You just know Messina sold Pop the "foul 3 pts ahead" idea

[testies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY12cFjrHjU

evidence

[testies]

and because of a shitty inbounds, he'll never do it again

[hater]

It was poorly executed. The foul came way too early in the clock. Plus the guy you put to inbound was ice cold from sitting on the bench for 1 hour.

Fuck that. That fuckup is on Pop. Old man senile and thinks a woman came come in and take over

[Embedded]

Yeah, I disagreed with the foul, I thought guard the 3 point line BU DON'T FOUL, lightly contest the 2. Seems like lower percentage than simply putting on the foul line and giving away 2. Worst case it goes to OT if they somehow hit a 3, or an and-one. Maybe Coach Popovich was just experimenting.

[$pursDynasty]

Yeah, I disagreed with the foul, I thought guard the 3 point line BU DON'T FOUL, lightly contest the 2. Seems like lower percentage than simply putting on the foul line and giving away 2. Worst case it goes to OT if they somehow hit a 3, or an and-one. Maybe Coach Popovich was just experimenting.
Embedded one of those hindsight is 20/20 deals. We never seem to do it, so when the opponent hits that tying or go ahead 3, you think, we should have fouled. This time we did foul and it went wrong, so we are like, why foul? When it works you just go on but when it fails, it stands out.

[benstanfield]

I don't really understand the math behind fouling when up three. Like sure, they can't possibly tie the game if you foul (unless you screw up) but in situations like that, doesn't extending the amount of possessions in the game favor the team that is down? That is why teams intentionally foul when they are behind, to maximize possessions so that the chances for a Timmy TO increase.

[024]

I think there are numbers to back up fouling when 3 pts ahead. I don't know if there are any public studies but I remember a coach/former coach saying that the numbers favor fouling.

Think about it this way, how many easy 2's have you seen during these situations? Coaches usually just tell their players to drive hard to the hoop and 80% of the time, they will get a easy basket because the defending team is too afraid to foul. And even worse, the other team can hit a 3 or get a 3 point play.

The plan just looks ugly when a team can't execute and/or hit free throws.

[Mikeanaro]

Good plan, horrible execution it was Alba Berlin part 2, maybe there will be a part 3.

[tholdren]

I think there are numbers to back up fouling when 3 pts ahead. I don't know if there are any public studies but I remember a coach/former coach saying that the numbers favor fouling.

Think about it this way, how many easy 2's have you seen during these situations? Coaches usually just tell their players to drive hard to the hoop and 80% of the time, they will get a easy basket because the defending team is too afraid to foul. And even worse, the other team can hit a 3 or get a 3 point play.

The plan just looks ugly when a team can't execute and/or hit free throws.
But shouldn't the COACH know his team sucks at pressure fts

[Budkin]

Good plan, horrible execution it was Alba Berlin part 2, maybe there will be a part 3.

How many times this season has Timmy thrown away the final inbounds pass? I can count 3 now (Alba Berlin, opening night against Mavs, and last night) but I think there may have been another. I don't remember that EVER happening with him in any other season.

[Beaverfuzz]

Yeah, I disagreed with the foul, I thought guard the 3 point line BU DON'T FOUL, lightly contest the 2. Seems like lower percentage than simply putting on the foul line and giving away 2. Worst case it goes to OT if they somehow hit a 3, or an and-one. Maybe Coach Popovich was just experimenting.

This, the foul by Green originally was way too early in the clock. Let them dribble it around and bumble the ball away.

The other stupid thing was to not foul after the original turnover, only because you fouled originally while up by 3. Still just a bizarre sequence that the basketball God's are unleashing on the Spurs.

[Beaverfuzz]

I don't really understand the math behind fouling when up three. Like sure, they can't possibly tie the game if you foul (unless you screw up) but in situations like that, doesn't extending the amount of possessions in the game favor the team that is down? That is why teams intentionally foul when they are behind, to maximize possessions so that the chances for a Timmy TO increase.

That's the theory yes...the only thing it is not supposed to do is give the other team three FT's (As you don't foul on a 3 pointer). Other than that, you should just play regular D and go from there. Don't give them a possible extra possession, let them miss (or make) their shot and go from there.

[Mikeanaro]

How many times this season has Timmy thrown away the final inbounds pass? I can count 3 now (Alba Berlin, opening night against Mavs, and last night) but I think there may have been another. I don't remember that EVER happening with him in any other season.
Never in the past, now he is like bad pass prone which is strange because Im watching these games and I feel insecure about his sharing abilities, Timmy is old but why the team is slipping and sliding the fundamentals? and why Timmy? if I remember correctly he had a technical for slurring or something in the 3rd quarter and never came back to play so why Pop/Messina used him when he was so cold? :deadhorse

[adonis827]

I usually prefer to foul when up by 3 but in that game

Meeks the free throw shooter is shooting 92% from FT the whole season.
Detroit just shot 3/19 from 3 for the game

Maybe fouling in that instance is so wrong and they should have just let Detroit attempt a 3

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Only good free throw shooting teams who don't routinely turn the ball over in crunch time have the luxury to foul up 3. We are neither. Sean mentioned we are literally the worst team in the league when it comes to committing turnovers in the last 5 minutes of a game.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I was shocked when I saw us foul.

I sensed it to be a bit of a desperation move by Pop which is probably indicative of our team's play as of late. He probably needs to stick to his philosophy, for good or bad, but it's one of those damned if you do and damned if you don't scenarios. Pop probably saw the game headed to OT and was desperate to avoid another 3 OT loss. We can't play the free throw game and win the way our guys have been shooting them down the stretch. Ordinarily I like the choice to foul when up by 3, this team just isn't playing tough enough to win games like that right now. We're better off taking a 63% chance that the Pistons would miss a three ball attempt at the buzzer.