Hope Is Not Lost!!! Why Spurs Fans Should Not Give Up On Their Team

I’m not quite getting how Spurs fans can say their opportunity for a championship is over. Yes, Duncan and Ginobili are getting older, but they can still contribute. There’s no doubt about it.

Parker should have a banner year this year. With Duncan and Ginobili playing conservative minutes and Parker in a contract year, it’s his time to shine. I think he can outplay his best year of two years ago.

Let’s not forget how this team has defied the odds these last couple of years. Everyone keeps expecting the Spurs to die out and not become relevant, but they keep showing up.

Not only have they overachieved in the past couple of years (like last season in the playoffs), but how about their championship seasons? I was absolutely blindsided when they won in 2007. It was almost surreal. At no point did I think they were out of the discussion, but I definitely didn’t think they were the frontrunners. After all, this was the first year where all of the critics were saying Timmy and Manu are starting to slow down. In the end they swept the Cavaliers. Things went their way with the Mavs losing in the first round and Steve Nash flopping his way to the ground in the second round matchup (you know what REALLY happened Suns fans).

A championship team always has an element of luck. You can have all the skill and talent in the world, but sometimes you need a lucky bounce (take the Lakers for instance last year with three buzzer beaters, most notably Game 5 vs. the Thunder).

The Spurs still have a shot, albeit a long one. As a devout fan, you just can’t rule out their chances. There’s always a chance!

By the way, I love the comparison to the Celtics of last year. There are definitely similarities. Three (or two) old “fading” stars, a solid bench, now they just need that proven three-point shooter and an improved defense. It’s not so far-fetched to think those two things can happen with James Anderson and Tiago Splitter respectively.

So here’s to hope. Here’s to the prospect of raising the 5th banner. I’ll take it one step further: here’s to anticipating a Western Conference Finals match-up with the Los Angeles Lakers. I want it to happen. I hope it happens. And when it does, I hope they tear ‘em a new one.

Here’s to a renewed HOPE in our Spurs (today’s word of the day is hope, by the way). GO SPURS GO!!!

P.S. Open letter to Richard Jefferson: Please earn your worth this season. I know what you can be, now just fulfill your basketball destiny already!