timvp
11-24-2012, 07:03 PM
Well, that was a strange game. Both teams seemed to have complete control of the contest at various times -- only to see the momentum shift viciously at the drop of a hat. Eventually, the Spurs were able to put together the last run to beat the Pacers by a final score of 104-97.
To begin the game, San Antonio appeared to be in complete control. Tony Parker, specifically, was like a machine; he hit his first eight shots from the court and dished out five assists without a turnover in the first quarter.
Unfortunately, the bench lost all the Spurs momentum in the second period. In the first five minutes of the quarter, the bench got outscored 14-4. The starters were able to steady the ship when they re-entered, though the Pacers continued to play well and took a four-point lead into intermission.
In the third quarter, it was the starter’s turn to lose the momentum. A Lance Stephenson layup with 6:35 remaining in the period gave the Pacers a 17-point lead, 70-53. Thankfully, the Spurs were able to score five quick points to swing the flow back to their favor. Heading into the fourth, the good guys were on a 20-7 run.
But the Pacers, who were led by four points heading into the final stanza, weren’t ready to roll over and die. Instead, Indiana christened the quarter with a 9-2 run to build their cushion back to double-digits.
With the Spurs down by seven points with 6:50 remaining, Danny Green and Gary Neal scored 11 points in two minutes to tie the game. From there, Parker and Tim Duncan took over the scoring load. At the other end, the Pacers offense totally fell apart. While the Spurs should get credit for solid defense, Indiana aided the cause by missing what seemed like a dozen shots right at the rim.
When the smoke cleared, the Pacers had gone the last five and a half minutes without a field goal, which allowed the Spurs to end their adventurous zigzagging path to victory in a stroll.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box131.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box132.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box133.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Earlier this season, Tim Duncan dominated his good friend Roy Hibbert. On Friday night, the rematch was again lopsided in Duncan’s favor. Despite playing in foul trouble for much of the evening, the Virgin Islander was unaccommodating on the defensive end. When he wasn’t shutting down Hibbert, he was tallying a season-high in rebounding. Down the stretch of the game, Duncan switched onto David West and proceeded to completely shut him down. Offensively, he was nearly flawless when it came to shot selection and decision making. His steadiness on that end helped keep the Spurs on an even keel and allowed for their numerous comebacks. It remains an absolute joy to watch Duncan perform at this mindboggling level.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 92.0
Adj. Average: 92.4
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It was a tale of two halves for Manu Ginobili against the Pacers. In the first half, I thought Ginobili was trying to do too much. To put it bluntly, he was hogging the ball and not allowing the offense to organically create quality shots. At halftime, Ginobili was 2-for-10 from the field after playing a leading role in the second quarter struggles. The second half was completely different. Ginobili kept attacking with ferocity but he picked his spots much better. His defense was also vastly improved in the final two quarters. All in all, even when he was struggling, I commend Ginobili for going all out. He expended more energy in this game than any other outing this season. Let’s hope this great effort is a sign that his health is on the fast track to optimal.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 80.9
Adj. Average: 81.9
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
WoW. Tony Parker played long stretches of flawless basketball on Friday night. He was running the offense like he could see three or four steps ahead of everyone else. All of his shots were falling -- most notably his outside jumper and his teardrop -- and his decisions were immaculate. He had a few sporadic hiccups but offensively he was about as perfect as a point guard can play the game. And he did so in a smooth, effortless manner. Defensively, I also thought he was really, really good. He flustered George Hill all night and made it difficult for the ex-Spur to run set plays. When Parker plays like this, I’m not sure if there’s a better point guard in the league.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 85.6
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
For the first three quarters, Danny Green was garbage. Defensively, he wasn’t boxing out, he kept getting rubbed off his man and he wasn’t challenging jumpers. Offensively, Green was missing wide open jumpers and was a mistake waiting to happen when he attempted to dribble. Then Pop went back to him in the fourth quarter and Green made his coach look smart. He scored seven straight points in the span of 54 seconds to help bring the Spurs all the way back. Once he got going on offense, he brought extra energy to the defensive end.
Final Grade: 72
Season Average: 82.3
Adj. Average: 82.0
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
While scoring eight points in 28 minutes isn’t a notable accomplishment for Gary Neal, this was one of his most disciplined performances of the season. His positional defense was strong; he was one of the few guards who didn’t routinely lose his man. Where Neal really shined defensive was on the boards. He’s not that tall, isn’t fast and can’t jump but his determination alone allowed him to pull down a few much-needed contested boards. On offense, Neal’s shot selection was good and he resisted the urge to try to do too much. His critical points late in the game were the icing on the cake of a job well done.
