Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Feb. 3

[timvp]

Hosting the team with the best record in the NBA, the Spurs picked up a surprisingly easy victory over the Thunder. Thanks to one of the best performances of Tony Parker's career and timely three-point shooting, San Antonio looked downright dominant at times tonight.

The Thunder actually played relatively well. Their Big Three was doing what they do offensively; tonight was just a matter of the Spurs being unstoppable -- especially through three quarters of action.

This win was a great send-off as the Spurs embark on the Rodeo Road Trip. The team has to be confident, and with Manu Ginobili's return on the horizon, things are joyful in Spurs land.

http://oi42.tinypic.com/152nfj6.jpg

Tim Duncan B+
Offensively, Tim Duncan wasn't too hot. He had trouble finishing against the the frontline of the Thunder, which features a mixture of brute strength and athleticism. Duncan's jumper was also iffy. But on the other end of the court, he was fantastic. Duncan's post defense was great, he was helpful in pick-and-roll sets and he protected the rim. However, by far Duncan's best attribute was his rebounding. He pulled down contested rebound after contested rebound over and around the capable bigs of OKC. Without Duncan cleaning up the boards, it wouldn't have been nearly as easy of a ride for San Antonio.

Tony Parker A+
It safe to say Tony Parker was ready to play. I'm not sure if he was more amped up about taking on likely All-Star Russell Westbrook or becoming the all-time franchise leader in assists, but the Frenchman wasn't lacking motivation. Overall, Parker was amazing. On offense, he was unstoppable in transition and worked the pick-and-roll to perfection. He finished at the rim, had his teardrop flowing and knocked down a handful of jumpers. Parker's passing was very good throughout; his ability to find shooters off of penetration was the main reason why the Spurs got so many open looks from deep. Defensively, he competed as hard as he could to slow down Westbrook. Oh, and Parker took care of the ball. The last time an NBA player had at least 42 points and nine assists without turning the ball over was Larry Bird 22 years ago.

Richard Jefferson B-
Well, at least Richard Jefferson was a little less one-dimensional tonight. He gave good effort on the glass and looked alive for most of his 33 minutes. While the ability to be a threat inside the arc has all but vanished from Jefferson's repertoire, it was good to see him actually drive toward the rim a few times. Overall, while he wasn't very good, this was definitely an improvement from a typical Jefferson outing as of late.

DeJuan Blair C
The woes continue for DeJuan Blair. He's just a shell of the player he was early in the season. He's having a lot of trouble scoring on the offensive end and, to make matters worse, his underrated ability to pass has also been missing in action. Blair's defense was better than usual, as he used his quick hands to break up some plays. That said, Blair is certainly hurting more than helping these days.

Kawhi Leonard A
Any 20-year-old rookie is going to have his ups and his downs. Tonight, Kawhi Leonard experienced an "up". Defensively, I have no complaints about how he guarded Kevin Durant. While Durant scored 22 points, it took him 19 shots to do so. Leonard wasn't giving him much room while also keeping the talented scorer off of the free throw line. On offense, Leonard's outside shooting made a cameo. He entered the game only 7-for-28 from downtown on the season but he hit all three of the three-pointers he attempted against Oklahoma City. Once the Thunder were forced to respect his outside shot, Leonard made a number of good passes against rotating defenders. Going forward, if the rookie can become even a 34-35% three-point shooter, that would make life much easier for him on the offensive end.

Danny Green C-
Outside of a few defensive possessions and his overall energy level, I didn't like much of what Danny Green brought to the table tonight. He was unsure of what to do on the offensive end and made a number of mistakes on defense. With Green, there's a thin line between being an asset and trying to do too much. Tonight was definitely the latter.

Gary Neal D+
Gary Neal made a good pass to Tiago Splitter and knocked down a three-pointer … and that was about the extent of his positives. His defense left much to be desired; guards were blowing by him all night. Offensively, the hired gun couldn't find his range and was a mess when it came to locating open teammates. There's not a player on the team who will be more relieved once Ginobili is ready to play. At that point, Neal will be able to go back to playing to his strengths.

Matt Bonner B
On defense, Matt Bonner wasn't too helpful. He's just not a very good fit against a Thunder team that is built on speed and athleticism. But offensively, Bonner gave OKC a headache. Their bigs couldn't figure out how to help against Parker while simultaneously staying close enough to Bonner to contest his jumper. The Spurs are now 46-10 all-time when Bonner hits at least three three-pointers in a game.

