Well well, I have finally cleared my schedule enough to have some time to do game grades! For the sake of time conservation, I'm going to do the game grades together instead of making a separate post for each game. Without further ado, let's goooooooooooo.
MVP of the series so far:
Could there be any doubt? Manu might not have posted the greatest stats of his career, but he made ALL the difference in Game 2. After sitting on the sidelines in a suit for Game 1, Manu showed up to play in Game 2, as we all knew he would. Despite being injured, Manu showed more fire and determination than any other Spurs player on the court. He was everywhere, right from the start of the game, and gave the Spurs that extra bit of playmaking and intangibles that really swung the edge (and perhaps the series) in our favor. To even begin to attempt to dissect his performance, which included 4 steals, all of which seemed to shift the momentum, is difficult to do. But I'll say this: just the fact that the other team knows he's on the court makes a huge difference in the ballgame. That's how valuable he is to the Spurs. Manu only shot 5-13 and 7-13 from the charity stripe, yet he was a force on both ends of the court, and perhaps most importantly, frustrated Tony Allen to the point of the Memphis guard having a breakdown. Allen was so frustrated that it could warrant a tech or two down the road for the Spurs. On defense, Manu was tenacious and cut into passing lanes, played good help D, and was generally a pest on D. His passion and fire ignited several Spurs runs throughout the game, and if he can continue to play at this level, the Spurs should be set up well for game 3.
Game 1 Grade: B. Nice suit.
Game 2 Grade: A-. Great performance. Now hit your free throws.
Tony Parker
This series has been tough for TP so far. One of the most effective ways to contain Tony is to sag well off whoever you're guarding and be ready to pack the paint as soon as he backs up, which is usually his precursor to driving the lane. The Grizzlies have done this often, nearly all of their bigs are leaving their men by just a few feet when Parker looks to penetrate, and the Spurs forwards haven't capitalized very often. This effectively means that San Antonio needs to pass the ball better, or hit the mid-range J a lot more frequently to keep the Griz honest and force them to stay at home. In Game 1, Parker shot more free throws than any other player. In Game 2, Parker just didn't get the same kind of penetration, and didn't shoot a single free throw as a result, the first time that's happened in recent memory, if memory does serve. Defensively, Parker has been getting hurt by the pick and roll, causing problems matching up for the Spurs. If the Spurs are going to run plays for Parker to get deep into the lane, they need to open up the floor a bit more and give Tony some room, because as of now Memphis is perfectly comfortable sitting back on their haunches to disrupt driving lanes when Tony looks to get to the rim. Sadly, Tony's outside shot seems to have deteriorated as the year has gone forward: He has only hit one shot outside of 12 feet in the series.
Game 1 Grade: D+. Shot horribly, but can you argue with 16 FTs?
Game 2 Grade: D+. Better shooting, less FT, less TO, more assists. The Spurs need TP to be better moving forward.
Richard Jefferson
RJ's play at times has made me think that maybe we should try Novak at the SF position (hey, he'll stretch the floor!). In Game 1, RJ was fairly efficient on offense, and Game 2 he was very aggressive, attacking nearly every time he got the ball and shooting well at a high clip. Yet the real frustration with RJ is his incredibly lackluster defense. Especially visible in game 2, RJ decided to play a 1.5 man double team, staying precisely halfway between his man and the guy with the ball, effectively giving both players open shots, and the Grizzlies realized this early and went to it often, netting some of the easiest points in the series. Thank god RJ has been hitting his 3s, because if he hadn't, he would be the worst player on the court. That said, he made smart decisions with the ball, and has been a weapon for the Spurs, just one that has a presence on one half of the floor and does not exist on the other. RJ is +4 overall so far.
Game 1 Grade: C. His defense was better than in Game 2.
Game 2 Grade: C-. At this point, any production we get from RJ is bonus.
Tim Duncan
After an incredible first half of Game 1, Tim looked like he was set up for one of his classic playoff performances. But he disappeared in the 2nd half, and the Spurs went down in the series. Fortunately for San Antonio, Duncan didn't have the same kind of drop off in Game 2, and his jumper with 4:30 to play gave the Spurs an important 2 possession lead. Duncan has been once again the most consistent big on the defensive end of things, and despite fouling out on a highly questionable foul call, his play in Game 2 was solid. For the series, Duncan is averaging 16 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2.5 blocks. More importantly, he appears to be willing to drive directly to the hoop and actually throw the ball through the hoop with some tenacity. The Spurs need Duncan to stay aggressive without fouling out, and the offense seems to work well when they feed him in the post and force Memphis to adjust to his post game.
