The Spurs play basketball like the Dutch play football

[flipcritic]

Well, I thought it was interesting.

The Spurs as Total Basketball

I’ve thought about this Total Football characteristic off and on over the last couple of years and how it relates to the Spurs. The San Antonio offense has three designations for players: points guards, wings and bigs. And really, the difference between point guards and wings is pretty small. Essentially they’re the same thing. One simply brings the ball up and initiates the offense, but they usually fulfill the same roles on the floor.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-total-basketball-dutch-total-football

[ElNono]

The Dutch never won shit that matters (ie:World Cup) playing "Total Football"...

Don't wanna be the Dutch, tbh

[flipcritic]

The Dutch never won shit that matters (ie:World Cup) playing "Total Football"...

Don't wanna be the Dutch, tbh

Sure. Not really comparing the results. Just the style of play. Both are very consistent. The Dutch have regularly been considered an elite football nation. But the Spurs have had more success in terms of titles.

[Paranoid Pop]

The Barca comparison has been done for a while here.

Still there's not really any need to go that far, not like we reinvented basketball, the early 2000 Kings could pass at every position too, not to talk about greater teams.

Plus that really started with Boris Diaw so what... two monthes ago? So is it really by design? If we could have gotten any PF in the league, would Pop have gone for a passing PF like Diaw or Gasol? Or is he just getting the best out of what he has. Barca is by design, they may very well have failed because they were too stubborn about it actually.

[temujin]

Sure. Not really comparing the results. Just the style of play. Both are very consistent. The Dutch have regularly been considered an elite football nation. But the Spurs have had more success in terms of titles.

The Dutch are widely considered a choke of a soccer nation, reaching the Finals 3 times and very consistentlyt losing 3 times.

Individually, they are well represented by Robben, reaching the the Champions Final twice and losing twice, spectacularly 4 days ago.

I couldn't think of a more anti-Dutch organization than the Spurs, that reached the Finals 4 times and won 4 times.

[_jin]

It's an insult to the Spurs to compare them to the Dutch football national team (unless you're talking 20 years ago)
It's a bunch of talented but egoistical ball hoggers who can't play together so I guess the best comparison would be the Heat

[sinok]

Nigel De Jong begs to differ.

The 70s want their Dutch Football back...

[_jin]

yea I forgot, outside of talented ball hoggers they also have brainless butchers like De Jong, Bouma or Van Bommel

[TDMVPDPOY]

win something being compared to the spurs damn it, ive been waitin 20yrs to see the dutch team win anything of significance...

[Venti Quattro]

Hmmmm...so who will pull an Arjen Robben? :lmao :lmao :lmao

[DAF86]

The Dutch never won shit that matters (ie:World Cup) playing "Total Football"...

Don't wanna be the Dutch, tbh

But they influenced a whole lot of succesful teams.

[alamo50]

Who cares about soccer compared to Spurs basketball?
GO SPURS GO!

[Malice]

I'm cool with That. Just don't compare us To the fucking patriots again...

[urunobili]

No...

[Russ]

Manu is the Johan Cruyff of basketball.

The Dutch have always been my favorite international team.

I'd love to find some way to compare the current Spurs to the great "Clockwork Orange" Dutch teams of the '70's. But the only connection I can see is to Bonner's hair color and well, forget it . . .

[guilhermercf]

Well... I would say that the Spurs are more like Germany. Very well oriented system, smart players, tough defense and even when they dont look like contenders, you consider them contenders.

[_jin]

Good point, I think as a national football team analogy, Germany is a good comparison. Not flashy, serious, always on point tactically, no big worldwide stars, always there even when they're not favorites, and no one really cares about them until everyone realizes they've won.

[Thomas3]

Fuck dutch, they haven't won anything, and they can't shoot penalty's

[diego]

germany is a perfect analog for the spurs.

as for the dutch, the "total football" teams played quite well, they just had better teams and/or bad luck in front of them; maybe rick adelman's blazers and kings teams are a better analog for them. The dutch teams of the past 8+ years have been quite bad, even if they did make the finals in 2010

[Venti Quattro]

I'm sure Robin van Persie is Matt Bonner, right NASpurs? :lmao :lmao

[in2deep]

IMO the Spurs play like The Average Joes play Dodgeball

I can picture Pop in practice with his bag of wrenches

[TDMVPDPOY]

now u guys comparing the spurs to germany, who is rumored to have a few players coming out of the closet....

[Mr. Body]

Whover has said the German NT is spot on.

Germany still gets prickled and derided for years of super-solid, super-defensive football, packing it back, making very few unforced errors, characterized by the famous quote: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win."

But now, and the last several years, the German side has been really pretty impressive with their ball-movement and attack capabilities. In fact, they're more exciting to watch than some of the traditionally 'beautiful' national sides, particularly the Brazilians.

So... yeah, the analogy is particularly apt.

[Venti Quattro]

How come no one has made references to the Spurs as compared to La Furia Roja?