IMHO:
The time for a fixed starting line-up is gone. Depending on the opposite team, Spurs will start two bigs or just one (Aldridge will rest at some point). It makes sense to insert Cunningham as starter vs Lebron, Durant, George and other teams with an All-Star SF and only 1 big in their lineup.
It looks like Gay is working well offensively as SF and he did a good job against James in the last minutes yesterday. Rudy looked healthy again but he didn’t in Portland. He will struggle against SGs playing at the 3 position, running through screens side to side and guarding them in off the dribble pick&roll shooting situations.
Guards rotation is a question mark as well. What’s going to happen when White returns? Is Forbes earning legit playing time? What about Walker?
Popovich has innovated many times already, sometimes just transferring coaching strategies from College Basketball or European Basketball. In Europe, starting lineups are totally flexible, with players coming in and out depending on coaching adjustments for every specific game. The Spurs installed the habit of resting stars and Popovich often inserted third string players as starters. Veteran players and injuries made Spurs use multiple starting lineups in the past two seasons. This variable starting line-up is simply the next natural step.
Maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?
No, because that would show his hand for potential playoff series where this already happens regularly. Yes, because teams can usually guess each others' adjustments anyways so you're better off making sure each potential unit gets playing time together.
It’s very early and the team isn’t whole so I expect Pop to do some lineup searching.
I'm more curious if Pop can come up with a new innovation of NBA defense in a league where you now can't touch anybody and teams score 120-140 points per game on the regular. That could really change things.
Popovich isn't innovating anymore..not only that, but he's actually been going backwards
It will eventually settle down but not for the Spurs. They will not be good defensively this season. At least there will be cliffhangers offensively every night. Fun!
Pop has never started his best five. The thing about starting your five best players is that there is only one ball. Why people make a big deal about this is silly. Manu's 6th man award in my mind has always been an insult mostly. The dude was never a sixth man according to the true meaning. He was at the very least the third best player on the team.
The only thing that probably matters most is who ENDS the game.
I agree in large part and in fact I already wrote quite the same thing commenting the Lakers game. The two constants will be obviously DDR and LMA (one could have been Murray before his injury) but both of them will be replaced in some games because they are not that young anymore (expecially LMA). The current style and pace of most nba games (run and shoot) makes multiple changes during then game necessary and are favouring a long roster (like the one we were supposed to have before injuries). the one thing that our team have is the fact that the players are committed, are developed and usually improve their game being part of the system by time also if their skills are limited. Forbes's game is the best example of this.
Pop is famous for tinkering with lineups. I think with this rag-tag group he'll be doing a lot of that. Beyond DeRozan and Aldridge, I think the rest of the lineup is pretty much undecided.
I can see his shuffling around the bigs starting beside LMA, but this isn't really new.
Raptors are doing this with Ibaka and Valanciunas I think.
It's not "new age" to have to switch your lineups because your opponent goes small. Ideally, you want to be the team that forces opponents to adjust rather than the other way around. If the Spurs had two Aldridges (with enough chemistry to play off each other), then they'd start those two every single game no matter who they face.
This is basically preseason as far as lineups are concerned. Pop had the full compliment of players for a game or two in the actual preseason and then all broke loose with injuries right up until the start of the regular season. So now it’s back to square one more than usual. And as other have mentioned, Pop does like to tinker a bit with lineups in the regular season to understand the dynamics and who plays well with each other / how certain lineups match up with certain opposing teams and styles. I would say get used to seeing different lineups all season, with more soon that will involve LMA and DeMar getting fewer total minutes to avoid them burning out.
Basketball is a game of mismatch. And the better coaches are able to adapt. The challenge for the Spurs coaching staff is how far they can stretch this with a thin personnel until some of our boys are back. This has been an unventured territory without the big 3 and major injuries. But Pops and the entire team are doing a great job
Sup Coach X. Enjoy your posts & insights. IMO, when it comes to the Spurs' lineups, I think it's three reasons for the lineup changes: 1. Matchup situations, such as the game with the Lakers to have DC33 to matchup with LBJ23. 2. Injuries. Just as what's currently happening now. Spurs' mantra: "Next man up." 3. Pop playing "mad scientist" to see what would be the best lineups as the season begins as he toys & tinkers throughout the early part of the season. Then traditionally, by the RRT, the lineups should be set in stone, unless there is an injury to the lineup or matchup situation, then it's back to tinkering again. I have a feeling that there may not be an end to staring lineup changes during this season, especially when White & Walker return to the lineup, & here we go again... GSG!!!
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