timvp
02-06-2013, 07:01 PM
Did this game really take place? Technically, I guess it did -- but Spurs fans were too busy fretting the fallen franchise player to care much about what was going on. Besides, when Tim Duncan went down with what was seemingly a serious injury, the Spurs were already pounding the Wizards 40-23 with 3:54 remaining in the first half.
Let’s pick it up there. Before Spurs fans had their hopes flash before their eyes, the good guys were dominating -- particularly on D. At intermission, San Antonio was up 51-26; Washington shot only 26.2% in the first half. With a 25-point lead going into the final two quarters, I think we can forgive the Spurs for thinking more about Duncan’s fate rather than finishing off the Wizards.
The third quarter actually started out well. Five minutes in, Tony Parker put the Spurs up by 27 points with a jumper. Unfortunately, that’s when things began to turn. The Wizards outscored the Spurs 19-4 in the final 6:11 of the third to make it a 12-point affair heading into the closing 12 minutes.
Washington furthered their run by scoring 11 of the fourth quarter’s first 16 points to make it 73-67 with eight and a half minutes remaining. Thankfully, the Spurs awoke from their trauma-induced slumber. Over the next five minutes, San Antonio went on an 11-4 run to make it a 13-point ballgame once again. The Wizards kept going hard but never made it competitive again and the Spurs were able to extend their winning streak to ten games with the 96-86 victory.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box491.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box492.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box493.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Before Tim Duncan went down with what turned out to be relatively minor injuries to his right ankle and left knee, he was actually doing quite well. It was his first game in nearly two weeks -- he had been sidelined with a sore left knee -- but Duncan didn't exhibit much rust. Defensively, he was strong in the paint, rebounded well and protected the hoop. On offense, his jumper looked great, he was passing well and appeared to be in a groove from the opening minutes. Perhaps most important are the subjective observations: Duncan was moving without hesitation,he was quick off his feet and he ran the court well. Let’s hope the scary incident against Washington turns out to be a minor bump in the road.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 89.5
Adj. Average: 89.7
Last 10 Average: 93.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Tony Parker was great in the first half. In 15 minutes, he had 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting, while adding five assists, four rebounds and only one turnover. Heading into the second half, Parker had connected on 29 of his previous 35 shots from the field dating back to the Mavericks game. Wow! The Frenchman’s play wasn't nearly as crisp after halftime. He got a bit loose with the ball, his intensity wavered and he played a role in San Antonio losing the lead. That said, he recovered well late in the fourth. And, again, Duncan’s situation made the lack of mental focus understandable.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 87.7
Adj. Average: 87.7
Last 10 Average: 92.3
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
I thought this was one of Tiago Splitter’s better defensive games of the season. He was strong against pick-and-roll sets and was oftentimes dominant when defending the low-block. Splitter did well to play physical defense without fouling. His rebounding wasn't noteworthy but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Offensively, Splitter was efficient. He took advantage of his touches, finished with a combination of skill and imagination, kept his mistakes to a minimum, and consistently set great screens. The Brazilian continues to shine as his confidence grows by the day.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 88.5
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
Offensively, it was a roller-coaster ride for Kawhi Leonard. He started off the game with three straight misses before sinking a three-pointer on his fourth and final shot of the first quarter. In the second quarter, he got up four more shots -- making half. In the third and fourth quarters, Leonard got only one field goal attempt (a miss) in 19 minutes of action. All told, it was a strange and not particularly effective performance on the offensive end. Defensively, he was better. Rebounding was the brightest spot; his 11 boards were a season high. Leonard’s individual D was above average and he was active while attending to his team-defense responsibilities.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.5
Adj. Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 85.8
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green went a perfect 4-for-4 on two-pointers including a dunk after stealing the opening tip. Since Green isn’t exactly known for his finishing ability, going 4-for-4 is certainly notable. The rest of his offense was decent. He didn’t hesitate on his three-pointers and had a couple quality passes, however his four turnovers put a damper on his usefulness. Green’s defense was solid, especially in the first half. He didn’t do anything too special but he stuck to the gameplan and didn’t deviate, which has been an issue with him.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 82.5
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw played a sturdy game across the board. He was better than normal rebounding-wise, passed well, played with sufficient aggression and was lively on D. Diaw wasn’t great in any area but the Spurs would love if he could remain this steady. Going forward, he’ll have to step into more minutes with Duncan down. The Frenchman appears ready for the added duties.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 81.5
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Playing backup shooting guard due to Manu Ginobili sitting out with a tight hamstring, Gary Neal was subpar but wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen him recently. His shot selection was mostly fine and it’s a positive that Neal hasn’t lost any confidence despite his struggles as of late. Defensively, he had a few poor possessions but was decent enough overall. Outside of shooting and the occasional effort on D, Neal really didn’t do much. No assists, no rebounding -- nothing but a turnover. I’m not sure how or why but he’s becoming more one-dimensional as this season progresses.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 79.3
Adj. Average: 80.5
Last 10 Average: 75.6
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Stephen Jackson mostly stayed out of the way against the Wizards. He missed his trio of three-pointers but connected on both of his two-pointers. Jackson had a couple good passes but none led to assists … but at least he kept his turnovers in check. Defensively, Jackson competed but the results were mixed. Let’s hope that he finds some sort of rhythm in the coming weeks that allows the 34-year-old to be something more than an ornament when he’s on the court.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 80.6
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 77.5
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
DeJuan Blair had played surprisingly well in recent stints in the rotation. That, regrettably, wasn’t the case against Washington. Offensively, he bit off more than he could chew. Instead of blending into the offensive attack, Blair was too willing to break the sets. On D, he made a few positive plays with his hands but his positioning was poor and his rotations were slow. Worst of all, the athleticism Blair exhibited in recent weeks appears to have deteriorated. He was back to barely being able to jump or move laterally .
