Grades: Spurs vs. Jazz - Game 2

The Spurs won Game 1 of this series handily even though they didn't play up to their recent standards. Tonight, San Antonio played like they have for much of the last two months. The result? A colossal beatdown of the Jazz. The Spurs led Game 2 by as many as 38 points on their way to a 114-83 thrashing.

While Utah certainly played a role in their own demise, I give a lot of credit to the Spurs for coming out and taking care of business. The Jazz talked tough after Game 1; the Spurs let their Game 2 play do the talking.

To begin the contest, San Antonio jumped out to a 20-8 lead. The Jazz eventually made a run to make it 31-26 in the middle of the second quarter. But that's when the young starting swingmen took over. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green combined for 16 points during a 20-0 run that put the game to bed by halftime.

All in all, that was a great win by the good guys. There's no such thing as a cheap playoff victory. Let's hope the Spurs can carry their momentum into Salt Lake City on Saturday night.

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Tim Duncan A-
On the first possession of the game, Tim Duncan hit a difficult fall-back jumper to spark the onslaught. While he was never jaw-droppingly awesome tonight at any point, he was rock solid. On defense, Duncan defended Al Jefferson better than I've ever seen him guard the star center. Duncan didn't bite on Jefferson's pump fakes and instead forced him to take difficult shots over the top. Help defense was also a strength, as was defensive rebounding. Offensively, while Duncan missed a few attempts in the lane, he was deadly from the perimeter. Once he got his outside jumper going, the bigmen for the Jazz were even more unsure of how to defend San Antonio's offensive sets. Basically, Duncan took their young bigs to school and used the court as his chalkboard.

Manu Ginobili D+
Perhaps the most amazing part of this blowout victory is that the Spurs played so well without getting much from Manu Ginobili. In fact, tonight was one of a rare instance that Ginobili was actually a liability. Offensively, he was like a wild relief pitcher who could never find the strike zone. When orchestrating pick-and-rolls, Ginobili was painfully sloppy. He was rushing around the screens and his passes were rarely on target. Even the basic passes were an adventure tonight. The best thing he did on offense was get into the lane and finish two moderately difficult layups. Obviously, the Spurs need Ginobili to play at a much higher level on offense if they are going to make a run in the postseason. Defensively, I thought he was much better than Game 1. Ginobili didn't play with an abundant amount of energy but he wasn't leaving Gordon Hayward open and his rotation were usually on time.

Tony Parker A
Tony Parker missed his first three shots from the field and four of his first five. After that sluggish start, Parker couldn't be stopped. Scoring-wise, he got wherever he wanted and connected on his final five field goal attempts. Even better than his points was his passing. Parker shredded Utah's defense and then found spot-up shooters when the Jazz were forced to collapse into the paint. I thought Parker's mental game was as sharp as it's been all season; it seemed like he knew exactly how plays were going to develop before he even began his drives. Defensively, Parker was dominant against Devin Harris. Next time, it may behoove Harris to not pontificate about ways to stop Parker between games.

Boris Diaw A
Boris Diaw continues to show why there's no doubt he should be the starter next to Tim Duncan. Diaw destroyed Paul Millsap on both ends. Offensively, Diaw found ways to get open -- whether it was spin moves with the ball or smart cuts away from the ball. When Diaw wasn't putting it in the hole himself, he was picking the Jazz apart with pinpoint passes. It's truly beautiful to watch when Diaw gets going since he's such an all-around threat. On defense, Diaw was very strong on the post -- and did his work early while also avoiding fouls (those are two areas he's really grown in the last couple weeks). While he had some misconnections with Duncan on offense and could have pulled down a few more rebounds on defense, it's difficult to find flaws in this nearly perfect performance.

Kawhi Leonard A-
So much for rookie jitters. Kawhi Leonard bounced back from an iffy first playoff game in spectacular fashion. Offensively, he got going by running the court and finishing on the break. He then started draining his open three-pointers -- and the route was on. Once Leonard regained his confidence, he was seemingly all over the court. Defensively, he created a handful of turnovers by playing the passing lanes. To nitpick, I thought his individual defense was subpar and that he wasn't offering nearly enough help on the defensive boards. That said, Leonard's showing tonight was definitely a bright spot. The rookie just keeps proving that it's foolish to put any type of ceiling on his game right now.

