Pentagruel
03-18-2009, 11:53 PM
Good evening everyone,
The season is in fact coming to a close despite the still competitive Western Conference. Usually at this point in the season I would like to take a look at the Spurs’ season in retrospect and evaluate their accomplishments (and shortcomings). However, since this year the season seems far from over I’d like to make a little prediction as to the rest of the season, and the playoffs to come as well.
To begin, a succinct summary of the Spurs’ season (ok, maybe not too succinct).
Preseason looked rather bleak for the Spurs, with no major free agent signings and a disappointing draft with George Hill botching the job during Summer league with numerous poor outings, and most troublesome, awful shot selection which is a considerable sin in the Spurs’ system. Media experts (if such a thing exists) gleefully predicted the inevitable decline of a dynasty (it’s really going to be true this year folks!), NBA fans were in accordance, and Spurs fans were worried. I know I was. The beginning of the year was no less worrisome. With Manu Ginobili injured we began the year with a meager 1-4 record. Shortly thereafter Tony Parker was injured. Nonetheless, as the Spurs always do, we persevered thanks to the ever consistent play by Tim Duncan and far better then expected play from the supporting cast (Mason, Hill). With two of the big three injured we could do far worse then the 8 seed in a tight Western Conference. Parker and Manu returned from injury and Duncan continued his stellar play and the Spurs steadily worked its way up to the second seed which we have held on to for most of the season. So much for the inevitable decline…
The second half of the season unfortunately has had a few bumps along the way as well, with another injury to Manu Ginobili and a chronic knee problem with Duncan. Here Tony Parker has picked up the slack admirably, being mostly consistent (with a sprinkling of awful games) and showing some leadership qualities I had previously questioned he had. Various role players have stepped up as well during this stretch, notably Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley (with the occasional Udoka sighting). Now at the tail end of the regular season we have had some important victories and some unnecessary losses; yet we still remain the second seed in the West…
Now, I’d like to share some thoughts on the season as a whole and on a couple players in particular as well.
First off, I think we have had a remarkable season thus far, though a frustrating one as well. We have had a lot of injuries to major players which naturally has had a big impact on our play, and our game plan. We have had to work harder for victories with less talent available, and we have been unable to hammer out a comfortable rotation in such a turbulent season. That is disappointing in a sense because I’d have liked to be fresh for the playoffs and I would like to feel comfortable about the players on the floor rather then wondering if perhaps someone else shouldn’t be getting so-and-so’s minutes. Still, I think it has been necessary to steer us to where we are at this point in the season, currently a 45-win team projected to win 55 or so games despite the chaos we have had to endure. Many other playoff teams in the West have had injuries to one major player (Lakers;Bynum, Dallas;Terry, Hornets;Chandler) but no one except the Utah Jazz have had to deal with multiple extended injuries like the Spurs. Ultimately I can’t complain where we are at right now given the circumstances; I can however expect that in the remainder of this season a proper rotation is hammered down, and a steady and strong finish to the regular season as the second seed. I hope Pop manages to smooth out a lineup prepared to play their best ball together and I fully expect a more consistent game plan going into the playoffs (I do trust Pop will have it nailed to the church door in time however, he always does).
A number of players I think should also be discussed. Some for exceeding expectations and others…
Tim Duncan: Not much can be said about Tim Duncan which hasn’t been said before. He was integral during the beginning of our season to keep us afloat during the extended injuries. He’s always been a leader on the court and he was again this season. I think he is largely responsible for getting the best out of a lot of role players that would fail on other teams. I think a great example of this is with rookie George Hill. He was thrust into a very difficult situation when Parker went down, to be the starting PG for a long stretch. Duncan’s leadership went a long way to explain what needed to be done on and off the court in the Spurs’ system and Hill felt comfortable in following his orders. Clearly he makes a lot of players feel at ease in well-defined roles that they have within the system. His talent on the court doesn’t really need to be mentioned; it’s self-evident after a decade of consistent play.
