Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Hornets - Jan. 23

[timvp]

Tony Parker A+
Ran the O beautifully. Made countless plays. Took care of it. Tried hard on D. Come up clutch in money time.

Manu Ginobili B
Looked slow in his return from injury but great effort and quality production in his limited minutes.

Danny Green A-
Great D in the second half. Fantastic on the boards; grabbed big ones. Ran the court well. Hit timely shots.

Stephen Jackson B
Wasn’t moving well but produced. Good hands on D. Authored a few sneaky plays on O. Weak on the glass.

Tiago Splitter A
Marvelous job finishing. Moved extremely well. Great hands and coordination. Grabbed contested boards.

Boris Diaw C
Painfully passive shooting-wise. Boxing out was poor; needed more rebounds. Passing was a plus.

Gary Neal C
He just keeps firing. Hit a big three in the fourth. Did more than usual on D tonight. All-around energy better.

Nando De Colo B+
Very helpful on the glass. Passed the ball well and orchestrated the show better. Adequate shot selection.

Matt Bonner C
Grizzlies let him shoot -- and it worked. Missed numerous open threes. D and rebounding were inconsistent.

DeJuan Blair B+
Rebounded with gusto. Rolled to the basket well. Illustrated good court vision. Untidy defense.

Bud B+
A few hiccups along the way but filled in for Pop well in a challenging situation rotation-wise.

[Ice009]

Grizzlies let Bonner shoot?

[Brunodf]

Pop was holding Splitter back...

[MaNu4Tres]

Pop was holding Splitter back...

It wasn't fair to the team. :drunk

[playblair]

neal is slumping .........

[HeroSquad]

I'm just glad to see Nando play more aggressive; he kind of reminds me of a poor man's Greivis Vasquez. He just needs to keep pushing the pace like he did tonight and let the game come to him.

[Strategic]

I am beginning to believe Neal has some outside problems. It's just not like the Spurs to let some one play injured, and tbh, not necessary. I've defended him because of his poor man's contract and his effort at expanding his offense to pg. I had an uneasy feeling tonight concerning Parkers' health and the void backing him up. Nice grades.

[Juggity]

Neal's definitely slumping lately

[freetiago]

if this isnt an A+ for splitter thats a compliment to him tbh
25 on 90% shooting and the best +-on the team by far
offense was bad when he wasnt on the floor
only reason his boards were low was because of the matador defense all the guards played
splitter had to guard EG/Vasquez penetration and try to keep Smith/Davis/Lopez (Splitters kryptonite) from playing volleyball
it didnt work because hes not dwight howard and no one stepped up to help the helper (Splitter)
which lead to guys like Smith having as much offensive rebounds as defensive tbh per par

and that TOSB did well today
hes always let SA down in reg season games when hes been asked to carry bigger share of offense like a golden state/utah games last year but he did well

[spurraider21]

Tony was so clutch it was ridiculous

[ace3g]

Dubs up 103-99 with 12.4 sec to go

[spurraider21]

if this isnt an A+ for splitter thats a compliment to him tbh
25 on 90% shooting and the best +-on the team by far
offense was bad when he wasnt on the floor
only reason his boards were low was because of the matador defense all the guards played
splitter had to guard EG/Vasquez penetration and try to keep Smith/Davis/Lopez (Splitters kryptonite) from playing volleyball
it didnt work because hes not dwight howard and no one stepped up to help the helper (Splitter)
which lead to guys like Smith having as much offensive rebounds as defensive tbh per par

and that TOSB did well today
hes always let SA down in reg season games when hes been asked to carry bigger share of offense like a golden state/utah games last year but he did well
absolutely. overall rebounding numbers were lacking and we got outboarded by the pelicans. if he had 4-5 more boards it could have been an A+

[therealtruth]

Splitter never gets an A+.

[spurraider21]

Dubs up 103-99 with 12.4 sec to go
chuckbrook misses a 3 then turns it over at that point hehehe

[spurs1990]

Does the victory get added to Pop's record or is Bud accumulating his own tally?

[ace3g]

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo (https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo) .@warriors (https://twitter.com/warriors) hold on to impressive win over @okcthunder (https://twitter.com/okcthunder). With wins over Miami, OKC and three over LAC, it is safe to say Warriors are for real

Warriors be on the same bracket side as Thunder and LAC

[callo1]

Spot on with those grades imo Timvp.

Some observations:

Diaw was totally lost out there without Timmy on the floor.

