timvp
11-16-2008, 02:10 AM
Although the calendar says November, this win was much more remarkable than a typical November NBA game. With the talented Houston Rockets in town, the San Antonio Spurs were given little chance to be victorious on Friday night. But thanks to a late burst, the Spurs snuck away with a 77-75 win.
Down by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Spurs just kept plugging away. While their defense was good all night, San Antonio took it up another notch with about four minutes to go in the game. Down ten points at that point, the Spurs held the Rockets scoreless the rest of the way. The exclamation point on their defensive effort came when Tim Duncan blocked a runner by Aaron Brooks with under two seconds to play.
Although the Rockets feature an extremely talented roster, it’s obvious that their team hasn’t meshed yet. There was little cohesion to their play, especially offensively. They will probably turn it around at some point this season, but right now they are getting by on individual ability alone.
For the Spurs, this was a significant win. After losing a number of close games, the Spurs were able to get one to go their way. Most importantly, the Spurs played very good defense for the third game in a row and proved that it’s possible to win due mainly to defensive effort. That should be good for the team’s confidence as they try to stay afloat with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker sidelined.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
40 minutes, 22 points, five rebounds, two assists
8-for-15 from the field, 6-for-8 at the line
Although Tim Duncan’s stat line looks similar to his production against the Milwaukee Bucks, I thought he played much better. He had his hands full with Yao Ming on both ends of the court but he did well against him. Duncan’s rebounding numbers were again low but he boxed out well and was very good in the half court defensive sets. His rotations were quick and he was physical on his post defense. On offense, Duncan had a good showing even though the Rockets constantly threw different looks at him and sent a lot of help. Overall, it was an unspectacular yet solid performance.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
38 minutes, nine points, nine rebounds, two assists
3-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. continues to struggle shooting the basketball but he found ways to help on Friday night. His rebounding was very good – with his nine rebounds leading the team. He also had a key assist on a Matt Bonner three-pointer during the game winning 12-0 run. Defensively, this might have been Mason’s best game of the season. He did a very good job of defending Tracy McGrady and even held his own in the post against Ron Artest. Mason’s shooting (28.9% in his last four games) is a bit of a concern but his shot selection has been good and as long as he can contribute in other ways, he’ll continue to get a healthy amount of playing time.
-------------------------------
Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
ten minutes, three turnovers
0-for-2 from the field
Since being given the starting small forward job, Ime Udoka has fallen on his face. Over the last three games, he’s been horrible. His game against the Rockets took Udoka’s level of play to a whole new low. Three turnovers, two missed shots and literally nothing else in ten minutes isn’t exactly what Pop had in mind when he gave Udoka his new role. I’m not sure if Udoka is playing scared or if he is intimidated because he supplanted Bruce Bowen, but he needs to snap out of it. At the very least, pulling down a couple rebounds could help.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://www.iupuijags.com/images/2007/12/12/player_hill.jpg
36 minutes, 17 points, six rebounds, five assists
8-for-13 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Spurs fans have to be excited from what they saw out of George Hill against the Rockets. The rookie point guard was extremely impressive in virtually every facet of the game. Defensively, he was very energetic, caused a lot of havoc and rebounded well. On offense, he was much more aggressive and was amazing finishing around the basket. Hill also played at a good pace and didn’t force the issue – as evident by his turnover-less outing. For a small school product who is converting from shooting guard, it’s tough to expect much more out of him. Going forward, the main key for Hill is that he avoids passive offensive play as much as possible. When he doesn’t attack, it becomes almost impossible for the Spurs to score on a consistent basis.
