timvp
05-03-2012, 01:08 AM
The Spurs won Game 1 of this series handily even though they didn't play up to their recent standards. Tonight, San Antonio played like they have for much of the last two months. The result? A colossal beatdown of the Jazz. The Spurs led Game 2 by as many as 38 points on their way to a 114-83 thrashing.
While Utah certainly played a role in their own demise, I give a lot of credit to the Spurs for coming out and taking care of business. The Jazz talked tough after Game 1; the Spurs let their Game 2 play do the talking.
To begin the contest, San Antonio jumped out to a 20-8 lead. The Jazz eventually made a run to make it 31-26 in the middle of the second quarter. But that's when the young starting swingmen took over. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green combined for 16 points during a 20-0 run that put the game to bed by halftime.
All in all, that was a great win by the good guys. There's no such thing as a cheap playoff victory. Let's hope the Spurs can carry their momentum into Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
http://dailyelements.com/may2box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/may2box2.jpg
Tim Duncan A-
On the first possession of the game, Tim Duncan hit a difficult fall-back jumper to spark the onslaught. While he was never jaw-droppingly awesome tonight at any point, he was rock solid. On defense, Duncan defended Al Jefferson better than I've ever seen him guard the star center. Duncan didn't bite on Jefferson's pump fakes and instead forced him to take difficult shots over the top. Help defense was also a strength, as was defensive rebounding. Offensively, while Duncan missed a few attempts in the lane, he was deadly from the perimeter. Once he got his outside jumper going, the bigmen for the Jazz were even more unsure of how to defend San Antonio's offensive sets. Basically, Duncan took their young bigs to school and used the court as his chalkboard.
Manu Ginobili D+
Perhaps the most amazing part of this blowout victory is that the Spurs played so well without getting much from Manu Ginobili. In fact, tonight was one of a rare instance that Ginobili was actually a liability. Offensively, he was like a wild relief pitcher who could never find the strike zone. When orchestrating pick-and-rolls, Ginobili was painfully sloppy. He was rushing around the screens and his passes were rarely on target. Even the basic passes were an adventure tonight. The best thing he did on offense was get into the lane and finish two moderately difficult layups. Obviously, the Spurs need Ginobili to play at a much higher level on offense if they are going to make a run in the postseason. Defensively, I thought he was much better than Game 1. Ginobili didn't play with an abundant amount of energy but he wasn't leaving Gordon Hayward open and his rotation were usually on time.
Tony Parker A
Tony Parker missed his first three shots from the field and four of his first five. After that sluggish start, Parker couldn't be stopped. Scoring-wise, he got wherever he wanted and connected on his final five field goal attempts. Even better than his points was his passing. Parker shredded Utah's defense and then found spot-up shooters when the Jazz were forced to collapse into the paint. I thought Parker's mental game was as sharp as it's been all season; it seemed like he knew exactly how plays were going to develop before he even began his drives. Defensively, Parker was dominant against Devin Harris. Next time, it may behoove Harris to not pontificate about ways to stop Parker between games.
Boris Diaw A
Boris Diaw continues to show why there's no doubt he should be the starter next to Tim Duncan. Diaw destroyed Paul Millsap on both ends. Offensively, Diaw found ways to get open -- whether it was spin moves with the ball or smart cuts away from the ball. When Diaw wasn't putting it in the hole himself, he was picking the Jazz apart with pinpoint passes. It's truly beautiful to watch when Diaw gets going since he's such an all-around threat. On defense, Diaw was very strong on the post -- and did his work early while also avoiding fouls (those are two areas he's really grown in the last couple weeks). While he had some misconnections with Duncan on offense and could have pulled down a few more rebounds on defense, it's difficult to find flaws in this nearly perfect performance.
