I don't understand why some are scared of the Warriors, tbh

[BD24]

Out of curiosity, what lineup do you think the Spurs would/should go to in order to combat the Warriors' smallball lineup of Curry/Klay/Iggy/Barnes/Green (probably their most effective lineup)?

Parker (or Mills, depending on what shape Parker is in)/Manu/Green/Kawhi/Aldridge is the first one that comes to mind. Could also play Boris instead of Aldridge, but I like the idea of Aldridge having a height advantage against Draymond. Depending on how much he can exploit that matchup, it could force the Warriors to play a more traditional lineup...something that would work to our advantage IMO.

In that scenario, Parker would likely have to be hidden on Barnes. Obviously you'd rather be beaten by Harrison Barnes as opposed to Curry, but I still worry about sticking Parker on him. That also makes playing Mills hard, because Parker is at least 6'3" and has some weight on him (cue the Porker jokes ). Mills guarding Barnes or Iggy would be a complete disaster.

I actually really like the idea of Boris at the 5 against their small ball lineup.

Boris skull ed Draymond last year when we played them.

[Obstructed_View]

Ok let's judge based on speed, which clearly he's slow as and no not because of the nickname, I've watched him play. Athleticism, he doesn't seem to jump a lot, inability to do so? I don't know. He doesn't have a lot of lift.

I suggest that we NOT judge based on speed, because whether or not you think he's slow, no part of his game, now or in college, relies on speed. I'm not sure why you're so ready to write him off for being what he is. NOBODY thought they were drafting James White when they got him. The D league is full of athletes who can't play in the NBA. Kyle has an uncanny ability to draw fouls, he has an uncanny ability to reach in and get steals, and I've seen him make some jaw-dropping blocks, so he certainly appears to have hops when he needs it to go with his length. It's why I get annoyed seeing people who know better writing a talented player off.

Agility, I've rarely seen him drive or even draw defenders because of the threat he poses in attacking the rim so there's that.

At this point I guess I have to accuse you of not seeing him play, because he's good at driving and drawing fouls, something that the Spurs are really going to need this year. He did it all through college and he did it all through summer league and D league.

Don't you think there's also a reason why he doesn't get a lot of minutes?

Yes, I think there are a couple of reasons. The Spurs are completely changing their offense because they added a top five front court player to their roster, they'd like to stay within shouting distance of the Warriors, and they have to try to stay afloat while they figure it out. Pop's leaning more heavily on Kawhi, so he's getting more minutes, and Butler is a vet and is less likely to make the defensive mistake. Pop is notorious for bringing guys along slowly until they do the right things, especially on defense. Once the starting unit is no longer the liability it is right now, Pop will start to work the other guys into the rotation. Until then, expect Kyle to get spot minutes and have a short leash. He didn't make an early mistake last night, and was rewarded with some PT.

I mean there were tons of playing time last year due to injuries, tons of chances to shine, to show Pop he deserves more but look at where he is now, exactly at the same spot.

Except that he's not at the exact same point he was last year. He's at the same point that Cory Joseph was in his second year. Rookies get thrown playing time with no expectations, second year players' minutes are dependent upon performance as Pop sees it. Kyle's going to earn minutes until he s up, then he'll get the hammer, then he'll get thrown back in. We've seen it a dozen times before. Pop did it with Joseph, Pop did it with Green, Pop did it with Georgie, Pop did it with Mahinmi, Pop did it with Jack. , Tiago Splitter started 8 games his first two years with the Spurs, and he came in as the best player in Europe, for Pete's sake.

[tbdog]

I actually really like the idea of Boris at the 5 against their small ball lineup.

Boris skull ed Draymond last year when we played them.

THIS. This is the one of the biggest reasons why we matchup well with them. Their best defending cant defend Diaw, and the Dubs are forced to double team.

[tbdog]

The Dubs play a very heavy switching defense. The Heat played heavy hedging defense, with hard traps and relentless covering. This defense is extremely potent but extremely hard to do for an entire season due to how fatiguing it is. Take 4 trips to the finals and I am amaze they could do that. But that defense fits into our style of offense where we make extra passes and constant movement, because the passing beats the recovering defense.

