ESPN's Abbott: Not the same old Spurs [..."fluke loss in Portland"?]

[Cane]

FWIW a short and sweet article about the Spurs defense now compared to the past, starts off with a short bit about the Blazers game last night.


Not the same old Spurs
by Henry Abbott


Last night, after a fluke loss in Portland (a Blazer airball that turned into an assist; a Blazer lob that missed by two yards, hit the backboard, and found its target anyway; Antonio McDyess passing to a referee ... I could go on) I heard from several Spurs fans who were despairing about their team. Like, really upset. Tearing their hair out.

This from the fans of a team that has won a nutty 40 of 48 games, including eight of its last ten, even while playing starters the shortest minutes of any team in the league.

Fans of most teams would ask: What on earth are these people complaining about?

The answer: defense. They see the aging Spurs conceding a certain kind of easy buckets they used to stop.

And what they're seeing with their eyes -- mostly trouble sticking with long, mobile scorers like LaMarcus Aldridge, who had a career-high 40 -- is backed up by some numbers.

These numbers, in fact:

2
1
2
1
2
3
1
1
1
2
3


That's where the Spurs' defense ranked, in the whole NBA, in Tim Duncan's first 11 years. In the bolded years, they won titles.

In the two-and-a-half seasons since then, however, the Spurs' defense has ranked fifth, eighth and -- this season -- seventh.

So those fans are right. The defense is simply not the same. It's a new era, and Duncan is no small part of why. He's not as mobile in any direction -- to the rim, to passing lanes, to cut off drivers, to help and recover, to the sky -- as he once was.

What's different this year is that the offense is picking up a ton of slack. Before this year, Duncan's teams have had, on average, the NBA's 11th best offense. The best-ranked offense he has ever been a part of was in 2006-2007, when the Spurs were fifth. (In 1999, they won a title with the NBA's 11th best offense.)

At the moment, however, the Spurs are tied for the NBA's second-best offense. They are a whisper out of first. That's new. Is the offensive improvement enough to offset the declining defense? Well, that's why they play the games. But it is certainly in the realm of possibility that the Spurs could continue to disappoint fans with their diminished defense, and win a title anyway.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/24448/not-the-same-old-spurs

[hater]

good analysis and that is exactly why I'm not as confident on this team as I was in prior runs.

they just play too recklessly and are just not that defensive machine they used to be.

[Giuseppe]

Let's be frank:::only one team is playing quality championship defense and that's Boston. Other teams flirt & fidget with it, but, they can't capture it, maintain it and exert it comprehensively. Only Boston.

[We'd] better acknowledge these realities, because they ain't goin' away.

[crc21209]

Yeah the defense wasnt great last night, but Pop just seemed to coach as if he really didnt care last night as well. Tim and Tony didnt come back in until about the 6 minute mark in the 4th. Neal was terrible, why not give Anderson a shot? And Blair, who was beasting in the 1st half...was nowhere to be found in the 2nd half...

[SenorSpur]

Too often, players have season-high or career games against this team. PFs are carving this team up. If the Spurs would've harrassed Aldridge into 1/2 the points he scored, they win easily.

And this isn't the first year we've seen this. It occurred last year and continued through the playoffs, as Amare and even Dragic had routine success against this defense.

That said, Duncan's decline and Bowen's retirement are key factors as to why the defense sucks. Their defensive contributions have not been offset with the appropriate skill set infustions.

I don't know how long Pop thinks he's going to hide these deficiencies with offense? And I wonder just how this will translate as they go deeper in the playoffs?

[cornbread]

Let's be frank:::only one team is playing quality championship defense and that's Boston. Other teams flirt & fidget with it, but, they can't capture it, maintain it and exert it comprehensively. Only Boston.

[We'd] better acknowledge these realities, because they ain't goin' away.

I agree. The way Boston's playing defense and their big man rotation puts them at #1 contender in my book. The only thing I could see changing by playoff time is their health with all the old farts they have. But if the playoffs started today, I'd bet the house on Beantown.

