First wing man off the bench should be Udoka, not Fin. , I wouldn't even play Finley unless I was desperate for offense, and if we're at that point Monday we're screwed anyway.
If the Spurs can keep the game close. The Spurs have won their last 14 playoff games that have been decided by 17 points or less. The Spurs have won their last 8 playoff games decided by five points or less.
Those are some damn impressive stats. Keep it close and out-execute the Hornets down the stretch.
1. Win
2. Win
3. Win
4. Win
5. Win
6. Win
7. Win
Minutes for Ime Udoka.
I liked the strategy we started using for the high pnr that NO uses, where we doubled cp3 and trapped him...that seemed to work. I know we can't use it too much, but throwing it in there every other, or every 3rd time is a good strategy
I want to see the Manu, Bowen, Udoka, Horry and Duncan line up in that game at some point in the third quarter. That's the lineup that got inside the Hornets head and it's actually pretty easy to see why.
Someone else compared Udoka to Jack...and I think that's actually a pretty good comparison, not as good offensively but better defensively. Although still not entirely proven...
I definitely liked that lineup went Pop went to it last night when Paul was out of the game. On paper it looks like it would be absolute crap, but the reality was much different...it was a pretty good offensive lineup, and it's a lineup that makes Duncan double teams = death. There's no one in that line up you can double off to put on Duncan except maybe Udoka...and with the way he was shooting last night, it's not likely.
The more I think about it...the Bowen Udoka tandem is actually a pretty effective one when you put them on the court at the same time...and it's something Pop hasn't done a lot of(and it's easy to see why), but it actually gives the Spurs the ability to defend both Peja and Paul with a lockdown defender...
The reason Paul gets so many assists is Peja...if you can take Peja out and have Bowen on Paul to make his scoring more difficult...that puts everything on the bad back of David West...and Ducnan actually can guard him we see now.
also Thomas can take Chandler away from the rim so he can't maul TP as badly
Fabs sucks, don't get all mesmerized by a couple of passes he made yesterday
I've actually been thinking the same thing. In all three games at home, the Hornets have played pretty bad in the first half. The Spurs have responded by playing down to their level and not really going for the kill.
Then the third quarter comes and the Hornets up their level of intensity and the Spurs get s shocked because the Hornets are suddenly way better. If I didn't now better, it'd say Byron Scott's gameplan might be to lull the Spurs to sleep in the first half and give them a false sense of security.
But yeah, if the Spurs can come out and just lay down the hammer when the Hornets go into their first half slump, they might get them thinking about whether or not they can pull it off. Otherwise, if the Spurs go into halftime up by three or four points, the Hornets almost assuredly are going to win it. The same exact pattern can't play out five times in one season and be a fluke.
I'd almost rather the Spurs be down four or five points at halftime just so that the Spurs don't get too comfortable going into the third
Chris Paul has shown, especially in New Orleans, that he can get any shot he wants either for himself or teammates in New Orleans. I actually think it would hurt the Spurs if it was a close game, as they've shown that they can stop Duncan/Parker. Our hope in a close game is if we get another SuperGinobili performance as the Hornets still haven't shown me they can stop Ginobili. Ginobili has been settling for a lot of 3 pointers this series and he's missed a few open layups.
Couple of passes yesterday? Fabs with 4 assist to Duncan yesterday.
Did you forget watch game 3 and 4? I remember those games and agree with timvp and tp2021.
Fabbs to Tim is a very effective Spurs weapon, not only a couple passes.
Ya I agree. Pop seems to know that. And Game 6 Spurs doesn't allow the Hornets to run off by luring them to fouls.. So u need Bowen and Horry at that start of the 3rd Q..I've actually been thinking the same thing. In all three games at home, the Hornets have played pretty bad in the first half. The Spurs have responded by playing down to their level and not really going for the kill.
Then the third quarter comes and the Hornets up their level of intensity and the Spurs get s shocked because the Hornets are suddenly way better. If I didn't now better, it'd say Byron Scott's gameplan might be to lull the Spurs to sleep in the first half and give them a false sense of security.
But yeah, if the Spurs can come out and just lay down the hammer when the Hornets go into their first half slump, they might get them thinking about whether or not they can pull it off. Otherwise, if the Spurs go into halftime up by three or four points, the Hornets almost assuredly are going to win it. The same exact pattern can't play out five times in one season and be a fluke.
I'd almost rather the Spurs be down four or five points at halftime just so that the Spurs don't get too comfortable going into the third
This is my seven keys for the game
Last edited by polandprzem; 05-17-2008 at 12:27 PM.
I think the key for the Spurs is to just be consistent throughout the game.
They can obviously play in New Orleans as evidenced by leading at the half in two (or was it three?) of the game there at halftime.
They need to come out energized in the 3rd qtr, that has been when the Bugs have been pulling away and essentially ending the games.
