GT: Spurs vs. Lakers

[Nolan]

When: 8:30 PM MT Feb 19th 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles CA

After that sad performance against the Clippers last night we need a bounce back win and a big one.

Sounds like Kawhi won't be playing in this one so Tony and LMA need to step up and have big games.

Go Spurs!!

[imagump1313]

Here's where my head is at:
If we lose I'll be pissed, If we win, whoopie to beating a crappy team. Its a lose, lose.... I'll be happy when we play like a team that could win a playoff series which hasn't happened all year. I really don't have confidence we could beat anyone right now in a series. (well, maybe Houston LOL)

[Nolan]

Here's where my head is at:
If we lose I'll be pissed, If we win, whoopie to beating a crappy team. Its a lose, lose.... I'll be happy when we play like a team that could win a playoff series which hasn't happened all year. I really don't have confidence we could beat anyone right now in a series. (well, maybe Houston LOL)

I'm with you man. We're winning the games we're supposed to and limping through games against competitive teams. The defense is amazing but our offense really worries me.

[imagump1313]

Agreed

Clippers lost by 19. (turnovers everywhere, no defense, even less scoring)
Cleveland lost by 14 (turnovers, no defense, soft, game wasn't competitive as final score)
Warriors lost by 30 (turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, unable to defend anyone, can't score, jail sexed)

All 3 of those losses you could pretty much tell 5 minutes into the game we had no chance of winning. I could be wrong but I don't remember any games where we have come from behind and won this year. We either blow a lesser team out and coast or we hold on and win games we have leads in all game at the end. This is a concerning trend to me. When things aren't going well for this team (playoff basketball) who is going to step up?

Anyway, that's for another thread. I hope we can take care of the basketball for a change tonight and get some guys some work with Kawhi and Manu out.

[Phreak50]

This offense is exactly what you said yesterday, weak.

Too unselfish, too cocky with the extra pass and just no hard nosed attack whatsoever. This doesn't get it done during crunch time in the playoffs.

[Phreak50]

Anderson should be embarrassed. Kobe leaving him wide, WIDE open and he is passing it away.

[Phreak50]

If it wasn't for Mills and Parker we would have lost that game. Lost to one of the worst teams in the game.

7-14 on offense means nothing for Kyle Anderson today, he is such a big liability on defense. Can't keep up with a near 40 year old in terms of speed and can't use his size and arm length advantage because he can't elevate.

Then you have almost a 4 on 5 offense with him on the perimeter. (Which at times was really a 3 on 5 offense with Danny Green being invisible again).

Wins aside, this team has so much to fix if they want to compete against the elite come playoff time and I don't think we can just expect them to use their experience and just flip the switch.

[imagump1313]

I caught the 4th quarter so I can't comment on the rest of the game. If it wasn't for the Lakers force feeding Bryant to try the win the game by himself (which I think is a marketing thing by them since they have nothing else to play for) we might have lost it also.

Defensively we look ok against teams that suck like the Lakers but when we play a good team we get exposed IMO. Also offensively we just look confused and discombobulated. I'd say 75 to 80% of our possessions wind up with someone taking a contested fall away jumper or some crazy off balance backwards jump hook. There just doesn't seem to be any flow to our offense right now, even against a crap team like this.

[Nolan]

The PG's carried us in this one. We won but this game should of been over at the half.

[Phreak50]

I. I'd say 75 to 80% of our possessions wind up with someone taking a contested fall away jumper or some crazy off balance backwards jump hook. There just doesn't seem to be any flow to our offense right now, even against a crap team like this.

Very true.

I think we will be at our best offensively when we find a good balance between feeding LMA down low, letting Kawhi go to work and passing the ball around and around to find anyone the best shot.

Because lately, especially against the Lakers yesterday, we were just passing it around for the sake of passing it around and as you say, much of the time it ended with low percentage shots. There were some good cuts from Mills for easy ones and some good off ball work from him as well for some good looks from deep but much of the game showed a team lost on offense.

I could be underestimating Pop's plan to hide a lot of their go to strategy (I'm sure he is testing players, minutes and rotations more with their record at least) but I don't know. It just seems like a higher percentage shot comes from feeding someone like LMA then throwing the ball around to get fadeaways or runners sprinting off screens. There was some great inside outside work happening in patches before the All star game so hopefully that happens more once we are fully healthy again.

I guess it might sound greedy or taking success for granted, but I've never felt so unsure about a team with such an amazing record. There's no doubt our great D and pinpoint perfect execution is a thing of beauty and has helped to a never seen before record number of 20+ wins for a team but it still feels like we lack that extra something when times are tough and we are up against an opponent who has really lifted the intensity.

[imagump1313]

I guess it might sound greedy or taking success for granted, but I've never felt so unsure about a team with such an amazing record.

This is exactly how I feel. Nice job.