[Giuseppe]

I agree. The way Boston's playing defense and their big man rotation puts them at #1 contender in my book. The only thing I could see changing by playoff time is their health with all the old farts they have. But if the playoffs started today, I'd bet the house on Beantown.

Perkins completes them unconditionally. He expects nothing on the offensive end and that is a great relief to a team's offensive parts. & Perkins sees nothing but the court. He's lost in the game from the moment he enters. He's extremely dangerous to an opponents offensive game plan.........& he's lethal in the [prime Manu tradition] of lethalness.

If Perkins doesn't get injured at the start of Game 6 I'm sittin' here with my dick in my hand.

[jjktkk]

Too often, players have season-high or career games against this team. PFs are carving this team up. If the Spurs would've harrassed Aldridge into 1/2 the points he scored, they win easily.

And this isn't the first year we've seen this. It occurred last year and continued through the playoffs, as Amare and even Dragic had routine success against this defense.

That said, Duncan's decline and Bowen's retirement are key factors as to why the defense sucks. Their defensive contributions have not been offset with the appropriate skill set infustions.

I don't know how long Pop thinks he's going to hide these deficiencies with offense? And I wonder just how this will translate as they go deeper in the playoffs?

Imo, Pop is doing the only thing possible in regards to winning. Amping up the offense to hide the decline in defense. My hope is the Spurs will imrpove enough on defense, but they don't have the talent to be a shutdown team defensively anymore.

[Giuseppe]

Imo, Pop is doing the only thing possible in regards to winning. Amping up the offense to hide the decline in defense. My hope is the Spurs will imrpove enough on defense, but they don't have the talent to be a shutdown team defensively anymore.

It can still be done that way, but, you'd have to have Perkins in street clothes again to do it.

[Cane]

I agree. The way Boston's playing defense and their big man rotation puts them at #1 contender in my book. The only thing I could see changing by playoff time is their health with all the old farts they have. But if the playoffs started today, I'd bet the house on Beantown.

Celtics do look like the best team out there. When it comes to health they seem to rush players back from injury and a lot of their starters are playing more mins so that could catch up with 'em. Pretty remarkable that they have the second best record with all the injuries they got.

[jjktkk]

It can still be done that way, but, you'd have to have Perkins in street clothes again to do it.

Well Culby, what are you waiting for? Get your people on that asap. :lol

[cornbread]

Perkins completes them unconditionally. He expects nothing on the offensive end and that is a great relief to a team's offensive parts. & Perkins sees nothing but the court. He's lost in the game from the moment he enters. He's extremely dangerous to an opponents offensive game plan.........& he's lethal in the [prime Manu tradition] of lethalness.

If Perkins doesn't get injured at the start of Game 6 I'm sittin' here with my dick in my hand.

I hear you. Perkins is mean to the bone—a wild dog that wants to fight just for the enjoyment of fighting. A center with his mentality and abilities is something to covet.

[Giuseppe]

Well Culby, what are you waiting for? Get your people on that asap. :lol

I still can't believe he was out in Game 6 & 7. It was like a out of body experience when that happened. That was our chance, and everybody, especially Bryant knew it.

It was like an act of God. A miracle.

[Giuseppe]

I hear you. Perkins is mean to the bone—a wild dog that wants to fight just for the enjoyment of fighting. A center with his mentality and abilities is something to covet.

Exactly. It's not an act. It's not personal. It's just him.

And at first I thought it was a combination of him & Powe, a synergy that was needed, but, uh, uh, Perkins is self contained. He's an animal.

Reminds me of Lewis Lloyd of the old Houston Rockets teams.

[cornbread]

Celtics do look like the best team out there. When it comes to health they seem to rush players back from injury and a lot of their starters are playing more mins so that could catch up with 'em. Pretty remarkable that they have the second best record with all the injuries they got.

