Blue-Lightning
04-17-2011, 03:44 PM
Die-hard Spurs fan here, rarely post on the boards, but I need to blow some steam so here's my post-game Grades:
Tony Parker
Tony Parker was a tale of two halves today. Passive in the first half, he did little to push by the defensive focus he found each time he drove the lane. Rather than switch to his jump shot he became a spectator for much of the first. Quite frankly, he was a liability in the first half. In the third and fourth quarters, Parker was the opposite, becoming a much more aggressive attacker, scoring inside repeatedly and drawing repeated contact. Defensively he played well, but certainly cost the Spurs by allowing the team to play at such a lackluster level of energy in the beginning of the game.
Grade: C
George Hill
Drawing foul after foul, George Hill lived by the free throw line. And it's certainly good that he did because he simply could not do anything else beyond free throws and rebounds. This managed to hide a 2-7 shooting affair for #3. Much like Tony Parker, Hill wasted much of the first half, only becoming a threat in the second, though still doing poorly enough to avoid the silly "Indiana Hill" name the commentators were so keen to use.
Grade: C+
Richard Jefferson
Consistent throughout the game, the only problem with Jefferson was consistent mediocrity - missing Manu Ginobili, the Spurs truly needed Jefferson to step up and have a big game. So while Jefferson was good defensively, he needed a game of more than thirteen points. Furthermore, Jefferson had the chance to begin the playoffs as a hero with a buzzer-beater three point shot... which he missed. Some go in and some don't, and today, Jefferson's didn't.
Grade: C
Antonio McDyess
Throughout the season, McDyess has been a stalwart of good defense and dependable chip shots. Today the dependable McDyess had one of the worst games of the season, scoring a meager 3 points on 5 FGA, and sat on the bench much of the game due to foul trouble. With McDyess on the bench, and Popovich's insistence not to play Splitter, the Spurs were simply unable to defend the interior.
Grade: F
Tim Duncan
Looking spry through the first three quarters, Duncan's productivity plummeted in the final twelve minutes - still, this was a good sign for Spurs' fans as the Hall of Fame power forward was able to recall his youth against a gritty and determined Memphis defense. Much of Duncan's scoring was due to single defenders and open-looks... but if he continues to score in such quantities, Memphis will undoubtedly have to question whether or not to double Duncan. Luckily, with Ginobili soon returning, the possibility of Duncan receiving continued good looks is promising.
Grade: A-
Gary Neal
Without Gary Neal, this game could have been ugly. Sure he only had ten points in 24 minutes of play and shot 4/10... but the stats do not show the determination and confidence Neal brought with him off the bench. During several slow stretches of gameplay for San Antonio, it was Neal who took the role of Ginobili, creating shots for himself and knocking them down. It's good to see the rookie shooting guard carrying his swagger from the regular season to the real one.
Grade: A-
DeJuan Blair
Outsized but not out-hustled, DeJuan Blair simply couldn't make up for the fact that he is too many inches too short against a large Memphis Grizzlies frontcourt. Many times Blair is able to impact the game using his strength and girth, and though he managed to do so a few times this game, the Grizzlies are a team able to match - or at least manage - his power. Blair missed several easy shots, but he also made plays from pure effort that made up for the mistakes. Still, when you have to make great effort plays to make up for missed gimmes, you aren't having a great game.
Grade: C-
Matt Bonner
For all the talk of Matt Bonner choking in the playoffs, today was not a continuation of that pattern. Bonner didn't choke. Bonner also didn't do much of anything until the fourth quarter when he hit back-to-back three point shots to put the Spurs ahead in what should have been a win. Instead the Spurs went on to lose the game to the Grizzlies. Part of the reason Bonner needed to hit back-to-back three pointers is because he simply can't defend the players he's being asked to match up with. He did a good job of spreading the floor, but overall Bonner was a liability against a Memphis team adept at canceling out his benefits. At the end of the day, however, Matt Bonner hit back-to-back three point shots and would have been the hero had our defense held the Grizzlies afterward.
Grade: C+
Daniel Green
He walked on the court. He walked off the court.
Grade: I
Steve Novak
DNP: CD
James Anderson
DNP: CD
Tiago Splitter
DNP: CD
Manu Ginobili
DNP: Injured
Gregg Popovich
In a losing effort the coach is often remembered for the negatives rather than the positives. Let's deal with the positives first. In the first quarter, the Spurs played as if they had just been up all night - they were sluggish, failed to attack the rim, and were saved by the youthful play of Tim Duncan. Popovich must be credited with changing that play style, and further lighting a fire under his players in the second half. His decision to play Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair at the same time, however, against a very good Memphis frontcourt... was atrocious. Maybe Splitter can't guard the Grizzlies, maybe he shouldn't be playing out on the court. But I'll tell you this: having Bonner and Blair playing PF and C at the same time makes about as much sense as having Jefferson and Ginobili play those positions at the same time. There were many times the Spurs made smart changes in their gameplan to counter the Grizzlies, but having Bonner and Blair on the court for extended minutes in a playoff game against a team whose strength is their interior offense... it's stupid and suicide. Ginobili might not be able to make up for that kind of insanity. Finally, with seconds left on the clock and a three pointer needed, where oh were was Gary Neal? Why, on the bench of course!
Grade: D-
Hope you enjoyed, feel free to disagree, and I hope I don't step on anyone's (i.e. Timvp's) toes by posting this. Haven't seen it done in a while.