Tiago continues to impress holding his defensive position in the post...very underrated part of his game.

Believe it or not, I think Jack can be more effective runnng the offense than Neal. Sad but true. If Pop doesn't trust Nando, bring Cujo in and get him some minutes, or the backup pg situation is going to bite the Spurs in the backside come playoff time.

The Spurs badly need a midrange shooter. If TP isn't on the floor, it is feast or famine from the three point line. The peremiter players actually look lost if they take a step inside the three point line...there is a sense of "I don't know what to do now" on their faces.

As you mentioned, Danny played wonderful D on Gordon in the 2nd half...was really a key to the game.

No revelation to anyone on these forums, but TP is simply a master of the court. The old TP that had problems balancing scoring with assists is long gone. TP is a top 3 pg in the NBA, but continues to be overlooked by the mass media for his body of work.

The Spurs need that "other" offensive piece and Leonard can fill that need, but Pop continues to try and turn him into a corner three point shooter with an occasional middle cut to the basket being his only deviation from the Bruce Bowen role.

[TheSkeptic]

Splitter never gets an A+.

While last season this would've been an A+ imo, Timvp's expectations for him are changing if you look at his Game Thoughts for Philadelphia. http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208500&p=6314581

I was personally thinking more along the lines of an A- for the rebounding but this works too. In the Game Thoughts thread it'll probably come out to around 89-92 in number percentage.

Also, I thought Green was fabulous in the second half on D and I thought Jax did a great job stepping up. That said, I hope at least one of KL/TD is able to play next game (if not both).

Thanks as always.

[iManu]

Even the Grizzlies were letting Bonner shoot.

God, I wish you weren't reading this, Matt, it's just terrible for you.

[Mugen]

Bud's rotations made more sense than some of Pop's tbh :stirpot:

[timvp]

I am beginning to believe Neal has some outside problems. It's just not like the Spurs to let some one play injured, and tbh, not necessary. I've defended him because of his poor man's contract and his effort at expanding his offense to pg. I had an uneasy feeling tonight concerning Parkers' health and the void backing him up. Nice grades.*breaks desk knocking on wood*


Splitter never gets an A+.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205935
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205802

etc.

[99 Problems]

Love or hate, Tony Parker is just a great player.

[Dr. Robert Lee]

I am beginning to believe Neal has some outside problems. It's just not like the Spurs to let some one play injured, and tbh, not necessary. I've defended him because of his poor man's contract and his effort at expanding his offense to pg. I had an uneasy feeling tonight concerning Parkers' health and the void backing him up. Nice grades.
Let's not forget what happened back in his days at Towson... The man has a very TROUBLED past.

It was great to see NANDO play well tonight!

[Brunodf]

absolutely. overall rebounding numbers were lacking and we got outboarded by the pelicans. if he had 4-5 more boards it could have been an A+

It's hard to rebound when you have to guard PGs...

[spectator]

The old TP that had problems balancing scoring with assists is long gone. TP is a top 3 pg in the NBA, but continues to be overlooked by the mass media for his body of work.


agreed. moreover, if you look at the best point guards over the past 8 years, you will quickly find that behind CP3, it's a very close battle between nash and TP. taking this season into consideration, i would tip the (homer) scale in TP's favor.

[Chase_the_Bass]

I agree on Neal's defense. I was actually impressed at times.

[Mal]

Tiago beasting, luv it

[Boomersgold]

Let's not forget what happened back in his days at Towson... The man has a very TROUBLED past.

It was great to see NANDO play well tonight!

What exactly are you referring to, and how does it relate to Gary Neal's shooting slump?

[chapnis]

What exactly are you referring to, and how does it relate to Gary Neal's shooting slump?

the rape accusation. And it doesn't.

[team-work]

Another glimpse of the post-Pop, post-Duncan era (except that there'd likely be no Manu too.)

[siraulo23]

spurs run at the end of the 4th was gold

crowd was into it too

[DrSteffo]

Splitter still beasting and the PnR with Parker and sometimes Manu is sweet. No surprises.

[freetiago]

parkers career/season high in assists all came in games where he played with splitter primarily
last season vs the pelicans he also had a game where he had like 10 assists in the first and finished the game with a career high

[spurraider21]

It's hard to rebound when you have to guard PGs...
splitter was guarding point guards? i guess we were watching different games

[racm]

splitter was guarding point guards? i guess we were watching different games

He was forced to after switches.

