mazerrackham
01-02-2011, 04:06 AM
I haven’t seen any if LJ’s game thoughts on here in quite some time, so in an effort to contribute, I figured I would write my synopsis and thoughts down for viewing and commenting.
Seeing as how I’ve recently graduated from Texas A&M with my degree, but haven’t gotten a job yet, it’s possible I will be able to start writing my thoughts down with regularity until I get a job if LJ does not have time.
I enjoy putting effort and analysis into Spurs games, so here are my thoughts:
Tim Duncan
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gX7CMGJiNNw/S8phZSVaGvI/AAAAAAAAA0w/Cw9Wn36twec/s1600/tim_duncan1.jpg
27:06 minutes, 21 points, 1 assist, 9 rebounds, 1 block,
2 turnovers
10-for-15 from the field
Duncan had it going on offense, and most of it was off of jumpers in the midrange game. He was confident with his shot, and there was no reason for him to doubt it, as it was going in. On defense, he was one of the primary factors that the Spurs were so crisp with their help, and was the leader in the group defensive effort that swarmed the Thunder offense and made nothing easy. It was great to see Timmy confident and effective on offense, and active on defense.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://www.inflexwetrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/p1_tony_parker_si.jpg
28:45 minutes, 14 points, 10 assist, 4 rebounds, 2 steals,
3 turnovers
7-for-10 from the field
Tony did a great job of setting the tone for the offense most of the night. He was efficient when he looked for his shot, and he was setting other people up well. In addition, and what tonight I thought was a huge factor for the Spurs running away with the game, he pushed the tempo at every opportunity and made good decisions on the fast break, whether it was dumping it off or getting to the hole and putting in a layup. The fast break game was where the Spurs dominated the Thunder tonight, and Tony was the driving force behind that. I’ll also note that, although Russell Westbrook had a forgettable, very ugly offensive night, I don’t feel that much of it was due to Tony’s defense. He’s been good defensively this year, but Westbrook just seemed out of it today. Tony did swipe the ball from Russell when he turned his back, and put pressure on him to play defense, but it didn’t merit the 6 turnovers and 3 for 11 shooting that Westbrook put up tonight.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://theurbanian.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Manu-Ginobili1.jpg
25:10 minutes, 9 points, 7 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal,
2 turnovers
2-for-11 from the field, 2-for-7 on three-pointers
I’m not sure how Ginobili’s sore throat is doing, but one thing I’ve noticed in the last couple games that he’s been sick is that he hasn’t attacked the basket as much as normal. Tonight, he put his head down and used some nifty moves to get to the rim once again and put pressure on the Thunder’s defense. However, his finishes and production were not good on these drives; he had a dunk attempt that would’ve brought the house down, but he didn’t get up enough and got rim checked. He struggled on his shot but I was happy with his aggression. I was actually surprised that he ended up with 7 assists, however, as I felt that his passing decisions were sub-par. He had some bad passes that resulted in turnovers that led to fast break opportunities for the Thunder. I actually expected to see more than 2 turnovers in the box score. On defense, Ginobili didn’t do much of note other than a very nice swipe on the fast break that led to a Spurs fast break and easy basket. As well as the Spurs were playing overall, Ginobili could take it easy on defense and it didn’t hurt the Spurs.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://www.nbadunkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/RichardJefferson-Spurs415x266.jpg
21:44 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds
1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
While Jefferson’s box score stats don’t pop off the sheet as an exceptional game, I was very happy with his effort and intensity. Though he wasn't called on much for offense (he got his customary alley-oop which seems like the Spurs run successfully once a game), Jefferson did a great job of hustling around screens to body up Durant all night. Of the George Hill, Ime Udoka, Richard Jefferson squad that chased Durant around tonight, I was most pleased with Richard’s intensity and effort. He didn’t give up when he got screened, and he did a good job of contesting Durant’s shots, contributing to his poor shooting night.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/674168/83447_timberwolves_spurs_basketball.jpg
25:05 minutes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block,
3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover
6-for-13 from the field
Blair had a very active game once again, and contributed in a variety of ways. I felt that he was essential to the Spurs clogging up lanes for the Thunder and helping out any time a Spurs player needed help. Though he provided no amazing defensive highlights, he got his hands on a couple of deflections, and did a good job of running the break as well as getting back in transition defense. The play that characterizes his hustle most for me was a Thunder fast break in which Blair came out of nowhere to get his hand right in Durant’s face and turn what would’ve been a wide open three pointer into a contested, missed jumper. He also cleaned up the glass well and did a good job of not rushing his offensive touches like I’ve seen him do sometimes. Solid outing for Blair.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://highschoolbballnerd.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/mavsspurs-game4-1.jpg?w=450&h=450
21:01 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists
1 steal, 3 turnovers
6-for-10 from the field, 0-for-1 from 3
As I’ve watched re-adjust has game into the alpha dog of the Spurs bench, I think it’s worth noting that he’s asked to be two main roles off of the bench. Primarily this year, he’s been asked to hustle his butt off on defense and guard the opposing team’s best player. However, with Manu Ginobili a starter now, Hill’s also asked to be a creator and scorer off of the bench. Although I’ve seen him do an admirable job in both of these roles (the defender role better than creator role in my opinion, though he can score pretty efficiently), I don’t know if I can remember a game where he’s been exceptional in both areas in the same game. The Lakers game might be the closest I’ve seen to him being both a pest defensively, and an aggressive, efficient spark plug on offense. In the Thunder game tonight, he was an effective scorer, but I felt that his defense was lacking. Granted, he’s being asked to guard Durant, who has a lot of height on him, but the reason I think he didn’t do well on defense is because he did a poor job of fighting through screens, which has nothing to do with the height of the man he was gaurding. There seems to be times when George simply takes the wrong paths when chasing his man around screens, and that’s not a good trait for your primary defender to have. Tonight, the team’s great help defense did not magnify this deficiency, but it’s something that George still could improve on. That being said, he did a great job of getting back in transition defense situations and swiping the ball on Thunder fast breaks. And he also performed well as the scorer in Spurs units that didn’t have many offensive threats.
