timvp
12-18-2008, 07:23 AM
For about three and a half quarters, the San Antonio Spurs were outplaying the New Orleans Hornets. But then the Hornets got rolling offensively and the Spurs couldn’t buy a basket. When it was all said and done, the Spurs lost a very winnable game against a team they could very likely see in the 2009 playoffs.
After a Matt Bonner jumper with about five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Spurs led 79-72. Over the course of the next four minutes, the Hornets went on a 15-0 run highlighted by two three-pointers by David West and one from James Posey. The Spurs didn’t score again until Tyson Chandler goaltended a Tony Parker floater with 48 seconds remaining in the game.
The win for the Hornets was extra impressive due to the fact that they were playing without both Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson. Chris Paul was again very good and the frontcourt combination of David West and Tyson Chandler remains extremely tough to handle. The addition of Posey, and Antonio Daniels to a lesser degree, will make the Hornets an even more difficult team for the Spurs to beat this season.
As for Spurs, this loss is sure to leave a bad taste. They were doing a good enough job for much of the game but then the shooting dried up and the offense collapsed. It was especially frustrating because the role players who had been playing well for much of the year took a step backwards in arguably the biggest game to date this season. When the playoff seedings are decided, this loss could very well be one loss that stands out for San Antonio.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
38 minutes, 16 points, 11 rebounds
5-for-14 from the field, 6-for-7 at the line
Tim Duncan’s statistics don’t look too aesthetically pleasing but he was better than those numbers indicate. The problem for Duncan on the night was spacing. With the three-point shooters coming up dry for large stretches, the Hornets were able to pack the lane on him and force Duncan into difficult shots. His decisions offensively weren’t great but overall he picked his spots well. On defense, Duncan defended the pick-and-roll well and his help defense was almost always on time. It was far from his best game but a lot of his struggles were exacerbated by his teammates.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
31 minutes, 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five turnovers
7-for-12 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Manu Ginobili had a lot of positives on Wednesday night. He shot the ball well, he was a force on the boards and he continually hustled. The 3-for-4 three-point shooting was especially good to see because he had been one for his last eight from downtown. His five assists led the team but he also had five turnovers – mostly due to forced or careless passes. With as many open shots as the Spurs were getting against New Orleans, there really wasn’t much reason for him to make inadvisable passes. Ginobili also could have been more aggressive driving to the hoop, especially considering he didn’t get to the line in his 31 minutes of action. However, on the whole, Ginobili definitely helped more than he hurt.
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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
34 minutes, 20 points, five rebounds, four assists
8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker produced well when he was aggressive. The problem for him on the night was that he wasn’t aggressive enough. Considering that he was 5-for-7 on jumpers, Parker definitely should have been more selfish. It’s tough to criticize a point guard for running the offense but I would have liked to have seen him break off more plays to look for his own shot. Defensively, he gave a good effort against Paul and kept him from totally taking over.
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Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
27 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-9 from the field, 1-for-5 on three-pointers
Michael Finley did a whole lot of nothing – yet he still got 27 minutes. He had three wide open jumpers in the fourth quarter and missed all three. Earlier in the game, he forced a few ugly misses. On defense, he was decent but offered no help on the boards. Over the last five games, Finley is averaging more than 31 minutes per game – the most of anyone outside of the Big Three.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
34 minutes, seven points, seven rebounds, two assists
3-for-15 from the field, 1-for-8 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner was eventually going to have a bad shooting game. Too bad it happened against a quality opponent. With his defender routinely sagging off of him, Bonner hit only 3-of-15 shots from the field and only 1-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc. Most of his shots were open, which made his misses that much more damaging. Hopefully this was indeed just an off night and not a sign that Bonner is going to struggle shooting against the best teams in the league. On the defense end, Bonner was actually pretty good. He rotated well for the most part and his one-on-one defense was adequate. A few more rebounds would have been nice but he wasn’t a pushover on the glass.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
25 minutes, five points, three turnovers
2-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. didn’t give Pop much reason to play him. He shot the ball poorly, he turned the ball over and his defense wasn’t anything to write home about. Mason continues to struggle to find his niche now that all the pieces are back in the puzzle. It might help if the Spurs run a few plays early to get him going. Giving him a few minutes at point guard while moving Parker or Hill to shooting guard could help Mason get more involved. Right now, the Mason of earlier in the season is missing in action.
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Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
24 minutes, two points, four rebounds
1-for-2 from the field
Playing the most minutes he has since opening night, Kurt Thomas performed quite well. He set physical screens offensively and knocked down one of his two shots. On defense, he clogged the lane and altered a few shots around the rim. He also pulled down a few contested rebounds. Defensively against West, Thomas looked much better than he did last year in the playoffs. Overall, he’s looking smoother in his movements and in much better shape.
