Tony Parker..

[HarlemHeat37]

so is it just me, or has he lacked his usual explosion this year?..pretty clear IMO..

I'm not basing it on this game, I've been saying it since the start..

[Amuseddaysleeper]

His ankle could still be bothering him and he looks really rusty.

[MaNu4Tres]

His ankle still isn't 100 percent.

[thispego]

All thanks to national team play

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

yea..first game back after an ankle sprain give him a little break ...but really bad offense as a team tonight

[HarlemHeat37]

I think it's pretty clear that the Summer affected him..same story as always..

[MaNu4Tres]

My question is ...

If he is still hurt to a degree why is he leading the team in shot attempts?

Jefferson had 4 attempts tonight opposed to 23 last game.

Something has got to give to get Jefferson more looks.

[pjjrfan]

The team looks rusty. Manu throws an 0fer, Jefferson, where was Jefferson? Hill couldn't do anything late, the bigs can't keep anyone out of the paint, or get a defensive rebound when it counts. It may seem like Tim had a good game but this game just shows how much he has lost or how much he is out of shape. I'm hoping he's out of shape.

[ducks]

All thanks to national team play

what about duncan's injry
and manu's hamstring is wrapped

[thispego]

Pops got alot to learn about coaching a team with 4 stars

[thispego]

what about duncan's injry
and manu's hamstring is wrapped

duncan is old. tony is not, ducks. dont be stupid

[ducks]

tony puts up 17 points 5 assist and 5 rebounds
manu goes 0-8 and does not get any blame for the loss tonight
and pop throws strange lineups up
and tp is trying to get everyone involved in the o

[Shastafarian]

what about duncan's injry
and manu's hamstring is wrapped

Did either of them play a good portion of the summer for their national team?


Then what the fuck do their injuries matter in this case?

[ducks]

duncan is old. tony is not, ducks. dont be stupid

so trade duncan and not blame tp

[Kori Ellis]

tony puts up 17 points 5 assist and 5 rebounds
manu goes 0-8 and does not get any blame for the loss tonight
and pop throws strange lineups up
and tp is trying to get everyone involved in the o

Calm down. No one is blaming Tony for the loss... just questioning his lack of explosion.

Oh and Manu is obviously hurt, or he'd be in this game down the stretch.

[ducks]

Did either of them play a good portion of the summer for their national team?


Then what the fuck do their injuries matter in this case?

so it is ok for them to get hurt since they did not play this summer
but tp has to be healthy since he did
I see

[pjjrfan]

My question is ...

If he is still hurt to a degree why is he leading the team in shot attempts?

Jefferson had 4 attempts tonight opposed to 23 last game.

Something has got to give to get Jefferson more looks.
What I saw is a guy who doesn't want to shoot, it showed late in the game Jefferson touched the ball plenty of times he wouldn't shoot it or try to drive it. then Bogans makes a great steal and Jefferson is lost with the ball in his hands and then he turns it over.

[NZ Spurs]

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/ppreflex.gif

[urunobili]

tony puts up 17 points 5 assist and 5 rebounds
manu goes 0-8 and does not get any blame for the loss tonight
and pop throws strange lineups up
and tp is trying to get everyone involved in the o

whose leading the team in assists?

[Warlord23]

Tony has always had a scorer's mentality. In the past, it has fit the Spurs offense very well. However, with more scoring options on the floor we are seeing Tony's limitations ... he isn't a distributor.

I blame Pop more, though. This is the type of coach who can take 5 above-average defensive players and make an all-world defensive unit out of them. But give him 4 or 5 very good offensive players and he can't get them to play productively.

[Shastafarian]

so it is ok for them to get hurt since they did not play this summerYeah

but tp has to be healthy since he did
I see
Yeah

[Warlord23]

Tony has always had a scorer's mentality. In the past, it has fit the Spurs offense very well. However, with more scoring options on the floor we are seeing Tony's limitations ... he isn't a distributor.

I blame Pop more, though. This is the type of coach who can take 5 above-average defensive players and make an all-world defensive unit out of them. But give him 4 or 5 very good offensive players and he can't get them to play productively.

