Elliott: Don't Expect Big 3 vs. Lakers

[timvp]

In an interview before the game against the Warriors, Sean Elliott basically said that even though the Big 3 probably won't play big minutes tonight, he still doesn't expect to see the Big 3 against the Lakers tomorrow night. Since Elliott is so plugged in, there's no doubt he was using some inside info when making that prediction.

What do you think about Pop sitting the Big 3 even if their minutes are limited tonight against Golden State?

[TheSkeptic]

Don't we have to beat them to avoid playing them in the playoffs though?

If he sits them against the Lakers then the only thing left to say is: "The Spurs had better win a championship this year".

[Obstructed_View]

I think Pop's scared shitless of the Lakers, and he's going to pray that someone else takes care of them in the playoffs.

[DJB]

That's ridiculous. That's what I think of it.

[DPG21920]

I think Pop is terrified of LA and this proves it. It says to me that he doesn't think they can handle another loss to LA mentally so he will build in an excuse.

[Texas_Ranger]

At least Splitter will play 20 minutes....

[timvp]

In the pregame discussion with Bill Land, Elliott basically said that if Pop likes what he sees tonight, he'll go ahead and sit the Big 3 against the Lakers.

So now if the Spurs play well, Pop will sit the Big 3. If the Big 3 is forced to play too many minutes, he'll probably sit the Big 3.

Looks like either way Pop isn't going to play them tomorrow.

Can't say I'm thrilled with that, tbh.

[crc21209]

I would hate that move tbh....

[Mugen]

It'd be a gutless move and i don't agree with it at all.

[TheSkeptic]

At least Splitter will play 20 minutes....

...beside Bonner/Diaw/Blair...Excuse my strong language here, but Pop needs to pull himself together. He's going to be the cause of another premature exit in the playoffs if this keeps up.

[iManu]

They're actually a team without Kobe. I know it's probably nuts, but I feel more afraid of them without him.

[DPG21920]

We Spurs fans love to worry. It's what we do. Here's what's worrying me at the moment:


[SIZE="4"]2. Pop Forfeiting the Wrong Games

After the Suns game, the Spurs face a back-to-back-to-back. Going into the season, I thought it would be wise to forfeit the middle game. But not anymore. That middle game is against the Lakers and there's no way the Spurs should just roll over and die. Going on the road and winning that game would officially get this team back on track. That's not an opportunity Pop can flush down the toilet.

Instead, Pop needs to forfeit the first game of that back-to-back-to-back, which happens to be against RJ and the Warriors. With the Warriors desperate to tank, the Spurs have a good shot of winning that game anyways. (For those not following Tankfest 2012, Golden State basically needs to lose the rest of their games or else they will lose their first round pick to the Jazz.)

After the Lakers game, the Spurs travel to Sacramento. The Kings have been horrible lately so Pop could probably get away with limiting the Big 3's minutes in that game.

.


In an interview before the game against the Warriors, Sean Elliott basically said that even though the Big 3 probably won't play big minutes tonight, he still doesn't expect to see the Big 3 against the Lakers tomorrow night. Since Elliott is so plugged in, there's no doubt he was using some inside info when making that prediction.

What do you think about Pop sitting the Big 3 even if their minutes are limited tonight against Golden State?

[Mugen]

...beside Bonner/Diaw/Blair...Excuse my strong language here, but Pop needs to pull himself together. He's going to be the cause of another premature exit in the playoffs if this keeps up.

Oh no you didn't, girlfriend.

[pgardn]

tbh why do we keep typing tbh...?

Does it mean we wanted to lie in the first place...

I cant take anything from Pops lineups and claim he is in fear. I personally get too confused.

Jesus... slight interruption, is Jefferson playing?

Sorry for the intrusion dont want to start a new post.

[timvp]

DPG, variables change . . .





















:lol JK

Pop is being a coward, tbh.

[ElNono]

Other than losing my sigbet, I don't particularly care, tbh... let's get to the playoffs already

[DAF86]

If they don't play big minutes today, why not play them limited minutes tomorrow as well and use it as glorofied practice session?

[Uriel]

What. The. F.

[DPG21920]

DPG, variables change . . .





















:lol JK

Pop is being a coward, tbh.

I was about to post that....variables, they be a-changing

[GSH]

It's too close to the playoffs. In general, teams that tank games just prior to the end of the regular season don't usually benefit from it. And that's in other sports, not just basketball. And if he really wants to avoid the Lakers as much as possible, the best way looks to be getting the 1 seed.

Besides all that, it can't help but send a message to the team, especially after that last beating. They're people, not robots.

[pgardn]

They're actually a team without Kobe. I know it's probably nuts, but I feel more afraid of them without him.

It appears that MWP has found himself, possibly because of what you state.

[DPG21920]

Pop babies this team too much and it hasn't worked in a long time.

[Bill_Brasky]

They shoulda sat tonight.

[timtonymanu]

Terrible move. We are likely to face them in the playoffs. We should be playing them, not hiding from them.

[CGD]

I agree that health & rest do trump all concerns, but even then I think you have to play the odds with 1st seed still in play. You have 2 bunnies sandwiching a very hard road game, so make sure to pick up the 2 relatively easily games while hopefully giving your starters a chance to pick up some in-game rest to boot.

At some level I do wonder if Pop doesn't want to dent the team's confidence this close the POs in the event the Spurs drop 2 games to the Kobe-less Lakers. No need to also give the Lakers added confidence if we see them in the semis. While there is no doubt the Big 3 are mentally tough and hardened, I still have my doubts about most of those remaining come playoff time.

[DPG21920]

Just have to hope LAC goes 5-1 & LA hits a rough patch. That Mavs game hurt last night.

[baseline bum]

This is bullshit; they need to try like hell to push LA to that 4 seed and not get stuck in the Lakers' half of the bracket. What a fucking moronic move.

[TheSkeptic]

Oh no you didn't, girlfriend.

:lol

Seriously though, this is a terrible move. Let's hope this doesn't happen.

[DPG21920]

Well let's not panic until we see what happens. Just the thought though is annoying.

[Sean Cagney]

MAN this is getting really old already........ F POP.

[MannyIsGod]

This is the wrong wrong wrong move. You don't play not to lose.

[Robz4000]

:lmao Pop

He's sending a message to the whole team that he doesn't think they can beat the Lakers. Second round exit here we come!

[vander]

need dat #1 seed, need LAL to play OKC in round 2

[FromWayDowntown]

If he's hoping to avoid the Lakers, which would be disappointing, functionally forfeiting a game to them doesn't make much sense. In fact, it goes quite a long way to ensuring that the Spurs will be #2 and the Lakers will be #3.

[Uriel]

The thing that really frustrates me about this move is the knowledge that this is compromising our ability to avoid the Lakers in the 2nd round. In all likelihood, the Lakers will end up as the 3 seed, so our best shot at avoiding them will be to get the 1 seed. If the Spurs and Thunder both win out, the Spurs would claim the 1 seed by virtue of the fact that they have the tie breaker.

As such, the goal for the rest of the season (besides staying healthy) should be clear: winning as many games as possible. Given that we're likely to beat the Warriors regardless of who plays, having the full big 3 available tomorrow while sitting them out today gives us the best possible chance of having the highest possible seed while at the same time having adequate rest for the playoffs.

By choosing to do the exact opposite, Pop seems to be ignoring the long term goals of this team.

[DPG21920]

If he's hoping to avoid the Lakers, which would be disappointing, functionally forfeiting a game to them doesn't make much sense. In fact, it goes quite a long way to ensuring that the Spurs will be #2 and the Lakers will be #3.

Which is why it's stupid. He's terrified (seemingly) of LA to the point he has to play games now because of the fear of what a loss without Kobe again will do.

[Keepin' it real]

Because of all the cowardly forfeiting, I hope the Spurs end up having to go through both Memphis and the Lakers. Serves them right.

[ViceCity84]

Why Tiago doesn't get more minutes?
Baffling and troublesome

[ViceCity84]

Tiago again.
Spurs assistant coaches are spineless and dickless.

[ViceCity84]

39 point 1st quarter.

[ViceCity84]

Thought this was the game thread.
Oh well

[timvp]

The Mavs freefalling to the seventh seed. Lakers the 3rd seed. Spurs stuck in the second seed.

Damn, that's the worst possible bracket, tbh.

