timvp
11-11-2012, 10:33 PM
Following one of the ugliest Spurs games you’ll ever see, the Spurs and Blazers put on a memorable show on Saturday night. The fourth quarter was particularly entertaining, as the San Antonio outscored Portland 39-30 to win by a final score of 112-109. This victory was especially sweet because the Spurs were without Tony Parker (illness).
With the score tied 10-10 four minutes into the contest, the Blazers went on the game’s first run. In a span of approximately six minutes, Portland outscored S.A. 16-6 to build a double-digit advantage. However, the Spurs hit a trio of three-pointers in less than 70 seconds to dig out of the hole heading into quarter number two.
In the next period, the Blazers were back up by double-digits within six minutes. The Spurs again rallied but still trailed by seven at halftime.
Yet again, Portland was able to rebuild their lead in the third quarter. They got up by as many as 14 points and appeared to have control. Thankfully, the good guys never gave up. The Spurs trimmed the lead to three points before heading into the final period down by six.
That’s when the Spurs went nuclear. In two and a half minutes, San Antonio began the fourth quarter on a 14-0 explosion. The Spurs led by nine points with just over seven minutes remaining … but the game was just getting started.
With the Blazers making a ferocious push, the Spurs were able to tread water for a while. At the 2:37 mark, they still were up by eight points. But Portland just kept coming. Four consecutive made three-pointers later, the Blazers and Spurs were tied at 109 with 40 seconds to go. Thankfully, Manu Ginobili got two free throws on the next Spurs possession. A couple defensive stops later, San Antonio was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and officially improve their record to 6-1.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box71.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box72.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
I’m not even sure what to type anymore about Tim Duncan. I’ve run out of ways to describe my wonderment about how he has been able to turn back the clock. Saturday night was the latest example. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Duncan was again really damn good. Offensively, he efficiently utilized each touch. When the jumper was available, he took it (and usually nailed it). In the paint, his combination of strength, patience and guile was usually too much for the Blazers to contend with. Defensively, I didn’t think Duncan was as good as he’s been most of this season -- but he was still well above average. Most of his issues came with individual defense; his team-defense and protection of the paint were solid. A word to the wise: Enjoy this while it lasts. At some point Duncan is going to come back down to earth. Through seven games, Duncan’s per-minute statistical production has been as good as it has ever been in his career. Yes, EVER. Enjoy it.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 90.7
Adj. Average: 91.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili was still sloppy. His decisions were often questionable and his movements were choppy. That said, he’s definitely progressing in the right direction. The tight game in the fourth quarter helped bring out the best in the Argentine sensation. Once his competitive juices started flowing, his overall level of play picked up -- especially on the defensive end. Instead of going through the motions, he was able to make plays and wreak havoc on D on a handful of possessions. Offensively, while he has a ways to go before he regains his rhythm, there were glimpses of normalcy. Ginobili wasn’t bashful about attacking the paint and his playmaking is looking better and better. Once the rust is removed, I’m confident he can return to the level he played at last season.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 79.8
Adj. Average: 79.2
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Bad: Well, Kawhi Leonard was supposed to be defending Nicolas Batum. Judging by the stats (33 points on 18 shots), we can safely surmise that Leonard didn’t do very well. Although to be fair, Batum was ridiculously hot this game. Leonard also was lacking on the boards and racked up three more turnovers. The Good: He knocked down three mid-range jumpers off the dribble that were within the offensive flow. That’s three more than he had the entire season coming into this game -- so that’s impressive growth. Leonard also ran the court extremely well and while his individual D wasn’t good, his length and activity at times disrupted Portland’s offense.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 83.0
Adj. Average: 83.4
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
There were a lot of positives in Danny Green’s performance. He hit big shots and played a key role in the fourth quarter run. Additionally, Green took on some of the ballhandling duties to help offset Parker’s absence. His defense, sans a few mental breakdowns, was stout -- particularly his transition D and his work on the defensive glass. All in all, I was impressed with how hard he competed while at the same time staying true to his role on the team.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 85.4
Adjusted Average: 85.8
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Starting in place of Parker, Patrick Mills wasn’t horrible but he’d surely appreciate a do-over. Defensively, Mills was poor in the first half against super rookie Damian Lillard. His positioning was bad, he gave up too much space and allowed the rookie to go wherever he wanted. In the second half, Mills competed much better and was able to drastically improve his D. Offensively, the Australian was fine when looking for his own shot or using his speed in the open court to collapse the defense. Unfortunately, everything else was a struggle. He has no feel for how to run a proper pick-and-roll and coordinating even simple sets is a challenge for him. If he’s ever going to be more than a change of pace option, Mills has a lot of work to do to master the intricacies of the game.
