Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Heat - Mar. 31

[timvp]

Tim Duncan B-
Productivity-wise, it's difficult to be too upset with him. He was the main force in the controlling of the boards, defended the rim well, passed it well and his decision-making was fine. Where he struggled was energy-wise. He wasn't moving with much purpose -- especially in terms of his D outside of the paint.

Tony Parker D+
The Heat sent a ton of pressure at him the entire night. Whenever he ran any sort of play, he was trapped and harassed. That said, he simply didn't respond well. His passes weren't crisp and he wasn't making plays despite the open teammates. Most worrisome, he didn't look healthy; he hobbled all night.

Kawhi Leonard A-
The lone bright spot. Defensively, he was by far the most intense player on the team. He really gave great effort when chasing his man around screens and through traffic. On O, he exhibited an improved ability to penetrate to the rim off the dribble. Without him the Spurs get blown out tonight.

Danny Green C-
Too many mistakes on D. He got lost much too often -- and even had trouble staying in front of his man. On O, he was woeful within the three-point line. Outside of the line, he wasn't a whole lot better. All in all, he played too rushed and too skittish throughout the game.

Tiago Splitter C+
His stats looks acceptable but it was a below average performance. He let the Heat get away with putting smaller defenders on him. He wasn't physical in the immediate basket area on either end. He did some good things but his value plummets when he stops taking advantage of his size.

Boris Diaw C+
The Heat were sending help off of him and yet he shot only twice in 19 minutes. He simply wasn't aggressive enough and allowed Miami to double-team without any consequences. Add in a dollop of sloppiness and it negated whatever positives he registered in the rebounding and assisting columns.

Gary Neal C
His shot-selection wasn't horrible -- but he should have been more cautious considering he's still not in game shape yet. The passing that was so good last outing was MIA tonight. Add in below average defense and this was a definite step in the wrong direction.

Stephen Jackson B+
When the Spurs were swirling the commode, he was able to spark the team with a series of positive plays. His aggression going toward the basket was commendable and he tossed in a three-pointer for good measure. Defensively, he was nothing special. Overall, though, he helped give S.A. a chance.

Nando De Colo C
With Ginobili sidelined, the Spurs needed him to step up into a larger playmaking role. That didn't happen at all. Instead, he remained passive and rarely pushed the issue. He helped a little bit with his youthful exuberance but he let the team down by failing to create shots for himself or others.

Matt Bonner C+
With the squad struggling to score, he got a shot to try to spread the floor. It didn't happen as he failed to register a shot attempt in eight minutes. I thought he passed up a shot or two during his stint on the court. On D, I can't complain. His rotations out on the perimeter were very timely.

Pop D+
With Ginobili out, the bench looked out of sorts -- and Pop didn't help matters much. The playcalls with the bench on the court were bland. The Spurs never adjusted to all the pressure the Heat were showing Parker. To top it off, the buttons he pushed (going with Bonner, for example) didn't help.

[Brunodf]

:tu

[chapnis]

Spot on. Don't understand why Jack didn't get more minutes.

[Robz4000]

While disheartening, I saw this loss coming from a mile away. The team has been playing bad for a month now and I see no real upward trend approaching. At least Leonard continues to impress.

[HI-FI]

good grade for TP. i thought he was going to get B- treatment tonight. that was a taste of playoff Parker.

IIRC, wasn't Nando getting us back into it at the end? I wish he would've stayed out longer tbh.

[silverblk mystix]

Pop should have replaced green with SJax and the spurs would have won...

Pop never adjusted to the hard traps all night long...just kept calling the same plays all night and the double-teams and traps kept throwing off the spurs offense.

Oh well, just one game...been a tough stretch and the spurs need a little break in the schedule to recuperate.

[Flawless]

Thank you Timvp for the quick grades :tu

[ElNono]

burn the tape

[TheGoldStandard]

Pop took SJax out when he was rolling and then he took Kawhi out when he had the matchup against Battier.

[TheGoldStandard]

burn the tape

At least the Heat don't have any useful tape, the Spurs didn't really do anything well tonight.

[Sean Cagney]

Pop should have replaced green with SJax and the spurs would have won...

