duncan228
02-17-2011, 07:15 PM
Just the Spurs, hit the link for the others.
Southwest Division Roundtable: 2010-11 Midseason Report (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2011_02_14.html)
By: Southwest Division writers
Hornets.com
At the unofficial midway point of the 2010-11 regular season, Hornets.com invited writers who cover each of the other Southwest Division teams to get together and discuss what’s taken place in the league’s most competitive division thus far. Joining us once again are Dallas television play-by-play broadcaster Mark Followill, Rockets.com writer Jason Friedman, grizzlies.com writer Matt Tumbleson and writer Andrew McNeill, of the independent Spurs website “48 Minutes of Hell (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/).”
To read what each writer discussed during our 2010-11 season preview, CLICK HERE (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2010_10_22.html):
During the preseason, you each selected one critical topic specific to your team that fans should follow closely this season. Update us on that issue halfway through the campaign.
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Well, the pick-and-roll defense isn’t terrible. The Spurs are a Top-5 team in the NBA when the ball handler on the pick-and-roll shoots, only allowing about .76 points per possession. But when the roll man takes the shot, San Antonio is still a middle-of-the-road team. Tim Duncan is still slow laterally, possibly more so than last season, and Tiago Splitter hasn’t played enough to make an impact on that statistic. But the team’s defense is still good and the offense has made up for defensive deficiencies in the regular season. We’ll see come playoff time.
What’s been the most pleasant surprise of 2010-11 so far for the team you cover?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Do I have to pick just one? No one (myself included) had any idea the Spurs had a season like this in them. I was working on their obituary back in August. But it all comes down to one thing: health. The Spurs have been fortunate to have minor injuries to players like James Anderson, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter. Although the injury to Splitter in training camp effectively rendered him useless this season because he never learned the system. But still, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have played every game so far this season.
What’s been the biggest disappointment?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: It has to be Mr. Splitter. After the San Antonio front office used their first round draft pick on him in 2007, Spurs fans waited patiently for three seasons for Tiago to join the team. But then he picked up an injury in training camp that forced him to sit out all of the preseason and he never got valuable practice time that NBA teams don’t have in the regular season. Instead, he’s trying to pick up the San Antonio system on the fly and it’s just not happening. He probably won’t have a real impact until next season.
Who’s been your team’s MVP in the first half of the season?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan have taken turns carrying the Spurs this season, but with a gun to my head I have to go with Ginobili. He’s probably had the best mix of offensive impact (leading scorer, averaging almost five assists per game), defensive impact and clutch play. If Duncan is the engine or the backbone of this team, Ginobili is the heart and soul. He makes the Spurs go.
Who’s been the biggest “unsung hero?”
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Surprisingly, Tim Duncan has been the biggest unsung hero. On a national landscape it’s easy to say that Duncan has declined, averaging only about 13 points per game. But his per-36 minute numbers are practically the same, he’s simply averaging fewer minutes. Duncan still quarterbacks the defense and his rebounding and outlet passing has been the foundation of a quicker, more efficient Spurs offense. And he can still dominate in the post if the team needs it. Instead, the Spurs use Tim Duncan’s offense to calm the team down when it gets out of control.
What is your team’s primary objective in the second half of the regular season?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Barring a bit of a collapse, the Spurs should have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. So their primary goal, as it has been much of the season, is to simply keep everyone healthy and rested. Gregg Popovich hasn’t overworked his players yet this season en route to the league’s best record, so it should be an easily attainable goal. There’s no gas pedal for San Antonio to let up on because they’ve been on cruise control all year. As long as everybody is healthy come playoff time, Coach Pop is satisfied.
Turning to division-wide questions, who has been the Southwest Division’s MVP so far (not including the team you cover)?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: I’d have to say Chris Paul. If anyone told me at the beginning of the season that they thought the Hornets would be in position for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, I would have laughed at them. But there they are. And Chris Paul is a big reason why, helping Monty Williams turn the Hornets into a defensive powerhouse, while also being one of the best executing teams in the clutch. And Paul might be doing it on just one leg. Phenomenal.
