Player The Mundane Mediocrity of Maestro Mitch Johnson and his Many Minions

[k....]

Its always crazy to say playing a rookie is the deciding factor. Carter Bryant is fine an all but you saw how scrappy it got. Don't need rookie energy. We defended well enough in the last two games

 

[Ice009]

Someone needs to teach Mitch how to talk and yell without doing damage to his voice. He's going to get....or already has vocal nodules. It must be annoying. I have to speak a lot for my job, and I had a friend in opera teach me how to project without wearing my vocal cords out.

I'm obviously not a vocalist or know a lot about it, but yes, his voice seems shot. Quite possibly has nodules which I think you can possibly heal without surgery (sometimes you do need surgery from what I heard). There's also vocal polyps which I think are also very bad. Hopefully he hasn't shredded his voice. Good call, though, on getting some vocal/speech coaching. And yes, for what I understand, Opera singers have to sing in halls (or whatever you call them - I'm not into Opera), so they have to do without amplification and project their voice and that would apply closer to what Mitch is doing. I think other styles, genres of music, the vocalist/singer can sing more quietly and rely on the amplification to get their sound across.

 

[Ice009]

CB is going to be on a short leash as far as the rookie mental errors.. Just gets way harder from here..

I hope not. That would be a mistake IMO.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

I hope not. That would be a mistake IMO.

Love the kid.. Just how coaches are with a rookie like him that is so raw in the playoffs.. He is a beast of an athlete. But he can get lost out there.. He hardly even played in college.. He only started 5 games..

 

[MannyIG]

In the context of a team trying to win a championship, they need to put their foot on the throat of inferior teams and keep it there. Someone in the GT said OKC would have beat Portland down by 40 last night and I agree. They would have just kept piling on. Also, Mitch was NOT doing much more than ISO ball. Everyone was standing around while Portland cut the lead to 8.

You guys have insanely unrealistic expectations. I mean why just 40? Why not double them up? How many teams have beat others by 40 in the NBA playoffs?

 

[Dbreiden83080]

You guys have insanely unrealistic expectations. I mean why just 40? Why not double them up? How many teams have beat others by 40 in the NBA playoffs?

If you watched the game last night you know the shit they pulled in the 4th

The Spurs will NOT get away with against Denver or OKC..

 

[KDKSpurs24]

In the context of a team trying to win a championship, they need to put their foot on the throat of inferior teams and keep it there. Someone in the GT said OKC would have beat Portland down by 40 last night and I agree. They would have just kept piling on. Also, Mitch was NOT doing much more than ISO ball. Everyone was standing around while Portland cut the lead to 8.

What?? No way you agreed without even at least comparing series. OKC couldn’t even blow the Suns out in their closeout game. They didn’t put them away even after being up big in game 2. PHX lacks rim protection on defense but did OKC pile on? No. In fact, our Spurs have won by even bigger margins than OKC except for their game 1. Portland just has a lot of fight in them(and not to mention we all acknowledged that their whistle was very unfair). So OKC would NOT have won by 40. The playoffs are tough.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

What?? No way you agreed without even at least comparing series. OKC couldn’t even blow the Suns out in their closeout game. They didn’t put them away even after being up big in game 2. PHX lacks rim protection on defense but did OKC pile on? No. In fact, our Spurs have won by even bigger margins than OKC except for their game 1. Portland just has a lot of fight in them(and not to mention we all acknowledged that their whistle was very unfair). So OKC would NOT have won by 40. The playoffs are tough.

You are taking the number 40 waaaaaaay too literal.. I am talking about the sense urgency of the players and the coach as they went from being up 20 plus to only 8.. Spurs playing Iso Ball standing around watching. Turning it over left and right.. Castle had a hissy fit on the court, got a T and fouled out.. If that happens in the 4th against OKC they will complete the comeback..

Championship teams do the little things right..