-------------------------------
Fabricio Oberto
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
14 minutes, four points, three rebounds
2-for-4 from the field
Fabricio Oberto had a non-descript showing against the Rockets. On the plus side, he hit a couple of outside jumpers when left unguarded and played good positional defense. But Pop eventually looked elsewhere, largely due to the fact that the Rockets were ignoring Oberto on the offensive end. His two jumpers were a start but for Oberto to keep other teams honest, he’s going to have to look for his own offense more and more.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
24 minutes, five points, two rebounds, two assists
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Michael Finley actually played well despite his pedestrian statistics. He was active defensively and made smart decisions offensively. Though Finley didn’t score as well as he had the last few games, his overall game was good enough to warrant playing time. The good news regarding Finley is he looks comfortable off the bench. Against the Rockets, he hit a shot less than five seconds after entering the game. If he can keep playing hard and keep heating up quickly, Finley has a chance to be an effective player until at least Ginobili returns.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
20 minutes, 11 points, two rebounds
4-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Talk about coming out of nowhere. Matt Bonner, who had been left for dead after a poor start to the season, played very, very well against the Rockets. In fact, it may have been one of his very best games as a Spur. The aspect that stood out the most regarding Bonner was his demeanor. His typical happy-go-lucky attitude was replaced by a stoic, businesslike approach. It translated to the court as Bonner played much smarter than usual. His defense was almost flawless and he did a good job of boxing out for most of the game. Bonner was especially impressive defensively when switched onto a smaller player – an area he usually struggles. Offensively, he took shots with confidence and didn’t deviate from the game plan. On the whole, if Bonner can play like this on a nightly basis, he’s going to be playing a lot more minutes. Let’s hope it wasn’t a fluke.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
14 minutes, three rebounds
Bruce Bowen wasn’t needed much against Houston. With Mason doing a good job on McGrady, Pop was free to put more offense on the court. However, when Bowen was in there, he again played good defense. While the adjustment coming from the starting lineup couldn’t have been easy, Bowen has handled it perfectly. There have been no complaints and he has come in and defended much better than he was to start the season. If Udoka can locate his head, playing Bowen off the bench could not only help the team, but also extend Bowen’s career.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
10 minutes, three points, four rebounds
1-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
While his stats look bad, Kurt Thomas didn’t play too horribly. He didn’t play well but two of his six misses were desperation shots at the buzzer and his overall energy was higher than we’ve seen in most of his other outings this season. Thomas was also physical defensively and did a good job on the boards. His production is still a far cry from how he played last season but at least he looks capable of playing a Kevin Willis or Tony Massenburg type role.
-------------------------------
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
Seven minutes, four points, two assists
1-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
Jacque Vaughn wasn’t very good. He made a few nice moves but the end result was a miss. Although, Vaughn did help out in terms of upping the aggressiveness level and playing pretty good defense.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/NBA/Headshots/140x170/4371.jpg
four minutes, two points, one rebound
1-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 at the line
Anthony Tolliver had a steal and breakaway dunk but was soon after benched for the rest of the game. I don’t suspect it was anything he necessarily did wrong, I just think that Pop gave Bonner a shot since he’s more physical, a better rebounder and a more proven shooter. Tolliver has a number of impressive qualities but his rebounding and shot-making abilities have yet to be established on the NBA level. Against a team like the Rockets, who have rugged interior players and a good defensive scheme, Tolliver still has work to do to prove he can hang.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
For the most part, I thought Pop coached a good game. Sticking with Hill was definitely the right move and hopefully we see more of that in upcoming contests. Pulling Bonner out of his hat turned out to be a great move. Pop also has to be very happy that the team has responded to his pleas regarding better defensive effort. The only real negative was that Duncan had to again play 40 minutes – although this win was probably worth the extended playing time. Also, I think Pop needs to consider using Mason as the backup point guard instead of Vaughn.
-------------------------------
Offense
With current group of healthy players, it’s amazing how much of the effectiveness of the offense is dependent on the guards being aggressive. When the Spurs don’t have Hill or Mason attacking, the offense instantly stagnates – as we saw for long stretches in the second half. The guards being aggressive opens up shots for the three-point shooters and gives Duncan room to operate. Overall, the offense was decent enough. The Spurs ended up shooting 44.8% from the field, 43.8% from three-point land and 71.4% at the free throw stripe. They'll usually need to score more than 77 points to win, however, so hopefully things get smoother and smoother as the team learns to play without their star guards.
Defense
The defense was very good for the third consecutive game. The Rockets shot only 40% from the field and only got to the free throw line 11 times. Rebounding was once again a problem as Houston got ten offensive rebounds but the Spurs did a better job in that category as the game went along. In the first five games of the season, the Spurs gave up 105 points per game. In the last three, that number has been lowered to 79 points per game. If San Antonio can continue to play this brand of defense, they’ll be able to win games no matter which names are on the back of the jerseys.
Drive to Survive
After a day off, the Spurs now have a two-game road trip that has them playing the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers in a back-to-back. Both of these games are winnable if the defense of late shows up, but the team can't expect any easy victories at this point. To keep the momentum from the Rockets victory, the Spurs need to at least split this road trip.
