I wanted to trade one of them before the trade deadline, they're not great fit for this team, I'll be happy to be proven wrong in the postseason but this team has too many flaws, the biggest one being its coach imo.
The biggest highlight from the game was KY playmaking, he has never shown much in the passing department so it was nice to see him find Duncan inside.
Take Green out because he can't do if Parker isn't driving and the opposite teams will do everything to prevent him to do so even if healthy and play a SG with playmaking abilities like De Colo or Neal and we will be better.
I think you're right on with these grades. On the surface one might wonder how the Spurs were even close in this game late, but then I remember that the Thunders' back court sucks on a regular basis. They appeared to have gotten their money's worth out of derek fisher in this one game.
Seeing comments about what happened to the fast break. Pop opting with De Colo in lieu of Joseph is what happened. Neither De Colo or Green are fast break savvy. I think Green's salvageable in that area with time, but not at all sure about Nando. Not having an up tempo might have effected Splitter's production as well. I'm having a hard time pinning down Tiago's fustrations last night. His head appeared to be somewhere else, maybe even up his own ass!
Parker's starting and then not producing brought up an ugly iden y crisis. If he wouldn't have been suited up then Pop would have started Joseph and the teams' chemistry might have looked much better.
Considering half the team didn't play up to their average I think the Spurs have many positives to take from this game. How 'bout the "Boss Man" Kawhi Leonard?
So much of any teams iden y is affected by who has the ball in his/her hands. For ten years for the Spurs that has been Tony or Manu. I'm sure that Pop does not want to coach this team without at least one of those men.
I think this season may be Popovich's best coaching job!
The Spurs woeful frontline deficiencies are being exposed yet again. Outside of Duncan, and with Splitter coming up small again, the Spurs have no other resource who can provide additional rebounding, shotblocking and defense.
Therefore, OKC can seemingly get whatever they want on the inside. Their constant stream of forays to the hoop, that usually end in dunks or offensive putbacks are a constant reminder of just where the Spurs are at a disadvantage in this matchup.
Yeah the guy who is one of the best passer on the team, who can dribble the ball without looking like a 6years old and who actually make his layups is the most worrying, right.
Splitter never seemed to recognize that the refs were allowing contact. Instead, he kept just trying his weak takes to the rim, and then ed at the refs (usually resulting in him being slow on getting back on D).Tiago Splitter D-
What … the … . Sure, the refs were allowing contact amongst the bigs but Splitter has to play tougher. His finishes around the basket were too soft. He again didn't take advantage of his size. His defense was porous. When Duncan sat, Splitter basically just allowed OKC to do whatever they wanted.
I know Splitter is still relatively new to the NBA game, but he needs to learn that NBA reffing is inconsistent at best. Calls made in one game will not always be made in the next. , calls made in one quarter will not always be made in the next. And when you are going up against a team that has a reputation for a "tough, physical frontcourt" (hint: Ibaka, Perkins, and Collison qualify) the refs are going to let even more go.
He either needs to learn to play through it (preferred), or defer to it and pass out unless he has a chippy. Don't go to the rim expecting a call, and just get your ass back on D if you don't get one.
What I do not like is many guys here calling Fishers game a fluke ... well, it was of course but I mean last playoffs Ibakas game was a fluke ... then another game it was this and that. I just takes four "flukes" and we are eliminated from the playoffs ...
Sounds as if you're a Nando groupie? I know the ability to make a layup is necessary in the NBA. He probably is one of the top 5 passers on the team. Oh yeah, he can dribble without looking at the ball. Don't worry(your word) he'll be ok, somewhere.Yeah the guy who is one of the best passer on the team, who can dribble the ball without looking like a 6years old and who actually make his layups is the most worrying, right
I think Nando is developing into a nice NBA point guard. But Cory Joseph is as well. Right now, CJ is better against explosive, athletic guards (Bledsoe type), while Nando with his height would be better suited to play against the Andre Miller type PGs ...
Not really, I'm a bit of Green hater tho.
I just like throwing at fisher, that's all. I know he has more les that Timmy has. I think ibaka being so "perfect" in last year's WCF was in no small part because of the Spurs not having anyone on the court that could guard him. You sound very discouraged with the team. I think the Spurs have a great chance to beat the Thunder in a seven game series, though I'm pretty sure they barely have a chance left at hca past the second round. I believe this Spurs team is well equipped for these playoffs and maybe Pop did not give the thunder a look at the much improved Joseph for a reason.
Understatement of the year...
No, I am just a little discouraged by the injuries - otherwise I would give us better chances against OKC than last year. I just wanted to point out that everybody (even that godamn Fisher) can have one impact game in a playoff series. And last year more Thunder than Spurs players made an unexpected impact ... that decided the series (together with awful officiating which should mentioned every time
What bothered me was at the end of the game,when the game was in reach,our offense resorts to isolations on every set. Timmy, Nando, Splitter, and even Green when he took that three were all guilty of this. This has seemed to be the case of our last possessions in a close game the past 10 games or so. Also, if were gonna iso, feed the hot hand, I was screaming for Leonard to at least get a touch, because up to that point he seemed to be the only one getting what he wanted, at least put the ball in his hands to create or score.
