Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - March 11

[timvp]

Tim Duncan B+
Aggressive on O but didn't try to do too much. Found the open man and took care of the ball. Interior D was solid. Defended pick-and-rolls better than usual. Ran the court hard. Unspectacular yet quality showing.

Manu Ginobili C
His night was peppered with odd decisions; mentally unsharp. D started out pathetically but got better as game progressed. His playmaking helped out but also had costly turnovers. Not a bad game … but weird.

Kawhi Leonard A
Did all that can be done against Durant. Great energy and concentration on D. The Spurs needed him on O and he delivered. Exhibited immense talent with the ball. Aggression is through the roof -- and that's great.

Danny Green A
Sparked the run that brought the Spurs back into the game. He was nearly flawless on the offensive end. Played smart, knocked down his threes and rarely made a bad decision. D was iffy early but stout late.

Cory Joseph B+
Nothing jawdropping but the sophomore did well. His D was really good -- timely switches, pressured well and physical when needed. Mostly blended in on O but did enough to keep OKC from ignoring him.

Tiago Splitter A+
Wow, what a turnaround from last year's WCF. Outstanding finishing no matter who was defending him. Was patient with the ball and played to his strengths. His versatility on D was key. Great boarding.

Gary Neal B+
His D was terrible early on but eventually improved to "bad". On O, his passing -- though unsightly at times -- was effective. His playmaking skills were an important element. All in all, solid return to the rotation.

Boris Diaw C
Painfully passive early but eventually began to illustrate some heart. Once he dropped a few shots, OKC began guarding him again. Helpful passing but iffy defense, no rebounding and pointless fouls.

Stephen Jackson B
Strong defense; really competed on D no matter where he was on the court. Added needed physicality and competitiveness to the mix. A couple good passes, a few good shots but it's still a struggle on O.

DeJuan Blair C-
Got some minutes in the 1st half but did next to nothing. His decline in athleticism is even more apparent against an uber athletic team like the Thunder.

Pop A
Going to Neal at backup PG was the right move in hindsight. Shortened 2nd half rotations helpful. Feeding Leonard was smart. Effective inbounds plays. As animated on the sidelines as he's been this season.

[hater]

:lol ginobili c

[HarlemHeat37]

Diaw a little bit too low IMO, I would have given up a C+ or B-..he struggled, but his best stretch of production was during a key juncture of the game, where OKC had cut the lead to 1 and the Spurs needed to make a mini-run to re-acquire momentum..Diaw made a few plays to quickly extend the lead back to 6+..

Duncan's grade is too high IMO..I thought the game was moving too quickly for him at times, and he was a step slow at times..

[Brunodf]

:tu

[NASpurs]

:lol ginobili c

"C" is for "crap" tbh.

timvp with the hidden goods.

[Chinook]

The Medium Three came up big tonight. I think they earned an HEB commercial.

[Mugen]

I thought Boris played pretty well. It's nice to see him adjust when OKC wasn't guarding him again in the 1st qtr. Those b2b jumpers in the 3rd were huge IMO and really stymied their run. Those last couple of fouls were typical ThunderRef calls tbh.

Pretty obvious to me that, barring injury, Gary is the backup PG on this team. Don't think theres anything Cory can do about it outside of playing like a superstar for the next couple of weeks.

[LakerHater]

Stephen Jackson B
Strong defense; really competed on D no matter where he was on the court. Added needed physicality and competitiveness to the mix. A couple good passes, a few good shots but it's still a struggle on O.

GREAT to see him have a decent game TBH!

http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/41.gif

[ElNono]

I have Manu at B-, tbh... his first quarter and especially last stretch on the 4th quarter did leave a bad impression though, so I guess that's ok... I thought Timmy struggled pretty much all game. I hate Porkins, but you can't deny he owns the physical game with Tim...

[spurraider21]

thanks timvp :tu

The best part of Tiago's game was his post up game. Rather than just finishing pick and roll like he always does, there were a good number of possessions where they just dumped the ball down low and he went to work, with great results. This will be huge in the playoffs, if we can impose our will with 2 bigs, forcing them to play Perkins big minutes

[KaiRMD1]

Ya know, since Parker couldn't play, Sefolosha had nothing to do and the main strength the Thunder had against the Spurs was null. Perhaps this could be the answer when Sefolosha puts Parker on lock, taking Parker out and letting the rest of the team play without him (minus Bonner). I know that's stupid but just sayin' since putting a long defender on the guy who pushes our offense brings the whole show to a halt.

