spurs strategy for game 3

[magnificent]

will any assignments or strategies change for game 3? SAR had a breakout game tuesday night. attacking duncan. no matter how sucessful SAR was i was suprised to see pop not double him or make him give the ball up; instead, the spurs stayed with the outside shooters. why? i expect adelman to look for SAR in game 3.

and now that artest is back bowen will have to come off mike bibby. the only player that could slow him down. thoughts about that?

[SpursFanatic21]

Well, the fact that SAR had a great game is probably because Timmy was in foul trouble the entire night [he really couldn't contest any shots in the second half]. So i would expect him to be much more quiet on Friday.

As for Artest coming back, you guys played better without him. He took bad shot after bad shot during game 1, I actually can't wait... the guy's a ticking time bomb.

I would expect Adleman to focus the defense [which was HORRIBLE in the latter half of game 2] on the outside shooters. He's allowed us to shoot lights out from 3 because he's refused to believe that we could shoot that well on a constistant basis. I would LOVE to see the same defense from Sac in game 3.

If not, i would expect a healthy dose of TD. It'll be close again down the stretch...

[bnwhuxley]

No. Spurs just have to clean up areas where they were deficient in game 2 - energy, transition defense, controlling the defensive boards.

[bevo]

just make sure to match their intensity. a win friday could really deflate them.

[Uwe Blab]

Bibby was pretty controlled in game 1 as well, so I don't think there will be a change in strategy. The Kings are back on their heels, not the Spurs. I think the Kings gave their best shot on Tuesday. The argument that Artest will just be added on to how they played is fool's gold. Ronnie will take away shots from Bonzi and SAR, and Bonzi played like Bonzi of old but I don't see him doing that again, unless Ronnie gets suspended again.

[magnificent]

i really hope artest doesnt come out of the gate acting like he's got something to prove. we need his toughness on defense. we need him to show the world why he was the 2004 DPOY. true that he may take alot of shots, but hopefully he will be more of a ball distributor. we need him to make good decisions. look to pass first

[Fundamental9903]

Originally Posted by magnificent

i really hope artest doesnt come out of the gate acting like he's got something to prove. we need his toughness on defense. we need him to show the world why he was the 2004 DPOY. true that he may take alot of shots, but hopefully he will be more of a ball distributor. we need him to make good decisions. look to pass first

Exactly Mag. The Kings played a great game 2 without Artest and if he comes out of the gate trying to do too much and force the issue, Artest might shoot his team in the foot. He needs to be that defensive stopper but he needs to also be a good teammate and try to get other involved on the offensive end.

As far as the Spurs go, they better be ready in Sac cause there's going to be 18,000 crazy Kings fand with cowbells and screaming their heads off. Spurs better be prepared for it cause they weren't prepared for Game 2 and if the Spurs win Game 3, it'll shock the hell out of me.

[PHANTOM21]

attack the kings weakest link....mainly brad miller and since artest hasn't shot the ball well with his bad thumb over the past several games, force him to take most of the shots.

[spurssheriff]

Here's the strategy for Game 3:

1. The Spurs will CHANGE NOTHING.

It surprises me.... Kings' fans took something good out of Game 2 when in reality -- the Spurs
played about as poorly as they could -- yet still found a way to win the game. So Kings' fans
immediately jump to the conclusion that since they lost by 34 in Game 1, and had a chance to win
Game 2 -- that they will obviously win Game 3 since it's on their home court.

Dose of reality: The Spurs won't play that bad again in this series -- and the Kings won't play as good as they did. It was one of those nights where a good team would have slammed the door on the Spurs and finished the deal.

Instead -- the Kings folded up shop and now face a must win Game 3.

Who's the pressure REALLY on?

[dark21horse]

Originally Posted by magnificent

will any assignments or strategies change for game 3? SAR had a breakout game tuesday night. attacking duncan. no matter how sucessful SAR was i was suprised to see pop not double him or make him give the ball up; instead, the spurs stayed with the outside shooters. why? i expect adelman to look for SAR in game 3.

and now that artest is back bowen will have to come off mike bibby. the only player that could slow him down. thoughts about that?