I want NO to win, I'll be honest. Reason being is that I think it will be an easier (though still tough) matchup for my beloved Lakers. I don't want to see SA yet again, those series are just too tense for my liking at my advanced age.
Should be a great game, Laker Nation will be watching!
and that will be accomplished by....
AHFAmen to the tenth power. If Pop sends them into non-stop 4Dumb Martyball again, esp for the third qtr, it's over. His Game 5 post game comments were not encouraging. "Duh uh i don know. I'm too proud to let an offensive coordinator maximize potential, so uh duh i don know".
But if we do the secondary pass as timvps #2 mentioned (and thirdary pass, and run often when appropriate, and do not lob the ball to Duncan and let him stand around and telegraph for 7 seconds that he is going to put the ball on the floor) we can and will win this thing.
timvpOnly if Oberto is playing well. If he is doing his fraidycat thing and missing 2 foot gimmes, get him out of there ASAP. Insert Bob Horry ASAP. Seeing this early will require Pop to use discernment. Lets hope.4. Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Oberto not only needs to start, he needs to play as many minutes as possible. First of all, he's a very good passer -- especially when it comes to secondary passing. Second of all, he -- like Ginobili -- has grown up in that single elimination atmosphere. Thirdly, he has that championship chemistry on both ends of the court. Kurt Thomas doesn't have that chemistry and shouldn't be played much at all. To backup Oberto and Duncan, Robert Horry should be the first choice.
Save something in the pocket.
Like we did a zone D in game 7 of the Finals
Being consistent is also a big key.
Sometimes spurs are losing concentration or not being precise with he game plan, and that gives Hornets many oppurtunieties.
And Tony keeps the offense. There were times in game six when he was not concentrated much.
Other thing is that he looked tired, so many times he hit the floor in game 5 so I'm not surprised.
manu manu just do not rush things
Damn I hope we can keep up with Hornets in that game 7.
paul is pissed cause of what Rob did - he will be a machine!
After rewatching Game 6 a couple times (), some other keys:
1. Duncan on West
Duncan's defense against West was really impressive. Duncan is usually an overrated one-on-one defense, especially against perimeter oriented players, but he was really good against West. He had the quickness to stay in front of West and did a good job of using his length to bother West. The only move West can use effectively against Duncan is take him away from the basket and use a hesitation move to get a jumper off. But even then, Duncan getting a hand up makes the shot harder than Oberto or Thomas getting a hand up. That said, Duncan must stay out of foul trouble. If he's in foul trouble, there's no way he can be put on West.
2. Manu's Three-Pointers
He can get so many open looks from downtown against the Hornets. Even when he has the ball, the Hornets don't really respect his three-point shooting. Even if they did, they have have the guy who defended Kobe when he went for 81 (Mo Pete) and two guys who never even played defense before this season (Peja and Bonzi). The Hornets don't have the personnel or the defensive gameplan that can stop Manu -- especially his threes. The Spurs may live or die by how Manu is shooting. If he can hit 5+ threes and score 32+ points, the Spurs should at least make it a close game.
3. Parker Attacking
Parker played better than I originally gave him credit for playing. Almost all of his struggles came when he was trying to get Paul in foul trouble. When he wasn't trying to draw fouls on Paul, he was having a lot of success scoring off the dribble. He has to be aggressive and get the Spurs easy points. Parker doesn't have the Duncan or Ginobili pedigree when it comes to playing big in big games but thinking back to the 2006 Game 7 versus Dallas, he had a really good game. His defense in big games is usually solid. And while he's not old, he can get worn out -- which made this three-day break big for him.
4. Udoka Playing Well
If you look through this series to see when the Spurs go on big runs, it's almost always when Udoka is on the floor. In that regard, he has some Ginobili in his game. When he's on, he can go on almost a one-man run. The problem is that when he's off, he can send the team on a one-man run the other way. Udoka has to play well. He's the true x-factor in this game. If he doesn't do much or misses a majority of his shots, the Spurs are in trouble.
5. Multiple Looks on Paul
Game 6 was really the first time the Spurs gave Paul multiple looks defensively. However, if the Spurs do the same in Game 7, they have to cover the three-point line. Blitzing Paul guarantees someone will be open if Paul escapes. The Spurs just have to make sure it’s not a three-point shooter that gets open. They can live with jumpers or even someone like West driving to the basket. The Spurs can’t live with Stojakovic or Peterson getting wide open shots.
6. The First Half
A lot of attention is being paid to the third quarter but the first half might tell the story. In past Game 7’s, the Spurs have gotten off to horrible starts. They had to make comebacks against both the Mavs and the Pistons. Against the Mavs, specifically, the Spurs got down by 20 points in the first half. If the Spurs get down by that much in this game, San Antonio has shown no ability of rallying against the Hornets. On top of that, the Hornets haven’t been that good in the first half at home. The Spurs need to come out and pound New Orleans if they aren’t sharp early on.
