Fred's Top 10 Midseason Adjustments
by Fred Silva on Jan 21, 2010 1:19 PM CST
in Analysis
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PrintI'm frustrated. I feel like Lamar Odom must have when he realized that he married the ugly one. We simply cannot beat good teams. You can see the Spurs' potential because they play 5 minutes of flawless basketball each game. But inevitably, they follow the run with suckitude and it's nearly unwatchable. The worst part is you can see it coming a mile away and there is nothing you can do but absorb the stomach punch. After the jump, my Top 10 Midseason Adjustments.
In no particular order,
1.) Start George Hill
Tim, Manu, and Hill are the only Spurs that I feel we can rely on consistently. He is really stepping up this season and improves our starting five. With Hill on the floor, Tony can hide on the defensive end and conserve his energy. Hill also adds another ball handler and has been hitting the corner three. Plus, more experience can only improve his abilities.
2.) Sit Tony Parker
Tony is playing hurt. It's very evident on both ends of the floor. He needs to rest so his foot can heal. We need a healthy Tony Parker in order to make a run in the playoffs. Plus, it's not like the Spurs are on a roll or anything. Sitting Tony would increase Hill's minutes which would also benefit the Spurs come playoff time. I would use Manu as the backup PG, by the way. Remember, the Roger Mason backup PG experiment failed miserably last season.
3.) Yell at RJ
I have come to the conclusion that RJ is incompetent. He's really just not that smart. His mind is always a step behind his abilities. I have not seen Pop yell at RJ yet. He seems to be treating him in the most gentle way possible. Well, we are midway through the season and he still sucks. I think it's time to try something new. Incompetent people respond to a good lecture. So lecture him, Pop, in the most passive aggressive way possible.
4.) More Blair, Less Bonner
My hate for Bonner has been well documented. But from a completely unbiased point of view, we know what Bonner brings to the table. He is a mediocre rebounder, below average defender, horrible off the dribble, a detriment on the break, and shoots three pointers well. Now, what can Blair do for you? I do not know. I really don't. We have seen flashes of greatness from this rookie. Right now, he is a high energy, high impact guy. But is that all he can be? Is that really his ceiling? We will not know unless Pop force feeds him minutes. From what I have seen, Blair could be a great player. Why not give this rookie minutes now so he has a chance to develop into a player that we can utilize in the playoffs. Right now, I could see this going either way. He may develop into a role player, or Pop might Hill him his rookie season and throw him under the bench.
5.) Run! Run! RUN!!!
We have two extremely quick PGs in Parker and Hill, we have one of the most creative players in Manu, we have a great finisher in RJ, and we have great cleanup guys in Tim and Blair. Why are we slowing the game down? The Spurs should take a page from the 7 Seconds or Less strategy. The Spurs should be taking the ball out of the net and pushing it up the court looking for mismatches. All of our players are offensive minded. Let's start putting pressure on the defense. Allowing our opposition to set up their half court defense gives them an advantage that we should not grant.
6.) The McDyess Rule
Half the time McDyess is on the court I do not even notice. He is the anti-Blair. He seems to be sleep walking. I would like to create a rule that requires McDyess to chug a Red Bull before he is allowed to enter the game. There should be a case of it on the scorer's table waiting for him. When he gets up to check in, the crowd should chant, "RED BULL, RED BULL, RED BULL!" McDyess enters the game amped up by the crowd and the Red Bull and proceeds to go Blair on the opposition. Tell me this isn't a great idea.
7.) No More Small Ball
It doesn't freaking work, Pop. This is exactly what got Avery fired, among other things, (like Dirk's lack of heart.) Unless the other team matches your small ball lineup, our already short team will get dominated on the boards. Last night, Pop went to the small ball lineup against the Jazz. Guess what Sloan did? He played Okur, Boozer, and the alien known as Kirilenko. They killed us on the boards and the best we could do was trade baskets the entire quarter. Trading baskets doesn't work when you're down by 10 points. You're killing me, Pop.
8.) Old School
Our intro music/show suck. Now, you may be of the opinion that this has no effect on the game. But I would argue that it decreases our home court advantage by killing the crowd. I want some, Y'ALL READY FOR THIS?!?! I want a better video on the jumbotron. Show Spurs of the past like David, Gervin, Malik, Avery and Sean to get the crowd riled up. Show nothing but highlights of our current squad dunking. No more of this still frame, anticlimactic song intro. Get the crowd into it from the start.
