What happened to Spurs? Tied with Memphis in Series 2-2

[sp6r=underrated]

Popovich might be the greatest coach ever as strategist and player development in basketball history. He is not the greatest tactician in basketball history.

[Dr Positivity]

Is Manu like Kidd his last series with the Knicks where the gas tank just hit E?

[K_chile22]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

[K_chile22]

Is Manu like Kidd his last series with the Knicks where the gas tank just hit E?

Didn't Manu look like this last postseason too?

[Patches Perry]

Grizzlies are just a tough out. They don't see themselves as inferior, and feel like they can out-execute you.

[Dr Positivity]

Is Manu like Kidd his last series with the Knicks where the gas tank just hit E?

Didn't Manu look like this last postseason too?

Not like this. Manu has four straight 0 point games on 0-15 this posteason

[E-Balla]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

Uncomfortable? The reason they're a tough out is they destroy teams that go small. Always have. 2 post scorers aren't getting run off the floor they'll just take the easy 2 every time down the floor.

[Colbinii]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

This is a great theory, but I don't think this is correct.

First, no team makes the Grizzlies uncomfortable. That is what makes them special, and has since 2011. Z-Bo and Gasol are like brothers on the court, and their size is something that has made other teams uncomfortable, especially in the "small ball era". The issue with the Grizzles has never been being "stretched too thin" by being forced to go small, the issue is they get slaughtered because their 1-3 have been inferior to their opponents.

2011: Westbrook/Durant/Harden completely outclass Conley/Mayo/Allen (7 game series)
2012: CP3/N Young/Mo Williams outclass Gay/Conley/Mayo/Allen (7 game series)
2013: Parker/Ginobili/Green outclass Conley/Bayless/Allen (4-0 Sweep from one of the best teams ever)
2014: Durant/Westbrook outclass Conley/Allen/Lee (7 game series, Z-Bo misses 1 game)

The list goes on and on. The Grizzles aren't getting stretched "too thin" because the reason you stated. The Grizzles simply haven't had perimeter players who have been able to be trusted late in games. Tony Allen is a fantastic player, but he is the last player you want taking shots in the clutch.

[E-Balla]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

This is a great theory, but I don't think this is correct.

First, no team makes the Grizzlies uncomfortable. That is what makes them special, and has since 2011. Z-Bo and Gasol are like brothers on the court, and their size is something that has made other teams uncomfortable, especially in the "small ball era". The issue with the Grizzles has never been being "stretched too thin" by being forced to go small, the issue is they get slaughtered because their 1-3 have been inferior to their opponents.

2011: Westbrook/Durant/Harden completely outclass Conley/Mayo/Allen (7 game series)
2012: CP3/N Young/Mo Williams outclass Gay/Conley/Mayo/Allen (7 game series)
2013: Parker/Ginobili/Green outclass Conley/Bayless/Allen (4-0 Sweep from one of the best teams ever)
2014: Durant/Westbrook outclass Conley/Allen/Lee (7 game series, Z-Bo misses 1 game)

The list goes on and on. The Grizzles aren't getting stretched "too thin" because the reason you stated. The Grizzles simply haven't had perimeter players who have been able to be trusted late in games. Tony Allen is a fantastic player, but he is the last player you want taking shots in the clutch.

Yep. I remember we had a thread before about peak VC and S Jack being added to Memphis and I was saying I think that's the NBA champion. Their only issue has been wing scoring and its a serious issue. Late in games Conley prefers to defer and no one else can score but there's a reason they always go to 7 with "contenders".

[K_chile22]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

Uncomfortable? The reason they're a tough out is they destroy teams that go small. Always have. 2 post scorers aren't getting run off the floor they'll just take the easy 2 every time down the floor.

Meh, we shall see, if they get out of this round. Zbo and Marc aren't getting any younger. I'll trade wide open 3s and layups because zbo can't defend Green, Manu, and especially not Kawhi, for double teamed post ups, because the Grizz don't have the shooting to make you pay for a double.

[E-Balla]

Spurs are one of 2 teams that don't make the Grizzlies uncomfortable. The Grizzlies can play 2 bigs with no problem all series and not get stretched out too thin.
They don't have the wings to play small, but Pop won't go small when he should, just like last year when he let Kanter feast on them when playing Kawhi at 4 would've ran him off the floor

Edit: Just looked, NBA.com has the Spurs at 4 total minute without 2 bigs on the floor, and 0 minutes with Kawhi on and only one big. The Spurs can go small easily. They have the personnel. A Mills-Manu-Green-Kawhi-LMA lineup would run ZBo off the floor and stretch Gasol thin on defense. The Grizzlies don't. Not making ZBo guard in space is a mistake. Wonder why Pop hates going small so much.

