Spurs vs Rockets Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Saturday 6:30 CST.

Houston (0-4) at San Antonio (3-1) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010110624)
Tipoff: 8:30 pm EDT Sat Nov 6, 2010
TV: KTXH, KENS
By Matt Beardmore

An offseason focused on sharpening his skills seems to be paying off for Spurs forward Richard Jefferson. The Houston Rockets might benefit from getting back to basics as well.

Jefferson and the Spurs look to match their best start since 2007-08 when they face the winless Rockets at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.

Jefferson struggled in his first season with the Spurs, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 31.6 percent from 3-point range in 2009-10. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich took steps to avoid a repeat performance this season.

“We worked him all summer long on basic fundamentals to get some rust off of him and get him back to the solid habits he had at (the University of) Arizona,” said Popovich, whose team also opened 3-1 in ’07-’08.

Jefferson now looks far more comfortable in Popovich’s system, leading the Spurs (3-1) with 20.0 points per game and going 8 of 15 from beyond the arc.

“Coming here, the offense is different and you have to learn how to be aggressive in this offense,” Jefferson said after scoring a season-high 28 points and hitting four fourth-quarter 3s in a 112-110 win at Phoenix on Wednesday. “That’s something that last year was tough. (Now) I know where I’m supposed to be and you can focus on different things.”

The Rockets (0-4) have plenty to focus on, most notably their defense. They are surrendering 114.5 points per game - 62.3 in the second half - and opponents are shooting 50.0 percent in the final 24 minutes compared to 40.6 before the break.

Leading at halftime for the fourth straight game, the Rockets allowed 64 second-half points in a 107-99 loss to New Orleans on Wednesday.

“There’s no easy answer,” said coach Rick Adelman, whose team split four games with the Spurs last season. “We just have to keep working at it until we break through.”

Houston last started 0-5 in 1999-2000.

“We have to learn the good things from the bad things,” said center Yao Ming, averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. “We need to figure out where we need to improve. It’s not too late to turn the season (around).”

Averaging just 22 minutes per game due to his surgically repaired left foot, Yao will have to contend with Tim Duncan(notes), who passed George Gervin for second in team history in points with a season-high 25 versus the Suns.

Duncan is 81 points shy of moving past franchise leader David Robinson (20,790).

Point guard Tony Parker missed the last two matchups with the Rockets last season due to injury, but he is healthy and signed a four-year, $50 million extension last week.

Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks would like to regain his form from 2009-10, when he averaged a career-high 19.6 points with 5.3 assists and was named the league’s most improved player.

While Brooks is averaging 6.3 assists, his scoring is down (16.0) and he’s shooting 40.7 percent. He averaged 21.8 points and 4.3 assists versus the Spurs last season.

Houston leading scorer Kevin Martin will play his first game in San Antonio in a Rockets uniform. He was sidelined with injuries for both contests at the AT&T Center in 2009-10.

These Southwest Division rivals have split the last eight meetings in San Antonio since the Spurs’ 17-game home winning streak in the series.

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

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Kevin Martin Hou 23.2
Richard Jefferson SA 20.0

Rebounds
Luis Scola Hou 14.5
Tim Duncan SA 10.8

Assists
Aaron Brooks Hou 6.2
Tony Parker SA 7.0

[Spurs Brazil]

JMcDonald_SAEN
#spurs injury report vs. Rockets: Bonner (ankle) still out. Hill (neck) upgraded to probable.

[duncan228]

Kyle Lowry's Back Keeps Him Out Against Spurs (http://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2010/11/5/1796275/kyle-lowrys-back-keeps-him-out-against-spurs)
by Rivers McCown

After missing the first two games of the season with a bad back, Lowry will again sit against San Antonio on Sunday night. Jason Friedman of Rockets.com tweeted that Lowry would not make the trip with the team and was still considered day-to-day.

Aaron Brooks will probably get a bigger share of the playing time, and Ish Smith could steal between 10-20 minutes of time as well as the Rockets don't have anyone else on the roster really capable of playing point guard.

