timvp
12-21-2012, 07:33 PM
Playing their fifth game in seven days and their ninth game in 13 days, the Spurs couldn’t keep up against the Nuggets and lost by a final score of 112-106. The defeat was San Antonio’s fourth in their last five outings. While fatigue is a possible explanation, the good guys need to get back on track ASAP to avoid falling out of the chase for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference.
The first quarter was close throughout. The Spurs were able to build a 26-20 lead late in the period, however the Nuggets finished strong and the score was 28-26 going into the second quarter.
Midway through the second period, a Tim Duncan basket in the lane tied the game 44-44. Unfortunately, the offense dried up. In the final six minutes of the half, the Nuggets went on an 11-4 run to take a 55-48 advantage going into intermission.
The third quarter quickly went sour for San Antonio. Less than four and a half minutes into the period, the Spurs trailed by 17 points. While they made few runs, Denver held on and led 90-75 going into the final quarter.
Like we’ve come to expect, the Spurs were able to make a run in the fourth. With nine minutes remaining, the Spurs went on a quick 9-0 run to cut the deficit to six points. Patrick Mills cut it to five points with a three-pointer a few minutes later, but Danilo Gallinari answered with a three-pointer of his own.
With 3:38 on the clock, Duncan scored to pull the Spurs within three points. Again, Gallinari responded with a three-pointer. Following an offensive foul on San Antonio's end, Andre Miller hit a jumper to put Denver up by eight points with 2:36 to go. The Spurs never seriously challenged and their record soon fell to 19-8 on the season.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box271.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box272.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box273.png
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Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Tim Duncan’s jumper wasn’t working -- he was only 1-for-8 away from the immediate basket area -- but he didn’t let that lack of marksmanship doom his evening. Instead, Duncan authored one of the better nights of his legendary career. Offensively, he was dominant on the inside. His post moves looked as good as they’ve looked at any point in the last four years. The Nuggets started sending double-teams in an effort to slow him down, which then opened up passing lanes for Duncan to hand out his six assists. Defensively, Duncan was even better. He was a monster on the defensive glass, beautifully challenged countless shots at the rim and was quick on his rotations. The most impressive aspect of all might have been his minutes played column. Playing 40 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back (including the entire fourth quarter) was exceedingly remarkable for a player his age … especially considering how hard he was working on both ends of the court. Thank you, Tim Duncan.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 90.3
Adj. Average: 90.6
Last 10 Average: 87.2
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Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It turns out that Manu Ginobili only needed to miss one game following a bruised quad. In his return, the best news was that he looked relatively healthy. He moved well and there was little hint that he was in pain. As far as how he played, Ginobili could definitely have done better. While he put numbers up across the board, he did so in an inefficient manner. He attempted some foolhardy passes and shots that were inexplicably hurried. When he took his time, Ginobili looked really good. Let’s hope that’s a sign that his output is going to improve soon.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 81.8
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Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
The good: Ty Lawson didn’t do much thanks to quality pressure from Tony Parker. Parker also finished the game without a turnover in 35 minutes of action. In the third quarter, his overall forcefulness was at an acceptable level. The bad: Parker was much too passive outside that stretch in the third. It’s really difficult for this team to win when he’s just going through the motions. I’m sure his energy reserves were running low considering all the games the Spurs have played recently but that excuse only goes so far. Mental fatigue also seemed to be an issue, which is unacceptable for a team leader.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 86.8
Adj. Average: 86.8
Last 10 Average: 86.5
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Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Well, I guess give him credit for keeping his finger on the trigger. Otherwise, I don’t know what positives could be taken from this game for Danny Green. He shot poorly. His ballhandling and passing were subpar. Defensively, he had a few decent moments but was largely underwhelmed on that end of the court as well. I’m not quite ready to say his starting spot is in jeopardy but this was a gruesome outing. He can’t afford many of these or else he’ll be looking at a diminished amount of minutes.