Pop never adjusted to the hard traps all night long...just kept calling the same plays all night and the double-teams and traps kept throwing off the spurs offense.

Oh well, just one game...been a tough stretch and the spurs need a little break in the schedule to recuperate.
They won't get a break, this kicked off a 4 games in 5 nights for them and Memphis tomorrow and OKC coming up. They will not get a break in the schedule this week.

[Strategic]

Right on with the grades. This team, though talented enough, seems to have a severe identity crisis and I don't remember too many of those that win the last game of the playoffs. Time will tell. Thanks.

[DapDaGenius]

While disheartening, I saw this loss coming from a mile away. The team has been playing bad for a month now and I see no real upward trend approaching. At least Leonard continues to impress.

Leonard has been impressive. He has so much potential.

[silverblk mystix]

They won't get a break, this kicked off a 4 games in 5 nights for them and Memphis tomorrow and OKC coming up. They will not get a break in the schedule this week.

Right. I meant after this stretch of games...

[DapDaGenius]

At least the Heat don't have any useful tape, the Spurs didn't really do anything well tonight.

Maybe, just maybe that was the strategy...just let me live in this denial for a bit.

[loveforthegame]

The only person who can stop Leonard right now is Leonard. He makes mistakes but he learns from them and finds ways to contribute. Even if the season ends in disappointment, the future is bright with him.

Parker was a major disappointment.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

the heat trapped Tp and closed out on our 3 point shooters hard...they know thats the blue print on how to give the spurs hell...also why the hell is danny so weak fighting through screens, old ass ray allen took him to the wood shed

[Sean Cagney]

Right. I meant after this stretch of games...

:( I hope they can win one of those games against OKC or Memphis, if not the #1 seed is all but gone. I hope they can pull it off.

[Juggity]

At least the Heat don't have any useful tape, the Spurs didn't really do anything well tonight.

:lol silver lining, I like that

[freetiago]

Miami is good at denying the post entry pass with the swarming help and trapping pick and rolls
the Spurs lack of offense outside pick and roll will hurt them if theyre lucky enough to play Miami in the finals
only positive to take away is that SA still had no trouble generating open 3s but they just couldnt knock them down
like the 2011 Spurs tbh
pre all star break title contenders and fell off a cliff post all star break once Duncan hurt his ankle
this time Duncan isnt hurt and theyve been able to lucky out a few close games they lost in 2011

[SpurPadre]

I disagree with the take on TD passing well. He made 3 awful passes that lead to points for the Heat and they came at bad times. After the second time, he acknowledged it and pointed at himself for it...so I was disappointed in seeing him make another terrible pass later in the game.

[polandprzem]

Bonner passed up on a wide open shot and everybody got mad at him! WTF?

[silverblk mystix]

:( I hope they can win one of those games against OKC or Memphis, if not the #1 seed is all but gone. I hope they can pull it off.

The #1 seed is fools gold - it won't mean that much if Pop can't outcoach shitty coaches and cannot make adjustments. The playoffs are all about adjustments and if Pop throwing Tiago under the bus tonight and playing Bonner is any indication of Pop's state of mind - the spurs are fucked anyway.

[cd98]

Spurs really aren't playing that great for over a month. They won't get out of the WC if they aren't significantly better.

i know it's cliche after a loss to give up on the team. I'm not doing that this year. I do hope we tank next year for the Wiggins/Parker sweepstakes. But that only happens if we flame out in the playoffs.

[TheGoldStandard]

I liked how Kawhi played tonight, was able to beat Battier on off dribble and get easy baskets, should have gone to that more even if to just draw a defender and get better looks for other players slashing or sitting at the 3 point line etc. Kudos to Jax for actually coaching up Nando while Pop just sat there with his arms crossed dreaming about wine and cheese.

[loveforthegame]

Bonner passed up on a wide open shot and everybody got mad at him! WTF?

Pop had the nerve to blame Splitter for not scoring so he had to go to Bonner. And that jackass was out there passing up shots. Unbelievable. :bang

[Budkin]

I hope to God we can get the complete team back playing together for at least 5 games without someone else getting injured.

