Kawhi-critical Buck Harvey hit job

[DaBears]

I would not blame this game on any single player, they as a group stunk up the joint.. If TP & company show up this game we will win, just like the OKC did in gm 2.... TP most of all..

[DaBears]

I would not blame this game on any single player, they as a group stunk up the joint.. If TP & company show up this game we will win, just like the OKC did in gm 2.... TP most of all..

This being said, it was an off night for them.. My big thing is i just hope that Kawhi is not hurt or injured with his hamstring, because he looked like a s of himself in all aspects..

[EIC]

nah dude he's come along way with his handles. It's his mindset. He'd rather dance one on one with the defender and take a midrange j rather than use his handle to get past the defender. We see it all the time. He seems to bail out the defender with a quick J.

That's kind of true. But just compare his handles to just year, vastly improved. They've gone from bad, to mediocre, to pretty good, and,sometimes, they're excellent, like the time he crossed Durant the up. The more reps, the better he becomes at it. He's like a machine.

Oh, he's definitely gotten better. His handles made me extremely nervous back in 2012 and 2013. Back then it was not unusual to see him make an epic steal, only to turn around and dribble off his own foot taking the ball up the court. But he still does not have the elite ball skills he needs to be a dominant offensive player at the 3 spot.

Look, I love Kawhi. I live in San Diego and watched virtually every one of his home games at SDSU in person. But he is just never going to be a dominant offensive player. The sooner Pop & Co. realize that he is basically a super version of Danny Green, the better. We need to stop trying to work the offense through him and instead recognize him as the primarily "3-and-D" player he is. The focus should instead be on finding a guard (or two) that can reliably score, and running the offense through him/them and Aldridge, with Kawhi a complimentary piece on the offensive end. It hurts me to say, but deep down, you guys know it's true.

[neboat]

Does Carmelo have elite handles? What about Klay?

KL has the post up game of melo and shooting of Klay (sort of)....

KL has the tools to be better offensively

[tholdren]

Yeah that kick out from Aldridge to Kawhi and that three pointer was one of the worst shots I've ever seen him take. Just horrible.

I mentioned that during my meltdown on the G2 thread. Too bad Spurstalk has so many "new" Spurs fans. Bash on Westbrick, even have videos, but when KL does something just as bad it gets swept under the rug. These types....

[Poolboy5623]

I think his whole "I'm a star, I want star treatment (from officials)," is dragging him down . He wants every call, and he's not getting any.

[EIC]

nah dude he's come along way with his handles. It's his mindset. He'd rather dance one on one with the defender and take a midrange j rather than use his handle to get past the defender. We see it all the time. He seems to bail out the defender with a quick J.

Does Carmelo have elite handles? What about Klay?

KL has the post up game of melo and shooting of Klay (sort of)....

KL has the tools to be better offensively

Are you serious? He is no where near the 3-point shooter that Klay Thompson is and does not have the mid-range or post game of Melo. C'mon, man. Prime Melo was one of the premiere scorers in the NBA. You seriously think Kawhi is as much of a scoring threat as prime Melo? No way. But he definitely has a better post game than Thompson and is a better defender than both of them.

If Kawhi was a liability on D, he would be a bench player at best. That alone shows how far from being an elite offensive player he is compared to guys like Harden, Durant, etc., for whom you will gladly take their ineptness on D for sake of their extreme offensive production. He is not an elite offensive player and we cannot keep trying to pound a square peg into a round hole.

[YGWHI]

Are you serious? He is no where near the 3-point shooter that Klay Thompson is and does not have the mid-range or post game of Melo.

If you don't think that Kawhi has one of the best and most effective post-up game in the league...you should look his stats. He's ELITE at it

If Kawhi was a liability on D, he would be a bench player at best...He is not an elite offensive player

Stop reading after this.

