Initial Reaction: Spurs @ Thunder - Mar. 16

[timvp]

http://spurstalk.com/box1mar16.jpg
http://spurstalk.com/box2mar16.jpg

Early in the game, the Spurs had a great flow. Their offense was clicking on one end, while their defense was exposing the youth of the Thunder on the other end. However, after leading 29-14 after the first quarter, San Antonio started to sputter and could never regain their rhythm. When it was all said and done, Oklahoma City had stolen a 78-76 victory.

Spurs fans who tuned in have to be disappointed with what they saw. The offense after the first quarter lacked any type of cohesiveness and many of the individual performances weren't up to par. With the Western Conference as tight as it is, this loss definitely stings.

The Thunder deserve a healthy amount of credit. They were very active on the defensive end and made the Spurs work for everything. Offensively, while it was a struggle at times, their talent on that end was obvious. Kevin Durant is becoming one of the most difficult players in the league to defend and the team's complementary players fit well around him.

The Spurs loss was reminiscent of a few of the losses from last season in which the offense stalled and never recovered. With the team unable to hit three-pointers or get to the line, not enough O could be generated. Tough loss.

-After looking a bit better against the Rockets, Duncan seemed to regress against the Thunder. Oklahoma City rarely threw hard double-teams at him and with Duncan unable to exploit one-on-one situations, the usual spacing on the offense end was non-existent. If opponents are able to get away with not doubling Duncan, the Spurs will have many more nights like tonight.

-Tony Parker played very well in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he got lackadaisical with the ball and his turnovers fueled the Thunder's comeback. Parker got hot in the second half once again but right when he cooled off for just a second, Oklahoma City got right back into the game. The five turnovers hurt his team but it's tough to complain about much else because he was the best thing the Spurs had going.

-Roger Mason, Jr. was quiet for the second straight games. With the Thunder not doubling Duncan and trapping his pick-and-rolls, Mason wasn't able to find many open looks. His four turnovers seemed to take away his confidence and he started to not want to bring the ball up the court in his backup point guard role. The league has adjusted to Mason, now Mason needs to make another adjustment to find ways to help the team.

-Following two quality outing, Michael Finley didn't deliver on Monday night. He didn't shoot well and his shot selection was extremely shaky -- especially in crucial situations. Defensively, he had the task to try to slow down Durant and actually did a decent job. Durant got loose a few times but Finley's effort and execution was mostly good.

-Matt Bonner wasn't the problem on this night. He shot with much more confidence, rebounded well once again and his perimeter defense was a bright spot. Spending a lot of time chasing around Jeff Green, Bonner more than held his own. He did miss a late three-pointer that would have been a momentum-changer but at least he had his first positive performance since the news of the Drew Gooden signing.

-Ime Udoka once again led the bench in minutes but he hurt the team more than he helped. His perimeter defense was poor, as the athletes on the Thunder exploited his lack of quickness. On the offensive end, he struggled to figure out which shots to take and which to pass up. On both ends of the court, Udoka was a liability against Oklahoma City.

-Drew Gooden had his third straight intriguing game for the Spurs. In 15 minutes, he once again scored and rebounded at a quality clip. He showed nice range on his jumper and his ballhandling and passing continue to be better than advertised. The defensive mistakes were plenty but they weren't for a lack of effort.

-George Hill had been shooting the ball well since his point guard duties were relinquished, however he struggled to convert on this night. In the second quarter, his bobbling and mishandling of the ball played a part in the offensive losing its cohesiveness. Defensively, Hill was again good but his energy wasn't as boundless as usual on that end.

-Kurt Thomas only played 11 minutes and wasn't a good answer to the athleticism at the power forward position utilized by the Thunder. He played decently but he didn't use his strength advantage enough to offset his lack of mobility.

-Playing limited minutes for the second straight game, Bruce Bowen never seemed to ease himself into the action. His defense was decent but nothing to write home about. On offense, he uncharacteristically got in the way a few times.

-Pop has a few questions to answer. First of all, who is his backup point guard? At times Mason would play that role. At other times, Hill would switch to that position. For the sake of the offense when Parker is resting, Pop has to figure out who he wants to be in charge of initiating the offense if he expects the bench unit to have any rhythm. I'm also not sure what he sees in Udoka to make him the sixth man. Udoka has played better as of late but he's still far from being a dependable asset. And if teams aren't going to double Duncan, it'd be nice to run a play other than a top pick-and-roll.

After this loss, the Timberwolves contest on Tuesday night is now basically a must-win. If the Spurs lose that game, their grip on the second seed in the West will really be in jeopardy.

[Manufan909]

Hey timvp, what is your prediction for Goodens minutes tomo? Do you think there is a solid chance of Gooden playing over 20 mins, cuz I do. And I'm also loving his scoring and rebounding ability. I bet he's doing better than his avg per 40 right now, because he's facing lesser competition than ever before, being in the 2nd unit.

