Who deserves the lion's share of the blame for this most recent failure?

[DeadlyDynasty]

Pop

RJ

TP

Bonner

Other

[nkdlunch]

Pop 36%
Parker 26%
Dick 11%
Bonner 9%
Duncan 7%

[4>0rings]

Pop

[mingus]

For this series, mostly Pop and TP, but the reason Spurs aren't championship contenderss is bec. Duncans decline. I can stomach the latter w/o a problem.

[Cane]

Parker. He's the healthiest and youngest member of the Big 3 and yet has declined the most. He's making terrible decisions that we haven't seen all year and his confidence is pretty low.

With the amount of turnovers and missed attempts he's had, he's literally given the ball away to the Grizz for huge momentum building plays. His midrange game has gone the way of the dodo and even Rondo seems like a better shooter nowadays. The rest of the team relies on his ability to create especially the shooters...

I don't know wtf is wrong with Parker but it sucks ass for the Spurs. Also doesn't help that he had that Eva fiasco earlier in the season. A couple of these losses were just decided by a possession or two and Parker was the key factor in that :bang

[DesignatedT]

Bonner 100%. If Splitter played instead of Bonner this series we are already into the 2nd round... as you saw last game.

[lmbebo]

I blame 1) RC for failing to go out and get a legit big man/size to put next to Duncan.
2) Pop and RC for failure to get a 2nd post presence. Granted we had the black hole, aka Gooden. But a decent big body in the middle we could play with Duncan.
3) RJ. He's regressed a lot this year. But I think part that goes to Pop. Pop needs to run plays for him. Get him involved. He was supposed to be a 4th scorer. He's become a complimentary player in our system. He doesn't fit.
4) Playing Bonner too many mins. He's been a great regular season guy, but how many times has he come up empty in the playoffs???
5) Pop - coaching.
6) TP - regression and bone headed plays.
7) GHill - when he's on, he has masked RJ's disapperance. But he's been awful this series.

It can still be turned around, but unlikely. For all the talent we have, we are just being outplayed. Even if we manage to get past the Grizz, I think this year shows that building around Manu and TP isn't going to work in the future.

How long till we can really start rebuilding? Would the team considering trading TP? Even Manu?

I think trading TD or Manu might get cause a HUGE PR backlash.

[Phenomanul]

I would add Grant Hill to that group...

[Kuestmaster]

For this series, mostly Pop and TP, but the reason Spurs aren't championship contenderss is bec. Duncans decline. I can stomach the latter w/o a problem.

Agree. What I can't stomach though is the decline of Pop brain and the complete passivity of Parker

[jag]

Father Time

[Chomag]

I Fault Pop when he decided that Don Nelson was the best thing since sliced bread.

[Mugen]

Bonner 100%. If Splitter played instead of Bonner this series we are already into the 2nd round... as you saw last game.

It's a shame that the only time you're right is when you're being sarcastic.

[Mugen]

Pop/Bonner/RJ performed at the level I expected in this series.

TP is the only one who's performed at a surprisingly disappointing level this series. If he had performed the way he was capable of then that would have been enough to rise above the inevitable shit play from Bonner/RJ and dumbfuck moves by Pop.

But he's shit the bed so far while the others have been par for the course. So he gets the lion's share of the blame, IMO.

[Pauleta14]

Pop & RC
RJ
Bonner
Parker
Hill
Duncan

[mexicanjunior]

Pop...he lost this series in that regular season finale against the Suns...

[Old School 44]

Pop.

Instead of "saving" Duncan by minimizing his minutes, why didn't you "save" him by getting him an athletic/long/defensive big to play along side him. Duncan might have played fewer minutes this year, but he's still had to be the sole anchor of the Spurs interior defense, which is asking a lot at this time in his career.

