Championship Defense

[coachmac87]

85 Points for OKC.

That's just amazing..and that can win you 6.

[HarlemHeat37]

Pop is all-in on the Kawhi/Aldridge + defense formula, tbh:lol

[Agloco]

That won't win against a good defense. Spurs are way too predictable on the offensive end.

[coachmac87]

That won't win against a good defense. Spurs are way too predictable on the offensive end.

We missed open 3's. But seriously that was a lousy take

[UNT Eagles 2016]

That won't win against a good defense. Spurs are way too predictable on the offensive end.

We just missed a ton of shots we normally make tonight. Probably our worst jump shooting game of the season collectively. And we still won because of our defense.

[spursistan]

Pop is all-in on the Kawhi/Aldridge + defense formula, tbh:lol
Also OKC predictable offensive structure helps...do folks still want to play the Clippers? :lol..Spurs shot abysmally from 3, got outrebounded big time and still won by 8..

[Agloco]

We missed open 3's. But seriously that was a lousy take


We just missed a ton of shots we normally make tonight. Probably our worst jump shooting game of the season collectively. And we still won because of our defense.

Yeah, open threes we aren't going to get vs a good defense. See why that might be an issue?

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Yeah, open threes we aren't going to get vs a good defense. See why that might be an issue?

GSW gives up lots of open threes, I've watched their games

[HarlemHeat37]

That won't win against a good defense. Spurs are way too predictable on the offensive end.

I agree, but realistically, there are only 2 other worthy teams in this year's NBA(and 1 of them depends entirely on how Griffin gets re-acclimated)..

Spurs can't beat GS if Green can't shoot 3s and they get nothing from both Parker/Ginobili(need 1 of them to step up)..

[Agloco]

I agree, but realistically, there are only 2 other worthy teams in this year's NBA(and 1 of them depends entirely on how Griffin gets re-acclimated)..

And that's my point. The other one will be standing in the way except with a better offense and defense.

That's really the only team that matters tbh.

[Agloco]

We missed open 3's. But seriously that was a lousy take

What part? Both are true.

[coachmac87]

Yeah, open threes we aren't going to get vs a good defense. See why that might be an issue?

I started a thread about championship defense...and you respond talking about offense being predictable??

[Agloco]

I started a thread about championship defense...and you respond talking about offense being predictable??

I was responding to Harlem tbh. Everything I said was in the context of what he posted.

[BatManu20]

Imagine if we had good defensive PG tbh.

[Horse]

Who cares if it's predictable, we still get good shots just have to knock them down.

[BillMc]

85 Points for OKC.

That's just amazing..and that can win you 6.
:toast

[coachmac87]

I was responding to Harlem tbh. Everything I said was in the context of what he posted.

Quote him next time

[HarlemHeat37]

And that's my point. The other one will be standing in the way except with a better offense and defense.

That's really the only team that matters tbh.

Well the biggest problem vs. GS is the number of liabilities the Spurs have on 1 end of the floor IMO..

The Warriors have 3 great 2-way players(Green, Iggy, Thompson) and 3 players that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Barnes, Curry, Livingston)..their starting C is a semi-offensive liability in today's NBA(the same way Duncan is)..the only complete liability in their rotation is Barbosa, defensively..

The Spurs of the past few years were one of the few teams in the NBA that had several top-tier 2-way players and had very few liabilities in the rotation..

This year's team only has 1 great 2-way player(Kawhi) and 2 that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Aldridge and West)..

Green and Duncan are offensive liabilities, this season..Parker, Mills and Martin are defensive liabilities..Manu is completely unpredictable, and Diaw has become a liability on both sides:lol

[Agloco]

Quote him next time

Meh, deal with it.

[Mugen]

Imagine if we had good defensive PG tbh.

CoJo starting and Patty off the bench. Damn what could have been tbh

[Agloco]

Well the biggest problem vs. GS is the number of liabilities the Spurs have on 1 end of the floor IMO..

The Warriors have 3 great 2-way players(Green, Iggy, Thompson) and 3 players that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Barnes, Curry, Livingston)..their starting C is a semi-offensive liability in today's NBA(the same way Duncan is)..the only complete liability in their rotation is Barbosa, defensively..

