Grades: Spurs vs. Jazz - Game 1

[timvp]

In Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs took care of business against the Jazz, cruising to a 106-91 victory. Though San Antonio never trailed after the first quarter, give Utah a lot of credit for playing a tough, physical style that forced the Spurs to earn every point and every stop.

While the Spurs could never blow the Jazz out of the water, they were great at responding to any runs. In the third quarter, a Paul Millsap layup with 2:47 remaining trimmed S.A.'s advantage to eight points. The Spurs responded with an 11-4 run to close out the period. In the fourth, a Jamaal Tinsley three-pointer with 7:31 left in the game once again trimmed the lead to eight. This time, San Antonio answered with a quick 6-0 run to end Utah's hopes.

Overall, I thought the Spurs looked rusty and they never really got into the type of rhythm we witnessed over the last couple months of the season. On one hand, that could be considered worrisome. On the other hand, the fact that the Spurs didn't play overly well yet still easily beat the Jazz could bode well for the future.

http://dailyelements.com/apr29box1.jpg

http://dailyelements.com/apr29box2.jpg

Tim Duncan B-
It was a bumpy ride for Tim Duncan in the opening postseason affair. Offensively, he struggled early with his scoring. His outside jumper was off, he was missing chip shots around the rim and had some issues dealing with the physicality of Utah's bigs. Duncan compounded his problems by holding onto the ball too long and stagnating the ball-movement. However, when he decided to pass, his looks were usually very good; he was especially deadly passing from the high-post. Eventually, Duncan began picking his spots better and finished the contest by hitting his last four field goal attempts. Defensively, though Al Jefferson had success against him at times, I thought Duncan was mostly a positive on that end. He protected the rim decently well and was able to utilize his strength without fouling. Rebounding-wise, after a few lulls in the beginning stages of the game, Duncan picked it up and was grabbing most of the clutch caroms as San Antonio was placing the final nails in the coffin. All in all, while Duncan has definitely played cleaner games recently, it was a quality effort and a satisfactory way to begin the 2012 playoffs.

Manu Ginobili C+
When Manu Ginobili began the day with a leaner and a pair of driving dunks, I think we all expected a huge outing from the Argentine superstar. However, as it turned out, it went all downhill from there. Offensively, while he had a few great passes and a couple determined drives to the hoop, Ginobili never made another field goal and was oftentimes too sloppy when attempting to orchestrate the offense. On defense, while I really liked Ginobili's tenacity on the defensive glass, I was disappointed in his decision-making on that end of the court. Asked to defend Gordon Hayward most of the time, Ginobili spent way too much time wandering away from Utah's only scoring swingman. When Hayward got the ball, he either had an open jumper or the Spurs were forced to scramble to cover him, which led directly to a number of fouls. It didn't hurt San Antonio much this game but when Ginobili has the Hayward assignment, he has to realize that's the one player on the Jazz that can't be ignored on the perimeter. Roaming off of Hayward to get a few steals simply isn't worth it.

Tony Parker A-
Coming out of the gates, I thought Tony Parker was too amped. It was like he wanted to administer the knockout punch in the first quarter. He suffered from tunnel vision a few possessions and was deciding what he wanted to do before he allowed the plays to develop. Thankfully, Parker settled into a groove and started playing much better. While he kept his energy high, he added in a much needed dose of smarts. That's when he started picking apart the Jazz. Parker was deadliest in transition and pick-and-roll sets. When one-on-one against Utah's bigmen, he was almost always able to create a positive play for the Spurs. Parker kept it in attack-mode and was the leading force in driving San Antonio to victory. On the defensive end, after a couple breakdowns in the first quarter, I though Parker did very good work. Considering that the Frenchman historically has subpar opening games in the playoffs, this was definitely a great first step.

Kawhi Leonard C
Truthfully, I couldn't tell if Kawhi Leonard was suffering from rookie jitters or not because he simply wasn't involved very much. On the defensive end, he was assigned Josh Howard ... and to say Howard struggled would be an understatement. Offensively, Leonard didn't get many touches. When he did, his shot was flat from the outside and he quickly looked to pass if pressured. In the second half, he started to play better by wreaking havoc on the defensive end. That said, it was mostly a very quiet outing for the first-year forward.

Danny Green C-
A lot like Leonard, Danny Green had an anonymous beginning to his first playoff run as a starter. Defensively, I didn't think he did very well at all. He took poor angles to cut off penetration and also was late in his help-defense responsibilities. Offensively, Green didn't do much of anything other than miss a pair of three-pointers and score on a layup in transition.

Boris Diaw B+
It seemed to catch the Jazz off guard when Boris Diaw came out looking to score the ball. I know I was surprised. Pop ran a few plays early for Diaw and he took full advantage of the opportunity to hoist a handful of shot attempts. The results were positive; Diaw is crafty with the ball in the air and can finish from a variety of angles. To go along with his surprising scoring punch, Diaw added his customary great passing and spaced the court very well. Defensively, he was good on the low block, although his effectiveness wasn't nearly as high out on the perimeter. But if he can defend in the paint, pull down rebounds and add some creativity on the offensive end, he'll be fulfilling his role in this series against the Jazz -- and he did just that this afternoon.

