ESPN: Simmer down on the Spurs

[picnroll]

In the playoffs last May Duncan was the best, most consistent Spur averaging about 18 ppg on nearly 60% shooting and 11 RPG. And the Clips actually have good bigs. This clown wants to play Barnes on TD? Too bad Kerr isn't that stupid.

[Sean Cagney]

i dont mind people saying the spurs are getting overhyped, mainly because of our schedule so far

but at having harrison barnes guarding tim duncan

It's BSPN they hire idiots. I hope they do put Barnes on Duncan.

[rexrobinson]

I haven't listened to it.

But the spurs defense is getting overstated. The rating has gone up, what, 3 points since there were articles about it being the best rating of all time? It's going to keep going up with the schedule left, and if they hold onto number one there won't be such a large gap to second place at season's end.

Also, the differential that people are going crazy for is going to come way down. They played the schedule in front of them and have done very well but considering all the games left against GS, OKC, DAL, HOU, CLE, MIA, etc, I doubt they keep it in the double digits.

You need to listen to it. It is lobotomy level stupid and doesn't come close to any logic you just used.

[ElNono]

Wow, tough crowd...

Congrats ceperez on your ESPN feature, tbh...

[Dex]

That 'soliloquy' was one of the more idiotic comments I have heard. That was genuinely stupid.

My favorite part was "Kawhi doesn't have to expend that much energy on anything except, you know, to score". Wow. Just plain Wow.

I was thinking the same thing when I heard it originally. So Steph Curry expends SOOO much energy on the offensive end with his movement, and Kawhi is doing what on defense? Chillin' in a La-Z-Boy?

Sounds like a dude who has never tried to actually play a lick of defense in basketball.

[steeledl]

Guess they don't know about simmons .

[steeledl]

"You can hide people on Tim Duncan."

About the dumbest NBA take you can possible have. Even supposed really good big man defenders like Ibaka can't take Tim Duncan.

I don't know who that guy is but I assume he's target audience rides the same bus as the Krew.

[rexrobinson]

Guess they don't know about simmons .

"WHO ARE YOU, WHO ARE YOU"

Don't worry, when they find about about him they will launch a volley of, "He is not black enough (boring)", "He is a system dunker" and other low information sport fan opinion articles about him to try and minimize any attention the Spurs get cause someone in Boston hates San Antonio.

[Neurosis]

I really, really hope that Kerr tries to "hide" a SF on Duncan. That would be the easiest 30+ points on ~12 FGA of Duncan's career. There might be some things Duncan doesn't do as well these days... destroying undersized defenders is not one of them.

Yeah no kidding

[Mr. Body]

ESPN is pure driven .

GSW is a tough cover, but I don't know what they will do on defense to cover both Dumcan and Aldridge. If they play two bigs their offense suddenly becomes much easier to guard.

[ceperez]

Does this guy even look at the statistics?

Duncan in #1 in Defensive Real Plus Minus among centers. He is #2 is Real Plus Minus. These stats are created by his company, ESPN.

Leonard is #1 in RPM in SF beating out James, Durant, PG etc.

His argument is completely dubious that Leonard has the luxury of not taking difficult shots in the offense. Well, maybe he doesn't watch the Spurs, but the Spurs offense is designed not to take difficult shots. That's part of being efficient, not taking the inefficient shots!!! Talk about an idiot commentator.

[ceperez]

It was bad, but it wasn't THAT bad. He did raise some valid points:
1. Tim Duncan had diminished lateral quickness
2. Kawhi Leonard is efficient on offense because the Spurs' system doesn't force him to create on a consistent basis

That said, the notion that the Spurs' defense is "overrated" (when the numbers show they're the best defensive team in years) is absolutely absurd.

If you don't look at the numbers, the eye-test does make it sometimes appear that Spurs aren't defending. That is because they don't defend folks taking the midrange jumpers and they don't foul players.

It is like this commentator is saying good defense is aggressive defense, which incidentally doesn't translate as well as what the Spurs are doing. What the Spurs do is that they constantly are giving up something in offense. The defense is not blanket coverage but selective defense. They defend the paint and they defend the 3 point line.

[skulls138]

Please do simmer down on the Spurs, suits me fine.

[K...]

BOBAN......That is all

[ceperez]

I haven't listened to it.

But the spurs defense is getting overstated. The rating has gone up, what, 3 points since there were articles about it being the best rating of all time? It's going to keep going up with the schedule left, and if they hold onto number one there won't be such a large gap to second place at season's end.

