Aldridge and Leonard in the 4th

[apalisoc_9]

He benched Tiago & started Diaw in Gm 5 after the two blowout in OKC back in 2014. (Tim might get benched for Diaw)

Different scenarios because the spurs just meltdown in the fourth and the 3rd game was close.

[SAGirl]

Spurs had a chance to put this game away in the first half and didn't. OKC came out timid and flat. They should've easily been up by 15 at the half.

But once West Diaw gets out there, it's only a matter of time before OKCs size starts taking over in the boards.

If you gonna play that combo, you can only do it 3-4 min max! But they should've even be out there together, and especially without Kawhi on the floor.

Even Kawhi can't redeem them. Anderson got the lion's share of the blame previously for that line-up being ty, but it wasn't on him alone and at least he gave Kawhi 2-3 minutes of rest so he could come in and close it out. That is valuable. The SF doesn't have much effect in that bench line-up. Yes Kawhi makes them better but they are still awful, and that says a lot.

Last game the line-up was also a net negative and Kyle was there. Yes he didn't save them or add anything, but what he did do was give rest to Kawhi. Kawhi came in at the 9 minute mark and was magnificent, both ends. So those crappy 3 minutes Kyle played were valuable in the end.

He couldn't have been worse here.

[Kawhitstorm]

Different scenarios because the spurs just meltdown in the fourth and the 3rd game was close.

Except Diaw/West has been a disaster & Tiago only got exposed when Ibaka came back to the line-up in Gm 3/4.

Outside of elimination games, Gm 5 in a 2-2 series is essentially where you will see the most adjustment if there is an obvious lineup issue.

Off the top of my head:
-In the 2012 WCF, Pop started Manu over Danny who was wetting the bed.
-In the 2013 Finals, Pop started Manu over Tiago
-In the 2014 WCF, Pop started Bonner over Tiago who was essentially benched for Diaw

[UZER]

Even Kawhi can't redeem them. Anderson got the lion's share of the blame previously for that line-up being ty, but it wasn't on him alone and at least he gave Kawhi 2-3 minutes of rest so he could come in and close it out. That is valuable. The SF doesn't have much effect in that bench line-up. Yes Kawhi makes them better but they are still awful, and that says a lot.

Last game the line-up was also a net negative and Kyle was there. Yes he didn't save them or add anything, but what he did do was give rest to Kawhi. Kawhi came in at the 9 minute mark and was magnificent, both ends. So those crappy 3 minutes Kyle played were valuable in the end.

He couldn't have been worse here.

Yes, all of that. In addition, I've said Kawhi or Aldridge must be in the floor at all times.

My point is that lineup shouldn't be out there period, but if pop is gonna be stubborn with it like we all know he is, then at the very very least, Kawhi should be in the floor.

[Ditty]

Aldridge will show up at home, tbh..seems like the type of that needs to sleep in his own bed and have his own blanket, etc..

I don't disagree with you much Harlem, but Aldridge was fine on offense these two games in OKC. Did have some unordinary short shots (tired? Hopefully not, because he has played well in heavy minute situations when he was in Portland). He needs to get in better on defense, and box out rebound though tbh.

[SAGirl]

But if DWest and Boris can't compete against Adams-Ibaka-Kanter...Why don't try to go small and force OKC to do the same?

Kawhi at 4 is a better rebounder than Durant and Danny/Kyle better than Waiters/Roberson. At least we could neutralize OKC rebounding.

I think Pop will stay traditional like Apo said, but you have made me think about it bc the advantage of staying BIG is the rebounding and defense boost but if Timmy is not playing, (and worse, if he's truly done, gulp!), why stay big with some guys that can't win that battle, the rebounding and defense battle?

I will give you this: Pop always used his small ball lineups in response to what the other coach was doing, never of his own initiative in the RS.

[EIC]

Diaw had no chance against KD tonight, even Danny was getting roasted. Kyle was the only guy that slowed him down.

Intentionally or not:

[Kawhitstorm]

I don't disagree with you much Harlem, but Aldridge was fine on offense these two games in OKC. Did have some unordinary short shots (tired? Hopefully not, because he has played well in heavy minute situations when he was in Portland). He needs to get in better on defense, and box out rebound though tbh.

