Grades: Spurs vs. Mavericks - Jan. 5

[timvp]

Welcome to lockout basketball. In one of the ugliest games you'll ever see, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks by a final score of 93-71. The Spurs got off to a fast start thanks to a hot three-point stroke -- and somehow that was enough to blowout the defending champs.

With Manu Ginobili out six weeks following hand surgery, any win is beautiful right now ... but I'm not sure much can be taken from this game. The Mavs will never shoot that poorly on three-pointers again (1-for-19) and their overall play was just a step slow and mysteriously uninspired.

That said, give the Spurs credit for taking care of business early and then cruising to a victory while being able to rest their key players. Winning their first two games without Ginobili will hopefully give this squad some momentum going forward.

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/420/boxjan5.jpg

Tim Duncan C-
Though he was aggressive on offense, Tim Duncan struggled to produce -- especially on the low block. He ended up missing 9-of-13 shots from the field with the Mavs being extra extra physical with him. Defensively, Duncan was a lot better. He played really good help defense and moved well to slow down Dallas' pick-and-roll sets. It far from a Duncan classic but it was enough on this night.

Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker keyed the Spurs in the first half by breaking down the defense and finding shooters. At halftime he had eight assists and no turnovers (his final six assists of the half all resulted in three-pointers). Defensively, Parker played with a good amount of energy in the first half. In the final two quarters, it appeared as if he had run out of gas. He wasn't attacking anymore offensively and his defense was sub par. His scoring (5-for-12 from the field) also remains an issue. Despite the poor finish, Parker deserves a lot of credit for building the lead the Spurs never lost.

Richard Jefferson A-
We finally saw some life out of Richard Jefferson tonight. While he has shot the ball great this season, he hasn't done anything else. Against the Mavs, Jefferson was active on defense, aggressive on the boards and actually played with some emotion. His 16 points were nice and he continues to shoot lights out (3-for-7 on threes) but it was the intangibles that most impressed me.

Gary Neal B+
The tone of the first half was set by Gary Neal. Placed in the starting lineup, the second year guard wasted little time in making an impact. He hit three three-pointers in the first five minutes and he played with a lot of swagger for a guy fresh off of an injury. I liked that he competed on the boards and on defense throughout, however his actual production tailed off after his quick start.

DeJuan Blair B-
I'm not sure how to judge DeJuan Blair's outing. On one hand, he was held scoreless and pulled down only four rebounds in 18 minutes. On the other hand, he helped hold Dirk Nowitzki to six points on 3-for-11 shooting. I'd be more excited about his defense but it appeared Nowitzki mostly missed open shots. Blair had a few really good moments on D but I can't imagine that he was what flustered the German superstar into such a poor showing. That said, the fact that he didn't get destroyed by Nowitzki is enough to classify this as a quality night for Blair.

Matt Bonner A
Matt Bonner finally got his three-point stroke going. He entered the game 6-for-19 on three-pointers. Tonight, he nailed 5-of-9 threes on his way to a team-high 17 points. I also thought he played solid defense and he did good work on the boards. Considering his struggles coming into this game and the fact that he's usually horrible against the Mavs, Bonner did about as well as could have been expected.

Danny Green B
While Danny Green didn't exactly replicate his dazzling performance from the previous night, he still did some good things. After a shaky start on defense that saw him routinely fall behind his man, he bounced back to play well on that end. His relentlessness defensively is proving to be very disruptive. Green also crashed the boards on both ends and hit 2-of-5 three-pointers. His night would have been even better if not for a number of missed looks right at the rim.

Tiago Splitter C-
This wasn't a back-to-back to remember for Tiago Splitter, to say the least. While he wasn't as soft tonight, his moves on the low post are baffling. He'll work his way open and then throw two or three more moves until he's off balance and no longer open. Defensively, he had some good moments and even flashed an ability to stay with Nowitzki. But, honestly, the rest of his game will be overshadowed until he figures out what's going so wrong in the low post.

