Anyone here think we're not better than our team last year?

[mute]

Does anyone here think that we are not better than our team last year? Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are all one year older, but Green, Leonard, and Splitter have another year of experience under their belt and have gotten significantly better and are blossoming before our eyes. That, being said, I still don't see the zip and offensive flow we had last year post Diaw and Jackson. Where's the dismantling of the Lakers back to back, Game 3 LAC, or Game 2 OKC we saw last year?

By the way, where has Boris Diaw been? It's funny how he jumped teams mid-season and fit right in flawlessly. You would think he'd have a bigger role this season with training camp. It's been a disappointment that most people have seem to overlook this season.

We have so many guys banged up this year. Last year, we were all relatively healthy. That's why losing last year to OKC hurt so much. Our best shot simply wasn't enough. It wasn't because of an injury, fluke shot, or some blown call. OKC came out and did whatever they wanted to us. I don't get too caught up in the 0-2 series comeback talk. It could have easily been 1-1 or 0-2 going the other way to be honest.

A part of me thinks last year was our best shot at winning. Now, this isn't to say we can't make it back to the finals this year. It's not that we have gotten significantly better. It's just that OKC lost a great playmaker and scorer in James Harden.

[apalisoc_9]

Does anyone here think that we are not better than our team last year? Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are all one year older, but Green, Leonard, and Splitter have another year of experience under their belt and have gotten significantly better and are blossoming before our eyes. That, being said, I still don't see the zip and offensive flow we had last year post Diaw and Jackson. Where's the dismantling of the Lakers back to back, Game 3 LAC, or Game 2 OKC we saw last year?

By the way, where has Boris Diaw been? It's funny how he jumped teams mid-season and fit right in flawlessly. You would think he'd have a bigger role this season with training camp. It's been a disappointment that most people have seem to overlook this season.

We have so many guys banged up this year. Last year, we were all relatively healthy. That's why losing last year to OKC hurt so much. Our best shot simply wasn't enough. It wasn't because of an injury, fluke shot, or some blown call. OKC came out and did whatever they wanted to us. I don't get too caught up in the 0-2 series comeback talk. It could have easily been 1-1 or 0-2 going the other way to be honest.

A part of me thinks last year was our best shot at winning. Now, this isn't to say we can't make it back to the finals this year. It's not that we have gotten significantly better. It's just that OKC lost a great playmaker and scorer in James Harden.

We're So much better this year, tbh.

[HarlemHeat37]

Last year's team was a better regular season team, this year's team should be better in the playoffs IMO..

Last year's Spurs could have easily won the WCFs, they were a very good team, but they had a first round bye vs. Utah and an easy matchup vs. a hobbled Chris Paul..

[freetiago]

Balance was better last year and guys were all hot post trade
defense was solid post trade and the bench wasnt a liability last year
they actually brought and kept us in games last year while this year is losing games
Diaws best ball was as a starter and he was effective defensively while the Spur scouting report wasnt out on him yet i guess
Tiago gives more versatility to the bench

[TampaDude]

Our defense is much better this year.

[timtonymanu]

Spurs were an average defensive team last year ... They are one of the elite defensive teams this year.

So yeah this year they are better.

[ElNono]

I think this team is better. Especially defensively. It's going to be tough when you're missing your top dogs, so those games need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Overall and health-permitting, this team won't have to trot out Bonner, Blair, etc. when the big dance comes around, so I think that's an improvement right there. Also, while getting older, we also have young guys like Leonard and Tiago who have progressed nicely. Like I said, in good health, I think this team can compete with anybody in the West.

[spurraider21]

Far and away. Parker playing even better than last year. Duncan's defense has been great. Tiago has flourished in an expanded role. Kawhi is starting to really live up to everything.

[DesignatedT]

This team is better. Just haven't been as lucky regarding health and the shortened season actually helped with that last year. If this team can get and stay healthy it has much higher upside.

[ElNono]

This team is better. Just haven't been as lucky regarding health and the shortened season actually helped with that last year. If this team can get and stay healthy it has much higher upside.

Forgot to add that, thanks for bringing it up. Arguably the shorter season worked better for the aging players. Less wear and tear. That was another concern going into this season. Overall though, if Tony comes back in time and there are no further injuries, I think we'll be in good shape.

[freetiago]

People keep underrating the defense last year
pre trade it was around 10-15
post trade it was top 5 i believe
the Jazz and Clippers were two of the highest scoring teams in the nba and the spurs didnt let them score over 100 once
the only team in the playoffs at that point who didnt allow that
even the supposed defensive powerhouses in boston and philly allowed over 100 to bad teams

spurs were ok vs OKC but eventually got Thunderrefd
nothing you can do about that
still will get thunderrefd this year if last game is any indication

[ElNono]

People keep underrating the defense last year
pre trade it was around 10-15
post trade it was top 5 i believe

Spurs finished 11th in defensive efficiency last season... while being the #1 offense.

