Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Nuggets Jan. 3

This was old school Spurs basketball tonight in the contest against the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs struggled all night to score, their star players didn't play too well and yet their defense almost pulled out the victory. If it wasn’t for some bad luck and some bad play in the final two minutes of the game, the Spurs would have pulled out a really impressive win. Instead, the Spurs ended up dropping the game 80-77.

I don’t think there’s anything much to be disappointed with about this loss. If Manu Ginobili is on the court, I think the Spurs win handily. That was the exact type of atmosphere he thrives in. Missing Brent Barry also didn’t help.

That said, you have to give some props to the Nuggets. They played hard and their bigmen were extremely active. With Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Nene and Eduardo Najera, the Nuggets have some impressive bigs to throw at teams. Their blocks (seven for Martin, four for Camby and three for Nene) were the Nuggets’ biggest weapon.

-I though Tim Duncan played really hard. He got angry about a couple no-calls and instead of complaining, Duncan just played harder. I was really impressed with his overall effort. However, I wouldn’t say this was one of his more efficient games. He missed 13-of-20 shots from the field, turned the ball over four times and got blocked five times. He did effort his way to 20 points and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes, which was pretty impressive considering the waves of bigmen the Nuggets could throw at him. Bottomline is Duncan wasn't at his best but he did give it his all.

-Tony Parker was another player who struggled but played hard. He got blocked a mind-boggling seven times by the Nuggets and struggled all night with fatigue and a lack of explosion. I’m not sure if his ankle is still bothering him or the time off combined with the altitude did it, but Parker didn’t have his legs. Despite that, Parker kept plugging away and was one of the players to keep the Spurs close. He finished with 20 points, nine assists while only turning the ball over twice. Of the shots he didn’t get blocked, he hit 8-of-12. Parker also had the second highest plus/minus on the team at +8. Parker and the Spurs have to correct whatever is ailing him though because the Spurs need a healthy Parker to win a championship – not this non-explosive version of Parker.

-Bruce Bowen’s defense was again impressive. No matter if he was on Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony, he was defending both effectively. He looked as quick and as strong as ever. His defense was dominating at times, which helped him have a team-high plus/minus of +14. Offensively he didn't do much, which was the case for many a Spur tonight.

-Michael Finley again did a nice job serving as the team’s third option on offense. For a stretch in the fourth quarter, he carried the team offensively. He was coming off of screens nicely and opening up the offense for everyone else to operate. Finley also had a nice bounce pass for an assist late in the game that helped the Spurs go up by four – before the late game collapse. 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists, no turnovers on 6-for-13 shooting is a great line for Finley.

-Robert Horry got another start and yet again didn’t do much. The Spurs are obviously trying to get him in shape but his offense is worse than usual – even for Horry at this early point of the season. In this game, Horry was 0-for-3 and is now 4-for-22 on the season. He has missed his last 11 shots from the floor, with all but two of those attempts being three-pointers. It’s too early to give up on him but Horry’s offense needs to come around sooner rather than later.

-Matt Bonner had an odd game. Usually, Bonner is a guy who plays poor defense yet rebounds. This game, his defense was actually as good as it has been all season, but he only grabbed three boards in 24 minutes. Bonner’s defense was impressive, although he did have a timely mistake late defending against Martin which allowed the Nuggets to take the lead. He didn’t shoot too well (3-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 from beyond the arc) but Bonner was relatively effective.

-Fabricio Oberto again struggled with his countryman out of the lineup. Oberto missed the only shot he took, dropping him to 2-for-11 since Ginobili has been out. With Ginobili healthy, Oberto was shooting 66.4% from the floor. In his 17 minutes of action tonight, Oberto had a team-worst plus/minus of -15. Whatever the reason, Oberto has been massively out of sorts as of late and it’s hurting the team.

-Jacque Vaughn again played better this game when he was at shooting guard rather than point guard. In Vaughn’s first stint at point guard when he came in to replace Parker, he let a three-point deficit escalate to a 14-point deficit. In his next stint on the court, he came in at shooting guard and helped the team erase a big Nugget lead. The problem is Vaughn needs to play well when he’s at point guard. The last few games, teams have gone on big runs with Vaughn at point guard. Without Ginobili, Vaughn’s job gets a lot more difficult but he can’t continually put the Spurs in big holes that they have to climb out.

