Have the Spurs finally quit on Pop? [Archive]

MultiTroll

04-01-2019, 04:23 PM

Twice earlier this year (in particular) the Spurs looked DOA and lottery bound.
11-14 after losing to the LA Flamers and then just before the 9 game winning streak.
Both times they came back.

WTF is up with the Kings game I don't know. Continuing to feature Pops Pet Patty as the "Leader" and going to DD for end of game shots is beyond retarded. Maybe as Pop matures he will learn some strategy. (I know Etema or whoever the phuck it was with the retardation strategy vs Kings. It still had all the ear makings of Popped calls.) The days of standing up and pointing "4 Down" and watching Duncan and company are long gone. Sorry slurpers.

in2deep

04-01-2019, 04:24 PM

They actually overachieved imo

Poolboy5623

04-01-2019, 04:43 PM

Quit? Take your blinders off, they're just not very good..

MultiTroll

04-01-2019, 05:08 PM

Quit? Take your blinders off, they're just not very good..
True.
But is the effort there? That is what OP is asking.

Ed Helicopter Jones

04-01-2019, 05:09 PM

They're just sleepy.

GusT15

04-01-2019, 05:25 PM

They're just sleepy.

We are the reverse Clippers this year.

From RC,to Pop,to the roster.

RC stands pat,Jerry West looks like he will trade the whole roster if a player coughs in a wrong way.

Pop looks satisfied with just making the playoffs and has looked uninterested in so many losses this year.
Doc wants every game and is coaching like his whole season depends in the game he's coaching at any given night.

The roster looks complacent at times,bored,demotivated,without a clear goal of what they're aiming for in sight.
The Clips are looking like they like playing with each other and they'll do whatever they can,despite their lack of talent,to beat you.Their goal is to win however and wherever they can.

The whole Spurs franchise looks sleepy in my eyes.Top to bottom.Excuses can be made for why we look that way.And there are valid excuses.But the team is asleep nonetheless.In hibernation.

Rummpd

04-01-2019, 06:11 PM

Maybe they will flip a switch and win a game when it counts but don’t bet on it. Team is soft.

spurs10

04-01-2019, 06:51 PM

cia pop staying tied with OKC so they can have the flexibility of landing #7 or #8 to avoid GSW
:pop: "I don't know what you're talking about and wish you'd shutthe#$#@!up!'

Dex

04-01-2019, 07:23 PM

No, they're just not good.

They actually overachieved imo

Quit? Take your blinders off, they're just not very good..

Bingo.

This is what happens when you have to ship out an MVP-caliber player for pennies on the dollar...epecially when the entire team was built around his very specific skill set. Add in losing two All-NBA caliber defenders and two Hall of Famers...and this is what you get.

GusT15

04-01-2019, 07:40 PM

Bingo.

This is what happens when you have to ship out an MVP-caliber player for pennies on the dollar...epecially when the entire team was built around his very specific skill set. Add in losing two All-NBA caliber defenders and two Hall of Famers...and this is what you get.

Dex this is a valid argument on why we cannot contend for the Championship.Yes,okay,all those things happened,one after another,so we have no real shot to win it all in 2019.Too many hits to be able to put together a 55 win team that can challenge the Warriors.

These facts though do not justify the passive way we are playing for awhile now.Forget the big picture for a bit.Look at each game individually.The championship talent is not there obviously.But where is the passion,the pride,the will to win? The game.The possession.To make the go ahead basket.To win a close one.

Unless we'll just take for granted,that cause we are not in the title hunt,we should look that passive in winnable games and it's natural.If that's the case we're treading too closely to the thought process of those here rooting for tanking.And that's not a good thing.

ZeusWillJudge

04-01-2019, 07:45 PM

They actually overachieved imo

Bingo.

If squeaking into the playoffs is overachieving, it means that they never had any chance of getting out of the first round. And if that's true, then the stupidest thing they could do was play their way out of the lottery.

You can't have it both ways.

Dex

04-01-2019, 07:55 PM

If squeaking into the playoffs is overachieving, it means that they never had any chance of getting out of the first round. And if that's true, then the stupidest thing they could do was play their way out of the lottery.

You can't have it both ways.

This isn't a team built out of rookies and NBA flyer contracts. We aren't in the middle of The Process.

This is a team that was a championship contender as few as two seasons ago, and now has been thrust into pretender status.

