Initial Reaction: Spurs vs. Grizzlies - Game 2

[timvp]

That wasn't pretty. But I'll definitely take the win. In a game that featured shaky execution by the Spurs and even more physical play from the Grizzlies, the Spurs pulled out a 93-87 victory to tie the series 1-1. The story of the game was the return of Manu Ginobili, whose inspirational performance made the difference between a Spurs win and a Spurs loss.

-Tim Duncan didn't have an aesthetically-pleasing game but he played with the heart and toughness the Spurs needed to compete in the paint. His ten rebounds were big, as were his three blocked shots. Duncan's post defense and perimeter defense was very good. On offense, his touches were sporadic and that seemed to affect his rhythm (he finished with five turnovers). However, he hit a few big shots and usually converted when he had clean looks.

-When the sad day arrives when Manu Ginobili decides to retire from the game of basketball, this is one of the first games of his I will remember. You look at the stats and see 5-for-13 from the field, 7-for-13 from the line and five turnovers and think that he struggled ... but that couldn't be further from the truth. Ginobili was the heart and soul of the team. His relentless energy on both ends of the floor powered the team to victory. It wasn't hugely surprising that he led the team with 17 points and also chipped in four assists, however it has to be surprising that a one-armed Ginobili pulled down seven rebounds, swiped four steals and blocked a shot. Just a classic Manu Ginobili performance.

-Tony Parker has to play better. That's just the bottomline. If he doesn't begin to outplay Mike Conley, the Spurs are in serious trouble in this series. Parker had a few nice buckets early and a pair of key assists late ... but he struggled for a majority of the game. He went scoreless in the final 20 minutes of the game and wasn't doing anything special on the defensive end. The Grizzlies are sending a lot of help his way but that is not enough of an excuse. It's playoff time and if Parker is the player he wants to be, it's time to step up.

-Offensively, I thought Richard Jefferson played about as well as he's going to play. He scored 16 points on only eight shots in this game -- and now has scored 29 points on 14 shots in the series. I love how confident he is shooting the three-pointer and he's driving to the hoop with purpose most of the time. Defensively, it was a totally different story. He made a number of glaring mental mistakes and allowed Sam Young to lead the Grizzlies with 17 points. Jefferson needs to go back to the drawing board and learn the gameplan. There's no excuse for him to be making mistakes like closing out hard on Tony Allen from beyond the arc and falling for pump-fakes from Young.

-This was the Antonio McDyess that we expected in Game 1. After a horrible opener, McDyess bounced back with a really good performance. His post defense against Zach Randolph in the fourth quarter was momentous. On the night, McDyess blocked three shots and pulled down a number of contested boards. Offensively, the cagey veteran was still a bit of a liability -- but if he's going to play stout defense, the Spurs can afford to wait for his jumper to come around.

-I was proud of George Hill for fighting through his early struggles. With Hill, you can't always count on him staying aggressive when times are bad. But he did it this game and hit two huge three-pointers in the second half after missing six of his first seven shots. Hill also knocked down free throws at the end to ice the game. Defensively, he was a plus -- especially fighting around screens and hitting the glass late.

-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations. Against a big, strong frontline, Bonner was about as good as he can be defensively. On the other end, he knocked down a three-pointer to allow the Spurs to begin the fourth quarter on the right foot. I didn't think I'd ever say this after his last few years of choking in the playoffs, but this was a very Robert Horry-esque performance from Bonner. Now let's hope he can play like this on the road in Game 3 and Game 4.

-For the first time this season, Gary Neal is having a few rookie moments. He's trying to do a bit too much at times on both ends of the court. That said, he nailed a pair of big shots for the Spurs at important times. He also doesn't seem to be intimidated by the added pressure. It seems like just a matter of time before he gives the Spurs a big lift to win a playoff game.

-DeJuan Blair was a bundle of discombobulated energy when he first came onto the court. Eventually, he translated that energy into actual basketball production. In his 13 minutes, Blair had a few huge rebounds, a couple of great passes and continuously put pressure on the Grizzlies post players. He still needs to smooth out the rough edges but Blair's competitiveness and juice can't be questioned.

-I can't fault Pop for too much in this game. He decided to not change the strategy too much -- and it worked out. Obviously, the addition of Ginobili was the main reason why the Spurs won, but Pop not panicking after a Game 1 loss also played a part. Going back to McDyess in Game 2 ended up being the right move. I thought his utilization of the bench was very good and he was able to give the Big 3 enough rest to allow for enough fuel at the end to finish out the Game 2 win.

[Spurminator]

-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations. Against a big, strong frontline, Bonner was about as good as he can be defensively. On the other end, he knocked down a three-pointer to allow the Spurs to begin the fourth quarter on the right foot. I didn't think I'd ever say this after his last few years of choking in the playoffs, but this was a very Robert Horry-esque performance from Bonner. Now let's hope he can play like this on the road in Game 3 and Game 4.

Good, I was wondering if I was crazy but I thought the same thing. It's great to see him contribute in other areas.

[ducks]

spurs need to watch film

spurs need to adjust
spurs could not hit a free throw tonight
spurs had way to many turnovers

[ducks]

blair hitting booner for the three was awesome

[Fireball]

On point analysis ... Bonner played ok on defense, but he is still out there to shoot the ball ... if that is missing there is a certain other player who can do even better defensively.

[Dex]

Spurs did a good job of hoping Memphis misses shots.

Hopefully, they hope just as hard next game.

[crc21209]

spurs need to watch film

spurs need to adjust
spurs could not hit a free throw tonight
spurs had way to many turnovers

It was a rough, physical grind it out kind of game, and the Spurs came away with a win, I'll take it. The Spurs didnt play their best tonight, with all the missed FT's and careless TO's, and Memphis didnt play their best either...

[TampaDude]

A win is a win. :toast

[Mugen]

i thought OJ Mayo took a lot of really stupid shots that cost them the game. A majority of those quick shots that Hollins was talking about came from OJ. I think he was 2-11 with most of his shots being long contested 2 pointers. Just a really dumb offensive performance on his part.

Young/Arthur were killing us. It's going to be a really tough series if those guys continue to hit their Js in Memphis....

Gasol/Randolph missed a lot of easy shots that they were making in Game 1 as well.

That said, i think the 2nd half is going to be more indicative of how this series is going to look rather than the first 1 and 1/2 games. Spurs needed to gain some confidence and Memphis needed to come back down to earth. i'm sticking to Spurs in 6.

