Spurs win in spite of Pop's stupidity

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Congrats to the team for laying it all out tonight.

Pop deserves six swift kicks to the junk for a shortened bench and no one taller than 'Dice seeing the floor tonight. Larry Brown is the worst thing to ever happen to Pop's coaching decisions.

This has to be one of if not the worst coached game of Pop's career.

I agree, for once.

1) Death
2) Taxes
3) AHF ing about Pop

He is right tonight. No Mahinmi in a game perfectly suited to him? WTF???

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Hmm I'm going to take the side of the coach that has 4 championships, rather than people who complain after a win online.

[HarlemHeat37]

Complaining about Pop doesn't change the fact that we're happy that we won..I'm very happy, I wrote that in the game thread..it was a great and gutsy W..it doesn't change anything though..

Ian or Ratliff wouldn't have hurt at all, I don't see how they could have..we blew a 19-point lead anyways..I don't see any reason not to have those guys in at some point to give others a rest and to protect the rim..

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Did the Spurs lose?

Pop did his job.

They didn't win because of Pop. Tonight they won despite him.

[pjjrfan]

I don't like the idea of sitting Tim out, but the end result is that the team responded with great effort, everyone made mistakes, but in the end they did tough it out and they got a well deserved win against a team that has owned them for the past 2 seasons. I also liked that the defensive energy came in a back to back after a big win over the Lakers. Manu is something else, that last play I thought he gave the game away then he hustles and helps create the winning shot.

[FkLA]

It's not so much about tonight, it's about the bigger picture. You will see that lineup again somewhere when Pop thinks he can be cute, only there will be a coach on the other sideline smart enough to post up whoever Mason or Jefferson are taking turns guarding at PF.

Because obviously Nenad Kristic was being Wilt-esque and absolutely beasting in the paint tonight right? Or was is it Nick Collison? Jeff Green? Durant? Ibaka?

Come on we saw small ball tonight because the opponents athleticism and style of play demanded it, nothing more. Lets not make a bigger deal out of it than what it was. It was an adjustment similar to Blair only playing 5 minutes last night.

[DJB]

The lineups weren't fine at all..

At one point, there was a lineup consisting of Parker, Hill, Manu, Mason and Blair..Mason was ing guarding Jeff Green..luckily the Thunder didn't go to him..

Pop played an 8-man rotation, despite playing against an athletic team that always gives us problems and we were on a b2b..he didn't play an interior defender at all this game and the entire team was clearly dead by the 4th..he should have used the young guys and the bench more IMO..

Pop wasn't the main or only problem, but he coached a poor game tonight IMO..

I think Popp has been coaching a lot of poor games over the last year or so... just sayin.

[objective]

Brooks found a way to get Ibaka 7 minutes, and McDyess was getting manhandled trying to defensive rebound. And Ibaka getting 7 didn't cost OKC the game even though he was -4.

I think it's reasonable that Ratliff or Mahinmi could have snagged 5 minutes somewhere in the game. Blair and McDyess were dragging during at points in the game, and others were too.

[sananspursfan21]

it annoys me a little bit more everytime somebody says how stupid popovich is. "didn't play anyone taller than mcdyess" comment holds no weight, dejuan's just undersized and you can't touch his work on the boards tonight

[objective]

double

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Timmy gets tons of rest and we get a W. Sounds like great coaching to me.

[Agloco]

Congrats to the team for laying it all out tonight.

Pop deserves six swift kicks to the junk for a shortened bench and no one taller than 'Dice seeing the floor tonight. Larry Brown is the worst thing to ever happen to Pop's coaching decisions.

This has to be one of if not the worst coached game of Pop's career.

Did anyone notice the line up he had in at the end of regulation?

[EricB]

BTW, Didn't in that 4th quarter for a good bit Pop go with McDyess and Blair against the big guys down the stretch?


Mahinmi on Durant would've been suicide.

Ditto Blair on em.