Final Grade: 68
Season Average: 81.2
Adj. Average: 81.8
Last 10 Average: 78.9
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Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Gary Neal didn’t play many minutes against the Nuggets due to matchup issues. With Denver starting Andre Iguodala at shooting guard, that’s a matchup that just wasn’t survivable. While he was on the court, things weren’t pretty. He was predictably overpowered on the defensive end. Offensively, Neal wasn’t able to do much since the Nuggets had the size to contest his shots. He made a few good passes but this was a game that showed why Neal’s probably best suited as a reserve.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 81.6
Adj. Average: 82.4
Last 10 Average: 80.0
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Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter started again and was very good. Offensively, he was strong around the basket, dished out a number of pretty passes, and made quick, smart decisions. On defense, Splitter was really active and used his size well. The only aspect where I thought the Brazilian was weak was on the glass. For the starting duo of Duncan and Splitter to work, the duo has to control the glass. If not, it’s questionable whether the theoretical defensive gains are worth taking away some of the explosiveness on offense that a smaller lineup can provide.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
The Denver game looked like another ho-hum outing for Boris Diaw … until the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, Diaw played some of his best basketball in a long while. He was defending the paint, contesting jumpers on the perimeter, rebounding and making crisp rotations. Offensively, he was an actual presence who made a difference with his passing ability (he had all four assists in the fourth, three of which resulted in three-pointers). That’s how the Spurs need him to play.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 79.1
Adj. Average: 80.3
Last 10 Average: 76.5
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Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
That was an ugly night at the office for Stephen Jackson. What’s plaguing him the most right now is his lack of lateral quickness. He was relatively slow in that regard to start the season but since his return from injury, Jackson has been molasses-like. That slowness has resulted in numerous fouls on the perimeter and it’s limiting his ability to make plays off the dribble. Add in some poor shooting and Jackson would be best served to forget this game ever occurred and instead focus on lateral shuffle drills.
Final Grade: 69
Season Average: 83.8
Adj. Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 74.5
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
It’s getting difficult to ignore Patrick Mills’ ability to instantly put points on the board. His sharpshooting ways almost brought the Spurs all the way back in this game. In fact, if his teammates didn’t miss him wide open a few times, things could have been a lot different. I also thought his defense, while still not especially great, was better than usual. On the season, Mills is averaging 19.3 points per 40 minutes (tied with Ginobili and only behind Duncan, Parker and Splitter) and his eFG% (61.1%) is by far the highest of any of the guards or swingmen on the team. Yes, he’s pretty darn one-dimensional, but that one dimension Mills brings to the table is looking better and better.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 82.8
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
It was an abbreviated outing for Nando De Colo. In the first half, he got benched for playing poor transition defense. Eventually Pop released him from the doghouse but De Colo didn’t make much of an impact -- positively or negatively -- the rest of the way.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 83.1
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 85.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Pop was doing his mad scientist thing and he put out some questionable lineups (I hope I never see Neal/Green/Jackson at the 1/2/3 positions again when going against a team with as many long perimeter defenders as Denver). More Mills and De Colo probably would have helped. Then again, Pop found combinations in the fourth quarter that gave the Spurs a chance to win. Sticking with Splitter in the starting lineup was also good to see.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 84.7
---------------
Offense
There wasn’t much to be excited about offensively despite the 106 scored. Shooting twice as many three-pointers as free throws isn’t going to get the job done on most nights. Scoring only nine points on the break was disappointing, especially with as fast as the pace was for the duration of the contest.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 82.2
---------------
Defense
The defense wasn’t as putrid as the numbers appear at first glance. Giving up 112 points is a lot but the Nuggets had 108 possessions, so the Spurs weren’t that horrible. The Spurs allowed the Nuggets to shoot 42 free throws but it has to be noted that they did Hack-a-McGee in the third quarter. The lowlight was the 29 points they allowed on the fast break. Getting outscored by 20 points in that department ruined their chances.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 82.9
Last 10 Average: 83.5
---------------
Overall
Hindsight will tell us the story of how we should view this stretch of basketball. Are these recent losses a byproduct of the schedule (and/or injures) or are the losses foreshadowing an overall collapse? We’ll see … but I’m hopeful it’s the former.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 83.0
---------------
The first quarter was close throughout. The Spurs were able to build a 26-20 lead late in the period, however the Nuggets finished strong and the score was 28-26 going into the second quarter.
