I love this team

[LarryDavid]

Such a classy thread for such a classy team

[TheSkeptic]

Spurs frontcourt choices were somewhat limited tonight but there was really no reason to stay small and keep going with bonner
if there was ever a game to let Baynes get any minutes it was tonight
Bulls have been the best team in the nba for the past 3 years at consistently defending the 3 point line
Bonner got one shot off from the 3 but had his foot on the line
the rest of the time he got ran off and put up terrible hook attempts or lost his dribble and had to be bailed out after almost losing the ball
0 rebounds in about 20 minutes

and OKC found the one thing to do to stop the spurs offense which was switch the pick and roll
and the bigger defender on parker
it would be interesting to see how the spurs were defended if noah wasnt playing heavy minutes on a bad foot
last years game vs chicago made me believe they were the best defensive team in the nba at the time
they were the only team who contested about every shot including Tims midrange shots

You know, I really like what I've seen from Baynes but after watching him play against...not the Bobcats...my initial thoughts seem to be getting confirmed in that while Baynes can be a good big for us, he's not really ready for regular minutes against teams like the Bulls.

That said, he's still taller than Blair/Bonner so he probably should be getting more minutes with TD out. For this season though I don't think he'll be able to contribute a whole lot.

That argument just doesn't translate across teams. Kawhi is successful because he isn't asked to do too much. Sure, you can give him some extra touches to capitalize on his skills, but go beyond a certain amount and you jeopardize team chemistry. Same reason Manu comes off the bench and doesn't start. Dude could put up 25 a game easily, but he doesn't for the sake of Pop's system.

This is pretty much my take on the situation. I'd totally be fine with giving Kawhi extra touches and I do think he could be an all-star one day, but there's definitely a point of diminishing returns here. I'm actually pretty happy with how Pop has been managing him. I think the Spurs should be getting Kawhi slightly different touches though. Less spot-up shooting and more mixing it up like he did tonight even if he doesn't get as many FGA with the Big 3 back.

[Blake]

One of the most delicious regular season wins in quite some time.

[DesignatedT]

There's still plenty of games left. Let Baynes get some work in with the coaches in the gym and get more familiar with his surroundings. He'll get a chance to play after the ASB.

[timvp]

Can someone please tell me why Bonner gets more minutes than Baynes?

Mel_13 with ultimate goods. Peeps are so distraught due to their obsession of what is behind the door that they find ways to whine about in one of the most improbable wins of the Duncan era. Amazing.

I like Baynes as a prospect but let's have some shred of sense here. The Spurs won this game due to precision and chemistry. Baynes doesn't have either of those traits right now. It's not his fault but he just doesn't.

[TheSkeptic]

There's still plenty of games left. Let Baynes get some work in with the coaches in the gym and get more familiar with his surroundings. He'll get a chance to play after the ASB.

Still don't think he'll play much in the playoffs. Hopefully he sees more floor time during the regular season though.

[silverblackfan]

Timely thread. I was thinking the same thing. I love how this team plays, acts, and succeeds by determination and discipline. They all seem to love playing with the team and the fans can feel it.
Its always great to be a Spurs fan, but this season is feeling pretty special.

and Pop would probably say, "Who cares? Its one game."

[FromWayDowntown]

This forum never ceases to amaze me.

Great win tonight for the Spurs, regardless of what it might say about the way their season will ultimately end. Once again, guys who aren't normally asked to carry the load (likely, because if they were asked to do that for an extended period of time, teams would fairly quickly find ways to limit them) step up on the road against a quality team and play well for 48 minutes. For some of these guys, the opportunity to have these sorts of successes can only be a good thing going forward. But fortunately, unlike a lot of other NBA environments, the Spurs role players understand their roles and go back to performing them as soon as they're asked to. It's really remarkable to watch.

I've started to wonder if this might not be the year that R.C. Buford finally gets his long overdue Executive of the Year award. There aren't necessarily any overwhelming candidates elsewhere; it's not a year where some team has really come out of nowhere to compete at the top of the league. Maybe nights like this one go some distance towards convincing those who vote on that award that the success of a franchise isn't necessarily measured by the number of flashy moves that it makes in a given year to make a meteoric rise up the standings, but can sometimes be seen in the ability to make the sorts of small tweaks to find players who fit your system and culture. This is now at least the third time in the last decade and a half that Buford/Popovich have substantially retooled around the Big 3 and taken this club back among the elite of the elite. They did it after the 2001 West Finals; they did it after the 2003 le; and now they've done it after the 2009-11 lull -- and they've done that without the crutch of acquiring a superstar to replenish the roster. The brilliance of that is apparent in the standings, but games like the Miami and Chicago games show that it's not just about having 3 Hall of Famers in your stable.

Great post, timvp.

[Paranoid Pop]

Mel_13 with ultimate goods. Peeps are so distraught due to their obsession of what is behind the door that they find ways to whine about in one of the most improbable wins of the Duncan era. Amazing.

I like Baynes as a prospect but let's have some shred of sense here. The Spurs won this game due to precision and chemistry. Baynes doesn't have either of those traits right now. It's not his fault but he just doesn't.

