Fred Silva's Articles

Since I am now writing for Pounding the Rock, I thought I should compile everything I have written in one place. The following is a collection of all the articles that I have written thus far. Check Pounding the Rock for my new stuff. Also, follow me on Twitter @DartFred for updates.

The Immortalized Spurs

In this series I wrote an article about each retired Spur.

James Silas

Johnny Moore

George Gervin

Avery Johnson

Sean Elliott

David Robinson

The Starting 5

The Ginobili Effect

Random Rants

A Tribute to Bruce Bowen

My take on the Western Conference

My take on the Spurs' Roster

Fictional pieces that pit the current Spurs team against the championship Spurs of 1999.

Game 6

Game 7

An analysis on the supposedly deadly back to back games.

Spurs, Lakers Preview

As we get closer and closer to the playoffs, games against possible playoff opponents carry more meaning. In these games it’s important to ask, “Who needs this game more?”

In this case, the answer is clearly the Lakers. Before beating the Rockets in Houston yesterday, the Lakers lost to three Western Conference teams on the road in a row: Denver, Phoenix and Portland. If the Lakers want to feel confident on the road come playoff time, they will need to start playing much better away from LA.

In addition, the Spurs team that the Lakers will face in the playoffs will be much improved from the team they face tonight. In the playoffs, (crossing my fingers,) we will have a healthy Manu Ginobili and Drew Gooden. These players allow the Spurs to give opponents different looks on both ends of the floor. Basically, this means that the Spurs will play tonight’s game with half their playoff playbook. If the Lakers cannot beat this shorthanded Spurs team, they surely will have doubts about beating a much improved Spurs team in the playoffs, regardless of what the national media has to say. And on the other side, the Spurs will beam with confidence if they can secure the win. In fact, I would argue that if the Spurs keep this game close, they will have the mental edge if they meet the Lakers in the playoffs.

Some may point out that the Lakers are also shorthanded, as Andrew Bynum is out. However, it is much more likely that the Spurs will have a healthy Ginobili and Gooden than the Lakers will have a healthy Bynum. Remember, this same scenario played itself out at this time last year. Bynum was playing great and suffered a knee injury. It required surgery and the Lakers continuously said he would be ready by the playoffs. But this did not happen and he missed the entire season. He had knee surgery again, the Lakers claim he will be healthy again, so do not be surprised if he misses the playoffs, again.

As for my pre-game prediction, this one is a tough call. This game means more to the Lakers so expect them to come out with something to prove. Lamar Odom will play with a chip on his shoulder because he was suspended for leaving the Lakers’ bench during an altercation in Portland, and this is the game after the suspension. The Lakers lost a great game to the Spurs last time they were in San Antonio, even though Kobe Bryant did everything humanly possible to win the game, so will be motivated by the memory. As for the Spurs, they have won three in a row in impressive fashion. Tony Parker has been playing fantastic, averaging 26 ppg since Manu went down with the injury. Roger Mason has averaged 16 over the last several games as he too has stepped up in the absence of Manu. And most importantly, the Lakers played Houston last night and it was close. If the Spurs can keep the game close, keep an eye on the fatigue factor. It could have a big influence in the final 3 minutes. Bottom line, Spurs by 6. I could see the Spurs with the ball up by 4 points with 30 seconds left. The Lakers foul, Spurs make both pushing the lead to 6. Lakers make an uncontested layup to cut it back to 4. Lakers foul again, Spurs make both and are up by 6 as time expires. It feels like that kind of game.

Drew Gooden Acquisition

Gooden is clearly a player that can have an impact on the Spurs’ playoff run, if he can get healthy. And let me first warn you, this is a big ‘if.’ Groin injuries are treacherous because it is very difficult to know when the injury has healed. You can rest it, it can feel great, but the true test is playing basketball at game speed. While playing, one moves and contorts their body in ways that are difficult to replicate off the court. The problem with groin injuries is that if you come back too soon, you will re-injure it and be out another 2 to 3 weeks. This is why Gooden has not played since January 19th. The Spurs’ problem is that they need to get Gooden on the court so he has time to mesh with the team before the playoffs arrive. So this time crunch might result in a re-injury. I’m sure the Spurs will rest him till the last possible moment, but will it be enough time for him to heal? And if he is healthy, will the Spurs have enough games left to get him acclimated to their offense and defense?

That being said, Drew Gooden will allow the Spurs to give the opposition different looks than they are capable of with the present roster. Drew Gooden is a consistent shooter from 20 feet out and has a knack for rebounding. His defense is questionable, and it is said that he forgets plays and defensive rotations. He will probably cost the Spurs a good amount of 20 second timeouts where Pop screams at him about his lack of focus. But historically, players that have been questionable defenders always play better defense for the Spurs. Look no further than Matt Bonner and Roger Mason Jr. Matt Bonner was a notoriously bad defender and now is somewhat respectable. Roger Mason Jr. had been very weak on the defensive end, and now is competent. Drew Gooden can basically bring to the Spurs what Robert Horry brought back in the day. His range is slightly less, but his outside shot will command the respect of the defense and the opposition will not be able to double Tim off of him, as they do when we play Fabricio Oberto.

