Initial Reaction: Spurs @ Rockets - Mar. 14

[timvp]

http://spurstalk.com/box1mar14.jpg
http://spurstalk.com/box2mar14.jpg

Following the potentially demoralizing loss against the Lakers, the Spurs headed to Houston to face the Rockets. In typical fashion, the Spurs and Rockets battled in a low scoring affair featuring plenty of defense and physicality. When the smoke cleared, San Antonio had escaped with an 88-85 victory.

Although it was far from pretty basketball, the Spurs made the big plays when they were needed and found a way to win. Considering how well Houston has played at home and how well they have played without Tracy McGrady, this victory was actually one of the sweeter wins of the year.

As far as the Rockets are concerned, they are playing better defense and exhibit improved team basketball without McGrady. Trading away Rafer Alston hurts them a bit in their matchup against the Spurs, but there's no question that a Rockets team with a healthy Yao Ming is going to be a tough opponent for anyone in the postseason.

Overall, the Spurs have to be very happy with the win. They didn't get any fantastic individual performances but the Spurs played the type of rugged basketball that has been the staple of this franchise for the last dozen years.

-Tim Duncan struggled with his shot early on and didn't play too well on either end in the opening half, however he came on strong in the final two quarters and ended up playing a good game. Compared to how he looked against the Lakers, I thought his mobility was much better and he was able to hold his ground on contact. He's obviously still hampered by injury but at least this outing seemed to be a step in the right direction. Down the stretch of the game, he made a few key shots, delivered timely passes and his post defense against Yao was excellent.

-Tony Parker didn't get anything easy against the Rockets but withstood the challenge and keyed the victory late in the fourth. If he wasn't scoring the ball late, he was applying good defensive pressure on the other end. To begin the ballgame, I thought Parker's defense was lazy in terms of closing out on shooters but his intensity got better in that area as the contest progressed. All in all, it was another All-Star level performance from Parker.

-Michael Finley continued his very good play as he scored 17 points on five three-pointers against Houston. He was hitting threes from all over the court including a heave from halfcourt at the third quarter buzzer. Defensively, Finley was active - both on the ball and in help defense. He also helped on the boards and ran the court extremely well. In terms of his athleticism, he has turned back the clock in his last two outings.

-Roger Mason, Jr. had an extremely quiet game. He only got three shots in 30 minutes and only handed out one assist. The Rockets did a good job of not giving him any open looks and made life difficult for him when he was running the point. On the defensive end, Mason didn't play too well. He reached a lot and lost contact with his man on numerous occasions.

-I've been complaining about Matt Bonner's rebounding, so first I have to tip my cap to his ten boards in 29 minutes of work. He did a very good job of battling on the glass and continued to give effort even when he appeared to be boxed out. Offensively, he hasn't been the same since the news broke that Drew Gooden was coming on board. He hit only one of his six attempts and none of his shots looked very confident.

-Ime Udoka led the Spurs in bench minutes and he did commendable work against Ron Artest. Udoka is the one perimeter player on the Spurs who Artest can't bully. Although his stat line doesn't appear to be overly impressive, Udoka definitely gave the Spurs quality minutes. For the first time this season, it appears as if he has settled in and has figured out how he can help the team.

-Kurt Thomas is another player who had a minimal statistical impact despite his very good play. He was extremely physical in the low block and his defense in the paint was vital, especially considering how tough the Rockets were playing. On the whole, Thomas just keeps giving the Spurs good minutes on a nightly basis.

-Showing exactly why the Spurs went after him, Drew Gooden was impressive in his 15 minutes of action. The 13 points he scored helped keep the offense flowing when the bench unit was in the game. His repertoire on the offensive end was impressive, scoring with a variety of hooks, up-and-unders and drives into the lane. I was also pleasantly surprised by his passing and his overall understanding of what the Spurs were trying to do offensively. His defense still needs work but he was mentally engaged the entire time, which hasn't been the case with Gooden over the years. The best case scenario in which Gooden comes to San Antonio and plays serious and dedicated basketball appears to have a chance of becoming reality.

