timvp
04-24-2012, 03:03 AM
Another Spurs game. Another Spurs blowout. This time, the setting was the AT&T Center, the opponent was the Blazers and the final score was 124-89. San Antonio has now won eight straight games by an average margin of victory of 20.8 points. It's safe to say the Spurs aren't a bad basketball team right now.
Eleven seconds into the game, Danny Green drained a three-pointer ... and that was about the extent of the drama. The Spurs scored the evening's first eight points and never looked back. In the second half, the good guys never led by less than 20 points.
This victory clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. While Spurs fans are programmed to not care about the regular season, I honestly am impressed with this accomplishment. A lot of players stepped up and Pop did a marvelous coaching job. That said, it goes without saying that this season will be remembered for what happens in the playoffs.
In the final two games, the Spurs technically still have something to play for. With one more win, they'll clinch homecourt advantage over the Heat. If the Spurs can win their final two games and have the Bulls lose a game, San Antonio would have HCA throughout the playoffs.
http://dailyelements.com/apr23box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/apr23box2.jpg
Tim Duncan A-
A couple months ago, this type of stat line out of Tim Duncan would have Spurs fans thanking their rosary beads. But Duncan has been so dominant lately, it's no longer surprising when he puts up numbers that would make Prime Duncan blush. Tonight against the Blazers, he was just damn good once again. Offensively, his outside jumper was nearly automatic and that setup everything else he wanted to do. Duncan was also running the court extremely well -- perhaps as well as we've seen all season. Defensively, he challenged seemingly every shot at the rim and ripped down seemingly every contested board. Perhaps best of all is that Duncan did all this while hardly breaking a sweat. Going into the playoffs, the soon to be 36-year-old is playing better than anyone could have imagined in their wildest dream.
Manu Ginobili B
It was a relatively quiet night at the office for Manu Ginobili, though he did drop off a few more sweet dimes. Ginobili didn't look to score much -- it just wasn't needed -- but I did like the work he did on the defensive end. After slipping on that end against the Cavs, Ginobili was much more intense tonight and ended up with a handful of quality defensive plays. Physically, the Argentine star looks as good as he's looked all season. If you're Pop, you gotta be tempted to sit Ginobili until the start of the playoffs ... especially after what happened last season.
Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker missed his first three shots from the field. And that's about as much as I can nitpick Parker's game tonight. The rest of the way, Parker was stout in every aspect. Offensively, he carved up the Blazers. He scored in transition, off of straight-line penetration, on off-ball cuts and by hiding behind screens. Parker's passing was crisp and his timing was perfect. On defense, he gave a strong effort both individually and team-wise. Parker's cherry on top was tying his season-high in rebounds in only 22 minutes. If anything, I thought he was too active; Parker went crashing to the ground countless times. Then again, perhaps I'm just a paranoid.
Boris Diaw A-
Boris Diaw got the start in place of DeJuan Blair and this time it looks like it's permanent. Against the Blazers, Diaw gave Pop no reason to second-guess the change. The passing, movement and spacing he provides make him a natural fit alongside Duncan. The Blazers were usually helpless when Diaw got the ball -- his movements were too smart and his passing was too crafty. On defense, Diaw had one of his better games as a Spur, especially considering he avoided fouls. He was physical, did his work early and finished off possessions by boxing out with ferocity.
Kawhi Leonard C
Tonight was a classic rookie-wall game for Kawhi Leonard. His explosiveness wasn't there and he was much slower up and down the court. On offense, Leonard did a lot of standing and watching. Defensively, he wasn't much better but his length alone was able to get the job done in many instances. As the Spurs enter the playoffs, it'll be very interesting to see if Leonard can regain his legs. Lately, they've been here one day and gone the next.
Danny Green A+
Wow. Danny Green was a monster in his 15 minutes of action. His shooting was spectacular. Eighteen points on six shots? Yeah, that's pretty good. In his last 15 outings, he's now shooting 57.1% on three-pointers. In fact, his three-point percentage on the season is now all the way up to 43.4%. Defensively, Green was great. When he wasn't denying a Blazer in a one-on-one situation, he was flying in from out of nowhere to save the day. While he didn't play much, Green was the best player on the court when he was out there -- and that's saying a lot considering how well some of his teammates were playing.