 

[KDKSpurs24]

You are taking the number 40 waaaaaaay too literal.. I am talking about the sense urgency of the players and the coach as they went from being up 20 plus to only 8.. Spurs playing Iso Ball standing around watching. If that happens in the 4th against OKC they will complete the comeback..

Not taking 40 literally at all. I know what you meant. I’m not slow. I felt like I didn’t have to clarify. My point still stands. OKC didn’t pull away from the Suns. Human nature kicked in. I doubt they let off the gas against an OKC team that our players “hate” and want to beat so bad. There will be an “appropriate fear” against OKC and Denver that they didn’t have against Portland.

And we’re saying this but I doubt either of us watched the entirety of the OKC series to even know what kind of ball they played when they were in our situation. Hell, they were probably running ISO ball too.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Not taking 40 literally at all. I know what you meant. I’m not slow.

Nobody said you were.. Stop fishing for a fight..

I felt like I didn’t have to clarify. My point still stands. OKC didn’t pull away from the Suns. Human nature kicked in. I doubt they let off the gas against an OKC team that our players “hate” and want to beat so bad. There will be an “appropriate fear” against OKC and Denver that they didn’t have against Portland.

If the Blazers hit a few more 3's in the 4th that game is in OT or we may be going back to Portland.. Spurs were lucky..

And we’re saying this but I doubt either of us watched the entirety of the OKC series to even know what kind of ball they played when they were in our situation. Hell, they were probably running ISO ball too.

I saw a young team acting immature with little playoff inexperience showing it badly last night.. They expected the opponent to stop playing.. NOT backing off that..

If they are going to lose a game to OKC it better be doing what got them a lead or kept them in the game.. NOT playing ISO ball as you turn it over, commit dumb fouls, get technicals, and on top of all that Wemby is NOT touching the ball..

 

[Em-City]

Its always crazy to say playing a rookie is the deciding factor. Carter Bryant is fine an all but you saw how scrappy it got. Don't need rookie energy. We defended well enough in the last two games

Harper is a rookie.. he carried the team at points in this series, and it wouldn't have been over by now if it weren't for our rookie

 

[MannyIG]

Lets keep your thourghts corherent here. 1) you

You are taking the number 40 waaaaaaay too literal.. I am talking about the sense urgency of the players and the coach as they went from being up 20 plus to only 8.. Spurs playing Iso Ball standing around watching. Turning it over left and right.. Castle had a hissy fit on the court, got a T and fouled out.. If that happens in the 4th against OKC they will complete the comeback..

Championship teams do the little things right..

You specifically said 40. The Spurs were up by 20 most of the game. How else is anyone supposed to be taking the number 40? Its literally a specific number. I'm glad you realize that 40 is way too high and you're now back pedling away from it but you can't claim that people are taking NUMBERS too literally.

 

[MannyIG]

Nobody said you were.. Stop fishing for a fight..



If the Blazers hit a few more 3's in the 4th that game is in OT or we may be going back to Portland.. Spurs were lucky..

I saw a young team acting immature with little playoff inexperience showing it badly last night.. They expected the opponent to stop playing.. NOT backing off that..

If they are going to lose a game to OKC it better be doing what got them a lead or kept them in the game.. NOT playing ISO ball as you turn it over, commit dumb fouls, get technicals, and on top of all that Wemby is NOT touching the ball..

They never let Portland get closer than what, 9?!?!?!? What are y'all even talking about. They blew Portland out in an elimination game where they led by over 20 for the most part. The idea that you can somehow point to that game and say the Spurs somehow did something wrong is WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD.

This kind of shit is why people call y'all doomers. You're right, we must not have been watching the same game.



Look at the win probably chart!! Portland peaked at 4% in the 4th. FOUR FUCKING PERCENT! This is just a really stupid argument to make that they somehow didn't do their job in the game or got away with something. They came out and immediately seized control of the game and literally never let it go. You guys are just ridiculous is all.