[TheGoldStandard]

Pop had the nerve to blame Splitter for not scoring so he had to go to Bonner. And that jackass was out there passing up shots. Unbelievable. :bang

Unless the spurs are up 10 or 20 Bonner won't either make shots or take shots. His 3 ability is overrated.

[polandprzem]

Pop had the nerve to blame Splitter for not scoring so he had to go to Bonner. And that jackass was out there passing up shots. Unbelievable. :bang
To tell the truth. We need to blame everybody cause it was 'fake' fiesta out there. Almost every shot was a fake at first then a pass or a worse look at the hoop.
That was pissing me off along with not adjusting to Heat play. It looked like Heat were more athletic and all which caused spurs to be in some kind of hurry. Not much fluidity on spurs side where Miami were flowing like a Mississipi

[Russ]

At least the Heat don't have any useful tape, the Spurs didn't really do anything well tonight.

The Heat don't have a single minute of Ginobili tape and he's exactly the kind of player that would be effective against them.

[polandprzem]

The Heat don't have a single minute of Ginobili tape and he's exactly the kind of player that would be effective against them.

Aprils fool?

[TheGoldStandard]

The Heat don't have a single minute of Ginobili tape and he's exactly the kind of player that would be effective against them.

One can only hope, pray and well who knows. Unless Manu was working with Doc Brown tonight to get the DeLorean up to 88 mph he's not going to contribute enough with what we've seen of him lately. 2005 Gino isn't walking through that door.

[TheSkeptic]

The #1 seed is fools gold - it won't mean that much if Pop can't outcoach shitty coaches and cannot make adjustments. The playoffs are all about adjustments and if Pop throwing Tiago under the bus tonight and playing Bonner is any indication of Pop's state of mind - the spurs are fucked anyway.

I wonder if this isn't Splitter's "huge defensive error by Danny Green" moment.

I thought that our perimeter players were the biggest reason why we lost this game tbh. Credit goes to the Heat's defense but I think the guards were outplayed a little too much on both ends. The frontcourt rebounded and made baskets at a decent clip. Even Jax got in on the act. Neal and Parker have slightly below-average nights and defend the 3 point line a bit better and we're here talking about how the Spurs dodged another bullet.

Kawhi played great and I loved TD as well. This loss really stung and I'm concerned about the way the Spurs have been playing. I'm hoping this wakes them up because right now they're a long way from playing at peak level...

[Sean Cagney]

The #1 seed is fools gold - it won't mean that much if Pop can't outcoach shitty coaches and cannot make adjustments. The playoffs are all about adjustments and if Pop throwing Tiago under the bus tonight and playing Bonner is any indication of Pop's state of mind - the spurs are fucked anyway.

YEP, I knew he would go back to Bonner again eventually as he just can't help it. He will never learn and thats the reason the last few years the Spurs have not gotten further IMO. He rides a bad thing too long hoping it turns good.

[Brunodf]

YEP, I knew he would go back to Bonner again eventually as he just can't help it. He will never learn and thats the reason the last few years the Spurs have not gotten further IMO. He rides a bad thing too long hoping it turns good.
This. Spurs should have traded Bonner...

[Hoops Czar]

HOT GARBAGE.... the end!

[TheGoldStandard]

YEP, I knew he would go back to Bonner again eventually as he just can't help it. He will never learn and thats the reason the last few years the Spurs have not gotten further IMO. He rides a bad thing too long hoping it turns good.

Pop's love for Bonner stems from Bonner giving him reach arounds and bottles of wine and cheese.

[bklynspursfan]

I don't know whether it's good to get all this crappy play out the way now, or if the defensive/offensive struggles will actually continue into the post season.

[TheGoldStandard]

I don't know whether it's good to get all this crappy play out the way now, or if the defensive/offensive struggles will actually continue into the post season.

We've seen flashes of great basketball but we've also seen that they are not able to sustain it. The bench shits the bed, can't sustain leads and nobody will score, it was a miracle tonight that Jax got mad and was aggressive but I don't see that happening again for another 10 or 15 games. The starts have to be firing on all cylinders all night for us to win and that's why we've limped to victories and losses over the course of March and now headed to April.

[TrainOfThought5]

i REALLY saw this loss coming, and decided to go see Olympus Has Fallen instead. personally, it was a good movie, and clearly a great choice.

