timvp
03-08-2012, 02:54 AM
Bouncing back following a home loss against the Nuggets, the Spurs routed the Knicks by a final score of 118-105. After a run in the first half, New York never challenged again as San Antonio improved to 2-2 on their seven-game homestand.
The first half run started with a Tony Parker jumper with 6:22 remaining in the second quarter that put the Spurs up by three points. That shot ignited a 22-6 run in which Parker scored 13 of his 23 first half points.
The Knicks were without Tyson Chandler due to injury and it was obvious they were missing their man in the middle. Without him, they played some of the most pathetic defense I've witnessed this season.
That said, the Spurs really needed this win after the Denver letdown. Hopefully they have some momentum heading into the most difficult game of the homestand -- Friday against the Clippers.
http://oi42.tinypic.com/15gedzm.jpg
http://oi40.tinypic.com/1jp93m.jpg
Tim Duncan B+
Although he missed a few easy shots and struggled to hold onto the ball on both ends, Tim Duncan looked much better than at any point since the All-Star break. He was moving extremely well -- he was relatively fast up and down the court and his movements were quick and sharp. Offensively, he used his added mobility to author some of his better post moves of the season. On defense, he protected the rim well. Duncan did a poor job of going out on the perimeter on defense but the Knicks weren't making him pay for slacking. All in all, it was an encouraging game from the fundamentally sound Virgin Islander.
Manu Ginobili A-
In his second game back following the oblique injury, Manu Ginobili again looked very good. He appears to be in much better shape than at any point this season. On offense, he had everything working: his passing was fantastic, he was hitting his outside shots, he slashed to the basket and he easily shredded New York's feeble defense. His only bugaboo on the offensive end was turnovers, which should be expected due to his limited playing this season. Defensively, he wasn't nearly as good. While he didn't appear to have any trouble getting to his spots, he had a handful of miscues that led to open shots for the Knicks. Overall, though, Spurs fans should be very encouraged by Ginobili's play.
Tony Parker A
With as well as Tony Parker was converting and as bad as the Knicks were defending, he could have easily had 50 points tonight if he wanted it. He decided to take it easy by pouring in 32 points on 19 shots. In the last three games, Parker is sizzling from the field (29-for-46 for 63%). Against the Knicks, his passing was also good -- especially out of pick-and-roll sets. Defensively, it was obvious that Parker was motivated against Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis. When he was on the court, that duo made only 4-of-14 field goal attempts. On Wednesday night, there was no question who the best point guard on the court was.
Gary Neal D
Gary Neal got the start at shooting guard against the Knicks -- and he shot the ball a lot … with limited accuracy. If he's going to be a long-term starter, he's going to have to pick his spots more wisely. With the Spurs easily getting whatever they wanted against the Knicks, Neal lofted a number of iffy looks. Even when he tried to make plays, he had minimal success. Defensively, he had some really poor moments. When it comes to making quick, instinctive switches -- which were the hallmark of the great defensive Spurs teams of yesteryear -- Neal has major struggles. That was especially true against the Knicks tonight due to the number of screens Mike D'Antoni utilizes in his offensive gameplan.
Richard Jefferson C-
For the first time in a long while, Richard Jefferson began the game defending against a talented scorer. And since Carmelo Anthony didn't totally go buck wild, I'd say it was a success. I also liked how Jefferson was a bit more physical than usual. However, other those two items, he was invisible. He didn't do anything on the offensive end and wasn't offering any help rotations on the defensive end.
DeJuan Blair B
After banging his knee against the Nuggets, DeJuan Blair looked perfectly healthy against the Knicks. He was connecting on his shots around the rim, which included a few high-difficulty looks. He also helped out on that end by owning the offensive glass. On defense, Blair wasn't bad but he was oftentimes a step too slow, particularly when defending pick-and-rolls. Defensive rebounding was a weakness; a lot of times he didn't bother to box out or even jump for boards on that side of the court.
