Can the Spurs learn to play defense in 8 games?

[phxspurfan]

I think it's as simple as that. If the Spurs can't rely on their defense to get timely stops often, they have no shot at winning it all. They won't shoot 50% and have Neal and Bonner hitting 3 after 3 every game, so defense is the key.

Too bad... I don't see it happening.

[GrandeDavid]

I think that Parker's recent comments about not having that convicting feeling of championships past speaks volumes about this team's defense and chances.

[cherylsteele]

They can.....but will they? Will Pop change his rotations just a little sib the personnel is on the floor to make it work?

Those are the questioons to be asked.

[Chomag]

Sad feeling to know that with some adjustments Spurs can still give it a good go. Sad becuase Pop's stubborn ass wont do it.

Spurs had a chance to dump the deadweight this off season but instead the FO made that weight a major part of the team.

[james evans]

first off, we are the worst at defending the pick'n'roll. 2nd we basically gave garnett open jumpers all night. they did the same play all 2nd half. player would drive in the lane and kick out while whoever was guarding garnett would try to help on the driver.. 3rd, splitter is borderline trash. i've been in his corner all season, but i have no idea why he can't hit a layup in the paint when people are near him.

[cherylsteele]

There have been times during the season where the "D" was solid, but it has been too few and far between.

[G-Dawgg]

Do you want my opinion as a Spurs fan? Or my realistic, logical point of view?

[Spurologist]

I think it's as simple as that. If the Spurs can't rely on their defense to get timely stops often, they have no shot at winning it all. They won't shoot 50% and have Neal and Bonner hitting 3 after 3 every game, so defense is the key.

Too bad... I don't see it happening.

April Fools....you got me

[duncan228]

Five quick takes: Shouldn’t the Spurs’ defense improve as the season progresses? (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/31/five-quick-takes-shouldnt-the-spurs-defense-improve-as-the-season-progresses/)
Tim Griffin

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/31/five-quick-takes-shouldnt-the-spurs-defense-improve-as-the-season-progresses/

[phxspurfan]

When I made this thread, I thought we couldn't get some defensive tenacity because of lack of personnel. But after a couple hours of letting the Boston loss soak in, I think I'll step back from the ledge. We still have some defensive-minded players capable of getting stops.

Duncan is Duncan...he knows he's there to anchor the paint.
Dice's ankle should be fine, and his attitude of doing the dirty work gives me a lot of confidence. I first thought we didn't have a Mario Elie, bulldog-type on this team but when I think about it we have three. Dice is one of them. The other two are
Blair. I think he will win us some games in the playoffs single-handedly with his rebounds. The way I saw him go after it today while the starters were on the bench made me confident that he can play well if given the chance. Which is the same thing people were saying last year, and he got minutes. He can grab the timely rebounds we need and have a consistent paint presence throughout the game (Duncan/Dice to Blair).
Neal. Cold blooded shooter...ever since I got my LP subscription I have had lots of joy watching this guy play. He's got the rocks to take and make the tough shots. I see a bit of SJax in him. We need a guy like that on our team when we're down in teh early 4th quarter and Pop is contemplating throwing in the towel. We need somebody who will never give up. Sadly, I think he and Dice may be the only two guys on this team who would have a 0% chance of giving up in a game, ever.

Parker. He's healthy, and he can play defense. He's motivated, so he will play D. He also know this is probably his best chance at a ring for the near future, so I expect big things on O and D from him come playoff time.
Manu is Manu.

Hill: is the closest thing we have to a Bowen clone. Like timvp said it's good to have him back and playing aggressive ball again. We need that kind of effort on the defensive end so Pop can put him on guys like Rondo when they're going off. I hope this happens, but we as fans all know it's a long shot to think Pop will do anything you think is conventional.

The rest:
Just don't get in the way please.

[SouthTexasRancher]

I think it's as simple as that. If the Spurs can't rely on their defense to get timely stops often, they have no shot at winning it all. They won't shoot 50% and have Neal and Bonner hitting 3 after 3 every game, so defense is the key.

Too bad... I don't see it happening.