Tony Parker: I will say right now that Tony Parker is my favorite player in the league and due to this I might not be entirely objective about his play. With that said, I feel that Parker this year is truly an elite PG and that this ought to be visible to everyone out there (yes, Chris Paul and Deron Williams elite). With Manu being out for a large part of the year and Duncan out or struggling with some chronic problems for the second half, Parker has needed to step up and take a larger responsibility in both scoring and leading. I think he’s always had the ability to score with the best of them but I previously questioned his ability to lead a team without Duncan. Leading is not only being a vocal and commanding presence on the floor and telling your teammates what to do. You have to have a real idea of how you want to run your offense as well. Tony Parker understood how the offense ought to be run, what he needed to do, and what others needed to do and he was able to convey that to his teammates on the floor, just like Duncan has always done that in the past. I was mighty impressed in the Dallas and Portland games this season in how he commanded the offense. Duncan’s offensive merits looked expendable in these two games. If Parker can find a way to keep the offense going when his shot isn’t falling (Cavaliers/Portland2 games) just a little better I think we might seriously have to consider that he could be the future of this franchise when Duncan is finally finished. Especially after the all-star break, Parker has consistently been the best player on the Spurs’ roster, not Duncan, and I think people need to give him that credit rather then sweep those accolades over to the big man. Hopefully, he can continue his stellar play and in fact improve on it by next season (as he has been the last few).
Roger Mason: When evaluating the Spurs’ season one cannot overlook Roger Mason. A seemingly underwhelming Summer free agency seems a whole lot sweeter with the production Mason has given us at an affordable rate. He’s had one of the biggest impact on any free agent this season and is nowhere near the price tag of a lot of others. He was a big factor in keeping the season afloat in the early going and has adapted admirably to the Spurs’ ideals. As of late, his shot isn’t falling so well and that may generate a little bit of ire but regardless, he’s been an important factor to the season and is one of the main reasons I think we are better then last year. I’m not worried about his sometimes poor shooting as of late because most of those shots seem to be well advised (this was my only gripe with him early in the season, his irritating habit to shoot ill-advised shots). He is a confident player who will find his touch when it comes.
George Hill: After a disastrous Summer league Hill has definitely been a pleasant surprise this season. He hasn’t played all that many minutes but he shows some good effort on defense and I feel he has the talent (and build) to become an elite defender. With more consistent minutes, his offense has also been solid this season. He’s had some poor outings but a lot of it might be due to the inconsistent minutes he’s played as well as the role changes he’s had to endure from PG to SG. He’s looking relatively comfortable out there now and I think the Spurs organization did well to pick him up.
Kurt Thomas: Lastly, I’d just like to say that Kurt Thomas has vastly improved from last season. He seems to know better what is expected of him on the court and therefore does a much better job of executing. When you don’t need to think specifically about what to do in a game situation you can react a lot quicker and concentrate on the doing. This is clearly the case with KT. He’s been steady on offense and nothing short of excellent on defense, and I think a lot of people (not necessarily on these boards) underestimate the impact that he is having. Come playoff time, he will play a major role and I think Pop will increase his minutes to give us a better defensive setup.
Others: Obviously there are a lot of other players that I can discuss but this is getting too long as it is. I think Michael Finley ought to be mentioned for his consistent good play this season. He had a bit of a slump before the all-star break but hes had many solid games and a couple of exceptional ones. The guy can still shoot, occasionally drive, and play acceptable defense. He gets burned sometimes by better athletes but I don’t see him making too many boneheaded mistakes. Udoka can also be mentioned here shortly as hes had some solid minutes as of late. I definitely like his energy and his defense out there, and despite what a lot of people say, he takes mostly good shots, but unfortunately his offense still isn’t too reliable. If he gets consistent minutes till the playoffs though I have hope he can continue to improve his confidence and actually aid us rather then hinder us in the playoffs. Lastly, I’ll mention our piteous starting center, Mathew Bon-Bons Bonner whom I really don’t like much. Stick the man on the bench and throw him in if we want a big who can shoot the three. For a center I much prefer KT who is much more of a warrior around the basket on the defensive end and the boards.
I won’t evaluate Manu, who’s been injured, Gooden who’s new, and any other player who hasn’t gotten sufficient minutes to show what he’s made of.
I would like to add as well my predictions as to how this season will end for the Spurs, and the big question, whether they can win it all this season and what needs to be done to maximize that chance. Unfortunately I am too tired of writing and too intoxicated to continue that tonight. If you’ve read this far I commend you and I promise I will add some thoughts on the truly interesting part of the season yet to come. I will say however, that we definately are better then last year, and that although our main rival The Los Angeles Lakers have also improved, not by the same margin as us.