-Ime Udoka played some passable defense against Anthony – and that’s the most positive thing that can be said about Udoka tonight. His offense was poor and he didn’t rebound at all. In his 11 minutes of playing time, the Spurs were -11 in plus/minus. Udoka missed all three of his shots, making him 3-for-18 from the floor in the last three games. This stretch of games has pretty much closed the door on Udoka becoming a serious contributor this season. He had a chance to step up with Ginobili and Barry out and has failed to do so.

-Francisco Elson and DerMarr Johnson got a couple minutes against their former team. These two ex-Nuggets did little of note. Elson failed to chase down a loose ball once and Johnson got a layup off of a nice pass – but that was about the extent of their combined production.

-This would have been a really nice win and it’s disappointing that some of the blame late in the game belongs to the coaching staff (and career 14% three-point shooting Anthony Carter hitting one from deep). I thought Pop should have called a time out to setup a play when the Spurs had a chance to re-take the lead late. Even if Pop felt confident that the team could get a good shot, the players were obviously winded and could have used the timeout. After the Spurs missed the shot, Pop also should have had the team either foul right away or try to get a rebound. Fouling late in the shot clock made no sense.

Overall though, I was happy with the effort the team gave. They were shorthanded playing against a very good home team that averages 110 point per game in their arena. To hold the Nuggets 30 points below their average at home was perhaps the best defensive effort of the season. The offense will be there, especially when Ginobili and Barry return, but this is the type of championship level defense the Spurs need to show they can play this season.

The D really was amazing, and that's what really matters in the long run. But we've gotta get some scoring or it all is for naught.

During the last Nugget possession, I actually thought I saw Pop screaming for someone to foul before Bowen finally did with about 6+ secs left.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SenorSpur

During the last Nugget possession, I actually thought I saw Pop screaming for someone to foul before Bowen finally did with about 6+ secs left.

---

He was screaming for a trap and then after that didn't work he screamed for a foul. Asking for a foul at that point (~8 seconds) was pretty lame. They already wasted like 20 seconds. Might as well go for the rebound if you are going to waste all that time.

"They played hard" enough said.....you could have said "Both teams played hard"

January basketball sucks.

Unless it's NCAA.

Who else wants pizza and weed? :fro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freemeat

Who else is drowning out their miseries in beer right now?

---

You consider losing a close game in Denver without Manu and Barry that miserable?

It was a bad loss because they had done the hard part, and all they had to do was execute at the end and they failed miserably.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr.Bottomtooth

You consider losing a close game in Denver without Manu and Barry that miserable?

---

Bruce played 40 minutes, not 22. I don't know how much more he could've played.

And if TPark is still keeping score with his bizarre "Manu isn't as important as the other two" statement, that's now two home wins against crappy teams and two losses to playoff teams. Might need to come up with a new theory.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

It was a bad loss because they had done the hard part, and all they had to do was execute at the end and they failed miserably.

---

Exactly, so the rest of the shit doesn't matter. They all blow. When the game is on the line and your sorry ass can't execute, you suck. Period.

Bonner, Duncan, Parker, wgaf, they all suck. The Spurs weren't shorthanded either...

If you call having Bonner, Vaughn and Elson on the team then yes, they are shorthanded.

BTW, Matt Bonner belongs on a lottery team.

:tu +1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

...

---

offensive execution was the problem especially at the last 2 minutes. defense kept the spurs in the game.

but with the team not playing well as they could have, missing 2 key players, and on the road against a physical team, it was still winnable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by roycrikside

Bruce played 40 minutes

---

Thanks for the correct. Props to the Yahoo boxscore :rolleyes

So that means that the Spurs were outscored by 17 points in the eight minutes Bowen didn't play? Pop shouldn't have sat him . . .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

It was a bad loss because they had done the hard part, and then Anthony Harper hit his first career fourth quarter three-pointer.

---

Harper?

