timvp
12-08-2012, 11:28 AM
The Rockets came to town sporting a winning record. They left town licking their wounds. The Spurs got up early, nursed a healthy cushion and then busted the game wide open. The 114-92 win improved San Antonio to 16-4 on the season and completed a sweep of the three-game homestand.
The Spurs began the contest on a 12-2 run with Tony Parker (eight points, one assist) doing the heavy lifting. The Rockets immediately responded with an 11-2 run to quickly climb out of the deficit. However, the good guys were able to regain control and took a 29-21 lead into the second quarter.
In the second, the Spurs scored the first six to go up by 14 points. San Antonio kept the spread in that neighborhood for the duration of the period and carried a 57-45 advantage into the halftime break.
Houston made their final push in the third quarter. Down by 15, the Rockets when on a 9-2 run early in the period to make it an eight-point game. The elation, though, was short-lived. Pop called timeout, rattled the cage (as Gary Neal put it after the game) and the Spurs responded with a 15-0 punch. The contest was never in doubt again.
The Spurs, who led by as many as 33 points in this game, have to be thrilled with the way they are playing. They’ve won eight of their last nine games and over that span have outscored opponents by an average of 11.5 points (108.7-to-97.2). San Antonio now ventures out on another road trip -- this one four games in four different time zones.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box201.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box202.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box203.png
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Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Omer Asik has proven himself to be one of the better centers in the NBA after signing with the Rockets. He’s definitely one of the best defensive bigmen in the league. Tim Duncan, though, apparently didn’t care about the young Turk’s early season success. Duncan ruthlessly destroyed Asik on both ends. Offensively, he got his outside jumper going and became too much to handle. Defensively, when Duncan wasn’t thwarting Asik’s attempts at the rim, he was ripping rebounds out of his mitts. From passing to team defense and everything in between, the St. Croix native put together a complete performance to further his ungodly stretch of basketball.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 92.3
Adj. Average: 92.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Compared to his last outing, Manu Ginobili was much improved. He kept things simple offensively (for the most part) and was very effective. He looked strong going toward the rim and effortlessly made plays for his teammates. Defensively, it wasn’t quite as pretty. Ginobili’s individual defense wasn’t very good and his closeouts were often too aggressive. That said, he made up for a lot of that by rebounding extremely well and routinely swooping in from the weakside to disrupt plays.
Final Grade:90
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Yeah, no, Jeremy Lin can’t guard Tony Parker. It was actually quite pitiful to even watch him even try. Parker played with focus and energy from the opening tip -- and Lin was toast. The Frenchman got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and however he wanted. When he wasn’t freeing himself for an open look, Parker was spoon-feeding a teammate. On the other end, he continued to make life difficult for Houston’s point guard. Overall, Parker seemed to be on a mission and he accomplished the goals of that mission with flying colors.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 87.8
Adj. Average: 87.7
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
After missing a game due to injury for the first time as a Spur, Danny Green was back in action. Unfortunately, it didn’t go too well. Defensively, he had the task of trying to deal with James Harden. As the boxscore suggests, Green was unable to corral the bearded wonder. Not even close. That said, he was able to redeem himself partially by playing very good team defense, particularly in transition and in loose ball situations. On the other end, Green looked decent; his shots left his hands smoothly and he wasn’t hesitating. However, he still appeared a bit gimpy on his hamstring and that negatively influenced his ball-handling ability.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 81.4
Adj. Average: 81.9
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
While he’s struggling on three-pointers (eight for his last 32), Gary Neal is finding other ways to contribute. His ability to create for himself off the dribble continues to improve; he’s looking especially polished when he goes all the way to the rim. Neal’s shot-selection might have been a smidgen too generous, though it’s difficult to argue with the results. On the other end, he was relatively good. Neal had some really difficult matchups (mostly Chandler Parsons or Harden) but he fought with moxie and wasn’t a liability.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 83.1
Adj. Average: 84.0
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
The Good: DeJuan Blair was helpful on the boards. His was lively offensively. The Bad: Pretty much everything else. His defense -- both individually and team-wise -- was forgettable. He wasn’t running up and down the court in a timely manner. His offense was bumbling. The final instance of bad news came in the form of the turned ankle he suffered during garbage time.
