Wemby Watch: Pop Only Plays Victor 22 Minutes in Bulls Loss
Story of The Game
I have a prediction: we’re going to see some fireworks come out of San Antonio this season.
This wasn’t just your standard December regular season game against an average opponent.
A straw cracked the camel’s back in this game.
Pop finally did it. He visibly pissed off Victor when he took him out early in the second quarter. (more on this in a moment)
And then, in the third quarter, the normally mild mannered color announcer, Sean Elliott, semi went off on Victor’s teammates for not getting him the ball.
You might brush that off as no big deal, but Sean’s call was no nothing burger.
Tensions are running high in San Antonio and something’s got to give.
Yesterday I published a Spurs ownership needs to give Pop an ultimatum: coach with common sense or be fired.
After this latest stunt, there can be no lenience: Pop needs to be fired immediately.
The explanation after the game was that Victor was on a minute’s limitation even though both Pop and Victor said he was completely fine. Pop’s OCD is in full force.
Quick Thoughts
Victor only tallied 8 shots in 22 minutes. Something is VERY wrong.
I’ve harped all season on Pop’s obsessive compulsive order with limiting Victor’s minutes like he’s a 37 year old Tim Duncan with a bad knee.
He sat Victor last game at Milwaukee. I wrote that I thought it was a designed rest game by Pop.
In tonight’s game, Pop took him out at:
- 6:51 in the 1st quarter
- 7:13 in the 2nd quarter
- 6:24 in the third
- 6:39 in the fourth (down 13)
And then he stupidly brought Victor back in at 4:08, when they were down 18 which made no sense whatsoever.
Again, Victor tallied just 22 minutes and he looked perfectly fine.
Good God, Pop has certifiably lost it.
Sean Elliott loves the Spurs. He played for San Antonio for 11 years and now calls many of the games.
He’s normally quite reserved in his criticism, veiling it under an indirect and optimistic light.
But, in the third quarter, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Not after Jeremy Sochan and others continued to repeatedly ignore a wide open Victor.
Below are some of the quotes or near quotes I managed to log.
After Victor hoisted an unnecessary outside shot:
“He’s (Victor) shooting that to try to get himself involved in the game”
“He’s (Victor) trying to get involved offensively”
A few plays later, Sochan waves off Victor out of the post to post up himself and nearly turns the ball over.
After that, Jeremy ignored a Victor cut to the basket and missed on a horrible post up:
“Our guys missed Victor again.”
“We’ve wasted a lot of opportunities.”
“You have a weapon out there…throw the ball up in the air.”
“You’re going to make the game easier for yourself.”
“Post Victor up. That’s where the leadership, the experience needs to come into play.”
“I want to see his teammates get him involved.”
“He has the ability to make the game so much easier.”
Jeremy Sochan was back playing some point guard tonight and he looked horrendous.
P.S. The Bulls played very nice Christmas music during the game. Whoever chose the chimes and organ music was on their A game.
Pre-Game Setup
The Bulls-Spurs matchup is game #27 for the Spurs.
Betting: Bucks -5, Over/Under 229
(Guess-Prediction: I’ll take the Spurs and the over.)
Betting Record going into the game 14–11–1.
The Spurs travel to Chicago for this contest.
