The Spurs’ season has ended in a first round defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. Oh, the agony. Make no mistake, Dallas was the better team. However, the absence of Manu clearly played a vital role in this series. I just have one thing to say to Dallas fans. How can you root for Dirk? The guy is seven feet tall and chooses to post up 20 feet away from the basket on defenders that are a foot shorter and are outweighed by 50+ pounds. This undersized defender will proceed to push Dirk 3 to 5 more feet away from the basket. If Dirk finally manages to secure the ball, he turns into the defense, makes a face, pretends to get hit, and then shoots a fade away. Wow. Just wow. How does that guy live with himself? He’s essentially a WNBA all-star. People like to be nice, they say he is a finesse player. “Finesse player” is a label that gets attached to players that have no guts and do not like contact. They like to stand at the three point line and shoot fade-aways over points guards while pretending to get fouled. It’s just atrocious. How do you look at yourself in the mirror? Can you even make eye contact? “Great game Dirk. It was awesome when you posted up Tony Parker 22 feet away from the basket, missed a fade-away over him, but with your solid acting skills sold the foul. Way to go, man.”
But I digress, without Manu, the Spurs were a .500 ball-club. .500 teams do not make it out of the first round. Even though the Spurs managed to lock up the 3 seed, their record was not indicative of the team that took the floor.
Due to the missing Manu, the Spurs were forced to ask their role players to produce much more than they were acquired to produce. It also forced the Spurs to play many players out of position. In the perfect world, Manu would have played backup point guard and Roger Mason would have spotted up for wide open threes. Instead, Roger Mason was forced to play out of position and handle the ball, which took him away from his strengths.
The ESPN/TNT analysts blamed the Spurs’ role players for not stepping up in the playoffs. I would argue that due to Manu's injury, the role players were not put in the position to succeed in the playoffs. Mason, Bonner, Thomas, Udoka, and Finley are not creators. We did not acquire them to run the offense or create shots for others. We acquired them to hit the wide open open jump shot that Tim, Tony, and Manu create. Without Manu, the Spurs were ultimately predictable and were not able to create the open shots that our role players were acquired to make. Instead of spotting up for a wide open three, Mason would have to run the pick and roll several times to get a contested pull-up three pointer. Bonner, Udoka, and Finley would often have to give a pump fake and drive into the lane instead of taking the shot because they were not open. So let’s not place all the blame on the Spurs’ role players, they were not hired to perform the job that they were forced to execute.
On the bright side, how good did Tony Parker and Tim Duncan look? Tony could not be stopped and Tim looked like he turned the clock back five years. If you throw out Game 3’s stats, the game in which the Spurs were blown out and Tim and Tony barely played in the second half, Tony averaged 33 ppg, 4 rpg, and 8 apg, while Tim averaged 24 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 4 apg for the series. The last two games of the season, Tim averaged 27.5 ppg and 9 rpg.
Clearly, some roster work needs to happen during this off-season. However, I hope the Spurs do not do anything too drastic. I think Tim and Tony proved that they still have a lot left in the tank, and if Manu can get healthy, this team’s championship window has not closed. We need our role players to get younger and more athletic. I expect to see the Spurs shed players like Finley, Udoka, Vaughn (Fingers Crossed), Oberto, and Bowen in exchange for youth and athleticism. Hopefully the big three, Roger Mason, and George Hill will still be wearing the silver and black next year, but everyone else is dispensable.
In retrospect, it was probably better that the Spurs lost to Dallas. Denver would have been next up to bat. Have you been watching the Denver/New Orleans series? Denver is playing the most physical brand of basketball in the playoffs. They are doing what Erica Dampier threatened. They will physically beat the Hell out of the Mavericks. I’m not guaranteeing a series victory, but I am guaranteeing that Barea will get thrown to the floor many, many times. And it will make me happy. Even if the Spurs were able to beat Denver, the Lakers would be waiting. And the Lakers are exceptional. If Kobe broke his foot in Game 1 and Gasol decided to leave Earth in favor of his home planet, and the Spurs somehow pulled out that series, the Cavs would be waiting in the Finals. A championship was pretty much impossible this year. I couldn’t even talk myself into it. Well, at least once I found out Manu was officially done for the season.
Well, that’s all I have for now. As far as this blog in concerned, I will continue posting. NBA playoffs will be a central topic for the coming months as well as more funny additions similar to the Pirates piece.
Cheers and Jeers,
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Popovich's Main Adjustment: Bruce Bowen
ESPN analysts have pointed out many differences between Game 1 and Game 2, mostly focusing on defense in general, defensive rebounding, and Tony Parker’s offensive explosion. What no one has mentioned, and I thought was the biggest adjustment from Game 1 to Game 2, was the utilization of Bruce Bowen. Bruce spent most of the season in Popovich’s doghouse for reasons that have not been publicized. Bruce averaged 18.9 minutes per game this season, his lowest average since 1999 when he played sparingly for the Philadelphia 76ers. Bowen started for the Spurs during their championship runs in ’03, ’05, and ’07. He was a main contributor to those teams as he often shut down the best offensive weapon that the opposition had to offer. In Game 2, Popovich went with what wins and played Bowen a season high 29 minutes. During his time in the game he harassed Dirk, corralled Barea, mauled Howard, and shut down Terry. Do yourself a favor and watch the game a second time, as I did. You will be amazed with Bruce’s defensive performance.
Bruce played so well that Popovich started him in the second half with Parker, Duncan, Bonner, and Finley. As I mentioned before in WTF #9, starting a defensive lineup is the best move the Spurs can make. They are not going to outscore a team, so why should they start their best offensive lineup at the expense of their defense? If the Spurs are going to win, it will be because of their defense, not offense. Even with the Spurs shooting 53% and Tony pouring in 38, they still only managed to score 105 points. The Spurs won the game because they held Dallas to 84 points, not because they scored 105.
Bruce allows limitless flexibility on the defensive end. As I mentioned, Bruce defended Dallas’ power forward, forward, shooting guard, and point guard. Popovich can assign Bruce to whoever is hot to take them out of the offense. Bruce is also a great help defender. Many times he showed a double to force Dirk to pass the ball, then recovered to his man in time to deter the three point shot but still not allow him to drive to the basket. This is an incredibly difficult thing to do. If you recover from helping too slowly, you will allow a three point shot. If you are too fast, the offensive player will give a pump fake and drive right by. The ability to approach at just the right speed in order to deter the three point shot and still not allow the drive is incredibly challenging. The Mavs' shooters only need a second of daylight to get off their three point shots, but this second was not available with Bruce scrambling. When Bruce guarded Barea, he gave him a cushion on the pick and roll and dared him to shoot. Barea is so short that he needs an extended amount of space to get up his shot. Bruce’s length deterred him from shooting even when Bruce went under the pick. The few times that Barea was able to drive into the lane, Bruce guided him to Duncan or Thomas who promptly blocked his shot. When guarding Dirk, Bruce is simply a pest. He fronts Dirk, even when Dirk is 25 feet away from the basket. If Dirk manages to receive the ball, Bruce gets into his chest and dares Dirk to put the ball on the floor. Bruce is quick enough to make contact with Dirk and still recover if Dirk attempts to drive past him. Bruce shadowed Terry all over the court. Terry likes to use screens to find an opening. Bruce masterfully avoided the screens and played the passing lanes limiting Terry’s touches and wasting Dallas’ shot clock. Bruce played Howard somewhat soft. He knew that Howard was not healthy so he played a little off and dared him to shoot. In Game 1, Howard did most of his damage off of cuts and drives, so Bruce took that away and made him a jump shooter. If you like defense, watch Game 2 over again and study Bruce Bowen’s performance. It was truly a masterpiece.
