Patty scored 25 and was 7/8 from 3 tonight. Here's to hoping he's turned a corner.

West Texan said:

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Patty scored 25 and was 7/8 from 3 tonight. Here's to hoping he's turned a corner.

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Yeah that was a good sign. He has to step up, especially on the road. That was the best road game the Spurs have played all year.

I've pretty much resigned myself to this being a "what might have been" season. Hopefully next year Kawhi is healthy.

I'm of the same opinion. Even if Kawhi does come back completely healthy, the team won't have a rhythm to go anywhere beyond the second round.

Too bad we couldn't take this season and go after that OU point guard.

So we might slip to the 4th seed and we're bemoaning missed opportunities to tank?

Forgive me for having a bit more faith in the spurs then that. We might be an outside contender, but this team can get healthy and still be a contender this year.

You can see why Toronto is doing so well this year. Their defense is very good.

LMA having an off night.

Not too upset about this loss. The effort was there and the D was good but it's pretty hard to win on 34% shooting. I guess Patty won't have another good game until around Fiesta or so.

If I were the Spurs I'd do everything I could to get a point guard by the trade deadline.

I don't think we're anywhere close to tanking, but I also think that in the super team era there's no such thing as an outside contender. Winning a title out of the West will require beating at least two stacked teams. You might have a matchup advantage or benefit from a timely injury to an opponent once, but not two or three times. Without two stars and a rhythm it's hard to envision getting out of the second round.

The issue is they could challenge with Kawhi. So until he is done for the season they need to keep treading water.

Another stinker. Indiana is packing the paint and daring the spurs to shoot jumpers. They are 3 for 24 right now from 3. And only 2 for 3 from the FT line. Just another game where Kawhi would have been a huge help.

Another crap loss. Yay.

I know it was coming. I just wasnt ready for it.

And yet parker is the only one averaging >=5.0 assists per 36 minutes or played.

Can't help but feel a)Pop sees this as a lost season and b) PATFO want a long look at DJM.

And maybe there's a little worry among PATFO about Kawhi's long term status.

Troublesome developments this season.

One of the most impressive streaks in sports right now (right up there with LeBron's 7 consecutive finals, Kansas' 14 consecutive Big 12 regulator season titles, etc.) is San Antonio having won at least 50 regular season games in the past 18 consecutive seasons.

http://www.landofbasketball.com/teams/records_san_antonio_spurs.htm

The 1998-1999 season was the last time the Spurs won less than 50.

Now sitting at 30-18 and battling injury challenges, this may be a season that threatens that streak, so may become a story line to keep an eye on. Need to go 20-14 the rest of the way.

I honestly start thinking about this streak every season. Another big one on the line and in serious jeopardy is the consecutive seasons with a winning road record which I think is also 20 seasons. They sit at 10-14 now.

This isn't great.

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Months of discord centering on elements of treatment, rehabilitation and timetables for return have had a chilling impact on San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard's relationship with the franchise and coaching staff, league sources told ESPN.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22179536/kawhi-leonard-relationship-san-antonio-spurs-becoming-strained

Isn't Kawhi always distant? That's his MO.

LawHall88 said:

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This isn't great.

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Months of discord centering on elements of treatment, rehabilitation and timetables for return have had a chilling impact on San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard's relationship with the franchise and coaching staff, league sources told ESPN.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22179536/kawhi-leonard-relationship-san-antonio-spurs-becoming-strained

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This was the impression I've been getting too.

I don't see the controversy here. Everyone is frustrated is not a controversy. A controversy is if there is a difference of opinion on how to proceed. As of right now it sounds like everyone is in agreement on shutting down for a while.

Kawhi isn't talking to people? STOP THE PRESSES!

The media definitely likes to take any nugget they can and make an issue out it. The same thing happened with LA this offseason. He told some people he was frustrated and the media ran with it like there was this big rift in the organization. Several well respected reporters openly wrote that the Spurs were disappointed in LA and were desperately looking to get something for him.

The reality is he was not happy with his role on the team and just needed to speak to Pop about it. The Spurs felt like he was doing fine and any whisper of "moving on" was general trade discussion. I'm sure the Spurs would trade LA for the right package but that goes for all but a handful of guys.

After following the Spurs my whole life you can count on a few things:

1. There are no leaks from the organization. If you "hear" something it always comes from the player side and any attempt to infer what is really happening internally is foolish. I've heard a few reporters say Spurs front office personnel are literally scared to speak to a media person even casually. Just the perception of a possible leak could get someone in trouble. Its straight up KGB style lock down.

2. If the Spurs decide a player isn't a fit anymore he is gone quickly. They aren't concerned with "getting something" back. Pop has said in his clinics that a player who is not a culture fit is a net negative and must go immediately.

3. If the Spurs ever shop a guy it is just that, shopping. As noted in point 2, if they don't want a guy he's gone. So if they shop a guy and end up keeping him it means they like him. This organization doesn't usually keep players for financial reasons. (the one exception I remember is Richard Jefferson who Pop supposedly hated)

4. The biggest mystery on the Spurs is Pop's doghouse. He is demanding and tough. And even though he's a great communicator there have been plenty of players who got on his bad side and never got off. Tim Duncan once said you can always count on "knowing your role" under Pop. He will tell you exactly what he wants. I suspect the dog house players are the ones who don't like the role he's put them in. I can think of guys like Malik Rose and Dajuan Blair who thought they always could do more than just rebound off the bench.

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I also think it's interesting that ESPN tried this same **** with Brady, Belichick, and Kraft.

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Always remember that the 'E' in 'ESPN' is for 'Entertainment & Sports Programming Network'.

So they will put out articles like that Brady/Belichick/Kraft are not getting along story, they will send Goodman to the middle of no where in eastern Europe to get a hot take quote from Lavar Ball and his two younger sons playing in some crap international league that no one has heard of, so that they can report a story that the Laker players don't like Luke Walton so much. And so forth. They are always on the prowl for entertaining gossip.

That article is bull**** and offers no new information.

And now Jalen Rose says Kawhi wants out?

WTF?!

Don't feel like watching an ESPN clip. Anyone got the transcript for it?

Is it just hyperbole for their 'Embrace Debate' show?

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Is it just hyperbole for their 'Embrace Debate' show?

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Jalen doesn't worry me. If ESPN had Beadle saying he wanted out, I'd be a bit more worried. She doesn't hide her Spurs homerism.

Chipotlemonger said:

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Don't feel like watching an ESPN clip. Anyone got the transcript for it?

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Here is the clip, in case no one throws the transcript bone to you. Opines that one reason Kawhi is uncertain about future with Spurs is they are not perceived as a destination for All-NBA caliber free agents.

That sounds like pure conjecture!