Game 1 Grade: C. Great 1st half, dismal 2nd.
Game 2 Grade: B-. Very solid on both ends, but 5 TOs and 6 PFs are a problem.
Antonio McDyess
He has picked a poor series to play 7 of the worst quarters of his career, but Dice finally played a little better in the 2nd half of Game 2. While still not great, he at least helped a bit on the defensive end after giving the Spurs absolutely nothing on either end of the court prior to that. Dice seems to just be lost, overmatched, or out of position on the court and the Memphis bigs are all over him, forcing him down into the paint which results in quick points for the Griz. Hopefully Dice just had some bad games, and isn't wearing down this season, because his jumper has been off as well, maybe indicating that he's running on tired legs. Antonio needs to be extremely aggressive in Game 3 or he risks losing more playing time to DeJuan Blair, who has struggled as well this series for the Spurs.
Game 1 Grade: F. More TOs than rebounds, and only 3 points.
Game 2 Grade: D+. Better effort in the 2nd half from Dice but still disappointing in a series that he's needed in.
Bench
Matt Bonner
Don't look now, but Matt Bonner has played more minutes than any other player on the Spurs bench so far this series (though that is in part due to GHill starting in Game 1), which should be locked in a safe and dropped off a boat in the middle of a large body of water somewhere, save for the pair of late threes that Bonner hit to give the spurs a chance to win. Game 2 was a quiet night on the statsheet for Bonner, but he played aggressively enough to warrant credit for his work on the boards, good box outs, and overall physical defense. He hasn't looked intimidated in the series and will readily fire away from 3, but the Spurs need to do a better job of feeding him the ball when he's open if he's going to have any impact on offense. Overall, Bonner looked like he belonged on the court in Game 2, which is more than anyone has a right to expect given his past playoff performances. However, Bonner is simply overmatched on the defensive end of things this series, and the Memphis bigs are going to continue to go at him with impunity. It's going to be a long series for Red Rocket.
Game 1 Grade: D. 2 big threes weren't enough to save his performance.
Game 2 Grade: B. Anytime Bonner plays defense he's automatically elevated above a C.
George Hill
Ready for a shock? Good. George Hill has shot more free throws than any other player in the series. It's a good thing too, because Hill is currently 5 of 16 shooting so far. But he's been attacking the rim every chance he gets, and many of his misses are from close to the hoop. When he goes to the line, he's been the only steady Spur player, shooting 19-22 thus far, while the rest of the team has combined to go 39 of 57. George Hill has been a solid player this series for the Spurs, but that seems to be his ceiling, unfortunately. I have also been disappointed in some defensive rotations (or lack thereof) from Hill. He, like Parker, struggles to get through screens, and he left Shane Battier wide open on the play that ended with a 3 for the Grizzlies and a Game 1 victory. Overall, Hill has played acceptably well, nothing more.
Game 1 Grade: D. Gave up a crucial bucket on the key play of the game.
Game 2 Grade: B. Better effort and intensity, especially in the 2nd half. Just hit your 3s and your FTs and keep attacking, George.
Gary Neal
Well, we found out that playoff Gary Neal is certainly not afraid to shoot. Neal fired away at will in Game 1. However, he tried to do far too much in the 4th, and ended up missing all three of his shots. Neal has to play calm and collected, and realize that he needs to be in control of his shot to really be a threat to do damage. Neal was -16 on the floor in game 1, indicative of the problems he presented for the Spurs when taking bad shots. This is a guy that I would really like to see get more minutes, but only if he's going to give the other Spurs players space and not clog up the offensive flow.
Game 1 Grade: D. Neal was horrible in the 4th and it cost the Spurs.
Game 2 Grade: C-. A quiet night from Neal, but he didn't hurt the Spurs either.
DeJuan Blair
Throughout the season, DeJuan has been one of my favorite Spurs. I love his engine and his vigor for making athletic plays near the hoop. He played acceptably well during stretches of Game 1, but was reduced in effectiveness by foul trouble. In Game 2, Blair was mostly invisible but for a few very nice plays he made, including a fantastic baseline feed to the Snowman for a trey. I would really like to see more Blair, because he always seems to find rebounds, but it's tough to justify having him on the floor for more than 15-18 minutes a game right now due to the fact that he simply makes a lot of bad decisions with the ball, and he's undersized to matchup with the Memphis bigs, who have been able to exploit his lack of size at times.