9.) Less Bogans
I feel that Bogans peaked earlier this year and now we are seeing why Bogans has switched teams 8 times in 7 years. It's because he sucks. He is killing us offensively and although his defense is decent, he is in no way a Bruce Bowen caliber defender. We should be starting Parker, Hill, RJ, Blair and Tim. Hill will match-up with the opposition's best scorer as well as Bogans can, plus he will bring an offensive game to the table.
10.) Get Fined
We recruit good guys. We play with class. We do not complain. Yeah, I get it and I am sick of it. Someone needs to call out the officials. They have been sticking it to us all year. And it's not just Crawford, it's everyone. Pop needs to do something. He needs to make tapes and send them to the league office like Cuban does. He needs to get thrown out of games when the officials are calling them one-sided. There were so many missed calls last night that I felt positive that someone was going to get thrown out. What happened? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Tim gets called for 3 touch fouls in a row to foul him out, and no one gets in the ref's face? What?!? Where is PJ? PJ, for the love of all that is holy, WE NEED YOU!
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Yeah, probably. I wrote this in 20 minutes during my lunch break. Normally I take time to edit. No time today. My bad.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Wait…you DO want some " Yall ready for this" ……?
That ancient song makes me cringe every time…..
...Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is forty five.
Especially at half-time when they play it for the dance/cheerleader/whatever squads… along with the other out-dated crap.
No thanks.
"We suck on 'D. Both individually and team-wise, we suck. We're pretty consistent that way. I don't know if I have an answer to that. If I did, we wouldn't suck quite so bad." - Popovich
by Aaron "Hirschof" Preine on Jan 21, 2010 1:46 PM CST up reply actions
Ridiculous. We won 4 championships with that song. If we want to win another, clearly it is the missing ingredient.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Whenever I hear it, it brings me back to my younger days when I was watching an old Dominque “The Human Highlight Reel” Wilkins lead our team to the first draft pick. Come on, stop trying to be cool and admit that song brings back good memories for you too.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Midseason Adjustments
Mr. Silva, Agree with you almost 100 percent. Last night I watched Jefferson doing a terrible job of guarding Kirolinko. He killed us with his uncontested perimeter shots. In almost every case Jefferson was supposed to be guarding him, but instead he just took a couple of steps toward him and watched the shots fall. As soon as the ball went to Kirolinko RJ should have busted his tail trying to get to him, but he didn’t. Pop has got to get on his case about this. Missing a shot is understandable, but not doing your job defensively isn’t. One other player, in addition to Blair, that should be getting more floor time is Ian Mahinmi. He looked absolutely great against New Jersey. Lets see if he can provide more help against better teams. He certainly can’t be any worse than Bonner and will get up much higher the McDyess on interior defense. If we don’t see what he can do I’m sure he will be gone next season — without ever being given a true chance.
for whatever reason, RJ can simply not contest jump shots. its almost like he doesnt really think that there are guys behind him who will help out if he gets beat off the dribble.
Somebody said this earlier. If I assume RJ is not lazy and giving great effort, then he simply lacks confidence to close out fast. RJ’s shooters always have a clear view and their shots never look bothered. The final possession against thunder where RJ blocked a shot must have been a real fluke.
If I assume the last part was not an errant happening, then RJ needs to play serious and bring it like Manu does. Then again, Manu is Manu and RJ is princess peanut for a reason.
I was just telling a friend, RJ just lacks a basketball IQ. His mind cannot keep up with his body. If Manu had RJ’s athletic ability, he’d be putting up Lebron-like numbers.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Whatever it is, you say you don’t notice Dyess, I never even think about RJ until he does something. In fact the one game he missed, I realized after the game that RJ didn’t play. Honest.
Thats how inconsequential RJ has been so far in my mind. Sorta sad for a guy with still good obvious physical gifts.
the two open looks westbrook got over him at the end of the thunder game were exactly what sent me over the edge with RJ on this topic. i suppose that he shouldn’t have been guarding the other teams hottest player in the closing seconds – but its surely his job to contest shots in that position the best he can…and im sure he can do better.
he’s just not a defensive minded player and old habits are hard to break i geuss……
I was thinking the exact same thing, Bones. Almost two identical shots from Westbrook and RJ played it the same both times. Mystifying.
I actually commented on this over at 48MoH after the Thunder game. RJ was defending westbrook and gave him enough space to shoot the ball that sent the game to overtime. He should have been up on westbrooks face and contesting the jumper and we had no business going to overtime. I attributed that to him being late on switches and making rotations. He is always one step behind and slower.
This is what I’m talking about when I say he lacks a basketball IQ. Basketball is more of a thinking man’s game than the general public realizes. Defense is all about studying your defender and anticipating his moves. It’s a chess game in that you need to be thinking several moves ahead. You are constantly trying to beat your man to his spot. Whether you are on the ball defending or playing a passing lane, you are anticipating.