[Cane]

Dice and Duncan played much better D on Gasol/Randolph. Randolph only had a handful of rebounds as well but Gasol had 17.

Ginobili was vintage Manu. Great effort from RJ and Hill. Good stuff.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations. Against a big, strong frontline, Bonner was about as good as he can be defensively. On the other end, he knocked down a three-pointer to allow the Spurs to begin the fourth quarter on the right foot. I didn't think I'd ever say this after his last few years of choking in the playoffs, but this was a very Robert Horry-esque performance from Bonner. Now let's hope he can play like this on the road in Game 3 and Game 4.


You gotta be fuckin shitting me, dude. Come on timvp, it's okay for you to be wrong about something on ST, it really is. It just shows you're human.

Horry-esque?

Come.
On.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Overall, the entire team played better in the 2nd half.

Especially the role players Bonner, Blair, Dice, Hill.

I suppose it is good for Bonner to rack up fouls and NOT give up and-1's as opposed to him racking up fouls while giving up the and-1, but he still blows ass on that end.
As did Blair.
As did Dice.

But in that 4th quarter, I really have to say the entire team seemed to hit that extra gear that we all know they have in them.



My major concern after this win is praying for Manu not to feel like his elbow is broken tomorrow morning after the injections and adrenaline wears off.
He could very well be in more pain for game 3 than he was tonight.

If he is healthy, then it is very clear his energy and focus will keep our team at a higher level.

Props to Manu. He's one bad ass mofo.

[crc21209]

i thought OJ Mayo took a lot of really stupid shots that cost them the game. A majority of those quick shots that Hollins was talking about came from OJ. I think he was 2-11 with most of his shots being long contested 2 pointers. Just a really dumb offensive performance on his part.

Young/Arthur were killing us. It's going to be a really tough series if those guys continue to hit their Js in Memphis....

Gasol/Randolph missed a lot of easy shots that they were making in Game 1 as well.

That said, i think the 2nd half is going to be more indicative of how this series is going to look rather than the first 1 and 1/2 games. Spurs needed to gain some confidence and Memphis needed to come back down to earth. i'm sticking to Spurs in 6.

The thing I noticed was, was that the Spurs stuck to Gasol and Randolph a hell of a lot more tonight than in Game 1, and let the perimeter guys like Conley, Young, and Allen take a bunch of outside jump shots. I kinda like that strategy :tu. Those guys arent going to keep making a bunch of jump shots all series long....

[itzsoweezee]

"Horry-esque"
:lmao

[Splits]

Can you believe that Bonner held Z-bo to 5/14 shooting for 11 pts and only 5 boards???

[DAF86]

timvp what do you think about starting Blair and benching Dice?

[NewJerSpur]

RJ has made better decisions with the basketball than Tony for most of this series and that HAS to change for SA to go anywhere in the playoffs. That said, TP had two important assists down the stretch that gave the Spurs a cushion and made up for the second straight boneheaded jumper to close the 4th we've seen in recent days.

[Mugen]

The thing I noticed was, was that the Spurs stuck to Gasol and Randolph a hell of a lot more tonight than in Game 1, and let the perimeter guys like Conley, Young, and Allen take a bunch of outside jump shots. I kinda like that strategy :tu. Those guys arent going to keep making a bunch of jump shots all series long....

I'm pretty sure that was Pop's strategy before the series as well. it's how you beat Memphis.

They threw a lot more double teams at Randolph and Gasol early and often where as they only did late in Game 1. Randolph has improved his passing but he's still pretty much a black hole on offense and he's going to force it through 2-3 defenders.

This team is at its best when they're helter-skelter on defense and they played a lot better tonight and forced a lot of turnover.

Btw, timvp....Robert Horry is rolling over in his grave right now after that Bonner comment. :lol

[GSH]

Does anyone remember a Dallas Cowboys game when Emmit Smith played the entire second half with a separated shoulder? He was in pain on every carry, but he pounded the Giants into submission. It stands out in my mind as a heroic performance. Manu's performance tonight now stands with it. (The Cowboys went on to win the Superbowl that year, and all the Cowboys players say they could not have done it without Smith's performance in that game.) http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20100805-In-most-courageous-game-Emmitt-523.ece

-Matt Bonner's numbers don't blow you away but I thought he had a fantastic night. His boxing out was more physical than I have ever seen it. He was focused defensively and made a few very good rotations.

+1. Bonner was really looking for guys to box out, and he stayed with them after the first contact. We need a lot more of that from him and all the other bigs. And don't forget the 3's that Bonner drained at the end of the first game that should have won the game for us. He's stroked it under pressure so far in this series.

-For the first time this season, Gary Neal is having a few rookie moments.

I thought one of Neal's biggest mistakes was pulling Manu off the floor by his right arm. I cringed just watching it. Daammnn, Gary. The one shot he made at the end of the shot clock, on one of the worst possessions I have ever seen, was vintage Gary Neal. (Can you be vintage in your rookie year?) The man has ice water in his veins. And when he can shoot without thinking too much, he's deadly. I think it's a mistake not to have him putting up more shots each game.

McDyess was money all year on that mid-range jumper. That's an extra 4-5-6 points per game we've been without against the Griz. We really, really need those points.

[Solid D]

26:46

[jjktkk]

Toguh, gritty, win for the Spurs. Loved how physical the whole team played.

[DJ Mbenga]

its a memphis style game that you won but the key will be how things are in memphis. spurs benefited again from a ft shooting contest . if memphis gets home cooking it could turn ugly

[slayermin]

I thought TD set the tone early with strong picks and physical play. He was pushing people around out there and it was great to watch.

[4>0rings]

Pretty much agree on all points, including Bonner. First time I've seen Bonner literally throw someone out of the paint. He was called for a foul but I'll take it from Bonner if he's playing for the rebound.

[NewJerSpur]

its a memphis style game that you won but the key will be how things are in memphis. spurs benefited again from a ft shooting contest . if memphis gets home cooking it could turn ugly

I mentioned this in the game thread/blog, but I am worried about how the refs call the defense played against Randolph:

-Game 1, Spurs try to get physical, nearly everyone fouls out
-Game 2, Spurs allowed to get physical, Z-Bo disappears at the end of the game.

It's one thing if he's driving to the basket getting slapped around, but when he's pounding into the chest of a big in the post while throwing up nonsense.....hopefully the refs can recognize this is the playoffs and let them play.