[Trainwreck2100]

Pop going after Ibaka 1on1 was genius, he's so overrated as a 1 on 1 defender

[Mugen]

Straight post ups to Tim should be the 4th or 5th option against OKC tbh.

[racm]

:lol ginobili c

Turnobili tbh

[racm]

Pop going after Ibaka 1on1 was genius, he's so overrated as a 1 on 1 defender

He's vulnerable to pump fakes.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

tiago did some damn good low post work on ibaka and collison

and I cant get enough of kawhi his progression is through the roof love his left handed dunks

[eDizzle20]

Great game tonight. I don't think you can ask much more from Cojo. He is in their to get the offense into their sets and play tough D, I even liked the floater and fastbreak layup he converted tonight. Kawhi showed more of superstar flashes with his 2nd quarter play. His ball handling has improved so much through the course of the season. Tiago was a beast. He beat down Ibaka in the post and played smart all night. I thought Diaw played pretty well until he picked up ticky-tack fouls against Ibaka. He was able to hit key shots at key times in the 3rd quarter. Great team ball by the Spurs and this was a very exciting victory :toast.

[Pop]

Lol at giving Tim a B+ and Boris a C, we didn't watch the same game, Tim was fumbling almost every pass thrown his way and looked horrid on D while Boris shot the ball and passed well and even made plays on D..

[Pop]

Pop going after Ibaka 1on1 was genius, he's so overrated as a 1 on 1 defender

Lol more like it was retarded to leave him wide open before.

:pop: somehow a genius no matter what.

[Trainwreck2100]

Lol more like it was retarded to leave him wide open before.

:pop: somehow a genius no matter what.

I'm talking on offense not defense

[Pop]

I'm talking on offense not defense

Well we did in the past, it's more on Tiago for improving so much.

[Southwest Texas Fan]

tiago did some damn good low post work on ibaka and collison

and I cant get enough of kawhi his progression is through the roof love his left handed dunks

Kawhi is blossoming right before eyes.

[Pop]

Also typical Green made his shots so he gets a A while Cojo played much better D and should at least get the same grade if not higher...

[TDfan2007]

Tim Duncan B+
Aggressive on O but didn't try to do too much. Found the open man and took care of the ball. Interior D was solid. Defended pick-and-rolls better than usual. Ran the court hard. Unspectacular yet quality showing.

Agree with every grade except for this one. I think Tim deserved a C. He just wasn't sharp enough and didn't compete hard enough, especially in the first half. His lazy post moves and poor one on one defense are starting to become a trend since coming back form injury, and I'm not quite sure why. As you pointed out, his pick and roll D was good, so his mobility seems to be fine. I guess he's just in a decision-making funk, but man watching him post up or play one on one defense is becoming painful.

[Strategic]

Cory Joseph B+
Nothing jawdropping but the sophomore did well. His D was really good -- timely switches, pressured well and physical when needed. Mostly blended in on O but did enough to keep OKC from ignoring him.

Stephen Jackson B
Strong defense; really competed on D no matter where he was on the court. Added needed physicality and competitiveness to the mix. A couple good passes, a few good shots but it's still a struggle on O.



You didn't mention Joseph's turnover total, which I thought was crucial.

Jackson's grade is right except that he helped Durant up off the floor in the second quarter. This should cost him a mark.

[CaptainLate]

Pretty obvious to me that, barring injury, Gary is the backup PG on this team. Don't think theres anything Cory can do about it outside of playing like a superstar for the next couple of weeks.

Gary Neal at backup PG spells disaster over the long haul. He is a small SG, not a ballhandling PG. If you're not going to have a true PG as backup, then I'd rather have Manu there than GNeal. Sheesh, I sure hope CoJo gets some solid PT before TP comes back. We have plenty of others to provide "O". Perhaps there will be times in the playoffs CoJo and GNeal can play together, but the team is better off with CoJo and his "D" than GNeal's "O".

