What do the Spurs do to get back into the series?

[WayOutWest]

Letting game 1 slip through the fingers of the Spurs must really be killing them right now.  Getting blown out by 30 points after blowing a golden opportunity is either going to kill the Spurs or make them stronger.  There was a lot of talk after the two blow outs by the Hornets that the Spurs were done and they came roaring back to win the series.  Even Spurs fans where saying the Spurs had that beaten look on their faces.  I hope the Lakers don't ease up on the Spurs cause they are still the champs with a champions heart.

So what do you guys think the Spurs need to do to derail the Lakers?

Do you do everything you can to keep the ball out of Kobe's hands?  That seems to work against guys who need to dominate the ball for their teams to succeed like Nash, CP3, LeBron and the like.  But since the Lakers run the triangle to get the offense flowing I am not sure if that would help since Kobe does not really dominate the ball, especially since Fish came back and with Odom on the floor.  Plus you run the risk of letting the supporting players go off for big nights, and the Lakers now have a lot of role players that could easily go off for 20 plus points.

I honestly think the Spurs need to do what the Lakers did to them in game 1 and have always done against TD and the Spurs.  The Lakers let TD get 30 to 40 points and shut everybody else down for 3 1/2 quarters.  Then in the final minutes double TD hard and force the other players to beat you.  It would be a lot harder to force the ball out of the hands of a perimeter player with a hard double team because it's easier to break down a double team out on the perimeter.  When you double the post you typically have the base line and 3 seconds in the paint rule to help you defend a post player like TD.  I think the Spurs need to lull Kobe into being the scoring machine he was last year and get the rest of the Lakers out of the game.  Then late in the game tell Bowen to put the pressure on him, get in his jersey in the fourth quarter knowing that the entire Spurs squad is ready to collapse in the paint when Kobe gets by him.  You have an excellent shot blocker in TD protecting the paint so the intent is to turn the Lakers into a perimeter team.

I don't know, just wonder what would you do.......

[Reality]

If GNobs injuries continue to hobble him he has to be kept either out of the lineup or to a minimum.

The silly unforced turnovers need to stop. If they had a clue of an offensive plan that would mostly solve that. 

Both of these are controlled by Poppycock.

[rickortreat]

The Spurs are struggling a bit because of Manu.  Of course, Horry and Finley haven't stepped up either.

The Key to the series for the Spurs is Manu, if he can't play at his normal high level the Lakers will go right through them.

The Spurs did have a chance early on to establish themselves, but lost game one and were blown out in game two.  Now the Lakers have the edge and the momentum, and it's up to the Spurs to challenge them and defend their home-court.

The Spurs have to win this next game or they're done, so I expect them to do so. They still have too much going for them to just roll over.

That's a pretty good strategy for the Spurs to employ, by W.O.W. The more Kobe shoots the better for the Spurs, even if he hits them it takes the other Lakers out of the game. Unfortunately, I don't think it will work, since Kobe seems determined to be an assist man as much as a scorer.

[westkoast]

The Spurs are struggling a bit because of Manu.  Of course, Horry and Finley haven't stepped up either.

The Key to the series for the Spurs is Manu, if he can't play at his normal high level the Lakers will go right through them.

The Spurs did have a chance early on to establish themselves, but lost game one and were blown out in game two.  Now the Lakers have the edge and the momentum, and it's up to the Spurs to challenge them and defend their home-court.

The Spurs have to win this next game or they're done, so I expect them to do so. They still have too much going for them to just roll over.

That's a pretty good strategy for the Spurs to employ, by W.O.W. The more Kobe shoots the better for the Spurs, even if he hits them it takes the other Lakers out of the game. Unfortunately, I don't think it will work, since Kobe seems determined to be an assist man as much as a scorer.

I feel a whole lot better about the Lakers chances to take this game tonight now    I didn't expect them to but now that I read this....  I think they have a very good shot to stun the basketball world.

[Reality]

2-1. Still would seem the Spurs need to make this go 7 to win.

Unless Barrdog is furtheer unleashed and Manus broken ankle continues to be patched up.

Home wins all around thus continuing the 2008 West trend?  Until Gm 7 that is.

[WayOutWest]

I was glad to see and hear that Odom took the loss pretty hard.  He was at practice early and left late after seeing the film of his poor performance.  Odom is a matchup nightmare for the Spurs, hope he takes advantage of that in game 4.

[Reality]

^^ numb nutts Pop went Tallball for some pretty good spells in Gm 3.
That negates any Odom advantage.

Even when Dunks went to the bench he had Thomas and Fabs in together.

[WayOutWest]

^^ numb nutts Pop went Tallball for some pretty good spells in Gm 3.
That negates any Odom advantage.

Even when Dunks went to the bench he had Thomas and Fabs in together.

Nobody on the Spurs can guard Odom.  TD cannot slack of Gasol and Bown cannot slack off Kobe.  That leaves nobody to guard Odom.  Flabs, Horry or Thomas are too slow.  Manu, Finely and Udoka are too small.  Nobody can guard Odom.  That is important because the other major scoring threats for the Lakers can be contained by the Spurs.

You really don't understand the game if you think there is someone on the Spurs that can matchup with Odom.

[Reality]

Horry can guard Odom.  But either way, in tall ball the Lakers cannot touch the boards compared to the Spurs.  So let Odom score, Spurs team wins.

[WayOutWest]

Horry can guard Odom. 

Maybe 4 years ago.  You really don't actually watch the games do you?

[Reality]

Yes.  Like the one on Sunday eve.

Odoms lame lean in offensive foul offense got stuffed by TallBall.  Bob locked him down for about 10 min.

[WayOutWest]

Yes.  Like the one on Sunday eve.

Odoms lame lean in offensive foul offense got stuffed by TallBall.  Bob locked him down for about 10 min.

Odom took himself out of the game.  He disappears from games for some reason, just like SubparManu.  When he is aggressive and confident nobody in the league can guard him.  When he was with the Clippers and Miami I saw him go at KG and scored with no problem.  KG did the same to him but rather than get down on himself for not being able to guard KG, Odom went at him and traded basket for basket.

You don't watch much basketball, nor do you know much about players not named Kobe.

[westkoast]

LOLOLOL @ Horry being able to guard Odom.

It's not Odom's height so much as his quickness for his size and ball handling skills that give him the advantage match up wise Reality.

[Reality]

  Kind of like Kobe just *decided* when to score in Gm 1.
Odom just *decides* when to, no one can stop him.

[WayOutWest]

Kind of like Kobe just *decided* when to score in Gm 1.
Odom just *decides* when to, no one can stop him.

One on one, nobody can guard him.  I would have liked to watch Pippen and Odom go at it.  IMO AK would have been the perfect guy to guard him but they went with Boozer and Okur instead.