Who is available for the playoffs?
(coach)
Pop didn't draw up the play for Horry. The ball went to Horry because he was wide open. You can at Pop for not having GRob in, but not for drawing up a play for Horry -- he didn't.
Secondly, Nazr didn't switch on the pick-n-roll that's why Miller was open to hit the final shot. So AHF, if you are going to start a thread ing about how the game ended. Give Nazr his due for not switching.
Nazr was bashed during at least one month. Every bad game he had, Whottt and Timvp were starting a thread about how the trade sucked and how Malik would have helped this team. Even you Kori was already giving up on the guy, thinking that Marks deserved more to be on the playoff roster.
Now that he is averaging even more that we were hoping of him we should start bashing him again??? He is playing like he was in New York, cleaning the boards and shooting only put backs. Moreover, he is showing us that he can be a of a shot blocker in this system.
All the Nazr hater should go under the radar for some games.
I still don't think Nazr is as awesome as everyone else does. He gets in good rebounding position and with Tim out (and now coming back) and Rasho out, he dominates the offensive glass -- which is great. But I don't know how he's going to perform when they are both healthy, and he still doesn't get in good defensive position or really know what he's doing defensively. And for as many shot blocks as he gets, he gets his shot blocked nearly as many times. Last night he got blocked three times in the first half.
I'm not blaming Nazr for last night's loss. I don't care about last night's loss -- it was just an experimental game for Pop and a test for Beno and Wilks. It didn't mean much.
I only brought up Nazr because if you are going to go around throwing out stupid blame (i.e. thinking Pop drew up that shot for Horry) then throw out some stupid blame to Nazr for not switching -- something basic -- too.
Really?
Spurs have:
won AT:
Phoenix
Seattle
Dallas
Sacramento
Denver
AND have only lost the season series to a single team in the entire freaking league: MEMPHIS!
AND are going into the playoffs with the 2nd best record in the West despite the fact that TIM DUNCAN MISSED NEARLY 20% OF THE GAMES!!
AND now, because of where they have ended up, they get to avoid ALL 3 of the strongest opponents until the WC finals - the longest possible time to get the newbies more acclamated and injured back in shape.
AND, because of such a strong, consistent season, and not REALLY wanting that 1 spot, the Spurs have been able to get some valuable REST for some of their important pieces.
My biggest fear last night was that Miller would miss the last shot - and Spurs would have another overtime in a ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, MEANINGLESS game (and it can't hurt to give the Grizz. at least a little confidence, right - Spurs aren't playing them round 1).
Get a clue, get a grip people.
Nazr is improving, but the mistakes he has been making particularly on defense have been obvious and painful. I don't see how you can take Kori's post as a bashing of Nazr. She's describing what actually happened on the court. The fact is that the most important aspect of this team is it's interior defense. Take that away, and all other aspects quickly erode.
Secondly, a whole lot of people who liked the trade were thinking that maybe Nazr shouldn't make the playoff list as late as last week because his defense was so bad. Marks may not be as talented or athletic, but you won't find him out of position or making bad fouls on defense. Since that time however, Nazr has come around in a huge way, starting on the California road trip. I doubt there are many people who would prefer that he not make the playoff roster.
The odd men out now are LJ3, Wilks and Brown (or Marks if Brown miraculously recovers).
Kori, this still makes no sense to me. Why Pop treated this game as meaningless is beyond me. How stupid would Pop look today had Phoenix lost last night? If there's a chance you can take a game and still be in the running for HCA, you do it. Period.
Don't tell me Pop couldn't have pulled Wilks somewhere halfway through the 4th and put Beno back in and probably secured the win. This game didn't have to be a close affair.
Wilks completely ignored our hottest shooter (Robinson) on offense and forced entry passes in the post that created turnovers. Wilks just doesn't run the offense well and I'm pretty sure Pop had made up his mind about him before the game ended. Now we end up with a buzzer-beater 2 games before the playoffs to make everyone feel confident. It would have been nice to get 2 road victories before the playoffs considering how poor we've been on the road all year.
Pop's nonchalant at ude about the game makes no sense. None at all.
Pop was waiving the white flag when Parker didn't play. You should have came in complaining then instead of waiting until after the game when they lost.
What if Pop is satisfied with the position in the playoffs. Playing the winner of Sac vs. Sea in the second round is pretty nice. Also, the Spurs know they can win on the Suns' homecourt.
The reason why AHF bash Pop isn't because of Horry's last second shot.
It can't be understand by simple logic.
It's like ICB's hate of Tony or Sequ's hate of Manu, you can't change these things. I believe they enjoy it too.
But picking up the Nazr exemple is bad too. Somehow, you are acting like AHF, sticking on a position and not admiting that the guy deserves huge props after stepping up his game and earning his place in the playoff roster.
I don't know if you realize that Nazr was our best rebounder in the last 5 games.
I was complaining heavily in my living room at the very start of the game that Parker wasn't playing. Just think about it for a second timvp before defending Pop's actions.
