Spurs/Mavs Game 1 Game Grades

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Tim Duncan: A+
I think all Spurs fans life flashed before their eyes when Duncan went knee-to-knee with Ellis. That being said, Duncan threw back the clock and was the 'Spur' to our comeback. 27 points, 12-20 from the floor and 7 boards, looking like the 03 Duncan. The dude is true class and is a top ten player all time. What more can you say?

Tony Parker: A-
Parker had a fantastic first half and looked like it was going to be another blowout early. Parker got to the rim with ease and made some fantastic passes. In the second half he slowed down, but still came out with some clutch shots at the end to give him an A. He still needs to cut the dribbling sometimes.

Kawhi Leonard: B+
Leonard also gave us a great edge on defense and on the boards. He finished with 11 points and 10 boards. Really liking the way Kawhi steps up in the playoffs. He completely shut Ellis down.

Manu Ginobili: B+
I know he had some turnovers, but the reason he gets a B+ is because he was the only one that stepped up other than Timmy and Tony. He also shot some difficult shots at the end to deflate his fg %. But Manu made some great plays in the first half and then got hot in the second. He played an all-around well game and this is the Manu we need to be able to win the LOB.

Tiago Splitter: B-
Splitter actually put his big boy pants on this game and grabbed 11 boards. I can't remember the last time he's done that. But he played Dirk very well, limiting him to 11 points. Splitter did great off the PNR and was fairly solid from the line. That's all we ask from him. That, and to finish more consistently.

Boris Diaw: C-
Diaw didn't do much of anything this game. His defense was alright, and his only two baskets were off layups that were set up from TP. We need him to be much more effective in our title hopes.

Patty Mills: D
Patty was not good like we hoped, and hopefully it's just playoff jitters considering he is debuting pretty much. He went 1-4 and had trouble guarding Harris early. In his defense, Harris is a lot bigger.

Danny Green: F
What the fuck was Danny doing today? I don't know why he has the tendency to dribble around. His ball handling is pretty bad. And when he becomes scared to shoot, then what exactly is the point of him playing? He also left a lot of players wide open in the corner. He needs to be better.

Marco Belinelli: F
Belinelli pretty much continued his cold steak. Bad defense, and his shots were rimming out. He needs to step out of his funk ASAP. Would be a great X-factor for our team in a game, but at this point, is not necessary for us to win.

Matt Bonner: N/A
Bonner did his thing. Running around and playing subpar defense. At least he hustled and didn't do anything wrong. I still prefer him in over Ayres.

Pop:
Pop made great adjustments throughout the game. I really like how he didn't go away from Manu and Leonard even when they were struggling a bit. I also like that he had a lot of confidence in Splitter. For 9 mill a year, we need to use him.

Overall: C+
Don't get me wrong, we did a great job closing out, and it's always to see the Big 3 and Leonard playing well, but our bench was flat out horrible for most of the game. If Green, Belinelli, Diaw or Mills played even at least to their expectations, this game wouldn't have been close. Overall, I wouldn't be worried from here.

[testies]

Ginobili B+
Splitter B-

LOL

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Manu Ginobili: B+
I know he had some turnovers, but the reason he gets a B+ is because he was the only one that stepped up other than Timmy and Tony. He also shot some difficult shots at the end to deflate his fg %. But Manu made some great plays in the first half and then got hot in the second. He played an all-around well game and this is the Manu we need to be able to win the LOB.

Jesus fucking christ :rollin

Manu with a better grade than Splitter...

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Flip the grades for Splitter and Ginobili.

[Malik Hairston]

Ginobili and Leonard don't deserve a B+, way too harsh on Green, and Splitter deserves better than a B-..

[Mal]

Manu played bad overall.

[Darius Bieber]

Manu should have been a C. Other than his threes, nothing promising from him..

[playbonner15]

Manu kept the team in the game. But damn those turnovers

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Jesus fucking christ :rollin

Manu with a better grade than Splitter...

Manu was the only one that stepped up with our scoring in the 3rd and he was the only Spur that made a 3. In fact, he made three 3's.

[Capt Bringdown]

We were lucky to survive Manu's brain-dead turnovers in the 4th.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Manu was the only one that stepped up with our scoring in the 3rd and he was the only Spur that made a 3. In fact, he made three 3's.

Since when does Manu's grade depend on how everyone else is playing? They all deserve shitty grades. Manu almost gave this game away with this boneheaded turnovers.

[Hoops Czar]

Splitter needs two grades. One for his defense and the other for his offense.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+

Danny Green 24 minutes, 0 points, 2 shots, 2 steals
Manu Ginobili 26 minutes, 17 points, 6 boards and 3 dimes.

[Malik Hairston]

Not really sure how Green gets an F with only 2 shot attempts and he didn't get killed on defense..he left Jae Crowder wide open for 3, a shitty player, which could have even been by design:lol..

Pop should probably run a few plays for him to get him in a rhythm, though, hopefully he will in game 2..

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Not really sure how Green gets an F with only 2 shot attempts and he didn't get killed on defense..he left Jae Crowder wide open, a shitty player, which could have even been by design:lol..

What do you think Green deserves?

[RD2191]

Manu deserves a T for turnover.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Danny Green 24 minutes, 0 points, 2 shots, 2 steals
Manu Ginobili 26 minutes, 17 points, 6 boards and 3 dimes.

Because it's totally reasonable to expect Danny Green to match Manu's offensive (points) output with 2 fucking shot attempts.

[DPG21920]

Appreciate the effort, but these aren't needed.

[Malik Hairston]

What do you think Green deserves?

Probably a C, I don't think he had an impact on the game either way..

[Boomersgold]

Appreciate the effort, but these aren't needed.
?

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Because it's totally reasonable to expect Danny Green to match Manu's offensive (points) output with 2 fucking shot attempts.

:lol That's the point. Green has no purpose on the floor when he's timid. His defense is good, but overrated. If I see him jump to one more pump fake I'm going to lose it.

I admit, Ginobili may not deserve a B+, but anything below a B- is retarded.

[Prime Time]

Green definitely doesn't deserve an F. C- sure, but his 2 steals and 2 blocks avoided huge momentum shifts for the Mavericks.

And I'd take 5 boards along with that any day, tbh.

[rasuo214]

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+


Danny Green: 0 points
Manu Ginobili: 17 points

I think you forgot that^^^

I do think an F for Danny is a bit harsh though.

Tim, Tony, Manu, Tiago and Kawhi are the only ones that deserve a passing grade.

[ElNono]

I thought Green should've been more assertive on offense, but he clearly doesn't have much game outside the long shot... he did well on defense. Definitely not F.

Boris underwhelmed, tbh... The Big 3 + Kawhi + Tiago were the best players today, no doubt about it.

[DPG21920]

?

These types of grades..

[Darius McCrary]

Manu had a very Manuesque game. Simultaneously awesome and shitty.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

:lol That's the point. Green has no purpose on the floor when he's timid. His defense is good, but overrated. If I see him jump to one more pump fake I'm going to lose it.

I admit, Ginobili may not deserve a B+, but anything below a B- is retarded.

