PtR Roundtable @ The All-Star Break
by CapHill on Feb 21, 2011 12:20 PM CST
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Even though the NBA season is past the halfway mark, the All-Star break is a great time to take a look back at the season that has been and a look forward to the season that may be. So join us after the jump for a conversation about our beloved Spurs. Remember, some of these topics were brought up by you £ers.
The Spurs are off to their best start in team history. Is this record a fluke or is it a true barometer of how good the team is?
Josh: This is a fluke that gives me intestinal flukes (Google it, you'll be depressed knowing this exists). Our team is playing good basketball when it matters. When we need that game winning stop, we get it. When we need someone to pick us up from a 10 point deficit, someone does. It's been a lot of fun while we win, and a required double-dose of Prozac when we lose.
Hirschof: No matter what team, every great season has been a combination of talent depth, hard work, coaching, and luck. The Spurs have, so far, big fat check marks on each one of those requirements. Luck has really given the Spurs that extra edge on their great play. San Antonio has stayed healthy for the most part while playing a handful of games against tough opponents who aren't so fortunate.
Big50: As Bill Parcells once said, "You're as good as your record". That's not a completely accurate statement, but I think it holds true in the regular season for the most part. This team is beating good and bad teams alike and they are doing it a lot.
SpursfanSteve: I think the team is this good. We've had "some luck" playing teams without their best players, or with their best players and none of their role players, but in recent history those are the games we used to lose. When other teams win the games they are supposed to, nobody questions them. When the Spurs do it, "we get lucky." The record in comparison to everyone else - we've played head and shoulders above everyone except Boston who has had half their team miss significant time this year, and they are still right behind us.
CapHill: Yes and yes. The team is this good, but their record in close games could be viewed as fluky. This season, the Spurs have a record of 8-2 in games decided by 5 points or less. Rather than "lucky", I view it as evidence of the change in collective mentality towards the regular season. The team dropped too many of these games last year.
jollyrogerwilco: One argument that I've heard to dog the Spurs' record, is that they have played a ton of games against teams who were missing their best players(s). So what? The same thing happened last year and yet they still found a way to lose a lot of those game, and they probably lost them at about the same rate that they lost the rest of their games. Flip that around for this season, and we see them winning not JUST those games, but all of the rest of them at an 82% clip. You can only play the games on your schedule, and so far the Spurs have done that better than every other team in the league.
What about the Spurs has surprised you the most this season?
Josh: When the Spurs are in charge of a game, there is no doubting it. For example, the question isn't, "how will we manage to pull this one out", but now, "how early do we get the 10+ point lead and cruise into the night?"
Hirschof: The distribution (and consistency) of minutes and scoring from top to bottom. The depth of this roster is evident in the season stats.
Big50: Well, besides winning a ton of games and not losing very many, I'd say the improved play of Richard Jefferson. He was bad last year. It hurt my eyes to watch him play at times last year. Yet through hard work and a better understanding of his role he's been great for this team! His shooting in the 4th Quarter is amazine and he's just been really solid. Shocking solid.
SpursfanSteve: The record. Manu starting full time. Blair starting full time (a move I support). Tiago not getting consistent playing time. Gary Neal.
CapHill: The starting lineup. Pop has used the same starters in all the games but one (and we all know that was just a CIA Pop move). Unlike last year, when no player, except for Timmeh, knew his role, every player on roster this season knows exactly what is expected. There are no questions about chemistry.
jollyrogerwilco: Popovich's continued willingness to trust rookies/youngsters with non-trivial roles. I remember everyone busting on Pop after the playoff loss to the Mavs in '09. Particularly the Free George Hill contingent. Pop said he handled the situation badly, but I didn't really think anything had changed for the long haul. It has. Last year, DeJuan Blair got minutes. This year Gary Neal, James Anderson (before the injury), and Tiago Splitter (albeit to a lesser and less consistent extent) have all played parts that have me believing that Pop won't play the new guy won't be a complaint we'll hear going forward. -- Also the record. Wow.
What problem(s) that you anticipated at the beginning of the year is now a non-issue?
Josh: I was concerned about our bench. I mean, who honestly knew Gary Neal, James Anderson, and George Hill would make things work so well? No one knew that, and if you did, you're a liar.
Hirschof: A combination of health and team depth - I didn't believe the bench was going to be much better, if at all, than last season. I expected more minutes for the starting five which would have left the vets worn down and beat up come playoff time.
Big50: Well, besides the health, I think the biggest concern was the play of the big 3. Could Parker bounce back? Could Manu continue his torrid play? Could Duncan do it again for another year? Yes, yes and yes. Without those three guys playing as well as they have and hopefully continue to do, this team isn't close to what we see now.
