Grades: Spurs vs. Clippers - Game 2

[timvp]

Another night. Another double-digit victory. While it wasn't always easy, there was never any doubt that the Spurs were the better team. The 105-88 win was San Antonio's 16th straight victory, which have been won by an average margin of 17.1 points per game.

In the first quarter, the Spurs got it rolling early. Over a six-minute stretch, the Spurs went on an 18-2 run to take a 15-point lead. However, after San Antonio got the early advantage, there was a bit of a letdown in the form of a loss of intensity and a stagnation of the offense. The Clippers took advantage and got within one point in the second quarter.

Thankfully, the third quarter saw a return to the type of basketball we've all come to expect. After scoring only 17 points in the second period, the Spurs scored 32 in the third and were able to take an 11-point lead into the final quarter. The Spurs led by double-digits for the last 11:22 of the game as they cruised to the 2-0 series advantage.

Overall, it was yet another workmanlike effort. The second quarter was concerning but it proved to just be a bump in the road. Now the series shift to Los Angeles where the Spurs will try to continue their winning ways.

http://dailyelements.com/may17box1.jpg

http://dailyelements.com/may17box2.jpg

Tim Duncan A-
The Tim Duncan Throwback Tour held another show on Thursday night. While he wasn't quite as dominant as he was in Game 1, Duncan was again very good. Offensively, he had his full repertoire working. He hit jumpers from the perimeter, layups at the rim, flip shots in the lane and everything in-between. His passing, decision-making and patience were all at high levels. Defensively, Duncan was very good against pick-and-rolls and artfully protected the basket area. He also made a few world-class rotations to bail out his teammates. While Duncan's rebounding and transition defense weren't as good as last game, he definitely more than did his part tonight.

Manu Ginobili B-
Offensively, it was a strange game for Manu Ginobili. In his first five and a half minutes of playing time, he scored all ten of his points and appeared to be well on his way to a huge night. But in his final 20 minutes, Ginobili was 0-for-6 from the field and never quite looked comfortable -- for a variety of reasons. Sometimes he wasn't getting touches. Sometimes the Clippers defended him well. Other times he was simply trying to run the offense. All in all, Ginobili was far from his best on offense but was also far from a liability. Defensively, I thought he had another very good outing. I was wary about his ability to defend in this series due to the matchups but Ginobili has been up to the challenge and has made me look foolish for doubting him.

Tony Parker B+
Tony Parker celebrated his 30th birthday in memorable fashion. The old man played fantastic defense. Sure, Chris Paul is less than 100% healthy, but Parker just destroyed him on that end of the court. Every move he made, the graybeard was right there with him. Offensively, Parker had his ups and downs -- particularly in the first half. For a stretch of time, he was having a hard time toeing the line between being in attack-mode and not involving his teammates enough. In the final two quarters, I thought he toed that line much better. He kept testing the Clippers defense and eventually found a few cracks. Going forward, the Spurs need Parker to be a little bit more efficient offensively but his effort was great on both ends of the court tonight.

Boris Diaw A
This series couldn't have started any better for Boris Diaw. He's just playing great basketball right now. First of all, his passing was amazing once again. After Parker got doubled, Diaw oftentimes received the first pass and was asked to facilitate. The results were almost always positive. If the Clippers didn't rotate to him, he'd score. If the Clippers did rotate to him, Diaw would find the open man. There was nothing too fancy involved but it was very effective. Defensively, Diaw was again stout against Blake Griffin. He got low and usually forced Griffin to beat him over the top. And while Diaw's personal rebounding numbers weren't great, he played a large role in holding Griffin to only one board.

Kawhi Leonard B+
Though Kawhi Leonard's production wasn't overly eye-catching tonight, he caused plenty of headaches for the Clippers. Defensively, Leonard was everywhere. His individual defense was solid but he really shined away from his man. Leonard's help-defense was fantastic, he blew up a handful of pick-and-rolls with his length and activity, he helped defend the paint and then finished off possessions by crashing the glass. It was truly one of Leonard's finest all-around efforts of D of his rookie season. Offensively, his main attribute was running the court hard. And while he didn't score much, Leonard remained assertive and forced the Clippers to account for him.

