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That's all.
Novak is getting more playing time now...
We know what Pop's priorities are now...
The playoffs will be live by the 3 or die by the 3...
Forget about having some ounce of post defense.
Shooting 3's are more important especially when your best 3 pt shooters will brick those in the playoffs.
Free that man! Free him damnit!
Agreed. Spurs so average and committed to lazily getting rolled by good teams, they might as well start Splitter. They can only play better with him.
Unless Splitter is going get worked into the rotation from this point on, I don't see the Spurs getting past even the second round. With Pop's idiotic choices of Bonner, Blair and Novak for substantial minutes, they are royally fucked. After Duncan and Dice, Tiago is the next best defensive big.
Defense wins championships, Pop.
Do the right thing and free HIM, Pop.
If not, then damn you to hell, Pop!
Thank you Bruno. Free Tiago Splitter!
Co fucking sign.
Blair/Bonner front-court has to end for fucking defensive sake.
Free him!
Please no Bonner/Blair lineups in the playoffs. Especially against DAL and LA.
they need to get him going otherwise teams will just study tape of the Lakers/Spurs game and shut them down. They need to post more people because the pick-and-roll play is getting shut down by decent-to-good teams.
Free that man!!!!
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_as...-37_medium.jpg
Let my people go!
lol that actually has some merit.Quote:
Originally Posted by GrandeDavid
Instead of starting Antonio, Pop should have had a look at starting Splitter earlier in the season. If he wanted to set a defensive tone then Splitter could have done that and started for 5 minutes like Blair and then you can bring McDyess in, that way you don't have that horrible Blair and Bonner defensive pairing off of the bench.
It would also cover up Tiago's offensive struggles if he started as he wouldn't be asked to score a lot and who knows with Manu and TP feeding him the ball he might of actually been a bigger offensive weapon starting the game. IMO the best pairing for Tiago was to start him with TD and the rest of the starters as Manu and TP are the two that could make the most use of Tiago's offensive skills.
Unbelievable choice from Pop to never play him with Tim.
For the love of God and all that is sacred and holy in this world Free THAT Man!
come by here my Lord come by here!!!! :depressed
Why play defence, we want to play fun-ball - Steve Nash
He must be set free!
http://prosportsblogging.com/psb/upl...oSplitter1.jpg
Too late... not going to happen now. :(
i concur.
Pop's vanity will never permit it.
Good.
Here we go.... :flag: :flag: :flag:
You mean Pop's turdiness.
Out-rebounded by 14. Kept our shooters and drivers bottled up with great defense. The Heat kicked our butts.
The Spurs needed to sacrifice some wins this year to develop their only other true big. Now they'll have to play small ball and hope for some inspired performances every series.
I cannot fathom why he hasn't gotten more time, especially in blowout situations. I don't care if Pop is personally responsible for all four championships, it just doesn't make any sense. If the only way for him to improve is with playing time, and he can't change the outcome of the game in blowouts, why not give him some freaking time?!
Anderson should get a lot more time also, while we're at it.
Next year unfortunately.
Pop already made his mid-season adjustment moving Dice to the starting lineup and moving Novak in front of Tiago on the bench... he'll consider your request next season...
Pop had the majority of the season to develop the guy but he chose not to. That decision is not likely to change.
I agree that Tiago needs more playing time, and immediately. As far as I can tell, he was ready to play with about 20 games left in the regular season and Pop isn't going to play him. I'm sure Pop sees it as too late to integrate someone so new, but I don't agree and I'm sure lots of you don't, especially in light of the Spurs late rebounding and front line defense woes. Inevitably we will hear from Pop that "unfortunately he was injured and we couldn't work him into the rotation," and I agree that Tiago's injuries kept him from having the ideal integration process, but the big three aren't getting any younger, and I don't think it's wise to give up on a player like Tiago, who might fill a hole you have on the roster, with approximately 25% of the season left.
And though he's unfamiliar with the NBA, it's not as if Tiago is a 19 year old novice. He's played in professional leagues, at their highest level of competition. If Gary Neal is prepared for a shot at the big time, so is Tiago. Ok rant over.
Don't need defence if Spurs can just shoot 3's
Yes and that's proven to work as a strategy to succeed in the NBA playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chomag
Don't see why Anderson and Novak are getting playing time over Splitter when our biggest problem is interior defense. If I were Splitter, I'd leave the Spurs when my contract was over. What a waste of one year of his professional career.
