee. The loss of those four players, each among the top six scorers from the 1995-96 team, prompted the steepest one-year decline in NBA history, from 59 wins to only 20.
Another Spurs casualty was head coach Bob Hill, relieved of his duties after a 3-15 start, and replaced by General Manager Gregg Popovich, who posted a 17-47 record in his first stint as an NBA head coach.
In the absence of many of his regulars, Popovich relied on a veteran crew that included free agent signees Dominique Wilkins and Vernon Maxwell and the familiar backcourt duo of Vinnie Del Negro and Avery Johnson. Wilkins, one of the top scorers in NBA history, led the offensive charge with 18.2 points per game. During the season he became only the 38th player to appear in 1,000 NBA games and surpassed 26,000 points, moving into seventh place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
All the pain of the 1996-97 season went away on May 18, when the Spurs won the Lottery and drew the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. That assured them the rights to Duncan, a dominant collegiate star at Wake Forest. With a dynamic duo of Robinson and Duncan up front, San Antonio was expected to return to a place among the league's elite in 1997-98.
1997-98: Duncan Spurs Quick Turnaround
The San Antonio Spurs knew they were going to be an improved team in 1997-98. After all, they were coming off of a 20-62 season, the worst in their 25-year NBA history. Just how good they came, and how quickly, surprised a lot of NBA teams.
With the return of David Robinson (who missed all but six games the previous season because of injury) and the arrival of Tim Duncan, the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the Spurs engineered the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history, winning 56 games and advancing to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
For the season, Duncan averaged 21.1 points (12th in the NBA), 11.9 rebounds (3rd), 2.51 blocks (6th) and led all NBA players with 57 double-doubles. He was named to the NBA All-Star Team and needless to say, he ran away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Unlike many prized rookies, Duncan didn't have the burden of carrying the offensive load. Standing right beside him all season was Robinson, the former MVP who returned from his injury-plagued season to his place among the league's elite centers.
It only took the Spurs revamped lineup about a month to learn to play together. After a Dec. 9 loss dropped San Antonio to 10-10, it all clicked and the Spurs soared, going 46-16 in their final 62 games. Like Duncan, Robinson earned a berth on the Western Conference All-Star team and was among the league leaders in scoring (21.6 ppg, 10th in the NBA), rebounding (10.6 rpg, 5th), blocks (2.63 bpg, 5th) and double-doubles (40, 9th).
In the playoffs, the Spurs faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round. But for all of Suns coach Danny Ainge's worries about Duncan and Robinson, it was diminutive Avery Johnson who closed the door on Phoenix. The 5-10 point guard, still hearing the whispers that the Spurs needed a stronger point guard to contend, had his way with Phoenix throughout the series, averaging a team-high 20.5 ppg and 6.0 apg in the 3-to-1 series win.
Against the Utah Jazz in the Conference Semfinals, the Spurs continued to give every indication that they were a title contender. They just couldn't put away the defending conference champs. Utah won Game 1, 83-82, despite 33 points from Duncan. In Game 2, Utah prevailed 109-106 in overtime, and the Spurs' chances took a huge hit when Duncan sprained his ankle. San Antonio rebounded to win Game 3, but lost the series in five games.
1998-99: The Championship Season
San Antonio struggled in the first month of the lockout-shortened season. But once the Spurs hit their stride, nobody could block their path to the franchise's first NBA title.
The Spurs clinched the championship on Avery Johnson's jumper with 47 seconds left in Game 5 of the Finals, giving San Antonio a 78-77 victory over the New York Knicks. Tim Duncan averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the series and was named Finals MVP.
Duncan's fellow Twin Tower, David Robinson, also made his presence known. The perennial All-Star, in his 10th season with the Spurs, averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in the Finals as San Antonio became the first former ABA team to win the NBA title.
