Spurs Game Grades - Game #4: Spurs @ Knicks -- Mon. (11/2)

[Cry Havoc]

Venue

Storied Madison Square Garden, the mecca of some of the most incredible sporting events of the decade, played host to an early regular season game between the Knicks and the Spurs. As Mr. Elliott said, they seemed to have some pretty tight rims in store. If you've ever played basketball on a double rim outside, these weren't quite that bad, but it was pretty tough getting soft rolls tonight.

Player of the Game

http://i.imgur.com/9sMdskt.jpg

Allow me to take a breath here.

It's a rare thing, a spectacle even, to watch a prodigiously talented person grow into the gifts they've been given, until their mental focus is as razor sharp as the natural tools that they were granted. That goes for anything from basketball to boxing to chess. Such is the case with Kawhi Leonard. As Spurs' fans, we might be more than just a little spoiled to have Tim Duncan, who was one of the most "NBA Ready" players in the history of the league when he stepped on the hardwood for the first time in silver & black. That is certainly not how most players develop, even the great ones. Kawhi Leonard may have been taking small steps toward signs of greatness in the past, but it's clear that he's not on the promenade to prominence anymore, he is triple jumping toward being a top player in the league even at this early point in the season. He was far and away the most dominant player on the court, as one of the creators on offense and the absolute force on defense that earned him the DPOY award last year. Leonard was destructive tonight in dismantling a guy that still might make a run for the scoring title in Carmelo Anthony. His footwork, body positioning, and overall awareness on defense are absolutely through the roof. If he continues on this trajectory, we'll very well be looking at one of the greatest defensive wings to ever play the game. But the true leap in his game is his offense. He's sinister and scary with the ball, exhibiting a nasty step-through from just inside the elbow that froze his defender in the paint. In fact, all of Leonard's 2 point attempts tonight came from within 17 feet. That's important, because he shoots around 10-20% higher inside of that 17 foot mark than outside, which he shoots marginally better than he does from 3. Kawhi is learning where he needs to be on the floor when he rises up, and that's a very good thing. He's also learning how to orchestrate an offense, not just to be a part of Pop's system. You could almost feel the moment in the 2nd quarter when Kawhi made the mental shift, and off he went, racking up 18 and 14 on a SEGBABA. Add in another 4 blocks, and 2 steals, while holding Carmelo Anthony to 5-17, and you can call that a simply dominant performance. At the rate he's improving, there is no ceiling in sight for this guy.


http://i.imgur.com/ZFPHED7.jpg

Lamarcus Aldridge: B-

To be clear, this is a highly provisional rating. I expect #12 to be in a much different place about two months from now than he is here. But the simple fact is that Aldridge gives the Spurs something they haven't had since David Robinson prowled the lane: A 2nd true force in the paint to stand next to Tim Duncan. Say what you want about his reliance on a jumper, or his not-up-to-Spurs-standard of defense, the simple fact is that LaMarcus gives the Spurs the ability to make plays in the paint that they haven't had in a decade+. When he's loose and active in the lane, it's absolutely fantastic to see. He's not completely there yet, though. 19 and 6 is a decent line and somewhat understandable in light of Kawhi's fantastic game, but there are missed rotations that are still fairly common. At one point, LMA followed a wing not only through the paint, but all the way out to the corner, and it was obvious that something clicked and he realized, "Whoa, I'm really not supposed to be out here". Still, his footspeed appears to be good and throughout the game his shot was much more in rhythm. After starting 1-6, Aldridge hit his next 7 shots in a row en route to a respectable 8-15 performance.


http://i.imgur.com/DNmKjd8.jpg

Tim Duncan: A

At one point, Tim Duncan was on pace for a 39 year old triple double. He ended up with "just" another double-double, 16 and 10. He also led the team with 6 assists. And shot 6-10 from the floor, 2 blocks, and a steal. All in a SEGABABA night's work for The Forever Man. I think there's a case to be made if Duncan keeps up this insane level of play that he could surpass Kareem as the gold standard for big man longevity. There's certainly never been a player who's this kind of a defensive presence at 39. Duncan is a wonder. His post defense tonight was suffocating, and most forays into the lane that weren't shut down by Kawhi were immediately contested and stifled by Tim. The frontcourt of the Knicks, which is actually pretty talented all things considered, combined for a 13-44 performance. Leonard and Tim were easily responsible for most of those contested shots. Tim is still one of the best big men in the entire NBA.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/31/article-2181804-144744EE000005DC-695_468x382.jpg

