JRW & SiMA Podcast #2
Some stats are like candy - they taste good for a moment, but they're immediately gone without giving you any nutritional value whatsoever. Or they're like popcorn that's almost stale; the first couple of bites might seem all right, but suddenly you don't want any more.
Then there are other stats. The ones that have meat on their bones. The ones that are like 7 course meals in themselves. Stats that put hair on the chests of men, and give women their hourglass figures. Stats that sustain communities and rally troops to victory. Stats like what SiMA brings to this week's JRW & SiMA podcast.
We discuss the biggest differences between last year's squad and this year's Spurs team. We look at Coach Pop's statement game, JRW gives out another gold star, and we look forward to the stories that will be posted in the coming weeks. And, oh yeah, there are the stats. We did not forget the stats. We'd never do that.
JRW & SiMA Podcast #2 from Josh Guyer on Vimeo.
The file below has been tested and works on the iPhone/iPod touch:
Click here to listen to an iPhone/iPod/other mobile device friendly file.
And a quick shout out to Josh for doing the editing, mixing and generally making these podcasts go. They really wouldn't be happening at all without him suggesting them and doing so much work behind the scenes. Thanks a ton, Josh.
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Wow. If you’ve already been enjoyed your enlightenment, then you must have started it as soon as I posted.
Impressive, charlie!
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
I felt like I should have, but I couldn’t quite place it.
by DrumsInTheDeep on Dec 9, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
- It’s cooler that you didn’t plan this 5 games after the first fifth. And you need to give me credit (not necessarily on podcast) for my love of 5. You try and claim it as your own.
- Thank you SiMA for anti-jinxing the Spurs free throw shooting. JRW shame on you, thinking your words have no bearing in the ever connected universe.
- I like how SiMA keeps JRW on his feet, “What do you know about turnover differential?”
- Tony as a top three point guard? That’s a stretch.
JRW, SiMA and anyone else with a thoughtful response:
Do you worry that orange juice…wait. Oops. Do you worry that the Spurs style of play relies too much on opponents making mistakes? We’ve seen how running and/or three point shooting teams like the Magic, Suns can flourish in the regular season only to be defeated by good defensive teams like Boston who aren’t regularly caught out of position. Has this not crossed anyone elses mind?
Tiago Splitter > Matt Bonner
Do you worry that orange juice…wait. Oops. Do you worry that the Spurs style of play relies too much on opponents making mistakes? We’ve seen how running and/or three point shooting teams like the Magic, Suns can flourish in the regular season only to be defeated by good defensive teams like Boston who aren’t regularly caught out of position. Has this not crossed anyone elses mind?
Yeah, I think this too, but when somebody else puts it into words I have this reaction where I want to disagree or at least append caveats.
First, we learned last year that the regular season matters again. It matters because we can’t waltz to a home-court seed anymore. The threat of injuries and gradual wear affecting our vets killed the plan-for-the-playoffs strategy.
Second, we’ll have to beat the running, gunning, all-offense teams on our way to a good run too. Fighting off smaller faster teams requires the flexibility to take advantage of their special weaknesses. We need to be a defensive juggernaut AND a squad that can out-run the Suns to get out of the West.
I’m actually not worried at all, because I don’t think what Drums is calling “the Spurs style of play” is really their style of play. And you don’t either, unless you believe that the 18 minutes Duncan logged against the Warriors indicates what he’s going to be doing come playoff time. But you don’t believe that. So let’s look deeper at Drums’ concern.
To be considered: the Spurs style of play relies too much on opponents making mistakes. This is, on it’s face, a valid concern. But I’m afraid that, to varying degrees, every single style of play depends on opponents making mistakes. We’re currently cruising through a somewhat easy patch of the regular season, while keeping from playing our best players tons of minutes. This is not a bad thing. If we can get easy looks both inside and outside, while piling up the points, why should we want to work harder to get the same points that the defense is already offering?
