Tag: Kurt Rambis

Spurs set NBA Finals Records after dismantling the Heat

San Antonio outscores Miami by 70 in the Finals

The San Antonio Spurs Dynasty is a fact of life in the NBA and the rest of the league may as well get used to it.  Not only did the Spurs disassemble the Heat in five games, they set a number of NBA records in doing it.

  • 70 points – Biggest point differential in NBA Finals History
  • Tim Duncan’s 158 Playoff Double doubles the best in NBA Playoff History
  • Duncan, Parker, Ginobili – The most successful trio in NBA history
  • 4 championship titles by Duncan, Parker, Ginobili matches Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper and Kurt Rambis’ four in the 1980s
  • At age 22, Kwahi Leonard is the youngest Finals MVP since Tim Duncan (who was also 22) won his in 1999

There are still other records to list but one thing that cannot be shown in the record books was the sense of team on this squad.  They played as one unit and avenged their game seven loss in the 2013 NBA Finals to this same Heat team.

Be prepared for next season and get your 2014-15 Tickets now!

 

 

Spurs Way apparently rubbed off on Tolliver

Anthony Tolliver’s career with the Spurs lasted 19 games at the start of the 2008-09 season. Since then, he’s logged 111 games with three other teams, the most recent 65 of them coming with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Reading between the lines on this story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, however, it seems apparent Tolliver learned something during his short stint in silver and black.

“Sometimes it’s good to have a coach (who) likes to be a jerk,” Tolliver said.

Speaking to the newspaper in the wake of Kurt Rambis’ firing earlier this week, Tolliver describes the characteristics he thinks would be ideal in a new coach in the Great White North. Though Tolliver explicitly cites Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau as a model, it’s not hard to listen to his comments and think Gregg Popovich.

Again from the Star-Tribune piece:

Asked what kind of coach the team needs to hire next, Tolliver said, “Someone who’s going to be a disciplinarian. Kurt’s a really nice guy. Sometimes that got in the way. I’m not saying he’s too nice, but sometimes it’s good to have a coach no likes to be a jerk.

“I know several players on the Bulls and nobody really liked Tom Thibodeau, but that’s O.K. You don’t have to like the coach. You just have to be able to play for him.”

Sound familiar?

Speaking more specifically about the Xs and Os of the Timberwolves’ yet-to-be-tabbed new coach, Tolliver says the new guy should be more focused on defense. Or, though Tolliver didn’t phrase it this way, more like Popovich.

“I never really thought the offense was a problem, the defensive side was,” Tolliver said. “We scored enough points to win games. We struggled with the ability to get easy buckets in crunch time, but our main problem was the defensive end. Whoever they bring in next, it’s really important that they be a defensive coach.”

Who that guy is remains to be seen. Although, if Minnesota really wants a defensive-minded coach, it probably won’t be Don Nelson.