Now, doesn anyone think RJ has ever studied the tape of a player he was going to defend? Does anyone think he is anticipating his opposition’s moves? Of course not. He reacts and is always a step behind. He’s stupid and I hate him.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
You can add to the fact that every jump shooter probably licks their chops when they see they’re being defended by RJ. He just does not contest well on the outside. He plays decent post defense, but he probably feels like he’s on an island when on the perimeter. If you’re getting beat, that’s why you have Duncan to help and that’s why defensive rotations are so important.
With all of that being said, did R.C. and Pop just totally misjudge RJ? They said that they looked at him as the perimeter defender who would match up against Kobe and other top players. Did they not see that he has a low basketball IQ and is not a good defender, or did they overestimate their ability to turn him into a good defender?
i think he filled the offensive need. he has the body/ability to be a better defender. therein lies the gamble……i think either opo or RC convinced the othe rthat he could be turned into a better defender. i’m willing to say that the jury is sitll out. he’s been an offense-only guy for so long, some period of adjustment will happen for sure…..
That song needs to never again see the light of day. They need to get that song and sweep it under the same rock where they left the pink spurs logo ( THANK GOD about that logo )
...Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is forty five.
Update to the McDyess Rule
Fred, I think an upgrade to your McD Rule should be “NEVER EVER AGAIN McD plays in the same lineup with Manu”
RJ looks absolutely lost playing with Parker. I think, RJ should play with Manu. It means that either Manu starts or RJ comes from the bench. I don’t know who should start at 3 though. I’d try few different guys probably (Parker/Hill/Bogans worked great against NO, not so much against Jazz though)
Screw it, start Finley at the 3. (When he comes back, of course). Tony and George can cause enough problems for the opposing team for Finley to get plenty of good, open looks. And then Timmy and Blair can clean up misses. Yeah, I know his defense sucks, but having a shooter in the starting lineup would spread the floor enough for us to do more than enough damage on offense to make up for his D.
The Spurs - now playing like sh*t again!
I agree. Last year Finley was putting basically the same numbers that RJ is putting this year, the only different is that Finley was more efficient and he open ur the floor for timmy and Tp, oh and also Finley only make like $2-3M last year.
Ouch!
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:05 AM CST up reply actions
I like the list for the most part. I agree that Hill should start. When Finley comes back what do you propose the line up look like? I liked like to see RJ and Manu come off the bench together when Finley comes back.
I really like the idea that this team should run and run often. We’ve got nothing if not lots of good finishers.
Good post. WTF is Pop doing with small ball. Sometimes I think he does things just to prove he is smarter than us and will be stubborn about it until it works. No, I don’t really think that, but despite being a genius he can be stubborn about things that obviously don’t work.
Also big agreement about Parker – why is he playing. Pop is usually great about making sure players are ready for the playoffs even if it means losing a few games in the season. He should rest as much as possible – we have Hill and Manu to cover for him.
Rest Parker by having him be our 6th man and let Manu and Hill start the game with Blair, Duncan and RJ.
I adamantly agree with all of your points except small ball, less Bonner, and less Bogans. I think we need less small ball and smarter small ball not “no more”. I want no hurt Bonner who can’t shoot 3’s, but 3 point shooting Bonner has a purpose. He shouldn’t have more minutes than Blair though. Bogans just shouldn’t be a starter and conveniently you are writing this after his worst game of the season. He isn’t bad enough to be shut down, although I would prefer more Mason. So pretty much I agree with everything (more or less).
by BlaseE on Jan 21, 2010 2:58 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Actually, is Bogan’s hurt. Thats what came to mind when I saw replays of his blocked drives and failed dunks. One dunk in particular was bad. He had time and he still couldn’t finish coz he moved slow and didn’t get elevation. FSM!
Bogans isn’t hurt. He just has Avery Johnson’s ups and Matt Bonner’s speed.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
I wouldn’t go that far, he has show to rebound well for his size and come up with some blocks. Remember the block on Marion? Standing under the basket and rejected the crap out of him without a running start. Bogans has played crappy lately though. Bogans & Bonner have their places in this team, depending on the opposition and needs at the time. :)
I’ve noticed! LOL. At least he attempts to play D and is physical against opponents, something you definitely can’t say about Bonner.
The thing about Bogans is that he’ll make a bad play or silly turnover, then he’ll try to over compensate and and make three or four mistakes in row.
as of right now Bogans sucks, period.
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:06 AM CST up reply actions
Here is a thought – is it time to start Manu? (Ya, I know BlaseE just posted that but I have been thinking this for a while for different reasons.
