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Players weren't taking open shots, especially 3s, and passing off the ball. This often led to worse shots with the clock running down. It isn't unselfishness, it's fear.
If you want to play safe or don't have confidence you need to be home fishing.
The Spurs had their chances. In Game 1 of their second round series against the Suns, the Spurs battled back from double-digit deficits multiple times. However, each time San Antonio got back into it, Phoenix would respond with a run of their own.
To begin the ballgame, Steve Nash absolutely destroyed George Hill's defense. He got easy shot after easy shot on his way to 17 first quarter points. Due to Nash's play, the Spurs spent much first half in a hole.
It wasn't until Tony Parker started the second half did the Spurs get it going. Trailing by ten points at halftime, the Spurs quickly erased the Suns lead in the second half. A Manu Ginobili three-pointer put the Spurs up by three points only four and a half minutes into the period. But the stubborn Suns battled back and rebuilt a double-digit lead within six minutes.
With seven minutes remaining, the Spurs were down by 14 points. Once again, San Antonio mounted a furious comeback -- scoring the game's next 13 points. Unfortunately history repeated itself and the Suns went on a 9-2 run to seal the affair.
Looking back on this game, the Spurs will kick themselves knowing they let a great opportunity to steal homecourt advantage slip through their fingers. Against this explosive and deep Suns squad, giving them confidence is the worst thing you can do. The Spurs now have to prepare for an all-out war if they wish to advance past the second round.
-Tim Duncan simply wasn't as consistently good as the Spurs needed him to be in Game 1. He started off slow and never got into a rhythm on the low block against Phoenix's questionable defenders. Duncan did pick up his game for a stretch in the second half -- particularly on the defensive end. In that stretch he protected the rim very well and scored off of pick-and-rolls, fast breaks and broken plays. That said, the Spurs need Duncan to be better in the halfcourt sets, establish himself early and assert his toughness. He finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three turnovers in 37 minutes. He was 8-for-15 from the field and 4-for-9 at the line.
-Manu Ginobili once again led the team in scoring. He poured in 27 points, dished out five assists, pulled down five boards and swiped four steals. Ginobili hit 9-of-20 shots from the field, 3-of-9 three-pointers and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. The Spurs can't be upset with that type of production. However, Ginobili can clean up his game going forward. He was a bit loose with his passing and he had a few defensive lapses -- including a couple major mistakes that led to Jason Richardson three-pointers. Ginobili should also attack the rim as much as possible because the Suns didn't show much of an ability to slow his drives. Overall it was a quality game from Ginobili ... but he has room for improvement over the course of the series.
-Tony Parker came off the bench -- but that could very well be the first and last time that is the case this series. With Hill struggling to handle Nash combined with Parker playing well once he was handed the reins, it makes a huge amount of sense to put Parker back into the starting lineup. In 36 minutes, Parker had 26 points, three assists, two rebounds and one turnover on 11-for-21 shooting. And honestly, Parker could have done much more. He missed a few easy shots and it took him a while to find a groove. If he starts, Parker should be able to resume his mastery of the Suns. Defensively, Parker has defended Nash well in the past and defended him well on Monday night. Offensively, the Suns really don't have anyone to slow him down. The Spurs need to build around Parker this series and that should begin in Game 2 with the three-time All-Star back in the starting lineup.
-George Hill was a hero in the first round and got a lot of national attention for his play. To begin the second round, he couldn't have played much worse. His defense this season against star point guards has always been a major question mark in my eyes. Nash quickly answered all questions by torturing Hill with his quickness, craftiness and ability to get into the lane. Hill was helpless whenever Nash was in the picture. To make matters worse, Hill's defense against Richardson was also poor. The early returns point to Hill not being a good matchup against anyone in Phoenix's starting lineup. For that reason, Parker returning to his starting role in place of Hill seems like the logical adjustment for the coaching staff. Hill finished the game with nine points on 2-for-9 shooting and a team worst plus/minus of -22 in 33 minutes.
