So another loss in Philly..

[HarlemHeat37]

The Spurs have been getting owned by the Sixers for years now..they constantly run all over our team every year with their athleticism..they have 35 fast break points so far in the game, and that doesn't account for the high amount of FTs they got from transition fouls to get to the FT line..

The difference now is that pretty much EVERY team in the NBA is more athletic than the Spurs..the FO seems unaware that our big 3 has gotten older..

Are we ever going to see a difference?..

[Spursmania]

No.

[Ditty]

stfu

[timtonymanu]

Pop never will.

He'll resign Bogans, Finley, and Bonner in the offseason. Maybe try to resign KT because all you need to succeed in the NBA is old and slow guys according to Pop.

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Yeah, it has been a very depressing season. How in the world did the spurs do better last season? This is sad. I don't know how hard they tried to make a trade, but damn they should of tried harder and took a gamble.

[Obstructed_View]

Way to man up. It's such a departure from watching the Lakers and Celtics lock down on each other in the 4th quarter last night.

[benefactor]

Nope. By the time Duncan retires this team will be a shell of itself and the FO's lack of development of young players will push this team to the bottom of the West until at least the end of the decade.

[Spurs Brazil]

This is easily the worst Spurs team since 97 and it's not even close

[spurtech09]

pop just doesn't know how to coach anymore.....

[SouthTexasRancher]

Here come da lottery! Here come da lottery!

The Spurs = the lowest basketball IQ and athleticsm in the NBA. Pop has gone senile on us. Time for the old folks home.

Oh well, maybe we'll luck out again and get the first pick for the 3rd time. Then everyone in the NBA will hate our guts...:lol

[timtonymanu]

watching the Nuggets/Cavs and Lakers/Celtics game last night, i felt so jealous. Two teams grinding it out for 48 mins. Once Spurs go down by 5, they just give up. Pathetic team man! I tuned in this year to see gutless pigs.

[Obstructed_View]

This is easily the softest most gutless Spurs team since ?? and it's not even close

[DesignatedT]

tony is hurt no question about it. duncan is starting to look that way also... without the big 3 playing at atleast 80% we have no shot whatsoever.

[Chieflion]

Whatever. I am fiddling with the lottery balls right now.

[TJastal]

Hairston and Ratliff/Mahinmi could have helped this team for sure if Pop would have used them from the start.

That, and a trade for Salmons and Thomas I think could have extended this teams' window a few years, but its over now.

[Libri]

Are we ever going to see a difference?..

According to RC, yes.

[Warlord23]

Pop is still stuck in the past, the rest of the NBA has moved on. It doesn't matter what new talent we pick up, Pop won't play them enough. Pop-defenders conveniently forget that last year he basically admitted to not playing Hill enough. Hill could and should have got a lot more playing time, but Pop was adamant.

Pop's stubborn ways have finished off this team. Duncan needs to call the old fart's bluff and demand a trade in the off-season.

[Warlord23]

Double post

[TD 21]

0 blocks; that stat says it all.

Is it any wonder the 76ers, until Brand replaced Speights, were playing a crunch time lineup of: Holiday, Williams, Iguodala, Young and Speights? Youth, speed, athleticism and length. All things the Spurs can't deal with (These are attributes all paramount to the NBA game). This is why they lose.

Virtually every single team that plays them has these things over them and that's why you hear their coaches in wired on the nationally televised games or even local announcers saying "get these guys in transition" or "we want to run Duncan and these guys". This has been going on for a few years, yet NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THIS?! Worst of all, you've got oodles of idiots on this board playing the role of apologist for the front office, the same front office which has probably effectively ended any chance this team has at competing for another championship in the remainder Duncan era.

I've had enough of this senile coach. He needs to let someone else run the bench (I don't think Budenholzer has the presence for it; not with this team, at least) and focus more on his front office duties because it's clear that he, Buford, et al. haven't followed the league much the past few years. Jefferson has been in a steady decline now for three years. Athletically, the only thing he's above average with now is leaping, yet they acted like they were getting a young, freakishly athletic player back, who could play the role of stopper. The instant they said that, we should have known they no longer have a fucking clue what's going on in the league.

