Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Rockets - Preseason Game 1

[timvp]

We finally have basketball again. For the first time since losing to the Memphis Grizzlies back at the end of April, the San Antonio Spurs were back on the court. While the preseason contest against the Houston Rockets was ragged and more of a practice than an actual game, it was possible to start figuring out the latest incarnation of the Spurs. Here's a look at the good and the bad.

Manu Ginobili
22 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers
6-for-14 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 at the line

Good: Manu Ginobili spent a lot of time playing basketball during the lockout and it was obvious. He seemed to be in a good rhythm right out of the gates. Ginobili was moving well and his legendary intensity was already in midseason form.

Bad: When the pace increased, Ginobili sometimes had trouble keeping up. He also got beat off the dribble a few times. But Ginobili not being in optimal shape is expected. In a few weeks, he should be in typical regular season form.

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Richard Jefferson
19 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers

Good: The calm and collected stroke Richard Jefferson used on standstill jumpers last year is apparently back for another season. He also pulled down a few contested boards.

Bad: Jefferson already had Pop pulling out his hair after he shot an ill-advised jumper and then failed to get back on defense. He also doesn't appear to be in very good shape. His corners are rounded and his movements were stiff. Jefferson didn't do much to redeem himself from how he collapsed at the end of last year.

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Tiago Splitter
27 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
6-for-9 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line

Good: After a rough start, Tiago Splitter got comfortable around the rim on the offensive end. When he wasn't scoring, he was making a good pass. Compared to last year, he looked a lot more assertive with the basketball.

Bad: Despite his large frame and his length, Splitter has a bad habit of playing small -- and he was doing just that against the Rockets. He didn't do much on the defensive end, especially when it came to help defense and protecting the rim. He also bailed out the Rockets with a handful of soft post moves. Splitter playing tougher and bigger is mandatory this season if the Spurs are to make any noise.

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DeJuan Blair
26 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 5 turnovers
5-for-9 from the field, 6-for-12 at the line

Good: In the second half, DeJuan Blair found his touch. He also rebounded better as the game progressed. Despite being a bit slimmer than last year, he still appears to be just as strong.

Bad: Luis Scola destroyed him. Overall, Blair's defense was pathetic. He wasn't defending out on the floor and was invisible in the paint. Blair is usually a below average defender but this was a new level of bad. He turned into a blackhole in the fourth quarter and made a number of mistakes. All in all, it was a preseason opener to forget for Blair.

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TJ Ford
26 minutes, 8 points, six assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers
1-for-5 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 6-for-7 from the line

Good: TJ Ford's speed looked decent; not close to his prime but a bit faster than last season. His body language was better than it's been in recent years. I also liked the hustle he showed on defense when there was a loose ball.

Bad: He dribbled way too much on offense, especially when paired with Ginobili. He looked uncomfortable without the ball because he lacks confidence in his catch-and-shoot jumper. Defensively, he put up less resistance than a traffic cone when he was guarding the ball. It was a rough outing but at least it wasn't for a lack of effort.

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Kawhi Leonard
23 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 0-for-2 at the line

Good: The work Kawhi Lenoard did during the lockout on his ballhandling did wonders. He was regarded as a poor ballhandler coming out of college. Against the Rockets, I thought he looked like an above average ballhandler for a small forward. It was obvious that Leonard also did his homework when it came to learning the team's defensive philosophy because he made a few really good rotations. His elite athleticism shone through a few times a few times when he was defending the ball one-on-one.

Bad: On both ends of the floor, Leonard was meek. Aside from a few moments here and there, he was simply blending into the background. His outside jumper, especially the three-pointer he took, looks flat. When it came to the eyeball test, Leonard is a legit size for a small forward but he didn't jump out of the screen as extraordinarily long or explosive.

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Matt Bonner
20 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
3-for-7 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 at the line

Good: Matt Bonner appears to be the Spur most ready for the regular season. He checked into the game and looked like the Matt Bonner we all* know and love. His work on the boards was actually better than usual and his ballhandling on offense continues to improve.

Bad: Nothing unusual -- just his typical weaknesses like not being able to do anything defensively once he's caught under the rim. The athletic players on the Rockets made him look immobile, though that isn't exactly a shocking revelation.

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Cory Joseph
19 minutes, 4 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal
2-for-7 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 0-for-1 at the line

Good: Cory Joseph actually looked pretty good for a guy who missed all of training camp. I didn't see any obvious flaws that will stop him from potentially being a point guard on the NBA level. He handled the ball well, was aware of his surroundings, showed decent vision and looked comfortable looking to score off the dribble. Defensively, he pressured the ball a bit and did so without getting torched -- which is a good sign for such a green rookie.

Bad: His catch-and-shoot jumper looks suspect. He doesn't get much rotation on the ball and his release is slow. Joseph also needs to do a lot of work in the weight room. His upper body looks especially weak. Though he looked better than I expected, he'll undoubtedly be headed to the Toros sometime soon.

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James Anderson
17 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
1-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-6 at the line

Good: His stats look ugly but I was actually impressed by James Anderson. Offensively, he's oozing with confidence. He checked into the game and looked to score right away. When isolated, he had a number of pro-quality moves. His outside jumper looks smooth and he even operated the pick-and-roll really well. Defensively, this leaner version of Anderson was moving a lot better and he was authoritative when it came to going after rebounds and loose balls.

Bad: As you may have guessed, converting was Anderson's main problem. He missed a number of easy attempts. Perhaps he was too eager to prove that he's ready for an everyday role. Anderson was also too aggressive at times and missed wide open teammates.