Game 1 Grade: B. Led all Spurs in +/- and had a very decent night.
Game 2 Grade: D. Poor showing overall somewhat countered by a few highlight reel plays.
Gregg Popovich
It's always tough to grade a coach who was without his best player for a game. However, I can't say I agree with Pop's defensive philosophy coming into the series. There are times when it seems like he's doubling 2-3 of the Grizzlies on the court, and it's forcing our defense to scramble, resulting in a lot of open looks for the Griz, who have been dropping shots from 15+ feet with alarming frequency until the 2nd half of Game 2. On the other hand, if Dice, Bonner, AND Blair all play poorly, Pop is going to be in a bind no matter what kind of defense he sets in place. It does seem like he's figuring out the Memphis defense as the series continues, and Spurs fans can only hope that he'll continue to make solid adjustments to give the Spurs an edge, and to allow Tony to get into the lane in Games 3 and 4 in FedExForum. The Spurs can't afford another half of flat ball, because the two road games are going to be brutal, physical affairs.
Game 1 Grade: C. No Manu makes Game 1 very tough to win.
Game 2 Grade: B+. Better adjustments gave the Spurs an edge in the 2nd half.
Tiago Splitter
RIP.
---
Just a quick note as I post these, I'm aware that the grades are very low considering we won game 2. But ask yourself if each one of our guys couldn't have played better, and if we should be satisfied by this team narrowly winning Game 2 to go back to Memphis with an even series. Yes, they're better than a typical 8 seed, but we simply haven't played Spurs basketball, and the grades reflect this.
Last edited by Cry Havoc; 04-22-2011 at 09:23 AM.
RJ: 16 points on 5-8 shooting. 3-6 3pt shooting.
Just offensively, he contributed enough to get a "B", even considering his defensive assignment went wild.
TD should be given a better grade IMO also, considering the job he did defensively.
Otherwise, the grades are fair.
I disagree with so many of these grades that I am not even going to try and explain.
for the write up though.
By all means, do try.
If you score 16 and give up 17, is that considered a "B" performance? I just can't in good conscience give him a B when he was so awful on defense I was literally screaming at the TV for him to actually grow a pair and get within 5 feet of his man.
Great job. Great read.
I think Parker and RJ, while not playing where we want them to, were better than their grades, but I don't really disagree with anything else. I'm waiting for Parker and Manu to turn back into Parker and Manu, and it's just a matter of time until they get their groove back. RJ hitting his shots and being aggressive is going to help the Spurs stay afloat until that happens, and RJ showing signs of life is a great omen.
Parker is my favorite player. I might have been a little harsh with him simply because I expected him to really go off on this Grizzlies team.
Thanks for the post. I disagree on Jefferson. Also, do you think a win taints your outlook on the grades vs a loss?
I tried to be objective. But if you win by 6, that's obviously going to mean guys stepped up more than in a loss, so yes, grades will be more positive.
Game 1 grade for TD is a bit harsh, especially since he was frozen out by his teammates.
What kind of expectations do you have for Rj. He has played pretty good both games and you give him a C. The guy definitely deserves a B. Unless you took note of every play then you can't say the entire 17pts was scored on Rj. Someone else could have gave up some of those points. Even if Rj did guard him every play sometimes people hit shots and other times the Spurs have poor help defense.
Wow - those grades are almost as bad as TDfan here at finding the right thread.
Parker has yet to play Parker-esque, but he did a lot of damage at the rim, played really good defense and made a lot of assists despite just not having the groove on his shot. The Spurs are pretty out of sync so far. They aren't even close to the Spurs of December yet.
Same for me!!I disagree with so many of these grades that I am not even going to try and explain.
Your grades are pretty harsh...
I'm also disapointed with most of the players, but even if your grades are based on expectations...
McDyess D+????? his job on Z-bo was on of the reason we won the 2nd game...
Same for Hill in the 2nd game or RJ overall (whose expectations are even lower!!)
What about TP's... (who wasn't at the level expected, but still "produced" in both games, either assists wise or going to the line, it's not like if he had 7TO along with 2ast or something...)