[freetiago]

He has to step up and stop penetrations not necessarily switches
once he stepped up no one checked his guy which let him score of simple drop off passes or offensive rebounds
he also was out on the perimeter more guarding smith and davis

[HI-FI]

I've been somewhat of a TP hater at times (cough heroball) but when he plays like this, he is truly special. He's got such great speed and touch, my only complaint with him has been not looking for the open guy at times. But when he is able to balance that with his instinctive sense of penetration, he is incredible.

great to see Nando have a good game as well. I'm still a big believer in the guy, his ball handling and understanding of space is subconscious for him.

question on coach Bud, for those who follow the team more than me, is he suppose to be Pop's replacement or is that undecided? Do people feel confident on him? From what I've seen of him over the years, seems smart and a good guy, I just don't know if he'll strike fear into players the way Pop has, but I could be wrong.

[Brox6]

I hate to see Neal killing the ball rotation... when his shots are not falling, he is useless..

[Fireball]

Wished we could have kept the Hornets below 100 points, but silly mistakes at the end destroyed that wish ... great game by Tiago ... I thought before the game that we have to hit threes or him getting 30 to win this game ...

[Kuestmaster]

with this win, and being now ahead of the clipps, is Pop going to coach the all star? when it's decided?

[biskvito]

funny how players react differently to different coaches

[PingPong]

Splitter never gets an A+.

"If he get 40 pt, 25 reb, 12 ass, 10 blocks, 5 steals, then he will get an A+"

:pop:

[Brox6]

"If he get 40 pt, 25 reb, 12 ass, 10 blocks, 5 steals, then he will get an A+"

:pop:

Then Manu or TP will get 20 ast :lol:

[Das Texan]

Let's not forget what happened back in his days at Towson... The man has a very TROUBLED past.

It was great to see NANDO play well tonight!


What the fuck happened to him at Towson? other than him walking onto the team and all?

The rape accusation happened while he was at LaSalle.

[CGD]

I'm just glad to see Nando play more aggressive; he kind of reminds me of a poor man's Greivis Vasquez. He just needs to keep pushing the pace like he did tonight and let the game come to him.

Nando = poor man's Greivis
Greivis = poor man's Manu

Nando = Homeless man's Manu?

[Manufan909]

Tiago Splitter [SIZE=5]A
Marvelous job finishing. Moved extremely well. Great hands and coordination. Grabbed contested boards.


Not going to argue with your grade, but I'm curious what Tiago did to not earn an A+? You don't mention any cons in your summary, and 7 boards in 32 min may be mediocre, but not did you praise his rebounding, but many have already mentioned that he didn't board as well as possible because he was having to help out on guards a bunch, thus taking himself out of the running for cleaning up the glass if said Pelican guard missed.

I know that TheSkeptic explained away the grade, saying that his expectations have risen since he's become a starter, but >90% FG on double digit shots, missing 1 FT out of 6, 3x as many assists+steals as TOs, and 1 foul in over 32 minutes should still probably be an A+. I'm guessing that ending the game without a block was the one flaw? I'm guessing he didn't really alter many shots either (but if him helping out on the guards allowed Pelicans bigs to grab so many O boards, that means he did cause a few misses).

Also, do you think if his stats for this game and the Heat game were reversed, would the Spurs have won in Miami and lost in NO? I know he had a great game against the Heat, but he shot 58% from the field and 67% from the line. He did board better and get a block that game.

[Paranoid Pop]

Not going to argue with your grade, but I'm curious what Tiago did to not earn an A+? You don't mention any cons in your summary, and 7 boards in 32 min may be mediocre, but not did you praise his rebounding, but many have already mentioned that he didn't board as well as possible because he was having to help out on guards a bunch, thus taking himself out of the running for cleaning up the glass if said Pelican guard missed.

I know that TheSkeptic explained away the grade, saying that his expectations have risen since he's become a starter, but >90% FG on double digit shots, missing 1 FT out of 6, 3x as many assists+steals as TOs, and 1 foul in over 32 minutes should still probably be an A+. I'm guessing that ending the game without a block was the one flaw? I'm guessing he didn't really alter many shots either (but if him helping out on the guards allowed Pelicans bigs to grab so many O boards, that means he did cause a few misses).

Also, do you think if his stats for this game and the Heat game were reversed, would the Spurs have won in Miami and lost in NO? I know he had a great game against the Heat, but he shot 58% from the field and 67% from the line. He did board better and get a block that game.

