timvp
01-26-2013, 07:01 PM
In their first two matchups of the season, the Spurs destroyed the Mavs in both games. The third game between these Texas rivals was more of the same, even though S.A. lacked the services of Tim Duncan and Pop. The Mavs made a run late to make the score respectable (113-107) but this contest was hardly challenging for the good guys.
The Spurs began the contest playing well. A Gary Neal four-point play followed by a DeJuan Blair layup gave San Antonio their first double-digit lead of the game at 23-12. The Mavs started playing better at the end of the first quarter but the Spurs still led 27-20 going into the second.
The Spurs held the Mavs scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter to start the period off on the right foot. The good guys had a lead of between 5 and 12 points for the duration of the second. At half, it was 53-43.
The Spurs exploded offensively to begin the second half. In less than four minutes, they put 19 points on the board to blow it wide open. In total, the Spurs went on a 21-6 run to build a 25-point cushion.
Late in the third, the Mavs cut their deficit down to 17 points. Thankfully, Tony Parker hit back to back jumpers and then spotted Blair for an and-1. The Spurs were up 20, 86-66, heading into the fourth.
With 8:49 remaining, a Danny Green jumper gave the Spurs a 21-point advantage. Unfortunately, the Mavs didn’t want to go quietly. They scored ten straight points to make it an 11-point game with approximately four and a half minutes remaining.
Again, it was Parker to the rescue. His consecutive layups put the Spurs back up by 15 and essentially ended the contest. The Mavs started pressing and trapping fullcourt and scored 11 straight points with less than a minute remaining but San Antonio’s lead was never truly in danger.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box461.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box462.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box463.png
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Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
The evening began ominously when Tony Parker was decked by an Elton Brand elbow that the referees managed to overlook. The result was a pair of lacerations above his eye and three stitches. But instead of sulking or feeling sorry for himself, Parker came back possessed. He played angry the rest of the game -- and the results were very strong. Parker’s scoring was again efficiently great; it seemed like he was always there when the Spurs needed him most. His playmaking was another area of strength, although his passes and ballhandling were a little bit sloppier than usual -- though that's understandable since his eye was swollen for the duration of the game. Parker’s halfcourt defense was stout but he was a bit lax in transition situations at times. All in all, the Frenchman exhibited an admirable amount of moxie. When the best player on the court is also the most courageous, that’s a difficult force to stop. The Mavs, once again, had no answer.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 87.4
Adj. Average: 87.4
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili played eight minutes in the first half before sitting out the second half. The best news is it turns out that Ginobili was a healthy scratch in the second half and will be available to play tonight. During those eight minutes against Dallas, Ginobili looked better physically than he did last game. He was moving freer and with less indecision. Still, he has a long ways to go to regain the high-flying ways he reached prior to the hamstring injury. As for his play, I thought he was fine on the offensive end. He had a couple miscues but his passing was excellent and he didn’t try to do too much. Ginobili’s D could have been better … but I don’t blame him for taking it easy and not risking injury in what was essentially a walk in the park for S.A.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.4
Adj. Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 84.5
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Bad: Kawhi Leonard was 0-for-4 from within the three-point arc. He hesitated with the ball a couple times and tried to do too much at other times. On defense, he was playing a riskier style than usual -- and sometimes it didn’t pay off. The Good: Leonard shot well from deep and his two-point shooting would have been better if his teammates didn’t miss him wide open under the basket on multiple occasions. He rebounded with ferocity. He was a menace in the passing lanes and attacked whenever he saw an exposed basketball. He was attentive about his defensive rotations. Overall, Leonard played hard and was able to make an unmistakable impact even though there were some rough edges.
