The Spurs were betrayed by one of their own

[strangeweather]

Right, the same guy who anchored the paint for us from the All-Star break on as we made our run up to best record in the West and 63 wins, and started every game last year on our way to a le, somehow became a huge 'disruption' somewhere between the end of the regular season and the Mavs series.

After all, no one had seen any sign that Nazr was having a shaky year this year.

Except, you know, right from the start.

[SpurYank]

Nice post, Walton ...etc. but my impression, after many years of watching NBA games and coaching decisions, alterations, changes, etc, is that Pop was brilliant in going small ball when he did. The best judge of what happened to our Spurs was Timmy when he said the ball bounced that way instead of this way, Manu's aggressiveness got the Mavs to tie instead of still being a point behind (Pop WARNED the team to not foul). With our Spurs down 3 games to one, we came back and could have gone ALL THE WAY BACK, but as Timmy said, the ball bounced low when he got the rebound on Manu's miss or else he would have given that rim the biggest slam he has made this year. None of this had anything to do with Pop. He didn't shoot a single basket, get a single rebound, or anything. It's the breaks. Accept it.

[EVAY]

Walton, this was a good post, and I admire you for having the guts to say it.
Pop is Pop, and he is a great coach, and I know that you are not suggesting that he be replaced. People who suggest that is what you are saying are simply using a failed "reductio ad absurdam" fallacious argument ( i.e., if you criticize at all, you must take the position that he is terrible and needs to be replaced, which is the absurdly illogical progression that your argument does NOT reduce to). Pop's name is not "pope", and he is not infallible. He is great at most things, but this time he got outcoached, purely and simply.

[T Park]

that you are not suggesting that he be replaced

hes suggesting PJ coach for a year.

Thats not "replacing" someone? Whats the PC word for that chief?

He is great at most things, but this time he got outcoached, purely and simply.

If you mean that he didn't have the people to match up with, yeah thats right.

[T Park]

TD and Manu were on the floor too, I guess they suck too.

Try watching the game Mr Knowitall.

Duncan got into foul trouble at that time, Mohammed replaced him.

But yeah, keep justifying your losing arguement.

[cherylsteele]

Try watching the game Mr Knowitall.

Duncan got into foul trouble at that time, Mohammed replaced him.

But yeah, keep justifying your losing arguement.

You keep saying it is a losing argument but scoreboard says otherwise.

We lost the series 4-3....yup small ball worked.

At least give Rasho more time if not Nazr.

[strangeweather]

You keep saying it is a losing argument but scoreboard says otherwise.

That's right -- I forgot about the series we won against Dallas this year by playing Rasho and Nazr.

The loss no more proves that playing a no talent center would have won than it proves that starting Beno would have won it for us.

At least give Rasho more time if not Nazr.

Rasho is way too slow to handle quick teams -- he didn't play in last year's playoffs either. If Pop didn't know how to coach last year, he did surprising well anyway.

[Nikos]

Pop messed up by letting Manu be the primary ball handler for the final play in game 7 and by not having Parker in the game. manu got off a wild shot that wasn't even close.

Parker should have had the ball on the last play and try to beat his man with his quickness to the basket (the spurs only needed a score) and if he couldn't he could have had three other options in Duncan inside or Horry and manu outside. If parker gets an inside step to the basket the spurs have a great shot to win it because help would have switched on to parker and Parker could have passed it off to Duncan for an easy score. The play should have been Parker beat your man to the basket and let things go form there not let Manu try to create a shot with the defense already set up.

Pop is to blame for a poor call. Pop took out a good option with Parker on the bench and went with the more turnover prone player.

While I might not argue with going with Parker on on a last possesion play, Manu has proven to be the superior crunch time force. If you gather the stats from the past two years Ginobili has been superior in the clutch as a scorer AND passer. Both in the regular season and both playoffs. He is more likely to score, get an assist, or get fouled and make the FT's. If Parker gets fouled, it is less likely he makes both. And Parker actually tends to be more turnover prone come playoff time. The stats bear it out.

The reason I might not goto Manu on a last second play is because he can't create his own jumper off the dribble. But other than that he is a good crunch time option. He actually is the best playmaker when the game gets tight.

If Parker was hot I would go with Parker for a last play, but if there is 5 minutes left to go in the game and the team is in a close game, I would chose Manu to be the playmaker, or goto Duncan if the team has the lead.

