timvp
04-27-2011, 06:14 PM
We throw around the word "believe" a lot on SpursTalk. Usually, it's in reference to Spurs fans keeping faith even in the face of adversity. In San Antonio's current state, the act of believing is more important than ever. However, it is the players that must now believe.
In Game 4 against the Grizzlies, Spurs fans witnessed their team outwardly get frustrated and ultimately give up hope. The body language in the second half was disheartening, to say the least. For the first time in the Big 3 era, the Spurs quit in a playoff game. Tim Duncan stopped battling. Manu Ginobili stopped caring. Tony Parker retreated inwardly. Pop panicked. The rest of the team became individual parts instead of a collection of single-minded soldiers. It was truly a depressing sight.
Tonight, in Game 5, this really isn’t about fighting back. It’s not about avoiding embarrassment. It’s not even about preserving a legacy. Game 5 is about regaining belief. Each player must believe in himself. Each player must believe in the team. If these Spurs fight as a unit and show the cohesion that allowed for 61 regular season wins, San Antonio may be able to find their footing in time. If, instead, the Spurs attack as a group of individuals, though the battle of Game 5 may still be won, the war will ultimately be lost.
Personally, I’m fascinated by the possibilities of what might occur tonight. The Big 3 era has never been at such a crossroads. Fail and all that may be left is to eulogize this unprecedented period of Spurs dominance. Succeed and championship hopes may legitimately continue to dance in the minds of Spurs faithful the world over.
As far as strategy is concerned, here is what I would do:
Continue Playing Tiago Splitter
Though he’s at a disadvantage due to not getting sufficient playing time in the regular season, the coaching staff should continue their adjustment from Game 4 and allow Tiago Splitter to learn on the job. I like the idea of utilizing him in lineups that feature Ginobili running the show and a slew of shooters spacing the action. In such a scenario, a pick-and-roll heavy offense has a good chance of being successful.
Splitter, for his part, needs to play smart basketball. In Game 4, he had a hand in three early fouls in the second half that allowed the Grizzlies to get into the penalty early and ultimately parade to the charity stripe. No cheap fouls. Don't try to do too much. And on offense, please no soft shots.
Play Power Ball
When Gregg Popovich was a neophyte as a head coach, he bucked conventional wisdom and trotted out a starting lineup featuring three centers. Nowadays, however, Pop always leans towards lineups that are small or weak in some way. When the going gets tougher and tougher, Pop’s reaction is to put lineups on the court that are smaller and smaller.
Against the Grizzlies, that philosophy is flawed. Memphis' big lineups are still quicker and more athletic than San Antonio’s smaller lineups, so where's the advantage? The logic simply fails to compute. For that reason, I’m advocating a bigman rotation of Duncan, Splitter and DeJuan Blair. The Spurs can’t finesse their way around these Grizzlies. We've learned this the hard way. Accept that Memphis is powerful in the middle and fight fire with fire.
Find Perimeter Players Who Want To Play
It sounds simple enough but the role players for the Spurs have been out-competed by the role players for the Grizzlies. And not by a small margin. Especially in the first two quarters, I would be all for Popovich going deep into the rotation to find a couple of role players willing to step up to the challenge. If that means seeing if Steve Novak can hunt down open three-point looks, so be it. Can Danny Green provide a lift? Might as well find out early on. In this series, we've learned that the games can't be won or lost in the first half … so experiment away, coach.
Relax, Have Fun
That's a cliché saying in basketball but it's also appropriate right now. When was the last time the Spurs looked like they were having fun on the basketball court? It had to be some time prior to Duncan twisting his ankle in March. Since then, everything has been a grind.
Settle down. Don't worry about being the No. 1 seed. Don't fret about the window closing. Let's see some of that fun-and-gun basketball from November and December. Enjoy the opportunity. Let Memphis feel the burden of closing out the series while responding with free and easy play.
And as for Spurs fans, your job is to make noise and create energy. Try to rattle the Grizzlies. Try to empower your team. Show the Spurs how much you've enjoyed the ride over the last decade and a half. However, at least for one night, your job is not to believe. To save themselves and to make dreams possible once more, the belief must be shown on the basketball court tonight.