Danny Green A
Like Leonard, Danny Green brushed aside a difficult Game 1 and was a major asset for San Antonio on Wednesday evening. Green played all night with a level of tenacity that was contagious. Defensively, he was doing it all. His defense on Hayward was great. When Hayward didn't have the ball, Green helped out in the paint by contesting shots and pulling down boards amongst the trees. On offense, he ran the court extremely well and was shooting -- and making -- his three-pointers with confidence. Green even did good work off the dribble, which is usually a weakness. When Green plays like this, a Ginobili-lite if you will, the Spurs become practically unbeatable. Needless to say, let's hope he has a few more outings like this.

DeJuan Blair B-
Filling in for Tiago Splitter, who was nursing a bruised wrist, DeJuan Blair was adequate. He wasn't as good as his stats indicate but he also wasn't hurting the Spurs much on this night. Offensively, he scored well when he got the ball, however getting the ball was an endeavor in itself. His rolls were lackluster, his hands were uncharacteristically inconsistent and he was just not in the right spots often enough. On the other end, his initial defense was usually decent but he had trouble pulling down defensive boards; I know he had six but he left another half dozen out there. Considering he's been thrown into a new role, it's hard to get too upset with Blair. He played a tough brand of ball and has limited his blatant mistakes.

Stephen Jackson C+
The encore wasn't nearly as successful as Game 1 was for Stephen Jackson. Offensively, he never found a rhythm. At times, he was passing up shots. At other times, he was forcing the issue. For a player who always plays with confidence, it was strange to see him so unsure of himself. Defensively, Jackson was much better. He was extraordinarily strong in the paint and moved his feet well out on the perimeter. Coming into the series, the Jazz were having success playing three bigmen at the same time. Jackson, almost literally by himself, has made that alignment look harmless.

Gary Neal B+
Well, it's safe to say Gary Neal isn't afraid to shoot the basketball. Early on, he had a couple shots that would have drawn Pop's ire. Thankfully for Neal's sake, he was able to make the shots. And once Neal saw a couple drop, he began salivating each time the ball got in his hands. Eventually he let up but Neal is proving to be quite a scoring weapon as the backup point guard. And defensively, at least tonight, Neal was producing. He guarded Jamaal Tinsley well. Granted, Tinsley is probably the worst backup point guard in the playoffs ... but, hey, it's a start.

Matt Bonner C-
It wasn't a fun night at the office for Matt Bonner. In nine minutes, he didn't dent the stat sheet outside of a missed three-pointer and a foul. On defense, he was overwhelmed by Utah's bigmen and made things worse by not rebounding. His only hope on that end was sticking his arms straight up and hoping his man would miss a jumper and someone else would grab the board. Offensively, the Jazz usually give him open looks but he didn't get any tonight. To make matters even less fun, Bonner suffered an apparent leg injury in the first half after colliding with Derrick Favors, which undoubtedly played a part in him sitting out the second half.

Patrick Mills B+
In garbage time, Patrick Mills was really impressive. His pressure defense was annoying and time-consuming for the Jazz. Offensively, he just keeps filling it up. Mills is proving time and time again that he can put light up the scoreboard. No other team in the playoffs has a third point guard who is nearly as explosive as Mills.

James Anderson B
James Anderson got his first extended minutes in the playoffs and didn't look half bad. He played with a healthy amount of aggression and allowed the Spurs to keep the pedal to the medal. Anderson isn't cracking the rotation anytime soon but he also didn't look intimidated by the postseason.

Pop A-
The 2011-12 NBA Coach of the Year didn't give voters any reason to second-guess their selection. Pop had his troops ready and they made quick work of the Jazz. The team ironed out most of the issues that caused a lack of sharpness in Game 1 and turned Game 2 into a laugher. Now Pop's job is to make the team forget about this blowout and enter Game 3 with appropriate fear and the knowledge that the Jazz will much better in front of their fans.

Thanks,LJ. :tu

Thanks for the writeup! This was a fantastic game to watch, and Im beyond pleased that Leonard and Green went off tonight. Gives me a lot of hope for later games.