I was watching them play the other night, scratching my head as they rotated KG, Shaq, Perkins, Big Baby and that big white boy, wondering how the hell do we compete with that in a 7 game series? That's your reward IF you can make it past the Lakers.

[Giuseppe]

I was watching them play the other night, scratching my head as they rotated KG, Shaq, Perkins, Big Baby and that big white boy, wondering how the hell do we compete with that in a 7 game series? That's your reward IF you can make it past the Lakers.

Give Ainge credit:::he learned his lesson last Summer. No vanity. No arrogance. Isolate the problem, then bury it.

[Brazil]

Let's be frank:::only one team is playing quality championship defense and that's Boston. Other teams flirt & fidget with it, but, they can't capture it, maintain it and exert it comprehensively. Only Boston.

[We'd] better acknowledge these realities, because they ain't goin' away.

I agree at 100%, I think other teams like Orlando or Miami have pretty solid defense too but Boston is always clinic, they are huge inside, contest everything, rondo is a poison, he pressures, runs, back ups his bigs by his rebounding skills... Most impressive they can maintain their D at a high level with whoever is in the lineup including Robinson, the turk guy...

Healthy they will be a hell of a matchup for everybody

[Harry Callahan]

The weird thing is the Spurs more often than other top teams get the "Old" label, but they have more young players playing key roles than LA and Boston by a long shot this year. When the Lakers rolled out their starting five last night, every player was at least 30 years old. They only have two young contributors and one of them has bad knees at 24 years old. Boston's best players (excluding Rondo) are 33, 34, and 35 years old.

Pop and RC have rebuilt their depth over the last 3 years. They have drafted well the last four years and have a deeper team. I hope Anderson and Splitter can get acclimated in the home stretch and be contributors. Tim is not the player he was three years ago and that is my biggest concern. The bigs may not measure up in the POs.

I would not be surprised to see the Spurs make a trade for another big next month. The #1 pick they own is 28-30. They have hit on their picks IMO often enough the last 4 years to make a deal. Of course the downside to this strategy is what happened when SA sent the 09 #1 (I think) to OKC for Kurt Thomas. That pick was Serge Ibaka. Not that Ibaka would have been SA's pick, but adding that kind of player to this roster would have solidfied the front line in a big way right now. SA was fortunate to land Dejuan Blair in that draft.

[Seventyniner]

The Heat seem like an anomaly to me also; they're #4 in the league in defensive efficiency, but don't have defensively intimidating big men at all.

The Bulls are actually #1, with almost a full point advantage on #2 Boston. The Spurs are still #7, with a big gap on either side.

[Budkin]

Let's be frank:::only one team is playing quality championship defense and that's Boston. Other teams flirt & fidget with it, but, they can't capture it, maintain it and exert it comprehensively. Only Boston.

[We'd] better acknowledge these realities, because they ain't goin' away.

I agree... they simply shut down teams.

[Dunc n Dave]

I was watching them play the other night, scratching my head as they rotated KG, Shaq, Perkins, Big Baby and that big white boy, wondering how the hell do we compete with that in a 7 game series? That's your reward IF you can make it past the Lakers.

Don't forget Jermaine Oneal to add to that rotation once he gets healthy. Their front line (hell, their whole TEAM) is SCARY GOOD.

[boutons_deux]

"Jermaine Oneal"

:lol He's always been fat, now he's slow, old, and fragile. Celts have done well without him.

[Giuseppe]

I agree... they simply shut down teams.

Yes, it's a proactive event physically, and they're preemptively preparing, shaping the battlefield mentally.

I hate 'em, but, it is wonderful to behold an organization so singularly dedicated to the end game.

[TampaDude]

The Celtics remind me of the Spurs and Pistons from the early to mid 2000s. They are a defensive grinder and they just wear you out and frustrate you. Plus, they are well coached. Very, very tough to take 4 of 7 from them.