Overall the Spurs lack athleticism on the team fast break, been that way for yrs.
now that we are seein playoff like intensity in game the true splitter and d green are rearing their ugly heads. hope this trend does not continue but i have no reason to think otherwise.
I sort of don't know what to do about Green, he seems to be a very flow of the game player, where his performance on one end of the floor seriously effects the other end. He also gets caught up in helping at times on defense and forgets about his man. Personally I'd assign him to guard Westbrooke whenever they are both on the floor against the Thunder, I think he can keep up with him and Green's being constantly engaged and chasing the ball will keep his focus. Add in Westbrook will take the bait about being challenged by the spurs Defensive guard. I think De Colo has the size to guard sefolosa and can also guard jackson or fisher, for reserves and Parker guarding sefolosa can defend him as a driver and a jump-shooter but might be a bit vulnerable to being posted up. Good thing that isn't Thabo's game.
I have no idea what was up with Splitter, his head wasn't right, and the second unit wasn't running pick and roll with him which de colo should be able to do, and Neal as well. He wasn't that effective on defense either. With Perkins in foul trouble early this would have been a great game for him and duncan to run high, low when Ibaka came to help but it didn't happen.
Speaking of Gary Neal, he looked right physically, which is good, he tried being a facilitator at times tonight which no one was expecting, and didn't exactly work out great but at least he tries now. I am surprised given his lack of athletic explosiveness his pull-up jumper and driving floaters work as often as they do.
De Colo, (De Cola I actually like this slip on Reggie's part) A no name rookie on the guarding Westbrook has no chance Westbrook is going to the line constantly if that happens. The good part is that some of the more egregious BS made him mad which made him oddly more effective. At one point he was literally staggered by Russel throwing an elbow into his sternum then called for the foul when Westbrook jumped into him after clearing space. Then Westbrook steps away and calmly sinks the shot getting a follow through call. (Russel even looked a little surprised by that.) Not a bad outing but it was clearly a case of second string against first string there.
Kahwi Leonard; good game, and I think I saw him get his first few superstar calls this game.
Diaw, he was cold jumpshooting which hurt him in the closing minutes of the first quarter, he was actually being aggressive for him and looking to score during the time when the spurs had no scoring on the floor. His shot wasn't falling which after the second shot made him hesitate to pull the trigger. He worked as a facilitator and had a few baskets in the second half. I really think though that he needs given a few bunnies early in each game to remember hey, I can score and it works.
If the spurs aren't going to play Bonner/Blair why not bring Baynes for if nothing else to act as Eddwardo Najera and have 6 fouls. I also think getting hit in the chest with a heavy strong centers shoulder when contesting a shot will, make Ibaka think a little more about leaving his feet.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. That's right. We should beat up a guy who was trying to play through pain that may even be a stress fracture in his leg. You are just the absolute smartest basketball afficianado on this forum, aren't you? How can you hardly stand all the idiots around you failing to recognize your stellar contributions to the analysis of this team, its sport and its players? You know what? You shouldn't try to stand it. You should just STFU and get out of here.Lol at the idea of giving pity grades for "trying". And De Colo can't guard fast point guards, he's more fit to play SG in the nba, tooling De Colo doesn't mean that Chuckbrook was unguardable tbh
Don't know if it's been mentioned but Tiago hasn't missed a game all year, and he was playing his 4th game in 5 nights. Thinking back on it, it's not too surprising he looked as bad as he did out there. I hope Pop sits him for a game or 2 before the playoffs.
He's shown glimpses that he can play physical, and finish strong. I'm not too worried about him.
Given the injuries and the heavy schedule, I think our guys did a decent job. Gotta hand it to the Thunder, they played a really good game.
It would be great to see Kawhi play with this kind of zest in the playoffs, but to me he seems to be up for the task.
Splitter was GOD-AWFUL. I'd cover my eyes every time he got it down-low. Leonard fed him some great passes and he still couldn't finish. Parker was a no-show, he should be done until the playoffs, no question. Leonard was fantastic and played great, except for missing some of those critical free-throws that we needed towards the end there. I'm disappointed in Pop that Joseph, Mills, Bonner and Baynes got no playing time, when we were obviously in desperate need of our depth last night.
I am surprised that no one has mentioned it was the Spurs 4th game since Sunday and the Thunderefs first since Saturday. With that same rest Tony probably wouldn't have overextended himself to begin with.
gotta realize the spurs came back from 20 down not once, but twice, with kawhi looking like a future allstar, without tony (basically), manu, and jackson on the 4th game in 5 nights on the road against the #3 best team in the league who had the last 4 nights off to rest up and some help from the refs as always (westbrook pushoff twice in a row in the 4th, half the thunder team climbing/hanging off splitter like he was a tree on rebounds, etc)
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