Spurs Beat Mavericks 98-94

[timvp]

Devin Brown with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 0 turnovers in the win. He had the big plays down the stretch.

He also guarded The Biggest Three there is in Dirk Nowitzki and held him to 6-17 from the field.

Hmmmmm ... maybe Devin Brown should start.

:smokin

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Hmmmmm ... maybe Devin Brown should start.

:smokin

You know I'm going to ask for a re-adjustment on my Battle Blog loss if that happens, don't you?

[ChumpDumper]

Who played PF for the Mavs?

[Ignite]

Nobody has played PF for the Mavs the past 5 years.

[timvp]

^^^True.

Devin was matched up with Dirk for a lot of the game.

[Solid D]

Well, I went to the game tonight (I'm travelling this week).

From what I saw, Malik did the better job on Dirk. I felt he defended Dirk more often than Devin did. This game was strictly about looking at combinations...lots of combinations.

Tony Parker had flashes of complete brilliance and he really pushed the ball. Dallas really did not push the ball and it was totally weird not seeing them up-tempo. I think it was something like a 13 - 2 disparity at the half on fastbreak points, in favor of the Spurs. Parker really took it to the rookie Harris. Devin is bigger than Tony but Tony is most definitely quicker.

AJ was coaching for the Mavs tonight. He didn't do very well in my opinion. Dan Dickau kept the Mavs in the game. Sato defended him most of the time he was in there, for some reason and Dickau made him look bad a few times. I don't think teams appreciate what Dan Dickau can do but he's a pretty smart defender and he can really score. It's the best I've seen him look since he was with the Zags in college.

Tony Massenburg pretty much had to take over down the stretch because the sets the Spurs were running were labored and uncreative. He was very good. Massenburg did a nice job on Dampier in the post and he had a couple of nice blocks, to boot.

Malik's shot was on. He seems to always get up for the Mavs in Dallas. Malik hustled and did the best he could to provide the missing scoring from Duncan.

Sato got lots of time with the regulars and he did well. He passed well, rebounded VERY well, and he just looked very comfortable out there...well except when he shot from the perimeter. He really helped spearhead the Spurs transition game and he finished well on a couple of plays. He did miss a dunk at the end but no biggie. I think he's made the team, based on what I saw tonight.

Manu made some passes tonight that I still am trying to figure out how he saw the guys and delivered the goods in a position to score. Three of those passes were perfect and guys just muffed the handle, more out of shock that the ball was suddenly in their hands. Manu's shot was a little off, though.

Brent Barry finally got comfortable, a little bit, on his shot but he's still struggling with his rhythm. Brent ran the point some, as did Devin and Perry. Perry did pretty well defending and staying close to his man. He made a terrible pass late in the game, but made up for it with a key shot from 15 feet straight on and the clock down. He did not really run the team, though. That's why Devin and Massenburg had to take things into their own hands in the 4th. Devin did a lot of draw and kick on offense.

The Spurs played man D except for one trip down the floor, when they played a 3-2. Manu fouled Nowitski out on the perimeter while shooting and the Spurs went away from it. All in all, the D was pretty decent - even with all the convoluted lineups.

I am not very organized of thought because it is late, but that's some observations from the AAC. The crowd was really lame tonight but then again, there wasn't a whole lot at stake. The AAC is definitely nicer than the SBC Center. It's also bigger and brighter in there. The SBC Center may be louder than the AAC but you can't really compare them based on tonight's crowd - a preseason gathering.

[timvp]

Very, very nice, Solid D.

Awesome reporting job.

Thanks.

[mattyc]

Good stuff guys.

Devin really is a stud kid. Hate to get too positive this early, but he'll do great things off the pine this season.

[jalbre6]

I was at the game too, so here is my .02.

First off, Avery Johnson coached the Mavs tonight. Finley didn't even dress, but neither did Timmy D. I didn't even see Nellie or Donnie. Second, Tony Massenburg was the go-to guy down the stretch. He handled Dampier and DJ Imbuga with ease. Barry got some pretty good looks, but only hit 2 3's. Sato looked pretty good, but struggled with his shot. He was very high enegy, leaping for balls and harrassing Dickau and Harris. The Spurs were way superior in transition, no matter who was running. Devin Brown rocked. He was everywhere...grabbing boards, laying the ball in with timely cuts, D-ing up everyone. Malik was money too. Rose looked like he was fighting for a roster spot tonight. Ginobili didn't do too much, but he looked comfortable, not trying carry the team or anything. Tony just outran people, with or without the ball. His shot wasn't falling, but he kept hitting Horry and Rose for wide-open looks. Rasho didn't look too bad, but he didn't seem as intense hitting the boards as Malik and Devin Brown. He's got a nice baby hook that fell for him a coupla times. The biggest surprise for me was Perry, though. He looked very comfortable with his shot and did a good job defensively. He stripped Dickau and Sasser on consetutive trips doen the floor.

