timvp
11-05-2009, 05:42 AM
On Halloween, Manu Ginobili delivered the knockout blow to the pesky bat seen 'round the world. Oh yeah, the Spurs also played some basketball that night against the Kings.
The Kings were able to keep the game relatively close for most of the first half before the Spurs blew it open late in the second quarter. After the Kings made it a 45-41 game with five minutes to go in the period, the Spurs closed the half on a 16-4 run and never looked back. When it was all said and done, San Antonio had a 113-94 victory.
Sacramento is going to post a bad record once again this season. They have some young talent, namely Kevin Martin, but they need another star to emerge before they can hope to hop out of the Western Conference cellar.
Overall, the Spurs have to be happy with the performance. Heading into an extended break in the schedule, the stars were able to rest and the bench got extra playing time.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
22:18 minutes, seven points, 10 rebounds
3-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
The Spurs didn't need much out of Tim Duncan. In his 22 minutes, he rebounded well and played above average defense. He wasn't too demonstrative on the offensive end because the Spurs were scoring with ease simply by running their motion offense. Over the first three games of the season, he's averaging only 26.3 minutes per game. If that number can be held around 30 for the season, that would be fantastic.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
21:30 minutes, 13 points, three assists, one batted bat
5-for-7 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
The bat incident was awesome. I can't get enough of that replay. The rest of his work on Halloween was also impressive. Offensively, he was extremely active in making plays for himself and others. On the defensive end, he kept his energy level high and he was one of San Antonio's best answers to stopping Kevin Martin. So far this season, I don't have anything to complain about regarding Ginobili. The only worrisome aspect of his game right now is that he's shooting only 23.1% on three-pointers. Last year he also struggled from beyond the three-point line so let's hope this isn't a downward trend we are witnessing. If he can get his long range shooting to back around 40%, there's no reason why he can't be as effective as ever on the offensive end.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
26:40 minutes, 24 points, seven assists, three rebounds, two steals
10-for-16 from the field, 4-for-4 from the line
Tony Parker was bad against the Bulls. Versus the Kings, he bounced back in a big way. Parker was by far the most dominant player on the court. Despite cramming 24 points and seven assists into only 27 minutes, he did so while only committing one turnover. When he's attacking the basket and forcing the defense to rotate, this year's squad has a number of weapons that can make the opponent pay.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
26:33 minutes, 21 points, two rebounds
7-for-8 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
The first two games of his Spurs career were shaky. Thankfully, Richard Jefferson was able to get on track in his third outing. He nailed all but one of his eight field goal attempts and looked much more confident and relaxed. Defensively, he struggled at times and played well at other times but the good news is that he competed on defense with a high amount of effort. Hopefully Jefferson can build on this game and become the consistent fourth scorer this team needs.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
15:28 minutes, seven points, two assists
3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Since the beginning of the preseason, Michael Finley has shot the ball extremely well. On Halloween, he continued his hot shooting ways. On the other end, Finley's defense was sub par due to a lack of quickness against the younger more athletic perimeter players on the Kings. All in all, as long as Finley keeps shooting well, he doesn't hurt the team's chances of winning.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
21:54 minutes, seven points, two rebounds
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Matt Bonner got another start at center and had a typical game. He shot well, played solid man-to-man defense and stayed out of the way. However, Bonner's rebounding just keeps getting worse. He started off last year rebounding well but has plummeted to the point that he's one of the worst rebounding bigmen in the league. It's difficult to imagine Pop will continue to give Bonner minutes in the everyday rotation if he keeps rebounding like a shooting guard.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
24:33 minutes, six points, two assists, two turnovers
2-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. continues to be the one perimeter player in the rotation who isn't shooting well. His 2-for-7 outing lowered his field goal percentage to 31.8% and he's not doing much else to offset his shooting woes. While it's obviously still early, an extended shooting slump could easily push Mason out of the rotation.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
21:20 minutes, 18 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two turnovers
7-for-12 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
I was critical of George Hill's first two games this season but I really liked what I saw out of him on Halloween. He provided an immediate spark with aggressive play offensively and defensively. The improvements he's made in terms of taking the ball to the basket with authority and finishing powerfully have been great to see. Hill still has yet to show much playmaking ability but the fact that he's leading the team in points per minute so far this season has overshadowed that shortcoming.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://dailyelements.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
26:16 minutes, five points, ten rebounds, two steals, three turnovers
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
It's always interesting to watch how Pop decides to treat a new player. Sometimes he takes a laidback approach. Sometimes he takes an in-your-face approach. With DeJuah Blair, it appears as if it will be the latter. At one point late in the third quarter, the Kings got a few offensive rebounds in a row and Pop was unhappy. I believe his exact quote was: "Blair! Grab a f%@#ing rebound!" Blair listened and went on to grab about five boards in the next few minutes. Overall, it wasn't a great game for the beastly rookie but ten rebounds in 26 minutes is nothing to be sad about. Blair needs a lot of work defensively and his stamina is very questionable but he's still an exciting prospect.