Stephen Jackson A
Spurs fans have labeled Stephen Jackson a playoff hero since his return to San Antonio. In his first postseason game back in silver and black, Jackson didn't disappoint. Offensively, Jackson canned timely outside jumpers, made heady passes off the dribble and utilized a great amount of patience to help ensure the team got high-quality shots when he was in the game. Even more impressive, to me at least, was his defense. When the Jazz went to their triple bigman lineup, Jackson was up to the challenge of defending a power forward -- and ended up doing very good work. He used his quickness advantage to fend off post-up opportunities and his feistiness allowed him to box out well and also grab a few contested boards. While Jackson gambled a bit too much on the perimeter defensively, I liked just about everything else about his game. Welcome back, Playoff Jack.

Matt Bonner B+
After struggling with his accuracy from three-point land in the last few weeks of the regular season, Matt Bonner was a marksman from deep today. He let the three-pointers go with confidence and absolutely no hesitation. Let us all hope Bonner can continue to shoot like this because when he's on, it's extremely difficult to beat the Spurs. Defensively, though, I wasn't nearly as impressed. When he wasn't giving their bigmen too much space to operate on the perimeter, he was getting tossed around inside. Bonner had a few sturdy possessions here and there but he needs to bring his hardhat the rest of this series. The rebounding was adequate enough but he has to hold his position better under the basket.

Gary Neal B+
Gary Neal bounced back from his shoulder stinger and had a very solid performance. Offensively, he knocked down his first shot and then followed that up with a pair of gorgeous assists. Defensively, while he was fouling like it was going out of style, he was actually much better on D than usual. His hustle caused issues for the Jazz and Neal, more often than not, was in the right spot at the right time. Since he was somewhat of a question mark headed into this series, it was encouraging to see Neal play well in his first game back.

Tiago Splitter B
The lowlight of the game for the Spurs was Tiago Splitter's injury. At some point in the first half, Splitter sprained his wrist and was unable to play in the final two quarters. The latest word is he's having an MRI tomorrow. As for the game, Splitter played relatively well in a very active seven minutes. Offensively, he was involved quite a bit. Although he missed a couple easy shots and both of his free throws, Splitter made up for it with a few hustle plays. Defensively, his man-to-man defense was good but his help was below average and he wasn't an asset on the glass. Let's hope the MRI doesn't show anything too serious.

DeJuan Blair B
As a starter, DeJuan Blair is stretched beyond his limitations. As an emergency fifth big, Blair is a fantastic option. He stepped in for Splitter and the Spurs didn't really miss a beat. It was great to see that Blair kept his head in the game, didn't sulk and was ready to play when called upon. Though he clanged a few layups, Blair was rolling hard to the basket and forcing the Jazz to account for him. Defensively, he was much more active than usual and played with a ferocity we didn't often see out of him this season. If Splitter is forced to miss any games, Blair will be counted on to pick up the slack.

Pop B+
I mostly liked what Pop did in Game 1 against the Jazz. He kept using his ten-man rotation, which was exactly what I wanted. He played the Big 3 more minutes but kept it reasonable. With Leonard and Green not producing, Pop didn't hesitate to lean on Jackson. The decision to start Diaw worked out very well. The only aspect I didn't really like was Pop's playcalling. I thought he called too many isolations for Duncan and not enough pick-and-rolls. Against Utah, pick-and-rolls should be the preferred method of attack. Duncan isolated against their bigs just isn't something the Spurs need to even try to exploit. In Game 2, I don't expect Pop to make many adjustments -- though that could change pending Splitter's MRI results.

[Spurs-Fan]

Thank you for the grades. :toast

[jjktkk]

Thank you Tim, for the writeup.

[TE]

Didn't watch the game, but I plan to do so tonight. Thanks anyways!!

[Milo]

Thanks.
Boris grades are missing?

[freetiago]

hopefully the early game start and playoff debut for the youngins accounts for the bad shooting
the shots were all open and in rhythm
if SA hits shots like they normally do during the reg season its a blowout
the mid range wasnt falling for anyone tonight

[Robz4000]

Good writeup, timvp!

[timtonymanu]

I continue to be more impressed with Diaw. He has fit in with the starting lineup so quickly and he was a key factor today.

Leonard and Green were definitely underwhelming today and I was mostly excited for how they would play in the playoffs. I think they will bounce back though.

As much as I dislike Blair, he played good today and was very professional about his role. Today was also good baby steps for Bonner. As long as he hits his 3's, I can't complain about what else he does.

Watching Jack out there was a beauty. :lol to all the haters that say he's done.

Hopefully Tiago is okay.

[timtonymanu]

I continue to be more impressed with Diaw. He has fit in with the starting lineup so quickly and he was a key factor today.

Leonard and Green were definitely underwhelming today and I was mostly excited for how they would play in the playoffs. I think they will bounce back though.

As much as I dislike Blair, he played good today and was very professional about his role. Today was also good baby steps for Bonner. As long as he hits his 3's, I can't complain about what else he does.

Watching Jack out there was a beauty. :lol to all the haters that say he's done.

Hopefully Tiago is okay.

