Cloud786
02-24-2015, 05:42 PM
http://bballbreakdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/San-Antonio-Spurs-Utah-Jazz-2012-Playoffs.jpg
Wow, that was pretty bad. I just watched the game and turned it off with 6 minutes left in the fourth. Awful performance, and this has happened many times this year, but when I'm watching a shitty team play the Spurs, they start to look like contending number 1 seeds that we're no match for. In years past, that's the feeling the other team is supposed to go through, but this year, something's changed...
Enrique Porker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/main_gallery_photo__480_tall/public/junctionrb_7_of_24.jpg?itok=CcpwOawu
It seems that hundreds of Parker threads are surfacing everyday on this website, and honestly, not watching the last couple of games, I thought, "this is an overreaction of epic proportions." I mean, we're talking about someone the media was calling probably the best point guard in the game, if you take into account everything a point guard is supposed to do (so excluding Westbrook and Rose). When I hear the name Tony Parker, I used to think 2007 FMVP, Game 1 2013 NBA Finals, and his nasty step back 3 on LeBron that should've clinched the 2013 Finals (I'm not one of those oh he was 6/23 that's horrible blah blah, I only ask the question, did our best player put us in position to win, and imo, he did). But now, I think of a slow, fat, shell of his former self. He's so bad he's a net negative, and I don't even think the Great Net Negative himself (Josh Smith) could do what Parker is doing to us even if he tried. That PtR thread said we go from with him - Sacromento Kings to without him - Golden State Warriors. :wow. Again, :wow. That kind of dropoff, consistent regression (aside from his increase from 3 point range), I have no words.
As far his game versus Utah, I've finally (after 56 games), think he needs to be benched. He's not attacking as much as he was before, and when he does, he gets his shit stuffed or turns it over. Instead of attacking, he's settling for what's supposed to be his bread and butter, long range 2's, but he's not making near as many as he did in years past. Even if you're a box score, analytics/advanced statistics, or just an eye test kind of person, there is absolutely fucking nothing you can say to defend this man. We are literally better off playing 4 on 5, and that is why I think CoJo should start.
Danny Green
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/KHUflfqCMVI/0.jpg
To those who may not know, I think Danny Green is a better on-ball defender than Kawhi. I think he cheats way less, his lateral movement, fouling wherewithal, hand and positioning fundamentals are just better. But it appears to me that Pop keeps putting him on a shooter that Green has to chase around all game, and Green isn't as good as Kawhi going through screens, help defending, and knowing when to rotate. We all know how poorly he closes out on shooters. So for this, I'm going to give Green a pass for this game for his defense, but on offense, I think we have a 2-guard version of Matt Bonner. He isn't curling around screens properly, he holds the ball for too long when he gets it, he doesn't dribble or make the defense move, and he opts to pass it to the closest player to him, and when he doesn't do that, he turns it over. Also, I don't know if this is just me, but he verbally flops more than anybody in the league (ok maybe not as much as Boozer but still).
