(Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Leonard all out)

Is Mills in beast mode? Can I ask in this thread or do I have to start a new one?

What sort of car would you compare Mills' game to today?

Mills is getting lost defensively so far. Couple of missed rotations and poor man-to-man defense resulting in Nets buckets. Gave Deron Williams a 4 pt play after losing him outright on a really bad defensive play.

Hopefully he tightens his belt in the second half on focuses on both ends instead of just waiting for the opponent to score so he can get the ball back.

Matchbox

Diaw is out sick as well. Can't remember the last time a team's 5 best players were all out...

Probably the last time Popp rested them all.

I don't think I've ever actually seen Tiago Splitter complete a possession without a pass, turnover or a missed shot...

I mean, I've seen his stats, so he must make a shot at some point, but I watch a lot of Spurs games and can't for the life of me remember him doing something other than getting blocked, stripped, airballing a hook shot, or travelling.

Baynes barely gets any time on the court. A bit like Patty of yesteryear. Pop makes you wait for minutes.

I know, anon, which makes it even more amazing that I have never seen him make a shot!

Bogut and Lee are out for the next game btw

Gonna get on chicago? Boozer and Noah should feast. But then again Steph Curry could score 50. I hate betting on GSW games. But I love it.

anyone else's league pass conk out for the last quarter of this game? I'm getting nada.

Yeah league pass on my mobile is buggered.

Haha Mick don't bet on their games! Both teams are bipolar. I had Bogut to get over 11.5 rebounds but he's out so I'm not touching that game. Take Boozer to score over 15.5 points because he only gets up for national tv games and teams he personally hates, like Miami.

Statsheet Stuffer - where did you see Bogut and Lee are out?

Twitter

Well boozer is out too. What a thriller this will be...

Anon, I made that post when he was 1/4 from the field and had just had several defensive brainfarts in a row. He was a little more aggressive and assertive, and less dribble-out-the-shot-clock-happy in the 2nd half but his defence remains fucking awful.

The thing with Patty is, it's not effort related like it is with most heat-check NBA players: he's in every play, he's bumping guys with his chest, he's busting his ass running around screens, he is hustling to stay in front of his man...he just has no idea how to play defense at all. It's a whole lot of wasted effort.

He plays ballhandlers waaay to close and gets routinely burned despite being the fastest player in the league according to Sport VU. He goes for the flop first and everything else comes second. He gets posted up by opposing PGs regularly with disastrous results. He misses rotations as a routine.

This stuff doesn't really make too much of a difference in his sparkplug role (i've never seen Jamal Crawford or JR Smith play defense either...), but you notice it more when he gets extended burn and has to play against opposition first units. If he wants playoff minutes he needs to be able to guard his position a lot more effectively and not rely on the help every time down the floor.

listen Patty Mills if you're reading