Amuseddaysleeper
11-22-2010, 10:41 AM
Another preview from yours truly :toast
Spurs Preview: The Week Ahead – Nov. 22nd-28th (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-preview-the-week-ahead-%E2%80%93-nov-22-28/)
By Raza Husain (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/raza/)
San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
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Orlando Magic (9-3) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-1)
Monday, November 22nd, 7:30 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 2nd, 2010, Spurs won 112-100
SCOUTING REPORT: A year removed from an NBA Finals appearance, the Orlando Magic have been very up and down this season despite boasting a 9-3 record. They barely topped the lowly Pacers 90-86, and have already dropped a game to the lowlier Raptors. It can be argued that their only quality win this season was against the Hawks. The Heat and the Jazz posed the biggest challenges — and both pummeled the Magic. However, it should be noted that Orlando’s issues are mostly on the offensive end — they allow a league-low 90 points per contest.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Dwight Howard will be a tough cover as he often plays well against San Antonio. Howard takes nearly 70% of his shots in the key, so the Spurs will have to throw all of their big men at him to give him different looks in hopes of slowing him down. Pop may even elect to intentionally foul Howard in order to disrupt the Magic’s tempo, as he is a notoriously poor free throw shooter. Like the Spurs, Orlando is loaded with three-point shooters and San Antonio will have to really stretch out their defense to make sure everyone is covered. Manu Ginobili walloped the Magic for 43 points in their last meeting, so look for him to have another big game. Tony Parker didn’t play in that matchup so he should provide another nightmare for Orlando, as he tries to draw fouls on Howard at the rim. Duncan and McDyess will have their work cut out for them in the post as Marcin Gortat won’t be a walk in the park either. Considering that this is the toughest team the Spurs have faced on their win streak, it would be key for them to make a statement at home against one of the league’s better road teams.
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San Antonio Spurs (11-1) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (4-10)
Wednesday, November 24th, 7 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 12th, 2010, Spurs won 133-111
SCOUTING REPORT: The Timberwolves are one of the weakest teams in the Western Conference, just a few inches ahead of the Rockets and Clippers. They are 3-7 in their last 10, coming off a blowout loss to the Lakers at home. Despite already having a six-game losing streak this season, the team does have a bright spot in the surprising play of Michael Beasley, who leads the team in scoring at 22 points per game. The Wolves are also second in the league in rebounds per game with 46 per contest thanks in no small part to Kevin Love, who is the NBA’s top rebounder. He should be expecting a fruit basket from the Wolves in the mail.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Spurs swept the Wolves in the season series last year and should look to do the same this year. Parker had his career-high 55 points against the Wolves during the 2009 season so look for him to continue doing his damage. Love posted a huge game against the Knicks with 31 rebounds and 31 points, the NBA’s first 30/30 since the 1982 season. The Spurs are turning into a strong rebounding team in their own right, so look for DeJuan Blair to pound the boards in order to limit Love’s impact in that department. The Spurs backcourt should have a field day against Minnesota, the only non-playoff contender they face all week. Beasley will need to be guarded very closely, as he is having a career year after struggling in Miami when he was taken second overall in the draft. This game should be an easy win for the Spurs and they should come out with the intention of putting this one in the books early. Anytime you can afford the starters some rest thanks to a blowout, you take advantage. Things will only get tougher on the schedule this week moving forward so its crucial the Spurs pick up an easy win while they can.
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Dallas Mavericks (8-4) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-1)
Friday, November 26th, 7:30 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 29th, 2010, Spurs won 97-87
SCOUTING REPORT: The Mavericks have been very inconsistent this season, dropping two out of their last three games. Despite having multiple starters who shoot 50% or better from the floor, the team has had some issues putting points on the board, ranking in the bottom five in the league with 96 points per game. The Mavs also nearly blew a 22-point lead to Atlanta before securing their latest victory. They are still waiting for breakout player Roddy Beaubois to return from injury (foot surgery), which has led to too many minutes for JJ Barea, who is having a poor season thus far. Dirk Nowitzki continues to play at a high level, as he is currently top five in scoring.
WHAT TO EXPECT: One of the most heated rivalries in the NBA, the Spurs vs. Mavs matchups rarely fail to disappoint. After a tense playoff series last year, with the Spurs prevailing in six, the Mavs will be eager for revenge. George Hill was fantastic in that series but has looked rather tentative this year. Look for Ginobili and Parker to push the tempo as the Mavs are a highly capable defensively when they get set in the halfcourt. They are top six in points allowed, and are also dangerous when moving the ball around thanks to Jason Kidd. The Mavs have good size up front with Brendan Haywood and new addition Tyson Chandler, who has guarded Duncan well in the past. The Spurs should still look to have a few tricks up their sleeve as Tiago Splitter should be able to combat the size issue, while Parker looks to tire out Kidd. However, the biggest issue for the Spurs against the Mavs always has been and always will be the play of Nowitzki. McDyess did an admirable job in last year’s playoffs guarding the German power forward, but that still didn’t stop Nowitzki from lighting the Spurs up from everywhere. It will take a team effort to slow him down and look for the team to give Nowitzki several different looks in hopes of throwing off his game. While Nowitzki may get his, it is imperative that the Spurs slow down the rest of the supporting cast. Jason Terry, for example, can still get hot from the field for an offensive eruption. This will probably the most anticipated game of the season to date for both Spurs and Mavs fans, so expect this battle between these two heavyweights to be decided at the bitter end.
