rock was right. the heat had their spirit broken. congrats to the spurs. what a great TEAM. Unfortunately I missed almost the entire game tonight because I had to go to dinner for father's day.
Popovich is the best NBA coach in the last 25 years...and I don't want to hear any Phil Jackson (MJ, Kobe, Shaq) nonsense.
YES
This Spurs team was one for the ages. They played such beautiful basketball, it really was a joy to behold. Kawhi Leonard is the now-school Scottie Pippen. Well-deserved Finals MVP for him.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
DJ_Enki said:
Rockadelic said:
batmon said:
yes
Popovich is the best NBA coach in the last 25 years...and I don't want to hear any Phil Jackson (MJ, Kobe, Shaq) nonsense.
YES
This Spurs team was one for the ages. They played such beautiful basketball, it really was a joy to behold. Kawhi Leonard is the now-school Scottie Pippen. Well-deserved Finals MVP for him.
It was great to see the 'good guys' win. LeBron James is such an egomaniacal asshole, so I enjoyed seeing him and his squad get their asses thoroughly kicked. There is something to be said about the humble greatness of the San Antonio Spurs.
This was a great acheivement to place Team Ball > Iso/Hero Ball.
Miami has the ability to spread the ball but when shit gets tough, the turn into the Miami Cavs.
When i watch my Pacers over dribble and not get the ball moving theres limited ceiling and really dependant on a hero to finish.
I hope other NBA teams take notice that despite having stars you can spread the wealth first and then get your stars off within team play.
I dont know why Spo thought letting LeBron go crazy for the first quarter was a smart response?
Its not like to Heat havent moved the ball before. Even if some of the role players werent on, it still makes the Spurs work harder vs letting Lebron go crazy and shutting down the rest of the team.
This was a great acheivement to place Team Ball > Iso/Hero Ball.
Miami has the ability to spread the ball but when shit gets tough, the turn into the Miami Cavs.
1000 times...this. I hate how the NBA has become a league of dudes who get the ball at the top of the key and wave all their team mates off like "I got this shit, get outta my way"...even when it works it's boring after a while. I was pretty much entirely tuned out to the NBA for the previous 2 seasons because of that type of shit. I would love for this to become less prevalent as teams get back to team ball.
sure, he's won two titles since.... but i dont think the sound of this preternaturally sarcastic kid's voice has ever fully left lebron's consciousness:
This was a great acheivement to place Team Ball > Iso/Hero Ball.
Miami has the ability to spread the ball but when shit gets tough, the turn into the Miami Cavs.
1000 times...this. I hate how the NBA has become a league of dudes who get the ball at the top of the key and wave all their team mates off like "I got this shit, get outta my way"...even when it works it's boring after a while. I was pretty much entirely tuned out to the NBA for the previous 2 seasons because of that type of shit. I would love for this to become less prevalent as teams get back to team ball.
Yeah..thats what OKC has become...Westbrook or Durant taking all the shots.
But i dont wanna see College ball where its mostly passing along the perimeter w/ out cuts or penetration.
As well balanced as an effective Triangle is w/ sharing and spacing.....the best teams have a Hall of Famer to bail shit out.
Popovich is the best NBA coach in the last 25 years...and I don't want to hear any Phil Jackson (MJ, Kobe, Shaq) nonsense.
Pop coaches a team with three HOFs on it, and has for 4 of his 5 rings. The other team had two HOFs.
It's not like he's turning a turd into gold.
Patty Mills - bench warmer
Danny Green - overseas two years ago
Boris Diaw - right system
Tiago Splitter - slow progression
Marco Bellinini - good guard
Corey Joseph - who
Kawai Lenard - no jump shot
Matt Bonner - Matt Bonner
Austin Daye gets a ring????!!!??
Does Shannon Brown already have a ring from LA?
Pop is a good in game coach, the staff slowly develops their talent, and they have a set system.
This was a great acheivement to place Team Ball > Iso/Hero Ball.
Miami has the ability to spread the ball but when shit gets tough, the turn into the Miami Cavs.
1000 times...this. I hate how the NBA has become a league of dudes who get the ball at the top of the key and wave all their team mates off like "I got this shit, get outta my way"...even when it works it's boring after a while. I was pretty much entirely tuned out to the NBA for the previous 2 seasons because of that type of shit. I would love for this to become less prevalent as teams get back to team ball.
I agree 100%.
Did the spurs show a newold way and now all the teams will change? I think not. If just two of Miami's players had stepped up and played consistently along with James they could have won. As they did last year. Miami rebounded poorly, missed open shots and were not aggressive enough. James can do a lot, but he can't do it all.
Another reason we wont see much change is (as has been pointed out) doing what SAS did takes a lot of work. From the players, coaches and support staff. Pop, and his team are that much better.
Also big props to the SAS international scouting. International players are nothing new in the league, but clearly SAS do a better job scouting international role players and bringing them into the system and the SAS family.
When the championship Bulls were broken up Portland got Scottie Pippen. We thought, and even more so he thought, he could do in Portland what he did in Chicago. But without Jordan to distract the defense he didn't do much.
