timvp
04-20-2007, 09:05 PM
Tim Duncan
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
Offense:A+
Duncan's offensive game was greatly improved from last season. He shot 54.6% from the field, which was his highest mark since his rookie season and a six percentage point jump from last year. He enjoyed his healthiest regular season in years and it paid dividends on the offensive end.
Defense: B+
The first two-thirds of the regular season, Duncan was just going through the motions on the defensive end. He wasn't bringing energy on a nightly basis. However, in the last part of the season, Duncan played some of the best defense of his career. He became the Spurs' anchor in the middle.
Intangibles: B+
Duncan only loses points because he coasted for a portion of the season. Overall, it was one of his finest regular seasons of his career.
Overall: A-
Bruce Bowen
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
Offense:C-
Bowen got off to a hot shooting start, but then went into a massive slump around the first of the year. He started breaking out of it at the end of the season, however he still ended up with his lowest shooting percentage since the 2001-02 campaign.
Defense: A
Lost in the shuffle of an up and down regular season is the fact that Bowen had one of his best defensive showings of his career. Despite his age, the 35-year-old Bowen did a commendable job night in and night out on the opponent's top perimeter threat.
Intangibles: A-
For the fifth consecutive season, Bowen played all 82 games. He also shouldered even more of the defensive load this year as the team underwent changes to its center position.
Overall: B+
Manu Ginobili
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
Offense:A-
For a stretch around the All-Star game, Ginobili was scoring the ball as well as he has in his career. However, for the season Ginobili was a streaky scorer. The good news is that his 128 three-pointers made was an career-high.
Defense: B+
Ginobili's team defense was very good throughout the year. He suffered some in one-on-one matchups, but made up for it with his ability to help his teammates on that end of the court.
Intangibles: B
Ginobili keeps improving year to year and the energy he brings to the game is always highly contagious and vital to the team's overall success.
Overall: B+
Tony Parker
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
Offense:B+
After a huge jump in productivity last year, some expected Parker to continue to ascend offensively. Although it didn't happen, he showed that last year wasn't a fluke. Parker's offensive stats are very similar to last year's numbers, with a slight decrease in assists and turnovers and increases in three-point and free throw percentages.
Defense: B+
Due to his size, Parker is never going to be a lockdown defender. However, this season Parker played rather well defensively. His main drawback was his inconsistency on that end of the court.
Intangibles: C+
Parker didn't outwardly improve his game much, but he was an All-Star for a second consecutive season and has proven to be one of the toughest weapons in the league to stop. He loses some points for a handful of games where he appeared indifferent energy-wise.
Overall: B
Francisco Elson
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3364.jpg
Offense:B
Elson shows flashes of being a capable offensive player. But much like the centers before him, sometimes his offensive game is forgotten in the Spurs' offense. When he's looking to score, Elson is usually effective.
Defense: B-
It took a while for him to catch on but by the second half of the season, Elson figured out what his role on the defensive end is. He's continuing to learn, but he's been better than advertised on that end of the court.
Intangibles: B-
Elson had some games where he didn't bring the needed energy or toughness, but overall he gave the Spurs what they needed in the middle. He still has room to grow and the good news is he seems like a willing learner.
Overall: B-
Robert Horry
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/830.jpg
Offense:D-
Horry doesn't try in the regular season and add to that the fact that his skills are diminishing with age, and you can understand why Horry had such a difficult year on the offensive end. He shot a career-low 35.9% from the field and only 33.6% from beyond the arc.
Defense: B+
The one area of the game that Horry is most effective is on defense. He's an outstanding help defender who can guard most every power forward in the game. The only knock on his defense is that he's not an overly good rebounder.
Intangibles: C+
It's tough to know whether Horry is reaching the end of his rope or whether he's just saving it for the playoffs. He didn't look like he had many years left with the way he played in the regular season, but we'll get more of an idea with how he plays in the playoffs.
Overall: C
Michael Finley
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
Offense:B
Before the All-Star game, Finley was perhaps the worst offensive player on the team. He shot a lot but didn't make a lot. After the All-Star break, Finley averaged 11 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field and 43.2% shooting from three-point land.
Defense: D
For a good portion of the season, Finley was one of the top three worst defenders on the team. He wasn't playing good man-to-man or help defense. Eventually, he started to play better and peaked defensively near the end of the season.
Intangibles: C
Much like last season, this year was another campaign in which Finley struggled early before picking it up after the All-Star break. Going into the playoffs, the Spurs will need him to continue to knock down outside shots.
Overall: C
Brent Barry
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3017.jpg
Offense:A-
Offensively, Barry had his best season as a Spur. He was great shooting the ball, finishing amongst the league leaders in three-point percentage (44.6%). His assists were down a bit, but he made up for that with his marksmanship from the perimeter.