Danny Green B
Offensively, Danny Green's three-pointers were perfectly timed. It seemed like whenever the Spurs needed to fight back a Clippers rally or extend a run, Green was ready with a three-point bomb. While he didn't do much else positive on offense, the timeliness of Green's shooting can't be understated. On defense, I thought he was average to below average. Green just wasn't as attentive as he was in Game 1 and gave up too many clean looks. He had a few great possessions but was otherwise lacking.

Stephen Jackson B-
Stephen Jackson has had a quiet beginning to the Clippers series. Although he only has one basket, his passing has been very helpful. Jackson has always been an underrated passer and tonight he created easy buckets due to the timing and accuracy of his passes. Defensively, Jackson has been inconsistent. The small guards on the Clippers are stretching the limits of his mobility on the perimeter and his rotations have sometimes been a step slow.

Tiago Splitter B
In the first half, I wasn't too impressed with Tiago Splitter's play. Much like Game 1, Splitter wasn't crisp, wasn't moving with purpose and his defense was spotty. But his second half play was much better. He started in place of Diaw due to foul trouble and Splitter was able to shine on both ends of the court. Defensively, he played fine individual defense, patrolled the paint and did a much better job on the boards. On offense, Splitter was smart with his movements and seemed to rediscover his groove. Let's hope it carries over to Game 3.

Gary Neal C+
The Clippers continue to be a nightmare matchup for Gary Neal. He can't handle their pressure on offense and he can't stay in front of anyone on defense. I didn't like that he seemingly gave up on trying to handle the ball on offense because it forced Ginobili to waste energy. Defensively, he was a little bit better than Game 1 -- but that's not saying much. Thankfully, Neal continues to hit shots so he's not a total disaster.

Matt Bonner B-
The good: I liked that Bonner issued a pair of hard fouls against poor free throw shooters. He was active on defense and came up with a few loose balls. It's also obvious that he knows the scouting report on each player because he expertly knows who to close out on and who to let shoot. The bad: Bonner remains invisible offensively. If not for a garbage time basket, he'd be scoreless for the series. On defense, Bonner could have given better effort on the boards and in getting back in transition.

Pop A-
Pop once again spread the minutes well. Understandably, he has to play Parker a lot in this series because Neal is such a poor fit against the Clippers. Pop's gameplan, especially defensively, was impressive and worked perfectly. There's not much more to say other than Pop is doing a great job; he's pushing all the right buttons right now. With a back-to-back in Game 3 and Game 4, it'll be very interesting to see how the 2012 NBA Coach of the Year attacks these next couple games.

[stéphane]

Thanks a lot LJ.

[DrSteffo]

Thanks, always appreciate your grades. Boris played great and Neal is still not a pg.

[pookenstein]

I think Manu got a little bit too trigger happy after the non foul-call on his third three. He took some more threes, all misses, where he should have passed the ball more.
I think that played a major part in LA's comeback in the first half.

[polandprzem]

While I was watching the game I came up with a conclusion that the spurs are unable to lose. They denied losing. They do not know how to lose!


In that aspect I was not satisfied with some stagnant moments of the game but overall the spurs kept Clipps in check. They did not allowe them to have any rhythm or pace. Spurs just controlled everything. And even if not many things were clicking for the spurs in some moment of this game. The spurs make those playoffs look easy. Unlike for the playoffs.

[jiggy_55]

Bo Diaw A+++

[wildbill2u]

Our bench isn't giving us the lift on offense and defense that they provided all year. After telling ourselves we had the deepest bench in the NBA, we are finding out that other teams have deep benches too and aren't afraid to play them extended minutes.

In fact, the Clipper bench is winning the battle of the benches. Their bench is impressive on defense, pressuring our starters into turnovers and outscoring their opposites on the Spurs bench when our guys give the starters a rest.

Pop has been forced to play our starters against their bench to maintain our dominance.

This could be a problem as the series goes to LA for a b-2-b.

[coyotes_geek]

The clipper guards are doing a good job at being pests. When the bench guys are in they're struggling to get into the offense. Neal playing the point being the biggest victim of that.

[Keepin' it real]

Matt Bonner B-
The good: I liked that Bonner issued a pair of hard fouls against poor free throw shooters.

