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I'm just excited to see some small-ball lineups with Kawhi at the 4 and Aldridge at the 5. Something like Parker/Green/Manu/Kawhi/Aldridge or Patty/Green/Manu/Kawhi/Aldridge would be deadly IMO.
For this upcoming season, I think Pop's most difficult task is finding the best 2 units to play the most minutes together. Watching the Heatles and OKC after Harden, you find that their respective coaches will play one of their stars at a time (in the second and third quarters) to maximize touches and rest. But with all the star power that the Spurs have amassed this offseason, what lineups would you prefer to see, and why?
My 2 are
Parker - Mills
Green - Mcallum
Manu - Kawhi
LMA - Diaw
West - Duncan
Why?
In the past, Parker and Manu have always played separately. This is because they are our only 2 playmakers/ball handlers, and with the amount of high pick and rolls that are ran in our system, you always need one or the other on the floor at all times. So why did I put them together? Well for one, I think that at this age, it's too much of a grind on them to carry a workload offense single-handedly. We saw that last year, Parker couldn't do it effectively, and Manu could do it only for small bursts. Imo, putting them together keeps them fresh. If you in layman's terms, take turns on offense, assuming that the one not partaking in the PnR can knock down the open corner 3, then you have yourself a pretty sweet 1-2 punch. Executing the PnR with LMA would allow them to either dish it to him, finish at the basket, or make the pass to the open man. Green will be Green, and West will be a great compliment to this unit.
Secondly, the reason why I put Parker and Manu together, is so that Kawhi can finally be featured in the offense. At times to me, he defers too much to them and doesn't take it upon himself to be Batman (or he simply just gets frozen out of the offense). In this lineup, Mills can be a spot up shooter, Mcallum the traditional point guard, and with Diaw being his passive self, I see Kawhi being force fed even more than he was last year. He will have a chance to develop his playmaking skills, and his offense will grow a few more wrinkles (basically do to him what the Pacers did for Paul George). Another reason why I have this specific lineup, is that I honestly don't like the idea of Duncan and LMA playing together (defensively for stretches, obviously we have to close the game with both of them). Only because our roster has no true center (I doubt Boban plays when everybody is active) outside of those two, and it'd be best for us to have one on the floor at all times rather than gamble with one of West and/or Diaw (turd towers all over again). Plus, a lot of the Spurs sets end in 4 down or 5 down. It'd be nice to dump it off to LMA or Duncan when the play breaks down, instead of West or Diaw due to a size mismatch. You'd technically be wasting this luxury if you played both together.
Now I'm not suggesting Pop go full hockey subs utions and run iso's left and right, and I understand we run a motion offense where everybody gets to touch the ball, but I'm just trying to express what I think is best for the team now and for the future. Hopefully I'm wrong and we see another rendition of the 2014 Spurs, but it will truly come down to how Pop manages our rotations.
Last edited by Cloud786; 07-23-2015 at 07:56 PM.
I'm just excited to see some small-ball lineups with Kawhi at the 4 and Aldridge at the 5. Something like Parker/Green/Manu/Kawhi/Aldridge or Patty/Green/Manu/Kawhi/Aldridge would be deadly IMO.
Depending on Manu and Tony's level of play, the regular SL or:
Manu
Green
Kawhi
Duncan
Aldridge
If LMA s the bed:
Manu/Tony
Green
Kawhi
West
Duncan
Basically their best lineups will always include Danny, Kawhi, and Tim.
Line-up 1
Jimmer
Manu
Kawhi
Aldridge
Duncan
Line-up 2
Mills
Green (Manu)
Diaw
West
Bogan
First line-up; cos I think it'll be nice to see Jimmer play with a will facilitator like Manu finally in his career. Jimmer and Manu can both bring the ball up and play in the pick n' roll. They can both knock down open threes that they create for each other as well as Kawhi on drive and kicks. Also, it'll be fun to see Jimmer and Kawhi play together.
Second line-up has the three shooting of what has traditionally been our two best three shooters (Though I'd probably subs ute Manu for Green if I wanted more offense and less defense). It has Diaw facilitating them or high-low with West. Also, it'll be fun at least initially to see Bogan in a big line-up like that to see what he can do.
Lineup 1:
Parker
Ginobili
Leonard
Aldridge
Duncan
Lineup 2: (if playing Matt Barnes)
Parker
Ginobili
Green
Aldridge
Duncan
cant have a "most effective lineup" without kawhi in it...
Most effective line-ups will always include Green and Kawhi
If I could run 5 for 48 minutes, it'd be Manu/Green/Kawhi/LMA/Duncan, but I'm speaking from a rotations/subs utions perspective, in terms of flow of the offense and balance on defense, specifically in the second and third quarters of games (and if listing two, no repeats. Assume Pop resembles something like last year when the entire bench mob/Foreign Legion entered and played together)
Last edited by Cloud786; 07-23-2015 at 08:40 PM.
everything is really situational based.