In theory, The Dubs switching defense shouldn't work for entire games, let alone an entire season, however, their small ball line-up of Draymond, Barnes, Iggy, Klay, and Curry, which is a offensive machine side from pure scoring, shooting, and passing stand point, but also their defense can switch on nearly anyone. This takes away the number one most simplest and easiest basketball plays; the pick n roll/pop.

The only way to combat is the dominate the paint and rebounds whilst controlling their offense to force slower players like Bogut to come on. Controlling their offense is the hardest part. The Green and Curry pick and pop is a killer. You are force to go over the screen and hedge hard on Curry which enables Green getting a good look at the top of the arc. Once the defense rotates, their usually is a corner 3 available or a cutting Iggy or Barnes. If you switch, Curry is going to town on any big as the big is forced to smother him 35ft from the basket.

Because of this, teams have to come up with a totally different defense strategy because we haven't had a player since prime Shaq where defenses have to redesign their entire scheme like Curry does.

Hopefully our team make up of two elite perimeter defenders in Leonard and Green and our small ball killer in LMA and Diaw is enough to punish their schemes.

[still.focused]

THIS. This is the one of the biggest reasons why we matchup well with them. Their best defending cant defend Diaw, and the Dubs are forced to double team.

Historically Green/Warriors cant guard LMA either
Of course we have to actually give him the ball & hed have to keep it, which apparently is harder than it sounds
But he plays very well against GSW

[tholdren]

I wasn't referring to anything stylistically, it's too early to make conclusions about that right now IMO, I was just listing required personnel performances..

- As we have seen since 2012, the Spurs look like a different team when Danny Green is in the fire stage of his IcyHot cycles..it's especially important against the Warriors, as they are absolutely loaded with perimeter players, which makes it necessary for Green to play 30+ IMO to match their lineups..

- Since 2013, we have seen that the Spurs need at least one of Manu/Parker to be playing at an All-Star level..in the Clippers series, last year, neither of them was effective..it would be nice if they could both be playing at a high level in May, but I'm not counting on it..let's just hope 1 of them is playing at an All-Star level at that point, and that the other one isn't a liability(Manu in 2013 was a liability, as was Parker in 2015)

- Aldridge has to dominate his offensive matchup, as Kawhistorm said..the Cavs had success vs. Golden State since Mozgov and Thompson were able to overwhelm the Warriors lack of size up front..Aldridge is levels more talented than either of those players, obviously..Kawhi routinely gives the Warriors problems, Iguodala and Barnes have always struggled against him, defensively, he will be the #1, but Aldridge needs to be a legit offensive star in that potential series, rather than the Aldridge we have seen to start this season(he has been fine overall IMO, accepting his role and all that, but he will need to be the offensive star he was in Portland vs. the Warriors)

Aint gonna happen if LMA is tossing up 18 footers. You have to bully the Warriors. No team is going to out-shoot them. You have to be mean and nasty. Spurs don't seem to have any of that, which has literally always been the reason they fall short even having the best lineup in the NBA. KL is scared. Danny is scared. LMA is a jump-shooter. Spurs have to hope that Tim is still going strong during the playoffs, as well as Manu. David West could be an enforcer, or he could turn into Antonio McDyess. It will be a decent year, but Spurs have a lot of pretty-boys on this team.

[Yuixafun]

I saw Aldridge battle Cousins emphatically when they played the Kings.

He likes to shoot, but he's physical in the post.

West yes is our junkyard dog..

TIMMY and Manu still fiercely compe ive.

Another rough around the edges guy wouldn't hurt tho.

My gut tells me Simmons could prolly hang tough.

There's still Ime Udoka on the coaching staff. I recall reading about when he played overseas, and he was karate chopping chaos to get his teammates out of a rough venue.

[Killakobe81]

The Dubs play a very heavy switching defense. The Heat played heavy hedging defense, with hard traps and relentless covering. This defense is extremely potent but extremely hard to do for an entire season due to how fatiguing it is. Take 4 trips to the finals and I am amaze they could do that. But that defense fits into our style of offense where we make extra passes and constant movement, because the passing beats the recovering defense.

In theory, The Dubs switching defense shouldn't work for entire games, let alone an entire season, however, their small ball line-up of Draymond, Barnes, Iggy, Klay, and Curry, which is a offensive machine side from pure scoring, shooting, and passing stand point, but also their defense can switch on nearly anyone. This takes away the number one most simplest and easiest basketball plays; the pick n roll/pop.

