Spurs Had Back to Back Practices the Last Two Days.

[BillMc]

Michael C. WrightESPN Staff Writer

Yes, the Spurs are actually practicing for the second consecutive day. Rare occurrence.


5h

POP getting us ready for the Second Season!

[TheGreatYacht]

Thanks for posting, OP

Btw What is Chip doing away from Danny Green and Patty Mills? :

[808]

Y dey so srs

[spursistan]

Thanks for posting, OP

Btw What is Chip doing away from Danny Green and Patty Mills? :

chip got paid in the summer

[BillMc]

Btw What is Chip doing away from Danny Green and Patty Mills? :

Good point.

[TheGreatYacht]

chip got paid in the summer

Spurs paid everybody in the summer, Tbh

[GSH]

Thanks for posting, OP

Btw What is Chip doing away from Danny Green and Patty Mills? :

Exactly my first thought. Those two guys should have ankle bracelets, like parolees. If they get more than about 10 steps from Chip, an alarm should sound.


Nice find, Bill... especially all the way from Latvia.

[BillMc]

Nice find, Bill... especially all the way from Latvia.

Thanks man. Internet still works here!

[gambit1990]

good.

this could very well be the last postseason for manu and td...

i think and hope it won't, but you never know tbh.

[wildbill2u]

Practices are Pop's way of telling the team that they have to work on their game and improve or they will not do well in the playoffs.

I think he's right. Despite the great record for the season, and individual honors that may be coming, I don't have the same feeling of confidence in this year's team that I had in 13 and 14. Can't put my finger on it, but Something not quite right? Anyone else?

Second thoughts before I clicked out: Green, Diaw and Patty have to really step up from their performances in regular season.

[GSH]

Practices are Pop's way of telling the team that they have to work on their game and improve or they will not do well in the playoffs.

I think he's right. Despite the great record for the season, and individual honors that may be coming, I don't have the same feeling of confidence in this year's team that I had in 13 and 14. Can't put my finger on it, but Something not quite right? Anyone else?

I didn't feel confident in '13 - thought they had too many holes. Dejuan Blair. Gary Neal had gone to pot. Stephen Jackson had flaked out. CoJo was in his second season, and not ready for prime time. And Nando was... echhh... Nando. Fans were actually hoping that T-Mac could step it up in the playoffs. So I was shocked when they almost won it all.

In '14 they came this close to going out in the first round. And it wasn't until after that series sort of galvanized them that I felt confident that they could go all the way.

This year, I really don't think that there is a team in the league other than Golden State that can beat them in a 7-game series. I have a of a lot of confidence - except when it comes to playing them. So, yeah: Green, Diaw, and Patty have to step up. If they do, I think the Spurs have a shot. No matter what, I think the Finals will be played between SA and GS. The official Finals will be an exhibition.

If they lose before the WCF, I will be shocked. And if they struggled with the Eastern Conference team in the Finals, I'd be just as shocked. This is a pretty good team, regardless of how it looked in those last few meaningless games.

[DPG21920]

I was really looking forward to this gap in the regular season and post season for exactly this. This team needed practices IMO and it showed. They needed to iron out the kinks in the offense. Make sure everyone knew exactly what to do, where to be & how to do things crisply.

It was execution that showed and hopefully more practice time solves the issue.

[BillMc]

I didn't feel confident in '13 - thought they had too many holes. Dejuan Blair. Gary Neal had gone to pot. Stephen Jackson had flaked out. CoJo was in his second season, and not ready for prime time. And Nando was... echhh... Nando. Fans were actually hoping that T-Mac could step it up in the playoffs. So I was shocked when they almost won it all.

In '14 they came this close to going out in the first round. And it wasn't until after that series sort of galvanized them that I felt confident that they could go all the way.

This year, I really don't think that there is a team in the league other than Golden State that can beat them in a 7-game series. I have a of a lot of confidence - except when it comes to playing them. So, yeah: Green, Diaw, and Patty have to step up. If they do, I think the Spurs have a shot. No matter what, I think the Finals will be played between SA and GS. The official Finals will be an exhibition.

If they lose before the WCF, I will be shocked. And if they struggled with the Eastern Conference team in the Finals, I'd be just as shocked. This is a pretty good team, regardless of how it looked in those last few meaningless games.

That 13 team was going up against a Heat team that won something like 26 straight and was the latest "greatest" team the Spurs had to face (much like this year). And as Pop had dodged playing our starters against them it was a complete mystery how we'd match up with them in the finals. The consensus (even from our leader timvp) was we'd lose. When we hung with them by stealing Game 1 in Miami, and blowing them out in Game 3, it was a surprise. I had no idea what to expect in those finals. What made that a great finals (despite the painful result) was how each team threw haymakers at each other back and forth until the last 2 games which were nailbiters. It really was an epic series. And so by '14 not only did I know we could play with the Heat, I, like the team and most of us on ST WANTED Miami so we could avenge the previous year. But in 13 I wasn't so confident. Everything was a mystery and Miami seemed invincible at least until a few cracks showed in the Pacers series. And LBJ was at the height of his powers. Heck, many thought we'd have trouble with the big bad Grizz in the WCF who had bounced us two years before.