Manu has obviously lost a step this year. Counterintuitively, I think that means he should start! At his peak he is a spark of instant offense off the bench. However, now I think he cannot just switch it on whenever he wants to and needs to be more in the flow of the game – something he would get as a starter. Even having lost a step he is still an elite player – if he is in the flow of the game – so is good enough to be a starter.
Ginobili told Pop that he didn’t want to start anymore games after he hurt his groin in the Dallas game earlier in the season. If Pop told him to start I’m sure he would do it, but I think he’s still fine coming off the bench. Last night he was great coming off the bench. I liked him and RJ coming in together and I agree with those who have said that they should play more together and RJ and Tony shouldn’t play together much.
Last night we began the game down 0-12. Manu came in and single-handedly brought us back. The fact that he was better than the starters logically implies that he should be a starter. I do see the other side, though. Our bench would struggle without Manu to lead the charge.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Tony could lead the charge without sacrificing as much playmaking ability of the other 4 guys on the floor.
Tony and Duncan need to be surrounded by shooters, that’s why I like the idea of having Hill, Finley, Parker & Blair starting. RJ & Manu have shown to play well together and generate a lot of slashing and shooting opportunities.
give parker all the shooters he can handle coming off the bench with him and he can drive for tear drops and kick outs to threes all he wants
RJ and Manu should start together since they play so well together
by BlaseE on Jan 21, 2010 3:46 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Manu comes off the bench – that is what he does – some people are just better doing so – I equate it to when I was playing rugby – starting I was ok but when I came off the bench I brought a lot of energy into the game – I think Manu is exactly the same way and there is nothing wrong with that
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
Hill is amazing, and I remember last year yelling at Wayne for wearing a Hill jersey by saying “Not even George Hill wears a George Hill jersey”
well I’ve quite literally eaten my own words
Evey- "Are you a crazy person?"
V- "I'm quite sure they'll say so."
V for Vendetta, blowing your mind away since 2005.
you should have heard the outcry when he spent $50 (or whatever) to buy it in the first place. but to his credit, wayne was prophetic….he was surely the only other spurs fan to own the #3 jersey at the time….with the possible exception of george’s own mother…..
I think the best line was “you think the Spurs with give the #3 to Grant Hill when they sign him in 2012?”
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Jan 21, 2010 4:05 PM CST up reply actions
right now we’re at the 4/5 spot – which isnt terrible. we’ve been there before and found our way closer to the top by april. we’ve also seen this not-being-able-to-beat-good-teams song and dance before.
this year something seems different though. in years past, i knew there was no way those teams beat the spurs in a series. this year, i am more hoping. spurs havent shown us the ability to beat a good team at all this year, really. perhaps its taking a little longer to gel together with a bunch of new guys – or godforbid its something else that the spurs can’t fix.
i will admit that wonder is creeping into my mind. bottom line is that i know we have championship calber personnel. its just a matter of them putting it together…..we always have heard those stories about how it takes a yaer to “get” our system and then look out in the following year. hopefully, it gets put together sooner because the wndow wont be open forever.
and next year might not be much easier with all of our expiring contracts and bringing Splitter, Hairston, Haislip, and possibly a another rookie and/or veteran into the fold.
I think we all expect Ratliff, Finley, Mason, Bonner, and Mahinmi gone with Manu up in the air.
If we don’t finish this home stretch and the RRT strong, I’m going to unhinge the HDPE box that is housing the panic button. I’m tired of waiting for us to look consistent and passionate about winning.
Next year, we only have 5 guys returning under contract for sure: Tim, Dice, Tony, DeJuan, and George
RJ has a player option which I expect him to take, but I don’t think it is guaranteed he will.
Haislip and Hairston and unguaranteed next year.
Manu, Roger, Michael, Matt, Ian, Keith, and Theo all have expiring contracts. We could have massive turnover in the roster next year. More so than this year and where half of the returning guys are only in their 2nd year in the system and George is our 3rd most tenured guy. Think about that.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Jan 21, 2010 4:09 PM CST up reply actions
I want Bosh. Just throwing it out there, but Bosh could learn a lot from Tim, like a post move. Having two good 7 footers again would be sweet. And he’s kind of a weird guy. I don’t think the big cities like LA and NYC appeal to him.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
in order to keep those trophies coming in every so often, methinks we will need to replace the tim spot with someone right quick after this year so tim can slide into the david robinson role. of course, bosh would be alright with me……..
not trying to say anything bad about tim here – he is better than ever this year. but it seems that the timing is right to add the next cornerstone of the franchise in time for next season.
and i shudder to even think about the possibility of a spurs team without manu ginobili. ever. i will cry openly when he retires. good, bad, ugly whatever. he must stay on the ship until it sinks and then for a long time after. i dont care how good/bad he is – watching that guy put on another uniform would be worse than watching ice try to suit up in that bulls jersey. it would be worse than watching your best friend steal your girl. slide him into a bonner/finely role if you have to……but do not ever under any circumstances let this man wear the jersey of another NBA team. i will go so far as to say that the spurs had better give his son a look when the time comes (assuming one of his twins are male – do we know this yet?)…just sayin.
