I quit, boys

[TDMVPDPOY]

difference between denver and the lower seeds was just the win/loss column seperating them, other then that they are all pretenders

[Dex]

You are cool and I like you but I don't think I've ever seen you say a negative thing about the team or Pop. A fanbase full of complacent/sunshine pumper fans isn't good for the organization.

I give criticism where criticism is due.

I've openly criticized the Mills and Gasol contracts (low hanging fruit, I know).

I've criticized Pop for overplaying guys like Neal, Anderson, Forbes, Beli, etc...especially on nights where it's apparent they don't have it and are obviously net negatives, or for trying to turn left when the whole league is going right in terms of three-point shooting.

I've criticized the coaching staff for its "experience over talent" mantra that keeps young talent like White and Walker stuck on the bench longer than they should be.

I've criticized Aldridge and DeRozan when they play soft and passive and constantly settle for turnaround fadeaway mid-range jumpers, a shot the defense will give them 10 times out of 10, or Gay who seems to have completely forgotten how to play basketball once these playoffs started.

There is a lot of blame to go around for the Spurs current predicament. But I also try to keep things in perspective. This is a team that was cobbled together on the fly after the Kawhi debacle, and things only got worse when Murray went down. Despite the talent of LaMarcus and DeMar, they are probably still lucky to even be in the playoffs, let alone pushing the 2-seed to six games.

, we even looked like the better team for most of the first thirteen quarters (minus 4Q of Game 2)...and that may be the most frustrating part. But that's what the playoffs are about...teams make adjustments, series have ebbs and flows. If the Spurs come out and find a way to win Game 6 on their home floor, the pressure goes right back on Denver.

I may not personally agree with some of the things that PATFO and the Spurs do, but I also don't pretend like I know better than them. Their performance and pedigree speaks for itself.

[Brazil]

With that squad reaching the POs is already great... not sure why people are mad by the perspective of losing first round even if it is against freaking Denver.

White has been the motor of the Spurs the second half of the season, he is one of the main reason this serie ain't over yet. He carried game 1 and 3 had a solid game 2 tbh and struggled games 4 and 5.. dude is no ginobili, this is his second season not sure what people are expecting from him.

The rest of the roster is playing as one could have anticipated... rozan, lma, beli, mills... anyone surprised ? The only disappointment for me is Rudy... dude is lost this serie.

I'm not going to quit on this team with all the that happened (kiwi, injuries...) this year because of an eventual first round loss.

You guys are freaking nuts... what the were you expecting ? that DeRozan transform himself in a clutch PO performer, that LMA grows balls, that freaking mills and beli shoot 50% from 3s on the road, that a 24 y/o second year player become consistent and deliver 20 pts at 50% every night ?

Serie ain't over, we will draw conclusions at the end but I certainly won't be disappointed if we can't go next round.

[spurraider21]

It's really this simple. Spurs aren't going to be a legit contender shooting 18 threes per game. They were last in three-point-attempts this season and first in attempts from 10-16 feet/16-21 feet (midrange). They're way behind trend, basically trying to play smashmouth football in an era of coddled QBs and pass happy offenses. It's not a talent issue, really, it's a systemic one. Chuck or die is the winning formula in today's NBA.

its really astounding given how many roster spots he's devoted to guys whose only real value comes from 3 point shooting... mills/forbes/marco/bertans.

[timtonymanu]

OP's entire first post is on where he went wrong on the expectations of this year's team. A LaMarcus/Demar duo was always a low ceiling combo. Like others have said, we were honestly lucky to make the playoffs with how antiquated the system is, that Murray was out all year, and how bad the construction of the roster was. Part of that can go to Nephew, but it's also on the front office for making those moves, though with what was available out there and the fact that players don't want to play in San Antonio, options were limited. It was always gonna be a huge hurdle to make a big run. That's why I was part of the tanking crew all year but that didn't happen and here we are.

This team was always gonna finish in the lottery or a 1st round exit. Anything more was just wishful thinking.

I'm glad Spurs drew the Nuggets regardless because maybe this playoff loss will motivate the front office to make better moves. Had they beaten Denver and Portland and made the WCF to be swept by the Dubs, we knew Pop would have more than fine with staying the course and bringing back Murray to make another run. There's really no one that should be untouchable from the vets, all of them are expendable. Marco being the most obvious move.