The Rockets will also probably be without Brad Miller, who continues to battle an ankle injury. That will give Jordan Hill a chunk of playing time again behind Yao Ming and Luis Scola.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Nice article by a Rockets fan (from the Truehoop network) -

On the NBA: The Innervation in San Antonio (http://www.red94.net/onthespurs/4344/#more-4344)

by jacob mustafa
Philosophizing on league-wide issues and offering previews of upcoming opponents, ‘On the NBA’ is our new general NBA column. Today’s feature looks at tomorrow’s opponent, the San Antonio Spurs. – Ed.

Gregg Popovich does not have to prove anything to anyone. If his career closes with a slow fizzle, leaving him nothing more than an old man who collected a bunch of rings in his early years cast aside by a game that left him, he’d still be one of the greatest to ever pick up a clipboard and yell at men in short pants. With the jewelry on this man’s mantle, nothing can ever be taken from him; even his familiar cast of stars that exemplify his style of play constantly reminds all at home who these men are and what they’ve accomplished. Never are the Spurs dismissed or given anything other than the utmost of respect; for now and forever, they’re the champs. Except these aren’t the same aging, dilapidated champs we had all finally grown comfortable with because we thought we didn’t have to fear them anymore. No, the San Antonio Spurs are young but experienced, energetic but controlled: in other words, the Spurs are contenders.

Like delicious candy rain, options have suddenly started falling from the sky for Popovich; in the not too distant past, he saw a bench that exemplified entropy with its end-of-the-rope veterans and semi-skilled skill players. Men like Michael Finley and Glenn Robinson saw chances to go ring-chasing without having to change too much, and they gladly accepted; the problem is that this team has to find its way to the ring these days because the old stars aren’t coming to them (like most of the elderly, they’re headed to Florida). This team needed to build on the fly, while simultaneously sustaining Tim Duncan’s career long enough to unleash the dusty old death ray in one final, glorious playoff run. R.C. Buford and Popovich were left with entirely new jobs after ten years of building on the most solid foundation possible; they had to fill cracks in the base, fix what was once unbreakable, instead of plugging holes with 10-day-contracts and singular role players.

Whether you or I think George Hill, DeJuan Blair or Tiago Splitter will develop into true-blue, genuine stars feels insignificant when considering the idea that all three could be; the three (semi-)young talents with star potential are anomalies in the world of championship contenders. That kind of mass progress generally only can take place in a salted-earth scenario where years of draft picks grow together (Portland, OKC… the teams you want your team to be), but thanks almost exclusively to brilliant drafting on the part of management, the San Antonio Spurs are an up-and-coming young team in the West. The team just has a little more veteran firepower than most. It all seems very surreal, like an optical illusion: if you stare long and hard enough, this wasting collection of old men will begin to look like a burgeoning offensive power with veteran leadership. To be clear, their youth’s current, optimistic status among basketball observers seems far more tenuous than those of OKC or Portland, but Hill and Blair have been clearly brilliant at times over the last two years and possess brilliant skills (sharp shooting and rebounding like the Hulk would, respectively) that can always prove helpful to teams. Splitter remains untested on American soil, but his skillset seems serendipitously suited to the Spurs’ needs (HOLY SCHNIKES. Check out that incidental alliteration) with Duncan on the court. Popovich has always looked rather brilliant when entrusting his teams to his youth before any other sane coach would, and because he is Gregg Popovich, I think he will accurately judge whether these are the men for whom he’s been looking.

He has given viewers reasons to question the faith, though. At least far more often than they used to do so. The Richard Jefferson deal seemed like an anti-Spurs move, especially when he was resigned this offseason for four years, $38.8 million. To bet so hard on what were obviously diminishing results seemed unwise entering last season, and after his supernova of a flame out in 09-10, the new deal looked like the product of raw madness. Alas, the Spurs knew best; though he was not exactly what was needed, his talent at the wing would be hard to match on the fly, while Ginobili and Duncan still have feeling in their limbs and Parker’s name wasn’t being floated as a back-up plan in New York. So, the Spurs abide. San Antonio has all of the pieces, even if it doesn’t obviously reek of the talent necessary to make the grueling trudge to an NBA title. All of the bets are hedged on this team; if the rookie center doesn’t quite dominate, maybe Jefferson will have a comeback year after an offseason of rigorous training with Pop himself. If Duncan gets injured, maybe Blair will become that vacuum on the glass and turn those per minute rebound numbers into something tangible. As it is with most brilliantly but meticulously built teams, San Antonio can endure quite a few misfortunes and find itself on its feet, a luxury Popovich needs this time around.