Kawhi Leonard A-
So much for rookie jitters. Kawhi Leonard bounced back from an iffy first playoff game in spectacular fashion. Offensively, he got going by running the court and finishing on the break. He then started draining his open three-pointers -- and the route was on. Once Leonard regained his confidence, he was seemingly all over the court. Defensively, he created a handful of turnovers by playing the passing lanes. To nitpick, I thought his individual defense was subpar and that he wasn't offering nearly enough help on the defensive boards. That said, Leonard's showing tonight was definitely a bright spot. The rookie just keeps proving that it's foolish to put any type of ceiling on his game right now.
Danny Green A
Like Leonard, Danny Green brushed aside a difficult Game 1 and was a major asset for San Antonio on Wednesday evening. Green played all night with a level of tenacity that was contagious. Defensively, he was doing it all. His defense on Hayward was great. When Hayward didn't have the ball, Green helped out in the paint by contesting shots and pulling down boards amongst the trees. On offense, he ran the court extremely well and was shooting -- and making -- his three-pointers with confidence. Green even did good work off the dribble, which is usually a weakness. When Green plays like this, a Ginobili-lite if you will, the Spurs become practically unbeatable. Needless to say, let's hope he has a few more outings like this.
DeJuan Blair B-
Filling in for Tiago Splitter, who was nursing a bruised wrist, DeJuan Blair was adequate. He wasn't as good as his stats indicate but he also wasn't hurting the Spurs much on this night. Offensively, he scored well when he got the ball, however getting the ball was an endeavor in itself. His rolls were lackluster, his hands were uncharacteristically inconsistent and he was just not in the right spots often enough. On the other end, his initial defense was usually decent but he had trouble pulling down defensive boards; I know he had six but he left another half dozen out there. Considering he's been thrown into a new role, it's hard to get too upset with Blair. He played a tough brand of ball and has limited his blatant mistakes.
Stephen Jackson C+
The encore wasn't nearly as successful as Game 1 was for Stephen Jackson. Offensively, he never found a rhythm. At times, he was passing up shots. At other times, he was forcing the issue. For a player who always plays with confidence, it was strange to see him so unsure of himself. Defensively, Jackson was much better. He was extraordinarily strong in the paint and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. Coming into the series, the Jazz were having success playing three bigmen at the same time. Jackson, almost literally by himself, has made that alignment look harmless.
Gary Neal B+
Well, it's safe to say Gary Neal isn't afraid to shoot the basketball. Early on, he had a couple shots that would have drawn Pop's ire. Thankfully for Neal's sake, he was able to make the shots. And once Neal saw a couple drop, he began salivating each time the ball got in his hands. Eventually he let up but Neal is proving to be quite a scoring weapon as the backup point guard. And defensively, at least tonight, Neal was producing. He guarded Jamaal Tinsley well. Granted, Tinsley is probably the worst backup point guard in the playoffs ... but, hey, it's a start.
Matt Bonner C-
It wasn't a fun night at the office for Matt Bonner. In nine minutes, he didn't dent the stat sheet outside of a missed three-pointer and a foul. On defense, he was overwhelmed by Utah's bigmen and made things worse by not rebounding. His only hope on that end was sticking his arms straight up and hoping his man would miss a jumper and someone else would grab the board. Offensively, the Jazz usually give him open looks but he didn't get any tonight. To make matters even less fun, Bonner suffered an apparent leg injury in the first half after colliding with Derrick Favors, which undoubtedly played a part in him sitting out the second half.
Patrick Mills B+
In garbage time, Patrick Mills was really impressive. His pressure defense was annoying and time-consuming for the Jazz. Offensively, he just keeps filling it up. Mills is proving time and time again that he can put light up the scoreboard. No other team in the playoffs has a third point guard who is nearly as explosive as Mills.
James Anderson B
James Anderson got his first extended minutes in the playoffs and didn't look half bad. He played with a healthy amount of aggression and allowed the Spurs to keep the pedal to the medal. Anderson isn't cracking the rotation anytime soon but he also didn't look intimidated by the postseason.
Pop A-
The 2011-12 NBA Coach of the Year didn't give voters any reason to second-guess their selection. Pop had his troops ready and they made quick work of the Jazz. The team ironed out most of the issues that caused a lack of sharpness in Game 1 and turned Game 2 into a laugher. Now Pop's job is to make the team forget about this blowout and enter Game 3 with appropriate fear and the knowledge that the Jazz will much better in front of their fans.
