Elliott: Pop Said To Expect Small Ball

[timvp]

In the pregame, Sean Elliott said he talked to Pop about the lack of bigmen on the roster. Elliott said Pop told him to expect more small ball to makeup for the lack of bigmen.

Discuss.












:depressed

[benefactor]

Leonard = Spurs 5th big.

[Tuddy]

Hopefully he means Leonard at the 4. Shouldn't get thrown around too much if he is guarding Cunningham.

[Splits]

With only 4 bigs there aren't many options besides small ball. Can't run Timmy into the ground

[benefactor]

The defense oriented Pop is gone. The older he get's the more he turns into Don Nelson.

[DPG21920]

I think a few of us (Mel13) said that the Spurs spending money to win didn't make sense even in the face of reports that the Spurs had plans to eat RJ's contract (didnt happen), use the full MLE (didnt happen) and to aggressively pursue trades to fill the glaring hole up front (hasnt happened).

It appears the Spurs are going for the farewell money grab this season and Pop has to make do with what he has due to ownership. You know the players don't believe they can win, you know Pop doesn't believe it and for damn sure the fan base dosent believe it. Most fans will be ok with it though.

[Gino2882]

What's the big deal? This was certainly to be expected and I am fine with it.

At this point Leonard is not a true SF. I actually like the idea of Leonard playing some at the 4. He plays big, rebounds exceptionally well, and plays good defense. Leonard beats the hell out of Finley/Jefferson at the small ball 4.

I mean it's not ideal, but did anyone realistically expect differently with only 4 big men on the current roster?

[SA210]

:pop::pctoss

Here we f****** go AGAIN!!

[ggoose25]

He should suck it up and play Splitter 30+ min

[DPG21920]

This isn't on Pop so much as it is RC and Holt IMO.

[dbestpro]

Front office just going through the motions. Small ball is just Pop trying to prove the world is flat.

[itzsoweezee]

As long as Bonner and Blair are not playing the position of "big" in the small ball lineup, I'm ok with it.

[timvp]

Personally, I like RJ better as the small ball 4 rather than Leonard. I'm not convinced Leonard is explosive enough athletically to handle it. Plus, I want Leonard mastering the perimeter. If he gets pigeonholed as a small ball 4, his upside is extremely limited.

If RJ gets worn and torn playing small ball, I don't really care.

[Solid D]

In the pregame, Sean Elliott said he talked to Pop about the lack of bigmen on the roster. Elliott said Pop told him to expect more small ball to makeup for the lack of bigmen.

Discuss.


Yeah, I heard that too.
...And this is a surprise?
:lol

[DPG21920]

Personally, I like RJ better as the small ball 4 rather than Leonard. I'm not convinced Leonard is explosive enough athletically to handle it. Plus, I want Leonard mastering the perimeter. If he gets pigeonholed as a small ball 4, his upside is extremely limited.

If RJ gets worn and torn playing small ball, I don't really care.

Agreed unfortunately. Spurs know how to piss in your cereal.

[Solid D]

This lineup is perfectly built for a 3-guard lineup...which is awesome if you're playing in the Big-12 conference.

[DPG21920]

Well if Anderson plays well I can see it winning games in the reg season. I truly hope they don't believe this is an ok strategy and that the drunken GM is functioning and the owners haven't put up the wallet.

[Bill_Brasky]

Such a band aid move...will not work in the playoffs.

[ElNono]

Explains Finley wanting to make a comeback :stirpot:

[wildbill2u]

RJ is bigger than Leonard and probably moves slower on defense. He mgiht be better at the small ball PF than at SF

[JonNOKC]

Would rather see traditional Spurs basketball but it simply comes down to how impactful Kawhi can be at the 4 - One thing I 'll say in favor of Pop is there are plenty of teams where playing small isn't going to hurt you and I would guess that Lenoard is probably more comfortable overall playing the 4 at this point in his maturation

[timtonymanu]

Unfortunately this makes sense right now since the Spurs only have 4 bigs under contract :pctoss

[lmbebo]

expected small ball lineup. I mean, we only have 3 players over 6'10"

[timvp]

The Spurs actually played relatively little small ball last season. I thought that was a reason why the Spurs did so well in the regular season.

