Considering how well Patty plays during play-offs, POP should have played Patty over parker. But POP loves Parker... So yeah.

I am actually pissed at Manu a little bit about this. There were plenty of times when Mills was sitting there, waiting for the ball to hit the open 3, and he would go and do something half baked with it. They weren't looking for his shot, which is astounding as he is the best 3 point shooter on the team. They let old legs penetrate (ginobli) yet you have the fastest guy in the NBA there getting none of the ball? I am not saying that if they gave the ball to patty they would have necessarily won, but everything else was pretty bleak. The team weren't looking for their best 3 point shooter, and that can only be considered stupid.

Hard to criticise Popovic for having the ultimate trust in Parker and Ginobili and running them in the big games over his other players when he has coached them for 14 years and won 4 championships with them, the last being just last year.

A quick look at Mills and the Spurs in game 7...

Includes some video on Mills - unfortunately no Patty Thrills...

Aussies in the NBA Playoffs: Patty quiet, Spurs fall in Game 7 thriller

Dept - there lays the issues. When players with coaches for such a long time it becomes like the parent looking out for their kids. Which is okay and normal but can't be a the expense of the team. This time it was unfortunately and no one is bagging Pop but wishing he had seen the issues and responded. Disappointed for the team as they should have won and progressed. Que Sera - that's sport folks.. And Griffin is the BEAST.

Is this the end of the Duncan era for the Spurs? He will be 40 next year?

Retirement must be on the cards for either or both of Duncan and Manu.

Manu can slurp a sausage but I wouldn't mind another year out of Duncan. He can do it.

Slurp a sausage hahahah priceless. I would say go another year for both with pay cut for Manu. Still good enough to have in the bench but move more to a support role rather than 6 man

I agree, can't let both leave and if Mills stays fit for a season with a good lead into the next one I can see him getting more minutes. Maybe even with Parker as the 2 guard to speed up the court presence every now and then.

They do not have anyone to replace Duncan, yes I know he is an all star and a legend, hard to replace those. But if they don't get a decent centre, without him they will drop a peg or two IMHO.

Duncan is irreplaceable, but they seriously need to do some succession planning now, because the current championship window is now closed.

They have some good pieces to play with, but need to shore up the middle with a top 10 centre/PF. The Spurs had Duncan step in to take over from Robinson, but there is no similar successor in the wings for Duncan.

I can't see this team wanting to have to bottom out to get a high draft pick, but by the same measure they don't have much of a history of trading for or signing big names in free agency. They could risk a very sustained period of mediocrity after Duncan's inevitable retirement.

Spurs & Mavs are said to be in with a show for Aldridge. Duncan played for 10m this season, outrageous, as he is still elite on both ends. It's possible he takes even less to assist with the Leonard & Green contracts. Green is going to attract some decent offers and Kawhi will probably get the max but that will not necessarily hurt the Spurs as it will be essentially at a discount with the big cap increase shortly.

If they do make a play for a big time free agent like LMA how they structure that/what they give up will be interesting. I could potentially see Splitter moved but only for someone like LMA.

I suspect Manu will come back for 1 more & run the second unit. That's great news for Patty.

I expect a bit of movement on the end of the bench with guys like Williams, Ayers.