duncan228
11-21-2008, 02:17 PM
Spurs trying to hold the fort (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27828287/)
Key injuries put San Antonio to an early-season test
By Steve Jones
NBCSports.com contributor
The good news for the Spurs is that guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, both out with left ankle injuries, are recuperating faster than expected.
Parker is rehabbing a sprain which occurred on Nov. 7. The rehab is going well so Parker’s mid December timetable for a return could be moved up if he experiences no setbacks.
Ginobili is coming off surgery in September to repair a ligament impingement. Originally he was to make his season debut by the middle of December but there are some whispers he could suit up by the end of November.
The challenge for the Spurs is to pick up enough wins in the first two months of this season to not drop off the radar when it comes to the Southwest Division race and the Western Conference playoff picture.
If they can do that and get healthy, they’ll be in good shape for the 2009 portion of this season’s schedule. And with a healthy roster, the Spurs are one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.
The Spurs knew going into the season that they would be without Ginobili for a stretch so they worked on ways to get by without him. But San Antonio broke from the gate poorly and when Parker went down, I think that kind of shook them up. They stood at 1-4 and they had to wonder how they would replace the offense lost.
In five games before he got hurt, Parker was averaging 27.4 points, up from his average of last season (18.8) and his career average (16.1). His scoring average was obviously boosted by his 55 points in a double overtime win over Minnesota on Nov. 5, but there’s no questioning that he just keeps getting better – and not only offensively but also in other parts of his game. Ginoboli last season posted a career-high scoring average of 19.5.
Gregg Popovich is a no excuse coach who knows what the road ahead looks like and more importantly he still has healthy his centerpiece in Tim Duncan, who has to do more while Parker and Ginobili are on the mend. That’s not a problem because anyone who knows Duncan knows he’s willing to do more and carry the load. This is a guy who has four championship rings but wants a fifth. That’s why he plays like he’s never won a title.
The Spurs have to work hard for every point they get and other players besides Duncan have to find ways to score. At 35, Michael Finley has seen his shooting fall off some but there are games where he can still answer the call for scoring and his doing so is much more important while Parker and Ginobili are sidelined.
Bruce Bowen is a top-five man-on defender but with the need for scoring he’s lost his place in the starting lineup. When Bowen didn’t start Nov. 11 against the Knicks, it was the first time in 550 games that he’s suited up for San Antonio that he didn't start.
While the team is short-handed, the roles of Roger Mason and George Hill take on added importance. Last summer the Spurs dipped into free agency to sign Mason based on the solid 2007-08 season the shooting guard had with the Wizards. Mason figures to eventually replace Finley as the backup-two guard but with the injuries he’s starting instead of coming off the bench and his scoring is up considerably over last season. Hill may be the latest in San Antonio’s string of finding gems late in the first round of the draft. After being selected 26th last June, the rookie point guard has stepped in for Parker and is running the show for the Spurs.
The injuries have not only increased the pressure on Duncan to produce big scoring games, they’ve also put added pressure on the Spurs to play outstanding defense and control the pace of games. So it was not surprising that by allowing an average of 81.6 points in the first five games without Parker, San Antonio won four of them.
The key is for the Spurs defense to stay constant and keep opponents from getting easy shots. If the defense is there San Antonio gives itself a good chance to win. There can’t be lapses on defense where the effort and intensity wane because when there are the Spurs – like any team -- get in a hole on the scoreboard. And they don’t want to be trying to comeback on an opponent without the offensive weapons that are Parker and Ginoboli.
Winning games ugly is okay for San Antonio. It’s the winning that counts not the ugliness. The Spurs don’t need to be playing their best basketball until they take their rodeo-related acid test of a road trip. This year that trip begins on Feb. 2 at Golden State and ends Feb. 21 at Washington. The extended time away from home is usually when San Antonio plays very good basketball, which gets them on the right track for a strong stretch run and primes them for the postseason.
The Spurs won 56 games last season to land the third seed in the West. Given the time that Parker and Ginoboli will miss, reaching that mark could be tough this season but all the Spurs want to do is put themselves in position to finish fifth or sixth in the conference so they can avoid the top two seeds in the first round. They do that and they could have as strong a shot as any team to make it to the NBA Finals.
As long as the Big Three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are healthy and playing well, the Spurs can beat any team in the league on any given night or in a playoff series. This is a team that doesn’t lack for confidence. It knows it can make some noise in the playoffs and it got younger off the bench over the summer with the aim of not just making noise in the postseason but making another run at the title.
The injuries to Ginobili and Parker make that mission more difficult but certainly not impossible as long as the Spurs can weather the storm while the two All-Stars are in street clothes.
