This Team Is Done

[MultiTroll]

The officiating in this game was wretched. Five FTs might be the lowest total of any team this year.

We probably were not going to win at the point of 94-88, but that gift FT award to got Wade after Lee went straight up in the air as Wade bricked but threw his arm into Lee. smh

At least we would have had a chance, down 6 with the ball.

[HarlemHeat37]

We probably were not going to win at the point of 94-88, but that gift FT award to got Wade after Lee went straight up in the air as Wade bricked but threw his arm into Lee. smh

At least we would have had a chance, down 6 with the ball.

Ya, the Jimmy Butler and-1(he missed the FT, fortunately) was a weak-ass call, too..

[james evans]

It's the same bull every game. Start with Aldridge and Gasol and the opposing team's front court are tearing our asses up. 2nd half, play Dedmond and Lee more as we make our comebacks. I have no ing idea why Gasol and Aldridge are still starting together. The isn't working!!!!

[Robz4000]

It is strange. However it might just be the reason we prevail. We will need Pau and LMA to play their best basketball and then we are in there.

Gasol can barely stay on the floor in December. By the time the playoffs come around he'll be nearly unplayable.

[james evans]

Pretty much, but unlike past seasons we pretty much know the spurs won't make it past the 2nd round this postseason. Kinda takes the excitement of watching them play away.

we'll make it past the 2nd round. I don't belive the clippers are a challenge to us. We only have GS to worry about in the west

[MultiTroll]

Ya, the Jimmy Butler and-1(he missed the FT, fortunately) was a weak-ass call, too..

Right on that too.
I played it back, not the best angle but wtf did Green even touch Butler?

[HarlemHeat37]

It is strange. However it might just be the reason we prevail. We will need Pau and LMA to play their best basketball and then we are in there.

They just don't look comfortable on the floor together, though..obviously there's plenty of time to build chemistry(although Pop will need to rest them less), but still, they have been one of the worst 2-man duos for the Spurs, statistically..

It sucks(hindsight), because the frontcourt is too deep..Dedmon and Lee have been great in their roles, and even Bertans has looked really solid, yet can't even get on the floor in some games..

[tenbeersbold]

Lmfao,5 ft attempts to 27 ?!?
Big market national TV game ref screw job per par by Silver and co

Y'all don't know this story by now

[TimDunkem]

Bertans should've gotten some burn tonight. He would've taken Moses Felicio and Hakeem Gibson out of the paint and off of the boards, at least.

[Hoops Czar]

I don't care if they come back and pull another fools gold win out of their ass against some inferior opponent, really good teams don't trail by double digits in 6 of 7 or whatever it's been and repeatedly labor to eclipse 30 in the 1st half (while being mostly healthy). Not having a dynamic guard makes everything difficult and is a death knell in today's NBA.

They can either keep pretending or face what's staring them in the face: it's time to re-build. Everyone not named Leonard should be anywhere from in play - shopped hard, with the intention being to peak again when he's in his late 20's. The longer they wait, the greater the chance of wasting the entirety of his prime out of contention.

It's been 2+ seasons of progressive decline and they've continued to pull games out of their ass mostly on muscle memory and sheer will, but that only lasts so long and goes so far. You can feel the bottom about to drop out. They might as well save themselves another inevitable playoff disappointment/embarrassment and maximize the return of some of the key players while they still have a decent amount of term left.

I'm not changing . I never said he did, I said he doesn't maximize what he does have and nothing's changed in that regard. Either way, they're not good enough though.

You overly sensitive idiot(s?) took it and ran with it and because you're so easy, I couldn't resist baiting you, but I like Leonard as much as most; he's just not a play maker for others.


And it's not one game. This game was symptomatic and a microcosm of their issues, but this thread would have applied weeks ago and it will months from now.

This must mean you're a cliff jumper, an attention seeker and not a real fan.

Stop hating on Kawhi, he's the greatest player ever and has no weaknesses.

You're a got because you actually come to a basketball message board to talk basketball and don't waste every waking moment playing internet tough guy and beating to death a played out shtick that was never funny to begin with.

[Hoops Czar]

Eh, it's just 1 game against a team that is virtually unbeatable at home on TNT(16 wins in a row)..not to mention the poor officiating on every Wade and Butler flop..

This game doesn't change anything..Spurs have a poorly built roster at the top, but they're a fringe contender by default..

They're no more of a contender than the 2011 Spurs who lost in the 1st round.

[YGWHI]

Even if the Spurs make it the WCF people will complain.

NOT ME.

But I guess I'm not people ... Anyway I don't care. Because, I'm a proud Spurs' and player's fan

[superbigtime]

I couldn't believe the combination of so many missed easy and wide open shots, odd rotations, bad breaks, poor FT shooting, good Rondo play, and crap officiating. And Spurs still almost caught them. Should've won. Kawhi was pretty incredible in second half. Spurs didn't get outplayed. Typical TNT game. Tony was bad but Manu and LA were much worse. I think Kawhi is 3x better than next best player.

[YGWHI]

I like Leonard as much as most; he's just not a play maker for others.

And why he should? We don't have PGs or guards to do it? Kawhi is our main scorer, the main defender, why he should also be the primary playmaker? WHY?

Because our two main playmakers, Parker and Manu are old af and can't make a for others like in the past??

Try to win a le without a dominant guard in this perimeter-oriented league...Yeah. Good luck with that.

I wonder what you expect from Kawhi...Tonight he was cleary the best player on the court.

-24 points in 52%
-let the opposite main scorer in 13 points .28 %shooting

But sure, you always will suggest every Spurs' loss is on Kawhi.