1.
In Game 4 against the Grizzlies, Spurs fans witnessed their team outwardly get frustrated and ultimately give up hope. The body language in the second half was disheartening, to say the least. For the first time in the Big 3 era, the Spurs quit in a playoff game. Tim Duncan stopped battling. Manu Ginobili stopped caring. Tony Parker retreated inwardly. Pop panicked. The rest of the team became individual parts instead of a collection of single-minded soldiers. It was truly a depressing sight.
Tonight, in Game 5, this really isn’t about fighting back. It’s not about avoiding embarrassment. It’s not even about preserving a legacy. Game 5 is about regaining belief. Each player must believe in himself. Each player must believe in the team. If these Spurs fight as a unit and show the cohesion that allowed for 61 regular season wins, San Antonio may be able to find their footing in time. If, instead, the Spurs attack as a group of individuals, though the battle of Game 5 may still be won, the war will ultimately be lost.
Personally, I’m fascinated by the possibilities of what might occur tonight. The Big 3 era has never been at such a crossroads. Fail and all that may be left is to eulogize this unprecedented period of Spurs dominance. Succeed and championship hopes may legitimately continue to dance in the minds of Spurs faithful the world over.
As far as strategy is concerned, here is what I would do:
Continue Playing Tiago Splitter
Though he’s at a disadvantage due to not getting sufficient playing time in the regular season, the coaching staff should continue their adjustment from Game 4 and allow Tiago Splitter to learn on the job. I like the idea of utilizing him in lineups that feature Ginobili running the show and a slew of shooters spacing the action. In such a scenario, a pick-and-roll heavy offense has a good chance of being successful.
Splitter, for his part, needs to play smart basketball. In Game 4, he had a hand in three early fouls in the second half that allowed the Grizzlies to get into the penalty early and ultimately parade to the charity stripe. No cheap fouls. Don't try to do too much. And on offense, please no soft shots.
Play Power Ball
When Gregg Popovich was a neophyte as a head coach, he bucked conventional wisdom and trotted out a starting lineup featuring three centers. Nowadays, however, Pop always leans towards lineups that are small or weak in some way. When the going gets tougher and tougher, Pop’s reaction is to put lineups on the court that are smaller and smaller.
Against the Grizzlies, that philosophy is flawed. Memphis' big lineups are still quicker and more athletic than San Antonio’s smaller lineups, so where's the advantage? The logic simply fails to compute. For that reason, I’m advocating a bigman rotation of Duncan, Splitter and DeJuan Blair. The Spurs can’t finesse their way around these Grizzlies. We've learned this the hard way. Accept that Memphis is powerful in the middle and fight fire with fire.
Find Perimeter Players Who Want To Play
It sounds simple enough but the role players for the Spurs have been out-competed by the role players for the Grizzlies. And not by a small margin. Especially in the first two quarters, I would be all for Popovich going deep into the rotation to find a couple of role players willing to step up to the challenge. If that means seeing if Steve Novak can hunt down open three-point looks, so be it. Can Danny Green provide a lift? Might as well find out early on. In this series, we've learned that the games can't be won or lost in the first half … so experiment away, coach.
Relax, Have Fun
That's a cliché saying in basketball but it's also appropriate right now. When was the last time the Spurs looked like they were having fun on the basketball court? It had to be some time prior to Duncan twisting his ankle in March. Since then, everything has been a grind.
Settle down. Don't worry about being the No. 1 seed. Don't fret about the window closing. Let's see some of that fun-and-gun basketball from November and December. Enjoy the opportunity. Let Memphis feel the burden of closing out the series while responding with free and easy play.
And as for Spurs fans, your job is to make noise and create energy. Try to rattle the Grizzlies. Try to empower your team. Show the Spurs how much you've enjoyed the ride over the last decade and a half. However, at least for one night, your job is not to believe. To save themselves and to make dreams possible once more, the belief must be shown on the basketball court tonight.
1.