Mahinmi and Hairston need to start playing. Parker needs to be sat for a while, then re-evaluated, Jefferson needs a few DNP-CD's in a row, Finley should be stapled to the bench (though that one is taken care of, at least currently).

[Parker2112]

tony is hurt no question about it. duncan is starting to look that way also... without the big 3 playing at atleast 80% we have no shot whatsoever.

I agree, and I dont understand why POP is playing him. I dont agree with much he does anymore it seems

[EricB]

This is easily the worst Spurs team since 97 and it's not even close


Worse since 97.


Almost as bad as a team that won 20 games.


Fucking christ...

[benefactor]

lol Dalembert getting tossed and the Spurs still get bent over.

[TJastal]

Thomas 9pts, 11reb, 6 blocks.. with an emphatic block on Jamison to end the game. I'm so glad the spurs didn't take a risk on this guy

[EricB]

Pop is still stuck in the past, the rest of the NBA has moved on. It doesn't matter what new talent we pick up, Pop won't play them enough. Pop-defenders conveniently forget that last year he basically admitted to not playing Hill enough. Hill could and should have got a lot more playing time, but Pop was adamant.

Pop's stubborn ways have finished off this team. Duncan needs to call the old fart's bluff and demand a trade in the off-season.


You mean the guy he calls his second father, one that he consults with on moves and what not?

Yeah ok :lol

[timtonymanu]

lol Dalembert getting tossed and the Spurs still get bent over.

i knew we were screwed. Spurs cant beat short handed teams.

[EricB]

Thomas 9pts, 11reb, 6 blocks.. with an emphatic block on Jamison to end the game. I'm so glad the spurs didn't take a risk on this guy


You mean the guy they offered players for and got turned down?

Dumbfuck.

[benefactor]

i knew we were screwed. Spurs cant beat short handed teams.
Or full strength teams.

[Big P]

Here come da lottery! Here come da lottery!

The Spurs = the lowest basketball IQ and athleticsm in the NBA. Pop has gone senile on us. Time for the old folks home.

Oh well, maybe we'll luck out again and get the first pick for the 3rd time. Then everyone in the NBA will hate our guts...:lol

We wont have a shitty enough record for a lotto pick...we'll be good enough for a #16-20...its looking like mediocrity for a while...kind of hard to watch honestly

[Warlord23]

Speaking of zero blocks, Theo Ratliff played 17 minutes vs the Cavs and had 5 rebs (3 offensive) and 2 blocks.

The Bobcats' bench frontcourt shut down their Cleveland counterparts (Varejao / Jamison / Moon) with 9 blocks between them.

Say what you want about Larry Brown, he still tries to win basketball games with good interior D.

[benefactor]

You mean the guy they offered players for and got turned down?

Dumbfuck.
Link to the offer they made?

[Mr Bones]

In 240 total minutes the entire Spurs team had zero blocks tonight. In 18 minutes, Theo Ratliff in his first game with Charlotte had 2 blocks by himself, helping them defeat Cleveland. Larry Brown found a use for Theo, but Pop couldn't?

[Warlord23]

You mean the guy he calls his second father, one that he consults with on moves and what not?

Yeah ok :lol

This has nothing to do with their personal equation..

[alchemist]

0 blocks; that stat says it all.

Is it any wonder the 76ers, until Brand replaced Speights, were playing a crunch time lineup of: Holiday, Williams, Iguodala, Young and Speights? Youth, speed, athleticism and length. All things the Spurs can't deal with (These are attributes all paramount to the NBA game). This is why they lose.

Virtually every single team that plays them has these things over them and that's why you hear their coaches in wired on the nationally televised games or even local announcers saying "get these guys in transition" or "we want to run Duncan and these guys". This has been going on for a few years, yet NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THIS?! Worst of all, you've got oodles of idiots on this board playing the role of apologist for the front office, the same front office which has probably effectively ended any chance this team has at competing for another championship in the remainder Duncan era.

