Fraternizing With The Enemy Goes Serial: 10 days of Spurs and Lakers - Day 6
After spending most of the season bemoaning the schedule-makers' decision to place all of the Spurs vs Lakers games into a tiny window during mid-April, I spoke with Chris of Silver Screen and Roll and we decided that instead of an epic series of posts leading up to the three games, we'd instead turn the 10 days themselves into an event.
Witness (with all due respect to Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack) the 10 days of SpurLakers. That's right, starting last week, every day through the final regular season meeting between San Antonio and Los Angeles on Friday the 20th, you'll be treated to another exchange between Chris and me.
Enjoy and act responsibly.
J.R. Wilco:
First, I want to say one more thing about garbage time before I move on. I understand what you're saying as far as getting to know and evaluating the end of the bench during garbage time and how that keeps it from being boring to you. I am not blind to those opportunities. But more than anything else, when I watch basketball, I want to see beautiful basketball. And getting a first look at whomever happens to be riding the end of the pine at the time of whatever blowout is happening, well that just pales in comparison to seeing a gorgeous backdoor cut and a perfectly led pass that ends in an easy bucket that happens just in time for the defense turn their heads to see what's going on. So I know where you're at with normal garbage time, but it just doesn't have as large of an impact on me. I would much rather see those guys in a close game that's being competed vigorously by both sides while the regular rotation players are still on the court. I think that's a better test of what they're capable of, and fortunately Pop has a tendency, at least in this season, to rest his best players. So there are plenty of opportunities to see the bench guys in real-game situations.
Now I had no idea that there was such a huge disparity in the number of blowouts that the Spurs and Lakers had been involved in. 24 games in which the Spurs won by more than 10 points, and before the recent blowout LA enjoyed over San Antonio they were still in single-digits? I'm stunned. It really does say something about the way teams win, that the Spurs and Lakers are so close together both in seeding and record but have such a massive difference in the way that they're finishing their games. I mean, it's not like San Antonio doesn't ever lose a lead, but they certainly haven't lost seven in a row and yet somehow managed to pull out the win after all. That's kind of impressive actually, when you think about it.
But it also has to say something about the mindset of the team as well, and that brings me to Mike Brown. Now we all know that his tenure in Cleveland didn't go as well as he would've hoped or end in quite the way he would've liked, but he certainly found himself a spot on another high-profile team and regardless of what you think of his performance so far, that does say something about his ability to interview if nothing else. Now I'm pretty sure you're not a massive Mike Brown fan, but what I don't know is WHY you don't care for him. Do you mind elucidating you position on Mr. Brown?
Now I had no idea that there was such a huge disparity in the number of blowouts that the Spurs and Lakers had been involved in. 24 games in which the Spurs won by more than 10 points, and before the recent blowout LA enjoyed over San Antonio they were still in single-digits? I'm stunned. It really does say something about the way teams win, that the Spurs and Lakers are so close together both in seeding and record but have such a massive difference in the way that they're finishing their games. I mean, it's not like San Antonio doesn't ever lose a lead, but they certainly haven't lost seven in a row and yet somehow managed to pull out the win after all. That's kind of impressive actually, when you think about it.
But it also has to say something about the mindset of the team as well, and that brings me to Mike Brown. Now we all know that his tenure in Cleveland didn't go as well as he would've hoped or end in quite the way he would've liked, but he certainly found himself a spot on another high-profile team and regardless of what you think of his performance so far, that does say something about his ability to interview if nothing else. Now I'm pretty sure you're not a massive Mike Brown fan, but what I don't know is WHY you don't care for him. Do you mind elucidating you position on Mr. Brown?