Rotation down the stretch ...

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Originally Posted by SequSpur

whatever...spurs are kicking ass...always bitching about something...

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:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lol:lol:lol:lo l:lol:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin
:lmao

IMO, Hill is afraid to shoot. That late game shot (and 1) against the Pacers was him driving to get free throws. Unfortunately for us, the shot went in and Popovich was playing him late against MIN to give him more late game experience. Even his 3pter from the corner (which was money) is now shaky. Confidence seems like everything to him.

Play Neal - he's not afraid to shoot.

IMO the guard combination on the floor at the end of a game is not as important as playing TD and Dice together down the stretch. If Gary Neal has a good game, use him in the end, but with either Manu or Tony on the floor.

Hill is our new defensive stopper. He has the potential to be an elite defender in this league. I'd rather have him in the game in the final minutes than Neal...maybe even Parker.....

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Originally Posted by SequSpur

whatever...spurs are kicking ass...always bitching about something...

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pot calling kettle black.
good troll though

Timvp? Whats up with the quick grades

BTW, is that ur daughter in the display? Shes really cute

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Originally Posted by timvp

So in the fourth quarter, Gary Neal has a hand in 12 straight points. With four and a half minutes remaining, Pop subs out Neal for George Hill. The Spurs don't hit a field goal the rest of the game and only score two points on free throws.

That decision doesn't make much sense to me. Hill was a disaster most of the night on the offensive end. If he wasn't missing a shot, he was hesitating when wide open. Manu looked tired so it wasn't much of a surprise he couldn't generate offense.

The Spurs needed a playmaker on the court. Neal was making plays. If Parker isn't going to play (illness, I assume), the Spurs could have used someone who could have broken down Minny's weak defense. And hell, if Bonner is going to actually rebound, might as well have his offense out there on the court.

It was odd to me that the complete stagnation of the offense almost cost the Spurs the game yet there was no substitution made to try to solve the issue.

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Imo, seems to me that Pop treats the entire regular season as a preseason to the playoffs. Wins/losses appear to be rather irrelevant to him.

Game 7, 4 minutes to go, scored tied up, who is more likely to be in the game, Hill or Neal?

Hill, imo. Therefore he gets the PT now to be ready come playoff time.

Or maybe this makes this whole discussion academic.

I know that with the Spurs scoring more and trying to win in the regular season people are amazed and may have forgotten what Pop coaching is like but its pretty obvious to me what these moves (giving the NY game away) are from the experience of watching Pop over the past decade+.

Yeah, somethings are different this season but its clear that Pop isn't all of a sudden D'Antoni. He's still going to look away from rookies at times he shouldn't ("these play..midseason games aren't for Hi..err Neal"), he's going to try to lose games to send messages, and he's going to stick with defense.

Pop has changed some shit, but he's still Pop.

Pop is not going to try and lose games.

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Originally Posted by MannyIsGod

he's going to try to lose games to send messages

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yeah, i'm not seeing that either.

unless it's game 7 in the playoffs, I do think though he'd prefer to see a 79-78 loss if they simply missed shots, but busted ass and played within the system over winning 135-120.

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Originally Posted by rmt

IMO, Hill is afraid to shoot. That late game shot (and 1) against the Pacers was him driving to get free throws. Unfortunately for us, the shot went in and Popovich was playing him late against MIN to give him more late game experience. Even his 3pter from the corner (which was money) is now shaky. Confidence seems like everything to him.

Play Neal - he's not afraid to shoot.

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Agree bout Neal on all fronts, although i don't think Hill is afraid to shoot, like a lot of players he tends to shy away from it when missing them. RJ had the same problem last season.

Neals's off the ball movement and simply presenting himself as an option from offensive sets has been fantastic. Pity, he mostly getting ignored or is being used as a decoy..

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

Pop is not going to try and lose games.

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Originally Posted by Blake

yeah, i'm not seeing that either.

unless it's game 7 in the playoffs, I do think though he'd prefer to see a 79-78 loss if they simply missed shots, but busted ass and played within the system over winning 135-120.

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The New Yorks Knicks say whats up.

Pop would risk a loss if it makes a point -- as Manny points out, it's happened recently, but it's also happened almost every season.

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Originally Posted by MannyIsGod

The New Yorks Knicks say whats up.

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Imo, Pop didn't try to lose that (or any other) game. The win/loss was irrelevant.

The Spurs had been playing crappy defense all game long, he finally had enough and pulled the starters is the way I read that one. Same thing with Tony the other night against the wolves.

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Originally Posted by FromWayDowntown

Pop would risk a loss if it makes a point -- as Manny points out, it's happened recently, but it's also happened almost every season.

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Risking the loss =/= trying to lose.

the difference is slight, but still a difference.

Players like Neal are rapid scorers. They are like going all in at a hold'em event. You win, cool you doubled up at least and now you can make the bubble and at least get into the money. You don't keep going all in though, because you will eventually lose. Leaving Neal out there as if he was going to go off for 40pts wouldn't be prudent. You got your production from him, you bring your standard back into the game.

If a player like Hill thinks that Pop is going to take his minutes just because he had an off night, he's going to become last year's RJ where he was afraid to risk anything. Hill has been very aggressive this year, and hit or miss, you have to dance with the one that brought you.

I am feeling a udoka sighting anyday now....