I knew Leonard and Green would bounce back from their lackluster Game 1 performance. They didn't disappoint. Very happy we have these two around.

I admit I wasn't that sold on Diaw when we signed him, but he's been impressive so far. He certainly don't look lazy like he's been called in the past.

I expect Manu to have a break out game soon, possibly Game 3.

Thanks again, timvp! :toast

I expect KL and Green to give less contribution in game 3 considering that that will be their first playoff road game not counting them out though, they will still be factors to a win but not as huge as they were in this game 2 win. With that said, I expect Manu to give a superstar performance and us winning in double digits.

Pretty much spot on and well written. Manu was just off. Boris overpassed in the lane a few times I thought, it's OK to shoot when open big man! Blair was clumsy but played acceptable and is a viable option against Milsap especially. Captain Jack was wack. Duncan looked kind of out of kilter in missing several easy shots from the paint. The consecutive slips by TD and TP were scary, I was screaming time out, time out!

Many thanks!

I think it hurt Manu that Tiago wasn't out there. He doesn't have the same chemistry with Blair. If I had to guess, I'd say of the five Spurs bigs, Manu has played the fewest minutes with Blair of any of them over the last 20-25 games because usually when Blair has played, he's been the starter who's seen time just the first seven minutes or so of each half, while Manu usually checks in around the six minute mark. Manu's used to a better roller and a bigger target.

Also, I think it affected that bench unit as a whole that the game was 20-8 before any of them checked in. Those guys are used to being difference makers and putting out fires/extending small leads. When the game is a already a blowout, it's hard to have that same intensity.

I think another major reason the bench unit looked like crap in the second quarter was that Bonner-Blair combo had to play together. Their problems rebounding are well documented, but the fact is the two of them have hardly played together all season long, for good reason. He knows they stink together, but the advantage of pairing Diaw with Duncan outweighs the negative of pairing Blair with Bonner I guess.

I can't get over how good Diaw played. It's like the guy was born to play with Tim Duncan. They complement each other so well.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

Also, I think it affected that bench unit as a whole that the game was 20-8 before any of them checked in. Those guys are used to being difference makers and putting out fires/extending small leads. When the game is a already a blowout, it's hard to have that same intensity.

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I was writing something to the same effect, I completely agree.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

I think it hurt Manu that Tiago wasn't out there. He doesn't have the same chemistry with Blair. If I had to guess, I'd say of the five Spurs bigs, Manu has played the fewest minutes with Blair of any of them over the last 20-25 games because usually when Blair has played, he's been the starter who's seen time just the first seven minutes or so of each half, while Manu usually checks in around the six minute mark. Manu's used to a better roller and a bigger target.

Also, I think it affected that bench unit as a whole that the game was 20-8 before any of them checked in. Those guys are used to being difference makers and putting out fires/extending small leads. When the game is a already a blowout, it's hard to have that same intensity.

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Which is strange because the Manu-Blair PnR chemistry was universally touted as one of the strongest "chemistry" pairings on the team during the 2010-2011 season.

I was pretty hard on Manu in the game thread, and I wholeheartedly agree with the D+ grade, but in his defense he had a couple of "hockey assist" moments on offense where he facilitated nicely but didn't end up with any stats to show for it.

There were a couple of possessions where Manu was hedged pretty hard (virtually double teamed) when he was trying to run PnR with Blair and Manu rightfully signaled Blair to immediately run to the basket without setting the screen at all. That's always the right call.

I think one time Blair just fumbled it and thus the entire possession was reset, ending up with Manu chucking up a 3 point shot with a second left on the shotclock.

There was another time where Blair caught the ball but passed it to another Spur cutting to the basket (hockey assist for Manu, but no stats to really show for it). Manu's facilitating was better as the game went on. He had a really nasty stretch to start where he turned the ball over a couple of times and just looked incredibly sloppy throughout.

I also thought Manu's shot selection was pretty good. He had 2 wide open 3 point shots that he just didn't make. I can't fault him for heaving up the desperation 3 which essentially was the result of Blair fumbling the ball to begin with, so take that one off and Manu's 2-5 for the night.

