Game 2 Preview - The Lineup Chess Match

[K-State Spur]

No. I'm not going to try to make Ibaka out to be a big offensive threat on the block, but I've ALWAYS felt that Brooks should give him more touches down low? Why? Because I think he has the ability to develop more of a post game and unlike Perkins actually has the touch and foot speed to go somewhere with it - AND it would give OKC a little more versatility and give the opponent something else to consider. When he's decisive, he can put a nice little spin and running hook shot that I think a Bonner could not really defend. At the very least it gives SA something else to at least look at and consider and could perhaps open things up a little.

Bonner (& Diaw) have been surprisingly good post defenders for the Spurs this season. That is backed by stats, not this poster's opinion.

Having Ibaka try to attack them on the block outside of his own comfort zone probably would not prove an overly fruitful strategy.

[Obstructed_View]

Here I go on Serge Ibaka again. I agree with the notion that Brooks isn't always flexible and willing to try new things. I agree Ibaka would have a hard time holding Duncan as the 5 in "small ball". I agree that Ibaka/Perk together with Ibaka having to guard a perimeter 4 like Bonner could open things up for SA. I agree Ibaka's main offensive threat is the 15-18 footer, which he can, at times, hit pretty consistently. But if I'm Brooks (and again Brooks is a little stubborn) and I've got Ibaka in there against Bonner or even someone smaller, I attempt to post up Ibaka. Now, is Ibaka anything like Hakeem Olajuwon?....No. I'm not going to try to make Ibaka out to be a big offensive threat on the block, but I've ALWAYS felt that Brooks should give him more touches down low? Why? Because I think he has the ability to develop more of a post game and unlike Perkins actually has the touch and foot speed to go somewhere with it - AND it would give OKC a little more versatility and give the opponent something else to consider. When he's decisive, he can put a nice little spin and running hook shot that I think a Bonner could not really defend. At the very least it gives SA something else to at least look at and consider and could perhaps open things up a little.

As a Spurs fan, I think it would be an absolutely fabulous idea for the Thunder to begin training Ibaka to become Andrew Bynum starting tonight. The fewer scoring opportunities for Durant and Westbrook the better.

[timvp]

To beat that alignment offensively, the Spurs need to knock down outside shots. In Game 1, OKC began the night having all of their defenders shade toward San Antonio's pick-and-roll action. For example, when Parker ran a pick-and-roll with Duncan, Sefolosha would instantly enter the fray and turn the pick-and-roll into a 3-on-2 mismatch. Each time Green hit iron from the perimeter (he was 0-for-5 on three-pointers), that gave Sefolosha (and sometimes Durant) more confidence to do all he could to muck up the Spurs set plays.

In pictures:







In the first few halfcourt sets, Thabo basically just played free safety. The Spurs are a great pick-and-roll team but no team can overcome a defender like Thabo being allowed to play the passing lanes.

Thankfully, the solution is pretty simple: Green needs to hit threes to force Thabo to defend him closer. If he does that, the pick-and-roll can go back to being San Antonio's best weapon.

To start Game 2, Parker has to realize that Green is open and Green needs to hit the shots.

[EVAY]

If they play two bigs, more double screens for Parker where both bigs come out to set picks.

I believe this is right on.

Parker was getting clobbered and his shots were getting blocked at the beginning of the last game because the paint was so crowded. The Thunder were terrific early on at getting into our passing lanes and disputing the picnroll. The only answer to that is our wings making their threes. If Green and/or Leonard can't get them to go down, our bigs have to adjust by providing some 'blocking'. I noticed in the Lakers series how very good their bigs were at doing that (and Gasol was terrific at it) and how unprepared for it the Thunder seemed to be at times. If the Lakers had done it more frequently they might have done better in the series, although I'm glad that they didn't.

Hope we do.

[EVAY]

In pictures:







In the first few halfcourt sets, Thabo basically just played free safety. The Spurs are a great pick-and-roll team but no team can overcome a defender like Thabo being allowed to play the passing lanes.

Thankfully, the solution is pretty simple: Green needs to hit threes to force Thabo to defend him closer. If he does that, the pick-and-roll can go back to being San Antonio's best weapon.

To start Game 2, Parker has to realize that Green is open and Green needs to hit the shots.

Sorry to have said the same thing you did...I had to take a call while typing and didn't know that you had posted that already.

[thunderfan]

As a Spurs fan, I think it would be an absolutely fabulous idea for the Thunder to begin training Ibaka to become Andrew Bynum starting tonight. The fewer scoring opportunities for Durant and Westbrook the better.

Well..I think we should hold off training him to be Bynum and I'm not talking 5-10 touches down low, but I'm always one to think you have to show the defense a little something different on occassion if you feel the matchup is somewhat in your favor.

[picnroll]

Also like to use the play OKC was running with Fisher where he'd set a pick and fade to the wing for an open shot on a feed. Run that play with Neal setting the pick and fading with Parker or Manu.

