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  1. #1
    Veteran RC_Drunkford's Avatar
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    Long time lurker here, some of y'all might remember me for blowing up Jabari Young as Kawhi's mouthpiece on reddit and even putting his reddit burner accounts on blast.
    Since it's basically impossible to criticize PATFO on reddit I just wanted to point out the mistakes that have been made since the 2014 championship. Kind of like a collection. As great as Pop and RC are, it seems like they have lost their touch and been ing up plenty recently. With that being said I have watched about every game since 2014. I might've missed a combined 5 games in that time span.

    2014/2015:
    • Drafting Kyle Anderson instead of Nikola Jokic
    • Overplaying an injured Tony Parker who couldn't make a jump shot against the Clippers while Patty Mills was on fire


    2015/2016:
    • Drafting Nikola Milutinov instead of Larry Nance, Cedi Osman, etc.
    • Playing Boris Diaw and David West together all year so they can get outrebounded instead of staggering them with Duncan/Aldridge
    • Cutting Rasual Butler (R.I.P.) instead of Matt Bonner, cause Matt Bonner makes better sandwiches (which didn't have an effect on the results of that season at all to be fair)
    • Playing Kyle Anderson before Jonathon Simmons when Simmons was clearly the better player because of military pecking order


    2016/2017:
    • Playing Kyle Anderson before Jonathon Simmons when Simmons was clearly the better player because this is the military and not an NBA team (luckily by the time the Playoffs came around, Pop figured this out)
    • signing Bryn Forbes
    • Not letting Dedmon shoot jump shots, so the offense gets clogged up when he made every bail out jumper and even shot 3s at the same rate as Pau Gasol the year after when he went to the Hawks
    • Saying Kawhi gets paid to do everything, so he has to play lockdown defense and score 25 when this team was clearly too dependent on Kawhi and it was kind of insulting when he wasn't even the highest paid player. I bet that didn't sit well with him/his camp


    2017/2018:
    • Having Pau Gasol opt out to get a free agent who nobody knows about, because as reports said the Spurs were not interested in signing Chris Paul (So who did he opt out for? Paul George?)
    • Thinking Paul George would come to the Spurs
    • Resiging Patty Mills and Pau Gasol for a combined salary of 29 million (for that year) but letting Simmons and Dedmon walk when they could've been signed for 12 million combined
    • Saying we have to get more athletic in 2016 and then letting your 2 most athletic players walk for nothing in 2017
    • Resiging Patty Mills for 50 million (!!!!!) for 4 years (!!!!!!!)
    • Resigning Pau Gasol for 16.3 million (!!!!!)
    • Publicly criticizing Kawhi which has not only destroyed the relationship between Kawhi and the Spurs, but also contributed to a big media circus around the situation. You don't speak on issues publicly. This has also put the Spurs in a bad light, they should've kept it in house. Kawhi though.
    • not trading Kawhi at midseason to Boston for Tatum & Brown
    • not playing Derrick White when he's clearly a better player than Patty Mills & Bryn Forbes
    • playing Mills, Parker and Forbes at the same time


    2017/2018

    • trading Danny Green instead of Mills or Gasol and getting Jacob Poetl back instead of Anonouby or Siakam ( the Raptors pick, I wouldve even thrown in another Spurs pick to get OG)
    • signing Dante Cunningham
    • signing Quincy Pondexter
    • playing Mills and Forbes at the same time
    • not signing any defenders



    add to that the usual Popovich antics like:


    • still using all-bench line ups when the team has been more top heavy and less deep for years
    • make playing in the NBA feel like a job (remember reports saying Kawhi wants Pop to lighten up in practice? Remember J Simmons saying first thing Pop taught him was Basketball is your job? Who would want that? It's still supposed to be fun)
    • have a military pecking order which allows young players with more talent to go play in the G League and have worse players get consistent minutes because they been here longer and playing a rookie over them wouldn't be fair
    • trying to unload Danny Green when he's at least a good defender while Patty Mills can't do anything elite and earns 150% of the money Danny earns cause Mills is his guy
    • I hate to say it, but I agree with Stephen Jackson that Pop has his guys and won't even play better players because he likes their personality more
    • pulling young guys after one mistake to mess with their confidence (Bertans)


    Bottom line is, they had all the tools and enough assets to contend for another 5 years minimum, but messed it up and are stuck in mediocrity now. I just hope the youth movement gets us back to contender status
    Last edited by RC_Drunkford; 10-22-2018 at 07:28 AM.

