Spurs v. Clips: Battle of the Benches

[spursfaninla]

LA talking heads predict the clips will win the second round, not a surprise.

What did surprise me was their giving the following reason: Clippers are deeper, have a better bench.

I thought, wow, I can't imagine a deeper team with a better bench. Could I have missing something there?

So, crunching the numbers shows that the Clippers do have an impressive scoring bench, but not a good as the Spurs in either the regular season or the first round.

Spurs bench regular season: 48.6 ppg
Clippers bench regular season: 41.6ppg

Spurs bench post season: 39.1 ppg
Clippers bench post season: 30.5 ppg

How about rebounding? Clippers have some good bigs that appear to be intimidating; their bench rebounding IS better than the Spurs's bench, but not by much:

Clipps bench post season rebounding: 14.8

Spurs bench post season rebounding: 14.6

overall? Clipps are very deep, but a better bench? I don't see it.

However, given how much both teams utilize their benches, the play of the bench for both teams could very well have a big impact on the series.

[100%duncan]

We are the deepest team in the entire fucking NBA.

[Man In Black]

Which station 710, CBS2, 570....LOSERS all of them. Did they note that both their top players aren't 100% healthy?

Always trying to pump up their chest....haven't they already figured it out? They are full of hot air.

[Mugen]

Mason & Ireland are absolutely awful. It's even better when Lakerfan calls in.

[100%duncan]

Which station 710, CBS2, 570....LOSERS all of them. Did they note that both their top players aren't 100% healthy?

Always trying to pump up their chest....haven't they already figured it out? They are full of hot air.

Fuck it. Even if Paul and BG are healthy we'll still win in 6 max.

[T Park]

Reggie Evans is who Blair SHOULD be. Not great athleticism, blocks out well, can score on the PNR and off put backs. If he had done really well vs Utah Id be for him and Tiago to pass Bonner. Martin and Evans will destroy Bonner under the basket and the games LA won were when those two dominated the rebounds. Rebounds will be MORE sought after this series than the Utah one.

[ElNono]

Spurs needs to defend the perimeter well... that will be their main task against that Clippers bench. They can really hurt you when Young/Mo are hitting 3s. Make them drivers and you really reduce their impact.

[T Park]

Yeah Neal, Manu, Green Leonard all will have to be on top of their games.
Keeping Mo Williams and Nick Young in check are huge. If Williams goes off thats what killed the Spurs in that game in March.

[dbreiden83080]

We are the deepest team in the entire fucking NBA.

This.... Spurs depth is insane the 2nd unit is just as good as the first.

[Sean Cagney]

LOL they swear they are gonna win this series, spite Blake being all banged up etc. Spurs bench is very DEEP TOO, did they not do their homework?

[Libri]

Yeah Neal, Manu, Green Leonard all will have to be on top of their games.
Keeping Mo Williams and Nick Young in check are huge. If Williams goes off thats what killed the Spurs in that game in March.

I'm not too worried about Young. I think the Spurs will do a good job on him. I'm more concerned about Williams because he'll be matched against Neal.

[AFBlue]

Manu > anything the Clips have on their bench

[Buddy Holly]

LA talking heads predict the clips will win the second round, not a surprise.

What did surprise me was their giving the following reason: Clippers are deeper, have a better bench.

I thought, wow, I can't imagine a deeper team with a better bench. Could I have missing something there?

So, crunching the numbers shows that the Clippers do have an impressive scoring bench, but not a good as the Spurs in either the regular season or the first round.

Spurs bench regular season: 48.6 ppg
Clippers bench regular season: 41.6ppg

Spurs bench post season: 39.1 ppg
Clippers bench post season: 30.5 ppg

How about rebounding? Clippers have some good bigs that appear to be intimidating; their bench rebounding IS better than the Spurs's bench, but not by much:

Clipps bench post season rebounding: 14.8

Spurs bench post season rebounding: 14.6

overall? Clipps are very deep, but a better bench? I don't see it.

However, given how much both teams utilize their benches, the play of the bench for both teams could very well have a big impact on the series.

What numbers are you crunching? Spurs bench is averaging 46 a game in the playoffs.

[LakerHater]

Is this the official game thread?

[T Park]

I'm not too worried about Young. I think the Spurs will do a good job on him. I'm more concerned about Williams because he'll be matched against Neal.

Yeah Mo Williams is the lynchpin. If Neal can just stay on him and not cheat down, he should be ok...

[spursfaninla]

What numbers are you crunching? Spurs bench is averaging 46 a game in the playoffs.

I did not count Blair, Anderson, and Mills because they will likely not play much unless there is an injury. I only counted our first 5 players off the bench, to match the 5 players off the clippers bench.

Not a perfect method, but I thought it was fair.

[TimmehC]

Yeah Mo Williams is the lynchpin. If Neal can just stay on him and not cheat down, he should be ok...

I'm honestly wondering if Mills won't be a better option on him. It's not like Mo is some good defensive player, and Patty can really fill it up when he's not up against actual defense.

[timvp]

Yeah Mo Williams is the lynchpin. If Neal can just stay on him and not cheat down, he should be ok...

Ginobili is going to have to defend Williams. You can't have Ginobili on Bledsoe. Neal will be on Bledsoe.

Those are two scary matchups, tbh.






I think the Spurs have the better bench but it's closer than Spurs fans will want to admit. The Clippers bench is better defensively, better on the boards and tougher in the paint. The Spurs bench is much more explosive and better offensively.

Outside of the Bulls, I'd say the Spurs and Clippers have the two best benches in the league ... especially with as well as Evans and Martin are playing.

