What to watch for against the Lakers?

[timvp]

What are you watching for against the Lakers? Here are some things I'm looking at extra closely:

1. The Defensive gameplan versus Kobe
Last game against the Lakers, RMJ got the majority of the minutes against Kobe. Ginobili and Bowen got a few minutes on him but Pop went with RMJ when it mattered.

This time, I wouldn't be surprised if that changes. RMJ has been in a bit of a defensive slump and last game Pop went with a lot of Bowen against Carter. And as of late, Bowen has been much more active overall. For those reason, I see RMJ and Bowen getting a much more even split with Ginobili still getting a few minutes on him.

2. Guarding Gasol and Bynum
I don't think much will change compared to last game. Bonner will start off on Bynum and body up on him to force him to shoot shots away from the basket. Duncan will start on Gasol and hopefully do a better job on him this time.

However, Bynum has played well lately and it's more likely that he can take advantage of his matchup against Bonner. If that happens, I expect to see a lot of KT with Duncan. The good news is the Spurs have been using that duo a lot more recently ... and with good outcomes.

3. Keeping up offensively
The four-game winning streak by the Spurs has camouflaged the fact that they are struggling offensively. In the last five games, the Spurs are shooting 91.6 points per game while shooting 41.6% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the three-point arc. No matter how good of defense the Spurs play, they can't win without a breakout offensive performance.

To put points on the board, I think the main key is for Parker and Ginobili to aggressively attack the basket. That should hopefully open up space for others to operate. If Bonner is on the floor, he needs to look for his shot often against the Gasol and Bynum frontline.

Obviously, Duncan will need to come up big but the Lakers are too good to repeatedly call 4-down against. That is a good strategy late but Phil Jackson is too crafty to rely on that one play for the entire game.

As always against the Lakers, the shooters need to knock down the open looks. RMJ and Finley have been struggling a bit but they can't struggle in this game if the Spurs are going to win. Same goes for Ginobili's three-point shooting.






Hopefully the Spurs just play loose and try to steal this game. It's not a must-win by any stretch but it'd definitely be a great confidence booster. Show up to play, keep it close and see what happens . . .

[Man Mountain]

I want to see vintageness! Bowen on Kome at least 30 minutes and all of the FOURTH. Bonner will choke on the road so KURT THOMAS will be the man. I hate the whole Fakerz organisation so sending in Ime Uduka to throw elbows would make me happy :)

[DPG21920]

I will be watching the backcourt match up. I have said all along that the Spurs backcourt is what is going to beat the Lakers. Lets see if TP, Manu, Mason, Hill and sometimes Finley can out perform the Lakers guards.

If the Spurs are going to win, the backcourt is going to have to exploit the biggest weakness of the Lakers.

[Fabbs]

What are you watching for against the Lakers? Here are some things I'm looking at extra closely:

3. Keeping up offensively
The four-game winning streak by the Spurs has camouflaged the fact that they are struggling offensively. In the last five games, the Spurs are shooting 91.6 points per game while shooting 41.6% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the three-point arc. No matter how good of defense the Spurs play, they can't win without a breakout offensive performance.

To put points on the board, I think the main key is for Parker and Ginobili to aggressively attack the basket. That should hopefully open up space for others to operate. If Bonner is on the floor, he needs to look for his shot often against the Gasol and Bynum frontline.

Obviously, Duncan will need to come up big but the Lakers are too good to repeatedly call 4-down against. That is a good strategy late but Phil Jackson is too crafty to rely on that one play for the entire game.

As always against the Lakers, the shooters need to knock down the open looks. RMJ and Finley have been struggling a bit but they can't struggle in this game if the Spurs are going to win. Same goes for Ginobili's three-point shooting.
:clap on both bolds.
Earth to Pop.

Disagree that we have to slow it down. Up a dozen in the 4th qtr of last times 112-111 Spurs win. At times, yes. The whole game slow, we auto-lose.

[Frenzy]

I will be watching the backcourt match up. I have said all along that the Spurs backcourt is what is going to beat the Lakers. Lets see if TP, Manu, Mason, Hill and sometimes Finley can out perform the Lakers guards.

