NBA Finals: Game 1 Grades

[Kori Ellis]

After the game, timvp was getting phone calls from Spurs fans gloating about him being "wrong" on SpursTalk. My 4-year-old asked me why the phone kept ringing, so I said it was because Daddy wrote something that turned out not to be right. His response: "Does Daddy have to go to doctor to get a new brain?"

I told him maybe :lol

Tim Duncan A
In the first quarter, it appeared as if the rust was really detrimental towards Duncan. He wasn't moving especially well and his offense was in shambles. But as the game progressed, he played much, much better.

Eventually, it seemed as if though he realized he had a distinct size advantage. When he would roll to the basket, he was almost always picked up by a small. Duncan started to feast -- but I actually think he has a lot of room to grow in this regard as the series progresses.

As for Game 1, I thought he was really good outside of the first quarter. Smart on offense. Provided a backbone on defense. And, overall, he played hard yet remained highly focused.

Manu Ginobili A-
While I think Ginobili had his share of mistakes throughout his 30 minutes, I was pleased by what he did and how he played. He kept it mostly basic on offense yet he really aided the effort by running effective pick-and-rolls.

His defense was hit or miss. But overall I thought Ginobili was smart, hit timely shots and competed extremely well.

Tony Parker A+
This was a work of art by Parker. With the Heat trapping every pick-and-roll, he didn't have much room to force the issue. So instead, he took what was there to take while biding his time. Once the fourth quarter hit, Parker was ready to take over and Miami had no answer to his aggression.

On the road, after a long layoff, against a pressure defense and Parker finishes without a turnover? That's amazing. If he can keep up this precise level of play, the Spurs will be difficult to beat.

Kawhi Leonard A-
I find it hard to settle on a grade for Leonard. As far as guarding LeBron is concerned, I don't think he could have done much better. He played him tight while simultaneously not giving up driving lanes. I also thought he did well in post-up defense. Rebounding was another feather in his cap.

On offense, he had a well-timed put back in the fourth quarter but his missing of open three-point shots really killed the momentum at times. If he can play like this going forward but also add better outside shooting, he will be nearly perfect.

Danny Green A-
Anyone who has called Danny Green a choker should be ashamed. He knocked down four three-pointers, including a gigantic shot in the fourth late in the game. He looked confident from the outset and let it fly.

I liked his rebounding and he had some good moments on D … but he also had some forgettable moments. He didn't defend LeBron well, wasn't sharp on his perimeter rotations and even his iso D was only average.

That said, if Green can knock down threes and provide some defense, that's very valuable.

Tiago Splitter B
I don't think Splitter was great but I do think he played his role well. He used his size to score around the rim against smaller players.

On defense, I don't think he did anything notable but he had some difficult rotations to make and made them relatively swiftly. I'd like better rebounding, though. Then again, his rim protection was better than usual -- so maybe that's the area he focused on.

Boris Diaw B
I actually like what Diaw brought to the table in the first half. He was making plays off the catch -- mostly of the passing variety. On defense, he bought some minutes against LeBron, which is great for a bigman.

Should Diaw play more going forward? Yeah, that might be an adjustment we see from Pop in Game 2 after he watches the film.

Gary Neal C+
My problem with Neal tonight was something he couldn't control: playing time. It felt like he was always in the game doing something wrong. Whether it was being too aggressive with his shot or his terrible D (particularly against Allen), Neal was often painful to watch.

All that said, it's Pop's duty to limit Neal's minutes. Obviously Pop was using him for spacing when the Spurs went small. I can see the logic (and I admit it helped free up Parker in the 4th) -- I'm just not sure that I agree with it wholeheartedly as a plan throughout the series. For what Neal could control, he wasn't far from expectations. He was able to drop big shots, make a few nice passes and hide at times on D -- in addition to those aforementioned negatives.

Matt Bonner C+
Can Bonner have success against the Heat? I'm not very optimistic. The Heat easily chased him off the three-point line and went after him on the other end.

But let's be honest: If Pop can work Bonner into the rotation -- and Bonner can hit threes -- that would give the Heat very little hope of hanging with San Antonio's offense.

Cory Joseph Inc.
Pop gave up on Joseph quick tonight. Was it justified? Is his spot in the rotation gone? We'll be able to answers those questions over the next week or so.

