Grades: Spurs vs. Grizzlies - Oct. 30, 2013

[timvp]

Tim Duncan
Strong defensively and on the boards. Appeared rusty on offense. Took an elbow to the chest from Tony Allen and didn't return. Let's hope he bounces back quickly.
B-

Tony Parker
Slow start but he looked a lot better in the second half. He's not totally in shape yet so his explosiveness around the rim is lacking. He made up for his wayward shot with some slick passing down the stretch.
B-

Manu Ginobili
After a strong preseason, Ginobili kept it up in game No. 1. He looked great going toward the basket and overall look is playing a lively brand of basketball. I really liked the way he played tonight.
A-

Kawhi Leonard
A bit herky-jerky and struggled with turnovers but got the job done. His three-point stroke was quick and he was a menace in the open court. Defensively, I thought he was very strong. He has a ways to grow in terms of operating in a crowd and always staying under control.
B

Danny Green
Good: Hit a couple of pull-up jumpers off the dribble -- something we didn't see last year. Good defense. Bad: Sloppiness on offense led to needless turnovers.
C+

Tiago Splitter
Relatively quiet but effective game. Didn't make many mistakes on either end. Strong D, rebounded well, passed well, moved well without the ball and ran the court hard. Well done.
A-

Marco Belinelli
He looks like a natural fit from Day 1. Extremely heady plays on the offensive end that led to easy shots for teammates. Didn't try to do too much yet stayed agressive. A work in progress on D.
B+

Patty Mills
There's no doubt he outplayed Cory Joseph in preseason. Pop rewarded him with the backup point guard gig to begin the year. Mills didn't disappoint. He shot it straight and utilized his unbridled energy to make things happen.
A-

Matt Bonner
He was the first bigman off the bench -- and played decent. Held his own on defense for the most part. After a few hiccups, he settled down and played well on offense.
B-

Jeff Ayres
Played physically under the basket. Solid screens on offense. His passing continues to be better than advertised.
B

Boris Diaw
He was the fifth bigman to get into the game -- but then ended up being a key cog in the fourth quarter. His aggression -- especially shooting-wise -- was very good. He played with a purpose we didn't see much of last year. He also rebounded better than usual and got his nose dirty.
B+

Pop
As expected, he was in mad scientist mode to start the season. Going with Mills as the backup point guard was a bit surprising -- but it was also the fair thing to do following Joseph's preseason struggles. Bonner as the first bigman was also a surprise but Pop mixed and matched the five bigs well.
B

Overall
Fun game to watch -- or maybe it was just fun to watch a game that meant something. The bench unit looked amazing at times and I really expect it to be the best bench in the NBA when the Spurs are at full strength. The collapse in the second half was a bit concerning but Memphis is a team that will always claw back. Besides, the game never really felt like it was in doubt even when the scoreboard got close in the fourth quarter.
B+

One down. Let's hope TD is okay. Onward.

[DAF86]

BRHornet45 and I want our Pelicans name on the NBA forum, tbh.

[TXstbobcat]

Feels great to get the season started with a win!

[UnWantedTheory]

Grassyass senor.

[UnWantedTheory]

Feels great to get the season started with a win!

Just feels great to have meaningful basketball back.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Splitter was so good, held down the fort with Duncan out.

[bigfan]

My regular season thanks for the grades TIMVP as I live up in Dallas now and we don't get the Spurs obviously. I look forward to reading your reviews as the season progresses; Go Spurs Go!

[Robz4000]

Welcome back timvp :tu

[Obstructed_View]

Grizz with 17 more FGA is concerning, but it's early yet. Always happy to see the Grizzlies lose. Finally have a rivalry developing on that side of the division.

[ElNono]

thanks timvp

[Spurs_Be_Beastin']

Welcome back Timvp. We played good D tonight, nice start. and FUCK TONY ALLEN, he has to be one of the stupidest, arrogant, deuchbags ever to play in the NBA

[silverblk mystix]

Danny Green is going to lead the league -


in inadvertently stepping out of bounds. :bang

[Holt's Cat]

We need a shot blocker at the front of the rim.

Purrrrrrrrrr.

[Darius McCrary]

Grizz with 17 more FGA is concerning, but it's early yet. Always happy to see the Grizzlies lose. Finally have a rivalry developing on that side of the division.