[TheSkeptic]

Fast write-up. Thanks Timvp. :toast

[Ginobleed20]

Thanks TIMVP, much appreciated

[acoelho1]

After today's game, I fully expect a sweep. The Spurs weren't at their best and the Jazz never really challenged. Also, I think the game was not all that physical and the Spurs sailed easily to the win.

[timvp]

Thanks.
Boris grades are missing?

Copy and paste error, tbh :depressed

[Mal]

Thanks for grade. Didnt have a chance to watch a game.

[MannyIsGod]

Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.

[lefty]

@utahjazz: RT @ESPNStatsInfo: The #Spurs scored 48 points from inside 5 feet in their win Sun, the most by any team in a game in the last 2 postseasons






Daaaaaaamn

[ElNono]

thanks

[ElNono]

Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.

agree

[ElNono]

I'm also going to go ahead and self-pat myself in the back for calling Jack being able to handle Millsap on the 3 spot, as I pointed out last night

[Obstructed_View]

Big props to Blair for stepping in and stepping up. Very glad to have him on the team when he's doing that.

I thought Manu was absoultely the catalyst to this win. The Spurs basically traded baskets until he subbed into the game.

Good effort from the young guys. You survived your debut, now it's time to go to work.

Jack, you're everything I thought you'd be. It's like you never left. BTW, tell your agent fuck you for me.

I fully expect the Spurs to actually hit jumpers once they're playing night games again like normal people.

[timvp]

Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.

Tough to grade, tbh. First stint he was 3-for-3 with an assist and +11. The was an A effort.

But the final 17 minutes he was on the court, he was 0-for-7 with three assists and three turnovers ... plus subpar defense. Can't say that was much better than a C- stretch of time.

He's Manu Ginobili so he's still an asset virtually no matter what but the Spurs need much more than what they got in his final 17 minutes.

[Obstructed_View]

Tough to grade, tbh. First stint he was 3-for-3 with an assist and +11. The was an A effort.

But the final 17 minutes he was on the court, he was 0-for-7 with three assists and three turnovers ... plus subpar defense. Can't say that was much better than a C- stretch of time.

He's Manu Ginobili so he's still an asset virtually no matter what but the Spurs need much more than what they got in his final 17 minutes.

I agree with the grade, but just wanted to remind everyone that he was brilliant in all the right spots. For once, plus minus does a good job of telling the story.

[jestersmash]

Manu had a B+/A- level effort all throughout the game. He had the embarrassing missed dunk. On a subsequent possession in transition, I thought it was somewhat timid and opted for a mid range jumpshot (missed) instead of taking it to the rim.

I think his first 3 point attempt was in and out. That said, it was a great, wide-open look and you can't bag on him for his effort and decision making on that play.

He had a couple of great assists, but a couple of sloppy turnovers as well. C+ is pretty spot-on IMO.

[Fabbs]

^^ It ended up not mattering but i thought the blown dunk was showboating.:nope

[Brazil]

I agree pretty much with all the grades even though I would have graded Tim with A-. If Tim plays like that during the rest of the POs I think we will be fine. 50% FG 11 reb 5 assists 2 stl with a coupe of TOs is great tbh.

[Brazil]

Manu was an asset during this game no question but a C+ is spot on IMO. Considering he is manu we can expect much better than we saw today in O and D.

TP would have been crucified for this kind of game.

oh and :lol suddenly the +/- doesnt suck anymore

[ElNono]

And I agree with much more being expected out of Manu... I also think he was single-handedly the spark in the 1st quarter when the team looked very, very timid

[Obstructed_View]

oh and :lol suddenly the +/- doesnt suck anymore

I missed where someone said that. Ever.

[ElNono]

I missed where someone said that. Ever.

I actually stated the opposite... as far as gauging individual performances is concerned anyways.

[Obstructed_View]

I actually stated the opposite... as far as gauging individual performances is concerned anyways.

Yeah, it doesn't really mean much. However, Manu was a difference-maker despite playing poorly, so it happens to be correct.

[MannyIsGod]

Tough to grade, tbh. First stint he was 3-for-3 with an assist and +11. The was an A effort.

But the final 17 minutes he was on the court, he was 0-for-7 with three assists and three turnovers ... plus subpar defense. Can't say that was much better than a C- stretch of time.

He's Manu Ginobili so he's still an asset virtually no matter what but the Spurs need much more than what they got in his final 17 minutes.

:tu

[Spurs Brazil]

thanks timvp

Tony was fantastic. I hope he keep attacking and attacking.

Jax brings so much to this team. Great to have him back

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Just watched the game and great to see us playing at about 70% but still dominant.

I thought Manu's grade was about right - great start, but after that completely ineffective despite the effort. It's okay though, he'll bounce back, he always does. ;)

[ducks]

manu would be one reason why the spurs lost today
the spurs had not played in along time with everyone
it looked like that for awhile

[ElNono]

tbh, the thought of losing by 1 after Manu's botched dunk and Pop's meaningless technical did cross my mind for about 3.5 secs

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Shut up Ducks, you hater! :lol

PS So glad we have Diaw. Any way we can keep the guy for the next few years? When he is motivated he's a superb player. Loved his game ever since the 13/7/6 season he put up back in 2005-6 for that exciting Suns team.