Pop A-
I loved Pop's gameplan on both sides of the court. On offense, there was a ton of variety and it kept the Heat off balance. Defensively, Pop was determined to not let LeBron win the game by himself.

My main complaint would be Neal's playing time but despite any negatives, the Spurs won Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Finals! What a game and what a season so far!

[hsxvvd]

Bosh must be to Heat fans what Bonner is to us, except he costs even more and can't hit 3s.

[The Reckoning]

timvp in the fetal position?


nice grades though and i agree about neal. i was having a heart attack everytime he checked in.

kawhi really needs to make his 3s though. that's a play they draw up for him on that outside 3 and despite running it all season he can't hit it to save his life.

[hsxvvd]

I, for once, agree completely with Popovich to give Joseph's minutes entirely to Neal. This stage is too big for a player like Joseph.

Joseph was needed for defense is previous rounds, not against Miami with Chalmers/Cole.

[SupremeGuy]

CoJo did a decent job on d. Neal shit the bed, tbh. I wish we could "fuse" them ala DBZ, then we'd have ourselves a baller.

[stéphane]

After the game, timvp was getting phone calls from Spurs fans gloating about him being "wrong" on SpursTalk. My 4-year-old asked me why the phone kept ringing, so I said it was because Daddy wrote something that turned out not to be right. His response: "Does Daddy have to go to doctor to get a new brain?"

I told him maybe :lol

Come on Kori you made me laugh so hard.
I'm going to be daddy in a couple hours and it reminds me how great kids can be.
Just tell LJ and your little guy how great his dad is as far as Spurstalk is concerned. :)

[DespЏrado]

Come on Kori you made me laugh so hard.
I'm going to be daddy in a couple hours and it reminds me how great kids can be.
Just tell LJ and your little guy how great his dad is as far as Spurstalk is concerned. :)

Wow Congrats!

[AaronY]

I would honestly play Patty Mills ahead of Neal at this point could not possibly play any worse that one 25 foot three he took, Holy Shit..

[DespЏrado]

Neal deserves an A. For reasons I detailed in my thread (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216124&p=6633864#post6633864)

[bthewigwam]

:toast

[Capt Bringdown]

I thought Splitter made a block in the 4th that was very notable. Solid defense.

[TrainOfThought5]

timvp in the fetal position?


nice grades though and i agree about neal. i was having a heart attack everytime he checked in.

kawhi really needs to make his 3s though. that's a play they draw up for him on that outside 3 and despite running it all season he can't hit it to save his life.

lol. I love Kawhi but this is his first finals just like Joseph and Green. we need to check our expectations for a couple games as he acclimates himself.

[thiste]

Remember this was far from an A game from our Spurs. They couldn't bury a shot in the first half if their lives depended on it, while it looked like Miami was hitting every frigging contested outside shot. And I'm not particularly a Neal fan but for some stretches he seemed like the only one who could hit an outside shot for us in that first half. That's why Pop kept him in the game.

[racm]

Bosh must be to Heat fans what Bonner is to us, except he costs even more and can't hit 3s.

He IS another ex-Raptor soft big man...

[tesseractive]

Your analysis seems pretty spot on.

Seemed like a little bit of gradeflation there -- I feel like the Spurs can play a better game or two this series, and you didn't leave much headroom in the grades. And you were especially generous to Tiago, I thought -- he seemed more like a C+ to me, honestly.

But anyway, thanks for the grades, Kori. :) I don't know y'all personally, but I hope everything's ok with LJ.

[polandprzem]

After the game, timvp was getting phone calls from Spurs fans gloating about him being "wrong" on SpursTalk. My 4-year-old asked me why the phone kept ringing, so I said it was because Daddy wrote something that turned out not to be right. His response: "Does Daddy have to go to doctor to get a new brain?"

I told him maybe

It did affect him that much that HIS grades had to be posted by you.

I know I'm pain in the ass





------


I thought spurs did a great job from the get go. Not letting Miami go off quick. Not surround by the pressure. They looked bit rusty but not that much and as the game went on they were better and better esp on defense. As for LeBron and Leo, I think he did fantastic job. But Miami knew it or james knew it and he got rest of the guys involved, typical for spurs opponents. A triple double just showed how fantastic LeFlop is. In game 2 he probably will go for more scoring. And we can use it. One leBron not gonna win the game if the spurs stays sharp.
Spurs did outstanding job not turning the ball over esp with the reffing we had in that game it was even more impressive. TP's patience worked well.

