timvp
01-22-2008, 05:10 AM
Although a win over the Charlotte Bobcats usually isn’t a reason for celebration, the Spurs finally looked to be taking steps in the right directions. Small steps, mind you, but steps nonetheless.
The Bobcats, who have been playing well recently by utilizing a small ball lineup, are no longer your father’s expansion Hornets. They have a gaggle of young, talented players such as Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace, Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton. Charlotte is definitely talented enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this year.
In the first half, the Spurs’ offense was very effective and reminded me of earlier in the season when the team was playing with great chemistry. The 54 points the Spurs scored in the first half was their first half highest total in the month of January. In the second half of the game, the Spurs locked down defensively and held the Bobcats to 39 points. All told, it added up to a 95-86 victory for San Antonio.
-Tim Duncan had a decent offensive night. He finished with a team-high 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the field. However, it was defensively where Duncan truly made his mark. With five blocks and ten rebounds, Duncan’s help defense in the second half was especially dominating. If he can once again flip his personal switch and become the Spurs interior defensive stopper, the Spurs will quickly be able to right this ship.
-Manu Ginobili had a quietly spectacular game against Charlotte. In 28 minutes, Ginobili totaled 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals, one block and only one turnover. That type of all-around dominating performance has been lacking lately from Ginobili. It was no surprise that he led the team in plus/minus with a +19. That was a welcome change from the previous ten games where Ginobili posted a cumulative plus/minus below zero. Overall, Ginobili energy, passion and skill carried the Spurs for stretches in this game.
-Tony Parker was decent but was still inconsistent. As has been the case recently, Parker’s play can at times be great and can at times be horrible. Against the Bobcats, Parker finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. The good news is he looked relatively healthy and lively, which hasn’t been the case over the last six weeks.
-Bruce Bowen only played 26 minutes as Pop opted to rotate six swingmen against the small ball Bobcats. During his time on the court, Bowen’s defense was solid and he chipped in three points, four rebounds and three assists. Bowen did a better job playing within the offense than he had been doing recently.
-Michael Finley also played 26 minutes and had a very nice outing. He scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots while playing impressive defense. In streaky Finley fashion, he knocked down his first five shots but then missed his final four shots to finish 5-for-9 from the field. Defensively is where Finley especially stood out, particularly against Wallace.
-Jeremy Richardson got a surprise start and came out firing. Richardson was anything but hesitant as he shot three of the Spurs' first four shots. While only connecting on the final attempt (a three-pointer), Richardson gave the Spurs good energy right out of the gates. His play seemed to spark the team a bit, especially offensively. Defensively, Richardson was surprisingly competent on his team defense responsibilities. Richardson is on his second 10-day contract and is fighting for a guaranteed contract. This performance wasn’t perfect but it should at least slightly help his cause.
-Brent Barry played 25 minutes, the most he has played since missing time with a calf injury. While he only hit 1-of-5 shots from the floor, his play was impressive. He passed the ball well, defended relatively well and gave the Spurs very good effort and energy. Barry is still rusty but it’s good to see him back in action.
-Ime Udoka had another very quality outing for the Spurs. In 23 minutes, Udoka had 11 points and five rebounds. He hit 4-of-7 shots from the field and his defense on both Wallace and Richardson was borderline spectacular. Udoka is looking more and more comfortable and he makes far less mistakes than he made earlier in the season. With this type of play, Udoka is making a case for a spot in the rotation. While he’s definitely a defense-first type player, he’s shooting 51.4% from the field and 46.6% from the three-point line over his last nine games.
-Jacque Vaughn had a solid Jacque Vaughn type game. In 16 minutes, he barely dented the stat sheet but played good defense and stayed out of the way offensively. When he plays as The Human Placeholder, he’s a good complement to Parker.
-Fabricio Oberto was back to a bench role due to Pop matching the Bobcats’ small ball lineup. Off the bench, Oberto had a very solid game. In 14 minutes, he had four points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. He also ran the two-man game well with Ginobili as the pair of Argentineans schooled the younger Bobcats. Look for Oberto to be back in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
-Matt Bonner and Francisco Elson only got spot minutes as Pop remained small for much of the contest. Neither player took a shot in their combined seven minutes of action. The only notable moment for either player was when Bonner missed a free throw – his first free throw miss of the season. Coming into the game Bonner was a perfect 24-for-24 from the charity stripe.
-I’m starting to be convinced Pop is just trying to amuse himself for now until he decides the team needs to buckle down and start winning. Otherwise, how can you explain Pop going with Richardson in the starting lineup with players such as Udoka and Barry capable of jumping into the small ball starting lineup? My guess is Pop knew he couldn't use his patented 12 man rotation against the smaller Bobcats, so he found another way to be entertained.
Sure, you want to take a look at the kid since he’s on a 10-day contract, but starting him during the midst of a two-game losing streak? Funny, Pop.
I thought the team played well for a good portion of the game. If they can take their offense from the first half and their defense from the second half, the Spurs might be able to actually string a few games together.
It’d be easy to dismiss this game as the Spurs beating a team they’re supposed to beat, however last year the turnaround for the Spurs began with a similar game on the road against the New Jersey Nets. We’ll see if the Spurs can use this inauspicious victory as some sort of springboard as they head into their final three games before the long awaited Rodeo Road Trip.
