SMALLBALL

[elbamba]

I think Deadman would be great in this series. He has shown all year long that he is pretty good at defending the three and recovering to make effective challenges at the rim. That said, I don't think we can afford to play two bigs at the same time in this series for more than a few spot minutes to throw a wrench in the system.

[SAGirl]

Kyle was +13 on the only game he played against the Rockets this season. Coincidentally (or not), our biggest victory against them this season.

He gets too much hate here frankly for a 1 million guy... you look at his stats and his impact... he's positive on the floor, so long as you don't run your offense through Lamarcus in the post (which is what happened in game 4 against Memphis, and got him benched the rest of the series and playoffs, when in reality the lesson for Pop was not about Kyle, but that he should have been running less LMA post up.. fricking Pop. NO one is a positive when the offense has been run through LMA. He has even annihilated all the bench ball movement.)
Maybe this is the problem:
Look at player production in the postseason:


PLAYERS GP MIN PTS FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OREB DREB REB AST TOV STL BLK PF +/-
Kawhi Leonard 7 36.9 29.7 8.9 16.9 52.5 2.4 5.1 47.2 9.6 9.9 97.1 0.9 5.9 6.7 4.1 2.1 1.7 0.3 1.7 7.7
Davis Bertans 6 9.6 2.7 0.8 2.7 31.3 0.8 2.3 35.7 0.2 0.3 50.0 0.3 1.2 1.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.5 4.7
Dejounte Murray 3 6.3 3.0 0.3 2.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.3 3.0 77.8 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.0 1.0 4.7
Pau Gasol 7 23.1 6.4 2.4 6.1 39.5 0.7 1.6 45.5 0.9 1.3 66.7 1.7 4.0 5.7 1.1 0.9 0.3 0.3 1.9 3.3
Patty Mills 7 20.9 9.7 3.4 7.3 47.1 2.1 4.3 50.0 0.7 0.9 83.3 0.0 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.0 0.3 0.0 2.1 2.9
Tony Parker 7 26.5 15.6 6.1 12.0 51.2 1.3 2.4 52.9 2.0 2.0 100 0.1 2.3 2.4 3.0 1.7 0.4 0.0 1.3 2.7
Kyle Anderson 6 10.5 5.0 2.0 2.8 70.6 0.2 0.3 50.0 0.8 1.2 71.4 0.5 1.0 1.5 0.7 1.0 0.3 0.2 0.2 1.5
Manu Ginobili 7 14.9 3.1 1.1 4.3 26.7 0.4 2.3 18.8 0.4 0.4 100 0.7 1.4 2.1 1.7 0.9 1.1 0.1 0.9 1.1
LaMarcus Aldridge 7 35.6 13.3 5.1 11.7 43.9 0.0 0.7 0.0 3.0 3.9 77.8 2.3 4.9 7.1 1.3 1.3 0.6 0.6 2.7 0.6
Bryn Forbes 1 8.8 5.0 2.0 3.0 66.7 1.0 2.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0
David Lee 7 22.7 5.3 1.9 3.6 52.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 1.6 2.1 73.3 1.6 3.6 5.1 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.4 2.3 -1.0
Dewayne Dedmon 6 8.4 2.2 0.8 0.8 100 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.3 37.5 1.2 2.5 3.7 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.5 1.7 -1.3
Jonathon Simmons 6 12.5 4.8 1.8 3.8 47.8 0.5 1.0 50.0 0.7 1.3 50.0 0.2 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.2 1.3 -3.2
Danny Green 7 23.9 6.1 2.1 6.3 34.1 1.3 4.7 27.3 0.6 1.1 50.0 0.9 2.0 2.9 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.9 2.1 -4.3

Then, if you look at net rating, Kyle is far from the worst player in this team this postseason. And in the few chances he is being given, is one of the most impactful players. Maybe it is a problem for the Spurs that Kyle is outplaying so many guys and a sign that the others are sucking fiercely, but Pop keeps going with the same old crew that is not working out. Look at the +/- above, and the PIE and net rating below:

PLAYERS GP MIN OFFRTG DEFRTG NETRT AST% AST/TO AST RATIO OREB% DREB% REB% TOV% EFG% TS% USG% PACE PIE
Kawhi Leonard 7 36.9 118.4 107.1 11.3 21.2 1.93 15.1 2.9 20.4 11.5 7.8 59.7 70.1 30.5 90.01 22.3
Kyle Anderson 6 10.5 113.1 104.9 8.2 11.4 0.67 13.3 6.0 10.5 8.4 19.9 73.5 74.7 19.4 92.65 16.3
Tony Parker 7 26.5 113.4 108.9 4.5 21.6 1.75 17.1 0.7 11.0 5.8 9.7 56.5 60.4 27.0 88.33 13.3


P.S. I had to shorten the tables, they are from nba.com. Dijon has played very well, he should play too. HIs lack of experience could get him exposed, but when the other guards are ting their pants... he should get a look

[SAGirl]

You guys really look at the steal or 2 he gets in trash minutes, but ignore the abuse he got during meaningful regular season playing time...combined with his absolute offensive inep ude... His first possession he literally passed directly to a rockets player...I don't understand why he continues to get a pass...he would not be on ANY championship caliber NBA roster picking up meaningful minutes

and you only look at
SIMMONS DUNKZZZZ and not anything else going on the court apparently.

[itzsoweezee]

and you only look at
SIMMONS DUNKZZZZ and not anything else going on the court apparently.

This board really overrates Simmons. Absent a dunk or chase down block, he rarely ever consistently impacts gameplay. He's so limited offensively.