If the Spurs are going to win, the backcourt is going to have to exploit the biggest weakness of the Lakers.


nice shoes! :worthy:

[DPG21920]

nice shoes! :worthy:

Thank you. I wear them every game (or my other pair of reebok Spurs shoes)

[timvp]

I will be watching the backcourt match up. I have said all along that the Spurs backcourt is what is going to beat the Lakers. Lets see if TP, Manu, Mason, Hill and sometimes Finley can out perform the Lakers guards.

If the Spurs are going to win, the backcourt is going to have to exploit the biggest weakness of the Lakers.Good thoughts. While the Lakers are still missing Farmar, they have Sasha back. The Spurs need to do a much better job defending him than they did in the WCF last season. Hill vs. Sasha will be an interesting matchup. Oh and Manu needs to destroy him.

Walton is also back and his passing within the triangle can be deadly if the Spurs are playing soft. Finley and Ginobili need to make sure Walton doesn't get deep post position.

[GSH]

I hate Phil Jackson, but he's not a dumb guy. With Bynum, Gasol, Odom, and Radmanovic he has more big bodies to work with than just about anyone. And he's going to do the same thing he did against the Celtics - bang the hell out of anyone who approaches the paint, and scream at the refs every time they blow a whistle. (That part is especially effective when the Lakers play at home.) I wouldn't be surprised if he puts Mihm or Ilunga-Mbenga in for a few minutes each, just to spread the fouls around a little bit. (Fisher will be belly-bumping on defense, as only he can, too.)

Besides the obvious benefit of making the other team earn points from the line, it keeps their shooters from getting in any kind of rhythm. It doesn't hurt to make them flinch a little bit every time they go to the rim, either.

Jackson know to work the system as well as any coach ever has. He knows that the refs don't like to give that sixth foul, especially against the home team. And if they do foul one of his guys out, they're going to have to face The Wrath Of Phil - they aren't going to do it a second time in the same game. When those guys get 5 fouls, they are almost bullet-proof, and it can be really hard to score any points in the last few minutes of the game against that.

The other thing they will do, of course, is beat the living shit out of Duncan off the ball. Watch closely, and every time he passes the ball out, one of them will give him a shove, to make sure any re-post is further from the basket. They will probably get a few "steals" from guys standing behind him, reaching their arms around to deflect the ball as he receives a pass.

And after dialing up an intentionally physical game plan, if the Spurs win Phil will be crying about the disparity in foul shots.

[jman3000]

I know he's slow as all fuck, but I'd like to see Thomas on Gasol early and see if he can play physical with him and make Gasol docile. Nothing more than 15 or so minutes, but enough so that Gasol doesn't start the damn game 7-7 or 8-8 like he did last game.

Tony really needs to shy away from penetrating while Bynum and Gasol are both on the floor together, and become more of a distributor. I can already see him making multiple forays into the paint and either getting stuck in midair passing it to a Laker or getting his shit blocked.

I know he has an edge of Fisher, but his problems start once he passes Fisher.

[timvp]

I know he's slow as all fuck, but I'd like to see Thomas on Gasol early and see if he can play physical with him and make Gasol docile. Nothing more than 15 or so minutes, but enough so that Gasol doesn't start the damn game 7-7 or 8-8 like he did last game.Do you want KT starting?


Tony really needs to shy away from penetrating while Bynum and Gasol are both on the floor together, and become more of a distributor. I can already see him making multiple forays into the paint and either getting stuck in midair passing it to a Laker or getting his shit blocked.

I know he has an edge of Fisher, but his problems start once he passes Fisher.TP not being aggressive and forcing the issue is the quickest way for the Spurs to get run off the court. When the Spurs have a point guard who can't get to the rim, the Lakers are able to take Duncan out of the game and stay at home on shooters. See: 2001 and 2004.

Even if Parker is getting blocked at the rim, that forces the Lakers to deviate from what they want to do defensively and will eventually open up shooting room for other players. Same goes for Manu. Those two can't be afraid of the bigs and look only to pass against these Lakers.