1) Pop had no guarantees that Phoenix wins out. None. To not continue to play for a shot at homecourt is pure stupidity. Imagine the press today had Phoenix lost. How would you feel?
2) Even given Pop's idiocy in not playing Parker given that he's 22 and doesn't appear fatigued, how could he not put Beno in with 5 minutes left when it was obvious he was trying to get the win? Had he not seen enough of Wilks' mistakes? I highly doubt it.
3) You say you know the Spurs can win on the Suns' homecourt but why risk it if there's a chance you don't have to? There are no guarantees in sports. Honestly, how much would it have cost Pop and the team to try to win that game in earnest? Sac or Seattle is nice in the second round but so is Memphis over Denver in a very important first round. A round where Tim and Rasho probably won't be at 100%.
Let's say Barry sustains a minor injury during the playoffs. Do you still think we can win against the Suns without homecourt?
Face it. Pop was stupid last night.
Last edited by TwoHandJam; 04-19-2005 at 09:20 AM.
Are you reading what I'm posting? I said that if AHF wants to use his stupid example for the loss, he should pick another stupid example and say that Nazr didn't switch. I'm not blaming Nazr for the loss.But picking up the Nazr exemple is bad too. Somehow, you are acting like AHF, sticking on a position and not admiting that the guy deserves huge props after stepping up his game and earning his place in the playoff roster.
I don't know if you realize that Nazr was our best rebounder in the last 5 games.
And yes, I know that Nazr has been the best rebounder as of late. I knew he could rebound when he got here -- I'm not complaining about his rebounding. And I've said many times that he's earned his way onto the playoff roster over Marks.
I am just saying that he's not the demi-God that people are making him out to be. And likely will not be as effective once the Spurs have other healthy bigs (read: Tim and Rasho) on the floor. The Spurs' interior defense is a big part of their success. Nazr's mistakes hurt their interior D. I've given him HUGE props in many threads for improving in that regard -- I know he never had to play D until he got to San Antonio.
I cannot believe that Manu and Tim were in the game at the end. If it was a tryout game for Wilks, I understand him being in there to see how he handled the final minutes, but Manu and Tim have been in pressure situations for years......seemed like Pop switched back and forth on whether he wanted to try and win the game or not. Plus, by the end Duncan was a liability on defense...5 fouls plus no lift. Totally screwed up and hard to understand game. If Manu plays in Minn, Pop should be shot.
I have read you and I am not saying that you are blaming Nazr for last night's loss, I was refering more about the first part of your post where you still say that he is a defensive liability.
We are too spoiled because Rasho is a great defensive center and Nazr isn't yet ready to be as good as him. But he achieved something that few have foreseen, he became a very good shotblocker what is a first step for him to fit in Pop system.
I don't think that he will be less effective when Rasho will came back. His stats will drop because he will play less, but Rasho and Tim will make things easier for him too. Playing with Tim will allow him to fully focus on rebounding and that's what he is doing so far.
Miller never should have tied the game a few seconds before Horry missed his shot. When I saw Miller drive to the basket and Tim in his way, my first thought was "No Way." Tim was more than one foot shy of even touching Miller's near lay up. That's where the game wasn't won. The worst thing that could have happened was a foul and Tim would have been gone. Miller still had to make two free throws to just tie the game. That wasn't the only time Tim was flat-footed under the basket. Swift's follow up to his missed shot and a subsequent slam was right over a non-jumping TD.
Manu should have driven to the basket in his own frantic style for our last shot. It could have meant three points. But he needed to do it in the last 2 - 3 seconds, leaving no time on the clock, just in case there was a no-call. The worst would have been an offensive foul, and the ball taken out at the end of the court.
The game didn't mean anything. That Pop didn't let GR hit the last bucket may come under his respect for the Spur veterans on this team. Yes, that includes Horry. If he would have let GR take the last shot, Horry (even BB, MG, TD, others) would begin to believe Pop lacked confidence in them. Letting Horry take the last shot is only in keeping with prior history. remember his Laker feats?
Pop did the right thing to keep his team, a TEAM.
Glenn Robinson is coming on. Look out, rest of the west! This may turn out to be Pop's best decision of the 2005 season. Take it from Sean Elliott, this man hits nothing but net. Are you all watching his free throws? Sean is right!
Robinson was awesome last night. I indeed think that he will be the steal of the year. He looks like he will do some serious damage in the playoffs.
Wow this thread really blew up. Just to clear some things up: my frustration with the play at the end was that Big Dog wasn't even on the court. If you can't get him open, so be it, but you don't take your best option away by not even running him out there.
And those who are making all the "Pop didn't care, etc." weak ass excuses need to just give it up. If Pop didn't GAF, why did he put Tim and Manu back in at the end? And don't give me all this "just to play in a pressure situation" nonsense. If Pop wanted to put the pressure on, he would have trotted out his best five at the end of the game, and Tim and Manu would have been surrounded by GRob, Barry, and Udrih on the last play (offensively).