Final Grade: 74
Season Average: 80.3
Adj. Average: 81.2
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter backed up a very good performance with another very good performance. Defensively, this might have been his best game of the season. He was sturdy on the inside, quick when defending pick-and-rolls and did a much better job than usual of using his size to his advantage. Offensively, Splitter’s finishing was once again beautiful. Though not always powerful, the grace and balance is impressive to see out of a player his size. Add in some very good passes, great movement off the ball and all-around hustle and the Spurs couldn’t ask for much more.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 83.4
Adj. Average: 84.4
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Pop gave Nando De Colo the reins as the team’s backup point guard and he took it and ran. Literally. When he was on the court, the Spurs played at the blistering pace of 108.5 possessions per 48 minutes (for reference, San Antonio’s pace overall this season is 93.9). Amazingly, even though he’s pushing the team into warp speed, De Colo looks completely under control. He gets his teammates in the right spots to spread the court, makes breathtaking passes and is able to get to the basket with his underrated quickness. Against the Rockets, De Colo was as aggressive as he’s been all season in terms of looking for his own shot. On the other end, I liked what I saw out of him. De Colo is never going to be a lockdown defender but I see no reason why he can’t be at least average. Oh, and for a point guard, it appears as if rebounding can become a major strength. Overall, I’m excited. De Colo looks like a legit player with a possible future. He still has to prove he can score enough to keep defenses honest … but this guy is just oozing potential right now.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.0
Adj. Average: 84.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
It’s beginning to look like Patrick Mills has found his niche. As a miniature shooting guard who runs the court hard, the Australian has some value. His speed alone can create easy buckets, plus he’s a very good catch-and-shoot marksman. Defensively, it’s not going to be easy to hide him but San Antonio can at least count on Mills to give effort on that end.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.7
Adj. Average: 81.6
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw was friskier than normal on Friday night. When he got defensive rebounds, he didn’t hesitate to push the ball up the court -- whether that constituted a quick pass or dribbling it himself. Diaw’s playmaking in the halfcourt was also at a higher level than recently witnessed. Defensively, he was unspectacularly solid. As long as he plays with vigor, like he did against the Rockets, Diaw is virtually always going to be an asset on the court.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.4
Adj. Average: 82.1
---------------
James Anderson
http://www.spurstalk.com/ja12.png
It was just more of James Anderson being James Anderson. He was sharp defensively and challenged shots well. He also crashed the boards with authority. Anderson didn’t show much on the offensive end but his court vision continues to impress. Right now, I'd classify him as a fringe NBA player who has some value to the Spurs as a 14th or 15th man.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 86.0
Adj. Average: 85.8
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Matt Bonner’s flying dunk and enthusiastic response will surely find its way onto reels of the highlight variety. And I’m not sure what’s gotten into him rebounding-wise … but I like it. After grabbing only nine rebounds in his first 123 minutes this season, he has 29 rebounds in his previous 83 minutes. Quite the turnaround.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 84.2
---------------
Cory Joseph
http://www.spurstalk.com/cj12.png
During garbage time, Cory Joseph didn’t disappoint. He made swift, timely passes. He illustrated some explosion going to the rim. Joseph’s defense also continues to impress. He’s still a bit green but his career is definitely trending in the right direction.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 90.0
Adj. Average: 90.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
On the first of a back-to-back, Pop was able to give every player ample rest. That alone made it a job well done. Additionally, his selection of De Colo as backup point guard paid immediate dividends. He’s showing confidence in the rookie and he's being rewarded. Going with Splitter as the first bigman off the bench and keeping Bonner as the fifth big are both positives in my book. And let’s not forget that 15-0 following a timeout in the third quarter. That, in retrospect, was the knockout blow.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 85.9
---------------
Offense
The Spurs didn’t get to the line much, turned it over too freely and didn’t shoot it straight from downtown. The good news is that everything else was very strong. San Antonio scored 60 points in the paint and shot 62.7% on two-pointers. They also recorded season-highs in assists (33) and fast break points (27).
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.3
---------------
Defense
Allowing only 92 points is impressive when considering that Houston had 108 possessions. The Spurs kept the Rockets off the line, held their two-point and three-point percentages in check, did very well on the defensive boards, and forced 19 turnovers.