Also, the differential that people are going crazy for is going to come way down. They played the schedule in front of them and have done very well but considering all the games left against GS, OKC, DAL, HOU, CLE, MIA, etc, I doubt they keep it in the double digits.

True, Spurs have 2nd weakest schedule so far. Spurs still need to be tested against serious compe ion, however GSW have also had a weak schedule.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Sounds like ESPN tried to do a crossover with Disney and got one of his pubescent actors to do NBA analysis.

[Vito Corleone]

I haven't listened to it.

But the spurs defense is getting overstated. The rating has gone up, what, 3 points since there were articles about it being the best rating of all time? It's going to keep going up with the schedule left, and if they hold onto number one there won't be such a large gap to second place at season's end.

Also, the differential that people are going crazy for is going to come way down. They played the schedule in front of them and have done very well but considering all the games left against GS, OKC, DAL, HOU, CLE, MIA, etc, I doubt they keep it in the double digits.

One of the main reasons it's going up is because the games are decided by the third and it's scrub ball for the whole 4th quarter. Especially the last 3 games

[rexrobinson]

Sounds like ESPN tried to do a crossover with Disney and got one of his pubescent actors to do NBA analysis.

Yeah, that guy is a nobody with no known basketball credentials, his Twitter is mostly rap stuff and anti-Spurs tweets with less than 2000 followers yet ESPN puts it on the front page proudly as a credible analyst.

[NASpurs]

Just another idiot who likes to give emotional takes with no stats or backing.

Defense is overrated now. He's basically DJ Khaled.

It was great when the Spurs made that fat ass eat .

[Aztecfan03]

"You can hide people on Tim Duncan."

About the dumbest NBA take you can possible have. Even supposed really good big man defenders like Ibaka can't take Tim Duncan.

I don't know who that guy is but I assume he's target audience rides the same bus as the Krew.

It might be a decent take if duncan is still playing in ten years.

[Aztecfan03]

Jim Duncan only scores on wide open layups GTFO with that .

He scored 0 points in a game the other night because he wasn't getting spoon-fed layups.

you have been a got lately. When did you let kool take over your account?

[DMC]

He has a point but doesn't support it well. Having faulty logic doesn't negate the conclusion.

[J_Paco]

It was bad, but it wasn't THAT bad. He did raise some valid points:
1. Tim Duncan had diminished lateral quickness
2. Kawhi Leonard is efficient on offense because the Spurs' system doesn't force him to create on a consistent basis

That said, the notion that the Spurs' defense is "overrated" (when the numbers show they're the best defensive team in years) is absolutely absurd.

Point 1. Timmy has been slow on the perimeter and had poor lateral quickness at least since the team was swept by Phoenix in '10. It isn't some big secret that has yet to be exposed (the Mavericks used it to take the team to 7 games two seasons ago) and you can't "hide" people on Tim despite the fact that he doesn't score much anymore especially not a player giving up 7 inches of height and at least 30 lbs.

Point 2. I'm sure everyone's efficiency is helped by the extra passing and looking for quality shots, but Kawhi expends just as much if not more energy than Curry. He is usually on the other team's best perimeter scorer and he is our team's primary scorer.

was just ing stupid as especially the bull trying to downplay our defense. We might not win it all especially with the age/wear and tear on Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, but they are probably the only legitimate western conference team that can beat Golden State in a 7 game series.

[Kawhitstorm]

Big Wuss is a wanna be hot take artist like Amoeba El Hassan. Their role is to be contrarians when it comes to the Spurs.

[DenialTwist]

Big Wuss is a wanna be hot take artist like Amoeba El Hassan. Their role is to be contrarians when it comes to the Spurs.

Elhassan said that he has been watching the spurs a lot lately to see their defense. He said that the "spurs bigs are soft" not meaning that the players themselves are soft but that they don't defend hard or something like that. Whatever that means.
You're right though, Wos is trying to give some hot takes about the spurs by basically saying that they aren't as good as the analytics say. He went from their true hoop tv show to a few guest host appearances on the main espn podcast and now he thinks he is a credible NBA analyst. He is trying to attract some more followers on twitter by criticizing the spurs. He even said jokingly on twitter today it was stressful to be a "spurs truther." The only thing he is, is a casual fan who gets to talk about the NBA with the THTV click bait trifecta of Elhassan, Haberstroh and Strauss. Why should people take what he says seriously?

Honestly, THTV needs to get Kevin Pelton and Kevin Arnovitz on their pod. More credible NBA analysts please.