While Utah certainly played a role in their own demise, I give a lot of credit to the Spurs for coming out and taking care of business. The Jazz talked tough after Game 1; the Spurs let their Game 2 play do the talking.
To begin the contest, San Antonio jumped out to a 20-8 lead. The Jazz eventually made a run to make it 31-26 in the middle of the second quarter. But that's when the young starting swingmen took over. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green combined for 16 points during a 20-0 run that put the game to bed by halftime.
All in all, that was a great win by the good guys. There's no such thing as a cheap playoff victory. Let's hope the Spurs can carry their momentum into Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
http://dailyelements.com/may2box1.jpg
http://dailyelements.com/may2box2.jpg
Tim Duncan A-
On the first possession of the game, Tim Duncan hit a difficult fall-back jumper to spark the onslaught. While he was never jaw-droppingly awesome tonight at any point, he was rock solid. On defense, Duncan defended Al Jefferson better than I've ever seen him guard the star center. Duncan didn't bite on Jefferson's pump fakes and instead forced him to take difficult shots over the top. Help defense was also a strength, as was defensive rebounding. Offensively, while Duncan missed a few attempts in the lane, he was deadly from the perimeter. Once he got his outside jumper going, the bigmen for the Jazz were even more unsure of how to defend San Antonio's offensive sets. Basically, Duncan took their young bigs to school and used the court as his chalkboard.
Manu Ginobili D+
Perhaps the most amazing part of this blowout victory is that the Spurs played so well without getting much from Manu Ginobili. In fact, tonight was one of a rare instance that Ginobili was actually a liability. Offensively, he was like a wild relief pitcher who could never find the strike zone. When orchestrating pick-and-rolls, Ginobili was painfully sloppy. He was rushing around the screens and his passes were rarely on target. Even the basic passes were an adventure tonight. The best thing he did on offense was get into the lane and finish two moderately difficult layups. Obviously, the Spurs need Ginobili to play at a much higher level on offense if they are going to make a run in the postseason. Defensively, I thought he was much better than Game 1. Ginobili didn't play with an abundant amount of energy but he wasn't leaving Gordon Hayward open and his rotation were usually on time.
Tony Parker A
Tony Parker missed his first three shots from the field and four of his first five. After that sluggish start, Parker couldn't be stopped. Scoring-wise, he got wherever he wanted and connected on his final five field goal attempts. Even better than his points was his passing. Parker shredded Utah's defense and then found spot-up shooters when the Jazz were forced to collapse into the paint. I thought Parker's mental game was as sharp as it's been all season; it seemed like he knew exactly how plays were going to develop before he even began his drives. Defensively, Parker was dominant against Devin Harris. Next time, it may behoove Harris to not pontificate about ways to stop Parker between games.
Boris Diaw A
Boris Diaw continues to show why there's no doubt he should be the starter next to Tim Duncan. Diaw destroyed Paul Millsap on both ends. Offensively, Diaw found ways to get open -- whether it was spin moves with the ball or smart cuts away from the ball. When Diaw wasn't putting it in the hole himself, he was picking the Jazz apart with pinpoint passes. It's truly beautiful to watch when Diaw gets going since he's such an all-around threat. On defense, Diaw was very strong on the post -- and did his work early while also avoiding fouls (those are two areas he's really grown in the last couple weeks). While he had some misconnections with Duncan on offense and could have pulled down a few more rebounds on defense, it's difficult to find flaws in this nearly perfect performance.
Kawhi Leonard A-
So much for rookie jitters. Kawhi Leonard bounced back from an iffy first playoff game in spectacular fashion. Offensively, he got going by running the court and finishing on the break. He then started draining his open three-pointers -- and the route was on. Once Leonard regained his confidence, he was seemingly all over the court. Defensively, he created a handful of turnovers by playing the passing lanes. To nitpick, I thought his individual defense was subpar and that he wasn't offering nearly enough help on the defensive boards. That said, Leonard's showing tonight was definitely a bright spot. The rookie just keeps proving that it's foolish to put any type of ceiling on his game right now.