I saw that too. Loved it. I wonder if Matty will become our designated "enforcer"??!! :lol

[Obstructed_View]

OV's Game Thoughts, 2012
Volume 1 of probably 1

Tim Duncan A
I simply don't have the words to describe how satisifying it is to see Duncan playing healthy in the playoffs, and for the first time in years, he's got wind for the whole game to boot. The decision to slim down is without a doubt the best thing that could have happened for the Spurs. Duncan played great on both ends, and though he didn't rebound particularly well, he deserves his grade for saving us all from having to watch Griffin's pick and roll dunk on Sportscenter for the next 48 hours. That made up for the two times he went Tragic Johnson in this game, though if anyone's entitled to a pass, it's Timmy.

Manu Ginobili C+
When Manu came out shooting hot, I thought to myself, "Hot damn, here we go!" When Manu started settling for threes and seemed to get frustrated with the officiating and the defense on him, I wondered if he was going to contribute. Fortunately he settled down in the second half and did what he does, help on defense, help going after rebounds, help with energy. Not his greatest game, but he fought through it and made a difference.

Tony Parker A
In the fourth quarter, Chris Paul went to the bench and sat down next to Chauncey Billups. Billups looked over at him and said, "Parker did this to Rip Hamilton in the finals." Let's not make any mistake here, Tony's grade is for his defense. If he didn't score a point, I love the tone he set with his effort on that end. Parker got mad at the rough treatment and the perceived non-calls by the refs and absolutely took his frustrations out on Chris Paul. With Westbrook and Rondo and Wade potentially looming down the road, that's a good sign.

Boris Diaw A+
Wow. All I could think of while watching Diaw tonight is how embarrassed I am that I said he was a stupid basketball player. By his facial expressions you'd think he's disinterested, but he knows where everyone is, and seems always to be in the right place. His ability to pick up the offense and defense so quickly and integrate himself to this team just astounds me, and he deserves a ton of credit. He's Fabricio Oberto with more skills, and that should scare the bejeezus out of the rest of the playoff teams.

Kawhi Leonard A-
When the Spurs came out at the beginning of the game, I didn't like their energy. They seemed to be standing around, and then Kawhi Leonard turned it on. He had his hands in everything, grabbed a couple of nearly impossible rebounds, absolutely destroyed the Clippers' pick and roll sets, ran hard on the break with perfect spacing, and really helped to destroy any confidence Chris Paul might have gotten in the second quarter. That he did it all without a change of expression just makes Spurs fans love him more. The Spurs have some special role players this year who just fit in seamlessly.

Danny Green B
Danny Green was not good in this game. I thought he was channelling Michael Finley with his ability to leave good three point shooters wide open. It really was not a good effort for him. That said, he absolutely hit the shots he needed to hit for this team when they needed them most, and that saved his grade. I have a feeling Clippers nation feels about Danny Green much the same way we feel about Derek Fisher and Devean George after tonight.

Stephen Jackson B-
Jack is kind of the odd man out this series. There's just not anyone on the Clippers that he matches up well with. Through it all, he's been the consummate professional and done his job. He's focused on facilitating and getting into good position, and every minute he's on the floor is a chance to turn it all around. I'm still expecting an explosion from him before the playoff run is finished, but I don't know if it'll happen against LA.

Tiago Splitter B+
Say what you want about Splitter, but he's a tough kid. He grabbed some really tough rebounds in this game and took some shots. He's very smart and runs the floor hard and seemingly has no fear. I'd suggest translating Manu's nickname into Brazillian, but "o hematoma" sounds like a bizarro Christmas carol.

Gary Neal C+
Gary Neal is suffering from the same problems as Stephen Jackson. Every guard he faces can kick his ass on both ends of the floor, so there's just not a matchup that suits him. You'd expect a guy to shut down or change what he does in the face of that. Gary just keeps shooting and keeps hitting them. Can't really ask for more than that from a shooter.

Matt Bonner B-
One might look at the box score and think Matt Bonner is reverting to playoff form. One would be misaken. Bonner missed his only shots that mattered and half of his rebounds were wrestled away from smaller teammates, but here's the difference: Bonner was not exploited on defense in any way. He was in good position during his minutes, and played really smart on both ends. Despite his looks and his goofy run, he's a big, strong guy and isn't afraid to mix it up. He's now learning when to bring his hands down as he made two really smart fouls when he needed to. I'm immensely grateful that Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter prevent Bonner from having to play 30 minutes a night, but this is exactly how I want Matty playing, and I'll count any baskets he makes as gravy.