Bruce played so well that Popovich started him in the second half with Parker, Duncan, Bonner, and Finley. As I mentioned before in WTF #9, starting a defensive lineup is the best move the Spurs can make. They are not going to outscore a team, so why should they start their best offensive lineup at the expense of their defense? If the Spurs are going to win, it will be because of their defense, not offense. Even with the Spurs shooting 53% and Tony pouring in 38, they still only managed to score 105 points. The Spurs won the game because they held Dallas to 84 points, not because they scored 105.
Bruce allows limitless flexibility on the defensive end. As I mentioned, Bruce defended Dallas’ power forward, forward, shooting guard, and point guard. Popovich can assign Bruce to whoever is hot to take them out of the offense. Bruce is also a great help defender. Many times he showed a double to force Dirk to pass the ball, then recovered to his man in time to deter the three point shot but still not allow him to drive to the basket. This is an incredibly difficult thing to do. If you recover from helping too slowly, you will allow a three point shot. If you are too fast, the offensive player will give a pump fake and drive right by. The ability to approach at just the right speed in order to deter the three point shot and still not allow the drive is incredibly challenging. The Mavs' shooters only need a second of daylight to get off their three point shots, but this second was not available with Bruce scrambling. When Bruce guarded Barea, he gave him a cushion on the pick and roll and dared him to shoot. Barea is so short that he needs an extended amount of space to get up his shot. Bruce’s length deterred him from shooting even when Bruce went under the pick. The few times that Barea was able to drive into the lane, Bruce guided him to Duncan or Thomas who promptly blocked his shot. When guarding Dirk, Bruce is simply a pest. He fronts Dirk, even when Dirk is 25 feet away from the basket. If Dirk manages to receive the ball, Bruce gets into his chest and dares Dirk to put the ball on the floor. Bruce is quick enough to make contact with Dirk and still recover if Dirk attempts to drive past him. Bruce shadowed Terry all over the court. Terry likes to use screens to find an opening. Bruce masterfully avoided the screens and played the passing lanes limiting Terry’s touches and wasting Dallas’ shot clock. Bruce played Howard somewhat soft. He knew that Howard was not healthy so he played a little off and dared him to shoot. In Game 1, Howard did most of his damage off of cuts and drives, so Bruce took that away and made him a jump shooter. If you like defense, watch Game 2 over again and study Bruce Bowen’s performance. It was truly a masterpiece.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thoughts on Game 1's
Portland looked awful. Houston delivered a stomach punch in the first quarter and the Blazers never recovered. Their youth was the story of the game. Houston looked good, but I am still convinced that their lack of elite players will be their undoing. They just do not have enough guys that you can count on scoring 20+ points every night. When they win, it is because of an unexpected contribution. Does 'unexpected contributions' sound like a winning playoff recipe? I think not.
The Spurs looked confused. Confused on the defensive end with Barea getting into the paint at will. Confused on the offensive end with Popovich obviously still trying to figure out his rotation. The silver lining is that the Spurs could have, and probably should have, won the game. They lost because Dampier, Barea and Bass combined for 37 points. If those three can average a combined 37 points for the series, then bless them. I do not see it happening and still think the Spurs win in 6.
The Jazz did not look horrible against the Lakers. I expect the Jazz to lose the series, but I am not sure if the Lakers win a game in Utah. Home-court fuels Utah’s defensive intensity and that is all it will take for the Jazz to get a few W’s.
The Orlando, Phlliy Game 1 was atrocious. The fact it was close made it somewhat entertaining, but the level of basketball being played was far lower than any other series. If Orlando cannot get healthy, whichever team wins this series is definitely going to get swept in the second round.
Dwayne Wade is playing 1 on 5. As I mentioned before, his team is nonexistent. If I were him, I would demand a trade, like now.
The Cavs looked okay. They did not impress but got the W without too much trouble. Detroit has a few players that want to win, but most of that team is already on vacation.
Derick Rose had an amazing Game 1. The scary part is that he does not have that Kobe, “I am going to take every shot for the next five minutes” mode and still scored 36 points with 10 assists. If he decided to drive every time he got the ball in the fourth, he probably would have scored upwards of 50. The Celts looked like the Spurs. They came out a little flat and it seemed that they expected the Bulls to fold at some point; that never happened.
Denver was impressive in their win. Eight threes by Chauncey definitely helped them out. If the Hornets can take Game 2, look for the Nuggets to implode. Their ‘crazy’ is going to catch up with them sooner or later.
The Spurs looked confused. Confused on the defensive end with Barea getting into the paint at will. Confused on the offensive end with Popovich obviously still trying to figure out his rotation. The silver lining is that the Spurs could have, and probably should have, won the game. They lost because Dampier, Barea and Bass combined for 37 points. If those three can average a combined 37 points for the series, then bless them. I do not see it happening and still think the Spurs win in 6.
The Jazz did not look horrible against the Lakers. I expect the Jazz to lose the series, but I am not sure if the Lakers win a game in Utah. Home-court fuels Utah’s defensive intensity and that is all it will take for the Jazz to get a few W’s.
The Orlando, Phlliy Game 1 was atrocious. The fact it was close made it somewhat entertaining, but the level of basketball being played was far lower than any other series. If Orlando cannot get healthy, whichever team wins this series is definitely going to get swept in the second round.
Dwayne Wade is playing 1 on 5. As I mentioned before, his team is nonexistent. If I were him, I would demand a trade, like now.
The Cavs looked okay. They did not impress but got the W without too much trouble. Detroit has a few players that want to win, but most of that team is already on vacation.
Derick Rose had an amazing Game 1. The scary part is that he does not have that Kobe, “I am going to take every shot for the next five minutes” mode and still scored 36 points with 10 assists. If he decided to drive every time he got the ball in the fourth, he probably would have scored upwards of 50. The Celts looked like the Spurs. They came out a little flat and it seemed that they expected the Bulls to fold at some point; that never happened.
Denver was impressive in their win. Eight threes by Chauncey definitely helped them out. If the Hornets can take Game 2, look for the Nuggets to implode. Their ‘crazy’ is going to catch up with them sooner or later.
I Lost my Voice Screaming, "COME ON, POP!"
Without Manu Ginobili to mask mistakes, coaching errors are amplified. Below are my top ten What the F's from Game 1 on Saturday.
1.) Why is George Hill riding the pine?