PER are offensive-oriented stats. Kawhi was 4-5-6 in PER during the whole season. He's a so versalite scorer, post-up, mid-range, ISOs, 3's...80 percentile or better at every spot on the floor

2-3-4 MVP candidate all season...but at best he' would be a bench player...

[EIC]

If you don't think that Kawhi has one of the best and most effective post-up game in the league...you should look his stats. He's ELITE at it


Stop reading after this.

PER are offensive-oriented stats. Kawhi was 4-5-6 in PER during the whole season. He's a so versalite scorer, post-up, mid-range, ISOs, 3's...80 percentile or better at every spot on the floor

2-3-4 MVP candidate all season...but at best he' would be a bench player...

I take it you missed the Clippers series last year and Game 2 of the OKC series earlier this week?

Kawhi struggles with the double-team. Without Aldridge on the floor, he struggles mightily. Kawhi depends on other elite offensive players on the floor to get his numbers. That is not befitting an elite offensive player in his own right. He is so much closer to Pippen than Jordan that it's not even funny to suggest otherwise. The sooner you accept this, the better your Kawhi experience will be. Otherwise you are setting yourself up to be let down.

[Kawhitstorm]

Coachs job is to put the players in a position to win. When you lose by one, you're obviously in a position to win. Execution is on the players. You don't play much, do you?

The player dug themselves a hole in the first quarter which they climbed out of but then Pop blew the game w/ his ty rotation.

Donovan was also an idiot for wasting his timeouts & putting Waiters in charge of inbounding the ball.

Vogel got fired b/c he blew Gm 6 by benching the starters & trotting out a lineup that had been a disaster in the previous game.

LMAO @ the "you don't play much" comment as if there are coaches in pickup games.

[YGWHI]

He really needs to step up here and now

What I want is a Duncan '03, game 6 in LA against the Lakers type of performance. A complete takeover on both ends that just kills the other team mentally. And as I also said, doesn't need to necessarily drop 40. Just give us a "Kawhi game," 25 points on efficient shooting, 8-10 boards, 4 dimes, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and hold Durant/Westbrook in check when he's on them.

Durant called him a system player. Waiters is saying the Spurs are a one man team. Kawhi has all the incentive to shut their asses up for good. These are defining games coming up. Games in which superstars step up and deliver

Duncan was a generational player and even when the media put 8-9 players above him on their All Time crazy lists, I think he's just a step behind Jordan.

So I try to stay more realistic.

If Kawhi do it next games...great. But if he won't...I'm not going to say "he doesn't have it at all" or going full "drama" like guys in this thread "he would be a bench player".

Kawhi didn't have many opportunities to work his offense in real-game time during his first seasons and I wouldn't define a player who is still developing his game...

Winning. Step up in crucial games. Leadership. Several superstars couldn't put it all together until their 26-27 years old. Like I said the list of them is extensive, not sure why Kawhi should be the exception.

[YGWHI]

I take it you missed the Clippers series last year and Game 2 of the OKC series earlier this week?

And you? Kawhi had 4 amazing games in the series. And a dominated game 1 against OKC.

Kawhi struggles with the double-team.

Not that much like last season. He has improved it, and his passing out the double team, looks good.

But like I said before, stop reading after your brilliant... "he would be a bench player"

[YGWHI]

He definitely came out sleepwalking that is why Pop sat him out initially, he wasn't engaged on defense.

Yell at him, hit him in the stomach, call his mom hoe out in front of the cameras...but don't sit him for that.

The damage by keeping him on the bench several minutes was so far worse than a bit sleepwalking early.

I told you before this series, that Pop will kill his offense sitting him remaining 6 minutes in the quarters...he did it in the first quarter.

In the 2nd q, Kawhi was getting back to being himself, made some nice buckets, missed the FTs...and Pop sat him remaining 4 minutes. Not to keep his 3rd foul? Kawhi finished the game with 2.

It's all about priorities. The Spurs needed more his offense in last game, but Pop sat him when he was starting to get his confidence back. Seriously, it was bad coaching.

