Bruno
12-22-2013, 07:34 AM
After a convincing win against Warriors without Tim, Tony and Manu, Spurs were ready to play against arguably the best team in the West with their full roster. Sadly, just before the game ,Kawhi was ruled out because of a teeth issue.
While the first quarter was tight (thanks to the scrub Perkins), the second quarter was a whole different story. Spurs defense got destroyed and allowed 40 points. It wasn't by Durant going off against the Kawhi-less Spurs but it was their quick guards and transition offense that destroyed them. In the second half, Spurs tried to come back but never fully recovered of that second quarter because they were never able to really slow Thunder down. For the 5th time this year, Spurs allowed more than 110 points. These 5 games are losses.
NBA.com/stats boxscore:
http://stats.nba.com/gameDetail.html?GameID=0021300399#boxscore
PopcornMachine's GameFlow:
http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20131221&game=OKCSAS
Side note: The NBA.com/stats boxscore is just an amazing tool. You can watch a video of every single play by just clicking on it. Plays' videos can also be accessed in the play by play tab. NBA's website has really step up this past year to offer great features for whoever is interesting at going a little beyond the classical boxscore.
Tony Parker: B-
Thunder are a tough matchup for Parker. The primary reason of it is Ibaka. Like Marcus Camby years ago, Ibaka length, mobility and shotblocking timing really bother him in the paint.
This time and after a rough start (0-4 for 0 points in the first quarter), Parker had a really nice offensive game by relentlessly attacking the basket. He showed a level of aggressiveness that he hasn't really shown so far this year. It quite confirms the theory that he is now coasting to preserve his body and can flip the switch when needed. It's also noteworthy that despite this aggressiveness, he ended the game without a turnover.
Defensively, his game wasn't, by far, that good. Parker has some nice stops on Westbrook but there wasn't enough. On a handful of plays, Westbrook bullied or caught up with his speed Parker to score easy points.
Marco Belinelli: B
If Spurs weren't down by 20 at the half, it was because or Marco. With 17 points scored before the half, he kept Spurs kinda afloat. After the break, it was another story for him with 0 points scored. Thunder makes the adjustments and Sefolosha stayed glued at him to shut him down.
Defensively, Marco really suffer against the quickness of Jackson/Westbrook. Some of the blame for that 40 points second quarter should be put on him.
Danny Green: B
Without Kawhi, Durant should have had a monster game but he didn't partially thanks to Green stepping up to defend him. I'm using partially because Durant didn't try too much in that game with Westbrook and Jackson destroying Spurs D. Regardless, Green deserves a lot of props for his defense on Durant and seems to be a good secondary option to throw at him in future games.
When he was matched up against other Thunder players than Durant, Green struggles. Their speed was an issue but I think the biggest issue was Green relaxing and taking it easy because they weren't Durant.
Offensively, as expected, Durant easily shut him down. With his combination of size, monstrous wingspan and quickness, he can both sag off him and contest enough his 3 point shots to make Green ineffective.
Tiago Splitter: B+
Splitter was by far Spurs best defender. Spurs defense was night and day when he was or not in the game. With him on the court, Spurs had a true defensive presence inside. His rebounding was top notch in that game.
Offensively, Splitter still hasn't get his rhythm and shooting touch back. Shots that were rolling in in November are rolling out in December for him. 0/2 at the line is also ugly.
Tim Duncan: C+
17/10 in 35 minutes are nice stats but they don't tell the whole story.
Duncan did fine offensively against a solid defensive frontcourt. I had the feeling he got tired at the end of the third quarter but he had a good offensive output.
The issue with Duncan was his defense. In a game were Spurs perimeter player were blown away, Tim wasn't there to save their asses and correct their mistake. He clearly doesn't have the necessary mobility to be a difference maker in pick&roll and help defense. Don't get me wrong, he still is a solid defender, especially in 1 vs 1 situations, but he clearly hasn't last year impact.
Boris Diaw: A-
Boris had a nice game. Offensively he shown a nice level of aggressiveness with some great moves. Regarding Boris, people (and especially the arena crowd) should realize that he isn't a that great three point shooter. When he isn't taking a wide open three but instead fake it and drives to the basket, it's the right move when there is a driving lane open.
