duncan228
04-19-2009, 07:48 PM
Spurs ponder options after loss to Dallas Mavericks (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/042009dnspospurssider.2c01628.html)
By Gaylon Krizak / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
SAN ANTONIO – The biggest problem with the San Antonio Spurs' defensive game plan in Game 1? It worked.
The Spurs got Dirk Nowitzki in early foul trouble. They limited Jason Terry to a relatively quiet 12 points in 35 minutes. They did what coach Gregg Popovich labeled "a great job" in transition defense.
They wanted to make the "other" Mavericks beat them. The Mavericks did, 105-97.
Which makes the question heading into tonight's Game 2 at the AT&T Center: Now what?
"If you lose, it's 'What will you change in your game plan?' right?" Popovich asked after the Spurs' Sunday practice. "Yeah, we'll make some adjustments. Even if you win, you make some adjustments."
Such as?
"We stuck to the game plan pretty well, but let some other guys get off," swingman Ime Udoka said. "So we'll focus more on other guys as well as trying to have our main focus be on Dirk and Jason Terry. But we understand that we can't just let guys get open shots.
"We were so focused on Dirk that we weren't really hedging and stopping the ball. A guy like [J.J. Barea] steps up and has an opportunity; he was somewhat unexpected, but we know what he can do. It'll just be more of a focus on him now; what we do to most guards all year."
Popovich's main area of focus Sunday appeared to be working to keep the Mavericks off the offensive boards.
The Mavericks had a 21-8 edge Saturday in second-chance points, even though the Mavs actually had fewer offensive rebounds (10) than the Spurs (12).
"What really were the factors that got away from us were the 21 points they got on the offensive boards," Popovich said. "A good portion of that was Barea getting into the middle; that helped [Erick Dampier] be as effective as he was at the rim."
The Spurs have dealt with early series adversity. Not only was Saturday's loss the Spurs' third in a row in a playoff series opener, but each of the franchise's four NBA championship teams – 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 – lost one of its first two home playoff games.
"We're good," Udoka said. "We didn't play terrible, but it was a few mistakes we made that cost us. Down one game, it isn't the end of the series. We know there's still a long way to go, and everybody seems upbeat."
So the Spurs remain confident. But as newest Spur Drew Gooden pointed out, that can be a double-edged sword.
"It's a comfort, but at the same time, that can be an Achilles' heel, being comfortable," said Gooden, who scored eight points in not quite 18 minutes in his Spurs playoff debut. "If you're satisfied, all forward progress has ceased."
By Gaylon Krizak / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
SAN ANTONIO – The biggest problem with the San Antonio Spurs' defensive game plan in Game 1? It worked.
The Spurs got Dirk Nowitzki in early foul trouble. They limited Jason Terry to a relatively quiet 12 points in 35 minutes. They did what coach Gregg Popovich labeled "a great job" in transition defense.
They wanted to make the "other" Mavericks beat them. The Mavericks did, 105-97.
Which makes the question heading into tonight's Game 2 at the AT&T Center: Now what?
"If you lose, it's 'What will you change in your game plan?' right?" Popovich asked after the Spurs' Sunday practice. "Yeah, we'll make some adjustments. Even if you win, you make some adjustments."
Such as?
"We stuck to the game plan pretty well, but let some other guys get off," swingman Ime Udoka said. "So we'll focus more on other guys as well as trying to have our main focus be on Dirk and Jason Terry. But we understand that we can't just let guys get open shots.
"We were so focused on Dirk that we weren't really hedging and stopping the ball. A guy like [J.J. Barea] steps up and has an opportunity; he was somewhat unexpected, but we know what he can do. It'll just be more of a focus on him now; what we do to most guards all year."
Popovich's main area of focus Sunday appeared to be working to keep the Mavericks off the offensive boards.
The Mavericks had a 21-8 edge Saturday in second-chance points, even though the Mavs actually had fewer offensive rebounds (10) than the Spurs (12).
"What really were the factors that got away from us were the 21 points they got on the offensive boards," Popovich said. "A good portion of that was Barea getting into the middle; that helped [Erick Dampier] be as effective as he was at the rim."
The Spurs have dealt with early series adversity. Not only was Saturday's loss the Spurs' third in a row in a playoff series opener, but each of the franchise's four NBA championship teams – 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 – lost one of its first two home playoff games.
"We're good," Udoka said. "We didn't play terrible, but it was a few mistakes we made that cost us. Down one game, it isn't the end of the series. We know there's still a long way to go, and everybody seems upbeat."
So the Spurs remain confident. But as newest Spur Drew Gooden pointed out, that can be a double-edged sword.
"It's a comfort, but at the same time, that can be an Achilles' heel, being comfortable," said Gooden, who scored eight points in not quite 18 minutes in his Spurs playoff debut. "If you're satisfied, all forward progress has ceased."