[spurs1990]

Would anyone trade him for Brandon Jennings if offered?

[Shastafarian]

whose leading the team in assists?

Buuuuurn

[Shastafarian]

Would anyone trade him for Brandon Jennings if offered?

Jennings went off tonight. 55/5/5

[thispego]

Tony has always had a scorer's mentality. In the past, it has fit the Spurs offense very well. However, with more scoring options on the floor we are seeing Tony's limitations ... he isn't a distributor.

I blame Pop more, though. This is the type of coach who can take 5 above-average defensive players and make an all-world defensive unit out of them. But give him 4 or 5 very good offensive players and he can't get them to play productively.

Exactly. Pop and Tp need to make more adjustments than anyone with this new team.

[ducks]

Tony has always had a scorer's mentality. In the past, it has fit the Spurs offense very well. However, with more scoring options on the floor we are seeing Tony's limitations ... he isn't a distributor.

I blame Pop more, though. This is the type of coach who can take 5 above-average defensive players and make an all-world defensive unit out of them. But give him 4 or 5 very good offensive players and he can't get them to play productively.

spurs start slow every season
new players
give pop more then 8 games

[itzsoweezee]

tony hasn't played well all season. if he needs to rest, rest him. the spurs can't win with tony playing like this.

[ducks]

Exactly. Pop and Tp need to make the most adjustments with this new team.

they should
I have faith they will

[HarlemHeat37]

I'm not really talking about Tony's passing though..he obviously isn't a passer, but I'm just talking about his scoring, which is usually very reliable..

He's usually very explosive and manages to finish at the basket in unbelievable ways..I haven't seen that at all so far this season, and it looks like the Summer took a toll on his body..he's not blowing by defenders like we're accustomed to seeing from him, and that's going to be necessary for this team succeed..

Everybody on the team seems to want Tony to be the clear #1 option..if he isn't making those plays, we're screwed, since he's a shoot-first PG..I don't mind his style at all, but it's concerning if he isn't going to have the same first-step..

He should have been held out a little longer IMO, and rest his body up a little more..

[Spurs Brazil]

so is it just me, or has he lacked his usual explosion this year?..pretty clear IMO..

I'm not basing it on this game, I've been saying it since the start..

Agree, TP didn't play one game this season with the aggressive and explosion he had in the past 4 years

Even before the injury he was like that.

[TIMMYD!]

Tony and RMJ have been the biggest disappointments of the season.

[alchemist]

He's usually very explosive and manages to finish at the basket in unbelievable ways..I haven't seen that at all so far this season, and it looks like the Summer took a toll on his body..

He should have been held out a little longer IMO, and rest his body up a little more..
That's bullsh*t. Parker's fine, it'll be like this until all these excellent offensive options mesh together :toast

[chasky]

tony puts up 17 points 5 assist and 5 rebounds
manu goes 0-8 and does not get any blame for the loss tonight
and pop throws strange lineups up
and tp is trying to get everyone involved in the o

Please!!

Manu 6 asist in 18 Min.
Tony 5 asist in 32 Min.

Manu 7 Points in 8 Atemps.
Tony 17 Points in 18.

Spurs with Tony 2-4.
Spurs Without Tony 2-0.

I like the spurs of Manu and Jefferson, pop should let these guys run the ofense.

[Warlord23]

I'm not really talking about Tony's passing though..he obviously isn't a passer, but I'm just talking about his scoring, which is usually very reliable..

He's usually very explosive and manages to finish at the basket in unbelievable ways..I haven't seen that at all so far this season, and it looks like the Summer took a toll on his body..

He should have been held out a little longer IMO, and rest his body up a little more..

Completely agree ... hold him out till he's back to 100%. If we're gonna lose anyway I'd rather see RJ, Hill and Dice get more burn and get comfortable in the process.

[alchemist]

Completely agree ... hold him out till he's back to 100%. If we're gonna lose anyway I'd rather see RJ, Hill and Dice get more burn and get comfortable in the process.
Sitting Parker will only setback any type of chemistry these guys need out there.

