timvp
02-24-2012, 12:12 AM
After Pop voluntarily ended the team's 11-game winning streak by resting Tim Duncan and Tony Parker against the Blazers on Tuesday, the Spurs wasted little time starting a new streak. Versus a banged up Nuggets squad, the Spurs got up early and coasted to a 114-99 victory.
With the Spurs up by a point early in the game, DeJuan Blair made a layup that sparked a 19-1 run in a span of five and a half minutes. Denver made a run in the fourth quarter -- they got within 12 points with 6:41 remaining -- but there was relatively little turbulence the rest of the way.
The win put an exclamation point on an 8-1 Rodeo Road Trip. Needless to say it was a very successful trip that surpassed any reasonable expectations. The Spurs can now relax. First up is the All-Star weekend, which will then be followed by a seven-game homestand. Good times for the silver and black.
http://oi41.tinypic.com/ra2dk6.jpg
http://oi39.tinypic.com/24lmwxw.jpg
Tim Duncan B+
While the Spurs were building their lead, Tim Duncan was the dominant figure in the paint. On defense, he was thwarting any and all drives to the rim. His transition defense was especially good tonight. Offensively, Duncan hit a few outside jumpers early, which forced the Nuggets bigs to step out further on the court -- and that fueled a vintage performance on that end. Overall, it was just a strong, steady outing for #21.
Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker was by far the best player on the court in the game's first 33 minutes. He was running the offense perfectly and had ten assists and no turnovers at that point. Unfortunately, he took his foot off the gas and suffered through some rough patches late in the third quarter and in the fourth. But Parker eventually recovered enough to stymie the Nuggets comeback. For the first time in his career, Parker has four consecutive double-doubles. He's the first Spurs player to have at least ten points and ten assists in four straight games since Rod Strickland 21 years ago.
DeJuan Blair A+
There you go, DeJuan Blair. In undoubtedly his best game of the season, Blair did good work in all phases of the game. He was attentive on defense and made good rotations -- both in the paint and out to the perimeter. On the defensive glass, he showed his best effort in a long time. Offensively, he made quick decisions and used his girth to his advantage. Blair also made a number of quality passes and illustrated good overall awareness. Amazingly, he did all of this even though he didn't seem to be moving all too well. Let's hope he builds on the mental focus he had tonight and brings it to the second half of the season.
Danny Green A
Early on, Danny Green was all over the court. The Nuggets came out flat and Green took advantage in a big way. Virtually every loose ball or contestable rebound had Green involved. His energy and tenacity seemed to ignite the Spurs and played a key role in the 19-1 first quarter run. Offensively, he was really effective as well. After last game, I wrote that I wanted Green to continue taking the ball hard to the rim and look for contact when at all possible. Tonight, the youngster did just that -- highlighted by a pair of and-1 conversions within 20 seconds of each other in the opening period. Personally, I think he's athletic enough and strong enough to not have to rely on floaters and runners as much as he did in the first half of the season. We'll see if he makes that adjustment going forward.
Richard Jefferson A
Perhaps the most surprising development of the night was Richard Jefferson showing some life. Defensively, he was closing out on shooters really well -- especially in the first half. He also offered timely help D and crashed the boards. On offense, he made the most of his open looks from beyond the three-point arc. Pop drew up a few plays for him and Jefferson produced each time. I'm not sure if this was his best game of the season but it was at least his best game in a long, long time.
Matt Bonner B
On the offense end of the court, Matt Bonner did what Matt Bonner does: hit three-pointers and make careful yet good decisions with the basketball. Defensively and on the boards, Bonner looked tired. All those extra minutes he has played lately seemed to catch up to him. The All-Star break couldn't come at a better time for the Red Rocket.
James Anderson D-
James Anderson definitely didn't hide while out on the floor. Too bad for him that all his activity led to very little actual production. He had a few good moments offensively but his shot was off and his defense was putrid. His lateral movement on D looked especially suspect tonight.
Gary Neal B-
Although he's obviously still far from a true point guard, Gary Neal continues to show growth in that area. When advancing the basketball, he was able to keep his head up and made a few very good crosscourt passes while on the move. His shooting was off but those passes alone made him an asset on offense. Defensively, he too looked a little tired but he competed.
Kawhi Leonard Inc.
Kawhi Leonard scored an early bucket but then soon was sent to the bench for the rest of the night. Apparently, something tightened up and they decided to not risk it. Let's hope the rookie is healthy come next Wednesday.
Pop A
Well, all those tears shed about the Blazers game look foolish in retrospect. The Spurs showed no loss of momentum or anything like that and finished off a fantastic Rodeo Road Trip. While the Nuggets were banged up, it's easy to forget that the Spurs were without both Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. Considering all the circumstances, this easy of a win was not expected. Pop managed the lead well and didn't overly panic. A tip of the hat to the job he did tonight and thus far this season.
