Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Magic Jan. 11

[Brazil]

This is why Manu was always the perfect Ying to Parker's Yang. Manu has historically been Mr. 4th Quarter, while Parker is strong in Q 1-3.



A healthy Manu (and a little stronger inside presence next to TD) has been what has hampered the Spurs since last year's WCF.



Manu seems more like he's rolling at 70% of Manu right now...not the 90% Pop suggested here recently.

Conclusion : a regular Manu is not enough to defeat Orlando, we need the super Manu. Hopefully the super Manu will be there for LA.

[kace]

True...except for the part about peculiar. It's been a fairly frequent occurance over the past several years. Of course, there are exceptions, including an early-season 55 point OT performance. As the season wears on, expect more occurances. It's just the way it is.

Parker scoring average by quarter this season:

1st: 5.3 pts / 2nd: 5.9 / 3rd: 4.7 / 4th: 6 pts

he's 10 th in the league in scoring average in the 4th quarter with by far the best FG % of these ten players at 54.1 % in the 4th.
and not only the 4th quarter is the one where he scores the most but he does it while playing less minutes in the 4th than in the three previous ones.

to complete, Parker scored a lot in OT as you should know and shoots at 57 % in clutch time (5 last minutes and OT when score is close), by far the most high % of the team.

TRY AGAIN.

[Solid D]

Parker scoring average by quarter this season:

1st: 5.3 pts / 2nd: 5.9 / 3rd: 4.7 / 4th: 6 pts

he's 10 th in the league in scoring average in the 4th quarter with by far the best FG % of these ten players at 54.1 % in the 4th.
and not only the 4th quarter is the one where he scores the most but he does it while playing less minutes in the 4th than in the three previous ones.

to complete, Parker scored a lot in OT as you should know and shoots at 57 % in clutch time (5 last minutes and OT when score is close), by far the most high % of the team.

TRY AGAIN.

Good stat work, but it's early in the season. If you have available stats from the 82 games last season or the season prior to that, would you be able to say the same?

[FromWayDowntown]

I've said this elsewhere, but I was disappointed that Pop had such a quick hook for Hill in the early stages of the 4th -- despite the fact that Hill wasn't playing very well -- or, more precisely, that Pop brought Parker back so early in that quarter.

I'm surprised that Pop hasn't been more patient with Hill and more willing to challenge him by putting him into tight situations. Letting him start 4th quarters is a good start, but trusting him to play a bit more and to play through even bad and repeated mistakes strikes me as a good idea at this stage of the game -- both because it seasons Hill and gives Pop something to bark at him about and because it saves Parker. Parker should be conditioned to play heavy 4th quarter minutes, but early January doesn't really seem like the right time to be doing that. Pop knows better than I do, but I'd still like to see more patience in challenging Hill.

[mrspurs]

No excuses what so ever. The Magic are a better team just like their record shows. If this is the team we are going with for the remainder of this season. Then its get ready for an early vacation again. This team has no inside Defense. And when they tried with all their mights to make inside stops. The Magic decided to give us a taste of our own medicine. The team and Pop just didnt have the answer. Another loss to a team with a winning record. No surprise here. Just another team that has finally found a way of not losing to the San Antonio Spurs. Only tookum a decade or so........

[Ice009]

No excuses what so ever. The Magic are a better team just like their record shows. If this is the team we are going with for the remainder of this season. Then its get ready for an early vacation again. This team has no inside Defense. And when they tried with all their mights to make inside stops. The Magic decided to give us a taste of our own medicine. The team and Pop just didnt have the answer. Another loss to a team with a winning record. No surprise here. Just another team that has finally found a way of not losing to the San Antonio Spurs. Only tookum a decade or so........

Why are you here? Most of your posts are negative. I haven't heard you once say that the Spurs can get it together and win. If you don't believe in the Spurs maybe you should stop watching the team.

[Ice009]

I've said this elsewhere, but I was disappointed that Pop had such a quick hook for Hill in the early stages of the 4th -- despite the fact that Hill wasn't playing very well -- or, more precisely, that Pop brought Parker back so early in that quarter.

I'm surprised that Pop hasn't been more patient with Hill and more willing to challenge him by putting him into tight situations. Letting him start 4th quarters is a good start, but trusting him to play a bit more and to play through even bad and repeated mistakes strikes me as a good idea at this stage of the game -- both because it seasons Hill and gives Pop something to bark at him about and because it saves Parker. Parker should be conditioned to play heavy 4th quarter minutes, but early January doesn't really seem like the right time to be doing that. Pop knows better than I do, but I'd still like to see more patience in challenging Hill.

