timvp
12-30-2012, 01:35 PM
For the third time this season, the Spurs took on the Rockets. For the third time, the result was a high scoring affair. And for the third time, the Spurs got a win. This victory, by a final score of 122-116, was an entertaining, well-fought contest.
The Spurs came out of the gates with their sneakers ablaze. Midway through the first quarter, San Antonio sprinted to a 23-8 advantage. At the 5:07 mark, Houston joined the scoring parade and put 21 more points on the board before the end the period.
With the score 41-29 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Rockets made their move via a 15-5 run in a span of four minutes. The Spurs were able to keep a slight cushion until a Cole Aldrich hook gave the Rockets a 65-64 lead with a minute left before halftime. Thankfully, Manu Ginobili scored the game’s next five points to give the Spurs a bit of momentum heading into the break.
In the third, the Spurs kept trying to pull away … but the Rockets were always right behind. Every time the good guys would build a small lead, it would evaporate almost instantly.
With the Rockets within four points with 11 minutes to go in the game, the Spurs were finally able to shake their neighbors to the East. In a little over two minutes of action, San Antonio went on an 11-0 run to essentially end the game. A Tony Parker jumper put the Spurs up by 19 points with 4:16 remaining. The Rockets scored 17 points in the final 3:45 but by then, the W was already in ink.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box311.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box312.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box313.png
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Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
In a campaign littered with excellence, Tim Duncan’s scoring ability reached a new level on Friday night. Going against Omer Asik, perhaps the best defensive center in the league, Duncan put on a show. First, he utilized his outside jumper to force the Rockets to respect his range. Then, Duncan harassed Houston in pick-and-roll sets. To complete the destruction, he went to work on the low-post and broke out a few vintage moves for the coup de grâce. It really was enjoyable to watch Duncan unleash his entire arsenal. I also thought he was really strong defensively on the post and offered above average help in the lane. Duncan could have been better on the boards and his passing was unremarkable at best, but his ability score in a variety of ways while neutralizing the Rockets centers more than made up for any shortcomings.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.8
Last 10 Average: 87.2
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Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili’s first stint was mostly spent out of control. He had three turnovers and was in the middle of a few other whacky plays. After regrouping, Ginobili was much better the rest of the way. He realized that the Rockets were going under screens and thus leaving him open on the perimeter. Ginobili responded by dropping in five three-pointers while mixing in some controlled forays to the hoop. He also eased up on the challenging passes. Defensively, while he wasn’t very good individually, he was extremely helpful team-wise. He had three steals and caused a number of other Rockets turnovers by swooping in away from the ball.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.6
Adj. Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 84.6
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Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Tony Parker was hyperaggressive on his way to a dominant offensive showing. He attempted only two shots outside of 18 feet and instead spent most of his time in the painted area. Parker unapologetically pushed the action and kept the Spurs in a torrid pace. When he wasn’t scoring in the paint or getting to the line, he was finding open teammates; Parker handed out ten of the team’s 21 assists. Defensively, he wasn’t nearly as influential. That said, it wasn’t for a lack of effort. He was usually in the right position and was able to make plays when switched onto bigger players. All in all, it was a wonderfully determined endeavor.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 87.2
Adj. Average: 87.2
Last 10 Average: 85.3
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Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Rockets game just wasn’t a very good one for Kawhi Leonard. On defense, he swiped a few steals and boarded well but his individual defense was severely lacking. Chandler Parsons got all he wanted and James Harden versus Leonard was totally one-sided in Harden’s favor. This was a reminder that Leonard still has a long ways to go before he masters the intricacies of NBA defense. Offensively, the sophomore was undetectable most of the time -- not much good and not much bad.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 85.1
Adj. Average: 85.1
Last 10 Average: 87.5
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Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green got the Spurs off on the right foot. He scored 14 of San Antonio’s first 26 points and only slowed down because he got into foul trouble. After a stretch that saw him go 3-for-17 on three-pointers, the ever-streaky Green is now 14 for his last 19 from deep to raise his season three-point percentage to 41.3%. Against the Rockets, his subsequent stints weren’t nearly as effective offensively. He hit only one more shot the rest of the way and he had a few comically bad passes. Defensively, I thought he was average to slightly above average. He had some miscues but he also forced Harden into a lot of difficult situations. Additionally, Green rebounded well for the fourth straight game.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.4
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 82.7
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Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
