Are we winning badly?

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Everyone remembers the games that Parker struggled with in the beginning of the season, but during that stretch, Manu and Barry were brilliant (Barry was avereging 15 ppg), Then Barry began to slump and Devin Brown became our energy, Beno Udrich has been playing lights out basketball for a rookie point guard, and Tim Duncan hasnt even been as good as he usually is this season, (watching him there are games where he really doesnt seem as dominante as he can bee) The thing is though we are off to such a great start that many of our problems seem to be covered up. We are getting mediocre to bad mid-range shooting and three point shooting has a lot of room for improvment, that and we have been outhustled against Seattle two games in a row.

My contention is that if we are winning now, even if it is winning ugly, without reaching our full potential, we are still winning and by March, hopefully some of the problematic areas will have been solved and we could very well peake right before the playoffs.

[Athenea]

The only thing that needs serious work is perimeter defense. And that's shocking.

[1Parker1]

**Knock wood**

Don't jinx us RobinsonttoDuncan :)

[BronxCowboy]

Everyone remembers the games that Parker struggled with in the beginning of the season, but during that stretch, Manu and Barry were brilliant (Barry was avereging 15 ppg), Then Barry began to slump and Devin Brown became our energy, Beno Udrich has been playing lights out basketball for a rookie point guard, and Tim Duncan hasnt even been as good as he usually is this season, (watching him there are games where he really doesnt seem as dominante as he can bee) The thing is though we are off to such a great start that many of our problems seem to be covered up. We are getting mediocre to bad mid-range shooting and three point shooting has a lot of room for improvment, that and we have been outhustled against Seattle two games in a row.

My contention is that if we are winning now, even if it is winning ugly, without reaching our full potential, we are still winning and by March, hopefully some of the problematic areas will have been solved and we could very well peake right before the playoffs.

Which side are you arguing?

[ChumpDumper]

We played a bunch of teams that were injured.

It was too easy.

[BronxCowboy]

The only thing that needs serious work is perimeter defense. And that's shocking.

On the season, the Spurs' opponents have hit 36.5% from beyond the arc. Granted, that's bad. But over the last 10 games the competition has hit only 31.5% from 3-pt range, and only 28.6% over the last 5. Only Phoenix, Chicago, and New York have held their oppenents to a lower % from downtown in the last 5 games. I would say the Spurs have improved in that department lately, wouldn't you?

[boutons]

"Spurs have improved in that department lately, wouldn't you"

NO. The measure would be the Spurs holding all teams, esp the ones who depend on/are good at the 3-pt game like SEA and PHX, to lower %age and fewers 3's (2 different stats). Spurs are still NBA 28th in 3pt %age allowed.

In a playoff-level game, Spurs failed to stop the SEA 3-pt game, as SEA essentially hit their 3-pt game avg's against the Spurs, and @SBC. But that didn't lose the game. The total absence of the Spurs in the the 2nd qtr alone lost that game.

Next real test, 28 Dec: PHX hits 3's @ 39%, avgeraging 9-23 3GA-M.

[boutons]

The Spurs are certainly losing badly, to teams they should beat, by completely blowing, fatally, just one qtr in each of these lossses:

4th @SEA

4th @TOR

2nd SEA@SAN

4th @HOU

Looking at top teams, the Spurs have lost to top team SEA twice. The only other top teams/real tests are MIN and PHX in the next 2 weeks. Beat those 2, even if both are @SBC, and the Spurs will merit a lot confidence.

[SequSpur]

Spurs should be undefeated.

[BronxCowboy]

"Spurs have improved in that department lately, wouldn't you"

NO. The measure would be the Spurs holding all teams, esp the ones who depend on/are good at the 3-pt game like SEA and PHX, to lower %age and fewers 3's (2 different stats). Spurs are still NBA 28th in 3pt %age allowed.

In a playoff-level game, Spurs failed to stop the SEA 3-pt game, as SEA essentially hit their 3-pt game avg's against the Spurs, and @SBC. But that didn't lose the game. The total absence of the Spurs in the the 2nd qtr alone lost that game.

Next real test, 28 Dec: PHX hits 3's @ 39%, avgeraging 9-23 3GA-M.

28th in the NBA says nothing about how the Spurs are currently playing or whether they are getting better or worse. Maybe you missed this point when I made it before. I admit that all of the competition hasn't been great lately, but if you want to single out opponents like the Sonics, consider that the Sonics shot 46% from beyond the arc in the first meeting, and 41% last time. Still not as low as it needs to be, but supports my case that the Spurs are improving in this department. Don't try to use the number of 3's made alone, because that depends not only on the Spurs defense, but also on how the opposing team decides to play. Yes, the Sonics made more 3's in the second game, but they also missed nearly twice as many as they did the first time.

That said, you're right that the next real test is against Phoenix. But I'm willing to go out on a limb and predict that they'll shoot well below their average in that game. If I'm wrong, I'll take back everything I said about the Spurs improving their defense of the 3 pt line.

P.S. If you don't like percentages, in November, the Spurs gave up 4 threes a game. In December so far that number has dropped to 3.5.

[boutons]

Not being able to stop the Sonics' without-which-nothing 3pt game in either game, but especially the 2nd game, is more important/indicative than all games against dreck teams. Spurs will be bona fide "tough" when they perform well against top teams. As we saw this week, the Spurs obviously play down to the level of the dreck, so factoring in those recent dreck games isn't very helpful. 28th position, after 25 games, in a critical defensive category is horrendous for the defense-first Spurs. They're going to have to improve a lot to improve their ranking.

[spursfaninla]

I think 3pt opponent fg % allowed is the LEAST of the offensive catagories to worry about. It is not a high percentage shot. If teams depend on it to beat us, they are going to usually fail. If we give up some percentages on the perimeter but shut down the middle and inside game, so be it.

I think sometimes, that defenses have to have give and take; the way that you deny penetration, for instance, by doubling or by denying the cutter a passing lane inside, is going to open a jump shooter on the 3 pt line. It is our 3rd option in our offense to shoot 3's for a reason; it is the last dependable way to win.

All that said, nearly last in the league in any catagory is pitiful and we should not be that bad in defending the 3.

[BronxCowboy]

Actually, 3 pts do seem to be a key in some way to defeating the Spurs.
Spurs record when the opposing team makes 5 or more 3's: 5-5
Spurs record when the opposing team makes <5 3's: 15-0

[RobinsontoDuncan]

i remeber watching this team in 2003 and when they got into championship mode, after the rodeo trip, they didnt win while playing badly, they just flat out killed the other teams, frankly i think our record is simply indicative of NBA parady

[Solid D]

On the season, the Spurs' opponents have hit 36.5% from beyond the arc. Granted, that's bad. But over the last 10 games the competition has hit only 31.5% from 3-pt range, and only 28.6% over the last 5. Only Phoenix, Chicago, and New York have held their oppenents to a lower % from downtown in the last 5 games. I would say the Spurs have improved in that department lately, wouldn't you?

Clearly does his homework. Nice job BronxCowboy.

[ShoogarBear]

If we play the real teams they way we just played the Hornets and Warrios, we're going to get our asses handed to us.

Hopefully, Pop is getting a better understanding on how to use the bench.

[pjjrfan]

Well a w is a w and no one will remember how we won it in May and June. The Patriots in the NFL always play close games and never really look dominat, but they always win. They play Defense. And even now, Tim is a notorious slow starter and the team is still finding ways to win. I just like how they are building their chemistry and I like these kind of games better because they will help the Spurs down the road later on. The real easy wins always worry me. I'd rather have those grind it out defensive battles.