[TenSecondTomParticipant]

Okay so we’ve all just witnessed the Spurs scoring a cool 41 points in the most efficient, selfless manner and it really got me thinking… The state of the NBA is there are a handful of teams that have a chance to win the championship come the start of the season due to their star power and the rest have a hard time competing consistently due to an incredible imbalance of power in the league. We have seen Popovic’s system work with three core pieces (Parker, Duncan, Ginobili), but the rest of the squad has shifted shape over this 15 year dynasty. The Spurs only acquire players that buy in to team basketball and will sacrifice individual achievement for the betterment of the team effort. With all of this being said, I believe that many of these small market teams should consider hiring prestigious coaches from Europe to run their system in the NBA.

The facts are simple; only a few teams can have a LeBron or Durant or whoever. If you are not one of those lucky teams (most small market teams aren’t) you need to find a way to compensate that loss of star power/talent. The NBA is currently 30%-40% international, and while many people talk about the fact that African-Americans aren’t properly equated for in the coaching sphere, there are 0 international coaches in the NBA. Popovic runs the closest thing to a premier European-style offense and while I am not saying a team like the Bucks or Timerwolves could become the Spurs, I think they should toy with the idea of building their team to fit the Spurs mold and have a coach who is an expert in half-court/team basketball come over to run the system.

Overall, it has become apparent that legitimately 20+ teams have no shot at the championship before the season starts and I think that the weaker franchises need to think outside of the box to be able to compensate for their lack of ability to retain stars. Although the Spurs have studs in Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, they are significantly less talented than the Miami Heat, yet they give them a real test due to their play style and mindset. I would love to see some coaches like Obradovic or Messina come over and try to revamp a squad like the Bucks or whoever using the Spurs model. Obviously it would be hard to replicate TP and TD, but there are plenty of capable players in the league who would thrive in a team-basketball system. It is not like any of these teams have anything to lose from making this bold move and it could pay off dividends and make the NBA as competitive as ever.

What do you guys think about this?

[littleteapotParticipant]

San Antonio’s offensive system works because it capitalizes on what parker, duncan and ginobili are good at. The Bulls tried to imcorporate a similar offense this year and it was an unmitigated disaster until they went back to their old p&r and high post offense. A few teams are copying the Spurs system to some effectiveness, but you have to make sacrifices in other areas as they are finding out.

The "why doesn’t everyone run a motion offense" discussion always bothers me, because to me its like saying "why do football teams run power, they should all zone block." Motion offenses are great because they don’t require teams to constantly break down the play when something goes awry or they want to improvise, but it also means that its not as easy to target matchups and get the shots you want. Also, if you want to put a guy like Tyson Chandler or Kendrick Perkins on the floor because he can play great D, you have him in this offense where he’s supposed to have an interchangeable position, even though he really only has 1 or 2 skills on offense.

[littleteapotParticipant]

San Antonio’s offensive system works because it capitalizes on what parker, duncan and ginobili are good at. The Bulls tried to imcorporate a similar offense this year and it was an unmitigated disaster until they went back to their old p&r and high post offense. A few teams are copying the Spurs system to some effectiveness, but you have to make sacrifices in other areas as they are finding out.

The "why doesn’t everyone run a motion offense" discussion always bothers me, because to me its like saying "why do football teams run power, they should all zone block." Motion offenses are great because they don’t require teams to constantly break down the play when something goes awry or they want to improvise, but it also means that its not as easy to target matchups and get the shots you want. Also, if you want to put a guy like Tyson Chandler or Kendrick Perkins on the floor because he can play great D, you have him in this offense where he’s supposed to have an interchangeable position, even though he really only has 1 or 2 skills on offense.

[DolanCareParticipant]

 I agree with what you’re saying, except the part about European coaches. The US has a lot of great coaching talent, many of which has yet to perculate to the head coaching level. 

I think Darrell Armstrong will make a great head coach in a few years (currently an assistant with Dallas), then there’s Hoiberg who should get a shot in the next couple years as well. 

 

 

 

 

[DolanCareParticipant]

 I agree with what you’re saying, except the part about European coaches. The US has a lot of great coaching talent, many of which has yet to perculate to the head coaching level. 

I think Darrell Armstrong will make a great head coach in a few years (currently an assistant with Dallas), then there’s Hoiberg who should get a shot in the next couple years as well. 

 

 

 

 

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