Once again, Gregg Popovich does not have to prove anything to anyone. This is a year, though, that he can make something new happen. Because all-time great coaching is inexorably tied to great talent, so much of how we judge the men in ill-fitting suits comes down to sustained brilliance: that idea that no matter the look of a team, this guy can coach them into being something more than a bunch of good basketball players. For the first time in a couple of years, Pop has himself a beauty of a team on his hands. It also so happens to be one that may not be able to feature Tim Duncan as its unanimous best player, and those are uncharted waters for the Spurs’ coach. It will take tons of luck and more deft coaching, but his team has a chance to be special, challenge the Lakers and flex real muscle in this year’s postseason. Yeah, it could flounder and lead to another knockout in the first two rounds, an outcome that seems much more likely, but a chance at a title is a chance at a title. Those glints of hope are rare and amazing, and the Spurs’ veterans know exactly how hard it is to get them. Popovich does too, and he also knows that while he may not need to be legitimized, he’ll take the validation if it comes along with another ring.

[Bruno]

Beat these scrubs.

[DrSteffo]

Beat these scrubs.

This.

[Indazone]

If I was a betting man, given the Rockets troubles, I would bet on the Spurs. Cause right now we suck. Rockets are completely discombobulated.

I think that the coaches and players for the Rockets are coming out with their game faces on. I expect the Rockets to come out at Playoff Intensity. Expect a hard fought game with hard fouls. The Rockets to come out swinging.

Who wins this is anybody's guess.

[DrSteffo]

Ok I guess the Spurs will win.

[HarlemHeat37]

I hate playing against winless teams with talent..a lot of pressure is going to be on the Rockets..

[DesignatedT]

trap game.

[Muser]

Parker/Ginobili/Jefferson will explode against the shitty Rockets D.

[Spurs Brazil]

Kyle Lowry's Back Keeps Him Out Against Spurs (http://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2010/11/5/1796275/kyle-lowrys-back-keeps-him-out-against-spurs)
by Rivers McCown

After missing the first two games of the season with a bad back, Lowry will again sit against San Antonio on Sunday night. Jason Friedman of Rockets.com tweeted that Lowry would not make the trip with the team and was still considered day-to-day.

Aaron Brooks will probably get a bigger share of the playing time, and Ish Smith could steal between 10-20 minutes of time as well as the Rockets don't have anyone else on the roster really capable of playing point guard.

The Rockets will also probably be without Brad Miller, who continues to battle an ankle injury. That will give Jordan Hill a chunk of playing time again behind Yao Ming and Luis Scola.

Good, Lowry killed us last season

[Solid D]

The Rockets have led at the end of the first half in all four games this season. They won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters of their game with the Lakers.

Lowry and Miller are hurting so their depth is reduced but they are a wounded animal.

[angelbelow]

LOL Yao "Its not too late to turn the season around." No fucking shit.

[noob cake]

Easy money, bet against the Rockets.

Guaranteed lose, Rockets can't win this.

[Cessation]

Nice writeup.

[DPG21920]

Rockets always, always play the Spurs tough. They are the type of gritty team that gives the Spurs problems. Scola is a tough cover for everyone on the Spurs . I hope to see Tiago on him...

[TJastal]

The Rockets have led at the end of the first half in all four games this season. They won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters of their game with the Lakers.

Lowry and Miller are hurting so their depth is reduced but they are a wounded animal.

They are not only wounded, they cannot afford to lose more games, esp to a division rival.

Wouldn't be surprised at all to see the rockets take this game, esp if Chris Quinn sees the floor for any length of time.

[Cessation]

Splitter played good d on scola during the summer.

[timtonymanu]

Brooks will have a good night. Scola will dominate Blair. Budinger should have a good game too. Hopefully the Spurs dont turn the ball over so much.

[Spursmania]

LOL Yao "Its not too late to turn the season around." No fucking shit.

:lol

[silverblackfan]

Rockets and Spurs are always intense games. I agree with the 'wounded animal' comment. Trap game.



Which would make the Spurs win all the sweeter...

