Official CHA Hornets @ SA Spurs Game Thread

Hornets on 3 game W streak against playoff-bound clubs

Spurs need a W to stay > .500

CHA: Batum (concussion) out
SA: Kawhi, Tony, Joff out

Ded af in here

Pistons/Bucks game is hot
Pacers/6ers and Csv/Wiz too
Spursfan burned out from losing
But Silver and Black look high energy

Does Kaminsky still talk shit to the Chicago Cubs or has that stopped since they won?

Least Rudy's first step can still beat rook Malik Monk

...

How does Patty Mills shoot like this?

When did Pop start running curl actions into LMA's post up? That's a good wrinkle.

Pray for the Spuds, lads

lel. tank commander in this bizarro timeline

Probably when he adopted small ball

Didn't know Forbes could flush the rim.

Why doesn't Pop play Bertans more?

He's racist against fellow Balkans. Thinks Bertans is a hothead. Which is a bit true. But this slumping team needs token hotheads to be honest. Especially ones who can bomb if their confidence is high enough.

Bacon sucks

I think he shoots just as good as Forbes and is taller

Forbes is singlehandedly responsible for the lead right now. Bertans does better playing as an sf, he averaged like 18pts of 4 3pa in eurobasket a few month's ago. He was his national team's second option after Porzingis. But Pop insists on playing him as a pf then gets pissed when he doesn't do as well.

Spurs are always letting the other team back in the game

Who on the Spuds are playing like shit tonight

tank commander is clowning per usual, not as glaring as last night tho
Manu is in turnobili mode
Forbes and Pau maintaining the thin lead

Pau's ego knows he has to show up when Dwight is in the building

Tank commander?

Nobody is really shooting well, except Forbes. Gasol is doing well with rebounds. Aldridge is the leading scorer, but he isn't playing all that great.

Have they given a time line on Kawhi's return?

Where the hell is Aldridge at, isn't he suppose to be the leader?

I hope they keep starting Lamb after batum comes back

That's what i've been saying the past three years

Aldridge missing free throws as usual

Forbes delivering like he knows he's the first option

RUDE

oh shit Forbes
look at that kid's swagger

Refball starting to take effect

Yeah that was a hack. Refs giving the home crowd a taste of dat explosive two-way play Kawhi has patented they have been missing. Apemond and Curry get away with dirtier hacks all the time. Still shamefur tho. Sorry Hornbros.

Gino with the obligatory crowd pleaser

I-is it over

Did they win

Patty shooting like old Patty

They're winning. Why aren't you watching? The Raps/Jazz game is the only good game left

Doesn't want Forbes taking his job

PATTY MILLS

Did Aldridge only score 2 points in the 2nd half?

I'm at work

Spurs making this way closer then it needs to be

smuggle in a cheeky stream for next time, player

3ball roulette really is the most efficient way to compete if you have a lacklustre, underperforming roster

What the hell is Bacon doing?

Spurs won this game thanks to the bench. Forbes, Gay, and Mills really stepped up. Aldridge doing what he does best and pretty much dissappearing

Yep. Can't believe some retards want to add Okafor to this funbag.

Anyway, EAT SHIT 5 GAME LOSING STREAK AHAHAHA

I wonder what it would take for the Spurs to fire Pop if the team continues to suck

Should fire Buford first.

Them being fired is the last thing i want, they've been consistently great for like 20 years, and have been able to find decent guys late in the draft because of it.

We're just talking hypotheticals here right. Stability and consistency are premiums in this business, until they aren't so consistent any longer. There's also the danger of stagnating into hidebound philosophies. I think this is/was Pop's biggest strength, he was his system's own, built-in contrarian; made some tough decisions in adapting his style when it was needed to remain competitive. I just wish that's what he's doing now.

He does seem to have the youngest team he's had in a while though. But he could just be relying on Kawhi being Kawhi too much

>relying on Kawhi being Kawhi too much
This, exactly. That's what I'm afraid of, what we're all afraid of. Spurfan shouldn't be surprised and crying when he gets injured again trying to klaw out a deep postseason run. Pop and RC needs to find consistent recourses that can spread Kawhi's load, not just on random spotty nights. Nobody gets to take day-offs in the postseason anyway; or formulated another way, the team with the least number of bums rings.

I like the Rudy Gay pick up to relive Kawhi, but they need another consistent scorer. Especially since Aldridge has shown you can't rely on him

Gay is supposed to be the team's Iguodala, who in turn was supposed to be gsw's Boris Diaw: a high-iq playmaker on the block who could also run the break, least when he pretended he was still in shape. I like Rudy too but he doesn't touch Iggy's d or Bobo's vision. Still, he's a finisher and has a better 3ball than the other two. Needs a lot of hard work to truly turn him into an xfactor. At least Pop is aware having five playmakers on the starting lineup equals domination, and he's (slowly) building towards that goal much like Kerr did three years ago.

How do you feel about Gasol? He has grown on me. When he first got here, he played incredibly soft. But he plays solid ball at C, especially for a 37 year old and is a better defender then I thought. They still over payed for him though.

Eh. Pop is playing him to his 37yo strengths. Height doesn't age so go get some rebounds, Pau, maybe even some offensive boards on a mismatch wow. Some Manu-tier passing, threatened to be a space-providing stretch-five last season until that role was inexplicably dropped in the postseason. Horford just won a losing game with his stretch shooting. We get what he feels like giving, with Pau. His best value to me is as a Marc Gasol recruiter.