-------------------------------
Gary Neal
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/ap/2b/fullj.d1794860da623475000f053d27ebb9c3/ap-644a170e00634e0e9d6e613cc3aa2044.jpg
19:30 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds,
1 turnover
2-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Gary Neal has been an unexpectedly pleasant surprise to me this year, and I love his unconscious shooting ability, but tonight the shots weren’t falling. To his credit, I don’t think he was taking bad shots, but it wasn’t his night tonight. On defense, however, he cleaned up the glass well, although almost all of his rebounds were uncontested by the Thunder (probably because of how well the Spurs were getting out on the break, forcing the Thunder to run back after shots), and I thought his rotations were solid. He had one particularly nice rotation to bail out Duncan who went for a shot fake. He drew a charge on the play, and a head rub from Duncan. Though this wasn’t an efficient night for Neal, he will keep shooting, and that’s exactly the trait you want from a bench scorer.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.newhampshire.com/doclib/celebrity/bonner.jpg
24:21 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Although I’m generally of the opinion that Bonner’s minutes should be reduced, and Pop should sit him back down on the bench more quickly if his shot isn’t falling, I must give props to Matty tonight. Though once again this is a scenario where the stats aren’t overwhelming, I thought Matty did a great job tonight of making the right decisions and being in the right place defensively. I actually don’t remember one play where he was taken advantage of by his man, and he got his hands on a few deflections that led to steals and even blocked 2 shots! Add in his 1 for 2 from three point land and his nice drive and lay up, and Bonner had a very productive game that I thought was very complete on both offense and defense (though like Richard he didn’t get many offensive touches).
-------------------------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20101224&t=2&i=284942165&w=320&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=2010-12-24T043833Z_01_BTRE6BN0CWC00_RTROPTP_0_NBA
19:28 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds,
1 turnover
2-for-7 from the field
Though I think Tiago should be given minutes more often (especially if Matt’s stroke isn’t falling), tonight was not a great night to prove me right. On offense, Tiago has been struggling with finishing around the rim against NBA competition, and tonight he was pretty bad. Though he rolls to the basket off of screens extremely well, he hasn’t figured out how to consistently finish the play. I think his post moves have been much more under control since the beginning of the year, however, and he has the footwork to be effective there. On defense, he had some nice rotations, but nothing that jumps out as exceptional. He’s still one of the best big man pick-and-roll defenders that the Spurs have, so the Spurs get help in that area whenever he’s on the floor
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/pt/photos/2009/04/090425_NS_25mavsPOP1.jpg
There wasn’t much out of the ordinary for Coach Pop this game. He’s been able to stick with his rotations all year without altering much because of the overall healthiness of the Spurs as well as the amazing winning record that the Spurs have put up. If it works, why change anything? I felt his minutes of Ginobili, Duncan, and Parker were about right. Nobody getting over 30 minutes pays off in keeping your squad healthy and still on its winning roll.
-------------------------------
Closing thoughts:
Cakewalk win for the Spurs tonight. The Thunder were out of sorts on offense all night, and the Spurs scrambling, crisp help defense was a big part of it. Though Westbrook should have done better based on what the defense was giving him, I contribute Durant’s struggles on good Spurs defense, and the Spurs were able to collapse whenever the Thunder got into the paint as well. It’s very nice to see the Spurs pick up the defensive intensity as of late. If it keeps up, expect to see more large winning margins like tonight.
