Spurs Starters Upset With Pop's Decision

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...et-the-record/

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NEW YORK — We’re riding in a freight elevator after the game, with equipment piled on carts next to us, and Manu Ginobili acts like a man ready to unpack everything.

If he could have pushed a button and returned to the appropriate Madison Square Garden floor for a rematch, he would have.

Instead, he’d been pulled. With more than three minutes left, with the Spurs trailing by 11 points and Tony Parker at the free-throw line, Ginobili and the other starters went to the bench.

“Of course,” Ginobili said in the freight elevator, “that upset me.”

But he’s been around long enough to know how Gregg Popovich works in these moments, and how he sends messages. Popovich doesn’t mind upsetting his guys, especially after watching them defend as they did.

This time, though, Popovich likely had an additional message.

For those who had trouble remembering what it was like when the Spurs lost a game, Tuesday evening reminded everyone. For one, the losses seem to involve Amare Stoudemire.

The last time Stoudemire saw the Spurs, he was sweeping them in the playoffs. He’s now 5-0 against a franchise that has lost only four other games since May.

Stoudemire was remarkable in this one, too, and one move showed that. Then, in the fourth quarter, he did to Tim Duncan what Duncan has done to others for more than a decade.

Duncan reached out over Stoudemire, and Stoudemire rose, created the contact and drew the foul on Duncan. As Stoudemire went to the line, the New York chant pointed at the one responsible for the Knicks’ rebirth. “MVP, MVP.”

His teammates followed him to the rim with similar accuracy, which is why Popovich began his postgame remarks this way: “The New York Knicks kicked our ass.”

For those who had trouble remembering what it was like when the Spurs lost a game, Popovich’s words should jog a few memories.

But he was playful as he continued talking. Asked what he would do to adjust for the Celtics, Popovich deadpanned, “I’ll think up new plays.”

Someone then asked him about pulling his players, and he shrugged. “We have a game tomorrow, and it’s a long season,” he said. “The chances of winning the game were not good.”

Their chances were not good, all right, since there were no signs the Spurs could slow the Knicks. Ginobili admitted that.

But if Parker had made both free throws, then the Spurs would have trailed by nine with 3:13 remaining. Get a stop, make a three — and do the Knicks tighten?

The back-to-back situation will wear on the Spurs, but would another two minutes have changed that? Popovich would have known after just a couple of possessions whether to continue.

Popovich instead reacted again as maybe no other NBA coach does. He dismissed the slight chance of a comeback to make a larger point.

In doing so, he angered the Spurs. Ginobili popped a towel against the floor as he sat down.

Popovich has done this before, but there was something else going on this time. His teams, after all, have never begun a season like this.

Popovich loves sitting at 29-5 today, but part of him hates it, too. He knows teams are never built by early January. His formula has been the opposite; usually, he’s still experimenting at this point in the season.

So when he saw what he called “our worst defense of the year,” his reaction was what it has often been in the past. He didn’t like what he’d seen, and he didn’t like losing. But he could use this. He could insist the current record is meaningless if they don’t continue to take steps toward the playoffs.

With that, Ginobili and the others sat down. Popovich will now enjoy telling them how to get up.

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This is why Pop is the best coach in the league. Sometimes it takes losing and pulling your stars early to send a message to the team. It's still early in the season, the Spurs are still #1 in the conference and the division. I would have done the same thing in that situation.

i was waiting for an ass whoopin' like this. it could be the motivator we need to take us to the next level.

We'll see how they respond.

As I recall, the Spurs had narrowed the gap to 3 in the 4th quarter, the closest they had been in the game, and then lost momentum or focus and the Knicks promptly went back up to 11 point lead.

The 99 team would have tightened up the defense even more and won this game. But these Spurs had won some games in the last minute this year by sheer luck so perhaps they lost the fire in the eye and Pop saw it.

I feel that this kind of message-setting by Pop was too contrived. There is nothing like a winning moment. What if the Spurs had heeded his message in the final 3 minutes?

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Originally Posted by Spursfanfromafar

I feel that this kind of message-setting by Pop was too contrived. There is nothing like a winning moment. What if the Spurs had heeded his message in the final 3 minutes?

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Then they would have learned to play defense the final three minutes of every game. I think Pop wants to see them more committed to playing defense the entire game.

That's funny. I am upset about Spurs starters defense.

Good good


Let the anger push the Spurs to a darker side

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“Of course,” Ginobili said in the freight elevator, “that upset me.”

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what should have upset you more is your 5/11, -14 and 3 TOs :pctoss


Manu was sucking dick all night. He should take most of the blame for the loss IMO

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Originally Posted by lefty

Good good


Let the anger push the Spurs to a darker side

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yesssss

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Originally Posted by Ice009

That's funny. I am upset about Spurs starters defense.

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This is it. I much rather read how they're upset about the defense. Then again, guys like Manu has been harping on it for a while, but didn't do shit last night to actually act on it.

If this game harkens back to the Magic game on a b2b, it's going to be ugly.

Not upset enough to play Defense apparently.

