Pop "I thought we had a lot of guys that played like dogs" and hill out for game 2

[siraulo23]

no more massooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn please pop


no more

I stopped watching the game when the mavs had a double digit lead, spurs called a timeout, and saw mason kept in the game

[spurspf]

you know what this tells me? Tony, drive past his ass.

[spursrocks]

those dogs need to step up if we are going to win game 2.
dog 1- Dog- needs to be more aggressive, needs to rebound and drive more. he seems to be lost on the court and sometimes passive.
dog 2- Money Mase Doggie- he just plain sucks, we have nothing to lose by playing temple.
dog 3- The CenterDog Bogans- his just to short to guard dallas players
dog 4- Dog BoneNer- he just cant shoot during playoffs, is it mentality? lack of confidence? or he just suck like last year

[Lebowski Brickowski]

There was a time when the Spurs had motion in their offense. Everyone moved. Guys made back cuts to the rim. Even Ginobili and Parker used to work together There was a play I haven't seen in AGES where Parker used to run baseline and then fake like he was going to come up the middle of the lane and instead would make a quick back cut to the rim where Ginobili would hit him with a perfect pass for a layup. They don't do that anymore. I remember Oberto used to make back cuts to the rim and Duncan or Ginobili would find him for an easy two. Movement and back cuts are a lost art in the Spurs offense.

That's been gone since Brent Barry

[Death In June]

dog 4- Dog BoneNer- he just cant shoot during playoffs, is it mentality? lack of confidence? or he just suck like last year

Is it really a playoffs thing? I can remember Bonner sucking tremendously in the regular season as well.

[duncan228]

...and hill out for game 2

Deja vu again: Hill gametime decision for Game 2

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...u-again-h.html

[TJastal]

"It's still a little tender," Hill said. "I tried to give it a go Sunday, but it really wasn't all the way there. Hopefully, by Wednesday I'll be ready."

Thank god the calculating genius Popovich played him in that last meaningless game before his ankle was fully healed.... almost won that meaningless game too.

[polandprzem]

Dogs should be in doghouse?

[ChumpDumper]

Thank god the calculating genius Popovich played him in that last meaningless game before his ankle was fully healed.... almost won that meaningless game too.

Didn't he play in the game before?

Yes or no.

[Baseline]

Didn't he play in the game before?

Yes or no.

Yes, Hill did play in the game before the Dallas game, maybe for 18-20 minutes, but he was clearly not at 100%. It was evident that he could contribute, but just not at full capacity.

The point is that Manu was at or close to 100%, yet Pop rested him. Same with Duncan. Yet he played Hill, whose entire game is built on athleticism, on an ankle that was clearly not 100%.

No matter how you slice it, it wasn't smart to play a player as integral as Hill - on an ankle that is still healing - in a game in which you sit Tim and Manu - a game you do not intend to win.

[ChumpDumper]

Yes, Hill did play in the game before the Dallas game, maybe for 18-20 minutes, but he was clearly not at 100%. It was evident that he could contribute, but just not at full capacity.

The point is that Manu was at or close to 100%, yet Pop rested him. Same with Duncan. Yet he played Hill, whose entire game is built on athleticism, on an ankle that was clearly not 100%.

No matter how you slice it, it wasn't smart to play a player as integral as Hill - on an ankle that is still healing - in a game in which you sit Tim and Manu - a game you do not intend to win.

Tony still isn't 100%. His game is based entirely on speed.

We shouldn't be playing him now.

Nice logic.

[MannyIsGod]

If you want NBA players to be 100% during the playoffs then you're going to see the Spurs start a bunch no nmaes.

[TJastal]

Tony still isn't 100%. His game is based entirely on speed.

We shouldn't be playing him now.

Nice logic.

Chumpdumper grasping at straws to excuse bad coaching... as usual

Planar fascitis isn't the type of injury that has a high risk of re-injury and it doesn't heal without months of rest.

Hill otoh had a mild ankle sprain that takes at least a full week to heal completely. Heading into the playoffs Popovich should have just rested him in those last two games, esp considering he didn't even deem the last game important enough to use his best players.

