Grades: Spurs @ Heat - Jan. 17

[timvp]

Well, that was a memorable game. And not for good reasons. After building a 17-point lead in the first half in Miami, the Spurs got absolutely obliterated by LeBron James and the Heat in the second half. When the game mercifully ended, the Heat had handed the Spurs a 120-98 shellacking.

In the first half, the Spurs were able to keep James under control. In the third quarter? Not so much. Over an eight minute stretch in the third quarter, James scored or assisted on every field goal as the Heat went on a 26-3 run. With the home crowd going wild and confidence sky high in South Beach, the Spurs never threatened again.

I tip my hat to James for that stretch. That was a case of the most talented player on the planet switching to god-mode and taking over the game. When he's shooting like that -- he hit three three-pointers in a stretch of two minutes after coming into the game with three total three-pointers all season -- he's simply unguardable.

As for the Spurs, I'm not too upset with the loss because James was just too good. That said, it was upsetting that San Antonio stopped competing after James punched them in the mouth. Championship teams can weather a storm and fight back. Tonight, the Spurs just sheepishly folded.

Tim Duncan B-
I loved Tim Duncan's energy in the first half. He was playing harder than anyone on the court. While the production wasn't very noteworthy, I couldn't fault how hard he was working. In the second half, however, Duncan wasn't nearly as active. His defensive intensity left a lot to be desired and he began to try to do too much offensively.

Tony Parker B
To begin the game, the Spurs built their lead thanks mostly to Tony Parker's penetration. He was scoring at will; his teardrop looked better than at any point this season. With the Heat focusing on keeping Parker out of the paint, shots opened up for everyone else. But like Duncan, the third quarter was completely different. The Heat were able to bottle up Parker and once the head of the snake was suffocated, the offense died.

Richard Jefferson F
With the intensity high, Richard Jefferson went into playoff mode. And, if you were watching last year, you know that's not a good thing. Jefferson was passive on both ends. When players got physical with him, he cowered. To say Jefferson was soft would be an understatement.

DeJuan Blair B
Next to Parker's penetration, it was DeJuan Blair's offense that really powered San Antonio to the early lead. He was doing a great job of using his body to score around the rim. His intensity on both ends was commendable to begin the game. Unfortunately, that intensity was missing in action in the third quarter. Blair came out fat and happy in the third quarter and the Heat were up double digits before he could say Whatasized A1 Thick & Hearty burger meal.

Kawhi Leonard B-
It's really difficult to judge how well Kawhi Leonard played in this game. In the first half, I thought he was fantastic. He stayed with James about as well as humanly possible on the defensive end. On offense, he was playing with confidence and uncommon smarts for a rookie. In the second half, though, Leonard had a front row seat to LeBron's LeBonanza. On first viewing, it appeared as if Leonard was doing everything he could to stop James; the Heat star was just too hot. I'll have to watch the tape to see if he could have done anything more.

Danny Green C-
Shooting-wise, Danny Green was great. There's nothing bad about nailing 6-of-7 three-pointers, including buzzer beaters at the end of the first two quarters. However, I wasn't thrilled with the rest of his performance. On offense, there were a handful of moments where he was trying to do too much. Defensively, Green just wasn't very good. When he was assigned to a shooter, he oftentimes helped too much. At the end of the first half, he got the James assignment for the last minute and a half. Up until that point, Leonard had held the superstar to three field goals. But to end the half, James got a three-point play and a three-pointer against Green ... which, one could argue, got his confidence geared up for the third quarter fireworks.

Cory Joseph B
In his second game as the primary backup point guard, I was again pleased with Cory Joseph. He brings hustle and a defensive mindset to the table. Though he's weak, he's willing to scratch and claw. Offensively, his ballhandling and passing again appeared to be adequate. There's no doubt that Joseph is raw but he has earned an extensive look.

Matt Bonner C+
In his first few minutes, Matt Bonner played pathetic defense. But after the slow start, Bonner settled in and was playing solid basketball on both ends for a stretch. In the second half, he didn't do anything of note other than witness the LeBron James Show.

Gary Neal C
Offensively, it was good to see Gary Neal start scoring again. Late in the second quarter, he gave the Spurs a boost that allowed San Antonio to remain in control at halftime. Defense, however, wasn't as kind to Neal. In fact, he was putrid at times on that end. For a while, it seemed like the Heat took turns shooting and making threes as Neal flailed in vain.

Tiago Splitter D
Tiago Splitter picked up three fouls in his first minute of play. While some of those calls were questionable, Splitter has to play smarter. With the lack of bigs on this team, he simply can't take himself out of the game like that. In the second half, Splitter got in after the Spurs were already down by eight points. The rest of the way, he didn't do much other than turn the ball over.

James Anderson Inc.
During the offseason, James Anderson worked out with Chauncey Billups. It's obvious he learned a lot. He's become pretty damn good at the pump-fake-and-lean-into-the-defender move that has been Billups bread and butter over the years. Unfortunately, Anderson's execution hasn't joined his technical advancements.

