DPG21920
12-06-2016, 12:34 AM
Very exciting game for the regular season, huh? MIL had been playing very well and for Spurs fans that don't get an opportunity to watch games outside of the Spurs, you can see why MIL is a team that people are excited about.
We got to see a lot of the reasons why so many people are high on the Greek Freak. MIL has a super long team and a lot of potential with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing the way he is.
Outside of a truly disasterous 2nd quarter spearheaded by a terrible stint by the bench unit, in particular Mills & Manu, the Spurs played a really solid game on both ends. They won 3 out of 4 quarters and if not for a massive free throw disparity (34-14 in favor of MIL) the game might not have been as close.
The Spurs shot very poorly from 3 but made some when they needed them and put up a tremendous effort on the glass against a really very strong rebounding team.
All-in-all it was a gutsy road win vs a streaking team and was one of the most fun regular season games you will see this year.
To the grades:
Aldridge: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 TO & 50% FG - A
I was proud of LMA tonight. Not only was his scoring needed, but he showed that passion and desire on both ends of the floor. He had some struggles scoring in mini-stretches but ended up with a very solid 18 points including the go ahead basket for the win that was goal tended. I was most impressed with his defense highlighted by a world class job in the guts of the game against Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had some contested rebounds and just battled hard tonight. Star-level performance even if the numbers aren't eye-popping.
Kawhi: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers & 41% FG - B-
In lately typical Kawhi fashion it was a tale of two halves. He really struggled in that first half but as he has shown before, he is able to mentally stabilize himself and make a huge impact when it matters. We saw a lot more of Kawhi defensive moments tonight that we normally do in addition to much needed rebounding. It was a tough shooting night weighted by a poor first half, but he had a 6-point burst in the fourth that really helped. Not a great night, but he definitely played a role (especially in the fourth quarter) in helping SA dig out of a big hole.
Pau Gasol: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers & 67% FG - C+
Pau definitely had moments where you saw his value today. His good stretch was sort of wasted by that terrible bench performance in the 2nd quarter, but he did more good than harm. He struggled on defense for the most part, but his rebounding and efficient scoring did help in moments. Because of the defensive issues and some really sour stretches I gave him the C+ grade.
Danny Green: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 turnovers & 33% FG - D+
Danny is slumping right now. In 4 of his 5 last games he has single digit points and only 1 steal & 1 block in that time period. Danny, for any real Spurs fan, knows his value isn't tied to box score stats but SA really needs him to pick up his 3PT shooting again. He is still shooting %-wise well from there but overall shooting the past 5 games are so has been an issue. For this game, he missed some good looks, but so did everyone. He was not as attentive on defense but I would not say he was poor. But if you aren't hitting 3's and you aren't great on defense to make up for it, I personally want to see better.
Tony Parker: 6 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 turnovers & 37% FG - C-
Well, despite what most completely clueless people on ST think, we better hope that TP injury is not a big deal. For this game in particular I thought TP along with the starters overall had a really good first stint. Kawhi was struggling, but TP/LMA/Pau played with great energy and kept things moving offensively to get the team off to a good start. When things went off the rails because of the bench, TP never really recovered after that. The starters did some work in the early third to cut into the double digit halftime deficit but then TP got injured. Let's hope it's not a serious injury.
Patty Mills: 1 point, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 0% FG - F
Patty almost sank the Spurs. He was not only missing, but missing really, really bad. He didn't have his usual energy, but it was not an effort issue. But his really poor shooting with very little ability to defend this long Bucks team nearly cost the Spurs and really put them in a bad spot in the 2nd quarter. He has been great this year, but this was easily his worst game and let's hope it's a one-game outlier.
David Lee: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 100% FG - D
He didn't get much time and rightfully so. He was way out of place against the long athletes of MIL and was very damaging in that 2nd quarter along with Manu & Mills. Pop pulled the plug on Lee and it was definitley the right move. Just a tough match up for Lee and he definitely played with energy.
Manu Ginobili: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 2 turnovers & 29% FG - B
This looked like it was headed for a horrific night from Manu. That 2nd quarter was a flat out nightmare. But Manu really turned it around when it mattered and competed so hard. He was defending, grabbing steals and hit some shots when SA needed them. It was truly great to see a game where he struggled get turned around especially when TP went down with injury. Props for a really hard fought game where he stayed tough.