[kaji157]

Yell at him, hit him in the stomach, call his mom hoe out in front of the cameras...but don't sit him for that.

The damage by keeping him on the bench several minutes was so far worse than a bit sleepwalking early.

I told you before this series, that Pop will kill his offense sitting him remaining 6 minutes in the quarters...he did it in the first quarter.

In the 2nd q, Kawhi was getting back to being himself, made some nice buckets, missed the FTs...and Pop sat him remaining 4 minutes. Not to keep his 3rd foul? Kawhi finished the game with 2.

It's all about priorities. The Spurs needed more his offense in last game, but Pop sat him when he was starting to get his confidence back. Seriously, it was bad coaching.

Stop making excuses for the guy, he was more focused on going to the officials than going for the bucket, Kawhi just had a bad game and an awfull first half, even if Pop coached as poorly as you said, if Kawhi makes one of those FT is a Tie and if he makes one bucket we win, simple as that.

Thats tough, but that is the truth when you are no longer the supporting cast and become the star, you are accountable for when you dont produce and the team looses.

[YGWHI]

Stop making excuses for the guy

What's excuse?

I've said before he had a bad game.

But if you think that Pop had a good coaching night...I can't help.

A coach can't sit their best perimeter defenders at the same time against Westbrook/Durant, can't sit his best all around player when he's starting to make shots, can't put a weak lineup in the 4th quarter when is a close game...

This loss was on Kawhi but pretty much on Pop, too.

[Spurs_619]

What's excuse?

I've said before he had a bad game.

But if you think that Pop had a good coaching night...I can't help.

A coach can't sit their best perimeter defenders at the same time against Westbrook/Durant, can't sit his best all around player when he's starting to make shots, can't put a weak lineup in the 4th quarter when is a close game...

This lose was on Kawhi but pretty much on Pop, too.

Don't waste the energy trying to argue there is a few posters on this board that want to see Kawhi fail even if it means the spurs losing.

[Mnky]

The player dug themselves a hole in the first quarter which they climbed out of but then Pop blew the game w/ his ty rotation.

Donovan was also an idiot for wasting his timeouts & putting Waiters in charge of inbounding the ball.

Vogel got fired b/c he blew Gm 6 by benching the starters & trotting out a lineup that had been a disaster in the previous game.

LMAO @ the "you don't play much" comment as if there are coaches in pickup games.

Bro, it's okay if you don't play.

[YGWHI]

Don't waste the energy trying to argue there is a few posters on this board that want to see Kawhi fail even if it means the spurs losing.

Agree. Sadly, this forum was replete all season with guys saying "Kawhi isn't that good" even when he played the best bball of his career.

Now in playoffs..."he would be a bench player at best"

Can't remember a player more underrated by the fans of his own team than him.

[Kawhitstorm]

Bro, it's okay if you don't play.

We have another Church League scrub

[Mnky]

We have another Church League scrub

So now people who play ball are scrubs.. but people who never play or Coach and act like sports analysts on forums are not ?

Keep convincing yourself man. All the lol smiles in the world cent hide your insecurity tbh.

It's usually the people who declare themselves superior instead of actually debating, that are full of it. Exp: kool

Now you behave before I get a real analyst to spank you on twitter again.

[EIC]

And you? Kawhi had 4 amazing games in the series. And a dominated game 1 against OKC.


Not that much like last season. He has improved it, and his passing out the double team, looks good.

But like I said before, stop reading after your brilliant... "he would be a bench player"

Really? "4 amazing games"? Was this an 8-game series?

Game 1: 18 pts. in 33 min.
Game 5: 18 pts. in 36 min.
Game 6: 12 pts. in 40 min.
Game 7: 13 pts. in 33 min.

(I'll give you Game 3 (26 pts.) and Game 4 (32 pts.). Game 2 (23 pts. in 39 min.) is a wobbler, but I'll let you have that too . . . because you need it more than I do.)