Final Grade: 86
Season Average: 84.0
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 83.1
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
After a strong defensive second half against the Hornets, Danny Green followed that up with another stellar showing on D. His individual defense was fervent. In halfcourt sets, he virtually never gave up a clean look. He was also using his length to harass ballhandlers and play an antagonistic brand of help defense. On the other end, Green knocked down three-pointers with a smooth stroke and finished the game without a turnover. Where he struggled was going to the rim; Green was 1-for-5 on two-pointers. He really needs to go stronger to the hole and be more willing to absorb contact. His floaters and flips in the lane are too imprecise to rely on, to put it gently.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 82.9
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
You know he’s come a long ways when Tiago Splitter can put together a ho-hum double-double of 13 points and 12 boards. The Brazilian stuck to the basics and was very productive once again. On the first play of the game, Splitter got his shot blocked. He wouldn’t miss again. He was a terror on the glass on both ends and ran the court very well. Splitter wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him in recent outings -- he made some mistakes on offense and his interior D was iffy -- but he filled in admirably for Duncan. He was obviously tired out there at times but that was a result of the heavy lifting, particularly on the boards.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 85.8
Adj. Average: 86.6
Last 10 Average: 89.6
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw’s aggressiveness oscillated wildly during this game. At times, he was as assertive as we’ve witnessed all season. At other times, he wilted into the background. Overall, though, he was more aggressive than usual. His willingness to shoot opened up lanes in the middle for everyone else. Diaw also passed the ball extremely well and did so sans turnover. On defense, he was focused at his job at hand (mostly that was attempting to slow Dirk Nowitzki) and did good work. He challenged shots, got in the right spots and rebounded relatively well.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 82.0
Last 10 Average: 84.1
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
After a number of substandard outings, Gary Neal was much better this game. He filled in for Parker at point guard in the first quarter and did wonderfully. Neal had eight points and four assists in the first quarter to jump-start the team. His passing, court vision and playmaking were all much improved. Scoring-wise, he was crisp throughout the game. He utilized picks well and caught the ball ready to shoot. His shot selection was dicey at times but his overall willingness to attack was a positive that helped the Spurs on this night. On defense, Neal was average, relatively speaking. Not much blatantly good or bad on that end.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 80.9
Last 10 Average: 76.9
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo also got some backup point guard minutes. He wasn’t as successful as Neal but he wasn’t hurting the team. He’s keeping his turnovers to a minimum lately (only one in his last three games) and that’s making him more valuable. De Colo is shooting enough and continues to pass well, especially when there is movement involved. Defensively, he was active and helped out on the boards … but, again, he had a few blatant mistakes. That said, as a rookie, those mistakes are bound to happen.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 81.3
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 79.6
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
After being left for dead by many (including me), DeJuan Blair detonated on Friday night. He looked much, much, much better athletically than he has in more than a month. It was obvious from the first few possessions that he was getting higher off the ground than usual when he jumped. The exclamation point was when he dunked the ball for the first time this season. Throughout the evening, Blair kept running the court hard and diving to the basket after setting picks. The Mavs kept ignoring him. His teammates kept finding him. The outcome was a season-high in points. Defensively, Blair was a ball of energy. That resulted in negatives (namely his five fouls a few blown assignments) but it also helped the Spurs in some circumstances and seemed to play a part in overwhelming the Mavs. All told, it was an encouraging performance from Blair and one that will hopefully reinvigorate his confidence.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 80.1
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 93.0
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Matt Bonner played 18 quiet minutes. He usually positioned himself well defensively -- but the results were usually meager when he was involved. He failed to grab a defensive board, though he did have a slick steal. Offensively, he wasn’t spacing the court well and hesitancy was a concern at times.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 80.1
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 76.0
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Following his quality game against the Hornets, there was hope that Stephen Jackson broke out of his slump. I guess not. He was in full slump-mode against the Mavs. His offense was feeble; he couldn’t do much more than shoot and miss open jumpers. He wasn’t very good on D, although he did crash the boards decently. Most distressing is the fact that he just doesn’t look right. Jackson is moving painfully slow. Either he has gotten old or he’s fighting some sort of injury. Let’s obviously hope for the latter.
Final Grade: 65
Season Average: 80.8
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 78.0
---------------
Bud
http://www.spurstalk.com/bud2012.jpg
Mike Budenholzer improved to 2-0 without playing anyone big minutes on the first night of a back-to-back. Well done. Bonus points for buying extra rest for Ginobili. Bud’s handling of the fourth quarter was a bit questionable at times but it ended up not mattering much.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 89.0
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Offense
The Spurs were solid across the board on the offensive end. Nothing stands out -- positive or negative. (It's a good sign that the Spurs can put up 113 points without any other numbers out of the ordinary.) Avoiding any weaknesses without Duncan or Pop to fall back on is impressive.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 82.0
---------------
Defense
I thought the defense was strong. The Mavs had a few fluke runs in the fourth quarter but other than that the Spurs were more than solid. San Antonio came to compete on this end and didn’t let the Mavs find any consistent grooves in the first three quarters.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 85.6
---------------
Overall
Another very good win. The Mavs had been playing well and had a ton of rest before this game. The short-handed Spurs took it to Dallas and marched out of there with a fairly easy victory. Tonight the Spurs face the Suns. A win here would be a cherry on top of an impressive stretch of games.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 84.3
---------------
The Spurs began the contest playing well. A Gary Neal four-point play followed by a DeJuan Blair layup gave San Antonio their first double-digit lead of the game at 23-12. The Mavs started playing better at the end of the first quarter but the Spurs still led 27-20 going into the second.
