timvp
11-01-2012, 04:39 AM
The Spurs began their 2012-13 campaign on the road against the Hornets without the services of Manu Ginobili. Early on, the game was close and both offenses were in high gear. In the second quarter, San Antonio’s offense stalled. Over a span of more than five minutes, the Spurs only scored two points, which allowed New Orleans to gain as much as an 11-point lead in the first half.
Entering the third quarter down by seven, the Spurs came out with both barrels blazing. Led by Kawhi Leonard’s inspired play, the Spurs went on a 21-5 run in the quarter’s first seven minutes to take command. However, the Hornets came right back and tied the contest heading into the final stanza.
In the fourth, neither team led by more than three points until Anthony Davis’ two free throws put the Hornets up by four points with 2:42 remaining. Tim Duncan brought the Spurs back by scoring seven points in the next minute. Then, with the Spurs down by a point, Tony Parker stepped up and drained a three-pointer with 50 seconds on the clock. San Antonio got a few more stops and two Duncan free throws to cement their 99-95 opening night victory.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box13.jpg
http://www.spurstalk.com/box11.jpg
http://www.spurstalk.com/box12.jpg
Tim Duncan
I can’t stress enough how impressed I am with Tim Duncan right now. He came into camp in amazing shape, was ready to go by the first preseason game and was the best player on the court come the season opener. Physically, he’s spry and energetic. In fact, he routinely beat the Hornets up and down the court. His movements -- whether he was driving to the rim on one end or protecting the paint on the other end -- were as sharp as I’ve seen in a few years. On offense, Duncan operated closer to the cup than he did last season and the results were positive. High-low action, particularly with Boris Diaw, was able to free him for looks around the rim. We also saw Duncan post-up a handful of times -- something that was somewhat of a rarity last season. Defensively, I thought Duncan was strong. He was able to stay in front of his man and play solid pick-and-roll defense. Near the hoop, he used his length well and provided the Spurs with a formidable last line of defense. Intangibly, his unwavering determination from the opening tip to the final buzzer was perhaps the difference between a win and loss on this night. Let us hope Duncan can stay at this level for the duration of the 2012-13 season.
Final Grade: 95
Tony Parker
Following an uninspiring preseason, I didn’t know what to expect out of Tony Parker. As it turns out, Parker was ready for the regular season. On offense, Parker was a definite asset. Scoring-wise, he authored many skillful drives to the basket. His outside jumper looked smooth, which was surprising considering he didn’t hit more than a couple outside shots in all of preseason. When it came to passing, Parker was a little bit off. His timing was oftentimes late and he missed a few wide open teammates. That said, it’s difficult to complain too much about someone who posts six assists and no turnovers in 35 minutes. Defensively, Parker was poor in the first quarter but progressively improved. By the end of the fourth, he had regained his defensive intensity and was an asset on that end of the court as well. While it was far from a flawless game, Parker started off his season on the right foot and should only improve as he regains his normal rhythm.
Final Grade: 91
Kawhi Leonard
In the first half, I was getting a bit worried. Kawhi Leonard was bad in the preseason and nothing much changed in the first two quarters. While he had moments here and there, he was still more of a negative than a positive. Then the third quarter happened and my worries disappeared. Defensively, Leonard turned into a monster. He started eliminating passing lanes and engulfing anyone foolish enough to come within a few feet of him. His energy on D translated into an explosion of points on the other end. During one stretch in the third, Leonard scored 11 straight points to turn a one-point deficit into a 64-55 advantage. I was also relieved to see Leonard connect on his three-pointers. In preseason, he was just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. Tonight, he was 3-for-6. Despite all the good, Leonard still has a lot of work to do to become a complete package. On offense, he passed up too many open jumpers and also was inefficient when driving to the hoop. Defensively, while he was able to turn the tide with his liveliness, his actual fundamentals were iffy. His transition D needs to get a lot better and his rotations were untimely far too often. And while he did good work on the boards, I think he can do even better -- especially when he’s playing minutes at power forward like he was against the Hornets.
