Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Lakers - Round 1, Game 2

[timvp]

Tim Duncan B-
The Spurs won Game 2 without a great outing from Duncan. He had his moments -- particularly on the defensive end -- but he was far from his best. On O, I thought he held the ball too long and his passes were late. His D was solid but his rebounding was lacking. The best news is he looked great physically.

Manu Ginobili A
I thought his Game 1 play was fluke-ish. I'm going to have to change my tune after seeing Ginobili do it again. I thought he was actually a lot better this game. He was moving very well, his D was tenacious, he created well on O and simply looks surprisingly sharp in all aspects. I'm stunned by his play so far in the postseason.

Tony Parker A-
Parker held back in the first half and it was difficult to tell if he was hurting or was just being patient. Thankfully, it ended up being the latter because he looked pretty darn good in the final two quarters. He appeared to be about 85% healthy as he poured in 15 third quarter points. I also liked his D and his mindfulness with the ball.

Kawhi Leonard A
After a bashful Game 1, Leonard went full force in Game 2. I loved his aggression and his courageousness. He didn't care whose toes he was stepping on -- he just attacked. The results were positive. He played a rabid style of D. On O, he was more dynamic than usual and provided a valuable boost.

Danny Green C+
His stats don't look good but I'm not worried about Green yet. To shine, he needs open looks from beyond the three-point line -- and he just didn't get any. It's difficult to blame Green for that. And though the rest of his O was admittedly lackluster, his D was about average -- with a few bright spots mixed in.

Tiago Splitter C-
Better … not outstanding … but better. He played with more physicality, even if there's still a lot of room for improvement. Although, not pulling down a defensive board is pretty unforgivable. On offense, Splitter was too sloppy and struggled to aid the cause other than when he had open shots at the rim.

Matt Bonner A+
Amazing! Considering the stage, that was the best I've ever seen Matt Bonner play. It's difficult to explain it in words. Basically, Bonner was everything anyone could have ever wanted him to be. On D, he was extremely physical, rotated brilliantly, gave ferocious effort on the boards and utilized his peskiness to disrupt the Lakers offense. On offense, he made quick decisions and was a threat whenever he touched it. I'm not sure what's gotten into him but let us wish with our entire collective might that this version of Bonner sticks around for the duration of the playoff run.

Gary Neal B
His D was excruciatingly bad at times -- especially on closeouts -- but overall he was a positive. On offense, he didn't fire mindlessly and instead picked his spots relatively well. He also passed it enough to keep L.A. guessing. And while his D was poor, I liked his effort in the paint when going for boards and boxing out.

Cory Joseph A-
His stats don't paint much of a picture but I was again thrilled with how Joseph played. On offense, he pushed the pace, found open teammates without delay and moved with purpose. The Lakers were forced to defend him because he was making hard cuts to the basket. On D, he battled his heart out when caught on switches, pressured the ball well out on the perimeter and crashed the backboard. It doesn't look like much but he's doing exactly what he needs to be doing right now.

DeJuan Blair B
Given his up-and-down nature, I'll take it as a positive that Blair didn't make much of an impact either way. I actually liked his fight on D. There aren't any easy covers for him in this series but he again used his deceptive quickness and long arms to deter the action a handful of times. On offense, he set sturdy screens and otherwise stayed out of the way.

Pop A
I don't have a nit to pick with Pop right now. Every button he pushed seemed to work. His rotation was just about perfect. Going away from Hack-a-Howard in this game was the right move. His plays out of timeouts worked well. His defensive schemes are disruptive. Two games in and Pop looks brilliant.

[lefty20]

Too generous for the dancing bear.

[siraulo23]

More like game thoughts than quick grades

Good read

[ElNono]

thanks lj... go get your cake!

[Brunodf]

:tu
Neal/Blair/Pop too high

[DAF86]

Pop A
I don't have a nit to pick with Pop right now. Every button he pushed seemed to work. His rotation was just about perfect. Going away from Hack-a-Howard in this game was the right move. His plays out of timeouts worked well. His defensive schemes are disruptive. Two games in and Pop looks brilliant.

So you didn't think anything of that No Tony/Manu line-up in the first half or the use of the turd-towers?

[100%duncan]

Thanks and Happy Birthday :toast

[Man In Black]

DG get's a D+ from me. His decision making was horrid. He seemed to methodical and just didn't let the game flow to him. Is he distracted by the spectacle of the playoffs? Maybe, but he needs to get over it quick. Up 2-0 going back to LA doesn't mean this series is over. We want to believe in your offense, now go put the work in DG.

