It's on you Pop,

A guitarist doesn't learn the tunes while playing in a concert, does he? So why should Nazr learn our offense while playing a team that's been hot and won us earlier in the season.

I'm sure Pop is just bringing Nazr along alowly but surely. Horry was playing well, Rasho was too, the Massenburg had a good game. So there were few minutes left for Nazr. I'm also pretty sure that when Pop shortens the rotation, Nazr will get the minutes Mass has gotten in the past.

And finally, STOP blaming Pop for every wrong turn the Spurs make. Sure he's sometimes part of it, but not always like some posters want to believe.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gummi

And finally, STOP blaming Pop for every wrong turn the Spurs make. Sure he's sometimes part of it, but not always like some posters want to believe.

---

Did you actually read the thread? Nobody's blaming Pop for anything he didn't do. I don't know what his problem is, but I have to agree that Pop drives me nuts sometimes with his inexplicable decisions. It has become apparent that every choice Pop makes is not necessarily for a good reason. He fucks up a lot, and he's been damn lucky to have had players like the Admiral, and now Duncan, Parker and Ginobili to bail him out.

Pop is coaching the way european coaches do... D first of all, unselfishness team mind, trying to make a team that can be considered as a whole and not some good players added and then you fill the spot with what's in your roster. He's still building the team (improving it? not so much difference IMO). The problem is that sometimes it looks weird to prepare for the next seasons when you're already a contender....
I would say that a coach is like a player too, i mean let's say is not awesome night in night out... he has his bad days too and can make mistakes. The guy is trying to make his team well preprared for the playoffs and tell me ... what is SA record atm...?

check out the article below, it has an interesting insight on what POP is doing with Nazr.

Buck Harvey: Mohammed's journey: This is no test
Web Posted: 03/03/2005 12:00 AM CST


San Antonio Express-News

Tony Parker went behind his back with a ball-fake midway through the third quarter, then scored. A few minutes later Gregg Popovich tried to be as clever.
Want to see the new Spur? From behind Popovich's back, supported by a 21-point lead, came Nazr Mohammed.

Popovich had basketball reasons to wait more than a half to launch the home debut of the Man Who Replaced Malik Rose. But Popovich had emotional reasons, too. The Spurs want to put Mohammed in positions to succeed, and Wednesday fit into that.

But this is mostly about the Spurs avoiding unnecessary tension for themselves. Mohammed doesn't need much protection. He's already endured the New York market, as well as three years at high-pressure Kentucky, and he's been through much more in recent years.

Murder. Loss. Shock.

Given Mohammed's life, would a few boos really hurt him?

As it was, Mohammed heard none Wednesday. Anyone with any sense understands Mohammed didn't trade himself here, and, besides, anyone who watched him against Toronto had no reason to voice displeasure. Mohammed, in his few minutes, blocked a shot, gave a tough foul and threw in a smooth, turnaround jumper.

It doesn't mean he will impact the season, but he has yet to show he won't. In Cleveland on Monday, when Popovich didn't mind playing Mohammed in front of strangers, Mohammed showed some life.

An example: He managed to shoot four free throws, and Rasho Nesterovic didn't shoot as many in all of February.

These are small steps, but Mohammed understands them. Part of fitting in is recognizing where your teammates are coming from, and that's why his only question to Popovich when he arrived was about Tim Duncan. Mohammed wanted to know how Duncan took losing a friend such as Rose.

As for Mohammed taking the place of a popular player: "I feel more for Malik than for myself. I wasn't the one leaving a place where I had been a long time."

This is the outlook of someone who has seen the other side, and Mohammed did years ago. He grew up in Chicago with 10 brothers and sisters, but with his mother on another continent. Through it all he had his father, Tahiru, originally from Ghana, determined to carve out a living for his family.

"My father used to say he was the jack of all trades," Mohammed said, smiling, "and the master of none."

Tahiru started with a gas station. Opened an African-cuisine restaurant. Drove a cab, then added cabs until he owned a fleet of 11. "My father was a strong man with a strong will," Mohammed said. "I thought he would outlive me."

Tahiru saw Nazr grow into a Kentucky recruit, and grow and grow. Mohammed weighed 315 pounds when he left high school. "Just a big kid," he said, "who did the things all teenagers do. Yeah, I ate a lot of McDonald's."

Rick Pitino told Mohammed to get down to 250 if he wanted to play. When school started that next fall, Mohammed weighed exactly that.

He went on to help win two national championships at Kentucky, the second in San Antonio in 1998, and became a first-round draft pick. With that came first-round money, and Nazr asked Tahiru what he could do for him.

