Initial Reaction: Spurs vs. Suns - Game 2

[Fabbs]

-Matt Bonner was most responsible for losing the game for the Spurs. Point blank. With Frye going 5-for-6 from three-point range, San Antonio's bench bigman shooter responded by missing all four of his shots. That's a 15-point swing the Spurs simply can't overcome. You can now etch it in stone that Bonner is a playoff choker. He doesn't want to shoot open shots and he misses the ones he does take. He's now 10-for-32 from the field in the playoffs and 5-for-20 on threes. What makes it even worse is virtually all of those shots are without a soul around him. It's just a damn shame.

When you do a rewrite....this ^^^^^ cannot be harmonized with this:

-I can't put too much blame on Pop tonight. The biggest mistake was playing Bonner 15 minutes and not giving those minutes to someone like McDyess ... although the Spurs are so desperate for spacing offensively that I can almost understand Pop's usage of Bonner.

__________________________________________________ ____________

timvp -DeJuan Blair played nine minutes and was hit and miss. He had four points, two rebounds and three steals. The three steals were helpful but his lack of defensive rebounds really hurt the Spurs. When the Suns have their lively bench on the court, Blair has to pull down rebounds. He has to. Next to him is either Bonner or a small ... so either Blair gets the defensive rebound or chances are the Suns get an offensive rebound.

Could Wilt Chamberlin, Hakeem O, Younger Fatquile Oneal or anyone else pull down boards with frontline assistants named Bonehead and a smaller vs the "Suns lively bench"?
Again, why the lineup, Poop?

[Spurminator]

I'm not sure why McDyess hasn't developed a 3-point game. When you're that good from 20 feet it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to back it up a couple of feet. Maybe we let him test it out in Bonner's role over the next few games.

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

When you look back at the Dallas series, Hill was hitting insane shots. We also pretty much had to rotate on only 2 good 3 point shooters (Kidd and Terry).
In these series everybody can shoot. JRich is unconscious. Then comes Frye and he's even more unconscious. Then Nash can stroke it too. The Dudley parks in the corner and nails it. Dragic is another guy you can't give him an inch. You look at stats, and we've played really solid games. If not for their 3 point ball, we take both games.

so are you saying the spurs do not have enough fire power to match their scoring even they play good defense?

[GSH]

The Spurs held the Suns to 21 points in the first quarter. Then they let them score 89 points in the next 3 quarters. The Spurs teams of the past had a knack for clamping down on defense in the 4th quarter. This one doesn't.

If the Spurs had been able to create one of those patented 3-4 minute stretches where they held the Suns scoreless, they would be coming home 1-1. They clearly aren't going to beat the Suns by outscoring them. So they better find a way of resurrecting their stingy defense, or this will be a short series.

[timvp]

You know I love that ginger bas and I think he's done more than Spurs fans will ever given him credit for but he's just a complete void out there in the playoffs. The regression is so insanely amazing I don't even know what more to say about it.

Yeah, Spurs fans have scoffed Bonner much of the last two years but he has been pretty damn awesome in the regular season. For two straight seasons, Bonner had the best +/- stats on the team. One season may be a fluke ... but not two.

But now he doesn't like to shoot. Misses the shots he takes. Defensively, he's now a pushover. He can't grab contested rebounds. He literally can't do anything.

I've seen chokers before but Bonner's playoff choking is way worse than anything I've ever seen.

[ducks]

sure would help if manu would stay healthy in the playoffs

manu has not shot well since he got hurt
now spurs extentended him and he now have to live with him being hurt in playoffs

3 years in a row now

[BoricuaCJA]

I hated when we had Bonner and Blair on the floor at the same time. Thats when their bench just out hustled us and out rebounded us. All those offensive rebounds killed us and Bonner not making shots like usual in the playoffs ed us up a lot. We don't have 3 pt shooters on our teams that can make it consistently. Bonner chokes, RMJ chokes!

[ElNono]

so are you saying the spurs do not have enough fire power to match their scoring even they play good defense?

No, I was pointing out that we didn't need to have that much firepower in the previous series, because it was easier to control their 3 point shooting.
Seeing that we basically have no solid 3 point shooting, right now we need to be a lot quicker and smarter on rotations, or we're going fishing.

[024]

yeah, sadly i don't think the spurs have enough depth to make it deeper in the postseason. the matchup against the mavs worked because the spurs were playing their hearts out but as the playoffs go on, they need production from the bench. as a double whammy, not only does the bench not score, they also do not play defense. it's a complete recipe for disaster against the high scoring suns.

a three point shooter needed to step up but bogans, mason, and bonner just can't make enough impact.

[TD 21]

I stopped reading as soon as I saw your typical protect Ginobili and on Duncan act.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

sure would help if manu would stay healthy in the playoffs

manu has not shot well since he got hurt
now spurs extentended him and he now have to live with him being hurt in playoffs

3 years in a row now

you are unbelievable man - any opportunity to drop your on manu is always welcome.. your act is old.

[timvp]

On second thought, not starting TP could have been more damaging than I remembered. Rewatching the first quarter, the Suns came out playing scared basketball for the first half of the first quarter. With Phoenix sucking, all the Spurs could do was build a 10-6 lead. You gotta think with Parker in the game, the Spurs could have delivered a better opening punch.

[florige]

I'm not sure why McDyess hasn't developed a 3-point game. When you're that good from 20 feet it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to back it up a couple of feet. Maybe we let him test it out in Bonner's role over the next few games.