[100%duncan]

So you didn't think anything of that No Tony/Manu line-up in the first half or the use of the turd-towers?

TD had to rest. Bonner was playing great. Splitter was on foul trouble, Diaw's injured, Baynes' too inexperienced guess who's left? Yeah.

[DAF86]

TD had to rest. Bonner was playing great. Splitter was on foul trouble, Diaw's injured, Baynes' too inexperienced guess who's left? Yeah.

I would have played Baynes.

[spurraider21]

Matt Bonner A+
Amazing! Considering the stage, that was the best I've ever seen Matt Bonner play. It's difficult to explain it in words. Basically, Bonner was everything anyone could have ever wanted him to be. On D, he was extremely physical, rotated brilliantly, gave ferocious effort on the boards and utilized his peskiness to disrupt the Lakers offense. On offense, he made quick decisions and was a threat whenever he touched it. I'm not sure what's gotten into him but let us wish with our entire collective might that this version of Bonner sticks around for the duration of the playoff run.

Gary Neal B
His D was excruciatingly bad at times -- especially on closeouts -- but overall he was a positive. On offense, he didn't fire mindlessly and instead picked his spots relatively well. He also passed it enough to keep L.A. guessing. And while his D was poor, I liked his effort in the paint when going for boards and boxing out.

Pop A
I don't have a nit to pick with Pop right now. Every button he pushed seemed to work. His rotation was just about perfect. Going away from Hack-a-Howard in this game was the right move. His plays out of timeouts worked well. His defensive schemes are disruptive. Two games in and Pop looks brilliant.

paranoid pop throwing an absolute shit fit right about now :lmao

[Cry Havoc]

Tony Parker - B. Poor in the first half. However, he came out super aggressive in the second half and completely dictated the pace of play. Got to the line 2x as many as any other player in the game.

Danny Green - D+. Scored a bucket in garbage time. Was fairly active on defense at times... sometimes too active. He got juked out of his shoes by Blake. Pitiful.

Kawhi Leonard - B. B because this is the kind of performance we expect and need from him now. Solid effort but would like to see him more active on D and more hungry for the ball on offense. Also gets the DUNK of the game award.

Tim Duncan - B-. Duncan played some good defense this game, and his offense in the first half was important. However he fell way off in the 2nd half with only 2 buckets to his name, and 5 rebounds is unacceptable from the "DPOY".

Tiago Splitter - C-. Started very promising and aggressive, and trailed off after the first quarter. Bonner was outplaying him the rest of the game. Yikes. Some moments of excellent defense on Pau Gasol.

Matt Bonner - A+. Red Rocket did everything. Tough D, active on both sides of the ball, THREE steals (career high?) and was attacking the rim. Boarded reasonably well and finished an astonishing +29.

Manu Ginobili - A. 13 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes, while leading the Spurs in the first half in virtually everything. Insanity. Playoff Manu is a beautiful thing. Hopefully sitting most of the game will allow him to play a good 25 minutes in Game 3.

Gary Neal - B. Gets such a high grade because he didn't try to do too much or take bad shots. Also saw some hustle on D from Neal. Hit a couple of momentum changing shots.

Corey Joseph - B. Really like watching this kid play. Despite not filling the stat sheet, he looked like he was at home and comfortable on the floor, ran the show fairly well, and was able to get into the lane.

DeJuan Blair - D. His sole highlight was being a human bullseye from an amazing Manu pass that he wasn't looking for. Looks completely out of place, and is most valuable at this point for 5 fouls to burn on Howard.

Aaron Baynes - Inc. 1 minute, 1 foul.

Nando De Colo - DNP

Patty Mills - DNP

-----------

Wrote this up and then saw your post. FML. :lol

[crc21209]

A+ for timvp for giving us the quick grades so fast, even in the early hours of his birthday. Now that's some dedication right there! Thanks timvp! :toast

[100%duncan]

I would have played Baynes.
I trust Pop more.

[spurs10]

Happy day! The new improved Red Mamba might actually mean more than we possibly think...we haven't had that type of strong play from our bench in the PO's in a long while.....the timing is looking good so far!

[Baseline]

Any word on when Diaw will return?

I agree with TimVP that Bonner's play was stellar tonight, but it would be great to have Boris back for the run.

[DAF86]

I trust Pop more.

I trust myself more.

[baseline bum]

Bonner has been outstanding so far this postseason. For instance, that huge rebound he got at the end of the third to set Neal up. Really impressed with his play against an extremely tough matchup at his positions.

