Pop Culture, Vol. 13

by

Pelican

We’ve shied away from the traditional recaps you can find all over the interwebs, but we still have a few thoughts after each game. For more as they happen, be sure to follow 48MoH on Twitter. You’ll find our post-game grades in emoji form there. For real.

Trevor Zickgraf

The Spurs’ weekend started off a little weird, losing to the one win Pelicans. That wasn’t great, but revealed a couple of things. One, the Pelicans aren’t as bad as their record suggests. Two, things can really stall when Manu Ginobili isn’t around. Manu’s return Saturday meant a little more scoring punch (literally one point more, but keep in mind David West was starting for an injured LaMarcus Aldridge). Point is, the offense just runs more smoothly with Manu around. We all know this but it became pretty clear Saturday night. He might not be scoring enough to get serious consideration but Manu’s all-around game should put him at the top of everyone’s early list for Sixth Man of the Year. He’s been great so far.

Matthew Tynan

I’m getting tired of the Pelicans.

Since the start of last season, no team has given the Spurs more trouble. New Orleans has won four of the teams’ last five matchups, including three in a row in Smoothie King Center and its stupid horrifying cake baby. Of course we all remember how last season ended: San Antonio is the second seed looking at a nice, sensual, MAYBE gentleman’s sweep against the Mavs, then BOOM — 11-game win streak ends, second seed turns to sixth seed and the Clippers end the Spurs’ season in seven games, all because of New Orleans.

Seriously, if I asked you to guess which team has the best record against the Spurs since the start of last season, has it gotten to the point where your first guess would be the damn Pelicans? San Antonio was on a six-game winning streak, during which they posted the NBA’s best offensive-efficiency rating, and they were beating every team they played by double-digits.

NEW ORLEANS WAS 1-11 HEADING INTO THAT GAME! HOW DO THE SPURS LOSE THAT GAME?

Stupid Pelicans. Dumb cake baby.

  • jon walters

    Missing Manu had a lot to do with it, for the reasons Trevor states. What did all Spurs mention as the one really terrible loss last year, the loss that probably cost them the second seed? At New York, of course. And who was the one player out of the lineup that night? Manu. Around 2009 Pop said that Manu gives the team confidence, and when he’s out they don’t have that same level of self belief. I know it’s different now with Ginobili being 38, but some of that swagger still exists when he is playing. Compare it with the Cowboys yesterday. I don’t know but it didn’t seem that Romo played all that well, but just his presence gave Dallas another level of confidence. Some players just make a difference in that regard, and I feel Manu is one of them.

  • Ryan McShane

    I guess no one sees the elephant in the room… Anthony Davis is really good. I feel like it might be a game Tim Duncan doesn’t get up for. Or worse, 2015 Davis is better than 2015 Duncan (not peak Duncan though!)

  • Comrade747
  • Justin

    Lol, I just figured the site was down…