What exactly did Hill do poorly in the 4th quarter? I thought his defense was a lot better than Parker's. Was it for a couple of mistakes on offense? Parker had mistakes on offense too when he can back in. I guess Pop put Tony back out there quickly for offensive reasons?

[Solid D]

If Manu can return to the form he was in last year prior to his injury, the Spurs will be fine.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns
The best bargain guard was San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili, who led the Spurs in fourth-quarter scoring last season with 5.2 points per game – a full point better than all-star teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Ginobili shot a league-high 57.4 percent from the field during the last five minutes of close games and was paid $9 million.

[ducks]

Parker’s fourth quarters struggles tarnished an otherwise fine performance and were strange because the fourth has been his most productive quarter this season.

[Solid D]

As the season wears on, expect more occurances. It's just the way it is.

[SenorSpur]

I've said this elsewhere, but I was disappointed that Pop had such a quick hook for Hill in the early stages of the 4th -- despite the fact that Hill wasn't playing very well -- or, more precisely, that Pop brought Parker back so early in that quarter.

I'm surprised that Pop hasn't been more patient with Hill and more willing to challenge him by putting him into tight situations. Letting him start 4th quarters is a good start, but trusting him to play a bit more and to play through even bad and repeated mistakes strikes me as a good idea at this stage of the game -- both because it seasons Hill and gives Pop something to bark at him about and because it saves Parker. Parker should be conditioned to play heavy 4th quarter minutes, but early January doesn't really seem like the right time to be doing that. Pop knows better than I do, but I'd still like to see more patience in challenging Hill.

Couldn't agree more. For evidence, look no further than how Parker was worn down by the 4th quarter.

[mrspurs]

Couldn't agree more. For evidence, look no further than how Parker was worn down by the 4th quarter.

No matter what, Pop was trying to win that game. I for one have been impressed with Pops coaching this season. All the mishaps and we're still in this game. If Tony looked a little tired last night, then I can imagine how he will look in the end. No matter what Pop does, Tony and Timmy will have to log in alot of minutes for this team to win. Its not gonna get any easier. Other guys on this roster are gonna have to step it up or we may just have one of those rare 3 game losses in a row. Its about time Manu starts playing like last seasons Manu.

[timvp]

True...except for the part about peculiar. It's been a fairly frequent occurance over the past several years. Of course, there are exceptions, including an early-season 55 point OT performance. As the season wears on, expect more occurances. It's just the way it is.

Peculiar for this season, at least.

It's going to be interesting to watch how Pop handles fourth quarter touches this season. In the past few seasons, Ginobili has been the first option down the stretch, with TD running shotgun and TP in the backseat. This season, Pop has given TP the ball more often than not in money time for the first time in his career. Statistically speaking, TP has responded well.

For example, in the Christmas Day game, that play in past years would 95% of the time be called for Manu to be the creator. Currently, TP is getting those types of plays called for him most of the time. But as Manu recovers, will Pop once again give him the reins?

It's a tough call. TP has put up clutch stats in the last three playoffs and during this regular season, while Manu's clutch stats have been off during those times. But then again, Manu is Manu and he has a long history of being a championship caliber game changer and one of the best winners of his generation.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out . . .

[Solid D]

Yeah, I agree regarding TP getting the ball in crunch time this season and that he has responded well so far in his 27 games this season. He's top 6 in crunch-time so far. I expect the inevitable slog-through-the-mud look late in some of the latter season games.

Manu ranked 5th in crunch time last season (regular) and 3rd in the last 2 minutes with one team leading by 3 points or less...but Manu typically had the ball last year in super crunch time. We'll see how many shots Parker will need to get his points in the 4th quarter. If he and Manu (Dan Majerle-esque?) are both inefficient, then we all know what would happen.

[slayermin]

Those Magic have all kinds of three point shooting surrounding Howard. Lewis and Turkoglu at forward spreads the floor really well. I was shocked at all the open looks they were getting against the Spurs. And as amazing as Jameer Nelson was, I was more impressed with J.J. Re . Never liked Re , but he is a great shooter. He must love playing with the Magic right now.

[angel_luv]

Hedo did play well. It was fun watching him.
Guess he showed everyone who booed him when he was introduced.

Tony Parker did a fantastic job. I was impressed.

