do you maybe go the crazy route...back to the regular rotation?

[K-State Spur]

Why not start Manu at point and have Tony lead the 2nd team? Manu's done it with great success. Why not Tony?

because there's probably no formula for winning on the road in OKC that doesn't involve Parker playing major minutes and winning his match-up.

plus, playing them together is the only way to ensure that sefolosha can't focus on just one. Manu had some success against Thabo earlier in the series, but lately he's been shutting down whichever one he's on.

Sefolosha's a spectacular defender, but Tony is capable of beating him. When he's hitting jumpers like he did game 2, he's unguardable - which may the kind of herculean effort Spurs need again.

[Mr Bones]

I feel like Pop has to change things up. OKC started the series with Westbrook on Parker-- that didn't work, so they made an adjustment by putting Sefolosha on him. That's what the playoffs are all about-- adjusting to the specific team and match ups in front of you. The fact that a certain line up helped the Spurs beat teams like Sacramento, Phoenix, and Cleveland on their way to a 20 game winning streak is fine, but it really shouldn't have any bearing on what line up works best when facing a team that has a 6'10" superstar at SF and all other sorts of difficult intangibles to deal with. I'd like to see Stephen Jackson start at SG between Parker and Leonard, with Manu the 6th man and Green ready to step in if someone's in early foul trouble. I think Jackson could be the most effective at trying to help get Parker free with screens and picks, which seems to me the priority for game 6.

[therealtruth]

we all know why they do it. but few teams in recent memory got as much production from rotation guys #8, #9, & #10 as this spurs team has.

and pop road that long rotation to 10 game playoff winning streak.

it hasn't been the rotation length that's hurt us, it's guys in the rotation not playing to their preset standards. bonner this was expected of. but parker's struggles, green being awful on both ends, manu & splitter's inconsistency - these are somewhat surprising.

i don't know that there is a right answer. if OKC plays their A game, it really doesn't matter what buttons Pop pushes*. But there is a crazy logic in going down doing what you do, as opposed to adjusting to match the other guy in an area where he already has an advantage (shorter rotation).

* Ever so quietly, Spurs played a pretty decent Game 4, and still got beat because OKC's role guys went nuts.

The benefit of having a larger rotation is so there's more of a chance of getting some guys playing well on any given night.

[romsho]

that's what got the team here. and put them up 2 games earlier in the series.

Pop's got no faith in Green/Bonner right now - rightfully so. But if we're only going to play 7 or 8, well - OKC's top 7 are better than ours.

No reason to think that those guys could bounce back, but odds are not particularly good regardless. Something to be said for going down swinging playing your game.

Of course you do. Insert Manu in to the starting lineup? That's an adjustment. Blair over Bonner? Adjustment. Shortening the rotation, putting guys on the floor in groups that didn't play together all year is a panic move at best and hurts your teams confidence and boosts OKC's. Clearly this aproach doesn't work.

The Spurs strength all year has been depth, continuity, and guys playing their roles brilliantly in a collective effort. If they don't? You lose..but at least you go out playing Spurs basketball. What we've witnessed the last few games is nothing like what we've watched all year. Credit to OKC for some of it, and some of it is self imposed. Pop needs to show some confidence in the system, some belief in the way they do it will work. It's the best chance they have to win..everything else is throwing crap against the wall. One game, our way. Ride or Die.