The Spurs of the past few years were one of the few teams in the NBA that had several top-tier 2-way players and had very few liabilities in the rotation..

This year's team only has 1 great 2-way player(Kawhi) and 2 that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Aldridge and West)..

Green and Duncan are offensive liabilities, this season..Parker, Mills and Martin are defensive liabilities..Manu is completely unpredictable, and Diaw has become a liability on both sides:lol

Im interested in your thoughts on what the Spurs need to do to keep a potential series with GSW competitive on the offensive side of the ball. I keep thinking that's where we will have more success oddly.

[Kawhitstorm]

708876333808418816

[Kawhitstorm]

Well the biggest problem vs. GS is the number of liabilities the Spurs have on 1 end of the floor IMO..

The Warriors have 3 great 2-way players(Green, Iggy, Thompson) and 3 players that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Barnes, Curry, Livingston)..their starting C is a semi-offensive liability in today's NBA(the same way Duncan is)..the only complete liability in their rotation is Barbosa, defensively..

The Spurs of the past few years were one of the few teams in the NBA that had several top-tier 2-way players and had very few liabilities in the rotation..

This year's team only has 1 great 2-way player(Kawhi) and 2 that aren't liabilities on defense and provide net positive offense(Aldridge and West)..

Green and Duncan are offensive liabilities, this season..Parker, Mills and Martin are defensive liabilities..Manu is completely unpredictable, and Diaw has become a liability on both sides:lol

The Spurs are primed for an ass whoopin' circa 2010 vs. Suns if Manu/Danny don't get it going (33yr old Porker AT HIS BEST can't play major minutes against the Worriers). Pop just has to roll out the 2014 Gm 6 lineup vs. OKC & maybe swap Tim/Diaw w/ LMA/West during crunch time. So basically,

LMA
West
Kawhi
Danny
Manu

Play Diaw/Patty/K-Mart when Speight/Barbosa/Rush are in the game assuming Kyle is going to get minutes against Livingston.

[Kawhitstorm]

Im interested in your thoughts on what the Spurs need to do to keep a potential series with GSW competitive on the offensive side of the ball. I keep thinking that's where we will have more success oddly.

The closest thing to the Worriers are the 2010 Suns (Gentry, who coached the Suns, actually installed the Worriers offense last season when he was an assistant). The Suns bombed the Spurs w/ 3s after breaking down the defense w/ the Nash/Amare PnR. The Suns also had Hill/Dudley who were 2-way player & kept Manu under wraps while Tony was coming off the bench & not able to punish Nash on the other end.

The difference is that the Worriers have multiple 2 way players & rim protectors thus can't be bullied inside like the Suns were by the Lakers. The only way the Spurs beat them is if LMA plays out of his mind like 2014 vs. Rockets & Kawhi silences Klay in 4 out of 7 games.

[alfahdlan]

The Spurs are primed for an ass whoopin' circa 2010 vs. Suns if Manu/Danny don't get it going (33yr old Porker AT HIS BEST can't play major minutes against the Worriers). Pop just has to roll out the 2014 Gm 6 lineup vs. OKC & maybe swap Tim/Diaw w/ LMA/West during crunch time. So basically,

LMA
West
Kawhi
Danny
Manu

Play Diaw/Patty/K-Mart when Speight/Barbosa/Rush are in the game assuming Kyle is going to get minutes against Livingston.
+1. Livingston usually comes starting during 2nd qtr. If manu starting he can match shaun in the 2nd qtr for a big guard line up.

[All Mighty Janitor]

Imagine if we had good defensive PG tbh.
It's why I wanted to keep Cojo. I remembered or defense at the start of last season with Cory starting was amazing and thought that could be the future. I guess it was not to be.

[DMC]

That won't win against a good defense. Spurs are way too predictable on the offensive end.

Sure it will. Who has held the Spurs to under 85? 1 time this season, Houston held them to 84.