[TD 21]

I hate playing against winless teams with talent..a lot of pressure is going to be on the Rockets..

Same. Not only that, but like SolidD said, they've led at the half in all four games. Eventually, even with Yao limited and Miller and Lowry out, they're going to breakthrough and win. There's too much depth and talent for them to not, plus it's law of averages. Which is why I was hoping they'd get the proverbial monkey off their back before they played the Spurs. As it is, the Spurs will be getting, not only a talented team, but a desperate one. Never a good combination, but also not an excuse to lose.

[MB20]

Splitter played good d on scola during the summer.

Agreed. Tiago knows Scola and he has always played great D on him (in international competition).
Pop must play Splitter extended minutes.

[JR21]

Good article.

[duncan228]

Saturday: Rockets (0-4) at Spurs (3-1) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/05/saturday-rockets-0-4-at-spurs-3-1/)
by Jeff McDonald

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/05/saturday-rockets-0-4-at-spurs-3-1/

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

Spurs respect Rockets (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs_respect_rockets_106808563.html)
By Jeff McDonald

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs_respect_rockets_106808563.html?showFullArtic le=y

[ducks]

Brooks will have a good night. Scola will dominate Blair. Budinger should have a good game too. Hopefully the Spurs dont turn the ball over so much.

splitter will block scola three times
scola also will pick up 2 fouls on the o end because of splitter

[duncan228]

Enough blame to go around (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7280174.html)
Rockets feel sense of urgency over opening skid
By Jonathan Feigen
Houston Chronicle

..."We need a win, however, whatever, whoever is the next opponent," center Yao Ming said Thursday. "We need a win. I think I'm hungry on this. My teammates are hungry on this. Our fans are hungry on this. I cannot go to sleep because of that."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7280174.html

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

Rockets' frustration rising (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7282017.html)
Players uneasy about 4-game skid as Yao's status remains unclear
By Jose De Jesus Ortiz
Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7282017.html

[ddjeffries]

LOL Yao "Its not too late to turn the season around." No fucking shit.

Coach Yao. He really knows when his team is still in it. :lol

[99-03-05-07]

i hope we don't over look this game. this is game we need to win, playing in the west we need ever W we can get

[mystargtr34]

I hate playing the Rockets.. always play the Spurs tough.. and because i have to watch Scola do work.

[spurs10]

W

[kuato]

Splitter played good d on scola during the summer.

What ? , did you saw the match between Brazil and Argentina?.

[TJastal]

What ? , did you saw the match between Brazil and Argentina?.

http://espn.go.com/extra/fiba/boxscore?gameId=300909927

14-20 for 37, that's lockdown mode apparently

[ChumpDumper]

lol boxscore

[DPG21920]

There goes Chump, gettin' his late night on.

Let us proceed...

[Rito3d30]

will Hill be available?

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Sat. Nov. 6
Houston @ San Antonio: Bennett Salvatore; Brent Barnaky; Kevin Fehr

[sananspursfan21]

If I was a betting man, given the Rockets troubles, I would bet on the Spurs. Cause right now we suck. Rockets are completely discombobulated.

I think that the coaches and players for the Rockets are coming out with their game faces on. I expect the Rockets to come out at Playoff Intensity. Expect a hard fought game with hard fouls. The Rockets to come out swinging.

Who wins this is anybody's guess.

i think the spurs will win, but i agree. "rivals" always go hard on the spurs. rockets will be desperate. watch out sa

[howbouthemspurs]

The spurs always play down to the rockets level.. slow and crappy! its goin to be a tough game especially if the spurs continue to make stupid turnovers

[TDMVPDPOY]

this is a must win for us

we dont need the rockets to get a win here, lets continue with the lottery

[ElNono]

trap game

[jiggy_55]

Blair is going to get back his mojo with a double double tonight, and he'll back to beasting again for the rest of the season.

[DrSteffo]

Just win this stupid game against a prospect team.

[BlackBellamy]

Does KENS have an affiliate in Austin?

[99-03-05-07]

just win baby. get the job done.

[noob cake]

beat the Rockets, help me tank for Kyrie Irving

[8FOR!3]

I'm going to the Spurs/Rockets game tonight. Are you guys ready to begin el era de Chris Quinn? lol, I can rhyme and pretend to speak Spanish!

