First Round Cliche: The Sky Is The Limit
by LatinD on Apr 30, 2010 1:20 AM CDT
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I'm at risk of being accused of being a fair-weather blogger. Guys, I promise it's not my fault I've managed to land the victories when it comes to splitting the recapping effort. I would like to believe that the Spurs' fate is tightly tied to my choice as the impromptu recapper, but the truth is far different: the Spurs will only go as far as the combined mojo of PTR will take them. Yeah.
Tonight the Spurs conspired to kill me. They started the game on fire, and played their best defense of the season for the entire first quarter. The early 20-point lead that ensued seemed part of my wildest fantasies, and I eagerly asked that no one would pinch me. It was too good to be true, right? Right. Half an hour later I was shouting at my screen and the Mavs had retaken the lead by 1 point. I was going back and forth between the kitchen TV and my computer, and felt a pang of something in the middle of my chest, and I was out of breath and I wanted to punch something. Mostly a Maverick. Mostly Dirk. Tunnel vision started to set in.
The Spurs won after a gritty, balls-to-the-wall fourth quarter, and I survived to fear another day. And yet, somehow, I think I wouldn't change a thing about this series. It tested the team, brought about the best in George Hill and proved the Spurs are very much alive, very much a force to be reckoned with. Contenders at last.
Drink, be merry, and multiply, PTRers, for tomorrow we start thinking of the second round.
We Have a Team
The photo above is badass. It achieves everything Garnett wants to sell without any of the roaring or the silly sound bites or the getting-on-all-four-and-barking. In fact, I'm almost sorry that transgojobot put his usual genius spin to it. That's the face of a man completely focused on his goal: carrying his team to the next round of the playoffs. I would love to say that Manu willed us to a win, but I'm happy that it wasn't the case tonight. This was the entire team's victory, the result of the combined application of half a dozen wills and talents. Everyone chipped in, and they were greater than the sum of the parts.
Tim Duncan set the tone offensively early on. He scored on drives, bank shots, even a dunk if my memory isn't failing me. He wanted it, he was rested, and he went for it. Once Timmy was doubled he was forced to pass the ball, and more often than not he picked the clever option, as we'd expect from him. Later on he focused on defense as the younguns took over at the other end of the floor, and he was spectacular. His blocks were timely, his rotations crisp, and he gobbled up rebounds as if he was called Blair.
Tony Parker is passing the ball, my fellow PTRers. Tony Parker has a clutch jumper. Tony Parker is allowed to take jumpshots late in any game of the 2009-10 playoffs. He's been trying to be the spark off the bench for the Spurs, and to this day it's fair to say that he's succeeded.
In a display of good old German boneheadedness, Dirk managed to pick his 4th foul before the half, and he immediately went to the bench. Pop immediately pulled McDyess, and Bonner went in. In a phenomenon that probably had Fred licking his chops, the Mavs made a run and ended up winning the quarter. As much as I like Matt as a situational role player, he doesn't match up well against the Mavericks. I spent the next quarter screaming at Pop for not subbing Dyess in. Dirk came in, Dyess followed, a foul was called. I checked the boxscore, and lo and behold Dyess now had 5 fouls. When did this happen?
It's difficult explain how fundamental Dyess was in this game, but his team-high +18 might help. His jumpers were as smooth as advertised, and they came in moments of the game when points were particularly hard to come by. But his key moments came on the defensive end: in a picture-perfect copy of his days in the Pistons, when he hounded Tim into nightmarish showings that nearly broke our Spurs, he stayed on his feet once and again while Dirk pump faked, drove and tried this and that. He played effective defense with 5 fouls, something beyond 99% of this league's defenders. McDyess is the veteran.
If big games are won through big plays, then the game ball should probably go to George Hill. What can I say about this man that we haven't all shouted at each other in all-quotes before? His shooting alone makes him a starter in just about every NBA team, a budging star that didn't get the memo that this isn't supposed to be his time yet. He's too young, too inexperienced, right? I fantasize with the idea of George improving his passing as he's done with his outside shot during the years. I believe he has it in him.
Manu Ginobili is a leviathan. There's no safer place for a game than in his hands, at the free throw line. Even his misses behave, and occur when the pressure is low. As it mounts up Manu's eyes become sharper, his pulse grows steadier. Throughout the game he drew the Maverick's best defender, and he was double-teamed on almost every drive to the basket. Manu's mere presence on the court leaves our shooters free, freer, and my mouth waters at the thought of the corner threes that will rain on our opponents before long.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a team.
About Them
It's 3 AM, and I'm nodding off. Still, I wanted to write a few lines about the Mavericks. Why? Because I just read that this might be Dirk's last season as a Maverick, since he has a player's option. That's the end of the Mavericks as we know them, because Dirk is the Mavericks. That ugly-as-sin German player that is known to mumble David Hasselhoff's songs; the tall, impossibly gifted NBA player that can score over anyone, and has a shot so smooth that he can hit a fade-away bank shot like he did today and have no one call him on it. He could've tried to do exactly that, after all.
Despite SiMA's claims to the contrary, Dirk always showed up to the games against the Spurs. He will be a thorn on our side until the day he retires, a perennial almost-MVP. And yet I don't want to see him leave. For all intents as purposes, if Dirk leaves the Mavericks the rivalry will be over. Or at the very least different, and it won't matter so much despite Cuban's best efforts.
If I were a Mavericks fan (perish the thought) I would think long and hard about Carlisle. I cannot fathom why he benched Dampier for the entire game 5, and then picked him over Haywood in game 6 after Haywood's shaky start. Why did he go to Terry when he was 0-5 at the time, instead of sticking with the rookie Beaubois, who shredded our defense in limited minutes. Was he too French to play?
In the end, the latest incarnation of the Mavericks proved too one-dimensional, too dependent on Dirk and his jumpshots. Too reluctant to lower their heads and drive to the basket. Wade taught them nothing.