[Cane]

Seems like all the Spurs bigs are terrible at contesting jumpshots. I don't know if that was part of the Bosh gameplan tonight but making the Spurs run to the shoooters and back will tire them out and expose matchups.

Parker and Duncan should get some rest. They need to be in vintage form and even then godspeed

[TheGoldStandard]

Anyone with an Aron Baynes take? :duck

[superjames1992]

Pop had the nerve to blame Splitter for not scoring so he had to go to Bonner. And that jackass was out there passing up shots. Unbelievable. :bang
Floor spacing, tbh. It worked, per par.

Anyways, Hero deserves an F. Two-for-eight is laughable. Hero shouldn't see the floor for the rest of the year, per par!

[superjames1992]

The Heat don't have a single minute of Ginobili tape and he's exactly the kind of player that would be effective against them.
CIA Pop™.

[TheGoldStandard]

CIA Pop™.

The tape that they do have is of him bumbling around jumping without a clue and throwing the ball away.. Step back fade away 3's and spotty play everywhere else.. We can't rely on Manu to save the day, that bench played like they were an AAU team.

[HI-FI]

YEP, I knew he would go back to Bonner again eventually as he just can't help it. He will never learn and thats the reason the last few years the Spurs have not gotten further IMO. He rides a bad thing too long hoping it turns good.
I think Pop is very stubborn but also loyal, he'll stick with something for a long time. but I don't understand the shitting on Bonner, he's just a role player. Pop has also stuck with a certain PG even though we haven't won shit with him as our number 1 player. So it's not just Bonner imo. Not saying Bonner doesn't deserve lots of blame for choking, I just see lots of choking tonight (and in recent playoffs too).

[Johnny RIngo]

This. Spurs should have traded Bonner...

I never hope for injuries to any player but I make an exception for Bonner. The poor guy doesn't deserve it but Pop can't help himself.

[ElNono]

The tape that they do have is of him bumbling around jumping without a clue and throwing the ball away.. Step back fade away 3's and spotty play everywhere else.. We can't rely on Manu to save the day, that bench played like they were an AAU team.

They beat good teams though... teams that were playing actual starters... like I said before, Manu could be playing like hot garbage, but he commands the attention that no other Spur outside of TD and TP do, which opens up things for the rest...

[ElNono]

I think Pop is very stubborn but also loyal, he'll stick with something for a long time. but I don't understand the shitting on Bonner, he's just a role player. Pop has also stuck with a certain PG even though we haven't won shit with him as our number 1 player. So it's not just Bonner imo. Not saying Bonner doesn't deserve lots of blame for choking, I just see lots of choking tonight (and in recent playoffs too).

Because there's no reason not to stick with your better players, especially when games are on the line and there's no clear matchup advantage... Tiago and even Diaw are simply the better players right now.

[TheGoldStandard]

They beat good teams though... teams that were playing actual starters... like I said before, Manu could be playing like hot garbage, but he commands the attention that no other Spur outside of TD and TP do, which opens up things for the rest...

The Spurs are capable of winning but they're also capable of just letting there foot off the gas and coasting. Right now the only person who's playing up to snuff is Kawhi and Tim Duncan. The bench sucks without anyone to drive into the paint and dish the ball because all we are is a bunch of 3 point shooters on the bench. Boris Diaw is soft, he wont shoot and he won't attack the paint he'll get an open look and pass into a double team, none of the PG's actually handle the ball enough down the court, it's lots of standing around at the top of the 3 point line.

[Sean Cagney]

I think Pop is very stubborn but also loyal, he'll stick with something for a long time. but I don't understand the shitting on Bonner, he's just a role player. Pop has also stuck with a certain PG even though we haven't won shit with him as our number 1 player. So it's not just Bonner imo. Not saying Bonner doesn't deserve lots of blame for choking, I just see lots of choking tonight (and in recent playoffs too).

Bonner is just a role player, but like you said in the playoffs he is not good and thats the time you really need guys! Tony is what you said he is as well! He is not a #1 option that can lead you to a title. Tim is still very good but if he is not in GOD mode or Prime Tim then he is not a #1 threat anymore to carry a team, that and Manu has fallen off! Those two things IMO are the reason they are not a title team anymore and not so much a BONNER as you said. I don't like Matt but those guys getting old has more to do with it.

