Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Hornets - Dec. 5

[timvp]

Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Hornets - Dec. 5 (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-hornets/)

http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/dec5grades.jpg (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-hornets/)

[ducks]

great game lots of rest for starters

[xellos88330]

Spurs really need to find a way to get Splitter the ball in rhythm on his roll. His forte isn't being used properly and I am sure he is getting quite frustrated.

GET SPLITTER THE DAMN BALL!!!

[ElNono]

The shooting was contagious. RJ came out firing, and Tony finally played at the level he started the season. Blair finally didn't look lost on West.
The Hill/Neal/Bonner bench finished the job.
Great confidence-builder win, and rest for the big 3 to boot.

[ducks]

the third time blair faced west this season
HE ADJUSTED

blair last year played against scrubs not starters
he has to adjust to starters this year

[timtonymanu]

In other words, every one played decent to great. Result = 30 point game throughout against a playoff team.

[cutewizard]

Best game of the season so far....

Go Spurs go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lefty]

I didnt like how Neal hesitated onshooting some wide open 3's

Still he played well

[SpursDynasty85]

Agree Splitter was the worst player out there. I'm so excited to see Splitter play but he is undeniably shaky and way too jumpy. I hope he calms down soon.

Gary Neal is looking like what the Spurs had with George Hill last year. hopefully he can keep this up.

[Libri]

Ime Udoka B Mostly stayed out of the way.

Ime staying out of the way is enough for a good grade. :lol

[Manufan909]

Why is Splitter so horrible at grabbing boards? At least Bonner has a great excuse, he's always on the perimeter and has T-rex arms. What's up with Tiago not cleaning the glass?

[Fpoonsie]

I didnt like how Neal hesitated onshooting some wide open 3's

Still he played well

Agreed. Not sure if he was tryin to show off more of his mid-range game, or some average ability to facilitate, but he needs to take those when he finds himself open. Immediately.

[Leonard Curse]

i wouldnt be talking crap about splitters play his minutes are so inconsistent never getting conditioned with (real basketball exrcise). so of course hes not going to play good same with all the other players pop let go.

he sits them all year and calls them out once and expects greatness while bonner shoots through slumps and has no accountability. believe me if splitter played bonner minutes hed be a beast for our club.

[The Truth #6]

Blair had a better game. He gambled poorly a few times with West and got burned. West looked to be playing at about 60% so I'm hesitant to say Blair turned any major corner. But if this game gets his confidence back and helps him, then that's a good thing.

[Darkwaters]

Funny how the Hornets matchup looked like what I expected the Clippers game to look like, and the Clippers game went more how I thought the Hornets game would go.

[KaiRMD1]

Splitter could be RJ from last season.

[Darkwaters]

I've watched half of the game so far. Spurs look absolutely awesome in it. Clicking on all cylinders. The Hornets, also look completely lost and disinterested. The combination of those two doesn't equal blowout, it equals a nuclear detonation. Can't wait to watch the second half this afternoon...although 15 plus minutes of Chris Quinn could get tedious.

[Fireball]

Spurs really need to find a way to get Splitter the ball in rhythm on his roll. His forte isn't being used properly and I am sure he is getting quite frustrated.

GET SPLITTER THE DAMN BALL!!!

I don't know if just giving him the ball is the right approach. I would like to see more minutes of Splitter because of his defense. If he scores additionally thats great, but not necessary. He will score more efficiently if he plays alonside Tim, Tony and Manu, but we need him on defense first.

[xellos88330]

I don't know if just giving him the ball is the right approach. I would like to see more minutes of Splitter because of his defense. If he scores additionally thats great, but not necessary. He will score more efficiently if he plays alonside Tim, Tony and Manu, but we need him on defense first.

His defense is okay. Tonight was a great opportunity to see what Splitter can bring to the table should the offense be run through him. Considering the 3rd stringers sans Blair were in there, I would have liked to see what it could look like in a Splitter run offense.

For me, I haven't seen enough of this guy, and I want to see what Splitter is capable of. I am hoping for the best, but putting him out there with the end of the bench players, isn't a good way to figure how he could fit later on in the year.

[Pauleta14]

the third time blair faced west this season
HE ADJUSTED


West wan't 100%, so was Blair better or West weaker?


I didnt like how Neal hesitated onshooting some wide open 3's

Still he played well

I liked it actualy, because I was afraid he was "just" a 3pt shooter. The more variety in his game he will show, the better for us and the harder for the opposition to guard him...
He has shown a nice floater and a reliable midrange JS so far!