[kace]

Good stat work, but it's early in the season. If you have available stats from the 82 games last season or the season prior to that, would you be able to say the same?

if you're criticizing him for how poorly he played in the 4th some years ago or for how poorly you think (hope ?) he will play in the fourth as the season goes, there is nothing i can do about it.

right now, and for some years and PO, he's by far the most clutch spur.
I'm sorry for you.

[Shastafarian]

if you're criticizing him for how poorly he played in the 4th some years ago or for how poorly you think (hope ?) he will play in the fourth as the season goes, there is nothing i can do about it.

right now, and for some years and PO, he's by far the most clutch spur.
I'm sorry for you.

Oh come on. How can you say that when Manu and Tim are on the team? By far?

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Oh come on. How can you say that when Manu and Tim are on the team? By far?

he can say that because he's a bit biased. I can see how Tony might be considered the clutchest so far this season, but to say he's been the clutchest for some years now is bull . Specially, when Manu's fourth quarter stats last year completely blow that notion out of the water.

Having said that, give Tony his props this season. The man is clutch, period.

[kace]

Oh come on. How can you say that when Manu and Tim are on the team? By far?

the stats say that. it has been posted many times. since a couple of years. Before that Parker wasn't so clutch overally and he was less than average in PO.

Tim is also very clutch, as usual. Manu had a wonderful RS last year, but otherwise, and especially in PO, he has a very low FG % in clutch time since few years.

Search the stats from 82games.com, they have been brought several times.

[kace]

he can say that because he's a bit biased. I can see how Tony might be considered the clutchest so far this season, but to say he's been the clutchest for some years now is bull . Specially, when Manu's fourth quarter stats last year completely blow that notion out of the water.

Having said that, give Tony his props this season. The man is clutch, period.

well we posted in the same time so i hope you have your answer.

it has nothing to do with being biased even if i have to admit the TP hating is, well, let's say annoying.

I have no problem to say Tony was often till 06 in PO. I have no problem to say he's gold since few years in clutch times.

[Shastafarian]

the stats say that. it has been posted many times. since a couple of years. Before that Parker wasn't so clutch overally and he was less than average in PO.

I could've sworn Manu had the best clutch time stats last year.

Tim is also very clutch, as usual. Manu had a wonderful RS last year, but otherwise, and especially in PO, he has a very low FG % in clutch time since few years.

Especially in the Playoffs when he was hurt?

Search the stats from 82games.com, they have been brought several times.

There's no doubt Tony is clutch. But to say he's "by far" the most clutch on the team is ridiculous. I'm not sure who I want handling the ball on the last possession. Both Manu and Tony are excellent driving with little time left. Tim is great at hitting shots in the clutch.

[kace]

well, if you want the stats, you have the ones from the PO of last three years here: http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111608

Scroll down and see my posts.


It's interesting that a lot of you are talking about manu last year play in the fourth in RS. manu was simply incredible last year in the 4 th and in clutch time, in regular season. he was amazing and saved our ass a lot of times. I really enjoyed watching him at this level, really hope to see him at it again and really think he deserved the tons and tons of praising threads he had then and still has now for that.

here are his stats in clutch time last year RS: 43.3 pts per 48 minutes at 57.4 %

simply amazing.

Tony's ones this year: 44.2 pts per 48 minutes at 56.6 %. and he's still bashed.............

[Shastafarian]

well, if you want the stats, you have the ones from the PO of last three years here: http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111608

Scroll down and see my posts.


It's interesting that a lot of you are talking about manu last year play in the fourth in RS. manu was simply incredible last year in the 4 th and in clutch time, in regular season. he was amazing and saved our ass a lot of times. I really enjoyed watching him at this level, really hope to see him at it again and really think he deserved the tons and tons of praising threads he had then and still has now for that.

here are his stats in clutch time last year RS: 43.3 pts per 48 minutes at 57.4 %

simply amazing.

Right so how can you say Parker is by far better in crunch time?

Tony's ones this year: 44.2 pts per 48 minutes at 56.6 %. and he's still bashed.............

I don't think we're bashing him. We're commenting on you saying he's by far better than anyone on the team in crunch time when it's simply not true.

[kace]

Right so how can you say Parker is by far better in crunch time?

I don't think we're bashing him. We're commenting on you saying he's by far better than anyone on the team in crunch time when it's simply not true.

look at the stats in my link from three previous PO.

and i'll stop here, i'm tired of that .