Final Grade: 88
Danny Green
Defensively, I thought Danny Green was stout. He made Austin Rivers a non-factor, offered opportune help defense and was quick to loose balls. The necessary energy was definitely there on that end. Offensively, it was a different story. While I liked his aggression level, it seemed like he was shooting too fast and was too much in a hurry to produce. When he actually took his time and used his legs in his shot, he usually had better results. Green also had trouble converting near the rim. Not only did he miss shots, he had issues getting open and was bothered by the physicality of New Orleans. I’d like to see him be stronger and more determined in the paint; relying on the refs to bail him out is a losing proposition for someone of his caliber. Overall, Green can play better but at least this outing should help put the memories of that OKC series out of his mind.
Final Grade: 79
Boris Diaw
First of all, Boris Diaw’s passing was fantastic. (Get ready, I’ll be saying that a lot this season.) To have a power forward who can pass that well is truly a unique weapon for the Spurs. Diaw’s passing is part of the reason why Duncan had such a good game. While his passing was commendable, for much of the game he didn’t even look at the rim. Better teams are going to force Diaw to hit shots. Tonight he got away with not making himself a scoring threat but he needs to become a lot more aggressive to truly be a trustworthy offensive asset. On defense, I wasn’t too impressed. His boxing out left a lot to be desired and his positional defense was average. Basically, he has to up his aggression on that end as well.
Final Grade: 84
Stephen Jackson
Although his stats don’t look too impressive, Stephen Jackson was instrumental in this win. His toughness on both ends gave the Hornets problems. On defense, he guarded reasonably well out on the perimeter and also banged in the paint when it was needed. Jackson also issued a few hard fouls that helped slow the free-flowing Hornets down. On offense, he was best when he used his size to overwhelm. While his outside shot wasn’t working, the rest of his time on the court should be considered a success.
Final Grade: 86
Gary Neal
Gary Neal was the backup point guard and also got a handful of minutes at shooting guard. No matter what position he played, Neal couldn’t get into any sort of an offensive flow. He was unsure of himself and his typically textbook jumper looked flat. On offense, his best moments actually came when he passed the ball. On pick-and-rolls and in fast break situations, Neal has grown to become a rather adept passer -- even though the rest of the time he's decidedly below average when it comes to sharing the rock. Defensively, he was able to hold his own. He hustled on that end and gave very good effort on the glass. (Then again, it should be noted that Neal was never really tested on D due to the matchups.)
Final Grade: 77
Tiago Splitter
In the first half, I didn’t like what I saw out of Tiago Splitter. He was tentative on offense, wasn’t running the court hard and was getting bumped off of his spot too easily on defense. Whatever Pop told him at halftime worked because Splitter emerged a new man for the third and fourth quarters. On offense, he became a constant threat off of pick-and-rolls. He also made smart cuts to the hoop and ran the court with gusto. Defensively, Splitter was more assertive and defended the basket reasonably well. Hopefully the second half was the version of Splitter we’ll see for the rest of the year.
Final Grade: 83
Matt Bonner
Matt Bonner didn’t give Spurs faithful any reason to believe this is the year of the redhead. Other than the three-pointer he hit at the end of the first half, Bonner didn’t do much of anything right. Defensively, he was pretzelized whenever he attempted to defend out on the perimeter. In the paint, he was a traffic cone. On offense, he passed up a couple shots and wasn’t moving to open spots as swiftly as usual. Pop apparently noticed Bonner’s dreary play because he benched him for the entire second half.
Final Grade: 70
Patrick Mills
In the second half, Bonner’s minutes went to Patrick Mills. And while the Australian didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, I thought he helped more than he hurt. On defense, he was pesky in his attempts to disrupt the Hornets offense. When he got the ball on the break, he pushed it and was able to create a couple open looks -- though he was also out of control a number of other times. Mills didn’t get much of a preseason due to an ankle injury and was thrown into the fire in the second half … so, all things considered, I thought it was a positive opening night for him.