I've had enough of this senile coach. He needs to let someone else run the bench (I don't think Budenholzer has the presence for it; not with this team, at least) and focus more on his front office duties because it's clear that he, Buford, et al. haven't followed the league much the past few years. Jefferson has been in a steady decline now for three years. Athletically, the only thing he's above average with now is leaping, yet they acted like they were getting a young, freakishly athletic player back, who could play the role of stopper. The instant they said that, we should have known they no longer have a fucking clue what's going on in the league.

Mahinmi and Hairston need to start playing. Parker needs to be sat for a while, then re-evaluated, Jefferson needs a few DNP-CD's in a row, Finley should be stapled to the bench (though that one is taken care of, at least currently).
Can you idiots tell me what coach is going to turn this shit pile around???

"Fire Pop!" "Fire Pop!" is all I read but who will coach this team better?

[Obstructed_View]

TPark's in full damage control mode. Did a second person vote for "Pop's making the right decision starting Bogans and Bonner"? :lol

[SouthTexasRancher]

We wont have a shitty enough record for a lotto pick...we'll be good enough for a #16-20...its looking like mediocrity for a while...kind of hard to watch honestly


Maybe the FO will wave their magic wand and sprinkle some wuffle dust on the whole affair. Maybe the NBA will feel sorry for us after watching this pathetic display of junior high bball.

Blair and Manu out there hustling their asses off and everyone else standing around with their head up their ass!

[TJastal]

You mean the guy they offered players for and got turned down?

Dumbfuck.

Thomas was available for anyone with an expiring contract if a team was willing to take Salmons contract.

As it was, they ended up making separate transactions but the opportunity was clearly there, and the spurs could have really used both players .. which is pretty obvious, huh dumbfuck

[TD 21]

Link to the offer they made?

There was no fucking offer made. Get a clue you fucking front office apologist (not you benefactor, EricB, aka retard boy). You don't think, with the amount of information available, that we wouldn't have heard if the Spurs had made an offer? They sat back as always and let a player who should have been theirs go elsewhere and then on top of that they handed that same team a player for free essentially. A player who could actually help with some of their glaring issues. Deplorable job by the front office and yet you're supporting them 'til the death?! You disgust me.

[TJastal]

TPark's in full damage control mode. Did a second person vote for "Pop's making the right decision starting Bogans and Bonner"? :lol

:lol :rollin :lmao

[SouthTexasRancher]

In 240 total minutes the entire Spurs team had zero blocks tonight. In 18 minutes, Theo Ratliff in his first game with Charlotte had 2 blocks by himself, helping them defeat Cleveland. Larry Brown found a use for Theo, but Pop couldn't?


The NBA game has passed 'OLD' Pop by.

[Obstructed_View]

Can you idiots tell me what coach is going to turn this shit pile around???

"Fire Pop!" "Fire Pop!" is all I read but who will coach this team better?

I presume you're referring to people that don't actually coach basketball, right? I mean just about anyone with a simple knowledge of basketball is going to put in Duncan and Parker before that run gets going. Then again, they probably wouldn't have put a lineup out there to give up that kind of run in the first place.

[TD 21]

Can you idiots tell me what coach is going to turn this shit pile around???

"Fire Pop!" "Fire Pop!" is all I read but who will coach this team better?

He's not utilizing the players correctly, you idiot. This clearly isn't a championship caliber squad, but he could at least give them an opportunity to win. There's no athleticism, length, speed, quickness, shot blocking, etc. You can't win in the NBA playing the lineups he's playing. It's that simple. I don't care if he has 10 fucking championships, his coaching the past two years has been beyond awful and it's killing the team.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Can you idiots tell me what coach is going to turn this shit pile around???

"Fire Pop!" "Fire Pop!" is all I read but who will coach this team better?


Holt could hire Phil and let him get 3 more rings. Pop is lost!!!

[The Truth #6]

If Pop continues at this rate I'd happily have Avery coach the team next year. That's a name.