  2. #2
    Veteran NASpurs's Avatar
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    Ether and napalm from the heavens. Serious post of the year candidate.

  3. #3
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    Keeping Mills on the team instead of CoJo. And giving Parker the huge early contract extension.

  4. #4
    Veteran RC_Drunkford's Avatar
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    Keeping Mills on the team instead of CoJo. And giving Parker the huge early contract extension.
    I agree. Although signing Mills who came off the best season of his life in 2014 scoring 10 PPG in 19 min for 3.5 million per year is extremely good value. In hindsight they probably should've traded that contract for assets

  5. #5
    Veteran K...'s Avatar
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    Someone should tell pop to use hindsight more. Why he hasn't, I don't know. I've seen maybe people use hindsight to absolutely wreck arguments like a pro. You have to be a fool to take risks in basketball, it's much better to do what everyone else does and blame others for mistakes

  6. #6
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    not designing other wings to pair with kawhi (spurs have one of the best development systems), the league was really going by that way (of versatility) for at least three seasons

  7. #7
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    Also, I don't think we should have ever signed David West and instead got a legit 7-footer off the bench to pair for Diaw so both SL and bench had a stretch (LMA/Diaw) and traditional (Duncan/?) big. Turns out to have really cost us against OKC . . .

  8. #8
    Veteran RC_Drunkford's Avatar
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    Also, I don't think we should have ever signed David West and instead got a legit 7-footer off the bench to pair for Diaw so both SL and bench had a stretch (LMA/Diaw) and traditional (Duncan/?) big. Turns out to have really cost us against OKC . . .
    I think the West signing really messed with Diaw's motivation. He was basically useless after that and was still our secret weapon to beat the Dubs in 2015. To be fair if David West wants to sign with you for the minimum in 2015, you don't turn it down. It was too good of a deal. But I agree, we would've produced better results without him in the Playoffs.

  9. #9
    Club Rookie of The Year DJR210's Avatar
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    Interesting read tbh, thanks for compiling this. The Spurs are due for another TP/Manu/Kawhi diamond in the rough front office find, but they've really blown it lately other than a Dejounte Murray and potentially Derrick White.. You got the Warriors over here with Kevon Looney playing significant playoff minutes on 1.1 million dollar deals, and getting creative purchasing seconds rounders to draft serviceable role players, and the Spurs are pretty much wasting all of their second round picks yearly and keeping their late 1st rounders hidden in Austin or penciled in behind wash ups. Cutting Blossomgame was pretty surprising IMO.

  10. #10
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    [*]I hate to say it, but I agree with Stephen Jackson that Pop has his guys and won't even play better players because he likes their personality more
    I really agree with your entire post but this part in question is the most worrisome and something I've been thinking about for a long time, Greg will simply live and die with useless guys (or far below what the team needs for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball),even if it overwhelms your best players
    As someone said in another thread: the Spurs' big problem is when they fight against themselves, Pop is a genius as a coach, but FO decisions have been increasingly questionable

  11. #11
    Pronouns: Your/Dad TheGreatYacht's Avatar
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    Bold OP, timvp

  12. #12
    Still Sporting Ben Davis Allan Rowe vs Wade's Avatar
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    Zero. Point. Zero.

  13. #13
    Veteran superbigtime's Avatar
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    you don't need hindsight to know that the Mills and Gasol contracts were obvious mistakes. Yes Fk Kawhi, but not keeping this guy happy is ultimately PATFO's fault. Spurs are in a really bad position. It is going to be a rough season and likely more to come.

  14. #14
    Believe.
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    I completely agree

  15. #15
    Veteran Dverde's Avatar
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    I would agree with most. Not really fair doing the draft hindsights. Only fair when drafting in top 5 imo. They’ve done a decent job picking low.

