Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Warriors - Round 2, Game 5

[timvp]

Tim Duncan C
Duncan hit three of his first four shots from the field -- and then went 2-for-9 thereafter. Most of those misses were wide open; thankfully the Spurs didn't need his scoring tonight. The rest of his outing was decent to good. I liked his defense, particularly out on the perimeter. He rebounded well, took care of the ball and dished off pretty passes. That said, San Antonio can't afford for Duncan to lay another egg this series scoring-wise.

Manu Ginobili B
Not great but far from bad. Defensively, Ginobili was solid. His passing was helpful on offense and his playmaking was superb. Even though his scoring production was underwhelming, the offense always seemed to be rolling when he was in the game -- and that's no coincidence. But like Duncan, Ginobili needs to kick it up a notch to close out the Warriors.

Tony Parker A
I'm very, very pleased with Parker's effort. He is still hobbled a bit but he fought through the injury valiantly. His will to win was off the charts and his aggression on offense was invaluable. Defensively, I thought this was by far his best game of the series. My only minor quibble was his propensity to dribble too much at times -- but other than that, the Frenchman played about as well as one could expect.

Kawhi Leonard A
After looking a bit rattled on the road, Leonard got back to business in front of the home fans. His stroke was smoother and he exuded confidence. He probably could have forced the issue a bit more on offense -- but I can't critique his exquisite efficiency on this night. Defensively, Leonard was also damn good. Not only did he defend his man well, he was causing havoc away from the ball -- which is a specialty of his when he's at his best. All in all, it was a very encouraging bounce-back by Leonard.

Danny Green A-
Is it me or does Green suddenly look a lot more athletic this series? Somehow, the added pressure of the playoffs has added an extra spring or two in his legs. Tonight, while there were a couple ragged possessions on O and a few miscues on D, I was happy with Green. He shot without hesitation, focused well on defense and competed with ferocity. Well done.

Tiago Splitter C
Meh, I guess this was a step in the right direction -- but I'm not too thrilled. The Warriors used midget ball against him (including RJ at center) and Splitter never took advantage. He'd try to post up or otherwise hold his ground but would end up getting bumped out of position virtually every time. Give the Brazilian credit for a handful of commendable defensive plays but this is still a far cry from the Splitter we witnessed for much of the regular season.

Boris Diaw B+
I don't know why he's not playing more. Diaw is a really good fit for this series because he's actually looking to punish smalls on offense, while on D he is quick enough to guard screens really well. Sure, it's annoying when he doesn't shoot open shots but the Warriors are a perfect fit for his skillset. I liked most of his passes tonight and his overall aggression level was adequate.

Cory Joseph A-
Pop gave Joseph more minutes tonight and I thought it was absolutely the right move. The sophomore has seemingly adjusted to the speed and the physicality of this series. He wasn't smooth running the offense but he made up for that with tenacity and taking care of the ball. I don't see any timidness in his game, which is a great sign for a young point guard. On defense, he really went at it hard and had a lot more positives than negatives.

Gary Neal C-
Neal was given a quick hook after five lackluster minutes. He was a liability on defense and a ball-stopper on offense. So, yeah, I agreed wholeheartedly with the decision to bench him.

Matt Bonner C+
I'm not sure why Bonner got more minutes in this series. Thankfully, this time he didn't do much wrong. His D was still substandard and he didn't rebound but knocking in that three-pointer was a bonus.

Pop B+
I agreed with most of what Pop did tonight. More Joseph and less Neal was absolutely the right call. Although, even less of Bonner and more of Diaw would be helpful, too. Pop avoided any huge mistakes like he had last year in Game 5 versus the Thunder -- so that's a plus. The cherry on top was the fact that no one played a huge amount of minutes. Let us hope the Spurs can carry this level of play into Game 6 to give themselves a legit shot at closing out this series.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Green outplayed Curry :wow

[ElNono]

Tony Parker A
I'm very, very pleased with Parker's effort. He is still hobbled a bit but he fought through the injury valiantly. His will to win was off the charts and his aggression on offense was invaluable. Defensively, I thought this was by far his best game of the series. My only minor quibble was his propensity to dribble too much at times -- but other than that, the Frenchman played about as well as one could expect.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that noticed :rolleyes

He was magnifique this game.


Matt Bonner C+
I'm not sure why Bonner got more minutes in this series. Thankfully, this time he didn't do much wrong. His D was still substandard and he didn't rebound but knocking in that three-pointer was a bonus.

Dude is -12 for this series. The king of plus/minus. If Memphis moves on, he shouldn't see the floor again until next season, IMO.

[hater]

the good D that Green is playing is giving him mad confidence on the rest of his game. IMO Pop needs to challenge Green every game vs the opponents 1st or 2nd best perimeter player

[T Park]

I disagree with the Splitter and Duncan grades.

Splitter played OK but was victim to a couple of good defensive strips.

Duncan you could tell was out of gas, just didn't have it. That said as well, they hardly if at all went to him.

[Brunodf]

:tu
Duncan/Green too low

[hater]

yup best game of Green's NBA career tbh A++

[jestersmash]

Tony mentioned in his postgame that he was definitely hobbled in the 1st quarter, but the injury started to loosen up in the 2nd half.

[Chinook]

the good D that Green is playing is giving him mad confidence on the rest of his game. IMO Pop needs to challenge Green every game vs the opponents 1st or 2nd best perimeter player

He's pretty much always done that. Green usually gets first crack before Leonard gets switched on them.

[Chinook]

Green and Leonard destroyed Curry and Thompson. When your stars get beat by the other team's role-players, you just can't win. Great two-way games by the Medium Two. (I'm dropping Splitter from the group until he shows up again.)