Why is Splitter so horrible at grabbing boards? At least Bonner has a great excuse, he's always on the perimeter and has T-rex arms. What's up with Tiago not cleaning the glass?

The Gasol brothers, Scola or any international big who comes to the nba need an adaptation time, because the pace is not the same, there is the 3 sec in the paint rule, almost every bigs he faces are atletic...

For those who remember, the firsts years of Pau Gasol in the nba, everybody was saying he was too soft...

He took time to adjust, grow a beard (:lol) and see now...

I'm not saying he is the next Gasol, but it's only december, we only played 20 games and Thiago didn't even do the training camp...

I'm really not worried about him and I don't get the "panic" mode in whitch many of you are.
Anyway, whatever he brings thid year, we all know that historicaly, he'll be really effective/comfortable only next season...

[UnWantedTheory]

Ime & Quinn grades do not compute....also I think the grade for Tiago was a smidge much. C to a C- IMO.

[Pauleta14]

Ime & Quinn grades do not compute....also I think the grade for Tiago was a smidge much. C to a C- IMO.


The grades are more based on what id expected from the players rather than their statistical nproductions.

As you can see, we/timvp is not expecting much of them...

[boutons_deux]

Splitter isn't getting enough minutes to learn the NBA game, its differences from the Euro game, to get in a rhythm. All he can do is use his fundamentals, but even that is crimped by his lack of playing time, and probably lack of confidence.

So he doesn't play well, so Pop doesn't play him, so he doesn't play well, so Pop ...

[smeagol]

I was expecting to see a B- for Manu (at most)

[Penya]

there is 3 sec in the paint instead of 5

?!?!

[biskvito]

I'd give Splitter a B easily. I thought he did nice out there, considering his situation. He was never a great rebounder, though he's better at offensive rebound. His thing is good defense, good reading of the game, nice passer, efficient finishing at offense, P&R, he also developed some nice post moves and used a lot in brazilian NT. He's capable of finishing at offense, and he also draws many fouls at the post, as well as take a lot of charges in defense, he doesn't back down from contact and he knows how to make a scene at that, once he gets ref's respect he'll cause some trouble to other teams. But yeah, he's a bit jumpy with his minutes, he's nervous and afraid of making mistakes.

[ManuTastic]

I don't know if just giving him the ball is the right approach. I would like to see more minutes of Splitter because of his defense. If he scores additionally thats great, but not necessary. He will score more efficiently if he plays alonside Tim, Tony and Manu, but we need him on defense first.

Good idea. His defensive abilities, combined with Duncan's loss of same and Blair being an undersized so-so defender, call for Splitter to start next to Duncan. Blair can come off the bench as an energizer. Of course starting Splitter would be situational, and only when the other team has a heavyweight big man to guard and keep off the glass.

I hope that's the long-term plan, anyway.

[polandprzem]

I was expecting to see a B- for Manu (at most)

My thinking exactly

But I'm gonna sit quiet, although I think this years grades :td

[carina_gino20]

Splitter just needs more minutes with Manu and more consistent playing time to get comfortable with his role. Like many of you, I'm liking what he's showing on the defensive end.

[Fireball]

His defense is okay. Tonight was a great opportunity to see what Splitter can bring to the table should the offense be run through him. Considering the 3rd stringers sans Blair were in there, I would have liked to see what it could look like in a Splitter run offense.

For me, I haven't seen enough of this guy, and I want to see what Splitter is capable of. I am hoping for the best, but putting him out there with the end of the bench players, isn't a good way to figure how he could fit later on in the year.

I totally agree with your last argument, but my point is that there should be no "Splitter run offense" at this point. He just does not have the skill set yet or the experience in the NBA to do that. He needs PnR PGs like Tony and Manu to be involved on offense. To be honest, with TP, Manu, Timmy and RJ on the floor there is no need for big scoring by Tiago. Thats why I would really like him to start instead of Dejuan. But we are 17-3, therefore this will not happen anytime soon. But if we want to compete with the Lakers (Bynum healthy or not), Tiago has a better chance of defending Odom than Blair (see World Championships). In a nutshell: Let Tiago play because of his defense !!!

[rjv]

i have no confidence that the hobbit could ever really play any significant time at PG. hopefully all he ever gets is garbage time minutes.

[biskvito]

People saying Tiago doesn't have an offense will be gladly surprised some time in the future. I've seen plenty of refined post moves by Splitter in FIBA besides the P&R, things he couldn't show in NBA yet. I predict in a year or so, when he's consistent and comfortable with NBA he will play a big role in offense too.