Jonathon Simmons: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover & 60% FG - B
What. A. Dunk. To me that play stands out so much from an excitement perspective. As for his overall game I thought it was damn solid. He not only had some nice passes, but his attention to detail on defense for most of the game was better than it has been. He actually stayed within the system defensively and outplayed Danny on both ends. One knock: for no reason he sometimes over passes especially when there are clear driving lanes. He did it today and it lead to a critical turnover and he's done it before. I like his passing and it's a huge reason why he's on the Spurs. But he has to be aggressive; the team needs it and it's when he's at his best.
Kyle Anderson: 2 points, 1 rebound & 50% FG - B
He didn't play very much so it's hard to grade, but honestly I thought he did well in his minutes. Of course he passed up a shot he should not have, but his one basket was very smooth, he had a nice rebound and overall thought he did a good job.
Davis Bertans: 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover & 0% FG - B+
B stand for not being a b*tch. He played hard even though he missed shots, but his assist shows that he's a basketball player. When things got tough, it was Bertans who stood tall and stuck his neck out for his team. It energized the guys and was a great moment for the young, fearless player.
Nicolas Laprovittola: 3 points, 5 assists, 1 turnover & 33% FG - A
What a great job by Nicolas to come in and steady the ship. He really played confidently, displayed a really nice calm and it was not just the assist numbers but the crispness of his passes and excellent vision. Obviously that is not something he can do all the time, but in this moment that Argentinian blood paid dividends and he competed at a really, really high level. If TP misses time, let's hope this game gives Lap confidence to build on a very good performance.
Dewayne Dedmon: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover & 100% FG - A+
Spurs needed energy. Spurs needed toughness. Spurs needed points and activity. They got all of that from Dedmon. He stole the show again with his hustle, athleticism, activity and toughness. Spurs were fighting but he was the injection of energy that put SA over the top. Pop didn't want to go to him early, but he made the most of his time.
His ability to catch the ball looked great tonight and his hustle inspired his teammates. He had one play that stood out above all in my mind and it was his effort to save a ball from going out of bounds that resulted in Kawhi getting an amazing dunk. It was a perfect summation of SA's MVP tonight and he's been awesome as a Spur.
We got to see a lot of the reasons why so many people are high on the Greek Freak. MIL has a super long team and a lot of potential with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing the way he is.
Outside of a truly disasterous 2nd quarter spearheaded by a terrible stint by the bench unit, in particular Mills & Manu, the Spurs played a really solid game on both ends. They won 3 out of 4 quarters and if not for a massive free throw disparity (34-14 in favor of MIL) the game might not have been as close.
The Spurs shot very poorly from 3 but made some when they needed them and put up a tremendous effort on the glass against a really very strong rebounding team.
All-in-all it was a gutsy road win vs a streaking team and was one of the most fun regular season games you will see this year.
To the grades:
Aldridge: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 TO & 50% FG - A
I was proud of LMA tonight. Not only was his scoring needed, but he showed that passion and desire on both ends of the floor. He had some struggles scoring in mini-stretches but ended up with a very solid 18 points including the go ahead basket for the win that was goal tended. I was most impressed with his defense highlighted by a world class job in the guts of the game against Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had some contested rebounds and just battled hard tonight. Star-level performance even if the numbers aren't eye-popping.
Kawhi: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers & 41% FG - B-
In lately typical Kawhi fashion it was a tale of two halves. He really struggled in that first half but as he has shown before, he is able to mentally stabilize himself and make a huge impact when it matters. We saw a lot more of Kawhi defensive moments tonight that we normally do in addition to much needed rebounding. It was a tough shooting night weighted by a poor first half, but he had a 6-point burst in the fourth that really helped. Not a great night, but he definitely played a role (especially in the fourth quarter) in helping SA dig out of a big hole.
Pau Gasol: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers & 67% FG - C+
Pau definitely had moments where you saw his value today. His good stretch was sort of wasted by that terrible bench performance in the 2nd quarter, but he did more good than harm. He struggled on defense for the most part, but his rebounding and efficient scoring did help in moments. Because of the defensive issues and some really sour stretches I gave him the C+ grade.