[jjktkk]

When you get deep in the playoffs, it comes down to executing, and the Celtics are tops in that catagory. Thats the main reason I don't see Miami getting past them.

[Giuseppe]

Ainge understands the mental aspects of the path to victory. He's been thru that with those people as a player & non-player off & on for decades. They don't have to cover up for lack of physical talent with mental toughness, and vice-versa. They're complete, so they're not wasting time looking behind them.

[Cane]

Celtics are playing great defense despite having injuries and distractions like having a miniseries filmed during the season:

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4679877/the-association-episode-2

But here's one potshot at the C's: if any top West team played in the East I'd bet their records would gain a few W's.

Hopefully the Bulls, Heat, Hawks, or Dwight Howard can at least wear 'em out. :downspin:

[HarlemHeat37]

The Heat seem like an anomaly to me also; they're #4 in the league in defensive efficiency, but don't have defensively intimidating big men at all.

The Bulls are actually #1, with almost a full point advantage on #2 Boston. The Spurs are still #7, with a big gap on either side.

Lebron is playing at a DPOY level this year, they have a good defensive scheme, and they have mobile big men..they would actually be even higher this year if Chalmers started all year..

The Bulls are another team that hasn't relied heavily on their bigs for defense this season, mostly scheme and pressure from their perimeter players, and it has worked very well for them..

The Spurs don't receive nearly enough defensive pressure from their perimeter players..the best defensive game this season was against the Lakers IMO, and it displayed constant pressure and energy from the Spurs..we have yet to see this on a consistent basis..

The Spurs have actually been the worst team in the NBA at defending iso players from the perimeter, the last 2 seasons..all of the perimeter players on this team gamble more than often, and are late on rotations more often than not, at least IMO..

[DMC]

Yep, you cannot turn it up on offense. You shoot and hit or miss. On defense, you can turn it up and risk fouls and such, but get more possessions because of it and limit the opponents looks. Championships are won by defense, that should be etched in stone in every HS gym in the nation.

[SenorSpur]

Pop and RC have rebuilt their depth over the last 3 years. They have drafted well the last four years and have a deeper team. I hope Anderson and Splitter can get acclimated in the home stretch and be contributors. Tim is not the player he was three years ago and that is my biggest concern. The bigs may not measure up in the POs.

The FO has done a superb job of rebuilding on the fly. However, the two biggest holes on this team, are the same holes that were starting to develop back in 2008 - the absence for a mobile PF and the absence of a long, athletic perimeter defender. The absence of both have really hurt this team and the results are showed up greatly in last year's playoffs. And they are starting to re-emerge against certain opponents. These deficiencies are indeed a glaring concern - no matter how much more prolific of an offensive team the Spurs are. Watching the Spurs give up loads of second chance rebounds, uncontested 3-pt field goals, and playing poor pick-n-roll defense will not fly against the top-tier teams - to say nothing for struggling playoff contenders like the Blazers.

I would not be surprised to see the Spurs make a trade for another big next month.
If there is a trade for a player that would help shore up one of these areas, it would be a smart thing to do. The only player that really comes to mind is the Bucks' Luc Richard Bhah A Moute. I think he'd be a perfect fit for what the Spurs need.

The additions of Hill, Blair and Anderson have been good, as these guys should be solid players for years to come. Unfortunately for the Spurs though, none of these players addressed any one of those direct needs. As for Splitter, it appears that he could be of help, but somehow he's found his way into Pop's "delayed rookie integration plan."

[Capt Bringdown]

I don't know how long Pop thinks he's going to hide these deficiencies with offense? And I wonder just how this will translate as they go deeper in the playoffs?

With losses. Defense wins championships, that has always been our raison d’être. We can hope for miracles, but the better defensive team always wins in a 7 game series.

Look how easy it is to score in the paint, and how easily offensive rebounds are stolen from us. Good players like LA look like Hall of Famers, and scrubs like Big Baby put up all-star numbers against our D.
We're not winning a championship with this D.