Key injuries put San Antonio to an early-season test
By Steve Jones
NBCSports.com contributor
The good news for the Spurs is that guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, both out with left ankle injuries, are recuperating faster than expected.
Parker is rehabbing a sprain which occurred on Nov. 7. The rehab is going well so Parker’s mid December timetable for a return could be moved up if he experiences no setbacks.
Ginobili is coming off surgery in September to repair a ligament impingement. Originally he was to make his season debut by the middle of December but there are some whispers he could suit up by the end of November.
The challenge for the Spurs is to pick up enough wins in the first two months of this season to not drop off the radar when it comes to the Southwest Division race and the Western Conference playoff picture.
If they can do that and get healthy, they’ll be in good shape for the 2009 portion of this season’s schedule. And with a healthy roster, the Spurs are one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.
The Spurs knew going into the season that they would be without Ginobili for a stretch so they worked on ways to get by without him. But San Antonio broke from the gate poorly and when Parker went down, I think that kind of shook them up. They stood at 1-4 and they had to wonder how they would replace the offense lost.
In five games before he got hurt, Parker was averaging 27.4 points, up from his average of last season (18.8) and his career average (16.1). His scoring average was obviously boosted by his 55 points in a double overtime win over Minnesota on Nov. 5, but there’s no questioning that he just keeps getting better – and not only offensively but also in other parts of his game. Ginoboli last season posted a career-high scoring average of 19.5.
Gregg Popovich is a no excuse coach who knows what the road ahead looks like and more importantly he still has healthy his centerpiece in Tim Duncan, who has to do more while Parker and Ginobili are on the mend. That’s not a problem because anyone who knows Duncan knows he’s willing to do more and carry the load. This is a guy who has four championship rings but wants a fifth. That’s why he plays like he’s never won a title.
The Spurs have to work hard for every point they get and other players besides Duncan have to find ways to score. At 35, Michael Finley has seen his shooting fall off some but there are games where he can still answer the call for scoring and his doing so is much more important while Parker and Ginobili are sidelined.
Bruce Bowen is a top-five man-on defender but with the need for scoring he’s lost his place in the starting lineup. When Bowen didn’t start Nov. 11 against the Knicks, it was the first time in 550 games that he’s suited up for San Antonio that he didn't start.
While the team is short-handed, the roles of Roger Mason and George Hill take on added importance. Last summer the Spurs dipped into free agency to sign Mason based on the solid 2007-08 season the shooting guard had with the Wizards. Mason figures to eventually replace Finley as the backup-two guard but with the injuries he’s starting instead of coming off the bench and his scoring is up considerably over last season. Hill may be the latest in San Antonio’s string of finding gems late in the first round of the draft. After being selected 26th last June, the rookie point guard has stepped in for Parker and is running the show for the Spurs.
The injuries have not only increased the pressure on Duncan to produce big scoring games, they’ve also put added pressure on the Spurs to play outstanding defense and control the pace of games. So it was not surprising that by allowing an average of 81.6 points in the first five games without Parker, San Antonio won four of them.
The key is for the Spurs defense to stay constant and keep opponents from getting easy shots. If the defense is there San Antonio gives itself a good chance to win. There can’t be lapses on defense where the effort and intensity wane because when there are the Spurs – like any team -- get in a hole on the scoreboard. And they don’t want to be trying to comeback on an opponent without the offensive weapons that are Parker and Ginoboli.
Winning games ugly is okay for San Antonio. It’s the winning that counts not the ugliness. The Spurs don’t need to be playing their best basketball until they take their rodeo-related acid test of a road trip. This year that trip begins on Feb. 2 at Golden State and ends Feb. 21 at Washington. The extended time away from home is usually when San Antonio plays very good basketball, which gets them on the right track for a strong stretch run and primes them for the postseason.
The Spurs won 56 games last season to land the third seed in the West. Given the time that Parker and Ginoboli will miss, reaching that mark could be tough this season but all the Spurs want to do is put themselves in position to finish fifth or sixth in the conference so they can avoid the top two seeds in the first round. They do that and they could have as strong a shot as any team to make it to the NBA Finals.
As long as the Big Three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are healthy and playing well, the Spurs can beat any team in the league on any given night or in a playoff series. This is a team that doesn’t lack for confidence. It knows it can make some noise in the playoffs and it got younger off the bench over the summer with the aim of not just making noise in the postseason but making another run at the title.
The injuries to Ginobili and Parker make that mission more difficult but certainly not impossible as long as the Spurs can weather the storm while the two All-Stars are in street clothes.