BillMc
10-24-2015, 04:43 AM
http://espn.go.com/blog/nba/post/_/id/9994/five-takeaways-from-the-spurs-preseason
SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/sa/san-antonio-spurs) downed the Houston Rockets (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/hou/houston-rockets) 111-86 on Friday in the exhibition finale at the AT&T Center and open the regular season Oct. 28 at Oklahoma City.
Here are five takeaways from the Spurs’ preseason:
1. Chemistry will take some time
The Spurs created plenty of buzz over the summer by bringing in LaMarcus Aldridge (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2983/lamarcus-aldridge) and David West (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2177/david-west) to play alongside key returners such as Tim Duncan (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/215/tim-duncan),Tony Parker (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/1015/tony-parker), Danny Green (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3988/danny-green) and Kawhi Leonard (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/6450/kawhi-leonard). Given all the experience on the roster combined with Gregg Popovich’s track record, meshing the new pieces with the old initially seemed to be a relatively painless undertaking. Throughout the preseason, it has proven to be anything but that, and many of the players believe the Spurs will be tinkering with lineups and combinations, as well as learning one another’s tendencies for the duration of the season.
That’s not to say the Spurs aren’t making strides. Manu Ginobili (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/272/manu-ginobili) said the team’s performance against the Rockets looked “more like” Spurs basketball than their other exhibition outings.
“I still don’t think we played a great first half. Then, in the second half, it was pretty good,” Ginobili said. “Many things to improve still, but of course we were better than the previous game. It wasn’t that difficult to play better than last game. At least we finished the preseason with a better feeling.”
In the first quarter, San Antonio showcased the ball movement that makes it one of the league’s most potent teams. Aldridge passed the ball out of the post toPatty Mills (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/4004/patty-mills) after spotting a double-team, and Mills dumped it out to Leonard, who quickly nailed the 3-pointer. Then, in the third quarter, Mills found Ginobili, who tossed a no-look pass to Duncan cutting to the basket for a dunk. Sequences such as that haven’t occurred with enough regularity throughout the preseason. But the only way the Spurs can gain the requisite chemistry to seriously threaten for another title is for them to play actual games together.
So the chemistry will come, just likely not quickly.
“I’m hoping not too long, hopefully no longer than by Christmas,” said starting guard Danny Green, who finished with 19 points, starting off Friday night hitting 6 of 6 from 3-point range. “Hopefully we’re clicking full circle by mid-December. But it’s gonna take some time; hopefully, not too long.”
2. The second unit should be just as productive as the starters
With the team’s effort to improve chemistry between Aldridge and the returners drawing all the headlines, San Antonio’s second group quietly excelled in training camp. In fact, some of the starters said the second group, which is comprised of Kyle Anderson (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2993874/kyle-anderson), Ginobili, David West, Boris Diaw (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2167/boris-diaw) and Mills, has already displayed more chemistry at training camp than the first group. San Antonio’s second group plays “Spurs basketball” better than the first group at the moment because they’ve got more continuity due to familiarity with one another. The first group is still trying to get used to playing alongside new starter Aldridge, who scored 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting against the Rockets.
“He needed, I think, to have a good game, to make some shots,” Ginobili said. “He was a little disappointed about what [happened] in the previous game. So it was great to see him get it going like that, making some shots, and getting to the rim. We have a team that focuses a lot on the extra pass, but we need him to score, too.”
3. Kawhi Leonard will continue to evolve
When the Spurs rolled to an 11-game winning streak at the end of last season, Leonard led the team in scoring four times, averaging 19.2 points while shooting 56.1 percent. So while it’s natural for the Spurs to lean on Aldridge, the pricey free-agent acquisition, don’t sleep on Leonard because his knowledge of the game has grown tremendously, and he’s playing more relaxed after signing a max deal in the offseason. He’s more confident after winning defensive player of the year. In fact, Popovich is encouraging Leonard to step up and take on a larger role in the offense. Throughout the preseason, Leonard has spent quite a bit of practice time working in the post and driving to the basket coming off screens. So look to see more of Leonard this season in the post as he continues to improve his perimeter game.
