How the F do you sit Barry Down with 4 to play, Pop?

[timvp]

Sit Manu, or sit Parker, but sitting Barry was ball game.

So you are going to bandwagon on Manu's nvts for his whole career and then when the going gets tough you are going to bail? Lame.

And bench Parker? The guy who carried the Spurs down the stretch of Game 7 against the Hornets when Duncan and Manu were a combined 0-for-12?

Only way to get Barry into the game was going small. But going small with Ginobili on Odom for the whole fourth quarter would have been suicide. The Spurs couldn't get any rebounds as it was. Putting a banged up shooting guard on the other team's best rebounder isn't exactly the way to solve the rebounding problem.

[SnakeBoy]

Matt Bonner could have used his fresh legs to spell Duncan for 2 minutes, and go all out in those two minutes! Hit as many shots as he can and use his hustle all over the court! But for some reason Bonner has played all of maybe 10 minutes in the last 30 games. I liked his shot and his hustle! Sometimes Pop vexes me.

Yeah, Pop is so stupid he doesn't see the greatness of the Red Rocket.

[polandprzem]

Also known as going small. You want hobbled/fatigued Manu trying to guard Odom? AHF whines about small ball and now he whines when Pop doesn't go to small ball?

Classic.

I understand, but as I watch the last 5 minutes

Odom went with and1 and with a dunk from Gasols assisst, Oberto did nothing.Aha and then in a play with manu on a hand off pass he lost it what lead to Kobes dunk.

On offensive end TP jacked up a stupid shot instead of pass it and Bowen blew an open 3 pointer.

That's the ball game right there.

I've checked the box at that moment and saw barry with +17
He ended with +24 which I haven't seen or do not remember from a guy in a losing team

[timvp]

I understand, but as I watch the last 5 minutes

Odom went with and1 and with a dunk from Gasols assisst, Oberto did nothing.Aha and then in a play with manu on a hand off pass he lost it what lead to Kobes dunk.

On offensive end TP jacked up a stupid shot instead of pass it and Bowen blew an open 3 pointer.

That's the ball game right there.

I've checked the box at that moment and saw barry with +17
He ended with +24 which I haven't seen or do not remember from a guy in a losing team

It's easy to look back on it and see that the decision ended up not working but at the time when rebounding was the one thing killing the Spurs, you don't put a hobbled shooting guard on the other team's best rebounder.

If Pop did that, you'd get the "F Small Ball - Pop Puckers Again" post from AHF.

[polandprzem]

It's easy to look back on it and see that the decision ended up not working but at the time when rebounding was the one thing killing the Spurs, you don't put a hobbled shooting guard on the other team's best rebounder.

If Pop did that, you'd get the "F Small Ball - Pop Puckers Again" post from AHF.

Well yea, but Oberto is not great of a rebounder, whta Odom did in those small ball sequence at the end was to take a blocking foul on Manu (might be an offensive but wasn't) and grab a rebound - Tim was late and Odom was fouled.

Brent lost the ball and hit a three pointer, then it was all about set plays and LA mistakes at the end.


What killed the spurs though was rebs, shooting (again - we have no shooters), and going slow into the game from the get go.

The things I pointed out before the game in your game thought thread.

All said, spurs lost the most important game, game 1
I knew that that 1st game was the series settler

[Spurminator]

Every Spur including Barry had opportunities last night, even before the last shot, to make a basket that put us over the hump and they missed every single one. I don't think it would have mattered who was out there. The Spurs seemed to have some sort of mental block epidemic every time they got within 2 or 3 points.

[MoSpur]

Barry's so fatigued he just stroked a three ball when he came back in.

Good call benching him Pop! You had to do something this series to out-do that idiotic decision to bench Bowen in game 1 with Kobe getting hot.

Just read this thread. I got up to walk away from the T.V when I saw Barry coming back to the bench. Pop made another dumb move in this series.

[MoSpur]

The only thing timvp, is that Orberto had a total of three rebounds last night and in general isn't a good at rebounding, so that scratches that out.

