Grades: Spurs vs. Warriors - Jan. 4

[timvp]

Tim Duncan B+
This was the most Tim Duncan-esque game out of Tim Duncan this season. As the Spurs made their run in the second half, his rebounding was great and his ability to protect the rim was fantastic. Offensively, it wasn't always pretty but he was very efficient (15 points on nine shots and only one turnover). Overall, Duncan's performance gave hope that he can at least turn the clock back far enough to play at last year's level.

Tony Parker C-
On the positive side, Parker hit some big shots down the stretch and continues to distribute well (8 assists). However, I didn't like any other aspect of his game tonight. He just didn't seem engaged; Parker had countless mental mistakes on both ends. He had no control over the tempo and he seemed to second guessed his every move. Defensively, he was getting torched by Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Parker definitely caught a break when Curry left when yet another ankle injury. All that said, give Parker some credit for doing enough late in the fourth to help the Spurs get the W.

Richard Jefferson B+
The difference in the game, statistically speaking, might have been Richard Jefferson going 5-for-5 on three-pointers. Live I've been noting, his stroke looks better than ever and he's suddenly now one of the most dangerous catch-and-shoot threats in the league. That's not bad for a player who struggled in that area as recently as two years ago. We also saw Jefferson drive to the hoop a few times, which had been missing all year. Defensively, he was solid and he also helped out on the boards. On the other hand, his effort and intensity doesn't seem to be all the way dialed up, though it may be that Jefferson isn't yet in game shape.

DeJuan Blair C-
To begin the game, DeJuan Blair was absolutely atrocious on defense. His transition defense was especially horrible, as was his pick-and-roll defense. As the game progressed, Blair got better on defense -- but even at his best, he was still poor on that end of the court. Thankfully, Blair was good offensively after the first quarter, rebounded the ball well throughout and finished without a turnover.

James Anderson C-
James Anderson got the start and got a major test in his matchup against Ellis. Unfortunately, Anderson failed the test. He just looks slooooow compared to Ellis. When isolated defensively, Anderson didn't have a prayer when it came to staying in front of the explosive Warriors guard with the amazing last name. On offense, Anderson wasn't much better. His early season confidence is fading quickly and he simply isn't knocking down open jumpers like he did early in his rookie season.

TJ Ford A
The Spurs were desperate for playmaking with Ginobili out injured. TJ Ford answered the bell. He totaled eight assists in 20 minutes and San Antonio would have been toast without him. He passed great in the second quarter to help bring the Spurs back from an early hole. When Ford re-entered in the second half, he added some scoring (9 points on 4-for-5 shooting) to go along with his passing. Defensively, Ford had his struggles but he gave great effort on that end. All in all, the UT legend was outstanding.

Tiago Splitter D+
Ugh. I don't even have an adjective to describe how soft Tiago Splitter was on the low block. Multiple times he was isolated on a point guard and decided to give up the ball. When he wasn't doing that, he was needlessly using numerous ball fakes when he had a clear look at the basket. (And that damn waist-high hook is going to drive me insane.) Defensively, Splitter was decent but nothing special. The Brazilian bigman has had some really good moments this season, however none of those moments occurred tonight.

Danny Green A+
Give Danny Green the game ball. He has played well in recent games but he took it to another level tonight. His tenacity on defense was contagious. The only success the Spurs had on Ellis was when Green was put on him for the final 16 minutes. He uses underrated athleticism, his wiry frame and high basketball IQ to be a disruptive force on D. Offensively, Green was very aggressive. He wants the ball and is decisive with his decisions once he gets it. Going forward, Pop must find a spot in the rotation for Green. He has more than earned it at this point.

Gary Neal B-
Gary Neal made his season debut and did what he does. He's fearless offensively and he's always ready and willing to take the next open shot. Despite the rust, his jumper looks picture-perfect -- like always. Defensively, tonight was a horror show for Neal. He got roasted by every Warrior he attempted to defend. Last season, Neal was a sub par defender so it wasn't a surprise that he would struggle on that end when you consider his rust and the fact he's recovering from the appendectomy.

