timvp
12-09-2012, 11:20 PM
In what turned out to be a replay of the previous game versus the Rockets, the Spurs smashed the Bobcats by a final score of 132-102. Along the way, the Spurs set a franchise record by connecting on 19 three-pointers, while also totaling season-highs in points scored and assists.
In the beginning, things weren’t going too swimmingly. A Kemba Walker layup gave the Bobcats an 18-12 lead in the first quarter. However, that’s when the Spurs erupted from downtown. In a span of four minutes, San Antonio hit six three-pointers to take a 32-22 advantage.
In the second quarter, Charlotte got within seven points. But again the offense erupted. The good guys put 17 points on the board in the final four and a half minutes of the period to take a 15-point lead into the locker room.
The knockout punch came early in the third. With the Spurs up by 13 points, they went on a 23-6 run to extend their advantage to 30 points. Manny Pacquiao Charlotte was out cold before he they even hit the canvas.
This victory was especially sweet because the Spurs were facing as short of rest between games as they’ll face all season. Additionally, while the Bobcats aren’t a good team, they had avoided being blown out at home so far this year. Oh, and I guess the recent struggles from beyond the three-point line weren’t much to fret about in retrospect.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box211.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box212.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box213.png
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Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
The condensed nature of the schedule didn’t do Tim Duncan any favors. In fact, the spryness he’s illustrated all season didn’t make it to Charlotte. His lack of hops and mobility was most evident when it came to rebounding. Despite his physical shortcomings, Duncan was still able to help. Defensively, he protected the rim very well. (It remains amazing that the 36-year-old is averaging a career-high in blocks per minute.) On the other end, Duncan did most of his work from the perimeter. When he wasn’t dropping off timely passes, he was nailing perimeter jumpers. He also moved to open spaces in the lane when teammates penetrated. It wasn’t the greatest performance but Duncan continues to positively impact games virtually every time he hits the court.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 92.1
Adj. Average: 92.3
Last 10 Average: 92.7
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It was another extremely clean offensive showing for Manu Ginobili. From the moment he checked in, he was precise. He assisted on a Danny Green three-pointer on his first possession and then nailed three three-pointers of his own in less than two minutes. From then on, Ginobili spent most of his time making pinpoint passes and otherwise aiding the ball-movement. I didn’t think he was too productive defensively -- especially against quick guards -- but his rebounding remains impressive. Over his last seven games, he’s averaging 6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is 33% higher than his career rate.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 83.2
Adj. Average: 83.4
Last 10 Average: 85.4
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
It’d be difficult for Tony Parker to play much better than he did on the offensive end. Defensively, he was average at best, but he absolutely annihilated the Bobcats on offense. When he looked to score, Parker couldn’t be stopped. His jumper was going and his touch around the rim was flawlessly deft. When Charlotte started paying too much attention, Parker found his shooters in perfect rhythm; five of his assists led to three-pointers. Over his last nine outings, the Frenchman has been impossibly good. In 33.6 minutes per game during that stretch, he’s averaging 23.4 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 61.7% from the field.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 88.2
Adj. Average: 88.1
Last 10 Average: 91.1
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green is the streakiest shooter I’ve ever seen on the Spurs. When he’s streaking the right way, it seems like he’ll never miss. That was the case against Saturday evening against the Bobcats. He attempted nine three-pointers and set a career-high by striking cord on seven of the attempts -- while the other two barely rimmed out. To say Green was feeling it would be an understatement. He did a great job of finding open spots on the court and patiently waiting for team’s great passing to eventually find him. Defensively, Green also did good work. While the Bobcats don’t have an ace scorer at a swingman position, he remained mentally engaged and helped out rotations-wise and on the boards.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 82.3
Adj. Average: 82.5
Last 10 Average: 79.8
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
With the Spurs putting on a shooting display, one would assume that Gary Neal would be in the middle of the fireworks. That, though, was not the case on this night. Neal’s marksmanship wasn’t needed. Instead, he played a supporting role and impressed most with a few high-difficulty passes. Defensively, Neal was solid. It’s becoming apparent that, as long as he doesn’t have to defend someone with speed, he’s adequate on that end of the court.