Anyway, they still had the lead after the 3. It was failure to execute after that that cost them the game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Harper?

---

Anthony Harper. Ghost Writer. I thought you were old school.

:depressed

:lol I guess I'm not Old School-enough on SpursTalk.

However, if you want to talk USENET, I was Old School when you were in nursery school. :smokin

Tony + Tim = Blocked 12 times = Spurs loss

The Nuggets D has been suprising to say the least. First game we could really see the 3 headed monster of Camby/Kmart/Nene together for a decent time

I think the game came down to Bruce's shot. If he knocks it down, Spurs win.

I'm not blaming him for the loss. It was just that type of game. We needed one clutch play down the stretch and his shot was wide open.

why didnt pop play DJ more than 3 minutes? I know he is new but he seriously should have been given a chance against his old team coz i think he could have made more of a difference than Horry :lol

The "Horry starts" experiment has got to stop. The last two first quarters have been horrible.

Winnar!

Poor execution in the end game and not fouling early during the last 20 seconds- these are the major reasons why we lost. But i'm not overly concerned with how they played. the defense was very good. Go spurs go!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by slayermin

I think the game came down to Bruce's shot. If he knocks it down, Spurs win.

I'm not blaming him for the loss. It was just that type of game. We needed one clutch play down the stretch and his shot was wide open.

---

Have you guys noticed that Bruce and Ime when they have a decent look for a three seem to be doing a pumpfake and driving it in only to throw up a lower percentage shot. Why aren't they taking their threes? I'd much rather they both shoot a three if they got a good look at it rather than driving it in. I've seen Bruce do that a lot this season, and I'm not sure it's a good thing, or is it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NuGGeTs-FaN

why didnt pop play DJ more than 3 minutes?

---

Johnson was defending against Iverson ... and Iverson drove around him for his easiest basket of the night.

That show of defense was all Pop needed to see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

Johnson was defending against Iverson ... and Iverson drove around him for his easiest basket of the night.

That show of defense was all Pop needed to see.

---

yeah, I saw that and now that I think about it yes it was probably the easiest basket of the night, but really would Pop pull someone that quick for one mistake at the start of the second quarter? I thought he should have at least given DJ a few minutes of court time to see if he could make up for it.

It seems like Pop has no leash at all sometimes, he just holds onto the collar directly ;). I mean come on give the guy a chance or do you think Pop should have pulled him immediately like he did?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

Johnson was defending against Iverson ... and Iverson drove around him for his easiest basket of the night.

That show of defense was all Pop needed to see.

---

:lol ok i guess AI wanted to prove a point against DJ

I think the reason TP and TD got blocked so many times...is no one feared anyone else. They were triple teaming each of those guys when they had the ball. No off-the-ball movement on the offensive end at all. Everyone just stands around the 3 point line waiting for someone else to do something. Even Vaughn just dribbles around the 3 point line then passes off. Tho, since driving and dishing really aint his thing, not much more you can expect. As Timvp said a few games ago, reminds me of non-playoff Spurs teams that just either drove, or shot 3-pointers...no middle game.


This has been killing TP most of all...he's gotta drive cuz no one else is gonna, and they just pack the middle. If TP drives there's always 3 guys down there, and if he tries to pass it, he's usually surrounded and balls get tipped and stolen for turnovers. Spurs are really easy to defend right now.

And that's where MANU is missed most of all.

Manu's creativity and end-of-game plays are crucial to the Spurs success. Manu's probably our best "playmaker"...and Barry ain't bad in the playmaking dept either. No one out there right now can really be called a playmaker, even Tony generally looks for his shot first, and passes when in trouble. Tho, he has gotten a LOT better this year. However, if Manu was just in for the last few minutes of this game, we win.

And Horry is looking terrible. Start Fab, and bring in Bonner. Or better yet...start BONNER and bring in FAB. Then FAB could be in the rotation with Manu when he gets back. Man, I really like that idea ;)

We need Manu back...but, keep him on the bench 'till he's 110%. We're still 1st in Western Conference. Pretty cool when you think about it ;)

They lost.

The sun will come up tommarow.

Life goes on. Blow out the Knicks tommarow.