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Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
14 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen played 14 minutes of quality basketball. After not shooting in the last two games, he hit two of three shots. On defense, he was feisty and was able to create a few turnovers. I don’t see how a few more minutes for Bowen could have hurt the team. Over his last five games, Bowen has averaged only 18.4 minutes per contest.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
14 minutes, six points, two assists
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Although his field goal percentage wasn’t the greatest, I thought George Hill played a fine game. He was aggressive offensively with both his shots and his passes. He took care of the ball and was the only perimeter player creating contact in the lane to get to the line. Defensively, Hill was again very strong. All in all, I was encouraged that Hill played with so much confidence against a very good team in a hostile atmosphere.
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Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop didn’t coach a bad game but I question whether he could have pushed better buttons. First of all, more of Bowen made a lot of sense. Bowen was making it difficult for the Hornets to get easy possessions offensively and on the other end of the court, he has a history of being able to knock down open shots – which the Spurs were getting in abundance. I don’t think it was a coincidence that the Hornets’ 15-0 run took place shortly after Bowen left the quarter in the fourth. I also would have liked to have seen a few minutes of Hill next to Parker. The Spurs needed to attack the basket more and that guard duo could have done just that. Bonner didn’t shoot well but I can’t blame Pop for playing him 34 minutes. Having the league’s top three-point shooter percentage-wise getting open look after open look isn’t poor coaching.
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Offense
In the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter, the Spurs were 2-for-18 from the court – including 0-for-8 on three-pointers. That putrid shooting doomed the Spurs on the night and made their final shooting number look much worse than they were during the meat of the game. The Spurs ended up shooting 38.8% from the floor and 9-of-26 three-pointers. Outside of that stretch of play, the Spurs were 46.8% from the floor and hit half of their 18 three-point attempts. The 17 assists as a team were a little bit low, while the 15 free throw attempts were much too low.
Defense
On defense, the Spurs actually played well for a lot of the night. The Hornets ended up shooting 43.2% from the floor and 41.2% on their three-pointers. Outside of that fourth quarter 15-0 run, the Hornets shot 41.9% from the floor and 28.6% from beyond the arc. The Spurs did a good job of forcing the Hornets into turnovers (15) and limiting their free throws (10 prior to the intentional fouls at the end). On the boards, the Spurs had one of their worst showings in quite a while. The Hornets won the rebound battle 48-39 and were able to pull down 14 offensive rebounds.
Drive to Five
It’d be nice to have a few days to regroup after this tough loss – but the Spurs don’t have that luxury. Instead, they play on Thursday night against the 19-6 Magic in Orlando. Hopefully the role players who struggled can bounce back and help the Spurs get this difficult road contest. We’ll have a better idea of the true competitive spirit of the 2008-09 Spurs at the end of the Magic game.
Believe.
After a Matt Bonner jumper with about five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Spurs led 79-72. Over the course of the next four minutes, the Hornets went on a 15-0 run highlighted by two three-pointers by David West and one from James Posey. The Spurs didn’t score again until Tyson Chandler goaltended a Tony Parker floater with 48 seconds remaining in the game.
The win for the Hornets was extra impressive due to the fact that they were playing without both Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson. Chris Paul was again very good and the frontcourt combination of David West and Tyson Chandler remains extremely tough to handle. The addition of Posey, and Antonio Daniels to a lesser degree, will make the Hornets an even more difficult team for the Spurs to beat this season.
As for Spurs, this loss is sure to leave a bad taste. They were doing a good enough job for much of the game but then the shooting dried up and the offense collapsed. It was especially frustrating because the role players who had been playing well for much of the year took a step backwards in arguably the biggest game to date this season. When the playoff seedings are decided, this loss could very well be one loss that stands out for San Antonio.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
38 minutes, 16 points, 11 rebounds
5-for-14 from the field, 6-for-7 at the line
Tim Duncan’s statistics don’t look too aesthetically pleasing but he was better than those numbers indicate. The problem for Duncan on the night was spacing. With the three-point shooters coming up dry for large stretches, the Hornets were able to pack the lane on him and force Duncan into difficult shots. His decisions offensively weren’t great but overall he picked his spots well. On defense, Duncan defended the pick-and-roll well and his help defense was almost always on time. It was far from his best game but a lot of his struggles were exacerbated by his teammates.
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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
31 minutes, 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five turnovers
7-for-12 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers
Manu Ginobili had a lot of positives on Wednesday night. He shot the ball well, he was a force on the boards and he continually hustled. The 3-for-4 three-point shooting was especially good to see because he had been one for his last eight from downtown. His five assists led the team but he also had five turnovers – mostly due to forced or careless passes. With as many open shots as the Spurs were getting against New Orleans, there really wasn’t much reason for him to make inadvisable passes. Ginobili also could have been more aggressive driving to the hoop, especially considering he didn’t get to the line in his 31 minutes of action. However, on the whole, Ginobili definitely helped more than he hurt.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
34 minutes, 20 points, five rebounds, four assists
8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker produced well when he was aggressive. The problem for him on the night was that he wasn’t aggressive enough. Considering that he was 5-for-7 on jumpers, Parker definitely should have been more selfish. It’s tough to criticize a point guard for running the offense but I would have liked to have seen him break off more plays to look for his own shot. Defensively, he gave a good effort against Paul and kept him from totally taking over.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
27 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-9 from the field, 1-for-5 on three-pointers
Michael Finley did a whole lot of nothing – yet he still got 27 minutes. He had three wide open jumpers in the fourth quarter and missed all three. Earlier in the game, he forced a few ugly misses. On defense, he was decent but offered no help on the boards. Over the last five games, Finley is averaging more than 31 minutes per game – the most of anyone outside of the Big Three.