If this had been any other coach than Pop, the NBA would be scratching their heads. We've seen this before with Pop. It sends a strong message because there was no one on that team that was committed to defending. As such, there was no way the Spurs were going to win that game. I have no problem with Pop's tactic.

I don't understand really why they're mad at Pop? They should just be upset of how pathetic their defense was

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Originally Posted by Trill Clinton

This is why Pop is the best coach in the league. Sometimes it takes losing and pulling your stars early to send a message to the team. It's still early in the season, the Spurs are still #1 in the conference and the division. I would have done the same thing in that situation.

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Dude, your sig is crazy! :lol

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Originally Posted by hater

what should have upset you more is your 5/11, -14 and 3 TOs :pctoss


Manu was sucking dick all night. He should take most of the blame for the loss IMO

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I agree. Manu played waaay out of control last night.

well the spurs did score like 115 on the knicks so the spurs can score but 4th quarter there offense started to look ugly....manu taking ugly shots and neal shooting ugly 3's...If the spurs had take better shots and take care of the ball the game would of be closer ....like sean says you have to move the ball around and find the open guy that didn't happen in the fourth qt.

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Originally Posted by hater

what should have upset you more is your 5/11, -14 and 3 TOs :pctoss


Manu was sucking dick all night. He should take most of the blame for the loss IMO

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I think Manu is going to play better tonight that's just the type of champ he is

The question must be begged...do the Spurs have the personnel to be a better defensive team?

We have a few good defensive players. Really Hill and an aging Duncan and McDyess. Ginobili, Parker, and Blair create turnovers, but their not lockdown defenders. Jefferson and Neal are less than that.

spurs deserve to be upset, if not ashamed of their defensive performance.

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Originally Posted by greyforest

spurs deserve to be upset, if not ashamed of their defensive performance.

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true, coz they just lost to a team which was missing one of their best players in gallo.....

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Originally Posted by KuntryDude

I agree. Manu played waaay out of control last night.

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That's going to happen when the Spurs are getting their ass whipped and playing from behind all game . . . Manu isn't going to pull a miracle out of his ass every time.

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Originally Posted by Ice009

That's funny. I am upset about Spurs starters defense.

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seconded

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Originally Posted by cd98

The question must be begged...do the Spurs have the personnel to be a better defensive team?

We have a few good defensive players. Really Hill and an aging Duncan and McDyess. Ginobili, Parker, and Blair create turnovers, but their not lockdown defenders. Jefferson and Neal are less than that.

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Manu can play lockdown D. See: Lakers game

imploding



but seriously these guys are level headed. this will tell them to play better defense and be more focused for the Celtics game, the true elite team.

The Knicks shot lights out & we played soft d.

If the starters were upset about being pulled, then they should've played some defense.

Don't you think any player would be upset? I would think that is just simply one's competitive nature.

However, IMO, this is much ado about nothing.

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Originally Posted by E-RockWill

If the starters were upset about being pulled, then they should've played some defense.

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I agree. They should be upset at themselves for being so soft on D, not at Pop.
We as fans should be angry at Pop for having the team lose to make a point.

nothing to worry about, the knicks had to play flawless bb to beat the spurs and the spurs well they sucked tonight. no big deal

The spurs played awful defense and the knicks played great on offense. Of course pop is mad.. the spurs are mad.. and fans are mad but it's just a loss. We're all getting spoiled with all of these wins and expecting them to win every game. The spurs will have games like this when they play bad on defense or they struggle on offense. It happens. Move on and play better next game.

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Originally Posted by ClingingMars

Manu can play lockdown D. See: Lakers game

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Kobe went on his early tear against Ginobili's defense. Not sure who was guarding him in the third when it did it again. Not saying Ginobili is a bad defender, but he's no lockdown. He can get an occassional turnover, steal, or block against Kobe, but he won't make Kobe shoot 36% from the field. That's what Bruce did and what Hill did in the last game.

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Originally Posted by MoSpur

I don't understand really why they're mad at Pop? They should just be upset of how pathetic their defense was

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Don't read too much into an article. The Spurs are not mad at Pop. They wanted to keep playing. That's great. It would suck if they asked to be taken out like NY players did a few years ago.

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Originally Posted by cd98

The question must be begged...do the Spurs have the personnel to be a better defensive team?

We have a few good defensive players. Really Hill and an aging Duncan and McDyess. Ginobili, Parker, and Blair create turnovers, but their not lockdown defenders. Jefferson and Neal are less than that.

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Its a valid question but I offer this. A true lockdown defender that does not rely on help is rare if nonexistent. Regardless of the Spurs personnel, their rotations and help defense can be much better than against the Knicks. This is obvious as at times you saw two Spurs defenders running into each other ect. Another part of the problem was the Knicks spacing and sets which probably the Spurs had not seen as much of or prepared for.
The Spurs can improve on defensive principles if not on personnel.I think the next KNick game will show better rotations and help.

And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.

http://www.alicia-logic.com/capsimag...inusRoache.jpg

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Originally Posted by MoSpur

I don't understand really why they're mad at Pop? They should just be upset of how pathetic their defense was

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Pretty sure thats what they are mad about.

"Let the anger consume you, young Skywalker"