Minnesota Sports Forum

Questions loomed. Last season, L. Aldridge struggled mightily and Tony Parker was injured. So heading into this season, people questioned the Spurs when they gave a huge contract to 37-year-old Pau Gasol, brought back 40-year-old Ginobili, added 31-year-old Rudy Gay coming off one of the most serious injuries in NBA history... dumped playoff surprise Jonathon Simmons... and did nothing else.

We all sorta shrugged. Well, they won't 60+ again. Heck, maybe that 50-win mark could be in jeopardy in the loaded West. Now imagine all that... AND Kawhi Leonard (arguably a top 3 player in the L) not playing for the first 14 games.

Meh.

They're 3rd in the West at 9 - 5. They just keep winning. They can't stop winning. The Spurs are truly one of the most remarkable sports franchises I've ever seen.

Culture is a powerful thing. The sense I get is that the second you put on a Spurs uniform, there are expectations that are just assumed: Defend, pass to the open guy, keep your nose clean. I mean, I don't even know if these things need to be said. Guys just know it.

Pop/RC Buford and the ownership have done something special in San Antonio. Some of the stats are simply amazing. Yes, I'm jealous too.

Gay being healthy and playing well is a big deal. I was skeptical about it but honestly happy he is doing well.

Brynn Forbes and Brandon Paul are shooting lights out so far in their 15mpg roles. Aldridge is the only guy averaging over 30mpg and has been really good. When I have seen him play in parts of 3 or so games Kyle Anderson seems to know what he is doing out there. Between him Gay and Murray they average almost 17rpg. Someday (I believe!!!) we will be able to plug and play some guys nobody has heard of and do well. It takes time.

Brynn Forbes is a classic San Antonio type of signing that just kills me as a Wolves fan. We labor for YEARS to find lights-out shooters. Think about our history with the 3-point shot. But San Antonio churns these kind of guys out every. single. year. And they do it on the cheap. Forbes is just the latest in a pile of mediocre prospects they squeeze maximum value out of.

Winning makes the culture. Players won't buy into anything without the evidence of results. The Spurs had a top 10 player of all time to create that evidence. Pop is a great coach, but without Duncan we wouldn't be talking about the culture of the Spurs. Kerr took great talent and molded a culture that landed them Durant to buy into it. Maybe one day people will be talking about Wolves culture, and not in a way where NBA players go to die.

thedoper wrote:Winning makes the culture. Players won't buy into anything without the evidence of results. The Spurs had a top 10 player of all time to create that evidence. Pop is a great coach, but without Duncan we wouldn't be talking about the culture of the Spurs. Kerr took great talent and molded a culture that landed them Durant to buy into it. Maybe one day people will be talking about Wolves culture, and not in a way where NBA players go to die.

To be fair, I think Miami, Memphis and Boston have a culture as well... and it's not all based on recent success. In fact, Boston revamped its culture from its last title contending team and is near that level of success again.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

thedoper wrote:Winning makes the culture. Players won't buy into anything without the evidence of results. The Spurs had a top 10 player of all time to create that evidence. Pop is a great coach, but without Duncan we wouldn't be talking about the culture of the Spurs. Kerr took great talent and molded a culture that landed them Durant to buy into it. Maybe one day people will be talking about Wolves culture, and not in a way where NBA players go to die.

To be fair, I think Miami, Memphis and Boston have a culture as well... and it's not all based on recent success. In fact, Boston revamped its culture from its last title contending team and is near that level of success again.

Miami and Boston won championships with their current management. No one was talking about Boston's culture until Ainge put the big 3 there again. And no one would have talked about Memphis without their playoff success. Once you win then people talk about the culture. I just think you have to learn to win in the league, for some teams and players that can come quickly. Once you learn to win and carry that confidence, it rubs off on other people.

It really is amazing Abe. Duncan and Pop have that Brady-Belichek thing. I don't think either would be the same without the other. But the Spurs have done it for 20 years. Unbelievable.

BizarroJerry wrote:It really is amazing Abe. Duncan and Pop have that Brady-Belichek thing. I don't think either would be the same without the other. But the Spurs have done it for 20 years. Unbelievable.

I disagree a bit here.

Tim Duncan was going to be an all-time great NBA player whether he played in SA with Popovich or Minnesota with Sidney Lowe and Kurt Rambis.

He was THAT good from the moment he entered the league. He was about as can't-miss as you can get.

thedoper wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

thedoper wrote:Winning makes the culture. Players won't buy into anything without the evidence of results. The Spurs had a top 10 player of all time to create that evidence. Pop is a great coach, but without Duncan we wouldn't be talking about the culture of the Spurs. Kerr took great talent and molded a culture that landed them Durant to buy into it. Maybe one day people will be talking about Wolves culture, and not in a way where NBA players go to die.

To be fair, I think Miami, Memphis and Boston have a culture as well... and it's not all based on recent success. In fact, Boston revamped its culture from its last title contending team and is near that level of success again.

Miami and Boston won championships with their current management. No one was talking about Boston's culture until Ainge put the big 3 there again. And no one would have talked about Memphis without their playoff success. Once you win then people talk about the culture. I just think you have to learn to win in the league, for some teams and players that can come quickly. Once you learn to win and carry that confidence, it rubs off on other people.

Fair enough. I guess there's a lot of gray area in how we define "culture." Yes. Ainge has been a constant in Boston and that goes a long way. Definitely, so I understand your take and think it has merit. But that championship team was built around sage veteran leadership and accountability. Garnett, Pierce and to a lesser degree, Allen, Rondo and Perkins set the tone. There was an entire "Ubuntu" culture embedded through the organization from Garnett + Rivers forcing it. Maybe some of that remains...

But it's an entirely different team/identity. One rebuilt, literally, from nothing. And personally, I think they're doing it with a different kind of culture. I don't see the players as the proverbial head of the snake now... it's Stevens who wasn't anywhere near the franchise during its championship days. Sage veteran leadership? Horford, but that's it. They're winning with two guys not (barely) old enough to drink and a "next man up" mentality that is completely different than the Big 3 era.

The most amazing thing about the current Celtics: Marcus Smart is 4th in mpg (30.6)... and he's shooting 28.1%.

What? WHAT???