There will be plenty of games against tougher oppenents that the Spurs can use to test themselves. Can we please wait until they lose a few of those in a row (Dallas and LA don’t count, by the way. See the first podcast for why) before we start worrying?
Winning easy is a good thing when you need to rest a player like Duncan as much as possible.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
I’m not worrying. I’m just wondering how much the Spurs record reflects how good the team really is. If we’re to take the record at face value then we’d be saying the Spurs are the best team in the league. If you believe this there are clearly points that support you. But I don’t think this is so. I still think we’re trailing the Lakers. The gap is is narrowing though by the day it seems.
Tiago Splitter > Matt Bonner
Manuwar, here are my responses to your first four thoughts, since I addressed your final (non-bulleted) point below greyberger’s reply.
First: you’d be surprised to know just how many of the recurring fives are completely unintentional — or at least not consciously planned. I guess there is a difference between those two.
Second, I do not believe that my words have no bearing on the universe. I’m just not concerned about saying something in a podcast about FT’s. There’s a big difference, and I think I’ve written about calling games in game threads often enough and vehemently enough to get the benefit of the doubt on this point.
Third, when he asked me that, I thought, “Where in the world is this coming from?” You can tell that he got me a bit off balance, because I didn’t even wax eloquent when he brought up one of my favorite stats of all: point differential. I’m still kicking myself for that lost opportunity. Although, if I’d started on that topic, we’d have never kept this one at 25 minutes. And we were aiming for 20!
Fourth: in SiMA’s defense, not that he needs it, he said that Tony was “playing like one of the top three point guards in the league” not that he was one of the 3 best this year. Please try to gripe only about points we actually make. =]
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
Your hesitation and being caught off guard was awesome
SiMA – 1
JRW – 0
Tiago Splitter > Matt Bonner
SiMA, you need to bring a NERF bat to the next podcast recording, so when JRW messes with the mojo, you can hit him upside the head.
Yes, I think the Spurs’ style of play allows us to capitalize on, but is not dependent on, oppenents’ mistakes. That may seem like semantics, but I think it’s a key difference. In years past, we didn’t always jump on the opportunities for easy/fastbreak points. As the schedule gets tougher, we’ll see more of the grind-it-out style we’re so fond of. Besides, even though we’re playing at a faster pace, the Spurs’ defensive rating is still in the Top 10. I think it’s much easier to slow the pace if necessary than to speed up at a pace a team isn’t used to.
Loving the podcasts, guys.
With all due respect, gentlemen, we're not as crazy as she is.
I don’t think it was sematics. Good points. If we can combine the old grind it out style while still being oportunistic and Capitalizing on opponents mistakes then we’re in like a dirty shirt.
Tiago Splitter > Matt Bonner
Saying that they capitalize, instead of being dependent is a perfect designation. I completely agree. Also:
I think it’s much easier to slow the pace if necessary than to speed up at a pace a team isn’t used to.
that’s a good point, but really it just points out how much like the 2005 and 2007 teams this year’s version is. Namely, being able to play any style successfully.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
We are "D"ominating the league like no one before since the beginning of the season. Yesssss !! Sooo what is this orange/lemonade juice & hourglass talk. You’re putting the sour in the sweet and the sweetness is not wavering, not yet. Enjoy the OJ & the hourglass but loose no opportunity for hindsight; for the sake of paddling faster when needed (or hitting the hour glass JK). We have places to focus (limiting our mistakes while profiting off others, fine tuning defense & like Pop said before the Golden State Game "Our defense has to catch up to our offense," Popovich said, "or we’re not going to be where we want to be.") but damn straight there is no other Manu. I like Hill’s (& Neal –though not mentioned) game right now, too. I think I had higher hopes for Tiago’s game but that doesn’t change the eye candy or dietary exchange there. Okay, I am not a bitter twitter but I honestly never check it guys. Is all I need to know right here? I hope so. As a master multi-tasker, with all my heart, I don’t need more tasks. :/ Thank you for posting the podcast. :)
Wow, you threw an entire podcast’s worth of reactions into a single paragraph. That was impressive.
