Things that spurs need to work on for game 4..

[apalisoc_9]

- Continue moving the ball..As good as the spurs are in moving the ball, the offense has been stagnant in almost every third quarter this playoff..I don't want to point fingers, but Parker and Duncan forcing their two way game really kills the offense. Tony, It's ok to pass the ball to Leonard, Green, Manu.

- Spurs fan is going to hate me, but Duncan is a liability on the defensive end. With this in mind, one of green and Leonard needs to be on the floor all the time...Less belli.

- I honestly wouldn't mind seeing Duncan, Leonard, Diaw, Splitter attack Ibaka on the post...All these blocks allows the thunder to attack on transition which they are really good at.

- Don't give up with 6 minutes left in the game..That's a confidence killer...A game is still in reach down 14 with 6 minutes remaining..

I'm honestly not that worried tbh..I still think the spurs win this in 5.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

I think rebounding might be something they need to work on. The 3rd quarter saw a lot of FT's for OKC, but they also out rebounded the Spurs and it was pretty embarrassing to watch.

[Behrooz24]

Rebound the damn ball.

[apalisoc_9]

Yup rebounding is a huge issue...Sadly, Duncan has been giving up rebounds left and right...

Not a whole lot you can do..Just remind the players to box out.

[Richie]

Offensive rebounds killed us. Pathetic in some instances in the 3rd, we'd get the stop and give up the board

[Malik Hairston]

They just need to play with the same energy they played with at home, they were severely outrebounded..Manu is the only player that showed up tonight..

Even with Ibaka off the court, the Spurs were outscored by 7 points..

Parker's terrible play is my only concern, at the moment..

[Malik Hairston]

Yup rebounding is a huge issue...Sadly, Duncan has been giving up rebounds left and right...

Not a whole lot you can do..Just remind the players to box out.

Spurs were out-rebounded by 10 with Duncan off the floor, tbh..there were far worse players than Tim tonight..

[hitmantb]

In 2012 Ibaka + Thabo completely shut down Parker.

I am afraid double point guard (Westbrook + Jackson) takes too much stamina out of Parker, he spends too much energy on defense and without him slicing up the defense, Spurs passing game is weakened tremendously and they would lose to Thunder every time in ISO games.

Honestly Thunder with Ibaka has a higher ceiling. Thunder doesn't even need to attack as a team, they just need to defend as a team and Spurs offense is broken.

[cd98]

Green and Parker need to play better, and Spurs can't let Jackson score well with Westbrook and Durrant.

[tmtcsc]

Friggin refs trying to make the FT disparity look closer. This game was lost at the FT line as well as the boards. Tony Parker was a no-show and Ibaka played pretty fantastic consdiering he was left for dead.

The Spurs will be fine.

[dg7md]

Make our shots.

Limit turnovers.

We shot poorly in this game, the worst we had in any playoff game to this point. That was the deal breaker.

[cd021]

Leonard and Parker were pretty garbage on offense. Manu seemed to be the only one who got the memo. Diaw's aggression was nice but couldn't bribe the rim.

[apalisoc_9]

Spurs were out-rebounded by 10 with Duncan off the floor, tbh..there were far worse players than Tim tonight..

True..

but there was a play in the third I believe were Tim was on the floor and OKC got consecutive offensive rebounds..It stuck on my mind.

[CitizenDwayne]

Make some shots.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Score more points than the thunder

[SpurPadre]

Hiring Tonya Harding' s hitmen to put some pipes into ibaka' s calf wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

[slick'81]

TOny better start practicing his jumper if okc closes that paint off

[RD2191]

The Spurs have no answer for a healthy OKC, none. Pop has had years to figure them out and he still hasnt been able to do it. They're just the better team.

[Malik Hairston]

True..

but there was a play in the third I believe were Tim was on the floor and OKC got consecutive offensive rebounds..It stuck on my mind.

The most egregious play was Derek Fisher out-rebounding and bullying Boris Diaw..I almost vomited, tbh..

[dylankerouac]

-

- Don't give up with 6 minutes left in the game..That's a confidence killer...A game is still in reach down 14 with 6 minutes remaining..



Pop should have called a timeout at the beginning of the fourth. Consistently it was one person of the unit running to the three point line while 2/3 Spurs were still walking back. Then a miss and Oklahoma ball. Where was the ball movement? He'll at least shoot the ball when it's possible that the Spurs can get a rebound. They shot themselves in the foot, wanting the lead "now" instead of steadily grinding for the win.

Leave it to the third team to play 5 on 5 and reduce the gap to nine.

[Capt Bringdown]

The Spurs have no answer for a healthy OKC, none. Pop has had years to figure them out and he still hasnt been able to do it. They're just the better team.

OKC's D neutralizes Parker and it's game over. Spurs can only stay tantalizingly close, which gives fans false hope, but OKC was firmly in control from the tip-off and was poised throughout to blow the Spurs out. Which they did, pretty easily.