Too late now. I guess my hope will be for DAL to beat LA, then for DAL to choke and then for some injury to whichever team reaches the Finals from the East. That's the only way I see the Spurs winning. Contenders are getting healthy and locking down on defense.
That'll be too late. Duncan will be a year older and TP and Manu will be exhausted from NT play over the summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by jjktkk
That 5 game lead over the rest of league should have been sacrificed to integrate Splitter. Having another option instead of Bonner (who'll choke in the playoffs) and Blair who's too short would be nice especially if, God forbid, TD gets in foul trouble in even 1 playoff game.
Splitter should have starting from the get-go, Pop played the entire thing stupidly ass-backwards. Blair has no future as a starter period, as a starting center in the NBA even less.
Positioning Splitter as a serviceable big alongside Duncan gives you all kinds of options. Our current arrangement with Bonner/Blair/Dice and Novak(!) is a fragile house of cards that will collapse under the strong winds of playoff basketball.
So, we get the regular season medal. Big deal, I ain't impressed. Job one should have been getting Duncan some help. End of
yup.....duncan has been here for how many years and not one decent big to stick next to him....and when i mean big i mean 7 footer to go with our "power forward"....shit
No religion can save us now, period...... Spurs are done IMO as far as titles go, the cold hard truth.
I am afraid I agree. We can discuss the rotation and how much Tiago can help, if Duncan does not have one last great playoffs run... it's over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Cagney
Yep, since 08 I waited for another RUN, Manu got hurt and they lost to LA in 5, after that nothing else sides a late surge last year and a Dallas outing has happened! I swore #5 was coming, but now I am not sure at all and think that was their last run in 07, 08 came close but they fell short. I feel Tim is nearly done now, he is not nearly him, and without Tim being near him how the hell can they go far? THEY WILL NOT.Quote:
Originally Posted by mathbzh
It was a great run, 4 titles and many winning years! Spurs even are gonna get 60 plus this year, but as far as titles go that left in 07, our last run IMO when Tim was at his fullest and Bowen here and another C next to him who could play some. Our D has left us, our game now is running and threes and we know that never won a thing.
Like I said starting Splitter or having him play next to Tim along with Tony and Manu is the best place for him. I really thought he was going to start early in the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt Bringdown
Pop still has time to install Splitter. It's late, but, not too late if he goes very soon.
I just pray that he doesn't. That he stubbornly insists to brazen it out with Dice. That move alone was a shocker, forsaking Blair like that.
Free him now!
lol
I don't understand why the Spurs FO wanted this guy so bad for years to only have him stuck on the bench. He's not really young so these years matter, he can't just waste a year cause Pop has this hatred of playing new guys.
Pop excuses for not playing Splitter is BS. It was something in the line "it won't be fair for the team". He didn't want to hurt the team record by spending time developing Splitter.
First, Splitter won't be taking playing time of HOF in their prime. While Splitter won't be at first as good as a Bonner or a Blair, the drop off (if there is one) won't be that big. Splitter could also catch quickly their level. Giving consistent playing time to Tiago could have been a move that would have hurt Spurs only briefly and only a little.
Second, do you really think Duncan, Parker and Ginobili cares a lot about Spurs winning 65 games instead of 60 games? What is important for them is winning the title. Developing Splitter to have him ready for the playoffs should have been the priority even at the cost of HCA.
Third, Pop has already done this kind of "unfair" moves. For example, in 08-09, Bonner was significantly better than Horry during the regular season. Pop hurt Spurs regular season record by playing Horry and putting Bonner in the doghouse.
Pop is turning into D'Antoni: regular season and offense first. The only part of "old" Pop remaining is that he is still great at limiting minutes of the oldest players.
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/593/mosesl.jpg
LET MY TIAGO GO!
Difficult to complain about Pop tbh, results are here. His coaching whatever we think gives two key stuff for the POs: spurs will have HCA and he preserved the big three in terms of minutes. It is great coaching IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
I think Pop had two priorities: HCA and big 3 health no matter what these are solid and consistent priorities. On top of that he helped to develop a good scoring option off the bench with Neal, he also contributed to the RJ improvement, he also preserved well Dice. In counterpart he failed with Tiago, this team is no more an elite D team (part of the responsability is on Pop), we struggle to rebound the damn ball (not sure Tiago would help), sometime we are soft (see Hill George) and I blame Pop for that. All in all its not a bad balance.
After last year disaster Spurs are in the 5th ring race not as favorites but at least with a chance this is already huge.
free splitter!
I've said it once and I'll say it again: Pop will drive this team into the ground from contenders to the middle-of-the-pack or lower in the coming years.