[100%duncan]

I trust myself more.
Good for you.

[J.T.]

Happy birthday, LJ.

Got a question for you, though. Do you think this version of Bonner we've seen in these first two games is some kind of fool's gold performance? Don't get the wrong idea, I love seeing this kind of effort from a player that previously seemed almost afraid of getting sent into a postseason game. This is just my opinion, but I really think the Lakers are suffering from a bad case of "cut off the head and the body will die" without Kobe in their gameplan. Could it be that their inability to play their game without Kobe, plus all the injuries, is just making Bonner look awesome? Is it a combination of Bonner trying harder than usual and the Lakers bigs just not trying hard enough?

I'll take a 2-0 lead with signs that our injured guards are getting their health back and a total Lakers meltdown looming but I'm not convinced this has everything to do with the Spurs kicking ass and couldn't at least be a wee bit affected by the Lakers kinda just giving up.

[angelbelow]

Bonner and Blair for most of the 2nd was a little scary.. but it worked out and we bought time/prevented further foul trouble for Duncan and Splitter.

[will_spurs]

Sure Parker was off in the 1st half, but I find you guys a bit harsh: 28 points on decent shooting (including a 3-pointer and 90% FT), 12 straight points in the 3rd to kill the game, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block (!) and ZERO turnovers. That's by far the best news from tonight's game. I found particularly nice that he lit it up in the 3rd, which is usually a tough quarter for the Spurs for whatever reason.

[hyhy]

While spurs are focusing on defending laker's twin twrs, Lakers are busy tryin to go pass our defense, and has no clue how to defend us. I think our offense was the difference today.

[dougp]

Tim Duncan B-
The Spurs won Game 2 without a great outing from Duncan. He had his moments -- particularly on the defensive end -- but he was far from his best. On O, I thought he held the ball too long and his passes were late. His D was solid but his rebounding was lacking. The best news is he looked great physically.

Probably because Howard was boxing out with his elbows, Duncan wanted to murder him.

[John B]

Thanks and happy birthday. Parker's explosion in the 3rd and showing that he's healthy enough to torch the Lakers, to me deserves an A+. Likewise Manu's production in limited minutes to me is a A+. Overall I'm thrilled knowing Spurs are not even at their best yet with Diaw and TMac yet to play. They're peaking at the right time yet not pushing too hard to risk reinjury. I'm happy to go to work and make fun of my Lakersloving co-workers. LOL life is good.

[milkyway21]

Kawhi Leonard A
After a bashful Game 1, Leonard went full force in Game 2. I loved his aggression and his courageousness. He didn't care whose toes he was stepping on -- he just attacked. The results were positive. He played a rabid style of D. On O, he was more dynamic than usual and provided a valuable boost.
:worthy:

This guy can can rebound, very good on defense, a perimeter stopper, quick feet, harrassing just any body assigned to him...and scores too in his own silent way.

[Twisted_Dawg]

Danny Green C+
His stats don't look good but I'm not worried about Green yet. To shine, he needs open looks from beyond the three-point line -- and he just didn't get any. It's difficult to blame Green for that. And though the rest of his O was admittedly lackluster, his D was about average -- with a few bright spots mixed in.

I am very worried about his continued bad play. He is one of the main reasons we lost in the playoffs last year. If he continues to struggle, it will be a long series.

[exstatic]

So you didn't think anything of that No Tony/Manu line-up in the first half or the use of the turd-towers?

We won. Sometimes you have to draft a bit on bad lineups or matchups for a few minutes due to roster contingencies.

[will_spurs]

I am very worried about his [Green] continued bad play. He is one of the main reasons we lost in the playoffs last year. If he continues to struggle, it will be a long series.

No it won't, because the other players are playing well enough and the Lakers are hobbled. It probably won't be an issue either in the 2nd round. But when the playoffs really start, the Spurs definitely can't afford to have a starter soaking up so many minutes and sucking so bad. Right now Green is the new Bonner and it's a real issue for a deep playoff run.

[pgardn]

No it won't, because the other players are playing well enough and the Lakers are hobbled. It probably won't be an issue either in the 2nd round. But when the playoffs really start, the Spurs definitely can't afford to have a starter soaking up so many minutes and sucking so bad. Right now Green is the new Bonner and it's a real issue for a deep playoff run.

Absolutely.

Find a way to help the team. Green grades G in resourcefullness.

