Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Suns - Dec. 20

[timvp]

Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Suns (http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-grades/quick-grades-spurs-vs-suns/)

With the bitter taste of the sweep still fresh, it was fun to watch the Spurs beat the Suns for the second time this season. In a game full of runs, the Suns went on a 21-7 run to end the second quarter and take a one-point lead to halftime. However, San Antonio took control in the third quarter — outscoring the Suns 40-24 on their way to a 118-110 victory. The Spurs are now 24-3 and have won nine straight.

Tim Duncan A
In the first ten and a half minutes of the third quarter, Tim Duncan had one of his most dominant stretches of the season. During that time, he scored or assisted on 22 points as the Spurs outscored the Suns 34-16. Defensively, Duncan was very good throughout the contest. His mobility compared to last year in the playoffs was much improved. Overall, Duncan was extremely energetic and was far and away the best player on the court.

Manu Ginobili B+
Offensively, Manu Ginobili was relatively quiet. Nine of his 11 field goal attempts were of the three-point variety. However, Ginobili ran the offense perfectly when he was on the court without the other two members of the Big 3. In those six and a half minutes, the Spurs went on a 23-11 run. On defense, Ginobili was better than he has been recently but still had problems in one-on-one situations.

Tony Parker B
Going into the game, it was obvious Tony Parker wanted to force Steve Nash to play defense. While Parker did a good job of tiring out Nash, the strategy backfired at times because the offense stagnated as the ball-movement dried up. On defense, Parker had a few good plays in help defense but drifted away from Nash too often.

Richard Jefferson C+
Richard Jefferson wasn’t doing much right on the defensive end. His transition defense was inconsistent and he had issues when dealing with screens in halfcourt sets. His best moments on defense were on the boards. Offensively, Jefferson was aggressive and passed the ball well … but he seemed a step out of rhythm and missed a handful of shots he usually makes.

DeJuan Blair B-
In recent games, DeJuan Blair wasn’t very active. That definitely changed against the Suns. He was very active — often to a fault. He had four turnovers and got blocked at the rim a number of times. That said, his activity and physicality was important in setting the tone. The Spurs out-hustled the Suns and that started with Blair. Blair also made a couple great passes, ran the court hard and surprisingly defended well out on the perimeter.

Gary Neal A+
Gary Neal did a good George Hill impersonation. With Hill sidelined with a toe injury, Neal poured in 22 points in 31 minutes. Even though his three-pointers weren’t falling (1-for-6) he produced by hitting runners in the lane and getting to the line eight times. I haven’t been impressed with his defense as of late but I was actually very impressed against the Suns. He showed good agility in one-on-one situations and his defensive rotations were crisp. All in all, the Spurs couldn’t have hoped for more.

Matt Bonner B+
Matt Bonner was deceptively important late in the game. Even though the Suns were using small, quick lineups, Bonner’s ability to keep up allowed Pop to avoid going to a miniature lineup. Add in good effort on the glass to go with a pair of blocked shots and you have a recipe for a solid outing.

Chris Quinn A+
Chris Quinn did about all Chris Quinn can do on a basketball court. He shot well. He made good decisions with the ball. He authored correct passes. He avoided making any mistakes. What Quinn did that I wasn’t expecting was play good defense. He moved his feet to stay in front of drivers and also made complicated rotations look easy. Quinn is proving to be a valuable player that can be trusted when called upon. At this point, I don’t see a reason why the Spurs wouldn’t keep him around the rest of the season.

Antonio McDyess A-
In his stint in the first half, Antonio McDyess was very, very good. He played his role to perfection by defending, hustling and crashing the glass. McDyess wasn’t quite as good in the second half but he was still above average. After an extended shooting slump, McDyess is now 8-for-8 from the field over the last three games.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

Parker played better than Manu imo

[greyforest]

Someone will have to explain to me again...how did this team sweep the Spurs last May?

I mean I remember the 3's raining and Dragic and whatnot, but really, a sweep?

[Hooks]

Someone will have to explain to me again...how did this team sweep the Spurs last May?

I mean I remember the 3's raining and Dragic and whatnot, but really, a sweep?



It was a fluke, they would've beaten the Lakers and any other team in the NBA if they shot the way they did against us.

[UnWantedTheory]

Someone will have to explain to me again...how did this team sweep the Spurs last May?

I mean I remember the 3's raining and Dragic and whatnot, but really, a sweep?
Different team this year.

[Spursfanfromafar]

They had an offensive behemoth named Amar'e Stoudemire who was Yang to Steve Nash's Yin and they pick and rolled the Spurs to death, with out-worldly three point shooting to add to the mix.

