NBA Thread 2013-2014

Spurs can't afford to have 3 offensive liabilities out there at the same time. Splitter isn't gonna give you much offense and I think he had 3 shots blocked in the first half alone. That ain't good enough. If Green can't get free or his shot isn't falling, he shouldn't be playing. And Leonard just doesn't have enough offense in his arsenal to warrant playing all those minutes is his defense isn't up to the task. Those 3 can't play at the same time. Even if it's only the 18, 19 minutes a game that Splitter and Green play, they don't contribute enough in that time.

Mills and Belinelli should have majority of Green's minutes. Green isn't good enough to be starting in the NBA. He's a shooter, plain and simple. He's a spot up, stand in the corner or run off a screen shooter. He's not gonna beat anyone off the dribble or commit defenses and make the right pass. He's a bench player. Same for Splitter. He brings defense and rebounds. That's it. Bench player. Leonard has shown he can score but he's either too afraid or something because he's been shit basically the entire playoffs offensively. He shouldn't be playing half an hour if he's only gonna score 9 and NOT defend LeBron.

Still think Jimmy Buckets is a better defensive player than Leonard and always will. :D
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Spurs can't afford to have 3 offensive liabilities out there at the same time. Splitter isn't gonna give you much offense and I think he had 3 shots blocked in the first half alone. That ain't good enough. If Green can't get free or his shot isn't falling, he shouldn't be playing. And Leonard just doesn't have enough offense in his arsenal to warrant playing all those minutes is his defense isn't up to the task. Those 3 can't play at the same time. Even if it's only the 18, 19 minutes a game that Splitter and Green play, they don't contribute enough in that time.

Mills and Belinelli should have majority of Green's minutes. Green isn't good enough to be starting in the NBA. He's a shooter, plain and simple. He's a spot up, stand in the corner or run off a screen shooter. He's not gonna beat anyone off the dribble or commit defenses and make the right pass. He's a bench player. Same for Splitter. He brings defense and rebounds. That's it. Bench player. Leonard has shown he can score but he's either too afraid or something because he's been shit basically the entire playoffs offensively. He shouldn't be playing half an hour if he's only gonna score 9 and NOT defend LeBron.

Still think Jimmy Buckets is a better defensive player than Leonard and always will. :D
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I don't watch basketball much, and you certainly sound like you know quite a lot about it, but from what I saw last year, Green and Leonard were super. Do you honestly think it's a case of them not being good enough, or maybe they're just not on their game?
 
The Spurs seem too reliant on three pointers. They've made their fare share, but in doing so, have at times seemed a bit one dimensional. Other than Duncan's high percentage shooting, and occasionally Parker drives through the paint, there's not much else meat on the bone. They were also stifled by Ginobli getting into early foul trouble.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
I don't watch basketball much, and you certainly sound like you know quite a lot about it, but from what I saw last year, Green and Leonard were super. Do you honestly think it's a case of them not being good enough, or maybe they're just not on their game?
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Never rated Danny Green (Duke fan :D) but I think last year they, Green especially, surprised Miami. It's no wonder that in games 6 & 7 last year, 2 Spurs losses, he shot 2 for 19 and scored 8 points in 77 minutes. They know they have to chase him off the 3 point line. I doubt, very much, that he'll be much of a factor in this series.

Like I said about Leonard, he has shown an offensive game. He seems like he's overawed or something because he's so cavalier, it seems. I don't know. I can see him being a factor, especially if Wade guards him, because if he isn't, the Spurs won't win another game.
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Spurs can't afford to have 3 offensive liabilities out there at the same time. Splitter isn't gonna give you much offense and I think he had 3 shots blocked in the first half alone. That ain't good enough. If Green can't get free or his shot isn't falling, he shouldn't be playing. And Leonard just doesn't have enough offense in his arsenal to warrant playing all those minutes is his defense isn't up to the task. Those 3 can't play at the same time. Even if it's only the 18, 19 minutes a game that Splitter and Green play, they don't contribute enough in that time.

