Dear Lord,

[xellos88330]

Please erase the idea of micro ball zone defense in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter from the brain of Popovich. This team clearly doesn't have the defensive chemistry to make something like that work as of yet. Perhaps you can let him try it after they start to get comfortable with each other on the court.

As a little extra, could you also be so gracious as to erase the idea of small ball for stretches longer than 4 minutes as well (especially if it isn't working at all)?

If you do, I will sacrifice, a cow, a chicken and a goat in your name.

That is all. :toast

[ElNono]

http://lh5.ggpht.com/fisherwy/R-lDKWV-sjI/AAAAAAAAOK4/bgaKx0Jrf7Y/Praying+Dog+Chihuahua+Conan+picture%5B3%5D.jpg

[Amuseddaysleeper]

This is the only issue I have with the "pushing the tempo" mantra Pop wants to do this year. I'm all for increasing the pace of the game with this year's team, but Pop has to find the right small ball lineup to make it work. Otherwise, it's just gonna get ugly.

[Libri]

Please erase the idea of micro ball zone defense in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter from the brain of Popovich.

I think you have to use one of these gadgets.

http://www.as.miami.edu/english/wiki105/images/9/96/Men_in_black.jpg

[ChuckD]

Dear Lord - Please never let Pop play his stars 40 minutes the way the Thunder did tonight in a meaningless pre-season game.

[Dex]

Frankly, this was probably the best thing that could've happened. Pop clears the bench to keep the starters healthy, and still gets a firsthand look at how small ball looks when closing out games.

He'll probably dismiss it because it was the third string, as well, but still....bad memories of RJ at the four.

[MI21]

I'm almost certain Pop will go with "Power Forwards" that actually aren't quite a bit during the season despite having Duncan, Splitter, McDyess, Blair and even Bonner to choose from.

He seems to think it works. Sigh.

[#2!]

I'd join this church.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Another totally useless thread.

[Ditty]

Dear Lord - Please never let Pop play his stars 40 minutes the way the Thunder did tonight in a meaningless pre-season game.

:lol I agree I don't know what the point of that was the bench for the thunder were getting all into it, and the starters were playing there heart out as it was a playoff game.

[DJB]

Dear lord,

Please keep these threads from being started. It's the fucking preseason.

Amen.

[TJastal]

:lol I agree I don't know what the point of that was the bench for the thunder were getting all into it, and the starters were playing there heart out as it was a playoff game.

They are playing like a team that is getting ready for the season to start in about a week.

Let's see, what are the spurs doing? Ahh ya Pop's tinkering with his micro ball fetish and screwing around basically.

I wonder which team is going to have the better record in the first 10 games?

[Obstructed_View]

Dear Lord - Please never let Pop play his stars 40 minutes the way the Thunder did tonight in a meaningless pre-season game.

I wondered about that too. If only the Spurs had young stars who could do that. I don't know that I'd even risk a guy turning an ankle in minute 38 though.

[kaji157]

It´s preseason, if Pop wants to play duncan at point guard and parker at C while letting manu be the coach it´s all right.

But please no experiments during the season.

[TJastal]

It´s preseason, if Pop wants to play duncan at point guard and parker at C while letting manu be the coach it´s all right.

But please no experiments during the season.

Oh don't worry, I'm sure Pop will have it all figured out in a week's time.

[xellos88330]

Dear lord,

Please keep these threads from being started. It's the fucking preseason.

Amen.

Yes it is the preseason. Last season Pop went with similar lineups which didn't really work more often than not.

I am certain that you wouldn't want to see the same thing in the regular season. So get on your knees and pray with me. :toast

[xellos88330]

Another totally useless thread.

Didn't you watch last season when the Spurs were getting killed by playing too much microball? Didn't the fact that Popovich trotted a lineup very similar to those of last season in the last few minutes of the game worry you at all?

Sure it was a preseason game, hence my extreme sarcasm when addressing the issue. If you can add anything constructive now that we should have a common understanding of what the thread is about, please do so.

Thanks! :toast

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Can't wait for the first proper meltdown! Reckon it might be just after the Indiana game.

[Leonard Curse]

pop is morphing and i hate it

[TJastal]

pop is morphing and i hate it

Nah, man its all good. RJ, Bonner, Neal, Temple & Simmons are real time bro. BG_spurs fan says so.

[ElNono]

It's only October...

[TwelveGs210]

http://lh5.ggpht.com/fisherwy/R-lDKWV-sjI/AAAAAAAAOK4/bgaKx0Jrf7Y/Praying+Dog+Chihuahua+Conan+picture%5B3%5D.jpg
lmao @ that pic

[dbestpro]

Dear lord,

Please keep these threads from being started. It's the fucking preseason.

Amen.

Dear Lord, please let these stone throwers be right and do not let Pop carry over small ball into the regular season.

[TJastal]

Dear Lord, please let these stone throwers be right and do not let Pop carry over small ball into the regular season.

Well history shows that Pop has never carried over stupid ideas into the regular season. Like last pre-season when he tried starting Finley and Bonner. Boy Pop just had us all sweating bullets that time, hehe.

[Death In June]

Micro-ball, pushing the tempo? Why does Pop continue to think that sort of thing works. If anything, he's had his most success against those teams. He doesn't have the personnel to be the Suns, just like he doesn't have the personnel to fit his scheme (in a defensive SF or a capable big that can stretch the floor). Moreover, why does he want to be the Suns?

[DJB]

You're forgetting that Duncan played a whopping 12mins and Tiago is injured. Do you think micro ball defensive schemes will exist when we have a player of Tiago's caliber to play the paint with Timmy?

[xellos88330]

You're forgetting that Duncan played a whopping 12mins and Tiago is injured. Do you think micro ball defensive schemes will exist when we have a player of Tiago's caliber to play the paint with Timmy?

Even though Duncan was good to go last season, Pop still went with a micro ball lineup just to get him rest. Duncan only playing 12 minutes is almost half of what we are expecting him to play.

The schemes will always exist. It is up to Pop whether he uses them or not. It is, however, my hope that Tiago is the cure for the small ball curse. He is a new player so it might be difficult for Pop to trust him at first. The beginning of the season seems set for stretches of micro ball. I am praying because I do not want that to be the case.

Now which are you going to sacrifice, the cow or chicken? :toast

[TJastal]

You're forgetting that Duncan played a whopping 12mins and Tiago is injured. Do you think micro ball defensive schemes will exist when we have a player of Tiago's caliber to play the paint with Timmy?

Bynum's out too, but I don't see the lakers running with a lineup of midgets, in fact they are putting Theo Ratliff to good use.

[Obstructed_View]

You're forgetting that Duncan played a whopping 12mins and Tiago is injured. Do you think micro ball defensive schemes will exist when we have a player of Tiago's caliber to play the paint with Timmy?

I still recall Pop putting RJ in at power forward against Joakim Noah and Amare Stoudemire in late fourth quarter, close game situations last year, costing them the game both times. Small ball defensive schemes existed when Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed were available to play in the paint with Timmy, and existed when Theo Ratliff and Antonio McDyess were available to play in the paint with Timmy.

[Obstructed_View]

Blair's not going to be the weak point of this defense at all.