Final Grade: 81
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 82.7
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
With boos cascading toward him from the fans he left last season, Booooris Diaw (who started for an injured DeJuan Blair) was more energized than normal. Like we witnessed the previous game, he was going hard after rebounds and then instantly pushing the pace. His passing -- especially his interior passing -- was again noteworthy, as was his proclivity to shun open shots. Defensively, Diaw was sturdy both in the paint and out on the perimeter.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.8
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 81.5
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
It’s really starting to look like Tiago Splitter has rediscovered that elite groove he enjoyed for much of last season. He’s finishing at the rim efficiently (65.7% from the field in his last 11 games), rebounding better (11.6 rebounds per 36 minutes in his last seven games) and scoring a ton of points (19.8 points per 36 minutes in his last ten games). Against the Bobcats, his running of the court was commendable and his defense was very good. If he keeps playing like this (a 26.7 PER over his last 11 games, a number only bested by LeBron James and Kevin Durant over the course of the season), the Spurs will remain a difficult team to beat.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 83.8
Adj. Average: 84.7
Last 10 Average: 86.6
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo’s performance against the Bobcats definitely had some warts. The rookie at times was trying to do too much and his shot selection was a bit too liberal. That said, considering that passive play was his biggest weakness a couple weeks ago, I can’t be mad at him. De Colo is obviously willing to work on his weaknesses, which is comforting news. He’s beginning to emerge as a plus playmaker with outstanding court vision and range to the three-point line who can also defend sufficiently, rebound at a strong level and keep the Spurs playing at a sprinter’s pace.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.3
Adj. Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 82.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
There were times on Saturday night that Patrick Mills was playing small forward. While that’s not exactly where you want to put the 5-foot-11 Australian, it’s becoming clear that point guard isn’t the right position either. Mills has been taken off the ball in recent outings and his comfort level has skyrocketed. Specifically, Mills looks very comfortable when on the court with De Colo playing point guard. In that pairing, he’s averaging 19.8 points per 36 minutes on 48% shooting from the field and 44% shooting on three-pointers. If he keeps that up, Pop will keep going to him whenever he needs offense.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 82.7
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
The Good: Matt Bonner’s rebounding rate as of late has been exceptional and it again shined against the Bobcats. His perimeter defense was also quite good. His overall physicality was a plus. The Bad: Bonner didn’t shoot it straight and his interior defense was poor.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 83.2
Adj. Average: 84.6
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
James Anderson
http://www.spurstalk.com/ja12.png
James Anderson isn’t producing huge numbers but he continues to play a useful role. He can defend, bring energy to the boards, pass the ball and score some. There’s nothing earthshattering about how Anderson is playing but as an emergency stand-in he’s been about as good as the Spurs could have realistically hoped.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 86.3
Adj. Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 86.3
---------------
Cory Joseph
http://www.spurstalk.com/cj12.png
After another quarter of garbage time action, Cory Joseph remains intriguing. He simply looks much more like an NBA caliber player than he did during his rookie campaign. That rapid growth alone should give Spurs fans some hope that he may eventually live up to his first round billing.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 90.0
Adj. Average: 90.0
Last 10 Average: 90.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Sweeping a back-to-back set without playing anyone more than 26 minutes in either game? Yeah, that’s not horrible. Pop’s handling of De Colo has been perfect thus far and the rookie is really starting to blossom. Everyone seems to be playing with extreme confidence right now and Pop probably deserve partial credit for that.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Offense
The Spurs aren’t going to lose games in which they make 19 three-pointers. But what impressed me even more were the 38 assists. Thirty-eight! Combine that with only 11 turnovers and it’s no wonder the Spurs exploded on this end of the court.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 85.9
Last 10 Average: 87.3
---------------
Defense
The final defensive stats don’t look very positive. However, it’s important to note that the Bobcats scored 35 points during the garbage time that was the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, the Spurs held the Bobcats to only 94.1 points per 100 possessions -- an extremely low number. Outside of that, we can safely make two conclusions: the Spurs are doing a better job of rebounding the ball on the defensive end, and the fourth quarter lineup of Bonner at center, Anderson at power forward and Mills at small forward shouldn’t be used if the Spurs want a stop.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Overall
This was a fun game to watch. It had to be a fun game to play in. Keep it going.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 85.2
Last 10 Average: 85.9
---------------
In the beginning, things weren’t going too swimmingly. A Kemba Walker layup gave the Bobcats an 18-12 lead in the first quarter. However, that’s when the Spurs erupted from downtown. In a span of four minutes, San Antonio hit six three-pointers to take a 32-22 advantage.