[SenorSpur]

With losses. Defense wins championships, that has always been our raison d’être. We can hope for miracles, but the better defensive team always wins in a 7 game series.

Look how easy it is to score in the paint, and how easily offensive rebounds are stolen from us. Good players like LA look like Hall of Famers, and scrubs like Big Baby put up all-star numbers against our D.
We're not winning a championship with this D.

That is the sobering point that I'm afraid of. Despite the sterling record, the defensiv flaws are glaring.

[Sean Cagney]

good analysis and that is exactly why I'm not as confident on this team as I was in prior runs.

.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!! I used to know they were a contender and thought they would win yearly from 03 to 08, after that sides the record they have now they really were shaky to me and not nearly the team they were on D nor as efficient with the ball (Stupid threes and TO's at times). They rely on the three too much IMO, that never won in the playoffs.

[007nites]

"Jermaine Oneal"

:lol He's always been fat, now he's slow, old, and fragile. Celts have done well without him.

Jermaine can still protect the rim with the best of them though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW0or0SNsI8

Plus, he's another big body teams have to deal with at 6'11" 260.

[Nathan Explosion]

The Spurs have the 2nd ranked offense and the 7th ranked defense. It's gotten them a 40-8 mark, so something is going right. Considering that the Spurs were middle of the pack on defense early in the season, the fact that they've risen to 7th is a good indicator of them getting better.

I love the record, but I'm more concerned if they're getting better. The numbers are bearing that out.

BTW, if Boston is the only team playing championship defense, then what are the Bulls, and their #1 ranked defense in ppg allowed, playing?

[Capt Bringdown]

That is the sobering point that I'm afraid of. Despite the sterling record, the defensiv flaws are glaring.

Our record is building expectations and hope (how could it not), but unless we can somehow address our biggest deficiency, it ain't gonna end pretty.

Splitter may not be a turnaround/impact player. But it's hard to see how throwing him in the mix would hurt us, especially in a game such as we saw the other night. It's supremely frustrating...a system, process-oriented approach is not always the best card to play. Sometimes you gotta play jazz. There's a thin line between being disciplined and rigid.

Beyond Duncan, Dice is our best big, which, if we were realistic, should tell us how far we can expect to advance. Dice is a nice guy, a consummate pro, but his game is extremely limited.

[Sean Cagney]

The Spurs have the 2nd ranked offense and the 7th ranked defense. It's gotten them a 40-8 mark, so something is going right. Considering that the Spurs were middle of the pack on defense early in the season, the fact that they've risen to 7th is a good indicator of them getting better.

I love the record, but I'm more concerned if they're getting better. The numbers are bearing that out.

BTW, if Boston is the only team playing championship defense, then what are the Bulls, and their #1 ranked defense in ppg allowed, playing?

Last night again showed me a big PG like Miller and a big players who is athletic as hell can kill us! Aldridge did! This is our weakness and will be in the end IMO, no huge frontline to stop a dude like that or the ones in LA in the end! I think in a series we could beat Portland due to their injuries and they are not as good as us, but that type of player will kill us all the time! They are not what they were on D nor the frontline sides the record right now. Deficiencies show up from time to time, and boy they are glaring.

[Dex]

The phrase "defense wins championships" doesn't just exist because people like the way it sounds.

[weebo]

The more energy you spend on offense the less energy you have to spend on defense. I think Pop is doing a fine job by playing to the team's strength while still still preaching defense. This team can still contend for a ship and I firmly believe that they can step up their D when it will matter most.

[Agloco]

The Heat seem like an anomaly to me also; they're #4 in the league in defensive efficiency, but don't have defensively intimidating big men at all.

The Bulls are actually #1, with almost a full point advantage on #2 Boston. The Spurs are still #7, with a big gap on either side.