Defensively, he wasn't a big presence as usual but he easily hold his own against OKC limited offensively bigmen.
Diaw is the only player that doesn't deserve some kind of complaints after this game.
Manu Ginobili: D-
What an horrible defensive game from Ginobili. If you had to put that 40 points second quarter on a player, it is on Manu. He played a Neal-like matador defense against Jackson and Westbrook. Even when matched up against weaker opponent like Lamb, he made ill-advised help defense choices.
Offensively, it wasn't really better. He had little impact whether it was in scoring or playmaking. His two turnovers were especially bad.
Patrick Mills: C
It wasn't a great game for Patrick. You can sum it up at as simple as his shots weren't going in. Aside of maybe 1 bad shot, his shot selection was fine.
Defensively, he was put mostly on Fisher. He tried to help too much on a play and get punished by a wide open 3 made by Fisher. Aside of that nothing noticeable.
Baynes, Bonner and Joseph : NA
Baynes had a disastrous 1:52 cameo appearance in the second half with Fisher owning him twice. Bonner and Joseph were there for garbage time.
Coach Pop: D-
If Ginobili and Belinelli matador defense were the main reason of this 40 points allowed in the second quarter, you had to wonder why they were put in that situation.
The coaching decision that made no sense for me was to put Mills on Fisher. Mills isn't a great defender but he isn't playing a lot of minutes, is quick and active. Why don't use that energy on Jackson or Westbrook? On top of that, Ginobili or Belinelli could have sagged a little more off Fisher with their size.
Later in that second quarter, Parker shouldn't have been hidden on Fisher too.
The decision to put Baynes in that quarter was a disaster. Even a tired Splitter is light year better than him. The only positive of the Baynes try, might be that it could mean Pop has finally given up on Ayres.
Even Pop's technical foul was weak. If you want to make a point about thunderefs, do it fully. Get the second technical and get ejected.
I fully know that there is a bigger picture. This game in itself doesn't mean a lot and it's a good idea to try players/matchups in the regular season to prepare a possible future playoffs confrontation but, damn, Pop did an horrible job in that game.
While the first quarter was tight (thanks to the scrub Perkins), the second quarter was a whole different story. Spurs defense got destroyed and allowed 40 points. It wasn't by Durant going off against the Kawhi-less Spurs but it was their quick guards and transition offense that destroyed them. In the second half, Spurs tried to come back but never fully recovered of that second quarter because they were never able to really slow Thunder down. For the 5th time this year, Spurs allowed more than 110 points. These 5 games are losses.
NBA.com/stats boxscore:
http://stats.nba.com/gameDetail.html?GameID=0021300399#boxscore
PopcornMachine's GameFlow:
http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20131221&game=OKCSAS
Side note: The NBA.com/stats boxscore is just an amazing tool. You can watch a video of every single play by just clicking on it. Plays' videos can also be accessed in the play by play tab. NBA's website has really step up this past year to offer great features for whoever is interesting at going a little beyond the classical boxscore.
Tony Parker: B-
Thunder are a tough matchup for Parker. The primary reason of it is Ibaka. Like Marcus Camby years ago, Ibaka length, mobility and shotblocking timing really bother him in the paint.
This time and after a rough start (0-4 for 0 points in the first quarter), Parker had a really nice offensive game by relentlessly attacking the basket. He showed a level of aggressiveness that he hasn't really shown so far this year. It quite confirms the theory that he is now coasting to preserve his body and can flip the switch when needed. It's also noteworthy that despite this aggressiveness, he ended the game without a turnover.
Defensively, his game wasn't, by far, that good. Parker has some nice stops on Westbrook but there wasn't enough. On a handful of plays, Westbrook bullied or caught up with his speed Parker to score easy points.
Marco Belinelli: B
If Spurs weren't down by 20 at the half, it was because or Marco. With 17 points scored before the half, he kept Spurs kinda afloat. After the break, it was another story for him with 0 points scored. Thunder makes the adjustments and Sefolosha stayed glued at him to shut him down.
