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  1. #1
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    In Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs took care of business against the Jazz, cruising to a 106-91 victory. Though San Antonio never trailed after the first quarter, give Utah a lot of credit for playing a tough, physical style that forced the Spurs to earn every point and every stop.

    While the Spurs could never blow the Jazz out of the water, they were great at responding to any runs. In the third quarter, a Paul Millsap layup with 2:47 remaining trimmed S.A.'s advantage to eight points. The Spurs responded with an 11-4 run to close out the period. In the fourth, a Jamaal Tinsley three-pointer with 7:31 left in the game once again trimmed the lead to eight. This time, San Antonio answered with a quick 6-0 run to end Utah's hopes.

    Overall, I thought the Spurs looked rusty and they never really got into the type of rhythm we witnessed over the last couple months of the season. On one hand, that could be considered worrisome. On the other hand, the fact that the Spurs didn't play overly well yet still easily beat the Jazz could bode well for the future.





    Tim Duncan B-
    It was a bumpy ride for Tim Duncan in the opening postseason affair. Offensively, he struggled early with his scoring. His outside jumper was off, he was missing chip shots around the rim and had some issues dealing with the physicality of Utah's bigs. Duncan compounded his problems by holding onto the ball too long and stagnating the ball-movement. However, when he decided to pass, his looks were usually very good; he was especially deadly passing from the high-post. Eventually, Duncan began picking his spots better and finished the contest by hitting his last four field goal attempts. Defensively, though Al Jefferson had success against him at times, I thought Duncan was mostly a positive on that end. He protected the rim decently well and was able to utilize his strength without fouling. Rebounding-wise, after a few lulls in the beginning stages of the game, Duncan picked it up and was grabbing most of the clutch caroms as San Antonio was placing the final nails in the coffin. All in all, while Duncan has definitely played cleaner games recently, it was a quality effort and a satisfactory way to begin the 2012 playoffs.

    Manu Ginobili C+
    When Manu Ginobili began the day with a leaner and a pair of driving dunks, I think we all expected a huge outing from the Argentine superstar. However, as it turned out, it went all downhill from there. Offensively, while he had a few great passes and a couple determined drives to the hoop, Ginobili never made another field goal and was oftentimes too sloppy when attempting to orchestrate the offense. On defense, while I really liked Ginobili's tenacity on the defensive glass, I was disappointed in his decision-making on that end of the court. Asked to defend Gordon Hayward most of the time, Ginobili spent way too much time wandering away from Utah's only scoring swingman. When Hayward got the ball, he either had an open jumper or the Spurs were forced to scramble to cover him, which led directly to a number of fouls. It didn't hurt San Antonio much this game but when Ginobili has the Hayward assignment, he has to realize that's the one player on the Jazz that can't be ignored on the perimeter. Roaming off of Hayward to get a few steals simply isn't worth it.

    Tony Parker A-
    Coming out of the gates, I thought Tony Parker was too amped. It was like he wanted to administer the knockout punch in the first quarter. He suffered from tunnel vision a few possessions and was deciding what he wanted to do before he allowed the plays to develop. Thankfully, Parker settled into a groove and started playing much better. While he kept his energy high, he added in a much needed dose of smarts. That's when he started picking apart the Jazz. Parker was deadliest in transition and pick-and-roll sets. When one-on-one against Utah's bigmen, he was almost always able to create a positive play for the Spurs. Parker kept it in attack-mode and was the leading force in driving San Antonio to victory. On the defensive end, after a couple breakdowns in the first quarter, I though Parker did very good work. Considering that the Frenchman historically has subpar opening games in the playoffs, this was definitely a great first step.

    Kawhi Leonard C
    Truthfully, I couldn't tell if Kawhi Leonard was suffering from rookie jitters or not because he simply wasn't involved very much. On the defensive end, he was assigned Josh Howard ... and to say Howard struggled would be an understatement. Offensively, Leonard didn't get many touches. When he did, his shot was flat from the outside and he quickly looked to pass if pressured. In the second half, he started to play better by wreaking havoc on the defensive end. That said, it was mostly a very quiet outing for the first-year forward.

    Danny Green C-
    A lot like Leonard, Danny Green had an anonymous beginning to his first playoff run as a starter. Defensively, I didn't think he did very well at all. He took poor angles to cut off penetration and also was late in his help-defense responsibilities. Offensively, Green didn't do much of anything other than miss a pair of three-pointers and score on a layup in transition.