Tony Parker: B-

Early in the game, the Spurs offense was sputtering to find any sort of rhythm or consistency. Tony stepped up and scored some tough points early. He was solid tonight with the rock in his hands, and did not accumulate a single turnover. 16 points and 3 assists may not scream "good performance", but Parker was active on D tonight, looked quick to the ball, and steadied the team early on, and after the Knicks made their customary runs in the first half. Parker also hit a nasty jumper over 7'3" Porzingis in the 4th quarter, one of the more clutch shots in the game. On any other team, Parker would be racking up assists, but that simply isn't the way the Spurs move the ball anymore, and Parker's 7-12 performance was satisfying, as he repeatedly collapsed the defense, getting into the lane and causing the Knicks to realize they're a young team that has no idea how to rota


http://i.imgur.com/A810Z89.jpg

Danny Green: F

This was the worst game I've ever seen from Danny Green. I almost don't feel like elaborating. His rotations were abysmal, his shot was completely off, and I'm fairly certain his man-on defense got him burned by the Knicks mascot at one point. Absolutely nothing redeeming about Verde's game tonight. Popovich even tried a Parker/Mills setup on the court tonight, that's how bad Green was.


Manu Ginobili: B-

Manu and Kawhi might have saved the game in the 2nd quarter. They set foot on the court and completely changed the tone of the game. Manu was on an obvious minutes restriction tonight, but he looked absolutely fantastic in the time he spent on the court. He was the only real ballhandler the Spurs had tonight outside of Tony (more on that later) and did a nice job orchestrating the scores. Other than a cherry-picked hoop, Manu made some hard drives and caused the Knicks defense to account for his triple-threat offense, which is still quite hard to deal with. Manu appears to be better on defense as well this year and overall looks to be in much better shape. He led all Spurs bench scorers with 7 points and chipped in a trio of assists as well. Not terrible for 17 minutes of play.


Boris Diaw: C-

Boris didn't do a lot to be noticed this evening. He did hit a very nice 3 in the 4th quarter that was easily his most important contribution of the night, but other than that, his 20 minutes weren't very impactful. On top of that, he had 3 turnovers, which is just unacceptable against a team that's such a poor defensive squad like the Knicks. Diaw seems that he hasn't really sorted out his place in this new Spurs team. Hopefully he does, because he still shows flashes of brilliance here and there.


Patty Mills: D-

Yikes. Patty made a serious run at taking away the terrible player of the game award from Danny Green. Mills wasn't much use to the Spurs tonight... in fact it was actually frightening whenever he touched the ball. I'm shocked that Mills ended with only 1 TO, because he was fumbling the ball all over the court and generally disrupting an offense... his own. Mills looked terribly unsettled, and against guards that aren't really too rough on defense. Perhaps it was a one off for our favorite Australian, or maybe he drank a little too much strawberry milk last night and wasn't ready for the b2b. He did have two steals, and his energy was probably the reason he managed to steal away some minutes from Green at the 2.


West & Anderson

David West just doesn't look ready to contribute on this team. He's just not in the right spacing at any time on the court, and teams seem to go after him on D. It's a bit concerning at this point. Anderson has some potential and looks quicker this year, but it's hard to see him getting many minutes in the playoffs at his current form. Hopefully he can improve his presence and rotations in the coming months.


Gregg Popovich: B-

I'm not too enthralled with some of Pop's rotations. But hey, a win on the road in the 2nd night of away games is a win. I also like the fact that he put in Mills when it was apparent that Green was a human wasteland tonight, but he went back to Green to little effect later in the game. At the end of the day, this was a maintenance game for our older players and the Spurs still won comfortably over a hungry Knicks team. It was ugly, but the season is still very young.



A word on the Knicks

If you watched this game, one thing was apparent: Kristaps Porzingis is going to be a force in the NBA, very very soon. His game is reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki... in a 7 foot 3 inch frame. No joke, this guy is going to turn some heads. The Knicks are not going to be a laughingstock much longer, as they have other talent on the team with Jerian Grant and Kyle O'Quinn, both of whom should be starting sooner rather than later. Their current offense as it stands should not score 80 points on anyone... as it doesn't really exist. I only saw a few plays run all night that could even be considered a real set. If the Knicks get some consistency together, and stop starting players like Sasha Vujacic (yes, he is still in the league), they have a future in this League that's brighter than Knicks fans have seen in a while.

[Silver&Black]

:bobo

Thanks for the write-up. Sucks to see LDN struggle like that....he'll get it going I have no doubt.

On the Knicks....give Porzingis some time. If he can put some meat on those bones....watch out.

[Spurs9]

How did you grade Boban tonight tbh?

[spursgu]

Thanks for the writeup. I missed today's game and this was a good read. Cheers.

[Cry Havoc]

How did you grade Boban tonight tbh?

He played 1 minute. A+.

[Cry Havoc]

Thanks for the writeup. I missed today's game and this was a good read. Cheers.

:tu

[ElNono]

thanks Cry!