That's not on Green, wtf? It's not his job to create is own shot. It's Tony and Manu (and Tim's) job to get Danny open looks, and they didn't do that. Danny did not shy away from shooting open shots. He never had the attempt to shoot uncontested 3s to begin with. Most of our offense was isolation (off switches with Tony or Manu taking a big off the dribble, or Tim in the post) or two man games (mostly parker/duncan). We had very little ball movement, and that's on Tony/Manu or that's a credit to dallas's D. That's not on green. Your grades are literally awful.

[Mikeanaro]

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+
You need to see a doctor, Danny had 0 TO but he was pretty much 0 at everything.

[313]

Manu saved the bench from being completely abysmal. Manu haters in full force, though haha

[siraulo23]

Patty, Green and Belli, Diaw all pretty much MIA

good job by dallas, spurs need to play better

[ElNono]

Manu was great today... kept us in the game for stretches in the second and third quarter when nothing was going in for the bench...

Great to see he still has gas in the tank...

[jARS mEsH sEt]

You need to see a doctor, Danny had 0 TO but he was pretty much 0 at everything.

You clearly know jack fucking shit about basketball. Danny doesn't handle the ball. Who's fault is it if he doesn't get open looks?

[Malik Hairston]

That's not on Green, wtf? It's not his job to create is own shot. It's Tony and Manu (and Tim's) job to get Danny open looks, and they didn't do that. Danny did not shy away from shooting open shots. He never had the attempt to shoot uncontested 3s to begin with. Most of our offense was isolation (off switches with Tony or Manu taking a big off the dribble, or Tim in the post) or two man games (mostly parker/duncan). We had very little ball movement, and that's on Tony/Manu or that's a credit to dallas's D. That's not on green. Your grades are literally awful.

Yep..I'd say it's more on Carlisle than Tony/TD, tbh..

It's evident that Dallas' strategy was to make the Spurs beat them through Parker/Duncan and isolation plays, limiting ball movement..tough for Green to get going, it's up to Pop to adjust..

Green contributes in other facets, though, unlike Belinelli..

[apalisoc_9]

Leonard didn't shut down Ellis, Ellis shut-down himself tbh...Great defence but it was mostly on ellis..

I'd give Leonard a B at most and Tiago deserves a B+

Pop should have called a play or two for Green..Not a single three point play call tbh..Then again it was Dallas plan to make sure the spurs don't shoot threes so it aint too bad I guess...

[TE]

:lmao

[Chinook]

:lol That's the point. Green has no purpose on the floor when he's timid. His defense is good, but overrated. If I see him jump to one more pump fake I'm going to lose it.

I admit, Ginobili may not deserve a B+, but anything below a B- is retarded.

Green doesn't create his own shots most of the time. The team needs to do that for him. The other players need to look for him. There's no way he should only get two attempts.

He had several strong defensive stretches that did impact the game. There's no way he deserved an F. He's the biggest reason Parker had such an easy time in the first quarter.

Danny can play better, but he definitely wasn't horrible.

[DPG21920]

Manu was great today... kept us in the game for stretches in the second and third quarter when nothing was going in for the bench...

Great to see he still has gas in the tank...

He did look good in stretches. If he can find a way to handle the ball against a trap/pressure he should have a good playoff as long as his shot doesn't fade again.

[Russ]

Spurs got by without their key 2d line snipers (Beli, Green, Mills).

It only gets better from here. :)

[DPG21920]

Like I said OP - don't want to poo poo on your enthusiasm. I would just focus your efforts somewhere else IMO where you are more comfortable and can bring more value.

[Chinook]

You need to see a doctor, Danny had 0 TO but he was pretty much 0 at everything.

Led the team in blocks, had five boards and two steals. In 24 minutes, those are strong defensive numbers.

[Mikeanaro]

You clearly now jack fucking shit about basketball. Danny doesn't handle the ball. Who's fault is it if he doesn't get open looks?
It seems you don´t know shit Danny sucked ass which game were you watching? Open looks my ass sometimes big lipped hesitates and instead shooting he makes 2 dribbles and a mid range shoot that usually goes 4/328 times.

[DPG21920]

It's this kind of analysis based on who you like that lead to evaluating Cam Newton as an elite QB...

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Like I said OP - don't want to poo poo on your enthusiasm. I would just focus your efforts somewhere else IMO where you are more comfortable and can bring more value.

:rollin

DPG with the kid gloves. I like it...

[BillMc]

Tim Duncan: A+
I think all Spurs fans life flashed before their eyes when Duncan went knee-to-knee with Ellis. That being said, Duncan threw back the clock and was the 'Spur' to our comeback. 27 points, 12-20 from the floor and 7 boards, looking like the 03 Duncan. The dude is true class and is a top ten player all time. What more can you say?

Tony Parker: A-
Parker had a fantastic first half and looked like it was going to be another blowout early. Parker got to the rim with ease and made some fantastic passes. In the second half he slowed down, but still came out with some clutch shots at the end to give him an A. He still needs to cut the dribbling sometimes.

Kawhi Leonard: B+
Leonard also gave us a great edge on defense and on the boards. He finished with 11 points and 10 boards. Really liking the way Kawhi steps up in the playoffs. He completely shut Ellis down.

Manu Ginobili: B+
I know he had some turnovers, but the reason he gets a B+ is because he was the only one that stepped up other than Timmy and Tony. He also shot some difficult shots at the end to deflate his fg %. But Manu made some great plays in the first half and then got hot in the second. He played an all-around well game and this is the Manu we need to be able to win the LOB.

Tiago Splitter: B-
Splitter actually put his big boy pants on this game and grabbed 11 boards. I can't remember the last time he's done that. But he played Dirk very well, limiting him to 11 points. Splitter did great off the PNR and was fairly solid from the line. That's all we ask from him. That, and to finish more consistently.

Boris Diaw: C-
Diaw didn't do much of anything this game. His defense was alright, and his only two baskets were off layups that were set up from TP. We need him to be much more effective in our title hopes.

Patty Mills: D
Patty was not good like we hoped, and hopefully it's just playoff jitters considering he is debuting pretty much. He went 1-4 and had trouble guarding Harris early. In his defense, Harris is a lot bigger.

Danny Green: F
What the fuck was Danny doing today? I don't know why he has the tendency to dribble around. His ball handling is pretty bad. And when he becomes scared to shoot, then what exactly is the point of him playing? He also left a lot of players wide open in the corner. He needs to be better.

Marco Belinelli: F
Belinelli pretty much continued his cold steak. Bad defense, and his shots were rimming out. He needs to step out of his funk ASAP. Would be a great X-factor for our team in a game, but at this point, is not necessary for us to win.

Matt Bonner: N/A
Bonner did his thing. Running around and playing subpar defense. At least he hustled and didn't do anything wrong. I still prefer him in over Ayres.

Pop:
Pop made great adjustments throughout the game. I really like how he didn't go away from Manu and Leonard even when they were struggling a bit. I also like that he had a lot of confidence in Splitter. For 9 mill a year, we need to use him.

Overall: C+
Don't get me wrong, we did a great job closing out, and it's always to see the Big 3 and Leonard playing well, but our bench was flat out horrible for most of the game. If Green, Belinelli, Diaw or Mills played even at least to their expectations, this game wouldn't have been close. Overall, I wouldn't be worried from here.

Thanks for the write up, man. Appreciate it.:toast

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

It seems you don´t know shit Danny sucked ass which game were you watching? Open looks my ass sometimes big lipped hesitates and instead shooting he makes 2 dribbles and a mid range shoot that usually goes 4/328 times.

