Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Hornets Game 1

[polandprzem]

Why Spurs heck a Chandler???

TRhey wanted the ball at the last posesion of the quarter

[florige]

Hornets look like a better team to me and there's no shame in losing to a better team. However, the effort has got to be there and Tim for as great as he was in game 1 against phoenix was equally as bad last night. Can a true superstar do that?

Tony, Fin and Bruce in the 1st half were the only ones that showed up. IMO Tony's turnovers happened late when the game was out of hand. Manu played with half a brain. Tim was as TIMVP described, a spoiled brat and left his team to dry.

NO is a horrible matchup for the Spurs and we will need a miracle for the spurs to pull this one out. Again, no shame in losing to the better team.

We played them pretty well in the first half. For whatever reason we started getting jumper crazy when we are up. I can remember two separate occasions Manu just coming down the court and pulling up for 3 with no one under the rim. If I'm not mistaken those led to immediate points for NO's. They sort of remind me of Phx, but with a half court game. I don't know, but we have got to slow down their role players. I agree with what another poster said, let Paul and West get there ala Nash and Amare. We always managed to shut down Marion and whoever else they had at the time. But we can ill afford to have Bonzi, Peja, and on top of Paul and West scoring in double digits. Look, we cannot match up with Amare at all, I think that Nash and Paul are about cancel each other out. They are just going about it different;y than Phx and throwing harder doubles at Tim than Phx did. We can beat this team. West is good but we just saw this in Amare who also has big games against us. Bottom line is we can't live with Duncan's performance last night.

[DarrinS]

If we get beat in this series, I won't mind, as long as the Spurs give it their all and go down fighting.


If the Hornets advance, I hope they go all the way.

[boutons_]

Pop's coaching and Spurs execution will be tested Monday night.

Do whatever it takes to avoid coming to SA 0-2.

ing Tim, was he drugged?

So ing weird to be so 51-years old and useless for 37 minutes.

1st half showed we could have had that game easily. ing Duncan.
25 - 12 vs Suns,
then 5 - 3 vs Hornets.

He had to be sick or drugged.

[polandprzem]

Pop's coaching and Spurs execution will be tested Monday night.

Do whatever it takes to avoid coming to SA 0-2.

ing Tim, was he drugged?

So ing weird to be so 51-years old and useless for 37 minutes.

1st half showed we could have had that game easily. ing Duncan.
25 - 12 vs Suns,
then 5 - 3 vs Hornets.

He had to be sick or drugged.

I say drugged

[JamStone]

Question for Spurs fan:

I know Bruce Bowen has the corner three pointer on lock and has for several years. But, how often do you expect Bruce to score 17 points in the first half of playoff games?

I read some Spurs fans saying that in the first half the Spurs were playing the Hornets well, but to me, allowing Bruce to be the one to beat them is what they probably wanted. Now, him making most of his shots probably wasn't part of the plan. But, it looks like the Spurs were relenting to what the Hornets wanted. Tim Duncan was out of the offense and they were making Bruce beat them.

I think saying the Spurs were fine in the first half is a little bit disguised by the fact Bruce had his shot going so well. And, I think Manu hit his first 4 three pointers as well.

Manu will make his shots. And, Bruce can hit an open three pointer. But, if you think about it, relying on 17 points from Bruce and Manu not missing at all from outside either, and the Spurs were only up 4 points at half. It's just a different way of looking at it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I think all in all we are going to get brutally brutally exposed this series. Chris Paul is too good, so good that his game alone will surpass any inexperience factor the Hornets might have. Chris Paul is just too damn good. David West is becoming a matchup of nightmare proportions. Pop can fiddle with plans all night long but at the end of the day we still have noone who can guard him or slow him down.

[Que Gee]

Question for Spurs fan:

I know Bruce Bowen has the corner three pointer on lock and has for several years. But, how often do you expect Bruce to score 17 points in the first half of playoff games?

I read some Spurs fans saying that in the first half the Spurs were playing the Hornets well, but to me, allowing Bruce to be the one to beat them is what they probably wanted. Now, him making most of his shots probably wasn't part of the plan. But, it looks like the Spurs were relenting to what the Hornets wanted. Tim Duncan was out of the offense and they were making Bruce beat them.

