BJ Wonders: Fan Confidence
by bj1der on Mar 16, 2011 1:02 AM CDT
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PrintI wasn't happy about that last game, I'm not sure if any Spurs fan was. No matter which way you look at it a 30 point loss is a 30 point loss. Our defense was lazy. Our offense was not engaged. We were out-hustled and out-played in just about every part of the game. This is the second time we've gotten blown out like this in the last month. So Spurs fans, all of you who haven't jumped off the wagon, are you worried yet? Are you concerned about these losses moving forward? I might be crazy but I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Jump with me and you'll understand why.
Have you guys noticed these cool little fan confidence graphs on all these sbnation blogs? Do you guys ever actually vote on them? Seems like the Spurs graph always shows our confidence somewhere around 90 percent. Seems like we really like our team's chances. Nice. Nowadays, however, that graph looks to be decreasing ever so slightly. So....does it mean that we are losing hope, ever so slightly? Well you can go ahead and put me down as one who hasn't lost any hope.
As I said, the game was absolutely painful to watch, and it could have caused anyone to have second thoughts. Just before I hit the panic button, Pop said a line during one of his timeouts that brought me back home. "This is about the big picture" he said. Simple right? But this simple line is a perfect example of what pounding the rock is all about. Whenever you have a coach who practices what he preaches you can't help but respect him and follow his lead.
We joke all the time about Pop not caring about some games but this game really showed it. Pop simply did not care that he was losing by 30 and used this game as an opportunity to get his guys "a good workout." Really? What other coach in this league could pull that off? Pop is just awesome.
Regardless of what people say about our defense, our size, our age, I am still confident that this team can win it all. I'm not expecting a sudden change in the way we play once the playoffs start. I'm not expecting us to turn on that "switch" like some people want. But I do expect us to be ready for the playoffs. Whatever that means. Regardless of how things have gone recently I believe in this team. Some people call me naive, but I've come too far with this team to give up on them now. I'm not ready to quit pounding that rock.
There it is. You ready to hit it?
My opinion is mine and mine alone. What do you guys feel? Is it panic time?
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To be completely honest, I think we are contenders but I dont like our chances. I think at our best we can beat anybody, but the defense….I dont like it. And to me you need an elite defense to be a champion. We are good, and we have good stretches on defense, but I think our ceiling on that end falls a bit short of elite. Besides, we sometimes have trouble with the rebounds.
Defense and rebounds…two very important things to win a championship. We cant rely on our offense to win a championship. Just ask the suns. Im not saying our defense is as bad as those suns teams, but we are just ok. I dont know if thats enough.
That being said, the lakers can be inconsistent, and once you get to the finals anything can happen.
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
I guess it depends on what your definition of “elite” is. Are the Lakers elite? They’re barely ahead of the Spurs in Defensive Efficiency. The Spurs defense has been pretty solid in 2011, but have had a slide recently. Ups and downs will occur throughout a season. I think this team has the ability to play that stellar defense when it matters most.
The team looks like they are gassed. Luckily they just had a few days off before tomorrow’ Dallas game.
It’s almost like Spurs eased off the pedal to try and gain their breath back after they gained their huge lead.
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
Here is a list of the last 5 Championship teams and their defensive ratings :
’06 Heat – 104.5
’07 Spurs – 99.9
’08 Celtics – 98.9
’09 Lakers – 103.7
’10 Lakers – 104.7
Our defensive rating for this year is 104.6. You don’t have to have a below 100 to win a championship, you just have to be in the top 10. We have the ability to win the championship as long as the big 3 are healthy.
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Mar 16, 2011 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
This would be a good time to remind everyone that numbers and stats aren’t welcome on PtR. They just get in the way.
Oh, wait. These are good numbers. Way to go, Jordan!
Pounding the Rock
I cannot wait for the sixth fifth. - LasEspuelas
Precisely.
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 Mar 16, 2011 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Since those are full season numbers and thus large sample sizes, they were quite helpful.
- Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
- I vow to never again mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together until we have a "quarterback."
- You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Honestly, only the Lakers have been solid recently. Everyone else has been shakey. Both Boston and Dallas have been shakey. Spurs to me are tired, but hopefully the past few days off will help them.
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
I have my concerns but I’m not going to panic at all right now because I feel like Pop has something still up his sleeve but that could just be wishful thinking on my part.
It’s never just wishful thinking to think Pop has a plan.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
by bj1der on Mar 16, 2011 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It is not time to panic, yet.
The Spurs are in the midst of a brutal schedule. The Miami game was their third in 4 nights and a cross country flight. Of course they were tired. The Heat was also much more motivated to win the game.