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Daniel Green
16 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
2-for-8 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers

Good: On defense, Daniel Green was a plus. He moves his feet really well for his size and makes smart rotations. Although he doesn't have much potential on the offensive end, he knows his role and doesn't try to do too much.

Bad: Daniel Green got most of his minutes in garbage time so it was difficult to gauge his performance but he didn't help his cause by missing a number of makeable shots. Right now, there's no reason to consider him a better prospect than Leonard or Anderson -- in the short-term or long-term.

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Steve Novak
12 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers

Good: Hmm … well, he didn't back away from shooting open jumpers.

Bad: I think I witnessed the worst defensive bigman combination in history when Blair and Novak manned the power forward and center positions. It was utterly horrible. Novak is known for being a really, really bad defender but he was even worse than usual because he was a few pounds heavier and a few steps slower than last year. He needs to quickly get into shape and start showing more heart on the defensive end if he's going to further his NBA career.

[ElNono]

Thank you very much for taking the time to put that together, LJ.

Now, I'll read it and I'll ask questions later.

[ElNono]

Lj, how do you see the big man rotation going into the season?

[Calispursfan11]

Great writeup and I mostly agree. I am not a huge fan of Bonner, but he played the right way. Despite his limited capacity, he didn't do anything dumb and loooked about as good as he could possibly look. I want to be an Anderson fan, but I thought his play was mostly terrible. That will change in time if he keeps that high confidence level as he has the athletic ability to compete in the NBA. I was a little disappointed in his apparent inability to slash and split defenders, however. Hopefully he's better than he looked in that regard. In his defense, I think we're just too used to seeing Manu slicing through the lane like butter.

[mystargtr34]

This has been said alot.. Bonner isnt a terrible player even by NBA standards.. however he is terrible when playing against starters. In a limited 10-15 mpg role playing against the opposition bench he can really help the Spurs.. the problem is Pop continues to trot him out there against starters. At least he gives 100% when hes out there though.. unlike Blair.

IMO Blair is more frustrating than Matt. I would rather see him go if i had to choose one.

[Leetonidas]

Only two players shot above 50 percent? Fuck :pctoss

[Nathan89]

Lj, how do you see the big man rotation going into the season?

Duncan/Blair will start

Tiago comes in for Blair because Pop realizes Duncan and Tiago need to play together.

Bonner later comes in for Duncan. Bonner three point shooting helps offset Kawhi inability to shoot the three.


Minutes wise I don't know but Tiago better be close to 30mpg.

[Calispursfan11]

Blair has the height of a small shooting guard combined with the width of Kim Kardashian's ass. When Kyle Lowry is taller than your power forward, it's not a good thing. Opposing teams see Blair underneath, their eyes light up and they know it's time for layup drills. Might as well play Cory Joseph at PF at this rate.

[Josepatches_]

Preseason game.....but nothing new

Bonner and Novak aren't nba caliber players.....

Splitter has to play this year

Manu is the better player of the team now

Blair wasn't a steal of the draft

.....nothing new

[Nathan89]

Tiago starting leaves the duo of Bonner and Blair to play to often. Not going to happen.

[ElNono]

I thought Bonner was horrible on defense. Which isn't anything new, as LJ stated.

[Splits]

Bonner had a solid game, defensively and offensively. Looked like the only pro out there besides Manu

[GSH]

One piece of good news was that Splitter didn't pick up as many of those dumb fouls as he did last year. Houston came out very aggressive. They had 24 PF in the first half alone. (Jeff McDonalt tweeted this: "It's so funny. Manu's getting pissed. In the second quarter. Of a preseason game." F' Jeff McDonald.) Splitter kept his cool, and kept the foul count down. He wound up playing to a 5.33 PF/36 minutes, which is just about perfect.

Sometimes one player can light their whole team up. But they can also make their teammates feel like there is a lid on the basket. I kind of felt like Ginobili set the tone for the poor shooting in the first half. He really stunk it up.

I'm only half joking about Blair getting some ADD medication. I swear I think his attention wanders a lot during the game. Look how often he finds himself right under the basket. He's gotten pretty good about leaning out and scoring from under the rim. But on defense, there's just nothing to be done except foul. I know he's strong enough to contest real estate better than that. And I don't believe he's timid. I swear, sometimes I think he just drifts.

[DMC]

I saw flashes of above average play from Leonard. I also agree he blended in. In fact, I had a hard time telling who was whom on the court for a while, until Blair came in and his falling all over the place, jumping into Manu and everyone else made him stand out.

[objective]

the young guys looked good.

For Leonard's first game I thought he did great. No, his shots didn't fall, yes, he looked a little lost, but he did a lot more to help the team than that trash Richard Jefferson.

James Anderson looked good as well. Shots didn't fall, but he looked good and active.

Joseph looked better than I thought he would based on the big 12 games I saw. Seemed to be capable enough. I don't think he looked worse than TJ Ford.

The rest of the guys?

Splitter still missing junk shots and not playing big enough, but still the best Spurs big man without Duncan around.

Blair was pretty bad.

TJ Ford didn't impress me half as much as he apparently did everyone else on this forum. No shot, passing up other shots, dribbling around . . . can't say he was clearly better than Joseph.

Bonner was typical Bonner awful. With him in the rotation, the Spurs get what they deserve. Remember when people kept saying that with Splitter around Bonner's minutes went down, but they actually went up? :lol

Jefferson was GARBAGE as usual. Pathetic. Jefferson and Bonner make up the Spurs Culture of Failure. Mr. Fourth Option still played like trash even without Duncan and Parker taking his shots away. Give me Bogans over RJ any day.

[tmtcsc]

Bonner and Novak aren't nba caliber players.....