The obvious difference between the Miami game and this one is that he received passes from TP and Manu. Regarding the rebounding point, he was the tallest on the floor for the Spurs, he should have done better regardless of any excuses. Bigs help on D all the time, he's just not fit to play center anymore with the weight loss and his current rebounding ability.

[Paranoid Pop]

Nando = poor man's Greivis
Greivis = poor man's Manu

Nando = Homeless man's Manu?

Vasquez looks nothing like Manu to me. Harden, De Colo, even Hayward I see it, but Vasquez not really much more of a point to me I guess.

[temujin]

Nando = poor man's Greivis
Greivis = poor man's Manu

Nando = Homeless man's Manu?
:lol

[Manufan909]

The obvious difference between the Miami game and this one is that he received passes from TP and Manu. Regarding the rebounding point, he was the tallest on the floor for the Spurs, he should have done better regardless of any excuses. Bigs help on D all the time, he's just not fit to play center anymore with the weight loss and his current rebounding ability.

Lol, I'm surprised that I was surprised to see you quoting me only to hate on Splitter. :lmao You did make a good point about Manu and TP getting him the ball this game though, I'm not above giving props when they're due.

[Blake]

even with Jack carrying load, Spurs looked clunky in first half, sloppy on defense without Tim and Pop there.

Reports from Spurs say Bud went off on them in the locker at halftime. players responded with intense defense in second half.

Bud: A+

[ElNono]

I didn't expect much at all from Manu after missing 4 games... I thought he did pretty good. The slowness was somewhat predictable, but he was active on defense and finished well...

[will_spurs]

Tony Parker A+

:wow:wow:wow


Come up clutch in money time.

5-for-5 on FG in the 4th quarter...

Splitter getting an A seems really tough on him, especially since Duncan wasn't playing.

[Dr. Robert Lee]

What exactly are you referring to, and how does it relate to Gary Neal's shooting slump?
I am referring to the sexual relations he had with that woman. And, yes, it was at La Salle. My bad.

[TD 21]

This is beyond a shooting slump at this point with Neal. I understand him not wanting to sit out for an extended period for the fear of losing his spot in the rotation, but that's precisely why they need to take matters into their own hands and shut him down for awhile. He's flat out hurting the team and has been for a while (his shooting percentages are sub par by his standards and his advanced stats are terrible). It's not like he's so vital to the team that they can't do without him for a stretch anyway.

[MaNu4Tres]

This is beyond a shooting slump at this point with Neal. I understand him not wanting to sit out for an extended period for the fear of losing his spot in the rotation, but that's precisely why they need to take matters into their own hands and shut him down for awhile. He's flat out hurting the team and has been for a while (his shooting percentages are sub par by his standards and his advanced stats are terrible). It's not like he's so vital to the team that they can't do without him for a stretch anyway.


Which was why this thread, started after ONE GAME, was pretty laughable, tbh. (he's very expendable imo)

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206620

Gary Neal's shot selection and decision-making makes him very hard to watch. I guess that's what happens when you're so accustomed to seeing your team make efficient and disciplined decisions. He frequently forces the issue way to much and sometimes I really believe Spurs could be better without him (they surely could get better shots without him the 15-18 minutes he typically receives).

[TD 21]

Which was why this thread, started after ONE GAME, was pretty laughable, tbh. (he's very expendable imo)

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206620

Gary Neal's shot selection and decision-making makes him very hard to watch. I guess that's what happens when you're so accustomed to seeing your team make efficient and disciplined decisions. He frequently forces the issue way to much and sometimes I really believe Spurs could be better without him (they surely could get better shots without him the 15-18 minutes he typically receives).

It's easy to say he's very expendable . . . but which one of Mills, De Colo or Joseph, would you trust to play 10 mpg in a playoff game or to take on an expanded role if (when?) Ginobili succumbs to injury?

[SpurSwag]

Gary Neal may still be slumping, but unless its a deal that brings back another solid, gutsy shot creator, he really isn't expendable. A lot of people here don't realize the value of a player who, when playing shooting guard, takes the type of shots he does. Sure they may look terrible, but when Gary is healthy and right, he makes a good amount of them and flat out puts points on the board. Kawhi, Danny, and Jack all have problems creating their own shots nowadays, and having Gary there to get his own 3's off pull ups and create offense for himself without tony or manu setting himself up is huge