Tony Parker
Tony Parker was a tale of two halves today. Passive in the first half, he did little to push by the defensive focus he found each time he drove the lane. Rather than switch to his jump shot he became a spectator for much of the first. Quite frankly, he was a liability in the first half. In the third and fourth quarters, Parker was the opposite, becoming a much more aggressive attacker, scoring inside repeatedly and drawing repeated contact. Defensively he played well, but certainly cost the Spurs by allowing the team to play at such a lackluster level of energy in the beginning of the game.
Grade: C
George Hill
Drawing foul after foul, George Hill lived by the free throw line. And it's certainly good that he did because he simply could not do anything else beyond free throws and rebounds. This managed to hide a 2-7 shooting affair for #3. Much like Tony Parker, Hill wasted much of the first half, only becoming a threat in the second, though still doing poorly enough to avoid the silly "Indiana Hill" name the commentators were so keen to use.
Grade: C+
Richard Jefferson
Consistent throughout the game, the only problem with Jefferson was consistent mediocrity - missing Manu Ginobili, the Spurs truly needed Jefferson to step up and have a big game. So while Jefferson was good defensively, he needed a game of more than thirteen points. Furthermore, Jefferson had the chance to begin the playoffs as a hero with a buzzer-beater three point shot... which he missed. Some go in and some don't, and today, Jefferson's didn't.
Grade: C
Antonio McDyess
Throughout the season, McDyess has been a stalwart of good defense and dependable chip shots. Today the dependable McDyess had one of the worst games of the season, scoring a meager 3 points on 5 FGA, and sat on the bench much of the game due to foul trouble. With McDyess on the bench, and Popovich's insistence not to play Splitter, the Spurs were simply unable to defend the interior.
Grade: F
Tim Duncan
Looking spry through the first three quarters, Duncan's productivity plummeted in the final twelve minutes - still, this was a good sign for Spurs' fans as the Hall of Fame power forward was able to recall his youth against a gritty and determined Memphis defense. Much of Duncan's scoring was due to single defenders and open-looks... but if he continues to score in such quantities, Memphis will undoubtedly have to question whether or not to double Duncan. Luckily, with Ginobili soon returning, the possibility of Duncan receiving continued good looks is promising.
Grade: A-
Gary Neal
Without Gary Neal, this game could have been ugly. Sure he only had ten points in 24 minutes of play and shot 4/10... but the stats do not show the determination and confidence Neal brought with him off the bench. During several slow stretches of gameplay for San Antonio, it was Neal who took the role of Ginobili, creating shots for himself and knocking them down. It's good to see the rookie shooting guard carrying his swagger from the regular season to the real one.
Grade: A-
DeJuan Blair
Outsized but not out-hustled, DeJuan Blair simply couldn't make up for the fact that he is too many inches too short against a large Memphis Grizzlies frontcourt. Many times Blair is able to impact the game using his strength and girth, and though he managed to do so a few times this game, the Grizzlies are a team able to match - or at least manage - his power. Blair missed several easy shots, but he also made plays from pure effort that made up for the mistakes. Still, when you have to make great effort plays to make up for missed gimmes, you aren't having a great game.
Grade: C-
Matt Bonner
For all the talk of Matt Bonner choking in the playoffs, today was not a continuation of that pattern. Bonner didn't choke. Bonner also didn't do much of anything until the fourth quarter when he hit back-to-back three point shots to put the Spurs ahead in what should have been a win. Instead the Spurs went on to lose the game to the Grizzlies. Part of the reason Bonner needed to hit back-to-back three pointers is because he simply can't defend the players he's being asked to match up with. He did a good job of spreading the floor, but overall Bonner was a liability against a Memphis team adept at canceling out his benefits. At the end of the day, however, Matt Bonner hit back-to-back three point shots and would have been the hero had our defense held the Grizzlies afterward.
Grade: C+
Daniel Green
He walked on the court. He walked off the court.
Grade: I
Steve Novak
DNP: CD
James Anderson
DNP: CD
Tiago Splitter
DNP: CD
Manu Ginobili
DNP: Injured
Gregg Popovich
In a losing effort the coach is often remembered for the negatives rather than the positives. Let's deal with the positives first. In the first quarter, the Spurs played as if they had just been up all night - they were sluggish, failed to attack the rim, and were saved by the youthful play of Tim Duncan. Popovich must be credited with changing that play style, and further lighting a fire under his players in the second half. His decision to play Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair at the same time, however, against a very good Memphis frontcourt... was atrocious. Maybe Splitter can't guard the Grizzlies, maybe he shouldn't be playing out on the court. But I'll tell you this: having Bonner and Blair playing PF and C at the same time makes about as much sense as having Jefferson and Ginobili play those positions at the same time. There were many times the Spurs made smart changes in their gameplan to counter the Grizzlies, but having Bonner and Blair on the court for extended minutes in a playoff game against a team whose strength is their interior offense... it's stupid and suicide. Ginobili might not be able to make up for that kind of insanity. Finally, with seconds left on the clock and a three pointer needed, where oh were was Gary Neal? Why, on the bench of course!
Grade: D-
Hope you enjoyed, feel free to disagree, and I hope I don't step on anyone's (i.e. Timvp's) toes by posting this. Haven't seen it done in a while.