SI's Zach Lowe's Analysis on how OKC beat SA last night...

[flipcritic]

... and what adjustments SA might need to make. I haven't read a better breakdown/analysis.

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/06/01/spurs-thunder-2/

[DarrinS]

backdoor cuts -- I agree with this

[TampaDude]

Spurs just need to execute better and stop turning the ball over.

Spurs in 5.

[eyeh8u]

spurs beat themselves, they didnt play with discipline or precision.

[TampaDude]

spurs beat themselves, they didnt play with discipline or precision.

^ this

[biskvito]

You gotta be pretty sadistic to beat yourself like that.

[TampaDude]

You gotta be pretty sadistic to beat yourself like that.

They were wearing black, you know... :lol

[Horse]

Pop will comeup with something simple and brilliant that no one is thinking of right now and it will work to perfection.

[BlackSilver]

I was feeling pretty good after watching the game, but now feel even better after reading that analysis and seeing how open some guys were for the backdoor option. We weren't good at improvising on the fly yesterday...seemed stuck in our predetermined plan that worked so well the previous 2 games. We will figure out how to use their over-aggressiveness against them. Like a jujitsu contest.

[SenorSpur]

Spurs just need to execute better and stop turning the ball over.

Spurs in 5.

^ This

[timvp]

Zach Lowe is probably the best NBA writer these days, tbh. Great write-up and I agree with most of his posts. If the Thunder are going to collapse the paint, Pop has to find shooters willing to step up and the ballhandlers need to be ready with quick reads.

And no, Bonner doesn't classify as a shooter willing to step up.

[wildbill2u]

If you keep attacking the paint when they have three or four players there, you will run into a lot of athletic defenders who will cause turnovers. Spurs didn't use their heads except to continue to run them into a brick wall.

The Thunder will continue to take away the paint until the Spurs show they will hit 3s. Our spacing doesn't work if they ignore the 3pt shooters and get away with it.

[Das Texan]

I'd play with 5 guards before I played with Bonner in the lineup at this point.

[PublicOption]

the refs knew tiago was the key to the easy baskets when tim is on the bench. so they eliminated him. simple. so Pop, as usual, took his ball and went home. Knowing the league was doing this. I have watched Pop through the years and if he thinks the league is fucking with him. He flips them off. Bench everyone way early and kick ass the next game, happens every time. plus. He will figure out something that will negate their focus on tiago. The rest of the league plays 5 on 5. the heat play 8 on 5(because they get all the calls). Pop plays 5 on 8...............on to the next game.

[MR-Clutch]

I'd play with 5 guards before I played with Bonner in the lineup at this point.

This. Why cant Leonard be the 4 in this group? He young and can do everything better than bonner.

[PublicOption]

Zach Lowe is probably the best NBA writer these days, tbh. Great write-up and I agree with most of his posts. If the Thunder are going to collapse the paint, Pop has to find shooters willing to step up and the ballhandlers need to be ready with quick reads.

And no, Bonner doesn't classify as a shooter willing to step up.


http://static7.businessinsider.com/image/4a7cc0f83953ff0c64661094/bullseye-target-dart-board.jpg

[ShoogarBear]

Zach Lowe is probably the best NBA writer these days, tbh. (*)

(*) at least until ESPN hires him and assimilates him into the Sensationalist Borg.

[pgardn]

Making this much tougher than it really is.

Back to fundamentals first. No turnovers, ball fakes and shot fakes before the dribble, simple stuff. If they overplay then obviously back door. Teams playing aggressively like OKC are very vulnerable to good ball faking. It was sorely missing, we lost our composure, got frantic with the ball.

If they pack inside, the outside shooters cant go to the same spot. Since this guy likes showing video, watch the one with Westbrook cutting right between Jackson and Bonner and the refs rewatching for a clear path foul after Westbrook makes an easy play for a steal. Then ask why Bonner and Jackson are standing a few feet apart allowing Westbrook to play either one with a simple zone. It happened quite a bit last night, guys moving to the same spots on the perimeter, and not mixing that up with a cut through an open lane. Spacing and slashing without the ball are very important when a team overplays pick and roll and zones up.

A couple of very easy items to sharpen.

They pushed us into mistakes. Very good job. But not a huge problem. We have the players to solve this.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Rappin' Shaq, Koolaid Man, Zach Lowe. Any other timvp aliases that we know of?

[itzsoweezee]

That article was not very encouraging. As a general rule, it's not a good idea to rely heavily on role players in the playoffs. If the Spurs' chances depend on Bonner and Green making shots, then that's worrisome.

[therealtruth]

He also made a good point that the Thunder were making defensive decisions the Spurs weren't expecting. That's where the Spurs have to react better to what the defense is doing. It seemed like they played last game like they were expecting the defenders to play the same way they played in the past and allow the same passing lanes. What gets lost in the fact that the Thunder playing harder is they made lots of adjustments that took the Spurs by surprise.