The Bonner hate in this forum has reached ridiculous and ignorant levels. He LED THE LEAGUE IN 3 PT FG % !

RJ is by far the worst, underachieving Spur on the team. Bonner was brought in to spread the floor and hit 3 pointers. Guess what, he did that better than anyone else in the league last year, percentage wise.

When you ask that same guy to be a great defender and rebounder, well then you are asking a lot.

Tonight, the guy showed up and played hard in a meaningless preseason game. Now you know why the coaches appreciate him. Just imagine if we had all the other pieces this team needs. -- A defensive force in the middle to help Tim and an aggressive SF who can take the ball to the rim. No one would be bitching about Bonner's shortcomings.

You wanna toss blame around for the Spurs troubles ? Look at the F.O., look at a PG who doesn't show up in big games and look at a legend whose best days are way behind him. Manu was a turnover machine in the playoffs but he always seemed to give his all.

Without any major moves to shore up the middle, everyone knows the inevitable outcome this season. Either we won't make the playoffs or we'll get bounced and humiliated again once we do.

[ElNono]

The Bonner hate in this forum has reached ridiculous and ignorant levels. He LED THE LEAGUE IN 3 PT FG % !

Just checking, but this was sarcasm, right?

[tmtcsc]

Bonner was typical Bonner awful. With him in the rotation, the Spurs get what they deserve.

:lol 20 min - 12 pt, 5 Rebounds, 50 % on 3's, 4-4 FT, 1 ST

I'll take that awful all year.

[timtonymanu]

It's just one preseason game, but it's very discouraging about Blair's play. He seems to get worse each year when he should be getting better. He has to pick up his play or else he won't be here any longer.

[wunderkindepiphany]

I'd like to see Tiago become more consistent on the boards and work on a faceup. Also, his little baby hook is unreliable. He does show a great awareness and ability to pass from the post. I really liked his heads up play when he made that bounce pass right after grabbing the board to assist in a lay-up. He's far from top tier, but his IQ makes up for his lack of physical ability and consistency in the shooting dept.

RJ wasn't in bad shape at all. He went up with hops on a runner down a middle lane and for a couple of boards too. He was trying to facilitate early, which could be mistaken for complacency, because everytime Joseph brought the ball up he would defer to a teammate at the top of the key. Also, TJ was forcing the drive and painting himself into a corner early too. RJ was playing intelligently, albeit reserved.

[ElNono]

:lol 20 min - 12 pt, 5 Rebounds, 50 % on 3's, 4-4 FT, 1 ST

I'll take that awful all year.

What you're missing is what he gives up on the other end.

But I'll give you that's an above average line for Matt. If he could only produce that year round (especially in the playoffs), we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.

[SenorSpur]

The Bonner hate in this forum has reached ridiculous and ignorant levels. He LED THE LEAGUE IN 3 PT FG % !
Yeah, but stats are meaningless. Need I remind you that Bonner choked away yet another playoff appearance. Surprise! We've all seen this movie before. Bonner choking in the playoffs is as common as the change of seasons. It's no big secret why and how it happens. When playoff basketball starts, teams focus in on taking away the strength of the opposing players. Unfortunately for Bonner, he only has one strength - 3-pt shooting. He's a one-dimensional player, who is being abused by the opposition and overused by the delusional coach that's in love with him. So please do not try to defend Bonner. We all know that he's a player with diminishing returns whenever his minutes exceed a certain threshold. Pop is the one that either doesn't seem to know or doesn't accept that notion. So in reality, Pop is to blame here.

RJ is by far the worst, underachieving Spur on the team.. Yes he is.

You wanna toss blame around for the Spurs troubles ? Look at the F.O., look at a PG who doesn't show up in big games and look at a legend whose best days are way behind him. Manu was a turnover machine in the playoffs but he always seemed to give his all.
Without any major moves to shore up the middle, everyone knows the inevitable outcome this season. Either we won't make the playoffs or we'll get bounced and humiliated again once we do.

Outside of the unnecessary defense of Bonner, I couldn't agree more with your post.

[objective]

:lol 20 min - 12 pt, 5 Rebounds, 50 % on 3's, 4-4 FT, 1 ST

I'll take that awful all year.

Enjoy your regular season Bonner on offense (and ignore how Scola glided right through him).

Bonner Brigade do what Bonner Brigade do.

[wunderkindepiphany]

For me, right now the 5 and the PG position are concerns. We need a reliable backup. Hopefully TJ moves into that role, but he obviously has his work cutout for him. Dragic, on a side note, looked great tonight. He's playing like a vet.

[SenorSpur]

Thanks for the wonderful write-up for this first preseason game. I recorded it, but I"m too tired to watch it tonight.

[tmtcsc]

Just checking, but this was sarcasm, right?

No, not at all. Name one other Spur that was a statistical leader on this team last year.

If we suck defensively, don't blame the guy the Spurs brought in to hit 3's. It's not like his job is any easier because we have Tim in the middle. That ship has sailed. Bonner meets expectations. It's when you start expecting him to be something he isn't that people go overboard.

Bonner shouldn't be playing any more than 15 to 20 minutes a game off the bench. That's it.

Don't get me started on RJ. That dude is a mental midget and fragile. He was brought here to be aggressive offensively, take the ball to the whole, give rebounding from the 3 position and play solid D. He's done none of that consistently and looks lost.

The PR job Pop did with the press to say "People assume we lost in the playoffs because of Richard and I've never understood that" was comical. He was a non-factor against Memphis and has been a walking Zombie on this team. After a nice start last year, he remembered who he was and resumed sucking.

[TDMVPDPOY]

there were some players who looked bigged on t v then what they measured at

[DMC]

:lol 20 min - 12 pt, 5 Rebounds, 50 % on 3's, 4-4 FT, 1 ST

I'll take that awful all year.