Tiago Splitter C+
Uncharacteristically, Tiago Splitter wasn't automatic in the paint. The Thunder were physical with him and Splitter didn't respond too well, although he seemed to get the hang of it as the game progressed. But while his scoring was off, Splitter's superior passing ability was on full display. However, Splitter's turnovers remain a problem. He had three of his team's ten turnovers and his turnover rate on the season is way too high. Defensively, Splitter was solid against the Thunder. He played strong and hit the glass with authority.

Pop B-
I liked that Pop put Leonard back in the starting lineup and let him be the main defender against Durant for virtually the entire game. I also thought Pop called a good mixture of pick-and-rolls for Parker and 4-downs for Duncan when the Thunder made their runs. On the other hand, Pop failed to give Parker any sort of adequate rest. As a result, the team's best player was running on fumes at the end. There also wasn't much of an excuse not to play Splitter more minutes; playing him less than both Blair and Bonner is never acceptable. And with Green and Neal struggling, tonight was probably a good opportunity to give James Anderson a chance.

[weebo]

Hats off to Parker. He took this game by the balls and won it for the Spurs. Let's hope he can keep playing like this for the remainder of the season.

[Beanzamillion21]

Parker went HAM tonight. Blair deserves a big ol' fat F.

[gospursgojas]

The last time an NBA player had at least 42 points and nine assists without turning the ball over was Larry Bird 22 years ago.

Seriously...where do you get this stuff? Awesome stat find, awesome stat, at that, by Tony.

[Tuddy]

Think Leonard will be alright in the playoffs when teams dare him to shoot the 3. When he has time his shot looks good with heaps of arc. When he shoots off the dribble or catches and shoots it looks flat.

[DPG21920]

At this point should we give up on Tiago getting big minutes? What have we seen to believe otherwise?

[DPG21920]

Great win though. Their level of play, although 3 point reliant, seems to be much better than last years team.

[Juggity]

Seriously...where do you get this stuff? Awesome stat find, awesome stat, at that, by Tony.

Basketball reference (http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&player=&match=game&year_min=&year_max=2012&age_min=0&age_max=99&team_id=&opp_id=&is_playoffs=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&is_starter=&is_active=&is_hof=&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&c1stat=pts&c1comp=gt&c1val=42&c2stat=tov&c2comp=eq&c2val=0&c3stat=ast&c3comp=gt&c3val=9&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts)

[mystargtr34]

Yeah its clear Pop sees Tiago as strictly a backup to Tim. So in reality the Spurs have a PF rotation of Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair :lol that they are trying to win an NBA championship with.

Is there a worse rotation position in any team in the western conference playoff race? Perhaps the Lakers at PG with Fisher and Goudelock.. but even then you take Fisher over Bonner in the playoffs because hes a proven clutch performer.

Its a legitimate question imo.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

At this point should we give up on Tiago getting big minutes? What have we seen to believe otherwise?

Only plausible explanation I can think of is that Pop is so averse to Tiago's tendency to turn the ball over that he limits his minutes as much as necessary, even though his longterm goal is to get Tiago more minutes.

I think Pop is still being very 2011esque in his rotations going towards individual game wins.
We are all questioning Pop's rotations and bitching about Splitter but we just beat the number 1 team in the entire league pretty convincingly.

[DPG21920]

Why is it that people think Pop would hammer Tiago for his short comings but not every other player?

[mystargtr34]

Yeah its clear Pop sees Tiago as strictly a backup to Tim. So in reality the Spurs have a PF rotation of Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair :lol that they are trying to win an NBA championship with.

Is there a worse rotation position in any team in the western conference playoff race? Perhaps the Lakers at PG with Fisher and Goudelock.. but even then you take Fisher over Bonner in the playoffs because hes a proven clutch performer.

Its a legitimate question imo.

And what makes it worse is that the PF position is clearly the most stacked position in the WC playoff race. It may have something to do with why the Spurs have success against the Thunder (relatively).. the Thunder dont have an elite PF that can abuse the Blair/Bonner combo like every other team does.