Besides this team was a shortened 8-man lineup. I assume the Suns to contend for a higher playoff spot once the three additions- Gortat, Carter and Pietrus fit in. I suspect the Suns would also want to trade for Boris Diaw to get a PF that fits their system in a trade by selling either of Childress/ Pietrus.

[Fireball]

Someone will have to explain to me again...how did this team sweep the Spurs last May?

I mean I remember the 3's raining and Dragic and whatnot, but really, a sweep?

1. Amare Stoudemire, 2. Frye made his 3-pointers

[fantasyfootball]

Authored correct passes?

I'm getting you a thesaurus for Christmas. :jab

[DieMrBond]

Hey timvp, this question has puzzled me for a while - i get that the players are rated compared to their own individual standards and expectations...

BUT

Is Richard Jefferson ranked based on THIS seasons performances, or last seasons, or both?

[benefactor]

Great job by the bench players(Neal, Quinn) that have stepped up and produced in extended minutes in the absence of Hill and Anderson. The Spurs have really had a difficult time in the past plugging the holes when shorthanded, but this year they have managed to stumble upon a couple gems that have been difference makers during this stretch.

[boutons_deux]

"I'm getting you a thesaurus for Christmas"

See if you can buy/bum one from LarryJ. :)

"passed excellently" (includes crisp, accurate, appropriate, timely, successful)

[WalterBenitez]

Parker played better than Manu imo

I follow this, but Manu runs more team oriented ofense, TP did a great job, quick and solid.

[will_spurs]

Manu might run a well-balanced run, it still feels like he's preparing his professional reconversion to bricklaying.

[Spurs Brazil]

Quinn and Neal are doing a great job in the last 2 games with Hill out.

Dice is playing very very solid.

[Mel_13]

Chris Quinn A+
Chris Quinn did about all Chris Quinn can do on a basketball court. He shot well. He made good decisions with the ball. He authored correct passes. He avoided making any mistakes. What Quinn did that I wasn’t expecting was play good defense. He moved his feet to stay in front of drivers and also made complicated rotations look easy. Quinn is proving to be a valuable player that can be trusted when called upon. At this point, I don’t see a reason why the Spurs wouldn’t keep him around the rest of the season.

What more could a team want from their third string PG?

He plays for the minimum salary.

He executes the basic elements of the offense without turning the ball over.

He knocks down open shots all the way to the three point line.

He competes on the defensive end.

Definitely a keeper.

[Darkwaters]

I stand corrected on Quinn. Hes stepped in and been able to fill minutes in a pinch. Plus his defense hasn't been nearly as atrocious as I'd have thought. Props to Chris.

Neal continues to impress. I've been very pleased since I heard he was coming in for summer league.

[EricD]

What more could a team want from their third string PG?

He plays for the minimum salary.

He executes the basic elements of the offense without turning the ball over.

He knocks down open shots all the way to the three point line.

He competes on the defensive end.

Definitely a keeper.

Agreed on all parts there Mel 13 as always.

When in doubt, leave it to Mel!! A true medal award winner :toast

All you black and bold wannabe's need to recognize.

[Darkwaters]

What more could a team want from their third string PG?

He plays for the minimum salary.

He executes the basic elements of the offense without turning the ball over.

He knocks down open shots all the way to the three point line.

He competes on the defensive end.

Definitely a keeper.

Agreed. A third string PG needs to be willing to sit on the IR if necessary. Take virtually no minutes in good times, and step up and not screw up in bad times. Quinn has, to my surprise, done that quite well. I hope theres a non-guaranteed second year on his contract (doubtful) as he might be worth keeping around next year too. I wouldn't mind the Spurs finding a career 3rd string PG that can stick around for 2-3 seasons. Kind of like Jason Garrett did as a QB for the Cowboys.

[Darkwaters]

Agreed on all parts there Mel 13 as always.

When in doubt, leave it to Mel!! A true medal award winner :toast

All you black and bold wannabe's need to recognize. :lol

Seriously, what is your fixation with the colour of somebody's name on the site? Who really cares? Just post quality thoughts and don't worry if somebody with 18,000 posts talks smack to you.

[Seventyniner]

Agreed. A third string PG needs to be willing to sit on the IR if necessary. Take virtually no minutes in good times, and step up and not screw up in bad times. Quinn has, to my surprise, done that quite well. I hope theres a non-guaranteed second year on his contract (doubtful) as he might be worth keeping around next year too. I wouldn't mind the Spurs finding a career 3rd string PG that can stick around for 2-3 seasons. Kind of like Jason Garrett did as a QB for the Cowboys.

Be careful what you wish for, or you might get Jacque Vaughn.

[Blake]

Tony Parker While Parker did a good job of tiring out Nash, the strategy backfired at times because the offense stagnated as the ball-movement dried up.

It annoys the hell out of me when Tony dribbles around for 20 seconds before settling on a 12 foot jumper.