The court has both ends.

[timmike2]

About the Bad side of Tiago Splitter, what does playing small mean?

[ElNono]

No, not at all. Name one other Spur that was a statistical leader on this team last year.

He wasn't a statistical leader when the Spurs needed him most. He was actually pretty awful (http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/3PointS.jsp?league=00&season=42010&conf=OVERALL&position=0&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=).

Heck, even in the regular season, he's a 7ppg, 4rpg guy. It doesn't matter if his percentage is great when he barely has an impact.

Don't get me wrong. I've met Matt personally and he's a great guy and you can't knock him on effort, because he tries. He's just not very good.


If we suck defensively, don't blame the guy the Spurs brought in to hit 3's. It's not like his job is any easier because we have Tim in the middle. That ship has sailed. Bonner meets expectations. It's when you start expecting him to be something he isn't that people go overboard.

The Spurs play him in the PF position. If what we get on defense is a layup parade, of course I'm going to be looking at him. Basketball isn't just offense.


Bonner shouldn't be playing any more than 15 to 20 minutes a game off the bench. That's it.

You're not wrong. I would actually rather have a better defensive guy in the rotation in front of him. He's not a bad player to have for set plays on offense when you need a 3. But I think over 10 mins is too much unless he's on a roll with his shot.


Don't get me started on RJ. That dude is a mental midget and fragile. He was brought here to be aggressive offensively, take the ball to the whole, give rebounding from the 3 position and play solid D. He's done none of that consistently and looks lost.

The PR job Pop did with the press to say "People assume we lost in the playoffs because of Richard and I've never understood that" was comical. He was a non-factor against Memphis and has been a walking Zombie on this team. After a nice start last year, he remembered who he was and resumed sucking.

You don't have to talk to me about RJ. I agree 100%.

[TDMVPDPOY]

About the Bad side of Tiago Splitter, what does playing small mean?

weak ass releases like blair, playin down to his man defender....

[objective]

No, not at all. Name one other Spur that was a statistical leader on this team last year.

If we suck defensively, don't blame the guy the Spurs brought in to hit 3's. It's not like his job is any easier because we have Tim in the middle. That ship has sailed. Bonner meets expectations. It's when you start expecting him to be something he isn't that people go overboard.

Bonner shouldn't be playing any more than 15 to 20 minutes a game off the bench. That's it.



First, the whole 15-20 minutes thing has been a farce for years. He's played that much in the playoffs and was thoroughly putrid.

Second, with regards to what his job is: giving excuses to him for his defense continues to be sad.

As if it's okay that he only hits threes in the regular season, because that's not his job. Well you know what I remember? Robert Horry hit three pointers AND played defense! AND rebounded! AND blocked shots! AND made great all-around plays! AND stole inbound passes! AND hit big shots in the regular season and playoffs time and again! AND could drive and dunk for an and-1 when needed! And drew technicals!

That's why Horry deserved his minutes, and that's why Horry was a contributor to title teams.

Bonner is a contributor to humiliating defeats.

The only difference between Bonner and Jefferson is that Jefferson isn't active and doesn't achieve, while Bonner is active but also doesn't achieve.

[DMC]

About the Bad side of Tiago Splitter, what does playing small mean?
Ever see a big dog like a pit bull back down from a smaller one like a chihuahua? That's playing small. Tiago doesn't enforce his will in the paint, he plays like he's smaller than his defender.

Ben Wallace played big. He wasn't that big compared to other centers, but he was super aggressive and got his way.

Tiago has the size, but his game is that of a smaller player, taking charges and standing around with his arms up instead of swatting the ball from above the rim.

[tmtcsc]

Enjoy your regular season Bonner on offense (and ignore how Scola glided right through him).

Bonner Brigade do what Bonner Brigade do.

I'm no Bonner apologist. He's a terrible defender and a mediocre rebounder. But he fills a role on this concoction of a team. It's when he's asked to do more (by a coach with a lack of options) that he comes up short. Don't you think Pop would love to have the luxury of putting Bonner in to pad a lead instead of gain one ? He doesn't have it.

As for Scola,it was Blair who got torched by him tonight. He's hopeless on defense. How many times was Scola by himself shooting a 10 foot jumper? No one was around him.

Blair's days here or at least his minutes on the floor are numbered. He even seemed to lack enthusiasm last year. Perhaps Pop has beaten it out of him.

[DMC]

I'm no Bonner apologist. He's a terrible defender and a mediocre rebounder. But he fills a role on this concoction of a team. It's when he's asked to do more (by a coach with a lack of options) that he comes up short. Don't you think Pop would love to have the luxury of putting Bonner in to pad a lead instead of gain one ? He doesn't have it.

As for Scola,it was Blair who got torched by him tonight. He's hopeless on defense. How many times was Scola by himself shooting a 10 foot jumper? No one was around him.

Blair's days here or at least his minutes on the floor are numbered. He even seemed to lack enthusiasm last year. Perhaps Pop has beaten it out of him.
This I agree with. Bonner cannot do more than he's doing, and he's a "get what you paid for" deal. Blair is regressing to sub-D league status.

[Obstructed_View]

I was trying to think of a way to describe Steve Novak. "Not the worst basketball player in the world, but the worst basketball player in the Spurs' world." "The worst NBA player in the state of Texas." I just couldn't think of one that didn't sound like hyperbole, even while true. He was bad. Took several of the worst shots ever, didn't get a single defensive rotation correct, received the ball almost under the basket on a break and passed the ball BACK OUT to the point guard at the three point line, and had one of the worst attempts at drawing a charge in recent memory. If he even makes the team, Pop should have his rings taken away.


