What would you do differently for Game 3?

[Horry Hipcheck]

Since the rest of the threads right now are doomsayers having circle jerks, I'll open this floor for discussion about strategies for Game 3. This isn't where we predict outcomes, or decide that the game is a formality for an inevitable 2-1 hole.

If YOU were head coach, what would you do to give the Spurs the best shot in this game?

Discuss.

[mute]

How many times did we see our guys run them off the three point line only for them to drive past us and then have the defense collapse and they end up getting a wide open three anyways? If they are getting open looks, we might as well just not overplay and just stay in front of them and force them to make threes.

When we run them off the 3 point line, they drive, everyone rotates off their man, and the Warriors are kicking it to a cutter or a wide open three. How many wide open threes did they get last night?

[RD2191]

We can hope and pray.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Far too many, that's for sure. I agree that the defense needs to stop collapsing into double teams down low. They're not Dwight Howard.

[RD2191]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--as-klay-thompson-follows-stephen-curry-s-climb-to-stardom--future-is-now-for-warriors-092853880.html

son of a bitch

[look_at_g_shred]

Stay with your guy. If they beat us one on one so be it.

[Laredoart]

Our Defense is doing just fine. Our Defense got us back in Game 1 and pretty close in Game 2, the difference between the two games, was the fact that in Game 1 we made 3's and in Game 2 we weren't making our open shots. We just need to match their energy in the first half and not let them get a big lead. Our D needs to be there from the start. We can all say that our Spurs aren't playing there best, we need to move the ball around, that's the way we won all those regular season games, but after we move the ball around then we need to make shots.

[look_at_g_shred]

Get in the paint at will if the jumpers aren't falling.. Scratch that! Get to the paint right from the jump! And don't stand there and watch GSW outrebound you.

[mexicanjunior]

Defensively - Stay with the shooters and force them to drive the lane and finish at the rim. The only help defender allowed to peel off is whoever is guarding Draymond Green. Force him to go 10-10 from the 3 point line. If he does, GS deserves to win.

Offensively - Make open shots. Green and Leonard got plenty of open looks, just have to knock them down. If Splitter is healthy, force more pick and roll with him and make their defense collapse for kick outs. If Green and Leonard can shoot 35-40% from the 3 point line, we will win.

[mexicanjunior]

Also, start Leonard on Thompson and Green on Curry defensively with the strict rule not to help off of them. Force GS to post Barnes on Parker and use Splitter sporadically as a help defender if he proves he can consistently score in the paint. If he can get 30 on post ups, so be it.

[spurraider21]

Play much more active in the beginning of the game. Our D picks up during panic time. Bring that from the get-go. Keep it steady on offense. Just gotta convert the same looks we've been knocking down all season. Also, don't double Harrison Barnes.

[Laredoart]

Yup, you right. If the jumpers aren't falling, then they need to drive it end, and create contact, get to the foul line, anything to change the momentum.

[Obstructed_View]

How many times did we see our guys run them off the three point line only for them to drive past us and then have the defense collapse and they end up getting a wide open three anyways? If they are getting open looks, we might as well just not overplay and just stay in front of them and force them to make threes.

When we run them off the 3 point line, they drive, everyone rotates off their man, and the Warriors are kicking it to a cutter or a wide open three. How many wide open threes did they get last night?

Exactly. Running someone off the three point line implies that you were out of position to have to run them. Good teams can turn those into a better shot because you break down your own defense by overplaying.

[Obstructed_View]

Yup, you right. If the jumpers aren't falling, then they need to drive it end, and create contact, get to the foul line, anything to change the momentum.

Jumpers shouldn't be the first thing you're trying to do, especially against a better jump-shooting team.

[RD2191]

Jumpers shouldn't be the first thing you're trying to do, especially against a better jump-shooting team.

[raybies]

Whatever we did in the second half.

Put splitter in the lineup. That lineup should have earned a half in this series at least for what it did in the season.

