Anti-Spur haters love to drop that but they usually don't say why?
I have heard that for years and to me it is an inability to win the big game or series. The Spurs have proven they could do that. I also think that if you have what it takes to even make it at the NBA level you have to possess a certain toughness that very few have.
So what is it?
Is it a lack of thuggery? Not enough tattoos? Not enough headbands?
I think that was a perception that was hung on the Spurs franchise before 1999 because they had not proven they could win the le....that has since changed but people still hold on to it for lack of better things to do or lack of the mental ability to come up with a legit gripe and hold on to the old one despite not being true (much like the Jacksonian Asterisk).
So what makes a team soft?
Yes. Players who do not physically intimidate their opponents, and who can be intimidated by their opponents, are soft.
Bruce Bowen may be dirty, but the only player on your team who is willing to throw his opponent to the ground to send a message is Robert Horry, who I'm guessing doesn't get much playing time these days.
A team does not have to be bad defensively to be soft.
softness has nothing to do with tattoos, headbands or thuggery. a team a soft if it has a porous defense. a team is soft if it does not have the intestinal for ude to go for blood anytime they have a team down. a team is soft if it is unwilling to deliver a hard foul every now and again to send a message saying that this painted area is my house and you cannot come in here and leave unscathed. a team is soft if it shies away from physicality. a team is soft if the expect the refs to bail them out on every unsuccessful foray into the paint instead of playing through til you hear the whistle.
i could go on and on. but your attempt to connect it with headbands and tattoos is way off base.
So then a willingness to compromise the rules denotes not being soft?Yes. Players who do not physically intimidate their opponents, and who can be intimidated by their opponents, are soft.
The inability to play a physical style of game. Soft teams usually embody the following characteristics: poor rebounding, poor shotblocking and allow teams to shoot a higher than average FG%. Overall they're not very good defensive teams.
to me soft, is a team that lets themselves get pushed around on the court, outrebounded, poor defense, afraid to penetrate and doesn't make clutch shots. In other words, the way the mavs used to be a couple of years ago.
softness has nothing to do with tattoos, headbands or thuggery. a team a soft if it has a porous defense. a team is soft if it does not have the intestinal for ude to go for blood anytime they have a team down. a team is soft if it is unwilling to deliver a hard foul every now and again to send a message saying that this painted area is my house and you cannot come in here and leave unscathed. a team is soft if it shies away from physicality. a team is soft if the expect the refs to bail them out on every unsuccessful foray into the paint instead of playing through til you hear the whistle.
i could go on and on. but your attempt to connect it with headbands and tattoos is way off base
Show me where I connected those things to being soft.
I didn't say that because a team doesn't have tattoos or headbands that they were soft....I was asking opinions of others and if that is what they think makes a team soft.
Nice way to pin something on me I didn't say.
What if that style of play is not condusive to team success?The inability to play a physical style of game.
you're right. it was the implied meaning that a tough team has to have a thuggish image, or wear headbands or have tattoos that i didn't like. the spurs can be tough and have been tough without any of that. one doesn't have to portray the image you painted to be tough.
a nonphysical style of play will never get you a championship. Ever. Tell me 1 nonphysical team that won the trophy
A team can be mentally soft.. lack the killer instinct.. lack mental toughness, let other teams come into your house and take games away from you..
Houston?
u kiddin right?
Dude...relax...its not personal.a nonphysical style of play will never get you a championship. Ever. Tell me 1 nonphysical team that won the trophy
Although the Spurs have never been accused of being a physical team and the Lakers of the 80's were known as a finesse team. (although they could drop the hammer when needed)
I do see what you are saying though and I agree with you. I was merely playing devil's advocate.
I agree with that...in fact I think the Spurs were guilty of that up until 1999.A team can be mentally soft.. lack the killer instinct.. lack mental toughness, let other teams come into your house and take games away from you..
I was not trying to paint a picture.....I was asking questions. Again I was NOT saying what I thought....I was asking what OTHERS thought. SOME fans tend to equate things like that with toughness. I was trying to ASK if those perceptions are still held by some.you're right. it was the implied meaning that a tough team has to have a thuggish image, or wear headbands or have tattoos that i didn't like. the spurs can be tough and have been tough without any of that. one doesn't have to portray the image you painted to be tough.
good point. I think mental toughness is more important than physical toughness.
That's more or less how I define soft. I think it's more mental then physical. Though I also think a soft team gets pushed around physically -- bodied up, dislodged from their position, etc.
What you mean by physical?
IMO Detroit (all 3), Lakers (80), Celtics (all), Knicks (90) were phisical.
Not teams like Chicago - mosty playing with finese
True.....more often than not the Smarter team wins games.good point. I think mental toughness is more important than physical toughness.
that's fair, mate. no worries over here. i'm all for intelligent discussions.
someone mentioned mental toughness. those teams up there might have been more mentally tough.
You was talking about phisycal, now you changed it to mental?
It was always mental! (about the softness)
Being soft to me is not becoming indignant and reactive when you are challenged. It's playing below your talent level and not taking ownership of a situation.
In a nuts - soft is the polar opposite of Robert Horry when Rasheed left hm open. It is the absense of the whole " Let me remind you of who I am" mentallity.
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