Why not try a zone D in game 6?

[silverblk mystix]

It appears that the grizzlies strength are their inside game and their tough defense...

but Sean Elliott mentioned many times last night that almost EVERY grizzlies player can post up...and they are physically more imposing that most all of the spurs players....

Memphis goes to a mismatch on almost every play---if they are not going to the post with their BIGS....they are posting their guards on TP or Manu or Hill...

So that is a ton of pressure for the spurs defense....


Would a zone be an advantage for the spurs since Memphis is not a great 3 pt shooting team or a great perimeter shooting team?????

Thoughts?????

[honestfool84]

a great perimeter shooting team?????


what game have you been watching? they've been making almost every single shot right inside the arc...

[Russ]

Sounds pretty good but two possible problems:

First, the Grizz might be able to pass over the zone to the interior given their size advantage.

Second, the Spurs' rebounding might suffer (and it's already a bit tenuous).

I say put Splitter on the Memphis bigs, sit Bonner and Blair, and go man-to-man.

[Assman]

They would kill us on the boards.

[silverblk mystix]

Maybe throw in the zone for a play or two and then go back to man to man...

then throw it out again later...just to disrupt their timing,tempo,groove,etc...

[DMC]

I think the Spurs should try the triangle offense.

[ezau]

good point. I've always thought that the Spurs should have practiced the zone more this season.

[xtremesteven33]

Spurs sucked in zone defense when they did do it this year. It looked like Pop tried to impliment it but it didnt look good. Spurs dont have the speed or athletecism to play a good zone defense.

Good idea though. I think the zone would hurt Memphis ideally.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Conley, Randolph and Gasol are all hitting their jumpers. Posting Battier and their other big whose name escapes me got at best mixed results.

If those three keep hitting their jumpers we are going to have issues no matter what defense we play.

Conversely if Parker can consistently hit his midrange like he did in OT and all of 2007, its going to cause them a world of problems.

These games have been close all but one. We are still in this with the system we have been running.

[Obstructed_View]

Hey, let's change everything again, just as the Spurs are starting to play decent defense.

At this point, Pop's mantra of "just make shots" comes into play. They can play defense, they can rebound, they can defend, they can get stops, they can even get themselves three attempts. Just make fucking shots.

[Yorae]

I guess it's best to see first if they are still hitting their jumpers. If not that would be a good move. But then again, battier and mayo should never be allowed to shoot open 3. Others (allen, young, and to some extent conley) may finally cool off. Also Arthur should be allowed to drive and let him finish tough. And sam young, well let's hope he comes back to earth and stop being ray allen.

[Splits]

Thoughts?????

I have two thoughts. The OP is an idiot and the OP's use of 5 question marks reinforces thought number one.

[gospursgojas]

Zone d is not for an inside out offense.

[ChuckD]

They would kill us on the boards.

This. The weakness of the zone is that it becomes an express train for the shooting team to their offensive boards.

[Leetonidas]

No, they are going to annihilate us on the glass. We'd never have an offensive possession because we'd never get a board. I think the Spurs defense has been decent, but Conley consistently hitting those midrange jumpers is killing us. If I could pinpoint the three things that are subtly owning us this series it would be Conley hitting his outside shots, Arthur/Young hitting every fucking post-up fadeaway, and the random, momentum killing swings that keep happening.

This reminds me of last season in a way. Spurs should be mopping the floor with the Grizzlies, but like the Suns in 2010, their role players are ALL stepping up EVERY SINGLE GAME and we can't have the fucking 8th-10th men on the 8th seed in the West kicking our asses every night.

[silverblk mystix]

I have two thoughts. The OP is an idiot and the OP's use of 5 question marks reinforces thought number one.

Says the guy who was stating as fact that Splitter was nothing but a scrub ...

then Splitter shit all over your theory....dumb ass.

[Splits]

No, they are going to annihilate us on the glass. We'd never have an offensive possession because we'd never get a board. I think the Spurs defense has been decent, but Conley consistently hitting those midrange jumpers is killing us. If I could pinpoint the three things that are subtly owning us this series it would be Conley hitting his outside shots, Arthur/Young hitting every fucking post-up fadeaway, and the random, momentum killing swings that keep happening.

This reminds me of last season in a way. Spurs should be mopping the floor with the Grizzlies, but like the Suns in 2010, their role players are ALL stepping up EVERY SINGLE GAME and we can't have the fucking 8th-10th men on the 8th seed in the West kicking our asses every night.

