ROPE_A_DOPE questionable coaching

[ivanfromwestwood]

The rope-a-dope is performed by a boxer assuming a protected stance, in Ali's classic pose, lying against the ropes, and allowing his opponent to hit him, in the hope that the opponent will become tired and make mistakes which the boxer can exploit in a counterattack.

In competitive situations other than boxing, rope-a-dope is used to describe strategies in which one party purposely puts itself in what appears to be a losing position, attempting thereby to become the eventual victor. wikipedia



i only post this shit because i am a true spurs fan and i have not given up on this season yet. sometimes i look at the way pop does things and i say to myself, "you gotta be fucking kidding me. whats this dude thinking?" am i the only one that thinks Ian and Malik would give our team hustle and heart if pop believed in them? its almost like he trying to fly under the radar. i still keep up hope and give pop the benefit of the doubt until its all said and done. after all he's CIA Pop.

[poop]

thats a cool Venom card

[ivanfromwestwood]

thats a cool Venom card
thanks.:toast

[The_Worlds_finest]

I get the feeling of a blend of rope_a_dope, pop feeling out different line ups, and new guys learning and becoming confident with the spurs.

But then again, RJ has been horrible and undependable.

I have some medium obtainable IFs that Spurs need to fulfill for them to take the title.

-Dcdyess needs atleast one close to double double performace in a winning performace per series,

-Jefferson and Hill need to be "that guy" that is the reason Spurs win atleast 1 game per series.

- Bonner needs to atleast win 1 game in the playoffs ala Steve Kerrperformance vs Mavs in 2003.

-And ofcourse Big 3 needs to be healthy.

This formula is obtainable and if is JUNE HOSTS THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR DOWNTOWN!

(BTW I am not putting Blair into any IFS because there is no IFs about this guy he is going to shred.)

[SenorSpur]

am i the only one that thinks Ian and Malik would give our team hustle and heart if pop believed in them?

No. You're not the only one at all. This is something that has been discussed, ad nauseum, on this board. However, it's still an interesting question.

I look at the lift in energy, hustle and talent that both Hill and Blair provide and somehow conclude that Hairston and Mahinmi could do the same.

However, the coach doesn't think so. He's the biggest roadblock where that's concerned. He believes Hairston isn't ready to overtake Finley or Mason and, for whatever reason, he's apparently all but given up on Ian - which could be a HUGE mistake. We may never know that the kid has because the coach refuses to give him court time.

Meanwhile, with each ass-kicking the Spurs take going up against teams that are quicker, more athletic and more talented, the coach stubbornly resists the thought of "shaking up" the lineup. I really don't expect Pop to change this year.

[xtremesteven33]

I ponder this theory also when I see a frontcourt of Bonner/Blair go up against a frontourt of 7 footers..

[rr2418]

No. You're not the only one at all. This is something that has been discussed, ad nauseum, on this board. However, it's still an interesting question.

I look at the lift in energy, hustle and talent that both Hill and Blair provide and somehow conclude that Hairston and Mahinmi could do the same.

However, the coach doesn't think so. He's the biggest roadblock where that's concerned. He believes Hairston isn't ready to overtake Finley or Mason and, for whatever reason, he's apparently all but given up on Ian - which could be a HUGE mistake. We may never know that the kid has because the coach refuses to give him court time.

Meanwhile, with each ass-kicking the Spurs take going up against teams that are quicker, more athletic and more talented, the coach stubbornly resists the thought of "shaking up" the lineup. I really don't expect Pop to change this year.

The times I saw these two play was when the game was out of reach. I know Ian had that one good game, but we don't know what's going on in practice. Maybe they are just not "getting it", and during games they make mistakes. To the us, the average viewer, we see a basketball game like we've seen hundreds of times. Pop sees the small details that obviously we don't see. That's why Blair has playing time, because he has the smarts and just knows how to play the game. Blair has the moves and even has great chemistry with Manu.

[Obstructed_View]

If Pop's such a great coach and has such a great ability to use his psychology skills to make the Spurs function optimally as a team, he needs to use those skills this season.

[boutons_deux]

Pop already told Ian that Ian is gone, so why would Pop risk making himself look foolish by allowing Ian a chance to help the team?

Ratcliff seems to be nothing but health insurance. He certainly isn't playing enough now to be in the system and in game shape for the playoffs.

So far, they are nothing but practice dummies.

[SenorSpur]

Pop already told Ian that Ian is gone, so why would Pop risk making himself look foolish by allowing Ian a chance to help the team?

Because they're losing games to the upper-echelon teams, that's why. He's got nothing to lose by giving him a go - especially against teams that are quicker to the ball and quicker to the rim.

It's quite shocking that teams that were once doormats (Thunder, Grizzlies, Blazers) have come from literally out of nowhere, revamped their rosters and are now beating the Spurs with that younger, developing talent.

The NBA has changed. No longer is a team guaranteed success because it has a veteran-laden roster. The Spurs are in no position to castoff young, unproven talent - especially with a roster that finds it hard to play on back-to-back games.

[ivanfromwestwood]

is it possible pop is giving the new guys PT over our youth in order for them to learn the system? ian and malik know our system therefore no need to give them big mins yet. also could pop be hiding ian and malik. if Pop doesnt do anything with these guys its like saying to Holt the purchasing the Toros was a mistake. look at Marcus Williams.