Matt Bonner B
I liked how Matt Bonner played tonight. He was only 1-for-4 shooting from the field but his defense was really good and he was crashing the boards. Even his post defense, an area where he usually struggles, was strong. Offensively, Bonner didn't try to do too much when the Warriors closed out on his shots. It was just a solid 16 minutes out of Bonner.

Kawhi Leonard B-
It was some more good and some more bad for Kawhi Leonard as the rookie continues to learn the league. His rebounding remains strong and he had a few good defensive possessions. Conversely, he was oftentimes overmatched when attempting to defend one-on-one and when he tried to maneuver around screens. In a perfect world, I would want Leonard to keep getting minutes. But without Ginobili and with Green playing so well, Pop will probably have to decide whether to cut Leonard or Anderson out of the rotation for the time being.

Pop A
Hell yes, this was the Pop that has been missing in action for a while. He actually showed some emotion on the sideline and was able to spark his troops. He literally demanded that his team push the tempo all the way to the finish line. This type of demonstrative coaching was effective in the past during championship runs and without Ginobili to supply the passion, Pop should step up and carry some of the emotional slack. Oh, and when it came to coaching decisions, he was really good, too. Putting Green into the game and keeping him in was obviously key. Letting Ford remain on the court with Parker down the stretch was the right move. He even judiciously utilized small ball. It just seemed like every button Pop pushed in the final two quarters was the right button at the right time.

[Splits]

Splitter was an F

[gospursgojas]

Pop A


Awesome.

[VBM]

Manu Bonner

:lmao

[FvckMavs]

" the explosive Warriors guard with the amazing last name" :lol

[mexpurs21]

Thanks !! I agree with you on most of the grades !!

[jeebus]

Manu Bonner? Fucking disgusting.

[timvp]

:lmao

:lol So that's why Bonner was playing with nvts tonight ... it was actually Manu in his uniform :drunk

(Though I had to fix it avoid an international incident.)

[timvp]

Splitter was an F

My brain almost imploded when Splitter was posting up on Charles Jenkins, got to use a couple power dribbles against the rookie point guard and then passed it back out. That might have been the softest moment in Spurs history.

[Redshadows]

Richard Jefferson B+
The difference in the game, statistically speaking, might have been Richard Jefferson going 5-for-5 on three-pointers. Live I've been noting, his stroke looks better than ever and he's suddenly now one of the most dangerous catch-and-shoot threats in the league. That's not bad for a player who struggled in that area as recently as two years ago. We also saw Jefferson drive to the hoop a few times, which had been missing all year. Defensively, he was solid and he also helped out on the boards. On the other hand, his effort and intensity doesn't seem to be all the way dialed up, though it may be that Jefferson isn't yet in game shape.
Well, RJ was this good at the first half of last season, but in the second half, he sucked.

[Robz4000]

Solid grades, though I'd up Neal to a B. He did good considering he hasn't actually played, D-league or NBA, yet this season. As long as he doesn't shy away on offense he's good.

[Splits]

Danny Green A+
Give Danny Green the game ball. He has played well in recent games but he took it to another level tonight. His tenacity on defense was contagious. The only success the Spurs had on Ellis was when Green was put on him for the final 16 minutes. He uses underrated athleticism, his wiry frame and high basketball IQ to be a disruptive force on D. Offensively, Green was very aggressive. He wants the ball and is decisive with his decisions once he gets it. Going forward, Pop must find a spot in the rotation for Green. He has more than earned it at this point.


If Green can bring that type of defensive effort every night, and slow down the quickest guy on the floor, then he better get minutes. Who the fuck cares about his offensive production, just let him sit in the corner on set plays. Dude had serious intensity tonight defensively, he was all over the court... I just hope it wasn't an aberration.

[DPG21920]

Well, RJ was this good at the first half of last season, but in the second half, he sucked.

This is true, but right now we need regular season RJ. I agree he is playing pretty soft and he rarely drives, but right now Spurs need someone to knock down shots and he is. I wish he would play with more energy and at least attempt to drive a few times a game, but overall we have to hope RJ can continue to stroke it.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Tim Duncan B+

imo he had a good start until he was bench, then coming back being passive with the offense not going to him no more, maybe he was fine with his stats whatever it was b4 his last 4 pts, but imo he couldve done more damage if he wanted to instead of concentrating on offense, we went away from the guy who basically had a hot hand in the first quarter who kept us in the game....


