timvp
11-02-2010, 09:07 AM
Game Thoughts: Spurs at Clippers (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-at-clippers/)
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-at-clippers/
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/)
San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
Entering the game, the San Antonio Spurs had defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 16 straight times. Make that 17. The Spurs went on a run in the first half and never looked back.
Trailing 26-21 late in the first quarter, the Spurs scored 13 straight points in three and a half minutes. Nine of those 13 points were authored by Spurs rookie Gary Neal. By the fourth quarter, the lead grew to 17 points before the Spurs left Los Angeles with a 97-88 victory.
Coming out of this game, there is a lot to be excited about. Specifically, San Antonio’s three rookies looked promising.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
30 mins (+1), 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers
7-for-12 from the field
Out of the gates, Tim Duncan looked slow and sloppy. Whenever a double-team came his way, Duncan either held the ball too long or turned it over. Eventually, he adjusted. He began making quicker decisions and found his touch. Defensively, Duncan mostly defended Chris Kaman and did a decent job of doing so. All in all, it’s a good sign that Duncan is seeing a lot of double-teams this season. For the sake of the three-point shooters, hopefully that continues.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
28 mins (+3), 14 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 turnovers
4-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
It was another quality out for Manu Ginobili. He was creative in finding shots for himself and others. His energy on both ends was contagious. That said, too much aggression on the defensive end led to a number of mistakes. He also had a lot of trouble staying in front of Eric Gordon. On offense, Ginobili drew Pop’s ire by being loose with the pass a couple times. Personally, seeing Ginobili play with reckless abandon is a promising sign that he’s healthy, confident and comfortable with his role.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
36 mins (+5), 19 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 3 steals, 4 turnovers
8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker penetrating the lane and getting to the basket was the lifeblood of the team’s offense. He did a good job of finishing at the rim and also finding open teammates when the defense collapsed. To nitpick, Parker had a few miscues on the fast break and a couple of his jumpers were way off. Defensively, I was impressed with his ruggedness and continued energy.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
31 mins (-2), 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
Maybe Richard Jefferson really did turn over a new leaf during the summer. He has gone from being a second-guessing, unconfident streaky player last year to being a steely-eyed machine this season. Against the Clippers, Jefferson made perfect decision after perfect decision. He’s playing at a great pace right now and looks much more comfortable than he did at any point in his first season in San Antonio. Let’s hope it continues.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
20 mins (+1), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnover
0-for-1 from the field
It’s officially time to worry about DeJuan Blair. Three games into the season and Blair has looked really bad, all things considered. First of all, he’s not rebounding well, which destroys his value to begin with. On top of that, he can’t do anything right when it comes to looking for his own shot — he’s rushing and making poor decisions. Defensively, he has been passable at times but is still a sub par presence on that end. The only real positive has been a handful of good passes … but the Spurs need much more than that out of Blair.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
23 mins (+15), 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 turnover
2-for-7 from the field
For the third straight game, Antonio McDyess was a force on the boards and consistently hustled. He had a few issues with his post defense when attempting to guard the much quicker Blake Griffin but was otherwise good on the defensive end. McDyess continues to get wide open looks. He needs to start connecting at a higher percentage if he’s to keep defenses honest and Pop happy.
Gary Neal
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gary-neal.jpg
20 mins (+14), 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-8 on three-pointers
Wow. Gary Neal was extremely impressive on Monday night. First of all, his beautiful jumper was deadly. He let it go without hesitation when given space. Neal was able to knock down a few contested jumpers and also created looks for himself and others with slick ball-handling. On the defensive end, he gave great effort — which earned him extra minutes from Pop. His toughness on the defensive end allows him to do well against players who are taller and more athletic. Overall, the Spurs have to be thrilled with their hired gun so far.
James Anderson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/james-anderson.jpg
20 mins (0), 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
I thought this was James Anderson’s best game of the young season. His effortless three-point stroke is already really helping the offensive spacing when he’s on the court. Anderson’s ability to handle the ball, make the right pass and contort his body in the air are all very good to see. Defensively, he’s making strides in the right direction. Since the start of preseason, Anderson has gotten in much better shape. He’s starting to look like a legit NBA athlete, which gives him a higher ceiling as a player. He has a chance to be more than just a one-dimensional shooter.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
10 mins (+4), 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
1-for-2 from the field
By just looking at Tiago Splitter’s statistics, you wouldn’t think he did much on the court. However, I’m excited with what I saw. To put it simply, Splitter passed the eye test with flying colors. Going against a talented Clippers front court, Splitter looked tall, long and, most importantly, quick. His ability to move his feet on the defensive end was fantastic. In his ten minutes on the court, he defended the pick-and-roll better than a Spurs big has defended it in years. Splitter also showed great instincts when it came to giving help and collapsing to protect the rim. I still think Splitter is going to have an adjustment period learning how to score and rebound against NBA athletes, but his defense and ability to pass should more than make up for any other shortcomings. If Splitter was this good in ten minutes of action in which he struggled to catch his breath, I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Bobby Simmons
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/bobby-simmons.jpg
9 mins (0), 1 assist
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Bobby Simmons has played the majority of his NBA career at small forward. Pop, however, is using him as a power forward — and it’s the right decision. Injuries have robbed Simmons of mobility and he simply can’t keep up with swingmen on the perimeter. But down low, Simmons is using his strength and toughness to hang. He’s small but he’s surviving on defense by doing his work early and being physical for all 24 seconds. If he can find his three-point touch, he could be a useful cog in Spurs machine.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
6 mins (+3), 1 steal
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
George Hill got injured on a flagrant-2 foul by Craig Smith (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/). The initial diagnoses is a muscle spasm in his neck area. Thankfully it wasn’t a shoulder or anything else that would have kept him out for an extended period of time.