[ViceCity84]

Lakers are getting 3 seed.Pop resting big 3 vs LA tomorrow will just aid the Lakers.
Pop is helping Lakers for 3 seed and tanking for 2 seed.Nice

[SpurinDallas]

I doubt Pop rests all 3. I'm thinking he is going all in tomorrow, rests the Big 3 in Sacramento, and then goes all in again on Friday. Karma has a way of rearing her ugly head come playoff time when you start doing things like this

[ace3g]

looks like SJAX is going to jack up a lot of shots tonight

[timtonymanu]

The Mavs freefalling to the seventh seed. Lakers the 3rd seed. Spurs stuck in the second seed.

Damn, that's the worst possible bracket, tbh.

Good God. We have to aim for the 1st seed.

[TheSkeptic]

Good God. We have to aim for the 1st seed.

How is that going to happen if we're "resting" our best players every other game? :bang

[Uriel]

How is that going to happen if we're "resting" our best players every other game? :bang

And against the wrong opponents, too. :pctoss

[Stringer_Bell]

I don't mind the Lakers w/ Kobe, but the seeing them after facing in the Mavs in the first would be quite the challenge. Not sure we'd have much in the tank left for OKC. :/

[ducks]

wonder if the the big three will play again tonight

[ernest787]

sounds to me that Pop doesn't care who the Spurs get in the first/second round

he obviously knows the score and realizes by sitting them the chances of the 2nd seed is pretty high

that being said, either he has lost his mind and doesn't think his team can win and is pulling a "let the chips fall where they may," or he is confident that the Spurs can beat any team they have to face in the playoffs

i'm more so hoping it's the second, because if you're only hope of winning a title is to try and alter match ups because you're afraid of playing a team then you are in trouble anyway.

[ducks]

now s goes on 8-0 run

[ducks]

clippers and thunder tonight one will lose
go clippers

[therealtruth]

Pop babies this team too much and it hasn't worked in a long time.

Might as well just forfeit all games until the playoffs. Everyone will be fully healthy and rested. Also it's also an excellent way to get out of the big and scary Lakers bracket. If Pop is really concerned about rust he can just play them in the last game of the season.

[Solid D]

Meanwhile Kevin Seraphin, Mo Evans and John Wall beat the Bulls.

[therealtruth]

I doubt Pop rests all 3. I'm thinking he is going all in tomorrow, rests the Big 3 in Sacramento, and then goes all in again on Friday. Karma has a way of rearing her ugly head come playoff time when you start doing things like this

It's not good to mess with the basketball gods.

[thispego]

I bet cash money they all start and play tomorrow

[Josepatches_]

I hope they play.

If not likely we'll be 2nd so we'll face the Lakers in the second round after 2 losses and without minutes to know how it works Tiago/Duncan against them. ...not the best situation.

[SpurinDallas]

I bet cash money they all start and play tomorrow

I'm with you :toast

[elemento]

They will play tomorrow I am damn sure about it. No way in hell Pop will rest them against the Lakers after the pathetic performance we had against them.
Pop is not a pussie. He has never been one.

[siraulo23]

And if he really wants to avoid the Lakers as much as possible, the best way looks to be getting the 1 seed.

Besides all that, it can't help but send a message to the team, especially after that last beating. They're people, not robots.

beat the kobe-less lakers and so the clippers have a shot at no 3

[tmtcsc]

I think Pop's scared shitless of the Lakers, and he's going to pray that someone else takes care of them in the playoffs.

:tu

Unbelievable. Well, at least we know why the team plays like a bunch of pussies against LA. It starts at the top. Not only should they rest against the Lakers, they should get a Pilates instructor to teach them how to find a corner in a room and roll in to a ball.

That's pretty fucking ridiculous. They should be concerned with two games the rest of the way: How to beat the Lakers and get over their mental shortcomings.

He pulled this same shit last year against the Lakers right ? Then decided to gang up on the Suns.

[bklynspursfan]

big 3 not playing this half now? I can't imagine he rests them tomorrow

[tmtcsc]

They will play tomorrow I am damn sure about it. No way in hell Pop will rest them against the Lakers after the pathetic performance we had against them.
Pop is not a pussie. He has never been one.

See last year's schedule when he rested the big 3 against the Lakers and decided to play them against a Phoenix team that didn't make the playoffs.

El Pinoche Grande.

[ernest787]

:tu

Unbelievable. Well, at least we know why the team plays like a bunch of pussies against LA. It starts at the top. Not only should they rest against the Lakers, they should get a Pilates instructor to teach them how to find a corner in a room and roll in to a ball.

That's pretty fucking ridiculous. They should be concerned with two games the rest of the way: How to beat the Lakers and get over their mental shortcomings.

He pulled this same shit last year against the Lakers right ? Then decided to gang up on the Suns.

this logic makes no sense. if he was scared of the Lakers then he would try to beat them to avoid them in the playoffs. by resting the big three he is setting up a matchup between the two in the second round

i'm not saying i agree with resting the big three, but this decision has nothing to do with not wanting to face the lake show in the PO or hoping someone else beats them

[ducks]

Meanwhile Kevin Seraphin, Mo Evans and John Wall beat the Bulls.

15 losses for bulls
16 for spurs
16 for thunder
go clippers

[tmtcsc]

this logic makes no sense. if he was scared of the Lakers then he would try to beat them to avoid them in the playoffs. by resting the big three he is setting up a matchup between the two in the second round

i'm not saying i agree with resting the big three, but this decision has nothing to do with not wanting to face the lake show in the PO or hoping someone else beats them

If he doesn't play them tomorrow, Pop is admitting he doesn't believe they'll win either way and is more concerned with preserving their fragile psyches in case they DO face them in the playoffs. The fact that they are sitting in the second half is giving me some hope that he'll play them tomorrow.

[Koolaid_Man]

In an interview before the game against the Warriors, Sean Elliott basically said that even though the Big 3 probably won't play big minutes tonight, he still doesn't expect to see the Big 3 against the Lakers tomorrow night. Since Elliott is so plugged in, there's no doubt he was using some inside info when making that prediction.

What do you think about Pop sitting the Big 3 even if their minutes are limited tonight against Golden State?

:lmao @ Sean Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_..wa sn't he Kobe's shit stain before Bowen :lol..I forget

[dbreiden83080]

The whole avoiding them in the playoffs thing to me is a little over-rated. If the Lakers can beat the Spurs they can beat OKC. Lakers are big underdogs to win it all this year. Spurs are a hell of a lot better than what they showed last time..

[Koolaid_Man]

The whole avoiding them in the playoffs thing to me is a little over-rated. If the Lakers can beat the Spurs they can beat OKC. Lakers are big underdogs to win it all this year. Spurs are a hell of a lot better than what they showed last time..


whatever you say :lol

[dbreiden83080]

whatever you say :lol

If they lose they lose.... Spurs didn't win 4 titles being afraid to play someone..

[The_Worlds_finest]

when is pop going to let them get into playoff gear????

[Josepatches_]

We are 1st seed now.We should play to win

[Brutalis]

3 games.. 3 nights.. 2 wins at a loss to LA proves nothing and that's why the media cries wolf on the Spurs. At least we are held to a higher standard.

[DAF86]

Now I don't know if I want to go all out against LA :lol

[GSH]

Pop plays this game that if the Spurs lose without their Big 3, it doesn't prove anything. And there are times that's true. Tomorrow isn't one of those times.

[ElNono]

You guys are not thinking big picture... if they play tomorrow, they're going to be too tired for next year's 50+ win regular season.

[Splits]

I predict all this boohooing is BS and Pop will play the Big 3 full minutes tomorrow, until we're up 30 mid-3rd and we'll just coast like we did tonight. Lakers are one or two beatdowns away from self-imploding, and we've got the chance to step on their throats.

[timvp]

Let's see, the Lakers have one fewer loss than the Clippers plus the tiebreaker.

The Lakers have the Spurs twice, OKC at home and two byes (GS and Sac). That's probably two losses.

The Clippers have @Den, @PHX, NO, @ATL, @NYK. None of those games are going to be very easy. Even NO is playing well. @ATL might be tanking to avoid the Celtics but that might be the only tanking team they play. There are probably two losses in there.

OKC has @PHX, @SAC, @LAL, SAC, DEN. The two SAC games are wins. Those other three games are pretty tough. One or two losses, tbh.







I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.

That said, I'd probably still rather the Spurs just try to win it.

[Sean Cagney]

Starters rested a wholllllllle lot tonight, so what will his excuse be now? If he rests them he is a flat out coward.