[toki9]

Tony Allen seems a little crazy, and not in a good way...reminds me a bit of Ron Artest without the humor...

[toki9]

I think I'm most disappointed with Parker's play so far--because he's proven that he's so much more capable...he just seems a little disengaged (or scared?) out there for some reason...

[G-Dawgg]

It was nice to see the Spurs runs some plays for Tim, and it was nice to see him assert himself on offense. I haven't seen him play with that type of fire in quite a while.. The Spurs really need to get him involved offensively once in a while if they are planning on making a serious run in these playoffs.

I also loved how Hill, Parker, Jefferson, and Ginobili pushed the pace and were fast-breaking quite a bit... I feel the Spurs can run many teams into the ground I don't beleive there are that many teams that keep up with our horses if we decide to run. The Spurs are very good when they attack early before an opposing team can set up their defense.

[timvp]

Good, I was wondering if I was crazy but I thought the same thing. It's great to see him contribute in other areas.

Yeah, in the playoffs the last few years, Bonner jogged up and down the court like a zombie because he was so petrified to shoot open shots. He gave the Spurs nothing outside of his shots ... and he missed a large majority of those.

To see him doing little things in addition to knocking down big threes is shocking and deserves props. I wonder how many others can overlook Bonner's past failures and give him his due for these first two games.

For the record, I think he'll probably struggle out on the road but two solid games in the playoffs is more than the Spurs have gotten out of him in most years.


i thought OJ Mayo took a lot of really stupid shots that cost them the game. A majority of those quick shots that Hollins was talking about came from OJ. I think he was 2-11 with most of his shots being long contested 2 pointers. Just a really dumb offensive performance on his part. Good point. Mayo definitely has a bit of JR Smith in him.


Horry-esque?

Come.
On.

Bro, I've been tough on Bonner over the years for his choking. I didn't want the Spurs to re-sign him. Coming into the playoffs, even though he had a pretty good regular season, I wouldn't have cared if Pop said Bonner was on the inactive list for the entire postseason.

But I'd be dishonest if I didn't give him credit after the first two games. He has vastly surpassed my expectations.

And what is the problem with "Horry-esque"? I'm not talking 2005 Finals Game 5 Horry. I'm talking typical Horry where he'd play tough on defense, make a couple big plays sporadically and then hit a big fourth quarter three-pointer. Nothing overly special. For one game, I think Bonner deserves the comparison.

Historically speaking and looking to future games, I wouldn't compare the two. But for one night . . .


I suppose it is good for Bonner to rack up fouls and NOT give up and-1's as opposed to him racking up fouls while giving up the and-1, but he still blows ass on that end.
As did Blair.
As did Dice.Randolph goes for 11 and 5 and all the bigs "blew ass" on defense?

Drawing board, back to it, bro :toast



My major concern after this win is praying for Manu not to feel like his elbow is broken tomorrow morning after the injections and adrenaline wears off.
He could very well be in more pain for game 3 than he was tonight.

Great point. Early on, Manu seemed to be in pain. After halftime, the pain seemed to be gone. I can only imagine how many cortisone shots he got at intermission.

So yeah, that elbow is going to be a mess in the morning.



timvp what do you think about starting Blair and benching Dice?

After Game 1, I thought it might have to come to that because McDyess played like he was on his basketball deathbed. But McDyess bounced back and played really well ... especially late. He took on Randolph a few times and shut him down -- something the Spurs have struggled to do all season long.

Game 2 bought McDyess at least a couple more games as a starter. But Blair has shown enough positives that he could take that role back if McDyess regresses.

[Borosai]

Can you believe that Bonner held Z-bo to 5/14 shooting for 11 pts and only 5 boards???

:chestbump

[Quasar]

Should tiago play?

[Mugen]

I haven't screamed "Fucking Ginger" at all during these first 2 games so he must be doing something right.

[NewJerSpur]

Remember OJ, when the pressure comes down on the Grizz, they're going to need a release valve.....just shoot the rock baby.

[DAF86]

After Game 1, I thought it might have to come to that because McDyess played like he was on his basketball deathbed. But McDyess bounced back and played really well ... especially late. He took on Randolph a few times and shut him down -- something the Spurs have struggled to do all season long.

Game 2 bought McDyess at least a couple more games as a starter. But Blair has shown enough positives that he could take that role back if McDyess regresses.

I like the move not as a punishment for Dice (he's the big I trust the most outside of Tim), but as a way to don't have Blair and Bonner at the same time in the floor, if Tim and Antonio start then is almost impossible to don't have Dejuan and Matt in the court at the same time at some point of the game.

I would start Blair but I'd still play Dice more minutes and at the end of games.

[alfahdlan]

If spurs survive this series, I'm confident they can take any team in the nba. their defense and hustle will be honed in this series.

[Obstructed_View]

Bonner played great. He was almost Elson-esque.

[igruex]

Great point. Early on, Manu seemed to be in pain. After halftime, the pain seemed to be gone. I can only imagine how many cortisone shots he got at intermission.
So yeah, that elbow is going to be a mess in the morning.


I'd really want to know if Manu have worsen his elbow injury playing in Game 2. I mean, he clearly took some shots, but apart from the pain what does playing mean, worsen the injury, delaying treatment or just doesn't affect it...

Apart from the elbow he seemed totally healthy, if TP doesn't step up and takes the load we'll go as far as that f'king elbow goes.

[pookenstein]

Thx timvp. Great analysis as usual.



On point analysis ... Bonner played ok on defense, but he is still out there to shoot the ball ... if that is missing there is a certain other player who can do even better defensively.

We have to get over that. Ain't happening. Sad, but that's just the way it is.

[Obstructed_View]

Just re-watched the first half, looking just at the bigs. I've got notes. If there's interest, I'll post them up. Meanwhile, I'll sum up the half. I'll post again after I finish the second half.

Bonner was great on defense, though the Spurs doubled his man virtually every time he got the ball. Sadly necessary because he got scored on when they didn't. He's played out of his mind and has managed not to be a liability. It sucks when that's the ceiling for your center. The reason we laugh at the comparison to Horry is that Horry managed to be a difference maker, and could make a play when you needed it. You also didn't need to double team the Darrell Arthurs of the world every single time they got the ball against Horry. But Bonner made smart rotations, switched well, was tough, made the smart play EVERY time and got some strong rebounds because he was playing strong and paying attention at all times. Zero lapses that I could see.