[BatManu20]

If Boris Diaw knocks down his open 3's, our offense is suddenly really dangerous.. The problem is he's a streaky 3-point shooter, so if his first attempt doesn't go in, he usually won't shoot it again. The defense then plays off of him and clogs the lanes. He needs to knock down that shot. It's huge for us.

[spurraider21]

Also typical Green made his shots so he gets a A while Cojo played much better D and should at least get the same grade if not higher...

4-4 from 3? A

[Brunodf]

Gary Neal at backup PG spells disaster over the long haul. He is a small SG, not a ballhandling PG. If you're not going to have a true PG as backup, then I'd rather have Manu there than GNeal. Sheesh, I sure hope CoJo gets some solid PT before TP comes back. We have plenty of others to provide "O". Perhaps there will be times in the playoffs CoJo and GNeal can play together, but the team is better off with CoJo and his "D" than GNeal's "O".
Agreed, CoJo can provide defense vs Westbrick/Bledsoe/Curry, he should be the backup PG...

[SpurPadre]

I thought Boris played pretty well. It's nice to see him adjust when OKC wasn't guarding him again in the 1st qtr. Those b2b jumpers in the 3rd were huge IMO and really stymied their run. Those last couple of fouls were typical ThunderRef calls tbh.

Pretty obvious to me that, barring injury, Gary is the backup PG on this team. Don't think theres anything Cory can do about it outside of playing like a superstar for the next couple of weeks.

I still believe Mills will get some minutes at backup PG during the playoffs to cut into Neal's minutes. De Colo will get garbage time and Joseph will be our cheerleader.

[Chinook]

Also typical Green made his shots so he gets a A while Cojo played much better D and should at least get the same grade if not higher...

Come on, man. Green's second-half defense was great. I don't know if he allowed a bucket in the fourth outside of Westbrook's uncontested fast-break near the end of the game. Green was the third-leading scorer, the second-leading assist-disher, tied for first in steals (and should have had five) in addition to shooting 67 percent. It's a legitimate argument that he was the second-best player on the Spurs tonight.

[cjw]

I thought OKC playing Durant at the 4 would be an issue and prevent us from playing Duncan/Splitter, but Pop was able to let Splitter shadow their worst offensive player (in the stretch I remember, Fisher) and leave Kawhi on KD. If Splitter or help defenders can essentially prevent his man from getting off open threes, it's such an advantage on the other end of the floor where Durant is forced to body up TD/Tiago.

Now when it comes to Miami, Lebron's just a different animal playing at the 4. But we can worry about that when the time comes.

[Spurs_Be_Beastin']

AND
guess what play is #1 on Sportcenters Top 10

[CaptainLate]

I still believe Mills will get some minutes at backup PG during the playoffs to cut into Neal's minutes. De Colo will get garbage time and Joseph will be our cheerleader.

I don't have a problem with PMills getting some backup PG minutes. I think it hurt them that the all wise and powerfull Oz (i.e., Pop) didn't give him minutes in last years playoffs, esp after those last two super regular games he had at the end of last year. But if CoJo continues to perform well while TP is out, I see Pop trusting him enough to give him the backup PG spot. Like Burnodf said, he can provide the "D" vs. other teams' backup PGs.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Kawhi is blossoming right before eyes.

It is so damn beautiful to watch! I fucking love this kid

[skulls138]

Duncan's grade is too high IMO..I thought the game was moving too quickly for him at times, and he was a step slow at times..Theres something to be said about staying out of the way of a good thing and thats what Duncan did, and should be considered when grading him.

[silverblackfan]

Thanks for the grades.
I don't know if Neal or Mills should be playing point guard, especially when Joseph is playing pretty solid ball. OKC had a good first quarter but over all he played quality minutes, especially in the 4th quarter. Give him a few more games and we will know for sure, but CJ seems to be the most complete, and weird as is sounds, experienced point guard.

[John B]

We are a bigger team that's why we have to keep pounding to athletic teams like OKC instead of overly looking for open 3's. Baynes >>> Blair to guard the paint and hurt people attempting layups. Let them think twice. Also making them guard Kawhi and make him attack the rim every time. Great win.