SpursfanSteve: Health and depth. If Tony misses a couple games, Hill can step up and fill in short-term. If Manu goes down, Neal can do the same. If RJ goes down, we can play our three guard lineup. Bonner hurt? McDyess hurt? Duncan goes down a couple games? We've got it covered. I'm not saying we can live without any of them, but we can survive short term if any individual has to miss some time. Our depth, which we didn't have last year, has gone from a problem to our greatest strength.
CapHill: Inexperience and depth. Yes, the Big 3 are still here, but other than RJ, Matty and Dice, the rest of the team is young. I expected Hill to be solid, but Blair has improved by leaps and LOLbounds, and Neal has been a revelation. The depth has been able to overcome the injuries we've had, while still allowing Manu and Timmeh to rest.
jollyrogerwilco: The outside shooting. I recently reread the PtR Season Preview (the last joint staff piece we did) and what really jumped out at me was the concern everybody had (and after last season, rightfully so) about the Spurs' three point shooting. Turning that weakness into a strength has really set the offense up in a way I didn't expect, and it's one of the main reasons that San Antonio is scoring like never before.
Is this Pop's best coaching job ever?
Josh: I'm going to give credit to the Spurs great start this season to all of the coaching staff. Naturally, Pop runs them all, so he gets all the credit to the schema that we are using. But all of the coaches, including strength and conditioning coaches, and assistant coaches, have turned the sport from basketball to muscle memory. Our Spurs went from offensively offensive to offensive juggernauts. It's incredible.
Hirschof: This is the team's best all-around coaching job. You really have to watch and compare the Spurs non-game work to other teams in order to fully appreciate the amount of work/focus from the coaching staff; from off-season to pre-game.
Big50: Probably, if for no other reason than he's changed himself in front of us. I'm guessing here, but I doubt he wanted to care as much as it appears he does about winning all these regular season games. He's molded his coaching style to fit the players he has and that is truly the mark of a great coach. Winning in different ways shows adaptability and very few coaches have that.
SpursFan Steve: Yes. While this team is probably the most talented team he's ever coached, he's done a great job of keeping everyone in rhythm, healthy, and productive.
CapHill: Yes, if for no other reason than he listened to his players. When Manu came to Pop before the season and talked about getting a better start, The Bearded One could have easily ignored the suggestion and continued with the "Regular Season Games don't mean Anything" philosophy. But Pop didn't. And over the long course of the season, that decision will reap major rewards - just ask the Lakers. (And his inbounds plays don't suck.)
jollyrogerwilco: I think both blame and credit should be shared across the board; players and staff. Pop has done an excellent job so far, but this isn't a question I want to answer until at least the regular season's over.
What issue worries you the most going forward?
Josh: Those games where we don't just lose, but get our asses handed to us. It's as if the Spurs don't come to play. The offense is equal to a High School gym class and the defense could be ran better by a YMCA. It freaks me out that they can be so effective one night and so careless the other.
Hirschof: Consistency from the bench in the playoffs. I know this has been one of the best depth charts the Spurs have ever had but the playoffs are whole different animal. Hopefully they can keep in step with the big three.
Big50: Health is obviously the number one thing. I think that if Anderson and Splitter can start contributing more it will help Manu, Duncan and McDyess a lot to be able to play less minutes and more importantly less meaningless minutes. Our bench is good, but the depth at SG/SF and with the bigs hasn't been great requiring Manu, more than the others, to play a lot of minutes.
SpursfanSteve: Nothing with our team worries me, except health. And Matt Bonner retiring to make more instructional videos.
CapHill: The aliens come back to kidnap Manu. Seriously, other than the obligatory health questions that dog every NBA team, my biggest concern going forward is minutes. As in, decreasing them for Manu and increasing them for Tiago and Anderson (whenever he gets back). Even though the two Jameses may not play much in the 2nd half of the season, it's imperative that they be fully integrated come playoffs.
jollyrogerwilco: Health: it's the one thing out of anyone's control, so it's what most concerns me. That said, if anything CAN be done to reduce the possibility of injury, it's monitoring playing time. Pop's doing a great job of that, so it's not a HUGE concern for me. But it's there.
Which team(s) presents the biggest obstacle to the Spurs in the playoffs?
Josh: Boston and Orlando.
Hirschof: For me, it’s a toss-up against Dallas and Los Angeles. Both series are usually physical and laced with some type of controversy. Each club has a player (Dirk and Gasol) that provides serious match-up problems for the Spurs but I don’t believe either team has the depth (or health) to beat the Spurs in a playoff series.
