Results 1 to 25 of 25
  1. #1
    Veteran sasaint's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Post Count
    14,298
    I have been going back and forth in my own mind for most of the season: is Pop really trying to win or is he tanking? Can he really be doing the same thing (starting the same lineup, playing the same terrible defenders and using the same rotations) expecting different results? Can he honestly expect poor defenders to improve, for guys to execute better, play smarter, pound the rock harder and somehow be transformed into players they simple are not? Or is he doing the same things expecting the same results and simply giving a smoke screen to the media in his post-game pressers?

    We have a few impressive games (even in a few losses) and a handful of impressive wins. Then we have some stunningly poor performances and tough losses - not to mention the blowouts. We have some indications that the team could be pretty decent and have a better record if the Old Asshole weren’t sabotaging them with poor personnel decisions. On the other hand, I have questioned the talent level of the team. Are the young guys just too inexperienced or do they lack the talent to compete? Are the old guys contributors to the failure or causing it?

  2. #2
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Post Count
    27,774
    IMO, they have tried to win all season with Pop scrambling and doing some adjustments like that time he benched Murray and started White, Poltl getting more minutes, benching Lyles. He has gone back in the end to his favorites. Forbes has had games at 20 minutes (but he still starts)…

    I think giving credit for a stealth tank is too much credit. They would rather be winning and there is no obvious talent in this draft. Like if they were to have stealth tanked, there were prior drafts that were more obvious.

    At this point, as Chinook said elsewhere (and he's been a long supporter of the staying compe ive crew/current status quo), but at this point, if playoffs are out of the picture, one would rather see them lose every game from here on out and get the highest possible draft slot they can at this point, just for the chance to really select a player they want and not just whoever fell to their spot. So maybe they have changed their goals stealthily, one could hope.
    What do you make of this:



    Maybe pimping Demar out to some other team blaming his help.

  3. #3
    You have no idea UZER's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Post Count
    9,572
    IMO, they have tried to win all season with Pop scrambling and doing some adjustments like that time he benched Murray and started White, Poltl getting more minutes, benching Lyles. He has gone back in the end to his favorites. Forbes has had games at 20 minutes (but he still starts)…

    I think giving credit for a stealth tank is too much credit. They would rather be winning and there is no obvious talent in this draft. Like if they were to have stealth tanked, there were prior drafts that were more obvious.

    At this point, as Chinook said elsewhere (and he's been a long supporter of the staying compe ive crew/current status quo), but at this point, if playoffs are out of the picture, one would rather see them lose every game from here on out and get the highest possible draft slot they can at this point, just for the chance to really select a player they want and not just whoever fell to their spot. So maybe they have changed their goals stealthily, one could hope.
    What do you make of this:

    Nobody cares. Just go away already Pop.

  4. #4
    Veteran NASpurs's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Post Count
    29,657
    What about being delusional and senile while having no one question you?

  5. #5
    Believe. MultiTroll's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Post Count
    22,800
    ^ the b.s. that Demar and LMA are blameless in this.
    FOH.

  6. #6
    Veteran RC_Drunkford's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Post Count
    11,572
    Flopovich definitelty tried to win all season. I think after the trade deadline he's now tanking. I don't even think DeRozan is injured. Not sure though, you know Flopovich is garbage and could still think the players just need to play harder. Who knows if he even knows what the Spurs record is

  7. #7
    Veteran
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Post Count
    4,037
    They are tanking for a point guard.......hopefully!

  8. #8
    Less is More Darius Bieber's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Post Count
    6,559
    Both. Wouldn't trust this front office to do anything right tbh

  9. #9
    Veteran Chomag's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Post Count
    8,543
    Just maybe Pop and FO really are not that good...

  10. #10
    Veteran
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Post Count
    9,550
    The team has a roster that should fight for the playoffs. Unfortunately, the West is a tough conference and there are going to be teams that miss out that have rosters that appear to be playoff worthy.

  11. #11
    Chopper Ed Helicopter Jones's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    14,006
    Pop put a couple of years' salary on the 'under' for Spurs wins this year and is just waiting to collect that check so he can buy that French vineyard he's had his eye on.

    Always CIA until the end.

  12. #12
    Believe. Down Under's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Post Count
    1,069
    They were trying until the RRT IMO. If they could pull something out against one or both LA teams they'd keep going, but it's been more obvious since then.

  13. #13
    R.C. Drunkford TimDunkem's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Post Count
    13,924
    They are tanking for a point guard.......hopefully!

    They have 3. What's the problem?

  14. #14
    Veteran
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Post Count
    7,288
    They are trying but the team and the coach both suck.

  15. #15
    Believe.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Post Count
    819
    Pop is no dummy and his rotations make no sense so I guess this is his way of tanking.

  16. #16
    Believe.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Post Count
    181
    How many games Spurs gonna lose while being up 15+ in the third quarter?
    I’ve watched my spurs lose at least 20 games after being up 15 or 20 points, what’s up with that?

    We have the talent to compete with any team in the league. We just can’t close the deal, what’s up with that?
    This Spurs team can beat any team and could also lose to any team any given night. I get it, that’s the nature of the NBA. Just think we left a whole lotta games out there this year.

    Can somebody let me know the Spurs record when up 15+ in the third quarter.

    I don’t wanna see my Spurs not make the playoffs.

