Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Grizzlies -- Jan. 16

The San Antonio Spurs collapsed in the second half against the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday. On Saturday, the Spurs were back at work -- this time in Memphis against the up-and-coming Grizzlies. San Antonio once again collapsed in the second half, however this time they fought back and made a game of it.

Trailing 81-68 with eight minutes remaining in the game, the Spurs went on a 16-4 run to cut the deficit to one point with two minutes remaining. On the next possession, Tim Duncan blocked a Zach Randolph layup but then missed an easy shot on the other end that could have given the Spurs the lead. Later, the Spurs had a chance to tie the game with about 15 seconds remaining but Roger Mason, Jr. missed a three-pointer. The Grizzlies hit their free throws down the stretch and were able to win 92-86.

The Grizzlies are actually a good team right now. They've won eight games in a row at home and they are one of the best offensive teams in the league. They have five legit starters and a bench filled with lively youngsters. They likely won't make the playoffs but their future looks brighter than it has in a long while.

As for the Spurs, this two-game losing streak is disappointing coming off of the two big wins against the Lakers and Thunder. It appeared as if the Spurs were making progress in the right direction. Guess not.

Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3173.jpg
32:51 minutes, 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
11-for-17 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line

Against the Bobcats, Tim Duncan didn't look right. Against the Grizzlies, he looked fine -- which might have been the best news of the night. He scored well and his help defense was very good. He had a few poor plays late but overall Spurs fans should be pleased with his performance. Even on a back-to-back with knees that have seen a ton of miles, Duncan is the Spur that appears most ready to play.

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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3380.jpg
26:48 minutes, 9 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
3-for-10 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 0-for-2 at the line

Manu Ginobili was inconsistent on the night but he made plays in a number of areas. His passing remains top notch and his help defense was good. However, stamina once again was an issue. Ginobili didn't score in the fourth quarter and his quickness seemed to fade as the game progressed. Going 0-for-5 on two-pointers also points to Ginobili not having his legs.

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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3527.jpg
29:43 minutes, 4 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
2-for-8 from the field

Tony Parker was a ghost. I'm not sure if he's hurting, tired or both but he can't play much worse than he did on Saturday night. He wasn't doing much of anything on either end. He tried to get himself rolling at different points in the game but he just didn't have the necessary gas in the tank. Pop may have to consider sitting him to rest up and recharge if this type of play continues.

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Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3523.jpg
20:46 minutes, 3 points
0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line

After the game, Pop called the Spurs soft. If Pop wanted to be more specific, he could have just pointed to Richard Jefferson. Jefferson was soft in his post defense, soft closing out to shooting and soft on the offensive end. In the first half, the Spurs lost their momentum when Jefferson let Randolph abuse him. It didn't get better in the second half and he watched the final nine minutes from the bench. If this type of soft play continues, the trade for Jefferson will go down as a huge bust.

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Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3746.jpg
32:23 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 turnovers
5-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line

Keith Bogans came into the game in a 3-for-21 slump. He reacted by forcing his way into the paint to try to get easier shots. While his field goal percentage was aided by that tactic, it also had a hand in Bogans finishing with five turnovers. The Spurs simply can't afford for their fifth option to rack up that many turnovers. On the defense, Bogans really gave good effort against Randolph, but his small size made it very difficult for the Spurs to get the rebound even when Memphis missed shots.

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DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/4642.jpg
23:38 minutes, 8 points, 8 rebounds
4-for-7 from the field

DeJuan Blair had an average game. He scored and rebounded well but his energy wasn't up to his normal standards. Considering that he's mostly an energy player at this point in his career, that's not good. Defensively, I actually liked the work he did against Randolph. His help defense wasn't very good, though.

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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/3628.jpg
19:22 minutes, 17 points
7-for-14 from the field, 3-for-6 on three-pointers

Roger Mason, Jr. hit his first two shots of the game. He had a dry spell but woke up late to give the Spurs a shot to win. Mason had eight points in the last three and a half minutes, including a pair of three-pointers. With the offense struggling to score, it was Mason who stepped up and gave the Spurs hope. Good effort even though it turned out to be too little, too late.

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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/4488.jpg
28:26 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds
2-for-8 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers

It was another tough outing for George Hill. After a stretch in which he was one of the better bench players in the NBA, Hill is now heading in the other direction. Not only could he not connect from the field, his defense wasn't very impressive and his playmaking was missing in action. In the last three games, Hill has a total of one assist in 95 minutes. Part of the reason why the Spurs aren't scoring efficiently as of late is their backup point guard isn't making any plays.