The only way to combat is the dominate the paint and rebounds whilst controlling their offense to force slower players like Bogut to come on. Controlling their offense is the hardest part. The Green and Curry pick and pop is a killer. You are force to go over the screen and hedge hard on Curry which enables Green getting a good look at the top of the arc. Once the defense rotates, their usually is a corner 3 available or a cutting Iggy or Barnes. If you switch, Curry is going to town on any big as the big is forced to smother him 35ft from the basket.

Because of this, teams have to come up with a totally different defense strategy because we haven't had a player since prime Shaq where defenses have to redesign their entire scheme like Curry does.

Hopefully our team make up of two elite perimeter defenders in Leonard and Green and our small ball killer in LMA and Diaw is enough to punish their schemes.

This. Green is the key (after Curry) he is killing teams with his play-making. It was like Diaw was in stretches in 2014 for the Spurs but he is more aggressive.

[spurraider21]

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Warriors barely won tonight. They're human, tbh

[Richie]

Warriors small ball lineup isn't as scary as some make it out to be IMO, they're tough to stop but they have no rim protection. If Tony is on his game he should be able to get to the rim and finish every time against them

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Warriors small ball lineup isn't as scary as some make it out to be IMO, they're tough to stop but they have no rim protection. If Tony is on his game he should be able to get to the rim and finish every time against them

Don't count out draymond and iggy, they can block shots

[SpurPadre]

CoJo cost the Raps a shot with a game-ending turnover and some bad shots down the stretch.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Aint gonna happen if LMA is tossing up 18 footers. You have to bully the Warriors. No team is going to out-shoot them. You have to be mean and nasty. Spurs don't seem to have any of that, which has literally always been the reason they fall short even having the best lineup in the NBA. KL is scared. Danny is scared. LMA is a jump-shooter. Spurs have to hope that Tim is still going strong during the playoffs, as well as Manu. David West could be an enforcer, or he could turn into Antonio McDyess. It will be a decent year, but Spurs have a lot of pretty-boys on this team.

I would argue the Warriors are even more pretty boy though... KL isn't that scared. Green, maybe. LMA probably. Maybe West can become useful and tear someone's ACL.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

CoJo cost the Raps a shot with a game-ending turnover and some bad shots down the stretch.

CancerJo, meh, overpaid, the Raptors' DeMarco Murray tbh

[UNT Eagles 2016]

GSG

[Kawhitstorm]

I'll let Draymond try to go for 40 by trapping Curry ala Amare going wild in 2005 if LMA can give him the business on the other end.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Why are the Spurs just letting them shoot whatever they want? No contesting, no effort 12 points on our court in 4 minutes is WAY too much!

[spurraider21]

defending champions off to a record undefeated start and have by far the hottest player in the league having another historic season, and still "meh" reactions here ... they're better than the spurs right now, not even debatable

[TD 21]

defending champions off to a record undefeated start and have by far the hottest player in the league having another historic season, and still "meh" reactions here ... they're better than the spurs right now, not even debatable

Who's unaware of this and debating otherwise?

The Spurs have clearly been better than other elite teams throughout many a regular season, yet what did we hear? "Lol regular season champs" and "wait 'til the playoffs" . . . but I guess they didn't have one gift wrapped championship to their credit.

[wut]

It's interesting because GSWs are young, confident and naive. It reminds me of the Lakers in the 2000s, where they played above their potential just due to confidence. I think Pop is doing the right thing by focusing on defense...he knows it's the only way they can beat the Warriors; and it's the one thing that separates the Spurs from the teams the Warriors are rolling over.

[UZER]

LMA needs to pin Draymond with the floor spaced like he did in the second half against Zbo the other night.

[spurraider21]

Who's unaware of this and debating otherwise?

The Spurs have clearly been better than other elite teams throughout many a regular season, yet what did we hear? "Lol regular season champs" and "wait 'til the playoffs" . . . but I guess they didn't have one gift wrapped championship to their credit.

a lot of posters, sadly

[TD 21]

a lot of posters, sadly

So if they're not singing their praises and bowing down, then that means they're unaware of what they're doing and have no respect for them?

[Nathan89]

Draymond coming back down to earth on his 3pt shooting. Missed like 14 in a row. Which is pathetic because they are all wide open.