If I were coaching this game...

[caspian]

...I would put a premium emphasis on Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker (in particular) drawing more fouls. Go smart (under control) at their bigs. Foul them out.

Use the Pistons aggressiveness on defense against them...get them up in the air...and take the punishment. They're relatively shallow as a team.

If they're going to simply fill the paint with bodies, there will be plenty of opportunities. I'd rather it not be an outside shooting contest.

[Spurminator]

I disagree. For one thing, playing to "draw the foul" is never a good idea, because you end up missing opportunities for easy scores. What's more, this is Game 7, and they won't be calling touch fouls. It's unrealistic to hope for either of the Wallaces to be in foul trouble tonight.

I want the Spurs taking it to the hole, no doubt, but not to "draw more fouls"... Go for the score, and if you get fouled, great. But no flopping, no flailing of the arms... go strong.

[peskypesky]

Forget the flops. Only real fouls are getting called in a Game 7.

But I still agree with the idea that the Spurs need to aggressively attack any Piston who's in foul trouble. They haven't been doing it (Pop's teams never seem to), and letting Rasheed play the last game for so long with 5 fouls was moronic.

[Tom_Foolery]

I think it's safe to say Pop definitely could've done a better job coaching the finals.


Tonight he gets a chance to redeem himself.



Spurs need to attack the paint from either side and not just the middle. Attack the baseline and create opportunities for defensive lapses in rotation and find the open shooter. Spurs passing(especially Parker & Manu's) has been mediocre at best. They aren't making crisp passes, they're trying stupid cross-court passes that end in turnoves & pts for the Pistons.

I also agree with attacking the Piston with the most fouls. I don't know how Rasheed played the entire 4th with 5 fouls. Seems like Pop forgot about Rasheed(kinda hard to do).

Also, I would have Parker follow through the screen and have Manu step infront and trap or draw a charge on Billups, but the rotation has to be very good because Chauncy is pretty good at finding guys open while trapped. I would absolutely not have Parker play off of the ball handler.

What happens is Pistons are screening and rolling. When Parker goes behind the screen, the screener then moves towards the basket and pushes Parker an additional 3-5 feet from the ballhandler. That's why Chauncy has had so much space to work with off of screens.

Pop is not playing the screens smart. He needs to have Parker fight through screens and trap Billups. Also, I have not seen hardly any full court pressure at all, only spurts.


In my opinion, Pop has missed so many opportunities to change the game for the good. I wonder if Pop is "giving" this championship to Larry because they are friends? Sounds stupid, but maybe sub-consciously?

[caspian]

Obviously the priority queue when driving the lane should be:

1) Score if you can
2) Get fouled if you can
3) Dish to a big if you can
4) Pass to 3-point threat if you can

I think we've given (4) way too much priority recently.

[bdubya]

Sounds like all of this boils down to "play harder, play like you want it, and play harder"; I think Coach Popavein has already put that message out there.

[DarrinS]

If I were coaching, I'd just tell the guys to

1) take care of the ball
2) feed Tim in the post

Do that in game 6 and it was ours. Even WITH the Pistons firing 8 threes. Oh well.

[bdubya]

If I were coaching, I'd just tell the guys to

1) take care of the ball
2) feed Tim in the post


Tough balancing act; IIRC, Parker's first TO came trying to feed Tim in the post....

[Jimcs50]

If I were the Spurs coach, I would be hitting the Silver Dancers every chance I could.

:)

[ZappaFan]

...the Spurs would lose for sure.