[Budkin]

Man I'm still pissed off about this loss. I know I'm going to have trouble sleeping. Ugh I hate caring about fucking sports I have no control over.

[UZER]

I think Pop is very stubborn but also loyal, he'll stick with something for a long time. but I don't understand the shitting on Bonner, he's just a role player. Pop has also stuck with a certain PG even though we haven't won shit with him as our number 1 player. So it's not just Bonner imo. Not saying Bonner doesn't deserve lots of blame for choking, I just see lots of choking tonight (and in recent playoffs too).

It's not Bonners fault per se. He is who he is, a passive soft choking player. But he can't check himself into the games.

As the old saying goes......fool me once, shame on you. fool me in 08, 09, 10, 11, 12.....shame on me.

[Sean Cagney]

Man I'm still pissed off about this loss. I know I'm going to have trouble sleeping. Ugh I hate caring about fucking sports I have no control over.

I agree, can't stand the way I get into games when I know it's not good for me and later on it will be the same result of being upset and seeing the team lose. I guess I miss the days when they were winning titles and I knew after a loss like this they had a shot at anyone out there! This loss though did not sit well with me at all, when Wade and Bron were out I said a gifted win for us this late in the year! Then they go pull this crap and ruin my holiday night.

[HI-FI]

Because there's no reason not to stick with your better players, especially when games are on the line and there's no clear matchup advantage... Tiago and even Diaw are simply the better players right now.
I agree that's why I think Pop should've stuck with Nando longer. Parker looked like he was shitting his pants out there. Maybe his ankle is bothering him, maybe he's preparing us for playoff Parker, I don't know. I have no problems with Bonner being replaced with someone who is better, which clearly TIago and Diaw are, especially when Diaw is motivated. btw Nono, I don't think Bonner cost us that much this game. the head of the snake was once again cut off and things just went downhill from there.

[Ditty]

Burn the tape, some teams are just on. Beat Memphis tomorrow and lets go from there. I remember the Mavs losing a heart breaker two years ago to the Spurs, and after that they got there shit together and peaked at the right time and won the championship. Hopefully this a wake up call.

[ElNono]

The Spurs are capable of winning but they're also capable of just letting there foot off the gas and coasting. Right now the only person who's playing up to snuff is Kawhi and Tim Duncan. The bench sucks without anyone to drive into the paint and dish the ball because all we are is a bunch of 3 point shooters on the bench. Boris Diaw is soft, he wont shoot and he won't attack the paint he'll get an open look and pass into a double team, none of the PG's actually handle the ball enough down the court, it's lots of standing around at the top of the 3 point line.

tbh, this is how this roster is put together... there really isn't that many shot creators...

[TheGoldStandard]

Burn the tape, some teams are just on. Beat Memphis tomorrow and lets go from there. I remember the Mavs losing a heart breaker two years ago to the Spurs, and after that they got there shit together and peaked at the right time and won the championship. Hopefully this a wake up call.

Dirk went mofo, they had a defensive bench and bench guys who could score in 2011. I'm not saying we can't do the same but our bench would have sprout balls and play above there heads.

[ElNono]

I agree that's why I think Pop should've stuck with Nando longer. Parker looked like he was shitting his pants out there. Maybe his ankle is bothering him, maybe he's preparing us for playoff Parker, I don't know. I have no problems with Bonner being replaced with someone who is better, which clearly TIago and Diaw are, especially when Diaw is motivated. btw Nono, I don't think Bonner cost us that much this game. the head of the snake was once again cut off and things just went downhill from there.

As I said in the other thread, the Spurs had much bigger problems than Bonner... As far as Matty specifically, I thought Pop has stayed away from the fool's gold that's Bonner as the 'offensive spark', but his comments afterwards were kinda alarming, tbh... that's all. I enjoyed his many DNP-CD this season, and I think the defensive improvement is in part coming from that.

[TheGoldStandard]

tbh, this is how this roster is put together... there really isn't that many shot creators...

