Adjustments for game 4

[TDfan2007]

-Attack the God damn basket (Kawhi and Manu especially)
-It's called a pump fake...use it.
-Boxing out is fundamental
-Make sure that Tony and Tim actually make it on the team bus to the arena this time.

Strategically, however, no adjustments are necessary. Guys just need to hit open shots and play with that combination of fire and execution that defines Spurs basketball, not that flaccid shit show that we saw last night.

[DarrinS]

Starting PG not playing like crap

[Malik Hairston]

Energy, rebounding and Tony Parker were the biggest concerns in game 3, tbh..

Even when Ibaka was on the bench, the Spurs were out-scored by 7..it was just a poor effort with pathetic energy..

[BillMc]

Keep the FT disparity under 20 in any quarter.

[Malik Hairston]

Keep the FT disparity under 20 in any quarter.

:lol..

[TDomination]

Win the hustle plays, win the game

[TDfan2007]

Energy, rebounding and Tony Parker were the biggest concerns in game 3, tbh..

Even when Ibaka was on the bench, the Spurs were out-scored by 7..it was just a poor effort with pathetic energy..

Most definitely. Game 4 must be treated as a do or die hand.


Keep the FT disparity under 20 in any quarter.

:lol yes that would help, but that requires intelligently aggressive play on our parts.

[myhc]

Win the hustle plays, win the game

Exactly. When you get outrebounded that badly and lose out on all the hustle plays and let the corpse of Derek Fisher beat you to loose balls, you will get beat. Spurs did not shoot well and were scared to get into the paint. But if they had defended better, which ends with securing the board, then incredibly enough they still would have had a chance to steal this game. So that's what I'm looking at first and foremost, their level of aggression on defense and winning the battle of the board.

On offense, I'm looking at 2 guys. Of course for Tony to attack the lane more and hit his mid range jumper. And getting overlooked (or maybe not) was Kawhi's poor game. When he is playing well and being aggressive and attacking the lane and getting rebounds (only had 3!), it takes a lot of pressure off Tony and Timmy. More plays like when he threw down that huge dunk on Ibaka. I want to see more of that. You can't count on the role players as much on the road so it's even more imperative that Kawhi play well in order for us to have a chance.

[ducks]

Kawhi is one key if he shots will it really help
he is long and not afraid and he is the most athletic if the spurs

[ducks]

I think spurs overthought in the paint

[xmas1997]

TP decided not to show up.

[Brazil]

Rebound the ball
Make your open shots
Take care of the ball

win the game

[Das Texan]

Make fucking easy shots.

[dg7md]

The biggest thing is making open shots, and then not turning the ball over. We usually win when we make shots and not turn it over.

Oh yeah, rebounding too. Derek Fisher got two offensive boards and they kept getting shots on our misses. Ridiculous tbh.

[4down]

Learn and adapt. Thunders best players are like sharks excellent instincts and natural ability. Spurs have to be the effing Orcas. Develop the strategy. adapt. Communicate. Kill.

[4down]

I think spurs overthought in the paint

Totally agree with this. That soundbite from pop was telling.

[vagabundios]

Some of the spurs players were nervous, thats all... They need to erase that for the next game.

[smaka]

Make sure that Fisher doesn't outrebound like 3 guys at the same time. Box out, don't make stupid fouls and go search at the airport if TP got lost there, haven't seen him yesterday.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

The reality is that despite Spurs playing like COMPLETE ass outside of Manu...

- Only got outscored by 1 point in the third despite the rig job on free throws. Thunder were 4-17 otherwise in the quarter
- Spurs were only down 4 when the awful Mills call killed the momentum
- You knew that despite the wildly different shooting %'s, SA was only down 4 at the half. You'll take that every time.
- I actually think the Spurs have a slightly bigger margin for error than OKC does. If Spurs shot 55% and OKC 39% it would be a blowout every single time.
- If we controll the rebounding a little more (Fisher shouldn't be getting rebounds over Diaw) we can really control those extra opportunities for OKC win there.

It's not even like the Spurs need to blow up the game plan, or looked completely helpless and destroyed. They were always in the game until 9 minutes left in the fourth. I'm a very pessimistic fan by a nature (I'm a comedian by day, it comes with the territory) but I don't feel as crushed about this loss as some might.