PPS And as for Jax, well that is obvious. He should never have left. ;)

[CubanMustGo]

Fucking ducks with the usual Manu hatred. Surprise.

I would have given Timmay a B or B+. 50% shooting, 17 points and 11 boards, 5 assists, sheesh he is like 70 years old timvp.

[easjer]

It was a relief that they won so handily while looking so rusty and uninterested. I expect they'll continue to shake it off, so I'm not overly concerned unless there is another game like that. Not having to play with more focus could hurt them later on.

Thought the grades were pretty spot on.

[Spurs Brazil]

Save the date: Spurs rookie Kawhi Leonard admitted to being “a little more nervous” before his first playoff game, but declared his postseason debut a success.

“I was a little nervous,” he said. “I just had to go out and play hard. Everybody told me it’s a normal game, but harder, so just play harder.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/04/29/jacksons-return-to-postseason-a-blessing/

[pgardn]

If Tony keeps playing like he did today, we have a great chance to win this thing. Tony and Manu making penetrations and scoring allows for the 3's to rain down without as much pressure. And the offense turns into a wonderful feedback mechanism, inside-out, outside-in.

We had lots of time on the 3's but only Jackson and Bonner seemed to take advantage. The one Bonner misses is contested. And we had a lot of easy shots inside which Tim seemed to struggle with a bit.

So all is good...

[ducks]

sj is spurs insurance because of manu

[Brazil]

I dont read ducks posts tbh

[racm]

Fitting playoff return for Captain Jack.

And Tim and Manu are still shaking off rust, so they're justified - but Tony's outing is downright great.

[5in10]

Could someone tell me how many of Bonner's 3s came with Sjax on the court? I'm not sure where to find that stat. Could Jackson's swagger and attitude be giving Bonner that extra dose of confidence he needs to make 3s in the playoffs? I know its something with a small sample size but its something to keep an eye on (maybe i'm just stoned.)

[Mugen]

I don't know if it's as much Jax rubbing off on Matty as Bonner scared to death of what Jax would do to him he keeps missing wide open 3s.

:lol Bonner with "swag"

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

In regards to Bonner I thought it was a surprisingly good performance. He needs to be more physical but the bed was not shat upon so I consider it a success.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

PPPS Actually, Manu's passing in the second half was pretty awesome. Maybe he deserved a C. ;)

[Bruno]

Thanks for the grade.

It wasn't the smoothest game possible but, at the end, it's a relatively easy win. Diaw and Jackson makes Spurs so much better. Even when some players have a so-so game, Spurs continue to roll. This team is just so deep.

[Manudona]

Manu had a B+/A- level effort all throughout the game. He had the embarrassing missed dunk. On a subsequent possession in transition, I thought it was somewhat timid and opted for a mid range jumpshot (missed) instead of taking it to the rim.

I think his first 3 point attempt was in and out. That said, it was a great, wide-open look and you can't bag on him for his effort and decision making on that play.

He had a couple of great assists, but a couple of sloppy turnovers as well. C+ is pretty spot-on IMO.

I think Manu was heading to an epic performance, but missing the dunk had a huge negative effect, not only he was very timid with that opportunity for a dunk (which if he had not missed the previous one would've made 4 dunks in something like 10 minutes) and missing the jumpshot, on the rebound someone (Tim?) passed to him, he attacked the rim.... only to get the shot blocked and then he just played average bb

[KenziE]

Pretty harsh on Manu, IMO.

true

[spursfan 73]

I think once the rookie (young) jitters pass, we'll blow Utah out of the series.

Hopefully Green and Leonard can play a lot better.

[TMTTRIO]

Perfect grade for Manu. Manu just needs to make better choices. Now as far as his play in the playoffs I really don't know what to expect out of him this year. I just hope he can get into playoff form soon. Fortunately we have other guys to fill in and SJax is going to be huge for us.

[timvp]

Rewatching the game, here are some extra notes:

-Jackson's rebounding was huge; I probably didn't emphasize it enough in the OP.

-When Bonner dribbles, his court vision disappears. He missed Tiago WIDE open in the first half and Jack even WIDER open in the second half.

-Manu's defense actually started off pretty damn good ... it just went downhill along with his offense.

-Diaw/Duncan pick-and-roll? Pop with some postseason trickery :smokin

[DPG21920]

I can't wait for SA to get back in rhythm. A few guys weren't moving very fluidly but were still effective. Overall it was a very solid win and it's crazy how they are much less reliant on the 3 ball this year. They need it, but it seems they can find other ways to win even when not scorching hot.

Diaw has been everything we could have hoped for on both ends to date. If we can consistently get one of DG or Kawhi to make an impact that will bode very well.

[gilmor]

Rewatching the game, here are some extra notes:

-Jackson's rebounding was huge; I probably didn't emphasize it enough in the OP.

-When Bonner dribbles, his court vision disappears. He missed Tiago WIDE open in the first half and Jack even WIDER open in the second half.

-Manu's defense actually started off pretty damn good ... it just went downhill along with his offense.

-Diaw/Duncan pick-and-roll? Pop with some postseason trickery :smokin

Man, I will watch the game tonight..

[Obstructed_View]

Rewatching the game, here are some extra notes:

-Jackson's rebounding was huge; I probably didn't emphasize it enough in the OP.

