Spurs @ Rockets Preseason Game 1 - Player Analysis

[timvp]

Tony Parker
To start off the game, Parker looked very sharp. You could tell he had played basketball a lot during the summer. His jumper looked good and he already looks to be in regular season shape. During Parker's second stint, he was forcing the issue a bit too much and didn't play as well. Overall though, Parker looks capable of carrying a bigger than usual load early on.

Roger Mason, Jr.
In the first half, Mason appeared to be the typical first year Spur. He was unsure of himself and was second guessing all of his decisions. In the second half, he played much looser -- and as a result much better. What will be interesting is to see how Pop handles Mason's shot selection. Mason has always been a player who takes questionable shots on occasion. Will Pop give him free rein or will he try to reel him in? We shall find out soon enough.

Ime Udoka
Udoka proved that he's definitely a system player. On offense, his inability to create shots for himself or others was on full display. Defensively, he played decently but he'd oftentimes funnel the player to an open space rather than a help defender. Thankfully, Udoka will have more talent around him during the regular season. His biggest plus on the night had to be his rebounding.

Matt Bonner
In his first action in the biggest season of his career, Bonner didn't impress. He was out of place more often than not defensively. Offensively, he was awkward and missed most of his open shots. He's going to have to play much better to keep Pop away from the phone. If Bonner doesn't improve on his play and no other bigman option emerges, Robert Horry will likely receive a call at some point before the end of the season.

Fabricio Oberto
I thought Oberto looked pretty good. He used his strength against Yao Ming on one end and was more aggressive than usual on the other end. Most importantly, he looked much better physically than he did while playing for Argentina in the summer. The injury he was suffering from a few months ago apparently is healed.

Devin Green
Green got the most minutes of any bench player and had mixed results. He did a good job of attacking the basket and passing the ball off the dribble, however his ballhandling and overall court awareness remain a problem. He was decent defensively, although his wiry frame will make it difficult for him to improve much in that area. Green looked a little bit improved from summer league but I still don't picture him as a realistic option this season for the Spurs.

Anthony Tolliver
Pop must have given Tolliver a 100% green light because he was shooting the ball whenever he touched it. After putting on a great shooting display during summer league, he couldn't quite keep it going into the preseason. In fact his first couple misses were very ugly. He improved as the game went on but he's going to have to find his stroke if he wants to make the team.

Darryl Watkins
Watkins was one of the main bright spots for the Spurs. He looked to be in very good shape and his athleticism was impressive. He had a pair of highlight reel blocks and pulled down some tough rebounds. Offensively he finished strongly at the basket. Even though his actual basketball skills are still a question mark, his size and athleticism make him an interesting project. Basically, he played preseason game number one just like Spurs fans would like Ian Mahinmi to play on a regular basis.

Malik Hairston
After looking bad during summer league, Hairston actually played really well against the Rockets. While his long range jumper still needs work, he's not afraid to attack the basket and finish with authority. Hairston also did a good job defensively and on the glass. Even though he's somewhat of a longshot to make the team, he really helped himself in his first preseason game.

Jacque Vaughn
Vaughn was already giving great effort, which isn't too surprising from a player who almost always plays hard. That said, I wasn't too impressed by his play. He forced the issue a number of times offensively. He was even trying to do too much defensively. Basically, he looked to me like a guy fighting too hard to keep his spot in the rotation. It might be understandable if the Spurs have told him his spot on the roster isn't safe, but he needs to play in a more team oriented manner.

George Hill
Hill didn't play in the first half but he made a very good impression in the second half. Defensively, he was really, really good. He pressured the ballhandlers and played the passing lanes well. He even provided some help in the inside a few times. The Spurs coaching staff has raved about his defensive abilities and Hill showed why. Offensively he's still a work in progress but I thought he looked better than he did in summer league. He had a couple of nice buckets and mixed in a few quality passes. He's still raw but he looked about as good as could be expected his first time out.

Desmon Farmer
Although he didn't play much, Farmer wasn't bashful when he got into the game. He has a scorer's mentality, however I question whether he has the size and athleticism to be a scorer in the NBA.

Charles Gaines
Gaines was smaller and less athletic than I thought. No way he's an NBA player but he should be able to continue making money in Europe.

[T Park]

George Hill
Hill didn't play in the first half but he made a very good impression in the second half. Defensively, he was really, really good. He pressured the ballhandlers and played the passing lanes well. He even provided some help in the inside a few times. The Spurs coaching staff has raved about his defensive abilities and Hill showed why. Offensively he's still a work in progress but I thought he looked better than he did in summer league. He had a couple of nice buckets and mixed in a few quality passes. He's still raw but he looked about as good as could be expected his first time out.

To me Hill looked like the real deal.

I hope he can duplicate that effort tonight.

If he can come off the bench this year, give that similar defensive effort, while honing that shot and offense, this bench becomes VERY VERY good.

[xtremesteven33]

I have a very good feeling about Hill. I honestly do.

I also get a feeling that after a couple of years the spurs are going to see a lot of offers for him. I honestly think he has all the tools to be one of the best PG lock down defenders in the NBA.

[duncan228]

Thanks timvp.

[polandprzem]

Thanks timvp.

[Spurtacus]

Thanks for the analysis.

[team-work]

Thank you very much.

Just about to ask if there'd be any "game thoughts" like last season, & it came!

[Manufan909]

Nice.

[Flux451]

thanks TiMVP

Sounds like Watkins might be an ideal pickup.

[Manu-of-steel]

george hill- i also liked what i saw from him, i agree with timvp and extremsteven33. hopefully, chip can polish his shooting just in time for the nba season.

[bigfan]

TIMVP, I live in Dallas and dont catch many games on tv. I know I speak for many when I tell you I (we) really look forward to your well written, concise, fair appraisals of games and the players involved. Keep up the good work man.

[SenorSpur]

TIMVP, I live in Dallas and dont catch many games on tv. I know I speak for many when I tell you I (we) really look forward to your well written, concise, fair appraisals of games and the players involved. Keep up the good work man.

Same here and couldn't agree more. While I do subscribe to League Pass, the preseason broadcasts are not offered. I'm limited to radio-only broadcasts for those. These game summaries are a nice supplement and are especially appreciated.

[Manufan909]

Let's not all brown nose at the same time, ok? It's getting crowded here.

[bdictjames]

Can anyone tell me what happened when Barry and the Spurs met? Did they hug or did Brent do something funny?

[lazyjoe]

Did anyone watch Desmon Farmer after the game? his eyes were crazy