Believe.
Down by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Spurs just kept plugging away. While their defense was good all night, San Antonio took it up another notch with about four minutes to go in the game. Down ten points at that point, the Spurs held the Rockets scoreless the rest of the way. The exclamation point on their defensive effort came when Tim Duncan blocked a runner by Aaron Brooks with under two seconds to play.
Although the Rockets feature an extremely talented roster, it’s obvious that their team hasn’t meshed yet. There was little cohesion to their play, especially offensively. They will probably turn it around at some point this season, but right now they are getting by on individual ability alone.
For the Spurs, this was a significant win. After losing a number of close games, the Spurs were able to get one to go their way. Most importantly, the Spurs played very good defense for the third game in a row and proved that it’s possible to win due mainly to defensive effort. That should be good for the team’s confidence as they try to stay afloat with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker sidelined.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
40 minutes, 22 points, five rebounds, two assists
8-for-15 from the field, 6-for-8 at the line
Although Tim Duncan’s stat line looks similar to his production against the Milwaukee Bucks, I thought he played much better. He had his hands full with Yao Ming on both ends of the court but he did well against him. Duncan’s rebounding numbers were again low but he boxed out well and was very good in the half court defensive sets. His rotations were quick and he was physical on his post defense. On offense, Duncan had a good showing even though the Rockets constantly threw different looks at him and sent a lot of help. Overall, it was an unspectacular yet solid performance.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
38 minutes, nine points, nine rebounds, two assists
3-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. continues to struggle shooting the basketball but he found ways to help on Friday night. His rebounding was very good – with his nine rebounds leading the team. He also had a key assist on a Matt Bonner three-pointer during the game winning 12-0 run. Defensively, this might have been Mason’s best game of the season. He did a very good job of defending Tracy McGrady and even held his own in the post against Ron Artest. Mason’s shooting (28.9% in his last four games) is a bit of a concern but his shot selection has been good and as long as he can contribute in other ways, he’ll continue to get a healthy amount of playing time.
-------------------------------
Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
ten minutes, three turnovers
0-for-2 from the field
Since being given the starting small forward job, Ime Udoka has fallen on his face. Over the last three games, he’s been horrible. His game against the Rockets took Udoka’s level of play to a whole new low. Three turnovers, two missed shots and literally nothing else in ten minutes isn’t exactly what Pop had in mind when he gave Udoka his new role. I’m not sure if Udoka is playing scared or if he is intimidated because he supplanted Bruce Bowen, but he needs to snap out of it. At the very least, pulling down a couple rebounds could help.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://www.iupuijags.com/images/2007/12/12/player_hill.jpg
36 minutes, 17 points, six rebounds, five assists
8-for-13 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Spurs fans have to be excited from what they saw out of George Hill against the Rockets. The rookie point guard was extremely impressive in virtually every facet of the game. Defensively, he was very energetic, caused a lot of havoc and rebounded well. On offense, he was much more aggressive and was amazing finishing around the basket. Hill also played at a good pace and didn’t force the issue – as evident by his turnover-less outing. For a small school product who is converting from shooting guard, it’s tough to expect much more out of him. Going forward, the main key for Hill is that he avoids passive offensive play as much as possible. When he doesn’t attack, it becomes almost impossible for the Spurs to score on a consistent basis.