Final Grade:94
Season Average: 83.7
---------------
Overall
The Spurs have to turn around and quickly play in Charlotte so blowing out the ever-floundering Rockets was even more enjoyable than usual. Keep it going.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 84.8
---------------
The Spurs began the contest on a 12-2 run with Tony Parker (eight points, one assist) doing the heavy lifting. The Rockets immediately responded with an 11-2 run to quickly climb out of the deficit. However, the good guys were able to regain control and took a 29-21 lead into the second quarter.
In the second, the Spurs scored the first six to go up by 14 points. San Antonio kept the spread in that neighborhood for the duration of the period and carried a 57-45 advantage into the halftime break.
Houston made their final push in the third quarter. Down by 15, the Rockets when on a 9-2 run early in the period to make it an eight-point game. The elation, though, was short-lived. Pop called timeout, rattled the cage (as Gary Neal put it after the game) and the Spurs responded with a 15-0 punch. The contest was never in doubt again.
The Spurs, who led by as many as 33 points in this game, have to be thrilled with the way they are playing. They’ve won eight of their last nine games and over that span have outscored opponents by an average of 11.5 points (108.7-to-97.2). San Antonio now ventures out on another road trip -- this one four games in four different time zones.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box201.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box202.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box203.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Omer Asik has proven himself to be one of the better centers in the NBA after signing with the Rockets. He’s definitely one of the best defensive bigmen in the league. Tim Duncan, though, apparently didn’t care about the young Turk’s early season success. Duncan ruthlessly destroyed Asik on both ends. Offensively, he got his outside jumper going and became too much to handle. Defensively, when Duncan wasn’t thwarting Asik’s attempts at the rim, he was ripping rebounds out of his mitts. From passing to team defense and everything in between, the St. Croix native put together a complete performance to further his ungodly stretch of basketball.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 92.3
Adj. Average: 92.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Compared to his last outing, Manu Ginobili was much improved. He kept things simple offensively (for the most part) and was very effective. He looked strong going toward the rim and effortlessly made plays for his teammates. Defensively, it wasn’t quite as pretty. Ginobili’s individual defense wasn’t very good and his closeouts were often too aggressive. That said, he made up for a lot of that by rebounding extremely well and routinely swooping in from the weakside to disrupt plays.
Final Grade:90
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Yeah, no, Jeremy Lin can’t guard Tony Parker. It was actually quite pitiful to even watch him even try. Parker played with focus and energy from the opening tip -- and Lin was toast. The Frenchman got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and however he wanted. When he wasn’t freeing himself for an open look, Parker was spoon-feeding a teammate. On the other end, he continued to make life difficult for Houston’s point guard. Overall, Parker seemed to be on a mission and he accomplished the goals of that mission with flying colors.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 87.8
Adj. Average: 87.7
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
After missing a game due to injury for the first time as a Spur, Danny Green was back in action. Unfortunately, it didn’t go too well. Defensively, he had the task of trying to deal with James Harden. As the boxscore suggests, Green was unable to corral the bearded wonder. Not even close. That said, he was able to redeem himself partially by playing very good team defense, particularly in transition and in loose ball situations. On the other end, Green looked decent; his shots left his hands smoothly and he wasn’t hesitating. However, he still appeared a bit gimpy on his hamstring and that negatively influenced his ball-handling ability.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 81.4
Adj. Average: 81.9
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
While he’s struggling on three-pointers (eight for his last 32), Gary Neal is finding other ways to contribute. His ability to create for himself off the dribble continues to improve; he’s looking especially polished when he goes all the way to the rim. Neal’s shot-selection might have been a smidgen too generous, though it’s difficult to argue with the results. On the other end, he was relatively good. Neal had some really difficult matchups (mostly Chandler Parsons or Harden) but he fought with moxie and wasn’t a liability.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 83.1
Adj. Average: 84.0
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
The Good: DeJuan Blair was helpful on the boards. His was lively offensively. The Bad: Pretty much everything else. His defense -- both individually and team-wise -- was forgettable. He wasn’t running up and down the court in a timely manner. His offense was bumbling. The final instance of bad news came in the form of the turned ankle he suffered during garbage time.