Big50: Well, in the West, it's still the Lakers. I think the team that most concerns me is Boston. They are good enough defensively to cause us real problems and are very difficult match up for our defenders. To me, the Celtics mentality and talent put them above any other team as far as a problem for the Spurs.
SpursfanSteve: The Boston Celtics. Everyone talks about LA being big, but Boston is bigger. And they have strength where our strengths are - PG, SG, SF, and PF/C. We've got better backcourt depth, but that's our only advantage in a series with them.
CapHill: Boston. The Green Men are big and physical, plus their road through the playoffs will probably be slightly easier in the East. Dirk has always been a nightmare matchup for us, but there is no 2nd banana on the Mavs to help score. The Lakers are an enigma - they could win it all again this year or flame out in the first round. Their length is a problem for us, but so is their health (for them).
jollyrogerwilco: I have to say L.A. If the Spurs get into the Finals, I like their chances against any team in the East, but you can't even talk about that until they make it out of the West, and to do that, they must make it past the defending champs. I don't care whether they're playing well or not right now. By the time the playoffs come around, I fully expect them to be hitting on all cylinders, which makes them the biggest obstacle.
Prediction time - what will be the Spurs' record at the end of the season?
Josh: A very acceptable one.
Hirschof: I made a prediction on Feb 1st that the Spurs would go 26-9 the rest of the season to finish 66-16. They are 6-3 since then.
Big50: 66-16. I don't see the Spurs slowing down too much. I think they'll drop a few more games than what we've see so far this season, but I don't see a huge drop off.
SpursfanSteve: That depends on how close the race for homecourt is. 65-17 is what I think is likely. But if Boston/Miami keep the pressure up, we could win a couple more and hit 67, or if they start to drop off Pop will rest the starters even more and we could level off around 62.
CapHill: Over 60 wins, with HCA in the West.
jollyrogerwilco: Less than 70, with home court throughout the playoffs.
Bonus Question: Is Matt Bonner the greatest ginger of his generation?
SpursfanSteve: On offense, yes. On defense, it's a toss up between him and Scalabrine, who Tom Thibodeau valued so much he brought Brian with him from Boston to Chicago. Bonner is, actually, an above average Ginger Perimeter Defender (GPD). I recall a game against the Lakers last year he was guarding Odom, Odom drove to the basket, and Bonner not only stayed with him but cleanly blocked the shot. He's almost like a rich man's Red Headed Dwight Howard, minus the foul trouble and silly cape.
Josh: Bonner is a great perimeter defender, and the Spurs do an awesome job of making sure he doesn't get posted up. Cause if he does, There Will Be Blood. Ginger blood.
Big50: Haha Ginger blood. I can't think of any other gingers besides Scalabrine to even compare Bonner with. That match up isn't really close. Bonner is the Real Deal Red Rocket. He hustles, he's smart, he loves sandwiches, but most of all he runs with the mud butt. There is none greater.
CapHill: Not only is Matty the Greatest Ginger of his generation, I submit that he is the greatest ginger of all times! Bill Walton was an all-time basketball great, but did he have a 47" vertical and a shyhook? No. Napoleon struck fear in the hearts of his enemies, but not near as much fear as flutters in the collective heart of the Spurs fans when Bonner dribbles and drives the lane. Galileo used the telescope in his search of the skies, but that's nothing compared to The Sandwich Hunter's search for the perfect lunch. Thomas Jefferson was instrumental in expanding rights to the masses, but is that anything compared to Matty's ability to expand the previously limited range of unathletic big guys? I think not. Lucille Ball was one of the preeminent comedians in modern history, but she couldn't use both hands like Coach B. Even Chuck Norris approves my theory.
jollyrogerwilco: He is, but it's not like there's much competition for him.
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I like our first twelve players on the roster, though I believe Novak’s contract has expired and won’t be renewed creating an opening for the 13th spot. It normally wouldn’t be someone expected to make much of a contribution, since you can only suit up 12 at a time. The inactive player doesn’t have to be the same player each game, so you could rotate the spot to sit out McDyess, Tim, Manu or Quinn (who would seem to be the 12th man).
Without giving up a player, the Spurs could make a trade for other considerations (draft choices, past picks in Europe the Spurs have the rights to, or cash) to acquire a player with a contract under $1M. I can think of two possibilities that might be helpful:
Kwame Brown of the Bobcats and Josh McRoberts of Indiana. Both players are starters, but wouldn’t seem to figure into either team’s longterm plans. Both teams are well under .500 and are battling each other to earn the 8th and final seed for the honors of losing in round one. I’d think the team willing to deal would finish out of the playoffs and in the lottery.