Sorry, Timmy.
Sorry, Tiago.
When Splitter came in and put a body on Gasol he could not do much. Duncan on the other hand is more of a finesse player now and struggles mightily against anyone his size that doesn't trip over their own feet as TD is now prone to do. Sad to see him struggle to match up with Gasol when he used to own that dude in his prime, but such is life.
Shame on Pop for not realizing that two over the hill bigs and Blair is not going to get us a ring. Splitter is really our only shot to shore up our interior. Hope I am wrong but I think I share the sentiment of many who have seen the recent blowout losses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
You are a wise man, Bruno.
Free Tiago and he'll kiss every black baby in America! Free this man!
http://www.nba.com/spurs/photos/101207_christus_670.jpg
I guess it depends on how you value things.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brazil
Personally , I've never value HCA a lot given that NBA playoffs are 7 games series.
Spurs being that average defensively is something I find disastrous. It's not only about Splitter, there are also some troubles on the perimeter. I find it very telling that after trying 7 SFs this year, Pop finally decide to stick with Novak, one of worst defensive player in the league. Pop has also given up on putting back James Anderson in the rotation while he showed good things on both end of the court before his injury.
Integrating Splitter and to a lesser extend Anderson was crucial for Spurs and it is far from sure that Spurs would have a worst record if they had decided to do it.
Release the chains that bind him!
http://48minutesofhell.com/48minutes...1/splitter.jpg
People in here still hoping for this bust to be the answer.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
http://www.zonabasket.es/wp-content/...-barca-acb.jpg
Free Splitter!!
you guys are funny.
when Tiago does play everyone complains about him being soft, not knowing what is going on, and not being able to rebound the ball.
The Spurs then lose a couple games and suddenly he is the savior.
Personally, I think Tiago will eventually help the Spurs, but I think you have seen in his limited minutes this year that he was not NBA ready. Getting hurt didn't help his case much.
The Spurs are a different team this year and I think it's for the best. It is weird to see them running up and down the court and scoring like they have while sacrificing some defense. Pop realizes they are not big enough to match up with the Lakers in the half court, even if everything fell perfectly into place and Tiago met all expectations.
Instead of trying to do that, Pop has decided to try to exploit other match-ups and if have the Spurs try to out run the Lakers to limit their size. I really believe this to be the Spurs best chance to beat that team. Everyone over-reacts and likes to call us the Suns, but the truth is we are nothing like them besides our ability to score this year. If we need to we can still play the half court game. We just aren't going to pound the ball down your throat anymore. We have slacked on Defense too, but I've seen them lock up teams in crunch time when they need to.
I think Pop and the Spurs players both know they have locked up HCA in the West and weather good or bad, they are just riding into the playoffs.
I'm ready for April
In the regular season with loose defense players like Bonner, Neal can knock down the open 3s but in the playoffs when the defense tightens the open 3s are no longer there. Bonner becomes worthless with defensive pressure because he doesn't have the ability to create his own shot. Neal is better at shooting off the dribble but his numbers will also go down with added defense. manu and jefferson have not been shooting the ball well overall. I don't see where all the 3 point shots will come in the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chomag
It's true it really depends on how we value things. In my case, I do think that having HCA will be important for this squad especially knowing how bad Hill is playing on the road.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Now what I appreciate and recognize is not this particular priority but the fact that Pop defined a strategy / a line before the beginning of the season and he is following it.
This strategy (fighting for a good spot and ensure HCA at least for the first rounds + limiting minutes of the old guys) is consistent and makes sense.
Then his obvious priority was to establish a game plan with sharp outside shooting especially from 3 so he renewed Bonner contract, worked with RJ to improve that, selected JA and went to an unknown (for NBA standard) Euro player to go that direction. Once again this is consistent.
Nevertheless I do think he underestimated our front court weaknesses in particular rebounds. His plan was surely to play Blair in the starting 5 to preserve Dice and then give the starting job to Dice for the POs. Unfortunately Blair rebounding effort is too up and down for the second unit and our guards effort on long rebound is pitiful so far.
He is also incapable to fix our perimeter Defense, it is a mess and Hill has a lot of responsabilities here, Pop overestimated the Hill D qualities.
Finally the SF back-up spot is a huge mess, here IMO he failed badly for counting too much (?) on JA who was recovering from tough injury.
All in all we are in better shape than the last seasons I'm not sure it will be enough but at least he is giving a shot to the big 3 if healthy and if Tim can be closer to a prime Duncan rather than a retired Duncan.