Cory Joseph wasn't as aggressive as I'd hoped, but he looked surprisingly comfortable for a guy who hasn't been around the team lately. Unfortunate that he got a couple of passes at the three point line early. I'm sure he was told to shoot, but he should have disregarded that advice.


Joseph has a chance to avoid Austin. The T in TJ Ford is for "Turrible". Ford is still fearless, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Lone bright spot: He had the best assist to Matt Bonner I've ever seen on a fast break. He posted up Mark Jackson style, drew a defender and kicked it out, buying Bonner time to actually get that slow-motion jump shot off. I think it was the only time Bonner didn't do that retarded pump fake and dribble and hold-on-to-the-ball-trying-to-score-one-on-one thing. For all his fear to shoot when open, I'd call Bonner "Bones" but it's an insult to ex-Spurs. Since I'm already digressing...


Several years of Pop's treatment of Matt Bonner has turned Bonner into the spoiled son of a rich man that can do whatever he wants. Bonner bulled into teammates to knock away sure rebounds and would just leave his man to chase the ball around on defense like a group of first graders playing soccer. Things that used to at least get him yelled at are just tolerated. If his minutes don't go down when Duncan plays regularly, I'm going to begin hoping for a non-painful yet career-ending injury to Matt Bonner in the interest of the remainder of Tim Duncan's career. But in case he doesn't get injured: Hey, Matty! Guard the ugly fucking white guy with the long hair. Yes, the one hitting all the jumpshots. Don't leave him for any fucking reason! Seriously, if the Rockets don't ask you to leave their huddle during timeouts you ain't doing your job!


Leonard looked a bit timid, but had a couple of blocks that you just couldn't believe he was going to get to. Like LJ, I was also impressed with his dribbling, and of course he's a total glass-eater even being out of rhythm. He probably had three rebounds taken away by teammates running into him. They'll learn. I really enjoyed his one basket. I'm excited to see how he develops.


Anderson was the second best Spur tonight despite his lack of stats to back it up. He's aggressive, he's a very good defender and he's explosive on both ends of the floor. I expect him to hit free throws at some point. He'll be on the short rotation.


Daniel Green looked pretty bad. Other than his nice and-1, he doesn't look like he belongs on an NBA court. Honestly I thought Antoine Hood looked less lost.


I propose a new law for the Spurs: Nobody without both a two AND a zero on their uniform is allowed to shoot three pointers unless it's at the buzzer. I thought Manu looked like the only real pro basketball player for the Spurs tonight, and with all the youngsters, I'm not that far off.


Tiago Splitter looked pretty bad to start the game. Playing the Rockets, I was reminded of how un-Hakeemish he is, insofar as he seems to have decided what move he's going to do regardless of what his defender gives him. That said, he got Scola into foul trouble almost immediately, which was the single best defensive performance on the team, and the only thing that kept them in it early. But you can count on him to just work until he hits his stride, which he did coming out of halftime. He was good on both ends as he really started to challenge shots and go for blocks. He likely would have gotten the Spurs the lead, but fortunately Pop pulled his ass just in time. Whew. Get over yourself, Tiago. Damn, he'd be great alongside Duncan, but it'll never happen.


DeJuan Blair looks just as lost as he did last year. None of his shots are falling, even from close in, he can't time his jumps, he never even leaves his feet on defense and he's got no chemistry with anyone. When I saw he was the starter, the word "showcase" flashed in my mind. That thought didn't last long.


RJ got amnesty from amnesty? Did anyone tell him that?

[objective]

I'm no Bonner apologist. He's a terrible defender and a mediocre rebounder. But he fills a role on this concoction of a team. It's when he's asked to do more (by a coach with a lack of options) that he comes up short. Don't you think Pop would love to have the luxury of putting Bonner in to pad a lead instead of gain one ? He doesn't have it.

As for Scola,it was Blair who got torched by him tonight. He's hopeless on defense. How many times was Scola by himself shooting a 10 foot jumper? No one was around him.

Blair's days here or at least his minutes on the floor are numbered. He even seemed to lack enthusiasm last year. Perhaps Pop has beaten it out of him.

Bonner's 'role' of terrible defender and rebounder who only shoots threes can be filled by Novak at 1/3rd the price. And Novak would probably be used properly the way Bonner should be used: as a situational shooter. End of halves, down 3, etc. There should be a lot of DNP-CDs in there unless there's blowouts. The more he plays the harder it is for the Spurs to win when it matters (the playoffs).

And yes, Scola tooled on Bonner tonight just as easily as he tooled on Blair.

[tmtcsc]

Well you know what I remember? Robert Horry hit three pointers AND played defense! AND rebounded! AND blocked shots! AND made great all-around plays! AND stole inbound passes! AND hit big shots in the regular season and playoffs time and again! AND could drive and dunk for an and-1 when needed! And drew technicals!

That's why Horry deserved his minutes, and that's why Horry was a contributor to title teams.

Bonner is a contributor to humiliating defeats.


C'mon now, that isn't even fair. Horry was one of the best clutch players that ever wore a Spurs uniform or any uniform for that matter. He had attitude and was an extremely smart player. I seriously doubt the F.O. thought they could replace Horry with Bonner.

Pop deserved recognition for squeezing 61 wins out of this team last year. We led the league with the best record for the majority of the season. That's unbelievable and far exceeded anyone's expectations in this forum. Unfortunately, most of the people in this forum were privy to seeing what a Championship team is supposed to look like and few were surprised when we were tossed aside.

