I think Popovic is bluffing a little bit as his Spurs would stand a chance against the Warriors. To be honest i dont understand how this team could have such a run to begin with. I grew up watching those great Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, Rockets and Bulls teams and i cant imagine the Warriors being able to win against any of those teams in a best of 7 series. That Curry guy while an outstanding shooter, is physically very limited. I really think a guy like Chuck Daly (RIP) would have easily solved these Warriors. Just sacrifice a good defender, dont ask him to do anything but stopping, pushing, shoving and jamming Curry and two third of the problem would be solved right there. This is how they stopped even the Bulls and Jordan and these Warriors shouldnt even be mentioned in the same sentence with those Bulls. They have that Green guy who is a pitbull but undersized for what he is asked to do which is taking on the Centers. It remains Thompson who hands down is a very fine player but hell when you meet them in playoffs, you are supposed to have a few fine players aswell. I think the Spurs, Thunder and even the Cavaliers would have a chance against them if their coaches start thinking like Daly: If you cant execute your own game plan, if you cant force your own game on them, then kill their game plan, take their best player out of the game and go from there.
Pop is playing up to GSW and he is trying to motivate his team. Now I can tell you why they are good and it is for a few reasons. #1 the NBA is moving more to small ball meaning smaller players, even the bigs are smaller but they can soot. With the rules favoring the offense, the GSW are benefiting if they tried this in the 80s NBA, they would have been destroyed. They have a solid rotation of starters and their main guys are going to be Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green(shout to MSU) but they have guys like AI coming off the bench. As for San Antonio, with the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge, they have a shot and the Warriors will be tested. Also you can't compare these Warriors to those Bulls because of what I mentioned about how the game is much different. Also, stopping them is harder to do than say because if you zoom in on Curry, he can dish it off to Thompson, who is also a great shooter or Green they have options. It should be fun.
In the East it will be Cleveland but the West is not set in stone it will be between San Antonio and the GSW and do not sleep on the Spurs. SA and GSW will go to at least game 6 if not a game 7. Pop is just being Pop he is trying to motivate his team when he praises GSW. It is mind games or gamesmanship by the best coach in the NBA. I am just happy we have some Bball fans here
In the East it will be Cleveland but the West is not set in stone it will be between San Antonio and the GSW and do not sleep on the Spurs. SA and GSW will go to at least game 6 if not a game 7. Pop is just being Pop he is trying to motivate his team when he praises GSW. It is mind games or gamesmanship by the best coach in the NBA. I am just happy we have some Bball fans here
You are forgetting a player, what about Kawhi Lenord? He is now becoming a threat on offense, he was always solid defensively. He hovers around 20 pps 20 in wins and 21 in losses. He scores a bit more when you guys lose but shoots at a lower %. When you guys lose, he shoots .474 or under .500. When he wins, he shoots .517. Also, I don't know if LA is a bad fit for you guys don't write him off just yet. It is not like he is producing crap, he is getting you 16.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG, those numbers are respectable. It all depends on how you guys are going to slow down GSW. If the splash brothers have all day to shoot, then they are going to light your team up like a Christmas tree my friend. If you guys can apply some pressure and play solid D, then you guys have the advantage. Now you know that the splash brothers will most likely get theirs, you guys got to contain guys like Draymond Green and AI from going nuts on you. Now with Draymond it is different because he is the best defensive player and that is how he impacts the game, like K Lenord for you guys. However, you can stop guys like AI and you are not going to stop the splash brothers but you can slow them down. Play kill the clock and shoot with 5 seconds or under on the shot clock, unless you have a wide open look. This will slow them down because they won't have as much time to score. IF you guys take shots early in the shot clock, you are going to get ran out of the court.
Hey just be thankful you are not a Laker fan like me, at least San Antonio has a shot in this. I am hoping our draft pick does not go to Philly because of that Steve Trash trade. Fire Byron Scott and take Jimmy DBag Buss with you haha. Oh and salute to San Antonio organization and SA fans for showing Kobe the proper send off he deserved. I guess Kobe, Tim Duncan and Pop all had a nice moment together. That was pretty cool. Kobe and Pop hugged, Duncan and Kobe talked and Kobe blew kisses and waived to the SA fans. I think there is a mutual respect, despite the fact that it is a rivalry.
Hey just be thankful you are not a Laker fan like me, at least San Antonio has a shot in this. I am hoping our draft pick does not go to Philly because of that Steve Trash trade. Fire Byron Scott and take Jimmy DBag Buss with you haha. Oh and salute to San Antonio organization and SA fans for showing Kobe the proper send off he deserved. I guess Kobe, Tim Duncan and Pop all had a nice moment together. That was pretty cool. Kobe and Pop hugged, Duncan and Kobe talked and Kobe blew kisses and waived to the SA fans. I think there is a mutual respect, despite the fact that it is a rivalry.