-Richard Jefferson played 33 minutes but you would never know that by his production. He was 1-for-3 with five points, three rebounds and three assists -- not exactly the numbers of a player stepping up in an important game. The good news is that Jefferson usually did well when he was around the ball. He aggressively drove down the lane a few times and he didn't make too many mistakes on the defensive end. But the time for excuses is over and Jefferson needs to figure out a way to make a larger impact. A start would be to help out more on the boards. Oh and it'd be nice if Jefferson had the confidence to shoot three-pointers once again instead of hiding inside the three-point line. Now is not the time to be scared.
-Without Dirk Nowitzki to chase around, Antonio McDyess only played 19 minutes. He had his moments but I'd have to classify his overall play as below average. McDyess was too hesitant on the offensive end and missed too many rotations on the defensive end. When not on Stoudemire, McDyess wasn't giving enough respect to the bench players of the Suns. His six points on 3-for-7 shooting and seven boards look decent enough on paper but McDyess can certainly play better.
-Well, I guess it isn't just the Mavs in the postseason. Matt Bonner played 13 timid minutes against the Suns. Offensively, Bonner seems to actively be searching for excuses not to fire up open looks. He's using his dribble way too much when he should just shoot. On defense, Bonner didn't play with much grit -- especially against Stoudemire. Bonner finished with two points and three rebounds on 1-for-2 shooting. If you watch him on the court, Bonner just doesn't look like a player who is comfortable with the pressure of the postseason. That is unfortunate for the Spurs, especially against this Suns team that is boiling over with young players ready and willing to leave their mark.
-I had hope that Roger Mason, Jr. could be a sleeper for the Spurs in this series. Consider those hopes dashed. Mason was horrible once again. He missed both of his shots and played pathetic defense. I can't even explain how bad he's playing right now. Mason isn't fit to suit up as the Coyote’s assistant, much less try to help the Spurs win playoff games on the basketball court.
-DeJuan Blair gave Duncan 11 minutes of rest in Game 1. In that time, Blair hit his only shot, grabbed two rebounds and had both a steal and block. While he played adequately, there's no doubt Blair can do a lot better. He has the skillset to really make a difference in this series. In his first outing, he was definitely much more of a place-holder rather than a difference-maker.
-For better or worse, Keith Bogans likely earned more playing time with his performance on Monday night. He was 1-for-2 on three-pointers and used his strength to carve out a layup and finish with five points. Defensively, Bogans was active and rotating well. It's scary to play Bogans in this series due to his offensive inep ude ... but there are no other options at this point with Mason and Bonner obviously not up for the challenge.
-Pop had a faulty gameplan heading into the series when it came to defending Nash. He should have known that Hill isn't very good against elite point guards and should have been ready to switch things once Nash got going. It took entirely too long for Pop to adjust. Going with Mason was a swing and a miss. More McDyess and less Bonner would have helped matters. All in all, Pop has to find a way to get players outside of the Big 3 to produce. Not only does Pop need to figure out which players have the testicular for ude for this level of play, he needs to better put those players in positions to succeed. The Spurs can definitely win this series but Pop needs to coach a lot better than he did in Game 1. If he's stubborn with his Game 2 adjustments, the Suns will get one step closer to the revenge they seek.
Players weren't taking open shots, especially 3s, and passing off the ball. This often led to worse shots with the clock running down. It isn't unselfishness, it's fear.
If you want to play safe or don't have confidence you need to be home fishing.
It will be interesting to see how the Spurs handle re-inserting Parker into the starting lineup. Will a second unit led by Hill be enough? Does Manu go back to the bench too? RJ?
I'm having my doubts. I know that Parker is needed to start the game but I am pretty worried on how the rest of the rotations will work out.
Thanks for the analysis Timvp.
Quick question. As I stated in another thread aren't you surprised that Pop sticked THAT long with Georges on Nash while he was obviously getting burned every time on D.
He's always been the kind of coach who's willing to call his players names and burning timeouts when they were showing defensive inabilities.
Good Break down timvp.
-RJ with his 5 points is making Bruce Bowen seems like an offensive force. He seriously need to contribute at least double digits. He should be driving to the rim since he isn't hitting the outside shot.
