timvp
11-13-2010, 07:53 PM
Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Clippers - Nov. 10 (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-game-thoughts/game-thoughts-spurs-vs-clippers/)
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/) | San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
The San Antonio Spurs are off to a 6-1 start. Though winning games, critics point to the weak schedule and the fact that San Antonio is struggling to put away inferior teams. Against the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, the Spurs gave even more ammunition to those critics despite their 107-95 victory.
The Clippers were playing without Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, yet L.A. had the lead in the middle of the third quarter. Specifically, Rasual Butler (18 points) and Craig Smith (15) points were keeping the Clippers in the game.
The Spurs eventually took control. To end the third period, the Spurs went on a 21-6 to take a 14-point lead into the the final stanza. In the fourth, the Clippers momentarily got within three points. However, after a replay review took two points off the board for Los Angeles, the Spurs scored six quick points to put San Antonio up by 11 with 1:47 remaining.
Overall, I can’t complain about the 6-1 record. Once the schedule gets more difficult, we’ll find out whether this early record is fool’s gold.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
22 mins (+15), 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field
Tim Duncan missed shootaround because he was dealing with flu-like symptoms. Though he suited up, Duncan was obviously slowed by his illness. Despite his pedestrian numbers, I thought Duncan did well considering the circumstances. On offense, he stayed out of the way and let his teammates run the show. Defense is where Duncan used most of his energy. He protected the rim and moved decently well. Duncan added three more blocks and is now averaging more blocks per minute than he has since the 2006-07 season.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
36 mins (+10), 22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers
6-for-9 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 7-for-7 at the lin
First the bad: defense and turnovers. Defensively, Manu Ginobili’s effort was inconsistent and he fell asleep a few times. Turnovers are starting to be a real issue for Ginobili. He’s averaging significantly more turnovers this year than he has at any point in his career. Most of his turnovers are a result of trying to do too much rather than making the simple pass. Overall, minus those two areas, Ginobili did well. 22 points on nine field goal attempts is impressive. He also passed well and gave good effort on the boards.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
36 mins (+18), 21 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 turnover
8-for-16 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker played perhaps his best game of the season. He attacked the basket from the first moment and his decision-making was really good throughout. Over the last three games, Parker is averaging 10.3 assists with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.4-to-1. When he looked to score, he had success against the Clippers. Defense was another bright spot. Parker’s season average of 2.3 steals is nearly double his previous career-high.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
36 mins (+4), 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers
6-for-12 from the field, 4-for-7 on three-pointers, 6-for-6 at the line
Richard Jefferson proved his early season hot streak wasn’t a fluke. After struggling with his shot against the Bobcats, Jefferson bounced back with another fantastic offensive display. His three-point stroke continues to look great. Jefferson is also driving to the hole with purpose and usually either finishing or getting to the line. Defensively, RJ made a few plays but wasn’t much better than average. Rebounding remains an area where he can improve his effort.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
28 mins (-14), 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover
4-for-9 from the field
With DeJuan Blair, we have to look for baby steps in the right direction. I liked his individual defense, especially in the first half against Blake Griffin. This was also Blair’s first game shooting better than 38% from the field. That said, the rest of his output remains a work in progress. His team defense wasn’t good. On the offensive end, Blair continues to miss easy shots and look unsure of himself with and without the ball. Will one big offensive explosion cure Blair’s ills? Maybe, although it appears as if his fit in the starting lineup is irreparably poor.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
26 mins (+10), 4 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers
2-for-6 from the field
Antonio McDyess is making this look easy. Each and every game, McDyess is providing the Spurs exactly what they need. Against the Clippers, it was rebounding and defense. At this early point of the season, McDyess’ rebounding rate is the second best of his career. Though he missed a number of jumpers on the offensive end, McDyess remained confident and didn’t hesitate at taking the next open look. All in all, McDyess continues to shine.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
26 mins (+5), 10 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
George Hill began the game playing very bad in nearly all aspects. He looked scared to do anything offensively and had no energy defensively. Thankfully, Hill knocked down a few shots and that seemed to stop him from second-guessing his every move. As the game progressed, Hill played much better. Let’s hope Hill can get his confidence back full-time. Without his confidence, he’s not an NBA caliber player. Honestly, the fact that his confidence can be so easily shaken is concerning.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
16 mins (+10), 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers
1-for-2 from the field, 4-for-5 at the line
Tiago Splitter is getting closer and closer to capturing a large role on this team. His 16 minutes against the Clippers featured many highlights. His first three NBA blocks showed his potential as a defensive anchor. Splitter also fought well on the boards and his ability to draw fouls on both ends is already a far above average. It will be interesting to see how Pop manages Splitter’s minutes with the expected return of Matt Bonner on Saturday.
