San Antonio Spurs Short Season 2011-2012**

The thing is now what do we need to do next year to try and win it next year. Hopefully Leonard and Green can develop so we don't have to change much. Maybe with a good draft we can get that big that is athletic and can defend the rim. I have thought for the last couple years that we really don't have that big that is a game changer on the defensive end to help Duncan. Duncan is still a good defender but he doesn't have the lift in the legs to be a great shot blocker anymore and to me that is one of the big things we lack.

Originally posted by 49erstrandedinclev:
Congrats to OKC they are just the better team.

This.

OKC got to the line as much as they did because SA couldn't handle them, especially Durant. Very few questionable calls.

Ouch awkward..

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by 49erstrandedinclev:

Congrats to OKC they are just the better team.

This.

OKC got to the line as much as they did because SA couldn't handle them, especially Durant. Very few questionable calls.

There were about 4 well timed calls and noncalls that swung the game big in OKCs favor but after that, OKC hit some big shots and we missed them which got them a nice cushion.

They just have too much firepower to lose close games.

Y'all blew your wad with that big win streak.

So, let me get this straight...Stern didn't fix the Western Conf. Finals four previous times when Spurs were the MOST boring team, but he decided to screw them over when they are actually somewhat watchable - and may generate decent ratings?

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
This.

OKC got to the line as much as they did because SA couldn't handle them, especially Durant. Very few questionable calls.

That's funny, I remember tons of whining about officiating in the Laker thread when the Thunder did the exact same thing. The Thunder got some serious home cooking in the 2nd half, ther were some egregious non calls on Manu and Duncan but in the end I don't think it would have mattered. Pretty much every time they needed one the last 4 games, someone just hit a big shot. It was uncanny. I thought it would have been cool for SA to get one more, because OKC is going to get many. There's never been a team in NBA history collectively this good and this young. Good for Durant, I've been a big fan since he was a Longhorn.

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
This.

OKC got to the line as much as they did because SA couldn't handle them, especially Durant. Very few questionable calls.

That's funny, I remember tons of whining about officiating in the Laker thread when the Thunder did the exact same thing. The Thunder got some serious home cooking in the 2nd half, ther were some egregious non calls on Manu and Duncan but in the end I don't think it would have mattered. Pretty much every time they needed one the last 4 games, someone just hit a big shot. It was uncanny. I thought it would have been cool for SA to get one more, because OKC is going to get many. There's never been a team in NBA history collectively this good and this young. Good for Durant, I've been a big fan since he was a Longhorn.

Dunno what to tell you about the Laker thread, I can only speak for myself. I thought OKC was gonna whoop us well before that series started.

And ya...that OKC team's on the verge of quite a run.

Originally posted by dobo:

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
This.

OKC got to the line as much as they did because SA couldn't handle them, especially Durant. Very few questionable calls.

That's funny, I remember tons of whining about officiating in the Laker thread when the Thunder did the exact same thing. The Thunder got some serious home cooking in the 2nd half, ther were some egregious non calls on Manu and Duncan but in the end I don't think it would have mattered. Pretty much every time they needed one the last 4 games, someone just hit a big shot. It was uncanny. I thought it would have been cool for SA to get one more, because OKC is going to get many. There's never been a team in NBA history collectively this good and this young. Good for Durant, I've been a big fan since he was a Longhorn.

Pretty much. The officiating was pretty awful for most of the series, and generally in OKC's favor, but the Spurs nevertheless deserved to lose games 3, 4, and 5. Game 6 was another matter, though. I think it definitely made a difference.

Durant and Co. did their part, but so did Crawford and Kennedy.

Didn't even notice the refs in the Utah/LAC series...which is always a good thing when refs names are not repeatedly brought up.

Then Crawford comes in and gets his name mentioned more than I would like to hear in a series.

I don't think I minded it as most because OKC is a damn good team but the tech on SJAX and the call when Leonard's 3 was discounted due to Harden flopping was 6 or 7 point swing (1pt gained per tech, 3pts lost by the Spurs, 3pts gained by OKC at the other end or was it 2pts).

I don't buy into foul totals often unless there is a major difference. When free throws are equal, sometimes the timeliness of the bad calls is what hurts.


Duncan rarely talks about refs in interviews and the refs was the first thing he mentioned. f**ken Crawford still isn't over whatever he has against Duncan.