I actually wonder if the team will ever recover from the humiliation and thorough beat down at the hands of Memphis. Without making any major moves, how can you believe that your team will do any better ? Tim's bad ankle and Manu's broken elbow were factors but I'm not sure we would've won anyways.

[LakerHater]

CHILLIN'

http://s1-01.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/474902661.png

[DMC]

Memphis was a matchup issue, they knew it and tanked to get us.

That's what was humiliating, that a team would tank to get the 1st seed in the 1st round and they win.

But no way we get past Dallas or OKC last year and I doubt we get past the Lakers, so it's a moot point.

I don't think they're that humiliated tbh. They've had tough losses before, and surely the vets know that the regular season record was propped by fortunate circumstances regarding injuries on other teams. As soon as those teams came to strength, the loses started rolling in.

[ElNono]

C'mon now, that isn't even fair. Horry was one of the best clutch players that ever wore a Spurs uniform or any uniform for that matter. He had attitude and was an extremely smart player. I seriously doubt the F.O. thought they could replace Horry with Bonner.

The point is that the FO did get their well deserved credit when they surrounded the big 4 with capable, winning talent like Horry, Bones, etc.

Conversely, they should get some slack for sticking with guys like Bonner, RJ... If you told me they tried, didn't pan out, and let them walk, then you won't hear any criticism. But those guys received extensions from the team after fairly well known shortcomings.

[Fireball]

TJ Ford: Everything looks a little wild, but he knows how to distribute the ball on offense. I was not able to look closely at his defense, but the reason was either the small frame of the online stream or because it just was not there ...

CJoseph: Impressed with his ballhandling - already looked more secure than George Hill when bringing the ball up front. I think he can be a pest on defense and if he has more such outings early in the season I could see him playing Tonys back-up.

Manu: Struggled with his shot early, but his determination even in a preseason game is admirable.

James Anderson: In the second half there was a nice defensive sequence of him (with the help of Splitter) that led to 24 second violation for the Rockets. More of that please. He is in shape and once his shots start to fall, it will open up the game for the rest of the Spurs as well.

RJ: Well, his play was all of last season condensed in one game. He made his first jump shot and then completely disappeared.

Kawhi: Rebounds, Blocks, Steals ... vocal on defense. LIKE. Ballhandling looked good as well. His shots did not look good, but he had as much attempts and makes as RJ. So I already take him over Jefferson.

Blair: He looked so good ... on the photos of media day. But seeing him move on the court ... whew, no progress on offense or defense. He filled the stat sheet, but the -19 really stand out. As soon as he came in for Splitter in the 4th quarter, the game was over for the Spurs.

Bonner: Looked like a pro out there ... he knew what he was doing and you can see he is working on his dribble penetration. As always he got burned on defense. Sadly with only four big men on the team you cannot cut his minutes to 10-15 per game. On a side not: Bonner has to play against starters of the opponent, because Spurs starters under Pop do not play starters minutes. Easy calculation ...

Splitter: In the first half he looked like the Splitter of last year. But he drew 3 early fouls, two of them on Scola. I guess he should have guarded Scola at the beginning - not Blair. In the second half Tiago began to show his repertoire on offense - his hook shot still looks odd, but he made some of them and one was very far away from the basket. I was not able to drew conclusions on his defensive game ...

DGreen: Looked more solid last season. Another two or three such games and the Spurs will waive him.

Overall: Shooting in the first half was so bad, it was ugly to watch. Gary Neal was missed. Rockets played their starters and it showed, especially Scola seemed unstoppable. But the Spurs kept themselves in the game, especially because of the foul disparity. I want to see more of Anderson, Leonard and Joseph to draw more conclusions on their game. The overall effeciency will rise again with TD and TP on the court. Open scrimmage ist next !

[objective]

back to the game:

Pop is still having me worried with Splitter. With the added bonus of McDonald's bleary-eyed unfunny water-carrying:

From the EN (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/12/18/spurs-start-preseason-with-clang/):


Of course, given Splitter’s star-crossed rookie season, the fact he made it to the team plane after the game without pulling something was notable.

“He had such a tough year last year, injured most of the time,” Popovich said. “It was great to see him whole.”

Splitter was not injured most of the time. Nothing that would have kept him on the bench most of the year. He had a tough year because Pop made it a tough year.

He didn't dress for 9 games if Yahoo's boxes are correct. He played 60 and had another 13 non-appearances credited as DNP-CDs, which rings true to my memory. AND in the playoffs he spent the first 3 games with DNP-CDs on the bench.

RJ had a helluva year, Splitter was hurt all season . . . the hits keep coming.

[Tuddy]

I wonder with all that crap on Sportscenter about Kawhi's improved range of motion on his shot, then months of him spending hours and hours practicing this, how his shot now looks just as flat as at SDU?

[silverblk mystix]

back to the game:

Pop is still having me worried with Splitter. With the added bonus of McDonald's bleary-eyed unfunny water-carrying:

From the EN (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/12/18/spurs-start-preseason-with-clang/):



Splitter was not injured most of the time. Nothing that would have kept him on the bench most of the year. He had a tough year because Pop made it a tough year.

He didn't dress for 9 games if Yahoo's boxes are correct. He played 60 and had another 13 non-appearances credited as DNP-CDs, which rings true to my memory. AND in the playoffs he spent the first 3 games with DNP-CDs on the bench.

RJ had a helluva year, Splitter was hurt all season . . . the hits keep coming.


4 rings...don't you dare question the greatest coach in the world....

[Fireball]

I wonder with all that crap on Sportscenter about Kawhi's improved range of motion on his shot, then months of him spending hours and hours practicing this, how his shot now looks just as flat as at SDU?

It was his first game. You get nervous on offense, you rush your shot and fall back into bad habits ... let him play 10 games to see what his shot really looks like ...

