So the road/home seeding did matter?

[Reality]

As the West wound down, we pretty much collectively agreed that while home court advantage was nice to have, it was not neccessary.  WoW said he thought it would be neccessary for the Goldens vs the Spurs, and i think a few others thought HC would be nice, but not worth overdoing the effort for.  I posted a thread on the West reg season winners eventual playoff outcome the last 4-5 years.  #1 seed only won once, that being the Spurs.

Well, in the West so far in '08, it's been won completely according to seed and Home Court.
Right on down to currently #1 LA and #2 New Orl being up 2-0 at home.

Are the Spurs going to grow some 2008 playoff nutts?  Can they overcome Popavich?  Is Utah going to continue their skitzy home/away play?  Or is this West playoffs doomed to be determined exactly according to seed?

[WayOutWest]

As the West wound down, we pretty much collectively agreed that while home court advantage was nice to have, it was not neccessary.  WoW said he thought it would be neccessary for the Goldens vs the Spurs, and i think a few others thought HC would be nice, but not worth overdoing the effort for.  I posted a thread on the West reg season winners eventual playoff outcome the last 4-5 years.  #1 seed only won once, that being the Spurs.

Well, in the West so far in '08, it's been won completely according to seed and Home Court.
Right on down to currently #1 LA and #2 New Orl being up 2-0 at home.

Are the Spurs going to grow some 2008 playoff nutts?  Can they overcome Popavich?  Is Utah going to continue their skitzy home/away play?  Or is this West playoffs doomed to be determined exactly according to seed?

You must be talking about the 2nd round only.

[SPURSX3]

As the West wound down, we pretty much collectively agreed that while home court advantage was nice to have, it was not neccessary.  WoW said he thought it would be neccessary for the Goldens vs the Spurs, and i think a few others thought HC would be nice, but not worth overdoing the effort for.  I posted a thread on the West reg season winners eventual playoff outcome the last 4-5 years.  #1 seed only won once, that being the Spurs.

Well, in the West so far in '08, it's been won completely according to seed and Home Court.
Right on down to currently #1 LA and #2 New Orl being up 2-0 at home.

Are the Spurs going to grow some 2008 playoff nutts?  Can they overcome Popavich?  Is Utah going to continue their skitzy home/away play?  Or is this West playoffs doomed to be determined exactly according to seed?

Pop can't MAKE them make better decisions on when to pass, when they should get a rebound, how to break down a zone, etc.  I am sure he has told the guys what needs to be done, but this is NOT Pop's fault that our players are coming out the way they are.  This is something the players need to do, pick up the pace on the floor and handle business.  I don't blame Pop for this.

[msc]

Pop can't MAKE them make better decisions on when to pass, when they should get a rebound, how to break down a zone, etc.  I am sure he has told the guys what needs to be done, but this is NOT Pop's fault that our players are coming out the way they are.  This is something the players need to do, pick up the pace on the floor and handle business.  I don't blame Pop for this.

Exactly SPURSX3.  It's nice to see a rational view. 

It's easy and appropriate to scrutinize the coach and coaching decisions made down the stretch in a close game.  In a game that comes down to 2 or 6 points a coach can and in many cases should be blamed for poor play calling down the stretch in a tight game. 

In a 20 point blow out, or two of them in this case, it's the players who have to look in the mirror.  At this level there is no team that should lose by 20.  With the level of coaching, scouting, etc. any team is capable of coming up with a sound gameplan to beat any other team in the NBA.  From there it's on the players to step up and execute.

[westkoast]

You also can't say a coach is horrible in losses but not say he is AWESOME in wins.  Can't go that way.  If it's all his fault for every loss then he should get major props in every win.

The Spurs should be able to get closer then 18 at the end of the game with ANY coach in there because of the talent they have.  There is no time in Popavich's coaching career where I think he did not prepare his team in the playoffs.  Preparing them is 80% the coaches staff's job and 20% the players themselves.  When it comes down to executing game plans in the course of the game those numbers reverse.  The players should be taking most of the blame for the last two loses.

[Reality]

The Spurs should be able to get closer then 18 at the end of the game with ANY coach in there because of the talent they have. 

Exactly.

MSC and Xs3 is there some reason you jumped in here and not on the Pop Lovers thread?
What do you all think about Home Court and seeding.

WoW what are you talking about?

[SPURSX3]

You changed the subject with the comment, "Can they overcome Popavich."

 


That's why I rang in on this one.

[Reality]

Pop can't MAKE them make better decisions on when to pass, when they should get a rebound, how to break down a zone, etc.  I am sure he has told the guys what needs to be done, but this is NOT Pop's fault that our players are coming out the way they are.  This is something the players need to do, pick up the pace on the floor and handle business.  I don't blame Pop for this.
[/quote]

Exactly SPURSX3.  It's nice to see a rational view. 