Defense: D-
After taking a giant step forward last year, Barry took an equally giant step back this year on the defensive end. His concentration level defensively was lacking for much of the season.
Intangibles: B+
Barry was perhaps the most consistent shooter from the beginning of the year to the end. Without his outside shooting, the Spurs would have dug themselves an even bigger hole early in the year.
Overall: B
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
Offense:B
Vaughn is another Spur who heated up was the year went on. After the All-Star break, Vaughn shot 46.8% from the floor and averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 assists in 17.3 minutes per game.
Defense: B+
Defense is Vaughn's specialty. He's a tenacious defender who doesn't back down from any challenge. Vaughn's toughness on that end of the court will come in handy in the playoffs.
Intangibles: A-
Vaughn was one of the biggest surprises of the year for the Spurs. He began the season as the team's third-string point guard, but won the backup job with his gritty defense, improving offense and overall leadership.
Overall: B+
Fabricio Oberto
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
Offense:B-
Oberto's offense peaked at the beginning of the season. Eventually, teams figured out what Oberto was about on offense. But to Oberto's credit, he worked on his jumper and post skills as the season went on.
Defense: B-
Defense is probably the only thing that keeps Oberto from starting on the Spurs. He just isn't enough of a shot blocker to contest enough shots on the rim. His overall post defense and team defense has been good all along.
Intangibles: B-
Oberto began the season in the starting lineup, but eventually lost his job to Elson. He remains an important part of the team, as he's a smart player with big game experience.
Overall: B-
Matt Bonner
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
Offense:B+
Bonner's ability to shoot the ball translated well to the Spurs' system. When paired with Duncan, he does a great job of helping to space the defense. He's also a deceptively effective player off the dribble.
Defense: C-
This is the area of Bonner's game that needs work. As it stands, Bonner's defense is too poor to be able to depend on him for large stretches. If he could become at least an average defender, he'd be a player that could crack the everyday playoff rotation for the Spurs.
Intangibles: B+
Bonner is quickly becoming a fan favorite in San Antonio. He bring boundless energy to the court along with toughness and a Ginobili-like win at all costs mentality. As long as he improves his defense, he'll be a good player for this team for a long time.
Overall: B
Beno Udrih
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3845.jpg
Offense:C-
Udrih's offense was poor. He shooting percentages from the field and three-point line plummeted to career-lows. His assists were also down. Other than a few sporadic games, Udrih showed next to nothing on the offensive end this season.
Defense: D
Udrih's defense was poor. His lack of defense intensity was perhaps the biggest reason why Pop went with Vaughn. His focus was extremely lacking.
Intangibles: D-
Udrih had a poor season. That's putting it kindly. In his third season in the NBA, Udrih had by far his worst season to date. At this point, there doesn't seem to be much hope for the future, either.
Overall: D
James White
http://spurstalk.com/jwhite07.jpg
Offense:B-
White was signed at the beginning of the season, but didn't get his first game action until the end of March. In the six games he ended up playing in, White showed a decent amount of offensive game. He is good penetrator who showed he can finish around the basket. White also showed that his jumper, while not great, is improving from his college days.
Defense: B+
Defense is where White can make a name for himself. He has quick feet and a willingness to be a perimeter stopper. He's also adept at taking charges. If White is going to make a splash in the NBA, this is the side of the court where he'll need to shine brightest.
Intangibles: B
White wasn't expected to show much in his limited action, but he did. He's a good prospect who has a future in the NBA, as long as he continues to work hard and improve his game.
Overall: B
Jackie Butler
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3909.jpg
Offense:B
The first half of the season, Butler was bad on both ends of the court. However, in the second half of the season, Butler's offense greatly improved. After the All-Star game, Butler averaged 6.6 points on 54.2% shooting from the floor in 13.2 minutes per contest.
Defense: D+
Butler needs to continue to work on his defense. He picked up a lot of bad habits while with the Knicks and needs to figure out the Spurs' system. His man-to-man defense isn't good and his team defense is even worse.
Intangibles: C+
Overall, Butler saved his season with his performances at the end of the year. He played very well in garbage time and earned back some of the hope the Spurs had in him at the beginning of the season. At only 22-years-old, Butler is a fine bigman prospect.
Overall: C+
Melvin Ely
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3610.jpg
Offense:C
Ely has proven to be able to score on the low block. He has a good post game and a decent face up jumper. With the Spurs, Ely showed much of the same in his limited minutes.
Defense: C-
What keeps Ely off the court more than anything else is his lack of defense and his lack of rebounding. He just doesn't do enough in either area to be considered a quality NBA bigman.
Intangibles: C
Ely has decent tools, but it's tough to see him ever breaking the rotation with the Spurs. Unless other options dry up, don't expect Ely back next season.
