Udoka

[bigfan]

Just want to point out this guy was a hell of a pickup now that hes been a Spur for awhile. Pretty much a perfect Bowen replacement when the time comes.

[Solid D]

He's tough. He's not a Bruce clone, but he was a good FA signing and an inexpensive one, at that.

[vander]

and the time has come

[Solid D]

and the time has come

Not so fast. Watch the past few games?

[vander]

Not so fast. Watch the past few games?

meh, I'm still blinded by outrage at the 2 year extension Bowen got :madrun

[oboymeetsogirl]

When the time comes when the Spurs need to face the Kobe and the Lakers -- or, for that matter, Steve Nash, Lebron or the Answer -- in a playoff game, then you'll remember exactly why Pops saves Bowen for those moments. I'm encouraged by Udoka's development in the Spurs system, but he's nowhere near Bruce when it comes to putting a muzzle on these superstars who can go off anytime.

I hope Udoka begins to pick up Bowen's defensive smarts and footwork -- the sooner the better! -- and only time will tell if he ever develops Bowen's heart, focus, consistency and sheer relentlessness. I presume that's why he's there. But for now, I would say that Bruce is absolutely essential to the Spurs fifth and sixth NBA championship. Pops knows this, every one of the Spurs' opponents know this, but don't you forget it!

[MagnusKrauss]

Ime's not bruce. and what the people here say is right, Ime's post defense is better. for a small (relatively...) guy, he sure can handle the bigger guys.

also, he rebounds better (i think) than bruce.

or am i stupid?

[WalterBenitez]

I like Udoka! I hope he keep continue showing his skills

[SpurAddict561]

His offense & passing skills are definitely better than Bruce, but he was some perimeter defense kinks he needs to work out.

[SAGambler]

Ime's not bruce. and what the people here say is right, Ime's post defense is better. for a small (relatively...) guy, he sure can handle the bigger guys.

also, he rebounds better (i think) than bruce.

or am i stupid?

He always seem to have position to get some hard rebounds. But out on the perimeter he isn't Bruce. But I like the fact that we got two really good defenders in both of them. Plus when Ime is on, he can provide a lot of offense. But then again, so can Bruce. Just ask Kobe.

We need both of these guys if we are going to repeat.

[ancestron]

Udoka's kind of a badass.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

He still has to prove himself on the big stage, (like Bruce has time and time again.) I'm glad we have both of them to throw at teams currently.

but yeah, I like Udoka so far, but he still makes a few mistakes here and there, and his offensive game only looks better because Bruce by comparison, has a a very limited one.
Bruce is pretty unique (and I love that he's on our team). Udoka can get better, but I think he has his own defensive strengths to fill in that we have to look forward to, because I don't know if he'll do all the little things that Bruce does.

[spursfan09]

I like Udoka alot. I am really excited to see how he turns it on in the playoffs.

[WildcardManu]

Bruce and Ime are two of a kind in an offensive minded league.

[Steve-O-Matic]

Ime's P/40 averages are 13.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.0 APG. 43% from the field, 77% from the line.

Bruce is at 7.4/3.6/1.5. 40% from the field, 66% from the line.

According to ESPN Insider's John Hollinger, Ime's Player Efficiency Rating (PER) right now is 12.63 - the highest of his career. Bruce's PER is 6.74 - the lowest of his career.

Just information.

[bobbybob0]

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/599/churchsigndg5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Taco]

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/599/churchsigndg5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
:lol

[SenorSpur]

We should all be pleased that Ime is coming along so nicely. He clearly getting comfortable with the system. Ime has already demonstrated that he is a tough, physical player who isn't afraid to do dirty work. Strong rebounder, tough-minded, and good passing skills. Still has some kinks to work out offensively, but his 3-pt shooting is coming along nicely.

I'm confident that he will absorb a lot of Bowen's defensive tactics and guile. I heard him on the post-game show after Sunday's win over the Nets. He stated that he and Bruce do share information about specific opponents during the game. They discuss what tendencies certain guys have and what techniques work. Ime said that he does watch Bruce intently, at the outset of each game, to see how he defends a player, before he takes his turn on said player.

It's too early to know whether Ime is Bruce's true heir apparent, but he sure has been a good pickup to date.

[Ghost Writer]

Udoka does what Bowen does... in half the time:

Bowen
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/bruce_bowen/index.html

Udoka
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/ime_udoka/index.html

Stats don't lie.



Bruce is done.

What's that sh1t on Udoku™'s arm?

[spursfan09]

birthmark

[spursfan09]

not everybody can look as pretty as Tony Parker and as ruggedly handsome as Manu.

[Spurminator]

Stats don't lie.

This was the official motto of the now-defunct Mike James Fan Club in 2006.

[T Park]

stats don't lie.

More fantasy sports genius speak.

[bobbybob0]

@GW: You might have a point... if we were talking about fantasy basketball.