Kawhi Leonard C+
Offensively, Kawhi Leonard did a great job of playing to his strengths. Instead of camping out beyond the three-point line, he concentrated on running the court, cutting to the rim and crashing the offensive boards. When paired with Ginobili, the rookie's ability to run, catch and finish with virtually no wasted motion was on full display. Defensively, while he was rebounding well and also swiped a few steals, I thought his individual defense was extremely weak. Knicks players were scoring over him and around him all night long. Since the All-Star break, he's been especially poor at detouring opponents who are driving to the lane; he usually ends up moving to the side and escorting the player to the rim.
Tiago Splitter B-
Both teams had a problem holding onto the ball tonight and Tiago Splitter was one of the main culprits. Whenever the ball was in possession, it seemed like he was on the verge of turning it over. I also didn't like his effort on the defensive glass and I think he continues to look a lot slower than his pre-injury days. All that said, it's difficult to be too upset with his production. Splitter is still by far the best Spurs bigman in pick-and-rolls and his overall defensive presence was an asset. Let's hope he can eliminate the rough edges to his game we've seen lately so he can soon return to being the league's top backup center.
Danny Green B-
For the second straight game, Danny Green got benched for a defensive mistake. Against the Nuggets, Green lasted less than two minutes before getting yanked. Tonight, Green got yanked in less than five seconds. While Pop might not be as strict with his defensive demands as he was a decade ago, he's being extremely tough on Green. Pop isn't letting him make any mistakes -- and I love it. Green seems like the type of player who will respond to intense coaching. The Spurs desperately need a couple quality defenders and Green has the potential to be just that. In the second half against the Nuggets, Pop gave Green another chance and he responded. While I didn't like his shot selection, Green knocked them down. On defense, he was much more attentive following Pop's teaching moment.
Matt Bonner C-
The most entertaining game within the game was when Matt Bonner and Steve Novak matched up. It started off friendly but then eventually they both got chippy. At one point, the two marksmen traded forearm shivers and neither would give the other one anything resembling an open look. These might be the last two players you'd ever expect to start a mano-a-mano battle … but that's what happened. I guess they both take the title of the Best Three-Point Shooter in NBA History 6-foot-10-or-Taller seriously. (Currently, Novak is first at 42.9% and Bonner is second at 41.9% -- with Channing Frye a distant third at 39.4%.) Oh, and as for the game against the Knicks, Bonner didn't really do anything else of note other than tussle with Novak.
James Anderson Inc.
When Green got pulled, James Anderson was again the player who got the call. And like we've gotten used to, Anderson didn't really do much: he had an athletic finish at the basket and pulled down a pair of rebounds. Speaking of rebounding, Anderson has really turned it around in that area. In his first 316 minutes this season, he had only 35 rebounds. But in his last four games, he has ten rebounds in 45 minutes -- nearly doubling his previous rate.
TJ Ford Inc.
The worst part of the game was seeing TJ Ford writhing in pain on the court after Baron Davis rammed into his back. Ford, who has a history if neck and spine issues, was later diagnosed with a stinger. The good news is he passed all the neurological tests, however there's no guarantee he'll be cleared for basketball activities right away. For those who care, I thought Ford was playing poorly prior to getting hurt. He was dribbling too much and wasn't making any plays on either end.
Pop D
Pop got ejected after a pair of technical fouls near the end of the fourth quarter. Frankly, I thought it was stupid of Pop to get ejected at that point of the game. The Spurs were up by 22 points and were headed into a garbage-time filled final period. There was simply no reason to get ejected and leave the difficult job of nursing a large lead to his assistant coaches. Predictably, the assistants overreacted to halfhearted runs by the Knicks and played Duncan and Parker unnecessary minutes. And I can't really blame the assistants because if the Knicks would have come back to win, even though it was extremely unlikely, Pop would have never forgiven anyone involved. As for Pop's actual coaching, I don't like a starting lineup that features both Jefferson and Neal; there's simply not enough defense with those two players on the wing. Otherwise, Pop was doing an adequate job before his pointless ejection.