[nkdlunch]

So you are going to bandwagon on Manu's nvts for his whole career and then when the going gets tough you are going to bail? Lame.

this makes no sense at all. How is that bailing?

Manu was a liability there, Bones was making things happen. Easy choice.

Like I said, you don't really know Manu if you expected him to suddenly start contributing.

[MoSpur]

I too wish Manu would have played more like 22 minutes instead of 30+minutes.

[mouse]

It's easy to look back on it and see that the decision ended up not working

Many of us saw it as soon as Pop sat him, we didn't need to look back. And this topic was made when there was still time left on the clock to do something about it.

Just this once Timvp can you just loosen the grip you have on Pop's nut sac and stop tossing his salad?

[mouse]

You can't cry about keeping Barry on the floor without saying who you would have put on the bench. I was pissed that Barry went out .... until I realized there was no one to sit.

A smart coach could have figured out what to do. Where is it written just cuz you sit one player you have to activate another?

When you are the coach you have a plan B for such a situation.

psssssst! this is not the first time Pop has ed up, just admit that he did so we can move on to game 5.

[Spurs Brazil]

Who the did AHF want Pop to sit? You sit Bowen and Kobe scores every time down the floor. You really want to give up on Manu? Take Parker off the floor? Go small and have an injured/tired Ginobili guard Odom?

You can't cry about keeping Barry on the floor without saying who you would have put on the bench. I was pissed that Barry went out .... until I realized there was no one to sit. Best option was to sit Manu but you never sit Manu with your season on the line.

Agree 100%

You couldn't sit Manu in the end of a game no matter how bad he's playing. Same for TP.

Bruce was guarding Kobe, I thought Pop could go small but I understand him not doing so because LA killed us on the boards.

[MoSpur]

Its not so much sitting Manu late in the 4th. I think Manu should have sat more throughout the game. He just didn't have it last night. It was so obvious. Face it you all. Pop was stubborn last night!

[mouse]

Agree 100%

You couldn't sit Manu in the end of a game no matter how bad he's playing. Same for TP.

Where is that rule on paper?

Are you saying Spurs have never won a game with Manu on the bench wearing a suit?

The man love for Manu is beyond Brokback in here I am out...............

[wildchild]

Personally, I'd have sat Oberto, gone small, and taken our chances with the Manu/Odom matchup. At worst he would've just fouled him and Odom is a streaky foul shooter. Maybe he could've drawn an offensive foul or something, who knows?

With all the whistles in the game Pop could've shuttled Oberto and Barry back and forth for offense/defense. Sure, it wouldn't have always worked, but the game didn't have too many sequences where there wasn't a whistle every 2nd or 3rd possession.

In the last 3' of the 4th quarter Pop sit Oberto and put Manu/Odom and that didn't work either.

[Spurs Brazil]

Where is that rule on paper?

Are you saying Spurs have never won a game with Manu on the bench wearing a suit?

The man love for Manu is beyond Brokback in here I am out...............

Yes they do.

But he wasn't wearing a suit. He could play and the bad he was playing I 'd rather see Manu and TP on the court in fron of Barry.

The only option I saw was small ball, but the way we were rebounding the ball I understand Pop not doing it.

[1Parker1]

I do agree, even I saw that play a mile away and equated it to sort of the reverse of Pop's mistake in Game 1 taking out Bowen in the 4th. That was a defensive error, last night was an offensive error.

You're entire season is on the line, you don't subs ute Oberto with his -17 for Brent Barry. Period. The lineup should have been DUncan, Parker, Ginobili, Barry, and Bowen. Since when did Odom become Mr. Clutch? As you stated, you thought Ginobili did a relatively decent job on Kobe in Game 4 with a bum ankle, Odom would have been about 10 times easier for him. I'd rather live with Odom getting his. And it's also when team defense comes in handy.

When Pop made the subs ution, the Spurs missed THREE straight chances on the offense to take the lead. Clanked 3 pointers by Horry, and Ginobili pretty much sealed the loss that the Spurs wouldn't be able to overcome. As soon as Barry came in, his 2nd attempt, he knocked down a 3 pointer.