Final Grade:88
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 84.1
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
DeJuan Blair’s liveliness during his 15 minutes was admirable … but there wasn’t much in the way of actual production. Defensively, he wasn’t very good against West, although he’s not the first Spurs bigman to be flummoxed by the crafty power forward. On offense, Blair didn’t get many touches but still managed a few positives.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 81.8
Adj. Average: 83.1
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Following his great showing against the Celtics, Tiago Splitter was basically back to square one in Indiana. His work on the defensive glass continues to be exceptionally poor for a player his size. His post defense and help defense were better than normal -- but how much does that matter when he’s suddenly incapable of rebounding? On offense, Splitter was mostly quiet. He had a few good moves, a couple nice passes and avoided costly mistakes. Overall, the Brazilian wasn’t bad but he’s been unable to live up to expectations on a consistent basis thus far.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 81.2
Adj. Average: 82.4
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw was back to ghost-mode. In the first half, he literally didn’t dent the box score outside of committing two fouls in 14 minutes. His defense wasn’t bad but his rebounding, or lack thereof, was atrocious. Thankfully, Diaw proved in the final two quarters that he was indeed still alive. Near the end of the third, Diaw scored a key hoop. In the fourth quarter, he recorded both of his assists, both of his rebounds and also played strong post defense. With Duncan on West, Diaw had the challenge of banging with Hibbert down the stretch and he did fine work. It was polite of Diaw to show up in the fourth but his stretches of nothingness remain a frustrating enigma.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 79.1
Adj. Average: 81.3
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
This new fifth bigman role is suiting Matt Bonner quite well. When Pop brings him in, opponents need a few minutes to adjust, which opens up opportunities for everyone. (Truthfully, this is the role Bonner should have been in the last few years.) The Spurs went on a 13-2 run after Bonner checked in for the first time. Eventually the Pacers figured him out and began to exploit his lack of agility on defense and non-existent rebounding ability, but in retrospect the insertion of Bonner was a definite plus. I’m hoping that this is how Pop continues to use him and I hope that Bonner can keep thriving in the role.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.9
Adj. Average: 81.3
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
When a one-dimensional passer doesn’t make an impact passing the ball, the result is what we witnessed on Saturday. Nando De Colo’s scoring hasn’t made the leap across the pond yet and his defense is tolerable at best, so he doesn’t do much of anything when the passing lanes are closed.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 83.8
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
When a one-dimensional scorer doesn’t attempt a shot, the result is what we witnessed on Saturday. Patrick Mill’s playmaking abilities are underdeveloped and his defense is tolerable at best, so he doesn’t do much of anything when he doesn’t look to score.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 77.8
Adj. Average: 77.5
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
This was a challenging game for Pop. Outside of Parker and Duncan, he had nobody playing well going into the half. Ginobili joined the other two in the third quarter but the role players were still floundering. In the fourth, Pop used an inventive rotation and a few smart play-calls to help the team get the W. Resting Parker more than five minutes to begin the final period was gutsy but it worked out well. Going back to the struggling Green and Diaw was the right move in hindsight. Neal’s cameo in the fourth also paid big dividends. Oh, and playing Bonner responsibly was a plus.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.1
---------------
Offense
It’s a great sign that the Spurs could go 2-for-17 on three-pointers yet still score 104 points. In the recent past, 2-for-17 from three virtually guaranteed a San Antonio loss. The Spurs also survived subpar passing by everyone not named William. How did they do it? They kept turnovers low, got to the line and hit their freebies, shot 59.1% on two-pointers, and repeatedly took the ball to the basket (48 points in the paint).
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 84.6
---------------
Defense
First of all, giving up 19 offensive rebounds is unacceptable. More often than not, that alone will lose a game. The Spurs also didn’t do a very good job of closing passing lanes -- particularly off of rub screens. They gave up too many open looks from deep and didn’t do good work in terms of creating turnovers or avoiding fouls. How did the Spurs avoid a total meltdown? Their paint defense was solid; the Pacers shot only 40.8% on two-pointers. If we’re being honest, we’ll admit that the Pacers helped out by missing a number of point-blank chippies, but the Spurs deserve credit for clogging up the lane and playing disciplined post defense.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 82.2
---------------
Overall
Bizarre win but the impassioned play by the good guys was a positive sign for the future. Winning on the road isn’t easy when so few players are doing their part (not to mention the poor three-point shooting and abysmal defensive rebounding). With steadfastness and steely-eyed execution, the Spurs eventually cracked the stone.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 83.7
---------------
To begin the game, San Antonio appeared to be in complete control. Tony Parker, specifically, was like a machine; he hit his first eight shots from the court and dished out five assists without a turnover in the first quarter.