Stephen Jackson B+
Don't look now but Stephen Jackson is heating up. The Spurs have been giving him more post-up opportunities and he's taken full advantage. In his last five games, Jackson is averaging 10.8 points in 24.4 minutes per game on 51.3% shooting from the floor. That's quite an improvement considering he shot just 26.2% in his previous nine games. In addition to his scoring, Jackson authored a number of slick passes while keeping his turnovers and miscues to a minimum. Defensively, he was very solid. While his gambling got him in trouble a couple times, it's difficult to be upset with a guy who swiped five steals and blocked two shots in 23 minutes of work.
Gary Neal B-
The scare of the night was when Gary Neal left the game with an apparent shoulder injury after running into a brick wall named Kurt Thomas. Thank the basketball gods above that the X-rays were negative and Neal has been diagnosed with a stinger. As for his play on this night, Gary Neal had his ups and downs. His three-pointers were a bright spot but his passing was even iffier than usual; Pop jumped on him a few times for failing to make the quick, proper pass. He's still going through point guard growing pains and tonight was further proof. Defensively, Neal was relatively good. Other than getting blown by a couple times, I thought he was solid. Neal closed out well, hustled in transition and his rotations were usually on time.
Matt Bonner B-
Well, I guess going 1-for-1 on three-pointers is a step in the right direction for the April version of Matt Bonner. But it's still worrisome that he's been so quiet lately. In the eight-game winning streak, Bonner is averaging 4.3 points and hasn't scored more than eight points in any outing. While he wasn't passing up shots tonight, he also wasn't nearly as active as usual when it came to seeking out open space. On defense, Bonner was mostly a positive. He defended the post well, hustled to loose balls and got back in transition. In one of these final two games, it'd be great for Bonner if he could explode offensively. He's a rhythm player and right now it's difficult to imagine that he's in rhythm.
DeJuan Blair B
DeJuan Blair was the fifth bigman off the bench tonight. Truthfully, Blair's skillset is more suited for a reserve role. Now that it appears as if Diaw is the starter going forward, let's hope Blair is mature enough to accept his new role. Against the Blazers, he was actually pretty darn impressive on the offensive end. His passing was sublime and he converted around the rim. His defensive, though, wasn't nearly as delightful. Let us just move along . . .
Tiago Splitter B
With Blair getting the backup center minutes in the second half blowout, all of Tiago Splitter's minutes came in the first half. He spent his time on the court doing things we've come to expect such as finishing with high percentage shots, getting to the free throw line, pulling down rebounds and turning the ball over. If Pop is going to sit any of the Big 3 in the final two games, one would imagine that Splitter will need to come up big for the Spurs to have a chance of winning.
Patrick Mills A-
After a rough patch, Patrick Mills is back to lighting it up again. In his last four games, he's 11-for-15 (73.3%) from the field -- including 5-for-8 (62.5%) on three-pointers -- and has scored 28 points in 37 minutes. In his previous six outings, he was just 12-for-42 (28.6%) from the floor. Even though all his minutes came in garbage time tonight, Mills seemed to go extra hard against his former team.
James Anderson D
Ugh. James Anderson looked like anything but an NBA player during most of his time on the court. Other than his rebounding and a few drives to the hoop, Anderson was plain bad. He couldn't catch the ball. He couldn't defend. Even simple, everyday things were difficult for him tonight. I'm not sure what was wrong but it was difficult to watch.
Pop B
With his team putting together another blowout, Pop did a good job of spreading the minutes. Although, I'm not sure what the logic was behind playing Duncan the most amount of minutes -- unless Pop is planning on sitting him the final two games and wanted Duncan to get one final good run. Putting Diaw in the starting lineup was the right move even though the Spurs have had a lot of regular season success with Blair starting. In the final two games of the season, Pop has his work cut out for him. How does he keep this team healthy while also avoiding any type of letdown? It's not going to be easy.
