Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Hawks - Jan. 27

Following a demoralizing three-game losing streak in which all three contests were at home, the San Antonio Spurs finally got back in the win column with a 105-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. It was a much needed win and one that can hopefully serve as a stepping stone.

The Spurs played very good basketball in the first half, growing their lead to as large as 28 points. The Hawks chipped away in the second half and made it a single-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, however the Spurs were able to respond to all the runs to win in relatively easy fashion.

Atlanta is undoubtedly one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. Joe Johnson is a stud and the list of young, talented ballers on their squad is long. That said, I'm not a big fan of their gimmick switch-on-everything defense. Playing like that is only asking to be picked apart by the better teams in the league that have guards who can drive to the rim.

As for the Spurs, it was great to get a feel-good victory in this time of need. Unfortunately, the victory came with a price: a Tony Parker sprained ankle. If Parker misses extended time, this win won't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3173.jpg
35:00 minutes, 21 points, 27 rebounds, 6 assists
5-for-20 from the field, 11-for-11 at the line

Tim Duncan had a night to remember. His 27 rebounds set a new career-high and were the biggest factor in the Spurs getting the win. He also dished out six assists without turning the ball over. However, when it came to scoring the ball, Duncan wasn't very good. He shot poorly from the field and had trouble taking advantage of shorter defenders. Over the last four games, Duncan is shooting just 33.9% (21-for-62) from the floor. Considering that he began to physically breakdown last year in February, Duncan's offensive struggles are somewhat worrisome. That said, since Duncan was so dominant on the glass against the Hawks, those worries are likely unfounded.

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Manu Ginobili
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3380.jpg
27:42 minutes, 14 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds
5-for-16 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers, 3-for-3 at the line

Manu Ginobili continues to do his best work in the first half. After looking very lively in the first two quarters, Ginobili was just 1-for-5 in the second half. The sad truth is that the Argentine star just doesn't seem to be able to beat his man off the dribble very often anymore. Add in his lack of explosion when he gets to the rim and that's a recipe for a low shooting percentage. In his last eight games, Ginobili is connecting on only 32.7% (32-for-98) of his attempts from the floor and 27% (10-for-37) of his three-pointers. Thankfully, his passing and hustle has been off the charts lately, allowing Ginobili to retain a high amount of value. But the Spurs won't be a true contender if their star shooting guard continues to struggle so much to score.

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Tony Parker
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3527.jpg
26:59 minutes, 10 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers
4-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line

To make this homestand go from bad to worse, Tony Parker twisted his left ankle on a drive to the basket in the third quarter. He couldn't put any weight on it and needed to be carried off the court. It didn't look good, though the injury is now said to be minor. As for his performance, Parker was very solid. I liked his effort on defense and he ran the offense well. This was the third straight game Parker racked up at least eight assists. Hopefully we see him on the court again before too much longer.

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Richard Jefferson
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3523.jpg
32:17 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
5-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line

The stats don't look special but this was one of Richard Jefferson's best efforts of the season. He looked competent on defense; Jefferson even had a few good possessions against Joe Johnson. His aggression on the offensive end was at a good level and he authored a few nice assists. Rebounding was also a plus. Jefferson still has a long ways to go to live up to his potential but this was a step in the right direction.

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George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/4488.jpg
25:30 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
6-for-9 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line

George Hill once again looked the part of a starting shooting guard. He came out of the gates in attack mode and that energy served him well on the offensive end. When he's using his combination of speed, athleticism and length, he's a real asset. On the defensive end, things didn't go as smoothly. Hill had real trouble against Johnson and compounded issues by getting in foul trouble. Now that he has to once again fill in for Parker as the starting point guard, Hill needs to remain confident offensively while avoid fouling on the other end.

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Antonio McDyess
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3004.jpg
28:20 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds
8-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 at the line

Okay, now this is Antonio McDyess. Back in the starting lineup, McDyess played perhaps his best game of the season. He ran the court with authority, mixed it up down low and found space to shoot his jumper. McDyess looked more mobile than usual and played with more of an edge than we've seen at any point this year. When he plays this way, he's worth the money the Spurs gave him in the summer.

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DeJuan Blair
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/4642.jpg
16:08 minutes, 4 points, 9 rebounds, 2 turnovers
2-for-4 from the field

Back on the bench, DeJuan Blair continued to rebound the ball. It didn't matter if the Hawks put a bruiser or a jumping bean on him, Blair was owning the glass. The rest of his game, however, wasn't as polished. He made a few mistakes on the offensive end, mostly due to forcing the issue. On defense, Blair had trouble out on the perimeter and defending the pick-and-roll. It'll be interesting to see if Blair continues to get consistent minutes now that he's coming off the bench again.

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Keith Bogans
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3746.jpg
18:44 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds
2-for-3 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers

With Hill in foul trouble and Johnson going off, Pop inserted Keith Bogans. The results weren't too impressive. Bogans' defense had virtually no affect on Johnson -- Atlanta's star just shot over him. Bogans did good work on the boards and shot well ... but without quality defense, he isn't worth much.