Apparently, Pop doesn't agree.

[ElNono]

The Spurs actually played relatively little small ball last season. I thought that was a reason why the Spurs did so well in the regular season.

Apparently, Pop doesn't agree.

Well, perspective here, LJ. Even tough Matt Bonner is tall, I still consider playing "small" when he's on the court.We basically play with a single 'big' when he plays on both ends.

[benefactor]

So much for "all in." It's a shame Tim Duncan has to endure the twilight of his career in the hands of such incompetent individuals.

[therealtruth]

Unfortunately it's not going to work for the playoffs. The question they need to be asking Pop is how he intends to get championship level defense without enough bigs or does he just not care anymore.

[dunkman]

Pop has to analyse the roster he has and design the rotation to his strengths.

Leonard is an above average rebounder (one of the skills that aren't lost from college to the NBA). He's perhaps a better rebounder than Bonner or Splitter.

The Spurs still have the option to go big with Splitter and Duncan if needed, since Splitter will be able to log more minutes in his second season, so Splitter doesn't have to be strictly Duncan's reserve.

[Obstructed_View]

This isn't on Pop so much as it is RC and Holt IMO.

Just kick yourself in the nuts really hard before you blame RC and Holt for 2006 too. Nobody does anything without Pop. Good fucking god.

[DPG21920]

Ok

[Obstructed_View]

Ok

Sorry, the word "smallball" makes me unusually hostile. My Pop anger overflows a bit. :lol

[ChumpDumper]

Just sign Elson and get it over with.

[G-Dawgg]

Tbh Kawhi Leonard is the perfect fit for a small ball 4..

[silverblk mystix]

:pop: Playing Big guys is for pussy coaches....winning with small ball takes huevos....

[jjktkk]

:pop: Playing Big guys is for pussy coaches....winning with small ball takes huevos....

Interesting take, do you dream of Pop teabagging yea?

[ace3g]

Chuck Hayes with 8 boards already against the Lakers at halftime :depressed

[silverblk mystix]

Interesting take, do you dream of Pop teabagging yea?

maybe you missed the sarcasm...

[timtonymanu]

I was pretty satisfied with the big situation tonight.

We saw a lot of Tiago/Tim and Bonner didn't play 30 mins.
Tiago also being the first big off the bench was sweet.

[silverblk mystix]

I was pretty satisfied with the big situation tonight.

We saw a lot of Tiago/Tim and Bonner didn't play 30 mins.
Tiago also being the first big off the bench was sweet.

This was all some of us wanted LAST SEASON!!!!!

Why can't a hall of fame coach see this until a season later??????

[therealtruth]

This was all some of us wanted LAST SEASON!!!!!

Why can't a hall of fame coach see this until a season later??????

Exactly.

[tmtcsc]

tbh = One of the dumbest fucking overused abbreviations in the history of history and internets. You know who you are. Just get a hold of yourself.

[SenorSpur]

In the pregame, Sean Elliott said he talked to Pop about the lack of bigmen on the roster. Elliott said Pop told him to expect more small ball to makeup for the lack of bigmen.

Discuss.

Yeah, I heard it too. My immediate thought was and still is...:bang

Though, I was pleased to see Splitter tabbed as the first big off the bench, as well as him playing in tandem with Tim.

Still. without another true big, my response to Pop's continued adoration with small ball is still a confusing and hearty.. :bang

[DAF86]

I like tbh, tbh.

[alfahdlan]

If small ball means manu on the point, anderson as sg, rj as sf, kl as pf and td or ts at center, why not. we field no players below 6'5

[Bruno]

Small ball can work when it's done for a good reason like a specific matchup and when it's not overused. Not having enough bigmen isn't a good reason to play unbalanced lineups. It's a recipe for failure.

Spurs must sign a center and they must do it quickly. The calendar will go crazy very soon with 6 games (3b2b's) played in 8 days between January 4th and January 11th. Money isn't a factor because Spurs can waive Green when Neal will be back to offset the cost of this center.