Final Grade: 74
Season Average: 79.0
Adj. Average: 79.0
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
DeJuan Blair missed the game due to a knee contusion, which allowed Boris Diaw to move back into the starting lineup. During his 15 minutes, he was the definition of a non-factor. Defensively, while he was decent guarding the post, his perimeter defense was abhorrent. When asked to switch off on smaller players, he gave little effort and allowed a lot of space. And even though LaMarcus Aldridge was smoking from the perimeter, Diaw couldn’t be bothered to go out and challenge those shots. Add in his lack of a rebound and he should really think about refunding his game check.
Final Grade: 69
Season Average: 82.1
Adj. Average: 83.7
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Holy expletive. Gary Neal put the team on his back and carried the Spurs to victory on Saturday night. In the fourth quarter, he poured in 15 of his team-high 27 points -- and he was doing it in every manner possible. On set plays, off of screens, creating his own shot, off of broken plays … it didn’t matter, Neal was hitting everything. When the Blazers attempted to shut him down by throwing multiple defenders at him, the third year guard smartly made the right pass. In addition to his offense, I was also very impressed with Neal’s defense. A horrible defender last season, he actually had quite a few strong plays on that end. Compared to last year, Neal looks faster, a lot quicker laterally and more sure of himself. Factor in his seven gigantic boards against the Blazers and it’s safe to say that Neal has never played a better game of basketball.
Final Grade: 99
Season Average: 84.4
Adj. Average: 86.4
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
The box score doesn’t give justice to how important Stephen Jackson was in San Antonio’s victory. The Spurs were able to play small for long stretches (including the entire fourth quarter) because Jackson took the challenge of defending Aldridge -- and he actually did quite well. Jackson also took it to the rim with power at times when the Spurs were becoming too reliant on jumpers. His passing and defensive rotations were other bright spots. While he was sloppy at times and took a couple bad shots, Jackson was vital part of the W.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 86.1
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
It’s concerning me that Tiago Splitter seems to be heading the wrong way. Against the Blazers, his finishes at the basket were even softer than usual, his defense was less attentive and his toughness in the paint was an even larger question mark. Plays that he made in his sleep for much of last season -- basic things like catching the ball, remembering to rotate to defend the rim, making the right pass -- have become a chore. The Spurs can’t win a championship with Splitter playing this poorly, so it goes without saying that we should all hope he can regain his footing.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 76.0
Adj. Average: 75.8
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
I don’t know if Pop does it for cheap thrills but he sure does like to throw Nando De Colo in the fire. Versus the Blazers, I thought the French rookie did well. While his defense wasn’t always fundamental, his exemplary effort was able to conceal any deficiencies. Offensively, it’s obvious that De Colo just knows how to play. He had another jaw-dropping pass and effortlessly adjusted to fill whatever role was needed on a possession to possession basis. I think we’ll see more of Pop’s random usage of De Colo since the rookie continues to showcase flame-retardant skills.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 88.0
Adj. Average: 88.0
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
A missed shot. A turnover. A couple possessions of tepid defense. And that was about the extent of Matt Bonner’s two minutes of action.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 77.0
Adj. Average: 78.3
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
For a while, it seemed like Pop was just pulling names out of a hat to decide the substitution pattern. Eventually, though, Pop made some correct calls. Going small was smart and helped supercharge the offense. Riding Neal and Jackson was a right move. Inserting De Colo to start the fourth quarter was odd but ended up a positive. Pop never really figured out what to do with Portland’s starters; thankfully, their bench was so bad that it more than negated their starters.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 83.9
---------------
Offense
Turnovers were again a problem. But for the second straight game, they were able to avoid turnovers in the fourth quarter enough to get the win (the Spurs had 18 turnovers going into the fourth and finished with 21). Finishing with 20 assists was low, especially since the team had 40 made field goals. However, both turnovers and a lack of assists can be attributed to missing Parker. The Spurs were able to camouflage those shortcomings by getting to the line (31 free throw attempts) and shooting the lights out from the perimeter. I lost count of how many contested jumpers the Spurs connected on in the second half alone.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.1
---------------
Defense
There’s really not a whole lot to be proud of defensively. The Spurs were poor on the defensive glass yet again, didn’t defend the three-point line well and gave up too many points (21) on the fast break. Portland shot 47.8% from two-point range, which points to subpar yet not horrible defense. This game was about out-shooting the Blazers, to put it simply.
Final Grade: 72
Season Average: 81.6
---------------
Overall
The Spurs shouldn’t try to replicate this formula if they want to win anymore games this season. They relied on making a high percentage of contested outside jumpers to get the victory. It worked Saturday night but it really was fairly miraculous. That said, getting a win in Portland without Parker is no easy task so the team should be happy about the end result.
