Is it time for the ...

[BigJoeD]

FIRE POP THREAD

More like kick RJ in the ass thread. He better start gett'n his game on. This team looks re ed on the court.

[DesignatedT]

i seriously blame everything on small ball. if we just go back to what has won us 4 championships i feel this team could do a lot of damage. bring in camby or haywood please.

[BigJoeD]

We need to start concentrating on playing defense again. Unfortunately this team isnt built for that anymore.

[cd98]

Nice "fire Pop" thread, but who do you replace him with? Who's available that has been more or even equally successful as Pop?

Besides, if you think he's to blame, then don't you think he should go down with the ship he built?

Also, hasn't he earned a right to have a sucky season after helping S.A. win 4 championships (more than most NBA franchises, and way more than any small market team)?

[Johnny RIngo]

Nice "fire Pop" thread, but who do you replace him with? Who's available that has been more or even equally successful as Pop?

Besides, if you think he's to blame, then don't you think he should go down with the ship he built?

Also, hasn't he earned a right to have a sucky season after helping S.A. win 4 championships (more than most NBA franchises, and way more than any small market team)?

I don't care how much he's accomplished. Any coach that plays Mason/Ginobili at the 4 is a ing moron. I've said this before but I'll say it again: The Spurs are good enough to win games in spite of Jefferson. They can't do if their coach is handicapping them every game by playing a re ed small ball lineup though.

[Small Ball]

i seriously blame everything on small ball. if we just go back to what has won us 4 championships i feel this team could do a lot of damage. bring in camby or haywood please.

We finally meet. o guys.

[jason1301]

Ok, I don't want to sound like KBP but my idea replacement of Pop is non other that Europe's Best Zelimir Obradovic.... hehehehe

Now seriously, I don't think Pop should be fired, and to be honest I like his at ude. Take 90% of the coaches out there and put them in Pop's shoes, they ll tell you one thing; WE NEED TO WIN NOW, and they ll start playing Timmy, Tony way too much, they may bring Fin or Bonner back a bit too soon... in other words they 'll..... PANIC!

Pop on the other hand is preaching hard work, because we are playing at 60% if not less right now.

[Warlord23]

The basic premise that Pop used to build a defensive powerhouse between 1999 to 2007 was having all 5 men execute the right defensive rotations, designed to give the opponent no open looks, and to funnel the perimeter player towards the shot-blockers inside. That is fine in theory, and it was proved in practice with 4 les and a decade of le contention.

Times have changed now:
- The NBA has consciously changed rules to promote perimeter-oriented offense.
- The Spurs have lost shot-blocking ability.
- There are teams in the West that are built on skilled big men (a rare commodity in the last decade).

In this new world, Pop's philosophy has been a massive fail. He doesn't have a shot blocker, so premier SGs and SFs can torch the Spurs now. He tries to compensate by putting in smaller players who can rotate better on D and score more on O - but that fails right away when teams get easy offensive rebounds and score in the paint repeatedly. Also, some of the "smalls" in our smallball offense can't take it to the rack (Mason, Fin, and an older, slower Manu) and depend on a fickle 3-point shot.

That's one of the reasons the Lakers have become the perfect counter to the Spurs. They are built around an elite perimeter offensive player in Kobe whom we cannot stop, and skilled bigs in Odom/Gasol/Bynum who hurt us on the boards and dominate the paint. The only way we can beat LA is to stay red hot from the 3 point line all game long, which won't happen 4 times in a 7-game series. It's also the reason we can't stop the Mavs, who have a skilled big with an outside game in Dirk, slashers like Howard and Barea, and rebounders like Dampier.

The NBA has evolved, and Pop doesn't seem to have noticed. He's the proverbial old dog who won't learn any new tricks, so giving him more talent (RJ, Dice, Hill etc) is not going to work because he won't know how to use that talent.

[ezau]

The basic premise that Pop used to build a defensive powerhouse between 1999 to 2007 was having all 5 men execute the right defensive rotations, designed to give the opponent no open looks, and to funnel the perimeter player towards the shot-blockers inside. That is fine in theory, and it was proved in practice with 4 les and a decade of le contention.

Times have changed now:
- The NBA has consciously changed rules to promote perimeter-oriented offense.
- The Spurs have lost shot-blocking ability.
- There are teams in the West that are built on skilled big men (a rare commodity in the last decade).

In this new world, Pop's philosophy has been a massive fail. He doesn't have a shot blocker, so premier SGs and SFs can torch the Spurs now. He tries to compensate by putting in smaller players who can rotate better on D and score more on O - but that fails right away when teams get easy offensive rebounds and score in the paint repeatedly. Also, some of the "smalls" in our smallball offense can't take it to the rack (Mason, Fin, and an older, slower Manu) and depend on a fickle 3-point shot.

That's one of the reasons the Lakers have become the perfect counter to the Spurs. They are built around an elite perimeter offensive player in Kobe whom we cannot stop, and skilled bigs in Odom/Gasol/Bynum who hurt us on the boards and dominate the paint. The only way we can beat LA is to stay red hot from the 3 point line all game long, which won't happen 4 times in a 7-game series. It's also the reason we can't stop the Mavs, who have a skilled big with an outside game in Dirk, slashers like Howard and Barea, and rebounders like Dampier.

