Random Thoughts Before Game 5

[polandprzem]

If there was an ocean in Dallas, Spurs would not hit it today

[ploto]

Question remains to be answered- did they just throw away a game or are we actually seeing the ramifications of playing every other day. Duncan and Manu definitely look like they are paying the price while the young guys are fine.

[honestfool84]

-Butler having a giant game is a given. I'd be shocked if he's not pushing 36 points by the time the final buzzer is sounding. Since Butler exploding is expected, Jason Kidd needs to continue to be a focal point. The Spurs have to pressure him and then run him off the three-point line as much as possible. When he's rolling, the Mavs have been at their best. Keep him questioning himself by putting him in difficult situations (fronting him, doubling him, etc.) and the Spurs should have success.

[HankChinaski]

I took it like this for tonights game.

Dallas came out pulling out ahead. Pop saw the energy his guys were producing, saw a dallas team he assumed wasn't going to let them take this game at home from them easy and just went with rolling the dice on some of the "dogs" on the bench. But man the biggest hole for the lineup in the 1st quarter was having Mason out there. He got torched on whatever assignment defensively he took. His stroke is lacking everything and he just isn't the player we grew to love from last year. With production like that you may as well have Bogans defending out there. Because I seriously doubt Bogans would have been burnt by Kidd on the corner 3 going to the glass.

Duncan looked decent at the start of the game. Didn't look like he wanted to place the ball inside into the middle of the lane and just kept his game outside midrange with fading hooks. If he wants to get his boys tp, manu and hill some easier looks he needs to take it into the paint, face up more on hay and damp.

Tony looked like the only guy trying to score inside for us, but his lack of ball movement and getting others into the game just didn't look like it was there. His defense on the other end wasn't as aggressive as it was in his previous games from 2 to 4. If we are going to keep terry and kidd from creating much he is going to not fade on defense.

Manu....well manu just was off. I don't know how that nose is affecting him but his tentative presence inside the paint was obvious and his bb court vision seemed off with the turnovers that he caused. His jumper seems to be fading since game 3 and i'm concerned about how he'll get about stroking again. His defense on the plus side was there, those early fouls really gave pop a problem on early and you could tell that this game wasn't going to be easy there on forward.

Jefferson came out with some plus side tonight but he like the rest of the team for the most part avoid taking much inside to the hoop.

McDyess, after four solid games just looked like he was just getting himself out of position from boards from the glass and a little of a combination of the ball just bouncing out of his way.

Hill after having a phenomenal game 4 just couldn't produce the same results out on the 3 point line which was something I was hoping wouldn't happen but realistically kept in mind coming into tonight. I liked his effort out there. His stroke was still dropping from inside the 3 pt line but there were times where he hesistated from creating something and bounced it out to someone else.

Coach Pop.....sigh. After coaching some solid couple of games looked like he just didn't see this team pulling it out. I didn't see much confidence from him using his previous line up that got them to where they were and after the early breakdown of our defense and lack of intensity I felt he just went ahead and started to begin thinking about taking this game in game 6. With throwing mason out on the floor in the first and watching him get burnt assignment after assignment after each possession from dallas. I was expecting a time out and a yanking him for the rest of the series. I thought that already happen and I just feel this game slipped away from him and considering the poor production in the first half by dallas I don't see how the spurs couldn't walk back into this one.

Well, with Game 5 already done. I'm looking forward to seeing Pop and the Spurs setting the tone and finishing this series out at Home. This is the absolute worse these team can play and with Duncan & Manu getting some extra rest with the early pull in the 2nd half expect sense of urgency from this team and a active crowd looking to clear this series and get prep for the next round.

[Capt Bringdown]

Do you know who Spitzer is?

Former Governor of New York- had to give it up in the wake of the exposure of his involvement as a client in a high-priced pros ution ring.....

Uh yes, I know who Spitzer is. A politician getting caught with s is not a good analogy to Bonner's playoff inep ude. First, in many countries, this would not even make the news. Also, Spitzer's error was bad judgement.

Bonner is not guilty of bad judgement, rather he has no courage, poise or skills.

I guess the only way your analogy works would be if Bonner found himself in room full of hookers, it would be soon be revealed that he has no penis.