The Spurs #1 tactical problem in the playoffs

[ShoogarBear]

What will be the chief X/O issue for the Spurs?

[TDMVPDPOY]

hittin jumpers for sure, teams will be daring us to shoot from the half court, the bench, from home.

[ShoogarBear]

I voted interior defense. Guarding the paint is still the core of Spurs basketball, and if they do that, they can be ugly as and still win. The slippage in interior defense is what has me the most worried.

[Old School Chic]

My vote goes for Bench rotations

[polandprzem]

Well I voted for the permieter defense. But I'm thinking defens as all.
Pop says they still have got problems with the intesity in defense and in playoffs there is no easy life.
Spurs can hit the outside shots and FT was always a problem but the key is defense.
You put the poll and asks about all the playoffs. It's dificult to say what will be the problem cause evey tema has diferent players and diferent strategy.

Also the concern is Rebounding, and it is a part of the D as well, so the spurs must to pick the D up and I will be more sure about their performance in the playoffs

[tlongII]

I voted interior defense. Guarding the paint is still the core of Spurs basketball, and if they do that, they can be ugly as and still win. The slippage in interior defense is what has me the most worried.

I agree. The slippage can be explained in two words...plantar fasciitas.

[CubanMustGo]

We only get to pick one?

Interior D for me. Way too many layups given up this year.

[Solid D]

Please add:
Defending the pick and roll

[spurster]

When the Spurs have lost big, there has usually been a big difference in rebounds.

[sa_butta]

I voted for perimeter defense, but also beleive that interior D is just as important.

[ShoogarBear]

Please add:
Defending the pick and roll

Yeah, that's a good one. Unfortunately the choices max out at 10. I would pick "perimeter defense" for that.

[boutons_]

Interior defense, aka, Tim Duncan.
Nazr is useless defending the paint.
Almost all offensive plus from Nazr is cancelled by his defensive minus.

Rebounding. While the Spurs have had some horrendous RBs losses, SA is 11th in RB diff with +0.81, while Pistons are 16th with -0.15. But we all remember how Pistons destroyed Spurs on RBs in both blowouts. Other teams have badly outrebounded Spurs.

3G defense, SA was 1st last year, only 4th this year while DET is first, DET is also second in 3G%.

3G offense. SA is quite dependent on making 3Gs. If Mavs or Pistons manage to shutdown their paint, Spurs will have to hit their jumpers.

[Old School Chic]

Cute Bear

[T-Pain]

im suprised free throws arent considered an issue to many

[pache100]

im suprised free throws arent considered an issue to many

It is a problem, and will probably be a bigger problem in the playoffs when the play gets a little rougher and fewer fouls are called (the points may be needed more). But...then again...we have gotten this far with ty free throwing...so who knows?

[Pistons < Spurs]

1. Interior D
2. Rebounding
3. Perimeter D
4. Ball Movement
5. TO's
6. Free Throws

[ShoogarBear]

I would go with:
1. Interior D
2. Rebounding
3. Free Throw Attempts
4. Turnovers

If the Spurs interior D is on, if they aren't giving up offensive rebounds, if they are being more aggressive in the paint, and if they aren't turning the ball over, they will beat anyone (unless the other team is unconscious from outside). It may not be pretty, but they will win.

[50 cent]

Shooting. If they wouldn't have shot 37% the other night while allowing 52% to the Mavs, they would have won the game.

[ShoogarBear]

Shooting. If they wouldn't have shot 37% the other night while allowing 52% to the Mavs, they would have won the game.

I could argue (and I suspect Pop would agree), if they hadn't allowed 52% shooting, they could have shot 37% and still won.

[leemajors]

good or decent shooting can make up for a lot of mistakes.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I think it's going to be a tie between interior D and rebounding, because I figure the Spurs don't seem to be able to do both well. So it's going to be a matter of protecting the paint well enough to compensate for rebounding or vice versa. It's essentially the Rasho vs. Nazr debate on a bigger level.

[Athenea]

Interior D and ball movement for me. Can't vote for both

[myhc]

I think the 2 biggest will be rebounding and hitting our outside jumpers. The rebounding issue has been addressed. Since teams will be clogging the lane to stop penetration by Manu and Tony, it's going to be up to guys like Finley, Bowen, and Van Exel to stick the jumpers.

[SAGambler]

Well, I was torn between rebounding and free throw shooting.

The roubounding can improve. I'm not sure the free throws can.

[CharlieMac]

Tough call. I selected hitting jumpers simply because they have a tendency to go thorugh these long offensive droughts at times.