Ciao,
Pentagruel.
The season is in fact coming to a close despite the still competitive Western Conference. Usually at this point in the season I would like to take a look at the Spurs’ season in retrospect and evaluate their accomplishments (and shortcomings). However, since this year the season seems far from over I’d like to make a little prediction as to the rest of the season, and the playoffs to come as well.
To begin, a succinct summary of the Spurs’ season (ok, maybe not too succinct).
Preseason looked rather bleak for the Spurs, with no major free agent signings and a disappointing draft with George Hill botching the job during Summer league with numerous poor outings, and most troublesome, awful shot selection which is a considerable sin in the Spurs’ system. Media experts (if such a thing exists) gleefully predicted the inevitable decline of a dynasty (it’s really going to be true this year folks!), NBA fans were in accordance, and Spurs fans were worried. I know I was. The beginning of the year was no less worrisome. With Manu Ginobili injured we began the year with a meager 1-4 record. Shortly thereafter Tony Parker was injured. Nonetheless, as the Spurs always do, we persevered thanks to the ever consistent play by Tim Duncan and far better then expected play from the supporting cast (Mason, Hill). With two of the big three injured we could do far worse then the 8 seed in a tight Western Conference. Parker and Manu returned from injury and Duncan continued his stellar play and the Spurs steadily worked its way up to the second seed which we have held on to for most of the season. So much for the inevitable decline…
The second half of the season unfortunately has had a few bumps along the way as well, with another injury to Manu Ginobili and a chronic knee problem with Duncan. Here Tony Parker has picked up the slack admirably, being mostly consistent (with a sprinkling of awful games) and showing some leadership qualities I had previously questioned he had. Various role players have stepped up as well during this stretch, notably Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley (with the occasional Udoka sighting). Now at the tail end of the regular season we have had some important victories and some unnecessary losses; yet we still remain the second seed in the West…
Now, I’d like to share some thoughts on the season as a whole and on a couple players in particular as well.
First off, I think we have had a remarkable season thus far, though a frustrating one as well. We have had a lot of injuries to major players which naturally has had a big impact on our play, and our game plan. We have had to work harder for victories with less talent available, and we have been unable to hammer out a comfortable rotation in such a turbulent season. That is disappointing in a sense because I’d have liked to be fresh for the playoffs and I would like to feel comfortable about the players on the floor rather then wondering if perhaps someone else shouldn’t be getting so-and-so’s minutes. Still, I think it has been necessary to steer us to where we are at this point in the season, currently a 45-win team projected to win 55 or so games despite the chaos we have had to endure. Many other playoff teams in the West have had injuries to one major player (Lakers;Bynum, Dallas;Terry, Hornets;Chandler) but no one except the Utah Jazz have had to deal with multiple extended injuries like the Spurs. Ultimately I can’t complain where we are at right now given the circumstances; I can however expect that in the remainder of this season a proper rotation is hammered down, and a steady and strong finish to the regular season as the second seed. I hope Pop manages to smooth out a lineup prepared to play their best ball together and I fully expect a more consistent game plan going into the playoffs (I do trust Pop will have it nailed to the church door in time however, he always does).
A number of players I think should also be discussed. Some for exceeding expectations and others…
Tim Duncan: Not much can be said about Tim Duncan which hasn’t been said before. He was integral during the beginning of our season to keep us afloat during the extended injuries. He’s always been a leader on the court and he was again this season. I think he is largely responsible for getting the best out of a lot of role players that would fail on other teams. I think a great example of this is with rookie George Hill. He was thrust into a very difficult situation when Parker went down, to be the starting PG for a long stretch. Duncan’s leadership went a long way to explain what needed to be done on and off the court in the Spurs’ system and Hill felt comfortable in following his orders. Clearly he makes a lot of players feel at ease in well-defined roles that they have within the system. His talent on the court doesn’t really need to be mentioned; it’s self-evident after a decade of consistent play.
