timvp
04-19-2012, 10:43 AM
The Spurs were playing their third straight road game as part of a back-to-back-to-back set, while the Kings had 48 hours to rest before playing in front of their home fans. No worries, Spurs fans, San Antonio is scorching. A 69-point second half powered the Spurs to a 127-102 victory, the team's fifth straight win -- all of which have been by double-digits.
With Tim Duncan sitting out, the Kings were able to keep it close until the third quarter. That's when San Antonio's offense caught fire. Beginning with nine minutes remaining in the third, the Spurs hit 16 of their next 21 shots from the field to turn a five-point lead into a 16-point advantage. The Kings would never challenge again.
By winning this game, the Spurs swept their second back-to-back-to-back of the season to become the first team this season to sweep two such sets. Overall, I'm beyond impressed with this team. Not only are they seemingly scoring at will, their mental focus is amazing right now.
http://dailyelements.com/apr18box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/apr18box2.jpg
Tony Parker A-
After Tony Parker destroyed the Lakers, it would have been natural if he had a letdown against the Kings. However, that just didn't happen -- especially offensively. Parker aggressively orchestrated the action throughout his time on the court. Though he missed a couple chip shots near the rim, he more than made up for it by getting to the free throw line and dishing out eight assists without a turnover. On defense, he was playing at a don't-get-injured intensity in the first half. But in the third quarter, Parker picked up his level of D to help break the game open. It's safe to say those struggles of last week are now forgotten.
Manu Ginobili A-
I think all Spurs fans suffered a simultaneous heart attack when Manu Ginobili collided with Tyreke Evans early in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, Ginobili escaped with just a scratch on his ear. Normally I would say something about how he should be more careful and not put his body on the line in a meaningless regular season game. But this is Manu Ginobili. He has an Off switch and an On switch -- that's it. If he plays, he's going to play at 100%. As for how he played, it was another successful outing for Ginobili. Like has been the case for most of this season, he was very efficient scoring-wise, passed the ball amazingly well and limited his mistakes. Defensively, I was actually quite impressed at times. His ability to stay in front of ball-handlers is as good as it's been all season.
Kawhi Leonard B+
To begin the night, Kawhi Leonard just wasn't playing well. He wasn't doing much on offense and his defense -- especially his transition defense -- was well below average. Leonard didn't turn it around until the second half, but when he did, he started playing great basketball. He led the Spurs in scoring in the third quarter with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting. He also played much, much better defense. Even against a Kings team with a bunch of players who can run and jump, Leonard's graceful athleticism stood out.
Boris Diaw B
It was another step in the right direction for Boris Diaw. He had miscues here and there (mostly related to hesitation on offense and being out of position on defense) but Diaw seems to be understanding San Antonio's system better and better. Defensively, he had enough size and strength to do good work against DeMarcus Cousins. Diaw rebounded well, moved his feet on the perimeter extremely well and, of course, delivered timely passes.
DeJuan Blair A-
After not playing against the Lakers, I thought DeJuan Blair showed a lot of character by bouncing back with a really good effort. Offensively, Blair didn't force the action but instead let his underrated passing ability shine. He shot well, didn't turn the ball over and ran the court hard both ways. Defensively, while he got overwhelmed around the basket a few times, he hustled, did a reasonably good job on the boards and his help-defense was better than normal.
Danny Green B
Like Leonard, Danny Green struggled early. In all aspects, Green's defense was poor to start the game. He wasn't getting back in transition and his individual defense was lacking. The lack of energy also showed up on the offensive end. As the game progressed, though, Green got a lot better. He picked up his intensity on defense and was a definite asset on offense. Green has now made 28-of-53 three-pointers over his last 12 games for a sizzling percentage of 52.8%.
Stephen Jackson C+
The bad: Stephen Jackson had four more turnovers (he has 15 turnovers in his last five games), he didn't make an impact on the glass and his defense wasn't as good as it has been of late. The good: His ability to score looked much improved. Jackson was strong when driving to the hoop and his elevation was better at the rim. His outside jumper had better rotation; he had been shooting a looping knuckleball in recent games. Jackson also did well in pick-and-rolls.
