Most noticable difference between this 2013 Memphis series and 2011?

[dallasmaverickslose]

I'm still scratching my head as to how we blew the first round a few years ago against these guys.

Was it really just that every single on of their scrubs shot lights out?

[Kidd K]

The Spurs are healthy this time.

Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker were all playing hurt.

[benefactor]

Different personnel and the Spurs play real defense now.

[100%duncan]

HWMNBN.

[WildcardManu]

Splitter, Leonard, Danny Green a little seasoned and that chip on their shoulder for the 2011 playoffs.

[slick'81]

No gay more splitter and less Bonner.

And having Leonard along with green being effective doesn't hurt

[TE]

Different personnel and the Spurs play real defense now.
/thread

[cjw]

Manu had a broken arm and that Battier 3 was a dagger and it was impossible to swing momentum. Mayo >> Bayless too. On the flipside, take RJ's empty minutes and replace them with Kawhi being all over Conley, plus Splitter replacing McDyess (and Diaw for Blair essentially). Flip George Hill out for a better shooter in Green and you have floor spacing. And that's not a bash on Hill - he's proven me wrong about the Kawhi trade being an absolute win for the Spurs, though it tips heavily in our favor financially.

[siraulo23]

HWMNBN.

[Capt Bringdown]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/files/2011/04/zach-randolph-antonio-mcdyess-306x323.jpg

[dallasmaverickslose]

All really good thoughts.

I still have nightmares from when guys like Darrell Arthur and Shane Battier were kicking our ass... lol. Thankfully that hasnt happened this year.

[HarlemHeat37]

-Leonard is an elite rebounder, good defender and top 10 at the SF position, while the previous SF was a pussy that didn't contribute in any facet of the game..

- Green plays defense while making 3s, unlike 2011 Neal..

- Splitter and Diaw >>> McDyess..

- 2013 Duncan >> 2011 Duncan..

- 2013 Z-Bo <<<< 2011 Z-Bo..

- Marc Gasol's improvement is severely overrated..

- Shane Battier and Darrell Arthur >>>..

[cjw]

No gay more splitter and less Bonner.

And having Leonard along with green being effective doesn't hurt

Gay didn't play in 2011. Or did he?

http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Richard-Jefferson-Luke-Walton-Basketball-Players-Bromance-Vacation-11.jpg

[dbreiden83080]

We are healthier and we have Kawhi.

[Assman]

http://nouaintradio.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/1004-richard-jefferson-300.jpg

[Brunodf]

Healthy TD/Splitter/Diaw/Bonner >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> one ankle TD/Bonner/70 yr old Macdyess

[GSH]

No Dick. Jefferson.

[TimmehC]

Defense wins in the playoffs.

[dallasmaverickslose]

http://nouaintradio.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/1004-richard-jefferson-300.jpg

:lmao

[angelbelow]

-Kawhi instead of Dick
-Healthy Manu Ginobili
-Tiago Splitter instead of Dice
-2013 Bonner > 1980-2012 Bonner
-Better role players, notably Danny Green.

[hsxvvd]

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/04/07/11/1077858/3/628x471.jpg

[NickiRasgo]

There's a lot of difference between those two series.

2011:
Spurs
-Front-line: Duncan, McDyess, Bonner, Blair, Splitter (5th Big)
-Jefferson
-Ginobili was not healthy
-Parker/Duncan not playing well though Ginobili is
-Offensive approach team (relying too much on 3's too)
-Having the pressure of being #1 Seed (though is not really a great factor)


Grizzlies
-Randolph playing is dominating and playing great on that season
-Role-players outplaying the Spurs (Battier, Allen, Young, Arthur, etc)
-Dominating the paint area
-Great defense and ball movement
-Playing like the underdog (overcoming the odds) (though not really a great factor too)

2013:
Spurs:
-Duncan, Splitter, Diaw, Bonner, Blair (5th Big)
-Leonard, Green
-Healthy (so far)
-Duncan and Parker having a superb season playing in high level though Ginobili is struggling
-Defensive approach team with a great offensive ball movement as well
-Payback time (though not really a great factor)
-Improved much in defensive rating (and free-throw as well) sacrificing the ranking in offensive but defense wins championship
-Containing the role-players of the Grizzlies though Pondexter and Bayless still playing great

Grizzlies
-2011 Randolph > 2013 Randolph though Gasol having a great season as well


Can't think of anything but Grizzlies is still good it's just the Spurs playing great this time against them. A lot of people saying that the Grizzlies will gonna sweep the Spurs but what I said to them, this isn't 2011 anymore where the Spurs do have a lot of flaws.