Spurs have the best defense in the league. Ergo any other team has worse defense, and only a few have better offense. So the correct take would be that a far superior offense would still beat the Spurs with their defense, but any team held to 85 is going to lose against the Spurs.

[dbreiden83080]

If there is a way to beat the Warriors, that is it. Granted they whipped our butts when we played them but statistically over the course of the season we have the best defense in the NBA and they have one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Obviously the problem is they score at a ridiculous rate like a goddamn machine. But We are ranked first on defense and seventh on offense. Maybe our defense will be the difference in a seven game series. I hope.

[TheGreatYacht]

The Spurs are primed for an ass whoopin' circa 2010 vs. Suns if Manu/Danny don't get it going (33yr old Porker AT HIS BEST can't play major minutes against the Worriers). Pop just has to roll out the 2014 Gm 6 lineup vs. OKC & maybe swap Tim/Diaw w/ LMA/West during crunch time. So basically,

LMA
West
Kawhi
Danny
Manu

Play Diaw/Patty/K-Mart when Speight/Barbosa/Rush are in the game assuming Kyle is going to get minutes against Livingston.
Manu isn't anywhere near playoff shape, much less crunch time :lol That play to end the first half with the ball on his hands was terrible. His shot ain't there and he misses a ton of point blank layups

Aldridge
West
Leonard
Green
Mills

is more like it

[Kawhitstorm]

Manu isn't anywhere near playoff shape, much less crunch time :lol That play to end the first half with the ball on his hands was terrible. His shot ain't there and he misses a ton of point blank layups

Aldridge
West
Leonard
Green
Mills

is more like it

Bruh, he did okay against Durant so he should be able to guard Livingston who would devour Patty.

[TheGreatYacht]

Bruh, he did okay against Durant so he should be able to guard Livingston who would devour Patty.
No he didn't

[timtonymanu]

CoJo starting and Patty off the bench. Damn what could have been tbh

Yep.

[Kawhitstorm]

No he didn't

Yes he did

[SAGirl]

Also OKC predictable offensive structure helps...do folks still want to play the Clippers? :lol..Spurs shot abysmally from 3, got outrebounded big time and still won by 8..
I was not on the let's play the Clippers end. They give us immense trouble and we have no answer for their pnr or the Roddick 3. POP starts hacking and such, but the Clippers always give us trouble and Austin Rivers owns Patty so even their bench presents,problems for us. No thanks.

[ceperez]

Let's put everything in perspective..... this was a back-to-back game for OKC... they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.

My concern is the horrid 3point shooting of the Spurs. It just isn't this game, it's been like this for the last couple of games!!

Green shots weren't just not going in, they were missing the ring entirely!
Parkers lack of offensive production is extremely disconcerting, it is like he can only turn it on every other game.
Manu's defense was good, but don't ask him to penetrate and turn over the ball!
Anderson is being baited to take the 3 and he's scared to death to take it.
Martin can't defend anyone and doesn't have the nasty to grab those rebounds.
Diaw seems to be effective only against smaller opponents in the post. He also doesn't seem to be part of the flow of the offense.
The bright side, two man game of Kawhi and Aldridge/West seems to be difficult to contain. It'll always be there.

[Agloco]

Sure it will. Who has held the Spurs to under 85? 1 time this season, Houston held them to 84.

Spurs have the best defense in the league. Ergo any other team has worse defense, and only a few have better offense. So the correct take would be that a far superior offense would still beat the Spurs with their defense, but any team held to 85 is going to lose against the Spurs.

I get it. Two sides to the ball: I was alluding to a matchup with Golden State - really the only one that matters.

Scoring 93 against OKC got the job done. I don't see that working vs GSW.

Conversely, I don't see the Spurs holding GSW to 85 in any single game much less over a series.

[Keepin' it real]

Let's put everything in perspective..... this was a back-to-back game for OKC... they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.

My concern is the horrid 3point shooting of the Spurs. It just isn't this game, it's been like this for the last couple of games!!