Seeing as how I’ve recently graduated from Texas A&M with my degree, but haven’t gotten a job yet, it’s possible I will be able to start writing my thoughts down with regularity until I get a job if LJ does not have time.
I enjoy putting effort and analysis into Spurs games, so here are my thoughts:
Tim Duncan
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gX7CMGJiNNw/S8phZSVaGvI/AAAAAAAAA0w/Cw9Wn36twec/s1600/tim_duncan1.jpg
27:06 minutes, 21 points, 1 assist, 9 rebounds, 1 block,
2 turnovers
10-for-15 from the field
Duncan had it going on offense, and most of it was off of jumpers in the midrange game. He was confident with his shot, and there was no reason for him to doubt it, as it was going in. On defense, he was one of the primary factors that the Spurs were so crisp with their help, and was the leader in the group defensive effort that swarmed the Thunder offense and made nothing easy. It was great to see Timmy confident and effective on offense, and active on defense.
-------------------------------
Tony Parker
http://www.inflexwetrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/p1_tony_parker_si.jpg
28:45 minutes, 14 points, 10 assist, 4 rebounds, 2 steals,
3 turnovers
7-for-10 from the field
Tony did a great job of setting the tone for the offense most of the night. He was efficient when he looked for his shot, and he was setting other people up well. In addition, and what tonight I thought was a huge factor for the Spurs running away with the game, he pushed the tempo at every opportunity and made good decisions on the fast break, whether it was dumping it off or getting to the hole and putting in a layup. The fast break game was where the Spurs dominated the Thunder tonight, and Tony was the driving force behind that. I’ll also note that, although Russell Westbrook had a forgettable, very ugly offensive night, I don’t feel that much of it was due to Tony’s defense. He’s been good defensively this year, but Westbrook just seemed out of it today. Tony did swipe the ball from Russell when he turned his back, and put pressure on him to play defense, but it didn’t merit the 6 turnovers and 3 for 11 shooting that Westbrook put up tonight.
-------------------------------
Manu Ginobili
http://theurbanian.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Manu-Ginobili1.jpg
25:10 minutes, 9 points, 7 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal,
2 turnovers
2-for-11 from the field, 2-for-7 on three-pointers
I’m not sure how Ginobili’s sore throat is doing, but one thing I’ve noticed in the last couple games that he’s been sick is that he hasn’t attacked the basket as much as normal. Tonight, he put his head down and used some nifty moves to get to the rim once again and put pressure on the Thunder’s defense. However, his finishes and production were not good on these drives; he had a dunk attempt that would’ve brought the house down, but he didn’t get up enough and got rim checked. He struggled on his shot but I was happy with his aggression. I was actually surprised that he ended up with 7 assists, however, as I felt that his passing decisions were sub-par. He had some bad passes that resulted in turnovers that led to fast break opportunities for the Thunder. I actually expected to see more than 2 turnovers in the box score. On defense, Ginobili didn’t do much of note other than a very nice swipe on the fast break that led to a Spurs fast break and easy basket. As well as the Spurs were playing overall, Ginobili could take it easy on defense and it didn’t hurt the Spurs.
-------------------------------
Richard Jefferson
http://www.nbadunkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/RichardJefferson-Spurs415x266.jpg
21:44 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds
1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers
3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
While Jefferson’s box score stats don’t pop off the sheet as an exceptional game, I was very happy with his effort and intensity. Though he wasn't called on much for offense (he got his customary alley-oop which seems like the Spurs run successfully once a game), Jefferson did a great job of hustling around screens to body up Durant all night. Of the George Hill, Ime Udoka, Richard Jefferson squad that chased Durant around tonight, I was most pleased with Richard’s intensity and effort. He didn’t give up when he got screened, and he did a good job of contesting Durant’s shots, contributing to his poor shooting night.
-------------------------------
DeJuan Blair
http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/674168/83447_timberwolves_spurs_basketball.jpg
25:05 minutes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block,
3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover
6-for-13 from the field
Blair had a very active game once again, and contributed in a variety of ways. I felt that he was essential to the Spurs clogging up lanes for the Thunder and helping out any time a Spurs player needed help. Though he provided no amazing defensive highlights, he got his hands on a couple of deflections, and did a good job of running the break as well as getting back in transition defense. The play that characterizes his hustle most for me was a Thunder fast break in which Blair came out of nowhere to get his hand right in Durant’s face and turn what would’ve been a wide open three pointer into a contested, missed jumper. He also cleaned up the glass well and did a good job of not rushing his offensive touches like I’ve seen him do sometimes. Solid outing for Blair.