Dirk
Gasol
Aldridge
Griffin
Randolph
Nene
Love
Scola

These are the 4's currently in the playoff race :lol that Blair and Bonner will be forced to guard for long stretches in the playoffs.

[Brazil]

IMO TP deserved a A++++

[mystargtr34]

no, Tim is considered the PF and Fatty the center. Tiago is considered a center and Bonner a PF... but when Bonner enters first Duncan is switched to center. When Tiago enters for Duncan with Bonner on the floor, Tiago is the center and Bonner is the PF.

Duncan guards the C 90% of the time and is always guarded by the C.. and Blair the PF's. Duncan is a PF only in name.

[lefty]

Damn

Westbrook is really a shitty defender

[jjktkk]

Thanks Tim.

[jesterbobman]

Yeah its clear Pop sees Tiago as strictly a backup to Tim. So in reality the Spurs have a PF rotation of Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair that they are trying to win an NBA championship with.

Is there a worse rotation position in any team in the western conference playoff race? Perhaps the Lakers at PG with Fisher and Goudelock.. but even then you take Fisher over Bonner in the playoffs because hes a proven clutch performer.

Its a legitimate question imo.

All our bad play is concentrated in 1 position though, and Bonner is fine as a 4th big/floor spacing big. He's an efficient scorer, and while defense and rebounding leave a bit to be desired, we can't reasonably expect the defensive play off the bench to be elite. The Bulls have Gibson and Asik, but having that is unreasonable. Splitter/Bonner is pretty good in reality. It's replacing Blair with a better mobile defender, and a pure 4 that's the issue. But if you can fill that hole, We're in good shape.

[mercos]

I loved the effort tonight. Reminds me of last year when the Spurs torched the Heat in their first meeting. You could see the team played with a purpose. Parker was sensational. When he is that aggressive and his shot is falling he is one of the most unstoppable players in the league. Guys missed a lot of wide open shots he created for them too. His assist total could have been a lot higher.

When this team is on they are a tough team to beat. When Manu and TJ come back they are going to be extremely tough if Pop reintegrates them well. The potential has been there all year. We have seen glimpses of it, such as the first half of the Miami game. I am very excited to see what these guys can do at full strength. Great win heading into the RRT.

[ElNono]

Thanks for the writeup!

[GSH]

Tim Duncan B+
Without Duncan cleaning up the boards, it wouldn't have been nearly as easy of a ride for San Antonio.

Tony Parker A+
The last time an NBA player had at least 42 points and nine assists without turning the ball over was Larry Bird 22 years ago.

Kawhi Leonard A
Leonard wasn't giving him much room while also keeping the talented scorer off of the free throw line.

Danny Green C-
He was unsure of what to do on the offensive end and made a number of mistakes on defense.

Tiago Splitter C+
He played strong and hit the glass with authority.

Pop B-
There also wasn't much of an excuse not to play Splitter more minutes; playing him less than both Blair and Bonner is never acceptable. And with Green and Neal struggling, tonight was probably a good opportunity to give James Anderson a chance.


Nice set of grades all around. Spot on again.

I'm glad you acknowledged Tim's effort on the boards. It was huge. The Thunder didn't get all those trash points off of second shots that so often plague the Spurs.

I thought Kawhi's defense on Durant was better than it looked in the first half, even though Durant scored 17 points. Leonard made him work, and he didn't put Durant on the FT line. Those are the gravy points for KD, and he kept trying to suck out fouls on Leonard - and Leonard avoided it masterfully in my opinion.

Part of what I have really liked about Green is that he is fearless and decisive. I've never seen him look as indecisive as he did tonight. On both ends. That's gotta go away.

I kept thinking that, as Splitter proved himself, Pop would increase his minutes and put him into more critical situations. The Spurs schedule is going to allow them to have a couple of full practices during the RR Trip. If Pop can't find a way to get him more minutes than Blair, then I give up too. Is it possible that they are trying to showcase Blair so that they can move him before the deadline? I'm digging for some logic here... help me out.

[Fireball]

also, let's not forget that one of his "turnovers" tonight was a phantom travel in which he scored what should have been a good basket.

good point, tonight Lady Luck was not on Tiagos side

[Fireball]

I kept thinking that, as Splitter proved himself, Pop would increase his minutes and put him into more critical situations. The Spurs schedule is going to allow them to have a couple of full practices during the RR Trip. If Pop can't find a way to get him more minutes than Blair, then I give up too. Is it possible that they are trying to showcase Blair so that they can move him before the deadline? I'm digging for some logic here... help me out.