Green shots weren't just not going in, they were missing the ring entirely!
Parkers lack of offensive production is extremely disconcerting, it is like he can only turn it on every other game.
Manu's defense was good, but don't ask him to penetrate and turn over the ball!
Anderson is being baited to take the 3 and he's scared to death to take it.
Martin can't defend anyone and doesn't have the nasty to grab those rebounds.
Diaw seems to be effective only against smaller opponents in the post. He also doesn't seem to be part of the flow of the offense.
The bright side, two man game of Kawhi and Aldridge/West seems to be difficult to contain. It'll always be there.

So you're saying the Spurs suck? Because you sure are belly-aching about the best regular season in team history. Why don't you just appreciate their historic run?

[coachmac87]

Let's put everything in perspective..... this was a back-to-back game for OKC... they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.

My concern is the horrid 3point shooting of the Spurs. It just isn't this game, it's been like this for the last couple of games!!

Green shots weren't just not going in, they were missing the ring entirely!
Parkers lack of offensive production is extremely disconcerting, it is like he can only turn it on every other game.
Manu's defense was good, but don't ask him to penetrate and turn over the ball!
Anderson is being baited to take the 3 and he's scared to death to take it.
Martin can't defend anyone and doesn't have the nasty to grab those rebounds.
Diaw seems to be effective only against smaller opponents in the post. He also doesn't seem to be part of the flow of the offense.
The bright side, two man game of Kawhi and Aldridge/West seems to be difficult to contain. It'll always be there.



Here I'll put it perspective for you...

Thunder average 109.5pts per game.

Thunder scored 85pts...

That's incredible defense..period. Stop trying to make over think things..sure the game wasn't perfect and neither are the Spurs. But nobody is..not even the Warriors

[SpursIndonesia]

85 Points for OKC.

That's just amazing..and that can win you 6.

4-24 won't get it done against the Dubs, sorry.

[coachmac87]

4-24 won't get it done against the Dubs, sorry.

What does 4-24 have anything about defense???

Stay ok topic bruh

[DMC]

I get it. Two sides to the ball: I was alluding to a matchup with Golden State - really the only one that matters.

Scoring 93 against OKC got the job done. I don't see that working vs GSW.

Conversely, I don't see the Spurs holding GSW to 85 in any single game much less over a series.

I think the thread is about the fact that OKC was held to 85, not that the Spurs only scored 93. Shooting 1 for 16 or whatever from 3 won't get it against almost any team in the league with anything other than stellar defense.

[coachmac87]

I think the thread is about the fact that OKC was held to 85, not that the Spurs only scored 93. Shooting 1 for 16 or whatever from 3 won't get it against almost any team in the league with anything other than stellar defense.

Thank you DMC! Like do people not read or are they so insecure about "their Spurs" they look for negativity in every way they can?

[cjw]

4-24 won't get it done against the Dubs, sorry.

4 for 24 won't happen night in night out either. In fact, it's been that bad just two other times this season - @ CHI and @ IND. Both games were losses but D still kept them in both games.

The Spurs have shot that many attempts in a game only 8 times all year. Bad shooting on high attempts, many of which were open - I'll take that.



0 to 10
0


10 to 11
2


12 to 13
4


14 to 15
11


16 to 17
9


18 to 19
9


20 to 21
14


22 to 23
9


24 to 25
5


25 to 26
1


27+
2






0% to 20%
3


20% to 25%
3


25% to 30%
9


30% to 33%
7


33% to 37%
12


37% to 40%
13


43% to 47%
3


50% to 55%
11


55% to 60%
1


60%+
4

[Arcadian]

Pop is all-in on the Kawhi/Aldridge + defense formula, tbh:lol

That's pretty exciting! The Spurs haven't had two players this good since Young Duncan + Robinson.

[DMC]

Thank you DMC! Like do people not read or are they so insecure about "their Spurs" they look for negativity in every way they can?
Agloco is pretty good about objectivity and basketball takes. I'd give him a pass here. We can disagree without having ulterior motives. We can also just misunderstand the OP.

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah, open threes we aren't going to get vs a good defense. See why that might be an issue?

I really can't see why three point shooting is an issue in a thread called "championship defense". Can you?

