Spur's are Tanking!!

[JASPINDLER@aol.com]

On March 4th,  FrannieG@msn.com inquired about the return of David Robinson
to the Spur's
active roster.  Check out the following story!!! If there is any verifiable
truth to this, then David
Stern should immediateley disqualify the Spurs from getting the #1 pick in
the 1997 Draft.

CELTICS - Chicago Tribune (TRIB)                          STORY 3

SPORTS
 PRO BASKETBALL REPORT.
 SPURS COULD BE RIDING HIGH IN '98  IF DUNCAN JOINS A HEALTHY
ROBINSON, SAN ANTONIO WILL RISE
 Sam Smith.  Sam Smith covers pro basketball for the

Tribune.
 9963 Characters
03/04/97
 (Copyright 1997)
   The Bulls get a chance Wednesday night at the team that may
be their biggest threat to an NBA title--next season.
   The San Antonio Spurs.
   The current Spurs are mostly a hopeless collection of backups
trying to finish the season without any more injuries.
   "I don't watch the standings anymore," Avery Johnson said.
"No reason to. We're not in the race."
   They're playing without David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Charles
Smith, Chuck Person and lately Dominique Wilkins, who's out with a
hamstring injury.
   "If it weren't for bad luck," Wilkins said, "we wouldn't have
any at all."
   Vinny Del Negro and Will Perdue, although back, have missed
large portions of the season with injuries.
   The Spurs have been one of the winningest teams of the 1990s.
   "People don't realize what small things all this hangs on,"
says Spurs coach and General Manager Gregg Popovich. "I can't tell
you how often I think back to that (1995) conference final series
against the Rockets. If Sean Elliott doesn't miss those two free
throws at the end of Game 1, it might be a totally different
series. It's scary that those things can change everything. It can
turn a whole franchise around."
   The Spurs lost the first two games at home and then won both
in Houston before losing in six games to the Rockets, who then
swept the Orlando Magic in the Finals.
   But there's a huge "if" for the Spurs. They have the league's
third-worst record and because Vancouver can't get the first pick
in the NBA draft, it's pretty much between the Spurs and Boston
Celtics. If San Antonio were to get that top pick it could draft
Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, regarded as the best big man to come out
of college this decade other than Shaquille O'Neal. The Spurs would
team him with Robinson and Elliott next season to become the
favorite in the West.
   That's why Robinson, who might be able to return from a
broken foot by the end of March, may be held out the rest of the
season.
   "Do we bring him back or not?" Popovich wondered. "It's not
always two plus two equals four."
   Robinson has been saying he wants to return this season, but
may not if all his presence can do is lessen the Spurs' chances at
the No. 1 pick by winning more games.
   "Our effort has been great," Robinson said. "But losing day
in and day out wears on you. I think our guys can hold our heads
up."
   Especially if they're looking at Robinson and Duncan next
season.
   PHOTO;
Caption: PHOTO: Spurs All-Star center David Robinson is
unlikely to return this season, especially if it would hurt San
Antonio's draft position. AP photo.