Glad to see Kawhi and Green find their zone. Their first road playoff game is next, but unlike previous series in recent years, this time the Spurs are in control. Going to Utah with a 2-0 lead will definitely take some of the pressure off their shoulders.

I hope all the vets on the team will make clear that not all the games will be like Game 2, that we play them in their arena next, and not to relax. If the Spurs lose a game this series, it's probably Game 3.

Diaw is not fool's gold in the sense that he can actually contribute. But he is in the sense that he's shown he will get lazy, especially after signing a new contract. Maybe the prospect of playing with Parker on the Spurs longer will keep him focused for the next 2-3 years. Otherwise resigning him might soon focus the fans hate on him.

And yeah, Manu was horrid. I started watching the game with the Spurs up 34-17, and that's exactly when the Jazz went on a 9-0 run. Pop didn't call a timeout after Manu's horrible cross-court pass that went straight into the stands, with the announcers saying Pop was trying hard to keep his calm. He called a timeout after the next play (when Utah scored after grabbing like 3 consecutive O rebounds) and that sparked the great 2nd quarter run... with Manu on the bench.

I can only hope he's just not that competitve because it's too easy right now.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

I think it hurt Manu that Tiago wasn't out there. He doesn't have the same chemistry with Blair. If I had to guess, I'd say of the five Spurs bigs, Manu has played the fewest minutes with Blair of any of them over the last 20-25 games because usually when Blair has played, he's been the starter who's seen time just the first seven minutes or so of each half, while Manu usually checks in around the six minute mark. Manu's used to a better roller and a bigger target.

Also, I think it affected that bench unit as a whole that the game was 20-8 before any of them checked in. Those guys are used to being difference makers and putting out fires/extending small leads. When the game is a already a blowout, it's hard to have that same intensity.

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Yep, Manu plays great with Tiago. It's not the chemistry though it's Tiago great pickn'rolls.

Thanks :toast

hey does anyone have the stats of what the jazz avg in the regular season for the 4 RS meetings, compared to what they are avg now for the playoffs...lmao lets keep them below 80ppg....

was anyone else pissed with the fact we couldnt rebound for shit, it was like 3-4 white jerseys battling the jazz bigs jumping for rebounds, whatever happen to boxing out and shit....

seems like whotaburger has given up everything and concentrating putting the ball into the basket to run up his stat sheet, no lick of defense or effort to rebound....yet he continues to get minutes smiling after every possession....

a lot of the jizzs rebounds came from over and backs and pushes that werent called
some were just volleying the ball up when blair was in though

did anyone else enjoy watching the jizz bigs not jumping when shooting over our undersize bigs, yet couldnt capitalize shit.....

i dont think our defense is giving there perimeter players problems, playoff jitters and lack of playoff experience is hurting them, they are left free on most possessions yet couldnt put the ball into the basket...lol their bigs dumbfounded shot selections inside the key when they should be dunking that shit then stupid hook or weakass jumpshots that rick rolled off the rim....

dancing bear comes in 2nd quarter for quick 4pts, 3-4 PNRs butterhand turnovers = jazz 9-0 run....this guy posts up meaningless stats

Thanks again for the write-up, timvp. Must be ssooo hard to do on a regular basis with all the talent we have on this team. Whew!

Danny and Kawhi are just so fun to watch, they are becoming a pretty deadly-duo, I must say. I truly hope it continues throughout the post season. They never cease to amaze me. ... Also, I thought I was the only one that thought that Danny was modeling himself to be a "mini-Ginobili." He is a feisty little thing with that ball, alright. :lol

I will admit I am concerned with the games coming up in Utah. It is a hard place to play and win as many say, but once again, I will continue to believe no matter what. The Spurs don't need to make excuses like having HCA, etc, etc. That, to me, is just cowardly rhetoric. We have the experience, no matter what happens on the road, and I believe we will pull through, no matter what The Jazz and their fans have to say.

So... the saga continues...

:flag:

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Originally Posted by Legacy

I will admit I am concerned with the games coming up in Utah. It is a hard place to play and win as many say, but once again, I will continue to believe no matter what. The Spurs don't need to make excuses like having HCA. We have the experience, no matter what happens on the road, and I believe we will pull through, no matter what The Jazz and their fans have to say.