It's why Jack >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> RJ; he always finds a way to contribute.


-When Bonner dribbles, his court vision disappears. He missed Tiago WIDE open in the first half and Jack even WIDER open in the second half.

Lately he's actually passed once in a while. Baby steps.


-Diaw/Duncan pick-and-roll? Pop with some postseason trickery :smokin
I saw the high-low and got so excited I almost jumped off the couch. Between that and Duncan's power dunk, I thought I'd travelled back in time.

[100%duncan]

I thought Jack deserved an A+ because he didn't turn the ball over.

Thanks for the grades. :toast

[T Park]

I think bonner watches the ball when he dribbles like that. Dead serious. It's almost like he keeps his head down...

[letmk]

Good news is the Spurs are rusty and still win convincingly. But Tiago injury is a big concern, especially wayching the Grizillies beating the Clippers right now.

I don't like Manu's defense either. When he gets beat by dribbling because of the lost step, I can take that. Just like TIMVP said, however, many times he is neither staying with his assignment nor helping doubling low-post players, he is just wandering around. To be honest, that's RJ like, and personally the only think I hate about RJ.

And Blair plays like a real pro player today. Not only he plays relatively well, but he plays quite hard. Many of us have been harsh on him recently, me personally included. Props to him.

[crc21209]

I thought the Spurs played a decent, not great game, and yet they won by 15 points. I'll chalk that up to the early start tbh. Obviously Jax was the underrated star of the game. His defense and rebounding was HUGE today, not to mention his timely 3's. Big props to Jax. :tu

[Solid D]

While Ginobili had a tough day offensively, I thought Gordon Hayward did an excellent job defending Manu. In fact, Gordon did an excellent job of being Manu against Manu. Twice, Hayward reached in on Ginobili cuts to the basket and stripped the ball loose for turnovers. Hayward also drew contact on virtually every trip to the hoop and made a day of it at the FT line. On this day, the purple #20 played better, save for a few stretches in the game.

[Juventini]

I've never paid attention on Al Jefferson before but after this game, it's pretty clear to me A.J. is not an asset to their team... Granted he's really efficient down low but other than that he doesn't bring anything to the table. He's never ran back to defend the rim in the transition. He's never challenged the cutter man. He's so bad on the defensive end to the point that he usually end up watching the ball instead of defending the paint and his man.

[skin]

Thanks!

[Obstructed_View]

I've never paid attention on Al Jefferson before but after this game, it's pretty clear to me A.J. is not an asset to their team... Granted he's really efficient down low but other than that he doesn't bring anything to the table. He's never ran back to defend the rim in the transition. He's never challenged the cutter man. He's so bad on the defensive end to the point that he usually end up watching the ball instead of defending the paint and his man.

That's always been Al's problem. He spent hours and hours watching videos of Duncan, but only in the post. That's about 40 percent of Timmy's game.

[Rapper]

Can anyone answer me that why the crowd didn't wear the same T-shirt?

Because I noticed that the crowds in OKC, MIA as well as MEM did

[TDMVPDPOY]

oi timvp

how coem kl and green cant replicate what jackson was able to do when his shots werent falling...that was fkn attack the rim to get it happening...

game looked slow and rusty when they didnt attempt many 3s in the first half or shooting not well, always looking to get further closer to the ring for baskets...duncan needs to take those 18fts the defense continues to give him and he was rusty with the jumpshot

[TampaDude]

Even though it was not one of our best performances, we still won handily in the end. This game could easily have been a 25+ point laugher.

I see a very good possibility of a sweep in this series now.

[TDMVPDPOY]

u know whats wrong with this series? spurs going to make haywood into a star and look for the jazzfans to overrate him like his the biggest thing since butter

[Spurtacus]

I honesty didn't realize Manu shot that bad. His presence on the court was a positive for the Spurs despite his poor shooting. I think the +15 shows that.

Props to Bonner tonight. He played well on both ends.

[therealtruth]

While Ginobili had a tough day offensively, I thought Gordon Hayward did an excellent job defending Manu. In fact, Gordon did an excellent job of being Manu against Manu. Twice, Hayward reached in on Ginobili cuts to the basket and stripped the ball loose for turnovers. Hayward also drew contact on virtually every trip to the hoop and made a day of it at the FT line. On this day, the purple #20 played better, save for a few stretches in the game.

There's definitely alot of similarites between Haywood and Ginobili's games.

[spurs10]

Just seeing the lineup of Tim, Diaw, Jack, Manu, and TP was like a dream come true. I just hope Tiago makes it back soon and Kawhi and Green step it up. Matty looked good too!

[Juventini]

There's definitely alot of similarites between Haywood and Ginobili's games.

Hayward is heading in the right direction. He is capable of drawing foul but he's not yet learn how to draw foul and made the shot at the same time.

However, he still has a long way to learn about passing, help defense, and the most important thing "stamina". The thing that differentiate Ginobili and other players is that he is capable of running wild and giving his 100% all the time when he's on the floor.

[T Park]

Can anyone answer me that why the crowd didn't wear the same T-shirt?

Because I noticed that the crowds in OKC, MIA as well as MEM did

Because its a played out gimmick.