It would be tough to find minutes for 6 bigs, but having the opportunity for Tim and McDyess to sit out some games would help a bit (though there is still Tiago to find minutes for). It seems it would add some additional versatility to the team and be good insurance against injury.
If a big goes down, IMO these are our two options: if its short term, we’ll make due like we did when Bonner went down. The healthy bigs will see a 2-3 MPG increase, and we’ll probably see a little more small-ball. No big deal, because we can make due like that for a couple weeks.
If its long term, I think we’re going to use Cousin from the Toros (or a random guy from some other D-League team). And I would much rather have him than Brown or McRoberts.
Kwame Brown is not good insurance against anything.
I doubt you’ll see us sign/trade for anyone that will take us anywhere closer to the luxury tax.
It's in the dictionary under D-E-F-E-N-S-E...I may be wrong, I may be wrong, I may be wrong, I may be may be may be wrong, but I doubt it.
by SpursfanSteve on Feb 21, 2011 1:52 PM CST up reply actions
SpursfanSteve: Nothing with our team worries me, except health. And Matt Bonner retiring to make more instructional videos.
CapHill: Not only is Matty the Greatest Ginger of his generation, I submit that he is the greatest ginger of all times! Bill Walton was an all-time basketball great, but did he have a 47" vertical and a shyhook?
Bravo! Bravo!
Biggest coach Pop/Tiago Splitter homer on the internet™
by Josh Guyer (completely deck) on Feb 21, 2011 1:29 PM CST reply actions
perimeter D still a worrisome sore spot. Still time to incorporate Tiago and Anderson into rotation as they I still believe are both important to playoff success. A question will be also how the rooks respond in playoffs as it is a whole different animal to regular season games
by i luv this site on Feb 21, 2011 2:10 PM CST reply actions
Good discussion, y’all—fun to have you all in the same place at the same time, as it were.
Hirschof, I would like to hear more about this:
You really have to watch and compare the Spurs non-game work to other teams in order to fully appreciate the amount of work/focus from the coaching staff; from off-season to pre-game.
Can you describe the differences you’ve seen here between the Spurs and other teams?
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
First that comes to mind is the pre-game workouts. The Spurs have a scheduled rotation of warm-up/practice for their players prior to every game. I usually get to the AT&T Center to watch this same rotation EVERY time: Jefferson, Quinn, Blair, Splitter, Neal (break for Pop interview), Tony, Tim, and then Manu.
Using Splitter as an example: Splitter normally works with Coach Engelland. Splitter will spend some time in the low block (usually against Forcier and some interns) and, after so many reps, will then shoot a series of free throws. Sometimes Engelland will have him return to working down low but sometimes they’ll move on to working on screen-and-rolls. Again, free throws will follow, and Tiago will move on to the next drill. Maybe the same drill, maybe from the other side, maybe not, etc. It all ends with a short talk with the coach and while all of this is going on, Gary Neal is sitting on the bench, chatting with media, another player, or Coach Vaughn (who is always on the court). Splitter will walk back to the locker room and Engelland will call for Gary.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, a handful of the opposing team’s players on the other end of the court are just randomly shooting the ball. The most active team (aside from Spurs) I have seen in pre-game has been the Toronto Raptors and they’re under-staffed to do the same things the Spurs do. Instead of interns, one of the coaches was protective pads on his arms while working with Amir Johnson.
"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 Feb 21, 2011 2:56 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
This is the type of “reporting” we are all so hungry for Hirshof. Inside the belly stuff..Give us more.
by indiancharlie on Feb 21, 2011 3:50 PM CST up reply actions
Great information, like to see the spurs keep the focus before the game.
"What excites me the most is when a coach calls a timeout and chews out his forward because I just dunked on his head."
--Karl Malone
by spurscitizen on Feb 21, 2011 6:09 PM CST up reply actions
I love these kinds of details. Thanks for sharing them.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
by quincyscott on Feb 21, 2011 9:46 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Thank you for a sneak peek. So, Bonner, Hill and Dice do not warm up? They just stay cool?
"If you can't tie your shoes, you can't play," - Pop
I only catch Hill sometimes. I miss probably a combined 30 minutes of pre-game practice due to when I arrive and leaving for the Pop pre-game interview.