IMO Pop tried too much different rotations but he used to do it in 1st halves. I think now he will know better who and when to throw in the game.

All in all good game to watch for every fan. We need game 2 :flag:

[dunkman]

The Spurs were rusty, can play better. It was incredible they stole the game. The defense was great in the forth, and the team executed down the stretch. Parker and Duncan are insanely good players, tbh.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

The ghost of Beno has Joseph stuck to the bench.

[TJastal]

That defense in the last 5 minutes when Pop finally put Green in for Neal was something to behold. Those 5 guys (Parker, Ginobili, Green, Leonard, Duncan) gave the heat fits aside from 1 lapse by Green which was forgiveable (trying to contest Allen). If he doesn't contest that shot, Allen hits those in his sleep.

[Legacy]

We just gettin' started! :toast

Thanks for the write-up, Kori. :tu

[100%duncan]

LJ can't take the pressure and handed the keys to his spouse.

Humbling yet valiant move tbh. :tu

[heyheymymy]

timvp must be in quarantine until the end of the series to complete the rev-jinx. if he even says the wrong thing once, the rev-jinx becomes a rev-rev-jinx.

[heyheymymy]

Fantastic game...
Game One...A+
...Expect more Low Post game from TD & TS in Game Two!
Still celebrating!!!!!

exactly. spurs jacked up way to many 3s after it was obvs the 3 wasn't falling.

[spurspokesman]

That defense in the last 5 minutes when Pop finally put Green in for Neal was something to behold. Those 5 guys (Parker, Ginobili, Green, Leonard, Duncan) gave the heat fits aside from 1 lapse by Green which was forgiveable (trying to contest Allen). If he doesn't contest that shot, Allen hits those in his sleep. That was flat out terrible defense TJ and green should know better to contest while giving the shooter room to land safely. He was brilliant besides that I agree.

[spurspokesman]

timvp in the fetal position?


nice grades though and i agree about neal. i was having a heart attack everytime he checked in.

kawhi really needs to make his 3s though. that's a play they draw up for him on that outside 3 and despite running it all season he can't hit it to save his life. Agree

[TheChillFactor]

Green should get a bonus point for stepping on Mike Miller's face.

[Bruno]

Thanks for the grades.

And :wow at people calling timvp because he has been wrong (so far).

I guess I would have to call Kori because that A- grade for Manu is way too high.

[tesseractive]

The ghost of Beno has Joseph stuck to the bench.

Eh.. Even Parker got benched for a while in his first Finals, and he'd been a starter for two years.

[TJastal]

That was flat out terrible defense TJ and green should know better to contest while giving the shooter room to land safely. He was brilliant besides that I agree.

Easier said than done. Green launched himself from a mile away so his trajectory was bad. Very difficult situation when you got a knockdown shooter like Ray Allen. He'll hopefully learn from his mistake and not allow that much space again.


Green should get a bonus point for stepping on Mike Miller's face.

:lol

Wasn't that TP though? (Edit.. oh wait that was when Battier got kicked in the head.. that was funny too :rollin).

[The Reckoning]

http://www.reverbnation.com/kontagiousone/song/17548037-get-nasty-official-2013-spurs-anthem

[silverblackfan]

Thanks for the grades, Kori! One one hand I agree that Tim, Tony, Manu, and Kawhi earned an A grade for beating the Heat at home. One the other hand, I still think there is room for improvement for both Manu and Tim. Manu missed some 3 point defenses and was just generally slow to get back on his man. Most likely his body just can't react that fast anymore. Tim can dominate even more on that Heat front-line. `nuff said.

Your introduction also had me laughing. That said, timvp better write the next 'preview' predicting the Heat blowing out the Spurs in game 2! Don't mess with Karma.

[wildbill2u]

James said he got gassed at the start of the 4th and asked to come out. Pop should take note (if he already hasn't). It takes a lot of energy to play all those minutes, dragging 250 pounds around the court. If we keep pressuring him and forcing him to chase fresh players while on defense, even the best player in the world has a potential weakness.