Pop A
I've never given a Pop grade before in a game thread. I don't recall him pulling anyone that was on a hot streak or inserting someone for the first time in a clutch situation against a bad matchup, so I guess I'll give him an A. I'm a bit surprised that he didn't call a timeout when three point shooters were left absolutely wide open three times in the first quarter, but the team aren't looking over their shoulders when they make a mistake like they did in previous years, and this is a pretty tight team, so he probably deserves credit for that as well. Between philosopy, substitutions, who to play, and minute distribution, he's pretty much doing all the things we've been begging him to do over the last several years. It's no coincidence that he has home court and a little statue of Red Auerbach for his trouble.

[bus driver]

Thanks, always appreciate your grades. Boris played great and Neal is still not a pg.

this is what bothers me about the C+, he is playing out of position and got 7 points. damn SJ didnt even score, i expected a better game from him yesterday.

anyhow, last night i was scream for patty mills to play a few minutes with the manu and duncan.

[EVAY]

Thanks to both Timvp and OV for the grades. I actually agree more with OV's grades this time, particularly with respect to Parker and Popovich.

Parker clearly got po'd at the beating he was taking and the lack of calls for that beating, and got interested in making his own shots more than involving others at times in the game. But he clearly deserved an A for the dominance of Paul ( and he WAS the dominant defender on Paul), and for not giving up on his offense after struggling. Not only his points and assists, but he also out performed Paul on turnovers and steals. Paul is limited due to his injury, but he was also limited due to Parker's excellent defense.

Neither of you guys mentioned Pop's adjustment in the third quarter of starting Splitter instead of Diaw. I thought it was a truly inspired move, inasmuch as we didn't want Diaw getting an early fourth foul, and we definitely needed somebody who knew what they were doing at the 5 role with the second squad. The Splitter for Diaw change accomplished both things perfectly and was the exact right call, assuring Pop an A, imo.

Great win all around.

[mando6599]

timvp, to Bonner's credit, he made a 3 pointer from the corner, but Duncan was fouled before so it didn't count. Of course Bonner missed 2 very make-able 3's which were wide open, but I can forget those, right?

mando

[vander]

i litterally can not believe how good TD, Diaw, and green have been this year/postseason. it's astounding, my jaw is constantly dropped.

[rasho8]

I liked the move Pop made to [play Duncan and Splitter together to open the second half. While it slows us down a bit the defense and offense looked good. You can tell those two had some practice together during our 8 days between series.

I also think Pop should see what Patty Mills has in him this series. Give him a few minutes and see if he can keep in front of anyone or see the floor better than Gary. I know the motion offense isnt easy, but toss him in the fire.

[Legacy]

:lol

Thank you so much for both recaps, timvp and OV.

Excellent write-ups.

A+++++!!

:p:

[emanueldavidginobili]

So impressed with Boris Diaw, he makes the Spurs that much better. Always loved his game during his Suns days

[emanueldavidginobili]

and when Gary Neal is out there, he should NOT be playing the PG, he just cant do it and does not look comfortable out there playing that position.

[T Park]

Bonner's realization of learning how to foul Griffin without giving up an and 1 was a missed part.

His shot misses are close, unlike previous years where they weren't.

[_jin]

Boris Diaw A+
By his facial expressions you'd think he's disinterested
This. I think that somehow contributed to his bad reputation (and his lack of motivation in Charlotte this season didn't help either), but the thing is he always looks like that even when he's 100% focused.
He looks like this cool laid back guy who never displays emotions, but some people see that as softness/carelessness

[will_spurs]

A bit too tough on Parker as usual.

[Mugen]

His shot misses are close, unlike previous years where they weren't.

Progress :cry

[Mugen]

my jaw is constantly dropped.

I bet it is.

[GSH]

One thing that has really been getting my attention about Kawhi's permieter defense lately is just how good he has become about keeping his feet, and not biting on pump fakes. I see guys who have been in the league for years - good players, who can't help themselves. Kawhi almost never bites now. It's amazing for a rookie. (Green is pretty good, but less consistent about it.) He may not be throwing up huge offensive numbers, but he's way, way ahead of the curve defensively.

