A scout tells the truth: Spurs still in title mix

[duncan228]

Hit the link for the reasons.


A scout tells the truth: Spurs still in title mix (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mike_monroe/a_scout_tells_the_truth_spurs_still_in_title_mix_1 05453108.html?showFullArticle=y)
Mike Monroe

...Eliminating the Spurs from a list of NBA teams with a real chance of winning the 2011 title, he believes, is foolhardy.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mike_monroe/a_scout_tells_the_truth_spurs_still_in_title_mix_1 05453108.html?showFullArticle=y

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

The most telling quote in the article, referring to the playoffs:

"Then, it will be a new season, one for which Splitter is prepared, which is why our scout believes the Spurs must remain part of the title conversation."

Splitter thrives under big-game pressure, as demonstrated in Europe and particularly the Spanish domestic league, last year. That's a very good sign.

[AussieFanKurt]

Spurs are in top 5 definitely, have to wait and see how season pans out. At the moment, I'm only about 30% that we'll make WCF

[phyzik]

Spurs are in top 5 definitely, have to wait and see how season pans out. At the moment, I'm only about 30% that we'll make WCF

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs

7 and 8 could be swapped between the Mavs and Spurs. Before the Mav crew gets all pussy-hurt, The ONLY reason I put Spurs above the Mavs is because we outed them last year. Thunder are ahead of the spurs and Suns IMHO because they actually gave the Lakers a run. Everyone else should be self-explanatory. Perhaps the only questionable pick I have is Orlando, I may admitedly be over-rating them a bit but I think they can beat the celtics in a 7 game series.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I don't see the Suns in the top 8 teams in the league, rest look okay tho.

[analyzed]

Based on this player scouting report. Dice seems to be more important than Blair come playoff time. I tend to agree given we will be playing bigger frontlines in the playoffs and hitting the outsdide jumper is key. I think Dice will be our most important big man , outside of TD and Splitter.

Also obvious is how critical it is for Anderson to be ready to give quality minutes as main back-up wing come playoff time.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s...age=1#storytop (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/scouting_the_spurs20101023.html?c=y&page=1#storytop)

[analyzed]

I wouln't make to much of the following weaknesses mentioned by scout:

1. Back-up shooting guard: Let's face it Hill is our back up shooting guard ( backup to Manu) . and is a heck of a back-up SG. ( the scout is assuming Hill mainly plays back-up PG ) which brings me the the 2nd concern

2. Hills ability to run the point: ( pick n role etc) . Again let's face it when Tony is out , Manu actually is our point guard disguised as a SG. While Hill admitedly struggles creating , he strives on the weakside of the ball ( corner etc) playing actually as catch and shoot or Two guard.

The scout is looking it in traditional linear view of PG , SG. and back-up per postion. The thing is the Spurs rotation and use of guards TP, Manu and Hill is not traditional.
Bottom line the Spurs probably have the best backcourt (inlcudes sub) in the NBA. It definetly is not a weakness but a strength

[DrSteffo]

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs

7 and 8 could be swapped between the Mavs and Spurs. Before the Mav crew gets all pussy-hurt, The ONLY reason I put Spurs above the Mavs is because we outed them last year. Thunder are ahead of the spurs and Suns IMHO because they actually gave the Lakers a run. Everyone else should be self-explanatory. Perhaps the only questionable pick I have is Orlando, I may admitedly be over-rating them a bit but I think they can beat the celtics in a 7 game series.

Decent list but the Suns as high as 6? Really? It seems they can't defend shit.

[Spurs Brazil]

If Hill, Manu and TP stay healthy I don't think we'll have trouble with the PG/SG rotation. But if one of them miss some time and Neal and Temple need to play 20-25 minutes I'm worry.

The backup SF is also a big question mark. I'd like to have a solid vet in case of Anderson struggles but Simmons is not that guy.

