Not so sure Tim-Tiago starting is the way to go, tbh...

[TheGreatYacht]

Griffin had 3 blocks yesterday. Y'all know how pathetic that is?

[ElNono]

Perhaps you didn't catch the stats on Playoff Bonner starting.

Yeah, but he only needs to make 1 shot to change how they guard us. I prefer Diaw in that role, BTW, but I can also understand Boris can't play all game.

[ElNono]

Then don't expect to get a rebound with that line up. Blake and Jordan would feast on them. They would only need to have 1 of them block-out Timmy while the other secures the rebound.

Spurs don't even really prioritize offensive boards near the rim anyways. And with Pop stressing transition D for the next few games, there's gonna be even less of that.

[Old School 44]

Agree with the OP. Start Diaw/Bonner instead of Splitter, just like OkC. An additional thing to try is maybe go straight at DJ and get him in foul trouble. Just like Ibaka, Jordan is a better off the ball help defender/shot blocker.

[Nathan89]

Blake isn't Ibaka though. Unless Kawhi can guard Blake starting Bonner will probably not end well.

[Mugen]

OP has lost his mind IMO.

[timtonymanu]

Since Tiago doesn't look anywhere near 100%, this may be worth a shot.

[ElNono]

OP has lost his mind IMO.

[timmy2003]

Boris would get smoked by Griffin. its just hard to clear up space inside when they're not respecting the outside shot

This

[cd98]

We need Tiago to have an Ibaka-like recovery. Splitter is the only guy on the roster than can guard Griffin with a reduced amount of help. He can't completely stop him, but he can slow him down. Like I said before, I don't know that the jump shooting 4 works incredibly well. We need Jordan out of the lane, not Griffin, and Griffin can guard Diaw on the three point line. Sure, it will always help with spacing, but our problem right now is that the 4s can't guard Griffin, and even if they can draw him out of the lane, Jordan is the one patrolling the paint that is on the back of everyone's mind. Hopefully Splitter's leg will be better in another two days and he can give more minutes.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Blake isn't Ibaka though. Unless Kawhi can guard Blake starting Bonner will probably not end well.

Kawhi might actually do ok on Blake. I can see Pop going ultra small at some point in this series. Probably won't work, but I can see it being tried if we keep getting our asses handed to us like we did last night.

[Nathan89]

Kawhi might actually do ok on Blake. I can see Pop going ultra small at some point in this series. Probably won't work, but I can see it being tried if we keep getting our asses handed to us like we did last night.

If Kawhi can guard Blake then you can put Bonner on Barnes. Should help out the spacing on offense. If Green is on Paul then being forced to switch becomes a better proposition.

[cd98]

I'd be careful doing strange line ups that are essentially untested in the regular season. I think the Spurs just focus on playing their game, and that should be good enough to beat anyone in the league.

[glen907]

Starting boris would definitely help facilitate themore ball movement, he's not going to stop blake but nobody including tiago so might as well concede that and make him guard defensively on the perimeter instead of having both him and jordan down in the paint being a mini twin towers

[TD 21]

This made sense against the Thunder, but wouldn't against the Clippers, for two reasons:

1) Ibaka is a PF, so playing Bonner meant he couldn't camp out in the paint. Jordan is a C, who defends the player everyone treats as the Spurs C, Duncan. That wouldn't change.

2) Ibaka is a jump shooter, who can't create his own shot. Meaning, there was no threat of him destroying Bonner on the other end.

I realize Bonner wouldn't play more than 15 minutes, but still. He's on the precipice of being done to begin with, plus battling a calf injury of his own. Somehow I don't think it's a good idea to have him defending one of the two most mobile, best shot creating PF's in the game.

[cd98]

This made sense against the Thunder, but wouldn't against the Clippers, for two reasons:

1) Ibaka is a PF, so playing Bonner meant he couldn't camp out in the paint. Jordan is a C, who defends the player everyone treats as the Spurs C, Duncan. That wouldn't change.

2) Ibaka is a jump shooter, who can't create his own shot. Meaning, there was no threat of him destroying Bonner on the other end.

I realize Bonner wouldn't play more than 15 minutes, but still. He's on the precipice of being done to begin with, plus battling a calf injury of his own. Somehow I don't think it's a good idea to have him defending one of the two most mobile, best shot creating PF's in the game.

I agree, especially after the chubbiest player in the NBA, Big Baby Davis, blew by him so fast he looked like Lebron James.

[ElNono]

This made sense against the Thunder, but wouldn't against the Clippers, for two reasons:

1) Ibaka is a PF, so playing Bonner meant he couldn't camp out in the paint. Jordan is a C, who defends the player everyone treats as the Spurs C, Duncan. That wouldn't change.

2) Ibaka is a jump shooter, who can't create his own shot. Meaning, there was no threat of him destroying Bonner on the other end.

I realize Bonner wouldn't play more than 15 minutes, but still. He's on the precipice of being done to begin with, plus battling a calf injury of his own. Somehow I don't think it's a good idea to have him defending one of the two most mobile, best shot creating PF's in the game.

Could be. I just think that Boris won't be anywhere as effective off the post against Big Baby. I also don't think Tiago will make any difference (at least in his current state) guarding Blake.

I don't have a problem with Tim taking on Jordan one on one. My problem is with Timmy or whoever is driving having to take on Jordan with Blake as the help defender, or the other way around.

I also think Boris would be much more effective in the post against Blake, as long as Tim is spacing out Jordan. There's more variations too: If you can screen out Blake in the perimeter, now Jordan has to cover the penetrator and Tim, that's the kind of choices you want him to make.

[TD 21]

Could be. I just think that Boris won't be anywhere as effective off the post against Big Baby. I also don't think Tiago will make any difference (at least in his current state) guarding Blake.

I don't have a problem with Tim taking on Jordan one on one. My problem is with Timmy or whoever is driving having to take on Jordan with Blake as the help defender, or the other way around.

I also think Boris would be much more effective in the post against Blake, as long as Tim is spacing out Jordan. There's more variations too: If you can screen out Blake in the perimeter, now Jordan has to cover the penetrator and Tim, that's the kind of choices you want him to make.

I thought the big rotation/match-ups were fine, unlike the perimeter rotation/match-ups. Leonard should be on Paul, Green on Re and Parker on Barnes. Mills needs to be the clear backup PG. Belinelli shouldn't play more than spot minutes, unless he catches fire in said spot minutes.

[ElNono]

I thought the big rotation/match-ups were fine, unlike the perimeter rotation/match-ups. Leonard should be on Paul, Green on Re and Parker on Barnes. Mills needs to be the clear backup PG. Belinelli shouldn't play more than spot minutes, unless he catches fire in said spot minutes.

Things I didn't like about our bigs last night (besides the obvious dunks, which I really don't think we're equipped to deal with, but I also don't think it's a major concern):

- Baynes getting beat to the boards by Big Baby. Can't happen. He has the height advantage, even if Big Baby covers a lot of area.
- Boris unable to back Big Baby. This is huge. Boris off the post works when he's a treat to score or pass. If you take one of the two, then it's predictable.
- Tiago and Baynes both hesitating to finish with Jordan around
- Generally, too little room inside. They collapsed and gave us the outside shots, and we missed. Some of that will be relieved shooting better, or maybe they decided that they would rather die with us hitting 3s.

[spurraider21]

Boris would get smoked by Griffin. its just hard to clear up space inside when they're not respecting the outside shot

[ElNono]

tbh, he's scoring against Tiago too... but the offense seems ok with just one big out there... at least early