[KaiRMD1]

Green was the MVP of this series, boy was on point

[racm]

Green was everywhere tonight. That block he had on Jack at the half was crazy.

[lefty]

Manu Ginobili B
His passing was helpful on offense and his playmaking was superb. Even though his scoring production was underwhelming, the offense always seemed to be rolling when he was in the game -- and that's no coincidence.


damn right :hat

[BatManu20]

Green gets an A+

[freetiago]

Splitter had more steals then touches this game tbh
the Spurs continually avoid him in the pick and roll
he actually was matched up with Lee whenver he was on the floor and the Spurs would rather jack up 3s over running Lee in a pick and roll

theyre gonna have to remember he isnt some garbage big and run something through him because without him theyre not beating Memphis
Spurfan cant shit on Splitter all season and say he doesnt deserve scoring opportunities then get mad when he doesnt magically become Kareem after getting 0 touches all season
same thing happens with Leonard
one of the first possession of the game was a Leonard post up vs Curry
hes had Jack switched onto him so much and his heroes avoid him

[Paulie]

Good to see Green on Curry most of the time. Don't know what Pop was thinking in Game 4 with Parker on Curry. Should have closed series out tonight. smh

[Paulie]

Ginobili made a difference :tu

[Libri]

timvp Do you think that TMac should get some playing time, considering that Neal and Bonner have not contributed?

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Lol Manu's grade should be broken up in sections.. Sometimes A+ other times D-

[howbouthemspurs]

Green was awesome! Parker was great again! Ginobili was Ginobili!

[mute]

Are the Warriors better we thought or are we not as good as we thought we were? We're playing our brand of basketball. We're holding Curry and Thompson to poor shooting nights (both have been quiet since Game 2), and yet they are still there hanging with us. Are we simply letting Barnes and Jack go off by design?

[Richie]

Pretty sure Bonner only played in the first half when Diaw picked up his second foul

[chapnis]

Green had his best game ever.

[Chinook]

That would be idiotic and a total disaster. Bonner is needed against great defensive teams to prevent them from completely shutting Parker down by clogging the lane.

Correct if Bonner plays like he did against the Lakers. I don't have a lot of hope for him having the same defensive impact as he did in Round 1, though. Howard is easy enough to defend if you're a big strong guy. Randolph and Marc require a lot more skill to check.

[ace3g]

Paul Garcia PS @24writer
(http://twitter.com/24writer)Last observation from AT&T Center: On the top right corner of the white board in the #Spurs (http://twitter.com/search?q=%23Spurs)' locker room was written one number, 9.



Ethan Strauss @SherwoodStrauss
(http://twitter.com/SherwoodStrauss)Klay Thompson has played over 183 minutes without attempting a free throw. He's a great, inefficient, shooter.

[Paulie]

J.A. Adande @jadande
Pop angrily chased ref Ed Malloy to the other side of the court to get that timeout. Malloy: "Relax....It's loud."


lol

[Obstructed_View]

Splitter had more steals then touches this game tbh
the Spurs continually avoid him in the pick and roll
he actually was matched up with Lee whenver he was on the floor and the Spurs would rather jack up 3s over running Lee in a pick and roll

theyre gonna have to remember he isnt some garbage big and run something through him because without him theyre not beating Memphis
Spurfan cant shit on Splitter all season and say he doesnt deserve scoring opportunities then get mad when he doesnt magically become Kareem after getting 0 touches all season
same thing happens with Leonard
one of the first possession of the game was a Leonard post up vs Curry
hes had Jack switched onto him so much and his heroes avoid him

The thing that bugs me about Splitter in this series is what his teammates have been doing. Several times he's gotten a pass in a terrible position and has had to either take a bad shot or try to get rid of the ball to avoid a turnover. Other times he gets the ball in the post and nobody even moves to try to get into a position to receive a pass, so he ends up having to shoot. That makes his offensive numbers look bad, but there's little doubt how much better the offense and defense roll with him, Diaw and Duncan as the three bigs.

[ElNono]

Correct if Bonner plays like he did against the Lakers. I don't have a lot of hope for him having the same defensive impact as he did in Round 1, though. Howard is easy enough to defend if you're a big strong guy. Randolph and Marc require a lot more skill to check.

Series against teams that don't play defense are over. He's too easy to check in the perimeter and doesn't spread the floor for that reason. Against Memphis we will have enough trouble grabbing rebounds to put out there a guy that's soft and a perennially terrible rebounder for his size. We're going to need bruisers.

[Darkwaters]

Green was the MVP of this series, boy was on point

Series isn't over yet. We gotten close this thing out now.

That being said, I'm glad that Green has done so well in order to distance himself from that "playoff choker" moniker that people started giving him after the Thunder series last year. The guy has been great for us, and I'm so happy that hes come up big when we need him now.

[ajballer4]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

[Obstructed_View]

Series against teams that don't play defense are over. He's too easy to check in the perimeter and doesn't spread the floor for that reason. Against Memphis we will have enough trouble grabbing rebounds to put out there a guy that's soft and a perennially terrible rebounder for his size. We're going to need bruisers.

Bonner came in during the last game, and the Warriors just didn't bother to cover him. Worked out, since the Spurs were still reluctant to pass to him.

[Chinook]

Series against teams that don't play defense are over. He's too easy to check in the perimeter and doesn't spread the floor for that reason. Against Memphis we will have enough trouble grabbing rebounds to put out there a guy that's soft and a perennially terrible rebounder for his size. We're going to need bruisers.

