Forget the line up shuffling between Green/Ginobili, or Neal and Bonner no shows.

The Spurs have to put the best players on the floor no matter what which includes Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Jackson and Lenoard.

For the series, Duncan is shooting 42% on 29/68. That can't happen, they have re-establish him on the block and let him go to work. That will slow the game down but that's okay because I think OKC is pushing the Spurs to play faster than they want to. They just need to stop turning the damn ball over so much.

The Spurs Big 3 (Parker/Duncan/Ginobili) have committed: Game 1 - 9 Turnovers to 11 Assists, Game 2 - 7 Turnovers to 18 Assists, Game 3 - 11 Turnovers to 6 Assists, Game 4 - 7 Turnovers to 10 Assists, Game 5 - 12 Turnovers to 14 Assists.

I think if they slow down the tempo and limit the opportunities for OKC to get out and run while establishing Duncan at the post then might have a chance to beat OKC. But I also think that they need to get something from the other post role players, badly! Plus you definitely want to slow them down knowing you're playing in a pretty loud OKC crowd.

Its basically reverting to the old boring Spurs game that we have been used to in the previous Finals run.

Spurs win Game 6 and Game 7 is up for grabs where anything can happen.

[This message has been edited by AggieBaller98 (edited 6/5/2012 10:59a).]

take out james harden. he was 20, 4, 2 steals on only 11 shots. and was a game-high +24



The spurs bench: combined -62
the thunder bench: +45

to say the spurs bench got absolutely raped would be an understatement.

[This message has been edited by Simplebay (edited 6/5/2012 11:11a).]

They need their bench. It's that simple. The Spurs were the best team in the NBA because they can rest their starters, not lose that much of the flow, and then put the starters back in to seal the deal. Green, Bonner, Splitter, Neal, Blair have all royally sucked ass the last 3 games. Even Leonard, who has played well defensively and a good rebounder, is too scared to shoot the damn ball. They completely lost their confidence. Credit OKC for playing lights out D and scaring the bench to the bench.

[This message has been edited by dport2009 (edited 6/5/2012 11:09a).]

1. Play like they have some balls
2. Limit stupid turnovers. The Thunder will force some, but there have been too many unforced turnovers.
3. Set better picks for Parker
4. Get Ibaka in foul trouble early and then live at the rim

turnovers

What Ulrich said. It's that simple.

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they have re-establish him on the block and let him go to work

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Obviously you aren't understanding why the Thunder have dominated lately. The Spurs HAVE been going to Duncan in the block and are getting murdered by it. He keeps turning the ball over or driving into the teeth of the defense only to send a crappy pass to the next man and not even get a good set shot (when the defense rarely does collapse on him).

Duncan in the block and Tony/Manu getting crappy pick setting, which is deteriorating into iso moves late in the shot clock---these things have lost the Spurs 3 straight games by generating the majority of the turnovers.

If they don't roll with what got them to the WCF (which was a BIG bench contribution), they won't win anymore games.

I also think this means Pop needs to abandon this hully-gully drastic lineup change BS in the first half and go with the normal rotation. I know he won't do that though, so I don't think the Spurs really stand a chance. Pop has never panicked this much in one series.

[This message has been edited by aggie_2001_2005 (edited 6/5/2012 11:57p).]

Father Time is undefeated.

I agree with aggie_2001_2005. The LAST thing the Spurs want to do is shut down the ball movement and push the ball into Timmy. Perkins and Collison are in his house all game, and it generally has resulted in a bad shot or a turnover, which has resulted in easy points for the Thunder.

Timmy was great in rounds 1 & 2, but now he has run into a group that knows how to defend. His best chance will be to set picks 16-18 feet from the rim, stretch the floor with that consistent jumper of his, and defend the paint on the other end.

If/when he DOES get the ball in the paint, he needs to start his move IMMEDIATELY. But he won't. This has been a weakness of his for his entire career. He holds the ball WAY too long and allows the defense to reset before he makes his move. Don't know why, he just does.

Yep. If Duncan stays up high at the top of the key, he can get back on D faster, preventing Thunder transition. It's not like he's offensive rebounding like crazy anyway, so there's no need to run him under the basket on offense. And keeping him up there keeps the Thunder big out of the paint.

I don't know why Pop and company haven't noticed this the last 3 games.

Well I admit that I'm not a Spurs fan and haven't seen Duncan play his entire career. I just know that OKC is imposing their will on San Antonio and is making them play faster than they appear to want to. Maybe its because the shooters are tenative to shoot or because they're tired.

But I do think that the Spurs cannot play at the tempo that OKC has been playing. The speed of OKC depends on getting turnovers and the Spurs have done plenty of this throughout the series.

[This message has been edited by AggieBaller98 (edited 6/6/2012 11:32a).]

Nope, you don't change your entire scheme in the WCF.

The Spurs would be just fine if Green and Bonner were hitting the wide open 3s at the same rate they were the rest of the year. Neal really hurt us in Game 5 as well.

Player / reg season 3pt% / WCF 3pt%
Bonner / 34.8 / 14.2
Neal / 45.5 / 38.4
Green / 35.1 / 18.2

Bonner and Green have lost this series for the Spurs (that an uncalled goal tending). Watch Green shoot a 3, he is nearly on his knees praying it goes in.

Key for Game 6 = Tony Parker.

Distribute well and limit turnovers.

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Distribute well

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He hasn't done this well at all.

Get the ref to call the block off the backboard. Chibaca has about 10 each game...get that wookie outta there!

The keys are for the Thunder players shooting well above average to shoot exactly average.