So it all continues....

:flag:

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they be hungry for a win just to give their home fans some sort of MORMON HOPE....actually there should be no excuse to drop this game unless pop doesnt want to win 13straight games cause of the no.13....

without the big 3 in one of the RS games they won against us, they barely got over the line against our bench players....the 2 playoff games so far has shown these clowns cant hang with our bench as they were the ones that built our leads....

Diaw got the full MLE and said goodbye to Lorbek.

lol Manu "Wild Thing" Ginobili

Can't for game three.

If they can be within 8 points or leading at the half in game 3, this series will be a sweep. Yesterday was as demoralizing a loss as it gets. If you come into Utah unglazed and smack them in the mouth early I think they roll over.

LJ,

I shot you a PM.

slow start for 2 games, until the bench came in and took off...

^ what game were you watching :rolleyes

" Next time, it may behoove Harris to not pontificate about ways to stop Parker between games."

Yeah, Harris might want to zip it.

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Originally Posted by TDMVPDPOY

slow start for 2 games, until the bench came in and took off...

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:lol

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Originally Posted by TDMVPDPOY

slow start for 2 games, until the bench came in and took off...

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Huh? The bench freaking killed any momentum it felt - particularly because Manu was trying to force some passes that he shouldn't have.

I'm concerned about Manu. He hasn't really played well yet in these playoffs. Fortunately other guys have been outstanding enough that we haven't really needed him to stand out but eventually if we get past Utah we're going to need him at some point in these playoffs to show up. I think maybe we need to start him. I'm not impressed with him being the 6th man anymore. Those days are gone. He needs to play with Tim and Tony now to play well.

Manu's fine. His rhythm is a little off but as long as he is healthy, I'm not worried about his play. In Game 1, even when he didn't end up shooting particularly well, he still had a positive impact to the game. We haven't needed much of his production yet but he'll probably play a bigger role once they hit the road.

Solid write up as usual. I would quibble that Manu's defense, intensity and general court vision would give him at least a C. We had plenty of offense going, so Manu did his job just scaring Utah's second unit with the potential outstanding play. No team takes him lightly.
His block from behind after Matt slowed down the fast break was a good example of keeping the Utah guys guessing.

I thought Manu and Jack were both very good on defense. I'll have to go back and watch.

There was one point in the 2 quarter I think where Danny got the ball and made a horrid up court pass that ended up in the stands and on the next possession he threw up an air ball (or near air ball) at which point it looked to me that he was going to wilt and fade.

I don't know if the Spurs purposely went back to him or he just nutted up, but he stepped up and nailed a three not long after. It was a relief to see.

Never saw so many "A" grades after a game and they were earned. Manu is a mystery but he will come back after such a poor game. Unbelievable that we didn't even need him, but that is what depth will do for ya.

All five starters and 2 bench in double figures and the bench gave us 44 points and increased the lead they were given until the final minute.

Helluva an effort on defense to demoralize the Jazz. They were missing shots true, but the reason is they were having to shoot from distance with the clock running out.

Most Importantly, we actually out-rebounded the Jazz. On many occasions we either blocked or altered shots right under the basket. Sometimes they came up with the loose balls and made the shot, but they knew they were in a fight. Great work.

It could of been a worse beatdown. I've never seen so many sloppy passes and turnovers by the Spurs, not just from Manu on his off night.

An unusually big winning spread on the scoreboard for a playoff game for us to enjoy.

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Originally Posted by Blake

There was one point in the 2 quarter I think where Danny got the ball and made a horrid up court pass that ended up in the stands and on the next possession he threw up an air ball (or near air ball) at which point it looked to me that he was going to wilt and fade.

I don't know if the Spurs purposely went back to him or he just nutted up, but he stepped up and nailed a three not long after. It was a relief to see.

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It seemed to me that Tony made a conscious effort to get Kawhi and Danny involved early on. Great teamwork and leadership. Paid off well for all of them.

manu has been awful. has anyone seen any comments from manu regarding what he thinks about his play so far ?

Danny F'n Green & Kawhi MF'n Leonard.

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Originally Posted by carina_gino20

It seemed to me that Tony made a conscious effort to get Kawhi and Danny involved early on. Great teamwork and leadership. Paid off well for all of them.