[ElNono]

Ginobili is going to have to defend Williams. You can't have Ginobili on Bledsoe. Neal will be on Bledsoe.

Those are two scary matchups, tbh.

I think the Spurs have the better bench but it's closer than Spurs fans will want to admit. The Clippers bench is better defensively, better on the boards and tougher in the paint. The Spurs bench is much more explosive and better offensively.

Outside of the Bulls, I'd say the Spurs and Clippers have the two best benches in the league ... especially with as well as Evans and Martin are playing.

I disagree, and I think Evans and KMart effectiveness will dwindle against the Spurs, because this won't be as much a physical series as it was against Memphis, which is the kind of game where those two can be effective. Plus I fully expect Pop to start hacking on Evans if he becomes mildly effective, which will force Vinny to sit him out. I'm much more concerned with their streaky shooters.

[Trainwreck2100]

will pop hackaEvans?

[crc21209]

Ginobili is going to have to defend Williams. You can't have Ginobili on Bledsoe. Neal will be on Bledsoe.

Those are two scary matchups, tbh.






I think the Spurs have the better bench but it's closer than Spurs fans will want to admit. The Clippers bench is better defensively, better on the boards and tougher in the paint. The Spurs bench is much more explosive and better offensively.

Outside of the Bulls, I'd say the Spurs and Clippers have the two best benches in the league ... especially with as well as Evans and Martin are playing.

+1. The only thing I see though is that their bench can be wildly inconsistent as well. After going off in Game 1, Nick Young dissapeared until today. Mo Williams was mainly quiet in the Grizzlies series. However...Bledsoe, Evans, and Martin were pretty good.

[crc21209]

will pop hackaEvans?

Pop can go Hack-A-Evans, Hack-A-Griffin, and Hack-A-Jordan. Take your pick...:lol

[therealtruth]

We'll finally get to see whether our depth is overrated.

[timvp]

I disagree, and I think Evans and KMart effectiveness will dwindle against the Spurs, because this won't be as much a physical series as it was against Memphis, which is the kind of game where those two can be effective. Plus I fully expect Pop to start hacking on Evans if he becomes mildly effective, which will force Vinny to sit him out. I'm much more concerned with their streaky shooters.

Who else other than the Spurs, Clippers and Bulls can go ten deep with five competent players off the bench? Perhaps I'm forgetting a team.

[Buddy Holly]

Who else other than the Spurs, Clippers and Bulls can go ten deep with five competent players off the bench? Perhaps I'm forgetting a team.

I song think the Clippers can go ten deep consistently like the Spurs and Bulls. KMart and Evand got PT and were effective because of how physical that series was. Tim and Boris basketball iq's are going to make both of them obsolete. Hell, even Blair has a strikingly higher IQ than most if not all of the Clippers front court.

[100%duncan]

Who else other than the Spurs, Clippers and Bulls can go ten deep with five competent players off the bench? Perhaps I'm forgetting a team.

None.

[ElNono]

Who else other than the Spurs, Clippers and Bulls can go ten deep with five competent players off the bench? Perhaps I'm forgetting a team.

Not the Lakers, that's for sure. However, I wouldn't put the Clippers in the same realm. When the Spurs and Bulls go to the bench, they keep playing their system, and they have guys that can create offense (Manu in SA, John Lucas on the Bulls).

Clippers is more of a mess, tbh. Neither KMart or Evans have a post game, Bledsoe is far from a developed point guard, and Young and Mo love the ISO or camping in the 3 point lane. And while their streaky shooting has won them some games, it has also cost them some games.

[Paranoid Pop]

LA talking heads predict the clips will win the second round, not a surprise.

What did surprise me was their giving the following reason: Clippers are deeper, have a better bench.

I thought, wow, I can't imagine a deeper team with a better bench. Could I have missing something there?

So, crunching the numbers shows that the Clippers do have an impressive scoring bench, but not a good as the Spurs in either the regular season or the first round.

Spurs bench regular season: 48.6 ppg
Clippers bench regular season: 41.6ppg

Spurs bench post season: 39.1 ppg
Clippers bench post season: 30.5 ppg

How about rebounding? Clippers have some good bigs that appear to be intimidating; their bench rebounding IS better than the Spurs's bench, but not by much:

Clipps bench post season rebounding: 14.8

Spurs bench post season rebounding: 14.6

overall? Clipps are very deep, but a better bench? I don't see it.

However, given how much both teams utilize their benches, the play of the bench for both teams could very well have a big impact on the series.

What about the point differential, their bench is incredibly stronger than ours defensively with KMart, Bledsoe and Evans.

[Sean Cagney]

What about the point differential, their bench is incredibly stronger than ours defensively with KMart, Bledsoe and Evans.

Oh lord if you are that negative in this series just go jump off the damn cliff already bro.........:lol:lol

[spursfaninla]

What about the point differential, their bench is incredibly stronger than ours defensively with KMart, Bledsoe and Evans.

Well, per 82games.com, here is the +/- of the Spurs and Clippers benches, respectively. I am using "net production," so we compare the sub to the player they were playing against.

Bonner 3.1
Splitter 4.7
Manu 11.2
jackson (.9)
Neal (2.9)

total: 15.2

clippers:

Williams .1
Bledsoe (3.7)
Martin (3.2)
Young (7.4)
Evans (6.7)

Total: (Negative +/-)

Result: No contest.


It is obvious that the Clippers bigs off the bench contribute defensively, and I agree that Neal and Bonner are not scaring anyone with their defensive prowess.

Unless someone shows me data that shows that this Clippers bench really limits opposing team production, and that defense somehow makes up for their offensive limits in a way that plus/minus does not account for, the plus/minus speaks for itself.