-George Hill once again supplied big plays from the shooting guard position. His defense was very good and he wasn't a liability on the offensive end. The aggression and fearlessness he's playing with right now is much needed with Manu Ginobili not being able to suit up. Following his demotion, Hill has responded about as well as possible.

-An interesting note is that Bruce Bowen played only the last four seconds of the game. He was one Houston timeout away from recording his first DNP-CD in his Spurs career.

-I though Pop coached a very good game. I especially liked how he utilized Gooden. Pop milked Gooden during his minutes on the court by calling numerous plays for him. As a result, Gooden was able to help buy enough time for Duncan and Parker to rest. I don't think Gooden is a player you want to have deciding the ultimate outcome late in the contest but during the meat of the game, he could be a valuable asset if Pop continues to use him correctly. Pop's rotations, which have been erratic as of late, actually made sense against the Rockets.

Good win. Important in the standings. Perhaps even more important in terms of getting the Lakers loss in the past. On to Oklahoma City on Monday.

Believe.

[duncan228]

They didn't get any fantastic individual performances but the Spurs played the type of rugged basketball that has been the staple of this franchise for the last dozen years.

And it was nice to see it. I hope it's here to stay.

Thanks for the initial reaction. I found myself looking forward to it tonight, I hope it's here to stay too. It's nice to read them with the game fresh.

[Brazil]

Nice to the GT right after ! thanks a lot. Didn't see the game so I am not going to comment the game. Just a question : do you consider like me that the 4 reb for Good in 15 min is a litle bit deceptive ?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Nice recap. :)

Loved the way Tim fought through a tough first half and played a much better second. Also liked the way he and Pop worked out that he wasn't overly effective in the post, and had him play a lot more high-post in the 3rd and 4th quarters, which resulted in 2 jumpers and a few nice backdoor plays from Parker (at least one directly from Duncan, off the top of my head). The fact that I was calling for more TD in the high post in the game thread from the first quarter on made it even sweeter! :lol

Loved Gooden's contribution, Parker's clutch play in the 4th (I think he chatted to Chip, because his jumpshot form changed mid-game, especially the wrist snap), KT's utter reliability, and Finley's hot streak.

Spursball is in effect, which is a good sign half way through March. :tu

[timvp]

Nice to the GT right after ! thanks a lot. Didn't see the game so I am not going to comment the game. Just a question : do you consider like me that the 4 reb for Good in 15 min is a litle bit deceptive ?What do you mean by "little bit deceptive"?

Four in 15 minutes is a solid rate. A couple of them were difficult rebounds and he seems to understand the Spurs need him to concentrate on the boards.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Nice to the GT right after ! thanks a lot. Didn't see the game so I am not going to comment the game. Just a question : do you consider like me that the 4 reb for Good in 15 min is a litle bit deceptive ?

I thought Gooden may have had more - he rebounded well and was conscientiously blocking out. He is a very solid boardman.

Wasn't impressed by his giving up an easy baseline drive to Landry though.

[benefactor]

Really good to see some tough, grind it out Spurs basketball tonight. I was very pleased with the overall effort.

Finley...wow, what do you say? All we can do is hope that his shot and his solid play is here for the stretch run.

It's good to see Duncan moving better too. I was worried after the way he looked versus the Lakers. He really went at Yao and played good defense on him most of the night.

Gooden really looks like the answer at backup PF for Tim. He is still feeling things out but having a true post scorer with the second unit is something that we have coveted for a long time now. I like the idea of him and Kurt on the floor at the same time. That way we are still OK in the interior defensively and we have two bigs who can knock down shots...along with one that can post up.

[Marcus Bryant]

-Showing exactly why the Spurs went after him, Drew Gooden was impressive in his 15 minutes of action. The 13 points he scored helped keep the offense flowing when the bench unit was in the game. His repertoire on the offensive end was impressive, scoring with a variety of hooks, up-and-unders and drives into the lane. I was also pleasantly surprised by his passing and his overall understanding of what the Spurs were trying to do offensively. His defense still needs work but he was mentally engaged the entire time, which hasn't been the case with Gooden over the years. The best case scenario in which Gooden comes to San Antonio and plays serious and dedicated basketball appears to have a chance of becoming reality.