Tiago Splitter A-
Without Duncan, the Spurs needed Tiago Splitter to step up -- and he did. Offensively, he was really good at finishing around the basket. He absorbed contact well and did a better job than usual of recognizing when he was open. Splitter's offensive rebounding was also a key on that end. Defensively, he was physical in the post and had a few great plays when it came to protecting the rim. It should also be noted that Splitter's world-class acting skills helped foul out Cousins, which made the game a lot easier for the Spurs.
Matt Bonner B-
Defensively, I thought Matt Bonner was actually really good. He fought the Kings bigmen for position and oftentimes made his opponent catch the ball far from their comfort zone. Bonner's help-defense was very solid and he pulled down a couple contested rebounds. Offensively, Bonner wasn't nearly as crisp. He shot selection was uncharacteristically poor and his passing was a beat late most of the time. His 0-for-3 shooting from deep dropped his April three-point percentage to 31.7%.
Gary Neal A
In only 15 minutes, Gary Neal's offense made a big difference. Whether he was playing off the ball or with the ball, the Kings couldn't stop him. Neal's jumper looked extra beautiful and he was also able to finish with crafty shots around the rim. Defensively, he was better than usual. He made some mistakes -- like fouling a three-point shooter and going for ill-advised steals -- but at least Neal's defensive intensity was much better than usual. The second year guard has picked a great time to heat up. During this five-game winning streak, Neal is shooting 64.9% from the field and is averaging 11.6 points in only 17.2 minutes per game. He's also 5-for-5 on three-pointers and 5-for-5 at the line during that stretch.
Patrick Mills B-
Although Patrick Mills still had a lot of trouble making plays with the ball or defending in a halfcourt setting, this was his best game in a while. Mills scored well (in fact, he should have had two more points because Jackson goaltended one of his layups) and made a few plays by pressuring the basketball. Despite his struggles in recent games, the best thing about Mills is that he remains confident and just keeps going after it with a healthy amount of fearlessness.
Pop A-
I thought it was a risky for Pop to play Parker and Ginobili for the third straight game but it turned out to be a good decision. Being able to stay in rhythm at this point of the season is invaluable. Pop masterfully juggled the lineup without Duncan to keep the Spurs competitive while not overextending anyone. Since the embarrassing loss against the Lakers, Pop has pushed all the right buttons to get this team back on track.
With Tim Duncan sitting out, the Kings were able to keep it close until the third quarter. That's when San Antonio's offense caught fire. Beginning with nine minutes remaining in the third, the Spurs hit 16 of their next 21 shots from the field to turn a five-point lead into a 16-point advantage. The Kings would never challenge again.
By winning this game, the Spurs swept their second back-to-back-to-back of the season to become the first team this season to sweep two such sets. Overall, I'm beyond impressed with this team. Not only are they seemingly scoring at will, their mental focus is amazing right now.
http://dailyelements.com/apr18box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/apr18box2.jpg
Tony Parker A-
After Tony Parker destroyed the Lakers, it would have been natural if he had a letdown against the Kings. However, that just didn't happen -- especially offensively. Parker aggressively orchestrated the action throughout his time on the court. Though he missed a couple chip shots near the rim, he more than made up for it by getting to the free throw line and dishing out eight assists without a turnover. On defense, he was playing at a don't-get-injured intensity in the first half. But in the third quarter, Parker picked up his level of D to help break the game open. It's safe to say those struggles of last week are now forgotten.
Manu Ginobili A-
I think all Spurs fans suffered a simultaneous heart attack when Manu Ginobili collided with Tyreke Evans early in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, Ginobili escaped with just a scratch on his ear. Normally I would say something about how he should be more careful and not put his body on the line in a meaningless regular season game. But this is Manu Ginobili. He has an Off switch and an On switch -- that's it. If he plays, he's going to play at 100%. As for how he played, it was another successful outing for Ginobili. Like has been the case for most of this season, he was very efficient scoring-wise, passed the ball amazingly well and limited his mistakes. Defensively, I was actually quite impressed at times. His ability to stay in front of ball-handlers is as good as it's been all season.
