Initial Reaction: Spurs @ Grizzlies - Game 4

[venitian navigator]

We still have not lost the series.
And I still have hope.

That said, the part I didn't like is pretending that this team, without bigs able to play in the paint (I mean expecially defense...), would have been able to win in the play offs.
We all knew it wasn't possible...Pop included...'cause we've been the ones that exposed this theory more than one time agaist a team that was a lot, and I mean A LOT better suited than ours for playing the way we've playied our vregular season (remember Phoenix? just for an example, Marion was far better rebounder, scorer and defender than Bonner will ever be).
The point that I'd like to take is that when we've afforded the play off with a team organized for have a good regolar season record (and we had the luck to take it with a lot of reular season games remaining) if we wanted to have some hope we had to change our style, play our only real big for giving him playing esperience with Tim and rest of the team.
We didn't do that.
We preferred to believe in the mirage that a team with no athletes and no dominant bigs (and no more dominant perimeter players too) would have been able to win it all just based on the "system"... let's just hope that now it's not too late.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i thought tiaggo played exceptionally well in the first quarter, most of his points and rebs came of 2nd chance opportunities and his defense was good, it didnt help when u chuck in bonner with him who was fronting his man most of the time, with splitter slow on the help defense, t hats more bonners problem cause he cant defend for ....

[Pauleta14]

Look who's cooking us in Memphis... Darrel Arthur, Mike Conley Jr, freaking Vazquez looked like a possessed man... Last season was Dudley, Channing Frye and ponytail ... In close games those guys stepped up and made the difference... we're still waiting for Hill to call a play before there are 5 seconds left on the clock, or RJ to take a mid-air contorted jumper because the play broke down 3 times... and for Bonner to hit a 3 to save his life...

This!!!!

The big3 isn't the reason we lost or are 1-3!!!!!

I know it's easy to rip TP "inability to take over" (against such a team D focused on him, any allstar would struglre) or Timmy's age or whatever, but they are the only one acting like professionals!!!

Bonner and RJ sould really be ashamed of their production...

Neal and Splitter are still learning and not supposed to carry the team, so I don't blame them too much, but Hill will NEVER become the player most of us thought he would be (near allstar), he has all the physical/technical skill required, but he is so weak mentaly, he can't be anything else than a role player...

With a "decent" production of the role players, we would be 3-1 easy...

[Capt Bringdown]

I knew Splitter would get the blame for the Spurs 3rd quarter meltdown.

[1Parker1]

More than the loss, it's how the Spurs loss that was scary and depressing. Even after so many post-season wars, I don't think I have ever, EVER seen Pop panic so blatantly as he did in Game 4. And the meltdown by the Spurs in the 3rd Quarter of a do or die game in Round 1 of the playoffs just showed you that this team is not in any, way, shape, or form able to compete with tough, athletic teams---which just described all the playoff teams in the West.

R.I.P Spurs. I had hoped you could give Tim Duncan one more special season and run at # 5....

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

This!!!!

The big3 isn't the reason we lost or are 1-3!!!!!

I know it's easy to rip TP "inability to take over" (against such a team D focused on him, any allstar would struglre)

The French flag in your avatar tells me all I need to know before even reading your stupid ing post. The big 3 isn't the reason we're 1-3, PARKER has two of those losses on him, especially the last 2 games where he was either dribbling the ball off of his knee or throwing it into the stands. Which teams D is focusing on him??? The Grizzlies are doing NOTHING as far as gameplans go to contain Parker, he is playing like a rookie trying to find himself, he almost makes me want to see Gary Neal start in his place. Nothing he is doing seems to come with any purpose.

[1Parker1]

Wow...I just saw this statistic: The Spurs now have lost 15 of their last 18 postseason road games dating back to Game 4 against Phoenix in 2008

[Avitus1]

It seems over for these Spurs. I always thought Timmy would get his 5th ring now I'm thinking he'll be stuck with 4. Spurs D was surly missed last night and if we move onto the second round we'd probably get swept again this time by the Thunder.