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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
34 minutes, seven points, seven rebounds, two assists
3-for-15 from the field, 1-for-8 on three-pointers
Matt Bonner was eventually going to have a bad shooting game. Too bad it happened against a quality opponent. With his defender routinely sagging off of him, Bonner hit only 3-of-15 shots from the field and only 1-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc. Most of his shots were open, which made his misses that much more damaging. Hopefully this was indeed just an off night and not a sign that Bonner is going to struggle shooting against the best teams in the league. On the defense end, Bonner was actually pretty good. He rotated well for the most part and his one-on-one defense was adequate. A few more rebounds would have been nice but he wasn’t a pushover on the glass.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
25 minutes, five points, three turnovers
2-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. didn’t give Pop much reason to play him. He shot the ball poorly, he turned the ball over and his defense wasn’t anything to write home about. Mason continues to struggle to find his niche now that all the pieces are back in the puzzle. It might help if the Spurs run a few plays early to get him going. Giving him a few minutes at point guard while moving Parker or Hill to shooting guard could help Mason get more involved. Right now, the Mason of earlier in the season is missing in action.
-------------------------------
Kurt Thomas
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3012.jpg
24 minutes, two points, four rebounds
1-for-2 from the field
Playing the most minutes he has since opening night, Kurt Thomas performed quite well. He set physical screens offensively and knocked down one of his two shots. On defense, he clogged the lane and altered a few shots around the rim. He also pulled down a few contested rebounds. Defensively against West, Thomas looked much better than he did last year in the playoffs. Overall, he’s looking smoother in his movements and in much better shape.
-------------------------------
Bruce Bowen
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
14 minutes, five points, two steals
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Bruce Bowen played 14 minutes of quality basketball. After not shooting in the last two games, he hit two of three shots. On defense, he was feisty and was able to create a few turnovers. I don’t see how a few more minutes for Bowen could have hurt the team. Over his last five games, Bowen has averaged only 18.4 minutes per contest.
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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
14 minutes, six points, two assists
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Although his field goal percentage wasn’t the greatest, I thought George Hill played a fine game. He was aggressive offensively with both his shots and his passes. He took care of the ball and was the only perimeter player creating contact in the lane to get to the line. Defensively, Hill was again very strong. All in all, I was encouraged that Hill played with so much confidence against a very good team in a hostile atmosphere.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/popovich_gregg030428.jpg
Pop didn’t coach a bad game but I question whether he could have pushed better buttons. First of all, more of Bowen made a lot of sense. Bowen was making it difficult for the Hornets to get easy possessions offensively and on the other end of the court, he has a history of being able to knock down open shots – which the Spurs were getting in abundance. I don’t think it was a coincidence that the Hornets’ 15-0 run took place shortly after Bowen left the quarter in the fourth. I also would have liked to have seen a few minutes of Hill next to Parker. The Spurs needed to attack the basket more and that guard duo could have done just that. Bonner didn’t shoot well but I can’t blame Pop for playing him 34 minutes. Having the league’s top three-point shooter percentage-wise getting open look after open look isn’t poor coaching.
-------------------------------
Offense
In the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter, the Spurs were 2-for-18 from the court – including 0-for-8 on three-pointers. That putrid shooting doomed the Spurs on the night and made their final shooting number look much worse than they were during the meat of the game. The Spurs ended up shooting 38.8% from the floor and 9-of-26 three-pointers. Outside of that stretch of play, the Spurs were 46.8% from the floor and hit half of their 18 three-point attempts. The 17 assists as a team were a little bit low, while the 15 free throw attempts were much too low.
Defense
On defense, the Spurs actually played well for a lot of the night. The Hornets ended up shooting 43.2% from the floor and 41.2% on their three-pointers. Outside of that fourth quarter 15-0 run, the Hornets shot 41.9% from the floor and 28.6% from beyond the arc. The Spurs did a good job of forcing the Hornets into turnovers (15) and limiting their free throws (10 prior to the intentional fouls at the end). On the boards, the Spurs had one of their worst showings in quite a while. The Hornets won the rebound battle 48-39 and were able to pull down 14 offensive rebounds.
Drive to Five
It’d be nice to have a few days to regroup after this tough loss – but the Spurs don’t have that luxury. Instead, they play on Thursday night against the 19-6 Magic in Orlando. Hopefully the role players who struggled can bounce back and help the Spurs get this difficult road contest. We’ll have a better idea of the true competitive spirit of the 2008-09 Spurs at the end of the Magic game.
Believe.