timvp
11-25-2008, 08:14 AM
It was great to see Manu Ginobili back on the basketball court. Within a few minutes of watching him play, the offseason ankle surgery became a distant memory. Oh and yeah the San Antonio Spurs played a game on Monday night. With the help of a third quarter run led by Ginobili (who else?), the Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies to improve their record to 7-6.
The run in the third started with six minutes gone in the quarter and the Spurs only up three points. Ginobili then scored seven of the team’s next nine points to spark a 23-9 burst that essentially put the game away. George Hill also played a big role during that stretch, as he scored ten points without missing a shot.
Until that run, the young Grizzlies did a good job of keeping the game within reach. While Memphis will struggle to win games this year, their collection of talent is impressive. OJ Mayo looks like a bonafide scorer who could one day lead the NBA in that category and Rudy Gay has superstar potential.
For the Spurs, things are looking good. Ginobili is back and seems healthy. Roger Mason, Jr. and Hill continue to play well. The Spurs are also on the right side of .500 for the first time this season. Going forward, San Antonio needs to continue to just build on this current momentum.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
30 minutes, 14 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks
6-for-18 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line
Tim Duncan had a difficult time on the offensive end of the court. Memphis deserves a lot of credit as they swarmed Duncan with the duo of Marc Gasol and Darko Milicic – who combine to be one fierce 14-foot, 570 pound Grizzly. With the refs letting the bigmen play, Milicic especially did a great job being physical with Duncan. On the other end of the court, Duncan was able to get some revenge by playing stellar defense. His rotations were on time and he gobbled up many contested rebounds. Overall, it wasn’t a day for Duncan to remember but he gave a quality effort.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
11 minutes, 12 points, four rebounds
3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Prior to the game, Manu Ginobili said he was going to take things slow and be conservative. Yeah, right. As expected, Ginobili came out attacking from the moment Pop put him in the game. Although he’s obviously not in tiptop basketball shape, he actually played very well. If you had been living under a rock for the last three months, it would have been difficult to tell that Ginobili was coming back after a 12-week absence. Ginobili was attacking the basket, finding the open teammate, drawing fouls and just basically making plays – like usual. All things considered, Ginobili and the Spurs couldn’t have hoped for a better performance in his return.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
39 minutes, 18 points, three assists, five turnovers
6-for-12 from the field, 5-for-7 on three-pointers
Starting at point guard, Roger Mason, Jr. was lights out from three-point land once again. He hit his first five shots from beyond the arc after going 7-for-10 in his last outing. Mason’s confidence is high and he’s taking good shots within the flow of the offense. Against the Grizzlies, Mason struggled a bit at times running the offense and making the right passes, which helped lead to the five turnovers. Defensively, he had a few lapses but was overall decent enough. On the whole, it was another positive outing for Mason.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
32 minutes, seven points, five rebounds, three assists
3-for-8 from the field, 0-for-3 on three-pointers
Michael Finley wasn’t as crisp as he’s been of late but he still helped out. Defensively, he actually did a really good job on Gay for long stretches. In the second half, however, he seemed to tire a bit and Gay was able to get a few open shots and hurt the Spurs on the offensive glass. Finley forced a few shots offensively but considering how hot he’s been lately, it’s tough to be mad at him for just about any attempt.
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Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
30 minutes, three points, four rebounds, two steals
1-for-4 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
In the first half, Bruce Bowen’s defense against Mayo was lights out. Mayo, who came into the game averaging more than 20 points per outing, was only able to score three points in the first half. Bowen’s defense wasn’t as sharp in the second half but by the time Mayo really got going, the game was out of reach. Offensively, Bowen missed a few open shots but didn’t do anything else noteworthy.
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Fabricio Oberto
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
21 minutes, two points, three rebounds, three assists
1-for-1 from the field
With all the new perimeter options to play with, Fabricio Oberto is having a fun time whipping passes around the court. He had three assists for the second straight game and he’s making a good pass almost every time he touches the ball. While the passing is great, it’d still be nice for Oberto to help out a bit more in terms of points and rebounds. Maybe Pop can tell him to pass to that round orange ring sitting about ten feet off the ground.
