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Oh ok. Even better.
With Popotank and the quick turnarounds, gotta move quickly through the grieving process, tbh
I see you've moved past anger and grief into acceptance and rationalization.
Oh ok. Even better.
Who gives a if they play or not...rather them not force the issue in a meaningless game...i think the only ones that fear the Lakers are some of the people that post on here...i think we would dominate the Lakers in the postseason
If we're worried about dodging people then we don't have the heart of a champion.
It would be typical Pop to rest the Big 3 against the Lakers on national TV, but like the Fresh Prince meme says: I wouldn't even be mad if that happened.
A win or loss against a Kobe-less Lakers would basically be fool's gold
Although staying another step ahead of OKC and winning is always nice too
It's funny you use that wording because Rudy T and the "Heart of a Champion" 1995 Rockets tanked their final three games so they could avoid playing the Sonics in the first round. Those Sonics owned that Rockets team; their fullcourt press defense didn't allow Houston to get into their Olajuwon-centric inside-out sets so Seattle curbstomped them on a regular basis.
Nobody remembers dodging or tanking after you lift that trophy in the air, tbh.
F Pop!!!!
I thought Sacto was in full tank mode? Now we have to worry about them?
Damn theis in full effect...
timvp starting to sound like Mike Monroe...
Two days ago: Spurs should tank the GSW game!!!!!
Today: "Pop knew the Clippers had a shot at beating OKC, so going full blast against the Warriors turned out to be another genius move by the legendary coach"
i seriously hope he doesn't pull this . i can easily see this happening:
pop's gonna sit the big three out tomorrow. we get destroyed.
then we lose the next game against them in a close one. #2 again.
thunder will win out. finish #1.
the lakers will stay #3.
in the second round, we lose the first two games to the lakers. panic mode setting in, pop tries to play duncan and splitter together, but they have no chemistry because they didn't play together all season. we lose to the lakers. possible sweep.
remember this well my friends: if you're a pussy, you get fcked.
If Pop really wants to get in the Laker's heads, he should sit Matty out.
You forgot that Pop and the media afterward will then use this as an excuse as to why Splitter never played with Duncan.
*ahem* Then there's also the matter of Splitter eventually going to Houston as a free agent (and beasting) while the Spurs are left with a frontline of Duncan+Bonner+Blair.
Since we're painting worst-case scenarios and all.
They also tanked to give their players some rest. If memory serves they were widely criticized for such a bush-league tactic. Back then you actually had to have a reason to deactivate a player, and they just made up injuries.
Then we draft another star who we think might make up for that from overseas, we think he'll have an impact his first year and play...but then Pop happens. then we think the 2nd year will be better...Fans will still say then "but he has 4 rings"*ahem* Then there's also the matter of Splitter eventually going to Houston as a free agent (and beasting) while the Spurs are left with a frontline of Duncan+Bonner+Blair.
Since we're painting worst-case scenarios and all.
They did play their cards correctly, no doubt about it. Being a champion suggests much more than hitting stone walls with your head.
With the way things stand in the West right now I doubt the Spurs, Lakers, Clippers or Thunder would want to separate themselves and claim a position early, as match-ups are really important and obviously everyone would prefer playing Denver/Houston/Utah over Dallas in the first round and Clippers/Memphis in the second over Thunder/Lakers/Spurs. Putting your main rivals in the opposite bracket is more important than the position in the standings right now.
I see no reason to intentionally tank any of the games. If the big 3 happen to play 35+ minutes against the Lakers, then we can consider sitting them against the Kings.
Cool example, I didn't really follow the NBA until 1997, but even then I was pretty young.
However, with the current standings (and assuming they end this way), we should be aiming for 1st place. To play Utah/Phx/Hou in the first round would be awesome. Then we play the winner of LA Clippers and Memphis. Memphis won't be an easy opponent, but I'd prefer them over the Lakers and the Mavericks. And if we get a little lucky, Denver sneaks up on 5th and we play the winner of Denver vs. LA Clippers. Or the Clippers manage to beat the Grizzles in their 1st round match up.
The Lakers are playing some of the best basketball of their season lately, and, not coincidentally, that is without Bryant.
They share the ball, they defend and they hand the ball to their bigs a lot, who are the real strength. Plus Artest who's scoring at a high % lately.
With Bryant (.43% from 2 and .299% from 3), I have seen more than once Brown needing to call a TO to tell him to please NOT ignore the two bigs, even against lineups that were no bigger than 6'8. RIdiculous. He gets his 25 shots no matter what.
If Bryant is out, I would sit the 3 -actually, I would keep them in Sacramento.
It might be a good excercise for Diaw and Splitter to go out against the two bigs. And if this team has heart, it might turn out like that game lost @Dallas which might be considered now as one of the turning point of the season.
Plus, if Spurs win tonight, and at SA, Lakers might well end up 4th.
You want to lock them in the 3 position. And it will be difficult for the Spurs to lose a game other than @Phoenix, even sitting the 3.
I still think they should go for the best record possible. Staying ahead of OKC shouldn't be the only objective, but also Miami. The Heat are still one of the two or three best home teams and a mediocre road team. I still think the Heat are the favorites to come out of the East, so why not get home court against them? Spurs had HCA in every Final they won, so I think there's something to it.
Play the Big 3. Why? Because the Lakers.
Let's just call it what it is, regardless of the consequences down the road... it's a coward move.
But Pop is arrogant enough to think his bench still has enough of a chance of still winning the game even without the big 3. Likely the spurs will still lose the game and in the process jeapordize their hard fought #1 seed to OKC.
This is one of those "calculated" risks Pop loves to come up with (he thinks he's being clever) that usually backfires in some way.
After last year's fiasco I just hope everyone is healthy for the playoffs.
Big Three played many b2bs this year ... play this one as well and then rest them against Sacramento ...
Well home court is overrated these days apparently. Just not what it once was. Word.
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