[Blue Duck]

Fantastic write up. Four games in, I'm loving this season. Please, keep em coming when you can, the write ups from knowledgeable posters are greatly appreciated by those of us who still visit the board for actual insight and good takes, go spurs

[Pauleta14]

Thanks for the write up, great job! :toast

[Mr. Body]

Didn't like Diaw at all tonight. He was terrible. Mills needs to get his head out of his ass.

[Cry Havoc]

Didn't like Diaw at all tonight. He was terrible. Mills needs to get his head out of his ass.

True, I was probably too generous with my C-. :downspin:

[Splits]

Mills Diaw and West way too low for a win against a "decent" east coast team.

I thought the 2nd quarter extended run with Mills and TP on the floor at the same time was very effective, Mills had b2b steals IIRC which resulted in points.

Diaw didn't have his best game but wasn't below average.

West was +12 in 7 minutes with 3 assists, his best showing as a Spur.

Otherwise, thanks for the writeup.

[rasuo214]

Nice write up, I'd probably give Aldridge a B since he was key during a stretch and Parker a B+ for having his best game of the season.

[TheGreatYacht]

Thanks OP :tu

[alfahdlan]

Thanks, Cry!!!

[100%duncan]

Thanks.

Disagree on Green though, he played the passing lanes well. Got steal/blocks. Although he did get burned by his man but not that many a times.

[YGWHI]

Thanks for the grades.


If you watched this game, one thing was apparent: Kristaps Porzingis is going to be a force in the NBA, very very soon. His game is reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki... in a 7 foot 3 inch frame. No joke, this guy is going to turn some heads.

I'd say Pau Gasol.

[Hoops Czar]

http://i.imgur.com/A810Z89.jpg

Danny Green: F

This was the worst game I've ever seen from Danny Green. I almost don't feel like elaborating. His rotations were abysmal, his shot was completely off, and I'm fairly certain his man-on defense got him burned by the Knicks mascot at one point. Absolutely nothing redeeming about Verde's game tonight. Popovich even tried a Parker/Mills setup on the court tonight, that's how bad Green was.


BOOM!

[FkLA]

:lol Your writing style is just too dramatic and corny for me to take the write-up seriously. I couldn't even get through the first paragraph.

[Mikeanaro]

Agreed on Porkzingis, that rook is great once Fatmelo is out the team forever the Knicks can rebuild for good around him.

[MB3//]

Thanks Cry for actually creating a decent thread. Far too few of these around here.

[letmk]

Agreed on Porkzingis, that rook is great once Fatmelo is out the team forever the Knicks can rebuild for good around him.

I like him but don't see him as a build-around level (franchise) player.

[Holden_Caulfield]

gonna order my kawhi jersey soon

[loveforthegame]

Thanks for the grades. Miss having these. :tu

[SAGirl]

Good writeup. Thanks, agree with most.
:flag:

[SAGirl]

Thanks.

Disagree on Green though, he played the passing lanes well. Got steal/blocks. Although he did get burned by his man but not that many a times.
Pop did go to Anderson (Anderson?!) in the first Q bc Danny was terrible and the team made a little run.

Pop then played Tony/Patty for some stretches.

Danny did get it together enough to limit his mistakes, but that is far from a good game. Kawhi and Tim covered up a lot for him thankfully, but that is what team D is for.

[Mikeanaro]

I like him but don't see him as a build-around level (franchise) player.
Take into account he is only a rook, I bet with some decent pieces he will go further than Gordon Hayward.

[SpursIndonesia]

Thanks for the grades.



I'd say Pau Gasol.

Yeah, he is not really a natural shooter like Dirk, and much more rounded as big man like Gasol. Curious to see whether he can develop as a playmaker, seems to be cerebral & willing enough as a passer, that height & length will help tremendously both offensively & defensively.

[Mr Bones]

Nice write up... Kawhi's D on Melo was fantastic, as was Aldridge hanging two quick fouls on Porzingis, sending him to the bench... If Porzingis plays 35 minutes instead of 24, it's a completely different game...

[pookenstein]

Good write up. Thx!

[BillMc]

Thanks for the writeup, op!:toast Nice job.

Danny didn't have a great game but I thought he was a little better than a F. Also, continue to be pleased with LMA.

[TXstbobcat]

Thank you for the write up and game grades!!

[will_spurs]

Thanks for the write-up.

Regarding grades I feel some of them are too harsh, but I'm in the school of thought that if everybody plays well, all the players should get an A.

Here I feel like the expectations are for each player to play to his max, but that could be detrimental to the team. There's only one ball after all.

[HarlemHeat37]

I thought Green's defense was pretty outstanding after his poor overall 1st quarter, tbh..only time I remember him getting beat was by Grant on the back-cut..his help D was great IIRC, had a block on Melo from behind that he wasn't credited for and altered a few shots, as well..