Overall: C
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3173.jpg
Offense:A+
Duncan's offensive game was greatly improved from last season. He shot 54.6% from the field, which was his highest mark since his rookie season and a six percentage point jump from last year. He enjoyed his healthiest regular season in years and it paid dividends on the offensive end.
Defense: B+
The first two-thirds of the regular season, Duncan was just going through the motions on the defensive end. He wasn't bringing energy on a nightly basis. However, in the last part of the season, Duncan played some of the best defense of his career. He became the Spurs' anchor in the middle.
Intangibles: B+
Duncan only loses points because he coasted for a portion of the season. Overall, it was one of his finest regular seasons of his career.
Overall: A-
Bruce Bowen
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3167.jpg
Offense:C-
Bowen got off to a hot shooting start, but then went into a massive slump around the first of the year. He started breaking out of it at the end of the season, however he still ended up with his lowest shooting percentage since the 2001-02 campaign.
Defense: A
Lost in the shuffle of an up and down regular season is the fact that Bowen had one of his best defensive showings of his career. Despite his age, the 35-year-old Bowen did a commendable job night in and night out on the opponent's top perimeter threat.
Intangibles: A-
For the fifth consecutive season, Bowen played all 82 games. He also shouldered even more of the defensive load this year as the team underwent changes to its center position.
Overall: B+
Manu Ginobili
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3380.jpg
Offense:A-
For a stretch around the All-Star game, Ginobili was scoring the ball as well as he has in his career. However, for the season Ginobili was a streaky scorer. The good news is that his 128 three-pointers made was an career-high.
Defense: B+
Ginobili's team defense was very good throughout the year. He suffered some in one-on-one matchups, but made up for it with his ability to help his teammates on that end of the court.
Intangibles: B
Ginobili keeps improving year to year and the energy he brings to the game is always highly contagious and vital to the team's overall success.
Overall: B+
Tony Parker
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3527.jpg
Offense:B+
After a huge jump in productivity last year, some expected Parker to continue to ascend offensively. Although it didn't happen, he showed that last year wasn't a fluke. Parker's offensive stats are very similar to last year's numbers, with a slight decrease in assists and turnovers and increases in three-point and free throw percentages.
Defense: B+
Due to his size, Parker is never going to be a lockdown defender. However, this season Parker played rather well defensively. His main drawback was his inconsistency on that end of the court.
Intangibles: C+
Parker didn't outwardly improve his game much, but he was an All-Star for a second consecutive season and has proven to be one of the toughest weapons in the league to stop. He loses some points for a handful of games where he appeared indifferent energy-wise.
Overall: B
Francisco Elson
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3364.jpg
Offense:B
Elson shows flashes of being a capable offensive player. But much like the centers before him, sometimes his offensive game is forgotten in the Spurs' offense. When he's looking to score, Elson is usually effective.
Defense: B-
It took a while for him to catch on but by the second half of the season, Elson figured out what his role on the defensive end is. He's continuing to learn, but he's been better than advertised on that end of the court.
Intangibles: B-
Elson had some games where he didn't bring the needed energy or toughness, but overall he gave the Spurs what they needed in the middle. He still has room to grow and the good news is he seems like a willing learner.
Overall: B-
Robert Horry
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/830.jpg
Offense:D-
Horry doesn't try in the regular season and add to that the fact that his skills are diminishing with age, and you can understand why Horry had such a difficult year on the offensive end. He shot a career-low 35.9% from the field and only 33.6% from beyond the arc.
Defense: B+
The one area of the game that Horry is most effective is on defense. He's an outstanding help defender who can guard most every power forward in the game. The only knock on his defense is that he's not an overly good rebounder.
Intangibles: C+
It's tough to know whether Horry is reaching the end of his rope or whether he's just saving it for the playoffs. He didn't look like he had many years left with the way he played in the regular season, but we'll get more of an idea with how he plays in the playoffs.
Overall: C
Michael Finley
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3023.jpg
Offense:B
Before the All-Star game, Finley was perhaps the worst offensive player on the team. He shot a lot but didn't make a lot. After the All-Star break, Finley averaged 11 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field and 43.2% shooting from three-point land.
Defense: D
For a good portion of the season, Finley was one of the top three worst defenders on the team. He wasn't playing good man-to-man or help defense. Eventually, he started to play better and peaked defensively near the end of the season.
Intangibles: C
Much like last season, this year was another campaign in which Finley struggled early before picking it up after the All-Star break. Going into the playoffs, the Spurs will need him to continue to knock down outside shots.
Overall: C
Brent Barry
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3017.jpg
Offense:A-
Offensively, Barry had his best season as a Spur. He was great shooting the ball, finishing amongst the league leaders in three-point percentage (44.6%). His assists were down a bit, but he made up for that with his marksmanship from the perimeter.
