Very disturbing loss. SA has taken it to us twice--opened up big leads twice, out executed us twice. They pulled away on cue. THEY EXECUTE BETTER THAN WE DO. Keep in mind they are using over the hill guys like Horry and Barry. Troubling.

When the other team stops Webber, the offense defaults to the old playbook or to put it another way, to a poor offense. The elite teams will go after Billips and Rip. Expect that. It happened two years ago and it happened last year. No, it is not poor shooting; it is poor offense.

The reason it works is that Tay is not used in the flow. Indeed, there is little passing or flow. Tay is a weapon catching and shooting and catching and driving. His post up game is actually overused and not his best asset. Other teams would use him as a deadly shooter who can also get to the hoop. Notice who actually steps up in big games. Tay. They have trouble stopping him AND focusing on our guards.

Rip couldn't be truly stopped if he stayed to his mid-range game. Somehow, he thinks that he has to drive. Not only does he not finish, he gets banged up. A coach uses his pieces to sharp, deadly precisicion. Not our coach.

Enough of the Sheed three ball. One or two a game.

Billips. Wow. I can't recognize his game. He was our best shooter. My theory is that they have made him so much into an assist guy that his offensive game has atrophied. WE cannot beat the elite teams with Billips mainly as an assist guy. WE NEED HIS POINTS.

The coach needs to get him some consistent looks, get the ball to come back to him and Chauncey needs to get back to the gym and just shoot.

Murray is for real. Five games is not a fluke. He has actually looked better than Billips. He now knows when he wants to shoot and he can fininsh the drive. He cannot run the offensive sets and get the ball to guys like Billips can though.

Murray has toned his game down and looks more like Billips. Now we need Chauncey to get the offense back and look more like Murray.

Does anyone here remember when Chauncey was a big threat offensively.. going for 30 points a night consistently in the playoffs... carrying us on his back?

so much for larry brown being a good influence on him.. all he can seem to hit now is the midrange jumper.

I actually enjoyed this game a lot. It felt like the playoffs. Every single player in the game was giving it everything they had on offense and defense.

And the Spurs are good. They have the highest point differential in the league (higher than Dallas and Phoenix even). For a team that plays slow, that is really saying something.

Both Houston and San Antonio play real defense. Of course we have trouble with that. Every team has trouble when they face determined defenders playing in an organized scheme.

OK, so SA shot a higher FG% than us. They shot 50% 3's, while we shot 15% (ouch). They shot 29 free throws to our 18 (ouch). They outrebounded us 46 to 40. So why was this game close? This is a very good sign for us that almost every number can be in their favor and they still almost lose in their building.


And a final note, Flip Murray had 8 assists in 23 minutes. Not a point guard? This was a big game against a great team... and Flip played well. He has restored my confidence in our chances.

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"I’ll just say this: We’re not talking to teams about their second- or third-best players." Joe Dumars talking about his plan to get other teams' 4th best players.

Ta Shawn,

Agree about the good news on Murray.

But SA has now jumped on us twice and whenever the game got close, they put it into overdrive and built a comfortable lead. They played our own style against us and executed better. Twice.

Worrisome is that elite teams take away Billips and Rip. Worrisome is that we help them to do so by how we employ or don't imploy our weapons.

SA is the only team this year that has looked better than us in head to head. (Miami has not played at full strength)

We have to anticipate that elite teams will go after Rip and Chauncey and try and contain Webber. What is our adjustment going to be?

Maverick,

Exactly. Chauncey was a unique point guard because he could score. If he doesn't score, he is not great with quickness, etc.

A coach needs to size up who he has and use that to destroy the other team.

Murray has looked good because he is doing the things offensively that Billips used to do.

We need the real Chauncey back.

San Antonio may not make it out of the West. So, in that case, no adjustments necessary.

And just because they have beaten us twice doesn't mean that they will beat us in a series. Tonight's game could have easily gone in our favor without any adjustments. Bowen has always played Rip tough. That is why I always fear SA. And let's give CB a break until he proves that he is back from his injury.

We don't have to be the better team to win the Finals.

Right now, I'd put our chances at 75% to get there and 33% to win it once we do. So, total odds are 25%.

Compare that to a team like SA. 33% chance of getting to the Finals and 66% chance of winning when they get there. So, total odds are 22%. I like our odds better at this point.


We all know these Pistons don't do well when they are on top. Why would we want to enter into the Playoffs with Sheed and crew thinking that we are the best team? I love these close losses when our guys gave it their all. That will keep their egos in check and give them something to fight for.

__________________
"I’ll just say this: We’re not talking to teams about their second- or third-best players." Joe Dumars talking about his plan to get other teams' 4th best players.

Speaking of Tayshaun, and mismatches . . . Did we not think he could take Brent Barry?!?!

I'm so sick of the Rip/Chauncey chucking bad shots when things get tough . . .

I couldn't watch the game so I only can eat from your posts and Nba recap and highlights. I have to go for an English exam to get a degree. This I think is the secoond game I didnt see live this year. Today Mil. Let's concentrate on that.

Positives:

Sheed's first half play
Dice, Fino and Flip's solid play
Hung in there on the road when a blowout was on the cards
Sheeds T (more bench)

Negatives:

Sheed's 2nd half play, including off the dribble 18 footers, garbage 3 bricks
Rip still in a funk
Chauncey's shooting
Webber's D on premiere big men
Max didn't play. again...
Sheeds T (still stupid)