4. Transition D remains an issue
Prior to the team’s loss on Oct. 20 to the Phoenix Suns, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “Transition D has still been a problem. Our transition D still looks like it did in Game 6 and 7 against the Clippers last [season] in the first round. Worst transition defense in the history of basketball in those two games.”
The Clippers outscored the Spurs 33-4 on the fast break in Games 6 and 7 of last season’s first-round series between the teams, and they haven’t shown improvement in that area throughout the preseason.
The Spurs outscored the Sacramento Kings (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/sac/sacramento-kings) 19-17 on the break in the Oct. 8 exhibition opener, but have been bested in that category by their four other opponents, and have been outscored 105-76, including 23-11 Friday night against the Rockets.
5. Tim Duncan’s role may be changing, but he’ll still be a vital cog
Leonard’s rapidly evolving game and the addition of Aldridge shifts the offensive focus for the Spurs somewhat. But Duncan’s role has been diminished for quite a while. Duncan’s usage rate of 22.2 percent on San Antonio’s plays marked the lowest of his career last season, but don’t count him out as a major cog in the pick-and-roll game. Duncan was more efficient last season, despite a reduced role, posting a .560 true shooting percentage, which tied for his best since the 2006-07 season. Duncan likely will spend more time in the high post this season with Aldridge in the fold. So Duncan's midrange jumper needs to be a little more accurate. Throughout the preseason, he has demonstrated his ability to distribute well when facing up, and he’ll be doing a lot more of that during the regular season with Aldridge, who needs to do a better job of finishing.
Defensively, it’s clear Duncan has lost a step. But he anticipates so well, he’s usually in place to help out. Duncan averaged 29 minutes during the regular season last season and 36 minutes in the playoffs, where he was the team’s most consistent player.
So even though the Spurs are phasing in more Leonard and Aldridge, they won’t be phasing out Duncan this season. Sure, his role will change some. But Duncan will still be one of this team’s go-to players in the clutch.
SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/sa/san-antonio-spurs) downed the Houston Rockets (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/hou/houston-rockets) 111-86 on Friday in the exhibition finale at the AT&T Center and open the regular season Oct. 28 at Oklahoma City.
Here are five takeaways from the Spurs’ preseason:
1. Chemistry will take some time
The Spurs created plenty of buzz over the summer by bringing in LaMarcus Aldridge (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2983/lamarcus-aldridge) and David West (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2177/david-west) to play alongside key returners such as Tim Duncan (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/215/tim-duncan),Tony Parker (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/1015/tony-parker), Danny Green (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3988/danny-green) and Kawhi Leonard (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/6450/kawhi-leonard). Given all the experience on the roster combined with Gregg Popovich’s track record, meshing the new pieces with the old initially seemed to be a relatively painless undertaking. Throughout the preseason, it has proven to be anything but that, and many of the players believe the Spurs will be tinkering with lineups and combinations, as well as learning one another’s tendencies for the duration of the season.
That’s not to say the Spurs aren’t making strides. Manu Ginobili (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/272/manu-ginobili) said the team’s performance against the Rockets looked “more like” Spurs basketball than their other exhibition outings.
“I still don’t think we played a great first half. Then, in the second half, it was pretty good,” Ginobili said. “Many things to improve still, but of course we were better than the previous game. It wasn’t that difficult to play better than last game. At least we finished the preseason with a better feeling.”
In the first quarter, San Antonio showcased the ball movement that makes it one of the league’s most potent teams. Aldridge passed the ball out of the post toPatty Mills (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/4004/patty-mills) after spotting a double-team, and Mills dumped it out to Leonard, who quickly nailed the 3-pointer. Then, in the third quarter, Mills found Ginobili, who tossed a no-look pass to Duncan cutting to the basket for a dunk. Sequences such as that haven’t occurred with enough regularity throughout the preseason. But the only way the Spurs can gain the requisite chemistry to seriously threaten for another title is for them to play actual games together.
