Kori Ellis
03-04-2005, 01:05 AM
Spurs seek handle on flaw: Recent run of turnovers concerns players and coaches
Web Posted: 03/04/2005 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA030405.1D.BKNspurs.bulls.adv.102f73ab4.html
With four minutes left in the third quarter Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors, the Spurs were cruising along, up by 19, when they turned Jalen Rose's miss into a three-on-two fast break opportunity.
Veteran backup guard Brent Barry ran the break from the middle of the court when, one dribble past midcourt, he left his feet and tried to thread a bounce pass to Tony Parker, streaking downcourt on the right wing.
A perfect pass would have produced a spectacular finish. Instead, Toronto's Rafer Alston picked off the pass and started a break for the Raptors that resulted in a foul call on Spurs center Nazr Mohammed and two free throws for Toronto.
It also produced an angry timeout call by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who let Barry know about the folly of his choice.
"Turnover, bad, equals 'Pop' being mad," Barry said Thursday after the Spurs finished practice. "We're posting that in our locker room." :lol
Indeed, as the Spurs prepare for tonight's game at the SBC Center against the resurgent Chicago Bulls, whose defensive aggression has helped put them in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, Popovich will welcome anything that reminds his players to take care of the basketball.
Turnovers, Popovich believes, have become a major concern.
"When you miss free throws and turn it over, teams can come back on you," Popovich said after the Raptors rallied from 21 down to make things tense for the Spurs in the final minutes Wednesday. "Those are our two weaknesses."
For the season, the Spurs rank eighth in the NBA in fewest turnovers committed, 13.9 per game. In their past three games, though, they have been far more careless. Their home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was a direct result of a season-high 24 turnovers, and they had 15 at Cleveland and 17 against the Raptors.
The Spurs will have to be particularly focused against a Bulls team that has discovered that defensive aggression can turn around a season. After their 0-9 start, the Bulls have won 29 of 45 games and gotten within striking distance of a homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
"Their effort night after night after night, combined with the defense they're buying into, has made them a darn good team," Popovich said. "It will be a good challenge. That pressure could cause us to turn it over. I'm anxious to see how we handle it."
Some turnovers are more evident than others. Barry knew the instant he fired his ill-advised pass in the third period Wednesday he had made a mistake and soon would hear about it.
"I just got caught in the air and saw Tony streaking, and tried to throw it ahead," Barry said. "It was a terrible decision, and Pop let me know about it right away."
How to explain the Spurs' recent spate of mistakes? Point guard Tony Parker, who had four of the Spurs' 17 turnovers Wednesday, said he and his teammates get too caught up in the frenzy of games at the SBC Center.
"I think we just have to slow down," Parker said. "We may be going too fast on offense. We're all excited playing at home. It's the crowd that makes you do crazy stuff."
Aside from emptying the arena, eliminating turnovers can be difficult. It isn't like working on shooting form to get out of a slump. There are no mechanics involved. It is all mental.
"It has to be a conscious thing," Barry said, "because you're consciously passing the ball to the wrong guys. We just have to get back into an offensive rhythm, upping our assists so more of our baskets are coming off assists, rather than trying to make individual plays. I think we just have to get into the flow of the offense better and move the ball like we were before the break, share it a little bit more. That will help us get in a rhythm."
Said Parker: "We can't forget that we have to go inside. We can't do fast break every time. We have to slow it down a little bit and play halfcourt basketball."
That might not excite the Spurs' faithful at SBC Center, but it will lower Popovich's blood pressure.
Notable: Mohammed re-aggravated his strained groin in Wednesday's game and is listed as questionable for tonight. Mohammed fell when he got his legs tangled with a Raptors player after grabbing a rebound in the third period.
Web Posted: 03/04/2005 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA030405.1D.BKNspurs.bulls.adv.102f73ab4.html
With four minutes left in the third quarter Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors, the Spurs were cruising along, up by 19, when they turned Jalen Rose's miss into a three-on-two fast break opportunity.
Veteran backup guard Brent Barry ran the break from the middle of the court when, one dribble past midcourt, he left his feet and tried to thread a bounce pass to Tony Parker, streaking downcourt on the right wing.
A perfect pass would have produced a spectacular finish. Instead, Toronto's Rafer Alston picked off the pass and started a break for the Raptors that resulted in a foul call on Spurs center Nazr Mohammed and two free throws for Toronto.
It also produced an angry timeout call by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who let Barry know about the folly of his choice.
"Turnover, bad, equals 'Pop' being mad," Barry said Thursday after the Spurs finished practice. "We're posting that in our locker room." :lol
Indeed, as the Spurs prepare for tonight's game at the SBC Center against the resurgent Chicago Bulls, whose defensive aggression has helped put them in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, Popovich will welcome anything that reminds his players to take care of the basketball.
Turnovers, Popovich believes, have become a major concern.
"When you miss free throws and turn it over, teams can come back on you," Popovich said after the Raptors rallied from 21 down to make things tense for the Spurs in the final minutes Wednesday. "Those are our two weaknesses."
For the season, the Spurs rank eighth in the NBA in fewest turnovers committed, 13.9 per game. In their past three games, though, they have been far more careless. Their home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was a direct result of a season-high 24 turnovers, and they had 15 at Cleveland and 17 against the Raptors.
The Spurs will have to be particularly focused against a Bulls team that has discovered that defensive aggression can turn around a season. After their 0-9 start, the Bulls have won 29 of 45 games and gotten within striking distance of a homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
"Their effort night after night after night, combined with the defense they're buying into, has made them a darn good team," Popovich said. "It will be a good challenge. That pressure could cause us to turn it over. I'm anxious to see how we handle it."
Some turnovers are more evident than others. Barry knew the instant he fired his ill-advised pass in the third period Wednesday he had made a mistake and soon would hear about it.
"I just got caught in the air and saw Tony streaking, and tried to throw it ahead," Barry said. "It was a terrible decision, and Pop let me know about it right away."
How to explain the Spurs' recent spate of mistakes? Point guard Tony Parker, who had four of the Spurs' 17 turnovers Wednesday, said he and his teammates get too caught up in the frenzy of games at the SBC Center.
"I think we just have to slow down," Parker said. "We may be going too fast on offense. We're all excited playing at home. It's the crowd that makes you do crazy stuff."
Aside from emptying the arena, eliminating turnovers can be difficult. It isn't like working on shooting form to get out of a slump. There are no mechanics involved. It is all mental.
"It has to be a conscious thing," Barry said, "because you're consciously passing the ball to the wrong guys. We just have to get back into an offensive rhythm, upping our assists so more of our baskets are coming off assists, rather than trying to make individual plays. I think we just have to get into the flow of the offense better and move the ball like we were before the break, share it a little bit more. That will help us get in a rhythm."
Said Parker: "We can't forget that we have to go inside. We can't do fast break every time. We have to slow it down a little bit and play halfcourt basketball."
That might not excite the Spurs' faithful at SBC Center, but it will lower Popovich's blood pressure.
Notable: Mohammed re-aggravated his strained groin in Wednesday's game and is listed as questionable for tonight. Mohammed fell when he got his legs tangled with a Raptors player after grabbing a rebound in the third period.