Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
Now that was a win to feel good about.
For the Spurs, it had all the makings of a statement game: playing a top-tier team on the road on the Thursday night before the all-star break (the very last game before the break) on national TV.
Of course, for the Nuggets, it seemed to have the opposite feel. They seemed more than willing to pack it in if they couldn't win the game in the first half, and they played without passion or precision for most of the game. In that regard, it's hard to put too much stock in the win for the Spurs.
But if we look at the game from the perspective of the things that the Spurs control, i.e., what they do, then there is a lot to like about the game. Despite Denver's effort, the Spurs played with energy and heart. And they played for a full 48 minutes. Denver made the tiniest of runs early in the 3rd quarter to threaten to make it a game. Pop called a quick timeout, and 5 points later we had the game back in hand. It was nice to see a Spurs team that can build and sustain a lead over the 2nd half.
The most impressive part of the win was the defense. For the first time all season we were playing defense aggressively. We were active, making all of our rotations quickly and precisely. We closed out on shooters. We communicated, helping to create one living, breathing defensive unit, rather than 5 individuals playing defense. It was nice to see, and a sobering reminder of what we had been missing for the last 50 games.
Is this game (finally) a turning point? We've been tricked into thinking this before with this team, so I must temper my excitement. Still, the difference in the way we competed and played defense last night has to at least allow us to feel good. Perhaps the sleeping giant that we've been led to believe this team could be is starting to wake up.
In last night's telecast Doug Collins said that Pop was excited about coaching this team and what he could do over the last 30 games. For some reason, that made me happy and excited. Pop has more or less had the same team for the last several years, and the "corporate knowledge" was pervasive and ran deep. Did he fall into a groove that eventually became a rut? Did he lose some of his edge? If this season presents a chance for Pop to reinvigorate himself and rediscover his coaching acumen, that should give us as much hope as anything else. Unlike most teams, our continued success is tied as much to our coach as it is to our players. In addition to the emergence of Hill and Blair, the continued healing of Manu, and the hope for Jefferson to turn things around, maybe Pop getting his coaching mojo back will be a critical factor in turning the season around.
For the Spurs, it had all the makings of a statement game: playing a top-tier team on the road on the Thursday night before the all-star break (the very last game before the break) on national TV.
Of course, for the Nuggets, it seemed to have the opposite feel. They seemed more than willing to pack it in if they couldn't win the game in the first half, and they played without passion or precision for most of the game. In that regard, it's hard to put too much stock in the win for the Spurs.
But if we look at the game from the perspective of the things that the Spurs control, i.e., what they do, then there is a lot to like about the game. Despite Denver's effort, the Spurs played with energy and heart. And they played for a full 48 minutes. Denver made the tiniest of runs early in the 3rd quarter to threaten to make it a game. Pop called a quick timeout, and 5 points later we had the game back in hand. It was nice to see a Spurs team that can build and sustain a lead over the 2nd half.
The most impressive part of the win was the defense. For the first time all season we were playing defense aggressively. We were active, making all of our rotations quickly and precisely. We closed out on shooters. We communicated, helping to create one living, breathing defensive unit, rather than 5 individuals playing defense. It was nice to see, and a sobering reminder of what we had been missing for the last 50 games.
Is this game (finally) a turning point? We've been tricked into thinking this before with this team, so I must temper my excitement. Still, the difference in the way we competed and played defense last night has to at least allow us to feel good. Perhaps the sleeping giant that we've been led to believe this team could be is starting to wake up.
In last night's telecast Doug Collins said that Pop was excited about coaching this team and what he could do over the last 30 games. For some reason, that made me happy and excited. Pop has more or less had the same team for the last several years, and the "corporate knowledge" was pervasive and ran deep. Did he fall into a groove that eventually became a rut? Did he lose some of his edge? If this season presents a chance for Pop to reinvigorate himself and rediscover his coaching acumen, that should give us as much hope as anything else. Unlike most teams, our continued success is tied as much to our coach as it is to our players. In addition to the emergence of Hill and Blair, the continued healing of Manu, and the hope for Jefferson to turn things around, maybe Pop getting his coaching mojo back will be a critical factor in turning the season around.
posted by secretchord53 at 9:47 AM
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