"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 Feb 22, 2011 6:45 AM CST up reply actions
Great comments. I would like to have a few more questions answered from our panel:
1. Some of you talk about how great our bench (and depth) is this year compared to last’s and I agree. Gone are Mason, Finley, Bogans, some new, apparently better, players have come and some of the ones staying seem to have improved or are playing a different role better fitted to their skills, but I remember that we were talking like this last season too when the BAM thing started. Now we look back and what we then thought was a strength is now being looked at as a weakness. Why should we think we won’t feel the same after this season?
2. Although I believe we probably have a few slumps and losing streaks before the season ends, even if at full health. I am one that also believes this team is not even near its peak level. I believe the Spurs will start to get even hotter like they usually do in march. I don’t remember who at 48MofH wrote about this team not only being able to keep up, but play even better when you consider individual performances, stars minute control and some possible key role players not fully integrating because of injuries (& and Tiago). Manu is in a slump (to his standars), Timmy’s minutes and all around numbers are still low, Neal hit his first slump a few weeks ago. Blair is playing way better recently but he wasn’t helping much for most of the run. RJ started off hot, then came back down a little, now seems to start to get better again. Bonner was injured for a few games. Dice has been playing extremely low minutes and getting DNPs very often. If you add all that up this team can have a better second “half” this season. That is scary! Sorry I didn’t let much room for the question except: Do you see this happening?
3. Now, glass half empty. Is anyone worried about Manu? Recently he looks like he has lost the magic from the beginning of the season.
A casual diehard Spurs fan.
Im not too worried 9maybe a little) about how he looks but just looking at the numbers he seems to be too high in min. fatigue can lead to burn out or injury and manu clearly could have either happen the way he looks and how much he is playing. and it might not be a coincidence that he plays 8mins one game and comes back for a big bounce back game after all that rest.
1 – Keep in mind that Manu was the main reason for the bench strength. He provided a false positive in that he made everything move. They were potent because of him. And with Blair, he had someone who could do something with his passes near the basket as opposed to just the shooters. I think people were too blinded because the bench last year was not as dynamic as this one. You can see it with just Neal. He came in just a shooter, but has worked hard to develop the floater and the run off the 3-point line and take the mid ranger. He exemplifies the difference between last years bench and this years bench.
3- I worry about Manu and think Hill should start in his place just to limit his wear and tear/minutes. Pop can probably shave off about 3-5 minutes a game by adjusting his rotation strategy so that Manu comes in towards the end of the quarter.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Hill is really important here, either to start or to be the bench spark Manu used to be. When Hill struggles, as he did against Chicago, it hurts.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
by quincyscott on Feb 21, 2011 9:50 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
It does. Hill is better off the ball and would benefit from being int he starting lineup because he’s a pretty good spot up shooter (getting passes from Duncan and Parker’s penetration). .
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
CapHill: The depth has been able to overcome the injuries we’ve had, while still allowing Manu and Timmeh to rest.
I don’t full agree here. Yes, Timmy and Dice have received a lot of rest this year, but Manu is playing career high minutes. Manu has been showing the wear that the higher minutes have done. Luckily, Pop was able to rest him in the Wiz game.
Hopefully Pop gives Quinn some more minutes or someone playing PG to keep Manu’s minutes lower (on average) going into the post season.
I actually think Hill should start so that Manu can cover the backup PG duties and play the close out quarter effectively. That should reduce some of his minutes due to the rotations.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Agree manu needs to rest. I though timmy would be around 30min a game and manu around 28…so far hes way over that for the season. i’m not saying i like him more off the bench but i certainly wouldn’t mind if the moved him back…either way at least keeping him under 30 min seems like a need here if we want him fresh for the playoffs
If Manu continues to start, Pop needs to find times to sit him more. The problem is starting adds a few minutes into each game just because he gains 5-6 minutes from the opening tip. Then he returns once Parker comes out near the end of he quarter.
My reason for Manu coming off the bench is mostly because Hill is not a PG. He has improved his passing over the year, but the offense doesn’t move as fluid without a Parker or Ginobili on the floor with him.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Hirschof: For me, it’s a toss-up against Dallas and Los Angeles. Both series are usually physical and laced with some type of controversy. Each club has a player (Dirk and Gasol) that provides serious match-up problems for the Spurs but I don’t believe either team has the depth (or health) to beat the Spurs in a playoff series.
Gasol isn’t the one from the Lakers who gives the Spurs problems. It’s Lamar (when he’s on) or Bynum (his sheer size and abilities) are the two Lakers that give the Spurs fits. Bynum especially gives Duncan problems when he plays on the block now that he doesn’t have that athleticism.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
to be fair gasol has definitely given us/duncan some problems in the past…i can remember 2 games last year where it was clear gasol was better on both ends. the issue is between the 3 of them there is almost always a size mismatch some where int he front court in favor of LA
Obviously, they are hardest as a three headed snake (that’s what makes them a tough team with Kobe as the closer), but Gasol doesn’t bring his A game consistently and has maintained the “soft” label long enough that even Laker fans call him this.