[Captivus]

Blair is too high. No effort, stupid fouls, he was lost, losing his man...smh...not good at all.

[spurspokesman]

I mentioned in the game thread that you would give green a c rather than the D he deserved lol. Otherwise good stuff

[Gagnrath]

I'm ok with the Green grade, I thought a little generous but not to bad, he has been fairly involved when it comes to defense, and helping on the boards (he has been boxing out) he's also had a pretty good effect with follow on passing.

I though Blair was bad out there, he had energy but little else, at times the energy threw off the lakers, mostly it didn't.

Neal was decent, though his shooting touch seems to have fallen off, which was his most valuable asset. Oddly his finishing outside of the jumpshot and his ballhandling/court awareness have gotten much better. In some way I view him as a much more complete player now than when he came to the spurs though his defense is still lacking. He generally tries on defense but he's not natural at it and that + a smaller stature, and below average quickness make him less than effective.

[therealtruth]

So you didn't think anything of that No Tony/Manu line-up in the first half or the use of the turd-towers?

In some ways I think we should probably be winning by alot more. This is really a depleted Lakers team and I think OKC would stomp them.

[cd021]

I had a feeling you'd use that Kawhi dunk, though the alley-oop was nice as well.

[cd021]

In some ways I think we should probably be winning by alot more. This is really a depleted Lakers team and I think OKC would stomp them.

They're scrappy. Blake has stepped up as has Jamison on offense. Gasol looks closer to an all star than the average player he's been this season.

[Nathan89]

Bonner played so little in the regular season that he thinks the regular season just started.

[elemento]

BonBon just works vs the Lakers because it's Paulina trying to guard him. He is too slow to guard BonBon's 3-pointers.

It won't work vs OKC or Denver if SA face them. As for Green, i just hope he doesn't suck for the rest of the playoffs.

[Proxy]

Manu Ginobili A
I thought his Game 1 play was fluke-ish. I'm going to have to change my tune after seeing Ginobili do it again. I thought he was actually a lot better this game. He was moving very well, his D was tenacious, he created well on O and simply looks surprisingly sharp in all aspects. I'm stunned by his play so far in the postseason.


Part of me still thinks G1 was a fluke... but the positive reaction was the confidence boost he needed, which has always seemed to be a big variable of how well he performs. Reason I think that is because his BBIQ was questionable before he sat out while his physical health didn't really seem to be in question.

[Raven]

i think the parker grade is way too high.

[dbestpro]

Blair and Green are at the point they make me cringe every time their on the floor. Green can't put the ball on the floor, often makes bad passes, and takes himself out on defense by jumping at every fake. He is a total liability when TP is not on the floor to shuttle him passes. Let's face it. He was guarded most of the game by Steve Nash. Bad back Nash basically shut him down. :(

[Spur|n|Austin]

Bonner and Blair for most of the 2nd was a little scary.. but it worked out and we bought time/prevented further foul trouble for Duncan and Splitter.

I was worried when I saw that tandem out there, but it worked fine and rested our starting bigs. Who woulda thought we would be playing this way against the proclaimed two best bigs in the playoffs? Keep it up Spurs!

Thanks as always LJ and HBDD!

[Fabbs]

Pop A

Letting Splitter return to start the 2nd vs throwing a bitch fit like last year was huge.
Not only Splitter but getting everyone involved.
In addition to this game, it's got to be huge for locker room cohesiveness moving forward.
A+ for Popped.

[Mugen]

How the Spurs/Pop managed to survive that late 2nd qtr combo of DeJuan/Matty AND build a lead, I'll never know tbh.

I'll gladly digest a buffet of crow if Bonner can keep up this level of play over the playoff run.

[moisaenz]

With Bonner's performance, should the red mamba start game 3?

[LongtimeSpursFan]

I would have played Baynes.

This is why fans should never be allowed to coach. They have no clue. Baynes only responsibility this playoffs is to foul Howard, McGee, and Perkins.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Blair and Green are at the point they make me cringe every time their on the floor. Green can't put the ball on the floor, often makes bad passes, and takes himself out on defense by jumping at every fake. He is a total liability when TP is not on the floor to shuttle him passes. Let's face it. He was guarded most of the game by Steve Nash. Bad back Nash basically shut him down. :(


The shooting guard position is where the Spurs are clearly lacking. Green has had his moments during the season but he is not a starter. He cannot create, finish and has difficulty dribbling in space. Fortunately, Manu plays the 2 position in crucial times but his days are limited. Spurs need to focus on bringing in a high quality type players ala Joe Johnson that can create his own shot, put up some points but still play within the system.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

If Green ends up being the new Bonner of the playoffs, they need to kick him to the curb quick. If he's not making threes he doesn't really have a place out there. Doesn't do much else.