Dice was absolutely awful in the first half. I didn't notice how badly he sucked the first time I watched the game. Bad position, bad fouls, bad defense, failure to block out, missed rotations. You name it and Dice did it, unless it was good. He had a sequence in the second quarter that saw the Spurs go down by six despite playing well as a team. He was the absolute worst Spur on the floor again.

On offense, both guys routinely get completely left alone and aren't made to pay for it. Bonner's got two shot attempts and Dice has three. It's shocking how much the Spurs have to play four on five on that end. I thought these guys were supposed to spread the floor? This is why Memphis has a lead despite the Spurs playing pretty well. Bonner has been open in the corner or out at his spot on the left perimeter several times with nobody near him. The one time he actually got the ball out there he hesitated and missed because he was about three feet behind the line.

Second half starting.

[ploto]

Sad to say but I just do not see how Manu can play for 6 weeks with his elbow like that. I wonder if they win game 3 if the Spurs will take a chance to rest him.

[Fireball]

We have to get over that. Ain't happening. Sad, but that's just the way it is.

I know ... I know

But what does it mean that someone has to get over himself? I hate that phrase regarding Pop and his rookies.

[will_spurs]

- Duncan: somebody commented in the game thread that he was better when facing Gasol and that's the truth. Duncan facing Gasol = basket; Duncan with his back to the basket = missed jumper or TO.

- Ginobili: "You [...] think that he struggled ... but that couldn't be further from the truth". Not really. He struggled, that's for sure. He struggled to find his shot, he struggled to shoot FTs. But he was still Manu, and that's all the Spurs needed last night.

- Parker: my main disappointment re: Parker is that the Grizz are often leaving him some room to penetrate and either he doesn't take that oportunity, or he does, goes too far and ends up neither releasing a shot nor making a pass. This is not vintage Parker for sure. The other concern is that he should really watch some tape of Manu "innocuously" making contact before shooting for an and-1. Parker makes a point to zig-zag through the defense never touching anyone. A little bump here and there and he's be doing to be the charity line a lot more often.

- RJ: yes, some of the Spurs players should be able to deny Young or Arthur one-on-one. It doesn't happen. FML. Otherwise I liked the aggressive way he played, he tried to penetrate and create and it was nice. The corner 3 off the awesome pass from Parker was a momentum-builder too.

- McDyess: yes he played well at the end, but does that give him a pass for stinking the place up in the first half. He was BY FAR the worst Spur at the time. He was a no-show on D and I cringed every time he took one of his signature jumpers (and missed with frightening regularity), especially when there was no pressure on the clock and/or open teammates. So, in short, no that wasn't the McDyess I expected after Game 1. I expected a McDyess that would give the Spurs a lift on a couple of key jumpers, and who would play D like in the 4th... but for the whole game.

- Hill: nice comeback. Based on history, I although thought he was going to fade into irrelevance yet another time, but he came back huge. However if that's how he plays at home, and knowing his history of disappearing on the road, I am a bit worried about the 2 games in Memphis. He HAS to show up in the next 2 games.

- Bonner: yes, he didn't suck. Yes, it sucks that we are happy he simply didn't suck. But at least I liked his defense, he was tough and physical at times which is something I basically never saw from him. Maybe he'll surprise me and land a flagrant on Conley in Game 3 (somebody needs to put that guy's ass on the floor once and for all and let him know he is in the Spurs paint and not in his garden).

- Neal: I didn't really pay attention to his rookie moments. What I noticed was: no play run for him; and ice in his veins on that shot-clock beating jumper. That's the kind of shot that brings nice intangibles to the team and builds up confidence.

- Blair was great, played like the fighter we expected him to be. Unfortunately the same unfocused, reckless energy that can work wonders on D is a liability on O.

- Pop: still same stubborn old man. Any coach that plays a Bonner-Blair frontcourt against Memphis mighty front line while Splitter is rotting away on the bench has a C- ceiling as far as I'm concerned. And an invitation to the next "Masochist Anonymous" meeting.

[Fireball]

Sad to say but I just do not see how Manu can play for 6 weeks with his elbow like that. I wonder if they win game 3 if the Spurs will take a chance to rest him.

No way ... this injury will not get really better by resting two or three days more. Spurs need Manu in every game ... his deficiencies in this game were more part of being rusty than because of the injury.

[Fireball]

- Duncan: somebody commented in the game thread that he was better when facing Gasol and that's the truth. Duncan facing Gasol = basket; Duncan with his back to the basket = missed jumper or TO.

Just one fake is all it takes. Instead the turnaround jumper against a guy who is 7'1'' is not a good idea. And normally Timmy uses the turnaround J from the right to draw a foul, but that has not happened in a while.

[ata]

6 point win and Manu with +16 - Manu, get that elbow in order ASAP, we need you

[DieMrBond]

I only managed to see bits off the first half on a poor stream, but speaking of the difference between McDyess - how about that bone crunching screen on Battier after Manu's steal... I cringed for Battier when I saw that!

[Obstructed_View]

Just watched the second half. Bonner was still great defensively. Had one bad bounce the entire night. If only the Spurs would pass the ball to him he could actually spread the floor, because he and Dice were both open like crazy while the Grizzlies sagged away from them. You want the Spurs to suddenly make this series easy? Have the guards kick the ball out to Dice and Bonner early and often. Bonner finally got a pass for a three at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and it came from Blair. Bonner got two good passes in the game that I can remember. The other one came from Parker on a drawn up play.

Honest to God, if your whole rationale for playing Matt all these minutes for all these years is so that he can spread the floor, then you have to work to pass the freakin' ball to him. Randolph and Arthur just left him completely alone out there while the Spurs' guards tried to go against an extra defender in the paint. You want to get beat up before the second round? Keep that shit up. It's really not surprising that people are calling for Splitter to be playing, because if you aren't going to have your center part of the offense, where he's getting ANY shots at all, then he might as well be standing under the basket waiting for a rebound or ready to draw a foul. All three of Memphis' bigs ended the game with 5 fouls, probably less than half of them drawn by Spurs bigs.

I've mentioned previously that you could play Matt Bonner for 6-12 minutes a game and get him several good shots by running plays for him. I'd imagine that a jump shooter shoots better with fresh legs, instead of asking him to shove a bigger stronger guy around for 30 minutes and then try to hit threes at the end of the game. To Bonner's credit, he's done well, but playoff runs are long, and this is game 2.