The one who keeps Parker/Manu out of the lane is mostly Bynum. If you look at the blowout game against the Lakers, Parker was in the lane often when it was Gasol. However, when Bynum was in, he challenged shots and made people like Parker alter his shots.
Gasol is the more skilled offensive player compared to Bynum, so that’s where his strength obviously shows.
Don’t get me wrong. As Duncan has aged, both of those two Lakers have given Duncan issues (Gasol when Duncan is defending and Bynum on both sides due to his bulk/strength).
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Odom is the Spurs’ biggest match up problem with the Lakers. We already know very well how much stretch 4s kill the Spurs, but that’s my least concern with him since he’s not the focus of the offense. He’s also one who defends well both on the inside and on the perimeter, particularly defending screen and rolls. Coming off of the bench he’s a match up nightmare for both Blair and Bonner. Because of this, I fully expect another Matt Bonner playoff disappearing act in this series.
Bonner disappearing has nothing to do with defense on Odom. They are two exclusive items. he could shortly perfectly/it could be raining hoagies and Odom could still burn the Spurs.
The reason I tend to favor Bynum is that he is part of the offense much more and when he’s on, he’s dangerous.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
No, you missed my point. It’s Odom’s defense on Bonner that worries me. If Bonner is matched up against Bynum it’s a defensive issue for both sides. Odom, on the other hand, has the ability to guard Bonner at the 3 point line and can still score on him. That is, if Kobe decides to pass him the ball.
If Bonner is keeping Odom on the perimeter, then he’s stopping him from being that pesky rebounder. If he cheats, he might get rebounds, but then Bonner is either shooting it or making the extra pass for the shot.
Odom can score on just about every guy, so it really doesn’t matter if it is Bonner or Dice or Duncan or Blair.
Honestly, the guy with the best chance is RJ. Anderson would have been my second choice (probably) if he wasn’t injured so long. Only time will tell if he can pick up on his pretty solid defense from the beginning of the season.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
it could be raining hoagies and Odom could still burn the Spurs
This is a tremendous statement that is impeccably worded. Have a JTU.
Pounding the Rock
I cannot wait for the sixth fifth. - LasEspuelas
SpursfanSteve: I think the team is this good. We’ve had “some luck” playing teams without their best players, or with their best players and none of their role players, but in recent history those are the games we used to lose. When other teams win the games they are supposed to, nobody questions them. When the Spurs do it, “we get lucky.” The record in comparison to everyone else – we’ve played head and shoulders above everyone except Boston who has had half their team miss significant time this year, and they are still right behind us.
i think dallas and phx the last 5 years have kinda ruined it. phx had a really awesome start before the as game and dallas won what 67 games and lost in the first round…because of this anyone who wants to talk them selves out of liking a teams chances to win it all with a great record can just point to these 2 great examples both every recent. i don’t think we are either of those teams im just saying bases only on their reg season record those teams were both awesome…we have always know the playoffs are what matter and until we get there 100% and rested we dont know how its going to end either.
also i would put dallas right there with boston, they have been missing at least one starter half the games so far and went something like 2-7 w/o dirk
Well, we knew Phoenix played with fools gold. They never played D so obviously you expected Phoenix to fall off.
Dallas changed their starting lineup just for that series that Golden State series. Their weakness was athleticism, but they also pulled a last minute move that probably didn’t instill confidence in their team. Golden State was on fire though and they definitely had the psychological edge (combined with the last minute roster change).
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
like i said i don’t think we are those teams…im just saying if you didn’t want to jump on the spurs bandwagon you could point these things out and mention reg season rec doesn’t always mean best team come playoffs
This is true, but Spurs are showing signs of the classic Spurs with a decent record coming out of the Rodeo. If patterns stay consistent, they should have a strong second half run with most of their losses coming from Pop sitting guys (especially after HCA through the finals is locked up).
You have to assume that the defense is going to tighten up as the Spurs still have areas they can improve. Defense is the only area that really can improve. The offense can’t really go further than where it already is at.
The problem with Dallas is they are/were weak minded. They updated their staff/players and that should help things. The team this year is much better and likely wouldn’t have lost the first round match if they sent this years unit in place of AJ’s unit.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
This season so far exceeded my best expectations. Though in 2011 the team slowed down a bit, I never expected to have the best record in the NBA by the ASB.