:tu

[apalisoc_9]

Green doesn't create his own shots most of the time. The team needs to do that for him. The other players need to look for him. There's no way he should only get two attempts.

He had several strong defensive stretches that did impact the game. There's no way he deserved an F. He's the biggest reason Parker had such an easy time in the first quarter.

Danny can play better, but he definitely wasn't horrible.

Actually Dallas designed their defense to make sure the spurs don't shoot as much threes..I agree he should have gotten a couple of playcalls, but he was playing with Leonard, Parker and Duncan..Who gives up touches?

With the way Dallas played defense, the only way Danny gets more than two shot attempts is if he knew how to dribble and post up..He doesn't..

[wildbill2u]

Tim and Tony can't win a game by themselves. Without Manu and Splitter we lose this game since nobody else stepped up. Splitter worked his ass off on defense and was tougher than usual under the basket.

[ElNono]

He did look good in stretches. If he can find a way to handle the ball against a trap/pressure he should have a good playoff as long as his shot doesn't fade again.

I thought his ball-handling was fine. The only caveat would be that lazy inside pass to Tim.

[Mikeanaro]

Led the team in blocks, had five boards and two steals. In 24 minutes, those a strong defensive numbers.
Manu had 6 boards in 26 minutes so who cares about 2 blocks?

[TMTTRIO]

Well maybe Manu will have his baby on the next game night and so he can be out and hopefully our bench can stop relying on him and produce without him like they've been doing in the regular season. Hey at least there would be fewer turnovers.

[Chinook]

Actually Dallas designed their defense to make sure the spurs don't shoot as much threes..I agree he should have gotten a couple of playcalls, but he was playing with Leonard, Parker and Duncan..Who gives up touches?

We're talking about two or three plays a game. Those could come from anyone.

[DPG21920]

I thought his ball-handling was fine. The only caveat would be that lazy inside pass to Tim.

How many TO's did he have?

[Chinook]

Manu had 6 boards in 26 minutes so who cares about 2 blocks?

The hell does that even mean?

[DPG21920]

The point isn't so much that someone needs to give up shots for Danny. The point was it's hard to hammer a guy on grades based on offense when it's not in his control. If he tried to do too much and had a bunch of TO's or bricked 8 shots or passed up on a bunch of open looks, fine. Not the case today.

[ElNono]

How many TO's did he have?

I don't know. How many?

[DPG21920]

I thought his ball-handling was fine. The only caveat would be that lazy inside pass to Tim.

Also, the one time Dallas actually pressed him/trapped in the back court he coughed it up by passing it out of bounds. But overall, he did well offensively because they were not trapping him.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

The hell does that even mean?

Mikeanaro is literally a room temperature (Celsius) IQ Manutard. Don't even bother, tbh..

[Mikeanaro]

The hell does that even mean?
Im discussing with Jars the Manu vs Danny grades.

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+

[jARS mEsH sEt]

I don't know. How many?

4 :tu

[ElNono]

Also, the one time Dallas actually pressed him/trapped in the back court he coughed it up by passing it out of bounds. But overall, he did well offensively because they were not trapping him.

So you're saying he had only one turnover due to trap? That's great. Hope that's his average against traps for the entire playoffs.

[DPG21920]

I don't know. How many?

I think he had at least 3, maybe more. So it wasn't just that one lazy pass to Tim IIRC..

[DPG21920]

So you're saying he had only one turnover due to trap? That's great. Hope that's his average against traps for the entire playoffs.

I think you misunderstand "averages" tbh...He had one trap and one TO. So his average would be turning it over 100% of the time against the trap :lol

[Mikeanaro]

Mikeanaro is literally a room temperature (Celsius) IQ Manutard. Don't even bother, tbh..
Manutard? I always put shit on Parker but today he played great, and Manu too, how the hell you think Green was better than Manu? stats don´t lie and Danny like Boris Patty Beli failed us today.

[Chinook]

Im discussing with Jars the Manu vs Danny grades.

I said Green put up strong defensive numbers and doesn't deserve an F. How is saying Ginobili had one more board in two more minutes a counter to that? It's not like I said Green had a better game than Manu.

[ElNono]

4 :tu

Could do better, but not bad... Like I said, my main beef was with the lazy inside pass... need to clean that up.

[RD2191]

Manu makes some really stupid passes at the worst times. He almost cost us the game at the end. It is what it is.

[apalisoc_9]

We're talking about two or three plays a game. Those could come from anyone.

I complained in the game thread that It seemed like Leonard, Duncan, and Parker were the only guys that were allowed to shoot tbh...

Danny didn't play much with the second unit..Duncan and Parker were having Monster nights, and Leonard was very aggressive the first two quarters of the game...

Leonard doesn't make plays, all he knows is how to score for himself and rotate, Duncan is a big...Parker prefered going to TD, Leonard post up..

It's not that big of a deal imo..Should have diversified the offense like I've said, but credit Dallas with their defensive gameplan..

I agree that grading is ridiculous..I thought danny did a decent job defensively tonight.

[ElNono]

I think you misunderstand "averages" tbh...He had one trap and one TO. So his average would be turning it over 100% of the time against the trap :lol

No, I mean if he averages 1 TO/game due to trapping for the entire playoffs, that's an average I'll take... wouldn't you?

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Manutard? I always put shit on Parker but today he played great, and Manu too, how the hell you think Green was better than Manu? stats don´t lie and Danny like Boris Patty Beli failed us today.

Where did I say Green was better than Manu :rollin

I'm saying No lyfe scrub's man crush on Manu obviates his ability to provide unbiased grades as evidenced by Manu "B+" and Green "F"

Manu deserved a lower grade. Green deserved a higher grade. I didn't say anything about one deserving higher than the other. That's just an example to highlight No Lyfe Scrub's blatant homerism.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Could do better, but not bad... Like I said, my main beef was with the lazy inside pass... need to clean that up.

I love you Nono. No homo :tu

[Mikeanaro]

I said Green put up strong defensive numbers and doesn't deserve an F. How is saying Ginobili had one more board in two more minutes a counter to that? It's not like I said Green had a better game than Manu.
His defense is always there but we need his 3s, if danny scores spurs always win, if not... Game 6 and 7.
F grade to me.

[ElNono]

I love you Nono. No homo :tu

You need to remember Manu is going to be 37 in a month or so... then everything becomes much more clear, tbh :lol

And no, he's not a freak like Timmy

[Mugen]

Manu was the only one who could hit an outside shot and helped keep the Spurs treading water while the role players struggled. But that 4th quarter pass should be an automatic downgrade tbh :lol

The Big 4 was great tbh...

[Chinook]

His defense is always there but we need his 3s, if danny scores spurs always win, if not... Game 6 and 7.
F grade to me.

We all have come to expect more from Green. I guess you're giving him a compliment by taking his defense for granted.

[DPG21920]

No, I mean if he averages 1 TO/game due to trapping for the entire playoffs, that's an average I'll take... wouldn't you?

Well ya, but this isn't fantasy land. He will likely get trapped more, like against the Heat. He had one game with like 7+ TO's due to that. That's the concern down the road..