No doubt. Cautiously optimistic at this point, given that it's been less than half a game over two nights. But he does seem to get it. He was almost a point a minute guy tonight.



-An interesting note is that Bruce Bowen played only the last four seconds of the game. He was one Houston timeout away from recording his first DNP-CD in his Spurs career.

Just odd. I mean, we knew this day would come at some point. But Bruce still has some...well, juice. What's going on?

[dbestpro]

Decent assessment, however, Parker's D never showed any improvement throughout the game. Having said that his offense was good enough to make up for any short comings on D. I still think when Gooden gets on the floor wiith Duncan it will help Tony in pick and roll situations by covering the post as Duncan makes the move to step up.

[Spurs Brazil]

Very good win.

Boozer played very well.


Tim Duncan struggled with his shot early on and didn't play too well on either end in the opening half, however he came on strong in the final two quarters and ended up playing a good game.

Agains the Lakers TD also played much better in the 2nd half. Do you think this is somewhat related with the injury?

[timvp]

No doubt. Cautiously optimistic at this point, given that it's been less than half a game over two nights. But he does seem to get it. He was almost a point a minute guy tonight.Another thing I liked about Gooden tonight is that even after he missed his first few shots he kept firing. Players, especially new players, tend to get passive under Pop in those type of situation. Instead, Gooden continued to actively work to get the ball.

If he's going to produce this season, he can't have that typical new-Spur uneasiness. So far, it appears he has the correct mindset :tu


Just odd. I mean, we knew this day would come at some point. But Bruce still has some...well, juice. What's going on?I don't know, man. It's tough to say. I'm getting the feeling that Pop isn't simply keeping Bowen fresh for the playoffs :(

Then again, the only perimeter player on the Rockets who needs extra attention is Artest ... and Bowen has never guarded Artest well. Udoka, on the other hand, is built to defend Artest. So in that sense, Udoka absorbing all of Bowen's minutes is logical.

[xtremesteven33]

Parker/Hill
Mason/Ginobili
Finley/Bowen
Duncan/Gooden
Thomas/Bonner

Is looking like it might be the rotation for the playoffs.

[crc21209]

Great thoughts Timvp, theyre always on point. I was impressed with the way TD bounced back in the 2nd half. He was clearly way off in the 1st half by alot, getting owned by Yao on both ends. But he bounced back in the 2nd half in a major way, going at Yao more aggressively on both ends. TP had a good bounce back 2nd half as well, with his shot looking different and off in the 1st half, he came out guns blazing in the 2nd half. Fin continued to do well with 17 points on 5 three pointers, he's in one of those hot streaks right when we need it. The one guy I was impressed with for being his first full Spurs game, was Drew Gooden. Not only did he provide energy and hustle and boards, but he scored 13 points. The thing that impressed me is the team kept looking for him on the Offensive end, whether it be posting him up or running screen and roll's with him, he was involved in the majority of the play on Offense when he was in the game. Overall this was a great win; the Rockets had been playing some pretty damn good ball as of late, so I'll take it...on to OKC we go!

[timvp]

I still think when Gooden gets on the floor wiith Duncan it will help Tony in pick and roll situations by covering the post as Duncan makes the move to step up.Come again?

[Brazil]

What do you mean by "little bit deceptive"?

Four in 15 minutes is a solid rate. A couple of them were difficult rebounds and he seems to understand the Spurs need him to concentrate on the boards.

I mean like 4 reb in 4 min is abnormally high I tought 4 in 15 was a litle bit low for a new fresh player entering in the roster who knows the team is expecting rebounds.
I'm happy to hear they were difficult ones.

[Marcus Bryant]

RE: rebounding. Gooden got the boards he should have, as well as a couple that he had to fight for.

[crc21209]

I can't wait for Tuesday's game. I'm from Del Rio (about 2 1/2 hours away from S.A.) so I only see about a game every year or so...this year alone I have already been to 2 games, and the 3rd will be this Tuesday against the Wolves. I saw the game against the 76ers with TP's buzzer beater, and the win against New Jersey where VC bitched when he tried to catch and shoot with .3 or something like that lol. So I'm excited to see Gooden on Tuesday and the rest of the guys! :)

[BuzzerBeater]

Really good to see some tough, grind it out Spurs basketball tonight. I was very pleased with the overall effort.