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 80.3
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 89.3
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
The #letbonnershoot campaigners probably aren’t thrilled that Matt Bonner is only 2-for-14 on three-pointers since the campaign kicked into full gear. Too bad there isn’t a two-point shooting contest because Bonner is actually 7-for-10 on twos over the same time frame. Versus the Wizards, Bonner wasn’t especially good or bad. He hustled on defense but didn’t make much of an impact on that end. The Spurs need him to regain his three-point range before he’ll be of much use on offense.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 80.0
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo got the first crack at backup point guard. He wasn’t terrible but he also wasn’t good. He was too loose with the basketball and he’s now made only two of his last ten shots from the field. De Colo authored a few heady passes and defended relatively well but he’s going to have to play a steadier brand of ball to keep the backup point guard gig.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 82.8
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills got seven sporadic minutes against the Wizards … and wasn’t able to move the needle. He hit all four of his free throws late when Washington was purposefully fouling. His passing and ballhandling were slightly better than normal. On the other hand, his D lacked substance and he missed both of his shots from the floor.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 82.6
Last 10 Average: 80.4
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
It’s not easy coaching a distracted squad. Usually I would complain about the jumbled rotation Pop utilized but under these unique conditions, the randomness was largely due to Pop searching for a spark. While he wasn’t able to find a magic potion, the Spurs also survived their poor second half without breaking too much of a sweat.
Final Grade: 83
Season Average: 84.0
Last 10 Average: 85.3
---------------
Offense
The offense was fine in the first half. It fell off the rails in the second half. For the game, nothing stands out as particularly strong. They scored less than a point per possession, didn’t shoot well from deep, didn’t get to the line much, didn’t score much on the break, were poor on the offensive glass and didn’t pass it especially well. The saving grace was the 56.9% shooting on two-pointers.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.0
Last 10 Average: 84.2
---------------
Defense
The disparity between the first and second half was even larger on the defensive end. After giving up only 26 points in the first half, the Wizards exploded for 60 points in the second half. Despite the lowly second half, the first half was so wonderful that the Spurs still grade out as above average on D for the night. The Spurs defended the three-point line well, rebounded well and were able to clamp down when needed.
Final Grade: 86
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 87.7
---------------
Overall
I don’t think anyone will think about this game other than to point out how Duncan and the Spurs were apparently able to dodge a bullet. Let us all be grateful that this didn’t go down as the day the season ended. The play was uninspiring in the second half but San Antonio got the job done before heading out on the 2013 Rodeo Road Trip.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 86.9
---------------
Let’s pick it up there. Before Spurs fans had their hopes flash before their eyes, the good guys were dominating -- particularly on D. At intermission, San Antonio was up 51-26; Washington shot only 26.2% in the first half. With a 25-point lead going into the final two quarters, I think we can forgive the Spurs for thinking more about Duncan’s fate rather than finishing off the Wizards.
The third quarter actually started out well. Five minutes in, Tony Parker put the Spurs up by 27 points with a jumper. Unfortunately, that’s when things began to turn. The Wizards outscored the Spurs 19-4 in the final 6:11 of the third to make it a 12-point affair heading into the closing 12 minutes.