Rick Adelman.....is that you????? Get your game 3 strategies from some other forum....you'll get nuthin from us!!!!!!

[l=w]

Spurs need to win the rebounding battle. It's historical this year - bad rebounding totals, they struggle or lose.

[dark21horse]

Originally Posted by Nate From Ohio

Maybe Pop will try to run the triangle offense as well, catch em off guard

Maybe he'll run the wishbone??? No...no..that's football. Pop's so good he wood kick a$$ at that too!!!!!

[curiousspirit]

Originally Posted by spurssheriff

Here's the strategy for Game 3:

1. The Spurs will CHANGE NOTHING.

It surprises me.... Kings' fans took something good out of Game 2 when in reality -- the Spurs
played about as poorly as they could -- yet still found a way to win the game. So Kings' fans
immediately jump to the conclusion that since they lost by 34 in Game 1, and had a chance to win
Game 2 -- that they will obviously win Game 3 since it's on their home court.

Dose of reality: The Spurs won't play that bad again in this series -- and the Kings won't play as good as they did. It was one of those nights where a good team would have slammed the door on the Spurs and finished the deal.

Instead -- the Kings folded up shop and now face a must win Game 3.

Who's the pressure REALLY on?

Game 2 was the "wake up call" for the Spurs. They will be focused and energized for game 3.

[dark21horse]

Originally Posted by spurssheriff

Here's the strategy for Game 3:

1. The Spurs will CHANGE NOTHING.

It surprises me.... Kings' fans took something good out of Game 2 when in reality -- the Spurs
played about as poorly as they could -- yet still found a way to win the game. So Kings' fans
immediately jump to the conclusion that since they lost by 34 in Game 1, and had a chance to win
Game 2 -- that they will obviously win Game 3 since it's on their home court.

Dose of reality: The Spurs won't play that bad again in this series -- and the Kings won't play as good as they did. It was one of those nights where a good team would have slammed the door on the Spurs and finished the deal.

Instead -- the Kings folded up shop and now face a must win Game 3.

Who's the pressure REALLY on?

I feel for the Kings fans.......trying to find something positive to hang their hats on....might as well be, "At least we didn't get blown out in game 2". That will work as well as anything.

[RichB]

The Kings will have to stay with the Spurs through the early going.

Sac will depend heavily on their home crowd and if the Spurs take an early lead (as they did in Game 1) and take the crowd out of the game - it will kill what little momentum the Kings feel they may have.

Sacramento needs to forget about how Game 2 ended and play like they did for the first 47 minutes. San Antonio needs to forget the end of that game too and realize how badly they played that game, and make the necessary adjustments.

The blood is in the water.

I don't see Abdur Rahim having another game like Game 2, with Artest and Wells probably sharing time in the post. If Duncan and Mohammed do not get saddled with fouls, I'm confident they can contain him better in Game 3.

Artest needs to play within himself and try not to do too much. All eyes will be on him and he should know that. Tony Parker must be prepared to guard Bibby and prepare for the Kings guards to get physical.

Bowen will need to be ready for his open shots, because Bibby will sag off him to help the double team. Finley as well.

The truth of the matter is: this is the series for the Kings. If they drop this game, any flicker of hope they may still have will be extinguished.

They need a blowout win, because if the Spurs and Kings are close going down the stretch, you have to really question if the Kings confidence has been shaken.

Mike Bibby has to play extremely well to give the Kings any shot. He's due for a breakout game and so is Brad Miller.

Unfortunately for them, so is this guy:

[ElNonoMasa]

Show up?

[Brooklyn Dave]

As quoted by Burgess Merideth in Rocky: WIN!!!

[Lord Deimos]

The strategy is to win.

[pandora]

Just a hunch, but especially being on the road, Pop may try and force the ball into Duncan early in the game.

[yankeespur]

The Kings will come out big in the first 4 minutes of the game. If the Spurs can stay close in this time, I think they pull this one out and go up 3-0.
The first and last 2 minutes of the other quarters are when the Suprs really need to stay focused.