Unfortunately, the bench lost all the Spurs momentum in the second period. In the first five minutes of the quarter, the bench got outscored 14-4. The starters were able to steady the ship when they re-entered, though the Pacers continued to play well and took a four-point lead into intermission.
In the third quarter, it was the starter’s turn to lose the momentum. A Lance Stephenson layup with 6:35 remaining in the period gave the Pacers a 17-point lead, 70-53. Thankfully, the Spurs were able to score five quick points to swing the flow back to their favor. Heading into the fourth, the good guys were on a 20-7 run.
But the Pacers, who were led by four points heading into the final stanza, weren’t ready to roll over and die. Instead, Indiana christened the quarter with a 9-2 run to build their cushion back to double-digits.
With the Spurs down by seven points with 6:50 remaining, Danny Green and Gary Neal scored 11 points in two minutes to tie the game. From there, Parker and Tim Duncan took over the scoring load. At the other end, the Pacers offense totally fell apart. While the Spurs should get credit for solid defense, Indiana aided the cause by missing what seemed like a dozen shots right at the rim.
When the smoke cleared, the Pacers had gone the last five and a half minutes without a field goal, which allowed the Spurs to end their adventurous zigzagging path to victory in a stroll.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box131.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box132.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box133.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Earlier this season, Tim Duncan dominated his good friend Roy Hibbert. On Friday night, the rematch was again lopsided in Duncan’s favor. Despite playing in foul trouble for much of the evening, the Virgin Islander was unaccommodating on the defensive end. When he wasn’t shutting down Hibbert, he was tallying a season-high in rebounding. Down the stretch of the game, Duncan switched onto David West and proceeded to completely shut him down. Offensively, he was nearly flawless when it came to shot selection and decision making. His steadiness on that end helped keep the Spurs on an even keel and allowed for their numerous comebacks. It remains an absolute joy to watch Duncan perform at this mindboggling level.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 92.0
Adj. Average: 92.4
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It was a tale of two halves for Manu Ginobili against the Pacers. In the first half, I thought Ginobili was trying to do too much. To put it bluntly, he was hogging the ball and not allowing the offense to organically create quality shots. At halftime, Ginobili was 2-for-10 from the field after playing a leading role in the second quarter struggles. The second half was completely different. Ginobili kept attacking with ferocity but he picked his spots much better. His defense was also vastly improved in the final two quarters. All in all, even when he was struggling, I commend Ginobili for going all out. He expended more energy in this game than any other outing this season. Let’s hope this great effort is a sign that his health is on the fast track to optimal.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 80.9
Adj. Average: 81.9
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
WoW. Tony Parker played long stretches of flawless basketball on Friday night. He was running the offense like he could see three or four steps ahead of everyone else. All of his shots were falling -- most notably his outside jumper and his teardrop -- and his decisions were immaculate. He had a few sporadic hiccups but offensively he was about as perfect as a point guard can play the game. And he did so in a smooth, effortless manner. Defensively, I also thought he was really, really good. He flustered George Hill all night and made it difficult for the ex-Spur to run set plays. When Parker plays like this, I’m not sure if there’s a better point guard in the league.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 85.6
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
For the first three quarters, Danny Green was garbage. Defensively, he wasn’t boxing out, he kept getting rubbed off his man and he wasn’t challenging jumpers. Offensively, Green was missing wide open jumpers and was a mistake waiting to happen when he attempted to dribble. Then Pop went back to him in the fourth quarter and Green made his coach look smart. He scored seven straight points in the span of 54 seconds to help bring the Spurs all the way back. Once he got going on offense, he brought extra energy to the defensive end.
Final Grade: 72
Season Average: 82.3
Adj. Average: 82.0
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
While scoring eight points in 28 minutes isn’t a notable accomplishment for Gary Neal, this was one of his most disciplined performances of the season. His positional defense was strong; he was one of the few guards who didn’t routinely lose his man. Where Neal really shined defensive was on the boards. He’s not that tall, isn’t fast and can’t jump but his determination alone allowed him to pull down a few much-needed contested boards. On offense, Neal’s shot selection was good and he resisted the urge to try to do too much. His critical points late in the game were the icing on the cake of a job well done.