[Ice009]

A must win against the Wolves??????

[mFFL03]

OK is a GOOD team, they are going to be a DAMN GOOD team in 2 years. After the Mavs lost to OK, the local media acted like the team should be blown up.

What are they going to say now that OK beat SA? Probably that SA just had a night off, as opposed to the Mavs being absolutely horrible.

Sometimes the local media makes me want to puke.

[Mugen]

the thunder have a lineup that consist of athletic/interchangeable players that tend to give the spurs problem. still no excuses as they shot 36% from the field, but we were just outmuscled defensively by guys like sefolosha and kristic.

tough loss but one they can bounce back from.

a loss tomorrow to the al jefferson-less wolves and i might have to join these other panic nuts on spurstalk.

[Technique]

A must win against the Wolves??????

If we lose against the T-wolves right after that is Boston and Houston. That would put us at the 3rd seed.

[TampaDude]

5th seed, here we come...

[xtremesteven33]

Man i sure hope Bowen has enough rest for the playoffs by now....




:(

[Austin_Toros]

Green, Durant and Westbrook all shot underwhelming FG%.

Can the loss be blamed on poor spurs offence?
Two 13 point quarters ain't pretty.

[Chomag]

39 minutes for Finely !?! Wow... just wow

Anyway, thanks for the insight timvp I can always appreciate your rational insight. I know at times I can be rather irrational on my thinking. lol

[VI_Massive]

This is what the spurs offense looks like when we have no manu and can't hit our 3s. We hit 8 3-pointers on an average night. Tonight we hit 3.

[mexicanjunior]

Man i sure hope Bowen has enough rest for the playoffs by now....

:(

I think he is resting for retirement at this point...

[Brazil]

Someone remembers the last the spurs lost against an opponent at 35% FG ?

39 min for Fin is TOO much 17 TOs is also too much.

Another interesting stat only Tim and TP went to the line to shoot FTs, they scored 55% of the points.

[Ice009]

I also must add that this new improved offense doesn't look very improved at all.

[timvp]

A must win against the Wolves??????Unless you are fine with the team tumbling down the standings.

[timvp]

Hey timvp, what is your prediction for Goodens minutes tomo? Do you think there is a solid chance of Gooden playing over 20 mins, cuz I do. And I'm also loving his scoring and rebounding ability. I bet he's doing better than his avg per 40 right now, because he's facing lesser competition than ever before, being in the 2nd unit.He hasn't shown any reason for his minutes not to continue to rise. He'll make defensive mistakes but he could potentially help out offensively and rebounding-wise enough to make up for any miscues.

Pop has to make a decision on how he wants to rotate the bigs. Personally, I think he might as well start Gooden next to Duncan and then go with either Bonner or Thomas depending on the matchup.

[cool hand]

here is my initial reaction


WTF

[timvp]

OK is a GOOD team, they are going to be a DAMN GOOD team in 2 years. After the Mavs lost to OK, the local media acted like the team should be blown up.

What are they going to say now that OK beat SA? Probably that SA just had a night off, as opposed to the Mavs being absolutely horrible.

Sometimes the local media makes me want to puke.You do realize the Mavs lost to the Thunder when Dallas North was without Durant and Green, right?

[SouthTexasRancher]

Without Manu at full strength we just don't have enough firepower. Tim is still struggling and Mason, Bonner and Finley are at best just hit n' miss type shooters. When they are hot we are pretty good but, when they are not into the game mentally we stink up the NBA. It used to be bad enough when Bowen was the only non-scoring starter but, now we have 3-4 depending on Tim. This has just not been a good run for the Spurs since the start of the Rodeo road trip. Maybe Pop has something up his sleeve but, if not, we are not going to get out of the first round unless we get Denver. In past championship years we are getting our act together by now. This season we only have our head's up our ASS!

[myhc]

Live by the 3, die by the 3. :depressed

[mytespurs]

Thanks Timvp! Nice write up.

I had a feeling the Spurs would lose tonight.

Maybe it's me but does anyone else notice how the Spurs seem to play lethargically and tend to lose after a break b/t games? Their offense, at times, seems to be inconsistent and nonexistent. Is it the Manu factor? I notice this tends to happen even when Manu is in the lineup.

I hope they can shake this malaise soon or else they would be jettisoned out of the playoffs early.

[Mugen]

timvp, has bruce really lost that much of a step to warrant udoka getting his mins?

he still moves his feet better than ime and shoots that corner three better.

why do you think pop is favoring udoka over bb right now?

[mFFL03]

You do realize the Mavs lost to the Thunder when Dallas North was without Durant and Green, right?

hmmm.....what was that FG % again tonight for OK?

[G-Nob]

Late game offense disappearance reeks of 2008. Spurs need to figure it out how to get to the free throw line or they're gonna start losin games when it really starts to matter.