Guys like Aldridge, Gay, DeRozan, Poeltl, Mills, Beli...they aren't here to tank. We can sit here and argue about draft position all day on the internet, but these are grown men who have spent their entire lives and stake their reputation on being competitive. Not to mention we have one of the most hard-nosed coaches in the league, who also happens to be one of the most successful coaches of all-time.

Do you really think Pop was gonna go into training camp at the start of the season and say, "Hey guys, we have no shot...let's just fuck around for a season and see if we can get Zion?"

It would be a black-eye on his legacy and piss off all of the veteran players on the team who want to compete. That is not the Spurs' way. Even if we go out in the first round, these guys deserve the chance to play.

We aren't the fucking Phoenix Suns who suck for the sake of hoping for a savior.

Dex

04-01-2019, 07:59 PM

Dex this is a valid argument on why we cannot contend for the Championship.Yes,okay,all those things happened,one after another,so we have no real shot to win it all in 2019.Too many hits to be able to put together a 55 win team that can challenge the Warriors.

These facts though do not justify the passive way we are playing for awhile now.Forget the big picture for a bit.Look at each game individually.The championship talent is not there obviously.But where is the passion,the pride,the will to win? The game.The possession.To make the go ahead basket.To win a close one.

Unless we'll just take for granted,that cause we are not in the title hunt,we should look that passive in winnable games and it's natural.If that's the case we're treading too closely to the thought process of those here rooting for tanking.And that's not a good thing.

I think the passion is there.

The execution is not.

Like I said...this is not a great team. There are many, MANY things to fix.

But that alone is not a reason just to throw everything in the hamper and start over. It's going to take time to repair the damage done by Nephew...and overreacting to one or two bad years would be to the team's detriment.

ZeusWillJudge

04-01-2019, 08:03 PM

This isn't a team built out of rookies and NBA flyer contracts. We aren't in the middle of The Process.

If squeaking into the playoffs is overachieving, then it means they weren't really good enough to even make the playoffs. A first round exit won't do shit for the team. Getting a star caliber player damn sure would. You may not like the options, but one option is stupid and one is smart. You're actually making a case for stupid.

spurraider21

04-01-2019, 08:07 PM

i dont think they quit on him. they've lost some close games in a month where white has struggled and both patty/bertans are shooting under 35% from deep. this team isn't good enough for several players to be in slumps. we need 6-7 guys to positively contribute every night or else we're going to lose even to bad teams

sasaint

04-01-2019, 08:11 PM

We are the reverse Clippers this year.

From RC,to Pop,to the roster.

RC stands pat,Jerry West looks like he will trade the whole roster if a player coughs in a wrong way.

Pop looks satisfied with just making the playoffs and has looked uninterested in so many losses this year.
Doc wants every game and is coaching like his whole season depends in the game he's coaching at any given night.

The roster looks complacent at times,bored,demotivated,without a clear goal of what they're aiming for in sight.
The Clips are looking like they like playing with each other and they'll do whatever they can,despite their lack of talent,to beat you.Their goal is to win however and wherever they can.

The whole Spurs franchise looks sleepy in my eyes.Top to bottom.Excuses can be made for why we look that way.And there are valid excuses.But the team is asleep nonetheless.In hibernation.

Pretty spot on. The exception is Dumbmar, who is passionate to a fault and in the wrong way.

LMA is the king of the lazy, gutless worms. And the remainder of the team seemed to vary from game to game until this recent forgettable stretch. To his credit Bryn seems pretty energetic.

Dex

04-01-2019, 08:12 PM

If squeaking into the playoffs is overachieving, then it means they weren't really good enough to even make the playoffs. A first round exit won't do shit for the team. Getting a star caliber player damn sure would. You may not like the options, but one option is stupid and one is smart. You're actually making a case for stupid.

Hindsight is 20/20. I'm sure the team expected better results than just squeaking into the playoffs...but you still have to play the games, and the Western Conference is crazier than ever this year.

I didn't make the "overachieving" statement, but I also can't disagree with it. The team got dealt a shit hand of cards this season.

Kawhi gone. Green gone. Manu and Parker gone. DeMar's inevitable first season struggles. Dejounte out for the season. White hurt. Pau's game disappeared.

Like I said...it's amazing they have done as well as they have, but it's just not in Pop's DNA to wave the white flag.

We have a chance to emerge from the ashes in the next season or two, and I'd prefer that to going on a 5-year tanking journey to maybe put ourselves in the same position we are in now.

GusT15

04-01-2019, 08:18 PM

Pretty spot on. The exception is Dumbmar, who is passionate to a fault and in the wrong way.