Final Grade: 81
Season Average: 82.7
---------------
With the score tied 10-10 four minutes into the contest, the Blazers went on the game’s first run. In a span of approximately six minutes, Portland outscored S.A. 16-6 to build a double-digit advantage. However, the Spurs hit a trio of three-pointers in less than 70 seconds to dig out of the hole heading into quarter number two.
In the next period, the Blazers were back up by double-digits within six minutes. The Spurs again rallied but still trailed by seven at halftime.
Yet again, Portland was able to rebuild their lead in the third quarter. They got up by as many as 14 points and appeared to have control. Thankfully, the good guys never gave up. The Spurs trimmed the lead to three points before heading into the final period down by six.
That’s when the Spurs went nuclear. In two and a half minutes, San Antonio began the fourth quarter on a 14-0 explosion. The Spurs led by nine points with just over seven minutes remaining … but the game was just getting started.
With the Blazers making a ferocious push, the Spurs were able to tread water for a while. At the 2:37 mark, they still were up by eight points. But Portland just kept coming. Four consecutive made three-pointers later, the Blazers and Spurs were tied at 109 with 40 seconds to go. Thankfully, Manu Ginobili got two free throws on the next Spurs possession. A couple defensive stops later, San Antonio was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and officially improve their record to 6-1.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box71.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box72.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
I’m not even sure what to type anymore about Tim Duncan. I’ve run out of ways to describe my wonderment about how he has been able to turn back the clock. Saturday night was the latest example. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Duncan was again really damn good. Offensively, he efficiently utilized each touch. When the jumper was available, he took it (and usually nailed it). In the paint, his combination of strength, patience and guile was usually too much for the Blazers to contend with. Defensively, I didn’t think Duncan was as good as he’s been most of this season -- but he was still well above average. Most of his issues came with individual defense; his team-defense and protection of the paint were solid. A word to the wise: Enjoy this while it lasts. At some point Duncan is going to come back down to earth. Through seven games, Duncan’s per-minute statistical production has been as good as it has ever been in his career. Yes, EVER. Enjoy it.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 90.7
Adj. Average: 91.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili was still sloppy. His decisions were often questionable and his movements were choppy. That said, he’s definitely progressing in the right direction. The tight game in the fourth quarter helped bring out the best in the Argentine sensation. Once his competitive juices started flowing, his overall level of play picked up -- especially on the defensive end. Instead of going through the motions, he was able to make plays and wreak havoc on D on a handful of possessions. Offensively, while he has a ways to go before he regains his rhythm, there were glimpses of normalcy. Ginobili wasn’t bashful about attacking the paint and his playmaking is looking better and better. Once the rust is removed, I’m confident he can return to the level he played at last season.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 79.8
Adj. Average: 79.2
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Bad: Well, Kawhi Leonard was supposed to be defending Nicolas Batum. Judging by the stats (33 points on 18 shots), we can safely surmise that Leonard didn’t do very well. Although to be fair, Batum was ridiculously hot this game. Leonard also was lacking on the boards and racked up three more turnovers. The Good: He knocked down three mid-range jumpers off the dribble that were within the offensive flow. That’s three more than he had the entire season coming into this game -- so that’s impressive growth. Leonard also ran the court extremely well and while his individual D wasn’t good, his length and activity at times disrupted Portland’s offense.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 83.0
Adj. Average: 83.4
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
There were a lot of positives in Danny Green’s performance. He hit big shots and played a key role in the fourth quarter run. Additionally, Green took on some of the ballhandling duties to help offset Parker’s absence. His defense, sans a few mental breakdowns, was stout -- particularly his transition D and his work on the defensive glass. All in all, I was impressed with how hard he competed while at the same time staying true to his role on the team.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 85.4
Adjusted Average: 85.8
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Starting in place of Parker, Patrick Mills wasn’t horrible but he’d surely appreciate a do-over. Defensively, Mills was poor in the first half against super rookie Damian Lillard. His positioning was bad, he gave up too much space and allowed the rookie to go wherever he wanted. In the second half, Mills competed much better and was able to drastically improve his D. Offensively, the Australian was fine when looking for his own shot or using his speed in the open court to collapse the defense. Unfortunately, everything else was a struggle. He has no feel for how to run a proper pick-and-roll and coordinating even simple sets is a challenge for him. If he’s ever going to be more than a change of pace option, Mills has a lot of work to do to master the intricacies of the game.
