May 8, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (4) takes a shot over Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the AT

Never forget where you came from.

Everyone’s heard it a time or two in their life. It’s part of staying a humble individual.

Another personal favorite life motto is Denny Green’s, “They are who we thought they were!” And sometimes you have to go back in history and remind yourself that these guys really are who we thought they were.

As Spurs fans, we’re so accustomed to Pop and R.C. Buford bringing in obscure players and turning them into solid rotation pieces to maximize their value. When the team functions as one cohesive unit, they’re practically unstoppable. It’s who they are and that’s no secret. But when they play as selfish individuals, weaknesses show.

And that was the case Wednesday night.

Danny Green is currently the starting shooting guard on a championship caliber team, and is also the only player in Atlantic Coast Conference history with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 three-pointers, 150 blocks and 150 steals in his career. But with all that, Green was still the 46th selection in the 2009 NBA Draft and was waived by the Cavaliers and Spurs both in 2010, until the Spurs resigned him, and you know the rest.

Draft Express had Green pegged as a best case scenario – Francisco Garcia – who has been at the end of Houston’s bench since the trade deadline. And if you compare their career numbers, the comparison is pretty spot on. Would you trust Francisco Garcia to defend Klay Thompson? The former 11th overall pick in 2011 and Washington State University’s 3rd all-time leading scorer? Not without some help.

Gary Neal was an undrafted free agent out of Towson University. After three seasons of playing basketball overseas, he caught his big break in Spurs Summer League, earning himself a 3-year guaranteed contract, after shooting 50% from beyond the arch. Draft Express said Gary Neal’s best case scenario was Joe Forte.

Forte went 21st overall in 2001 to the Celtics (after they decided to pick him over some guy named Tony Parker), and played two years in the NBA. Forte is now playing in the Iranian Super Basketball League. This is the man Gary Neal was compared to, and the man the Spurs are hoping can slow down Stephen Curry at certain points in the game. And you already know Curry’s family history and what he did at Davidson. Neal cannot defend Curry all by himself.

This isn’t about how Neal and Green have completely outperformed their expectations since they’ve been in the NBA, and this isn’t a slight to them in the least. It’s just reality. In a game of one-on-one, Neal would struggle to beat Curry and so would Green in beating Thompson.

And that’s the way the Spurs played last night. While the Warriors played as one unit, San Antonio tried to match the superstar performances of Golden State’s backcourt, when they really don’t have that type of ability. This excludes Parker and Ginobili as their struggles are more of the, “Just let me get some shots to fall” variety. The Spurs need to play as a unit on both sides of the ball if they want to beat the Golden State Warriors three more times to win this series.

They showed signs of being that team in the second half.

Don’t let the media fool you. There’s been plenty of talk that the Warriors have looked like the better team for 90% of this series. Or that the Spurs should be happy they’re not down 0-2 after Golden State’s Game 1 debacle. I don’t see it that way.

Sure the Spurs fourth quarter in Game 1 involved some luck. But once regulation ends, it’s just another ball game. For 12 minutes in the fourth quarter and 5 minutes in each overtime, San Antonio was a slightly better team. That’s why they won. And in last night’s second half the Spurs were again the better team. The final score may not show it, but the statistics are there.

So far in the postseason, San Antonio averages 24 assists a game. The Spurs first half yielded 4 assists. FOUR. In the second half: 10 assists. Granted there would’ve been many more if the Spurs didn’t shoot an uncharacteristic 41%, but nights like that happen. Defensively, the Spurs held Golden State to 37% shooting and had a +10 rebounding advantage in the second half. And the only adjustment Popovich made was challenging his team to pick up the intensity.

With the series tied 1-1, going into Oracle Arena looks like a trap. But if anyone can steal a game in that arena it’s the Spurs. Hell, they’ve technically already stolen one game this series. So why can’t they do it again?

The San Antonio Spurs just have to remember who they are and where they came from, because it’s how they got here.