With about a month remaining in the season, I was listening to WOAI’s ‘Ask the Coach’ segment and the question posed was, “Why is George Hill no longer playing backup point guard?” The answer was that historically speaking, rookie point guards never produce in the playoffs. The coaching staff wanted to use George Hill in the playoffs, so they thought that moving him to the 2 guard position would be best. Clearly, this was a horrible mistake. Hill is a point guard, not a shooting guard. Hill has a mediocre to poor outside shot. He is most effective when the ball is in his hands and he has the option to drive and create. By moving him to the 2 guard, the coaching staff took away his strength and amplified his poor shooting ability. In addition, Roger Mason is not a point guard, he is a shooting guard. He is most effective when someone creates for him and he can get an open look. The coaching staff did Mason a disservice by moving him to the backup point guard position. George Hill should be reinstated as the backup point guard and Roger Mason should play his natural shooting guard position.
2.) Why is Matt Bonner not riding the pine?
Matt Bonner is a terrible defender. Watching him attempt to play post defense is reminiscent of a big brother backing down his little brother in the back yard. Bonner is clearly the little brother. The Mavs smartly fed the ball to whomever Bonner was guarding, and they beat him like a red-headed step child. When Bonner is making his outside shot, he negates some of his defensive mistakes. However, when he is missing, he has a huge negative impact on the Spurs. Please bench him.
3.) Why does Popovich refuse to start Gooden?
If we bench Bonner, that opens up a starting position. Gooden should be our starter. Granted, Gooden makes a lot of dumb mistakes on the defensive end, but he commands attention on the offensive end clearing the lane for Tim and Tony. Gooden is a better rebounder, a better defender, quicker and more athletic than Bonner. He should be our starter.
4.) Why does Popovich not play Gooden with Duncan more?
Elaborating a little more on WTF #3, Duncan and Gooden play great with each other. In Game 1 against the Mavs, we got a look at their chemistry on the court together. The Spurs built their biggest lead of 13 when Tim and Drew were playing together. For some reason, this lineup was short lived and Popovich chose not to play them together for the rest of the game. But the production was there when they were in. Drew’s ability to post up is huge. If we play Drew and Tim together, then we could post up which ever player had the weaker defender. If the weaker defender is Dirk, we could get him in foul trouble and it could be the difference in the game.
5.) Why in God’s name is Mason guarding Dirk during crunch time?
This was one of the reasons I lost my voice at the Spurs game Saturday night. Is Popovich trying to lose? I just do not understand the logic. Mason is one of the weakest defenders on the Spurs’ roster. Why would we ask a weak defender to guard the Mav’s best player during crunch time? Thomas, Bonner, Udoka, Bowen, Hill, Duncan, and Finley all are better defenders than Mason. I just don’t get it.
6.) How is it possible that a hobbit single-handedly took Game 1 from us?
That little troll, also known as Barea, epitomizes what is wrong with NBA officiating. This little hobbit mauls everyone in his vicinity and never gets called for a foul because he is missing a chromosome. Not only do the refs not call fouls on him, but they give him the call every time he flops. And these are not offensive fouls that could go either way, these are EGREGIOUS flops. Someone needs to knock the hell out of him. If I were coaching, I’d let Thomas know that the first time Barea took it to the rim I wanted him laid out. All it takes is one good hit and that little troll will think twice before driving recklessly to the basket.
7.) Why do we not post Tim Duncan every possession?
Tim looked great in Game 1, unfortunately he did not get enough touches. If Tim is in the game, he should touch the ball every offensive possession. There is no reason for Bonner or Udoka to take a shot early in the shot clock when Tim is on the floor. We should force feed him the ball on the block. I promise, good things will happen.
8.) Why doesn’t Popovich yell at the officials?
The second time that little troll made an egregious flop, I looked over at our bench expecting to see Popovich enraged and saw no passion. It was as if he did not see it happen. Popovich needs to YELL. He needs to get in people’s faces. He needs to turn red and lose his voice. If the momentum starts to shift, Pop needs to stop it. It’s like he doesn’t care anymore.
9.) Why does our starting lineup not consist of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Roger Mason, and Drew Gooden?
Here is the problem with our current starting lineup; Finley and Bonner are horrible defenders. Using horrible defenders in the starting lineup guarantees that your opposition is going to get off to a good offensive start. In addition, if Finley and Bonner are missing, it guarantees that the Spurs will be down after the first quarter. How many times have you thought, “Wow, the Spurs really crushed that team in the first quarter.” Once, never? This is because our starting lineup cannot get stops. If we are lucky, Finley or Bonner will hit a few threes and we will keep pace with the other team. However, most of the time we will be down a few points when our subs come into the game. By inserting Bowen and Gooden into the starting lineup, suddenly our guys can get stops. Furthermore, bringing Finley and Bonner in off the bench means that they will be matched up against other bench players. Their poor defense will not be as obvious against the second unit of a team. With a defensive starting lineup, suddenly it’s not about outscoring the opposition, it’s about shutting them down. Isn’t that the philosophy that won the Spurs four championships? Why did we stray from it?
10.) Why do we not make defensive adjustments during a game when it is clear that our schemes are not effective?
Back to the little troll who is missing a chromosome, the only reason he was effective was because our defensive scheme was flawed. He consistently drove into the paint because our pick and roll defense allowed him to. Normally when guarding a pick and roll, the big man shows on the pick to pause the guard so that his guard can recover and play defense. For some reason, when Barea ran the pick and roll, our big guy did not show so he had an open path to the basket. I assume the thought was that we wanted our big guy to stay close to the guy setting the pick, because it was normally Dirk, but allowing Barea to reach the rim causes a plethora of problems. It puts our help defenders in a bad spot. If they help, Barea can kick the ball out for a three, and if they do not he has a layup. In addition, if our big guy shows late, it frees up Dampier for the offensive board. I believe this same thing happened three times, resulting in three easy put backs for Dampier. The way to prevent this is to simply have our big guy show hard on the pick, and have our guard recover. Why did this adjustment never take place during the game? I have no idea.
1.) Why is George Hill riding the pine?
With about a month remaining in the season, I was listening to WOAI’s ‘Ask the Coach’ segment and the question posed was, “Why is George Hill no longer playing backup point guard?” The answer was that historically speaking, rookie point guards never produce in the playoffs. The coaching staff wanted to use George Hill in the playoffs, so they thought that moving him to the 2 guard position would be best. Clearly, this was a horrible mistake. Hill is a point guard, not a shooting guard. Hill has a mediocre to poor outside shot. He is most effective when the ball is in his hands and he has the option to drive and create. By moving him to the 2 guard, the coaching staff took away his strength and amplified his poor shooting ability. In addition, Roger Mason is not a point guard, he is a shooting guard. He is most effective when someone creates for him and he can get an open look. The coaching staff did Mason a disservice by moving him to the backup point guard position. George Hill should be reinstated as the backup point guard and Roger Mason should play his natural shooting guard position.
2.) Why is Matt Bonner not riding the pine?
Matt Bonner is a terrible defender. Watching him attempt to play post defense is reminiscent of a big brother backing down his little brother in the back yard. Bonner is clearly the little brother. The Mavs smartly fed the ball to whomever Bonner was guarding, and they beat him like a red-headed step child. When Bonner is making his outside shot, he negates some of his defensive mistakes. However, when he is missing, he has a huge negative impact on the Spurs. Please bench him.
3.) Why does Popovich refuse to start Gooden?
