Grades: Spurs @ Cavaliers - Apr. 3

[timvp]

The Spurs entered this game with seven straight wins. The Cavs entered with seven straight losses. Following a run by San Antonio at the end of the first quarter, the suspense was over and the streaks would continue. When the final buzzer sounded, the Spurs had a 125-90 victory.

While, yes, the Cavs are a bad team, this was a beautiful game to watch. The Spurs ball-movement was excellent and the shooters were scorching. There were highlights galore -- even defensively.

The Spurs are back in action tomorrow night in Boston. Obviously, that contest will be much more of a test. I'm excited to see if San Antonio's high-octane offense can thrive against a defensive squad like the Celtics.

http://oi42.tinypic.com/24wh7qu.jpg

http://oi42.tinypic.com/35ixf2o.jpg

Tim Duncan B-
Tonight turned out to be a glorified summer league game. I don't even think Tim Duncan broke a sweat ... or even bothered to bend his knees at any point. Offensively, he kept it basic and was mostly seen missing jumpers on the perimeter. Defensively, he protected the rim well, cleaned up the glass and challenged a few outside jumpers. Duncan's energy level was low but that was by design -- there was no reason for him to take it out of first gear.

Manu Ginobili A
I'm getting more and more enthusiastic about Manu Ginobili's defense. Against Cleveland, he was incredibly annoying. Whenever a Cavs player exposed the basketball, Ginobili was there to snatch it or deflect it. It's that type of tenacity that has made Ginobili a quality defender over the years and it's what he has to get back to doing by the time the playoffs arrive. Offensively, it was just another classic example of the way he's playing this year. Ginobili was efficient with his scoring while showing off amazing court vision and playmaking ability.

Tony Parker A
Tristan Thompson scored to give the Cavs a 1-point lead with 7:24 to go in the first quarter. And then Tony Parker decided to switch to God-mode. In the next four minutes, he had nine points on 4-for-4 shooting to go along with a pair of assists. By the time his one-man flurry was over, the Spurs were up by nine points and San Antonio would never look back. Parker's passing was great all night; he was more aware and had better vision than usual. When he wanted to score, he scored. Overall, he gave Kyrie Irving a nasty introduction to the NBA.

Kawhi Leonard B-
I like that Kawhi Leonard has been more aggressive lately in terms of looking to score and create. However, tonight he was attacking by himself a few times even though the Spurs were having unlimited success by moving the basketball. It might have been the first time I thought Leonard should have passed the ball more. But honestly, I'd rather him be too aggressive than too passive since he's such a productive player. Defensively, he was really good. Leonard engulfed Alonzo Gee while also playing quality help defense.

Danny Green A+
Apparently, Danny Green doesn't have love for the team that drafted him. He enjoyed every second as he demolished the Cavs on both ends. Defensively, he was flying all over the court. When Green starts wreaking havoc on that end, that's when he's most valuable. Offensively, he was burying three-pointers with some of the best form he's shown all season -- his stroke was compact and fast. Tonight was an example of why the coaching staff has to think long and hard before they decide to remove Green from the starting lineup. When he's going good, he's a huge asset on both ends.

DeJuan Blair C
While plus/minus stats rarely tell the whole story, it's difficult to ignore Blair's numbers tonight: When Blair was off the court, the Spurs outscored the Cavs by 32 points in only 27 minutes. In the 21 minutes he was playing, San Antonio only outscored Cleveland by three points. Defensively, he began the game against Antawn Jamison, which is obviously a mismatch. Predictably, Blair had no hope. Blair ended up in foul trouble during the first, second and third quarters. He didn't score a point until garbage time in the fourth.

Boris Diaw A
Wow, this guy can really pass the ball. I knew Boris Diaw was a really good passer but the Spurs system accentuates it to another level. Tonight, he totaled nine assists in 25 minutes with only one turnover. And he didn't have a cheap assist all night. He was actively making plays -- either with a dribble move, a quick spin or movement off the ball. The rest of Diaw's game was also impressive. He was more aggressive shot-wise than we've seen him. Diaw rebounded the ball, played solid defense and overall appeared to be a step quicker than his first few games in silver and black. The coaching staff really needs to find a niche for this guy ASAP.

Patty Mills A+
Pop called on Patty Mills in the beginning of the second quarter and the Australian firestarter wasted little time heating up. He came off the bench looking to contribute and he succeeded in a supremely impressive manner. For a player looking to gain an everyday role, Mills played about as well as possible. Defensively, he was a pest who pressured the ball whenever possible. His help rotations were really good and he showed toughness when caught on bigger players. Offensively, he got the Spurs into their sets quickly. There were very few wasted dribbles and when he got a crack of daylight, he had no hesitation in rising and firing. All in all, I was most impressed by how well Mills uses his speed. The NBA is littered with fast players but Mills uses his speed nonstop. He does everything fast and isn't worried about conserving energy ... and that's what you want out of a backup point guard.

Tiago Splitter A-
It was just another quietly dominant performance by Tiago Splitter. He got lost in the shuffle with so many other players doing well but Splitter really deserves a lot of credit for breaking Cleveland's spirit. For a period of time, the Spurs just ran one play: High pick-and-roll with Splitter. And the play worked over and over and over again. By the end of that run, the Cavs were ready to quit. Splitter is just so great at rolling to the basket that it's an extremely difficult play to stop. Defensively, he was solid in all aspects and also active on the boards. The only downside is Splitter seemed to get exhausted pretty quickly. Then again, it was probably taxing running pick-and-rolls every time up the court.

