Pop giving up?

**Marcus Bryant** · 11-13-2005

In general, the 3 minute mark is too early to give up on a game. Who knows, maybe Pop was disappointed in his starters or thought they were gassed?

**TOP-CHERRY** · 11-13-2005

Originally Posted by smeagol

I don't understand those people who think Pop can't be criticized (TPark, Cherry, etc). RVB's comment is a fair one. You don't quit with 3 minutes left and 13 pts to go.

It's not that he can't be criticized; it's that we have faith in that what he does is what he's always been doing, and it's been proven to be effective, and has the trophies to show for it.

At first, I was also a little lost when he sat his starters. But after thinking about it, it made sense. The whole team was doing pretty horribly, and it was pretty impossible for them to just suddenly "turn on" and take over the game with 3 minutes left and the whole crowd riled up for the Wizards.

Besides, like it's been said already, why risk injury just to prove to a not so good team that the champions can beat them? It's ridiculous.

**sanman53** · 11-13-2005

I agree with the earlier post, if this was game seven of a playoff game, Id be confused too! But this is to early, I dont wanna see Duncan get hurt this early. To big of a risk, imo. Besides, all off season we (fans) say, "Our bench can beat your starters", give them a chance to prove it.

**GoSpurs21** · 11-13-2005

whatever, Pop has to take Tim out, Tim unlike TMac is not going to catch fire after sucking ass so bad. I can understand your point, but at the end of a 5 game road trip, and nobody being able to stop the Wiz inside I dont know what line up could have prevented Washington from winning. I realy wish you would have provided some sort of defensive lineup to prevent the Wiz from scoring cause obviously none of the Spurs line ups worked.

but I guess all your championships show you would have done better. its one ing game who cares, except you.

**gmanrulz** · 11-13-2005

i agree with this post. milwaukee was down 14 with just over 3 minutes to go and they ended up winning in regulation. and they were down 14 to the pacers, not the wizards.

**spurster** · 11-13-2005

This is going to a good season, second-guessing Pop's move is already a hot issue.

Anyway, I thought it was early to start garbage time, too.

**smeagol** · 11-13-2005

In my view, 3 minutes to go after scoring 5 points straight is not the right moment to pull the starters. Timmy was sucking ass, but Manu and TP were playing all right.

But even insinuating Pop might have made a mistake will bring the TPark wrath upon me.

**boutons** · 11-13-2005

What's this injury fear?

The starters were all over 30 mins already, what's the huge additional risk for another 3 minutes? You "injury" people are bunch of wimps.

you play to win. You step up the defense a notch. You keep Tim as decoy, drawing the double teams, play inside/out, but let the guards do the driving and scoring, Tim rebounds and picks up the garbage.

**TOP-CHERRY** · 11-13-2005

Originally Posted by boutons

What's this injury fear?

The starters were all over 30 mins already, what's the huge additional risk for another 3 minutes? You "injury" people are bunch of wimps.

We've seen what a Timmy injury does. Forgive us if we make a big deal out of preventing it as much as possible.

you play to win. You step up the defense a notch. You keep Tim as decoy, drawing the double teams, play inside/out, but let the guards do the driving and scoring, Tim rebounds and picks up the garbage.

We both now they weren't gonna do any of that in the last 3 mins. They weren't showing that throughout the whole game. No way they'd suddenly wake up and win it.

**boutons** · 11-13-2005

It's OK that we RISK poor, fragile, aging Timmy for 34 minutes of play, but not for 37 minutes, 7 games into the season, when everybody's still rested and recovery time to the playoffs 5 months long?

It's a coach's job, the team leader's job, to try to kick the team in their collective pscyological butts, to rally them for the last 3 minutes. That's what makes great moments in sports. It's the kind of opportunity the CHAMPIONS grasp and go for.

What confidence builder,
what a way to negate and overcome an otherwise dismal game,
what a waste of a superb shooting pefomance by our front court.

Say the Spurs listen to Coach Boutons and go for it, but they lose by by only 1 or 2, in the face of 57% shooting on the road. A huge confidence builder for the Spurs, a huge signal for the opponents: don't EVER turn your back on the Spurs (eg, Spusrs@PHX last Jan).

What ing bunch quitters you "fans" are.
Is all this talk about BELIEVE just cheap bull ?

**TOP-CHERRY** · 11-13-2005

Originally Posted by boutons

A huge confidence builder for the Spurs, a huge signal for the opponents: don't EVER turn your back on the Spurs (eg, Spusrs@PHX last Jan).

