timvp
04-23-2011, 02:11 PM
Now that the Spurs won Game 2 and figured out to beat these guys, the series is basically over, right?
Slow your roll, sis. The Spurs hardly dominated the Grizzlies in Game 2. With Memphis playing on their home-court the next two games, it will definitely be a challenge for San Antonio to win one on the road. In the Western Conference, only the Spurs and Nuggets had a better home record this season than the Grizzlies.
Can we boil down the Game 2 win to the return of Manu Ginobili?
I could agree with that. Ginobili was fantastic and his energy was contagious to everyone on the arena. He was a difference-maker -- but it wasn't his typical formula. Ginobili led the team with a plus/minus of +14, however his route of reaching that number was different. Typically, Ginobili's presence on the court supercharges San Antonio's offense. He also usually joins the bench unit on the court and helps annihilate the other team's bench unit to rack up his gaudy plus/minus numbers.
In Game 2, Ginobili made his mark on the defensive end. In his 33:42 minutes on the court, the Grizzlies scored only 53 points -- a rate of 75.4 points per 48 minutes. When Ginobili was on the court with Duncan, the defense was ungodly. In those 22:18 minutes, the Grizzlies managed only 26 points (56.1 points per 48).
Impressive. Why was Ginobili so effective defensively?
First of all, his legs were obviously fresh from playing all of two minutes in the previous 11 days. Even though his elbow was in a brace, he didn't hold back at all and was his usual kamikaze self. If anything, Ginobili played even more fearlessly than usual.
But an even bigger reason why Ginobili was a beast defensively was the fact he could defend Tony Allen. For all of Allen's defensive talents, he's not a good outside shooter and he's a poor ball-handler. Ginobili, knowing this, played a free safety role when matched up with Allen. The only thing Ginobili had to worry about was Allen diving to the basket. Other than that, Ginobili was free to roam the court and cause as much havoc as humanly possible.
Going forward in the series, this is a matchup Ginobili and the Spurs need to continue to exploit. Whenever Allen is on the court, Ginobili has to play like Ronnie Lott and make life hell for the Grizzlies. We saw it on Wednesday when Ginobili went for countless steals and blocks. That needs to continue.
How can the Grizzlies adjust to keep Ginobili from dominating on the defensive end?
If Allen can't figure out a way to make Ginobili pay for roaming off of him, the Grizzlies will be forced to go with O.J. Mayo and Shane Battier at the wings. This adjustment would change Ginobili's defensive responsibilities dramatically. Instead of roaming, he'd have to stick with a three-point shooter -- a role Ginobili historically struggles with. That said, taking Allen off the court will weaken the Grizzlies defense, so it'd help the Spurs on the other end.
What adjustments do the Spurs need to make to win Game 3?
The gameplan shouldn't change much from the first two games. The Spurs have done a good job of neutralizing the Grizzlies strengths to the best of their abilities.
Defensively, Game 3 will probably come down to energy and physicality. The Grizzlies and their fans will be hyped. Memphis will try to overwhelm San Antonio by using their superior size and athleticism to cram it down their throats. Any soft play by the Spurs could result in a blowout by the Grizzlies.
On offense, the Spurs need to be ready for even more rough play than usual from the Grizzlies. Driving the ball to the hoop, embracing the contact and knocking down free throws will be important. The Spurs also need to do a much better job of spacing the court and moving the basketball than we saw in the first two contests.
San Antonio's bench will play a vital role. The Grizzlies can trust on getting much better performances from their bench players at home. The Spurs simply can't count on George Hill to carry the reserves' offensive punch. That is especially true because Hill hasn't been nearly as good on the road this season. A player such as Gary Neal, who actually shot better on the road during his rookie season, will need to step up and give the Spurs good minutes.
How important is Game 3?
Well, at the very least, the Spurs need to split these next two games. But realistically, Game 3 is the much more winnable game. The Spurs have had a ton of rest recently and they could take the confidence away from Memphis if they come out and execute early and often in Game 3. But if the Spurs lose this game, they will have a young, talented team on their hands that smells blood. And with games every other day from here on out, that would quickly become a scary predicament.