[timvp]

I hate Phil Jackson, but he's not a dumb guy. With Bynum, Gasol, Odom, and Radmanovic he has more big bodies to work with than just about anyone. And he's going to do the same thing he did against the Celtics - bang the hell out of anyone who approaches the paint, and scream at the refs every time they blow a whistle. (That part is especially effective when the Lakers play at home.) I wouldn't be surprised if he puts Mihm or Ilunga-Mbenga in for a few minutes each, just to spread the fouls around a little bit. (Fisher will be belly-bumping on defense, as only he can, too.)

Besides the obvious benefit of making the other team earn points from the line, it keeps their shooters from getting in any kind of rhythm. It doesn't hurt to make them flinch a little bit every time they go to the rim, either.

Jackson know to work the system as well as any coach ever has. He knows that the refs don't like to give that sixth foul, especially against the home team. And if they do foul one of his guys out, they're going to have to face The Wrath Of Phil - they aren't going to do it a second time in the same game. When those guys get 5 fouls, they are almost bullet-proof, and it can be really hard to score any points in the last few minutes of the game against that.

The other thing they will do, of course, is beat the living shit out of Duncan off the ball. Watch closely, and every time he passes the ball out, one of them will give him a shove, to make sure any re-post is further from the basket. They will probably get a few "steals" from guys standing behind him, reaching their arms around to deflect the ball as he receives a pass.

And after dialing up an intentionally physical game plan, if the Spurs win Phil will be crying about the disparity in foul shots.You have some good points in there. Phil has my ultimate respect and his savviness is off the charts.

[Solid D]

Nice keys, timvp.

Hopefully, Tony Parker didn't stay up too late in LA with an early game today. If he did, it will be noticeable.

I'll be interested to see how the Lakers defend the screen/rolls. I would think LA will put Kobe or Sasha on Ginobili and trap the ball on the perimeter during certain points in the game. I also think this might be a physical game, initiated by LA's desire to play tougher this year. The Spurs can match the physicality of any opponent, as long as Tim doesn't get caught up complaining calls.

[duncan228]

The other thing they will do, of course, is beat the living shit out of Duncan off the ball.

I expect this too. I hope Duncan doesn't start whining about it, he needs to take the frustration out in his game. Usually an angry Duncan bodes well for us.

[Fabbs]

Do you want KT starting?

TP not being aggressive and forcing the issue is the quickest way for the Spurs to get run off the court. When the Spurs have a point guard who can't get to the rim, the Lakers are able to take Duncan out of the game and stay at home on shooters. See: 2001 and 2004.

Even if Parker is getting blocked at the rim, that forces the Lakers to deviate from what they want to do defensively and will eventually open up shooting room for other players. Same goes for Manu. Those two can't be afraid of the bigs and look only to pass against these Lakers.
jman and timvp,
How about both? TP should take it agressively to the rim, but on approaching the rim if a sure block or crappy low percentage shot is impending, keep your eyes and options open and hit the open Spur. Many a TP drive draws the doubleteam and/or draws a big onto him, so yeah, look for the open Spur, dont lock into "shoot no matter what".

I doubt Popazit coaches this in practice but with TPs super driving ability it would open up tons of O options.

[Kindergarten Cop]

I just saw an interesting stat scroll across the bottom of ESPN News. It noted that Popovich is the only HC with a winning record (min. 15 games) in career head-to-head match-ups against Phil Jackson. He holds an 18-17 advantage over PJ. Let's hope that Pop pushes it to a two game advantage today.:toast

[EricB]

I just saw an interesting stat scroll across the bottom of ESPN News. It noted that Popovich is the only HC with a winning record (min. 15 games) in career head-to-head match-ups against Phil Jackson. He holds an 18-17 advantage over PJ. Let's hope that Pop pushes it to a two game advantage today.:toast



Impossible. According to fabbs pop can't coach. I'm sure he feels john lucas would be faring better.

[Fabbs]

Impossible. According to fabbs pop can't coach. I'm sure he feels john lucas would be faring better.
Wow. So in the 2005-06-07 years Pops fattened up his record against the .500 Kobes. Nice cherry picking of stats EricB. Thats impressive.:lol

1-4 in playoff series. You know, the ones that count?:toast

[ManuTP9]

kobe

[Spurminator]

Keep them from getting second chances. They're a great offensive team already even if they only have one scoring opportunity per possession.