I would have settled for a somewhat developed Splitter, even a mistake prone Mahinmi. Instead we trot out an old forward, undersized forward and forward who shoot threes. It's not Dice's fault he's old and playing the 5. It's not Blair's fault he's undersized and playing out of position. It's not even Bonner's fault for jacking up threes. Bonner's not a terrible player for what he provides, he's just overused, which is all on Pop.

[rascal]

The front office

They put this team together without a solid front line.

[NASpurs]

Robert Horry because ever since Robert Horry left, it made go Pop go delirious to look for a stretch 4 and settled with Bonner for that position. Who was it that said Bonner was going to be a Robert Horry type player? I remember reading that once here. :lmao

[ChumpDumper]

Original thread is original.

[pjjrfan]

Pop...he lost this series in that regular season finale against the Suns...

As much as I love Pop this move really baffles me, you sit them down against the Lakers and then you bring them out for the last game, a meaningless game because we now had to win it to just to tie for the best record because it was obvious that the Bulls were not going to lose thier last game. I would've thought getting a win agains the lackluster Lakers would have put them in a better situation to rest everyone for the last game, but irregardless the whole thing just made no sense.

[angelbelow]

Bonner 100%. If Splitter played instead of Bonner this series we are already into the 2nd round... as you saw last game.

Back to being a Bonner rider or just trolling the trolls?

[Solid D]

The Grizzlies.

[ElNono]

DeadlyDynasty... for betting for the Spurs...

[kuato]

Parker is not a traditional guard, the team needs a creative guard that feeds his teammates and of course ... a real center too.

[Trill Clinton]

RC Buford 50%
Pop 50%

[TDMVPDPOY]

the problem with pop so far in the playoffs, we havnt seen hiim chewed into some asses, seems like his taking a backseat and let the players decide it on the court...

[gameFACE]

Pop and RC were good at putting the championship teams together. So good that the good FO people under them left for better opportunities. So they were able to deal with putting veterans around a young core. But they were not good at putting young players around a veteran core.

[SA210]

Starts at the top

[SenorSpur]

Pop and RC were good at putting the championship teams together. So good that the good FO people under them left for better opportunities. So they were able to deal with putting veterans around a young core. But they were not good at putting young players around a veteran core.

Agree.

The Big Three, albeit older, needed more help as they grew older, than they did when they were younger. Investing 50mil in two non-clutch, non-performing role players like Bonner and RJ was such a waste.

[daslicer]

Pop-35%- Stupid substitutions, waiting to play Splitter when it was too late
Parker-25%- No excuse the guy just choked the first 3 games.
Bonner-20% yes he is a role player but the guy is freaking stimulus package for the other team whenever he's on the floor.
RJ- 15% the guy just disappeared in this series.
Rest of the team 5%- Nobody stepped up there games

[tlongII]

Shouldn't this be a poll?

[u4lakers14]

spurs fans

[Hemotivo]

The Grizzlies.

:toast

[John Basedow]

OP should've included the officiating as an option, imho.

[DMC]

RC 75%
Pop 25%


If we are serious about a ring we need to act like it. If not, wholesale the squad and reduce the salary.

[Proxy]

RC easily. What the fuck kind of defense were we ever suppose to play with RJ, Bonner, Neal, Blair, and Hill?... especially when the road to the finals went through Bynum and Gasol.

We lose Bowen and never replace him with a legit perimeter defender. People don't realize that it was never a big3.... it was a big4 with Bruce being as important to the championship runs as Manu, Tony, and Timmy.

Our role players were better.... I would take Horry, Nazr, Rasho, Claxton, Daniels, Elie, Barry, Finely, Massenburg, Willis, Ferry.... any day over the role players we have now. Where is the toughness in this 2011 team?

[Isitjustme?]

OP should've included the officiating as an option, imho.

Maybe. If he was retarded and didn't watch any of the games.

[John Basedow]

^

Mentally weak

[ElNono]

sup DD... how's the trolling going? got some fish? :lol

[John Basedow]

sup DD... how's the trolling going? got some fish? :lol

Sup brah...caught me a few gnsf's, nothing special, tbh...although one of them has sought fit to stalk me on my profile page...he's an angry chap but I'm trying to help him out.