:tu definitely had a rivalry feel. The Grizz Announcers were in pure bitch mode when I watched, too :lol

[freetiago]

Ginobili looks more mobile and he seems to be able to turn the corner and get to the basket again
maybe something he did in the offseason helped with that
we saw it happen with Kobe when he got the German thing and Duncan in the 2012 offseason started regaining his mobility again

they actually ran post ups for Leonard and the only thing he really struggled with was handling the ball in traffic
once he works on that he can easily be a consistent 15-20 point scorer per game for us

the 1 dribble pull up jumper by Green is a really good improvement to his game that will pay dividends
he was stepping outside a lot probably because he wasnt use to doing those 1 dribble pull ups in the confined corner but it will go away as the season goes on

Boris was an A+ imo
9 shots in 20 minutes and leading the team in scoring
he was actually playing up to his skill level and being aggressive
if its not a 1 game thing like last season where he would shoot a 3 coming off a screen on one play and passing up a wide open 3 the next then hell be huge
if he starts isolating on the block then thats another dimension that can carry the bench

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Welcome back timvp :tu

[spurraider21]

thanks as usual. we've been told you've been busy, so thanks for taking the time to write these up

[heyheymymy]

Just realized that Mills is the upgrade from Gary Neal, not Beli. So Beli is actually just bonus now, and serves a kind of Bones Barry role so Mills can play off the ball some which makes him more dangerous. Ayers proved to be a big upgrade over Blair, you can actually play him! That second unit was when we took off, so it looks like the big 3 might get some good rest this year, Mills/Beli/Manu is going to buy TP a lot of bench time.

This team looks pretty synchronized this year, almost every roster spot perfectly complimentary to the system. Very trim on the dead weight. Stay healthy and this talent can go on a deep run imo.

[Brunodf]

:tu
Ayers too high
Diaw too low

[Hoops Czar]

Grizz scored 67 points in the second half? No Duncan on D spells big trouble.

[Hoops Czar]

:tu
Ayers too high
Diaw too low

Cut Timvp a little slack. He's a bit rusty.

[rastaspur]

Ayyres and ginobili worked well together. That screen/ pnr roll action freed manu up for wide open lay ups. Ayres seems to understand spacing and moving without the ball.

Criticism for ayres. Get ur hands straight up when at least trying to provide rim protrction. The few times he got his hands up he was somewhat disruptive. Also, cant rake down. Keep them up. Work with splitter. Imrove that moving forward.

De colo in street clothes should be the norm. The added fPlexibility of a brute in baynes and floor stretching four outweighs carryin decolo as active due to redundancy and duplication in the limited skills and attributes de colo arguably brings. Belli brings what pafto hoped nando would. So ship his ass out
.

[DPG21920]

Uncle.

Ginobili looked great IMO. TP had a strange game. Got to the spots he wanted, but could not finish like he normally does. You know that will change which is a great sign. Tim was really off offensively as well, but again, got what he wanted and moved well. Despite the injury, this was a very good opening game. Played a tough team, looked good defensively when healthy and got all around contribution. Most importantly, DPG all looked/moved well. Kawhi just has some beast plays.

[heyheymymy]

De colo in street clothes should be the norm. The added fPlexibility of a brute in baynes and floor stretching four outweighs carryin decolo as active due to redundancy and duplication in the limited skills and attributes
.

I agree, Feels like every player this year brings a little something unique in their skillset. Such a deep roster.

[DPG21920]

Also, the Spurs have simply owned Zbo and in turn the Grizz since Tiago/Kawhi have become prominent players. It's awesome.

[spurs10]

Thank you for the grades!

[lefty]

thanks timvp
you're welcome

[Baseline]

Thank God Pop played Patty over CoJo. CoJo is simply not capable of hitting threes, or really creating anything on offense. I love the dual threat of Parker/Patty, because their weapons are so different - yet they're weapons. With Patty, the opponent has to watch the PG on the three point line, whereas they don't with Parker. So the defense may take a possession or two to adjust. By then, Patty hits a three and the second unit is off to the races. We get NONE of that with CoJo.

[racm]

Also, the Spurs have simply owned Zbo and in turn the Grizz since Tiago/Kawhi have become prominent players. It's awesome.

Didn't Green + Tiago have <100 minutes total against Memphis in the 2011 playoffs?

[heyheymymy]

timvp you gotta change that avatar man, it's a bummer. c'mon, new season, new hope?

[rastaspur]

Thank God Pop played Patty over CoJo. CoJo is simply not capable of hitting threes, or really creating anything on offense. I love the dual threat of Parker/Patty, because their weapons are so different - yet they're weapons. With Patty, the opponent has to watch the PG on the three point line, whereas they don't with Parker. So the defense may take a possession or two to adjust. By then, Patty hits a three and the second unit is off to the races. We get NONE of that with CoJo.