[duncan228]

Without Manu...

From the post game recap tonight:


Spurs G Manu Ginobili, who was initially expected to miss two to three weeks with a stress reaction in his right ankle, has now been out a full month. “He’s going to miss the next couple of weeks probably—the next week or two for sure,” Popovich said.

[wildbill2u]

Spurs just sucked tonight. There are nights like that for every team. No excuses.

[Spursmania]

A must win against the Wolves??????

Definitely. We can't afford to lose to these teams. We are only a few games behind the crowded 3rd seed. We need home advantage and the Spurs have got to win these type of games. The room for errors and losses is shrinking.

[VI_Massive]

Late game offense disappearance reeks of 2008. Spurs need to figure it out how to get to the free throw line or they're gonna start losin games when it really starts to matter.

Agreed. Need to attack the rim!

I didn't see the game (league pass broadband had it blacked out, which sounds like it ended up being a benefit) can you guys tell me if all Hill's shots were jumpers or did he attack the rim at all?

Would love to see Mason attack the rim, but if you can't finish when you get there, what's the point?

[Spursmania]

From the post game recap tonight:

2 more weeks?? Shit...:depressed

[MaNu4Tres]

I think he is resting for retirement at this point...

Bowen is having a good year. His numbers are the basically the same if not better than last year ( field goal percentage wise).He's just not getting called upon by Pop. And I haven't really seen that much of a lost step defensively from him compared to last year. I think something had to have happened between bruce and pop. I know Pop's not an idiot. And only an idiot would play Udoka over bowen.

[dav4463]

How do you lose to the Thunder? It is embarrassing.

[MaNu4Tres]

Would love to see Mason attack the rim, but if you can't finish when you get there, what's the point?

Mason looses the ball more than half the time on his way to the rim. And the other times when he does get there, I think I've seen him finish at the rim maybe 4 times total all year and 3 of those were circus shots.

[VI_Massive]

Mason looses the ball more than half the time on his way to the rim. And the other times when he does get there, I think I've seen him finish at the rim maybe 4 times total.

He's OK at getting there, but he's a terrible finisher.

[mexicanjunior]

Bowen is having a good year. His numbers are the basically the same if not better than last year ( field goal percentage wise).He's just not getting called upon by Pop. And I haven't really seen that much of a lost step defensively from him compared to last year. I think something had to have happened between bruce and pop. I know Pop's not an idiot. And only an idiot would play Udoka over bowen.

I'm not saying Bowen doesn't deserve Udoka's minutes, I think he should be starting ahead of Finley. My comment was more an indictment on Pop refusing to play him at the expense of the team...

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm not saying Bowen doesn't deserve Udoka's minutes, I think he should be starting ahead of Finley. My comment was more an indictment on Pop refusing to play him at the expense of the team...

The only logical reason on why Pop has Bruce in the Malik/ Nazr doghouse is that something had to have happened between the two behind closed doors. Thats the only logical reason I can come up with that would give Ime Udoka the most minutes off the bench from the wing position.

[dastrey]

1. Udoka gives us nothing on both ends of the court. There is nothing he can do better than Hairston.
2. Finley needs to come off the bench. He will be able to score easier and his defense wouldn't get exposed.
3. Rest Duncan tomorrow. He needs it. If we can't win at home against the Wolves without Al Jefferson we deserve to lose the 2nd seed.
4. It's been a hell of a season for you Bonner, but the law of averages has caught up. Time to move to the bench.
5. Just imagine this team with Splitter and Gist. How long until 2010?

[timvp]

timvp, has bruce really lost that much of a step to warrant udoka getting his mins?I haven't been too impressed with Bowen's defense in the last month or so. He hasn't been top notch defender he usually is.

However, I think there are reasons. First of all, it's tough for a defender to play limited minutes and have an impact. Bowen is usually coming in against players that are already rolling. Bowen's age probably doesn't help him in terms of loosening up right away coming from the bench.

Secondly, Bowen has always been a tad bit streaky defensively in the regular season. Even during his physical peak, he had stretches were he wasn't at the top of his game. This could very well be one of those stretches.

All that said, I'd still rather have Bowen on the court than Udoka in almost every conceivable situation. Perhaps the only players I'd rather have Udoka defend are Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells ... and Bonzi isn't in the NBA.


why do you think pop is favoring udoka over bb right now?Pop has been trying to force Udoka into the rotation all year. The only reason it has taken this long is that Udoka has been horrible for much of the year.

Spurs fans tend to forget but when Pop benched Bowen originally, it was for Udoka and not Finley. Finley was the third option after Udoka was horrible in his short stint as a starter.

For whatever reasons, Pop likes the idea of Udoka as part of the rotation. And I'm growing more and more certain that Bowen isn't just being kept fresh for the playoffs. I think Pop actually has started the phasing out stage :depressed

[xtremesteven33]

Bowen doesnt look happy. :depressed


sad to see a spurs legend like this....and yes he is a spurs legend.