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George Hill
http://www.iupuijags.com/images/2007/12/12/player_hill.jpg
29 minutes, 20 points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals
6-for-14 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers, 6-for-7 at the line
George Hill is making this NBA thing look easy. For the third consecutive game, Hill scored at least 20 points. Again coming off the bench, Hill looks really comfortable in this role. He doesn’t have to worry about getting Duncan or anyone else involved. Instead, he can go out and be as aggressive as possible on both ends of the court. Offensively, the trait that is looking more and more exciting is Hill’s ability to get to the line. On defense, Hill continues to use his Doberman-like tendencies to torment the opponent.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
15 minutes, nine points, two assists, one rebound
4-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Whatever shooting slump Matt Bonner went through to begin the season is now forgotten. He hit all four of his shots against the Grizzlies and looked extremely confident in doing so. Bonner has been money in the pick-and-pop plays in the last few games, especially when running it with Hill. Defensively, he was pretty good but not as good as we’ve seen in his last five games. Bonner also needs to grab more than one rebound in 15 minutes.
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Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
11 minutes, four rebounds
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers
With Ginobili back, Ime Udoka will likely be the swingman who will be on the outside of the rotation looking in. His offense and decision making is just a mess right now and he’s not making it up on defense – although his rebounding was impressive against Memphis. Hopefully Udoka figures it out and can be an option down the line when needed.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
ten minutes, four points, two rebounds
2-for-2 from the field
Kurt Thomas is very slowly but somewhat surely looking better as the season has gone along. His post defense was strong against Memphis and he hit both of his perimeter shots. It’d be nice to see him rebound more but I’ll take any improvement we can get at this point.
-------------------------------
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
eight minutes, four points, two assists
2-for-3 from the field
After Hill cut his elbow after being tangled up with Kyle Lowry, Jacque Vaughn came into the game. Vaughn was very aggressive and while the aggressiveness led to as many bad plays as good plays, you can’t fault him for the effort. But at this point, Hill has far and away won the backup point guard job. Hopefully Pop agrees.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/NBA/Headshots/140x170/4371.jpg
four minutes, one point, one rebound
1-for-2 at the line
Anthony Tolliver didn’t do much in his four minutes of action. The most memorable play was when Duncan got mad at him for cutting to the basket instead of staying out at the three-point line. Duncan gave him the evil eye after he threw the ball out of bounds.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop did a good job on Monday night. He resisted the urge to play Ginobili more than planned, even though Ginobili looked healthy. Pop adjusted the rotation in a way that kept Mason and Hill comfortable while making room for Ginobili. With as well as Bonner was shooting, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of him. Instead of Bonner, Pop opted to go with small ball - which actually worked out quite well against Memphis.
-------------------------------
Offense
The offense was again humming. The Spurs shot 47.2% from the field, including 10-for-24 on three-pointers. Outside of Duncan, the team shot 51.9% from the field. After nine first half turnovers, they only turned it over three times in the second half. Getting to the line 21 times is a quality number with this group, as are the 20 assists. If Mason and Hill can continue to thrive even when Ginobili and Tony Parker are back, the offense this year shouldn’t be a problem.
Defense
After two games in which the defense took a half step backwards, the Spurs once again came up with a vintage defensive performance on Monday night. In the first three quarters of the game, the Spurs didn’t allow the Grizzlies to score 20 points in any quarter. Overall, Memphis shot 39% from the floor and hit only three of their 13 three-point attempts. The Spurs also did a good job on the boards – grabbing nearly 80% of the available defensive rebounds.
Drive to Survive
Next up for the Spurs is a date with the Chicago Bulls at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night. On Friday, the Spurs take on these same Grizzlies. While the Spurs aren't out of the woods just yet due to Ginobili's minutes being limited and Parker still being sidelined, this team is playing well enough that winning both of these games is very possible.
