Possible reason for Pop's small ball approach?

[Halberto]

I was thinking back to last year when the Lakers struggled against the Rockets. The Rockets gave them more hell than any other team that postseason, and I was trying to come up of a reason why. A lot of people were saying that the Lakers weren't taking them seriously, but I think that's bullshit. Taking a look at the match ups, it seemed like the Rockets had been forced to play a small ball approach due to injuries. I know Yao went don't later on in the series, but they actually seemed better after that.

Do you think Pop saw the same thing? He's won 4 championships with the "Tall ball" strategy, and he's passed over opportunities to bring in a defensive big such as Haywood. There are countless examples showing that he's shifting the team's roster to favor small ball. In other words, something has clearly provoked him to change his outlook on the game suddenly. Maybe this is why?

[DesignatedT]

we will never know.

[MaNu4Tres]

They had great small ball power forward personnel.

I.E Battier and Artest.

We have Bogans and Jefferson...Huge difference

[ElNono]

We've been playing small ball since the SSOL Suns pretty much...
It also has been a regular feature on the team all last season... before the Rockets-Lakers series...

[Chieflion]

Coach Pop got brainwashed by Don Nelson.

Small Ball Don Nelson > Small Ball Gregg Popovich

[itzsoweezee]

stop trying to make sense of pop-logic. does sense say to bench bruce bowen in favor of washed-up mike finley? does sense say to bench george hill even though he's playing great? does sense say start bogans for no good reason?

the guy is out of mind. he's not thinking rationally. the team is stacked yet still woefully under-performing.

[Cane]

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0112/nba_a_kobe02_576.jpg

That picture pretty much sums it up. The Spurs are playing it safe by limiting Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess' minutes so they don't get injured or fatigued by the time the playoffs roll around (if they make the playoffs). If they're hurt and/or tired; the Spurs are fucked even worse than they already are against the top teams such as the Lakers (but overall the Spurs have been improving recently imo).

Duncan and McDyess are usually playing at the same time too so that means we have to use Blair, Bonner, and once in a blue moon, Ian. Unfortunately all three are undersized or lacking when it comes to being a NBA big: Blair lacks height, defense, and gets into rookie foul trouble which limits his minutes; Bonner is a shooter thats been injured and only recently returning to form (and has sat out entire games after recovering from injury), and Ian seems to lack the bulk/strength and skills to really defend against opposing bigs.

Don't get me wrong there are positives to these guys, in the case of Bonner and Blair they both can be match-up problems for the opposing team since one's a big that shoots form the 3 and the other guy is a wide rebounder with a lot of hustle, strength, and length. Ian has potential but its going to be hard to grab minutes from Blair since they both try to fulfill the same kind of role.

Small ball will likely start to die once the playoffs roll around. Fewer players will be in the rotation and minutes will pile on like they usually do.

[sabar]

We've been playing small ball since the SSOL Suns pretty much...
It also has been a regular feature on the team all last season... before the Rockets-Lakers series...

This. Spurs started seriously using small ball when the run-and-gun Suns took the league by storm a few years back. The future seemed to be away from slow, tall guys and towards athletic guards. A lot of teams went small then.

Since then playing a bunch of tiny guys has been mostly a failure. Pop tried to adjust to a changing landscape, but failed to realize that it never ended up changing.

[Flux451]

hmmmm...small ball or Bonner ball....I would rather go with small ball

[Agloco]

I was thinking back to last year when the Lakers struggled against the Rockets. The Rockets gave them more hell than any other team that postseason, and I was trying to come up of a reason why. A lot of people were saying that the Lakers weren't taking them seriously, but I think that's bullshit. Taking a look at the match ups, it seemed like the Rockets had been forced to play a small ball approach due to injuries. I know Yao went don't later on in the series, but they actually seemed better after that.

Do you think Pop saw the same thing? He's won 4 championships with the "Tall ball" strategy, and he's passed over opportunities to bring in a defensive big such as Haywood. There are countless examples showing that he's shifting the team's roster to favor small ball. In other words, something has clearly provoked him to change his outlook on the game suddenly. Maybe this is why?

The small ball trend started in 2006 against the Mavericks. Horry at PF got the ball rolling. Unfortunately, it appears that Pop took Horrys abilities for granted and assumed that anyone under the sun could duplicate his performances.

[DAF86]

I was thinking back to last year when the Lakers struggled against the Rockets. The Rockets gave them more hell than any other team that postseason, and I was trying to come up of a reason why. A lot of people were saying that the Lakers weren't taking them seriously, but I think that's bullshit. Taking a look at the match ups, it seemed like the Rockets had been forced to play a small ball approach due to injuries. I know Yao went don't later on in the series, but they actually seemed better after that.

Do you think Pop saw the same thing? He's won 4 championships with the "Tall ball" strategy, and he's passed over opportunities to bring in a defensive big such as Haywood. There are countless examples showing that he's shifting the team's roster to favor small ball. In other words, something has clearly provoked him to change his outlook on the game suddenly. Maybe this is why?

