Game Grades: Spurs vs Bobcats, 104-100

[Boomersgold]

With Patty scoring 32 points, I couldn't help but write up tonight's game grades. Here's my take on it.

Patty Mills:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/patrick_mills.png
With Parker not being 100% , Mills knew that he’d have to pick up a bit of the scoring load in tonight’s game. And pick up the scoring load he did. Shooting an efficient 10-13 from the field, Mills ended the night with 32 points. He scored 18 points in the 4th to help sustain the Spurs’ lead.

Offense aside, Patty chipped in 7 rebounds and 4 assists and led the team in +/- with +15. Overall, an outstanding night from our backup point guard.

A+

Cory Joseph:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/cory_joseph.png
Joseph played 32 minutes and ended the night with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, which would seem like a mediocre night, right? The boxscore, however, doesn’t always tell the whole story. Whilst his offense was nothing to showboat about, his contributions on the defensive end were clearly evident. On one play, he blocked MKG and raced down the other end for a layup. Henderson, whose game is usually dependent on backing down shorter guards in the post, struggled against Joseph down low.

B

Nando De Colo:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/nando_de_colo.png
“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask” – Some guy

De Colo 2.0. It’s remarkable to see how much he’s improved his offensive game and how much confidence he now has in it. De Colo looked aggressive early, missing a three in transition. That didn’t hinder his confidence though as he continued his aggressiveness to end with 15 points on 5 of 11 shooting. Showing an offensive repertoire that we hadn’t seen from him before, De Colo scored on three pointers, drives to the basket for contested layups and high arching floaters.

De Colo looks like he’s out there to prove something. Maybe his offensive burst had something to do with the mask?

A

Jeff Ayres:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/jeff_ayres.png
In the first half, we saw what we’ve come to expect from Jeff Errors. He fumbled the ball, made errant passes and virtually let every guard inside the lane, whilst occasionally fouling them just to get them to the free throw line. He also struggled to guard McRoberts at the three point line.

First half grade: F (or anything below an F)

Fortunately for the Spurs, Errors stepped up in the second half. He scored 6 of his 8 points in this period, and rebounded the ball well. His performance allowed Pop to rest Duncan on the bench for most of the 4th.

Second half grade: B

Tony Parker:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/tony_parker.png
Parker didn’t play on Thursday because of a sore back, and his back seemed to affect him tonight. He struggled offensively, shooting 3/13 in the first 3 quarters and didn’t play in the 4th. He led the team in minus +/- with -14. He did, however, have 5 assists from pick ‘n’ rolls with Duncan.
D

Danny Green:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/daniel_green.png
Danny Green had a forgettable night. He finished the game with 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists and a +/- of -8. His only field goal, a three pointer, was obtained in the 3rd quarter. On defense, Green was nothing spectacular. He went for a fake and fouled a three point shooter.
C-

Boris Diaw:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/boris_diaw.png
In the first quarter, Diaw was one of the few bright spots for San Antonio, who were outscored 25 to 21. He scored 8 points and his passing was excellent. Boris would slow a bit down after the first, but that’s not to say that he played poorly. Diaw’s passing remained crisp and he played great D on Jefferson, forcing him to take long ranged hooks and tough jumpers. Diaw ended the game with 13 points (on 5-9), 4 rebounds and 4 assists. One thing to note is that he shot 2 of 3 from long range.

B-

Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/tim_duncan.png
Tim had a great game tonight. He played the pick’n’ roll game well with all of the guards on the floor. His veteran leadership is what the Spurs needed tonight with Manu out and Parker not at his best. Duncan contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes.
The ‘Big Fundamental’ continues to show us why he’s one of the top 10 greatest players of all time. Consistency is key with Timmy.

B+

Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/matt_bonner.png
The Red Rocket played some admirable ball in the 11 minutes that he was on the floor. He boxed out defenders who are much stronger than him, grabbed rebounds and almost blocked Ramon Sessions on a layup attempt. The Spurs outscored the Bobcats by 7 when Bonner was on the floor. He truly is the king of +/-.