I think saying the Spurs were fine in the first half is a little bit disguised by the fact Bruce had his shot going so well. And, I think Manu hit his first 4 three pointers as well.

Manu will make his shots. And, Bruce can hit an open three pointer. But, if you think about it, relying on 17 points from Bruce and Manu not missing at all from outside either, and the Spurs were only up 4 points at half. It's just a different way of looking at it.

Good point. I'm sure if they (Hornets) ended up losing with Bruce scoring 34pts or something they would have laughed it off and said "so be it." "That'll never happen again."

[1Parker1]

Question for Spurs fan:

I know Bruce Bowen has the corner three pointer on lock and has for several years. But, how often do you expect Bruce to score 17 points in the first half of playoff games?

I read some Spurs fans saying that in the first half the Spurs were playing the Hornets well, but to me, allowing Bruce to be the one to beat them is what they probably wanted. Now, him making most of his shots probably wasn't part of the plan. But, it looks like the Spurs were relenting to what the Hornets wanted. Tim Duncan was out of the offense and they were making Bruce beat them.

I think saying the Spurs were fine in the first half is a little bit disguised by the fact Bruce had his shot going so well. And, I think Manu hit his first 4 three pointers as well.

Manu will make his shots. And, Bruce can hit an open three pointer. But, if you think about it, relying on 17 points from Bruce and Manu not missing at all from outside either, and the Spurs were only up 4 points at half. It's just a different way of looking at it.

That's always been the Spurs game plan when teams decide to double Duncan. You surround him with great 3 point shooters who he kicks it out to and they are supposed to knock it down. Bowen and Ginobili got the same exact wide open 3 point looks in the second half that they did in the first half, they just didn't knock them down. If they had, we'd be talking about a different story.

If they had made their open shots, the Hornets would have been forced to make a decision, allow the 3 point barrage to continue or use single coverage on Duncan.

[wildbill2u]

NO game plan is pretty simple. Don't let Duncan beat them. Once that option is taken away, if possible, shut down the Spurs perimeter players from attacking the lane and make them beat you with 3s.

If I were them, I'd be happy with limiting Duncan to five shots, keeping Parker and Ginobilli within their averages and seeing if Finley and Bowen can beat you.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Give Udoka some run, either having him give West a different look or send him in when Bonzi goes in the game so we have someone to match up with him.

I think you've got to throw some different looks at West, with plan B being the old Amare defense we used to use. I.E., let him get his and focus on locking everyone else on the court down.

We can beat New Orleans with West scoring 30 a game. We can't beat them with him scoring 30, Peja 22, Paul 17, Bonzi 10, etc.

And where was the pick and roll? All we got was a heavy dose of 4down when Duncan was playing vintage Dwayne Schintzius low post offense. Pop needs to get out of his friggin' comfort zone.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Question for Spurs fan:

I know Bruce Bowen has the corner three pointer on lock and has for several years. But, how often do you expect Bruce to score 17 points in the first half of playoff games?

I read some Spurs fans saying that in the first half the Spurs were playing the Hornets well, but to me, allowing Bruce to be the one to beat them is what they probably wanted. Now, him making most of his shots probably wasn't part of the plan. But, it looks like the Spurs were relenting to what the Hornets wanted. Tim Duncan was out of the offense and they were making Bruce beat them.

I think saying the Spurs were fine in the first half is a little bit disguised by the fact Bruce had his shot going so well. And, I think Manu hit his first 4 three pointers as well.

Manu will make his shots. And, Bruce can hit an open three pointer. But, if you think about it, relying on 17 points from Bruce and Manu not missing at all from outside either, and the Spurs were only up 4 points at half. It's just a different way of looking at it.

Actually, in the game thread a couple of us were saying Pop needed to adjust on offense because we were only up 4 at half with the Spurs going 9-13 from three in the first half.