With the Spurs up by a point early in the game, DeJuan Blair made a layup that sparked a 19-1 run in a span of five and a half minutes. Denver made a run in the fourth quarter -- they got within 12 points with 6:41 remaining -- but there was relatively little turbulence the rest of the way.
The win put an exclamation point on an 8-1 Rodeo Road Trip. Needless to say it was a very successful trip that surpassed any reasonable expectations. The Spurs can now relax. First up is the All-Star weekend, which will then be followed by a seven-game homestand. Good times for the silver and black.
http://oi41.tinypic.com/ra2dk6.jpg
http://oi39.tinypic.com/24lmwxw.jpg
Tim Duncan B+
While the Spurs were building their lead, Tim Duncan was the dominant figure in the paint. On defense, he was thwarting any and all drives to the rim. His transition defense was especially good tonight. Offensively, Duncan hit a few outside jumpers early, which forced the Nuggets bigs to step out further on the court -- and that fueled a vintage performance on that end. Overall, it was just a strong, steady outing for #21.
Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker was by far the best player on the court in the game's first 33 minutes. He was running the offense perfectly and had ten assists and no turnovers at that point. Unfortunately, he took his foot off the gas and suffered through some rough patches late in the third quarter and in the fourth. But Parker eventually recovered enough to stymie the Nuggets comeback. For the first time in his career, Parker has four consecutive double-doubles. He's the first Spurs player to have at least ten points and ten assists in four straight games since Rod Strickland 21 years ago.
DeJuan Blair A+
There you go, DeJuan Blair. In undoubtedly his best game of the season, Blair did good work in all phases of the game. He was attentive on defense and made good rotations -- both in the paint and out to the perimeter. On the defensive glass, he showed his best effort in a long time. Offensively, he made quick decisions and used his girth to his advantage. Blair also made a number of quality passes and illustrated good overall awareness. Amazingly, he did all of this even though he didn't seem to be moving all too well. Let's hope he builds on the mental focus he had tonight and brings it to the second half of the season.
Danny Green A
Early on, Danny Green was all over the court. The Nuggets came out flat and Green took advantage in a big way. Virtually every loose ball or contestable rebound had Green involved. His energy and tenacity seemed to ignite the Spurs and played a key role in the 19-1 first quarter run. Offensively, he was really effective as well. After last game, I wrote that I wanted Green to continue taking the ball hard to the rim and look for contact when at all possible. Tonight, the youngster did just that -- highlighted by a pair of and-1 conversions within 20 seconds of each other in the opening period. Personally, I think he's athletic enough and strong enough to not have to rely on floaters and runners as much as he did in the first half of the season. We'll see if he makes that adjustment going forward.
Richard Jefferson A
Perhaps the most surprising development of the night was Richard Jefferson showing some life. Defensively, he was closing out on shooters really well -- especially in the first half. He also offered timely help D and crashed the boards. On offense, he made the most of his open looks from beyond the three-point arc. Pop drew up a few plays for him and Jefferson produced each time. I'm not sure if this was his best game of the season but it was at least his best game in a long, long time.
Matt Bonner B
On the offense end of the court, Matt Bonner did what Matt Bonner does: hit three-pointers and make careful yet good decisions with the basketball. Defensively and on the boards, Bonner looked tired. All those extra minutes he has played lately seemed to catch up to him. The All-Star break couldn't come at a better time for the Red Rocket.
James Anderson D-
James Anderson definitely didn't hide while out on the floor. Too bad for him that all his activity led to very little actual production. He had a few good moments offensively but his shot was off and his defense was putrid. His lateral movement on D looked especially suspect tonight.
Gary Neal B-
Although he's obviously still far from a true point guard, Gary Neal continues to show growth in that area. When advancing the basketball, he was able to keep his head up and made a few very good crosscourt passes while on the move. His shooting was off but those passes alone made him an asset on offense. Defensively, he too looked a little tired but he competed.
Kawhi Leonard Inc.
Kawhi Leonard scored an early bucket but then soon was sent to the bench for the rest of the night. Apparently, something tightened up and they decided to not risk it. Let's hope the rookie is healthy come next Wednesday.
Pop A
Well, all those tears shed about the Blazers game look foolish in retrospect. The Spurs showed no loss of momentum or anything like that and finished off a fantastic Rodeo Road Trip. While the Nuggets were banged up, it's easy to forget that the Spurs were without both Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. Considering all the circumstances, this easy of a win was not expected. Pop managed the lead well and didn't overly panic. A tip of the hat to the job he did tonight and thus far this season.