timvp
05-08-2008, 02:12 AM
To save series, Spurs' shooters must help Duncan
By Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
For 11 seasons, coaches across the NBA have spent countless hours devising ways to keep Tim Duncan from absolutely killing them.
Given Duncan's Hall of Fame résumé, it is safe to say most of those hours have been wasted.
Faced with the Duncan dilemma in this year's Western Conference semifinals, New Orleans coach Byron Scott seems to have come up with a novel solution. He has forced Duncan into a different sport altogether.
“They want Tim to be more of a quarterback,” Spurs guard Michael Finley said.
Like an NFL signal caller in the face of an all-out blitz, Duncan has seen a steady stream of double-teams headed his way the first two games of the series. The objective has been to make Duncan give up the ball, and force any Spurs player not wearing No. 21 to beat them.
So far, this approach has worked wonders for the Hornets.
They own a 2-0 series lead, in part because their “anybody but Duncan” plan has yielded fewer than 85 points in both games.
If the Spurs aim to get back in the series in a crucial Game 3 tonight at the AT&T Center, this much is evident: Duncan's receivers need to step up and make plays.
“Every year, people make a choice whether to double Timmy or not,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They've decided to double him and that means that people have to make shots. We haven't done that.”
Duncan has scored a grand total of 23 points in two games against the Hornets, but he also hasn't gotten much help.
Aside from a scorching first half from Bruce Bowen in Game 1 and a hot fourth quarter from Brent Barry in Game 2, the Spurs' perimeter shooters haven't made much of their open opportunities.
Manu Ginobili is 11 of 24 in the series, and 4 of 14 from 3-point range. Finley is 7 of 18 and 3 of 11. Bowen, after hitting five of his first six shots is one for his last 11.
So far in the series, the Spurs are shooting 41.7 percent, including 20 of 58 from the 3-point arc.
In another problem prompted by the Hornets' swarming defense, the Spurs have also committed 28 turnovers, leading to 44 points for New Orleans.
“They've obviously done a heck of a job defensively frustrating all of us, with their double-teaming and their shifting,” Duncan said. “Then it seems like they come the other way and they're not missing shots. That stacked on top of each other just makes the whole game very frustrating.”
Given Popovich's history of postseason tinkering in search of offensive punch, it wouldn't be surprising to see him shift Ginobili — the Spurs' leading scorer — from the bench to the starting five.
A less radical potential tweak: Barry, the Spurs' top perimeter shooter, could see more minutes after hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point land late in Game 2.
Neither adjustment, however, would alter the Spurs' No. 1 offensive objective heading into Game 3.
“They're packing it in, and they're giving us those (outside) shots,” Popovich said. “We've got to step up and make them.”
New Orleans' approach to defending Duncan is different than the one Phoenix used in the first round. The Suns sent only occasional double-teams Duncan's way and, as a result, he averaged 24.8 points in that series.
Perhaps Scott learned from the Suns' folly. Or, perhaps he learned from mistakes of his own.
The last time Scott faced the Spurs in the playoffs, as New Jersey's coach in the 2003 NBA Finals, he chose not to give Duncan the constant double-team treatment.
The Spurs won that series in six games, and Duncan averaged 24.2 points en route to his second of three Finals MVP awards.
Five years later, the Hornets have found success against the Spurs by turning Duncan almost exclusively into a passer.
Though Scott is pleased with the way his team has played defense so far, he says the Hornets are still giving up too many open looks. The Spurs tend to agree.
“We have great looks,” Tony Parker said. “That's not the problem.”
Still, don't expect the Hornets to change their strategy much in Game 3. The Spurs, meanwhile, could opt to give their offense a major makeover, and it still wouldn't change the reality.
A quarterback is only as good as his receivers, and a basketball team is only as good as its shooters.
