Spurs way ahead of Schedule: Pop broke out the "soft" speech

[whottt]

Damn this is exciting... :fro we usually don't get this speech till late December or January, the earliest we've ever gotten it previously was 14 games into the season.....Hot damn, obviously Pop has high expectations of this team :smokin 2 games in and we get the soft speech...I'm telling you this team is going to kick ass this season.

And yes I'm being serious.

[timvp]

How do you know he gave the soft speech?

[whottt]

It was on FoxSSW Post game. It was definitely the soft speech, I know it well, I know it by heart...and he added an new wrinkle to it by calling the teams play arrogant as well.

[timvp]

Nice.

:smokin

[pooh]

little early for the soft speech, but it usually works.

[blackbucket]

Pop knows how well they were playing and I'd agree that based on that, this performance was arrogant.

[whottt]

Yeah he's totally bypassed the kind and gentle..."we added some new guys in the offseason, we're not as good now as we're going to be" phase...for the first time in Pop history.

[Ignite]

Soft Speech? Time to break out the Cialis. Are you ready?

[timvp]

The Spurs did play soft, though. Duncan was getting abused by the likes of Reggie Evans and Jerome James. Danny Fortson ate the frontcourt alive. Bowen was dominated by Ray Allen.

It's a good loss to get out of the way and get back down to business.

[Kori Ellis]

When Danny Fortson has 15/13, you must be playing soft.

[smeagol]

It's a good loss to get out of the way and get back down to business.

Yes, specially because I have some big Vbucks for a 9-1 start of the season.

[timvp]

Tony Massenburg was the only physical player for the Spurs.

T-Mass is like T-Rex with arms.

[ShoogarBear]

Excellent. Good move by Pop. This was a sickening performance, and it starts and ends with Tim. It's one thing to get beat by a team playing over its head. It's another to just roll over for them like the Spurs did.


Yeah he's totally bypassed the kind and gentle..."we added some new guys in the offseason, we're not as good now as we're going to be" phase...for the first time in Pop history.

:rollin :rollin :rollin

[whottt]

The Spurs did play soft, though. Duncan was getting abused by the likes of Reggie Evans and Jerome James. Danny Fortson ate the frontcourt alive. Bowen was dominated by Ray Allen.

It's a good loss to get out of the way and get back down to business.


I agree but it wouldn't surprise me(based on his damn subsitutions tonight) if he deliberately let things get out of hand early, because he already knows pretty much what he has. Looked ot me like he was giving them plenty of rope to hang themselves with...so he could start busting their asses.

He was right, Spurs were soft, and arrogant, they let those effortless wins over the Kings and LA go to their heads and they didn't take Seattle seriously, but usually he is in confidence building mode at this stage and not asschewing mode...the fact that he is already in asschewing mode and has bypassed confidence building mode says tons about the ability of this team and where they are at.

[ShoogarBear]

When Danny Fortson has 15/13, you must be playing soft.

Fortson is a tough mofo, and capable of an occasional game like that when you aren't soft.

But yes, when you are soft, he will absolutely do that to you.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tonight pissed me off on a number of occassions...

Duncan continuously shooting jumpers. You are not a guard Tim, take it to the rack.

Pop, weird subs, and continuously running the O through Duncan when 1) Tim was sucking, 2) Manu and Tony were tearing it up.

Manu getting six fouls, we need you man! (plus he's on one of my fantasy squads, I need you on the floor, not on the bench!)

Weak play by Bowen, ugly on offense and not annoying on D.

Malik back to stupidity mode, including the shove out in front of the whole world in I think it was the third quarter.

Whole front line. They've all been in the league long enough to know how to block out, so it'd be nice if they'd actually think about doing it.

If everyone on this team played with the same energy as Tony Massenberg, it would never lose a game.

[Das Texan]

fucking horrible game.


they got abused constantly.


hopefully this will put the team back in the ass kicking mode.


and pop probably did jsut say fuck it after halftime especially.

[adidas11]

The "soft" speech, after only 3 games??? WTF???

[timvp]

Spurs ain't wasting time this year, mang.

:smokin

[timvp]

"I thought we played like we assumed like we would win the game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It was very disappointing. I thought we played soft. I thought we played with an arrogance."

[Rick Von Braun]

Malik back to stupidity mode, including the shove out in front of the whole world in I think it was the third quarter.Yes, it was in the 3rd quarter. I love Malik hussle and energy, but what the hell was he thinking!

Right after that play, he looked at Pop with his arms open, almost like a kid saying "I didn't do it", and Pop looked at him disgusted. He immediately point to Horry to get in.


Whole front line. They've all been in the league long enough to know how to block out, so it'd be nice if they'd actually think about doing it.