Eleven seconds into the game, Danny Green drained a three-pointer ... and that was about the extent of the drama. The Spurs scored the evening's first eight points and never looked back. In the second half, the good guys never led by less than 20 points.
This victory clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. While Spurs fans are programmed to not care about the regular season, I honestly am impressed with this accomplishment. A lot of players stepped up and Pop did a marvelous coaching job. That said, it goes without saying that this season will be remembered for what happens in the playoffs.
In the final two games, the Spurs technically still have something to play for. With one more win, they'll clinch homecourt advantage over the Heat. If the Spurs can win their final two games and have the Bulls lose a game, San Antonio would have HCA throughout the playoffs.
http://dailyelements.com/apr23box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/apr23box2.jpg
Tim Duncan A-
A couple months ago, this type of stat line out of Tim Duncan would have Spurs fans thanking their rosary beads. But Duncan has been so dominant lately, it's no longer surprising when he puts up numbers that would make Prime Duncan blush. Tonight against the Blazers, he was just damn good once again. Offensively, his outside jumper was nearly automatic and that setup everything else he wanted to do. Duncan was also running the court extremely well -- perhaps as well as we've seen all season. Defensively, he challenged seemingly every shot at the rim and ripped down seemingly every contested board. Perhaps best of all is that Duncan did all this while hardly breaking a sweat. Going into the playoffs, the soon to be 36-year-old is playing better than anyone could have imagined in their wildest dream.
Manu Ginobili B
It was a relatively quiet night at the office for Manu Ginobili, though he did drop off a few more sweet dimes. Ginobili didn't look to score much -- it just wasn't needed -- but I did like the work he did on the defensive end. After slipping on that end against the Cavs, Ginobili was much more intense tonight and ended up with a handful of quality defensive plays. Physically, the Argentine star looks as good as he's looked all season. If you're Pop, you gotta be tempted to sit Ginobili until the start of the playoffs ... especially after what happened last season.
Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker missed his first three shots from the field. And that's about as much as I can nitpick Parker's game tonight. The rest of the way, Parker was stout in every aspect. Offensively, he carved up the Blazers. He scored in transition, off of straight-line penetration, on off-ball cuts and by hiding behind screens. Parker's passing was crisp and his timing was perfect. On defense, he gave a strong effort both individually and team-wise. Parker's cherry on top was tying his season-high in rebounds in only 22 minutes. If anything, I thought he was too active; Parker went crashing to the ground countless times. Then again, perhaps I'm just a paranoid.
Boris Diaw A-
Boris Diaw got the start in place of DeJuan Blair and this time it looks like it's permanent. Against the Blazers, Diaw gave Pop no reason to second-guess the change. The passing, movement and spacing he provides make him a natural fit alongside Duncan. The Blazers were usually helpless when Diaw got the ball -- his movements were too smart and his passing was too crafty. On defense, Diaw had one of his better games as a Spur, especially considering he avoided fouls. He was physical, did his work early and finished off possessions by boxing out with ferocity.
Kawhi Leonard C
Tonight was a classic rookie-wall game for Kawhi Leonard. His explosiveness wasn't there and he was much slower up and down the court. On offense, Leonard did a lot of standing and watching. Defensively, he wasn't much better but his length alone was able to get the job done in many instances. As the Spurs enter the playoffs, it'll be very interesting to see if Leonard can regain his legs. Lately, they've been here one day and gone the next.
Danny Green A+
Wow. Danny Green was a monster in his 15 minutes of action. His shooting was spectacular. Eighteen points on six shots? Yeah, that's pretty good. In his last 15 outings, he's now shooting 57.1% on three-pointers. In fact, his three-point percentage on the season is now all the way up to 43.4%. Defensively, Green was great. When he wasn't denying a Blazer in a one-on-one situation, he was flying in from out of nowhere to save the day. While he didn't play much, Green was the best player on the court when he was out there -- and that's saying a lot considering how well some of his teammates were playing.
