What does Pop say to Kawhi after tonight?

[TheGoldStandard]

Seems like bigger defenders have their way with Enrique Porker.

They're only a problem if they have defense lurking behind them or if there is poor spacing.. We had better spacing in game 1 because they were switching Dalembert. If you think about it, Dalembert can sag off Tiago because he's offensively challenged leaving a second guy to bracket parker once he gets into the lane and with length they can play the passing lanes.. Plus everyone else is staying at home, no collapsing. It's going to take coaching to get the ball moving, double picks, trying to run others off screens, exploiting the mismatch when they make the switch by having another ball handler trigger the switch.

[superjames1992]

Has Duncan even made a mid-range J this series, tbh?

[SpurPadre]

Maid Marion took Kawhi to school tonight, tbh.

[Darius McCrary]

"I want some nasty"

The goods

The answer was so simple.

[TheGoldStandard]

Can we drag the corpse of McDyess out of retirement.. He was automatic from 16

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

Kawhi had a bad night, he's just trying too hard. Hopefully tonight was a wake up call and this team goes back to playing basketball the way they did when they were winning a bunch. I want to say this game reminds me of game 2 against Golden State last year, but that was a pretty bad performance.

[UZER]

They'd end up drafting some guy who has the upside of Ayres.

They'll draft and stash him in Europe for 5 years, and he'll never come over.

He's not sure whether to attack or pass the ball. You can see he doesn't decide that until he's already into the teeth of the defense. He's being told he's an offensive threat and needs to act like it, but then he's indoctrinated with the "system" and "big 3" talk and there could be a timing issue, not knowing when to do what. That's on Pop. That's what happens when you don't run a play for the guy in 2 years then suddenly expect him to deliver. He'll bounce back, everyone has a bad night, but the bigger picture with him is where is place is in the offense. He needs to go out there and fail a few times to understand his limitations and give him things to work on. He's been given tons of accolades and boosted past his ability to justify it, but he's got potential and I think he'll get there.

At the beginning of the season, he was doing exactly what you mentioned. Getting hurt was the best thing that happened to him.

When he came back from injury, the pressure was off so he eased his way back into the flow of the games and was really an all around threat, scoring, defense, etc.

He's back to square one now that the playoffs have started.

[Lerojo]

Man the up!

Now go into beast mode next match and demolish them!

[Wildcat67]

It has nothing to do with Kawhi, it has to do with the team losing it's iden y the second the playoffs started. Instead of being the team that spread the ball around, it has been purely the Parker probing and shooting jumpers, Timmy in the post, and Manu in the pick and roll either shooting floaters, 3s, or a crazy pass. All the other people have been eliminated.

First game Kawhi got calls in the post and they were double teaming him. He didn't get one post opportunity this game.

[servalli]

Good job, good effort.

[z0sa]

Knowing Pop, I doubt be says little more than whatever sharp words he has for the team during film session. Whatever he does exchange with him in private will almost certainly involve his mentality on defense - staying calm, working the refs, and not forcing the issue. Pop knows Kawhi does not have the experience, clout or ego to call his own number over the Big 3's. Hes looking to score easy buckets, and get the enemy defense moving out of double teams in the post. Kawhi buys into the system and defers willingly to his teammates. This is why hes suddenly out of his comfort zone - Dallas wants to pack the paint and will dare him and anyone else to shoot it themselves more often than not.

Pop needs to make the rounds with the rest of the Big 4. They need to be ready to push the ball and get the roleplayers involved in transition. In the halfcourt, abuse the mismatch as often as possible.

[DarrinS]

It has to be frustrating for Kawhi. They need to get him involved EARLY in the game.

There was a fast break last night where it was Tony and Kawhi against only Devin Harris. Did Tony give up the ball to Kawhi? Nope. Instead, Tony committed an offensive foul.