B-

Pop
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/2.0/sect/statscube/players/large/gregg_popovich.png
I liked that he went with a three guard line up for most, if not all, of the fourth. He compensated real well for not having a healthy Parker and that earns him a

B

[ElNono]

Thanks for the solid writeup :tu

[Macca76]

Thanks for the grades ! Interesting to see that our loaded point guard backcourt seems to be going somewhere, at least it surprises me in a good way. Hope they can keep it up to allow TP some rest. Same for Ayres, if he could improve it could help TD get some rest during games.
Boris is impressive defensively wise, who would have guessed when we traded for him that his value could come from there, perhaps more than for his passing ?
And prop's to Patty Mills :toast

[BillMc]

Nice write-up. Thanks!

[Hoops Czar]

The scouting report is out on Green. Pump fake and he's done for.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Nice analysis dude :tu

Personally, I've enjoyed the past 10 games of making something out of poop.

[Baam]

Good read. It's good that the end of the bench guys are playing well, gives the team more options for trades.

I feel like Pop should run more play for Boris in a night like this, it's more PO proof than running everything through Mills.

[Robz4000]

Good write up tbh :tu

[freetiago]

Duncan deserves a C at best tbh...
only a pretty boxscore would make it look like he had a good game

he was solely responsible for the Spurs sloppy play to start the game and almost every Bobcat run
Jefferson had 3 straight steals vs him and he also had the ball poked away again driving in the lane for 4 of the Spurs 6 turnovers in the first quarter
the other 2 TOs were from Parker/Joseph who passed the ball to Duncan in the pick and roll which he proceeds to fumble and they get credited for the TOs

his defense was also so bad on Jefferson that after getting abused 3 or 4 times they had to go to Diaw
this left Duncan guarding McRoberts out on the perimeter where his only good defensive quality now which is rim protection was nullified since hes 20 feet away from the rim

he was also the one with the bad pass that resulted in another turnover when the Spurs were trying to inbound the ball in the 4th and he also turned it over in the 4th after he got it striped by McRoberts in the inbound

Spurs got the lead with the lineup off Mills, Joseph, De Colo, Diaw, Errors

the Toros lineup all deserve As to be for beating a decent team on the road
and Nando an A+ for being the only Spur on the team to be able to hit free throws to seal a game
I have 0 confidence in anyone on this squad being able to step up and knock down 2 straight and he knocked down 4 to seal it which was nice to see

[TJastal]

Thanks for the write up boomersgold. You're one of the few reasons I even bother coming to this shitty forum anymore.

[TJastal]

Good read. It's good that the end of the bench guys are playing well, gives the team more options for trades.

I feel like Pop should run more play for Boris in a night like this, it's more PO proof than running everything through Mills.

Good lord this is just a horrible take. On so many levels.

[Baam]

Good lord this is just a horrible take. On so many levels.

Ok running everything throught Patty Mills is PO proof and we'll see it on full display in June :lol.

[Embedded]

Great write-up! Thank you. That block Matt Bonner had on Sessions was great, it was as if the ball disappeared into a black hole. I hope this was Jeff Ayers' coming out party. His passing was crisp. And Nando de Colo has seriously impressed me since he came back in that game where he broke his nose, he showed real grit.

[superbigtime]

Duncan deserves a C at best tbh...
only a pretty boxscore would make it look like he had a good game

he was solely responsible for the Spurs sloppy play to start the game and almost every Bobcat run
Jefferson had 3 straight steals vs him and he also had the ball poked away again driving in the lane for 4 of the Spurs 6 turnovers in the first quarter
the other 2 TOs were from Parker/Joseph who passed the ball to Duncan in the pick and roll which he proceeds to fumble and they get credited for the TOs

his defense was also so bad on Jefferson that after getting abused 3 or 4 times they had to go to Diaw
this left Duncan guarding McRoberts out on the perimeter where his only good defensive quality now which is rim protection was nullified since hes 20 feet away from the rim

he was also the one with the bad pass that resulted in another turnover when the Spurs were trying to inbound the ball in the 4th and he also turned it over in the 4th after he got it striped by McRoberts in the inbound

