Timmy is 38, Manu is 37, and Parker is 32. Every year makes a big difference at that stage of your career. Sometime they have to hit the edge and fall off. Why not this year?
Yep, The Spurs are the NBA version of The Patriots. Wow, if you can't make your FT then I don't know what to say. 6th seed right now. The Rockets are going to end up playing the freaking blazers. I hate the blazers so much!
Blazers aren't a bad matchup. Plus we would have homecourt even if we're sixth. And they have important players injured.
It's absolutely amazing how they don't look like a factor before All-Star break and all of sudden they are top of the league. How is that even possible?
Because as I have always said it.... Popovich treats regular season as a training ground for playoffs. -He rests his key players by managing their minutes -He tries different lineups -He makes sure the new players get used to his system He does not mind sacrificing some wins in the regular season as long as he gets his squad ready to go when the playoffs start. While some teams have their eyes set on regular season and MVP *cough cough*, Popovich's team has the playoffs in mind. When will Rockets management, coaches, players, and the fans learn?
They have a 40 year old big man who's better than any big the Rockets have and makes half as much money. They have like 13 guys that can play as a result. What is there to learn from that? The Rockets didn't "sacrifice wins" and are now the 6 seed. You want them to "sacrifice wins" and be what, 7th or 8th, and be more "ready to go" for the playoffs?
As mentioned by zboy, they hey sacrifice wins by getting role players into the system and being careful with fatigue and injuries. The rockets do the opposite, I believe mchale plus Harden ISO ball are not getting role players to maximize performance. Guys around here tend to believe that the rox has a **** roster and the success is all harden. If you are one, I suggest you name the star role players on the Spurs such as Bayne, Joseph, and the like. Likewise for the Hawks and warriors. I don't believe the dubs are more "stacked", they're just more "balanced", because the coach gave each player a role which helps the team, and Curry is not "everything".
Re what tksense and zboy are saying Patty Mills - scored what 13 or 14 points in 3rdQ for Spurs in his 14 minutes of play. He's been really bad this year, and lost his spot to Cory Joseph, but Popovich keeps players like that in a frame of mind where they can come in and deliver big time. Popovich played 12 players last night. 12.
When stuff goes wrong for Spurs, I feel like Popovich tries to do stuff. Puts in Patty Mills. Pulls that stunt on Josh Smith. He does something to try to help his players. With McHale, I feel it's like, huh, what, me? He hangs his players out to dry -- see Josh Smith. (I'm overreacting ... b/c mad about their play last night.) And then goes all analyst mode in the interviews like he was a third party to the proceeedings.
I'm still mad. Like, was it a surprise to McHale that Josh Smith would miss the number of FTs he did, when Smith made exactly around his season average of FTs. SMDH
Mike Budenholzer worked for Popovich and the Spurs for 17 years and last held the position of lead assistant.
The funny thing is, even if the spurs organization has lost a lot of their personel to other franchise, they are really happy about them growing up instead of being bitter coz they lost them. I mean, danny ferry, budenholzer, sam presti just to name a few
Assuming Pop opts not to retire and coaches for another X amount of years, I wonder how many star/superstar players would flock to him.