Final Grade:88
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 84.1
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
DeJuan Blair’s liveliness during his 15 minutes was admirable … but there wasn’t much in the way of actual production. Defensively, he wasn’t very good against West, although he’s not the first Spurs bigman to be flummoxed by the crafty power forward. On offense, Blair didn’t get many touches but still managed a few positives.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 81.8
Adj. Average: 83.1
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Following his great showing against the Celtics, Tiago Splitter was basically back to square one in Indiana. His work on the defensive glass continues to be exceptionally poor for a player his size. His post defense and help defense were better than normal -- but how much does that matter when he’s suddenly incapable of rebounding? On offense, Splitter was mostly quiet. He had a few good moves, a couple nice passes and avoided costly mistakes. Overall, the Brazilian wasn’t bad but he’s been unable to live up to expectations on a consistent basis thus far.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 81.2
Adj. Average: 82.4
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw was back to ghost-mode. In the first half, he literally didn’t dent the box score outside of committing two fouls in 14 minutes. His defense wasn’t bad but his rebounding, or lack thereof, was atrocious. Thankfully, Diaw proved in the final two quarters that he was indeed still alive. Near the end of the third, Diaw scored a key hoop. In the fourth quarter, he recorded both of his assists, both of his rebounds and also played strong post defense. With Duncan on West, Diaw had the challenge of banging with Hibbert down the stretch and he did fine work. It was polite of Diaw to show up in the fourth but his stretches of nothingness remain a frustrating enigma.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 79.1
Adj. Average: 81.3
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
This new fifth bigman role is suiting Matt Bonner quite well. When Pop brings him in, opponents need a few minutes to adjust, which opens up opportunities for everyone. (Truthfully, this is the role Bonner should have been in the last few years.) The Spurs went on a 13-2 run after Bonner checked in for the first time. Eventually the Pacers figured him out and began to exploit his lack of agility on defense and non-existent rebounding ability, but in retrospect the insertion of Bonner was a definite plus. I’m hoping that this is how Pop continues to use him and I hope that Bonner can keep thriving in the role.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.9
Adj. Average: 81.3
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
When a one-dimensional passer doesn’t make an impact passing the ball, the result is what we witnessed on Saturday. Nando De Colo’s scoring hasn’t made the leap across the pond yet and his defense is tolerable at best, so he doesn’t do much of anything when the passing lanes are closed.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 83.8
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
When a one-dimensional scorer doesn’t attempt a shot, the result is what we witnessed on Saturday. Patrick Mill’s playmaking abilities are underdeveloped and his defense is tolerable at best, so he doesn’t do much of anything when he doesn’t look to score.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 77.8
Adj. Average: 77.5
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
This was a challenging game for Pop. Outside of Parker and Duncan, he had nobody playing well going into the half. Ginobili joined the other two in the third quarter but the role players were still floundering. In the fourth, Pop used an inventive rotation and a few smart play-calls to help the team get the W. Resting Parker more than five minutes to begin the final period was gutsy but it worked out well. Going back to the struggling Green and Diaw was the right move in hindsight. Neal’s cameo in the fourth also paid big dividends. Oh, and playing Bonner responsibly was a plus.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.1
---------------
Offense
It’s a great sign that the Spurs could go 2-for-17 on three-pointers yet still score 104 points. In the recent past, 2-for-17 from three virtually guaranteed a San Antonio loss. The Spurs also survived subpar passing by everyone not named William. How did they do it? They kept turnovers low, got to the line and hit their freebies, shot 59.1% on two-pointers, and repeatedly took the ball to the basket (48 points in the paint).
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 84.6
---------------
Defense
First of all, giving up 19 offensive rebounds is unacceptable. More often than not, that alone will lose a game. The Spurs also didn’t do a very good job of closing passing lanes -- particularly off of rub screens. They gave up too many open looks from deep and didn’t do good work in terms of creating turnovers or avoiding fouls. How did the Spurs avoid a total meltdown? Their paint defense was solid; the Pacers shot only 40.8% on two-pointers. If we’re being honest, we’ll admit that the Pacers helped out by missing a number of point-blank chippies, but the Spurs deserve credit for clogging up the lane and playing disciplined post defense.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 82.2
---------------
Overall
Bizarre win but the impassioned play by the good guys was a positive sign for the future. Winning on the road isn’t easy when so few players are doing their part (not to mention the poor three-point shooting and abysmal defensive rebounding). With steadfastness and steely-eyed execution, the Spurs eventually cracked the stone.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 83.7
---------------