Finley...wow, what do you say? All we can do is hope that his shot and his solid play is here for the stretch run.

It's good to see Duncan moving better too. I was worried after the way he looked versus the Lakers. He really went at Yao and played good defense on him most of the night.

Gooden really looks like the answer at backup PF for Tim. He is still feeling things out but having a true post scorer with the second unit is something that we have coveted for a long time now. I like the idea of him and Kurt on the floor at the same time. That way we are still OK in the interior defensively and we have two bigs who can knock down shots...along with one that can post up.
Maybe since Timmy was instrumental in giving Finley his first ring, Findog wants to make up for Timmy's struggles lately by making a good showing?

There was also that game that Finley didn't play in, I would like to find out what Pop told him as to his not playing, I can't remember which game it was but it was about 3 games ago? After that game, Finley did turn back the hands of time, wow, freeze frame those turn around j's in your head and remember his form while releasing the ball, so much confidence, makes you shake your head.

[timvp]

Agains the Lakers TD also played much better in the 2nd half. Do you think this is somewhat related with the injury?Tough to say. He was once again wearing the two bulky knee pads so maybe it takes a while for him to get loose. We'll have to keep an eye out and see if that pattern continues.

[GSH]

Gooden looked very strong defending in the low blocks. He also got into Scola's head a bit. The pushing and shoving between those two got pretty intense, which I thought was great because Gooden was every bit a match for Scola in the toughness department.

I'm still puzzled that it can be considered a successful experiment when your backup PG gets 1 assist and 2 TO's. I still think the offense looks stagnant whenever Mason is at the point. I certainly don't think you can say that he makes things happen from that position. His dribble penetration is not enough of a threat to get spot-up shooters those wide open shots. I don't know if it's fair to say that backup PG duty is responsible for his reduced offensive production, but if that doesn't change the Spurs are going to need Gooden's scoring output in a big way. I don't like the thought of going into the playoffs depending on Finley shooting lights-out.

My big question after the game - "Aren't the zebras supposed to have cracked down on hand-checks this season?" When the defender leaves a hand on the offensive player in order to alter his speed or direction, it's supposed to draw a whistle. Brooks spent the entire evening doing that to Parker, sometimes even shoving with both arms. I thought that was the biggest factor in limiting the Spurs offensively tonight. That sort of kills the theory that young players always get short-changed by the refs.

[ohmwrecker]

Tonight was a decent, grind it out win, but I think we are really going to have to whip the ass of some top 8 teams down the stretch to feel really good about our chances.

[ploto]

An interesting note is that Bruce Bowen played only the last four seconds of the game. He was one Houston timeout away from recording his first DNP-CD in his Spurs career.
Sad to watch for a guy who made first-team all defense LAST season. :depressed

[alchemist]

Underrated Pop move of the game was to put Kurt on Artest. Artest was just bulldozing Finley and Kurt with his weight kept Artest under wraps in the post.

[lefty]

15 minutes of action. The 13 points

Goodeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

[VI_Massive]

In a defensively-oriented game like tonight's without a premiere wing scorer on the other team, I think Bowen's minutes were appropriately low. We were struggling so much offensively, I think it was hard to justify his presence out there.

[raspsa]

And it was nice to see it. I hope it's here to stay.

Thanks for the initial reaction. I found myself looking forward to it tonight, I hope it's here to stay too. It's nice to read them with the game fresh.

I actually prefer this kind of old-fashioned Spurs game.

[Ice009]

Also liked the way he and Pop worked out that he wasn't overly effective in the post, and had him play a lot more high-post in the 3rd and 4th quarters, which resulted in 2 jumpers and a few nice backdoor plays from Parker (at least one directly from Duncan, off the top of my head).

Looks like it was more Tony's idea on the backdoor plays than Pop. Here's the quote from Tony : "They were pressuring me, and I told TD, 'Take a look on the back door,''' Parker said. "We just talked about it real quick. It was something that I saw and so we did it on the fly.''