Parker played his best game of the season, Tim was tremendous and Kawhi did his MVP thing..Aldridge was good on offense, but he had a lot of trouble on D with Porzingis's activity and O'Quinn's jump shot..fine overall, though..

Spurs were very fortunate that Fisher continues to use terrible rotations..Grant instead of Calderon and O'Quinn instead of Lopez and the game would have probably come down to the wire..Spurs had trouble with Grant's athleticism, but dominated against the worst backcourt in the league, Calderon-Vujacic..

[Brazil]

Boris Diaw: C-

Boris didn't do a lot to be noticed this evening. He did hit a very nice 3 in the 4th quarter that was easily his most important contribution of the night

That was the dagger to close this shit... game was over after that... pretty clutch shoot... for that only he deverses better than C-

:bobo

[daledondale]

Thanks op!

[K...]

Boris Diaw: C-

Boris didn't do a lot to be noticed this evening. He did hit a very nice 3 in the 4th quarter that was easily his most important contribution of the night

That was the dagger to close this shit... game was over after that... pretty clutch shoot... for that only he deverses better than C-

:bobo

Truthfully, it just depends. Prior to lma coming Diaw was effectively a part time starter. This year, he's clearly at best the third big, possibly the fourth, and generally less necessary with the arrival of lma and kawhi's play making ability. So, if judging by 2014 diaw this would be a C.


But 2015 Diaw is probably a role player, so C is probably too harsh. He should be judged like Bonner was when he was the fourth big. Basically if he makes shots, assists, or rebounds , he gets an A. Not much more for role player Diaw to do on this team

[Cry Havoc]

Thanks for the write-up.

Regarding grades I feel some of them are too harsh, but I'm in the school of thought that if everybody plays well, all the players should get an A.

Here I feel like the expectations are for each player to play to his max, but that could be detrimental to the team. There's only one ball after all.

This was an ugly, ugly game. Hence, low grades.

[TXstbobcat]

This was an ugly, ugly game. Hence, low grades.

Ill take the ugly win after last seasons debacle in NY.

[Cry Havoc]

Ill take the ugly win after last seasons debacle in NY.

Absolutely. I'm not complaining. But if a "C" is an average performance for our team I think if anything my grades were a bit too high. We should have won by 25+ last night, the Knicks played very poorly.

[Arcadian]

Good job. You write very well.

[will_spurs]

Absolutely. I'm not complaining. But if a "C" is an average performance for our team I think if anything my grades were a bit too high. We should have won by 25+ last night, the Knicks played very poorly.

Point taken.

Actually it might be worth giving the game (or the team) a grade...

[wildbill2u]

I think the team is jelling quite nicely. Considering these new guys have only played a few games in the Spurs system, it looks like another easy 50 win season to extend our streak.

Danny is notorious for having good games (As) and bad games (Fs) with nothing in between. I bet it drives POP crazy.

Good write up but I'd give LMA a better grade considering how new he is on the Spurs.

I don't know of anyone who came to the NBA as young and inexperienced as Porzingas who has shown more skills. This is quite a jump and he could play some heavy minutes for lots of teams right now. He will be a beast if he doesn't fall to the injury problem (legs, feet, etc) that hurts so many 7 footers and sometimes ends their careers early.

[EVAY]

Thanks a million for the grades and Write-up. CH. Enjoyed both.

I really have to wonder about Anderson. The guy just seems not ready for prime time rotations even yet. I would almost rather not see him playing. Have really never said that about a Spur, burt I just don't see what others clearly see in the guy.

It is great this season to see Kawhi really starting to be effective in the aggressive role Pop tried to start him in last season. He really wasn't ready for it last season, but I think that the presence of LA has made it easier for him offensively. Well, let's face it, the presence of LA has made it easier for EVERYBODY than it was last season.

My favorite time of any game is when the old "Big three" are on the court at the same time because I know it will likely be the last season for that. When they are out there with LMA and Kawhi, the team just looks awfully hard to beat.

You are absolutely right that last night's game could have set the sport of basketball back about a quarter-century, but I am just so happy to beat teams that we are supposed to beat because last year we didn't always and that came back to bite us in the standings in the end.

So - ugly or not- great win.

P. S. Porzingas is going to be a MONSTER! Whoever commented that the game would have been very different had he been able to stay on the floor longer than he did last night.

We are all going to wish we had him before the season is out, imo.