Spurs got the lead with the lineup off Mills, Joseph, De Colo, Diaw, Errors

the Toros lineup all deserve As to be for beating a decent team on the road
and Nando an A+ for being the only Spur on the team to be able to hit free throws to seal a game
I have 0 confidence in anyone on this squad being able to step up and knock down 2 straight and he knocked down 4 to seal it which was nice to see
Dude I agree, Duncan looked pretty sloppy and rickety I think he gets a C. And why did Pop again take out Tim at the very last seconds of the game when a rebound could be a critical difference maker. Fortunately the cookie didn't crumble that way. And also, Nando missed one of those last free throws. Spurs' FT struggles are well documented and it's frustrating that they can't be more clutch from the line.

[TJastal]

And why did Pop again take out Tim at the very last seconds of the game when a rebound could be a critical difference maker.


Duncan looked pretty sloppy and rickety

I think you answered your own question there, superbigtime. :D

Well I shouldn't really say that. Pop's mind works in mysterious ways.

I will absolutely agree with you however regarding the previous occurrence. I'm still flabbergasted over that. You simply DO NOT take out your top 5 of all time future HOF'r for any reason in the final few seconds of championship close out game when he has done nothing but completely and utterly destroy his opponents up to that point. I would put up my house and 2 cars that Duncan would have shagged that rebound over Bosh had he been in the game and would be wearing a nice new thumb ring for his efforts.

[EVAY]

Thank you for a terrific write up.

Well said.

[superbigtime]

I think you answered your own question there, superbigtime. :D

Well I shouldn't really say that. Pop's mind works in mysterious ways.

I will absolutely agree with you however regarding the previous occurrence. I'm still flabbergasted over that. You simply DO NOT take out your top 5 of all time future HOF'r for any reason in the final few seconds of championship close out game when he has done nothing but completely and utterly destroy his opponents up to that point. I would put up my house and 2 cars that Duncan would have shagged that rebound over Bosh had he been in the game and would be wearing a nice new thumb ring for his efforts.

Ha, yeah guess I did. It would be interesting to get Pop drunk and ask him all the questions and get his points on all the things over the years that make us wonder, maybe he would be forthright and not indignant. It seems like Pop likes to do things the hard way too often is my only explanation. It's pretty disgusting for true Spurs fans to witness all the Heat adulation and see our team not get the love it deserves, even from their own fanbase! We get respect, but not love. Oh well, I love em.

[TheGoldStandard]

Who knew the trick to beating the scrubs of the league was to play our scrubs. At the end of the day it's just the bobcats but if this game is any kind of catalyst for our bench performers not named patty mills to have confidence then I'm all for it.

Parker needs to rest tho, this up and down kind of play from him won't take us far in the playoffs. I'd probably sit parker as long as kawhi and/or Manu are out.

That Ayres performance was pretty flukey.

[Raven]

i liked the grades, but i think Duncan was pretty awful.

[heyheymymy]

great job with a solid write up. you made some good points and brought some really fresh takes.

[silverblackfan]

Thanks for the grades. I agree about Timmy's grade. He let AJ get into his head in the first quarter and it showed. Although Jefferson is really good offensively, this is the first time I have seen Jefferson really disrupting Tim's defense and offense. He was pushing a bit to get the points back in the first half.
Patty was huge and seems to be playing more loose than ever. Nando should have got his nose broke a few months ago, because it has lit a fire under his ass for both offense and defense. I hope it continues. CoJo is showing some good tenacity on defense and rebounding. If only he and Nando were reliable offensive threats.

[cd021]

Forgot to mention Pop sealing the deal. Called a time after Patty nearly got tied up for a jump ball against McBoB. Instead Pop called Time at the last second and the Spurs were able to properly inbound.

[spurs10]

Excellent write-up! Thank you.

[barakz21]

“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask” – Some guy

maybe he went batman mode? :toast

[timtonymanu]

Solid writeup, OP! :tu Thanks!

[wildbill2u]

There has been quite a bit of debate on the defensive prowess of Danny Green on this site lately. It's clear that if he can't contribute on offense because his perimeter shot is off, then he must excel in defense to stay on the floor.