If we bench Bonner, that opens up a starting position. Gooden should be our starter. Granted, Gooden makes a lot of dumb mistakes on the defensive end, but he commands attention on the offensive end clearing the lane for Tim and Tony. Gooden is a better rebounder, a better defender, quicker and more athletic than Bonner. He should be our starter.
4.) Why does Popovich not play Gooden with Duncan more?
Elaborating a little more on WTF #3, Duncan and Gooden play great with each other. In Game 1 against the Mavs, we got a look at their chemistry on the court together. The Spurs built their biggest lead of 13 when Tim and Drew were playing together. For some reason, this lineup was short lived and Popovich chose not to play them together for the rest of the game. But the production was there when they were in. Drew’s ability to post up is huge. If we play Drew and Tim together, then we could post up which ever player had the weaker defender. If the weaker defender is Dirk, we could get him in foul trouble and it could be the difference in the game.
5.) Why in God’s name is Mason guarding Dirk during crunch time?
This was one of the reasons I lost my voice at the Spurs game Saturday night. Is Popovich trying to lose? I just do not understand the logic. Mason is one of the weakest defenders on the Spurs’ roster. Why would we ask a weak defender to guard the Mav’s best player during crunch time? Thomas, Bonner, Udoka, Bowen, Hill, Duncan, and Finley all are better defenders than Mason. I just don’t get it.
6.) How is it possible that a hobbit single-handedly took Game 1 from us?
That little troll, also known as Barea, epitomizes what is wrong with NBA officiating. This little hobbit mauls everyone in his vicinity and never gets called for a foul because he is missing a chromosome. Not only do the refs not call fouls on him, but they give him the call every time he flops. And these are not offensive fouls that could go either way, these are EGREGIOUS flops. Someone needs to knock the hell out of him. If I were coaching, I’d let Thomas know that the first time Barea took it to the rim I wanted him laid out. All it takes is one good hit and that little troll will think twice before driving recklessly to the basket.
7.) Why do we not post Tim Duncan every possession?
Tim looked great in Game 1, unfortunately he did not get enough touches. If Tim is in the game, he should touch the ball every offensive possession. There is no reason for Bonner or Udoka to take a shot early in the shot clock when Tim is on the floor. We should force feed him the ball on the block. I promise, good things will happen.
8.) Why doesn’t Popovich yell at the officials?
The second time that little troll made an egregious flop, I looked over at our bench expecting to see Popovich enraged and saw no passion. It was as if he did not see it happen. Popovich needs to YELL. He needs to get in people’s faces. He needs to turn red and lose his voice. If the momentum starts to shift, Pop needs to stop it. It’s like he doesn’t care anymore.
9.) Why does our starting lineup not consist of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Roger Mason, and Drew Gooden?
Here is the problem with our current starting lineup; Finley and Bonner are horrible defenders. Using horrible defenders in the starting lineup guarantees that your opposition is going to get off to a good offensive start. In addition, if Finley and Bonner are missing, it guarantees that the Spurs will be down after the first quarter. How many times have you thought, “Wow, the Spurs really crushed that team in the first quarter.” Once, never? This is because our starting lineup cannot get stops. If we are lucky, Finley or Bonner will hit a few threes and we will keep pace with the other team. However, most of the time we will be down a few points when our subs come into the game. By inserting Bowen and Gooden into the starting lineup, suddenly our guys can get stops. Furthermore, bringing Finley and Bonner in off the bench means that they will be matched up against other bench players. Their poor defense will not be as obvious against the second unit of a team. With a defensive starting lineup, suddenly it’s not about outscoring the opposition, it’s about shutting them down. Isn’t that the philosophy that won the Spurs four championships? Why did we stray from it?
10.) Why do we not make defensive adjustments during a game when it is clear that our schemes are not effective?
Back to the little troll who is missing a chromosome, the only reason he was effective was because our defensive scheme was flawed. He consistently drove into the paint because our pick and roll defense allowed him to. Normally when guarding a pick and roll, the big man shows on the pick to pause the guard so that his guard can recover and play defense. For some reason, when Barea ran the pick and roll, our big guy did not show so he had an open path to the basket. I assume the thought was that we wanted our big guy to stay close to the guy setting the pick, because it was normally Dirk, but allowing Barea to reach the rim causes a plethora of problems. It puts our help defenders in a bad spot. If they help, Barea can kick the ball out for a three, and if they do not he has a layup. In addition, if our big guy shows late, it frees up Dampier for the offensive board. I believe this same thing happened three times, resulting in three easy put backs for Dampier. The way to prevent this is to simply have our big guy show hard on the pick, and have our guard recover. Why did this adjustment never take place during the game? I have no idea.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Playoffs Preview
1 Cavs vs 8 Pistons
Fred's Pick: Cavs in 5
The Cavs are really good. I mean really, really good. Lebron is finally reaching his potential and he is surrounded by the best role players he has ever had. The one troubling thing about the Cavs is that they really only have one elite player. Mo Williams is not elite as he cannot create for himself or his teammates. This means that if a team figures out how to effectively contain Lebron, the Cavs are beatable. This, however, will not happen when they face Detroit. The Pistons have been in a tailspin ever since they traded Chauncey "Team Glue" Billups away for Allen "Me First" Iverson. The only reason I gave the Pistons a game is because Detroit is a tough place to win at, especially in the playoffs.
2 Celtics vs 7 Bulls
Fred's Pick: Celts in 5
The Bulls have acquired "cool pick" status, somehow. Everyone seems to think they will give the Celtics a run for their money since the Garnet news came out. The Bulls are a young team and if a young team is going to make a splash in the playoffs they need a great coach. Last time I checked, Vinny Del Negro was coaching the Bulls. Sorry Chicago, not going to happen.
3 Magic vs 76ers
Fred's Pick: Magic in 5
Yuck. This is exactly why the East sucks. What a horrible series. I am a basketball junkie and if this came on I'm flipping the channel to watch a King of Queens rerun. If Rashard and Hedo were both healthy, it's definitely a sweep. As it is, it's going to be a sloppy win for the Magic.
4 Hawks vs 5 Heat
Fred's Pick: Hawks in 6
This series has also become an analyst favorite. Why? I still do not know what the Hawks are trying to do. Are they going to outrun you? Will they out-execute you? Will they control the pace of the game? What are they good at? And as far as the Heat are concerned, it's one fabulous player surrounded by some of the worst talent ever assembled. This team will be alright in two years because they are so young, but the fact they are a 5 seed this year illustrates just how much the East sucks.
1 Lakers vs 8 Jazz
Fred's Pick: Lakers in 6
The Jazz are not your typical 8 seed. They would be a 3 or 4 seed if they had not suffered so many injuries during the course of the season. They have one of the best point guards in the league and two great low post presences in Boozer and Millsap. The Lakers should not take this team lightly, or it could go to 7 games. However, the Lakers are the most complete team in the league. They have two elite players in Kobe and Gasol. They have elite role players in Odom and Bynum. And they have veteran experience. Their only weak spot is at the point guard position. Fisher has been awful this year and Farmar did not improve from last year. The fact that Utah has a great point guard and the Lakers are below average at that position is another reason to like the Jazz in this series. I still am picking the Lakers, but I will definitely keep my eye on this series.