I hope it is. Otherwise tonight really looked like a playoff rotation. Not the minutes each player had, but I guess these guys would play in the playoffs (incl. Manu of course). James Anderson and Corey Joseph would have gotten a DNP if not for garabge time. So I am a little worried about Tiagos minutes right now. The only good thing is that "opening the bench" for garbage time means for Pop: Tiago out and Blair in ... there you see which player is more valuable to Pop in the long run ...

[spectator]

i am very excited about tonight's win. however, i do not think we can win the championship with the current bigs. i would throw the kitchen sink at taj gibson or varejao. blair + neal/anderson + 1st rounder + 2 2nd rounders.

manu showed us glimpses of still being able to play at an elite level; duncan is probably a solid 15-10-1.5 guy in 36 mpg for the playoffs. parker is still a baller. we need to win now, not in 2-3 years. if we don't make a trade for another big, i would start to prepare myself for another playoff exit. 1st or 2nd round - depending on manu's health.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wasnt happy when KL was goin out scoring only to be bench for the whole 2nd quarter....talk about cooling the hot hand...

[spectator]

btw, all spurs fans that i know think the same about the bigs on the roster, in regard to winning the championship. we need new blood. the fans know it, the coaches know it and the FO knows it.

just that b/c the media completely ignores the fact that the spurs are 3rd in the west, without their best player, FAs like martin do not consider us a true contenter. unfortunately for us, we are in the same position we have been since 07 - one true big away from the title.

[Cry Havoc]

Following Thursday's win over New Orleans, Popovich ridiculed a reporter who suggested that 7-footer Tiago Splitter attempted anything but layups, saying his last jumper was probably in Spain in 2003. Two nights later, Splitter badly missed a 13-foot fadeaway with the shot clock running down.

[Obstructed_View]

Wow, we're being awfully nitpicky about Splitter. One of his turnovers was a bullshit travelling call when he should have gotten an and-1, one was after getting a block and securing a rebound, and the third was on a moving screen makeup call 40 feet from the ball. His passing was very good and his defense and rebounding were excellent. I can't say enough about how hard he worked on the glass. He certainly did something to piss off the refs, though. Still not sure how Kevin Durant running into him at full speed constitutes a foul.

[therealtruth]

All our bad play is concentrated in 1 position though, and Bonner is fine as a 4th big/floor spacing big. He's an efficient scorer, and while defense and rebounding leave a bit to be desired, we can't reasonably expect the defensive play off the bench to be elite. The Bulls have Gibson and Asik, but having that is unreasonable. Splitter/Bonner is pretty good in reality. It's replacing Blair with a better mobile defender, and a pure 4 that's the issue. But if you can fill that hole, We're in good shape.

Another option is starting Tiago at pf and getting a backup big who can rebound and defend.

[rmt]

In the playoffs, Spurs need to get lucky with match-ups - avoiding teams with offensive big men (like LA and MEM) - the only way they have a chance. Blair/Bonner at PF is not going to cut it against good big men. Don't know what Pop has against Splitter - every other (perimeter) rookie/2nd year player gets more minutes when he plays well except Splitter. Pop is determined to live and die by the 3 (Bonner).

[Manufan909]

Only plausible explanation I can think of is that Pop is so averse to Tiago's tendency to turn the ball over that he limits his minutes as much as necessary, even though his longterm goal is to get Tiago more minutes.

I think Pop is still being very 2011esque in his rotations going towards individual game wins.
We are all questioning Pop's rotations and bitching about Splitter but we just beat the number 1 team in the entire league pretty convincingly.

It's Spurstalk man, we wouldn't be ourselves if we didn't bitch and beat dead horses ALL THE FUCKING TIME. I'd put a smiley after this mini-rant, but there's no angry+depressed+sad one to choose.

[biskvito]

Let's hope this game won't wake up Manu_Forever from his cave... :D

[FkLA]

Regarding the Splitter situation, I remember him being the first big off the bench for like the first 5-8 games or so...cant remember if he was subbing in for Duncan or Blair though. If its the former I think its pretty clear that Pop only sees him as Duncans back-up and nothing more, unfortunately. Because thats basically the only way this nigga is getting minutes as of late. :(

[ManuTastic]

Fun win, fabulous night from Toneee. Hats off. And the rest of the grades were accurate as well.