Tony Parker C-

there are moments in the game, he continues to pull the same shit when his b2b possessions his gettin stopped but continues to pull the same shit again on the next...very frustrating




DeJuan Blair C-

offensively in the first quarter he was very good of it wouldve been a blowout without his contribution and duncans hot hand...



James Anderson C-
if a c = pass, then he shouldnt be gettin one this game, dude played like shit this game, just another player on the court we didnt need just to make up the numbers when nothing is going his way....


Tiago Splitter D+[/quote]
he did well rebounding and shit, didnt do much when he was with the bench forcing space for himself down low with very good position only to flop up 2 weak ass hookshots.....defensively he didnt do much when most of the gsw points came of jumpshots




Matt Bonner B
bonner a fkn B? he did shit all this game, enjoyed the moment he was bench...



Kawhi Leonard B-
he only had one good play all game and that was it and for the rest of the night didnt play in the 2nd half...

Pop A[/quote]

to be honest he did shit all this game, everytime his force to clear the bench means his given up and hope for the best these players get playing time, its only when these guys get us back into the game, it makes it look like pops coaching but in reality no....

[angelbelow]

My brain almost imploded when Splitter was posting up on Charles Jenkins, got to use a couple power dribbles against the rookie point guard and then passed it back out. That might have been the softest moment in Spurs history.

Yeah, its too bad, Splitter started the game so well. First few minutes had me thinking Splitter and Leonard were bright spots once again. He played the rest of the game so poorly though. I think things went down hill after he botched his post up play late in the 1st quarter.

[Splits]

Tony Parker C-
On the positive side, Parker hit some big shots down the stretch and continues to distribute well (8 assists). However, I didn't like any other aspect of his game tonight. He just didn't seem engaged; Parker had countless mental mistakes on both ends. He had no control over the tempo and he seemed to second guessed his every move. Defensively, he was getting torched by Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Parker definitely caught a break when Curry left when yet another ankle injury. All that said, give Parker some credit for doing enough late in the fourth to help the Spurs get the W.

Pop A
Hell yes, this was the Pop that has been missing in action for a while. He actually showed some emotion on the sideline and was able to spark his troops. He literally demanded that his team push the tempo all the way to the finish line. This type of demonstrative coaching was effective in the past during championship runs and without Ginobili to supply the passion, Pop should step up and carry some of the emotional slack. Oh, and when it came to coaching decisions, he was really good, too. Putting Green into the game and keeping him in was obviously key. Letting Ford remain on the court with Parker down the stretch was the right move. He even judiciously utilized small ball. It just seemed like every button Pop pushed in the final two quarters was the right button at the right time.

Tony Parker hit 2 clutch step back jumpers and 4 clutch free throws in the fourth quarter. Plus Pop slapped him upside the head and he laughed and then went out and balled his ass off. He deserves a B+ at a minimum if Pop deserves an A.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Yeah, its too bad, Splitter started the game so well. First few minutes had me thinking Splitter and Leonard were bright spots once again. He played the rest of the game so poorly though. I think things went down hill after he botched his post up play late in the 1st quarter.

i was fkn pissed with monta and curry was fkn torchin us like crazy expecially with whatever crap we had on them b4 green made them his bitch...i was hoping pop would throw leonard on either one just for defensive experience guarding better players in the league, then hovering around the perimeter doing shit all besides makin numbers on the court

[DAF86]

Splitter looks scared on the offensive end, somebody has to teach him to use his size and go hard.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Splitter looks scared on the offensive end, somebody has to teach him to use his size and go hard.

pathetic weakass layups and flat ft shooting....thats the only downside of his game

i wonder why marc jackson didnt bother hacking when the game was on the line

[GSH]

I felt like I watched Neal pass on a couple of defensive plays that he normally would have gone after. If he's a little tenative coming back from an operation, it would be understandable. I, for one, was really happy to see him back on the floor.

