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EFFF. i'm still upset.
good post.
let's just hope they can come back in game 2.
Game 1 wasn't a contest between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks as much as it was the Dirk Nowitzki Show. The Mavs superstar power forward had a game for the ages to give the Mavs a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. Nowitzki finished with 36 points and seven rebounds on 12-for-14 shooting from the field and 12-for-12 from the line.
The Mavs led by five points after the first quarter and at halftime. The Spurs battled back to take the lead in the third quarter but Nowitzki responded with seven points in 70 seconds to give Dallas a lead they would never relinquish.
-Tim Duncan started off slowly. He was missing easy shots and fumbling away good passes. His offense eventually warmed up and he finished with 27 points on 12-for-20 shooting. However, his defense wasn't anything to write home about and he did a poor job on the glass. His six turnovers also doomed San Antonio. He needs to play a more complete and composed game the next time out.
-When Manu Ginobili was moving with purpose, he was very good. His statistics didn't disappoint: 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. That said, his sloppiness on the offensive end played a big role in the Spurs doing an unacceptable job taking care of the ball. He went with one-handed passes and looping, cross-court passes too often. As a result, he had five costly turnovers.
-Tony Parker, like Duncan, started off slowly. Luckily his jumper was working so he was able to scratch out 18 points and four assists on 7-for-15 shooting. His speed and quickness are only at about 80-85% so he wasn't able to get to the basket as easily as usual. His defense, especially closing out on shooters, was lacking. Considering he was adjusting to a bench role, the Spurs couldn't have expected much more from Parker. Although compared to what Parker historically brings to the table, this was definitely a less than average performance.
-George Hill played despite a gimpy ankle. It looked like the wrong decision. He wasn't moving well, especially laterally. His injury also kept him from being able to drive past his man. Hill ended up playing 18 invisible minutes, going 0-for-2 with three rebounds. His status going forward is in question.
-Not much is expected from Richard Jefferson at this point but a Spurs fan would hope more than a 1-for-4 performance in his first playoff game. Jefferson never really got involved and when he did get the ball, his decisions were rarely quick or correct. To his credit, Jefferson did a good job on the boards (seven rebounds) and his defense was about what we've come to expect out of him.
-Outside of a few possessions, I thought Antonio McDyess played well against Nowitzki. McDyess also pulled down eight boards in 23 minutes and scored 10 points on 5-or-9 shooting. All in all, I thought McDyess played pretty well. If he continues to play at this level, he'll give the Spurs a fighting chance the rest of the way.
-Matt Bonner was a close eye-witness to many of Nowitzki's baskets. He tried to play physical defense but Nowitzki either scored, got fouled or did both at the same time. The defensive effort was there, the execution wasn't. Offensively, Bonner missed his first four shots and every Spurs fan had flashbacks of last year's disaster postseason. He gave fans a bit of hope by hitting his last two shots but Bonner continues to look uneasy under pressure.
-Keith Bogans has been great at one thing this season: racking up negative numbers in the plus/minus stat. This game, he played 16 minutes and was a team-worst -12. Other than that, he missed a wide open layup, had a personal foul ... and that's about it. I continue to wonder what Pop sees in him, which has been the case all season.
-Speaking of players who should be on the bench, Roger Mason, Jr. continued his horrid play. He went scoreless in nine minutes while getting lit up on the defensive end. With Hill hurt, Pop was somewhat forced into playing Mason. That said, watching Mason play makes me wonder how Garrett Temple would look in playoff basketball.
-DeJuan Blair provided a good amount of energy in the first half. He played with toughness and threw down a memorable dunk over Nowitzki to get the bench on their feet. In the second half, he was rewarded with two minutes and thirty seconds of playing time. Huh? I realize his defense leaves a bit to be desired and the rookie obviously doesn't have experience but I thought the Spurs could have used his beastliness for more than eight minutes tonight.
-I thought Pop coached decently early on but then he reverted to his small ball tactic against the Mavs -- with predictable results. The Mavs outrebounded the Spurs 45-37 and seemed to have control the entire way. With Hill gimpy, Pop needs to put Parker back in the starting lineup and play him big minutes. More minutes for Blair would be nice, as would less minutes for Mason and Bogans. Even if it comes down to playing Temple, Mason and Bogans need to see pine. Overall, the Spurs still have a chance to avoid a third consecutive series loss to the Mavs but they need to play a smarter brand of basketball in Game 2. They have the talent, they need to prove they have the cohesion.
Last edited by timvp; 04-18-2010 at 10:53 PM.
EFFF. i'm still upset.
good post.
let's just hope they can come back in game 2.
Game 2 is a must win. What percentage of teams lose the series if they are down 0-2 from the start? Something like 80%?
dgefc
small ball
Dirk was a man tonight. Good showing from Butler too. I feel good that we only lost by six despite playing fairly poorly overall and seeing Dirk make almost every shot. Then again, we should probably expect more from Terry in the coming games.