Parker for whatever reason wasn't himself in the Dallas series. Maybe he was injured as Kori stated. But statistically he wasn't as good as he could have been. He was superior against the Kings for sure.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

After all, no one had seen any sign that Nazr was having a shaky year this year.

Except, you know, right from the start.

Right, it's not like after we replaced Rasho in the starting lineup with Nazr at the All-Star break we went on a tear and ended up the season 25-6 and win the best regular season record in the West or anything...

[z0sa]

I agree very much with walton's post. Its all checks and balances - while we would have a decisive quickness disadvantage with two bigs in the paint, wouldn't you rather them shoot jumpshots than drive to the rim every single time? The jumpshots fell in game 2, thats not to say they would fall in every other game of the series. If we could have adjusted with the twin towers, I think spurs win in 6.

[maddnezz]

Game plans from regular season games don't always translate to the playoffs. I can hear the cliche' now, "dance with the one that brought you there".


I saw Nazr play in game 2 and I wasn't very impressed with his agressiveness. Keep in mind, this isn't Ben Wallace we're talking about. If Nazr had come in and played with the intensity he played with last year, I think he would have had more minutes in that series. Frankenstein, a.k.a. Rasho, on the other hand, is just to damn slow to keep up with the Mavs. Remember, this Mavs team doesn't have Sean Bradley any more.

Also, keep in mind that a "big" would not have done jack squat against a team shooting perimeter jumpers at 80% !!!!!!

Whether you like what Pop did, or not, the Spurs were still 20 some-odd seconds away from advancing to the WCF. If so, this thread would be led "Pop is a basketball genius".


NEXT

DIOP and Dampier are n ot that fast be honest dude. They have never and I mean never beat our centers up the floor!

[MadDog73]

The argument that Rasho and Nazr would have won the series, because without them we lost, is flawed.

We could have lost in 5 if Nazr and Rasho played significant minutes... and that wouldn't be an improvement, would it?

[leemajors]

DIOP and Dampier are n ot that fast be honest dude. They have never and I mean never beat our centers up the floor!

come on, putting nazr or rasho on diop/dampier leaves duncan guarding dirk or howard. neither is our best option. if duncan is guarding the center he can help out more defensively.

[Fabbs]

Walton, this was a good post, and I admire you for having the guts to say it.
Pop is Pop, and he is a great coach, and I know that you are not suggesting that he be replaced. People who suggest that is what you are saying are simply using a failed "reductio ad absurdam" fallacious argument ( i.e., if you criticize at all, you must take the position that he is terrible and needs to be replaced, which is the absurdly illogical progression that your argument does NOT reduce to). Pop's name is not "pope", and he is not infallible. He is great at most things, but this time he got outcoached, purely and simply.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

Wow, quite a rant.. at least he got it off his chest.. I don't agree with him at all

yeah



I'm sure a squad with Tim Duncan ISN'T going to contend for the le

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

But yeah, keep justifying your losing arguement.

Scoreboard, carney.

[Fabbs]

Another move I put squarely at the feet of Pop, is playing Tony P with a big lead in Game 6. Help me out with the exact timeframe, mid 3rd qtr or so but the game was well in the Spurs hand. Spurs were up by 20. Artest was injured himself, had that look in his eye like "I'm off my meds and I'm looking to slam someone." It was obvious as . Either get Tony out of the game, or tell him to either lighten up on the drives or completely watch out for Artest. I'm guessing Pop did neither. Well I know he did not take him out of the game, and I doubt he told him to guard against an Artest attack. More likely some macho bullcrap about keep driving it Tony. BAM, Artest body slams Tony hard on a drive.

To me Parker was never the same. Reaggrivated injury, less effective vs Mavs. Brilliant coaching.

Don't bother posting some bull about "Oh so i want Tony out of the lineup forever." I said no such thing. Save your weak twists. Game 6 and Kings series was well in hand, Artest looked like a mad dog. Get Tony out or for sure tell him to guard against the drive.

[MadDog73]

To me Parker was never the same. Reaggrivated injury, less effective vs Mavs. Brilliant coaching.

And if we lost, I'm sure you'd be saying "Pop pulled Tony out when we had that lead, and we never got back our composure. It's all Pop's fault we lost."

[Fabbs]

And if we lost, I'm sure you'd be saying "Pop pulled Tony out when we had that lead, and we never got back our composure. It's all Pop's fault we lost."

10/10 on the weak scale.

[MadDog73]

10/10 on the weak scale.

Whatever. According to you, everytime we have a lead we need to pull our starters so they won't get hurt.