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

The most depressing thing for me was not that they lost it was how they lost. I became a Spurs fan in 2000 (I was 12) while living in SA because I couldn't stand the thought of the Lakers winning a le and wanted ANYONE to beat those assholes. I hated the at ude of the Lakers, I hated their fans, and anything else Laker related. While cheering for the Spurs to knock those guys off I started to appreciate the Spurs approach to games.

Grind it out on defense.

Hard blue collar effort.

Winning/losing with class.

Complete focus on the job at hand.

All things that growing up (silly as it may sound) I really admired and used as an example since the time I went into the workforce at 14 years old. These guys let me down tonight and all season. I never respected the Run N' Gun teams because of their "all flash and no substance" approach to the game, and all season I told everyone that approached me out here in Arizona that there was NO WAY this team would go anywhere once the playoffs started because they abandoned their principles.

Last night was this entire season pretty much summed up in 1 game. Team lost focus, lost heart, and lost the whole stone cutter philosophy. I didn't care if they got swept, I at least wanted to see them do it while displaying the things that make the Spurs who they are. The Spurs that made me a fan would never have lost their effort, focus, or their heart.

[Manu_Ginobili]

I've witnessed my share of Spurs losses. However, I've never watched a more depressing loss than Monday night's Game 4. After playing decently in the first half, the Spurs fell apart in the third quarter. By midway through that period, the game began to feel like a funeral -- not only for this season, but for this era. By the time the final buzzer sounded on the 104-86 Grizzlies victory, the only emotion left for Spurs fans to feel was sadness.

-Tim Duncan just didn't have it. The juice he played with in the first three games was absent. Simply put, he played like a 35-year-old with a ton of mileage on his wheels. Hopefully it was an aberration ... but Father Time is an unforgiving bas .

-I never thought I'd see it. But for a few moments in the third quarter, it appeared as if Manu Ginobili let up. The never say never, relentless, win at all costs Manu Ginobili we love said never. The uninspired play around him and the throbbing right elbow had to play a part ... but it didn't make it any less stunning to behold.

-Tony Parker resurrected his scoring output. He didn't miss in the first half on his way to racking up 19 points. However, his floor game was still in shambles; if he wasn't turning it over, he was failing to make the right read. When Parker's scoring cooled in the second half, the Spurs had no way to make up for his lack of production.

-I don't even want to think about how much money the Spurs owe Richard Jefferson. His performance in this must-win game was a disgrace. When the Spurs needed shooters to step up, Jefferson was instead finding reasons not to shoot. When the Spurs desperately needed offense, Jefferson became more passive than ever. Defensively, he was a 98.6-degree void of nothingness.

-I'm extremely disappointed in George Hill. I've been a believer in his talent over the years but I'm really having second thoughts now. His offense was a mess: passive at times, poor decisions throughout and just very un-postseason-like play. Defensively, he was even worse. He was jumping for pump-fakes, taking horrible angles on closeouts and getting destroyed by any quick move coming his way. Just a miserable, miserable outing.

-Spurs fans begged for Tiago Splitter. Spurs fans got Tiago Splitter in Game 4. Pop made the adjustment of giving DeJuan Blair's minutes to Splitter. In the first half, it really seemed to work. Unfortunately, Splitter played a role in the team's collapsed in the third quarter. It was like he didn't have much chemistry with the rest of his teammates. Oh wait, that was the reality of the situation.

-In another mid-series adjustment between Game 3 and Game 4, Pop altered the rotation to remove Gary Neal. After the debacle to begin the third quarter, Pop called on Neal ... but it was obviously too late to expect him to do much. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Neal's minutes in Game 5.

-Matt Bonner played another poor road game in the playoffs. I can't say I'm surprised. He missed both of his three-pointers and got destroyed on the defensive end. Absolutely annihilated. The fight we saw out of him in the two home games must have remained in San Antonio.