Slow your roll, sis. The Spurs hardly dominated the Grizzlies in Game 2. With Memphis playing on their home-court the next two games, it will definitely be a challenge for San Antonio to win one on the road. In the Western Conference, only the Spurs and Nuggets had a better home record this season than the Grizzlies.
Can we boil down the Game 2 win to the return of Manu Ginobili?
I could agree with that. Ginobili was fantastic and his energy was contagious to everyone on the arena. He was a difference-maker -- but it wasn't his typical formula. Ginobili led the team with a plus/minus of +14, however his route of reaching that number was different. Typically, Ginobili's presence on the court supercharges San Antonio's offense. He also usually joins the bench unit on the court and helps annihilate the other team's bench unit to rack up his gaudy plus/minus numbers.
In Game 2, Ginobili made his mark on the defensive end. In his 33:42 minutes on the court, the Grizzlies scored only 53 points -- a rate of 75.4 points per 48 minutes. When Ginobili was on the court with Duncan, the defense was ungodly. In those 22:18 minutes, the Grizzlies managed only 26 points (56.1 points per 48).
Impressive. Why was Ginobili so effective defensively?
First of all, his legs were obviously fresh from playing all of two minutes in the previous 11 days. Even though his elbow was in a brace, he didn't hold back at all and was his usual kamikaze self. If anything, Ginobili played even more fearlessly than usual.
But an even bigger reason why Ginobili was a beast defensively was the fact he could defend Tony Allen. For all of Allen's defensive talents, he's not a good outside shooter and he's a poor ball-handler. Ginobili, knowing this, played a free safety role when matched up with Allen. The only thing Ginobili had to worry about was Allen diving to the basket. Other than that, Ginobili was free to roam the court and cause as much havoc as humanly possible.
Going forward in the series, this is a matchup Ginobili and the Spurs need to continue to exploit. Whenever Allen is on the court, Ginobili has to play like Ronnie Lott and make life hell for the Grizzlies. We saw it on Wednesday when Ginobili went for countless steals and blocks. That needs to continue.
How can the Grizzlies adjust to keep Ginobili from dominating on the defensive end?
If Allen can't figure out a way to make Ginobili pay for roaming off of him, the Grizzlies will be forced to go with O.J. Mayo and Shane Battier at the wings. This adjustment would change Ginobili's defensive responsibilities dramatically. Instead of roaming, he'd have to stick with a three-point shooter -- a role Ginobili historically struggles with. That said, taking Allen off the court will weaken the Grizzlies defense, so it'd help the Spurs on the other end.
What adjustments do the Spurs need to make to win Game 3?
The gameplan shouldn't change much from the first two games. The Spurs have done a good job of neutralizing the Grizzlies strengths to the best of their abilities.
Defensively, Game 3 will probably come down to energy and physicality. The Grizzlies and their fans will be hyped. Memphis will try to overwhelm San Antonio by using their superior size and athleticism to cram it down their throats. Any soft play by the Spurs could result in a blowout by the Grizzlies.
On offense, the Spurs need to be ready for even more rough play than usual from the Grizzlies. Driving the ball to the hoop, embracing the contact and knocking down free throws will be important. The Spurs also need to do a much better job of spacing the court and moving the basketball than we saw in the first two contests.
San Antonio's bench will play a vital role. The Grizzlies can trust on getting much better performances from their bench players at home. The Spurs simply can't count on George Hill to carry the reserves' offensive punch. That is especially true because Hill hasn't been nearly as good on the road this season. A player such as Gary Neal, who actually shot better on the road during his rookie season, will need to step up and give the Spurs good minutes.
How important is Game 3?
Well, at the very least, the Spurs need to split these next two games. But realistically, Game 3 is the much more winnable game. The Spurs have had a ton of rest recently and they could take the confidence away from Memphis if they come out and execute early and often in Game 3. But if the Spurs lose this game, they will have a young, talented team on their hands that smells blood. And with games every other day from here on out, that would quickly become a scary predicament.