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/defensiveEff/order/false/year/2012

This season they're ranked #3 on both. Any way you look at it, this season's defense is substantially better.

[SpurPadre]

Spurs were an average defensive team last year ... They are one of the elite defensive teams this year.

So yeah this year they are better.

I think it remains to be seen if we are better and we won't know until the last team is standing in the playoffs this year. I will say this, last year's team never came close to giving up 136 points in regulation in the middle of March to a scrub team.

[KL2]

This year's team is much better defensively, last year it felt like we were the Suns, the defense was pathetic compared to what it is now. Everybody just has to get healthy now and the Spurs will start raping teams.

[KaiRMD1]

This year's team is far better than last year. Last year's team was hot, Green at one point was automatic from three BUT the defense was average to whack. This year, defense has come through ten fold.

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

This year features a far better team defense. I think the young guys struggled last year with Pop's defensive system but this year they have seem to gotten it. It does seem the offense isn't quite as good, but I think some of the older guys (Manu and Captain Jack) are saving it for the playoffs. If Kawhi can stay healthy and bring a legitimate offensive threat, if Ginobili does what Ginobili does, and if Parker stays healthy and remembers his role (unlike last year in the WCF) then I think this team will make the Finals. I am curious as to who gets the backup PG minutes when Parker returns. We'd be better off defensively with Joseph, but better off on offense with Mills. I wonder if it will depend on the matchup and what the opponent presents at the PG position.

[freetiago]

As i said post trade
2/3 of the season with Blair starting and bonner getting significant minutes can do a lot to the defensive efficiency numbers
post trade with Diaw starting when the team won something like 20 out of 21 games and were unbeatable on the road was still a better team
youll also notice the top defensive teams were all in the east
padding your numbers with 2/3 of your games vs the bottom feeders will do that to your numbers
spurs defensive rating to start this season was around 98.5 with Diaw starting
currently its at 98.3

the team is the same as it was last season defensively minus the change in 3 point defending philosophy

[TheGoldStandard]

Last year our core guys were more consistent, this year Parker was on fire and the tier 2 guys have stepped up and played better. We're overall better defensively and we're not relying on having to score over 100 points to win games.

[mute]

That's a good point about our bench that someone brought up. Obviously, Tiago is playing better and his confidence is through the roof and is now starting. But last year, Blair was giving you 4-5 buckets a game on 60-70%+ percent shooting. You could count on Neal every other night to shoot lights out. Mills gave you a consistent lift. Our bench is depleted this year.

Our defense is indeed better than last year, but it's not like we were historically bad or anything. And definitely, enough to win and go deep in the playoffs the way we were scoring. It's not a knock on the Spurs; OKC was just that good last year... 3 franchise players who could get any shot they wanted. No chance really... law of averages. Games 3, 4, 5, and 6 were just regressions to the mean.

People were talking about the Spurs being of the one greatest teams of ALL TIME for a reason. Have you ever been in tears at the sight of beautiful basketball? All of our shooters were getting wide open shots. The mid-season additions of Mills, Jackson, and Diaw sort of jump started us and we were on a tear. 60+ games in, and I still don't see the offensive firepower we had last year.

[ElNono]

For reference, last season's Spurs gave up an average of 101ppg since the Jackson trade.
They gave up an average of 103ppg through 13 playoff games.

This season they're averaging 96.1 ppg...

No Spur player had an defensive efficiency ranking under 100 in the playoffs last season.

This season there's 4 players under 100...

[ElNono]

That's a good point about our bench that someone brought up. Obviously, Tiago is playing better and his confidence is through the roof and is now starting. But last year, Blair was giving you 4-5 buckets a game on 60-70%+ percent shooting. You could count on Neal every other night to shoot lights out. Mills gave you a consistent lift. Our bench is depleted this year.

Our defense is indeed better than last year, but it's not like we were historically bad or anything. And definitely, enough to win and go deep in the playoffs the way we were scoring. It's not a knock on the Spurs; OKC was just that good last year... 3 franchise players who could get any shot they wanted. No chance really... law of averages. Games 3, 4, 5, and 6 were just regressions to the mean.

People were talking about the Spurs being of the one greatest teams of ALL TIME for a reason. Have you ever been in tears at the sight of beautiful basketball? All of our shooters were getting wide open shots. The mid-season additions of Mills, Jackson, and Diaw sort of jump started us and we were on a tear. 60+ games in, and I still don't see the offensive firepower we had last year.

The offense was better last season, no doubt about it. But as Harlem said, that's conductive to more regular season wins. Eventually your offense will be planned for in the playoffs, and what you're going to have to fall back to is your defense.

I'm not saying this team is a sure lock for anything, but they're better prepared to make that fall back or get the stop when you need it.

[Hoops Czar]

Spurs were an average defensive team last year ... They are one of the elite defensive teams this year.

So yeah this year they are better.

