Would Pop Throw A Game?

**mikejones99** · 03-17-2007

If this was a must win game, Finley, Parker, manu Timmy and Bowen would have closed out the game. Definitly not Beno or Bonner or Ely ever seeing the light of day. If he would have announced this then Milwaukee plus 7 points would be easy money. you Dallas.

**Dalhoop** · 03-17-2007

Squirt Gatorade in Dirk's eyes?

That sounds about right, these guys are quick to critisize, but very slow with an alternate plan.

Do you remember if Pop tried to go big down some stretches in that 20 point blow out Dallas had against us in game 2?

No I don't, but it would think that he wouldn't. What some of you have a problem with is understanding why a team goes small. Its not something that any team wants to be forced into doing, its not something that you do by choice, its forced upon you.

When the Mavs went to the speed line-up in game two Pop saw very quickly what was happening. the Mavs were getting down the floor and getting shots before his teams defense could get set up .... defence may be very good, but it has to get set up and which Terry and Harris both on the floor, Pop knew that the Mavs were going to force their tempo down the Spurs throats.

He had to go smaller to get faster, not for the offense, but for the defense ... Transition defense. If he had a faster big then Rasho and Nazr then he would have put them in, but he didn't, so he had to get smaller.

Now the other reason to go smaller is if your big has nobody that he can guard, as it pertains to the Spurs.

Elson and Oberto will not be a real part of the offense, if they prove to be ineffective in guarding Dirk (And everythig that goes with that ... Recovering to the basket and such) Or fail to make a differance on the rebounding ... They have to be taken out.

On offense vs the Mavs, the Spurs are already playing 4-5 (Bowen being a virtual non-factor), if the center doesn't participate, then they are 3-5. The Spurs are not going to win vs the Mavs playing 3-5 in the offense side of the ball .... Pop needs production, he goes small to get another scorer into the game (Finley or Barry most likely)

If the Center is not produceing, then the Spurs have to get someone on the floor that will. It is well known around here that Rasho and Nazr were not something to write home about.

The final reason that Pop would go small, is match-up problems. Duncan and Dirk are not going to play each other ... It simply will not happen. Dallas is comfertable putting a foul magnate on Duncan (Sometimes they even play Duncan well ... A bonus) As long as the produce in the rebounds (They do this well)

With the Spurs it is a major issue sense Howard has become the player that he has. Duncan cannot defend Howard (As with Dirk, he would be pulled out to the three point line .... Let the lay-up drill begain). Duncan has to guard Dampier/Diop to stay close to the basket. That would put the Spurs centers on Dirk (This is like a center guarding Manu ... It normally doesn't work out well). Bowan cannot guard Dirk and leave Howard to Manu.

Pops solution (Last year). Go small, and force Dirk to guard somebody and at the same give the Mavs a match-up problem that the Spurs have to deal with. When the Spurs go small, Dirk has to guard a small (Manu, Finley, Barry or Bowen) while Duncan gets to relax while guarding Dampier/Diop.

It was a good plan that nutrilized most of what the Mavs were trying to do. If the team had been practicing with those line-ups, they wouldn't have fallen one point short last year. It is that sort of "Short sightedness" that some of the posters here would like the Spurs to keep doing.

**Dalhoop** · 03-17-2007

If this was a must win game, Finley, Parker, manu Timmy and Bowen would have closed out the game.

That is "Small ball" ... It is also the Spurs best line-up

**sabar** · 03-17-2007

Right on, people have become obsessed with attacking small ball at every opportunity, but it has to be done if you want to win. Small ball by one team forces a mismatch against the other where they have to subs ute the center for a faster player so that they aren't playing 3v5 ball in transition. Another thing is that Oberto and Elson are only so good. Yeah, having a large body helps, but it isn't contesting shots unless it tries to contest shots. And when Elson tries to contest anything it ends up being a foul.

The Spurs don't have a "philosophy" of staying big. They were very lucky in DRob in that he was unusually athletic for his size, so there was never a need to downsize to match up with the other team. With Nazr/Rasho, all the other team had to do in transition was lob the ball down the court with their fast small lineup and when they started their offense it was 3v5 with Duncan and the slow center lagging behind. Cue easy uncontested layup. It didn't take Pop long to fix that.

This year Elson is going to be the key in not being super slow like his predecessors. If the Mavs and Spurs meet in the playoffs expect the Spurs to go small when Elson is sitting for rest or foul trouble. They have no choice if they want to compete.

**mookie2001** · 03-17-2007

Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

The Spurs were due to lose one, but Pop didn't throw the game.

I know Pop is good, but I'm not sure that even Pop could make them play horrible D and make all of the Big 3 suck offensively.

2-for-10 from Manu, 6-for-15 or whatever from Tony and so many missed FT's from Tim. Plus bad D all around.

He hated the effort in the last game even though it was a win (he even got bleeped in the postgame interviews talking about it) and he hated it again tonight. Hopefully the Spurs can bring the intensity and D against Boston.

Out of the last five games (Portland, Sac, NJ, LAC and Mil) the Spurs were only really sharp in NJ.