[Spurs Brazil]

Small ball can work when it's done for a good reason like a specific matchup and when it's not overused. Not having enough bigmen isn't a good reason to play unbalanced lineups. It's a recipe for failure.

Spurs must sign a center and they must do it quickly. The calendar will go crazy very soon with 6 games (3b2b's) played in 8 days between January 4th and January 11th. Money isn't a factor because Spurs can waive Green when Neal will be back to offset the cost of this center.

We must sign a 5th big but I don't know if they will cut Green. Elliott said during the 4th quarter that Pop loved Green. But Pop also loved Hill and he was traded

[timtonymanu]

I was pretty satisfied with the big situation tonight.

We saw a lot of Tiago/Tim and Bonner didn't play 30 mins.
Tiago also being the first big off the bench was sweet.

Then again I can see a scenario where Pop will play Bonner a lot of minutes next game to get him back into rhythm and if Bonner hits his 3 pointers, Pop will go back to inserting him into the first big off the bench since he has his floor spreader back :cry

[naico]

Small ball can work when it's done for a good reason like a specific matchup and when it's not overused. Not having enough bigmen isn't a good reason to play unbalanced lineups. It's a recipe for failure.

Spurs must sign a center and they must do it quickly. The calendar will go crazy very soon with 6 games (3b2b's) played in 8 days between January 4th and January 11th. Money isn't a factor because Spurs can waive Green when Neal will be back to offset the cost of this center.

At this point we've only got 3 bigs really. On top of him mainly being on the court to spread the floor, Bonner has no inside presence, doesn't rebound and can't stay in front of his man. You might as well call anybody else on this team a big if Bonner fits the 'big' description. Secondly, Blair is undersized and lacks the quickness (or smarts?) to keep his man out of the post. Sure enough he played decent defense yesterday. The lack of rebounding yesterday wasn't a good sign for things to come though. 'Small ball' and 'big man rotation' are very relative in our roster. With those things being said, I don't see a reason not to play 'small ball' at times with Leonard AT THIS POINT. He proved to be a terrific rebounder and has great hands and long arms. Great hustle and i was pleasantly surprised by his footwork on defense. Not to mention he can wear out his man on the other end. Give 10 min outta Bonners 28 from last night and he woulda had a double double.

To summ it up: Bonner as a big is of no use. If only he could use that body of his, but then again you can't if you can't use it. We def need another true big, but having to deal with the roster as it stands, playing Leonard at 4 during some stretches would actually make a lot more sense.

[SenorSpur]

At this point we've only got 3 bigs really. On top of him mainly being on the court to spread the floor, Bonner has no inside presence, doesn't rebound and can't stay in front of his man. You might as well call anybody else on this team a big if Bonner fits the 'big' description.

This.

This is why the Spurs frontcourt rotation is even shorter than it appears.

I can even live with Blair's shortcomings because he's still learning and has some ability and heart. I can't live with Bonner anymore because of the way Pop rewards hiim for his continued underwhelming lack of production and mental midgetry.

[The Truth #6]

I thought small ball would be synonymous with Splitter not getting any minutes, but just a few minutes into the season Pop played Tim and Tiago at the same time, which was a great surprise. It looks like Tiago will get big minutes this year, which is a relief. Still don't want weak small ball, but at least Pop is open to "tall ball" as well.

I can't speak to the big man market and if it's quickly drying up. It makes sense to get a center now and begin the Spurs Reeducation Camp, but if the big man we get isn't any good I can almost make the argument for holding on to Green until Neal is back. Green in theory adds a defensive presence and in theory could help with minutes for Manu on back to backs and triple headers, if that becomes a concern. Based on last night Manu will be needed to win most if our games.

[Bruno]

At this point we've only got 3 bigs really. On top of him mainly being on the court to spread the floor, Bonner has no inside presence, doesn't rebound and can't stay in front of his man. You might as well call anybody else on this team a big if Bonner fits the 'big' description.

Even with his T-Rex arms, Bonner is still bigger and stronger than Spurs perimeter players but I agree that he isn't a true big and that Spurs are somewhat playing small when he is on the court.

I would say that there are 2 types of small ball Spurs can play:
- RJ or Leornard playing PF.
- Bonner or Blair playing C.