Gary Neal D
If Gary Neal doesn't start to play some defense, he could find himself on the bench for good. Lester Hudson, a player on a ten-day contract, scored six straight points on Neal -- and Pop finally had enough. He benched Neal for his lazy defense and went with Mills. With as well as Mills played, Neal probably won't be sleeping well tonight. But honestly, Neal needed a lesson. He's been horrible all year on defense; tonight was just the crowning moment. Play defense or sit, Gary.

James Anderson B+
James Anderson was a ball of energy when he was allowed to hit the court. I think that he has shown enough promise in the last few weeks to get a contract from someone this summer. I doubt he's coming back to San Antonio but he can probably land a fully guarantee minimum deal somewhere.

Matt Bonner B-
Apparently, Matt Bonner played ten minutes tonight. I don't remember him doing much of anything. If I commented further on him, I'd just be making something up -- so I'll give Bonner a B- and leave it at that.

Stephen Jackson B-
Though Stephen Jackson had a couple of his patented turnovers where you wonder how he can suddenly lose all semblance of hand-eye coordination, I thought he otherwise played pretty well. Whenever a smaller player attempted to defend him, Jackson immediately went to the post and demanded the ball -- that's the type of tough-mindedness that can be contagious. He gave good effort on the glass, made a couple nice passes and was energetic on defense. With the Spurs up by so much, Pop didn't even bother playing him in the second half.

Pop A-
Pop didn't play anyone more than 26 minutes, which is all that really matters. I do like how he benched Neal for poor defense and gave Mills a shot. Giving Diaw a quality run should help him in the upcoming games. Heading into the Celtics game, it'll be interesting to see if Mills or Diaw did enough tonight to crack the regular rotation.

[jjktkk]

Thanks for the writeup Tim. :tu

[TJastal]

Thanks for the writeup Tim. :tu

Hooray for copy and paste.

:lol

[sananspursfan21]

thanks for the grades...wow im sorry i missed this game. it was against cleveland so i kinda thought the big 3 would rest up for boston. hoping for somewhat of a repeat?

[skin]

Solid grades. Thanks!

[goPaTTY!]

good write up man!! and my patty getting an A+, ur a very good teacher

[Sense]

On Pop's grade..


"Pop didn't play anymore more" just saying.

[Spursfanfromafar]

And I owe an apology to Bill Walton for ridiculing his "Rennaissance remark" on Boris Diaw. Diaw is overweight, is generally passive and has a lot of flaws, but boy, isn't he Showtime with those passes!

[Nathan89]

Kawhi attacking off the dribble tonight is a good thing. He's push his boundaries and this will allow him to grow as a player. He rarely does this and when he does you mention it as a negative. It's part of the process. It won't happen in the playoffs.

[TJastal]

I think it's time for Pop to try Diaw in place of either Blair in the starting lineup or Bonner in the 2nd unit.

And as much as I have been propping Neal all year, if Mills can play like this going forward I think he's a lock to take Neal's PG duties.

And no I don't think Neal should replace Green in the starting lineup. Tough break for a very talented player, but he's still handy for late game situations as another clutch shooter.

[Robz4000]

Good write-up. Surprised Blair got a better grade than Neal, but then again Blair was at way too big a disadvantage tonight to really warrant that much hate. Hope Neal picks it up defensively, but I can't see Mills taking his spot; Neal is just too clutch and battle-hardened to bench.

[ajballer4]

I don't think Green should lose his starting spot, nor will I think he will. Even if he struggles, this starting lineup has been working for the team. I think Blair will continue to start too, but will come out at about the six minute mark and will never see the floor the rest of the half, because it's obvious diaw is a far superior player

[deibero]

Thanks for the grades!

What do you think of adding a paragraph grading overall defense, for those of us who cant watch most games... Sometimes stats dont tell the whole story!

[TJastal]

I don't think Green should lose his starting spot, nor will I think he will. Even if he struggles, this starting lineup has been working for the team. I think Blair will continue to start too, but will come out at about the six minute mark and will never see the floor the rest of the half, because it's obvious diaw is a far superior player

If Diaw is far superior then why not just start him?

[Nathan89]

Tiago Splitter A-
It was just another quietly dominant performance by Tiago Splitter. He got lost in the shuffle with so many other players doing well but Splitter really deserves a lot of credit for breaking Cleveland's spirit. For a period of time, the Spurs just ran one play: High pick-and-roll with Splitter. And the play worked over and over and over again. By the end of that run, the Cavs were ready to quit. Splitter is just so great at rolling to the basket that it's an extremely difficult play to stop. Defensively, he was solid in all aspects and also active on the boards. The only downside is Splitter seemed to get exhausted pretty quickly. Then again, it was probably taxing running pick-and-rolls every time up the court.



Doesn't matter he only get 12-13 mpg in the playoffs.

[Splits]

Neal's problem defending is not a lack of effort, it is a lack of talent. He's just a bad defender, a step slower than PGs and his rotations are late. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to get solid minutes.

[Steve-O-Matic]

Please don't "quote" timvp's entire original post when responding.