Then get ready for the Clippers sunday, blow them out, then worry about the warriors.

Quote:

---

And that's where MANU is missed most of all.

---

:cry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

Johnson was defending against Iverson ... and Iverson drove around him for his easiest basket of the night.

That show of defense was all Pop needed to see.

---

After seeing that play, I remembered thinking to myself "that defensive miscue will earn that kid a quick seat on the bench." Sure enough, both he and Udoka were replaced coming back from the Spurs timeout. By that time, the Spurs deficit was 15 or so.

Pop should have stopped the clock right way on the last possession...

Spurs bored with regular season... thats all

Was reading the game recaps on espn, and did i just read that Kenyon Martin performed in the clutch? steal, blocks, layup, forced miss, etc?

Did the world just end?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

-This would have been a really nice win and it’s disappointing that some of the blame late in the game belongs to the coaching staff (and career 14% three-point shooting Anthony Carter hitting one from deep). I thought Pop should have called a time out to setup a play when the Spurs had a chance to re-take the lead late. Even if Pop felt confident that the team could get a good shot, the players were obviously winded and could have used the timeout. After the Spurs missed the shot, Pop also should have had the team either foul right away or try to get a rebound. Fouling late in the shot clock made no sense.

---

FIRE POP!! FIRE POP!!

Just thought I'd break the ice for the haters...:lol

Nice post as usual...

When JV comes in at point, just be prepared to be in a hole when Tony checks back in. Spurs really need a backup point guard.

Another thing I'm tired of seeing is Duncan, late in the game, become a dribbler, until they steal it from him. Last night wasn't the first time that's happened this year.

Thought the defense was good. After all, Spurs held them way below their season average. May have been the best defensive game they have played.

And finally we miss Manu. Terribly. I want him to sit until he is 100 percent, but can hardly wait for him to be back in the lineup.

Oh, and I'm not sure Horry is ever going to come around this year. He just looks terrible out there with the shots he is takeing and missing. I know everyone thinks he will just turn it up in March and April, but I'm not so sure he can do it any longer. All the time he missed early on is making it hard to get the body in any kind of game shape. Let's face it. He ain't a spring chicken any more.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by T Park

They lost.

The sun will come up tommarow.

Life goes on. Blow out the Knicks tommarow.

Then get ready for the Clippers sunday, blow them out, then worry about the warriors.

---

Yeah Timvp...Stop being a SPAZ! :spin

Oh, and don't give Udoka a hard time. You will eat your words as I predict he will contribute later on. It's December, the team is going to go through a few struggles trying to find a comfort level with one another.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SAGambler

When JV comes in at point, just be prepared to be in a hole when Tony checks back in. Spurs really need a backup point guard.

Another thing I'm tired of seeing is Duncan, late in the game, become a dribbler, until they steal it from him. Last night wasn't the first time that's happened this year.

Thought the defense was good. After all, Spurs held them way below their season average. May have been the best defensive game they have played.

And finally we miss Manu. Terribly. I want him to sit until he is 100 percent, but can hardly wait for him to be back in the lineup.

Oh, and I'm not sure Horry is ever going to come around this year. He just looks terrible out there with the shots he is takeing and missing. I know everyone thinks he will just turn it up in March and April, but I'm not so sure he can do it any longer. All the time he missed early on is making it hard to get the body in any kind of game shape. Let's face it. He ain't a spring chicken any more.

---

Regarding Horry, I'm a big fan of his and appreciate his contributions to the team. However, it does concern me when I hear that "Pop has elected to start him in an effort to get him motivated and going." At least that's what the Denver broadcast team was reporting. If that is true, I wonder why he would need any incentive at all to become motivated. He's clearly struggling.

Last season, we all thought he would turn it up into one of his classic Horry playoff performances. Other than a few timely shots in the Denver series, he really was a non-factor during the stretch run. The sky isn't falling - yet. Just something that could be a concern as the season progresses.