[Indazone]

Looks like Morey has assembled his Championship calibur team :lol

[elbamba]

trap game.

Amen. Spurs are suppossed to win this game and Houston has nothing to lose.

This Spurs team seems focused so I still look to see them win by 10+. Our bench is playing to well right now and I could see Neal and Anderson going for about 20 points combined tonight.

[Indazone]

The winless Houston Rockets will head to San Antonio to battle with the 3-1 Spurs. Houston lost games at Los Angeles and Golden State then came home to lose to Denver and New Orleans. The Rockets rank third in the NBA in points per game (107.8) and fourth in rebounds per game (45.3), but are the worst defensive team in the entire league, giving up 114.5 points per game. Kevin Martin has been Houston’s top scorer, picking up nearly 24 points per game. The Rockets have had winning seasons their past five years, but their last place start has fans concerned in Houston.

We lose unless Adleman can get the Rockets to play some team defense and stop over rotating. Rockets are trying too hard on defense and leaving their man open. They should just play hard nosed man-man defense and stay with their man and switch on the pick and roll. Either that or try to play some zone.

[Hooks]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/06/anderson-might-not-play-in-tonights-game-against-houston/


Rookie guard James Anderson missed this morning’s shoot-around practice and might not be back for the Spurs’ game tonight against winless Houston at the AT&T Center.
Anderson returned to his hometown of Junction City, Ark., to be with his fiancee during the birth of their daughter. With travel connections between Junction City and San Antonio iffy at best, Anderson might not return to the team by the 7:30 p.m. start.


This sucks, he's one our best defenders as well as our only back up SF on the roster. Congrats to James on the birth of his daughter though!

[Solid D]

Current early season statistical ranking for the Spurs:
Category Avg. (Ranking) (Bold = Top 10 Rank, Red Bold = Bottom 10)
PPG............105.25 (6)
Opp PPG......101.50 (17)
Pts Diff........+3.75 (11)
FG %...........0.478 (5)
Opp FG%......0.483 (27)
3 Pt %.........0.370 (12)
Opp 3 Pt %...0.409 (26)
FT %...........0.779 (10)
APG.............25.75 (2)
Opp APG.......21.50 (16)
Assist Diff.....+4.25 (5T)
RPG..............40.00 (24)
Opp RPG.......39.00 (6)
Reb Diff........+1.00 (11T)
BPG.............4.50 (19)
Opp BPG.......6.00 (23)
BPG Diff........-1.50 (26)
SPG.............9.75 (2T)
Opp SPG.......8.73 (23)
SPG Diff........+1.00 (12)

[toki9]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/06/anderson-might-not-play-in-tonights-game-against-houston/



This sucks, he's one our best defenders as well as our only back up SF on the roster. Congrats to James on the birth of his daughter though!

Will he be able to concentrate on the game even if he's back in time?

[DPG21920]

It is disgusting that this team is not top 10 in RPG. There is no excuse for that when your starting lineup is Duncan/Blair/RJ/Manu who can all rebound average to well above average.

That is very, very disappointing.

[ajballer4]

Is Hill playing tonight?

[toki9]

It is disgusting that this team is not top 10 in RPG. There is no excuse for that when your starting lineup is Duncan/Blair/RJ/Manu who can all rebound average to well above average.

That is very, very disappointing.

Blair is getting 6.5 boards in 24 minutes (vs. 6.4 boards in 18 minutes last year), while RJ is getting 3.3 boards in 30 minutes (vs. 4.4 in 31 minutes last year).

So if Blair and RJ can maintain the same rate as last year (additional 3 boards), the team would jump to 10th in rebounding.

[jiggy_55]

Is Hill playing tonight?

He should be playing, they announced he's probable.
The one who probably isn't playing is Anderson, who left to be with his fiancee who is giving birth to his baby girl. It seems he might miss not be able to make it back in time.

[DPG21920]

Blair is getting 6.5 boards in 24 minutes (vs. 6.4 boards in 18 minutes last year), while RJ is getting 3.3 boards in 30 minutes (vs. 4.4 in 31 minutes last year).

So if Blair and RJ can maintain the same rate as last year (additional 3 boards), the team would jump to 10th in rebounding.

