I agree with the thread title. Their was a point in the final minute of the 4th quarter in game 7 where Pop should have called a timeout to draw up a good play to tie, which is exactly what Miami did the next possession and LeBron James hit the dagger with the long 2 AND in game 6 when they were up 3 before Rays shot before LeBrons first attempt I would have simply told my guys to foul and send them to the line knowing how good Miami is from 3. I do feel Spoelstra out coached Pop in the 4th quarter of both game 6 and 7
Not sure why Hakeem wouldn't have cared at 37. As I recall that was supposed to be the greatest team ever assembled - seems like he'd have reason for optimism. Anyway the team started out like 2-10 while completely healthy. Yes I know he turned back the clock for a brief stretch, which I enjoyed immensely, but in retrospect it seems to have been more about getting one last contract. Also his '99 season wasn't as good as Duncan when you look at the per 36 numbers, and I don't agree that he took as good of care of his body as Duncan has.
No, the "greatest team ever assembled" was after we drafted Eddie Griffin. But seriously, the year #33 quit was when Dream was 37. After Barkley went down, Rudy literally and figuratively moved Dream to the side to give way to our future, Stevie Franchise. Duncan has a lot to play for. Dream didn't and lost interest. I think he lost interest in the Summer when #33 quit. But anyhow, you're right. Duncan is better at age 37, for sure. Dream had no real excuses. He went into his pouting era.
Duncan is the anchor man of NBA championship teams, the most experienced player on your roster - YOU DO NOT SIT HIM WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE. Nor do you sit Bill Russell or any of the all-time greats. As a fan of the game, the galling part is that he DENIED Tim Duncan - the basketball player most responsible for Popovich's own success as an NBA coach - he denied Duncan the opportunity to have a hand in determining the outcome of the game in its most crucial moments - and with a five-point cushion, to boot. No other HOF coach would blow that 5-pt lead with 20 seconds left, cause no other HOF coach would be boneheaded enough to take out his best player - a living legend - at that point in the game. If you want to sub Diaw in, fine - but you don't sub him for Tim Duncan. You let the other team adjust to what you're doing, especially if it works up to that point in the game. Maybe the ball still bounces Miami's way even if Duncan is in the game then, but you've got to give Duncan the chance to make plays, and he can't do it sitting on the bench. And after getting burned on a missed rebound the first time - what does Popovich do? - he allows Duncan to sit for it a second time, same situation. It's absurd. You lose your rebounding advantage with Duncan out; no strategy for defending the 3-point shot makes up for Duncan not being on the floor. Duncan lost 20 lbs in the offseason so he could run back and forth for this stuff. It's like, 'No, Timmy, you can't play'... Popovich made himself and his 'coaching decisions and system' more important than the intuitive flow of having a champion - a great two-way player like Duncan - at his 'disposal'. 'No, we don't foul, we let them tie the game and then kill us in the end.' And in Game 7 he lets Lebron shoot all those 3's when Lebron is having a hot streak?... Jeeze. If I was a Spur, I would have no confidence in Popovich anymore. I'd hope he'd vacate the coaching seat and concentrate on acquiring and developing talent. That late-game decision making is some of the worst I've ever seen from HOF coach. When you have Tim Duncan on your team, you play him. He's worked his whole career and the whole season for moments like these - and what do you do? - you benched him. WTF indeed...
At age 36 Dream (19/10/2/2)was as good as TD (18/10/3/1) at 36 Dream was injured.... Look at who TD plays against and in particular whom he played against this series..
That's what I was thinking as I watched Green, Neal, and Ginobili choke during the last couple games of the series. Jackson is a good two-way player who excels in pressure situations. I guess Captian Jax was right when he told Pop that he was better than the guys ahead of him in the rotation. A very poor and classless decision by Popovich and the Spurs to release him the way that they did, especially considering how he helped SA win a championship as their 3rd leading scorer while hitting many big shots in the process. Karma is a b****.
No! They very simply needed Popovich to be less of a stubborn man. Sure, pops gets them there, but Rudy (a much lesser coach) would have closed this, because Rudy isn't stubborn You can't underestimate the heart of a champion means many things. In this case it means field the big 3 in the closing minutes all together. Let them lose it. Do not take that away from them Stubborn man
Rudy would never yank Hakeem for any reason if the game was on the line. A healthy All-Star needs to be out there - especially on Defense for rebounds. Last time I checked, Tim Duncan was known as a great defender, rebounder, and leader. Sometimes the best thing a coach can do is nothing. When the game is going your team's way - you're up by 5 frickin' points with time running out - just don't change a damned thing. Just breathe and be glad. Ride the momentum out with they guys on the floor. Never take out your best rebounder unless he's got a broken leg. Duncan loses tons of weight to be spry, improves his freethrow shooting immensely over the last few seasons for situations like this - and he still gets yanked from the game when it most matters - not once, but twice. I don't like when imcompetent coaching loses a game for the players who are doing all the fighting on the floor. Pop wanted to put his stamp on the game by being a great tactition, when he should have just said - 'you're doing great - just defend, block out, get the rebound, make the foul shots, we have this-many timeouts'. We found out whose team the Spurs is. It's not Duncan's. It's not Parker's, nor Ginobli's. It's Popovich's toy - he picks out the parts and decides what motion they're going to move in. He decides who plays when and where - momentum or intuition be damned. Hubris and control. He can make the wind-up robot inch it's way up the to near the top of the mole hill's summet - but he can just as easily pull its feet out from under it and send it tumbling back down to the bottom. It's Pop's team, and they paid dearly for that fact.