Uncomfortable? The reason they're a tough out is they destroy teams that go small. Always have. 2 post scorers aren't getting run off the floor they'll just take the easy 2 every time down the floor.

Meh, we shall see, if they get out of this round. Zbo and Marc aren't getting any younger. I'll trade wide open 3s and layups because zbo can't defend Green, Manu, and especially not Kawhi, for double teamed post ups, because the Grizz don't have the shooting to make you pay for a double.

The Grizz were average in 3 point shooting and Marc (39%), Conley (41%), Green (38%), Vince (38%), and Troy (39%) can all make you pay.

[K_chile22]

Uncomfortable? The reason they're a tough out is they destroy teams that go small. Always have. 2 post scorers aren't getting run off the floor they'll just take the easy 2 every time down the floor.

Meh, we shall see, if they get out of this round. Zbo and Marc aren't getting any younger. I'll trade wide open 3s and layups because zbo can't defend Green, Manu, and especially not Kawhi, for double teamed post ups, because the Grizz don't have the shooting to make you pay for a double.

The Grizz were average in 3 point shooting and Marc (39%), Conley (41%), Green (38%), Vince (38%), and Troy (39%) can all make you pay.

It only takes one Wayne Seldon or another big for an easy double.

Also, Green and Marc have good percentages but they aren't super floor spacers, they shoot slow enough and seldom enough to allow you to rotate and get a contest in time. Conley, Vince, and Troy are the only guys I'm scared of leaving. If Green shoots you out of the game, you shake his hand and say 'good game' lol They are what I like to call "Ariza floor spacers" shoot a decent percentage, but don't actual;ly stretch defenses out much because they're easy to help from

I may very well be wrong, but it's what I would do.

[GSP]

Kawhi was +18 in 44 minutes. In the other 9 minutes in the game when Kawhi sat, the Spurs were -20. That's just horrific and not emblematic of who they were all season when they could play without Kawhi out there. It's clear in the playoffs though that Kawhi has to play huge minutes for them to have a chance against elite teams let alone Memphis.

Or maybe everybody that kept underrating Kawhi on this board by insisting he had a stacked roster were full of crap? Zach Lowe already debunked this myth about Kawhi's "great team" a while back:

Dewayne Dedmon starts for the Spurs. Tony Parker just wrapped his worst season since he was a rookie. LaMarcus Aldridge dropped off across the board, and Danny Green is Danny Green -- a nice fourth or fifth option. This does not profile as a 60-plus win team, or a lethal scoring outfit.

Aldridge is the second star, but the Spurs managed just 99.6 points per 100 possessions (and a negative scoring margin) in the 423 minutes he played without Leonard -- worse than any team's offense.

Some numbers from the playoffs to back this up:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

"Great supporting cast"

Wonder if therealbig3 is gonna post to remind us how great the Spurs roster is and how much better Jimmy Butler is than Kawhi.

Curious what u think of the supporting cast now?

[homecourtloss]

Kawhi was +18 in 44 minutes. In the other 9 minutes in the game when Kawhi sat, the Spurs were -20. That's just horrific and not emblematic of who they were all season when they could play without Kawhi out there. It's clear in the playoffs though that Kawhi has to play huge minutes for them to have a chance against elite teams let alone Memphis.

Or maybe everybody that kept underrating Kawhi on this board by insisting he had a stacked roster were full of crap? Zach Lowe already debunked this myth about Kawhi's "great team" a while back:

Dewayne Dedmon starts for the Spurs. Tony Parker just wrapped his worst season since he was a rookie. LaMarcus Aldridge dropped off across the board, and Danny Green is Danny Green -- a nice fourth or fifth option. This does not profile as a 60-plus win team, or a lethal scoring outfit.

Aldridge is the second star, but the Spurs managed just 99.6 points per 100 possessions (and a negative scoring margin) in the 423 minutes he played without Leonard -- worse than any team's offense.

Some numbers from the playoffs to back this up:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

"Great supporting cast"

Wonder if therealbig3 is gonna post to remind us how great the Spurs roster is and how much better Jimmy Butler is than Kawhi.

Curious what u think of the supporting cast now?

Was just about to post this. There's a reason Kawhi's ON-OFF numbers are what they are. The Spurs are incredibly deep with no real bad players.