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Ian Mahinmi
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3954.jpg
13:59 minutes, 1 points, 5 rebound
0-for-3 from the field


Ian Mahinmi got his second legitimate shot to show what he can do on the NBA level. The results this time were mixed. Offensively, he looked a bit uncoordinated on top of not being sure where he belonged in the sets. His defense wasn't bad but his excessive fouling was certainly a negative once again. The bright spot was Mahinmi's rebounding, plus I was impressed with his speed up and down the court. We'll see if Pop keeps giving him chances.

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Theo Ratliff
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3020.jpg
7:38 minutes, 5 rebounds

Theo Ratliff played decently well in his seven and a half minutes. He did good work on the boards in addition to his standard solid defense. If the interior defense doesn't pick up, Ratliff may have to start playing more often.

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Marcus Haislip
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3611.jpg
4:26 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds
2-for-4 from the field

Marcus Haislip had easily the best game of his Spurs career. He scored his four points and pulled down his three rebounds in the fourth quarter. Haislip's production prompted Pop to put back in horses and make a run at the win.

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Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg

Energy has been a problem the last two outings. While fatigue can be an excuse, Pop also deserves the blame for not putting lineups on the court that have the necessary juice. I don't understand why Pop played Parker 30 minutes with as bad as Parker was playing. Going small against Randolph turned out to be a poor move, especially in the first quarter. All in all, Pop's coaching was definitely poor.

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Offense

The offense once again suffered -- and this time the Spurs didn't have the excuse of playing against an elite defensive team. The Spurs shot 41.4% from the floor, hit just 7-of-21 three-pointers and got to the line only 12 times (hitting seven). Turning the ball over 16 times is too much, especially when the team only has 14 assists.

Defense

The defense was pretty good at times. When the Spurs were making their run in the fourth quarter, the activity on the defensive end was actually really impressive. But overall they needed to play better defense for more of the 48 minutes. The Grizzlies shot 43.4% from the field and were 3-for-9 on three-pointers, which are both acceptable numbers for the Spurs. But the Grizzlies got to the line 27 times and outrebounded the Spurs 51-44 thanks to 17 offensive rebounds. Those two numbers are obviously unacceptable.

Drive to Five

The Spurs now have to play their fifth game in six and a half days when they take on the New Orleans Hornets on Monday afternoon. Getting a win here would avoid having to classify this road trip as a disaster.

Believe.

Sorry to burst your bubble timvp, but you put Ian's picture in Ratliff's profile. But still good game thoughts and great to hear it after i missed the game.

Thanks for game thoughts as always

Pop needs to lay into Jefferson.

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Originally Posted by Muser

Pop needs to lay into Jefferson.

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+1

Jefferson responded with a few good games last time Pop got in his face. The spurs really need to get some bang for the buck they are paying Jefferson and if it takes getting a little nasty so be it.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Gregg Popovich
http://dailyelements.com/pop-stoic.jpg

Energy has been a problem the last two outings. While fatigue can be an excuse, Pop also deserves the blame for not putting lineups on the court that have the necessary juice. I don't understand why Pop played Parker 30 minutes with as bad as Parker was playing. Going small against Randolph turned out to be a poor move, especially in the first quarter. All in all, Pop's coaching was definitely poor.

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Fatigued teams don't turn garbage times into real games in the fourth quarters. Fatigue is an issue for Parker only. No excuse for the others.
I am happy to see that I am not the only one to have noticed that removal of Blair-on-Randolph transfomed instantly the latter, and the little lead turned into a push for Memphis.

Aside from being a little harsh on Hill and too "soft" of Jefferson, I agree with the rest. Let me tell you you are pretty darn good at it, and you could easily making a living scouting. Supposing you are not, already.

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Sorry to burst your bubble timvp, but you put Ian's picture in Ratliff's profile. But still good game thoughts and great to hear it after i missed the game.

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my very first thought was that I didn't realize they looked so much alike...

The turnovers have been highly frustrating, and I don't want to hear any excuses about 5 games in 6.5 days. Manu was quoted in the Express News in an unmotivated tone, complaining about the early game and load of games. We get it, Manu. But its important for this team to force a positive tone in everything. Its almost as if they've surrendered before the opening tip. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I feel a shadow of self-defeat.

Manu has looked simply bad these last couple outings, and Tony clearly is unable of carrying this team like he did last season.

Decisions.

Teh internets are muy difficulto.

Awesome, nice 8:30 start here :)

thanks timvp... didn't see the game but im VERY glad to hear that Marcus showed something... was it something worth writing home about?

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Originally Posted by urunobili

thanks timvp... didn't see the game but im VERY glad to hear that Marcus showed something... was it something worth writing home about?

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Not really. He hustled out there but he still doesn't look like an NBA player.

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Originally Posted by benefactor

Not really. He hustled out there but he still doesn't look like an NBA player.

