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No. Finish them off tonight so we can rest before we battle OKC
It sounds crazy but my Pop decoder ring is telling me that Pop would be happiest with a loss tonight. To make it happen, I wouldn't be surprised if we see the bench more than usual -- and maybe even some first half DeJuan Blair action. Why wouldn't Pop go all out for the sweep?
1. The joke among the coaching staff is that Pop is never more miserable than during a winning streak. With the Spurs on one of their most impressive winning streaks in franchise history, Pop is probably binge drinking after games to cope. In Pop's mind, a loss will stop the distracting questions about the streak and will allow the team to focus at the task at hand: winning a championship.
2. Since this current iteration of the Spurs hasn't had to deal with bouncing back from a loss, in Pop's mind it's probably better to learn how to do that now than against a team that could legitimately defeat the Spurs in a series (like the Thunder).
3. The soonest the Western Conference Finals can start is next weekend. I Pop's mind, a loss tonight probably isn't that big of a deal since the Spurs will play Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday. If they take care of Game 5, the Spurs would still have plenty of rest before the start of the WCF.
4. Tonight is a back-to-back after a playoff win that took a lot of energy. In Pop's mind, that could be the perfect excuse to play the bench players a lot more minutes than usual.
5. Tonight's game will be played directly after a hockey game. Last night, Game 4 between the Thunder and Lakers took place under the same cir stances. If you watched that game, you would have noticed players slipping on the floor more than usual. So not only would Pop have the back-to-back excuse, he'd have the "I don't want to risk my best players on a slippery floor" excuse.
6. Joey Crawford is reffing the game. If Pop is looking for reasons to not go all out, Crawford's presence could come into play. "Even if it's a close game, is Joey going to go out of his way to call a fair game down the stretch?," Pop's mind may ask itself.
There are two reasons why I think the Spurs may indeed win this game and sweep the Clippers:
1. As much as Pop may agree with the above points, his paranoia about injuries may overshadow any other thoughts in his mind. Pop may think no matter what, it's best to avoid having the Spurs to play 48 more minutes on Tuesday.
2. The Spurs are just too damn good.
No. Finish them off tonight so we can rest before we battle OKC
With the way the Clippers lost yesterday and how defeated they looked afterwards, I think it'd be pretty difficult for Pop to find a way to tank this game.
You have to admit that the Spurs are on another metaphysical plane when it comes to their mental approach to the game. It's almost as if they've achieved basketball nirvana. I may sound like a blindly optimistic homer, but I can't see anything rattling the Spurs' psyche; if they lose, it's because they likely got outplayed--it won't be because they failed to execute their gameplan.
Personally, I'd like to see Pop wrap up the series tonight. Ideally, it would feature a heavy dose of the bench, especially Tiago, but ultimately the win has to come first. If the Clippers jump all over the Spurs in the first quarter like they did in Game 3, does Pop pack it up? It's more likely today than it was yesterday. It'll be interesting to see what he has in store.
This is the biggest reason to me. It's a legitimate built-in excuse, especially if the Spurs get down early.
Then again, if the Clippers completely roll over, he may not need the excuse.
All valid points. However, in regards to #5, the Kings didn't play at all Saturday. In fact, they played Friday night, which should've made the floor as bad for the Spurs Saturday. I'd like to see Pop play the bench a bit more too, but strictly to see who may be deserving of more minutes. Blair's had strong games against the likes of the Clippers and OKC, Mills may be a better option at backup PG at this point, and maybe Anderson's athleticism would help negate the Clippers'/OKC's advantage in that department.
I agree with timvp and was wondering the same thing.
It's better for the Spurs to get a loss out of the way and take pressure off the winning streak before they face OKC, who is really likely to steal Game 1 or Game 2 from them.
IMO, I think Pop plays everyone tonight, but manages minutes. If the Spurs somehow go down by double digits again, Pop will throw in the towel.
I think it depends on how the game goes. Had the Clippers maintained a 20 pt lead through the middle of the 3rd last night I could have seen Pop throw in the towel early.
A playoff win is a playoff win - secure the series win as soon as you can.