I have to disagree about Manu - there were some times last night when he was a liability on offense. It's not just that he tossed up some bad 3-point shots. Part of the problem was when he tossed them up. And part of it is that he's not getting his reserve teammates involved, even though he's supposed to be facilitating the offense. This is just a general impression - I haven't reviewed the video or play-by-play, but it seems like when Manu is on the floor, he's just about the only one shooting from the perimeter. Almost like he thinks he has to do the heavy lifting, since this is the playoffs. The young, quick guards on this Clipper squad are making it tough for Manu to get the corner, going to the rim. He's going to have to trust the teammates that have been so good all season.

[Kidd K]

Clippers are pretty much screwed imo. I don't think they're even able to win in SA. At best this will be a 5 game series imo.

When the Clippers went on their little "run" at the end of the first and first part of the second, it wasn't really because they were playing well. They hit like three straight prayer-type shots. . highly contested long range jumpers that happened to go in. While the Spurs missed like 5 straight WIDE OPEN shots. And didn't hit a jumper for something like a 7 or 8 minute span despite almost all of their looks being open looks.

That was their run. That's it. It was basically luck. They probably got all excited then couldn't figure out why doing the same thing wasn't working in the 2nd half anymore. lol.

[jjktkk]

Thanks Tim.

[ffadicted]

Hard to picture a game where the spurs lose when Diaw plays like he played tonight, best player out there on either team imo

[YoMamaIsCallin]

I think you're being generous with Gary Neal. Popovich needs to demote him for the rest of this series and make Patty Mills the 2nd unit PG.

It's not so much the numbers. Neal is shooting OK. It's just that the offense really stagnates when he out there. You know how they say "oh that player makes everyone better"? Neal makes everyone worse.

Patty Mills would be much, much better at keeping the offense flowing and the ball movement happening for the 2nd unit, and would take that burden off of Manu. I thought he and Manu played very well together in the regular season when they were on the floor at the same time.

[8FOR!3]

Interesting what you had to say about Bonner. Everything else is also good as usual, I look forward to this after every Spurs game.

[Obstructed_View]

Patty Mills would be much, much better at keeping the offense flowing and the ball movement happening for the 2nd unit, and would take that burden off of Manu. I thought he and Manu played very well together in the regular season when they were on the floor at the same time.

Neal and Mills are the same player, except that Mills is a more streaky shooter and gives up four inches in height. I'd like to see Mills worked in if at all possible, but not because I think he does anything better than Neal does.

[Clippers808]

Good, thorough analysis timvp. I might have to check back on this forum in the next few years to get your take on the Spurs every so often. God knows I can't get it from ESPN or any other mainstream media.

Completely agree with Boris Diaw's grade. He is carving up the Clippers front line within the offense. I feel like the Clippers are so focused at dissecting the many moving parts of Pop's offensive, that Boris ends up being an afterthought and he's taking full advantage.

It also shows how good the Spurs coaching staff is at taking a player's skill sets and allowing them to be successful. Good pickup for the Spurs.

[Spurminator]

Good, thorough analysis timvp. I might have to check back on this forum in the next few years to get your take on the Spurs every so often. God knows I can't get it from ESPN or any other mainstream media.

Such a good set up but I can't finish it off...

[maverick1948]

This. I think that somehow contributed to his bad reputation (and his lack of motivation in Charlotte this season didn't help either), but the thing is he always looks like that even when he's 100% focused.
He looks like this cool laid back guy who never displays emotions, but some people see that as softness/carelessness


What are they saying about Kawhi's face? His expression has changed only once in the 74 games (2+66+6). 1 smile for the season. At least, until we get the LOBT.

As for Diaw, I was not one of his supporters when he came over. I didnt think he would fit in with the Spurs. He has so many people giving bad reports about him that I was worried he would be a bad pickup and destroy some of the chemistry. The only thing he had going for him was his time with Tony. I, also, had hopes of Splitter breaking out and being the dominate force he can be. But Diaw has shown that he is a team player, with chemistry with more than just Tony. He has accepted the role he is to play on the team. I had always thouht he was disinterested in playing with the Suns and for sure the Bobcats. Losing has that effect. He has definately changed my mind with his play with the Spurs. Now I look forward to next season when Tim, Boris, Matt, Tiago and DaBear get to have a summer workout and a training camp TOGETHER. Damn that is a scary thought. To Boris "Welcome Home" stick around and you will get ring #2 next year.

