McDonald: Spurs ‘can't make a bucket'

Headline changed:

Spurs ‘can't make a bucket'

Poor shooting dooms Spurs vs. Nuggets
Jeff McDonald

By nature, NBA coaches spend their lives complicating the game of basketball. They pore over tape, scour scouting reports and come up with countless permutations of Xs and Os.

At the end of the day, however, the winners and losers are defined by one unbending rule.

“If you can’t make a bucket,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “you can’t win.”

The Spurs learned that lesson – again – during another clank-filled game Sunday afternoon, a 103-89 loss to Denver at the AT&T Center in which they might as well have been trying to fit the ball through the eye of a needle.

The Spurs were 34-of-79 (43 percent), including a dismal 3 of 17 from the 3-point line, while the Nuggets shot 53.6 percent and were 9 of 12.

This wasn’t a new phenomenon. During the homestand, the Spurs shot 42.9 percent, and made just 29.4 percent of their 3-pointers.

“If you look at our shooting and look at their shooting, it makes (winning) pretty impossible,” Popovich said. “We can’t shoot like this two out of every four games and expect to get anywhere.”

Denver’s Chauncey Billups had 25 points and 11 assists – and made play after play in the fourth quarter – and Kenyon Martin added 27 and 11 rebounds to hand the Spurs a 2-4 finish to a six-game homestand.

The Nuggets (32-15) won without NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony, who missed his fourth game with a sprained left ankle. The Spurs (27-19) were without Tony Parker, who missed his second game with the same injury.

In lieu of further complication, Popovich had a simple solution for the Spurs’ woes.

“People have got to step up and make some damn shots,” he said.

Sunday, the misses were a team-wide epidemic.

Roger Mason Jr, making his second start, responded by going 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Manu Ginobili’s January shooting percentage had ebbed under 40 percent even before he went 3-for-11, with three misses coming on wild drives during Denver’s 12-0 run to close the first half.

Richard Jefferson was 5 of 14. Matt Bonner was 1 for 4 on 3-pointers.

Tim Duncan’s problem wasn’t making shots but getting them. He finished 5 for 10, with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but managed just one attempt during a fourth quarter that was tight until the final two minutes.

“We had so many opportunities where we could break the game,” Ginobili said, “or at least change it.”

One came midway through the fourth. The Spurs had closed a 14-point deficit to two. Mason had a clean look at a corner three for the lead, and – with the arena poised to erupt – hit the back of the iron.

If that didn’t cause the vein in Popovich’s neck to bulge, what happened next did. Billups dribbled up, staggered Jefferson with a jab step, then stroked a 3-pointer to put Denver up five.

“That was a big part of the game,” Billups said. “If Roger makes that shot, you never know what might happen.”

There were more what-ifs to come. After Antonio McDyess’ 20-footer brought the Spurs back within two with 3:24 left, the Spurs finally appeared to have made an elusive defensive stop.

McDyess helped on a driving Billups, who went airborne without any good option. Somehow, he shuffled the ball underhanded to Martin, who was fouled by Jefferson and finished a 3-point play.

On Denver’s next possession, Martin suffered a rare mid-range miss, and Nene tipped the ball to Billups. He dished to J.R. Smith, who swished a back-breaking 3-pointer.

That put Denver ahead 95-83 with 2:25 remaining.

“We made too many mistakes,” Ginobili said, “but plays like that are demoralizing.”

If the Spurs are to get “re-moralized,” it will have to come on the road. An eight-game rodeo trip, which will keep them out of their gym until Feb. 24, looms.

Perhaps the rims will be friendlier away from home.

*********************

Slideshow.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/Nuggets_..._89.html?c=n#1

“People have got to step up and make some damn shots,” he said.





Or Pop you could get personnel that can create an efficient shot for themselves.

Oh wait we have a player that can do that, I think his name is Tim Duncan? .........

You know the guy who we didn't go to one time in the 4th quarter.

How about not being dismally bad on defense and giving up a 12-0 run to end the second quarter for a change?

:lol @ players and coaches on both teams throwing RMJ under the bus.

Great coaching, duh, we gotta make our shots.

How about passing the ball three and maybe four times to find an open shooter and if they crowd the shooter then maybe attacking the basket would be nice.

I really hate isolation plays. We just tend to dribble, dribble, dribble, and chuck.

How about we actully close out on guys like Aaron Afflalo and Kenyon Martin? Maybe we could have got some stops and win the game. Dumbass article.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

:lol @ players and coaches on both teams throwing RMJ under the bus.

---

RMJ was otherwise really really good IMO. His defense and energy were there, but his shot wasn't dropping. I have a really hard time blaming the guy since he's gotten his first start in forever. If the person in charge has a lick of sense he'll realize that and keep Roger starting for a few more games to see if he can put it together.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

How about not being dismally bad on defense and giving up a 12-0 run to end the second quarter for a change?

