Dion Waiters says LaMarcus Aldridge alone can't beat OKC

[Spurtacular]

Dion Waiters will be out of the league within three years.

[midnightpulp]

Not really. That's on Spurs Offense.

He said "So we're fine with that. If they want to continue to get out of their offense and throw the ball down there to him, we're fine with that. One guy can't beat us, no matter how much he scores."

That tells us more about our offense only feeding LMA, and not involving other players.

Their strategy is "let LMA get his and shut down every else", that's why they didn't double him that much.

It's the same Warriors tactic, let LMA gets his shots from the pick and pops...the Dubs didn't even try to defend those plays in the 3 games of the regular season.

I'd look this numbers from Moore's article.

-In the 42 minutes and 51 seconds that Aldridge was on the floor, the Spurs were outscored by four points.

-Since 2009, when San Antonio started to transition their offensive approach, the Spurs have had only two 40-point-plus performances. Tony Parker scored 43 in a 2009 game against the Mavericks, and Aldridge in Game 2 vs. the Thunder. The Spurs are 0-2 in those games.

His first point is just BS but the latter shows why that's Thunder strategy. A team who involves only one player on offense it's easier to beat.

Except the Spurs weren't out of their offense. They employed the exact same scheme they did in game 1. Playing inside out balanced with pick-and-pops and Kawhi isos. The difference between the 2 games was Danny Green making open looks, Duncan playing well, and Kawhi shooting efficiently. Waiters is full of . The Spurs offense in terms of strategy is fine. The problem is the lack of consistent scoring outside the two big guns. Duncan blew like 5 easy bunnies. And Green and Mills didn't hit their open shots.

As DPG and others have said all season. The offense is creating looks (the Spurs assist rate is proof of that), but the role players aren't converting like they should be.

Sounds like you want to excuse Kawhi's subpar performance once again, calling out the offense this time for not "getting him involved." He had 19 shots in 36 minutes. I agree with you that Pop should've played him 40-45 minutes, but in terms of usage, he wasn't far behind LMA in that game. He's involved.

Also, OKC's defense can't shut down everyone else. They're a poor defensive team (again, the looks were there all night, but Green was doing his D-League thing). And Kawhi was being single covered by Waiters for stretches and couldn't capitalize. It's a shot. They don't think he can play well enough to beat them.

[Brazil]

Backhanded shot a Kawhi.

pretty much

but Waiters and OKC are due for rude awaken if they think Kawhi will feel any sort of pressure with that tbh...

[hooperflash]

Dion Waiters talking is the classic over confident scrub talking that you see every single year. Who cares. He will talk all the way up until the end of the series whether OKC win's or loses & whether or not he plays a role in that as long as there is a mic in his face.

He's playing the Stanley Johnson to Kawhi Leonard's Lebron.

"I'm definitely in his head."

[NameLess Scrub]

Waiters reminds me of 2009 Mo Williams, acting all tough behind Lebron

Kawhi might want to take a page out of Shaq's book and feel disrespected because a scrub ran his mouth, then show it on the court

[TheDoctor]

Waiters is on fire, tbh..he is the same genius that pulled off a move that NBA officials and most people involved with the NBA had never seen before, and it helped his team get a playoff W

He's just riding the momentum..

And soon to be named the "Dion Waiters Rule".

[DPG21920]

Waiters is on fire, tbh..he is the same genius that pulled off a move that NBA officials and most people involved with the NBA had never seen before, and it helped his team get a playoff W

He's just riding the momentum..

What no one is talking about is how Billy made the move we all knew he would - he put Waiters in for crunch time and took Roberson out. It was expected.

However, it was Waiters that buried the corner 3 that SA gave up right as they got the lead back to win OKC the game essentially. Everyone knew Spurs were going to dare Waiters or Roberson to shoot. Everyone knew Billy was going to put Waiters in for more offense.

Waiters hit the big shot though. It was a small sample size and can he do it consistently enough to change SAs defensive game plan? Don't know, but no one is discussing how big of a moment that was for Waiters/OKC when Waiters buried that 3.

[TheDoctor]

...Waiters hit the big shot though. It was a small sample size and can he do it consistently enough to change SAs defensive game plan? Don't know, but no one is discussing how big of a moment that was for Waiters/OKC when Waiters buried that 3.

It was a big moment definitely. With that trey Waiters outscored Kawhi for the entire 4th quarter.

[AZK619]

Dion.. Who? This scrub really talking . Cant wait to see his ass get punked.

[Kawhitstorm]

Waiters is on fire, tbh..he is the same genius that pulled off a move that NBA officials and most people involved with the NBA had never seen before, and it helped his team get a playoff W

He's just riding the momentum..

Waiters is the new Lance Stephenson, remember when he called out Wade & got his ass handed to him in 2014.

“D. Wade — I think his knee is messed up, so I’ve got to be extra aggressive and make him run and have him running around and make his knee flare up or something."

[YGWHI]

Except the Spurs weren't out of their offense. They employed the exact same scheme they did in game 1.

