Spurs vs Heat

[DEEP3CL]

First of all I get the gist of going smaller to switch everything, it's not like coaches haven't pulled that card before. But no matter how you're trying to justify it those moves cost him. Funny you mentioned his reasoning for it.....to prevent a 3 and that's exactly what the dagger was.

B. There were six -- count 'em, six -- low-percentage happenings in the final 30 seconds, every single one of which had to go Miami's way for them to even force overtime, let alone win that game: Two missed free throws, two offensive rebounds, to made 3-pointers.

My only problem Sedale is how you're trying to equate or justify all this to being luck. I get you gotta have a little luck to win a championship, hell even Pat Riley mentioned that once. But bottom line is this....weather the Spurs goofed up on those scenarios or not, the Heat still had to take execute on the other end.

Sedale I've known you here a long time, you're one of our better posters and I know you know ball. This luck mantra just seems a little off coming from you.

[DEEP3CL]

you guys are talking about a decision by greg freaking popovich, give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. if i ever find myself thinking that popovich made a dumb decision, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd thing i'm going to do is try to find what i'm missing cause i obviously am missing something.

Everybody's an expert on their couch...

Don't know if this was a stab at me or not, but I've actually coached ball and have been to a lot of coaching clinics where some prominent college coaches have spoken and offered insight to the game. My knowledge is beyond " couch level ".

[LAKESHOW]

I wanted the heat to win

[Doormatt]

I guess I'd have to ask why Pop gets a pass when everyone else including Lakers greats past and present are systematically ripped apart?

you say that as if they deserve it too. hint: neither pop or laker players deserve the unjust criticism they get.

[Kilroy]

I guess I'd have to ask why Pop gets a pass when everyone else including Lakers greats past and present are systematically ripped apart?

you say that as if they deserve it too. hint: neither pop or laker players deserve the unjust criticism they get.

I agree...

[Sedale Threatt]

I guess I'd have to ask why Pop gets a pass when everyone else including Lakers greats past and present are systematically ripped apart?

I know why Pop did what he did... He wanted perimeter D, speed and more outside scoring punch... Which isn't a bad move in a vacuum...
But when that benefit can only be had by taking your best, most fundamental, consistent player off the floor, you've out-thunk yourself.

And he knows it... Which is why Duncan played down the stretch in close games this time around.

Ah, but he didn't. Not always, at least. There was at least one of these recent playoff games, I want to say against OKC, where Popovich did the exact same thing. It's still very much a tool in his kit.

As for people getting passes, maybe it's a good opportunity to take a step back and look at some of the criticism players and coaches get. Much of it, to me, is stupid.

Dumb mistakes are dumb mistakes. But to me, if you can justify what you did, that's all that matters.

[Sedale Threatt]

First of all I get the gist of going smaller to switch everything, it's not like coaches haven't pulled that card before. But no matter how you're trying to justify it those moves cost him. Funny you mentioned his reasoning for it.....to prevent a 3 and that's exactly what the dagger was.

B. There were six -- count 'em, six -- low-percentage happenings in the final 30 seconds, every single one of which had to go Miami's way for them to even force overtime, let alone win that game: Two missed free throws, two offensive rebounds, to made 3-pointers.

My only problem Sedale is how you're trying to equate or justify all this to being luck. I get you gotta have a little luck to win a championship, hell even Pat Riley mentioned that once. But bottom line is this....weather the Spurs goofed up on those scenarios or not, the Heat still had to take execute on the other end.

Sedale I've known you here a long time, you're one of our better posters and I know you know ball. This luck mantra just seems a little off coming from you.

It's not any one particular thing that was lucky. Everybody needs a break or two. We got plenty during the three-peat. You get a fortunate bounce, make a shot, or the other team misses free throws -- that's basketball.

But the big difference here is that so many different things happened in such a minuscule amount of time. Like I said, six different low-percentage instances going Miami's way in 30 seconds...there's no other way to explain that but luck.