Good luck to your boys tomorrow, hope they win :tu

[ElNono]

Sup brah...caught me a few gnsf's, nothing special, tbh...although one of them has sought fit to stalk me on my profile page...he's an angry chap but I'm trying to help him out.

Good luck to your boys tomorrow, hope they win :tu

Thanks... would be nice for them to show some balls before folding in MEM, but I'm not even sure they'll manage... we'll see...

Congrats on the win tonight...

[John Basedow]

Thanks... would be nice for them to show some balls before folding in MEM, but I'm not even sure they'll manage... we'll see...

Congrats on the win tonight...

I think it's the refs who deserve your thanks, imo. Without them it wouldn't have been possible.:toast


Spurs will win comfortably tomorrow, I'm excited for Game 6 of that series already.

[ElNono]

Spurs will win comfortably tomorrow, I'm excited for Game 6 of that series already.

lol jinx

[bighappy]

The whole team all of them

[dunkman]

First, the Spurs haven't lost yet. There are 3 games left, two at home which the Spurs should win with Manu playing plus one at the road, which is very difficult but not impossible.

One game at the time, 1:3 isn't unsurmountable.

[Cessation]

I agree, spurs will win game 5 most likelly, and get raped next game unless, they grow balls overnight. What are the chances of that?

[PublicOption]

Pop and RC's penny pinching.

[dunkman]

I agree, spurs will win game 5 most likelly, and get raped next game unless, they grow balls overnight. What are the chances of that?

Pop has to figure the Grizzlies out, make the adjustments. The key is to limit their wing players, continue with their bigs in check. On the offensive end avoid TO's, shoot better. Get Manu, Hill, RJ and Splitter involved, they are very efficient with few touches. And close out the games.

[Knoxxx]

Pop first he decides who plays.

I can see why some say RC we probably lost this series when we gave Scola away for nothing.

RJ stands out as the worst performer. He just doesn't fit for whatever reason, low BB IQ, not aggressive, whatever the reason his goose egg was just unforgiveable for what we pay the man.

TP would have to be next. As a member of the vaunted big 3 we have little choice but to play him, but 7 turnovers and 1 assist is horrid.

Bonner comes next, he really needs the quick hook if he cannot hit a 3-pointer for every few minutes of playing time, we can't afford to play him against the Grizzlies front line. I'd like to see more of Blair in this series instead of Bonner, I think we can afford to play DeJuan when either Gasol or Randolph is out of the game or we are playing with a decent lead and maintaining it.

Dice clearly should be splitting time with Splitter more evenly than has happened. We can't expect to play Dice heavy minutes he's just not big or productive enough.

I think that about covers it, clearly I think we have to live or die by the big 3 as we don't have many options. I would not mind to see Gary Neal get a lot of shots, nobody else seems to be willing/able to step up and do that. At least GN has the cajones to take/make shots, has a quick release, and can make something happen mid-range when run off the 3-point line.

[Maddog]

1. Tim - should not have aged
2. Manu- should not have gotten injured.
3. Bonner- how about hitting an open 3
4. Collective front office/ownership/RJ - I was wrong he is a terrible fit
5. San Antonio/Ownership. Not having the resources to just sign players regardless of the cost (example Scola)
Both LA parlayed mediocre and bad contracts into big moves. Both teams where above the cap for a while before making their respective moves. San Antonio has not had that luxury and has had to make a few calculated moves- some of which have backfired.

[guzmangm]

Father Time


This. Our starting five averages around mid thirties. In basketball years that old, especially considering all the mileage the big three has put together over the years, playoffs, international competition, injuries and olympics. They looked juiced after one big game while Memphis can keep going and going. They are young! I'm thirty-three and in pretty good shape, but it's pretty hard for me to keep up with a healthy 18 year old on the court.