Now What
The Suns are coming, It's our opportunity to destroy that entire city's collective psyche once more. It's their opportunity for revenge.
How fun are they playoffs? Night, fellas.
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Well, it seemed as if you were well-rested and had a career night. Nice job, sir!
In Manu, we trust.
by day_late_friend on Apr 30, 2010 2:32 AM CDT up reply actions
Very nice recap. I thought about volunteering, but then, I thought, I should leave it for LatinD, since I just showed up again and LatinD’s been with the team through thick and thin. You’ve shown that you deserved the privilege of recapping the closing game against the Mavs!
Dice +18 followed by Parker +14 (8 assists and 0 turnovers) and Hill at +10. Hill missed 4 shots in the 1st half. That means he was 7/8 the rest of the way.
Good job, Laurie – photos tomorrow. Like LD, I’m too sleepy tonight.
"Ginobili. . .He's weaving, he's throwing up triple axels in sneakers, he's willing the ball into the basket. It's Cirque du Soleil with refs." Dan Oshinsky / KENS 5
Carlisle’s moves were… peculiar. He didn’t really justify them very well in the post-game news conference either. I think Avery Johnson is still being paid next year by Cuban… anyone wanna bet that AJ will replace RC next season? :P (Of course I’m joking, but AJ brings a wild-card quality to the rivalry, with his knowledge of the Spurs and Pop’s system.)
If anyone had told me that the Spurs would hold the Mavs to eight points in the first quarter of a close-out game, and lead by 22 points in the second quarter, I would have said that Dallas would implode. Though the Mavs lost composure at times (for example, Hill, the cagey soph, managed to get Dirk to commit two stupid, cheap fouls), they kept focus and chipped down the lead. Kudos to them for demonstrating a mental resilience I didn’t expect them to have.
In the end, I’d say that Dallas got some great individual performances from Dirk, Caron, and Roddy, but didn’t get a Spurs-like team effort down the home stretch, especially on the defensive end. San Antonio’s team defense and rebounding and hustle were beautiful to see, and maybe those were the key difference-makers in the win.
We knew from the start that Haywood is more dangerous for us than Dampier, but it took a while for Carlisle to realize it. Kidd could never play well against us, not in NJ, not in Dallas. We knew that Beaubois is a kind of a player that can be troublesome for us. Carlisle didn’t play him until the last game. I guess, he didn’t quite understand his team and his players. Pop spent the season learning about his team and his players. Carlisle was busy trying to win more games. If the Mavs keep their core, Butler and Beaubois can be very good for them next year. Still, Butler is not good enough to be their main guy. They seem to be an ultimate regular season team.
I am here to state the obvious.
I think the issue is egos. Carlisle fears benching Terry, because if the rookie doesn’t succeed, JET might be checked out already. You could argue that last night he was. They need a better team, not better players. They just don’t get it.
Last night I was reminded of a story from my childhood….
When I was in probably 5th or 6th grade, I played YMCA basketball. Well, my team was really really bad. One game went really badly one day in terms of fouls and a couple of fights initiated by our team. After the game, our coach took me and my best friend outside of the gym, and she told us she would get us moved to another team if we wanted. We didn’t want to be moved, and decided we wanted to stay with our team finishing out the season.
The point of the story is that last night, I turned to my best friend and said, “You remember YMCA when they asked us to move to another team? Some one needs pull Carlisle outside of the gym and ask him if he’d like to move somewhere else and that they would arrange it for him.” My friend replied, “Yeah, like, ‘we have a job in LA with the Clippers. NJ? How about New Orleans? You can have Chris Paul.’”
Dallas doesn’t deserve Carlisle. Egos. Crybabies. Psycho owner. No identity. It’s all beneath him and his love of the game and you can read it all over his face when you see his postgame press conferences.
Going to the Clippers from Dallas would be no favor, believe me. But yeah, I get your point. :)
by TeamDefense on Apr 30, 2010 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, Dallas has some problems in how this team is built:
1) Dirk is not good enough to be the leader of a championship team. He is a great player. He is almost good enough. Just not quite. May be he should go and reunite with his old pal Nash in Phoenix.
2) They seem not to like each other.
3) Too many personnel changes, too much drama. They always change players, coaches. Cuban is in a perennial fight with someone. It prevents them from establishing a really strong team identity from top to bottom. Most of their people seem to be there only because they are paid to be there, not because they want to be there.
They are still a very good team. It’s not their fault, that the Spurs fell all the way down to the 7th this year. They would probably win a series on their floor against anyone else beside the Spurs and the Lakers.
I am here to state the obvious.
I always wonder what would’ve happened if Dirk and Nash kept playing together.
I smell death... everywhere.
Dallas had even more roster turnover than the Spurs, and Carlisle couldn’t spend the whole season learning about Butler and Haywood because they didn’t arrive until February.
Cuban’s kind of like a real-life version of a fantasy-league owner.
by doggydogworld on Apr 30, 2010 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
This is why I think most teams don’t win in the long run. They don’t build for the long haul but just for the present season. I think Mark Cuban having all that money also gets in the way of truly building a winning team (as opposed to a collection of individuals tossed together for a season or so). You can picture him as a kid in a candy store salivating at everything bigger he chances upon. Yes, every team should be on the lookout for ways to make their team better but getting the best player out there just because he’s availbale doesn’t guarantee success. Granted, Howard was’nt going to help them this season (and as if on cue went out with a season ending injury), but getting a number of players in the middle of the season to play starter’s minutes and expect them to immediately succeed is well, . . . optimistic. Most fans have this perspective, get the best players out there throw them into a team and watch them dominate (yes this is also how I play and rule in NBA Live), and when they don’t, toss a granade to the roster and start all over again. Maybe it has something to do with the core you’re building around all these years (Dirk, Jet, Damp). Or maybe the franchise player anchoring the team (the franchise/best player of the recent championship teams are two-way, multi-dimensional players). Continuity and familiarity makes a team play better than the sum of its parts.