Malcolm Thomas Inc.
Dude has a neck that would make a giraffe jealous. He looks like he'd be about 6-foot-5 with a regulation neck. Other than that, he appears to be a fluid athlete who can jump. So far, I don't see any glaring flaws in his game.


Pop B-
In the first half, I thought Pop coached fantastically. I liked how he put Joseph in early and then had Parker available to run a bit with the bench unit. He also picked a perfect time to put Neal in the game in the second quarter. Overall, he was subbing whenever a player looked winded and was able to keep fresh troops on the court. As good as he was in the first half, I think Pop was partly to blame for the third quarter collapse. There was little imagination used on either end; the Heat just kept making plays while the Spurs stood around helpless. Doing something -- anything -- would have been nice to see. By the time he started juggling the lineup, the game was over.

[timvp]

Meh, logically the sum of the grades should be lower but LeBron killed 'em so fast it's hard to fault any one player ... other than Jefferson of course.

:smchode:

[TJastal]

Didn't get to see the game, thx for the grades, as usual Timvp.

[TJastal]

Damn though, Green with a C-? Was he really that bad on defense? I would think a B- would be more in line given his offensive performance.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wtf do you want danny green to do on offense when we were down 20pts? he was doing everything possible to get points on the board, while others on the court with him has no business playin alongside him chuckin up stupid shots and playin lazy defense on the other end...at least danny score 20pts tonight, the others didnt do shit to come close to the production he brought tonight

[ElNono]

Thanks for the writeup. Definitely a tale of two halves. Sucks we folded and just show no fight. I don't see players getting mad at themselves. Not taking anything away from Miami, who were fantastic in the second half. But we're going to need a lot more fight against top teams even just to be competitive on the road.

[tlongII]

That's a lot of B's in a blowout loss! :lol

[Robz4000]

Danny Green deserved at least a B. Although he made mistakes, he hustled, kept fighting, and most importantly kept playing D (somewhat). Everyone else just seemed to fold. It wasn't just Lebron going off, but the energy and D being non-existent in the 3rd quarter. The loss is definitely on the whole team.

[SenorSpur]

Too bad for the Heat, and their fans, that this LeBrick didn't bother to show up in the NBA Finals. A superb game and superstar effort for LeBron. However, until he's able to dial up the necessary mental toughness required to translate this type of performance into a playoff situation, he'll continue to be the annual playoff choker that Matt Bonner has made famous.

On the flip side for the Spurs, it was disheartening to see them to "fold tent" and not so much as even fight back after Lebron's superstar performance.

[celldweller]

Everyone gets a F!!
That was F'in pathetic!!

Pop gets an F- if he think he's going to win a Championship with Blair & Jefferson in the starting line-up!

[GSH]

Danny Green C-
Shooting-wise, Danny Green was great. There's nothing bad about nailing 6-of-7 three-pointers, including buzzer beaters at the end of the first two quarters. However, I wasn't thrilled with the rest of his performance. On offense, there were a handful of moments where he was trying to do too much. Defensively, Green just wasn't very good. When he was assigned to a shooter, he oftentimes helped too much. At the end of the first half, he got the James assignment for the last minute and a half. Up until that point, Leonard had held the superstar to three field goals. But to end the half, James got a three-point play and a three-pointer against Green ... which, one could argue, got his confidence geared up for the third quarter fireworks.

Gary Neal C
Offensively, it was good to see Gary Neal start scoring again. Late in the second quarter, he gave the Spurs a boost that allowed San Antonio to remain in control at halftime. Defense, however, wasn't as kind to Neal. In fact, he was putrid at times on that end. For a while, it seemed like the Heat took turns shooting and making threes as Neal flailed in vain.


I knew it was coming... just waiting for it. Green gets a worse grade than Gary Neal. Neal was worse on defense and worse on offense, but maybe it's the intangibles? The Spurs were already in trouble in the third. Neal came in and started chucking bricks and being generally lost on defense, and Pop pulled him 2 minutes and 20 seconds later. Neal's sole reason for existence is nailing 3's, and he didn't even sniff one until 11 seconds left in the trainwreck of a game. Whatever.

You didn't mention anything about Spoelstra's defensive adjustment at the half, or the fact that Tony couldn't break down the zone to save his ass? The Heat's defense to start the third is what changed that game.

Pop always says good defense leads to good offense. You've quoted him enough times, I know you must believe it. For the first 11:13 of the third quarter, the Spurs had scored 7 points. That's about a 30 point game pace. Our starters got their asses kicked by the Heat's defense, and the rest was an avalanche.

BTW - at the end of the first half, when Green fouled LeBron. Go back and look who Tony was chewing out. It wasn't Danny Green. Blair sat on his ass and watched, and didn't even TRY to help get in front of LeBron. Green got schooled on that last 3-pointer by LeBron - no doubt. But the idea of trying to blame that second half on Danny Green is... ? Let me put it this way: Before the season, you were slamming T.J. Ford, and talking about how utterly worthless he has always been as PG. My comment to you then was, "You're better than that." Same thing tonight. Green had his shortcomings tonight, but no - he wasn't resonsible for what happened in the third quarter. You're better than that.

