Grades: Spurs @ Mavericks - Mar. 17

[timvp]

The Spurs took on the defending champs in Dallas and faced an uphill climb seemingly the entire game. San Antonio gave good effort and made a number of runs, however the Spurs were never able to mount a successful comeback and ended up losing to the Mavs by a final score of 106-99.

Despite getting down early and never quite recovering, I saw a lot of things to be encouraged about. I was a bit leery of Stephen Jackson going into the game but I'm already totally sold on him being an upgrade from Richard Jefferson. Defensively, while overall the Spurs weren't very good, there were some combinations that were surprisingly effective. Going forward, I feel much better about this team than I did a week ago.

As for the Mavs, I have a lot of respect for that team. I truly think they are the favorites in the West this season. In Dirk Nowitzki, they have the conference's most unstoppable offensive player. And on defense, the Mavs are disciplined and have the tools to be a top five team on that end of the court. If Jason Kidd can play like he did tonight on a consistent basis, I don't see a reason why they shouldn't be the favorites to reach the NBA Finals again.

The Spurs are off until they play the T'Wolves on Wednesday night in the AT&T Center. It'll be a good opportunity to get some practices in and start figuring out how the pieces fit together.

http://oi42.tinypic.com/1y7q7t.jpg

http://oi44.tinypic.com/33vm9s9.jpg

Tim Duncan B-
Tim Duncan has had a few really bad games in the second night of back-to-backs but tonight wasn't an example. He wasn't great but he was doing enough for the Spurs to be successful. Compared to recent games, Duncan looked slower and wasn't nearly as mobile -- very likely side effects of the back-to-back. But his defense was solid; Duncan's pick-and-roll defense was actually better than usual. Rebounding, which had been a strength recently, was a weakness on both ends tonight. Offensively, while he held onto the ball too long at times and stagnated the flow, it's difficult to fault his production.

Manu Ginobili C+
It never seemed like Manu Ginobili found his rhythm. His decision-making was iffy all night and he appeared to be second-guessing himself too much. Although, when he decided to pass, Ginobili created numerous shot opportunities for his teammates. Defensively, he wasn't very good. He's having trouble staying in front of his man and his stops and starts just aren't as crisp as usual. Athletically he looked decent but he's still not in basketball shape. Ginobili is very much a work in progress right now.

Tony Parker C+
After the game, Tony Parker admitted to being tired. And following yesterday's exhausting outing, I can't really blame him for being gassed. But with Parker not at 100%, the Spurs really didn't have much hope against the Mavs. Typically, he has been attacking so early and often that the opposition has to be wary of his presence on the court at all times. Tonight, he never got his own offense going and that allowed the Mavs to concentrate on everyone else more than usual. On defense, Parker wasn't closing out on Jason Kidd and the wily vet made him pay. Despite that criticism, Parker still handed out 11 assists and turned the ball over only once. And while he gave up open shots to Kidd, the Mavs point guard came into the game shooting 32% from the field on the season, so it's not like Parker was supposed to close out hard on him. The bottomline is that Parker has set a high bar for himself and wasn't able to clear it tonight.

Kawhi Leonard C
Kawhi Leonard has played so well recently that it was shocking to actually watch him struggle a little bit. On offense, he missed a few shots from the outside early on and that added some hesitancy to his game. Defensively, he was average against Nowitzki and not very good against anyone else. Leonard also had a couple breakdowns on that end where he failed in his help-defense responsibilities. In the bigger picture, I continue to see growth in him as a legit NBA player and tonight didn't make me doubt his future at all.

Danny Green B+
After a hot shooting night against the Thunder, Danny Green got in foul trouble early and was silent until the second half. That was unfortunate because apparently his hot shooting carried over into this game. He once again shot the ball well from three-point range (he's hit 16 of his last 24 from downtown). Green's confidence is at an all-time high and his outside stroke looks smoother than it did just a few weeks ago. Defensively, he had some intermittent success but he didn't end up disrupting the Mavs too much. It wasn't for a lack of effort, though.

DeJuan Blair C-
For the first few minutes, it looks like DeJuan Blair was going to be able to hang with Nowitzki on the defensive end. Soon, reality set in and that matchup turned into the mismatch it is on paper. Nowitzki, when he's playing well, is too long, too quick and just too good for Blair to cover. Offensively, Blair had three layups in a span of two minutes in the first quarter but otherwise was a liability on that end as well. The Mavs just zoned off of him and used his man to clog up everything else.

Gary Neal B-
The good: Gary Neal stepped up and hit some of the biggest shots of the game for the Spurs. He also gave fantastic effort on the boards, made a couple really good passes and his defensive intensity was impressive. The bad: Neal was slow getting the team into the offense when he was running the point. He also took a few questionable shots that didn't come within the natural flow of the offense. On defense, Neal's lack of quickness was exposed a few times when he was isolated.

Matt Bonner D+
I struggle to understand what Matt Bonner did to deserve 22 minutes. His individual defense was below average ... and that's putting it nicely. While his perimeter help defense and rebounding were adequate, he was so helpless with any action coming toward him that he was a net liability on D. Offensively, he was quiet. He passed up a couple shots and he wasn't moving to open spaces as well as he usually does. Bonner just seemed out of sorts all game, yet he kept getting his number called. Go figure.

Tiago Splitter A-
It was just another wildly productive outing for Tiago Splitter. His pick-and-roll game is deadly. Splitter also added a few really good post moves and his finishes in the paint were impressive throughout. Defensively, he was attentive team-wise and did well in one-on-one matchups. Rebounding was another strength for Splitter on the night. And yet, he played less than Bonner. I can only shake my head.

Stephen Jackson A
Welcome back, Stephen Jackson. It was great to see him in silver and black again. I didn't know what to expect but I got a quick reminder why everyone loved him in his first stint with the Spurs. The toughness and swagger Jackson brings to the court is palpable. It's difficult to explain but you just feel better about your team's chances when Jackson is on your side. Tonight, I thought his defense against Nowitzki was magnificent. He was physical with him, didn't give him an inch, kept a hand in his face at all times and even used smarts to bait him into a couple offensive fouls. On top of that, even when he was defending Nowitzki, Jackson was able to offer quality help defense. Needless to say, Jackson's defense was a major bright spot in his return. Offensively, he had a beautiful pass to Splitter for a dunk. Jackson also knocked down his first three-point attempt and scored on a drive to the bucket from the perimeter. Overall, I really couldn't be much happier with his play. Let's hope it's a glimpse of what Jackson can bring to these Spurs.