    Boris Diaw B+
    It seemed to catch the Jazz off guard when Boris Diaw came out looking to score the ball. I know I was surprised. Pop ran a few plays early for Diaw and he took full advantage of the opportunity to hoist a handful of shot attempts. The results were positive; Diaw is crafty with the ball in the air and can finish from a variety of angles. To go along with his surprising scoring punch, Diaw added his customary great passing and spaced the court very well. Defensively, he was good on the low block, although his effectiveness wasn't nearly as high out on the perimeter. But if he can defend in the paint, pull down rebounds and add some creativity on the offensive end, he'll be fulfilling his role in this series against the Jazz -- and he did just that this afternoon.

    Stephen Jackson A
    Spurs fans have labeled Stephen Jackson a playoff hero since his return to San Antonio. In his first postseason game back in silver and black, Jackson didn't disappoint. Offensively, Jackson canned timely outside jumpers, made heady passes off the dribble and utilized a great amount of patience to help ensure the team got high-quality shots when he was in the game. Even more impressive, to me at least, was his defense. When the Jazz went to their triple bigman lineup, Jackson was up to the challenge of defending a power forward -- and ended up doing very good work. He used his quickness advantage to fend off post-up opportunities and his feistiness allowed him to box out well and also grab a few contested boards. While Jackson gambled a bit too much on the perimeter defensively, I liked just about everything else about his game. Welcome back, Playoff Jack.

    Matt Bonner B+
    After struggling with his accuracy from three-point land in the last few weeks of the regular season, Matt Bonner was a marksman from deep today. He let the three-pointers go with confidence and absolutely no hesitation. Let us all hope Bonner can continue to shoot like this because when he's on, it's extremely difficult to beat the Spurs. Defensively, though, I wasn't nearly as impressed. When he wasn't giving their bigmen too much space to operate on the perimeter, he was getting tossed around inside. Bonner had a few sturdy possessions here and there but he needs to bring his hardhat the rest of this series. The rebounding was adequate enough but he has to hold his position better under the basket.

    Gary Neal B+
    Gary Neal bounced back from his shoulder stinger and had a very solid performance. Offensively, he knocked down his first shot and then followed that up with a pair of gorgeous assists. Defensively, while he was fouling like it was going out of style, he was actually much better on D than usual. His hustle caused issues for the Jazz and Neal, more often than not, was in the right spot at the right time. Since he was somewhat of a question mark headed into this series, it was encouraging to see Neal play well in his first game back.

    Tiago Splitter B
    The lowlight of the game for the Spurs was Tiago Splitter's injury. At some point in the first half, Splitter sprained his wrist and was unable to play in the final two quarters. The latest word is he's having an MRI tomorrow. As for the game, Splitter played relatively well in a very active seven minutes. Offensively, he was involved quite a bit. Although he missed a couple easy shots and both of his free throws, Splitter made up for it with a few hustle plays. Defensively, his man-to-man defense was good but his help was below average and he wasn't an asset on the glass. Let's hope the MRI doesn't show anything too serious.

    DeJuan Blair B
    As a starter, DeJuan Blair is stretched beyond his limitations. As an emergency fifth big, Blair is a fantastic option. He stepped in for Splitter and the Spurs didn't really miss a beat. It was great to see that Blair kept his head in the game, didn't sulk and was ready to play when called upon. Though he clanged a few layups, Blair was rolling hard to the basket and forcing the Jazz to account for him. Defensively, he was much more active than usual and played with a ferocity we didn't often see out of him this season. If Splitter is forced to miss any games, Blair will be counted on to pick up the slack.

    Pop B+
    I mostly liked what Pop did in Game 1 against the Jazz. He kept using his ten-man rotation, which was exactly what I wanted. He played the Big 3 more minutes but kept it reasonable. With Leonard and Green not producing, Pop didn't hesitate to lean on Jackson. The decision to start Diaw worked out very well. The only aspect I didn't really like was Pop's playcalling. I thought he called too many isolations for Duncan and not enough pick-and-rolls. Against Utah, pick-and-rolls should be the preferred method of attack. Duncan isolated against their bigs just isn't something the Spurs need to even try to exploit. In Game 2, I don't expect Pop to make many adjustments -- though that could change pending Splitter's MRI results.
    Last edited by timvp; 04-29-2012 at 05:34 PM.

  2. #2
    Believe. Spurs-Fan's Avatar
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    Thank you for the grades.

  3. #3
    Lol Crews jjktkk's Avatar
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    Thank you Tim, for the writeup.

  4. #4
    The Show Must Go On TE's Avatar
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    Didn't watch the game, but I plan to do so tonight. Thanks anyways!!

  5. #5
    Believe.
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    Thanks.
    Boris grades are missing?

  6. #6
    Less is More
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    hopefully the early game start and playoff debut for the youngins accounts for the bad shooting
    the shots were all open and in rhythm
    if SA hits shots like they normally do during the reg season its a blowout
    the mid range wasnt falling for anyone tonight

  7. #7
    Erryday I'm Hustlin' Robz4000's Avatar
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    Good writeup, timvp!