[booonkers]

i don't completely agree with pop giving tony full reigns on offense. he kinda needs to really get other players involved. i think motion offense would be better for the team. esp since tony is a scorer. not the typical pg who can really get everyone involved all the time. when tony is dominant on offense, it seems like other players rarely get involved. there has to be some sort of balance.

[booonkers]

i personally think that moving the ball around can be more effective. and it gives us more options.

[Brazil]

You can all blame TP for whatever you want. There won't a fifth ring without tony being tony, so fuck the bench tony ideas or trade him for whatever scrubs... The team and tony need to adjust, for that he needs to play even if it costs some wins at the beginning of the season. During all his career with a spur jersey Tony has never let down the team, he has always delivered, he will adjust, give him some time to do so.

[Spurs Brazil]

I think the big issue is TP physical condition right now

He far from 100%, that's why we're in trouble on offence and especially on D, PG are killing him; we all know TP doesn't start the season playing good D but he's terrible so far.

I hope he can back in shape soon

And bench TP is not a good idea

[Ice009]

Calm down. No one is blaming Tony for the loss... just questioning his lack of explosion.

Oh and Manu is obviously hurt, or he'd be in this game down the stretch.

Do you guys remember Manu saying that he tweaked his hamstring last game. He said he didn't drive it much in the second half of the Dallas game because as a precaution. You think he's made it worse?

[Agloco]

Tony has always had a scorer's mentality. In the past, it has fit the Spurs offense very well. However, with more scoring options on the floor we are seeing Tony's limitations ... he isn't a distributor.

I blame Pop more, though. This is the type of coach who can take 5 above-average defensive players and make an all-world defensive unit out of them. But give him 4 or 5 very good offensive players and he can't get them to play productively.

This. More than a few times tonight I noticed Tony creating a harder shot near the rim versus if he had kicked it out or passed to a trailer on the break.

Hopefully he can adjust his game. Tonight he looked a lot like 2003-2004 Parker.

[thispego]

I think the big issue is TP physical condition right now

He far from 100%, that's why we're in trouble on offence and especially on D, PG are killing him; we all know TP doesn't start the season playing good D but he's terrible so far.

I hope he can back in shape soon

And bench TP is not a good idea

Parker is not OUT OF SHAPE... his body is WORN DOWN

[thispego]

i personally think that moving the ball around can be more effective. and it gives us more options.

thanks, basketball genius :rolleyes

[Ice009]

I think the big issue is TP physical condition right now

He far from 100%, that's why we're in trouble on offence and especially on D, PG are killing him; we all know TP doesn't start the season playing good D but he's terrible so far.

I hope he can back in shape soon

And bench TP is not a good idea

I wanted to bench Tony for a few games because of his physical condition, not because of his piss poor play. He looks totally out of shape or gassed that is the reason I wanted to bench him and bring him back slowly for a few games.

If he was looking great physically and still playing like shit then I would have been OK with starting him. He just looks really bad and since last season I've been saying his defense sucks.

Well right now his defense is at an all time low. Everyone is abusing him on that end of the floor. Kinda like Steve Nash.

The way Tony is playing right now is like Stephon Marbury. If Tony is going to be this bad on defense I would take Nash over him. That is how bad he has been. He looks gassed and it's the start of the season.

[TimDunkem]

Jennings went off tonight. 55/5/5

Parker did the same thing last year. Who wouldn't say no to that trade?

[ElNono]

and tp is trying to get everyone involved in the o

Did you watch the game? If you did, you just couldn't say that with a straight face.

[Spurs Brazil]

Tony and RMJ have been the biggest disappointments of the season.

For me RMJ is not a disappointment

He's been playing like shit since last season All Star break

[thispego]

Thank you french national team!!!

[Allanon]

Tony and Jefferson are most effective in the same spots.

It's not easy for both of them to find a way to be effective while not hindering the other guy. It will take a few months for them to adjust; if it's even possible.

I suspect Pop's either gonna give them time to work it out for a few months and eat some losses or he's gonna shake up the starting lineup.

[Warlord23]

Tony and Jefferson are most effective in the same spots.