-I'm really disappointed in Pop. First of all, he panicked. The Spurs didn't need wholesale changes to win this series. By better executing their gameplan that they utilized in the first three games, I thought the Spurs had a good shot to beat these Grizzlies. But Pop, going against what he always preaches, blamed his hammer for the rock not splitting.

I don't think it was wrong to play Splitter, however Pop did a poor job of putting him in positions to succeed -- especially in the second half. Duncan and Splitter played together in the regular season for all of 35 minutes. That lineup that started the second half played 14 minutes together in the regular season. To expect for Splitter to suddenly know how to play with the rest of the starters in a pressure-packed playoff game is unfair to everyone involved.

Removing Neal from the rotation was a bad move in hindsight. Jefferson and Hill received more minutes as a result and they were arguably the two worst players on the floor. It didn't make much sense to begin with considering that the Spurs were in desperate need of shooting and Neal has been a big game shooter all season long.

Pop has pushed the Spurs to four NBA championships. On Monday night, he pushed the Spurs off a cliff. More damning, he pushed this golden era of Spurs Basketball to the edge of the precipice.

This is an excellent post!!! BRAVO!

[Leetonidas]

I guess I'm not the only one who got the "end of an era" feeling after watching the sad display.

I love my Spurs, but we will not be winning this series.

[Typical London Boy]

Initial reaction: we're ed.

[/thread]

[vanvannen]

I surely was not expecting THAT. I am very disappointed in Manu and Timmy, they just gave up.

[Brazil]

Globally I think we are under valuating the Grizz squad. They are playing good bb focusing on their strenghts and on our weaknesses, they are taking what our D is offering, Conley is taking advantage of the rondo treatment.

I think we could have won this serie and the reasons of the loss is on Pop, Manu injury and TP who is just showing he is not a franchise player (but we already knew btw). Nevertheless this team ceiling was in fact a second round which is sad but true. We have no more the material to go further than that.

[kjhip1]

A very tough loss for a very uninspired team...However, we are not done yet...the Grizzlies have to win 4 games not three...I fully expect us to take game 5...no matter what we are going to have to win a game in memphis..as bad as it looks, this team is still not out..call it wishful thinking...but until we are knocked, I will still ride this team..maybe some home cookin is all they need to jump start a win streak. I still feel the worse feeling in the world was seeing Hakeem shake and bake Drob in the playoffs, and Barkley making that J at the top of the key to exit the Spurs..Last night definately was eye opening, but as I said before, we still have a pulse, abeit one that is close to nonexistent...dont' count them out just yet....

GO SPURS GO!!!!

[kjhip1]

1968 - Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers (Eastern Conference Finals)

1970 - Los Angeles Lakers over Phoenix Suns (Western Conference Finals)

1979 - Washington Bullets over San Antonio Spurs (Eastern Conference Finals)

1981 - Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers (Eastern Conference Finals)

1995 - Houston Rockets over Phoenix Suns (Western Conference Semifinals)

1997 - Miami Heat over New York Knicks (Eastern Conference Semifinals)

2003 - Detroit Pistons over Orlando Magic (Eastern Conference First Round)

2006 - Phoenix Suns over Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference First Round)

Eight teams have done what the Spurs are about to do...keep the faith!!!

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

Aint happenin. Hope I'm wrong but I just don't have the feeling that it's going to happen. I was so confident about the 2007 le that I purchased my flight and finals tickets 4 months in advance to be there for game 1. This team has given me no reason to believe.

[elbamba]

I'm extremely disappointed in George Hill. I've been a believer in his talent over the years but I'm really having second thoughts now. His offense was a mess: passive at times, poor decisions throughout and just very un-postseason-like play. Defensively, he was even worse. He was jumping for pump-fakes, taking horrible angles on closeouts and getting destroyed by any quick move coming his way. Just a miserable, miserable outing.

The hardest part to swallow here is that the Spurs could have drafted Darrell Arthur. They could have used his size the last 2-3 years. We would have had no need to Dice and could have gone after a better wing or backup PG. Oh well.