[timaios]

Because obviously Nenad Kristic was being Wilt-esque and absolutely beasting in the paint tonight right? Or was is it Nick Collison? Jeff Green? Durant? Ibaka?

Come on we saw small ball tonight because the opponents athleticism and style of play demanded it, nothing more. Lets not make a bigger deal out of it than what it was. It was an adjustment similar to Blair only playing 5 minutes last night.

o : help defense on the weak side, shot blockers ! It was disgusting the way the thunder were scoring in the 3rd qtr.

[sananspursfan21]

It's not so much about tonight, it's about the bigger picture. You will see that lineup again somewhere when Pop thinks he can be cute, only there will be a coach on the other sideline smart enough to post up whoever Mason or Jefferson are taking turns guarding at PF.

pretty sure pop is not trying to be cute. i think he just wants a combination of two things. he wants to win another championship working with what he has and he wants to continue to receive a check from the san antonio spurs organization. winning and keeping your job go hand in hand so in a sense he's got one goal in mind.

so no, he's not trying to be cute, you're just on a pop-hating bandwagon that's gonna run off a cliff when the spurs win another championship this year (knock on wood)

[SenorSpur]

Seriously, they were scoring at will in the paint during the 3rd quarter, why not trying Mahinmi just 2 or 3 min.
I don't know, Pop must really hate him. I don't understand.

It's true. The Thunder deliberately (and smartly) started attacking the basket when Blair sat down. Having some semblance of a shotblocker in the game would have closed off the paint and maybe helped to preserve the lead that the boys squandered.

[ChumpDumper]

o : help defense on the weak side, shot blockers ! It was disgusting the way the thunder were scoring in the 3rd qtr.

So why didn't they score that way the entire game?

[EricB]

It's true. The Thunder deliberately (and smartly) started attacking the basket when Blair sat down. Having some semblance of a shotblocker in the game would have closed off the paint and maybe helped to preserve the lead that the boys squandered.

How come Durant didn't drive to the hole everytime?

Wasn't alot of his shots in the OT and 4th outside shots?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

There are two sides to this debate and they are very simple:
1. Pop is God and shall never be questioned, or,
2. There's a young guy over there who is quick, mobile, 7ft tall, loves to run the floor and block shots, had 15/9 the other night... he really should have gotten some run tonight. WTF, Pop???

I am in the 2 camp.

[200 miles]

Paging Dr. Carlesimo.....

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

So why didn't they score that way the entire game?

Both because Blair was menacing them, and they were taking a lot of jumpers. Mahinmi should've been in for Blair, and if he was clearly outclassed you try something else, but the way he handled himself the other night against Lopez, he's ready to play some spot minutes.

[EricB]

There are two sides to this debate and they are very simple:
1. Pop is God and shall never be questioned, or,
2. There's a young guy over there who is quick, mobile, 7ft tall, loves to run the floor and block shots, had 15/9 the other night... he really should have gotten some run tonight. WTF, Pop???

I am in the 2 camp.

Or theres, Was mahinmi gonna guard Durant or Jeff Green so what sense would that make?


Seriously..... Why start .

[EricB]

Both because Blair was menacing them, and they were taking a lot of jumpers. Mahinmi should've been in for Blair, and if he was clearly outclassed you try something else, but the way he handled himself the other night against Lopez, he's ready to play some spot minutes.

Take Blair out?

McDyess had 13 and 9

Was that horrible!?

[EricB]

Paging Dr. Carlesimo.....

Carlesimo didn't do when he was in SA the first time and he wouldn't do today,

Please save the weak PJ stuff for somewhere else.

[Budkin]

Pop haters are ridiculous. Leave it to them to still find something to about after a great undermanned win, on the road, against the arguably the hottest team in the NBA over the last month. Go try your hand in coaching Im sure teams are dying to sign you with your clear superior knowledge over Pop.

Your sig is one of the the most disturbing things I've seen in quite a while... yikes.