[TJastal]

I knew it was coming... just waiting for it. Green gets a worse grade than Gary Neal. Neal was worse on defense and worse on offense, but maybe it's the intangibles? The Spurs were already in trouble in the third. Neal came in and started chucking bricks and being generally lost on defense, and Pop pulled him 2 minutes and 20 seconds later. Neal's sole reason for existence is nailing 3's, and he didn't even sniff one until 11 seconds left in the trainwreck of a game. Whatever.

You didn't mention anything about Spoelstra's defensive adjustment at the half, or the fact that Tony couldn't break down the zone to save his ass? The Heat's defense to start the third is what changed that game.

Pop always says good defense leads to good offense. You've quoted him enough times, I know you must believe it. For the first 11:13 of the third quarter, the Spurs had scored 7 points. That's about a 30 point game pace. Our starters got their asses kicked by the Heat's defense, and the rest was an avalanche.

BTW - at the end of the first half, when Green fouled LeBron. Go back and look who Tony was chewing out. It wasn't Danny Green. Blair sat on his ass and watched, and didn't even TRY to help get in front of LeBron. Green got schooled on that last 3-pointer by LeBron - no doubt. But the idea of trying to blame that second half on Danny Green is... ? Let me put it this way: Before the season, you were slamming T.J. Ford, and talking about how utterly worthless he has always been as PG. My comment to you then was, "You're better than that." Same thing tonight. Green had his shortcomings tonight, but no - he wasn't resonsible for what happened in the third quarter. You're better than that.

fuckin' Blair... that fat lazy tub not only gives up the highest average PER in the league but he drags his teammates down with him.

:(

[L.I.T]

Neal's flaws are far more exposed with Manu out. Combined with Manu, you could hide Neal more frequently on the defensive end, while also relieving him of primary ball handling duties.

Now? Neal's flaws are making him almost unplayable for long stretches. His defense is so bad, I'm not sure if he can be on the floor in crunch time situations.

[BoricuaCJA]

We lost this game also on us not being able to adjust to doubles they pressured on the ball handler, mostly being Parker. Parker and the team needed to adjust to the double teaming. they always did a high hedge but also stayed with Parker(it happened many times with Bosh and Anthony. Then after not being able to adjust on offense, LBJ went into god mode and nothing we did could of stopped it. I was also upset that we kept leaving their 3 pt shooters open over and over and over and over and over again. It was very frustrating that I did not want to watch the last 5 minutes for the first time since last season when we got blown out by Miami.

Maybe you should of posted 2 grades for each player, one for each half. I was beyond piss how many times we left Miami players whose name is not Lebron wide open.

[DMC]

The Spurs looked lost against the zone, and tried to shoot over it instead of attacking it.

Pop would call a timeout and the team would play worse. Miami played better defensively. The Spurs quit after Miami closed the gap, no one guarded anyone tbh.

Sure Miami went off, but they were down 14. The Spurs get down 10 and they quit.

It's a learning experience, for sure, but isn't it also a reality check for those Alice in Wonderland fans who think a group of obscure rookies, an edge of retirement Duncan and some "meh" players equals a formidable team?

[SenorSpur]

RJ reverting back into full amnesty mode.

[SenorSpur]

Neal's flaws are far more exposed with Manu out. Combined with Manu, you could hide Neal more frequently on the defensive end, while also relieving him of primary ball handling duties.

Now? Neal's flaws are making him almost unplayable for long stretches. His defense is so bad, I'm not sure if he can be on the floor in crunch time situations.

Thus far, Neal has been horrific - on both ends. Having him out there, along with Bonner, and the Spurs are instantly one of the worse defensive teams in the NBA - regardless of who else is on the court with them.

[TDMVPDPOY]

the problem is we are always playin either 3/4 on 5 ou there everytime we have anyone name bonner, blair, rj, neal on the court...

[phxspurfan]

This game seemed to be all about the halftime adjustments. Coach Spo adjusted his defensive tactics and fired up LeBron (or did he?) and got his guys rolling into the 3rd quarter despite what could have been a deflating final first half shot by Danny Green.

On the other hand, Coach Pop had some adjustments to make after the opening moments of being torched by the three pointer (and new defensive schemes) early in the third quarter. During a timeout he could have done more to adjust his players' gameplan (or lineups) but he did seemingly nothing. We then saw the game slip away while the guys on the court and their existing gameplan looked helpless. Some simple messages like "stay on your man" and "they're on fire from the perimeter, so make sure we rotate back on transition" would have been good messages to stress.

This is all pretty funny for me to say as I last read the GM Survey article on nba.com which quotes the majority of the GMs in the league who say Coach pop is not only the finest coach in the league, but also the best at making in-game adjustments. Not so this game.

[chazley]

It's amazing just how terrible we looked in that third quarter. The half as a whole was some of the worst basketball I've ever seen the Spurs play.

What's mind numbing is that first half we played fantastic.

[objective]

Leonard gassed badly in the second quarter. He was subbed out a couple of minutes after he should have been.

I don't know if it was the South Beach Flu catching up to him, or the physicality and size of Lebron, or just the load of minutes catching up to him, but he was on empty in the second. I don't think he got it back either.