Ain't gonna happen! This is a strange mixture of too old and too young. As much as I hate to say it ain't nobody gonna beat the Lakers. They have another 3 peat wrapped up and once again Phil Jackson OWNS hard headed Pop. Pop seems lost lately. Our girlieboyz are playing scared and seem as lost as Pop. Bonner, Neal and the other so called 3 point shooters can't make them when the pressure is on and we are too damned small to do much good in the paint against teams like the Lakers who have several giant redwoods. :lmao

[Borosai]

This team isn't built for defense. They've had plenty of time to find the right players for the way the system used to be. They didn't, so the system appears to have changed. That's disappointing. They just can't get stops.

[duncan228]

Just the chart, hit the link for the story (and better formatting, sorry :)).


Spurs’ March defensive collapse has been striking (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/01/spurs-march-defensive-collapse-has-been-striking/)
by Tim Griffin

...The Spurs have just struggled through their worst defensive month in the Duncan era. It coming at the wrong time of the season with the playoffs approaching.

Spurs Nation has never seen a team in the Duncan era looking for a defensive identity so late in the season.

And if that defense doesn’t improve quickly, the Spurs’ post-season plans look like they will be short this season.

Here’s a look at some year-to-year March defensive statistics during the Duncan era.

Year Def. FG pct. PPG Record Margin of victory

1998 40.4 84.8 11-5 5.8

1999 40.5 84.3 14-2 12.5

2000 44.4 91.3 10-5 6.2

2001 40.8 85.8 14-3 11.9

2002 42.3 87.4 13-3 9.0

2003 45.3 93.9 14-3 7.2

2004 43.4 87.4 11-5 8.7

2005 43.1 88.5 10-5 6.1

2006 45.2 90.9 12-4 7.4

2007 43.3 84.8 13-2 12.7

2008 43.7 90.9 12-6 4.3

2009 45.0 91.1 9-8 3.6

2010 44,1 94.3 12-5 7.9

2011 48.7 1o2.6 8-8 0.0

Note: The statistics are for Spurs opponents during the month of March. Def. FG pct. represents defensive field-goal percentage. PPG are the points allowed by the Spurs in March games. Record indicates their March won-loss record. And margin is San Antonio’s average margin of victory during March games.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/01/spurs-march-defensive-collapse-has-been-striking/

[Chomag]

Oh wow, I knew Spurs Defence has been pretty bad but I did not know their numbers had fallen that far. That list is sickening...

[DPG21920]

No. They aren't a good defensive team, and lately the have lost the ability to even defend "when they need to" as they were earlier in the year.

This team, for anyone who was not a massive homer, clearly didn't have the players to be an elite defensive team. However, they didn't need to be. They only needed to have the capability to shut people down for one quarter when it mattered. They were doing that early, seemingly flipping the proverbial switch. Lately, that is out the window along with Manu's level of play.

[GrandeDavid]

I think that its like the local radio hacks have been saying. This team needs to get hot at the right time during the playoffs and scorch the net from three point land. If not, yikes.

[John Basedow]

It's not a question of effort or coaching when it comes to the Spurs' defensive woes. It can be directly attributed to two things:

1. Personnel
2. Age

Duncan and McDyess are both good defensive players, but they are nowhere close to the defenders they used to be. Duncan used to be an elite defensive anchor. Growing old changes that.


The biggest reason is that none of the Spurs players are good defenders, especially on the perimeter. Manu and Tony are good at playing the passing lanes, but they can't lock their man down or provide suffocating D.

The Spurs were the SPURS when Bowen was locking down the perimeter and a young Tim was anchoring the paint. They don't have that anymore. The personnel they currently have are incapable of playing playoff-level defense.

[DPG21920]

Duncan is still an elite anchor. But I agree with the rest (except TP is actually a pretty damn solid defender on the ball when focused).

[NASCARdad]

You all sure jump off the bandwagon quick.

[DPG21920]

Discussing problems with the team is not jumping off the bandwagon.

[slick'81]

i dont know if its a matter of "learning" or just the personnel thats out there on the floor

[Solid D]

Whether Bonner rotates over or not, it doesn't really matter. As long as Matt is wearing that red meat vest, opposing teams will smell that it is meal-time.