[spurraider21]

This. Excluding Jokic, the Nugget's overall advantage in athleticism is alarming.

we can theoretically address that with murray/walker being in the rotation

[jjktkk]

we can theoretically address that with murray/walker being in the rotation

Agree. My only concern is will these two, along with D. White, be able to shoot well enough from 3 to coexist on the court together?

[spurraider21]

Agree. My only concern is will these two, along with D. White, be able to shoot well enough from 3 to coexist on the court together?

white and walker are both capable shooters. if white puts more emphasis on a quicker release this offseason, i think that should work out. the bigger concern is how murray/derozan will work together. its hard to envision

[RC_Drunkford]

I am just shocked at how when watching every other series, SA/DEN stands out BY FAR the most as a regular season type game. It’s just not the same level of effort and fight and intensity from SA. Not even close.

Forget whether you play well or not, there is no one with that clear burning compe ive fire that I have seen and it’s jarring. Just an observation.

that's because this Team doesn't have Manu. We don't win 1 game against Golden State last year if not for Manu.

[itzsoweezee]

white and walker are both capable shooters. if white puts more emphasis on a quicker release this offseason, i think that should work out. the bigger concern is how murray/derozan will work together. its hard to envision

No they are not capable shooters. The problem with takes like these is that it demonstrates you are completely unfamiliar with the NBA outside of the Spurs. Try watching some other teams sometime. The Spurs' gimmick offense/lineup cannot compete against even moderately elite teams. It's why a guy like Tobias Harris is much, much more valuable in the modem NBA than a guy like DeRozan, even though DeRozan is the much more skilled player. Unfortunately, not all skills are equally valuable.

[spurraider21]

No they are not capable shooters. The problem with takes like these is that it demonstrates you are completely unfamiliar with the NBA outside of the Spurs. Try watching some other teams sometime. The Spurs' gimmick offense/lineup cannot compete against even moderately elite teams. It's why a guy like Tobias Harris is much, much more valuable in the modem NBA than a guy like DeRozan, even though DeRozan is the much more skilled player. Unfortunately, not all skills are equally valuable.

what does tobias/derozan have to do with white or walker being capable shooters?

[objective]

Walker has good shooting form, his only problem historically was taking bad shots

[itzsoweezee]

what does tobias/derozan have to do with white or walker being capable shooters?

It's just an example of what might be considered "capable" has shifted significantly the last 3 or 4 years

[DPG21920]

With that squad reaching the POs is already great... not sure why people are mad by the perspective of losing first round even if it is against freaking Denver.

White has been the motor of the Spurs the second half of the season, he is one of the main reason this serie ain't over yet. He carried game 1 and 3 had a solid game 2 tbh and struggled games 4 and 5.. dude is no ginobili, this is his second season not sure what people are expecting from him.

The rest of the roster is playing as one could have anticipated... rozan, lma, beli, mills... anyone surprised ? The only disappointment for me is Rudy... dude is lost this serie.

I'm not going to quit on this team with all the that happened (kiwi, injuries...) this year because of an eventual first round loss.

You guys are freaking nuts... what the were you expecting ? that DeRozan transform himself in a clutch PO performer, that LMA grows balls, that freaking mills and beli shoot 50% from 3s on the road, that a 24 y/o second year player become consistent and deliver 20 pts at 50% every night ?

Serie ain't over, we will draw conclusions at the end but I certainly won't be disappointed if we can't go next round.

Accurate. But one thing; Its not like LMA and DeRozan have been bad. They have not dominated, but they have played well enough for the most part for SA to win games.

[Brazil]

Accurate. But one thing; Its not like LMA and DeRozan have been bad. They have not dominated, but they have played well enough for the most part for SA to win games.

I agree, they are playing the brand of basketball we could expect.. they rely on 40% mid range, does not shoot 3s, demar is showing playmaking abilities, lma rebounds the ball but is globally soft on defense and offense... they are having their numbers... again no surprises here. At the end those 2 cannot carry this Spurs roster in POs so far even against a solid opponent but far from being a powerhouse. This good enough is not enough to hide role players disappearing in POs per par.

[spurraider21]

It's just an example of what might be considered "capable" has shifted significantly the last 3 or 4 years

nobody ever called derozan a capable 3 point shooter

me: player A is a capable 3 point shooter
you: but Player C is a better shooter than player B!

