The Pop Show 4:30pm

[SequSpur]

In the past I don't think Harris, Terry, Howard and Dirk were all starting and putting a big on any of those players in not the best option. If Griffin were still getting consistent minutes the matchups wouldn't be so brutal.

Well, see you at the lake!

[Rick Von Braun]

Indeed Duncan covers Howard. And no, he won't foul out in the first quarter. Duncan has guarded better players than Howard without getting in foul trouble, even if he gives up a lot of points. If Howard scores 30 on him, so be it. It's certainly better than having the Maverick guards go for 30 each and drawing a dozen fouls because there's nobody to keep them out of the lane.

The Spurs are going to have to give up something. What they're doing now is giving up everything.

I agree with Extra Stout. We have tried small ball, and it has obviously not worked as expected.

It is quite clear... the main problem has been rebounding and defense, in particular in the paint. What is the obvious way to solve this?

Size in the frontcourt. Protect the paint at all costs, make Dallas a jumpshoting team, fight for rebounds and live with it.

A couple of things I would like to see:

- Play TP, Manu, and Duncan at least 37 min/game. Like Kenny Smith and Barkley said, Manu must play starter minutes... it is do or die now. Ride the ing horses that brought you to the WCF.

- Start Rasho or Oberto. If the latter, match him up with Dirk. He is mobile enough to follow him on the perimeter and long enough to bothered his shot. Rasho on the perimeter is a little more complicated, but could be done. If he doesn't respond, try Bowen on Dirk, and put Duncan on Howard.

- Do not play NVE. I repeat, do not play NVE. Play Beno if TP needs a breather, but for christsakes, do not play NVE.

- Play Rasho, Oberto and Horry more. I don't trust Nazr, but you should go with the other frontcourt players. We need two tall guys in the paint at all times. Size is important.

- Consider using a zone defense, to prevent penetrations and improve rebounding. Make Dallas an exterior jumpshooting team. If they beat you from the outside, shake hands and move on.

If we have to lose this series, fine, but at least go down fighting in Spurs's style... tough hard-nosed defense, not this gimmick crap.

Pop, it is time that you make Dallas adjust to the Spurs personnel, not the other way around.

P.S.: Do not play NVE.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

omg are yall not listening ot ticket 760 right now>>

they're giving away tickets who can answer:

Manu's birth city

IN ORDER WHO DID THE SPURS BEAT FOR THE ROAD TO THE NBA 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP


NOONE CAN GET PAST PHOENIX

ING IDIOTS

[Cant_Be_Faded]

they rapped it up with what does Robert Horry's former teams + his championships equal

[DDS4]

omg are yall not listening ot ticket 760 right now>>

they're giving away tickets who can answer:

Manu's birth city

IN ORDER WHO DID THE SPURS BEAT FOR THE ROAD TO THE NBA 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP


NOONE CAN GET PAST PHOENIX

ING IDIOTS

Are you serious?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

yes 5 or 6 people got it wrong not even getting past phoenix

[SPARKY]

I don't believe the offense would suffer that much with Rasho. He'd have to hit a J or two. Defensively he could protect the rim and board better than what the Spurs have seen in this series.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds.

All we needed was one rebound to tie up game 3 and 4. But maybe if we had a bigger body in there it would not come to 1 rebound?

It's all stipulation. If Pop changes his lineup when the spurs are against the wall, I just don't think it bodes well at all.

[jamezyjamez]

oh my god

Tony pulled a groin muscle?

Someone on our team must have pissed on the alter of the basketball gods, cuz just keeps flowing all over us now.

Hopefully Eva pulled it...at least he goes home happy, win or lose.

[T Park]

I don't believe the offense would suffer that much with Rasho. He'd have to hit a J or two. Defensively he could protect the rim and board better than what the Spurs have seen in this series.

it has come to this.


Marcus is asking for Rasho

[Cant_Be_Faded]

--->insert trainwreck I SEE picture here<---

[ploto]

One thing you always have to keep in mind about the Pop Show is that it is often the vehicle for PR and "popoganda." Pop has no qualms whatsoever about boldly lying on this show. He has no problem asserting the Spurs are not trying to make a trade all the while they are working diligently to trade Brent or Malik. He will say that the Spurs would have signed Devin if Finley had not come, when that is not even close to the truth, but sounds good and can't really be disproven. I would not be a bit surprised to see less small ball tomorrow night- given Pop's apparent long explanation and justification for it.

