Spurs are SOFT

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs had two bigs in the game for 95% of the time. Finley never played power forward. Udoka did for just a couple minutes while Finley was playing shooting guard.

Finley at power forward hurt the Spurs in past season but using a recycled excuse from yesteryear when it doesn't apply deserves a

Especially when the Bucks played with a small forward (Mbah a Moute or Alexander) at power forward for the entire second half.

OK. Let's say Finley was at the SF position. He still allowed Mbah a Moute a couple of second chance rebounds because he fails to block out. This is an old story with him. Spurs lost a tight road game in Philly, a couple of seasons ago, on a game-winning putback by Iguodala. This occurred simply because he does not know how to block out. Positional references aside, with Udoka at PF, the point is it's still a small lineup and Finley is a terrible position player and rebounder, when he's on the frontlne

Just so as not to pick exclusively on Finley, Tim was below average in the rebounding department and he could've put his body on the opponents a few more times, too.

[timvp]

OK. Let's say Finley was at the SF position. He still allowed Mbah a Moute a couple of second chance rebounds because he fails to block out. This is an old story with him. Spurs lost a tight road game in Philly, a couple of seasons ago, on a game-winning putback by Iguodala. This occurred simply because he does not know how to block out. Positional references aside, with Udoka at PF, the point is it's still a small lineup and Finley is a terrible position player and rebounder, when he's on the frontlne

When the Spurs were small, Finley was playing shooting guard. He was never defending Mbah a Moute.

When Finley is hot offensively and keeping the Spurs in the ballgame, shooting guard is the position I want him playing. Pop did that tonight.

[dbreiden83080]

It's not hard to look like when 2 of your 3 best players are sitting on the sidelines..

[Man In Black]

When the Spurs were small, Finley was playing shooting guard. He was never defending Mbah a Moute.

When Finley is hot offensively and keeping the Spurs in the ballgame, shooting guard is the position I want him playing. Pop did that tonight.

Watch that tape...It's Tolliver that gets sucked into the lane leaving Mbah a Moute open for the jumpers.

[Shank]

OT, obviously:

Can I hang out here? The NBA Forum is littered with nozzles right now.

[SenorSpur]

When the Spurs were small, Finley was playing shooting guard. He was never defending Mbah a Moute.

When Finley is hot offensively and keeping the Spurs in the ballgame, shooting guard is the position I want him playing. Pop did that tonight.

Understand. And he was hot and needed to be in the game. I'm simply chiding him for his constant inability to box out opponents. It's not just him. The entire team is, at times, lackadaisacal in allowing opponents to get the offensive glass. This helped to undermine a fine defensive performance tonight.

[mrspurs]

Stupid.

The Spurs played their azzes off. When you are constantly rotating, it's difficult to grab boards. They should have done a better job getting rebounds but it had nothing to do with being soft or not having heart.

Spurs fans can be pathetic

Not just spursfans. Some people dont have a clue. Remember alot of these people who post in here. Are just kids. They're more into these xbox and ps3 games then into real sports. Your right the spurs played their behinds off. Just came up short in the end. Now we do have players who are soft. But as a whole the Spurs are not Soft.

[mrspurs]

It's not hard to look like when 2 of your 3 best players are sitting on the sidelines..

+1

[mrspurs]

Thank God we traded a PF like Luis Scola for Spanoulis.

Scolla will haunt the spurs till duncan retires.

[Obstructed_View]

OK. Let's say Finley was at the SF position. He still allowed Mbah a Moute a couple of second chance rebounds because he fails to block out. This is an old story with him. Spurs lost a tight road game in Philly, a couple of seasons ago, on a game-winning putback by Iguodala. This occurred simply because he does not know how to block out. Positional references aside, with Udoka at PF, the point is it's still a small lineup and Finley is a terrible position player and rebounder, when he's on the frontlne

Just so as not to pick exclusively on Finley, Tim was below average in the rebounding department and he could've put his body on the opponents a few more times, too.

Finley does know how to block out, because he did it for a while. Unfortunately he stopped trying once he hit a few shots and knew that he wasn't going to be benched.

[SenorSpur]

Finley does know how to block out, because he did it for a while. Unfortunately he stopped trying once he hit a few shots and knew that he wasn't going to be benched.

It's becoming an old habit with him. If a young rookie like Tolliver has enough presence of mind to "put a body on the opponent", it's not too much to expect that from Finley, Tim and the any vets. , even Mason deos a fairly decent job in boxing out the opposition and putting himself in position to consistently get rebounds.

[Budkin]

The Spurs were just shooting some shots.... unfortunately they didn't go in.