Pop D
I've been supportive of Pop lately but I just can't bite my tongue anymore. First of all, Bonner needs to play less. I doubt any other basketball coach in the NBA would have played Bonner more minutes than Splitter tonight. That was just inexcusably bad coaching. On top of that, even if Pop doesn't want to play Duncan and Splitter together, he should have just gone with Leonard, Jackson, Green or basically anyone else. In other news, I thought Pop's offensive playcalling was too bland. I realize he was using timeouts to give his guys some rest here and there but he seemed to time those breaks at the worst moments. He also uncharacteristically subbed out lineups that had gotten things rolling in the right direction. I'll admit Pop had the difficult job of adding a new piece to the equation in addition to dealing with a couple half-injured or tired players but his coaching tonight was holding the team back.

[TE]

I agree with 90% of your grades.

:tu

[Spurs da champs]

On Splitter the fact that he couldn't post up Dirk shows me how overrated he is, a good performance against the undersized Rockets mislead most of us to believing he can be a good post up player.

[sehui]

in b4 the

"fuck yo grades, clown"

post

[iManu]

Richard Jefferson A+

[jjktkk]

Thanks for the writeup Tim. :tu

[rasho8]

On Splitter the fact that he couldn't post up Dirk shows me how overrated he is, a good performance against the undersized Rockets mislead most of us to believing he can be a good post up player.

New KBP account?

[ElNono]

Thanks for the writeup! Pretty much agree.

Coincidentally, I was just reading that Tony's FG% against Dallas this season is the lowest against any NBA team. Not sure how accurate that is, but it looks like besides being tired, Carslile does seem to have a good scheme to contain him.

[ajballer4]

Pop defintely screwed the pooch tonight. We had a little momentum and then he took out Manu and SJax, and then Dallas put it away. He then brought them back when it was too late, and Manu lost his momentum

[Thomas82]

Richard Jefferson A+


The best 2-14 shooting night I have ever seen!! You know you had a good game when you have more shot attempts than points.

[Thomas82]

pop defintely screwed the pooch tonight. We had a little momentum and then he took out manu and sjax, and then dallas put it away. He then brought them back when it was too late, and manu lost his momentum

+1

[Spurs da champs]

New KBP account?

WHO DAT?

But on some real shit I like Splitter but his offensive game is horrible, I still want to see him on the floor with Tim more tho. They're both centers yes, but Splitter is pretty quick.

[Capt Bringdown]

Pop is a problem.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades. I can't argue with them, but I think this game was an anomaly in a few ways. Kidd shot way over his average tonight, Manu is probably not going to play this tentatively in the future, and TP just had a pedestrian performance compared to his outstanding recent play. I think we have a great shot with this group against anyone in the west if Manu can get back to how he was playing at the beginning of the year. Friday should be a good game.

[therealtruth]

Why does Pop continue to get a pass for misusing Splitter and overusing Bonner?

[rasho8]

WHO DAT?

But on some real shit I like Splitter but his offensive game is horrible, I still want to see him on the floor with Tim more tho. They're both centers yes, but Splitter is pretty quick.

I'm a big fan of Splitter, so I wont front. But he has a 61% FG and 67% FT for this year averaging almost 10 and 5 in 20 minutes. That is NOT a horrible offensive game.

[DMC]

I notice we get lower grades when we lose. I think we played better tonight than we did last night, only last night we got shots to fall and they didn't. We let OKC go on a 20-2 run, one of three huge runs they went on. Dallas didn't do that to us tonight, we kept it fairly close but we lost.

So I would say that Parker didn't do so well because maybe he was tired, but he only took 12 shots (seemed like he took 30) and hit 5 of those. We are accustomed to Tony getting into the paint and scoring, and he did that some, but it seems the infusion of Manu and maybe Jack (Spurs were ignoring Jack on offense for most of the night) caused problems with the offense, and Bonner is always willing to help with a timely miss or panic attack when we need the points the most. Add to that the in-situ decision to post up Blair and couple that with Blair's inability to handle the ball down low, the turnovers and fouls and you see the game difference.

I thought Gary Neal was doing ok, but we went away from him and for some reason Manu felt the need to practice 3pt shooting during the crucial stretch at the end instead of finding someone else. Weird for him tbh.

Still, Dallas played better than OKC down the stretch, and Kidd killed us.

[Spurs da champs]

I'm a big fan of Splitter, so I wont front. But he has a 61% FG and 67% FT for this year averaging almost 10 and 5 in 20 minutes. That is NOT a horrible offensive game.

Most of his shots are set up from the pick n'roll, I mean honestly he can't create his own shot & really does struggle against similar sized players on the low post...at least he's finishing but still he needs to be better in those situations.

[Ice009]

For once I agree with Bonner and Pop grades.

Sjax needs to be the one to have a talk with Pop because Pop has gone more wacko than Jax ever did when he was here. This silly shit Pop is pulling with Bonner and Blair over Splitter is crazy.

[DPG21920]

Agree on all accounts. Thought this was Pops worst game of the year, thought Splitter clearly deserved more minutes and thought Jack could have and should have played more. I also said in the game thread that the Mavs are a really bad match up for the Spurs and should be avoided at all costs. A first round matchup would be worst case scenario.

[DMC]

The best 2-14 shooting night I have ever seen!! You know you had a good game when you have more shot attempts than points.
I realize this is sarcasm, but you only have to have less than 50% shooting to have fewer points than shot attempts if you don't shoot any FTs or 3's.

RJ's output was dismal though but he got 38 minutes.

[Nathan89]

Pop D
I've been supportive of Pop lately but I just can't bite my tongue anymore. First of all, Bonner needs to play less. I doubt any other basketball coach in the NBA would have played Bonner more minutes than Splitter tonight. That was just inexcusably bad coaching. On top of that, even if Pop doesn't want to play Duncan and Splitter together, he should have just gone with Leonard, Jackson, Green or basically anyone else. In other news, I thought Pop's offensive playcalling was too bland. I realize he was using timeouts to give his guys some rest here and there but he seemed to time those breaks at the worst moments. He also uncharacteristically subbed out lineups that had gotten things rolling in the right direction. I'll admit Pop had the difficult job of adding a new piece to the equation in addition to dealing with a couple half-injured or tired players but his coaching tonight was holding the team back.

That's because Pop is the best coach by far.:rolleyes

Pop still not recognizing he needs to play Splitter more:lmao
Pop lovers:lmao
We have the pieces to have a very strong defensive starting lineup but the "defensive minded coach" won't allow it:lmao

[Spur|n|Austin]

Pop is a problem.

