duncan228
05-23-2008, 01:18 PM
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=8802
Is Defense Enough for the Spurs?
By: Eric Pincus
The San Antonio Spurs get a second crack at Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at STAPLES Center. For about 2 1/2 quarters the Lakers looked overmatched in Game 1, but the Spurs 20-point lead hastily evaporated and the Lakers were able to secure a 1-0 series lead.
Was the Spurs early dominance a fluke or do the Lakers have reason to be concerned?
Spurs Offensive Limitations
It is difficult to get a feel for a series based on a single game. What's noteworthy and perhaps more salient are the Spurs' statistics over their 13 games played this postseason.
Without a doubt Tony Parker has been the team's most steady scorer. His 23.2 ppg has come on 49.8% shooting from the field and 42.9% from behind the arc.
Second is Tim Duncan with 20.1 ppg to go with 13.7 rpg and 2.2 bpg. A bigger worry for the Spurs is that Duncan is shooting just 46.2% from the field; well below his career shooting percentage of about 50%.
Manu Ginobili is averaging 19.2 ppg, shooting 42.7% from the field and 37.3% from long range.
The drop-off after the big three is significant. The next trio of scorers (Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka) average between 6 and 6.5 ppg. Only Udoka is shooting at a high percentage (48.4%). Both Finley and Bowen have struggled at just 40.7% and 36.5%, respectively.
Beyond the aforementioned six, no other Spur is averaging more than 4.0 ppg.
When looking at the numbers and the results of Game 1, the Spurs have only two effective penetrators. Lack of outside shooting has left Duncan with less room to operate. The Spurs aren't making teams pay for sagging onto Duncan.
Slow down either Parker or Ginobili (or both), crowd Duncan and the Spurs aren't going to put up a lot of points.
In Defense of the Spurs
San Antonio has obviously played well enough to get to the Western Conference Finals. Through 13 games they have an 8-5 record. In losses, scoring has been a seious issue with the Spurs putting up just 83.2 ppg. Their average margin in losses has been 16.4 ppg.
In the eight games they've won, the Spurs have reeled off 103.3 ppg while yielding 92.3 ppg. The setback to the Lakers on Wednesday was the first time San Antonio did not give up at least 100 points in defeat.
When San Antonio won the title last year, Duncan was far more efficient at 52.1% from the field. While they did have a fourth scorer in double figures (Finley with 11.3 ppg), Ginobili shot just 40.1% from the field and the team's strengths and weaknesses were very similar to this year's contender.
In other words, the Spurs can and have won without a high-powered offense. In fact, in 2005 when they won the title, Duncan only shot 46.4% from the field. That year San Antonio got 20.8 ppg from Ginobili on 50.7% shooting but still only had the big three in double figures.
Over their past two championship seasons (2005 and 2007), the Spurs averaged 96.3 ppg while yielding 92.2 ppg.
While this year's contender is almost putting up the same number of points (95.5 ppg), the Spurs are allowing 95.1 ppg. Their defense is still strong considering the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Lakers all averaged over 100 ppg offensively, but the margin is much tighter.
So far this postseason LA has averaged 110.0 ppg with four rotation players shooting 49.2% from the field or better. LA's top six scorers are all shooting at least 43.5%.
Even in the final quarter of Wednesday's Laker comeback, LA shot just 40% in the last 12 minutes and just 43.2% for the game. The Spurs held the Lakers to 21 points below their average.
If they can continue to clamp down defensively at the same rate, San Antonio has a very good chance to beat LA despite the Spurs' offensive shortcomings.
Bad Shooting Night or Better Defense?
In shooting just 43.2% from the field to score 89 points, the Lakers got poor shooting nights from both Derek Fisher (1-9) and Lamar Odom (3-12).
As a team LA has shot 48.2% throughout the playoffs. Clearly they were bothered by the Spurs' defense. It remains to be seen if this was an anomaly or a fact of life playing against San Antonio.
The Lakers have a greater upside offensively but the Spurs have won rings by playing championship-level defense.