--

I think Pop mismanaged the 3rd. Bringing in Neal and Bonner instead of Green and Splitter was a bad move and I thought so at the time. They didn't need poor shooting non-zone busters, they needed some active players on defense with some hustle to just put a lid on things.

[timvp]

I knew it was coming... just waiting for it. Green gets a worse grade than Gary Neal.Expectations. Green has been pretty damn awesome. Neal has been horrible. Obviously if I was grading on an equal playing field, Green > Neal tonight.


Tony couldn't break down the zone to save his ass? The Heat's defense to start the third is what changed that game. I agree that the zone was effective for the Heat. While some of that blame goes to TP, the offense created a few weakside three-pointers that could have at least stopped some of the momentum ... yet the shots were missed by RJ and Neal.

Missing open threes against a zone on one end while LeBron James is hitting threes or assisting on threes on the other end is going to get ugly fast.


BTW - at the end of the first half, when Green fouled LeBron. Go back and look who Tony was chewing out. It wasn't Danny Green. Blair sat on his ass and watched, and didn't even TRY to help get in front of LeBron.Check how Green defended that pick-and-roll. It was the same thing he did against Scola that allowed the Lowry three-pointer. He can't starting fighting the screen before it's even set -- he needs to keep separation. By contacting the big so early, he's going to get picked off no matter what happens.

Blair deserves blame on that play too but Green has to either go over screens or go under screens ... not just start wrestling. He'll learn, though. Later in the game, there was a similar situation and he played it much better.


Green got schooled on that last 3-pointer by LeBron - no doubt. But the idea of trying to blame that second half on Danny Green is... ? Let me put it this way: Before the season, you were slamming T.J. Ford, and talking about how utterly worthless he has always been as PG. My comment to you then was, "You're better than that."

Perhaps I'm wrong (well, technically, I put a condition on the statement) but LeBron was struggling until those final two shots to end the half. His confidence was MIA; he even passed the ball when isolated against Matt Bonner. LeBron hit those two shots and it seemed to spark him.

Maybe that's not what happened and LeBron would have gone buck wild even if he went into halftime still struggling. But as we've seen with scorers like Kobe over the years, all it takes is a couple series of poor defensive plays to set off an avalanche (See: Udoka, Ime in Game 1 of 2008 WCF).









And TJ was pretty damn bad outside of two games, fwiw :wakeup

[timvp]

Maybe you should of posted 2 grades for each player, one for each half.

That's actually a pretty damn good idea and probably should have been how I handled it. As it was, the Spurs played well for about 25 minutes and then the game was over eight minutes later. That sudden of a death skewed the grades.

[TJastal]

This game seemed to be all about the halftime adjustments. Coach Spo adjusted his defensive tactics and fired up LeBron (or did he?) and got his guys rolling into the 3rd quarter despite what could have been a deflating final first half shot by Danny Green.

On the other hand, Coach Pop had some adjustments to make after the opening moments of being torched by the three pointer (and new defensive schemes) early in the third quarter. During a timeout he could have done more to adjust his players' gameplan (or lineups) but he did seemingly nothing. We then saw the game slip away while the guys on the court and their existing gameplan looked helpless. Some simple messages like "stay on your man" and "they're on fire from the perimeter, so make sure we rotate back on transition" would have been good messages to stress.

This is all pretty funny for me to say as I last read the GM Survey article on nba.com which quotes the majority of the GMs in the league who say Coach pop is not only the finest coach in the league, but also the best at making in-game adjustments. Not so this game.

I always get a LOL when I hear that shit. The simple fact that he's bee trotting out Bonner for his 25 minutes a game the past 4 years should earn him an instant fail grade.

[ElNono]

I agree that the zone was effective for the Heat. While some of that blame goes to TP, the offense created a few weakside three-pointers that could have at least stopped some of the momentum ... yet the shots were missed by RJ and Neal.

Frankly, the offense went to complete shit. You forgot to add that one of the 3 pointers was actually taken (and missed) by Tony. They were all seemingly broken up plays. Tony had a terrific first half, and gets all the credit for that. But he also needs to be called out for how easily he was shutdown by the Heat in the 2nd half. Sure, RJ and Neal sucked ass. But is it really unfair to ask for more from Tony (and Tim) when the team is in a tough situation like that?

[ElNono]

(braces from CoP responses)

[5in10]

- Parker went into force mode in the second half.
-we went away from Blair in the second half.
-for all the points green had, he helped spark their run with turnovers.
-cory needs work on his jumper.
-Anderson has lost a lot of confidence and has no idea what he wants to
Do.
-Leonard was the only one that looked like he took it personal. You could see it in his body language, and he took it straight to James for mid range
Jumper to end our drought. Unfortunately that was all.
-I thought the officials were completely one sided. We were getting demolished.

[timvp]

But is it really unfair to ask for more from Tony (and Tim) when the team is in a tough situation like that?


(braces from CoP responses)

:lol

I would have given Parker a D for his play in that eight minute stretch in the third. He got hit with a trapping zone and was pretty clueless. No excuse for that.