So what is it that you figure happens? Fire Pop? Replace him? With? Please expand on that. I don't see another coach in the NBA that can handle all the minutes he does on a nightly basis and manage to win games. If you say he is the problem then what do you suggest? Pop sits down with Pop?

[angelbelow]

Too much risk and vulnerability when we play Blair/Bonner with Leonard and Green at the same time. I hope to see Pop adjust the starting lineup on weds after we get a few practices in.

[Crazymaddopeyo]

I was confused by what Pop was doing out there as well. Timvp, do you think that maybe Pop has multiple ideas of how to play Dallas and is using the regular season to try these methods out? Tonights method being unsuccessful.

[Hoops Czar]

Agree on all accounts. Thought this was Pops worst game of the year, thought Splitter clearly deserved more minutes and thought Jack could have and should have played more. I also said in the game thread that the Mavs are a really bad match up for the Spurs and should be avoided at all costs. A first round matchup would be worst case scenario.

Any team that can make shots is a bad matchup for the Spur and Stern won't grant them a bye in the first round.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Timvp I believe Parker deserves an F
Parker knows that every minute that Rodrigue beaboius plays on am NBA court, he has outplayed him. Every. Effing. Minute


Iguess I just don't get why Parker tries his heart out against westbrook but not against this upstart piece of crap that out plays him every freaking time.

[xellos88330]

Pop just seems scared of interior play. He has absolutely no reason to be. The Spurs clearly outmatched the interior of the Dallas tonight. Play to your god damn strengths. Every now and then it is ok to go out of the system so long as there is a good reason that you will come out with the W.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

And make no bones about it:

There has not been one moment of Parkers career where he has don anything to slow Roddy

[justinandimcool]

Didn't realize Pop was that bad. I was too blinded by the idea that since RJ wasn't there, everything looked great. (half srs, well...mostly srs)

honestly, things went wrong at the most inopportune times. TP played hero-ball and fell flat on his face (he did so last night at OKC too. so many selfish possessions). Manu's terrible decision making didn't help either. the second quarter was brutal with him running the show.

i wasn't too pleased with Bonner, but that was to be expected.

Green and Sjax were pleasant surprises. Ironically, the offense was so stagnant at times that I WISH these too had taken more of the reins. Unrealistic though.

I thought the defense was decent for a Mavs game...but this team desperately needs some hard practices. Too many possessions where the ball stayed on one side of the court. Too many on the fly decisions, especially on that crucial Manu turnover at the end. Not enough PNR, and when there was it was still off rhythm. Pop didn't help, but this loss is on the players- specifically the French and Argentine leaders of the team. Tiredness/off-rhythmness is no excuse for mental lapses and selfish play.

[Obstructed_View]

Wanted: Backup point guard.

That is all.

[therealtruth]

For once I agree with Bonner and Pop grades.

Sjax needs to be the one to have a talk with Pop because Pop has gone more wacko than Jax ever did when he was here. This silly shit Pop is pulling with Bonner and Blair over Splitter is crazy.

I can't wait for the Bonner experiment to end just like the Finley and RJ experiments.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Stephen Jackson is an asshole who gets under the skin of pretty much every opponent he has ever faced...And that is why he is an upgrade over Jefferson.

However, I disagree that the Mavs will get even close to the Finals this year. As much as I'd love it to happen, I'm expecting maybe a first round win and then loss in the 2nd round. That's about how I see the season ending for the Mavs right now. Of course, all I really care about is the Mavs making the playoffs. Anything can happen, especially in a lockout season like this. It's all about getting hot at the right time, and last season after Game 4 vs the Blazers, the Mavs got incredibly hot.

As for the division, I expect the Spurs to win it. Not sure by how much, but I'll be surprised if they don't. I'd rather the Mavs not have to face the Spurs in the first round, but if it happens, it happens.

Best of luck the rest of the season, and I look forward to the game next week.

[will_spurs]

I wonder to what extent the Big 3 wanted (each) to prove tonight to SJax that this is their team (and sadly, they failed).

I saw only the 3rd quarter but it was horrible. No ball movement whatsoever, only low % iso shots, that's not Spurs basketball at all. Actually if I didn't know both teams, I would have said the Spurs were in the other uniform, as they managed to find the open man and hit some dagger 3s that killed any kind of momentum the Spurs had of going on a run.

Also, I could swear that I saw Splitter do some nifty post-up moves. I vote for Spurs da Champs being one of KBP's troll accounts (a troll account of a troll... mind = blown)

I'm not too worried in the sense that the Spurs didn't play the way they have shown they could.

This being said, the Spurs are still going nowhere with Bonner and Blair playing more than 15 minutes each. That means playing Duncan and Splitter 33 minutes each, and i really fail to see why that could be a problem.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol tp gettin outplayed by french alah and a wanker who turned back the clock

ian mahinmi continues to be a kent everytime he plays us moaning and shit, fck that shit i hope some spurs scrub slide their feet under him...

gary neal and ginoboli should stop with the chucking
bonner if you aint shooting that shit, u should be bench
blair continues to be a blackhole on the court when we already got rid of the other blackhole only for this one to open up

jax had a good outting tonight, who did a superb job on dirk in limited minutes which was lame on pops part....fck that shit this is jax the ripper, he looks fkn big compared KL

the tantrum of green, KL look good man, real fkn good, why didnt pop played jax and ginoboli with the 2 to solidfy a strong defensive team on t he court at times of the game

[Pauleta14]

And make no bones about it:

There has not been one moment of Parkers career where he has don anything to slow Roddy

Yeh, 16 pts on 16 shots is a hell of a game from Roddy... :rolleyes

[dunkman]

The Spurs didn't rebound tonight, they missed too many FT's and Manu played horribly.

[Texas_Ranger]

Manu D, trying way too much, shooting stupid threes.
Parker D+, looked tired and outplayed by a corpse and french alah.
Blair F, lol -19 and couldn't stop Dirk at least once.
Bonner D-, pathetic, if you're in just to shoot then shoot asshole.
Pop F, we come back and then he makes stupid subs. Don't get why the fuck did Blair play after the first half.

[Rapper]

I agree with 90% of your grades.

:tu

same here

[DBMethos]

Good grades. Tired team, bad coaching...let's move on.

[Jumi]

The Mavs played harder and held us in check after each run. They earned the win. The problem I see going forward is the need for a big. (Nothing new there!)

Bonner is what he is. He's not bad, but he should not be relied upon in the clutch. With SJax and Manu back, and the youngstas performing well, those shots well be taken by others. He can stretch the floor if he hits a couple of shots here and there, so hopefully it'll keep the defense honest in the playoffs.

