timvp
05-17-2013, 03:12 AM
Tim Duncan D+
Duncan's stats look strong at a glance -- but I wasn't happy with his performance. The glaring weakness that really hurt his value was his strange inability to grab contested boards. You can always count on him to rebound well -- well, almost always. Tonight, he just couldn't do it. Defensively, he had his moments guarding pick-and-rolls … but he struggled in that area as the game progressed. Duncan had some positives (for example, I liked the way he defended the rim and his scoring was strong) but overall he left a lot to be desired. The good news is that his negatives don't appear to be health related.
Manu Ginobili C
The Good: Ginobili's passing was outstanding. Not only was his vision exquisite, his timing was perfect. Down the stretch, he was a major difference-maker due to his ability to make plays. The Bad: He wasn't sharp enough mentally on defense. He needlessly got sucked into the paint too often. Scoring-wise, he was a non-factor.
Tony Parker C-
While I liked Parker's defense for a majority of his game, the Frenchman was headed to one of his worst playoff performances until he knocked in a pair of clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Those two shots helped give the Spurs the win and they will allow him to sleep better tonight. Outside of those two shots, I liked his attacking but he was an inconsistent passer (a few great passes mixed with a few terrible non-passes) and wasn't always quick to get the team into its offense. Unfortunately, it's obvious that he's still dealing with some sort of injury.
Kawhi Leonard A
I'm struggling to find any faults in Leonard's game. He was great on defense; his smothering of Thompson (and Barnes at times) was legendary. He rebounded fantastically. He made plays in loose ball situations. He ran the court well. On offense, he hit timely shots and his aggression level was just about perfect. Damn, this young kid is a player.
Danny Green A
What a series. Green very well may have been the most impactful player on either team. His ability to smother Curry was awesome. He played great defense again in Game 6 and his ferocity was contagious. I just loved his poise on both ends and the purpose he's playing with right now. Green grew up a lot in this series -- let's hope it continues in the WCF.
Tiago Splitter B
To begin the game, it looked like it was going to be another underwhelming performance by Splitter. But he bounced back and finished stoutly. Offensively, he did a much better job of gathering himself and taking his time around the rim. The Spurs ran more plays for him this game and the result was a more confident and alert version of Splitter. Defensively, he seemingly got better as the game went along. By the fourth, his pick-and-roll D was strong and he was holding his own in the paint. Hopefully he can bottle that type of play. It'll be vital against the Grizzlies.
Boris Diaw B+
He didn't hit a shot but Diaw made a difference on the offensive end with his passing. The stats make it appear as if he was ultra passive -- but he really wasn't. Diaw was attacking more than usual and made quite a few plays. On D, he played hard and rebounded much better than usual.
Cory Joseph A-
I was again impressed by Joseph. He's not playing a huge role but he's doing exactly what the Spurs need him to do. Joseph is making quick decisions on offense while not showing an ounce of intimidation. Defensively, he's really digging in and giving it his all. I'm really starting to believe the Spurs have found a long-term solution at backup point guard.
Gary Neal C+
Neal hit some shots but, wow, is his defense bad. I don't know if his feet/legs are still hurting him but he can't stay in front of anyone. Thankfully, Neal salvaged some value by hitting the glass better than usual and providing a few useful buckets on O.
Matt Bonner B-
My expectations for Bonner weren't high so I was satisfied with how he played. He was quicker on his feet on defense than we've witnessed this series, which made a big difference. His transition defense was also a lot better. On O, he was more decisive. Not bad.
Pop A
Benching Duncan down the stretch was a gutsy move -- and it turned out to be the absolute right move. Leaning on Splitter will hopefully help grow the Brazilian's confidence going forward. And winning a road playoff game with the Big 3 struggling? Pop had to be doing something (or a lot of things) right. He was demanding near perfect defense all night long ... and his demands were heard loud and clear. Great job.
Duncan's stats look strong at a glance -- but I wasn't happy with his performance. The glaring weakness that really hurt his value was his strange inability to grab contested boards. You can always count on him to rebound well -- well, almost always. Tonight, he just couldn't do it. Defensively, he had his moments guarding pick-and-rolls … but he struggled in that area as the game progressed. Duncan had some positives (for example, I liked the way he defended the rim and his scoring was strong) but overall he left a lot to be desired. The good news is that his negatives don't appear to be health related.
Manu Ginobili C
The Good: Ginobili's passing was outstanding. Not only was his vision exquisite, his timing was perfect. Down the stretch, he was a major difference-maker due to his ability to make plays. The Bad: He wasn't sharp enough mentally on defense. He needlessly got sucked into the paint too often. Scoring-wise, he was a non-factor.
Tony Parker C-
While I liked Parker's defense for a majority of his game, the Frenchman was headed to one of his worst playoff performances until he knocked in a pair of clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Those two shots helped give the Spurs the win and they will allow him to sleep better tonight. Outside of those two shots, I liked his attacking but he was an inconsistent passer (a few great passes mixed with a few terrible non-passes) and wasn't always quick to get the team into its offense. Unfortunately, it's obvious that he's still dealing with some sort of injury.
Kawhi Leonard A
I'm struggling to find any faults in Leonard's game. He was great on defense; his smothering of Thompson (and Barnes at times) was legendary. He rebounded fantastically. He made plays in loose ball situations. He ran the court well. On offense, he hit timely shots and his aggression level was just about perfect. Damn, this young kid is a player.
Danny Green A
What a series. Green very well may have been the most impactful player on either team. His ability to smother Curry was awesome. He played great defense again in Game 6 and his ferocity was contagious. I just loved his poise on both ends and the purpose he's playing with right now. Green grew up a lot in this series -- let's hope it continues in the WCF.
Tiago Splitter B
To begin the game, it looked like it was going to be another underwhelming performance by Splitter. But he bounced back and finished stoutly. Offensively, he did a much better job of gathering himself and taking his time around the rim. The Spurs ran more plays for him this game and the result was a more confident and alert version of Splitter. Defensively, he seemingly got better as the game went along. By the fourth, his pick-and-roll D was strong and he was holding his own in the paint. Hopefully he can bottle that type of play. It'll be vital against the Grizzlies.
Boris Diaw B+
He didn't hit a shot but Diaw made a difference on the offensive end with his passing. The stats make it appear as if he was ultra passive -- but he really wasn't. Diaw was attacking more than usual and made quite a few plays. On D, he played hard and rebounded much better than usual.
Cory Joseph A-
I was again impressed by Joseph. He's not playing a huge role but he's doing exactly what the Spurs need him to do. Joseph is making quick decisions on offense while not showing an ounce of intimidation. Defensively, he's really digging in and giving it his all. I'm really starting to believe the Spurs have found a long-term solution at backup point guard.
Gary Neal C+
Neal hit some shots but, wow, is his defense bad. I don't know if his feet/legs are still hurting him but he can't stay in front of anyone. Thankfully, Neal salvaged some value by hitting the glass better than usual and providing a few useful buckets on O.
Matt Bonner B-
My expectations for Bonner weren't high so I was satisfied with how he played. He was quicker on his feet on defense than we've witnessed this series, which made a big difference. His transition defense was also a lot better. On O, he was more decisive. Not bad.
Pop A
Benching Duncan down the stretch was a gutsy move -- and it turned out to be the absolute right move. Leaning on Splitter will hopefully help grow the Brazilian's confidence going forward. And winning a road playoff game with the Big 3 struggling? Pop had to be doing something (or a lot of things) right. He was demanding near perfect defense all night long ... and his demands were heard loud and clear. Great job.