[Don Quixote]

I hope losses like this put to rest notions of this Spurs team as being championship-calibre. They're not. Not even close.

They are a very good team and nothing more.

[Allanon]

This shot chart pretty much shows why there will be nights like these:

http://www.badpussy.org/uploads/files/85sjkdlm4nulbqt819e9.jpg

Outside of Tony & Tim (and an occasional drive by Finley), it seems like all the Spur players are allergic to the paint. When your jumpshots aren't going in, you gotta take them to the rim.

3-19 from 3 point land (16%), 42% from the field overall.

Spurs are one of the best outside shooting teams in the NBA but when the shots just aren't falling, they can lose to the Thundah.

[TampaDude]

I hope losses like this put to rest notions of this Spurs team as being championship-calibre. They're not. Not even close.

They are a very good team and nothing more.

Yeah, at this point I have to agree with you. The Spurs are playing well most of the time, but not at the level we saw in 2007 and even 2008. They often look tired, bored, or some combo of the two. Could it be that they are just so jaded by the 82-game grind to get to the postseason that they really don't give a fuck about some games? I mean, it's not like they're gonna see the Thunder in the playoffs. Maybe they just didn't give a damn...their execution after the 1st quarter was atrocious, save for TP.

The Lakers, even without Bynum, would have won by 30+ against the Thunder tonight. Yes, the Lakers are playing THAT MUCH BETTER. The Spurs need to find that spark, and quickly, or it's gonna be a short postseason.

[xtremesteven33]

Yeah, at this point I have to agree with you. The Spurs are playing well most of the time, but not at the level we saw in 2007 and even 2008. They often look tired, bored, or some combo of the two. Could it be that they are just so jaded by the 82-game grind to get to the postseason that they really don't give a fuck about some games? I mean, it's not like they're gonna see the Thunder in the playoffs. Maybe they just didn't give a damn...their execution after the 1st quarter was atrocious, save for TP.

The Lakers, even without Bynum, would have won by 30+ against the Thunder tonight. Yes, the Lakers are playing THAT MUCH BETTER. The Spurs need to find that spark, and quickly, or it's gonna be a short postseason.



The Lakers are playing with the same fire the Mavericks had in 2007. They were embareseed in the Finals and look to take out their fustration on everybody.

And look what happened to the Mavericks.....Spurs will be ok

[Solid D]

Tim wasn't doubled in the normal way but once he made his move, there was a convergence of hands. Timmy has been holding the ball too low on his moves. He knows better.

The 17-2 run in the second quarter was horrible basketball by the Spurs. Missed layups, sloppy ball-handling, poor choices on passes, to go with good old poor 3-point shooting. It was the worst exhibit of professional basketball I've seen by a "playoff" team this year.

Oh, by the way, Derrick Collins is way down the list of quality officials...as in bottom-feeder. Credit the Thunder for their excellent defense tonight. Green, Collison and Thabo were particularly effective. Collison had 14 fouls tonight but he was still good.

[Don Quixote]

No, I don't think so. The Black & Silver are tough, committed veterans who play hard night in and night out. I am sure they put in the work and effort. They lose because the other team is better, not because they don't play hard enough.

That said, I expect the boys to come out, beat Minnesota and most of the rest of the squads they play, nab a top 4 seed, and play until they get faceplanted by L.A. And they'll lose not because of effort -- the Spurs will play their best -- but because the Lakers are far, far superior. At every position.

[timvp]

I hope losses like this put to rest notions of this Spurs team as being championship-calibre. They're not. Not even close.

They are a very good team and nothing more.Not even arguing the point of whether or not they are championship contenders, but losing to bad teams has never been a way to judge whether or not the Spurs are championship quality. This season, they're beating bad teams at a better clip than any of the other championship years.

Compared to losses in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, losing to a team that split its last ten games while on the road and without Ginobili doesn't even register a ranking on the bad-loss-o-meter.

[timvp]

Tim wasn't doubled in the normal way but once he made his move, there was a convergence of hands. Timmy has been holding the ball too low on his moves. He knows better.What is worrisome is that a healthy Duncan eats those soft double-teams for breakfast. Usually, teams don't get away with throwing a soft, reaching double at him after the bounce.

I'm not sure if he's moving too slow and defenders are able to cut off his lanes or if he's just not taking care of the ball. Hopefully you are right and it's just a technical issue with Duncan.

[VaSpursFan]

Personally, I think he might as well start Gooden next to Duncan and then go with either Bonner or Thomas depending on the matchup.

+1. i want to see this too. they could go hi-lo since gooden and timmy can hit that top of the key jumper consistently. i really like gooden's offensive rebounding prowess. that is something that we have not had in a while.

