duncan228
11-07-2008, 05:40 PM
The defense rests: Spurs struggling to stop teams (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/11/07/2030.ap.bkn.nba.notes.adv08.1474/)
SI.com
If Tony Parker keeps scoring like he has to begin the season, the San Antonio Spurs should be fine offensively until Manu Ginobili returns.
The Spurs suddenly have a bigger, more unfamiliar problem to address.
San Antonio usually wins championships because of the way it plays on the other end of the floor, but the Spurs have been one of the NBA's worst defensive teams early in the season.
The Spurs followed their 0-3 start Wednesday night with a 129-125, double-overtime victory in Minnesota, as Parker had 55 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. That allowed San Antonio to overcome another uncharacteristically poor defensive performance.
San Antonio was surrendering 106.5 points per game after that victory, third-worst in the league. The Spurs were allowing teams to shoot 48 percent from the floor, sixth from the bottom in a category in which they are usually among the league leaders.
"I think defensively we haven't been playing very solid. On top of that, it seems like people are shooting really well against us,'' Tim Duncan said. "Any kind of open crack that anybody's getting, they're knocking those shots down. Whatever it may be, bad defense or people just feeling comfortable against us, whatever it may be, we've got to turn that a little bit.''
With top defenders Bruce Bowen and Duncan in the frontcourt, San Antonio could always count on its ability to get stops. Yet this season, the Spurs gave up 100 or more points in losses to Phoenix and Portland, then allowed the Dallas Mavericks to shoot 53 percent in their 98-81 victory on Tuesday.
Though newcomer Roger Mason Jr. acknowledged that the "first two games we gave up way too many points,'' he said he wasn't putting much stock in the poor start.
"Matter of fact, Tim came to me after the game and said, 'You know Rog, we usually win some games around here, so keep your head up,''' Mason said following the Dallas loss. "These guys are champions and they know how to bounce back.''
They did the next night behind Parker, who was averaging a league-high 33.3 points on 56 percent shooting the first four games. That's helped make up for the loss of Ginobili, the Spurs' leading scorer last season, who is expected to miss 20-25 games after reinjuring his ankle playing for Argentina in the Olympics.
By the time he returns, the Spurs hope they've fixed their defensive woes. San Antonio won titles in 2003, '05 and '07, but its odd-year streak will be in jeopardy unless it goes back to the way it locked teams down in those seasons.
"We've played some bad basketball so far to say the least,'' Duncan said before the Spurs got their first victory. "What can you say? We're going to try to turn it. Luckily playoffs don't start anytime soon.''
SI.com
If Tony Parker keeps scoring like he has to begin the season, the San Antonio Spurs should be fine offensively until Manu Ginobili returns.
The Spurs suddenly have a bigger, more unfamiliar problem to address.
San Antonio usually wins championships because of the way it plays on the other end of the floor, but the Spurs have been one of the NBA's worst defensive teams early in the season.
The Spurs followed their 0-3 start Wednesday night with a 129-125, double-overtime victory in Minnesota, as Parker had 55 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. That allowed San Antonio to overcome another uncharacteristically poor defensive performance.
San Antonio was surrendering 106.5 points per game after that victory, third-worst in the league. The Spurs were allowing teams to shoot 48 percent from the floor, sixth from the bottom in a category in which they are usually among the league leaders.
"I think defensively we haven't been playing very solid. On top of that, it seems like people are shooting really well against us,'' Tim Duncan said. "Any kind of open crack that anybody's getting, they're knocking those shots down. Whatever it may be, bad defense or people just feeling comfortable against us, whatever it may be, we've got to turn that a little bit.''
With top defenders Bruce Bowen and Duncan in the frontcourt, San Antonio could always count on its ability to get stops. Yet this season, the Spurs gave up 100 or more points in losses to Phoenix and Portland, then allowed the Dallas Mavericks to shoot 53 percent in their 98-81 victory on Tuesday.
Though newcomer Roger Mason Jr. acknowledged that the "first two games we gave up way too many points,'' he said he wasn't putting much stock in the poor start.
"Matter of fact, Tim came to me after the game and said, 'You know Rog, we usually win some games around here, so keep your head up,''' Mason said following the Dallas loss. "These guys are champions and they know how to bounce back.''
They did the next night behind Parker, who was averaging a league-high 33.3 points on 56 percent shooting the first four games. That's helped make up for the loss of Ginobili, the Spurs' leading scorer last season, who is expected to miss 20-25 games after reinjuring his ankle playing for Argentina in the Olympics.
By the time he returns, the Spurs hope they've fixed their defensive woes. San Antonio won titles in 2003, '05 and '07, but its odd-year streak will be in jeopardy unless it goes back to the way it locked teams down in those seasons.
"We've played some bad basketball so far to say the least,'' Duncan said before the Spurs got their first victory. "What can you say? We're going to try to turn it. Luckily playoffs don't start anytime soon.''