[SAGirl]

I really have to wonder about Anderson. The guy just seems not ready for prime time rotations even yet. I would almost rather not see him playing. Have really never said that about a Spur, burt I just don't see what others clearly see in the guy.
There really isn't much to see because he has barely played.
Lamarcus was very deferential and been off through preseason until the Celtics game, but you have to acknowledge it takes a while to get in a groove with a new team.
Danny has been mostly off shooting, and has made mistakes here or there thus gotten benched, or Manu played more minutes. He has made mistakes that cost us games (Hello the OkC game!).
Diaw/West have gotten owned on the boards, and require TD or LMA to rebound or they are toast. Their PnR defense was very poor the first two games.
Tony started the season with a ton of mistakes and turning the ball over.
etc.
The young Kyle, not expected to be a big contributor, nor is his development a priority at this point. He's gotten a few minutes here or there (very, very few), mostly bc Pop has been exasperated by the mistakes made by others, not even bc he really intended to play Anderson, and everyone says he's not showing anything. It's not about him showing anything. Right now he's there to relieve the others and is too worried about not making any mistakes to come in with the mind he had in SL to show what he could do. At some point they will push him to produce, mostly when they need him, but right now its not about him. You have to put things in perspective here, if it is tough for these old vets to get it going, its a lot tougher for him, bc he's barely playing and is inexperienced and young enough to not come in wanting to do too much. Better that, than having Simmons like TO. If you keep in perspective his role, you will realize he's doing what he's asked at this point, while hopefully working in the background on his own game.

Hopefully, if at some point he gets more regular rotation minutes he can catch a rhythm of his own. Its not going to happen until the vets get their own stuff worked out first.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

A lot of effort went into that write-up Havoc. Nice job. :tu

[Dex]

Nice writeup. :tu


How did you grade Boban tonight tbh?

In his minute on the court, Boban was +216, cured cancer, and fixed our bipartisan government.

[Macca76]

Venue

Storied Madison Square Garden, the mecca of some of the most incredible sporting events of the decade, played host to an early regular season game between the Knicks and the Spurs. As Mr. Elliott said, they seemed to have some pretty tight rims in store. If you've ever played basketball on a double rim outside, these weren't quite that bad, but it was pretty tough getting soft rolls tonight.

Player of the Game

http://i.imgur.com/9sMdskt.jpg

Allow me to take a breath here.

It's a rare thing, a spectacle even, to watch a prodigiously talented person grow into the gifts they've been given, until their mental focus is as razor sharp as the natural tools that they were granted. That goes for anything from basketball to boxing to chess. Such is the case with Kawhi Leonard. As Spurs' fans, we might be more than just a little spoiled to have Tim Duncan, who was one of the most "NBA Ready" players in the history of the league when he stepped on the hardwood for the first time in silver & black. That is certainly not how most players develop, even the great ones. Kawhi Leonard may have been taking small steps toward signs of greatness in the past, but it's clear that he's not on the promenade to prominence anymore, he is triple jumping toward being a top player in the league even at this early point in the season. He was far and away the most dominant player on the court, as one of the creators on offense and the absolute force on defense that earned him the DPOY award last year. Leonard was destructive tonight in dismantling a guy that still might make a run for the scoring title in Carmelo Anthony. His footwork, body positioning, and overall awareness on defense are absolutely through the roof. If he continues on this trajectory, we'll very well be looking at one of the greatest defensive wings to ever play the game. But the true leap in his game is his offense. He's sinister and scary with the ball, exhibiting a nasty step-through from just inside the elbow that froze his defender in the paint. In fact, all of Leonard's 2 point attempts tonight came from within 17 feet. That's important, because he shoots around 10-20% higher inside of that 17 foot mark than outside, which he shoots marginally better than he does from 3. Kawhi is learning where he needs to be on the floor when he rises up, and that's a very good thing. He's also learning how to orchestrate an offense, not just to be a part of Pop's system. You could almost feel the moment in the 2nd quarter when Kawhi made the mental shift, and off he went, racking up 18 and 14 on a SEGBABA. Add in another 4 blocks, and 2 steals, while holding Carmelo Anthony to 5-17, and you can call that a simply dominant performance. At the rate he's improving, there is no ceiling in sight for this guy.


http://i.imgur.com/ZFPHED7.jpg

Lamarcus Aldridge: B-

To be clear, this is a highly provisional rating. I expect #12 to be in a much different place about two months from now than he is here. But the simple fact is that Aldridge gives the Spurs something they haven't had since David Robinson prowled the lane: A 2nd true force in the paint to stand next to Tim Duncan. Say what you want about his reliance on a jumper, or his not-up-to-Spurs-standard of defense, the simple fact is that LaMarcus gives the Spurs the ability to make plays in the paint that they haven't had in a decade+. When he's loose and active in the lane, it's absolutely fantastic to see. He's not completely there yet, though. 19 and 6 is a decent line and somewhat understandable in light of Kawhi's fantastic game, but there are missed rotations that are still fairly common. At one point, LMA followed a wing not only through the paint, but all the way out to the corner, and it was obvious that something clicked and he realized, "Whoa, I'm really not supposed to be out here". Still, his footspeed appears to be good and throughout the game his shot was much more in rhythm. After starting 1-6, Aldridge hit his next 7 shots in a row en route to a respectable 8-15 performance.