[alchemist]

He's not utilizing the players correctly, you idiot. This clearly isn't a championship caliber squad, but he could at least give them an opportunity to win. There's no athleticism, length, speed, quickness, shot blocking, etc. You can't win in the NBA playing the lineups he's playing. It's that simple. I don't care if he has 10 fucking championships, his coaching the past two years has been beyond awful and it's killing the team.
Give me a fucking name. Who will turn this talent around given the chance?

[The Truth #6]

It's not just the coaching, it's the managerial approach towards developing players.

[Obstructed_View]

Rick Robertson.

[Warlord23]

He's not utilizing the players correctly, you idiot. This clearly isn't a championship caliber squad, but he could at least give them an opportunity to win. There's no athleticism, length, speed, quickness, shot blocking, etc. You can't win in the NBA playing the lineups he's playing. It's that simple. I don't care if he has 10 fucking championships, his coaching the past two years has been beyond awful and it's killing the team.

+1 ... No one is deluding themselves hoping for a championship run. But the reason a whole lot of us still watch games is to see this team compete. We're talking about a Philly team that has 17 losses at home. We had a 7 point lead at the half. And Dalembert got ejected. The lead would have been bigger if we hadn't started Bogans/Bonner.

Coming out of the half, you'd think any average coach would have learned his lesson. Pop gives Bogans major minutes, plays small-ball and the Sixers pull ahead. Granted that the whole team stunk it up towards the end, but why in the blue blazes would you put in such a shitty lineup and hand the game to Philly on a platter in the first place??

No coach is going to make this team a contender. But that doesn't change the fact that this coach is making them look much worse than they are

[SouthTexasRancher]

If Pop continues at this rate I'd happily have Avery coach the team next year. That's a name.


Right now Holt is probably agreeing with you. Maybe Pop wants to spend his time in the FO and wants to bring Avery in. Coach Bud won't be the Spurs head coach aftert Pop leaves. We could use Avery's fire and heart...!

[Obstructed_View]

+1 ... No one is deluding themselves hoping for a championship run.

Um, this team is just as talented as they looked on paper in October. Maybe more so, considering Blair's development. It's looking increasingly clear that they became a good deal less talented in the last 36 hours.

[Warlord23]

Give me a fucking name. Who will turn this talent around given the chance?

What do you mean by "turn it around"? I'm not hoping for a title or even a deep playoff run. All I want is for a coach who will not make dumb/stupid/adamant decisions and stick with them even when it's plain as day that those decisions are completely wrong.

We don't need a genius to do that. Promote Mike Bud, or hire AJ even. I don't care. I'm just fucking tired of Pop's bullshit.

[Obstructed_View]

Why are any of you surprised? This is the same shit he's been doing since the 2006 playoffs. Many of you have been defending him all this time. Looks like TPark's the only holdout left.

[alfahdlan]

Enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop
enough fire pop fire pop fire pop fire pop

[alchemist]

What do you mean by "turn it around"? I'm not hoping for a title or even a deep playoff run. All I want is for a coach who will not make dumb/stupid/adamant decisions and stick with them even when it's plain as day that those decisions are completely wrong.

We don't need a genius to do that. Promote Mike Bud, or hire AJ even. I don't care. I'm just fucking tired of Pop's bullshit.
we'll all get a chance to see a Pop-less Spur team real soon, I can only image the topics in a couple seasons. :lmao

[romsho]

He's not utilizing the players correctly, you idiot. This clearly isn't a championship caliber squad, but he could at least give them an opportunity to win. There's no athleticism, length, speed, quickness, shot blocking, etc. You can't win in the NBA playing the lineups he's playing. It's that simple. I don't care if he has 10 fucking championships, his coaching the past two years has been beyond awful and it's killing the team.

Word.

[5in10]

Blair should have had a block, but they called a foul instead....

[TD 21]

Give me a fucking name. Who will turn this talent around given the chance?

Anybody. Fuck, how much coaching is this guy doing? There's so few play calls now it's ridiculous. In that 3rd quarter, they literally ran a high screen/roll (and a couple on the side) every single time down for a long stretch.