Teams that have 1 or 0 rings do gimmick horsecrap stunts like that.

[T Park]

Even though it was not one of our best performances, we still won handily in the end. This game could easily have been a 25+ point laugher.

I see a very good possibility of a sweep in this series now.

I thought the Spurs played a C+ game and the Jazz played a B+.

That said it was a Spurs lead from the middle of the first, and on.

The defense was good, but it can get better with adjustments.
I thought Utah at times defended quite well, surprisingly well on some pick and rolls, but if Duncan can make his jumpers from his spot pulling Jefferson out, that should open the middle up even more for Manu or Parker.

Bonner shocked me with how well he played. I wish he could bottle that shot making and use it for 18 more games.

Gary Neal matches up so well with Utah because of their lack of speed at the point position. Gary sees his body equal in Tinsley BUT, hes gotta play better D on him, Tinsley shouldn't get as many points as he got today.

Too many open threes, caught a break with Harris bricking late. Carroll and Hayward made em pay.

Foul less, wayy too many free throws for them, too few free throws for the Spurs as well as I dont think the Spurs were aggressive enough IMO in driving to the basket. Favors is a block shot threat yes, but not Jefferson or Milsap. Drive at em, they arent going to block your shot.

First adjustment out of the block, put Green on Carroll and Leonard on Hayward. Keep Hayward on the perimeter shooting contested shots, keep him off the FT line. Stay in front of Carroll on the 3pt line, Green can handle that.

[TJastal]

^^ It ended up not mattering but i thought the blown dunk was showboating.:nope

I didn't get that impression at all. I think he just rushed his take off, which is un-Manu like to say the least. That is something a low IQ player would do. It always floors me how so many nba players today are always in such a rush heading down the court on a fast break that they either chrage into somebody or blow the shot. He had no one in front of him, all he had to do was figure out where the defender behind him was then shield him away and toss in the layup. Should be a simple play to make for the extraordinarily talented Manu.

[TJastal]

Rewatching the game, here are some extra notes:

-Jackson's rebounding was huge; I probably didn't emphasize it enough in the OP.

-When Bonner dribbles, his court vision disappears. He missed Tiago WIDE open in the first half and Jack even WIDER open in the second half.

-Manu's defense actually started off pretty damn good ... it just went downhill along with his offense.

-Diaw/Duncan pick-and-roll? Pop with some postseason trickery :smokin

Bonner still dribbles like a 2nd grader, looking down at the ball the entire time.

[T Park]

Bonner still dribbles like a 2nd grader, looking down at the ball the entire time.

Thank god someone else sees this, I swear I thought I was the only one that thought this.

[Splits]

Bonner still dribbles like a 2nd grader, looking down at the ball the entire time.

I don't care if he shoves it up his ass and regurgitates it into his shooting hand, as long as he is knocking down 3/4 from downtown, playing something recognizable as D, and not turning the ball over.

[Juventini]

Thank god someone else sees this, I swear I thought I was the only one that thought this.

Come on guys... Bonner is 6'10, not everyone is Duncan....

[T Park]

I don't care if he shoves it up his ass and regurgitates it into his shooting hand, as long as he is knocking down 3/4 from downtown, playing something recognizable as D, and not turning the ball over.

:rollin

:lol This

[TJastal]

I don't get why there are so many ragging on Green and Leonard. I thought they both played their roles and contributed to the win, esp for two guys who are practically rookies. Neither was stellar on this particular night, but then again nobody is perfect every single game. People seem to have this expectation that they are going to net 10-15ppg, along w/ 5 boards, multiple steals and blocks every single game. Just ain't gonna happen. Especially considering the fact that the spurs are running a 10 deep rotation where you have 3 guys who can bust out for 30 any given night, and the rest are capable of 20+.

[Legacy]

This was just a warm-up game. ;)


Thank you again for the time and the write-up, timvp.




:flag:

[T Park]

Green to me was having his shot denied quite a bit and the Jazz seemed to make a concerted effort to keep him from getting an open three.

Leonard was tough but, the second half his defense and play was much better.

I expect better game 2s from both.

[TJastal]

Green to me was having his shot denied quite a bit and the Jazz seemed to make a concerted effort to keep him from getting an open three.

Leonard was tough but, the second half his defense and play was much better.

I expect better game 2s from both.

I'll take zero turnovers from each every game along with solid defense and a few buckets sprinkled in. The only real complaint I would make is neither made a 3, but the bench more than made up for that.

[Splits]

Green to me was having his shot denied quite a bit and the Jazz seemed to make a concerted effort to keep him from getting an open three.

Leonard was tough but, the second half his defense and play was much better.

I expect better game 2s from both.

These guys just need to hold the fort defensively and on the board with the starters. Manu and Jack relieve them early and provide the scoring.

[will_spurs]

I'm with TJastal for once. The rookies produced, I'm really fine with Kawhi 0 TO, 1 foul performance. That is to me a great indicator of patience and not letting the pressure affect him.

[T Park]

Ya know what is not noticed but I've caught on the last weeks with Duncan.

Hes back to his days of as TIMVP coined it one time

Death, taxes, 24 12.

Today 17-11 a made free throw and couple buckets and he gets it.

Timmy is back to 24 and 12 days again.

