Kori Ellis
06-19-2005, 01:15 AM
Laughter or tears? Duncan's performance figures to tell the Game 5 story
Web Posted: 06/19/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061905.1S.BKNspurs.pistons.adv5.2258e9ed.html
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Spurs' film session on Saturday afternoon began, surprisingly enough, with more comedy than carnage.
As the players settled in for an hour of pause-and-rewind torture, they soon discovered the footage from Thursday's harrowing 31-point loss had been pre-empted by scenes from the 1979 Maine Class A state championship between South Portland High School and Presque Isle.
For the next few minutes the Spurs watched as Brett Brown, the team's director of player development and former senior captain of the South Portland Red Riots, scooted across the court in his too-short shorts and knee-high socks, clanging one shot after another.
"It was awful," Glenn Robinson said, "but funny."
The Spurs hope their own captain can find just as much humor in his recent struggles by the end of tonight. In the past two games of the NBA Finals, both of which Detroit won handily, Tim Duncan has missed 22 of 32 shots while totaling only 30 points.
With the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 — and coach Gregg Popovich describing this evening's Game 5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills as "monstrous" — the Spurs need Duncan to shake out of his funk.
"It's just frustrating because, especially in this time of the year, and on this stage, I feel like those shots should be going down for me," Duncan said. "I should be able to make those shots."
Duncan didn't miss much in his first two trips to the Finals. In the 1999 and 2003 championship series, he played well enough to be named MVP. He closed out New Jersey two years ago with a remarkable performance in Game 6: 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks.
While Manu Ginobili appeared headed for MVP honors in the first two games against Detroit, Duncan remained steady as ever, averaging 21 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. His troubles didn't begin until he arrived Tuesday at the Palace, the same place he severely sprained his right ankle on March 20.
Even after Duncan missed 10 of 15 shots in the Game 3 loss — his worst performance ever in the Finals — the Spurs expected him to return to form two nights later. Instead, he went 5 of 17.
As Duncan's confidence appeared to wane in the second half, so did that of his teammates.
"I think this team is so funny that, however Tim plays, it kind of dwindles down to the rest of us," Robert Horry said. "If he plays well, we play well. If he plays poorly then I think we kind of play poorly at times.
"But, for the most part, I think it's going to have to be more than just Tim. Everybody wants to put all this on Tim, Tim, Tim, but it's a total team effort."
Or, as Tony Parker said, "It starts with Timmy, but he needs help."
The Spurs can start by trying to move Detroit's defense. Reversing the ball to the opposite side of the court more often could help. Duncan also isn't going to get much room to work if Horry and the team's other shooters can't knock down an occasional shot and space the floor.
Popovich has urged Parker to attack more often while worrying less about being an "I'm-going-to-keep-the-team-together guard." Ginobili, who has typically performed well in such pressure-packed games, has already shown he can lessen Duncan's burden significantly with his own aggressiveness.
While the Spurs also could better deliver their entry passes — Parker skipped one off Duncan's ankles early in Game 4 — Duncan hasn't lacked for touches.
"He's catching the ball," Popovich said. "He just has to figure out a way to get it into the hole."
That would likely be much easier for Duncan to do if he didn't have to contend with Pistons forwards Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, as well as the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, center Ben Wallace. Each player is long and athletic. Each, Duncan said, also brings his own style in guarding him.
Rasheed Wallace has the most experience, having faced Duncan since they were ACC rivals. During his days in Portland, Rasheed Wallace frequently asked Trail Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy to assign him to Duncan, despite the risk of foul trouble.
"Your reaction has to be quick," Rasheed Wallace said. "He might fake one way and then he has a tendency to come back to the middle with a hook or a jump hook. He might fake middle, come back baseline off the glass. You just have to look at a lot of things."
The Pistons' ability to defend Duncan without much double-teaming has allowed them to also stay locked up on the Spurs' shooters. They also haven't been afraid to get physical with Duncan. In addition to looking frustrated with the officiating, Duncan also appeared to have some trouble with his back in Game 4 after he was pushed.
"When he steps out on the floor we kind of get up in his chest," McDyess said. "Even when he drives to the basket we've got a lot of guys to help on him. Ben does a great job of slapping down on the ball and that kind of frustrated him. Then, when he can shoot it we get a hand up in his face and contest his shots. That's caused him problems."
Detroit, like the Los Angeles Lakers in previous seasons, also has learned to use some of Duncan's own strengths — namely his patience — against him. The Lakers coaches used to say Duncan was so fundamentally sound he had become predictable.
"He's being the same Tim Duncan," Horry said. "Ben is the Defensive Player of the Year. He needs to change his moves up on him. He needs to come out and shoot a couple of threes on him."
On Thursday, he didn't make a single shot outside of 5 feet. The few bank shots he attempted even looked unusually flat.
Like many of the Spurs, Duncan also hopes to raise his aggressiveness to match that of the Pistons. He needs to be quicker and more dynamic with his moves. Too often, he's held or dribbled the ball too long.
Well aware Duncan is hardest on himself, the Spurs usually give him space to sort out his struggles. Since Game 4, however, he has spoken with Parker and Ginobili.
"I think we have done a great job of talking to each other," Duncan said, "more than beating ourselves up individually."
Duncan's teammates also have reminded him he doesn't have to solve the Spurs' troubles alone.