But my point was that even when the offense worked and the Spurs got the shot they wanted, they couldn't cash in. Once that happened, everyone -- including Parker -- tightened up and the offense ceased to exist.

Usually, teams can't run a trapping zone against the Spurs because Pop will just put Parker and Manu on the floor at the same time and the Spurs will carve it up. But with no Manu and not even a capable creator at shooting guard (like even a Brent Barry), even when Parker got rid of it, the other players basically just stood around and were helpless until Parker ran to get the ball back.

Tbh, if you are facing a TP/Leonard/Jefferson threesome, you should trap and zone the Spurs to death. Let's hope other teams weren't watching.

[Manu20]

This kind of beat down makes me glad basketball games are played every other day....or in this case tomorrow.

[ElNono]

:lol

I would have given Parker a D for his play in that eight minute stretch in the third. He got hit with a trapping zone and was pretty clueless. No excuse for that.

But my point was that even when the offense worked and the Spurs got the shot they wanted, they couldn't cash in. Once that happened, everyone -- including Parker -- tightened up and the offense ceased to exist.

Usually, teams can't run a trapping zone against the Spurs because Pop will just put Parker and Manu on the floor at the same time and the Spurs will carve it up. But with no Manu and not even a capable creator at shooting guard (like even a Brent Barry), even when Parker got rid of it, the other players basically just stood around and were helpless until Parker ran to get the ball back.

Tbh, if you are facing a TP/Leonard/Jefferson threesome, you should trap and zone the Spurs to death. Let's hope other teams weren't watching.

When Manu is not out there, what we miss the most against the zone is a capable passing big (heck, I'll just say it, Oberto). Guys that played in Europe see a lot more of zone and they know how to step to the top of the free throw line to create sort of a "hole" (kinda looks like the triangle offense, but outside the post). You probably know what I mean. Fab used to be ridiculously good at it.
Then you can either play inside with the other big, the wings backdoor cut inside and the guards roam the 3 point line.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if Tiago wouldn't have been able to help more than Blair in a situation like that.

But I agree. We had no clue what to do. And shooting our way out of it just can't be the only solution.

[ElNono]

BTW, this is the offense I'm talking about:

11d5mbWEi84

[nbaman99]

Danny Green deserved at least a B. Although he made mistakes, he hustled, kept fighting, and most importantly kept playing D (somewhat). Everyone else just seemed to fold. It wasn't just Lebron going off, but the energy and D being non-existent in the 3rd quarter. The loss is definitely on the whole team.

yeah I agree too, at least offence wise. And Duncan should have done more. We see the past Duncan for one game and he disappear for the next few. Without Manu, TD and TP has to carry this team, and its looks like TP doing his part, but so far I don't see that from TD.
We all know that he can do way better than what he showing us. Just can't wait for TD to play as he could and take over this team. For us to win a championship, he has to play way better than this.

[TDMVPDPOY]

yeah I agree too, at least offence wise. And Duncan should have done more. We see the past Duncan for one game and he disappear for the next few. Without Manu, TD and TP has to carry this team, and its looks like TP doing his part, but so far I don't see that from TD.
We all know that he can do way better than what he showing us. Just can't wait for TD to play as he could and take over this team. For us to win a championship, he has to play way better than this.

td to passive on the offensive end when his shots are falling, he doesnt demand the ball more, but continue to start playin like another scrub making up the numbers on t he court for 5on5...

[TJastal]

yeah I agree too, at least offence wise. And Duncan should have done more. We see the past Duncan for one game and he disappear for the next few. Without Manu, TD and TP has to carry this team, and its looks like TP doing his part, but so far I don't see that from TD.
We all know that he can do way better than what he showing us. Just can't wait for TD to play as he could and take over this team. For us to win a championship, he has to play way better than this.

We'll see how many points you can score when your frontcourt partner has been either Matt Bonner or Dejuan Blair the past 4 years running.

[Kori Ellis]

I wish I had something to say about this game. The Spurs were up around 11. I took all the kids to the dining room so they could play with puzzles. I came back, the Spurs were down 10+. I thought the score was backward on the TV, but then I saw LeBron going wild.

Hopefully the Spurs don't let this game break their confidence. They really need to win a road game, and winning this one in high style (like the way they were playing in the first half) would have been huge. Now they are back to a mediocre team that can't win out outside their own barn.

[Fireball]

This kind of beat down makes me glad basketball games are played every other day....or in this case tomorrow.

Remember last season's game in Orlando? Tonight will be the same ... we will get killed by the three ... not even hack a Howard will save the Spurs on a second night of a B2B. Yeah, and I know Orlando is on a B2B as well ...

[ElNono]

Remember last season's game in Orlando? Tonight will be the same ... we will get killed by the three ... not even hack a Howard will save the Spurs on a second night of a B2B. Yeah, and I know Orlando is on a B2B as well ...

IIRC, Orlando is on a b2b2b

[GSH]

Check how Green defended that pick-and-roll. It was the same thing he did against Scola that allowed the Lowry three-pointer. He can't starting fighting the screen before it's even set -- he needs to keep separation. By contacting the big so early, he's going to get picked off no matter what happens.


