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Props to the Phoenix Suns...all the pain SA caused them over the years, they essentially ended the dynasty in two years
Sure... there are many reasons why perhaps this team wasn't going to get far this post-season... Bonner's playing time... the team's lack of size (mostly cause Pop had it glued to the bench)... Blair's lack of confidence after being demoted for no apparent reason (and ultimately pairing him with No. 15 for long stretches at a time)... the lack of an 'enforcer-type' player... or an above average perimeter defender....
And yes, the Grizzlies were a physical team, possessing great interior scoring... and had two capable perimeter defenders in Allen and Battier to slow Ginobili and Parker down... And Z-bo was playing like 1998-2003 Duncan (on the offensive end)...
All that said, we shouldn't have lost to this Grizzlies team... much less 4 times...
But we did because Pop took the wrong gamble in deciding to sit Ginobili down for Game 1... That gave Memphis hope, that justified their reasoning for tanking, and ultimately infused their role players with confidence... They took the series in Game 1 and never looked back...
I'm 100% certain that this Grizzlies team would not have the capability of dominating the Spurs the way they did throughout the series had they gone to Memphis down 2 games to none... at least not mentally...
Freaking Darrell Arthur, Sam Young, Grevis Vasquez, Tony Allen and Mike Conley did as much damage as the vaulted pair of Gasol and Randolph... that certainly would not have happened had they not been gifted HOPE and CONFIDENCE following the final buzzer after Game 1...
We should've been able to overcome the other factors....
RJ's dissappearance after Game 2...
Bonner's suckiness after Game 1...
Parker's initial shooting slump and turnover-proneness...
Duncan's old age...
Splitter not getting minutes until Game 4...
IF
Ginobili had suited up for Game 1 and "stepped on the Grizzlies' collective throats" to crush any seed of hope...
Props to the Phoenix Suns...all the pain SA caused them over the years, they essentially ended the dynasty in two years
exactly. Spurs win that game 1, the worst that could happen is a game 7 and frustrated hopes of an upset.
IMHO SA just lost toa younger, more athletic, hungrier, and, quite simply, a better team. Spurs have some nice pieces in place for a good future.
I don't think Manu was ready, so from that aspect I can't fault Pop,however I just don't understand why he sat Manu for game 81 and played him for game 82 IMO that was the series there as our best player got handicapped in that game.
They just lost. No asterisk, nothing. The better team won.
The Spurs lost the series when Pop decided to play Manu against the Suns.
They lost because they didn't have anyone to guard Randolph.
It was a coaching mistake for Pop to let Dice guard Randolph at the end instead of switching Timmy to guard him. By the time they switched, it was way too late. I was yelling the entire last 4 minutes of regulation at the TV for Duncan to guard Randolph.
We'd be looking at a game 7 if Manu plays game 1. Saying that, I have no reason to believe we would have even won that game 7 tbh.
If we couldn't win a single game on the road we didn't deserve to advance. We had 3 freaking chances and blew them all.
Well if Parker and Hill didn't play like game one, and if that #24 guy hit the game tying 3, we could have pulled away. We were moments away from winning. Then Parker shot a dumb jumper. Left Battier open. Hill missed a WIDE open 3 (just like last night). Then RJ missed the game tying 3. Game 1 loss.
Shoulda,Coulda,Woulda
That argument really never wins. In the playoffs the better team wins, that why it's not a 1 game ilimination. Spurs had 4 chances.
Saying it was just this, or that is the same thing as saying "Well if Spurs didn't miss their shots" well of course they wouldn't lose.
Grizzly Blair is to blame, I knew he would turn on the Spurs... Seen that too many times in the WWE for it not to happen here.
Honestly I think the Grizzlies just had more will and young athleticism. Also lets not forget that one of the Grizzlies' best players isn't playing either (Rudy Gay).
The way the spurs won game 5 was exciting, but it took a lot of luck in the final seconds just to get that win. Randolph had his way pretty much the entire series.
It really was. But we had 3 chances to get one in game in Memphis and fell flat on our faces 3 damn times.. Spurs of old were road warriors. Not these Spurs..
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