2013 NBA Playoffs WCF: Spurs [2] vs Grizzlies [5]

[B-Ball Freak]

SWEEEEEEEP

[Donald Kaufman]

Just wanna say props to your avatar. Mike Patton is the man (at least I think that's Mike Patton)

Thanks. It is the great Mr Patton.

[TheRightAnswer]

Thabo on Parker was something that everyone could see from a mile away. It was shocking it took Brooks that long to adjust.

The Thunder players had much more to do with coming back than Brooks doing anything really.

To me the last time Pop got badly out coached was 2010 against Gentry.

Alright, so by that logic, Phil Jackson has no business in the discussion as a great coach. He had the players.

I'll put it like this. If Brooks didn't switch Thabo on Parker and we won the series Brooks would've been killed for not adjusting. Brooks deserves credit. It only looks like an obvious move in hindsight.

Just wanna say props to your avatar. Mike Patton is the man (at least I think that's Mike Patton)

Putting Thabo on Parker was a great (and obvious), but I thought what killed Parker more than anything was his own unwillingness to take what the defense was giving him, which was that mid-range jumpshot. And when he did decide to take it it was rarely with the type of confidence us Spurs fans came to expect going by the regular season. I was cursing at the tv when he pulled that last year...

What has me hesitant to to label this Spurs team as anything more than a pretender is that Parker's confidence in his J has always wavered to the point that it can literally at times and for too long of stretches bog down the Spurs offense to almost a halt. This goes back to the Memphis series in '11, where I as cursing the tv, too.

Duncan and Manu can't be asked to carry the team when he pulls that stuff--like they did earlier in his career--so I'm skeptical but hoping he continues to have the confidence he's displayed SO FAR in these playoffs. Maybe he's turned the corner in that regard...we'll see.

[TheRightAnswer]

Dp

[DieYoung]

Tony Allen on the Spurs it makes soooooooooooooooo much sense

No it wouldn't. Every Spurs guard/wing can shoot lights out.

[darkangle901]

Grizzles take game 3...

They need to score some points if they are going to do it. They need to break 90 in regulation to have a chance to beat this Spurs team. In the 6 games SAS-MEM has played this season, MEM has won every game where they broke 90 in regulation time, and lost whenever they didn't. I can see MEM doing it once or twice this series, but I can't see them doing it four times.

PS - 3 days rest does not bode well for MEM. SAS should be able to get it up for all four quarters...

I don't really buy the "90 is the magic number" nonsense, but...

They scored 85 in regulation with everyone missing bunnies at the rim, Randolph missing FT's all over the place, and Hollins only playing the correct strategy for half the game. Spurs missed 3-5 open jumpshots in the 4th, but so did Memphis (all from good shooters except the TA airball).

Reversals in playoff series after a 2-0 start by one team usually only occur after a major adjustment. Benching Prince (and to a lesser degree Allen) in the 2nd half of last game, and replacing them with shooters, seems to qualify as a major adjustment. Does it mean the Grizz win? Can't say.

But it would be a huge move by Hollins to favor shooters from here on. And that's more or less what he did in the 2nd half of Game 2 when the Grizz outplayed the Spurs before gassing (Spurs gassed too a little bit I guess). Everyone can go ahead and overreact to the 2-0 deficit if they like. But I think everyone will be surprised by the Grizzlies response.

[inDe_eD]

Grizzles take game 3...

They need to score some points if they are going to do it. They need to break 90 in regulation to have a chance to beat this Spurs team. In the 6 games SAS-MEM has played this season, MEM has won every game where they broke 90 in regulation time, and lost whenever they didn't. I can see MEM doing it once or twice this series, but I can't see them doing it four times.

PS - 3 days rest does not bode well for MEM. SAS should be able to get it up for all four quarters...

I don't really buy the "90 is the magic number" nonsense, but...

They scored 85 in regulation with everyone missing bunnies at the rim, Randolph missing FT's all over the place, and Hollins only playing the correct strategy for half the game. Spurs missed 3-5 open jumpshots in the 4th, but so did Memphis (all from good shooters except the TA airball).