And TJ was pretty damn bad outside of two games, fwiw :wakeup


Most of that I can't argue with. (I'll save the T.J. Ford discussion for another time.) Don't forget, though, that LeBron missed his first shot of the second half, and then turned it over right after that. He didn't come out on fire. It was the defense that lit their whole team up. When LeBron missed that first shot, the Spurs let Anthony grab an offensive board and slam it home. Then Parker immediately turned it over and Bosh got an easy bucket. I'm just saying.

But... Green does, indeed, struggle with the screens - and not just tonight. I wouldn't even think about arguing that. I hope you're right that he'll learn. But on that last play late in the 2nd, Blair had fallen into what I've started calling his ADD mode. He just loses focus. He was an absolute spectator on that play. No matter how it developed, he wasn't going to be of any use anywhere. I don't think it's coincidence that it was in the last minute and a half of a period, where the Spurs had a comfortable lead. He checks out early... often. And it's probably worth 3-5 points per game on average. Pretty influential, if you ask me.

I commented at the half that it was Tony who was largely responsible for their performance. Spoelstra obviously thought so, too. Stop Tony, and you stop the Spurs offense. At the risk of starting a poop-storm with some people - Tony has always had a difficult time breaking down a zone. The Heat brought the zone and doubled on Tony some, and no one else was able to spark any offense. It might have been a good time for Pop to have been able to go to that Tony-TJ lineup. (Blasphemy, right?) But Ford is out, and CoJo probably isn't ready for that duty yet. Can't blame Pop for that.

But how about this:
I do think Pop needs to re-think some strategy for this compressed season. He's obviously committed to shortening everyone's minutes, and that's probably a good thing. BUT, I think he needs to re-think the foul situation as well. Tim got two early fouls - but then he finished the game with... wait for it... two fouls. When that third quarter started getting out of hand, Pop should have called a time out and told Tim to start cracking some heads (figuratively). At that point, what is he saving fouls for? Tim's playing 26 minutes or so per night. Pop isn't going to leave him in forever, with a game against Orlando tomorrow. Treat it like a 28 minute game. If he's got 4 fouls by the end of the third, who cares? He's not going to play the whole fourth anyway. Let him foul out in the fourth. If anybody can make judicious use of a couple of extra fouls, it's Tim. And I'd rather Tim be on the bench for fouling out, than because the game is out of hand. And maybe, just maybe, the Spurs could have matched the Heat's physicality, and disrupted that rhythm before it got going. I'm not talking about a one-game adjustment. I'm talking about a change of strategy, to complement the rest of the strategy he's already adopted.

[ElNono]

I'll agree with GSH on the Blair fucking around at times. I'll add that I've grown to really dislike his smug smile whenever he gets called for a foul (normally when reaching trying to get a steal, which is a foul). Especially tonight where he picked up his 4th foul really early and Splitter was already in foul trouble.

I've been giving Blair a pass because he's still learning in this league, being that it's his 3rd season and all. But it's getting to the point where he needs to smarten up, and start playing and acting like a pro.

[TJastal]

Most of that I can't argue with. (I'll save the T.J. Ford discussion for another time.) Don't forget, though, that LeBron missed his first shot of the second half, and then turned it over right after that. He didn't come out on fire. It was the defense that lit their whole team up. When LeBron missed that first shot, the Spurs let Anthony grab an offensive board and slam it home. Then Parker immediately turned it over and Bosh got an easy bucket. I'm just saying.

But... Green does, indeed, struggle with the screens - and not just tonight. I wouldn't even think about arguing that. I hope you're right that he'll learn. But on that last play late in the 2nd, Blair had fallen into what I've started calling his ADD mode. He just loses focus. He was an absolute spectator on that play. No matter how it developed, he wasn't going to be of any use anywhere. I don't think it's coincidence that it was in the last minute and a half of a period, where the Spurs had a comfortable lead. He checks out early... often. And it's probably worth 3-5 points per game on average. Pretty influential, if you ask me.

GSH you should know by now Pop prefers his fouls of the and-1 variety with minimal contact. Kind of like when he's we can't commit fouls. Guys who do

At the risk of starting a poop-storm with some people - Tony has always had a difficult time breaking down a zone. I commented at the half that it was Tony who was largely responsible for their performance. Spoelstra obviously thought so, too. He brought the zone and doubled on Tony some, and no one else was able to spark any offense. It might have been a good time for Pop to have been able to go to that Tony-TJ lineup. (Blasphemy, right?) But Ford is out, and CoJo probably isn't ready for that duty yet. Can't blame Pop for that.

