I have a question. When they are not playing Terry (ie in the first five games) because he is resting, who they do they normally sub in for him? Is it Marquis Daniels or Stackhouse? Obviously, they are still playing small ball when he goes out and he does not play every second.
But he has a magnificent tendency to completely bork things with the game on the line. For examples, see his last shot in Game 1, or his attempt to lose Game 3 with the screwed-up intentional miss on the free throw.
But the real key to tonight's game is lots and lots of KVH.
It doesn't matter, so long as the Spurs are allowing high percentage shots. If the Spurs play their defense the Mavericks view of the conference finals suddenly starts looking dismal.
I'm surprised that they didn't go after Ron Artest. Maybe AI if his tenure in Philly is over as some say (not so sure that this is actually true).
Perhaps Mark Cuban finally learned that screwing around with your roster mid-season sometimes makes it harder to win.
So they start Dampier (or Diop), Dirk, Howard, Stackhouse and Harris.
We start Tim, Bruce, Michael, Manu and Tony.
Correct?
Then, they bring in either Diop, Dampier or Mbenga off the bench due to foul trouble for their big.
They sub in KVH for Dirk (but not for very long).
They sub in Daniels for Harris and Stackhouse (whenever they need breathers).
How is harris' j?
Nothing special. He's mainly a threat on the drive.
Tim was less effective in the second half. Probably partly from the extra minutes and partly from their hybrid zone.
Manu and Michael need to attack the zone with dribble penetration!
Be aggressive.
God, just reading that makes me want to vomit, but that's probably what the starting lineup will be. The only thing that makes me more ill is if you put "Barry" in place of "Manu".
according to my local betting agency the spurs are paying $2.00, mavs $1.75
So far, nobody knows. He hasn't had to shoot any.
I know. I'm not crazy about this small ball. I don't think Pop likes it either. He just thinks that he has no choice due to matchups.
I know that they are getting way too many easy layups and way too many offensive rebounds. This also has other consequences (e.g. they get up more shots than we do) and they don't have to face our best defensive line up.
I hate this. I hate this type of basketball. I just think that the alternative is worse: Tim fouling out trying to guard Dirk or Rasho or Nazr trying to stay with Dirk. Neither of those will work. I mean if Tim isn't in foul trouble at the end of the game, we might put him on Dirk.
One thought has occurred to me that must have hit you all as well.
Yeah, us going big gives them matchup advantages on offense. But it also gives us matchup advantages on offense if we punished them inside (like the Clippers are doing to the Suns). Plus, it would limit their easy baskets in the paint and give us a major advantage on the boards.
Any comments on this?
This thread is already like ten pages long and we've still got another half of the Cleveland game. You freakin people are fanatics! I hope you guys are at the game with me on Monday...knock on wood! Go Spurs Go!
If we had a center with a legit post game, it would. Since we don't, Timmy is all the inside punishment we've got.
I live for Spurs games.
If the Spurs have a bad game, I get mad, depressed and irritable!!!
If the Spurs win, woohoo!!!
Spurs = legal crack
don't be disrespecting Rasho or Nazr. Sorry, had to.
Seriously, Rasho + Nazr < Chris Kaman.
Wish we could trade. I know Krstic had a bad playoff series against the Heat, but definitely Rasho + Nazr < Krstic also.
Even Stephen Hunter is better than Rasho or Nazr and that's not a good thing.
The Spurs lost three of the first four games, so I don't know how the alternative, playing defense, could really be worse.
Tim doesn't have to guard Dirk on every possession just because there's another big. Tim also doesn't have to gamble on defense because he's the only shot blocker in the lane as the guys for the other team speed past Barry and Finley. I think that the offense runs a thousand times better with the threat of the high/low, the second post presence, and the ability to get putbacks. It opens up the three point shooters to actually get passes in rhythm, which they are NOT getting this series.
I can't believe that neither center is getting any minutes at all. Considering the way the Mavericks have completely dominated this series, I don't know how there aren't more people calling for a lynch mob after the last five games.
1.
Oh , we just got the kiss of death. I think ASS Smith just picked us to win.
They both have a better post up game than David Robinson had. They aren't there to have plays called for them. They are there to keep defenders from camping on the three point line, and being in the game means there aren't four shooters crowding the perimeter. They also get putbacks, draw fouls, and make teams pay for weak double teams on Duncan. The way Duncan is playing makes all the difference.
Time to get even.
Maybe they should at least try it and see what happens. It we see a bad trend, stop it and go back to small ball. Might have been better to do this kind of experiment earlier on in the series. Then, there would be no doubt (or little doubt).
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