As far as I'm concerned, it's no longer the "Red Rocket". It's the "Red Meat Parka".

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/349/e/f/lion_licking_its_lips_by_bagwan12345-d34yhci.png

[crc21209]

No, but I hope Pop can figure out how to get his head out of his ass in 8 games and play Splitter instead of Matt Bonner for long periods of time...

[tdunk21]

lets hope they do....or else its so difficult

[Borosai]

:lol People still talking as if Bonner is the problem on defense. This team sucks on defense. Collectively.

[phxspurfan]

Whether Bonner rotates over or not, it doesn't really matter. As long as Matt is wearing that red meat vest, opposing teams will smell that it is meal-time.

As far as I'm concerned, it's no longer the "Red Rocket". It's the "Red Meat Parka".


What I don't understand is why Bonner never gets any blocks. He is 6'10", isn't he? He must have some short ass arms or something, because even guys like Ronny Turiaf and Blair get their share of blocks.

[analyzed]

You can't play defense with Bonner getting minutes. Defense is a 5 man thing, I've seen posetion after posention where bonners lack of speed , length and athleticim has resulted in a basket

[Bito Corleone]

"Stops On Demand" is a things of the past. If the Spurs haven't learned out to play defense this far into the season it's not going to change before the playoffs.

[phxspurfan]

Interesting. The Spurs lost their sixth straight, but with 6 games to go they have upped the defensive intensity. Now they have discovered they need to shore up the 4th quarter mistakes.

It's not the playoffs yet, so they still have a tiny bit of time to correct these mistakes.


Believe!

[duncan228]

StatsCube: Spurs’ D in Decline (http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/04/02/statscube-spurs-d-in-decline/?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
John Schuhmann
Hang Time Blog
NBA.com

The San Antonio Spurs have lost six straight games for the first time since they drafted Tim Duncan in 1997. The streak that started when Duncan missed four games with a sprained ankle, but has continued with losses to the Celtics and Rockets with Duncan in the lineup.

In the process, their lead in the loss column (http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html) over the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the Western Conference has gone from seven games to one. And with the Lakers holding a 17-1 record since the All-Star break and set to host the Spurs on April 12, L.A. seemingly has the upper hand in the race for the No. 1 seed.

The Spurs still control their own destiny, but before they get to that critical game at Staples Center, they’ve got a few problems to address.

The Spurs’ problems begin and end with defense. In Thursday’s look at Defensive Player of the Year candidates (http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/03/31/defensive-player-of-year/index.html), it was noted how much better the Spurs’ defense has been with Duncan on the floor.

But since March 1st, the Spurs’ defense has declined with Duncan both on and off the floor.

Spurs’ defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions)


Duncan On/Off Oct.-Feb. March-April Season
Duncan On 98.5 104.2 99.4
Duncan Off 104.0 113.1 106.8
Overall 100.7 (7) 109.7 (25) 102.7 (10)
(League Rank)

So the Spurs have been the sixth worst defensive team in the league (worse than both Phoenix and Golden State) since March 1. And Gregg Popovich will be the first to tell you that they’re not winning a championship playing that way.

A closer look at the Spurs’ defensive numbers shows that they’ve declined in every area, but that their biggest problem since March 1 has been defending shots inside the arc…

Spurs’ defensive numbers


Months 2P% Rank 3P% Rank DREB% Rank TORatio Rank FTA Rate Rank
Oct-Feb. 46.5% 6 37.1% 26 74.7% 12 10.8 18 .243 2
March-April 51.5% 29 36.6% 19 73.0% 17 10.3 24 .265 9

DREB% = Percentage of available defensive rebounds
TORatio = Opponents’ turnovers per 100 possessions
FTA Rate = Opponents’ FTA/FGA

Though the Spurs ranked seventh defensively through February, their defense was never all that consistent. Now, it’s just awful.

So over their last six games (http://www.nba.com/spurs/schedule/), fixing their defensive issues may be more important a task for the Spurs than holding onto that No. 1 spot in the West. Because they’ll never make it to a series against the Lakers if they keep defending the way they have since March 1st.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/04/02/statscube-spurs-d-in-decline/?ls=iref:nbahpt1