But since you're here, let's just get it out of the way. The Spurs aren't going to win shit if they shoot 17 percent from the three point line going forward, but one can reasonably assume that if they don't that the defense they showed last night would go a long way in helping them to win.

[Obstructed_View]

That's pretty exciting! The Spurs haven't had two players this good since Young Duncan + Robinson.

Yep. And they only had that for one or two years. Both of these guys are going to get better, and they're going to get better together.

[Agloco]

I really can't see why three point shooting is an issue in a thread called "championship defense". Can you?


I was responding to Harlem tbh. Everything I said was in the context of what he posted.

At any rate, they're still too predictable. Granted they won't shoot this badly on many nights, but neither will OKC, and most certainly GSW wont. On average their predictability will make any looks harder down the road.

[Agloco]

Yes yes yes. My original post was answering Harlem. Some folks are having a hard time with that for some reason.


I think the thread is about the fact that OKC was held to 85, not that the Spurs only scored 93. Shooting 1 for 16 or whatever from 3 won't get it against almost any team in the league with anything other than stellar defense.

[Agloco]

Agloco is pretty good about objectivity and basketball takes. I'd give him a pass here. We can disagree without having ulterior motives. We can also just misunderstand the OP.

:tu

Two many beers on board tbh.

[Obstructed_View]

At any rate, they're still too predictable. Granted they won't shoot this badly on many nights, but neither will OKC, and most certainly GSW wont. On average their predictability will make any looks harder down the road.

:lol I was just having fun with ya.

I just find it odd that last night would be the night that they happened to be predictable. They got every shot they wanted, and the shots just didn't go in. If they'd hit their average and won the game by 25 would they still have been predictable? The Spurs clamped down on the Thunder which is why they couldn't score in the second half. The Spurs missed shots because they couldn't hit shots without a defender near them.

The trend that I don't like going toward the post-season is the jumpers. Some people think a long 2 is a bad shot because another step back and it's a 3. That's poor logic. A long 2 does all the same things as a 3 pointer to keep the defense honest, and usually the percentage difference is more than enough to make up the scoring, particularly with the Spurs having probably the four best midrange shooters in the league. The jumpers are bad for the same reason all jumpers are bad: You don't get fouled. The Spurs aren't getting calls, so they aren't going inside, so they aren't drawing fouls, so they aren't getting into the bonus. Frankly the only thing saving them to this point is that they don't foul on defense, which doesn't help when you play a team like OKC that attracts whistles like nobody we've ever seen. That problem will compound when you play a team like the Dubs who are very physical and basically dare the refs to call it. The Spurs need to start asserting themselves now or that's going to be the difference in the playoffs.

[Agloco]

:lol I was just having fun with ya.

I just find it odd that last night would be the night that they happened to be predictable. They got every shot they wanted, and the shots just didn't go in. If they'd hit their average and won the game by 25 would they still have been predictable? The Spurs clamped down on the Thunder which is why they couldn't score in the second half. The Spurs missed shots because they couldn't hit shots without a defender near them.

The trend that I don't like going toward the post-season is the jumpers. Some people think a long 2 is a bad shot because another step back and it's a 3. That's poor logic. A long 2 does all the same things as a 3 pointer to keep the defense honest, and usually the percentage difference is more than enough to make up the scoring, particularly with the Spurs having probably the four best midrange shooters in the league. The jumpers are bad for the same reason all jumpers are bad: You don't get fouled. The Spurs aren't getting calls, so they aren't going inside, so they aren't drawing fouls, so they aren't getting into the bonus. Frankly the only thing saving them to this point is that they don't foul on defense, which doesn't help when you play a team like OKC that attracts whistles like nobody we've ever seen. That problem will compound when you play a team like the Dubs who are very physical and basically dare the refs to call it. The Spurs need to start asserting themselves now or that's going to be the difference in the playoffs.

:tu
Drunk guy is going to sleep now.

[Obstructed_View]

:tu
Drunk guy is going to sleep now.

We've got plenty of time to talk about it. Sleep tight.

[szkorhetz]

Did someone else noticed that during the 4th, Messina was "calling" the defensive plays, with being super active while we were defending?

[coachmac87]

Hold Thunder and Clippers under 90..

