We have a odd team....

[Jody23]

Tell me how much of this is "system" and how much is because Manu is simply a great player.

Manu Ginobili Full Highlights 2014 Finals G5 vs H…: http://youtu.be/wAWnbcCPXKs

[Jody23]

How much of this is "system" and how much is because Duncan is 7" foot and still a great player?

Tim Duncan Game 6 Highlights vs Thunder - WCF:

[kerrypack]

i'll say it again.  duncan was always really smart.  you watch that team play, and they play smart even when those guys aren't in the game, though.

[Jody23]

i'll say it again. duncan was always really smart. you watch that team play, and they play smart even when those guys aren't in the game, though.

That's true, but that's in addition to his high level of skill and talent.

[buckeye242424]

How much of this is "system" and how much is because Duncan is 7" foot and still a great player?

Tim Duncan Game 6 Highlights vs Thunder - WCF: http://youtu.be/CYWEw9GLz8s

Damn, I'm not saying they're not talented. You don't win that many rings without being great basketball players. But you had guys pushing 40... And won another NBA championship. Geez, Duncan is older than me, and I feel like an old man. That Spurs team ran circles around Miami by passing the ball, being discipline, and frankly, just out coached by Pop...And the best player on the planet knew it....

[Jody23]

Damn, I'm not saying they're not talented. You don't win that many rings without being great basketball players. But you had guys pushing 40... And won another NBA championship. Geez, Duncan is older than me, and I feel like an old man. That Spurs team ran circles around Miami by passing the ball, being discipline, and frankly, just out coached by Pop...And the best player on the planet knew it....

Yet you said if you put Manu and Tim on the Suns, they would be a 30 win team tops. The point I'm making to you is there is no magical system that breeds success. You have to have great players and the Spurs have three growing on four. And as far as age goes, it is far from the only factor. Jordan won the title at 36 and was still the best player in basketball. At age 40, he was still better than most of the league.

[buckeye242424]

Yet you said if you put Manu and Tim on the Suns, they would be a 30 win team tops. The point I'm making to you is there is no magical system that breeds success. You have to have great players and the Spurs have three growing on four. And as far as age goes, it is far from the only factor. Jordan won the title at 36 and was still the best player in basketball. At age 40, he was still better than most of the league.

Jordan is the best player to ever put on a uniform. That's different. Roll the ball out. I agree you have to have great players to win the trophy, but the Spurs don't have "great" players anymore... Save Parker, he's getting old too. It's coaching and everyone buying in... I mean seriously, who's gonna remember in 5 years that Leonard was the MVP of the champions in the Finals?

[Jody23]

Jordan is the best player to ever put on a uniform. That's different. Roll the ball out. I agree you have to have great players to win the trophy, but the Spurs don't have "great" players anymore... Save Parker, he's getting old too. It's coaching and everyone buying in... I mean seriously, who's gonna remember in 5 years that Leonard was the MVP of the champions in the Finals?

How's it different? He's still a human who played basketball right? Pippen was 33 and Rodman was older than Jordan and both were still getting done at a high level. So now it's all coaching and everyone buying in? If you can't see that those guys are great players, I don't know what to tell you. They may not put up the numbers they used to, but they're still great when it matters.

[buckeye242424]

How's it different? He's still a human who played basketball right? Pippen was 33 and Rodman was older than Jordan and both were still getting done at a high level. So now it's all coaching and everyone buying in? If you can't see that those guys are great players, I don't know what to tell you. They may not put up the numbers they used to, but they're still great when it matters.

Jordan and Pippen, c'mon... I could have sat on the bench with them. And they had good role players. I'm not saying the Spurs don't have players, I'm just saying the main ones are old and Pop had to implement a way for them to succeed.. They bought in, and obviously it worked.

[Diesel]

I think it's a waste of time with the Spurs comparison.  We're not comparable.   We may have their old assistant and we may try to run a similar system but our personnel is not as good.  We're a poor man's San Antonio like Cleveland was a Poor Man's Chicago when they had Ron Harper playing the role of Jordan back in the day.

Let's not delude ourselves with those notions.

 

When I look at us here's how I see it:

 

Horf - High post PNR/PNP.

Sap - High post - Midrange 2 man game.

Korver - Three point specialist.

Bazemore - (Hopefully) Slashing SG.

Teague - Slashing PG.  PNR/PNP  PG.

 

What we lack is paint presence.  We try to substitute for Paint Presence with Slashing.  Our offense cries that we have somebody who can work down low.  Basketball is simple.   IF you can get Easy Scores, you make it hard on the other team.  We don't get easy scores.  We rely on good shooting from distance.  It means that when out M.R. and outside shooting is working, we're hard to beat.  It forces teams to spread the floor and our slashers can kill.  That's what happened to Indy.  However, when our shooting is off, we give up efficiency and rebounds.  Other teams score on us and build mountains that we are forced to meet with three point shooting.

 

When I say that Horf and Sap overlap, I'm not talking about style of play as much as I am talking about where they get their points.  In a halfcourt set, neither of them likes to be inside.  I watched Sap Post up in the playoffs and it looked uncomfortable.   Horf has never liked to play down low.   However, one of them needs to give in if we are going to be able to compete especially in the playoffs.  

 

A lot of bigs took a hiatus last season.  They're back.  Noel is back.  Lopez is back.  Chandler isn't coming back but he's been replaced by Dalembert.  Then you have the others who have made their presence known...  Big Al, Vucaniunias, Noah, Gortat,  and Drummond.  Then you got these guys who never got any press like Thompson and Gibson. So on the big man front, we will have a lot of work todo.

[AHF]

Yet you said if you put Manu and Tim on the Suns, they would be a 30 win team tops. The point I'm making to you is there is no magical system that breeds success. You have to have great players and the Spurs have three growing on four. And as far as age goes, it is far from the only factor. Jordan won the title at 36 and was still the best player in basketball. At age 40, he was still better than most of the league.

Agreed.That makes no sense at all. Add Duncan and Manu to last year's Suns and you have a legit contender. Duncan is still a top 5 big man in the minutes he plays. Manu is less consistent but still capable of making a significant impact. The Suns had some nice guards and sweet-shooting forwards to pair with Duncan's interior play and Manu's slashing game. That is 50+ wins. Edited August 3, 2014 by AHF

[Gray Mule]

I believe we can all agree that we have at least part of the ingredients that

are necessary for a very good team.

 

1- A very good coach.  Bud apparently qualifies.

 

2- Players with a very good IQ.  We've been adding this type player.

 

3- Athletic players.  We're pretty good there.

 

4- Size.  We're not there yet but we're getting there.

 

Think of all those great teams over the years.  Most of them had these same

qualities.

 

GO ATL!

[turnermx]

Hawks fans seem to me to be doom and gloomers. Every team is better than us for them. We cant get anybody good to play for us. Our players are not good enough. Smh every offseason is the same with most Hawks fans. If some of us are optimistic we are just homers. Some of the doom and gloomers think they can GM better than Ferry. Cant wait until this season starts!

[Guest]

Hawks fans seem to me to be doom and gloomers. Every team is better than us for them. We cant get anybody good to play for us. Our players are not good enough. Smh every offseason is the same with most Hawks fans. If some of us are optimistic we are just homers. Some of the doom and gloomers think they can GM better than Ferry. Cant wait until this season starts!

Just wait till mid November when Thabo and DMC are locking people up, then the doom n gloomers become bandwagon jumpers again. Lol