The NBA has evolved, and Pop doesn't seem to have noticed. He's the proverbial old dog who won't learn any new tricks, so giving him more talent (RJ, Dice, Hill etc) is not going to work because he won't know how to use that talent.

well said. Pop can't adjust anymore and sadly, he wasn't able to think of something new to counter the changes in the NBA. We're stuck in the past and the main problem that we have right now is our very own coach

[rascal]

The basic premise that Pop used to build a defensive powerhouse between 1999 to 2007 was having all 5 men execute the right defensive rotations, designed to give the opponent no open looks, and to funnel the perimeter player towards the shot-blockers inside. That is fine in theory, and it was proved in practice with 4 les and a decade of le contention.

Times have changed now:
- The NBA has consciously changed rules to promote perimeter-oriented offense.
- The Spurs have lost shot-blocking ability.
- There are teams in the West that are built on skilled big men (a rare commodity in the last decade).

In this new world, Pop's philosophy has been a massive fail. He doesn't have a shot blocker, so premier SGs and SFs can torch the Spurs now. He tries to compensate by putting in smaller players who can rotate better on D and score more on O - but that fails right away when teams get easy offensive rebounds and score in the paint repeatedly. Also, some of the "smalls" in our smallball offense can't take it to the rack (Mason, Fin, and an older, slower Manu) and depend on a fickle 3-point shot.

That's one of the reasons the Lakers have become the perfect counter to the Spurs. They are built around an elite perimeter offensive player in Kobe whom we cannot stop, and skilled bigs in Odom/Gasol/Bynum who hurt us on the boards and dominate the paint. The only way we can beat LA is to stay red hot from the 3 point line all game long, which won't happen 4 times in a 7-game series. It's also the reason we can't stop the Mavs, who have a skilled big with an outside game in Dirk, slashers like Howard and Barea, and rebounders like Dampier.

The NBA has evolved, and Pop doesn't seem to have noticed. He's the proverbial old dog who won't learn any new tricks, so giving him more talent (RJ, Dice, Hill etc) is not going to work because he won't know how to use that talent.

Great post. Pop has to adjust around the talent that he has not try to win with the formula that was successful in the past.

The spurs need to get a quality center who can rebound and clog up the paint on defense (not easy but the season lies in it) and get out and run more when opportunities present themselves. Get Jefferson out in the open court, get Parker to push the ball more often. Parker is one of the quickest pgs in the league. He is not used to pushing the break but he can improve the more he runs it. They need a combination of set plays and easy transistion points off the break.

If they can't because Parker is not healthy and Manu has lost quickness with age/ injury then they won't have much chance at a le this year anyways.

[ChumpDumper]

Sure, fire Pop.

That's what NBA teams do.

[poop]

The basic premise that Pop used to build a defensive powerhouse between 1999 to 2007 was having all 5 men execute the right defensive rotations, designed to give the opponent no open looks, and to funnel the perimeter player towards the shot-blockers inside. That is fine in theory, and it was proved in practice with 4 les and a decade of le contention.

Times have changed now:
- The NBA has consciously changed rules to promote perimeter-oriented offense.
- The Spurs have lost shot-blocking ability.
- There are teams in the West that are built on skilled big men (a rare commodity in the last decade).

In this new world, Pop's philosophy has been a massive fail. He doesn't have a shot blocker, so premier SGs and SFs can torch the Spurs now. He tries to compensate by putting in smaller players who can rotate better on D and score more on O - but that fails right away when teams get easy offensive rebounds and score in the paint repeatedly. Also, some of the "smalls" in our smallball offense can't take it to the rack (Mason, Fin, and an older, slower Manu) and depend on a fickle 3-point shot.

That's one of the reasons the Lakers have become the perfect counter to the Spurs. They are built around an elite perimeter offensive player in Kobe whom we cannot stop, and skilled bigs in Odom/Gasol/Bynum who hurt us on the boards and dominate the paint. The only way we can beat LA is to stay red hot from the 3 point line all game long, which won't happen 4 times in a 7-game series. It's also the reason we can't stop the Mavs, who have a skilled big with an outside game in Dirk, slashers like Howard and Barea, and rebounders like Dampier.

The NBA has evolved, and Pop doesn't seem to have noticed. He's the proverbial old dog who won't learn any new tricks, so giving him more talent (RJ, Dice, Hill etc) is not going to work because he won't know how to use that talent.

i disagree. we havent 'lost' shotblocking ability...in fact we have MORE on our team now than we had on any spurs team since David. its just that 2 of them are permanently benched (coaching decision).

also teams with 'skilled big men' is nothing New, in fact almost every finals team in recent memory, since the jordan bulls, has had skilled big men.

also, the thing that has changed the most isnt the game, (which hasnt really changed much-the same stuff still wins), its POP. previous to '08 the spurs have built their championship foundation on solid defensive bigs, and DEFENSE. then in '08 it was Pop that suddenly changed everything and abandoned every principle that made us great. hes gone to small ball ever since, and seemingly has no interest in playing defensive bigs (or bigs at all really besides duncan).

its finally coming to a consensus around here as to why we've been getting raped last couple years- and that falls squarely on the gametime coaching decisions of Pop, ie benching young, quality players who can bring what we need for no reason at all, playing certain 'favorites' huge minutes while they are huge defensive liabilities (bonner, finley), playing smallball, keeping 2 of our shotblocking bigs permanently benched while teams rape us in the paint night after night.