[timvp]

Great game. We missed a lot lay ups though. What was our percentage within 5 feet?

Good question.

The Spurs were 24-for-37 at the rim for 64.9%. During the regular season, the Spurs averaged 16.7-for-25.4 for 65.6%. So even though the Spurs missed 13 shots at the rim, their percentage was in line with their normal percentage. I guess it just seemed like the Spurs missed so many layups just because they were getting there so much more often than usual.

Outside of 16 feet, the Spurs were 9-for-28 (32.1%) in Game 1. On average during the regular season, they were 15-for-37.7 (39.8%). Personally, I think it's a good sign that the Spurs won a playoff game even though they weren't too sharp execution-wise and didn't shoot that well from the perimeter.

Sure, the competition level was relatively low for the playoffs, but the Spurs did well to win by utilizing old school, shove-it-down-your-throat basketball.

[100%duncan]

Good thing about game 1 too is we kept missing lay-ups and easy shots but we were always in control, now if we hit those lay-ups we blow them up easily.

[Dingle Barry]

It was our most disjointed offensive effort in quite a while. There's no denying Manu played poorly overall. If I know Manu - and I think I do - game 2 will feature vintage filthy Manu.

[timvp]

Interesting note is that when Parker and Ginobili were on the court together, the Spurs were a +15. That means neither one could make some much headway without the other on the court. But during the 16 minutes that backcourt played together, the Spurs destroyed the Jazz.

Parker/Ginobili has been on fire for the last month. Great to see it transfer into the playoffs :tu

[Spursfanfromafar]

What I liked the most was the tremendous energy showed by the big 3. It is very clear that in many games this season, either of the three were coasting at different times. Manu was not going to risk injury by trying anything else but jumpers or open layups; Tony was clearly coasting early season before carrying the team for long stretches when Manu was injured and then dialing it down a bit after Manu's return; while Tim was pacing himself for the playoffs by steadily building up momentum and game speed.

And in the first game itself, while the big 3 were rusty, there was no question that they were at their most energetic the whole season. Parker was super efficient. He seems like a well drilled machine making decisions like clockwork. And Timmy and Manu looked like exploding to the rim the moment they saw the tiniest sliver of space that they could exploit. It bodes really well.

The best offensive move, though, for the Spurs this game for me was Boris Diaw's running hook shot. It completely took the Jazz by surprise.

Hopefully Splitter returns with little more than a mild discomfort and does what he is best doing -rolling to the basket, hustling and defending hard.

[TDMVPDPOY]

looking towards from game 2 what we can improve game 1....executing plays...

[temujin]

The positive:
-Spurs won even playing the worst game of the last two months (exception the home game vs Lakers).
-Depth IS important, even in PO: 10th man Blair comes in for an injured Splitter, and grabs important rebounds.
-Instead of Jefferson, Spurs have Jackson this year. With Jefferson, this game is decided in the final minute.
-Popovich is definitely involved. Good T to stop a few bad calls (to keep the game as close as possible).
-Parker gave the impression that he could penetrate and score or assist on every possession.

The negative:
-Splitter' injury. In the long run, the guy can't be replaced.
-Rebounding was an issue for most of the game.
-The missed dunk of Ginobili. When did we ever see that?

[G-Dawgg]

This is just a warm up game. In fact, don't we usually lose the first game of the playoffs?

[carina_gino20]

I'm pretty excited to see how Kawhi and Danny perform in Game 2, especially Kawhi. I just get the impression that he's just letting the game come to him and absorbing everything there is to learn in Game 1. I think he'll be fine as long as he still goes tough on D even when the shots don't fall in.

As for Danny, he should make smart cuts and free himself up for J's. He's not gonna touch the ball a lot of times what with Tim and Tony sharing most of the scoring load, but if he can prepare himself for Tony's kickouts and make those shots, that should be more than enough contribution from Danny on offense.

[CubanMustGo]

Because its a played out gimmick.

Teams that have 1 or 0 rings do gimmick horsecrap stunts like that.

Well, that and we did it in 2007, I remember them handing out black t-shirts at the second Finals game.

[MI21]

Couple of random thoughts from Australia...

- I thought Kawhi played pretty well. Offensively he wasn't flash, but he didn't look particularly overawed. I thought he competed well and defensively he was hawking the ball and I loved the steal and outlet. Solid debut.

- Green looked a little bit rushed when shooting his 3's. He didn't seem to have the same fluency he was showing the last few weeks. That said, he is streaky, he is quite likely to go 3/4 in his next game. I thought he got a couple of iffy calls against him as well. He has to get in there and rebound better and hopefully getting his hand on the ball a bit more will help him to relax and shoot better.

- Buckets was ballin out there. His rebounding was great, pulled a few down in the trees. His 3pt shot looked smooth and those couple of drives showed great patience and reading of the defense. The extra pass to Bonner for the 3.. He played an A+ game.

- Diaw's statline doesn't blow me away but watching him on the court I thought he was very good. His physicality and position on defense really go against the type of guy he is and it's pleasing to see it translating. I think the team could use him a little bit more offensively even if it is just to give Tony a possession or two off/

- Until he got hurt, I thought Splitter was showing great signs. I think he was a bit amped up and that lead to him missing a couple of easy ones but I honestly think he could have gone to work on the entire Jazz frontline. Hopefully the wrist injury isn't serious, it shouldn't bother him to much shooting wise but a big part of his game is catching the ball, so hopefully it doesn't bother him in that department.