The Spurs held the Mavs scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter to start the period off on the right foot. The good guys had a lead of between 5 and 12 points for the duration of the second. At half, it was 53-43.
The Spurs exploded offensively to begin the second half. In less than four minutes, they put 19 points on the board to blow it wide open. In total, the Spurs went on a 21-6 run to build a 25-point cushion.
Late in the third, the Mavs cut their deficit down to 17 points. Thankfully, Tony Parker hit back to back jumpers and then spotted Blair for an and-1. The Spurs were up 20, 86-66, heading into the fourth.
With 8:49 remaining, a Danny Green jumper gave the Spurs a 21-point advantage. Unfortunately, the Mavs didn’t want to go quietly. They scored ten straight points to make it an 11-point game with approximately four and a half minutes remaining.
Again, it was Parker to the rescue. His consecutive layups put the Spurs back up by 15 and essentially ended the contest. The Mavs started pressing and trapping fullcourt and scored 11 straight points with less than a minute remaining but San Antonio’s lead was never truly in danger.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box461.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box462.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box463.png
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
The evening began ominously when Tony Parker was decked by an Elton Brand elbow that the referees managed to overlook. The result was a pair of lacerations above his eye and three stitches. But instead of sulking or feeling sorry for himself, Parker came back possessed. He played angry the rest of the game -- and the results were very strong. Parker’s scoring was again efficiently great; it seemed like he was always there when the Spurs needed him most. His playmaking was another area of strength, although his passes and ballhandling were a little bit sloppier than usual -- though that's understandable since his eye was swollen for the duration of the game. Parker’s halfcourt defense was stout but he was a bit lax in transition situations at times. All in all, the Frenchman exhibited an admirable amount of moxie. When the best player on the court is also the most courageous, that’s a difficult force to stop. The Mavs, once again, had no answer.
Final Grade: 96
Season Average: 87.4
Adj. Average: 87.4
Last 10 Average: 87.6
---------------
Manu Ginobili
http://www.spurstalk.com/mg12.png
Manu Ginobili played eight minutes in the first half before sitting out the second half. The best news is it turns out that Ginobili was a healthy scratch in the second half and will be available to play tonight. During those eight minutes against Dallas, Ginobili looked better physically than he did last game. He was moving freer and with less indecision. Still, he has a long ways to go to regain the high-flying ways he reached prior to the hamstring injury. As for his play, I thought he was fine on the offensive end. He had a couple miscues but his passing was excellent and he didn’t try to do too much. Ginobili’s D could have been better … but I don’t blame him for taking it easy and not risking injury in what was essentially a walk in the park for S.A.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.4
Adj. Average: 84.3
Last 10 Average: 84.5
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
The Bad: Kawhi Leonard was 0-for-4 from within the three-point arc. He hesitated with the ball a couple times and tried to do too much at other times. On defense, he was playing a riskier style than usual -- and sometimes it didn’t pay off. The Good: Leonard shot well from deep and his two-point shooting would have been better if his teammates didn’t miss him wide open under the basket on multiple occasions. He rebounded with ferocity. He was a menace in the passing lanes and attacked whenever he saw an exposed basketball. He was attentive about his defensive rotations. Overall, Leonard played hard and was able to make an unmistakable impact even though there were some rough edges.
Final Grade: 86
Season Average: 84.0
Adj. Average: 83.9
Last 10 Average: 83.1
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
After a strong defensive second half against the Hornets, Danny Green followed that up with another stellar showing on D. His individual defense was fervent. In halfcourt sets, he virtually never gave up a clean look. He was also using his length to harass ballhandlers and play an antagonistic brand of help defense. On the other end, Green knocked down three-pointers with a smooth stroke and finished the game without a turnover. Where he struggled was going to the rim; Green was 1-for-5 on two-pointers. He really needs to go stronger to the hole and be more willing to absorb contact. His floaters and flips in the lane are too imprecise to rely on, to put it gently.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 82.8
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 82.9
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
You know he’s come a long ways when Tiago Splitter can put together a ho-hum double-double of 13 points and 12 boards. The Brazilian stuck to the basics and was very productive once again. On the first play of the game, Splitter got his shot blocked. He wouldn’t miss again. He was a terror on the glass on both ends and ran the court very well. Splitter wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him in recent outings -- he made some mistakes on offense and his interior D was iffy -- but he filled in admirably for Duncan. He was obviously tired out there at times but that was a result of the heavy lifting, particularly on the boards.
