The argument for karma is overblown, especially if you're talking about a team and players that have nothing to do with what happened pre-2007. It's one thing if Horry randomly suffered a torn ACL and his career was over because of it or Bowen randomly lost the ability to play basketball and spiraled into bankruptcy due to bad decisions. It's another thing to be saying Kawhi or Aldridge deserves the bad karma. And another knock against the karma argument? The Spurs lost the championship on a miracle Ray Allen 3. Another knock? The Spurs won the title a year later. If "karma" was such a factor, the Spurs should not be successful year after year. And one can also argue that the Tony Parker injury could be the karma balance as well. So I don't get it when people bring up Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry and "karma." Karma should have made the Spurs a lottery team. It didn't. Karma should have never allowed the Spurs to win another title against the Big 3's Heat. It didn't.
Okay, you want production? Let's look at their numbers in this year's playoffs Gasol: 6.9 ppg; 6.7 rpg; 1.2 bpg Nene: 10.0 ppg; 4.7 prg; 0.4 Lee: 4.2 ppg; 4.2 rpg; 0.4 bpg Capela: 10.5 ppg; 8.7 rpg; 2.5 bpg Ginobili: 5.2 ppg; 2.2 rpg; 2.8 apg Anderson: 9.4 ppg; 5.2 rpg; 0.6 apg Simmons: 9.1 ppg; 1.4 apg; .370 3p% Gordon: 12.9 ppg; 2.0 apg; .386 3p% Murray: 4.5 ppg; 1.8 apg; .000 3p% Lou: 12.5 ppg; 1.3 apg; .308 3p% Anderson: 4.1 ppg: 2.1 rpg Dekker: 2.3 ppg; 2.5 rpg The only pair that is close to comparable is Gasol vs Nene. Nene scored more. Gasol had more rebounds and blocks. All others show that Houston had more productive role players. If you included regular season production, the gap would be even bigger. Aldridge is the only consistent scorer they have after Leonard and Parker went down. If you take him away, what's left aside from those mentioned above is Green-Mills vs Ariza-Beverley. I'd say they are a wash. I think it is a disrespect for our role players in saying that the Spurs have a more talented team after they loss Parker and Leonard. Aldridge is their only saving talent after they lost Parker and Leonard. That said, the defensive side of "production" is hard to measure. I dare say that the Spurs players are better defensive players than ours. If they weren't that good of a defensive team, they wouldn't be able to beat us because overall we have much better offensive players.
Look at their numbers for our series, and this time don't ignore all shooting %'s and defense. They lost studs and made plays, and got the better of our guys. Even Ray Charles can see that. Edit: I see you didn't ignore defense. My bad.
yes, they are talented, those guys are experienced (obviously not the younger ones) and age doesnt mean ginobili and them cant play. They are coached by one of the best coaches EVER and that is why the rookies are playing well also. Don't get salty becasue they beat us with their "scubs" *rolls eyes* Try to stay objective bud.
That response is not a respectable enough defense. The Lakers held onto a 25+ lead playing the Warriors earlier in the season. THE LAKERS. Dont care if the warriors were undeveloped chemistry wise at that time. You forget the spurs are still NBA players, 2nd best TEAM in the NBA in fact. Up 25, they should hold on, KL or not.
Please don't tell me you're comparing those two games. The Warriors might have literally been drunk during the Lakers game. With no offensive creators going up against the Warriors defense? Trying to stop Curry + Durant? There's a reason why the Warriors are +16 in the playoffs for the first two rounds. At some point the Spurs flat out run out of talent.
this really doesn't prove anything, except that the Spurs retaliated. what's funny is even if they lose Stephen Curry they are still the favorites. if I am Golden State, I would try to end the series fast because the longer they play the Spurs the more likely they get injured.
It could have been intentional but it could have been unintentional with that extra hop due to forward momentum. I just think that unless you lunge your foot forward like what Bowen sometimes did, it's not going to be easy to determine with 100% certainty. Unless someone does it in a real obvious way, its just not possible to say it was done intentionally rather than inadvertently.
theres nothing unnatural on LA's part closing out on a shooter straight up/holding his position and not making any movements towards the player . Curry makes his own fall awkward and the play being the same thing as Zaza is a complete joke. That is not even close to what Zaza did. Just look how he continues to go into Kawhi. Not going straight up but towards him and even motions twice with his leg underneath Kawhi. Now I'm not saying it was intentional but definitely not natural and that's how people get hurt.
Well you have to consider that Pachulia is an big lumbering oaf and not known for his great smooth footwork. Nor is he someone that is a great close out perimeter defender. It doesn't look like he had the best technique to contest the shot but doesn't look "unnatural" relative to Pachulia's usual coordination or lack thereof. At any rate, neither Aldridge nor Pachulia looked blatant compared to Bowen's "lunge your foot forward right underneath the shooter move".
and that's the part where i think unintentional likely comes into play. some players are just like that and have no idea what they're doing when it comes to this type of stuff and I think Zaza is one of those guys. Even though to more conscious people, this is seen as unnatural/dirty or whatever because people do get hurt as a result. Personally, I stay away from players that show these kinds of signs lol