[024]

i liked gooden getting to the foul line. when ginobili returns, hopefully soon, i can see manu being moved to the starting lineup if gooden can bring scoring energy off the bench.

[xtremesteven33]

i liked gooden getting to the foul line. when ginobili returns, hopefully soon, i can see manu being moved to the starting lineup if gooden can bring scoring energy off the bench.



i like the way you think :tu

[NewJerSpur]

Don't know about Manu starting, but then again, I don't know if Gooden will be able to bring THAT much scoring and energy off the bench to take his place. I think like many here have already mentioned, they'd do better together in the second unit, especially with the PnR and spacing.

[Thompson]

With regards to Duncan's knees, I think I remember a quote from him that this was going to be a concern 'from here on out.' Did he mean until the end of the season, or for the rest of his career? Will the offseason be enough time to recover, or will the condition inevitably recur when he plays again?

[024]

Don't know about Manu starting, but then again, I don't know if Gooden will be able to bring THAT much scoring and energy off the bench to take his place. I think like many here have already mentioned, they'd do better together in the second unit, especially with the PnR and spacing.

popovich keeps ginobili on the bench because the spurs don't have much a of a bench. after watching the lakers starting 5 blow out the spurs starting 5 in the first quarter of the game, i think ginobili will need to eventually start. they can't afford to wait 5-6 minutes for manu to come in. ginobili starting means the ability to also move bowen up for defense. a bench of gooden, bonner/thomas, mason, finley, and hill will have plenty of scoring.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Looks like it was more Tony's idea on the backdoor plays than Pop. Here's the quote from Tony : "They were pressuring me, and I told TD, 'Take a look on the back door,''' Parker said. "We just talked about it real quick. It was something that I saw and so we did it on the fly.''

Fair enough. However, the point is that those backdoors wouldn't have been there if Duncan hadn't moved to the high post - he would have clogged up the angles is he was still down low. So it was probably attributable to a combination of those three great basketball minds! :lol

[duncan228]

With regards to Duncan's knees, I think I remember a quote from him that this was going to be a concern 'from here on out.' Did he mean until the end of the season, or for the rest of his career? Will the offseason be enough time to recover, or will the condition inevitably recur when he plays again?

After the Lakers game:


...Duncan said the knee was “getting better” but acknowledged the pain and stiffness hadn't fully subsided.

“It's a long season, it's still sore and all that stuff,” Duncan said. “It's going to come, and it's going to go. It's going to be something that I'll deal with and manage."

The tendonosis is a degenerative condition. From what I've gathered, the rest he can get off season will help, but I don't think it ever goes away.

[NewJerSpur]

popovich keeps ginobili on the bench because the spurs don't have much a of a bench. after watching the lakers starting 5 blow out the spurs starting 5 in the first quarter of the game, i think ginobili will need to eventually start. they can't afford to wait 5-6 minutes for manu to come in. ginobili starting means the ability to also move bowen up for defense. a bench of gooden, bonner/thomas, mason, finley, and hill will have plenty of scoring.

It might work, or you may exhaust your primary weapons on offense...it's a roll of the dice IMO. The starting 5 need to man up and not play scared in the 1st quarter if we're going to hold our own, that's the main solution. And I wouldn't say that second unit will necessarily provide plenty of scoring at this particular point. There's no main option in that lineup.

[Indazone]

oh well, 3 pts. You guys win but the ball coulda bounced our way. Congrats, see you in your house next week.

[td4mvp21]

....

[024]

It might work, or you may exhaust your primary weapons on offense...it's a roll of the dice IMO. The starting 5 need to man up and not play scared in the 1st quarter if we're going to hold our own, that's the main solution. And I wouldn't say that second unit will necessarily provide plenty of scoring at this particular point. There's no main option in that lineup.

well it's still too early to determine what gooden brings to the spurs so we'll see. usually at least one member of the big 3 stays on the floor at all times. so either duncan, parker, or ginobili will be the main option with the bench as role players. gooden down on the low block to distract defenders equals less attention paid to one of the big three.

