Spurs were 3rd best defensive team in 20 gms Splitter missed at start of last season

[HBK]

Hopefully Bobi can do some things agains the grizz. If he even plays, that is.

[SpursFan86]

People acting like Aldridge is an average or below average defender are mistaken. He's pretty clearly a positive on that end. The Blazers' starting 5 of Lillard/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Lopez had a DRTG of 98.0 last year (for comparison, GS had the #1 defense with a DRTG of 101.4). I know this isn't a fool-proof way of evaluating things, but comparing what our lineup will be to their starting 5 last year:

Parker = Lillard (both are absolutely awful defenders)
Green = Matthews (both are competing for the "best SG defender behind Tony Allen" le)
Kawhi >>>>> Batum
Aldridge = Aldridge (also think he could improve defensively under Popovich/Duncan's mentoring, plus he won't have to carry such a heavy offensive load)
Duncan >> Lopez

There's no reason to suspect that we won't be able to maintain an elite defense next year with Aldridge.

[Vokun]

People acting like Aldridge is an average or below average defender are mistaken.

Exactly. People making it sound like we are replacing Splitter with Kevin Love's defense. If that were the case then yeah, we would have a problem. But Aldridge is more than capable of playing good D and is an above average defender.

[SuperCam]

Exactly. People making it sound like we are replacing Splitter with Kevin Love's defense. If that were the case then yeah, we would have a problem. But Aldridge is more than capable of playing good D and is an above average defender.

Spursfans still trying to pretend that LMA isn't black Kevin Love when they basically have almost identical advanced profiles.


Cavs held team to 3 fewer points per 100 possessions with Love on the floor compared to off during reg season.

Blazers actually had teams score nearly 3 points more per 100 possessions with LMA on the floor compared to off during reg season.


Love with higher Def rebounding %


Hmmm

[spursistan]

Cp3/Griffin probably played as well as they could and still the Clippers got taken to last possesion of Game 7..Even in that struggling form, Spurs lost the series because fluky Austin Rivers and Matt Barnes games..We get them next time, IMO..

[spursistan]

double post

[HarlemHeat37]

Not sure why people are citing the Clippers' series when it was evident that Splitter could barely move, tbh..his health was probably the biggest reason the Spurs lost the series IMO..

And ya, while the OP is correct, a 20-game sample size is pretty small, especially since it occurred early in the season(early season results generally don't determine the final outcomes, excluding a few teams per season)..while Aldridge is an above average defender when engaged, the biggest difference is going to be mental..Splitter's job and focus was defense, while Aldridge has been the #1 option on a team for the majority of his career, it will take a little time to adjust to tweak his role to slightly less offensive and a little more defensive..

[spursistan]

Not sure why people are citing the Clippers' series when it was evident that Splitter could barely move, tbh..his health was probably the biggest reason the Spurs lost the series IMO..

And ya, while the OP is correct, a 20-game sample size is pretty small, especially since it occurred early in the season(early season results generally don't determine the final outcomes, excluding a few teams per season)..while Aldridge is an above average defender when engaged, the biggest difference is going to be mental..Splitter's job and focus was defense, while Aldridge has been the #1 option on a team for the majority of his career, it will take a little time to adjust to tweak his role to slightly less offensive and a little more defensive..

Austin Rivers mauling our point guards/Matt Barnes turning into Robert Horry both in couple of flucky yet crucial games (4&7)

[Seventyniner]

The Spurs were #2 on defense and #7 on offense last year. I could see them finish #4 on defense and #2 on offense, for example, with a better point differential. The defense could very well drop off some and still be easily good enough to win a le.

[GSH]

Fair enough. Yeah, the dip in three-point shooting is a notable difference between the two seasons.

The dip in 3P shooting had something to do with opponents concentrating on running Spurs off the 3P line. Everyone remembers the open ones that got missed, but the perimeter guys got a lot of attention. The Spurs couldn't make up the difference on the inside.