Reversals in playoff series after a 2-0 start by one team usually only occur after a major adjustment. Benching Prince (and to a lesser degree Allen) in the 2nd half of last game, and replacing them with shooters, seems to qualify as a major adjustment. Does it mean the Grizz win? Can't say.

But it would be a huge move by Hollins to favor shooters from here on. And that's more or less what he did in the 2nd half of Game 2 when the Grizz outplayed the Spurs before gassing (Spurs gassed too a little bit I guess). Everyone can go ahead and overreact to the 2-0 deficit if they like. But I think everyone will be surprised by the Grizzlies response.

Even if Memphis favors their shooters for the rest of the series, and it works they still have to deal with San Antonio's offense. IMO, Hollins still plays TA and Prince like normal, because he knows they can't win a shootout.

[pad300]

Grizzles take game 3...

They need to score some points if they are going to do it. They need to break 90 in regulation to have a chance to beat this Spurs team. In the 6 games SAS-MEM has played this season, MEM has won every game where they broke 90 in regulation time, and lost whenever they didn't. I can see MEM doing it once or twice this series, but I can't see them doing it four times.

PS - 3 days rest does not bode well for MEM. SAS should be able to get it up for all four quarters...

I don't really buy the "90 is the magic number" nonsense, but...

They scored 85 in regulation with everyone missing bunnies at the rim, Randolph missing FT's all over the place, and Hollins only playing the correct strategy for half the game. Spurs missed 3-5 open jumpshots in the 4th, but so did Memphis (all from good shooters except the TA airball).

Reversals in playoff series after a 2-0 start by one team usually only occur after a major adjustment. Benching Prince (and to a lesser degree Allen) in the 2nd half of last game, and replacing them with shooters, seems to qualify as a major adjustment. Does it mean the Grizz win? Can't say.

But it would be a huge move by Hollins to favor shooters from here on. And that's more or less what he did in the 2nd half of Game 2 when the Grizz outplayed the Spurs before gassing (Spurs gassed too a little bit I guess). Everyone can go ahead and overreact to the 2-0 deficit if they like. But I think everyone will be surprised by the Grizzlies response.

I'm not saying 90 is the "Magic" number. I'm saying it's the MINIMUM they need, even if they keep their current maximum defense alignment (TA and Prince starting). If they trade defense for firepower (starting either or both of Poindexter and Bayless), they will still need to keep up their defensive chops for 90 to work.

[justinandimcool]

Duncan's divorce, NDC's complaints, 3 day layoff. Brew for a bad weekend in Memphis.

[ChosenSavior]

Duncan's divorce, NDC's complaints, 3 day layoff. Brew for a bad weekend in Memphis.

Yep, for the Grizzlies that is...

[Mahaffey]

Tony Allen on the Spurs it makes soooooooooooooooo much sense

No it wouldn't. Every Spurs guard/wing can shoot lights out.

He can take the Bruce Bowen role, doing nothing on offense but shooting corner 3's , and locking down the other teams best perimeter player for 18-25 minutes a game

[TheFix]

I love how no one cares about this series

[huskerdu]

I love how no one cares about this series

It's been pretty lopsided.

[harold lewis]

I blame it on Memphis. Wish OKC was playing instead and it would be just as interesting as the ECF.

[TheFix]

Seriously, ESPN execs must be enraged they have to deal with the lowest conference finals ratings since 2007.

[Nuntius]

Tony Allen on the Spurs it makes soooooooooooooooo much sense

No it wouldn't. Every Spurs guard/wing can shoot lights out.

He can take the Bruce Bowen role, doing nothing on offense but shooting corner 3's , and locking down the other teams best perimeter player for 18-25 minutes a game

Bowen could actuall hit those corner 3s.

[bryanoid]

You guys got the wrong Allen. Tony wouldn't shamelessly join the team that just eliminated his (not saying the Spurs are a lock to win it but if it does happen, just sayin). That's sorry ass Ray

[Nuntius]

You guys got the wrong Allen. Tony wouldn't shamelessly join the team that just eliminated his (not saying the Spurs are a lock to win it but if it does happen, just sayin). That's sorry ass Ray

That Allen can actually hit corner 3s