spurschick
10-08-2005, 08:19 AM
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_14492.shtml
By Emmett Shaw
Oct 8, 2005, 00:36
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands – The San Antonio Spurs may have struck yet again. I know it’s absurdly early, but on the night of the Spurs’ first pre-season scrimmage – in what local politicians called the biggest sporting event in Virgin Islands history – Fabricio Oberto not only looked at home playing at an NBA pace, he was one of the very best players on the court. Oberto came off the bench for a Black team that nearly upset the higher-powered Silver squad led by superstars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
Oberto was signed away from the Spanish League by the Spurs early in the free agency window last mid-July. It’s very early, but Spurs execs think they might have hit big with Fabricio. Three times Oberto brought the Black team from behind and into the lead in a game finally won by the Silver 85-84. Estimates are that Oberto produced a plus / minus figure of at least 10 points last night. Listed at 6-10, Oberto demonstrated a gifted feel for the game. Yes, his decisions are good. But a lot of players on this team make good decisions.
Oberto appears different. Different in a Duncan - Ginobili - Horry kind of way. He has a knack for always making something happen. He doesn’t just give up the ball to you, he gives it up and races the ball to you to set a stationary screen. It’s not unlike a Mark Madsen level of activity, except smarter and more under control than Mad Dog and with an ability to finish plays with baskets or the savvy extra pass.
A team official said after the game it’s difficult to gauge how European ballplayers will translate to the NBA and vice-versa, not just from a pace-of-decision-making standpoint, but the two circuits are a stylistically very different game. If it’s tough to gauge for the Spurs, it must confound the rest of the league, because San Antonio found NBA stars Ginobili and Tony Parker over there.
To start the night, the anthems of the U.S. and the V.I. were played, and many in the sellout crowd of perhaps a thousand sang along with the island refrains. It was a night for them to be proud, and the fans brought the house down when Tim was introduced. Neither team made inroads into the lead until Oberto came on for Robert Horry and within a minute tried to bounce a quick pass blind between his own legs to Brent Barry. The play was foiled, but the message was sent: “Spurs fans, my name is Fabio.”
By the half Oberto had keyed the Black to a 44-35 lead despite some great plays by Duncan, who finished his night with about three dunks and numerous assists, some of them tossed 50-feet up the court ala Magic Johnson. And Ginobili was not goofing around either, usually guarded by Brent Barry. Bruce Bowen was shutting out Michael Finley for the Black in the first half. The Silver’s Nick Van Exel and counterpart Tony Parker were a wash (NVE is one snappy passer with his big left hand – he can whip the rock left or right with it, and without telegraphing a thing).
In the second half, Black coach Mike Budenholzer tried to put a major coaching touch on the game by assigning Bowen to guard Ginobili, which was a battle neither could truly win. But they laughed openly about it, and when Manu went one-on-one and tossed to Tim for a lob dunk to cut the deficit to 46-40, Ginobili was taunting Bruce all up in his face like a street baller. Then Bowen fell down, looking to draw the tech from the Puerto Rican League refs. No dice. The Silver soon took the lead 53-51 on a Duncan bank over Nazr Mohammed from Finley. The Silver’s lead would never top two possession though . Tony Parker began breaking down Beno Udrih to push the Black into several three point leads, the last at 70-67.
In this comeback, again Oberto was all over the place on both ends. Fabio doesn’t jump very high, but he reads situations very well and produces deflections, even blindly as Spurs fans of old have seen Steve Kerr sometimes do. Almost every play by the Black was run through Oberto. Finley and Udrih buried the two most vital shots for the Silver, a pair of 3s that left the Silver ahead 83-80. On one possession with a minute to play Oberto and Barry played catch for six or seven snap passes, then Barry found teammate Kyle Bailey for the last points of the night for either team.
The rest of the way featured Beno firing a no-look across the court to the wide open Johnny Ludden writing for the SA paper in the front row. Rasho Nesterovic then stuffed Barry on a 3-try up top, followed by a Nesterovic Scud off the edge of the glass with 5.1 seconds. To close the night, Budenholzer gathered the Black for one last play, Stephen Graham splitting off Fabio for handoff, but Graham ran straight into Oberto and a winning shot was never even released.
A bad last minute offensively, but the first 47 minutes were praised by Gregg Popovich after the game. The coach loved the ball movement, spacing, and unselfishness by both squads. As soon as the game ended, a giant Carribean party began to break out that overspread the island. A couple hundred residents of St. Croix were on hand in the stands as well and they got a special hello from MC Tim Duncan, thanking everyone for hosting the Spurs for the entire training camp.