TJ Ford B+
He wasn't quite as good as he was in the Warriors game but TJ Ford was really helpful once again. Though he overdribbled at times tonight, he's running the offense decently well and he's really starting to hit the shooters in rhythm. Defensively, Ford's hustle continues to impress. He's getting back on transition defense and also isn't afraid to switch onto bigger players.

Kawhi Leonard C+
The good news: Kawhi Leonard showed a lot of versatility on defense. He defended everyone from Jason Terry to Lamar Odom, who he was especially effective against. The bad news: Leonard's offense has gone from bad to worse. Now he's hesitating to shoot and, even worse, he's attempting to hide on the offensive end. The Spurs found it really difficult to score when Leonard was on the court because it basically turned into 4-on-5 basketball.

James Anderson Inc.
After a few difficult showings, James Anderson was dropped from the starting lineup to the 11th man. To his credit, he knocked down both of his shots (including a three-pointer) in his new role. Hopefully that can spark him and he can eventually work his way back into the rotation.

Ike Diogu Inc.
The first sighting of Ike Diogu wasn't too encouraging. He didn't look to be in good shape and he also wasn't moving very well.

Pop A-
Pop once again pushed a lot of right buttons. Starting Neal turned out to be genius. He also went to Bonner early, which ended up being the right call. I like that he moved Green into the rotation while also making room for Leonard to keep getting minutes. Perhaps most importantly, Pop didn't panic in the fourth quarter when the Mavs made a couple halfhearted runs.

[Buddy Holly]

Kens 5 F-

[GSH]

I got nothin to add. Dead on. Quick getting them out. Good night.

[BillMc]

Good write up as always! Thanks!

[ElNono]

thanks for the writeup

[baseline bum]

That was an incredibly ugly game. The Spurs had some really awful stretches (especially in the third) and yet Dallas never challenged whatsoever. And man, Odom looks finished.

[sahoopster]

Kens 5 F-

Why does it seem like they're always messing up sports broadcasts?

The Spurs on the other hand looked really good and Neal looked good in the starting five. Once he gets in shape I think he'll be solid. Thanks for the write-up.

Edit: The Spurs looking good refers to their hustle and mentality, not necessarily the ugly offensive display.

[Blake]

The Mavs looked like absolute shit. I can't say I've ever seen them look even half that lifeless before, especially against SA.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Nice writeup.

Enjoy the summary of the game before we get into the games. :tu

[Bill_Brasky]

Fuck KENS.

Other than that, nice writeup and I agree. Lockoutball indeed.

[Whisky Dog]

TJ has played better than I thought possible from him. Solid backup point at the moment.

The Spurs are easy to figure. When they knock down threes they usually win and sometimes fairly convincingly. When they struggle from 3 and shooting they get blown out by the likes of the Rockets. Can the Spurs knock down the threes like this for 4 out of a 7 game series and do it for multiple series?

[TwelveGs210]

Lol Kens. I'm holding Chris Marou personally accountable for this.

[BackHome]

Does anyone think it would be a good idea to move Kawhi down to the D-League for about a month. Just send him down with Chip and tell him we want to see offense from him in every game?

[Spur|n|Austin]

Thanks!

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I liked what I saw out of Green tonight as well. He seemed to fit in just right, giving 100% hustle and giving us a basket every now and then. His minutes should be about the same next game.

[jjktkk]

Does anyone think it would be a good idea to move Kawhi down to the D-League for about a month. Just send him down with Chip and tell him we want to see offense from him in every game?

No. The Spurs need Leanard's defensive ability. He'll have to work on his offense after the season.

[TD 21]

- Duncan struggled offensively, but I liked that he looked for his own offense more and varied his attack, particularly in the post.

- Leonard's post defense on Odom was really encouraging. The Spurs haven't had someone to adequately guard mobile, face up fours since Horry wasn't well past his prime.

- Ford was impressive again. As much as I like Hill, it is nice to have a true point guard on the second unit and one with a modicum of talent.