The Spurs should WANT the Grizzles to come out on Bonner if Gasol or Randolph is the big guarding him. That takes them out of the paint, which is really his main value (the points are just gravy). Marc and Zach are a lot more willing to challenge perimeter shots than their Laker counterparts. That should open up the floor for a swing and drive. But the Grizzlies will not come out on Bonner if they think he'd just pass, so he has to be able to make his shots. Diaw needs to do the same thing.

What made Bonner stand out in the Lakers series to me was his effort on the boards and in post defense. He did a lot of little things right. There's no logical reason why he can't repeat that against Memphis. He probably won't, though. So I agree with you. But Bonner showing up at all in the playoffs gives me hope.

Rebounding sure seems like it would be a problem against Memphis. Hopefully more Splitter will help, but he and Diaw are typically not great at rebounding, anyway. Leonard and Green may have to help out there even more than usual.

[Obstructed_View]

The difference in Bonner vs. the Lakers vs. now is that Bonner was sent in specifically to foul against Howard. Now he's back to trying to avoid contact at all costs and giving up a lot of and-ones. Hell, he doesn't even put his hands in the air half the time until after the whistle blows. It'd be comical if it were someone else's team.

[Brunodf]

The Spurs should WANT the Grizzles to come out on Bonner if Gasol or Randolph is the big guarding him. That takes them out of the paint, which is really his main value (the points are just gravy). Marc and Zach are a lot more willing to challenge perimeter shots than their Laker counterparts. That should open up the floor for a swing and drive. But the Grizzlies will not come out on Bonner if they think he'd just pass, so he has to be able to make his shots. Diaw needs to do the same thing.

Come on son, short memory?

[Chinook]

Yeah, that's why Bonner wouldn't be as good as he was against the Lakers.

You know what, though? I think Blair has been an underrated Randolph defender throughout the years. Hopefully that continues if Dejuan is put in that situation.

[spurs10]

Tiago is still on the mend apparently. Hopefully he can regain his play by the time the WCF roll around. Great grades, great game, thanks!!
:flag:

[Chinook]

Come on son, short memory?

If I recall correctly, Memphis guarded Bonner with a small often. In theory, that creates a cross-match somewhere else that has to be exploited by the Spurs' perimeter player.

I'm not talking about what is likely to happen, though. I'm just saying that Bonner is SUPPOSED to be guarded. If he had a quicker release, his man probably couldn't leave him at all.

[hommeaetage]

J.A. Adande ‏@jadande (https://twitter.com/jadande)

Richard Jefferson went to check in and hung out on Spurs' side of scorer's table during timeout. Ginobili and Duncan pushed him away.

[AaronY]

^ha! that's spectacular

[siraulo23]

I'm so glad pop emphasized on pushing the ball even on made baskets, they haven't done this since feb combine that with pretty solid defense and you have games like this one

Lets hope the spurs can do it one more time this series

[KaiRMD1]

Series isn't over yet. We gotten close this thing out now.

That being said, I'm glad that Green has done so well in order to distance himself from that "playoff choker" moniker that people started giving him after the Thunder series last year. The guy has been great for us, and I'm so happy that hes come up big when we need him now.

My bad, I meant game.

[ElNono]

The Spurs should WANT the Grizzles to come out on Bonner if Gasol or Randolph is the big guarding him. That takes them out of the paint, which is really his main value (the points are just gravy). Marc and Zach are a lot more willing to challenge perimeter shots than their Laker counterparts. That should open up the floor for a swing and drive. But the Grizzlies will not come out on Bonner if they think he'd just pass, so he has to be able to make his shots. Diaw needs to do the same thing.

Agreed, Memphis didn't send either Gasol or ZBo to trail Bonner to the perimeter in 2011 either. They already know they can simply close him down by running a smaller perimeter guy towards him, and then he'll hesitate and don't know what to do.

Bonner worked against the Lakers because D'Antoni doesn't play defense. They don't actually have defensive rotations, and they don't really care about that end of the floor. Golden State has already shown that with a minimum of effort Bonner becomes a liability. Memphis is actually a top defensive team, that can make you pay for playing a guy like that.

[Chinook]

Agreed, Memphis didn't send either Gasol or ZBo to trail Bonner to the perimeter in 2011 either. They already know they can simply close him down by running a smaller perimeter guy towards him, and then he'll hesitate and don't know what to do.

Bonner worked against the Lakers because D'Antoni doesn't play defense. They don't actually have defensive rotations, and they don't really care about that end of the floor. Golden State has already shown that with a minimum of effort Bonner becomes a liability. Memphis is actually a top defensive team, that can make you pay for playing a guy like that.

True indeed. But Diaw is essentially going to have the same responsibility on offense, and he has to do a better job of scoring if Memphis. He should be able to hold his own on defense, however, which will help.

If Diaw is aggressive on offense, he's really hard to guard. But if he isn't, then he'll be almost as bad as Bonner on that end.

[DapDaGenius]

I have to find a gif of Kawhi dunkin' on Harrison.

[hooperflash]

We played Spurs Basketball tonight, :toast

[Sean Cagney]

Series isn't over yet. We gotten close this thing out now.

That being said, I'm glad that Green has done so well in order to distance himself from that "playoff choker" moniker that people started giving him after the Thunder series last year. The guy has been great for us, and I'm so happy that hes come up big when we need him now.
YES HE HAS! BONNER and Blair still suck though, I mean that there hahaha. Neal sucks too.

[pookenstein]

Green's defense has been huge these past couple of games. You can see how that sparked his confidence.