A team who had been so hyped up to win everything will inevitably crash hard when it fails. After they won their playoff opener against us, I really was surprised about all their talk about going to the finals. Are you kidding me? It’s the first game of the first round of a best of seven series. Right then and there they set themselves up to fail bigtime. I sure am glad I’m a Spurs fan. We always reach for the sky but we also keep our feet on the ground.
by TD21 on Apr 30, 2010 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
True, they played like they didn’t gel (at least to the level needed for the playoffs), but they didn’t implode either, even when things looked bleak for them.
by TeamDefense on Apr 30, 2010 10:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Mavs didn’t quite but the lead reduced itself somewhat on the shooting averaging out and in part to Spurs missed FTs. Eliminating a veteran team is never simple and our lead was built on defense. At some point great offense will make plays even against great defense and when it did, the lead shrunk. When we hit an offensive dry spell (including a missed dunk) it gave the team in desperate search for belief some life. The good thing is that the lead was so large that the Mavs expended a great deal of energy just to lead by one point for 21 seconds.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
This first round revenge was sweet. We beat a team we didn’t beat for a while, we won as a 7th against 2nd, beating their 6th against 3rd last season win. Still, one thing was missing. I wanted to see one game, where the Mavs would be totally embarrassed, some 30+ plus beating, with subs finishing the game and starters watching from the bench. The Celtics beat the Lakers this way in the Finals, and it was very sweet. Last year, the Mavs won some lopsided games against us, and it was depressing. In this series, the Mavs won the only one-sided game (5th). First Q of the game 6 looked like the series will be over in the 3rd. Instead, it was over after 47:40. The win is still sweet, but not as sweet as it could be if we finished this game like we started it.
I am here to state the obvious.
Game 5 was lopsided, but the minutes tell a different story. Pop was very quick to throw in the towel and not burn our guys out in an uphill battle that could have made it closer.
Nice to see order being restored in the Western Conference....
now spank the Suns, and let’s really have some fun.
Nice job Spurs. God I hate the Mavs. Mark Cuban.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
by pslakerfan on Apr 30, 2010 2:09 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Probably not
I believe whole-heartedly in them for Game 6, but the Lakers won’t lose a Game 7 on thier home floor and be the second #1 to lose. The only problem I see is Denver/Utah basically gift wrapping themselves for the Lakers….. the Jazz can’t buy a win and the Nuggets just suck without Karl.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
What would scare me if I was a Lakers fan is drawing a soft ref in game 7 with Durant and Westbrook as FTA-magnets.
If they have a soft ref in Game 7 the Lakers will get tons of calls as well because they always start the game by going inside to Bynum and Gasol, and Bryant will get to the line a good amount as well. It would even out.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Hey Hey
Good to see you again pslakerfan – and thanks! I would say Good Luck to your team in Game 6 – your guys look like they could honestly use the rest.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
never left, just lurking most of the time.
As a pessimist it pains me to say it, but…….I think the Lakers will win tonight pretty easily. Just a general feeling about young teams in pressure situations.
I will know tonight. Hope we meet up in the WCF.
P.S. Mark Cuban blaming the officials again. Shock. Maybe he should buy the Nuggets?
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
That ugly-as-sin German player
Am I that ugly?
:::sigh:::
FML.
I'm not saying something is wrong, but something isn't right.
What a win. I’m flyiiiiiiing.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 30, 2010 2:48 AM CDT reply actions
it was my daughter's fault
my 5 year old said “spurs are going to win” when they were up by 22. i told her that she can say they are winning, but never ever say they are going to win.
sorry
dave mcnulla
spurs fan
Perhaps her food shall be withheld for a day or two.
I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.
I wouldn’t change a thing about this series. It tested the team, brought about the best in George Hill and proved the Spurs are very much alive, very much a force to be reckoned with. Contenders at last.
Agree and so true. It’s the playoffs, intrastate rival and division foe. Just because we’re better didn’t mean it was going to be easy. During a lethargic moment in our regular season, i wondered whom outside of the Big-3 would step up for us and make playoff memories. Plural. There were times I could not see anyone capturing the opportunities that lay ahead.
The time to truly fall in love with players and appreciate their presence on the roster is attached to what they do in the Spring. We’ve lost a few of our dependable guys the last few seasons (Horry, Barry, Bowen, Finley). Guys that were old but whom we trusted in the clutch moments. I’m pleased to see that in this series we’ve seen Hill and Dyce on numerous occasions, plus RJ and Blair one some others come through and do what they do quite well. This is where vets earn their keep, youngsters make a name and both seal themselves into the hearts of Spurs fans forever. More memories to come. On to round two.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
by SpurredOn on Apr 30, 2010 4:56 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Recc’ed.
I thought Dice would be on the trading block a few weeks ago. Now, I will be sad if he isn’t playing for us next year. Regular Season Dice can just chill on the bench (maybe 20 minutes or so a game) and Splitter can start during the regular season.
I’m glad that almost everyone here at PtR was proven right. Some thought we’d blow out the Mavs and win by double digits. Done. Others foresaw a tight game where our players would be more solid in the clutch while being pushed across the finish line by the home fans. Also done.
Now, those of us who wanted Dallas and saw this as our best match-up step forward and be proud. We won and advanced with sweet vengeance. Those who preferred Phoenix will now get their wish as we hopefully set the Suns once again. I am so grateful this doesn’t begin until Monday. Manu’s nose, Duncan’s legs and our hearts could use a few days of rest. I also want a fully healed Hairston in round 2 as I think this series will provide some opportunities for him.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see a lot, if any, of Hairston in the second or further rounds—please let further rounds happen. The rotation is down to 7 or 8 players with spot minutes for the number 7 and 8.