“At the end of the day, you have to make shots,” Parker said. “That's the only thing.”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.050808.1C_BKN_Spurs-NO-G3.en.3888e40.html
By Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
For 11 seasons, coaches across the NBA have spent countless hours devising ways to keep Tim Duncan from absolutely killing them.
Given Duncan's Hall of Fame résumé, it is safe to say most of those hours have been wasted.
Faced with the Duncan dilemma in this year's Western Conference semifinals, New Orleans coach Byron Scott seems to have come up with a novel solution. He has forced Duncan into a different sport altogether.
“They want Tim to be more of a quarterback,” Spurs guard Michael Finley said.
Like an NFL signal caller in the face of an all-out blitz, Duncan has seen a steady stream of double-teams headed his way the first two games of the series. The objective has been to make Duncan give up the ball, and force any Spurs player not wearing No. 21 to beat them.
So far, this approach has worked wonders for the Hornets.
They own a 2-0 series lead, in part because their “anybody but Duncan” plan has yielded fewer than 85 points in both games.
If the Spurs aim to get back in the series in a crucial Game 3 tonight at the AT&T Center, this much is evident: Duncan's receivers need to step up and make plays.
“Every year, people make a choice whether to double Timmy or not,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They've decided to double him and that means that people have to make shots. We haven't done that.”
Duncan has scored a grand total of 23 points in two games against the Hornets, but he also hasn't gotten much help.
Aside from a scorching first half from Bruce Bowen in Game 1 and a hot fourth quarter from Brent Barry in Game 2, the Spurs' perimeter shooters haven't made much of their open opportunities.
Manu Ginobili is 11 of 24 in the series, and 4 of 14 from 3-point range. Finley is 7 of 18 and 3 of 11. Bowen, after hitting five of his first six shots is one for his last 11.
So far in the series, the Spurs are shooting 41.7 percent, including 20 of 58 from the 3-point arc.
In another problem prompted by the Hornets' swarming defense, the Spurs have also committed 28 turnovers, leading to 44 points for New Orleans.
“They've obviously done a heck of a job defensively frustrating all of us, with their double-teaming and their shifting,” Duncan said. “Then it seems like they come the other way and they're not missing shots. That stacked on top of each other just makes the whole game very frustrating.”
Given Popovich's history of postseason tinkering in search of offensive punch, it wouldn't be surprising to see him shift Ginobili — the Spurs' leading scorer — from the bench to the starting five.
A less radical potential tweak: Barry, the Spurs' top perimeter shooter, could see more minutes after hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point land late in Game 2.
Neither adjustment, however, would alter the Spurs' No. 1 offensive objective heading into Game 3.
“They're packing it in, and they're giving us those (outside) shots,” Popovich said. “We've got to step up and make them.”
New Orleans' approach to defending Duncan is different than the one Phoenix used in the first round. The Suns sent only occasional double-teams Duncan's way and, as a result, he averaged 24.8 points in that series.
Perhaps Scott learned from the Suns' folly. Or, perhaps he learned from mistakes of his own.
The last time Scott faced the Spurs in the playoffs, as New Jersey's coach in the 2003 NBA Finals, he chose not to give Duncan the constant double-team treatment.
The Spurs won that series in six games, and Duncan averaged 24.2 points en route to his second of three Finals MVP awards.
Five years later, the Hornets have found success against the Spurs by turning Duncan almost exclusively into a passer.
Though Scott is pleased with the way his team has played defense so far, he says the Hornets are still giving up too many open looks. The Spurs tend to agree.
“We have great looks,” Tony Parker said. “That's not the problem.”
Still, don't expect the Hornets to change their strategy much in Game 3. The Spurs, meanwhile, could opt to give their offense a major makeover, and it still wouldn't change the reality.
A quarterback is only as good as his receivers, and a basketball team is only as good as its shooters.
“At the end of the day, you have to make shots,” Parker said. “That's the only thing.”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.050808.1C_BKN_Spurs-NO-G3.en.3888e40.html