Believe.
The run in the third started with six minutes gone in the quarter and the Spurs only up three points. Ginobili then scored seven of the team’s next nine points to spark a 23-9 burst that essentially put the game away. George Hill also played a big role during that stretch, as he scored ten points without missing a shot.
Until that run, the young Grizzlies did a good job of keeping the game within reach. While Memphis will struggle to win games this year, their collection of talent is impressive. OJ Mayo looks like a bonafide scorer who could one day lead the NBA in that category and Rudy Gay has superstar potential.
For the Spurs, things are looking good. Ginobili is back and seems healthy. Roger Mason, Jr. and Hill continue to play well. The Spurs are also on the right side of .500 for the first time this season. Going forward, San Antonio needs to continue to just build on this current momentum.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
30 minutes, 14 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks
6-for-18 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line
Tim Duncan had a difficult time on the offensive end of the court. Memphis deserves a lot of credit as they swarmed Duncan with the duo of Marc Gasol and Darko Milicic – who combine to be one fierce 14-foot, 570 pound Grizzly. With the refs letting the bigmen play, Milicic especially did a great job being physical with Duncan. On the other end of the court, Duncan was able to get some revenge by playing stellar defense. His rotations were on time and he gobbled up many contested rebounds. Overall, it wasn’t a day for Duncan to remember but he gave a quality effort.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
11 minutes, 12 points, four rebounds
3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Prior to the game, Manu Ginobili said he was going to take things slow and be conservative. Yeah, right. As expected, Ginobili came out attacking from the moment Pop put him in the game. Although he’s obviously not in tiptop basketball shape, he actually played very well. If you had been living under a rock for the last three months, it would have been difficult to tell that Ginobili was coming back after a 12-week absence. Ginobili was attacking the basket, finding the open teammate, drawing fouls and just basically making plays – like usual. All things considered, Ginobili and the Spurs couldn’t have hoped for a better performance in his return.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
39 minutes, 18 points, three assists, five turnovers
6-for-12 from the field, 5-for-7 on three-pointers
Starting at point guard, Roger Mason, Jr. was lights out from three-point land once again. He hit his first five shots from beyond the arc after going 7-for-10 in his last outing. Mason’s confidence is high and he’s taking good shots within the flow of the offense. Against the Grizzlies, Mason struggled a bit at times running the offense and making the right passes, which helped lead to the five turnovers. Defensively, he had a few lapses but was overall decent enough. On the whole, it was another positive outing for Mason.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
32 minutes, seven points, five rebounds, three assists
3-for-8 from the field, 0-for-3 on three-pointers
Michael Finley wasn’t as crisp as he’s been of late but he still helped out. Defensively, he actually did a really good job on Gay for long stretches. In the second half, however, he seemed to tire a bit and Gay was able to get a few open shots and hurt the Spurs on the offensive glass. Finley forced a few shots offensively but considering how hot he’s been lately, it’s tough to be mad at him for just about any attempt.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
30 minutes, three points, four rebounds, two steals
1-for-4 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
In the first half, Bruce Bowen’s defense against Mayo was lights out. Mayo, who came into the game averaging more than 20 points per outing, was only able to score three points in the first half. Bowen’s defense wasn’t as sharp in the second half but by the time Mayo really got going, the game was out of reach. Offensively, Bowen missed a few open shots but didn’t do anything else noteworthy.