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that's for sure, tp even abandoned some obvious lay ups for him to find them at the 3 pts line

I'd expect Manu to have a big game 3

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Originally Posted by rjv

manu has been awful. has anyone seen any comments from manu regarding what he thinks about his play so far ?

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not directly ... in the post game interview he spoke highly of the job the starting five of the Spurs was doing, but did not refer to the bench and himself ... he did not say anything, but he knew his game was bad

Well I know in an interview not too long ago Manu said that he was really concentrating this year on being more of a facilitator and not a scorer since we have so many. I know when he has this mindset he doesn't really play well and he ends up trying way too hard to make these crazy passes that end up turning into a turnover.

Game clock winding down, Spurs down by a bucket, even if he is 0-10 thru the previous 3 1/2 quarters, I still want him to have the ball every time, twice on Sundays

The only thing that worries me a little bit is the fact that we're not going to the line a lot and a crap team like the Jazz is getting a bunch of calls. Can you imagine if we play OKC the same way ?

Other than that, Utah is not an issue at all. Al Jefferson is not a starting center material. When your anchor can't play defense and is the worst pick&roll defender of the NBA, you're in trouble.

This series ends in 5 at most.

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Originally Posted by elemento

The only thing that worries me a little bit is the fact that we're not going to the line a lot and a crap team like the Jazz is getting a bunch of calls. Can you imagine if we play OKC the same way ?

Other than that, Utah is not an issue at all. Al Jefferson is not a starting center material. When your anchor can't play defense and is the worst pick&roll defender of the NBA, you're in trouble.

This series ends in 5 at most.

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I thought the refs sucked last night.

I was thinking if the Spurs hadn't had the big lead and he hadn't just gotten the coty trophy that Pop would have thrown a fit and gotten a technical

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Originally Posted by elemento

The only thing that worries me a little bit is the fact that we're not going to the line a lot and a crap team like the Jazz is getting a bunch of calls. Can you imagine if we play OKC the same way ?

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It's hard to get to the line when you're shooting uncontested jump shots all game........

manu maybe trying to save him self for the next round
these games are a blowout

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Originally Posted by timvp

DeJuan Blair B-
Filling in for Tiago Splitter, who was nursing a bruised wrist, DeJuan Blair was adequate. He wasn't as good as his stats indicate but he also wasn't hurting the Spurs much on this night. Offensively, he scored well when he got the ball, however getting the ball was an endeavor in itself. His rolls were lackluster, his hands were uncharacteristically inconsistent and he was just not in the right spots often enough. On the other end, his initial defense was usually decent but he had trouble pulling down defensive boards; I know he had six but he left another half dozen out there. Considering he's been thrown into a new role, it's hard to get too upset with Blair. He played a tough brand of ball and has limited his blatant mistakes.

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The +/- numbers for the starters is amazing, I figure a lot has to do with Diaw being a much better fit than Blair and simply being more versatile and everyone else benefiting from this.

I hate to but I have to complain with Blair's performance. When he came in the first half he seemed to make mistake after mistake. As expected the Jazz got closer and I think once they were within 7 or 8 points Pop put the starters back in and they got rolling again. I would probably give Blair's first half probably a D, I really thought he was that bad. His second half he made it for some of his mistakes and may have got a B+ but overall I'd probably give him close to a C. I'm not sure his focus was there when starting the game, I hope he is able to come out strong during his next opportunity because I think Splitter will be back by Saturday. The great news is that Manu and the second unit should play much better with Splitter. Keep working at it Blair bear, it will come with more hard work.

Bonner C-??? LOL that was an F

Thanks timvp

That was a great game for Leonard-Green combo. I hope they can keep playing at a high level on the road.

And Diaw is a great fit. Very smart player

Manu Ginobili doesn't bother me a bit and the rotations are fine the way they are...

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Originally Posted by T Park

Manu Ginobili doesn't bother me a bit and the rotations are fine the way they are...

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I'm not too concerned about Manu either, but they will need him playing at a higher level in the later rounds.

Obviously. Again though, not worried.

When Leonard and Green play like that, Manu does not need to do much.