It's not easy for both of them to find a way to be effective while not hindering the other guy. It will take a few months for them to adjust; if it's even possible.

I suspect Pop's either gonna give them time to work it out for a few months and eat some losses or he's gonna shake up the starting lineup.

I suspect Pop doesn't have a clue about how to make it work

[thispego]

he'll learn. he better

[HarlemHeat37]

Tony and Jefferson might not work out all together..

This offense has gotten to the point where Tony has become the #1 option..we heard it all Summer..Parker is a shoot-first PG that doesn't really do anything else at a high level..his shot isn't reliable enough where he'll catch and shoot..he doesn't defend well..he's not a good passer..his specialty is scoring, and he's one of the best scoring PGs in the NBA, if not the best..

Jefferson doesn't have a great ability to create off the dribble..he can do it, but not at a star level obviously..he works best when he's playing off the ball..catching the ball on the move, posting up, finishing at the basket..

So when one of them is on the floor, the other basically becomes a spot-up shooter..

Duncan is much different, since he obviously brings other aspects to the table..he's a great passer, he can play the high-post well with either of them(this is pretty much the only time Tony plays off the ball), he defends and rebounds..

Manu is a better shooter than both, and he's the best passer on the team along with Duncan..

so what adjustments can be made for that?..would it be better for RJ to come off the bench and have Manu starting?..

[Ice009]

Tony and Jefferson might not work out all together..

This offense has gotten to the point where Tony has become the #1 option..we heard it all Summer..Parker is a shoot-first PG that doesn't really do anything else at a high level..his shot isn't reliable enough where he'll catch and shoot..he doesn't defend well..he's not a good passer..his specialty is scoring, and he's one of the best scoring PGs in the NBA, if not the best..

Jefferson doesn't have a great ability to create off the dribble..he can do it, but not at a star level obviously..he works best when he's playing off the ball..catching the ball on the move, posting up, finishing at the basket..

So when one of them is on the floor, the other basically becomes a spot-up shooter..

Duncan is much different, since he obviously brings other aspects to the table..he's a great passer, he can play the high-post well with either of them(this is pretty much the only time Tony plays off the ball), he defends and rebounds..

Manu is a better shooter than both, and he's the best passer on the team along with Duncan..

so what adjustments can be made for that?..would it be better for RJ to come off the bench and have Manu starting?..

If the Spurs are NOT holding out for a bigman I would rather try and trade expiring contacts and start SJax, then bring RJ and Manu off the bench. I think they would maximize everyone on the team.

Starting Manu might be an option. RJ might not like it if he is benched this early and has to carry the whole bench by himself. I think if he goes to the bench with Manu he would be all for it. To do that we need a potent swingman in the starting 5 that can shoot and play defense. Jackson is the only guy I see that might be obtainable.

It really depends if the Spurs are looking for a big man.

I can tell you though that if we can't get a bigman and the choice is either keeping Mason Jr, Finley and Mahinmi after the trade deadline I would not like it if we could have gotten Jack for them.

[Josepatches_]

My question is ...

If he is still hurt to a degree why is he leading the team in shot attempts?

[ElNono]

If the Spurs are NOT holding out for a bigman I would rather try and trade expiring contacts and start SJax, then bring RJ and Manu off the bench. I think they would maximize everyone on the team.

Starting Manu might be an option. RJ might not like it if he is benched this early and has to carry the whole bench by himself. I think if he goes to the bench with Manu he would be all for it. To do that we need a potent swingman in the starting 5 that can shoot and play defense. Jackson is the only guy I see that might be obtainable.

It really depends if the Spurs are looking for a big man.

I can tell you though that if we can't get a bigman and the choice is either keeping Mason Jr, Finley and Mahinmi after the trade deadline I would not like it if we could have gotten Jack for them.

Jax is not coming, plus you would be adding two more hands that need the ball to the problem. The days where SJax would happily play the spot up shooter role are long gone.

[DAF86]

I think it's pretty clear that the Summer affected him..same story as always..

What about Manu having his best NBA season after spending the summer playing the olympics?

[Spursmania]

i think it's pretty clear that the summer affected him..same story as always..