While Tiago Splitter’s raw per-minute statistics aren’t as flashy as a starter, he really is becoming a well-rounded force who can thrive while concentrating on the dirty work. Defensively, he spent a lot of time chasing around smaller shooters out on the perimeter and the Brazilian held up well. He was able to challenge shots while illustrating a surprising amount of mobility. Splitter also did adequate work in the paint on defense. He rebounded well enough and altered a few shots. On offense, he was strong and took advantage of just about every touch. Splitter can still afford to turn his aggression level up a notch or two but I can’t complain about how well he is fitting in right now.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 86.9
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Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw turned in a very Boris Diaw-esque game. He barely shot at all but made life easier for the Spurs with his passing and his ball-handling. He was also active on the offensive glass. On the other end, his perimeter defense was solid and he guarded pick-and-rolls well. Diaw didn’t rebound, however, and his protection of the rim was even worse than usual. Thankfully, his effort level was reasonably high and that alone allowed him to have a decent evening.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.0
Last 10 Average: 78.3
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Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Defensively, it was a tale of two halves for Stephen Jackson. In the first half, he looked old and slow. He couldn’t stay in front of anybody and was basically just a giant, talkative traffic cone. In the second half, he was much, much better on that end. He started playing with more physicality, which allowed him to use his length and quick hands to disrupt plays. In fact, he was the best answer the Spurs had for Harden in the final two quarters. Offensively, he shot par. His passing wasn’t very good but he avoided turnovers. His shooting wasn’t very good but he did slightly better than his season percentages.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 77.7
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Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo’s minutes were a disaster on Friday night. He was technically the backup point guard but with Ginobili orchestrating the halfcourt offense, De Colo was left to essentially observe the proceedings. When he’s off the ball, he really doesn’t bring much usefulness to the table. Defensively, De Colo was also below average. He gave up penetration much too easily.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 82.4
Adj. Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 81.2
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Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
With both teams tired, Pop unchained Patrick Mills late in the third quarter. The results were fantastic. Mills had by far the best defensive showing of his season by pressuring the basketball with unbridled vigor. His pressure was somewhat effective at thwarting their sets but more importantly he was able to draw a pair of offensive fouls. Mills also dug out a couple steals. Offensively, he didn’t do a whole lot but he was better than usual. He ran a couple pick-and-rolls successfully, knocked down a shot and used his speed to force the Rockets to respect him in transition.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 83.4
Adj. Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 86.0
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Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
I agreed with the rotation for the most part. Pop has a decision to make regarding who should be the backup point guard while Gary Neal is out injured. I’m not mad that he gave De Colo a shot but it looks like the answer should be Mills for the time being. Pop also deserves credit for throwing a number of different looks at the Rockets backcourt in the second half. It took a long time but the Spurs were finally able to confuse the Rockets long enough to take control of the game.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 80.4
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Offense
The Spurs scored 122 points but, honestly, they could have done even more. Totaling 20 turnovers and only 21 assists is usually a recipe for a loss for this Spurs team that relies on passing so much. Fortunately, they were so good at getting to the line, knocking down their three-pointers and creating easy points on the break that their incompetence passing-wise was camouflaged.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.6
Last 10 Average: 81.9
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Defense
I know we Spurs fans are indoctrinated to meltdown when the opposition scores 116 points but the defense wasn’t really that bad. An important note to consider is that Houston had 110 possessions. Plus, the Rockets scored 17 points in a few minutes late in the fourth after the game was already decided. That said, some of the defensive inadequacies were inexcusable. The Spurs allowed too many offensive rebounds and their transition defense was at times horrific.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 82.3
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Overall
The Rockets had won five straight and seven of eight so getting this win was encouraging. The Spurs could have played better as a team but they got enough great individual performances to survive the night while playing a style that harkened back to the ol’ ABA days.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 84.1
Last 10 Average: 81.8
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The Spurs came out of the gates with their sneakers ablaze. Midway through the first quarter, San Antonio sprinted to a 23-8 advantage. At the 5:07 mark, Houston joined the scoring parade and put 21 more points on the board before the end the period.
