Coach Nick: Spurs and Pacers are Best Equipped to Beat the Warriors

[BillMc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXWE9TlYxHU

At 5:20 he says you need 2 strong wing defenders, and an elite rim protector. Then goes on to mention...

Kawhi/Green, + Duncan (and LMA)

Pacers' George/Hill + Mahimmi

Amusingly, all but 1 of the players mentioned as Warriors threats are Spurs or ex-Spurs. :lol

He also mentions point guard play will be huge against the Dubs, and that they may be vulnerable to a team that has athletic enough bigs to stay big against them, especially against the Warriors dreaded small ball lineup.

[kaji157]

If only George Hill was here... loved the kid, and him alongside Green and Leonard would be a nightmare for any offensive team.

[Mal]

I didnt watch the Bucks game, but it could fall under it. Giannis and Middelton as those stopper. MCW and Mayo went for combined 35 points. But the factor probably was Monroe on the offense. Of course they were b2b after 2OT win, Thompson was playing with bad ankle.

Lets go back to Celtics game. PG - Thomas - check. Wing defenders - Bradley for sure and Crowder also. Again no stopper inside, but Olynyk went big on offense, and Green had foul trouble.5 fouls in 4th, and both OT.

[ceperez]

I didnt watch the Bucks game, but it could fall under it. Giannis and Middelton as those stopper. MCW and Mayo went for combined 35 points. But the factor probably was Monroe on the offense. Of course they were b2b after 2OT win, Thompson was playing with bad ankle.

Lets go back to Celtics game. PG - Thomas - check. Wing defenders - Bradley for sure and Crowder also. Again no stopper inside, but Olynyk went big on offense, and Green had foul trouble.5 fouls in 4th, and both OT.

Raptors were almost beat them too.

I think you need a team that can defend without switching. That's why Spurs need to plug the point guard hole.

Spurs need to (1) keep on developing Simmons at PG (2) callup another good big athletic guard (Orlando Johnson)

[TheMulletMan3000]

Thanks for posting. If Spurs keep this level of play they will be the team to beat.

[TXstbobcat]

We will settle this in the WCF.

[TheDoctor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXWE9TlYxHU

....and that they may be vulnerable to a team that has athletic enough bigs to stay big against them, especially against the Warriors dreaded small ball lineup.

That's what happened vs Brooklyn. Nets bigs gave them fit. To the point BroLo missed a point blank shot that could have won the game.

Vs Celtics and with Bogut out, DLee had little problems to score in the paint.

Vs Bucks we need to see their upcoming next game, but their win vs Golden Showers came off to how hard they pounded the paint over and over again. Their Hi-Lo game was killer.

[baseline bum]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXWE9TlYxHU

At 5:20 he says you need 2 strong wing defenders, and an elite rim protector. Then goes on to mention...

Kawhi/Green, + Duncan (and LMA)

Pacers' George/Hill + Mahimmi

Amusingly, all but 1 of the players mentioned as Warriors threats are Spurs or ex-Spurs. :lol


Nah man, Mahinmi was on the Spurs too at one time tbh

[BillMc]

Nah man, Mahinmi was on the Spurs too at one time tbh

That's what I mean. Only Paul George wasn't a Spur or ex-Spur. :lol

[baseline bum]

That's what I mean. Only Paul George wasn't a Spur or ex-Spur. :lol

Nah man, remember when we traded George? :lol

[SpursFan86]

Nah man, Mahinmi was on the Spurs too at one time tbh

Damn, beat me to it :lol

Anyways, I've said this a few times, but I definitely feel we match up best with GS. Their biggest weapon is playing small, and we have some really nice personnel to counter that. Parker/Green/Manu/Kawhi/Aldridge should work well, and there's also Diaw who is a great smallball player too. Kawhi is right up there with LeBron/KD as the best smallball 4 you could have. Aldridge is rare in that he can shoot well enough to space the floor as a 5 while also being a very good rim protector/rebounder (a lot of teams sacrifice these things when they go small). He's also a proficient post player who can torch smaller players down low.

The only slight concern I have is Aldridge's mobility against a guy like Green. "Aldridge is a fatass" jokes aside, he does seem to be less mobile than in years past. Green isn't a speed demon or anything, but I do wonder if Aldridge will be able to stay in front of him. Draymond isn't an amazing shooter or anything though, so LMA should be able to play off him a bit.

[BillMc]

Nah man, remember when we traded George? :lol

Ha ha. Yep, a dark day indeed. :lol

[BillMc]

PJ seems to agree with Nick:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:14373250

[SpursIndonesia]

If only George Hill was here... loved the kid, and him alongside Green and Leonard would be a nightmare for any offensive team.

Hill is great against ISO player & offense, he will get murdered with all those (moving) screens by the Dubs. I will take a healthy & totally motivated Tony Parker to defend Curry's PnR more than Hill. And in the playoff, Curry won't be checked by our PGs all that much anyway.

[Join'orDie]

I know it was just the Jazz (and they were wore out), but I liked that in the 3rd when they tried to go small Pop kept the big lineup in and stepped on their throats. Obviously the Warriors have better shooters than the Jazz, but I'm hoping we will play them the same way. Make them adjust to us not the other way around.

On on a side note, good to hear Ian has been playing so well for the Pacers. Haven't followed him to much since he left, but always felt bad for the dude. He always seemed to get an injury early in the season and by the time he was back there was no time to mesh with the team.

[SnakeBoy]

I know it was just the Jazz (and they were wore out), but I liked that in the 3rd when they tried to go small Pop kept the big lineup in and stepped on their throats. Obviously the Warriors have better shooters than the Jazz, but I'm hoping we will play them the same way. Make them adjust to us not the other way around.


I hope so too. If Pop tries to match the dubs small ball we'll get stomped for sure.

[YGWHI]

I hope so too. If Pop tries to match the dubs small ball we'll get stomped for sure.
With Kawhi/Bobo and LMA? I doubt it.

[Venti Quattro]

Spurs and Cavs

Curry and Co. will eat Indiana alive in a 7-game series... Kind of what Miami did in 2014. Everyone expected Indiana to beat them in the ECF but they got laughed out of the Miami arena

[$pursDynasty]

it appears that after building the Warriors up as undefeatable, the media is now trying to find a team that can beat the undefeatable. well now they are starting to ask the Dubs about it...
Ethan Strauss on ESPN posted Draymond on the Spurs: "They're good, very good team. I'm not sure if we're supposed to cry, laugh, be sad or happy about it. It is what it is, they're a very good ball club. They have been for years, and nobody expected that to change. So, I don't have a reaction to it. I enjoy watching them play."

I am sure after the media being on their knees servicing the Warriors for the entire season, I am sure they don't appreciate this Spurs talk, lol.

[$pursDynasty]

I know it was just the Jazz (and they were wore out), but I liked that in the 3rd when they tried to go small Pop kept the big lineup in and stepped on their throats. Obviously the Warriors have better shooters than the Jazz, but I'm hoping we will play them the same way. Make them adjust to us not the other way around.


Amen I feel the same way, why try to beat them at their own game, when we can beat them down with ours?