I think part of that was how difficult some of the lineups were that Dallas threw at us. Dirk being the on the court alone dictated a lot and then they have 4 guards that can be subbed in at will that need to be accounted for.
I think we have more freedom to play Bogans, Bonner, and Hairston against PHX.
Yep. Plus the pace, though slower than PHX will want it, will be faster than the Dallas series even with us slwoing it down. We’re a more atheltic team than people realize and I think Hairston has more players in this series he could guard playing the kind of minutes that Blair did against Dallas.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Already too excited about Suns series
Looking at their roster and watching them against Portland a bit, I can’t help wondering how the Suns could win the series. This Mavs series was one of the best I’ve ever seen…by both teams, and if the Spurs can bring even most of that composure and energy and talent to the next series, I can’t see how the Suns rag-tag team is going to beat them. There are many different matchups that will help the Spurs (Duncan no longer has to face Haywood and/or Dampier…I mean those 2 REALLY gave him problems this series), but George Hill will likely have a hard time running the offense against a team where you have to control the tempo. Tempo was so so in the Mavs game, but against the Suns, we have to make sure that we get back on D after every basket. The Mavs and Lakers were the 2 scariest teams to me in the West, and we just beat the Mavs in 6. I really can’t wait for the next round because it just feels like a Sun thrashing right around the corner.
Don’t underestimate the Suns… we’re still going to need a bunch to go right in order to beat them. They may be rag-tag, but they closed the season just as strongly as we did. When Steve Nash isn’t hurting, he’s still the best pure point in the NBA. Him and Amare are one of the deadliest pick and roll combos in the league (tied with Boozer/Deron IMO) and J-Rich is the ultimate X-Factor. When he goes off, the Suns are virtually unbeatable. And Grant Hill is still capable of putting up big nights when he really needs to, and he actually plays some pretty solid D too. Their bench isn’t scrub-city. This Suns team is pretty dangerous, and don’t think I’ve forgotten that depressing Suns-Spurs game I went to in December where the Spurs got slaughtered despite a vintage Timmy performance.
"Whereas I never went fly like some of the boys." -- Ice
Spurs beat the Mavs in 6 even after rolling over and playing dead in game 5.
I’m warning everyone, you will hate Jared Dudley by the end of our series with PHX. Watching him play last night was like watching someone trying to be Kevin Garnett, attitude-wise.
Dudley thinks he can guard Manu judging from our last game. Boy, I so want Gino to prove that guy wrong.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 30, 2010 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions
I concur – while he is definitely thier ‘Energy guy’ I categorize him with Barea. Ugh. I think that they will end up hating Hill more than we will hate Dudley. I said it in the other thread, but it bears repeating – we’ve never had someone of Hill’s absolute caliber against the Suns, and they cannot concentrate on just shutting down the Big 3. Also I think that Blair will have a huge series because they don’t have the size or fortitude up front to really contest him. If that comes to pass, it alone should keep Tim fresh, and that would be absolutely awesome :)
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Jason Richardson is my big worry for this series
"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 Apr 30, 2010 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
are you talking about after he drained that three when roy fouled him after they had tied the game??? Jared dudley is the most laid back guy on the team, you may hate him after the series, but it’s not gonna be cause he’s barking out there, dude’s deadly from behind the arc. The only real rooster on our team is amare’ stoudemire and I assume you guys already have a slight hatred toward him.
wait till you see amare's new gag
he’s been doing the “jump up and knock the ball out of the air” when players take practice shots after fouls or timeouts or quarter ends..I hated that when garnett started doing it, and I don’t like it when he does it either.
Considering my favorite stat cat. is blocks (I led Central Texas High School in blocked shots in 1998, a thank ya) I wish that joker would learn to do it when it counted. He could be one of the best ever, if that were the case. But, against the Spurs, he should just stick to doing it when nothing matters.
At least you and Cedarpark knew at a young age to bring the D. Question I now have is whether you both understood the need to block it to a teammate and not into the stands?
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
as great as blocking a shot to another one of your teammates is, there a few thing more demoralizing to a player than having your shot knocked into the 10th row.
I disagree, but I know where you’re coming from. I think at this level everyone has had their stuff sent nose-bleed a few times.
My pops used to tell me this story of Bill Russell and what he did a few times: catch the shot in mid-air, and outlet it to the PG before his feet touched the ground, setting up a fast break. That is demoralizing your opponent,.
Your a Suns fan, right? ::cough::Amare::cough::
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Apr 30, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions
he really was annoying.
In Manu, we trust.
by day_late_friend on May 1, 2010 6:18 AM CDT up reply actions
PHX is better in halfcourt offense than Dallas but worse in halfcourt defense. This means more points for both teams. They will force the pace even harder than Dallas but it’s still critical that we control it. Whereas Dallas didn’t break 90 points in their losses, the Suns may reach 100 and still lose. That’s just how they play.
The 3-pt line will be critical. Like Suns teams of five years ago, these guys live there. Last night they made 12 at over 50% and still didn’t break 100 points. Take that down and we’ll be fine. My worry is that in past years we had Barry, Finley and Horry throwing in 3s. Bonner better bring his shot this series. Fortunately he’ll have a much easier guard in Frye, Dudley or Omsbud (sp) instead of Dirk. I expect that Duncan, Dyce and Blair will allow us to punish them inside in ways that Portland couldn’t. That will also help slow the pace.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
The Scary thing about Phoenix is the Pick and Roll. The Spurs showed almost no ability to guard it this year. Hence why teams that used it extensively (Rockets, Utah) gave the Spurs so much trouble. I can’t help but think of the 4th quarter of the 2nd RS game, where Nash and Amare ran it on every possession and were successful every time.
The Spurs better be well prepared for it.
