Blaming Pop Makes No Sense

[CitizenDwayne]

Tears welling up in Kang's eyes.

That was beautiful to witness.

I agree. Do it again. Please.

[hommeaetage]

While I agree with the overall assessment, benching TD made no sense to me (even in the regular season I never agreed with it) You need your best rebounder and rim protector in the game no matter how you slice it, especially when he saw they had given up the first offensive rebound that led to LeBron 3

[hommeaetage]

And what about the lineup that started the 4th? Are you guys really telling me all of you did not scratch your head during the start of the 4th?

[Baam]

"You don't bench Manu" makes no sense, Pop benched Tim in the GS series when he wasn't helping.

[Baam]

And what about the lineup that started the 4th? Are you guys really telling me all of you did not scratch your head during the start of the 4th?

Yeah the popologists have no case, the only way to save face is tomorrow.

[DPG21920]

"You don't bench Manu" makes no sense, Pop benched Tim in the GS series when he wasn't helping.

Fair point

[Obstructed_View]

And what about the lineup that started the 4th? Are you guys really telling me all of you did not scratch your head during the start of the 4th?

I did.

[SA210]

And what about the lineup that started the 4th?

Yup, in a closeout game in the NBA Finals no less

[timvp]

Touching. If the score wasn't 94-89 when Duncan was benched, there might be some logic to it. As lame as your predictions?

Quality response.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tim benched due to planning to switch on the threes?

He doesn't have to worry about anyone going to the rack on him down five. You know they're shooting. He can play to defend the three. Let someone take a 25 footer over him. Go ahead...

It was a dumb decision.

You can't bench Manu? Come on LJ, if Tim can be benched vs. Golden State at the end, seven turnover Manu sure as can be.

[UZER]

cmon man. manu was having a horrible game, probably his worst ever. you just dont keep rolling with him because he got you here. And Manu hasnt even gotten us here this year. the spurs have won despite his horrid play the entire playoffs except for one game...one freaking game. Pop is a supposed "genius" at in game adjustments. How do you not sit Manu when he is clearly a turnover machine and the championship is on the line.


If he can bench Tim, who was having a horrible game, at the end of the GS game for the betterment of the team, then he can certainly bench Manu.

[timvp]

And what about the lineup that started the 4th? Are you guys really telling me all of you did not scratch your head during the start of the 4th?

Pop was trying to buy minutes for TD and TP. As tired as they were down the stretch, even in hindsight that looks like a decent enough decision since TD and TP were obviously out of gas by the end.

[AntiChrist]

Trying to assign blame is a worthless exercise. It's done. If it all worked out, people would be praising Pop.

Also, I think you have to give the Heat credit for not giving up. Did you see their body language at halftime?

[DPG21920]

Why does timvp ignore things? It's not a bet thread tbh..

[cd021]

I know Spurs fans have four ways of coping with defeat: 1) Blaming Bonner 2) Blaming the refs 3) Blaming small market bias 4) Blaming Pop

Since Bonner barely played, the refs were pretty damn fair and no other conspiracies make sense at this point, we're left to blame Pop as a coping mechanism. But I just don't see how it makes sense to blame him.

A) Subbing Duncan out when you're defending against three-pointers is something he's done for the last five years. And over that time, I'm willing to bet the Spurs have defended last second three-pointers better than any team in the league. It didn't work last night in the end but, damn, it took two cruel bounces (and friendly fire going for the rebounds) on the initial misses to break down the defense. This wasn't comparable to Vogel benching Hibbert because the Pacers weren't defending against three-pointers in that scenario. If the Spurs were up two points and Pop benched Duncan in that cir stance, I'd have my pitchfork in hand ........ but they weren't. You're up three, you put a lineup that can switch everything and you force a contested three-pointer. Everything worked other than the bounces off the misses.

B) Benching Parker late is something I disagreed with in real time, especially since the Spurs weren't calling timeouts to put him back in. However, after the game Parker said he was cramping up. If TP can't go, then yeah you have to take him out. Not much to complain about there.

C) You don't bench Manu Ginobili. How many times have we seen him suck for 95% of the game before coming up big at the end? He's done that so often that it's expected at this point. Manu is a player you want on your team when the going gets tough. Sure, he didn't play well last night (yeah, that's being kind) but you don't bench him. Only hindsight would tell you he should have been benched.

D) It's easy to say TD should have been force fed more in the second half. But this season, we've seen a lot of examples of 37-year-old Duncan only having the wherewithal to play great for half the game. This is far from the first time that has happened. It's possible he could have done more in the second half with more touches -- but far from assured. A more likely scenario is his historic first half used up everything he had to give -- on the offensive end especially.

Everything else is just nitpicking. If the Spurs hit one more free throw, got one good bounce, had one inch of difference anywhere in the last 25 seconds ... nobody would be blaming Pop for anything. We'd be the happiest fvcks on earth. But because of that flukishly terrible ending, a lot of us are looking to place blame. Pop, in this scenario especially, is the easiest target.