 

[MannyIG]

I mean will we even be able to celebrate a championship if we don't lead by double figures for the entire 2nd half in every game?

 

[KDKSpurs24]

I mean will we even be able to celebrate a championship if we don't lead by double figures for the entire 2nd half in every game?

Exactly. I saw a stat where the 2015 Warriors trailed by double digits in 11 out of their 16 wins! But guess what?! They still won the championship!(yes I understand Cavs had injuries) All that matters is the W. Yes you want to build good habits and play well for 48 mins but every game is a different story. Games are long and some nights need different formulas to win than others. They got the job done. When they play other teams the game plan and mindset will adapt.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

Lets keep your thourghts corherent here. 1) you

thourghts corherent???

Oh you mean this..

Coherent refers to logical, consistent, and clearly articulated ideas..

You specifically said 40. The Spurs were up by 20 most of the game. How else is anyone supposed to be taking the number 40? Its literally a specific number. I'm glad you realize that 40 is way too high and you're now back pedling away from it but you can't claim that people are taking NUMBERS too literally.

Again these are my thoughts.

"If they are going to lose a game to OKC it better be doing what got them a lead or kept them in the game.. NOT playing ISO ball as you turn it over, commit dumb fouls, get technicals, and on top of all that Wemby is NOT touching the ball"

They got lucky with that 4th quarter effort. It was sloppy and undisciplined. Portland went on an 11-0 run while missing wide open 3's.. Lets see what happens against better competition. I am NOT turning in my 25 year fan card with a 2nd round playoff loss..

 

[MannyIG]

"lucky"

62 win team, dominant but sure, lets go with luck. Portland went on an 11-0 run because basketball is a game of runs and teams in the playoffs are the best teams in the NBA. What a stupid take. Of course Portland missed wide open 3s. The game plan is to give them wide open 3s! Because they miss! You're acting like that wasn't an intentional choice by the coach and acting like the spurs got lucky WHEN IT WAS THE EXACT GAME PLAN!

Why would we play Portland the way we would play Denver when they are two completely different teams with different personnel? The point was to give Portland wide open 3s. How are we in game 5 of the series and you never realized that? Why would they defend the 3 point line when they are bad at shooting 3s? Do you not think that one of the reasons Wemby was absolutely dominating the paint was because they intentionally living with 4 players scrambling on the perimeter? Do you not see how that is better against a team like Portland? Mitch saw something in the way they were playing Wemby and knew that the 3 guards could get into the lane. It was an intentional departure from what they did in previous games and guess what. IT WORKED. It was their best victory.

This is EXACTLY what I mean. You guys see shit like the open 3s and not pounding it with Wemby and think "Oh these are negatives" and never stop to think about the context and the results. Do you do that against OKC? Probably not because OKC is a much better defensive team so you can't just expect your guards to blow by people like they did against Portland. But we weren't playing OKC so why the fuck are we acting like we should have the same game plan?

A smart person would look at what strategy is being used, think about why its being used, and then decide if its a good decision or a bad decision. Then we have some of you, who look at a strategy, don't even consider the opponent, context, or results before declaring it shit. Being so far ahead of your opponent all game that when you give up an 11-0 run that you are still up 9 points is not luck. Its fucking domination.

 

[k....]

Harper is a rookie.. he carried the team at points in this series, and it wouldn't have been over by now if it weren't for our rookie

harper is a generational talent. CB is not.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

harper is a generational talent. CB is not.

Carter has unbelievable athletic ability. Nobody knows what his ceiling is? Even in college he didn’t play all that much. I don’t think anybody really knows where he will be in 3 or 4 years? Assuming health I think Dylan will be an AS..

 

[KDKSpurs24]

"lucky"

62 win team, dominant but sure, lets go with luck. Portland went on an 11-0 run because basketball is a game of runs and teams in the playoffs are the best teams in the NBA. What a stupid take. Of course Portland missed wide open 3s. The game plan is to give them wide open 3s! Because they miss! You're acting like that wasn't an intentional choice by the coach and acting like the spurs got lucky WHEN IT WAS THE EXACT GAME PLAN!