Defense: D-
After taking a giant step forward last year, Barry took an equally giant step back this year on the defensive end. His concentration level defensively was lacking for much of the season.
Intangibles: B+
Barry was perhaps the most consistent shooter from the beginning of the year to the end. Without his outside shooting, the Spurs would have dug themselves an even bigger hole early in the year.
Overall: B
Jacque Vaughn
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3195.jpg
Offense:B
Vaughn is another Spur who heated up was the year went on. After the All-Star break, Vaughn shot 46.8% from the floor and averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 assists in 17.3 minutes per game.
Defense: B+
Defense is Vaughn's specialty. He's a tenacious defender who doesn't back down from any challenge. Vaughn's toughness on that end of the court will come in handy in the playoffs.
Intangibles: A-
Vaughn was one of the biggest surprises of the year for the Spurs. He began the season as the team's third-string point guard, but won the backup job with his gritty defense, improving offense and overall leadership.
Overall: B+
Fabricio Oberto
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3988.jpg
Offense:B-
Oberto's offense peaked at the beginning of the season. Eventually, teams figured out what Oberto was about on offense. But to Oberto's credit, he worked on his jumper and post skills as the season went on.
Defense: B-
Defense is probably the only thing that keeps Oberto from starting on the Spurs. He just isn't enough of a shot blocker to contest enough shots on the rim. His overall post defense and team defense has been good all along.
Intangibles: B-
Oberto began the season in the starting lineup, but eventually lost his job to Elson. He remains an important part of the team, as he's a smart player with big game experience.
Overall: B-
Matt Bonner
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3748.jpg
Offense:B+
Bonner's ability to shoot the ball translated well to the Spurs' system. When paired with Duncan, he does a great job of helping to space the defense. He's also a deceptively effective player off the dribble.
Defense: C-
This is the area of Bonner's game that needs work. As it stands, Bonner's defense is too poor to be able to depend on him for large stretches. If he could become at least an average defender, he'd be a player that could crack the everyday playoff rotation for the Spurs.
Intangibles: B+
Bonner is quickly becoming a fan favorite in San Antonio. He bring boundless energy to the court along with toughness and a Ginobili-like win at all costs mentality. As long as he improves his defense, he'll be a good player for this team for a long time.
Overall: B
Beno Udrih
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3845.jpg
Offense:C-
Udrih's offense was poor. He shooting percentages from the field and three-point line plummeted to career-lows. His assists were also down. Other than a few sporadic games, Udrih showed next to nothing on the offensive end this season.
Defense: D
Udrih's defense was poor. His lack of defense intensity was perhaps the biggest reason why Pop went with Vaughn. His focus was extremely lacking.
Intangibles: D-
Udrih had a poor season. That's putting it kindly. In his third season in the NBA, Udrih had by far his worst season to date. At this point, there doesn't seem to be much hope for the future, either.
Overall: D
James White
http://spurstalk.com/jwhite07.jpg
Offense:B-
White was signed at the beginning of the season, but didn't get his first game action until the end of March. In the six games he ended up playing in, White showed a decent amount of offensive game. He is good penetrator who showed he can finish around the basket. White also showed that his jumper, while not great, is improving from his college days.
Defense: B+
Defense is where White can make a name for himself. He has quick feet and a willingness to be a perimeter stopper. He's also adept at taking charges. If White is going to make a splash in the NBA, this is the side of the court where he'll need to shine brightest.
Intangibles: B
White wasn't expected to show much in his limited action, but he did. He's a good prospect who has a future in the NBA, as long as he continues to work hard and improve his game.
Overall: B
Jackie Butler
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3909.jpg
Offense:B
The first half of the season, Butler was bad on both ends of the court. However, in the second half of the season, Butler's offense greatly improved. After the All-Star game, Butler averaged 6.6 points on 54.2% shooting from the floor in 13.2 minutes per contest.
Defense: D+
Butler needs to continue to work on his defense. He picked up a lot of bad habits while with the Knicks and needs to figure out the Spurs' system. His man-to-man defense isn't good and his team defense is even worse.
Intangibles: C+
Overall, Butler saved his season with his performances at the end of the year. He played very well in garbage time and earned back some of the hope the Spurs had in him at the beginning of the season. At only 22-years-old, Butler is a fine bigman prospect.
Overall: C+
Melvin Ely
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3610.jpg
Offense:C
Ely has proven to be able to score on the low block. He has a good post game and a decent face up jumper. With the Spurs, Ely showed much of the same in his limited minutes.
Defense: C-
What keeps Ely off the court more than anything else is his lack of defense and his lack of rebounding. He just doesn't do enough in either area to be considered a quality NBA bigman.
Intangibles: C
Ely has decent tools, but it's tough to see him ever breaking the rotation with the Spurs. Unless other options dry up, don't expect Ely back next season.
Overall: C