So, we hope he can get healthy, we hope he can stay healthy, we hope he quickly understands our offense, and we hope he can learn our defensive schemes. It’s a lot of hoping, but if it works out he could be a difference maker when we play the Lakers in the conference finals. Regardless, let us not overlook the most critical injury suffered by the Spurs. We hope Manu can come back healthy, else this is all moot.

Vince Carter to the Spurs?

Rumor has it that the Spurs have been in contact with the New Jersey Nets concerning a trade that would send Vince to San Antonio for George Hill, Roger Mason, Fab Oberto, and Bruce Bowen. The thought is that the Nets would waive Fab and Bowen, and that they would resign with the Spurs after the mandatory 30 days. So in actuality, the Spurs would trade George Hill and Roger Mason for Vince Carter.

I think this is a horrible idea. As is, most would give the Spurs about a 20% chance of winning the championship. Quickly, the final four will most likely include the Spurs, Lakers, Celtics and Cavs. The Spurs, Lakers series will be very close, if both squads are fully healthy. If the Spurs can win that coin flip, I think they match up very well with the Cavs, and the Celtics would cause some problems. But again, I think it would be a coin flip scenario against the Celtics. So basically, the Spurs are right there with their current roster. Losing Roger Mason and George Hill would devastate the Spurs, long and short term, even if they get Vince in return. Enough cannot be said about Roger Mason’s confidence down the stretch. I have written about this previously, he is the ‘Big Shot’ guy that they Spurs sorely lacked last season. And George Hill is a huge upgrade over Jacque Vaughn. Hill does not just waste minutes to give Tony a rest, he hits critical shots and sustains the Spurs’ leads. If the Spurs trade Hill leaving Jacque to backup Tony, the Spurs will lose during those minutes.

All that being said, I cannot stand Vince Carter. He is one of the more notorious players in the league. Remember when he gave up on the Toronto Raptors? He admitted to quitting on his team. He admitted that he faked injuries and purposefully did not play hard when he was in the game. This guy should be banned from the NBA. So, why would the Spurs want to roll the dice on this nut job?

Well, the Spurs are in a position in which they could buy the championship this year, at the expense of the future. If the Spurs add one more piece, it is very conceivable that they will reach a level of play that cannot be matched by the Cavs, Celtics or Lakers. And that has to be extremely tempting. However, to lose Roger Mason and George Hill just as the Spurs are beginning to tap their potential would be criminal. Trading away Mason and Hill would be very comparable to what the Miami Heat did when they put together their team of washed up all stars that won in ’06, but have been miserable ever since. Basically, the deal with the devil consists of selling the Spurs' future for an immediate championship. Short term it’s great, long term I do not even want to think about it.

It seems that Houston is also speaking with the Nets. Please, let Houston trade for him. Apparently the Nets rejected an offer that included Tracy McGrady, good for them, but have come back with a proposal in which the Nets would acquire Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Luther Head and Carl Landry. Their counter seems a little steep, but as a Spurs fan, I really hope they take Vince off the trading block.

Spurs Beat the Best, Spurring Recent Confidence Surge

The Spurs are playing their best basketball of the season, and it’s because of their two convincing wins against the Lakers and the Celtics. Beating these two teams that are constantly referred to as the best in the league proved to the Spurs that they are capable of going all the way this year. Popovich has been quoted saying that the Spurs are one or two pieces away from the Laker’s level. Popovich always puts his team down, in order to fire them up. These recent two wins filled the Spurs with confidence, which overflowed onto the New Jersey Nets last night.

ESPN analysts have made excuses for the Lakers and Celtics. For the Lakers, they were on the second game of a back to back and were missing several bench players. For the Celtics, they were emotionally distraught from the loss to the Lakers two games before the Spurs beat them. Forget about these excuses for a moment as we examine these games. I will attempt to prove that both teams played as close to perfect in these games as possible, and the Spurs still beat them. I wrote about the Spurs winning the vast majority of close games this season. If the Spurs can keep a game close, they win most of the time. The Spurs are adept to getting stops in the closing minutes, and executing flawlessly for critical scores.