KD clearly has no regard for him when he drives to the rim, he needs to lay him out flat so he would actually acknowledge his presence.

[Kawhitstorm]

If I were Duncan and they did that, I'd retire on the spot.

As if he didn't get benched in a freakin' regular season game.

[YGWHI]

I think Pop will stay traditional like Apo said, but you have made me think about it bc the advantage of staying BIG is the rebounding and defense boost but if Timmy is not playing, (and worse, if he's truly done, gulp!), why stay big with some guys that can't win that battle, the rebounding and defense battle?

Exactly

I will give you this: Pop always used his small ball lineups in response to what the other coach was doing, never of his own initiative in the RS.

It's time to make a little change, Pop.

[SAGirl]

He should be starting so he can be matched up against Ibaka rather than coming off the bench when Ibaka goes to the bench.

Good point. Hmm I s Pop at the point he would consider benching TD to reinforce the ty bench line-up?

[littlecoyotecoin]

What bugs me is how physical OKC is allowed to be with LMA and SA gets called for everything. Every time Ibaka closes out on LMA & LMA goes by him, Ibaka puts his arm out (like a clothes line) and hits LMA. He still fights through it, but damn, it's a foul. You have to call it at least once.

Manu pushed in the back on his breakaway...no and-one. Automatic if it's OKC. Danny Green hacked on the arm...out of bounds on Danny Green, it just goes on and on. And, that's fine if you are gonna "let 'em play", but The Thunder are getting call after call after call. Infuriating.

[Kawhitstorm]

Good point. Hmm I s Pop at the point he would consider benching TD to reinforce the ty bench line-up?

He's already benching him in the 4th quarter & benched him in a regular season game so I don't see why it would be a farfetched. (Gm 5 in a 2-2 series has been historically when Pop makes lineup changes)

[SAGirl]

He's already benching him in the 4th quarter & benched him in a regular season game so I don't see why it would be a farfetched. (Gm 5 in a 2-2 series has been historically when Pop makes lineup changes)

I agree that he needs to do something with the bigs. His adjustment tonight was just benching Kyle in the second half. That wasn't enough. Consistently these guys are a negative together. Of course if Manu and Patty were keeping them afloat with hot 3 pts shooting like the RS then fine, but it's not like it's news how deficient they are. I thought I'd see Boban with them but Pop has gone away from him.

[james evans]

series 2-2. if it's not that, someone inform me

[dg7md]

The biggest issue I have with us going forward, even if we get past OKC is the fact that our offense is dreadful at times. There are halves where we can't hit the broad side of any ing thing. We are brilliant usually in the first half, but in the second we quiver up and can't hit anything. This has to change. It's like we're great front runners, but after that we have issues closing games. Always been a problem for the Spurs.

[will_spurs]

Same as Game 2, Pop trotted out the uber-crappy-putrid line-up to start the 4th and the Spurs quickly went from up 4 to down 6. West took all the shots in the 4th when he shouldn't even have been out there.

[Russ]

The elephant in the room -- the Spurs may be wearing down in the 4th quarter (34-16 OKC in the 4th).

The Games are every other day now and OKC is a younger team.

Aldridge and Kawhi are playing 40 minutes every other day. This could be trouble unless the bench starts contributing (if not points at least minutes).

And TD playing so few minutes only adds to the strain . . .

[Harry Callahan]

Manu pushed in the back on his breakaway...no and-one. Automatic if it's OKC. Danny Green hacked on the arm...out of bounds on Danny Green, it just goes on and on. And, that's fine if you are gonna "let 'em play", but The Thunder are getting call after call after call. Infuriating.

In the first quarter Kawhi gets body blocked by Adams - pure chicken play - not basketball. In the 4th quarter, Westbrick body blocks Parker with the intent to injure him. There probably 15 examples of this last night. That is not "being strong" or "being physical". It's just cheap shots by guys who are allowed to get away with it.

I have no idea what it will take for Kawhi to get more respect - the guy gets abused way more than he should. Durant the Diva took 13 foul shots last night. Half of those fouls putting him on the line were questionable at best. Don't get me started on his running buddy. WB plays completely out of control and gets rewarded way too much.