Defensively, Dice was horrid the entire game, and that includes the fourth quarter. The fact that Randolph missed three easy shots in the last few minutes does not make for good defense. Zach got right to the rim each time and simply missed. One of those misses resulted in a Tony Allen putback dunk, and another in Duncan's sixth foul, so it's not like they weren't giving up points. Dice drew a charge on a questionable (probably makeup) call and drew Randolph's fifth foul on a pump fake on the other end. Absolutely the worst player for the Spurs in the game.

By the way, Gasol, Arthur and Randolph scored on a high percentage of jumpers. Again. And they did it right over the outstretched hands of Blair, Bonner and Dice. They didn't score as many points this game because they didn't attempt as many, but they were going in.

[bigfan]

From what Ive seen this is a suprisingly even matched series. I guess I didnt realize those Griz were that good and Ill give them some credit here. The reason why Manu is great is because he plays 110% on every play, even if he misses his shot. If the rest of the guys play that hard, we will win the series. If not, we are going to be knocked off early. Parker is the key.

[silverblackfan]

It was pretty obvious that Manu's elbow was bothering him through out the game, but his energy, smarts and toughness was the key to this win. He is f*ckin amazing.
Tim did some great things on defense and was clutch on offense when needed.
Tony was abused and is looking really shaky out there. He really needs to get back to passing the ball if he is only going to pull up for jump shots late in the game. Hopefully, the real Parker shows up on the road. We are going to need it.
I also thought Bonner was doing a fine job of banging with the bigs and even hit another key 3 in the 4th. All we can hope is that Bonner and/or Hill shows up in Memphis. If so, the confidence gained will pay dividends in later rounds.
Dice did look awful out there and I can only hope that he will get better as the series continues. Fortunately, Dice is a savy veteran and will respond.
Blair is a high energy ball of chaos out there and I love it. He is improving, but is still showing his inexperience on the court. Fortunately, he is fearless and has amazing skills for his size. Unfortunately, he is probably the main reason that Tiago remains on the bench, so I am also torn about seeing him get playing time.
The complete lack of any minutes for Tiago is still a mystery to me. One would think Pop would test him out in the line up for a few minutes at some point. Just to examine your options.

[Cry Havoc]

its a memphis style game that you won but the key will be how things are in memphis. spurs benefited again from a ft shooting contest . if memphis gets home cooking it could turn ugly

Memphis already got home cooking in SA. Duncan gets a sixth foul because Gasol gives him a forearm shiver? Yeah, it can't get much worse than it has been.

[wildbill2u]

What worries me is the careless play by our vets in the closing minutes. Remember how we let those games get away in that six game streak late in the season?

Careless passing errors, allowing steals, bad shots and we went from a comfortable 8 point lead to hanging on by out teeth last night. Granted that Memphis MADE those bad plays by our vets so worrisome, but they were better focused that we were it seems.

We finally closed it out, but the vets can't keep making rookie mistakes if we are to win the series, much less the Championship.

[Dartherus]

It was pretty obvious that Manu's elbow was bothering him through out the game, but his energy, smarts and toughness was the key to this win. He is f*ckin amazing.
I'm happy every time more fans understand to what they call "the church of Manu".

His contribution are far beyond the boxscore, as Duncan has always been (I'd be considered from the church of Tim too, it happens that Tim is more recognized, IMO, so there's no need to remember his value).

Anyway, the +16 of Manu and the +7 of Tim should give everybody a hint of contribution beyond the usual stats, even if they don't have their best day.

[DMC]

Very physical game. The Grizz are no slouches.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Just re-watched the first half, looking just at the bigs. I've got notes. If there's interest, I'll post them up. Meanwhile, I'll sum up the half. I'll post again after I finish the second half.

Bonner was great on defense, though the Spurs doubled his man virtually every time he got the ball. Sadly necessary because he got scored on when they didn't. He's played out of his mind and has managed not to be a liability. It sucks when that's the ceiling for your center. The reason we laugh at the comparison to Horry is that Horry managed to be a difference maker, and could make a play when you needed it. You also didn't need to double team the Darrell Arthurs of the world every single time they got the ball against Horry. But Bonner made smart rotations, switched well, was tough, made the smart play EVERY time and got some strong rebounds because he was playing strong and paying attention at all times. Zero lapses that I could see.



Ding ding ding... I just don't get the love for Bonner last night. Obstructed hit it out of the park. Whenever Bonner didn't get help, he got scored on.

[quentin_compson]

Manu :worthy:
It's really striking how much this team relies on him - not just basketball-wise, but in terms of leadership and a certain extra lift he gives them.
True, his shot and his passes were a bit off at times (not too surprising), but it was a vintage Ginobili performance nonetheless.
Tim was good, but could have made quicker decisions at times when he had the ball on the offensive end. Bonner was as decent as he can possibly be on D and even pulled down a couple of contested boards. With Blair doing more good things than bad as well, right now, it seems more unlikely than ever that Splitter will get any kind of run in this series. Well, maybe if Dice continues to underperform.

Tony has been far from showing what kind of a player he is - one of the best scoring PGs in this league. He just needs to do better, but I kind of expect a breakout performance by him in one of the next two games. Maybe the best thing overall so far has been the Spurs' rebounding. They're really working hard to keep the Grizz away from the offensive glass, especially Randolph.

[Obstructed_View]

Ding ding ding... I just don't get the love for Bonner last night. Obstructed hit it out of the park. Whenever Bonner didn't get help, he got scored on.

If that's what you came away with after all the work I put in, then I feel sorry for you.

Let me recap:

Bonner was GREAT on defense
Dice was SHIT on defense.
Whenever Bonner, Dice and Blair didn't get help, they got scored on. At least Bonner kept his guys from getting right to the front of the rim before scoring, and Bonner rotated very well.

[ploto]

No way ... this injury will not get really better by resting two or three days more. Spurs need Manu in every game ... his deficiencies in this game were more part of being rusty than because of the injury.

The Spurs can not win an NBA title with Manu playing with his arm like that.

[Fpoonsie]

If that's what you came away with after all the work I put in, then I feel sorry for you.

Let me recap:

Bonner was GREAT on defense
Dice was SHIT on defense.
Whenever Bonner, Dice and Blair didn't get help, they got scored on. At least Bonner kept his guys from getting right to the front of the rim before scoring, and Bonner rotated very well.