LMA is the king of the lazy, gutless worms. And the remainder of the team seemed to vary from game to game until this recent forgettable stretch. To his credit Bryn seems pretty energetic.

You're right,Bryn is energetic despite his deficiencies and i know he's pretty cheap.

But when i'm watching Danny Green having such a night as he's having right now,i can't understand for the life of me,how on earth do you trade away LDN and leave the Spurs starting Bryn as their SG for crying out loud.

Kobe'sAchilles

04-01-2019, 08:30 PM

Nah bro we just suck. Sad part is that we are going to fix our issues in the offseason by signing JJ Reddick :lol

Bad Takes

04-01-2019, 08:34 PM

I don't think they quit, but you can start to question Pop's magic with players when DeRozan comes here and declines and Danny Green is amazing again all of a sudden after leaving.

Spurtacular

04-01-2019, 09:12 PM

No, they're just not (that) good.

YGWHI

04-01-2019, 09:38 PM

I don't think they quit, but you can start to question Pop's magic with players when DeRozan comes here and gets worse and Danny Green is amazing again all of a sudden after leaving.

.45 3P% this season

7-10 .70% 29 pts this game vs Orlando

I like this convo from RaptorsRepublic' guys about what most Toronto media thought Raptors would have to give in the trade...
1112883498807934977

1112883869265477632

1112884190931021824

But PATFO didn't play it well

sasaint

04-01-2019, 09:44 PM

You're right,Bryn is energetic despite his deficiencies and i know he's pretty cheap.

But when i'm watching Danny Green having such a night as he's having right now,i can't understand for the life of me,how on earth do you trade away LDN and leave the Spurs starting Bryn as their SG for crying out loud.

Some people attribute Danny’s big season to its being his contract year. I don’t buy it, although I don’t really have an answer. There was speculation on ST that Pop even wanted to include Danny in the trade. I honestly don’t know what to make of Pop’s moves in the off-season, his in-season coaching or the team’s strange roller-coaster ride. Just a hard team to watch this season.

Timnobili

04-01-2019, 09:46 PM

I always felt Pop undervalued DG. He was really hard on him and tended to favor other guys over DG.

Arcadian

04-01-2019, 09:48 PM

More like Pop quit on the Spurs. That asshole intentionally got himself ejected from a crucial game. Dumbass.

sasaint

04-01-2019, 09:49 PM

An interesting kind of symmetry to Number 2's tenure as a Spur. We fleeced Indy to get him and got fleeced by Toronto to get rid of him.

ZeusWillJudge

04-01-2019, 09:53 PM

An interesting kind of symmetry to Number 2's tenure as a Spur. We fleeced Indy to get him and got fleeced by Toronto to get rid of him.

More like he fleeced the Spurs to force his exit, but it's still sort of a full-circle thing. Now if Hanga comes over and becomes an All-Star...

What? It could happen.

YGWHI

04-01-2019, 09:56 PM

SouthTexasRancher

04-01-2019, 10:18 PM

The only thing I can say for sure is we are a cluster fuck in progress. This team just doesn't have a Tim, Tony or Manu from the mental and heart perspective. We don't have a real leader. I guess Pop considers Patty to be that guy. This is where I think Dejounte Murray can really help this team in the future.. Not worried about his points per game as much as his defense and willingness to take over the team. And we really, really need a long,. athletic, defensive minded 3 & D. jmho

ZeusWillJudge

04-01-2019, 10:46 PM

I always felt Pop undervalued DG. He was really hard on him and tended to favor other guys over DG.

Agreed. He was trying to trade Danny since 2017 to clean cap space...

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/report-spurs-cavaliers-discussing-trade-involving-danny-green-but-the-price-is-high/

At the end of the 14-15, re-signing Danny was the Spurs top priority. I had that straight from the horse's mouth. It was 100% Pop that soured on Danny. And if Cleveland hadn't been stupid about what they were willing to offer for him, they might have had a better shot at keeping LeBron.

JeffDuncan

04-01-2019, 11:32 PM

If squeaking into the playoffs is overachieving, then it means they weren't really good enough to even make the playoffs. ...

At the start of the year I feared they might not win 20 games. Remember how it was? Murray goes down, out for the season. White gets hurt. Walker gets hurt. LMA can't get on track. Forbes trying to play the point. Bertans throws up his hands on defense, and gets pushed straight back 20 ft. Beli looks old and washed up. And on and on. DDR scoring, and setting personal bests in assists, looked like the only bright spot in the whole situation.

People have short memories.