Hear, Hear! I demand this man be freed!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by MaNu4Tres
The point here is not that "Splitter is the savior" it's that we are pathetic against teams with quality bigs. Splitter is a big body that can get up and down the court quickly and disrupt guys like Gasol. He can also bang on Bynum who owned TD. Just because Splitter is not the next D ROB does not mean he can't help our team. MyDyess, TD, and Blair all got exposed against the Lakers, and we know the road goes through them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manu_Forever
Wow season is almost over and no splitter. I was pretty sure Pop would work him in for the last part of the season to get him ready for playoffs at least as back up. Or to go against the lakers front line. Still nothing...splitter sits on the bench. I don't know what pop is waiting for tbh. But to put duncan and dyess both aging in the long hard playoff run is crazy. Only hope is the occasional nights duncan will feel like superman and that wont happen often. He will tire rather quick to the big men of LA. Bonner...lol jeeze. Blair has the fire and heart...god bless him. Sometimes I think God made him a few inches to short just so Blair wouldn't rape the NBA. That leaves Tiago...i can understand spurs fans frustration really. I hope for you spurs fans sake pop frees spliiter or this la sa battle will be short lived. The odds are just to stacked. I see the lakers taking this run and sa fighting every step of the way.
I hope in one of the blow outs pop lets splitter play and he gives bynum and gasol a run for their money and pop can finally see and say "hey I think I should have played spliiter"
LOL. Great stuff.
Splitter looked good this past summer. He was the main reason I was concerned about SA as a Laker fan. Another true big next to Duncan is the missing link.
I don't know if he truly sucks or Pop doesn't like him but this season obviously will be a bust for him. Works out great for the Lakers.
I think that already happened. Gasol was like "WTH" when we put Splitter on him he looked near tears.Quote:
Originally Posted by SourCandy
keep saying it and it will eventually come true.Quote:
Originally Posted by 200 miles
Our weakness is rebounding. Splitter has been weak in the upper-body all year, and his best offensive move thus far is a hook shot that starts at his waist. He's still needs time to bulk up for the NBA game. Might as well put in Bonner, who also can't rebound, but at least stretches the floor.
Isn't going to happen. Not this season.
I find quite disturbing how people don't understand this. We're not saying Splitter is the white Shaq ffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Knoxxx
He's a guy that helps us match up better against most contenders.
the Tiago rebounds number per minutes are not so bad he is obviously an upgrade compared to Bonner. You cannot say put Bonner cauz he sucks equally at rebounding the ball but at least he can shoot a 3 !Quote:
Originally Posted by jsandiego
And Greeks are incredibly overrated by you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manu_Forever
Free him for what ? So he can take a charge ? That's about all he's done well all season. He doesn't rebound well, his shot looks awful, he bricks FT's and looks lost on the court.
I was holding out hope that he might be a player for us but Splitter's having a horrible year and can't stay healthy enough to get in a rhythm. And that's giving him the benefit of the doubt. He's weak, gets shoved around and can't seem to get a rebound unless it falls in to his hands when he has played.
Maybe we'll get a surprise like GHill gave us when Pop played him in the playoffs his rookie year. Chances are slim though.
With Tiago or not, at this point, the Spurs are in trouble. They are a very solid team, but for a team with serious title hopes, they have a lot of holes. Many may disagree, and they might be able to overcome the problems, but it is going to take an epic playoff run and they have no margin for error.
Pop being Pop
:pctoss
oh how ive been waiting for this thread !!!!!!!!! FREEE MEEEEEEE!~!!!!!!!!!!
great post :toast i've always thought of bonner as just choking in the playoffs however it is a little of both one thing is for sure bonners shooting form allows him to shoot over anybody in the nba but he doesnt have the balls to take the shot with confidence.Quote:
Originally Posted by rascal
seeing his great percentage this year, bonner is an intelligent individual who will take this into account (his season 3pt avrg. 51%)as hes bricking up balls in the playoffs digging his grave. all teams have to do is get the ball to bonners man and its over 99% of the time. this is not opinion its a fact
The perimeter defense is not the real issue though. It is the interior defense. The rebounding and points in the paint are alarming. Now, while having a good perimeter defense can help that, having a good interior defense can overcome bad perimeter defense (see LA).Quote:
Originally Posted by Brazil
Interior is the real problem and Tiago could have been the real solution, we just don't know. Point is, we should.
Yep, Deep, I for one wouldn't bet one red cent on their chances.Quote:
Originally Posted by DPG21920
tee, hee.