Man I don't know If you play ball, but a couple of feet is alot no matter how automatic it is inside the lines. Everything is thrown off. I think Pop is trying to see if Bonner is the next Horry, - the grit and the confidence.

[ElNono]

Yeah, Spurs fans have scoffed Bonner much of the last two years but he has been pretty damn awesome in the regular season. For two straight seasons, Bonner had the best +/- stats on the team. One season may be a fluke ... but not two.

But now he doesn't like to shoot. Misses the shots he takes. Defensively, he's now a pushover. He can't grab contested rebounds. He literally can't do anything.

I've seen chokers before but Bonner's playoff choking is way worse than anything I've ever seen.

Come on LJ. You can't tell me you didn't even have a small su ion about this happening. Same with Mason.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah, Spurs fans have scoffed Bonner much of the last two years but he has been pretty damn awesome in the regular season. For two straight seasons, Bonner had the best +/- stats on the team. One season may be a fluke ... but not two.

But now he doesn't like to shoot. Misses the shots he takes. Defensively, he's now a pushover. He can't grab contested rebounds. He literally can't do anything.

I've seen chokers before but Bonner's playoff choking is way worse than anything I've ever seen.

It's sad because after the first two months of this season I was convinced I was stupid for ever doubting the guy.

Now I am just flat out sad we have no other option.

I
miss ... . . .. .

finley

[ducks]

manu 2-8 is ing sad
and his forced threes are terrible


spurs needed him to score
his act of getting hurt in the postseason is hurt

richardson clearly outplayed manu tonight

[timvp]

I stopped reading as soon as I saw your typical protect Ginobili and on Duncan act.

I know I'm fair when Manu fans think I protect Parker, Parker fans think I protect Duncan and Duncan fans think I protect Ginobili.

[Spurminator]

Man I don't know If you play ball, but a couple of feet is alot no matter how automatic it is inside the lines. Everything is thrown off. I think Pop is trying to see if Bonner is the next Horry, - the grit and the confidence.

I'm really just grasping at straws.

[ElNono]

manu 2-8 is ing sad
and his forced threes are terrible

spurs needed him to score
his act of getting hurt in the postseason is hurt

richardson clearly outplayed manu tonight

Well, you better cheer for him and hope he improves. He's going to be around 3 more seasons.

[ducks]

On second thought, not starting TP could have been more damaging than I remembered. Rewatching the first quarter, the Suns came out playing scared basketball for the first half of the first quarter. With Phoenix sucking, all the Spurs could do was build a 10-6 lead. You gotta think with Parker in the game, the Spurs could have delivered a better opening punch.

duh

benching tp in first half and starting in second is stupid

if spurs need someone to come of the bench
let manu
his shooting sucks anyhow

[Cant_Be_Faded]

On second thought, not starting TP could have been more damaging than I remembered. Rewatching the first quarter, the Suns came out playing scared basketball for the first half of the first quarter. With Phoenix sucking, all the Spurs could do was build a 10-6 lead. You gotta think with Parker in the game, the Spurs could have delivered a better opening punch.

I don't think opening punches are going to cut it against this team though.


We have to respond to their runs and not make them respond to ours.

So far this postseason the winner of the first quarter has won the game, EXCEPT for tonight. Tonight we won the first quarter handily and still blew it. I don't think the Suns are the kind of team you can sit on a good lead and just dominate the game.

You have to play with them and then when it comes to crunch time answer their runs and dominate them like we did in games 4 and 6 against the Mavs.

[jag]

The only reasons i can see for starting hill are to keep his confidence up, and to allow Tony to attack the Suns second unit. Even still, it doesn't make much sense because Hill and Tony end up in the backcourt at the same time anyway.

[ducks]

spurs need to trade manu for a three point threat

[SpurOutofTownFan]

this thread got hijacked by the usual culprits

[Blackjack]

I don't really know why the media and so many Spurs fans thought this was going to be an easy series, no idea..a lot of people here picked the Spurs in 5 and whatever..

It was obvious in the series vs. Dallas that the short rotation and lack of 3-point shooting was going to haunt the Spurs, especially against a deep team like Phoenix..as I said last round, the Spurs fixed so many flaws to get to the 2nd round, but the most unexpected flaw is the one killing us..3-point shooting..in all my years as a Spurs fan, I can't remember the last time this was a major flaw..

Agree. I was borderline ecstatic the Spurs got out of the first round. People tasted the success and started to expect the good ol' days from this group. Reality is, this ain't the good ol' days -- the Spurs have been and still are a flawed team and the Suns are better at doing what they're good at than the Spurs are at what's made them champions and the bane of Phoenix's existence.

The Spurs just aren't a great team defensively and they're not a better offensive team than the Suns. And if they can't hit a three, dominate the boards, win the hustle game or even roll out a successful 7-8-man rotation (when they've got some older stars and a game every-other-day), how exactly are the Spurs supposed to win?

I do see some similarities between the Suns and Hornets of '08 (teams that weren't expected to do much and that were peaking upon meeting the Spurs -- the role-players were clicking and their stars were playing at the top of their game), so I won't throw in the towel or write them off until the Suns get 4. But I didn't expect a win this series, I hoped for one. And just because it doesn't look good ... it's not going to prevent me from enjoying the games of Tim and Manu. I'm not going to be ungrateful or take this for granted.

In fact, I think RJ did less damage in Game 1 than in Game 2. I sometimes wonder whether the Spurs would be better off giving RJ's minutes to Bogans -- at least Bogans will shoot threes and defend with some sort of heart. And then I cry.

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