We’re deep into the doldrums of the NBA off season with over a month to go till coaching camp. To fill within the hole, we’ve got loved doing bracket-style tournaments over time, and this yr, we might be figuring out who the most important Spurs villain of all time is. With the assistance of you and our employees, we’ve got created 4 classes of eight for a complete of 32 contributors. Readers will vote for the most important villain in a ballot, and the winner of every match-up will advance to the following spherical, with the eventual winner topped because the Largest Spurs Villain of all time. Listed below are the 4 classes:
At the moment, we’re beginning with Spherical 1 of Spurs Killers. With out additional ado, let’s get voting!
1. Derek Fisher vs. 8. Chris Paul
These two want no introduction. First we’ve got Derek Fisher, who throughout a number of groups and playoff sequence gave the Spurs loads of hassle. Most infamously was the still-controversial 0.4 shot in ‘04, which got here proper after an enormous shot by Tim Duncan to take the lead with 0.4 second left, and gained the essential Sport 5 of the Western Convention Semi-finals for the Lakers and finally the sequence, ending the Spurs’ likelihood of a repeat and giving them a sequence loss to the Lakers in three out of the final 4 years. To today, questions linger if the clock began on time, and there was even a 0.4 rule created that said it’s bodily inconceivable to get a leap shot off in lower than 0.4 sec, and something much less means a participant can solely tip the ball.
However that isn’t all Fisher has carried out. There was additionally the Spurs’ 2008 loss to the Lakers within the Convention Finals, which once more ended their likelihood on the elusive repeat. An enormous argument might be made that he fouled Brent Barry on the game-winning try of Sport 4, which despatched the sequence again to LA with the Spurs down 3-1. And naturally, he was a pest of their 2012 Convention Finals loss to the Thunder, though the most important pest of that sequence can be on this checklist.
Then there’s Chris Paul, who was at all times a thorn within the Spurs’ aspect and continuously battled with Tony Parker for the title of prime PG within the West, if not the league. His decrease seed is aided by the truth that the Spurs often nonetheless had his quantity (regardless of a grueling seven-game sequence victory over the Hornets in 2008) and being a Spur himself only a season in the past, however he nonetheless had his second in Sport 7 of the primary spherical of 2015, hitting a prayer over Duncan to win the sequence and once more spoil the Spurs’ likelihood at a repeat. (I see a theme creating right here…)
4. Serge Ibaka vs. 5. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby
These two may most likely be seeded both approach, however that’s what voting is for. (Personally, I’m nonetheless a bit extra bothered by 2012 than 2026; maybe it’s a case of “working out of time” vs. “we’re simply getting began”.) Within the fourth seed, we’ve got the aforementioned Spurs killer of 2012. That they had been on a historic 20-game profitable streak, together with the final 10 video games of the common season and first 10 of the playoffs earlier than hitting a brick wall towards the Thunder in Sport 3 of the Western Convention Finals.
An enormous a part of that was the play of prime Serge Ibaka, whose athleticism proved to be their kryptonite. (The Thunder even selected him over James Harden in free company after this sequence, in case anybody forgot.) The Spurs simply couldn’t do something proper the remainder of the sequence, flaming out in spectacular vogue. They might later run into the identical Thunder workforce within the 2014 WCF and face the same situation of going 2-2 within the first 4 video games. This time they pulled it out in Video games 5 and 6, however Ibaka missed the primary two video games and was then restricted by a calf pressure.
As for the fifth seed, I struggled whether or not to go along with one participant or the 2026 Knicks usually (they had been only a dangerous matchup), but it surely was these two specifically who sank the Spurs (past their very own errors). Brunson didn’t have an incredible taking pictures sequence general however at all times got here up clutch of their fourth-quarter comebacks, and Anunoby handed the Spurs the devastating blow in Sport 4 by tipping in Brunson’s missed three simply earlier than the buzzer, capping off a 33-point evening and handing the Spurs the most important blown lead in Finals historical past of 29 factors.
2. Ray Allen vs. 7. Dirk Nowitzki
Once more, no introduction wanted. “The Shot” by Ray Allen in Sport 6 of the 2013 Finals stays one of the vital iconic performs in Finals historical past and the one which haunts my thoughts essentially the most. The Spurs had that championship all however clinched, Warmth followers had been leaving the sector, and employees was establishing for the trophy ceremony earlier than a few Spurs blunders (gamers and training) mixed with this devastating shot off an offensive rebound despatched the sport to extra time and the Spurs too shocked to recuperate. Not less than it led to The Redemption of 2014.
As for Nowitzki, he wasn’t a Spurs killer on a regular basis since they’d Tim Duncan to counter him, however there actually had been some epic playoff match-ups between the rival Spurs and Mavs. 2003 may have gone in a different way if Dirk was wholesome, and each groups traded blows in 2009 and 2010, with the decrease seed upsetting the higher in every case. The Mavs additionally gave the Spurs an excellent wakeup name in 2014, however his actual killer second got here in 2006. Possibly it was extra the Spurs’ fault (therefore the decrease seed), however in Sport 7 of the second spherical, with the Spurs up by three late, Manu Ginobili made the error of fouling Nowitzki on a two-point try. He transformed the three-point play, and the Mavs went on to win the sequence in extra time, AGAIN costing the Spurs an opportunity to repeat.
3. Hakeem Olajuwon vs. 6. Zach Randolph
We’re trying again a little bit additional to 1995 for the primary one, when the Sixth-seeded (however defending champion) Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, spoiled the Spurs’ solely actual shot at a title pre-Tim Duncan. Feeling snubbed by David Robinson profitable MVP, The Dream dominated and out-performed The Admiral in a WCF upset, averaging 35.3 factors, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per recreation in comparison with Robinson’s 23.8 factors and 11.3 rebounds. Though he gained two championships with Duncan just a few years later, it stays a stain on David’s legacy that he by no means gained one on his personal.
Lastly, we’ve got the Spurs’ largest playoff upset of all time, once they misplaced as the highest seed to the Eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in Spherical 1 in 2011. It’s one other case of we may simply say “2011 Grizzlies”, however Randolph was the actual killer, along with his bodily play within the low put up exposing a measurement mismatch that the already-injured Spurs struggled to include. (Reminder: Manu was their finest participant that yr however was enjoying by means of a damaged elbow.) On the upside, it pressured just a few modifications: Duncan realized he wanted to rework his physique to maintain up, and the Spurs realized they wanted extra measurement and protection, main Gregg Popovich to maneuver away from DeJuan Blair to Tiago Splitter (albeit too late for this sequence) and the draft-night commerce for Kawhi Leonard.