[timvp]

Neither of you guys mentioned Pop's adjustment in the third quarter of starting Splitter instead of Diaw. I thought it was a truly inspired move, inasmuch as we didn't want Diaw getting an early fourth foul, and we definitely needed somebody who knew what they were doing at the 5 role with the second squad.Not sure we can call that an adjustment since Pop always benches a player (outside of TD and TP) to start the second half if he has three fouls. It worked out well, though.

[Fabbs]

Pop A-
Pop once again spread the minutes well. Understandably, he has to play Parker a lot in this series because Neal is such a poor fit against the Clippers. Pop's gameplan, especially defensively, was impressive and worked perfectly. There's not much more to say other than Pop is doing a great job; he's pushing all the right buttons right now.
Poops minutes distribution is excellent.
His limiting BonBon is so out of character 2008-2011 and that is a most pleasant surprise.

Diaw is A+.

[Obstructed_View]

Not sure we can call that an adjustment since Pop always benches a player (outside of TD and TP) to start the second half if he has three fouls. It worked out well, though.

Yeah, I didn't think of it as an adjustment. Pop always does that. It's a great sign of progress that Splitter and Duncan are playing together and nobody finds it worth noting.

[GuillermoDiazFan]

Diaw has always had more talent than reputation. A very versatile defender at 4 positions, a tremendous passer and a good low usage scorer. Diaw's biggest problem was always that he's reluctant to take shots (besides the poor rebounding if he's playing a post position). For some reason, he's now taking the shots we've been giving him.

The Spurs are very complicated to stop. Their top pick'n'roll can't be stopped without help and once the help arrives they execute the ball reversal too quickly. If it wasn't for them missing 4 or 5 open corner 3s in the second quarter, the game would be over even sooner. It was the only quarter in this series they scored below 20 points. Their eFG% in this series is 60%.

However, these grades would be lower if Paul and Blake were healthy. The Spurs are a middling defensive team and we're making them look as the Bulls or the Celtics because we can't great good shots or play the transition. Once those guys are healthy, these Spurs role-players will start looking a lot worse.

[Fabbs]

slurp slurp
customary. :lol

[timvp]

I'm immensely grateful that Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter prevent Bonner from having to play 30 minutes a night, but this is exactly how I want Matty playing, and I'll count any baskets he makes as gravy.

Yeah, IMO, this winning streak doesn't feel fluke-ish at all mainly because it hasn't relied on Bonner. I mean, Bonner is playing his role but the Spurs of the past few years could get hot but it wasn't as sustainable because they needed two or three three-pointers from Bonner to keep the defense honest. Even the first long winning streak of this season was too Bonner-dependent for my tastes.

As you said, Bonner is a very useful player when whatever he does is gravy. If you rely on Bonner to win -- like the Spurs did from about 2009 until the arrival of Diaw -- you're just asking for trouble.



P.S.

Great writeup OV :tu

[Fabbs]

Diaw......
He is also making huge momentum plays. Like when our offense is bogged down and the other team has seized momentum, Diaw has several times made fantastic plays to return Mo to Spurs.
Some huge plays on D too.
:toast

[ElNono]

Thanks John :tu

[timvp]

Watching Diaw, it makes me wonder how much a prime Duncan would have averaged with Diaw next to him. 28? 30?

The Spurs have had some good bigman passers but Diaw is on another level ... not only because his vision is great but because he can dribble the ball to further breakdown the defense before making a pass.

Let's hope he keeps it up :tu

[ElNono]

As you said, Bonner is a very useful player when whatever he does is gravy. If you rely on Bonner to win -- like the Spurs did from about 2009 until the arrival of Diaw -- you're just asking for trouble.

aka fool's gold.. I'm also grateful Pop moved away from him in a major role.

[ElNono]

Watching Diaw, it makes me wonder how much a prime Duncan would have averaged with Diaw next to him. 28? 30?

It's not just the passing... he's also a guy that won't get steamrolled to the basket on a regular basis, which means Tim has to help less, and thus end up with fresher legs.