But how about this:
I do think Pop needs to re-think some strategy for this compressed season. He's obviously committed to shortening everyone's minutes, and that's probably a good thing. BUT, I think he needs to re-think the foul situation as well. Tim got two early fouls - but then he finished the game with... wait for it... two fouls. When that third quarter started getting out of hand, Pop should have called a time out and told Tim to start cracking some heads (figuratively). At that point, what is he saving fouls for? Tim's playing 26 minutes or so per night. Pop isn't going to leave him in forever, with a game against Orlando tomorrow. Treat it like a 28 minute game. If he's got 4 fouls by the end of the third, who cares? He's not going to play the whole fourth anyway. Let him foul out in the fourth. If anybody can make judicious use of a couple of extra fouls, it's Tim. And I'd rather Tim be on the bench for fouling out, than because the game is out of hand. And maybe, just maybe, the Spurs could have matched the Heat's physicality, and disrupted that rhythm before it got going. I'm not talking about a one-game adjustment. I'm talking about a change of strategy, to complement the rest of the strategy he's already adopted.

Sounds like it would have been a good time for Pop to sub in Mahinmi and Cardinal to bust some heads.

Oh wait, they play for Dallas. Never mind.

[TJastal]

I'll agree with GSH on the Blair fucking around at times. I'll add that I've grown to really dislike his smug smile whenever he gets called for a foul (normally when reaching trying to get a steal, which is a foul). Especially tonight where he picked up his 4th foul really early and Splitter was already in foul trouble.

I've been giving Blair a pass because he's still learning in this league, being that it's his 3rd season and all. But it's getting to the point where he needs to smarten up, and start playing and acting like a pro.

When you surrender the league leading PER to your opponent its gonna take more than smarts to save you.

[siraulo23]

Lebron got hot, it reminded me of the game he had vs the bucks

Leonard shut him down in the first quarter, and did a good job in the 2nd quarter

When lebron j is on, he's unstoppable which happened in the 3rd

Didnt even bother watching the 4th quarter, the 3rd was brutal enough

[dylankerouac]

Matt Bonner - F

He had two passes headed to him that became turnovers because he was astounded that anyone would ever throw him a pass.

There was a a play in the second half where Bonner outruns everyone to the Spurs rim only to not provide help defense against a shot by a Heat player at the rim (I think this ended up being a dunk).

Bonner needs his minutes halved.

[will_spurs]

When you surrender the league leading PER to your opponent its gonna take more than smarts to save you.

Just for info, where is this stat available?

Re: TP and the zone, there won't be any CoP comments. It's just true, but it's quite easy to understand why: you just can't go hero-mode against a zone. That's the point where TP needs help from just anybody to create on offense. That's when the TP-Manu or TP-TJ lineups are really useful. The thing is, these 2 players are injured, and nobody else can create on offense (Neal and RJ should be able to, at least).

[angelbelow]

Thomas had a nice strong post up that he missed. But the footwork and elevation looked good.

Splitter played really well the first 5-7 minutes of the 4th quarter but fell completely flat on the next 2 or 3.

Cory Joseph's shot is pretty suspect. Badly missed 3 pointers and jumpers were a glaring problem. The good news is that hes not afraid to drive the ball and draw contact. Don't think he actually went to the free throw line in the 4th but had some nice layups.

A big problem was definitely uncontested 3 pointers in the 4th quarter. Way too many of Mike Miller's 3 pt attempts (at least 5 out of 6) were wide open and in rhythm.

[TJastal]

Just for info, where is this stat available?

Re: TP and the zone, there won't be any CoP comments. It's just true, but it's quite easy to understand why: you just can't go hero-mode against a zone. That's the point where TP needs help from just anybody to create on offense. That's when the TP-Manu or TP-TJ lineups are really useful. The thing is, these 2 players are injured, and nobody else can create on offense (Neal and RJ should be able to, at least).

Timvp mentioend it in this thread.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189716

Don't think there was a link. If Timvp says its so, I don't question it.

Really hard to believe that Timmy still puts up the numbers he does with these kind of dregs Pop assigns to play next to him. Must be like trying to balance on a single waterski on choppy waters with a bowling ball swinging from your neck.

[therealtruth]

It's not like the Spurs were playing perfect basketball in the first half. Yes shots were going in but the Heat had 49 and were shooting 47%. That kind of defense is not going to get it done. Pop has guys buying the koolaid that you can shoot 50%+ to win games.

[SpurNation]

What I witnessed most in this game was the perimeter players sagging more to the paint in hopes of better defending the post against drives in the lane and perhaps to lend a "helping hand" to those struggling to defend the paint.

This allowed for some easy look 3's to be attempted. Miami complied.

[TJastal]

What I witnessed most in this game was the perimeter players sagging more to the paint in hopes of better defending the post against drives in the lane and perhaps to lend a "helping hand" to those struggling to defend the paint.

This allowed for some easy look 3's to be attempted. Miami complied.

+1

When the middle is solid, the perimeter players can play more aggressively out on the shooters.

When your middle consists of Bonner & Blair and a coach who insists on spreading their minutes across the entire dearth of the game in a futile and idiotic attempt to mask their deficiencies, it's like a ship that's constantly taking on water... sooner or later its going down.

[therealtruth]

What I witnessed most in this game was the perimeter players sagging more to the paint in hopes of better defending the post against drives in the lane and perhaps to lend a "helping hand" to those struggling to defend the paint.

This allowed for some easy look 3's to be attempted. Miami complied.

The lack of interior defense weakens any advantage the Spurs have on the perimeter. It's what caused them to lose to the Grizzlies. Teams are going to attack that in the playoffs.

