Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Hawks Feb. 25

[timvp]

After the first 12 minutes of action, the only thing the Spurs accomplished was forcing Dr. James Naismith to roll over in his grave. Trailing 16-5 at the end of the first quarter, the Spurs had hit just 1-of-17 shot attempts and were apparently flustered by the youth and athleticism of the Atlanta Hawks.

Thankfully, the Spurs regrouped and dominated the rest of the game. In the final three quarters, San Antonio outscored Atlanta 84-58. Once you erase the first quarter from your memory, the rest of the game played out as a typical Spurs blowout win.

If the Hawks can add some savvy veterans to their mix, they aren’t far away from being a top five team in the Eastern Conference. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams are four stud youngsters. Mike Bibby was a decent veteran addition but the Hawks need a couple more players who know how to win before they are any sort of legit contender.

Overall, I thought the Spurs played well after the disaster of a first quarter. For the rest of the game they shot better than 52% from the floor and got a lot of easy looks. Defensively, the team was really good all night – allowing the Hawks to shot just 33.3% from the floor. With six consecutive victories, the Spurs are now first in the Southwest Division and a half game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference lead.

-Tim Duncan struggled early on as the Hawks used a physical double-team to disrupt his offensive flow. Duncan found it difficult to get many clean looks at the basket but he kept his effort high and eventually figured it out. He finished with 23 points, ten rebounds, three blocks and two steals, while hitting 5-of-9 shots from the floor and 13-of-16 free throw attempts. Duncan had five turnovers in the first half but adjusted and had only one turnover in the second half. It wasn’t an attractive outing by Duncan but he ended up having a reasonably effective game.

-Manu Ginobili’s stats weren’t as gaudy as we’ve come to expect but he played pretty well. In 36 minutes, Ginobili had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while shooting 4-for-13 from the field. Ginobili’s main problem on the night was making two-pointers, as he was 3-for-6 on threes but only 1-for-7 on twos. I liked his effort defensively and he had a couple of timely plays on offense.

-Tony Parker’s game is starting to come around. After missing more than three weeks with an injury, Parker was obviously rusty in the last couple of games. Tonight, Parker again started off rusty but eventually found somewhat of a rhythm. In the third quarter, he had a stretch where he hit 6-of-7 shots from the field and was consistently able to get to the rim. However, outside of that spurt, Parker was just 1-for-9 from the court. The main culprit was his outside jumper as Parker missed all five of his jumpers. For the game, Parker had 15 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Those two blocks alone tell me his ankle is feeling pretty good.

-Bruce Bowen spent the whole night harassing Joe Johnson and did a good job of doing so. Johnson missed 7-of-12 shots and had six turnovers. In 34 minutes, Bowen had five points, two rebounds and two steals. It wasn’t a great performance by Bowen but he was one of the main reasons why the Hawks struggled to score all game long.

-Fabricio Oberto got the start but played only the first six minutes of the game. He spent the rest of the game watching from the bench. The main reason was because the Hawks play a small lineup. Another valid reason was because Oberto didn’t play well while on the court. In his six minutes, Oberto had two rebounds and a turnover. With Kurt Thomas on board and Robert Horry playing better, Oberto will have to earn his minutes from now on.

-Michael Finley was decent in his 26 minutes off the bench but I felt that he was hesitating a bit too much. When the Spurs were struggling to score, Finley passed up a couple shots he usually shoots. Overall though, Finley didn’t play too bad. He finished with nine points and three rebounds on 4-for-11 shooting. To allow Pop to keep Ginobili in the starting lineup, Finley will need to be a consistent double-digit scorer off the bench.

-Robert Horry continues to look less stiff as the season progresses. He’s moving more freely now and doesn’t look like he’s 67-years-old playing on two prosthetics. In 21 minutes, Horry had three points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. He missed 3-of-4 shots from the floor, with his lone make coming on his lone three-point attempt. Horry is another player who can’t slump too much or else Thomas will gobble up his minutes.

-Ime Udoka is starting to fit into his role rather nicely. Defensively, Udoka is physical and is perhaps the team's best in-your-face defender. Offensively, he’s been streaky. Tonight was a good streak as he hit all four of his field goal attempts to finish ten points and three rebounds. If Brent Barry decides to come back to the Spurs, it’ll be interesting to see who will become the fourth swingman going into the playoffs.

-Damon Stoudamire didn’t shoot the ball well and didn’t play too well overall … but I still like him as the backup point guard more than I like Jacque Vaughn. Even when Stoudamire is shooting poorly, he still runs the offense effectively and he’s still a player who the opponent is forced to account for on the court. Against the Hawks, Stoudamire had three points on 1-for-5 shooting with one rebound, one assist and one steal.

-Kurt Thomas got his first minutes as a Spur and he was actually really good. He provides a tough, physical presence who isn’t afraid to lay the lumber. He has good timing on the boards and his jumper is money out to about 18 feet. He’s not going to take your breath away with his athleticism but he’s just a solid, smart player. The only thing I question about him is whether he’s quick enough to play with Duncan for long stretches. Tonight we didn’t get the answer to that because Thomas usually was in the game when Duncan rested. At worst, Thomas will better help hold the fort while Duncan is one the sidelines. Monday in his Spurs debut, Thomas finished with four points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes. I’ll take that kind of production every night from him.

