We may not be playing at an elite level right now. However, take some solace in the fact that:
1) We have yet to play any real defense! (and contrary to every "Lets trade for Oden/Sheed/Kaman/David Lee/[insert random big with a pulse here]" thread, it's our perimeter D that stinks. Too many bad/lazy rotations.) The good news?
2) These problems can and will be fixed! We have a world class coach at the helm, who we already know doesn't pull any punches and demands accountability from everyone on the team. Pop will demand that this team start getting it's defensive act together sooner rather than later.
3) If we are playing Spurs Team D (even with our challenged front court), we will be at an elite level. Don't forget, the Lakers (best team in the West) are 1-1 with us for the season, and they have yet to face our best defensive effort.
I have not given up or I am not too worried about this team yet. As you mentioned, their defense isn't where it should be and I hold out hope it will get there. However, I do think they need to get a better center into the rotation and another guard like Malik Hairston to come in at times to help spell those offensive struggles they have frrom time to time.
no i think its to just give up
I would love to see Hairston on this team. I would have to wonder if he could contribute on the defensive end right away though, which is where we struggling the most...
AWWW DOES IT HURT!!!!
AWWW DOES IT HURT!!!!
You mean like the Laker's did in last year's finals?
Lot of good it did you guys to beat the Spurs with one of the big three out...just to get humiliated in the Finals.
Let's see...
Duncan: 4 rings and undefeated in the finals.
Kobe: 3 rings and never won it without Shaq. This year will be more of the same!
We may not be playing at an elite level right now. However, take some solace in the fact that:
1) We have yet to play any real defense! (and contrary to every "Lets trade for Oden/Sheed/Kaman/David Lee/[insert random big with a pulse here]" thread, it's our perimeter D that stinks. Too many bad/lazy rotations.) The good news?
Can we play defense... that's the question.
2) These problems can and will be fixed! We have a world class coach at the helm, who we already know doesn't pull any punches and demands accountability from everyone on the team. Pop will demand that this team start getting it's defensive act together sooner rather than later.
We have the coach, but outside of the big 3, do we have players who can play defense?
3) If we are playing Spurs Team D (even with our challenged front court), we will be at an elite level. Don't forget, the Lakers (best team in the West) are 1-1 with us for the season, and they have yet to face our best defensive effort.
And if we hit our 3's yesterday we would've won, but we didn't.... and we aren't playing good D. Which means we're going to continue to lose against the elite teams.
From watching yesterday, the Spurs are still getting outquicked and outhustled on the perimeter. Failure to rotate defensively and slow to close out on shooters is also an issue. On the offensive side, having a player that can routinely slash to the basket and create offense is also at a premium.
Having said that, I would love to see what Hariston can do too. However knowing Pop, I wouldn't count on seeing him until next year. I believe he'll ride with what he's got at that slot.
Next year, we could have Gist, Hairston, and Mahinmi on the team. After that, we don't know how free agency will turn out for the Spurs. Does it seem like next year will be all about "winning now"?
I'm stoked at the possibilities for next year's roster too. However for now, the focus should be trying to win now. Which means improving their play and perhaps upgrading one roster position, such that they will be in a better position to oust the Fakers in a 7-game series. With the roster as currently constructed, I'm not confident they can do that.
What Pop needs to do is move Duncan to the 5 and put thomas at the 4, I like Bonner but he is not a good defensive player.
We have tons of upside on the defensive end, and I think that is the way we will eventually close the gap with the elite teams. It's the way we have always done it; why should this year be any different?
I will only give up on this team if they move to another city
we have yet to play any "grind it out" "ugly" basketball.
I think Pop has been trying to bring our new guys along, to bring the offense we lacked last year but the D has seen noticable decline as a result. I was Mason's #1 fan, and still am, but I have to say I didn't see the new additions causing this much problems with our defensive play. I can't say for sure its the new guys cause it seems as though everyone has had a hand in this decline. But It will definitely be good to see the guys shore up their effort.
Transition defense has been a big issue with this year's squad. I think some of that has to do with our older legs. Its not secret that the Spurs need to get a few younger legs on this team to help out on the perimeter and on getting back on defense when the other team is running.
I'm with you. I'll take an ugly win any freakin' day of the week. I'd love to see the Spurs grind out those kind of wins again.
it seems like Pop is really concerned about the "offensive droughts" that we had last year, which is why he's put more of an emphasis on offense this year..he can preach defense all he wants, but it's tough to play good D when Bonner and Finley are in the starting lineupm while Bowen is on the bench..
the fact that Bowen is always the first guy to go to the bench when we show signs of a drought is an indication..
I gotta believe that Pop is going to get the D back on track. And if that takes sitting some of our starters (Bonner, Fin) I gotta believe he'll do that too.
hmmm...You mean like the Laker's did in last year's finals?
Lot of good it did you guys to beat the Spurs with one of the big three out...just to get humiliated in the Finals.
Let's see...
Duncan: 4 rings and undefeated in the finals.
Kobe: 3 rings and never won it without Shaq. This year will be more of the same!
no more like the spurs in last night game....
hmm lets see... the lakers on 2 occasions with shaq and without shaq foiled your attempts at repeating...
As much as Pop is fearing the offensive droughts they are still happening. Frankly, I don't find the offense to be that much better this year than last. This team still chokes on wide open shots and their O is still gonna be a question mark come playoff time.
Obviously, if the defense can hold the other team to 40% then we can get away with that, but this team is in a huge need of a trade.
The sad thing is that hardly any servicable big is available although who knows what CIA Pop will come up with.
The starting lineup should be Oberto/Duncan/Bowen/Mason/Parker.
4 out of those 5 guys know the defensive rotations well enough to make up for any O they might've lost with the current starting lineup. Having Bonner come off the bench puts a little less pressure on him to contribute since he is no longer a starter. Finley's minutes drastically need to be cut and Manu is fine coming off the bench.
We're only 25 days away from the trade deadline. And this time, with how much the level of the compe ion has been upped I don't think a "this is the team we have, and we're sticking with it" speech will work this time around.
And we are still the team of the last decade!!
We're a jump shooting team way too many times against good teams with a good inside presence
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