Spurs vs. Celtics Nov. 19 - Grades

[timvp]

Tim Duncan
Coming off a hard fought victory game the previous night in Philadelphia, Duncan was noticeable a step slow against the Boston Celtics. Although he finished with 26 points on 8-13 shooting from the court, he rarely looked comfortable in the Spurs’ offensive sets. His defense and rebounding were also lacking, finishing with only six rebounds in 36 minutes. Despite the fatigue and the struggles, he came up big near the end of the game to pull out the victory.
GRADE: 81
SEASON: 87.2

Bruce Bowen
Bowen struggled through most of the game until he turned it up at the end of the game. Finishing only 1-5 from the field and 0-2 at the line, Bowen simply couldn’t find the range on his shot. When he wasn’t rushing shots, he was taking ill-advised shots. On defense, Paul Pierce had his way with him through three quarters. For the game, Pierce scored 25 points on 8-12 shooting.
GRADE: 74
SEASON: 83.4

Rasho Nesterovic
A day after his best game ever as a Spur, Nesterovic laid an egg. He hit 1-7 from the court to end with two points in 23 minutes. He did have five rebounds and two blocks, but his offensive ineptness made him too much of a liability on the court. The jumper he was hitting against the Sixers wasn’t close against the Celtics. The Spurs need him to develop some offensive consistency if they ever want to count on him on a daily basis.
GRADE: 69
SEASON: 85.4

Manu Ginobili
For the fifth time in nine games, Ginobili finished with more than 20 points. Hitting 7-11 from the floor, 4-5 on threes and 3-4 from the line, Ginobili finished with 21 points in 27 minutes. When the Spurs were making their fourth quarter run, he was the player making the big plays and hitting the big shots. Ginobili has proven that he knows how to win and his fourth quarter play over the course of the season will determine how many games the Spurs win.
GRADE: 90
SEASON: 92.7

Tony Parker
Following a scoreless outing against the Sixers, Parker bounced back with a solid performance. He scored 16 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor while dishing out five assists and pulling down three boards. Though he was outplayed for most of the game by Gary Payton, Parker came up big when it mattered most. He hit a big three-pointer (only his third one of the year) in the fourth to cut into Boston’s lead. Overall, he still has room to improve but once again seems to be on the right track.
GRADE: 89
SEASON: 79.9

Devin Brown
In 21 minutes of play, Brown recorded one of his better games of the season. The energy he brought to the table helped spark the Spurs after the team played lackadaisical for most of the contest. He connected on three of his seven field goal attempts and also tallied two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Although his stats are not overly impressive, the intangibles he brought to the table were vital in securing the victory.
GRADE: 88
SEASON: 82.3

Malik Rose
Rose played poorly in his trip home to Philadelphia, but bounced back with an inspired effort against the Celtics. When the Spurs finally broke through and started making their run, a lot of it could be attributed to Rose’s play. He battled inside and scraped for inside points and rebounds. If he can bring that type of aggression day in and day out, the Spurs will have perhaps the deepest bench in the NBA.
GRADE: 89
SEASON: 84.6

Brent Barry
Barry’s shooting was off for the second consecutive game, but he made up for it by passing for a Spurs game-high six assists. When Barry can pass that way from a swing position, it’s as if the Spurs have two point guards on the court. The ball movement that creates is difficult for other teams to defend. Nevertheless, the Spurs need him to connect on more than two of six shots from the field.
GRADE: 86
SEASON: 86.8

Robert Horry
When teamed with Rose in the frontcourt, the duo out hustled the young Celtic players to lead the Spurs back into the game. Horry’s overall energy and timely shooting were instrumental in helping the Spurs claw back. He finished 2-3 from the field including 1-2 from beyond the arc in 12 minutes of action, while also tallying two assists and a steal.
GRADE: 88
SEASON: 83.5

Beno Udrih
Udrih had a couple nice passes but otherwise struggled. He missed both of his shots and committed three turnovers in 11 minutes. He’s going through some growing pains right now as he adjusts to the league, but the Spurs need him to be able to hold down the fort while Parker rests.
GRADE: 68
SEASON: 77.8

Tony Massenburg
In six minutes, Massenburg hit his only shot and had a blocked shot but also had two turnovers. He’ll need to do a better job taking care of the ball for Popovich to have full confidence in him.
GRADE: 80
SEASON: 84.8

[JUUOT]

your grades really reflects how it was the bench that carried this game. I think it the difference why the win this kind of game contrary to last year. the bench has clearly improved. Barry, brown, Rose, horry, and Udrih in a few month when he will be fully adapted is a killer team