But... I'm having flashbacks to last year, and they're not good ones. High-scoring 3-pt-raining offense in the reg season, then exposed in the playoffs due to lack of size in the paint. Anyone feel me here? Love that we have good depth in the backcourt, but dam we need an upgrade on Blair.

[SpurNation]

Another option is starting Tiago at pf and getting a backup big who can rebound and defend.

If the Spurs had such a player (a big that could rebound and defend), he would more than likely be starting next to Duncan with Blair moved down the bench after Tiago and Bonner.

[will_spurs]

Basketball reference (http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&player=&match=game&year_min=&year_max=2012&age_min=0&age_max=99&team_id=&opp_id=&is_playoffs=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&is_starter=&is_active=&is_hof=&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&c1stat=pts&c1comp=gt&c1val=42&c2stat=tov&c2comp=eq&c2val=0&c3stat=ast&c3comp=gt&c3val=9&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts)

Drexler with the 8 steals :wow

Great game by Tony, and of course I missed it :bang

[acoelho1]

When Parker is aggressive and plays with a chip on his shoulder, he as good as any point guard in the league. I'm excited about this team when Manu comes back but we are not going anywhere in the playoffs with Bonner/Blair playing most of the minutes at power forward. Pop needs to play Splitter with TD so they can get accustomed to being on the court together. Unfortunately, this probably means a backup role in the playoffs as well. It will take us losing a couple of games in the playoffs and getting dominated at that position for Pop to see the light but it may be too late.

[dbestpro]

Pop sees the big next to Duncan as someone who doesn't get in his way. Blair is small so he does not get in his way so much. Otherwise, the only type of big that Pop will play next to Duncan is one who shoots from outside.

Our only hope to improve in this area is to get Dice out of retirement, sign Rasheed for the stretch run, or make a trade for someone who can pick and pop.

[wildbill2u]

Geez, Pop oughta get an A+. Bottom line: Any win with Manu and Ford out is a great job.

But I hear a lot of niggling shit criticisms about minor issues when we beat the best team in the league.

Just win, baby.

[Budkin]

Finally got around to watching the game on DVR. TP was simply unstoppable. Awesome win!

[jesterbobman]

Another option is starting Tiago at pf and getting a backup big who can rebound and defend.

Yeah, both are options, Just want to always have at least Tim or Tiago out there, and the mobile defensive PF is likely to be more common than a good 7 footer, Just because a 7 Footer is far less common than a 6'9" or 6'10" PF.

[Leetonidas]

And what makes it worse is that the PF position is clearly the most stacked position in the WC playoff race. It may have something to do with why the Spurs have success against the Thunder (relatively).. the Thunder dont have an elite PF that can abuse the Blair/Bonner combo like every other team does.

Dirk
Gasol
Aldridge
Griffin
Randolph
Nene
Love
Scola

These are the 4's currently in the playoff race :lol that Blair and Bonner will be forced to guard for long stretches in the playoffs.

Dirk, not much to say.

Gasol, Tim/Tiago will probably pick him up, hopefully Pop isn't stupid enough to start Blair or Bonner on him.

Aldridge, he's a beast but the team around him isn't going to beat the Spurs.

Griffin, keep him off the glass and prevent him from catching tons of lobs and we'll be okay. Parker usually plays very well against Paul and other "top-tier PGs" so he should be able to disrupt his comfort. Clippers defense is non-existent really so slowing the game into a half-court match will benefit the Spurs and be a disadvantage for the Clips.

Randolph, probably out for the season.

Nene, isn't he more of a center? Gasol really is too. I'm not too worried about us getting beaten by Nene.

Love, well, his team is awful so who cares, they wouldn't stand a chance against SA in the playoffs.

And Scola... :lol dude is crap this year

[Muser]

Most of those have never been elite.