2 Nuggets vs 7 Hornets
Fred's Pick: Hornets in 6
What do Carmelo, Kenyon, and JR Smith all have in common? They are crazy. Billups has done a masterful job of keeping this team together, greatly without the help of George Karl. This is a front running team. Things are great when they are winning, but as soon as they are losing they all start pointing fingers at each other. I get the feeling that if the Hornets can deliver one good stomach punch, the wheels will fall off for Denver.
3 Spurs vs 6 Mavs
Fred's Pick: Spurs in 6
Here is the thing about the Spurs. At this point, they only have two elite players and a bunch of mediocre role players. Therefore the Spurs will need their two elite players to have great games. Dallas cannot defend Tim or Tony. Tony scored 37 in the last two games they played, the second of which Tim and Manu did not play and the Spurs still won by 18. On the flip side, the Spurs have trouble guarding Dirk. However, the Spurs have a plethora of defenders to throw at him, while the Mavs have no one that can stay in front of Tony. The edge goes to San Antonio.
4 Blazers vs 5 Rockets
Fred's Pick: Blazers in 5
Do the Rockets have an elite player? Yao is alright, but how can you be 7'6" 310 pounds and not average more than 10 rebounds a game? Shouldn't he get around 10 boards a game by accident? Is he even trying? Artest is well past his prime, although he is still effective. Teams that win in the playoffs have to have a go-to guy. The Rockets are a great team, but lack a star. The Blazers have Brandon Roy. I really think this guy is great. He reminds me of Tim in that he never loses control of his emotions, but still has that undeniable passion to win. The Blazers are more athletic and have an elite player. I do not think they will have a problem taking out the Rockets.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
For the Love of God, Popovich
The Spurs landed in the three spot. Previously, I said that I would prefer the Spurs to be the four or five seed rather than the three. However, at that time it looked like the sixth seed would either be the Hornets or the Jazz, both of which would provide difficult matchups for the Spurs. Turns out the Spurs will play the Mavericks. This is the best case scenario for the Spurs. At this point, we basically are comprised of two stars. We need Tim and Tony to have great games in order to win. Tim always crushes Dallas and the Mavs have no one to defend Tony. For this reason, the Mavs are the best possible matchup for the short-handed Spurs.
There is one area of concern. We need Tim and Tony to play. It’s as simple as that. I attended the Hornets, Spurs game last night and was extremely frustrated for about 47 minutes. I kept asking, “How are we supposed to win if our two best players are not playing?” Luckily, the Spurs won a game that they should not have and earned the three seed. However, the Spurs cannot count on luck to win a playoff series. We need Tim and Tony in the game. Last night Tim had a +/- of +21 and Tony had +15. This means that when Tim was in the game, the Spurs outscored the Hornets by 21 points. We won by seven. Therefore, when Tim was on the bench the Hornets outscored the Spurs by 14 points. How easy is this to see? Can someone forward this to Popovich? When Tim is in the game, we are infinitely better than when he sits on the bench. Tim and Tony played a combined 77 minutes last night. Chris Paul and David West combined for 95 minutes. If you were wondering why the Spurs almost lost, you can stop studying the box score. Here is your answer. Their best two players played 18 more minutes than our two best players. It’s as easy as that. If we are going to fare well in the playoffs, this trend must end here. Tim and Tony must play more minutes than they have averaged during the regular season. Popovich needs to go for broke. There are no back to backs in the playoffs, so playing Tim extended minutes should not be a concern. In addition, Tony Parker is 26. 26! Are you telling me he can’t play more than 34 minutes a game? He is a world-class athlete.
Keep an eye on the minutes column. If Dirk and Howard/Terry play substantially more minutes than Tim and Tony, this could translate into an extended vacation for the Spurs.
There is one area of concern. We need Tim and Tony to play. It’s as simple as that. I attended the Hornets, Spurs game last night and was extremely frustrated for about 47 minutes. I kept asking, “How are we supposed to win if our two best players are not playing?” Luckily, the Spurs won a game that they should not have and earned the three seed. However, the Spurs cannot count on luck to win a playoff series. We need Tim and Tony in the game. Last night Tim had a +/- of +21 and Tony had +15. This means that when Tim was in the game, the Spurs outscored the Hornets by 21 points. We won by seven. Therefore, when Tim was on the bench the Hornets outscored the Spurs by 14 points. How easy is this to see? Can someone forward this to Popovich? When Tim is in the game, we are infinitely better than when he sits on the bench. Tim and Tony played a combined 77 minutes last night. Chris Paul and David West combined for 95 minutes. If you were wondering why the Spurs almost lost, you can stop studying the box score. Here is your answer. Their best two players played 18 more minutes than our two best players. It’s as easy as that. If we are going to fare well in the playoffs, this trend must end here. Tim and Tony must play more minutes than they have averaged during the regular season. Popovich needs to go for broke. There are no back to backs in the playoffs, so playing Tim extended minutes should not be a concern. In addition, Tony Parker is 26. 26! Are you telling me he can’t play more than 34 minutes a game? He is a world-class athlete.
Keep an eye on the minutes column. If Dirk and Howard/Terry play substantially more minutes than Tim and Tony, this could translate into an extended vacation for the Spurs.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Navy Seals > Pirates
Seriously? How incompetent are these “pirates?” It is really quite baffling when you think about it. In 2003 I made it a point to read any article about pirates that I came across. In the summer of ’03 I attended Semester at Sea. Basically, you sail around the world for a semester and take classes while at sea for college credit. The ship docks at different locations around the world and while docked classes stop and you basically are on your own to explore the country. It was really quite fantastic. My year we sailed to Vancouver, Alaska, Japan, Russia, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. While at sea, we would often have pirate drills, similar to fire drills at school, so we knew what to do in case of a pirate attack. The students all had a safe location on the ship to hide and the crew would man water cannons that were located all around the ship for defense. This spiked my curiosity of ‘pirates’ as I was previously unaware that they still existed. So I have kept up with the pirates since ’03 and was hooked when they took over an American ship this past week. The following is a recap of what took place along with my thoughts. The recap will be a summary from the articles I have read from WSJ, NYT, Reuters, Bloomberg, and Breitbart.
About a week ago four pirates armed with pistols and AK-47’s attempted to capture an American vessel. They maneuvered their tiny boat next to the enormous vessel and straight pirate style used ropes with hooks to climb onboard. Once onboard, the pirates realized they were greatly outnumbered by the crew. However, the crew did not possess guns, so advantage pirates. Apparently, there was a scuffle between a few crew members and the Pirate Captain. During this brouhaha, a crew member stabbed the Captain in the hand with an ice pick. The crew members tied the Captain to a chair and thus had a hostage. The American Captain realized that this situation could easily escalate with the three remaining armed pirates still onboard. He decided to give himself to the pirates to avoid violence. So now the pirates have the American Captain and the Americans have the Pirate Captain. The pirates then demanded that the Americans give them one of their life boats. The Americans agreed so now the three pirates and the American Captain were off the main vessel. It was negotiated that the Americans would give the pirates the Pirate Captain back and then the pirates would release the American Captain. So the Americans released the Pirate Captain who rejoined his crew on the life boat. The Americans asked for their captain back and I assume the response from the pirates was something like, “Um, we’re pirates. Lying is a big part of what we do.”