+1

[thispego]

What about Manu having his best NBA season after spending the summer playing the olympics?

:rolleyes

[DAF86]

:rolleyes

If playing in the summer affects the player so much, then how is possible that a player had his best season after spending the full summer playing ('cause remember he played all the matches he could have played).

[thispego]

what about the last two summers ginobili played and was injured the rest of the nba season

[DAF86]

what about the last two summers ginobili played and was injured the rest of the nba season

First of all that is a lie, he didn't spend the last two summers playing, and second an injury is an injury and it can happen everywhere, anywhere.

[DAF86]

Manu's first ankle injury (and the reason for te other two) came in the '08 playoffs against the Suns when Manu spend all summer resting, so your theory doesn't apply here.

[thispego]

First of all that is a lie, he didn't spend the last two summers playing, and second an injury is an injury and it can happen everywhere, anywhere.

if you play basketball you know that playing constantly breaks down your body. parker looks slow and like shit because he has been playing since the end of last season. duncan got injured, yes, but he is looking quick and agile, he hasnt played the last several summers. ginobili looking good after 8 games, still getting into game shape, didnt play in the summer. 1 good year from a phenomal player is an exception to the rule

[DAF86]

if you play basketball you know that playing constantly breaks down your body. parker looks slow and like shit because he has been playing since the end of last season. duncan got injured, yes, but he is looking quick and agile, he hasnt played the last several summers. ginobili looking good after 8 games, still getting into game shape, didnt play in the summer. 1 good year from a phenomal player is an exception to the rule

What about Kobe, Lebron, Howard, Wade, Gasol, Dirk, etc? playing in the summer isn't the problem.

[thispego]

all american players play like 15 minutes a game because USA is stacked. they dont count. dirk is another phenom and doesnt really play that much during the summer if you think about it. Gasol has a partially torn hamstring. Thats everyone you mentioned

[Tp9gospursgo]

Calm down he just got back from an injury AND he's still not 100%. Give him a break. He'll get a lot of rest for the Dallas game on wednesday and Manu i'm sure will feel fine after he rests. He said he's feeling a lot better than he was yesterday. Everything will be A-OK!

[DAF86]

all american players play like 15 minutes a game because USA is stacked. they dont count. dirk is another phenom and doesnt really play that much during the summer if you think about it. Gasol has a partially torn hamstring. Thats everyone you mentioned

It's not the first time that Gasol spends his summer playing, he has been doing it for a long time and he has been great all of his NBA seasons. I just think that is not fair to blame summer play when a guy is struggling 'cause there have been a lot of times (most of the times, actually) that the players that play in the offseason end up playing great in the NBA season too.

[timaios]

Parker sprained his ankle last week, it is his first game after his injury... And a lot of people think he is slow ???

Did you ever practice basketball in real life ?

What did you expect, a Parker at an all-star level in the 1st game of his return.

He is rusty, cautious with his ankle, and was out of sync... and he had a bad game. It happens. Yesterday, the best PG in the NBA, Chris Paul, was absolutely awful before his injury in the 3rd quarter.
You can't be great all the time.

And Jefferson is a big boy, if he wants the ball, he must ask for it. And why is Pop not telling to Parker to play more with Jeff ???

By the way, i think George Hill is a great player at SG, great offense and defense today, but as a PG... he had 0 assists in 32 min.

+/- of the game
K. Bogans -21
D. Blair -13
WTF is that ?

T. Parker was +3. I know, Parker was really bad in that game, but at least, he doesn't have a +/- of -21 !

And Pop in that game tried his 257th different lineup !!! Maybe if he could make a choice, the players could begin to take some habits.


Just saying...

[jag]

Why do foreign fans have such a difficult time admitting that playing for their respective national teams is not beneficial to players for an upcoming season?

[ThaiFanofSpurs]

I agree with many posters here. We need TP to win the 5th ring. But TP today looks really tired and slow. I have been saying it since the beginning of the season. But can he at least take 1 or 2 more weeks to rest? Or maybe at least cut down his minutes if we are really worried about the team chemistry? I love TP and his style of plays a lot but if he cannot play with his usual speed and ability, I don't know it will do any good for the team.