Yup, it seems like they think the ball movement will create shots but if you're just swinging the ball back and forth between the same guys on the perimeter then nobody is going to be caught open. Parker is the only one who creates and he didn't even try tonight just kept backing up and getting scared just like last year w/ OKC. I'm not saying Chris Paul is a better PG but he'll go into the defenders and flop, at least that's something.

[TheGoldStandard]

As I said in the other thread, the Spurs had much bigger problems than Bonner... As far as Matty specifically, I thought Pop has stayed away from the fool's gold that's Bonner as the 'offensive spark', but his comments afterwards were kinda alarming, tbh... that's all. I enjoyed his many DNP-CD this season, and I think the defensive improvement is in part coming from that.

We're about to unleash the red mamba in the playoffs, Pop has been resting him before he blasts off. That bench needs some tweaking in the offseason. Wonder if Iggy will take a paycut.

[Russo21]

Where is Miami's $250,000 fine for sitting out LeBron and Wade. Stupid Midget Stern. Where's the consistancy motherfucker.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

While disheartening, I saw this loss coming from a mile away. The team has been playing bad for a month now and I see no real upward trend approaching. At least Leonard continues to impress.

That's the truth. We really haven't looked good for a month. We just played the easiest part of our schedule and squandered a chance to to get homecourt. We should probably be 5 or even 6 up on OKC but we lost against teams like Minnesota and Detroit. And more. Today we should have won a game where Miami gave us the finger and rested players in ways we no longer are aloud.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Burn the tape, some teams are just on. Beat Memphis tomorrow and lets go from there. I remember the Mavs losing a heart breaker two years ago to the Spurs, and after that they got there shit together and peaked at the right time and won the championship. Hopefully this a wake up call.

:tu

[therealtruth]

Because there's no reason not to stick with your better players, especially when games are on the line and there's no clear matchup advantage... Tiago and even Diaw are simply the better players right now.

It looks like Pop no longer believes in pounding the rock. He believes in panicking.

[Kool Bob Love]

These grades mean nothing. Burn the tape. This game has no effect on the Spurs 3 weeks from now.

[wildbill2u]

Diaw has to shoot when he's open. Otherwise playing around the elbow or top of the key isn't gonna help open up the lane. He gets way too many minutes based on the way he fails to be aggressive on offense or defense. Too many stat lines with little or no rebounds tells me he's afraid to mix it up.

Green appears to be moving into the blue-funk stage like last year at playoff time. He just may not be able to handle the pressure of playing as a starter with all that is expected of that position.

I think Pop has emasculated Bonner by not playing him. He's gone from a part-time starter last year to the end of the bench and now seems hesitant to take a shot because of looking over his shoulder at Pop. He tries hard to do other things on offense and defense, but his only real skill is as a shooter. He has to take the shots when offered.

[spurs10]

Well Kawhi was certainly a bright spot. We would have won if not for the bad call against Kawhi, and/or not leaving Bosh completely open at the top of the key!!!!! I'm concerned about their ability to shut Tony down with the doubles and not making them pay. I'm more concerned if Tony is healthy. If all you have to do is pressure TP and we collapse, then I hope the word doesn't get out! We will see the same thing on Thursday, that's for sure. Glad Bonner created all that offense for us too! When you play that tentatively you're bound to get beat. I truly believe there is a lot of good to be had in a loss like this though. If this doesn't get their attention, then nothing will.
:flag:

[rmt]

What the heck is Bonner doing out there in crunch time. Why did Pop have them double in the post and leave the 3pt shooters WIDE OPEN. Let them post and try to score. There was no one out there worthy of a double team - why leave the 3pt shooters? Most of the blame for this loss is on Pop. SJax - 5/8 in only 14 mins. and Bonner gets 8 mins to do nothing but pass up open 3s. If I were Splitter, I'd be furious to be sitting on the bench while Ginger is choking out there. And how many shots is Diaw going to pass up?

[T Park]

Everyone except Stephen Jackson deserved an F.

The most disappointing was Tiago. I thought going against a much smaller Heat team he was going to beast. Instead he reverted back to soft rookie Tiago again.

Pop playing Bonner? Fuck me dont even start with that lame brain shit idea. Of all the times you want Pop to play small ball TONIGHT WAS IT!!! Jackson Leonard Duncan Green Parker would;ve won the game FINE! Hell Jackson looked like 2003 Jackson with the strong drives to the hoop.