If Team needs quick Points ASAP and down 15 in the 4th
Patty
Manu
Green
Leonard
Aldridge
If Team needs to defend
Simmons
Greens
Leonard
Aldridge
TD
Maintain flow
Parker
Green
Leonard
Aldridge
TD
Overall I think the best team to use late in the fourth
Parker/Manu if Tony is detrimental and playing poorly
Green/Manu if Green is on a cold streak and there's only one perimeter superstar
Leonard in all situations
Aldridge in all situation
TD in all situations, save when the team is trying to make a 3 point stop or down huge and need a three point barrage
This is just something I personally wanna see, but:
Manu
Simmons
Danny
Kawhi
and any of Timmy/LMA/DWest
Great post, a lot will depend on the matchup...
Pop is gonna either win a lot of games because of great decision making with his lineups or things up...
Vs OKC, there is a chance they put a durant at pf, throwing off an aldridge/Duncan lineup... How will pop react to this?
Same vs a cavs/gs team that can go small...
Spurs can easily go with kawhi at pf or just stick with aldridge/Duncan or diaw/aldridge lineup.... We will see, that is some exciting stuff...
Manu/Patty/Green/Kawhi/Duncan would be great imo.
The tandem I want to see is Manu and Aldrige. Did u see Manu dropping dimes to Tiago, pick and slide down or fake the pick and toss over the top but a lot of times Tiago blew to many easy lay ups. Yes I know the Manu turnovers but Manu is still are best passer and takes a lot of chances. Manu coming back off a iffy year, means Manu on a mission. Go back to Manu when he said he was terrible in the finals when Ray hit the shot. He was turning it over like every pass but he said over the summer he might have to retire over his skills diminishing. He's like that and I'm not retiring over that stinky series. He in prove the haters wrong on the following season. A pissed Manu is a good Manu. I just hope Manu and Aldrige get on the same page before season ends. In Manu we trust! The Manu bounce pass between the legs of the opponent is coming back. I don't think I seen one all of last year but I could be wrong.
Let's see them on court together first
Agree. Manu to replace Parker on the starting five. Makes for much better defense too!
The problem though is the 2nd team is too small with both Mills and Parker in the backcourt.
LMA will kill durant in the post and has the quickness to guard him on the other side
Simmons
Green
Kawhi
Diaw
Aldridge
Not most effective but entertaining.
Spurs have two small ball killers in Diaw and West. Aldridge cannot and will not gaurd durant. I would put Diaw or West at the 4 but get them to guard the worst perminter player like Roberson or Singler, and have Leonard or Green to guard Durant. Then on offense I punish whoever is guarding West/Diaw because there will be no one in their small team that could.
Besides, I think Kanter is a big hole for their team. Who will he guard? TD or LMA. Both will destroy him. I think Thunder will be forced to play small.
I think we don't see much of Kawhi at the 4, bc his defense on the perimeter is deadly. Its not that he can't play at the 4 IMO, it is actually just that you want him playing full perimeter where he is just a terror. The team has several awesome to good options at the 4 too, whereas the 3 and perimeter defense is where you really really need him.
Any lineup with Kawhi will be beasting. After that I think you want Duncan for his rim protection and LMA for the defensive attention he will command, it will just open things up for whoever is playing alongside him. LMA is also a beast rebounder, and that was an area where we suffered last year at times, particularly when Kawhi was injured. I could see Pop staggering LMA and Kawhi. Beyond that, Pop going scientist mode. I personally look forward to seeing everyone play.
I can't give you a prediction on the MEU bc there are a lot of guys I haven't seen play, but any lineup with Kawhi and LMA = Beast.
The one that scores more points than the other team.
I don't believe Durant could guard either Tim or LA in the post. He'd likely be in foul trouble in the first quarter.
Mills, Green, Leonard, Diaw, Duncan.
Let's say Spurs start with this lineup, which has not only firepower but passing, then they follow with this second unit:
Parker
Ginobili
Simmons
Aldridge
West
talk about utter demolition of the opponent!
Mills Manu Simmons West Diaw
Got sparkplugs on both sides of the ball, in Mills and Simmons
2 playmakers in Diaw and Manu
2 girthy guys in West and Diaw
3 shooters
2 slashers...
You'll almost never see that lineup, for three reasons . . .
1 - They have four top three bigs. It'll be difficult enough getting them all representative minutes; particularly West.
2 - They lack an established, quality fourth wing. The more Leonard plays PF, the more minutes Anderson/Simmons/whoever ends up being the final wing, will have to play.
3 - They prefer to play big, mainly because they think the system runs better that way. In recent seasons, despite the lack of a quality fourth big and having four quality wings they've almost always stayed big.
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