With 1999’s Strike Shortened NBA Championship in their
back pocket the San Antonio Spurs came into the 2003
NBA Playoffs with a mission:

To win a NBA championship, let David Robinson go out on top and gain respect from the league as one of best teams in this new century (asterisk not included). This period of transmission for the NBA, which is seeing some of, it’s all-time greats (i.e.. David Robinson, John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing) retire, or play a lesser role, and its young stars like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady,
Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O’Neal, and Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber are ready to take
the torch.

Revenge is sweet

They survived the three years of torment mostly by the hands of the Lakers who beat them numerous times in the regular season and two times in playoffs. The Spurs were victims of a team with everything going right for them (Two great players, a league starved for a champion with fan appeal, and supporting cast that made shots when the big moments were there).

Tim Duncan was ready for the task putting up numbers;
Bill Russell like. A monster on the block and agile enough to run the floor against any center through small forward, Duncan averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds with 2 blocks and 3 assists during the regular season which led to Duncan winning his second consecutive MVP award.

And when most though he couldn’t raise his game, couldn’t get better, he did more. He dominated! Putting himself in an elite class in the league - all-time:

• Versus Stephon Marbury and the Phoenix Suns!
  (His worst series was in the 1st round)
  
• Versus Shaq and the Los Angeles Lakers!
  
• Versus Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks!
  
• Versus Kenyon Martin and the New Jersey Nets in theNBA Finals!

The big thing about Duncan’s play wasn't just dominating, but allowed his teammates to play their roles, passing out the double sometimes triple teams to players with limited experience (save Malik Rose, Steve Kerr, and David Robinson, the only members of the 1999 championship team remaining) and trusting them to respond. And although the young players Stephen Jackson, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker weren’t consistent they each had games when they couldn’t be stopped on offense. This couldn’t have been shown clearer than in the Finals versus Jersey. This is not to mention that they made their opponents work on defense. Each had important roles whether they were guarding Jason Kidd (Ginobili, Parker) to Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles (Jackson).

They along with veterans giving good minutes like Robinson in his final season, Kevin Willis, Kerr, Danny Ferry made for a great team. Not the most scoring, not the flashiest, but the best overall.

It will be interesting to see how they restructure the team after they lose Robinson and other players (they have 7 free agents). They have money to sign Jason Kidd, or Jermaine O’Neal, but do they need players of that caliber or can they get some role players and keep the chemistry of the teams past. One thing that is certain, nothing is guaranteed!

email me at clayton@geoclan.com