Washington furthered their run by scoring 11 of the fourth quarter’s first 16 points to make it 73-67 with eight and a half minutes remaining. Thankfully, the Spurs awoke from their trauma-induced slumber. Over the next five minutes, San Antonio went on an 11-4 run to make it a 13-point ballgame once again. The Wizards kept going hard but never made it competitive again and the Spurs were able to extend their winning streak to ten games with the 96-86 victory.
http://www.spurstalk.com/box491.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box492.png
http://www.spurstalk.com/box493.png
---------------
Tim Duncan
http://www.spurstalk.com/td12.png
Before Tim Duncan went down with what turned out to be relatively minor injuries to his right ankle and left knee, he was actually doing quite well. It was his first game in nearly two weeks -- he had been sidelined with a sore left knee -- but Duncan didn't exhibit much rust. Defensively, he was strong in the paint, rebounded well and protected the hoop. On offense, his jumper looked great, he was passing well and appeared to be in a groove from the opening minutes. Perhaps most important are the subjective observations: Duncan was moving without hesitation,he was quick off his feet and he ran the court well. Let’s hope the scary incident against Washington turns out to be a minor bump in the road.
Final Grade: 92
Season Average: 89.5
Adj. Average: 89.7
Last 10 Average: 93.0
---------------
Tony Parker
http://www.spurstalk.com/tp12.png
Tony Parker was great in the first half. In 15 minutes, he had 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting, while adding five assists, four rebounds and only one turnover. Heading into the second half, Parker had connected on 29 of his previous 35 shots from the field dating back to the Mavericks game. Wow! The Frenchman’s play wasn't nearly as crisp after halftime. He got a bit loose with the ball, his intensity wavered and he played a role in San Antonio losing the lead. That said, he recovered well late in the fourth. And, again, Duncan’s situation made the lack of mental focus understandable.
Final Grade: 90
Season Average: 87.7
Adj. Average: 87.7
Last 10 Average: 92.3
---------------
Tiago Splitter
http://www.spurstalk.com/ts12.png
I thought this was one of Tiago Splitter’s better defensive games of the season. He was strong against pick-and-roll sets and was oftentimes dominant when defending the low-block. Splitter did well to play physical defense without fouling. His rebounding wasn't noteworthy but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Offensively, Splitter was efficient. He took advantage of his touches, finished with a combination of skill and imagination, kept his mistakes to a minimum, and consistently set great screens. The Brazilian continues to shine as his confidence grows by the day.
Final Grade: 93
Season Average: 85.7
Adj. Average: 86.3
Last 10 Average: 88.5
---------------
Kawhi Leonard
http://www.spurstalk.com/kl12.png
Offensively, it was a roller-coaster ride for Kawhi Leonard. He started off the game with three straight misses before sinking a three-pointer on his fourth and final shot of the first quarter. In the second quarter, he got up four more shots -- making half. In the third and fourth quarters, Leonard got only one field goal attempt (a miss) in 19 minutes of action. All told, it was a strange and not particularly effective performance on the offensive end. Defensively, he was better. Rebounding was the brightest spot; his 11 boards were a season high. Leonard’s individual D was above average and he was active while attending to his team-defense responsibilities.
Final Grade: 87
Season Average: 84.5
Adj. Average: 84.5
Last 10 Average: 85.8
---------------
Danny Green
http://www.spurstalk.com/dg12.png
Danny Green went a perfect 4-for-4 on two-pointers including a dunk after stealing the opening tip. Since Green isn’t exactly known for his finishing ability, going 4-for-4 is certainly notable. The rest of his offense was decent. He didn’t hesitate on his three-pointers and had a couple quality passes, however his four turnovers put a damper on his usefulness. Green’s defense was solid, especially in the first half. He didn’t do anything too special but he stuck to the gameplan and didn’t deviate, which has been an issue with him.
Final Grade: 85
Season Average: 82.5
Adj. Average: 83.0
Last 10 Average: 82.5
---------------
Boris Diaw
http://www.spurstalk.com/bd12.png
Boris Diaw played a sturdy game across the board. He was better than normal rebounding-wise, passed well, played with sufficient aggression and was lively on D. Diaw wasn’t great in any area but the Spurs would love if he could remain this steady. Going forward, he’ll have to step into more minutes with Duncan down. The Frenchman appears ready for the added duties.