I don't think it's ever been a question of his hustle. Every time I'd see Bonner play, he looked like he was really trying (aside from a few loose balls, haphazardly bouncing across the floor). I've never doubted his desire. It seems like that's what you're applauding. I could be wrong (like AHF more obviously was)...

Again, as you said, the sad part is that out of all his hustle, he's still got very little upside when he's not "spreading the floor." Bonner's play on the court is like mine in the bedroom. The energy's there...but nothing typically comes of it.

[DesignatedT]

Again, as you said, the sad part is that out of all his hustle, he's still got very little upside when he's not "spreading the floor." Bonner's play on the court is like mine in the bedroom. The energy's there...but nothing typically comes of it.

:lol

[Obstructed_View]

I don't think it's ever been a question of his hustle. Every time I'd see Bonner play, he looked like he was really trying (aside from a few loose balls, haphazardly bouncing across the floor). I've never doubted his desire. It seems like that's what you're applauding. I could be wrong (like AHF more obviously was)...

Again, as you said, the sad part is that out of all his hustle, he's still got very little upside when he's not "spreading the floor." Bonner's play on the court is like mine in the bedroom. The energy's there...but nothing typically comes of it.

The fact is, Bonner is at his absolute ceiling playing the way he played last night defensively, but nobody's passing him the ball and he's not drawing fouls or wearing down the other team's bigs. For that, you might as well have you-know-who in the game. I'd rather have Bonner used when he's actually going to shoot, or if you need him as a decoy.

Bonner could be spreading the floor, but as I said, they aren't even looking for him. The Spurs are fucked if they can't get him some shots. But they're also not drawing fouls from the other bigs, and that's a problem for Duncan because he's the only one fouling.

And if I'm making recommendations based on the first two games, I'm giving Dice's minutes to Splitter and letting Bonner play as long as people pass him the ball. I don't expect Bonner to be making threes at the end of games in the conference finals if you're going to beat him up for 25 minutes every night.

[Splits]

Nice writeup OV, thanks.

One question... do you think the lack of looks from Bonner and Dice was due to over-penetration or something else? It seemed, especially in the first half, that they would collapse when Tony drove but he would get in too deep and not have passing lanes to the arc. But that's just gut feel, I haven't rewatched the game.

[z0sa]

The Spurs can not win an NBA title with Manu playing with his arm like that.

Like... what?

Timvp posted before that it takes max, 3 weeks for this injury to heal, and much more commonly 2. Manu got a full 9 days off before Game 2, discounting practice and drills.

[Fpoonsie]

The fact is, Bonner is at his absolute ceiling playing the way he played last night defensively, but nobody's passing him the ball and he's not drawing fouls or wearing down the other team's bigs. For that, you might as well have you-know-who in the game. I'd rather have Bonner used when he's actually going to shoot, or if you need him as a decoy.

Bonner could be spreading the floor, but as I said, they aren't even looking for him. The Spurs are fucked if they can't get him some shots. But they're also not drawing fouls from the other bigs, and that's a problem for Duncan because he's the only one fouling.

And if I'm making recommendations based on the first two games, I'm giving Dice's minutes to Splitter and letting Bonner play as long as people pass him the ball. I don't expect Bonner to be making threes at the end of games in the conference finals if you're going to beat him up for 25 minutes every night.

Ah, I see. Makes sense...especially the bolded.

I'm not in the Bonner-bashing camp. I appreciate the things he does/can do well. I didn't rewatch the game, but from what I saw upon first viewing, while the Spurs weren't actively looking for him by setting up plays, he did get the ball several times on the perimeter. It looks like MEM is making a conscious effort to collapse on him almost immediately, forcing him into a bastardized version of Manu's "herky-jerk" stylings to the basket. The promising (albeit unorthodox) drives he appeared to have cultivated earlier in the season seem to have all but disappeared. If he could rediscover them (QUICKLY), I think it'd bode well for everyone. It'd solve that "drawing fouls on THEIR bigs" issue as well as leave him some room on the perimeter, assuming MEM begins to (relatively) respect his cut.

As far as giving Split Dice's minutes, I've all but given up on that pipe dream. Dice will continue to play until he breaks a hip on the court, and "small ball/defensive purposes" Green will come into replace him. Simple as that.

[Obstructed_View]

Bonner hasn't been getting the ball nearly enough. He got two passes to him in the entire game and made one of two threes. He had another three attempt when he got the ball and decided to shoot it (after hesitating) even though he was 28 feet away from the basket, and had a loose ball dribble to him once in the corner but no room to shoot. He was alone in the corner maybe ten or fifteen times while his man went into the paint to help defend, and that doesn't even count the times he was alone at the top of the circle. They did exactly the same thing to Dice when he was in the corner. Bonner's distance made no difference, so having a three point shooter there was completely pointless.

He's good at dribbling in when they close out on him. An indication of how few times he got the ball is that he had zero shots other than the ones I mentioned. Unfortunately his lack of shot attempts is also an indictment of his ability to get offensive rebounds.

The lack of looks are a failure of gameplanning. Manu, Parker and Hill aren't even looking Bonner and Dice's way, and the Grizzlies seem to know it. Parker may have overpenetrated once or twice but he's still breaking down the defense when he does that, and that's never a bad thing as long as the turnovers aren't rampant.

[Fpoonsie]

I need to keep a closer eye on Matty-boy without the ball. Missing shots does enough do hurt a shooter's confidence (especially one like Bonner that seems to get so easily frazzled). Not even looking his way can only further shake it.

If he is as open as you say he often is, you're right. That's poor game-planning...which isn't altogether that surprising nowadays. :depressed

[objective]

Good news is that RJ and Bonner have had arguably their best consecutive playoff games in Spurs uniforms.

Will it continue? God I hope so, because it's barely been enough to split against an inexperienced 8-seed at home.

[Obstructed_View]

I need to keep a closer eye on Matty-boy without the ball. Missing shots does enough do hurt a shooter's confidence (especially one like Bonner that seems to get so easily frazzled). Not even looking his way can only further shake it.

If he is as open as you say he often is, you're right. That's poor game-planning...which isn't altogether that surprising nowadays. :depressed

Bonner had one pass to him before the beginning of the fourth quarter, and he took that pass from Blair and calmly knocked it down. As I said, I'm more worried about his legs after beating on the bigs of the Grizzlies and the Thunder if they should get that far. At some point he'll wear down and miss shots because his legs are gone and Spurs fans will say "see, I told you so".