[spurraider21]

2-0 against OKC when Kawhi plays :hat

[Brunodf]

Pop: "If you don't play good defense, you're nothing in this league."
Translation: I made a mistake in the last couple seasons

[spursmartyr]

Critical Juncture in the Game: Westbrook's retarded 42 foot chuck late in the 3rd, with 18 on the shot clock, & when they had the lead cut to 3...

[freetiago]

J1BMAexRwMs

how dare Splitter make a grave mistake like this
i could see why Pop was so angry and didnt play him

putting Neal on westbrook was a key to the game as it caused him to go hero thinking he had an easy matchup
i like Leonards all around game and wanted him being a midrange shooter the day they drafted him
but with Parker he will camp in the corners while Parker has the ball
dont see pop giving him any plays or taking the ball out of his hands
so he needs to start knocking down his 3s
missed 2 wide open ones at the end of the game that Green had to be switched in his position for

[BlackSilver]

Pop going after Ibaka 1on1 was genius, he's so overrated as a 1 on 1 defender
Overrated? He's just awful. My jaw dropped when I saw how passive he was on Tiago's first post-up. Ibaka's like Camby...just comes out of nowhere for a spectacular help defense block. His block of Tiago's layup in the pick and roll later was real nice. His 1 on 1 pathetic D was a revelation.

[TampaDude]

Overrated? He's just awful. My jaw dropped when I saw how passive he was on Tiago's first post-up. Ibaka's like Camby...just comes out of nowhere for a spectacular help defense block. His block of Tiago's layup in the pick and roll later was real nice. His 1 on 1 pathetic D was a revelation.

Yup...and you can be damn sure Pop will exploit that to the fullest if we meet OKC in the playoffs.

[TheGoldStandard]

I knew once he was "healed" Neal would be back in the rotation stinking it up at the PG spot. He's so predictable, can't dribble and picks up the ball way to quickly and gets trapped easily. What a liability in the playoffs if he's at the PG spot instead of coming off the bench for a few bubble screen 3s. The guys just a better version of Roger Mason Jr.

[Darius McCrary]

Kawhi is showing finishing capabilities in the open court, penetration abilities, a crossover to be reckoned with, defends the opposing team's best wing, it's incredible.

[cd021]

The Medium Three came up big tonight. I think they earned an HEB commercial.

I like the "medium 3" nickname.

[cd021]

Kawhi is showing finishing capabilities in the open court, penetration abilities, a crossover to be reckoned with, defends the opposing team's best wing, it's incredible.

His pull up jumper has been impressive to say the least. He is no longer a spot up shooter in the corner. He gonna be a Deng (from the Bulls) but better if everything goes right.

[cd021]

Overrated? He's just awful. My jaw dropped when I saw how passive he was on Tiago's first post-up. Ibaka's like Camby...just comes out of nowhere for a spectacular help defense block. His block of Tiago's layup in the pick and roll later was real nice. His 1 on 1 pathetic D was a revelation.

Once you lower that shoulder, and lean into him he can't do a thing. Collison is the best defender (and big man) on that team IMO.

[Splits]

I thought OKC playing Durant at the 4 would be an issue and prevent us from playing Duncan/Splitter, but Pop was able to let Splitter shadow their worst offensive player (in the stretch I remember, Fisher) and leave Kawhi on KD. If Splitter or help defenders can essentially prevent his man from getting off open threes, it's such an advantage on the other end of the floor where Durant is forced to body up TD/Tiago.

Now when it comes to Miami, Lebron's just a different animal playing at the 4. But we can worry about that when the time comes.

I think there was a stretch in the 2nd quarter where Splitter was also floating around "guarding" Fisher. I noticed a couple of possessions late where the defense was just ignoring him completely. Man, he was useless out there.

But to your point of Pop not playing small when Brooks puts KD at the 4, that was my biggest takeaway from this game. And I sure as shit hope it continues if we get to the WCF.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Kawhi is blossoming right before eyes.


There have been a couple of plays recently where Kawhi is taking guys off the dribble, crossovers and then pulling up for a jumpshot. This guy can now take it to the rack, shoot the three and has a midrange game!

Dare I say he reminds me just a little bit of Kevin Durant.