Defensively, Marco really suffer against the quickness of Jackson/Westbrook. Some of the blame for that 40 points second quarter should be put on him.
Danny Green: B
Without Kawhi, Durant should have had a monster game but he didn't partially thanks to Green stepping up to defend him. I'm using partially because Durant didn't try too much in that game with Westbrook and Jackson destroying Spurs D. Regardless, Green deserves a lot of props for his defense on Durant and seems to be a good secondary option to throw at him in future games.
When he was matched up against other Thunder players than Durant, Green struggles. Their speed was an issue but I think the biggest issue was Green relaxing and taking it easy because they weren't Durant.
Offensively, as expected, Durant easily shut him down. With his combination of size, monstrous wingspan and quickness, he can both sag off him and contest enough his 3 point shots to make Green ineffective.
Tiago Splitter: B+
Splitter was by far Spurs best defender. Spurs defense was night and day when he was or not in the game. With him on the court, Spurs had a true defensive presence inside. His rebounding was top notch in that game.
Offensively, Splitter still hasn't get his rhythm and shooting touch back. Shots that were rolling in in November are rolling out in December for him. 0/2 at the line is also ugly.
Tim Duncan: C+
17/10 in 35 minutes are nice stats but they don't tell the whole story.
Duncan did fine offensively against a solid defensive frontcourt. I had the feeling he got tired at the end of the third quarter but he had a good offensive output.
The issue with Duncan was his defense. In a game were Spurs perimeter player were blown away, Tim wasn't there to save their asses and correct their mistake. He clearly doesn't have the necessary mobility to be a difference maker in pick&roll and help defense. Don't get me wrong, he still is a solid defender, especially in 1 vs 1 situations, but he clearly hasn't last year impact.
Boris Diaw: A-
Boris had a nice game. Offensively he shown a nice level of aggressiveness with some great moves. Regarding Boris, people (and especially the arena crowd) should realize that he isn't a that great three point shooter. When he isn't taking a wide open three but instead fake it and drives to the basket, it's the right move when there is a driving lane open.
Defensively, he wasn't a big presence as usual but he easily hold his own against OKC limited offensively bigmen.
Diaw is the only player that doesn't deserve some kind of complaints after this game.
Manu Ginobili: D-
What an horrible defensive game from Ginobili. If you had to put that 40 points second quarter on a player, it is on Manu. He played a Neal-like matador defense against Jackson and Westbrook. Even when matched up against weaker opponent like Lamb, he made ill-advised help defense choices.
Offensively, it wasn't really better. He had little impact whether it was in scoring or playmaking. His two turnovers were especially bad.
Patrick Mills: C
It wasn't a great game for Patrick. You can sum it up at as simple as his shots weren't going in. Aside of maybe 1 bad shot, his shot selection was fine.
Defensively, he was put mostly on Fisher. He tried to help too much on a play and get punished by a wide open 3 made by Fisher. Aside of that nothing noticeable.
Baynes, Bonner and Joseph : NA
Baynes had a disastrous 1:52 cameo appearance in the second half with Fisher owning him twice. Bonner and Joseph were there for garbage time.
Coach Pop: D-
If Ginobili and Belinelli matador defense were the main reason of this 40 points allowed in the second quarter, you had to wonder why they were put in that situation.
The coaching decision that made no sense for me was to put Mills on Fisher. Mills isn't a great defender but he isn't playing a lot of minutes, is quick and active. Why don't use that energy on Jackson or Westbrook? On top of that, Ginobili or Belinelli could have sagged a little more off Fisher with their size.
Later in that second quarter, Parker shouldn't have been hidden on Fisher too.
The decision to put Baynes in that quarter was a disaster. Even a tired Splitter is light year better than him. The only positive of the Baynes try, might be that it could mean Pop has finally given up on Ayres.
Even Pop's technical foul was weak. If you want to make a point about thunderefs, do it fully. Get the second technical and get ejected.
I fully know that there is a bigger picture. This game in itself doesn't mean a lot and it's a good idea to try players/matchups in the regular season to prepare a possible future playoffs confrontation but, damn, Pop did an horrible job in that game.