If we keep GSW under or around 100 I may be onto something

[coachmac87]

Spurs held them to 79pts...


Is this defense a fluke??

[lofds]

Spurs worked hard on D although you won't often find Curry and Thompson making 2 3s between them.

[itzsoweezee]

Amazing D, terrible offense. Less than twenty assists? Gotta do better

[ezau]

Otherworldly defense

[ElNono]

Yeah, when this team executes, they're historically great defensively... dunno why some posters still laugh at that notion, tbh...

[GSH]

Yeah, when this team executes, they're historically great defensively... dunno why some posters still laugh at that notion, tbh...


Every season, the playoffs are MUCH more physical than the regular season. Historically, the refs "let them play". And year after year, the lions run down and crush the gazelles. And every season some people are still surprised, and want to keep talking about what happened in the regular season, as if it's relevant.

One of the things I've complained about in the past is that we watch 82 games of one sport, and then switch to another sport entirely. This time, I think it works to the Spurs' advantage.

[coachmac87]

I just don't understand why this isn't getting talked about not only on this forum but in the media. All I've heard is excuses on the Warriors being short handed and Curry missed ones he makes..

But they were held 36pts under their average. I'm sorry Iggy, Bogut and Ezeli help but they're not exactly offensive juggernauts.

Like when have we seen a defense like this?? 05' Pistons? 05' Spurs?

Anybody can come up with reasons why Spurs did this or Warriors did that..and I'll just say

79pts.

[cjw]

I just don't understand why this isn't getting talked about not only on this forum but in the media. All I've heard is excuses on the Warriors being short handed and Curry missed ones he makes..

But they were held 36pts under their average. I'm sorry Iggy, Bogut and Ezeli help but they're not exactly offensive juggernauts.

Like when have we seen a defense like this?? 05' Pistons? 05' Spurs?

Anybody can come up with reasons why Spurs did this or Warriors did that..and I'll just say

79pts.

Best defensive rating as a team in the post-handchecking era. Almost on par with the 03-04 Pistons and Spurs (last year it was legal).

And to think to have a good defense of their own, GS still needs to handcheck.

[coachmac87]

I mean we held the Thunder-Clippers-Warriors to an average of 83.6pts


I know defense isn't sexy to talk about damn that's fucking amazing

[Mel_13]

I mean we held the Thunder-Clippers-Warriors to an average of 83.6pts


I know defense isn't sexy to talk about damn that's fucking amazing

OKC-25 pts below season avg.
LAC-17 pts below season avg.
GSW- 36 pts below season avg.

[ginobilized]

This defense is inspiring!
This home stand speaks for itself.

If the offense continues to improve and the defense stays, we will be tough to beat, if healthy.

[HarlemHeat37]

Yeah, when this team executes, they're historically great defensively... dunno why some posters still laugh at that notion, tbh...

Who does?

[ElNono]

Dat historic defense doe. :lol


That's not really saying much when you're competition is guys like Mills, KA, Simmons and Parker. He actually might be the second best post defender too. Dat historic defense...:lol


Dat historic defense not doing historic things.

<shrug>

[turkish spurs fan]

ok spurs did good defense last game vs gsw but the point is that spurs did very very low tempo game and dictated our tempo to gsw. because of low tempo we forgot offense in some minutes. some silly scores we conceded under rim tbh.

the key was too low tempo more than championship defense.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

ok spurs did good defense last game vs gsw but the point is that spurs did very very low tempo game and dictated our tempo to gsw. because of low tempo we forgot offense in some minutes. some silly scores we conceded under rim tbh.

the key was too low tempo more than championship defense.

What kind of bullshit is this? They shot 37% and scored less than 1 point per shot. This has nothing to do with pace.

[turkish spurs fan]

What kind of bullshit is this? They shot 37% and scored less than 1 point per shot. This has nothing to do with pace.

i did not say we did bad defense. ok defense, may be one level better than ok. but pace was very important last game

[HarlemHeat37]

<shrug>

:lol my guy Hoops also laughed at me for saying the Broncos had a historic defense early in the NFL season(in case you don't follow the NFL, they ultimately won the Super Bowl and finished with a top 3 D in the modern era, statistically)..