[acoelho1]

The main point of Tiago starting is that we are simply better defensively when he is on the court..period! TD is mostly taking jump shots anyway so put him on the high post and in the long run if Tiago is not playing 30 plus minutes in the playoffs, we are not winning. Get them playing together now so they can learn all the nuances of each other's game. I don't care if the turds are playing together, which will probably be against the 2nd unit anyway. Blair/Bonner in the playoffs is a recipe for disaster. Rant over :)

[Solid D]

Spot-on, timvp! I especially like the information regarding TP's pts, assists & 0 TOs, the best since Larry Legend...plus good stat re the Spurs record of 46-10 when Matt Bonner hits 3 or more treys in a game.

[GSH]

Wow, we're being awfully nitpicky about Splitter. One of his turnovers was a bullshit travelling call when he should have gotten an and-1, one was after getting a block and securing a rebound, and the third was on a moving screen makeup call 40 feet from the ball. His passing was very good and his defense and rebounding were excellent. I can't say enough about how hard he worked on the glass. He certainly did something to piss off the refs, though. Still not sure how Kevin Durant running into him at full speed constitutes a foul.


I really appreciate people who look at facts and use logic and stuff like that. ;)

Not that I disagree with Timvp - Splitter's turnovers have been too frequent over a series of games. But I hope that Pop is looking at more than raw numbers, before deciding that this game was the continuation of a trend. I remember the plays you described, and whether anyone thinks they were legitimate calls or not, they were hardly the same thing as a guy coughing the ball up under pressure.

The travelling call, at least, was indisputable - he put the ball down and took two steps. There's going to be blown calls, but that doesn't have to figure into any decisions about Splitter's minutes.

[dylankerouac]

Thanks for the grades Timvp. Went to the game and this was an instant classic. Thanks for the Larry Bird stat, and wow, I had no idea Kawhi was so effective, he has stats everywhere but it's like he did it quietly. (I made it a point to not look at the player stats during the game for fear of jinxing the Spurs, heck OKC was making it close in the fourth with Tony tired by then)

It was interesting to hear some Thunder hecklers open their mouths early in, talking about a certain 2011 All-Star PG. It was funny to see their empty seats in the fourth.

Anyway, I came back home and watched the game on the dvr and I especially loved the Kawhi Leonard and Parker show during the first quarter 4:39-2:04.

A sagging Durant leads to a Leonard 3.
Duncan drive, attracts Durant off Leonard, Duncan gets his own rebound and an assist, Leonard 3.
Leonard drive, spin, layup.
Parker (almost exact same thing Leonard does) drive, spin, layup.
Green drives, passes to Leonard, Leonard fakes (at this point Durant has to respect him and jumps) Leonard jumps into Durant and draws the foul.

WoW! He can become a really special player.

Tony, well he did what Tony does. Simply amazing performance and congratulations to him for his hard-earned record!

[timaios]

Great game by Tony, and of course I missed it :bang

Tony Parker 42 points (+9 ast) vs Thunder full highlights (2012.02.04)



aKrfMofaTHI

[will_spurs]

Tony Parker 42 points (+9 ast) vs Thunder full highlights (2012.02.04)

Merci ! :flag:

[timvp]

Wow, we're being awfully nitpicky about Splitter. One of his turnovers was a bullshit travelling call when he should have gotten an and-1, one was after getting a block and securing a rebound, and the third was on a moving screen makeup call 40 feet from the ball.

Splitter doesn't have a lot of obviously bad turnovers this season. Most Spurs fans wouldn't even know he's been turnover prone because his mistakes usually happen in the flow of the game.

But whatever the excuses, Splitter has to cut down his turnover rate. He's turning the ball over significantly more than Duncan, Ginobili or Parker ever has. That's obviously unacceptable for a player who doesn't handle the ball very much.

That said, that shouldn't be a viable excuse for Pop not playing Splitter more often. A lot of the turnovers are due to simply not having chemistry with his teammates when it comes to hitting players on the go or the timing of the pick-and-roll. Playing time is the only solution.

Unfortunately, it's far from a certainty that Splitter will be given adequate playing time before it's too late.

[will_spurs]

But whatever the excuses, Splitter has to cut down his turnover rate. He's turning the ball over significantly more than Duncan, Ginobili or Parker ever has. That's obviously unacceptable for a player who doesn't handle the ball very much.