[TD 21]

I thought OKC playing Durant at the 4 would be an issue and prevent us from playing Duncan/Splitter, but Pop was able to let Splitter shadow their worst offensive player (in the stretch I remember, Fisher) and leave Kawhi on KD. If Splitter or help defenders can essentially prevent his man from getting off open threes, it's such an advantage on the other end of the floor where Durant is forced to body up TD/Tiago.

Now when it comes to Miami, Lebron's just a different animal playing at the 4. But we can worry about that when the time comes.

I knew it wouldn't. Unlike the Heat, who can go to Chalmers/Cole, Allen, Wade, James and Bosh, which would prevent the Spurs from playing Duncan/Splitter simultaneously, the Thunder lack that extra wing threat that would do so. Instead, they've got one of two classic "hiders", Sefolosha/Fisher, to fill that role.

As for the result, I'm not surprised. I thought they'd win and do so relatively comfortably, too. I thought this before the Trail Blazers debacle and my belief was further cemented following that. It also helped that the Thunder were playing their 4th game in 5 nights and that the Spurs were coming off of 2 days off.

The biggest takeaway from this game for me is, they didn't win because Duncan or Ginobili played out of their minds (in fact, outside of Splitter, no one really did . . . you could argue Green, but he's had plenty of games where he's shot lights out), nor did they win because they shot lights out from three. They won because of two strengths of this team, superior scoring depth and stout defense, meaning this is a repeatable formula. That makes the win all the better.

[tesseractive]

Once you lower that shoulder, and lean into him he can't do a thing. Collison is the best defender (and big man) on that team IMO.

If Tiago can bring that every night in the playoffs, we might force OKC to bring Ibaka off the bench, which would hurt them in other ways.

Of course, I think we should also extend some credit tonight to the real unsung hero tonight: Matt Bonner. Without him contributing to the win by doing what he's most effective at, there's no way we notch this victory.

[cd021]

If Tiago can bring that every night in the playoffs, we might force OKC to bring Ibaka off the bench, which would hurt them in other ways.

Of course, I think we should also extend some credit tonight to the real unsung hero tonight: Matt Bonner. Without him contributing to the win by doing what he's most effective at, there's no way we notch this victory.

Splitter looked good in the post. Its interesting to see how diverse the offense is without Parker. More post plays for Twilight and Kawhi and Icy Hot playing with the ball in their hands.
Ibaka does has an intimidation factor. Diaw was looking to put up a shot quickly at the rim. Hoping he wouldn't get blocked. OKC is quicker when he is in the game. Perkins should get benched for Collison. I read somewhere he has the worst T.O % in league history. He reminds me of the guy you pick on a pick up game and all your teammates agree to not pass him the ball before the game starts.

It fascinates me how in one series Bonner could be a rotation player but in another series he could be a bench warmer while Blair gets burn. And in another series both gets benched for Diaw and or Jackson.

[LakerHater]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzBzP3_IPIM

[Pasta Batman]

Also Diaw should have a better grade. he got a few ticky tack fouls, but his offense in the second half was critical, especially with OKC made their run.

[Pasta Batman]

I knew once he was "healed" Neal would be back in the rotation stinking it up at the PG spot. He's so predictable, can't dribble and picks up the ball way to quickly and gets trapped easily. What a liability in the playoffs if he's at the PG spot instead of coming off the bench for a few bubble screen 3s. The guys just a better version of Roger Mason Jr.

Well CJ has to start right now, so Neal has to play. Now, if CJ can keep up his competent play, he has a chance.

[dylankerouac]

Come on, man. Green's second-half defense was great. I don't know if he allowed a bucket in the fourth outside of Westbrook's uncontested fast-break near the end of the game. Green was the third-leading scorer, the second-leading assist-disher, tied for first in steals (and should have had five) in addition to shooting 67 percent. It's a legitimate argument that he was the second-best player on the Spurs tonight.

And Green had that nice dunk, not enough props for the guy who had trouble finishing only a few weeks ago.

[MR-Clutch]

I think the spurs took some notes from the heat. They were playing rough defense on durant,and harassed him every time he had the ball, even at half court. They were frustrating him, and made him make a lot of decisions with the ball.

With each passing game, Kawhi continues to make me question what his ceiling is. His dribbling,jumpshot, and fundamentals just looked so fluid and he's becoming more confident each game. I find myself constantly wanting the ball in his hands just to see how much of much of load he can carry us on offense. I honestly believe he has the talent, smarts, and work ethic to be a top 10-20 player in this league.