[Darius Bieber]

Ginobili being injured.
Spurs underestimating Memphis at the time.

[Marcus Bryant]

We have a frontcourt you communist.

[Capt Bringdown]

70 yr old Macdyess

LOL, I wanna see Dice's birth certificate. Cripes that dude played old.

[outmap]

2013 Playoff Bonner >> 2011 Bonner
Dude's wrestling against ZBo, Grabbing Boards, Winning jump balls, and making playoff shots.

[outmap]

Double post

[timtonymanu]

That 2011 series by the Grizzlies was no fluke.

The 2011 Spurs were a fool's gold team. They probably wouldn't have even beaten the Blazers in a series that year.

[exstatic]

Our defense is MUCH better. Their rickety ass offense has no answer to a big run. They're basically the same type of team, but we're better, both offensively and defensively, and I mean MUCH better.

[GSH]

LOL, I wanna see Dice's birth certificate. Cripes that dude played old.

That last year he looked almost as old as Gred Oden.

[Assman]

No combination of Durant/Westbrook/Harden. For some reason, they were unstoppable against us.

That and we lost Paul George and Carlos Boozer.

[m33p0]

health.

[z0sa]

Were up 3-0

[SourCandy]

Role players and Randolph not making everything he throws up. Spurs defense on him has been impressive.

[Darius Bieber]

That and we lost Paul George and Carlos Boozer.

Yeah, sorry, I misread the thread title thinking they were talking about last season's WCF. I have since changed my reply.

[KaiRMD1]

Tracy McGrady

[GSH]

2013 Playoff Bonner >> 2011 Bonner
Dude's wrestling against ZBo, Grabbing Boards, Winning jump balls, and making playoff shots.

There's more to this than most will admit. I remember what a pylon Bonner was in that series. Fifteen minutes of THAT Matt Bonner per game, and the Spurs would be down 2-1, instead of up 3-0. That was one of the most disgraceful things I've ever seen in a playoff series. He's worked hard in this series, and honestly given Randolph hell.

[Galileo]

Duncan was not 100% in the 2011 payoffs, he was playing in pain.

[ezau]

No gay more splitter and less Bonner.

And having Leonard along with green being effective doesn't hurt

Gay was injured in 2011.

[#1spursfanNvegas]

when i sit down and watch the replays again, the 2011 grizzlies made some UNBELIEVABLE shots throughout the series to beat the Spurs that year. Arthur hitting all his perimeter shots, Battier, and even Mayo. It just seemed like everything was going in t for the Grizz, while we were doing our best to stay alive and avoid an upset. even in the 4th Q of Game 6, we were still very much in the game until everything just fell apart and we lost eventually.

But no upsets this year! Fk d grizz and go spurs go!

[TheyCallMePro]

The biggest difference? Well we didn't have Danny Green or Kawhi Leonard. And while we had Splitter, he never played any valuable minutes.

But the biggest difference is clearly Memphis's side. No OJ Mayo. No Greivis Vasquez and no Shane Battier. Those guys freakin killed us. Especially OJ Mayo.

And I know were playing great defense on Zach THIS series, but he seemed like no matter what we did that series he would just make EVERYTHING. I mean, he even made a bunch of 3's... Bottom line is Memphis had a better team, played great, and we were'nt nearly as good as we were during the regular season that year with Ginobli's elbow banged up. Oh, and Richard Jefferson disappeared completely despite having a great regular season that year. I still don't understand the hate some Spurs fans give him. He had one bad playoff series but otherwise played great for us.

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

This is a very different Spurs team from 2 years ago. And healthy.

Off the subject... anyone have a link to that tejano Spurs song that came out last year?

[SenorSpur]

As for the Grizzlies in 2011, Randolph and Gasol were double-double machines (even more than they are now), Darrell Arthur, Shane Battier, Sam Young or whoever Bonner was guarding, became instant offensive juggarnauts. O.J. Mayo was mercurial and the Grizzlies were simply younger, hungrier and more confident and much more phyiscal that were the Spurs. The 2013 version of the Grizzlies is still built and plays inside out, but they do not have the requisite outside shooting to keep the pressure off the bigs and open lanes for Mike Conley.