[Nobody]

It appears the Spurs are playing O the way they did in the late 90's early 2000's. There is such a focus on transition defense, as soon as someone takes a shot, everyone is running back on defense. With the new players it appears to be a give and take here... crash the offensive boards and we lose a bit on transition D. It appears only the bigs are trying to rebound. I think this is a temporary situation as the new fellas get comfortable with transition D.

[SenorSpur]

It appears the Spurs are playing O the way they did in the late 90's early 2000's. There is such a focus on transition defense, as soon as someone takes a shot, everyone is running back on defense. With the new players it appears to be a give and take here... crash the offensive boards and we lose a bit on transition D. It appears only the bigs are trying to rebound. I think this is a temporary situation as the new fellas get comfortable with transition D.

That's fine. The lack of offensive rebounds is expected. It's the defensive rebounds is where the problem is. Giving up second-chance opportunities and putbacks to the opposing team due to lack of effort and not blocking out. It's absolutely inexcusable for such a veteran defensive team.

[Nobody]

That's fine. The lack of offensive rebounds is expected. It's the defensive rebounds is where the problem is. Giving up second-chance opportunities and putbacks to the opposing team due to lack of effort and not blocking out. It's absolutely inexcusable for such a veteran defensive team.

I agree 100% with this statement. Boxing out is a fundamental that seems to be lost on some of the players -- especially the vets. I saw Tolliver putting more effort into boxing out than KT. I'm sure Pop is banging them over the head about this issue. The more athletic, offensive powerhouses will make us pay tremendously for giving them second/third chances. If we intend on having more low 80 scoring games, this problem needs to be sured up quickly.

[urunobili]

I agree 100% with this statement. Boxing out is a fundamental that seems to be lost on some of the players -- especially the vets. I saw Tolliver putting more effort into boxing out than KT. I'm sure Pop is banging them over the head about this issue. The more athletic, offensive powerhouses will make us pay tremendously for giving them second/third chances. If we intend on having more low 80 scoring games, this problem needs to be sured up quickly.

Atlanta would abuse use under the current boxing out effort we are showing...

[SenorSpur]

I agree 100% with this statement. Boxing out is a fundamental that seems to be lost on some of the players -- especially the vets. I saw Tolliver putting more effort into boxing out than KT. I'm sure Pop is banging them over the head about this issue. The more athletic, offensive powerhouses will make us pay tremendously for giving them second/third chances. If we intend on having more low 80 scoring games, this problem needs to be sured up quickly.

Exactly. It's absolute laziness and I trust Pop is chewing some ass about that this morning.

I made a point to specificaly watch Tolliver when the Bucks put up shots. He was consistently finding an opponent, putting his ass on them, and positioning his body between them and the basket. This kid is displaying both intelligence and effort. The veteran bigs should take note.

[Fabbs]

Stupid.

The Spurs played their azzes off. When you are constantly rotating, it's difficult to grab boards. They should have done a better job getting rebounds but it had nothing to do with being soft or not having heart.

Spurs fans can be pathetic

Whose idea to have "constantly rotating" thereby making it "difficult to grab boards"? Why would a team want a system that makes it difficult to grab boards? Sounds like either a dumb idea or Wino does not know how to effectively teach it.

It's not hard to look like when 2 of your 3 best players are sitting on the sidelines..

Bucks had their best player sidelined. The Popapolgist excuses are beyond old and lame.

[Obstructed_View]

It's becoming an old habit with him. If a young rookie like Tolliver has enough presence of mind to "put a body on the opponent", it's not too much to expect that from Finley, Tim and the any vets. , even Mason deos a fairly decent job in boxing out the opposition and putting himself in position to consistently get rebounds.

To be fair, Tolliver left Mbah-Amoute alone for wide open jumpers several times during the run and got beat down the floor because he was at the other end harassing the opposing point guard.

And Mason was horrible in almost every way during the 4th quarter; I'm not sure how he got so many minutes. He was by far the worst player in the game.

[z0sa]

If the spurs would have gotten Tim the ball with more than 6 seconds on the shot clock consistently in the second half, we'd have won by double digits. No one was even passing him the ball at all until there was nowhere left to go and time was ticking down. At the end of the fourth and down by 10, the spurs finally understood it was Timmy time and should have been the entire second half.

The and-1 at the very end on the little kid's pumpfake was just ridiculous for Tim to go for, though.

[SpurSupremacist]

Let's be honest man, didn't Tim have 5 rebounds in this game? Unfortunately, my DVR ed up and I didn't see it, but 5 rebounds? Come on, Tim. You're better than that.