James Anderson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/james-anderson.jpg
11 mins (-1), 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
2-for-3 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
During the game, James Anderson did well. He drained two more three-pointers and had positive moments on defense and on the boards. Unfortunately, Anderson learned after the game that he needs surgery to repair a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal on his right foot. The Spurs are saying he’ll need eight weeks to recover, however our Stephen Kersey says (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-james-anderson-needs-surgery/) sources claim a return date closer to the All-Star break is more likely.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
The one glaring issue I had with Pop was his decision to play Ginobili 36 minutes. Risking Ginobili’s health at this point of the season, especially against weak opponents, simply doesn’t make sense to me. Not giving Gary Neal any run until garbage time was also a head-scratcher considering Neal’s starring role against the Bobcats in the previous game.
Offense
The offense was productive. The Spurs shot 49.3% from the field, 61.1% (11-for-18) on three-pointers and 86.7% (26-for-30) at the free throw line. Getting to the line that much and shooting that well from deep helped cover the fact that the Spurs had only 21 assists while racking up 19 turnovers. Outside of Parker, the Spurs had only 12 assists to go along with 18 turnovers — a disturbingly bad ratio.
Defense
Considering that the Clippers were without most of their scoring threats, the Spurs defense was rather bad. L.A. shot 46.5% from the field, grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and finished with fewer turnovers (15) than San Antonio. The Spurs were able to slow the Clippers enough by limiting their looks on three-pointers (10) and at the line (14).
Drive for 5
The Spurs now face an interesting back-to-back against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. If things go perfectly, the Spurs will put away the Sixers early to save up the needed juice to give themselves a shot on the road against the Thunder on Sunday.
Related Articles:
Spurs vs. Clippers Grades (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-clippers/)
Spurs vs. Clippers – Post-Game Roundup (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-vs-clippers-post-game-roundup/)
Exclusive: Garrett Temple Waived (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/garrett-temple-to-be-waived-by-san-antonio-spurs/)
Spurs James Anderson Needs Surgery (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-james-anderson-needs-surgery/)
By LJ Ellis (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/ljellis/) | San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
The San Antonio Spurs are off to a 6-1 start. Though winning games, critics point to the weak schedule and the fact that San Antonio is struggling to put away inferior teams. Against the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, the Spurs gave even more ammunition to those critics despite their 107-95 victory.
The Clippers were playing without Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, yet L.A. had the lead in the middle of the third quarter. Specifically, Rasual Butler (18 points) and Craig Smith (15) points were keeping the Clippers in the game.
The Spurs eventually took control. To end the third period, the Spurs went on a 21-6 to take a 14-point lead into the the final stanza. In the fourth, the Clippers momentarily got within three points. However, after a replay review took two points off the board for Los Angeles, the Spurs scored six quick points to put San Antonio up by 11 with 1:47 remaining.
Overall, I can’t complain about the 6-1 record. Once the schedule gets more difficult, we’ll find out whether this early record is fool’s gold.
Tim Duncan
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tim-duncan.jpg
22 mins (+15), 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field
Tim Duncan missed shootaround because he was dealing with flu-like symptoms. Though he suited up, Duncan was obviously slowed by his illness. Despite his pedestrian numbers, I thought Duncan did well considering the circumstances. On offense, he stayed out of the way and let his teammates run the show. Defense is where Duncan used most of his energy. He protected the rim and moved decently well. Duncan added three more blocks and is now averaging more blocks per minute than he has since the 2006-07 season.
Manu Ginobili
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/manu-ginobili.jpg
36 mins (+10), 22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers
6-for-9 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 7-for-7 at the lin
First the bad: defense and turnovers. Defensively, Manu Ginobili’s effort was inconsistent and he fell asleep a few times. Turnovers are starting to be a real issue for Ginobili. He’s averaging significantly more turnovers this year than he has at any point in his career. Most of his turnovers are a result of trying to do too much rather than making the simple pass. Overall, minus those two areas, Ginobili did well. 22 points on nine field goal attempts is impressive. He also passed well and gave good effort on the boards.
Tony Parker
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tony-parker.jpg
36 mins (+18), 21 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 turnover
8-for-16 from the field, 5-for-6 at the line
Tony Parker played perhaps his best game of the season. He attacked the basket from the first moment and his decision-making was really good throughout. Over the last three games, Parker is averaging 10.3 assists with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.4-to-1. When he looked to score, he had success against the Clippers. Defense was another bright spot. Parker’s season average of 2.3 steals is nearly double his previous career-high.