But the crushing losses at the hands of LA and Memphis are not explained away so easily.
If they can’t win most of the remaining games against the playoff teams, it will be time to hit the button.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
How can’t Memphis be explained? Memphis started off the season 8-14. Then they went 25-14 till they met the Spurs. Wayne Winston and Hollinger had them in their top 10 when they played the Spurs. They’re a good team that is hitting their stride about now. It was the first game without Parker as well. I’m satisfied with a split.
The Lakers game. The only “explanation” that I have is that it was similar to the Chicago game. The guys played like crap, like a team that was 2-0 up on their opponent.
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Mar 16, 2011 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions
Writing off every epic Spurs defeat as “The Spurs played like crap” is too convenient.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
True. The Laker game is definitely more disconcerting to me than Memphis.
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Mar 16, 2011 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions
They didn’t want to lose the third game in three tries. We were “satisfied” after blowing out the Heat. Plus all I said in a post below.
A casual diehard Spurs fan.
Well, the Spurs did play like crap and the Lakers hit everything just like the Spurs did against Miami. Honestly, if you replace the Lakers with the Spurs and Spurs with Miami, it’s basically the same 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
The biggest concern for me right now is Manu’s play. In the past 20 games he has shot below 40% 9 times. In the 11 games he shot 40% (not a great ) or better, all the teams were sub .500 teams except the two games against Miami and the one game against Memphis (Detroit (twice), Sacramento, Toronto,Cleveland, Washington, New Jersey (twice). In the games we played against winning teams Manu shot 51/156 (32). We need Manu to dominate at least 2-4 games per series if were going to win the championship. Unlike our last championships, Duncan is not going to give us his 25/15 lines over a series (although I expect him to average around 18/10) and Tony Parker should give us his usual. I feel good about the Spurs but I’m not used to seeing them lose by 30 points after the All star break.
by forrestgump52 on Mar 18, 2011 1:04 AM CDT up reply actions
Tony Parker should give us his usual.
At this time, I think Tony is more likely to dominate 2-4 games in a series with his scoring. Manu should be the consistent guy in a playoff series, filling the box score with good amounts of points, assists, steals and rebounds, with clutch 3s, FTs and the kinds of crazy hustle plays that only he makes. Tony is our best offensive weapon and will need to dominate opponents in a way that makes it easier for everyone else.
- Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
- I vow to never again mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together until we have a "quarterback."
- You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Memphis didn’t concern me, for a number of valid reasons, but the LA loss is bothersome for the way it happened. I can view the LA loss as that one truly unexplainable thing in an 82-game season if it does not happen again. I’m sure Lakers and Celtics fans felt frustrated and confused when the Spurs went into their arenas late last season and dominated both teams.
The larger concern from the LA loss, and to some extent the Miami loss, is that unlike the past few seasons where lack of a bench, lack of outside shooting, or age where issues, this team has not shown a desperate fight when they fall behind big. I’m willing to chalk that up to their record not creating any desperation at the thought of losing a game to teams they’ve already defeated, often multiple times. We didn’t see this relaxed response earlier in the season when they fell behind in OKC, NOLA, or in Denver or Minnesota. This tells me that it’s not about ability as much as focus and desire. I see Pop and his staff having a serious challenge of creating some internal competition prior to the playoffs, as I don’t want to rely on flipping the switch come playoff time. If our bench had 2007 versions of Barry, Horry, or Finley, I’d say they could flip that switch without issue. But since we have younger guys, it’s more important to get that attitude back by early April and ride it throughout the playoffs. Until then, I can accept that the past two weeks have been a bump of poor play that all teams go through, and be grateful that our team is talented enough to still win games while playing below their ability.
- Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
- I vow to never again mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together until we have a "quarterback."
- You gotta bring ass to get ass.
The Lakers loss is just bad timing. All the right factors basically come into play. They just had an emotional win over Miami. It was basically their statement game to the mainstream media that they exist, even if they don’t say it with their words.
The Lakers game right after was bad because Lakers had to win to avoid going down 0-3 in the series. Spurs appeared to be not into the game. Early games are not their best so it just adds to the pressure.
Lakers shot like the Spurs shot in the Miami game. It was pretty much a once in a while type shooting 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
Gotta be the early game. Our vets need that nap time.