First, let us take a look at the Spurs 112-111 victory over the Lakers. The Lakers shot 57% from the field and 56% from three point land while committing only 11 turnovers. Because their bench was unavailable, the Lakers were forced to play their starters playoff minutes. This is greatly responsible for their absurd shooting percentages. Kobe played 42 minutes, Fisher 36, Bynum 35, Gasol 32, and Odom 29. One could argue that the Lakers must have been fatigued in the fourth, and that is why they came up short. However, I was present at this game and let me tell you, the Lakers did not slow down at all. They were playing top notch all the way down the stretch. Basically, two of the NBA’s top teams played at an extremely elite level for 48 minutes, and the Spurs came out on top due to their superior play in the closing minutes.

Now for the recent 105-99 victory over the Defending Champion Boston Celtics in the Garden. In this game, the Celtics shot 51% from the field with 11 turnovers. The Celtics made 3 three pointers, but only took 11 so the 27% shooting looks worse than it was. The Spurs did a fantastic job of chasing the Celtics off the three point line. The Celtics clearly wanted to win this game, as was shown by Doc River’s choice to not play the bench. Tony Allen, at 18 minutes, was the only bench player to play more than 13 minutes. The five Boston starters all played 34 minutes or more. The Spurs matched the Celtics’ elite play and the game came down to the wire. The Spurs are great at finishing close games and came out victorious with a key shot by Roger Mason and a great defensive play by Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobili.

Two of the best teams in the NBA played arguably as well as possible and the Spurs took the punches and won in the closing minutes. These two games have injected the Spurs with confidence and look for them to build a decent win streak in the coming weeks. The only upcoming game that makes me nervous is the game against Cleveland on the 27th. However, the Spurs match up very well with Cleveland and if the Spurs recent play is any indication, Cleveland better show up ready for a battle.

Hate, Love Gregg Popovich

At 7:55pm I switched the channel to the Spurs, Nuggets game. I was finishing up a game of Madden, so I was not really paying attention. But as I was running my favorite edited version of the “Four Verticals” play, I thought I heard the commentator say that Manu was not going to play. I quickly paused the game and rewound the TV. Sure enough, Popovich decided to sit Manu because of a contusion he suffered the night before against Golden State. This was upsetting, but it’s always better to give Manu a rest after a game like the one against the Warriors. Manu continuously sacrificed his body in that game and it was understandable that he might need the next night off.

So, I continued playing Madden. I’m a big fan of running the hurry up offense throughout the entire game. I enjoy it because my opponent tends to get frustrated, and then takes chances, which is when I can go for the big play. Still not paying attention to the TV, I thought I heard him say that Michael Finley, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker would sit this one out. I thought I must have misheard. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Our next game is Sunday at Boston, obviously a huge game. But that’s in 4 days. 4 days of rest in unheard of in the regular season. In fact, after that long of a break teams tend to come back a little rusty. So why would we sit four of our starters seemingly needlessly. I was irate. The Xbox controller may have been chucked across the room. Clearly, this is the “Hate Popovich” section.

After the game, I began to think through what went on, and I made some sense of it. Basketball players are generally superstitious. I remember in my all-state days, I became very superstitious. Previously, I thought it was silly. But in a game where the bounce of the ball can be the difference between a win and a loss, advancing in the playoffs and going home, superstition because important. Confidence in basketball is vital. Even the bench players on the team think they are God’s gift. They should be the one’s starting. It’s just the way a basketball player’s mind has to be wired. If there is any doubt in your mind, you will miss, you will get beaten up, you will get benched. Superstitions serve to strengthen confidence, falsely or not. One game I forgot to bring my right socks with me on the road. It completely affected my game. Maybe it was a subconscious thing, but it had a dramatic affect on the way I played that night.

What happens when you are at a blackjack table, there is a dealer change, and the momentum swings? Suddenly, you are losing every hand and getting more 15’s and 16’s than R Kelly. Superstitious players will immediately get up, and find the dealer that they were winning with. I would argue that Popovich saw the NBA’s momentum change, did not like it, and decided to cash out. Andrew Bynum, Jameer Nelson, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups have all sustained injuries in the past 3 days. Were they fluky injuries? Yes, but why take the chance? Clearly, the Spurs were forced to overextend themselves in the game against the Warriors. In the second game of back to backs, injuries are more likely. The players are fatigued and not as quick as normal. Their legs are sore, they are jet lagged, if the Spurs were going to sustain an injury it would have been last night. Chauncey turned his ankle in the first half. Are we not extremely grateful that it was not Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili that stepped on a foot? Also, this move is a complete slap in the face to the Denver Nuggets. Popovich is basically saying, "You know what, I know your record is good and everything, but we own you in the playoffs. Here, take this game. Your team isn't even worth showing up for." I think the decision to bench our players was interesting. And as a superstitious basketball fan, it makes me laugh.

Spurs, Nuggets Preview

Clearly, the Spurs will feel a bit of fatigue in tonight’s game. The Spurs beat the Warriors last night in overtime, and subsequently jumped on a plane to Denver. In order to secure the win, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker played 42 and 43 minutes, respectively. The Nuggets last played on Friday, so they will be very well rested. Carmelo Anthony returned from injury in their last game to score 19 points in 30 minutes. The rust was evident in the 5 turnovers he committed, but he looked fresh and healthy.

