Kori Ellis
02-15-2005, 02:16 AM
Small set producing big results for Spurs
Web Posted: 02/15/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021505.1D.spurs.ab7e1dee.htmlc
The Spurs' downsizing started in October, nearly a month before they would play their first game. Tim Duncan, they announced, had shrunk.
With David Robinson no longer lining up next to Duncan, any marketing or psychological benefit the team might have gained from its pairing of two so-called 7-footers had vanished. Duncan, who never considered himself that tall, finally convinced the Spurs to list him at his true height: 6-11.
The shrinkage didn't end there. After years of watching everyone try to measure up, the Spurs have come to realize size doesn't always matter.
Over the past month, the Spurs have shown increasing confidence in their ability to play small. For the final four minutes of Sunday's loss to Miami, they surrounded Duncan with four perimeter players — Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Devin Brown and Bruce Bowen — even with Shaquille O'Neal, the game's most dominant big man, on the floor.
The Spurs may be forced to go even smaller than they prefer Wednesday against New Orleans if coach Gregg Popovich decides to rest Duncan. Popovich is concerned Duncan's right ankle isn't getting better.
Duncan missed two games after spraining the ankle Feb.7. He returned to play against New Jersey and Miami but missed 20 of 30 shots in the two games.
"It's just me observing him more than anything," said Popovich, who plans to speak with Duncan and the team's medical staff before making a decision on his status. "He can't explode. He can't pivot. You can see he can't be dynamic offensively. And the ankle's not strong enough for him to hold his position defensively."
Duncan also hyperextended his left knee against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 3 and has been playing with a nagging hip injury. The Spurs will have six days off after Wednesday, but Duncan might get only half that to rest because he is scheduled to start Sunday's All-Star Game in Denver.
Popovich said he hasn't looked into whether the league will try to require Duncan to play Sunday even if he sits out Wednesday's game.
"All I care is, is he healthy and should he be off his ankle?" Popovich said. "If he should be off the ankle, if it's not getting better, then I need to make sure he's off it."
Even when Duncan has been healthy, the Spurs have gone small with increasing frequency. Small lineups have produced the team's two highest-scoring quarters: 42 points in the fourth quarter of Friday's victory against New Jersey; and 40 points in the fourth against Phoenix on Jan. 21.
"It's giving us a lot of results," Ginobili said.
If the Spurs can continue to play small effectively, it figures to help their chances in the playoffs. Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas, currently seeded Nos. 2-4 in the Western Conference, all like to quicken the pace. Each also presents matchup problems.
"We've been able to get used to (the small lineup) against good teams like Miami," Popovich said. "That tells me we might be able to use it a bit."
The biggest advantage of going small is it allows the Spurs to put their most talented players on the floor, albeit usually at the expense of center Rasho Nesterovic. The pass-dribble shoot skills of Parker, Ginobili, Brown, Brent Barry and Beno Udrih have made the Spurs more versatile offensively.
Popovich has experimented with different combinations. Malik Rose was the lone big man on the floor when the Spurs started their comeback against the Nets. Robert Horry played center Sunday when the Spurs went small for five-minute stretches in each half after O'Neal went to the bench.
Most often, the lineup is situated around Duncan, who has more room to post because the team can better spread the floor. It also helps the Spurs' penetrate-and-pitch game.
Playing small does have its disadvantages. Brown, who stands 6-5, had to guard Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire. And when the Spurs do play up-tempo, they occasionally overlook Duncan, Parker said.
"We have to make sure he gets the ball a little more," Parker said, "so he can get in a little better rhythm to make those outside shots, especially when I play pick-and-roll."
Duncan says he's had to adjust to the free-flowing style.
"It's different," he said. "We're going to move (the ball) around and try to find the open people, and we're going to live with that."
This season, bigger doesn't always mean better.
Web Posted: 02/15/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021505.1D.spurs.ab7e1dee.htmlc
The Spurs' downsizing started in October, nearly a month before they would play their first game. Tim Duncan, they announced, had shrunk.
With David Robinson no longer lining up next to Duncan, any marketing or psychological benefit the team might have gained from its pairing of two so-called 7-footers had vanished. Duncan, who never considered himself that tall, finally convinced the Spurs to list him at his true height: 6-11.
The shrinkage didn't end there. After years of watching everyone try to measure up, the Spurs have come to realize size doesn't always matter.
Over the past month, the Spurs have shown increasing confidence in their ability to play small. For the final four minutes of Sunday's loss to Miami, they surrounded Duncan with four perimeter players — Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Devin Brown and Bruce Bowen — even with Shaquille O'Neal, the game's most dominant big man, on the floor.
The Spurs may be forced to go even smaller than they prefer Wednesday against New Orleans if coach Gregg Popovich decides to rest Duncan. Popovich is concerned Duncan's right ankle isn't getting better.
Duncan missed two games after spraining the ankle Feb.7. He returned to play against New Jersey and Miami but missed 20 of 30 shots in the two games.
"It's just me observing him more than anything," said Popovich, who plans to speak with Duncan and the team's medical staff before making a decision on his status. "He can't explode. He can't pivot. You can see he can't be dynamic offensively. And the ankle's not strong enough for him to hold his position defensively."
Duncan also hyperextended his left knee against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 3 and has been playing with a nagging hip injury. The Spurs will have six days off after Wednesday, but Duncan might get only half that to rest because he is scheduled to start Sunday's All-Star Game in Denver.
Popovich said he hasn't looked into whether the league will try to require Duncan to play Sunday even if he sits out Wednesday's game.
"All I care is, is he healthy and should he be off his ankle?" Popovich said. "If he should be off the ankle, if it's not getting better, then I need to make sure he's off it."
Even when Duncan has been healthy, the Spurs have gone small with increasing frequency. Small lineups have produced the team's two highest-scoring quarters: 42 points in the fourth quarter of Friday's victory against New Jersey; and 40 points in the fourth against Phoenix on Jan. 21.
"It's giving us a lot of results," Ginobili said.
If the Spurs can continue to play small effectively, it figures to help their chances in the playoffs. Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas, currently seeded Nos. 2-4 in the Western Conference, all like to quicken the pace. Each also presents matchup problems.
"We've been able to get used to (the small lineup) against good teams like Miami," Popovich said. "That tells me we might be able to use it a bit."
The biggest advantage of going small is it allows the Spurs to put their most talented players on the floor, albeit usually at the expense of center Rasho Nesterovic. The pass-dribble shoot skills of Parker, Ginobili, Brown, Brent Barry and Beno Udrih have made the Spurs more versatile offensively.
Popovich has experimented with different combinations. Malik Rose was the lone big man on the floor when the Spurs started their comeback against the Nets. Robert Horry played center Sunday when the Spurs went small for five-minute stretches in each half after O'Neal went to the bench.
Most often, the lineup is situated around Duncan, who has more room to post because the team can better spread the floor. It also helps the Spurs' penetrate-and-pitch game.
Playing small does have its disadvantages. Brown, who stands 6-5, had to guard Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire. And when the Spurs do play up-tempo, they occasionally overlook Duncan, Parker said.
"We have to make sure he gets the ball a little more," Parker said, "so he can get in a little better rhythm to make those outside shots, especially when I play pick-and-roll."
Duncan says he's had to adjust to the free-flowing style.
"It's different," he said. "We're going to move (the ball) around and try to find the open people, and we're going to live with that."
This season, bigger doesn't always mean better.