Spurs that jingle
The San Antonio Spurs have won at least 50 games since 1999 andhave won at least 50 games in a season 15 times since 1976:
Year W L Pct.
2004-05 59 23 .720
2003-04 57 25 .695
2002-03 60 22 .732
2001-02 58 24 .707
2000-01 58 24 .707
1999-00 53 29 .646
1998-99 37 13 .740
1997-98 56 26 .683
1996-97 20 62 .244
1995-96 59 23 .720
1994-95 62 20 .756
1993-94 55 27 .671
1992-93 49 33 .598
1991-92 47 35 .573
1990-91 55 27 .671
1989-90 56 26 .683
1988-89 21 61 .256
1987-88 31 51 .378
1986-87 28 54 .341
1985-86 35 47 .427
1984-85 41 41 .500
1983-84 37 45 .451
1982-83 53 29 .646
1981-82 48 34 .585
1980-81 52 30 .634
1979-80 41 41 .500
1978-79 48 34 .585
1977-78 52 30 .634
1976-77 44 38 .537
Robert Horry knows something about what it takes to win an NBAchampionship. In his 13 years in the league, Horry has been part ofsix teams and three different franchises that have finished theseason popping champagne corks and, a few months later, putting onthe diamond-laden rings that go to the world champions. No currentNBA player has more championship bling than Big Shot Bob. Now in histhird year with the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs, Horry alsoknows whats coming next. The pressure of repeating that will followthe Spurs as it did when Horry played for the Los Angeles Lakers andHouston Rockets. The challenge from the leagues legitimate contendersto combat, and even mimic, the Spurs. You cant copy a style, Horrysaid before an exhibition game in Indianapolis last month. When Ifirst got traded to Phoenix (fom Houston before the 1996-97 season),we tried to copy the Bulls style. Every system is not good for everyteam. You have certain matchups that work with certain peoplesabilities. The style that worked for the Spurs last season might notbe as successful this season, which begins Tuesday night with a ringceremony and a game against the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs areconsidered nearly as big a favorite to repeat as the Lakers or Bullswere during their years of dominance. Like other recent championshipteams, including the 2002-03 Spurs, San Antonio didnt stand still,adding veteran free agents Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel to a teamthat revolves around the inside presence of All-NBA forward TimDuncan and the perimeter game of All-Star guard Manu Ginobili andpoint guard Tony Parker. Though the playing style of the Spursdiffers from that of the Lakers or Bulls, the blueprint is prettymuch the same. I think the model has been there for years. You haveyour main players, you have role players, you have role playersaccept their roles and your star players play the right way and yougo from there, said Duncan. I think you can find that in every teamthats won it, from the Lakers when they were winning it, to the oldLakers when they were winning it, to the Celtics when they werewinning. Its all the same. What has changed the landscape is the NBAsalary cap, trying to figure out a way to compensate a teams starswithout compromising its chances to win. That doesnt differ whetheryoure being chased or doing the chasing. I think whatever positionyoure in, the goal is the same for everybody; everybody wants to winan NBA championship, said Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, who has wonthree. The most important thing is that whatever a team does thesedays has to be done in relation to the cap and to the salaryrestrictions, because if a mistake is made in that area, it can bethree to six years before a team recovers from it. Whatever getsdone, if a mistake is made, like overpaying someone whos not really afranchise player and youre stuck with that guy for X number of years,then youre not going anywhere, because you dont have the money to addthe pieces. Having said that, one can only fit the pieces togetheraround who the stars are as wisely as possible, knowing full wellthat good fortune has something to do with it. Sometimes, bad luckcan turn into dumb luck, as happened when David Robinson was injuredback during the 1996-97 season and the Spurs fell into the lottery,then won the lottery and drafted Duncan with the top pick. But afterwinning titles in 1998-99 and 2002-03, the Spurs were forced to redomuch of their roster when veteran reserves Steve Kerr and Danny Ferryretired and Stephen Jackson signed with the Atlantia Hawks. The nextseason, the Spurs started giving a more prominent role to a second-year player named Ginobili. With us, when we drafted Manu (in thesecond round in 1999), we didnt know he was going to be the Manu thatyou see today, said Popovich. The pieces have to fit around thestars. Thats what other teams are trying to do this year in order tosupplant the Spurs: The Miami Heat, which came within a game ofreaching the NBA Finals last season, overhauled its roster moreradically than any other team in the league. Miami brought inveterans Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, James Posey and Jason Williamsthrough trades and free agency with hopes that they will play as wellas the supporting cast did with Shaquille ONeal and Dwyane Wade lastseason. The Phoenix Suns, who lost to the Spurs in the WesternConference finals after having the best regular-season record in theleague, traded Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson, deepened its frontcourt with Kurt Thomas, Brian Grant and James Jones and will now playwithout All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire for the first four monthsafter knee surgery. The Indiana Pacers, who made the playoffs despitea tumultuous season that included Ron Artests suspension for 73 gamesafter the infamous brawl in Detroit and injuries to other keyplayers, including Jermaine ONeal, added European star SarunasJasikevicius in hopes of the former Maryland guard becoming theirGinobili. The Detroit Pistons, who lost to the Spurs in the NBAFinals, saw their top eight players return, but watched as Hall ofFame coach Larry Brown left for the New York Knicks over the summer.His successor, Flip Saunders, will have a much more balanced te
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