Spurs Point Guards Heating Up

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs Point Guards Heating Up
LAST UPDATE: 12/21/2004 5:28:39 AM

http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=61FB844C-3FDF-410D-AA0B-F683120249F3

By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com

http://cctvimedia.clearchannel.com/woai/tparker004.jpg

As the weather has cooled in San Antonio, the team's point guards have warmed up. In the month of December, Tony Parker and his backup Beno Udrih are sizzling for the Spurs. The duo is orchestrating an offense that is averaging 24.2 assists for the month, an astonishingly high number for such a low post predicated attack. For the season the Spurs are sixth in the NBA in assists, dishing out 22.9 assists per game.

Individually, they've been ultra efficient. Parker is averaging 14.7 points, 6.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds for the month of December, while shooting 52.1% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. The fourth-year point guard also has a notable 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Perhaps most impressive, Parker has done all this in only 32.8 minutes per game.

Udrih, a rookie from Slovenia, is also torching the nets. For the month he's averaging 7.4 points and 2.6 assists on 60.4% from the floor, 50.0% from three-point land and 81.8% from the charity stripe. If you extrapolate Udrih's production in his limited time to 48 minutes, he's averaging 24.5 points and 8.6 assists in December. For the season, he's top five in the league in three-point percentage (48.6%) and is playing better overall than anyone could have imagined.

Currently with a record of 20-5 and four games up in their division, the Spurs' foreign twosome are quarterbacking the team to perfection. With the next four games against Steve Francis' Orlando Magic, Sam Cassell's Minnesota Timberwolves, Gary Payton's Boston Celtics and Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns, it will be interesting to see how the Spurs and their blazing point guards fare.

[travis2]

Nice one, Kori...:)

[Spurminator]

Another NBA All-Rookie Teamer with a late pick... Nice job, scouts.

[GrandeDavid]

Well-written and very nice to read something optimistic about the 20-5 Spurs.

[Drachen]

HE's Heating up, HE's ON FIRE!

I loved NBA JAM

[Marcus Bryant]

Also of note is that the Spurs are leading the league in assists per game allowed by their opponents (15.16. Memphis is 2nd at 19.18) and also in assists per game differential (+7.72). These stats are not only jive with the fact that the Spurs lead the league in opponents' FG% (40.9%) and points allowed per game (84.84) but that the Spurs, indeed, are executing well offensively as indicated by their aforementioned 6th in the league assists per game average of 22.88 and their 6th in the NBA FG% of 46.1%.

Also, not surprisingly, the Spurs are 2nd in the NBA with a point differential of +11.12 per game (Phoenix is 1st at +11.56).


http://www.albertspage.it/sigle_tv/foto/Good%20Times.jpg

[Marcus Bryant]

Also of note is that the Spurs are 17th in the NBA in average points scored per game (95.96). To the untrained observer of paranormal origin that may indicate a team deficiency, but to sane fans it is quite irrelevant.

[spursfaninla]

Also of note is that the Spurs are 17th in the NBA in average points scored per game (95.96). To the untrained observer of paranormal origin that may indicate a team deficiency, but to sane fans it is quite irrelevant.

Marcus, I think this says "17th in scoring.. is either a deficiency(untrained eye) or it is irrelevant(sane fans view)". I think you meant relevant; We have the best d in the league, and have average scoring, which explains the point differential we enjoy.

[SPARKY]

Good stuff.

[Marcus Bryant]

Marcus, I think this says "17th in scoring.. is either a deficiency(untrained eye) or it is irrelevant(sane fans view)". I think you meant relevant; We have the best d in the league, and have average scoring, which explains the point differential we enjoy.


I meant that a ranking of 17 out of 30 in average per game scoring is not relevant to the probability of another Spurs' championship.

[ducks]

wonder if spur could draft another backup point and trade this one for a center

[Solid D]

The duo is orchestrating an offense that is averaging 24.2 assists for the month, an astonishingly high number for such a low post predicated attack. For the season the Spurs are sixth in the NBA in assists, dishing out 22.9 assists per game.

Individually, they've been ultra efficient. Parker is averaging 14.7 points, 6.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds for the month of December, while shooting 52.1% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. The fourth-year point guard also has a notable 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Perhaps most impressive, Parker has done all this in only 32.8 minutes per game.


Good article, Kori.

It is astonishing to see the Spurs in the top 10 in the league in assists, based on their history of the low post attack. If you look at the plays the Spurs are running this season, they really have run more motion and had more crisp passing than at any other time, post-Bob Bass.

One should not get caught up too much in comparing other players with the Spurs' PGs, while using the traditional PG measuring stick...the assists/game.

Even though Tony and Beno bring the ball up most of the time and they enter the offense, their first pass doesn't necessarily go into the post. One of the bread-and-butter plays is to enter with a pass to the wing and then Manu, Devin or Brent end up at the top and essentially become the playmaker in a triple threat position. That is why you see quite a few assists coming from the wing players this season. All three of those guys are a triple threat from there. Down the stretch, in fact, that offensive set has been one of the staples in producing positive trips. They can run screen-rolls from there as an option, also. When the Spurs use this offensive option, the PG may not see the ball again until he becomes a cutter working for a shot option.

The PG assist numbers don't tell the story in the Spurs' system.