Well this is basically what i was trying to tell him. Spurs do have the best shot against them because to me they are the easterners of western conference. Thats a defence first team. Dont try to run with them, they will score 130 on you! Against the Warriors you really have to wait to shoot, let the shot clock run down and make sure Curry doesnt have fun on the court. Heck the Pistons won 3 championships playing this way. They simply made their opponents and their best players hate the nights they had to face the Pistons. Make Curry feel your breath down his neck all night and i am sure you solve them.
I am a long time Bucks fan. Sidney Moncrief was the player i always loved to watch, i think no one ever defended Jordan better than Moncrief. A heck of a tenacious player who still averaged 16 PPG over 10 years in NBA. This year, i seriously dont know whats up with the Bucks. They are heavily underperforming because the lineup at least on paper, is better than a few teams that will make the playoffs. Parker coming off injury is not playing up to his potential and Carter-Williams is simply disappointing. I thought this guy would become a superstar but he is stagnating instead of developing.
I am a long time Bucks fan. Sidney Moncrief was the player i always loved to watch, i think no one ever defended Jordan better than Moncrief. A heck of a tenacious player who still averaged 16 PPG over 10 years in NBA. This year, i seriously dont know whats up with the Bucks. They are heavily underperforming because the lineup at least on paper, is better than a few teams that will make the playoffs. Parker coming off injury is not playing up to his potential and Carter-Williams is simply disappointing. I thought this guy would become a superstar but he is stagnating instead of developing.
Well the Pistons also played in that era where you can play that style of defense and GSW wish they were the Pistons with Izah Thomas, Bill Lambier, AD, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, John Salley. You could put your hand on the back of the player back then and you earned your free throws. Even Rodman chuckled and said we thought of a plan to stop Jordan. Every time Jordan would drive to the basket, BOOM. Izah thought about it for several hours, starring at Lake Michigan! He calls Chuck Daily about how to "Ground Air Jordan." San Antonio cannot do that to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson but you can play milk the clock and that is your best shot. SA will win some games and like I said before I think it will at last go to a game 6 because GS is not THAT good to win in 5 games or less. It is still tough to play in their house and playoffs bball is a different animal.
As we discussed, if you run with GS, they will run you out of the gym and drop 120-130 on you no problem, maybe even more if they are really hot. If you play Big 10 style basketball, you have a puncher's chance. Now SA also needs a few things to fall in their favor, like injuries can play a big factor. Now they are the older team but injuries can hit anyone. If one of the splash brothers get hurt, it's pretty much over and the same can be said for Green as well because he is their best defensive player, by a MILE! Of course you do not wish injuries on anyone but it is a part of the game and end of the season, people get hurt. They also have a good bench and people don't get that guys like AI could start on other teams. You have a former all star coming off the bench, what a luxury to have at your disposal! That is what will go down and we agree that they are an Eastern Conference or BIg 10 style defense first team, despite the fact that they can light up the scoreboard.
BTW any of those old school teams, Showtime, The Bulls, The Pistons, The Celtics would have worked any team from this era, if we played by 80's rules and even by today's rules. Those teams were just something else and very special. We will not see that era again, unless Adam Silver chances the rules to favor the defense. Why would he want to do that and make the game less exciting?
As we discussed, if you run with GS, they will run you out of the gym and drop 120-130 on you no problem, maybe even more if they are really hot. If you play Big 10 style basketball, you have a puncher's chance. Now SA also needs a few things to fall in their favor, like injuries can play a big factor. Now they are the older team but injuries can hit anyone. If one of the splash brothers get hurt, it's pretty much over and the same can be said for Green as well because he is their best defensive player, by a MILE! Of course you do not wish injuries on anyone but it is a part of the game and end of the season, people get hurt. They also have a good bench and people don't get that guys like AI could start on other teams. You have a former all star coming off the bench, what a luxury to have at your disposal! That is what will go down and we agree that they are an Eastern Conference or BIg 10 style defense first team, despite the fact that they can light up the scoreboard.
BTW any of those old school teams, Showtime, The Bulls, The Pistons, The Celtics would have worked any team from this era, if we played by 80's rules and even by today's rules. Those teams were just something else and very special. We will not see that era again, unless Adam Silver chances the rules to favor the defense. Why would he want to do that and make the game less exciting?
Now the Spurs beat them yesterday limiting them to just 79 points. They did it exactly the same way i suggested: tough and tenacious defense
Now are they going to win in a best of seven when GS has four home games? That is the $1,000,000 question. SA needs to win one out of four and protect their house. They are very tough to beat at home because of Pop's style. The ball travels faster than you do so they play ring around the world, milk the clock and hit the open man, half court style(think old school Big East and Big 10 Basketball, when the rules were different). I think if any team has a shot it is SA and I mentioned that before as well. The winner of that series is going to beat anyone from the east most likely Cleveland will waltz through to the Finals.