[Stabula]

Tony Parker : "I think we're a better team this year because our young guys have improved a lot." I think by young guys he just means Leonard.

[Horse]

I appreciate Splitter skill set but aleast against this team he is a huge pussy! Always avoiding the contact he should be looking for.

[rjv]

kawhi definitely payed attention to the film session. he had a much improved performance. only question on pop was the sub late in the 1st half where he put baynes in. the result was a basket by gasol and foul shot. fortunately, manu closed out the quarter strong.

[gameFACE]

With Bonner's performance, should the red mamba start game 3?

Negative. I would only make an adjustment if the Spurs had lost even with Bonner playing well. The Lakers have to adjust to the Spurs.


Bonner played so little in the regular season that he thinks the regular season just started.

:lol

[Brunodf]

How the Spurs/Pop managed to survive that late 2nd qtr combo of DeJuan/Matty AND build a lead, I'll never know tbh.

I'll gladly digest a buffet of crow if Bonner can keep up this level of play over the playoff run.
Manu Ginobili.
But i am not sure that he can do that shit every game...

[HarlemHeat37]

I have absolutely no idea how Blair gets a B:lol..

The only reason he didn't hurt the team on the scoreboard was because his teammates were scoring..

He entered the game, picked up an immediate foul..he missed an open layup, which led to a transition 3 from Jamison where Blair was late to contest..he picked up another foul on an entry pass gamble..then he inexplicably over-contested a struggling Gasol's jump shot from 18 feet, leading to Gasol blowing by him and getting an and-1 on Baynes..

Blair's only positive play was a tip on an entry pass that went out of bounds..his effort level and energy was commendable, but the results were poor..

Blair deserves a C- or D+, as does Danny Green..

[Stabula]

Blair makes me embarrassed for him.

[ohmwrecker]

Blair's problem is that he is just overmatched in this series. He doesn't have a prayer of being effective against Howard and Gasol. I like his effort and his attitude post trade deadline has been tremendous. He is just physically overmatched.

Green, on the other hand, has his head wedged firmly up his ass.

[moisaenz]

Hopefully Parker takes the momentum from the second half of game two to game 3.

[DAF86]

This is why fans should never be allowed to coach. They have no clue. Baynes only responsibility this playoffs is to foul Howard, McGee, and Perkins.

And what is Blair only responsibility? Suck as much as possible?

[Homeland Security]

Blair's problem is that he is just overmatched in this league. He doesn't have a prayer of being effective against NBA players. I like his effort and his attitude post trade deadline has been tremendous. He is just totally overmatched.

Green, on the other hand, is a quivering nancy boy. It's hard to shoot threes while sucking your thumb.

FIFY

[ohmwrecker]

Don't FIFY my shit, asshole.

[Homeland Security]

Don't FIFY my shit, asshole.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[wildbill2u]

Pop sat Green in the playoffs last year. Looks like a repeat.

[Cry Havoc]

I have absolutely no idea how Blair gets a B:lol..

The only reason he didn't hurt the team on the scoreboard was because his teammates were scoring..

He entered the game, picked up an immediate foul..he missed an open layup, which led to a transition 3 from Jamison where Blair was late to contest..he picked up another foul on an entry pass gamble..then he inexplicably over-contested a struggling Gasol's jump shot from 18 feet, leading to Gasol blowing by him and getting an and-1 on Baynes..

Blair's only positive play was a tip on an entry pass that went out of bounds..his effort level and energy was commendable, but the results were poor..

Blair deserves a C- or D+, as does Danny Green..

Yep, check my grades out. Usually I'm pretty much in agreement with TimVP on grades but I think he was just giving everyone extra credit for shitting on the Lakeshow. :lol

[SA210]

:lol "Duncan's bank shot sexy as fuck"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba4mXzOANvw

[TheGoldStandard]

Danny Green needs a motivational speaker, guy isn't confidence in anything he's doing. How do you get beat by a one legged old man off the dribble?

[Slippy]

double

[Slippy]

I guess im in the minority here. In that green's struggles on offense is partly due to Tony's struggles. That first half by the Spurs starting PG was disappointing to put it mildly. He couldn't get his own when trying to score but really was poor in gettiing the offense started creating better looks for others.

Howard's foul trouble in the third seemed to open things up for Tony.