Jan 9, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) leaves the court after the Lakers 108-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

Who else loves seeing the look that Kobe is portraying in the photo above?  When the outcome does not go his way that is the look of one pissed off man.  Pissed off at himself?  Of course not, he is Kobe Bryant, it is never his fault that the Lakers suffer defeat.

You should all know that by now.

Well, Sunday night the Lakers are going to have to do it without their leader. What he initially feared – that he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in Friday’s 118-116 home win over Golden State – was confirmed after the game, and he underwent season-ending surgery Saturday.

The 34-year-old superstar is in for an arduous rehab process, but said he is aiming to be ready for the start of next season even though recovery time is expected to be six to nine months. That still leaves the Lakers (43-37) without one of the game’s best players for the final two games of their schedule, which concludes at home against Houston on Wednesday.

They own a one-game advantage over Utah for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot but lost that head-to-head tiebreaker, so the Lakers must finish at least a game better than the Jazz to make the playoffs for an eighth straight year. Wins in each of their final two games would secure a postseason berth, while a loss in either would see them anxiously awaiting how the Jazz finish with games at Minnesota on Monday and Memphis on Wednesday.

Bryant’s injury is the latest and most devastating in a dysfunctional Lakers season that has also seen prolonged absences by Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, who has missed six in a row with a hamstring injury and is listed as doubtful for Sunday.

Jan 9, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (15) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at the AT

In my eyes, without Kobe Bryant, this team has no chance.  Bryant had season averages of 27.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds.  Who will take his spot? Know one can take his spot, but Jodie Meeks will assume the starting shooting guard role. Meeks has averaged 7.5 points and shot 33.3 percent in eight starts.

The Spurs (58-21) guaranteed they would finish no lower than the second seed with Friday’s 108-101 win over the Kings coupled with Denver’s loss to Dallas.

But San Antonio’s frontcourt will also be slightly short-handed moving forward as the club decided to waive Stephen Jackson on Friday, and Boris Diaw is expected to miss three to four weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his lumbar spine. Manu Ginobili (strained hamstring) has sat out the last seven games and will miss the final three of the regular season.

Tony Parker returned to the lineup on Friday against the Kings.  In his return he had 22 points and 10 assists – this marked his 17th double-double of the season.  On the season, Parker is averaging 23.0 all the way of shooting 58% in the last four meetings against the Laker – all San Antonio wins this season.

Heading into Los Angeles Sunday night, where the Spurs picked up one win this year, there are still some areas San Antonio needs to concentrate on if they want to walk out with a win.

• Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.  The Spurs have seen them just one time this season (November 13, 2012).  They were both out the second meeting in January with injuries.  In that first meeting, the Spurs did a remarkable job on Gasol and Howard.  They combined to score just 23 points, 8-of-19 from the floor.  Spurs have to come in with the same mind frame of keeping both of them off of the blocks and the boards.  They are great rebounders.  Make them earn their points.  It is no surprise to know that Howard is not a great free throw shooter.
• Limit Turnovers.  Tony Parker is back.  That should be a good thing right?  Well San Antonio seems to get out of control a little and tries to force passes where they can’t get through.  This past Friday against the Kings, 16. The last meeting with the Lakers back in January, 18 turnovers.
• Bench Play.  The bench played farely well against the Kings as they scored 29 points.  It was good to see Matt Bonner get out of his shooting slump dropping 11.  Gary Neal will hoist up shots from anywhere on the floor.  He needs to keep in mind, move the ball, move the ball, and do it some more, it will come back to him.
• Tony Parker Is Key.  Only having one game under his belt from his ankle/sore neck injury, it is important for San Antonio to let Parker get into a rhythm with the starters again with the playoffs right around the corner.  I look for Parker to come out like gang busters…..wait!!! What?  You read it.  Parker will come out and produce early and often.  He will attack the rim to get himself into the form that we all like to see.  The Lakers are not a great pick-and-roll team, they have shown this all season long.  I see a little Parker and Duncan, Parker and Splitter, Parker and Blair combinations on the floor to try and exploit their lack of defense on the pick and rolls.