Spurs #2 in Points Allowed

[Solid D]

the East isn't a concern to me..

our problem is that we don't match up well with LA..if we can actually beat LA, we can beat anybody..

we've ranked 4th in defensive rating for a while now, so nothing new..

They shouldn't be a concern unless the Spurs get out of the West unscathed. After that, they should be a MAJOR concern. I'm not sure they can beat a healthy Cavs or Celts team in a 7 game series. It remains to be seen with the Alston-led Magic.

[wildbill2u]

Of course holding an opponent to 78 points is great stat-wise, but you have to score more than 76 yourself to win the game.

Just sayin'

[senorglory]

Of course holding an opponent to 78 points is great stat-wise, but you have to score more than 76 yourself to win the game.

Just sayin'

That's why the Spurs 2nd best in the west point differential is a good sign, in my opinion; then again, seems like point differential could be greatly skewed by outliers-- any stats guys out there care to comment on the validity of point differential as a valid measure of team performance?

[LaMarcus Bryant]

That stat is meaningless i saiddd

[Obstructed_View]

That's why the Spurs 2nd best in the west point differential is a good sign, in my opinion; then again, seems like point differential could be greatly skewed by outliers-- any stats guys out there care to comment on the validity of point differential as a valid measure of team performance?

I'm not a stat guy, but it's been one of the best stats I've used to predict the playoff success of teams over the years. When the Spurs play 48 minutes, play defense that translates to easy buckets and when they get stops AND prevent second chance points their margin of victory goes up. All of those are things that championship teams need. I'd say that the 2003 team was probably the closest thing to an exception because they were so good that they could just put a big run together and turn a big deficit into a victory.

[Solid D]

Point Diff. is a key indicator of how good a team is. One of the best indicators. That's why Cleveland's record is so good.

[Taking it to the Hole]

I don't think we will get back in the Top 5 of FG% defense, because Bowen isn't the lockdown defender he once was and Tim has been struggling as of late. We won't improve drastically until we get Bowen 2.0, or we bring in someone to help Tim with shot blocking.

[Chieflion]

There is some good news in the stats: The Spurs' point differential is solidly positive (+3.97) and they are 5th best in the league in that stat. Not surprisingly, the teams ahead of them are (1) Cleveland (2) Boston (3) Lakers (4) Orlando. They also have the third-best assist differential in the league (+3.49). In the last 10 games, the Spurs' rebounding differential has been 6th best in the league, which is a huge improvement. They were 8th best in steals differential over the last 10 games, and they have been near the bottom of the league in that stat for most of the season.

Their opponents' field goal percentages have been dropping, so even though they are 9th, the higher percentages from early in the season are affecting their overall average. If you look at their last 10 games, they are 6th in the league for opponent FG%. The bad news is that in the last 10 games, they have been allowing their opponents to shoot .417 from the 3P line, compared to .365 for the season.

The Spurs are the second best team in the league this season about taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.04 turnovers per game. But they are dead last in causing turnovers - their opponents averaging just 11.98 TO's per game. So even though the Spurs aren't turning the ball over, they are still on the negative end of that stat. Their ability to take care of the ball isn't giving them an advantage, because they aren't causing opponents to turn the ball over.

The Spurs are committing the fewest fouls in the league, averaging 18.70 fouls per game. But they are also dead last in drawing fouls - their opponents are getting whistled just 18.47 times per game. That makes the Spurs negative in that stat as well. What's worse, in the last 10 games the Spurs' foul calls have risen to 19.2 per game, while their opponents' have dropped to just 16.5 per game. That 16.5 number is BY FAR the lowest in the league. In general, when the Spurs are playing the refs swallow their whistles. So even though they don't commit many fouls, it isn't an advantage because they don't draw fouls against their opponents.

If you're judging by the stats, the Spurs are a very good team, but not an elite team. But... their stats are, for the most part, improving as they go into the playoffs. And their stats are good enough to make a case for them beating any other team in the league. But they would have to play their best game against Cleveland, Boston, or L.A.

No real news there.

I agree totally, just another thing to add, usually in the playoffs, the pace of the game reduces as compared to the regular season which makes the opposing teams play the Spurs brand of basketball.

[lefty]

Ftl

[SA210]

Could be #1 with Bruce starting.