[ILoveOranges]

the thunder have a lineup that consist of athletic/interchangeable players that tend to give the spurs problem. still no excuses as they shot 36% from the field, but we were just outmuscled defensively by guys like sefolosha and kristic.

tough loss but one they can bounce back from.

a loss tomorrow to the al jefferson-less wolves and i might have to join these other panic nuts on spurstalk.

:depressed They looked tired out there, especially Duncan.

[SouthTexasRancher]

From the post game recap tonight: Spurs G Manu Ginobili, who was initially expected to miss two to three weeks with a stress reaction in his right ankle, has now been out a full month. “He’s going to miss the next couple of weeks probably—the next week or two for sure,” Popovich said.

Something tells me that Manu is finished for the season...both reg & PO's. It does not look good at this point and without Manu we are nothing against good teams!

[Manufan909]

He hasn't shown any reason for his minutes not to continue to rise. He'll make defensive mistakes but he could potentially help out offensively and rebounding-wise enough to make up for any miscues.

Pop has to make a decision on how he wants to rotate the bigs. Personally, I think he might as well start Gooden next to Duncan and then go with either Bonner or Thomas depending on the matchup.

I thought you were a big advocator of Gooden not starting with Timmy, since they both prefer the low block for O? Maybe I am remembering incorrectly. But I do support KT starting, he's been the most consistently good Spur over the 09 part of the season, outside of Tony.

[brettn]

Sorry, Timberwolves tommorow is NOT a must win. If there is a "must" win at this point in the season it's the rockets on sunday to put us in position to have the potential tiebreaker over them come the end of the season.

Spurs simply played piss poor tonight, even the best teams in the league have nights like these. Half of our remaining games are still against teams with a sub 500 record. No reason to hit the panic button.

[Oh, Gee!!]

No reason to hit the panic button.

I'll panic if the spurs slip out of the top 4 and start the PO's on the road. They're to old for that ish.

[brettn]

I'll panic if the spurs slip out of the top 4 and start the PO's on the road. They're to old for that ish.

Fair enough. But with 16 games left in the season and a fairly manageable schedule you might be jumping a little ahead of yourself.

[SenorSpur]

He hasn't shown any reason for his minutes not to continue to rise. He'll make defensive mistakes but he could potentially help out offensively and rebounding-wise enough to make up for any miscues.

Pop has to make a decision on how he wants to rotate the bigs. Personally, I think he might as well start Gooden next to Duncan and then go with either Bonner or Thomas depending on the matchup.

+1

I agree. The only possible downside to this decision could be the affect it would have on Bonner. His slight downward spiral since the Gooden acquisition has been noticeable. If he is removed as a starter, I could see him allowing it to affect his overall play. He's not shown the ability to overcome such decisions.

In the end though, I"d say F it. Gooden is way too talented to let rot on the bench.

[timvp]

I thought you were a big advocator of Gooden not starting with Timmy, since they both prefer the low block for O? Maybe I am remembering incorrectly. But I do support KT starting, he's been the most consistently good Spur over the 09 part of the season, outside of Tony.
No, I've been on the Start Gooden bandwagon since the signing. If you have Gooden on your team, you might as well get the most production out of him as possible before the game gets tight at the end. The best way to do that is to start him.

Additionally, Duncan would be able to cover some of his defensive mistakes, while Gooden will take some of the rebounding burden and allow Duncan to go for more blocks.

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces. The rotation becomes a lot simpler if Pop starts Duncan and Gooden and then selects either Thomas or Bonner as the backup depending on the matchups and the needs.

[timvp]

Whats going on, Mase not getting shots up, Gooden only playing 15mpg while Bonner remains the laughing stock, TD again playing like a role player. This is a bad lose, we need to be putting some games between us and the 3 seed so we can take a couple games off come playoff time. Mason needs to get more shots, Bonner needs to find the end of the bench and guard it with his life!Bonner was one of the better players for the Spurs tonight . . .

[MaNu4Tres]

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces. The rotation becomes a lot simpler if Pop starts Duncan and Gooden and then selects either Thomas or Bonner as the backup depending on the matchups and the needs.

I agree. It's funny how people want to nitpick and over exaggerate on Gooden's defensive mistakes when Mason probably makes more and other players make just as many. Yeah Gooden might be late on a rotation or two, for the most part hes played decently defensively. Plus, I rather have someone out who isn't a liability on defense physically like Bonner is as Rasheed Wallace pointed out on Johnny Ludden's recent column.

Anyway I'm all in favor of a three big man rotation. Starting Gooden next to Tim with Kurt and bonner off the bench given the matchup will probably give us our best chance to win.

[SenorSpur]

Tim wasn't doubled in the normal way but once he made his move, there was a convergence of hands. Timmy has been holding the ball too low on his moves. He knows better.

The 17-2 run in the second quarter was horrible basketball by the Spurs. Missed layups, sloppy ball-handling, poor choices on passes, to go with good old poor 3-point shooting. It was the worst exhibit of professional basketball I've seen by a "playoff" team this year.