Originally posted by dobo:
On a positive note: how amazing is Kawhi Leonard? I was really impressed with his consistent effort, particularly on the defensive end. He's 20 years old. Let that sink in.

Going forward, things will have to change. Manu will become increasingly less effective if he has to play more than 20 minutes or so per game. Duncan is still very good on both ends and plays smart, but his knees and his age have necessitated keeping his weight down. I fear the loss of strength will make it even harder for him to bang down low next season. Their reduced roles in the future will put the Spurs in a tough spot.

That said, there is reason for optimism. Parker is still in his prime; this is his team. Jackson has shown that he can still make plays and bring toughness. (And, hey, RJ is gone.) Diaw did well to integrate so quickly and, despite some shaky playoff performances, seems to fit an Horryish role on the team (at least better than Bonner). Leonard is a beast. I can't say enough how much I like his game and his attitude. I expect big things from him. Finally, Duncan will likely re-sign for something like two years at $12 MM/year, which hopefully brightens the team's financial flexibility somewhat (I'm not much of a cap guy).

Others:

- Splitter and Green fit into the "meh" category. Both have shown flashes of giving this team needs exactly what it needs -- interior defense and hustle (Splitter) and versatile perimeter defense and three point shooting (Green) -- but neither stepped up under pressure. I do think both are worth another look, but I wouldn't mind seeing either leave.

- Bonner, Blair, and Neal are too inconsistent and often useless.

- No comment on Mills and Anderson.

TL;DR

Keepers: Parker, Manu, Jackson, Leonard, Diaw, Duncan

Everyone else can go

Back court:
Totally agree. Kawhi was a great find. He's not afraid of the stage and has a decent shot that can be worked on. This guy should be a key player next year. He has the chance to be a very effective starting SG and defensive specialist.

Tony: this is his team.

Neal just looked out of it. I have a feeling there's something else going on with him. He has always played solid and came through but he just looked different. He gets one more season.

Mills: I have a feeling he's about to take Neal's spot and a little bit of Ginobli's instant offense. Mills could be a surprise next season that keeps the speed of the PG on the court when Parker rests.

SJAX is needed here. We saw what happened with weaker minds in Bonner and RJ the past couple of years. Jackson's mentality is the most value here.

Manu: dude can no longer be relied upon as a game carrier. He needs to shorten his minutes and become instant offense for spurts but not a person who carries the team. Maybe at times finishes games here and there but not after he's played more than 20 minutes.

Front Court:
Splitter: The fact that Splitter improved quite a bit from year 1 to year 2 tells me he can be a keeper and improve once more. Euros usually require a "I actually belong here" feeling to start performing like they really can and stop being timid. I have a feeling he will be much better next year. Having said that, he's still a bench producer but can be a trouble causer for opponents if he improves.

Tim: Tim will resign but I think he needs to gear his offseason to strictly shooting the 10-17 footer so he can hit it with his eyes close and work on his moves to the basket from that spot. Anything he gets from posting up will be considered a plus from this point on.

Diaw is old and will not be able to keep up with championship roster Forwards.

What we need is a true Center that can play above the rim but what NBA team doesn't need that type of player? I hope Spurs front office can find a hidden gem there but a guy like Pau would work soooooooo well with this team.

Bonner and Blair have maximized there abilities and will only look worse from here on (Harbaugh's if you're not getting better, you're getting worse). Such a true statement.



The main thing is that we learned that having a 10 man rotation will only take you so far. Sooner or later, man's 8, 9, and 10 are eventually athletically outmatched vs a championship caliber team that's only going 7 or 8 deep.

I would say Center (if Splitter doesn't improve) and SF are our most urgent needs.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by dobo:
On a positive note: how amazing is Kawhi Leonard? I was really impressed with his consistent effort, particularly on the defensive end. He's 20 years old. Let that sink in.

Going forward, things will have to change. Manu will become increasingly less effective if he has to play more than 20 minutes or so per game. Duncan is still very good on both ends and plays smart, but his knees and his age have necessitated keeping his weight down. I fear the loss of strength will make it even harder for him to bang down low next season. Their reduced roles in the future will put the Spurs in a tough spot.

That said, there is reason for optimism. Parker is still in his prime; this is his team. Jackson has shown that he can still make plays and bring toughness. (And, hey, RJ is gone.) Diaw did well to integrate so quickly and, despite some shaky playoff performances, seems to fit an Horryish role on the team (at least better than Bonner). Leonard is a beast. I can't say enough how much I like his game and his attitude. I expect big things from him. Finally, Duncan will likely re-sign for something like two years at $12 MM/year, which hopefully brightens the team's financial flexibility somewhat (I'm not much of a cap guy).