In the second quarter, Charlotte got within seven points. But again the offense erupted. The good guys put 17 points on the board in the final four and a half minutes of the period to take a 15-point lead into the locker room.
The knockout punch came early in the third. With the Spurs up by 13 points, they went on a 23-6 run to extend their advantage to 30 points. Manny Pacquiao Charlotte was out cold before he they even hit the canvas.
This victory was especially sweet because the Spurs were facing as short of rest between games as they’ll face all season. Additionally, while the Bobcats aren’t a good team, they had avoided being blown out at home so far this year. Oh, and I guess the recent struggles from beyond the three-point line weren’t much to fret about in retrospect.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box211.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box212.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box213.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
The condensed nature of the schedule didn’t do Tim Duncan any favors. In fact, the spryness he’s illustrated all season didn’t make it to Charlotte. His lack of hops and mobility was most evident when it came to rebounding. Despite his physical shortcomings, Duncan was still able to help. Defensively, he protected the rim very well. (It remains amazing that the 36-year-old is averaging a career-high in blocks per minute.) On the other end, Duncan did most of his work from the perimeter. When he wasn’t dropping off timely passes, he was nailing perimeter jumpers. He also moved to open spaces in the lane when teammates penetrated. It wasn’t the greatest performance but Duncan continues to positively impact games virtually every time he hits the court.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 92.1
Adj. Average: 92.3
Last 10 Average: 92.7
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It was another extremely clean offensive showing for Manu Ginobili. From the moment he checked in, he was precise. He assisted on a Danny Green three-pointer on his first possession and then nailed three three-pointers of his own in less than two minutes. From then on, Ginobili spent most of his time making pinpoint passes and otherwise aiding the ball-movement. I didn’t think he was too productive defensively -- especially against quick guards -- but his rebounding remains impressive. Over his last seven games, he’s averaging 6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is 33% higher than his career rate.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 83.2
Adj. Average: 83.4
Last 10 Average: 85.4
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
It’d be difficult for Tony Parker to play much better than he did on the offensive end. Defensively, he was average at best, but he absolutely annihilated the Bobcats on offense. When he looked to score, Parker couldn’t be stopped. His jumper was going and his touch around the rim was flawlessly deft. When Charlotte started paying too much attention, Parker found his shooters in perfect rhythm; five of his assists led to three-pointers. Over his last nine outings, the Frenchman has been impossibly good. In 33.6 minutes per game during that stretch, he’s averaging 23.4 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 61.7% from the field.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 88.2
Adj. Average: 88.1
Last 10 Average: 91.1
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green is the streakiest shooter I’ve ever seen on the Spurs. When he’s streaking the right way, it seems like he’ll never miss. That was the case against Saturday evening against the Bobcats. He attempted nine three-pointers and set a career-high by striking cord on seven of the attempts -- while the other two barely rimmed out. To say Green was feeling it would be an understatement. He did a great job of finding open spots on the court and patiently waiting for team’s great passing to eventually find him. Defensively, Green also did good work. While the Bobcats don’t have an ace scorer at a swingman position, he remained mentally engaged and helped out rotations-wise and on the boards.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 82.3
Adj. Average: 82.5
Last 10 Average: 79.8
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
With the Spurs putting on a shooting display, one would assume that Gary Neal would be in the middle of the fireworks. That, though, was not the case on this night. Neal’s marksmanship wasn’t needed. Instead, he played a supporting role and impressed most with a few high-difficulty passes. Defensively, Neal was solid. It’s becoming apparent that, as long as he doesn’t have to defend someone with speed, he’s adequate on that end of the court.
