but sadly, I don't think that'll happen.
I'd actually rather have Mahinmi in over Elson, as crazy as that sounds.
This is a great team with a will to win that shows their heart of a champion. You could see them encouraging each other out there in the 4th quarter. They knew they could win if they worked together.
Anyone who loves basketball played within a team concept has got to love this team.
Even Steve Nash admits to enjoying the way Spurs play ball
I remember the play, but I thought there was more to it than that, since the shot clock was running down and he had it. I guess he should have missed it on purpose.It was Game 2 against Sac and Nazr had to shoot it to avoid a 24 second violation and that made Pop furious because it was basically kicking somebody when they were down. It gave the Kings a 'reason' to play harder in Game 3, according to Pop.
The only way Nazr could have been spared the wrath of Pop if he bricked the three.
even if you saw the shot, it wasn't even a swish, it hit the the rim like 3 times before popping in.
I don't get what a player is supposed to do in that situation, get a shot clock violation on purpose?
gimme a break.
Pop was pissed because Nazr tied AJ's career playoff 3 point mark with that shot...
That was all at the end of Game 1, not Game 2 -- the end of Game 2 (or at least the end of regulation) was Barry's Bounce.
Maybe it was also a move to limit Fabricio's and, to a lesser extent, Elson's foul trouble. Both are known for picking them up quick, especially with a physical presence of the Jazz inside. Knowing that Oberto is probably going to be your best rebounder, better to have him on the court at the end of the game, rather than at the beginning.
Not only could Bonner step out of the paint a little more, but you might as well let him pick up those four early fouls.
And as it turned out, Fab was able to be on the floor for the last play, and well...we know how the story goes from there.
Pop started Bonner so he could clear some of the Jazz' big butts out of the paint to hinder their rebound and open it up for Manu and Parker...
I think he brought Manu off the bench because he wanted to take advantage of a somewhat weak Jazz bench..and he wanted Oberto to get more minutes with Manu...because Manu really knows how to get the most out of Oberto.
It would have been cool to have Team Argentina coming off the bench...too bad Paxon is an idiot who would rather have 15 SF than a winning record.
Samething.
Great thoughts LJ.
Bonner should be ashamed by the drive and dunk Okur put on him. , Okur is one of the slowest players in the NBA, and he's a right hander while Bonner over-guarded him to the left. WTF?
Anyway, great, gutsy win.
This is easily TIMVPs best effort. Plus, there have been some way above average replies. IMO, this is a Classic!
Elson's speed will be an asset when we play the run&gun teams like Phoenix and Golden State. Pop will use Oberto against slower, power teams like Utah.
That being said, it is sad to see Elson struggling. You can see that he WANTS to contribute, but he's so often clueless. I guess no amount of effort and coaching and desire can raise someone's IQ.
I agree with the notion that tonight's win was more impressive than the win against the Mavs, if only because the automatic "up" of playing against the Mavs didn't exist and the Spurs had every reason to be satisfied and pack it in tonight. Manu was absolutely spectacular again and with all of that Parker hit the biggest bucket of the game, IMO with about 1 minute to go in the 4th. Oberto's work on the glass was gigantic -- for that Spurs team to be as close as they were on the boards tonight was remarkable and due largely to the fact that Oberto was so good in that facet of the game.
I was pleased to see the Spurs defense improve -- at least a little bit -- as the game progressed; early on, it sure looked like the Jazz were just going to pick the D apart and get nothing but layups and dunks all night. The Spurs did a good job of plugging at least a few of the leaks and did what they had to do to beat Utah: keep everyone not named Williams and Boozer in check.
The Spurs were helped a lot tonight by the number of times they got to the line, but I thought they played aggressively and earned their trips tonight -- and they did a good job of converting when they got there.
All in all, it's the most impressive victory this season, if you ask me. Most past Spurs teams lose that game, I think. This might be the grittiest, guttiest team in recent Spurs history.
It was a huge win, because Utah was having one of those games where they could not miss. Everything was going in for them, and for every player. And I don't think it was due to bad defense by the Spurs. The Jazz were in a zone and they were sinking contested shot after contested shot. I mean how many times did Boozer drill that spin and fade shot?
To beat an elite team that's shooting out the lights, and to do it without your franchise player? That is huge. Major props.