[ducks]

I think duncan wants revenge. I think the big three atleast play the first half
if it close they might play in second half if they get done early big they sit and go all out against kings

[gambit1990]

i expect to see the big 3 tomorrow. or at least two of them.

[ducks]

sj also wants reverage

[Splits]

I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.


I can't believe you still think we're going to forfeit in LA tomorrow after none of the big 3 played more than 15 minutes tonight. No freaking way that is in Pop's plan. We're going all out tomorrow night, and we will bootstomp them.

[Duncan2177]

Spurs afraid of the lakers? Cmon the piston and kings beat the lakers this season for christ sakes. :lol

[Sean Cagney]

Now I don't know if I want to go all out against LA :lol

Why would you not want to? Seriously?
Let's see, the Lakers have one fewer loss than the Clippers plus the tiebreaker.

The Lakers have the Spurs twice, OKC at home and two byes (GS and Sac). That's probably two losses.

The Clippers have @Den, @PHX, NO, @ATL, @NYK. None of those games are going to be very easy. Even NO is playing well. @ATL might be tanking to avoid the Celtics but that might be the only tanking team they play. There are probably two losses in there.

OKC has @PHX, @SAC, @LAL, SAC, DEN. The two SAC games are wins. Those other three games are pretty tough. One or two losses, tbh.







I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.

That said, I'd probably still rather the Spurs just try to win it.

Spurs players did not pay a whole lot tonight though, so why rest them? I don't get it? Rest two vs Sac yeah I can see that! But to rest them tomorrow and tank makes zero since to me personally. I would rather them play to win.

[DAF86]

Play them limited minutes and see what happens. It's a win-win situation no matter what.

[timvp]

I can't believe you still think we're going to forfeit in LA tomorrow after none of the big 3 played more than 15 minutes tonight. No freaking way that is in Pop's plan. We're going all out tomorrow night, and we will bootstomp them.

Sean Elliott specifically said that even if the starters play minimal minutes tonight, Pop will likely still sit them tomorrow night. Maybe the Big 3 can beg their way into the game but Elliott saying that means the coaches were planning on the Lakers game being a forfeit no matter what happened.

[GSH]

The Lakers have the Spurs twice, OKC at home and two byes (GS and Sac). That's probably two losses.

I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.

That said, I'd probably still rather the Spurs just try to win it.


That's only two losses for the Lakers if the Spurs beat them once. If the Spurs forfeit the first one, that sort of narrows things down, doesn't it?

[therealtruth]

The whole avoiding them in the playoffs thing to me is a little over-rated. If the Lakers can beat the Spurs they can beat OKC. Lakers are big underdogs to win it all this year. Spurs are a hell of a lot better than what they showed last time..

That's not how matchups work. They're not transitive.

[Sean Cagney]

Play them limited minutes and see what happens. It's a win-win situation no matter what.

Eh No it's really not, if we lose we lose and then are #2 again. You guys are seriously thinking tank this game? FOR WHAT? WHY? I agree play them first to see what happens, get down too far yank them, have a lead play to win! I hope they play to win.
Sean Elliott specifically said that even if the starters play minimal minutes tonight, Pop will likely still sit them tomorrow night. Maybe the Big 3 can beg their way into the game but Elliott saying that means the coaches were planning on the Lakers game being a forfeit no matter what happened.

Thats some pussy shyt, I will not watch it nor give them my support tomorrow if that happens! Thats straight coward stuff right there after limited mins tonight and we all know it. Pop outhinking himself here again, once again thinking he is smart. I can't co sign this crap, sorry. Forfeit for what? To give them more confidence and get us back to #2 see and make them the #3 more than likely, yeah that makes sense.

[DAF86]

Why would you not want to? Seriously?

Because if we beat them, they may fall to the 4th position and if we play the big three big minutes and still lose, the Sacramento game suddenly turns into a very dangerous one.

Either way, I would still play everybody tomorrow.

[therealtruth]

If they lose they lose.... Spurs didn't win 4 titles being afraid to play someone..

In '07 they were scared of the Mavs. I heard some Spurs players actually called the Warriors to thank them for taking them out.

[NASpurs]

I think we're going to get one of these from Pop tomorrow. Someone should photoshop a troll face on Pop.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/293-gregg-popovich-thumbs-up.png

[Splits]

Sean Elliott specifically said that even if the starters play minimal minutes tonight, Pop will likely still sit them tomorrow night. Maybe the Big 3 can beg their way into the game but Elliott saying that means the coaches were planning on the Lakers game being a forfeit no matter what happened.

Well, I had the GS announcers on LP and didn't hear it, but even so I can't envision that happening. Sean is tied in and all, but he can be used as a pawn in Pop's 3D chess game just as easily as he can be a reliable source. I expect tomorrow night to be a playoff game mentality. We'll find out soon enough!

[DAF86]

Eh No it's really not, if we lose we lose and then are #2 again. You guys are seriously thinking tank this game? FOR WHAT? WHY? I agree play them first to see what happens, get down too far yank them, have a lead play to win! I hope they play to win.

Number two but tied in the loss column owning the tie-breaker, with games that we should win the rest of the way (including the one against LA at home) and with OKC with a very hard schedule and struggling.

[Robz4000]

Spurs should go out and try to win tomorrow. If they do, they can decide whether or not to tank the Friday game against LA to try to keep them in the 3 spot. Also I'm not too sure that road game against the Kings is a gimme unless they go into full-tank mode. Considering these may be the last games they play in Sacramento, I can't see them doing that.

[GSH]

Tim is lobbying to play tomorrow in the post-game.

[Uriel]

Mike Monroe ‏ @Monroe_SA
I expect #RealCoachPop to suit up everyone tomorrow vs. #Lakers; No Big 3 played more than 14:32 in blowout in Oakland

[timvp]

Sean is tied in and all, but he can be used as a pawn in Pop's 3D chess game just as easily as he can be a reliable source. I expect tomorrow night to be a playoff game mentality. We'll find out soon enough!

It's possible. Elliott was oddly specific about details so he obviously heard something. Maybe it changes ... guess we'll see.

[Splits]

Tim is lobbying to play tomorrow in the post-game.

Either the players are very good actors or even they don't know in advance who is going to play when in a unique b2b2b situation. Which leads me to believe Sean doesn't know either, is just speculating.

[Reck]

They should play and avoid a 40 point loss embarrassment.

[ducks]

pop might want them to think big three will not play and they will be bummer then they see them in the lineup and go now what

[Mugen]

Play for the 1 seed.

I can see the Lakers finishing 4-1 down the stretch and locking up the 3 seed. Split the games against LA and try your best to win all the other games.

Might even get lucky and have OKC drop another 1 or 2 games.

[timvp]

pop might want them to think big three will not play and they will be bummer then they see them in the lineup and go now what

CIA Ducks on CIA Pop.

Classic.

[Josepatches_]

I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.

That said, I'd probably still rather the Spurs just try to win it.

Yeah,but we should defeat them in the next game. If we lose both then 1st seed could go to OKC.

So why not try to win tomorrow and then we can forget the second one? We should win one of two. It's better to have 2 chances than only one.

Of course OKC could lose more games so we could lose both vs Lakers but we don't know that. We only know we'll be the 1st seed if we only lose one game.

[DesignatedT]

OKC would have to drop 1 game if we split LA. If OKC some how loses 2 games then we are golden.

[GrandeDavid]

In an interview before the game against the Warriors, Sean Elliott basically said that even though the Big 3 probably won't play big minutes tonight, he still doesn't expect to see the Big 3 against the Lakers tomorrow night. Since Elliott is so plugged in, there's no doubt he was using some inside info when making that prediction.

What do you think about Pop sitting the Big 3 even if their minutes are limited tonight against Golden State?

I think that Jerry Buss might imitate Steve Sarver tomorrow night.

[GSH]

Play for the 1 seed.

I can see the Lakers finishing 4-1 down the stretch and locking up the 3 seed. Split the games against LA and try your best to win all the other games.

Might even get lucky and have OKC drop another 1 or 2 games.


Heh... if he was really CIA Pop, he would tank ALL of the remaining games, and fall to the 4 seed. Then meet Memphis in the first round, OKC in the second, and whoever is left in the WCF.

[Bruno]

A Thunder win over Clippers would have made it obvious than trying to win the game @Lakers was the right move with Pop having been able to limit a lot minutes played against GS.