[boutons_deux]

Yeah, Tony can truly hog the ball and end the possession badly. 4 other guys made the trip down the court and probably think they are on the same team as Tony, they merit a touch or two.

[Darkwaters]

Be careful what you wish for, or you might get Jacque Vaughn.

Vaughn was a major success as a 3rd PG. We would only be so lucky so as to acquire a 3rd so good. The problems with Vaughn were never with him but with Beno. Had Vaughn stayed in that role as the third PG he would have been fabulous. But as a long term solution as the primary back up spot he failed.

[bigfan]

Have to say right now Im very pleased with the past summer getting Neal and Quinn and agree that Quinn may be worth keeping around. Wonder what will happen when we get Anderson back, poor dude is watching his replacements kick ass. Only pinerider we have now is Udoka.

[vanvannen]

I thought Quinn and Neal did a great job. Although his 3ball wasn't falling, Neal did great by penetrating and making his free throws. I am not sure I agree with Bonner's grade, at times it felt like he couldn't rebound and was constantly being abused by the Suns frontcourt.
It feels like the team can't get around pick and rolls. Every time Nash ran the P&R they scored at will. Parker needs to do a better job of staying in front of him.

[Cane]

In the first half the refs seemed like they called everything against the Spurs after Pop used a timeout to yell at a ref about a no-call on Blair. Before that the Spurs were getting a nice string of home calls though.


Parker played better than Manu imo

If Parker didn't get into foul trouble I'd agree with you. Imo its frustrating to see that the youngest member of the big 3 played the least amount of minutes because of that. Especially against the Suns who have Nash and the Spurs were also without George Hill; they really needed Parker on the court but at least Neal and Quinn maximized their opportunities.

Last night:

Manu - 36 mins
Duncan - 31 mins
Nash - 35 mins
Hill - 39 mins
Parker - 29 mins

[Whisky Dog]

Who saw Chris Quinn coming? With these recent performances teams will scout and respect his jumper even more when he's on the court opening up passing and driving lanes and space for others to operate. Awesome stuff Quinn

[Darkwaters]

Have to say right now Im very pleased with the past summer getting Neal and Quinn and agree that Quinn may be worth keeping around. Wonder what will happen when we get Anderson back, poor dude is watching his replacements kick ass. Only pinerider we have now is Udoka.

I wouldn't say Quinn Is kicking ass by any means. But holding down the fort - yes.

Now Neal...different story.

[jjktkk]

Seriously, what is your fixation with the colour of somebody's name on the site? Who really cares? Just post quality thoughts and don't worry if somebody with 18,000 posts talks smack to you.

Kinda of creepy isn't it?

[peacemaker885]

I didn't watch the game :-( but from the posts, can we say that Chris Quinn is a much improved version of our beloved Jaque?

[Libri]

Gary Neal A+
Gary Neal did a good George Hill impersonation. With Hill sidelined with a toe injury, Neal poured in 22 points in 31 minutes. Even though his three-pointers weren’t falling (1-for-6) he produced by hitting runners in the lane and getting to the line eight times. I haven’t been impressed with his defense as of late but I was actually very impressed against the Suns. He showed good agility in one-on-one situations and his defensive rotations were crisp. All in all, the Spurs couldn’t have hoped for more.

It's interesting that Neal is hitting runners similar to Hill and Tony. I'm wondering if Neal had that tear drop in his arsenal before he came to the Spurs. If he learned it with the Spurs, then he very well might have more room for improvement in other areas. Perhaps there are still some facets to his game that are still untapped.

[Mel_13]

It's interesting that Neal is hitting runners similar to Hill and Tony. I'm wondering if Neal had that tear drop in his arsenal before he came to the Spurs. If he learned it with the Spurs, then he very well might have more room for improvement in other areas. Perhaps there are still some facets to his game that are still untapped.

I didn't see Neal play very much in Europe (just the ACB playoffs last year), so I'll defer to anyone who got a good look at him with Benneton the past two seasons. He's been labeled as a sharpshooter here because of his Summer League performance and his early season success from 3 point range.

When you look at his stats from Europe, his 3 point percentages were really just ordinary to below average, especially when you consider the shorter distance. His 2 point percentages, however, were excellent. By the stats alone, it looks as if Neal was a "scorer", rather than a "sharpshooter" in Europe. He's clearly expanded his range to increase his chances of catching on with an NBA team, but he probably had many of these scoring options in his arsenal before he ever showed up in San Antonio.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Gary-Neal-544/stats/

[Agloco]

It was a fluke, they would've beaten the Lakers and any other team in the NBA if they shot the way they did against us.