His father said: "Nothing. Help me by helping your brothers and sisters."

Tahiru instead ventured out again on his own. He was preparing to open an auto parts store in July 2000 when a man killed him with a baseball bat.

Nazr went to the trial, and he was there the day when the accused was found guilty. The sentence was 42 years in prison for the murder charge and an additional 10 years for an armed robbery conviction.

Mohammed struggled. He couldn't bring himself to erase his father's number from his cell phone, because it felt as if his father might call one day.

He said he grew that summer, and he leaned on the advice of a rugged immigrant to get through. "My father would always say that when you think things are tough," Mohammed said, "something tougher comes along."

And that brings Mohammed to San Antonio and the supposed anxiety that comes with an emotional trade.

Something tougher?

To Mohammed, playing basketball for the team with the league's best record can't be.

The in-game sustitutions last night were extremely hard to understand. With a giant lead, he puts in a new player and the guys naturally try to get him involved. Half of those turnovers were on plays where they were trying to feed Nzar, plus he was out of position most of the time. Then later, after Horry is obviously having a very good game, he decides to go small, and gets killed inside by Marshall. Earlier he did a shitty job of getting the right guys in there against their zone. If this was all done for a purpose by Pop, fine. Then don't criticize the players after the game. Merely say you mixed things up to try combos and it affected the offensive flow and caused some turnovers.

Dear Pop:

Do to this forum's continuing and fair angst over your game management lately and the fact that even SeguSpur is making sense right now:

You are hearby ordered into the remedial class Substitutions 101.

Course requirements: Think, be innovative but also somewhat consistent. Time is of the essence there are only 25 games before finals.

To get an A:

Demonstrate you have a plan.
Defend your substitution pattern if innovative
Don't hold grudges = all players want to play = that is why they are called players (that being said DNPs are ok, with role players, that is why they are role players.)
Remember Carpe Diem - enjoy the day.

To get a B:

Try this:

Subsitute a Center for a Center
Substitute the same PF for a MVP for a period of time
Substitute the same SF for a SF for a period of time
Substitute the same SG for the SG for a period of time
Substitute the same PG for the PG for a period of time
The only variation should be due to injuries or more than 5 consecutive games of subpar performace. These are pros, they will endure and thrive if you let them.

To Get a C

Just keep doing what you are doing.

To Get a D

Continue playing players out of position even more.

To Get an F:

Screw up the playoffs and seeding with even more irregular and bizare substitution patterns.

Sincerely,

The Professor (my title in real life)

The Spurs are playing like shit. Why TF is it so damn hard, complicated for these guys to play good basketball? Crappy losses, crappy wins, crappy basketball.

up, down, up, down, why??

Manny's right. What's happened the bench, the depth that was so wonderful before Christmas?

Looking at the Last10, only Houston was a solid, convincing, sastisfying win, the Spurs at their best. The only other tough games were Wiz, Heat, and Mem, Spurs lost all 3. VERY enouraging.

Does the rigidity of Pop's sytems, and the threat of Pop's screaming and benching, spook these guys so bad that they forget what they'be been doing the court the last 10 or 15 years? "I've know how to play basketball, but now I have to play the mysterious, incredibly difficult Popball."

I really feel this team is out of control, a psychological basket case. No consistency, no self-confidence, and don't even think about killer instinct or toughness. The Spurs ain't even tough at SBC this week. Lose to a crippled Grizz and can't blowout/payback/embarrass the Raps??

The Raps cut a 21 pt lead to 9. I figured at that point it was only 50-50 that the Spurs would win. A Raps win would have been perfectly normal for these Spurs. Sure the Spurs "hung on" for the W, but why TF are they "hanging on" for a W @SBC against EC lottery crap?

I don't think they are bored, or complacent, or missing Malik. Manu says a (bad) W feels like a 15 point loss? These guys aren't happy, aren't enjoying their jobs. In what started out to be a very special, perhaps historic season, the Spurs fall into a funk that has lasted basically all Jan and Feb (included Malik playing pretty well). And now March isn't looking any better.

To be more specific, I think the defense has looked pretty good, and was certainly a factor in the Raps shooting under 30% for most of the game, same for @Cavs, but then the defense let's the Raps get away for 30!! points in the 4th, EXACTLY when the Spurs needed to turn UP the defense. The Spurs starters had to play effectively the entire 4th quarter @SBC against EC lottery crap. No time for Nazr, no time for the bench to get on the floor and get involved, make a contribution, feel themselves to be part of the action and be responsible for results. 4 starters forced to play 35+ minutes against the Raps?