What issue worries you the most going forward?1. Tiago. Many of us expected Splitter to become a starting center and most capable Tim’s sidekick. As for now, he is our big #5. While our other bigs played better than expected, Tiago was to me the biggest disappointment of the season. There is still a hope, but it’s somewhat waning.
2. Lakers’ size. If their big 3 are all healthy and play up to their potential, the Lakers will be a formidable playoff opponent. Without Tiago, I am not sure we can match up well with them.
3. Healthy Boston. It can be argued that Perk’s injury was the biggest factor that didn’t allow Boston to be the defending champs this year. It can be argued that they are even stronger this year. The only reason why I don’t worry about Boston too much yet is that neither us, nor them won their respectable conferences yet, so our match up is far from being set.
4. Manu. We need The Great Manu Ginobili to win it all, and we have seen somewhat less than great Manu so far this season. There is still time for him to get to his Supernova mode, but will it happen when we need it the most?
"If you can't tie your shoes, you can't play," - Pop
1 – In defense of Tiago, he missed all of training camp. And when he was beginning to get confident and turn it around, he gets a horrible second injury after being up ended. In his flashes of longer minutes, he has shown something and his defense has been decent.
Spurs have been pretty injury free with the exception of Tiago and Anderson, both of which have paid dearly for their injuries. Neal definitely prospered due to Tiago’s injury. Blair probably prospered the most over Tiago’s injury.
2 – Lakers at full potential would be difficult even if Tiago brought close to what people thought. The Lakers, when they are at their best are really good. Honestly, it would be a coin flip series in the sense that a few key factors would make the difference. Spurs have the huge advantage at the guard positions and their bench is a little bit smarter.
3 – Boston is like Detroit when they were good. Solid team defense and some solid individual players who don’t always get credit (although they still get way more than Detroit). Having said that, Spurs have the abilities to beat them. They almost pulled out that interesting game in Boston if not for a few key differences.
4 – Manu needs more rest. It’s pretty evident that the career high minutes don’t bode well for Manu. Having to be the starting 2 guard and back up point guard is just racking up too many minutes for him. He’ll be back if he can get more consistent rest going forward. I think Pop sees this as evident by the Wiz game.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
1 – I didn’t mean to blame Tiago, he had a lot going on against him. But in the season when most of our players exceed expectations, he is the one most evidently playing below expectations.
2 – There is no questions the Lakers would be hard to beat, they are defending champs after all. It just seems to me a bit more difficult to do without the only 7-footer on our roster.
"If you can't tie your shoes, you can't play," - Pop
I agree here too…
although you maybe are under valuing a healthy boston team( i know they only have one title but there is a reason this team gets way more credit then Detroit…even other then star power or better market the team is better, when healthy, which might not really happen again after 2008) its partly luck but its more age, it isnt bad luck when old players push too hard and get hurt…thats just what happens to old players who push too hard. you need good luck to not get hurt.
I might be, but we might also be undervaluing HCA. Lakers won their championships with HCA while Boston won theirs against LA with HCA.
Spurs should likely have the HCA against Boston. That gives them one advantage going into a potential matchup. Spurs played their 7th game in San Antonio. Might have been one less championship without that extra game in ATT Center.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Grant me permission to supplement this already cogent, cognitive, and creative colloquy by extending this hypothesis:
RJ sucks.
"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
Permission denied.
I have flying monkeys at my disposal, and I'm not afraid to use them.
by Lauri on Feb 21, 2011 9:40 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I iz sad
"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 Feb 21, 2011 10:37 PM CST up reply actions
I don’t know how far the Spurs will go this season. But RJ will be a big factor in their success. He’s easy to overlook, but is playing incredible this season.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
by quincyscott on Feb 21, 2011 9:58 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Not that anyone asked, me, but I’m going to address (some of) the questions anyhow.
The Spurs are off to their best start in team history. Is this record a fluke or is it a true barometer of how good the team is?
It’s not a fluke for those of us who remember how good this team really is. It was easy to forget, given its bad luck with injuries the past few seasons. If there’s any fluke to it, it’s that the team hasn’t had any debilitating injuries. I tend to view this as the law of averages though, with the Spurs finally catching a break after all of the bad luck since that Hornets series 3 years ago. We all know what a team overachieving in the regular season by being lucky in close games looks like (see: 08-09 and the Roger Mason anomaly). This isn’t such a team.
What about the Spurs has surprised you the most this season?
