Reply With Quote
Be a box score jockey if you want to. I don't care where SAC is in certain statistical categories. It doesn't matter. Each team has played a different schedule and has had different kinds of injury problems.If you look at the SA vs SAC season stats matchup, the Spurs are better in every key category, and where the Spurs are worse (PPG), we are #1 in the compensating category, PPG allowed. Spurs even shoots better team FG% than offensively-oriented, crappy-defense SAC. Spurs D, the Reason They Win, let SAC get SAC's season avg of 23 AST last night, rather than pulling SAC down toward the Spurs AST allowed of 15.
The number of assists the Spurs allowed doesn't matter. The point of playing defense isn't to limit the number of assists your opponent gets. It's to try to hold your opponent to the fewest number of points possible. The Spurs held Sacramento to 86 points while playing on the road. The defense wasn't perfect, but it isn't going to be every night. If the Spurs can consistently limit the Kings to 86 points at Arco, I'll take it every time. I don't give a crap how many assists the Kings had.
Both teams played crappy. But it's still hard to win at Arco, and as you noticed, Peja did play well. I'm never happy with losses and everyone here knows I'm among the first to criticize the team, but if you expect them to go 82-0, you're going to be disappointed.SAC played a really crappy game, and were saved only by Peja having a very hot night from 3's.
Tim was sick, and Tony didn't have his best game. Tony has been playing better lately. I'm fully aware that they need him to be consistent, but it's just one game.Spurs played a reallly 1) lethargic and 2) dumb game. When Plan A and B don't work (Tim is ty and stupid, Tony no shows), then, duh, blindly stick with Plan A and B. There isn't a plan C where "the Spurs are actually better when I (Tim) am just another option" aka "motion offense" (based on crisp passing and penetrating).
And in case you didn't notice, every team that relies on the motion offense as the primary offensive scheme in the playoffs loses. The motion offense should be another tool that Pop implements, but it isn't a magical solution. Good defensive teams can defend that better than they can other systems.
Malone and Webber pull Duncan out from under the basket on their offensive ends. Here's a newsflash: Tim can't get putbacks on that end of the floor.Malone pulled Tim out from the basket in the LA series, and Webber did it last night. Why? Because neither one of them have the speed and mobility remaining to play under the basket, to drive, to win off the dribble, the power moves, but both can still shoot and pass very damn well. So if the Spurs have to defend an immobile Malone/Webber passer/shooter-only way out on the wing, why waste Tim on that? We are playing to their game plan: "Pull Tim out, less rebounds, less putbacks"
I mean, what are you advocating? Do you want Tim to guard the opponent's center?
Tim had a ty game. Relax. It happens.And btw, Tim, the fact that you can't beat anyone off the dribble, even a semi-cripple and overweight has-been like Webber, means STOP ING PUTTING THE BALL ON FLOOR in the middle of traffic. That's the OPPOSITION's dream game plan for you!! Like clockwork, you either lose the ball or get fouled and miss your ing FTs. Lost possession, over and over and over. If you aren't open, PASS THE ING ROCK around to somebody who is, and do it RIGHT AWAY, not after 10 seconds of statue of Liberty imitation.
Good things happen a lot of the time when Tim puts the ball on the floor.
This is the best they've started a season in a long while. I'm not satisfied with how they're playing either, but they usually don't peak until later in the season anyway. There are going to be some bad moments. That's just the way NBA basketball is. If the Spurs aren't winning some key road games in three months, then you have every cause to be concerned.Spurs have yet to beat any top team on the road this year. They look like IND and DET last season, not beating any top WC team even once on the road.
And if the Spurs end up looking like Detroit like you say they are beginning to do, I'll take it. The Pistons somehow won the le last year despite struggling on the road against western conference teams. If the Spurs can be just like the Pistons, I'll take it.