It's not about Nationality, it's about getting smart, selfless and coachable players that fit into a very specific program. Pop has passed on getting any knuckleheads and stayd the course with what he had. The fact that the "Big 3" of the Spurs stayed together and won rings 7 years apart when other teams would have blown things up is proof of that. The fact that it was continuously pointed out during the Finals how the Spurs players didn't bitch and moan when they were taken out of a game just shows how pitiful the leagus has become, This was the biggest blow-out in NBA Finals history with the two best players being at the tail ends of their careers. Pop coached this team for a ring from day one in the season by limiting playing time and getting everyone on the team involved. Phil Jackson was made because he had HOF players, San Antonio has 3 HOF players because they played in that system.
If just two of Miami's players had stepped up and played consistently along with James they could have won. As they did last year. Miami rebounded poorly, missed open shots and were not aggressive enough. James can do a lot, but he can't do it all..
I'd agree w/ this if this went 7 games and Wade and LeBron were outstanding for the entire series.
They werent as individuals and the role players had their mojo ripped by the Spurs intensity.
It's not about Nationality, it's about getting smart, selfless and coachable players that fit into a very specific program. Pop has passed on getting any knuckleheads and stayd the course with what he had. The fact that the "Big 3" of the Spurs stayed together and won rings 7 years apart when other teams would have blown things up is proof of that. The fact that it was continuously pointed out during the Finals how the Spurs players didn't bitch and moan when they were taken out of a game just shows how pitiful the leagus has become, This was the biggest blow-out in NBA Finals history with the two best players being at the tail ends of their careers. Pop coached this team for a ring from day one in the season by limiting playing time and getting everyone on the team involved. Phil Jackson was made because he had HOF players, San Antonio has 3 HOF players because they played in that system.
As for American vs. European players, the difference is in the style of play they're brought up in. American players come up in AAU ball, which fosters the mentality of "be a star, go for yours, get your numbers and your shine so you get noticed and recruited for the next level." Pretty much every European player has talked about how the biggest transition from their old stomping grounds to the NBA is dealing with that mentality because they grew up more accustomed to playing team ball, everybody doing their part so the team wins.
Obviously, the Spurs are much closer to the European mentality than the American one, but I highly doubt we'll see other teams follow suit. The Spurs are such an anomaly because they got everybody, from Tim Duncan on down to the 12th man, to fully commit to the notion of sacrificing individual glory for the good of the team. That's a pretty rare thing, and really, how many NBA players do you think really, truly would go for that? Not just say they will, but then won't. Not just go for it for a few months, then go back to glory ball as soon as things get rough. Not just go for it until it's your contract year and you need to shine so you can get paid. Fully commit to it. Is there really a full team's worth of those players? 2 teams' worth?
This is what Portland was trying to do last year. They played very good team ball with sharp passing for long stretches. And they played the whole bench. But as you say, when things got tough, the pressure was put on LA and DL to step up and be superstars. Maybe not by the coaches, I don't know, but by the press and fans. If Miami had been firing on all cylinders, and SAS struggling, no doubt press and fans would have whined about TP and TD's lack of scoring.
Like JectWon it was that team play, and Lillard's likeability, that drew me back to the NBA.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
Rockadelic said:
It's not about Nationality, it's about getting smart, selfless and coachable players that fit into a very specific program. Pop has passed on getting any knuckleheads and stayd the course with what he had. The fact that the "Big 3" of the Spurs stayed together and won rings 7 years apart when other teams would have blown things up is proof of that. The fact that it was continuously pointed out during the Finals how the Spurs players didn't bitch and moan when they were taken out of a game just shows how pitiful the leagus has become, This was the biggest blow-out in NBA Finals history with the two best players being at the tail ends of their careers. Pop coached this team for a ring from day one in the season by limiting playing time and getting everyone on the team involved. Phil Jackson was made because he had HOF players, San Antonio has 3 HOF players because they played in that system.
The above is essentially the 'Coach K' formula applied to the professional ranks. Get a bunch of good (not necessarily great) players together, develop the team chemistry, and out-execute more athletic and talented teams. B-ball is a thinking man's (and woman's) game. That's why my old, slow ass shits on those youngins at the park around the corner every weekend. :real_headz:
Can anyone recall previous 'status-quo' styles of the NBA from BITD?
For instance, were there ever any previous era's in the NBA where teams were too focussed on getting iso/type superstars and putting the team on their back or has the game always been a true team game up until the last 15-20 years?
I ask because sometimes I think (like many people) I get too wrapped up in the present not being as good as the past when, in truth, there is a natural ebb and flow to the game and different schemes/shools-of-thought/tactics evolve and have their moment before being defeated by the next.
The Warriors at their best played a similar form of team ball because they had some great passers at every position. The problem was when they got a lead Jackson would try to slow the game down and play isolation almost always leading to a comeback by the other team. According to reports Kerr will be implementing a similar system with no isolations.
Comments
Popovich is the best NBA coach in the last 25 years...and I don't want to hear any Phil Jackson (MJ, Kobe, Shaq) nonsense.
yes
I wanna see Phil in NYC without an MJ, KOBE, and Shaq....
