No more small ball!

[Ibanezsr]

Portland was missing their 2 Centers and Pop decides to go small??????????? Small Ball has done nothing for SA this season yet he keeps going to it. How many times do we have to watch the likes of a Jefferson type covering an Aldridge type in crucial moments? Or watch SA not get a critical rebound when needed? POP IT DOESN"T WORK!!! Ratliff played a great game against the Clippers and then he gets no playing time against Portland? What a joke... This team has so much potential if they were just used the right way.... What is the point of having 4 guard/sf types on the floor if you are not going to push it and instead punch it into Duncan while he is getting double teamed?

[Chomag]

Portland was missing their 2 Centers and Pop decides to go small??????????? Small Ball has done nothing for SA this season yet he keeps going to it. How many times do we have to watch the likes of a Jefferson type covering an Aldridge type in crucial moments? Or watch SA not get a critical rebound when needed? POP IT DOESN"T WORK!!! Ratliff played a great game against the Clippers and then he gets no playing time against Portland? What a joke... This team has so much potential if they were just used the right way.... What is the point of having 4 guard/sf types on the floor if you are not going to push it and instead punch it into Duncan while he is getting double teamed?

RJ was playing PF becuase Finley is out. Oh wait...

[spursncowboys]

I think its time for some BIG BALL.

PG - Parker
SG - Jefferson
SF - Blair
PF - McDyess
C - Duncan

That would be rapeage on the boards

That would be a great line up.
Then you have Hill, Manu and Mason going three guards. Give Mahini some playing time.

[Dice]

I was frustrated to see Portland take it inside to Alderidge on Jefferson and score repeatedly. And Portland grabbing the offensive boards over and over made me wonder when Pop was going to put dice or blair back in.

Did small ball work really well in summer league or something? There has to be a reason we keep going to it.

[TIMMYD!]

I think its time for some BIG BALL.

PG - Parker
SG - Jefferson
SF - Blair
PF - McDyess
C - Duncan

That would be rapeage on the boards

Hell yeah but Pop is acting like a dumbass and won't even think about it.

[ffadicted]

I think its time for some BIG BALL.

PG - Parker
SG - Jefferson
SF - Blair
PF - McDyess
C - Duncan

That would be rapeage on the boards

Actually.... I somehow think that would be rapage, and then our bench wings would murder. Bonner and Ratliff off the bench for the big guys doesn't look too bad either.

[TimDunkem]

We played right into their hands going small.

[Duncan2177]

Of all the embarrassing losses the past few years, this one is easily the worst off the top of my head. No excuse whatsoever. I'm disgusted with Ginobili and McDyess, but most of all Pop. The lineups this r e t a r d are playing are not only contradictory (Mr. We need to get back to elite defense yet I'm going to play lineups that give us a chance to be barely adequate defensively and look like a lesser version of the mid-decade Suns), but HAVE NO CHANCE. Jefferson on Aldridge; really? Is he TRYING to sabotage the team at this point? The sieve like defense of Parker against the red hot Bayless down the stretch?

The only way the Trail Blazers win this game is with deplorable coaching/effort by the Spurs. All the Spurs had to do was play Aldridge straight up with McDyess and Raliff, stay home on the shooters and force him to beat them by scoring 30+. If they do that, at least they give themselves the best possible chance to win. Finally the Spurs face a team with a significantly worse front court than theirs, yet the proceed to make that advantage obsolete by playing small, playing right into the opposition's hands and getting killed. When you're in constant help/rotation/scramble mode defensively, you have no chance.

[EmptyMan]

Holt seriously needs to tell Pop to quit fucking around with his money.


Spurs might as well hire Don Nelson.

[bigzak25]

unless ratliff is hurt or something, there is no excuse for a DNP-CD while TD is logging 40 minutes...

[spurtech09]

yeah no more small ball....pop needs to realize that samll ball doesn't work for this team....go back to old school pop plzzzzzzzzz

start giving your bigs some more playing time and add Ian to the line-up pop

[blkroadrunners]

I think its time for some BIG BALL.

PG - Parker
SG - Jefferson
SF - Blair
PF - McDyess
C - Duncan

That would be rapeage on the boards

Crazy, I remember a few years back, Pop started Malik Rose at SF alongside Duncan and Robinson (of course Malik had more mid-range game).

[Dex]

Anybody who thinks that Blair would stand a chance of guarding the Lebron James, Paul Pierces, and Kevin Durants of the league needs to pass that shit this a'way.

[galvatron3000]

Duncan
McDyess
Haislip
Jefferson
Parker

Blair is laughable plus since Aldridge loves to take jumpers Ian could have possibly stayed in the game without fouling too much. He should have played or atleast Ratliff

[SCdac]

Play a true power forward and center together for 48 minutes. That's all I ask. McDyess was averaging 30 mpg in Detroit and averaged a double double. Blair averaged 27 mpg last year at PITT and was a 16 ppg, 12+ rpg and 5+ offensive rpg player. Theo Ratliff is averaging a career low in mpg (10) - that's not far from his last two seasons (13 and 14 mpg respectively), but it's still low considering EVERY time he plays he has a positive impact. With Ratliff I understand not burning him out, but McDyess and Blair should be in the thick of our offense and defense by now. It feels like as soon as one of them gets going, or the team becomes more cohesive, they're pulled in favor of Matt Bonner or pushing Jefferson to the 4, and we say "OK Timmy, it's all on you now".

[murpjf88]

I think its time for some BIG BALL.

PG - Parker
SG - Jefferson
SF - Blair
PF - McDyess
C - Duncan

That would be rapeage on the boards

I agree, but RJ should be coming off the bench.

[thOOdee]

damn...duncan does have plus 40 mins. WTF! I thought the whole point of having 5 BIGS was to rest duncan for the playoffs!!!

[redskinfan]

we gots no defensive plkayers! Parker cant guard Becky Hammon!