By Emmett Shaw
Oct 8, 2005, 00:36
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands – The San Antonio Spurs may have struck yet again. I know it’s absurdly early, but on the night of the Spurs’ first pre-season scrimmage – in what local politicians called the biggest sporting event in Virgin Islands history – Fabricio Oberto not only looked at home playing at an NBA pace, he was one of the very best players on the court. Oberto came off the bench for a Black team that nearly upset the higher-powered Silver squad led by superstars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
Oberto was signed away from the Spanish League by the Spurs early in the free agency window last mid-July. It’s very early, but Spurs execs think they might have hit big with Fabricio. Three times Oberto brought the Black team from behind and into the lead in a game finally won by the Silver 85-84. Estimates are that Oberto produced a plus / minus figure of at least 10 points last night. Listed at 6-10, Oberto demonstrated a gifted feel for the game. Yes, his decisions are good. But a lot of players on this team make good decisions.
Oberto appears different. Different in a Duncan - Ginobili - Horry kind of way. He has a knack for always making something happen. He doesn’t just give up the ball to you, he gives it up and races the ball to you to set a stationary screen. It’s not unlike a Mark Madsen level of activity, except smarter and more under control than Mad Dog and with an ability to finish plays with baskets or the savvy extra pass.
A team official said after the game it’s difficult to gauge how European ballplayers will translate to the NBA and vice-versa, not just from a pace-of-decision-making standpoint, but the two circuits are a stylistically very different game. If it’s tough to gauge for the Spurs, it must confound the rest of the league, because San Antonio found NBA stars Ginobili and Tony Parker over there.
To start the night, the anthems of the U.S. and the V.I. were played, and many in the sellout crowd of perhaps a thousand sang along with the island refrains. It was a night for them to be proud, and the fans brought the house down when Tim was introduced. Neither team made inroads into the lead until Oberto came on for Robert Horry and within a minute tried to bounce a quick pass blind between his own legs to Brent Barry. The play was foiled, but the message was sent: “Spurs fans, my name is Fabio.”
By the half Oberto had keyed the Black to a 44-35 lead despite some great plays by Duncan, who finished his night with about three dunks and numerous assists, some of them tossed 50-feet up the court ala Magic Johnson. And Ginobili was not goofing around either, usually guarded by Brent Barry. Bruce Bowen was shutting out Michael Finley for the Black in the first half. The Silver’s Nick Van Exel and counterpart Tony Parker were a wash (NVE is one snappy passer with his big left hand – he can whip the rock left or right with it, and without telegraphing a thing).
In the second half, Black coach Mike Budenholzer tried to put a major coaching touch on the game by assigning Bowen to guard Ginobili, which was a battle neither could truly win. But they laughed openly about it, and when Manu went one-on-one and tossed to Tim for a lob dunk to cut the deficit to 46-40, Ginobili was taunting Bruce all up in his face like a street baller. Then Bowen fell down, looking to draw the tech from the Puerto Rican League refs. No dice. The Silver soon took the lead 53-51 on a Duncan bank over Nazr Mohammed from Finley. The Silver’s lead would never top two possession though . Tony Parker began breaking down Beno Udrih to push the Black into several three point leads, the last at 70-67.
In this comeback, again Oberto was all over the place on both ends. Fabio doesn’t jump very high, but he reads situations very well and produces deflections, even blindly as Spurs fans of old have seen Steve Kerr sometimes do. Almost every play by the Black was run through Oberto. Finley and Udrih buried the two most vital shots for the Silver, a pair of 3s that left the Silver ahead 83-80. On one possession with a minute to play Oberto and Barry played catch for six or seven snap passes, then Barry found teammate Kyle Bailey for the last points of the night for either team.
The rest of the way featured Beno firing a no-look across the court to the wide open Johnny Ludden writing for the SA paper in the front row. Rasho Nesterovic then stuffed Barry on a 3-try up top, followed by a Nesterovic Scud off the edge of the glass with 5.1 seconds. To close the night, Budenholzer gathered the Black for one last play, Stephen Graham splitting off Fabio for handoff, but Graham ran straight into Oberto and a winning shot was never even released.
A bad last minute offensively, but the first 47 minutes were praised by Gregg Popovich after the game. The coach loved the ball movement, spacing, and unselfishness by both squads. As soon as the game ended, a giant Carribean party began to break out that overspread the island. A couple hundred residents of St. Croix were on hand in the stands as well and they got a special hello from MC Tim Duncan, thanking everyone for hosting the Spurs for the entire training camp.