Patty's peskiness and pressure caused what i like to call hickey steals. Ball pressure will allow manu, gionobili and leonard green to get into the passing lanes. Second unit ig going to be fun to watch. So much versatility as opposed to previous year A believe pafto quietly peiced together a puzzle of players so dynamic and versatile. Spurs can go chamelion on anyone in this league. So excited

[Shifty]

Just realized that Mills is the upgrade from Gary Neal, not Beli. So Beli is actually just bonus now, and serves a kind of Bones Barry role so Mills can play off the ball some which makes him more dangerous. Ayers proved to be a big upgrade over Blair, you can actually play him! That second unit was when we took off, so it looks like the big 3 might get some good rest this year, Mills/Beli/Manu is going to buy TP a lot of bench time.

This team looks pretty synchronized this year, almost every roster spot perfectly complimentary to the system. Very trim on the dead weight. Stay healthy and this talent can go on a deep run imo.
I was thinking the same while watching the game.

[scanry]

timvp, i think it's time to change the avatar and move on from last year's finals.

After all it's only a game son.

BTW the Pelicans could sure use the changed logo and name.

[Johnny RIngo]

Ginobili looks more mobile and he seems to be able to turn the corner and get to the basket again
maybe something he did in the offseason helped with that
we saw it happen with Kobe when he got the German thing and Duncan in the 2012 offseason started regaining his mobility again

Let's not get too excited about Manu. He looked great at the beginning of last year too(Olympics). Then, as the season wore, he picked up more and more injuries and degenerated into an inefficient turnover machine.

[exstatic]

Ayyres and ginobili worked well together. That screen/ pnr roll action freed manu up for wide open lay ups. Ayres seems to understand spacing and moving without the ball.


When teams start following Manu to the hole to contest, Ayers is going to have some MONSTER slams.

[crc21209]

Welcome back timvp! :tu Thanks for the grades as always!

[TrainOfThought5]

Welcome back timvp! :tu Thanks for the grades as always!

[KaiRMD1]

BRHornet45 (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=11905) and I want our Pelicans name on the NBA forum, tbh.

Not after that showing ol' sport

[lefty]

Koolaid disappears, and Timvp reappears

[z0sa]

We have got Memphis' number straight up. Theyve gone from scary to predictable. First game it may be, but it validates the opinion that our team is still top 2 material in the West, and maybe L wide. The rest of the West might fear them but the Grizz just dont have enough two way players. The Spurs inevitably build a lead and simply must hold it.

I feel confident, one game in be it so, that we are too strong for anyone but the Thunder in our conf.

[polandprzem]

Greetings mr timvp

[boutons_deux]

Boris continued his aggressive play with and without the ball, as we saw in his FNT games this summer. Makes one wonder why he was so passive last season.

[Maddog]

Boris continued his aggressive play with and without the ball, as we saw in his FNT games this summer. Makes one wonder why he was so passive last season.

I think I actually saw Boris sky for a board.

[Prime Time]

Did anyone else notice how Explosive Ayres was? I mean I knew he had hops before those nagging injuries, but TBH I didn't expect him to be THAT quick. Could have sworn he looked a bit slower with Indy

[exstatic]

Did anyone else notice how Explosive Ayres was? I mean I knew he had hops before those nagging injuries, but TBH I didn't expect him to be THAT quick. Could have sworn he looked a bit slower with Indy

I went and checked his DX profile. His vert is 35". That's pretty damn good for a 6'10" PF.

[Raven]

grades are way too high imho.. belinelli was pretty terrible on both sides, but showed some moves i have not seen from any spurs player in a long time, i mean the frequent cuts to basket. Still, can't be better than a D, the guy has no idea how to guard anyone, and he only played tony allen today.

[silverblackfan]

Thanks for the grades! It helps to officially start the new season with some ole' timvp grades.
Patty is really looking good with Belli and Manu in the second unit. I really like how quick he is to pester the other guard and of course he is a threat on offense. It is only the first game, but I imagine that CoJo will get some playing time next time Patty goes cold. CJ can be Pop's defensive backup PG, if necessary. Lots of options. This will give Tony some good rest during the season and hopefully carry the team through any missed games. (Knock on wood)
All the players looked good last night, especially for the first game of the season. If they can continue to gell and improve, this team is going to be a wrecking ball on other teams.