Final Grade: 83
Pop
In the first half, I didn’t like the rotation very much and I thought Pop stubbornly stuck to it even though it wasn’t working. But in the final two quarters, I loved the adjustments he made. Using Splitter surrounded by small ball as the second unit worked out much better. Basically swapping Bonner for Mills turned out to be a good move. I also thought the plays he called near the end of the game were smart. The Hornets, especially with Robin Lopez on the bench, weren’t very good at protecting the rim. By using Diaw to feed Duncan, the Spurs were able to get into the paint and get great looks. To replace Ginobili, Pop decided to use Jackson in that same role -- with positive results.
Final Grade: 89
Offense
The Spurs offense will have better days but they showed a lot of promise in the first game of the season. Considering they couldn’t hit an outside shot (from three-point land or the free throw line), San Antonio did well to put 99 points on the board. They did it by shooting 53.3% on two-pointers (32-for-60) and by connecting on 17 free throws (even though they missed nine attempts). The totals in assists (22) and turnovers (16) were acceptable given the circumstances. It’s exciting to think what this offense can do when it’s hitting on all cylinders.
Final Grade: 91
Defense
When the Hornets scored 31 points in the first quarter, I thought the Spurs were in for a long night on that end. But thankfully the D was able to tighten up and the Spurs managed to hold New Orleans to only 64 points the rest of the way. After hitting 13 of their first 21 shots, the Spurs held the Hornets to 37.2% (22-for-59) the rest of the way. That, obviously, is an encouraging statistic. The Spurs also did well on the defensive glass (.786 defensive rebounding percentage). On the other end of the spectrum, the Spurs need to play much better transition defense (the Hornets had 19 fast break points) and giving up 26 assists is much too high. Where do the Spurs stand defensively? We’ll have a much better idea following Thursday’s Thunder showdown.
Final Grade: 89
Overall
On paper, this wasn’t an easy game. No Ginobili, on the road, home opener for the Hornets, career debut for Anthony Davis, nonsensical preseason rotations … it was a recipe for an early season defeat. But the Spurs stiffened defensively, got enough points late from their stars and eked out a quality win.
Final Grade: 90
Entering the third quarter down by seven, the Spurs came out with both barrels blazing. Led by Kawhi Leonard’s inspired play, the Spurs went on a 21-5 run in the quarter’s first seven minutes to take command. However, the Hornets came right back and tied the contest heading into the final stanza.
In the fourth, neither team led by more than three points until Anthony Davis’ two free throws put the Hornets up by four points with 2:42 remaining. Tim Duncan brought the Spurs back by scoring seven points in the next minute. Then, with the Spurs down by a point, Tony Parker stepped up and drained a three-pointer with 50 seconds on the clock. San Antonio got a few more stops and two Duncan free throws to cement their 99-95 opening night victory.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box13.jpg
http://www.spurstalk.com/box11.jpg
http://www.spurstalk.com/box12.jpg
Tim Duncan
I can’t stress enough how impressed I am with Tim Duncan right now. He came into camp in amazing shape, was ready to go by the first preseason game and was the best player on the court come the season opener. Physically, he’s spry and energetic. In fact, he routinely beat the Hornets up and down the court. His movements -- whether he was driving to the rim on one end or protecting the paint on the other end -- were as sharp as I’ve seen in a few years. On offense, Duncan operated closer to the cup than he did last season and the results were positive. High-low action, particularly with Boris Diaw, was able to free him for looks around the rim. We also saw Duncan post-up a handful of times -- something that was somewhat of a rarity last season. Defensively, I thought Duncan was strong. He was able to stay in front of his man and play solid pick-and-roll defense. Near the hoop, he used his length well and provided the Spurs with a formidable last line of defense. Intangibly, his unwavering determination from the opening tip to the final buzzer was perhaps the difference between a win and loss on this night. Let us hope Duncan can stay at this level for the duration of the 2012-13 season.