Up to an extent, the emergence of Tiago in a meaningful way this season has also contributed to that.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Neal and Mills are the same player, except that Mills is a more streaky shooter and gives up four inches in height. I'd like to see Mills worked in if at all possible, but not because I think he does anything better than Neal does.

I strongly disagree. Mills is way quicker than Neal, and he has a point guard's mindset and approach to the game.

Neal is a better shooter I'm sure, but Mills is not a bad shooter.

They are nothing close to the same player.

[therealtruth]

Neal's ball handling problems comes down to confidence. As long as he thinks he's not a good ball handler he's going to struggle with it. Defenders in general don't attack confident ball handlers.

I love Bonner's taking hard fouls. It prevents the and-one and it also makes the player more reluctant to attack on offense.

[Obstructed_View]

I strongly disagree. Mills is way quicker than Neal, and he has a point guard's mindset and approach to the game.

Neal is a better shooter I'm sure, but Mills is not a bad shooter.

They are nothing close to the same player.

Mills is quicker, but only on offense, and he is indeed a point guard. Given what little I've seen of him, however, he looks like a shoot-first guy. I'm not positive that he's much more of a willing passer than Neal is.

It might be worth throwing him in there, but if the rationale is so that he can defend the Clippers guards better than Neal, I'll believe it when I see it, and I'm kind of leaning toward the "if it ain't broke" camp on this call. The rotation as it stands is working, and working well. I say leave it alone.

[quentin_compson]

Thanks timvp and OV.
Diaw was absolutely fantastic. He is one of those guys who probably won't make a bad team much better but can be a huge asset for a team that is already good. His basketball IQ is simply amazing and yet he always tries to stay in the flow of the game since he came to SA (same thing can be said for Stephen Jackson). Nothing too flashy for the sake of it, just the right play/the right pass at the right time.
At times it's almost eerie how well and consistent the Spurs' roleplayers are scoring - and how unfazed players like Green and Leonard seem to be about starting games on the big stage that is the playoffs. Granted, the Clippers are banged up and there will be tougher and better opponents to come, but still, it's very encouraging.

[Obstructed_View]

Watching Diaw, it makes me wonder how much a prime Duncan would have averaged with Diaw next to him. 28? 30?tu

Great point. If I knew how to see Amare's numbers with and without Diaw next to him, I'd run them.

[therealtruth]

He is also making huge momentum plays. Like when our offense is bogged down and the other team has seized momentum, Diaw has several times made fantastic plays to return Mo to Spurs.
Some huge plays on D too.
:toast

He definitely helps when the offense bogs down because of how simple he makes the game.

[therealtruth]

Diaw has always had more talent than reputation. A very versatile defender at 4 positions, a tremendous passer and a good low usage scorer. Diaw's biggest problem was always that he's reluctant to take shots (besides the poor rebounding if he's playing a post position). For some reason, he's now taking the shots we've been giving him.

The Spurs are very complicated to stop. Their top pick'n'roll can't be stopped without help and once the help arrives they execute the ball reversal too quickly. If it wasn't for them missing 4 or 5 open corner 3s in the second quarter, the game would be over even sooner. It was the only quarter in this series they scored below 20 points. Their eFG% in this series is 60%.

However, these grades would be lower if Paul and Blake were healthy. The Spurs are a middling defensive team and we're making them look as the Bulls or the Celtics because we can't great good shots or play the transition. Once those guys are healthy, these Spurs role-players will start looking a lot worse.

Diaw reluctance to shoot on the Spurs doesn't hurt as much because of all the offensive weapons we have. It's also why he did so well with the Suns.

[therealtruth]

Yeah, I didn't think of it as an adjustment. Pop always does that. It's a great sign of progress that Splitter and Duncan are playing together and nobody finds it worth noting.

I think the fact that Splitter has moved up in the depth chart beyond Bonner is the thing worth noting.

[polandprzem]

where is gone fishing tbh?

[Obstructed_View]

I think the fact that Splitter has moved up in the depth chart beyond Bonner is the thing worth noting.

Bonner's exactly what I've been saying he is for the last several years: A really good fourth big to give you 10-12 minutes.

[TheSkeptic]

Good, thorough analysis timvp. I might have to check back on this forum in the next few years to get your take on the Spurs every so often. God knows I can't get it from ESPN or any other mainstream media.