We probably have no answer for Dirk. I would have liked to see more double teams, but maybe we're better off letting it be the Dirk Show and holding everyone else at bay. Surely he can't go 12-14 every game? (Knock on wood)
From my area of the arena I witnessed several instances of Jefferson jogging up the floor during a fast break in the first half. He had several opportunities to get to the basket before anyone else and make an easy basket but it was like he was avoiding the ball. WTF
We'll see a different Duncan in game two. No one will be harder on him than he is on himself. The turnovers were unacceptable, he didn't have the drive he usually does to open the Playoffs. He comes out strong for game two.
-I said before the series that running Kidd off the 3-point line is crucial..the Spurs gave him multiple open looks, they got lucky that he only made 3..Parker left him twice to double on the wing for no reason at all, very poor decision making..on his other 3-pointer, the idiot Mason went under the screen with no resistance..
Kidd hates looking to score..his only form of consistent scoring is spot-up shooting..the Spurs seem to not know this..sagging off him is just a horrible strategy and something they should have learned during the regular season..
-Butler really struggled when the Spurs sent double teams..he forced 3 shots over double teams, missed all of them..he turned the ball over numerous times when the Spurs crowded him..
I'd like to see Hairston get a shot to guard him(if he can play), but it would obviously be risky to have him in the playoff rotation and he's an offensive liability..I think he can match him physically and I don't think he would do any worse than Mason or Bogans right now..
Should the Spurs continue to send a help defender and pressure him?..doubling Butler might seem like a strange strategy since he doesn't deserve that much attention and they have Dirk on the floor, but it might be the best strategy since he doesn't seem like he handles it well..
-Duncan needs to use his face-up moves more than his post-up IMO..he should mix it, but I'd like to see more face-up..Dampier had no answer for him when he faced up..Duncan missed some chip shots and he had some unforced turnovers due to uncharacteristically fumbling some passes, but he looked fine..
-I agree about Manu being too careless with his passes..a lot of bad passes from the top of the key..sloppy..
-TP has to stay aggressive, even if he doesn't have his usual physical tools..he was too passive early on in the game..
-Spurs absolutely need RJ and Hill to show up in this series..it's the only way to match Dallas' array of weapons..Hill's play is health-related and RJ's is mental..is either one fixable right now?..I don't know, we'll have to see..the 2 biggest keys in this series IMO..
-Sean said that Pop was more willing to play the young guys in the post-season after seeing what happened with Hill last year..it didn't look like that was the case with the treatment of Blair..yes, he made a mistake against Haywood, but come on..
-Try Ian vs. Dirk?..
-Temple ahead of Mason seems like a no-brainer at this point..worth a try..
-Overall, I wasn't discouraged about this game..the FT margin and stupid turnovers were the main difference..Spurs can bounce back and get it close, but winning will depend on RJ and/or Hill..
Mason only played 9 minutes. Yet, those crappy 9 minutes seemed like an eternity.-Speaking of players who should be on the bench, Roger Mason, Jr. continued his horrid play. He went scoreless in nine minutes while getting lit up on the defensive end. With Hill hurt, Pop was somewhat forced into playing Mason. That said, watching Mason play makes me wonder how Garrett Temple would look in playoff basketball.
Yeah but I believe we are the last team to do it. Still, itd be nice to get game 2. These Mavs arent the Hornets of 08 and arent gonna roll over in our building.
Yup. Must win in game 2.
Not with this group of refs. Ian would have fouled out in a blink of an eye.-Try Ian vs. Dirk?
Pop has seen what he's seen in Mason and Bogans. Expect Temple to get some PT in game 2.
Give me a lineup with Ian, Blair, Temple, Manu, and Hill. I honestly feel this lineup could do some damage.
Duncan playing 40 minutes is why Blair got limited action. You can't play him together with Timmy because he clogs the lane on offense and can't guard Dirk (or anyone really).
Ian's main flaw as a player is that he's extremely foul prone..clearly we've seen that the refs are going to call fouls on whoever is guarding Dirk either way, even Duncan..I don't see the harm in trying it out for a few possessions..there's literally no possible harm, Dirk is killing either way..
No one was having much success against Dirk. Blair at least has quick feet. Not saying Blair could do much against Dirk but it's not like the Spurs would be benching a Dirk stopper to give Blair more time . . .
Nice post, timvp. Refreshing after all the "free throw differential
This is the truth
Thanks LJ, good writeup.
Side question: How many boards did Bonner had?
Parkers play near the end is the greatest reason for optimism if you're a spurfan.
I don't want to hear anything more about FTs. Spurs take care of the ball, its a mute point.
somebody has to slip RJ some of Manu's mojo.
I should have mentioned Kidd somewhere in that post. The guy simply doesn't age. He can't finish at the rim like he used to but he shoots better than ever, knows how to perfectly run a team and he can defend multiple positions well. Physically, he is moving better than he has in a couple years. Tonight his stats weren't jaw-dropping but it felt like he was the player most responsible of the pace ... for both teams.
Spurs need a healthy Hill or they're done.
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