Committing to staying on Danny Green is what let Miami win the Championship. Yeah, Danny was missing 3's in those last two games, especially. But that's because they were up in his jockstrap. Do that to the Spurs this season, and LMA is going to punish you in the paint, and West is going to kill you with mid-range. At least that's what I hope.

[Beaverfuzz]

Spurs's offense was the constant problem last year all along, and not our D except when Kawhi sat out 17 games..
]

Nail. Hit. Head.

[100%duncan]

Splitter was a key piece for 5. No him no 5 simple as that. I get the need to downplay him now so we can all feel better about ourselves but there's no need to do that. Splitter when healthy was a defensive beast, but our roster is simply overall better right now than last year. No need to discredit the Golden god.

[james evans]

Spurs had the 7th best offense in the league. Not much of a "problem," tbh.

But, yeah, barring Parker's gunning issues, the Spurs offense should be even better this coming season.

I agree

[Mnky]

Aldridge averaged 20/10 on splitter, while being double and even triple teamed.

[Aztecfan03]

Splitter was a key piece for 5. No him no 5 simple as that. I get the need to downplay him now so we can all feel better about ourselves but there's no need to do that. Splitter when healthy was a defensive beast, but our roster is simply overall better right now than last year. No need to discredit the Golden god.

There is at least 9 players you can say that about.

[slick'81]

Yeah the constant splitter slurping is annoying

[Raven]

Not worried, tbh..That's good sample size..It was aided by the fact Belinelli also missed a good chunk of those games (groin), which willl be the case this whole season We leaned heavily on Kawhi/Green and TD in that period, but that's not like we are replacing Tiago with Kevin love/D Lee..Spurs's offense was the constant problem last year all along, and not our D except when Kawhi sat out 17 games..

this. Would have been #1 by a mile with everyone healthy (minus one)

[Raven]

Losing Beli significantly increases the overall quality of our defense, he was ing horrendous last year, I think he was out around the same time Splitter was and saw limited minutes when he came back.

it also significantly increases the overall quality of our offence since people don't need to waste energy guarding for 2 and we can get more transition points.

[100%duncan]

There is at least 9 players you can say that about.

TD, Manu, Kawhi, diaw, green, mills. 6 guys. And even if it was 9, it doesnt make Tiago's contribution less than what it was.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

As Lowe has astutely pointed out multiple times, Aldridge isn't nearly as big of a defensive downgrade from Splitter as many seem to think and they're actually similar, as far as their defensive range. Overall, the defense should be roughly the same, with the startling lineup being elite and the bench being sub par.

Splitter's defensive impact was/is overstate by some. The rare times he's both physically right and fully engaged, he's an excellent all around defender, but part of the reason he was so important was the drop off from him to all the bench bigs. The fact that they were/are sub par doesn't mean he's a combination of prime Robinson/Duncan though.

West is quite a good defender off the bench (he was a key cog on the Pacers' ECF teams), Diaw isn't elite on D but he's not horrid, and we have the tall dude who can alter anything at the rim and body up on guys like Howard. When he's in the game we just need to make sure the guards fight through the screens or cheat (provided it's not Stephen Curry) instead of allowing the guy to be matched up 1-on-1 with our tall dude. Keep the tall guy parked in or near the paint on screens and make the opposing PG/SG shoot long 2's all night.

[Yuixafun]

Also like to point out besides Splitter... Baynes set good picks as well

Hopefully West will be able to bear the brunt of that duty... but I think Baynes youth helped him in that banger role.

From all accounts I've seen of the new center, he isn't very quick side to side, so is weak at screening.

And I don't know at all, but does if there is some truth about LA not preferring to play center, I would think he'd rather not set picks and screens either.

That was a sublime aspect to the Spurs offense, agile big men as swinging blocks.