  8. #8
    #21 timtonymanu's Avatar
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    I continue to be more impressed with Diaw. He has fit in with the starting lineup so quickly and he was a key factor today.

    Leonard and Green were definitely underwhelming today and I was mostly excited for how they would play in the playoffs. I think they will bounce back though.

    As much as I dislike Blair, he played good today and was very professional about his role. Today was also good baby steps for Bonner. As long as he hits his 3's, I can't complain about what else he does.

    Watching Jack out there was a beauty. to all the haters that say he's done.

    Hopefully Tiago is okay.

  9. #9
    #21 timtonymanu's Avatar
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    I continue to be more impressed with Diaw. He has fit in with the starting lineup so quickly and he was a key factor today.

    Leonard and Green were definitely underwhelming today and I was mostly excited for how they would play in the playoffs. I think they will bounce back though.

    As much as I dislike Blair, he played good today and was very professional about his role. Today was also good baby steps for Bonner. As long as he hits his 3's, I can't complain about what else he does.

    Watching Jack out there was a beauty. to all the haters that say he's done.

    Hopefully Tiago is okay.

  10. #10
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    Fast write-up. Thanks Timvp.

  11. #11
    Believe.
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    Thanks TIMVP, much appreciated

  12. #12
    Believe.
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    After today's game, I fully expect a sweep. The Spurs weren't at their best and the Jazz never really challenged. Also, I think the game was not all that physical and the Spurs sailed easily to the win.

  13. #13
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    Thanks.
    Boris grades are missing?
    Copy and paste error, tbh

  14. #14
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    Thanks for grade. Didnt have a chance to watch a game.

  15. #15
    e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 MannyIsGod's Avatar
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    Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.

  16. #16
    TheDrewShow is salty lefty's Avatar
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    @utahjazz: RT @ESPNStatsInfo: The #Spurs scored 48 points from inside 5 feet in their win Sun, the most by any team in a game in the last 2 postseasons






    Daaaaaaamn

  17. #17
    🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 ElNono's Avatar
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    thanks

  18. #18
    🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 ElNono's Avatar
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    Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.
    agree

  19. #19
    🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 ElNono's Avatar
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    I'm also going to go ahead and self-pat myself in the back for calling Jack being able to handle Millsap on the 3 spot, as I pointed out last night

  20. #20
    Out with the old... Obstructed_View's Avatar
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    Big props to Blair for stepping in and stepping up. Very glad to have him on the team when he's doing that.

    I thought Manu was absoultely the catalyst to this win. The Spurs basically traded baskets until he subbed into the game.

    Good effort from the young guys. You survived your debut, now it's time to go to work.

    Jack, you're everything I thought you'd be. It's like you never left. BTW, tell your agent you for me.

    I fully expect the Spurs to actually hit jumpers once they're playing night games again like normal people.

  21. #21
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.
    Tough to grade, tbh. First stint he was 3-for-3 with an assist and +11. The was an A effort.

    But the final 17 minutes he was on the court, he was 0-for-7 with three assists and three turnovers ... plus subpar defense. Can't say that was much better than a C- stretch of time.

    He's Manu Ginobili so he's still an asset virtually no matter what but the Spurs need much more than what they got in his final 17 minutes.

  22. #22
    Out with the old... Obstructed_View's Avatar
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    Tough to grade, tbh. First stint he was 3-for-3 with an assist and +11. The was an A effort.

    But the final 17 minutes he was on the court, he was 0-for-7 with three assists and three turnovers ... plus subpar defense. Can't say that was much better than a C- stretch of time.

    He's Manu Ginobili so he's still an asset virtually no matter what but the Spurs need much more than what they got in his final 17 minutes.
    I agree with the grade, but just wanted to remind everyone that he was brilliant in all the right spots. For once, plus minus does a good job of telling the story.

  23. #23
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    Manu had a B+/A- level effort all throughout the game. He had the embarrassing missed dunk. On a subsequent possession in transition, I thought it was somewhat timid and opted for a mid range jumpshot (missed) instead of taking it to the rim.

    I think his first 3 point attempt was in and out. That said, it was a great, wide-open look and you can't bag on him for his effort and decision making on that play.

    He had a couple of great assists, but a couple of sloppy turnovers as well. C+ is pretty spot-on IMO.

  24. #24
    Veteran Fabbs's Avatar
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    ^^ It ended up not mattering but i thought the blown dunk was showboating.

  25. #25
    Chunky Brazil's Avatar
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    I agree pretty much with all the grades even though I would have graded Tim with A-. If Tim plays like that during the rest of the POs I think we will be fine. 50% FG 11 reb 5 assists 2 stl with a coupe of TOs is great tbh.

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