Preseason Game 6 (10-18-10): Spurs vs. Thunder

[spectator]

i think it's safe to say that if we had played duncan and splitter, this would have been a 5-10 point win; okc played about 40 more starter minutes and only beat us when we went to the scrubs line.

[DesignatedT]

Yeah, they said they would before the game. I am still surprised to see Serge starting.

Although, he did put up solid numbers: 12 PTS, 6 REB, 4 BLKS on 80% FG.

Seemed like he had his struggles out there listening to the game, mainly foul trouble but those are solid numbers indeed. Most his struggles came in the first when Duncan was playing.. Other than that he can handle Blair.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Preseason or not, the spurs lineup is a built-in excuse. Say what you will, but there's no reason for a lineup of Blair/RJ/Temple/Anderson/Neal to be practicing closing out a tight game against a playoff team.

Why not? Seems like a good thing to me. It's preseason, that's what it's for.

[DesignatedT]

I'm just ready for the season to start. Its to hard to speculate after these games.

[DPG21920]

Another damn solid game from Harden it seems as well. It would be scary if he has really improved that much...

[dbestpro]

Way too much small ball for my tastes. I sure hope this does not carry over to the regular season, again.

[#2!]

Why not? Seems like a good thing to me. It's preseason, that's what it's for.

To prove that playing RJ at the 4 with either Bonner or DeJuan at center and surrounding them with "shooters" doesn't work?

I'm pretty sure that was covered last season.


Preseason is for practice, not for doing things that will clearly not work.

[dbestpro]

The only thing I got from this game is that the Thunder bench is not so good.

[Chomag]

I'm just wondering what in the world Pop sees in Gary Neal.

[ElNono]

I'm just wondering what in the world Pop sees in Gary Neal.

Mason 1.2

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I hope the Spurs are able to hold most teams under 100. Going to be tough. Have to get a handle on the 3 PT defense and FT's allowed.

Essentially this team gets worst little by little every year in the same exact areas.

At the same time our core gets older and older, and the lack of depth and youth from the 2003-2007 drafts is still evident more and more.


The book on the Spurs will have a chapter on the failure to bring in talent when the core was still young.

[ElNono]

In a way, I'm kinda glad they didn't televise this game. I would have probably lost the little hair I have left after the second small-ball lineup out there.

[xellos88330]

Micro ball.... will Pop ever stop this little fetish?

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Wow a lot of folks getting worked up on a preseason game.

[ElNono]

Wow a lot of folks getting worked up on a preseason game.

Define worked up?

[hoopdreams11]

The only thing I got from this game is that the Thunder bench is not so good.

They did not play Sefolosha, Kristic, Alrich and Collison there bench is solid

[TJastal]

Why not? Seems like a good thing to me. It's preseason, that's what it's for.

[duncan228]

Sometimes when you push the pace, you get more possessions in the game that will lead to more scoring, but defensively, we did not do a very good job tonight.

*********************

Notes on a scorecard: Why Scott Brooks coached like a Game 7
By Tim Griffin

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...why-scott.html

[duncan228]

Preseason: Oklahoma City Thunder 111, San Antonio Spurs 102
by Jesse Blanchard
48 Minutes of



AT&T Center–Tim Duncan and fast are two terms generally not associated with each other much these days, so when he received a pass in transition from Tony Parker perhaps the term fast break was not the most apt description.

If the San Antonio Spurs 102-111 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder is any precursor of things to come, however, it is a word most Spurs fans and journalists will have to dust off and reintroduce into their vernacular.

Keep reading →

[buttsR4rebounding]

All in all not a bad effort at all. The defense needs to shore up, but 29 fast break points, Manu getting his stroke back, Hill with his best effort so far...there was a lot to like tonight. Anyone worried about a nine point loss to the the Thunder when they played their starters big minutes and the Spurs played Duncan only 12 minute an Parker in the high 20's just doesn't understand what pre-season is for.

[TD 21]

It's preseason. so I'm not going to read too much into it...but Pop seems to think the best way to guard the Thunder is by going small.

If these two teams meet in the playoffs and Pop goes small, he'll lose the Spurs the series. They have a massive advantage over the Thunder inside and they need to utilize it (the Spurs might have the four best true bigs between the two teams), by pounding them down low and on the glass. By going small, that plays right into their hands, because their small lineup is better than the Spurs small lineup and the Spurs won't be able to guard them anyway. Also, the Spurs would probably end up cutting out one of, if not two of their eight best players (Splitter and/or McDyess).

[spurs10]

Don't think tonight was very indicative of how we'll play OKC in the regular season. Seemed like we didn't get a rebound or make a basket the entire 4th quarter...felt bad for the new guys.

[ace3g]

We need to wait and see how Pop will use Splitter this season (minutes, match ups, rotations, etc) before anyone can say that Pop has already fallen in love with "small ball".

[analyzed]

I would'nt make to much of it, when you consider that the Spurs two biggest players TD and Splitter played a total of 10 minutes ! Not going to happen in the playoffs !

It's preseason. so I'm not going to read too much into it...but Pop seems to think the best way to guard the Thunder is by going small.

If these two teams meet in the playoffs and Pop goes small, he'll lose the Spurs the series. They have a massive advantage over the Thunder inside and they need to utilize it (the Spurs might have the four best true bigs between the two teams), by pounding them down low and on the glass. By going small, that plays right into their hands, because their small lineup is better than the Spurs small lineup and the Spurs won't be able to guard them anyway. Also, the Spurs would probably end up cutting out one of, if not two of their eight best players (Splitter and/or McDyess).

[benefactor]

In a way, I'm kinda glad they didn't televise this game. I would have probably lost the little hair I have left after the second small-ball lineup out there.

Don Nelson is beaming with pride.