The Heat are an anomaly, just like Jordans Bulls were. Wade and LeBron can get at it on the defensive end just like Pippen and Jordan did. They cover up a lot more deficiencies than our backcourt can.

[GrandeDavid]

I think the Spurs will be tough, defensively, come playoff time. Its all about health. We saw a glimpse of their championship defense capabilities in the December victory over the Lakers. I'm sure they'll have things tightened up by April. Let's see Aldridge do 40 again on the 25th and 28th of March. If he does, then I'll be impressed. This is the meat of the regular season, I think we'll be in excellent position for #5.

[JR3]

Too often, players have season-high or career games against this team. PFs are carving this team up. If the Spurs would've harrassed Aldridge into 1/2 the points he scored, they win easily.

And this isn't the first year we've seen this. It occurred last year and continued through the playoffs, as Amare and even Dragic had routine success against this defense.

That said, Duncan's decline and Bowen's retirement are key factors as to why the defense sucks. Their defensive contributions have not been offset with the appropriate skill set infustions.

I don't know how long Pop thinks he's going to hide these deficiencies with offense? And I wonder just how this will translate as they go deeper in the playoffs?


I really don't think Pop is hiding behind the offense... He has said over and over that they are not ready to win a title. He knows where the improvement needs to come. We don't have the right players for defense, but we have the right leadership and I think we will improve on defense enough to win it.

[SenorSpur]

I really don't think Pop is hiding behind the offense... He has said over and over that they are not ready to win a title. He knows where the improvement needs to come. We don't have the right players for defense, but we have the right leadership and I think we will improve on defense enough to win it.

Improving defensively is one thing, but not having the right players for defense - a point that I whole-heartedly agree with - is quite another.

Asking them to be better defensively isn't going to help Duncan to regain the lateral quickness and footspeed lost with age. Is isn't going to suddenly turn RJ into a Bruce Bowen defensive stalwart. Nor will it even allow Blair to grow taller and evolve into a true center, that can block more shots and patrol the paint better.

I temper my expectations about the future prospects of this team because of the glaring defensive holes that seemingly cannot be mitigated by simply requiring these players to improve defensively. Perhaps the best and only solution is to have at least 1or 2 better defenders on the roster. After all, having Duncan and Bowen, in their primes, really solved a lot of defensive issues.

[jjktkk]

Improving defensively is one thing, but not having the right players for defense - a point that I whole-heartedly agree with - is quite another.

Asking them to be better defensively isn't going to help Duncan to regain the lateral quickness and footspeed lost with age. Is isn't going to suddenly turn RJ into a Bruce Bowen defensive stalwart. Nor will it even allow Blair to grow taller and evolve into a true center, that can block more shots and patrol the paint better.

I temper my expectations about the future prospects of this team because of the glaring defensive holes that seemingly cannot be mitigated by simply requiring these players to improve defensively. Perhaps the best and only solution is to have at least 1or 2 better defenders on the roster. After all, having Duncan and Bowen, in their primes, really solved a lot of defensive issues.

Senor, I know your disappointed in Splitter not receiving enought pt, but from what little pt Splitter has received, I haven't been impressed, taking in the fact that Splitter is a rookie and him missing training camp. He moves pretty good out on the floor and seems to possess pretty good awareness, but he really needs to get stronger and seriously needs to develop his post game. I can't wait to see what an offseason of training and coaching will do for Splitter, but as of today, this season, I can't justify Splitter getting more minutes than any of the Spurs bigs.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

The phrase "defense wins championships" doesn't just exist because people like the way it sounds.

I dont recall the Lakers of the 80's as being a great defensive team. Even other championship teams such as the Rockets, Heat and last years Lakers team didnt strike me as being 'defense wins championships' models.
While I understand as having a good defensive team as being important I think just having a good team on both sides of the ball complete with veteran experience and some youth/athleticism as well are equally as important.
Lets give these Spurs their due. They are 40 - 8 (one of the best starts in NBA history) for a reason. Sure I would like for them to play better defense, better rebounding, Tim being the old Tim of a couple of years ago but this current Spurs squad has an excellent chance of competing for a championship.

