Bright Spots After Game 5

[therealtruth]

The more I think about it--the more I think the loss of this series falls on Pop. A team that has won 20 straight games and something like 28 out of their last 31 games, doesn't just lose 4 straight in the playoffs WCF because some role players are not hitting their shots.

Brooks made a lot of adjustments after his team had it's back against the wall in Game 2. He found a way for them to start playing team ball, to get Parker in check, to counter the Spurs weaknesses defensively and he didn't panick and stuck with his big man rotation of Perkins and Collison.

Meanwhile, I didn't see too many adjustments from Pop in Game 4 and let's not even go into his rotations in the 1st quarter of Game 5. And the one adjustment he did make--moving Ginobili into the starting lineup, reaks of desperation.

A team with a healthy Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan and decent role players should not be losing FOUR STRAIGHT in the playoffs. Against anybody. Period. Especially given how well they had been playing before this.

Exactly. SB made adjustments and then his players bought in and played harder. Pop hasn't made any adjustments that have worked for the players to buy in. His convenient excuse is the players just didn't play good enough. He has to make adjustments that work to get the players more confident.

[therealtruth]

Just stop turning the ball over 20 times a game and they'll be fine.

This also. Alot of the turnovers are unforced. The Spurs have shown a complete disregard for the ball. That's not the signs of a championship team.

[cheguevara]

I don't know about bright spots but there was one huge wetspot on Green's shorts

[therealtruth]

On the bright side of things if the Spurs figure out their second quarter problems they could probably win the series. I think it has something to do with Pop's ridiculous rotations.

[objective]

Pop has been overrated. How many series have the Spurs ever won as underdogs? Not many if any come immediately to mind. Every le they've won, they were the favorites.

But how many series have the Spurs lost as favorites?

[hater]

But how many series have the Spurs lost as favorites?

No team with Blair and Bonner and Green and Neal is favorite past the 2nd round.

[therealtruth]

Pop has been overrated. How many series have the Spurs ever won as underdogs? Not many if any come immediately to mind. Every le they've won, they were the favorites.

But how many series have the Spurs lost as favorites?

I agree. That's why I rate Phil Jackson higher. He's 47-0 when he wins the first game plus he's won a couple of series he probably had no business winning. Once you win those first two games the odds are actually against you losing the series. Pop looks like this will be another time he's blown a pretty good lead.

[spurraider21]

Can people stop blaming pop for sitting players in early foul trouble

[T Park]

05 they were slight under dogs to the Suns and the Pistons.

07 they were underdogs to the Suns then too.

[Goran Dragic]

Maybe in 2007 they were underdogs to the Suns, but no way in 2005. Everyone knew the Suns had almost no chance at winning that series in 2005.