I could see Pop managing minutes with the Big 3 to keep them relatively fresh in the 2nd half....still, there's something to be said for coming out strong tonight at the start of the game and putting them away early.
because of Joey Crawfordthat would be so awesome, especially if he admits it in the post game interview
Bull . The Spurs are going 16-0 in the playoffs this year.
Good point. Apparently my NHL takes need some work.
After Russell Westbrook slipped and hurt his hip, every sports commentator was blaming the ice. I guess they forgot to mention the Spurs/Clippers also played under the same cir stances.
Apologies.
no. I didn't pay $280 to go to a game tonight where the Spurs tank.
No tanking in playoffs.
I think Pop would love to give Blair and Mills extended minutes tonight, either way.
I am sure some of the Clipper players have the pride and heart to go out and avoid the sweep, but if they get down early I think they will fold quickly.
I think Pop might use the bench a little bit more but I don't believe it's for the purpose of throwing the game.
Pop would be stupid to play that stupid tanking crap in the playoffs. This is the season that you play to win every game and stop messin around. Any extension of a series could be detrimental to the team, more games means more wear and tear, more confidence in the other team to drag it out by one or two more wins, etc. the who know what could happen.
Stupid, stupid, stupid if he ever thought about doing that.
You never never throw a playoff game.
Let's watch the Spurs make more History.
This could be a bigger deal than a lot of ST'ers even realize. Unless the Spurs go 16-0, they're gonna have to bounce back from a loss at some point. The longer it takes for them to suffer a loss, the worse it might be for them psychologically, given how long it's been since they lost a game. A Game 4 loss tonight followed by a win in Game 5 would be ideal.
Another point is that the Spurs have not faced a lot of 4th-quarter adversity. The closest the Spurs have come to late-game adversity was the 4th quarter of Game 4 vs. Utah, and we all remember how poorly the Spurs played in that situation.
I expect that the WCF will feature a lot of close games, so if nothing else, I hope Game 4 tonight comes down to the wire, especially so the younger fellas can get a taste of playoff pressure in crunch time.
The bench could actually be more than enough to finish off the Clippers.
And 16-0 would look damn nice.
I totally disagree with this premise.
1) It's not that Pop doesn't like being on a win streak. It's that he doesn't give a . Post game interviewer: "Pop, can you talk about how it's been to be on such a long, spectacular win streak?" Pop: "No." ie "I don't give a .
2) The Spurs need lesson in bouncing back from a loss? Really?! This squad has by FAR the most experience of any team in the playoffs. They don't need to be taught squat. Also, whenever Pop is asked questions about how he imparts wisdom, or lessons he teaches his players, he always responds by saying his players are grown men, are professionals, and that it'd be stupid of him to try to teach them anything. I don't think there's a chance in that Pop is even thinking about teaching his players how to bounce back from a loss. Utter crap tbh
3) That's crap. You close out the team when you have a chance.
4) That's crap. It's the playoffs. You go for the win.
5) That's crap. It was only Westbrook that was slipping around. No other player did at all. I think it was just an issue with his shoes.
6) FJC
In summation, throwing the game. The Spurs will win tonight. Book it!
I agree, with a potential injury to anyone of the core, this sounds kinda dumb..
I realize that injuries can happen anytime: during game or getting out of the shower, etc.
I say you send a statement to the league that Spurs are dominating...
Better bring your A game -
your tank game clown
Maybe if the Thunder had lost yesterday, but not when they can close out the Laker tomorrow.
Playoffs are a different beast. There's no moral victories, no good losses. At most I would think that he'd have a number in mind for half time, where if the Spurs were trailing by x or more he'd tell the starters to take a seat, but after the last game?
Also I think the Clippers supporting cast won't show up to play. Hearts were ripped out yesterday. Time to take the liver, kidneys, and anything else that you can sell on the organ black market and head home.
Coaches torture themselves over success, and Gregg Popovich has been lately. He’s been wondering out loud among his staff that, well, wouldn’t it be better to lose a game?
“That’s why,” one of his assistants kidded him, “you are coach of the year.”
Popovich wasn’t laughing. He’s felt the winning streak has become a burden
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...s-dream-night/
Gregg Popovich would never throw a playoff game. Never.
That's just Kobe footwork
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