Agree that Neal and Bonner have no business being on the court.
Anytime Neal enters his counterpart is licking his chops and going to post him up. Terrible.
You wouldn't see that if it was Tracy instead of Neal. And it's not like Gary shoots lights out at the moment.

I hope it doesn't come that far, but IF the Warriors can extend the series and we come back to San Antonio I think Pop should consider giving Neal's minutes to McGrady. He can't be worse and at least it'll pump up the crowd. Have you noticed how everybody was ready to explode when he lined up his only shot? The excitement in the building everytime he touched the ball? That alone could be more valuable than having Neal in the game, being exposed on D and hogging the ball on O.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Green was an A++ tonight, he swung this game, and Leonard wasn't far behind. TP was also fantastic.

Splitter had a tale of two halves - ineffective in the 1st, much improved in the second. What ever happened to the Manu-Splitter pnr that killed teams all year? We need to use that occasionally! Poor Timmy had a shocker on offence after hitting those three early shots, but his D and rebounding was generally pretty good.

IMHO, Pop should only be playing eight players at this stage: Tim, Tiago, Kawhi, Danny, Tony, Manu, Boris, and CoJo. There is absolutely no reason to use Bonner or Neal unless it's garbage time or something has gone drastically wrong. Seriously, why is Bonner getting on the court? And why isn't Boris playing more minutes? He has looked great this entire series - aggressive on offence and defence, although I guess his rebounding does let him down sometimes. Boris should get all of Bonner's minutes. And Neal should only be used in extreme circumstances - he is in a massive slump right now and I don't see him coming out of it any time soon.

My only complaint from today's game is the number of times we gave up offensive rebounds. Our rebounding has really been exposed by the Warriors, and we really need to tighten that up to get anywhere.

Otherwise, GREAT GAME 5 VICTORY. :flag:

[Mal]

I`d like what I saw from Diaw, Green, Leonard, Joseph and Splitter. All role players were very helpful on D and on O.

[Penya]

J.A. Adande @jadande
Pop angrily chased ref Ed Malloy to the other side of the court to get that timeout. Malloy: "Relax....It's loud."


lol

http://i.minus.com/ieVySxR0S2TZs.gif

[Baseline]

Idiot Pop blew our 14-point early lead by sitting Tim for what seemed like an hour. When Tim came back in, our lead was gone, and he was ice cold the rest of the night. Thank God TP was ready to take over. Whoever hit a spurt in the 3rd quarter was going to win this game. Thankfully it was us.

If we get out to an early lead in Game 6, Pop needs to keep his foot on the gas and put Tim back in before GS cuts it to a one possession game. That has been Pop's biggest mistake in this series...we've blown a billion leads, and needs to do a better job of stopping the bleeding. Tonight he got lucky because TP's calf loosened up. So Pop looked like a genius. Guess what? He's not.

[TE]

The crowd was electric throughout the game for the most part. Our team really fed off the energy during our runs.

I counted about 50 Warrior band-wagoner fans in the building sporting Curry jerseys...

[TE]

Hopefully we close it out in Oakland...I want no part of this Warriors team anymore. Harrison Barnes can ball tbh

[Rito3d30]

Did anyone see this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulg9n8ou1Dw

There's another push by Timmy
GTFO :lmao

[Stabula]

:lol so you only do grades when Spurs win?

[will_spurs]

A nimble and slightly over-sized big like Diaw is exactly what's needed against a team that goes small like GSW. Maybe he's not yet 100% following the injury and Pop is always careful with minutes management. However more Diaw definitely helps. And if Diaw is healthy there's no reason for Blair or Bonner to see the floor next series, assuming the Spurs move on.

The inability of Splitter to post up guards is a real issue. There's the famous "Splitter couldn't post up on Fisher" line from last year, but he's doing it again. There's no way a team should be allowed to run with RJ at center and not be made to pay for it. Splitter should just practice that because at the moment it's basically a more efficient version of Hack-a-Tiago.

[Capt Bringdown]

...but this is still a far cry from the Splitter we witnessed for much of the regular season.


Why is he sucking so badly? Still not back from injury? Not ready for prime time? If he were playing in regular season form, it's likely this series would be over by now. The idea that a 7-footer can only score 4 points against the Warriors is pathetic.
I've been a Splitter fan from the get-go, but I'm very disappointed in his play against the Warriors.

[romain.star]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

5th ring maybe?

[chapnis]

:lol so you only do grades when Spurs win?

Nah, Spurs win when timvp does grades.

[will_spurs]

5th ring maybe?

It's explained in the other thread: reference to Kawhi's "superpower" huge hands.

[hyhy]

5th ring maybe?

Patrick Mills ‏@Patty_Mills (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills)5h (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills/status/334538578480746496)
“@krizzy_katee (https://twitter.com/krizzy_katee): @Patty_Mills (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills) I must know, what does this mean!? pic.twitter.com/gUsbzeABWA (http://t.co/gUsbzeABWA)” The Hand! It's Kawhi Leonard Superhero sign

[hyhy]

Spurs win most of the time when parker plays >.50 ball. Today he did and we won. When he plays less than .50 ball, we are 50-50.

[quentin_compson]

Tiago Splitter C
Meh, I guess this was a step in the right direction -- but I'm not too thrilled. The Warriors used midget ball against him (including RJ at center) and Splitter never took advantage. He'd try to post up or otherwise hold his ground but would end up getting bumped out of position virtually every time. Give the Brazilian credit for a handful of commendable defensive plays but this is still a far cry from the Splitter we witnessed for much of the regular season.