-------------------------------
Theo Ratliff
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3020.jpg
24:33 minutes, three points, two rebounds, four blocks, three turnovers
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
With Antonio McDyess out with flu-like symptoms, Theo Ratliff got his first extended playing time with the Spurs. His much talked about shotblocking ability was the aspect of his game that was most impressive. He has great timing and is always looking to add another block to his career total. Offensively it was ugly but once he figures out he just needs to be a finisher, he should become adequate on that end. In recent years, he has been a deceptively poor rebounder, so that's an area to watch as the season unfolds.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop didn't need to do much. The bench played well enough to give the stars ample rest. He seems to be struggling when it comes to trusting Blair and letting him make rookie mistakes so it'll be interesting to see if Blair keeps getting minutes once the schedule gets tougher. And that starting lineup featuring both Finley and Bonner ... how long will it last?
-------------------------------
Offense
The Spurs offense wasn't flowing perfectly but they were able to create shots so easily that it didn't really matter. On the night, the team shot 58.1% from the field and hit 8-of-16 three-pointers and 19-of-24 free throws. The 17 turnovers were high, especially since the Spurs only racked up 19 assists.
Defense
The defense wasn't very good in the first or third quarter but we saw some quality D in the second and fourth quarters. The Kings finished at 44.6% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the three-point arc. The Spurs also forced 18 turnovers while allowing only 16 assists. The ten steals and seven blocked shots were both easily season-highs for the team.
Drive to Five
In a few days, we'll have a much better idea of how good this team really is at this point of the season. With a back-to-back in Utah and then in Portland on the horizon, the Spurs will have their cohesiveness and chemistry tested.
Believe.
The Kings were able to keep the game relatively close for most of the first half before the Spurs blew it open late in the second quarter. After the Kings made it a 45-41 game with five minutes to go in the period, the Spurs closed the half on a 16-4 run and never looked back. When it was all said and done, San Antonio had a 113-94 victory.
Sacramento is going to post a bad record once again this season. They have some young talent, namely Kevin Martin, but they need another star to emerge before they can hope to hop out of the Western Conference cellar.
Overall, the Spurs have to be happy with the performance. Heading into an extended break in the schedule, the stars were able to rest and the bench got extra playing time.
Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
22:18 minutes, seven points, 10 rebounds
3-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
The Spurs didn't need much out of Tim Duncan. In his 22 minutes, he rebounded well and played above average defense. He wasn't too demonstrative on the offensive end because the Spurs were scoring with ease simply by running their motion offense. Over the first three games of the season, he's averaging only 26.3 minutes per game. If that number can be held around 30 for the season, that would be fantastic.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
21:30 minutes, 13 points, three assists, one batted bat
5-for-7 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
The bat incident was awesome. I can't get enough of that replay. The rest of his work on Halloween was also impressive. Offensively, he was extremely active in making plays for himself and others. On the defensive end, he kept his energy level high and he was one of San Antonio's best answers to stopping Kevin Martin. So far this season, I don't have anything to complain about regarding Ginobili. The only worrisome aspect of his game right now is that he's shooting only 23.1% on three-pointers. Last year he also struggled from beyond the three-point line so let's hope this isn't a downward trend we are witnessing. If he can get his long range shooting to back around 40%, there's no reason why he can't be as effective as ever on the offensive end.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
26:40 minutes, 24 points, seven assists, three rebounds, two steals
10-for-16 from the field, 4-for-4 from the line
Tony Parker was bad against the Bulls. Versus the Kings, he bounced back in a big way. Parker was by far the most dominant player on the court. Despite cramming 24 points and seven assists into only 27 minutes, he did so while only committing one turnover. When he's attacking the basket and forcing the defense to rotate, this year's squad has a number of weapons that can make the opponent pay.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3523.jpg
26:33 minutes, 21 points, two rebounds
7-for-8 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
The first two games of his Spurs career were shaky. Thankfully, Richard Jefferson was able to get on track in his third outing. He nailed all but one of his eight field goal attempts and looked much more confident and relaxed. Defensively, he struggled at times and played well at other times but the good news is that he competed on defense with a high amount of effort. Hopefully Jefferson can build on this game and become the consistent fourth scorer this team needs.
