Reply With Quote
I missed those eras, regrettably. I was too young and not into BBALL lol.How did you like that funky lineup with Butler, Simmons, Anderson, Bobo and Patty?
Popovich is doing the same thing he has done on several of his championship years as he figures out how to put together this roster. The 2015 team took two years to really reach their pinnacle.
Nonetheless, this is not new territory. He did it with guys like Berry, Belli, Finley, Elson, Willis, Kersey, et al over the years. This is precisely where Popovich's program pays off over time. Simmons is getting the same shot as two Jacksons, Neal, and Green. Bobo when he got here was much like Aldridge now: hesitant to take shots and unsure of where to go. West and Bobo are fun to watch already. They screw up their spacing a lot. So does Simmons, Anderson, West, and all the other new guys.
I do like how you write a bit like KBP it makes me nostalgic.
I find all the coaching by Pop the most interesting aspect of the Spurs. I actually am more intrigued by things like strategies and styles that Pop goes with and with his experiments and adjustments during games, than with a single player. With the Spurs it is the collective that keeps me interested. Last year, what intrigued me was watching Kawhi's expanding role because there really wasn't anyone else new to be excited about, and they never reached the high the had achieved the championship season. I kind of felt Pop should have refreshed last season's roster, and we were hit by attrition pretty hard. We now know they were staying pat because they were hoping for a bit time acquisition over the summer, which we got, but we could have improved. However, any improvement they could added would have had a marginal impact and they risked it for a more impactful player this season, and it was a good call, but at the time we felt very stale.
To be honest, I would much have rather played Anderson last season than any Daye minutes, because Anderson competes and makes many hustle plays that help you win games even when he's not shooting well, which hopefully bodes well for his future, as well as his youth (Daye was much more limited to a one trick pony, with a very bad trick, and with low likelihood of improvement considering he was a journeyman veteran 26 yrs. old already, and he had a low BBIQ.) But the fact Pop gave Daye a real shot before moving on just tells me how fair Pop is in giving guys a real shot at improving before moving on. I also thought Jamychal Green was a much better player than Ayers and it showed during preseason.
I might be overstepping into imaginary land, but Anderson's length and potential against small ball makes him a weapon. Limited samples and minutes, but he's been a real gem as a small ball 4. He's a real smart BBall player, and anticipates. He's not athletic, but he's at the right spot at the right time. Guys like Duncan and Diaw are the same on defense. Its not the athletic defensive plays for them, but their feel for the game and anticipation which helps them. I like Anderson's potential very much. He's just a young player still finding his game, still adjusting to this level, learning what he can and cannot do, and how to compensate for his lack of speed. But he will need to be more aggressive with his shots. He doesn't need to go all summer league on us, but he can't be Diaw 1.0 for us out there either. At some point, Pop really got on his mind about the shot selection and he's lost confidence in his game. He has to get aggressive and start shooting the 3.
Anderson and Simmons are a terrific tandem for our future bench, both can pass at an elite level, they are just inexperienced. Anderson will be able to find Simmons in all sorts of cuts. We saw it in SL, and they have chemistry. I thought that small ball team Pop put out there worked because Anderson defensively compensated for the lack of rim protection somewhat with all of his deflections, and pressure on guys getting to the basket. Simmons athleticism in transition stands out, but that lineup would have been eaten alive on defense if not for Anderson.
Rasual also made a few defensive plays in that stretch. I actually liked that lineup a lot, subs ute Kawhi for Rasual and you have a killer lineup that also ate Denver alive the past game.
