The San Antonio Spurs are having a great regular season and they aren’t many flaws in their game plan these days, but they are a few that do exist. Coach Gregg Popovich knows this and looks to iron out the kinks as playoff time approaches.3) Size: The Spurs’ size in the front court has been a problem for years and it reared its ugly head once again against the Lakers last week. Lakers’ center Andrew Bynum recorded a career-high 30 rebounds on the Spurs home court. Size also played a role in last year’s playoffs, leading to the Spurs elimination versus the Memphis Grizzles.
Solution: Look for Coach Popovich to make good use of the newly acquired Boris Diaw and his ability to play defense at the frontcourt positions well. He is a long armed player that can help the Spurs rebound better come crunch time. The Spurs also have the 7-foot Tiago Splitter who has improved candidly but oddly hasn’t reached the starting lineâ€"up beside Tim Duncan. Popovich has stuck with the under-sized Dejuan Blair as the starter but expect that to change if the Spurs meet the Lakers in the post season.
2) Defense: This team has taken a slide defensively and hasn’t displayed the lock-down defense of past Spur teams. Despite this the team has still been able to show glimpses of defensive greatness and has been getting key stops at the end of games. They still need to display more energy and consistency throughout the game though.
Solution: Look for Coach Popovich to increase the minutes of his best defensive players in the playoffs. Tim Duncan is the team’s heart and soul on defense and he will spend more time on the court. Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson will undoubtedly have bigger roles and they are defensive pests on the wing. Popovich will also let go of the reins and allow Splitter to play more minutes and guard the rim with his length.
1) Health: The Spurs have a nice balance of youth and experience but their major stars are veterans. For the Spurs to win their fifth title they will need for the entire squad to stay healthy throughout the playoffsâ€"especially Manu Ginobili. Coach Popovich has done his part by resting his stars throughout the season but in the playoffs he will not have that same luxury. He will likely have to let his stars play long and hard.
Solution: Popovich will still have to manage minutes but differently in the playoffs. He will have to take fewer chances and be sure to increase his best players’ minutes to help curve the intensity of the games. Don’t be surprised to see him shake up the starting line up and un-mercilessly bench players that are not performing at their peak. The Spurs depth puts even more pressure on the coaching staff to play the right mix of players at the right timeâ€"chemistry is everything.
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