Ludden:Spurs notebook: FTs have been foul for Gasol, Duncan

[polandprzem]

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

If anyone can sympathize with Pau Gasol's adventures at the free-throw line Saturday night, it's Tim Duncan.

Gasol missed eight of his first nine foul shots, a run similar to the 1-for-11 start Duncan had against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec.13.

If there's been anything consistent about Duncan's free-throw shooting this season, it's his inconsistency.

He shot 78.2 percent from the line in November, 58.8 percent in December and 67.4 percent in the first five games of January.

Duncan made 13 of 15 free throws in Tuesday's victory over New Jersey, then went 3 of 10 Thursday against Detroit. In the two games combined, he shot 64 percent — close to his season average of 68.2 percent.

Though Duncan has shot below 70 percent from the line in five of his previous eight seasons, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich remains optimistic he'll improve.

"I hope that's not what he is, and I don't think that's what he is," Popovich said. "He's an introspective individual in this regard, and he likes to figure some of these things out, especially when it has to do with the mental part of the game.

"I think he'll get closer to the 13 out of 15 than he will the other end of the spectrum as the year moves along."

Duncan has worked with the Spurs' new shooting coach, Chip Engelland, though Popovich said he's not too concerned about Duncan's actual stroke.

Tough night: Tony Parker didn't have one of his better performances Saturday with 10 points, three assists and five turnovers.

Popovich yelled at him a couple of times for not passing the ball then left him on the bench in favor of Nick Van Exel when the Spurs ran their final play with 8.5 seconds left.

Popovich put Parker back into the game to defend Bobby Jackson on the ensuing possession.

What's in a name?: The AT&T Center era hasn't gotten off to the best of starts.

In Thursday's 83-68 loss to Detroit — the first game since the arena changed names from the SBC Center — the Spurs scored their fewest points at home in almost nine years.

Saturday's game began with a few thousand empty seats. Traffic along SBC Center Parkway was snarled because a circus was scheduled for the same time at Freeman Coliseum next door.

Most of the fans arrived by the end of the first quarter.

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What about those FT? Is Tim trying to figure it by himself or Chip is giving him advices(?)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Duncan has worked with the Spurs' new shooting coach, Chip Engelland, though Popovich said he's not too concerned about Duncan's actual stroke.

Apology accepted :hat

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Tony Parker didn't have one of his better performances Saturday with 10 points, three assists and five turnovers.

Popovich yelled at him a couple of times for not passing the ball then left him on the bench in favor of Nick Van Exel when the Spurs ran their final play with 8.5 seconds left.

Popovich put Parker back into the game to defend Bobby Jackson on the ensuing possession.

Pop is being a bit harsh don't you think? I mean considering Tony has gotten us out of trouble plenty of times in previous games. Everyone has a bad game every once and again.

[boutons_]

When Tony was ripping it up in November, hard to complain about somebody scoring, but LeBron, etc score 48 and Cavs lose.

I figured he might have to adjust eventually and look to make plays rather than driving at every possibility. Not that he should stop driving aggressively, but there can be too many possessions where nobody but Tony touches the ball (note Spurs ASTs can be very low some games), so maybe a little adjustment, as part of his development.

Grizz did a pretty good job of reacting to his drives and he found himself a couple times deep in the paint with no shot, gettting stripped, and no outlet, for a TO.

He'll learn.

[dbreiden83080]

Pop and Tony will probably always have this love/hate relatoinship. It is not like Timmy when he came here, he was basically a finished product. Tony was young,talented and raw and Pop has molded him into the player he is. He probably feels the day he takes it easy on Tony, is the day Tony starts to take it easy.

[ducks]

kori said tony looked sick but nothing yet
maybe he will say something about that on his website

[T Park]

Apology accepted

He was still bircking them left and right.

Parker aint no better at the line this year, than last.


Finley and Van Exel are shooting career lows.

Wanna tell me how hes working good?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

He was still bircking them left and right.

Duncan won us a game a few nights ago going 13-15 from the line. Wanna try again?


Parker aint no better at the line this year, than last.

His midranger jumper is noticeably improved, and I think his FTs will follow before the end of the year.