No. We didn't see the same Spurs pick and rolls than in Game 1, and most plays were "give the ball to LMA in the post"

Spurs reporters aren't brilliant but at least McDonals wrote about a play-call I didn't notice during the game.

"With little else working for the Spurs in Game 2, coach Gregg Popovich called post-up after post-up for Aldridge, as he once did for Duncan.
At one point in the first half, Manu Ginobili audibled out of an Aldridge post-up, and got an earful.
“Run the (expletive) play,” Popovich told Ginobili.

Of course that Kawhi missing shots doesn't help, but you can't say that the Spurs are running the same offense.

Calling out the offense this time for not "getting him involved." He had 19 shots in 36 minutes. I agree with you that Pop should've played him 40-45 minutes, but in terms of usage, he wasn't far behind LMA in that game. He's involved

Kawhi isn't highly involved. Even this guy agrees with this.

The Spurs’ Aldridge-heavy game plan also took the ball out of Leonard’s hands.
“If he’s rolling like that, I don’t care if I’m not scoring the ball,” Leonard said.

If this was a two-man offense, Kawhi wouldn't say that. Like it or not, the Spurs are now, a one-man offense. And most teams are easier to beat being one.

[ElNono]

Famous last words, tbh

[apalisoc_9]

Dion is not wrong. They've choosen to double Parker and Leonard all the time on the pnr and pop. Its what they want to do.

[apalisoc_9]

Except the Spurs weren't out of their offense. They employed the exact same scheme they did in game 1. Playing inside out balanced with pick-and-pops and Kawhi isos. The difference between the 2 games was Danny Green making open looks, Duncan playing well, and Kawhi shooting efficiently. Waiters is full of . The Spurs offense in terms of strategy is fine. The problem is the lack of consistent scoring outside the two big guns. Duncan blew like 5 easy bunnies. And Green and Mills didn't hit their open shots.

As DPG and others have said all season. The offense is creating looks (the Spurs assist rate is proof of that), but the role players aren't converting like they should be.

Sounds like you want to excuse Kawhi's subpar performance once again, calling out the offense this time for not "getting him involved." He had 19 shots in 36 minutes. I agree with you that Pop should've played him 40-45 minutes, but in terms of usage, he wasn't far behind LMA in that game. He's involved.

Also, OKC's defense can't shut down everyone else. They're a poor defensive team (again, the looks were there all night, but Green was doing his D-League thing). And Kawhi was being single covered by Waiters for stretches and couldn't capitalize. It's a shot. They don't think he can play well enough to beat them.

They play their gane but they have also been limited in the pnr. You can say getting LMA pops is part of the spurs system, but it ignores a very obvious OKC defensive emphasis. Make the ball handler pass the ball. Its part of the reason why kawhi has barely shot the ball and whens the last time Parker took a shot.

[midnightpulp]

No. We didn't see the same Spurs pick and rolls than in Game 1, and most plays were "give the ball to LMA in the post"

Spurs reporters aren't brilliant but at least McDonals wrote about a play-call I didn't notice during the game.


Of course that Kawhi missing shots doesn't help, but you can't say that the Spurs are running the same offense.


Kawhi isn't highly involved. Even this guy agrees with this.


If this was a two-man offense, Kawhi wouldn't say that. Like it or not, the Spurs are now, a one-man offense. And most teams are easier to beat being one.

Did you miss this key point?

"With little else working for the Spurs in Game 2..."

Pop started force-feeding LMA as somewhat of desperation move because no one, including Kawhu, was hitting . We would've had 30 points in the 1st Q if Green, Duncan, and Kawhi had hit their looks at even a 45% clip. Danny, Tim, and Kawhi were 1-10 in the 1st. They were "involved."

It only became a "one man offense" because no other Spur seemed to feel like playing offense in that game.

[YGWHI]

Did you miss this key point?

"With little else working for the Spurs in Game 2..."

Pop started force-feeding LMA as somewhat of desperation move because no one, including Kawhu, was hitting . We would've had 30 points in the 1st Q if Green, Duncan, and Kawhi had hit their looks at even a 45% clip. Danny, Tim, and Kawhi were 1-10 in the 1st. They were "involved."

It only became a "one man offense" because no other Spur seemed to feel like playing offense in that game.

No, this is a thing since game 1 in the series, LMA got a lot more touches than Kawhi that game.

Kawhi had higher USG% against the Grizz than now, he isn't getting the ball that much.

It's fine with me, don't care who is scoring if the Spurs get the win, sadly they didn't in game 2.

But again, you can't say this is the same offense we saw in the regular season or first round.

To me having two guys involved on offense at the same time it's not that easier to beat than with only one. But the Spurs believe/play otherwise.

[midnightpulp]

No, this is a thing since game 1 in the series, LMA got a lot more touches than Kawhi that game.

Kawhi had higher USG% against the Grizz than now, he isn't getting the ball that much.

It's fine with me, don't care who is scoring if the Spurs get the win, sadly they didn't in game 2.

But again, you can't say this is the same offense we saw in the regular season or first round.

To me having two guys involved on offense at the same time it's not that easier to beat than with only one. But the Spurs believe/play otherwise.