[keeferob25]

THANK YOU!!! I'm so sick of this annoying fad going on around here of certain player-fan posters giving this lazy "without x-player we don't win 5"...uh DUH!!!! This team is all about the sum of its parts so every player is important. For instance...do we win without Cory Joseph? Its highly reasonable and likely that his dunk on Ibaka made the starters and main rotation players question why they are afraid of ONE MAN. Because all I know is that the next game Kawhi jammed on Ibaka EARLY. Diaw was his most aggressive of the series. And even Duncan tried to dunk on him in the last 2 games of the series. And Duncan WANTED the ball in OT on Ibaka and took it to him. NONE OF THAT happened BEFORE Cory's dunk! So should we crown Joseph as irreplaceable? Come on...we all know and appreciate the value of Splitter...but its less about downplaying him than it is about just not thinking he was the end-all-be-all to our defensive efficiency like its made out to appear. We will be fine.

[TD 21]

lol regular season

lets remember zbo ting on us in 2011 and how he was nullified by splitts?

Yeah, let's just discount the majority of the season because it doesn't reflect well on him.

'13 Randolph wasn't near the player he was in '11. In '13, he was not all the way back from his knee injury. Also, the downgrade in shooting from Battier and Mayo to Prince, meant he had virtually no room with which to operate.

It was still an outstanding job by Splitter (and Duncan; they took turns on him and Gasol, yet somehow Splitter got all the credit), but again, just about anyone would have looked better given the difference in cir stances and options in '11. McDyess was practically retired and Bonner and Blair were Bonner and Blair.

Something else to consider about Splitter and Aldridge defensively, is Splitter is a 20-25 mpg player, who even in the playoffs could barely effectively log high 20's; Aldridge will play 32-24 mpg and can/will effectively average high 30's in the playoffs.

West is quite a good defender off the bench (he was a key cog on the Pacers' ECF teams), Diaw isn't elite on D but he's not horrid, and we have the tall dude who can alter anything at the rim and body up on guys like Howard. When he's in the game we just need to make sure the guards fight through the screens or cheat (provided it's not Stephen Curry) instead of allowing the guy to be matched up 1-on-1 with our tall dude. Keep the tall guy parked in or near the paint on screens and make the opposing PG/SG shoot long 2's all night.

Not really. West was fine when surrounded by the solid - elite defenders that comprised the Pacers starting lineup during his time with them, but the Spurs bench is pretty much the exact opposite. He'll also have to play out of position, which in terms of 1-on-1 defense, they can probably get away with in most match-ups. The problem is neither he nor Diaw can defensive rebound or protect the rim.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Yeah, let's just discount the majority of the season because it doesn't reflect well on him.

'13 Randolph wasn't near the player he was in '11. In '13, he was not all the way back from his knee injury. Also, the downgrade in shooting from Battier and Mayo to Prince, meant he had virtually no room with which to operate.

It was still an outstanding job by Splitter (and Duncan; they took turns on him and Gasol, yet somehow Splitter got all the credit), but again, just about anyone would have looked better given the difference in cir stances and options in '11. McDyess was practically retired and Bonner and Blair were Bonner and Blair.

Something else to consider about Splitter and Aldridge defensively, is Splitter is a 20-25 mpg player, who even in the playoffs could barely effectively log high 20's; Aldridge will play 32-24 mpg and can/will effectively average high 30's in the playoffs.



Not really. West was fine when surrounded by the solid - elite defenders that comprised the Pacers starting lineup during his time with them, but the Spurs bench is pretty much the exact opposite. He'll also have to play out of position, which in terms of 1-on-1 defense, they can probably get away with in most match-ups. The problem is neither he nor Diaw can defensive rebound or protect the rim.

That's why you don't play West and Diaw together as the 2 "big men". You play one of them + the tall Russian dude to protect the rim and defensive rebound.

[TD 21]

That's why you don't play West and Diaw together as the 2 "big men". You play one of them + the tall Russian dude to protect the rim and defensive rebound.

West isn't coming to be a non rotation player. He'll be the clear fourth big and though Pop will obviously mix and match throughout, the majority of his minutes are likely to come alongside Diaw.