With the Clippers win, the situation is now damn complex. There are just too much parameters to know what the right move is. I'm fine with with Pop tanking or trying to win the game against Lakers because I don't have a clue about what he should do.

[Mugen]

OKC would have to drop 1 game if we split LA. If OKC some how loses 2 games then we are golden.

It's def possible. Phoenix/LA/Denver all fighting to make the playoffs and for better seeding.

OKC hasn't been playing their best ball. Spurs need to split the LA games and win the games they're supposed to win then they are in good shape.

[timvp]

Something else to consider: the Kings have two days of rest before the Spurs arrive in town. The Spurs on the third night of a b2b2b vs. a Kings team who didn't travel plus had two days off could be more difficult that it appears at first glance.

That may be another reason why Pop is (allegedly) leaning toward tanking tomorrow night.

[Josepatches_]

OKC would have to drop 1 game if we split LA. If OKC some how loses 2 games then we are golden.


If we lose only one game vs LA we'll have the 1st seed because we have the tiebreaker.

[DesignatedT]

Man that's a tough call for tomorrow.

[DesignatedT]

If we lose only one game vs LA we'll have the 1st seed because we have the tiebreaker.

Assuming OKC loses another game as well.

[Mugen]

Then again, out of the last 3 Laker games, the closest one was the one when the Big 3 sat :lol

[Cant_Be_Faded]

It will be a punk move

Play to win

[DesignatedT]

It's very possible IMO that OKC just runs the table from here on out and in that case we should just do everything possible to knock LA down to 4. I mean I have no idea what to do.

[GSH]

Something else to consider: the Kings have two days of rest before the Spurs arrive in town. The Spurs on the third night of a b2b2b vs. a Kings team who didn't travel plus had two days off could be more difficult that it appears at first glance.

That may be another reason why Pop is (allegedly) leaning toward tanking tomorrow night.


That's a good point. Cousins will be a handfull, and the Kings have a bunch of guys who can flat go off. Come in a little tired and flat, and that could easily be one of those surprise L's.

[Robz4000]

Assuming OKC loses another game as well.
Spurs have one less loss than OKC. OKC would have to win out and the Spurs would need to drop two for them to take the #1 seed.

[Mel_13]

Assuming OKC loses another game as well.

No, for OKC to win the West the Spurs must lose 2 more games than Thunder over the course of the remaining games.

[Man In Black]

What makes me laugh is the perception that the Spurs have gone pussified against the LAL thinking that the LAL will play this share the ball O and play Bynum as option 1 when Bean comes back.
:lmao
It's not the Spurs or Pop that's soft...its the fans that crave a REG season victory. Fuck that...its about playoff victories and this team has the best team going in.
They ain't underdogs against the LAL. Health is more important. The Big 3 will play but win or lose Tuesday, I just don't think that the LAL can beat the Spurs 4 out of 7 with the big 3 healthy.

[letmk]

When considering the seeding, keep in mind that it's very unlikely that Pop will play big 3 in the last 2 games. So unless OKC free fall till the end of the season, we're very unlikely to get the No.1 seed.

[Josepatches_]

Something else to consider: the Kings have two days of rest before the Spurs arrive in town. The Spurs on the third night of a b2b2b vs. a Kings team who didn't travel plus had two days off could be more difficult that it appears at first glance.

That may be another reason why Pop is (allegedly) leaning toward tanking tomorrow night.

Sure but would it be more difficult that game or to defeat the Lakers at our home?? I like our chances in SAC even in a b2b2b.
If we lose tomorrow we should win the rest of the regular games. If we win we could lose at least one.

Against SAC it would be a b2b2b for our bench anyway and playing more minutes like they usually play tonight and tomorrow .

Yes,we are deep but...It's not easy.

[MannyIsGod]

Something else to consider: the Kings have two days of rest before the Spurs arrive in town. The Spurs on the third night of a b2b2b vs. a Kings team who didn't travel plus had two days off could be more difficult that it appears at first glance.

That may be another reason why Pop is (allegedly) leaning toward tanking tomorrow night.

:lol

I see you've moved past anger and grief into acceptance and rationalization.

[timvp]

:lol

I see you've moved past anger and grief into acceptance and rationalization.

With Popotank and the quick turnarounds, gotta move quickly through the grieving process, tbh :lol

[DesignatedT]

No, for OKC to win the West the Spurs must lose 2 more games than Thunder over the course of the remaining games.

Oh ok. Even better.

[Spurs4#5]

Who gives a shit if they play or not...rather them not force the issue in a meaningless game...i think the only ones that fear the Lakers are some of the people that post on here...i think we would dominate the Lakers in the postseason

[Whisky Dog]

If we're worried about dodging people then we don't have the heart of a champion.

[Cane]

It would be typical Pop to rest the Big 3 against the Lakers on national TV, but like the Fresh Prince meme (http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmm3edWoLK1qh55zko1_400.jpg)says: I wouldn't even be mad if that happened.

A win or loss against a Kobe-less Lakers would basically be fool's gold

Although staying another step ahead of OKC and winning is always nice too :flag:

[timvp]

If we're worried about dodging people then we don't have the heart of a champion.

It's funny you use that wording because Rudy T and the "Heart of a Champion" 1995 Rockets tanked their final three games so they could avoid playing the Sonics in the first round. Those Sonics owned that Rockets team; their fullcourt press defense didn't allow Houston to get into their Olajuwon-centric inside-out sets so Seattle curbstomped them on a regular basis.

Nobody remembers dodging or tanking after you lift that trophy in the air, tbh.

[SA210]

F Pop!!!!

[ElNono]

I thought Sacto was in full tank mode? Now we have to worry about them?

Damn the :downspin: is in full effect...

[jjktkk]

F Pop!!!!

:cry:cry:cry:cry

[ElNono]

timvp starting to sound like Mike Monroe...

Two days ago: Spurs should tank the GSW game!!!!!

Today: "Pop knew the Clippers had a shot at beating OKC, so going full blast against the Warriors turned out to be another genius move by the legendary coach"

:lol

[Arc]

i seriously hope he doesn't pull this shit. i can easily see this happening:

pop's gonna sit the big three out tomorrow. we get destroyed.
then we lose the next game against them in a close one. #2 again.
thunder will win out. finish #1.
the lakers will stay #3.
in the second round, we lose the first two games to the lakers. panic mode setting in, pop tries to play duncan and splitter together, but they have no chemistry because they didn't play together all season. we lose to the lakers. possible sweep.

remember this well my friends: if you're a pussy, you get fcked.

[jjktkk]

If Pop really wants to get in the Laker's heads, he should sit Matty out.

[SA210]

i seriously hope he doesn't pull this shit. i can easily see this happening:

pop's gonna sit the big three out tomorrow. we get destroyed.
then we lose the next game against them in a close one. #2 again.
thunder will win out. finish #1.
the lakers will stay #3.
in the second round, we lose the first two games to the lakers. panic mode setting in, pop tries to play duncan and splitter together, but they have no chemistry because they didn't play together all season. we lose to the lakers. possible sweep.

remember this well my friends: if you're a pussy, you get fcked.

You forgot that Pop and the media afterward will then use this as an excuse as to why Splitter never played with Duncan.

[TheSkeptic]

You forgot that Pop and the media afterward will then use this as an excuse as to why Splitter never played with Duncan.

*ahem* Then there's also the matter of Splitter eventually going to Houston as a free agent (and beasting) while the Spurs are left with a frontline of Duncan+Bonner+Blair. :D

Since we're painting worst-case scenarios and all.

[Obstructed_View]

It's funny you use that wording because Rudy T and the "Heart of a Champion" 1995 Rockets tanked their final three games so they could avoid playing the Sonics in the first round. Those Sonics owned that Rockets team; their fullcourt press defense didn't allow Houston to get into their Olajuwon-centric inside-out sets so Seattle curbstomped them on a regular basis.

Nobody remembers dodging or tanking after you lift that trophy in the air, tbh.

They also tanked to give their players some rest. If memory serves they were widely criticized for such a bush-league tactic. Back then you actually had to have a reason to deactivate a player, and they just made up injuries.

[SA210]

*ahem* Then there's also the matter of Splitter eventually going to Houston as a free agent (and beasting) while the Spurs are left with a frontline of Duncan+Bonner+Blair. :D

Since we're painting worst-case scenarios and all.