http://i.imgur.com/DNmKjd8.jpg

Tim Duncan: A

At one point, Tim Duncan was on pace for a 39 year old triple double. He ended up with "just" another double-double, 16 and 10. He also led the team with 6 assists. And shot 6-10 from the floor, 2 blocks, and a steal. All in a SEGABABA night's work for The Forever Man. I think there's a case to be made if Duncan keeps up this insane level of play that he could surpass Kareem as the gold standard for big man longevity. There's certainly never been a player who's this kind of a defensive presence at 39. Duncan is a wonder. His post defense tonight was suffocating, and most forays into the lane that weren't shut down by Kawhi were immediately contested and stifled by Tim. The frontcourt of the Knicks, which is actually pretty talented all things considered, combined for a 13-44 performance. Leonard and Tim were easily responsible for most of those contested shots. Tim is still one of the best big men in the entire NBA.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/31/article-2181804-144744EE000005DC-695_468x382.jpg

Tony Parker: B-

Early in the game, the Spurs offense was sputtering to find any sort of rhythm or consistency. Tony stepped up and scored some tough points early. He was solid tonight with the rock in his hands, and did not accumulate a single turnover. 16 points and 3 assists may not scream "good performance", but Parker was active on D tonight, looked quick to the ball, and steadied the team early on, and after the Knicks made their customary runs in the first half. Parker also hit a nasty jumper over 7'3" Porzingis in the 4th quarter, one of the more clutch shots in the game. On any other team, Parker would be racking up assists, but that simply isn't the way the Spurs move the ball anymore, and Parker's 7-12 performance was satisfying, as he repeatedly collapsed the defense, getting into the lane and causing the Knicks to realize they're a young team that has no idea how to rota


http://i.imgur.com/A810Z89.jpg

Danny Green: F

This was the worst game I've ever seen from Danny Green. I almost don't feel like elaborating. His rotations were abysmal, his shot was completely off, and I'm fairly certain his man-on defense got him burned by the Knicks mascot at one point. Absolutely nothing redeeming about Verde's game tonight. Popovich even tried a Parker/Mills setup on the court tonight, that's how bad Green was.


Manu Ginobili: B-

Manu and Kawhi might have saved the game in the 2nd quarter. They set foot on the court and completely changed the tone of the game. Manu was on an obvious minutes restriction tonight, but he looked absolutely fantastic in the time he spent on the court. He was the only real ballhandler the Spurs had tonight outside of Tony (more on that later) and did a nice job orchestrating the scores. Other than a cherry-picked hoop, Manu made some hard drives and caused the Knicks defense to account for his triple-threat offense, which is still quite hard to deal with. Manu appears to be better on defense as well this year and overall looks to be in much better shape. He led all Spurs bench scorers with 7 points and chipped in a trio of assists as well. Not terrible for 17 minutes of play.


Boris Diaw: C-

Boris didn't do a lot to be noticed this evening. He did hit a very nice 3 in the 4th quarter that was easily his most important contribution of the night, but other than that, his 20 minutes weren't very impactful. On top of that, he had 3 turnovers, which is just unacceptable against a team that's such a poor defensive squad like the Knicks. Diaw seems that he hasn't really sorted out his place in this new Spurs team. Hopefully he does, because he still shows flashes of brilliance here and there.


Patty Mills: D-

Yikes. Patty made a serious run at taking away the terrible player of the game award from Danny Green. Mills wasn't much use to the Spurs tonight... in fact it was actually frightening whenever he touched the ball. I'm shocked that Mills ended with only 1 TO, because he was fumbling the ball all over the court and generally disrupting an offense... his own. Mills looked terribly unsettled, and against guards that aren't really too rough on defense. Perhaps it was a one off for our favorite Australian, or maybe he drank a little too much strawberry milk last night and wasn't ready for the b2b. He did have two steals, and his energy was probably the reason he managed to steal away some minutes from Green at the 2.


West & Anderson

David West just doesn't look ready to contribute on this team. He's just not in the right spacing at any time on the court, and teams seem to go after him on D. It's a bit concerning at this point. Anderson has some potential and looks quicker this year, but it's hard to see him getting many minutes in the playoffs at his current form. Hopefully he can improve his presence and rotations in the coming months.