[TJastal]

Good write-up. Surprised Blair got a better grade than Neal, but then again Blair was at way too big a disadvantage tonight to really warrant that much hate. Hope Neal picks it up defensively, but I can't see Mills taking his spot; Neal is just too clutch and battle-hardened to bench.

Team has plenty of shooters now with Jackson, Green & even Leonard, what it needs now is an extra ball handler who is quick on his feet and can defend those smaller pesky little point guards.

[NASpurs]

It would be cool if you highlighted the player's name in red or something who you thought was the "Player of The Game". Just throwing it out there for some fun, I'm sure you would get a lot of disagreement in some of the games.

I would nominate Danny Green as Player of the Game. :tu

[Spur|n|Austin]

Thanks, as always!

[Libri]

Matt Bonner B-
Apparently, Matt Bonner played ten minutes tonight. I don't remember him doing much of anything. If I commented further on him, I'd just be making something up -- so I'll give Bonner a B- and leave it at that.

:lol

[Robz4000]

Team has plenty of shooters now with Jackson, Green & even Leonard, what it needs now is an extra ball handler who is quick on his feet and can defend those smaller pesky little point guards.
There have been several times this season where the offense has stalled and Neal got it going again. He's a good ball handler and knows the team and it's plays already. His only real flaw is on defense, and I'm not convinced Mills can play any better than Neal. Neal has also proven he can produce when it counts, which only Jackson has shown in the past.

[timvp]

On Pop's grade..


"Pop didn't play anymore more" just saying.Thanks :tu


Kawhi attacking off the dribble tonight is a good thing. He's push his boundaries and this will allow him to grow as a player. He rarely does this and when he does you mention it as a negative.This is the first time I've ever complained about it.

It's actually been the opposite:


I love that he has been extra aggressive in recent games. Sure, he'll make more mistakes playing that way, but it's also the only way he'll continue to grow as a player.


Offensively, he was a bit more aggressive than usual, especially off the dribble. And while the results weren't always positive, I'm hoping the coaching staff is encouraging him to be as active as possible. Leonard's ceiling is too high to restrict his role. Let him continue to spread his wings.

And that's just in the last couple games . . .

[letmk]

That Green can guard PGs like Paul and Irving to spare Tony from chasing fast opponents alone makes him valuable as a starting SG.

[gambit1990]

-i just (always) hope ginobili doesn't break his hand/elbow swiping for the ball.
:depressed

-parker and diaw both deserve an A+. parker killed the cavs' spirit early with his scoring, assists. and when's the last time someone at least 6'8" had 9 assist for the spurs?

-i absolutely love what mills did on the court... he seems to be cold blooded like gary neal, as opposed to our other back-up pgs (udrih, hill). in the few games he has played in, he does not hesitate and shoots confidently.

[TDMVPDPOY]

patty mills has got to be the most overrated player on this team

[NASpurs]

-parker and diaw both deserve an A+. parker killed the cavs' spirit early with his scoring, assists. and when's the last time someone at least 6'8" had 9 assist for the spurs?


Duncan had 15 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists back in 11/30/2010 against the Warriors.

[Mel_13]

and when's the last time someone at least 6'8" had 9 assist for the spurs?


http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201011300GSW.html

[Johnny RIngo]

and when's the last time someone at least 6'8" had 9 assist for the spurs?

Duncan has 11 assists against the Warriors two years ago. Box score here:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201011300GSW.html

[jestersmash]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201011300GSW.html

Neat, there's Jeremy Lin at the bottom of the box score for Golden State :lol

[ElNono]

Thanks for the writeup

[Spur|n|Austin]

=Boris Diaw A
Wow, this guy can really pass the ball. I knew Boris Diaw was a really good passer but the Spurs system accentuates it to another level. Tonight, he totaled nine assists in 25 minutes with only one turnover. And he didn't have a cheap assist all night. He was actively making plays -- either with a dribble move, a quick spin or movement off the ball. The rest of Diaw's game was also impressive. He was more aggressive shot-wise than we've seen him. Diaw rebounded the ball, played solid defense and overall appeared to be a step quicker than his first few games in silver and black. The coaching staff really needs to find a niche for this guy ASAP.


Of course I decided to be nice and suggest to cook dinner forgetting it was an early night for our guys tonight, so I was watching back and forth from the kitchen. I'm finishing up watching the replay on FSSW right now and I could not agree more with the efficiency of Diaw's passing. Even when the shooter didn't follow thru, some of his passes tonight were just plain sick; plus he lead all team assists with 9. This wine's for him.

[Rapper]

so many A & B grades

[Spursfanfromafar]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201011300GSW.html

The last time someone playing Diaw's position had 9 assists within 25 minutes was Luke Walton (otherwise underwhelming in other box score areas) -

Link (http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&player=&match=game&year_min=&year_max=&age_min=0&age_max=99&team_id=&opp_id=&is_playoffs=N&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&is_starter=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&c1stat=mp&c1comp=lt&c1val=25&c2stat=ast&c2comp=gt&c2val=9&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts)

[jiggy_55]

I watched the highlights of the game now on league pass, Diaw technically shoulda had 8 assists. Not sure how he was credited for an assist on a Neal layup when he hadn't touched the ball the whole play lol pretty funny. Regardless, 6 pts 8 assts and 6 rebs is a nice game.