Midway through the second period, a Tim Duncan basket in the lane tied the game 44-44. Unfortunately, the offense dried up. In the final six minutes of the half, the Nuggets went on an 11-4 run to take a 55-48 advantage going into intermission.
The third quarter quickly went sour for San Antonio. Less than four and a half minutes into the period, the Spurs trailed by 17 points. While they made few runs, Denver held on and led 90-75 going into the final quarter.
Like we’ve come to expect, the Spurs were able to make a run in the fourth. With nine minutes remaining, the Spurs went on a quick 9-0 run to cut the deficit to six points. Patrick Mills cut it to five points with a three-pointer a few minutes later, but Danilo Gallinari answered with a three-pointer of his own.
With 3:38 on the clock, Duncan scored to pull the Spurs within three points. Again, Gallinari responded with a three-pointer. Following an offensive foul on San Antonio's end, Andre Miller hit a jumper to put Denver up by eight points with 2:36 to go. The Spurs never seriously challenged and their record soon fell to 19-8 on the season.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box271.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box272.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box273.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Tim Duncan’s jumper wasn’t working -- he was only 1-for-8 away from the immediate basket area -- but he didn’t let that lack of marksmanship doom his evening. Instead, Duncan authored one of the better nights of his legendary career. Offensively, he was dominant on the inside. His post moves looked as good as they’ve looked at any point in the last four years. The Nuggets started sending double-teams in an effort to slow him down, which then opened up passing lanes for Duncan to hand out his six assists. Defensively, Duncan was even better. He was a monster on the defensive glass, beautifully challenged countless shots at the rim and was quick on his rotations. The most impressive aspect of all might have been his minutes played column. Playing 40 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back (including the entire fourth quarter) was exceedingly remarkable for a player his age … especially considering how hard he was working on both ends of the court. Thank you, Tim Duncan.
Final Grade: 98
Season Average: 90.3
Adj. Average: 90.6
Last 10 Average: 87.2
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
It turns out that Manu Ginobili only needed to miss one game following a bruised quad. In his return, the best news was that he looked relatively healthy. He moved well and there was little hint that he was in pain. As far as how he played, Ginobili could definitely have done better. While he put numbers up across the board, he did so in an inefficient manner. He attempted some foolhardy passes and shots that were inexplicably hurried. When he took his time, Ginobili looked really good. Let’s hope that’s a sign that his output is going to improve soon.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 81.8
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
The good: Ty Lawson didn’t do much thanks to quality pressure from Tony Parker. Parker also finished the game without a turnover in 35 minutes of action. In the third quarter, his overall forcefulness was at an acceptable level. The bad: Parker was much too passive outside that stretch in the third. It’s really difficult for this team to win when he’s just going through the motions. I’m sure his energy reserves were running low considering all the games the Spurs have played recently but that excuse only goes so far. Mental fatigue also seemed to be an issue, which is unacceptable for a team leader.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 86.8
Adj. Average: 86.8
Last 10 Average: 86.5
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Well, I guess give him credit for keeping his finger on the trigger. Otherwise, I don’t know what positives could be taken from this game for Danny Green. He shot poorly. His ballhandling and passing were subpar. Defensively, he had a few decent moments but was largely underwhelmed on that end of the court as well. I’m not quite ready to say his starting spot is in jeopardy but this was a gruesome outing. He can’t afford many of these or else he’ll be looking at a diminished amount of minutes.
