timvp
12-31-2012, 02:49 PM
A week ago, the Spurs lambasted the Mavericks by 38 points after leading by as many as 46. Tonight was a bit closer but it was basically more of the same. San Antonio led the whole game before taking home a 111-86 victory in Dallas.
The Spurs didn’t waste any time jumping on the Mavs. Three and a half minutes into the contest, the good guys held a 14-2 lead. The Spurs held that bulge until late in the first quarter. A Tony Parker jumper increased the advantage to 13 points with 4:33 remaining in the period. The Mavs weren’t quite ready to roll over, though, as they went on a 12-2 run that extended into the second quarter.
Midway through the second, a pair of OJ Mayo buckets trimmed San Antonio’s lead to four points. A couple minutes later, a Darren Collison layup made it a three-point game. To regain momentum heading into intermission, the Spurs went on a 13-4 run that was punctuated by a pair of field goals by Manu Ginobili in the final 33 seconds.
The third quarter didn’t start off very swimmingly for the Spurs, as the Mavs were able to trim their deficit to five points halfway through the period. Thankfully, the Spurs again closed the quarter out strongly. And again, it was Ginobili scoring two baskets -- this time in 31 seconds.
The Spurs led by 12 points going into the fourth quarter. The Mavs made a few halfhearted runs but never seriously got within striking distance. When Dirk Nowitzki made a layup to make it an 11-point game with six minutes to go, the Spurs immediately answered with a 7-0 run in the span of 38 seconds to seal the deal.
The Spurs fifth straight win improves their record to 24-8 on the season, while the Mavs drop to 12-19 following their sixth consecutive defeat.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box321.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box322.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box323.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
In the first half, Tim Duncan was phenomenal. Offensively, he was unstoppable from the opening tip -- scoring 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting. He was running the court very well and made numerous strong moves around the rim. Defensively, he may have been even better; Duncan simply dominated the paint area. In the second half, unfortunately, he didn’t do much of anything. I don’t know if he ran out of gas or just had it on cruise control but he was a totally different player after halftime. That said, his first half was so very robust that it was still a successful outing for Duncan.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.8
Last 10 Average: 88.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili had a chilly beginning; he made only one of his first six attempts from the field. However, most of those shots were rushed shots at the end of the shot clock in which he was forced to attempt a last second heave after the initial offensive set was fruitless (the Mavs switched into a zone defense in the first half that baffled the Spurs for a bit). But after that slow start, Ginobili was magnificent. He kept defenders guessing by mixing up his shots, drives and passes. He was nearly flawless as he unsympathetically dismembered the Mavericks. Defensively, Ginobili played with fire and was particularly great at corralling contested boards. Overall, it was a vintage performance and one that suggests the Argentine star is at the top of his game.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 84.1
Adj. Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 85.4
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
It was a roller-coaster of an evening for Tony Parker. During some stretches he was playing at an extremely high level -- most notably at the beginning of each half and a few minutes in the fourth. However, there were also lulls in his play where he didn’t push the pace, defend with purpose or do much of anything. If the Spurs were against a stronger opponent, those lulls could have been costly. All that said, it’s challenging to be too upset considering his final stats. For the second straight game, Parker nearly recorded half the team’s assists. He turned the ball over too much but he also shot very well from the field. Parker is shooting 56.9% in this five-game winning streak and 51.1% for the season.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 87.2
Adj. Average: 87.3
Last 10 Average: 84.9
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
Offensively, Kawhi Leonard hit a corner three-pointer and also nailed a pretty pull-up midrange jumper off the dribble. Defense, though, is where he made his mark. Leonard was strong on the glass and active in the passing lanes. His best work came when defending the low-post. For some strange reason, the Mavs thought that posting up Leonard was a good idea. It wasn’t. He used his strength to hold his ground and then his length to challenge the shot. Leonard’s perimeter defense was only about average, though he was trustworthy in transition.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 85.3
Adj. Average: 85.3
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green was great defensively against OJ Mayo. Whenever he had Mayo in his crosshairs, Dallas’s leading scorer was powerless to do much of anything. In fact, Green blocked a pair of his three-pointers. This continues a pattern that has seen Green play much better defense since returning to shooting guard full-time. On offense, he knocked down two more three-pointers and is now 16-for-22 (72.7%) from downtown since Leonard returned to the starting lineup. While Green had a couple of ugly ventures to the hoop that didn’t end well, he kept his mistakes to a minimum and dished off a few nice passes.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 82.9
Last 10 Average: 82.5
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Like Duncan, Tiago Splitter did almost his entire damage in the first half. He had 11 of his points, five of his rebounds and his assist during the 16 minutes he played before intermission. During that time, his was in the middle of a lot of action. With the Mavs starting Shawn Marion at power forward, Splitter used his height advantage to punish Dallas. In the second half, he was nearly inaudible. He set solid screens but that was about it. Throughout the night, I didn’t love his defense. He was slow to challenge perimeter jumpers and was inconsistent in the paint.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 86.5
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Early on, Boris Diaw was a major liability. His reluctance to shoot was submarining San Antonio’s offensive flow. When Diaw isn’t a threat to shoot even when he’s open, the spacing will assuredly suffer. In the third quarter, the Frenchman finally started taking advantage of his open looks and converted three consecutive shots in short order. It’s not a coincidence that the Spurs were then able to take command. Once he got going on offense, his defense also improved greatly. Rebounding, though, remains a problem. He has only four defensive boards in his last four games, which is obviously not acceptable for a player who is getting all his minutes at power forward or center.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.0
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
In recent games, I thought Stephen Jackson was pressing the issue too much. Versus the Mavs, he played at a much more suitable tempo. Jackson remained extremely patient and waited for opportunities to present themselves. The result was one of his most efficient outings of the season. Defensively, he was a plus and also rebounded well. When Jackson is calm and doesn’t overextend, he’s a valuable cog in this machine.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 78.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills was able to leapfrog Nando De Colo in the point guard depth chart with an exemplary performance against the Rockets. Regrettably, he wasn’t able to build upon it. Offensively, he was 0-for-4 prior to garbage time and illustrated little to no ability to create off the dribble. His ball-handling was iffy and he was hesitant with his decisions at times. Defensively, Mills was better. He pressured the ball and used his speed to disrupt their flow.