Others:

- Splitter and Green fit into the "meh" category. Both have shown flashes of giving this team needs exactly what it needs -- interior defense and hustle (Splitter) and versatile perimeter defense and three point shooting (Green) -- but neither stepped up under pressure. I do think both are worth another look, but I wouldn't mind seeing either leave.

- Bonner, Blair, and Neal are too inconsistent and often useless.

- No comment on Mills and Anderson.

TL;DR

Keepers: Parker, Manu, Jackson, Leonard, Diaw, Duncan

Everyone else can go

Back court:
Totally agree. Kawhi was a great find. He's not afraid of the stage and has a decent shot that can be worked on. This guy should be a key player next year. He has the chance to be a very effective starting SG and defensive specialist.

Tony: this is his team.

Neal just looked out of it. I have a feeling there's something else going on with him. He has always played solid and came through but he just looked different. He gets one more season.

Mills: I have a feeling he's about to take Neal's spot and a little bit of Ginobli's instant offense. Mills could be a surprise next season that keeps the speed of the PG on the court when Parker rests.

SJAX is needed here. We saw what happened with weaker minds in Bonner and RJ the past couple of years. Jackson's mentality is the most value here.

Manu: dude can no longer be relied upon as a game carrier. He needs to shorten his minutes and become instant offense for spurts but not a person who carries the team. Maybe at times finishes games here and there but not after he's played more than 20 minutes.

Front Court:
Splitter: The fact that Splitter improved quite a bit from year 1 to year 2 tells me he can be a keeper and improve once more. Euros usually require a "I actually belong here" feeling to start performing like they really can and stop being timid. I have a feeling he will be much better next year. Having said that, he's still a bench producer but can be a trouble causer for opponents if he improves.

Tim: Tim will resign but I think he needs to gear his offseason to strictly shooting the 10-17 footer so he can hit it with his eyes close and work on his moves to the basket from that spot. Anything he gets from posting up will be considered a plus from this point on.

Diaw is old and will not be able to keep up with championship roster Forwards.

What we need is a true Center that can play above the rim but what NBA team doesn't need that type of player? I hope Spurs front office can find a hidden gem there but a guy like Pau would work soooooooo well with this team.

Bonner and Blair have maximized there abilities and will only look worse from here on (Harbaugh's if you're not getting better, you're getting worse). Such a true statement.



The main thing is that we learned that having a 10 man rotation will only take you so far. Sooner or later, man's 8, 9, and 10 are eventually athletically outmatched vs a championship caliber team that's only going 7 or 8 deep.

I would say Center (if Splitter doesn't improve) and SF are our most urgent needs.

I don't even think it necessarily has to be a center but we need a shot blocking force on the defensive end what ever his position is. Love both of your guys review especially on Mills. With Brett Brown being one of Pops assistants and coaching the Australian nationals team in the Olympics I think Patty will develop into a Spurs type player.

Originally posted by dobo:
What is this nonsense about KG? No way that happens, right? Duncan hates him.

I think the front office knows we need to get younger, not acquire another aging player.

Originally posted by dobo:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by dobo:
What is this nonsense about KG? No way that happens, right? Duncan hates him.

I think the front office knows we need to get younger, not acquire another aging player.

This has got to be a joke.

*pounds chest*

*primal scream*

Looks like it's only one's viewpoint. I really don't mind having Garnett but I just think he's where Duncan is and won't be able to keep up enough to make a difference.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by dobo:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by dobo:
What is this nonsense about KG? No way that happens, right? Duncan hates him.

I think the front office knows we need to get younger, not acquire another aging player.

This has got to be a joke.

*pounds chest*

*primal scream*

Looks like it's only one's viewpoint. I really don't mind having Garnett but I just think he's where Duncan is and won't be able to keep up enough to make a difference.

I would prefer to get younger but if that isn't possible it could work having both Garnett and Duncan. It would only work however if both players were willing to make sacrifices (we all know Duncan will) and for one of them to be willing to start from the bench. It could be interesting to see them play if both players just had to play in short 6 or less minute bursts to see if this could keep both players fresh and always keeping one of them on the floor could make the other teams big men always having to legitimately defend someone could pay big dividends at the end of games.