[HarlemHeat37]

This board really overrates Simmons. Absent a dunk or chase down block, he rarely ever consistently impacts gameplay. He's so limited offensively.

Pretty typical of Spurs fans, since flashy players have been rare here..I actually hope Simmons gets some minutes in this series(he played horribly last night, though), but ya, I still don't understand why many here think he's going to get paid substantial money you can find a Simmons on virtually every team in the league..

Maybe some of it is on Pop, since Simmons constantly plays scared nowadays, but ya, he became limited once teams knew his name..

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

"It's just a game. NASA just discovered 3 new moons, and I can't wait for the summer to read all about it"

They outplayed us. Simple as that. Now where's the wine?

[HankChinaski]

Yeah I agree the traditional 2 bigman lineup doesn't work against this rockets team with the number of threes they jack up an how much they emphasize transistion offense sprinting back. Unless the Spurs Bigs were mobile to play against that type of strategy sure two bigs would be huge advantage. That isn't the case an they need to utilize a smaller lineup that provides length an mobility.

[spursistan]

Pop has become annoying basketball bitterender..He won't alter anything his approach until we are down 3-0 in the series, 15 point in Game 4..

[itzsoweezee]

Maybe some of it is on Pop, since Simmons constantly plays scared nowadays, but ya, he became limited once teams knew his name..

Completely agree

[FkLA]

When asked about playing two bigs in the post game he said, "that's the way we've played all year".

[DMC]

Chinook laughing at my "in a couple of years every NBA will be playing with only one true big" take, when that's what all the good teams are doing right now.

Wow you did it again, you had a take that wasn't completely re ed. You go, you.

[DAF86]

Wow you did it again, you had a take that wasn't completely re ed. You go, you.

That's one non-completely re ed take more than you can presume, tbh.

[DMC]

That's one non-completely re ed take more than you can presume, tbh.

Go out and dig up another gem bro, you have a captive audience. Someone might eventually like you for it.

[DAF86]

Go out and dig up another gem bro, you have a captive audience. Someone might eventually like you for it.

Will do son, will do. You just keep doing your thing and moving those goal posts like there's no tomorrow. God bless.

[GSH]

Mis-read the thread le. I thought you said "small balls". I thought it was an LMA thread.

[Mouth is Bleeding]

I know Pop went small to beat D'Antoni's Suns at their own game more than once and during big moments in the playoffs.

Those memories are my only hope.

Does anyone remember how much he adjusted exactly and was it also small by today's NBA standards?

[GSH]

I know Pop went small to beat D'Antoni's Suns at their own game more than once and during big moments in the playoffs.

Those memories are my only hope.

Does anyone remember how much he adjusted exactly and was it also small by today's NBA standards?

It helps when you have Tim Duncan defending the paint, and Bruce Bowen kicking the crap out of their best player on the perimeter.
It also helps when Tim, Tony, and Manu are good enough to combine for 123 FTA's in a 6 game series.
And it helps when two guys (Bowen and Finley) average 43% from the 3P line, on 10.5 3PA per game.
I'm not calling you out, but going small wasn't what allowed the Spurs to beat those D'Antoni Suns teams.

Kawhi was a beast in the first series, and his numbers were pretty comparable to what Tim used to do in the playoffs back then. But using the '07 Spurs as an example against the Suns - the Spurs 2,3,and 4 guys (Tony, Manu, and Bruce) combined for 52 PPG. In the last series, the Spurs 2,3, and 4 guys (LMA, Parker, and Patty) combined for 39 PPG. In Game 1, those three guys combined for 22 points.

[DAF86]

I'm cool with starting Pau as long as we are not getting run out of the floor, but Lee can't play anymore on this series. Play Bertans for him.

[DAF86]

So, does anybody know the +/- for smallball? By my calculations it was around +27.

[TheGreatYacht]

Cannot. Be. Stressed. Enough.

That early 4th quarter lineup... Gasol, Simmons, Manu, Mills, Parker

[DAF86]

Cannot. Be. Stressed. Enough.

That early 4th quarter lineup... Gasol, Simmons, Manu, Mills, Parker

No more Lee, tbh.

Mills/Green/Kawhi/LA/Pau (quick hook to the 2 bigs lineup if starts going south early)
Murray/Manu/Simmons/Bertans.

[TheGreatYacht]

No more Lee, tbh.

Mills/Green/Kawhi/LA/Pau (quick hook to the 2 bigs lineup if starts going south early)
Murray/Manu/Simmons/Bertans.

I agree. If one of our two bigs get in foul trouble, free the deadman

[SAGirl]

I'm cool with starting Pau as long as we are not getting run out of the floor, but Lee can't play anymore on this series. Play Bertans for him.

I would do that too. I have a hard time seeing Pop go away from Lee though...

[100%duncan]

Cannot. Be. Stressed. Enough.

That early 4th quarter lineup... Gasol, Simmons, Manu, Mills, Parker

I dont know. More of a mix of houston missing 3s they were making the whole game, harden on the bench, and a fluky (I hope it continues) stretch from simmons

[TheGreatYacht]

I dont know. More of a mix of houston missing 3s they were making the whole game, harden on the bench, and a fluky (I hope it continues) stretch from simmons

With Parker out, I don't know what Pop will do during those 4-6 minute stretches when Kawhi sits at the end of the 1st/3rd.... Rockets bench exposed OKC during that same stretch and did it to us in the first half. Pop adjusted and played TP with no Kawhi on the floor.

Don't want to be Pop right now....