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It's injuries and the bench playing terribly and their being no playmaker off the bench or real point guard. So really this getting to the point where a first round exit is looking possible.
Can there be any other explanation? Maybe he's trying to erase the karma of going in as the 1 seed. It hasn't worked for some time now and hey, it's worth a shot, right? Has Pop turned to mysticism of the basketball gods by offering sacrificial losses to balance the wins in some sort of perpetual harmony? Or is it simply a message to his team that they have loftier goals than what can be achieved in the regular season?
Or is it just injuries?
Either way,
It's injuries and the bench playing terribly and their being no playmaker off the bench or real point guard. So really this getting to the point where a first round exit is looking possible.
Dementia, tbh
He was not happy with last year's 20 game win streak, there is no doubt about that: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8952460
So who knows what's going through his batty skull, but I'm sure he's happier than he was last season at this point in time.
I don't think Pop is tanking at all. But right now, it's looking more and more like 2011. As disappointed as I was last year, it's light years' better than 2011.
Gotta admit. The 2nd seed look a bit easier path than the 1st seed. Especially limping into the playoffs
Yeah. Our offense is atrocious, mostly because we're missing Tony and a healthy, in-rhythm Manu, and partly because our chemistry in general is off this year.Can there be any other explanation? Maybe he's trying to erase the karma of going in as the 1 seed. It hasn't worked for some time now and hey, it's worth a shot, right? Has Pop turned to mysticism of the basketball gods by offering sacrificial losses to balance the wins in some sort of perpetual harmony? Or is it simply a message to his team that they have loftier goals than what can be achieved in the regular season?
Or is it just injuries?
Either way,
Playing 5 midgets vs Denver tall ball is very su ious
It appears Denver did everything they could to throw this game unfortunately they just couldn't play that bad.
Houston -> Denver is definitely an easier path to the WCF than Lakers -> Memphis/Clippers. And if the Spurs can't win on the road vs OKC, there's no point in even making the trip to Miami.
There's always been a lot of talk about "better healthy than 1st seed", but in previous years Pop actually played his player into the ground to get the 1st seed. Yesterday, instead, he decided to sit Parker even though he was probable. Also for several years now the spurs had the worst path to the WCF despite being the 1st seed. I think it's the first year when the Spurs can finally have a bit of control about who they are going to meet in the playoffs. I definitely think he's tanking.
As long as the team is healthy I don't mind the seeding or that 60-win regular season record.. rest them Pop!
2nd seed - easier road ...............................
Pop scared of third straight number one seed with nothing to show for it.
Yeah, 2 seasons at the 1 seed didn't lead to much, plus a 20 game win streak ended up with 4 straight losses. Like Seinfeld said, if what you're doing is wrong then the opposite would have to be right.
"My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents."
i really do hope he's tanking because the team looked flat and uninspired last night. not the way you want to play headed into the playoffs.
One thing is for sure -- the Spurs can put the Lakers into the playoffs (and make sure OKC plays them) by tanking that last game in LA.
Who knows, maybe thats the plan all along. Give OKC a good test in the first round, having to contend with Howard and Gasol. (On the flip side, there is no way the Lakers will be able to contain Westbrook, so I don't think there is any way they could win that series).
If things stand as they are now, OKC would have to go through two of the following: Lakers, Clippers, Memphis. Those are all three teams that can hurt them on the inside, and would at least be bruising opponents. Meanwhile, the Spurs get better matchups for the first two rounds.
I always felt such a strategy is playing with fire, but if you combine seeding with the stigma of being a one seed, I think I'm sold that the two seed is the way to go.
In Pop We Trust.
Mrs. Popovich?
Must look good and preserve legacy.... mustn't draw unnecessary attention to self...
& I think we're gonna need that.
That's Pop making coaching snafu's, but that's the players tanking. I'm just afraid of an 85% Timmy, 60% Manu and 70% Parker suiting up for the playoffs and Pop telling everyone else to trust them because they got it done as recently as six years ago.
honestly the spurs have been overachieving this year and that's probably because of duncan. even with lots of injuries, pop was able to wring out the last drop of talent from perennial scrubs like neal, bonner, blair and green. all the actually talented players like parker, diaw, and leonard suffered injuries while manu and sjax remain too old and tired to cross the street by themselves. duncan has really lifted this team but he can only do so much. splitter has been disappointing of late too, it looks like his balls shrank.
as much as i would love to watch the spurs sweep the lakers, it's probably for the best to continue resting parker, ginobili, diaw, and jackson. spurs should shut things down until the last couple of games.
if anyone actually watches the spurs games and the lineups pop has in the games, u can EASILY see he's tanking. a combination of splitter, bonner, and nando on the floor at the same time aren't even good enough for a final 4 team in the NIT.
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