[ploto]

He's saying that Nazr and Rasho both didn't play well down the stretch of the season.

Would this be the same Pop who said this about Rasho only 2 weeks ago??

"Rasho is doing a good job rebounding, running the sets, and he understands what we want to do," Popovich said.

[DubMcDub]

for pop to even talk that much about officiating says a lot. I have never heard him say a thing ever about officiating before.

And yet he said absolutely nothing about the officiating yet again. He only spoke of it indirectly ("things we can't control"), which he frequently does.

I find it quite hilarious how you are hearing him say things that he hasn't even approached commenting upon.

[picnroll]

Did you hear the show DubMcDub? Did you hear the comment about the legitimacy of the foul on Bowen where Dirk made the FTs to tie the game in regulation or the sequence about the bogus make up blocking call on Duncan? No? Didn't think so.

[angel_luv]

Took a dinner break.

Do you seriously believe the Spurs could win 3 straight games playing this way? This is a team that has won by getting stops, not by having to hit 13 straight clutch shots to have a chance to win maybe by 2.

I understand your concern and that this is one of those judgement call times.
Maybe you are correct that we need a radical change. But it could also be that best hope of winning is to keep momentum by staying true the plan we've already put into motion.

Regardless, it seems we are going to have to win playing small since this is the line up Coach Pop is using.

[DubMcDub]

Did you hear the show DubMcDub? Did you hear the comment about the legitimacy of the foul on Bowen where Dirk made the FTs to tie the game in regulation or the sequence about the bogus make up blocking call on Duncan? No? Didn't think so.

Yes I heard both comments. Yes I listened to the show.

Thanks for asking the question then answering for me, though. I wasn't aware you were so in tune as to what I listen to and do not listen to.

[picnroll]

then you know this

And yet he said absolutely nothing about the officiating yet again. He only spoke of it indirectly ("things we can't control"), which he frequently does.

is BS.

[DubMcDub]

then you know this is BS.

No, i know that, as always, he stuck to indirect comment and critique, which is what classy coaches like him do.

Thank god your coach doesn't sink to the pathetic level some of you do. I've yet to see him shed a tear on the podium.

[baseline bum]

exactly, pop has lost all faith in rasho and nazr and i'd be surprised to ever see either one in a spurs uni again

The Spurs tried to trade Nesterrible to Dallas for Tariq Abdul Wahad and got shot down. He's going to be in the black and silver until 2008, when his expiring contract might make good trade bait. I doubt we ever see Mohammed play another minute in a Spurs jersey.

[weebo]

Nazr sucks ass and Rasho is right there with him...they're both gutless...good riddance to both of them

[spur4life]

He is explaining the use of the small lineup throroughly.

He's saying that the small lineup is working very well on offense.

He's saying that Nazr and Rasho both didn't play well down the stretch of the season. He's saying that he can't have two bigs on the floor because Duncan would have to guard Dirk (or maybe Howard) and would get into foul trouble.

He said that Dirk has gotten 21 and 14 freethrows in the last two games and if Duncan had to guard him, he'd foul out.

!! I have heard this before....if we play with a center must duncan guard nowitzki? can't he guard someone else & let our center take nowitzki's fouls? I think this team is self-destructing. The bottom line is we don't have to have the center on the court for 48 mins (we never do anyways, even during the season, since we play duncan & horry sometimes). so why not mix it all up? In fact, pop is making things easy for avery johnson by being so predictable with his small lineups.....it is so sad!!

[bigzak25]

Free Nazr! put him on dirk. let dirk get his points from the outside instead of the stripe.

[peskypesky]

Free Nazr! put him on dirk. let dirk get his points from the outside instead of the stripe.

Exactly. Make Dirk shoot over and around the 7-footers (Rasho & Nazr), not over guards. If he blows past the center, that's what help defense is all about.

Even if Dirk racks up the points (as Amare did last year), we have to close down the lanes and stop the freakin' layups!!!!

Some rebounds would be nice too!

[LakerHater]

Exactly. Make Dirk shoot over and around the 7-footers (Rasho & Nazr), not over guards. If he blows past the center, that's what help defense is all about.

Even if Dirk racks up the points (as Amare did last year), we have to close down the lanes and stop the freakin' layups!!!!

Some rebounds would be nice too!

exactly!! let 'em use those 6 fouls Pop wasn't gonna play 'em anyway