- Though it worked well tonight, I wouldn't start Neal again. It makes no sense, especially with Green in the rotation, because of the second unit's lack of shot creation. If Pop is going to stick with that starting lineup, then he's got to have a quicker hook with Neal and/or Jefferson, so as to have more offense on the second unit, because they won't shoot 16-for-33 from 3 with any degree of regularity. As well as Green has played and as underwhelming as Anderson has been, I'd go back to starting Anderson. It gives them their most balance.

[DMC]

As we saw in the Finals, it's hard to defend the 3, and if you are going to go to a zone, you're going to get eaten alive by a 3pt shooting team.

I thought what worked for us tonight was confidence and a huge dose of "don't give a fuck" by Neal, who fires at will. KL needs to adopt that or he's going to be gone.

I was really really please with RJ's tenacity on defense and rebounding. I thought it made a big impact on the game, never mind his knockdown shooting.

I thought Bonner was Bonner, he got aggressive too but I also saw him step away from opponents who were attacking the rim instead of defending. Like others have said, he hits when it doesn't matter. That's nothing new. Those shots will not be there for him to take in a few weeks. No one is going to leave him wide open from the corner after he just nailed one from the top of the circle.

Tim was being man handled. He got the shit knocked out of him and didn't really do anything about it. I didn't understand why he had so many minutes tonight. He could have sat out a big portion of the 2nd quarter, he was almost a detriment but not quite.

Gary Neal was what I expected him to be, and shots either fall or they don't, you cannot really change that with effort. I thought Pop pulled him early (maybe for rest) when he was strokin', but others made up for it.

Danny Green was super aggressive on the boards, true he missed a covey of chip in shots and a dunk or two but he's aggressive and confident and I like that. He's got potential, no doubt. He also spaced the floor well and never seemed like he didn't know where to be. I cannot believe Tony missed him on that wide open look, perhaps Tony wanted to run clock but Pop was pissed. You gotta trust your shooters. Tony has some issues lately.

Blair wasn't bad, just wasn't getting the ball to drop but he made some great passes and wasn't a liability.

TJ did a good job passing to open shooters, as the OP said, and I thought he brought energy and grit to the team overall. I wish Tony would get that swagger back.

[therealtruth]

TJ has played better than I thought possible from him. Solid backup point at the moment.

The Spurs are easy to figure. When they knock down threes they usually win and sometimes fairly convincingly. When they struggle from 3 and shooting they get blown out by the likes of the Rockets. Can the Spurs knock down the threes like this for 4 out of a 7 game series and do it for multiple series?

That's exactly what we wondered last season. The Grizzlies proved it wrong. Those 3's won't be that wide open in the playoffs. It's called living and dying by the 3. The only way you can consistently get good looks on 3's is by a post presence that requires a double or guards that can get into the lane and finish at will. Tony and Manu struggled to that against the Grizzlies. Whenever they penetrated and kicked it out the Grizzlies recovered in time.

[therealtruth]

- Duncan struggled offensively, but I liked that he looked for his own offense more and varied his attack, particularly in the post.

- Leonard's post defense on Odom was really encouraging. The Spurs haven't had someone to adequately guard mobile, face up fours since Horry wasn't well past his prime.

- Ford was impressive again. As much as I like Hill, it is nice to have a true point guard on the second unit and one with a modicum of talent.

- Though it worked well tonight, I wouldn't start Neal again. It makes no sense, especially with Green in the rotation, because of the second unit's lack of shot creation. If Pop is going to stick with that starting lineup, then he's got to have a quicker hook with Neal and/or Jefferson, so as to have more offense on the second unit, because they won't shoot 16-for-33 from 3 with any degree of regularity. As well as Green has played and as underwhelming as Anderson has been, I'd go back to starting Anderson. It gives them their most balance.

Even though I hate the idea of a constantly changing lineup starting by committee might make sense. You start Green if you're facing an explosive backcourt and you start Neal otherwise. If JA can't regain his confidence I don't think you can start him.