Where are the stats for 1 on 1 defense?

Please don't talk about steals or blocks, that's not what makes Bruce a good lock-down wing defender.

Steals are mostly awarded to PG gambling on the passing lanes, Bowen can't gamble with the Kobes and Lebrons he's guarding.

Your reasoning sounds like one of a Suns fan.

[Ghost Writer]

Who has Bowen slowed or shut down this year?

[Dex]

Duncan
Thomas
Bowen
Udoka
Manu

That's a formidable defensive five. Run the offense through Manu and Tim with Udoka and Bowen spreading the floor, and the occasional midrange game from Thomas.

[Bruno]

One of the best thing about Udoka is his rebounding.

Spurs have never played as much small ball as this year but they are the best defensive rebounding team in the nba.
It is quite paradoxical but Udoka good rebounding skills explain a part of that.
When Udoka plays in a small ball lineup, he averages 8.2 rebounds per 40 min. :tu

Against some teams, small ball will be the best solution. It's appreciable to have a player like Udoka who will offset apart of the rebounding disadvantage.

[Spurs Brazil]

It's great to see Udoka playing that well in small ball

I think now we have great options to play small and big

[Princess Pimp]

Uhhhh Carter ate Udoka and Bowens lunch last night

[smeagol]

Uhhhh Carter ate Udoka and Bowens lunch last night

:blah :blah :blah :blah :blah :blah

[timvp]

Udoka, for what the Spurs are paying him, has been a steal of mythical proportions. Signing him for less than Jacque Vaughn money was ridiculous.

Overall, I don't see anything that will keep him from being a solid postseason contributor. The holes in his game are pretty few. Offensively, if you trap him , he sometimes gets a little excited and throws a bad pass. He's also a streaky shooter who hasn't shown much of a knack for hitting clutch shots. On defense, he isn't the quickest player and will sometimes reach and foul to try to make up for his lack of quickness.

But really, the guy is rock solid. He'll never be as good as Bowen defensively but offensively his game is pretty diverse. He can't really get all the way to the bucket and finish in traffic but his off the dribble shots are effective.

In the playoffs, we'll see what he's really about. Will he just blend into the background or will he make a name for himself as a trusted playoff player?

I guess we'll find out . . .

[Solid D]

Udoka does what Bowen does... in half the time:

Bowen
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/bruce_bowen/index.html

Udoka
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/ime_udoka/index.html

Stats don't lie.



Bruce is done.

What's that sh1t on Udoku™'s arm?

Udoka is still cutting some corners on his D and not anticipating what's about to happen, unlike Bruce...such as going underneath screens. When defending Vince Carter: going underneath screens = lunch eaten.

It's sort of like player evaluation. It requires paying attention.

[spursrule32]

Uhhhh Carter ate Udoka and Bowens lunch last night


he sure did - for a minute there I was thinking he would top Kobe's 81. It was close though

[ss1986v2]

Who has Bowen slowed or shut down this year?
off the top of my head, brandon roy twice, and redd earlier in the season.

[vander]

he sure did - for a minute there I was thinking he would top Kobe's 81. It was close though

he just needed to take a few more shots, he was scoring a stunning 1.16 points per shot so... about 70 shots would have done the trick :toast

[AFBlue]

Udoka, for what the Spurs are paying him, has been a steal of mythical proportions. Signing him for less than Jacque Vaughn money was ridiculous.

Overall, I don't see anything that will keep him from being a solid postseason contributor. The holes in his game are pretty few. Offensively, if you trap him , he sometimes gets a little excited and throws a bad pass. He's also a streaky shooter who hasn't shown much of a knack for hitting clutch shots. On defense, he isn't the quickest player and will sometimes reach and foul to try to make up for his lack of quickness.

But really, the guy is rock solid. He'll never be as good as Bowen defensively but offensively his game is pretty diverse. He can't really get all the way to the bucket and finish in traffic but his off the dribble shots are effective.

In the playoffs, we'll see what he's really about. Will he just blend into the background or will he make a name for himself as a trusted playoff player?

I guess we'll find out . . .

Well said...

I was trying to type out the same thing, but I ended up deleting it because it sounded too cocky. Truthfully though, Udoka is a solid all-around player without too many holes in his game.

He's no superstar, but he is already a solid piece and will be a valuable contributor for the next few years, IMO.

[Budkin]

I like me some Udoka... even better that he can Mentor with Bruce.

[CaptainLate]

Just want to point out this guy was a hell of a pickup now that hes been a Spur for awhile. Pretty much a perfect Bowen replacement when the time comes.

Well, it only took Pop damn long enough to get him into the flow. That was ridiculous!! :madrun

[Holt's Cat]

21 points on 18 attempts isn't exactly 'going off'. Bowen being able to play Carter one on one allowed the rest of the Spurs to hold the rest of the Nets to 18 of 60 from the floor.