And, no, you’ don’t need to start up on twitter just to follow PtR. It’s just that if you’re on it already, then you should definitely follow so that you know as soon as new content hits the site, etc.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
Great work guys, you both sound like you’ve been at this already for years.
Oh, and SiMA busting out the stats every now and then is very informative. If only you guys were on TV, he’d probably working the telestrator with gusto.
"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It’s what happens while you wait for moments that will never come." - Lester Freamon, The Wire
by silverandblack_davis on Dec 9, 2010 8:29 PM CST reply actions
you know, I’d never compare Pop making RJ playing uptempo basketball to making orange juice from oranges. It’s more like, Pop making smooth, creamy peanut butter. (and something popped into my head right then, if RJ was smooth, creamy peanut butter, would SJax be chunky peanut butter?)
anyway, great work! looking forward to the next one! :D
"White-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown"
You know, magnus, I really liked SiMA’s analogy of oranges & lemons, but that was before you chimed in with the peanut reference. It’s perfect.
And this past summer, when Pop was working with RJ to turn him into RJ2.0? Well, if that wasn’t whipping him into shape peanut butter, then I don’t know what to call it.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
JRW totally pulled the dictatorial crap on that decision. ;)
With all due respect, gentlemen, we're not as crazy as she is.
Because it sounds slightly less retarded than “SiMA & JRW.” Wait…. no, still retarded. I really don’t know.
I pushed him for “Seth & Dale,” but he shot that down. Apparently my online persona has more credibility and likability than my actual persona.
Also pushed him to do the entire podcast in Castilian, but he said, “Oh hell no, that’s the language of savages.”
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 9, 2010 11:38 PM CST up reply actions
“Seth & Dale” sounds like a reunion tour with offspring plugged in to fill the gap left by the death of one of the original band members. Like what the remaining members of the Doors were doing for a while there. Only with chipmunks.
Yes, that all makes sense to me.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
Chipmunks – ha! Maybe we can get Josh to edit the next podcast accordingly. :)
With all due respect, gentlemen, we're not as crazy as she is.
If nothing else, I now have an idea for the intro music for the week after next.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
Ditto. Or, “this.”
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 10, 2010 1:40 PM CST up reply actions
SiMA, I know you’re still getting used to using “this”, but if you just think of it as the 2010-11 version of “+1” then you’ll be just fine.
RJ2.0: vive la différence.
“+1” will never need a replacement. Neither will “crickey,” “thingamajig,” and “cacamaimey.”
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 10, 2010 2:17 PM CST up reply actions
Or “crotchety”, “old” and “fart”.
With all due respect, gentlemen, we're not as crazy as she is.
by CapHill on Dec 10, 2010 4:03 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Or, for that matter, “pot” and “kettle.”
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 10, 2010 4:42 PM CST up reply actions
“Seth & Dale” sounds like the official Cracker Barrel podcast.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
by Hipuks on Dec 10, 2010 6:08 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
“Seth & Dale” sounds like a radio show following “The Darryl Southern Rock Hour.”
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
“Seth & Dale” sounds like Alabama’s #1 gay radio show.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
“Seth & Dale” sounds like a cop show from the 70’s where two buddies fight crime while making moonshine.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
“Seth & Dale” sounds like a law firm where you get a free gun if they win your case.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
“Seth & Dale” sounds like a Hall & Oates all white tribute band.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
I have rectal cancer and it’s spreading. My doctor told me to stop being such a huge asshole.
Wish me luck.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
NTTAWWT.
"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It’s what happens while you wait for moments that will never come." - Lester Freamon, The Wire
by silverandblack_davis on Dec 10, 2010 6:52 PM CST up reply actions

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