The Chokers

[Ice009]

WTF just watched the game and RJ and Bonner were in PEAK form.

I have had enough of even seeing these guys in a Spurs uniform. You can never, ever count on them yet Pop keeps playing them in critical minutes.

If he plays these guys in critical minutes in the playoffs we are fucking toast. You cannot count on Bonner or RJ to make any shot when the pressure is on.

Is he ever going to go with a defensive lineup? This is pathetic letting the Clippers drop 120 on you at home. Absolutely pathetic.

This team has so many holes, and Pop keeps trying to plug them up with TISSUE PAPER.

Tissue paper = Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson. BOTH SOFT as shit.

He needs to have a good hard look at what he is trying to make the Spurs because this is truly not Spurs basketball. It's Don Nelson rubbish. Spurs need to go back to their roots. DEFENSE FIRST, 2nd, 3rd.

[ElNono]

The good news is that if we're up 20+, Matt is very likely to make those wide open 3s...

[Ryan Fitzpatrick]

These are things we know.

[silverblk mystix]

WTF just watched the game and RJ and Bonner were in PEAK form.

I have had enough of even seeing these guys in a Spurs uniform. You can never, ever count on them yet Pop keeps playing them in critical minutes.

If he plays these guys in critical minutes in the playoffs we are fucking toast. You cannot count on Bonner or RJ to make any shot when the pressure is on.

Is he ever going to go with a defensive lineup? This is pathetic letting the Clippers drop 120 on you at home. Absolutely pathetic.

This team has so many holes, and Pop keeps trying to plug them up with TISSUE PAPER.

Tissue paper = Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson. BOTH SOFT as shit.

He needs to have a good hard look at what he is trying to make the Spurs because this is truly not Spurs basketball. It's Don Nelson rubbish. Spurs need to go back to their roots. DEFENSE FIRST, 2nd, 3rd.

4 rings...

Pop=Untouchable

Cue the Cummdumpsters and Schtkkk's of spurstalk to come in here and ride Pop's nutz....

[Ice009]

It's just too frustrating to watch Pop play the guys that hurt the team the most. He seems to give them lots of minutes.

I don't even recall Pop trying an all defensive lineup for any period of time this season. Very short stints with Splitter and Duncan.

Has he even tried something like Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Green, TP lineup before? It's absurd if he hasn't even tried this for stretches of a game.

[jimo2305]

sometimes when i see some of RJ's outings.. i wonder how he'd fare on the austin toros

[KuntryDude]

You're preaching to the crowd my man. Same ol' Pop after all these years. Remember Danny Ferry? He got much playing time at the end of his career as well. And he suck'd badly.....I really think that the game has outgrown Pop. This is just my honest opinion.

[Ice009]

Why hasn't he tried an all defensive lineup though.

When Manu is more in shape to play defense he could try Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu and TP lineup.

Does anyone think he will do this? If not, what the heck is wrong with him? This Don Nelson ball he is playing is rubbish and will get you bounced fast.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Bonner>Blair

[Ice009]

Bonner>Blair

The difference is Bonner always chokes in big games and big moments. He even misses shots when he's open in these same situations. He's a definite choker IMO.

Blair usually plays the same against everyone. He's inconsistent and lacks focus at times.

He's not a big time choker like Bonner with a slow release jumpshot that gets even more awkward when we play against a defensive team that sticks on him and doesn't give him any space to shoot. Any team that does that pretty much can take Bonner out of the game offensively and then take advantage of him defensively. At that point there is no point in keeping him on the court, yet Pop continues to do so in those exact scenarios, which is IDIOTIC.

[KuntryDude]

I've been the biggest Bonner critic since like forever. But the guy has grown on me a little i must say. Bonner can be an asset to the team just as long as he's not getting significant minutes. Pop simply needs to know WHEN and how long NOT to play him. RJ on the other hand....smh. Just a complete waste. His body language shows that he doesn't want to be out there, and seems like he just has no love for the game. Simply put, RJ just don't fit our system in any form or fashion.