But when up 12 just before halftime, a coach can and Pop did decide which kind of offense to play.  You've got Brent Barrdog on the bench (I realize his 4-5 treybombs came in garbage time in Gm 2).  My point is why not run and gun for a while.  Pop does have the personell to run n gun.  Barrdawg, Tony Parker, Ime, GNob, even Duncan can run when he wants to.  My buttfry is mainly over this lead and this game.  You two are failing to address this specifically.  A big deal?  Yes, it's 1-1 if the Spurs run with the 11 point lead with Reality as offensive coach.

msc my pointing out how Phil lets Tex Winters run the O has no resonating with you?

[SPURSX3]

So when the Spurs Overcame  that type of lead vs PHX you think it was NOT Pop?  I mean, is it is his fault that we lose the lead coming into the third I guess it would not be his coaching that we beat PHX the same way.  I think I remember players stepping up the level of play in round 1, like oh say, Tim shooting a THREE POINT SHOT!  Tony driving and eating away the interior - and when they stopped that, what did Tony do?  he MADE his shots from the outside!  Manu has been hurting overall this playoff, but he had TWO good games against PHX that brought havoc to the SUNS game plan, he is NOT doing that this round.  Reality, even THOSE examples were because of players stepping it up - NOT because of coaching. 

[Reality]

^^ as well as the Spurs came back against Phx in Gm 1*, it was with plenty of retardation plays by Phx helping it along.  Byron Scott and New Orl are offering no such retardation help.  Hence, Pop is getting owned.

Why did Phx even let Duncan and San An get that trey attempt off?!  They led by 3 with under 10 seconds to play.  The duece would not have even hurt Phx.  That was a gift by Phx, SpursXs 3.  Perhaps DAntoni did tell them not to allow the trey, much as Pop told the Spurs and Manu to NOT foul at the Gm 7 2006 Dallas disaster.

My point is the Spurs fail to run most of the time.  Yet they have the personell to do it.  Especially with double digit leads.  They should crank it, at least for 3-4 minute stretches.

[msc]

MSC and Xs3 is there some reason you jumped in here and not on the Pop Lovers thread?
What do you all think about Home Court and seeding.

No reason, I guess I sort of thought this was that thread.  My mistake.  

I always think Home Court is important in the playoffs.  I actually think this Laker squad plays better on the road at times, but it would be ridiculous not to fight for home court.  It matters ... a lot ... we see that every year.  

[SPURSX3]

It was not a gift Reality, and retardation or not, it was the players playing like Champs in that series, instead of Chumps like they are doing in this series.  player mistakes reality.  If you play ball at all you can try to lead your team as much as possible, but if you give instructions and your guys don't carry that out is that YOUR fault??  could you be there to walk them by hane to where they need to be and tell them when they need to shoot?  Pop is doind his job, I don't know why it is so hard for you to belive it is not in the players hands the last two games.

[Reality]

I always think Home Court is important in the playoffs.  I actually think this Laker squad plays better on the road at times, but it would be ridiculous not to fight for home court.  It matters ... a lot ... we see that every year.  

Actually Phx and Dallas both got eliminated in best record years.  So did SA one recent year.

2008 on the other hand is playing out so far completely as seed/HCA:
Round 1 #1-4s beat #5-8s
Round 2 #1-2 are punking #3-4 at two home games to zip.

I'm sure you would like to see it play out entirely, that being #1 Lakers beat #2 New Orl.

Alas bandwaggoners, the Spurs are not done yet.  If they can get it to 2-2 the atmosphere will do a complete 180 degrees.

[Reality]

It was not a gift Reality, and retardation or not, it was the players playing like Champs in that series, instead of Chumps like they are doing in this series. 

The end of reg teams ahead by 3 yet allowing of a three pointer by the opponent down by three (with 10 seconds or less), is absolutely a retardation gift.  We had a thread on this, I'll try to find it because stats were run by i think 82 games.com* (zig where are you?) on this subject.  It makes total sense to either allow a two OR intentionally foul (two shot foul only, not a trey attempt foul, duh).  If any time is left on the clock, your team will then get the ball out of bounds, upon inbounds will certainly get fouled.  In the Phx game GNob even took about 5 seconds off the clock by dribbling around the arc before he then drove inside the arc.  Phx not only followed him well inside the arc but double teamed him.

The stat overwhemlingly favor the team ahead by threes chances as compared to the behind teams greasing out and successfully getting the following:
Make a ft. 
Miss a ft intentionally.
Get that missed fts rebound.
Subsequently make a two or get fouled again and make both FTs for the tie.
It just hardly ever happens this way.

RealityInc.com also ran an article on this.

[SPURSX3]

I think your missing the point with your rambling.  How you are not getting the point is beyond me.