[Muser]

On league pass all you could hear was Sean and Bill mumbling under their breath to eachother about how much Odom sucks now :lol

[mouse]

100.00 Cash if you can be the first to correctly guess the final score.

[quentin_compson]

Though it worked well tonight, I wouldn't start Neal again. It makes no sense, especially with Green in the rotation, because of the second unit's lack of shot creation. If Pop is going to stick with that starting lineup, then he's got to have a quicker hook with Neal and/or Jefferson, so as to have more offense on the second unit, because they won't shoot 16-for-33 from 3 with any degree of regularity. As well as Green has played and as underwhelming as Anderson has been, I'd go back to starting Anderson. It gives them their most balance.

Yeah, that's what I thought as well. As long as Manu is out, it might also be an idea to leave either TP or Duncan on the court a bit with the second unit (as opposed to subbing them out together) to make the offense stronger.

Boy, this was one ugly game. But it had its entertainment value - just like a trashy horror movie.

[therealtruth]

On league pass all you could hear was Sean and Bill mumbling under their breath to eachother about how much Odom sucks now :lol

He's just out of shape. Alot of players are.

[Old School 44]

Nice write-up. With the compressed season, I expect a lot of these type games.

Listening to WOAI on the ride home after the game, I had to laugh at Schoening who said the "Spurs win with defense holding the Mavs to 71 points". To me it was just poor shooting all the way around. I never seen the Mavs shoot so poorly. Dirk should be able to get 20 in his sleep with Blair defending him. When Dirk missed his technical free throw for illegal defense, you knew it was going to be a long night for him.

Nice win, but the Mavs, for the most part, seemed disinterested.

[Seventyniner]

100.00 Cash if you can be the first to correctly guess the final score.

Um...93-71? That's probably 100 lira or some shit anyway.

[elemento]

I know Diogu played only a few minutes, but he looked like trash. I don't think he will stay until the end of the season if that's what he has to show.

[timvp]

Does anyone think it would be a good idea to move Kawhi down to the D-League for about a month. Just send him down with Chip and tell him we want to see offense from him in every game?

I doubt the Spurs send Kawhi to the Toros unless the Spurs bring in another wing. The Spurs have too much invested in him to not forcefully bring him along as fast as possible.

That said, if he completely falls on his face, the Spurs may be left with no choice. Right now, Leonard is still useful but he really needs to stop being scared on offense because other teams are already starting to figure out not to defend him outside of the lane.



Though it worked well tonight, I wouldn't start Neal again. It makes no sense, especially with Green in the rotation, because of the second unit's lack of shot creation. If Pop is going to stick with that starting lineup, then he's got to have a quicker hook with Neal and/or Jefferson, so as to have more offense on the second unit

Yeah a second unit of Ford, Green, Leonard and Splitter shouldn't all be on the court at the same time. Four below average offensive players (probably five if you count Bonner) is just asking for trouble. But, as you said, Pop can somewhat solve that by inserting Neal or RJ with the second unit. To do that, Green or Leonard needs to be inserted into the game at about the 7:00 mark of the first quarter.

[mookie2001]

what in the wide world of sports is wrong with Tiago? i realize we dont have many choices at his position but popovich should have buried his ass on the bench by now

gani lawal and frank hassell have to better than this fool, splitter does every single thing wrong. he is the anti basketball player. ill take smaller ball with bonner and leonard in the post all day long over splitters ass

he is horrendous, his play makes me forget about that other south american player we have that i used to scoff

[DAF86]

mookie2001 is really really bad at analyzing basketball.

[therealtruth]

Yeah a second unit of Ford, Green, Leonard and Splitter shouldn't all be on the court at the same time. Four below average offensive players (probably five if you count Bonner) is just asking for trouble. But, as you said, Pop can somewhat solve that by inserting Neal or RJ with the second unit. To do that, Green or Leonard needs to be inserted into the game at about the 7:00 mark of the first quarter.