If everyone on this team played with the same energy as Tony Massenberg, it would never lose a game.I think our backcourt starters and bench is fine. My only concern is that our frontcourt is a little soft. Today was a clear example why we are soft. Basically, if Tim is having an off day, no one is able to step up. I don't mean with scoring, but at least rebounding, boxing out, and blocking. The Seattle frountcourt toyed with us in the paint. It was freaking ridiculous http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smipctoss.gif

We really need the Third in this team. For example, today we didn't have anyone to match up with Rashard Lewis. Manu and Brent were trying to be as physical as possible, but Rashard was just shooting on top of them. We don't have anyone to match up against long SFs, and this mismatch issue will continue.

[baseline bum]

Awesome avatar blackbucket.

[TwoHandJam]

"I thought we played like we assumed like we would win the game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It was very disappointing. I thought we played soft. I thought we played with an arrogance." Arrogance is probably exactly the right word. After two easy wins, we just assumed that teams would start to roll over for us and it showed. Pop should break out the tape of this loss whenever the team starts to get cocky. No NBA team is going to give you any easy wins, especially a team that you swept last year while making their best player look like a bitch.

[T Park]

You beat a team 7 times in a row, there more than likely gonna finally beat you, the law of averages comes into play.

THe Spurs will more than likely loose the winning streak against the Jazz this season also.

[Athenea]

I agree but it wouldn't surprise me(based on his damn subsitutions tonight) if he deliberately let things get out of hand early, because he already knows pretty much what he has. Looked ot me like he was giving them plenty of rope to hang themselves with...so he could start busting their asses.

He was right, Spurs were soft, and arrogant, they let those effortless wins over the Kings and LA go to their heads and they didn't take Seattle seriously, but usually he is in confidence building mode at this stage and not asschewing mode...the fact that he is already in asschewing mode and has bypassed confidence building mode says tons about the ability of this team and where they are at.
I completely agree. Arrogance and over pride cost Spurs the game. It's good they understand early in the season that as much talent as they have, they need to work his azzes off to succeed.
I usually disagree w/Pop...but if he intentionally let go this game ... :elephant

[Dex]

The Spurs have always learned the most from their losses. They're still going to take a few lumps during the season, it's all part of the building process. The Spurs DID play arrogantly and without passion, like they were the effing Lakers or something. If these guys try to act like they're the 'Fab 4 all-over-again' and can win this thing on talent alone, they won't be playing come June. Better to be dealt the losses now, rather than in the postseason.

[Ghost Writer]

Pop is right.

The Spurs played like the Sonics owed them the game or something.

[ChumpDumper]

The whole team needs to take a mini seminar from Massenburg on how not to be soft bitches.

Fortson was mauling everyone like the thug he is but folded like a pussy when Mass backed him down. The need to loop that video for about 10 minutes.

[Ghost Writer]

Bingo, Chump.

It's tough for me to really embrace our Spurs when most of the team has no b@lls.

Rasho is our starting center.

And we've been known as having cerebral/soft players.

Absurd.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

i wonder what the soft speech sounds like....

[whottt]

i wonder what the soft speech sounds like....


It's not like a big long speech, he just calls the team out as being soft in the media...and he's been doing it about once a year, early(but not this early) in the season, ever since Mario Elie first did it back in 98-99....Players hate being called soft and it usually gets them to start playing tougher D...

[Ghost Writer]

Chump is softer than T Park's underbelly.

He wants to lock up Bowen for five more years and regrets letting Hedo go.

Jackson brought intensity and skills to the table.

But the Spurs shy away from those, um, types.

[ChumpDumper]

Is this all you got?

I have moved on and have been speaking about what to do now.

You championed ERob for chrissakes.

[Ghost Writer]

Oh, please.

Yeah. I want Eddie Robinson.

We need to get him before the Knicks do.

Get a life.

Go back to svcking Hedo's schnozzola.

Deep inside, you know the Spurs lack ball(a)s.

[ChumpDumper]

Than what do you want now?

Spit it out.

[Ghost Writer]

Now?

Now we're stuck.

In all honesty, I am happy with the Barry signing, as people like you were down on me for suggesting atrade to get him before last year's trading deadline.

I still think we need to look long an hard at Bowen vs. Brown at the starting 3 spot.

And while I am thrilled with Manu's aggressiveness so far, Parker continues to disappoint me. I don't know why everyone here thinks Parker is so great. There's about a dozen better PGs out there now.

[ChumpDumper]

So, nothing then?

Typical.

See you after the next loss.

[Ghost Writer]

Re-read, d1ck.

Look at giving more of Brown's minutes to Bowen.

Pursue a trade for an athletic, young, black swingman with attitude looking for a fresh start on a contender. Who am I kidding with that one? :lol

[ChumpDumper]

Look at giving more of Brown's minutes to Bowen.We just did.

[Marcus Bryant]

Pursue a trade for an athletic, young, black swingman with attitude looking for a fresh start on a contender.

I hope you realize the Spurs passed on a "athletic, young, black swingman with attitude" this summer for your boy Barry.