The Bobcats, who have been playing well recently by utilizing a small ball lineup, are no longer your father’s expansion Hornets. They have a gaggle of young, talented players such as Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace, Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton. Charlotte is definitely talented enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this year.
In the first half, the Spurs’ offense was very effective and reminded me of earlier in the season when the team was playing with great chemistry. The 54 points the Spurs scored in the first half was their first half highest total in the month of January. In the second half of the game, the Spurs locked down defensively and held the Bobcats to 39 points. All told, it added up to a 95-86 victory for San Antonio.
-Tim Duncan had a decent offensive night. He finished with a team-high 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the field. However, it was defensively where Duncan truly made his mark. With five blocks and ten rebounds, Duncan’s help defense in the second half was especially dominating. If he can once again flip his personal switch and become the Spurs interior defensive stopper, the Spurs will quickly be able to right this ship.
-Manu Ginobili had a quietly spectacular game against Charlotte. In 28 minutes, Ginobili totaled 16 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals, one block and only one turnover. That type of all-around dominating performance has been lacking lately from Ginobili. It was no surprise that he led the team in plus/minus with a +19. That was a welcome change from the previous ten games where Ginobili posted a cumulative plus/minus below zero. Overall, Ginobili energy, passion and skill carried the Spurs for stretches in this game.
-Tony Parker was decent but was still inconsistent. As has been the case recently, Parker’s play can at times be great and can at times be horrible. Against the Bobcats, Parker finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. The good news is he looked relatively healthy and lively, which hasn’t been the case over the last six weeks.
-Bruce Bowen only played 26 minutes as Pop opted to rotate six swingmen against the small ball Bobcats. During his time on the court, Bowen’s defense was solid and he chipped in three points, four rebounds and three assists. Bowen did a better job playing within the offense than he had been doing recently.
-Michael Finley also played 26 minutes and had a very nice outing. He scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots while playing impressive defense. In streaky Finley fashion, he knocked down his first five shots but then missed his final four shots to finish 5-for-9 from the field. Defensively is where Finley especially stood out, particularly against Wallace.
-Jeremy Richardson got a surprise start and came out firing. Richardson was anything but hesitant as he shot three of the Spurs' first four shots. While only connecting on the final attempt (a three-pointer), Richardson gave the Spurs good energy right out of the gates. His play seemed to spark the team a bit, especially offensively. Defensively, Richardson was surprisingly competent on his team defense responsibilities. Richardson is on his second 10-day contract and is fighting for a guaranteed contract. This performance wasn’t perfect but it should at least slightly help his cause.
-Brent Barry played 25 minutes, the most he has played since missing time with a calf injury. While he only hit 1-of-5 shots from the floor, his play was impressive. He passed the ball well, defended relatively well and gave the Spurs very good effort and energy. Barry is still rusty but it’s good to see him back in action.
-Ime Udoka had another very quality outing for the Spurs. In 23 minutes, Udoka had 11 points and five rebounds. He hit 4-of-7 shots from the field and his defense on both Wallace and Richardson was borderline spectacular. Udoka is looking more and more comfortable and he makes far less mistakes than he made earlier in the season. With this type of play, Udoka is making a case for a spot in the rotation. While he’s definitely a defense-first type player, he’s shooting 51.4% from the field and 46.6% from the three-point line over his last nine games.
-Jacque Vaughn had a solid Jacque Vaughn type game. In 16 minutes, he barely dented the stat sheet but played good defense and stayed out of the way offensively. When he plays as The Human Placeholder, he’s a good complement to Parker.
-Fabricio Oberto was back to a bench role due to Pop matching the Bobcats’ small ball lineup. Off the bench, Oberto had a very solid game. In 14 minutes, he had four points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. He also ran the two-man game well with Ginobili as the pair of Argentineans schooled the younger Bobcats. Look for Oberto to be back in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
-Matt Bonner and Francisco Elson only got spot minutes as Pop remained small for much of the contest. Neither player took a shot in their combined seven minutes of action. The only notable moment for either player was when Bonner missed a free throw – his first free throw miss of the season. Coming into the game Bonner was a perfect 24-for-24 from the charity stripe.
-I’m starting to be convinced Pop is just trying to amuse himself for now until he decides the team needs to buckle down and start winning. Otherwise, how can you explain Pop going with Richardson in the starting lineup with players such as Udoka and Barry capable of jumping into the small ball starting lineup? My guess is Pop knew he couldn't use his patented 12 man rotation against the smaller Bobcats, so he found another way to be entertained.
Sure, you want to take a look at the kid since he’s on a 10-day contract, but starting him during the midst of a two-game losing streak? Funny, Pop.
I thought the team played well for a good portion of the game. If they can take their offense from the first half and their defense from the second half, the Spurs might be able to actually string a few games together.
It’d be easy to dismiss this game as the Spurs beating a team they’re supposed to beat, however last year the turnaround for the Spurs began with a similar game on the road against the New Jersey Nets. We’ll see if the Spurs can use this inauspicious victory as some sort of springboard as they head into their final three games before the long awaited Rodeo Road Trip.