Pop's Minute Management & Adjustment Won This Game

[hitmantb]

For everyone complaining about him throwing up the white flag early in game 3 and 4, this is exactly why. At this stage of GDP's career their cooldown is much longer and Pop really needs to protect their minutes at all cost. Playing them for an extra 10 minutes for a 5% chance to make a comeback is simply not worth it unless it is a do-or-die game. Keep in mind the 30-40th minute is way more stressful than 0-10 and Spurs bench at this point usually can outplay fatigued Spurs starters. All three members of the GDP core when fresh can still take over a quarter with high % field goal, they just don't have the stamina to score 30 point games anymore. I am actually perfect OK with GDP getting 30-35 minutes rest of the playoffs, quality over quan y and use the bench. We are not going to beat Heat/Thunder with star power. We have to play the fatigue game.

Spurs was also very lucky Brooks was an idiot to play Durant for 40 minutes, Westbrook for 46 minutes in a blow out game. They clearly didn't have the defensive energy today. They played high efficiency offense for one half, but offense does not beat this Spurs team if it get the passing game going with low turnovers. The ultra intense defense they played in games 3 and 4 can not be sustained with only one day between games.

Duncan/Splitter probably shouldn't play together again rest of the playoffs. Duncan at this point is no longer capable of threatening any team with 1v1 post-up's (Heat has Duncan post-up killer in Birdman, Bosh can most likely also hold this year's Duncan to low post up %) or middle range jumpers. He is however an excellent catch and finish around the rim, sets great screens, moves great without ball, just stop calling ISO's for him.

Having a stretch four, even as bad as Bonner creates way more spacing for Spurs passing game. When Splitter comes in he can use all of his energy on defense and play the same clean-up around the basket offense. Duncan + Splitter is very redundant on offense and kills our spacing. Great adjustment and huge balls to starter Bonner!

There is an excellent chance for Spurs to win game 6 if Ibaka/Jackson start to run out of gas from their injuries. Crossing my fingers but time to give Pop his due!

[Malik Hairston]

Pop coached one of his best games in years, tbh..

The stretch 4 also allowed Leonard more driving lanes(which worked, since he finished at the rim and got to the free throw line several times), along with giving Duncan more room to position himself for catches/finishes..

He also kept Belinelli on the bench until the Spurs were up by 17, and even Mills only played 5 minutes in the 1st half..perfect rotation, kept it shorter than usual until the Spurs had a nice cushion.

He also mixed coverages on Westbrook/Durant with Leonard and Green, unlike past games..

[DesignatedT]

No question the thunder are getting fatigued IMO

[cjw]

Brooks HAD to run Russ and KD that long in game 4 once that league dwindled. Jackson was hobbled and the rest of the team can't create a shot to save their life. That 12 point lead would have been at risk - albeit not great risk - had they played their scrubs.

[Virgil]

[Jenks]

I thought his time outs in the first half were phenomenal, just perfectly timed. Any time OKC started to separate he didn't let it get away. All credit to him for ending the first quarter tied instead of down 10.

[DPG21920]

Pop coached one of his best games in years, tbh..

The stretch 4 also allowed Leonard more driving lanes(which worked, since he finished at the rim and got to the free throw line several times), along with giving Duncan more room to position himself for catches/finishes..

He also kept Belinelli on the bench until the Spurs were up by 17, and even Mills only played 5 minutes in the 1st half..perfect rotation, kept it shorter than usual until the Spurs had a nice cushion.

He also mixed coverages on Westbrook/Durant with Leonard and Green, unlike past games..

You were ok with Bonner starting? Spurs were getting carved up in the paint until he brought in Diaw. Then, Pop played Bonner with another big when OKC only had one big and it led to 3 wide open 3's: One made, one missed but Bonner fouled for 3 FT's & one missed completely.

Only thing he did wrong IMO and obviously it didn't hurt.

[thiste]

If only Bonner could make one ing shot. One.

[Malik Hairston]

You were ok with Bonner starting? Spurs were getting carved up in the paint until he brought in Diaw. Then, Pop played Bonner with another big when OKC only had one big and it led to 3 wide open 3's: One made, one missed but Bonner fouled for 3 FT's & one missed completely.

Only thing he did wrong IMO and obviously it didn't hurt.

No, but at least he went away from it in the 2nd half, so I give him credit for that..

[Horse]

For everyone complaining about him throwing up the white flag early in game 3 and 4, this is exactly why. At this stage of GDP's career their cooldown is much longer and Pop really needs to protect the minute at all cost. Playing them for an extra 10 minutes for a 5% chance to make a comeback is simply not worth it unless it is a do-or-die game. Keep in mind the 30-40th minute is way more stressful than 0-10 and Spurs bench at this point usually can outplay fatigued Spurs starters. All three members of the GDP core when fresh can still take over a quarter with high % field goal, they just don't have the stamina to score 30 point games anymore.

Spurs was also very lucky Brooks was an idiot to play Durant for 40 minutes, Westbrook for 46 minutes in a blow out game. They clearly didn't have the defensive energy today. They played high efficiency offense but offense does not beat this Spurs team if its the passing game running with low turnovers. The ultra intense defense they played in games 3 and 4 can not be sustained without more than 1 day between games.