Our big men rotation look very solid


The Spurs won championships, the scout pointed out, with Rasho Nesterovic, Nazr Muhammad and Fabricio Oberto playing alongside Duncan.

Damn Monroe

[Spurs Brazil]

Here is the complete scout report, player by player

Scouting the Spurs
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/scouting_the_spurs20101023.html?showFullArticle=y


DeJuan Blair
I’m not a huge fan. I think he’s a situational player when he plays against teams where he can take advantage of smaller bigs. In situations where he is up against length, he’s not so good.

[SenorSpur]

I wouln't make to much of the following weaknesses mentioned by scout:

1. Back-up shooting guard: Let's face it Hill is our back up shooting guard ( backup to Manu) . and is a heck of a back-up SG. ( the scout is assuming Hill mainly plays back-up PG ) which brings me the the 2nd concern

2. Hills ability to run the point: ( pick n role etc) . Again let's face it when Tony is out , Manu actually is our point guard disguised as a SG. While Hill admitedly struggles creating , he strives on the weakside of the ball ( corner etc) playing actually as catch and shoot or Two guard.

The scout is looking it in traditional linear view of PG , SG. and back-up per postion. The thing is the Spurs rotation and use of guards TP, Manu and Hill is not traditional.
Bottom line the Spurs probably have the best backcourt (inlcudes sub) in the NBA. It definetly is not a weakness but a strength

I would. Those are actually legitimate concerns.

The scout was correct when expressing concerns as to whether or not Hill can provide the instant, off-the-bench, production that Ginobili has. The scout was dead-on because remember, even if Hill is successful at creating offense for himself, he's not shown the ability to create offense for others.

The scout is also correct about Hill's handles - they're not great nor are his defensive abilities, which, as we saw versus PHX, have been greatly overrated.

The SF position was also cited as a position of vulnerability. Even if RJ has a better second year for the team, the backup SF position is weak. Simmons, Gee, and perhaps Anderson will all have to combine for solid contributions, on both ends of the court, for this NOT to be an area of weakness. Pop and R.C. have expressed concerns about the backup SF position, so we know that's not a secret.

As far as the starting center position is concerned, Blair will provide a consistent, high-energy, rebounder and scorer along the frontline. It's on the defensive end, where he must demonstrate improvement. Even still, he's not going to get any taller - meaning the Spurs could be rendered vulnerable against the taller frontlines (Fakers, Mavs, Blazers). That's is where Splitter should come in handy. The scout was was correct in referring to that as a concern.

[ohmwrecker]

Decent list but the Suns as high as 6? Really? It seems they can't defend shit.

They do well if the other team can't defend or score, but without Amare they can't be considered real contenders. I think they will win a good amount of games, squeak in, but crap out in the playoffs.

[sananspursfan21]

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs



are you forgetting amare's in new york? no way suns are above the spurs, let alone in a top 8. you can never count out nash's team but they might make the playoffs

[duncan228]

NBA season primer: What we learned this preseason (http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2010-10-24/nba-season-primer-what-we-learned-this-preseason)
Sean Deveney
Sporting News

The Spurs might have one last push. It’s easy to forget about San Antonio, as age and injuries have taken their toll. But Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are well-rested and surrounded by a solid supporting cast. “I think they’re loaded up one more time,” Hall of Famer Kevin McHale said. “I think that a lot of things happened last year with injuries and they never got healthy. I think (head coach Gregg) Popovich knows that they are coming to the end of this run he’s had in San Antonio. Tim is getting older. But I get a sense that as a team, they are really focused on this year.”

[duncan228]

SI.com's NBA Enemy Lines (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/10/11/spurs.scouts.preview/index.html)
An opposing team's scout sizes up the Spurs

Last year, they did a great job of remaining in contention despite injuries. But during the second round against Phoenix, you could see that Tim Duncan isn't as dominant as he was and that small ball can hurt them.