I think the main reason of Horry starting is that Elson isn't in the rotation.
Pop never use a Bonner/Horry frontcourt. It means that Spurs should have Oberto or Duncan on the floor for 48 minutes and it's way easier to do if one is start on the bench.
Pop choice was either to start Horry or to start Bonner. Bonner is a nice energy spark form the bench and Horry's defense is more solid so it makes sense to start Horry.

Points in the Paint
Denver 36
Spurs 16

Makes it kind of hard to praise the Spurs defense too much in comparison to Denver's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ploto

Points in the Paint
Denver 36
Spurs 16

Makes it kind of hard to praise the Spurs defense too much in comparison to Denver's.

---

:lol

Reading Ploto's screwed and bitter mind is way too easy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ploto's mind

Points in the Paint
Denver 36
Spurs 16

Spurs really miss Rasho to defend the paint. With him, they would have won this game. Anyway, I'm happy, Spurs have lost.

---

Did you see it last night? The spurs D is there, just still asleep. Forget the outcome. It'll be time to turn it up here in another month or so and that D will be wide awake.

I was very impressed on how the Spurs fought back to get into the game and impressed with their defense in the fourth quarter.

I think Fab not starting is what is hurting his play. That's just my opinion.

I was ready to throw something at the TV when Carter hit that bullshit 3 late in the game. For a guy that shoots 14% from 3 that was pure, unadulterated luck but hey, shit happens. If he doesn't pull that miracle 3 out of his ass we win that game handily. It's still no excuse for not executing after that mishap.

Whatever. At least we know the Nuggets still suck and aren't a title threat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Tony + Tim = Blocked 12 times = Spurs loss

---

That's absolutely pathetic.

Can they possibly mix is a few pump fakes?

If they had, perhaps they could've gotten the Nuggets bigs into even more foul trouble.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruno

:lol

Reading Ploto's unscrewed therefore bitter mind is way too easy.

---

Fixed.

IMO, Horry starting this game was a horrible decision that put the Spurs in a deep hole early.

The Spurs should've stuck with the winning combo of Duncan/Fab because they have great chemistry together and it's proven.

I understand the need to get Horry going and I suppose that early January when key reserves are injured is probably a decent spot to experiment if you're going to....but I think it caused the Spurs to fall far behind early.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Tony + Tim = Blocked 12 times = Spurs loss

---

:pctoss

I swear I've never seen any other good pro player lose so many balls to reach in defenses that either tie him up or slap the ball out of his hands. Every team does it and he gets so many TOs from it.

I guess its too much to ask that Tim learn to protect the ball after all these years as a superstar in the league. Sigh.

Good insight for me.

btw. timvp are you taking notes during games?

How did the Spurs only score 77? Any time the Nuggets are held to 80 points it almost is always a win for the opposition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by polandprzem

Good insight for me.

btw. timvp are you taking notes during games?

---

No.

If I did take notes, I would have remembered how Tim Duncan made a 70-foot bomb with .4 seconds left in the first half ............. only to have the refs wave the shot off.

And the Spurs lost by three. :pctoss

But I actually agreed with the refs ... you can't catch, turn and shoot in .4 :pctoss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

But I actually agreed with the refs ... you can't catch, turn and shoot in .4 :pctoss

---

Tim duncan is too tall to break all known laws of physics

Thanks again for the thoughts, timvp. I agree the defense was great. I think if we wouldn't have spotted them the 16 point lead early, those last plays... missed shots and turnovers would not even be of discussion. We have played lackluster at the beginning of games and we can't continue to depend on late runs to get us wins. Also, as long as the refs continue to allow such physical play by defenses on Timmy, we are gonna struggle. He has to work on passing out of the double teams more quickly and guys need to be moving to open spots more quickly to avoid turnovers. Let's hope that we get our offense going soon as this month will not be a cake walk.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

No.

If I did take notes, I would have remembered how Tim Duncan made a 70-foot bomb with .4 seconds left in the first half ............. only to have the refs wave the shot off.

And the Spurs lost by three. :pctoss

But I actually agreed with the refs ... you can't catch, turn and shoot in .4 :pctoss

---

So you got a good memory.

When I was doing a game posts I was taking few notes just to know where to begin my post.

.4 impossible (should be nothing for Tim)


I ate a fish for my supper