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San Antonio Spurs (11-1) @ New Orleans Hornets (11-1)
Sunday, November 28th, 2 PM Central
Last Meeting: October 30, 2010, Hornets won 99-90
SCOUTING REPORT: The Hornets are tied with the Spurs for the best record in the NBA and are currently coming off a gritty win over the Kings. Chris Paul is having another MVP-like season now that he is healthy again, while David West continues to play like an All-Star. The Hornets like to slow down the pace and grind it out, much like the old school Spurs liked to do. New Orleans has posted impressive victories over Miami, Dallas and San Antonio this season.
WHAT TO EXPECT: They say revenge is a dish best served cold and the Spurs will be looking to serve some of their own when they waltz into Louisiana this Sunday. The Hornets make their bread and butter of the pick-and-roll, so the Spurs have to be able to guard it effectively. In the last matchup between the teams, the Spurs struggled to score, as the Hornets held off a late rally to grab the win. David West is a very tough cover for the Spurs (18 points last time) but McDyess can hopefully keep him in check. Duncan will need to do a good job on bodying up Emeka Okafor, who has been having a stellar season. Marcus Thornton hurt the Spurs last time for 17 points but seems to have fallen out of the rotation lately. The Hornets may also employ newly acquired Jarrett Jack to help slow down Parker, but they still have no answer for Ginobili. Parker versus Paul will be the matchup of the night — look for both players to have big games. Willie Green notched 15 points against San Antonio last time, so expect Gregg Popovich to adjust the game plan to account for Green this time around. The Hornets are currently a league best 7-0 at home, while the Spurs are the best on the road with a 5-0 record. The Spurs lone loss all year came at the hands of the Hornets … now it’s time to go into their house and do the same. This is very well the toughest week the Spurs will have all season. Now is the time to see what they’re really made of.
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http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-preview-the-week-ahead-%E2%80%93-nov-22-28/
Spurs Preview: The Week Ahead – Nov. 22nd-28th (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/san-antonio-spurs-news/spurs-preview-the-week-ahead-%E2%80%93-nov-22-28/)
By Raza Husain (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/author/raza/)
San Antonio Dispatch (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/)
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/magic-logo.jpg
Orlando Magic (9-3) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-1)
Monday, November 22nd, 7:30 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 2nd, 2010, Spurs won 112-100
SCOUTING REPORT: A year removed from an NBA Finals appearance, the Orlando Magic have been very up and down this season despite boasting a 9-3 record. They barely topped the lowly Pacers 90-86, and have already dropped a game to the lowlier Raptors. It can be argued that their only quality win this season was against the Hawks. The Heat and the Jazz posed the biggest challenges — and both pummeled the Magic. However, it should be noted that Orlando’s issues are mostly on the offensive end — they allow a league-low 90 points per contest.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Dwight Howard will be a tough cover as he often plays well against San Antonio. Howard takes nearly 70% of his shots in the key, so the Spurs will have to throw all of their big men at him to give him different looks in hopes of slowing him down. Pop may even elect to intentionally foul Howard in order to disrupt the Magic’s tempo, as he is a notoriously poor free throw shooter. Like the Spurs, Orlando is loaded with three-point shooters and San Antonio will have to really stretch out their defense to make sure everyone is covered. Manu Ginobili walloped the Magic for 43 points in their last meeting, so look for him to have another big game. Tony Parker didn’t play in that matchup so he should provide another nightmare for Orlando, as he tries to draw fouls on Howard at the rim. Duncan and McDyess will have their work cut out for them in the post as Marcin Gortat won’t be a walk in the park either. Considering that this is the toughest team the Spurs have faced on their win streak, it would be key for them to make a statement at home against one of the league’s better road teams.