The worst coaching decision of all was Riding Duncan Parker for 35 plus minutes. Theyll be lucky to not get the living shit blown out of them tonight against Memphis.

[freetiago]

frontcourt was fine
all 3 in double digit rebounds and scored efficiently
backcourt shit the bed

Kawhi+Duncan+Splitter
18/32 (56%) FG
33 rebounds
7 assists
5 steals
2 blocks

Parker+ Green+ Neal
10/36 (28%) FG
9 rebounds
12 assists
2 steals
0 blocks

even the TOSB Jack managed to play well and add to Spurs frontcourt domination
backcourt players cant handle traps
luckily for them Miami is the only team that plays D that well with that style
Pacers would be the next closest capable of doing it but they play a more Spur style of defense except they actually contest mid range shots

[T Park]

Listened to Pop's comments on playing Bonner and it jived what was going on.

For all of you wrist slashers however that think OMG hes back with bonner, when asked did going with Matt help the scoring?

"We scored 83, how do you think?"

If he was as infatuated with Bonner as you armchair QBs think he is, wouldn't he have said "No but, it wasnt because of one player it was due to...."


He flat out said it didnt work. Again, if hes defending or wanting Bonner he didnt sound enthused about the results Bonner produced.

[Sean Cagney]

Listened to Pop's comments on playing Bonner and it jived what was going on.

For all of you wrist slashers however that think OMG hes back with bonner, when asked did going with Matt help the scoring?

"We scored 83, how do you think?"

If he was as infatuated with Bonner as you armchair QBs think he is, wouldn't he have said "No but, it wasnt because of one player it was due to...."


He flat out said it didnt work. Again, if hes defending or wanting Bonner he didnt sound enthused about the results Bonner produced.

Yep, he should have gotten that years ago though TBH.

[T Park]

You want to argue about the past go right ahead, Im not going to. I only give a shit about this year.

[Pop]

I'm glad I turned this shit off at halftime when Pop called a play that was gonna be a 3pointer from Tim.

How embarrassing. Need some major change, the ball stops too much, there's no good secondary playmaker and aggressively traping tp is incredibly efficient and Pop is terrible at adjusting during a game.

[Sean Cagney]

You want to argue about the past go right ahead, Im not going to. I only give a shit about this year.

Like the past doesn't repeat itself, yeah try it again! Go to the same thing again and again and expect a different result! Maybe one time it will work! This year past can repeat, make the same mistakes and it will likely repeat itself with rotations etc. Stubborn he is.
I'm glad I turned this shit off at halftime when Pop called a play that was gonna be a 3pointer from Tim.

How embarrassing. Need some major change, the ball stops too much, there's no good secondary playmaker and aggressively traping tp is incredibly efficient and Pop is terrible at adjusting during a game.
See someone gets it and is not delusional and thinks things will just change all of the sudden before the playoffs. This is the truth and most are in denial it seems.

[ElNono]

He flat out said it didnt work. Again, if hes defending or wanting Bonner he didnt sound enthused about the results Bonner produced.

tbh, I'm glad he tried that today... hopefully that'll dissuade him from trying it in the playoffs.

[Slippy]

Everyone except Stephen Jackson deserved an F.

The most disappointing was Tiago. I thought going against a much smaller Heat team he was going to beast. Instead he reverted back to soft rookie Tiago again.



Tiago will have more games like this when your guards can't handle ball pressure or traps. If he doesn't get post-ups most of his points are then dependent on his teammates getting him the ball in the right posi. Spurs guards were going 1on1 , rolling the wrong way on P'n'R and dribbling aimlessly the other way when Tiago was open. When Miami got a bit more physical on the ball handler, they got pushed out further , making terrible passes as a result.

Good test really. Massive fail on the Spurs with Tony the main culprit. What i havn't liked from the last few games is he seems to be coasting on the defensive end , getting beat easily and making costly mistakes. If he's injured , that would exlpain alot.

[BillMc]

It was interesting at the end of Tony's postgame interview, he was asked if he'd consider sitting out the Grizzlies game. Tony didn't immediately say "I want to play," but gave a much more muted "We'll talk to Pop about that and see." (I'm paraphrasing from memory here.)