Kawhi Leonard B+
To begin the night, Kawhi Leonard just wasn't playing well. He wasn't doing much on offense and his defense -- especially his transition defense -- was well below average. Leonard didn't turn it around until the second half, but when he did, he started playing great basketball. He led the Spurs in scoring in the third quarter with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting. He also played much, much better defense. Even against a Kings team with a bunch of players who can run and jump, Leonard's graceful athleticism stood out.
Boris Diaw B
It was another step in the right direction for Boris Diaw. He had miscues here and there (mostly related to hesitation on offense and being out of position on defense) but Diaw seems to be understanding San Antonio's system better and better. Defensively, he had enough size and strength to do good work against DeMarcus Cousins. Diaw rebounded well, moved his feet on the perimeter extremely well and, of course, delivered timely passes.
DeJuan Blair A-
After not playing against the Lakers, I thought DeJuan Blair showed a lot of character by bouncing back with a really good effort. Offensively, Blair didn't force the action but instead let his underrated passing ability shine. He shot well, didn't turn the ball over and ran the court hard both ways. Defensively, while he got overwhelmed around the basket a few times, he hustled, did a reasonably good job on the boards and his help-defense was better than normal.
Danny Green B
Like Leonard, Danny Green struggled early. In all aspects, Green's defense was poor to start the game. He wasn't getting back in transition and his individual defense was lacking. The lack of energy also showed up on the offensive end. As the game progressed, though, Green got a lot better. He picked up his intensity on defense and was a definite asset on offense. Green has now made 28-of-53 three-pointers over his last 12 games for a sizzling percentage of 52.8%.
Stephen Jackson C+
The bad: Stephen Jackson had four more turnovers (he has 15 turnovers in his last five games), he didn't make an impact on the glass and his defense wasn't as good as it has been of late. The good: His ability to score looked much improved. Jackson was strong when driving to the hoop and his elevation was better at the rim. His outside jumper had better rotation; he had been shooting a looping knuckleball in recent games. Jackson also did well in pick-and-rolls.
Tiago Splitter A-
Without Duncan, the Spurs needed Tiago Splitter to step up -- and he did. Offensively, he was really good at finishing around the basket. He absorbed contact well and did a better job than usual of recognizing when he was open. Splitter's offensive rebounding was also a key on that end. Defensively, he was physical in the post and had a few great plays when it came to protecting the rim. It should also be noted that Splitter's world-class acting skills helped foul out Cousins, which made the game a lot easier for the Spurs.
Matt Bonner B-
Defensively, I thought Matt Bonner was actually really good. He fought the Kings bigmen for position and oftentimes made his opponent catch the ball far from their comfort zone. Bonner's help-defense was very solid and he pulled down a couple contested rebounds. Offensively, Bonner wasn't nearly as crisp. He shot selection was uncharacteristically poor and his passing was a beat late most of the time. His 0-for-3 shooting from deep dropped his April three-point percentage to 31.7%.
Gary Neal A
In only 15 minutes, Gary Neal's offense made a big difference. Whether he was playing off the ball or with the ball, the Kings couldn't stop him. Neal's jumper looked extra beautiful and he was also able to finish with crafty shots around the rim. Defensively, he was better than usual. He made some mistakes -- like fouling a three-point shooter and going for ill-advised steals -- but at least Neal's defensive intensity was much better than usual. The second year guard has picked a great time to heat up. During this five-game winning streak, Neal is shooting 64.9% from the field and is averaging 11.6 points in only 17.2 minutes per game. He's also 5-for-5 on three-pointers and 5-for-5 at the line during that stretch.
Patrick Mills B-
Although Patrick Mills still had a lot of trouble making plays with the ball or defending in a halfcourt setting, this was his best game in a while. Mills scored well (in fact, he should have had two more points because Jackson goaltended one of his layups) and made a few plays by pressuring the basketball. Despite his struggles in recent games, the best thing about Mills is that he remains confident and just keeps going after it with a healthy amount of fearlessness.
Pop A-
I thought it was a risky for Pop to play Parker and Ginobili for the third straight game but it turned out to be a good decision. Being able to stay in rhythm at this point of the season is invaluable. Pop masterfully juggled the lineup without Duncan to keep the Spurs competitive while not overextending anyone. Since the embarrassing loss against the Lakers, Pop has pushed all the right buttons to get this team back on track.