[FkLA]

How is Murray a fraud?

He's real enough to be us, at least.

He's trash. Inefficient chucker that can't stop anyone on the other end.

The biggest flaw in your argument is thinking Denver is a weak pretender. The only glaring weakness they have is inexperience, which they are gaining in the playoffs. BTW, have you've chosen your new alt for next year?

They're absolutely pretenders. They don't have a truly dominant superstar and honestly don't even have a second guy after Jokic that you could consider a star. Did you not watch how every time they had a big statement game in the regular season, be it against GS/HOU/etc, they always got obliterated? Spurs had them beat and Pop's arrogance let them off the hook, period.

[itzsoweezee]

nobody ever called derozan a capable 3 point shooter

me: player A is a capable 3 point shooter
you: but Player C is a better shooter than player B!

Again, I was showing how NBA standards have changed. There was a time when DeRozan was thought of as a better player than Harris. That time no longer exists.

There was a time where Walker and White would have been considered capable shooters. That time no longer exists.

This roster is obviously flawed and antiquated. Time to move on

[Coach X]

We all Spurs fans are spoiled. Too used to excellence, we struggle to accept being just good or above the average.

[jjktkk]

He's trash. Inefficient chucker that can't stop anyone on the other end.



They're absolutely pretenders. They don't have a truly dominant superstar and honestly don't even have a second guy after Jokic that you could consider a star. Did you not watch how every time they had a big statement game in the regular season, be it against GS/HOU/etc, they always got obliterated? Spurs had them beat and Pop's arrogance let them off the hook, period.

I actually have watched the Nuggets, in these playoffs evolve into a pretty good team. Barring injury, no one is going to knock off GS, but Houston's not a lock, giving CP3 being injury prone.

[TimDunkem]

Ok goodbye, i expect to not see a comment from you again this season since you quit

So for one more game?

[ZeusWillJudge]

With that squad reaching the POs is already great... not sure why people are mad by the perspective of losing first round even if it is against freaking Denver.

By that logic, a 35 win team could be a big success, if they were so bad we only expected 25 wins.

I think people are mad because the team had solid leads that they blew, and then they just didn't show up for a pivotal Game 5. I know I could deal with them losing, but not laying down. And like a lot of people, I blame those first two losses on Pop's refusal to put in players to stop the bleeding. They lost games that they SHOULD have won.

[Geoffsimons]

How is this on Pop? The players are on the court - they get it done or not. Pop hasn’t shot a three or a FT in a game not grabbed a rebound. He’s the coach. Has he had questionable rotations? Perhaps.

Its on tie the heart of the players to score and win. Defend hopefully.

[JeffDuncan]

How is this on Pop? ...

It's on Pop because he built this Spurs team exactly the way it is.

[hater]

I've stuck through so many heartbreakers and blowouts over the years but this is truly a disgusting display by the coach and "star" players.




LMA and DD are ing losers. I've wanted to believe in them all year but they are what they are. They'll get coddled here though because we're a city that just got spurned by Nephew and that struggles to attract talent.

Pet wombat. Seems like an amazing guy. I genuinely do believe he brings a lot of positive energy to the locker room. He does try really hard and gives it his all on the court but he ing sucks. Should've never been resigned much less to that contract.

Bellinelli. Seriously why was he signed? He was a complete liability in the playoffs in 2014. The team clearly needed defensive wings after losing two all-defense wings to TOR. He had a solid regular season (again) but has shown what he is in the playoffs (again).

Pop is full of himself. He's let the fact that he's the GOAT get to his head. His hockey subs, the arrogance to stick to rotations that obviously aren't working, not playing his supposed best players in critical moment/quarters, neutering his best player's minutes in the ing playoffs because he's a "genius" that invented DNP-rest and he knows best. What other coach does this? Noone. Because noone else has the arrogance that comes with being the GOAT. It's not senility, it's arrogance. I've never thought this but maybe bringing in new blood might be for the best. Ideally, Pop remains president and younger, hungrier, less arrogant coach takes over.

Cherry on top--you have that instagram baller on the sideline laughing as if the team isn't down 30. Probably brainstormng his next instagram baller post..."This ain't happening next year! I got yall! 100 *tongue sticking out emoji*"

The recent loss in Denver was embarrassing especially with the way all our guys played


Gutless