Then we draft another star who we think might make up for that from overseas, we think he'll have an impact his first year and play...but then Pop happens. then we think the 2nd year will be better...Fans will still say then "but he has 4 rings"

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

They also tanked to give their players some rest. If memory serves they were widely criticized for such a bush-league tactic. Back then you actually had to have a reason to deactivate a player, and they just made up injuries.

They did play their cards correctly, no doubt about it. Being a champion suggests much more than hitting stone walls with your head.

With the way things stand in the West right now I doubt the Spurs, Lakers, Clippers or Thunder would want to separate themselves and claim a position early, as match-ups are really important and obviously everyone would prefer playing Denver/Houston/Utah over Dallas in the first round and Clippers/Memphis in the second over Thunder/Lakers/Spurs. Putting your main rivals in the opposite bracket is more important than the position in the standings right now.

[angelbelow]

I see no reason to intentionally tank any of the games. If the big 3 happen to play 35+ minutes against the Lakers, then we can consider sitting them against the Kings.


It's funny you use that wording because Rudy T and the "Heart of a Champion" 1995 Rockets tanked their final three games so they could avoid playing the Sonics in the first round. Those Sonics owned that Rockets team; their fullcourt press defense didn't allow Houston to get into their Olajuwon-centric inside-out sets so Seattle curbstomped them on a regular basis.

Nobody remembers dodging or tanking after you lift that trophy in the air, tbh.

Cool example, I didn't really follow the NBA until 1997, but even then I was pretty young.

However, with the current standings (and assuming they end this way), we should be aiming for 1st place. To play Utah/Phx/Hou in the first round would be awesome. Then we play the winner of LA Clippers and Memphis. Memphis won't be an easy opponent, but I'd prefer them over the Lakers and the Mavericks. And if we get a little lucky, Denver sneaks up on 5th and we play the winner of Denver vs. LA Clippers. Or the Clippers manage to beat the Grizzles in their 1st round match up.

[temujin]

The Lakers are playing some of the best basketball of their season lately, and, not coincidentally, that is without Bryant.
They share the ball, they defend and they hand the ball to their bigs a lot, who are the real strength. Plus Artest who's scoring at a high % lately.
With Bryant (.43% from 2 and .299% from 3), I have seen more than once Brown needing to call a TO to tell him to please NOT ignore the two bigs, even against lineups that were no bigger than 6'8. RIdiculous. He gets his 25 shots no matter what.
If Bryant is out, I would sit the 3 -actually, I would keep them in Sacramento.
It might be a good excercise for Diaw and Splitter to go out against the two bigs. And if this team has heart, it might turn out like that game lost @Dallas which might be considered now as one of the turning point of the season.

Plus, if Spurs win tonight, and at SA, Lakers might well end up 4th.
You want to lock them in the 3 position. And it will be difficult for the Spurs to lose a game other than @Phoenix, even sitting the 3.

[roycrikside]

I think Pop got lucky. Now, forfeiting tomorrow isn't such a horrible move. Even after a forfeit, the Spurs still have the inside track at the number one seed. Giving the Lakers a win helps them stay at 3. So .............. damn, forfeiting isn't the horrible move it was 30 minutes ago, tbh.

That said, I'd probably still rather the Spurs just try to win it.

I still think they should go for the best record possible. Staying ahead of OKC shouldn't be the only objective, but also Miami. The Heat are still one of the two or three best home teams and a mediocre road team. I still think the Heat are the favorites to come out of the East, so why not get home court against them? Spurs had HCA in every Final they won, so I think there's something to it.

[benefactor]

Play the Big 3. Why? Because fuck the Lakers.

[TJastal]

this logic makes no sense. if he was scared of the Lakers then he would try to beat them to avoid them in the playoffs. by resting the big three he is setting up a matchup between the two in the second round

i'm not saying i agree with resting the big three, but this decision has nothing to do with not wanting to face the lake show in the PO or hoping someone else beats them

Let's just call it what it is, regardless of the consequences down the road... it's a coward move.

But Pop is arrogant enough to think his bench still has enough of a chance of still winning the game even without the big 3. Likely the spurs will still lose the game and in the process jeapordize their hard fought #1 seed to OKC.

This is one of those "calculated" risks Pop loves to come up with (he thinks he's being clever) that usually backfires in some way.

[TheChillFactor]

After last year's fiasco I just hope everyone is healthy for the playoffs.

[Fireball]

Big Three played many b2bs this year ... play this one as well and then rest them against Sacramento ...

[TJastal]

I still think they should go for the best record possible. Staying ahead of OKC shouldn't be the only objective, but also Miami. The Heat are still one of the two or three best home teams and a mediocre road team. I still think the Heat are the favorites to come out of the East, so why not get home court against them? Spurs had HCA in every Final they won, so I think there's something to it.

Well home court is overrated these days apparently. Just not what it once was. Word.

[z0sa]

Pop is a huge troll so we'll probably see no big 3 tonight and then 35+ minutes of Parker and Duncan tomorrow.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Big Three played many b2bs this year ... play this one as well and then rest them against Sacramento ...

If the object is to avoid the Lakers, why would you do that? Beating them pushes them towards #4 and us towards #1. We essentially have a two game lead on OKC now with the tiebreaker.

[SpursFan0728]

If the object is to avoid the Lakers, why would you do that? Beating them pushes them towards #4 and us towards #1. We essentially have a two game lead on OKC now with the tiebreaker.

Because the more we win right now, the more control we could have on our seeding at the final few games...we could choose to tank games at the end according to certain outcome. U can control losing but u can't control winning.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Because the more we win right now, the more control we could have on our seeding at the final few games...we could choose to tank games at the end according to certain outcome. U can control losing but u can't control winning.

That's one way of looking at it. How about if we beat the lakers twice making them slip to 4th, while OKC lose another couple of games - that'd leave the Spurs locked for 1st and even if they wanted to tank, it'd depend on whether OKC want the 2nd or 1st seed, so basically it would depend on them as well. Worst case scenario would be the Spurs locking up 1st while Lakers slip to 4th and Dallas slip to 8th, in this case there's no way whatsoever OKC pushes for 1st.

The smart thing to do is to be within a single game of OKC until the very last day of the season.

[timvp]

timvp starting to sound like Mike Monroe...

Two days ago: Spurs should tank the GSW game!!!!!

Today: "Pop knew the Clippers had a shot at beating OKC, so going full blast against the Warriors turned out to be another genius move by the legendary coach"

:lol

:lol

I still don't know why Pop didn't sit the Big 3 completely against the Warriors. If you can't beat a team that is starting four rookies who desperately needs to tank to keep their first round pick, you don't deserve homecourt advantage. IMO, Pop should have forfeited Warriors game (probably still would have gotten a W), go all out for Lakers game and then limited Big 3 vs. Kings.

But for whatever reason, I think Pop doesn't want to the Big 3 to play the Lakers. It makes no sense to me. The only way it could make sense in Pop's mind is if: 1) He is okay with a loss because it could help move the Lakers to the other side of the bracket, or 2) Pop thinks the Kings are going to be more difficult than they appear on paper, or 3) Pop doesn't want to risk a confidence killer by losing against the Lakers again.

[Drom John]

Beating the Lakers ups the chance of a 1-4 rematch.
Losing to the Lakers ups the chance of a 2-3 rematch.
I'd rather treat this as the middle of a back to back to back.
OTOH, I'd like to see a repeat of the playing time against the Warriors.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Because the more we win right now, the more control we could have on our seeding at the final few games...we could choose to tank games at the end according to certain outcome. U can control losing but u can't control winning.

??? We're IN the last few games.

[Beanzamillion21]

I feel like Pop can get away with poo pooing on Portland and Utah, If he benches the Big3 on this scale the Media will have a field day about it.

[emanueldavidginobili]

As Herm Edwards said "We play to win the game!!" The goal is to win a NBA championship and we need home court advantage throughout the playoffs to achieve that, It will be very difficult to beat Heat/Bulls without HCA

[SA210]

Let's just call it what it is, regardless of the consequences down the road... it's a coward move.

But Pop is arrogant enough to think his bench still has enough of a chance of still winning the game even without the big 3. Likely the spurs will still lose the game and in the process jeapordize their hard fought #1 seed to OKC.

This is one of those "calculated" risks Pop loves to come up with (he thinks he's being clever) that usually backfires in some way.

[Splits]

I said it earlier, but this game will be treated like a playoff prep. We go all out to win.