- Blair played decent in the role he should be in. I think there is room for him to get minutes, I really like the idea of him going up against opposition second units.

- Bonner hit his 3's but the key thing is he didn't hesitate and looked confident. I had a few night tremors when Favors starting making a couple of midrange/short jumpers over him Darrell Arthur style, but thankfully that didn't last to long. He does look like a defensive mismatch in this series though.

- Baseline game from Neal. Not great, not horrible. Swished a few which was nice to see. Fouled a bit much though.

Tim, just a solid game. Loved the dunk.

Tony was the best player on the court by about 10 miles. He basically does what he wants.

Manu's passing was ridiculous. The pass to the slipping Blair around 3 defenders was astounding. I'm starting to get a bit worried when he initiates a pick and roll from the 45 going left though. He keeps picking his dribble up around the top of the key and it is getting stripped time and time again. That has been a staple of his game and scoring wise he isn't nearly as effective when he decides to not use the pick and go right.. Hopefully that gets sorted out.

Overall, a solid game. The Jazz hung tough but to be honest, with a tighter rotation, the thing would have blown out more and earlier.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

What is the deal with Devin Harris?
I thought he got hurt when Tinsley stayed in the game so long

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

What is the deal with Devin Harris?
I thought he got hurt when Tinsley stayed in the game so long

Yeah that was a little strange, he was doing a decent job making Tony work on both ends of the court then he disappeared for 10 minute or so in the 2nd quarter while Tinsley came in and looked way slower

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

Manu Ginobili C+
When Manu Ginobili began the day with a leaner and a pair of driving dunks, I think we all expected a huge outing from the Argentine superstar. However, as it turned out, it went all downhill from there. Offensively, while he had a few great passes and a couple determined drives to the hoop, Ginobili never made another field goal and was oftentimes too sloppy when attempting to orchestrate the offense. On defense, while I really liked Ginobili's tenacity on the defensive glass, I was disappointed in his decision-making on that end of the court. Asked to defend Gordon Hayward most of the time, Ginobili spent way too much time wandering away from Utah's only scoring swingman. When Hayward got the ball, he either had an open jumper or the Spurs were forced to scramble to cover him, which led directly to a number of fouls. It didn't hurt San Antonio much this game but when Ginobili has the Hayward assignment, he has to realize that's the one player on the Jazz that can't be ignored on the perimeter. Roaming off of Hayward to get a few steals simply isn't worth it.


I feel like a C+ is a little harsh and can see Manu with a solid B. While he tapered off after that hot start, those passes to Splitter (with the missed layup, and Blair) kept the crowd in the game and a lot of energy in the building. When he came off the bench the Spurs were flat to say the least, then he comes in and throws those 2 dunks down and suddenly the place was rocking and it was as if Manu was saying "THIS is what a healthy Manu does in the playoffs"

[timvp]

Harris only averaged 27.6 minutes per game. It was even lower than that before Earl Watson got hurt.

Truth is, Harris is best suited to be more of a spark plug than a starter. He is good at bursts of production but doesn't really have the stamina to hold up over the course of a game. He can get hot (like he did in April) and win a playoff series but Harris is never going to have much success playing 82 games and the playoffs in a high-minute, high-usage role.

[SenorSpur]

Rewatching the game, here are some extra notes:

-When Bonner dribbles, his court vision disappears. He missed Tiago WIDE open in the first half and Jack even WIDER open in the second half.

I noticed that too.

I watched in horror during the first half, as Bonner was dribbled into the paint, turned his back to the lane, while Splitter was standing under the basket wide open! In fact, I was screaming vociferously at my TV - as if he could hear me. :lol

You bring up a good point because this is going to be critical as the better defensive teams will continue to push Bonner off the 3-pt line. Even though he's evolved his game to incorporate both a dribble drive technique and a running hook - in fact he seems to enjoy it a bit - he STILL needs to keep his head up. Look for open teammates.

[dylankerouac]

Thanks for the grades! I ran out of memory on my DVR and and I had the box on the wrong channel so I didn't get to rewind to catch the last few minutes : (.

[quentin_compson]

Like Manu said, the Spurs hardly played brilliant, but in the end, they were never seriously in danger of losing the game. That's good enough for starters, especially if you haven't exactly been wildly successful in Game 1 over the last couple of years.

Leonard and Green looked a bit timid at times, but that's not too unusual considering it's basically the first playoff game for both of them, and at least they didn't try to force anything.

A couple of things in the first half that were not so good:
- Too many offensive boards for the Jazz. The Spurs are normally much better than that.
- Too many fastbreak points for Utah. That should actually be the other way round.
- Not much success from downtown (well, this can always happen).
But basically, the Spurs corrected most of those issues in the second half already, so no worries so far.

Decent start to the playoffs, now take care of business in Game 2, guys.

[therealtruth]

Having Jax out there is like having two Manu's out there.

[bus driver]

green and kawhi didnt look ready for the big time, hopefully wed