The first half run started with a Tony Parker jumper with 6:22 remaining in the second quarter that put the Spurs up by three points. That shot ignited a 22-6 run in which Parker scored 13 of his 23 first half points.
The Knicks were without Tyson Chandler due to injury and it was obvious they were missing their man in the middle. Without him, they played some of the most pathetic defense I've witnessed this season.
That said, the Spurs really needed this win after the Denver letdown. Hopefully they have some momentum heading into the most difficult game of the homestand -- Friday against the Clippers.
http://oi42.tinypic.com/15gedzm.jpg
http://oi40.tinypic.com/1jp93m.jpg
Tim Duncan B+
Although he missed a few easy shots and struggled to hold onto the ball on both ends, Tim Duncan looked much better than at any point since the All-Star break. He was moving extremely well -- he was relatively fast up and down the court and his movements were quick and sharp. Offensively, he used his added mobility to author some of his better post moves of the season. On defense, he protected the rim well. Duncan did a poor job of going out on the perimeter on defense but the Knicks weren't making him pay for slacking. All in all, it was an encouraging game from the fundamentally sound Virgin Islander.
Manu Ginobili A-
In his second game back following the oblique injury, Manu Ginobili again looked very good. He appears to be in much better shape than at any point this season. On offense, he had everything working: his passing was fantastic, he was hitting his outside shots, he slashed to the basket and he easily shredded New York's feeble defense. His only bugaboo on the offensive end was turnovers, which should be expected due to his limited playing this season. Defensively, he wasn't nearly as good. While he didn't appear to have any trouble getting to his spots, he had a handful of miscues that led to open shots for the Knicks. Overall, though, Spurs fans should be very encouraged by Ginobili's play.
Tony Parker A
With as well as Tony Parker was converting and as bad as the Knicks were defending, he could have easily had 50 points tonight if he wanted it. He decided to take it easy by pouring in 32 points on 19 shots. In the last three games, Parker is sizzling from the field (29-for-46 for 63%). Against the Knicks, his passing was also good -- especially out of pick-and-roll sets. Defensively, it was obvious that Parker was motivated against Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis. When he was on the court, that duo made only 4-of-14 field goal attempts. On Wednesday night, there was no question who the best point guard on the court was.
Gary Neal D
Gary Neal got the start at shooting guard against the Knicks -- and he shot the ball a lot … with limited accuracy. If he's going to be a long-term starter, he's going to have to pick his spots more wisely. With the Spurs easily getting whatever they wanted against the Knicks, Neal lofted a number of iffy looks. Even when he tried to make plays, he had minimal success. Defensively, he had some really poor moments. When it comes to making quick, instinctive switches -- which were the hallmark of the great defensive Spurs teams of yesteryear -- Neal has major struggles. That was especially true against the Knicks tonight due to the number of screens Mike D'Antoni utilizes in his offensive gameplan.
Richard Jefferson C-
For the first time in a long while, Richard Jefferson began the game defending against a talented scorer. And since Carmelo Anthony didn't totally go buck wild, I'd say it was a success. I also liked how Jefferson was a bit more physical than usual. However, other those two items, he was invisible. He didn't do anything on the offensive end and wasn't offering any help rotations on the defensive end.
DeJuan Blair B
After banging his knee against the Nuggets, DeJuan Blair looked perfectly healthy against the Knicks. He was connecting on his shots around the rim, which included a few high-difficulty looks. He also helped out on that end by owning the offensive glass. On defense, Blair wasn't bad but he was oftentimes a step too slow, particularly when defending pick-and-rolls. Defensive rebounding was a weakness; a lot of times he didn't bother to box out or even jump for boards on that side of the court.