  16. #16
    Veteran SpursDynasty85's Avatar
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    No matter how much I hate Gasol and Patty contracts, they were thank you contracts. They showed the league they always stick by their word. Patty signed at a super discount the years before got rewarded this time and Gasol opted out so they could get Rudy Gay and try to resign Jonathan Simmons. I think Cunningham can be given a little more slack. I think it will take time to adjust. He had a pretty good year last year and overall he has a decent jumpsuit. Pondexter wa risky but if he came along and got healthy he could've been a good veteran around the younger guys. I'm not sure why they ddint sign a SF after all these injuries to our gaurds but maybe it's because they are again keeping their word and had to sign the veterans to contracts. Hopefully other veterans want to come here to contend and extend their careers like Gay. Too bad the injury bug has been so severe the last 2 years.

    PATFO made mistakes for sure but we still will probably make the playoffs this year barring more injuries I believe.

  17. #17
    Veteran RGMCSE's Avatar
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    Pop has flat out said basketball doesn’t matter. He’s trying to be a daddy to these players instead of just focusing on winning basketball games. I love pop and everything he’s accomplished but the moment he started putting basketball secondary was the moment he should’ve retired. I understand where he’s coming from and I can respect it but the league passed him by while he’s focusing on social issues. Pop started shaping his ultimate legacy and sacrificed the product on the court to do so.

  18. #18
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
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    The last two offseasons they really threw the basketball out of bounds

  19. #19
    Veteran james evans's Avatar
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    whaaat? NO disagreements in this thread? For sure I thought some popovich supporters would have claimed all of the OP's post were lies.

  20. #20
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    I think the West signing really messed with Diaw's motivation. He was basically useless after that and was still our secret weapon to beat the Dubs in 2015. To be fair if David West wants to sign with you for the minimum in 2015, you don't turn it down. It was too good of a deal. But I agree, we would've produced better results without him in the Playoffs.
    Sure, you take him for the min, and the same with Lee. Still, neither is a 7-footer and or able to shoot the 3 consistently. We needed a legit back-up C that year and we get by OKC.

  21. #21
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
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    you don't need hindsight to know that the Mills and Gasol contracts were obvious mistakes. Yes Fk Kawhi, but not keeping this guy happy is ultimately PATFO's fault. Spurs are in a really bad position. It is going to be a rough season and likely more to come.
    Both signings were heavily criticized at the time.

    Its not even mentioned that b4 Kawhi “felt uncomfortable” with the FO, Lamarcus also wanted to leave.

    I have wondered what has happened lately to cause so much player dissafection.

    Sure everyone points to Kawhi but b4 him was LMA wanting to leave, Dedmon looking out as a FA, JSimms asking to be released from his RFA status with his agent boldly declaring they were looking at offers elsewhere b4 he signed with the Magic. The Spurs are secretive and Pop is sarcastic with media and keeps family business in house. These are just things that have come out in spite of their CIA secrecy approach. I still admire Pop the coach but I have questions about the FO and the medical staff (Danny played with a torn groin and didn’t get followed up properly until the end of the season...). They haven’t been great.

  22. #22
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    I agree. Although signing Mills who came off the best season of his life in 2014 scoring 10 PPG in 19 min for 3.5 million per year is extremely good value. In hindsight they probably should've traded that contract for assets
    His contract doesn't look so bad now after looking the numbers on the Marcus Smart contract. He played really well in 2016-2017. Not sure what happened after he got the new contract. If he's not getting at least 3 assists a game and shooting 40%+ from 3 then, well . . .

  23. #23
    Veteran RD2191's Avatar
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    PATFO is overrated tbh. They've made plenty of mistakes and have definitely fallen behind other front offices. The real stability behind this organization was Tim Duncan.

  24. #24
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
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    I would agree with most. Not really fair doing the draft hindsights. Only fair when drafting in top 5 imo. They’ve done a decent job picking low.
    That’s true about the draft. I have pointed this out b4 and have little desire to debate about Anderson who I liked as a player but Jokic was really an unmotivated teen who by his own admission wasn’t great and very out of shape at the time. He wasn’t some prospect that anyone at the time thought of a must have.

    They have drafted ok considering the late drafts. Also Kyle turned out an NBA player, not someone like Livio who never played a game or Milutinov who hasn’t played a game and may not ever at the rate things are developing with him.

  25. #25
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    I think in general though, Spurs have drafted well and each of their big $$$ FA signings (LMA, Gasol, Gay) have been great. I get what people say about Gasol making too much money but I still think he's very important to this team and is a net plus.

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