One of my favorite moments was Danny Green out in front on a fast break, settling in for that corner 3 and begging for the ball. Ford couldn't get it to him, but you could see he that Green really wanted the shot. That's a guy you want to feed. It made me think about Ime Udoka, and all the times he looked like a kid in class, hoping that the teacher didn't call on him. There is all the difference in the world between the two. Tonight Green looked like a guy who believes he belongs, and has been looking for a chance to prove it.

Bonner was 1-3 from the 3-point line. The two that missed were stroked, and just a hair off. If those balls drop, he would have earned an A in my book. He didn't do anything great, but he didn't get victimized. If the grades are expectation-based, then he played up to expectation. I would take those 16 minutes from him any night. Unfortunately, we won't be playing Golden State every night.

I always thought Rasho was a eunuch. Tiago looked like a kinder, gentler Rasho. Echhh.

[gospursgojas]

Splitter looks scared on the offensive end, somebody has to teach him to use his size and go hard.

IMO he didnt look scared...he looked pretty aggressive early on. He just doesnt have NBA level athleticism.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Bonner was 1-3 from the 3-point line. The two that missed were stroked, and just a hair off. If those balls drop, he would have earned an A in my book. He didn't do anything great, but he didn't get victimized. If the grades are expectation-based, then he played up to expectation. I would take those 16 minutes from him any night. Unfortunately, we won't be playing Golden State every night.

he didnt get alot of damage done to him cause he was barely down low and mainly on the bench, hence most of the gsw points came from jumpshots and 3s....he was save for the abusive meltdown waiting for him tommarow against dallas


I always thought Rasho was a eunuch. Tiago looked like a kinder, gentler Rasho. Echhh.
if splitter can get his shots to fall down, then he exceeds rasho...his defense is right about there, just needs to hustle for offensive rebs and settin good picks

[TE]

Agree with most of the grades but Parker deserves a B at the very minimum. Although he looked absolutely unmotivated during most of the game, he helped close the game out with his timely jumpers and made FT.

[therealtruth]

A couple of questions. What lineup finished the game? Is Green better defensively than KL? If so, why?

[TDMVPDPOY]

A couple of questions. What lineup finished the game? Is Green better defensively than KL? If so, why?

2nd year experience of the spurs system in full affect...he has shown he can play when given minutes, its just that we havnt seen him done what he did today with more minutes...now lets up the ante and give him +25mins and see what he can do....


JA provides nothing when his shots aint falling
KL provides nothing offensively maybe due to him passively hanging out on the perimeter and not forcing up shots, but his defense and reb doesnt make it up enough

both players combined = green

[TE]

A couple of questions. What lineup finished the game? Is Green better defensively than KL? If so, why?

Depends on match-ups. Green looks better on smaller players while KL would look better guarding bigger guards/smaller forwards.


Green looks a bit more tenacious on D while KL relies more on his length to bother who he's guarding.

[FkLA]

People willing to forget their beloved Parkers horrible outing bc of the last 3-4 minutes :lol

The Spurs were in a hole in large part because of him, with Manu out the Spurs depend on his scoring and playmaking more than any other player. He wasnt bringing any of that and was getting torched on the other end. He was probably the worst starter on the floor for the first three quarters and thats saying alot considering how bad Andersen was. Ford, Green, and RJ brought them back. The Spurs were already up after an RJ three by the time Parker got hot.

[TDMVPDPOY]

People willing to forget their beloved Parkers horrible outing bc of the last 3-4 minutes :lol

The Spurs were in a hole in large part because of him, with Manu out the Spurs depend on his scoring and playmaking more than any other player. He wasnt bringing any of that and was getting torched on the other end. He was probably the worst starter on the floor for the first three quarters and thats saying alot considering how bad Andersen was. Ford, Green, and RJ brought them back. The Spurs were already up after an RJ three by the time Parker got hot.

tell that to his homer fans who only care the end 3minutes cock riding green/tj for the win...

[LongtimeSpursFan]

A couple of questions. What lineup finished the game? Is Green better defensively than KL? If so, why?

