Props to Pop / Small Ball

Pop has been slammed for going Small Ball at times but he deserves props for it today. The Spurs who were mired in a 6-8 pt deficit for much of the game made a huge push when they went small.

Denver was caught off guard and we were able to take the lead. Although Denver got the lead back, it seemed as though they never really gathered their composure and looked rattled.

On another note, Denver seems to be a very bad team for Brent to play against. Was it just me or did he seem lost and out of it ? He just came in and threw up bricks. He definitely had an off night. He seems to match up better with Phoenix.

Oh crap. Don't start. You asked for it...


Small ball haters in 3....2....1

I'm for Small Ball when it makes sense. Last night, Pop and the Spurs outplayed and outsmarted the Nuggets.

Pop going small in the fourth was brilliant...it completely shifted the momentum to the Spurs...then he put the well-rested bigs back in at just the right time to seal the deal. A masterful coaching job in what was a very tough game.

brent barry should only be allowed to shine against phx, he is saving it.

Barry did fairly well. His shot wasn't falling, but looked good.

Props to Manu.

How about that 3-4 minute stretch to start the 4th with super small ball? That took balls.

I think Oberto was at center and 4 guards.

I remember super small ball. it did not work at all.

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Originally Posted by DDS4

How about that 3-4 minute stretch to start the 4th with super small ball? That took balls.

I think Oberto was at center and 4 guards.

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That was the game-changing stretch right there.

Pop's coaching is always better in odd-numbered playoff years.

I'll admit that when I saw that line up to start the fourth I was more than a little worried given the way the Nuggets had been working the Spurs over in the paint. Glad it worked out.

Pop also used another odd lineup when Allen Iverson wasn't on the court. He opted to play Ginobili at the point and guard Blake on defense.

Against teams with slower guards I think this lineup could be successful, as it seems Jacque Vaughn is overmatched from time to time.

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Originally Posted by spurs_fan_in_exile

I'll admit that when I saw that line up to start the fourth I was more than a little worried given the way the Nuggets had been working the Spurs over in the paint. Glad it worked out.

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No shit.

I saw the following lineup

Ginobili
Barry
Vaughn
Finley
Oberto

and thought to myself, "What the f**k is Pop smoking?".

We play small ball with defense, and that makes it more effectivo.

The Nuggets were stunnified.

--- George W. Bush

For the 1,476,897,543,213 time...


It's when we close out tight games with it...

As we closed out this game, was it Finley or Barry playing PF? Or did we have Duncan and Horry on the court, as in, we don't have PF's posting up our 2 guards and smearing them on the glass in a 1 or 2 point game?


Figure it out.

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Originally Posted by whottt

For the 1,476,897,543,213 time...


It's when we close out tight games with it...

As we closed out this game, was it Finley or Barry playing PF? Or did we have Duncan and Horry on the court, as in, we don't have PF's posting up our 2 guards and smearing them on the glass in a 1 or 2 point game?


Figure it out.

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Actually last 30 seconds Horry was sitting on his butt with Duncan in with some combination of Manu, Finley, Bowen, Parker and Vaughn. Kind of like the ending of oregulation game 7 of the Mavs - Spurs series last year. :lol

Wrong, with 30 seconds left...Horry was putting the game out of reach, 4 > 1 or 2. I realize you small ball enthusiasts are mentally deficient to begin with...but please try to avoid kicking your own ass for me.


Then he sat down.

Problem is your man Robert Horry hadn't been playing this well all regular season or in last year's playoffs. Therefore, there was no choice but to use FInley....

I think Melo being in foul trouble and on the bench during this stetch had a lot to do with the success the Spurs had with this line up. If Melo is out there this line up gets abused in the post. There really was no shot blocker out there. The Nuggets should have fed Nene. Good call by Popovich for seeing that and not being afraid to put those guys out there. Wish our coach had a little more creativity like this.

I think Pop deserves as much credit for going to small ball as anyone in here, but he deserves an award for not staying with it for very long. He threw a curve ball and followed it up with the fast ball. It was the limited use that made it so effective last night. When he attempts to ride the rest of the game out with it that we falter.

The look on George Karl's face at the beginning of the fourth was absolute priceless. He looked so pissed as he knew, he was outwitted by Pop at that point, again. I love having DVR :spin

I don't blame George Karl though, Denver still has to build up a bench, that to me, is their weakest attribute

No comparison to last years smallballs Dallas games vs last nights Nuggets.
Nazr-Rash-Fabs averaged 5 min per game and didn't play at all in most games. Or for but a few minutes.

Last night Frankie E got in a very productive 18 min and Fabs got 14.

Good selective use of small ball last night for sure, that i agree on.

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Originally Posted by whottt

Wrong, with 30 seconds left...Horry was putting the game out of reach, 4 > 1 or 2. I realize you small ball enthusiasts are mentally deficient to begin with...but please try to avoid kicking your own ass for me.


Then he sat down.