Mills and Belinelli should have majority of Green's minutes. Green isn't good enough to be starting in the NBA. He's a shooter, plain and simple. He's a spot up, stand in the corner or run off a screen shooter. He's not gonna beat anyone off the dribble or commit defenses and make the right pass. He's a bench player. Same for Splitter. He brings defense and rebounds. That's it. Bench player. Leonard has shown he can score but he's either too afraid or something because he's been shit basically the entire playoffs offensively. He shouldn't be playing half an hour if he's only gonna score 9 and NOT defend LeBron.

Still think Jimmy Buckets is a better defensive player than Leonard and always will. :D
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Man, they only lost by two, and in some miraculous way as well.

Those players are the players who got SA where they are right now (all of them). Danny Green? As a Heat fan I'm terrorized any time he catches the ball on the 3-point line. Kawai Leonard? The player I fear the most when James has the basketball.

Every single one on the Spurs roster is very good/great in the role he's playing, which is what makes them a great team. I don't think you can slate them now because they (finally) lost one.

And don't forget, Danny Green was the man who won game 1 for SA in the end.
 
If you fear Danny Green, you have a problem. Unless he's open, mind, but Miami are wise to him now. They won't leave him open often if ever. They'd rather give up 2 on a roll than 3 going under a screen. Half the time, it seems, Leonard isn't even guarding LeBron. Don't see the wisdom in having Diaw do it but even then, LeBron is too strong for Leonard, as evidenced by the handful of put backs LeBron had.

Don't get me wrong. Danny Green has his moments where he's brimming with confidence and he's taking and making shots but that's the only time he's useful. That's how shooters are. He doesn't offer anything that Belinelli doesn't. Maybe I'm slightly biased as a Bulls fan, loving Marco and everything, but Marco can at least drive on folks.

You're forgetting that this is the same Spurs team that went to 7 games with the Mavericks and got blown out twice by the Thunder. 2 teams who aren't as good as Miami. Yes, Splitter and Green and Leonard do a job against those sides but are just about useless against Miami. They're just too versatile to have static players like Green and Splitter playing significant minutes.
 
Well, it's a subjective opinion and we're looking at it from different perspectives so I can definitely understand that we disagree on this one.

I just think that if you don't put Green on the court, you will not witness those great moments. I don't need to remind you that Green broke the all time record for 3-pointers made in the finals last year... In game 5! As for Belinelli, I think Green is quicker than him and has a quicker release, which is why he can get open more easily.

Also, I think Pop put Diaw on Lebron tonight mostly because Leonard was in foul trouble, and he was just trying to give Lebron different looks to try and cool him off a bit. Leonard is still a great defender and got to be on the floor as much as possible imo.

I also disagree with you about how good Miami are. They're not really that good this year.
 
ThaReaper01 said:
If you fear Danny Green, you have a problem. Unless he's open, mind, but Miami are wise to him now. They won't leave him open often if ever. They'd rather give up 2 on a roll than 3 going under a screen. Half the time, it seems, Leonard isn't even guarding LeBron. Don't see the wisdom in having Diaw do it but even then, LeBron is too strong for Leonard, as evidenced by the handful of put backs LeBron had.

Don't get me wrong. Danny Green has his moments where he's brimming with confidence and he's taking and making shots but that's the only time he's useful. That's how shooters are. He doesn't offer anything that Belinelli doesn't. Maybe I'm slightly biased as a Bulls fan, loving Marco and everything, but Marco can at least drive on folks.

You're forgetting that this is the same Spurs team that went to 7 games with the Mavericks and got blown out twice by the Thunder. 2 teams who aren't as good as Miami. Yes, Splitter and Green and Leonard do a job against those sides but are just about useless against Miami. They're just too versatile to have static players like Green and Splitter playing significant minutes.
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Lebron is virtually impossible to defend when shooting like he did tonight anyway. I wouldn't slate someone for struggling in one game when they've did a reasonable job in recent games including last year's finals - Lebron stepped it up when Diaw was guarding him. Green, while he may be slightly one dimensional still stretches Miami on defense and the numbers that Leonard puts up aren't critical due to the ability of the bench to contribute so much. I've no doubt the Thunder would've caused Miami problems too and the Pacers took the same number of games off Miami that the Thunder did from Spurs.