7. Believe.
No matter what happens, this game won’t be easy. They’ll be a few times when the Hornets go on a run and the crowd is going wild. The Spurs have had a tendency to lose focus in these scenarios this year instead of just believing in the system. Continue chipping away on the rock no matter what happens. No panic three-pointers or hurried shots. The Spurs win championships when they get quality shots all game and work defensively to make the other team struggle to get good shots. Stay patient. Play Spurs Basketball every possession of the game.
Believe.
1.
Nice summary. I find solace in the fact that the Big 3 can't continue to play so badly in NO in one series. Also, the guy to look out for, if he gets minutes, is Michael Finley. It's been about 6 games now, so he's due for an offensive outburst. Hopefully it's tonight.
And I do like the lineup where Udoka goes on Peja and Bowen goes on CP3, this should be used at some point in the 3rd quarter tonight hopefully.
hack a chandler in 3rd quarter to slow down the pace of the game, and thus avoiding another NO surge to win, keeping it close
That seems to be his M.O.
Nearly everyone counts him out and says he's washed up (and maybe he is), but then he'll break out with a 18-19 pt game with 4-5 shooting from behind the arc or something crazy like that.
Tonite of all nites, we need that action..
nothing else needs be said. the spurs have led at the half every single game in NO.
Its time to finish what we start.
If Michael Finley comes up with a big game, this could push him into legendary status in Spurs Nation.
Manu did good enough. 6-for-19 isn't exactly the percentage you want to shoot but Manu realized he had to be the top dog and did enough1. Let Manu Shine
Manu Ginobili is built for this. He was born and bred to win single elimination games. He won't always make the perfect play but you can count on him being fearless and unafraid of the stage. On top of that, when the Hornets blitz the pick-and-rolls, Ginobili has the size to see over the trap. And with the three days rest, Ginobili versus any of the Hornets' perimeter defenders should be major mismatch.
Very nice job by everybody -- especially Oberto and Ginobili. The Spurs got a lot of wide open shots after making two quick passes.2. The Secondary Pass
With the defense the Hornets are playing, the secondary pass is the most important pass in the offense. When Tim Duncan is doubled or the pick-and-roll is blitzed, the Hornets can cover that first pass. However, the second pass is the pass that should lead to open shots. Whenever the Spurs have made quick, decisive secondary passes, they've almost always gotten open shots in this series.
Duncan was pretty horrible offensively in the second half but his slow, deliberate controlling of the offense kept the pace extremely slow. He also ran hard defensively to help keep the Hornets from scoring easily on transition.3. Control the Pace
The Spurs can't let the Hornets get out and run. Scoring easy transition baskets in New Orleans will get the crowd buzzing. To control the pace against this team, you have to avoid turnovers at all costs. But not only turnovers, the Spurs also have to avoid momentum changing blocked shots that lead to easy baskets. Playing smart and deliberate offensively in the half court sets should hopefully lead to a slower pace for the Hornets. That said, when the Spurs have a chance to run, they have to run and get easy baskets.
As RC said, Oberto had one of the best 4-point performances in Spurs playoff history. His game is ugly and he can be frustrating to watch but he's damn effective at the end of the day.4. Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Oberto not only needs to start, he needs to play as many minutes as possible. First of all, he's a very good passer -- especially when it comes to secondary passing. Second of all, he -- like Ginobili -- has grown up in that single elimination atmosphere. Thirdly, he has that championship chemistry on both ends of the court. Kurt Thomas doesn't have that chemistry and shouldn't be played much at all. To backup Oberto and Duncan, Robert Horry should be the first choice.
Spurs did a better job of this as the game went on. However, West stayed mostly away from the basket so it was difficult to get too physical with him. Perhaps there was a reason why he shied away from contact . . .5. Be Physical with David West
Hopefully he's healthy by the start of Game 7. That said, the Spurs need to be physical with him. In the playoffs, you attack if you smell blood. In Game 5, the Spurs were much too soft with their play on West. If he's going to beat you, the Spurs should at least knock him around a bit and make him earn all the calls he gets.
Pop used the fullcourt press and it worked to perfection6. Third Quarter
The third quarter has been death in New Orleans. The Spurs need to figure out a way to weather the storm in the beginning of the second half. Pressing fullcourt is one idea. Switching Bruce Bowen off on Chris Paul for the first half of the quarter is another idea. Whatever Pop decides, he has to make the Hornets uncomfortable. No matter what the score is at halftime, the Hornets will come out with confidence thinking it'll be their time to shine. The Spurs need a curveball to keep them off balance.
Props to all the shooters. They just let it fly. Finley, Horry and Udoka specifically knocked down gigantic shots without any second-guessing.7. Shoot Confidently
The Spurs can get open looks against the Hornets. It's easy to say the Spurs need to hit their shots, but just as importantly the Spurs need to shoot the ball confidently. If they miss shots, they miss them. But there can't be any hesitating or second-guessing. Let it fly. If you lose but took the right shots, that's all Spurs fans can ask.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