I'm going to say this again and again. I want every Spur guard, especially TP, to cease making that dropoff pass to Tim or any other big, as they drive the lane. It's obvious that teams have scouted this and everytime one of the guards executes such a pass, the opposition usually picks it off or knocks it away. It's a careless, lazy, ill-advised pass that's usually left at the feet of the big, who can't react fast enough to retrieve it. I'm sick of seeing it.

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm going to say this again and again. I want every Spur guard, especially TP, to cease making that dropoff pass to Tim or any other big, as they drive the lane. It's obvious that teams have scouted this and everytime one of the guards executes such a pass, the opposition usually picks it off or knocks it away. It's a careless, lazy, ill-advised pass that's usually left at the feet of the big, who can't react fast enough to retrieve it. I'm sick of seeing it.

I've noticed this too.

+10103212

[Manufan909]

No, I've been on the Start Gooden bandwagon since the signing. If you have Gooden on your team, you might as well get the most production out of him as possible before the game gets tight at the end. The best way to do that is to start him.

Additionally, Duncan would be able to cover some of his defensive mistakes, while Gooden will take some of the rebounding burden and allow Duncan to go for more blocks.

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces. The rotation becomes a lot simpler if Pop starts Duncan and Gooden and then selects either Thomas or Bonner as the backup depending on the matchups and the needs.

Eh, whatevz. As long as Timmy averages 30 over these last few games, and Gooden averages over 25 min, I'm happy. And KT should start getting close to Bonners minutes, if at all possible.

[Russ]

Personally, I think he might as well start Gooden next to Duncan and then go with either Bonner or Thomas depending on the matchup.

And get ready for the Lakers . . . :flag:

[024]

things are looking pretty grim for the spurs. with manu expected to be out another week or two, there is a lot of work ahead. the role players tonight were completely out of sync and the spurs have not yet figured out a rotation. hill and mason rotating the backup point and ominous minutes allocated to udoka over bowen has me worried. when ginobili comes back, popovich will again have to juggle around the rotation to see who would fit best together. not a good sign when the role players are already lacking cohesion.

[SenorSpur]

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces. The rotation becomes a lot simpler if Pop starts Duncan and Gooden and then selects either Thomas or Bonner as the backup depending on the matchups and the needs.

Bonner could be used when Pop needs to open up the floor and during situations where the opposition presents a smaller, less physical 4-man. KT can be used more against bigger lineups and physical, low-post 4s and 5s. Of course, neither of these two are a good option against the Fakers.

[Josepatches_]

Unless you are fine with the team tumbling down the standings.


We are not ready for the playoffs.
With TD in his actual condition we don't have any chance to win so I don't care about the final standings.I would like TD could rest all he need even if he can't play more time this season.

We can play better than yesterday but far away to be a tittle contender if our franchise player isn't healthy.And It seems that he didn't improve since he come back

[Josepatches_]

I'll panic if the spurs slip out of the top 4 and start the PO's on the road. They're to old for that ish.

Panic!
If we aren't enough good we don't have to worry about final standings.We are going to lose even if we are 2nd.

[DBMethos]

Udoka is a marginal NBA player at best. As long as he keeps getting minutes over Bowen (hell, even Hairston...put him out there and let him make something happen), the team will suffer.

[Bukefal]

Tim duncan is not in his form, sometimes it even looks like he is so fed up to play. Tony parker is working his ass off, he carries the whole team and is non stop in action, he cant do that the whole game. being the driving force for a whole team is very hard, he gets tired. damnnnnnn manuuuu please come back!!!

The last few games, tony begins a fast offensive but then he passes the ball to tim or others and the attack is lost. tony should just attack himself and make lay ups after lay ups, like he did some weeks ago. they are losing so much chances

[benefactor]

This is a bad loss on a lot of levels and it boils down to a complete loss of focus after we felt like we could dominate them in the first quarter. Tony's turnovers and ball hogging, Tim's inability to play through the double teams like he normally does, Finley with too many minutes, other players not playing enough...there is more than enough blame to go around.

The fact is that given our current situation we CANNOT afford to drop games like this. Our competition is nipping at our heels and losing games we should win handily only does them favors. This being the front end of a back to back only compounds things. Losing tonight would make the margin for error even more razor thin.

[Ice009]

Definitely. We can't afford to lose to these teams. We are only a few games behind the crowded 3rd seed. We need home advantage and the Spurs have got to win these type of games. The room for errors and losses is shrinking.

It's OK. I only said it because I've been saying for the last month or so that we can't go throwing away games and now that Timvp said it everyone will start paying more attention. Maybe I should have put a ;) behind it.