[Mikeanaro]

Where did I say Green was better than Manu :rollin

I'm saying No lyfe scrub's man crush on Manu obviates his ability to provide unbiased grades as evidenced by Manu "B+" and Green "F"

Manu deserved a lower grade. Green deserved a higher grade. I didn't say anything about one deserving higher than the other. That's just an example to highlight No Lyfe Scrub's blatant homerism.
As I said to Chinook Danny is a great Dfender but without his 3s we cant win, I was expecting more from him and Beli too so today F grade is fine to me, I hope our guys take the rust off for the next games, it seems 1 week resting does horrible things to the Spurs.

[pjjrfan]

Manu's 3s were all crucial, and though he made his usual headscratching plays, those 3 3s were big, very big. I thought Splitter played very weak under the basket, but he did step it up in the 4th when we really needed him. I gave up on Marco a while back, the only real concern I have right now is Patty's poor play on offense and the fact that no one on our team could get a stop until the last 5 minutes of the game. As usual it was Leonards excellent defensive play at the end that helped turn this game around.

[ElNono]

Well ya, but this isn't fantasy land. He will likely get trapped more, like against the Heat. He had one game with like 7+ TO's due to that. That's the concern down the road..

As I told you before, I thought the Spurs tried to address that concern by bringing a ball handler that can pass like Beli. If he plays like today, sure, I agree it's a concern. If Marco plays like he has played in the playoffs before, then I think it's less of a concern.

Apparently you don't agree with that. That's ok, nothing I can do about that.

[wildchild]

Thanks N0 LyF3 ScRuB!!!

The Spurs really need Patty to step up next games and Marco needs to take on a more assertive offensive role when he plays.

Like Charles Barkley said about Steve Kerr "Marco Belinelli, if you couldn't shoot, there would be no reason for you to be alive" (or play)

Spurs 17% 3's today...

[Prime Time]

The reason why I feel Danny doesn't deserve an F is because an F translates to "worst performance possible." and I just feel this wasn't the worst basketball Danny could play. Solid defense and hustling on the boards is really all one could ask if he's not scoring.

[DPG21920]

So it's settled: Everyone appreciates the effort, but we are going to reassign OP to starting game threads. He does a great job there and I feel the team will get a lot of lift by all focusing on what we do best.

[rascal]

Duncan did all the heavy lifting here. Again it rides all on Duncan and Parker to carry the team. All the excitement over the role players during the regular season. It is a new game now, no more easy open looks to make role players look better then they are.

[Robz4000]

N0 LyF3 ScRuB game grades grade: GJGE

[Darius McCrary]

Young DPG laying down the law with his visciousness. He's in playoff form again. Too bad noone can do good game grades anymore

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

So it's settled: Everyone appreciates the effort, but we are going to reassign OP to starting game threads. He does a great job there and I feel the team will get a lot of lift by all focusing on what we do best.

:lol why are you so butthurt over Newton still?

too bad most people disagree with out

:cry Manu deserves an F :cry he didn't contribute at all :cry

[Mark in Austin]

Tim Duncan: A
Duncan being Duncan. Despite a knee to knee scare in the third, Duncan played a classic playoff game. Outstanding defense. Efficient offense. Not an A+ only because I know he has another gear. +24 for the game.

Tony Parker: B+
After the back injury every time I see Parker hit the floor I cringe a little. It seemed like Dallas was content to give Parker an endless series of layups early, and Parker took what the defense gave him. Only problem is it took the Spurs out of their offense to a certain degree, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was in part Carlisle's plan. Played a more balanced game in the second half. +20 for the game.

Kawhi Leonard: B
Leonard seemed to warm up as the game wore on. Seemed hesitant to shoot a couple times when he got the ball kicked out to him. Excellent defensively. Can still play better. +23 for the game.

Manu Ginobili: C+
Responsible for 40% of the turnovers today, which almost nullified the way he bailed out the team with his 3pt shooting. It is concerning that Manu seems to be trying to make plays that his body just can't quite make anymore in the playoffs. The gaps that are there in the regular season for the unconventional quick pass or slash close up a little faster in the playoffs. It seemed that Manu had adjusted his game this year after last year's finals turnoverpalooza but this was unfortunately a throwback game to last years playoffs. Not a good thing. Manu needs to play smarter. +1 for the game.

Tiago Splitter: B+
Outstanding defensively. Solid offensively. Hit his free throws late. Cant ask for much more. +8 for the game.

Boris Diaw: D+
Diaw was a liability on both ends of the court. Ineffective offensively. Bamboozled defensively except for a couple series against Dirk. On the plus side, more games like this will lower his contract value this offseason. Throw away the tape of this game for him and start from scratch. Needs to play better. I want some nasty. -22 for the game.:wow

Patty Mills: D
Horrid start to the playoffs. Shot like shit. Defense wasn't much better, but nobody saw Harris coming. Adjustments should help defensively. Needs to step up on offense, because if he's not scoring he's not an asset and opens the door for a Corey Joseph appearance. -15 for the game.

Danny Green: D-
Lack of ball movement early really hurt Green's production. He needs to contribute more on both ends. -6 for the game.

Marco Belinelli: D-
Ice cold. Hopefully just feeling things out. -6 for the game.

Matt Bonner: C
Bonner played 2 minutes.

Pop B
Decent halftime adjustments, but needs to rev up the offense. As Sean Elliott likes to point out, the ball needs to move side to side more. Would be nice if he can finally figure out Harris, who has been a Spurs killer his whole career.

Overall: B-
Dallas has been in playoff mode for the last couple weeks, so It's not surprising that they played an effective game. The Spurs won despite horrid bench performance, sputtering ball movement and ice cold 3pt shooting. It was ugly, but these are the games champions find a way to win.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Tim Duncan: A
Duncan being Duncan. Despite a knee to knee scare in the third, Duncan played a classic playoff game. Outstanding defense. Efficient offense. Not an A+ only because I know he has another gear. +24 for the game.

Tony Parker: B+
After the back injury every time I see Parker hit the floor I cringe a little. It seemed like Dallas was content to give Parker an endless series of layups early, and Parker took what the defense gave him. Only problem is it took the Spurs out of their offense to a certain degree, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was in part Carlisle's plan. Played a more balanced game in the second half. +20 for the game.

Kawhi Leonard: B
Leonard seemed to warm up as the game wore on. Seemed hesitant to shoot a couple times when he got the ball kicked out to him. Excellent defensively. Can still play better. +23 for the game.

Manu Ginobili: C+
Responsible for 40% of the turnovers today, which almost nullified the way he bailed out the team with his 3pt shooting. It is concerning that Manu seems to be trying to make plays that his body just can't quite make anymore in the playoffs. The gaps that are there in the regular season for the unconventional quick pass or slash close up a little faster in the playoffs. It seemed that Manu had adjusted his game this year after last year's finals turnoverpalooza but this was unfortunately a throwback game to last years playoffs. Not a good thing. Manu needs to play smarter. +1 for the game.

Tiago Splitter: B+
Outstanding defensively. Solid offensively. Hit his free throws late. Cant ask for much more. +8 for the game.

Boris Diaw: D+
Diaw was a liability on both ends of the court. Ineffective offensively. Bamboozled defensively except for a couple series against Dirk. On the plus side, more games like this will lower his contract value this offseason. Throw away the tape of this game for him and start from scratch. Needs to play better. I want some nasty. -22 for the game.:wow

Patty Mills: D
Horrid start to the playoffs. Shot like shit. Defense wasn't much better, but nobody saw Harris coming. Adjustments should help defensively. Needs to step up on offense, because if he's not scoring he's not an asset and opens the door for a Corey Joseph appearance. -15 for the game.