Blair is a totally different story. For all the posters who say Pop can't coach, look at the development of Neal, Green, Splitter, Kawhi, Hill and the success we've had with him at the helm. The proof speaks for itself! Blair could have a long career in the NBA as a garbage man and rebounder. He has the rebounding ability to get easy putbacks, makes good passes and moves well. If he focused on that and played fundamentaly on defense we'd be OK. He's too strong to get pushed around and he goes for steals way too often which leads to easy fouls. He should know better by now.

I don't want to see Duncan and Splitter play together as much as some on the board would like. I like Splitter against the other teams second unit. He excels in that role. If we could get Diaw, it changes the way we could play. Duncan and Diaw, Splitter and Bonner, and any combinatiion of the four with Blair only playing when someone is tired or in foul trouble.


Our title window isn't closed yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Russ]

I can't wait for the Bonner experiment to end just like the Finley and RJ experiments.

Don't look now, but Bonner has only scored 3 points in each of his last three games (one three-pointer made in each game).

[Fabbs]

Pop D
I've been supportive of Pop lately but I just can't bite my tongue anymore. First of all, Bonner needs to play less. I doubt any other basketball coach in the NBA would have played Bonner more minutes than Splitter tonight. That was just inexcusably bad coaching. On top of that, even if Pop doesn't want to play Duncan and Splitter together, he should have just gone with Leonard, Jackson, Green or basically anyone else.
May light continue to shine on you.

[TJastal]

May light continue to shine on you.

:lol

Peeps just figuring it out after all these years.

[SenorSpur]

Another great writeup! Agree with all points, too.

The return of the Anti-Spur, versus the Mavs, was priceless! Solid outing by Jack.

Green really has it going offensively. His confidence is truly at an all-time high, at least in a Spurs uniform. Too bad he got into early foul trouble.

I thought I was the only one that believed Pop is and has been relying on Bonner way too much. He missed several rotations - again. Watching him lose his man and seeing that opposing big get free for wide-open dunks surely would've been cause to get him benched, but Pop never wavered. I swear Bonner gets more passes for terrible defense than any other Spurs on the roster.

[wildbill2u]

Anyone who thinks Blair can defend Nowitski needs a psychological examination. right this way, Coach Popovich.

Tiago can be our Nowitski defender. I believe he is mobile enough to do it. No one will stop the unstoppable Dirk, but putting someone with length on him can help.

We got killed in two areas. 1. Rebounding and that's on our bigs. A 13 rebound deficit is hard to overcome in a game which relies on possessions to score.

2. Their guards shot the lights out, especially Terry. In the past it seems we were mostly able to contain Terry, but last night he did whatever he wanted.

A loss against a good team like the Mavericks on the road isn't the end of the world, but if we meet them in the playoffs

[100%duncan]

I thought A was to high for Capt Jack, but indeed his defense was great

[TDMVPDPOY]

blair and bonner give up as much points as whatever they do offensively...it makes no sense to have any of the 2 on the court

[ploto]

Coincidentally, I was just reading that Tony's FG% against Dallas this season is the lowest against any NBA team. Not sure how accurate that is, but it looks like besides being tired, Carslile does seem to have a good scheme to contain him.

Kidd said after the game that a big focus is to make Tony play on the defensive end to wear him out.

[ploto]

Matt Bonner D+
I struggle to understand what Matt Bonner did to deserve 22 minutes. His individual defense was below average ... and that's putting it nicely. While his perimeter help defense and rebounding were adequate, he was so helpless with any action coming toward him that he was a net liability on D. Offensively, he was quiet. He passed up a couple shots and he wasn't moving to open spaces as well as he usually does. Bonner just seemed out of sorts all game, yet he kept getting his number called. Go figure.


Every season I hope they are showcasing him for a potential trade and that his minutes will drop after the trade deadline, but no such luck.

[silverblk mystix]

This season can't and won't end well...sorry to say...

Despite all the possibilities...despite acquiring on of my fave all-time Spurs...it will come down to this;

Can this Spurs team win despite Coach Fuckhead?

I just don't see how you can when Coach Fuckhead will play Bonner this many minutes and have Blair guarding Dirk...
Spurs make a run...coach fuckhead calls a timeout and takes the hot players out...

Everytime the Spurs play the Mavs...it is a small ball fest....Coach fuckhead will never try something new...he will just blindly try to match DOWN to the Mavs smalls....
(Why not try to play TD/Splitter...then throw in a zone to throw off the mavs and especially to STOP CHASING THEIR QUICK GUARDS THROUGH MULTIPLE SCREENS?????)

Fuckhead Coach will be the downfall of this promising season...hate to say it...but the writing is on the wall....

[loveforthegame]

Thanks for the grades. Best write up around. :tu

My biggest concern against the Mavs is that our guys fail to attack the basket when they have no one inside to protect the rim. Twice this season they've done a good job at keeping Parker outside. Last night you could tell he was tired but he's going to have to figure the defense out.

Ginobli attacked a couple times, Leonard and Jackson once, Green and Neal used floaters but didn't make much effort beyond that.

Duncan and Splitter did some nice work down low.

But if we don't have anyone constantly attacking to have the defense sag then they not only keep guys out of the paint but can stay home on the outside shooters as well.

On the defensive side of things I'm hoping Pop didn't want Dirk to get too used to Jackson and Leonard on him so he could save that for the playoffs. Those two made Dirk work at least. Made him a bit uncomfortable. Let's be real he's going to score on them because he's that good but at least they made him work for it. Blair and Bonner on Dirk is like shooting practice for him and he just lights up.

I'm not too worried about the scrambling because I think some guys were unsure of their role and that left guys open. What I don't get is some of the doubling they did and the lazy sagging where they weren't guarding anyone that left the Mavs open to let the 3 ball fly. That definitely needs some work which thankfully there is enough time to get that right before the playoffs.

[GSH]

Tony Parker C+
After the game, Tony Parker admitted to being tired. And following yesterday's exhausting outing, I can't really blame him for being gassed. But with Parker not at 100%, the Spurs really didn't have much hope against the Mavs. Typically, he has been attacking so early and often that the opposition has to be wary of his presence on the court at all times. Tonight, he never got his own offense going and that allowed the Mavs to concentrate on everyone else more than usual. On defense, Parker wasn't closing out on Jason Kidd and the wily vet made him pay. Despite that criticism, Parker still handed out 11 assists and turned the ball over only once. And while he gave up open shots to Kidd, the Mavs point guard came into the game shooting 32% from the field on the season, so it's not like Parker was supposed to close out hard on him. The bottomline is that Parker has set a high bar for himself and wasn't able to clear it tonight.