[NewJerSpur]

That's why it still makes sense to bring Ginobli off the bench:

1) Gooden gives Duncan ability to rest (especially if he can keep contributing offensively)

2) Parker won't be coming off the bench for obvious reasons

3) Ginobli and Gooden give the second unit a nice mix of post & perimeter.

[lurker23]

I think the most obvious reason for bringing Manu off the bench when he comes back (*cross fingers*) is that his minutes need to be seriously monitored. While I know Pop is skilled at doing this for all players, including his starters, it's easier to do when the first 6 minutes of the game defaults to rest for Manu. This makes it easier for him to have enough minutes left to finish out the game.

[Blackjack]

I could actually see Gooden or Thomas starting in certain matchups (i.e. the Lakers) but Manu coming off the bench is just a better fit for this team. It's not a knock on Manu, just a better way to utilize Tony to his fullest potential. When Tony and Manu are on the floor to start the game, they tend to have a hard time getting into their desired rhythm.

If you bring Manu and Drew off the bench together, you've got a pretty similar dynamic to Tim and Tony. A dynamic that might actually help to prevent scoring droughts, and maintain the overall rhythm of the worker-bees surrounding them, while they're out on the floor.

[Lars]

Some things to consider...

5th. game in 7 nights.
Shot 60% from the line, when we are normally an 80% FT shooting team.
Halfcourt shot.

Lost by three =P

[NewJerSpur]

Better luck next time sport.

[024]

I could actually see Gooden or Thomas starting in certain matchups (i.e. the Lakers) but Manu coming off the bench is just a better fit for this team. It's not a knock on Manu, just a better way to utilize Tony to his fullest potential. When Tony and Manu are on the floor to start the game, they tend to have a hard time getting into their desired rhythm.

If you bring Manu and Drew off the bench together, you've got a pretty similar dynamic to Tim and Tony. A dynamic that might actually help to prevent scoring droughts, and maintain the overall rhythm of the worker-bees surrounding them, while they're out on the floor.

like i said, spurs will always have at least one member of the big 3 on the court at all times, especially in the playoffs. if you look at boston and see how they handled their big 3 last year, they also always had at least one of their big 3 on the floor at all times. so a gooden + ginobili or gooden + parker lineup would still exist. it's not like they will never see each other on the floor. last year in the playoffs spurs went 4-2 when ginobili started, and 5-5 when he did not. if gooden keeps fitting in, i think the spurs' bench will be strong enough to not include ginobili.

spurs are always at their strongest when the big 3 are on the floor at the same time. if possible, they should be together on the floor at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game to start out strong and to end it strong. the only problem would be ginobili's minutes.

[The Truth #6]

The Gooden/Bonner/Ime/Mason/Hill 2nd unit actually looked decent out there tonight. They held their own and even pushed the lead at a few points. When Manu comes back it might be just as good as the 1st unit, seriously.

Also, re: Mason at the point - I wouldn't say Mason is playing the point well at all, but what's most important is that in allowing Hill to slide to the 2, his play as of late has been much better. I still don't think trying to make Hill into a 2 is a good long term goal but for the moment it seems to be allowing Hill to be aggressive and effective on both offense and defense.

Perhaps if Hill can continue to learn how to be effective on offense, he can carry this knowledge with him next year when hopefully he returns to being the backup PG. I was extremely dubious of putting Mason to the point, but perhaps it's really all about making Hill more comfortable on the court so he can play more productively for the rest of the season. If that was Pop's motivation, then I have to say it's been a success.

[Blackjack]

like i said, spurs will always have at least one member of the big 3 on the court at all times, especially in the playoffs. if you look at boston and see how they handled their big 3 last year, they also always had at least one of their big 3 on the floor at all times. so a gooden + ginobili or gooden + parker lineup would still exist. it's not like they will never see each other on the floor. last year in the playoffs spurs went 4-2 when ginobili started, and 5-5 when he did not. if gooden keeps fitting in, i think the spurs' bench will be strong enough to not include ginobili.

spurs are always at their strongest when the big 3 are on the floor at the same time. if possible, they should be together on the floor at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game to start out strong and to end it strong. the only problem would be ginobili's minutes.