Final Grade: 73
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 84.1
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Pop is still knee-deep in his experimenting. His latest idea was to put Mills on the court with no other playmaker. Let’s hope he erases that from his list of options going forward. The rest of Pop’s rotation was fine. He’s beginning to lay the groundwork for a nine-man rotation with Jackson spending some time at power forward. I like it.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 80.8
---------------
Offense
The offensive numbers are respectable across the board. The Spurs got to the line an adequate amount, didn’t rely too much on three-pointers and kept their turnovers in check. Their passing was a bit underwhelming and they could have done more damage in the paint … but that’s definitely some nitpicking considering the relatively easy victory.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 84.7
Last 10 Average: 82.0
---------------
Defense
This was one of the better defensive performances of the season. Holding the Mavs to 86 points on 97 possessions is really good work. The Spurs did it by defending the three-point line well and keeping them off the charity stripe. Those two areas alone neutered Dallas.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 84.5
---------------
Overall
This was a good win. Yeah, the Mavs are damn bad right now but there’s no doubt they were going to muster every last morsel of competitiveness to throw at the Spurs. Fortunately, that was not nearly enough. Tonight, the Spurs take on a Nets team that is riding a new-coach high. Let’s hope the winning ways continue.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 82.8
---------------
The Spurs didn’t waste any time jumping on the Mavs. Three and a half minutes into the contest, the good guys held a 14-2 lead. The Spurs held that bulge until late in the first quarter. A Tony Parker jumper increased the advantage to 13 points with 4:33 remaining in the period. The Mavs weren’t quite ready to roll over, though, as they went on a 12-2 run that extended into the second quarter.
Midway through the second, a pair of OJ Mayo buckets trimmed San Antonio’s lead to four points. A couple minutes later, a Darren Collison layup made it a three-point game. To regain momentum heading into intermission, the Spurs went on a 13-4 run that was punctuated by a pair of field goals by Manu Ginobili in the final 33 seconds.
The third quarter didn’t start off very swimmingly for the Spurs, as the Mavs were able to trim their deficit to five points halfway through the period. Thankfully, the Spurs again closed the quarter out strongly. And again, it was Ginobili scoring two baskets -- this time in 31 seconds.
The Spurs led by 12 points going into the fourth quarter. The Mavs made a few halfhearted runs but never seriously got within striking distance. When Dirk Nowitzki made a layup to make it an 11-point game with six minutes to go, the Spurs immediately answered with a 7-0 run in the span of 38 seconds to seal the deal.