Tonight's game was kind-of a reversal of game one in that the winning team didn't play all that well for the majority of the match but still managed to hang in there and raise their game in the fourth. Those 4 free throws in a row missed by the Spurs were very costly in the end.
 
Danny1982 said:
Well, it's a subjective opinion and we're looking at it from different perspectives so I can definitely understand that we disagree on this one.

I just think that if you don't put Green on the court, you will not witness those great moments. I don't need to remind you that Green broke the all time record for 3-pointers made in the finals last year... In game 5! As for Belinelli, I think Green is quicker than him and has a quicker release, which is why he can get open more easily.

Also, I think Pop put Diaw on Lebron tonight mostly because Leonard was in foul trouble, and he was just trying to give Lebron different looks to try and cool him off a bit. Leonard is still a great defender and got to be on the floor as much as possible imo.

I also disagree with you about how good Miami are. They're not really that good this year.
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Let me start by saying I don't think Miami are sensational by any means. I did say they are better than the Mavs and the Thunder, which they are. For me, Belinelli is a tougher cover because he can go left and right and get in the lane, which Green cannot. Green is a slightly better shooter but Marco is a much better player, overall.

Still don't see the wisdom in Diaw on LeBron. LeBron knows his match-ups and he knows he'll get any shot he wants against Diaw because Diaw can't pressure him. LeBron isn't a great shooter but you can't give him space like Diaw does.
 
Love him or hate him, he's an absolutely ridiculous basketballer. That jumpshot that heated up in the second half was just untouchable. Even Leonard who is a solid defender couldn't do anything to stop it.

@ThaReaper01 above, Splitter has started both games out of the gate really hard and in both games he was pretty good on offence. Didn't see much of him in the second half yesterday.

 
Should be great game tonight. The Spurs have to bounce back after Sunday. If the Heat win this, they have a good chance of winning the series.
 
Green is out tonight to prove @ThaReaper01 wrong.

2 steals, two buckets, including taking it to the basket. Huge impact without even hitting a 3.

EDIT: Make it 3 buckets (all in the paint).
 
The Spurs have opened up their big lead a bit early. They now have to watch Miami chip away at it.
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Spurs can't afford to have 3 offensive liabilities out there at the same time. Splitter isn't gonna give you much offense and I think he had 3 shots blocked in the first half alone. That ain't good enough. If Green can't get free or his shot isn't falling, he shouldn't be playing. And Leonard just doesn't have enough offense in his arsenal to warrant playing all those minutes is his defense isn't up to the task. Those 3 can't play at the same time. Even if it's only the 18, 19 minutes a game that Splitter and Green play, they don't contribute enough in that time.

Mills and Belinelli should have majority of Green's minutes. Green isn't good enough to be starting in the NBA. He's a shooter, plain and simple. He's a spot up, stand in the corner or run off a screen shooter. He's not gonna beat anyone off the dribble or commit defenses and make the right pass. He's a bench player. Same for Splitter. He brings defense and rebounds. That's it. Bench player. Leonard has shown he can score but he's either too afraid or something because he's been shit basically the entire playoffs offensively. He shouldn't be playing half an hour if he's only gonna score 9 and NOT defend LeBron.

Still think Jimmy Buckets is a better defensive player than Leonard and always will. :D
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Wait, what? Leonard is the best player on the Spurs.
 
RDCR07 said:
Its the 2nd quarter. With Lebron on your side anything can happen. But yes hopefully Spurs can hold on for the W.
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No way James can do anything about this. He will need to score 36 points and SA score 0 just to tie.

Not happening.
 
The Heat will definitely make a big run between the 2nd and 3rd. There's no way SA can maintain this high percentage.
 
Danny Green on fire. With 8 minutes to go in the first half, Spurs have missed only 2 FGs. Amazing.
 
Watching Spurs play basketball is like watching Barca play football. Just pass, pass, pass and then they score. Just brilliant.
 
This is what I said about the Spurs. They don't suddenly crack, and they will never allow you big runs. They will always cut it short and answer with a run of their own.
 
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