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Meh. If I could sage you, I'd do so.
According to Charley Rosen and I fully agree, The Spurs are not going far this postseason...
Here is the article Read and Weep!
Spurs' blowout loss leaves gaping questions
Game Time: Jazz 90, Spurs 64
In years past, the Spurs have stepped-up their often ho-hum regular-season performances into a full-bore playoff mode during their annual rodeo road trip, which usually takes place after the All-Star game. But this year, they've waited until late-March to step on the gas — winning eight straight before getting pounded by the Jazz.
Was the humiliating defeat merely an aberration for the defending champs? Or did the game reveal any potentially fatal flaws in the Spurs game plan?
Here's what happened:
OFFENSE
The Jazz swarmed to the middle on virtually every ball-penetration. Only Tony Parker was able to find the hoop (often in sensational style) on his drives — 7-14, four assists, 17 points. Otherwise, every interior shot was challenged — many of them successfully.
In all the Spurs missed nine layups — two each by Parker, Eme Udoka, and Manu Ginobili, and one each by Fabricio Oberto, Jacque Vaughn, and Kurt Thomas. That adds up to 18 squandered points that would certainly have made a difference in the outcome.
San Antonio's mid-range game was good enough to win — 11-24 — but their 3-point shooting was atrocious — 2-12 — and their interior scoring was unsteady. For the game, they shot a collective 36.4%.
In addition to collapsing in the middle, the Jazz also slipped a defender into the direct-line passing lanes. That's primarily why Utah came up with 10 steals.
By scrambling on defense, the Jazz likewise forced the Spurs to uptempo their half-court offense — a pace that was obviously out of the visitors' comfort zone.
Oberto, in particular, was a victim of the speeded-up tempo — 0-1, no points, three turnovers. As was Michael Finley — 1-4, two points.
I've been insisting all season that the best way to contain Tim Duncan is to double him late, i.e., when he puts the ball on the floor — which is exactly what Utah did. As a result, TD was often forced to shoot in a crowd and wound up with only 6-12, one assist, and 15 points, to go with three turnovers.
Ronnie Price and Andrei Kirilenko both did admirable jobs of denying Ginobili, thereby limiting the Spurs' go-to scorer to 2-12, one assist, and eight points, while also inducing two turnovers.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of Utah's smothering defense was its physicality. Cutters were bumped, bodies collided, and unavoidable fouls were committed with bone-to-bone ferocity.
What with the quickened pace and the routine banging, San Antonio's precision offense simply broke down — especially in the 2nd half. A measure of this was the fact that the Spurs recorded only eight assists on their 24 buckets.
DEFENSE
The Jazz were just as physical on offense, nailing defenders on brutal screens, taking advantage of every switch by being extremely aggressive in post-ups. For example, Kyle Korver versus Parker, Kirilenko versus Finley, and Matt Harpring versus everybody.
The Spurs concentrated so much on trying to contain screen/rolls (and did achieve a modi of success here) that their strong-side wings cheated toward the S/R action. Unfortunately for the Spurs, these roving wings were caught out of position with snappy passes and their Utah counterparts wound up with wide-open shots. That, along with some screen/pops, was why the Jazz shot a sizzling 10-18 from beyond the arc.
Also, whenever the Spurs two-timed Boozer, the Jazz moved the ball much quicker than the defense could recover, ergo, even more open shots for Utah.
Utah's constant off-the-ball movement also caught the Spurs unprepared.
The Spurs did a poor job of controlling their defensive boards. The Jazz battled their way to 11 offensive rebounds, which included four put-backs.
Kurt Thomas showed that he's not nearly as effective defending face-up scorers as he is in guarding post-up scorers. Indeed, it looks like he's lost a half-step in his lateral movement.
While Parker was too weak to contain Deron Williams, Bruce Bowen was too slow — especially in navigating his way around screens.
In fact, the only reliable defense offered by any of the Spurs was provided by TD, who single-handedly clogged the middle (3 blocks), and stymied most of Boozer's attempts to score in the shadow of the basket.
So, then, what to make of this game?
Jerry Sloan clearly out-coached Gregg Popovich, which makes any subsequent rematches in the playoffs that much more intriguing.
The Jazz are well-nigh unbeatable at home against any opponents.
The Spurs must make their perimeter shots to open up the middle for Duncan.
The Spurs must control the tempo and trump quick, aggressive defenses with slicker passwork (and better passing angles), better screens (some back-screens would soften ball-denial defenders), more back-cuts, and more efficient rotations when TD is two-timed down low.
Moreover, the defending champs will be also-rans if they can't improve their perimeter defense.
Nor can the Spurs afford to be bullied in the paint.
If the Jazz can play with the same consistent intensity on the road as they generally do at home, they'll have as good a chance as anybody to survive the conference playoffs.
On the other hand, the lop-sided defeat suddenly puts the Spurs in a crisis mode.0 With only eight games left, there may be enough time to make the necessary adjustments and get their game plan back in gear.
Or maybe not.
Meh. If I could sage you, I'd do so.
shut up fat boy!
Mmm...nah.
Rosen in 2005:
Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a streaky shooter, a slasher, an aggressive scorer in the low post and a springy rebounder. He's also the best defender on the squad. He needs to play.
It must really bug the out of you knowing that the Spurs can lose to the likes of Utah , which encourages the out of Sun's fans, but when it comes to a Suns/Spurs match up we will kick the crap out of the Suns. It's signs like these that goad you into thinking that the Spurs are washed up. Guess what? YOU WISH!! Utah plays a football style basketball just like the Spurs, but why sacrifice our players for the sake of a regular season game. Pop didn't want the team to get abused especially when Utah really wanted this game. Trouble is, you'd really love to believe the Spurs are "washed up" but you are not convinced.
I tell you that it's O.K. to think that way because that how the Spurs are. Even you know this to be true. It's quite alright to feel hope. You want the Spurs to tank. You want the Spurs to lose in the first round. You are on the other side of the fence and do not see the things we do. So go ahead and say it... "San Antonio fans are the luckiest bas s in the world."
Really Louis -- is this how you thought your life was going to turn out?
No one should base the outcome of an entire season and playoffs that have yet to start on a single game.
Rosen has valid points I don't know why you people fail to realize that!
No, yes.
Yes.
Tariq Abdul-Wahad needs to play.
What does he has to do with the Spurs??
Read the article before you post your usual nonsense...
wow.
calling the kettle black?
I did read the Rosen article about Tariq Abdul-Wahad from 2005.
Didn't have to read anything he's written since.
Princess Pimp get a ing life you idiot and go cheer for your team who has never won jack .
Rosen was WAY off:
Fab missed 3 layups.
and how does Fab do in the playoffs?
Enough said.
The Spurs blowout happened because the Spurs went in there y and short, lazy and stupid. It happens after win streaks sometimes. End story.
What, no alter-egos to throw at us today, Louis?
You're slipping, man. Shape up.
Yes, I'm hitting the panic button as I type this
That is alot of work you put into for one game...
Charley Rosen?
I did not get to watch the game, but it sounds like the Spurs simply had a bad game. Like Pop has said in the past, these men are not robots, they are human and they are going to have bad games. I mean, the West is insane this year. Each series is going to be like a WCF matchup. Sure, the playoffs are going to be tough, but we do have the greatest power forward to ever step on the court, and he hates losing. Go Spurs Go!
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