[ChumpDumper]

Chumpdumper grasping at straws to excuse bad coaching... as usual

Planar fascitis isn't the type of injury that has a high risk of re-injury and it doesn't heal without months of rest.

Hill otoh had a mild ankle sprain that takes at least a full week to heal completely. Heading into the playoffs Popovich should have just rested him in those last two games, esp considering he didn't even deem the last game important enough to use his best players.

So you're saying he did play in the previous game and you didn't object -- and you agree it was a throwaway game.

Talk about grasping at straws -- you completely owned yourself.

Twice.

Thanks, doc!

[TJastal]

So you're saying he did play in the previous game and you didn't object -- and you agree it was a throwaway game.

Talk about grasping at straws -- you completely owned yourself.

Twice.

Thanks, doc!

I just said I would have rested him till the playoffs started.. like PJ did with Bynum and Brown did with Shaq .. no sense in risking them in "throwaway" games.

Heading into the playoffs Popovich should have just rested him in those last two games,

So how exactly I "own myself"... twice...?

[ChumpDumper]

I just said I would have rested him till the playoffs started.. like PJ did with Bynum and Brown did with Shaq .. no sense in risking them in "throwaway" games.

You were con uously silent when Hill first played in a throwaway game.

So how exactly I "own myself"... twice...?

I just explained it to you.

Twice.

Thanks again, Dr. Coach!

[TJastal]

You were con uously silent when Hill first played in a throwaway game.


I just explained it to you.

Twice.

Thanks again, Dr. Coach!

I thought we had this conversation already..... I guess I need to explain it through your dense skull again. It was mine (and everyone's assumption really) the spurs were gunning for the best playoff seed possible, and therefore the risk was justified at the time to bring him back early.

Come to find out it was irrelevant to Pop what seed the spurs managed... now do you see why spurs fans are upset?

[ChumpDumper]

I thought we had this conversation already..... I guess I need to explain it through your dense skull again. It was mine (and everyone's assumption really) the spurs were gunning for the best playoff seed possible, and therefore the risk was justified at the time to bring him back early.

You don't think they could have beaten the Wolves without him, Dr, Coach?

Come to find out it was irrelevant to Pop what seed the spurs managed... and do you finally get it why spurs fans are upset?

I know why you are upset, Dr, Coach.

Because you owned yourself twice.

[#2!]

Popovich can drill his team all he wants. The fact is the Spurs have become as predictable as sun in the Sahara. Defenders sit on their passes because they've seen this before time and time again and there are no wrinkles to the offense. These days it's one guy dribbling while everyone else is stagnant. When Ginobili has the ball guys don't move. Same in screen and roll over and over. If Ginobili doesn't try to score the defender is waiting on that pass because they've seen it a million times before. Either Ginobili has to make a perfect pass or that ball is getting deflected or stolen. When Parker has the ball nobody moves. When Duncan has the ball nobody moves.

There was a time when the Spurs had motion in their offense. Everyone moved. Guys made back cuts to the rim. Even Ginobili and Parker used to work together There was a play I haven't seen in AGES where Parker used to run baseline and then fake like he was going to come up the middle of the lane and instead would make a quick back cut to the rim where Ginobili would hit him with a perfect pass for a layup. They don't do that anymore. I remember Oberto used to make back cuts to the rim and Duncan or Ginobili would find him for an easy two. Movement and back cuts are a lost art in the Spurs offense.

The Mavs in Game 1 looked like the Spurs from '07. Every damn player on that court was moving and cutting to the rim. There was nothing stagnant about them. Marion was cutting. Butler was cutting. Jason Terry said it and got in on the act late in the 4th cutting to the rim for an easy layup. If the Spurs don't get any movement in their offense and just depend on the same old they're done.

Great post. At the beginning of the preseason Pop "dumbed down" the spurs offensive play book to help incorporate the new guys, and at the same time gave more control of the offense to the primary ballhandlers (Tony, George, Manu while at point).