Same with Wade. Wear these guys down. Move the ball around and use constant motion to make them run on both ends of the court. The Heat didn't have it in the 4th quarter.

[capek]

these weren't written by timvp :depressed

[EVAY]

Thank you for the grades, Kori. I thought that Pop's game plan, which was incomprehensible at times last night (esp. Neal's minutes) proved out in the end. Guess that's why he's a sure HOF coach. But man, I hope he is flexible with the Neal minutes.

We are all thrilled with what happened last night. I know that if that shot hadn't gone in for Tony at the end of the shot clock things could have turned out differently, but we have to remember that we ARE playing the defending champs. They are not scrubs. They are good defenders, good shooters and most of them play smart bball.

Expect that next game we will see more aggression from LBJ on offense, and it will be hard to keep him from scoring. They inexplicably didn't go the rim hard until the final game against the Pacers, and they inexplicably didn't do it too often last night. When they start doing that, we are gonna be hard pressed to stop them without fouling. But we can enjoy these as long as we can.

[elbamba]

While I agree with the Neal grade and the evaluation. I was frustrated at one play where Neal had just hit a big three and KL, who had just missed a corner jumper failed to pass to an open Neal and then bricked his second corner three. Neal is a streak shooter and when he puts one down you almost have to go back to him when he is that wide open.

Diaw needs to get the majority of Bonner's minutes. I don't care if Bonner gets 5-6 in the first half but the second half when the Spurs need defense, it has to be Diaw.

[Raven]

i think neal deserves more, he provided offense when Green and Leonard were ice-cold, and that's very valuable for us.

[Knucklehead]

Thanks for the grades! All i have to say is that i cringe everytime Neal is part of a fastbreak. He always seems to mess it up or pull up for a jumper.

[dunkman]

Thanks for the grades.

And :wow at people calling timvp because he has been wrong (so far).

I guess I would have to call Kori because that A- grade for Manu is way too high.

It's true, Manu fell asleep few times on defense and didn't shot that well. He's still capable of making 25 points out of 15 shots or put +10 assists - but he's not as consistent as in the past.

The Spurs have the best bigman in the NBA, the best PG too. It won't be easy for the Heat. LeBron is the MVP, but Wade and Bosh aren't great this season. It's still too early to predict, however the Spurs seem like a better team then the Pacers that pushed the Heat all the way to G7 of the ECF's.

[Keepin' it real]

Danny Green A-
Anyone who has called Danny Green a choker should be ashamed.

Disagree. Players earn labels based on their performance. He was woeful against OKC last year and was a big reason the Spurs lost. His choker label was earned in 2012. Likewise, just a year later, he's on his way to earning a label of clutch, especially with those 4 big 3s. I think he's being fueled by the fact that he choked last year, and he wants to do right by Tim, Tony, Manu and Pop.

[TheyCallMePro]

I actually liked how Neal contributed. He came in and made some crucial shots for us.

I don't think Joseph's defense is going to be a difference maker in this series. We need Neal's confidence and scoring. The stage is probably a little too big for Joseph. He'll play more when this series gets back to SA.

[Phenomanul]

Thanks Kori!


Green should get a bonus point for stepping on Mike Miller's face.

By mere coincidence Mike Miller has been Spurred in the face twice now... once by Bruce Bowen and once by Danny Green. :lol

[Spurs da champs]

I agree about Splitter's defense in regards to protecting the rim, it seems as if he's taken the verticality, shot challenging from Roy Hibbert's book.

[Raven]

Disagree. Players earn labels based on their performance. He was woeful against OKC last year and was a big reason the Spurs lost. His choker label was earned in 2012. Likewise, just a year later, he's on his way to earning a label of clutch, especially with those 4 big 3s. I think he's being fueled by the fact that he choked last year, and he wants to do right by Tim, Tony, Manu and Pop.

meh, i thought the choker label was already retarded in 2012 since he proved in the early post season that he was not choking, he simply had a terrible series and that's all that there is, even ray allen can miss a series of threes, it doesn't mean it's because he feels the pressure. The doubters were right on him in 2011 though, he was choking bad back then, it was too early for him apparently.