If we beat OKC in a series it's going to be because the medium 3 step up to the spotlight.

[Pasta Batman]

I think the spurs took some notes from the heat. They were playing rough defense on durant,and harassed him every time he had the ball, even at half court. They were frustrating him, and made him make a lot of decisions with the ball.


They no longer have Harden, their guy they could fall back on. They'll miss that in the post season. Now Durant and Westbrook have to carry a bigger load.

[Obstructed_View]

It's looking like, barring further injury, Mills and De Colo have front row seats for the playoffs.

[Pasta Batman]

It's looking like, barring further injury, Mills and De Colo have front row seats for the playoffs.

CJ's doing a pretty good job on a more consistent basis. That's big for him, bad for them.

[therealtruth]

Hopefully TP's return doesn't kill Kawhi and Tiago's aggressiveness. Pop could have developed Tiago more last season. That's all on him. I called him out at the time that not developing Tiago was a mistake that would cost them in the playoffs. You need to be able to score from the low post in the playoffs. It allows you to control the game more.

[Obstructed_View]

CJ's doing a pretty good job on a more consistent basis. That's big for him, bad for them.

Precisely. Neal showing signs of both life and health are also going to hurt them.

[tasmanianfan94]

So glad we won today after that abysmal loss to the Blazers

[Brazil]

I pretty much agree with those saying Tim's grade is too high and Diaw's one is too low.
I am fine with Manu getting a C, he had a tough night but he was key at some critical moments and contributed positively overall imho

[Brazil]

Bustell Westbrick A++

One of his best outing for the Spurs. Getting raped by Gary Neal in D was decisive for the outcome of the game. His relentless pursuit of his own shot was also key to help the good guys limit KD O production.

[therealtruth]

CJ's doing a pretty good job on a more consistent basis. That's big for him, bad for them.

I'm wondering if CJ can hold the backup PG spot when TP returns of if he goes back out of the rotation. At least Pop is continuing to start him in favor of Neal.

[EVAY]

Duncan's grade was way too high, imo. He was hesitant and poor on defense all night. Nothing better than a C, imo.

Ginobili had a couple of brain farts, to be sure, but he always brings energy (which is more than Tim has done for the last several games).

Cojo had 2 basket attempts and one assist to three fouls and he gets a B+? Come on, had DeColo had those stats he would have been roasted in the grades.

Cojo has to be more aggressive on offense in the playoffs to be the backup, or teams will just sag off of him. If you beat up on Diaw and deColo for not taking many shots, I don't know how you can reward Cojo for the same thing.

Diaw was better than his grade, imo.

[rjv]

i loved the stare down pop gave manu after manu's hideous pass to leonard that sailed out of bounds. the best thing about this win is what it showcased-the big 3 lacked parker and manu and tim were supporting actors. this was all about joseph, splitter, green and leonard. that's a hell of a young future squad one can build around !

[travis2]

Pretty obvious to me that, barring injury, Gary is the backup PG on this team. Don't think theres anything Cory can do about it outside of playing like a superstar for the next couple of weeks.

Neal may have been the backup PG on paper, but most of the time he actually played SG, with Manu picking up the PG role. Which Manu can handle fine as long as he's not smoking something like he was last night.


It's looking like, barring further injury, Mills and De Colo have front row seats for the playoffs.

Agreed. De Colo evidently has himself in Pop's doghouse between his erratic play and his unwillingness to take a Toros assignment. Mills can play the point, but CoJo is better, imho.

Seems to me the final PG rotation is/should be TP/CoJo/Manu. Let Neal play SG like he's supposed to. If Mills and Manu are on the court at the same time, they could conceivably switch off.

[rjv]

Neal may have been the backup PG on paper, but most of the time he actually played SG, with Manu picking up the PG role. Which Manu can handle fine as long as he's not smoking something like he was last night.



Agreed. De Colo evidently has himself in Pop's doghouse between his erratic play and his unwillingness to take a Toros assignment. Mills can play the point, but CoJo is better, imho.