I would hope he eventually supplants Blair as a starter. He can be a huge asset to this team. Judging on his passes to Green today, he could work very well with him and get him hot easily as we know that Green can be on fire or ice cold from day to day. A couple of open 3's can make Green hot on any given day.

[jiggy_55]

The last time someone playing Diaw's position had 9 assists within 25 minutes was Luke Walton (otherwise underwhelming in other box score areas) -

Link (http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&player=&match=game&year_min=&year_max=&age_min=0&age_max=99&team_id=&opp_id=&is_playoffs=N&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&is_starter=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&c1stat=mp&c1comp=lt&c1val=25&c2stat=ast&c2comp=gt&c2val=9&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts)

Too bad he technically had 8. Read my above post.

[Manu-20]

pretty much agree with you on everything though I hope pop uses diaw much more over blair he just brings so much more to the table than blair

[Cry Havoc]

I watched the highlights of the game now on league pass, Diaw technically shoulda had 8 assists.

How could you tell that from watching highlights?

[Spur|n|Austin]

How could you tell that from watching highlights?


If you watch, replay, enhance, enhance, enhance, you can see the official's scorer sheet. :p:

[will_spurs]

Patrick Mills becomes the 11th different player to lead Spurs in scoring this season.

Can you say DEEP?

[dunkman]

Quality work timvp. Thanks for the grades. Jack, Boris and Patty are really good additions.

[benfti]

patty mills has got to be the most overrated player on this team

Im starting to think that your the biggest bell end on this board

[angelbelow]

Thanks for the write up.

Great game considering all the positives that came out of this one. We got to rest the big 3, Jackson/Bonner also got extended rest, Diaw/Mills got some extended burn, Green got some sweet revenge against the Cavs, and no injures! But that wasn't really a fun game to watch. It reminded too much of that "Bully Beatdown" show where a high school bully gets locked in a cage against a professional MMA fighter (high school bully = cavs and the professional fighter = spurs.) The beat down tonight was expected and nothing special. The Cavs are already missing their best defender in Varejao, now they're dealing with injures to Irving and Jamison as well. Very happy with the victory but wasn't entertained.

I still prefer to see Manu at the starting 2 guard. Part of the reason is because I am biased and I selfishly want to see Ginobili start games. But I don't think I'm completely crazy either.
-To me, Green's game is better suited off the bench. Hes a streaky player who can go from being invisible for most of the game to a becoming game changer.
-The Parker, Green, Leonard, Blair, Duncan 5 man unit probably won't work against the better defensive teams. If Parker struggles and Duncan is reduced to outside jumpers, the entire offensive is at risk of complete shut down.
-The current starting lineup has a +/- of -14, eFG of .429 and a eFGA of .491.

Concerns about moving Manu to the starting lineup:
-Ginobili has great chemistry with Splitter and Jackson.
-Replacing Blair with Diaw is the smarter change and would probably improve the statistics from above.

[benefactor]

Replacing Blair with Diaw is the smarter change and would probably improve the statistics from above.
I was thinking this when reading your post then you said it at the very end...:lol

I only got to see some of the game due to the weather knocking out my satellite, but from what has been said I see no reason to continue to let Blair start. Right now loyalty and corporate knowledge are the only reasons he is still there. It has to be obvious to Pop and the rest of the coaches that Diaw is the vastly superior player and needs to be on the court. Bonner is better than Blair, so it's just simple process of elimination now.

[jesterbobman]

Replacing Blair with Diaw seems like the best move. The starting lineup would then have enough real creative players to run the offense and be improved defensively. Starting PF is probably the biggest weakness in our lineup, with backup PG the 2nd biggest. Starting Diaw solves the 1st.

Manu on the bench works as it covers our lack of playmaking as our bench PG, as Manu is the de facto PG. Bonner and Splitter have worked really well as a pairing, and a Neal-Manu-SJax-Bonner-Splitter Lineup is still a really good bench. Neal isn't really a PG, so having a primary creator in Manu and other guys we can run plays with reduces the need for Neal to be a PG, and means he can be played a bit.

I don't think that this view clashes with the general consensus.

With grades, Really hard to evaluate a 35 point drubbing vs a bad team.

[will_spurs]

At this point, with the depth the Spurs, it seems to be more about balance being starters and bench, than starting the 5 best players at their respective position. Actually I wonder what the latter might achieve, apart from the subs being destroyed time and again. Right now the bench is playing so well, especially when mixed and matched with starters, that the spurs should be able to apply constant pressure, whereas the opposing team will go through highs and lows.

The main issue with the Spurs right now for me is how can Duncan-Splitter and Manu-Tony co-exist. While Manu and Splitter are great players in their own right, they both make the other member of the duo worse when on the court. Pop has solved the Duncan-Splitter issue by giving Splitter very few minutes, but obviously that won't (and shouldn't) happen with Manu. Actually it shouldn't happen with Splitter either but that's another story.

Can Pop figure out a way to make them all efficient when on the court together, instead of just going with the sitting strategy he chose with Splitter?

[Wild Cobra Kai]

If Diaw is far superior then why not just start him?

Manu is obviously superior to any of our other SGs. Why not start him?

[TheSkeptic]

At this point, with the depth the Spurs, it seems to be more about balance being starters and bench, than starting the 5 best players at their respective position. Actually I wonder what the latter might achieve, apart from the subs being destroyed time and again. Right now the bench is playing so well, especially when mixed and matched with starters, that the spurs should be able to apply constant pressure, whereas the opposing team will go through highs and lows.

