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Amazing logic, but I agree.
Pop's definitely right. Bruce Bowen of any form would only make this team slightly better defensively - the problems lies with everyone and not just at one position.
Pop is not taking anything away from Bruce and he's not saying he wasn't important to their success - just that he was too old last year and that the current struggles aren't due to a lack of a single player. Pop's mainly using this opportunity to motivate his current squad than to insult Bowen.
The Spurs defensive system has been all about helping eachother and funneling opposing players to Duncan; something that really hasn't happened on a consistent basis.
Amazing logic, but I agree.
Pop is right every once in a while.
There is a lot of truth in this statement. Other than Tim, both McDyess and Blair lack the height to bother guys like Kaman who when Blair was on him began scoring at will, both of the Lakers big men. McDyess has been a good defender against bigger guys in the past but this season he hasn't really shown that, although last night he did a good job on Kamen, and I believe that Blair once he is allowed to use his body without getting called will also be able to counter bigger opponents, but right now he lacks experience. I also don't think that Pop has a negative thing for Bruce, the fallout with Avery was much much bigger and Pop still welcomed him with open arms when his number was retired. I certainly would love to see Bruce's number up there as a symbol for the great defenders for this league that get no due for their valuable play.
Yea it'd be awesome if all this team needed was a great roleplayer like Bowen for the entire team to get to defensive speed.
Unfortunately for us thats just not the case. Duncan's not the force he used to be and doesn't have the bigs to make up for it and just about everyone else has been less intense and energetic defensively than all other squads in the history of the Duncan era.
Amen to that. When you run a 6'8'' guy against a 7 footer, you will give up easy shots and thus a higher fg percentage. You cannot train small forwards and guards to defend centers consistently. NBA players are too smart.
It would be a huge mistake to not retire Bruce in my opinion. That is the kind of thing that the fan base should not tolerate.
This is also Holt's team and Holt should step in and do something about it.
The Spurs hubris and subsequent struggles have come from a belief that you could just plug anybody into the system around Tim, Manu, and Tony and that it would work.
The problem isn't not having Bruce out there. It's that when someone gets around his replacement(s), there's one of Bonner, Finley, or Jefferson down there on the low block playing 'help' defense at the rim.
And that's on you Pop.
...that along with the outdated belief that "championships are won only with time-tested veterans". How's that working out for Boston? How's that working out for the Mavs? Two of the oldest teams in the NBA.
Fakers won the le last year with one of the younger rosters in the NBA. The Magic reached the NBA Finals with one of the younger rosters in the NBA.
Yup. Agreed. Pop with his own foot in his mouth.Pop with some lame quotes about Bowen
I think we've now figured out who the butthurt person in the Spurs organization is who is against retiring Bowen's jersey.
You bet it is.
It could easily take 2 or 3 adequate defenders to do the job of Bruce. While elite defenders are hard to find, good defenders can be grown.
If Pop truly wished to hedge himself against such a dramatic dropoff in team defense, he should've ensured there were better defenders on this roster. Instead he chose spot-up shooters, who are terrible defenders.
Not necessarily. Bowen was out there and put the locks on the " chosen one" in the 2007 Finals with Oberto defending the paint. That said not having anyone close to the ability of Bowen does hurt this years' team to some extent.
Pop is doing crazy things this year. First with pathetic lineups and then with those lame quotes about Bruce
Put Bruce starting in place of soft Jefferson and we'd have 3-5 more wins.
RETIRE #12 Pop
This team didn't have a Big 3. It had a Big 4.
Tim was the do-it-all superstar big. Tony was the lightning quick, penetrating points-in-the-paint guard. Manu was the energetic, crafty, x-factor with all the intangibles and clutchness. Bruce was the guy who, along with Tim, was indispensable to the defense. He took out the opposing team's best perimeter scorer, while stretching the other team's defense with his outside shooting.
That's all in the past. Tim is still incredible, but he limps more and gets tired on defense. Manu has basically been injured for two years, but he's still crafty and makes big plays. Bruce can still play limited minutes, IMO, but he's not the same guy who gave Kobe and Ray Allen and Dirk and Vince Carter fits every time they saw him. The only one who could be what he used to be---better, in fact---is Tony. His injuries have slowed him a little, but when healthy he's in championship form.
This team is just different, and Pop is trying to put the best product out there. We need help from RJ and McDyess on both ends to cover the deficiencies of Manu and Tim and the lack of Bruce. We need promising youngsters like Blair and Hill to step up to keep Tim and Tony and Manu rested. This isn't a team built on 4 amazing and durable stars who carry the load with an assortment of role players whose role is pretty much the same night in, night out.
I don't believe this.
Pop unexpectedly abandoned Bowen last year from the rotation. It seemed obvious that it was something personal. Bowen showed in the playoffs that he could still play, so the "lost two steps" argument didn't seem valid considering he played better than most of our other players.
Disappointing to see Pop take this approach. At one point he was ready to get rid of David. Then he throws Bowen under the bus. Lame. I wonder how he deals with Manu when the time comes to it.
Yeah, I am sure Pop would take Bogans inferior defense and consistent miscues over a tad bit slower Bowen. Add in the drop in 3pt shooting and it doesn't make sense. Bowen must had spoke some truth that hurt Pop's ego last season.
Bowen could still teach heads a thing or two bout D.
Imagine defense with Ratliff/Dice, Duncan, Bowen, Hill, Gino.
how does bowen go from defensive team one year to not good enough to play over finley and ime the next year.
Pop is doing the right thing. Motivating our team to play better instead of thinking of what could have happened if Bruce was here. Past is past.
So let's see, Bruce deserves his jersey retired the same season he retires. What are some of you smoking. The only players that deserve that kind of honor from this franchise are Ice, Admiral and Tim.
Our team was mentally re ed last year on offense. That is the main reason finley got "significantly" more pt than bowen. especially with manu being in and out.. our offense consisted of RMJ running the point and pulling up for 3. Bowen sitting in the corner would have been absolutely terrible last year. especially with manu out. only mistake pop made last year wasnt old man bowen but it was his playing time with Hill and pop owned up to that after the season.
As for this year you can say whatever you want, but Bowen didnt deserve 35MPG last year and people here would be starting 10+ threads a night about how we need to get rid of bowen if he was still playing those kind of minutes for us.
Defense is a team game concept. The spurs philosphy started in the perimeter. A Pg would try to run a top of the key pick in roll against the spurs. The old spurs would force him left or right at which time he would be picked up by the next perimeter defender and they would keep forcing the opposing Pg to whichever direction the baseline was. Then he would meet a 7footer at the paint(not at the rim like today) or he would have to drive under the basket (with no shot possiblity) and would end up at the top where he started. Basically the Spurs built a wall around the paint and it was always guarded by one or 2 big men. If there was a big man out on the perimeter then the other big would protect the paint and when he did block or alter a shot the Perimeter players would come in and secure the rebound since both big men were occupied defensively. Now the if you run a simple Pick n roll against the spurs you can pretty much get anything you want. If the spurs did return to defensive eliteness it would require Pop to play 2 big men (Duncan/Mcdyess or Duncan/Ratliff) Blair still needs a little work and and then Bonner........well ya know. Also It would require weakside Rebounding help from the Wing-men. I put that on RJ, especially since he is younger and athletic. Besides theres no need to try and run out for a dunk cause Parker really cant see him in transition.
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