Final Grade: 95
Tony Parker
Following an uninspiring preseason, I didn’t know what to expect out of Tony Parker. As it turns out, Parker was ready for the regular season. On offense, Parker was a definite asset. Scoring-wise, he authored many skillful drives to the basket. His outside jumper looked smooth, which was surprising considering he didn’t hit more than a couple outside shots in all of preseason. When it came to passing, Parker was a little bit off. His timing was oftentimes late and he missed a few wide open teammates. That said, it’s difficult to complain too much about someone who posts six assists and no turnovers in 35 minutes. Defensively, Parker was poor in the first quarter but progressively improved. By the end of the fourth, he had regained his defensive intensity and was an asset on that end of the court as well. While it was far from a flawless game, Parker started off his season on the right foot and should only improve as he regains his normal rhythm.
Final Grade: 91
Kawhi Leonard
In the first half, I was getting a bit worried. Kawhi Leonard was bad in the preseason and nothing much changed in the first two quarters. While he had moments here and there, he was still more of a negative than a positive. Then the third quarter happened and my worries disappeared. Defensively, Leonard turned into a monster. He started eliminating passing lanes and engulfing anyone foolish enough to come within a few feet of him. His energy on D translated into an explosion of points on the other end. During one stretch in the third, Leonard scored 11 straight points to turn a one-point deficit into a 64-55 advantage. I was also relieved to see Leonard connect on his three-pointers. In preseason, he was just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. Tonight, he was 3-for-6. Despite all the good, Leonard still has a lot of work to do to become a complete package. On offense, he passed up too many open jumpers and also was inefficient when driving to the hoop. Defensively, while he was able to turn the tide with his liveliness, his actual fundamentals were iffy. His transition D needs to get a lot better and his rotations were untimely far too often. And while he did good work on the boards, I think he can do even better -- especially when he’s playing minutes at power forward like he was against the Hornets.
Final Grade: 88
Danny Green
Defensively, I thought Danny Green was stout. He made Austin Rivers a non-factor, offered opportune help defense and was quick to loose balls. The necessary energy was definitely there on that end. Offensively, it was a different story. While I liked his aggression level, it seemed like he was shooting too fast and was too much in a hurry to produce. When he actually took his time and used his legs in his shot, he usually had better results. Green also had trouble converting near the rim. Not only did he miss shots, he had issues getting open and was bothered by the physicality of New Orleans. I’d like to see him be stronger and more determined in the paint; relying on the refs to bail him out is a losing proposition for someone of his caliber. Overall, Green can play better but at least this outing should help put the memories of that OKC series out of his mind.
Final Grade: 79
Boris Diaw
First of all, Boris Diaw’s passing was fantastic. (Get ready, I’ll be saying that a lot this season.) To have a power forward who can pass that well is truly a unique weapon for the Spurs. Diaw’s passing is part of the reason why Duncan had such a good game. While his passing was commendable, for much of the game he didn’t even look at the rim. Better teams are going to force Diaw to hit shots. Tonight he got away with not making himself a scoring threat but he needs to become a lot more aggressive to truly be a trustworthy offensive asset. On defense, I wasn’t too impressed. His boxing out left a lot to be desired and his positional defense was average. Basically, he has to up his aggression on that end as well.
Final Grade: 84
Stephen Jackson
Although his stats don’t look too impressive, Stephen Jackson was instrumental in this win. His toughness on both ends gave the Hornets problems. On defense, he guarded reasonably well out on the perimeter and also banged in the paint when it was needed. Jackson also issued a few hard fouls that helped slow the free-flowing Hornets down. On offense, he was best when he used his size to overwhelm. While his outside shot wasn’t working, the rest of his time on the court should be considered a success.