And they did it again last night tbh. If there's one thing that makes me nervous about this team its the fact that sometimes they give up points in a hurry. This is due in large part to the boneheaded plays that are being made of late. I cite DeJuans over-exuberant charge when we were up 19 as a complete momentum killer.....The Suns were down 19 and only 2 minutes later the deficit was 9 again. Maddening really.


The difference this year as opposed to last is that we have more weapons: Parkers healthy, Ginobilis healthy, RJeff is more agressive, etc, etc.

[Agloco]

It's interesting that Neal is hitting runners similar to Hill and Tony. I'm wondering if Neal had that tear drop in his arsenal before he came to the Spurs. If he learned it with the Spurs, then he very well might have more room for improvement in other areas. Perhaps there are still some facets to his game that are still untapped.

It's a good question but if I'm a betting man, I'd say that the runners and teardrops have been in his arsenal for a while. He looks VERY comfortable coming off the dribble and shooting that. There's no hesitation at all.

Having said that, I did not follow his career prior to him joining the Spurs.

[jjktkk]

. The Spurs have really had a difficult time in the past plugging the holes when shorthanded, but this year they have managed to stumble upon a couple gems that have been difference makers during this stretch.

Stumble? Kinda of a harsh description of the Spurs scouts. Kudos to the Spurs for bringing in Neal and Quinn. The Spurs have to be one of the deepest backcourts in the league.

[jjktkk]

It's a good question but if I'm a betting man, I'd say that the runners and teardrops have been in his arsenal for a while. He looks VERY comfortable coming off the dribble and shooting that. There's no hesitation at all.

Having said that, I did not follow his career prior to him joining the Spurs.

+1. Neal plays nothing like a rookie. He plays like a 5 year vet.

[benefactor]

Stumble? Kinda of a harsh description of the Spurs scouts. Kudos to the Spurs for bringing in Neal and Quinn. The Spurs have to be one of the deepest backcourts in the league.
Any player you bring in is a crapshoot from a fit perspective. Neal could have been another Haislip and Quinn could have been another Blake Ahearn.

The comment was more directed at the quality of depth. When one considers what the Spurs have dealt with depth-wise over the past several seasons getting good production out of Quinn and Neal is a breath of fresh air.

[SenorSpur]

Indeed Quinn has been surprisingly effective. I guess it's time for me to stop thinking the Curtis Jerrells is in their plans.

[Manufan909]

Have to say right now Im very pleased with the past summer getting Neal and Quinn and agree that Quinn may be worth keeping around. Wonder what will happen when we get Anderson back, poor dude is watching his replacements kick ass. Only pinerider we have now is Udoka.

And Splitter. But I'm guessing you were only taking the smalls into account.:toast

[temujin]

I didn't see Neal play very much in Europe (just the ACB playoffs last year), so I'll defer to anyone who got a good look at him with Benneton the past two seasons. He's been labeled as a sharpshooter here because of his Summer League performance and his early season success from 3 point range.

When you look at his stats from Europe, his 3 point percentages were really just ordinary to below average, especially when you consider the shorter distance. His 2 point percentages, however, were excellent. By the stats alone, it looks as if Neal was a "scorer", rather than a "sharpshooter" in Europe. He's clearly expanded his range to increase his chances of catching on with an NBA team, but he probably had many of these scoring options in his arsenal before he ever showed up in San Antonio.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Gary-Neal-544/stats/

Spot on.
Neal is one of the players who would be best described as "seeing the basket" all the time.
He has a natural nose for scoring, including inside the paint.
I thought that he could have more problems doing that with bigger defenders, but he adjusted really well.
He has also hit big shots late in contested games.
His major problem was discipline: tactical during some games, and outside of the court.
With the Spurs he has no choice but be disciplined.
As for the latter point, we will see.

[Libri]

I didn't see Neal play very much in Europe (just the ACB playoffs last year), so I'll defer to anyone who got a good look at him with Benneton the past two seasons. He's been labeled as a sharpshooter here because of his Summer League performance and his early season success from 3 point range.

When you look at his stats from Europe, his 3 point percentages were really just ordinary to below average, especially when you consider the shorter distance. His 2 point percentages, however, were excellent. By the stats alone, it looks as if Neal was a "scorer", rather than a "sharpshooter" in Europe. He's clearly expanded his range to increase his chances of catching on with an NBA team, but he probably had many of these scoring options in his arsenal before he ever showed up in San Antonio.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Gary-Neal-544/stats/


It's a good question but if I'm a betting man, I'd say that the runners and teardrops have been in his arsenal for a while. He looks VERY comfortable coming off the dribble and shooting that. There's no hesitation at all.

Having said that, I did not follow his career prior to him joining the Spurs.

You two were right. Neal had the runners in his arsenal before he came to the Spurs. Here is a video of Neal playing in Europe. The first play at :6 shows Neal's teardrop/running shot.

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