Final Grade: 81
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 82.7
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
With boos cascading toward him from the fans he left last season, Booooris Diaw (who started for an injured DeJuan Blair) was more energized than normal. Like we witnessed the previous game, he was going hard after rebounds and then instantly pushing the pace. His passing -- especially his interior passing -- was again noteworthy, as was his proclivity to shun open shots. Defensively, Diaw was sturdy both in the paint and out on the perimeter.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 80.8
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 81.5
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
It’s really starting to look like Tiago Splitter has rediscovered that elite groove he enjoyed for much of last season. He’s finishing at the rim efficiently (65.7% from the field in his last 11 games), rebounding better (11.6 rebounds per 36 minutes in his last seven games) and scoring a ton of points (19.8 points per 36 minutes in his last ten games). Against the Bobcats, his running of the court was commendable and his defense was very good. If he keeps playing like this (a 26.7 PER over his last 11 games, a number only bested by LeBron James and Kevin Durant over the course of the season), the Spurs will remain a difficult team to beat.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 83.8
Adj. Average: 84.7
Last 10 Average: 86.6
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo’s performance against the Bobcats definitely had some warts. The rookie at times was trying to do too much and his shot selection was a bit too liberal. That said, considering that passive play was his biggest weakness a couple weeks ago, I can’t be mad at him. De Colo is obviously willing to work on his weaknesses, which is comforting news. He’s beginning to emerge as a plus playmaker with outstanding court vision and range to the three-point line who can also defend sufficiently, rebound at a strong level and keep the Spurs playing at a sprinter’s pace.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.3
Adj. Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 82.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
There were times on Saturday night that Patrick Mills was playing small forward. While that’s not exactly where you want to put the 5-foot-11 Australian, it’s becoming clear that point guard isn’t the right position either. Mills has been taken off the ball in recent outings and his comfort level has skyrocketed. Specifically, Mills looks very comfortable when on the court with De Colo playing point guard. In that pairing, he’s averaging 19.8 points per 36 minutes on 48% shooting from the field and 44% shooting on three-pointers. If he keeps that up, Pop will keep going to him whenever he needs offense.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 82.7
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
The Good: Matt Bonner’s rebounding rate as of late has been exceptional and it again shined against the Bobcats. His perimeter defense was also quite good. His overall physicality was a plus. The Bad: Bonner didn’t shoot it straight and his interior defense was poor.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 83.2
Adj. Average: 84.6
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
James Anderson
http://www.spurstalk.com/ja12.png
James Anderson isn’t producing huge numbers but he continues to play a useful role. He can defend, bring energy to the boards, pass the ball and score some. There’s nothing earthshattering about how Anderson is playing but as an emergency stand-in he’s been about as good as the Spurs could have realistically hoped.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 86.3
Adj. Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 86.3
---------------
Cory Joseph
http://www.spurstalk.com/cj12.png
After another quarter of garbage time action, Cory Joseph remains intriguing. He simply looks much more like an NBA caliber player than he did during his rookie campaign. That rapid growth alone should give Spurs fans some hope that he may eventually live up to his first round billing.
Final Grade: Inc.
Season Average: 90.0
Adj. Average: 90.0
Last 10 Average: 90.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Sweeping a back-to-back set without playing anyone more than 26 minutes in either game? Yeah, that’s not horrible. Pop’s handling of De Colo has been perfect thus far and the rookie is really starting to blossom. Everyone seems to be playing with extreme confidence right now and Pop probably deserve partial credit for that.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Offense
The Spurs aren’t going to lose games in which they make 19 three-pointers. But what impressed me even more were the 38 assists. Thirty-eight! Combine that with only 11 turnovers and it’s no wonder the Spurs exploded on this end of the court.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 85.9
Last 10 Average: 87.3
---------------
Defense
The final defensive stats don’t look very positive. However, it’s important to note that the Bobcats scored 35 points during the garbage time that was the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, the Spurs held the Bobcats to only 94.1 points per 100 possessions -- an extremely low number. Outside of that, we can safely make two conclusions: the Spurs are doing a better job of rebounding the ball on the defensive end, and the fourth quarter lineup of Bonner at center, Anderson at power forward and Mills at small forward shouldn’t be used if the Spurs want a stop.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Overall
This was a fun game to watch. It had to be a fun game to play in. Keep it going.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 85.2
Last 10 Average: 85.9
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