With the score 41-29 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Rockets made their move via a 15-5 run in a span of four minutes. The Spurs were able to keep a slight cushion until a Cole Aldrich hook gave the Rockets a 65-64 lead with a minute left before halftime. Thankfully, Manu Ginobili scored the game’s next five points to give the Spurs a bit of momentum heading into the break.
In the third, the Spurs kept trying to pull away … but the Rockets were always right behind. Every time the good guys would build a small lead, it would evaporate almost instantly.
With the Rockets within four points with 11 minutes to go in the game, the Spurs were finally able to shake their neighbors to the East. In a little over two minutes of action, San Antonio went on an 11-0 run to essentially end the game. A Tony Parker jumper put the Spurs up by 19 points with 4:16 remaining. The Rockets scored 17 points in the final 3:45 but by then, the W was already in ink.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box311.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box312.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box313.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
In a campaign littered with excellence, Tim Duncan’s scoring ability reached a new level on Friday night. Going against Omer Asik, perhaps the best defensive center in the league, Duncan put on a show. First, he utilized his outside jumper to force the Rockets to respect his range. Then, Duncan harassed Houston in pick-and-roll sets. To complete the destruction, he went to work on the low-post and broke out a few vintage moves for the coup de grâce. It really was enjoyable to watch Duncan unleash his entire arsenal. I also thought he was really strong defensively on the post and offered above average help in the lane. Duncan could have been better on the boards and his passing was unremarkable at best, but his ability score in a variety of ways while neutralizing the Rockets centers more than made up for any shortcomings.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.8
Last 10 Average: 87.2
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili’s first stint was mostly spent out of control. He had three turnovers and was in the middle of a few other whacky plays. After regrouping, Ginobili was much better the rest of the way. He realized that the Rockets were going under screens and thus leaving him open on the perimeter. Ginobili responded by dropping in five three-pointers while mixing in some controlled forays to the hoop. He also eased up on the challenging passes. Defensively, while he wasn’t very good individually, he was extremely helpful team-wise. He had three steals and caused a number of other Rockets turnovers by swooping in away from the ball.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 83.6
Adj. Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Tony Parker was hyperaggressive on his way to a dominant offensive showing. He attempted only two shots outside of 18 feet and instead spent most of his time in the painted area. Parker unapologetically pushed the action and kept the Spurs in a torrid pace. When he wasn’t scoring in the paint or getting to the line, he was finding open teammates; Parker handed out ten of the team’s 21 assists. Defensively, he wasn’t nearly as influential. That said, it wasn’t for a lack of effort. He was usually in the right position and was able to make plays when switched onto bigger players. All in all, it was a wonderfully determined endeavor.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 87.2
Adj. Average: 87.2
Last 10 Average: 85.3
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Rockets game just wasn’t a very good one for Kawhi Leonard. On defense, he swiped a few steals and boarded well but his individual defense was severely lacking. Chandler Parsons got all he wanted and James Harden versus Leonard was totally one-sided in Harden’s favor. This was a reminder that Leonard still has a long ways to go before he masters the intricacies of NBA defense. Offensively, the sophomore was undetectable most of the time -- not much good and not much bad.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 85.1
Adj. Average: 85.1
Last 10 Average: 87.5
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Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green got the Spurs off on the right foot. He scored 14 of San Antonio’s first 26 points and only slowed down because he got into foul trouble. After a stretch that saw him go 3-for-17 on three-pointers, the ever-streaky Green is now 14 for his last 19 from deep to raise his season three-point percentage to 41.3%. Against the Rockets, his subsequent stints weren’t nearly as effective offensively. He hit only one more shot the rest of the way and he had a few comically bad passes. Defensively, I thought he was average to slightly above average. He had some miscues but he also forced Harden into a lot of difficult situations. Additionally, Green rebounded well for the fourth straight game.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.4
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 82.7
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