[urunobili]

i still can't get over the fact that Pop is inactivating Malik Hairston... he proved to be a WAY better one on one defender than any of other wings not called Bowen on a good night shit even better than Hill on many games... Still... Pop needs to check if Ime will be able to do jackshit... well get the memo once and for all... with the athletic young teams Udoka is a non factor... is Malik's playing time not his :pctoss

[ploto]

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces.

But it keeps happening and I bet it will continue.

[angel_luv]

Losing to the Thunder is so lame.

That game should have been an automatic win.
When I got home from work, I didn't even bother to check the score- just went to bed satisfied with the safe assumption ( harumph!) that they'd won.

[jman3000]

I can't stand Tony trying to be a one man show anymore. Yeah yeah he got hot there with his jumpers for a bit... but all that did was make him believe that he should shoot whatever the hell he wanted... no matter how ill advised. After his little hot streak, he missed a 3 pointer (which I never like him taking, even if he makes them), a fading 20 footer, and airballed a floater if my memory served me correctly. All 3 shots were taken early in the shot clock and the Thunder were able to push the ball up on an unset Spurs defense.

I know Manu is out and Tony needs to take more shots... but jesus he's not doing it the right way. it even seems to me that his assists are almost accidental. he'll drive, get airborne, get stuck, shit his pants, then fling it to a corner or make a horrible pass in traffic to whomever is in the paint whether it be friend or foe, about 25% of the time the pass to the corner will be too strong and end up in the 8th row. The rest of the time it works pretty well beause it results in an open 3 pointer... but Tony almost never has the intention of setting teammates up unless it is on accident or if it's a cupcake pass.

im glad i got that out.

[xtremesteven33]

If Tony had made it we would be talking about how hes the best PG today.....calm down



anywho,

I wonder when Pops gonna change the lineup. Im assuming when Manu comes back but i still believe that Bonner should be talken out immediatley. Last year Pop changed the lineup permenantly when we faced the Celtics last year at home. I wonder if hell do the same thing this year????

[Bukefal]

He is not trying to be the one man show, he is forced to do so, cause he is the driving force in this team, everyone else plays like shit, especially tim. And with manu out, all the action comes to tony. but he isnt a god either, he gets tired, what do you expect when you carry the whole team a game long?

[angel_luv]

I can't stand Tony trying to be a one man show anymore.
I know Manu is out and Tony needs to take more shots... but he's not doing it the right way. it even seems to me that his assists are almost accidental. Tony almost never has the intention of setting teammates up unless it is on accident or if it's a cupcake pass.



Well said. I agree.

Like you, I also want to stress that I am not dismissing Tony's talent or his great usefulness.
I just dislike the Kobe- esque ball hog aspect of Tony's game.

[Spursmania]

Well said. I agree.

Like you, I also want to stress that I am not dismissing Tony's talent or his great usefulness.
I just dislike the Kobe- esque ball hog aspect of Tony's game.


I completey agree. I've been thinking that a few games now and I'm getting worried that TP is getting accustomed to doing it all. Like you said not dismissing his greatness, I'm just saying, he really needs to dig dip and use his talent for himself and to spread the ball around like the Spurs have always done. :wakeup

[1Parker1]

You guys are nuts. I can't count how many games Parker has won us this season with a big shot or an assist. Heck, even that Lakers game, he hit that big 3 pointer in the 4th with 2 minutes remaining to get the Spurs within 2.

With Duncan clearly ailing and no Ginobili, Parker is a BIG BIG BIG reason why the Spurs have been able to keep that 2nd seed. Even yesterday, he was the only player who had it going on.

[1Parker1]

Oh and if this had been Ginobili...no one would ever think to call him a "ball hog" :stirpot:

[Fabbs]

http://spurstalk.com/box1mar16.jpg
http://spurstalk.com/box2mar16.jpg
Kevin Durant is becoming one of the most difficult players in the league to defend and the team's complementary players fit well around him......

The Spurs loss was reminiscent of a few of the losses from last season in which the offense stalled and never recovered. With the team unable to hit three-pointers or get to the line, not enough O could be generated. Tough loss.

.....Oklahoma City rarely threw hard double-teams at him and with Duncan unable to exploit one-on-one situations, the usual spacing on the offense end was non-existent. If opponents are able to get away with not doubling Duncan, the Spurs will have many more nights like tonight.


-Following two quality outing, Michael Finley didn't deliver on Monday night. He didn't shoot well and his shot selection was extremely shaky -- especially in crucial situations. Defensively, he had the task to try to slow down Durant and actually did a decent job. Durant got loose a few times but Finley's effort and execution was mostly good.


-Pop has a few questions to answer. And if teams aren't going to double Duncan, it'd be nice to run a play other than a top pick-and-roll.
Can we just admit it collectively? Coatails Pop is an offensive strategy moron.

We sit and chuck treys even if they are clanking. Pop does not order any players to drive it to the rack. Of which the Spurs have plenty capable. Pop allows them to sit and chuck thus what an easy time he provides the opponents defense. Consistently.

