Spurs still a real threat to Lakers' crown
NOVEMBER 12, 2000

Fans' View

Today, sports fan Steve Schindler analyzes the up-and-down Spurs and explains why the Lakers should fear San Antonio.

On the David Letterman show, Laker center Shaquille O'Neal referenced the San Antonio Spurs as possibly being a WNBA team. Well, after their latest dismantling at the hands of those WNBA Spurs, the NCAA Lakers probably don't have much to say, do they?

A couple of nights ago in Phoenix, the WNBA Spurs made an appearance, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Those Spurs played ugly, lazy basketball and came away with a fitting prize, their first loss of this young season. Those Spurs play excellent Jeckyls to match the Lakers' Hydes.

With what should have been a long burning revenge in their hearts, the WNBA Jeckyl Spurs went out to Phoenix after three convincing wins and laid a 22-turnover, 38.5 percent-shooting egg against the Suns to lose for the first time this season. The Spurs never have started a season with a four-game winning streak. Better luck next year, guys!

It was exactly six months ago that the Suns booted these Spurs off of their NBA championship throne, dispatching them in four swift games and leaving them to ponder what might have been if Tim Duncan had only been. Well, this time Duncan was healed, and after three strong showings the Suns were surely going to see the real NBA Spurs in action. Not! Enter the Jeckyl Spurs.

Jeckyl Spur Jaren Jackson played 12 minutes and poured in two points. Danny Ferry played 14 minutes and had no stats whatsoever. The Spurs shot 1-for-8 as a team on 3-pointers, and the Admiral pulled down a lackluster three rebounds in 24 minutes. Diminutive Jason Kidd even slapped the ball from T-Dunk's raised hands on one play for an easy score. Jason Kidd? Jeckyl Duncan?

The smaller, quick-footed Suns always have given these Spurs fits, and this game was no different. These Spurs had so little fight in them that the more aggressive Suns kept the advantage the entire game and the Spurs never really had a chance. Surging Suns take Jeckyl Spurs 100-81. Who are these Jeckyls? Did a WNBA team trade them to San Antonio?

Well, there is nothing better for what ails a team of Jeckyls than to run them out against a bunch of Hydes. Los Angeles Hydes, that is. Laker Girl Hydes. Take five of these, Tim, and call me in the morning. Here's my bill. I take checks.

Somebody gave the Spurs a mystical tonic to shake those Jeckyl personas because the beasts that took the court against the Lakers in no way resembled those fumbling, bumbling Spurs that stepped off the plane in Phoenix. No longer playing that plodding defensive game of old, these new running Spurs are a sight to behold. With Robinson and Duncan shooting out of the blocks after each defensive rebound or opponent's basket and Derek Anderson and Sean Elliott flying down the wings, these younger Spurs are going to be a different species this season.

Duncan made a typical T-Dunk statement with his 17 rebounds, and Robinson added a demonstrative 16 points. Duncan led the Spurs with 22 points and all other Spurs, with the exception of Samaki Walker, contributed to the point totals as these new, improved Spurs put the Laker Hydes away 91-81. How do you like them asterisks, Phil Jackson?

The Spurs banged at Shaquille O'Neal with Duncan, Robinson and Malik Rose to hold him to 13 points and 17 rebounds. That was way down from his 28.8-ppg average this season and his 30.7 average last year. Shaq was just 3-for-10 from the foul line against the Spurs. He is shooting foul shots at a 41-percent clip so far this season. Here, Shaq, practice 10,000 of these and call me at the end of the season. Here's my bill.

As usual, Kobe Bryant got his with 32 points and eight assists, and Robert Horry plunked in four 3-point bombs for the Lakers. But big, athletic teams cause the Shaqster a lot of trouble, and the Spurs' triumvirate did its job in tying up O'Neal. "They fouled him every time he took a shot," said Phil Jackson. Last year's almost-MVP never seemed to put it together and the Los Angeles Hydes fell to the newly organized NBA Spurs for the fourth time in the last five tries. Better luck next time, Hydes.

As a matter of fact, these real Spurs have taken nine of the last 10 from the Lakers, including the last six at the Alamodome. The Lakers might wear the NBA crown, but they don't own these Spurs by any means. If these two get to the same juncture in this year's playoffs, the Lakers better hope it's those WNBA Jeckyls they face because the real Spurs still seem to be fully capable of whipping their Hydes.

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