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San Antonio Spurs (11-1) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (4-10)
Wednesday, November 24th, 7 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 12th, 2010, Spurs won 133-111
SCOUTING REPORT: The Timberwolves are one of the weakest teams in the Western Conference, just a few inches ahead of the Rockets and Clippers. They are 3-7 in their last 10, coming off a blowout loss to the Lakers at home. Despite already having a six-game losing streak this season, the team does have a bright spot in the surprising play of Michael Beasley, who leads the team in scoring at 22 points per game. The Wolves are also second in the league in rebounds per game with 46 per contest thanks in no small part to Kevin Love, who is the NBA’s top rebounder. He should be expecting a fruit basket from the Wolves in the mail.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Spurs swept the Wolves in the season series last year and should look to do the same this year. Parker had his career-high 55 points against the Wolves during the 2009 season so look for him to continue doing his damage. Love posted a huge game against the Knicks with 31 rebounds and 31 points, the NBA’s first 30/30 since the 1982 season. The Spurs are turning into a strong rebounding team in their own right, so look for DeJuan Blair to pound the boards in order to limit Love’s impact in that department. The Spurs backcourt should have a field day against Minnesota, the only non-playoff contender they face all week. Beasley will need to be guarded very closely, as he is having a career year after struggling in Miami when he was taken second overall in the draft. This game should be an easy win for the Spurs and they should come out with the intention of putting this one in the books early. Anytime you can afford the starters some rest thanks to a blowout, you take advantage. Things will only get tougher on the schedule this week moving forward so its crucial the Spurs pick up an easy win while they can.
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Dallas Mavericks (8-4) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-1)
Friday, November 26th, 7:30 PM Central
Last Meeting: April 29th, 2010, Spurs won 97-87
SCOUTING REPORT: The Mavericks have been very inconsistent this season, dropping two out of their last three games. Despite having multiple starters who shoot 50% or better from the floor, the team has had some issues putting points on the board, ranking in the bottom five in the league with 96 points per game. The Mavs also nearly blew a 22-point lead to Atlanta before securing their latest victory. They are still waiting for breakout player Roddy Beaubois to return from injury (foot surgery), which has led to too many minutes for JJ Barea, who is having a poor season thus far. Dirk Nowitzki continues to play at a high level, as he is currently top five in scoring.
WHAT TO EXPECT: One of the most heated rivalries in the NBA, the Spurs vs. Mavs matchups rarely fail to disappoint. After a tense playoff series last year, with the Spurs prevailing in six, the Mavs will be eager for revenge. George Hill was fantastic in that series but has looked rather tentative this year. Look for Ginobili and Parker to push the tempo as the Mavs are a highly capable defensively when they get set in the halfcourt. They are top six in points allowed, and are also dangerous when moving the ball around thanks to Jason Kidd. The Mavs have good size up front with Brendan Haywood and new addition Tyson Chandler, who has guarded Duncan well in the past. The Spurs should still look to have a few tricks up their sleeve as Tiago Splitter should be able to combat the size issue, while Parker looks to tire out Kidd. However, the biggest issue for the Spurs against the Mavs always has been and always will be the play of Nowitzki. McDyess did an admirable job in last year’s playoffs guarding the German power forward, but that still didn’t stop Nowitzki from lighting the Spurs up from everywhere. It will take a team effort to slow him down and look for the team to give Nowitzki several different looks in hopes of throwing off his game. While Nowitzki may get his, it is imperative that the Spurs slow down the rest of the supporting cast. Jason Terry, for example, can still get hot from the field for an offensive eruption. This will probably the most anticipated game of the season to date for both Spurs and Mavs fans, so expect this battle between these two heavyweights to be decided at the bitter end.
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San Antonio Spurs (11-1) @ New Orleans Hornets (11-1)
Sunday, November 28th, 2 PM Central
Last Meeting: October 30, 2010, Hornets won 99-90
SCOUTING REPORT: The Hornets are tied with the Spurs for the best record in the NBA and are currently coming off a gritty win over the Kings. Chris Paul is having another MVP-like season now that he is healthy again, while David West continues to play like an All-Star. The Hornets like to slow down the pace and grind it out, much like the old school Spurs liked to do. New Orleans has posted impressive victories over Miami, Dallas and San Antonio this season.
WHAT TO EXPECT: They say revenge is a dish best served cold and the Spurs will be looking to serve some of their own when they waltz into Louisiana this Sunday. The Hornets make their bread and butter of the pick-and-roll, so the Spurs have to be able to guard it effectively. In the last matchup between the teams, the Spurs struggled to score, as the Hornets held off a late rally to grab the win. David West is a very tough cover for the Spurs (18 points last time) but McDyess can hopefully keep him in check. Duncan will need to do a good job on bodying up Emeka Okafor, who has been having a stellar season. Marcus Thornton hurt the Spurs last time for 17 points but seems to have fallen out of the rotation lately. The Hornets may also employ newly acquired Jarrett Jack to help slow down Parker, but they still have no answer for Ginobili. Parker versus Paul will be the matchup of the night — look for both players to have big games. Willie Green notched 15 points against San Antonio last time, so expect Gregg Popovich to adjust the game plan to account for Green this time around. The Hornets are currently a league best 7-0 at home, while the Spurs are the best on the road with a 5-0 record. The Spurs lone loss all year came at the hands of the Hornets … now it’s time to go into their house and do the same. This is very well the toughest week the Spurs will have all season. Now is the time to see what they’re really made of.
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