Final Grade: 91
Season Average: 85.8
Adj. Average: 86.6
Last 10 Average: 89.6
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw’s aggressiveness oscillated wildly during this game. At times, he was as assertive as we’ve witnessed all season. At other times, he wilted into the background. Overall, though, he was more aggressive than usual. His willingness to shoot opened up lanes in the middle for everyone else. Diaw also passed the ball extremely well and did so sans turnover. On defense, he was focused at his job at hand (mostly that was attempting to slow Dirk Nowitzki) and did good work. He challenged shots, got in the right spots and rebounded relatively well.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 82.0
Last 10 Average: 84.1
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
After a number of substandard outings, Gary Neal was much better this game. He filled in for Parker at point guard in the first quarter and did wonderfully. Neal had eight points and four assists in the first quarter to jump-start the team. His passing, court vision and playmaking were all much improved. Scoring-wise, he was crisp throughout the game. He utilized picks well and caught the ball ready to shoot. His shot selection was dicey at times but his overall willingness to attack was a positive that helped the Spurs on this night. On defense, Neal was average, relatively speaking. Not much blatantly good or bad on that end.
Final Grade: 94
Season Average: 79.9
Adj. Average: 80.9
Last 10 Average: 76.9
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo also got some backup point guard minutes. He wasn’t as successful as Neal but he wasn’t hurting the team. He’s keeping his turnovers to a minimum lately (only one in his last three games) and that’s making him more valuable. De Colo is shooting enough and continues to pass well, especially when there is movement involved. Defensively, he was active and helped out on the boards … but, again, he had a few blatant mistakes. That said, as a rookie, those mistakes are bound to happen.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 81.3
Adj. Average: 83.1
Last 10 Average: 79.6
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
After being left for dead by many (including me), DeJuan Blair detonated on Friday night. He looked much, much, much better athletically than he has in more than a month. It was obvious from the first few possessions that he was getting higher off the ground than usual when he jumped. The exclamation point was when he dunked the ball for the first time this season. Throughout the evening, Blair kept running the court hard and diving to the basket after setting picks. The Mavs kept ignoring him. His teammates kept finding him. The outcome was a season-high in points. Defensively, Blair was a ball of energy. That resulted in negatives (namely his five fouls a few blown assignments) but it also helped the Spurs in some circumstances and seemed to play a part in overwhelming the Mavs. All told, it was an encouraging performance from Blair and one that will hopefully reinvigorate his confidence.
Final Grade: 97
Season Average: 80.1
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 93.0
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
Matt Bonner played 18 quiet minutes. He usually positioned himself well defensively -- but the results were usually meager when he was involved. He failed to grab a defensive board, though he did have a slick steal. Offensively, he wasn’t spacing the court well and hesitancy was a concern at times.
Final Grade: 75
Season Average: 80.1
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 76.0
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Following his quality game against the Hornets, there was hope that Stephen Jackson broke out of his slump. I guess not. He was in full slump-mode against the Mavs. His offense was feeble; he couldn’t do much more than shoot and miss open jumpers. He wasn’t very good on D, although he did crash the boards decently. Most distressing is the fact that he just doesn’t look right. Jackson is moving painfully slow. Either he has gotten old or he’s fighting some sort of injury. Let’s obviously hope for the latter.
Final Grade: 65
Season Average: 80.8
Adj. Average: 81.9
Last 10 Average: 78.0
---------------
Bud
http://www.spurstalk.com/bud2012.jpg
Mike Budenholzer improved to 2-0 without playing anyone big minutes on the first night of a back-to-back. Well done. Bonus points for buying extra rest for Ginobili. Bud’s handling of the fourth quarter was a bit questionable at times but it ended up not mattering much.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 89.0
Last 10 Average: 89.0
---------------
Offense
The Spurs were solid across the board on the offensive end. Nothing stands out -- positive or negative. (It's a good sign that the Spurs can put up 113 points without any other numbers out of the ordinary.) Avoiding any weaknesses without Duncan or Pop to fall back on is impressive.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 82.0
---------------
Defense
I thought the defense was strong. The Mavs had a few fluke runs in the fourth quarter but other than that the Spurs were more than solid. San Antonio came to compete on this end and didn’t let the Mavs find any consistent grooves in the first three quarters.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.2
Last 10 Average: 85.6
---------------
Overall
Another very good win. The Mavs had been playing well and had a ton of rest before this game. The short-handed Spurs took it to Dallas and marched out of there with a fairly easy victory. Tonight the Spurs face the Suns. A win here would be a cherry on top of an impressive stretch of games.
Final Grade: 88
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 84.3
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