[urunobili]

Only worry is that we wasted a good game from Manu, tbh...

[Harry Callahan]

The biggest issue I have with us going forward, even if we get past OKC is the fact that our offense is dreadful at times. There are halves where we can't hit the broad side of any ing thing. We are brilliant usually in the first half, but in the second we quiver up and can't hit anything. This has to change. It's like we're great front runners, but after that we have issues closing games. Always been a problem for the Spurs.

Thunder are way worse closing out games. They have to have the whistle to bail them out - or the no-call to allow them to pressure and move their screening. The Spurs scored 28 points in the third. You can't play defense as well when the other team is constantly in the penalty and going to the line. The abortion that was Danny Crawford's crew failed mightily last night. They sucked. Our players are getting run through a cheap shot meat grinder and nothing happens.

[EVAY]

In the first quarter Kawhi gets body blocked by Adams - pure chicken play - not basketball. In the 4th quarter, Westbrick body blocks Parker with the intent to injure him. There probably 15 examples of this last night. That is not "being strong" or "being physical". It's just cheap shots by guys who are allowed to get away with it.

I have no idea what it will take for Kawhi to get more respect - the guy gets abused way more than he should. Durant the Diva took 13 foul shots last night. Half of those fouls putting him on the line were questionable at best. Don't get me started on his running buddy. WB plays completely out of control and gets rewarded way too much.

I agree with this, but it would take some calling out by the Spurs' organization to change it and that is not going to happen. I was struck by what OKC was allowed to do under the basket and on screens with no call, but then Duncan and Green (those three fouls in 30 seconds) were just touch fouls. I don't get it.

[SAGirl]

The elephant in the room -- the Spurs may be wearing down in the 4th quarter (34-16 OKC in the 4th).

The Games are every other day now and OKC is a younger team.

Aldridge and Kawhi are playing 40 minutes every other day. This could be trouble unless the bench starts contributing (if not points at least minutes).

And TD playing so few minutes only adds to the strain . . .

Good point. Someone mentioned D west playing the entire 4th. That is too much at his age. TD needed to play a few minutes. Are we ready to let our season live and die by D west? I hope not.

We are probably not ringing if TD is done. It's dawning on me. He has to be better than he's been and maybe he can't.

KD killed us. He was due for a superstar game but we wasted LMA superstar game in game 2 which we should have won.

We still can get this series but this team is not playing their best basketball at this stage of the season, which is this goal. Without TD our ceiling is lowered considerably but nothing can be done about him. Him shooting 1/8 right at the rim in game 2 is as much the culprit for that loss as anything else. As Pop said, we lost that game 3 times.

[polandprzem]

In the first quarter Kawhi gets body blocked by Adams - pure chicken play - not basketball. In the 4th quarter, Westbrick body blocks Parker with the intent to injure him. There probably 15 examples of this last night. That is not "being strong" or "being physical". It's just cheap shots by guys who are allowed to get away with it.

I have no idea what it will take for Kawhi to get more respect - the guy gets abused way more than he should. Durant the Diva took 13 foul shots last night. Half of those fouls putting him on the line were questionable at best. Don't get me started on his running buddy. WB plays completely out of control and gets rewarded way too much.

Well in g3 we were advantageous when it comes to fouling so OKC probably addressed it to the league. Hopefully the Spurs does the same and those ty plays will be called from now on.

All in all I do not like that big of a disparity between RS and POs. Refs swallowing whistles way too much and as a result you have something like g2 ending.

[Kawhitstorm]

The biggest issue I have with us going forward, even if we get past OKC is the fact that our offense is dreadful at times. There are halves where we can't hit the broad side of any ing thing. We are brilliant usually in the first half, but in the second we quiver up and can't hit anything. This has to change. It's like we're great front runners, but after that we have issues closing games. Always been a problem for the Spurs.

That's exactly what happened against the Mavs in 2014 when Carlisle took Danny out of the series & dared Tony to be a scorer. The Manu/Tiago PnR that was the only consistent offense until the Spurs freed up Danny in transition despite losing Gm 6 after Blair dominated the game.

The only consistent offensive in this series is the Tony/LMA PnP but if LMA's shot is off then the well dries up.