Unfortunately Pop has a bad habit in the playoffs of seeing something work for a small segment of time and thinking he doesn't need to adjust. Sometimes it takes him a game, but unfortunately most of the time it takes him getting his ass handed to him in a series and then figuring out over the off-season what he should have done differently.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Pop got thoroughly bukkaked by Byron. I agree with AHF, its like he was trying to stay in a comfort zone.

[1Parker1]

So does anyone have any ideas why Udoka didn't play last night? I can't remember, how was he against the Hornets in the regular season? Maybe that's why...?

[1Parker1]

Pop got thoroughly bukkaked by Byron. I agree with AHF, its like he was trying to stay in a comfort zone.

No, it was more like he was coaching a regular season game. He made almost NO adjustments after seeing how the Hornets were playing Duncan. He made no adjustments in the second half when the Spurs couldn't buy a basket. And his solution to David West going off in the 4th quarter, was to stick Oberto on him a little longer.

[SenorSpur]

Where have I seen this before? The Spurs played the Hornets well in the first half and then fall apart after halftime on their way to getting blow out. Oh that’s right, it happen twice in the regular season. Add one more to that total.

Unfortunately this movie has played all too many times this season. No one likes to see the Spurs lose, but provided the team plays hard and competes long enough to give themselves a chance to win, I can accept that. What I cannot accept is getting routinely outhustled, outworked and outcoached. I also don't understand how a championship team gets it's doors blown off. This was a pitiful second-half performance by a passive team that obviously didn't have the desire necessary to compete against its opponent.

The Hornets deserve a lot of credit for the win. David West (30 points and nine rebounds) was a monster, Chris Paul (17 points and 13 assists) was orchestrating the attack and Peja Stojakovic (22 points on 15 shots) was playing with exceptional confidence. Bonzi Wells (ten points) was his typical Spurs Killer self and Tyson Chandler (ten points and 15 rebounds) helped the Hornets outrebound the Spurs 50-34. In the second half, the Hornets just beat the Spurs down. That’s all there is to it.

I disagree and challenge anyone who thinks the Hornets are overrated. The fact that this is the 3rd significant "beat down" of the Spurs by the Hornets this season, should be reason enough for all of us and the Spurs players themselves to fully acknowledge and respect them. They didn't win the Southwest Divison by accident. They are a really, really good team - and a dangerous one, I might add.

The Spurs have a lot to fix before Game 2. Number one of the list is to figure out how to defend West. This is the third time West has dismantled the Spurs. The Spurs need to figure out who can slow him down or at least find a strategy that won’t allow him to put up Tim Duncan numbers. The Spurs also can’t let Stojakovic go off, especially if West is also going off. Somebody on the Hornets has to be slowed.

West has killed the Spurs in practically every game they've played. The Spurs have yet to solve the matchup problem that he brings. They don't seem to have anyone on the roster capable of slowing him down. Paul garners so much attention, however I wonder if Pop would consider running another defender at West?

Overall, this was a very disappointing loss and the worst part is that some of the problems don’t seem to be easily correctable. The game had a very 2006 Mavericks feel to it. The Hornets were the team I feared most heading into the playoffs and all my worst fears, and then some, played out.

I thought the very same thing heading into this game. After all, it's an even-numbered season and the Spurs have historically "tripped" all over themselves in the conference semi-final round during those years. Recall there was only one blowout loss during that 2006 Spurs/Mavs series and it was the Spurs who got blown out in Game 2 on their homecourt! Frankly, I fear the Hornets more than the Fakers.

-Tim Duncan played the worst basketball game of his life. And that isn’t a hyperbole. Tim Duncan played the worst basketball game of his life. The Hornets were sending hard double-teams at him and that got him out of his rhythm. But even worse than that were his three rebounds in 37 minutes. Considering the Spurs got murdered on the board and considering he was on Chandler defensively, that is a shockingly low number. Three rebounds in 37 minutes on the road in an important playoff game? That’s just embarrassing. Offensively, he was 1-for-9 from the floor. Most of those misses were due to soft and weak attempts. Instead of playing basketball, Duncan spent the night whining. It would have been nice if Duncan stopped acting like a spoiled brat long enough to help the team out. The words just don’t exist that can explain how pitiful Duncan was tonight. He should be ashamed not only with how he played but how he hung the rest of the team out to dry. Struggle on offense? That’s fine. But at least try to help out by grabbing boards or at least give an effort that wasn’t a total embarrassment. Duncan needs to wipe away the tears, leave his ref complaining in the hotel room and come out in Game 2 ready to play.