Splitter TO per 36 minutes: 2.9

Parker career avg TO per 36 min: 2.8 (3.1 in 09-10, 3.3 in 05-06)
Manu career avg TO per 36 min: 2.7 (3.1 in 07-08)
Duncan career avg TO per 36 min: 2.6 (3.1 in 97-98, 3.0 in 99-00 and 06-07)

I agree Splitter's TO rate is a bit too high compared to the time he spends handling the ball, but it's not extraordinarily high compared to his teammates.

[timvp]

Geez, Pop oughta get an A+. Bottom line: Any win with Manu and Ford out is a great job.

But I hear a lot of niggling shit criticisms about minor issues when we beat the best team in the league.

Just win, baby.

The big picture is just as important as each game. Otherwise, Pop should play his best players 40+ minutes and go to a seven-man rotation right now if winning today is all that matters.

The win over the Thunder was great. But failing to give Parker sufficient rest and possibly wearing off some of the tread is a concern. And I wouldn't consider the failure to carve out a consistently large role for Splitter as "niggling".

In fact, those are probably the two most important issues right now. So while Pop deserved an A for the win, he scored low when it came to doing the things necessary to maximize San Antonio's chances to win a championship.

[timvp]

Splitter TO per 36 minutes: 2.9

Parker career avg TO per 36 min: 2.8 (3.1 in 09-10, 3.3 in 05-06)
Manu career avg TO per 36 min: 2.7 (3.1 in 07-08)
Duncan career avg TO per 36 min: 2.6 (3.1 in 97-98, 3.0 in 99-00 and 06-07)

I agree Splitter's TO rate is a bit too high compared to the time he spends handling the ball, but it's not extraordinarily high compared to his teammates.

I think turnover percentage is the better measurement when comparing players at different positions. Splitter's TO% is 19.8 this season.

Duncan's career TO% is 12.8 with a high of 15.7 when he was a rookie.

Ginobili's career TO% is 13.9 with a high of 17.5 when he was a rookie.

Parker's career TO% is 14.1 with a high of 17.5 when he was a rookie.

So Splitter's TO% this year is 13.1% higher than the worst of Parker and Ginobili. And the jump has been a surprise since Splitter's TO% was a very respectable 11.2 last season.

The good news is Splitter has been improving as of late in the turnover department. If he can get back to at least around 15, that will give Pop one less excuse not to play him.

[Bruno]

Parker playing so much minutes has a lot to do with Spurs not having a backup PG. Joseph, Neal and even Green haven't been able to be decent backup PG.

I wouldn't be too harsh on Pop for playing that much Parker because it's a temporary thing which should end in a few weeks with Ginobili and Ford back. If Pop continues to overplay Parker with the full team healthy, he then should bb criticized about it.

Spurs' FO, which include Pop, deserves way more criticism for not having signed a vet PG when Ford got injured and when it became obvious that Spurs didn't have a decent backup PG in their roster. It's a little miracle that Spurs haven't been more hurt by that lack.

[dunkman]

Not Manu coaches would down the NBA best team without their best player. IMO Parker is still young he can play 38 mpg sometimes. His average for the season is 33.7 mpg. While Parker gets more assists then in the previous seasons, his offensive efficiency is awful around 1 pt per shot this season. It was great to see an quality game from here.

BTW, the grades analysis is a quality work.

[Em-City]

Splitter doesn't have a lot of obviously bad turnovers this season. Most Spurs fans wouldn't even know he's been turnover prone because his mistakes usually happen in the flow of the game.

His offensive fouls generally go under the radar in the heat of the moment, but count as turnovers none the less.

[wildbill2u]

The big picture is just as important as each game. Otherwise, Pop should play his best players 40+ minutes and go to a seven-man rotation right now if winning today is all that matters.

The win over the Thunder was great. But failing to give Parker sufficient rest and possibly wearing off some of the tread is a concern. And I wouldn't consider the failure to carve out a consistently large role for Splitter as "niggling".

In fact, those are probably the two most important issues right now. So while Pop deserved an A for the win, he scored low when it came to doing the things necessary to maximize San Antonio's chances to win a championship.

Yeah, but the grade you give is for the single game. You need to keep the parameters of the grading system intact or you start getting off into the 'what ifs' of potential game performances past and future.

IMHO Pop is probably looking at the 'big picture' as you call it with the moves you find incomprehensible as to rotations and minutes. You don't get to be a coach with his number of wins, titles, and percentage of winning without some idea of the big picture as well as the minutae of the single game. Or do you think he really makes moves because it's Tuesday???