Basketball is a game of rhytyhm. You let Tony and Tim get their collective rhythm together to start the game, let Manu and Gooden get their's when they come in, and let them go fuckin nuts together to close the game. It aint rocket science.

[024]

Basketball is a game of rhytyhm. You let Tony and Tim get their collective rhythm together to start the game, let Manu and Gooden get their's when they come in, and let them go fuckin nuts together to close the game. It aint rocket science.

it also isn't rocket scientist to start your three best players. against other championship contenders, spurs always come out with a handicap without ginobili. spurs would not have won the hornets series last year if they continued benching him. if ginobili is thrown off rhythm playing with parker and duncan, there are bigger problems.

[NewJerSpur]

it also isn't rocket scientist to start your three best players. against other championship contenders, spurs always come out with a handicap without ginobili. spurs would not have won the hornets series last year if they continued benching him. if ginobili is thrown off rhythm playing with parker and duncan, there are bigger problems.

Last year we had a different team. Bowen starting hurt us offensively and Finley was....well....the Finley we've seen less of this season thankfully. Offensively now we have Mason who is a good complimentary piece to the starting lineup and a decent defender. A unit void of Tim, Tony, and Manu will get their chance to show what they can do until Manu comes back, but it still lacks a serious/"go to" scoring threat, it just has complimentary pieces.

[intlspurshk]

Where's is Malik?

[Blackjack]

it also isn't rocket scientist to start your three best players. against other championship contenders, spurs always come out with a handicap without ginobili. spurs would not have won the hornets series last year if they continued benching him. if ginobili is thrown off rhythm playing with parker and duncan, there are bigger problems.

Sorry if that came off as me being an asshole (fell off the wagon a little bit tonight lol) but it's not a problem, just a fact.

Manu and Tony, while different players, do not compliment each other all that well when you consider their skill-set. It's one of the reasons there remains somewhat of a devide amongst Spurs fans in the Manu/Tony support. It's not a question of Tony or Manu wanting to pass the ball to one another or wanting the other to succeed, it's just a basketball reality. They're both better with the ball in their hand, they're both more slashers than shooters, and (especially when paired with Duncan on the floor) are more effective when surrounded by good 3-point shooters to spread the floor.

You're right to want to have you're best five on the floor to end a game, but you've also got to consider the type of rhythm they, and the worker bees surrounding them, will be in when that time comes.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I could actually see Gooden or Thomas starting in certain matchups (i.e. the Lakers) but Manu coming off the bench is just a better fit for this team. It's not a knock on Manu, just a better way to utilize Tony to his fullest potential. When Tony and Manu are on the floor to start the game, they tend to have a hard time getting into their desired rhythm.

If you bring Manu and Drew off the bench together, you've got a pretty similar dynamic to Tim and Tony. A dynamic that might actually help to prevent scoring droughts, and maintain the overall rhythm of the worker-bees surrounding them, while they're out on the floor.

Well said.

And if it's not working because Roger is clearly off, you can bring in Manu early, which is a proven Pop tactic. And of course you can play the Big 3 together throughout the game as deemed necessary, and certainly at the end.

*fingers crossed* Manu is able to get healthy by the playoffs.

[Blackjack]

Well said.

And if it's not working because Roger is clearly off, you can bring in Manu early, which is a proven Pop tactic. And of course you can play the Big 3 together throughout the game as deemed necessary, and certainly at the end.

*fingers crossed* Manu is able to get healthy by the playoffs.

Fingers crossed???

I've got things crossed that probably shouldn't.:lol

[Capt Bringdown]

Another game that seemed to drive home the point that this is now Tony Parker's team. He's been the most consistant all year, and has really stepped it up lately.
Unfortunately for him and us, PJ seems to written the book on how to defend him.