Green is better defensively because he moves he feet well thus he is able to keep in front of his man. I have always liked players that are able to shuffle feet quickly but also through short quick steps. This allows them to change direction quickly when need be. I also like players that keep their feet close to ground. Too many player raise their feet too high and thus not fast enough to change direction. Also, Green has long arms and anticipates well. He was able to get in the passing lane well and come close to stealing the ball but he could also anticipate when player was going up for the shot so he could contest. Finally, I like his willingness to stick his nose in the players face and play straight up in your face defense. This seemed to aggravate Ellis after a while. Ellis also seemed to force up shots a little more quickly in anticipation of Green blocking shot. Green also had a good effort against Rubio on Monday.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Green is better defensively because he moves he feet well thus he is able to keep in front of his man. I have always liked players that are able to shuffle feet quickly but also through short quick steps. This allows them to change direction quickly when need be. I also like players that keep their feet close to ground. Too many player raise their feet too high and thus not fast enough to change direction. Also, Green has long arms and anticipates well. He was able to get in the passing lane well and come close to stealing the ball but he could also anticipate when player was going up for the shot so he could contest. Finally, I like his willingness to stick his nose in the players face and play straight up in your face defense. This seemed to aggravate Ellis after a while. Ellis also seemed to force up shots a little more quickly in anticipation of Green blocking shot. Green also had a good effort against Rubio on Monday.

hopefully KL plays defense like this instead of giving his man 1metre in radius to do whatever they want....

[DAF86]

IMO he didnt look scared...he looked pretty aggressive early on. He just doesnt have NBA level athleticism.

I agree he looked aggressive looking for his shot but looked scared while taking them, if that makes any sense.

[therealtruth]

It seems like Pop should have put Green on Kevin Martin in the Rockets game. He looks like he might be able to fulfill a Bruce Bowen type of role where you put him on the best perimeter player. I always assumed KL would be the successor to Bowen. I actually thought the Spurs were going to try RJ in that role when they first got him.

[DAF86]

Despite of the energy he displayed on defense and a couple of great plays on that end, Green didn't strike me as a very good defensive player, it seemed to me like the Warriors ran right past him in many plays.

[ElNono]

Despite of the energy he displayed on defense and a couple of great plays on that end, Green didn't strike me as a very good defensive player, it seemed to me like the Warriors ran right past him in many plays.

I thought he did great considering he was playing against Monta fucking Ellis and Monta had typed "godmode" at the start of the game.

He's not going to get every stop, but he shadowed him well and really hounded him. Considering what Anderson brought to the table so far, he looked like an instant upgrade.

[scottspurs]

T.j. Ford a+

[DMC]

I am going to go ahead and... yeah.. disagree with the Bonner assessment. He had 3 boards in 16 minutes. Gary Neal had the same number in the same minutes.

Don't be fooled by Matt's fake hustle. RC Buford crashed more boards than Bonner.

Best thing about Bonner, 16 minutes only. Thanks RJ and Green.

[ElNono]

I am going to go ahead and... yeah.. disagree with the Bonner assessment. He had 3 boards in 16 minutes. Gary Neal had the same number in the same minutes.

Don't be fooled by Matt's fake hustle. RC Buford crashed more boards than Bonner.

Best thing about Bonner, 16 minutes only. Thanks RJ and Green.

I thought Matt had 2 good plays the entire game. That challenge at the rim early, and the 3 pointer at the end.

But as long as his minutes stay in the 15 min area, I won't complain too much.

[therealtruth]

I like the idea of Pop playing the better defenders. In the past he might not have played Green because of his lack of offense. He's also reduced Bonner's minutes. If the defense continues to get better I think the offense will take care of itself.

[dylankerouac]

An enjoyable hard fought win that I look forward to re-watching on my DVR.

