Basketball as the Beautiful Game | Syracusefan.com

Basketball as the Beautiful Game

moqui

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I love watching San Antonio play, I think Popovich has created the perfect system. Take a look at some of these quotes from their Washington Wizards opponents after last night's clinic:

(from 48 Minutes of Hell)
“When you have a team like that, not just the first group, but the second group plays the exact same way and the third group plays the same way,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. “So it’s really tough when you have a team like that who is capable of just moving the ball, passing the ball, cutting every second, and not getting tired on top of that.”

“San Antonio runs offense perfectly. It was like listening to Mozart,” Wizards center Marcin Gortat said. “It’s just ridiculous how they play.”

(from the Washington Post)
“They kicked our butts in the most classy way — playing the right way,” Nene said, fuming following the clinical destruction of the Wizards by the selfless Spurs. “It’s crazy, that’s what makes me mad. Our young guys think they’re so smart. But if I was young, I would watch video of that game for one week to see if I could learn something, because the way they play is how you’re supposed to play.

“They not talented as us,” Nene continued. “They have great players, a great team, but the way they execute things, the way they cut, the way they exploit weaknesses, swing the ball. They don’t think about stats. We still think about stats. Our young guys must take their heads out their butts and play the right way, because I’m getting tired of this.”
 
I love watching San Antonio play, I think Popovich has created the perfect system. Take a look at some of these quotes from their Washington Wizards opponents after last night's clinic:

(from 48 Minutes of Hell)
“When you have a team like that, not just the first group, but the second group plays the exact same way and the third group plays the same way,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. “So it’s really tough when you have a team like that who is capable of just moving the ball, passing the ball, cutting every second, and not getting tired on top of that.”

“San Antonio runs offense perfectly. It was like listening to Mozart,” Wizards center Marcin Gortat said. “It’s just ridiculous how they play.”

(from the Washington Post)
“They kicked our butts in the most classy way — playing the right way,” Nene said, fuming following the clinical destruction of the Wizards by the selfless Spurs. “It’s crazy, that’s what makes me mad. Our young guys think they’re so smart. But if I was young, I would watch video of that game for one week to see if I could learn something, because the way they play is how you’re supposed to play.

“They not talented as us,” Nene continued. “They have great players, a great team, but the way they execute things, the way they cut, the way they exploit weaknesses, swing the ball. They don’t think about stats. We still think about stats. Our young guys must take their heads out their butts and play the right way, because I’m getting tired of this.”

Love San Antonio's play. I really hope they get another shot at Miami this year.
 
I love watching San Antonio play, I think Popovich has created the perfect system. Take a look at some of these quotes from their Washington Wizards opponents after last night's clinic:

(from 48 Minutes of Hell)
“When you have a team like that, not just the first group, but the second group plays the exact same way and the third group plays the same way,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. “So it’s really tough when you have a team like that who is capable of just moving the ball, passing the ball, cutting every second, and not getting tired on top of that.”

“San Antonio runs offense perfectly. It was like listening to Mozart,” Wizards center Marcin Gortat said. “It’s just ridiculous how they play.”

(from the Washington Post)
“They kicked our butts in the most classy way — playing the right way,” Nene said, fuming following the clinical destruction of the Wizards by the selfless Spurs. “It’s crazy, that’s what makes me mad. Our young guys think they’re so smart. But if I was young, I would watch video of that game for one week to see if I could learn something, because the way they play is how you’re supposed to play.

“They not talented as us,” Nene continued. “They have great players, a great team, but the way they execute things, the way they cut, the way they exploit weaknesses, swing the ball. They don’t think about stats. We still think about stats. Our young guys must take their heads out their butts and play the right way, because I’m getting tired of this.”
unfortunately I get to watch the Wizards a lot. they are the anti-Spurs..collectively the lowest BBall IQ in the league.. Nene is correct in his assessment - I wonder if the coach put him up to it.. . (although he only plays every other game and last night got 4 points and 2 rebounds)
How Ernie Grunfield still has a job is amazing - he essentially traded away the Rubio pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye - uggh! that's just one of many horrible moves..
 