Final Grade: 74
Season Average: 80.3
Adj. Average: 81.2
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter backed up a very good performance with another very good performance. Defensively, this might have been his best game of the season. He was sturdy on the inside, quick when defending pick-and-rolls and did a much better job than usual of using his size to his advantage. Offensively, Splitter’s finishing was once again beautiful. Though not always powerful, the grace and balance is impressive to see out of a player his size. Add in some very good passes, great movement off the ball and all-around hustle and the Spurs couldn’t ask for much more.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 83.4
Adj. Average: 84.4
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Pop gave Nando De Colo the reins as the team’s backup point guard and he took it and ran. Literally. When he was on the court, the Spurs played at the blistering pace of 108.5 possessions per 48 minutes (for reference, San Antonio’s pace overall this season is 93.9). Amazingly, even though he’s pushing the team into warp speed, De Colo looks completely under control. He gets his teammates in the right spots to spread the court, makes breathtaking passes and is able to get to the basket with his underrated quickness. Against the Rockets, De Colo was as aggressive as he’s been all season in terms of looking for his own shot. On the other end, I liked what I saw out of him. De Colo is never going to be a lockdown defender but I see no reason why he can’t be at least average. Oh, and for a point guard, it appears as if rebounding can become a major strength. Overall, I’m excited. De Colo looks like a legit player with a possible future. He still has to prove he can score enough to keep defenses honest … but this guy is just oozing potential right now.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.0
Adj. Average: 84.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
It’s beginning to look like Patrick Mills has found his niche. As a miniature shooting guard who runs the court hard, the Australian has some value. His speed alone can create easy buckets, plus he’s a very good catch-and-shoot marksman. Defensively, it’s not going to be easy to hide him but San Antonio can at least count on Mills to give effort on that end.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.7
Adj. Average: 81.6
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw was friskier than normal on Friday night. When he got defensive rebounds, he didn’t hesitate to push the ball up the court -- whether that constituted a quick pass or dribbling it himself. Diaw’s playmaking in the halfcourt was also at a higher level than recently witnessed. Defensively, he was unspectacularly solid. As long as he plays with vigor, like he did against the Rockets, Diaw is virtually always going to be an asset on the court.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.4
Adj. Average: 82.1
---------------
James Anderson
http://www.spurstalk.com/ja12.png
It was just more of James Anderson being James Anderson. He was sharp defensively and challenged shots well. He also crashed the boards with authority. Anderson didn’t show much on the offensive end but his court vision continues to impress. Right now, I'd classify him as a fringe NBA player who has some value to the Spurs as a 14th or 15th man.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 86.0
Adj. Average: 85.8
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Matt Bonner’s flying dunk and enthusiastic response will surely find its way onto reels of the highlight variety. And I’m not sure what’s gotten into him rebounding-wise … but I like it. After grabbing only nine rebounds in his first 123 minutes this season, he has 29 rebounds in his previous 83 minutes. Quite the turnaround.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 84.2
---------------
Cory Joseph
http://www.spurstalk.com/cj12.png
During garbage time, Cory Joseph didn’t disappoint. He made swift, timely passes. He illustrated some explosion going to the rim. Joseph’s defense also continues to impress. He’s still a bit green but his career is definitely trending in the right direction.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 90.0
Adj. Average: 90.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
On the first of a back-to-back, Pop was able to give every player ample rest. That alone made it a job well done. Additionally, his selection of De Colo as backup point guard paid immediate dividends. He’s showing confidence in the rookie and he's being rewarded. Going with Splitter as the first bigman off the bench and keeping Bonner as the fifth big are both positives in my book. And let’s not forget that 15-0 following a timeout in the third quarter. That, in retrospect, was the knockout blow.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 85.9
---------------
Offense
The Spurs didn’t get to the line much, turned it over too freely and didn’t shoot it straight from downtown. The good news is that everything else was very strong. San Antonio scored 60 points in the paint and shot 62.7% on two-pointers. They also recorded season-highs in assists (33) and fast break points (27).
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 85.3
---------------
Defense
Allowing only 92 points is impressive when considering that Houston had 108 possessions. The Spurs kept the Rockets off the line, held their two-point and three-point percentages in check, did very well on the defensive boards, and forced 19 turnovers.
Final Grade:94
Season Average: 83.7
---------------
Overall
The Spurs have to turn around and quickly play in Charlotte so blowing out the ever-floundering Rockets was even more enjoyable than usual. Keep it going.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 84.8
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