Danny Green: D-
Lack of ball movement early really hurt Green's production. He needs to contribute more on both ends. -6 for the game.

Marco Belinelli: D-
Ice cold. Hopefully just feeling things out. -6 for the game.

Matt Bonner: C
Bonner played 2 minutes.

Pop B
Decent halftime adjustments, but needs to rev up the offense. As Sean Elliott likes to point out, the ball needs to move side to side more. Would be nice if he can finally figure out Harris, who has been a Spurs killer his whole career.

Overall: B-
Dallas has been in playoff mode for the last couple weeks, so It's not surprising that they played an effective game. The Spurs won despite horrid bench performance, sputtering ball movement and ice cold 3pt shooting. It was ugly, but these are the games champions find a way to win.

These grades are way better. Good job :tu

[DPG21920]

:lol why are you so butthurt over Newton still?

too bad most people disagree with out

:cry Manu deserves an F :cry he didn't contribute at all :cry

Huh? Butthurt over Newton? I don't care at all about NFL. I watch it because I like sports, but I (like most others) were simply pointing out how you do things which leads to poor results.

I also never said Manu deserves an F (unless I forgot about it and if you link to that I will apologize).

I haven't been mean at all - I said we appreciate it and I even reassigned you to something I said you excel at (starting game threads). I really do enjoy your enthusiasm and I think with a few years of work, you can really become a solid glue guy. No hate at all tbh..

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

These grades are way better. Good job :tu

You may be the absolute worst poster on this site. Congrats.

[DPG21920]

You may be the absolute worst poster on this site. Congrats.

Why are you getting so butthurt? He's clearly no where near the worst poster on the site..

[jARS mEsH sEt]

You may be the absolute worst poster on this site. Congrats.

:cry :cry Jars always makes fun of me for being a Manutard :cry :cry

:cry

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Huh? Butthurt over Newton? I don't care at all about NFL. I watch it because I like sports, but I (like most others) were simply pointing out how you do things which leads to poor results.

I haven't been mean at all - I said we appreciate it and I even reassigned you to something I said you excel at (starting game threads). I really do enjoy your enthusiasm and I think with a few years of work, you can really become a solid glue guy. No hate at all tbh..

I didn't say you were mean. Dyslexic never equals to something negative.. do you, buddy!

[DPG21920]

I didn't say you said I was mean. I was making a point that I have gone out of my way to be nice, so that you don't lose that fire in the face of a tough demotion. I know you will pull through if you can become mentally strong and learn from your many, many mistakes.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

I didn't say you said I was mean. I was making a point that I have gone out of my way to be nice, so that you don't lose that fire in the face of a tough demotion. I know you will pull through if you can become mentally strong and learn from your many, many mistakes.

The most you post the more apparent it is that you are an only child, tbh..

[BackHome]

Because it's totally reasonable to expect Danny Green to match Manu's offensive (points) output with 2 fucking shot attempts.

You can't be a starter and have zero fucking pts in the playoffs that is why he deserves a F- - He only shot the ball two times because he played like a scarred bitch he needs to find his balls and put them back in and play like he deserves to playing for the best team in the NBA. I like him but he needs to play with some balls get some attitude because we can't win if he plays like this through the series.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

You can't be a starter and have zero fucking pts in the playoffs that is why he deserves a F- - He only shot the ball two times because he played like a scarred bitch he needs to find his balls and put them back in and play like he deserves to playing for the best team in the NBA. I like him but he needs to play with some balls get some attitude because we can't win if he plays like this through the series.

According to jars that means ":cry you're a manutard :cry"

[Diego20]

Why are you getting so butthurt? He's clearly no where near the worst poster on the site..

Actually he's really close to the worst poster.

[DPG21920]

The most you post the more apparent it is that you are an only child, tbh..

That literally doesn't make any sense. In fact, only a child gets so defensive in the face adversity. The feedback, and it's the majority, is that this just isn't your thing. I think one day you can move beyond game threads, but it will take a lot of learning. Mostly to overcome your biases, study the game and post true thoughts with insight vs really rushed and not well thought out "grades".

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Actually he's really close to the worst poster.

:lmao @the usual suspects crawling out of their little holes... I get it. You guys are Manutards. I remind you once every 5 minutes, and it pisses you off so you have to vent your frustration somehow.

:rollin

:cry :cry jars is the worst poster because he always makes fun of Manu :cry :cry

[Raven]

i give a C to green, an F----- to beli and i can live with everything else... Green was important tbh, had to cover for both him, manu, patty and beli at some point.. He had 0 room to shoot also.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

:cry I'm still butthurt about 2013 :cry

[jARS mEsH sEt]

^ I literally have no idea what you're talking about, tbh :lol

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Don't tell me you're trying to live vicariously through ElNono 's sig bet win, tbh...

[diego]

Also, the one time Dallas actually pressed him/trapped in the back court he coughed it up by passing it out of bounds. But overall, he did well offensively because they were not trapping him.

That trap came from a mile away, and yet none of the spurs on the wings made themselves available for an outlet. You can't expect a player to break traps / pass out of them entirely by themselves, the rest of the team has to help especially the player that was left unguarded. If manu had thrown a cross court pass to the 10th row I'd agree its 100% his fault, for this one some responsibility is shared by Leonard And whoever was on the other side for not making themselves available.

[gilmor]

That's what I said. Stars come out to play in the playoffs.. not your Patty and Marco. If the Stars didn't establish the tempo, there is no way the role players will follow. That's the reason why there is always the MVP.

[DPG21920]

That trap came from a mile away, and yet none of the spurs on the wings made themselves available for an outlet. You can't expect a player to break traps / pass out of them entirely by themselves, the rest of the team has to help especially the player that was left unguarded. If manu had thrown a cross court pass to the 10th row I'd agree its 100% his fault, for this one some responsibility is shared by Leonard And whoever was on the other side for not making themselves available.

"You have an incoming friend request from El Nono"

[ElNono]

tbh, Manu's turnovers were entirely predictable after what happened in the first 3 quarters... to the point I called them before the 4th even started on the NBA forum...

It goes like this: Bench shits the bed except for Manu that keeps us in the game. Manu gets overconfident, realizes nobody else showed up to play, tries to force the issue. Turnovers ensue.

Gino won't hide. If nobody else is showing up, he'll try to go to another gear, which he rarely has these days, being almost 37 years old. But he won't lay down and give up without a battle (even if he's battling himself sometimes).

[superjames1992]

:lol Manu haters out in full force.

The Big Three, Kawhi, and Splitter all played well. Everyone else deserves a failing grade.

[2centsworth]

Don't know what the 1sr half looked like, but Patty, Beli, Green, Manu & Splitter got the spurs even at the end of 3 after being down 6 or 7 w couple mins left.

[superjames1992]

tbh, Manu's turnovers were entirely predictable after what happened in the first 3 quarters... to the point I called them before the 4th even started on the NBA forum...

It goes like this: Bench shits the bed except for Manu that keeps us in the game. Manu gets overconfident, realizes nobody else showed up to play, tries to force the issue. Turnovers ensue.