Final Grade: 74
Season Average: 79.0
Adj. Average: 79.0
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
DeJuan Blair missed the game due to a knee contusion, which allowed Boris Diaw to move back into the starting lineup. During his 15 minutes, he was the definition of a non-factor. Defensively, while he was decent guarding the post, his perimeter defense was abhorrent. When asked to switch off on smaller players, he gave little effort and allowed a lot of space. And even though LaMarcus Aldridge was smoking from the perimeter, Diaw couldn’t be bothered to go out and challenge those shots. Add in his lack of a rebound and he should really think about refunding his game check.
Final Grade: 69
Season Average: 82.1
Adj. Average: 83.7
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Holy expletive. Gary Neal put the team on his back and carried the Spurs to victory on Saturday night. In the fourth quarter, he poured in 15 of his team-high 27 points -- and he was doing it in every manner possible. On set plays, off of screens, creating his own shot, off of broken plays … it didn’t matter, Neal was hitting everything. When the Blazers attempted to shut him down by throwing multiple defenders at him, the third year guard smartly made the right pass. In addition to his offense, I was also very impressed with Neal’s defense. A horrible defender last season, he actually had quite a few strong plays on that end. Compared to last year, Neal looks faster, a lot quicker laterally and more sure of himself. Factor in his seven gigantic boards against the Blazers and it’s safe to say that Neal has never played a better game of basketball.
Final Grade: 99
Season Average: 84.4
Adj. Average: 86.4
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
The box score doesn’t give justice to how important Stephen Jackson was in San Antonio’s victory. The Spurs were able to play small for long stretches (including the entire fourth quarter) because Jackson took the challenge of defending Aldridge -- and he actually did quite well. Jackson also took it to the rim with power at times when the Spurs were becoming too reliant on jumpers. His passing and defensive rotations were other bright spots. While he was sloppy at times and took a couple bad shots, Jackson was vital part of the W.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 86.1
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
It’s concerning me that Tiago Splitter seems to be heading the wrong way. Against the Blazers, his finishes at the basket were even softer than usual, his defense was less attentive and his toughness in the paint was an even larger question mark. Plays that he made in his sleep for much of last season -- basic things like catching the ball, remembering to rotate to defend the rim, making the right pass -- have become a chore. The Spurs can’t win a championship with Splitter playing this poorly, so it goes without saying that we should all hope he can regain his footing.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 76.0
Adj. Average: 75.8
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
I don’t know if Pop does it for cheap thrills but he sure does like to throw Nando De Colo in the fire. Versus the Blazers, I thought the French rookie did well. While his defense wasn’t always fundamental, his exemplary effort was able to conceal any deficiencies. Offensively, it’s obvious that De Colo just knows how to play. He had another jaw-dropping pass and effortlessly adjusted to fill whatever role was needed on a possession to possession basis. I think we’ll see more of Pop’s random usage of De Colo since the rookie continues to showcase flame-retardant skills.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 88.0
Adj. Average: 88.0
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
A missed shot. A turnover. A couple possessions of tepid defense. And that was about the extent of Matt Bonner’s two minutes of action.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 77.0
Adj. Average: 78.3
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
For a while, it seemed like Pop was just pulling names out of a hat to decide the substitution pattern. Eventually, though, Pop made some correct calls. Going small was smart and helped supercharge the offense. Riding Neal and Jackson was a right move. Inserting De Colo to start the fourth quarter was odd but ended up a positive. Pop never really figured out what to do with Portland’s starters; thankfully, their bench was so bad that it more than negated their starters.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 83.9
---------------
Offense
Turnovers were again a problem. But for the second straight game, they were able to avoid turnovers in the fourth quarter enough to get the win (the Spurs had 18 turnovers going into the fourth and finished with 21). Finishing with 20 assists was low, especially since the team had 40 made field goals. However, both turnovers and a lack of assists can be attributed to missing Parker. The Spurs were able to camouflage those shortcomings by getting to the line (31 free throw attempts) and shooting the lights out from the perimeter. I lost count of how many contested jumpers the Spurs connected on in the second half alone.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.1
---------------
Defense
There’s really not a whole lot to be proud of defensively. The Spurs were poor on the defensive glass yet again, didn’t defend the three-point line well and gave up too many points (21) on the fast break. Portland shot 47.8% from two-point range, which points to subpar yet not horrible defense. This game was about out-shooting the Blazers, to put it simply.
Final Grade: 72
Season Average: 81.6
---------------
Overall
The Spurs shouldn’t try to replicate this formula if they want to win anymore games this season. They relied on making a high percentage of contested outside jumpers to get the victory. It worked Saturday night but it really was fairly miraculous. That said, getting a win in Portland without Parker is no easy task so the team should be happy about the end result.
Final Grade: 81
Season Average: 82.7
---------------