-------------------------------
Michael Finley
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
15:28 minutes, seven points, two assists
3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Since the beginning of the preseason, Michael Finley has shot the ball extremely well. On Halloween, he continued his hot shooting ways. On the other end, Finley's defense was sub par due to a lack of quickness against the younger more athletic perimeter players on the Kings. All in all, as long as Finley keeps shooting well, he doesn't hurt the team's chances of winning.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
21:54 minutes, seven points, two rebounds
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
Matt Bonner got another start at center and had a typical game. He shot well, played solid man-to-man defense and stayed out of the way. However, Bonner's rebounding just keeps getting worse. He started off last year rebounding well but has plummeted to the point that he's one of the worst rebounding bigmen in the league. It's difficult to imagine Pop will continue to give Bonner minutes in the everyday rotation if he keeps rebounding like a shooting guard.
-------------------------------
Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3628.jpg
24:33 minutes, six points, two assists, two turnovers
2-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. continues to be the one perimeter player in the rotation who isn't shooting well. His 2-for-7 outing lowered his field goal percentage to 31.8% and he's not doing much else to offset his shooting woes. While it's obviously still early, an extended shooting slump could easily push Mason out of the rotation.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
21:20 minutes, 18 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two turnovers
7-for-12 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
I was critical of George Hill's first two games this season but I really liked what I saw out of him on Halloween. He provided an immediate spark with aggressive play offensively and defensively. The improvements he's made in terms of taking the ball to the basket with authority and finishing powerfully have been great to see. Hill still has yet to show much playmaking ability but the fact that he's leading the team in points per minute so far this season has overshadowed that shortcoming.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://dailyelements.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
26:16 minutes, five points, ten rebounds, two steals, three turnovers
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
It's always interesting to watch how Pop decides to treat a new player. Sometimes he takes a laidback approach. Sometimes he takes an in-your-face approach. With DeJuah Blair, it appears as if it will be the latter. At one point late in the third quarter, the Kings got a few offensive rebounds in a row and Pop was unhappy. I believe his exact quote was: "Blair! Grab a f%@#ing rebound!" Blair listened and went on to grab about five boards in the next few minutes. Overall, it wasn't a great game for the beastly rookie but ten rebounds in 26 minutes is nothing to be sad about. Blair needs a lot of work defensively and his stamina is very questionable but he's still an exciting prospect.
-------------------------------
Theo Ratliff
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3020.jpg
24:33 minutes, three points, two rebounds, four blocks, three turnovers
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
With Antonio McDyess out with flu-like symptoms, Theo Ratliff got his first extended playing time with the Spurs. His much talked about shotblocking ability was the aspect of his game that was most impressive. He has great timing and is always looking to add another block to his career total. Offensively it was ugly but once he figures out he just needs to be a finisher, he should become adequate on that end. In recent years, he has been a deceptively poor rebounder, so that's an area to watch as the season unfolds.
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg
Pop didn't need to do much. The bench played well enough to give the stars ample rest. He seems to be struggling when it comes to trusting Blair and letting him make rookie mistakes so it'll be interesting to see if Blair keeps getting minutes once the schedule gets tougher. And that starting lineup featuring both Finley and Bonner ... how long will it last?
-------------------------------
Offense
The Spurs offense wasn't flowing perfectly but they were able to create shots so easily that it didn't really matter. On the night, the team shot 58.1% from the field and hit 8-of-16 three-pointers and 19-of-24 free throws. The 17 turnovers were high, especially since the Spurs only racked up 19 assists.
Defense
The defense wasn't very good in the first or third quarter but we saw some quality D in the second and fourth quarters. The Kings finished at 44.6% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the three-point arc. The Spurs also forced 18 turnovers while allowing only 16 assists. The ten steals and seven blocked shots were both easily season-highs for the team.
Drive to Five
In a few days, we'll have a much better idea of how good this team really is at this point of the season. With a back-to-back in Utah and then in Portland on the horizon, the Spurs will have their cohesiveness and chemistry tested.
Believe.