The Spurs fifth straight win improves their record to 24-8 on the season, while the Mavs drop to 12-19 following their sixth consecutive defeat.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box321.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box322.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box323.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
In the first half, Tim Duncan was phenomenal. Offensively, he was unstoppable from the opening tip -- scoring 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting. He was running the court very well and made numerous strong moves around the rim. Defensively, he may have been even better; Duncan simply dominated the paint area. In the second half, unfortunately, he didn’t do much of anything. I don’t know if he ran out of gas or just had it on cruise control but he was a totally different player after halftime. That said, his first half was so very robust that it was still a successful outing for Duncan.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 90.5
Adj. Average: 90.8
Last 10 Average: 88.5
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili had a chilly beginning; he made only one of his first six attempts from the field. However, most of those shots were rushed shots at the end of the shot clock in which he was forced to attempt a last second heave after the initial offensive set was fruitless (the Mavs switched into a zone defense in the first half that baffled the Spurs for a bit). But after that slow start, Ginobili was magnificent. He kept defenders guessing by mixing up his shots, drives and passes. He was nearly flawless as he unsympathetically dismembered the Mavericks. Defensively, Ginobili played with fire and was particularly great at corralling contested boards. Overall, it was a vintage performance and one that suggests the Argentine star is at the top of his game.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 84.1
Adj. Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 85.4
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
It was a roller-coaster of an evening for Tony Parker. During some stretches he was playing at an extremely high level -- most notably at the beginning of each half and a few minutes in the fourth. However, there were also lulls in his play where he didn’t push the pace, defend with purpose or do much of anything. If the Spurs were against a stronger opponent, those lulls could have been costly. All that said, it’s challenging to be too upset considering his final stats. For the second straight game, Parker nearly recorded half the team’s assists. He turned the ball over too much but he also shot very well from the field. Parker is shooting 56.9% in this five-game winning streak and 51.1% for the season.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 87.2
Adj. Average: 87.3
Last 10 Average: 84.9
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
Offensively, Kawhi Leonard hit a corner three-pointer and also nailed a pretty pull-up midrange jumper off the dribble. Defense, though, is where he made his mark. Leonard was strong on the glass and active in the passing lanes. His best work came when defending the low-post. For some strange reason, the Mavs thought that posting up Leonard was a good idea. It wasn’t. He used his strength to hold his ground and then his length to challenge the shot. Leonard’s perimeter defense was only about average, though he was trustworthy in transition.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 85.3
Adj. Average: 85.3
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green was great defensively against OJ Mayo. Whenever he had Mayo in his crosshairs, Dallas’s leading scorer was powerless to do much of anything. In fact, Green blocked a pair of his three-pointers. This continues a pattern that has seen Green play much better defense since returning to shooting guard full-time. On offense, he knocked down two more three-pointers and is now 16-for-22 (72.7%) from downtown since Leonard returned to the starting lineup. While Green had a couple of ugly ventures to the hoop that didn’t end well, he kept his mistakes to a minimum and dished off a few nice passes.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 82.6
Adj. Average: 82.9
Last 10 Average: 82.5
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
Like Duncan, Tiago Splitter did almost his entire damage in the first half. He had 11 of his points, five of his rebounds and his assist during the 16 minutes he played before intermission. During that time, his was in the middle of a lot of action. With the Mavs starting Shawn Marion at power forward, Splitter used his height advantage to punish Dallas. In the second half, he was nearly inaudible. He set solid screens but that was about it. Throughout the night, I didn’t love his defense. He was slow to challenge perimeter jumpers and was inconsistent in the paint.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 84.9
Adj. Average: 85.7
Last 10 Average: 86.5
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Early on, Boris Diaw was a major liability. His reluctance to shoot was submarining San Antonio’s offensive flow. When Diaw isn’t a threat to shoot even when he’s open, the spacing will assuredly suffer. In the third quarter, the Frenchman finally started taking advantage of his open looks and converted three consecutive shots in short order. It’s not a coincidence that the Spurs were then able to take command. Once he got going on offense, his defense also improved greatly. Rebounding, though, remains a problem. He has only four defensive boards in his last four games, which is obviously not acceptable for a player who is getting all his minutes at power forward or center.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 81.0
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
In recent games, I thought Stephen Jackson was pressing the issue too much. Versus the Mavs, he played at a much more suitable tempo. Jackson remained extremely patient and waited for opportunities to present themselves. The result was one of his most efficient outings of the season. Defensively, he was a plus and also rebounded well. When Jackson is calm and doesn’t overextend, he’s a valuable cog in this machine.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 78.6
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills was able to leapfrog Nando De Colo in the point guard depth chart with an exemplary performance against the Rockets. Regrettably, he wasn’t able to build upon it. Offensively, he was 0-for-4 prior to garbage time and illustrated little to no ability to create off the dribble. His ball-handling was iffy and he was hesitant with his decisions at times. Defensively, Mills was better. He pressured the ball and used his speed to disrupt their flow.
Final Grade: 73
Season Average: 82.9
Adj. Average: 82.7
Last 10 Average: 84.1
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
Pop is still knee-deep in his experimenting. His latest idea was to put Mills on the court with no other playmaker. Let’s hope he erases that from his list of options going forward. The rest of Pop’s rotation was fine. He’s beginning to lay the groundwork for a nine-man rotation with Jackson spending some time at power forward. I like it.
Final Grade: 84
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 80.8
---------------
Offense
The offensive numbers are respectable across the board. The Spurs got to the line an adequate amount, didn’t rely too much on three-pointers and kept their turnovers in check. Their passing was a bit underwhelming and they could have done more damage in the paint … but that’s definitely some nitpicking considering the relatively easy victory.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 84.7
Last 10 Average: 82.0
---------------
Defense
This was one of the better defensive performances of the season. Holding the Mavs to 86 points on 97 possessions is really good work. The Spurs did it by defending the three-point line well and keeping them off the charity stripe. Those two areas alone neutered Dallas.
Final Grade: 95
Season Average: 83.7
Last 10 Average: 84.5
---------------
Overall
This was a good win. Yeah, the Mavs are damn bad right now but there’s no doubt they were going to muster every last morsel of competitiveness to throw at the Spurs. Fortunately, that was not nearly enough. Tonight, the Spurs take on a Nets team that is riding a new-coach high. Let’s hope the winning ways continue.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 82.8
---------------