Key Changes

[Marcus Bryant]

I think there are two main reasons for the Spurs' success to this point: Malik Rose back to being the primary bigman backup and the Spurs actually having a backup point guard worth a damn.

When your starting center is Radosoft you know you are going to have to have some physical bigs to take up the slack. Duncan can be physical when he wants to be but his normal demeanor is not that. Rose changes the equation. No matter what he will involve himself in the paint and attack the glass. The bonus with Rose is that he is agile enough to play out on the floor and he has great footspeed for a big. Thankfully Malik's back in his groove and that is in no small part due to the fact that there is no bitching within the organization about his contract. That weight is hanging around Tony's neck now.

As for Beno, yes, the Spurs can be that lucky again in the draft. I for one am amazed that NBA teams still scoff or do not adequately research international talent. If this was 1994 I could understand, but not now. Anyways, Beno is smooth, crafty, and very poised. He's made mistakes but he keeps his head in the game. I've seen him have a bad stretch, go to the bench, and then come back with a superb effort. He has a vet's knack for the game. He knows how to create the space to get off his shot. Anyways, last season the Spurs were hurt severely by the lack of a backup point. When Duncan gets his rest you need to have a reliable way to keep putting points on the board and that definitely begins with who is running your offense.

I mention these two because I think the Spurs were hurt the most last season by the lack of a physical frontcourt and a backup point.

Another key change which must be mentioned is the emergence of Devin Brown. What a find. If the Spurs aren't pulling rabbits out of the hat in the draft they are doing it with minimum salary free agents. Anyways, Devin has started right where he left off in the Lakers series last May. Such a phenomenal athlete and basketball player. I must admit I have seen him do one stupid thing and that was letting Zendon Hamilton get that shot off when Devin fouled him in the Bucks game. But other than that he's been platinum.

-MB

[ducks]

duncan's improvement on more blocks this year
rasho improvement this year

tp's improvement on d

[Manu20]

Rasho has been playing great D.
Beno is a stud at backup PG.
After starting slow Parker is begining to heat up.
More Rose Less Horry.
Brown is last year's Manu off the bench.

[ChumpDumper]

Rasho has been playing great D.
Beno is a stud at backup PG.
After starting slow Parker is begining to heat up.
More Rose Less Horry.
Brown is last year's Manu off the bench.Add to that playing alot of teams missing key players and you end up with our slightly inflated record.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

another thing to consider, Luis Scola has been tearing it up overseas for years now, so we may have found 4 draft gems late in the draft

Tony Parker-28th pick
Beno Udrih-28th pick (is that right?)
Manu Ginobili- 52nd pick
Luis Scola- late second round

Then you can always count Devin Brown, he was after all an undrafted free agent.

[whottt]

I don't think you can mention TP's improvement on D enough...or his ability to inflict himself on our opponents offensively...prior to this season TP was capable of going off against anyone at any time for a quarter or so, but you never knew when or if you were going to get it when you needed it......now he seems to actually have a lot more control when he does it...it seems to be more timely...

TP's maturity was the #1 reason I predicted the Spurs to win so many more games this season...I was just going by what he did against LA in games 1 and 2, when he was the best player on the court......

And I wasn't even planning on his D being this improved.

[Marcus Bryant]

Don't forget Javtokas, something might come of him yet.

Also, Malik was a free agent pickup.

[ggoose25]

it doesnt hurt recruiting foreign players when your head coach speaks slavic languages either....i heard his lang. skills were instrumental in discovering Beno
http://www.nba.com/media/spurs/popovich_170_030428.jpg

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Don't forget Javtokas, something might come of him yet.

Also, Malik was a free agent pickup.


that his name, yeah i never want to bring him up because i can never remember his whole name


And about Malik, do you me undrafted free agent or just a regular one?

[whottt]

that his name, yeah i never want to bring him up because i can never remember his whole name


And about Malik, do you me undrafted free agent or just a regular one?


Malik was drafted by the Hornets...Spurs signed him the next season.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yep.

[timvp]

I don't think you can mention TP's improvement on D enough

I've been talking about this too and people aren't recognizing this for some reason. Parker is turning into an All-League defender in front of our eyes. He's gone from below average to a borderline shutdown defender.