The main issue with the Spurs right now for me is how can Duncan-Splitter and Manu-Tony co-exist. While Manu and Splitter are great players in their own right, they both make the other member of the duo worse when on the court. Pop has solved the Duncan-Splitter issue by giving Splitter very few minutes, but obviously that won't (and shouldn't) happen with Manu. Actually it shouldn't happen with Splitter either but that's another story.

Can Pop figure out a way to make them all efficient when on the court together, instead of just going with the sitting strategy he chose with Splitter?

Some legitimate points. In the case of both Duncan-Splitter and Manu-Tony, the only solution I can think of is just more time.

Manu and Tony have played together for a long time and I think with a bit of patience they'll work something out. Keep Manu coming off the bench maybe for insurance purposes if you prefer but I'm pretty confident that it's more a question of rhythm and rapport with them.

I don't have any stats to prove it but Duncan and Splitter seem to be improving when they play together. To my eyes at least they've been looking better on both ends than they were before. Plenty of room for improvement but a lot of the mistakes they make are the type that require more minutes to sort out.

The sitting strategy will sink the Spurs (again) so they definitely need to do something different.

[Seventyniner]

The Parker-Ginobili thing is both more and less of a concern. More in that they're more likely to be on the floor together finishing close games, but as Skeptic said, they also have much more experience playing together.

[romad_20]

I don't really care who starts as long as Pop starts locking in some sort of rotation soon. Green starting is working right now but he could go cold again as soon as the playoffs start. Taking Manu (who's mins will dramatically increase in the playoffs) off of the 2nd unit kind of takes away an edge they have.

The only real issue I see in any of the lineups is Mills/Neal and Blair/Diaw. Blair will be useless coming off the bench, we've seen it. Neal might just straight up lose his mins because we have plenty of 3 point shooting and Mills is the obvious choice at the backup PG. He's quick, runs the plays to perfection and looks as though he has great chemistry with the team already. I was really impressed when he and Duncan ran that give and go that Tony and Tim run all the time.

All that being said, let's see what this team looks like tonight and after its next loss. Everything looks good while on a long winning streak.

[will_spurs]

The Parker-Ginobili thing is both more and less of a concern. More in that they're more likely to be on the floor together finishing close games, but as Skeptic said, they also have much more experience playing together.

One issue with the Tony-Manu is that as soon as Manu enters the game, Tony starts deferring to him, which is the main reason why Tony's production declines. Not sure if it's mostly to get Manu back into a rhythm, or whether Tony's expectations are stuck in 2005, but Tony will have to understand he's the alpha dog now, for good or bad.

[TJastal]

Manu is obviously superior to any of our other SGs. Why not start him?


One issue with the Tony-Manu is that as soon as Manu enters the game, Tony starts deferring to him, which is the main reason why Tony's production declines. Not sure if it's mostly to get Manu back into a rhythm, or whether Tony's expectations are stuck in 2005, but Tony will have to understand he's the alpha dog now, for good or bad.

The reason(s) Manu shouldn't start are many-fold.

1) You have chemistry concerns that have been documented and discussed, including a comment by will_spurs above.

2) Manu is needed in the 2nd unit for playmaking capabilities while Parker sits. He is the team's "6th man" which is a role many players who are better than their starting counterparts play such as James Harden.

3) Manu should be on a strict diet of minutes for his own health and safety, plus to keep him at peak form for closing out games, quarters, etc.

Diaw otoh has none of these concerns or limitations.

[100%duncan]

Once again a great write-up from LJ.

[tmtcsc]

I'm excited to see if San Antonio's high-octane offense can thrive against a defensive squad like the Celtics.


:p: Who would have ever thought ?

[DPG21920]

So Tim plays 23 minutes and Tiago gets.......17? I guess the theory that Tiago's minutes mirror Tim's minutes is out. Leaving only the bleak, but logical conclusion: Pop is not aware of Tiagos production and is not as high on him as many of us are (as evidenced by his many head scratching comments on Tiagos abilities as a player and minutes).

[Solid D]

There were times last night I thought I was watching the 2004 National Team of Argentina in Athens...except with better 3-point shooting.

[100%duncan]

Pop really needs to Free Tiago now. Build around him in the second unit perhaps. And close the game with TD and him in our FL

[CubanMustGo]

Impressive win ...

but don't forget the Cadavers lost at home to both Chicago by 39 earlier this year, and to Milwaukee by 37 just two games ago. They not only suck, but they don't care that they suck. Happy to see the big W but it's kind of like beating an NBADL team with Varajao out and the rest of them not giving any effort on the defensive end.

It would be dangerous to read as much into this game as some here are doing.

[100%duncan]

^ +1

[jiggy_55]

How could you tell that from watching highlights?

I have international league pass, I replayed the game and watched different highlights.. There is a timeline that shows all the points, rebs, assists, etc. This one was called Diaw assist, Neal layup.. I clicked on it to see the play and then noticed he had no part of the play, so then went to play-by-play and noticed he recorded an assist on the play and he hadn't even touched the ball on that play.

[Paranoid Pop]

So Tim plays 23 minutes and Tiago gets.......17? I guess the theory that Tiago's minutes mirror Tim's minutes is out.

No it's not, Pop just went with a non-playoff rotation of 5 bigs because of the schedule.

