Spurs see cause for urgency in Utah
Mike Monroe
SALT LAKE CITY — Tonight's game at EnergySolutions Arena is no mere NBA contest between the Spurs and the Utah Jazz.
This is Desperation vs. Humiliation, a test of emotions that will transcend wins and losses, Xs and Os.
After back-to-back homecourt losses to the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, the Spurs head to the scene of one of their worst losses of the season with a sense their season has reached an early turning point.
The Jazz's motivation is much simpler. They need a victory over any team to erase the embarrassment of Saturday night's loss to Minnesota. The Timberwolves had won only two games before coming from 14 points down to beat a Jazz team that coach Jerry Sloan says didn't defend in the second half.
The Spurs, 9-8 after back-to-back losses, approach tonight's game with a fair amount of optimism. But they also understand that this revamped roster — one which many hoped would position them for a le run — needs to begin showing results, and soon.
“This stretch of games right here is really good for us,” Spurs captain and leading scorer Tim Duncan said. “We need to turn a corner and learn things about ourselves and become a better team.
“I do believe we have it. It hasn't turned into any wins, but I think we have gotten better these last two or three games.
“Now we go up to Utah a little desperate. They are a team that has beaten us twice. Hopefully, we can bring that energy to get a win.”
What keeps Duncan and the Spurs' coaches relatively assured a turnaround is coming is that their defensive effort has been effective, even against the Nuggets. Denver scored 106 points but failed to reach its league-leading season average of 110.6 points per game.
The Spurs yielded 34 points to Carmelo Anthony, the NBA's top scorer, and Popovich called Anthony's eight fourth-quarter points a symptom of the occasional confusion his new players sometimes experience.
“He's a great player and he's leading the league in scoring,” Popovich said, “but I saw some situations in the fourth quarter where we were late getting to him, and that showed a lack of executing with guys that are trying to learn the system.
“We have to keep working at it. That's what it's all about.”
Nevertheless, Popovich sees the potential for the Spurs to be a better defensive unit than he has put on the floor since winning the 2007 NBA le.
“As far as trying to be as good a defensive team as Boston has been the last couple of years, that's a team deal,” he said. “The team has to get that. Other guys, like (DeJuan) Blair, (Antonio) McDyess or (Richard) Jefferson are learning what we want to do, but I think we can be a better defensive team, with this group, than we have been for the last two or three years, without a doubt.
“In time, of course.”
For Tony Parker, the time is now.
“We keep saying we have a lot of new guys,” Parker said. “We just need to play better. That's it.”
i love the fact that Pop and Tim are completely and wholly calm. it shows they know what's really going on. that, despite what we might think or feel, they have a sense of control, and are going to be pushing just at the right now.
if only the same could be said for the general posters on Spurstalk.
Spurs see cause for urgency in Utah
No
And yet so called "fans" like to call Duncan a liar.
If Tim is happy where the team is, I can't be unhappy.
Haha, quite effective!their defensive effort has been effective, even against the Nuggets. Denver scored 106 points but failed to reach its league-leading season average of 110.6 points per game.
Umm...
Tim's quote may make him sound calm, but if you look at yesterday's postgame video (which is where the quote comes from), you'll see Tim looked extremely down and worried as he was saying that.
I'm sure Tim is worried 15 games into the season.
The link to Duncan's post game if anyone missed it.
http://www.nba.com/spurs/multimedia/091205_duncan.html
He didn't strike me as down, I saw nothing more than his usual serious demeanor after a regular season loss.
Duncan has seen anything and everything in the game of basketball. He has had tough losses and monumental wins during his entire career, what made you think that he'll panic by losing in a regular season game against Denver? Seriously, he's the only reason I still think we have a chance to win a le this year.
Lol at some dumbass trying to read into duncan's facial expressions
In my mind, the team becoming a more elite defensive unit, like the Celtics, would be possible only if Pop fielded a team with better defenders. Having at least 3 poor defenders, as part of the regular rotation, along with virtually no shotblocking presence, outside of Duncan, will continue to prevent the Spurs from ascending to such lofty defensive expectations.Nevertheless, Popovich sees the potential for the Spurs to be a better defensive unit than he has put on the floor since winning the 2007 NBA le.
“As far as trying to be as good a defensive team as Boston has been the last couple of years, that's a team deal,” he said. “The team has to get that. Other guys, like (DeJuan) Blair, (Antonio) McDyess or (Richard) Jefferson are learning what we want to do, but I think we can be a better defensive team, with this group, than we have been for the last two or three years, without a doubt.
As far as being better than they've been the last two or three years, that's more realistic.
lol Is Pop is high? Does he know Matt Bonner is on the team?
If he cuts Matt out of the rotation, then and only then do we have a chance to become an elite defensive team.
You can't play guys like Bonner and say you're trying to be an elite defensive team.
And who else is he supposed to play? Not everyone is an elite defender. It would be 2003 again if everyone is above average at their position when it comes to defense. I see you criticising Pop playing Bonner but I don't see you offering any realistic situation where we get to play a big man who can play defense.