Most improved player or the player who has been the most pleasant surprise (again, not including your team)?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: I’m going to go with Tyson Chandler. I figured Chandler was on the downside of his career because of injuries and his addition to the Mavericks was minimal. And then they put him on the back line of that defense. When you play a zone defense as much as Dallas does, you need someone in the back who can communicate and cover a lot of ground when rebounding. Chandler does both and he’s helped turn the Mavs from a soft, offense-first team into a scrappy team that defends well; both traits of good playoff teams.
http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2011_02_14.html
Southwest Division Roundtable: 2010-11 Midseason Report (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2011_02_14.html)
By: Southwest Division writers
Hornets.com
At the unofficial midway point of the 2010-11 regular season, Hornets.com invited writers who cover each of the other Southwest Division teams to get together and discuss what’s taken place in the league’s most competitive division thus far. Joining us once again are Dallas television play-by-play broadcaster Mark Followill, Rockets.com writer Jason Friedman, grizzlies.com writer Matt Tumbleson and writer Andrew McNeill, of the independent Spurs website “48 Minutes of Hell (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/).”
To read what each writer discussed during our 2010-11 season preview, CLICK HERE (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2010_10_22.html):
During the preseason, you each selected one critical topic specific to your team that fans should follow closely this season. Update us on that issue halfway through the campaign.
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Well, the pick-and-roll defense isn’t terrible. The Spurs are a Top-5 team in the NBA when the ball handler on the pick-and-roll shoots, only allowing about .76 points per possession. But when the roll man takes the shot, San Antonio is still a middle-of-the-road team. Tim Duncan is still slow laterally, possibly more so than last season, and Tiago Splitter hasn’t played enough to make an impact on that statistic. But the team’s defense is still good and the offense has made up for defensive deficiencies in the regular season. We’ll see come playoff time.
What’s been the most pleasant surprise of 2010-11 so far for the team you cover?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Do I have to pick just one? No one (myself included) had any idea the Spurs had a season like this in them. I was working on their obituary back in August. But it all comes down to one thing: health. The Spurs have been fortunate to have minor injuries to players like James Anderson, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter. Although the injury to Splitter in training camp effectively rendered him useless this season because he never learned the system. But still, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have played every game so far this season.
What’s been the biggest disappointment?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: It has to be Mr. Splitter. After the San Antonio front office used their first round draft pick on him in 2007, Spurs fans waited patiently for three seasons for Tiago to join the team. But then he picked up an injury in training camp that forced him to sit out all of the preseason and he never got valuable practice time that NBA teams don’t have in the regular season. Instead, he’s trying to pick up the San Antonio system on the fly and it’s just not happening. He probably won’t have a real impact until next season.
Who’s been your team’s MVP in the first half of the season?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan have taken turns carrying the Spurs this season, but with a gun to my head I have to go with Ginobili. He’s probably had the best mix of offensive impact (leading scorer, averaging almost five assists per game), defensive impact and clutch play. If Duncan is the engine or the backbone of this team, Ginobili is the heart and soul. He makes the Spurs go.
Who’s been the biggest “unsung hero?”
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Surprisingly, Tim Duncan has been the biggest unsung hero. On a national landscape it’s easy to say that Duncan has declined, averaging only about 13 points per game. But his per-36 minute numbers are practically the same, he’s simply averaging fewer minutes. Duncan still quarterbacks the defense and his rebounding and outlet passing has been the foundation of a quicker, more efficient Spurs offense. And he can still dominate in the post if the team needs it. Instead, the Spurs use Tim Duncan’s offense to calm the team down when it gets out of control.
What is your team’s primary objective in the second half of the regular season?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: Barring a bit of a collapse, the Spurs should have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. So their primary goal, as it has been much of the season, is to simply keep everyone healthy and rested. Gregg Popovich hasn’t overworked his players yet this season en route to the league’s best record, so it should be an easily attainable goal. There’s no gas pedal for San Antonio to let up on because they’ve been on cruise control all year. As long as everybody is healthy come playoff time, Coach Pop is satisfied.
Turning to division-wide questions, who has been the Southwest Division’s MVP so far (not including the team you cover)?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: I’d have to say Chris Paul. If anyone told me at the beginning of the season that they thought the Hornets would be in position for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, I would have laughed at them. But there they are. And Chris Paul is a big reason why, helping Monty Williams turn the Hornets into a defensive powerhouse, while also being one of the best executing teams in the clutch. And Paul might be doing it on just one leg. Phenomenal.
Most improved player or the player who has been the most pleasant surprise (again, not including your team)?
Andrew McNeill, Spurs blogger: I’m going to go with Tyson Chandler. I figured Chandler was on the downside of his career because of injuries and his addition to the Mavericks was minimal. And then they put him on the back line of that defense. When you play a zone defense as much as Dallas does, you need someone in the back who can communicate and cover a lot of ground when rebounding. Chandler does both and he’s helped turn the Mavs from a soft, offense-first team into a scrappy team that defends well; both traits of good playoff teams.
http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/southwest_division_roundtable_2011_02_14.html