Originally posted by dobophile:
This is true. GS was better the first two games and the Spurs have been better the last three. Momentum should be on the side of the Spurs.
Spurs are old. The three best players are over 30, two of whom are over 35. Duncan has looked like dog s**t at times, and Manu is slow and has missed WAY too many shots. This is why the contributions of young role players like Leonard and Green are so important. Danny Green, by the way, is the series MVP so far. Hope he keeps it up.
Spurs have played great defense for most of the series, even when there have been unfavorable matchups. Before last night, the main problem for the Spurs has been lack of hustle (loose balls, rebounds) and offensive execution (missed layups and open shots). If the Spurs had played with game 5's level of intensity and focus throughout, this series would already be over. It has very little to do with outside shooting; Neal and Bonner have been terrible, but that's par for the course and you shouldn't depend on them to be the difference in a playoff series.
Why do you hate to say that? I would love to say that. The hustle and execution last night gives me reason for optimism, but I have no doubt the Warriors have an amazing performance left in them.
I guess so. It's not so much going cold that will doom the Spurs. It's if they let up again and allow the Warriors to control the boards and grab the loose balls. Bogut is a cheap player who gets away with illegal screens and subtle elbows and so forth, but it doesn't really bother me because I think hard-workers who do all the little things deserve to control the paint. If the Spurs don't nut up and get physical, the Warriors will get tons of second chance shots. I can't tell you how many times the Spurs have played great defense, contested a shot which missed, but then the Warriors grabbed the board and Curry or Thompson hit a quick three. It was totally deflating.
Old? Parker is 30. Duncan is the only older key contributer. Manu contributes but his primary role has been mostly spot duty and finishing games. His contributions do not decide if we lose. I would say Leonard's and Green's contributions decided if we win or lose more than Manu's. Only one of our best players is old. Manu is 6th in minutes played and 4th in ppg while Leonard is 3rd in ppg only beating Green and Splitter by about 1.8ppg. At this point, Manu is really only a floor general when Tony needs a rest...unless Manu is hitting his 3's.
I don't think it has been lack of hustle but we may simply disagree on this. Dubs were making unreal, guarded shots in games 1 and 2 and making guarded shots in Game 4. The bodies were always infront of them but the law of averages is catching up to GS. Same goes for us, the law of averages caught up and we are out of our "slump" since most of our 3's in previous games were open looks. In Games 1 and 2, you got two guys on GS who had some crazy percentages. In Game 3, SA went on a huge slump.
I only hate to say it for the Dubs fans that are reading.