Tony Parker: I will say right now that Tony Parker is my favorite player in the league and due to this I might not be entirely objective about his play. With that said, I feel that Parker this year is truly an elite PG and that this ought to be visible to everyone out there (yes, Chris Paul and Deron Williams elite). With Manu being out for a large part of the year and Duncan out or struggling with some chronic problems for the second half, Parker has needed to step up and take a larger responsibility in both scoring and leading. I think he’s always had the ability to score with the best of them but I previously questioned his ability to lead a team without Duncan. Leading is not only being a vocal and commanding presence on the floor and telling your teammates what to do. You have to have a real idea of how you want to run your offense as well. Tony Parker understood how the offense ought to be run, what he needed to do, and what others needed to do and he was able to convey that to his teammates on the floor, just like Duncan has always done that in the past. I was mighty impressed in the Dallas and Portland games this season in how he commanded the offense. Duncan’s offensive merits looked expendable in these two games. If Parker can find a way to keep the offense going when his shot isn’t falling (Cavaliers/Portland2 games) just a little better I think we might seriously have to consider that he could be the future of this franchise when Duncan is finally finished. Especially after the all-star break, Parker has consistently been the best player on the Spurs’ roster, not Duncan, and I think people need to give him that credit rather then sweep those accolades over to the big man. Hopefully, he can continue his stellar play and in fact improve on it by next season (as he has been the last few).
Roger Mason: When evaluating the Spurs’ season one cannot overlook Roger Mason. A seemingly underwhelming Summer free agency seems a whole lot sweeter with the production Mason has given us at an affordable rate. He’s had one of the biggest impact on any free agent this season and is nowhere near the price tag of a lot of others. He was a big factor in keeping the season afloat in the early going and has adapted admirably to the Spurs’ ideals. As of late, his shot isn’t falling so well and that may generate a little bit of ire but regardless, he’s been an important factor to the season and is one of the main reasons I think we are better then last year. I’m not worried about his sometimes poor shooting as of late because most of those shots seem to be well advised (this was my only gripe with him early in the season, his irritating habit to shoot ill-advised shots). He is a confident player who will find his touch when it comes.
George Hill: After a disastrous Summer league Hill has definitely been a pleasant surprise this season. He hasn’t played all that many minutes but he shows some good effort on defense and I feel he has the talent (and build) to become an elite defender. With more consistent minutes, his offense has also been solid this season. He’s had some poor outings but a lot of it might be due to the inconsistent minutes he’s played as well as the role changes he’s had to endure from PG to SG. He’s looking relatively comfortable out there now and I think the Spurs organization did well to pick him up.
Kurt Thomas: Lastly, I’d just like to say that Kurt Thomas has vastly improved from last season. He seems to know better what is expected of him on the court and therefore does a much better job of executing. When you don’t need to think specifically about what to do in a game situation you can react a lot quicker and concentrate on the doing. This is clearly the case with KT. He’s been steady on offense and nothing short of excellent on defense, and I think a lot of people (not necessarily on these boards) underestimate the impact that he is having. Come playoff time, he will play a major role and I think Pop will increase his minutes to give us a better defensive setup.
Others: Obviously there are a lot of other players that I can discuss but this is getting too long as it is. I think Michael Finley ought to be mentioned for his consistent good play this season. He had a bit of a slump before the all-star break but hes had many solid games and a couple of exceptional ones. The guy can still shoot, occasionally drive, and play acceptable defense. He gets burned sometimes by better athletes but I don’t see him making too many boneheaded mistakes. Udoka can also be mentioned here shortly as hes had some solid minutes as of late. I definitely like his energy and his defense out there, and despite what a lot of people say, he takes mostly good shots, but unfortunately his offense still isn’t too reliable. If he gets consistent minutes till the playoffs though I have hope he can continue to improve his confidence and actually aid us rather then hinder us in the playoffs. Lastly, I’ll mention our piteous starting center, Mathew Bon-Bons Bonner whom I really don’t like much. Stick the man on the bench and throw him in if we want a big who can shoot the three. For a center I much prefer KT who is much more of a warrior around the basket on the defensive end and the boards.
I won’t evaluate Manu, who’s been injured, Gooden who’s new, and any other player who hasn’t gotten sufficient minutes to show what he’s made of.
I would like to add as well my predictions as to how this season will end for the Spurs, and the big question, whether they can win it all this season and what needs to be done to maximize that chance. Unfortunately I am too tired of writing and too intoxicated to continue that tonight. If you’ve read this far I commend you and I promise I will add some thoughts on the truly interesting part of the season yet to come. I will say however, that we definately are better then last year, and that although our main rival The Los Angeles Lakers have also improved, not by the same margin as us.
Ciao,
Pentagruel.