If you look at my previous, post, I write that Spurs should add a center. It will allow Spurs to limit both types of small ball.

[naico]

Even with his T-Rex arms, Bonner is still bigger and stronger than Spurs perimeter players but I agree that he isn't a true big and that Spurs are somewhat playing small when he is on the court.

I would say that there are 2 types of small ball Spurs can play:
- RJ or Leornard playing PF.
- Bonner or Blair playing C.

If you look at my previous, post, I write that Spurs should add a center. It will allow Spurs to limit both types of small ball.

I agree he has the body to compete with other bigs, but like i said in my previous post; not much use if you can't cover your man and you're a couple steps slow every time. I mean..The statue of liberty is big too, but u can even swim around it.

Plus, Pop having a man crush on bigs who have range...Thats cuz you take the opposing big outta their comfort zone right? And to spread the floor right? Bonner is less active playing in the frontcourt than bigs are inside..He's just a plant capable of taking 2 dribbles.
I bet bigs love guarding Bonner..Sure he'll hit the occasional 3, but you don't lose much energy which you can profit from on the other end. We've all seen it countless times.
Let's just hope Bonner doesn't have to defend go to bigs (He could idd be useful guarding slower bigs). But again, with the small rotation we have and TD avoiding foul trouble as much as possible, thats far from a given.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

tbh = One of the dumbest fucking overused abbreviations in the history of history and internets. You know who you are. Just get a hold of yourself.

Whenever someone starts a sentence with "To be honest", I always wonder why they have to qualify THAT statement, and wonder whether all his other statements are dishonest.

I prefer to say "To be direct" or "To be blunt"... I think that captures the actual sentiment better.

Another really good one is when someone says, "I'm not trying to say that...". Inevitably that is EXACTLY what they are trying to say but they feel it may not be received well. Or, "It's not about... ". Inevitably it IS actually about that.

[Obstructed_View]

To be honest, I'm a proofreader for a living, and I could spend all day shitting on people's posts, but this is a basketball forum. Of all the shit to get bent out of shape and derail a thread over, "tbh" is way down the list.

[stephen jackson]

i rather have james anderson playing center than bonnner tbh

[ElNono]

Every one of my posts are dishonest except those where I include "tbh", tbh

IMO

[tmtcsc]

Of all the shit to get bent out of shape and derail a thread over, "tbh" is way down the list.

yeah...no.

[tmtcsc]

i rather have james anderson playing center than bonnner tbh

Here we go.

[Obstructed_View]

Every one of my posts are dishonest except those where I include "tbh", tbh

IMO

I lie a lot, tbh.

[Dex]

I don't see what the big deal is, tbh.

[spurs10]

You people are making way to big a deal about this honesty thing, tbh.

[rmt]

Is Elson really available? He knows the system, and they must get a big. Injuries, foul trouble - they can't go through this compacted season with a 35-36 year old Duncan and not get at least a veteran's minimum C/PF. I prefer that they get a veteran PF so that Bonner/Blair will be planted on the bench.

[analyzed]

While I don't agree with small ball, I understand it given our situation, what I can't understand is if we plan to rest TD in back to back games or worse back to back to back.
What are we going to do at center, play Splitter for 48 minutes ! or use a 6'5 " weak defensive center (blair) or short arm, slow ctr (bonner) c'mon.. we need an extra big .. that can play center not just PF.

[Obstructed_View]

If the Spurs sign Elson, I expect Chump and LJ to simultaneously suffer major brain events.

[TVI]

Every one of my posts are dishonest except those where I include "tbh", tbh
IMO

Genius!

[Dex]

Every one of my posts are dishonest except those where I include "tbh", tbh

IMO

Is that really your opinion?

[Blackjack]

Is that really your opinion?

Probably shouldn't ask an admitted dishonest poster.

But, then again, he could be bein facetious - liars are great at it.

[ducks]

Timvp bashing pop in 2011
My goodness!

[wildbill2u]

This team is built for small ball and the league is going there too. The traditional lumbering tall guy at center is being obsoleted--until the next 7' super monster comes along/