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Matt Bonner
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3748.jpg
14:06 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
1-for-6 from the field, 0-for-4 on three-pointers

Matt Bonner is now 0-for-8 on three-pointers since his return. The good news is reports indicate that he's ready to remove the glove from his injured shooting hand. Bonner played pretty good defense against the Hawks and he was active on both ends. He'll need to start hitting shots from the outside to regain his value, however.

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Roger Mason, Jr.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/3628.jpg
13:20 minutes, 4 points
2-for-6 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers

From night to night, it must be difficult for Roger Mason, Jr. to know what to expect. Pop sometimes uses Mason as a hired gun off the bench. Other games Mason is an afterthought in the rotation. In Wednesday's contest, Mason had an average to above average outing. He was aggressive on the offensive end, had an impressive blocked shot on a dunk and played with a good amount of energy.

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

Pop's tinkering continues. Placing McDyess in the starting lineup was a logical move. As well as Blair has played, he's more suited for a bench role at this point in his career. Besides, if the Spurs are going to win a championship, they'll need McDyess to play well. I liked the rotation for the most part, especially the lack of small ball, but I thought he played Bogans a bit too much. When Bogans can't get the job done defensively, what's the use of having him on the court? Going forward without Parker, Pop is going to have to smartly rotate the guards since he really doesn't have a second point guard on the roster.

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Offense

The Spurs were able to score 105 points due to two reasons: crisp ball movement and rabid rebounding. The Spurs had 29 assists and only nine turnovers, while grabbing 19 offensive boards. Taking good care of the ball and getting second chances allowed the Spurs to easily survive their sub par shooting -- 43.5% from the field and 4-for-16 on three-pointers. Getting to the line (28 attempts) also helped.

Defense

While the Hawks did miss a handful of easy shots, the defense for San Antonio was solid. They held the Hawks to only 39.8% shooting and 5-for-20 on three-pointers. The Spurs only forced seven turnovers but they only gave up 15 assists, so that balanced out. Atlanta did well getting to the line (24 attempts) and on the offensive glass (12) but otherwise San Antonio has to been be proud of their effort.

Drive to Five

With Parker missing at least the next two games, the Spurs really need to fight their way to a few victories -- starting with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Believe.

Thankies!

Thanks for the game thoughts. Now that TP is out, I wonder if Pop will once again try out Mason as point guard.

good piece liked the analysis on ginobili

I thought Hill and Bogans did a decent job on JJ. JJ is a star...and played like a star.

I REALLY hope that this game becomes the "A-ha" moment for Jefferson and McDyess. The Spurs can be talked about as a contender with both of them playing at the level they played at during the Hawks game. Perhaps all the trade rumors lit a fire under their rears.

The Spurs should be able to win the next two at home even without Parker. Hey, Roger Mason is about to get more minutes, so we'll see how he steps up.

Crazy as it sounds, there is a blessing in disguise here regarding Tony's injury. It will force the team to go into bunker mentality and fight hard for wins and also ANY down time is good time for Tony's plantar fasciitis. Hopefully he'll really be off his feet the next week and getting some excellent treatment.

thanks mate
hill did the job
and yeah timmy what a game on the boards

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Originally Posted by GrandeDavid

Crazy as it sounds, there is a blessing in disguise here regarding Tony's injury. It will force the team to go into bunker mentality and fight hard for wins and also ANY down time is good time for Tony's plantar fasciitis.

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From what I've read, short downtimes doesn't help at all PFs... He'd need to rest way more than a month. Nevertheless, Tony seemed earlier in the seasons as he could really use some break to regain his usual self.

Pop will have to squeeze his brain hard to come up with a solid guard rotation. He might send Manu as a starter.

Timvp, how would you rotate the guards?

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Originally Posted by igruex

Timvp, how would you rotate the guards?

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I'm no Timvp but I'd make G Hill the starter and rotate him with Ginobli. Bogans gets the start and Mason rotates with him.

Depending on the score, pull Ginobli out early fourth and send in either Bogans/Mason together (not for long and only if necessary) to rest up Hill and Gino to finish out the fourth together.

I feel like Gino will take more advantage of Mason's shooting when he penetrates than Hill would. Hill just finishes (and that's a good thing).

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Originally Posted by Dice

I'm no Timvp but I'd make G Hill the starter and rotate him with Ginobli. Bogans gets the start and Mason rotates with him.

Depending on the score, pull Ginobli out early fourth and send in either Bogans/Mason together (not for long and only if necessary) to rest up Hill and Gino to finish out the fourth together.

I feel like Gino will take more advantage of Mason's shooting when he penetrates than Hill would. Hill just finishes (and that's a good thing).

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Stating that GH3-Manu will be, by far, the best guard combination we have, starting George with Bogans would be stupid IMO, in fact, Bogans should see playing time only with Manu (and maybe Mason) on the floor.

Hill will probably have to play 38+ minutes per game. Limiting Manu´s minutes is gonna be hard for Pop if Mason isn´t on a hot night

Yeah I didn't think bogans did that bad a job either. He stayed in front of Johnson well and had a hand up. Johnson just made alot of tough shots. Just a time when u tip ur hat to the better offensive shot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by igruex

Timvp, how would you rotate the guards?