Seems to me the final PG rotation is/should be TP/CoJo/Manu. Let Neal play SG like he's supposed to. If Mills and Manu are on the court at the same time, they could conceivably switch off.


i love manu but he pissed me off last night with his constant shaking his head and throwing his hands up in the air. he just seemed out of focus although he never stopped competing. and de colo is on his way to being the next beno if he doesn't watch it.

[Obstructed_View]

De Colo has a fraction of the talent Beno has. Beno was lazy, and the Spurs made a mistake thinking they could coach that out of him. De Colo may or may not be a legit NBA caliber player, but likely can't be on a team that's rediscovered defense.

[rjv]

De Colo has a fraction of the talent Beno has. Beno was lazy, and the Spurs made a mistake thinking they could coach that out of him. De Colo may or may not be a legit NBA caliber player, but likely can't be on a team that's rediscovered defense.

i would say de colo is a better passer and ball handler but beno was a much better shooter. just not sure if de colo is the party animal beno was.

[superbigtime]

Good things happen when Bonner doesn't play.

[superbigtime]

It's looking like, barring further injury, Mills and De Colo have front row seats for the playoffs.

Good. Mills can be a sparkplug paired w Manu or Parker. De Colo will just turn it over.

[foodie2]

Bustell Westbrick A++

One of his best outing for the Spurs. Getting raped by Gary Neal in D was decisive for the outcome of the game. His relentless pursuit of his own shot was also key to help the good guys limit KD O production.

Agree with this grade. Derek Fisher should get an A++ as well.

[Aztecfan03]

I'm wondering if CJ can hold the backup PG spot when TP returns of if he goes back out of the rotation. At least Pop is continuing to start him in favor of Neal.

CJ works best with the starting lineup because they need someone who can handle the ball there. Pop might not see him needed in the backup lineup since manu is there, but we will see.

[Pasta Batman]

I'm wondering if CJ can hold the backup PG spot when TP returns of if he goes back out of the rotation. At least Pop is continuing to start him in favor of Neal.

I think he can. His D and level headedness is a good thing. I think he can also play with Manu. This allows Manu to shift back and forth (to PG/SG on offense/defense) and also save him on D. This is big against an athletic team like OKC. Also, it can help reduce some of the risky plays Manu sometimes over does, especially against OKC where it can lead to 2 easy points.



Neal may have been the backup PG on paper, but most of the time he actually played SG, with Manu picking up the PG role. Which Manu can handle fine as long as he's not smoking something like he was last night.

Agreed. De Colo evidently has himself in Pop's doghouse between his erratic play and his unwillingness to take a Toros assignment. Mills can play the point, but CoJo is better, imho.

Seems to me the final PG rotation is/should be TP/CoJo/Manu. Let Neal play SG like he's supposed to. If Mills and Manu are on the court at the same time, they could conceivably switch off.

Yes, Neal was backup on D, but 2 guard on offense. De Colo needs another summer to continue to work on his shot and work with strength coach Chad Forcier. Neal should play when he's on, but if D is horrid, CJ should get time with Manu.


De Colo has a fraction of the talent Beno has. Beno was lazy, and the Spurs made a mistake thinking they could coach that out of him. De Colo may or may not be a legit NBA caliber player, but likely can't be on a team that's rediscovered defense.

De Colo's shot was always very raw. He's gotten better over the season, but still needs at least one summer. Also, since De Colo is like a combo guard, it takes a while to learn the system. He has a chance and the promise is there. It's up to work ethic and having time. I hope he plays in the summer league and works a lot with the coaches over the summer like Kawhi and CJ did.


CJ works best with the starting lineup because they need someone who can handle the ball there. Pop might not see him needed in the backup lineup since manu is there, but we will see.

Manu is bad handling it all the time (in smaller stretches works). He takes too many chances sometimes when sometimes you just need to run the offense. Also, CJ can play D on the better offensive player. With CJ and Manu, they can interchange on offense/defense. Neal played bad D on Westbrook, but he also couldn't hit some shots. CJ was far better to play D on him. Unfortunately he got some ticky tack fouls in the 1st half which reduced his minutes.

Both CJ and Neal deserve time.

[ace3g]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/spursinfographic130311

[007nites]

Timmy looked bad out there. He had no flow to his game. He plays the most fluid with Parker in the lineup. There pick and pop game is so smooth.

[ace3g]

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