Kawhi Leonard
https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQDMQ6bEcX3TB7wE&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xpa1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10407208_10152681166976981_8025154356503359956 _n.jpg%3Foh%3Dce58eb15cd74ef2d323716cef67d5d65%26o e%3D558C5102%26__gda__%3D1435552276_7ac0b005130231 0df6ae2d56e24fa32a&cfs=1&upscale=1&sx=0&sy=0&sw=720&sh=377
Before the year started, I thought that this was going to be the perfect year to develop him. We were going to effortlessly win 50 games yet again, walk through the regular season like we did in 2011-2014, and against bottom of the barrel teams, we could put him on the floor without any of the Big 3 and let him create for himself, mainly from the post. After 50 games, I am so tired of seeing Kawhiso's. I'm starting to think last year's post efficiency stat of his was a fluke, and I honestly cringe just as much when this happens as I do when Parker shoots the ball. He hasn't shown me his court vision out of the baseline post, he's redundant as hell with his turnaround fade, and I'm sad to see less of his front-facing hook that was his most valuable offensive move in the 2013 NBA Finals, mainly off of offensive boards. For this reason, we can't get away with putting Kawhi out there without one of the Big 3 or Boris. Maybe he needs a change of pace, I'd definitely like to see more high screen and rolls from him to see his triple threat capabilities, but for now, let's try to get him the ball less. As far as his defense goes, I don't have anything to say. His motor itself takes care of that.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=161Bf $rmivn7OaLKPnCNYc$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYuxMeiajcmzuHw iXJxB3sgKWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg
He is still the best player on the team. His defense, imo, is satisfactory as long as he doesn't constantly get burned by the ball handler in pick and roll situations. On offense, however, I'm a little frustrated by his jump shot. You would think that at his age, he would start to settle for more jump shots in order to avoid banging in the paint more (a la Tony Parker), but even after his dropoff, he still has that annoying flat shot that I have no confidence in. If he spreads the floor adequately, then I won't mind having him out with Splitter at all. But if we have to start Baynes just to spread the floor a little, and Duncan isn't the one taking the shooting initiative, that won't bode well for us. And last, he needs to stop going with the right turning right. I've had enough of Stephen Adams and Rudy Gobert blocking that shot without even having to jump. Use that savvy.
Aron Baynes
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/stream/public/junctionrb_1_of_24.jpg?itok=J-iIgelH
As I said earlier, thankfully, he's making himself into a decent shooter from about elbow distance. I love his reverse lay ups. I'd like to see him protect the restricted area and paint while fouling less, I don't know if that's a verticality issue or if the refs just don't respect him or react to small guards getting smashed by his rugby built chest, but even with his fatigue issues, I'd like to see him get more of Duncan's playing time to improve not only that, but his ability to read the defense off high screen and rolls. The X's and O's say pass to the corner 3 when the help comes, but I'd like to see him get a little more creative when the triple threat situation presents himself, because right now Boris 2.0 is the only player that scares defenses in those scenarios because of his versatility.
Patty Mills
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/stream/public/junctionrb_1_of_24.jpg?itok=J-iIgelH
He seems way less aggressive this year. Last year, Pat Stacks/Thrills Mills could put up 20 on any night, but he seems timid and his percentage has decreased. He's been embarrassed a few times on D this year (Harden proposal, running into the Favors), so hopefully if the match-up is bad, Pop will go to CoJo instead (I don't care about the offensive dropoff, this team needs defense).
Manu Ginobili
https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X53tbprswuMas-AkkHUCqD6DJSI=/0x211:2285x1496/1050x591/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45434908/usa-today-8261473.0.jpg
They say he's 37, but he looks like he's 73 tbh. He's playing way more floor general than scorer, and I don't know if this is because he's tired, or he gets less confident every time he misses, but imo he needs to attack more. The entire team is playing uninterested basketball, and when I watch other NBA teams, the quick fix to that is having their best player go off. They start to galvanize around that guy and match his intensity. All this beautiful game bullshit needs to go out the window temporarily, and if Manu has it in him, I'd like to see Emmanuel Ginobili, the same fearless, ultimate competitor that would destroy the Suns and Lakers no matter what it took. Instead, his defacto point guard role is reducing him to a second Tony Parker on the team, and the offense seems really repetitious when he's manning it.
Marco Bellinelli
http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/190/210/hi-res-23aae88cfb12137c40f5ce5a57279fd9_crop_exact.jpg?w= 1500&h=1500&q=85
I always laugh at how when we signed him, this turned into a Raven vs SpursTalk battle. Bellinelli in his first year would spell Manu in terrific ways, he would be productive, his offense would outbalance his defense, and he would be a complimentary substitute. I even bought one of those SuperSub Bros shirts because they put on a show whenever they played together. The playoffs opened our eyes to not only how useless Tony Parker is, but how utterly disgusting it is to have Bellinelli on the floor in a Spurs uniform. Don't give me his 3 in game 3, he's the one who caused the deficit, because that's what he does best. Providing runs for the other team. Versus Utah, I saw the same kind of horrible defense, and on offense, he's doing what I want Green to do, but he's making less shots and his court vision is too limited for his driving game. The only times I want him to play are when there is an offensive black hole on the other team, like Andre Roberson or someone like that. Someone that guarding means to just stand next to them. If that's the case, then I'm fine. If not, more minutes at the SF position for Green please.