So, the $$$ question. Does Nando play on Friday and CoJo/Mills sit? With Marco and Manu's creativity, do we really need another passing guard?

[Fireball]

Did anyone else notice how Explosive Ayres was? I mean I knew he had hops before those nagging injuries, but TBH I didn't expect him to be THAT quick. Could have sworn he looked a bit slower with Indy I was really impressed with his first half play. You really had the feeling that he did not care in preseason. But I don't remember much of him in the 2nd half. All in all an impressive first win, hopefully Timmy is ok. IMO he can sit out the Lakers game and come back the following night against the Blazers where he will be needed more. Thanks for the grades!

[Brazil]

Koolaid disappears, and Timvp reappears

thought you were both ?

you bandwaggonning Arsenal now ? you are restless tbh

[jjktkk]

Thanks Tim. :tu

[Darkwaters]

So, the $$$ question. Does Nando play on Friday and CoJo/Mills sit? With Marco and Manu's creativity, do we really need another passing guard?

Are you implying that Mills is a pass-first guy and Nando is a shooter?

[JRHernandez88]

Just excited to see Kawhi with the ball more now keeps me glued to the tv like http://imageshack.us/a/img836/585/scaledphpserver31filena.png

[gsmith78]

Tiago Splitter
Relatively quiet but effective game. Didn't make many mistakes on either end. Strong D, rebounded well, passed well, moved well without the ball and ran the court hard. Well done.
A-


Did I have too much beer yesterday, or did Tiago look like he changed his release on his hook? I was way up in the nosebleed seats so maybe my perspective was a bit off, but instead of his old hip level release it looked like his hook shots had more of a shoulder level release. They looked pretty smooth compared to most of his shots last year.

[team-work]

Thanks to timvp as always. Look forward to the detailed game thoughts (am I too greedy?)

[024]

Disappointed that Joseph couldn't crack the rotation. He played so solidly in last season's playoffs and displayed some good defense. Mills is too small to play really good defense. Really thought Joseph would emerge as the clear back up point guard this season. Instead, it'll be another season of uncertainty. Props to Mills for working so hard though.

[silverblackfan]

The reverse. I was implying that Nando's best skill seems to be creative passing. Mills seems to be more of a scorer/shooter, which I like seeing on the floor with Manu and Belinelli

[Obstructed_View]

I'm really loving this team at the moment. They have enough firepower to keep from offensive droughts and enough good defense that they don't have to rely on scoring at a high rate to be in the game. They just got done pounding last year's western finalists despite Duncan leaving and Parker having a rough shooting night.

Kawhi Leonard -
Kawhi didn't have a great game, and he was probably the best player on the floor for either team. He made a few mistakes and didn't take advantage in a spot or two. That's not to say that he wasn't effective, because he was. It's hard to believe this is the same guy whose handles we worried about. Sky's the limit.

Danny Green -
Who taught this guy to dribble during the offseason? I don't know that I trust him on a fast break, but he controlled the ball well in traffic and was effective with from mid range. Now hopefully he figures out where the sideline is, because he stepped on it three times.

Tiago Splitter -
Watching Splitter fight for rebounds, score in traffic, effectively defend guards at the perimeter and hit both of his hook shots off post moves, then seeing people in the game thread talk about how terrible he is, I realize that Tiago Splitter is like the windshield of a car: you take his contribution for granted until it's not there. Randolph and Gasol were -21 and -18 for a reason, folks.

Marco Belinelli -
Yeah, we knew his offense would work, and it did. We knew his defense would be bad, and it is. It's a good sign that he's clicking on one end so soon. Another guy from the Finley/Barry/Neal mold to plug in, and he could be as good as any of them.

Patty Mills -
Offense for days, ripped new physique, hair trigger, the heart of a leader. I'm really liking this "new" Patrick Mills. Then I re-watched the game and saw his defense. He's so easy to get out of position that he ends up chasing air. Tony Parker manages to be effective off the same screens, Mills just gets lost. He is also not running the offense at all, though he works very well in the second unit despite that fact. I'm absolutely in favor of keeping him in the rotation, but he's not the backup point guard on this team. Evidence? I saw Danny Green running the offense at one point while they were on the floor together. Fin and Barry both contributed on the same team, so why can't this work? If Joseph can't figure out a way to develop as a point guard, then the Spurs are going to need to look elsewhere for a legitimate backup for Parker.

Matt Bonner -
Sigh. At this point I just hope he hits a few threes while he's on the floor to negate the rest of his game, because Pop's going to play him no matter what. Grizz fans who were watching the matchup two years ago should probably be asking what's wrong with Z-Bo.