That is my point. The fact the team has gone backwards in rebounding is upsetting. There is absolutely no reason for it.

[GSH]

Stats can be funny things - they don't always mean what they seem like. The Spurs RPG is low. Some of that may be due to not hitting the boards, or Blair being under-sized, etc. But when you let your opponent shoot over 48% from the field, there are fewer rebounds to grab.

Q: Which team currently has the most RPG in the NBA?
A: Orlando, with 49.75 RPG.

Sure, some of that is because Dwight Howard is a beast on the boards. But it's no coincidence that Orlando's opponents are shooting just .385 - the lowest in the league. When your opponents miss more shots, you get an opportunity to pull down more rebounds.

The Spurs are always near the bottom for pulling down offensive rebounds. Pop believes in getting everyone back on defense, and making the other teams shoot a lower percentage. So when you have a deficit on the offensive glass, plus you let your opponents shoot a high percentage, you are going to have low RPG numbers. The only reason it's not worse is that the first four games have been played at a quicker pace than normal. More possessions also equals more opportunities for rebounds. If this season continues the way it has started, it's going to be tough to compare stats to previous years.

Bottom line - if you want to get a rebound, the first thing you have to do is make your opponent miss a shot.

[toki9]

That is my point. The fact the team has gone backwards in rebounding is upsetting. There is absolutely no reason for it.

Right. I was just providing numbers to illustrate it.

[99-03-05-07]

Is Hill playing tonight?

hill should play and anderson will more than likely miss tonights game

[toki9]

Stats can be funny things - they don't always mean what they seem like. The Spurs RPG is low. Some of that may be due to not hitting the boards, or Blair being under-sized, etc. But when you let your opponent shoot over 48% from the field, there are fewer rebounds to grab.

Q: Which team currently has the most RPG in the NBA?
A: Orlando, with 49.75 RPG.

Sure, some of that is because Dwight Howard is a beast on the boards. But it's no coincidence that Orlando's opponents are shooting just .385 - the lowest in the league. When your opponents miss more shots, you get an opportunity to pull down more rebounds.

The Spurs are always near the bottom for pulling down offensive rebounds. Pop believes in getting everyone back on defense, and making the other teams shoot a lower percentage. So when you have a deficit on the offensive glass, plus you let your opponents shoot a high percentage, you are going to have low RPG numbers. The only reason it's not worse is that the first four games have been played at a quicker pace than normal. More possessions also equals more opportunities for rebounds. If this season continues the way it has started, it's going to be tough to compare stats to previous years.

Bottom line - if you want to get a rebound, the first thing you have to do is make your opponent miss a shot.

Last year Spurs' opponents missed 44.7 shots per game, while Spurs missed 42.8 shots per game. So there were 87.5 boarding opportunities.

This year, opponents have missed 44 shots per game, while Spurs missed 42.3 shots per game. So there were 86.3 boarding opportunities, difference of 1.2 boarding opportunities.

In the meantime, Spurs rebounding rate went from 42.8 last year to 40 this year, changes of 2.8 boards--which is about the 3 boards that Blair and RJ could be picking up if they maintained last year's pace.

You're right about the available board argument--but I think that's a relatively small part. It's most likely the main problem is that Blair isn't boarding as productively relative to his increased playing time--which seems to be the case from just watching (without looking at the actual stats) as well.

[Solid D]

Stats can be funny things - they don't always mean what they seem like. The Spurs RPG is low. Some of that may be due to not hitting the boards, or Blair being under-sized, etc. But when you let your opponent shoot over 48% from the field, there are fewer rebounds to grab.

Q: Which team currently has the most RPG in the NBA?
A: Orlando, with 49.75 RPG.

Sure, some of that is because Dwight Howard is a beast on the boards. But it's no coincidence that Orlando's opponents are shooting just .385 - the lowest in the league. When your opponents miss more shots, you get an opportunity to pull down more rebounds.

The Spurs are always near the bottom for pulling down offensive rebounds. Pop believes in getting everyone back on defense, and making the other teams shoot a lower percentage. So when you have a deficit on the offensive glass, plus you let your opponents shoot a high percentage, you are going to have low RPG numbers. The only reason it's not worse is that the first four games have been played at a quicker pace than normal. More possessions also equals more opportunities for rebounds. If this season continues the way it has started, it's going to be tough to compare stats to previous years.

