Jimcs50
04-29-2005, 10:59 AM
Spurs' top concern: Carmelo
San Antonio's defensive priority in series is keeping the Nuggets star in check
By Chris Dempsey
Denver Post Staff Writer
The Nuggets were 29-15 in the regular season when Carmelo Anthony scored 20 or more points.
San Antonio - While many among the media here were concerned about how the Spurs would stop Denver's Andre Miller after his 31-point outburst in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs kept quiet, answered the questions and remained focused on their No. 1 goal.
Stopping Carmelo Anthony.
The Nuggets star forward is in the Spurs' cross hairs, a marked man, the one player San Antonio knows it probably can't let loose and win the first-round series. And with good reason.
When Melo gets going, the Nuggets are usually at their best. Denver was 29-15 in the regular season when Anthony scored 20 or more points, but 18-13 when he didn't and 2-5 when he was sidelined by injury.
"He's been a big emphasis for us, that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday. "He's a great player, scores inside, scores outside. Team defense has been such that the emphasis has been on him in that regard, because we really respect what he can do."
Through two games, Anthony has scored 24 points on 11-of-28 shooting and was a nonfactor in Game 2 with one first-half basket as the Spurs took a 31-point halftime lead.
"They're not going to let Carmelo get going," Nuggets guard Earl Boykins said. "They're going to double-team him, triple-team him at times, and other guys on the team are going to have to step up."
San Antonio has kept multiple eyes on him and multiple bodies around him. Defensive specialist Bruce Bowen is the Spurs' primary defender against Anthony, but in the first two games San Antonio has used a pack mentality. They double-team Anthony at times, and at other times run hard at him to make it look like a double team is coming. And if Anthony makes a move to the lane, multiple defenders are there to harass him.
Spurs guard Tony Parker said that's the plan.
"We just want to make sure he gets no easy looks," Parker said. "No lobs. Every time he touches the ball, we're going to double-team him and make sure he doesn't get going, because he's a big part of Denver's offense."
The result has been two un-Melo-like performances. His 12-point average pales next to his season average of 20.8. He's shooting 39.3 percent, slightly below his 43.1 percent average during the regular season.
Anthony's frustration against San Antonio is nothing new. During the regular season, he averaged 17.8 points against the Spurs but shot just 30.3 percent from the field.
NUGGETS-SPURS SCHEDULE
GAME 1 | Nuggets 93, Spurs 87
GAME 2 | Spurs 104, Nuggets 76
GAME 3 | Saturday at Denver, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/Altitude
GAME 4 | Monday at Denver, TNT/Altitude
GAME 5 | Wed. at San Antonio, TBD
GAME 6 | Friday, May 6, at Denver, TBD, if necessary
GAME 7 | Sunday, May 8, at San Antonio, TBD, if necessary
It's similar to what he went through in his first playoff experience a year ago, when the Minnesota Timberwolves made it clear Anthony would not be allowed to beat them.
Nuggets forward Marcus Camby acknowledged after Game 2 that Anthony "hasn't been himself" and that Denver has to find a way to jump-start its star. Anthony did not make himself available to the media Thursday.
Nuggets coach George Karl said Anthony played well in the second half Wednesday. Karl wants Anthony to build off that effort Saturday night in Game 3.
"I thought Melo had a pretty good third quarter last night," Karl said. "He probably would have had a lot more (points) if we would have played more. Statistics don't always tell the truth. I enjoyed how Carmelo came back after a 1-for-9 first half. He came down, got very productive shots and was a little more in control. That's a positive we can take into Game 3."
Footnotes
Popovich said he hasn't decided whether he will start Brent Barry instead of Manu Ginobili at shooting guard in Game 3, as he did Wednesday night. Both players had outstanding shooting games. ... Though guard Devin Brown and center Rasho Nesterovic returned from injuries in Game 2, Popovich said he doesn't expect either to be in the regular rotation at any time in the series.
San Antonio's defensive priority in series is keeping the Nuggets star in check
By Chris Dempsey
Denver Post Staff Writer
The Nuggets were 29-15 in the regular season when Carmelo Anthony scored 20 or more points.
San Antonio - While many among the media here were concerned about how the Spurs would stop Denver's Andre Miller after his 31-point outburst in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs kept quiet, answered the questions and remained focused on their No. 1 goal.
Stopping Carmelo Anthony.
The Nuggets star forward is in the Spurs' cross hairs, a marked man, the one player San Antonio knows it probably can't let loose and win the first-round series. And with good reason.
When Melo gets going, the Nuggets are usually at their best. Denver was 29-15 in the regular season when Anthony scored 20 or more points, but 18-13 when he didn't and 2-5 when he was sidelined by injury.
"He's been a big emphasis for us, that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday. "He's a great player, scores inside, scores outside. Team defense has been such that the emphasis has been on him in that regard, because we really respect what he can do."
Through two games, Anthony has scored 24 points on 11-of-28 shooting and was a nonfactor in Game 2 with one first-half basket as the Spurs took a 31-point halftime lead.
"They're not going to let Carmelo get going," Nuggets guard Earl Boykins said. "They're going to double-team him, triple-team him at times, and other guys on the team are going to have to step up."
San Antonio has kept multiple eyes on him and multiple bodies around him. Defensive specialist Bruce Bowen is the Spurs' primary defender against Anthony, but in the first two games San Antonio has used a pack mentality. They double-team Anthony at times, and at other times run hard at him to make it look like a double team is coming. And if Anthony makes a move to the lane, multiple defenders are there to harass him.
Spurs guard Tony Parker said that's the plan.
"We just want to make sure he gets no easy looks," Parker said. "No lobs. Every time he touches the ball, we're going to double-team him and make sure he doesn't get going, because he's a big part of Denver's offense."
The result has been two un-Melo-like performances. His 12-point average pales next to his season average of 20.8. He's shooting 39.3 percent, slightly below his 43.1 percent average during the regular season.
Anthony's frustration against San Antonio is nothing new. During the regular season, he averaged 17.8 points against the Spurs but shot just 30.3 percent from the field.
NUGGETS-SPURS SCHEDULE
GAME 1 | Nuggets 93, Spurs 87
GAME 2 | Spurs 104, Nuggets 76
GAME 3 | Saturday at Denver, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/Altitude
GAME 4 | Monday at Denver, TNT/Altitude
GAME 5 | Wed. at San Antonio, TBD
GAME 6 | Friday, May 6, at Denver, TBD, if necessary
GAME 7 | Sunday, May 8, at San Antonio, TBD, if necessary
It's similar to what he went through in his first playoff experience a year ago, when the Minnesota Timberwolves made it clear Anthony would not be allowed to beat them.
Nuggets forward Marcus Camby acknowledged after Game 2 that Anthony "hasn't been himself" and that Denver has to find a way to jump-start its star. Anthony did not make himself available to the media Thursday.
Nuggets coach George Karl said Anthony played well in the second half Wednesday. Karl wants Anthony to build off that effort Saturday night in Game 3.
"I thought Melo had a pretty good third quarter last night," Karl said. "He probably would have had a lot more (points) if we would have played more. Statistics don't always tell the truth. I enjoyed how Carmelo came back after a 1-for-9 first half. He came down, got very productive shots and was a little more in control. That's a positive we can take into Game 3."
Footnotes
Popovich said he hasn't decided whether he will start Brent Barry instead of Manu Ginobili at shooting guard in Game 3, as he did Wednesday night. Both players had outstanding shooting games. ... Though guard Devin Brown and center Rasho Nesterovic returned from injuries in Game 2, Popovich said he doesn't expect either to be in the regular rotation at any time in the series.