Big man rotation currently: Duncan/McDyess/Matt Bonner/DeJuan Blair
Occasionally: Theo Ratliff
Never: Ian Mahinmi
Ratliff was never the solution for long minutes as he is not durable, and that is fact. Check out his minutes played last season, as much as Dalembert sucked, Ratliff did not get much burn. Both Dice and Blair need time to get the "system" right, and I am not even a big fan of the "system". Their minutes increase and decrease every game. So, we have Bonner, the only guy who does not look lost in the scheme of things. His minutes were decreasing, so I don't see why people are still complaining like he is the scapegoat. So we have Ian, who Pop never plays and his option declined because he probably sucks.
Tell me what realistic option at this point is until both Dice and Blair can play full time minutes. Oh, and at this point, Blair is not helping much in the scheme of things defensively.
the Spurs head to the scene of one of their worst losses of the season with a sense their season has reached an early turning point.
Why feel desparate if losing in December isn't important? Why is the "turning point" early this year?“This stretch of games right here is really good for us,” Spurs captain and leading scorer Tim Duncan said. “We need to turn a corner and learn things about ourselves and become a better team.
“I do believe we have it. It hasn't turned into any wins, but I think we have gotten better these last two or three games.
“Now we go up to Utah a little desperate. They are a team that has beaten us twice. Hopefully, we can bring that energy to get a win.”
I think it is (and has been) important this season to find ways to win this early against good teams. And as mentioned, the defense is getting better. But their defense isn't what's causing the early issues...it's the lack of offensive continuity.
December just began. So far 2 losses to really good teams isn't that much of a factor compared to the rest of the season.
However, IMO, getting some early season victories against good teams this year is more important than in years past for several reasons that were not factors in years past.
1.) This team has aged significantly even with the youth it's acquired because that youth isn't in the starting rotation and will be used sparingly throughout the season compared to the veterans.
2.) The last two months of the season is a brutal schedule for even a young team with 7 B2B's in that time. Realize that's almost half of the B2B's this team has during the whole season in the last 2 months of the season.
3.) Because of reason's 1 and 2...it would benefit the team to have more wins now than in years past in order to establish a sense of belief it can win as the season gets into the latter part of the schedule.
Finally, regarding the offense, simplifying has only meant dribble, drive and kick thus far. There's got to be some flavor added to this vanilla package for any chance of the Spurs to start winning games against the better teams. And that's for now or later regardless which side of that coin one chooses to believe.
Go Spurs Go.
The solution is not playing Matt Bonner more than 15-20 minutes a game. That is the first step to being an elite defensive team. He's always getting torched by the other teams bigs and they all look forward to playing against him because they know they will more than likely be able to score on him. So what exactly are we arguing here? I think Pop is doing the right thing to focus on defense and looking to be one of the best again, but I don't think you can include Bonner if you want to be the best defensive team. Do you disagree with that?
I don't think he will get any better, but if he does then that is great. I have no problem being wrong on that one.
Pop you played Duncan less than needed in 4th - the last loss totally on him!
Lose to two playoff teams @ATT?
1 - 4 on the road, a very reliable indicator of a team's strength?
yes, I would feel some anxiety and urgency, too.
Me too Duncan228. I noticed some posts commenting he looked mad or down in the thread, but when I saw the interview he seemed like his usual serious self imo. This team is too good to continue squandering wins. I hope they begin a turn around soon and that it is predicated on Defense first.
What urgency? December just started!
I agree that Pop really doesn't have much to go by other then Bonner right now. However playing Finley, Mason, and Bonner all at the same time (which pop often does) is whats killing us more then Bonner as an individual defender. I usure you offensive coaches lick their chops when they see Pop trot this line up out. thats not even getting into how very redundant it is with these 3.
Nuff said...
Spurs would be fine if they would hit their open shots and stop turning over the damn ball.
The defensive effort has definitely increased since the start of the season. It's got a ways to go since people are learning the system and their rotations, but I don't think that's particularly been the crutch of the Spurs thus far.
When the Spurs manage to shoot a decent percentage from the arc, it usually leads to a comfortable lead. With an offense that is designed to get shooters open looks, this comes down to the player. The Spurs are just wasting possessions and not going to win a lot of games if they continue to put up 2/20 nights from the arc.
And it's been stressed already but cannot be stressed enough: turnovers are killing this team. Especially in bunches. They are turning comfortable leads into even games and manageable situations into big holes. The worst part is most of them are unforced. I'm okay with a turnover trying to feed a cutter or hit the post. I'm not okay with throwing the ball out of bounds on miscommunication, or tossing a lob pass across the arc for easy pickin'. Fortunately, those are turnovers that they should be able to clean up, and will find themselves having much better fortune when they do.
Despite being only 9th in the League in Turnovers, Spurs are 28th in Turnover Differential at +2.17. Gotta stop coughing up the ball.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