Boris Diaw
https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lhba6cjJkXLnrGjyhwTXwgEslyk=/0x0:3329x2219/730x487/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45432736/usa-today-8261539.0.jpg
On the poll for which regression hurt the most, Boris Diaw was my vote. There's a reason why he was being considered a serious candidate for FMVP last year, and that's because out of the pick and roll, he's one of the most versatile triple threat players there are in league. I didn't expect Boris 2.0 to show up on the daily, but at least Boris 1.5, someone that could give us 5-5-5ish games. But this year, every aspect of his game has been trash. I feel like I'm watching that fat turd that was bounced from the Charlotte Bobcats for giving up on his team. I don't care about his weight, his personality for contract year productions, any of that nonsense. I just want Boris 2.0 to show up when we need him, against contenders and when the team is playing lackadaisical ball. Pop said that without TP being TP, we aren't going anywhere. Well, I disagree. Without Bobo being Bobo, we aren't going anywhere.
As far as the Utah game goes, I'm happy that he made a majority of his threes. Keep shooting them and hopefully 2.0 will be back soon.
Tiago Splitter
http://assets1.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/07795382-640x360.jpg
I wish the Spurs weren't so secretive with his injury. I'm assuming it's serious, because the Splitter I remember is the guy that carried us defensively against Dirk and LMA in back to back playoff rounds last year. The guy that when paired with Duncan would offset his poor mobility in the pick and roll game. This year, Splitter is the epitome of vagina. He's so soft, its unbelievable how he's in the league. He gets pushed around so easily and can't offer a lick of paint protection. If it were up to me, if Duncan doesn't have a decent jumper by playoff time, I'd keep Splitter coming off the bench so that at least Manu can make him at all valuable on his time on the floor.
Cory Joseph
https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQBWFyHH1CSWFgwu&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Ft31.0-8%2Fs720x720%2F10991612_10152679773266981_46317122 56633783412_o.jpg&cfs=1&upscale=1&sx=16&sy=0&sw=688&sh=360
I can't believe I'm saying this, but just him and Duncan all year have been the only two guys that have shown me what playing with heart is. This guy has minimal talent, but he's making the best of his playing time when he's on the floor. His driving game seems sporadic, but when he does drive, he does it fearlessly and finishes most of the time. His court vision has improved significantly, and his defense is still great. I agree with the rest of you that when he plays with Parker or Manu, then he defers to them a lot and we don't get to see the same CoJo that dunked on Ibaka. But if you place him in the starting lineup, and let him and Duncan run the system with Kawhi and Green spread out and Baynes roaming, I think we can be much more productive than we are now with Parker. He does need to make shots more consistently, but even if he isn't, he's providing us with more possessions off of opponent misses than any other point guards are (better than Mills or Bellinelli where offense has to counter defense). If you insert 2014 Splitter back into the lineup, then you have yourself one hell of a defensive line-up with CoJo, Wing Stop, and Splitter.
http://saltcityhoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/i-71.jpg
In the end, if this was TL;DR for you, then my final point is that, in my opinion, the way to fix these complacent players is to have ONE game where one guy goes bonkers. If you're watching any of the current hot teams now, aside from Atlanta who doesn't seem to have problems playing the beautiful game, you'll notice that there's going to be one or two players that have insane numbers (or highlight plays) that the rest of the team just follows in pursuit effort-wise with that player. Like OKC right now with Westbrook, everyone is feeding off his energy. If Manu can have a vintage performance, like a forty point game, I feel that we can start playing how we usually play coming off the ASB. You can argue that Timmy just had one versus the Clippers, but it was a game that you realized Timmy had 30 and 11 after the game was over. I'm talking about a game where in the middle of the second or third, you're like "wow, he's going HAM." I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a player-hater, just know that it's tough-love criticism from a lifelong fan who's simply traumatized by the play of one of the greatest sport organizations ever, if not the greatest.