On Nazr:
He ed up at the end. There, I said it. I love Nazr's potential, he's a beast on the glass, and he doesn't take anybody's (we need someone like that). He's also blocking 3-4 shots a game over the last two weeks.
That said, he still does have some learning to do WRT the defensive strategies of the Spurs, particularly regarding rotations. He's a smart guy and a hard worker, and you can already tell he's getting better.
I think he'll be putting up the same kind of numbers he is now in the playoffs (6-10 points, 10-15 boards, a couple of blocks), but I also expect Rasho and Horry (depending on matchups) to be flanking Tim on defense at the end of games.
And as to Mad Dog:
That will look great on his bio. However, in your "7 years" span, there's other coaches who have won more championships.Mother er is the winningest coach of the last 7 years of ANY sport.
You don't play major sports to have the highest winning percentage, you play to win the whole ing thing.
Nazr has shown flashes of being a solid defender....but he doesn't always play good "D"...he loses focus or something.....he doesn't alway do well clogging the lane when an opponent is driving to the hoop.....when he is playing points in the paint seem to increase dramatically.....he seems to be out of position too often and relies to much on his athletic ability.
That said...he has shown flashes of great play.....he is a pretty good rebounder but even then does not always block out and allows an offensive board.....another reason why our opp FG% has been high the last few weeks....he is a decent FT shooter and is not afraid to "mix it up".
I think Pop is a good coach but sometimes makes mistakes...don't we all?.....every coach in the world has made mistakes....according to some posters here they are always perfectly right....last night was one of those mistakes though......I would hav liked to see GRob in the game and a play run for him....he is geting his range and that would have put his confidence through the roof.....I think picking him up is going to be huge in the playoffs.
How can people not like Manu?.......sure he makes some crazy ill-advised plays...but last night giving to Horry was the right thing to do.....there was no guarantee a foul would have been called.....have you forgotten about that shot Duncan mad that looked like he just flung it up and it happened to go in?....the officiating was poor all night....the clock bugaboo was icing on the cake.
Duncan played because he had missed 12 games not too long ago....did we forget?...he needs to play some to get his wind and timing back....I don't xare how young you are....Parker was tired and needed to rest.....the chances are we were not going to catch Phoenix so why over work the team on a longshot when the big picture is still very much reachable.
Has it ever occured to some of you that Pop is looking at all possible combinations in order to make a final playoff roster.....the wat certain players play with the others will make a big impact....I also think that he doing this because Devin will not be ready for the playoffs......he finding all possibilities to get it right for the playoffs.
I agree about Big Dog.......however....
Pop has both....the highest winning % AND 2 les.
There are other with high percentages and lots reagular season wins and ZERO LES.
Nellie
Hubie Brown
Jeff Van Gundy
George Karl
ETC.
That's exactly what it was--a tryout for Wilks. Yes Manu and Tim have been there before. It wouldn't do Pop much good to evaluate Wilks with Marks and Barry. He needed to see his game with the starters.
The secondary reason for continuing to play Tim is that he's not in game shape, and the playoffs are five days away. He needs to get in shape, and he needed the minutes. Who the cares about him being a "liability on defense".
Pop had many other priorities while playing this game other than winning, and the same is likely to be true tomorrow night in Minny.
The seeding was set. Phoenix was not going to drop 2 straight to Sacto. Get real people.
Gotta get my two cents worth in before we start talking about the playoffs:
Pop did want to win the game. You saw him insert both Manu and Tim in for the end of the game. It's not that the game WAS LOST, it's that the game wasn't Won, when we had the lead with under a minute to play. After all, defense is our forte, right? Right before Miller's tying basket, as he drove in for a layup after his defender was blocked, I saw him driving towards Tim and the basket. My immediate thought was "NO WAY!" Miller is no Kobe! Surprise, surprise, Tim wasn't within a foot of the lay up. And it wasn't the first time during this game that Tim was flatfooted under the basket. Swift slammed one in over his head after a miss, also because Tim wasn't jumping up for the rebound.
As for Horry, he was the right choice. Sure, many of you, and me as well, would have chosen Glenn Robinson, with the hot hand, but Horry is the proven one. Pop made the right choice. Perhaps Horry will spend extra time practicing his shot, The game meant nothing. Starting Sunday, they do.
Wow, you really hate Pop, huh?
In the last 7 years, there's only one other coach who's won more les than Pop: Phil Jackson. And that was just one more.With an injured Tim two years (1998, 2000) and a less than 100% Robinson most of the others.
Pop won the Spurs a Championship the SECOND year he was head coach for the full year.
Name another ACTIVE coach you would rather have for the Spurs.
Some people (you know who you are) accuse me of sucking Pop's . That's not it at all. I'm just sick of people who don't give him the credit he deserves. Spurs wouldn't be where they are right now without Pop.
Best active NBA coach. Period.
Last edited by MadDog73; 04-20-2005 at 09:23 AM.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