I'd rather they realize that when it's too late for them. (for other teams)

**Rummpd** · 11-13-2005

I agree to a point, what I would have like to have seen is Timmy at Center with our 4 best 3 point shooters - Van Exel, Beno, Manu, and Bowen and just fire away for a minute more or so - 2 quick 3's and you have a chance.
Also, Wizards were bricking FTs ala Spurs from past seasons last night, so a 13 point was not insurmountable!

Spurs though lost the game at end of 3rd quarter - how the let Arenas go 55 feet in 2 seconds to get that shot off, even as long as it was, was inane!

Then instead of coming out pissed and motivated they fell asleep - not good, but typical early season Spurs.

**sprrs** · 11-14-2005

Originally Posted by boutons

It's OK that we RISK poor, fragile, aging Timmy for 34 minutes of play, but not for 37 minutes, 7 games into the season, when everybody's still rested and recovery time to the playoffs 5 months long?

Suppose Pop decided to keep Timmy in the game, and the make it close or even come back to win, BUT Timmy tweaks an ankle because he landed on Haywood's foot in the last minute.

Would you be complaining that Pop should have sat him earlier to avoid injury, rather than having a shot at winning ONE GAME in the REGULAR SEASON.

Injuries can happen anytime in the game, even in the closing seconds, whether you play 48 minutes that night or only two.

And suppose Timmy does get injured and misses a month at most. All it'll be doing is delaying the chemistry of the team, which in turn will cause them to lose more games.

**Spurzn703** · 11-14-2005

Talk about some bitter heads. With the way Gilbert Apenis was shooting, we werent going to win the game.

I was there on Sat night, and I went to last year's game too, when Timmy didn't play due to injury. Arenas showed up for both games. Him and Jamison, that's all the Wizsucks have.

One of them gets hurt, and they're ed

**ShoogarBear** · 11-14-2005

These are some of the most asinine arguments I've ever heard. Do you people even play sports?

A dumb injury is one when you're blowing someone out and you don't need the starters in. Nobody EVER (repeat EVER!!) gets criticized for playing to WIN a game. Good Lord.

**boutons** · 11-14-2005

82 x 33 mpg = Tim played 2,700 minutes last season.
He'll probably play more this season.

People are afraid of injury in letting Tim play 3 crunch time minutes, in probably 3000 mins over this season, to try to win a game?

To reduce a player's minutes to rest him is fine (the probabality of obtaining rest is extremely high).

To reduce a player's (crunch time) minutes in order to avoid twisting an ankle is just stupid (the probability of avoiding twisting an ankle is extremely low).

WTF use is Tim if he's so delicate and injury prone that we can't play him in crunch time?

**sprrs** · 11-14-2005

down 13 the way both teams were playing with such little time left in game 7 of the regular season should hardly be called crunch time.

**smeagol** · 11-14-2005

The way Duncan was playing he should have been sitting on the bench a lot sooner or at least letting Manu and TP do the heavy lifting. He was sucking major ass, they were playing well.

**Mark in Austin** · 11-14-2005

good question for the next Pop show. somebody should call in and ask about this.

**boutons** · 11-14-2005

It's crunch time when you want to play it a crunch time. Pop wanted to play the last 3 minutes as garbage time.

down 4 possessions, a couple of 3-pt plays and a couple of Spurs stops/Wiz misses, and we got crunch time. never give up.

**sa_butta** · 11-14-2005

I too would have liked to see an honest effort, but the way the game was going I really couldnt see us coming back from a 14 point deficit in 3:00 min.

**ChumpDumper** · 11-14-2005

Ah, if we could have gotten anything resembling a stop before the three minute mark, I might agree. At best we would've been trading baskets.

**Marcus Bryant** · 11-14-2005

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

These are some of the most asinine arguments I've ever heard. Do you people even play sports?

A dumb injury is one when you're blowing someone out and you don't need the starters in. Nobody EVER (repeat EVER!!) gets criticized for playing to WIN a game. Good Lord.

Welcome to ST.com circa 2005.

**Tek_XX** · 11-14-2005

wE LOST THAT GAME FOLKS, GET THE FUDGE OVER IT.

Oh yeah pop has no clue what he's doing, that's why he's a highly paid NBA coach and you guys are a bunch of drunken wifebeating losers sitting at your computer all freaking day long.

**nkdlunch** · 11-14-2005

Originally Posted by Tek_XX

wE LOST THAT GAME FOLKS, GET THE FUDGE OVER IT.

Oh yeah pop has no clue what he's doing, that's why he's a highly paid NBA coach and you guys are a bunch of drunken wifebeating losers sitting at your computer all freaking day long.

I resent that sir!!! I'm not married and rarely abuse my girlfriend

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