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:depressed

I won't give up on him developing further on the Spurs system... What we can tell at this point is that he has got over himself if he has been patient enough to be at the very end of the bench and still trying to contribute when given minutes...

We'll see... :king

The effort is there, but he lacks so many basic fundamentals. From what I have seen so far he is not much more than a very good athlete that happens to play basketball. TBQH, I'd rather see Mahinmi take whatever minutes Pop would consider using on Haislip.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3523.jpg
20:46 minutes, 3 points
0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line

After the game, Pop called the Spurs soft. If Pop wanted to be more specific, he could have just pointed to Richard Jefferson. Jefferson was soft in his post defense, soft closing out to shooting and soft on the offensive end. In the first half, the Spurs lost their momentum when Jefferson let Randolph abuse him. It didn't get better in the second half and he watched the final nine minutes from the bench. If this type of soft play continues, the trade for Jefferson will go down as a huge bust.

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Yeah this is getting to be a problem that's spiraling out of control. Does RJ have self confidence issues? Is it a problem with the system and his place in it?

It's been said numerous times, RJ just doesn't have the requisite demeanor of a person who's really engaged and hungry for a title. He's definitely not the same player we went up against when he was in NJ. :(

Time will tell but timvp hit the nail on the head....this could turn out to be a major bust unless we start seeing some fire from Jefferson, and soon.

Do people still think George Hill is a point guard?

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Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Do people still think George Hill is a point guard?

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Well,he is as PG as Tony was.

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Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Do people still think George Hill is a point guard?

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I'm not sure why the whole "product of the system" applies for Tony and not Hill.

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Originally Posted by Josepatches_

Well,he is as PG as Tony was.

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Hill makes Parker look like John Stockton when it comes to point guard ability.

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Originally Posted by z0sa

I'm not sure why the whole "product of the system" applies for Tony and not Hill.

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Ninety-five minutes, one assist? I don't think even present-day Michael Finley does that.

I like Hill. He's a solid all-around player, and maybe one day will be a very good starter. But there's no indication he's anybody's point guard of the future.

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Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Ninety-five minutes, one assist? I don't think even present-day Michael Finley does that.

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Perhaps I came off more snide than I intended. I think it's obvious he's a 2guard, but just how much Pop's coaching has to do with his lack of playmaking is the problem. I believe Pop is telling Hill to attack attack attack in the backup PG spot and that's reinforcing the SG mentality he naturally possesses. Also, TP is the primary ball handler during Hill's minutes at the 2, while during George's time at the point he splits much of his ballhandling duties with Manu. I just don't see what's happening within the system to further mold him into more of a playmaker. It looks like the opposite is being encouraged, actually.

I agree on the small ball against Randolf. He was eating up RJ. To me, it seems like Pop sometimes plays with rotations just to see what will work for the future and doesn't realize how much it impacts the immediate game. If that is the case, then why try to make a come back by leaving in TP and Duncan?

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Originally Posted by benefactor

Not really. He hustled out there but he still doesn't look like an NBA player.

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True. I still like his energy and possible upside. On the other hand, RJ didn't have any energy and didn't look like an NBA player. Who would you rather have on the court when this happens?

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Originally Posted by Muser

Awesome, nice 8:30 start here :)

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9:30 over here, but still nice. :toast

Parker was really awful to watch against the Grizz. He sure looks like he could need some rest.

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Originally Posted by z0sa

Perhaps I came off more snide than I intended. I think it's obvious he's a 2guard, but just how much Pop's coaching has to do with his lack of playmaking is the problem. I believe Pop is telling Hill to attack attack attack in the backup PG spot and that's reinforcing the SG mentality he naturally possesses.

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I agree that Pop appears to be trying to make Hill into exactly the same kind of point guard that Parker is. However, I'm not sure what other kind of point guard Hill could ever be. He's not a selfish player, but he's not a guy who's first instinct is to set up a teammate. He's not a bad ballhandler, but he's not a creative passer. And then on top of that he's not a great penetrator off the dribble (which even Parker's harshest critic must admit is his one strength).

Me, I believe that point guards are born, not made. The only reason anyone is even thinking about making Hill a point guard is because he's 6'2" and not 6'5".

I posted this already, but I think Ian was actually decent.

4 fouls, but 2 bogus fouls, and he also drew 4 fouls, including one just by him being held to keep him from running the court. He was able to handle Manu's pass in the PnR, and competed hard. He contested shots, and blocked out well.

He missed a jumper, missed a layup where he was fouled, and got blocked on a drive where he should have waited to make sure Manu's man cleared the paint.

Also, for all his foul trouble, he avoided his biggest problem. He had zero fouls for moving screens.