Speaking of which, I don't think blame should ride with any one person. This was a team collapse if I've ever seen a team collapse.

-Duncan didn't do much in the second half or overtime.

-Parker almost reached Kobe territory (6-for-23 is better than 6-for-24, thankfully).

-Ginobili didn't have the best game of his career.

-Leonard missed the free throw.

-Green didn't shoot straight.

-Diaw got too excited on D in the fourth and started playing LeBron too closely.

-Splitter is suddenly the word's tallest midget.

-Neal made Neal type mistakes.

-Pop could have done a better job coaching but his mistakes are on par with everyone else's.



Team loss. A Mufukn' team loss. Suck it up. Quit the whining. Dry the tears. Move on. Win Game 7.

That's all there is to do at this point.

I can agree with most every point but having Parker and Duncan both out with

-A struggling Manu he literally had half of the teams T.O's was the go to for 4:30 minutes of the fourth quarter.

-Green as stated did shoot well. He can't score without play-making something Manu wasn't doing.

-Splitter hit two shots that were fortunate to go in other than that we would have 10 possessions ( a rough estimate) without scoring

-Leonard should have been on the floor as well instead of Green, with Green switching in for Kawhi once Parker and or Duncan returned.

-The Diaw and Splitter big tandem is a major drop off. Both can't be on the floor at the same time in this series.

[Obstructed_View]

Quality response.

Lol irony.

[AntiChrist]

All I know is my team is playing game 7 tomorrow. Win or lose, if its a compe ive game, then we all just had the pleasure of witnessing one of the best NBA finals. Can't wait.

[timvp]

Tim benched due to planning to switch on the threes?

He doesn't have to worry about anyone going to the rack on him down five. You know they're shooting. He can play to defend the three. Let someone take a 25 footer over him. Go ahead...

Key phrase is "over him". Diaw's mobility is more useful when you're trying to defend the three-point line. If Pop keeps Duncan out there and he gets screened off and gives up a wide open three, the copers would still be coping while pointing at that, tbh.

You can't bench Manu? Come on LJ, if Tim can be benched vs. Golden State at the end, seven turnover Manu sure as can be.

TD got benched for matchups -- not poor play.

The matchups were perfect for Manu -- he just didn't play well. Admit it, if Manu comes down the lane and hits a game-winning layup at the end, no one be sitting her whining about Pop still having him in the game.

Ginobili out of anyone in Spurs history is the player who can turn a bad game into a great game in an instant. You know this.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

And what about the fourth quarter?

That line up to start the fourth was something that Pop would trot out against Charlotte in December.

In game 6 of the Finals with a chance to win a le? And after he recognized the problem with a similar lineup in game 5 and brought Tim and Tony back in earlier?

Pop coached the fourth and OT like he was planning for it to go seven, not like he was going for the kill shot. And he might have cost the Spurs a le in doing so.

[RD2191]

Hey obstructed, what are your thoughts on Splitter this series? Shoule he be playing more? Should he start again?

[timvp]

Lol irony.

Lol predictable coping mechanism.

[Arcadian]

A) Subbing Duncan out when you're defending against three-pointers is something he's done for the last five years. And over that time, I'm willing to bet the Spurs have defended last second three-pointers better than any team in the league.

Yes, but they probably had another 7-footer or designated rebounder in the game in his place. You always have to secure the rebound after you make a stop, otherwise the defense was pointless. This is fundamental basketball. Saying "he's always done this" is irrelevant. If he's always done this, he's always been wrong. (If it's worked in the past, he's been lucky.)

[2centsworth]

F U Pop you arrogant POS.

Overwhelming stupid!

[Fabbs]

C) You don't bench Manu Ginobili. How many times have we seen him suck for 95% of the game before coming up big at the end? He's done that so often that it's expected at this point. Manu is a player you want on your team when the going gets tough. Sure, he didn't play well last night (yeah, that's being kind) but you don't bench him. Only hindsight would tell you he should have been benched.

compare and contrast

timvp -I love Manu and I still want him back next year but watching the tape makes it difficult not to be mad at him. If he dies during warmups of Game 6, the Spurs win by 15 to 20 points. He was literally the best player on the Heat last night.

Wasn't hindsight. You could tell Manu was jacked up in the 1st three minutes he played. We were howling when Coach Never Repeat reinserted Ginobili.

[DPG21920]

Not only the "Manu dies" quote, but this:

In the three losses this series, the Spurs have a plus/minus of -66 when Manu is on the court.

When he has been on the bench in those three games, the Spurs have a plus/minus of +30.

Blaming a series loss on one player is too cruel (even Hedo, tbh) but, damn, a 96 point swing in three games?

How is it not his fault now and a "team loss"?