I believe that if there ever is a woman who could break the gender barrier into the NBA it would be a Ginobili.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Jan 21, 2010 4:41 PM CST up reply actions
methinks we will need to replace the tim spot with someone right quick after this year so tim can slide into the david robinson role
When is Brook Lopez’s contract up with NJ? That could be good timing.
The Spurs - now playing like sh*t again!
When is Brook Lopez’s contract up with NJ? That could be good timing.
AFAIK, Brook Lopez will be a restricted free-agent in the summer of 2013.
However, I don’t envision ANY scenario in which the Nets don’t pick up his team option in 2012 or tender him a qualifying offer the following year.
In their likely attempt to whoo/ego-stroke/reach-around Lebron James this summer, the Nets will make it clear that Devin Harris and Brook Lopez will be fixtures of the team for the foreseeable future.
But 2013 is such a long, LONG ways down the road. None of us have any clue what financial shape the Spurs will be in by that summer. Will Duncan have another extension given to him, before his deal runs out in 2012? How many years and dollars will be thrown at Tony in 2012? What about Manu THIS summer? Heck, what about Tiago Splitter too?
Plus, the Spurs have to consider how much flexibility they’ll need in 2013 to re-up with George Hill or possible match any offer-sheet he signs with another club. Then, AFAIK, they have to think about BLAAAAAIIRR in 2014. Speaking of which, will the Spurs have Bird-rights to him?
"...and programmed to save the day!"
by transgojobot on Jan 22, 2010 1:21 AM CST up reply actions
Dyce BB IQ
I always sort of assumed that Dyce had pretty good BB IQ. I guess his quiet, professional manner. But shit man: he’s surely practiced with Manu a bunch, played with him in games, watched film, and watched him play from the bench … now for half a season, and he still can’t get it. How difficult is it to understand: “This guy is liable to throw me the ball any time, any place, any situation, any position (including flying through the air, parallel to the ground in route to the camera row) so fucking be ready at all times, always anticipate.” There, now is that so damn hard?
+1 3) Yell at RJ – Yes, yell him that if he has second thoughts about this relationship he should break up before trade-wedding time…
I’m tired of his tentative shit!
by spursfan_needs_counseling on Jan 21, 2010 4:46 PM CST reply actions
Great post Fred. I read it and agreed with pretty much everything you said. A few thoughts…
I have always felt our teams have been missing a player who is a little tough and brought an edge. Kurt Thomas did that last year. I can’t remember specifically who it was last night, but I remember a Jazz player kind of take out one of our guys..maybe Manu, and I was ready for someone to retaliate or at least get in that Jazz players face….what happened? The same thing that always happens, everyone walked away and acted like nothing happened. I think Utah swept us this year because they realized they could be physical with us, push us around, and we were going to do nothing about it. I thought Dice would bring a little toughness, but like you, rarely notice when he’s on the floor.
I live in Ohio, so I unfortunatly can’t go to home games, but did the Spurs arena announcer change in the past few years? What happened to the guy with the nasally voice? He was awesome and I loved when he said, GO SPURS GO!!! Can we get that guy back? I think we one the titles with him on the mic….
Any reason Mace only saw minutes in the 2nd half last night?
And I agree with Wayne’s post earlier and something just seems a bit off with this team. I can’t place it, but when you watch them, you just know they don’t have “it.” I don’t know if that’s the ability to make key stops, to make a key basket, or what, but I hope whatever “it” is can be fixed by playoff time.
Good point. It was Posey “accidently” busting the nose. Then he accidently almost tripped Hill, and then his leg somehow shot out and tried to undercut Duncan in the air. If we had a good enforcer that takes it to him hard a couple of times after the first event – the second two never happen. Think Dice is too old and mellowed out to be the toughie now, maybe a few years ago.
Blair maybe, he is just a rookie this year but maybe later on. Or maybe he is too nice a guy.
Kevin Willis didn’t take any shit – or the ancient one, Moses!