Danny Green A
Like Leonard, Danny Green brushed aside a difficult Game 1 and was a major asset for San Antonio on Wednesday evening. Green played all night with a level of tenacity that was contagious. Defensively, he was doing it all. His defense on Hayward was great. When Hayward didn't have the ball, Green helped out in the paint by contesting shots and pulling down boards amongst the trees. On offense, he ran the court extremely well and was shooting -- and making -- his three-pointers with confidence. Green even did good work off the dribble, which is usually a weakness. When Green plays like this, a Ginobili-lite if you will, the Spurs become practically unbeatable. Needless to say, let's hope he has a few more outings like this.
DeJuan Blair B-
Filling in for Tiago Splitter, who was nursing a bruised wrist, DeJuan Blair was adequate. He wasn't as good as his stats indicate but he also wasn't hurting the Spurs much on this night. Offensively, he scored well when he got the ball, however getting the ball was an endeavor in itself. His rolls were lackluster, his hands were uncharacteristically inconsistent and he was just not in the right spots often enough. On the other end, his initial defense was usually decent but he had trouble pulling down defensive boards; I know he had six but he left another half dozen out there. Considering he's been thrown into a new role, it's hard to get too upset with Blair. He played a tough brand of ball and has limited his blatant mistakes.
Stephen Jackson C+
The encore wasn't nearly as successful as Game 1 was for Stephen Jackson. Offensively, he never found a rhythm. At times, he was passing up shots. At other times, he was forcing the issue. For a player who always plays with confidence, it was strange to see him so unsure of himself. Defensively, Jackson was much better. He was extraordinarily strong in the paint and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. Coming into the series, the Jazz were having success playing three bigmen at the same time. Jackson, almost literally by himself, has made that alignment look harmless.
Gary Neal B+
Well, it's safe to say Gary Neal isn't afraid to shoot the basketball. Early on, he had a couple shots that would have drawn Pop's ire. Thankfully for Neal's sake, he was able to make the shots. And once Neal saw a couple drop, he began salivating each time the ball got in his hands. Eventually he let up but Neal is proving to be quite a scoring weapon as the backup point guard. And defensively, at least tonight, Neal was producing. He guarded Jamaal Tinsley well. Granted, Tinsley is probably the worst backup point guard in the playoffs ... but, hey, it's a start.
Matt Bonner C-
It wasn't a fun night at the office for Matt Bonner. In nine minutes, he didn't dent the stat sheet outside of a missed three-pointer and a foul. On defense, he was overwhelmed by Utah's bigmen and made things worse by not rebounding. His only hope on that end was sticking his arms straight up and hoping his man would miss a jumper and someone else would grab the board. Offensively, the Jazz usually give him open looks but he didn't get any tonight. To make matters even less fun, Bonner suffered an apparent leg injury in the first half after colliding with Derrick Favors, which undoubtedly played a part in him sitting out the second half.
Patrick Mills B+
In garbage time, Patrick Mills was really impressive. His pressure defense was annoying and time-consuming for the Jazz. Offensively, he just keeps filling it up. Mills is proving time and time again that he can put light up the scoreboard. No other team in the playoffs has a third point guard who is nearly as explosive as Mills.
James Anderson B
James Anderson got his first extended minutes in the playoffs and didn't look half bad. He played with a healthy amount of aggression and allowed the Spurs to keep the pedal to the medal. Anderson isn't cracking the rotation anytime soon but he also didn't look intimidated by the postseason.
Pop A-
The 2011-12 NBA Coach of the Year didn't give voters any reason to second-guess their selection. Pop had his troops ready and they made quick work of the Jazz. The team ironed out most of the issues that caused a lack of sharpness in Game 1 and turned Game 2 into a laugher. Now Pop's job is to make the team forget about this blowout and enter Game 3 with appropriate fear and the knowledge that the Jazz will much better in front of their fans.