With Manu out for a bit Tony will be able to have a larger leadership role, hopefully he cleans up his game as the season wears on. Even though people will endlessly complain about his play he shot just under 50% on his field goals, 78% on his FTs (above his career average, yes it's a small sample rate but bottom line is it's still above his career average), his assist to turnover ratio was also better than his career average. He may have made some mistakes here and there but Tony played lights out, by the way he has one less turnover than Manu for the season with an extra game under his belt yet I don't hear anybody constantly complaining about Manu's mistakes. Manu was able to make it up offensively but at the same time the big three have always claimed to let whoever is on fire to continue to be on fire. It's not like one of the other two (Tony and Tim in this case and notwithstanding Tim's decline) to disagree and force their will on the team to make sure they get force fed into a Kobe night - all those feeds eventually start falling and numbers average out at the end of the night. I can see that people would be disappointed that Tony was not on fire to start the season because of his playing time in France but unfortunately Manu was hotter; that's no reason to give Tony a hard time for not making Manu get out of the driver seat.

I look forward to more hard fought wins like this to give our young team more character.

[mookie2001]

splitter was an F, how could anyone give him a passing grade for that turd of a game?

he played so badly in fact the warriors game should probably end his career, pro players dont recover from games like that. his performance was absolutely oppressive to the human condition

[Fireball]

For comparison:

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/final-horn-grades-spurs-warriors

[mathbzh]

tell that to his homer fans who only care the end 3minutes cock riding green/tj for the win...

Say the hater who can't give credit where it is due.

Parker was indeed horrible to start the game (and does not deserve more than a C-). But you could have enough class to acknowledge he was clutch.

[Russo21]

Danny Green was awesome + 10 did fantastic

TJ will be a great backup to Tony, 8 assists in 20 minutes, perfect effort from a backup PG + 16

Tony 20 and 8. did well but didnt shoot so well but shit happens. Was clutch though!

RJ nailed his threes, got to the line only once, what happened to him attacking the rim? But still happy with Jefferson tonight + 21

Duncan was fantastic 15pts 11 reb 3ast 3block 66%

Splitter disappointed me same with bonner and leonard and neal.

Allin all good game. Very happy for TJ and danny green. Big block by green on Eliis with 1 minute left probably saved the game for us. Very happy for him. Lookin forward to the new guys stepping up in manu's absence.

Please lock Tiago in the weight room.

[analyzed]

hopefully KL plays defense like this instead of giving his man 1metre in radius to do whatever they want....

We have to be careful about this, using Green at the expense of Kawhi's development can bite us down the road. We know the Warrior's game Green played beyond his ceiling. While I am certainly for including Green into the rotation we have to do not at the expense of Kawhi. Pop and his staff have to figure this out. Here is a clue, RJ played 38 min today, tomorrow B2b don't expect him to continue to go 100 % from three. More so I would'nt use him more than 25 minutes. and I would give the remaining minutes at SF to Kawhi. that should continue his development.

BTW while green is a better defender on Ellis, I think Kawhi stands a better chance on Dirk tomorrow. In fact I think he would be the ideal defender on dirk. We just don't have PF that are mobile enough.

[TDMVPDPOY]

We have to be careful about this, using Green at the expense of Kawhi's development can bite us down the road. We know the Warrior's game Green played beyond his ceiling. While I am certainly for including Green into the rotation we have to do not at the expense of Kawhi. Pop and his staff have to figure this out. Here is a clue, RJ played 38 min today, tomorrow B2b don't expect him to continue to go 100 % from three. More so I would'nt use him more than 25 minutes. and I would give the remaining minutes at SF to Kawhi. that should continue his development.

BTW while green is a better defender on Ellis, I think Kawhi stands a better chance on Dirk tomorrow. In fact I think he would be the ideal defender on dirk. We just don't have PF that are mobile enough.

Green is gettin the jax treatment, that 2nd year experience in the spurs system is panning out...he can only get better...

should lock him up on a very cheap long term contract, we cant afford to let this guy go


as for KL, his passiveness on offense or not enough touches is killing his offensive game, spurs shouldnt be forcing him to only become a spot up shooter, he should be ISO down low like his college games....whatever happen to all that offense?

[TJastal]

Green is gettin the jax treatment, that 2nd year experience in the spurs system is panning out...he can only get better...

should lock him up on a very cheap long term contract, we cant afford to let this guy go


as for KL, his passiveness on offense or not enough touches is killing his offensive game, spurs shouldnt be forcing him to only become a spot up shooter, he should be ISO down low like his college games....whatever happen to all that offense?