[dbreiden83080]

We have an incredible defense. If not for GS we are lights out favorites to win it all..

[ElNono]

:lol my guy Hoops also laughed at me for saying the Broncos had a historic defense early in the NFL season(in case you don't follow the NFL, they ultimately won the Super Bowl and finished with a top 3 D in the modern era, statistically)..

:lol I like Hoops, tbh, he just wavers game to game... not uncommon over here... he admitted being way off before... respect

[Atl Spur]

Defense is want to.... ether you do or you don't!

[Hoops Czar]

<shrug>

:lol Sure, but one game doesn't make you historic defensively. GS was playing their 9th game in 14 days and were without three key rotation players. Wake me when they do it three more times. Also, some of the Spurstalk pundits like to talk about how the Warriors have been slipping defensively since the All Star break. Yet the Spurs vaunted offense, currently T-6th in the league could only muster 90 points on 41% shooting against a team that featured zero rim protection. If the Spurs expect to hold the Warriors to below 85 points for an entire series in order to win games, they're in for a serious reality check.

[xellos88330]

i did not say we did bad defense. ok defense, may be one level better than ok. but pace was very important last game

I thought the defense was fantastic. Sure the pace had an effect on how many shots the Warriors took, but at the same time, those shots they got to take were defended really well. It was amazing defense, combined with pace dictation that produced the 79pt output by the Warriors.

[SouthernFried]

Great Defense...helped dictate the slow pace. In this case, it's not one or the other.

[DenialTwist]

All the haters on social media and NBA analysts are all saying the same thing after the loss: the Spurs won't be able to play defense like that in a 7-game series.

[DenialTwist]

:lol Sure, but one game doesn't make you historic defensively. GS was playing their 9th game in 14 days and were without three key rotation players. Wake me when they do it three more times. Also, some of the Spurstalk pundits like to talk about how the Warriors have been slipping defensively since the All Star break. Yet the Spurs vaunted offense, currently T-6th in the league could only muster 90 points on 41% shooting against a team that featured zero rim protection. If the Spurs expect to hold the Warriors to below 85 points for an entire series in order to win games, they're in for a serious reality check.

A serious reality check is the fact that the Cavs have no shot at beating the Warriors either. The Cavs don't look much better on both ends of the court. If the spurs don't make the finals, fine. But everyone pretty much expects the Cavs to get beatdown by the warriors in the Finals. Cavs have no chance. I would even put the Raptors over the Cavs, at this point.

[ElNono]

:lol Sure, but one game doesn't make you historic defensively. GS was playing their 9th game in 14 days and were without three key rotation players. Wake me when they do it three more times. Also, some of the Spurstalk pundits like to talk about how the Warriors have been slipping defensively since the All Star break. Yet the Spurs vaunted offense, currently T-6th in the league could only muster 90 points on 41% shooting against a team that featured zero rim protection. If the Spurs expect to hold the Warriors to below 85 points for an entire series in order to win games, they're in for a serious reality check.

It's not really one game... as Mel pointed out above:


OKC-25 pts below season avg.
LAC-17 pts below season avg.
GSW- 36 pts below season avg.

We basically locked up the best defensive rating for the season back in December. That's how good defense was to start the season.

It's true we had up and downs throughout the season, that's pretty normal, but this team really is capable of playing historical defense when they really execute. It doesn't guarantee anything, it just means that at their peak, they're historically good at it.

[TD 21]

I just don't understand why this isn't getting talked about not only on this forum but in the media. All I've heard is excuses on the Warriors being short handed and Curry missed ones he makes..

But they were held 36pts under their average. I'm sorry Iggy, Bogut and Ezeli help but they're not exactly offensive juggernauts.

Like when have we seen a defense like this?? 05' Pistons? 05' Spurs?

Anybody can come up with reasons why Spurs did this or Warriors did that..and I'll just say

79pts.