Gino won't hide. If nobody else is showing up, he'll try to go to another gear, which he rarely has these days, being almost 37 years old. But he won't lay down and give up without a battle (even if he's battling himself sometimes).

I didn't think most of his turnovers were that bad except fpr that lazy pass to Timmy in the 4th. That was unacceptable.

IIRC, Manu had zero turnovers through the first three quarters, then four in the fourth, so his timing sucked, but it is what it is. Spurs win!

[ElNono]

I'm actually more concerned with Tony up to an extent... I kind of hate to post about him because peeps think I'm bashing, but it's nothing like that.

He came out fantastic, but then disappeared. He didn't score a basket in the 2nd half until there was 3:00 left on the game (where he came through with timely baskets).

Due to age and talent, he's our most important player right now, and I think the Spurs will need more consistency from him throughout the game instead of just stretches.

The great news is that he looked healthy and speedy.

[Mark in Austin]

tbh, Manu's turnovers were entirely predictable after what happened in the first 3 quarters... to the point I called them before the 4th even started on the NBA forum...

It goes like this: Bench shits the bed except for Manu that keeps us in the game. Manu gets overconfident, realizes nobody else showed up to play, tries to force the issue. Turnovers ensue.

Gino won't hide. If nobody else is showing up, he'll try to go to another gear, which he rarely has these days, being almost 37 years old. But he won't lay down and give up without a battle (even if he's battling himself sometimes).

Well said. I think at this stage in his career Manu can be the most dangerous if he is self aware enough to realize what you described. Spurs can't win without him playing smart basketball.

[Diego20]

:lmao @the usual suspects crawling out of their little holes... I get it. You guys are Manutards. I remind you once every 5 minutes, and it pisses you off so you have to vent your frustration somehow.

:rollin

:cry :cry jars is the worst poster because he always makes fun of Manu :cry :cry

If this http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191819 isn't being a bad poster I don't know what is..

[Sean Cagney]

Manu kept the team in the game. But damn those turnovers

Duncan kept the team in the game, period. Manu did okay on offense though, those stupid TO's though I agree need to cease. Manu just throws some of the most mind boggling passes I have seen at times, the one with one minute left just left me and other fans (Pop TOO) in wtf mode.

[diego]

"You have an incoming friend request from El Nono"

Who came out to receive the ball when the trap came? Is there or isn't there an unguarded player on the floor when the other team traps? Manu made the right play, his pass was a little off but if Leonard had taken a step towards the ball he would have got it. the team has to react to the ball handler getting trapped regardless who has the ball, its pretty basic basketball that teammates make themselves availablein that situation

[oski1000]

TIM+TONY+MANU=65 and that's all.... Keep winning playoff games like always!

[gilmor]

I'm actually more concerned with Tony up to an extent... I kind of hate to post about him because peeps think I'm bashing, but it's nothing like that.

He came out fantastic, but then disappeared. He didn't score a basket in the 2nd half until there was 3:00 left on the game (where he came through with timely baskets).

Due to age and talent, he's our most important player right now, and I think the Spurs will need more consistency from him throughout the game instead of just stretches.

The great news is that he looked healthy and speedy.

That's how the Spurs play these days. Parker can't dominate through 4 quarters. He will set the tone in Q1, laay back in Q2 and Q3 and hope the rest will bring the scores close and then come back strong in Q4. I agree with you that both Heat and Thunder have the advantage here.

[ElNono]

Who came out to receive the ball when the trap came? Is there or isn't there an unguarded player on the floor when the other team traps? Manu made the right play, his pass was a little off but if Leonard had taken a step towards the ball he would have got it. the team has to react to the ball handler getting trapped regardless who has the ball, its pretty basic basketball that teammates make themselves availablein that situation

I think everybody was caught off-guard when Dallas did that, including Manu. He needs to be smarter in those situations and simply call a timeout. There was only two minutes left.

I'm sure they'll go through the tape and review that.

[DPG21920]

I'm actually more concerned with Tony up to an extent... I kind of hate to post about him because peeps think I'm bashing, but it's nothing like that.

He came out fantastic, but then disappeared. He didn't score a basket in the 2nd half until there was 3:00 left on the game (where he came through with timely baskets).

Due to age and talent, he's our most important player right now, and I think the Spurs will need more consistency from him throughout the game instead of just stretches.

The great news is that he looked healthy and speedy.

That is why they brought in Beli and to a lesser extent Mills and Manu.

[ElNono]

That's how the Spurs play these days. Parker can't dominate through 4 quarters. He will set the tone in Q1, laay back in Q2 and Q3 and hope the rest will bring the scores close and then come back strong in Q4. I agree with you that both Heat and Thunder have the advantage here.

Well, I was hoping he was being rested during the RS and he would have much more impact, especially when Mills, Beli and Diaw were not having such a great game.

Overall, I'm actually happy we won despite of that. I thought Tony actually was much more active defensively except for a small stretch in the 3rd. If we can amp up that defensive intensity, scoring won't be a problem.

[ElNono]

That is why they brought in Beli and to a lesser extent Mills and Manu.

?

[ElNono]

Oh, you mean to ease the scoring load on Tony? Sure, I would agree with that.

[DPG21920]

To help when TP is off a little. Now they don't have to rely on TP to do everything. Obviously, with Manu back and Mills/Beli they should be able to take the pressure off when TP sets them up on a platter. Hopefully those guys can hit some shots and take care of the ball, which they should be able to do.

[ElNono]

To help when TP is off a little. Now they don't have to rely on TP to do everything. Obviously, with Manu back and Mills/Beli they should be able to take the pressure off when TP sets them up on a platter. Hopefully those guys can hit some shots and take care of the ball, which they should be able to do.

I agree. Anything the subs can give you is huge. Mills, Beli, Diaw... those guys are key for us. Was nice to win a game without them doing much, but we'll need them in the long run.

[TMTTRIO]

Manu played too many minutes and it showed there at the end. He can't play over 30 minutes anymore at his age (today he played 31). He's only been averaging about 21 and it should stay around that.

[pgardn]

The Duncan stat line looks great, but at least half his points came via Parker on easy layups. And he just completely missed a bunny by going reverse. Duncan would be by far my favorite player but I can't give him a sharp play A, just a stat A.

Parker was the engine again, with help from Manu. Those are our two players that helped break the Mavs down.
Parker did disappear, but when aggressive, he was the man.

Imo none earn an A. Parker and Duncan B+ (Duncan for being in good position for the bunnies)

We are a much better team than what I saw.
This was a HUGE chance for the Mavs and they declined the gift.

The other objections I have were already mentioned.
Thanks for the effort anyway.

[superjames1992]

Manu played too many minutes and it showed there at the end. He can't play over 30 minutes anymore at his age (today he played 31). He's only been averaging about 21 and it should stay around that.
I thought he looked okay at the end fatigue-wise, but more than anything it wasn't the sheer number of minutes, but the lack of rest in the second half. With the exception of a ~1-2 minute break early in the fourth quarter, Manu played the rest of the game from the 7 minute mark in the third quarter on. I think if Belli didn't have his head up his ass Manu would have gotten more rest, though.

[Hoops Czar]

If Danny Green can't break free from Calderon on offense, then that's on Danny Green. If he's not getting clean looks from three, he should be slashing and cutting toward the basket for layup opportunities. This isn't the first time Green's been stonewalled on the perimeter and it won't be the last. Maybe Green doesn't deserve an F but a solid D is just about right.