Exactly.

The real question is, can their role players do it yet another game? Their team has had no real lulls the entire series. They've had subpar stretches, but have never collapsed for an entire quarter or half. They're due to choke away a home game.

Parker finally outplayed Conley in game 5, but not by much as Conley had 20pts, 5ass, and only 1TO. Allen and Arthur were crap last game while Young went for a career playoff high 18. Keep those scrubs in check, don't let Gasol score more than 12, and even if Randolph gets his the Spurs got this shit.

[ALVAREZ6]

Zones just aren't used in the NBA because they don't work well against NBA-caliber teams.


No zone please.

[ElNono]

I'll just be happy with Tony going over the screen on Conley... I think after 5 games it's pretty clear he can shoot...

[ALVAREZ6]

I'll just be happy with Tony going over the screen on Conley... I think after 5 games it's pretty clear he can shoot...

THIS...PLEASE. He is daddy stroking that ball, I don't get continuing to go under, it is failing.

[Splits]

I'll just be happy with Tony going over the screen on Conley... I think after 5 games it's pretty clear he can shoot...


THIS...PLEASE. He is daddy stroking that ball, I don't get continuing to go under, it is failing.

I don't think this is right. Conley has hit a lot of jumpers in the series, and is averaging 15pts a game vs. 13pts a game during the regular season, but taking more shots. He is only shooting 40.3%. I say make Conley beat you with jumpers instead of opening the roller on his PnR. I know this has been a point of contention throughout the series, but if he continues to shoot 40% the Spurs can live with that.

EDIT: If StatsCube is correct, then Conley is shooting 18/56 on non-layups for a 32% mark. On layups in the restricted area he is 11/16. I say make him a jump shooter and don't give the pick man an easy roll by fighting over the screen. Keep going under.

http://www.nba.com/statscube/player.html#Mike-Conley|201144;season=p (http://www.nba.com/statscube/player.html#Mike-Conley%7C201144;season=p)

[ALVAREZ6]

I don't think this is right. Conley has hit a lot of jumpers in the series, and is averaging 15pts a game vs. 13pts a game during the regular season, but taking more shots. He is only shooting 40.3%. I say make Conley beat you with jumpers instead of opening the roller on his PnR. I know this has been a point of contention throughout the series, but if he continues to shoot 40% the Spurs can live with that.

I thought about all of that as well, but he just scares me when he's hitting those mid range jumpers. I've just had it with Memphis, they seem to be the mid range masters this series despite their roster not really having that exact type of game on paper. It's just weird. He seems to make those early in games too, and it's easier at home. It's a tough call, but I'd like them to at least switch it up, perhaps sometimes go under sometimes over, maybe over to start force him to make a play early, then in more critical moments let him shoot the jumper.

I acknowledge his FG% this series, and I don't know why but every time he pulls up I think the shot is going in.

[gospursgojas]

Zone d is for motion offenses with plenty of penetration. Memphis is either spoonfeeding gasol and zro or running p&r with them. Zone d does nothing for that. Horrible ideal. Fail post.

[ChuckD]

I thought about all of that as well, but he just scares me when he's hitting those mid range jumpers. I've just had it with Memphis, they seem to be the mid range masters this series despite their roster not really having that exact type of game on paper. It's just weird. He seems to make those early in games too, and it's easier at home. It's a tough call, but I'd like them to at least switch it up, perhaps sometimes go under sometimes over, maybe over to start force him to make a play early, then in more critical moments let him shoot the jumper.

I acknowledge his FG% this series, and I don't know why but every time he pulls up I think the shot is going in.

So, the Spurs should change their whole defensive plan because you have your period?

[ElNono]

I don't think this is right. Conley has hit a lot of jumpers in the series, and is averaging 15pts a game vs. 13pts a game during the regular season, but taking more shots. He is only shooting 40.3%. I say make Conley beat you with jumpers instead of opening the roller on his PnR. I know this has been a point of contention throughout the series, but if he continues to shoot 40% the Spurs can live with that.

EDIT: If StatsCube is correct, then Conley is shooting 18/56 on non-layups for a 32% mark. On layups in the restricted area he is 11/16. I say make him a jump shooter and don't give the pick man an easy roll by fighting over the screen. Keep going under.

http://www.nba.com/statscube/player.html#Mike-Conley|201144;season=p (http://www.nba.com/statscube/player.html#Mike-Conley%7C201144;season=p)

Every time I watch the game he looks like he's making a jumper. Must be a perception thing. Thanks for the numbers.