The only wrong thing was in game 6 put Duncan to the bench in clutch defensive time. It was obviuos 3point shots will make either Lebron or Allen and no need to put small players on each of other. Result: two offensive rebounds and two clutch shots by Miami. And ifI'm right it's not the first time when that happened. I saw some previuosly..
leonard fumbled the rebound with no heat player on it on lebron's first 3, that's not pop's fault....
Tim Duncan could have gotten that rebound or made a play. But he couldn't make a play cause he was on the bench. Next Defensive sequence - Heat need a 3 to tie. Duncan's out of the game yet again. Pop doesn't foul to force the Heat to the line for 2 foul shots. 'We don't do that. We defend'. Okay, well, how about rebound. Bosh gets the offensive rebound because the guy that usually boxes him out and gets the rebounds himself - Tim Duncan - is on the bench. Bosh is suddenly the tallest guy on the floor. If you're not going to foul in that situation with the Heat down by 3, you should at least have your best defender/rebounder in there to effect the game in the paint where the rebounds tend to land - someone with experience, an All-Star, league MVP, Finals MVP, All-Defensive Team member, HOFamer. Gosh, Popovich, do you have someone on the Spurs that fits that description? To a 'T'. Is his name 'T-D'? Where the f is he? Pop let the Heat burn them twice in the same scenario - while benching his best player for those plays! The Heat will burn you like forever if you let them have enough oxygen. When you're sitting on them with the lead late in the game for the championship, you don't let the weight off, you don't remove your anchor man from the game. I hope Pop learned his lesson, though probably not. This is about more than 'someone else should have got the rebound' - this is about letting Tim Duncan have his championship moments on the court where he has domain.
Powerful post. Fun read, along with your other. Thx You know: there is a very fundamentally simple way you and I look at this This is Duncan and Parker's career. They practice so hard and dream for many years for moments like this. How dare you as a coach make them watch from the bench I know in MLB the coach has to yank Pedro Martinez despite his objections and denial that he's thrown too many pitches. And I understand in the NFL the coach can be the true MVP, but in basketball. Nah It is all about your star player Popovich, even if Morey tells you there are stats proving Duncan and/or Miracle Shot Parker should sit in the last minutes, there are never enough stats in a Finals Game 6 and 7 to warrant even looking at. Too small of a sample You have one job, let your star players fail or succeed. Your job is to research and prepare all the role players around them. And to give them every opportunity to succeed It is a crime to make them watch. They can't relive this, but the coach can return to the finals. Popovich just proved what I've always been saying about him: he thinks he's more important than his players How the hell you can walk into that losing lockerroom with any thought close to "man, I wonder if I my star player is made at me for making him watch" is beyond me Let the HOFers fail or succeed on their own I have to think that guys like Moses Malone and Charles Barkley would have mutinied and walk on the court in rebellion
who do you put in for manu? Diaw, who's a defensive liability most of the time and has zero offense? Neal, who struggled in game 6 and 7. Green... 1/12. t-mac? lol Popp knew that Manu was his best chance at a miracle.
That's complete bullshtt that Manu is the best chance for a miracle. Did you not see the game 1 miracle play by Parker Quit protecting Popovich. He had the audacity to make Parker watch from the bench when Ginobody made that horrendous turnover. How do you sit Parker is beyond me. Sure maybe run the play for Ginobody but if the defense busts the play then your best plan b is Parker creating something out of thin air Hell. Maybe Ginobody tried so hard to do the Parker drive under the basket alley oop to Timmay, because he knew he didn't have the miracle man Parker anywhere on the court as plan b Maybe Ginobody just passes it out and around to Parker somewhere instead of forcing plan A
Bwahahahatrololol Re. Diaw- Doesn't your description fit for Ginobili during game 6 and 7? Plus to say he's a defensive liability most of the time, we're just gonna discount the spells he had defending LBJ? Neal- Doesn't that description apply to Manu (With more minutes) as well? Honestly(and tinman won't like this) I don't think T-Mac would have hurt them on the court anymore than Manu did. Ideally keeping Steven Jackson would have helped.