Wow, that was pretty bad. I just watched the game and turned it off with 6 minutes left in the fourth. Awful performance, and this has happened many times this year, but when I'm watching a shitty team play the Spurs, they start to look like contending number 1 seeds that we're no match for. In years past, that's the feeling the other team is supposed to go through, but this year, something's changed...
Enrique Porker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/main_gallery_photo__480_tall/public/junctionrb_7_of_24.jpg?itok=CcpwOawu
It seems that hundreds of Parker threads are surfacing everyday on this website, and honestly, not watching the last couple of games, I thought, "this is an overreaction of epic proportions." I mean, we're talking about someone the media was calling probably the best point guard in the game, if you take into account everything a point guard is supposed to do (so excluding Westbrook and Rose). When I hear the name Tony Parker, I used to think 2007 FMVP, Game 1 2013 NBA Finals, and his nasty step back 3 on LeBron that should've clinched the 2013 Finals (I'm not one of those oh he was 6/23 that's horrible blah blah, I only ask the question, did our best player put us in position to win, and imo, he did). But now, I think of a slow, fat, shell of his former self. He's so bad he's a net negative, and I don't even think the Great Net Negative himself (Josh Smith) could do what Parker is doing to us even if he tried. That PtR thread said we go from with him - Sacromento Kings to without him - Golden State Warriors. :wow. Again, :wow. That kind of dropoff, consistent regression (aside from his increase from 3 point range), I have no words.
As far his game versus Utah, I've finally (after 56 games), think he needs to be benched. He's not attacking as much as he was before, and when he does, he gets his shit stuffed or turns it over. Instead of attacking, he's settling for what's supposed to be his bread and butter, long range 2's, but he's not making near as many as he did in years past. Even if you're a box score, analytics/advanced statistics, or just an eye test kind of person, there is absolutely fucking nothing you can say to defend this man. We are literally better off playing 4 on 5, and that is why I think CoJo should start.
Danny Green
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/KHUflfqCMVI/0.jpg
To those who may not know, I think Danny Green is a better on-ball defender than Kawhi. I think he cheats way less, his lateral movement, fouling wherewithal, hand and positioning fundamentals are just better. But it appears to me that Pop keeps putting him on a shooter that Green has to chase around all game, and Green isn't as good as Kawhi going through screens, help defending, and knowing when to rotate. We all know how poorly he closes out on shooters. So for this, I'm going to give Green a pass for this game for his defense, but on offense, I think we have a 2-guard version of Matt Bonner. He isn't curling around screens properly, he holds the ball for too long when he gets it, he doesn't dribble or make the defense move, and he opts to pass it to the closest player to him, and when he doesn't do that, he turns it over. Also, I don't know if this is just me, but he verbally flops more than anybody in the league (ok maybe not as much as Boozer but still).
Kawhi Leonard
https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQDMQ6bEcX3TB7wE&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xpa1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10407208_10152681166976981_8025154356503359956 _n.jpg%3Foh%3Dce58eb15cd74ef2d323716cef67d5d65%26o e%3D558C5102%26__gda__%3D1435552276_7ac0b005130231 0df6ae2d56e24fa32a&cfs=1&upscale=1&sx=0&sy=0&sw=720&sh=377
Before the year started, I thought that this was going to be the perfect year to develop him. We were going to effortlessly win 50 games yet again, walk through the regular season like we did in 2011-2014, and against bottom of the barrel teams, we could put him on the floor without any of the Big 3 and let him create for himself, mainly from the post. After 50 games, I am so tired of seeing Kawhiso's. I'm starting to think last year's post efficiency stat of his was a fluke, and I honestly cringe just as much when this happens as I do when Parker shoots the ball. He hasn't shown me his court vision out of the baseline post, he's redundant as hell with his turnaround fade, and I'm sad to see less of his front-facing hook that was his most valuable offensive move in the 2013 NBA Finals, mainly off of offensive boards. For this reason, we can't get away with putting Kawhi out there without one of the Big 3 or Boris. Maybe he needs a change of pace, I'd definitely like to see more high screen and rolls from him to see his triple threat capabilities, but for now, let's try to get him the ball less. As far as his defense goes, I don't have anything to say. His motor itself takes care of that.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=161Bf $rmivn7OaLKPnCNYc$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYuxMeiajcmzuHw iXJxB3sgKWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg
He is still the best player on the team. His defense, imo, is satisfactory as long as he doesn't constantly get burned by the ball handler in pick and roll situations. On offense, however, I'm a little frustrated by his jump shot. You would think that at his age, he would start to settle for more jump shots in order to avoid banging in the paint more (a la Tony Parker), but even after his dropoff, he still has that annoying flat shot that I have no confidence in. If he spreads the floor adequately, then I won't mind having him out with Splitter at all. But if we have to start Baynes just to spread the floor a little, and Duncan isn't the one taking the shooting initiative, that won't bode well for us. And last, he needs to stop going with the right turning right. I've had enough of Stephen Adams and Rudy Gobert blocking that shot without even having to jump. Use that savvy.
