Does anybody else not care if RJ starts?

[superbigtime]

This cat plays better defense than RJ...

Is a more consistent scorer also. This cat is clearly clutch.

[therealtruth]

Also take into account that playing hard defense is exhausting and therefore does not match well with run and gun style of basketball. A defensive possession ends with getting the rebound. If players only think of getting to the other half of the court as fast as possible to score, the possession will more likely end with an offensive rebound and points for the opponent.

Spurs just should be opportunistic when to run, but defense should be a priority.

Exactly you have to be opportunistic but still put pressure on the other team's defense. It gets easy baskets that way which take less energy. In addition it puts more pressure on the other team to score and can force them to rush their offense. Getting the defensive rebound fuels the fastbreak. In fact you can't really run if the other teams scores or you don't get the defensive rebound. The Spurs were doing pretty good at it earlier in the year except their defense could have been better.

[admiralsnackbar]

Is a more consistent scorer also. This cat is clearly clutch.

I know the temptation is to offer the full MLE with quickness, but there's youtubes of him going on crazy-ass binges... rolling around on drugs an' . Plus he's got like 20 kids he doesn't even support... not Spurs material.

Better off signing V-Span.

[Fireball]

Exactly you have to be opportunistic but still put pressure on the other team's defense. It gets easy baskets that way which take less energy. In addition it puts more pressure on the other team to score and can force them to rush their offense. Getting the defensive rebound fuels the fastbreak. In fact you can't really run if the other teams scores or you don't get the defensive rebound. The Spurs were doing pretty good at it earlier in the year except their defense could have been better.

With opportunistic I meant the team should increase the tempo of the game in certain situations - sometimes you can sense an opponent is already in the ropes and some quick points knock him out. But you cannot stay on the gas pedal on offense the whole time and play lockdown defense which needs quick rotations. Instead you need to take it slowly on offense and play down the clock for which Spurs championship teams were known. The current team does not have the personnel to do both ...

[CaptainLate]

RJ will start but mostly because he is familiar with Pop's system and Pop's reluctance on starting rookies not named Duncan or Parker.

He'll start, too, b/c he will be trade bait in February. It would be good to sign up a good young center now, since we know we need one. Dalembert (76ers) or Jordan (Kings) should do. We can go after big FA's next yr after trading RJ and have TD's contract off the books.

[MR.SILVER&BLack]

simple solution actually but it wont happen because of pops mentality.



start leonard at the SF & have him focus mainly on defense. kind of how lakers do with artest. move manu to the bench and start neal to make up for manu's & RJ's perimeter offense. with parker, Duncan, & splitter or a free agent big.



have RJ be the main scoring option for the 2nd unit. hes a scorer and nothing else. the spurs got him because of the lack of offense(well before last season). makes no sense to have just stand in the corner. with manu playing PG you can run many different plays for RJ. cuts to the basket, have rj shoot jumpers off of screens, & maybe some screen and rolls.

spurs have him & hes prob not going anywhere. mine as well use him the best they can.

[TimmehC]

Spurs don't have to change their entire game plan to use RJ more effectively. Run screens for him, or have him run cuts from multiple angles in the half-court... it should be more effective now that his outside shot has to be respected. If nothing else, it makes the Spurs less predictable, and is one more thing opposing defenses have to watch out for. Last season, the Spurs would run 1-2 plays a game for RJ at the most, usually early. But most of the time, they're still stuck in the Bruce Bowen playbook - make him stand in the corner and wait, switching corners every now and then. Why on earth would you pay a guy $40M for that?

I'm not expecting him to be great, but at least use the guy properly and you might get better results. And he tends to be more energized when they involve him in the offense, so it could have a positive effect on his defensive intensity.

And if that doesn't work, pray that Kawhi is a total badass.

[therealtruth]

Spurs don't have to change their entire game plan to use RJ more effectively. Run screens for him, or have him run cuts from multiple angles in the half-court... it should be more effective now that his outside shot has to be respected. If nothing else, it makes the Spurs less predictable, and is one more thing opposing defenses have to watch out for. Last season, the Spurs would run 1-2 plays a game for RJ at the most, usually early. But most of the time, they're still stuck in the Bruce Bowen playbook - make him stand in the corner and wait, switching corners every now and then. Why on earth would you pay a guy $40M for that?

I'm not expecting him to be great, but at least use the guy properly and you might get better results. And he tends to be more energized when they involve him in the offense, so it could have a positive effect on his defensive intensity.

And if that doesn't work, pray that Kawhi is a total badass.

Exactly. The Spurs offense was too predictable in the half-court. Either dump into Duncan or have Manu/Parker penetrate and kick out. The only way you can get away with that is by having a prime Tim Duncan who forces double teaming. They've got to change it up including getting RJ involved. The Grizzlies were able to sit in the passing lanes because they knew exactly where the passes were going.

[admiralsnackbar]

Exactly. The Spurs offense was too predictable in the half-court. Either dump into Duncan or have Manu/Parker penetrate and kick out. The only way you can get away with that is by having a prime Tim Duncan who forces double teaming. They've got to change it up including getting RJ involved. The Grizzlies were able to sit in the passing lanes because they knew exactly where the passes were going.

Just my opinion, but smart passing makes even the most lumbering half-court set unpredictable. Our passing and awareness of passing lanes last season was not what it's been.