The offense sucks. No player motion, no moving the ball. Pop's sets look like 19th century set-piece battles. I absolutely hate it when players lackadaisicaly, rigidly trot to their next position, often not even watching the ball, or for any opportunities. Fucking robotic basketball. "We don't play basketball, we run Pop's plays like robots."

Too many times last night, pass the ball to Tim, and the other 4 stand around, Tim holds the ball, the defense tightens up on the 4 other players who are reduced to trying to get open, not for a shot, but so Tim can dump the ball. Possession wasted. Or Tim fouled (aka possession wasted), or Tim takes a horrible shot.

4-D O W N __ F L A T - O U T _ S U C K S __ H I N D __ T I T !!!

==================

While the Spurs fuck off @SBC this week, a much more interesting story starts today:

Thurs: [email protected]

Fri: [email protected]

Sun: [email protected]

Pistons are "hottest" with 9-1 in Last10, but it was a weak mostly EC 10:

L10: 9-1 OVERALL: 36-19

03/01/05 W 103-93 @ Portland
02/27/05 W 94-88 @ Golden State
02/25/05 W 111-90 @ L.A. Lakers
02/22/05 W 97-88 vs New York
02/16/05 W 93-75 @ Philadelphia
02/14/05 W 107-83 vs Milwaukee
02/12/05 W 107-86 vs Washington
02/10/05 W 103-81 vs L.A. Lakers
02/05/05 L 107-85 @ New Jersey
02/02/05 W 99-84 vs Atlanta

Weak, but the Pistons are still playing great, and racking up the W's. Pistons could very easily sweep these 3 games, and sweep their 6-game WC road trip.

Pistons will lose 1-2 games of next 3.

SPURS game last game the first 8 minutes of the 3rd was the best basketball they played in a long time.

"8 minutes of the 3rd was the best basketball they played in a long time."

absolutely. And they, the REAL SPURS, and we, enjoyed the hell out of it. and then.... ???

So, what's the problem with the other 40 minutes? The Spurs are, currently, messed up in the head, or in the heart.

They better un-mess themselves for at least next Wednesday. Sweeping the Suns, espcially twice @PHX, could really mess us the Suns' confidence for the playoffs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spurgal

Pop SUX!

---

Yep... Someone is pissed he traded Malik.. It's time to move on though!! Malik has.

Maybe it is just the time of year when teams are trying to figure out their playoff rotations? Who knows? You don't figure on Seattle getting blasted by 23, GS popping Minn., the Clippers handling the Mavericks, etc... Let's just hope things get back to where they were soon.

Sad, horrible loss
To the Raptors of all teams
Fire Popovich!

*Raises hand*
Oh Professor Carpe Dium means seize the day.

I can't think of fans who bitch more after a win.

What is that you say?
Did we not lose one last night?
I was sure we lost

Pop is a moron!
Isn't that what we discuss
After every loss?

Why all the bitching
If we did not lose the game?
I'm sure that we lost.

:lmao

Dear Experiment...

"It is this "Carpe Diem" spirit to which this page is dedicated. May it live in your heart always." From the Dead Poets Society Web .geocities.com/CollegePark/5552/dps.htm

(the original spelling was carpe dium in some translations but carpe diem is also used!)

the professor!

"carpe dium"

Travelling on a "per dium" expense allowance! :)

Spelun gud iz serious te-dium. :)

The fire POP thread would be 20+pages if we would have lost last night.SPURS have the best record in the NBA but people still bitch after every win.The best thing about the SPURS is even when they play lousy they a find a way to win.If we win by 1 or by 20 a win is win if it's regular season or playoffs.I've always said no NBA team can beat the SPURS 4 out of 7 in the playoffs.

I am SSSSOOOOOO Glad people are really starting to see the riduclous substitution patterns Pop has. A lot of my defense about Barry has been because of the substitution pattern and the players on the floor at certain times...Now believe me, I know this affects EVERYONE and not just Barry, but it makes me sleep well that you all see the same things I do.Thank you thank you thank you.

Everyone here of course knows soooo much more than the coach.


No its not "He were just being objective."

Bullshit, people like this clown BronxCowboy or Sequ,

your idiots who think you KNOW more.


So you go to a damn internet website and become john fucking wooden.


Only the internet could produce such idiocy, as I see after a fuckin win.


You guys are unreal, and fuck you with your "popsucker" and all that other BS horseshit.

T Park,

The only reason Sequ is not the head coach of the Spurs right now is because he's currently working as a consultant explaining to Red Auerbach where he went wrong.

No the reason why is he is attempting to be on the PBA bowling tour, and they dont have an all midget division yet.

You're stupid tpark.