[BoricuaCJA]

It's Splitters lack of a offense that's not keeping him into the game. He has no jump shot what so ever, the only time he can do anything is off of P&R. I wish he had some kind of jump shot b/c he would be in games more, I dont think he needs a post game right now. He is the mobile big man we need in the defensive end. Even though he never goes for blocks, he raises his hands high to make opponents adjust their shot and I love how he doesn't let his feet leave the floor when doing so.

The most glaring problem for Splitter is just shooting, just look when he shoots his FT's. He does like a double clutch at the top of his shot. He needs to learn to shoot it in a more fluid motion. I do love Splitter, he is our best defensive big behind Duncan but without training camp, preseason, and lack of playing time, he is still not comfortable on offense.

[BoricuaCJA]

I dont recall the Lakers of the 80's as being a great defensive team. Even other championship teams such as the Rockets, Heat and last years Lakers team didnt strike me as being 'defense wins championships' models.
They had big men who can black shots/defend, Kareem for the Lakers, Olajuwon for the Rockets, Shaq for the heat, and Bynum for the Lakers. I can't really think of a team that won a championship this past decade without a really good shot blocker/defensive player.

[mingus]

I agree that the Celtics are the best defensive team right now. The problem the Lakers have is they don't have a stretch four. They can't neutralize Perkins or Garnett defensively. They have to go big and that falls into the Celtics hands. Robert Horry won the 05 series against the pistons even when he wasn't actually hitting shots because he took either Wallace or the other Wallace away from the rim, allowing penetration from mainly Ginobili.

[SenorSpur]

Senor, I know your disappointed in Splitter not receiving enought pt, but from what little pt Splitter has received, I haven't been impressed, taking in the fact that Splitter is a rookie and him missing training camp. He moves pretty good out on the floor and seems to possess pretty good awareness, but he really needs to get stronger and seriously needs to develop his post game. I can't wait to see what an offseason of training and coaching will do for Splitter, but as of today, this season, I can't justify Splitter getting more minutes than any of the Spurs bigs.

jjktkk, I totally agree with your Splitter assessment. Like yourself and others, I've been underwhelmed as to what Splitter has provided to date. I have to assume this is in large part due to the missed training camp time, along with that dreaded 1st year integration taking longer than expected. He definitely looks like he's behind the curve and playing an uphill game.

After watching the Suns torch the Spurs defense in the playoffs, last spring, I keep seeing a repeat of those performances by certain opposing players in the regular season. The most recent of which was LaMarcus Aldridge. It's a year later, the offense has changed, but the defense is still porous, on occasion.

I guess I was just hoping that Splitter could provide some instant stop-gap relief. Still, there is one unavoidable fact that was clear in year's prior, it was hammered home in last year's playoffs, and it's still clear today - the Spurs bigs are lacking in physical size, skill and mobility, which puts them at a disadvantage versus some of the better teams in the NBA (Celtics, Fakers)

[jjktkk]

jjktkk,I guess I was just hoping that Splitter could provide some instant stop-gap relief. Still, there is one unavoidable fact that was clear in year's prior, it was hammered home in last year's playoffs, and it's still clear today - the Spurs bigs are lacking in physical size, skill and mobility, which puts them at a disadvantage versus some of the better teams in the NBA (Celtics, Fakers)

+1. Imo, Coming into the season, Pop realized the size disadvantage as well, and was diappointed in not being to develop Splitter in the Summer league, training camp, etc... Which might explain amping up the offense and relying on offense more so than Pop's traditional dominant defenses of the past. His thinking, again jmo, is this gives the Spurs best chance at another ring. High octane offense, and although not shutdown defense, a defense that is solid and a defense thats more team oriented rather than having A Bowenesque perimeter defender and a prime Duncan defender.