Gregg Popovich: B-

I'm not too enthralled with some of Pop's rotations. But hey, a win on the road in the 2nd night of away games is a win. I also like the fact that he put in Mills when it was apparent that Green was a human wasteland tonight, but he went back to Green to little effect later in the game. At the end of the day, this was a maintenance game for our older players and the Spurs still won comfortably over a hungry Knicks team. It was ugly, but the season is still very young.



A word on the Knicks

If you watched this game, one thing was apparent: Kristaps Porzingis is going to be a force in the NBA, very very soon. His game is reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki... in a 7 foot 3 inch frame. No joke, this guy is going to turn some heads. The Knicks are not going to be a laughingstock much longer, as they have other talent on the team with Jerian Grant and Kyle O'Quinn, both of whom should be starting sooner rather than later. Their current offense as it stands should not score 80 points on anyone... as it doesn't really exist. I only saw a few plays run all night that could even be considered a real set. If the Knicks get some consistency together, and stop starting players like Sasha Vujacic (yes, he is still in the league), they have a future in this League that's brighter than Knicks fans have seen in a while.

Thank you very much for the detailed grades, I didn't watch the game and it is very useful !

[Macca76]

:lol Your writing style is just too dramatic and corny for me to take the write-up seriously. I couldn't even get through the first paragraph.

You're a douche (a sad and angry one)

[Macca76]

There really isn't much to see because he has barely played.
Lamarcus was very deferential and been off through preseason until the Celtics game, but you have to acknowledge it takes a while to get in a groove with a new team.
Danny has been mostly off shooting, and has made mistakes here or there thus gotten benched, or Manu played more minutes. He has made mistakes that cost us games (Hello the OkC game!).
Diaw/West have gotten owned on the boards, and require TD or LMA to rebound or they are toast. Their PnR defense was very poor the first two games.
Tony started the season with a ton of mistakes and turning the ball over.
etc.
The young Kyle, not expected to be a big contributor, nor is his development a priority at this point. He's gotten a few minutes here or there (very, very few), mostly bc Pop has been exasperated by the mistakes made by others, not even bc he really intended to play Anderson, and everyone says he's not showing anything. It's not about him showing anything. Right now he's there to relieve the others and is too worried about not making any mistakes to come in with the mind he had in SL to show what he could do. At some point they will push him to produce, mostly when they need him, but right now its not about him. You have to put things in perspective here, if it is tough for these old vets to get it going, its a lot tougher for him, bc he's barely playing and is inexperienced and young enough to not come in wanting to do too much. Better that, than having Simmons like TO. If you keep in perspective his role, you will realize he's doing what he's asked at this point, while hopefully working in the background on his own game.

Hopefully, if at some point he gets more regular rotation minutes he can catch a rhythm of his own. Its not going to happen until the vets get their own stuff worked out first.

Very good points, it is indeed hard for him to be at his best in these conditions. His "youngness" is holding him back for now but I like what I see and I'm confident for the rest of the season.
I can compare his situation to the Mc Dermott's one in Chicago in the way that he has shown promising things but looks a little shy, tentative in his behavior, trying not to make mistakes. Mc Dermott's role may be more important though. These kids are young and in a team full of veterans it's never easy.

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

West is not a concern. He's 4 games into the season, on limited minutes. Pop is and will be working out rotations until the very end of the season, but by the all-star break, West will have found his role and will play it swimmingly.

[SAGirl]

Very good points, it is indeed hard for him to be at his best in these conditions. His "youngness" is holding him back for now but I like what I see and I'm confident for the rest of the season.
I can compare his situation to the Mc Dermott's one in Chicago in the way that he has shown promising things but looks a little shy, tentative in his behavior, trying not to make mistakes. Mc Dermott's role may be more important though. These kids are young and in a team full of veterans it's never easy.

McDermott will always have his 3pt. shot to get him playing time. He probably needs to fill in the rest of his game, but he can shoot. What Kyle can do at an elite level is more subtle and yet, as Diaw has proven, can unlock possibilities that make your offense much more efficient and run better.

Many fans question his fit with the second unit to a degree, but that is only bc Manu and Diaw are such terrific passers that his skill, when everyone is healthy and clicking is not needed. I feel like he can provide more things to the starters, as they tend to let the ball stick a whole lot if Tony is in a passive state.

Even then, Manu's current play time rate is unlikely to be sustained for a full season. Kawhi and Danny are not playmakers, Patty has improved a whole lot, but you want him off the ball a lot more for his shooting and spacing, etc.

Yea right now UNT and others can say that what Kyle brings is redundant if you have a healthy Tony/Manu for a full season. Simply put when fully healthy and clicking Anderson may seem redundant, but in the long run he is not. He's a terrific passer and a good midrange shooter. Hopefully he plays well when we need him.