[capek]

By mere coincidence Mike Miller has been Spurred in the face twice now... once by Bruce Bowen and once by Danny Green. :lol

Sure you're not thinking of Szczerbiak?

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1024923/bruce_bowen_kicks_wally_szczerbiak_in_the_face-584-1.gif

dis gif never gets old :lol

[Bill_Brasky]

I think Neal got the nod over Joseph because it was an away game....Pop probably figured Neal would mentally handle it a little better.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

How did Bonner get anything but an F? He contributed nothing. Got worked on defense. Missed every shot on offense, and the couple of times he was a pick man he didn't even make contact and the defender just ran right around him.

[Phenomanul]

Sure you're not thinking of Szczerbiak?

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1024923/bruce_bowen_kicks_wally_szczerbiak_in_the_face-584-1.gif

dis gif never gets old :lol

I believe Brucie got Mike Miller in similar fashion...

[024]

:lol at people calling timvp

Just because you know the odds of winning the lottery are low doesn't mean you don't want to win the lottery. Just because he said the Spurs chances are limited doesn't mean he wasn't rooting for the Spurs.

[spurraider21]

i thought splitter had a great defensive stretch in the 2nd half. granted, he had some plays they could have whistled as fouls, but he played tough, physical D when contesting the drive. loved the physicality he brought, which with him isn't always a guarantee

[Robz4000]

:lol timvp

Tbh his points were still pretty valid, but luckily Tony and Manu didn't struggle as bad as I thought they would against Miami's D. Still just Game 1 but there was a lot to be happy about.

Believe.

[ElNono]

Thanks Kori

[urunobili]

Haslem's foul on Manu should be upgraded to a flagrant 1.

Also, his block on Allen was gigantic as was his pass to Green for the 3 pointer that start making the victory possible...

[dbreiden83080]

This TimVP is a clever chap.. He knows what he's doing.. :hat

[DAF86]

Almost everybody's grade is way too high, imho.

Mine:

Tim- A: Would have been A+ if not for the 1st quarter. Just a great all around game on defense and offense. If he gets his midrange game going, he should have a monster series.

Manu- B: Made a couple of threes which was great considering how he has been shooting the ball and had only one turnover (which I can't remember) also huge for him, specially against this team (it's obvious that Pop made it a law to take care of the ball). He also looked spry attacking the basket even when he missed a couple at the rim (some in which he got fouled and wasn't called, tbh). I loved his defense on Wade not so much on the other guys (he fell asleep sometimes and couldn't get out of the screens on others). Going forward I would like to see more Manu on Wade and less on Miller, Battier and specially Allen.

Tony - A- : The Heat took the ball out of his hands so his 21 pts and 6 assts even though a little less than what he has been getting us used to it's still great. His 0 TO's were huge also. In defense he was ok aside from (at this time expected from this team) sleeping on his man and leading to some wide open looks. I didn't like the final two possesions, I know the point was to run out the clock but I would have prefered some ball movement instead of dribbling it for 20 seconds to make a move, we got lucky on that last shot but I think the Spurs would be better off with running something else if similar situations present in the future of this series (actually this is more on Pop than Tony, tbh)

Leonard - B+: Like Kori said he was a couple of 3's away from having a perfect game but those misses were so bad (in form), so wide open and at such crucial moments that to me is enough to downgrade him from A- to B+. I really hope this was a one game thing 'cause his three point shooting will be needed.

Green - B+: His 3's were huge, specially on a night where only Manu and Neal could hit from that range but I didn't like his defense in general and on Wade in particular and supposedly that's what he's there for. Still very good game.

Tiago - B: Needs to rebound better and maybe be a little more agressive on offense (though I did like that he could score by posting up smaller guys a couple of times) but I liked his defense on the perimeter when needed and specially when it came to protecting the rim. He was always on time with his arms up on a vertical position to challenge shots.

Neal - C: His defense was what we expect from him (so yeah, not good). His shot selection was also what we expect from him (yup) but he did hit some timely shots and ended with +7 so there's that. Going forward I think Neal is needed (specially if Pop plans to keep playing big minutes of small-ball) but not for 22 minutes per game.

Bonner - C: Don't remember much good or bad from him but it's obvious that this series isn't good for him, Heat are way too big, fast and athletic for Bonner to have a chance to get a shot off.