There's less mystery this year as we've played GS more, but there are some similarities. If anything, the mystery is on our side. Will LMA be big in the playoffs? Will Danny's shot fall? And (heresy here I know) Kawhi be able to score big time in the playoffs when defenses focus on him? I'm still a little haunted by the end of the Clippers series last year...

But we've only two teams to fear. Golden State (obviously) and OKC (slightly). No one else including Cleveland or the Clips should even have a prayer against us.

[timtonymanu]

That 13 team was going up against a Heat team that won something like 26 straight and was the latest "greatest" team the Spurs had to face (much like this year). And as Pop had dodged playing our starters against them it was a complete mystery how we'd match up with them in the finals. The consensus (even from our leader timvp) was we'd lose. When we hung with them by stealing Game 1 in Miami, and blowing them out in Game 3, it was a surprise. I had no idea what to expect in those finals. What made that a great finals (despite the painful result) was how each team threw haymakers at each other back and forth until the last 2 games which were nailbiters. It really was an epic series. And so by '14 not only did I know we could play with the Heat, I, like the team and most of us on ST WANTED Miami so we could avenge the previous year. But in 13 I wasn't so confident. Everything was a mystery and Miami seemed invincible at least until a few cracks showed in the Pacers series. And LBJ was at the height of his powers.

There's less mystery this year as we've played GS more, but there are some similarities. If anything, the mystery is on our side. Will LMA be big in the playoffs? Will Danny's shot fall? And (heresy here I know) Kawhi be able to score big time in the playoffs when defenses focus on him? I'm still a little haunted by the end of the Clippers series last year...

But we've only two teams to fear. Golden State (obviously) and OKC (slightly). No one else including Cleveland or the Clips should even have a prayer against us.

Great post. Except I think the Clippers are a bigger threat to the Spurs than OKC. Not even worried about the Thunder actually.

[BillMc]

Great post. Except I think the Clippers are a bigger threat to the Spurs than OKC. Not even worried about the Thunder actually.

Thanks man. Why do you fear the Clips more than the Thunder?

[timtonymanu]

Thanks man. Why do you fear the Clips more than the Thunder?

The Spurs still have no answer for Blake Griffin. And Paul and Re are hard to defend for the Spurs. I still think Spurs beat the Clippers, but stopping OKC for me is much easier since outside of Durant and Westbrook, they don't have scoring threats.

[SpursFan86]

Despite the great record for the season, and individual honors that may be coming, I don't have the same feeling of confidence in this year's team that I had in 13 and 14. Can't put my finger on it, but Something not quite right? Anyone else?

Honestly think it just has a lot to do with how great Golden State has been this year. If GS wasn't around, everyone here (and most of the media as well) would be proclaiming the Spurs as clear favorites to win it all and we'd all be feeling great about our chances. But when you have a team like GS who just set the single season record and has looked nearly unstoppable, it's hard to be super confident.

[cd98]

OKC and Clippers are threats of fully healthy. Not sure how Griffin will be, but Durrant/Westbrook combo good enough to beat anyone.

[Beaverfuzz]

Spurs are ed!

[hater]

Worriers in 5

[100%duncan]

Only back to back we'll have

[Seventyniner]

The Spurs still have no answer for Blake Griffin. And Paul and Re are hard to defend for the Spurs. I still think Spurs beat the Clippers, but stopping OKC for me is much easier since outside of Durant and Westbrook, they don't have scoring threats.

In a vacuum I see your point. But this year the Spurs can only face one of the Clippers and Warriors, and the Clippers are a far easier matchup of the two. So I would love to see the Spurs take them on in the WCF. Not that there's much of a chance of that, but still.

[GSH]

I was really looking forward to this gap in the regular season and post season for exactly this. This team needed practices IMO and it showed. They needed to iron out the kinks in the offense. Make sure everyone knew exactly what to do, where to be & how to do things crisply.

It was execution that showed and hopefully more practice time solves the issue.

Preparation helps out with confidence, as well. I would like to see the Spurs open the playoffs looking like a machine. I don't know if two days is enough, but I'm sure it helped.

You know, if they can just teach Boban 3-4 actual plays, it could put one of a dent in this post-season.

[thiste]

"What you call regular season, I call practice." - Gregg Popovich

[hooperflash]

If this doesn't pump you up before tip-off, I don't know what will.