[SenorSpur]

The lack of interior defense weakens any advantage the Spurs have on the perimeter. It's what caused them to lose to the Grizzlies. Teams are going to attack that in the playoffs.

Which is why I don't see how anyone can honestly expect different results this year - assuming this team makes the playoffs, which I find highly unlikely.

[Em-City]

Harsh on Leonard... i think he needed some more help from his teammates to stop LBJ dominating like he did.

leonard gets an A-, team D gets an F

[Johnny RIngo]

With the young squad we have, it's not surprising that we're not winning on the road. That first half was as good as it gets for this team but NO one in the league would have stopped Lebron from making some of those shots tonight. Not a game to be angry about imo, especially when Lebron lives up to his hype and puts out a performance like that.

[TJastal]

Love that swag Green showed in hitting those big shots in the heat's faces. While RJ cowered in the corner in his own puddle of pee.

[SenorSpur]

Remember last season's game in Orlando? Tonight will be the same ... we will get killed by the three ... not even hack a Howard will save the Spurs on a second night of a B2B. Yeah, and I know Orlando is on a B2B as well ...

Ah yes.

As bad as the defense was in the 2nd half versus the Heat, it's quite possible tomorrow night damage could be worse. Howard could conceivably go for 30 & 30 against the porous Spurs interior.

[polandprzem]

What I said few years back that zone D is a good weapon to have in NBA everybody said I was crazy or something.
Now every team uses it sometimes


Anyway that's not the point.
It was funny that the refs were so anti spurs at the beginning of the game but the spurs were able to keep the game on their own pace.
What we saw in the third got me thinking that there is no chance the spurs will be able to do any damage to any team in the playoffs.
Pointguard started making bad decisions, rookie was trying to take over offensively, starting forward lay on the court and was waiting for everybody to stomp on him.
And all that careless fuel the heat.

There is not much else to say.


btw. lj did you received my pm?

[Redshadows]

I think Leonard should focus on learning defend pick and roll better. He was good at one on one against Lebron. But when Lebron started to play pick and roll, Leonard was defeated.

[Johnny RIngo]

I think Leonard should focus on learning defend pick and roll better. He was good at one on one against Lebron. But when Lebron started to play pick and roll, Leonard was defeated.

I'm amazed he's as good as he is considering he's a rookie. No one comes out of college playing elite level defense so we shouldn't expect that out of Leonard.

[Fireball]

IIRC, Orlando is on a b2b2b

For real? Well, that changes everything ... :lol

[Nathan89]

Matt Bonner C+


Never disagreed with a grade more than this, tbh.

[cheguevara]

3 and 6 in 21 minutes and Matt Bonner gets a C+?????? :wow

holy fuck, how much is Matt Bonner paying you?

he was not only useless, but the main guy that got Bosh hot. Not only Bosh but other scrubs, their eyes would light up when they saw the Red Turd in front of them. :pctoss

[maverick1948]

I watched the game, start to finish. The 1st half was as good an offensive display as I have seen from the Spurs this year. I liked the defensive aggressiveness as well. The worse part of the entire game came when Tim got his second foul for almost nothing and had to go to the bench. Tiago comes in and the whistles in less than 2 minutes had 3 fouls on him. The 1st 9 fouls were called against the Spurs. The team that prides itself on fouling the LEAST of all the teams in the NBA. That was the start of the 3rd quarter problems. We had no interior play after that. Then LBJ goes nuts in the second half. The defense was there. But when you stop one there is always someone who gets hot as well. All we have heard is RJ and Bonner, who was supposed to stop Mike Miller 6 for 6 from 3. How about Chalmers 4 of 6? How about 30 pt Bosh? Give them credit they hit the shots we didnt.

[xellos88330]

Leonards spacing was a bit off guarding LeBron in the second half. He chould have pressured a bit more.

[Redshadows]

I'm amazed he's as good as he is considering he's a rookie. No one comes out of college playing elite level defense so we shouldn't expect that out of Leonard.
I know he is good enough as a rookie. I just say that defense against pick and roll is what Leonard should improve so that he could be a better defender.

[dbestpro]

I would like to see scores based on defense only. Trying to adjust for a few baskets does not do justice to what really ails this team.

[wildbill2u]

The Spurs offense was terrible in the third. They couldn't run a play or get their motion offense in gear. As a result they were pressing and threw the ball away time after time. I think the majority of their huge number of turnovers from steals and bad passes came in that quarter.

The newbies/rookies were clearly in over their heads but even Parker kept getting trapped and in trouble he'd lose the ball.

Add to that the easy looks the Heat got on threes which they knocked down at an unbelieveable percentage (61.5%) and the rout was on. The 3rd quarter was 39-12 Heat.

Drop the Heat 3pt percentage to a very good 40% and the Heat score drops by 18 pts to 102 vs. 98.

Just one of those games where one team went cold and the other team got hot.

[Horse]

That's a lot of B's in a blowout loss! :lol
Nice selective memory. Just last week we didn't even play all that well and blew out your mighty trailblazers douche!