I think you're a bit harsh on Splitter. His teammates just weren't looking to get him the ball at all in this game. There was a stretch of a couple of minutes in the second quarter when Splitter was being defended by Landry and didn't get one ball in the low post. Sure, sometimes he needs to fight harder to establish position under the basket in order to receive a pass, but they just kept ignoring him. And why not run a couple of P'n'Rs with him? Especially when Manu is on the floor, that play used to be almost automatic and seems to have completely vanished from the Spurs' playbook.


Boris Diaw B+
I don't know why he's not playing more. Diaw is a really good fit for this series because he's actually looking to punish smalls on offense, while on D he is quick enough to guard screens really well. Sure, it's annoying when he doesn't shoot open shots but the Warriors are a perfect fit for his skillset. I liked most of his passes tonight and his overall aggression level was adequate.


I was wondering as well why Diaw got so little minutes. This is a series where he could really shine, and he is probably the Spurs' best defensive option against David Lee.


TP was clearly not 100% (Curry as well) and looked gassed at the beginning of the second half. He never stopped being aggressive though, and that was great to see. Manu's shot wasn't there, but his playmaking was a huge plus. Hopefully him and Duncan get their shot back for the next game.

[rmt]

J.A. Adande @jadande
Pop angrily chased ref Ed Malloy to the other side of the court to get that timeout. Malloy: "Relax....It's loud."

lol

Why in the hell does Pop always call timeout when the Spurs are on a roll - just messes up the roll they're on. Let Jackson waste one of his timeouts stopping the Spurs' run. Don't see why Pop has to be so rigid - it's like "it's such and such time, timeout no matter what." Then he doesn't have enough timeouts to stop GS' runs. And why did he bring TD back in when the game was secured. Every minute's rest means he's less gassed in the next game. Pointless to have TD out there in junk time.

Timmy really lost confidence in his jumper - hope it's back for the next game.

Bonner shouldn't step on the court until next pre-season - why can't TD/Diaw/Splitter share the big man minutes.

Leonard and Green were great tonight.

Wish Pop would try McGrady instead of Neal.

Tony was gassed but saved a little for that spurt when the time was right.

[BillMc]

Did anyone see this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulg9n8ou1Dw

There's another push by Timmy
GTFO :lmao

RJ probably thought he could remember the play calling and was going to do a little spying. Tim and Manu would have none of that!:toast

[DrSteffo]

I think you're a bit harsh on Splitter. His teammates just weren't looking to get him the ball at all in this game. There was a stretch of a couple of minutes in the second quarter when Splitter was being defended by Landry and didn't get one ball in the low post. Sure, sometimes he needs to fight harder to establish position under the basket in order to receive a pass, but they just kept ignoring him. And why not run a couple of P'n'Rs with him? Especially when Manu is on the floor, that play used to be almost automatic and seems to have completely vanished from the Spurs' playbook.


Completely agree.

[pgardn]

Splitter had more steals then touches this game tbh
the Spurs continually avoid him in the pick and roll
he actually was matched up with Lee whenver he was on the floor and the Spurs would rather jack up 3s over running Lee in a pick and roll

theyre gonna have to remember he isnt some garbage big and run something through him because without him theyre not beating Memphis
Spurfan cant shit on Splitter all season and say he doesnt deserve scoring opportunities then get mad when he doesnt magically become Kareem after getting 0 touches all season
same thing happens with Leonard
one of the first possession of the game was a Leonard post up vs Curry
hes had Jack switched onto him so much and his heroes avoid him

Tiago is getting pushed around on the blocks. Physically beaten on the offensive end. The players around him don't have a clue where to go now because he is getting open in the wrong spots on the floor because he cannot hold position. He has demonstrated he has to be next to Tim instead of giving him a breather.

He is playing decent defense. Offensively he has done one thing well, set screens. He is having offensive rebounds, important possessions, slip through his hands because the Warriors are shoving him around.

The above being stated we must have him on the floor if we move on. The disappointment this series is that he cannot be trusted to go more minutes unless paired with Diaw or Tim. One is fat and the other is clearly wearing down.

If we go forward and play Memphis he will redeem himself by giving Randolph and/or Gasol hell unlike OKC.

[pgardn]

The Hand??

:lol :lol

T-MAC A+++
Unstoppable. Improbable. Crunslobbable A terror in the low post. Dangerous with the ladies. Wanted by the law.

Chris Webber A-
The announcer didn't say anything especially memorable. However, it seemed that all night long the former Golden State Warrior was saying the right things about the Spurs. Perhaps the hate San Antonio fans were pouring on him earlier in the series has something to do with him telling it like it is, and that GSW truly was the better team than SAS, at that point in time. All around good performance by the color commentator.

Weber has reinforced the fact that most ex-Jocks have no business speaking, to anyone.

[Obstructed_View]

What ever happened to the Manu-Splitter pnr that killed teams all year? We need to use that occasionally!

Or the Gary Neal-Splitter pick and roll or the anyone and Boris Diaw pick and roll. The only pick and rolls I've seen run are with Parker, and they didn't start to run it much until Parker got hobbled. The Spurs lived off that, and then just stopped the last 4-6 weeks of the season.

[Spurs7794]

Patrick Mills ‏@Patty_Mills (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills)5h (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills/status/334538578480746496)
“@krizzy_katee (https://twitter.com/krizzy_katee): @Patty_Mills (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills) I must know, what does this mean!? pic.twitter.com/gUsbzeABWA (http://t.co/gUsbzeABWA)” The Hand! It's Kawhi Leonard Superhero sign
Thats awesome... Baynes did it after Kawhi's big three in game 1.