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:13 AM CST up reply actions
I was wondering the same thing about Mason. Pop brought him in way too late.
by Manu ex Machina on Jan 21, 2010 6:19 PM CST up reply actions
I’m pretty sure that the Spurs are regretting not trading to Jax when they had the chance. They could have easily had him for Mase, Bonner and a pick, that’s a better deal that the warriors had from Charlotte.
Ok back to reality. IMO the biggest problem is the front court. Lets face it: Blair, Bonner and Dice are all nice BENCH role players. None of them is starter material. We are one of the worst giving up points in the paint. I don’t see us beating the lakers, the mavs, utah or denver in a playoff series with our current front court.
or Portland, OKC, Phoenix
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:14 AM CST up reply actions
You had me at “RJ sucks.”
I have come to the conclusion that RJ is incompetent. …we are midway through the season and he still sucks.
I’m contemplating whether to use that as my sig.
There are days I actually prefer the ‘09 Bowen to this year’s RJ. And that’s saying something. I always bought into the theory that we needed an upgrade in the SF position. This—RJ and Bogans—just isn’t an upgrade from previous years.
"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man." - Some Tall Guy Who Wore #50
Pop needs to do something. He needs to make tapes and send them to the league office like Cuban does. He needs to get thrown out of games when the officials are calling them one-sided.
You mean like he did just the other night against the Mavs? That tight game we lost in particularly heartbreaking fashion? And everyone was blaming poor coaching from the assistants?
Your deliberately provocative intro aside, I think you made some good points, but this isn’t one of them.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
That was not him complaining. That was Joey Crawford being a dick. Pop did not deserve to be thrown out of that game. To me, that does not count towards what I was trying to get at. I want Pop to take a stand during a moment that matters. Not some inconsequential play in the first quarter. He got two words out and Crawford ejected him. Pop left the floor in a state of shock. I want Pop to ride the officials all game long. And then make comments about how poor they were during his press conference. Basically, I want him to play the game that Phil Jackson has mastered.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Crawford didn’t throw him out. Zerba did.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
I was at that game and forgot to record it, so I was unable to re-watch it. I did not even see what happened when he was ejected. But either way, that was a fluke. Pop did not want to get thrown out. I want him to get in there and force the official’s hand to make a statement.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
When was the last time Phil Jackson got ejected? Has it happened yet this season?
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
Jackson is notorious for riding the officials. And is especially good at working them during his press conferences, especially come playoff time. It’s an aspect of coaching that Pop chooses not to partake in. And I think it has been costing us this season. The officials killed us last game.
The alternative is exactly what has been happening. We do nothing, play nice and get screwed over all game. The Jazz beat us up and the officials were giving them the calls. All I want is for someone to do something about it.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
And it’s not like it’s a secret. Jordan played the officials better than everyone. It’s just another way to gain an advantage over your opponent, and we consistently lose it because we stand idle.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
I kinda agree with you on this one. Even Red Auerbach played the officials really well and it made a difference, however small it was, in his team winning a lot of game sevens.
But since the Spurs have never played this kind of card since Pop’s days, I wouldn’t be surprised if they just stood pat.
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 21, 2010 11:19 PM CST up reply actions
The league loves the Lakers too much to turn the referees on them.
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 21, 2010 8:40 PM CST up reply actions
I just want us to try something new, because clearly not doing anything has not helped us get the calls.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
Stern doesn’t want to see Spurs in the Finals, this is quite evident (bad for the ratings). While he is in power we’ll always get the short end, unless we play somebody equally unmarketable.
Wait, I thought we were the “team of the decade.” Four championships and all that. Is Stern just really bad at keeping us out of the finals?
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
If Stern didn’t hate the Spurs, we would’ve won ten straight.
"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man." - Some Tall Guy Who Wore #50
by theonlyromeo on Jan 21, 2010 10:08 PM CST up reply actions
I feel like Lamar Odom must have when he realized that he married the ugly one
If khloe is the ugly one that is some GOOOD genes. Am I allowed to make comments about women? How strict are we around here again? Anyway, I’d take Kim but if Khloe’s the only one available I’m not mad. (And I bet Lamar isn’t either.)
P.S. Loved all your points, and although they were the REAL reason for this post, I felt I should address your points in level of importance so I cleared up the Kardashian thing first.
THIS TEAM NEEDS A KICK IN THE PANTS! I mean we have Pop as our effing coach! What’s the deal?! GET. OFF. MY. LAWN.
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." -Willy Wonka
I wish our team slapped the opponent like Pop slaps the press.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Jan 21, 2010 11:06 PM CST up reply actions
Remember what Bill Simmons said on why he picked the Spurs, that the team supposedly sort of has this “Eff You” thing going that will propel them to the ‘chip? Well, I haven’t seen anything resembling that. The whole team and not just the bench needs to go like BAM.