[Solid D]

Darrell Arther owns Matt Bonner and carries him around on his hip at the mall.

[Slippy]

Blair's work on Zack has been a revelation so far. It being the play-offs where refs are letting them bang more i think helps Blair's game . Hope to see Pop give him more mins on the road.

Bonner getting a lot of love. Just looked to me that he benifitted from a strong team defense more-so than personal defense. It's true , this is as good as it's probably going to be from him. I found it fustrating that he often bailed memphis out with silly fouls when it should of been good defensive play and a stop for the spurs..

[Obstructed_View]

Blair's work on Zack has been a revelation so far. It being the play-offs where refs are letting them bang more i think helps Blair's game . Hope to see Pop give him more mins on the road.

Bonner getting a lot of love. Just looked to me that he benifitted from a strong team defense more-so than personal defense. It's true , this is as good as it's probably going to be from him. I found it fustrating that he often bailed memphis out with silly fouls when it should of been good defensive play and a stop for the spurs..

Read my notes if you have the time. That's where my praise for him comes from. He had basically one foul in the whole game that could be called silly, which was his first, but I wasn't able to think of any where he bailed out Memphis. Arthur flopped on him twice and he prevented two dunks with the other two. None of his fouls were in the penalty, and the shooting fouls resulted in one point on three free throw attempts.

[Slippy]

Read my notes if you have the time. That's where my praise for him comes from. He had basically one foul in the whole game that could be called silly, which was his first, but I wasn't able to think of any where he bailed out Memphis. Arthur flopped on him twice and he prevented two dunks with the other two. None of his fouls were in the penalty, and the shooting fouls resulted in one point on three free throw attempts.

ok so they weren't costly fouls but they were fouls which if they weren't would of rewarded the Spurs with possesion.

Honsetly i dont have the time but i will get to them asap.

Working 50 hours a week, looking after a crazy 2year old, keeping the missus happy while fitting Spurs games and spurs talk makes time precious.:downspin:

[Obstructed_View]

I don't think any of his fouls would have ended up with the Spurs getting possession. He didn't foul anyone on a missed jumper or get a touch foul at the end of the shot clock. His first foul was on Arthur as he was making a pass that Blair intercepted, but I don't know if the steal was due to Bonner's disruption or not. Feel how you want about him, but you can't really say that he often bailed Memphis out when it's possible that he didn't do it a single time.

[Slippy]

I don't think any of his fouls would have ended up with the Spurs getting possession. He didn't foul anyone on a missed jumper or get a touch foul at the end of the shot clock. His first foul was on Arthur as he was making a pass that Blair intercepted, but I don't know if the steal was due to Bonner's disruption or not. Feel how you want about him, but you can't really say that he often bailed Memphis out when it's possible that he didn't do it a single time.

That's a big assumption on your part in thinking none would of ended up with the Spurs getting possesion.

Didn't do it a single time? You missed the loose ball foul on Bonner where Manu got the rebound at 10.44 of the second. That's a bail-out in my book . Next play resulted in a Vaquez three so costly as well.

Has nothing to with how i feel about Bonner the player. More about the team busting their asses out there on D and then wasting it away because Matt Bonner getting physical equals playing outside the rules of the game.

Fustrating . That's all.

[Obstructed_View]

That's a big assumption on your part in thinking none would of ended up with the Spurs getting possesion.
It wasn't an assumption, it was a statement of fact worded to be polite. Not one of Bonner's fouls were bailout fouls. Not one. I gave you the benefit of the doubt on the first one because Blair ended up with the steal.


Didn't do it a single time? You missed the loose ball foul on Bonner where Manu got the rebound at 10.44 of the second. That's a bail-out in my book . Next play resulted in a Vaquez three so costly as well.
I didn't miss it. I said Arthur flopped on him twice, and that was the first. It was a loose ball foul that wasn't in the penalty and had nine seconds left on the shot clock. Bonner did the exact same thing to Arthur in game 1 in the exact same situation. And blame Gary Neal's horrid rotation for giving up the Vasquez three, not Bonner.


Has nothing to with how i feel about Bonner the player. More about the team busting their asses out there on D and then wasting it away because Matt Bonner getting physical equals playing outside the rules of the game.

Fustrating . That's all.

Obviously it has something to do with how you feel about Bonner because he played amazingly good defense, busted his ass on D more than anyone on the roster and the only thing you walk away with is how he "wasted away" the team's effort because he "often bailed out the Grizzlies" with, at absolute MOST, two fouls in the first half.

I'm sorry you made a statement that's so awkward to back up because there's no basis in fact to back it up with, and I'm sorry that you won't just concede that you were wrong because you were watching Bonner with a jaundiced eye. I'm happy to leave the point alone if you don't keep bringing it up.

[Slippy]

It wasn't an assumption, it was a statement of fact worded to be polite. Not one of Bonner's fouls were bailout fouls. Not one. I gave you the benefit of the doubt on the first one because Blair ended up with the steal.


I didn't miss it. I said Arthur flopped on him twice, and that was the first. It was a loose ball foul that wasn't in the penalty and had nine seconds left on the shot clock. Bonner did the exact same thing to Arthur in game 1 in the exact same situation. And blame Gary Neal's horrid rotation for giving up the Vasquez three, not Bonner.




You missed it, by simply assuming Arthur flopped. Funny how the refs didn't. Watch the game the third time and im sure Matt Bonner will look like he's the second coming of David Robinson to you.

You are blowing up Matt Bonner on this board in dumb way.

He simply did what he supposed to do, when he wasn't fouling. Matt Bonner is a player with limited abilites on the defensive end. The team defense helped hide that. We are all gratefull for that adn the win. Thats about as good as it's gonna get from him.

The rest of your post is pathetic . "Amazingly good defense" and i wont concede Matt Bonner isn't fustrating to watch . Ya no worries, you keep telling yourself that. :lol

get some sleep. Tomorrow is brand new day.

[Obstructed_View]

You missed it, by simply assuming Arthur flopped. Funny how the refs didn't. Watch the game the third time and im sure Matt Bonner will look like he's the second coming of David Robinson to you.

You are blowing up Matt Bonner on this board in dumb way.

