The Spurs Strategy is to alternate the 1 and the 2 and the 4 and 5.

[urunobili]

The 3 is the defensive stopper and has to shoot 3's.

Anyone with a better definition of what their style is all about... let me know...
:music

[E20]

Play defense and run 4 down.

[lefty]

Any strategy is better than the " Run, shoot, whatever" of D'Antoni....

[Solid D]

The Spurs can play various styles and they do. I'm not sure what you mean by your thread title, alternate the 1 and 2 and 4 and 5. In what way? Defensively? Substitution-wise? What do you mean?

I would suggest you spend some time at Barnes & Noble, library or on-line to learn a little bit more about various offenses and defenses. We can all continue to learn in that regard.

Their defensive strategy is not based on one defensive stopper..and that stopper being a 3. It helps to have a player with enough height and length to defend taller players, yet quick enough to stay in front of slashers and good ball-handlers. It's a blessing to have Bruce Bowen but the defense isn't designed around a player like him.

If you were to come up with one sentence to describe the Spurs defensive scheme, it would probably be a tough, 5-man rotating defense that is designed to never allow a player to get to the middle of the lane, which is the best scoring position on the floor.

The Spurs also frown on allowing a shooter to shoot from the corners. This is also considered a prime position for getting an easy, makeable shot.

[Holt's Cat]

The Spurs' strategy is to limit their opponent to one shot per offensive opportunity, preferably from outside the paint, at a bad angle, and contested. Everything else flows from that.

[ceds]

what does alternate the 1 & 2 , 4 & 5 mean?

I'd say Solid's take is on the money

The D is geared to protect the middle and force players baseline into the shot blockers...


Im pretty sure they run a motion offense and try to keep set plays to a min. 4 down and high screen and rolls are common. They also try to push the ball off turnovers and missed shots..

[ShoogarBear]

I thought their strategy was to alternate in the odd years.

[T Park]

"Thats just how we roll" - Tim Duncan :lmao

I swear I died laughing after he said that in the post game 4 press conference.

[wildbill2u]

The Spurs scheme isn't about alternating positions. It's all about the players and their matchups. We're very lucky to have a squad that can go small, run and gun, half-court because the players are so versatile.

Another important factor for Pop is the minutes he wants each player to have, so the players who have the ability to switch positions may rotate through them and play different roles.

[We born to be bad]

Any strategy is better than the " Run, shoot, whatever" of D'Antoni....

Oh, yes!.Mike, please, we can't stand this system! Any more! :dramaquee

[duncan228]

The Spurs can play various styles and they do. I'm not sure what you mean by your thread title, alternate the 1 and 2 and 4 and 5. In what way? Defensively? Substitution-wise? What do you mean?

I would suggest you spend some time at Barnes & Noble, library or on-line to learn a little bit more about various offenses and defenses. We can all continue to learn in that regard.

Their defensive strategy is not based on one defensive stopper..and that stopper being a 3. It helps to have a player with enough height and length to defend taller players, yet quick enough to stay in front of slashers and good ball-handlers. It's a blessing to have Bruce Bowen but the defense isn't designed around a player like him.

If you were to come up with one sentence to describe the Spurs defensive scheme, it would probably be a tough, 5-man rotating defense that is designed to never allow a player to get to the middle of the lane, which is the best scoring position on the floor.

The Spurs also frown on allowing a shooter to shoot from the corners. This is also considered a prime position for getting an easy, makeable shot.

This is all you need to know.

[Dex]

I know somebody is forgetting to mention funneling drivers toward the baseline and into the help defense, which in itself is a defensive priority.

[MI21]

Just to add for those that perhaps haven't been following the Spurs to long, the defensive system is geared towards funneling perimeter players baseline towards the interior help, which is why having 2 smart bigs on the floor is the main prerequisite for the Spurs defense. If the bigmen aren't rotating well and are misreading the play, the entire defense falls apart because perimeter defender needs to know that the bigmen will be in the right spot for him to do his job correctly.

They also tend to stick with single coverage a lot more than other teams, and it isn't very often when you will see the Spurs defense using hard doubles. The funneling system also lends itself to forcing the opposition into awkward 14-18ft shots whilst moving, or on weird angles. Most NBA teams struggle with this, but there have been a few teams/players over the years who gave the Spurs troubles because of great midrange shooting (Cassell, Robinson, Allen Bucks, The current Mavericks, Stephon Marbury for a number of years etc)

All this sounds simple in theory, but few teams are able to put it all together like the Spurs. There is very few breakdowns of the system, particuly when the core units are out there. Other teams don't have the character of player the Spurs have which allows Pop to really beat the system into the player and make for a successful squad.

(Btw, I think it really is a testament to the Spurs strategies that when someone asks about them, I don't even think about offense and go straight to talking about defense, which really is there staple and the basis of everything they do... Pop is even beating his system into the fans :lol)

[Bruno]

Another key to Spurs defense is to have a great transition defense.

[SpursIndonesia]

Yeah, the Spurs don't really count on 2nd shot opportunity, protecting the transition basket is much more important.

[remingtonbo2001]

what does alternate the 1 & 2 , 4 & 5 mean?

I'd say Solid's take is on the money

The D is geared to protect the middle and force players baseline into the shot blockers...


Im pretty sure they run a motion offense and try to keep set plays to a min. 4 down and high screen and rolls are common. They also try to push the ball off turnovers and missed shots..

He's just tryin' to dumb it down a bit. It's mainly for the trolls.Yeah, Solid's take was...Well...Solid. Com'n...Do you really think T-Long would understand any part of what Solid just stated?

[BeerIsGood!]

There are far too many little things that go into accomplishing what the Spurs try to do on both sides of the ball. Here's an extremely big picture, simplistic view of their strategy: Defense - make the opponent work as hard as possible to get any points. Give up nothing easy. Offense - play efficiently, patient, rotate the basketball to the player with the best opportunity to score with the least resistance. Limit turnovers, especially non-dead ball turnovers.

[Rummpd]

"Just win baby" (some pundits and fans diss the Spurs style but they cannot argue with the team with a historical high winning percentage over an extended time)

[Summers]

Yeah, the Spurs don't really count on 2nd shot opportunity, protecting the transition basket is much more important.

I might disagree with you there. I don't know if it's necessarily emphasized more than transition D but Pop mentions rebounds all the time and how it's a game of percentages and getting boards is important; also, the shooters rarely take a shot where one of the bigs isn't in position to try for the rebound.