The Spurs can go small themselves, and Gregg Popovich has changed with the times and has been able to match up with the high-scoring teams. But the ability to slow down and feed Duncan is not the strength it used to be. So they do need another big guy to help Duncan remain effective, and that's why it's so important for Tiago Splitter to become a big member of their frontcourt and give them a chance to stay where they are or maybe even push for a spot in the Western finals.

Splitter looks like an NBA player. He has size [6-foot-11, 232 pounds] and knows how to score around the basket. It's hard to forecast how his game will translate from Europe, but there is no team better at developing players to fit its system. I saw it with George Hill, especially in terms of him being able to run pick-and-rolls.

With Duncan, you see more teams not having to double him as much in the post, going with more single coverage instead. Part of that has to do with the Spurs going with more shooters around him. You can also see on defense he's not what he used to be. People are scoring on him more, and he's not as quick to come over against the drives. He doesn't show out to the three-point line and still get back inside like he did. But that's all natural for someone with his mileage.

I see Duncan as a center, whether they go with four smalls around or they pair him with DeJuan Blair or Splitter or Antonio McDyess. They can call him a forward, but he has to play like a center and guard the bigger guys.

Let's not write him off. He's a pro whose ego is built around the needs of the team. Hes not stuck in the "I'm Tim Duncan, give me the ball" mode you see from other stars as they get older. I get the impression he's very honest with himself as far as what he can and can't do. All he really cares about is winning the games, and he's nothing like Patrick Ewing was at the end when he was just out there. Duncan is still effective. He's just not dominant.

That face-up bank shot is still money, and when he does get a double team, he is excellent at reading the defense. He directs his defense by figuring out what teams are doing with their counters and he communicates it to his teammates, not just during the play but also in between plays when you can see him speaking with and leading the younger guys like a coach on the floor. He might not be able to solve the problem by himself, but he can understand what the solutions are and work his teammates to get it right.

Manu Ginobili continues to amaze me. He's a much, much, much better pick-and-roll player than he was in the early parts of his career. He's as good in the pick-and-roll now as anybody. And his shooting is better than it used to be when he was known mainly as a creative finisher and streaky shooter. You still want to let him prove that he's shooting it well, but overall he's a better shooter with range than he was.

When I hear rumors of Parker leaving the Spurs, I don't think it has as much to do with the improvement of Hill as it has to do with improvement of Ginobili in the pick-and-roll. In those situations, Ginobili is basically the point guard and Hill is the guy who can spot up and shoot with much better range than Parker. But it's because Ginobili is the one making the plays and tilting the defense, and that makes Parker somewhat redundant.

Hill showed great progress last year. He already had a really nice shooting stroke coming into the league, and now he clearly feels more comfortable handling the ball and bringing it up the floor and running the pick-and-roll out of their set offense. Hill fits the style of the scoring point guards you see in the league today. Defensively, he's better than Parker in a lot of ways, including the fact that he has longer arms and can contest shots more consistently.

I haven't seen a drop-off in Parker as long as he's been healthy. There was a time when everyone was raving about the way he'd developed his shooting. But the truth is he's still not a good shooter. That said, Parker will have a lot of teams interested in him as a free agent next summer. Unless Hill has a setback, I just don't see them being able to afford to keep Parker.

Blair was very good at hitting the offensive board as a rookie, and he was excellent at reading the screen and then waiting for the right moment to roll to the basket. That's the kind of timing you usually see in an older player who knows how long to wait in that little pocket area. It showed me he has a good basketball mind. He's not tall and we all knew about his knee issues coming into the draft, but his ability to finish around the basket was very good. He carves out space inside and makes himself available for easy passes. Blair's lack of height is a challenge. As a defender, even though he's strong enough to keep big guys from going to their spots, there's only so much he can do inside against the longer scorers.

McDyess finished last season well. He has become a reliable mid-range shooter toward the end of his career, and he's an older guy who is going to make all of the fundamental plays. He's the kind of guy who becomes most valuable during the playoffs.

