I realize it's moot, but had they retained s bag, they could have won the championship

[TD 21]

For the purposes of this, I'm going to presume Murray still tears his ACL and Gasol is still on the team, so the rotation would have been . . .

Gay/Bertans
S bag/Belinelli
Aldridge/Gasol
Green/Forbes
White/Mills

- Maybe Gasol starts over Gay at times, but when it counts most, Gasol backs up Aldridge, Forbes plays spot minutes and Mills, Forbes, Belinelli never play a meaningful second together.

- Presuming relative health, they probably cruise to the 1 seed.

- S bag's decision making still would have given me some pause, but White's emergence would have made it less important.

- Vulnerability is relative, but it's been clear for a while that a combination of fatigue, deteriorating chemistry and lack of depth has stripped the Warriors of their air of invincibility and fear factor.

- In typical Warrior fashion, even when they lose, they win though because for the first time in recent memory, the league lacks another team that looks the part of a championship caliber one. Only the Bucks hit many of the statistical thresholds, but they lack experience and pedigree, a typical 2nd best player for one and now have a key injury.

[slick'81]

I would assume murray was healthy and maybe white doesnt emerge

[SpurPadre]

For the purposes of this, I'm going to presume Murray still tears his ACL and Gasol is still on the team, so the rotation would have been . . .

Gay/Bertans
S bag/Belinelli
Aldridge/Gasol
Green/Forbes
White/Mills

- Maybe Gasol starts over Gay at times, but when it counts most, Gasol backs up Aldridge, Forbes plays spot minutes and Mills, Forbes, Belinelli never play a meaningful second together.

- Presuming relative health, they probably cruise to the 1 seed.

- S bag's decision making still would have given me some pause, but White's emergence would have made it less important.

- Vulnerability is relative, but it's been clear for a while that a combination of fatigue, deteriorating chemistry and lack of depth has stripped the Warriors of their air of invincibility and fear factor.

- In typical Warrior fashion, even when they lose, they win though because for the first time in recent memory, the league lacks another team that looks the part of a championship caliber one. Only the Bucks hit many of the statistical thresholds, but they lack experience and pedigree, a typical 2nd best player for one and now have a key injury.

Load Management would've missed more games under Pop this season than the load she's already refused to play for Toronto. That would've perpetuated the poor locker room morale from last season. No, keeping Load Management would've self-imploded the season by now, tbh.

[sananspursfan21]

Wrong. We wouldn’t have Poeltl.

[Spurtacular]

Are we assuming Kawhi doesn't tank it like the season prior?

[daslicer]

Felt like that last year if #2 played.

[spurraider21]

For the purposes of this, I'm going to presume Murray still tears his ACL and Gasol is still on the team, so the rotation would have been . . .

Gay/Bertans
S bag/Belinelli
Aldridge/Gasol
Green/Forbes
White/Mills

- Maybe Gasol starts over Gay at times, but when it counts most, Gasol backs up Aldridge, Forbes plays spot minutes and Mills, Forbes, Belinelli never play a meaningful second together.

- Presuming relative health, they probably cruise to the 1 seed.

- S bag's decision making still would have given me some pause, but White's emergence would have made it less important.

- Vulnerability is relative, but it's been clear for a while that a combination of fatigue, deteriorating chemistry and lack of depth has stripped the Warriors of their air of invincibility and fear factor.

- In typical Warrior fashion, even when they lose, they win though because for the first time in recent memory, the league lacks another team that looks the part of a championship caliber one. Only the Bucks hit many of the statistical thresholds, but they lack experience and pedigree, a typical 2nd best player for one and now have a key injury.

so this team with kawhi would have won a championship this season? well only if PATFO didnt listen to you and

- make "significant personnel changes" because we absolutely needed them - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272705
- get rid of pop because he is "beyond done" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272676
- rebuild because other than kawhi's injury, "there were other reasons that have been festering beneath the surface in recent seasons and finally caught up to them" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272598


tl;dr

you last year: we need to make radical changes to our roster and coaching staff because this team is flawed and declining
you this year: if we made no changes to our roster and coaching staff we'd have won the championship this year

[TD 21]

As I said, White's emergence, significantly more 3-point shooting in the rotation and most importantly, the relative fall of the Warriors and lack of another prototypical championship team, changed the calculus, genius.