I think Splitter should be with the first unit. His offense would benefit the most and he can help establish a low post presence.

[Bruno]

Nice post, thanks timvp.

Diogu didn't pass the eye test. While it would be stupid to write him off after one game, I'm still puzzled why Spurs have signed him while adding a center made so much more sense.

On a personal note, I was happy to see Ian playing decent minutes even if he wasn't great. This summer French national team will be a lot of fun to watch at the Olympics.

[TD 21]

I know Diogu played only a few minutes, but he looked like trash. I don't think he will stay until the end of the season if that's what he has to show.

Yeah. I know he was playing against the long, athletic, bouncy Wright, but he looked like he couldn't elevate enough to corral rebounds. And if he can longer elevate enough to rebound at a solid rate, then chances are he'll struggle to finish inside. Those two things have been his biggest strengths throughout his career. So unless he's added a deadly mid range jumper, he'll be hard pressed to stick.

That could be reading too much into 4:43 of garbage time, especially with a guy who, given his build and past knee problems, is probably going to need more than a few games to really show where he's at, but he didn't look promising. At least they now have a fifth big for emergency purposes, though.

As far as Splitter, I don't care how underwhelming he is offensively. It's just nice to have a legit center on the floor at all times. His mere presence impacts the game defensively and I think it helps the other players psyche, to know that they've got a guy behind them who can protect the rim, even if he's not a great shot blocker.

[therealtruth]

As far as Splitter, I don't care how underwhelming he is offensively. It's just nice to have a legit center on the floor at all times. His mere presence impacts the game defensively and I think it helps the other players psyche, to know that they've got a guy behind them who can protect the rim, even if he's not a great shot blocker.

Agree about Splitter. He's shown the ability to alter shots, draw charges, and block shots. They don't all necessarily show on the stat sheet except blocked shots but it's part of winning basketball. The team has not had that in a while next to Duncan.

[analyzed]

Leonard is still useful but he really needs to stop being scared on offense because other teams are already starting to figure out not to defend him outside of the lane.

.

That's exactly it, it's all mental (scared) with Leonard, a lot of the plays he could have easily taken advantage of his defender and blown by him. but he stops and hesitates. It's sort of like he is scared of what Pop might say when he gets back to the bench. Rather than be agresive offensivly he's playing not to commit mistakes.

I know he's not there yet offesively, but he certainly is more capable than what he is showing now, Pop or someone has to tell him to constantly take it to the hole, if he misses so be it, wheter its a bad decision or not, he can refine that as time comes. He's got to be more selfish offensively. Right now he is killing us offensively by being timid.

[Ice009]

That's exactly it, it's all mental (scared) with Leonard, a lot of the plays he could have easily taken advantage of his defender and blown by him. but he stops and hesitates. It's sort of like he is scared of what Pop might say when he gets back to the bench. Rather than be agresive offensivly he's playing not to commit mistakes.

I know he's not there yet offesively, but he certainly is more capable than what he is showing now, Pop or someone has to tell him to constantly take it to the hole, if he misses so be it, wheter its a bad decision or not, he can refine that as time comes. He's got to be more selfish offensively. Right now he is killing us offensively by being timid.

I read a while ago that RJ told him in the off season something along the lines of - the corner 3 is what you need to learn for this offense. You can work on and practice all that other stuff you've been doing, but the corner 3 is all you'll get in the Spurs offense.

Maybe he took that too literally and thinks he's not allowed to do anything else.

[analyzed]

The one positive so far this season has been our collective defense. Five players have impressed me on that side of the court. New guys Splitter, Leonard and Green and vets Tony and RJ (yes he has improved his D) .
TJ and Neal have shown they can be key rotation guys come playoff time. Add to the 2nd unit Kawhi, Bonner and Splitter. and Green to back-up your starters and the rotation is set. Unfortunately it seems Anderson will be left out unless he starts showing up when given the opportunity (he's got 6 weeks while Manu is out or else he officially will be in the doghouse for the rest of the season).
As for Leonard due to his defense and being the only legitiate back-up SF to RJ. he will get some minutes. But I still believe for us to go deeper he has to play a bigger role. I will take 10 pts and 6 reb with good defense in 24 minutes any day

[Mel_13]

I will take 10 pts and 6 reb with good defense in 24 minutes any day

As would any team in the NBA. 10 and 6 in 24 mpg is rare, those stats plus good defense would be truly exceptional. To expect anything like that from a 20 yr old rookie...