The desired end result of the accumulation of winning single games is to make the playoffs and so far Pop is doing a damn good job of winning individual games, however he does it.

If he was a player, he'd be playing at a high level with a gimpy leg and a brain injury and we'd all be amazed.

[therealtruth]

Yeah, but the grade you give is for the single game. You need to keep the parameters of the grading system intact or you start getting off into the 'what ifs' of potential game performances past and future.

IMHO Pop is probably looking at the 'big picture' as you call it with the moves you find incomprehensible as to rotations and minutes. You don't get to be a coach with his number of wins, titles, and percentage of winning without some idea of the big picture as well as the minutae of the single game. Or do you think he really makes moves because it's Tuesday???

The desired end result of the accumulation of winning single games is to make the playoffs and so far Pop is doing a damn good job of winning individual games, however he does it.

If he was a player, he'd be playing at a high level with a gimpy leg and a brain injury and we'd all be amazed.

Pop didn't do such a great job of looking at the big picture last season. Otherwise he would have integrated Splitter into the rotation by playoffs. He's still not getting Splitter enough minutes even though his defense and scoring will be more valuable in the playoffs.

[TJastal]

The big picture is just as important as each game. Otherwise, Pop should play his best players 40+ minutes and go to a seven-man rotation right now if winning today is all that matters.

The win over the Thunder was great. But failing to give Parker sufficient rest and possibly wearing off some of the tread is a concern. And I wouldn't consider the failure to carve out a consistently large role for Splitter as "niggling".

In fact, those are probably the two most important issues right now. So while Pop deserved an A for the win, he scored low when it came to doing the things necessary to maximize San Antonio's chances to win a championship.

Expecting certain spurfans to pay attention to anything other than whether a game was won or lost is asking alot.

[TJastal]

Yeah, but the grade you give is for the single game. You need to keep the parameters of the grading system intact or you start getting off into the 'what ifs' of potential game performances past and future.

IMHO Pop is probably looking at the 'big picture' as you call it with the moves you find incomprehensible as to rotations and minutes. You don't get to be a coach with his number of wins, titles, and percentage of winning without some idea of the big picture as well as the minutae of the single game. Or do you think he really makes moves because it's Tuesday???

The desired end result of the accumulation of winning single games is to make the playoffs and so far Pop is doing a damn good job of winning individual games, however he does it.

If he was a player, he'd be playing at a high level with a gimpy leg and a brain injury and we'd all be amazed.

This is Timvp's website therefore he can grade any damn way he pleases.

Pop clearly isn't seeing the bigger picture with Splitter's role on the team. This is likely going to bite the spurs in the ass once again. And Timvp has every right to draw attention to it and use it in his grading system.

You may think Pop knows best with Splitter but last season's debacle in the playoffs begs to differ. And this season he has shown even more of his skillset yet continues to take a backseat to inferior players like Blair and Bonner. There is no excuse for this.

[maverick1948]

Having watched the game a second time with stop action, I have a couple of comments to make.

First, our bench got too happy shooting 3 pts and not working the ball for a good 2 pt shot. When you are ahead by 24, you look for the best shot. By looking for the game closing 3, we failed to find the 2 pt shot that would have put them over the top. 6 - 14 from 3 pt is fine, but 1 - 10 from 2? What the heck?

Second, things that dont show in the box score are called intangibles. Some of the Spurs players have the nack for doing things that dont show up. Ibaka, Perkins, Nazr, and Collison had a total of 13 rebounds. What caused the low number for those 4? On a large number of rebounds, the ball went to the backcourt for guard to rebound. But something else, our lesser name players who didnt have big stats stepped up. Every one of the Spurs, Bonner, Blair, Jefferson and Leonard, all blocked out well. Timmy reaped the reward from the hard play of the others.

Like I have said before, we do need another big. But I watch the play of those we have and realize that Pop does look at the replay of every game and evaluates the team. Yes, Bonner is weak on defense, but he is strong on offense. Blair is undersized but he works as hard as anyone to get his position.

One other thing, our defense is doing quite well. Over the last 10 games we have given up between 90-91 pts a game. That is well below the level we started out.

I love the grades from Timvp, but sometimes the little things are missed in grading.