-Will Hill's confidence go down if he gets sent back to the bench? You don't wanna lose him for the series...
=Bottom line is the Spurs started off horrible... they were on the verge of getting blown out but somehow managed to keep coming back. A game 2 win would be huge, don't wanna come back to SA 0-2. It wouldn't be the end of the world but it would reduce the error margin to virtually 0.
Thanks.
The big three need to be the big three in this series. Those three guys have historically played well against the Suns.
No mas, Pop. That means NO MASON!
If we can get any kind of meaningful production out of RJ, that would be extremely helpful.
Hill and Blair will play better in game 2.
I may point something out I've already pointed out. I make it quick.
$ - Pick and rolls by the spurs were not well played. We should destroy this suns team playing screenrolls. Also setting the screens were weak and suns were able to defend almost every screen that was made by the spurs players.
$ - Pick and roll defense on Nash - gameplan was good and I think we can continue to do this again in the second game but well be better at executing this plan! It looks like a trap for nash cutting the most probable passing lane while doubling him. Third guy is involved and the ball is ours.
that also put some of Amares game away.
$- They can lose a luggage in the airport but when they need to lose mason, they are not doing it.
I could play better then him. His defense is horrific at best.
$ - If Tim can overcome the 4down with Suns pressing him with double and having closed ALL the passing lanes it would be nice. Also it would be nice that our guards would slash or make some cuts, free themselves to create some havoc and create new passing lanes which Tim would find.
We are short. We can't spread the floor with no danger from outside.
$ - RJ - I'm disappointed, he should be there in transition all game long.
$ - Richardson like I said before. I've no idea how can we defend him? Richard? Then Manu will be backed down by Hill ... hmm
$ - Spurs players were hesitant. Not good sign. Bonner and dyess must to pick this up. And I would like to see better production from lair and spurs winning the boards. We can't let the suns guys have the ball more then we do.
The starting five in the second half played great to get the lead back but Pop made a error in judgement in not callin time-out before the lead blew out back to 10. One thing was to get the team settled and a breather. Manu had been the only sub so far. The other was to get a hot shooting Manu back in. Watching him sitting almost 2 min on the scorers' table and doing nothing to stem the tide were good enough reasons.
Still like our chances though. A lot of positive signs.
I wouldn't put Manu on the bench. I'd replace Hill with TP. If you play TP, Manu and RJ, Nash really doesn't have anyone to defend. Nash on Hill isn't too bad of a matchup for PHX.
The bench is going to be weak but Hill will have a better chance to thrive off the bench. Keeping him in the starting lineup is a waste because he can't defend any of the Suns' starters. Instead of having him worried about getting abused on D, I think the easier matchups off the bench will allow him to also concentrate on bringing some O.
I've supported the current starting lineup and I've said I want Hill to start either at PG or SG ... but this matchup against the Suns calls for this change. Hopefully Pop makes the right move.
I was definitely surprised Pop waited so long to fix the leak. Nash was destroying Hill left and right.
Then again, Pop has been a little overconfident in Hill's defensive abilities all season long. The truth is that Hill is an average defender at this point in his career. In some matchups he can be very good due to his length but Hill has his shortcomings on that end -- most notably the fact that he gets lost in pick-and-rolls. This is far from the first time he's been lit up by an elite point guard.
It's a risk Pop has to take. TP is a perfect fit against the Suns starters. Hill fits very well against their bench. Any other concerns are trumped by those two facts.
i was not even mad at Pop for doing this. IMO he wanted to see if the guys will prevail and how they will react.
It might be a bad decision but I think this thing will be watched mostly on video session.
Pop had to be kicking himself for not playing Hill enough last year and obviously believes stronger in him. I'd be surprised if he pulled the plug after one game considering Pop's previous loyalty to players.
It's gotta be Manu. RJ is too much of an airhead.
I like Manu on JRich because Manu can rack up steals against JRich's weak dribble. Manu is also big enough to keep JRich from posting him up too often.
That said, Manu has to stay mentally engaged with idea that his job is to stop JRich. He lost him a few times in transition defense and roamed away from him in halfcourt sets. That last three JRich hit was due to Manu just falling alseep on the weakside.
Manu has the ability to really make life difficult for JRich. We'll see if he stays focused enough at the task at hand. Manu by nature is a gambler on the defensive end ... but that has to change for this series.
Also, when Tim gets the ball down low, he should make his move quickly. I noticed that the Suns defenders were waiting for him to put the ball on the floor and then quickly double-teaming him. The Spur whose defender is leaving to double needs to be ready to cut to the basket.
<sigh> This is going to be an exhausting series for Manu.
Actually, Timvp, Parker needs to start this series. I'm with you on that.
One adjustment that needs to be made is putting a concerted effort in giving the ball to RJ and calling a play for him. I'm sorry but it is bull that he took only THREE shots last night! Yes RJ was hesitating and playing like a pussy on offense at times, but I don't care. Pop HAS to call plays for him at the end of the day no matter how much of a pussy RJ is being. He needs to shoot and get going if the Spurs are to have any chance at winning this series. 5 points isn't gonna cut it against these Suns, who are much stronger than the Mavs offensively.
And it is so true what you say about him hiding inside the 3 point line. He needs to be behind the line, and if the ball kicks out to him he needs to ing shoot it. We can't have Manu as our one and only 3 point threat this whole series. RJ needs to shoot them when he's open, as do Hill and Bonner.
On another note, when the is Parker going to develop a 3 point shot? For s sake learn how to shoot the three TP! He kills us with that, almost every scoring guard in the NBA can shoot the 3 consistently except TP.
Yah i was mad becuase i've seen Pop mis-manage Manu a couple of times in the Dallas series. Going by how he was calling time-outs through-out the play-offs that time-out needed to happen. You can only afford to " see if the guys will prevail and how they will react" in the regular season. Plus that starting five were tired from cutting into the deficit and getting the lead. Having to do it again in the 4th just took too much out of the team.
this reminds me of game 1 against the mavs; they couldnt do no wrong (mavs, phoenix) and the spurs played sloppy and only lost by 8 or 9. almost had a chance to hold the lead.
not to worry.....they will be back for a game 2.
If Parker starts, who's going to be his backcourt partner? Hill? or Manu?
I don't think Hill would defend Richardson effectively, either.
If Gino starts, that means we won't have a legit sixth man to lead the second unit...
RJ may and in fact is an airhead, but considering he brings almost nothing these days on the offensive end, except for gravy; the hope is that he keeps his chops busy on the defensive one. And thats why I think he is better off concentrating on J-Rich. Manu can take care of Grant Hill ..and then switch to J-Rich when his radar is fully on, as in, in the 4th quarter..
Sun's shots were goin down like a tube down the Gualdalupe. I expect better rotations by the Spurs and a few missed shots next game.
Mason needs to get his suit out and even if Malik Hairston is still dinged up, Mason has no business in the game. I am not saying Hairstons should be in there, just that Mason needs to be in street clothes so Pop cannot call his number.
Bogan for all is offensive shortcomings is the much better option.
I have never been one to throw Bonner under the bus but let me know when you see a Via bus coming because I am gonna be the first to shove him.
While many are calling on Parker to start Game 2, I'm hoping Pop doesn't take that road. Sure Parker will light up Nash all night, but how often is Nash going to light us up for 33 and 10 also? Chances are Nash will cool off a bit in Game 2, and George after watching video will know better how to defend him.
Plus, you gotta consider those 36 year old legs and his 24 year old legs. Hill is young and will be fresh for Game 2, while from now on the 1 day off may not be enough for Nash to rest and produce 30 and 10 a night. I say stick with it for Game 2. If Hill immediately struggles again in the first few minutes, you switch the strategy and never go back. Remember, Hill had a 0 point performance in Game 1 of the 1st round, Pop stuck with it and look at the results. I think it's too early to freak out, the Suns were always expected to win at least 1 of their first 2 home games.
Start Hill in Game 2!
http://www.nba.com/games/20100503/SA...t2hp0040900221
The +/- for Hill was -22 (a team low). The +/- for Nash was +18 (a team high).
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