Good for the Spurs. D Wade must have been hurt in the Finals or something.
Duncan's emotional reaction really says all about how much sacrifice he's made, perhaps in his personal life as well to attain this.....heavy shit.
Great NBA season with a lot of storylines.
yes
YES
This Spurs team was one for the ages. They played such beautiful basketball, it really was a joy to behold. Kawhi Leonard is the now-school Scottie Pippen. Well-deserved Finals MVP for him.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Miami has the ability to spread the ball but when shit gets tough, the turn into the Miami Cavs.
When i watch my Pacers over dribble and not get the ball moving theres limited ceiling and really dependant on a hero to finish.
I hope other NBA teams take notice that despite having stars you can spread the wealth first and then get your stars off within team play.
I dont know why Spo thought letting LeBron go crazy for the first quarter was a smart response?
Its not like to Heat havent moved the ball before. Even if some of the role players werent on, it still makes the Spurs work harder vs letting Lebron go crazy and shutting down the rest of the team.
They pretty much created the Heat's Kryptonite.
Pop coaches a team with three HOFs on it, and has for 4 of his 5 rings. The other team had two HOFs.
It's not like he's turning a turd into gold.
1000 times...this. I hate how the NBA has become a league of dudes who get the ball at the top of the key and wave all their team mates off like "I got this shit, get outta my way"...even when it works it's boring after a while. I was pretty much entirely tuned out to the NBA for the previous 2 seasons because of that type of shit. I would love for this to become less prevalent as teams get back to team ball.
they start em young in beantown.
Yeah..thats what OKC has become...Westbrook or Durant taking all the shots.
But i dont wanna see College ball where its mostly passing along the perimeter w/ out cuts or penetration.
As well balanced as an effective Triangle is w/ sharing and spacing.....the best teams have a Hall of Famer to bail shit out.
Boris Diaw justified!!
Patty Mills - bench warmer
Danny Green - overseas two years ago
Boris Diaw - right system
Tiago Splitter - slow progression
Marco Bellinini - good guard
Corey Joseph - who
Kawai Lenard - no jump shot
Matt Bonner - Matt Bonner
Austin Daye gets a ring????!!!??
Does Shannon Brown already have a ring from LA?
Pop is a good in game coach, the staff slowly develops their talent, and they have a set system.
Dude was great in the Finals. Always made the right play and showed the best way to play the "do a little bit of everything" role.
@ me?
Nah...just throwing the question out there.....generalizations.
I agree 100%.
Did the spurs show a newold way and now all the teams will change? I think not. If just two of Miami's players had stepped up and played consistently along with James they could have won. As they did last year. Miami rebounded poorly, missed open shots and were not aggressive enough. James can do a lot, but he can't do it all.
Another reason we wont see much change is (as has been pointed out) doing what SAS did takes a lot of work. From the players, coaches and support staff. Pop, and his team are that much better.
Also big props to the SAS international scouting. International players are nothing new in the league, but clearly SAS do a better job scouting international role players and bringing them into the system and the SAS family.
When the championship Bulls were broken up Portland got Scottie Pippen. We thought, and even more so he thought, he could do in Portland what he did in Chicago. But without Jordan to distract the defense he didn't do much.
I'd agree w/ this if this went 7 games and Wade and LeBron were outstanding for the entire series.
They werent as individuals and the role players had their mojo ripped by the Spurs intensity.
Stephen Jackson is a testament to that. And they brought him back too after his antics.
As for American vs. European players, the difference is in the style of play they're brought up in. American players come up in AAU ball, which fosters the mentality of "be a star, go for yours, get your numbers and your shine so you get noticed and recruited for the next level." Pretty much every European player has talked about how the biggest transition from their old stomping grounds to the NBA is dealing with that mentality because they grew up more accustomed to playing team ball, everybody doing their part so the team wins.
Obviously, the Spurs are much closer to the European mentality than the American one, but I highly doubt we'll see other teams follow suit. The Spurs are such an anomaly because they got everybody, from Tim Duncan on down to the 12th man, to fully commit to the notion of sacrificing individual glory for the good of the team. That's a pretty rare thing, and really, how many NBA players do you think really, truly would go for that? Not just say they will, but then won't. Not just go for it for a few months, then go back to glory ball as soon as things get rough. Not just go for it until it's your contract year and you need to shine so you can get paid. Fully commit to it. Is there really a full team's worth of those players? 2 teams' worth?
Like JectWon it was that team play, and Lillard's likeability, that drew me back to the NBA.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
For instance, were there ever any previous era's in the NBA where teams were too focussed on getting iso/type superstars and putting the team on their back or has the game always been a true team game up until the last 15-20 years?
I ask because sometimes I think (like many people) I get too wrapped up in the present not being as good as the past when, in truth, there is a natural ebb and flow to the game and different schemes/shools-of-thought/tactics evolve and have their moment before being defeated by the next.
Just curious.
True but the Spurs were more like we have 3 Ray Allen's with ages of their big three