duncan228
11-25-2007, 12:05 PM
http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/preview071125.html
Insider Preview - Sonics vs. San Antonio
Sonics (2-11) vs. San Antonio (11-2)
Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM
For the San Antonio Spurs, each NBA season begins with only one primary goal: an NBA championship. After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers last June, the Spurs have now achieved that goal three times in the last five years and four times since 1999. How long has San Antonio been a perennial contender? All four other starters alongside Tim Duncan from that 1998-99 team are now retired. One, Avery Johnson, is the head coach of the rival Dallas Mavericks; a reserve on that team, Steve Kerr, is now the GM for another rival for Western Conference supremacy, the Phoenix Suns.
While even years have been the bane of the Spurs, who have won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, this year's team has started better than any of the champion teams. Once considered slow starters (they opened the year 7-6 through 13 games in 2003-04), the Spurs are off to the best 13-game start in franchise history at 11-2 after going 10-3 each of the last three seasons. San Antonio also has an excellent +9.0 point differential, second in the NBA behind Boston and a step up from last season, when the Spurs were +6.9 through their first 13 games.
San Antonio has returned almost entirely the same group of players that won last year's championship. The only changes to the rotation so far this season have been because of injuries to backup guard Jacque Vaughn and veteran reserve forward Robert Horry, who has yet to play this year. The off-season changes for the Spurs were made with the long term in mind - signing forward Ime Udoka as a free agent with an eye toward eventually having him supplant Bruce Bowen as the team's perimeter stopper, and bringing over 2005 first-round pick Ian Mahinmi, who was recently assigned to the D-League and will probably spend much of the year there.
The one concern about maintaining the status quo is age. The Spurs, with an average age of 30.6 on their roster, are more than a year and a half older on average than the next-oldest team (Phoenix, 29.0). However, it helps that San Antonio Head Coach Gregg Popovich does a masterful job of limiting the minutes of his starters. Tony Parker (34.8 mpg) and Duncan (32.0) are the only two players averaging more than 30 minutes a night, which helps keep the team fresh for the postseason.
The Spurs have struggled a little in the early going on defense - not relative to the rest of the league, but in comparison to their own lofty standards. San Antonio has been in the low top 10 in the league in Defensive Rating much of the season, leading Popovich to declare to the San Antonio Express-News early in the week that this was the worst defensive Spurs team "in the last seven or eight years."
Even with his high standards, however, Popovich was later able to admit, "Actually," Popovich said, "I think our defense has been pretty sound for this early in the year."
Lo and behold, the Spurs have moved into fourth in the NBA in defense, allowing 102.3 points per 100 possessions. San Antonio will still hope to bring that down over the course of the season, but that's more than good enough given the Spurs offense has been off to a strong start. San Antonio ranks third in the league in per-possession scoring, trailing only Dallas and Phoenix.
It's been guard Manu Ginobili who has keyed the fast start on offense. Ginobili is off to a sensational start, averaging 19.8 points per game off the bench. That's the best in the league amongst reserves. Ginobili also ranks seventh in the NBA in per-40 minute scoring. In addition to points, Ginobili is also posting career-best marks in three-point percentage (41.3%) and assists per game (4.6).
The Seattle SuperSonics saw their return to KeyArena Friday against New Jersey come to a familiar end. Having fallen behind by as many as 13 in the third quarter, the Sonics rallied but were unable to maintain the perfection they would have needed down the stretch to complete the comeback. In recent games, the Sonics have done a good job of coming back but have put themselves in early holes with slow starts. Getting off to a better start will be challenging against the Spurs.
KEY MATCHUP
Sonics rookie Kevin Durant will match up for the first time with Bowen, widely considered the NBA's best perimeter defender. Bowen has been named to the All-Defensive First Team each of the last four years and plays a physical style that will challenge Durant. However, the Sonics rookie was successful against the best Bowen proxy in the league, Phoenix's Raja Bell, earlier this season.
LAST TIME
The Spurs completed their mastery of the Sonics April 3 in San Antonio, completing a 4-0 sweep of the season series with a 110-91 victory. The 19-point margin of victory was actually the smallest of the four games, which were decided by a combined 111 points. Relative to the first three meetings, the Sonics were much more competitive in this one, trailing by just eight early in the third quarter. However, San Antonio followed with a 16-2 run to take control of the game.
The Spurs shot 55.7% from the field behind a balanced offensive attack that saw 10 players score at least five points. Bowen led San Antonio with 18 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field - all on three-pointers. Chris Wilcox's 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting paced the Sonics, while Rashard Lewis had his best game against San Antonio in recent memory with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting. The rest of the Sonics starting five combined for 5-of-17 shooting and 12 points.
INJURIES
Sonics - Centers Johan Petro (strained lower back), Robert Swift (tendinitis and contusion, right knee) and Kurt Thomas (strained right hamstring) are game-time decisions. Guard Luke Ridnour (left quad tear) is out.
