Pop just might be the happiest guy in the USA right now

[TJastal]

Spurs goal should be to reach the playoffs, it don't matter what seed be it 1 through 8, if it's the Lakers in the 1st round, so be it. The playoffs are always about win or go home, it's that simple no matter who you play, what, when, where. Try and finish the season strong and get ready to face the Lakers in the 1st round and come out with killer instinct and try and beat them, again it's the playoffs and it's win or go home.

This kind of reasoning conveniently takes Popovich off the hook when the spurs get kicked in the 1st round.

Pop: "Well team, we made the playoffs as an 8th seed, it was a great accomplishment, of course we got our asses handed to us but we were only an 8th seed, so nobody expected better"

Popologists: Pop is the greatest!! He got the spurs to the playoffs its a shame they had to face the #1 seed .. wasn't his fault they lost.. all hail Greg Popovich!!"

[Killakobe81]

Look at Pop's quotes from the post game. I don't know how familiar you are with Pop, but I have followed the team long enough to know when he got what he wanted out of a game.

And the race is not that tight....whoever wants a le is going to have to go through LA to get it. What's wrong with getting them in the first round?

So yes, I do think Pop would do it, because that game yesterday was a laugher that left the team feeling supremely confident and relaxed, and Pop doesn't want them relaxed right now. He wants them to keep focusing on improving and losing to a team in contention for the worst record in history will do that.

Pop does stupid crap and a lot of stuff gets attributed to him as being CIA or whatever, and that is just Pop making a stupid move. This is however was not one of those...Pop usually lets them hangthemselves a couple of times to get their attention, and he hasn't had the chance yet because the team hasn't ever gelled.

I know when Pop is pissed or disappointed...he doesn't hide it well. He wasn't disappointed in the slightest with this loss IMO. He would have taken a win, but he wanted it to be a close game, even if it meant losing.

Great post whott many of teh same stuff applies to teh Lakers and phil ...

I have become very concerend about Phil and this lakers team ...but I promised myself I would not question him or Mitch if we won it all last year. So as a man of my word Phil gets a pass ...but if and when we lose in the playoffs this year Im on his ass again....

The comedy of this forum is the Spur believers vs. the Spur "realists" if and when the Spurs lose in the playoffs the threads will be epic.

Lakersground will implode as well ...

[Jekka]

Whottt makes probably the only post last night that made any sense. Pop LOVES to take his team down a peg. The Spurs have a history of huge let down games that Pop has his hands in throughout previous seasons.

In the end a loss to the nets means nothing more than a loss to the Lakers except for the egos of fans.

-Manny

[TJastal]

I could see trying this strategy early in the season if.., say, your team had signed a bonehead who was spouting off about beating the bulls' regular season record. And even then I think killing your teams' momentum and confidence is supremely stupid.

But doing it in the last month of the season with playoff implications at stake when you still have a very good chance to improve seeding is just insanity at its highest order.

Funniest thing though is watching all the Popalogists scrambling to concoct theories of justification.

[spurs10]

Yeah, as I mentioned during yesterday's meltdown, it's the momentum and confidence that concern me the most. We'll land wherever we do in the standings. Our mental state will be of colossal importance. I think the vibe after Boston was about right. Need to bounce back like against the Rockets and Magic!

[EricB]

The only ones that don't understand what whottt is saying are peoplethat have been fans for a couple years. What he says is 100% right. Disagree with the strategy or not but it's one he's used for about, oooo 7 years now. TJastal comes off as the type that for some reason thinks he knows more than everyone else. More power to him.

[Slippy]

Two things that had me wondering what Pop's frame of mind for this game was? Hairston starting the third and Tim out at 9min for the whole of the third.

Priority for POp now is not so much seeding but the health of the big three.

[FeZZy]

wow thread fail

[EricB]

Actually thread succesfull. Lol @ ripping pop for pstarting hairston lol he can't win....

[DubMcDub]

Look at Pop's quotes from the post game. I don't know how familiar you are with Pop, but I have followed the team long enough to know when he got what he wanted out of a game.

And the race is not that tight....whoever wants a le is going to have to go through LA to get it. What's wrong with getting them in the first round?

So yes, I do think Pop would do it, because that game yesterday was a laugher that left the team feeling supremely confident and relaxed, and Pop doesn't want them relaxed right now. He wants them to keep focusing on improving and losing to a team in contention for the worst record in history will do that.

Pop does stupid crap and a lot of stuff gets attributed to him as being CIA or whatever, and that is just Pop making a stupid move. This is however was not one of those...Pop usually lets them hangthemselves a couple of times to get their attention, and he hasn't had the chance yet because the team hasn't ever gelled.

I know when Pop is pissed or disappointed...he doesn't hide it well. He wasn't disappointed in the slightest with this loss IMO. He would have taken a win, but he wanted it to be a close game, even if it meant losing.

You are a complete fool if you think any person associated with an NBA team would do anything purposefully to lose a game when they are in the thick of the playoff race.

These guys are human. They each have this thing called an ego. You may have heard of it. Ultra-compe ive guys like NBA players and coaches don't purposefully lose games when they have something to play for. Ever. Period. End of discussion.

[Slippy]

Not a rip on Pop or hairston just that fact that Pop was trying different things .

[jjktkk]

The only ones that don't understand what whottt is saying are peoplethat have been fans for a couple years. What he says is 100% right. Disagree with the strategy or not but it's one he's used for about, oooo 7 years now. TJastal comes off as the type that for some reason thinks he knows more than everyone else. More power to him.

Tjastal's mom tells him every morning before school, that one day, when hes all grown up, he will be the Spurs head coach and GM.

[whottt]

You are a complete fool if you think any person associated with an NBA team would do anything purposefully to lose a game when they are in the thick of the playoff race.

What do you mean by playoff race? The Spurs are going to make the playoffs. You mean seeding? Pop doesn't give a what the seeding is. In fact he probably would rather get the Lakers in the first round for a change. What's his choice anyway, Lakers? or the team that beat us in the first round last year? What difference does it make?

These guys are human. They each have this thing called an ego. You may have heard of it. Ultra-compe ive guys like NBA players and coaches don't purposefully lose games when they have something to play for. Ever. Period. End of discussion.

Well you'd be wrong about that. If Pop was as desperate as you say Manu would have played.


But anyway, have it your way, the Nets are better than the Spurs and that was why they lost last night. I mean it must be since they are Ultracomnpe ive guys that don't purposefully lose games when they have something to play for.