It's barely getting talked about, because the media, their fans and their closet fans, had their litany of excuses lined up and in a general sense, have already decided that the Spurs can't beat the Warriors. Even if they beat them in the playoffs, the narrative will be that the Warriors lost. Also, most people don't know much about team defense.

This game was a defensive masterpiece though. This was not a case of "they missed shots they normally make". Of course, there was some of that, just like there has been in every basketball game ever played, at any level, because that's inevitable. They flat out struggled to generate good looks and the only rhythm they had was thanks to shoddy third quarter officiating.

[Hoops Czar]

It's not really one game... as Mel pointed out above:



We basically locked up the best defensive rating for the season back in December. That's how good defense was to start the season.

It's true we had up and downs throughout the season, that's pretty normal, but this team really is capable of playing historical defense when they really execute. It doesn't guarantee anything, it just means that at their peak, they're historically good at it.

:lol Why did he bring up the reeling Clippers? Is that suppose to be impressive or something? Anyways, a lot of that has to do with pace, less possession by opponents = less opportunities to score. They have a very good defense, but historic? :lol For that, they need to show up at home and on the road. Since the league is dreck this year, there aren't many road games to look at but, vs GS 12O, vs OKC 112, vs CLE 117, vs L:lolC 105. You'll have me when they stifle OKC and GS on the road. Also, GS held the Spurs to 18 points below their season average; OKC held the Spurs to 10 points below their season average on 40% FG% (16th in total defense); Cleveland held the Spurs to 12 points below their season average; Clippers held the Spurs to 19 points below their season average. None of those teams are historical defensively. The Spurs are the best overall defense in the league but they're only a percentage point ahead of Atlanta and two percentage points ahead of GS in opponents FG% and I wouldn't consider either of those teams historically great defensive teams. However, if the Spurs were historically great, those teams would have to be in the conversation, wouldn't they?

You may be right but I'm not convinced yet. Let's see how they do against OKC and GS on the road.

[ElNono]

:lol Why did he bring up the reeling Clippers? Is that suppose to be impressive or something? Anyways, a lot of that has to do with pace, less possession by opponents = less opportunities to score. They have a very good defense, but historic? :lol For that, they need to show up at home and on the road. Since the league is dreck this year, there aren't many road games to look at but, vs GS 12O, vs OKC 112, vs CLE 117, vs L:lolC 105. You'll have me when they stifle OKC and GS on the road. Also, GS held the Spurs to 18 points below their season average; OKC held the Spurs to 10 points below their season average on 40% FG% (16th in total defense); Cleveland held the Spurs to 12 points below their season average; Clippers held the Spurs to 19 points below their season average. None of those teams are historical defensively. The Spurs are the best overall defense in the league but they're only a percentage point ahead of Atlanta and two percentage points ahead of GS in opponents FG% and I wouldn't consider either of those teams historically great defensive teams. However, if the Spurs were historically great, those teams would have to be in the conversation, wouldn't they?

You may be right but I'm not convinced yet. Let's see how they do against OKC and GS on the road.

Just wanted to point out that it doesn't matter if the Clippers are reeling for that number to work. They've been reeling for quite some time, but, win or lose, most other teams can't hold them to those numbers.

And I should add, I did put the condition of "when they execute". They don't do it every game, and that's something they'll need to do consistently during the playoffs. There's also the fact that on the road, even if you execute, sometimes the whistle won't let you do it. But, there's no reason not to try, because the tools are there to be special on that end, and if they do manage to do it, they'll be hard to beat.

[coachmac87]

Elite Defense > Elite Offense

Defense wins championships. Everyone knows that...especially Spurs fans.

[SAGirl]

All the haters on social media and NBA analysts are all saying the same thing after the loss: the Spurs won't be able to play defense like that in a 7-game series.
Unless someone gets injured or breaks down its possible. The guys doing the heavy lifting are young and have played in the postseason or are NBA Champions, who the heck they think they are talking about? Now if Tony has a malady then yea, that is too bad indeed. Really the team switched a lot, it wasn't taxing on a singular person exclusively. Now GSW is very capable of hitting tough shots and play with fire, them having a better games is a possibility, but defense has been our calling card all season and the guys seem very motivated.