[sandman]

Too bad he technically had 8. Read my above post.

The official NBA scorer had 9, so technically it was 9. You can't quote your own stats because you don't agree with the official scorer. That's like saying you won an internet argument.

[Mugen]

A bigman rotation of Tim/Tiago/Diaw, with some small ball sprinkled in, would beast in the playoffs.

Too bad, Pop won't do it.

[jjktkk]

The reason(s) Manu shouldn't start are many-fold.

1) You have chemistry concerns that have been documented and discussed, including a comment by will_spurs above.

2) Manu is needed in the 2nd unit for playmaking capabilities while Parker sits. He is the team's "6th man" which is a role many players who are better than their starting counterparts play such as James Harden.

3) Manu should be on a strict diet of minutes for his own health and safety, plus to keep him at peak form for closing out games, quarters, etc.

Diaw otoh has none of these concerns or limitations.

So now you like the signing of Diaw? Just a few days ago you were whining about the Spurs signing Diaw over Turiaf. smh.

[Darkwaters]

A bigman rotation of Tim/Tiago/Diaw, with some small ball sprinkled in, would beast in the playoffs.

Too bad, Pop won't do it.

I've been advocating for this for a while.

But it's hard to see Pop going away from Bonner completely - much less Bonner AND Blair. Especially considering his apparent ignorance of Tiago's abilities and Diaw's general newness to the team.

Still, with those three (plus small ball four played by Kawhi/Jax) we'd be pretty solid.

[Seventyniner]

If Diaw starts in place of Blair, that pushes Blair right out of the rotation IMO. Blair sulked last year after being pulled from the starting lineup and there's no reason to think it wouldn't happen again. I can't see how that would hurt in the playoffs, though, because Diaw is better in most departments and is just plain better overall. It also keeps the Splitter/Bonner tandem intact.

[TJastal]

So now you like the signing of Diaw? Just a few days ago you were whining about the Spurs signing Diaw over Turiaf. smh.

I'll explain.

Rather than keep bitching I'm simply looking at the options and trying to decipher the best course action heading forward. I've been wrong about alot of stuff lately so I'm defenitely keeping an open mind about things now.

But I'll be honest here. I'm starting to like it. A little. I concluded today that you can never have too many good passers on the team. And I especially like him in the starting lineup for a few reasons:

1) It's really starting to look like Tim Duncan will be spending more time in the post. He's got a ton more energy and strength this year. With Blair in the paint all the time it's just going to jam up with defenders. This also benefits Parker's penetration having less defenders stationed there.

2) Blair's offensive contributions are fools gold (for lack of a better term, I know the most overused phrase on ST). Most of his points come on chippies from terrific feeds. I'll give him that he's got great hands around the basket, which is an asset. But if Diaw can replicate some of that plus give the spurs his highly skilled passing it makes up for it. The caveat here (and I love looking for those) is that Green and especially Leonard will become more involved in the offense, and they have a lot of room to grow (and should). Whereas Blair has reached his peak offensively. He is a black hole who is not going to get better at creating offense in the post up.

[gambit1990]

on a slightly unrelated note... i feel kinda bad for byron scott.

the clippers should fire del negro and hire him.

[wildbill2u]

Patty Mills style of play reminded me of someone--a fast bench player who comes off the bench with lots of energy and can score. Then it hit me. Jason Terry.

I'm not as worried as some by the fact that Pop isn't using a 'locked' rotation. He has an embarassment of riches on his hands with a deep bench that he can use to get good matchups or to replace a player who is having a bad night.

[DBMethos]

Patty Mills style of play reminded me of someone--a fast bench player who comes off the bench with lots of energy and can score. Then it hit me. Jason Terry.

I was thinking more along the lines of Eddie House, but the Terry comparison isn't far off. That said, at least Patty isn't a turtle-headed bitch.

[TJastal]

House and Terry are near SG size. Mills is much smaller and quicker. More like JJ Barea tbh imo.

[jjktkk]

I'll explain.

Rather than keep bitching I'm simply looking at the options and trying to decipher the best course action heading forward. I've been wrong about alot of stuff lately so I'm defenitely keeping an open mind about things now.

But I'll be honest here. I'm starting to like it. A little. I concluded today that you can never have too many good passers on the team. And I especially like him in the starting lineup for a few reasons:

1) It's really starting to look like Tim Duncan will be spending more time in the post. He's got a ton more energy and strength this year. With Blair in the paint all the time it's just going to jam up with defenders. This also benefits Parker's penetration having less defenders stationed there.

2) Blair's offensive contributions are fools gold (for lack of a better term, I know the most overused phrase on ST). Most of his points come on chippies from terrific feeds. I'll give him that he's got great hands around the basket, which is an asset. But if Diaw can replicate some of that plus give the spurs his highly skilled passing it makes up for it. The caveat here (and I love looking for those) is that Green and especially Leonard will become more involved in the offense, and they have a lot of room to grow (and should). Whereas Blair has reached his peak offensively. He is a black hole who is not going to get better at creating offense in the post up.

Bottom line is Diaw is a better player. Turiaf is a one demsional player. I wouldn't of griped if the Spurs would of signed him, but having a motivated Diaw is 10 times the better signing. Diaw's bbiq has made it seem like hes been with the Spurs for years. He should start of over Blair, but given Blairs penchant for disappearing act when hes benched, I don't know if Pop will bench him in favor of Diaw.

