Interview with Diaw, Nando, and Parker

[spurs10]

Man, I love starting

That, you did! I was thinking Boris is going to be chained in the doghouse after saying all that!!

[Em-City]

haha.. amused had me like








but after reading bruno's post ...

[Slippy]

After reading the real translation. Gotta say the ed up one had me in s ches.

[therealtruth]

I don't understand why the Spurs focus on the bench so much. Just start the strongest starting lineup and let the bench guys hold the lead. The bench doesn't have to be this amazing unit that blows games open. Blow games open from the start of the game.

[superjames1992]

Oh, Nando lived at Tony's house. That is kinky.

[timvp]

I don't understand why the Spurs focus on the bench so much. Just start the strongest starting lineup and let the bench guys hold the lead. The bench doesn't have to be this amazing unit that blows games open. Blow games open from the start of the game.

The starters did exactly that in the playoffs last year. The problem is the bench sucked. If the bench was able to "hold the lead", the Spurs would have been in the Finals.

[Obstructed_View]

Amused sucks at everything.

[ace3g]

San Antonio Spurs


Boris Diaw answers a variety of questions in his Spurs.com Fast Break. Do you think he knows what Frito Pie is? http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/121128_diaw

[DPG21920]

Boris acting like he doesn't know/love frito pie.

[elemento]

The starters did exactly that in the playoffs last year. The problem is the bench sucked. If the bench was able to "hold the lead", the Spurs would have been in the Finals.

Not entirely true tim

Danny Green was starting and he sucked balls big time in the OKC series. From 12ppg/4rpg @ 72%TS and 58% from deep in the Clippers series to 3.3ppg/2.2rpg @ 32%TS and 17% from deep. That's the biggest downfall I've seen from a SA player in the last decade. His struggles were huge in the OKC series because Pop was forced to start Manu and Neal was suddenly leading the 2nd unit alone and that was a receipt for a disaster (and it was). No to mention Diaw completely invisible that OKC would simply ignore him, Timmy struggling offensively and Parker struggling after game 2 when OKC put Thabo on him and they started to switch on the P&R.

Manu and S-Jax were huge in the series, especially Jax. I don't disagree that some bench players like Neal and Splitter had a subpar series, but the starters sucked balls as well and deserve just as much criticism.

[Fabbs]

Durant and Westbrick gif.

awesome.

[wildbill2u]

So did Boris. Triple kinky. Ah, those Frenchmen.

[timvp]

Not entirely true tim

Danny Green was starting and he sucked balls big time in the OKC series. From 12ppg/4rpg @ 72%TS and 58% from deep in the Clippers series to 3.3ppg/2.2rpg @ 32%TS and 17% from deep. That's the biggest downfall I've seen from a SA player in the last decade. His struggles were huge in the OKC series because Pop was forced to start Manu and Neal was suddenly leading the 2nd unit alone and that was a receipt for a disaster (and it was). No to mention Diaw completely invisible that OKC would simply ignore him, Timmy struggling offensively and Parker struggling after game 2 when OKC put Thabo on him and they started to switch on the P&R.

Manu and S-Jax were huge in the series, especially Jax. I don't disagree that some bench players like Neal and Splitter had a subpar series, but the starters sucked balls as well and deserve just as much criticism.

All that needs to be said:

Plus/minus per 100 possessions against the Thunder
Tim Duncan: +3.6
Tony Parker: +2.4
Danny Green: +1.8
Boris Diaw: +0.4
DeJuan Blair: -1.6
Manu Ginobili: -3.4
Stephen Jackson: -4.1
Patrick Mills: -5.2
Kawhi Leonard: -7.6
Gary Neal: -20
Matt Bonner: -21.2
Tiago Splitter: -23.6



The bench was horrible with and without Ginobili. If the bench holds serve, the Spurs win the series. Obviously, the starters didn't play flawless basketball but as a group they played well enough for the Spurs to win the series.

[therealtruth]

The bench was horrible with and without Ginobili. If the bench holds serve, the Spurs win the series. Obviously, the starters didn't play flawless basketball but as a group they played well enough for the Spurs to win the series.

That's why it was detrimental to start Ginobili. It basically took DG out of the rotation and forced everyone else to take on a heavier load. At least when DG was starting you were at least getting some defense on Westbrook out of him.

[Mel_13]

I don't understand why the Spurs focus on the bench so much. Just start the strongest starting lineup and let the bench guys hold the lead. The bench doesn't have to be this amazing unit that blows games open. Blow games open from the start of the game.

That's why it was detrimental to start Ginobili. It basically took DG out of the rotation and forced everyone else to take on a heavier load. At least when DG was starting you were at least getting some defense on Westbrook out of him.

Damn, try not to contradict yourself in the same thread.

[timvp]

Damn, try not to contradict yourself in the same thread.

You owe me a new keyboard, tbh.

Wow

[elemento]

All that needs to be said:

Plus/minus per 100 possessions against the Thunder
Tim Duncan: +3.6
Tony Parker: +2.4
Danny Green: +1.8
Boris Diaw: +0.4
DeJuan Blair: -1.6
Manu Ginobili: -3.4
Stephen Jackson: -4.1
Patrick Mills: -5.2
Kawhi Leonard: -7.6
Gary Neal: -20
Matt Bonner: -21.2
Tiago Splitter: -23.6



The bench was horrible with and without Ginobili. If the bench holds serve, the Spurs win the series. Obviously, the starters didn't play flawless basketball but as a group they played well enough for the Spurs to win the series.

But the plus/minus don't tell the whole story tim. Danny Green with +1.8 and Jackson with -4.1 just shows that Green benefited big time from the the 5-man unit he played while Jackson took a big hit because of that.

Simply compare Green's numbers with Jackson's numbers :

Green - 3.3ppg/2.2rpg @ 32%TS and 17% 3P
Jackson - 11.8ppg/2rpg @ 91%TS and 68% 3P

The plus/minus of the whole series doesn't show how the series changed with the P&R switch, how it changed once Thabo started guarding Parker or how Pop took Green out of the series completely.

I don't disagree with you that most of the guys off the bench sucked, but I don't see how the starters take a pass, especially Green and Boris.

[therealtruth]

Damn, try not to contradict yourself in the same thread.

It's not a contradiction. My idea is the Spurs should have stuck with what got them there at that point. I advocated earlier on in the season for them to start Manu because they didn't want to take any chances with Green's inexperience. I turned out to be correct. As evidenced by Pop's nonsensical rotations in game 5, that wasn't the time to start messing around.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Amused sucks at everything.

You're A-OK, OV

[timvp]

But the plus/minus don't tell the whole story tim. Danny Green with +1.8 and Jackson with -4.1 just shows that Green benefited big time from the the 5-man unit he played while Jackson took a big hit because of that.

Simply compare Green's numbers with Jackson's numbers :

Green - 3.3ppg/2.2rpg @ 32%TS and 17% 3P
Jackson - 11.8ppg/2rpg @ 91%TS and 68% 3P

The plus/minus of the whole series doesn't show how the series changed with the P&R switch, how it changed once Thabo started guarding Parker or how Pop took Green out of the series completely.

I don't disagree with you that most of the guys off the bench sucked, but I don't see how the starters take a pass, especially Green and Boris.

I'm just saying as a whole, the starters more than held their own. The bench got destroyed. Obviously we can break it down further than that (and I have), but that was the main theme of the series. When the starters were on the court, the Spurs did okay. When the bench came in, the Spurs got annihilated.

The same thing happened in the Clippers series, btw.

[Mel_13]

It's not a contradiction.

Of course it is.