[mando6599]

I think that in order to stay atop the Western Conf. we need to stay in attack mode. The Spurs have been playing some of their best ball that I've seen in a while this entire shortened season. Before Pop pulled the Big 3 for Utah, we were rolling. Because of that pull though, we suffered physically and mentally for LAL. Not good IMO.

So Pop, play the Big 3, but not big minutes and see where the chips may fall tonight.

[bklynspursfan]

For the love of God I hope Dejuan is not starting. And if he is, I really hope Pop doesn't put him on Bynum again. That's a nightmare waiting to happen.

[cheguevara]

:lmao the butthurt on this thread

Pop is a pimp

[silverblk mystix]

:lmao the butthurt on this thread

Pop is a fuckin' coward!

fify

[cheguevara]

LOL mad

[SpursFan0728]

??? We're IN the last few games.

...there are 6-7 games left
Clippers are 1 game behind Lakers
We are currently tie with OKC

There are still lots to pan out

[jiggy_55]

Beating the Lakers ups the chance of a 1-4 rematch.
Losing to the Lakers ups the chance of a 2-3 rematch.
I'd rather treat this as the middle of a back to back to back.
OTOH, I'd like to see a repeat of the playing time against the Warriors.

a 1-1 split in our remaining 2 games may be the best odds of keeping the Spurs as the 1st seed and Lakers as the 2nd seed.. that means losing tonight and beating them at home in a few days.. However if I'm Pop I still go all out to win tonight's game and if they win, rest the Tim and Manu against Sacramento..

[Seventyniner]

I actually support the move. Playing the big 3 normal to heavy minutes and losing anyway is the worst-case scenario; then the big 3 are tired going into Sacto on top of thr loss.

Is it possible that Pop would sit Tim and Manu, but let Parker play 30-35 min to shake the demons of the last Lakers game? Pop could tell Tony "look, you are THE MAN tonight, and you have to be aggressive all night." Then Pop could limit Parker's minutes against the Kings, or just sit him altogether.

[ElNono]

But for whatever reason, I think Pop doesn't want to the Big 3 to play the Lakers. It makes no sense to me. The only way it could make sense in Pop's mind is if: 1) He is okay with a loss because it could help move the Lakers to the other side of the bracket, or 2) Pop thinks the Kings are going to be more difficult than they appear on paper, or 3) Pop doesn't want to risk a confidence killer by losing against the Lakers again.

The thing is, if there's a set of players on the Spurs whose confidence shouldn't be burned by a mere regular season game or two, it's the big 3.

I think, if anything, is that he knows Lakers-Spurs games are played balls out, and wants to avoid one of the big 3 getting hurt by going all out on a meaningless game. It's scared, coward stuff, IMO, but it's the only semi-rational argument I can come up with.

[SenorSpur]

In the pregame discussion with Bill Land, Elliott basically said that if Pop likes what he sees tonight, he'll go ahead and sit the Big 3 against the Lakers.

So now if the Spurs play well, Pop will sit the Big 3. If the Big 3 is forced to play too many minutes, he'll probably sit the Big 3.

Looks like either way Pop isn't going to play them tomorrow.

Can't say I'm thrilled with that, tbh.

This makes no sense. Why not play them tonight and sit them versus the Queens? Could this be CIA Pop in action again?

[101A]

this makes no sense. Why not play them tonight and sit them versus the queens? Could this be cia pop in action again?


1 loss > 2 losses

[DesignatedT]

It has been stated many times but that game tomorrow @SAC has trap written all over it if we go balls out tonight in a tough game.

[Martin R]

If I was Pop I would go "all in" tonight BUT, in the case the Big 3 struggle in the first half, I just sit them the rest of the game and start enjoying cheerleader asses.

[Bartleby]

It has been stated many times but that game tomorrow @SAC has trap written all over it if we go balls out tonight in a tough game.

I'm not sure SAC is going to put up that much of a fight. They beat Portland the other night, but they're 2-8 in their last 10 games and they have to be thinking about their lottery position at this point.

[Old School 44]

That's one way of looking at it. How about if we beat the lakers twice making them slip to 4th, while OKC lose another couple of games - that'd leave the Spurs locked for 1st and even if they wanted to tank, it'd depend on whether OKC want the 2nd or 1st seed, so basically it would depend on them as well. Worst case scenario would be the Spurs locking up 1st while Lakers slip to 4th and Dallas slip to 8th, in this case there's no way whatsoever OKC pushes for 1st.

The smart thing to do is to be within a single game of OKC until the very last day of the season.

^This. I posted something similar in another thread. Try to stay even with OKC until the last day and then tank or win the last game to control which half of the bracket you want to be in. The Spurs play one of the league's last games of the season against Golden State @ 10:30 pacific. Hopefully, the 3/4 seeds are determined by then, since the Lakers also have their final game at 10:30 vs. the Kings.

Personally, I wish the NBA would just scrap the the playoff seeding format and let the team with the best record pick from 5-8 and then the 2nd seed can pick from what's leftover....and so on. This might help with some of the playoff position tanking.

[DesignatedT]

The Spurs would have a hard time losing to golden state the last game of the season. Even if they try to lose :lol

[spursfanincolorado]

I feel like you play every game full strength... Chemistry being first and foremost. One of the Big Three can get injured in any game so it's silly to try and rest them overly cautiously on one or the other. Phoenix last year being one example.

I think you blend all the player's minutes effectively and try a few smarter rotations and get the bench to play some with the Big Three and each other.

I think tanking games is really dumb - like many have said you want to beat the best, not hide from teams....

[Jumi]

If Pop sits the Big 3 vs. LA tonite, then this season's over! There's no reasons to sit them because of fatigue! They played less than 15 minutes last nite! After that ass kickin LA placed on them in San Antonio, any competitor worth his salt would relish a chance for payback. Stop with all the "over analysis" of this situation! Sit em vs Sac and call it a day. Sit em tonite and this team has no heart! Sometimes you gotta show some pride!! Damn! I can't believe we're even having this conversation after that ass kickin! At least put up a fight!

[Splits]

The books currently have the Spurs favored by 3.5 tonight. They must be assuming a full Spurs squad vs. Kobeless Fakers. If this number jumps suddenly in favor of the bad guys, it most likely means word has leaked that the Spurs will rest players.

[Jumi]

I can't be the only one who thinks this is gutless. We have the Kings next! The freakin Kings! We could beat them with our bench. If they win tonite, the game tomorrow doesn't matter! Trot out the youngsters and let them go at it!

[mando6599]

I feel like you play every game full strength... Chemistry being first and foremost. One of the Big Three can get injured in any game so it's silly to try and rest them overly cautiously on one or the other. Phoenix last year being one example.

I think you blend all the player's minutes effectively and try a few smarter rotations and get the bench to play some with the Big Three and each other.

I think tanking games is really dumb - like many have said you want to beat the best, not hide from teams....

I agree with your sentiments exactly.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Sorry folks but on a B2B2B you rest your main guys on the middle game. As a matter of fact, I bet many of us when we first saw the schedule in December figured that Pop would play the Big 3 on the first and last game.

I guess people let their subjectivity get the better of them and make irrational decisions because of the opponent. Pop is picking and choosing his spots to rest folks and this is a logical spot. Folks, dont let your emotions get the best of you.

[smaka]

So folks, what's the latest word? Big 3 in black silver or in suits with ties? I'm planning on waking up at 4:30 am to watch the game (no school tomorrow, so I can allow that lol), but if big 3 doesn't play, I'm not so optimistic to watch tbh.

So, anyone with latest news?

[Splits]

So folks, what's the latest word? Big 3 in black silver or in suits with ties? I'm planning on waking up at 4:30 am to watch the game (no school tomorrow, so I can allow that lol), but if big 3 doesn't play, I'm not so optimistic to watch tbh.

So, anyone with latest news?

If history is any guide, we won't find out until an hour or so before tipoff. As I mentioned in a comment a couple minutes ago, the bookies in Vegas have the Spurs favored by 3.5 so they are assuming the big 3 play as of right now.

[jjktkk]

Let's just call it what it is, regardless of the consequences down the road... it's a coward move.

But Pop is arrogant enough to think his bench still has enough of a chance of still winning the game even without the big 3. Likely the spurs will still lose the game and in the process jeapordize their hard fought #1 seed to OKC.

This is one of those "calculated" risks Pop loves to come up with (he thinks he's being clever) that usually backfires in some way.


I agree with Tjastal.


And I agree with you SA210.