Final Grade: 86
Gary Neal
Gary Neal was the backup point guard and also got a handful of minutes at shooting guard. No matter what position he played, Neal couldn’t get into any sort of an offensive flow. He was unsure of himself and his typically textbook jumper looked flat. On offense, his best moments actually came when he passed the ball. On pick-and-rolls and in fast break situations, Neal has grown to become a rather adept passer -- even though the rest of the time he's decidedly below average when it comes to sharing the rock. Defensively, he was able to hold his own. He hustled on that end and gave very good effort on the glass. (Then again, it should be noted that Neal was never really tested on D due to the matchups.)
Final Grade: 77
Tiago Splitter
In the first half, I didn’t like what I saw out of Tiago Splitter. He was tentative on offense, wasn’t running the court hard and was getting bumped off of his spot too easily on defense. Whatever Pop told him at halftime worked because Splitter emerged a new man for the third and fourth quarters. On offense, he became a constant threat off of pick-and-rolls. He also made smart cuts to the hoop and ran the court with gusto. Defensively, Splitter was more assertive and defended the basket reasonably well. Hopefully the second half was the version of Splitter we’ll see for the rest of the year.
Final Grade: 83
Matt Bonner
Matt Bonner didn’t give Spurs faithful any reason to believe this is the year of the redhead. Other than the three-pointer he hit at the end of the first half, Bonner didn’t do much of anything right. Defensively, he was pretzelized whenever he attempted to defend out on the perimeter. In the paint, he was a traffic cone. On offense, he passed up a couple shots and wasn’t moving to open spots as swiftly as usual. Pop apparently noticed Bonner’s dreary play because he benched him for the entire second half.
Final Grade: 70
Patrick Mills
In the second half, Bonner’s minutes went to Patrick Mills. And while the Australian didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, I thought he helped more than he hurt. On defense, he was pesky in his attempts to disrupt the Hornets offense. When he got the ball on the break, he pushed it and was able to create a couple open looks -- though he was also out of control a number of other times. Mills didn’t get much of a preseason due to an ankle injury and was thrown into the fire in the second half … so, all things considered, I thought it was a positive opening night for him.
Final Grade: 83
Pop
In the first half, I didn’t like the rotation very much and I thought Pop stubbornly stuck to it even though it wasn’t working. But in the final two quarters, I loved the adjustments he made. Using Splitter surrounded by small ball as the second unit worked out much better. Basically swapping Bonner for Mills turned out to be a good move. I also thought the plays he called near the end of the game were smart. The Hornets, especially with Robin Lopez on the bench, weren’t very good at protecting the rim. By using Diaw to feed Duncan, the Spurs were able to get into the paint and get great looks. To replace Ginobili, Pop decided to use Jackson in that same role -- with positive results.
Final Grade: 89
Offense
The Spurs offense will have better days but they showed a lot of promise in the first game of the season. Considering they couldn’t hit an outside shot (from three-point land or the free throw line), San Antonio did well to put 99 points on the board. They did it by shooting 53.3% on two-pointers (32-for-60) and by connecting on 17 free throws (even though they missed nine attempts). The totals in assists (22) and turnovers (16) were acceptable given the circumstances. It’s exciting to think what this offense can do when it’s hitting on all cylinders.
Final Grade: 91
Defense
When the Hornets scored 31 points in the first quarter, I thought the Spurs were in for a long night on that end. But thankfully the D was able to tighten up and the Spurs managed to hold New Orleans to only 64 points the rest of the way. After hitting 13 of their first 21 shots, the Spurs held the Hornets to 37.2% (22-for-59) the rest of the way. That, obviously, is an encouraging statistic. The Spurs also did well on the defensive glass (.786 defensive rebounding percentage). On the other end of the spectrum, the Spurs need to play much better transition defense (the Hornets had 19 fast break points) and giving up 26 assists is much too high. Where do the Spurs stand defensively? We’ll have a much better idea following Thursday’s Thunder showdown.
Final Grade: 89
Overall
On paper, this wasn’t an easy game. No Ginobili, on the road, home opener for the Hornets, career debut for Anthony Davis, nonsensical preseason rotations … it was a recipe for an early season defeat. But the Spurs stiffened defensively, got enough points late from their stars and eked out a quality win.
Final Grade: 90