That seems like its it, though. People are pointing out the strengths of the Suns so far, and I’m not impressed. In comparison to what the Mavs were capable of and who they had, I would think guarding J rich and barbosa is childs play compared to Butler and terry. When J Rich goes off, he’s wide open. The guy doesnt hit one on one shots or have the driving ability like Butler. Amare is amare, and the style he plays generally works very well agains tthe defense the Spurs present, but I’m not worried if Amare gets 30+ in the series. He usually does and the Spurs still win the series. Nash hasn’t been scoring this season. Theres nothing that I really fear about this team. The playoffs become about matchups, and our matchups against the Suns look better right now than they have in the past.
The Portland series was nothing. Roy was barely able to do anything when he even played, and without his passing, they relied on an old Andre Miller and a far too inexperienced guard in Bayless. There was no challenge! If the pick and roll is all the Suns have, I think thats fine. The only other things that can kill us is turnovers and playing dumb on the road.
is it possible to get dirk?
Ginobelieve!---That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)---Manu is the god of basketball-write it down in your list of Greek gods.Zeus says its official---his a fan!
No
"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 Apr 30, 2010 7:19 AM CDT up reply actions
did charles just picked the suns over us?and kenny picked us?(actually he could have went and picked the suns).so do you agree to what kenny said that pop should start tony cuz his a better match up against the suns and hill was the better one against the mavs?—-well if i were pop i won’t do anything with the line up—-i won’t destroy something that is built but—-if there is something wrong in game 1 that needs to be done—-then let it be—-but for now just let it be,what our roster is like——because we finally have a team
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2010/04/29/20100429_inside_5.nba/?ls=iref:nbahpt1
Ginobelieve!---That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)---Manu is the god of basketball-write it down in your list of Greek gods.Zeus says its official---his a fan!
It was a tough question for Charles. His basketball instincts made him want to pick the Spurs, but he’s still a Sun at heart, and he went with his heart. He’s not 100% with his pick at all, was hedging all over the place in the discussion that followed.
Whatever. They’re not going to be the guys on the floor, nor are we. It’s gonna be decided by the Spurs and Suns players. It should be good. :)
by TeamDefense on Apr 30, 2010 10:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Great Series Win-Tougher one ahead
The 1st round win over Dallas was a classic for Spurs fans. Both teams left it all on the floor. Now its on to Phoenix and what may very well be even a bloodier battle. The Nash Stoudamire pick and roll will present all kinds of problems for the Spurs. Solving that problem without leaving Richardson open for 3 pointers will be difficult. On the other end whoever Nash is guarding should become the point guard because Nash can’t stay with Parker, Hill or Ginobli. They all can beat him off the dribble and a pick from Duncan, McDyess, etc. may not be necessary. I expect the Sun bigs to collapse to the middle to stop the drive penetrations of Parker, Ginobli and Hill which means our 3 point shooters will have to be on the money to match the long range shooting of Phoenix. Phoenix had a relativly easy time with the injury plagued Trailblazers while the Spurs had to expend a lot of energy to top Dallas. The three day rest will mean more to the Spurs than to Phoenix. In order to get past the Suns Pop will have to direct the Spurs to one of the first two opening games at Phoenix. No easy task. Coming back to San Antonio down 0-2 will be too much. Slowing Nash down and playing a half court game will be the challenge. I anticipate Blair guarding Stoudamire when he goes high post and faces up.
yes but Defense wins Championships
"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 Apr 30, 2010 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions
I heard. I heard just today at Ball Don’t Lie, for example, that it’s time to—
—Respect the Phoenix D, NBA. LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller and Brandon Roy combined to shoot 11-43 in Game 6 (25.5 percent), and it’s not like a slump was in effect. The Suns just got after it.
Grant Hill was the go-to man, defensively, but Amar’e Stoudemire was moving his feet, Jarron Collins was a factor — a good factor — and Channing Frye helped. Jason Richardson hung around and found guys in transition, and the Suns held a very good offensive team to just 101.1 points per 100 possessions on their home floor.
Others contributed, but it was Jason Richardson’s 28 that pushed Phoenix over the top. He averaged 23.5 points and seven boards on the series, and in a sentence I can’t believe I’m typing, those stats are even more impressive when you factor in the slow pace this series was played at. Phoenix and Richardson scored on quite a few fast breaks, but there were fewer chances to put up stats in this series than most teams — and Phoenix, no less — are used to.
And I saw with my own eyes Grant Hill rise up and block the stuffing out of Jerryd Bayless last night.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but you won’t hear the tired old “no D in Phoenix” line from these lips before we get down to bidness on Monday.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
What surprised me most about Phoenix D was their rotations. They kept chasing guys off the line and making the right defensive reads for the most part.
they’ve had to do that since lopez went out, when nash is guarding someone who can dust him (see 99% of league point guards) they’ve brought a big up to help, guard kicks to wing and richardson, hill, dudley, or channing closes out. Doesn’t always work but they usually get a hand in someone’s face without fouling, they’re getting alot better at it.
I can tell. I for one, am impressed at their defensive improvements. They have the athletic ability to play good defense, so from that regard, it’s not a surprise. Can’t wait until game time on Monday!
no kidding
i’m bouncing off the walls being EXTREMELY unproductive at work just thinking about monday night.
Yes… Charles called them the ‘defensive-minded Phoenix Suns.’
Don’t you believe him? ;-)
by TeamDefense on Apr 30, 2010 10:24 PM CDT up reply actions
The three days off will help Nash as much as it helps our guys, maybe even more.
The Suns did good to close it out at Portland. Otherwise, they’d be looking at Game 7 and having to play Nash again, whether he was 100% or not.
by TeamDefense on Apr 30, 2010 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Tonight the Spurs conspired to kill me. They started the game on fire, and played their best defense of the season for the entire first quarter. The early 20-point lead that ensued seemed part of my wildest fantasies, and I eagerly asked that no one would pinch me. It was too good to be true, right? Right. Half an hour later I was shouting at my screen and the Mavs had retaken the lead by 1 point. I was going back and forth between the kitchen TV and my computer, and felt a pang of something in the middle of my chest, and I was out of breath and I wanted to punch something. Mostly a Maverick. Mostly Dirk. Tunnel vision started to set in.