[Spurs7794]

Tiago is getting pushed around on the blocks. Physically beaten on the offensive end. The players around him don't have a clue where to go now because he is getting open in the wrong spots on the floor because he cannot hold position. He has demonstrated he has to be next to Tim instead of giving him a breather.

He is playing decent defense. Offensively he has done one thing well, set screens. He is having offensive rebounds, important possessions, slip through his hands because the Warriors are shoving him around.

The above being stated we must have him on the floor if we move on. The disappointment this series is that he cannot be trusted to go more minutes unless paired with Diaw or Tim. One is fat and the other is clearly wearing down.

If we go forward and play Memphis he will redeem himself by giving Randolph and/or Gasol hell unlike OKC.

I don't agree that Duncan is wearing down...he's just had 1.5 bad games in a row. He'll be fine. As for Tiago, I think he should have been a little higher...his offense has sucked but he helped our d alot in the second half (he had 4 steals in the game!).

[Spur|n|Austin]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

Him and Baynes both do, must be an Aussie thing. Sorry if this was already answered, don't feel like reading through all.

EDIT:


Thats awesome... Baynes did it after Kawhi's big three in game 1.

That's awesome, though they do it whenever they get excited, not just KL plays :lol

[Spur|n|Austin]

Did anyone see this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulg9n8ou1Dw

There's another push by Timmy
GTFO :lmao

:wow :lol

That's f'n awesome, Manu and TD pretty much told him to GTFO.

[doobs]

Looks like RJ was trying to eavesdrop.

[iminol]

Danny Green was energizer on offense/defense all game till end. Woo hoo performance.

[Captivus]

A+ for Green!!
His defense was amazing, he looked focused, fast, shooting, stealing, running, perfect.
If a team doenst have a superstar like Lebron, then you need someone like Green to step up.
VERDE!!

[K-State Spur]

I think saying Leonard played defense "well" is an understatement. He's not only defending the hell out of Thompson, he's completely in the young guy's head.

[silverblackfan]

Green was terrific and Leonard had a real nice game. The stats on Curry and Thompson since the first 2 games are ridiculous. Pop and the team have clearly figured those guys out and have the personnel to keep them quiet (er). The parameter defense has been steadily improving in this series, which has been a bright spot.
Tony showed a lot of heart and did great. Tim tied Kareem for most double-doubles in the playoffs and then went into an offensive funk. :lol
Great Spurs basketball. Let us hope they have enough in the tank to take out GS on Thursday. This series is not over by a long shot.

I also hope OKC can get at least one more game. Rested Grizzlies team is a scary team.

[TJastal]

RJ probably thought he could remember the play calling and was going to do a little spying. Tim and Manu would have none of that!:toast

Damn that was one chilly staredown!

[urunobili]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

My opinion is that it happens (They all do that in the bench) when Kawhi scores. It's a reference to the size of his hands.

[Chinook]

Damn that was one chilly staredown!

Yeah. At first, I thought it was a friendly push. I don't think so now. I doubt the Spurs players really care for Jefferson.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Yeah. At first, I thought it was a friendly push. I don't think so now. I doubt the Spurs players really care for Jefferson.

There should be no more doubt after dat stare

[Spur-Addict]

Like i've said before, this series is about Diaw getting more minutes. Period. Everytime he has played at least 20 minutes, we've won. Danny Green played a complete game, from start to finish. Most impressive player from tip to buzzer. Great killer instinct from Tony in the second half.

If you support a lineup of Neal and Bonner on the court at the same time, then fuck you. If you support either being on the court for longer than a 2-3 minute stretch, then fuck you. If you think their ability to shoot far outweighs (or is equal to) what they give up in all other areas of the game, then you're an idiot. If you think that someone else on the bench wouldn't give better minutes then these two, then I suggest you get your brain checked.

Honestly, I don't know what Tiago's deal is (actually, we all know he is, and can be a giant vagina), but we're going to need him big time next series, so hopefully he's just burning off the rust.

How about that baseline shot by Kawhi? How about Kawhi's throw down on Barnes? He hit a timely corner three to bust that zone as well. DIAW, DIAW, DIAW, and more DIAW please.

[G-Dawgg]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

Him and Aaron Baynes only do it after Kawhi Leonard makes a play. I'm guessing it's his way of cheering his big handed teamate..

[100%duncan]

Green and Kawhi should be A+ imho. Those young bloods got us to victory.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Splitter does not have the skill to play in this series. His horrible timing and heavy legs against quick teams will always give him an F.

A better paced series v Memphis and he should be able to do his thing again (dribble directly under the basket for a reverse layup attempt that will be rejected by the rim, or look strong on a power move then lose the ball and make everyone say "damn he is soft")

[SpursRock20]

Damn that was one chilly staredown!
Not only that, but during the telecast I saw Duncan kind of walk in to him a bit. I thought he was just playing but maybe he wasn't.

[moisaenz]

The pace of the games are just too fast for splitter and even worst for bonner

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

I love that video of Timmy pushing RJ! RJ looked so scared. As soon as RJ noticed that Timmy was staring at him he immediately looked away and avoided looking back at Timmy.

[Gagnrath]

Dude is -12 for this series. The king of plus/minus. If Memphis moves on, he shouldn't see the floor again until next season, IMO.


He honestly matches up better against the Grizz than against the Warriors, he has the speed to stay in front of his man in the griz series they are more likely to be bothered by his fronting when they try to get the ball inside, and he pulls one of two defensive bigs out of the paint. I agree if he's ineffective in the first few minutes of play in a game pull him, but it is a better match-up for him on paper. Speed and athleticism kills him, the grizz don't have as much speed to simply go around him and to close with him on D.