[timvp]

The only thing timvp, is that Orberto had a total of three rebounds last night and in general isn't a good at rebounding, so that scratches that out.

Oberto has done a good job of boxing out Odom. You put Ginobili on Odom and you never grab another rebound again.

this makes no sense at all. How is that bailing?

Manu was a liability there, Bones was making things happen. Easy choice.

Like I said, you don't really know Manu if you expected him to suddenly start contributing.

It's bailing because you can't be a Manu fan when times are good and whine constantly to get him more shots -- and then in one of the rare times Manu is struggling you want him on the bench in the biggest game of teh season.

And yes, we've all seen Manu "suddenly start contributing". How many times throughout the years has Manu done little in the first three quarters and then explode in the fourth. He's done that time and time again.

[Fabbs]

-- and then in one of the rare times Manu is struggling you want him on the bench in the biggest game of teh season.

"rare times struggling"? Virtual entire Games 1 2 and 4 he has struggled. No one has said bench him the entire game but for goodness sake make an adjustment and play him less and go with who is effective. Ditto getting gassed Tony a rest. Vaugh did great last years playoffs. I thought this was a team.

Pop is Phils for the umpteenth time.

[Spurminator]

If Duncan is 1-20 do you sit him in the final 4 minutes?

[timvp]

I do agree, even I saw that play a mile away and equated it to sort of the reverse of Pop's mistake in Game 1 taking out Bowen in the 4th. That was a defensive error, last night was an offensive error.

You're entire season is on the line, you don't subs ute Oberto with his -17 for Brent Barry. Period. The lineup should have been DUncan, Parker, Ginobili, Barry, and Bowen. Since when did Odom become Mr. Clutch? As you stated, you thought Ginobili did a relatively decent job on Kobe in Game 4 with a bum ankle, Odom would have been about 10 times easier for him. I'd rather live with Odom getting his. And it's also when team defense comes in handy.

When Pop made the subs ution, the Spurs missed THREE straight chances on the offense to take the lead. Clanked 3 pointers by Horry, and Ginobili pretty much sealed the loss that the Spurs wouldn't be able to overcome. As soon as Barry came in, his 2nd attempt, he knocked down a 3 pointer.

The same people who complain about small ball are the ones now complaining the Spurs didn't go small. Spurs fans can't have it both ways. If AHF wants to come in here and admit the Spurs should have gone small, then let him. He won't though because he's Mr. Anti Small Ball.

I can usually live with small ball but on a night when rebounding was the number one thing killing the team, you can't go to super small ball for the whole fourth quarter. That's just lunacy. A banged up Ginobili at power forward? Really?

And yes, Kobe is an easier guard for Manu than Odom is because Odom is taller, longer and gets great position in the triangle offense. On top of that, he's always in position to get the offensive rebound. A 100% healthy Manu might be able to handle Odom but not this Manu.

More than maybe anything else, Manu's fatigue/injury has almost eliminated his ability to pull down rebounds in a crowd. Last year in the playoffs, Manu pulled down countless huge rebounds even when he wasn't scoring. This playoffs, he just doesn't have the lift to do that.

[MoSpur]

Oberto has done a good job of boxing out Odom. You put Ginobili on Odom and you never grab another rebound again.

When? Last night? If so, I didn't see it. Orberto looked like he was playing volleyball last night because he was getting boxed out. I am more for Udoka on Odom than Orberto. Orberto played liked crap yesterday. I love Orberto's basketball smarts and Manu's heart. However, both of them last night stunk up the gym.

More of Barry instead of Manu and more of Udoka instead of Orberto would have been better.

[Awesome_jess]

My thoughts exactly... I really wish that someone would have sat Tony down... has he done anything of any significance in the past two series???

[MoSpur]

My thoughts exactly... I really wish that someone would have sat Tony down... has he done anything of any significance in the past two series???

Umm...welcome to Spurstalk and Tony held his own last night.