Jackson said hes not afraid to play his bigs. I think whether hes bluffing or not our frontcourt is our best advantage offensively andi defensively. Splitters best at rolling, Duncan at popping. We could convert on alot of pick n rolls

More discipline on defense. I think having splitter backing up Duncan can help with their driving.

Also think we need to shorten our rotations. Neal has to play back up pg or alot less.

[raybies]

I would feel alot better even If we lost knowing that we played our brand of basketball. Tbh..

[EVAY]

The opposite of what we tried to do in game 2. In other words, let Curry get his and keep everybody else on the team bottled up.

[pgardn]

Diaw must have been vary sore for game #2 after a long layoff before game 1 which he played intense minutes.

I would like to see him back.

And it is possible we might actually stay close, or even get a lead so we don't have to climb out of a virtual abyss?

[superjames1992]

Since the rest of the threads right now are doomsayers having circle jerks, I'll open this floor for discussion about strategies for Game 3. This isn't where we predict outcomes, or decide that the game is a formality for an inevitable 2-1 hole.

If YOU were head coach, what would you do to give the Spurs the best shot in this game?

Discuss.
I would have the Spurs score more points than the Warriors, tbh.

LOL. :D

[chazley]

Glue Bonner to the bench. He has no use in this series.

Give Blair some minutes. We need his physicality. Test him for 2-3 minutes and if he's causing some havoc out there leave him in for a bit.

Stop comforming to the Warriors. Start Splitter/Duncan like we've done all season.

This team is getting out-competed and it's hard to watch. We played panicked defense in the second half of game 2, but if we can't play that way for 48 minutes we aren't stealing one on the road.

Refs were terrible in game 2. I'm never one to complain about this kind of stuff, but Warriors picked up a bunch of ticky-tack fouls in game 2 and it seemed like the Spurs couldn't get a whistle to save their life. To compound that, Warriors were knocking down 35% shots at a 60% clip. Not sustainable, and law of averages will catch up to them.

[Chomag]

Just play like what got them here.

[monkeypunk]

Look for the pass and stop the iso hero ball bullshit. Our high octane offense is predicated on the pass which we did all of 5 minutes worth last night. We'd screen, throw one contested pass to someone who takes a contested jumper which they'd miss. Everyone else just standing around watching.

I'd force a minimum of three passes before shooting unless you're just wide open. And everyone moves off the ball, cutting and twisting the defense. Very little of which I saw last night.

[BatManu20]

Make shots.

[TD 21]

Glue Bonner to the bench. He has no use in this series.

Give Blair some minutes. We need his physicality. Test him for 2-3 minutes and if he's causing some havoc out there leave him in for a bit.

Stop comforming to the Warriors. Start Splitter/Duncan like we've done all season.

This team is getting out-competed and it's hard to watch. We played panicked defense in the second half of game 2, but if we can't play that way for 48 minutes we aren't stealing one on the road.

Refs were terrible in game 2. I'm never one to complain about this kind of stuff, but Warriors picked up a bunch of ticky-tack fouls in game 2 and it seemed like the Spurs couldn't get a whistle to save their life. To compound that, Warriors were knocking down 35% shots at a 60% clip. Not sustainable, and law of averages will catch up to them.

Good post.

By starting Splitter and playing him as many minutes as he physically can play, it makes the Warriors have to make a decision (when he's alongside Duncan): either go big and mess with their spacing or go small and risk getting pounded down low/on the glass. And if they go with the latter, which they inevitably would at times, then Splitter should be able to attract a double team with Barnes or Green on him. On the other end, I'm not worried about Barnes or Green doing damage off the dribble and having the Warriors attempting to force that is a win in and of itself.

I wouldn't bother with playing Blair, though. The rotation needs to be condensed. I'd have Joseph on a short least and if it's apparent during his initial stint that the stage is too big for him, I'd go down to eight. If Neal doesn't start looking like an NBA player again, I'd go down to seven and a half.