[TJastal]

Bottom line is Diaw is a better player. Turiaf is a one demsional player. I wouldn't of griped if the Spurs would of signed him, but having a motivated Diaw is 10 times the better signing. Diaw's bbiq has made it seem like hes been with the Spurs for years. He should start of over Blair, but given Blairs penchant for disappearing act when hes benched, I don't know if Pop will bench him in favor of Diaw.

Blair can dissappear to the south pole and the team wouldn't miss a beat. His offensive contributions can be easily replaced by the newest additions to the team plus other guys like Green and Leonard getting the opportunity to expand their games.

[Blake]

D is pretty harsh for Neal considering his stat line looks rather solid.

[Keepin' it real]

So now you like the signing of Diaw? Just a few days ago you were whining about the Spurs signing Diaw over Turiaf. smh.

Why smh? It's refreshing to see someone:



have an opinion on a subject
see that they may have been wrong about it, and then
change their opinion based on what they have seen/learned.

I wish more people would do this, instead of sticking with their original "positions" out of stubbornness, denial, embarrassment, etc.

[Brazil]

Bottom line is Diaw is a better player. Turiaf is a one demsional player. I wouldn't of griped if the Spurs would of signed him, but having a motivated Diaw is 10 times the better signing. Diaw's bbiq has made it seem like hes been with the Spurs for years. He should start of over Blair, but given Blairs penchant for disappearing act when hes benched, I don't know if Pop will bench him in favor of Diaw.

I agree Diaw is a better player but Turiaf would have been also a nice signing IMO. I watched his first game as a starter yesterday, while his stat are not overwhelming (6 pts, 6 reb and 2 blks in 23 mn) he has defended the paint very well for the heat against the sixers guarding with success hawes and brand during significant stretches.

Once again I'm happy with Boris, his versatility is going to be a great asset in the POs, if Pop plays him obviously but I also liked Turiaf idea. I am not sure one can say that a motivated diaw is 10 times the better signing, it depends on what you need.

[Yuixafun]

Thanks for the write up.

Great game considering all the positives that came out of this one. We got to rest the big 3, Jackson/Bonner also got extended rest, Diaw/Mills got some extended burn, Green got some sweet revenge against the Cavs, and no injures! But that wasn't really a fun game to watch. It reminded too much of that "Bully Beatdown" show where a high school bully gets locked in a cage against a professional MMA fighter (high school bully = cavs and the professional fighter = spurs.) The beat down tonight was expected and nothing special. The Cavs are already missing their best defender in Varejao, now they're dealing with injures to Irving and Jamison as well. Very happy with the victory but wasn't entertained.

I still prefer to see Manu at the starting 2 guard. Part of the reason is because I am biased and I selfishly want to see Ginobili start games. But I don't think I'm completely crazy either.
-To me, Green's game is better suited off the bench. Hes a streaky player who can go from being invisible for most of the game to a becoming game changer.
-The Parker, Green, Leonard, Blair, Duncan 5 man unit probably won't work against the better defensive teams. If Parker struggles and Duncan is reduced to outside jumpers, the entire offensive is at risk of complete shut down.
-The current starting lineup has a +/- of -14, eFG of .429 and a eFGA of .491.

Concerns about moving Manu to the starting lineup:
-Ginobili has great chemistry with Splitter and Jackson.
-Replacing Blair with Diaw is the smarter change and would probably improve the statistics from above.


Switching Diaw for Blair in the starting line-up helps both units.

Diaw's passing and chemistry with parker will help get shots for Green, Kwa... his pick's help Tony, his size and iso defense helps Duncan with pre perimiter paint defense work...

Blair with Tiago help's add bang, a guy who can play some further out on the paint and can get shots up, where Tiago can clean up if need be, also Blair works well with Ginobili... I think Blair is good interior passer?

[TheSkeptic]

If Diaw starts in place of Blair, that pushes Blair right out of the rotation IMO. Blair sulked last year after being pulled from the starting lineup and there's no reason to think it wouldn't happen again. I can't see how that would hurt in the playoffs, though, because Diaw is better in most departments and is just plain better overall. It also keeps the Splitter/Bonner tandem intact.

I'm not fully convinced that Bonner will play like this in the playoffs.

I mean, he was supposed to be spreading the floor but Memphis didn't even bother and if they did they sent a smaller but longer wing to go disrupt him. Wouldn't surprise me to see other playoff teams do something similar.

I've also seen a few similar trends this year when the team played against more defensive teams like the Bulls. When that coupled with his lack of defensive ability is also taken into account, I'm not sure what the team can expect from him.

It'd be great if he could prove me wrong this year, but I'm not holding my breath.


Switching Diaw for Blair in the starting line-up helps both units.

Diaw's passing and chemistry with parker will help get shots for Green, Kwa... his pick's help Tony, his size and iso defense helps Duncan with pre perimiter paint defense work...

Blair with Tiago help's add bang, a guy who can play some further out on the paint and can get shots up, where Tiago can clean up if need be, also Blair works well with Ginobili... I think Blair is good interior passer?

I disagree. Blair needs to be gone from the rotation period. Bonner is at least a better defender and a harder worker on the court which is honestly saying a lot.

If the goal is to win a championship, you need to play your best players. On this team, Blair isn't one of them.