It's been a rough year. And definitely an overachieving year, that they made the playoffs at all.

I'm glad they did.

You're glad too, even if you don't know it. Want to know why you're glad?

DMC

04-02-2019, 12:17 AM

It doesn't matter what spot get get in the seeding. They aren't getting to the top.

r0drig0lac

04-02-2019, 05:37 AM

It doesn't matter what spot get get in the seeding. They aren't getting to the top.

this

Bingo.

This is what happens when you have to ship out an MVP-caliber player for pennies on the dollar...epecially when the entire team was built around his very specific skill set. Add in losing two All-NBA caliber defenders and two Hall of Famers...and this is what you get.
how exactly was the team built around Kawhi?

monty4329

04-02-2019, 07:53 AM

I think the passion is there.

The execution is not.

Like I said...this is not a great team. There are many, MANY things to fix.

But that alone is not a reason just to throw everything in the hamper and start over. It's going to take time to repair the damage done by Nephew...and overreacting to one or two bad years would be to the team's detriment.

I am all for trying to get into the playoffs and go as far as you can. The league has plenty of perennial lottery teams that year after year keep losing. it doesn't work. Philly had 200 first round picks and still had to trade half the team to try to contend, and still will not go past the second round most probably.

Anyway, about quitting on Pop, I didn't think so until a couple weeks ago. But I really don't like the body language lately. I personally think it depends on the DDR situation. Guys see that no matter what, DDR keeps getting rewarded with each important shot even after so many fuckups that it has become comical.
Hard to bust your ass when if you lose you are **pick here any from old, fat, slowfooted, no-defense, midget, etc etc**, and if you win it is "DDR won the game for the Spurs".

I have the distinct impression this has stopped being a team. And Pop might have, sadly, some responsibility in this.

TheGreatYacht

04-02-2019, 10:59 AM

More like Pop quit on the Spurs. That asshole intentionally got himself ejected from a crucial game. Dumbass.
This 100x

Called it the day the playoffs were clinched. PATFO accomplished their off season goal of keeping the playoff streak alive. That's all they care about. Not about the future of the team, but their pride. They don't want to tank, can't have Pop looking like the overrated idiot he always was once Duncan and Kawhi left. So they built the last two off seasons acquiring 30yr old vets that have 1 or 2 good years left on them, but it should do since Pop does as well.

Fuck getting a talented young player in the Draft, let's get ass fucked by GSW again for the playoff streak!

Dex

04-02-2019, 01:42 PM

this

how exactly was the team built around Kawhi?

Uh...his usage rate when he was healthy in 2016-2017 was 31.1, so nearly one-third of the team's plays went through him on offense. He took 19% of the team's total shots, nearly 300 more than the team's second option (Aldridge). He also attempted and made the most three-pointers, a skill which the team relied on heavily (and which is sorely lacking now with DeRozan).

The defensive side of the ball should be obvious. He is an All-NBA defender and the Spurs counted on him to lock down the opposing team's best player, provide help everywhere else, AND rebound the ball. In his prime, Kawhi could seemingly take away an entire side of the floor, and generated transition offense with his deflections and steals.

Green was the other perimeter stopper and shooter. Guys like Mills, Forbes, and Bertans were brought in to spread the floor for the iso-heavy pair of Aldridge and Kawhi. Gay obviously focused on improving his three-point shot as well, and was supposed to be the answer to the Warrior's death lineup that never materialized.

Then Kawhi decides to bolt, and suddenly all of these guys are being put into situations that they were never meant to be in. Do you think that PATFO really planned to have Forbes playing the third-most minutes this season?

If you really can't acknowledge how this team's gameplan had to change on a dime once Kawhi left, you are just being obtuse.

dbestpro

04-02-2019, 09:28 PM

The players have quit, have no heart and are ready to break for the off season. They will be the 8th seed, and they will be swept. This team needs a heart transplant.

Mugen

04-02-2019, 10:00 PM

That overachieved thing is such bullshit. If they've overachieved then what does that say about how stupid the FO is? Didn't they make the Kawhi trade to stay competitive?

This roster isn't that much worse than POR, Utah, OKC....they've got a lot more talent than the Clippers....

They lost somebody overrated AF in Dejounte but lost him at pretty much the most ideal time you could hope for....

They have a HOF coach....

So no they haven't overachieved. They'd probably have HCA if they had Doc Rivers coaching them this season sadly. So yeah they definitely tune Pop out (I know for sure LMA and Derozan probably don't give a fuck what the old man says).