San Antonio - Forward Robert Horry (strained hamstring) is day-to-day.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
2-11 RECORD 11-2
L-3 STREAK W-4
2-3 LAST 5 4-1
99.5 PF 99.8
99.4 Off. Eff. 112.2
108.0 PA 90.8
108.7 Def. Eff. 102.3
45.0 RPG 40.8
.497 Reb % .500
98.2 Pace 88.9
2.9 Exp. Wins 10.4
Insider Preview - Sonics vs. San Antonio
Sonics (2-11) vs. San Antonio (11-2)
Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM
For the San Antonio Spurs, each NBA season begins with only one primary goal: an NBA championship. After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers last June, the Spurs have now achieved that goal three times in the last five years and four times since 1999. How long has San Antonio been a perennial contender? All four other starters alongside Tim Duncan from that 1998-99 team are now retired. One, Avery Johnson, is the head coach of the rival Dallas Mavericks; a reserve on that team, Steve Kerr, is now the GM for another rival for Western Conference supremacy, the Phoenix Suns.
While even years have been the bane of the Spurs, who have won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, this year's team has started better than any of the champion teams. Once considered slow starters (they opened the year 7-6 through 13 games in 2003-04), the Spurs are off to the best 13-game start in franchise history at 11-2 after going 10-3 each of the last three seasons. San Antonio also has an excellent +9.0 point differential, second in the NBA behind Boston and a step up from last season, when the Spurs were +6.9 through their first 13 games.
San Antonio has returned almost entirely the same group of players that won last year's championship. The only changes to the rotation so far this season have been because of injuries to backup guard Jacque Vaughn and veteran reserve forward Robert Horry, who has yet to play this year. The off-season changes for the Spurs were made with the long term in mind - signing forward Ime Udoka as a free agent with an eye toward eventually having him supplant Bruce Bowen as the team's perimeter stopper, and bringing over 2005 first-round pick Ian Mahinmi, who was recently assigned to the D-League and will probably spend much of the year there.
The one concern about maintaining the status quo is age. The Spurs, with an average age of 30.6 on their roster, are more than a year and a half older on average than the next-oldest team (Phoenix, 29.0). However, it helps that San Antonio Head Coach Gregg Popovich does a masterful job of limiting the minutes of his starters. Tony Parker (34.8 mpg) and Duncan (32.0) are the only two players averaging more than 30 minutes a night, which helps keep the team fresh for the postseason.
The Spurs have struggled a little in the early going on defense - not relative to the rest of the league, but in comparison to their own lofty standards. San Antonio has been in the low top 10 in the league in Defensive Rating much of the season, leading Popovich to declare to the San Antonio Express-News early in the week that this was the worst defensive Spurs team "in the last seven or eight years."
Even with his high standards, however, Popovich was later able to admit, "Actually," Popovich said, "I think our defense has been pretty sound for this early in the year."
Lo and behold, the Spurs have moved into fourth in the NBA in defense, allowing 102.3 points per 100 possessions. San Antonio will still hope to bring that down over the course of the season, but that's more than good enough given the Spurs offense has been off to a strong start. San Antonio ranks third in the league in per-possession scoring, trailing only Dallas and Phoenix.
It's been guard Manu Ginobili who has keyed the fast start on offense. Ginobili is off to a sensational start, averaging 19.8 points per game off the bench. That's the best in the league amongst reserves. Ginobili also ranks seventh in the NBA in per-40 minute scoring. In addition to points, Ginobili is also posting career-best marks in three-point percentage (41.3%) and assists per game (4.6).
The Seattle SuperSonics saw their return to KeyArena Friday against New Jersey come to a familiar end. Having fallen behind by as many as 13 in the third quarter, the Sonics rallied but were unable to maintain the perfection they would have needed down the stretch to complete the comeback. In recent games, the Sonics have done a good job of coming back but have put themselves in early holes with slow starts. Getting off to a better start will be challenging against the Spurs.
KEY MATCHUP
Sonics rookie Kevin Durant will match up for the first time with Bowen, widely considered the NBA's best perimeter defender. Bowen has been named to the All-Defensive First Team each of the last four years and plays a physical style that will challenge Durant. However, the Sonics rookie was successful against the best Bowen proxy in the league, Phoenix's Raja Bell, earlier this season.
LAST TIME
The Spurs completed their mastery of the Sonics April 3 in San Antonio, completing a 4-0 sweep of the season series with a 110-91 victory. The 19-point margin of victory was actually the smallest of the four games, which were decided by a combined 111 points. Relative to the first three meetings, the Sonics were much more competitive in this one, trailing by just eight early in the third quarter. However, San Antonio followed with a 16-2 run to take control of the game.
The Spurs shot 55.7% from the field behind a balanced offensive attack that saw 10 players score at least five points. Bowen led San Antonio with 18 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field - all on three-pointers. Chris Wilcox's 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting paced the Sonics, while Rashard Lewis had his best game against San Antonio in recent memory with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting. The rest of the Sonics starting five combined for 5-of-17 shooting and 12 points.
INJURIES
Sonics - Centers Johan Petro (strained lower back), Robert Swift (tendinitis and contusion, right knee) and Kurt Thomas (strained right hamstring) are game-time decisions. Guard Luke Ridnour (left quad tear) is out.
San Antonio - Forward Robert Horry (strained hamstring) is day-to-day.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
2-11 RECORD 11-2
L-3 STREAK W-4
2-3 LAST 5 4-1
99.5 PF 99.8
99.4 Off. Eff. 112.2
108.0 PA 90.8
108.7 Def. Eff. 102.3
45.0 RPG 40.8
.497 Reb % .500
98.2 Pace 88.9
2.9 Exp. Wins 10.4