God I'm advocating for bonner again when I don't want him to see lots of court time but help people understand what he is and what he brings, and what that is has more value against grizz than against golden state. He is likely to be useful for 4 to 5 minutes each half of say 4 games in the 6 game spurs series before the finals.

[Kidd K]

Duncan was easily better than a C imo. Yeah he missed some shots, but he was only 1 make from a solid shooting performance. He was obviously gassed from playing hard D. At least a B at least because we sucked when he wasn't in and were great when he was, stats sometimes don't reflect a guy's impact.

I'd give Green an A for locking down Curry yet again despite whatever coaching changes Jackson may have made to free up his best player. Sometimes I feel you treat Green like he's a 8 year vet who's been a defensive specialist for 8 years, and not a guy who's basically only on his 2nd year of really playing. Neal I'd give a D-. Everything he did was negative. It doesn't matter that it was only a few minutes imo. He was really the only guy every Spurfan wanted out of the game. . .and it only took a few minutes for everyone to think that.

[elec99]

Did anyone see this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulg9n8ou1Dw

There's another push by Timmy
GTFO :lmao

Wow that is so cool. When i read the reports of that i thought it was done in a comical way but manu and timmy didnt look like they were kidding.

Was gsw tired tonight?? I thought the old team was supposed to be tired, gsw looked like they lost a step. Jarret jack made it a game along with barnes. I did get concerned about timmy, looked like there wasnt enough air underneath his shots which usually is a sign of fatigue but it was so early in the game it didnt make sense.

[Spur-Addict]

Splitter does not have the skill to play in this series. His horrible timing and heavy legs against quick teams will always give him an F.

A better paced series v Memphis and he should be able to do his thing again (dribble directly under the basket for a reverse layup attempt that will be rejected by the rim, or look strong on a power move then lose the ball and make everyone say "damn he is soft")

His mobility for his size is one of his biggest strengths. Ability to run the PnR, and guard the PnR. Operating in space etc. So, unless you're referencing his ankle, I don't know what you're referring to.

But, all other areas of his game at the moment need to be tightened up. Sure he had four steals last game, but that was an anomaly. He's barely getting 20 minutes a game right now, so that also limits his effectiveness. But giving up position, giving up boards, not being strong with the ball, not being assertive, and not putting his stamp on the game cannot continue with what lies ahead. None of that can be explained away no matter how much time on the court he gets.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Splitter operates in space? Hm don't recall that

His mobility is his tactics, his footwork. He's not quick he can't run he can't jump

[Spur-Addict]

Splitter operates in space? Hm don't recall that

His mobility is his tactics, his footwork. He's not quick he can't run he can't jump

What do you call the ability to guard, and run the PnR? That is operating in space. Defending more mobile players, in space. Attacking the rotating defense, in space, and adjusting accordingly.

He has been doing it all year. How can you say the guy can't run, and say his mobility is his tactics in the same post?

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

He's not athletic. He is heavy legged. He plays below the basket


GS is not running pick and rolls, GS doesn't have a pivot to lean against him. He's not gonna pick and roll against a perimeter team. If he can please go ahead I'd be very interested to see that because he had two shot attempts last night and he's looked horrible this entire series

[024]

I have to wonder why Splitter is so bad. GS only have one legit big and that is Bogut. You would think Splitter would have a field day out there against Carl Landry and a 40% David Lee. If the Spurs get past the Warriors, I shudder thinking about what the Memphis bigs will do to him. Splitter needs to play well enough to stay on the floor, otherwise, it's more Bonner time.

[Spur-Addict]

He's not athletic. He is heavy legged. He plays below the basket


GS is not running pick and rolls, GS doesn't have a pivot to lean against him. He's not gonna pick and roll against a perimeter team. If he can please go ahead I'd be very interested to see that because he had two shot attempts last night and he's looked horrible this entire series

When did I say that he's athletic? Because I didn't say that. G.S isn't running PnRs? OK. That pretty much ends the conversation right there. Either you're trolling me, or you don't know what you're talking about. He's not setting any balls screens? OK LOL.

And we all know shot attempts are a direct indication of the amount of screens or lack thereof that are being set. Because, defensive rotations, or a particular defensive scheme wouldn't force a player to move the ball.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Screening doesn't make an ineffective player effective. Have you noticed that GS is guard orientated team. They swarm and swipe on defense. On offense their plays develop from the outside. Splitter is not good that far from the basket, with his back turned, Closing out on shooters, Snagging long rebounds

limited mobility, is different than guarding a stiff on a PnR or schooling someone in the post

[Splits]

http://blogs.sacurrent.com/index.php/spurs-win-game-4-in-spite-of-tiago/


Have you ever seen a vagina walk down the street? Not in the midsection of a woman, but an entire human who’s made entirely of vaginal matter? If you haven’t, just watch a Spurs game and, in particular, watch Tiago Splitter.

Oh, the Spurs won Tuesday night, rather easily (109-91), because they had to, but no thanks to Tiago. His stats don’t really tell the story. If you glimpse at his steals total, you might mistake him for Mike Conley. But, rest assured, those were balls thrown directly in his direction that he’d have to have been sleeping to not catch. And he was nearly sleeping.

Splitter masqueraded as a competent role player during the regular season, but once things get serious, he’s not. When he gets a post opportunity at point-blank range, the shot inevitably gets stripped down low, Karl Malone-stye. And when he’s on defense, he makes Carl Landry look like Charles Barkley.

[SouthernFried]

When DUNCAN wasn't on the court...there was zero interior Defense. Nothing, Nada...zilch.