[therealtruth]

That article was not very encouraging. As a general rule, it's not a good idea to rely heavily on role players in the playoffs. If the Spurs' chances depend on Bonner and Green making shots, then that's worrisome.

It's worked that way all season. Those guys need to be ready to take the shots when they're open. The problem is the closeouts are faster and the length of the defenders longer. That requires faster decision making. But the bigger issue is that they bottled up the big 3. If the big 3 can't create enough open shots for the role players then the Spurs are in trouble.

[Capt Bringdown]

That article was not very encouraging. As a general rule, it's not a good idea to rely heavily on role players in the playoffs. If the Spurs' chances depend on Bonner and Green making shots, then that's worrisome.

You can't win a championship without role players stepping up. The most famous examples are Kerr and Paxson for the Bulls.
And of course for the Spurs Jaren Jackson.

I think it's going to fall on Diaw's shoulders. He has to step up and score the ball. He's certainly capable.

[DMC]

Zach Lowe is probably the best NBA writer these days, tbh. Great write-up and I agree with most of his posts. If the Thunder are going to collapse the paint, Pop has to find shooters willing to step up and the ballhandlers need to be ready with quick reads.

And no, Bonner doesn't classify as a shooter willing to step up.
Neither does Diaw obviously. Same problem he had with the Bobcats, won't shoot the ball. He's a good shooter, he needs to shoot.

[PublicOption]

you need blair to unclog the paint like a bowling ball.

[SA210]

Pop will comeup with something simple and brilliant that no one is thinking of right now and it will work to perfection.

Bonner isn't a new and brilliant idea, tbh

[SA210]

Watch Bonner for once have a decent shooting night and the Bonner nut lovers come and say I told you so, after ONE game out of many years of nothing :lol

Will Bonner ever have that game in the playoffs? Ever?

[Spursmania]

Watch Bonner for once have a decent shooting night and the Bonner nut lovers come and say I told you so, after ONE game out of many years of nothing :lol

Will Bonner ever have that game in the playoffs? Ever?

We know all know the answer to that. Hell No:lol

Although every playoff year and every game in a series, I honestly root for Ginger to prove us naysayers wrong. I'm always imagining him having one hell of a playoff game for us. Hitting that one shot that turned everything around in our favor or the last miute three where he just sinks it and we win! Surprisingly, these positive scenarios never happen in the PO's. :bang

Bonner will always be known for being a regular season 3 point baller who can contribute when left open to shoot the threes and spread the floor. But he is also an annual playoff choker whose balls shrivel under all types of pressure. Sad but true. Opposing players know this.

[Kidd K]

Does anyone need an article to tell them why they lost?

21 turnovers.

OKC has only a slightly above average halfcourt offense, that is probably closer to average if they aren't getting to the line with high frequency. Just like the last 2 seasons, they only score at a high % if they get a lot of easy fast break baskets. Turning the ball over a ridiculous 21 times does nothing but destroy your own offense while letting OKC get those easy baskets they haven't been getting all series besides the first quarter and a half of game 1.

Giving OKC easy baskets off crap turnovers = trouble. Keeping them in the half court by cutting down turnovers = watch them struggle unless refs are bailing them with FTAs.

Expect more pass fakes and Spurs perimeter players to burn OKC for all those steal gambles they were making last game. I don't expect Sefolosha to score 19 points again either, or the refs to allow Ibaka to keep goaltending on 66% of his "blocks" like he did last game.

[therealtruth]

We know all know the answer to that. Hell No:lol

Although every playoff year and every game in a series, I honestly root for Ginger to prove us naysayers wrong. I'm always imagining him having one hell of a playoff game for us. Hitting that one shot that turned everything around in our favor or the last miute three where he just sinks it and we win! Surprisingly, these positive scenarios never happen in the PO's. :bang

Bonner will always be known for being a regular season 3 point baller who can contribute when left open to shoot the threes and spread the floor. But he is also an annual playoff choker whose balls shrivel under all types of pressure. Sad but true. Opposing players know this.

Maybe in the first round. But you don't get to the conference finals by letting one dimensional players beat you.

[therealtruth]

Does anyone need an article to tell them why they lost?

21 turnovers.

OKC has only a slightly above average halfcourt offense, that is probably closer to average if they aren't getting to the line with high frequency. Just like the last 2 seasons, they only score at a high % if they get a lot of easy fast break baskets. Turning the ball over a ridiculous 21 times does nothing but destroy your own offense while letting OKC get those easy baskets they haven't been getting all series besides the first quarter and a half of game 1.

Giving OKC easy baskets off crap turnovers = trouble. Keeping them in the half court by cutting down turnovers = watch them struggle unless refs are bailing them with FTAs.

Expect more pass fakes and Spurs perimeter players to burn OKC for all those steal gambles they were making last game. I don't expect Sefolosha to score 19 points again either, or the refs to allow Ibaka to keep goaltending on 66% of his "blocks" like he did last game.

True but he goes in detail into how those turnovers happened. Part of it was the Spurs being sloppy and part of it was the Thunder giving them defensive looks they hadn't seen before.