The problem with starting Manu is that you want to find a solution long term. Unless you are really starting Manu from now on, going most of the season with that and postseason, it doesn't solve anything. Spurs have been trending to having Manu play more off the ball, and off other people, than having him handle the ball so much and depending on him to make plays. Therefore, that together with what I pointed above, makes me believe starting Manu is not the solution. Maybe Pop gives a chance to Patty, but like I said he's not better than Tony in terms of court vision and passing.
I have a solution, but I am not being realistic. Maybe Kyle is a year away. Pop knows his team better. If he's not ready, Tony will have to step it up. I don't think anyone else of our PG/SG can provide passing like Manu can and at 38 you don't want to rely on him to make chemistry happen in the first unit. Kyle is the younger developing prospect.
Putting Manu on the starting 5 means you have a bench with no one who can create a shot or get penetration. The offense would really struggle when the 2nd unit takes the floor. Green certainly can't create his shot, and Patty isn't much better at this point.
He would be getting the help of cross matchups with Green. guarding the weakest perimeter threat the same way Parker does. EXCEPT with length and timing to rely on he may be able to help against a lot of matchups in a way that Parker simply isnt.
I would have said yes last year, but Parker has started strong. Patty isn't exactly playing All-Star level point guard right now. He's playing well, but no need to change that. Main problem is Danny Green needs to hit shots. That will come. He's too good to continue with this slump.
Can I ask what makes you think that Kyle Anderson can guard NBA starting SF/SG/PGs? Do you have any data or observations with which you're drawing this conclusion, or just stating that "since he has long arms he can play d"?
This isnt a case I'm making in a vacuum. all alternate options to Parker are being compared in RELATION to Parker. and since KA hasnt started any games this year theres no data to prove or disprove the theory. its speculative.
Tbh Pop doesn't have the balls to move TP to the bench.
There is no much data because he hasn't played much, and hasn't started. He started a few games last season, when he was an even less developed player, and was adequate in a few opportunities. Of what little we have seen from him this season, he's been adequate and able to hold his own against many quick and smaller guards than he is. He's also handled them in switches. Still, it's limited opportunities and he will always need a good big man to help, which the starting unit has.
I believe he will be adequate if given the opportunity, but the reason I am suggesting he get an opportunity for a few minutes has to do with our playmaking, and the lack of ball movement that the first unit is currently suffering.
Most teams in the NBA do not look to PG for a source of defense. In fact, there are only a handful of defenders at point that could be considered "good" defenders. Paul, Rondo, Wall, Westbrook, Conley, and maybe Curry (he's been playing well but is on a BEAST of a defensive team and hasn't been doing it for long enough to know for sure).
And keep in mind: We're in the golden age of PGs right now. The point is just historically not a point of strength for defenses, so there are a lot of teams that could theoretically improve their defenses without a point, but it would crush their offensive production AND generate a lot of easy bucket turnovers if they don't have anyone to handle the ball up the court.
Patty Mills is not a viable solution at this point. I can't believe anyone would think he's viable right now when he has been far and away worse when he's handling the ball than Parker. It's baffling. Then again, it's SpursTalk, we're 5 games into the season, so I suppose I should expect a meltdown even if we were 5-0.
Adequate? What leads you to say this? Patty has been an unmitigated disaster on the court for the most part when I've seen him this year.
I agree with you that Patty is not the best option. I mentioned above that his court vision is not above Tony's and that his play to close the 3Q and start the 4th along with Danny's klutzy play led to TO and lost us a lead.
I am not advocating Patty. I am advocating a Danny/Kyle switch for a few minutes to promote playmaking. ...
Not really. The starters just need to drop the Hoosiers and feed the two actual scorers, LMA and Kawhi, early and often. That unit has the potential to be the best defensive starting 5 in the league, but the Parker-dribble and Duncan post ups are just a waste of time. The ball needs to be in Kawhi's or Lamarcus' hand every single possession, and everyone else can get theirs off of passes.
On a related note, Kawhi needs to get better at dumping the ball off to bigs when he gets to the paint and sucks their man over. He's leaving about 5 assists a night on the court right now.
I follow you, but we're trying to win this season, with Manu and Tim. If you were to tell me we're on a 2-3 year building schedule, I'll say throw Kyle into the fire and for that matter, Simmons and Boban too. So we're kinda in a bind in that aspect.
This is true to an extent, but Tony could get some of those minutes, and since there's always a bit more leeway in the bench since you're playing against arguably lesser opponents, it's easier to experiment with guys like Simmons, McCallum, etc...
The problem right now is that the starter's offense is pretty putrid if we're not hitting jumpshots... it might sort itself out with chemistry down the road... or it might need some tweaks
This is something else I noticed. I thought we would be more feeding LMA much more than we have so far.
We almost won it all 2012 in a "rebuilding" year. We can do it again. KA isnt a rookie, and honestly neither is Boban. If Pop would let them take their lumps now we could be in good shape come may.
I think that's an inaccurate statement. There have been a few times where Lamarcus has got the ball after screens and passed up open looks. Hes so wrapped up in fitting in that he wont let the offense come to him. I think in the beginning he should shoot the open looks off of the pick and pop. And then with his defender starts closing hard on him he should drive by him draw the double and look for the kick out. once this happens, it will add more flow to the offense and create a more hybrid version of the adaptive look that pop is looking for.
disagree. Kawhi and LMA are getting the shots early. It's the closing where the team opts to go to parker..
The type of shots that Aldridge is getting is a bigger problem than the number IMO..
Again, the solution is a simple pick-n-pop. Jason Terry wasn't a great ball handler or playmaker but the guy made a career running pick-n-pops. I'm assuming Pop know he can always run PnP w/ West/LMA so he's working on PnRs/post-ups/isolations.
I hear you, and ultimately we go the way of the old vets, sink or swim. Tony/Danny will fix their issues or they won't. I don't think switching Patty/Manu with them in any combination is an answer. Manu we have discussed and Patty, I don't believe is a better option at PG than Tony.
We probably are overreacting to 5 games, but we have noticed the sticky ball on these 5 games, we saw it in preseason with the first unit, and we saw signs of it from last season, they have only been magnified. I believe Pop will continue to give more chances to this group to get it together, but if its not solved within a reasonable schedule, it is time to get experimental. It is early season and hopefully they will get it together. If they don't, they won't win a championship like they are, and maybe Kyle or anyone won't save them at that point, which is kind of waht you are saying I think.
That's basically the OKC offense w/ Russy/KD.
See, you do agree with me.
I agree with this, and its a big problem. From what I have observed, the offense has a lot of side PnR action with both big men, but neither Kawhi nor Danny are particularly good at this kind of play.
TD likes the left elbow, same as LMA and often many plays end up for TD there, bc he grabbed position early. Tony also has infinitely more chemistry with TD than LMA and as a side effect, many TD PnR actions end up in plays finished by Tony. When you want to go away from Tony finishing plays, I think you also want to go away from TD in the PnR. There is some bumping going on TBH.
As suspected LMA/Diaw is better, since Diaw makes plays from all over, and is not keen on grabbing position in a particular spot.
I think the elephant in the room is that neither Kawhi nor Aldridge are particularly gifted passers. They have demonstrated unselfish play but its better if they are doing what they do best, score, than setting other ppl up.
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