One of the most compelling story lines came to light after the season ended. Starting forward Sean Elliott revealed that he had played despite needing a kidney transplant. Elliott, who was battling a rare kidney disease, received the transplant Aug. 16. His brother Noel donated the kidney.
Elliott averaged 33.8 minutes in 17 playoff games and was responsible for the "Memorial Day Miracle." On that play, he tiptoed the sideline to stay inbounds before hitting a three-pointer with nine seconds left, lifting the Spurs to an 86-85 win over Portland in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
San Antonio's championship season had an inauspicious beginning as the Spurs went 6-8 in February. But the players eventually settled into a groove, and the team got a spark when veteran swingman Mario Elie joined the starting lineup. The Spurs went 31-5 after their slow start and they raced through the postseason with a 15-2 record.
Duncan was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second year in a row. He was the only NBA player to finish in the top 10 in scoring (21.7 ppg, sixth), rebounds (11.4 rpg, fifth), blocks (2.52, seventh) and field goal percentage (.495, 10th).
http://www.nba.com/spurs/history/spurs_history.html?nav=ArticleList#20
1995-96: Spurs Can't Shake Playoff Blues
Prior to the 1995-96 season, the Spurs traded Dennis Rodman to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Will Perdue. While Rodman's talents ultimately led the Bulls back to the NBA championship, the hope was that the trade would be addition by subtraction. Rodman, though an unparalleled rebounder, proved distracting to the Spurs in their quest for a title.
The move paid off in the regular season, where the Spurs didn't miss a beat. They completed the season 59-23 to capture their second straight Midwest Division title, only three games off their record-setting pace of the previous year. Team chemistry was remarkable, and according to coach Bob Hill "the best I've ever been around."
The talent was equally extraordinary. Sean Elliott and David Robinson represented the West at the All-Star Game, and the backcourt of Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson posted the league's best assist to turnover ratio. They shored up their front line with the acquisition of Charles Smith and Monty Williams from New York in February. In March, they posted a perfect 16-0 record, tying them with the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the best month in NBA history.
But come playoff time, the Spurs faced the same question. Could they win in the postseason? They proved to Phoenix that the answer was yes, winning three games to one in the first round best-of-five series. In the second round, the Spurs battled the Utah Jazz to six games, but as in 1994, the Jazz toppled the Spurs, handing San Antonio's hope of that still elusive trip to the Finals.
1996-97: Injuries Sink Spurs, But Land Duncan
The 1996-97 season was one of the most frustrating in franchise history for the San Antonio Spurs, but ultimately may turn out to be for the best.. Although the Spurs lost David Robinson to injury, managed only 20 wins and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1988-89 season, they struck gold in the 1997 Draft Lottery, landing the first overall pick and draft rights to super prospect Tim Duncan.
Injuries decimated the Spurs, none more so than that of Robinson, who returned from back problems only to suffer a broken foot. The former MVP appeared in only nine games. Chuck Person was even less fortunate, missing the entire season following back surgery. Charles Smith missed 65 games with an arthritic right knee and Sean Elliott missed 43 games with tendinitis in the right knee. The loss of those four players, each among the top six scorers from the 1995-96 team, prompted the steepest one-year decline in NBA history, from 59 wins to only 20.
Another Spurs casualty was head coach Bob Hill, relieved of his duties after a 3-15 start, and replaced by General Manager Gregg Popovich, who posted a 17-47 record in his first stint as an NBA head coach.
In the absence of many of his regulars, Popovich relied on a veteran crew that included free agent signees Dominique Wilkins and Vernon Maxwell and the familiar backcourt duo of Vinnie Del Negro and Avery Johnson. Wilkins, one of the top scorers in NBA history, led the offensive charge with 18.2 points per game. During the season he became only the 38th player to appear in 1,000 NBA games and surpassed 26,000 points, moving into seventh place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
All the pain of the 1996-97 season went away on May 18, when the Spurs won the Lottery and drew the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. That assured them the rights to Duncan, a dominant collegiate star at Wake Forest. With a dynamic duo of Robinson and Duncan up front, San Antonio was expected to return to a place among the league's elite in 1997-98.