Jeff Ayres -
There's a lot to like about this kid. He's athletic, he's physical, he's vicious around the rim, he has good hands and good feet. How does a guy like that get away from a team like Indy? Hint: Indy decided that Ian Mahinmi is less foul-prone. Ouch.

Boris Diaw -
Athletic plays on defense (a block!), fighting for rebounds, pulling the trigger when open, same great court vision. Who put Red Bull in Boris' croissant? No idea, but I really hope he keeps it up, because when his effort matches his talent, Diaw's really really good.

[Hoops Czar]

The Spurs have plenty of slashers and dribblers. Danny Green should focus on playing stout defense and catch and shoot on offense. When Green tries to force the issue by creating, he tends to turn it over. He needs to keep it simple. Green should never be asked to put the ball on the floor.

[boutons_deux]

Ayres looks confident and fitting in, no hesitation, knows his role and how to play. HUGE pickup.

[benefactor]

Thanks for the grades and welcome back. Hope to see you shaking off temovp and getting back to being yourself again.

[spurraider21]

Mills is playing the Neal role and we have to realize that. He might be listed as a pg but he is playing a scoring role. With Manu and Belinelli as capable ball handlers, we can afford to have him out there with the 2nd unit. However, if his shot isn't falling, he loses about 80% of his value on that given night.

[Darkwaters]

The Spurs have plenty of slashers and dribblers. Danny Green should focus on playing stout defense and catch and shoot on offense. When Green tries to force the issue by creating, he tends to turn it over. He needs to keep it simple. Green should never be asked to put the ball on the floor.

Disagree. Now, I'm not advocating that he should be a "slasher" to any degree. But I think having that ability to fake the 3 and take a dribble inside the line and fire away will be huge for him. Honestly, adding that same little wrinkle made Bonner much more palatable.

[Darkwaters]

Mills is playing the Neal role and we have to realize that. He might be listed as a pg but he is playing a scoring role. With Manu and Belinelli as capable ball handlers, we can afford to have him out there with the 2nd unit. However, if his shot isn't falling, he loses about 80% of his value on that given night.

Eh, Neal was much more capable of running some offense. Sure it wasn't always pretty, but the numbers back it up as generally effective. I love Mills, but he can't even fake the funk out there - hes just not a PG.

[Hoops Czar]

Disagree. Now, I'm not advocating that he should be a "slasher" to any degree. But I think having that ability to fake the 3 and take a dribble inside the line and fire away will be huge for him. Honestly, adding that same little wrinkle made Bonner much more palatable.

Yes, Neal could do that with perfection. However, his awkward ball handling skills leads to many turnovers like being stripped, stepping out of bounds, losing the ball in the air when attempting a close range shot after being spooked by a defender. He really needs to keep it simple.

[will_spurs]

Interesting to see the "new", "upgraded" versions of some players. If Diaw plays with the same mix of determination, confidence and aggressiveness he showed when on the French NT, the Spurs are definitely going to make some noise this year. He admitted that Game 6 was a game changer for him, and actions are following words so far...

[lefty]

thought you were both ?

you bandwaggonning Arsenal now ? you are restless tbh
no always lliked them tbh

[monkeypunk]

Interesting to see the "new", "upgraded" versions of some players. If Diaw plays with the same mix of determination, confidence and aggressiveness he showed when on the French NT, the Spurs are definitely going to make some noise this year. He admitted that Game 6 was a game changer for him, and actions are following words so far...

Agreed, his aggression will be a key component to a deep run this year and so far, he's walking the walk.

[superbigtime]

FUCK THAT. Belinelli A+ Best fuckin tan in the league.

[superbigtime]

Did anyone else notice how Explosive Ayres was? I mean I knew he had hops before those nagging injuries, but TBH I didn't expect him to be THAT quick. Could have sworn he looked a bit slower with Indy

He has had more time to heal from ACL repair now. That dude can throw it down quicker than a blink.

[skin]

Welcome back Timvp

[ducks]

bumb for people asking about him

[DMC]

bumb?

[Budkin]

timvp the bumb!

[spurs10]

Thank you for the bumb. Beople obviously miss timvb!

[Dex]

The humbty bumb?

[Proxy]

Thank you for the bumb. Beople obviously miss timvb!

you mean, beoble miss timvb

[Brazil]

Bumpy

[spurs10]

you mean, beoble miss timvb Yes I do! Blease excuse me!