[HarlemHeat37]

Again, I'm not basing it on tonight..

Parker hasn't looked like his usual self since the beginning of the season..I'm not "blaming" Parker for losses, I'm simply making an observation, since I'm used to Tony being a dominant scoring PG..

[lennyalderette]

umm i tried to make points about tony's pro and cons and it seems like you get attacked for even saying anything negative about the guy!! like i have been saying hill in two years will be amazing, defense,three shot,and drving dunks, oh and not only will he be good at defense he will be an elite defender soon. promise why in the hell do you think pop is so high on the kid!!! i honestly think parker is upset at the rising of hill. here comes the bashing

[Brazil]

i honestly think parker is upset at the rising of hill. here comes the bashing

:lmao yeah right TP is really upset at the rising of Hill. GH is the new Jason Kidd, good stuff here we have seen how TP has responded during the JK rumors so I guess it's a good sign.

BTW most of ST posters complain about TP not disching enough assists (or not involving people around) so bench him and play Hill when Hill is giving near 0 assist. Just saying.

[kace]

umm i tried to make points about tony's pro and cons and it seems like you get attacked for even saying anything negative about the guy!! like i have been saying hill in two years will be amazing, defense,three shot,and drving dunks, oh and not only will he be good at defense he will be an elite defender soon. promise why in the hell do you think pop is so high on the kid!!! i honestly think parker is upset at the rising of hill. here comes the bashing

because team chemistry is what we lack right now on the offensive end, and i doubt Hill amazing 1.6 apg in 27 mpg will help us in that aspect. and his 0 assists in 32 minutes performance won't change my mind about that.

if people are upset about tony's playmaker ability, which is their right, they should be worried about hill's skills in that aspect of his game. he'll never be half the playmaker tony is, that's for sure.

for the rest of his game though, the kid is great.

[TDMVPDPOY]

if people are upset about tony's playmaker ability, which is their right, they should be worried about hill's skills in that aspect of his game. he'll never be half the playmaker tony is, that's for sure.

for the rest of his game though, the kid is great.

you make it sound like Hill wont get anywhere near TPs lvl, Hill is playing better than TP ever did his first 2 seasons in the league...Hills game is coming around, only thing he doesnt have is the first option scoing mentality cause pop has ask him to setup/defer when theres an open.

dont get offended cause ur fav player is declining and the a new player is on the rise....

[Mr.Robinson]

Parker's games is speed. He doesn't have that speed yet. He is injured. Let's give him time. Once that happens he can drive ans dish it out to shooters and score at will.

[DAF86]

Why do foreign fans have such a difficult time admitting that playing for their respective national teams is not beneficial to players for an upcoming season?

'Cause there is no proof of that.

99% of the players that play during the summer end up having a great season.

What about the players that don't play during the summer and end up getting hurt or playing like shit too? Who's fault is it?

Everybody blamed summer play for Ginobili's latest injuries, when actually, the first time Mau got hurt was in the '08 playoffs when he had taken the summer off, and that injury was the one that caused the other two.

[kace]

you make it sound like Hill wont get anywhere near TPs lvl, Hill is playing better than TP ever did his first 2 seasons in the league...Hills game is coming around, only thing he doesnt have is the first option scoing mentality cause pop has ask him to setup/defer when theres an open.



i bet Hill playmaker ability won't ever reach TP's ones, despite it's not his main quality. I just can't see it considering how Hill handle the ball and how low his APG are.

i guess, even if you never know, that Hill offensive game won't ever reach TP's one. i mean a +20ppg/50% player having to carry the offensive load. because a player like TP, come from nowhere to reach star status, is very rare. which doesn't mean it won't happen for Hill, but it's still the exception.

About defense, Hill is already better than TP will ever be. same about rebounding, which isn't very important for a point guard but still a useful skill.


The kid is a good guy and a good player. i would be happy if he'd become the MVP of the RS in few years. Especially if he's still on the spurs roster.


Hope we won't get in a Hill vs TP after so many useless TP vs manu.

oh and :rollin at
dont get offended cause ur fav player is declining and the a new player is on the rise.... after his best season last year.