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 21, 2010 11:22 PM CST up reply actions
Not much time to properly comment, so: good post, and yes, yes, YES to number 9.
Bone breaking? -340
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
We’re 25 and 16. What was our record after 41 games in previous years? Let’s take a look!
2000: 26 and 15
2001: 26 and 15
2002: 28 and 13
2003: 26 and 15
2004: 27 and 14
2005: 32 and 9
2006: 31 and 10
2007: 28 and 13
2008: 28 and 13
Apparently I’m alone in this, but so far we seem to be playing overall like . . . the Spurs. Maybe slightly (very slightly) below average in terms of winning percentage. But what do I know? I’m just a girl, and not even as good looking as that hideous Khloe Kardashian.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
What was our record against teams with a winning record all those years? I’m guessing we won more than 3 or 4 freaking games. And we have had a home heavy schedule this year. And we ‘upgraded’ our roster and spent money like we have it to throw around. The expectations are high and this team is clearly falling short.
Is the record horrible? Of course not. But is falls well short of a champion destined squad, which is what we all thought we would have to start this season.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
I think we fall short, yes, but not well short. Not short enough to justify a radical overhaul. I think we have the necessary pieces—they just need to be tweaked into place. Or as Tim said on 48 Minutes of Hell:
During the telecast, Dick Vitale relayed a conversation he had with Gregg Popovich. Pop, Vitale tells us, sees the Spurs as second-tier. Good, but not yet good enough to compete for a title. He’s convinced his team can get there, but they’re not there yet. Who among us would disagree?
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
I get you. But at the end of the day (and of the season), falling short and falling well short produces the same amount of disappointment.
"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man." - Some Tall Guy Who Wore #50
by theonlyromeo on Jan 22, 2010 12:58 AM CST up reply actions
RIght. But that’s a long way away. And right now, the difference is significant.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
I truly like your positive outlook, but it has been suggested previously (I cannot find the link right now) that newcomers to the Spurs system do no reach their peak until their second season. This absolutely kills us because we made so many concurrent changes.
I have no doubt that when this team truly gels watching them play consistently good basketball is going to be a thing of beauty. I just worry that for a variety of circumstances they might not gel during this season and might not be the same unit next season.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
We’re feeding on sucky teams and losing against the good ones. At any given time you do not know which Spurs you are getting, one day we could play good defense, another day awesome offense. One day we’re bad at offense, another day at defense, another day at both.
We have uplifting victories only to play pathetically the next game. Sometimes things seem like they’re clicking, sometimes it looks like the guys had never play together.
We just do not have any kind of consistency, and halfway into the season we don’t look like a team that’s anywhere ready to win another ring.
We keep waiting and waiting and waiting for the Spurs to get it together, and they very well might. But as some point they’re going to run out of time.
"Under the tutelage....of Randy Tutelage"
We’re feeding on sucky teams and losing against the good ones.
Didn’t we just beat the Lakers and OKC back to back nights? (And then lose to some sucky teams, come to think of it?)
I’m not arguing that we’re flawless—just looking for a little perspective!
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
Didn’t we just beat the Lakers and OKC…?
Yeah, just as Hipuks said, sucky teams. =p
"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man." - Some Tall Guy Who Wore #50
by theonlyromeo on Jan 22, 2010 1:00 AM CST up reply actions
I’m with you on your perspective, girl. Although I wished we could’ve gotten “it” as quickly as Boston did when KG and Ray-Ray arrived there, the Spurs system is probably waaaay more complicated than Doc Rivers’.
It would be good to really start upping the defensive ante, though, above everything else. That’s who the Spurs are, and that’s what will decide whether we’ll seriously contend this year or just fade away like Mason’s shot in the 2009 playoffs.
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 22, 2010 1:46 AM CST up reply actions
Kobe injured himself in the first quarter and didn’t even play in the fourth. And Gasol sat out. That should not count as a win against a .500 or better team. If the Lakers didn’t have Gasol or Kobe, I doubt they’d be over .500. The win against OKC was impressive though, especially since it came the next night.
"GINOBILI!" -- Sir Charles
That’s what I’m saying. We be the Lakers and we beat OKC only to lose to both the Bobcats and Grizzlies, which I know, they’re better than their records show blah blah blah. You cannot tell where this team is going, if forwards or backwards.
We used to relish the big matches and I would say that right now most Spurs fans fear every time we have to play an opponent above .500
"Under the tutelage....of Randy Tutelage"
Good points! You are changing my mind slightly, perhaps they will end up jelling in the end. We did beat LA and OKC back to back but Memphis and Charlotte are not sucky teams – they are up and coming.