-Jacque Vaughn has to be the only third string point guard who is part of his team’s rotation at the moment. In seven minutes, he had one rebound and one assist. While Vaughn is a good insurance policy, I’d rather Pop give his minutes to Stoudamire for now to get Stoudamire more acclimated with his teammates. Vaughn knows all he’s going to know.

-Matt Bonner got into the game late and knocked down a couple shots. In two minuets, Bonner had four points and two assists. Now that he’s relegated to Tom Copa/Jack Haley/Gerard King/Mengke Bateer status, hopefully Bonner continues to work hard in case he’s needed at some point for whatever reason.

-I liked how Pop didn’t panic during the five-point first quarter. The Spurs couldn’t buy a shot but there wasn’t much Pop could have done. Yelling at the team wouldn’t have helped. Instead, Pop weathered the storm and kicked back while he waited for someone to hit a shot.

Again, I’m not thrilled with Ginobili leading the team in minutes. However, that should hopefully chance soon as Parker is able to pick up more and more of the offensive slack. Right now, the Spurs are too dependent on Ginobili to sit him for too long.

While the Spurs don’t play again until Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs will soon learn of Brent Barry’s decision. Barry has told teams he will decide on Tuesday where he’s going to sign. If the Spurs can woo him back for a second stint with the team, it’d be yet another victory.

Barry could sign wherever he likes since the Spurs are the one who traded him away but hopefully he realizes he’d become a hero if he were to return. He’s already a fan favorite but if he were to come back, he’d attain legendary status in San Antonio.

Back to the game against the Hawks, the bottomline is it was another solid W to add to the win column. The Spurs sucked to start the game but played well in the final three stanzas. After the Barry decision on Tuesday, the Spurs have what should be an interesting showdown against Jason Kidd and the new-look Mavs on Thursday in the AT&T Center.

[whottt]

I was impressed as with Kurt Thomas and liked seeing him in the uniform. I'm still not crazy about giving up a first round pick for him....and it's hard for me to forget how many times I've seen him wind up on the losing side of things...but I'd be lying if I said he didn't look good in a Spurs uniform. He very well could be the best traditional defensive big we've had since Drob retired.


As for his movement...tonight he seemed exceptionally fast compared to what I think of when I think of Kurt Thomas...in fact I didn't think it was him when he made plays because his movements seemed to be so much quicker than I thought they would be.



Overall it's easy to see why Pop likes him...especially now that I know he was once an assistant coach.

Seems to me that if anyone can pick up the Spurs system quickly it's a guy that's been a coach...so hopefully that will be true with Thomas.




Edit: and Pop can say Thomas was signed for the Lakers all he wants...but I think he's here to dispense some hard fouls in return for the ones Shaq is going to be dispensing...and to protect Duncan.

[greens]

Really good analysis.

By the way, are TP's two block shots a career high?

[T Park]

and it's hard for me to forget how many times I've seen him wind up on the losing side of things

But you forgot those things with Brent Barry?

[Obstructed_View]

It was kind of nice of the Spurs to get their lull out of the way early. Perhaps they are on their way to putting together some 48 minute efforts.

[whottt]

But you forgot those things with Brent Barry?

Um...I remember Barry's team sweeping the 2001 Lakers and Barry tearing them up. I remember Barry hitting a game winner against us in 03...I remember the Sonics taking us to 5 games in 02(in a 5 game series) and Barry's best game being the elimination game(with Bruce Bowen defending him).


Other than that...I remember Barry making the playoffs with the Clippers..

I don''t consider those actions losing when you look at the teams he had played on...Thomas OTOH has been on some good teams. The first really good team Barry ever played on...he won a championship....and he was the back up guard and swing rotation on that team...Beno and Devin pretty much watched. I noticed you had finally started to pull your head out of your ass concerning that...unfortunatetely it appears to have been reinserted.

[T Park]

Um...I remember Barry's team sweeping the 2001 Lakers and Barry tearing them up. I remember Barry hitting a game winner against us in 03...I remember the Sonics taking us to 5 games in 02 and Barry's best game being the elimination game(with Bruce Bowen defending him).


Other than that...I remember Barry making the playoffs with the Clippers..

I don''t consider those actions losing when you look at the teams he had played on...Thomas OTOH has been on some good teams. The first really good team Barry ever played on...he won a championship.

So it was Thomas's fault that his team's didn't win.

But it wasn't Barry's fault his teams lost.

Gotcha.

[whottt]

So it was Thomas's fault that his team's didn't win.

No...but Thomas damn sure wasn't a difference maker.

Barry was...

But it wasn't Barry's fault his teams lost.

First championship contender Barry played on he made a difference...that's not true of Thomas.

Gotcha.

You don't got ...

[T Park]

No I see that you have different standards for Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry.