  17. #17
    Believe. KimmyGib's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Post Count
    739
    Sad thing is, Pop's really been trying imo. I don't buy the theory that he simply doesn't care anymore and is now just doing what he wants for his own amusement, or that he's low-key tanking. Since the end of the big 3 and the Kawhi exit, Pop hasn't looked good. The relentless overplaying of Mills and Belinelli in the Denver series which absolutely doomed the Spurs, the shocking team USA failure, and this whole ty season and the ending of the playoff streak... Do you really think this is how Pop wanted to end his career? Not Gregg, not with his ego. Reports were that Spurs were "obsessed" with making the playoffs, and I think it was all about Pop trying to save face, because frankly he looks bad right now, and missing the playoffs is going to amplify it. I think he's very frustrated, despite the "it's just game" facade he's putting on to the media. He's finished, and coming to grips with that is a difficult thing for a man like Pop to do.

    We have had a few impressive games this season, because the team is actually not as bad as its record. They've literally been underachieving because of Gregg Popavich, which is something I never thought I'd see. Yeah, it's pretty sad.

  18. #18
    Veteran
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Post Count
    13,828
    Obviously he's trying to win. As evidenced by the infamous "trade", he's too old, stubborn, arrogant and selfish for anything else. Also apparent from said heist, was that he's delusional, senile and archaic. That along with his usual politics are what's driving his absurdly poor attempt at coaching this mismatched outfit.

  19. #19
    Machacarredes Chinook's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Post Count
    30,991
    They were and are trying to win. They are just incompetent at it. They aren't trying to "win now" as someone like DPG21920 might argue. They aren't going into this thinking it's championship or bust. They are treading water hoping to buy enough time to develop depth to supplement then supplant LMA and DMDR. It's the same idea behind 2008-2012 except with the glaring difference in a lack of HOF-caliber players. Beyond that talent gap, though, Pop hasn't yet completely pivoted away from old players. He had the same issue during the pre-Medium Three years. He signed guys like Ratliff, Bogans and McDyess. He traded a draft pick for Kurt Thomas only to not re-sign him in the off-season. It wasn't until after the 2011 playoffs that Pop was willing to change his mind.

    I don't know that they have a Splitter or a Green on the roster -- let alone a Leonard. But Pop's still at the point where he thinks he just needs to wait it out. Of course, it doesn't help that he's been awful this year at pretty much everything. I'll blame the summer again. But he also doesn't have good in-game adjustments and doesn't seem to have an emotional handle on the ball club at all. Pop's horrible coaching is the main difference between this season and last, with Gay's decline being the only thing close. I think he made a really poor decision when he opted to forego growing pains from giving Walker the starting-SG job. I can't imagine it costing them more games at this point than the status quo. It doesn't really help that he did that while forcing Murray back into the first unit and starting Lyles over Carroll.

  20. #20
    The Dude minds DPG21920's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Post Count
    76,205

  21. #21
    Veteran RC_Drunkford's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Post Count
    11,572
    Obviously he's trying to win. As evidenced by the infamous "trade", he's too old, stubborn, arrogant and selfish for anything else. Also apparent from said heist, was that he's delusional, senile and archaic. That along with his usual politics are what's driving his absurdly poor attempt at coaching this mismatched outfit.

  22. #22
    You Are Not Worthy ZeusWillJudge's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Post Count
    4,903
    I have been going back and forth in my own mind for most of the season: is Pop really trying to win or is he tanking? Can he really be doing the same thing (starting the same lineup, playing the same terrible defenders and using the same rotations) expecting different results? Can he honestly expect poor defenders to improve, for guys to execute better, play smarter, pound the rock harder and somehow be transformed into players they simple are not? Or is he doing the same things expecting the same results and simply giving a smoke screen to the media in his post-game pressers?

    We have a few impressive games (even in a few losses) and a handful of impressive wins. Then we have some stunningly poor performances and tough losses - not to mention the blowouts. We have some indications that the team could be pretty decent and have a better record if the Old Asshole weren’t sabotaging them with poor personnel decisions. On the other hand, I have questioned the talent level of the team. Are the young guys just too inexperienced or do they lack the talent to compete? Are the old guys contributors to the failure or causing it?

    The one question you have to ask yourself: Was Pop tanking with the NT, or trying to win?

    Then vote your conscience.

  23. #23
    Veteran sasaint's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Post Count
    14,298
    The one question you have to ask yourself: Was Pop tanking with the NT, or trying to win?

    Then vote your conscience.
    That is, indeed, a powerful piece of evidence. I think I have been considering the Spurs evidence in isolation. It may make up my mind, but it doesn't change my vote. I continue to vote to remove the Old Asshole.
    Last edited by sasaint; 02-11-2020 at 10:27 PM.

  24. #24
    Veteran Arcadian's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Post Count
    9,265
    No, Pop is really trying to win. Don't ever give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's tanking. Any time he does something stupid or the team blows a big lead, that's because they were trying their hardest and doing what they really believed was the right thing - and they were just dead wrong, and they were just that bad.

  25. #25
    Veteran superbigtime's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Post Count
    3,213
    Legendary talents have concealed PATFOs incompetence. Now that the talent has plummeted their inadequacies are completely exposed. Pop has made plenty of blunders in the past but these days it seems his coaching is at its absolute worst.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •