Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Sixers Jan. 14

Thanks to a late run in the fourth quarter, the Spurs avoided arguably their worst loss of the season. Going up against a Philadelphia 76ers squad that had lost six straight games and is clearly in a rebuilding mode, the Spurs trailed by as many as five points in the final stanza. Luckily, the Spurs’ defense buckled down and Manu Ginobili got hot from three-point land.

With regards to the Sixers, I was mildly impressed. Defensively, Maurice Cheeks has the team playing solidly, especially for a squad with a lot of young players. On the other end of the court, Philly just doesn’t have enough scoring to be a playoff threat.

Overall, this was another poor showing by the Spurs. Their offense is painful to watch right now. Tonight their defense was better but a lot of that was just poor offense by the Sixers.

-Tim Duncan is slowly picking up his intensity level. Both offensively and defensively, he played better than he has in recent games. The Sixers have a couple good defenders to throw at him and Duncan responded by unleashing more of his offensive repertoire. Unlike recent games, Duncan was a very willing passer. Defensively, Duncan was much more of a force. He had two blocks and he altered a handful of other shots. On the game, Duncan finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and only one turnover. He also hit 8-of-14 shots in his 36 minutes of action.

-Manu Ginobili had an odd game. Even though he was 0-for-6 through the game’s first 44 minutes, I thought he was playing relatively well. I liked his overall energy, especially on defense. I thought he had become a bit lackadaisical defensively over the last couple games but he really picked it up tonight. His four fouls were extremely hard fouls, which set the tone for the Spurs defensively and let the Sixers know that they’d have to earn this victory. What everyone will remember are his four three-pointers late in the game that basically won the game for the Spurs but I was more impressed with his overall energy level and determination. Ginobili played the game with a playoff intensity I haven’t seen from a player on this team outside of Jacque Vaughn.

-Tony Parker was streaky, as has been the case recently with him. He started off well but then soon disappeared. He reappeared in the second quarter for a stretch when he was the best player on the court, but then he re-disappeared for basically the rest of the game until he hit a big jumper late. On the whole, Parker was more down than he was up in this game. I’m not sure if he’s fatigued, injured or just in a slump but whatever it is has him playing very inconsistently. And honestly, that’s surprising since Parker is usually quite consistent during the regular season. It’s not helping him that the offense on a whole is playing poorly. Hopefully Parker can get back to playing well and playing well consistently.

-Bruce Bowen had a sub par game. Defensively, he had either an average or a slightly below average game. Offensively though, Bowen was forcing the issue way too much. Bowen usually has impeccable shot selection but his poor shot selection recently has been one of the reasons the offense isn’t flowing as it should. Bowen hit 1-of-8 shots from the field and is now mired in a 4-for-27 slump over the last five games. During that stretch, he’s hit only 2-of-16 three-point attempts. This slump is a bit surprising because he was having one of his better shooting seasons of his career. Bowen needs to get back to only shooting wide open shots and that will not only help his shooting percentage but also the offensive flow for the Spurs.

-At one point in the game, Michael Finley was the only Spur who seemed capable of getting off a quality shot. He hit a couple big shots throughout the game which helped keep the Spurs from totally collapsing. For the night, Finley totaled 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal, while shooting 6-for-13 from the field.

-Fabricio Oberto played 16 non-descript minutes. In that time, Oberto had six points, four rebounds and an assist. He also connected on 3-of-4 shots from the field. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence but it’s pretty interesting to note how seemingly dependant Oberto is on Ginobili. In the six games that Ginobili missed with injury, Oberto was 3-for-15 from the field. In the five games since Ginobili has returned, Oberto is 9-for-11 from the field.

-Ime Udoka played 19 minutes against the Sixers, getting extended playing time because the Spurs went small at different points in the game. Although his line doesn’t look too spectacular (five points and three rebounds on 1-for-5 shooting), I thought he played rather well. His defense was good and he was taking quality shots offensively. It’d be nice if he hit more of his five attempts but he seemed like he knew what he was doing on that end of the court – which couldn’t be said for many of the players.

-Francisco Elson had his best game in a long, long time. He finished with seven points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 17 minutes. Elson played like he did last year, before he regressed to his current state. That said, he was far from perfect. Although the stat keepers only gave him two turnovers, he was responsible for at least a couple others by either being out of position or not catching passes. However, this was definitely a step in the right direction for Elson. If he can play a bit less sloppily, he might turn back into a capable backup center.

-While Jacque Vaughn didn’t have a game like he did in his last two outings, I thought he was decent. He finished with two points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field. I do think he rushed a few jumpers but he made up for it with solid defensive play.

-A game after getting into a mini tiff with Pop, Horry was back on the court for the Spurs. While his offense was still poor as he shot 0-for-2 from the field, I liked what I saw out of him defensively. He grabbed three rebounds and swiped two steals in his nine minutes of playing time. Hopefully Horry can start showing a bit more because it really looks as if Pop is trying to figure out whether his veteran big has any gas left in the tank.

-Surprisingly enough, Matt Bonner appears to now be the bigman not in the rotation. I say it’s surprising because Bonner has played effectively for the last month or so. I’m not sure if Pop is disappointed in Bonner’s play or if he’s simply seeing what Elson and Horry can bring to the table. Against the Sixers, Bonner got off the bench for the first time in the fourth quarter. In six minutes, Bonner finished with three rebounds and an assist, while missing his only field goal attempt.

-Pop had a decent night coaching. He put different combinations on the court as he searched for someone to spark the Spurs. I thought he did a really good job of resting Ginobili until the stretch run. Ginobili entered the game fresh and ready to help win the game.

The most interesting sub plot from this game is the bigman rotation. Horry, Elson and Bonner seem to be competing for the final spot in the rotation. Although Bonner has played the best out of the three, Pop is letting Horry and Elson make a case for themselves. Will Horry hold onto his spot in the rotation for one more season or will he his role be usurped by a younger option? Pop has four months to figure it out.

The bottomline for this game is it was another ugly win for the Spurs. The struggles continue but at least the team is pulling out victories. With the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets on the upcoming schedule, the Spurs will have to play better to win those two games.

I didn't see the game till the last 5 minutes or so...seems I saw the best part tho ;)

Always appreciate your analysis, it's become a "gotta see what Timvp thinks" thing for me.

Between Horry, Elson, and Bonner, he's got to pick two right? Otherwise we're in smallball hell. My vote would be for Horry to be put on the bench - permanently.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

Between Horry, Elson, and Bonner, he's got to pick two right? Otherwise we're in smallball hell.

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Pop has to pick one. Or maybe you can consider it 1.5.

In 1999 the bigman rotation was Duncan, Robinson and Rose ... with Perdue filling in when needed.

In 2003 the bigman rotation was Duncan, Robinson and Rose ... with Willis filling in when needed.

In 2005 the bigman rotation was Duncan, Mohammed and Horry ... with Nesterovic filling in when needed.

In 2007 the bigman rotation was Duncan, Oberto and Horry ... with Elson filling in when needed.

The biggest role ever for a fourth big during a championship run was Elson last year ... but that's deceptive since Elson started the first six games of the playoffs.

This year, Pop has to eventually settle on the backup to Duncan and Oberto. A fourth big will have a small role while the fifth big will be on the outside looking in.

Great summary as usual, Mike FInley should get more shots when is hot; in this season, he has made many good shot when it counts!

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Originally Posted by timvp

The biggest role ever for a fourth big during a championship run was Elson last year ... but that's deceptive since Elson started the first six games of the playoffs.

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It's also because Elson and Oberto combine to form one legit center. Usually where one struggles, the other is competent so they can fill in for each other depending on the matchup. The Spurs will need both of them healthy and with their heads in the game to be able to go deep into the playoffs again. Barring a surprise, there won't be another big body sitting on the bench this year just in case it doesn't work out with Fabi and Fran.

Woo-hoo! Game thoughts!

Great stuff, timvp. Enjoyed it as always.

Favorite insight: the subplot note about the battle for the 3rd big-man position in the rotation....makes sense, but I hadn't been paying attention to that. I will now.

I thought Elson played well, but he needs to hang on to those passes.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

My vote would be for Horry to be put on the bench - permanently.

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I think I've heard more than a few folks say this every year about this time, Horry has (almost) always managed to shake off the cobwebs by playoff time.

I'd expect to see his energy level suddenly rise again this year. 37 is not exactly old...especially with the role Pop has asked Horry to play. I'd be shocked if he isn't back in form by the post season.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

Between Horry, Elson, and Bonner, he's got to pick two right? Otherwise we're in smallball hell. My vote would be for Horry to be put on the bench - permanently.

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Bench Horry -

Play Bonner !!

Is it just me, or are more and more teams trying to defend Parker now with long, athletic wings (ala Shawn Marion in the '07 Playoffs)? I noticed last night that Iguodala spent some time checking Parker and saw that Flip used Prince on Parker in stretches of the Detroit game. Tony's inconsistency seems to grow from the fact that he's not having an easy time getting to the middle and finishing and whether that is because Tony's just deciding not to force that or whether it might grow from an inability to get himself into finishing position in the paint because: (1) he's not keeping defenses honest with the jumper; and (2) he's having a harder time beating long defenders and finishing.

Am I imagining this?

the pistons game i think was more billups than prince. billups had parker working through screens on the defensive end and presuring him on offense wguch caused him to get tired, he missed seberal layups he'd normally make...

oh and igodala is by far the sixers best defender and option to put on parker. last season he was defending parker in their matchups also.

I think tp problem is he gets a rythym then someone gets hurt messes up the chemistry

Good analysis as always, timvp.

I agree that the offense is just awful to watch lately. I was listening to the Game Night React on 1200 AM after the game and they were actually saying that the Spurs have become boring. After all these years with the media and everyone saying that we are boring, now our own guys actually think we are boring. I was at the game and it was a hard game to watch. I was just thankful that the Sixers were so bad that we were able to keep it close despite our struggles.

What gets me though, is that the last couple of games we have had a slight offensive flow during the first few minutes of the game and then the bottom drops out. And when it drops it is a serious drought for buckets. I'm talking 5-10 minutes of bricks and turnovers and lack of ball movement. We simply cannot play that way. Luckily for us, our schedule has been weak and we have been able to muster some wins despite the struggles, but the teams we have coming up are not gonna just sit back and let us win. We will have to play much improved. I think this starts with our point guard. Tony needs to find a rhythm as he has been out of sync for a while. You know it's bad when we actually look forward to Vaughn coming in and bringing some energy.

As for the three man rotation for the center spot, it is kind of like Pop is just trying to tinker with the combinations. Hopefully, he will soon settle on a permanent rotation. Sometimes, guys perform better when they know what their role is, what minutes they will get, and when they will come off the bench. Once we get to the RRT, I'm sure Pop will have a more permanent rotation.

You people don't get Robert Horry...when Horry can't do it anymore, you won't have to tell Horry to hang it up...he'll know.

That's what makes him Robert Horry...because he just knows crap like that.

And if you knew how he knew...well then you'd be Robert Horry, and last I checked, you aren't...and neither is Pop.


And with him...the ring is the thing, which is why he has so many of them.



Please cease all the talk of benching Horry...and Pop would do well to remember that Robert Horry is Robert Horry, and make an exception to his rule.


I am going to say this for perhaps the 2 millionth time it has been said in Robert Horry's career...and every time it has been forgotten, Horry has made fools of people...

Do not judge him by what he is doing in the regular season. You cannot judge him by that measure...you cannot. It is a mistake to do so.

Whottt with the fantastic post :tu

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Originally Posted by whottt

You people don't get Robert Horry...when Horry can't do it anymore, you won't have to tell Horry to hang it up...he'll know.

That's what makes him Robert Horry...because he just knows crap like that.

And if you knew how he knew...well then you'd be Robert Horry, and last I checked, you aren't...and neither is Pop.


And with him...the ring is the thing, which is why he has so many of them.



Please cease all the talk of benching Horry...and Pop would do well to remember that Robert Horry is Robert Horry, and make an exception to his rule.


I am going to say this for perhaps the 2 millionth time it has been said in Robert Horry's career...and every time it has been forgotten, Horry has made fools of people...

Do not judge him by what he is doing in the regular season. You cannot judge him by that measure...you cannot. It is a mistake to do so.

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Are you Robert Horry? If you are not, then you can not know any of this.

76ers beat the Rockets today.. not too shabby huh?

I thought Pop did a poor job coaching this game, especially in the third quarter. For mine, going up and down against the 76ers cried out "Matt Bonner", but he didn't see a minute until the 4th Q. He would have been especially useful during the slump in the third quarter when the team had no energy and insisted on chucking up jump shot after jump shot. The one thing Bonner guarantees you is energy, and he, not Horry, should have come in halfway through that quarter. I noticed a few other things that I didn't like in this game but have forgotten them... oh, got one. Bruce has developed a bad habit of going to the rim when his man closes out in the corner. He did it three times in this game and messed it up each time. Please Bruce, don't drive!

There was one thing I really liked, though, and that was the return of "don't-mess-with-me Manu". That he could do what he did after such a cold game, and with the splint on, and with Tim telling him not to do it, is even more awesome!

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Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Are you Robert Horry? If you are not, then you can not know any of this.

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I've watched Horry's career long enough to know that he's either

A. The smartest player to ever step foot on a basketball court

or

B. The luckiest


Either way....it's never a good idea to bench him or take him out of the rotation.

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Originally Posted by whottt

I've watched Horry's career long enough to know that he's either

A. The smartest player to ever step foot on a basketball court

or

B. The luckiest


Either way....it's never a good idea to bench him or take him out of the rotation.

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You forgot option C: The laziest. With Horry's size, BB intelligence, speed, and shooting skills, he should have been one of the 50th best players ever.

Instead he's been lackadaisical about his profession, willing to ride to the finals on the shoulders of other players who put out effort every night. He makes you want to cry with frustration with what might of been.

I think Horry will be ready to see action this playoffs, but with Bonner there in case he is not playing well. I could see Horry being effective in fewer minutes, leaving Bonner some playing time. Of course Bonner will have to earn those minutes. I think Oberto and Elson will share time like last year, depending on the individual matchups. But, hey, y'all know way more about the Spurs than I do. Thank You for the great comments.

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Originally Posted by wildbill2u

You forgot option C: The laziest. With Horry's size, BB intelligence, speed, and shooting skills, he should have been one of the 50th best players ever.

Instead he's been lackadaisical about his profession, willing to ride to the finals on the shoulders of other players who put out effort every night. He makes you want to cry with frustration with what might of been.

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He's got 7 rings, and his contributions have been primarily when teams have overlooked him or underestimated him...if they were focused on him, which they would have been were he a top 50 player, he would not have 7 rings.


I'd say since the ultimate goal of a basketball player should be to win a championship, and Horry has played a signifigant role in doing just that 7 times...that Horry has pretty much had the perfect basketball career.

You can say he should have even more rings...and I can say, so should the teams that gave up on him, thought he was lazy and that thought he was done...there is substantial evidence to indicate I am right on that. Based on the fact that he has more rings than the MVP's he played with, and championship teams he played for...

Even when he was replaced by a top 50 player...like Charles Barkley or Karl Malone.


In short...do not fuck with what you do not understand...just be glad he's on your team, because it usually ends up in a ring.


And don't bench him...

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Originally Posted by whottt

...just be glad he's on your team, because it usually ends up in a ring.

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I'm glad Horry's here.

Besides the clutch shots he has made, and hopefully can still make, he brings something else...
He brings experience. Veteren, proven, Championship experience. You can't teach that.
And you shouldn't underestimate it's value.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wildbill2u

You forgot option C: The laziest. With Horry's size, BB intelligence, speed, and shooting skills, he should have been one of the 50th best players ever.

Instead he's been lackadaisical about his profession, willing to ride to the finals on the shoulders of other players who put out effort every night. He makes you want to cry with frustration with what might of been.

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No way.

He hasn't "rid[d]e[n] to the finals on the shoulders of other players who put out effort every night", he's understood his role and played it to perfection.

Horry may be the greatest team/role-player of all time, certainly of the last 20 years, and calling him "lazy" is ridiculous. He is exactly what every team needs - a talented complimentary player who doesn't let his ego get in the way of the team.

Having said that, I'm not sure he has much left in the tank, and the way Pop handles he and Bonner may well be a determining factor in the team's success this season.