-------------------------------
Fabricio Oberto
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
21 minutes, two points, three rebounds, three assists
1-for-1 from the field
With all the new perimeter options to play with, Fabricio Oberto is having a fun time whipping passes around the court. He had three assists for the second straight game and he’s making a good pass almost every time he touches the ball. While the passing is great, it’d still be nice for Oberto to help out a bit more in terms of points and rebounds. Maybe Pop can tell him to pass to that round orange ring sitting about ten feet off the ground.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://www.iupuijags.com/images/2007/12/12/player_hill.jpg
29 minutes, 20 points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals
6-for-14 from the field, 2-for-5 on three-pointers, 6-for-7 at the line
George Hill is making this NBA thing look easy. For the third consecutive game, Hill scored at least 20 points. Again coming off the bench, Hill looks really comfortable in this role. He doesn’t have to worry about getting Duncan or anyone else involved. Instead, he can go out and be as aggressive as possible on both ends of the court. Offensively, the trait that is looking more and more exciting is Hill’s ability to get to the line. On defense, Hill continues to use his Doberman-like tendencies to torment the opponent.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
15 minutes, nine points, two assists, one rebound
4-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Whatever shooting slump Matt Bonner went through to begin the season is now forgotten. He hit all four of his shots against the Grizzlies and looked extremely confident in doing so. Bonner has been money in the pick-and-pop plays in the last few games, especially when running it with Hill. Defensively, he was pretty good but not as good as we’ve seen in his last five games. Bonner also needs to grab more than one rebound in 15 minutes.
-------------------------------
Ime Udoka
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3501.jpg
11 minutes, four rebounds
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers
With Ginobili back, Ime Udoka will likely be the swingman who will be on the outside of the rotation looking in. His offense and decision making is just a mess right now and he’s not making it up on defense – although his rebounding was impressive against Memphis. Hopefully Udoka figures it out and can be an option down the line when needed.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
ten minutes, four points, two rebounds
2-for-2 from the field
Kurt Thomas is very slowly but somewhat surely looking better as the season has gone along. His post defense was strong against Memphis and he hit both of his perimeter shots. It’d be nice to see him rebound more but I’ll take any improvement we can get at this point.
-------------------------------
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
eight minutes, four points, two assists
2-for-3 from the field
After Hill cut his elbow after being tangled up with Kyle Lowry, Jacque Vaughn came into the game. Vaughn was very aggressive and while the aggressiveness led to as many bad plays as good plays, you can’t fault him for the effort. But at this point, Hill has far and away won the backup point guard job. Hopefully Pop agrees.
-------------------------------
Anthony Tolliver
http://msn.foxsports.com/fe/img/NBA/Headshots/140x170/4371.jpg
four minutes, one point, one rebound
1-for-2 at the line
Anthony Tolliver didn’t do much in his four minutes of action. The most memorable play was when Duncan got mad at him for cutting to the basket instead of staying out at the three-point line. Duncan gave him the evil eye after he threw the ball out of bounds.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop did a good job on Monday night. He resisted the urge to play Ginobili more than planned, even though Ginobili looked healthy. Pop adjusted the rotation in a way that kept Mason and Hill comfortable while making room for Ginobili. With as well as Bonner was shooting, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of him. Instead of Bonner, Pop opted to go with small ball - which actually worked out quite well against Memphis.
-------------------------------
Offense
The offense was again humming. The Spurs shot 47.2% from the field, including 10-for-24 on three-pointers. Outside of Duncan, the team shot 51.9% from the field. After nine first half turnovers, they only turned it over three times in the second half. Getting to the line 21 times is a quality number with this group, as are the 20 assists. If Mason and Hill can continue to thrive even when Ginobili and Tony Parker are back, the offense this year shouldn’t be a problem.
Defense
After two games in which the defense took a half step backwards, the Spurs once again came up with a vintage defensive performance on Monday night. In the first three quarters of the game, the Spurs didn’t allow the Grizzlies to score 20 points in any quarter. Overall, Memphis shot 39% from the floor and hit only three of their 13 three-point attempts. The Spurs also did a good job on the boards – grabbing nearly 80% of the available defensive rebounds.
Drive to Survive
Next up for the Spurs is a date with the Chicago Bulls at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night. On Friday, the Spurs take on these same Grizzlies. While the Spurs aren't out of the woods just yet due to Ginobili's minutes being limited and Parker still being sidelined, this team is playing well enough that winning both of these games is very possible.
Believe.