Not like it would matter, he'd get pawned trying to take it at nba level defenders in the post. Playing in the mountain west conference made him look pretty darn good.

I see his ceiling as an above average rebounder who gets a few garbage buckets now and then and makes a few hustle plays. Basically a bench scrub.

Thinking he'll be the next Shawn Marion or Gerald Wallace are pipe dreams.

[Blake]

...Green was very aggressive. He wants the ball and is decisive with his decisions once he gets it.

You are truly wordy with your words.

A+ :tu

[wildbill2u]

Remember that Pop started playing Green at the end of last year playoffs. He must've seen something there. Pop believes in going with players who produce and play with intensity on defense so Green looks like a lock for more minutes.

[Russ]

splitter was an F, . . his performance was absolutely oppressive to the human condition

Splitter is responsible for the human condition.

He is GOD!:flag:

[ElNono]

For comparison:

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/final-horn-grades-spurs-warriors

More to my liking, tbh

[urunobili]

lol Bonner B. C- at the most...

[Brutalis]

Duncan's tech in the 3rd was dumbshit. For that ref to pretend there was no contact and have the nerve is amazing shit.

[lefty]

Bonner playing better than usual, lately


Is he feeling the pressure from Kawhi/Green, etc ?

[Nathan89]

My brain almost imploded when Splitter was posting up on Charles Jenkins, got to use a couple power dribbles against the rookie point guard and then passed it back out. That might have been the softest moment in Spurs history.

:smchode: I didn't get to watch the game.

[Manufan909]

Bonner playing better than usual, lately


Is he feeling the pressure from Kawhi/Green, etc ?

You mean Blair/Splitter, etc, right? Kawhi and RJ being the etc, of course.

[Killakobe81]

I felt like I watched Neal pass on a couple of defensive plays that he normally would have gone after. If he's a little tenative coming back from an operation, it would be understandable. I, for one, was really happy to see him back on the floor.

One of my favorite moments was Danny Green out in front on a fast break, settling in for that corner 3 and begging for the ball. Ford couldn't get it to him, but you could see he that Green really wanted the shot. That's a guy you want to feed. It made me think about Ime Udoka, and all the times he looked like a kid in class, hoping that the teacher didn't call on him. There is all the difference in the world between the two. Tonight Green looked like a guy who believes he belongs, and has been looking for a chance to prove it.

Bonner was 1-3 from the 3-point line. The two that missed were stroked, and just a hair off. If those balls drop, he would have earned an A in my book. He didn't do anything great, but he didn't get victimized. If the grades are expectation-based, then he played up to expectation. I would take those 16 minutes from him any night. Unfortunately, we won't be playing Golden State every night.

I always thought Rasho was a eunuch. Tiago looked like a kinder, gentler Rasho. Echhh.

I have to admit I really Like Green, it maybe early but it looks like with neal last year and Green this year you guys have really upgraded your bench.

[Pauleta14]

An enjoyable hard fought win that I look forward to re-watching on my DVR.

With Manu out for a bit Tony will be able to have a larger leadership role, hopefully he cleans up his game as the season wears on. Even though people will endlessly complain about his play he shot just under 50% on his field goals, 78% on his FTs (above his career average, yes it's a small sample rate but bottom line is it's still above his career average), his assist to turnover ratio was also better than his career average. He may have made some mistakes here and there but Tony played lights out, by the way he has one less turnover than Manu for the season with an extra game under his belt yet I don't hear anybody constantly complaining about Manu's mistakes. Manu was able to make it up offensively but at the same time the big three have always claimed to let whoever is on fire to continue to be on fire. It's not like one of the other two (Tony and Tim in this case and notwithstanding Tim's decline) to disagree and force their will on the team to make sure they get force fed into a Kobe night - all those feeds eventually start falling and numbers average out at the end of the night. I can see that people would be disappointed that Tony was not on fire to start the season because of his playing time in France but unfortunately Manu was hotter; that's no reason to give Tony a hard time for not making Manu get out of the driver seat.

I look forward to more hard fought wins like this to give our young team more character.

+1

Good post, I agree, but .... Welcome to SpursTalk !!