The Nuggets are a team that does not match up well with the Spurs. Tim Duncan generally has his way with the Nuggets defenders. Nene is slow and undersized, while Chris “Birdman” Anderson needs to hit a weight room. In addition, they lack a defensive stopper to handle Manu Ginobili. JR Smith will come off the bench for Denver but see substantial minutes. While he is a very skilled offensive player, he lacks the passion for defense. Since both Ginobili and Smith will come off the bench, it is likely that they will guard one another. Ginobili should win this match up as he is skilled both offensively and defensively.

The advantage that the Nuggets have over the Spurs resides in their newly acquired point guard, Chancey Billups. Though Tony Parker has much improved his game when facing the bigger, stronger point guards of the league, they still pose problems. Also, surprisingly Tony shows fatigue in the tail end of back to backs, even though he is relatively young. I think this will be the critical match up of the game. If Tony can neutralize the Chancey affect, the Spurs should roll. But if Tony looks fatigued and is dominated, it could be a long night. Bottom line, Spurs by 8.

Bad Memories Super Bowl XLIII

After watching Arizona give away the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh, I could not help but feel for the five or six Cardinals fans out there. With 10 seconds left, Kurt Warner goes back to launch a Hail Marry, is hit, and loses the ball. The referees rule it a fumble and the Steelers immediately down the ball, game over. Was it a fumble? Was it an incomplete pass? Doesn’t matter, the “right” team won. How did the referees review every questionable play, and there were a lot of them, except the one that decided the game? Unfortunately, to beat the team that ‘should win,’ a smaller market team cannot leave anything to chance.

Game 5, Western Conference Finals, Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs, May 13, 2004
.4 seconds remaining, Tim Duncan just hit an unbelievable shot with lots of contact but no call to put the Spurs up 73-72. The Lakers call a timeout to advance the ball. Gary Payton is throwing the ball in. The Spurs do a good job of covering Shaq and Kobe, but Derek Fisher streaks free. Gary passes the ball, Derek catches it running away from the basket, turns his body towards the hoop, jumps backwards and sinks the shot. Clearly, there is no way he was able to catch, contort, jump, and shoot in .4 seconds. But the game clock did not start on time, it went in, and the “right” team won. I maintain that if a smaller market team wins by 5, it means that they were 10-15 points better that night. The refs will influence the game so that the bigger market team will gain 5-10 points through missed calls and bad calls. As a Spurs fan, I’ve witnessed it over and over again. I have come to accept it. If you are going after the champ, you better knock him out, because if you don’t the score cards are not going to be in your favor. So, to the five or six Cardinal fans out there, this Spurs fan feels your pain.

Spurs, Suns Preview: Flip a Coin

Games against the Suns always make me nervous. Dating back to the ‘06/’07 season, the Spurs have played the Suns 20 times, including the two times they met in the playoffs. The Spurs have won 12 of these contests and lost 8. In victories, the Spurs won by an average of 5.6 points. In defeats, the Spurs have lost by an average of 11.9 points. So basically, it’s either a nail biter or the Spurs lose. Of the past 20 meetings, 14 have been decided by 7 points or less.

This year, the Suns match up well with the Spurs. In the past, under the D’Antoni 7 seconds or less system, the Suns simply would try to outscore the Spurs and did not worry about defense. After consistently losing to the Spurs in the playoffs, the Suns made a change. They hired Steve Kerr as their General Manager and lost coach D’Antoni to the Knicks’ wallet. Kerr hired the defensive oriented Terry Porter to coach his club and then made a trade in which he acquired Shaquile O’Neal. This move was made specifically with the Spurs in mind. They hoped that Shaq would give them a competent defender to throw at Tim Duncan, and also give the Suns more options in the playoffs when the game slowed down.

Through the magic of the Suns’ outstanding medical staff, Shaq is playing as he did in the ‘05/’06 season when he helped the Miami Heat win a championship. Shaq is a scary defender for Tim Duncan. Although Tim is much quicker than Shaq, Shaq gets the All Star treatment from the refs and is able to use his body and arms to not let Tim by, which is a foul if it’s anyone else doing the pushing. Because of this, Tim needs his outside shot to drop in order to have a good game against Shaq.

Honestly, I feel this game is a coin flip. I think it will be decided in the final minute of the game, and given the stars that the Suns have and that the game is in Phoenix, I think they are going to get the critical calls. At the same time, the Spurs have been extremely clutch this season, so they have an edge there. Also, the Suns do not have anyone to guard Manu. In the past, Raja Bell would get that assignment, but they recently traded him. Look for Manu to have a big night. Bottom line, Spurs by 5.