"We never put that all on Tim's shoulders," Brent Barry said. "Together we win. Together we lose. ... It's up to us to fix it."
Web Posted: 06/19/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061905.1S.BKNspurs.pistons.adv5.2258e9ed.html
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Spurs' film session on Saturday afternoon began, surprisingly enough, with more comedy than carnage.
As the players settled in for an hour of pause-and-rewind torture, they soon discovered the footage from Thursday's harrowing 31-point loss had been pre-empted by scenes from the 1979 Maine Class A state championship between South Portland High School and Presque Isle.
For the next few minutes the Spurs watched as Brett Brown, the team's director of player development and former senior captain of the South Portland Red Riots, scooted across the court in his too-short shorts and knee-high socks, clanging one shot after another.
"It was awful," Glenn Robinson said, "but funny."
The Spurs hope their own captain can find just as much humor in his recent struggles by the end of tonight. In the past two games of the NBA Finals, both of which Detroit won handily, Tim Duncan has missed 22 of 32 shots while totaling only 30 points.
With the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 — and coach Gregg Popovich describing this evening's Game 5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills as "monstrous" — the Spurs need Duncan to shake out of his funk.
"It's just frustrating because, especially in this time of the year, and on this stage, I feel like those shots should be going down for me," Duncan said. "I should be able to make those shots."
Duncan didn't miss much in his first two trips to the Finals. In the 1999 and 2003 championship series, he played well enough to be named MVP. He closed out New Jersey two years ago with a remarkable performance in Game 6: 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks.
While Manu Ginobili appeared headed for MVP honors in the first two games against Detroit, Duncan remained steady as ever, averaging 21 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. His troubles didn't begin until he arrived Tuesday at the Palace, the same place he severely sprained his right ankle on March 20.
Even after Duncan missed 10 of 15 shots in the Game 3 loss — his worst performance ever in the Finals — the Spurs expected him to return to form two nights later. Instead, he went 5 of 17.
As Duncan's confidence appeared to wane in the second half, so did that of his teammates.
"I think this team is so funny that, however Tim plays, it kind of dwindles down to the rest of us," Robert Horry said. "If he plays well, we play well. If he plays poorly then I think we kind of play poorly at times.
"But, for the most part, I think it's going to have to be more than just Tim. Everybody wants to put all this on Tim, Tim, Tim, but it's a total team effort."
Or, as Tony Parker said, "It starts with Timmy, but he needs help."
The Spurs can start by trying to move Detroit's defense. Reversing the ball to the opposite side of the court more often could help. Duncan also isn't going to get much room to work if Horry and the team's other shooters can't knock down an occasional shot and space the floor.
Popovich has urged Parker to attack more often while worrying less about being an "I'm-going-to-keep-the-team-together guard." Ginobili, who has typically performed well in such pressure-packed games, has already shown he can lessen Duncan's burden significantly with his own aggressiveness.
While the Spurs also could better deliver their entry passes — Parker skipped one off Duncan's ankles early in Game 4 — Duncan hasn't lacked for touches.
"He's catching the ball," Popovich said. "He just has to figure out a way to get it into the hole."
That would likely be much easier for Duncan to do if he didn't have to contend with Pistons forwards Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, as well as the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, center Ben Wallace. Each player is long and athletic. Each, Duncan said, also brings his own style in guarding him.
Rasheed Wallace has the most experience, having faced Duncan since they were ACC rivals. During his days in Portland, Rasheed Wallace frequently asked Trail Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy to assign him to Duncan, despite the risk of foul trouble.
"Your reaction has to be quick," Rasheed Wallace said. "He might fake one way and then he has a tendency to come back to the middle with a hook or a jump hook. He might fake middle, come back baseline off the glass. You just have to look at a lot of things."
The Pistons' ability to defend Duncan without much double-teaming has allowed them to also stay locked up on the Spurs' shooters. They also haven't been afraid to get physical with Duncan. In addition to looking frustrated with the officiating, Duncan also appeared to have some trouble with his back in Game 4 after he was pushed.
"When he steps out on the floor we kind of get up in his chest," McDyess said. "Even when he drives to the basket we've got a lot of guys to help on him. Ben does a great job of slapping down on the ball and that kind of frustrated him. Then, when he can shoot it we get a hand up in his face and contest his shots. That's caused him problems."
Detroit, like the Los Angeles Lakers in previous seasons, also has learned to use some of Duncan's own strengths — namely his patience — against him. The Lakers coaches used to say Duncan was so fundamentally sound he had become predictable.
"He's being the same Tim Duncan," Horry said. "Ben is the Defensive Player of the Year. He needs to change his moves up on him. He needs to come out and shoot a couple of threes on him."
On Thursday, he didn't make a single shot outside of 5 feet. The few bank shots he attempted even looked unusually flat.
Like many of the Spurs, Duncan also hopes to raise his aggressiveness to match that of the Pistons. He needs to be quicker and more dynamic with his moves. Too often, he's held or dribbled the ball too long.
Well aware Duncan is hardest on himself, the Spurs usually give him space to sort out his struggles. Since Game 4, however, he has spoken with Parker and Ginobili.
"I think we have done a great job of talking to each other," Duncan said, "more than beating ourselves up individually."
Duncan's teammates also have reminded him he doesn't have to solve the Spurs' troubles alone.
"We never put that all on Tim's shoulders," Brent Barry said. "Together we win. Together we lose. ... It's up to us to fix it."