"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It’s what happens while you wait for moments that will never come." - Lester Freamon, The Wire
by silverandblack_davis on Mar 19, 2011 6:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I believe there was a combination of things that lead to the blowout and that game in particular shouldn’t worry us that much. What you have to consider from now and until the final game of the season is that the Spurs are already in auto pilot until then. They have met their preseason goal of starting the season better so they don’t have to play elite basketball just to get into the playoffs like last year. Another thing is that Pop is now tinkering with the rotation looking forward to matchups. You have to also consider that other teams are playing their hearts out against us and any night we play less than 100% we will get out hustle (Grizzlies’ game), out executed (Lakers’ game) or both (Heat’s game).
A casual diehard Spurs fan.
I do agree that the team has let off the gas a little because they know they have an excellent chance of securing home court. That’s really what the regular season is about.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
They also let off the gas, because they needed to. It’s the reason why it’s tough to win 72-10. It’s emotionally and physically fatiguing.
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
by grego21 on Mar 17, 2011 10:42 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
for everyone else who is tired of people panicking…consider yourself lucky. 1 30-point loss, and i think my other team, UK, would legitimately have fans asking for Calipari to be fired. the “panic” here is very relative. Spurs fans are level-headed and reasonable (unlike my fellow UK teams). PtR rules because the “panic” is really just reasonable disagreements. whereas during normal Spurs times (i.e. 10-game winning streaks) everyone is happy and normal and posting pictures of fire-breathing chickens and kittens
by uncguy0007 on Mar 16, 2011 1:06 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
So, after a 2 point first round victory, I’m guessing you guys are recovering from cardiac arrest?
Pounding the Rock
I cannot wait for the sixth fifth. - LasEspuelas
Panic? Are you kidding? There are 15 more games. I suspect there will be two maybe three more losses before the end of regular season. Even if there are four I won’t lose any sleep because at this point, even if all the other teams win all their remaining games, the Spurs would lock in HCA with that. If something really strange happens and the Spurs lose five or more, I may toss and turn a bit at night, but still will be a long way from panic. At this point, panic, if necessary at all, is reserved for the playoffs.
There’s one qualifier to all that. If Pop ever comes out of the locker room for the post-game interview and the first thing he says is, “We’re screwed,” panic will ensue throughout Spursdom. The odds of that happening, fortunately (unless he reads this and wants to yank my chain) are about as great as the Cavs winning the championship this season.
"Do something stupid and you’re going to regret it but, for God’s sake, don’t stand there and do nothing at all." - hirschof
If Pop ever comes out of the locker room for the post-game interview and the first thing he says is, "We’re screwed,"
If he reads that, I would put money on him doing that. And it would be LEGEND….wait for it….DARY!
Is it time for Spurs fans to panic?
Well, as of 1828 MST on 03/16/2011, there is a minimum of 36 of you who are batshit stupid.
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Mar 16, 2011 7:29 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
OH NO GUYS, WE’RE ONLY 21 GAMES ABOVE .500
PANICCCCCCCCCC
[enter some witty remark here]
by fanoftheunderdogs on Mar 16, 2011 9:36 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Mar 16, 2011 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Kiss me? Kiss me?
Smart ass mo********
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Mar 17, 2011 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Yep, TOTAL losers because we aren’t 1.000… failure upon failure!
"Do something stupid and you’re going to regret it but, for God’s sake, don’t stand there and do nothing at all." - hirschof
by the old photog on Mar 16, 2011 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions
I’m not panicking yet, but I am worrying. Normally the Spurs are on fire after the All-Star break, not losing games by 30 points. What I’m really worrying about is Manu Ginoboli who’s shot under 40 percent 9 times in the past 20 games. We don’t need him to score every game but we if were going to win the conf. finals and the championship we need him to come out and score big a couple of games. The biggest reason I’m not panicking is I don’t think weve seen the best of Tim Duncan yet this season. I’m counting on him to post up a couple games with his old 20/15 lines in increased minutes. If Bynum continues to board 15 rebounds a game (his 7 offensive rebounds in the first half against Dwight Howard was impressive) we better shore up our rebounding. Its an odd year so were we win(ing).
I love this team I really believe we are so much better than the Fakers and Boston. Now I am in panic mode not because of the team or talent on this team, but because of the lineups we throw at the Fakers, Boston, Heat, and Thunder. The concern of most on here is the defense and rebounding. We for a good portion of the game play with three too four guards on the floor at the same time, which leads to less rebounds and the inability to defend the rim. Three and four guard lineups do have their advantage.more scoring from three point range and more fast break points. What you lose with the line up is defense and rebounds. I think if we put a good sized line up for the majority of the game on the floor in the playoffs I do believe we can win it all. We have the talent and the drive of Manu to win it, but if we keep throwing three and four guard lineups out there I don’t believe our talent or Manu’s drive will be enough.
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