[myhc]

To me it starts and end with rebounds. 52-36. The Thunder were the more desperate team tonight. They seemed to get to all the loose balls tonight, especially the 2nd half.

Shockingly, with how horrible our defense was in the first half and how well the Thunder were playing with Ibaka and with the massive FT disparity, we were STILL IN THE GAME in the 4th quarter!!! I couldn't believe the score going into the 4th! We were within striking distance but it all went to sit when they kept beating us to all the loose balls and getting all the 2nd chance points. Desire. They had more of it tonight than we did. Game. Set. Match.

Oh, and that Tony Parker fella. Hope he can play just a little better. Dude looked scared tonight.

[myhc]

The most egregious play was Derek Fisher out-rebounding and bullying Boris Diaw..I almost vomited, tbh..


THIS X 1000000000000. You knew they were done when Derek Fisher was beating everyone to the boards. But then again, he is Derek Fisher and he is playing us in the playoffs.

[hitmantb]

I can't bear watching Duncan shut down by Perkins/Adams of the world. At this stage of his career, Duncan seems to be only capable of catching easy passes and finish on the move. He is great at getting himself open and score these points but his post up and mid-range jumper against any decent defender is completely gone.

It is too much reliance on passing for the open man. Both Thunder/Heat are capable of highly focused defensive rotations. Of course against a Spurs team this good if they screw up and Spurs catches fire, they get beat by 30+ points, but that is still only one win. As long as Thunder/Heat can somewhat dampen Spurs's passing and create a few turnover, star power wins.

[cd021]

Parker simply needs to play better. People forget he had a 37 point game against OKC easier this season. The "Ibaka shuts Parker down " isn't entirely true, makes it harder? yes. Sefolsha isn't even playing right now. 30 minutes in 3 games.

[RD2191]

OKC's D neutralizes Parker and it's game over. Spurs can only stay tantalizingly close, which gives fans false hope, but OKC was firmly in control from the tip-off and was poised throughout to blow the Spurs out. Which they did, pretty easily.

Your post is full of truth. I agree with all of it. Spurs were never really in this game. The Thunders shooting % may seem fluky but if there's one team that can outshoot the Spurs, it's OKC.

[cd021]

I can't bear watching Duncan shut down by Perkins/Adams of the world. At this stage of his career, Duncan seems to be only capable of catching easy passes and finish on the move. He is great at getting himself open and score these points but his post up and mid-range jumper against any decent defender is completely gone.

It is too much reliance on passing for the open man. Both Thunder/Heat are capable of highly focused defensive rotations. Of course against a Spurs team this good if they screw up and Spurs catches fire, they get beat by 30+ points, but that is still only one win. As long as Thunder/Heat can somewhat dampen Spurs's passing and create a few turnover, star power wins.

Duncan would be better against the Heat than the Thunder. Perkins has consistently given Duncan trouble in the paint. Bosh is a good defender but isn't strong enough to bang with Duncan. Haslem is but is 3 inches shorter. Anderson is fouls a ton.

[Holden_Caulfield]

we are gonna win game 4 the same fashion we won game 1 and 2

[itzsoweezee]

Kawhi needs to hit shots. He got a lot of good looks and couldn't connect. Same for Boris. Basically, someone other than Manu has to score points. The Thunder are not better than the Spurs 1 through 5.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Ibaka's return means they have an interior presence to take some of the load off of Collison and Adams, who are big but not as athletic. Parker can burn those two for days. Those two + Ibaka is a different story, and when the Thunder know they have Ibaka to help them out, defenders can feel more comfortable staying home on shooters like Green. Green got so many open looks in Games 1 and 2 because Parker was carving OKC's defense up and the Thunder had to pick their poison. Now, they have athletic shot blocking again and can keep a scoring-minded lineup on the floor. No open looks for Parker's passes means a rushed offense, and the Spurs cannot run a rushed offense. If they're going to win Game 4, it starts with Parker getting into the lane. He's going to get banged up. He's going to get blocked. But if the Spurs are going to have any shot at splitting in OKC, they have to make the Thunder commit to stopping Parker and opening up the shooters.

Elsewhere, when the shooters DO get open (looking at you, Kawhi and Diaw) they have to make their fucking shots. This was a winnable game until early in the fourth. Make some shots and force the D to spread and things start to look different. Parker getting stomped down low and Diaw/Green/Kawhi bricking from outside doesn't force OKC to do anything different. Make their defense move and cut them apart.

Rebound the fucking ball, holy shit, Fisher should never be out hustling anybody on the offensive glass. So many second chance points were given up.

As I have said, I expected a Spurs loss. Not by this much, or for it to have looked this bad, but I figured they'd lose. The Thunder are too good to be swept and they respond better to taking hits to the nose than, say, Portland. Brooks has shown his hand now. The reintroduction of Ibaka, the lineup changes, all of that should be fodder for Pop to work with. Make the adjustments and impose your system, and they remain beatable.


