Nikos
11-22-2004, 11:19 PM
What is up with the team offense AND defense?
Before people simply dismiss these last two losses with typical tired responses such as “the spurs just played soft on D and missed shots” or they were “tired”, I want to ask what is really the root of this teams problem? I am listening to the game on the radio and the game is going exactly like I expect it to with Memphis. Spurs throw it into Duncan he does just enough to keep the game close but won’t make the key FT or basket when the game is tied. Meanwhile Memphis is getting baskets from every single player on the floor in Crunch Time. By the sound of the announcer I can almost tell the shots are going in before he says it and that the shots being put up are clean looks. With the great interior defense and excellence of Tim Duncan, why is that Memphis is able to get to every loose ball, corral every single key offensive rebound, and stop Duncan every single time when it counts?
Just by listening to Bill Schoening’s tone I can sense Memphis is moving the ball well, getting clean looks while getting to every loose ball and converting it into a basket. Bonzi Wells had a hot shooting night, but I heard about 7 or 8 big plays and made shots from role players that seemed to come as a result of solid team play and pure hustle. Why is it that when Memphis needs a big basket they can get it from Lorenzen Wright with such ease over Robert Horry? Yet when the Spurs need a basket they turn it over, or force it into Duncan who at best will hit 1 out of 2 FT’s or miss a contested shot? Are the perimeter defenders so bad that they are single handedly losing games against mediocre teams? I just do not understand these poor performances. It makes no sense to me that every single game Memphis is able to score more off offensive rebounds and hustle than the Spurs are able to score at all. Not to mention the fact that Memphis was also getting offensive within their own typical game plan as well.
To me it seems like the Spurs game plan is
1) Jam it into Duncan, let him dominate and hope the outside shooters hit enough shots off his kickouts to put the game away early as if to avoid a potential 4th quarter collapse situation. If the game gets close and they are sitting on Duncan’s lap just let Ginobili create with 6 or 7 seconds left on the shot clock even if he has not been in a good rhythm nor touched the ball much the entire night. Result a turnover or a forced shot that ends up being blocked.
2) If that fails, give it to Parker to throw up a runner in the lane in traffic, with his best alternative being is to throw it out to a semi-open Bowen who has not hit a shot all night and of course is needed in the game because of his defensive prowess, despite the Spurs not being able to get a stop anyway when it counts.
3) Keep Horry to complete the ‘clutch and versatile’ closing lineup, he has that big shot pedigree despite his propensity to not be able to hold onto the ball nor hit clutch shots in many games lately in the fourth quarter.
4) If Barry is in the game hope that he makes all his open three pointers, otherwise the offense will tighten up in a matter of seconds, not to mention the weak team defense that will result if Bowen is not in the game.
5) There really seems to be no other options. It’s either Parker and or Ginobili are hot, or the game is pretty much decided midway through the fourth quarter when the Spurs actually win the game. The Spurs can still grind out some games with simple hustle, hitting timely threes, and riding Duncan in the post. But I have to wonder if this will actually work with any consistency or in the playoffs against teams that are more assertive on offense, while also having excellent defense.
Bottom line, something is wrong with the offense and it is quite possible it can pop up at the end of the season despite the fact the Spurs can probably win 55 just by defense, hustle, using Duncan the way they have, and have perimeter shooters hit timely shots. But in the end will Parker and Ginobili still have that confidence to make plays and be involved for most of the game, instead of being put in a situation where every shot they get is only if the offense completely stagnates and all momentum is already lost? Parker and Ginobili do have offensive talent and should not be turning the ball over 4-5 times a game on nights when they are not dominating the ball or getting several offensive opportunities within the offense. It just doesn’t make sense. The offense just seems too predictable.
The defense will come and the Spurs can win games by simply milking Duncan, hustling, and hitting timely 3’s once in a while. But the offense needs to stop becoming so predictable. I do not think the team can win the title playing games where most of Duncan’s scoring support comes from hustle players or if the team happens to be scorching hot from the outside, or if Manu or TP has a perfect offense game.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or do you think the team can win by basically being the same as last season, but this time just hoping Brent Barry hits shots than Hedo Turkoglu did not hit? Will that even be enough? Will the rest of the offense still being confident even if Barry does do better than Hedo Turkoglu? Will their be some consistency on the offensive end as opposed to the same old dominant defense that finds itself hoping it can hold up on the offensive end?
Does anyone else feel the offense is shaky and conducive to further erratic play? Some nights it looks like Parker or Ginobili are not even seeing the ball, and it seems the team only prospers when one of them gets real hot. Otherwise its just simple defense, Duncan, hustle, and occasional timely shooting that wins those regular season games but only end up becoming tougher to win in the playoffs against elite caliber teams. What do you guys think of the team, its effort overall, and namely its offensive flow?