Garrett Temple
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/garrett-temple.jpg
5 mins (-2), 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block
0-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Garrett Temple had a couple good defensive moments. Unfortunately, he continues to look like a fish out of water on the offensive end — a trend that began in preseason. He may very well need a stint in Austin with the Toros to regain his offensive confidence.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
Pop coached a very good game. He utilized all 12 players and kept everyone’s minutes in check. I thought he handled Splitter’s minutes perfectly by giving him short bursts of action. Pop is also putting Anderson and Neal in positions to succeed, which is important when handling rookies.
Offense
San Antonio’s offense was mostly a positive. The Spurs shot 48.1% from the field, hit 9-of-21 three-pointers and dished out 28 assists. They did turn it over too much (18) and didn’t get to the line enough (12-for-15), however the execution on the offensive end was a plus for much of the night.
Defense
Though not great, the defensive performance by the Spurs was much better than what we saw in the first two ballgames. The Clippers shot 46.3% from the field, which is still too high for San Antonio’s liking, but the Spurs did well keeping L.A. off the three-point line (4-for-13) and the foul line (8-for-16). The Clippers were also forced into 17 turnovers.
Drive for 5
The Spurs responded well to their first loss of the season. Next up is a chance to get an ounce of revenge for last season’s playoff sweep. The fans in Phoenix are sure to be amped. If the Spurs can go in and get a win, it could do wonders for the team’s early season confidence.
More Spurs at Clippers Articles:
George Hill Injury Video (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/)
Grading the Spurs (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-at-clippers/)
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-at-clippers/
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/)
San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
Entering the game, the San Antonio Spurs had defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 16 straight times. Make that 17. The Spurs went on a run in the first half and never looked back.
Trailing 26-21 late in the first quarter, the Spurs scored 13 straight points in three and a half minutes. Nine of those 13 points were authored by Spurs rookie Gary Neal. By the fourth quarter, the lead grew to 17 points before the Spurs left Los Angeles with a 97-88 victory.
Coming out of this game, there is a lot to be excited about. Specifically, San Antonio’s three rookies looked promising.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
30 mins (+1), 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers
7-for-12 from the field
Out of the gates, Tim Duncan looked slow and sloppy. Whenever a double-team came his way, Duncan either held the ball too long or turned it over. Eventually, he adjusted. He began making quicker decisions and found his touch. Defensively, Duncan mostly defended Chris Kaman and did a decent job of doing so. All in all, it’s a good sign that Duncan is seeing a lot of double-teams this season. For the sake of the three-point shooters, hopefully that continues.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
28 mins (+3), 14 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 turnovers
4-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
It was another quality out for Manu Ginobili. He was creative in finding shots for himself and others. His energy on both ends was contagious. That said, too much aggression on the defensive end led to a number of mistakes. He also had a lot of trouble staying in front of Eric Gordon. On offense, Ginobili drew Pop’s ire by being loose with the pass a couple times. Personally, seeing Ginobili play with reckless abandon is a promising sign that he’s healthy, confident and comfortable with his role.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
36 mins (+5), 19 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 3 steals, 4 turnovers
8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker penetrating the lane and getting to the basket was the lifeblood of the team’s offense. He did a good job of finishing at the rim and also finding open teammates when the defense collapsed. To nitpick, Parker had a few miscues on the fast break and a couple of his jumpers were way off. Defensively, I was impressed with his ruggedness and continued energy.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
31 mins (-2), 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
Maybe Richard Jefferson really did turn over a new leaf during the summer. He has gone from being a second-guessing, unconfident streaky player last year to being a steely-eyed machine this season. Against the Clippers, Jefferson made perfect decision after perfect decision. He’s playing at a great pace right now and looks much more comfortable than he did at any point in his first season in San Antonio. Let’s hope it continues.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
20 mins (+1), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnover
0-for-1 from the field
It’s officially time to worry about DeJuan Blair. Three games into the season and Blair has looked really bad, all things considered. First of all, he’s not rebounding well, which destroys his value to begin with. On top of that, he can’t do anything right when it comes to looking for his own shot — he’s rushing and making poor decisions. Defensively, he has been passable at times but is still a sub par presence on that end. The only real positive has been a handful of good passes … but the Spurs need much more than that out of Blair.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
23 mins (+15), 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 turnover
2-for-7 from the field
For the third straight game, Antonio McDyess was a force on the boards and consistently hustled. He had a few issues with his post defense when attempting to guard the much quicker Blake Griffin but was otherwise good on the defensive end. McDyess continues to get wide open looks. He needs to start connecting at a higher percentage if he’s to keep defenses honest and Pop happy.