Game 4 is a must win. Many will say it's not, because the Spurs still lead 2-1, but it is. Game 3 was a must win. Every game against OKC is a must-win, because they're athletic and explosive and can reel off victories in a hurry. They're young and emotional, too, so confidence boosting wins like this will go a long way.

I hope the Spurs use this as their wakeup call. They know they can beat this team, even if Ibaka showing up makes it feel like suddenly they can't. Make the adjustments, don't let the Thunder dictate the pace or the defense, and steal Game 4 and crush their spirits.

[cd021]

OKC's D neutralizes Parker and it's game over. Spurs can only stay tantalizingly close, which gives fans false hope, but OKC was firmly in control from the tip-off and was poised throughout to blow the Spurs out. Which they did, pretty easily.

Its more about the lineups than OKCs defense is some cases. The Duncan-Splitter lineup struggles because Duncan and Tiago can't/won't shoot out of the paint. Ibaka is helping off Splitter who is 7 feet away from the basket.

Parker-Green-Leonard-Diaw-Duncan is a much better lineup.

OKC can't trap without leaving a good 3pt shooter open in Diaw. If he has a lane to drive he can finish or create open 3pt looks or get Duncan an easy basket. Can also post up if they start switching screens (i.e. Ibaka switching on to Parker while WB is on Diaw) the ball movement is much better.

[tmtcsc]

The Spurs have no answer for a healthy OKC, none. Pop has had years to figure them out and he still hasnt been able to do it. They're just the better team.

The Spurs are the better team, but they played poorly tonight and lost. The Thunder got rocked by the Spurs in the first 2 games and it led to 2 different changes in the line-up. If the Spurs don't respond to physical play or move the ball, they usually lose. I'm not worried that the Spurs won't respond. They will and have a chance of going up 3-1. At worst, they come home tied 2-2.

Tony won't shit the bed again like he did tonight.

[tmtcsc]

OKC's D neutralizes Parker and it's game over. Spurs can only stay tantalizingly close, which gives fans false hope, but OKC was firmly in control from the tip-off and was poised throughout to blow the Spurs out. Which they did, pretty easily.

Firmly in control ? The Spurs won the 1st quarter and were off to a good start. Despite the Thunder shooting at 60%, we had the lead. I think they lost the game in the second and third quarters. Too much freaking out over 1 game right. The Spurs will right the ship.

[Agloco]

It's all mental for Parker. Ibaka is in his head. Tony needs to show some mental fortitude.

[rascal]

The Spurs have no answer for a healthy OKC, none. Pop has had years to figure them out and he still hasnt been able to do it. They're just the better team.

This. It will take an injury to a key player for the Spurs to beat OK City. They got that injury in the first two games. I have said this all year.

[Capt Bringdown]

Firmly in control ? The Spurs won the 1st quarter and were off to a good start. Despite the Thunder shooting at 60%, we had the lead. I think they lost the game in the second and third quarters. Too much freaking out over 1 game right. The Spurs will right the ship.

OKC's plan never wavered. They were in control from the start.

[rascal]

The Spurs are the better team, but they played poorly tonight and lost. The Thunder got rocked by the Spurs in the first 2 games and it led to 2 different changes in the line-up. If the Spurs don't respond to physical play or move the ball, they usually lose. I'm not worried that the Spurs won't respond. They will and have a chance of going up 3-1. At worst, they come home tied 2-2.

Tony won't shit the bed again like he did tonight.

Thunder were short handed in the first two games, new series now.

[rascal]

OKC's plan never wavered. They were in control from the start.

Lots of calls for the spurs in the first quarter and OK City was right there with them.

[Birn]

1. Start the pick n roll much further from the paint. They were starting right around the elbows and top of the key. That's too close and gives ibaka an easier recovery. Stretch them out further and Parker or ginobili can penetrate easier.
2. Bring diaw in earlier for splitter. Ibaka doesn't even have to guard splitter. He at least has to pay attention to diaw.
3. When we drive to the basket we have to find our shooters. They were open tonight but we didn't find them. When they see the film they will notice that the Thunder made a concerted effort to take away the paint. Once we knock down a few threes the paint will open up more and baskets will come easier.
4. Rebound
5. Effort and intensity

[Agloco]

Its more about the lineups than OKCs defense is some cases. The Duncan-Splitter lineup struggles because Duncan and Tiago can't/won't shoot out of the paint. Ibaka is helping off Splitter who is 7 feet away from the basket.

Parker-Green-Leonard-Diaw-Duncan is a much better lineup.

OKC can't trap without leaving a good 3pt shooter open in Diaw. If he has a lane to drive he can finish or create open 3pt looks or get Duncan an easy basket. Can also post up if they start switching screens (i.e. Ibaka switching on to Parker while WB is on Diaw) the ball movement is much better.

I like the idea of playing small, but using Ginobili in lieu of Green depending on the matchup and who has got the hot hand. For instance, tonight I'd have stuck with a lineup of Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, Diaw and Duncan.