So now the four pirates are on this life boat with the American Captain. The pirates attempted to demand that the crew follow them to the coast of Somalia, but the crew decided that was a bad idea and took off. In this time, the first American Warship arrived on scene and negotiations commenced. The pirates wanted ransom, something in the range of 2 million dollars, for the American Captain. Negotiations carried on for the next several days. During this time, the Captain saw an opportunity to escape and took it. He dove into the ocean and attempted to swim to one of the nearby American Warships. The pirates fired several shots, (it is unclear whether they shot at the Captain or in the air,) at which point the Captain surrendered and was recaptured. This was enough for Barack Obama. He had had it. When this happened, he gave the order for the Navy Seals to intervene if the captain was in “imminent danger.”
During the next four days, two more American War Ships arrived along with War Helicopters. This must have been quite the spectacle. Picture it. Four pirates on a life boat surrounded by three American Warships with War Helicopters buzzing around. So negotiations did not go well for the pirates because apparently they have never seen an American movie. “WE DON”T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS.” We kill terrorists. Yesterday, one of the pirates boarded an American Warship to make their demands clear. Their demands were rejected by the Navy and the pirate became irate. 100 feet away on the life boat, one of the pirates made the unfortunate mistake of pointing his gun at the head of the Captain. This qualified as “imminent danger” so the Navy Seals opened fire. Three shots, three head wounds, game over. The fourth pirate is now in custody. The captain was unharmed.
Now, what were these pirates thinking? That our Navy was going to have 2 million in cash, hand it over to them, and they would be on their merry way? Never to be seen again? Living like kings? What??? What was their best case scenario? Life in prison, most likely. If negotiations had succeeded, this is how it would have played out. The pirates get some money and release the Captain. Once the Captain was safe, the pirates are captured and sent to an American jail. The end. Worst case was they piss our new president off, and he gives the order to take them out. Obama was not about to allow four “pirates” to make a fool out of him in front of the entire world. At some point, one of the four pirates had to have second thoughts, right? Like when the third Warship arrived and there were freaking War Helicopters buzzing all around, he had to start thinking, “Um, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea and we should get the hell off this tiny life boat.”
The other confounding part of this was that they chose the life boat over land. They were docked right off the coast of Somalia. It is well documented that we are not good at finding people in caves. Doesn’t Somalia have caves? Wouldn’t that be your go-to move? Either the four of us can sit in this tiny lifeboat surrounded by three Warships and helicopters, or we can go on land and meet up with our pirate buddies and negotiate from a hard-to-find cave.
I feel like these pirates were just some dudes trying to make a quick buck, and before they knew it they were surrounded by Warships and really had no idea what to do. Somalia is not a place you want to visit. Since the late 80’s, Somalia has been in a civil war. There is no government, no economy, no nothing. If you are in Somalia, and you see these ships passing by constantly, it may make sense to take a chance for some money. Here is where they made the mistake. Stay away from ships flying the American flag. Pick on the French. You know they won’t retaliate. The Americans have been kicking the crap out of Iraq for a decade now because they basically called us names. America is not the nation you want to pick a fight with, especially if you do not have any allies that will have your back. Today the pirates were quoted as saying America is their new number one target. Really? Pirates, you have no chance. We will send a few ships over, a few troops, a few helicopters, and dominate your existence for the next decade. Here is some advice. Forget this happened. Apologize to the U.S. and then continue picking on the French. That’s what I’d do, anyway. You got a good thing going with your throwback pirate business. Don’t mess it up by picking a fight you do not have a chance at winning.
Quick Spurs Update
We can beat the Blazers in a series. We want the four or five spot. Four would obviously be preferable, but five would be better than the three spot. It looks like New Orleans will be in the sixth spot, and we do not match up well with them. Also, I really hope we play the Lakers in the second round. If we win, fantastic. If we lose, well that’s the best team in the West and we are injured. Worst case scenario would be meeting the Lakers in the Conference Finals and getting stomped. If we are going to get stomped, let’s hope it’s in the second round so our guys get an extended off-season to recuperate.
About a week ago four pirates armed with pistols and AK-47’s attempted to capture an American vessel. They maneuvered their tiny boat next to the enormous vessel and straight pirate style used ropes with hooks to climb onboard. Once onboard, the pirates realized they were greatly outnumbered by the crew. However, the crew did not possess guns, so advantage pirates. Apparently, there was a scuffle between a few crew members and the Pirate Captain. During this brouhaha, a crew member stabbed the Captain in the hand with an ice pick. The crew members tied the Captain to a chair and thus had a hostage. The American Captain realized that this situation could easily escalate with the three remaining armed pirates still onboard. He decided to give himself to the pirates to avoid violence. So now the pirates have the American Captain and the Americans have the Pirate Captain. The pirates then demanded that the Americans give them one of their life boats. The Americans agreed so now the three pirates and the American Captain were off the main vessel. It was negotiated that the Americans would give the pirates the Pirate Captain back and then the pirates would release the American Captain. So the Americans released the Pirate Captain who rejoined his crew on the life boat. The Americans asked for their captain back and I assume the response from the pirates was something like, “Um, we’re pirates. Lying is a big part of what we do.”
So now the four pirates are on this life boat with the American Captain. The pirates attempted to demand that the crew follow them to the coast of Somalia, but the crew decided that was a bad idea and took off. In this time, the first American Warship arrived on scene and negotiations commenced. The pirates wanted ransom, something in the range of 2 million dollars, for the American Captain. Negotiations carried on for the next several days. During this time, the Captain saw an opportunity to escape and took it. He dove into the ocean and attempted to swim to one of the nearby American Warships. The pirates fired several shots, (it is unclear whether they shot at the Captain or in the air,) at which point the Captain surrendered and was recaptured. This was enough for Barack Obama. He had had it. When this happened, he gave the order for the Navy Seals to intervene if the captain was in “imminent danger.”
During the next four days, two more American War Ships arrived along with War Helicopters. This must have been quite the spectacle. Picture it. Four pirates on a life boat surrounded by three American Warships with War Helicopters buzzing around. So negotiations did not go well for the pirates because apparently they have never seen an American movie. “WE DON”T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS.” We kill terrorists. Yesterday, one of the pirates boarded an American Warship to make their demands clear. Their demands were rejected by the Navy and the pirate became irate. 100 feet away on the life boat, one of the pirates made the unfortunate mistake of pointing his gun at the head of the Captain. This qualified as “imminent danger” so the Navy Seals opened fire. Three shots, three head wounds, game over. The fourth pirate is now in custody. The captain was unharmed.
Now, what were these pirates thinking? That our Navy was going to have 2 million in cash, hand it over to them, and they would be on their merry way? Never to be seen again? Living like kings? What??? What was their best case scenario? Life in prison, most likely. If negotiations had succeeded, this is how it would have played out. The pirates get some money and release the Captain. Once the Captain was safe, the pirates are captured and sent to an American jail. The end. Worst case was they piss our new president off, and he gives the order to take them out. Obama was not about to allow four “pirates” to make a fool out of him in front of the entire world. At some point, one of the four pirates had to have second thoughts, right? Like when the third Warship arrived and there were freaking War Helicopters buzzing all around, he had to start thinking, “Um, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea and we should get the hell off this tiny life boat.”