The numbers prove you wrong that the team was not offensively involved. Kawhi will see less touches this series, though. I think (as Harlem pointed out) that OKC has had issues defending the PF position all season. So like it or not, LMA is eating first this series. But Kawhi is still getting shots. He got 19 of them in 36 minutes. And he should've been to the line about 4 more times.

I don't know what more you want. The Spurs aren't playing as a one man team. LMA's usage was actually pretty low: 21 shots plus 10 FTAs (which is 5 shot attempts) in 43 minutes. If Green, Duncan, and Kawhi shoot 50% that game, Kawhi scores 22 points, and Duncan and Green are both in double figures, and we're sitting here today praising the great team ball the Spurs played.

The Spurs only looked like a one man team because everyone else aside from Manu was ice cold.

[YGWHI]

Prove you wrong...Kawhi will see less touches this series, though

He's getting less shots ="he isn't getting the ball that much"

The Spurs only looked like a one man team because everyone else aside from Manu was ice cold.

You say this, I say this was the game plan. A risky game plan.

[midnightpulp]

He's getting less shots ="he isn't getting the ball that much"


You say this, I say this was the game plan. A risky game plan.

It wasn't the gameplan. LMA was only forcefed after after Kawhi and Co. weren't hitting anything in the first quarter. Also, LMA wasn't even that forcefed. His usage was 25.9 for the game. Kawhi's? 25.7. One man teams are like what Lebron's old Cavs were. This is nothing of the sort. And the numbers don't back you. Sounds like you're angling for another excuse should Kawhi fail. "He wasn't getting the ball enough so he couldn't get in rhythm!" "Pop didn't put him in the best position to succeed!"

If he doesn't come through with all this bulletin board material the Thunder are giving the Spurs, then you're just going to have to come to terms with the fact he might not be as good of an offensive player as you think he is. I've been telling you all season the weakness of wings who rely too much on midrange/midpost play. And those weaknesses could prove costly. Why do you think I've been banging the drum for Kawhi to take his dribble-drive game to the next level? And banging the drum for Parker to help mitigate matters by being a player who can take some pressure off Kawhi in that regard (penetration)?

This series is going tell us a lot.

[YGWHI]

"He wasn't getting the ball enough so he couldn't get in rhythm!"

He sat him remaining 6 minutes in the 1st quarter and 4' in the 2nd quarter. If you don't think that playing time and less shots aren't factors to get or not into rhythm...I can't help.

If he doesn't come through with all this bulletin board material the Thunder are giving the Spurs, then you're just going to have to come to terms with the fact he might not be as good of an offensive player as you think he is.

He "might" something is "a fact"?

I've been telling you all season the weakness of wings who rely too much on midrange/midpost play. And those weaknesses could prove costly. Why do you think I've been banging the drum for Kawhi to take his dribble-drive game to the next level?

In Kawhi's pre-draft workout video, he said his favorite player was Melo. There is a good reason for that, like many guys say here, his offensive game is Melo-lite, people want him to be a driver but he's a post-up/mid-range player like him. That's enough to make him a 20 ppg guy. And should be enough for the Spurs, too.

[midnightpulp]

He sat him remaining 6 minutes in the 1st quarter and 4' in the 2nd quarter. If you don't think that playing time and less shots aren't factors to get or not into rhythm...I can't help.


He "might" something is "a fact"?


In Kawhi's pre-draft workout video, he said his favorite player was Melo. There is a good reason for that, like many guys say here, his offensive game is Melo-lite, people want him to be a driver but he's a post-up/mid-range player like him. That's enough to make him a 20 ppg guy. And should be enough for the Spurs, too.

Yeah, and like many guys here, I'm not a fan of Melo's game. I don't care about PPG. I care about efficiency and how a player's total game can pressure a defense and open things up for the offense. Midpost stagnates ball movement too much. And the midrange shot is the most inefficient in basketball. For Kawhi to reach the next level, he has to develop a good dribble-drive game.

I disagree with the sitting. But as far as putting Kawhi in good situations on the court, Pop is doing fine.

Quit trying to invent excuses. If Kawhi doesn't come through, he's just going to have go back to work and improve further or come to terms to with his offensive limitations.

I think he comes through in this series, but I'm nervous.

[YGWHI]

Midpost stagnates ball movement too much. And the midrange shot is the most inefficient in basketball

Since the Spurs two main scorers are ISO/Mid-range players and the team had one of the best regular seasons in their history...I'd say their mid-range style is so successful

Quit trying to invent excuses. If Kawhi doesn't come through, he's just going to have go back to work and improve further or come to terms to with his offensive limitations.

Again. What's excuse? I said he had a bad game 2. But also, he's 24 years old, I refuse to define a player who is still developing his game.

but I'm nervous

Well, that's your problem. Not mine.

[testies]

THIS GUY IS A FERRARI

WHAT A BEAST WE HAVE IN OUR HANDS!

[testies]

wHEN BEFORE IN CHESAPEAKE CRUNCH TIME, WE WOULD GET HORRIBLE SHOTS OFF.. NOW WE HAVE LMA WHO CAN JUST GET FREEBIES WHEN HITS THE FAN