---

And a 16-4 run to conclude matters as well.......

Looking carefully at the Spurs shot selection, most are difficult and the ones that are wide open aren't dropping. At the end of the day, you just gotta put the rock in the hole.

lol i dont think there trying to throw rmj under the bus. seems like they are just as surprised as we are, seeing roger miss those wide open threes.

Story of the season.

Spurs don't struggle to get open looks. More often than not, the offense is doing its job.

They're just failing to make open shots.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You can draw up all the Xs and Os that you want, but it doesn't mean squat if you can't put the ball in the hole. I sit and watch other teams drain tough shot after tough shot, while the Spurs continue to clang open looks, and I have to wonder where the focus is.

2nd story of the season.

Spurs getting routinely beat defensively. Once again, Pop is Captain Obvious. Of course, you can't win if you don't make shots, but you still have to make more than the other team. Pop has sold his soul for more offense, now he has a team that he probably doesn't recognize. A team that plays "swiss cheese", matador, defense.

Scoring is essential, necessary and important. Yet getting stops during crucial stages of the game is almost as important. Otherwise, you're trying to outscore your opponent. With that, you may as well bring back Bob Hill as an assistant.

if mason can't make these shots now, he sure isn't going to make them in the playoffs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

How about not being dismally bad on defense and giving up a 12-0 run to end the second quarter for a change?

---

OLD POP would focus on that there, this one just says we didn't make shots and we need to blah blah blah. Same crap every game, and I am sick of hearing it honestly.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to many of us that ever since the first time we heard the "I'll bench you for not shooting if you're open" the SPurs' ability to dictate the pace has disintegrated. The Spurs have demonstrated for years now that an open shot isn't necessarily a good shot. While the Spurs settle for jumpers and become more and more passive, their defensive and rebounding intensity goes out the window. One would think that watching Dallas fail year after year with a reliance on jump shooting would encourage you to stop aspiring to become them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 024

if mason can't make these shots now, he sure isn't going to make them in the playoffs.

---

Mason can make the shots. He made several big shots the other night. Nothing throws off a guy's rhythm by not letting him know what his role is or if he's even going to be asked to contribute in a game. Mason had a bad shooting day but did everything else asked of him being thrown into a starting role.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dex

Story of the season.

Spurs don't struggle to get open looks. More often than not, the offense is doing its job.

They're just failing to make open shots.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You can draw up all the Xs and Os that you want, but it doesn't mean squat if you can't put the ball in the hole. I sit and watch other teams drain tough shot after tough shot, while the Spurs continue to clang open looks, and I have to wonder where the focus is.

---

There's a line between "getting an open look" and "settling for a jump shot". It's not as fine a line as many of us think.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

There's a line between "getting an open look" and "settling for a jump shot". It's not as fine a line as many of us think.

---

Touche.

With the drive and pitch offense, I guess the Spurs are able to generate open jump shots. But as the saying goes, if you live by the three, you die by the three.

When I think back to periods when the Spurs are at their best, it's either when Parker or Ginobili is driving it to the bucket (something they have not been able to do consistently), or when Timmy working his the post game and passing out of the double (something Tim seems to be drawing far less of). Without those driving forces, the Spurs become a jump-shooting team, and I think most opposing coaches will live with us shooting jump shots. If we get hot, we get hot. But that's happening less and less

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

Mason can make the shots. He made several big shots the other night. Nothing throws off a guy's rhythm by not letting him know what his role is or if he's even going to be asked to contribute in a game. Mason had a bad shooting day but did everything else asked of him being thrown into a starting role.

---

Agreed. What's the point of working back in a vet who was over the hill 2 seasons ago? Now we're also seeing how a guy like Blair will lose minutes to Bonner, even when his production is better. I wouldn't be surprised if Blair starts to struggle again in reduced minutes (like before Bonner injured his hand and there was talk of rookie wall).
Mason was playing great off the bench. Now he most likely will lose minutes to Finley.

I wish we would trade Fin and Bonner already. Just get the out of the team so Pop can't play them. Some people here were saying that by mid-season Finley would be at the very end of the bench... well, here we are. He's far from the end of the bench, what now?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dex

I sit and watch other teams drain tough shot after tough shot, while the Spurs continue to clang open looks, and I have to wonder where the focus is.

---

Which ones were that? The countless open 15 footers K-Mart had, or the open threes Afflalo and J.R. had?

The defense is awful too you know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElNono

Agreed. What's the point of working back in a vet who was over the hill 2 seasons ago? Now we're also seeing how a guy like Blair will lose minutes to Bonner, even when his production is better. I wouldn't be surprised if Blair starts to struggle again in reduced minutes (like before Bonner injured his hand and there was talk of rookie wall).
Mason was playing great off the bench. Now he most likely will lose minutes to Finley.

