He's just tinkering with the lineup. 4 years after he and Fins retire to their cabin in the woods, he won't start Fins anymore. On the court at least.
Bonners red hair will provide the fire starter for the cabin.
It takes time to learn *the system*. Don't ask what that offensive system is. Nor defense, anymore.
*CIA Pop* is just waiting to unleash some secrets in the playoffs. You saw him unleash them on Dallas last year. Lakers the year before.
He's won 4 les, you know. Rolling out the balls to HOFs was a lot of work.
Many more, no doubt.
When you have a deep fkn team and pop loving to go 8-9 player rotations, it really wrecks what we already have a working chemistry, now just need to get those new players involve in the scheme of things....
doesnt help also when duncan is playing like a tortoise,
team with no defensive presence atm
maybe we should trade for jax so this team can hard the up or go pack there bags for early summer
That is proof that Pop is infinitely smarter than anyone here. Yes, even you LJ.
Over a million Posts!?! Dear God!
He's just one mess'n with your head, head messer mo fo ain't he.
Pop is one of the best coaches in the NBA. A certain HOF coach. Of course, he's 1000 times more knowledgeable than us armchair coaches. When you've been as successful as he has, you tend to trust in your decisions and strategies completely. You also tend to be a bit stubborn. Because one is so close to a situation, they may be too close to see what others can from far away.
That said, despite Pops credentials, that doesn't make some of his decisions above reproach or criticism. To me, one of his flaws is that, he tends to exclusively overvalue veteran experience, even ignoring the fact that a player is clearly in decline to a point that his on-court presence becomes counter-productive. Even when there is a younger, vaiable option on the bench, Pop, like most coaches, resists and doesn't trust younger players. That's what is going on with Finley, and has for at least the past 3 seasons.
Aside from Finley, we've seen him overvalue other players like Van Exel, Horry and KT. Players who were stellar in their prime, but players who probably stayed a year too long or players the Spurs may have acquired a year or so too late.
With the roster they rolled out last year, it was obvious the Spurs were overmatched against practically every above-average team they faced. While drastic roster improvements were made over the offseason, Pop still seems reluctant to tinker with lineups that he's grown comfortable with. You cannot match quickness, strength and talent with age and experience. It doesn't hurt to shake things up. So far this season, this much we already know:
Finley as a starter or heavy-minute rotation contributor = FAILED
Bonner expeirment - FAILED
Jefferson as a lockdown defender - FAILED (he can be adequate, but not lockdown)
Pop should start experimenting more with the following:
Bogans and Hairston are clearly the best perimeter defenders on the team. They should play more.
Dice is a better defender, rebounder, and post player than Bonner. He should play more.
Ratliff is a shot-blocker, par excellance. He needs to play more.
Ian, for all his flaws, is an energetic, big that can block shots and could provide some interior presence for short bursts. He's going to make his share of mistakes, but he needs some spot minutes in certain situations, against certain teams. I'd rather live with him guarding a player like Aldridge, than watching Bonner or Finley helplessly get run over.
If Pop truly wants his team to be tougher and one that defends better, he's got to get better, tougher, defenders on the court and on the roster.
Sometimes a situation is desparate enough that a coach must throw out convention and take some chances. Though the season is young, the Spurs and Pop are already at that point this season.
Starting Bonner is a double loss. We all know that the Spurs will have to start Dice and Duncan to have any success in the playoffs. They need to be on the court together to learn how to play together. This will mean some losses as they adjust. Trying to soften the blow by starting Bonner and slowly adding dice only works if we win. So when we lose we lose the game and we lose the opportunity of getting these guys to work together.
My starting line up would be be the big 5 and leave it that way to the end of the year. Tinker with the bench rotations but let your best 5 learn how to play together on the court. It is the only way to playoff success.
CIA Pop just tinkering with lineups he's supposed to tinker with.
Duncan won those not Pops. GTFOH!
Excellent post, someone get this to Pop.
this this this this this this this
nice one marcus
Pop's drunkenness on the sidelines has gone on for far too long.
so when we win les, it's to duncan's credit
when we lose, it's pop's fault?
hmmmm
Blaming Duncan, Tony or Manu for anything will get you e-lynched.
Here's a Popexcuse that has some creativity at least:
I think I may have groked Pop's madness
So, I'm thinking, why did we sign Bogans?
He's not really that athletic, quick or long to make a great impact on the SG position. His defense is average at best. His offense is one dimensional (open 3 point shot).
The reason we signed Bogans was because of his mindset. Never quit, play hard nose defense at all times.
Early in the season, that's what Pop wants to instill on all the players.
The 2nd half of the Blazers game was in the right direction. We just weren't able to score, but that seems to be correctable.
Haislip and Mahinmi unfortunately are finesse players. Despite having the length and athleticism they aren't going to bring in the right at ude into the game. Hairston may, but he's a rookie so he can't lead by example.
So until Pop sees everyone on board with this kind of intensity, he isn't about to let these rookies influence the mix.
That's why it was good he got on Jefferson's case. The guy had been playing too soft. He's been playing too soft since his days in the Nets and Bucks. It'll be good if he's Pop's favorite whipping boy. The guy has the kind of personality that can take this abuse in a positive way.
So what's with the small ball? Well, every player on the court has to work harder and coordinate better because you've got mismatches everywhere. Playing small ball forces the Spurs on the court to just work so much harder. I don't think it's a formula to win games.
We all expect the Spurs to lose a lot of games in the regular season. That's going to happen while the players get back in to shape ( Ginobli didn't have any lift when he took his shots) and while the players get an at ude adjustment (Jefferson strong to the basket is a good sign).
There you have it. Lots of insanity, but I think there's logic in all this madness.
by ceperez
Pretty much. When we win we overcame his offensive dimwittedness.
He did roll out the practice balls too.
remember last year how the apologists made the same excuses about popovich last year? i do. the thing about the apologists/homers, they're irrational and can't see the obvious.
there's no excuse for popovich to continue to start boner. none. big deal he can hit a three once in a blue moon. the team is stacked with three point shooters. i'm not going to go into a anti-boner rant, it's just too easy. the point is, that it's obvious to everyone but popovich that his experiment has been proven to have gone horribly. time to do what he's paid to do and coach.
How many would the Spurs win with Bob Hill?
Anybody remember 2 springs ago in the playoffs versus the Fakers, when Pau and the rest of the Fakers frontline just deliberately kept going at Bonner. All the while, exposing him for the defensive sieve that he really is. Pop, undaunted, continued to give him heavy minutes.
I also seem to remember him getting pushed around alot in the Mavs series in last season's playoffs
I still have that dunk dampier did on him stuck in my mind.
you guys still living in the past 4 ring banners
when you also forgot last 3 seasons popa still hasnt done about small ball while being the victim on small ball bball costing us games in the playoffs....
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