Diaw - B- : On paper Boris is an awesome fit against these Heat. He should get (almost) all of Bonner's minutes.

Pop- A - : Didn't like to see so much Bonner and Neal. Diaw should play a lot more minutes and like I said I didn't like the last two calls down the stretch but it's obvious that this long layoff gave him plenty of time to plan the perfect gameplan and his guys executed, specially on the TO's department.

[Whisky Dog]

Wow people don't be stupid and hounding the guy at home because of predictions he made. That's fucking crazy

I see kori grades on the very high side with rosy glasses. It was a smartly played game but the shooting has to get better. When you're missing so many open shots that lebron can get 18 rebounds you need to shoot better.

[Bruno]

The Spurs have the best bigman in the NBA, the best PG too. It won't be easy for the Heat. LeBron is the MVP, but Wade and Bosh aren't great this season. It's still too early to predict, however the Spurs seem like a better team then the Pacers that pushed the Heat all the way to G7 of the ECF's.

Spurs are significantly better than Indiana and If heat plays at the level they did in the ECF, they won't win the Finals. The treason why I'm not really optimistic about Spurs' chances to win it all because I think heat can play way better than what they did against Indiana.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

I would have gave Manu a B- tbh that terrible 3 from 30 ft and that reach in foul on lebron that gave them freethrows and a 2 for 1...really bad decsions from Manu..

[ohmwrecker]

Get well soon, timvp.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

I dont think the spurs played well last night - i would slash off about half a point to a point for each player.

[Brunodf]

:tu
Too high: Tony/Manu/Green/Splitter/Pop

[DMC]

Odd that almost no one mentioned Green's contributions, no one in the post game press conference, no one in the post game summary, not even the NBA summary mentioned Green. I thought he was huge especially that late 3. He's a pure shooter, great form.

[DMC]

The predictions were in a sort of anti-jinx jest, most realize that already.

[T Park]

Spurs are significantly better than Indiana and If heat plays at the level they did in the ECF, they won't win the Finals. The treason why I'm not really optimistic about Spurs' chances to win it all because I think heat can play way better than what they did against Indiana.


Here's the problem with that, they haven't played better than the ECF in about 3 or 4 months

[T Park]

:tu
Too high: Tony/Manu/Green/Splitter/Pop


Lol how was Green Parker and Pop too high?

Christ you people are lunatics.

[Spurs Brazil]

:tu Kori

[Brunodf]

Lol how was Green Parker and Pop too high?

Christ you people are lunatics.
Green was great on offense but average at best on defense.

Tony played great, no doubt, but wasn't an A+ game(like that Memphis game 4), he missed his teammates wide open many times and lost his man on D.

Pop rotations were terrible, playing Neal/Bonner in the Finals is mind boggling.
Also no Diaw in the 2nd half/ closing the game with one of our worst lineups.

[Nathan89]

This game brought Splitter playoff rebounding average down to 3.5 per game.:(

[temujin]

Spurs are significantly better than Indiana and If heat plays at the level they did in the ECF, they won't win the Finals. The treason why I'm not really optimistic about Spurs' chances to win it all because I think heat can play way better than what they did against Indiana.

My feeling is that the Heat have peaked in March/April.

You could clearly see holes in their game in many of the the Indiana games, already.
last night, they literally collapsed in the 4th.
If Spurs play the defense they have been playing from G3 of the Warriors series,
AND
keep it simple on offense,
they have a very serious chance.

[Aztecfan03]

Disagree. Players earn labels based on their performance. He was woeful against OKC last year and was a big reason the Spurs lost. His choker label was earned in 2012. Likewise, just a year later, he's on his way to earning a label of clutch, especially with those 4 big 3s. I think he's being fueled by the fact that he choked last year, and he wants to do right by Tim, Tony, Manu and Pop.

that was 1 playoff series in his now 7 playoff series here(including this one). He didn't earn the label for 1 out of 3 series last year.

[Aztecfan03]

Very generous grades

[007nites]

Odd that almost no one mentioned Green's contributions, no one in the post game press conference, no one in the post game summary, not even the NBA summary mentioned Green. I thought he was huge especially that late 3. He's a pure shooter, great form.