Splitter like to dress up.
:lmaoQuote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Someone should make a sign for the next home game
FREE TIAGO!!!!!
What doesn't? I continue to wait for their luck, unprecedented in the history of North American professional sports, to run out. Yet it never does.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Cleva
It's the typical "first year, wait your turn" nonsense. People will say "what about Hill, Blair, etc.?" , but the difference was the Spurs didn't have rotation caliber players ahead of them.
I think the biggest thing Pop has struggled with has been, who to subtract from the big rotation? This nine man rotation has gotten the team to this point. Blair and Bonner have both played a part, they've both been part of this team beyond this season and I think Pop feels a sense of loyalty to them. But deep down, he's got to know they can't win a championship if those two are paired together. The problem is, if he drops Bonner, then they're playing two non shooting bigs together and if he drops Blair, then they're playing two sub par rebounding bigs together.
What Pop needed was an opening to justify dropping either from the rotation. The Lakers game provided that because it gave way to their first extended stretch of bad play this season. Now, he's got a reason to make a change that goes beyond the vast majority's preconceived notion of what this team needs to be successful in the long run.
Unfortunately, I have zero confidence that he'll make the necessary change.
Pop is terrible when it comes to dealing with bigs he just doesn't know how to coach them other then Timmy and David. I mean how many centers have we ran out of town Rasho, Nazz, etc...
I love Pop but get a fucking clue and play the guy!
Yes. Currently he is pretending to be an NBA player.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cessation
THIS!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by 20beastie45
tiago activist are being called out everywhere to make signs if your going to the upcoming games, or if the crowd started chanting tiago tiago i bet pop would get pissed off cause the crowd is telling him what to do. he should know the fans and players are what make the nba the nba
:flag:
This thread is so full of fail that it's amusing.
Meanwhile, Bruno, Josh McRoberts continues to outpace Tiago in just about every category except for DNPs. :smokin
I know....it's all Pop's fault.
_Jag flat-out owned this thread.
Apparently Pop sees something in Tiago, maybe in practice or during games that leads him to believe that he is not ready this season. A missed assignment here and there on defense spells doom for Tiago. We all think we know more than Pop but oh well, thinks just aren't going to change. I'm with everyone else here, I think Pop should play Tiago these lasts few games. Pop knows what he has in Blair, now give Tiago a real chance to show what he has!
I think it's funny that you think the Spurs play nothing like the Suns. As Spurs fans we should know that all those easy fast-break points are going to be taken away in the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by ernest787
At least in the half-court the Suns had a dominant paint scorer/finisher in Amare and Nash who is probably a better mid-range shooter than anyone on the Spurs (for when teams take away the 3 and pack the paint as LA did). TP and Manu (our primary pick and roll players) don't have anywhere near the jumper that Nash does. Wasn't that the Spurs' blueprint to beat the Suns - guard the 3pt line, make Nash a shooter and let Amare have his? Ironic, isn't it?
And no, I don't think they're riding into the playoffs. Pop usually pulls the starters early in the 4th if the game is out of reach and he didn't. I was behind the visitors' bench last night and they were trying but just couldn't score when the Heat locked down on defense.
IF we keep our distance with Lakers and Mavs, we'll have a week to play before the playoffs where 5 gamesor so will be played, during this time i say our starters will play an avergae of 15-20 minutes, if Pop makes Tiago play with the starters during thos 5 games and not in a lineup of "Quinn-Neal-Anderson-Novak" i will consider that Pop gave him a chance to play and showcase himself.
Most likely, pop won't do that, he will play either Blair or McDyess to prevent Tiago from looking good so he doesn't have the extra work of finding minutes for him.
As of now, that's the best scenario i can find for Tiago. Spurs clinching the first seed early so Tiago can share some time with the starters.
Co-sign. Get me a marker and let's start a chant. What's the worst that can happen if he plays with Timmy?Quote:
Originally Posted by ++SaiNt TiAg0++
I'll be at the game against the Suns, I'll have my sign, but i hope he'll be playing by then. What are the chances?
Not NBA ready? The best center of Europe last year? then what can you say about Neal who was a role player in Europe
Please be serious.
Splitter is ready. Varejao,Scola,Pau Gasol,Marc Gasol,Ibaka,Oberto....etc they didn't have more experience playing pro-basketball than Tiago
:toastQuote:
Originally Posted by spurs50_
This is now a Manu_Forever thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Josepatches_
So he was the best center in Europe?Quote:
Originally Posted by Josepatches_
Now for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by biskvito