...There's a good joke in here somewhere.


By the way, thanks Timvp. :toast

[EVAY]

Not sure we can call that an adjustment since Pop always benches a player (outside of TD and TP) to start the second half if he has three fouls. It worked out well, though.

Okay. Let's not call it an adjustment. Let's call it "Pop still having the sense to
not risk a player who has three fouls getting his fourth early in the second half" AND realizing that his second unit was so rudderless in the first half that it wouldn't be a bad idea to put Diaw and his high BBIQ in the second unit's front line to steady them in the third quarter.

None of has a clue as to whether or not Pop actually considered the strength of Diaw with the second unit in his "automatic" change of not sending him out at the beginning of the second half, but, as you say, "It worked out well".

[keywester]

Mills is quicker, but only on offense, and he is indeed a point guard. Given what little I've seen of him, however, he looks like a shoot-first guy. I'm not positive that he's much more of a willing passer than Neal is.

It might be worth throwing him in there, but if the rationale is so that he can defend the Clippers guards better than Neal, I'll believe it when I see it, and I'm kind of leaning toward the "if it ain't broke" camp on this call. The rotation as it stands is working, and working well. I say leave it alone.

I don't disagree with the philosophy of "if it ain't broke". However, you can't argue that Neal is a suitable back-up for TP. The last two games prove that Neal is not a PG and that his ability to score makes up for his inability to run the team and slow opposing pg's. Going forward, this could become a huge liability. Just think what would happen if TP was slowed or hurt? I have no idea if Mills could run the team any better that Neal but, I would think Pop should find out.

[Obstructed_View]

I don't disagree with the philosophy of "if it ain't broke". However, you can't argue that Neal is a suitable back-up for TP.
Which is why I never have. I think Neal's a terrible point guard. That said, I don't think Mills is much better. Most of us assume that he'll handle pressure better, but Beno Udrih is a better point guard than Patty Mills and couldn't handle that.



The last two games prove that Neal is not a PG and that his ability to score makes up for his inability to run the team and slow opposing pg's. Going forward, this could become a huge liability. Just think what would happen if TP was slowed or hurt? I have no idea if Mills could run the team any better that Neal but, I would think Pop should find out.

Going forward, it could become a liability. It's not now, and the Spurs are rolling. I'm in the "pop should find out" crowd, but I was in favor of it over a month ago. Not so keen on it right now. We know he can play, and he's there to plug in if Parker gets hurt. Playing him now has little bearing on how good he'll be if that happens.

[EVAY]

Re: Mills vs. Neal as a back up point guard.

Let's face it - we don't want to have to use either of them very much. Neal is a terrific shooting guard, and I just think that Manu should be the point guard when Neal is on the court without Tony. Manu is a better ball handler than Neal and is a better passer than anyone else, period.

Mills can't pass. At all. He can't pass. So, regardless of the fact that Neal is not a good ball handler, Mills is not the answer.

[Brazil]

This is the Diaw I love tbh. He has always been one of the most talented player in the nba. I just didn't know he was capable to play at this level again.

I still believe he has wasted his talent, he could have been one of the most versatile big man ever. His MIP season was outstanding (3D time) but he lost himself at some point.

The FNT is going to be great with an already very talented squad but with Diaw at this level I hope great things during the Olympics.

[BillMc]

Thanks as always for the great write up!

Do you think there is any concern at the (relative) lack of production from the bench?

[gilmor]

Watching Diaw, it makes me wonder how much a prime Duncan would have averaged with Diaw next to him. 28? 30?

The Spurs have had some good bigman passers but Diaw is on another level ... not only because his vision is great but because he can dribble the ball to further breakdown the defense before making a pass.

Let's hope he keeps it up :tu

I thought Diaw, Green and Kawhi are the missing pieces that we don't have last year. Having these 3 are heavenly..

[therealtruth]

I thought Diaw, Green and Kawhi are the missing pieces that we don't have last year. Having these 3 are heavenly..

We replaced Dice, George Hill, and RJ with Diaw, Green, and Kawhi. Definitely an upgrade.

[Obstructed_View]

We replaced Dice, George Hill, and RJ with Splitter, Diaw, Green, Jack and Kawhi. Definitely an upgrade.

fify