Since he was sitting out most of the game and even in the 4th when defensive stops were needed, I guess Pop wasn't too pleased with his defense.

[Chinook]

There has been quite a bit of debate on the defensive prowess of Danny Green on this site lately. It's clear that if he can't contribute on offense because his perimeter shot is off, then he must excel in defense to stay on the floor.

Since he was sitting out most of the game and even in the 4th when defensive stops were needed, I guess Pop wasn't too pleased with his defense.

Green forgot how to box out. That's what got him benched. I think Pop thought Danny was running on fumes, which would b understandable considering how much he had played right after coming back.

[Chinook]

Forgot to mention Pop sealing the deal. Called a time after Patty nearly got tied up for a jump ball against McBoB. Instead Pop called Time at the last second and the Spurs were able to properly inbound.

That was so damned clutch. There's no way Mills should be in for those situations, though.

[TJastal]

That was so damned clutch. There's no way Mills should be in for those situations, though.

So now apparently a jump ball is reason enough not to play Patty. This irrational Patty hating shit is getting pretty funny, actually.

:lol

[Chinook]

So now apparently a jump ball is reason enough not to play Patty. This irrational Patty hating shit is getting pretty funny, actually.

:lol

You forgot the Wizards game?

Irrationally hating on players is your business. We all remember your anti-Leonard campaign. Mills struggles with ball pressure, has for a while. That's the primary reason most of us don't see him as a viable PG.

[TJastal]

You forgot the Wizards game?

Irrationally hating on players is your business. We all remember your anti-Leonard campaign. Mills struggles with ball pressure, has for a while. That's the primary reason most of us don't see him as a viable PG.

I wouldn't worry so much about it, bro. He's rusty using those skills and that's to be expected given the role he's been playing since becoming a spur. Dude just poured in 32 points with 7 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals all in 25 minutes of action. If that's what you call "non-viable" I'll take non viable every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[Hoops Czar]

I wouldn't worry so much about it, bro. He's rusty using those skills and that's to be expected given the role he's been playing since becoming a spur. Dude just oured in 32 points with 7 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals all in 25 minutes of action. If that's what you call "non-viable" I'll take non viable every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

And when the Spurs meet up with the cat's in the playoffs, Patty can put his skills to good use.

[superjames1992]

Nando played really well. That was surprising.

[mudyez]

Thanks for the input!

[wildchild]

Good read. Thanks Boomersgold!!!


“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask” – Some guy

maybe he went batman mode? :toast

The mask produces psychological effects in Nando when he wearing it, his alter ego appears. The Power of the Mask, I don't take it lightly after Bobcats game. :D

[cd021]

That was so damned clutch. There's no way Mills should be in for those situations, though.

Yeah, a little earlier Duncan inbounded to Mills in the baseline corner ( a bad decision from Duncan) it would have forced Mills to pivot, jump and toss a cross court pass over a double team. Pop didn't like what he saw and called a timeout. He's a bit small, quick but small.

[cd021]

I wouldn't worry so much about it, bro. He's rusty using those skills and that's to be expected given the role he's been playing since becoming a spur. Dude just poured in 32 points with 7 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals all in 25 minutes of action. If that's what you call "non-viable" I'll take non viable every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

His lack of size can be problematic in late game situations. Wall basically snatched the ball while he was behind Mills (Mills even jumped and still could get it) Its hard to toss an pressured inbound pass, sometimes you need to throw it high and hope your guy is big enough to go get it.

[boutons_deux]

Good read. Thanks Boomersgold!!!



The mask produces psychological effects in Nando when he wearing it, his alter ego appears. The Power of the Mask, I don't take it lightly after Bobcats game. :D

http://www.jumpedtheshark.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/themask-272x300.jpg

[TJastal]

His lack of size can be problematic in late game situations. Wall basically snatched the ball while he was behind Mills (Mills even jumped and still could get it) Its hard to toss an pressured inbound pass, sometimes you need to throw it high and hope your guy is big enough to go get it.

It's really a non-issue at best. You could also argue his superior speed gives him an advantage at inbounding the ball. If his teammates don't utilize his strengths then the problem is more on them not him.