I'm glad the Spurs signed a backup PG. I hope Pop just throws him right into the water, and lets Tony get some rest before the post-season. This schedule is a grind. But the weight of the whole team has to be a grind, too.

[DMC]

That's because Pop is the best coach by far.:rolleyes

Pop still not recognizing he needs to play Splitter more:lmao
Pop lovers:lmao
We have the pieces to have a very strong defensive starting lineup but the "defensive minded coach" won't allow it:lmao
So the best coach cannot have any flaws?

Pop is the best coach in the league. Tell me one better.

[Giuseppe]

Pop is the best coach in the league.

Probably. But, for sure he's the most frightened.

[silverblk mystix]

Probably. But, for sure he's the most frightened.

This might be the first time I have ever agreed with you...

[T Park]

Probably. But, for sure he's the most frightened.

whats he scared of?

[DPG21920]

whats he scared of?

Putting his highest potential defensive team on the floor, his old defense first principles & that his players will literally die if you play them normal minutes?

[ChumpDumper]

Fuckhead Coach will be the downfall of this promising season...hate to say it...but the writing is on the wall....:lol

[DMC]

Probably. But, for sure he's the most frightened.

Red herring. Has nothing to do with what I was saying. Why even interject?

I want someone to name a better coach in the NBA right now. What, Thibs?

[dbestpro]

So what is it that you figure happens? Fire Pop? Replace him? With? Please expand on that. I don't see another coach in the NBA that can handle all the minutes he does on a nightly basis and manage to win games. If you say he is the problem then what do you suggest? Pop sits down with Pop?

No you don't fire Pop, but you do hold the assistant coaches accountable for not getting Pop to see the obvious. That is there job and they are not getting it done.

[tlongII]

You truly think the Mavs are the favorites in the West? C'mon dude, you're better than that! :lol.

[silverblk mystix]

whats he scared of?

In simplest terms;

Playing-not to lose-instead of playing to win.

[silverblk mystix]

Putting his highest potential defensive team on the floor, his old defense first principles & that his players will literally die if you play them normal minutes?

...and this...

[Horse]

I know it's just part of it but what's with the FT shooting lately? Even Manu, Parker and Neal missing. I thought it really hurt us tonight.

[slayermin]

Ehh. Damn, free throw shooting. If the guys just hit a nominal pct., game would have gone down to the wire.

Also, Pop saw the way Jax guarded Dirk. He didn't show it but I bet he was downright giddy on the inside. I know Pop zigs when we want him to zag sometimes. But there is no way he doesn't use Jax as long as he can on Dirk in the playoffs.

[Nathan89]

So the best coach cannot have any flaws?

Pop is the best coach in the league. Tell me one better.

The best coach can have flaws. One of those flaws shouldn't be not playing your better players more minutes than your worse players. The best coach in the league would prepare his team for the playoffs. Even after benching Blair last year in the playoffs Pop goes back to starting him this year. Pop continues to not play Splitter and Duncan together. Does he not care about a possible matchup with Lakers or Memphis? Is Blair or Bonner supposed to play against Pau?

IMO his flaw is a huge flaw. His flaw was a major reason for the Spurs first round exit last year. He's doing the same shit this year. Therefore I have to believe there are many coaches that could do a better job than him.

[Jodelo]

You truly think the Mavs are the favorites in the West? C'mon dude, you'de better than that! :lol.

More than the Blazers or are they still your favourites like you always claimed?

[TJastal]

The best coach can have flaws. One of those flaws shouldn't be not playing your better players more minutes than your worse players. The best coach in the league would prepare his team for the playoffs. Even after benching Blair last year in the playoffs Pop goes back to starting him this year. Pop continues to not play Splitter and Duncan together. Does he not care about a possible matchup with Lakers or Memphis? Is Blair or Bonner supposed to play against Pau?

IMO his flaw is a huge flaw. His flaw was a major reason for the Spurs first round exit last year. He's doing the same shit this year. Therefore I have to believe there are many coaches that could do a better job than him.

rofl the ol' whose gonna coach the team line... hell a retarded monkey could coach a team with 3 HOF'ers and a solid supporting cast. And at the very least the retarded monkey would know to give Splitter more minutes than Bonner.

[therealtruth]

The best coach can have flaws. One of those flaws shouldn't be not playing your better players more minutes than your worse players. The best coach in the league would prepare his team for the playoffs. Even after benching Blair last year in the playoffs Pop goes back to starting him this year. Pop continues to not play Splitter and Duncan together. Does he not care about a possible matchup with Lakers or Memphis? Is Blair or Bonner supposed to play against Pau?

IMO his flaw is a huge flaw. His flaw was a major reason for the Spurs first round exit last year. He's doing the same shit this year. Therefore I have to believe there are many coaches that could do a better job than him.

He refuses to acknowlege his flaws. That's what so ridiculous. He refuses to acknowledge their weak frontcourt had anything to do with losing to the Grizzlies.

[T Park]

Putting his highest potential defensive team on the floor, his old defense first principles & that his players will literally die if you play them normal minutes?

I see.

Id ask if theres anything to substantiate this but, I've learned my lesson.

[TJastal]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the spurs' F.O. consisting of RC & Greg Popovich has done quite well overall with only a few blips on the radar (IE Jefferson, Bonner, Scola).

That part has always been Pop's strongest suit IMO, followed by strong coaching of players on an individual basis.

The part he seems to be keep dropping the ball at repeatedly is making game adjustments and picking the right rotations and distribution of minutes. This is most puzzling because it should be the easiest part of his job. It should have been clear long ago that Tim Duncan and Splitter would be a dominant front line and that it might be a smart coaching move to get those two adapted for the playoffs.

[DPG21920]

I see.

Id ask if theres anything to substantiate this but, I've learned my lesson.

There's plenty. See the Spurs defensive numbers, see that RJ played the second most minutes on the team and see Tiagos minutes vs Blair and Bonners.

Also see how pop manages minutes like no other coach, how he tanks games to rest players.

I'd say it's all substantiated quite easily. Now, arguing the merits of said moves and if you agree is another thing entirely.

[Johnny RIngo]

Most of his shots are set up from the pick n'roll, I mean honestly he can't create his own shot & really does struggle against similar sized players on the low post...at least he's finishing but still he needs to be better in those situations.

He finishes better than Blair, is a much smarter player, and actually has enough size to block/defend in the post. As long as Blair is on this team, Splitter should be free from criticism.

[TJastal]

He finishes better than Blair, is a much smarter player, and actually has enough size to block/defend in the post. As long as Blair is on this team, Splitter should be free from criticism.