[Chinook]

If Danny Green can't break free from Calderon on offense, then that's on Danny Green. If he's not getting clean looks from three, he should be slashing and cutting toward the basket for layup opportunities. This isn't the first time Green's been stonewalled on the perimeter and it won't be the last. Maybe Green doesn't deserve an F but a solid D is just about right.

Why in the world would Green cut into Parker's driving lanes just so he can get shots? He could have been selfish and tried to get his at the expense of the offense, but that's not his game. He kept his man on him, which is why Parker drove to the lane unimpeded most of the game. That's Danny's real role on offense.

I agree a D seems fine, though. He seemed too content to just space the floor on offense, and he was inconsistent on defense.

[Hoops Czar]

Why in the world would Green cut into Parker's driving lanes just so he can get shots? He could have been selfish and tried to get his at the expense of the offense, but that's not his game. He kept his man on him, which is why Parker drove to the lane unimpeded most of the game. That's Danny's real role on offense.

I agree a D seems fine, though. He seemed too content to just space the floor on offense, and he was inconsistent on defense.

It's called movement without the basketball and there was very little of it in game 1. Parker didn't dominate the paint in the second half and he needed to dominate in the first because everybody was just standing around or jogging in place. The Spurs won't beat better teams playing hero ball and they certainly won't beat better teams if every teammate isn't involved in the offense to some capacity. Green isn't a one trick pony on offense. He has the ability to come off screens and curls and drain 10 foot jumpshots. He's not a three or bust player. Heck, he could shoot over the top of Calderon and ther'd be nothing that Jose could do about it.

Green will almost certainly see better defenders than Calderon en route to the finals. Just watched the entire game on DVR for a second time. Calderon wasn't even looking in Green's direction half the time and could still guard him.

[heyheymymy]

pretty lackluster effort today but i think it was largely just rust and coming out flat on a noon start. i think they'll come out a bit stronger in game 2 because there was a pretty thin margin of error this game and i don't think they'll want to test their luck like that again.

[Chinook]

It's called movement without the basketball and there was very little of it in game 1. Parker didn't dominate the paint in the second half and he needed to dominate in the first because everybody was just standing around or jogging in place. The Spurs won't beat better teams playing hero ball and they certainly won't beat better teams if every teammate isn't involved in the offense to some capacity. Green isn't a one trick pony on offense. He has the ability to come off screens and curls and drain 10 foot jumpshots. He's not a three or bust player. Heck, he could shoot over the top of Calderon and ther'd be nothing that Jose could do about it.

Green will almost certainly see better defenders than Calderon en route to the finals. Just watched the entire game on DVR for a second time. Calderon wasn't even looking in Green's direction half the time and could still guard him.

That's the point. Green knows how to get open, run off screens, cut to the paint. But him doing so comes at the expense of other players. Green cutting limits Parker's driving lanes. Him running off screens takes the bigs away from their sweet spots and away from other guys needing screens. The other players have to want Green to be a higher option for those things to work. That's why Green would need to get plays called for him.

Essentially, the starting offense is in Parker mode by default. Green mode is something the team can do, but they only break it out on rare occasions. When the offense is in Parker mode, Green does little more than slide around the perimeter. He can definitely slide better than he did today, but he almost always gets open as a result of the defense helping on Parker's drives. No one was stopping Parker from driving in the first and fourth quarters, mainly because they didn't leave Green. If Pop wanted Green to score more, he would have called plays for him like he did in the last Memphis game. Pop will do this later in the series if he feels Green is losing too much focus.

Can you honestly say Green shooting contested jumpers is something the Spurs should ever want when the Big Three are each having above-average performances? I can't. But I'm not worried about Danny's offense. This is a Green series. He will leave a mark on subsequent games.

[gilmor]

u know we can't win the championship if the Big 3 log in too many minutes.. We will see in Games 2 and 3.

But Game 3 will see we rely on the Big 3 once more. Hopefully Game 2 somebody else step up.

[Austin_Toros]

I didn't say you said I was mean. I was making a point that I have gone out of my way to be nice, so that you don't lose that fire in the face of a tough demotion. I know you will pull through if you can become mentally strong and learn from your many, many mistakes.

What's wrong with N0 LyF3 ScRuB sharing his opinion? It's no different to any other thread. (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=43681) There haven't been any grades posted in a while so he's doing a favour for those who want to read grades.

[Hoops Czar]

That's the point. Green knows how to get open, run off screens, cut to the paint. But him doing so comes at the expense of other players. Green cutting limits Parker's driving lanes. Him running off screens takes the bigs away from their sweet spots and away from other guys needing screens. The other players have to want Green to be a higher option for those things to work. That's why Green would need to get plays called for him.

Essentially, the starting offense is in Parker mode by default. Green mode is something the team can do, but they only break it out on rare occasions. When the offense is in Parker mode, Green does little more than slide around the perimeter. He can definitely slide better than he did today, but he almost always gets open as a result of the defense helping on Parker's drives. No one was stopping Parker from driving in the first and fourth quarters, mainly because they didn't leave Green. If Pop wanted Green to score more, he would have called plays for him like he did in the last Memphis game. Pop will do this later in the series if he feels Green is losing too much focus.

Can you honestly say Green shooting contested jumpers is something the Spurs should ever want when the Big Three are each having above-average performances? I can't. But I'm not worried about Danny's offense. This is a Green series. He will leave a mark on subsequent games.

Chinook, I can't tell if you're making the bolded up or believe that. The Spurs usually have three or four options per play so if one or two break down, the Spurs have backups by default. It's the constant ball movement and player movement without the ball that got the Spurs to the 60 win plateau and it's the lack there of in game 1 that nearly got them beat. Both Duncan and Diaw prefer to play outside the paint these days (today, being a rare exception for Duncan) so I don't see how that would impact Green's ability to come off curls or screens. Even at that, Green rarely has play specifically designed for him. He's usually the beneficiary of a Ginobili/Parker drive or a Duncan kick out. Part of Greens problem wasn't the lack of play calls but, the inability to shake pathetic defenders in Calderon and Crowder. That falls on Green's shoulders, not his teammates.

:lol I didn't realize there was a Green mode. Actually, Parker mode worked because the bigs of Dallas were slow to react when Parker drove the lane (just a subtle reminder why Dallas is 22nd in the league in opponents FG%) In Green's defense, he has a quick release and needs very little spacing to get a shot off. In the second half, the Spurs just stopped looking for him because the activity level wasn't there. This will have to change as the playoffs continue because the Spurs can't rely on Belinelli's offense to offset the damage done on defense when he's on the floor. The good news is it's only one game so if you're not worried, neither am I.

[littlecoyotecoin]

I said Green put up strong defensive numbers and doesn't deserve an F. How is saying Ginobili had one more board in two more minutes a counter to that? It's not like I said Green had a better game than Manu.

Would you mind if I agreed with you? Danny had a mediocre game, giving him an "F" is way out of line. He didn't score, but, as mentioned, he did all sorts of other things that net him a "D" or better. Again, he took two shots, and he's not a creator. Unreasonable expectations are unreasonable.

[littlecoyotecoin]

You can't be a starter and have zero fucking pts in the playoffs that is why he deserves a F- - He only shot the ball two times because he played like a scarred bitch he needs to find his balls and put them back in and play like he deserves to playing for the best team in the NBA. I like him but he needs to play with some balls get some attitude because we can't win if he plays like this through the series.