[Obstructed_View]

Only one jumper looked good in silver and black last night, so I forgive Kawhi for not looking smooth.

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

One piece of good news was that Splitter didn't pick up as many of those dumb fouls as he did last year. Houston came out very aggressive. They had 24 PF in the first half alone. (Jeff McDonalt tweeted this: "It's so funny. Manu's getting pissed. In the second quarter. Of a preseason game." F' Jeff McDonald.) Splitter kept his cool, and kept the foul count down. He wound up playing to a 5.33 PF/36 minutes, which is just about perfect.

Sometimes one player can light their whole team up. But they can also make their teammates feel like there is a lid on the basket. I kind of felt like Ginobili set the tone for the poor shooting in the first half. He really stunk it up.

I'm only half joking about Blair getting some ADD medication. I swear I think his attention wanders a lot during the game. Look how often he finds himself right under the basket. He's gotten pretty good about leaning out and scoring from under the rim. But on defense, there's just nothing to be done except foul. I know he's strong enough to contest real estate better than that. And I don't believe he's timid. I swear, sometimes I think he just drifts.

good point

[urunobili]

Anderson was moving really fast and pested his attacker a few times when in the game. The thing that impressed me the most was his lateral quickness. thanks for the write up LJ!

[benefactor]

I'm not going to be too hard on any of the youngsters or new additions yet. With virtually no camp there is going to be lots of confusion and rust.

As others have said, Blair was just awful. Being slimmer obviously hasn't helped him defensively. Someone earlier said he looks like he has ADD out there...and that is a pretty damn good description. So many times he looks like he is just not engaged in what is going on.

RJ didn't seem to care the the Spurs saved him from the amnesty pool. For someone who was just granted mercy he didn't show much appreciation. Leonard looked like a guy who was playing for a starting spot...and supplanting RJ shouldn't be that difficult if he progresses forward from here. Oh...and a big lol to all of you that said Parker was RJ's problem. What was the excuse last night? Anyone?

Splitter had some nice moments but as LJ pointed out he just plays to damn small. I think his offense is fine but he needs to work harder on making his presence felt on the defensive end. It doesn't matter to me if he becomes an elite shot blocker but he at the very least needs to become a more intimidating presence down low. He has the size and athleticism to do it. No excuses.

Why do any of you waste keystrokes on Bonner? He is what he is and that's not going to change. Moving on.

Of the young guys Leonard and Anderson stood out the most. Anderson missed some shots but that's to be expected when the window between camp and the preseason is so short. Overall his game looks NBA level on both ends and I expect he will be a solid rotation player for the Spurs this season. Leonard looked ahead of the curve even if he did blend in a little too much. I think the blending in is just part of being a rookie and being unsure of what your role is. That will pass as he gets integrated. He really shined a on defense and showed his potential...as he had a couple of possessions where he was one on one with Budinger and did a good job of moving his feet and contesting the shot which led to misses.

[Fabbs]

How did the corporate knowledge look?
It's been such a factor in our last 4 years success. :pop:

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

:lol 20 min - 12 pt, 5 Rebounds, 50 % on 3's, 4-4 FT, 1 ST

I'll take that awful all year.

The regular season isn't the problem, it's the post-season where Bonner is a mental midget.

HTH.

[Nathan89]

RJ didn't seem to care the the Spurs saved him from the amnesty pool. For someone who was just granted mercy he didn't show much appreciation. Leonard looked like a guy who was playing for a starting spot...and supplanting RJ shouldn't be that difficult if he progresses forward from here. Oh...and a big lol to all of you that said Parker was RJ's problem. What was the excuse last night? Anyone?



Rj sucks, yet some people want to believe that he has strengths that would shine without TP. In reality all of Rj's strengths are relative to his weaknesses. The guy is a flat out bum who looked absolutely terrible on defense last night. At least this year we have Kawhi to back him up.

On another note I can't wait to see what F/C the FO adds. Currently if someone goes down we have Novak. That's not an option. We need five bigs capable of at least playing. Even more so this year because of the schedule.

Not sure what they're going to do. I would have been thrilled to get Murphy. The Spurs just continue to do nothing. It's sad...

[yavozerb]

The regular season isn't the problem, it's the post-season where Bonner is a mental midget.

HTH.

Bonner may help in spurs post season failures but he sure as hell isnt the primary reason for recent post season woes for the spurs..

[wildbill2u]

Enjoy your regular season Bonner on offense (and ignore how Scola glided right through him).

Bonner Brigade do what Bonner Brigade do.

The thing you overlook is that Scola regularly "glides through" and around first-line players that guard hiim as well. That's why he's a premier PF on offense.

NOt too surprising that Bonner can't shut him down which is what you seem to expect. Scola matched against Blair would have been even worse, don't you think?

[wildbill2u]

It's when you start expecting him to be something he isn't that people go overboard.


Don't get me started on RJ. That dude is a mental midget and fragile. He was brought here to be aggressive offensively, take the ball to the whole, give rebounding from the 3 position and play solid D. He's done none of that consistently and looks lost.



Also applies to RJ.

Wrong. He was brought here to play in the Spurs offensive system which puts the SF way out on the wing and expects him to shoot 3s first and drive if the defensive player comes out too aggressively. He was never expected to be a shut down defensive player in his entire career.


RJ was't the player to do that but he re-tooled his offensive game to meet Pop's requirements on offense and actually had a 40% avg. on 3s and 47% on FGs.

We're comparing him as a replacement to Bruce Bowen of defensive fame, but Bruce's offensive output wasn't nearly as good. His FG% was 5% pts less and 3pt only 1% better. His average was 6PPG but his last season was a pitiful 2.8. And his rebounding was negligible (2.8).