[BlackSilver]

Great preview. My thought is as Pop likes to say, at this point in the season, you are what you are. Ibaka is not going to magically develop a post game. Perkins is too slow to stop layups by Tony and Manu. Brooks won't become a master tactician all of a sudden. Heck, Brooks in his post-game interviews the last 2 series went on and on about how good their spacing has become. In the playoffs! A little late to still be working on fundamentals.

I'm a huge Spurs fan, but the reason I believe in this year's version is that they have a lot of weapons and you never know who will contribute. I agree with all the talk about OKC being modeled after the Spurs. Problem (for them) is they're modeled after Spurs 2.0 when we had the big 3 and Bowen and one bench shooter. That model sucked for us big time after 2007 because opponents knew how to stop us. We're now 3.0 where it's not just the big 3 we're depending on. We're less predictable offensively. OKC is predictable. Their offense is pretty basic. Their advantage is athleticism and a bad-ass adv at that. Pretty much the only way for them to beat us. But over a 7 game series? Tough to see.

[z0sa]

Sefolosha's role is the big question for OKC. Spurs should and over the course of the series, will burn him if he helps like ^.

At this point there aren't many Spurs questions tbh. A 19 game winning streak usually means you're doing something right. A 10 man deep rotation allows for a lot more in-game adjustment flexibility than the majority of playoff teams as well.

[spurspokesman]

That could get them a turnover or 2, but if it becomes an issue - Pop just lets Manu bring it up. That has it's own disadvantages, but not major.

The bigger question is who do you press Neal with? Since he plays PG mostly against Fisher, that's more likely to result in Neal getting past him for a wide open shot than it is Fisher turning him over.

This

[Spurs Brazil]

Thanks timvp and FWD

[Paranoid Pop]

So if Brooks doesn't go small again, we're ed?

[z0sa]

So if Brooks doesn't go small again, we're ed?

More pressure on the red head and that other Frenchman to hit outside shots is what changes IMO

[Splits]

Great preview. My thought is as Pop likes to say, at this point in the season, you are what you are. Ibaka is not going to magically develop a post game. Perkins is too slow to stop layups by Tony and Manu. Brooks won't become a master tactician all of a sudden. Heck, Brooks in his post-game interviews the last 2 series went on and on about how good their spacing has become. In the playoffs! A little late to still be working on fundamentals.

I'm a huge Spurs fan, but the reason I believe in this year's version is that they have a lot of weapons and you never know who will contribute. I agree with all the talk about OKC being modeled after the Spurs. Problem (for them) is they're modeled after Spurs 2.0 when we had the big 3 and Bowen and one bench shooter. That model sucked for us big time after 2007 because opponents knew how to stop us. We're now 3.0 where it's not just the big 3 we're depending on. We're less predictable offensively. OKC is predictable. Their offense is pretty basic. Their advantage is athleticism and a bad-ass adv at that. Pretty much the only way for them to beat us. But over a 7 game series? Tough to see.

Great post. I agree with basically all of this.

[Cry Havoc]

A lot of what caused the Spurs problems in game 1 were the Spurs themselves, though. They were so eager to get into the open court in the first half that they threw the ball away a lot. I don't think we have enough data to say for sure that we're going to struggle in a half-court set vs. the Ibaka lineup. Hit our 3s, don't turn the ball over (as much), and I think we'll start seeing breakdowns in their youthful defense.

[SpurinDallas]

I'm ready for a round one game 2 kind of performance, blow them out from the tip. The crowd will be crazy we're adjusted rust is off now let's hit some 3's.

I'm thinking we win by 15 tonight

[timvp]

So if Brooks doesn't go small again, we're ed?

No, the Spurs had success against their big lineup during the regular season and OKC has done most of their damage throughout the season in small ball sets. It's more difficult to score when they keep two bigs in the game but the Spurs should do much better than they did in Game 1.

If Green hits shots to keep Thabo from roaming and Diaw hits shots to keep Ibaka from roaming, it would obviously help a lot.

[timvp]

Unless Brooks is bluffing, it sounds like Ibaka is going to play big minutes. What I'm interesting in seeing is if Brooks plays Ibaka as his center in a small ball lineup. If that happens, you may see Pop pull Four Down out of his bag of tricks. As well as Ibaka defends on the weak-side, he just doesn't have the bulk to guard a guy like TD.

In Game 1, the Thunder had Ibaka on Duncan for one play and it resulted in a Duncan spin move and an easy layup.

Personally, their bigman that scares me the most is Nick Collison. He's a great pick-and-roll defender, has the muscle to defend the low block, sets good screens and has enough touch around the basket to score. Perkins is really good defending the low block and setting illegal creative screens but he's limited everywhere else. Ibaka is a shotblocking beast but he's still rough around the edges. That said, if Ibaka figures it out -- which could happen in this series -- his ceiling is scary.

[DPG21920]

I think Danny plays a large role tonight on both ends. His ability to score/pass will force Thabo out. He will hit multiple 3's and have 4+ assists tonight.

[DPG21920]

Ibaka already has a solid 15-foot shot.

[thunderfan]

Ah screw it - let's just play zone.