Spurs can definitely get game 4, and it doesn't even require them having to play a near perfect game.

[itzsoweezee]

The spurs missed 28 of 42 open shots. That's a large number of open shots, and a ridiculous number of open misses. Got to expect that to improve.

[ElNono]

I think there's some opportunities for Kawhi to post up Reggie if they keep switching the P&R... much like what happened in the Dallas series. If Ibaka comes over for help, then move the ball and we should get clean looks.

Other than that, play better. I thought there was nothing wrong with our gameplan, we just couldn't knock down shots.

[quentin_compson]

The spurs missed 28 of 42 open shots. That's a large number of open shots, and a ridiculous number of open misses. Got to expect that to improve.

Good point. Spurs were 22 of 49 on contested shots and just 14 of 42 on uncontested shots. They gotta knock down open jumpers at a decent clip, especially when points in the paint don't come as easy as in the first two games of the series.

Rebounding better will be key, and limiting TOs (although the Spurs did better in that department over the course of the game). The defense wasn't terrible, but it could have been better. Duncan was poor at defending the rim, for example.
The overall game plan doesn't have to change, I think. Parker playing better would definitely be nice, him being the team's most important offensive player and all.

[swaggerjackson]

Did anyone notice OKC extending their defense considerably in game three. It seemed like our high screen and roll plays were taking place several steps beyond the three point line allowing more time for the defense to recover. Also our kick out passes were again to players who are multiple steps beyond the three point line. I think the Spurs should try to punish OKC for being ultra-aggressive on the perimeter. I don't know enough about X's and O's, but I thought I would point that out. Maybe somebody could expand on it or disagree.

[spurtech09]

The spurs missed 28 of 42 open shots. That's a large number of open shots, and a ridiculous number of open misses. Got to expect that to improve.well now tha I think of it...spurs looked rusty out there

[Darius Bieber]

No need for adjustments. No matter what the Spurs will do, OKC is just too good. Backdoor sweep coming quick.

[wildchild]

More plays like when he threw down that huge dunk on Ibaka. I want to see more of that.


I think there's some opportunities for Kawhi to post up Reggie if they keep switching the P&R...

Agree.
The only thing still bothers -even after his good performance vs Blazers- is why Leonard should make the adaptation to his new offensive role in playoffs and not in the regular season.

The adaptation should be seen as part of continued development and it would have been helpful for Leonard -and the Spurs- involve him consistently in the offensive team scheme in the regular season.

If that had happened -which it didn't-, maybe we would see the Kawhi's offensive game in playoffs as a well-oiled machine and not those forced/ugly plays sometimes we watched this postseason.

[SupremeGuy]

Start Patty
Rebound
Every time Adams goes in, throw in Baynes

That's really all it would take, tbh.

[EVAY]

Did anyone notice OKC extending their defense considerably in game three. It seemed like our high screen and roll plays were taking place several steps beyond the three point line allowing more time for the defense to recover. Also our kick out passes were again to players who are multiple steps beyond the three point line. I think the Spurs should try to punish OKC for being ultra-aggressive on the perimeter. I don't know enough about X's and O's, but I thought I would point that out. Maybe somebody could expand on it or disagree.

I think this is true but it is also attributable in part to the presence of Ibaka in the paint, which allows the OKC perimeter guys to stay on their assignments more easily. Plus, Reggie Jackson played the best defensive game of his life, really closing out on the perimeter shooters faster than Thabo ever considered doing. Of course, part of that is a function of not feeling like he has to collapse on the paint - because Ibaka is there.

[Spurs9]

Start Mills and pull Parker off bench

[Capt Bringdown]

Spurs don't make adjustments, they pound the rock. Just try harder, that's the ticket...that hasn't gotten us a ring since '07.

[therealtruth]

I think this is true but it is also attributable in part to the presence of Ibaka in the paint, which allows the OKC perimeter guys to stay on their assignments more easily. Plus, Reggie Jackson played the best defensive game of his life, really closing out on the perimeter shooters faster than Thabo ever considered doing. Of course, part of that is a function of not feeling like he has to collapse on the paint - because Ibaka is there.

I was thinking the same thing. Westbrook and Jackson can be more aggressive because they don't have to worry about being beat of the dribble. That's what having shotblocking does.