Where have I heard this before? And why is there even a repeat of this tired storyline? This IS the playoffs - not a run-of-the-mill regular season game. You wouldn't think Pop, or anyone else for that matter, would have to remind Tim to get his head out of his fifth hole and just play the game. Whenever Tim whines, it seems to take away his concentration and adversely affect his play more than any defender seems to be able to. Not to mention, it totally takes him out of the play as the opposition races upcourt to try and score quickly. Tim is THE team leader and needs to set a tone for the team by his at ude and focus - regardless of how he's playing. He should personally apologize to his team for his poor play and immature actions. Make a commitment to stop whining and just play!

-Manu Ginobili’s stats look good. He had 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while hitting 7-of-14 shots from the field. However, his play in the third quarter left a lot to be desired. He had a couple of bad turnovers that led to easy transition bucks for the Hornets. He had another couple of bad decisions that came back to bite the Spurs. Ginobili also was a bit too three-point happy. He was 3-for-9 on three-pointers and 4-for-5 on two-pointers.

Couldn't figure out why he continuously kept launching up 3-pt shots. One of the worst was his errant 3-pt miss with 23 secs left in the 2nd quarter. He took this ill-advised shot, when clearly he should've played for the last shot of the half. Of course, this led to a Chris Paul driving layup to end the half.

-Playing smarter will be number one on the agenda for Ginobili in Game 2. (Oh and for the love of the basketball gods, stop forcing passes to Robert Horry. Whenever he’s on the court with Horry, Ginobili tries to make bullet passes to Horry as if Horry is going to do anything when he gets the ball. The passes to Horry either get stolen or sail out of bounds.)

I've been saying this ever since that horrific, foul on Dirk in the 2006 WCSF. I love Manu's fearless aggression, his passion and heart. His play can usually range from utterly brilliant to downright bone-headed. No one else on this team takes me on the emotional rollercoaster rides that Manu does. As one of the great players on this team, he really needs to read the flow of the game better. If his shot is off, he's a great enough player that he should find other ways to affect the game. Either via attacking the basket, setting up teammates, and playing defense. I really hope he plays smarter and stop forcing bad plays and taking bad shots.

Someone asked the question in another thread as to whether Game #2 is a must game for the Spurs? I'd say yes. As defending champions, the Spurs need to establish a tone for this series. They need to throw a wrench into the psyche and confidence of the Hornets. No better way to do that by stealing one on their home court. Don't want to go back home down 0-2.

[ATXSPUR]

I think all in all we are going to get brutally brutally exposed this series. Chris Paul is too good, so good that his game alone will surpass any inexperience factor the Hornets might have. Chris Paul is just too damn good. David West is becoming a matchup of nightmare proportions. Pop can fiddle with plans all night long but at the end of the day we still have noone who can guard him or slow him down.

That at ude doesn't reflect the at ude someone with Vince Young in their avatar should have!!

[jackseven]

First note is I have to mention Jaque Vaughn had a turnover. If this is from a bad dream let me know, but I remember him thinking he was going to be Tony Parker when he drove into 3 Hornets defenders on a fast break and picked the ball up and then got stuck despite his massive hang time and threw the ball away. That play was the one that made me the most mad.

For me the loss falls 100% on Duncan. He's got to at least put up 12-15 points and 8 rebounds for the Spurs to have a chance. I don't care if the Hornets came at him with triple teams, he has to still play like a superstar of some sort. I hope Pop or if Pop is too afraid (I have a tough time believing Pop will actually yell at Tim Duncan) then Sean Elliott has the courage to call him out and tell him to make his move when he catches the ball. A lot of times he has single coverage and just waits until a double team comes. He's so much better when he's decisive and aggressive, but I think Duncan would prefer not to be and let Manu and Tony do the work while he draws the double teams.