Final Grade: 89
Season Average: 81.5
Adj. Average: 82.3
Last 10 Average: 84.6
---------------
Gary Neal
http://www.spurstalk.com/gn12.png
Playing backup shooting guard due to Manu Ginobili sitting out with a tight hamstring, Gary Neal was subpar but wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen him recently. His shot selection was mostly fine and it’s a positive that Neal hasn’t lost any confidence despite his struggles as of late. Defensively, he had a few poor possessions but was decent enough overall. Outside of shooting and the occasional effort on D, Neal really didn’t do much. No assists, no rebounding -- nothing but a turnover. I’m not sure how or why but he’s becoming more one-dimensional as this season progresses.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 79.3
Adj. Average: 80.5
Last 10 Average: 75.6
---------------
Stephen Jackson
http://www.spurstalk.com/sj12.png
Stephen Jackson mostly stayed out of the way against the Wizards. He missed his trio of three-pointers but connected on both of his two-pointers. Jackson had a couple good passes but none led to assists … but at least he kept his turnovers in check. Defensively, Jackson competed but the results were mixed. Let’s hope that he finds some sort of rhythm in the coming weeks that allows the 34-year-old to be something more than an ornament when he’s on the court.
Final Grade: 78
Season Average: 80.6
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 77.5
---------------
DeJuan Blair
http://www.spurstalk.com/db12.png
DeJuan Blair had played surprisingly well in recent stints in the rotation. That, regrettably, wasn’t the case against Washington. Offensively, he bit off more than he could chew. Instead of blending into the offensive attack, Blair was too willing to break the sets. On D, he made a few positive plays with his hands but his positioning was poor and his rotations were slow. Worst of all, the athleticism Blair exhibited in recent weeks appears to have deteriorated. He was back to barely being able to jump or move laterally .
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 80.3
Adj. Average: 81.5
Last 10 Average: 89.3
---------------
Matt Bonner
http://www.spurstalk.com/mb12.png
The #letbonnershoot campaigners probably aren’t thrilled that Matt Bonner is only 2-for-14 on three-pointers since the campaign kicked into full gear. Too bad there isn’t a two-point shooting contest because Bonner is actually 7-for-10 on twos over the same time frame. Versus the Wizards, Bonner wasn’t especially good or bad. He hustled on defense but didn’t make much of an impact on that end. The Spurs need him to regain his three-point range before he’ll be of much use on offense.
Final Grade: 79
Season Average: 80.0
Adj. Average: 81.7
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Nando De Colo
http://www.spurstalk.com/ndc12.png
Nando De Colo got the first crack at backup point guard. He wasn’t terrible but he also wasn’t good. He was too loose with the basketball and he’s now made only two of his last ten shots from the field. De Colo authored a few heady passes and defended relatively well but he’s going to have to play a steadier brand of ball to keep the backup point guard gig.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 81.1
Adj. Average: 82.8
Last 10 Average: 79.3
---------------
Patrick Mills
http://www.spurstalk.com/pm12.png
Patrick Mills got seven sporadic minutes against the Wizards … and wasn’t able to move the needle. He hit all four of his free throws late when Washington was purposefully fouling. His passing and ballhandling were slightly better than normal. On the other hand, his D lacked substance and he missed both of his shots from the floor.
Final Grade: 80
Season Average: 82.7
Adj. Average: 82.6
Last 10 Average: 80.4
---------------
Pop
http://www.spurstalk.com/gp12.png
It’s not easy coaching a distracted squad. Usually I would complain about the jumbled rotation Pop utilized but under these unique conditions, the randomness was largely due to Pop searching for a spark. While he wasn’t able to find a magic potion, the Spurs also survived their poor second half without breaking too much of a sweat.
Final Grade: 83
Season Average: 84.0
Last 10 Average: 85.3
---------------
Offense
The offense was fine in the first half. It fell off the rails in the second half. For the game, nothing stands out as particularly strong. They scored less than a point per possession, didn’t shoot well from deep, didn’t get to the line much, didn’t score much on the break, were poor on the offensive glass and didn’t pass it especially well. The saving grace was the 56.9% shooting on two-pointers.
Final Grade: 77
Season Average: 84.0
Last 10 Average: 84.2
---------------
Defense
The disparity between the first and second half was even larger on the defensive end. After giving up only 26 points in the first half, the Wizards exploded for 60 points in the second half. Despite the lowly second half, the first half was so wonderful that the Spurs still grade out as above average on D for the night. The Spurs defended the three-point line well, rebounded well and were able to clamp down when needed.
Final Grade: 86
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 87.7
---------------
Overall
I don’t think anyone will think about this game other than to point out how Duncan and the Spurs were apparently able to dodge a bullet. Let us all be grateful that this didn’t go down as the day the season ended. The play was uninspiring in the second half but San Antonio got the job done before heading out on the 2013 Rodeo Road Trip.
Final Grade: 82
Season Average: 84.4
Last 10 Average: 86.9
---------------