Anyway thanks again for the work, I guess the point is to create a discussion...
Wrong, wrong and wrong. I wonder what game some of you people were watching. I'd be surprised if Dice took a single rebound from Randolph or kept him out of the lane once. I guess we're crediting him for the one Randolph miss that didn't result in a putback dunk or an offensive rebound and Duncan's sixth foul.Same for me!!
Your grades are pretty harsh...
I'm also disapointed with most of the players, but even if your grades are based on expectations...
McDyess D+????? his job on Z-bo was on of the reason we won the 2nd game...
Same for Hill in the 2nd game or RJ overall (whose expectations are even lower!!)
What about TP's... (who wasn't at the level expected, but still "produced" in both games, either assists wise or going to the line, it's not like if he had 7TO along with 2ast or something...)
Anyway thanks again for the work, I guess the point is to create a discussion...
I realized that after a while...8 years and I've never done anything like that before. Good stuff.
Jefferson's rebounding was solid, but his team/1-on-1 defense was just plain awful. Dice was awful on defense in both games, but got bailed out by better help defense from Tim and Manu in game 2. Bonner was actually the second-best big defensively in game 2, and would have been more effective offensively had anyone kicked it out to him for 3...
I'm not talking stats wise, but what if Dyess wasn't there?
You think Bonner or Blair could have done the same job of "limiting" him?
I'm not saying he deserves a B, but he worked his ass off on the defensive end. I expect more from him also, but he wasn't THAT bad to me...
Same for Hill, I expected more, but a clutch finish can somewhat compensate a so so game...
IMO the main problem was mental, for all the players, it almost seems they are overating memphis players (especially TP facing Conley)...
The 2nd game looked like a "wake up" and we'll see in the 3rd game if they really entered into PO mode, but as frustrated as I was seing the team strugle, the 2nd game showed a lot of poitive things ...
Damn, with those poor grades, the Spurs are looking hard at summer school.
Sad that Conley is playing Parker to a standstill.
Nice writeup as usual.
You don't seem to understand just how bad Dice was, so let me make it perfectly clear: He didn't "limit" Randolph in any way. I'm saying James Anderson would have done a better job of blocking Randolph out and challenging his shots. Bonner and Blair DID do a better job, by a long shot. If what Dice did was working his ass off, then be afraid, because he's ing DONE. Dice was so bad, I'm confident in saying that the only chance of Splitter ever playing in this post-season is in game three after Pop watches tape of game 2.
I'm not talking stats-wise either. I have a post of my notes from the entire game where I watched the guys covering Randolph and Gasol.
Maybe I need to change back to my Dice avatar so you guys know that my criticism of him isn't because I don't absolutely love him. I love my dad too, but I wouldn't want him defending Zach Randolph in a playoff game that I wanted my team to win.
I'm with OW, my thoughts are in timvp's thread so I'm not going to go through that again, but I really disagree with many of your comments, especially re: Parker and Jefferson. I actually wonder if we watched the same games.
Nice write up.
I disagree with some of your grades but this is probably that we don't have the same expectation for each player and how we balance the good and the bad.
By the way, I don't know if it fits within that thread but I don't want to start one.
Let say this is about Pop's grade.
How did the Spurs managed to lose first playoffs game in 2003-2005-2007-2009-2010-2011 (and a win after 2 OT in 2008)?
That does not make much sense for such a good team.
I wonder if Pop likes it. This could look like he is making a statement ("Guys, the pre-season is over. You think you are good? Now prove it").
I am curious to know what Spurs fan think about it.
these are some of the worst grades i've ever seen. McDyess a D+ in game 2? George Hill a D+?
Let me be clear...
IMO McDyess isn't good enough to start for any team in the league!!
I thinks it's all about expectations, that's why I (finaly) understand TP's grade for example, but I'm so sick of watching Bonner or (overweight) Blair in the paint AND McDyess was so awfull in game 1, that I wasn't expecting more...
I (still) think that even if he wasn't great (far from it), Antonio was actually usefull to the team this game.
He doesn't deserves a good grade, but I would give him a C+ for his overall production (on D) even if it doesn't show in the stats...
Lol George Hill a C+ in game 2?
Blair a D in game 2?
Jefferson a C- in game 2?
Dyess a D+?
Lol wtf?
It should be more like this.
Hill: B
Jefferson: B-
Dyess: C
Blair: C
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