-------------------------------
Fabricio Oberto
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
14 minutes, four points, three rebounds
2-for-4 from the field
Fabricio Oberto had a non-descript showing against the Rockets. On the plus side, he hit a couple of outside jumpers when left unguarded and played good positional defense. But Pop eventually looked elsewhere, largely due to the fact that the Rockets were ignoring Oberto on the offensive end. His two jumpers were a start but for Oberto to keep other teams honest, he’s going to have to look for his own offense more and more.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
24 minutes, five points, two rebounds, two assists
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Michael Finley actually played well despite his pedestrian statistics. He was active defensively and made smart decisions offensively. Though Finley didn’t score as well as he had the last few games, his overall game was good enough to warrant playing time. The good news regarding Finley is he looks comfortable off the bench. Against the Rockets, he hit a shot less than five seconds after entering the game. If he can keep playing hard and keep heating up quickly, Finley has a chance to be an effective player until at least Ginobili returns.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
20 minutes, 11 points, two rebounds
4-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Talk about coming out of nowhere. Matt Bonner, who had been left for dead after a poor start to the season, played very, very well against the Rockets. In fact, it may have been one of his very best games as a Spur. The aspect that stood out the most regarding Bonner was his demeanor. His typical happy-go-lucky attitude was replaced by a stoic, businesslike approach. It translated to the court as Bonner played much smarter than usual. His defense was almost flawless and he did a good job of boxing out for most of the game. Bonner was especially impressive defensively when switched onto a smaller player – an area he usually struggles. Offensively, he took shots with confidence and didn’t deviate from the game plan. On the whole, if Bonner can play like this on a nightly basis, he’s going to be playing a lot more minutes. Let’s hope it wasn’t a fluke.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
14 minutes, three rebounds
Bruce Bowen wasn’t needed much against Houston. With Mason doing a good job on McGrady, Pop was free to put more offense on the court. However, when Bowen was in there, he again played good defense. While the adjustment coming from the starting lineup couldn’t have been easy, Bowen has handled it perfectly. There have been no complaints and he has come in and defended much better than he was to start the season. If Udoka can locate his head, playing Bowen off the bench could not only help the team, but also extend Bowen’s career.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
10 minutes, three points, four rebounds
1-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
While his stats look bad, Kurt Thomas didn’t play too horribly. He didn’t play well but two of his six misses were desperation shots at the buzzer and his overall energy was higher than we’ve seen in most of his other outings this season. Thomas was also physical defensively and did a good job on the boards. His production is still a far cry from how he played last season but at least he looks capable of playing a Kevin Willis or Tony Massenburg type role.
-------------------------------
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
Seven minutes, four points, two assists
1-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
Jacque Vaughn wasn’t very good. He made a few nice moves but the end result was a miss. Although, Vaughn did help out in terms of upping the aggressiveness level and playing pretty good defense.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/NBA/Headshots/140x170/4371.jpg
four minutes, two points, one rebound
1-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 at the line
Anthony Tolliver had a steal and breakaway dunk but was soon after benched for the rest of the game. I don’t suspect it was anything he necessarily did wrong, I just think that Pop gave Bonner a shot since he’s more physical, a better rebounder and a more proven shooter. Tolliver has a number of impressive qualities but his rebounding and shot-making abilities have yet to be established on the NBA level. Against a team like the Rockets, who have rugged interior players and a good defensive scheme, Tolliver still has work to do to prove he can hang.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
For the most part, I thought Pop coached a good game. Sticking with Hill was definitely the right move and hopefully we see more of that in upcoming contests. Pulling Bonner out of his hat turned out to be a great move. Pop also has to be very happy that the team has responded to his pleas regarding better defensive effort. The only real negative was that Duncan had to again play 40 minutes – although this win was probably worth the extended playing time. Also, I think Pop needs to consider using Mason as the backup point guard instead of Vaughn.
-------------------------------
Offense
With current group of healthy players, it’s amazing how much of the effectiveness of the offense is dependent on the guards being aggressive. When the Spurs don’t have Hill or Mason attacking, the offense instantly stagnates – as we saw for long stretches in the second half. The guards being aggressive opens up shots for the three-point shooters and gives Duncan room to operate. Overall, the offense was decent enough. The Spurs ended up shooting 44.8% from the field, 43.8% from three-point land and 71.4% at the free throw stripe. They'll usually need to score more than 77 points to win, however, so hopefully things get smoother and smoother as the team learns to play without their star guards.
Defense
The defense was very good for the third consecutive game. The Rockets shot only 40% from the field and only got to the free throw line 11 times. Rebounding was once again a problem as Houston got ten offensive rebounds but the Spurs did a better job in that category as the game went along. In the first five games of the season, the Spurs gave up 105 points per game. In the last three, that number has been lowered to 79 points per game. If San Antonio can continue to play this brand of defense, they’ll be able to win games no matter which names are on the back of the jerseys.
Drive to Survive
After a day off, the Spurs now have a two-game road trip that has them playing the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers in a back-to-back. Both of these games are winnable if the defense of late shows up, but the team can't expect any easy victories at this point. To keep the momentum from the Rockets victory, the Spurs need to at least split this road trip.
Believe.