At least someone else might play normal lineups that give the team a chance to win. This coach is probably the only coach in the league that, given this roster, wouldn't play Mahinmi.


+1 ... No one is deluding themselves hoping for a championship run. But the reason a whole lot of us still watch games is to see this team compete. We're talking about a Philly team that has 17 losses at home. We had a 7 point lead at the half. And Dalembert got ejected. The lead would have been bigger if we hadn't started Bogans/Bonner.

Coming out of the half, you'd think any average coach would have learned his lesson. Pop gives Bogans major minutes, plays small-ball and the Sixers pull ahead. Granted that the whole team stunk it up towards the end, but why in the blue blazes would you put in such a shitty lineup and hand the game to Philly on a platter in the first place??

No coach is going to make this team a contender. But that doesn't change the fact that this coach is making them look much worse than they are

But they didn't need Thomas, say the apologists. Who needs rim protection when it's a fucking layup line every game?

Duncan needs to threaten this retard and tell him: if you play small ball one more fucking time when it's uncalled for, I'm publicly unloading on you. As much as I can't stand the bastard, you put Bryant in Duncan's shoes and there's no way he let's this nonsense go on. Duncan just takes it.

Exactly.

[MaNu4Tres]

Some obvious notes:

- Small ball still isn't the answer Pop and wasn't in the 4th quarter.

-Tim Duncan is simply not the same as he was the first 2 months of the year.

-Parker isn't even half as good as he was last year.

-Jefferson just isn't a good all around basketball player. He was a volume shooter in Milwaukee and that's about it.

-We are so predictable offensively with the high and side pick and rolls every time down the floor. Duncan has set more screens the past month than he has all year.

-Opposing teams get to the lane at will by Duncan's man always being the screener in pick and rolls.


-There are so many problems on this team from top to bottom. Starting with Parker caring more about his French team, when they don't have a chance to do a damn thing; Duncan not being able to dominate inside as effective anymore and ending with Bonner and Bogans and Pop's small ball defensive philosophy.

This team will get bounced in the 1st round again. It's a shame and a sad day, but the tide has turned guys. This team is headed down a road of mediocrity til Duncan retires and I blame this road on the front office not analyzing the team objectively at the deadline. If they couldn't improve the roster, they should have realized this team simply can't get it done and they should have tried to get as many future assets as possible for every expirings they had including Manu. And next year do the same with Jefferson and perhaps Parker. But they didn't. Now we will have to offer Bonner and maybe Mason new contracts because that will be the only way Spurs will get value out of this off-season.

[Agloco]

Whatever. I am fiddling with the lottery balls right now.

This. I think there's a very good chance that the Spurs don't even make the playoffs at this rate. Rebuilding might come a bit easier than anticipated.



This team will get bounced in the 1st round again.

I disagree. See above.

[rascal]

There was no fucking offer made. Get a clue you fucking front office apologist (not you benefactor, EricB, aka retard boy). You don't think, with the amount of information available, that we wouldn't have heard if the Spurs had made an offer? They sat back as always and let a player who should have been theirs go elsewhere and then on top of that they handed that same team a player for free essentially. A player who could actually help with some of their glaring issues. Deplorable job by the front office and yet you're supporting them 'til the death?! You disgust me.

Agree it made no sense why the spurs could not put a package together to improve the team. Total failure by the front office to stand pat with a team that is obvious was not going to be a serious contender.

[duncan228]

“The Sixers brought their athleticism, their aggressiveness and their pressure in the second half, and we folded,” Popovich said. They made it a fast-break contest in the second half. That was the ball game.”

[TJastal]

Maybe TPark/EricB made this supposed offer himself? In between hitting the bong

[rascal]

So the spurs can't keep up with Philly's fast break and athleticism?

[ElNono]

I've gone to watch the Spurs play Philly for 3 consecutive seasons and they ALWAYS run us out of the building. You would think at this point Pop would have figured out something that might work against these guys...