Richard Jefferson took time to find out how he could fit into their system, and it also took time for them to see what he was all about. There was probably some resistance from Jefferson based on what he thought of himself, and for a while I thought they were going to give up on him. You could see he was pressing. They gave him one play consistently to try to get him going -- they flexed him off and put him in the post and that became his play. Instead of featuring him within the system, they decided to run a play for him. His role appears to be as a post-up small forward. It's still not a beautiful marriage, but I guess it takes a while to get used to the Spurs' habits.

Matt Bonner is a good fit as one of the top-shooting big men from the three-point line. When he comes in, you have to be aware of him and he changes their look. He's no Robert Horry, but he's filling the same kind of role.

Popovich has been at it forever, but he still seems like a competitive guy who loves a challenge. He looks like he enjoys coaching the younger guys -- Hill, at least -- and isn't as frustrated as he used to be.

Deep down, they probably feel like the Lakers and the Heat are superior to them. But anything can happen -- all it takes is one injury -- and they can fall back on their experience and also say they haven't been completely healthy for a while, and so what could we do if we were healthy for once?

*********************

Countdown: 2010-11 season guide (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/10/22/guide.2010-11.nba.season/index.html)
Ian Thomsen
SI.com

4 Other contenders

Lakers
Celtics
Magic

SPURS. Tiago Splitter's preseason calf injury will make it harder to work him into their system, but they'll find a way to acclimate him because they have no choice. Manu Ginobili has urged his teammates and coach Gregg Popovich to earn a high seed and not sacrifice so many losses by pacing themselves during the season. They'll receive newfound energy from Splitter, as well as Tony Parker, who is going to have a big year as he tries to earn a new contract to remain in San Antonio. The Spurs -- and not Oklahoma City -- will re-emerge as the Lakers' main conference rival in the playoffs.

[Leonard Curse]

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs

7 and 8 could be swapped between the Mavs and Spurs. Before the Mav crew gets all pussy-hurt, The ONLY reason I put Spurs above the Mavs is because we outed them last year. Thunder are ahead of the spurs and Suns IMHO because they actually gave the Lakers a run. Everyone else should be self-explanatory. Perhaps the only questionable pick I have is Orlando, I may admitedly be over-rating them a bit but I think they can beat the celtics in a 7 game series.


you placed the suns ahead of the thunder? the thunder took l.a to 7 and phoenix didnt even do that, while this summer losing their best post scorer ever!!! sorry man i may be a homer, but i still think people are under estimating tiago splitter.

you should really go watcha 2hr game of him in the finals to see what kind of player he is under pressure. he didnt go up against average talent either or 7fters who play pussy ball (laker Bball).

[Mal]

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs

7 and 8 could be swapped between the Mavs and Spurs. Before the Mav crew gets all pussy-hurt, The ONLY reason I put Spurs above the Mavs is because we outed them last year. Thunder are ahead of the spurs and Suns IMHO because they actually gave the Lakers a run. Everyone else should be self-explanatory. Perhaps the only questionable pick I have is Orlando, I may admitedly be over-rating them a bit but I think they can beat the celtics in a 7 game series.

Suns ?? With Warrick, Robin Lopez, Frye rotation on C, and Turkoglu playing PF ?

[analyzed]

My point about Hills inability to create is cushioned by :

from SI
""I don't think it has as much to do with the improvement of Hill as it has to do with improvement of Ginobili in the pick-and-roll. In those situations, Ginobili is basically the point guard and Hill is the guy who can spot up and shoot with much better range than Parker. But it's because Ginobili is the one making the plays and tilting the defense"

SF play ( RJ and backup (anderson) is definetly a concern and is critical to our success

Blair's lack of size on defensive end , and ability to finish against length is a concern, this is were Splitter really has to come in.

All things considered. I think it's accurate that are best case scenario is more like Western conference finals.




I would. Those are actually legitimate concerns.