[YGWHI]

I think Kawhi is 3x better than next best player.

a-Don't tell this to TD21

b-That's Spurs' biggest issue.

Kawhi locked down Buttler and old Wade got the win for them. Sadly, the Spurs don't have other consistent options on offense and can't rely on other players on defense.

[Chillen]

They need a trade imo, this team has a nice record but it's fools gold. Roll the dice and trade Aldridge for Cousins.

[SAGirl]

I don't think the lack of volume 3-point shooting is as much of a problem as it was last season, tbh..they could definitely use 1 more shooter, but it isn't a major problem IMO..

Kawhi: 39% on 5 per game
Green: 41% on 4 per game
Mills: 42% on 4.5 per game
Manu: 37% on 3 per game(although this % might get worse as the season progresses and he loses his legs)

They could use another shooter(wouldn't mind moving Simmons for a reliable shooter, since his game is redundant with Manu on the floor), but it isn't that bad IMO..the lack of a creator at PG continues to be the major issue..

Also, building your team around 3 frontcourt players in 2016 is just bizarre..

Manu has the potential to go full Kirby with his efficiency the way he's looking. His current level of play is not encouraging at all.

He's underperformed 2 postseasons in a row with his usage declining and that's in years that he looked great in the regular season. This season he doesn't look good most of the time. Simmons cannot shoot and that will be exposed in the playoffs.

The bench is scrappy on defense though and if Mills is hitting shots he can carry them with some help from the bigs inside, but they have holes.

The starters are in a worse spot. Lack of quality guard play makes it difficult for the bigs and they already have problems keeping Gasol on the floor. Lamarcus has not played consistently well either.

The team is poorly constructed and depends on Kawhi to do everything. Some games Kawhi doesn't even look like he has costars. There's no one even close to his production. If Mills is the team's second best player what do you think the outlook for the team is?

This is not diminishing Mills, but they obviously need more.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Actually doing quite well for the 1st year without Duncan. Back in the day the expectations for the post-Duncan years were to be 76ers-like.

Quite happy with this team and the record.

[SAGirl]

It's the same bull every game. Start with Aldridge and Gasol and the opposing team's front court are tearing our asses up. 2nd half, play Dedmond and Lee more as we make our comebacks. I have no ing idea why Gasol and Aldridge are still starting together. The isn't working!!!!

Every game it happens. Every freaking game. This is not on Kyle now, it's been on them. It's always been on them.

Will Pop adjust?

[Brazil]

not sure what people were expecting tbh

I fail to understand how this game changes anything about what we already knew from the very beginning, actually considering Tim retiring and integration of the new guys, Spurs record and level of play is far above expectation.

Except for my nigg dabom nobody is expecting Spurs to win a ring this year as others said, Spurs are kind of contenders because NBA globally sucks and even a flawed roster like the Spurs well organized is gonna be there as finge contender in today's nba

We should not complain tho about cliff jumping and stuff, it shows ST has still fire and people are still passionate even after Tim retired

[SAGirl]

I wouldn't take it for the simple fact that we'll see the same problems over and over again. Manu has been sucking it up. LMA has gotten less than 10 points in 3 out of the last 5 games. Pau continues to be a liability. Porker has been bad too. Spurs have had slow starts to every game. Defense has been bad. FT disparity has been bad too. This will all come to bite them.

Agreed 100%

This is why it's not an overreaction. We have seen this repeatedly. Only thing is that Kawhi pulled off a win out of his hands every time and still nearly pulled it off again but there are guys in the team that at underperforming and have been carried by Kiwi. At some point it's not going to be enough.

[Horse]

I kind of agree.
I was going to post a thread Is Manu done?
I think Manu is done period.
The sooner Pop knows it and works something out around that fact the better.
If he doesn't, the team will fail.

Manu has already come out too many games looking like this. He will make a hustle play or a pass here or there, but he's 39 and this right now is what he will look like in the playoffs. He's going ot be even more worn out by that point.

Manu can't do what he used to but if the whole team gave the effort he did they could win it all.

[dabom]

not sure what people were expecting tbh

I fail to understand how this game changes anything about what we already knew from the very beginning, actually considering Tim retiring and integration of the new guys, Spurs record and level of play is far above expectation.

Except for my nigg dabom nobody is expecting Spurs to win a ring this year as others said, Spurs are kind of contenders because NBA globally sucks and even a flawed roster like the Spurs well organized is gonna be there as finge contender in today's nba

We should not complain tho about cliff jumping and stuff, it shows ST has still fire and people are still passionate even after Tim retired

I better get MODDED (kinda like bolded but given mod abilities) when we win this year.

[dabom]

I'm just waiting for someone to go to fivver and pay these guys 5 dollars for something more spurstalk related. Iirc, they offer 5 dollars per video..

Maybe my dabom can pay with his enginerring money.

[Chinook]

But...but....but...it's Kawhi's playmaking that's holding back the team.

The only reason Softridge isn't making WIDE OPEN shots is b/c Kawhi isn't passing him the ball.

I don't think this extends the way you think it does. Kawhi doesn't need to be a better play-maker. The team instead needs a better playmaker to take the ball out of Kawhi's hands somewhat. Kawhi would still be the first option, but the offense would go away from him trying to force his own shots and instead have him get shots in a more open system. I definitely find that preferable.

But is the problem that Kawhi's not a very good playmaker? Nope, just like it's not that Green is just a shooter. The problem is that they don't have the right players to compliment them. In the Medium Three era, they and Tiago were able to fill the cracks to bolster the Big Three. But there's no longer a Medium Three, and the three or four best players on the team are nowhere near as good as the Big Three were.