As for the 2011 Spurs, there was no Splitter, no Leonard and too much Dick Jefferson. Also, Green was only a bit player then, Dice was past his prime, Manu had a bum arm and Bonner was his usual over-matched, playoff-choking, vaginal self - all in an overused capacity. RJ was so disappointing in his role that Pop inserted George Hill to play the three in the last game of the series. Fast forward to 2013, and the Spurs are healthier, longer and a bit more athletic and focused on the task before them.

[sasffl]

Health and no Richard Jefferson

[Sean Cagney]

Different personnel and the Spurs play real defense now.

This about says it all! This is the truth here!

[Sean Cagney]

The biggest difference? Well we didn't have Danny Green or Kawhi Leonard. And while we had Splitter, he never played any valuable minutes.

But the biggest difference is clearly Memphis's side. No OJ Mayo. No Greivis Vasquez and no Shane Battier. Those guys freakin killed us. Especially OJ Mayo.

And I know were playing great defense on Zach THIS series, but he seemed like no matter what we did that series he would just make EVERYTHING. I mean, he even made a bunch of 3's... Bottom line is Memphis had a better team, played great, and we were'nt nearly as good as we were during the regular season that year with Ginobli's elbow banged up. Oh, and Richard Jefferson disappeared completely despite having a great regular season that year. I still don't understand the hate some Spurs fans give him. He had one bad playoff series but otherwise played great for us.

Get real Jefferson sucked here! He was paid a ton of money to be a star, not to put up Danny Green numbers! Come on now he sucked. I get all the hate for RJ here, he leaves we got to WCF last year and this year near the finals so far! Great getting him outta here. He also lost GS that game one IMO with his missed FT's allowed us to leak back in that game! He was some shyt here, especially for superstar pay! Glad to see him gone.

[Aztecfan03]

Gay was injured in 2011.

don't think he was talking about that Gay.

[lefty]

The Spurs have improved

The Grizzlies havent

[Obstructed_View]

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Manu+Ginobili+San+Antonio+Spurs+v+Los+Angeles+IbZq A8xEIKZx.jpg
For those who don't do well with subtlety, note the arm in the foreground.

[spurraider21]

The biggest difference is the series score tbh

[AaronY]

The biggest difference is the series score tbh
Yup, I predict going forward the key factor will be who scores the most in each game imho..

All other factors being equal of course..

[therealtruth]

TMac is the 12th man.

[Trainwreck2100]

http://www.1band1brand.com/uploads/news/94BRAND_Goods.jpg

i'm so afraid

[Whisky Dog]

Worst thing that happened to the 2012-2013 Grizzlies was the Spurs losing an 0-2 series lead in last year's WCF. This year's Spurs are playing pissed off, especially in the last few minutes and overtime.

Spurs are beating the Grizzlies at the style the Grizzlies think they're at their the best. What do they call it? Grind house? Well the Spurs are better at it.

[pgardn]

I'm still scratching my head as to how we blew the first round a few years ago against these guys.

Was it really just that every single on of their scrubs shot lights out?

We could not get any long or short rebounds or defend in the paint.

Leonard, Green, and Tiago have made a huge difference. We now have length and athleticism that understands how to fit in with Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili.

[dunkman]

Apart from the obvious roster changes, the Spurs played no defense and Memphis was the better defensive team which gave them confidence. The Grizzlies were the better team then, but not this time around.

[Obstructed_View]

Doesn't hurt that all the guys who went off on the Spurs aren't there anymore with the exception of Arthur, who has regressed badly as a player. When he posted up and drained that jumper over Bonner I thought, "that looks familiar" and then he got three really terrible fouls in about 20 seconds.

[urunobili]

Jefferson payed his dues by missing two key FTs for the warriors...

[YoMamaIsCallin]

First, in case you haven't noticed, games 2 and 3 were extremely close, and even in game 1, the Grizz got to within 6 in the 3rd period. So don't get overexcited. This series could easily be 2-1 Grizz.

Big difference is Spurs have more horses in better shape than they did, and the Grizz have not really moved up to being an elite team. So Popovich has more buttons to push. I could go down the list but others have already.

The surprising thing to me is to see Gasol and Randolph playing worse. Zach in particular looks like he's on the downslope of his career. And Gasol the DPOY was surprisingly bad on defense, especially in game 3.