775: The Not-So-Simple French Fatty

The Grizzlies' proactive lineup change caught even the seasoned Popovich off guard. He never imagined that Dave Joerger would be the one to seize the initiative first.

Popovich had thought this would be a game that surprised the Grizzlies, but the reality was the complete opposite of what he had imagined.

A few minutes into the game, the Spurs had been extremely passive on the court. Defensively, they could not adapt to the Grizzlies' mobility. Offensively, they had height in the paint but could not turn it into a real advantage. Even on the boards, the Spurs had not grabbed many more rebounds than the Grizzlies.

Splitter tried to attack Link twice, but both attempts ended in failure. If a center could not punish mismatches, could not help on defense, and could not protect the boards effectively, then what was the point of having him on the floor?

So, only four minutes into the game, with the Spurs down by three, Popovich made the first substitution.

"Jimmy Butler fouled Leonard, but the team foul count isn't there yet, so the Spurs won't be shooting free throws. Huh? The Spurs are making a substitution already? The game has only been going for four minutes. Are they really making a change now?"

Under Hubie Brown's somewhat surprised gaze, the Frenchman Boris Diaw stepped onto the court and slapped hands with Splitter. The latter walked off dejectedly. He knew he was only a nominal starter, but even as a nominal starter, he had been beaten far too badly today.

With Diaw in, Duncan moved to the five, and the Spurs' one-big, four-small lineup was officially in place!

Dave Joerger rose from the bench with a grim expression. The formidable Oklahoma City Thunder had been defeated by exactly this Spurs lineup!

But the Spurs'