Gary Neal
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gary-neal.jpg
20 mins (+14), 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-8 on three-pointers
Wow. Gary Neal was extremely impressive on Monday night. First of all, his beautiful jumper was deadly. He let it go without hesitation when given space. Neal was able to knock down a few contested jumpers and also created looks for himself and others with slick ball-handling. On the defensive end, he gave great effort — which earned him extra minutes from Pop. His toughness on the defensive end allows him to do well against players who are taller and more athletic. Overall, the Spurs have to be thrilled with their hired gun so far.
James Anderson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/james-anderson.jpg
20 mins (0), 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
I thought this was James Anderson’s best game of the young season. His effortless three-point stroke is already really helping the offensive spacing when he’s on the court. Anderson’s ability to handle the ball, make the right pass and contort his body in the air are all very good to see. Defensively, he’s making strides in the right direction. Since the start of preseason, Anderson has gotten in much better shape. He’s starting to look like a legit NBA athlete, which gives him a higher ceiling as a player. He has a chance to be more than just a one-dimensional shooter.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
10 mins (+4), 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
1-for-2 from the field
By just looking at Tiago Splitter’s statistics, you wouldn’t think he did much on the court. However, I’m excited with what I saw. To put it simply, Splitter passed the eye test with flying colors. Going against a talented Clippers front court, Splitter looked tall, long and, most importantly, quick. His ability to move his feet on the defensive end was fantastic. In his ten minutes on the court, he defended the pick-and-roll better than a Spurs big has defended it in years. Splitter also showed great instincts when it came to giving help and collapsing to protect the rim. I still think Splitter is going to have an adjustment period learning how to score and rebound against NBA athletes, but his defense and ability to pass should more than make up for any other shortcomings. If Splitter was this good in ten minutes of action in which he struggled to catch his breath, I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Bobby Simmons
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/bobby-simmons.jpg
9 mins (0), 1 assist
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Bobby Simmons has played the majority of his NBA career at small forward. Pop, however, is using him as a power forward — and it’s the right decision. Injuries have robbed Simmons of mobility and he simply can’t keep up with swingmen on the perimeter. But down low, Simmons is using his strength and toughness to hang. He’s small but he’s surviving on defense by doing his work early and being physical for all 24 seconds. If he can find his three-point touch, he could be a useful cog in Spurs machine.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
6 mins (+3), 1 steal
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
George Hill got injured on a flagrant-2 foul by Craig Smith (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/). The initial diagnoses is a muscle spasm in his neck area. Thankfully it wasn’t a shoulder or anything else that would have kept him out for an extended period of time.
Garrett Temple
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/garrett-temple.jpg
5 mins (-2), 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block
0-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Garrett Temple had a couple good defensive moments. Unfortunately, he continues to look like a fish out of water on the offensive end — a trend that began in preseason. He may very well need a stint in Austin with the Toros to regain his offensive confidence.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
Pop coached a very good game. He utilized all 12 players and kept everyone’s minutes in check. I thought he handled Splitter’s minutes perfectly by giving him short bursts of action. Pop is also putting Anderson and Neal in positions to succeed, which is important when handling rookies.
Offense
San Antonio’s offense was mostly a positive. The Spurs shot 48.1% from the field, hit 9-of-21 three-pointers and dished out 28 assists. They did turn it over too much (18) and didn’t get to the line enough (12-for-15), however the execution on the offensive end was a plus for much of the night.
Defense
Though not great, the defensive performance by the Spurs was much better than what we saw in the first two ballgames. The Clippers shot 46.3% from the field, which is still too high for San Antonio’s liking, but the Spurs did well keeping L.A. off the three-point line (4-for-13) and the foul line (8-for-16). The Clippers were also forced into 17 turnovers.
Drive for 5
The Spurs responded well to their first loss of the season. Next up is a chance to get an ounce of revenge for last season’s playoff sweep. The fans in Phoenix are sure to be amped. If the Spurs can go in and get a win, it could do wonders for the team’s early season confidence.
More Spurs at Clippers Articles:
George Hill Injury Video (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/video-george-hill-injured-on-flagrant-foul/)
Grading the Spurs (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-at-clippers/)