[Ice009]

I've been the biggest Bonner critic since like forever. But the guy has grown on me a little i must say. Bonner can be an asset to the team just as long as he's not getting significant minutes. Pop simply needs to know WHEN and how long NOT to play him. RJ on the other hand....smh. Just a complete waste. His body language shows that he doesn't want to be out there, and seems like he just has no love for the game. Simply put, RJ just don't fit our system in any form or fashion.

I don't like Bonner at all anymore. I tried giving him a chance, but he always chokes and disappoints you everytime you think you might like the guy.

I kind of agree with you about RJ though. It seems like he just wants to have fun out there and doesn't care about the game like you said. He doesn't always seem to have a love for the game and seems play horrible when he is not having fun or feeling good. That's probably why he plays better in a run and gun system. When he was playing with Kidd he was getting alley oop passes, running in transition and having a good time out there, but playing for the Spurs and playing defense seems to be a drag for him with out the highlight stuff. That's what it seems like, I'm sure that's not the whole story though, I just think he sucks in our system and has lost some athleticism more than him not having a love for the game.

[therealtruth]

I've been the biggest Bonner critic since like forever. But the guy has grown on me a little i must say. Bonner can be an asset to the team just as long as he's not getting significant minutes. Pop simply needs to know WHEN and how long NOT to play him. RJ on the other hand....smh. Just a complete waste. His body language shows that he doesn't want to be out there, and seems like he just has no love for the game. Simply put, RJ just don't fit our system in any form or fashion.

Pop overuses him too much. He has to recognize when Bonner isn't working and go with something else. It's a very simple principle. Rick Carlisle recognized they weren't going to win in the Finals by playing Stojakovic and made the adjustment. The Mavs don't win the Finals if he remains stubborn and keeps playing Stojakovic.

[100%duncan]

Playoff Form baby

[SpurNation]

DEFENSE FIRST, 2nd, 3rd.

Try as they may...the Spurs just don't have the personnel for this. And it goes beyond Matt and/or R.J.

[Ice009]

Try as they may...the Spurs just don't have the personnel for this. And it goes beyond Matt and/or R.J.

I understand we can't play 5 players for the whole game, but how can you say the Spurs don't have the personnel?

A five of Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu, TP could probably play better defense than anything we've seen from the Spurs so far this season.

Will Pop even try that lineup when everyone is healthy is the big question? Then we'll see whether or not he is serious about anything.

Even Don Nelson said he wouldn't play Nellie ball if he had Tim Duncan. Pop has Duncan and Splitter and he still wants to keep trying Nellie ball.

[Texas_Ranger]

I really hope no one is surprised about this... Bonner can score 50 in one game and he'll still be a scrub for me, the same goes with Blair. Jefferson is just pathetic.

[rascal]

I understand we can't play 5 players for the whole game, but how can you say the Spurs don't have the personnel?

A five of Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu, TP could probably play better defense than anything we've seen from the Spurs so far this season.

Will Pop even try that lineup when everyone is healthy is the big question? Then we'll see whether or not he is serious about anything.

Even Don Nelson said he wouldn't play Nellie ball if he had Tim Duncan. Pop has Duncan and Splitter and he still wants to keep trying Nellie ball.

They don't have the personnel. With a thin frontline the defense will never be good.

[rascal]

It is too easy to take Bonner out of the game. Just keep a man up on him around the 3 point line and he is worthless without the open looks.

[vander]

I'm one of the the biggest Bonner homers in the world, and even I would never put Bonner in the game in the 4th quarter. 20-24 minutes in the first 3 quarters is the best way to utilize Bonner.

and Bonner would be fine in the playoffs if we had any true offensive threats that could draw in the defense. Manu/TD/TP are the reason this team comes up short in the playoffs, Bonner's decline is just another effect of their ineffectiveness against playoff level defense.

[therealtruth]

I understand we can't play 5 players for the whole game, but how can you say the Spurs don't have the personnel?