What's amazing is that they keep developing lesser known players or they sign free agents who do much better with them than they had been doing. Once these players move elsewhere they aren't as effective. It really is a system where the team has to play together offensively to be effective and its very nice to watch.
 
unfortunately I get to watch the Wizards a lot. they are the anti-Spurs..collectively the lowest BBall IQ in the league.. Nene is correct in his assessment - I wonder if the coach put him up to it.. . (although he only plays every other game and last night got 4 points and 2 rebounds)

I think its pretty funny that Nene said that "if I was young, I would watch that tape and try to learn from it."

Well, Nene, you ain't no grampa.
 
I bet they have the most foreign born players on their team in the NBA. I think it's pretty revealing where Popovich looks for players to play this unselfish, team oriented basketball style.
 
Last edited:
I love watching San Antonio play, I think Popovich has created the perfect system. Take a look at some of these quotes from their Washington Wizards opponents after last night's clinic:

(from 48 Minutes of Hell)
“When you have a team like that, not just the first group, but the second group plays the exact same way and the third group plays the same way,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. “So it’s really tough when you have a team like that who is capable of just moving the ball, passing the ball, cutting every second, and not getting tired on top of that.”

“San Antonio runs offense perfectly. It was like listening to Mozart,” Wizards center Marcin Gortat said. “It’s just ridiculous how they play.”

(from the Washington Post)
“They kicked our butts in the most classy way — playing the right way,” Nene said, fuming following the clinical destruction of the Wizards by the selfless Spurs. “It’s crazy, that’s what makes me mad. Our young guys think they’re so smart. But if I was young, I would watch video of that game for one week to see if I could learn something, because the way they play is how you’re supposed to play.

“They not talented as us,” Nene continued. “They have great players, a great team, but the way they execute things, the way they cut, the way they exploit weaknesses, swing the ball. They don’t think about stats. We still think about stats. Our young guys must take their heads out their butts and play the right way, because I’m getting tired of this.”

There was a lot of talk in Philly about how Popovich sat Duncan on Monday night vs the Sixers. Whether you are a fan of this practice or not doesn't matter. The Spurs won by 24 without a future Hall of Famer and would have won by 24 with him.
 
unfortunately I get to watch the Wizards a lot. they are the anti-Spurs..collectively the lowest BBall IQ in the league.. Nene is correct in his assessment - I wonder if the coach put him up to it.. . (although he only plays every other game and last night got 4 points and 2 rebounds)
How Ernie Grunfield still has a job is amazing - he essentially traded away the Rubio pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye - uggh! that's just one of many horrible moves..

I love your Marshall icon.
 
Kind of like a couple of (healthy) years of Bill Walton's Portland Trailblazers. A pleasure to watch.
 
San Antonio does what great companies do, maximum employees' strengths. There are definitely parallels with JB and Pop. JB recruits that match his philosophy and puts the best 7-8 players in the best position to succeed. Pop designs plays, rotations, and schemes around his players' strengths.
 
The fact Southerland passed up the opportunity to be part of that organization is mind boggling. Play in the NBA this year with the worst team in the NBA, or develop your game in Europe for a couple of years with the hope you come back and contribute hugely to an every year contender. Just a stupid decision. Part of the ceiling of any career is the type of company you end up working for. He decided to work for Blackberry, when Apple was offering a preferred internship. Not a great decision any way you slice it.

The Spurs always have a plan, and they thought Southerland would add value to their team down the road. I would have taken that in a heart beat.
 
The fact Southerland passed up the opportunity to be part of that organization is mind boggling. Play in the NBA this year with the worst team in the NBA, or develop your game in Europe for a couple of years with the hope you come back and contribute hugely to an every year contender. Just a stupid decision. Part of the ceiling of any career is the type of company you end up working for. He decided to work for Blackberry, when Apple was offering a preferred internship. Not a great decision any way you slice it.

The Spurs always have a plan, and they thought Southerland would add value to their team down the road. I would have taken that in a heart beat.
yes, I was very disappointed that James turned down that offer. He was badly served by his agent, IMO, who has a financial interest in taking a certain payday now rather than investing in a longer term (but longer shot) strategy.
 
Update, via Tommy Beer

What the Spurs do not have:
  • Nobody in the top 25 in scoring
  • Nobody in the top 35 in rebounding
  • Nobody in the top 30 in salary
What the Spurs do have:
  • the best record in the NBA
 

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