While Tiago Splitter’s raw per-minute statistics aren’t as flashy as a starter, he really is becoming a well-rounded force who can thrive while concentrating on the dirty work. Defensively, he spent a lot of time chasing around smaller shooters out on the perimeter and the Brazilian held up well. He was able to challenge shots while illustrating a surprising amount of mobility. Splitter also did adequate work in the paint on defense. He rebounded well enough and altered a few shots. On offense, he was strong and took advantage of just about every touch. Splitter can still afford to turn his aggression level up a notch or two but I can’t complain about how well he is fitting in right now.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 86.9
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw turned in a very Boris Diaw-esque game. He barely shot at all but made life easier for the Spurs with his passing and his ball-handling. He was also active on the offensive glass. On the other end, his perimeter defense was solid and he guarded pick-and-rolls well. Diaw didn’t rebound, however, and his protection of the rim was even worse than usual. Thankfully, his effort level was reasonably high and that alone allowed him to have a decent evening.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.0
Last 10 Average: 78.3
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Defensively, it was a tale of two halves for Stephen Jackson. In the first half, he looked old and slow. He couldn’t stay in front of anybody and was basically just a giant, talkative traffic cone. In the second half, he was much, much better on that end. He started playing with more physicality, which allowed him to use his length and quick hands to disrupt plays. In fact, he was the best answer the Spurs had for Harden in the final two quarters. Offensively, he shot par. His passing wasn’t very good but he avoided turnovers. His shooting wasn’t very good but he did slightly better than his season percentages.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 77.7
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Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo’s minutes were a disaster on Friday night. He was technically the backup point guard but with Ginobili orchestrating the halfcourt offense, De Colo was left to essentially observe the proceedings. When he’s off the ball, he really doesn’t bring much usefulness to the table. Defensively, De Colo was also below average. He gave up penetration much too easily.
Final Grade: 70
Season Average: 82.4
Adj. Average: 84.9
Last 10 Average: 81.2
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
With both teams tired, Pop unchained Patrick Mills late in the third quarter. The results were fantastic. Mills had by far the best defensive showing of his season by pressuring the basketball with unbridled vigor. His pressure was somewhat effective at thwarting their sets but more importantly he was able to draw a pair of offensive fouls. Mills also dug out a couple steals. Offensively, he didn’t do a whole lot but he was better than usual. He ran a couple pick-and-rolls successfully, knocked down a shot and used his speed to force the Rockets to respect him in transition.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 83.4
Adj. Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 86.0
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
I agreed with the rotation for the most part. Pop has a decision to make regarding who should be the backup point guard while Gary Neal is out injured. I’m not mad that he gave De Colo a shot but it looks like the answer should be Mills for the time being. Pop also deserves credit for throwing a number of different looks at the Rockets backcourt in the second half. It took a long time but the Spurs were finally able to confuse the Rockets long enough to take control of the game.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 80.4
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Offense
The Spurs scored 122 points but, honestly, they could have done even more. Totaling 20 turnovers and only 21 assists is usually a recipe for a loss for this Spurs team that relies on passing so much. Fortunately, they were so good at getting to the line, knocking down their three-pointers and creating easy points on the break that their incompetence passing-wise was camouflaged.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.6
Last 10 Average: 81.9
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Defense
I know we Spurs fans are indoctrinated to meltdown when the opposition scores 116 points but the defense wasn’t really that bad. An important note to consider is that Houston had 110 possessions. Plus, the Rockets scored 17 points in a few minutes late in the fourth after the game was already decided. That said, some of the defensive inadequacies were inexcusable. The Spurs allowed too many offensive rebounds and their transition defense was at times horrific.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 83.3
Last 10 Average: 82.3
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Overall
The Rockets had won five straight and seven of eight so getting this win was encouraging. The Spurs could have played better as a team but they got enough great individual performances to survive the night while playing a style that harkened back to the ol’ ABA days.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 84.1
Last 10 Average: 81.8
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