A five of Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu, TP could probably play better defense than anything we've seen from the Spurs so far this season.

Will Pop even try that lineup when everyone is healthy is the big question? Then we'll see whether or not he is serious about anything.

Even Don Nelson said he wouldn't play Nellie ball if he had Tim Duncan. Pop has Duncan and Splitter and he still wants to keep trying Nellie ball.

I don't know how many minutes that lineup has played but from what I saw it was pretty impressive. That lineup is able to contest shots, keep opponents to one shot, and get the rebound. They just need to develop some offensive chemistry and that's pretty much a winning/closing lineup. A lineup based on solid defense is a much better option than one based on hoping Bonner hits 3's.

[Mugen]

and Bonner would be fine in the playoffs if we had any true offensive threats that could draw in the defense. Manu/TD/TP are the reason this team comes up short in the playoffs, Bonner's decline is just another effect of their ineffectiveness against playoff level defense.

what about on defense, when he's getting teabagged every other possession by the Darrell Arthurs of the league?

[jjktkk]

what about on defense, when he's getting teabagged every other possession by the Darrell Arthurs of the league?

Why just stop with Bonner? The whole front line of the Spurs got teabagged against Arthur, and the rest of the Grizz frontline.

[DMC]

You're preaching to the crowd my man. Same ol' Pop after all these years. Remember Danny Ferry? He got much playing time at the end of his career as well. And he suck'd badly.....I really think that the game has outgrown Pop. This is just my honest opinion.
You mean he's preaching to the choir. Preaching to the crowd is normal.

[DMC]

It is too easy to take Bonner out of the game. Just keep a man up on him around the 3 point line and he is worthless without the open looks.
Open looks for Bonner means no one on that side of the court. For most other outside shooters, it means 4' of space and closing.

[TD 21]

It's highly unlikely you'll see a Duncan-Splitter-Leonard front line and even less likely in crunch time, because of the lack of shooting. That's why Bonner, Jefferson, Green and Neal, are all closing options.

It's also why Pop is a hypocrite. He stresses defense, then doesn't play his best defensive personnel together and rarely plays two of his best defenders in crunch time. He either has a massive ego, is delusional, or both, if he thinks his emphasizing defense is what made this organization renowned for their defense and not the presence of Robinson, Duncan and Bowen, among others. He keeps pretending that practice time will lead to the young guys better understanding the system and thus marked improvement, but that's nonsense. They've had plenty of practice time and rest the past few weeks and it hasn't made one bit of difference.

Effort is obviously required to not just play defense, but to do virtually anything. But this notion that with effort and understanding alone, you can play good defense, is nonsense. First and foremost, it's about personnel.

[ElNono]

Open looks for Bonner means no one on that side of the court. For most other outside shooters, it means 4' of space and closing.

Basically. He was passing up shots when OJ Mayo was closing on him. smh.

[Ice009]

They don't have the personnel. With a thin frontline the defense will never be good.

The Spurs don't have the defensive personnel to be an elite defensive team because of a lack of depth, but they do have the personnel to play better defense then they are playing now. Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu or Green, TP lineup has the potential to play better defense than any of those other lineups Pop keeps trotting out there.

Pop has not tried an all defensive lineup this season. Why would he not at least try it?

If he does it if we a down in a series then I am done with him.

[therealtruth]

Basically. He was passing up shots when OJ Mayo was closing on him. smh.

It's unlikely Horry becomes a clutch playoff performer if his release was as slow as Bonner. On a lot of Horry's clutch shots the ball just missed the defender's outstretched arms.

[timvp]

It's unlikely Horry becomes a clutch playoff performer if his release was as slow as Bonner.

Tbh, Horry's release was one of the slowest releases of all-time. He got away with it because he was tall and had a high release point.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah, horry actually released a split second after the peak of his jump

[pgardn]

Of the top teams in the west Memphis plays the best D imo.

And there are no elite defensive teams in the West at the moment.