Originally Posted by
Horry Hipcheck
The Spurs will certainly play better. My question is, what's Pop going to do? We all know he's a mastermind tactician when he wants to be - so does he want to be? Anyone with an attached brain stem knows Pop didn't get this deep in the season to just stop caring, so how does he adjust to what Doc Rivers threw at him in Game 1? Will he keep benching Mills when Patty is burying threes? Will he insist on leaving Marco and Parker on lose/lose defensive assignments? Will he utilize Hack-a-Jordan more than just one stretch?
The Spurs also have to believe in their system. The Clips looked like a defensive juggernaut in Game 1, and SA backed away from the lane and forcing physicality. LA's entire defensive scheme for the Spurs involves a lot of running around, chasing shooters of the line, etc. The Spurs played right into that strategy in G1. But, when it's being performed well, the Spurs' pick and roll motion offense is LA's kryptonite. The Spurs will shoot better from the field and the FT line. The Clips will probably perform at around where they did in Game 1. If Pop makes the adjustments we all know he's capable of making, the Spurs should even the series.