These 3 fine posters remind me of another great 3-man team.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=thumbnailaspxq162221549.jpg&res=landing

[DesignatedT]

:lol

[Splits]

These 3 fine posters remind me of another great 3-man team.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=thumbnailaspxq162221549.jpg&res=landing

:lol And all will be forgotten when we go out and bootstomp them tonight. There will be no "I was wrong, Pop isn't a coward". There will be no "Wow, Pop isn't arrogant". There will be no "Damn, I'm an idiot for thinking Pop would try to be so 'clever'". None of it. Instead, these self-aggrandizing clowns will find something else to complain about in the next 24 hours yet never offer any solution except "START SPLITTER PLAY HIM 49 MIN/GAME AND I HOPE BONNER GETS INJURED SOON!!!11"

[Obstructed_View]

But for whatever reason, I think Pop doesn't want to the Big 3 to play the Lakers. It makes no sense to me. The only way it could make sense in Pop's mind is if: 1) He is okay with a loss because it could help move the Lakers to the other side of the bracket, or 2) Pop thinks the Kings are going to be more difficult than they appear on paper, or 3) Pop doesn't want to risk a confidence killer by losing against the Lakers again.

Pop will sit some combination of players to give the Spurs a pass, especially in a nationally televised game. It's sad that Appropriate Fear has been replaced by Plausible Excusability.

[Knoxxx]

No big 3 tonight, Monday against Portland, and on the last two game road trip. Hopefully we win 1-2 of those, but not critical either way.

(edit: my bad, he won't sit them last 3 games, put them down for playing at Phoenix second to last game)

If we beat Phoenix with big 3 mins. like last night, Pop may try to win the GS game with similar Big 3 mins. Keeping them and the team sharp and confident does factor in. Home court not much.

[SA210]

These 3 fine posters remind me of another great 3-man team.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=thumbnailaspxq162221549.jpg&res=landing

I appreciate that. They are my favorite team of all time. :toast

[SA210]

:lol And all will be forgotten when we go out and bootstomp them tonight. There will be no "I was wrong, Pop isn't a coward". There will be no "Wow, Pop isn't arrogant". There will be no "Damn, I'm an idiot for thinking Pop would try to be so 'clever'". None of it. Instead, these self-aggrandizing clowns will find something else to complain about in the next 24 hours yet never offer any solution except "START SPLITTER PLAY HIM 49 MIN/GAME AND I HOPE BONNER GETS INJURED SOON!!!11"

Pop is a stubborn asshole regardless of tonight's game.

[spurs10]

These 3 fine posters remind me of another great 3-man team.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=thumbnailaspxq162221549.jpg&res=landing
That's is funny! :toast

[Beaverfuzz]

Just pull them at halftime regardless of the score.

[Keepin' it real]

I like the company the "3-man team" is keeping these days! :wow:wow

http://www-movieline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kate_upton_stooges630__120413160418.jpg

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think Pop is terrified of LA and this proves it.

:rolleyes

[DesignatedT]

Pop is more terrified of Injuries then he is LA.

and tbh, that's all I seem to be thinking about as well when watching Spurs games recently. Repeating "Just don't get hurt" 50 times throughout the game. I could give two shits about winning and losing against the Lakers in the regular season.

[703 Spurz]

I like the company the "3-man team" is keeping these days! :wow:wow

http://www-movieline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kate_upton_stooges630__120413160418.jpg

The Stooges and sex. Why not right? It is 2012 after all.

[smaka]

Pop is more terrified of Injuries then he is LA.

and tbh, that's all I seem to be thinking about as well when watching Spurs games recently. Repeating "Just don't get hurt" 50 times throughout the game. I could give two shits about winning and losing against the Lakers in the regular season.

Tell that Fakers fans lol.

[Knoxxx]

Priorities last 7 games are:

1) Health
2) Team is playing well
3) Wins

That is in order of priority.

[spurs10]

The Stooges and sex. Why not right? It is 2012 after all.
Is she supposed to be a nun? Time to start brushing up on my Latin..

[Obstructed_View]

Mmm...Kate Upton.

[Josepatches_]

Ok,If we are sure Pop is gonna rest the big3 3 or 4 games before playoffs then they could rest Big3 all the game before playoffs.Why to play them??


We have 6 losses less than Lakers.If we aren't going to fight for the 1st seed the bench could secure the 2nd seed. CLeveland at home it's a win. Warriors at Oakland should be a win like yesterday so we lose 5 at worst and we have the 2nd seed anyway.


If we are not going to fight for the 1st seed then Pop should play to win only 2 games.

[Spurtacus]

Tonight is a playoff game. Pop needs to treat it that way too. You can rest the big 3 against Sacramento. If we go 0-3 against the Lakers in April what do you think will go through the players minds when we face them in the playoffs?

[Splits]

Five quick takes: Can we expect another full roster Tuesday against Lakers? (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/04/17/five-quick-takes-can-we-expect-another-full-roster-tuesday-against-lakers/)
“Pop made the call and it was the right call,” Duncan said about his extended rest Monday night. “Obviously we have three (games) in three days. We want to keep our energy up as much as possible and hopefully be able to play in every one of these games.”

And even after playing only 11:18 in Monday’s game, Duncan said it still might be a stretch to convince Popovich to let him play in both of the next two games.

“They aren’t expecting us to play in all three games in a row,” Duncan said. “It would wear us down too much. But hopefully, logging these minutes and keeping them down can help us in the next two.”

[MB3//]

Would us beating LA without our big 3 do psychological damage to the Lakers?
Maybe?

[spurs10]

Mmm...Kate Upton.
No kidding!! :toast

[DPG21920]

:rolleyes

Hmmmm. Valid point. Your persuasive argument has made me change my stance.

[z0sa]

The suspense is killing me right now.

[urunobili]

http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs6/i/2005/115/7/e/__Jump_Off_a_Cliff___Emoticon_by_neek_zique.gif

[therealtruth]

Priorities last 7 games are:

1) Health
2) Team is playing well
3) Wins

That is in order of priority.

The only way to tell if you're playing well is by going against playoff competition. Games against the Warriors tell you nothing.

[SA210]

vbookie on whether the big three rest? lol

[Splits]

Game is still on the board in Vegas, Spurs currently favored by 3 (down from 3.5 morning line). So no news, assumption is a full roster is playing.

[ViceCity84]

Play it safe.Tank Lakers game and play at full vs Kings.
If we go all out and still lose tonight in LA.We will also lose to Kings tomorrow with big 3 resting.I expect Stephen Jackson to get DNP tonight.

[timvp]

To complicate the tanking matters, I think it's safe to say the Clippers want to finish in OKC's bracket. If they do, their chances of making to the WCF are actually pretty decent. Ditto for the Lakers if they get in the Spurs side of the bracket. The Spurs want to avoid the Lakers. OKC wants to get the Lakers.

:wakeup

[Ginobili2Duncan]

I certainly understand Pop's logic if he does indeed to rest the big three tonight. But at the same time, I feel like Pop at least needs to see how his team matches up with a team they may very well see in the second round.

And with only seven games left in the regular season(including this one) Pop should be thinking about setting a playoff rotation and building some cohesiveness. And judging by the Clippers' remaining schedule I think it's very likely that they remain the fourth seed

[emanueldavidginobili]

I dont believe in all this "Spurs want to avoid the Lakers" blah blah blah, The Spurs will be up to play any team, and I believe with the right lineups and healthy we definitely can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series with out a doubt. If the Spurs actually came to play last week when we played them and MWP and Barnes didnt go off and we won that game, we wouldnt be hearing any of this.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

To complicate the tanking matters, I think it's safe to say the Clippers want to finish in OKC's bracket. If they do, their chances of making to the WCF are actually pretty decent. Ditto for the Lakers if they get in the Spurs side of the bracket. The Spurs want to avoid the Lakers. OKC wants to get the Lakers.

:wakeup


If Mike Brown is brazen enough to tank down to the 4 seed(assuming the Spurs finish in no. 1 seed) he'll most likely get Memphis in the first round.

[TD 21]

To complicate the tanking matters, I think it's safe to say the Clippers want to finish in OKC's bracket. If they do, their chances of making to the WCF are actually pretty decent. Ditto for the Lakers if they get in the Spurs side of the bracket. The Spurs want to avoid the Lakers. OKC wants to get the Lakers.