Final Grade: 68
Season Average: 81.2
Adj. Average: 81.8
Last 10 Average: 78.9
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Gary Neal didn’t play many minutes against the Nuggets due to matchup issues. With Denver starting Andre Iguodala at shooting guard, that’s a matchup that just wasn’t survivable. While he was on the court, things weren’t pretty. He was predictably overpowered on the defensive end. Offensively, Neal wasn’t able to do much since the Nuggets had the size to contest his shots. He made a few good passes but this was a game that showed why Neal’s probably best suited as a reserve.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 81.6
Adj. Average: 82.4
Last 10 Average: 80.0
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Tiago Splitter started again and was very good. Offensively, he was strong around the basket, dished out a number of pretty passes, and made quick, smart decisions. On defense, Splitter was really active and used his size well. The only aspect where I thought the Brazilian was weak was on the glass. For the starting duo of Duncan and Splitter to work, the duo has to control the glass. If not, it’s questionable whether the theoretical defensive gains are worth taking away some of the explosiveness on offense that a smaller lineup can provide.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
The Denver game looked like another ho-hum outing for Boris Diaw … until the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, Diaw played some of his best basketball in a long while. He was defending the paint, contesting jumpers on the perimeter, rebounding and making crisp rotations. Offensively, he was an actual presence who made a difference with his passing ability (he had all four assists in the fourth, three of which resulted in three-pointers). That’s how the Spurs need him to play.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 79.1
Adj. Average: 80.3
Last 10 Average: 76.5
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
That was an ugly night at the office for Stephen Jackson. What’s plaguing him the most right now is his lack of lateral quickness. He was relatively slow in that regard to start the season but since his return from injury, Jackson has been molasses-like. That slowness has resulted in numerous fouls on the perimeter and it’s limiting his ability to make plays off the dribble. Add in some poor shooting and Jackson would be best served to forget this game ever occurred and instead focus on lateral shuffle drills.
Final Grade: 69
Season Average: 83.8
Adj. Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 74.5
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
It’s getting difficult to ignore Patrick Mills’ ability to instantly put points on the board. His sharpshooting ways almost brought the Spurs all the way back in this game. In fact, if his teammates didn’t miss him wide open a few times, things could have been a lot different. I also thought his defense, while still not especially great, was better than usual. On the season, Mills is averaging 19.3 points per 40 minutes (tied with Ginobili and only behind Duncan, Parker and Splitter) and his eFG% (61.1%) is by far the highest of any of the guards or swingmen on the team. Yes, he’s pretty darn one-dimensional, but that one dimension Mills brings to the table is looking better and better.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 82.8
Last 10 Average: 86.8
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
It was an abbreviated outing for Nando De Colo. In the first half, he got benched for playing poor transition defense. Eventually Pop released him from the doghouse but De Colo didn’t make much of an impact -- positively or negatively -- the rest of the way.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 83.1
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 85.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Pop was doing his mad scientist thing and he put out some questionable lineups (I hope I never see Neal/Green/Jackson at the 1/2/3 positions again when going against a team with as many long perimeter defenders as Denver). More Mills and De Colo probably would have helped. Then again, Pop found combinations in the fourth quarter that gave the Spurs a chance to win. Sticking with Splitter in the starting lineup was also good to see.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 84.7
---------------
Offense
There wasn’t much to be excited about offensively despite the 106 scored. Shooting twice as many three-pointers as free throws isn’t going to get the job done on most nights. Scoring only nine points on the break was disappointing, especially with as fast as the pace was for the duration of the contest.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 82.2
---------------
Defense
The defense wasn’t as putrid as the numbers appear at first glance. Giving up 112 points is a lot but the Nuggets had 108 possessions, so the Spurs weren’t that horrible. The Spurs allowed the Nuggets to shoot 42 free throws but it has to be noted that they did Hack-a-McGee in the third quarter. The lowlight was the 29 points they allowed on the fast break. Getting outscored by 20 points in that department ruined their chances.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 82.9
Last 10 Average: 83.5
---------------
Overall
Hindsight will tell us the story of how we should view this stretch of basketball. Are these recent losses a byproduct of the schedule (and/or injures) or are the losses foreshadowing an overall collapse? We’ll see … but I’m hopeful it’s the former.
Final Grade: 76
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 83.0
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