[Yuixafun]

I'm not fully convinced that Bonner will play like this in the playoffs.

I mean, he was supposed to be spreading the floor but Memphis didn't even bother and if they did they sent a smaller but longer wing to go disrupt him. Wouldn't surprise me to see other playoff teams do something similar.

I've also seen a few similar trends this year when the team played against more defensive teams like the Bulls. When that coupled with his lack of defensive ability is also taken into account, I'm not sure what the team can expect from him.

It'd be great if he could prove me wrong this year, but I'm not holding my breath.



I disagree. Blair needs to be gone from the rotation period. Bonner is at least a better defender and a harder worker on the court which is honestly saying a lot.

If the goal is to win a championship, you need to play your best players. On this team, Blair isn't one of them.

Each player different skills/weaknesses

Some combinations will yield greater results as a whole

I think a Splitter/Blair/Jackson/Manu/Neal as a second unit

would be stronger overall than a Splitter/Bonner/Jackson/Manu/Neal(Mills) 2nd unit.

Especially in the playoffs.

Bonner has some of that Loser Funk on him that RJ had.

Bonner is redundant as a shooter in that line up...

With Blair and Tiago you have a stronger inside presence and not such a jump shooting offensive attack?

I like the idea of our bigs able to do a little bit of bullying.

I've seen Blair do that, Bonner never...


Just my thoughts...

[therealtruth]

I agree Diaw is a better player but Turiaf would have been also a nice signing IMO. I watched his first game as a starter yesterday, while his stat are not overwhelming (6 pts, 6 reb and 2 blks in 23 mn) he has defended the paint very well for the heat against the sixers guarding with success hawes and brand during significant stretches.

Once again I'm happy with Boris, his versatility is going to be a great asset in the POs, if Pop plays him obviously but I also liked Turiaf idea. I am not sure one can say that a motivated diaw is 10 times the better signing, it depends on what you need.

I don't think it should be Diaw vs Turiaf. The Spurs really should have gone after both.

[ducks]

d is pretty good grade considering how bad neal was and he was stat padding in garbage time

[Mel_13]

I don't think it should be Diaw vs Turiaf. The Spurs really should have gone after both.

Spurs had interest in Turiaf. He judged Miami to be the best fit for him. Diaw had multiple suitors as well and chose the Spurs.

[angelbelow]

I was thinking this when reading your post then you said it at the very end...:lol

I only got to see some of the game due to the weather knocking out my satellite, but from what has been said I see no reason to continue to let Blair start. Right now loyalty and corporate knowledge are the only reasons he is still there. It has to be obvious to Pop and the rest of the coaches that Diaw is the vastly superior player and needs to be on the court. Bonner is better than Blair, so it's just simple process of elimination now.

Haha, yeah I didn't want to make it look like I was bashing Green because I love Green. I just want to see Ginobili as the starter, which should improve the way we start games but not necessarily compromise Green's role and minutes.

Blair definitely played poorly and deserves a C- or D+ instead of a C. However, hes played well the past couple games so I don't want to bash on him too hard. But this game was a good example of when to leave Blair on the bench if he struggles during the first 6 minutes.


At this point, with the depth the Spurs, it seems to be more about balance being starters and bench, than starting the 5 best players at their respective position. Actually I wonder what the latter might achieve, apart from the subs being destroyed time and again. Right now the bench is playing so well, especially when mixed and matched with starters, that the spurs should be able to apply constant pressure, whereas the opposing team will go through highs and lows.

The main issue with the Spurs right now for me is how can Duncan-Splitter and Manu-Tony co-exist. While Manu and Splitter are great players in their own right, they both make the other member of the duo worse when on the court. Pop has solved the Duncan-Splitter issue by giving Splitter very few minutes, but obviously that won't (and shouldn't) happen with Manu. Actually it shouldn't happen with Splitter either but that's another story.

Can Pop figure out a way to make them all efficient when on the court together, instead of just going with the sitting strategy he chose with Splitter?

Great points as usual, Will (my name too :toast). I agree that we're winning these games based on the effectiveness of our lineups through out the games. Its definitely not a product of just our starting lineup, which is why I wouldn't be afraid to mess with it.

Based on the stats I mentioned earlier and my personal opinion from watching the games; I think the starting lineup could see a big improvement while maintaining the effectiveness of our bench. So I don't think we have to play the best player at each position either, but upgrades and tweaks can be made to further improve the flow of the games.

1. Parker - Ginobili - Jackson - Blair - Duncan: Incredibly well rounded when it comes to offense and defense. Very difficult for the offense to become stagnant in this scenario as each player is capable of creating their own shot (except Blair.)

2. Parker - Green - Leonard - Diaw - Duncan: Simple switch between Blair and Diaw does wonders for a number of things. First, defense vastly improves just with Diaw in the game. Blair's defensive rebounding has dropped off so much that Diaw isn't that much of a drop off. Add in Leonard's rebounding ferocity and Green's above average rebounding capabilities, I think we'll be fine. The next big improvement is offensive flow because Diaw is a dedicated play maker compared to an "occasional blackhole". One example is that Diaw has shown time and time again that he loves to hit Leonard with open 3s and strong cuts.

[jjktkk]

I don't think it should be Diaw vs Turiaf. The Spurs really should have gone after both.

You seem okay spending Holt's money.