PTR:-Kawhi Leonard is No Bruce Bowen

[Skull-1]

See my last post!

Great original take, moron. I hope this is your last post.

[xmas1997]

Great original take, moron. I hope this is your last post.

See my last post.

[Skull-1]

See my last post.

We did. You just keep repeating yourself. Do us all a favor and leave so we can get back to talking basketball, parrot.

[xmas1997]

We did. You just keep repeating yourself. Do us all a favor and leave so we can get back to talking basketball, parrot.

See my last post.

[Skull-1]

It was something they did most of the series; but they should have recognized and changed (especially in game 7)and given Bron and Wade less space as soon as they started to hit a few jumpers.

That gave them so much confidence.

I also wished they would have focused more on shutting down Wade in game 7 (again once he started hitting some shots, take out their 2nd playmaker); possibly switching Kawhi over to him.

If he switches Leonard what happens to James? The guy is a punk but also a one man wrecking ball... He would have gone off.

[therealtruth]

They let him have WIDE open threes the whole game and just dared him to shoot, even after he made 4 or so they still let him shoot wide open threes. It was not a good strategy and it backfired in that game. I still don't want to go back and watch any film man. You leave the best player in the game open he might just hit you know? Pop completely loses it at times IMO nowadays, he is not what he was.

Pop really didn't understand why the backing of Lebron strategy would or would not work. The strategy works because Lebron is not a spot up shooter and needs some rhythm to make his shots. However if you allow him to know where the shots are coming from and gain that rhythm he will knock them down. You have to switch up the defense to make it work and keep him guessing. But to consistently give a great player consistent looks is stupid.

[xmas1997]

Pop really didn't understand why the backing of Lebron strategy would or would not work. The strategy works because Lebron is not a spot up shooter and needs some rhythm to make his shots. However if you allow him to know where the shots are coming from and gain that rhythm he will knock them down. You have to switch up the defense to make it work and keep him guessing. But to consistently give a great player consistent looks is stupid.

Not only that but Wade went nuts on the Spurs too. It seemed like every time they had pretty much contained James, Wade had a field day. He was supposed to be injured, but was he? All of a sudden he would go off on the Spurs like he was taking peds or something.

[Sean Cagney]

Not only that but Wade went nuts on the Spurs too. It seemed like every time they had pretty much contained James, Wade had a field day. He was supposed to be injured, but was he? All of a sudden he would go off on the Spurs like he was taking peds or something.

Wade was not as hurt as they lead you to believe, he is just getting older now or is not as consistent anymore as he was. I don't think he was too bad at all.

[Sean Cagney]

The thing is though, did Pop want Kawhi to back off Lebron that much or did Kawhi up and give him more room than Pop wanted? What do you think? I would have got up on Lebron and made him drive, , the guy is also a shaky free throw shooter at times, so it might have been even better to foul him and put him on the free throw line instead of giving him open shots. I think fouling him at the end of game 6 when we were up 5 and putting him on the free throw line would have been better than giving him open three after open three.

I'm not really interested in going back and watching the game either. I don't even think the players need a refresher like at the start of last season when Pop showed them tape of game 6 against OKC.

I just realized that I've had very similar thoughts to what Jason Kidd had after game 6 against the Spurs in the 2003 finals. I read somewhere that he said that his son could have coached a better 4th quarter than Byron Scott. I think almost anyone of us here could have coached a better 4th quarter than Pop did in game 6.

I agree on almost every thing there. The thing is we took out TIM to defend the perimeter, then they fail to do that even and give wide open threes? Two in a row for Lebron? Yeah that makes sense, bench your man with 17 rebounds to defend the three but then don't defend it at all? Just all around bad on all ends.

[Skull-1]

Wade was not as hurt as they lead you to believe, he is just getting older now or is not as consistent anymore as he was. I don't think he was too bad at all.

He was faking it for his legacy IMHO.

[Sean Cagney]

He was faking it for his legacy IMHO.

I agree, he is slowing down with his style of play so he might use the hurt card at times from here on out. He looked pretty damn spry at times trying to fly in and dunk the ball.

[Skull-1]

I agree, he is slowing down with his style of play so he might use the hurt card at times from here on out. He looked pretty damn spry at times trying to fly in and dunk the ball.

Totally. Just like James being a fake flopper. It rubbed off on Wade.

[ginobilized]

Even Bowen admits the comparison of Kawhi and himself is very much in Kawhi's favor. At Kawhi's age Bruce had almost no skills. Kawhi could surpass Bowen on defense and already has on offense and rebounding.

[therealtruth]

I agree on almost every thing there. The thing is we took out TIM to defend the perimeter, then they fail to do that even and give wide open threes? Two in a row for Lebron? Yeah that makes sense, bench your man with 17 rebounds to defend the three but then don't defend it at all? Just all around bad on all ends.

Exactly. I think having Duncan out there would have reduced the chance of them making defensive mistakes. He's the QB of the defense. He would have made sure everyone was in the correct position. He might be slightly slower than Diaw but he's a much much better defender and rebounder. Another option is Splitter. He's shown the ability to stay with perimeter players and still bother their shot. The Spurs played it the worst possible way. I am a believer that simply contesting 3's is not as good as running the shooters of the line. It's a lottery whenever a 3 goes up and you never know what's going to happen with the rebound.

[Skull-1]

Even Bowen admits the comparison of Kawhi and himself is very much in Kawhi's favor. At Kawhi's age Bruce had almost no skills. Kawhi could surpass Bowen on defense and already has on offense and rebounding.

Yes, but peak Bruce was faster than a cat in reflexes. It remains to be seen if Leonard will match that.

[Sean Cagney]

Exactly. I think having Duncan out there would have reduced the chance of them making defensive mistakes. He's the QB of the defense. He would have made sure everyone was in the correct position. He might be slightly slower than Diaw but he's a much much better defender and rebounder. Another option is Splitter. He's shown the ability to stay with perimeter players and still bother their shot. The Spurs played it the worst possible way. I am a believer that simply contesting 3's is not as good as running the shooters of the line. It's a lottery whenever a 3 goes up and you never know what's going to happen with the rebound.

Thing is they did not even contest the threes, they left Lebron dead open for two in a row, so what was the point of going smaller if you are not going to even contest? Just throw your rebounders out there and have them sit if you aren't going to contest the damn shot anyways. All went wrong though like we said, the worst way possible.

[Lincolnkreifels]