If not significant personnel changes, they at least need to do what the Raptors termed a "culture reset" after last season. Play maker or not, they have to move away from this slow, post up/mid ranger heavy, 3 phobic offense.

White has given them the needed play maker, they're still slow but play with more pace (specifically the bench) and though they still don't shoot enough 3s, they have a lot more shooting in the rotation.

Pop is beyond finished.

Him being forced to play White, Bertans and Poeltl significant minutes hasn't changed this.

there were other reasons that have been festering beneath the surface in recent season and finally caught up to them

Again, White has given them the needed play maker, they're still slow but play with more pace (specifically the bench) and though they still don't shoot enough 3s, they have a lot more shooting in the rotation.

[apalisoc_9]

Yeah. 62 Win spurs team can probably win.

I'm hoping for a spurs vs Raps finals lol.

[Mr. Body]

Kawhi ed the franchise hard.

[spurraider21]

TD21 was right even when he was wrong

lol

[JeffDuncan]

I live in Kawhi Leonard's rectum.

How cozy.

I'm kinda more interested in the Spurs, myself, but each to his own.

[benefactor]

so this team with kawhi would have won a championship this season? well only if PATFO didnt listen to you and

- make "significant personnel changes" because we absolutely needed them - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272705
- get rid of pop because he is "beyond done" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272676
- rebuild because other than kawhi's injury, "there were other reasons that have been festering beneath the surface in recent seasons and finally caught up to them" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272598


tl;dr

you last year: we need to make radical changes to our roster and coaching staff because this team is flawed and declining
you this year: if we made no changes to our roster and coaching staff we'd have won the championship this year

...I've been calling out this got for years. He's a whiny that masquerades as a decent poster. His takes are like lipstick on Leslie Joiner Dudley tbh.

[monty4329]

It was obviously an untenable situation. Nephew wasn't going to go back into that locker room and be welcomed. No way we win more games than last year.

[exstatic]

Return from injury management
Load management

[Dex]

Yes, if everything would different, things would probably not be the same.

[J_Paco]

I swear, TD21's smug, "know-it-all" schtick is on par with the whining, y trolling of the "Kawhi Ball Sucking Crew" and Hoop Czar.

It would be awesome if the all logged off and took a long trip off a short pier.......

[coachmac87]

It’s what the apologist have been saying since they got Zaza’d....

But this got and a few others refused to admit it because they have an “ego”...

Same gots who talk about Pop...yet they think they’re the accomplished ones cause they can give their pathetic 2 cents on a sports forum.

ing losers TBH

[picnroll]

Rather have Poeltl and Derozan. Otherwise Pop would have to lean in Gasol.

[cool cat]

Felt like that last year if #2 played.

Yep, he would have probably won the MVP as well.

[Spursfanfromafar]

OP - Gutless worm who has been proven wrong again and again and again. And yet struts around here..

[Rosewood]

There's nothing Spurs could have done, his Uncle/Manager had his mind made up about LA.

[Proxy]

so this team with kawhi would have won a championship this season? well only if PATFO didnt listen to you and

- make "significant personnel changes" because we absolutely needed them - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272705
- get rid of pop because he is "beyond done" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272676
- rebuild because other than kawhi's injury, "there were other reasons that have been festering beneath the surface in recent seasons and finally caught up to them" - https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=272598


tl;dr

you last year: we need to make radical changes to our roster and coaching staff because this team is flawed and declining
you this year: if we made no changes to our roster and coaching staff we'd have won the championship this year

[Seventyniner]

I swear, TD21's smug, "know-it-all" schtick is on par with the whining, y trolling of the "Kawhi Ball Sucking Crew" and Hoop Czar.

It would be awesome if the all logged off and took a long trip off a short pier.......

This site needs an option to hide quotes from ignored posters. Then it would be like they don't even exist.

[spurraider21]

...I've been calling out this got for years. He's a whiny that masquerades as a decent poster. His takes are like lipstick on Leslie Joiner Dudley tbh.

i've asked timvp/kori to change his name to RJ 24

much more fitting