Stephen Jackson B+
Don't look now but Stephen Jackson is heating up. The Spurs have been giving him more post-up opportunities and he's taken full advantage. In his last five games, Jackson is averaging 10.8 points in 24.4 minutes per game on 51.3% shooting from the floor. That's quite an improvement considering he shot just 26.2% in his previous nine games. In addition to his scoring, Jackson authored a number of slick passes while keeping his turnovers and miscues to a minimum. Defensively, he was very solid. While his gambling got him in trouble a couple times, it's difficult to be upset with a guy who swiped five steals and blocked two shots in 23 minutes of work.
Gary Neal B-
The scare of the night was when Gary Neal left the game with an apparent shoulder injury after running into a brick wall named Kurt Thomas. Thank the basketball gods above that the X-rays were negative and Neal has been diagnosed with a stinger. As for his play on this night, Gary Neal had his ups and downs. His three-pointers were a bright spot but his passing was even iffier than usual; Pop jumped on him a few times for failing to make the quick, proper pass. He's still going through point guard growing pains and tonight was further proof. Defensively, Neal was relatively good. Other than getting blown by a couple times, I thought he was solid. Neal closed out well, hustled in transition and his rotations were usually on time.
Matt Bonner B-
Well, I guess going 1-for-1 on three-pointers is a step in the right direction for the April version of Matt Bonner. But it's still worrisome that he's been so quiet lately. In the eight-game winning streak, Bonner is averaging 4.3 points and hasn't scored more than eight points in any outing. While he wasn't passing up shots tonight, he also wasn't nearly as active as usual when it came to seeking out open space. On defense, Bonner was mostly a positive. He defended the post well, hustled to loose balls and got back in transition. In one of these final two games, it'd be great for Bonner if he could explode offensively. He's a rhythm player and right now it's difficult to imagine that he's in rhythm.
DeJuan Blair B
DeJuan Blair was the fifth bigman off the bench tonight. Truthfully, Blair's skillset is more suited for a reserve role. Now that it appears as if Diaw is the starter going forward, let's hope Blair is mature enough to accept his new role. Against the Blazers, he was actually pretty darn impressive on the offensive end. His passing was sublime and he converted around the rim. His defensive, though, wasn't nearly as delightful. Let us just move along . . .
Tiago Splitter B
With Blair getting the backup center minutes in the second half blowout, all of Tiago Splitter's minutes came in the first half. He spent his time on the court doing things we've come to expect such as finishing with high percentage shots, getting to the free throw line, pulling down rebounds and turning the ball over. If Pop is going to sit any of the Big 3 in the final two games, one would imagine that Splitter will need to come up big for the Spurs to have a chance of winning.
Patrick Mills A-
After a rough patch, Patrick Mills is back to lighting it up again. In his last four games, he's 11-for-15 (73.3%) from the field -- including 5-for-8 (62.5%) on three-pointers -- and has scored 28 points in 37 minutes. In his previous six outings, he was just 12-for-42 (28.6%) from the floor. Even though all his minutes came in garbage time tonight, Mills seemed to go extra hard against his former team.
James Anderson D
Ugh. James Anderson looked like anything but an NBA player during most of his time on the court. Other than his rebounding and a few drives to the hoop, Anderson was plain bad. He couldn't catch the ball. He couldn't defend. Even simple, everyday things were difficult for him tonight. I'm not sure what was wrong but it was difficult to watch.
Pop B
With his team putting together another blowout, Pop did a good job of spreading the minutes. Although, I'm not sure what the logic was behind playing Duncan the most amount of minutes -- unless Pop is planning on sitting him the final two games and wanted Duncan to get one final good run. Putting Diaw in the starting lineup was the right move even though the Spurs have had a lot of regular season success with Blair starting. In the final two games of the season, Pop has his work cut out for him. How does he keep this team healthy while also avoiding any type of letdown? It's not going to be easy.