[timvp]

As for his movement...tonight he seemed exceptionally fast compared to what I think of when I think of Kurt Thomas...in fact I didn't think it was him when he made plays because his movements seemed to be so much quicker than I thought they would be.

It was hard to tell because he doesn't show much outward emotion but Thomas was amped up and ready to play. He was playing even harder than he usually plays.

But if you think about it, he's finally on a team that wants him. The Knicks were always trying to trade him. Mike D'Antoni hated him and saw him as like the anti-Sun. The Sonics sucked. This Spurs team might be the first true team Thomas has been on since the '99 Knick team. And even that team was dysfunctional.

Even though he's 35, maybe he can up his level of play just by being on a team that's good and wants him to be a part of the team.

[Holt's Cat]

One has to be encouraged by Thomas' debut. As much as Thomas has had a chance to witness the Spurs in the postseason, it's apparent he was paying close attention.

Stoudamire gets Spurs Basketball. Once his shots start dropping with a little more regularity he will be the best backup 1 for the Spurs before "We Want It Now" left David Greenwood's lips.

[whottt]

No I see that you have different standards for Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry.

Pull your head out...then you'll see a different view.


Right now what II see is that you probably have direct relatives from Argentina....or Turkey.

[Obstructed_View]

First championship contender Barry played on he made a difference...that's not true of Thomas.

The last championship contender Thomas was on he damn sure made a difference. Too bad the only person that didn't see it was the guy who controlled his minutes.

[T Park]

One has to be encouraged by Thomas' debut. As much as Thomas has had a chance to witness the Spurs in the postseason, it's apparent he was paying close attention.

Stoudamire gets Spurs Basketball. Once his shots start dropping with a little more regularity he will be the best backup 1 for the Spurs before "We Want It Now" left David Greenwood's lips.

Yeah Stoudamire's shots aren't far off either.

When Stoudamire gets his shots going, and Kurt Thomas is given more minutes, this team is really gonna start kicking ass.

[polandprzem]

If Barry vs Udoka

It will depend on playoffs matchups


Ginos minutes

No offensive punch, Pop is somehow forced to play him that much

[T Park]

The last championship contender Thomas was on he damn sure made a difference. Too bad the only person that didn't see it was the guy who controlled his minutes.

Hey, the Suns being stupid is the Spurs gain, what can we say

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah Stoudamire's shots aren't far off either.

When Stoudamire gets his shots going, and Kurt Thomas is given more minutes, this team is really gonna start kicking ass.

I'm looking forward to having him and Finley in a shooting groove for the playoffs.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Nice to see Thomas had a good opening game. Interestingly he and Horry both had great +/- for the game. Horry was +19 so his presence must have been felt even if he didn't have a big statline.

9 rebounds in 13 minutes for KT is pretty impressive. I think the last guy we had in the middle who knew how to rebound other than TD was DRob. Thomas obviously is no Robinson, but if he can rebound and pull post defenders out with his jumper it will benefit Duncan a lot if the two of them can play together. And, perhaps more importantly, when Duncan rests Pop won't have to worry that Ginobili is going to have to be our only player getting rebounds.

Feels like a good fit for Mr. Thomas here in SA.

[E20]

Tony is ing up Manu.

[T Park]

You put Finley, stoudamire, Ginobili, THomas, and Oberto out there.

You have a pick and rolling, shooting clinic.

This team IF they can get Barry back, is so diverse and so deep its not even funny.

[T Park]

Nice to see Thomas had a good opening game. Interestingly he and Horry both had great +/- for the game. Horry was +19 so his presence must have been felt even if he didn't have a big statline.

9 rebounds in 13 minutes for KT is pretty impressive. I think the last guy we had in the middle who knew how to rebound other than TD was DRob. Thomas obviously is no Robinson, but if he can rebound and pull post defenders out with his jumper it will benefit Duncan a lot if the two of them can play together. And, perhaps more importantly, when Duncan rests Pop won't have to worry that Ginobili is going to have to be our only player getting rebounds.

Feels like a good fit for Mr. Thomas here in SA.

Parker
Bowen
Udoka
Thomas
Duncan


Now thats a team that shuts down the other team on a defensive possession.

[polandprzem]

You put Finley, stoudamire, Ginobili, THomas, and Oberto out there.

You have a pick and rolling, shooting clinic.

This team IF they can get Barry back, is so diverse and so deep its not even funny.

Yea it makes me cry too

[Holt's Cat]

Game Thought

Messed around and won by 15. Damn right it was a good day.

[jcrod]

Loved what i saw from Thomas. 9 rebs 2 blocks in 13 mins...sick

I also think Pop should be giving every back up minute to Damon. He just looks fluid, unlike Vaughn. I would live losing a couple of games now so Damon could be more comfortable later.

[whottt]

The last championship contender Thomas was on he damn sure made a difference.

No..he didn't. Check the scoreboard.

Too bad the only person that didn't see it was the guy who controlled his minutes.

Whatever....that series was the one we almost lost so D'antoni wasn't doing too badly.