Aron Baynes
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/stream/public/junctionrb_1_of_24.jpg?itok=J-iIgelH
As I said earlier, thankfully, he's making himself into a decent shooter from about elbow distance. I love his reverse lay ups. I'd like to see him protect the restricted area and paint while fouling less, I don't know if that's a verticality issue or if the refs just don't respect him or react to small guards getting smashed by his rugby built chest, but even with his fatigue issues, I'd like to see him get more of Duncan's playing time to improve not only that, but his ability to read the defense off high screen and rolls. The X's and O's say pass to the corner 3 when the help comes, but I'd like to see him get a little more creative when the triple threat situation presents himself, because right now Boris 2.0 is the only player that scares defenses in those scenarios because of his versatility.
Patty Mills
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/spurs/sites/default/files/styles/stream/public/junctionrb_1_of_24.jpg?itok=J-iIgelH
He seems way less aggressive this year. Last year, Pat Stacks/Thrills Mills could put up 20 on any night, but he seems timid and his percentage has decreased. He's been embarrassed a few times on D this year (Harden proposal, running into the Favors), so hopefully if the match-up is bad, Pop will go to CoJo instead (I don't care about the offensive dropoff, this team needs defense).
Manu Ginobili
https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X53tbprswuMas-AkkHUCqD6DJSI=/0x211:2285x1496/1050x591/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45434908/usa-today-8261473.0.jpg
They say he's 37, but he looks like he's 73 tbh. He's playing way more floor general than scorer, and I don't know if this is because he's tired, or he gets less confident every time he misses, but imo he needs to attack more. The entire team is playing uninterested basketball, and when I watch other NBA teams, the quick fix to that is having their best player go off. They start to galvanize around that guy and match his intensity. All this beautiful game bullshit needs to go out the window temporarily, and if Manu has it in him, I'd like to see Emmanuel Ginobili, the same fearless, ultimate competitor that would destroy the Suns and Lakers no matter what it took. Instead, his defacto point guard role is reducing him to a second Tony Parker on the team, and the offense seems really repetitious when he's manning it.
Marco Bellinelli
http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/190/210/hi-res-23aae88cfb12137c40f5ce5a57279fd9_crop_exact.jpg?w= 1500&h=1500&q=85
I always laugh at how when we signed him, this turned into a Raven vs SpursTalk battle. Bellinelli in his first year would spell Manu in terrific ways, he would be productive, his offense would outbalance his defense, and he would be a complimentary substitute. I even bought one of those SuperSub Bros shirts because they put on a show whenever they played together. The playoffs opened our eyes to not only how useless Tony Parker is, but how utterly disgusting it is to have Bellinelli on the floor in a Spurs uniform. Don't give me his 3 in game 3, he's the one who caused the deficit, because that's what he does best. Providing runs for the other team. Versus Utah, I saw the same kind of horrible defense, and on offense, he's doing what I want Green to do, but he's making less shots and his court vision is too limited for his driving game. The only times I want him to play are when there is an offensive black hole on the other team, like Andre Roberson or someone like that. Someone that guarding means to just stand next to them. If that's the case, then I'm fine. If not, more minutes at the SF position for Green please.