Bonner and Splitter's interior defense was bad as I've ever seen 2 big men play. Out of position, poor or non-existent rotations, not cutting off lanes...it was absolutely horrible.

When Duncan came in...it was totally different.

So, giving Duncan a C for this game because his offense wasn't as effective, I think is doing him a disservice. I'd give him an A for the game, just because of how he changed the Spurs defense when he was on the court. Splitter and Bonner should both be F's...or at least D-.

Other than that, you're right on...as usual :)

[Spur-Addict]

Screening doesn't make an ineffective player effective. Have you noticed that GS is guard orientated team. They swarm and swipe on defense. On offense their plays develop from the outside. Splitter is not good that far from the basket, with his back turned, Closing out on shooters, Snagging long reboundslimited mobility, is different than guarding a stiff on a PnR or schooling someone in the post

I never said him setting screens makes him effective, it's what happens after that does. Perimeter guys are always going to swarm and swipe, it's the playoffs. It's only going to get worse next round with SUPERIOR PERIMETER DEFENDERS ON MEMPHIS who "swipe and swarm". And they are a better defensive team overall, so their rotations will be better. Are you watching what's happening underneath the basket? Are you watching what happens when he touches the ball around the basket? Are you watching him guarding Bogut, Ezeli, Landry etc? Are you watching him once he touches the ball around the basket, or what's happening when he is supposed to be boxing out underneath? When they go small, he's hardly out there unless he's guarding a center. How do I know this? The guy has played over 19 minutes once this series.

Unless he's on the back end of a rotation running to close out, he has the upper hand on his man on the switch once his man elevates to shoot as far as boxing out is concerned. Any player on the back end of a rotation trying to close out is vulnerable when chasing a man off the line.

Tim has less ability than Tiago in guarding PnR's, yet he's still effective enough to play big minutes. Why is that? Because the other areas of his game are far more on point in comparison. Like I said originally, it's his whole game that is lacking, not just one aspect.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

the every other day game schedule is getting to tim's legs imho

[dbreiden83080]

The Duncan/Manu grades need to be flipped IMO..

[Spur|n|Austin]

I have to wonder why Splitter is so bad. GS only have one legit big and that is Bogut. You would think Splitter would have a field day out there against Carl Landry and a 40% David Lee. If the Spurs get past the Warriors, I shudder thinking about what the Memphis bigs will do to him. Splitter needs to play well enough to stay on the floor, otherwise, it's more Bonner time.

He'll be better next series; this series just does not bode well for him.

[Raven]

green A+ tony B imho

[Juggity]

Can someone tell me real quick what it means when Patty puts his hand on his wrist and throws up the number 5 with his fingers? I've seen it like every game so far

334538578480746496

[Aztecfan03]

:lol so you only do grades when Spurs win?

I don't think he did game grades of game 1 though.

[Aztecfan03]

Chris Webber A-
The announcer didn't say anything especially memorable. However, it seemed that all night long the former Golden State Warrior was saying the right things about the Spurs. Perhaps the hate San Antonio fans were pouring on him earlier in the series has something to do with him telling it like it is, and that GSW truly was the better team than SAS, at that point in time. All around good performance by the color commentator.

dunno if you are being serious but his saying manu would get a letter from the league for flopping on a play that he was taken down by the shoulder was ridiculous.

[Aztecfan03]

Tim tied Kareem for second most double-doubles in the playoffs and then went into an offensive funk. :lol


fify.

[pgardn]

I don't agree that Duncan is wearing down...he's just had 1.5 bad games in a row. He'll be fine. As for Tiago, I think he should have been a little higher...his offense has sucked but he helped our d alot in the second half (he had 4 steals in the game!).

I see a guy who is not playing well as we continue these every other day games. He is not as effective, I think it's pretty clear. He should be destroying Bogut. And he did so early on.

Tiago is just not made for this series. We must have him, but he is going to look bad. Has he actually grabbed a rebound above rim level?

[letmk]

I see a guy who is not playing well as we continue these every other day games. He is not as effective, I think it's pretty clear. He should be destroying Bogut. And he did so early on.

Tiago is just not made for this series. We must have him, but he is going to look bad. Has he actually grabbed a rebound above rim level?

In game 4, Bogut defended Tim hard, and Tim just could not beat him with dribbling. In last night's game, it's not related with Bogut much. Just Tim missing shots here and there. Can't tell the reason though.

[aal04]

I can see TD hasnt recovered from the Flu.

Game 1. Full adrenaline in his system. Competitive by nature. game is in OT. TD walks off. TD does not walk off when he is needed MOST.

He must have been in some real pain. I was very surprised he was at training the next day. He is training in off days, and playing very physical interior defense against Bogut during game days with no inside help as a 37 year old.

We need to wrap this up in 6 and give him some proper rest.

[Spur-Addict]

Screening doesn't make an ineffective player effective. Have you noticed that GS is guard orientated team. They swarm and swipe on defense. On offense their plays develop from the outside. Splitter is not good that far from the basket, with his back turned, Closing out on shooters, Snagging long rebounds

limited mobility, is different than guarding a stiff on a PnR or schooling someone in the post

That "Limited Mobility" closed the series out over Duncan :lmao

:lmao@Swipe and swarming, yet he showed up in space, hitting some nice crafty shots, rolling hard to the basket and even hitting a floater

I told you he just had to tighten up the other areas of his game. :lol@Heavy Legs.

Made a nice heavy leg rotation to block Thompson at the rim.

Splittter found part of his sack, and made an impact. He was being pushed under the basket by Ezeli, and having trouble with their bigs in general. Something to watch going forward. Still needs to tighten up his ball control under the rim.