Okay, there, douchebag. You've made yourself a ton of credibility by suggesting that I of all people have some unreasonable love for Matt Bonner. You have 600 posts on this message board. I probably have at least 600 posts that are critical of Matt Bonner. But at least I'm not so blind with hatred for him that I have to make up shit about what he does wrong.

So it's interesting that you try to bring in the refs to back you up. They fall for flops all the time. They miss stuff all the time. The whole point of a flop is to draw attention to the play and trick the refs into blowing the whistle. You tried to make it as a case that Matt Bonner continually fucked the rest of the team out of their great defensive stops by violating the rules. Fail.


He simply did what he supposed to do, when he wasn't fouling. Matt Bonner is a player with limited abilites on the defensive end. The team defense helped hide that. We are all gratefull for that adn the win. Thats about as good as it's gonna get from him.

The rest of your post is pathetic . "Amazingly good defense" and i wont concede Matt Bonner isn't fustrating to watch . Ya no worries, you keep telling yourself that. :lol

Yeah, you came into this conversation completely level headed, without any attempt to paint Matt Bonner as a loser who's responsible for the failure of the Spurs on the inside. You beg out of taking five minutes to read the breakdown I spent three hours on, watching every single play of the game that Bonner was in, but you have time to reiterate your ridiculous baseless indictments of his performance as though you can sneak it by me.

Some of you fucking people should quit watching basketball, because you suck at it.

[Slippy]

Gems.

"when it's possible that he didn't do it a single time"
wrong.

"with, at absolute MOST, two fouls in the first half"Atleast you admitted it. We can only imagine what your slant would of been if you had watched the game a thrid time.

"Amazing good defense"He defended like he supposed to and did more right than wrong. Ya im amazed because that doesn't usually happen. I''ll give you that. Could it be most fans are just gratefull that he wasn't that much of liability this time around.

"Bonner was great on defense"The bar wasn't that high to begin with. His defense was good enough but the team d covered up his weaknesses. Your superlatives in describing Bonner are over the top.

"If that's what you came away with after all the work I put in, then I feel sorry for you."The work you put in has sent you on a Matt Bonner crusade, doesn't make you any more right than others who only had to watch it once. Your bias is your blindness. Btw i found it painstakinly boring and had me thinking you need to get a life. I also wanted 10mins of my life back.


"i didn't miss it, arthur flopped on him twice"That's your fictional opinion he flopped twice which you've tried to base as fact . Fact is he was called both times . The One i pointed out, all he had to do was block out because the rebound was Manu's and Blair was backing up. He pushed Arthur off on the chest. When you're limited like Matt and overmatched by Athur you have to pull out all stops. Problem being he didn't get away with it.

I spent three hours on, watching every single play of the game that Bonner was in, but you have time to reiterate your ridiculous baseless indictments of his performance as though you can sneak it by me.

Boo Hoo Hoo. You deserve a cookie for the three hours you spent wasting your time focused on Dice and Bonner. How dare i try and sneak this by you. You are taking all this way too seriously. :lol

[Slippy]

Im getting back to my other life. Clock is ticking and my easter break is getting shorter. Next game can't come soon enough.

[Cry Havoc]

:lmao at saying Obstructed has any love for Matt Bonner's game. :lmao New here, aren't you?

[Cry Havoc]

Right along with the, "I only watched the game once but my recollection is better than yours." argument. :lmao

[timvp]

Defensively, Dice was horrid the entire game, and that includes the fourth quarter.

Can't agree with that. First half, McDyess wasn't any good on either end.

But at the end of the fourth quarter, he was virtually flawless on the defensive end. He got Randolph to miss three shots without any double-team help. And he went about it perfectly by avoiding body contact and then going after the shot. McDyess can't body Randolph -- that just allows Randolph to either bump McDyess out of the way or draw a foul. How McDyess defended him in the fourth is exactly how I'd want Randolph guarded. It exploits Randolph's lack of explosion to the rim, which is probably his one flaw right now on the offensive end.

Yeah, the Spurs only got one of the rebounds on the trio of Randolph misses (and that was McDyess getting the rebound himself) but that shouldn't take away from McDyess' defensive work. One of the rebounds was lost when Manu didn't box out Allen and the other when Gasol pushed Duncan out of position.

On top of that, McDyess had a couple of great double-teams and that huge charge. There's no way McDyess was "horrid" defensively in the fourth quarter. I'd classify it as at least "very good".

[Obstructed_View]

Can't agree with that. First half, McDyess wasn't any good on either end.

But at the end of the fourth quarter, he was virtually flawless on the defensive end. He got Randolph to miss three shots without any double-team help. And he went about it perfectly by avoiding body contact and then going after the shot. McDyess can't body Randolph -- that just allows Randolph to either bump McDyess out of the way or draw a foul. How McDyess defended him in the fourth is exactly how I'd want Randolph guarded. It exploits Randolph's lack of explosion to the rim, which is probably his one flaw right now on the offensive end.

Yeah, the Spurs only got one of the rebounds on the trio of Randolph misses (and that was McDyess getting the rebound himself) but that shouldn't take away from McDyess' defensive work. One of the rebounds was lost when Manu didn't box out Allen and the other when Gasol pushed Duncan out of position.

On top of that, McDyess had a couple of great double-teams and that huge charge. There's no way McDyess was "horrid" defensively in the fourth quarter. I'd classify it as at least "very good".

That fits right in with the "hope they miss shots" defensive scheme, because Dice didn't even slow Randolph down on any of those three shots. Randolph just missed them. I gave him credit for drawing the charge, even though everyone that saw it knows it was a make-up call.

"Without any double-team help"? The reason Manu didn't box out is because Randolph pushed Dice right to the front of the rim and Manu came over to help. It's also the reason Duncan was so far under the basket and fouled Gasol on the rebound. I like Dice, but as I said elsewhere, James Anderson could have done the exact same defensive job on Randolph. If you can't keep him out of his spots, ever, can't block any of his shots, ever, can't keep your teammates from having to come over and help, and have to hope that he misses shots and still have lost so much position that his teammates are unguarded for the offensive board, that's failure defense.

He helped very well on one trap and Manu got a steal on a bad switch. He got one big rebound and immediately turned the ball over, and he did a good job of drawing the foul on Randolph with the pump-fake. I expect WAY more out of my starting center, and so should any fan of a team they think has championship aspirations.

Classifying it as anything other than "hugely disappointing" is failing to realize how far Spurs defense has fallen.