-------------------------------
George Hill
http://highschoolbballnerd.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/mavsspurs-game4-1.jpg?w=450&h=450
21:01 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists
1 steal, 3 turnovers
6-for-10 from the field, 0-for-1 from 3
As I’ve watched re-adjust has game into the alpha dog of the Spurs bench, I think it’s worth noting that he’s asked to be two main roles off of the bench. Primarily this year, he’s been asked to hustle his butt off on defense and guard the opposing team’s best player. However, with Manu Ginobili a starter now, Hill’s also asked to be a creator and scorer off of the bench. Although I’ve seen him do an admirable job in both of these roles (the defender role better than creator role in my opinion, though he can score pretty efficiently), I don’t know if I can remember a game where he’s been exceptional in both areas in the same game. The Lakers game might be the closest I’ve seen to him being both a pest defensively, and an aggressive, efficient spark plug on offense. In the Thunder game tonight, he was an effective scorer, but I felt that his defense was lacking. Granted, he’s being asked to guard Durant, who has a lot of height on him, but the reason I think he didn’t do well on defense is because he did a poor job of fighting through screens, which has nothing to do with the height of the man he was gaurding. There seems to be times when George simply takes the wrong paths when chasing his man around screens, and that’s not a good trait for your primary defender to have. Tonight, the team’s great help defense did not magnify this deficiency, but it’s something that George still could improve on. That being said, he did a great job of getting back in transition defense situations and swiping the ball on Thunder fast breaks. And he also performed well as the scorer in Spurs units that didn’t have many offensive threats.
-------------------------------
Gary Neal
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/ap/2b/fullj.d1794860da623475000f053d27ebb9c3/ap-644a170e00634e0e9d6e613cc3aa2044.jpg
19:30 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds,
1 turnover
2-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Gary Neal has been an unexpectedly pleasant surprise to me this year, and I love his unconscious shooting ability, but tonight the shots weren’t falling. To his credit, I don’t think he was taking bad shots, but it wasn’t his night tonight. On defense, however, he cleaned up the glass well, although almost all of his rebounds were uncontested by the Thunder (probably because of how well the Spurs were getting out on the break, forcing the Thunder to run back after shots), and I thought his rotations were solid. He had one particularly nice rotation to bail out Duncan who went for a shot fake. He drew a charge on the play, and a head rub from Duncan. Though this wasn’t an efficient night for Neal, he will keep shooting, and that’s exactly the trait you want from a bench scorer.
-------------------------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.newhampshire.com/doclib/celebrity/bonner.jpg
24:21 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers
Although I’m generally of the opinion that Bonner’s minutes should be reduced, and Pop should sit him back down on the bench more quickly if his shot isn’t falling, I must give props to Matty tonight. Though once again this is a scenario where the stats aren’t overwhelming, I thought Matty did a great job tonight of making the right decisions and being in the right place defensively. I actually don’t remember one play where he was taken advantage of by his man, and he got his hands on a few deflections that led to steals and even blocked 2 shots! Add in his 1 for 2 from three point land and his nice drive and lay up, and Bonner had a very productive game that I thought was very complete on both offense and defense (though like Richard he didn’t get many offensive touches).
-------------------------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20101224&t=2&i=284942165&w=320&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=2010-12-24T043833Z_01_BTRE6BN0CWC00_RTROPTP_0_NBA
19:28 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds,
1 turnover
2-for-7 from the field
Though I think Tiago should be given minutes more often (especially if Matt’s stroke isn’t falling), tonight was not a great night to prove me right. On offense, Tiago has been struggling with finishing around the rim against NBA competition, and tonight he was pretty bad. Though he rolls to the basket off of screens extremely well, he hasn’t figured out how to consistently finish the play. I think his post moves have been much more under control since the beginning of the year, however, and he has the footwork to be effective there. On defense, he had some nice rotations, but nothing that jumps out as exceptional. He’s still one of the best big man pick-and-roll defenders that the Spurs have, so the Spurs get help in that area whenever he’s on the floor
-------------------------------
Gregg Popovich
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/pt/photos/2009/04/090425_NS_25mavsPOP1.jpg
There wasn’t much out of the ordinary for Coach Pop this game. He’s been able to stick with his rotations all year without altering much because of the overall healthiness of the Spurs as well as the amazing winning record that the Spurs have put up. If it works, why change anything? I felt his minutes of Ginobili, Duncan, and Parker were about right. Nobody getting over 30 minutes pays off in keeping your squad healthy and still on its winning roll.
-------------------------------
Closing thoughts:
Cakewalk win for the Spurs tonight. The Thunder were out of sorts on offense all night, and the Spurs scrambling, crisp help defense was a big part of it. Though Westbrook should have done better based on what the defense was giving him, I contribute Durant’s struggles on good Spurs defense, and the Spurs were able to collapse whenever the Thunder got into the paint as well. It’s very nice to see the Spurs pick up the defensive intensity as of late. If it keeps up, expect to see more large winning margins like tonight.