This isn’t going to be one of my best blogs, since I’m pressed for time and still completely frustrated. I’ve been delaying the inevitable, not wanting to write this blog and discuss my frustrations with what happened on Saturday night. How the Spurs blew an 11-point lead after the 1st quarter is beyond me. This game looked to be under wrap, and then suddenly Dallas made a comeback and the Spurs started playing from behind.
There is one aspect of Saturday’s game that leaves room for hope. The Spurs live and die by the 3-point line, and shot 79% (11-14) from three! Isn’t it ironic when the Spurs were in a shooting slump toward the end of the season, they kept jacking up 3’s to solve the problem? But when they were on fire from downtown, they only shot it 14 times. The biggest problem the Spurs had was defense. J.J. Barea got into the paint at will, and when he missed, Erick Dampier was their to clean up the mess. Josh Howard played like a man possessed, despite the ankle injury, and Brandon Bass put up 14 points in 18 minutes…BRANDON BASS. Seriously, I know he’s a former SEC Player of the Year, but that was just ridiculous.
I don’t want to write much on Game 1, since so much has already been said by many different outlets (48MoH, ESPN, whatever you like to read), so this is more of what to do for Game 2.
First of all, I hate J.J. Barea. I know he’s a native Puerto Rican, but I absolutely hate him, even though we share the same birthday and nationality (it’s a Dallas thing – screw Dallas). It just looks like he loves to torch the Spurs constantly. The only thing that can stop him is by clogging the paint with Drew Gooden and Tim Duncan, and when one of them needs rest, Kurt Thomas. But Matt-f**king-Bonner needs to stay off the damn floor, especially in crunch time. He doesn’t defend well, he’s in a shooting slump, and he slows down the entire team. I’m sick of the “Red Rocket”, even though I never got on his bandwagon to begin with.
An interesting solution is to bring Bonner on in a Steve Kerr type of role, which I’m all for, except for the part where if Bonner gets flustered, and decides to drive into the paint and throw up one of his “wicked awesome” floaters. Please Matt, stop it. Shoot 3’s and go balls out on defense as much as you can, even if it the Spurs get burned. I’d prefer to see you hustle your ass off trying, even if you fail, then to see you get repeatedly burned.
Also, as many are saying, why can’t we put George Hill all over J.J. Barea? He’s done a good job in the past, at stealing his “Lucky Charms” – yes, that’s a short joke and I don’t care.
In all I just want to finish on this point. If the Spurs defense cannot play to its potential, they have no chance at winning. No matter how good their shooting is, they have no chance. If Pop can get the Spurs to play “Spurs basketball”, where defense comes first, then whatever happens on offense, happens. Remember when noted defensive specialist, Ime Udoka, played 38 minutes against New Orleans, and actually produced? Then why the hell did he only play 16 minutes against Dallas? If the Spurs lose tonight, a 1st Round exit will be all but inevitable. And there is no one to blame, except for Coach Pop.
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