In the Spurs win streak:

Devin Harris: 4-9 12 points, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
Andre Miller: 1-10 6 points, 4 assists, 3 turnovers
Carlos Arroyo: 3-6 7 points, 2 assists, 0 turnovers
Devin Harris: 1-5 4 points, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
Allen Iverson: 6-17 14 points, 2 assists, 1 turnover
Chauncey Billups: 5-9 18 points, 4 assists, 4 turnovers
Mo Williams: 1-6 2 points, 5 assists, 0 turnovers
Kirk Hinrich 3-11 8 points, 5 assists, 0 turnovers

Nice job, TP2.

:smokin

[Manu20]

We should call Parker "Mini-Bowen"

The defense on Iverson was impressive.

[Slo spurs fan]

Didn't Tim shutdowned AI?

[ducks]

timvp you forgot the other game tp shut down ai

[ChumpDumper]

Don't forget when he shut down Dirk that one quarter either....

[whottt]

I've been talking about this too and people aren't recognizing this for some reason.
Nice job, TP2.

:smokin

GMTA

































coughexceptontheplayoffvalueofPGswhocanshoot3sonte amswithadominantbigcough

[FromWayDowntown]

I agree that Malik's improved play, the development of Parker's defense, and the discovery of a true backup PG have been, and will continue to be, vital for this team to succeed. But with all of that, I think we're a long way from seeing what this team will actually prove to be.

I think it only helps that Manu's minutes are up, that Pop is using those minutes wisely, and thus, the Spurs tendency to get off to sluggish starts has been allayed. Pop has wisely used Manu to start virtually every quarter this season, and with the notable exception of the 4th Q of the game in Toronto, the Spurs have generally played well at the beginning of each quarter.

I also think that we've yet to see how well this team should shoot the ball from 3. Obviously, Barry has gotten off to a slow start, and he'll need some adjustment time. But there's no real reason to think (IMO) that Barry will continue to struggle so mightily from behind the arc. In addition, Parker has only just begun to find his range. If those two get going from behind the arc, the various groups the Spurs can play should be able to consistently space the floor and make defenses really pay for sagging or doubling the post by either shooting over the top or taking the ball hard to the rack. While the 3's aren't going down, it's nice to see them really develop that perimeter ball movement; should the 3's start to fall and the spacing become even better, that passing will create even better looks as it causes defenses to scramble.

I'm reluctant to get too excited, but this team's worst enemy, it would seem, is itself.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

no way he is a top notch defender yet, not after Billups shredded him in the fourth quarter of the Detroit game, there was one three where Billups made TP just look stupid, TP ran by Billups when he did a little pump fake, leaving Billups wide open for a 3.

[FromWayDowntown]

no way he is a top notch defender yet, not after Billups shredded him in the fourth quarter of the Detroit game, there was one three where Billups made TP just look stupid, TP ran by Billups when he did a little pump fake, leaving Billups wide open for a 3.

Well, in the latest run, Billups is certainly the exception and not the rule.

FWIW, from the home win against Dallas through the Detroit game (6 games) Parker was playing at roughly +60, which is another sign that he's continuing to break out. (I finally have the other game-by-game plus/minus numbers updated again, but haven't posted them yet. If anyone wants them, just let me know. . . .)

[whottt]

no way he is a top notch defender yet, not after Billups shredded him in the fourth quarter of the Detroit game, there was one three where Billups made TP just look stupid, TP ran by Billups when he did a little pump fake, leaving Billups wide open for a 3.


What, because 1 guy, a finals MVP, got him he's not top notch?

Hell no one shuts down every single player they get...not even Bruce.

And let's see how TP does in the rematch anyway...it took Parker a while to figure out Marbury and AI...but he finally did it. I don't think his D was that bad anyway...Chauncey was pretty clutch..

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Ok whottt, point taken, but I'm sorry was the argument that Tony is a good defender, or a top notch one? Becuase I was under the impression it was that he is a top notch defender, and no top notch defender can make a play that bad, not top notch defender is going to allow Chauncy Billups (who has one offensive weapon, the three pointer) to erupt for 18 points in a single quarter when the game is on the line.

No, Tony Parker is a good defender, if he wasn't then he wouldn't be able to play for Greg Popovich, but you can't put him in the class of a great defender, if you want to see what defense from the point guard position is suppose to look like, look up tape of Gary Payton in his prime, than you'll realize Tony has a long way to go.