EDIT: Statscube says 38%, not 32%...

[ElNono]

Actually, looking at statscube... Tony is shooting 28% from the same spots... that's probably why Conley looks like MJ from there...

[ElNono]

I'll throw another idea out there... how about trapping Conley with whoever is guarding Tony Allen, instead of using that guy to double Randolph? Try to subvert their execution and clock usage a bit?

[Splits]

Every time I watch the game he looks like he's making a jumper. Must be a perception thing. Thanks for the numbers.

EDIT: Statscube says 38%, not 32%...

I know exactly what you mean. It sure does feels that way because Conley seems to knock down that 18 footer regularly. Not only that, but in the Game 5 the Grizz announcers and NBATV "analysts" kept bringing it up. It is the playoffs however, where every possession is magnified, and the makes stick in your head much more than the misses. But the numbers don't lie, and I'm sure that's what the coaching staff is looking at when they analyze tape. I expect them to keep going under.

As far as TP goes, ummm, yeah. Sans the OT period last game, his midrange has been horrid. 6/21 outside the paint INCLUDING his 3 makes in OT is not getting it done.

[Splits]

I'll throw another idea out there... how about trapping Conley with whoever is guarding Tony Allen, instead of using that guy to double Randolph? Try to subvert their execution and clock usage a bit?

This could be fruitful. But the doubles on Randolph don't seem to be true doubles. They're hedges trying to make him pass out. Too many times RJ gets caught in between and either Randolph scores or his man gets an open look. On top of that, he's got that rainbow he can shoot over anybody. I wouldn't mind seeing a hard trap on the ball handler, or a hard double when they go to Randolph in the block. But the hedge seems like a weak effort and hasn't been working. That said, limiting the role players and letting ZBo earn his seems like a better strategy.

[ElNono]

This could be fruitful. But the doubles on Randolph don't seem to be true doubles. They're hedges trying to make him pass out. Too many times RJ gets caught in between and either Randolph scores or his man gets an open look. On top of that, he's got that rainbow he can shoot over anybody. I wouldn't mind seeing a hard trap on the ball handler, or a hard double when they go to Randolph in the block. But the hedge seems like a weak effort and hasn't been working. That said, limiting the role players and letting ZBo earn his seems like a better strategy.

The problem is that we're not doing either... and when you look back at the games, Conley has easily been their 3rd best, most consistent player, IMO. He sets the table, executes, takes his jumpers when he needs to... We really need something that disrupt their execution, and outside of Conley, they really don't have any other ball handler...

This is not something you would run on every possesion, but something you use sparingly to see if you can force them to play out of character for stretches... Spurs actually used to do this back in the Bowen days against certain point guards...

[Yorae]

I'm rewatching the game and fastforwarded to crunch time and we usually make them miss but they usually end up with the rebound and putback. I don't know if it's timmy or mcdyess' fault or zboar is just a really good rebounder....

[Obstructed_View]

I'll just be happy with Tony going over the screen on Conley... I think after 5 games it's pretty clear he can shoot...

I'd like to see them do it - on occasion. The best way to confuse them is not to allow them to predict exactly what the defense is going to do from one play to another.

[ManuTastic]

No, they are going to annihilate us on the glass. We'd never have an offensive possession because we'd never get a board. I think the Spurs defense has been decent, but Conley consistently hitting those midrange jumpers is killing us. If I could pinpoint the three things that are subtly owning us this series it would be Conley hitting his outside shots, Arthur/Young hitting every fucking post-up fadeaway, and the random, momentum killing swings that keep happening.

This reminds me of last season in a way. Spurs should be mopping the floor with the Grizzlies, but like the Suns in 2010, their role players are ALL stepping up EVERY SINGLE GAME and we can't have the fucking 8th-10th men on the 8th seed in the West kicking our asses every night.

Agreed totally. They are getting every damn shot to fall, even the crap/prayers. Fuck I'm tired of it.

[Obstructed_View]

The other thing that magnifies the made shots by the Grizz: The missed shots by the Spurs. If half of those missed layups roll in we're spending today talking about the Thunder.

[TDfan2007]

Memphis is already killing us on the offensive glass, and they've been on fire from mid range all series long. I say no.

[Flux451]

More importantly, less turnovers. We are literally throwing away games.