[thispego]

Such a good season down the drain, just like that. From day one of this season it felt so good, It felt like one more last time for this team to take a serious shot at the le,everything went well and what happens, getting beat by the Grizzlies!!! We, the fans were thinking about being possible to beat the Bulls and Celtics and Heat in the finals and even saying that with confidence, but they can't even get past the f*cking Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies with their confidence and their Swag, which they had from the moment they were intentionally tanking to play the Spurs, just came on court and crushed the Spurs just like that. It's over. There has to be a miracle for the Spurs to come back from 3-1 and even if they manage to ing do it somehow, the next teams in line will be the Thunder and the Lakers, well I don't see these Spurs playing like this beating them, not even a chance.

Now, I don't like giving up and being all negative, but this time it's different, it feels different. Realistically there is no chance for the Spurs to get back, Im afraid it's over.

here's my silver lining.

[GrandeDavid]

Wow, Sean Elliott was commenting after the game that Tiago Splitter's performance was the lone bright spot of the game. I tend to agree with Sean. Splitter never would've been a series difference maker, but he can make an impact and did in a positive way. I hope to see more of him in Game 5. His heart and hustle are needed.

[jag]

Tony, Tim and Manu look tired. Not a few days worth of tired or a season's worth of tired, they look a career's worth of tired. It's a psychological fatigue just as much as it's a physical fatigue. It's the same kind of tired you saw in the Phoenix series. The hype and emotion of the Mavs series last year allowed them to mask it and play on fumes, but the adrenaline rush doesn't last forever.

As good as Manu and Tony are, Tim Duncan is what made them the players we've seen over the past 10 years. We were kind of tricked into thinking the Spurs could win without Duncan being a force on the offensive side of the floor. But the Spurs' success has always been attributable to Duncan. And right now he just looks tired.

[Whisky Dog]

It's over folks, it's over for the Spurs and once TD retires the NBA will go the way of the NHL for me. It was a great time and a lot of great memories, but I just can't stand this league without a dominant Spurs team. I literally hate every other team in the league except the Thunder, hate the coaches, hate the officials, hate the commissioner.

Sports as I knew them are dead.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

The next 3-4 years may not be a lot of fun, unfortunately.

There is an ever possible chance now that if the FO doesn't get it right now the Spurs might sink into a hole for several years of non-playoff basketball.

For instance if Duncan retires and they ship out either Manu or Tony, then the core for the next 2-3 years would end up being something like:

Manu or Tony
Splitter
RJ
Bonner
Neal and/or Hill
DeJuan
and a spot open for some 30+ good FA who is on the decline of his career.

Now realistically, I'm not sure that would be a team over .5 with or without Pop around.

After a couple years not making it into the playoffs the Spurs maybe have a chance to get something nice at the draft. Hopefully something like Duncan but that happens once in a decade.

[wildbill2u]

Memphis had confidence and youthful swagger. Spurs looked scared, wouldn't take the open 3 and looked old and slow.

The window of the Big 3 is closed. Let's be thankful for what they gave us--more than most fans in the NBA got for a decade--and hang in as the Spurs retool.

[Dartherus]

The French flag in your avatar tells me all I need to know before even reading your stupid ing post. The big 3 isn't the reason we're 1-3, PARKER has two of those losses on him, especially the last 2 games where he was either dribbling the ball off of his knee or throwing it into the stands. Which teams D is focusing on him??? The Grizzlies are doing NOTHING as far as gameplans go to contain Parker, he is playing like a rookie trying to find himself, he almost makes me want to see Gary Neal start in his place. Nothing he is doing seems to come with any purpose.

This team without a healthy Manu has no chance at all. He's a player beyond the boxscore.

Scorers, even good ones like Parker, are replaceable (Manu or Tim scoring more, other players stepping up).

Players like Manu or Tim at their prime, are not replaceable at all. With one of them in top shape, Spurs are still le contenders, with both behind their best shape, they have no chance, no matter if Parker goes into his best game.

Manu should have been preserved in the latest RS games. Manu is great, but his body is not at the level of his mind and Basketball IQ, so there should have been protective measures.