Elite defensive teams don't get slammed by an injury plagued Timberwolves team or give up 136 points at home to the trailblazers. This defense revolves around three players and when they aren't playing, the Spurs are in for a long night.

I wold have taken last year's offense over this year's defense 10 times out of 10 times. At least last year, when the defense struggled, the offense would pick up the slack. This year's version just gets blown out. And last years defense was still above average and on the few nights the offense struggled, the defense was good enough to keep them in games. The Spurs offense is still pretty much live by the jumpshot, die by the jumshot and it's probably going to burn them in the playoffs..... that ad second chance points.

The depth was also much better last year. You could pretty much count on 12 guys a night contributing. This year, it's like pulling teeth to get 6 or 7 to show up on the same night.

[TheGoldStandard]

I'd rather the spurs get hot when parker returns then to carry a streak into the playoffs and wear out.. That is at least what I'm hoping will happen this year. Everyone has proven that they can hit shots and score its just a matter of putting it all together.

[spurraider21]

Last year we had very good offense and average defense. This year we have very good offense and very good defense. we have the best record in the west despite being bruised up pretty much all season. our losses have come in games where we just fell asleep, like Detroit, Phoenix, Portland, and Minnesota.... which are 4 of our last 5 losses, the 5th being in golden state on a back to back. We also had a loss to New Orleans. There is zero chance we drop those games in a playoff environment... except maybe Portland just has our number, as they've beaten us twice this year. We will be fine, assuming our core players are healthy by playoff (big 3 and medium 3)

[Aztecfan03]

In the playoffs, when depth isn't as important, thus year's team is better if healthy. I'll take this year's tiago over last year's Diaw any day. We just need to keep one of tiago or tim on the floor at all times.

[BatManu20]

Our offense isn't as good, but our defense is much better.

[hater]

Were a better team. Better enough to be able to go toe to toe with okc this time. But unfortunately the heat is a lot better than last year too.

[John B]

We got lucky last year healthwise. With Splitter and Kawhi's development, hands down we're better than last year. And if healthy I really feel we can beat any team. We can't let tonight's loss an issue. Wolves simply played great. This is at least the NBA where any player or team can get All-Star game any given night.

[bklynspursfan]

I think it remains to be seen if we are better and we won't know until the last team is standing in the playoffs this year. I will say this, last year's team never came close to giving up 136 points in regulation in the middle of March to a scrub team.

Wasn't a home game but on February 21st they gave up 137 to the Blazers in Portland. Lost that game by 40 and in 7 games during that span went 3-4.

[Johnny RIngo]

Parker/Duncan/Splitter/Leonard/Green are all better this year. Ginobili/Neal/Diaw are all worse though which is probably why our bench has been so underwhelming this year.

[Robz4000]

They're literally the same as last year. What drop-off in offense they've suffered has been made up for on the defensive end. The Thunder have gotten worse while the Clips and Nuggets have gotten better. However, I think it's going to come down to the fact the Spurs haven't been healthy all year and most likely never will be this season that'll keep their ceiling as the WCF.

[Kidd K]

I think we're worse this year. Yes, our defense has gotten better. Sort of. Opponents are shooting worse on us, but we're giving up more offensive rebounds, while we're grabbing way less offensive rebounds than we did last year. We're also turning the ball over more and giving up more free throws (after next game, which will be 66 games like last year, we will have given up 100+ more FTAs).

So while our D has improved some, we're giving the other team too many possessions. Spurs have to play less sloppy when they have the ball and they need to go harder after rebounds when we miss. We're better in some ways, but worse in some too. I wouldn't say we're really better or worse either way. Gains in some areas, losses in others.

The main difference that I view is: last year's team just seemed more clutch. They seemed like they were always a threat to come back and win. Now it's like. . .when we're down we just stay down. We've never been 100% though at any point this year. For more than a couple games anyway. That's my main ray of hope here. We haven't really seen the team going 100% yet. Of course, that's also a huge worry. We're still not 100%, so we probably won't be in the playoffs either.

[John B]

With Bonner getting less minutes, I think we're relying less on finding 3s but instead we have Splitter, Kawhi and co. attacking the basket more, which could mean less rebounds. Last year we live and die from the 3. This year we are cutting and rolling to the basket. It's more susceptible to mistakes and TO's passing in traffic, but better playoff basketball. With occasional 3s to open-up the lanes, we will be better prepared. I think we have more options this year.

[pgardn]

No.

D.

[thOOdee]

better do to the fact that splitter replaced bonner and kawhi matured, but i neal at point has got to go.

[TheGoldStandard]

From time to time there are still instances where Danny Green is glued to the 3 point line even when the ball is loose and he could scramble for a rebound. It's that mentality from last year and the residual effect we've had since we've become a more 3 point shooting prone team. Now with Tiago becoming a better low post scorer off the PnR and with his up and under move we have more people slashing and dishing the ball off underneath. We have to get away from that frozen at the 3 point arc and scramble for those rebounds until we become better passers in the lane.