Bottom line - if you want to get a rebound, the first thing you have to do is make your opponent miss a shot.

The Spurs are 11th (tied with Dallas) in Rebounding Pct. @ .506.

[NASpurs]

Current early season statistical ranking for the Spurs:
Category Avg. (Ranking) (Bold = Top 10 Rank, Red Bold = Bottom 10)
PPG............105.25 (6)
Opp PPG......101.50 (17)
Pts Diff........+3.75 (11)
FG %...........0.478 (5)
Opp FG%......0.483 (27)
3 Pt %.........0.370 (12)
Opp 3 Pt %...0.409 (26)
FT %...........0.779 (10)
APG.............25.75 (2)
Opp APG.......21.50 (16)
Assist Diff.....+4.25 (5T)
RPG..............40.00 (24)
Opp RPG.......39.00 (6)
Reb Diff........+1.00 (11T)
BPG.............4.50 (19)
Opp BPG.......6.00 (23)
BPG Diff........-1.50 (26)
SPG.............9.75 (2T)
Opp SPG.......8.73 (23)
SPG Diff........+1.00 (12)

You forgot the one stat that has been killing the Spurs, turnovers.

[Solid D]

You forgot the one stat that has been killing the Spurs, turnovers.

Here you go:
Category Avg. (Ranking) (Bold = Top 10 Rank, Red Bold = Bottom 10)
TO............17.25 (26)
Opp TO......17.25 (7)
TO Diff.........-0.00 (15)
Fouls...........20.75 (9)
Opp Fouls.........21.75 (11)
Fouls Diff.........-1.00 (9)

[DPG21920]

If the Spurs improved their rebounding, it would go a long way to improving their chances. They do a lot of things well, but the rebounding needs to pick up. Same with the turnovers. Good news is, that both of the things can realistically be improved upon without any changes to personnel.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It is disgusting that this team is not top 10 in RPG. There is no excuse for that when your starting lineup is Duncan/Blair/RJ/Manu who can all rebound average to well above average.

That is very, very disappointing.

As high a percentage teams are hitting against us there are not going to be as many DRB opps I would think. We are still outrebounding our opponents.

[GSH]

The Spurs are 11th (tied with Dallas) in Rebounding Pct. @ .506.

I didn't want to go look it up, but that's about what I would have guessed. That probably says more than just looking at raw RPG. They could do better than 11th for R%, but that still shows that some of the drop in RPG is due to fewer opportunities.

I just had a look at teamranking.com - the Spurs defensive R% is 76.2%. That's 6th in the league. Maybe they could do better, but it's not too shabby. For last year (the complete season) their defensive R% was 76.0.

The Spurs offensive R% is 24.4%, compared to last year where they got 26.5%. They are ranked 21 in offensive R%. That's not good enough, and they need some improvement. BUT... what a lot of Spurs fans don't want to accept is that the Spurs are always near the bottom in offensive rebounds. That's because Pop's philosophy has always been to get everybody back down the court on defense, rather than focusing on the offensive glass.

That makes a lot of sense, when you are holding your opponents to a low shooting percentage defensively. It's a bad combination to give up the offensive glass, AND to give up a higer shooting percentage. Maybe the problem is somewhere in the middle. They may be fighting for a few more offensive boards (Blair), and not getting them. And that would also keep them from getting set on defense as well as they have in the past, which gives the opponents a higher shooting %.

Either way, they appear to be about as efficient on the defensive boards as they were last year. It's the offensive end they are falling down on. That, and letting opponents shoot 48%.

[Solid D]

You forgot the one stat that has been killing the Spurs, turnovers.

It hasn't exactly killed them, they committed 14 against the Pacers and 13 against the Hornets. In the Spurs loss, they fell into the Hornets' trap of shooting tons of 3s and they missed 20 of the 26 they took. The Spurs stat that killed them was their Opp. FG% and pitiful 3rd quarter performance. Against the Hornets, for the game, the Spurs allowed 50% from the field including a pile of mid-range jumpers plus 63.6% from the arc.

[toki9]

I didn't want to go look it up, but that's about what I would have guessed. That probably says more than just looking at raw RPG. They could do better than 11th for R%, but that still shows that some of the drop in RPG is due to fewer opportunities.