You protest too much.

Tim Duncan, PF 37 1-9 0-0 3-6 1 2 3 2 3 1 1 1 5

Hall of Famer in a playoff game. Go-to guy. Ball in his hand much more. Couldn't do shit that night. Ended in a loss, I think we can give Danny a pass, seeing as he isn't a Hall of Famer, doesn't have the ball in his hands all the time, played fewer minutes, and actually had more rebounds. It was one game, no over-reaction necessary.

[JR3]

Jesus fucking christ :rollin

Manu with a better grade than Splitter...

Really? On Easter?

[gilmor]

You guys are so fucking sensitive about Game Grades.. Bottom line is that we win.. who fucking cares Manu played better than Parker.. or Parker played better than Manu..

[ElNono]

You guys are so fucking sensitive about Game Grades.. Bottom line is that we win.. who fucking cares Manu played better than Parker.. or Parker played better than Manu..

yah, and it was a great win earned with some amazingly solid D when it mattered... they need to keep that going for longer in games, or we're gonna be in trouble, but man, when they lock up like that it's a beauty.

[Sean Cagney]

You guys are so fucking sensitive about Game Grades.. Bottom line is that we win.. who fucking cares Manu played better than Parker.. or Parker played better than Manu..

You are 100% DEAD ON!

[DAF86]

Danny Green: 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, :cry 0-2 from the field :cry Grade: F
Manu Ginobili: 6 rebonds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers including 2 critical TOs that almost gave away the game :cry b-b-but three 3s :cry Grade: B+

Letting the pts out to fit the agenda. :lol

[Chinook]

Chinook, I can't tell if you're making the bolded up or believe that. The Spurs usually have three or four options per play so if one or two break down, the Spurs have backups by default. It's the constant ball movement and player movement without the ball that got the Spurs to the 60 win plateau and it's the lack there of in game 1 that nearly got them beat. Both Duncan and Diaw prefer to play outside the paint these days (today, being a rare exception for Duncan) so I don't see how that would impact Green's ability to come off curls or screens. Even at that, Green rarely has play specifically designed for him. He's usually the beneficiary of a Ginobili/Parker drive or a Duncan kick out. Part of Greens problem wasn't the lack of play calls but, the inability to shake pathetic defenders in Calderon and Crowder. That falls on Green's shoulders, not his teammates.

The Spurs' options are in the sets, not their plays, to be precise. Each option is its own play. Each play can have "options" in the sense that a player can pass to multiple teammates, but those are usually reactive and not the result of the Xs and Os. By that I mean that Parker will only give up the ball if his own path to the basket is impeded, unless the Spurs are running a play like the Hammer, in which the baseline pass to the weak-side corner is the desired result. Green wasn't left open to get a pass from Parker. That meant Danny didn't get shots, but it also allowed Parker to go one-on-one with Dallas' bigs with no help.

This is Green's true purpose on offense. I feel like you have a certain misconception that if likened to football, Green is a wide-receiver to Parker's quarterback. You seem to think Danny is supposed to get open for the offense to work. I feel a better analogy would be Green being a defensive lineman to Parker's linebacker. Green's job is to occupy players to give Parker favorable match-ups. If Green scores, great, just like it's great if the lineman penetrates and tackles the running back behind the line. But that's not why he's there. So long as Parker and Duncan dominate inside, Green's lack of attempts is not a sign of poor offense. It's only when the opposing teams can both help on Parker AND shut down Green that the Spurs have issues.


:lol I didn't realize there was a Green mode. Actually, Parker mode worked because the bigs of Dallas were slow to react when Parker drove the lane (just a subtle reminder why Dallas is 22nd in the league in opponents FG%) In Green's defense, he has a quick release and needs very little spacing to get a shot off. In the second half, the Spurs just stopped looking for him because the activity level wasn't there. This will have to change as the playoffs continue because the Spurs can't rely on Belinelli's offense to offset the damage done on defense when he's on the floor. The good news is it's only one game so if you're not worried, neither am I.

All that leads to the mode part. I think that's the best way to analyze the Spurs' offense, rather than charting plays or sets. While the Spurs seem to be this free-flowing offense where everyone shares the ball and they are constantly looking for the best shot for the team, the reality is that it's not that simple. The team uses a single player as a catalyst each time down the floor. That player creates the initial breakdowns that lead to the ball-movement. Parker and Ginobili break down their men off the dribble. Duncan does his work from the high post. Diaw and Leonard back their men down.

Green's mode is based on him running off screens and moving without the ball inside the arc. If you recall the last Phoenix game, you know what Green mode looks like. That's not something he can do consistently when the Spurs are in Parker mode, mainly because Parker is not good enough off the ball and because Green isn't good enough with the ball to justify taking Parker off it. So the team has to sprinkle Green mode in small doses by running plays for him here and there. Really, I don't think Pop ever wants to use Green mode in a meaningful game. He just wants it there as an option for times like last year's Finals, where a package of plays with which the team had real experience would have allowed Danny to stay effective after the Heat ran him off the three-point line. In case you think the first five games of the Finals where Green mode, they weren't. They were just Green playing up to his potential in Parker mode.

tl;dr: Green is pretty much just a spot-up shooter when Parker is on the floor. That's not going to change any time soon. He can play that role better than he did in Game One, but he's not going to show any diversity unless Pop calls plays allowing him to.

[Chinook]

Would you mind if I agreed with you? Danny had a mediocre game, giving him an "F" is way out of line. He didn't score, but, as mentioned, he did all sorts of other things that net him a "D" or better. Again, he took two shots, and he's not a creator. Unreasonable expectations are unreasonable.

:lol I've never had any problem with your takes. You can feel free to agree and disagree with whatever you want to. My beef with you had nothing to do with your stance on Daye.

[SpurYank]

I do appreciate the trouble you went through to post these grades. However, re Manu & Splitter, we watched different games, you and I. Dirk IS the Maverick's offense. Splitter made it very difficult for this offense to make an appearance.

[TheCerebral1]

There's no way Split City was not at least a solid B+. He played tough defense on Dirk, and chipped in his normal near double double. A win is a win.

[superbigtime]

Team basketball better make a comeback. A little concerned about Beli. Not Patty or Green though.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Letting the pts out to fit the agenda. :lol

"DAF86 is a spurs fan from argentina." Surprise surprise :lol

[Killakobe81]

"You have an incoming friend request from El Nono"

Damn, Deep what is with the passive/aggressive beatdown?
Isn't this Spur on spur crime?

i also love the I did it for your benefit as you spread cheeks and ram cock in ass ....

[DAF86]

"DAF86 is a spurs fan from argentina." Surprise surprise :lol

I don't need to be from a particular place to realize the retardness and biased intention in your post.

Hey, let's compare two other players:

Boris Diaw: 23 minutes, 2 assists, 0 turnovers, 0 wide open soft ass lay-up missed. :cry Grade: C-:cry
Tiago Splitter: 31 minutes, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 wide open soft ass lay-up missed :cry b-but the defense on Dirk :cry. Grade: B-

disclaimer: I liked the way Tiago played (aside from all the non-dunking he did), I'm just trying to show the guy that seriously thought Manu wasn't going to score 20 ever again how retarded his post was.