Game 2 is Friday night . . .
Is Defense Enough for the Spurs?
By: Eric Pincus
The San Antonio Spurs get a second crack at Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at STAPLES Center. For about 2 1/2 quarters the Lakers looked overmatched in Game 1, but the Spurs 20-point lead hastily evaporated and the Lakers were able to secure a 1-0 series lead.
Was the Spurs early dominance a fluke or do the Lakers have reason to be concerned?
Spurs Offensive Limitations
It is difficult to get a feel for a series based on a single game. What's noteworthy and perhaps more salient are the Spurs' statistics over their 13 games played this postseason.
Without a doubt Tony Parker has been the team's most steady scorer. His 23.2 ppg has come on 49.8% shooting from the field and 42.9% from behind the arc.
Second is Tim Duncan with 20.1 ppg to go with 13.7 rpg and 2.2 bpg. A bigger worry for the Spurs is that Duncan is shooting just 46.2% from the field; well below his career shooting percentage of about 50%.
Manu Ginobili is averaging 19.2 ppg, shooting 42.7% from the field and 37.3% from long range.
The drop-off after the big three is significant. The next trio of scorers (Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka) average between 6 and 6.5 ppg. Only Udoka is shooting at a high percentage (48.4%). Both Finley and Bowen have struggled at just 40.7% and 36.5%, respectively.
Beyond the aforementioned six, no other Spur is averaging more than 4.0 ppg.
When looking at the numbers and the results of Game 1, the Spurs have only two effective penetrators. Lack of outside shooting has left Duncan with less room to operate. The Spurs aren't making teams pay for sagging onto Duncan.
Slow down either Parker or Ginobili (or both), crowd Duncan and the Spurs aren't going to put up a lot of points.
In Defense of the Spurs
San Antonio has obviously played well enough to get to the Western Conference Finals. Through 13 games they have an 8-5 record. In losses, scoring has been a seious issue with the Spurs putting up just 83.2 ppg. Their average margin in losses has been 16.4 ppg.
In the eight games they've won, the Spurs have reeled off 103.3 ppg while yielding 92.3 ppg. The setback to the Lakers on Wednesday was the first time San Antonio did not give up at least 100 points in defeat.
When San Antonio won the title last year, Duncan was far more efficient at 52.1% from the field. While they did have a fourth scorer in double figures (Finley with 11.3 ppg), Ginobili shot just 40.1% from the field and the team's strengths and weaknesses were very similar to this year's contender.
In other words, the Spurs can and have won without a high-powered offense. In fact, in 2005 when they won the title, Duncan only shot 46.4% from the field. That year San Antonio got 20.8 ppg from Ginobili on 50.7% shooting but still only had the big three in double figures.
Over their past two championship seasons (2005 and 2007), the Spurs averaged 96.3 ppg while yielding 92.2 ppg.
While this year's contender is almost putting up the same number of points (95.5 ppg), the Spurs are allowing 95.1 ppg. Their defense is still strong considering the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Lakers all averaged over 100 ppg offensively, but the margin is much tighter.
So far this postseason LA has averaged 110.0 ppg with four rotation players shooting 49.2% from the field or better. LA's top six scorers are all shooting at least 43.5%.
Even in the final quarter of Wednesday's Laker comeback, LA shot just 40% in the last 12 minutes and just 43.2% for the game. The Spurs held the Lakers to 21 points below their average.
If they can continue to clamp down defensively at the same rate, San Antonio has a very good chance to beat LA despite the Spurs' offensive shortcomings.
Bad Shooting Night or Better Defense?
In shooting just 43.2% from the field to score 89 points, the Lakers got poor shooting nights from both Derek Fisher (1-9) and Lamar Odom (3-12).
As a team LA has shot 48.2% throughout the playoffs. Clearly they were bothered by the Spurs' defense. It remains to be seen if this was an anomaly or a fact of life playing against San Antonio.
The Lakers have a greater upside offensively but the Spurs have won rings by playing championship-level defense.
Game 2 is Friday night . . .