Originally Posted by
HarlemHeat37
Spurs fans blame Pop regularly, every fanbase blames their coach, but will he always get a pass from the media, tbh?..
Popovich is always the last to receive blame from the media and non-Spurs fans, tbh..he's probably the best coach in the NBA, but his aura and hype has rendered him completely blameless, tbh..
Through 2 games, he has coached a horrendous series..
- His strategy to double team and overreact to Harrison Barnes, Bogut and collapse on drives from every Warriors player(other than Curry, which is justified) has led to an abundance of wide open 3s from Warriors players, particularly Klay Thompson..
I have no clue why Pop is scared of a scrub like Harrison Barnes going for 30 or 40, as if it's a better idea than giving Klay Thompson open looks from range..
- Played Bonner 16 minutes, while Diaw and Splitter combined for 18 minutes in game 2.. I agree with Bonner being overplayed but at the same time Splitter is coming off a bad sprain, he clearly looked slowed by it. Diaw may or may not be injured or at the least slightly fatigued. He hadn't played in 26 days and then played 16 minutes (straight minutes of game time) of physical playoff basketball. Thats a theory. But he or Splitter should at the very least start.
If you're going small, Bonner isn't the answer..he's too slow and weak, tbh.. Bonner is more aggressive shooting from outside Diaw isn't. I'd love to see her P.E.R in the final 6 minutes of games when the Spurs are up or down 6 or fewer points. I'd be he has a P.E.R of like 17. He only seems to get aggressive when the game is in doubt.
Diaw was a huge reason the Spurs won in game 1, yet he barely saw the floor in game 2..
- The over-reliance on Gary Neal..
Starting Neal in the 2nd half was puzzling, and in 2 games, Neal has played 47 minutes..
Not entirely sure who else you can go with. Green has already played 77% of this series. Manu has logged 60% of this series Neal is logging just 44% of total minutes played in this series. He has experience and in theory can get hot against a run and gun team. Granted the last time he really got hot you'd have to go back to the @ Houston game in January. Manu kind of hits a brick wall after playing big minutes. He's 10-32 in these two games. Worse yet he's 3-15 from 3. Neal has to play. He has to play better and he need to do so in the time allotted. His minutes aren't bad but his production has been sketchy. I get the reason for starting him, I dont really agree with it but
I understand the options are limited, but it's evident early on which version of Neal is going to show up..Pop should adjust accordingly, and maybe it's a desperate move, but when Neal is struggling, he should give McGrady, Joseph, De Colo or Mills a few minutes IMO, it wouldn't be any worse. There is always a risk of introducing players into a rotation in a tightly contested series especially on the road, in easily the loudest place in the league. McGrady would be a good idea in a 4-5 minutes stretch. Mills I'm not so sure of. De Colo could be an interesting move he is the tallest wing after Manu, Kahwi & McGrady and has shown good D and improvement shooting the ball.
- Mark Jackson is dictating all the matchups in this series..
When you have the advantage that usually happens. Curry has been the best player in these playoffs by a pretty wide margin. The Spurs have to adjust by sending four players at different times to check him (Parker, Green, Leonard, Joseph)
Going at Parker with Harrison Barnes? Pop responds by doubling every play and opening up the Warriors offense for open jump shots..
Barnes is a physical 6'6, Parker is 6'2. Barnes probably hasn't been exposed to double team in the post but so much. The spurs are right to send doubles instead of letting Parker getting into foul trouble or hemorrhaging points to a SF posting up a PG. Obviously they hit shots but they have missed their fair share of open looks as well.
Going small? Pop matches with Bonner..the king of regularized +/- has been in the negatives for both games, so far..
The only set plays the Spurs are running are for 3s, which doesn't help when they can't make any..
When Leonard is posting up and the Warriors front, the Spurs don't have a counter attack, it doesn't seem like they prepared for it(would have helped to build some team chemistry with Kawhi scoring, instead of the team looking confused when he has the ball)..
Leonard looks confused posting up. He seems conscious of doubles and either rushes his attack or simply passes out. He needs a Bynum clear out and back his man down for 5-7 seconds type of mentality. Curry is 7 inches shorter that is all I really need to say.
He's going to get a pass because the Warriors are hot, but his strategy was the primary reason the Spurs were in a hole in the 1st half(Thompson open 3 after open 3)..
I hope he adjusts, because he's getting outcoached by a very average coach in Mark Jackson, tbh..everybody that analyzed this series predicted coaching would be a massive advantage for the Spurs, but this clearly hasn't been the case, tbh..