You almost perfectly described (move the TV) my actions last night… Great recap, LD.
"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 Apr 30, 2010 7:25 AM CDT reply actions
I can’t move it, unfortunately. I always watch the game at the computer via ILP, but the TV was ahead by half a minute, so I just had to check it a few times. I should get my TV tuner fixed.
I smell death... everywhere.
If you have time, browse through the MoneyBall game thread. Definitely amusing.
"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 Apr 30, 2010 8:00 AM CDT reply actions
I was reading it after the game. They kinda went all SpursTalk towards the end when they were trying to reach 2,000 comments.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 30, 2010 8:34 AM CDT up reply actions
Maybe they were going for a “More comments in a single post than PtR” championship banner?
"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 Apr 30, 2010 8:39 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Heh, and they still lost! (assuming our two game threads are added up)
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 30, 2010 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions
They reached the 2k comment mark based on pics of girls and other things (including one of thier ‘managers’ posting a very hot pic of herself. Sorry ATS I think she’s much cuter than you). If you do post there please be respectful – treat them as you would want to be treated :)
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
I’m actually pretty nervous about the next round. But we’ll see how it shakes out.
Tim Duncan(USVI), Manu Ginobili(Argentina), Tony Parker(France)... no wonder Arizona hates foreigners.
So am I. I’m more afraid of Phoenix than I was of Dallas. Phoenix has something Dallas didn’t have—team chemistry. The Suns have genuine camaraderie (something the Mavs used to have when Nash and Dirk were playing together), and their communication on the court is miles above what we saw from the Ponies.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
The big difference
is going to be defense and composure. The Spurs have it, the Suns are still trying to discover it. Last night after that game most of the Suns were lauding thier ‘improved defense’ but throughout almost the whole game thier defense consisted of doubling both Roy and Aldridge, and the other Blazers except for Fernandez couldn’t make the Suns pay. Dare they do that with the Spurs (double Manu and Tim)? I say go for it – Hill and McDyess would eat them alive, not to mention they really can’t double a full-speed Tony.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Yes I’m with you….my main concern is if we can keep up the defensive intensity throughout the series and control the tempo like we did with Dallas. Even though we won while running next ot the Suns in the past, this team is different and won’t be that easy, is key to dictate tempo to win this one…
Hopefully the 3 day rest ( the only one until game 7) will gives us the energy needed for a new run…. I know Dice and Timmy need a good day off.
by spursfan_needs_counseling on Apr 30, 2010 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Same here. The Spurs match up better with Phoenix, that’s for sure, but the Suns also aren’t likely going to go on huge dry spells to the same degree that the Mavs did. The Spurs won’t be able to afford as many RQCs as they did in the first round.
The Mavs’ dry spells corollated to Spurs defense. The same will happen at times with PHX. The Mavs also had spells were the couldn’t miss, as streaky jump shooting teams do. Same will happen with PHX. Fortunately the Suns don’t plays defense quite as well as the Mavs so we should better be able to not have the same type of scoring droughts on our end.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I think that’s a fair assessment. My only concern is that Phoenix moves the ball better than Dallas. It’s much easier to play D when you know if 1 player won’t ever touch the ball and that 2-3 more will never pass the ball again once they do. The Spurs also won’t have a guy they can lay off of like Dampier for most of the game.
The Spurs though will really need someone other than Manu and Hill to hit a few threes per game (Hello Bonner!). Our biggest advantage will be on the glass though. Tim, Dyess, and Blair, should all average 12-15 boards per 48 this series.
I actually feel the Spurs match up better with the Suns than they do with the Mavs, so I’ll say Spurs in six.
And I’ll say platitude. Just because I love that word.
What’s not to love?
.
.
.
Ohhh, platitude.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
plain + attitude = platitude?
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 30, 2010 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions
Because we have beat them in the past so much in important games, I really think we own their heads. That being said, we still have to jump on them early like we did to Dallas in order to maintain this position. Defence. Defence. Defence.
Going by the calendar at nba.com, Game 1 of the Spurs/Suns series is Monday at 9:30pm Spurs time, and will be on TNT. Game 2 is Wednesday at 7pm and will also be on TNT. Game 3 on Friday at 8:30pm, ESPN. Game 4 Sunday, 7pm, TNT.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
Monday.
::sigh::
That’s plenty of time . . . to go completely batshit crazy.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
Nah – enjoy the weekend and the win. One other thing I noticed last night is that the announcers were very keen to mention ‘the Spurs are resting’ about every five minutes, and in the post game items the Suns were talking about it too, in more of a “man we had to have this, the Spurs are resting…..” They didn’t seem overly thrilled, almost 1/2 dejected already going “OMG we’re playing the Spurs!”
…Yeah I think we’re in thier heads :)
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Oh, the wait is definitely best for the Spurs.
I may have to keep myself sedated, but it’ll be worth it in the long fun.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
There is a TWSS in there somewhere….
"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 Apr 30, 2010 9:30 AM CDT up reply actions
Sorry to hear your job sucks
Here’s to hoping you have some Mavs (or better yet) Suns fans to keep you entertained.
Mmmm Suns tears keeps my Spurs motor going strong all year long!
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
suns fan here
looking forward to another suns/spurs match up, you guys have been coming on as of late and so have we, it’ll be interesting to see how the teams differ from our regular season match ups. Can’t wait for this one to start!
Hi Ceek
Great to see you here! I hope that this series will be just as good as the Spurs/Mavs series. Quick question – as you can see we’re mostly worried about Jason Richardson….who worries you guys the most?