I wish we would trade Fin and Bonner already. Just get the out of the team so Pop can't play them. Some people here were saying that by mid-season Finley would be at the very end of the bench... well, here we are. He's far from the end of the bench, what now?

---

What's worse is that Dice got the lion's share of minutes while Bonner and Blair had to split the rest, and he was by far the worst of the three. Bonner had as good a game as anyone today.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dex

Touche.

With the drive and pitch offense, I guess the Spurs are able to generate open jump shots. But as the saying goes, if you live by the three, you die by the three.

When I think back to periods when the Spurs are at their best, it's either when Parker or Ginobili is driving it to the bucket (something they have not been able to do consistently), or when Timmy working his the post game and passing out of the double (something Tim seems to be drawing far less of). Without those driving forces, the Spurs become a jump-shooting team, and I think most opposing coaches will live with us shooting jump shots. If we get hot, we get hot. But that's happening less and less

---

Getting a guy a catch and shoot three off a penetration is something that comes at the end of an attempt to probe the defense looking for a good shot which results in a breakdown of the defense. Just because. I put periods in my sentences. doesn't mean I. know how to. punctuate.

A jump shot off the dribble or a one-on-one move, or Timmy standing there for two seconds daring someone to run at him before putting up a 20 footer are not shots that should be acceptable within the Spurs' offense. Norman Dale would have benched half the team in the first quarter. Mason missed his shots, but I don't think he attempted a single shot that wasn't a good shot. I'll let him take as many of those as he wants the rest of the season and be happy with my chances.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElNono

Agreed. What's the point of working back in a vet who was over the hill 2 seasons ago? Now we're also seeing how a guy like Blair will lose minutes to Bonner, even when his production is better. I wouldn't be surprised if Blair starts to struggle again in reduced minutes (like before Bonner injured his hand and there was talk of rookie wall).
Mason was playing great off the bench. Now he most likely will lose minutes to Finley.

I wish we would trade Fin and Bonner already. Just get the out of the team so Pop can't play them. Some people here were saying that by mid-season Finley would be at the very end of the bench... well, here we are. He's far from the end of the bench, what now?

---

Looks like Blair is on pace to get the Pop treatment. A clearly, productive young player gets an unexplained benching for no reason - at all. Hill received it about this time last year - in favor of Jacque Vaughn. He wasn't dusted off again until Game 5 of the playoff series versus the Mavs.

Letting the Melo-less Nuggets scoring 103 points is as bad as scoring 89 points.

And Spurs have Parker on the sidelines who will fix a lot of the offensives flaws while they have nothing to fix the defense...

I'm very worried about Spurs but 80% of these worries are defensive related.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruno

Letting the Melo-less Nuggets scoring 103 points is as bad as scoring 89 points.

And Spurs have Parker on the sidelines who will fix a lot of the offensives flaws while they have nothing to fix the defense...

I'm very worried about Spurs but 80% of these worries are defensive related.

---

Agree 150%... They're missing a 30 ppg guy and still score 100+? Is our defense so bad that we need to score 110 points to beat a handicapped team like that?

Well what exactly can be done?..Obviously a trade for a legit big should be the priority, but I have no idea if the FO will actually do it..

Duncan is just an above average defender now, he's no longer a game-changer defensively..we have NO perimeter defenders at all other than Hill, but his D is extremely inconsistent..our #2 big from a defensive standpoint is McDyess, an average defensive player..we have NO athletes that get minutes since Hairston and Ian are rotting away..there aren't any solutions without any trades..

I'm fucking tired of watching this shit..I love this team and I'll continue to watch every game, but I can only get annoyed of this old-ass, slow basketball, with guys that are too slow to make a rotation and too slow to keep up with the majority of the players on opposing teams..

I understand having older veterans to surround our big 3 with when the big 3 are actually in their primes and still relatively young..these guys aren't young anymore and have a ton of mileage on their legs..they need young athletes next to them..it should be logical..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elnono

agree 150%... They're missing a 30 ppg guy and still score 100+? Is our defense so bad that we need to score 110 points to beat a handicapped team like that?

---

yes......... Damnit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37

our #2 big from a defensive standpoint is McDyess, an average defensive player..

---

I'm having difficulty thinking of a big on the roster who's a worse defender than McDyess. I suppose Mahinmi just because he fouls so much and can't get minutes, but after that I'm drawing a blank.

I was giving him credit by assuming he'll be an average defender with his "usual" 2nd half burst..either way, our supporting bigs are very weak from a defensive standpoint..

Apparently Pop still believes Duncan is the same defender that can control the paint on his own..

RMJ has a run of good games = nobody cares, doing what he's supposed to do
RMJ has one poor shooting game = scape goat, down to 5 MPG

I feel for the dude this season, it makes no sense for him to be used the way he is right now, Pop is giving him the TP treatment... except Mason is already a vet lol