[TDfan2007]

It would also help if Kawhi played with more activity. He needs to rebound better and not settle for those contested long twos over Durant.

[EVAY]

I just watched the video of Pop before the Spurs practice today, and when asked about the free throw discrepancy he said "I told my team that it was because they were more aggressive", but said it clearly tongue-in-cheek.

I know he won't say what they are going to do differently than they did in the last game, but Pop seems to always believe that if our guys would just do what he tells them to do that it will be fine. I think some of that is his stubbornness. If we have lost to OKC the last 8 times we have played them with
Ibaka on the floor, I would think that we might consider doing SOMETHING differently,even though I understand that Pop is not going to tell us what that something is.

Pop said Tony has to play better, and Tony said Tony has to play better. Tony was really hard on himself (appropriately so, imo) and when told that his teammates said it was all of them, not just him, he said "Well, that's nice of them but I know my job on this team and I didn't do a good job lat night and it is on me to do better". He seemed really mad at himself, and I am wondering how that will manifest itself on the floor during the game.

Tim also seemed angry. I think that is probably a good thing - that Tim and Tony are both pissed.

[Mugen]

Same as always. Limit turnovers, rebound the ball, and keep them off the FT line. I expect a better effort from the team in Game 4.

[th3answ3r]

duncan and parker looked mad pissed on the bench, i expect a brutal beatdown for game 4

[mercos]

Be aggressive, and give more effort. It looked like the team knew OKC was going to come out blazing, and decided not to give much effort to stop them. It looked like game 4 against Portland all over again. Ibaka should get some of the credit, but tbh the numbers were similar whether he was on or off the court in game 3. Despite everything going in OKC's favor, the game was close until the 4th. If the Spurs keep doing what they have been doing, and bring the intensity in game 4, they should be fine.

[objective]

Keeping Marco on the bench would be a good start.

[313]

Play smarter in the paint tbh. If Ibaka is on the right side of the rim, don't lay it up there for him to block it. Use the rim to protect your layup and lay it in on the left. Just general awareness would help. I think we've gotten used to playing lazy paint defenders.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Clear. The. God. Damn. Defensive. Boards.

We do an even AVERAGE job of that last night, and we're neck and neck with OKC in the 4th quarter, if not leading.

[benefactor]

Same as always. Limit turnovers, rebound the ball, and keep them off the FT line. I expect a better effort from the team in Game 4.
Yep. No rocket science needed. Just play better.

[therealtruth]

I just watched the video of Pop before the Spurs practice today, and when asked about the free throw discrepancy he said "I told my team that it was because they were more aggressive", but said it clearly tongue-in-cheek.

I know he won't say what they are going to do differently than they did in the last game, but Pop seems to always believe that if our guys would just do what he tells them to do that it will be fine. I think some of that is his stubbornness. If we have lost to OKC the last 8 times we have played them with
Ibaka on the floor, I would think that we might consider doing SOMETHING differently,even though I understand that Pop is not going to tell us what that something is.

Pop said Tony has to play better, and Tony said Tony has to play better. Tony was really hard on himself (appropriately so, imo) and when told that his teammates said it was all of them, not just him, he said "Well, that's nice of them but I know my job on this team and I didn't do a good job lat night and it is on me to do better". He seemed really mad at himself, and I am wondering how that will manifest itself on the floor during the game.

Tim also seemed angry. I think that is probably a good thing - that Tim and Tony are both pissed.

There's definitely something to be said for playing tougher and smarter. But sometimes you have to make adjustments like Scott Brooks did with Reggie Jackson and Thabo. He's not being afraid of making adjustments which I think you have to do. The problem for Pop is his adjustments are mainly relying more on the big 3 till they run out of gas. Sometimes you have to go with a guy like Jeremy Lamb who has not played.

[look_at_g_shred]

Make shots, grab a rebound, attack the paint (tp, Manu, KL, splitter)

[Prime Time]

Perhaps let Tony guard Westbrook? Russ would probably think he has the green light to shoot.

[dbreiden83080]

Perhaps let Tony guard Westbrook? Russ would probably think he has the green light to shoot.

Scottie Pippen and MJ could be guarding him and he'd think he has the green light..