[raspsa]

I think Tony has been terrific and has overachieved on so many occasions. As to the Spurs being his team, no one can doubt his value though opinions may differ on this point (whose team it is). My concern is Tony's consistency. He has stretches where he's been very good followed by games where he really struggles and is a completely different player. When his offensive game is derailed, he really loses a lot of his impact.. usually his defense will suffer as well. He's not a rebounding guard. His assists are up slightly (at least that's my impression) which is good. Tony's only human and trying to carry the team with an injured Manu and hurting Timmy muswt eventually take its toll. I'm hopeful that when everyone is healthy (or at least as healthy as possible) then the SPurs can elevate their game to a higher level needed for the playoffs.

[Chieflion]

Gooden stepped up and Matt Bonner grabbed some rebounds. Parker scored 28 and the Spurs won. No suprises there.

[dbestpro]

Come again?

We have been getting killed this season on pick and rolls. Parker gets picked and Duncan has to step up while his man rolls to the basket. The rotation defender has been too slow (Bonner, Thomas, Oberto) or too small (SF rotating). Gooden has the foot speed and size to make the rotation. This could allow Parker the time he needs to recover on defense and may help with the overall appearance of Parker's defense.

[Ice009]

Another game that seemed to drive home the point that this is now Tony Parker's team. He's been the most consistant all year, and has really stepped it up lately.
Unfortunately for him and us, PJ seems to written the book on how to defend him.

No he hasn't. Tim has been the most consistent for more of the season than TP has. The only thing holding Tim back is his tendonosis. When Tim was feeling good he's been our best player this season.

Tony is playing very good right now, but his defense was mediocre to awful for a couple of months there.

TP in the last month though has been playing like we know he can.

[AFBlue]

In a defensively-oriented game like tonight's without a premiere wing scorer on the other team, I think Bowen's minutes were appropriately low. We were struggling so much offensively, I think it was hard to justify his presence out there.

His "minutes" were non-existent. And though I understand the matchup issue, to not give him even spot minutes is pretty telling.

Like timvp said, I'm beginning to think there's no plan to save Bowen for the playoffs....maybe they just think he's done. :wow

[EricB]

No he hasn't. Tim has been the most consistent for more of the season than TP has. The only thing holding Tim back is his tendonosis. When Tim was feeling good he's been our best player this season.

Tony is playing very good right now, but his defense was mediocre to awful for a couple of months there.

TP in the last month though has been playing like we know he can.


Gee, that couldn't have been because he was hurt was it?

Nah...

[VI_Massive]

His "minutes" were non-existent. And though I understand the matchup issue, to not give him even spot minutes is pretty telling.

Like timvp said, I'm beginning to think there's no plan to save Bowen for the playoffs....maybe they just think he's done. :wow

He's definitely not done. The numbers show that we're still a much better defensive team with him on the floor.

Pop is trying to put more offense out on the court and we all know that isn't Bowen's forte.

Against LA, I think Pop doesn't want to play 5 v 4 offensively. Even though Bowen has that corner 3, its all he has and he isn't a guarantee from there. When the Lakers face a player like that, whose offense they don't respect, they'll cheat off him, leave him open and go double someone else to force turnovers or bad shots. They'll keep doing it until the guy they're leaving proves them wrong. Think Rondo in last year's Finals. It really messed with Boston because they had to play Eddie House and Cassell more than they wanted to until Rondo started hitting some shots.

Against Houston last night, without a strong wing scorer, and against a very good defensive team, there's not as much reason to put Bowen on the floor. We needed more offense last night and Bruce couldn't provide it.

In sum, I think we'll see Bowen play limited minutes in the playoffs against strong wing scorers. If we have to play NOH again, he'll put some time in against Peja. Same with Roy, Josh Howard, Carmelo, etc. If we're getting killed by a good wing, he'll play more. If we're not, he won't. When we are struggling offensively, he won't play, but if we're struggling defensively, he will.

I don't think it has as much to do with Bowen's diminished skills as it does with Pop wanting more offense on the court.

[Flux451]

Parker/Hill
Mason/Ginobili
Finley/Bowen
Duncan/Gooden
Thomas/Bonner

Is looking like it might be the rotation for the playoffs.

HOw can you determine Bowen when he hasn't been playing much?

A don't say he being saved for the playoffs. Thats a bad speculation.

[Kamnik]

appreciating your recaps as always....

great read