+1

What's exciting is Splitter is still learning how to use his size and strength in the post. Just watching him work against the mavericks post defenders last night it's clear this is obviously not something he has always done in the past in Europe when his game was more centered on finesse mainly using the P&R as his main bread and butter. The adjustment to the nba has toughened him up, made a man out of him. He's literally a tank out there now and still getting used to how to play with all that added muscle and size. The only thing holding him back is the dipshit in charge.

[T Park]

There's plenty. See the Spurs defensive numbers, see that RJ played the second most minutes on the team and see Tiagos minutes vs Blair and Bonners.

Also see how pop manages minutes like no other coach, how he tanks games to rest players.

I'd say it's all substantiated quite easily. Now, arguing the merits of said moves and if you agree is another thing entirely.

I never argue with rest.

Never understood the wanting to run guys into the ground like some do here, and some here are also the same to complain "Duncan and Parker look tired out there"

[DesignatedT]

RJ continuing to play and start virtually led to him being able to be shipped out. If Pop would have benched his ass like most on here have called for the last 2 years he would still be here collecting a paycheck. The fact that teams looked down here and saw Pop playing him so much made them believe he actually had a lot left.

Of course they could have amnestied him but Holt didn't want to write a 30mil dollar check. Don't blame him.

[Nathan89]

Most of his shots are set up from the pick n'roll, I mean honestly he can't create his own shot & really does struggle against similar sized players on the low post...at least he's finishing but still he needs to be better in those situations.

You say that like he's not a major reason why the pickn'roll is successful when he runs it. Why doesn't Blair just do the same thing? It's because he can't. Blair isn't as smart and he doesn't move as well as Splitter. So yes Splitter creates shots for himself by running the pickn'roll well. Is he the best post up player? No, but Blair sucks at that as well. The biggest difference though is the fact that Splitter is a really good defensive player and Blair isn't.

[Nathan89]

I never argue with rest.

Never understood the wanting to run guys into the ground like some do here, and some here are also the same to complain "Duncan and Parker look tired out there"

agreed, I like the fact that Pop give rest to the players. Really no one should have a problem with it because we still win in the regular season. I do however disagree with Pop resting Manu against the Thunder. If he was healthy he needed to play. He needs to get back in game shape, integrate with the team, and it's important see how we matchup against Thunder.

[Agloco]

Pop defintely screwed the pooch tonight. We had a little momentum and then he took out Manu and SJax, and then Dallas put it away. He then brought them back when it was too late, and Manu lost his momentum

This. The lead was down to 5, then it was promptly doubled when those two came out. Smh over that move.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

This. The lead was down to 5, then it was promptly doubled when those two came out. Smh over that move.

Actually Dallas went on their last rundue to Parker going in rather than manu coming out

[pgardn]

Still no takers on a better coach...

And its very clear why. Its easier to criticize than to find strong points in coaching. Its almost like politics. Smearing is easy. Admiration for good moves absent.

There are numerous times I watch and wonder why that move or this move was made. But I dont know the team as individuals except what I see on the tube. Apparently people have inside info on medical, personal, practices, that I dont have. There is no one that I can name in the NBA or otherwise that I would rather have coaching the Spurs. No one. This does not mean Pop is the best coach. He is the best coach for this team. Its his team. Get over it. Being critical is fine, but when one mentions fire... thats knee jerk no thinking, change without a plan.

Who is ready to start over with this current team? Blow it up? I got some questions.

[TJastal]

Still no takers on a better coach...

And its very clear why. Its easier to criticize than to find strong points in coaching. Its almost like politics. Smearing is easy. Admiration for good moves absent.

There are numerous times I watch and wonder why that move or this move was made. But I dont know the team as individuals except what I see on the tube. Apparently people have inside info on medical, personal, practices, that I dont have. There is no one that I can name in the NBA or otherwise that I would rather have coaching the Spurs. No one. This does not mean Pop is the best coach. He is the best coach for this team. Its his team. Get over it. Being critical is fine, but when one mentions fire... thats knee jerk no thinking, change without a plan.

Who is ready to start over with this current team? Blow it up? I got some questions.

I'm sticking with my retarded monkey suggestion. At least with a retarded monkey there's theoreticallly a 50/50 chance Splitter might get more minutes than Bonner. At this point, I'd call that improvement.

[Nathan89]

Still no takers on a better coach...

And its very clear why. Its easier to criticize than to find strong points in coaching. Its almost like politics. Smearing is easy. Admiration for good moves absent.

There are numerous times I watch and wonder why that move or this move was made. But I dont know the team as individuals except what I see on the tube. Apparently people have inside info on medical, personal, practices, that I dont have. There is no one that I can name in the NBA or otherwise that I would rather have coaching the Spurs. No one. This does not mean Pop is the best coach. He is the best coach for this team. Its his team. Get over it. Being critical is fine, but when one mentions fire... thats knee jerk no thinking, change without a plan.

Who is ready to start over with this current team? Blow it up? I got some questions.

Doc Rivers. Now tell me why Pop is so much better.

I'd prefer someone who prepared his team for the playoffs.

[Obstructed_View]

Actually Dallas went on their last rundue to Parker going in rather than manu coming out

Possibly, but it's the fact that he messed with it when it was working. No coach calls more timeouts that derail the Spurs' momentum more than Pop does.

[DMC]

Doc Rivers. Now tell me why Pop is so much better.

I'd prefer someone who prepared his team for the playoffs.
Really? Doc Rivers? Guy who has 4 all stars and 1 ring? Seriously?

You tell me why Doc is better than Pop. His record doesn't reflect it despite the talent on his team.

[TD 21]

As for the Mavs, I have a lot of respect for that team. I truly think they are the favorites in the West this season. In Dirk Nowitzki, they have the conference's most unstoppable offensive player. And on defense, the Mavs are disciplined and have the tools to be a top five team on that end of the court. If Jason Kidd can play like he did tonight on a consistent basis, I don't see a reason why they shouldn't be the favorites to reach the NBA Finals again.

Are you serious? This is the old Mavs reincarnated, only now they're elite defensively and sub par offensively. But it's the same old thing, in terms of being a video game roster. Player stacked on top of player, no real role definition and a clear lack of chemistry. The reason they won last season is because, in addition to catching lightning in a bottle and having things break just right (Lakers out of gas, Heat needing more time, Thunder a year away, Spurs out of the way), they had all of those things going for them.

I'll have to see the playoff match-ups and injury situations at the time, but I'd be very surprised if this team made the Conference Finals.