So the chemistry will come, just likely not quickly.
“I’m hoping not too long, hopefully no longer than by Christmas,” said starting guard Danny Green, who finished with 19 points, starting off Friday night hitting 6 of 6 from 3-point range. “Hopefully we’re clicking full circle by mid-December. But it’s gonna take some time; hopefully, not too long.”
2. The second unit should be just as productive as the starters
With the team’s effort to improve chemistry between Aldridge and the returners drawing all the headlines, San Antonio’s second group quietly excelled in training camp. In fact, some of the starters said the second group, which is comprised of Kyle Anderson (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2993874/kyle-anderson), Ginobili, David West, Boris Diaw (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2167/boris-diaw) and Mills, has already displayed more chemistry at training camp than the first group. San Antonio’s second group plays “Spurs basketball” better than the first group at the moment because they’ve got more continuity due to familiarity with one another. The first group is still trying to get used to playing alongside new starter Aldridge, who scored 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting against the Rockets.
“He needed, I think, to have a good game, to make some shots,” Ginobili said. “He was a little disappointed about what [happened] in the previous game. So it was great to see him get it going like that, making some shots, and getting to the rim. We have a team that focuses a lot on the extra pass, but we need him to score, too.”
3. Kawhi Leonard will continue to evolve
When the Spurs rolled to an 11-game winning streak at the end of last season, Leonard led the team in scoring four times, averaging 19.2 points while shooting 56.1 percent. So while it’s natural for the Spurs to lean on Aldridge, the pricey free-agent acquisition, don’t sleep on Leonard because his knowledge of the game has grown tremendously, and he’s playing more relaxed after signing a max deal in the offseason. He’s more confident after winning defensive player of the year. In fact, Popovich is encouraging Leonard to step up and take on a larger role in the offense. Throughout the preseason, Leonard has spent quite a bit of practice time working in the post and driving to the basket coming off screens. So look to see more of Leonard this season in the post as he continues to improve his perimeter game.
4. Transition D remains an issue
Prior to the team’s loss on Oct. 20 to the Phoenix Suns, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “Transition D has still been a problem. Our transition D still looks like it did in Game 6 and 7 against the Clippers last [season] in the first round. Worst transition defense in the history of basketball in those two games.”
The Clippers outscored the Spurs 33-4 on the fast break in Games 6 and 7 of last season’s first-round series between the teams, and they haven’t shown improvement in that area throughout the preseason.
The Spurs outscored the Sacramento Kings (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/sac/sacramento-kings) 19-17 on the break in the Oct. 8 exhibition opener, but have been bested in that category by their four other opponents, and have been outscored 105-76, including 23-11 Friday night against the Rockets.
5. Tim Duncan’s role may be changing, but he’ll still be a vital cog
Leonard’s rapidly evolving game and the addition of Aldridge shifts the offensive focus for the Spurs somewhat. But Duncan’s role has been diminished for quite a while. Duncan’s usage rate of 22.2 percent on San Antonio’s plays marked the lowest of his career last season, but don’t count him out as a major cog in the pick-and-roll game. Duncan was more efficient last season, despite a reduced role, posting a .560 true shooting percentage, which tied for his best since the 2006-07 season. Duncan likely will spend more time in the high post this season with Aldridge in the fold. So Duncan's midrange jumper needs to be a little more accurate. Throughout the preseason, he has demonstrated his ability to distribute well when facing up, and he’ll be doing a lot more of that during the regular season with Aldridge, who needs to do a better job of finishing.
Defensively, it’s clear Duncan has lost a step. But he anticipates so well, he’s usually in place to help out. Duncan averaged 29 minutes during the regular season last season and 36 minutes in the playoffs, where he was the team’s most consistent player.
So even though the Spurs are phasing in more Leonard and Aldridge, they won’t be phasing out Duncan this season. Sure, his role will change some. But Duncan will still be one of this team’s go-to players in the clutch.