Why Doesn't Anyone Like The Spurs

The first two games of the NBA finals this year have terribly low, and a number of different things have caused this:
1. Lack of a marquee match up
2. The Soprano's finale
3. It's not the Lakers or Knicks or celtics
4. It's the NBA

Probably the biggest reason is #1. No one views this series as much of a challenge, but unlike the Jordan Bulls, or Kobe/Shaq Lakers, no one really seems to care to watch San Antonio dismantle another team. Why do people hate watching the Spurs so much? Is it because their star player would rather sink a bank shot and whine to the ref than dunk and pose in front of the camera. Maybe because no one on their team causes any off court controversy, unless you count Bruce Bowen pretty much angering anyone that he's ever guarded. Everyone in the NBA highly respects the Spurs, their organization, their top players and of course their coach. Again, we should like them, they play like every college and high school coaches dream:
1. Contest every shot
2. Rotate on defense
3. Run plays on offense and pass the ball
4. Win on the road
5. Listen to their coach
6. Accepted reduced roles in order to win
7. Difficult to rattle



I could go on and on here. Needless to say they are a solid fundamentally sound team and it starts with Duncan. That is exactly why no one cares about them. In the modern NBA it's more about how hard did you dunk the ball or what you say after each shot. It's about single superstars that are hyped up, but rarely carry their team (Lebron of course seemed to come close to this...). When a team plays well and wins as a team and doesn't really do anything that can make a Sportscenter highlight no one really cares anymore. The only people who get excited talking about the Spurs are either in San Antonio or have at some point actually played serious organized basketball and know how impressive they really are. Jeff Van Gundy actually looks awake and not depressed when he talks about their "sets" and the way they fight for every rebound.

Maybe Commish Stern can somehow fix it so that the Spurs get a marketable superstar. If this team had any of the single name players that the average fan sees everywhere image how great the ratings would be since the Spurs are deep in the playoffs every year. McGrady, Iverson, Carmelo, Kobe, Garnett, Wade, Lebron, Dirk, Nash, Carter the list goes on. Think the spurs wouldn't suddenly become a cool team if they got Gilbert Arenas to play the 2 with Parker? While I'm sure they would be thrilled to get someone who yells Hibachi and thinks the entire world should know about his greatness, they probably wouldn't make it past the first round of the playoffs.



And then, maybe someone would notice the Spurs, just simply cause they are not the Spurs anymore but just another slightly above average team.