Finley and Van Exel are shooting career lows.


I'm highly skeptical either one of them are working for Chip, for one thing. For another, it's kinda hard to be consistent when you only get 3-4 shots every game and no plays run for you.



Wanna tell me how hes working good?

Season's not over yet, gimp.

[T Park]

Duncan won us a game a few nights ago going 13-15 from the line

Then went 3-10 against Detroit. YIPEE!!!!


no plays run for you

Awww, so now Van Exel has to have a play run for him, to make that wide open three?

Makes LOTS of sense.


Season's not over yet, gimp

We're in January and the FTs suck just as much as last year.

[leemajors]

correcting bad form takes a while. i think chip has done a decent job making parker's stroke less ugly and more consistent. he's not gonna come out after a summer and shoot 90%. i still don't want him shooting that outside shot as much as he was in the 2nd half last night. it's gonna be a gradual process with tony and tim. look for their ft's to be a lot better next year. i realize that is cold comfort this year btw.

[T Park]

he's not gonna come out after a summer and shoot 90%

I didn't expect that either.

But I expected Duncan and Parker to be back into the mid 70's consistently.

Not even close.

[Jimcs50]

Can someone please tell TD that 99.99% of his misses are short?

It seems to me, and it might just be me, that he needs to just realease the ball 2 inches higher and his problem will be solved.

:rolleyes

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Jim, TD's misses are because he doesn't use his legs, he just kinda throws the ball up there.


Then went 3-10 against Detroit. YIPEE!!!!

Well Tpark, that's about as consistent as Rasho's play yet you're still down on your knees humming the Slovenian national anthem every day.

[T Park]

that's about as consistent as Rasho's play yet you're still down on your knees humming the Slovenian national anthem every day.

Bob Hill is one of the most flawed and worst coaches ever to coach the Spurs, but yet your down on your knees humming the Fordham fight song....

[polandprzem]

Tim do not have a leg -upboddy fluent motion. Sometimes you see him banging his knees that he straight them but not hitting the same time.
The motion should go through the feet to the hand.

[boutons_]

"motion should go through the feet to the hand."

yes, but that takes co-ordination. :)

If you want to see somebody shoot a FT with about 4 separate movements, watch Jermaine ONeal, but he shoots pretty well anyway. :)

[Jimcs50]

Jim, TD's misses are because he doesn't use his legs, he just kinda throws the ball up there.



Well Tpark, that's about as consistent as Rasho's play yet you're still down on your knees humming the Slovenian national anthem every day.

Iy is still short, and all he has to do is shooot the ball 2 inches higher....case closed.

[boutons_]

Tim needs to get more under the ball, arm and body, and get more arc (I have no hope that he will every take this simple, basic idea on board at this late stage).

He still shot-puts straight ahead too much.

Tony's FT shot is a whole nother can of worms. :) Tony's jumper is looking better, but he still has the ball spinning at a angle rather that straight back. I wonder if Tony has ever broken or had a problem with his wrist (like Shaq has).

[sa_butta]

Cant our "shooting coach" help them with better trajectory?
It seems Rasho and Tim have the same problem.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Bob Hill is one of the most flawed and worst coaches ever to coach the Spurs, but yet your down on your knees humming the Fordham fight song.

:rolleyes. Wow, nice comeback. Creative. I don't worship Bob Hill. I think he's got a great offensive playbook, probably one of the best in the game. But defense is a four letter word for him, and he can't relate to players worth a damn.

What's comical about the Bob Hill thing is that you just ate up Buck Harvey's bitchfest on Sunday, which is exactly what the Spurs were hoping for in the aftermath of the Detroit clinic last week.

[hussker]

Bob Hill is one of the most flawed and worst coaches ever to coach the Spurs, but yet your down on your knees humming the Fordham fight song....

Yeah, and if you were in SA and a REAL Spurs Fan in the Fall of 1996, one year before Duncan when we had to deal with the likes of Jaime Feick, Granpa Wilkins, dressing EIGHT but really only having SIX healthy, et al...I guarantee you that you would have been cursing Pop's @$$ like the rest of us were when Bob Hill got the pink slip. SO, unless you can own up to that, then don't go there...