Richard Jefferson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/richard-jefferson.jpg
36 mins (+4), 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers
6-for-12 from the field, 4-for-7 on three-pointers, 6-for-6 at the line
Richard Jefferson proved his early season hot streak wasn’t a fluke. After struggling with his shot against the Bobcats, Jefferson bounced back with another fantastic offensive display. His three-point stroke continues to look great. Jefferson is also driving to the hole with purpose and usually either finishing or getting to the line. Defensively, RJ made a few plays but wasn’t much better than average. Rebounding remains an area where he can improve his effort.
DeJuan Blair
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dejuan-blair.jpg
28 mins (-14), 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover
4-for-9 from the field
With DeJuan Blair, we have to look for baby steps in the right direction. I liked his individual defense, especially in the first half against Blake Griffin. This was also Blair’s first game shooting better than 38% from the field. That said, the rest of his output remains a work in progress. His team defense wasn’t good. On the offensive end, Blair continues to miss easy shots and look unsure of himself with and without the ball. Will one big offensive explosion cure Blair’s ills? Maybe, although it appears as if his fit in the starting lineup is irreparably poor.
Antonio McDyess
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/antonio-mcdyess.jpg
26 mins (+10), 4 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers
2-for-6 from the field
Antonio McDyess is making this look easy. Each and every game, McDyess is providing the Spurs exactly what they need. Against the Clippers, it was rebounding and defense. At this early point of the season, McDyess’ rebounding rate is the second best of his career. Though he missed a number of jumpers on the offensive end, McDyess remained confident and didn’t hesitate at taking the next open look. All in all, McDyess continues to shine.
George Hill
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/george-hill.jpg
26 mins (+5), 10 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
George Hill began the game playing very bad in nearly all aspects. He looked scared to do anything offensively and had no energy defensively. Thankfully, Hill knocked down a few shots and that seemed to stop him from second-guessing his every move. As the game progressed, Hill played much better. Let’s hope Hill can get his confidence back full-time. Without his confidence, he’s not an NBA caliber player. Honestly, the fact that his confidence can be so easily shaken is concerning.
Tiago Splitter
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/tiago-splitter.jpg
16 mins (+10), 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers
1-for-2 from the field, 4-for-5 at the line
Tiago Splitter is getting closer and closer to capturing a large role on this team. His 16 minutes against the Clippers featured many highlights. His first three NBA blocks showed his potential as a defensive anchor. Splitter also fought well on the boards and his ability to draw fouls on both ends is already a far above average. It will be interesting to see how Pop manages Splitter’s minutes with the expected return of Matt Bonner on Saturday.
James Anderson
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/james-anderson.jpg
11 mins (-1), 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
2-for-3 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
During the game, James Anderson did well. He drained two more three-pointers and had positive moments on defense and on the boards. Unfortunately, Anderson learned after the game that he needs surgery to repair a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal on his right foot. The Spurs are saying he’ll need eight weeks to recover, however our Stephen Kersey says (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-james-anderson-needs-surgery/) sources claim a return date closer to the All-Star break is more likely.
Gregg Popovich
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/gregg-popovich.jpg
The one glaring issue I had with Pop was his decision to play Ginobili 36 minutes. Risking Ginobili’s health at this point of the season, especially against weak opponents, simply doesn’t make sense to me. Not giving Gary Neal any run until garbage time was also a head-scratcher considering Neal’s starring role against the Bobcats in the previous game.
Offense
The offense was productive. The Spurs shot 49.3% from the field, 61.1% (11-for-18) on three-pointers and 86.7% (26-for-30) at the free throw line. Getting to the line that much and shooting that well from deep helped cover the fact that the Spurs had only 21 assists while racking up 19 turnovers. Outside of Parker, the Spurs had only 12 assists to go along with 18 turnovers — a disturbingly bad ratio.
Defense
Considering that the Clippers were without most of their scoring threats, the Spurs defense was rather bad. L.A. shot 46.5% from the field, grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and finished with fewer turnovers (15) than San Antonio. The Spurs were able to slow the Clippers enough by limiting their looks on three-pointers (10) and at the line (14).
Drive for 5
The Spurs now face an interesting back-to-back against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. If things go perfectly, the Spurs will put away the Sixers early to save up the needed juice to give themselves a shot on the road against the Thunder on Sunday.
Related Articles:
Spurs vs. Clippers Grades (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-clippers/)
Spurs vs. Clippers – Post-Game Roundup (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-vs-clippers-post-game-roundup/)
Exclusive: Garrett Temple Waived (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/garrett-temple-to-be-waived-by-san-antonio-spurs/)
Spurs James Anderson Needs Surgery (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-james-anderson-needs-surgery/)