Franchise player
Why do you think he cannot get touches? He got plenty of touches this series, and much of the time he'd dribble to the corner, get that rain man look on his face and dump it to someone else. Team leaders don't defer in the clutch, over and over, when their team needs them to score.
Not really, what's about game 1-5-6-7?.
In 4 games he didn't get those touches you said.
He didn't defer this game or last game in the 4th. Just his shots weren't falling but he attacked Griffin this game in the last quarter every time he could when Pop has gone small ball.And much of the time he'd dribble to the corner, get that rain man look on his face and dump it to someone else. Team leaders don't defer in the clutch, over and over, when their team needs them to score.
And again. Why we didn't see the ball in his hands when Rivers, Re and Crawford were guarding him? The second unit went all with Boris picks, and they were effective but you can't have Kawhi in the post against Rivers and not give him the ball like the previous games.
Last edited by wildchild; 05-03-2015 at 01:01 PM.
People in here hype him up to be the next Pippen but I can't recall Scottie ever having a hard time locking up a PG defensively.
He's a victim of the Clippers outcoaching the Spurs. Pop never made the adjustments to get him going.
Pop's adjustments was more enrique chucking and turning kawhi into a role player.
DG is better on PG's.
Agreed. Like loveforthegame said that wasn't the best way to play his strengths.Pop's adjustments ...turning kawhi into a role player.
The best Spurs games of the season were playing Kawhi as the best offensive option.
I couldn't have said it any better.
Pop got Kawhi going when we needed him in the Finals so he's capable of doing it.
This is true but it also shows Kawhi still has a long ways to go before he can be a great lockdown defender. I know people will bring up the DPOY award but in this series the last few games I didn't see him completely take any of the key Clipper perimeter players out of their game. I think prime Bowen was still a better defender because had that ability to shut down at least one important perimeter player during a series.
DG sucked all series on defense except for tonight. Tiago was and Parker well he's the tiest defender on the Spurs. That leaves Kawhi trying to cover for 3 guys defensively. He did a great job on Re in games 1-5. If he had to focus on Re only the entire series then he would of easily shut him down. But that wasn't the case. Pop had him guard Paul, Griffin, and Re and Barnes. 2 superstars, a clutch 3 point specialist and a very gritty player in Barnes. Now that's exhausting. Think about how much work Kawhi was asked to do defensively this series and then get back to me.
There is no excuses I can still recall Bowen being put in the same type of situations against the Mavs and the Suns where he had to guard a bunch of different perimeter players for different stretches during the game. During the last 3 games I never saw a stretch where Kawhi made any of the guys he was guarded uncomfortable they pretty much got whatever they wanted. A few times tonight he gave up easy points to Barnes especially that one play where Barnes got a dunk was all of Kawhi's fault.
Yeah, it's easy to play defense with a prime Duncan guarding the paint.
Too bad Chris Paul was getting open shot after shot from mid range
Right and I can't recall many times scrubs like Matt Barnes blowing by Bowen in crucial playoff games. Are a notorious choker like JJ hitting clutch 3's in Bowen's face. Kawhi screwed the pooch defensively the last 3 games just accept it and move on. I think he has the potential to get better but he's not a franchise player yet like some people make him out to be.
You do understand that he was covering for many players on the defensive end right? From Re to Paul to Griffin. You also understand that Bowen played with a prime Duncan, right? Also, Bowen got on plenty of times. Kawhi didn't have MVP like games in games 5-7 but who on the Spurs did? Kawhi is the reason the Spurs even got a shot 5 and had a shot at 6.
Rob says he's a new fan of the Spurs - he wouldn't know about the Bowen days.
Right again my point is how come he could not disrupt even one guys rhythm in the last 3 games. Every guy he was guarding the last 3 games went off on him. You would think at least one guy would have shot poorly when Kawhi was guarding them the last 3 games but it didn't happen.
Bowen had... Parker, a washed up Finley, Timmy who still didn't go outside of the paint, and Rasho ing Nesterovic/ Francisco Elson
Who knows what he could've been with Splitter, Timmy, and Green
I will never forget the '06 Mavs series where Bowen had to guard literally everybody on the court. He had to guard Dirk, Josh Howard who by the way was much better than that pos Barnes, Jason Terry, Devin Harris. The guy was an amazing defensive ace and on top of that he did that while the Spurs where playing the putrid small ball so he had to expand a lot of energy.Bowen had... Parker, a washed up Finley, Timmy who still didn't go outside of the paint, and Rasho ing Nesterovic/ Francisco Elson
Who knows what he could've been with Splitter, Timmy, and Green
I know, you just can't look at raw stats when it comes to Bruce. Even if someone was torching him, he'd do some dirty or get in their face. Kawhi's starting to get the Iverson syndrome, tbh... Cares so much about his SPG that he's risks passing lanes and if he s up then (post scrub here/Barnes) gets an open 3 or drive to the paint
Passing lanes, screens, quick guards, post players, etc. Just too many flaws in Kawhi's defense to be considered in Bowen's class.
This ain't a dig on Kawhi, he's three times the offensive player Bruce was but he sure doesn't affect the game like he did.
I said a few weeks ago that Bowen had a nastiness that neither Green or Kawhi possessed. Bowen took a lot of pride in stopping guys that if his man went off he would resort to dirty tactics because he really did take it as a sign of disrespect. Bowen was Rodmanesque when came to getting underneath guys skin. I still remember so many opposing players ing about him being a dirty player including Chris Paul who ed towards the league to get him suspended.
Yeah I remember you preaching to these new age Spurs fans. It's funny that the dude who closest resembles his dirty tactics in today's NBA, is the scrub who guarded Kawhi this series
Let me ask you a question. It's almost a daily routine for the Spurs to get torched by a scrub, you think not having a dirty/intimidating player on the team contributes to that? For example Griffin, it's a known fact that he s the bed when someone comes at him hard. Then he runs into the Spurs... Timmy who pats him on the butt after a foul, Splitter who's known to be soft and gets his stuffed by guards, Bonner who shouldn't be in the league at this point, Diaw having a rep of being just a big nice guy, Kawhi won't talk in a 7 game series, etc
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