The Chokers

[TD 21]

It's highly unlikely you'll see a Duncan-Splitter-Leonard front line and even less likely in crunch time, because of the lack of shooting. That's why Bonner, Jefferson, Green and Neal, are all closing options.

It's also why Pop is a hypocrite. He stresses defense, then doesn't play his best defensive personnel together and rarely plays two of his best defenders in crunch time. He either has a massive ego, is delusional, or both, if he thinks his emphasizing defense is what made this organization renowned for their defense and not the presence of Robinson, Duncan and Bowen, among others. He keeps pretending that practice time will lead to the young guys better understanding the system and thus marked improvement, but that's nonsense. They've had plenty of practice time and rest the past few weeks and it hasn't made one bit of difference.

Effort is obviously required to not just play defense, but to do virtually anything. But this notion that with effort and understanding alone, you can play good defense, is nonsense. First and foremost, it's about personnel.

[ElNono]

Open looks for Bonner means no one on that side of the court. For most other outside shooters, it means 4' of space and closing.

Basically. He was passing up shots when OJ Mayo was closing on him. smh.

[Ice009]

They don't have the personnel. With a thin frontline the defense will never be good.

The Spurs don't have the defensive personnel to be an elite defensive team because of a lack of depth, but they do have the personnel to play better defense then they are playing now. Duncan, Splitter, Leonard, Manu or Green, TP lineup has the potential to play better defense than any of those other lineups Pop keeps trotting out there.

Pop has not tried an all defensive lineup this season. Why would he not at least try it?

If he does it if we a down in a series then I am done with him.

[therealtruth]

Basically. He was passing up shots when OJ Mayo was closing on him. smh.

It's unlikely Horry becomes a clutch playoff performer if his release was as slow as Bonner. On a lot of Horry's clutch shots the ball just missed the defender's outstretched arms.

[timvp]

It's unlikely Horry becomes a clutch playoff performer if his release was as slow as Bonner.

Tbh, Horry's release was one of the slowest releases of all-time. He got away with it because he was tall and had a high release point.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah, horry actually released a split second after the peak of his jump

[pgardn]

Of the top teams in the west Memphis plays the best D imo.

And there are no elite defensive teams in the West at the moment.