Before people simply dismiss these last two losses with typical tired responses such as “the spurs just played soft on D and missed shots” or they were “tired”, I want to ask what is really the root of this teams problem? I am listening to the game on the radio and the game is going exactly like I expect it to with Memphis. Spurs throw it into Duncan he does just enough to keep the game close but won’t make the key FT or basket when the game is tied. Meanwhile Memphis is getting baskets from every single player on the floor in Crunch Time. By the sound of the announcer I can almost tell the shots are going in before he says it and that the shots being put up are clean looks. With the great interior defense and excellence of Tim Duncan, why is that Memphis is able to get to every loose ball, corral every single key offensive rebound, and stop Duncan every single time when it counts?
Just by listening to Bill Schoening’s tone I can sense Memphis is moving the ball well, getting clean looks while getting to every loose ball and converting it into a basket. Bonzi Wells had a hot shooting night, but I heard about 7 or 8 big plays and made shots from role players that seemed to come as a result of solid team play and pure hustle. Why is it that when Memphis needs a big basket they can get it from Lorenzen Wright with such ease over Robert Horry? Yet when the Spurs need a basket they turn it over, or force it into Duncan who at best will hit 1 out of 2 FT’s or miss a contested shot? Are the perimeter defenders so bad that they are single handedly losing games against mediocre teams? I just do not understand these poor performances. It makes no sense to me that every single game Memphis is able to score more off offensive rebounds and hustle than the Spurs are able to score at all. Not to mention the fact that Memphis was also getting offensive within their own typical game plan as well.
To me it seems like the Spurs game plan is
1) Jam it into Duncan, let him dominate and hope the outside shooters hit enough shots off his kickouts to put the game away early as if to avoid a potential 4th quarter collapse situation. If the game gets close and they are sitting on Duncan’s lap just let Ginobili create with 6 or 7 seconds left on the shot clock even if he has not been in a good rhythm nor touched the ball much the entire night. Result a turnover or a forced shot that ends up being blocked.
2) If that fails, give it to Parker to throw up a runner in the lane in traffic, with his best alternative being is to throw it out to a semi-open Bowen who has not hit a shot all night and of course is needed in the game because of his defensive prowess, despite the Spurs not being able to get a stop anyway when it counts.
3) Keep Horry to complete the ‘clutch and versatile’ closing lineup, he has that big shot pedigree despite his propensity to not be able to hold onto the ball nor hit clutch shots in many games lately in the fourth quarter.
4) If Barry is in the game hope that he makes all his open three pointers, otherwise the offense will tighten up in a matter of seconds, not to mention the weak team defense that will result if Bowen is not in the game.
5) There really seems to be no other options. It’s either Parker and or Ginobili are hot, or the game is pretty much decided midway through the fourth quarter when the Spurs actually win the game. The Spurs can still grind out some games with simple hustle, hitting timely threes, and riding Duncan in the post. But I have to wonder if this will actually work with any consistency or in the playoffs against teams that are more assertive on offense, while also having excellent defense.
Bottom line, something is wrong with the offense and it is quite possible it can pop up at the end of the season despite the fact the Spurs can probably win 55 just by defense, hustle, using Duncan the way they have, and have perimeter shooters hit timely shots. But in the end will Parker and Ginobili still have that confidence to make plays and be involved for most of the game, instead of being put in a situation where every shot they get is only if the offense completely stagnates and all momentum is already lost? Parker and Ginobili do have offensive talent and should not be turning the ball over 4-5 times a game on nights when they are not dominating the ball or getting several offensive opportunities within the offense. It just doesn’t make sense. The offense just seems too predictable.
The defense will come and the Spurs can win games by simply milking Duncan, hustling, and hitting timely 3’s once in a while. But the offense needs to stop becoming so predictable. I do not think the team can win the title playing games where most of Duncan’s scoring support comes from hustle players or if the team happens to be scorching hot from the outside, or if Manu or TP has a perfect offense game.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or do you think the team can win by basically being the same as last season, but this time just hoping Brent Barry hits shots than Hedo Turkoglu did not hit? Will that even be enough? Will the rest of the offense still being confident even if Barry does do better than Hedo Turkoglu? Will their be some consistency on the offensive end as opposed to the same old dominant defense that finds itself hoping it can hold up on the offensive end?
Does anyone else feel the offense is shaky and conducive to further erratic play? Some nights it looks like Parker or Ginobili are not even seeing the ball, and it seems the team only prospers when one of them gets real hot. Otherwise its just simple defense, Duncan, hustle, and occasional timely shooting that wins those regular season games but only end up becoming tougher to win in the playoffs against elite caliber teams. What do you guys think of the team, its effort overall, and namely its offensive flow?