What changed from games 1 & 2 to 3 & 4?

[testies]

Siimples : No Belinelli

I swear to fucking god, Spurstalk gets the correct rotations and defensive assignments 10x faster than pop

:lol Belinelli playing 22 minutes in game 2

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

The reason there was no Belli is because Leonard wasn't in foul trouble.

[xellos88330]

^This

The funny thing about this is, the Spurs only lost by 2 even with Beli stinking it up defensively and Green having some foul issues of his own.

[spurraider21]

Belli played more minutes than Green in game 2 :lol

[aal04]

I thought Belli was going to be our saviour in the finals with the way he played regular season. Guy was a sharpshooter with an itchy trigger finger.

In the finals he has been woeful.

Id keep him until the trade deadline and then trade him for someone with more mental fortitude

[DJR210]

Active hands, good rotations, solid doubles on James, KL not getting called for weak fouls

[Arc]

refs let kawhi play, and he's becoming a superstar in front of our eyes.

[jhuan16]

Tbh he did hit a big three when the heat make a run in G3. So he is not completely useless.

[T Park]

Kawhi Leonard's agression,

That simple.

[BatManu20]

Starting Diaw was a major adjustment by Pop. It's changed our entire offense tbh. And Kawhi playing much better is the other big difference. Our role guys have all played better as well. Let's hope it continues for Game 5.

[Limguogolo]

Siimples : No Belinelli

That's not a spurs basketball oriented statement. What changes? Spurs basketball is about changes. Every time. Ten times in each possession. It's not about which stars but about switching stars. When most teams in the NBA run the floor for their stars being predictable and forcing them to shoot poorly, the Spurs is a machine which will put a system and lay the foundations for the best shot possible. Each second, the team analyses the situation like a program, simulating scenarios, and trying to make the best choices depending on possibilities. It's like chess: you can't win playing with only one queen, you have to set your pieces all around the floor to kick the King's ass. If the opponent let you take a pawn, you may have ten more seconds to find a better move. The Spurs use this time. So right now, the major change in the last two games, is not Bellinelli on the bench, it's the Heat being totally flooded by the Spurs machine and their expertise. The Heat plays with one King and four concubine queens but they have no answer against five paws playing chess basket with one of the oldest system in the world: pack hunting.

It seems that some Spurs fans still can't understand the system asking who's the mvp of the finals and pointing their finger at a particular player on the bench. Join the pack, Spur fan. It's not about who, it's about how.

[will_spurs]

Starting Diaw was the change. Beli not getting any minutes is the consequence.

[dg7md]

Kawhi taking over, Diaw starting, no foul trouble, and the Spurs realizing that they have to execute on the road to win the series and redeem last year's debacle fluke.

[Capt Bringdown]

Id keep him until the trade deadline and then trade him for someone with more mental fortitude

Marco definitely helped us in the regular season to get HCA. And he did hit that timely 3 in game 3. How much are they paying him?

[DarrinS]

Diaw and Kawhi

[UZER]

It's not belis offense. It's his defense, and I don't think he has the brains to ever fully understand the D system. Maybe next year?

[therealtruth]

Marco definitely helped us in the regular season to get HCA. And he did hit that timely 3 in game 3. How much are they paying him?

Yes. That was a big 3. Despite his failings he's already contributed more than a certain redheaded Spur and a guy from Turkey in '04.

[therealtruth]

Also playing Diaw and Kawhi more minutes helped. I'm still not sure why Green isn't playing more but at least it hasn't hurt us too much.

[Capt Bringdown]

Despite his failings he's already contributed more than a certain redheaded Spur...
Bonner did have a nice drive and floater last night, which made me spill my martini.

[letmk]

It's not belis offense. It's his defense, and I don't think he has the brains to ever fully understand the D system. Maybe next year?

I don't think the unfamiliarity with the system causes his defense lapse. As we all know, Tony and Mills are not good defenders by any standards, but they try to manage to stay in front of the oppornents for the most part. If LeBron or Allen try to shoot over their tiny bodies, so be it. As of Beli, on the other hand, he constantly got beat by simple dribbles by players like Allen or Carter. (I don't want to use Westbrook or Lillard as examples since it's hard for anybody to stay in front of them.)

Either his lateral movements are so bad, so his mentality are totally not in defense. Either way, it's not because he doesn't know about the defense system.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Diaw starting, Kawhi not giving up cheap fouls, and the biggest is the Spurs have figured out Miami's defense and there is nothing Miami can do to stop the Spurs at this point. Spurs will have to beat themselves at this point and that's not happening.

[Jenks]

Kawhi not getting in foul trouble, it leads to:
-Very little Beli
-Very little Diaw having to guard Lebron and being repeatedly torched (game 2 nightmares)

[Mr. Body]

It is deeply stupid to say Belinelli not playing was the major factor.

[Mr. Body]

Pop and the Spurs have figured out Miami on both sides of the ball.

1. On offense: crisp, constant passing, no hesistation/holding the ball, move the defense around constantly to wear them out, if they close out hard, drive hard; their swarming defense in the middle will result in missed re-assignments and mismatches if the ball is passed out again.

2. On defense: switch on most everything, guard the nearest player. This stops their shooters from getting open looks, might result in more LeBron mismatches but really hasn't: it results in a gob of Spurs guys available down low to contest drives and shots.

[superbigtime]

Kawhi not getting in foul trouble and asserting himself.

Starting Boris.

Ball movement.

[superbigtime]

It is deeply stupid to say Belinelli not playing was the major factor.

[Mr. Body]

I'll add: keeping two playmakers on the floor at all times. Last year things bogged because Parker+Duncan+shooters can be trapped to a stop.

With playmakers = Parker, Diaw, Ginobili, Mills, you can always have two guys who can work the ball around and start plays from a standstill.

[look_at_g_shred]

Kawhi not getting in foul trouble and asserting himself.

Starting Boris.

Ball movement.

[TJastal]

I'll add: keeping two playmakers on the floor at all times. Last year things bogged because Parker+Duncan+shooters can be trapped to a stop.

With playmakers = Parker, Diaw, Ginobili, Mills, you can always have two guys who can work the ball around and start plays from a standstill.

Add Green and Leonard to guys who are learning how to create on the fly when a possession bogs down. Last year it was all on Manu's shoulders to make a play and the heat knew it and were lying in wait like a pack of lions ready to pounce.

[ginobilized]

Starting Diaw really puzzles the Heat both on offense and defense. It is a very bad matchup for them.

Also, the Spurs have the foot to the throat attitude necessary this time....Green, Leonard, Mills, Joseph, Splitter and Diaw have another year in the system and are playing in their 2nd finals this time. They are peaking at the right time, I'd say.