[Brunodf]

Bonner/Neal would combine for 0 minutes.
Play big.
Curry/Thompson man don't rotate/don't help/stay with them until we get the ball.
Don't double scrubs.
PnR Bogut.

[Xevious]

Just play like what got them here.
This. Start Splitter and stop trying to play small to match up with GS. They are a better shooting team then we are.

[TheGoldStandard]

No doubling in the low block, Fuck Bogut and Landry they can get 10 or 15, stick to Curry and Thompson, make them drive into the lane and kick the ball. And hit shots.. I don't know what Pop was thinking when he said that they shot better than last game, the 3 pointers were atrocious in game 2 and out FT percentage sucked because Kawhi couldn't hit shit. if our 24% from 3 was 35% we win the game.

[raybies]

Been mulling this over but Its bases on the sample of game 2.

First half curry and Thompson go off. Look how explosive there offense was. Second half they made namely barnes, green, and jack beat us. Not as explosive. 2's are less than 3's....

A flaw in jacksons scheme allows pop to dictate how the warriors offense flows.

We cant let curry get his 50. Its just too explosive for Theyre offense. At least with them attacking the mismatch they have to grind it out.

Curry and Thompson threes or shooting in general is demoralizing. You can live with a contested two in this case.

[100%duncan]

Stay with your guy. Hit your shots. Don't play Bonner, please.

[Baseline]

For the love of God, rough up Thompson and Curry. Bruce Bowen is rolling over in his grave. Shooters have to be bumped off their rhythm. Nobody has laid a finger on Thompson the whole series. Even if somebody mows him over on a three, at least he'll be thinking about something other than hitting the bottom of the net.

A Tom Thibs squad would never let a spot-up shooter do that. 85% of Thompson's points came on jump shots that were quite open. Make the kid hurt. But at least make the kid work, for crying out loud.

[Ice009]

Start Splitter and Duncan, then go small with Kawhi at the 4 if one of them needs to rest.

No Bonner, Blair in the rotation at all, Neal with a very, very short leash (if he's not hitting or playing poor defense bench him).

Play PHYSICAL and with INTENSITY from the start right through to the end. No easy lay ups if they get to the hoop. Good clean hard fouls.

[Man In Black]

This game can't be played like H-O-R-S-E because they can outshoot the Spurs. It has to be played in the trenches. Spurs have to return to the BIG lineup and control pace and tempo. Work to get the best shot and move the ball side to side to get GSW's D chasing. It's strange but I though them losing David Lee would be so key to the Spurs advancing. He provided balance to their game by giving them a legit post presence. What makes this confounding is, if he was fully healthy and playing, those inside touches would lessen GSW's reliance on the 3 point line. They would take less 3 point shots. So, if GSW feels the game can be won outside in, then the team needs to be disciplined and chase those 2 shooters off the line and live with whatever shots Barnes and Green makes. Those guys combined won't be as effective as Curry & Thompson. Pop has to give up something and I think a slow it down, grind it out with Bigs game with 2nd break opps would give us Spurs fans a chance to see the Spurs team we expect.

[moisaenz]

For the love of God, rough up Thompson and Curry. Bruce Bowen is rolling over in his grave. Shooters have to be bumped off their rhythm. Nobody has laid a finger on Thompson the whole series. Even if somebody mows him over on a three, at least he'll be thinking about something other than hitting the bottom of the net.

A Tom Thibs squad would never let a spot-up shooter do that. 85% of Thompson's points came on jump shots that were quite open. Make the kid hurt. But at least make the kid work, for crying out loud.

That is how Denver got some wins, that is why the warriors started crying..

[Horse]

Bench Bonner for the whole series, he can play against memphis. Do not double, switch everything on D. Attack the rim from the start they will foul. They are mental midgets we've seen it again and again put their backs to the wall they will turn it over and fold. Then it becomes an avalanche and we can roll right into round 3.

[Budkin]

Start the way we played in the second halves of both games.