He may be still hurt.

[Bruno]

Since the all star break, Spurs haven't played well. They have lost that momentum they had earlier this year. That's worrisome but Spurs still some time to get back their groove for the playoffs. The biggest issue right now is around Ginobili injury.


It was interesting at the end of Tony's postgame interview, he was asked if he'd consider sitting out the Grizzlies game. Tony didn't immediately say "I want to play," but gave a much more muted "We'll talk to Pop about that and see." (I'm paraphrasing from memory here.)

He may be still hurt.

Thanks for the rport.
I would say that it's likely that Parker, Duncan and even Kawhi are all out for the game against Memphis. Tim played 35min, Tony and Kawhi 37min against Miami.

Spurs might lose the first seed shortly but it isn't that a big deal compared to being fresh for the playoffs.

[Obstructed_View]

tbh, I'm glad he tried that today... hopefully that'll dissuade him from trying it in the playoffs.

But "Bonner was +5" and "the Spurs went on a run" when he came into the game.

[hater]

:lmao we lose to the Heat without wade, bron and another starter. and most get a C :lmao

[John B]

Maybe, just maybe that was the strategy...just let me live in this denial for a bit.
CIA Pop :hat

[spurraider21]

tbh i'll forgive the boys if they come out with fire against memphis

[TheGoldStandard]

tbh i'll forgive the boys if they come out with fire against memphis

No, it's how they finish against Memphis. They can come out and scorch them for a 15 point lead but they have a hard time holding leads.

[Old School 44]

Classic trap game, just like the first meeting. Loose opponent, not expected to win without their stars. Tbh, sure it would have been nice to win, but nothing really to be gained from either meeting should the Spurs and Heat meet in the finals. I think players are just ready to start the playoffs. I know I am. Let the games begin. BELIEVE!

[ManuTastic]

While disheartening, I saw this loss coming from a mile away. The team has been playing bad for a month now and I see no real upward trend approaching. At least Leonard continues to impress.

80% agree. OTOH, Tim's been great, Tony's been mostly superb, and Leonard continues to impress. I think Manu's struggles are the dark cloud over this team now.

[superjames1992]

CIA Pop wants to avoid the Lakers in the first round, so he's aiming for a #2 seed, tbh.

LOL.

That's why he keeps on giving the Hero consistent minutes.

[TheGoldStandard]

CIA Pop wants to avoid the Lakers in the first round, so he's aiming for a #7 seed, tbh.

LOL.

That's why he keeps on giving the Hero consistent minutes.

Before Neal enters, "I don't care if you're 30 feet away from the basket or they run someone out there just chuck it"

[SpurYank]

Hey TimVP, one of your criticisms of Tiago was that he "let the Heat get Away with ..." - we are, after all, talking about a pretty fantastic team that only recently almost broke the all-time record for consecutive wins. That criticism falls a little flat. Last time I looked, Tiago was a lot like the rest of us, fallible.

[SpurYank]

Unlike the rest of us, when asked after the game about the loss, Pop credited the Heat for their great play and great shots and added "more power to 'em." Perhaps there should be a little of that in your quick grades and consistent criticism for our team's imperfections. There is an opposing team making it difficult for our team to be perfect. Pop added that the way the Heat handled Tony had a lot to do with their win, which they got but only at the last second.

[Mugen]

Spurs got manhandled by a team missing their two best perimeter defenders. For the Spurs to have any chance of beating the Heat, Duncan is going to have to play like Prime Tim and he was outplayed by Bosh yesterday.

[Arcadian]

The problem with Bonner is that he didn't shoot. The one thing he does well is shoot 3-pointers. If he's not going to do that, he's useless.

And he had a wide open look at one. He hesitated and passed it, leading to a broken play.

[heyheymymy]

Where is Miami's $250,000 fine for sitting out LeBron and Wade. Stupid Midget Stern. Where's the consistancy motherfucker.

can we talk more about this? unbelievable

[outmap]

http://whatdoumeme.com/media/created/tebzgb.jpg
Refs = A+

[angelbelow]

My first thought was "at least it was close..." But then I realized the Heat sat James and Wade...