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
my biggest fear
besides the obvious manu, is tony parker. I honestly think this series will hinge on two things, one is the questionable return of Robin Lopez, he matches up pretty well against duncan, and his “replacement” is jarron collins, who has been starting for us in Robin’s absence and playing about 13 minutes a game. So if we can get Robin back to full strength that doesn’t nullify timmy, but it does help out alot, especially when you consider double teaming and leaving your perimeter open, etc…the other thing is Tony Parker, Tony as you well know has his way with steve nash most of the time, he’s been on the down and out so far this year but it seems as though he’s coming on when it matters most. So if we get Robin back and can find an answer for Tony, be it defense or him not performing, I like our chances.
It doesn’t look like Lopez will be back for this series. He would most likely be a huge liability if he does come back. You can’t really practice or exercise extensively while recovering from a bulging disc.
And from what I understand, he isn’t doing much at the moment.
The Suns emphasized again that there is still no timeline for his return, and an appearance in the second round seems extremely unlikely.
"I feel a lot better but I still have a ways to go," said Lopez. "I just started running and you can kind of tell that a little bit."
"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 Apr 30, 2010 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions
yea
gentry has been pretty tight lipped about him coming back, I wouldn’t buy too much into what the media or team phoenix is saying about him, think about it, if he was ready to go, why give san antonio the advantage of planning for him…maybe that’s just the optimist in me but I think he’ll show up sometime in the 2nd round.
Robin Lopez, he matches up pretty well against duncan
When has there ever been a WC team that hasn’t thrown this line out there? Has it ever played out well for that team?
The only time I can think of was the Horace Grant debacle that one year.
When has there ever been a WC team that hasn’t thrown this line out there?
We haven’t thrown that line out there, for several years in fact, we were open and honest about the fact that we had absolutely to inside presence to match up with Timothy Duncan.
Kurt Thomas.
Shaq.
Blah,
blah,
blah
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Apr 30, 2010 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Like ATS said, we heard about Kurt Thomas (whose game I still appreciate up in Deer land) as a “Duncan Stopper” then how Shaq allowed PHX to not double TD plus make him work on the other end. That’s right up there with Raja Bell being a “Manu Stopper.”
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
whomever claimed that kurt thomas was a duncan stopper was drinking too much kool-aid, and personally, I never thought shaq was a good addition to our team, and i definitely never thought he would help us against tim duncan, dwight howard maybe, tim duncan, no.
You then sound like a balanced fan, from your other posts as well. You’re making this build up for the series smooth and friendly.
Now, once a home team loses a game we’ll find out how much emotion clouds our logical thinking. =)
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Then you can’t use ‘we’, because ‘we’ certainly threw that line out there year after year.
But, having said that and re-read your comment, I understand you to be saying that you have never throne (intentional) that line out there ever. And that for several years, you were open and honest about not having anybody.
I originally read it as “We haven’t thrown that line out there for several years”.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Apr 30, 2010 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions
sorry
there’s a thin line between “we” and “I”, I suppose if I wanted to dissect it further I would claim that “we” meant the collective educated suns fans, not the organization and media as a whole.
There are a whole boatload of Suns fans who say things like that. But, that’s true of any fan base. Unfortunately, none of us can disassociate ourselves from the knuckleheads.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Apr 30, 2010 8:20 PM CDT up reply actions
and as far as richardon goes
I don’t know what that guy has been eating for breakfast, he’s playing like a man possessed right now, and though i’d like to see it continue, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t put up quite the performance that he did against portland.
p.s. thanks for the welcome, swing over the bright side of the sun anytime, they’re pretty welcoming over there as long as you’re not an idiot (i assume the same rules go here)
Yes, the same rules apply. It’s a great board and welcomes opposing fans opinions as long as they stay pretty classy and focused on basketball. Wecome to the board.
Here's a question for you Ceek
If you hang around here you’ll inevitably hear about PtR speaking of the ‘Crawford Game’. This of course is referring to Joey Crawford who unfortunately has a rather checkered history with our Spurs. It does seem around the league that one ref really irates fans of a particular team – in the Mavs series I came to find out it was Danny Crawford for them, for Lakers fans I think it’s Steve Javie, etc.
What ref (if any) do you guys look at and go “oh crap. Here we go…”
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Sorry BlasE – I just recently was able to ‘come back’ to cheering on the Spurs on this great site! One year + being away and such made me forget. I’ll be better from now on :)
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
in my own opinion
it’s joey crawford, although some blazers fans would probably show up at my house with torches and pitch forks if they heard me say that after some questionable calls in game 5. My stance on refs is this, if you know their name, (crawford, bavetta, javie, etc..) then I probably don’t want them reffing the game, people know about these refs for a reason.
I’d like for billy crystal to ref all of my team’s playoff games, he looked like he really had a handle on it in “Forget Paris”.
THE Crawford of our bane? Really? Heck in that case be sure to visit us during the inevitable game – you would probably fit right in.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Lakers fans don’t like Javie? That’s funny. He’s considered the best ref out there in that he does not become influenced by the crowd, start coaches or players. Ahh, I just answered my own question.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
by SpurredOn on Apr 30, 2010 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
One thing of concern to me is that we relied a lot on long jump shots to stop their runs and impose our will at the end. This might have to be the way you do it at the end of the playoffs because no team wants to allow anything easy in the paint (plus our free throw shooting is horrible).
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
If only we could snag the Mavs free throw coach
because that’s been the achilles’ heel of the Spurs for as long as I’ve known them. Hopefully they will buck that trend vs. the Suns, who are also a very good FT shooting team.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
And we have such a great shooting coach so it is a difficult trend to explain.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Apr 30, 2010 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I remember a playoff game eons ago when Najera shot the Mavs’ first FT and missed, then they made the next 49 straight.
by doggydogworld on Apr 30, 2010 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Game 1 2006
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Apr 30, 2010 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Do you guys think
that the rivalry between our two teams actually has any REAL consequence on the floor? As an avid suns fan I can’t think of anything else, and maybe nash, amare, duncan, gino, and parker have it in the backs of their minds, but most everyone else is a new addition since 07. thoughts?
