is hyper motion offense too exhausting for an nba season

[K...]

You could chalk up the spurs inconsistent collapse entirely to fatigue from three successive deep playoff runs. No team, especially one relying on 30+ year old players, can handle that without some drop off. But what if the style of offense that spurs use is actually more to blame?

I want to look to Atlanta instead. They have not had deep playoff runs, and their players are young. Atlanta looked like a genuine contender for the first couple months, and then they deflated. In g1 against the wiz we saw the same, great first half,2nd half collapse.


The 2014 spurs were historically deep, Atlanta is also pretty deep. So is there enough to conclude something? Or is it more about injury to specific players, or defenses catching up and matching intensity?

[AntiChrist]

Passing the ball around is less exhausting than how Parker plays.

[kaji157]

Nope, injuries to Splitter (mainly) and Mills where the reason the Spurs couldn´t replicate what they did last year.
Parker being injuried also didn´t hurt.

If healthy this team would have beaten the Clippers and Houston.

[boutons_deux]

getting your hands on the ball, scoring is exhilarating, involving, STIMULATING, actually fun, NOT tiring.

what's tiring, defeating, depressing is running up and down the floor while Tony and Tim fuck around at the top of the key, and watching Tony dribble the clock down and MAYBE dump the ball to you for a forced, bad shot.

[Russ]

You could chalk up the spurs inconsistent collapse entirely to fatigue from three successive deep playoff runs. No team, especially one relying on 30+ year old players, can handle that without some drop off. But what if the style of offense that spurs use is actually more to blame?

I want to look to Atlanta instead. They have not had deep playoff runs, and their players are young. Atlanta looked like a genuine contender for the first couple months, and then they deflated. In g1 against the wiz we saw the same, great first half,2nd half collapse.


The 2014 spurs were historically deep, Atlanta is also pretty deep. So is there enough to conclude something? Or is it more about injury to specific players, or defenses catching up and matching intensity?

Interesting point.

Last year Pop rested the older players much more than this year, but he could afford to -- he had a bigger margin for error.

The Spurs were able to win in the playoffs.

This year Pop played TD much more and didn't give Manu and TP as many long stretches of games off. He had less margin for error.

Maybe the OP is right, the "beautiful game" has an expiration date, can't be sustained, suffers with time, isn't "timeless."

[K...]

Uh, I specifically pointed to Atlanta as the better source....So if y'all want maybe we just bump this after every hawks game

[TDomination]

Injuries hurt us most. If we were healthy from the start, we win more games. Meaning we have a higher seeding. Meaning we play either mavs or pelicans in 1st round and probably win.

[K...]

I wouldn't say an expiration date. But it does take a competent and cohesive bench to pull off. Unfortunately that is also rare.

I think the nba would look at this and decide if better basketball is worth less games, larger rosters, shorter games, etc

[Yuixafun]

Probably draining mental focus, to always be alert in an ever changeing play...

It's based on precision, how long can you sustain that awareness, and once you get fatigued you compensate with gross effort

[K...]

So do we abandon it and use KAwhi for iso?

We might have a great talent drain this year. Or we might have our bench be relatively stable with mills and diaw leading. It's kind of hard to tell right now without the pieces in place

[tholdren]

So do we abandon it and use KAwhi for iso?

We might have a great talent drain this year. Or we might have our bench be relatively stable with mills and diaw leading. It's kind of hard to tell right now without the pieces in place

no you rid yourself of the mentally weak players

[K...]

Re bump here to comment on the hawks collapse. Injuries are injuries and all teams get them, but the space and pace offense ought to have some resilience in a deep team right? These hawks aren't the clippers. They aren't the spurs depending on ancient talent or far foppish French players.

Bud is starting to feel pops pain with shifting line ups. It's not looking great for those who think we can make an elite offense out of motivated roll players.

[Darius McCrary]

Hawks were not deep enough nor did they have the starting lineup 3 point threats required to win a title with the Spurs offense.

[ElNono]

The offense was good enough to take them to the Conference Finals... not to shabby, tbh...

But ultimately their defense is what's gonna kill them. They simply haven't been good enough on that side of the ball.

[Obstructed_View]

On the contrary, it's good enough to take a team without much talent to the playoffs. Nobody has any illusions about how weak the east was this year, do they?

[Sean Cagney]

Nope, injuries to Splitter (mainly) and Mills where the reason the Spurs couldn´t replicate what they did last year.
Parker being injuried also didn´t hurt.

If healthy this team would have beaten the Clippers and Houston.
I agree on that. I disagree on Parker being injured didn't hurt? Him being fat and injured did hurt, did you mean that? That did not help IMO.
Hawks were not deep enough nor did they have the starting lineup 3 point threats required to win a title with the Spurs offense.

They are not even close to the Spurs last year, not even 1/2 as good. They were a good team but never near the level of great and record inflated IMO being out in that horrible East. Out West they win maybe 48 games at the most and probably miss the playoffs.

[Darius McCrary]

I agree on that. I disagree on Parker being injured didn't hurt? Him being fat and injured did hurt, did you mean that? That did not help IMO.

They are not even close to the Spurs last year, not even 1/2 as good. They were a good team but never near the level of great and record inflated IMO being out in that horrible East. Out West they win maybe 48 games at the most and probably miss the playoffs.

Fair enough but do you really disagree with what I said?

[Sean Cagney]

Fair enough but do you really disagree with what I said?

I disagreed with what he said on Parker being injured this year did not hurt, either that he worded it wrong. I agree on what you said.

[Malik Hairston]

Hawks were not deep enough nor did they have the starting lineup 3 point threats required to win a title with the Spurs offense.

Korver is shooting 38% from 3 in the playoffs and has progressively gotten worse..makes you wonder how so many Spurs fans dont realize how crazy it was that Danny Green shot 48% from 3 in the 2 previous playoff runs, a historically great rate..

[therealtruth]

Pop should have definitely rested more if he wasn't planning on winning the Pelicans game.

[pgardn]

No it's easier, provided you have a bench.

Defense is far more exhausting to play well.

[Uriel]

Didn't read OP. "Hyper motion offense" is a real cool name, though. :lol

[wildbill2u]

If you think the Spurs motion offense is physically draining on the players, think what it does do the opposition. The key is that most teams are still in the old standard of playing their starters 35+ minutes per game--while the Spurs, partially because of the age of the starters, play with a historically low average minutes played for the starters. This makes them rely on the entire bench for energy minutes, some of which are played against the opposition's starters.

It showed in the 4th quarters of most games during the playoffs where teams tend to go with longer minutes for their starters and especially for their stars. And it showed on defense as well, where lesser skilled bench players could come into the game with a lot of energy for defense on the opposition starters. I think LeBron even said that the Spurs were simply wearing the Heat down physically.

Meanwhile, our starters could come back in the late stages of the game relatively refreshed.

I think another advantage of the style of play is to get the bench members involved in games for serious minutes, not just garbage time. They get in shape during the regular season to play more minutes than the normal team. This gives them stamina/energy when needed, and just as important, it is a great morale booster for the guys on the bench, making them feel like they are regular contributors rather than practice dummys and temporary replacements when someone is hurt.

You can knock Patty Mills all you want for his towel waving on the bench--but it was clear he was into the game at all times and his enthusiasm rubbed off on the entire team. And you could see the starters cheering on their second team players, sincerely wanting them to succeed in their minutes.

Utilizing and maximizing all the talents of all the players is what this offense/defense is all about. The hyper motion offense turns basketball back into a team sport, not five guys and a bunch of guys on a bench waiting for someone to break a leg or get a big lead.