He's by far the best 3 point shooter on the team. Really nice stroke.

[therealtruth]

This game brought Splitter playoff rebounding average down to 3.5 per game.:(

Regression to the mean. Splitter's got some big rebounding games left.

[HemisfairArena]

I give Duncan an A+++... 20 and 14 with 3 blocks at the age of 37...c'mon now. Guy is playing like he's in his prime again.

[Solid D]

Absolutely priceless, Kori! Hahaha!!!

[TD 21]

Spurs are significantly better than Indiana and If heat plays at the level they did in the ECF, they won't win the Finals. The treason why I'm not really optimistic about Spurs' chances to win it all because I think heat can play way better than what they did against Indiana.

I realize this falls into the category of "well have to wait and see", but I'm going to ask anyway: Can they? They're clearly running on fumes and outside of James, I don't see the same level of desperation out of them that I do in the Spurs. Don't get me wrong; they both obviously want to win, but the difference is, the Spurs clearly feel like they have to win.

That's a powerful thing and it's largely why I picked them to win the series. Generally speaking, when two teams are evenly matched or at least relatively so, the one who feels like they can't afford to lose is the one who usually wins.

Cliche as it may sound, it's exhausting to win a championship and Wade and Bosh, in particular, don't seem like they're willing to or are physically capable of exerting the amount of energy that's going to be required for them to win this series.

[Bruno]

Here's the problem with that, they haven't played better than the ECF in about 3 or 4 months

Between February 3rd and the start of the ECF, Heat had a 45-3 stretch. That's just damn impressive.

Now, it's true they showed some true weaknesses in the ECF with players like Battier and Wade being nowhere near the level they had earlier this season, Bosh being really soft and with Pacers dominating them inside. These weaknesses were also somewhat still here in Game 1.

I really don't know if Heat can get back to the dominant version they were of if they are stuck at the level they have been in the last 8 games. I've decided to be pessimistic on that. Before game 1, I was picking Heat in 5 with a 70/30 odd to win the finals. I'm now at Heat in 6 with a 60/40 odd to win it all.

[Chinook]

Disagree. Players earn labels based on their performance. He was woeful against OKC last year and was a big reason the Spurs lost. His choker label was earned in 2012. Likewise, just a year later, he's on his way to earning a label of clutch, especially with those 4 big 3s. I think he's being fueled by the fact that he choked last year, and he wants to do right by Tim, Tony, Manu and Pop.

He wasn't a big reason why the Spurs lost last season. For all the talk about how bad he was, he led the team in defensive rating and still had a positive plus-minus. If anything, Pop overreacted by taking him out of the starting lineup after Game 4 when all OKC had done until that point was hold home court. Green's not a choker, and he didn't earn anything like that last season. He was literally one of the top two or three players on the Spurs for the last two games of the WCSF last year.

Clutch and choker are misguided labels used by fans who only look at things superficially. They result usually from the availability heuristic and confirmation bias.

[T Park]

Between February 3rd and the start of the ECF, Heat had a 45-3 stretch. That's just damn impressive.

Now, it's true they showed some true weaknesses in the ECF with players like Battier and Wade being nowhere near the level they had earlier this season, Bosh being really soft and with Pacers dominating them inside. These weaknesses were also somewhat still here in Game 1.

I really don't know if Heat can get back to the dominant version they were of if they are stuck at the level they have been in the last 8 games. I've decided to be pessimistic on that. Before game 1, I was picking Heat in 5 with a 70/30 odd to win the finals. I'm now at Heat in 6 with a 60/40 odd to win it all.


Impressive yes. Until you look at the competition.

[TheGoldStandard]

Gary Neal for 22 minutes is mind boggling. 3/9 shooting for 7 points doesn't make up for all the shit defense. Guy ends up chasing his defender unless there is a screen in which case he stops and hopes someone helps. He won't fight through or go under a screen to save his life.

[Tim_duncan21]

Thanks for the grades.

[Reck]

Pretty spot on grades.

Agreed on what you said about Splitter. He should focus on getting those rebs. He looked oftly passive when he had the ball and rarely finished with authority at the rim.

[Slippy]

Disagree. Tiago needs to keep focusing on d and blocking out. Tim and KY continue to clean up