1997-98: Duncan Spurs Quick Turnaround
The San Antonio Spurs knew they were going to be an improved team in 1997-98. After all, they were coming off of a 20-62 season, the worst in their 25-year NBA history. Just how good they came, and how quickly, surprised a lot of NBA teams.
With the return of David Robinson (who missed all but six games the previous season because of injury) and the arrival of Tim Duncan, the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the Spurs engineered the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history, winning 56 games and advancing to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
For the season, Duncan averaged 21.1 points (12th in the NBA), 11.9 rebounds (3rd), 2.51 blocks (6th) and led all NBA players with 57 double-doubles. He was named to the NBA All-Star Team and needless to say, he ran away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Unlike many prized rookies, Duncan didn't have the burden of carrying the offensive load. Standing right beside him all season was Robinson, the former MVP who returned from his injury-plagued season to his place among the league's elite centers.
It only took the Spurs revamped lineup about a month to learn to play together. After a Dec. 9 loss dropped San Antonio to 10-10, it all clicked and the Spurs soared, going 46-16 in their final 62 games. Like Duncan, Robinson earned a berth on the Western Conference All-Star team and was among the league leaders in scoring (21.6 ppg, 10th in the NBA), rebounding (10.6 rpg, 5th), blocks (2.63 bpg, 5th) and double-doubles (40, 9th).
In the playoffs, the Spurs faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round. But for all of Suns coach Danny Ainge's worries about Duncan and Robinson, it was diminutive Avery Johnson who closed the door on Phoenix. The 5-10 point guard, still hearing the whispers that the Spurs needed a stronger point guard to contend, had his way with Phoenix throughout the series, averaging a team-high 20.5 ppg and 6.0 apg in the 3-to-1 series win.
Against the Utah Jazz in the Conference Semfinals, the Spurs continued to give every indication that they were a title contender. They just couldn't put away the defending conference champs. Utah won Game 1, 83-82, despite 33 points from Duncan. In Game 2, Utah prevailed 109-106 in overtime, and the Spurs' chances took a huge hit when Duncan sprained his ankle. San Antonio rebounded to win Game 3, but lost the series in five games.
1998-99: The Championship Season
San Antonio struggled in the first month of the lockout-shortened season. But once the Spurs hit their stride, nobody could block their path to the franchise's first NBA title.
The Spurs clinched the championship on Avery Johnson's jumper with 47 seconds left in Game 5 of the Finals, giving San Antonio a 78-77 victory over the New York Knicks. Tim Duncan averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the series and was named Finals MVP.
Duncan's fellow Twin Tower, David Robinson, also made his presence known. The perennial All-Star, in his 10th season with the Spurs, averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in the Finals as San Antonio became the first former ABA team to win the NBA title.
One of the most compelling story lines came to light after the season ended. Starting forward Sean Elliott revealed that he had played despite needing a kidney transplant. Elliott, who was battling a rare kidney disease, received the transplant Aug. 16. His brother Noel donated the kidney.
Elliott averaged 33.8 minutes in 17 playoff games and was responsible for the "Memorial Day Miracle." On that play, he tiptoed the sideline to stay inbounds before hitting a three-pointer with nine seconds left, lifting the Spurs to an 86-85 win over Portland in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
San Antonio's championship season had an inauspicious beginning as the Spurs went 6-8 in February. But the players eventually settled into a groove, and the team got a spark when veteran swingman Mario Elie joined the starting lineup. The Spurs went 31-5 after their slow start and they raced through the postseason with a 15-2 record.
Duncan was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second year in a row. He was the only NBA player to finish in the top 10 in scoring (21.7 ppg, sixth), rebounds (11.4 rpg, fifth), blocks (2.52, seventh) and field goal percentage (.495, 10th).