[tonight...you]

McDermott will always have his 3pt. shot to get him playing time. He probably needs to fill in the rest of his game, but he can shoot. What Kyle can do at an elite level is more subtle and yet, as Diaw has proven, can unlock possibilities that make your offense much more efficient and run better.

Many fans question his fit with the second unit to a degree, but that is only bc Manu and Diaw are such terrific passers that his skill, when everyone is healthy and clicking is not needed. I feel like he can provide more things to the starters, as they tend to let the ball stick a whole lot if Tony is in a passive state.

Even then, Manu's current play time rate is unlikely to be sustained for a full season. Kawhi and Danny are not playmakers, Patty has improved a whole lot, but you want him off the ball a lot more for his shooting and spacing, etc.

Yea right now UNT and others can say that what Kyle brings is redundant if you have a healthy Tony/Manu for a full season. Simply put when fully healthy and clicking Anderson may seem redundant, but in the long run he is not. He's a terrific passer and a good midrange shooter. Hopefully he plays well when we need him.
Right now his biggest hurdle in front of him is staying mentally strong and focused after the quick hooks he's been receiving from Pop.
If he can handle it like Parker when he was young and like Danny, he may just get deeper into this rotation.

Right now he's getting pulled on his first mistakes. Like being placed into the game and the first play off the TO is the Hammer.
He's 3-4 feet out of position and the ball goes out of bounds off his hands. He and Danny? argue for a second over positioning...
Boom: pulled
Only seconds in the game.

Don't see him again... at all for the game? Maybe for some garbage time, or a spot minute here or there, but my point is:
Hopefully he uses those moments as they are intended and doesn't hang his head.
I wonder how Pop is handling this guy's individual psyche right now...

[Cry Havoc]

You're a douche (a sad and angry one)

It's okay. Reading is hard for some people. I try not to hold grudges against the less fortunate. :bobo

[Bender]

It's okay. Reading is hard for some people.
some people should stick to reading twitter-speak.

Great write-up. I watched the entire game, and even though a win, I found it hard to watch sometimes...

[ceperez]

some people should stick to reading twitter-speak.

Great write-up. I watched the entire game, and even though a win, I found it hard to watch sometimes...

Ugly offensive game for the Spurs. Defense with the exception of Aldridge was good.

Aldridge needs to learn from Leonard on how to bring the full package on both ends of the court.

[SPURt]

That Danny Green pic was perfect! Haha! Thanks Cry!

[Cry Havoc]

That Danny Green pic was perfect! Haha! Thanks Cry!

He had some decent defensive moments but he was terrible for the most part on both ends of the ball, and we were generally better off without him. To his credit, he realized he didn't have a shot and took only 6 attempts, which isn't terrible. Maybe I could revise it to a D or a D-. :lol

[spurs10]

Thanks for the write-up! A lot of people have commented on how unwatchable the game was, but I really enjoyed seeing us able to get a basket when we needed one. Kawhi has arrived, LMA is a great addition, and the Big 3 finally have some real strength around them. This is the Big 5 a far as I can see.
:flag:

[EVAY]

I sure hope you are right. And I will be happy as a lark if you are. I remember when I would cringe when Danny and/or Kawhi would try a fast break because you just knew it was going to end up in disaster. They have both proven themselves to be major contributors. I don't expect Anderson to ever be in the bracket of either of those guys, but I hope you are right that he has the potential for a lot of improvement.

FWIW, I really wasn't basing my comments on this season alone. I have seen him play quite a bit, and my biggest concern has always been his relatively slow pace and his relatively high dribble. In a must-win game, those traits will likely be shown up as greater weaknesses than has been the case so far.

He does seem to me to have improved his dribble somewhat. So yes, if he continues to improve, maybe he will be just fine. That would be great.

[ceperez]

Right now his biggest hurdle in front of him is staying mentally strong and focused after the quick hooks he's been receiving from Pop.
If he can handle it like Parker when he was young and like Danny, he may just get deeper into this rotation.

Right now he's getting pulled on his first mistakes. Like being placed into the game and the first play off the TO is the Hammer.
He's 3-4 feet out of position and the ball goes out of bounds off his hands. He and Danny? argue for a second over positioning...
Boom: pulled
Only seconds in the game.

Don't see him again... at all for the game? Maybe for some garbage time, or a spot minute here or there, but my point is:
Hopefully he uses those moments as they are intended and doesn't hang his head.
I wonder how Pop is handling this guy's individual psyche right now...

Pop making sure he goes into the court actively engaged at all times. Hope he learned his lesson!

[ceperez]

Game against Knicks had KA playing in the SG spot in replacement of Green. That could make sense to get better ball distribution. Also with Duncan, Aldridge and Leonard defending the paint, KA can afford to funnel players to the paint.

[Tbiggums47]

Great write up. Need the mature influence on this board more!������