I believe these coaching decisions are a large part of the Spurs problems. First of all, the term "dumbed down" was actually used in the papers and could not have had a good effect on the psyche of newcomers like RJ. Secondly, the playbook being simplified took out many clever screens, and cuts that opened up the interior, or started a chain of passing off of the drive, and around the perimeter to the best option available (usually a corner 3). Even back then the Spurs ran the predictable pick and rolls that they do now, but they always managed to pick up extra points here and there off of what you called "wrinkles."

Finally, giving the reigns to Tony, who had been hearing all sorts of "its TP's team" comments over the summer, and George resulted in a lack of rhythm for most of the team. Neither knew when to look for their own shot, dump it down to Timmy, or especially when to get RJ involved. I think those problems could have been resolved by Pop calling the plays, and then, if beneficial, let the guards take over after they've seen what works and what doesn't over the course of a season. Similarly, the playbook should have either been left alone, or more aggressively expanded throughout the season.

There is one play that the spurs have tried maybe 4 or 5 times this season in which Tony sets up in the corner while Tim sets a pick for Richard, who dives towards the basket for an alley-oop. My point is that after assuming that the playbook would be re-expanded as the season wore on so little has actually been done that I am able to pick out which individual plays have been added just by sitting on my couch.

I believe some of the motion lost in the offense could have really utilized Jefferson's skillset, and I don't see why Blair couldn't have already taken over those sneaky points that Oberto used to get off of Tim's, or Manu's passing.

[TJastal]

You don't think they could have beaten the Wolves without him, Dr, Coach?



I know why you are upset, Dr, Coach.

Because you owned yourself twice.

Did the spurs lose to the nets this year? Yes or No?

Obviously Popovich thought it was an important enough game to play Manu and Tim as well. Nobody blinked an eye because we all thought the plan was to win in Dallas to nail the 6th seed.

[Pero]

I thought we had a lot of guys that played like dogs."

Funny analogy because when I saw Pop's face that game he reminded me of a scared puppy. I'm afraid of the Lakers but if it's Dallas it's Dallas. Damn fool.

[ChumpDumper]

Did the spurs lose to the nets this year? Yes or No?

Yep.

Obviously Popovich thought it was an important enough game to play Manu and Tim as well. Nobody blinked an eye because we all thought the plan was to win in Dallas to nail the 6th seed.

So you accept just how wrong you were. Stunningly wrong.

That's a big step for you, Dr, Coach. You'll find you are wrong about many, many things.

Dallas was a throwaway game.

Hill was getting reps, just as he was against the Wolves when you didn't complain even one little bit.

Not at all.

Not a peep.

[TJastal]

Yep.

So you accept just how wrong you were. Stunningly wrong.

That's a big step for you, Dr, Coach. You'll find you are wrong about many, many things.

How am I wrong to be mad that Pop risked Hill for no good reason that makes sense?.. obviously it wasn't to obtain the 6th seed..

Meanwhile PJackson is smart enough to hold Bynum out till the start of the playoffs and not risk playing him in meaningless games and looks like that decision paid off in a big way.

I'm getting tired of this conversation so if you could just explain how I'm wrong here that would be great.. I have a nap to catch..

[ChumpDumper]

How am I wrong to be mad that Pop risked Hill for no good reason that makes sense?.. obviously it wasn't to obtain the 6th seed..

You weren't mad about the Wolves game.

It's nice of you to point out your own hypocrisy for me.

I'm getting tired of this conversation so if you could just explain how I'm wrong here that would be great.. I have a nap to catch..

You already did it for me.

Thanks again, Dr. Coach. Don't forget your Geritol.

[TJastal]

You weren't mad about the Wolves game.

It's nice of you to point out your own hypocrisy for me.

You already did it for me.

Thanks again, Dr. Coach. Don't forget your Geritol.

You do recall that the spurs did, in fact, lose to the nets this year? It was, in fact just a few short weeks before the end of the season if I recall.

So obviously if you can lose to the nets you can also lose to the wolves. And a loss to the wolves could have resulted in a nasty 8th seed matchup with the lakers.

Now, if your an avid reader of the forum (which I think you are) you'll probably remember that I was one of the main proponents of the argument that the spurs should avoid the
8th seed at all costs.

Again, I've got my bases covered and my thinking is crystal clear here. The only hypocrisy being spewed here is from your corner.