We need to put memories of Bruce behind us and look at what RJ is and has done as the 4th option.


As the fourth option he came up with a 11ppg avg and 4 rebounds. Lots of teams would take that for their fourth guy in the pecking order of their starters.

If he doesn't perform as aggressively on offense or as well on defense as we would like, that is due more to our demanding expectations that every Spur perform at an impossiblly elite level rather than a sober analysis of his abilities or his role on the team.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Anyone got more detailed info on Anderson, Leonard, and Joseph?

[rmt]

back to the game:

Pop is still having me worried with Splitter. With the added bonus of McDonald's bleary-eyed unfunny water-carrying:

From the EN (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/12/18/spurs-start-preseason-with-clang/):



Splitter was not injured most of the time. Nothing that would have kept him on the bench most of the year. He had a tough year because Pop made it a tough year.

He didn't dress for 9 games if Yahoo's boxes are correct. He played 60 and had another 13 non-appearances credited as DNP-CDs, which rings true to my memory. AND in the playoffs he spent the first 3 games with DNP-CDs on the bench.

RJ had a helluva year, Splitter was hurt all season . . . the hits keep coming.

And there I was happy to hear the little blurb about the coaching staff recognizing that they did a poor job coaching in the playoffs. Does it take 3 games of Bonner/Blair being abused by Randolph/Gasol to finally get Splitter off the bench? Is Pop just deluded? What other tale is he going to spin - Splitter - hurt all season :bang

Both Bonner and RJ are expensive pos since Novak could do what Bonner does for cheaper.

[angelbelow]

RJ didn't seem to care the the Spurs saved him from the amnesty pool. For someone who was just granted mercy he didn't show much appreciation. Leonard looked like a guy who was playing for a starting spot...and supplanting RJ shouldn't be that difficult if he progresses forward from here. Oh...and a big lol to all of you that said Parker was RJ's problem. What was the excuse last night? Anyone?

Why do any of you waste keystrokes on Bonner? He is what he is and that's not going to change. Moving on.


Actually amnestying RJ probably would have been a favor to him. Unless I'm missing something he gets the salary the Spurs promised him + he might go to a team of his choice for another million or two.

Worse case I guess a team with cap bids on him but he still gets that salary + he plays for a team that probably isn't too concerned with winning anyways.

[DMC]

Any of this stuff with Splitter fall on the shoulders of Tim Duncan? Surely he has a voice in the front office. Does he just toe the line?

[007nites]

I think the lineups during the regular season will work somewhat like this.

Starters

Parker: 33 mins
Ginobili: 30 mins
Jefferson: 27 minutes
Duncan: 28 mins
Splitter: 19 mins

Bench

Ford: 15 mins
Neal: 23 mins
Blair: 24 mins
Bonner: 23 mins
Anderson: 18 mins

Garbage Time

Kawhi
Green

Will hardly see the floor

Novak
Joseph

[Nathan89]

I think the lineups during the regular season will work somewhat like this.

Starters

Parker: 33 mins
Ginobili: 30 mins
Jefferson: 27 minutes
Duncan: 28 mins
Splitter: 19 mins

Bench

Ford: 15 mins
Neal: 23 mins
Blair: 24 mins
Bonner: 23 mins
Anderson: 18 mins

Garbage Time

Kawhi
Green

Will hardly see the floor

Novak
Joseph

I don't think this will be the case. Leonard will play. Also Splitter will get more than 19mpg.

[rmt]

I think the lineups during the regular season will work somewhat like this.

Starters

Parker: 33 mins
Ginobili: 30 mins
Jefferson: 27 minutes
Duncan: 28 mins
Splitter: 19 mins

Bench

Ford: 15 mins
Neal: 23 mins
Blair: 24 mins
Bonner: 23 mins
Anderson: 18 mins

Garbage Time

Kawhi
Green

Will hardly see the floor

Novak
Joseph

Surely you jest - hopefully Splitter sees more time than Bonner/Blair. I don't see why he can't play 34-36 mins in single games. And what's going to happen with those back-to-back-to-backs. FO must get a big - they can't go into the season with this pitiful rotation. Didn't Parker say that a big man was the priority?

[Buddy Holly]

I think the lineups during the regular season will work somewhat like this.

Starters

Parker: 33 mins
Ginobili: 30 mins
Jefferson: 27 minutes
Duncan: 28 mins
Splitter: 19 mins

Bench

Ford: 15 mins
Neal: 23 mins
Blair: 24 mins
Bonner: 23 mins
Anderson: 18 mins

Garbage Time

Kawhi
Green

Will hardly see the floor

Novak
Joseph

Leonard only getting garbage time? What are you smoking?

[007nites]

Surely you jest - hopefully Splitter sees more time than Bonner/Blair. I don't see why he can't play 34-36 mins in single games. And what's going to happen with those back-to-back-to-backs. FO must get a big - they can't go into the season with this pitiful rotation. Didn't Parker say that a big man was the priority?

Under Pops Splitter will not play more than 25 minutes a game. Even on days where Timmy is resting Splitter will not go over 30 mins. Pop has more trust in Bonner and Blair which is pathetic. As for Leonard I can see him getting maybe 8-10 mins of playing time. I think Pops will give him the Devin Brown treatment.

[Mhak]

im very impressed on James Anderson! Seems very confident, can handle the ball very well, athletic, looks good on iso plays.

This kid can be great one day.

[spurs10]

Why trade Hill for someone to play garbage minutes? Hopefully Tiago plays more than Bonner and Blair....

[Fireball]

Pop will play Tiago enough I predict ... no more excuses left