And if Kidd could play like that on a consistent basis, he would. That's a ridiculous statement though, because it can apply to any outlier. But that's why they're called outliers, because they're beyond highly unlikely to be done on anything close to a consistent basis.

[therealtruth]

Really? Doc Rivers? Guy who has 4 all stars and 1 ring? Seriously?

You tell me why Doc is better than Pop. His record doesn't reflect it despite the talent on his team.

And how many rings does Pop have since '08? How many playoff series has he won since '08?

[rasho8]

And how many rings does Pop have since '08? How many playoff series has he won since '08?

They both won the same amount of rings, none. doc has won 5 series to Pops 1, although the Celtics played against some shit teams in the East.

[Nathan89]

Really? Doc Rivers? Guy who has 4 all stars and 1 ring? Seriously?

You tell me why Doc is better than Pop. His record doesn't reflect it despite the talent on his team.

1ring, KG got hurt, finals game 7 and starting C got hurt, old and had to play against miami

I find nothing wrong with what he did with those players.

[DMC]

1ring, KG got hurt, finals game 7 and starting C got hurt, old and had to play against miami

I find nothing wrong with what he did with those players.
So?

Look at his coaching record and look at Pops. How can you even compare the two?

Coaches have to be judged by their results, just like teams. You cannot say a team with less talent is better than a team with more talent when the team with more talent has a better winning record. You're grading on a curve.

Of course a great coach can have a shitty record if they go to a team with a shitty ownership. Decision making in their career is one of the factors that makes a coach a great one, which is why Phil Jackson is considered a great coach even though he had overwhelming odds in his favor most of the time.

[DMC]

Are you serious? This is the old Mavs reincarnated, only now they're elite defensively and sub par offensively. But it's the same old thing, in terms of being a video game roster. Player stacked on top of player, no real role definition and a clear lack of chemistry. The reason they won last season is because, in addition to catching lightning in a bottle and having things break just right (Lakers out of gas, Heat needing more time, Thunder a year away, Spurs out of the way), they had all of those things going for them.

I'll have to see the playoff match-ups and injury situations at the time, but I'd be very surprised if this team made the Conference Finals.

And if Kidd could play like that on a consistent basis, he would. That's a ridiculous statement though, because it can apply to any outlier. But that's why they're called outliers, because they're beyond highly unlikely to be done on anything close to a consistent basis.

It's not about Kidd playing consistently. It's about someone stepping up for someone else when they don't play consistent. Last year Dirk covered a lot of bases, but there were others who stepped up, especially on defense against Lebron.

[Nathan89]

So?



So, Doc came within one quarter/1 perkins injury from winning the absolute most he could since 2008.

Pop didn't play Splitter much last year and then replace Blair with him in the playoffs. That led to TD and Splitter starting lineup. Now this year he doesn't prepare the lineup he went to in last year's playoffs. It just doesn't make sense too me. This decision is so bad too me that I believe that there are many coaches that can do a better job for the Spurs. Can I name them all? No, because I don't focus on every decision of every coach. I brought up Doc because I think he is a good coach that has met expectations since 2008 given certain circumstances.

[callo1]

To me, Pop deserves a big fat "F" for a grade.

Seriously, Pop tried to go through Timmy like it was 2005, and the ball didn't move, Tim was slow to make passes, and the entire offense looked shell shocked by the offensive sets.

The team played better when Timmy was out because the ball moved. I'm not blaming TD on this, I blame Pop. You simply can't regress and play a style that you haven't played all year and expect to do well.

I realize that the defense was packing it in to stop Tony, but if that is the case, set some picks to allow TP to get to the rim...I was shocked by how few picks were set for TP.

On a positive note, the Spurs played horrible, got some very questionable calls against them, and still had a chance late in the game, and I feel confident Kidd won't shot that well from three again all season.

[Spurs da champs]

You say that like he's not a major reason why the pickn'roll is successful when he runs it. Why doesn't Blair just do the same thing? It's because he can't. Blair isn't as smart and he doesn't move as well as Splitter. So yes Splitter creates shots for himself by running the pickn'roll well. Is he the best post up player? No, but Blair sucks at that as well. The biggest difference though is the fact that Splitter is a really good defensive player and Blair isn't.
Who is talking about Blair? I said Splitter needs more time then with Duncan then Blair, all I'm saying is he needs to at least be somewhat of a factor on the offensive side of the ball against the bigger teams like the Lakers. Trust me I'm not criticizing his defense.


He finishes better than Blair, is a much smarter player, and actually has enough size to block/defend in the post. As long as Blair is on this team, Splitter should be free from criticism.

No doubt, but moving forward if he does get more time, he needs to improve that aspect of his game.

[Ice009]

2. Their guards shot the lights out, especially Terry. In the past it seems we were mostly able to contain Terry, but last night he did whatever he wanted.


Just a quick note. George Hill used to do a pretty good job on Jason Terry the last couple of seasons. Hill got burned a lot by some PGs, but I thought Terry was one smallish SG/PG he could defend quite well.

[Ice009]

Every season I hope they are showcasing him for a potential trade and that his minutes will drop after the trade deadline, but no such luck.

Ploto, I'm just thinking of that Rasho trade right now and in hindsight would not have done it if I knew Bonner was going to be getting these minutes years later. He was supposed to be a throw in and Pop is running this clown in crunch time on a regular basis.

I thought at the time Rasho was a little soft, but he was a lot tougher Bonner.

[Ice009]

RJ continuing to play and start virtually led to him being able to be shipped out. If Pop would have benched his ass like most on here have called for the last 2 years he would still be here collecting a paycheck. The fact that teams looked down here and saw Pop playing him so much made them believe he actually had a lot left.

Of course they could have amnestied him but Holt didn't want to write a 30mil dollar check. Don't blame him.

This is a great point and I have thought about it since the trade. I may have been wrong to ask for RJ getting benched earlier like I wanted, and we might not have been able to trade him if Pop did that.

The question is would Pop have benched RJ after the trade deadline if they were unable to trade him?

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Ploto, I'm just thinking of that Rasho trade right now and in hindsight would not have done it if I knew Bonner was going to be getting these minutes years later. He was supposed to be a throw in and Pop is running this clown in crunch time on a regular basis.

I thought at the time Rasho was a little soft, but he was a lot tougher Bonner.

I actually made a thread about who won the Rasho/Bonner trade. Granted, it worked out well as a salary dump, the black cloud that is Bonner has derailed the franchise in recent years.

[ploto]

Ploto, I'm just thinking of that Rasho trade right now and in hindsight would not have done it if I knew Bonner was going to be getting these minutes years later. He was supposed to be a throw in and Pop is running this clown in crunch time on a regular basis.