[Sedale Threatt]

you guys are talking about a decision by greg freaking popovich, give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. if i ever find myself thinking that popovich made a dumb decision, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd thing i'm going to do is try to find what i'm missing cause i obviously am missing something.

Everybody's an expert on their couch...

Don't know if this was a stab at me or not, but I've actually coached ball and have been to a lot of coaching clinics where some prominent college coaches have spoken and offered insight to the game. My knowledge is beyond " couch level ".

It's a shot at anybody who seriously thinks Popovich is the singular reason they lost that game.

[Kilroy]

Everybody's an expert on their couch...

Don't know if this was a stab at me or not, but I've actually coached ball and have been to a lot of coaching clinics where some prominent college coaches have spoken and offered insight to the game. My knowledge is beyond " couch level ".

It's a shot at anybody who seriously thinks Popovich is the singular reason they lost that game.

Nobody (I hope) is saying he's the singular reason... Just one of the last reasons...
And my original point was that people are calling Pop the greatest Coach of all time after this years win... I'm just trying to point out that he makes mistakes and maybe a decision he made prevented him and Tim from having a back to back in the resume.

Pop is clearly the best coach in basketball today, and one of the best all time coaches. No one is trying to say he's not... Just that he makes mistakes like everyone else and maybe it isn't right to give him the keys to the alter just yet.

[DEEP3CL]

Don't know if this was a stab at me or not, but I've actually coached ball and have been to a lot of coaching clinics where some prominent college coaches have spoken and offered insight to the game. My knowledge is beyond " couch level ".

It's a shot at anybody who seriously thinks Popovich is the singular reason they lost that game.

Nobody (I hope) is saying he's the singular reason... Just one of the last reasons...
And my original point was that people are calling Pop the greatest Coach of all time after this years win... I'm just trying to point out that he makes mistakes and maybe a decision he made prevented him and Tim from having a back to back in the resume.

Pop is clearly the best coach in basketball today, and one of the best all time coaches. No one is trying to say he's not... Just that he makes mistakes like everyone else and maybe it isn't right to give him the keys to the alter just yet.

Agree 100%.....of course Pop wasn't the sole reason, and like it's been discussed those moves have to be questioned no matter what. I think we all understand Pop is a hell'va coach, one that I could play for if I were a player. But bottom line all coaches make questionable moves once in a while.

Hell all of us here watched Phil piss away many games to "teach a lesson" so to speak, coaches do things that only they can explain. But I agree with you Kilroy even Pop isn't immune from being critiqued.

[spurcase]

You can build a good defense around these guys. It takes creativity but it can be done. Al Jefferson was part of a top ten defense. They're good role players because we've seen how they played as a bench against other benches. They kept the team in games. Right now I'd say you need:

- A scoring combo guard that can play D next to Kobe. He'd be about 6-4 to 6-6 and can run the P and R and score in bunches.
- A big SF like a Loul Deng that can play D and allow Kobe to move to the high post without being guarded by a bigger guy.
- An athletic PF that can hit the mid-range and play solid help and man D.

That's how you fix Pau and Kobe's faults.

You do realize don't you that the Spurs team was not built in one season. Even aside from their big three and Bonner who haa been there during the last title run, most of the role players and even the bench have been with the Spurs for several seasons. Many hours of practice time and actual game time have gone into creating that team. it has taken starters sacrificing their minutes and their shots for the sake of the bench's development. It takes as Pop has said, every player having to "get over himself."

And on top of that it took every player buying into personal sacrifice and commitment. No player cares about personal stats or rewards. The whole focus is the team and the championship. That is why when you go to look at the lists of personal stats, you seldom find a Spurs player's name anywhere among the leaders. Those kinds of players are not easy to find and it takes a special coach to get the players to trust enough to buy into submerging their own goals into those of the team. If every coach and every team could do what Pop and the Spurs have done, they would have already done it. It is not rocket science. It is what every coach preaches and every player claims to want. It is just easier said than done.

[spurcase]

Pop has not gotten a pass. He has received a lot of criticize for taking Duncan out when he did. People are still debating it even today just as is being done on this board. How is that getting a pass?