Where did Small Ball come from?

[JustinJDW]

I'm just wondering where this whole small ball thing came from. I don't know or can't remember. I didn't watch much basketball in 06 or 07. Long story.

I don't remember doing this crap in 05. So where the hell did this come from? Did an acquisition give Pop the idea or something? Or did this just slowly happen over the course of a couple years? It really is fail. Anyway, does anyone have an idea on why Pop started doing this? Just wondering...

[Budkin]

It was Pop's strategy for beating the Mavericks in 2006 which is why he believes in it so much and why it still yields... oh wait.

[JustinJDW]

It was Pop's strategy for beating the Mavericks in 2006 which is why he believes in it so much and why it still yields... oh wait.Was it Small Ball that brought the Spurs back from that 3-1 Series deficit?

[timvp]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

[Rogue]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.
and Pop still has great comfort playing small ball with all his legs 5 years older, what a lovely move by Pop. :wakeup

[Blackjack]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

That and the success they had in the playoffs was a paradigm-shifter, imo.

Even when it was Horry closing games with Tim, it was their best offensive personnel scoring beaucoup points and executing flawlessly to close games. The success bred a new belief and way in which to go about things moving forward, and the slope would become slippery as he moved futher and further away from his core principles.

FMSLL ... :depressed

[Small Ball]

I was the love child between Michael Finley and Gregg Popovich.

[blkroadrunners]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

Couldn't really blame him though against the Suns since they started Marion at PF and STAT at C, plus Duncan and Ginobili were sitting out the later part of the season.

[HarlemHeat37]

I was the love child between Michael Finley and Gregg Popovich.

:rollin

At least you will never leave us Small Ball troll..

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

When something works so well... you milk it until it no longer works

[blkroadrunners]

Was it Small Ball that brought the Spurs back from that 3-1 Series deficit?

Not really. Pop actually started playing Bowen on Dirk Gm1, in which the Spurs won, but lost the next 3. What really brought the Spurs back was a failed putback in Gm 5 and a JET suspension in Gm6.

[Dro210]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

wow, didn't know that point of reference... that makes it even worse.... even the most casual of basketball fans could tell you that what might have worked against those suns, todays warriors... doesn't work against real basketball teams.

[ShoogarBear]

One of the problems is that the Spurs have progressed from Small Ball to small balls.

[hsxvvd]

Nelson had just finished watching film of Popovich's Spurs team, running offensive schemes that looked more than vaguely familiar.

“A lot of it he stole from me,” Nelson said with a wink...

...Apprised of the Xs and Os robbery charges Nelson had levied against him pregame, Popovich pled no contest.

“I would imagine he's probably right,” Popovich said. “It's all either his play, or a variation.”



http://48minutesofhell.blogspot.com/2009/01/small-ball-spurs.html

[hsxvvd]

One of the problems is that the Spurs have progressed from Small Ball to small balls.

One too many Dick and no balls.

[SpurNation]

One of the problems is that the Spurs have progressed from Small Ball to small balls.

chuckle.

Do the size of a man's ears indicate the size of his balls? If so...Richard Jefferson has some very small ears.

[Obstructed_View]

Well Nazr Mohammed put up this three pointer...

[ElNono]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

This. Pop drank the koolaid that we could play up-tempo and small since we were beating the Mike D'Antoni Suns at their game all the time back then.

[lefty]

Ah Small ball

[team-work]

I did a mini-search on the internet. The Wiki page on small ball (basketball) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Ball_(basketball)
Some of the references there mentioned the use of small ball by the Spurs e.g. in 2006 (first reference).

Also, http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/MYSA112507_14C_SpursNotebook_en_2fad745_html2652.h tml

We can see how Pop became more & more in love with this strategy over time.

[iminol]

I take your point but just imagine, figure out how slow we would be getting bigger lineup. Maybe slower than now (read slow).

[SenorSpur]

Pop is married to it more than ever because it provides him with a lineup in which he can maximize playing time for Finley.

[td_tp_manu]

Since Dirk Nowitzki became lethal

[td_tp_manu]

Pop used Devin Brown as the small ball PF to beat the Suns in the regular season back in 2005 ... and Pop was in love.

Rasho was injured in that game.

[Spurminator]

It came from Satan's anus.

[Obstructed_View]

Since Dirk Nowitzki became lethal

Rumors of Nowitzki's lethality have been greatly exaggerated. The sad reality is the multitudes of other NBA players that have become lethal since that rumor got a foothold in Spurtown.

[DDS4]

Too many dinners with Don Nelson.

[ShoogarBear]

What got me about the 2006 series was the Spurs went all season long without worryng about small ball matchups, including against the Mavs, then all of a sudden in the playofss it became this crippling concern that they needed to go small.

Here are the regular season results against Dallas in the 05-06 season:

L 84-103 @Dallas, Rasho/Nazr = 21 min
W 92-90 @ Dallas, Rasho/Nazr = 42 min
W 98-89 home, Rasho/Nazr = 37 min
L 86-92 home, Rasho/Nazr = 20 min

Obviously not an in-depth analysis, but how the hell do you conclude from that that the Spurs can't match up with the Mavs playing big?


Nelson had just finished watching film of Popovich's Spurs team, running offensive schemes that looked more than vaguely familiar.

“A lot of it he stole from me,” Nelson said with a wink...


Great, cause nothing spells playoff success and championships like Don Nelson coaching.

Classic Nellie. The pompous fuck once against pandering for his genius stripes in the press and not on the court.

[OldSilentHill]

I was the love child between Michael Finley and Gregg Popovich.

I just realize this nickname here in the forum :lmao

Please, play your script and make us all laugh a lot, we need it. It´s better than cry :toast