Beyond the obvious, I’m going to add: Tony Parker. He’s quietly matured his game, and extensively limited his aggravating habits of dribbling around for half the shot clock before jacking a mid-range jumper and trying to force drives into 4 defenders. He only does the former 2-3 times a game and I can’t remember the last time he’s done the latter without passing out. Maybe it’s the better 3 point shooters around him or maybe something’s finally clicked in his head. Either way, he still doesn’t average 10 assists a game, but I don’t gripe and groan and say “yeah, but…” about him anymore. As much as I loathe to say it, Manu (he of the iso 3 pointer) is presently the worse offender of bad shots (although Blair is probably the new team leader).
What issue worries you the most going forward?
The thing I gripe about regularly: Pick and Roll Defense. It’s truly an Achilles heel, because the Spurs are solid defending just about everything else. This gives off a mirage most games, which I think many of you buy into. Because of this flaw, is it any wonder that athletic, mid-range shooting bigs (Aldridge, West) and that quick guards (Rose, Williams) all have career nights against the Spurs? The Spurs can survive against teams that have one of those two types of players (Portland, Utah), but I’d be really worried about their chances against teams with both (Chicago, New Orleans). The Good News: Most of the other top teams don’t have the personnel to exploit this weakness, particularly the Lakers. The bad news: there are a number of teams in the Western Conference that could give the Spurs fits in early rounds, despite being clearly inferior.
Is this Pop’s best coaching job ever?
It’s among his best, but I don’t think anything will top the 02-03 season. In retrospect we tend to forget how much this team overachieved. The Spurs had been pasted by the Lakers the past two seasons, were clearly in rebuilding mode, and not expected to compete for a championship for a couple of more years with a roster made up of Tim Duncan and a mix of players still too young or too over the hill. Yet, they won the Championship, dethroning the Lakers’ Dynasty along the way. Timmy’s best season deserved much of the credit, but Pop should also be lauded for getting the most out of a roster that no one expected much out of at the start of the season beyond a second round exit. This season is probably his second best.
Which team(s) presents the biggest obstacle to the Spurs in the playoffs?
If the Spurs play the Chicago Bulls in the finals, I suspect they’d lose (see: Biggest Weakness). Among the other top teams, the Spurs match up well with all of them. That being said, all of the top teams are roughly equal, so it will really come down more to execution and health. If all teams are at full health, I’d say that the Spurs have a roughly 50/50 chance to beat all of them, with no guarantees. One thing that scares me to death though: Dallas figuring out to run the P&R with Beaubois and Nowitzki against the Spurs. Chances are they’ll still shoot themselves in the foot come playoff time (such as failing to realize this match up nightmare), and probably won’t get past the Lakers anyhow. However, this worry still lingers.
Prediction time – what will be the Spurs’ record at the end of the season?
64-16
by Neuwaldegg on Feb 22, 2011 10:04 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Nice write up. Thanks for sharing. My one question is, what happens to the other two games? 64-16 is only 80. :) Just curious. Also, you didn’t answer the Matt Bonner question.
Recc’d I especially agree with your assessment regarding the pick and roll. If we could learn to defend it consistently – we would be amazine.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed. ~ CMoney
I am happy. I am proud. ~ Manu Ginobili
This is why McDyess is important. He’s the most agile big man defender the Spurs have. Duncan is too slow these days, Blair will reach way too much (thus getting himself into foul trouble) and Bonner tries, but doesn’t have the lateral speed at all.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Interesting to see that Boston comes up as the team to be most concerned about. I’m assuming that concern will only rise if the reports are true and Shane Battier gets traded to Boston…..
The more Phil Jackson acts like he’s not worried because it’s not playoff time the less concerned I become with the Lakers. He’s trying to rationalize a team playing poorly because he doesn’t want their poor performance reflecting on him. Really I can’t stand the guy.
I’m most concerned about Boston and I agree with everything Caphill had to say about that.
I really enjoyed this. I hope it get’s done quite often. Good work peeps.
Tiago Splitter > Matt Bonner
Honestly, to be fair to Jackson, he’s in his arguably last season. He’s probably not going to worry too much unless they are just dropping games like flies going into the post season. Even then, I think he’s trying to manage possible stress and not worry as much.
They say every time Pop smiles, an angel is told to stop being so fu--ing lazy and play some defense. -Hipuks 2/3/11
Nicely done!
Dallas and LA will get their acts together and be tough to beat, but I believe we will ultimately prevail. By the way, I’m not going to worry about the East until late May.
I’m also going to pray to the FSM that we stay healthy.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed. ~ CMoney
I am happy. I am proud. ~ Manu Ginobili
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