Is it time to end the love affair with Spurs' coaching and face reality?

By Gregory Moore

The San Antonio Spurs have four games left in the regular season and last night the team gave a dismal performance in the second half to lose 95-83 to the Portland Trailblazers.

The Spurs are now sitting at 50-28 and I have them projected at finishing the season with a 53-29 record.

Four games.

3-1 to finish out the year.

For many diehard faithful they think I'm crazy for uttering the following statement but why would it be so preposterous considering what is going on. If the team goes 53-29 this season it will be the first time since 1999-2000. Does everyone remember what happened that year? The Spurs were second in the Midwest division. Tim Duncan had a leg injury that sidelined him at the end of the season and he was through for the rest of the year. The Spurs went on to lose to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

Okay now let's fast forward to this year and present time. Manu Ginobili is out for the rest of the year and playoffs. There is a distinct possibility that the Spurs will finish with the same 53-29 record and there is a chance that this team could be facing the New Orleans Hornets in the first round.

Seriously do you have confidence in beating a Hornets team that as of this moment of this writing has defeated this team 2-1 in the series and that included a win against them with Manu in the line up?

And so the question needs to be asked with all sincerity and realism; is it time for this city to quit falling in love with the folklore of the past and the 'coaching brilliance' of past campaigns and come to grips that maybe Gregg Popovich's rain as the Spur King is coming to an end?

THE TRUTH HURTS BECAUSE IT IS WHAT IT IS

This may not be a popular stance but then again since when has the truth ever been popular these days.

Sports fans rarely want to hear the truth because it tarnishes the fairytale that they have spun into their own little reality.

I don't believe in fairytales and luck is something that you make from your own choices.

With that said, how can my arguments of Pop possibly looking to ride off into the sunset either this year or next not be realistic. If I am looking at the body of work for this season, tell me why I can't make that argument.

Even with as many games as I have missed this season due to personal improvement, that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping track of what the hell is going on with this team. I've never claimed to be a homer on the take nor will I even shy away from not expressing some bits of reality about the situation. This current Spurs team sucks eggs and you cannot make an excuses for their poor play; especially this late in the season. Yet fans say I'm crazy.

Here is the truth of the matter.

As great of a coach as Gregg Popovich has been over the years, you cannot say that he has done a great job of winning this year.

Even last year, when the 2007-08 roster came up empty against the Lakers, he didn't do a stellar job that put this team into a winning position this year.

Sure the excuse of "Well they had a tough series against the Hornets and then they had to turn around and play the Lakers after sitting on the tarmac wore them out" may be plausible but it is still an excuse. Professional players get paid big time money to be uncomfortable.

But this season is totally different. This season nobody on that roster gave a poop about the playoff picture when it counted.

When did it count?

When they were playing teams with winning percentages.

Ask yourself this question: How good are the San Antonio Spurs this season?

Be honest with your assessment.

Can they beat New Orleans in a seven games series right after playing them on April 15th?

Do you think they can get past their second round opponent who would be the Los Angeles Lakers?

And what of the Western Conference Finals opponent? Could they win that series?

And if they were able to overcome all of these obstacles mentioned, could this current coaching staff and roster be able to defeat a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had just beat their pants with a 20 point win in the NBA Finals? Or Boston? Or Orlando?

Are you trying to tell me that the San Antonio Spurs are better than at least six other teams in this league right now? With Ginobili out for the year?

I didn't think so.

But yet many would say that you don't get rid of Pop because he is a hall of fame coach.

Really? Then what is Larry Brown? Phil Jackson? Rick Carlisle?

Those three coaches were shown the door when their windows of opportunity closed on them.

What would be the difference here?

I say it is time to stop looking at this team and this coaching staff as if they can do no wrong. Maybe that's the problem. Everybody is so afraid to speak the obvious in this town.

But the facts are the facts people and if you are true to your team, you want the truth to be said about how they play and whether the head coach is worthy of his job.

Let's be real about what is going on here.

The Spurs have had a good run and there is no shame there.

But if you are going to start talk about bringing in newer, younger players as the older ones get worn down, shouldn't you be talking about a change in philosophy too?

After all if you don't change how things are done, how can you expect a different outcome?

You can't.