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Horry Substitution replaced by Vaughn 0:30
Bowen Substitution replaced by Finley 0:25
Vaughn Substitution replaced by Barry 0:25
Barry Substitution replaced by Bowen 0:22

Pop made the same small ball, cover the three point line type sub as in the Mav - Spurs game 7. You bitched about Nazr not being in at the end of that game. But thanks for playing anyways.

Small ball lineup brought our team from 4 points down to 1 point up, with the nuggets calling a timeout. During that time the Nuggets had 3 wide open shots on 3 consecutive possessions, and they missed them all. It was a HUGE gamble for pop to put that lineup in, and it paid off, so good job. HOWEVER, he left this lineup in after the timeout, and the nuggets were back up by 5 in like 2 possessions, being sent to the line twice in a row. So I think the intentions were good but Pop was either still trying to rest Timmy (who still didn't even go in after the next time out, only parker did) or he was just gambling a little too much with our stupid smallball lineup.

I hate small ball and I'm not that much of a Pop fan, but this series Pop has been excellent. I've liked almost every decision he's made. The lineup worked very well.

small ball can be good in small doses. they key words are small doses.

small ball as a tool > small ball as a system

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Originally Posted by Mr. Body

Barry did fairly well. His shot wasn't falling, but looked good.

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How did he look good? In that he didn't trip over himself or drool all over his jersey?

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Originally Posted by picnroll

Horry Substitution replaced by Vaughn 0:30
Bowen Substitution replaced by Finley 0:25
Vaughn Substitution replaced by Barry 0:25
Barry Substitution replaced by Bowen 0:22

Pop made the same small ball, cover the three point line type sub as in the Mav - Spurs game 7. You bitched about Nazr not being in at the end of that game. But thanks for playing anyways.

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I'd had a few at that point so my recollection is a little hazy, but wasn't that response into Karl putting in a bunch of guards when he needed a three pointer?

Those look like situational substitutions to me, since Vaughn and Bowen were on for defense and Barry and Finley for offense.

Karl went small by putting JR Smith in for Camby...Pop adjusted to it.


But the most important thing is that it wasn't a trading basket type situation...Pop put in guards for ball handling and FT shooting with a 4 point lead and 30 seconds left on the clock.

Pop coached an excellent game, no doubt about it...but he didn't use small ball in this game the way he did in 22 losses this season or against the Mavs in the playoffs last year, trying to close out a game in half court.


When it's a half court game and the score is 3 points or closer, under 2 minutes, it is absolute suicide to put that small line up on the court, especially with Finley at PF...they get out rebounded, on both ends of the court, posted up, and they get shut down on offense. It happened against the Mavs in just about every loss in the playoffs last year, and it happened in just about every loss this year.

What made it perfect was as soon as the Nuggets started to be able to adjust to smallball, Pop put in the regular lineup. Very good move, IMHO. Of course, it wouldn't have looked as good had the Nuggets hit the three wide open jumpers that smallball gave them.

pop is a great coach. my favorite up there with phil jackson.

bowen is really having trouble with melo though. i havent seen us double someone as much as we double melo since we played against the lakers/shaq.

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Originally Posted by whottt

Karl went small by putting JR Smith in for Camby...Pop adjusted to it.


But the most important thing is that it wasn't a trading basket type situation...Pop put in guards for ball handling and FT shooting with a 4 point lead and 30 seconds left on the clock.

Pop coached an excellent game, no doubt about it...but he didn't use small ball in this game the way he did in 22 losses this season or against the Mavs in the playoffs last year, trying to close out a game in half court.


When it's a half court game and the score is 3 points or closer, under 2 minutes, it is absolute suicide to put that small line up on the court, especially with Finley at PF...they get out rebounded, on both ends of the court, posted up, and they get shut down on offense. It happened against the Mavs in just about every loss in the playoffs last year, and it happened in just about every loss this year.

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Sub for Horry was just after he made the three pointer. It was a defensive sub to guard the three poiint line with AI, Smith and Blake in. Same sub you've bitched about all year with "Stupid Pop,why wasn't Nazr in to guard the basket and for rebounding".

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Originally Posted by picnroll

"Stupid Pop,why wasn't Nazr in to guard the basket and for rebounding".

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The drive from the Detroit bench was too far.

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Originally Posted by DDS4

How about that 3-4 minute stretch to start the 4th with super small ball? That took balls.

I think Oberto was at center and 4 guards.

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Well, the way I remember it (I was watching CBS Spotrsline readout, and I was surprised at the time, so I remember) it was:
Elson
Oberto
Manu
Barry
Vaughn

That's ENERGYBALL, not smallball. Finley came in about 3 minutes into the quarter. Pop used the same lineup to good effect early in the 4th in game 2.

They scrap and play tough team D, and as long as Manu is driving and dishing to Oberto or Barry, it works.

Edit: just checked the game and you were right, Finley was in there not Elson. CBS got it wrong. My bad. And yeah, that takes huge balls, but the principle remains the same - that is a really scrappy unit for us.