[GSH]

TP not being aggressive and forcing the issue is the quickest way for the Spurs to get run off the court. When the Spurs have a point guard who can't get to the rim, the Lakers are able to take Duncan out of the game and stay at home on shooters. See: 2001 and 2004.

Even if Parker is getting blocked at the rim, that forces the Lakers to deviate from what they want to do defensively and will eventually open up shooting room for other players. Same goes for Manu. Those two can't be afraid of the bigs and look only to pass against these Lakers.



I agree that the team needs TP to be aggressive about taking it to the basket. But when the other team can sit back and meet him at the rim, he has a lot less chance of being successful. My worthless armchair-quarterback opinion is that he would do well to put that teardrop back into his game a little more often. (I haven't actually counted, but it sure seems like he rarely uses it anymore.) That shot forced those opposing big men to step out a little bit, which opened up the paint a little bit more.

It's pretty presumptuous of someone like me to second guess TP, from the safety of my laptop. But... I think he over-penetrates at times, to the point where he has no angle to make a pass. Sometimes he dumps it off to Duncan, when he's surrounded, and Duncan gets the TO. Sometimes he tries to jam it in against two bigs, and has to come up looking for a whistle. Sometimes he has an angle to pass to one guy, and the defense is camping in that passing lane.

Teams that let Parker get to the rim without getting bumped, he's obviously going to score. Jackson is going to have those guys hammer him and make sure the shots don't fall. Some of the time Tony will miss his FT's, and some of the time the refs won't blow a whistle. Every time there is no whistle, they Lakers are going to jam it back down the Spurs' throats.

I know that Pop says that their offense starts with playing good defense. But I've been watching closely for a while this season, and they are letting the opposite happen a lot too. Crappy offensive possessions by the Spurs lead to easy, high-percentage scores for the other team. Stagnant offense has been responsible for at least part of the higher shooting percentage by their opponents.

The game's about to start... we'll see.

[adidas11]

And the game begins...

[senorglory]

I wouldn't be surprised if he puts Mihm or Ilunga-Mbenga in for a few minutes each, just to spread the fouls around a little bit.

Is that something the Lakers use these two for regularly? I looked at Mihm and Mbenga's season stats, and neither averages more than one foul a game, so I'm surprised. I don't recall seeing either one of them on the floor, so I have no idea. If you say they're bruising hackers, I believe you.

As a UT alum I've often wondered what Mihm was up to out there in la-la-land.

[timvp]

1. The Defensive gameplan versus Kobe I would have liked more Bowen on Kobe. Mason did a decent job (when he wasn't going below a foul line screen when Kobe was beyond the three-point line :rolleyes) and Ginobili ... not so much.



2. Guarding Gasol and Bynum The Spurs failed this section of the test. Duncan was laaaaaaaaaaaazy defensively on the low block. Bonner was a little bit better but not much. KT and Oberto weren't good.


3. Keeping up offensivelyI had a bad feeling about the offense and it played out. With the Spurs concentrating more on defense lately, their offense has been a struggle. They haven't been able to shoot and the overall cohesiveness is lacking.

[senorglory]

Do you want KT starting?

One of the things I'm eager to see nowadays, with every Spurs game, is who's in the starting line-up.

[duncan228]

Duncan was laaaaaaaaaaaazy defensively on the low block.

I try to take most losses in stride, but this makes me nuts.

[ElNono]

They gave us ample chances to be in this game, and we didn't take them. We simply could not hit a shot when we needed it. This game reminded me a lot of the last few Lakers-Spurs games when Payton and the Mailman were there. They just shut down the paint and dared us to shoot. We couldn't hit = We lost the game.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

They gave us ample chances to be in this game, and we didn't take them. We simply could not hit a shot when we needed it. This game reminded me a lot of the last few Lakers-Spurs games when Payton and the Mailman were there. They just shut down the paint and dared us to shoot. We couldn't hit = We lost the game.

The sad thing is that the exact same strategy has been used against for 5 years now.....and nothing has changed.