Durant being one of the best offensive players, thus i thought with the score 74-72 with three minutes left we needed a key stop. Mike Finley on the floor for his 37th minute assigned to guard Durant. This Finley large minutes thing and last night being assigned the opponents best SF if not one of the best SFs in the NBA has gotten so beyond basketball common sense. Are Pop and Fin going to have a civil union in Austin anytime soon? I mean really...

[polandprzem]

You guys are nuts. I can't count how many games Parker has won us this season with a big shot or an assist. Heck, even that Lakers game, he hit that big 3 pointer in the 4th with 2 minutes remaining to get the Spurs within 2.

With Duncan clearly ailing and no Ginobili, Parker is a BIG BIG BIG reason why the Spurs have been able to keep that 2nd seed. Even yesterday, he was the only player who had it going on.

No

You are just a Tony homer

[angel_luv]

You guys are nuts. I can't count how many games Parker has won us this season with a big shot or an assist. Heck, even that Lakers game, he hit that big 3 pointer in the 4th with 2 minutes remaining to get the Spurs within 2.

With Duncan clearly ailing and no Ginobili, Parker is a BIG BIG BIG reason why the Spurs have been able to keep that 2nd seed. Even yesterday, he was the only player who had it going on.

Is it possible that you are a little bit partial, 1Parker1? :)

You are out of town so you are limited in the amount of games you get to see.
As such, I imagine it is more difficult for you to observe patterns in behavior, especially when those patterns are in the early stages of becoming regularly evident.

We're not saying Tony isn't a star. We're just noting the potential for problems, based on some of Tony's decisions in recent games.

Tony's stats and the highlights are without a doubt excellent, but they are only a part of the story.

[td4mvp21]

I think all of the Big Three take turns hogging the ball. I don't think Parker did last night though...he was hot and the only Spur scoring. Who else could we have given it to? No one else was doing anything. Maybe on the last shot I would have rather Pop drawn up a play for Mason, but that's about it.

[NFGIII]

I have at times been a little disappointed in TP's excessive ball handling, too. When he gets on one of those hot streaks the other players just seem to stand around and watch. So our player movement becomes almost nonexistent. But I don't think it was mainly Parker's fault tonight. We completely dominated them in the 1st Q by being patient and moving the ball around. Starting in the 2nd Q we seemed to become just like the Thunder and got into a herky jerky type of game. We stopped being patient, our TOs increased and I thought we just lost focus and discipline. I will give the OKC team credit for some of it but this team should have been more focused and patient and not tried to play OKC's style of ball.

I don't know if it was my imagination or did I see TP and Mase both off balance as they were driving the lane leading to TOs?

And it has been mentioned that drop off pass in the lane to the bigs is weak. It was continually being deflected causing a TO.

And when your shot isn't falling from the outside then you had better get to the rim. OKC shot many more FTs because they were going to the rim. Our lack of aggressiveness was key here.

I was very perplexed as to why we played the way we did against the Thunder. I just wasn't the type of Spurs ball I'm used to seeing.

[Whisky Dog]

Manu's not looking like he'll be back this season.

TD is looking injured and slow.

Two star players hobbled means likely 1st round exit. I hope I'm wrong, but it just doesn't look good right now.

[quentin_compson]

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I didn't get to see the game, but this kind of loss sucks.
What is really starting to freak me out, though, is the possibility that Timmy won't even be close to his normal self come playoff time and that Manu's return has already been delayed.
With Timmy at less than 80% and half-a-Manu, we probably won't even make it to the second round.

[polandprzem]

Manu's not looking like he'll be back this season.

TD is looking injured and slow.

Two star players hobbled means likely 1st round exit. I know I'm wrong, and I just doesn't look and feel good right now.
fixed

[Whisky Dog]

fixed

You think this team looks like a title contender? A lot of things have to go right in this next month for the spurs to be in contending form, and the chances are average at best those things will fall into place.

[Spurs Brazil]

Going with a four-man bigman rotation has never really worked out well for the Spurs. It's basically splitting the minute pie into too many pieces. The rotation becomes a lot simpler if Pop starts Duncan and Gooden and then selects either Thomas or Bonner as the backup depending on the matchups and the needs.

Agree and I hope Pop does that soon

[Bukefal]

You guys are nuts. I can't count how many games Parker has won us this season with a big shot or an assist. Heck, even that Lakers game, he hit that big 3 pointer in the 4th with 2 minutes remaining to get the Spurs within 2.

With Duncan clearly ailing and no Ginobili, Parker is a BIG BIG BIG reason why the Spurs have been able to keep that 2nd seed. Even yesterday, he was the only player who had it going on.

completely agree with you! parker is the one who keeps the spurs going recently

[Bukefal]

No

You are just a Tony homer

and you a tim homer? :sleep

What does that matteR?