Elson is playing very bad. His defense is terrible. I thought after a year learning the system he'd get better but yesterday was the worst game I've seen him play
I thought after the WC Finals last year, and I still think that Utah is going to be a force in the WC this year. Think someone mentioned on the telecast last night, that the Jazz mirror the Spurs probably more than any other team.
They are tough. They have good players that can knock down the shots...Williams is going to be one of the great PGs around and Boozer.....Well, what can you say about the guy? He is just an awesome player that brings it every night.
Wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Jazz in the WC Finals again this year.
Yet as tough and tenacious as they are, they still haven't learned to keep their cool the last 5 minutes in a close game with a team that has had their number for years.
We shot possibly our highest number of FTs for the year against them. And they have to learn to hold onto the ball, especially in the final quarter. But right now I give them as good a chance as Phoenix or Dallas to be in the WC Finals.
Also they play with intensity, good hard fouls, without being cheapshot artists like the Mavs try to be. In the end, I think, this will only help them.
I still think the Spurs are the "team you have to beat" to make the Finals, but it may be a tougher road this year than last. This could be the year that HCA is huge to the Spurs, considering how they are playing on their home court. I didn't think it mattered much last year, but if they can capture HCA, I think it will be a big advantage this year.
Now if the Spurs improve during the Rodeo Road Trip, and they seem to every year, then you have to say the Spurs are the one team you don't want to face in the playoffs. It's almost scary how good this team may be come May '08.
Personally, I can hardly wait for the Celtic matchups. I would love to see the Spurs put a damper on "The great Celtics are back" routine.
First time I heard Tony cuss, must've been from hanging out with Coach Pop all these years, "that was a ing foul!", lol. We got some stops at the end, we won, just like Pop said, defense is the key to this team and not offense.
Slightly off topic, how sweet is it that the Spurs haven't lost to Utah in San Antonio since the infamous loss when Mario Elie called out David Robinson and Tim Duncan on NBC, almost 9 years ago?
Elson sucks...BAD. But, the reality is that there just isn't another option right now (no, Mahinmi is not a legitimate option at present).
Having said that, it's no time to panic. The Spurs have three things going for them right now...
1. Oberto is playing very well. Yes his offense is limited and he fouls alot, but he gets KEY offensive rebounds and knows how to play off the ball and get easy opportunities to score (specifically w/ Duncan and Ginobili). Plus, his defense isn't bad.
2. Bonner is slowly improving. While I emphasize the word "slowly", Bonner does seem to be getting better because the effort is always there. He provides a solid shooting touch and rebounding toughness.
3. Horry is coming back. Last night Horry looked to be regaining that trademark confidence when he releases the ball. He has also shown flashes of his ability to affect the game in other ways (rebounding, blocked shots, etc.). While I don't think he should be playing a ton of minutes in the regular season, he looks like he can certainly bring the pain one more time.
Bottom Line: Elson is almost worthless and will most likely be jettisoned at the end of the season (in favor of Splitter/Mahinmi). But in the meantime, be thankful that the other frontline role players are stepping up to minimize Elson's negative effect.
Probably Eva....I heard she cusses like a sailor.
"No she didn't...THAT B*TCH"
Last edited by AFBlue; 12-08-2007 at 10:07 AM.
My thoughts...
Agree with most everything that was said in the original post and have to echo how impressed I was that the Spurs battled to come back in this game and keep pace with a solid frontline, to include a dominant Carlos Boozer. Great, scrappy win!
There was one thing that I didn't think received enough attention, someone who deserved more props....
Tony Parker for his DEFENSE in the fourth quarter and down the stretch. Yes, I know he was manhandled in the first quarter causing Pop to switch Bowen to Williams in the second. But, in the fourth quarter Parker was switched back to Williams and did a phenomenal job. He was constantly applying pressure (even out to the halfcourt line), staying on Williams hip at every moment, and not getting blown by once.
Bottom Line: Parker showed that when he applies defensive intensity to his solid understanding, speed, and hands he can be a defensive stopper. I was very impressed with his late-game play....especially on defense.
Overall, great win!
He got 10 minutes because CJ Miles LIT HIS ASS UP due to lack of defensive hustle in the first half. It wasn't just an arbitrary decision.
Elson - Bleh! There is nothing else to say. Someone asked after one of his non-sucky performances earlier if this was really his last year. I'd say yes. Next year:
Elson, Horry --------------->
<-------------Mahinmi, 'Tiago
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