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It's tricky because the Spurs now only have one good ballhandler (Hill) and two decent ballhandlers (Manu and RMJ). I think the best idea is to always have either Hill in the game or both Manu and RMJ. It would be a mistake to have a duo such as Manu and Bogans in the backcourt (or RMJ and Bogans).

I'm kinda surprised the Spurs haven't signed an emergency third string point guard -- especially since Hill is foul prone. If Hill gets in foul trouble, Manu might have to play 40 minutes just for the Spurs to try to survive.

Yeah suprised they haven't even brought in like an Antonio Daniels for a workout and a ten day...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by timvp

It's tricky because the Spurs now only have one good ballhandler (Hill) and two decent ballhandlers (Manu and RMJ). I think the best idea is to always have either Hill in the game or both Manu and RMJ. It would be a mistake to have a duo such as Manu and Bogans in the backcourt (or RMJ and Bogans).

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Having Hill and Bogans in the floor at the same time could (would) traduce in a stagnant offense, maybe with Bonner as a C spreading the floor, but I'm not sure it will workout.

On the other hand, Hill and Manu sharing the point was working pretty well, we're gonna miss it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by igruex

Having Hill and Bogans in the floor at the same time could (would) traduce in a stagnant offense, maybe with Bonner as a C spreading the floor, but I'm not sure it will workout.

On the other hand, Hill and Manu sharing the point was working pretty well, we're gonna miss it.

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With Hill and Bogans you still have Tim, Dice, and Jefferson on the floor. I don't see a better time to have Bogans in the game if you're going to use him at all.

I see more ISOs for RJ tonight...

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Originally Posted by timvp

Tim Duncan
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/3173.jpg
35:00 minutes, 21 points, 27 rebounds, 6 assists
5-for-20 from the field, 11-for-11 at the line

Tim Duncan had a night to remember. His 27 rebounds set a new career-high and were the biggest factor in the Spurs getting the win. He also dished out six assists without turning the ball over. However, when it came to scoring the ball, Duncan wasn't very good. He shot poorly from the field and had trouble taking advantage of shorter defenders. Over the last four games, Duncan is shooting just 33.9% (21-for-62) from the floor. Considering that he began to physically breakdown last year in February, Duncan's offensive struggles are somewhat worrisome. That said, since Duncan was so dominant on the glass against the Hawks, those worries are likely unfounded.

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That's what I was thinking as well. Let's hope it's just a shooting slump.

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Originally Posted by EricB

Yeah suprised they haven't even brought in like an Antonio Daniels for a workout and a ten day...

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Maybe they're waiting to see if the backcourt is a disaster tonight, or if the available personnel can handle it without a significant drop-off.

AD is still in Pops dog house from way back when. Pop holds a grudge better than any coach I'vs seen.

Trying to bring a new point guard in who'd have no experience with the team or plays wouldnt be very feasible if Tony is only gonna be gone for two games.

Sometimes you gotta dance with who you brung to the dance. They used Mason at PG before and Manu is maybe the best passer we have and is used to handling the ball so there really shouldn't be a problem for a couple of games.

It is a mystery to me why Roger Mason Jr. isn't playing at least 25 minutes a game.

It defies logic. There is no reason why he should be sitting while Keith Bogans plays 20+.

I feel for the guy.

Personally, I think Parker's injury will benefit the team. Tony wasn't doing anything to make his teammates better nor was he contributing on either end of the court.

Tony's priority was not winning an NBA championship this year so him sitting in place of someone like George Hill who does want to win will breathe fresh air into the squad.

Have Hill start, back him up with Manu and give Mason the lion's share of 2 guard minutes.

And call up that guy named Hairston- it's still unclear to me why he was never given a shot.

The next 3 weeks will define our season.

I'm not ready to give up just yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Walton Buys Off Me

It is a mystery to me why Roger Mason Jr. isn't playing at least 25 minutes a game.

It defies logic. There is no reason why he should be sitting while Keith Bogans plays 20+.

I feel for the guy.

Personally, I think Parker's injury will benefit the team. Tony wasn't doing anything to make his teammates better nor was he contributing on either end of the court.

Tony's priority was not winning an NBA championship this year so him sitting in place of someone like George Hill who does want to win will breathe fresh air into the squad.

Have Hill start, back him up with Manu and give Mason the lion's share of 2 guard minutes.

And call up that guy named Hairston- it's still unclear to me why he was never given a shot.

The next 3 weeks will define our season.

I'm not ready to give up just yet.

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+1

With Parker out, its almost a no-brainer to start Roger and give him the bulk of the minutes, otherwise the offense will probably bog down.

Will Pop make this adjustment? I'm not holding my breath....

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Originally Posted by TJastal

+1

With Parker out, its almost a no-brainer to start Roger and give him the bulk of the minutes, otherwise the offense will probably bog down.

Will Pop make this adjustment? I'm not holding my breath....

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Good post, Jason.

:toast

I see this as a chance for Hill to get some minutes at PG and hone his skills.

Hill playing point just delays the inevitable.

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Originally Posted by EricB

Hill playing point just delays the inevitable.

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Parker returns from injury?