timvp
01-17-2005, 03:15 AM
Tim Duncan
Duncan is going to have to start playing better. The Spurs have enough talent to overcome his struggles most nights but currently, Duncan is in one of the worst funks of his career. Against the Rockets, he had slow decision making and it appeared that he lacked the legs around the basket at both ends of the court.
GRADE: 77
JANUARY: 83.5
SEASON: 86.6
Bruce Bowen
Bowen had an average game overall. He held Tracy McGrady in check for the most part, limiting him to 10-for-28 shooting from the field. He did whatever he could to defend McGrady and succeeding in slowing him. The problem for Bowen was on the other end of the court. He couldn’t get anything going offensive, going 1-for-3 from the field in 41 minutes of action.
GRADE: 84
JANUARY: 86.6
SEASON: 85.2
Rasho Nesterovic
In 29 minutes of play, Nesterovic did a commendable job. He defended Yao Ming well, holding him to only 13 points and eight rebounds. The Spurs’ starting center was physical with Yao, fighting for position and muscling him out of the lane. On offense, Nesterovic wasn’t as successful. He hit only 1-of-3 shots from the field, while he looked uncomfortable and confused on the offensive end.
GRADE: 84
JANUARY: 84.4
SEASON: 82.9
Manu Ginobili
Ginobili went down early in the third quarter with a thigh contusion. He suffered the injury when he drove the lane and collided with Yao Ming. Prior to getting injured, Ginobili wasn’t having a stellar game. He had hit 1-of-5 shots from the field and only 4-of-7 from the free throw line. His defense, however, was very good in his 15 minutes of action.
GRADE: 82
JANUARY: 87
SEASON: 87.8
Tony Parker
Parker numbers look great but his impact on the game wasn’t as great as the numbers suggest. Parker finished with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, while shooting 9-for-18 from the field, 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and 3-for-5 from the charity stripe. Honestly, the Spurs’ starting point guard didn’t run the offense very well. He was trying to score for himself too much without looking for his teammates at times. At other times, he wasn’t looking to score enough and was just looking to dish. The key for him is balance.
GRADE: 85
JANUARY: 85.3
SEASON: 86.1
Brent Barry
Barry played 22 minutes and made some key baskets. He finished 2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 from beyond the three-point line and 3-for-3 from the stripe. His three-pointer came at a time when the Spurs needed it the most. The team needs Barry to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the court. Four attempts aren’t enough for 22 minutes on the court. His defense is still adequate at best, so he has to make it up on the other end of the court.
GRADE: 86
JANUARY: 83.6
SEASON: 82.4
Beno Udrih
Udrih got 19 minutes of playing time even though his shot was off. For the game, Udrih was 2-for-7 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. He also only had one rebound and one assist in his time on the court. Udrih has cooled off as of late, shooting only 43.5% over his last five games. He also hasn’t hit a three-pointer in that stretch of games.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 84.9
SEASON: 84.5
Robert Horry
If nothing more, you can say that Horry did a nice job rebounding the ball. In an area that has been weak for him at times this year, Horry pulled down five boards in 14 minutes of play. Over the last two games, he has 13 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Offensively versus the Rockets, Horry didn’t have anything. He finished without a field goal and was only 2-for-4 at the line.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 85.9
SEASON: 85.4
Devin Brown
Brown got some more spot minutes as Barry has moved ahead of him in the rotation. He hit only 1-of-4 shots from the field and failed to have any meaningful impact on the game. With the Spurs struggling to score as they were, it was a perfect opportunity for Brown to come off the bench and spark the Spurs. Instead, he failed to do much in his 12 minutes of court time.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 80.9
SEASON: 83.9
Duncan is going to have to start playing better. The Spurs have enough talent to overcome his struggles most nights but currently, Duncan is in one of the worst funks of his career. Against the Rockets, he had slow decision making and it appeared that he lacked the legs around the basket at both ends of the court.
GRADE: 77
JANUARY: 83.5
SEASON: 86.6
Bruce Bowen
Bowen had an average game overall. He held Tracy McGrady in check for the most part, limiting him to 10-for-28 shooting from the field. He did whatever he could to defend McGrady and succeeding in slowing him. The problem for Bowen was on the other end of the court. He couldn’t get anything going offensive, going 1-for-3 from the field in 41 minutes of action.
GRADE: 84
JANUARY: 86.6
SEASON: 85.2
Rasho Nesterovic
In 29 minutes of play, Nesterovic did a commendable job. He defended Yao Ming well, holding him to only 13 points and eight rebounds. The Spurs’ starting center was physical with Yao, fighting for position and muscling him out of the lane. On offense, Nesterovic wasn’t as successful. He hit only 1-of-3 shots from the field, while he looked uncomfortable and confused on the offensive end.
GRADE: 84
JANUARY: 84.4
SEASON: 82.9
Manu Ginobili
Ginobili went down early in the third quarter with a thigh contusion. He suffered the injury when he drove the lane and collided with Yao Ming. Prior to getting injured, Ginobili wasn’t having a stellar game. He had hit 1-of-5 shots from the field and only 4-of-7 from the free throw line. His defense, however, was very good in his 15 minutes of action.
GRADE: 82
JANUARY: 87
SEASON: 87.8
Tony Parker
Parker numbers look great but his impact on the game wasn’t as great as the numbers suggest. Parker finished with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, while shooting 9-for-18 from the field, 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and 3-for-5 from the charity stripe. Honestly, the Spurs’ starting point guard didn’t run the offense very well. He was trying to score for himself too much without looking for his teammates at times. At other times, he wasn’t looking to score enough and was just looking to dish. The key for him is balance.
GRADE: 85
JANUARY: 85.3
SEASON: 86.1
Brent Barry
Barry played 22 minutes and made some key baskets. He finished 2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 from beyond the three-point line and 3-for-3 from the stripe. His three-pointer came at a time when the Spurs needed it the most. The team needs Barry to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the court. Four attempts aren’t enough for 22 minutes on the court. His defense is still adequate at best, so he has to make it up on the other end of the court.
GRADE: 86
JANUARY: 83.6
SEASON: 82.4
Beno Udrih
Udrih got 19 minutes of playing time even though his shot was off. For the game, Udrih was 2-for-7 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. He also only had one rebound and one assist in his time on the court. Udrih has cooled off as of late, shooting only 43.5% over his last five games. He also hasn’t hit a three-pointer in that stretch of games.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 84.9
SEASON: 84.5
Robert Horry
If nothing more, you can say that Horry did a nice job rebounding the ball. In an area that has been weak for him at times this year, Horry pulled down five boards in 14 minutes of play. Over the last two games, he has 13 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Offensively versus the Rockets, Horry didn’t have anything. He finished without a field goal and was only 2-for-4 at the line.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 85.9
SEASON: 85.4
Devin Brown
Brown got some more spot minutes as Barry has moved ahead of him in the rotation. He hit only 1-of-4 shots from the field and failed to have any meaningful impact on the game. With the Spurs struggling to score as they were, it was a perfect opportunity for Brown to come off the bench and spark the Spurs. Instead, he failed to do much in his 12 minutes of court time.
GRADE: 81
JANUARY: 80.9
SEASON: 83.9