[analyzed]

As would any team in the NBA. 10 and 6 in 24 mpg is rare, those stats plus good defense would be truly exceptional. To expect anything like that from a 20 yr old rookie...

The thing is it is not a stretch to expect that from Leonard , he already is avg 6 Rebs in 20 min and playing decent defense. If he makes 2 more baskets / game by simply taking more attempts going to the basket. he should be right there at 10 a game.

If I were a coach , the one stat I would demand from Leonard is that he commit one offensive foul going to the basket a game. I'm serious. That would take away any any hesitancy to be more agresive. Seriously this guy had the "Custodian" on him outside in the perimeter, and what does he do he defers and gives up his dribble and the ball.

[Mel_13]

The thing is it is not a stretch to expect that from Leonard , he already is avg 6 Rebs in 20 min and playing decent defense.

It's a big stretch. If you adjust his stats for 20mpg, his current averages are 5.9 pts and 5.0 rebounds.

There were only 46 players in the NBA who averaged at least 10 and 6 last season. Only two did it in less than 26 mpg.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=2011&year_max=2011&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=0&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=pts_per_g&c1comp=gt&c1val=10&c2stat=trb_per_g&c2comp=gt&c2val=6&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=mp_per_g

[analyzed]

It's a big stretch. If you adjust his stats for 20mpg, his current averages are 5.9 pts and 5.0 rebounds.

There were only 46 players in the NBA who averaged at least 10 and 6 last season. Only two did it in less than 26 mpg.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=2011&year_max=2011&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=0&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=pts_per_g&c1comp=gt&c1val=10&c2stat=trb_per_g&c2comp=gt&c2val=6&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=mp_per_g

If anything that supports the need to use Leonard. to avg 6 rebs in less than 20 minutes ( prior to Mavs game) is special

[Mel_13]

If anything that supports the need to use Leonard. to avg 6 rebs in less than 20 minutes ( prior to Mavs game) is special

:lol

I never suggested that Leonard not get his minutes. I did say that it was unrealistic to expect 10 and 6 from him in 24 mpg.

[therealtruth]

The one positive so far this season has been our collective defense. Five players have impressed me on that side of the court. New guys Splitter, Leonard and Green and vets Tony and RJ (yes he has improved his D) .
TJ and Neal have shown they can be key rotation guys come playoff time. Add to the 2nd unit Kawhi, Bonner and Splitter. and Green to back-up your starters and the rotation is set. Unfortunately it seems Anderson will be left out unless he starts showing up when given the opportunity (he's got 6 weeks while Manu is out or else he officially will be in the doghouse for the rest of the season).
As for Leonard due to his defense and being the only legitiate back-up SF to RJ. he will get some minutes. But I still believe for us to go deeper he has to play a bigger role. I will take 10 pts and 6 reb with good defense in 24 minutes any day

I agree. This team is also showing some tenacity that I haven't seen in a while. Last year's team was a soft team that liked to shoot 3's. Not the type of team that could win a grind it out series with the Grizzlies. McDyess even called them out for it in the playoffs. This year the team is showing alot more fight. Combine that with the offense from last year and I think this team might have what it takes to win it all.

[analyzed]

Speaking of developing Leonard's offense I read this article below , where the focus is primary on his shooting, I think he needs to be coached in the mental aspect as well (decision making) and confidence to not shy away from the moment.

http://projectspurs.com/2012-articles/january/leonard-leaning-on-confidence-engelland-to-improve-his-shot.html