Why would we play Portland the way we would play Denver when they are two completely different teams with different personnel? The point was to give Portland wide open 3s. How are we in game 5 of the series and you never realized that? Why would they defend the 3 point line when they are bad at shooting 3s? Do you not think that one of the reasons Wemby was absolutely dominating the paint was because they intentionally living with 4 players scrambling on the perimeter? Do you not see how that is better against a team like Portland? Mitch saw something in the way they were playing Wemby and knew that the 3 guards could get into the lane. It was an intentional departure from what they did in previous games and guess what. IT WORKED. It was their best victory.

This is EXACTLY what I mean. You guys see shit like the open 3s and not pounding it with Wemby and think "Oh these are negatives" and never stop to think about the context and the results. Do you do that against OKC? Probably not because OKC is a much better defensive team so you can't just expect your guards to blow by people like they did against Portland. But we weren't playing OKC so why the fuck are we acting like we should have the same game plan?

A smart person would look at what strategy is being used, think about why its being used, and then decide if its a good decision or a bad decision. Then we have some of you, who look at a strategy, don't even consider the opponent, context, or results before declaring it shit. Being so far ahead of your opponent all game that when you give up an 11-0 run that you are still up 9 points is not luck. Its fucking domination.

Yeah people have to realize that Sean Sweeney and the other defensive analyst work tirelessly to find anything they can exploit. Portland just missed wide open 3s? Hmm that’s because behind the scenes they discovered that player A shoots bad from the left wing and player B is bad from the top of the key and player C is bad from the corner, etc. I’m pretty sure the majority of the time they were taking shots that SA wanted them to take. In the next series they will guard much differently based on player tendencies. Steph Castle mentioned in his interview about how the staff put together a great defensive game plan.

 

[Paramore]

Coaching Staff is a real strength for us, plus they work on this canvas of potential >>>>>

Wemby - GOAT defender, unlimited ceiling

Castle - young D. Wade, but 6'6" with a 3-ball that's improving at a scarily rapid rate

Harper - young Manu Ginobili with slightly less chaotic tendencies. Definitely a future all-star, maybe even all-NBA

Fox - closer and microwave

Champagnie - Danny Green Lite

Vassell - Brent Barry with a little less hops but a little better mid-range shooting

Johnson - near-prime Bonzi Wells, but more explosive and a slightly better shooter

Bryant - Shawn Marion lite minus the ugly jump shot (but if he ever develops near that level... Good Lord...)

Kornet - reliable back-up big.

Imagine if in the next 3-4 years this core remains intact, while improving and adding a nice player or two from future drafts... GSG!!!

 

[Em-City]

harper is a generational talent. CB is not.

I'm not the one making blanket statements about rookies

 

[Extra Stout]

if I freaked out because a Spurs team with a huge lead in the playoffs gave up an 11-0 run it would be time to put me in assisted living because it would mean my memory was gone.

Game 5 in ‘03 against the Lakers ring a bell?

Mitch and crew look to me like master tacticians. Life is good. The Spurs are good. OKC might still be better. Denver or Minnesota might get reasonably healthy and be a tough matchup. Whatever. Only one team wins the championship. I hope it’s this very special Spurs team, but if not I’m still happy because at this point they’re playing with house money.

 

[spursistan]

harper is a generational talent. CB is not.

Can we stop using the descriptive 'generational' too liberally? In the last 30+ years the only ready-made, instant earth-moving draft prospects were Shaq ('92), Duncan ('97), Lebron ('03), and Wemby ('23).

You could argue Curry, KD, Giannis and Jokic developed into generational types. but, outside of Curry they all fell short of anchoring a playoffs dynasty.

 

[Extra Stout]

It seems like lowkey there are at least 6, 7 generational talents per generation, no cap.