So result oriented....

Had they lost it would have been because of the poor rebounding like vs Detroit, it works both ways. The rebounding has been dog lately and Pop still plays the turd tower frontline or goes micro every game.

Also Thibs is one of the worst coaches at managing minutes, his team is most likely exhausted tbh. It's an awesome win for the confidence of players like KY but the content is nothing to write home about aside from KY making things happen in iso situations.

[ChumpDumper]

The Energizer bunny of irrational haters.

[TheSkeptic]

So result oriented....

Had they lost it would have been because of the poor rebounding like vs Detroit, it works both ways. The rebounding has been dog lately and Pop still plays the turd tower frontline or goes micro every game.

Also Thibs is one of the worst coaches at managing minutes, his team is most likely exhausted tbh. It's an awesome win for the confidence of players like KY but the content is nothing to write home about aside from KY making things happen in iso situations.

Weren't you bolded? Like before?

[freetiago]

the +- king had the worst +- on the team
the precision and chemistry was with his ass on the bench
pop got the memo pretty quick with blair but blair would have actually been better then bonner out there
spurs have a pretty good record with developing prospects and like to throw them out in the fire
and like i said it couldnt have been a better moment to at least give the guy some sort of attempt
Duncan out and the sometimes backup 4 Jackson also out
spurs outrebounded almost 3-1 (41-15) by the third quarter and had 5 rebounds total after the first quarter

this win wasnt as improbable as you think
Manu vs 04 Lakers would be an improbable almost win
Chicago has like a .33% win ratio vs western teams and theyre better on the road then at home
their 2 worst loses in probably the Thibs era came vs 2 teams like the Spurs in the Nuggets and Houston
fast paced teams who can shoot the 3 have blown them out at home

[DPG21920]

So result oriented....

Had they lost it would have been because of the poor rebounding like vs Detroit, it works both ways. The rebounding has been dog lately and Pop still plays the turd tower frontline or goes micro every game.

Also Thibs is one of the worst coaches at managing minutes, his team is most likely exhausted tbh. It's an awesome win for the confidence of players like KY but the content is nothing to write home about aside from KY making things happen in iso situations.

I agree somewhat with the "results oriented" comment (if I understand what I think you mean) but this last line is just ludicrous speed.

[ChumpDumper]

it keeps getting better!

[Paranoid Pop]

Weren't you bolded? Like before?

No I don't think so , surprising given the number of quality takes I come up with, agree with you on that .

[benefactor]

So result oriented....

Had they lost it would have been because of the poor rebounding like vs Detroit, it works both ways. The rebounding has been dog lately and Pop still plays the turd tower frontline or goes micro every game.

Also Thibs is one of the worst coaches at managing minutes, his team is most likely exhausted tbh. It's an awesome win for the confidence of players like KY but the content is nothing to write home about aside from KY making things happen in iso situations.

There are times I feel like I should tell you to swallow a shotgun s but you probably have family that loves you...and perhaps you are actually smart in some other areas.

I don't know, maybe not.

[Paranoid Pop]

I agree somewhat with the "results oriented" comment (if I understand what I think you mean) but this last line is just ludicrous speed.

Well, it was pretty amazing to watch I agree.

[TheSkeptic]

No I don't think so , surprising given the number of quality takes I come up with, agree with you on that .

Hm. Maybe it's your former avy that made me think you were bold.

[Embedded]

Wow I didn't realize how good the Spurs' 'system' actually is until I saw this win. We were getting KILLED on the boards, but we didn't let it destroy our determination. You can think the near-win in Miami for this. Yes, timvp, I love this team too, probably because they seem so vulnerable at at times, but they find a way. Amazing, this was a very impressive win!!! LOL @ haters here, I guess that's to be expected.

[DMC]

Jesus, some of you guys don't seem to remember that we were pretty close to reaching the NBA Finals; it's not like OKC categorically whooped our butts. Let's be real, is there any one person we could realistically acquire at this point that would for sure improve our chances at winning a le? This woe-is-us at ude every time we fail to come out on top on every stat line even when we win by 15+ is just stupid. We beat a good team...with our bench. Enjoy it.

A backdoor sweep is an ass kicking. You're up 2-0 and you lose 4 straight. You got your ass kicked.

[exstatic]

Are you trolling or just stupid?

B

[DMC]

Great win though. Better than that last second loss at Miami. How much are the Spurs going to be fined for actually winning with their bench players, 500K?

[Spurminator]

There are still haters?

I admit, I've popped into a game thread maybe three times this year, which is Ground Zero for irrationally hyperbolic Spurs angst, but I'm having a little trouble figuring out what anyone could possibly knit-pick right now.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

There are still haters?

I admit, I've popped into a game thread maybe three times this year, which is Ground Zero for irrationally hyperbolic Spurs angst, but I'm having a little trouble figuring out what anyone could possibly knit-pick right now.

As long as ST exists, nits will be picked. Copious amounts of nits

[AussieFanKurt]

unexpected but I'll take it