I just read Solid D's post, and I have to agree with the crowd. Noone seemed to care much, and my section cleared out at halftime. There were plenty of other Spurs fans up in the 300's where I was. The best group were the one's that did the "Ole, ole ole" thing from The Replacements every time Manu checked in.

[jalbre6]

One other thing...hearing the Mavs PA announcer say "Ruben Boutjme-Boutjme" in that "the other team's guy" voice after he scored was fricken' hilarious. It sounded like Ruben, mumble-mumble.

[mouse]

Yeah that's it laugh it up boys, lets see who will be laughing when the Mighty Mavericks are in the semi finals. You think mark Cuban is going to show you his 2005 NBA Champions in a preseason game? now I am laughing :lmao

[smeagol]

Solid: Awesome report, dude! Even more considering it was done at 1.00 AM.

Malik and Devid seem to have been the best Spurs. I'm happy for both. I think Devin will make things happen this year and Malik playing well is a necessary conditions for the Spurs to make a run at the championship.


Manu made some passes tonight that I still am trying to figure out how he saw the guys and delivered the goods in a position to score. Three of those passes were perfect and guys just muffed the handle, more out of shock that the ball was suddenly in their hands. Manu's shot was a little off, though.

Manu seems to keep doing the things we all know he can do: Incredible passes, lots of steals, "mucho" hustling . . . but poor shooting.

What an incredible player he would be if his shot was more reliable. (*sigh*)

In any case, I will not loose the faith. Lets see what happens when the season starts . . .

[Kori Ellis]

Thanks for all the info, SolidD and jalbre.

[MI21]

Thanks for that D.

For those who didn't get to see it or live outside of where the game was televised, that was really helpfull.

Cheers.

[Nikos]

It's obvious if Devin gets PT he will be one of the better rebounding swingmen in the league. He just has a knack for it. He probably could be an efficient scorer in limited minutes. However, it's tough to get him minutes because its uncertain whether he can matchup consistently with different types of tall 3's who can shoot over him. But he seems to have the strength and tenacity to overcome it on many nights.

Problem is with Bowen, Barry, and Ginobili occupying the 2-3 spots -- where is Devin gonna see time considering Beno is the backup PG, not Brent Barry?

[boutons]

If beno is bandaged up a lot, Brent is the b/u PG, leaving Manu/Devin/Bruce at 2,3 (in that order, even as I love Bruce).

What's really exciting is that Tony, Devin, Manu, Brent, Romain, Beno can all push the ball really well, even Tim can hoof it damn respectably. If Pop let's this team run, they are ready. See the Spurs FB points vs "run and gun" Mavs last night.

[boutons]

"He just has a knack for it."

rebounding ain't about knack, it ain't about height, it's about heart, and from that flows the critical part: position.

See Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley as model rebounders to emulate.

Devin's got heart, fearless.

The 2 years when Jason Kidd was at the top of his game amazed me at how well he rebounded for a stocky, semi-white PG (perimeter, not down under) who wasn't so fast, can't jump, isn't that atheltic. It was a fun, enlightening exercise in Nets games (not against Spurs) to tunnel in on Jason Kidd, not the ball, not the play, to watch how he got those rebounds.

[ShoogarBear]

Second, Tony Massenburg was the go-to guy down the stretch. He handled Dampier and DJ Imbuga with ease.


Massenburg did a nice job on Dampier in the post and he had a couple of nice blocks, to boot.


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[Notorious H.O.P.]

If Devin was just a couple of inches taller, he would be our starter at small forward. He plays a little out of control but you have to expect that from a young guy who steps on the court and wants to make every play and stay out there. He's a great hustle guy, physical, rebounds well and despite the occasional lapse, plays aggressive D. Unfortunately for him, he's got some pretty good guys in front of him also. With Bruce, Manu and Barry here, along with LJIII getting some burn as the spot long 3, Devin is going to struggle to get on the court. A couple of inches is going to make a big difference for Devin because despite his gifts, I don't think you can play him for long stretchs at the 3, especially in situations where the opponents 3 is particularly tall. Devin will get some minutes, especially when we need a spark off the bench but I see Pop potentially letting him go when his contract comes up. I just don't think that Pop would want to hold Devin back from what he can become. I think he'd do the right thing and let Devin go someplace he can take the next step rather than let him languish on our bench.

I think Devin's best chance is if Pop plays Barry heavy at the 3 and spot minutes at 1 and 2. I don't see this happening either but time will tell. Devin has all the tools to play at a higher level but the question is, will he be doing it for the Spurs?