Other than that, yeah I think you are right about calling everyone out on their rant – we need a little perspective
"Mr. Gilmore deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html
by Joe deLarios on Jan 22, 2010 10:32 AM CST up reply actions
Poor coaching year
This has been the worse job at coaching that Pops has ever done.
I get the feeling Tony Parker is going to have this plantar fasciitis (thx google) bothering him no matter how many games he’s DNP-ed for. Like Timothy F. Duncan, it may just be something he can only address in the offseason by limiting his court time to next to nothing, or making significant changes to his training regiment (i.e. pool time!).
...!!
Im not worried yet. If the team still looks this poor on defense and still cant beat top tier teams in about 20 more games, then I will certainly panic. But I feel this teams best basketball is yet to be played.
...Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is forty five.
Just wait for Richard to get off the crack pipe, Manu to start playing, Dejuan to get a few more games under his belt, Pop to light a fire underneath the teams collective ass, Antonio McDyess to finally start playing ( hes said himself he doesnt get serious till the second half)…etc etc etc. THEN you will see what this team is made of.
...Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is forty five.
WE SHOULD BE POP...instead POP as POP..agree?
can you switch places with pop?!cuz ur better than him… i know that timmy is a “senior citizen”already,but hey can’t we just play timmy more minutes on close games?or why not 12 mins of the fourth and just 20 on the other quarters,like with our lost against memphis,seriously just looking what would have happen if timmy was inserted with 5+ mins mark rather than 3+ going to 2 mins mark…we could have won that.he had 23 and scored 0 in the 4th…s*it right?second play parker less…more gino and hill…cuz hill is a better defender so as gino,plus he can shoot anywhere he wants…he can even play h-o-r-s-e if he wants(LOL)….hill can hit those corner 3’s defends better,defense wins championship,if we got gino whose a better passer than he is way back the start of the season plus his a playmaker,i guess he and hill can help timmy.play tony 3-5 mins in the 4th the rest is hill.as for rj,damn i wish we had carter,or even just shane battier for christ sake!over paid but still underrated,i guess now he should be,rj is not doing any d sometimes,his a guy who goes inside for lay-ups and dunks,can’t he just do that and ave maybe 3 3pt attempts and lesser jump shots?we want him to score inside and get the other teams into penalty,&better d..that’s all he needs if he finds laying up balls difficult.blair,we all know what he can do,rebound,rebound,rebound,acrobatic lay-ups,acrobatic layups and acrobatic lay ups.other than that…is a black hole,is he good at this or this,i only saw him one jump shot that he made,a game against milwaukee on the road,after that i can’t remember. chip should help blair expand his range,which i think he is doing,second the ft’s,at least his better now than before.another q is can he defend? well,yeah he can block and steal but other defensive stops?hmmm can he score 20-20 in 36 mins?…adjusted yeah he could,actually better than that. another thing to improve for blair is,like bonner his not really a good dribbler,not bad but horrible,i saw it thrice once is a game against the wiz,yeah it turned out to be a t.o. for the kid.and if his minutes are up,will he improve and less rookie mistakes?
to tell you i really wish i am pop,or even just one of us as pop.what is he thinking?!
GOD!yahoo even predicted us to win 51,which in paper should be like 66,its just paper not the court. cuz if paper is just the court we can even win against lebron,mavs,okc,l.a. and UTAH.YEAH i was smiling when i watched the game and then i sensed from a far…another loss…UTAH my ASS!they whipped us again…when will pop end this…hmmm hope a joke for rj for mcgrady isn’t coming!CUZ i would rather have shane!
agree witht he predictions?
read this if you agree…hopefully we’ll have the mav’s record prediction!
Great article, man. I wish the spurs could hire you as a “realist consultant” to tell them how it is. I miss the original spurs theme song as well, it’s a shame they changed it up with those ridiculous male cheerleaders doing backflips.
They should bring back the old announcer too, I miss hearing him yell, “MANUUU”, or the famous “off your seat and on your feet for the nba champions!”. I just got goosebumps thinking about it.
I hope the spurs keep it together for the playoffs. My heart is still aching from the cowboys.
go spurs go
Lets face it, Jefferson is not the type of player we needed. It was a mistake to bring him here. He just doesnt fit. And we are not winning a championship with a rookie Blair starting. He has all kinds of potential, and he could always explode for 20-20 any time, but he cant defend at all, and offesnively he doesnt mesh that well.
We need a freaking atlhetic 7 footer who can alter shots and rebound. And we need a more talented version of Bogans, and more role-oriented Jefferson. TRADE NOW
"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"
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