I thought at the time Rasho was a little soft, but he was a lot tougher Bonner.

Now, Rasho is a retired, well-respected elder statesman of European basketball, and Bonner is playing in crunch time!

[Ice009]

Now, Rasho is a retired, well-respected elder statesman of European basketball, and Bonner is playing in crunch time!

Rasho was very good defensively, but too passive on offense. If he was more decisive on offense he might not have been traded.

What's worse is that Pop is running a throw in player next to an older Tim Duncan. He's not running him with a prime Tim Duncan, but an older Tim Duncan.

Disgraceful stuff from Pop.

I don't want Pop fired, he just needs to change a few things and we'd be a lot better off. I'm OK with a loss if he gives the team the best chance to win with the better lineups and team management, but running Bonner in crunch time is not it.

Do his assistant coaches tell him this or are they shit scared of him.

I'd tell him straight up if I was an assistant. I simply would not care about my job security, I'd rather be fired and lose my job rather than not voice my opinion on a matter like that after seeing it fail for this long.

Really, what I am basically saying is that Pop has tried the Bonner experiment long enough and it hasn't really worked at all. It's OK that he tried it, but he has to pretty much make a decision and go to something else. If he doesn't think he has the personnel to go big most of the time with Splitter not being able to play big minutes, then he really should look at running a smaller lineup now that we have Sjax and Kawhi.

[Cow Eye]

My biggest gripe with Rasho was that he seemed so meek and timid when it came to rebounding or going for blocks. He was great on defensive rotations, and he always got his hands up to make a nice, tall pylon to shoot over, but I want more than that out of a center.

This is also a gripe I have with Bonner, except I see Bonner as much weaker with defensive rotations.

[TJastal]

Are you serious? This is the old Mavs reincarnated, only now they're elite defensively and sub par offensively. But it's the same old thing, in terms of being a video game roster. Player stacked on top of player, no real role definition and a clear lack of chemistry. The reason they won last season is because, in addition to catching lightning in a bottle and having things break just right (Lakers out of gas, Heat needing more time, Thunder a year away, Spurs out of the way), they had all of those things going for them.

I'll have to see the playoff match-ups and injury situations at the time, but I'd be very surprised if this team made the Conference Finals.

And if Kidd could play like that on a consistent basis, he would. That's a ridiculous statement though, because it can apply to any outlier. But that's why they're called outliers, because they're beyond highly unlikely to be done on anything close to a consistent basis.

You gotta be stupid to not have at least one eye on the mavs.

They got a quality win the other night against our spurs on a night they were short Haywood, Marion, & also Delonte West (all key players).

Oh, and that's with Odom still playing like a dog turd mind you. If he ever decides to start trying, factor that in too. I'm betting he will by playoff time and in a big way.

They stilll have most of their core (Dirk-Kidd-Marion-Terry). All that's changed is the role players. They'll be right in the thick of everything come playoffs.

[therealtruth]

Still no takers on a better coach...

And its very clear why. Its easier to criticize than to find strong points in coaching. Its almost like politics. Smearing is easy. Admiration for good moves absent.

There are numerous times I watch and wonder why that move or this move was made. But I dont know the team as individuals except what I see on the tube. Apparently people have inside info on medical, personal, practices, that I dont have. There is no one that I can name in the NBA or otherwise that I would rather have coaching the Spurs. No one. This does not mean Pop is the best coach. He is the best coach for this team. Its his team. Get over it. Being critical is fine, but when one mentions fire... thats knee jerk no thinking, change without a plan.

Who is ready to start over with this current team? Blow it up? I got some questions.

One thing alot of people can agree about is Pop doesn't emphasize defense as much as he should. The team has good offensive players that should be able to score under any coach/system. That's where getting a new coach that is willing to emphasize defense would help.

[TVI]

You gotta be stupid to not have at least one eye on the mavs.

They got a quality win the other night against our spurs on a night they were short Haywood, Marion, & also Delonte West (all key players).

Oh, and that's with Odom still playing like a dog turd mind you. If he ever decides to start trying, factor that in too. I'm betting he will by playoff time and in a big way.

They stilll have most of their core (Dirk-Kidd-Marion-Terry). All that's changed is the role players. They'll be right in the thick of everything come playoffs.

The Mavericks got a win against a team that was a shell of itself. Saturday's loss was as much of a harbinger of things to come as Friday's win, which is to say, it was meaningless. Based on the way the Spurs played, I'd argue that the Spurs were missing a hell of a lot more than the Mavs were missing.

Tony and Tim were a fraction of themselves, Manu looked completely out of rhythm, Jack hasn't had a single practice, etc.

The Mavs lost the most important piece of their championship team -- Chandler's interior defense -- and they're not getting it back (at least not this season).

To put it another way, how much better can the Mavs play? Now, how much better can the Spurs play?

[TJastal]

The Mavericks got a win against a team that was a shell of itself. Saturday's loss was as much of a harbinger of things to come as Friday's win, which is to say, it was meaningless. Based on the way the Spurs played, I'd argue that the Spurs were missing a hell of a lot more than the Mavs were missing.

Tony and Tim were a fraction of themselves, Manu looked completely out of rhythm, Jack hasn't had a single practice, etc.

The Mavs lost the most important piece of their championship team -- Chandler's interior defense -- and they're not getting it back (at least not this season).

To put it another way, how much better can the Mavs play? Now, how much better can the Spurs play?

I disagree, the loss of Chandler stings, but that's why the mavs were smart to scoop up Mahinmi from the spurs last year. Haywood and Ian are a step down defensively, but are still able to provide solid serviceable interior defense and rebounding at the center position. The pain will be furthur dulled if Odom finally comes around and starts living up to expectations.

Also the addition of West and Carter gives them scoring and size in their backcourt. They've also integrated x-factor type player Roddy Beabois and he is starting to prove every bit as dangerous as Barea was.

Also you have to figure in coaching, which IMO is a big advantage for the mavs. Pop will predictably overuse Bonner and Blair once again and handicap the spurs' chances of making a deep playoff run. Right now I'd say that is the equalizer for the mavs to the loss of Chandler and the current no-show of Odom.

[skin]

Thanks for the writeup!

Finaly my account has been activate and I can be part of the Spurs Talk.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Thanks for the writeup!

Finaly my account has been activate and I can be part of the Spurs Talk.

I hope you're not the other dumb half of Ben & Skin.

[skin]

I hope you're not the other dumb half of Ben & Skin.
Nope. :lol

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Good.