The other confounding part of this was that they chose the life boat over land. They were docked right off the coast of Somalia. It is well documented that we are not good at finding people in caves. Doesn’t Somalia have caves? Wouldn’t that be your go-to move? Either the four of us can sit in this tiny lifeboat surrounded by three Warships and helicopters, or we can go on land and meet up with our pirate buddies and negotiate from a hard-to-find cave.
I feel like these pirates were just some dudes trying to make a quick buck, and before they knew it they were surrounded by Warships and really had no idea what to do. Somalia is not a place you want to visit. Since the late 80’s, Somalia has been in a civil war. There is no government, no economy, no nothing. If you are in Somalia, and you see these ships passing by constantly, it may make sense to take a chance for some money. Here is where they made the mistake. Stay away from ships flying the American flag. Pick on the French. You know they won’t retaliate. The Americans have been kicking the crap out of Iraq for a decade now because they basically called us names. America is not the nation you want to pick a fight with, especially if you do not have any allies that will have your back. Today the pirates were quoted as saying America is their new number one target. Really? Pirates, you have no chance. We will send a few ships over, a few troops, a few helicopters, and dominate your existence for the next decade. Here is some advice. Forget this happened. Apologize to the U.S. and then continue picking on the French. That’s what I’d do, anyway. You got a good thing going with your throwback pirate business. Don’t mess it up by picking a fight you do not have a chance at winning.
Quick Spurs Update
We can beat the Blazers in a series. We want the four or five spot. Four would obviously be preferable, but five would be better than the three spot. It looks like New Orleans will be in the sixth spot, and we do not match up well with them. Also, I really hope we play the Lakers in the second round. If we win, fantastic. If we lose, well that’s the best team in the West and we are injured. Worst case scenario would be meeting the Lakers in the Conference Finals and getting stomped. If we are going to get stomped, let’s hope it’s in the second round so our guys get an extended off-season to recuperate.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Optimistic Spurs Outlook
I realize my last few posts have been fairly pessimistic. Most of it was skewed by my emotions following the recent upsetting losses. I thought I should make it known that I expect the Spurs to finish the rest of the season 6-2 and make a run at the championship. At first glance, this might seem uber-optimistic considering that five of the remaining eight games are on the road, and four of the remaining eight are against playoff teams. However, if one takes a closer look at the Spurs’ rough month of March, there is reason for optimism.
The Spurs record for March was 9-8. It looks bad until one realizes that seven of the eight losses were by 7 or fewer points, five were by fewer than 4 points. Clearly, many of these games could have gone either way. If the ball had taken a different bounce, if the officiating had been slightly less than horrific, if Popovich had not played Jacque Vaughn, many of these games would have been wins.
The opponents that the Spurs lost to were respectable, for the most part. The only “bad” losses occurred against the Oklahoma City Thunder, to which the Spurs dropped two games. The rest of their losses were to playoff teams.
The Spurs were playing with incomplete lineups for the majority of the month. Tim Duncan sat out for most of the back to backs and missed a string of games due to knee soreness. Manu Ginobili only played in the last three games averaging only 25 minutes per, and as expected struggled to shake the rust off.
These reasons serve to explain why the Spurs were out of sync in March. In my eyes, these untimely injuries resulted in the Spurs woeful three point shooting slump. March was the Spurs worst three point shooting month of the season at 37.1%. In their eight losses, the Spurs shot a putrid 32%. Given how close these games were, if the Spurs shot 35% suddenly they are viewed in a completely different light. Instead of, “The Spurs Limp into the Playoffs,” headlines would read “The Spurs Sprint Towards the Finish Line.” It’s interesting how a single percent can completely shift the public’s perception of a team.
Injuries kept the Spurs from developing a rhythm during the month of March. Players were attempting to get Drew Gooden acclimated while not knowing which of the Big Three may be playing in the next game. The Spurs ball movement became less fluid and the league’s leading three point shooting team struggled to connect from range.
All this can be turned around within a week. If the Spurs can take a step back and play through this rough patch, they will regain form and steady the ship. I am hoping that this last week was enough for the Spurs to find themselves. So, I am still optimistic that the Spurs can make a run at the title this year. Everyone seems to forget the most important factor heading into the playoffs; it’s an odd year, and the Spurs own odd years like they own the Suns.
The Spurs record for March was 9-8. It looks bad until one realizes that seven of the eight losses were by 7 or fewer points, five were by fewer than 4 points. Clearly, many of these games could have gone either way. If the ball had taken a different bounce, if the officiating had been slightly less than horrific, if Popovich had not played Jacque Vaughn, many of these games would have been wins.
The opponents that the Spurs lost to were respectable, for the most part. The only “bad” losses occurred against the Oklahoma City Thunder, to which the Spurs dropped two games. The rest of their losses were to playoff teams.
The Spurs were playing with incomplete lineups for the majority of the month. Tim Duncan sat out for most of the back to backs and missed a string of games due to knee soreness. Manu Ginobili only played in the last three games averaging only 25 minutes per, and as expected struggled to shake the rust off.
These reasons serve to explain why the Spurs were out of sync in March. In my eyes, these untimely injuries resulted in the Spurs woeful three point shooting slump. March was the Spurs worst three point shooting month of the season at 37.1%. In their eight losses, the Spurs shot a putrid 32%. Given how close these games were, if the Spurs shot 35% suddenly they are viewed in a completely different light. Instead of, “The Spurs Limp into the Playoffs,” headlines would read “The Spurs Sprint Towards the Finish Line.” It’s interesting how a single percent can completely shift the public’s perception of a team.
Injuries kept the Spurs from developing a rhythm during the month of March. Players were attempting to get Drew Gooden acclimated while not knowing which of the Big Three may be playing in the next game. The Spurs ball movement became less fluid and the league’s leading three point shooting team struggled to connect from range.
All this can be turned around within a week. If the Spurs can take a step back and play through this rough patch, they will regain form and steady the ship. I am hoping that this last week was enough for the Spurs to find themselves. So, I am still optimistic that the Spurs can make a run at the title this year. Everyone seems to forget the most important factor heading into the playoffs; it’s an odd year, and the Spurs own odd years like they own the Suns.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Popovich Makes My Head Hurt
Well, the precedent has been set. There is nothing we can do about it now. The Thunder officially believe they can beat the Spurs regardless of the circumstances. This is the same thing that happened with the Milwaukee Bucks. At some point, the Bucks won a fluky game against the Spurs, followed that with a close win, and now the Spurs have trouble beating the Bucks twice a season. The Bucks could be 10-42, it does not matter. The Bucks will always play the Spurs close because they show up with impenetrable confidence. And now we have this to look forward to for the next decade every time we play the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nearly every good team has one of these annoying match-ups. The Lakers like to lose to the Bobcats. The Magic like to lose to the Pistons. It’s not necessarily a guaranteed loss, it will just be a closer game than it should be and the lesser team will always have a shot at winning in the closing minutes.