Boris Diaw
https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lhba6cjJkXLnrGjyhwTXwgEslyk=/0x0:3329x2219/730x487/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45432736/usa-today-8261539.0.jpg
On the poll for which regression hurt the most, Boris Diaw was my vote. There's a reason why he was being considered a serious candidate for FMVP last year, and that's because out of the pick and roll, he's one of the most versatile triple threat players there are in league. I didn't expect Boris 2.0 to show up on the daily, but at least Boris 1.5, someone that could give us 5-5-5ish games. But this year, every aspect of his game has been trash. I feel like I'm watching that fat turd that was bounced from the Charlotte Bobcats for giving up on his team. I don't care about his weight, his personality for contract year productions, any of that nonsense. I just want Boris 2.0 to show up when we need him, against contenders and when the team is playing lackadaisical ball. Pop said that without TP being TP, we aren't going anywhere. Well, I disagree. Without Bobo being Bobo, we aren't going anywhere.
As far as the Utah game goes, I'm happy that he made a majority of his threes. Keep shooting them and hopefully 2.0 will be back soon.
Tiago Splitter
http://assets1.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/07795382-640x360.jpg
I wish the Spurs weren't so secretive with his injury. I'm assuming it's serious, because the Splitter I remember is the guy that carried us defensively against Dirk and LMA in back to back playoff rounds last year. The guy that when paired with Duncan would offset his poor mobility in the pick and roll game. This year, Splitter is the epitome of vagina. He's so soft, its unbelievable how he's in the league. He gets pushed around so easily and can't offer a lick of paint protection. If it were up to me, if Duncan doesn't have a decent jumper by playoff time, I'd keep Splitter coming off the bench so that at least Manu can make him at all valuable on his time on the floor.
Cory Joseph
https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQBWFyHH1CSWFgwu&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Ft31.0-8%2Fs720x720%2F10991612_10152679773266981_46317122 56633783412_o.jpg&cfs=1&upscale=1&sx=16&sy=0&sw=688&sh=360
I can't believe I'm saying this, but just him and Duncan all year have been the only two guys that have shown me what playing with heart is. This guy has minimal talent, but he's making the best of his playing time when he's on the floor. His driving game seems sporadic, but when he does drive, he does it fearlessly and finishes most of the time. His court vision has improved significantly, and his defense is still great. I agree with the rest of you that when he plays with Parker or Manu, then he defers to them a lot and we don't get to see the same CoJo that dunked on Ibaka. But if you place him in the starting lineup, and let him and Duncan run the system with Kawhi and Green spread out and Baynes roaming, I think we can be much more productive than we are now with Parker. He does need to make shots more consistently, but even if he isn't, he's providing us with more possessions off of opponent misses than any other point guards are (better than Mills or Bellinelli where offense has to counter defense). If you insert 2014 Splitter back into the lineup, then you have yourself one hell of a defensive line-up with CoJo, Wing Stop, and Splitter.
http://saltcityhoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/i-71.jpg
In the end, if this was TL;DR for you, then my final point is that, in my opinion, the way to fix these complacent players is to have ONE game where one guy goes bonkers. If you're watching any of the current hot teams now, aside from Atlanta who doesn't seem to have problems playing the beautiful game, you'll notice that there's going to be one or two players that have insane numbers (or highlight plays) that the rest of the team just follows in pursuit effort-wise with that player. Like OKC right now with Westbrook, everyone is feeding off his energy. If Manu can have a vintage performance, like a forty point game, I feel that we can start playing how we usually play coming off the ASB. You can argue that Timmy just had one versus the Clippers, but it was a game that you realized Timmy had 30 and 11 after the game was over. I'm talking about a game where in the middle of the second or third, you're like "wow, he's going HAM." I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a player-hater, just know that it's tough-love criticism from a lifelong fan who's simply traumatized by the play of one of the greatest sport organizations ever, if not the greatest.