Duncan/Splitter probably shouldn't play together again rest of the playoffs. Duncan at this point is no longer capable of threatening any team with 1v1 post-up's or middle range jumpers. He is however an excellent catch and finish around the rim and having a stretch four, even as bad as Bonner creates way more spacing for Spurs passing game. When Splitter comes in he can use all of his energy on defense and play the same clean-up around the basket offense. Duncan + Splitter is very redundant on offense and kills our spacing.

There is an excellent chance for Spurs to win game 6 if Ibaka/Jackson start to run out of gas from their injuries. Crossing my fingers but time to give Pop his due!

You will see in the finals a team Timmy can post up.

[spurraider21]

if reggie jackson wasn't schooling Timmy around the rim in the first quarter, this game could have gotten out of hand a lot more quickly

[Horry Hipcheck]

All of this. Huge props to CoJo and the bench for giving Brooks reason to leave the starters in. Pop with the foresight to Game 5 and he coached the out of tonight's game. None of his "keep up the intensity" . He was one on one with Parker, shouting at players to stay in front of Westbrook, showing energy for days. This team is coming hard for the Finals.

[313]

Pop coached one of his best games in years, tbh..

The stretch 4 also allowed Leonard more driving lanes(which worked, since he finished at the rim and got to the free throw line several times), along with giving Duncan more room to position himself for catches/finishes..

He also kept Belinelli on the bench until the Spurs were up by 17, and even Mills only played 5 minutes in the 1st half..perfect rotation, kept it shorter than usual until the Spurs had a nice cushion.

He also mixed coverages on Westbrook/Durant with Leonard and Green, unlike past games..

He had them switching more than usual on screens too.

[Horry Hipcheck]

You were ok with Bonner starting? Spurs were getting carved up in the paint until he brought in Diaw. Then, Pop played Bonner with another big when OKC only had one big and it led to 3 wide open 3's: One made, one missed but Bonner fouled for 3 FT's & one missed completely.

Only thing he did wrong IMO and obviously it didn't hurt.

Bonner was fine for the first few minutes. Forced Ibaka into some ugly shots, before ultimately becoming a problem. Thankfully Pop didn't stick with him for long, and starting Diaw instead might not have worked as well.

[DesignatedT]

Bonner is just another look and a distraction to some degree. I'm fine with him getting a few minutes but overplaying him leads to disaster as we all know.

[DPG21920]

Agreed - Pop's logic was great and he was fully engaged and made all the right adjustments.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

All of this. Huge props to CoJo and the bench for giving Brooks reason to leave the starters in. Pop with the foresight to Game 5 and he coached the out of tonight's game. None of his "keep up the intensity" . He was one on one with Parker, shouting at players to stay in front of Westbrook, showing energy for days. This team is coming hard for the Finals.

Damn right

[ginobilized]

It makes me think that Pop started to win game 5 during the 3rd quarter of game 4. Genius moves.
He really coached a phenomenal game tonight, but, started to redirect the energy and got his team to buy into it. Once the energy changed for the Spurs it bothered the Thunder.

[pgardn]

This was superior utilization of what we got.

And if it was not working another fit was added. Bonner to Diaw was only the first.
We had a ton of energy left for the entire game because of the utilization.
They are so much more talented individually, another victory for TEAM basketball.

[xellos88330]

My favorite adjustment was the complete destruction of OKC's trap defense on the pick and roll. Make first easy pass to the wing while the big immediately dives to the basket. Hit the big with a pass and take it hard to the rim. Beautiful work!!!

[slick'81]

My favorite adjustment was the complete destruction of OKC's trap defense on the pick and roll. Make first easy pass to the wing while the big immediately dives to the basket. Hit the big with a pass and take it hard to the rim. Beautiful work!!!

This instead of swinging it back out on the perimeter the threw the ball inside

[Poolboy5623]

I would say pop coached a near perfect game. I about lost it, when he had Bonner out there, with only one okc big. Thankfully he put diaw in quickly. Bottom line though, guys made shots. Had the 3s not been dropping, this place would be going nuts, if the Bonner experiment didn't turn out so well.

[cd021]

if reggie jackson wasn't schooling Timmy around the rim in the first quarter, this game could have gotten out of hand a lot more quickly

Refs: "No it woudn't"

But seriously, Jackson was going hard at Duncan and Tim couldn't really even affect his shot. I don't have the metrics to back it up but Splitter has to be better this postseason at rim protection.

I thought Leonard and Green did fantastic jobs on Durant and WB keeping them, out of the paint and the line.

[cd021]

Diaw was unbelievable. He was surprisingly good on the glass as well. 28 minutes, 13 points, 6 Rebs, 3 asts, 2-2 3pt. +19.

That fake 3 bullet to Duncan in the paint for an layup was a play very few other PFs can make.

[heyheymymy]

I thought his time outs in the first half were phenomenal, just perfectly timed. Any time OKC started to separate he didn't let it get away. All credit to him for ending the first quarter tied instead of down 10.

i noticed that too, he totally took control of the game