:wakeup

I don't know about that. I don't think anyone wants to get the Lakers. It's not because they're that good, it's because no one wants to deal with one dominant big man, let alone two. It doesn't matter how well you think you're equipped to defend them, there's the matter of finishing inside on the other end, generally helping and rotating quite a bit, etc. It's a lot of work.

As far as the big three playing tonight, I'd be surprised if they didn't. Even though they play them again in three days, I presume they'll want the opportunity to make amends from the past meeting as soon as possible. Plus, they barely played yesterday. Had they had to play even close to regular minutes, I'm sure he'd have sat them out though.

[Legacy]

Not even going to sweat this crap. There's no point. Right, Coach Poopsies?? :bang

[ajballer4]

So as we stand this is the matchup advantage in the series:

Spurs>Clippers
Spurs>Thunder
Spurs>Grizz
Lakers>Spurs
Lakers>Clippers
Grizz>Lakers
Thunder>Lakers
Clippers>Thunder
Grizz>Clippers
Thunder=Grizz

[ElNono]

I want the Lakers :wakeup

[wut]

Priorities last 7 games are:

1) Health
2) Team is playing well
3) Wins

That is in order of priority.
First off Kate Upton! :toast

[EDITED]
Secondly your priorities and Pop's priorities are very different. A Spurs team without their big 3 is not a competitive lineup....so I can only assume this is what Pop's priorities really look like for the last 7 games:

1) Health
2) Health
3) Health

[slick'81]

noway all 3 sit maybe 1 but not all3

[SA210]

Would us beating LA without our big 3 do psychological damage to the Lakers?
Maybe?


Maybe, but why play around and run away instead of playing and getting ready for the playoffs? Tiago needs experience against them next to Duncan. we all know that Pop will do that on elimination game, why the fuck not just start now?

[MB3//]

Maybe, but why play around and run away instead of playing and getting ready for the playoffs? Tiago needs experience against them next to Duncan. we all know that Pop will do that on elimination game, why the fuck not just start now?

I'm with you. I'm just trying to figure out what advantage there is to resting the big 3 tonight. They basically had the night off last night, and Sacremento could be beat without them.

To me Pop sitting the big 3 tonight would just be a big FU to the league.

[SA210]

I'm with you. I'm just trying to figure out what advantage there is to resting the big 3 tonight. They basically had the night off last night, and Sacremento could be beat without them.

To me Pop sitting the big 3 tonight would just be a big FU to the league.

There is no advantage. It would be very stupid. its already dumb enough to not play Tiago with Duncan, even worse to wave the white flag before the game ever begins. What's that gonna do to our players going into the playoffs? It's demoralizing if they ever face the Lakers in the playoffs. They need to get back in there and fight for a win to get that confidence back after that horrible loss to them. Sitting any of them out will just make it worse.

[DeadlyDynasty]

I want the Lakers :wakeup

:lmao

[NASpurs]

Jeff McDonald (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN): Everyone in for Spurs tonight at LAL. 2 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/statuses/192424977352499200)

Lock this thread. j/k :lol

[Uriel]

Jeff McDonald (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN): Everyone in for Spurs tonight at LAL. 2 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/statuses/192424977352499200)

Lock this thread. j/k :lol


YES! :ihit

[Uriel]

To complicate the tanking matters, I think it's safe to say the Clippers want to finish in OKC's bracket. If they do, their chances of making to the WCF are actually pretty decent. Ditto for the Lakers if they get in the Spurs side of the bracket. The Spurs want to avoid the Lakers. OKC wants to get the Lakers.

:wakeup

Which means if neither the Spurs nor Thunder get the matchup they want, there's actually a pretty decent chance of an all-LA WCF.

[ace3g]

bigger question is, how many minutes do Blair and Bonner play, will Pop adjust this game

[Seventyniner]

Jeff McDonald (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN): Everyone in for Spurs tonight at LAL. 2 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/statuses/192424977352499200)

Lock this thread. j/k :lol



There you have it. I was expecting an update about now (1 hr before tipoff), and NASpurs delivers! :toast

[Splits]

I bet cash money they all start and play tomorrow


I predict all this boohooing is BS and Pop will play the Big 3 full minutes tomorrow, until we're up 30 mid-3rd and we'll just coast like we did tonight. Lakers are one or two beatdowns away from self-imploding, and we've got the chance to step on their throats.



Jeff McDonald (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN): Everyone in for Spurs tonight at LAL. 2 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/statuses/192424977352499200)

Lock this thread. j/k :lol


So much fail in this thread

[Mel_13]

:lmao

[Legacy]

http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs6/i/2005/115/7/e/__Jump_Off_a_Cliff___Emoticon_by_neek_zique.gif




Don't even. :nope

[timtonymanu]

:lol Sean Elliott trolling us

[ace3g]

I think with how the bracket looks now, you have to try and win this game: http://www.breathingfire.com/nba/playoffs/2012/bracket2012.php

[Splits]

Let's just call it what it is, regardless of the consequences down the road... it's a coward move.

But Pop is arrogant enough to think his bench still has enough of a chance of still winning the game even without the big 3. Likely the spurs will still lose the game and in the process jeapordize their hard fought #1 seed to OKC.

This is one of those "calculated" risks Pop loves to come up with (he thinks he's being clever) that usually backfires in some way.


I agree with Tjerkoff


I agree with SAjerkoff


These 3 fine posters remind me of another great 3-man team.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=thumbnailaspxq162221549.jpg&res=landing


:lol And all will be forgotten when we go out and bootstomp them tonight. There will be no "I was wrong, Pop isn't a coward". There will be no "Wow, Pop isn't arrogant". There will be no "Damn, I'm an idiot for thinking Pop would try to be so 'clever'". None of it. Instead, these self-aggrandizing clowns will find something else to complain about in the next 24 hours yet never offer any solution except "START SPLITTER PLAY HIM 49 MIN/GAME AND I HOPE BONNER GETS INJURED SOON!!!11"

I expect all three of these quality posters to repent in 3.... 2.... 1.... never

[Legacy]

I certainly understand Pop's logic if he does indeed to rest the big three tonight. But at the same time, I feel like Pop at least needs to see how his team matches up with a team they may very well see in the second round.

And with only seven games left in the regular season(including this one) Pop should be thinking about setting a playoff rotation and building some cohesiveness. And judging by the Clippers' remaining schedule I think it's very likely that they remain the fourth seed



I just... can't... seem... to... stop...:deadhorse FFS.

[DesignatedT]

But Pop is scared of the Lakers. I thought this was confirmed.

[Legacy]

BTW, I'm sleep-deprived (but not a millionaire, sorry)... but NO local game showing tonight? I am forced to watch this game on TNT only? Someone, please say it isn't so. Pwetty Pwease?? :sleep

[ElNono]

I guess it didn't make sense to rest them after all :lol

[DPG21920]

But Pop is scared of the Lakers. I thought this was confirmed.

:lol

If timvp knew what he was talking about I would have agreed w myself.

[NASpurs]

BTW, I'm sleep-deprived (but not a millionaire, sorry)... but NO local game showing tonight? I am forced to watch this game on TNT only? Someone, please say it isn't so. Pwetty Pwease?? :sleep

There's never any alternate local coverage for games that are televised by TNT; Spurs only do it for games done by ESPN.

[Josepatches_]

I think with how the bracket looks now, you have to try and win this game: http://www.breathingfire.com/nba/playoffs/2012/bracket2012.php

We should win one and lose the other one against Lakers.

Secure the 1st seed and let them to be 3rd

[Josh810]

BTW, I'm sleep-deprived (but not a millionaire, sorry)... but NO local game showing tonight? I am forced to watch this game on TNT only? Someone, please say it isn't so. Pwetty Pwease?? :sleep

TNT is miles better than ESPN/ABC, etc... so I'm not sure why it'd be a big deal. They normally have good coverage.

[Legacy]

There's never any alternate local coverage for games that are televised by TNT; Spurs only do it for games done by ESPN.



Shit. How come I never noticed that before? :depressed



^((%$%(*)*^$#$*(*!!!

I don't feel like hearing Barkley running his big-ass mouf'! :blah :jack :flipoff




Thanks, NASpurs. :D



:p:

[Legacy]

TNT is miles better than ESPN/ABC, etc... so I'm not sure why it'd be a big deal. They normally have good coverage.

I posted why. If he (Bark-Bark) is there. GGggrrrrr.......

[Obstructed_View]

I love Sean as a color guy, but his reporting skills leave a bit to be desired.