Popovich is really to blame for last night’s loss and a decades worth of close losses to the Thunder. First, the lineups he played were horrendous. If Tim, Tony, and Manu are healthy, there is absolutely no reason that the Spurs should play a lineup that excludes all three. It makes no sense. A lineup without the big three will never happen in the playoffs, so why play it now? All it does is serve to destroy the Spurs' rhythm and give the opposition confidence.
Second, why in God’s name is Jacque Vaughn playing? We have George Hill! What the HELL?!?! Jacque Vaughn entered the game when the Thunder had two seconds on the shot clock. Jacque somehow lost sight of his man, who cut backdoor and received the pass for a lay-up. Jacque fouled the guy and he made both free throws. Two seconds in the game, two points for the Thunder. He played 13 minutes, scored 0 points missing two wide open shots, and had as many turnovers as he had assists, 1. His plus minus was -2. Could George Hill have performed worse? Is it even possible? What Jacque’s stats do not display is that when he is in the game, the other team is essentially playing five on four on the defensive end. They do not guard Jacque Vaughn. This kills Manu’s impact because whenever Manu drives, Jacque’s man is right there to stop him. Also, the guy that Jacque Vaughn guards always has a free pass into the lane. The backup point guard on one of the worst teams in the NBA looked like an All Star because he was matched-up against Jacque. 34 year old Chucky Atkins has averaged 2.9 points, 1.8 assists, and .8 rebounds this season. Against Vaughn, he nearly doubled his production and apparently was EVERYWHERE, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, making both of his free throws. Tell me that he is that effective against George Hill, who is 22 and 6’3” with a 6’7” wingspan. Again, Jacque Vaughn is playing??? I feel like putting my head through a wall.
Third, how many times have you heard a commentator say this? “Wow, what a great decision by the coach. Instead of calling a time out, they decided to push the ball down by one. They completely caught the defense off-guard and got the easy layup for the win!” Maybe once, when the Suns were under D’Antoni? The vast majority of the time you hear, “Well, they had a timeout but chose not to use it because they thought they could catch the defense sleeping. Unfortunately, they got off a horrible shot and lost the game.” Let me go Hubie Brown on you for a second. “If I’m Gregg Popovich, I KNOW that my team is not as athletic as the Thunder. I also KNOW that if I call a timeout, I can advance the ball to halfcourt and draw up a play that could take advantage of the Thunder’s inexperience. If I’m Gregg Popovich, there is NO WAY that I don’t call a timeout here.” Well, he didn’t call a timeout. The play was broken from the start when Tony failed to bring the ball up the court. Passes were deflected, Tim ended up with the ball 20 feet from the basket with three seconds on the shot clock. He threw it to Finley who missed a contested fade-away from 25 feet at the buzzer. Ouch. If Popovich calls a timeout, what are the odds the Spurs take a worse shot? 10%? 5%? I completely do not understand his logic.
Fourth, Kevin Durant absolutely tore the Spurs apart for the first three quarters. Finley, Udoka, and Manu all had their shot to defend him, and all were torched. Guess which two players did not get any playing time last night? Arguably the Spurs’ best two perimeter defenders, Bruce Bowen and George Hill. How does that make any sense at all? I feel like I am taking CRAZY PILLS.
The loss obviously falls on Popovich. Why was he so bad? Did he chug a bottle of Nyquil before the game? Did he total his car? Did he take a look in the mirror for the first time in 20 years? What the Hell was he thinking? Obviously, I’m still irate. I may have to bring back my old website, http://www.heypoppleasestopkillingmyteam.com/
Nearly every good team has one of these annoying match-ups. The Lakers like to lose to the Bobcats. The Magic like to lose to the Pistons. It’s not necessarily a guaranteed loss, it will just be a closer game than it should be and the lesser team will always have a shot at winning in the closing minutes.
Popovich is really to blame for last night’s loss and a decades worth of close losses to the Thunder. First, the lineups he played were horrendous. If Tim, Tony, and Manu are healthy, there is absolutely no reason that the Spurs should play a lineup that excludes all three. It makes no sense. A lineup without the big three will never happen in the playoffs, so why play it now? All it does is serve to destroy the Spurs' rhythm and give the opposition confidence.
Second, why in God’s name is Jacque Vaughn playing? We have George Hill! What the HELL?!?! Jacque Vaughn entered the game when the Thunder had two seconds on the shot clock. Jacque somehow lost sight of his man, who cut backdoor and received the pass for a lay-up. Jacque fouled the guy and he made both free throws. Two seconds in the game, two points for the Thunder. He played 13 minutes, scored 0 points missing two wide open shots, and had as many turnovers as he had assists, 1. His plus minus was -2. Could George Hill have performed worse? Is it even possible? What Jacque’s stats do not display is that when he is in the game, the other team is essentially playing five on four on the defensive end. They do not guard Jacque Vaughn. This kills Manu’s impact because whenever Manu drives, Jacque’s man is right there to stop him. Also, the guy that Jacque Vaughn guards always has a free pass into the lane. The backup point guard on one of the worst teams in the NBA looked like an All Star because he was matched-up against Jacque. 34 year old Chucky Atkins has averaged 2.9 points, 1.8 assists, and .8 rebounds this season. Against Vaughn, he nearly doubled his production and apparently was EVERYWHERE, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, making both of his free throws. Tell me that he is that effective against George Hill, who is 22 and 6’3” with a 6’7” wingspan. Again, Jacque Vaughn is playing??? I feel like putting my head through a wall.
Third, how many times have you heard a commentator say this? “Wow, what a great decision by the coach. Instead of calling a time out, they decided to push the ball down by one. They completely caught the defense off-guard and got the easy layup for the win!” Maybe once, when the Suns were under D’Antoni? The vast majority of the time you hear, “Well, they had a timeout but chose not to use it because they thought they could catch the defense sleeping. Unfortunately, they got off a horrible shot and lost the game.” Let me go Hubie Brown on you for a second. “If I’m Gregg Popovich, I KNOW that my team is not as athletic as the Thunder. I also KNOW that if I call a timeout, I can advance the ball to halfcourt and draw up a play that could take advantage of the Thunder’s inexperience. If I’m Gregg Popovich, there is NO WAY that I don’t call a timeout here.” Well, he didn’t call a timeout. The play was broken from the start when Tony failed to bring the ball up the court. Passes were deflected, Tim ended up with the ball 20 feet from the basket with three seconds on the shot clock. He threw it to Finley who missed a contested fade-away from 25 feet at the buzzer. Ouch. If Popovich calls a timeout, what are the odds the Spurs take a worse shot? 10%? 5%? I completely do not understand his logic.
Fourth, Kevin Durant absolutely tore the Spurs apart for the first three quarters. Finley, Udoka, and Manu all had their shot to defend him, and all were torched. Guess which two players did not get any playing time last night? Arguably the Spurs’ best two perimeter defenders, Bruce Bowen and George Hill. How does that make any sense at all? I feel like I am taking CRAZY PILLS.
The loss obviously falls on Popovich. Why was he so bad? Did he chug a bottle of Nyquil before the game? Did he total his car? Did he take a look in the mirror for the first time in 20 years? What the Hell was he thinking? Obviously, I’m still irate. I may have to bring back my old website, http://www.heypoppleasestopkillingmyteam.com/
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