Danny Green: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 turnovers & 33% FG - D+
Danny is slumping right now. In 4 of his 5 last games he has single digit points and only 1 steal & 1 block in that time period. Danny, for any real Spurs fan, knows his value isn't tied to box score stats but SA really needs him to pick up his 3PT shooting again. He is still shooting %-wise well from there but overall shooting the past 5 games are so has been an issue. For this game, he missed some good looks, but so did everyone. He was not as attentive on defense but I would not say he was poor. But if you aren't hitting 3's and you aren't great on defense to make up for it, I personally want to see better.
Tony Parker: 6 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 turnovers & 37% FG - C-
Well, despite what most completely clueless people on ST think, we better hope that TP injury is not a big deal. For this game in particular I thought TP along with the starters overall had a really good first stint. Kawhi was struggling, but TP/LMA/Pau played with great energy and kept things moving offensively to get the team off to a good start. When things went off the rails because of the bench, TP never really recovered after that. The starters did some work in the early third to cut into the double digit halftime deficit but then TP got injured. Let's hope it's not a serious injury.
Patty Mills: 1 point, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 0% FG - F
Patty almost sank the Spurs. He was not only missing, but missing really, really bad. He didn't have his usual energy, but it was not an effort issue. But his really poor shooting with very little ability to defend this long Bucks team nearly cost the Spurs and really put them in a bad spot in the 2nd quarter. He has been great this year, but this was easily his worst game and let's hope it's a one-game outlier.
David Lee: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 100% FG - D
He didn't get much time and rightfully so. He was way out of place against the long athletes of MIL and was very damaging in that 2nd quarter along with Manu & Mills. Pop pulled the plug on Lee and it was definitley the right move. Just a tough match up for Lee and he definitely played with energy.
Manu Ginobili: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 2 turnovers & 29% FG - B
This looked like it was headed for a horrific night from Manu. That 2nd quarter was a flat out nightmare. But Manu really turned it around when it mattered and competed so hard. He was defending, grabbing steals and hit some shots when SA needed them. It was truly great to see a game where he struggled get turned around especially when TP went down with injury. Props for a really hard fought game where he stayed tough.
Jonathon Simmons: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover & 60% FG - B
What. A. Dunk. To me that play stands out so much from an excitement perspective. As for his overall game I thought it was damn solid. He not only had some nice passes, but his attention to detail on defense for most of the game was better than it has been. He actually stayed within the system defensively and outplayed Danny on both ends. One knock: for no reason he sometimes over passes especially when there are clear driving lanes. He did it today and it lead to a critical turnover and he's done it before. I like his passing and it's a huge reason why he's on the Spurs. But he has to be aggressive; the team needs it and it's when he's at his best.
Kyle Anderson: 2 points, 1 rebound & 50% FG - B
He didn't play very much so it's hard to grade, but honestly I thought he did well in his minutes. Of course he passed up a shot he should not have, but his one basket was very smooth, he had a nice rebound and overall thought he did a good job.
Davis Bertans: 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover & 0% FG - B+
B stand for not being a b*tch. He played hard even though he missed shots, but his assist shows that he's a basketball player. When things got tough, it was Bertans who stood tall and stuck his neck out for his team. It energized the guys and was a great moment for the young, fearless player.
Nicolas Laprovittola: 3 points, 5 assists, 1 turnover & 33% FG - A
What a great job by Nicolas to come in and steady the ship. He really played confidently, displayed a really nice calm and it was not just the assist numbers but the crispness of his passes and excellent vision. Obviously that is not something he can do all the time, but in this moment that Argentinian blood paid dividends and he competed at a really, really high level. If TP misses time, let's hope this game gives Lap confidence to build on a very good performance.
Dewayne Dedmon: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover & 100% FG - A+
Spurs needed energy. Spurs needed toughness. Spurs needed points and activity. They got all of that from Dedmon. He stole the show again with his hustle, athleticism, activity and toughness. Spurs were fighting but he was the injection of energy that put SA over the top. Pop didn't want to go to him early, but he made the most of his time.
His ability to catch the ball looked great tonight and his hustle inspired his teammates. He had one play that stood out above all in my mind and it was his effort to save a ball from going out of bounds that resulted in Kawhi getting an amazing dunk. It was a perfect summation of SA's MVP tonight and he's been awesome as a Spur.