I just had a look at teamranking.com - the Spurs defensive R% is 76.2%. That's 6th in the league. Maybe they could do better, but it's not too shabby. For last year (the complete season) their defensive R% was 76.0.

The Spurs offensive R% is 24.4%, compared to last year where they got 26.5%. They are ranked 21 in offensive R%. That's not good enough, and they need some improvement. BUT... what a lot of Spurs fans don't want to accept is that the Spurs are always near the bottom in offensive rebounds. That's because Pop's philosophy has always been to get everybody back down the court on defense, rather than focusing on the offensive glass.

That makes a lot of sense, when you are holding your opponents to a low shooting percentage defensively. It's a bad combination to give up the offensive glass, AND to give up a higer shooting percentage. Maybe the problem is somewhere in the middle. They may be fighting for a few more offensive boards (Blair), and not getting them. And that would also keep them from getting set on defense as well as they have in the past, which gives the opponents a higher shooting %.

Either way, they appear to be about as efficient on the defensive boards as they were last year. It's the offensive end they are falling down on. That, and letting opponents shoot 48%.

I think it's primarily that Blair's rebounding (and especially on the offensive end--it's weird that his offensive board average has actually gone down to 2 from 2.4 last year) productivity hasn't kept up with his increased minutes.

[DaDakota]

Right now the Rockets are struggling with whom they are as a team. No identity.

I expect a close game through the 3rd quarter and for you guys to pull away for a 10pt win in the 4th.

Sigh.

DD

[chaco]

Good preview..
Manu @ facebook
"...Qué bien la pasamos anoche! Luifa vino a jugar con los Rockets y Fabri a saludar antes de volver a ARG, así que hubo reencuentro. Muchas historias. Qué lástima no se da más seguido! ~ Fun dinner last night! Scola came w the Rockets & Fab to say hi be4 heading to ARG. I wish it could happen more often."
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs573.ash2/149557_494072741933_71769686933_7220745_128560_n.j pg

[TD 21]

The rebounding definitely needs to improve. But the rebounding stat that is most important is rebound differential; not rebounds per game.

Off the top of my head, I think the Spurs were either 3rd or 4th in rebound differential last season. This season, they're 13th. I suspect they'll be up a lot closer to last years ranking in short order.

[silverblk mystix]

Good preview..
Manu @ facebook
"...Qué bien la pasamos anoche! Luifa vino a jugar con los Rockets y Fabri a saludar antes de volver a ARG, así que hubo reencuentro. Muchas historias. Qué lástima no se da más seguido! ~ Fun dinner last night! Scola came w the Rockets & Fab to say hi be4 heading to ARG. I wish it could happen more often."
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs573.ash2/149557_494072741933_71769686933_7220745_128560_n.j pg

That's pretty awesome.

Ten to 15 years ago-this would have been unheard of...the fact that, today, there are some major-major NBA players that are rooted in latin/hispanic ancestry.

We are pretty lucky to be spurs fans-which was/is the first franchise to prominently feature international players.

If I am correct, the spurs organization spearheaded this international/global NBA movement.

This photo is pretty special..I don't think there will be another era quite like this one for south american talent - all at the same time.

[Bruno]

Over-analyzing stats after 4 games is moot. It's a too small sample size.

[Solid D]

Over-analyzing stats after 4 games is moot. It's a too small sample size.

:lol It doesn't matter whether pre-, early, mid, late or post-season...we at SpursTalk always over-analyze stats. It's what we do. :smokin

[ducks]

hill is not going to play

spurs need him long term

[NASpurs]

hill is not going to play

spurs need him long term

Is he or is he not playing?

JMcDonald_SAEN (http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) George Hill (neck spasms) will play for Spurs tonight vs. Houston. James Anderson (new fatherhood) will not.

[toki9]

:lol It doesn't matter whether pre-, early, mid, late or post-season...we at SpursTalk always over-analyze stats. It's what we do. :smokin

Especially when there're days in between games...some of us (me) have absolutely no lives, you know...

[thispego]

Game is Saturday 6:30 CST.



isnt the game at 7:30?

[duncan228]

isnt the game at 7:30?

Yes. Apologies. :)