[ginobili fan]

Please ...
It's only 8 first RS games...
We just have to let Tp and Pop adjust to this new team.
I agree Tony isn't the perfect PG now but we all know the guy is a warrior and a worker.
But just think about it you guys:
Tony learned under POP how to run this "special" team during all these years and it has been a success so far.
I mean if he was playing for thr SUNS under another coach with different mentality and style of play, he would have become a different PG.
Think: just put a guy who used to run a team with the same old fashion during 5 years, in a new roster, it's like you asking him to change his play during all those years dramatically in a month...
I bet even Paul or Nash need time to adapt. That's why PG position is a difficult one.
Now it's clear that the SPURS are still under construction, I hope POP is working on that to build or RE-build a new team.
We can't play anymore like we used to play with Tony and Tim running the show alone.
In that way I understand some posters saying TP is not good, and I agree TP has to play more like nash or paul, we don't need him scoring 30 points (that doesn't mean he has to forget his agressiveness and still has to be the leader during crucial games).
But when you see the plays, it's always the same systems, Tony doen't have the ball to create in a way that would let him involve all the guys like Nash knows how to do. That's why you see Jefferson becoming a Finley-like player last night for example, he's just waiting in the corner. And the truth is: The SPURS always played like that !!! Then I would say POP is a big part of the SPURS bad form. POP HAS TO ADAPT not in the rotation or what but first in the style of play and mentality!

[SenorSpur]

I'm not really talking about Tony's passing though..he obviously isn't a passer, but I'm just talking about his scoring, which is usually very reliable..

He's usually very explosive and manages to finish at the basket in unbelievable ways..I haven't seen that at all so far this season, and it looks like the Summer took a toll on his body..he's not blowing by defenders like we're accustomed to seeing from him, and that's going to be necessary for this team succeed..

Everybody on the team seems to want Tony to be the clear #1 option..if he isn't making those plays, we're screwed, since he's a shoot-first PG..I don't mind his style at all, but it's concerning if he isn't going to have the same first-step..

He should have been held out a little longer IMO, and rest his body up a little more..

I noticed the same thing. TP looks a little sluggish and slow. Defenses seem to contain him more easily and he's not blazing by defenders and finishing at the rim with his usual zeal. It's obvious that he's far from regular season form.

[ginobili fan]

Still I wish Tony:- attempt less.
- doing more pick and rolls.
- looking for Jefferson and hill more.
- create a chemistry with jefferson on fast break ( we love when he's doing one man fast break and creating and ones but in order to make those chemistry and involve everyone I like him to lose his tunnel vision, then we could maybe see Jeff and other guys running together on fast break...).
- pass more++++++
-attempt less-------
-pass more+++++
- talk seriously with POP
- I mean SERIOUSLY....
-just be that fuckin leader a real PG who involve everyone.

[DaBears]

Its a given that TP is a bad mother when it comes to driving the lane & scoring... The problem i have is that he seems to hold onto the too long gets others out of rythm.....Mainly Richard Jefferson. Not sure what the problem is? or should i say where to begin, i know we tell our seleves its just the first 6-7 games of the season but when do you really need to start questioning the coaching and the players..

[DaBears]

How can the SPURS look better without TP and TD in the lineup... And win against a good team record wise but lose to the Thunder, when they got thier stars back.... Almost feel like POP should have eased they way back into lineup make them come off the bench start the same starting lineup as the night before and see what happens... Oh well what do i know just your average fan who knows nothing about the game.... right!!!!!

[ginobili fan]

Its a given that TP is a bad mother when it comes to driving the lane & scoring... The problem i have is that he seems to hold onto the too long gets others out of rythm.....Mainly Richard Jefferson. Not sure what the problem is? or should i say where to begin, i know we tell our seleves its just the first 6-7 games of the season but when do you really need to start questioning the coaching and the players..

Yeah right we don't know where to begin because the spurs won like that before but it's clear that the problem is more deep that we think.
The proof is we have a better team on the paper, but on the court we see tha same problems we used to see last year.
Then the coach need to start questionning what is the real problem!