duncan228
01-18-2009, 06:30 PM
Texas Hold 'Em, defense and another Argentine flop (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/01/manu-defense-an.html)
By Jeff McDonald
CHARLOTTE -- Writing these observations from Charlotte, but my mind's still back in Chicago. Wondering why the recorded announcements on the CTA subway trains make a point of prohibiting gambling. Are impromptu games of Texas Hold 'Em breaking out on the El? Is this really a problem?
But we digress ...
* Good win for the Spurs in Chicago, if for no other reason than anything beats losing by 22, like they did a night earlier in Philly. The Spurs turned in one of their better defensive performances of the season against the Bulls. They'll need to stack up a few more of those to impress Gregg Popovich. The Spurs have never ranked worse than fifth in the league in field-goal percentage defense in any of Pop's 11 full seasons on the bench.
* Just when you think Manu Ginobili is in for another rough outing in Chicago, he goes and does a thing like that ... and totally redeems himself! Nine points in the final 1:04, including the 3-pointer that made it a two-possession game and then deke of former Argentine teammate Andres Nocioni that resulted in three free throws, of which Ginobili made two to seal the win. Ginobili's Spurs teammates saw that last one coming. They figure Nocioni should have, too. "He should know better than that," Tony Parker said. "Manu likes to pump fake, and he got him."
Ginobili, for his part, was willing to give Noicioni a pass. "It wasn't that familiar for either of us, because we don't go at each other that often," Ginobili said. "We play different positions."
* Speaking of Argentines and faking ... Parker could not believe he was called for fouling Nocioni in a similar situation moments earlier. "He got my thumb, that's how close it was," Parker said. "The ref didn't call it at first but then he (Nocioni) screamed." This is the part where I (jokingly) mentioned those darned Argentines and their incessesant flopping. Parker just grinned. He wasn't going there.
* The Spurs probably would like to add another big man, but it's going to be difficult to attract quality with the limited trading pieces they have. Some of you on blog commenters have asked about Jeff Foster as a possibility. Others have mentioned Brad Miller. The Spurs actually inquired about Foster at last year's trade deadline, but Indiana wasn't interested in dealing him. As for Miller, he's due close to $24 million over the next two seasons. There's simply no good way to make a trade for him work under NBA rules.
By Jeff McDonald
CHARLOTTE -- Writing these observations from Charlotte, but my mind's still back in Chicago. Wondering why the recorded announcements on the CTA subway trains make a point of prohibiting gambling. Are impromptu games of Texas Hold 'Em breaking out on the El? Is this really a problem?
But we digress ...
* Good win for the Spurs in Chicago, if for no other reason than anything beats losing by 22, like they did a night earlier in Philly. The Spurs turned in one of their better defensive performances of the season against the Bulls. They'll need to stack up a few more of those to impress Gregg Popovich. The Spurs have never ranked worse than fifth in the league in field-goal percentage defense in any of Pop's 11 full seasons on the bench.
* Just when you think Manu Ginobili is in for another rough outing in Chicago, he goes and does a thing like that ... and totally redeems himself! Nine points in the final 1:04, including the 3-pointer that made it a two-possession game and then deke of former Argentine teammate Andres Nocioni that resulted in three free throws, of which Ginobili made two to seal the win. Ginobili's Spurs teammates saw that last one coming. They figure Nocioni should have, too. "He should know better than that," Tony Parker said. "Manu likes to pump fake, and he got him."
Ginobili, for his part, was willing to give Noicioni a pass. "It wasn't that familiar for either of us, because we don't go at each other that often," Ginobili said. "We play different positions."
* Speaking of Argentines and faking ... Parker could not believe he was called for fouling Nocioni in a similar situation moments earlier. "He got my thumb, that's how close it was," Parker said. "The ref didn't call it at first but then he (Nocioni) screamed." This is the part where I (jokingly) mentioned those darned Argentines and their incessesant flopping. Parker just grinned. He wasn't going there.
* The Spurs probably would like to add another big man, but it's going to be difficult to attract quality with the limited trading pieces they have. Some of you on blog commenters have asked about Jeff Foster as a possibility. Others have mentioned Brad Miller. The Spurs actually inquired about Foster at last year's trade deadline, but Indiana wasn't interested in dealing him. As for Miller, he's due close to $24 million over the next two seasons. There's simply no good way to make a trade for him work under NBA rules.