Another bad result from Duncan's play is if he doesn't serve as the Spurs nucleus, but just another player, Manu and Tony try to take it upon themselves and I don't think that will work in this series. The Hornets are too good of a defensive team to be beaten by one guy.

The game started off horribly from an intensity standpoint. The Spurs came out looking so overconfident it looked like they thought they would just use the logos on their jerseys to win the game for them. They then promptly spotted the Hornets 8 points. They did come back and end up with a four point lead at half time, but that had more to do with Manu (and Finley to a lesser extent) catching on mini fire than them playing well. Whenever someone is just turning and swishing threes with 20 seconds in the shot clock, those are bonus points, not points coming out of your system.

On that note, I do have to give credit to Bruce Bowen for knocking down his threes - which in constrast derived from the Spurs offense.

One last thing. I can't stand when Oberto is one foot away from the basket and tosses up a shot that doesn't hit the rim because he's so afraid of getting rejected. I wish he would just lay the ball up as if he were by himself. It's not like he doesn't get thrown on a regular basis so he doesn't really have the pride factor and if he shoots it like he's afraid of getting blocked it's usually equal to a turnover anyways.

I don't blame the Hornets pyrotechnics team for this loss, because the Spurs were going to lose anyway the way Duncan was playing, but get real. That kind of stuff can't happen in a NBA playoff game. And if it does, get moving. It was rediculous to watch the one guy trying to briskly walk dignified in a $139 suit while just spreading around the fire extinguishing powder. There should have been 30 people on their hands and knees with towels and water getting that powder off the floor.

[itzsoweezee]

no one the spurs can guard west. no one. the spurs have got to keep the ball out of his hands. work hard to deny west and don't let stojakovic go off. i don't think paul as a scorer can beat the spurs.

[VoiceofReason]

That kind of stuff can't happen in a NBA playoff game. And if it does, get moving. It was rediculous to watch the one guy trying to briskly walk dignified in a $139 suit while just spreading around the fire extinguishing powder. There should have been 30 people on their hands and knees with towels and water getting that powder off the floor.

Hey, I'm a huge Hornets fan and I agree. I was at the game and we all were amazed at the screwup. Didn't affect the outcome, however. And I'm thinking the suit was a $99 special.

[NIH]

Hi VOR.








Nice to see this thread is w/o the re ed Katrina smack, I look foward to some good basketball talk. I don't think you guys are giving enough credit to the Hornets defense on Duncan. In that win in S.A they held him to single digits as they did last night. Chandler did a very good job on him last night. Another thing I find funny is some of you guys dismissing DWest's game as a fluke, he's one of the bst PFs in the league and has really stepped it up in the playoffs.

[VoiceofReason]

Yo, NIH. I'm trying to be classy. Impressive, huh?

[NIH]

Very.

[td4mvp21]

We are going to have to-dare I say it-play complete, full Spurs basketball games to beat the Hornets. The Spurs could get by with playing a game of halves with the Suns because the Suns are the Spurs' . They can't do that with New Orleans.

[csaenz]

[I just posted this on the "don't panic" forum, but it bears repeating.]

Going fishing? no. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm happy with that loss, but blowouts are the best types of losses in a series. You never want to lose a really close game. Look at the Suns last round. The most important game was the first, a ridiculously close heartbreaker for the Suns. The least important game was game four, where they stomped us. Sure, we were already up three, and a break was slightly expected. Right now, I'm thinking about last year, where we lost Game 1 of the first series -- at home, even -- to Denver. The Hornets have to win the first games at home just to stay in contention, so this blowout is fine. We may have gotten the same amount of rest days, but we came off a much more emotional series. None of the Hornets games against Dallas were very close.

That being said -- and remember who told you -- we'll win the next three games. Yes, the next three. We'll lose game 5 in NO, and finish it off in San Antonio. (When we lost to Denver, we won four in a row right after, and that was the same Denver team Stephen A(Hole) Smith picked to win it all this year. So, there you go.)