Regarding OKC, who didn't dominate in Game 1? All the Spurs shots were falling. More importantly, I never said Kawhi won't have games where he goes off. I am simply saying he is not an elite offensive weapon that can reliably clear his own shot, play through a double team, and generally put the team on his back. He just is not that guy. Great player, awesome guy, but he is not good enough on the offensive end to be the focal point of the offense.

[EIC]

Agree. Sadly, this forum was replete all season with guys saying "Kawhi isn't that good" even when he played the best bball of his career.

Now in playoffs..."he would be a bench player at best"

Can't remember a player more underrated by the fans of his own team than him.

Look, it's not Kawhi's fault. The fact is that the media and fans (including people like yourself) have put way too many expectations on him. And it's amplified by the coaching staff trying to run the offense through him.

I mean, come the on. You tell me why the Spurs sucked in 2015. Could it have anything to do with the fact that, unlike 2014, Pop made Kawhi the focus of the offense in 2015? Or do you think that is a coincidence?

I can guarantee you that Kawhi doesn't want to be the guy you all want him to be. He clearly is not comfortable in the "Alpha Dog" role. He doesn't want the fame or the pressure. He's just not wired that way. He would much, much rather be a Robin to someone else's Batman. You'll realize this in time.

And don't take my "bench player at best" comment out of context. I said that would be true WITHOUT his elite defensive skills. Kawhi is the best overall defender in the league. I have no doubt about that. And he is an above-average offensive player. The combination makes him an excellent overall player. But he is not an elite offensive player like Harden, Westbrook, Durant, Curry, etc. If you took away his defensive skills, I don't think he is in the starting rotation.

[YGWHI]

Really? "4 amazing games"? Was this an 8-game series?

Game 1: 18 pts. in 33 min.
Game 5: 18 pts. in 36 min.
Game 6: 12 pts. in 40 min.
Game 7: 13 pts. in 33 min.

Game 1: 18 points on 58 FG% shooting letting his man in 10 points on 4-13.

Game 5: He made clutch FTs and the Spurs won the game.

The last two games? Yep, those were awful.

So yes, 4 amazing games, one mmm...meh, and two bad.

[YGWHI]

I mean, come the on. You tell me why the Spurs sucked in 2015. Could it have anything to do with the fact that, unlike 2014, Pop made Kawhi the focus of the offense in 2015? Or do you think that is a coincidence?

You don't know anything about this team. Parker took more shots than him in 2015 regular season and had higher USG% but Kawhi was the focus of the offense??

And what's about this season? Pop made Kawhi the Spurs leading scorer in the regular season and first round, this was the best Spurs record season...Do you think that's a coincidence?

I can guarantee you that Kawhi doesn't want to be the guy you all want him to be. He clearly is not comfortable in the "Alpha Dog" role. He doesn't want the fame or the pressure. He's just not wired that way. He would much, much rather be a Robin to someone else's Batman. You'll realize this in time.

Of course, you know him.

I rather believe in Kawhi's words than your trolling. He literally said he wants to play at MVP level, wants to be the main guy on a team...

If you took away his defensive skills, I don't think he is in the starting rotation.

Parker, Danny Green are in the starting rotation...but not Kawhi? Like those guys are better offensive players than him...

Really, stop embarrassed yourself.

[dabom]

You don't know anything about this team. Parker took more shots than him in 2015 regular season and had higher USG% but Kawhi was the focus of the offense??

And what's about this season? Pop made Kawhi the Spurs leading scorer in the regular season and first round, this was the best-record Spurs season...Do you think that's a coincidence?


Of course, you know him.

I rather believe in Kawhi's words than your trolling. He literally said he wants to play at MVP level, wants to be the main guy on a team...


Parker, Danny Green are in the starting rotation...but not Kawhi? Like those guys are better offensive players than him...

Really, stop embarrassed yourself.

Go easy on that got.