Kawhi Leonard C+
Offensively, Kawhi Leonard did a great job of playing to his strengths. Instead of camping out beyond the three-point line, he concentrated on running the court, cutting to the rim and crashing the offensive boards. When paired with Ginobili, the rookie's ability to run, catch and finish with virtually no wasted motion was on full display. Defensively, while he was rebounding well and also swiped a few steals, I thought his individual defense was extremely weak. Knicks players were scoring over him and around him all night long. Since the All-Star break, he's been especially poor at detouring opponents who are driving to the lane; he usually ends up moving to the side and escorting the player to the rim.
Tiago Splitter B-
Both teams had a problem holding onto the ball tonight and Tiago Splitter was one of the main culprits. Whenever the ball was in possession, it seemed like he was on the verge of turning it over. I also didn't like his effort on the defensive glass and I think he continues to look a lot slower than his pre-injury days. All that said, it's difficult to be too upset with his production. Splitter is still by far the best Spurs bigman in pick-and-rolls and his overall defensive presence was an asset. Let's hope he can eliminate the rough edges to his game we've seen lately so he can soon return to being the league's top backup center.
Danny Green B-
For the second straight game, Danny Green got benched for a defensive mistake. Against the Nuggets, Green lasted less than two minutes before getting yanked. Tonight, Green got yanked in less than five seconds. While Pop might not be as strict with his defensive demands as he was a decade ago, he's being extremely tough on Green. Pop isn't letting him make any mistakes -- and I love it. Green seems like the type of player who will respond to intense coaching. The Spurs desperately need a couple quality defenders and Green has the potential to be just that. In the second half against the Nuggets, Pop gave Green another chance and he responded. While I didn't like his shot selection, Green knocked them down. On defense, he was much more attentive following Pop's teaching moment.
Matt Bonner C-
The most entertaining game within the game was when Matt Bonner and Steve Novak matched up. It started off friendly but then eventually they both got chippy. At one point, the two marksmen traded forearm shivers and neither would give the other one anything resembling an open look. These might be the last two players you'd ever expect to start a mano-a-mano battle … but that's what happened. I guess they both take the title of the Best Three-Point Shooter in NBA History 6-foot-10-or-Taller seriously. (Currently, Novak is first at 42.9% and Bonner is second at 41.9% -- with Channing Frye a distant third at 39.4%.) Oh, and as for the game against the Knicks, Bonner didn't really do anything else of note other than tussle with Novak.
James Anderson Inc.
When Green got pulled, James Anderson was again the player who got the call. And like we've gotten used to, Anderson didn't really do much: he had an athletic finish at the basket and pulled down a pair of rebounds. Speaking of rebounding, Anderson has really turned it around in that area. In his first 316 minutes this season, he had only 35 rebounds. But in his last four games, he has ten rebounds in 45 minutes -- nearly doubling his previous rate.
TJ Ford Inc.
The worst part of the game was seeing TJ Ford writhing in pain on the court after Baron Davis rammed into his back. Ford, who has a history if neck and spine issues, was later diagnosed with a stinger. The good news is he passed all the neurological tests, however there's no guarantee he'll be cleared for basketball activities right away. For those who care, I thought Ford was playing poorly prior to getting hurt. He was dribbling too much and wasn't making any plays on either end.
Pop D
Pop got ejected after a pair of technical fouls near the end of the fourth quarter. Frankly, I thought it was stupid of Pop to get ejected at that point of the game. The Spurs were up by 22 points and were headed into a garbage-time filled final period. There was simply no reason to get ejected and leave the difficult job of nursing a large lead to his assistant coaches. Predictably, the assistants overreacted to halfhearted runs by the Knicks and played Duncan and Parker unnecessary minutes. And I can't really blame the assistants because if the Knicks would have come back to win, even though it was extremely unlikely, Pop would have never forgiven anyone involved. As for Pop's actual coaching, I don't like a starting lineup that features both Jefferson and Neal; there's simply not enough defense with those two players on the wing. Otherwise, Pop was doing an adequate job before his pointless ejection.