Turnovers a problem for the Spurs

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pjjrfan

If it's not Tony, It's Timmy, or it's Manu. Our big three are the guys who set the tone, and they usually take turns leading the team in turnovers. And it's always the same kind, Tim throwing it to no one in particular, or turning into a pack of defenders and flailing his arms without the ball. With Tony he drives it in and comes up flailing without the ball, or he dribbles into the paint gets stuck and travels. And with Manu it's the lean back almost falling bounce pass to the other team or his trying to break through a double team without the ball which is usually going the other way. It's like deja vu, or the matrix going haywire.

---

Those turnovers don't really worry me THAT much because you can chalk those up to the other team defense taking a gamble and being succesful. It's part of their defense. Plus in all instances, if it's not a turnover, it most likely ends up in points in the basket due to a big advanatge (For example, Manu splitting the screen).
The actual turnovers that really have no excuse are the traveling on the fast break, or passing the ball too high or low or to some area where we don't even have a player at. I think those are very correctable, and really reflect a lack of focus.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DPG21920

This should be a very tough match up for the Spurs. Spurs have to find a way to keep Wallace off of the boards and they have to force this Bobcat team into shooting a lot of jumpers.

Boris Diaw is a guy who always gives the Spurs trouble. It will be very interesting to see who starts out on Jax/Wallace/Boris. That is a difficult match up for the Spurs. Spurs, if they take care of and move the ball, should get good looks inside and out. Spurs will get into to a lot of trouble if the ball sticks and they try and force things on the perimeter. The Cats perimeter defense is pretty solid.

---

The turnovers are surprising, but not completely unexpected. This is what I said before the game even started. Duncan is correct, the teams they have been playing as of late have hawks on them (Rondo, Ronnie Brewer, Gerald Wallace...).

Turnovers are nothing more than Pop's newest way of getting more repetition for his defense; practice makes perfect..

Parker had 7 TOs last night, but I'm not here to bash him, quite the contrary..

The Frenchman has noticeably changed his attitude essentially overnight, and the last two games come out of the gate with getting others involved his primary concern. He took only 7 shots last night to go with his 10 assists... but we won by double digits and had a strong defensive game, other than the 3rd quarter (where a large portion of our TOs came, IIRC). If Parker plays more of an equal opportunity PG role, as opposed to score first (or even pass first), this team fires on all cylinders.

7 TOs is unacceptable, but I'll take them if Parker can adjust into a role where both 1) he is comfortable and 2) the rest of the team is getting good shots.

Agreed. The 7 TO's is totally unacceptable. Less turnovers means more possessions and an increase in scoring opportunities.

That said, I am happy to see Tony seemingly change his approach toward being a floor leader in that it appears he's now looking to involve others in the offense, besides Tim and Manu.

As someone mentioned in another thread, the more assists he tallies, the less pounding he will have to take. Having players like RJ and Hill next to him, will help alleviate the offensive burden he's been carrying for the past 2 years.

We finally got a good rotation.

We are finally making our shots.

RJ is getting good.

Manu is getting good.

Everybody is getting healthy.

Now that we finally got our shit together, we start turning over the ball like crazy. Imagine how good we could be if we just valued the ball.

Damn.

I am concerned short term about the 81's, but not in the long term. This team has been very good at taking care of the ball. I expect that to return.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SenorSpur

As someone mentioned in another thread, the more assists he tallies, the less pounding he will have to take. Having players like RJ and Hill next to him, will help alleviate the offensive burden he's been carrying for the past 2 years.

---

I think this is an underrated, or possibly even overlooked characteristic of being a predominantly playmaking point guard. While that's not the role I want Parker playing (we need his scoring and that'd be operating outside of Pop's system anyway), it could be a way to get more rest for his body. He shouldn't have that drive drive drive and score mentality anymore, anyway - we have the players now for him to take it easy on nights others are rolling.

It's a process for Tony and it's not gonna happen overnight.

I'm just hoping to not see the Kobe-esque inability/stubbornness to find the happy medium of a couple years ago..

Unacceptable. No more excuses. If Spurs can't fixed this problem then we won't become elite...nor deserve elitism.

This was about the worst outing the Spurs can have out of a blowout win. We can't expect to go red hot from the field all season long and turn the ball over.

I was curious why Pop was inciting the team to keep the pace up last night, even when we were obviously out of control. Maybe Pop is experimenting with the fast break and wants the team to get as much experience as they can early in the season, even if the turnovers occur. I'm not saying I believe that, but the situation is curious.

Prior to the Philadelphia game, through the first 14 games, the Spurs were 8-6 and ranked 1st in the NBA in FEWEST Turnovers (11.7 per game). Since that game the Spurs have committed 17 against Phila., 18 vs. Boston, 19 vs. Denver, 15 vs. Utah, 13 vs. Sac, and 28 vs. Charlotte. That's an avg. of 18.3 per game over the past 6 games.

Although the Spurs are starting to get used to each other, it seems the opposition have picked up on how to bother San Antonio. Get up into them, strip Parker on his drives, poke at the ball when Ginobili crosses over to his right hand, and watch for skip passes to the wing.

The other teams are doing their part but to me it still feels like we're making idiotic mistakes like double dribbling, passing into the third row, passing to the other team.

I hope that this isn't somehow a product of getting RJ involved. Is it really that bad? By trying to play the team game, are we really that thrown out of our rhythm?

The odd thing is, in the past, typically it was Tim who would often give up silly turnovers from double teams in the post but that hasn't been the issue with this latest streak.

This team is not that bad. We've shown streaks of great play. They're mature enough and have a strong enough coach where this shouldn't continue.

I'd actually say that the MAJORITY of the turnovers have been the team's own doing and not the opponent's, at least IMO..

A lot of them are just really stupid turnovers..stupid decisions to force it inside, guys trying to make passes that they just can't make(Hill and Bonner in particular IMO), Tony driving into 3 defenders and being unable to make a play time and time again, Duncan occasionally trying to force a pass inside from the top of the key without looking for another option, Manu always has his Manu moments..we've even seen A NUMBER of turnovers with guys throwing it to the corner to another guy that was cutting, resulting in a ball thrown out of bounds..I've seen that turnover at least 5 times in the last 4 games, IIRC 2 times in the 1st quarter vs. Boston alone..

Also a lot of the TO's, at least from TP seem to be coming from his mind trying to do what his body cannot. He is not healthy and as a result, he has looked considerably slower. He is trying to make the moves he used to, which were always difficult, but now that he has lost a step early on he is getting ripped more. Should get better as his health improves and his explosiveness is back.