Even in his best season, TP received daily hate on this forum, even from the non-haters...

Feel free to take TP's defense, but I bet you'll soon be tired... :lol :toast

BTW, :toast to "Brazil", who apparently is taking "ducks"'s role these days..:lol

[Pauleta14]

Bonner playing better than usual, lately


Is he feeling the pressure from Kawhi/Green, etc ?


No, it's just the regular season, even when he's good, it doesn't mean anything...

[Dex]

No, it's just the regular season, even when he's good, it doesn't mean anything...

Pretty much.

Bonner playing well now is a double-edged sword because it just gets him entrenched in the rotation so that, come playoff time, he'll have plenty of minutes to disappoint us.

[Blake]

Bonner playing better than usual, lately


Is he feeling the pressure from Kawhi/Green, etc ?

I thought the consensus among Bonner haters is that he wilts under pressure

[cd98]

I give this team an F. We need to be tanking, not winning. Yesterday was the perfect chance to blow the game, and instead we mount a comeback and win. Are we playing the Mavs? Hopefully we can stink against them.

[HarlemHeat37]

Let's wait a few games before anointing Green, tbh..

*ahem* Garrett Temple hype..

[Dex]

Tony Parker C-
On the positive side, Parker hit some big shots down the stretch and continues to distribute well (8 assists). However, I didn't like any other aspect of his game tonight. He just didn't seem engaged; Parker had countless mental mistakes on both ends. He had no control over the tempo and he seemed to second guessed his every move. Defensively, he was getting torched by Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Parker definitely caught a break when Curry left when yet another ankle injury. All that said, give Parker some credit for doing enough late in the fourth to help the Spurs get the W.


What do you think Tony's deal is? Is he just out of game shape? Maybe suffering from a nagging injury? Going through a slump? Or do you really think he is just losing a step?

We've seen cases before where a leg or foot injury has made Parker seem glaringly average, and his current struggles remind me of that. It's like he just doesn't have that burst of speed to get out on the break or get around defenders. Couple that with occasional games where his jumper won't fall (which could also be because he doesn't have his legs under him), and Tony becomes pretty easily neutralized. However, he does show the occasional flash, which really makes me wonder if it's just something mental, or if he just can't bring it all the time for whatever reason.

I'm sincerely hoping he is just slumping or his body is not 100% right now, because if this is the Tony Parker that the Spurs can expect going forward, their chances probably go from about slim to none, especially without Manu.

[024]

people are a little harsh on parker. without him, the spurs don't have anyone to close the game. the entire game hinges on him able to make plays the last five minutes and he delivered this game. green can play all the great defense he wants and jefferson can drain all the open 3 pointers he likes but the spurs needed a play maker at the end and that was tony parker.

[analyzed]

Actually I don't see Green's emergence to happen at the expense of Kawhi, but rather the player at risk of being put out of the rotation is Anderson. Let's be clear the reason Kawhi was benched in the 2nd half had to do much more with RJ playing 38 minutes rather than Green playing. Green is a two guard not a SF like Kawhi and RJ.

As to Parker with Manu out he more than ever has to take the role of "closer".
The thing with Parker that I can't pinpoint is as long as he has been playing and although he leads the team in assist. His decision making leaves a lot to be desired considering his expereince. Sean Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_ pointed out something interesting which was common situation when Manu was absent a year or to ago. Which is the offense becomes stagnat without good ball movement. I see what he is saying, it's just something you don't see in the box scores with Tony assist avg over Manu. Stragely it's Manu who provides that ball movement and quaterbacking

[objective]

Great that Ford had a good game, hope he keeps it up. There were still those moments from him I didn't like, but they were fewer than the other games.

I'm still not worried about Anderson. play-wise. I haven't rewatched the game, but to my memory he wasn't passing up shots even though he was missing, something Spurs shooters through the years have been guilty of.

It's great the Green stepped up, but I want more Leonard. This all just means that I'm even more convinced that the Spurs were wrong to not amnesty RJ and just go with the youth. I don't care how many shots RJ hits this regular season, the Spurs longterm will be better off with more minutes going to the youth than to him.