The scout was correct when expressing concerns as to whether or not Hill can provide the instant, off-the-bench, production that Ginobili has. The scout was dead-on because remember, even if Hill is successful at creating offense for himself, he's not shown the ability to create offense for others.

The scout is also correct about Hill's handles - they're not great nor are his defensive abilities, which, as we saw versus PHX, have been greatly overrated.

The SF position was also cited as a position of vulnerability. Even if RJ has a better second year for the team, the backup SF position is weak. Simmons, Gee, and perhaps Anderson will all have to combine for solid contributions, on both ends of the court, for this NOT to be an area of weakness. Pop and R.C. have expressed concerns about the backup SF position, so we know that's not a secret.

As far as the starting center position is concerned, Blair will provide a consistent, high-energy, rebounder and scorer along the frontline. It's on the defensive end, where he must demonstrate improvement. Even still, he's not going to get any taller - meaning the Spurs could be rendered vulnerable against the taller frontlines (Fakers, Mavs, Blazers). That's is where Splitter should come in handy. The scout was was correct in referring to that as a concern.

[ElNono]

Scouts lie?

[mytespurs]

I think most prognosticators have the Spurs near the bottom of the top teams in the West which is understandable in a sense. Even ESPN Ryan Risello says that the Spurs can't rely on their reputation of being there at the end anymore.

I still think if this team can stay healthy and the young players come through, this team can make some noise and finish stronger than last year-tall order but I still say never say never. I wouldn't underestimate Pop or the aging big 3. :king

[TD 21]

Blair's lack of size on defensive end , and ability to finish against length is a concern, this is were Splitter really has to come in.

I actually think that the Spurs are deep enough amongst the bigs that, if they can't find a match-up for Blair against certain teams and have to either limit his minutes or drop him from the rotation entirely, they could still win a series.

[Sean Cagney]

I dont think they are in the top five, but they are close. My top 8 teams in the league.

1. Lakers
2. Heat
3. Orlando
4. Celtics
5. Thunder
6. Suns
7. Spurs
8. Mavs

7 and 8 could be swapped between the Mavs and Spurs. Before the Mav crew gets all pussy-hurt, The ONLY reason I put Spurs above the Mavs is because we outed them last year. Thunder are ahead of the spurs and Suns IMHO because they actually gave the Lakers a run. Everyone else should be self-explanatory. Perhaps the only questionable pick I have is Orlando, I may admitedly be over-rating them a bit but I think they can beat the celtics in a 7 game series.

I am not sold on the Thunder at all yet, they were an 8th seed and nearly took it 7, but other teams have done that or near it before with a #1 seed. I don't get all the hype until they actually do something. Suns at 6? Amare is gone now and thats HUGE! You think they will be that good without him?

[xtremesteven33]

-Spurs need to stay healthy.

-Richard Jefferson has to improve. Spurs wont go far with the way he played last year. He needs to be an above average defender and smarter offensive player.

-Spurs need to find their identity. Its changed since 2007. That team was full of veterans who complimented the Spurs big 3. Now the big 3 are surrounded by mostly younger, unproven payers who have no deep playoff experience. They have to find a rhythm and a formula for winning in the 4th quarter. Who will take the big shots? Who will prove to be clutch role players in big game situations besides the Big 3?

I think if these things swing in our favor, I like our chances

[duncan228]

Video.

NBA: Is the window closing? (http://sports.sbc.yahoo.com/video/player/nba/Y_Sports_NBA_Coverage/22510880;_ylt=AlJXk1r7bi2yjw1SkZO6CRa8vLYF#nba/Y_Sports_NBA_Coverage/22510880)
Our experts look at if this season is last chance for teams like San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix.

http://sports.sbc.yahoo.com/video/player/nba/Y_Sports_NBA_Coverage/22510880;_ylt=AlJXk1r7bi2yjw1SkZO6CRa8vLYF#nba/Y_Sports_NBA_Coverage/22510880