I don't remember the Rockets playing small-ball at all that series. They had relatively small bigmen (Scola, Hayes, Landry) when Yao went down but they play like true bigmen, beign tough and fighting under the basket (kinda like Blair does on the Spurs). Besides they are a lot quicker and athletic than our bigs.

The fact that they were small bigmen doesn't mean they played small-ball, Adelman always had two of them at all moments on the court.

[Xevious]

Ian is not going to get minutes, especially during he playoffs.

I just hope that Pop is limiting minutes of the other guys until the playoffs roll around. We all know Tim will play huge minutes, then if he bumps up Dice and Blair, he could run a 3-big rotation (Bonner will play too though) without going smallball.

[nkdlunch]

pop started going small about 3-4 years ago

now he just does it 90% of the time

[Chomag]

This :drunk

[200 miles]

2009: Lakers- not small ball
2008: Celtics- not small ball
2007: Spurs- not small ball
2006: Heat- maybe
2005: Spurs- not small ball
2004: Pistons- not small ball
2003: Spurs- not small ball
2000-02: Lakers- not small ball
1999: Spurs- not small ball

Should I keep going, Pop?

[Doctor J]

The last year's Rockets was not 'small ball' at all.

Their big men were relatively short - Scola, Landry, Hayes. But the Rockets used their big men rotation very effectively.

They also had big and strong defensive small forwards as well in Battier and Artest.

The situation in San Antonio is drastically different.

[My Fault]

hmmmm...small ball or Bonner ball....I would rather go with small ball

I rather go with Bonner. Atleast he's better than Bogans at the 4.

[LOL@MavsFan]

I was thinking back to last year when the Lakers struggled against the Rockets. The Rockets gave them more hell than any other team that postseason, and I was trying to come up of a reason why. A lot of people were saying that the Lakers weren't taking them seriously, but I think that's bullshit. Taking a look at the match ups, it seemed like the Rockets had been forced to play a small ball approach due to injuries. I know Yao went don't later on in the series, but they actually seemed better after that.

Do you think Pop saw the same thing? He's won 4 championships with the "Tall ball" strategy, and he's passed over opportunities to bring in a defensive big such as Haywood. There are countless examples showing that he's shifting the team's roster to favor small ball. In other words, something has clearly provoked him to change his outlook on the game suddenly. Maybe this is why?

He didn't pass him over, Dick's HUGE contract did that for him.

[Brazil]

I wish he could try some tall tall ball, it would be fun to see such lineups Parker Manu Bonner Ian Tim or Manu Jeff Bonner Dice Tim or Parker Manu Blair Dice Tim...

[Obstructed_View]

2009: Lakers- not small ball
2008: Celtics- not small ball
2007: Spurs- not small ball
2006: Heat- maybe
2005: Spurs- not small ball
2004: Pistons- not small ball
2003: Spurs- not small ball
2000-02: Lakers- not small ball
1999: Spurs- not small ball

Should I keep going, Pop?

Shaq and Zo?

[ElNono]

Shaq and Zo?

And Haslem

[200 miles]

I forgot about Zo, but really I was focusing on the starting lineups. Of course there's Shaq, but I just thought that Haslem was a little undersized as a 4.

[Obstructed_View]

I forgot about Zo, but really I was focusing on the starting lineups. Of course there's Shaq, but I just thought that Haslem was a little undersized as a 4.

I'd be really happy with smallball if there were a seven foot shot blocker on the floor at all times, particularly if this were in addition to the minutes Tim Duncan gets.

[TDMVPDPOY]

small ball is lame, if pop wants to play small ball, he should focus on a tighter roster rotation...

[DaBears]

Not sure pretty sure this has been mentioned or questioned many many times.....

Why the hell is POP not playing Ian Mahani at all, i mean if the guy doesnt have talent then why continue to keep him on the payroll. He hasnt even given the guy a shot to make any significant impact in meaningful game time action...

Pop must of really lost his mnd or this is some monumental secert he knows that he doesnt want to share..

It appears to be another situation, like the Darko Milichic detroit pistons from acouple of years ago..(spelling error, im sure..)

If anyone has any clue on this issue let me know..

[poop]

2009: Lakers- not small ball
2008: Celtics- not small ball
2007: Spurs- not small ball
2006: Heat- maybe
2005: Spurs- not small ball
2004: Pistons- not small ball
2003: Spurs- not small ball
2000-02: Lakers- not small ball
1999: Spurs- not small ball

Should I keep going, Pop?

exactly. big frontlines ALWAYS win. small ball NEVER wins. EVER

[Chomag]

exactly. big frontlines ALWAYS win. small ball NEVER wins. EVER

You know Pop. He wants to show he can win everything HIS WAY.

Soooo how is that going for you pop?

[boutons_deux]

small ball is a mysterious as why Pop plays a non-productive Bogans.

flabbergastingly mysterious.