I think its more between the fans.
Both teams have quite a few new people since the last series.
"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 Apr 30, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree. Stoudemire always has ungodly games against the Spurs. Off the top of my head, the times he’s been healthy and he’s made the playoffs the Spurs have ended his season every time. It would mean a lot to him to beat San Antonio.
Asked before the game how Parker has looked, Popovich said, "He’s still cute. "
It would be even more comical if Horry and/or Bowen still wore a Spurs jersey.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I'm quite glad they don't actually :)
And even though I know this is gonna sound homeresque, amare’ really had developed into quite the player this year, much more defensive minded and more “hustle”, i’m sure you guys know what I mean by that, even though he’s still a peacock, he plays like he genuinely cares about this team. Which is something that I couldn’t say for him at the beginning of this season.
His rebounding numbers, considering the pace at what the Suns play, tell me that he’s still too committed to running and scoring instead of defending then rebounding. I don’t doubt your assessment as you know far better than I.
In the past I’ve always felt that he and the Suns didn’t want to committ a high energy level to defense because it wears on your legs and brain thus taking something away from ones offense. I’m interested to see if he has to guard TD in the post and deal with Dyce how it impacts his shooting over the course of a full series. If he drifts too much mentally he’ll leave Dyce and Bonner wide open outside, or get into foul trouble with Duncan.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I highly doubt you’ll see him on duncan much, gonna be collins and frye (or lopez..lol) when they pass to timmy I would assume they’d use the same tactic they did against lemarcus aldridge and pinch down with the guard for the double team. it’s gonna be up to parker and hill for you guys to win the series.
Big difference is that Duncan actually goes into the post area just outside of the paint. Aldridge drifts further out toward the arc and wants to shoot jumpers. This makes it easier to double him and rotate back, avoid fouling and not screw up your rebounding position.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
you're right
aldrige does do that, but a majority of the time in our series he was right outside of the block, shooting turn around j’s from the baseline to about 7 feet in from the baseline. He actually reminds me alot of timmy, minus the perimeter shooting preferences, if that guy ever gets a decent post game he’s gonna be scary.
True but I wonder if he really wants to bang in the post. It wears on you and you have to want to be fouled and have the discipline of foot work and post moves with counter moves. I’m not sure he’s committed to that. His style would make him a better small forward mismatch, at least while he’s young enough to be agile to cover some SF. He’d certainly give his team a huge height advantage in the frontcourt.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Great recap LD, as always. With props to Georgie, I thought the most important shot of the game was the three that Manu hit seconds after the Mavs took their one lead of the night. The elation the Mavs must have felt at finally getting “over the hump” had to be bitch-smacked by that three. But, as you said, this was truly a team victory, with everyone contributing. Oh, and I still think Manu should wear black tape over his schnoz, it’s less distracting to the eye’s peripheral sight.
I haven’t seen it on PTR, but I just wanted to let everyone know that the Spurs run the Liam Neison (sp?) clip from Clash of the Titans where he yells, “Release the Krakken!!!” the first time Blair does something in a playoff game. So Krakken is like an official nickname for him, I guess, long-armed beast that he is.
Someone posted that as a Fanshot, I think it was LatinD.
In Manu, we trust.
by day_late_friend on May 1, 2010 6:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Great recap! I am so, SO glad to be done with them.
Bit of an about-face… Gotta admire Hollinger for sticking to his system after he was right last time, but I think if he actually thought with his heart instead of his calculator… Oh well. Can’t even call him a hater.
"What is this new devilry?" -Jeff Van Gundy
by DrumsInTheDeep on Apr 30, 2010 10:37 AM CDT reply actions
How about Broussard
Spurs in 5? wow – nice. He usually picks against the Spurs all the time right?
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
I don’t want their support.
Tim Duncan(USVI), Manu Ginobili(Argentina), Tony Parker(France)... no wonder Arizona hates foreigners.
Nor do I. We’ve never needed it. I just love seeing them get all bandwagon-jumpy. Of course, they’d still pick the Lakers in the Conference Finals, should it get there.
"What is this new devilry?" -Jeff Van Gundy
by DrumsInTheDeep on Apr 30, 2010 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Always – the media darlings, Lakers are.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
Crap! I liked the underdog tag better…
Even Stein I remember was counting us out as contenders this year a few months ago, why change now Mr “expert”?
by spursfan_needs_counseling on Apr 30, 2010 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Wouldn’t his system still have the Spurs winning? His end of season numbers had (I think) Magic, Cavs, Spurs as his top 3.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
And I also think the Suns’ point differential towards the end of the season flew past the Spurs, but for the most part, SA was just behind Utah in the Western Conference.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on May 1, 2010 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Nah. We were still number two behind Utah in the West with only Cleveland and Orlando ahead of us both.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
You’re right. I’m a noob. But they did blowout Portland a couple of times.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on May 2, 2010 5:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I’ll take David Thorpe’s loyalty.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on May 1, 2010 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm going with Spurs in 7...
but it’s all about DEFENSE….DEFENSE……DEFENSE…..if they play that smothering defense like they did in the 1st half last night, then they can beat ANYBODY (yes, even the Lakers)….but if they don’t play with that kind of intensity…well, then….I don’t even want to think about it.
by titansfan4ever on Apr 30, 2010 10:44 AM CDT reply actions
If the Spurs play with the Defense they played in Games 2,3,4, and 6 of the Mavs series, it’s Spurs in 5 (I agree that if they take Game 1 they’ll probably mail in Game 2 should the Suns start very hot). If they don’t, then it’s Spurs in 6. If it gets to 7….ugh.
"This team is like a bunch of cockroaches. They just don't die!" -Charles Barkley, after Game 7 vs. the NOOCH.
The "I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You f***ed with the wrong Marine!" face. Because Popovich can be kinda scary.
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