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You're too generous to Pop with a C man, the dude deserves an F he's starting to act like Phil Jackson, with letting things get out of control, then call a timeout when it's too late, & I'm still puzzled at why he didn't have Leonard on Paul.
With Tony Parker sidelined due to a thigh injury, the Spurs hosted the Clippers on Friday night in the AT&T Center. Throughout the game, the Spurs were attempting to overcome their horrendous defensive play. However, that proved to be impossible as Los Angeles blitzkrieged San Antonio and left town with a 120-108 victory.
The game was close in the first half until the Clippers went on a run in the middle of the second quarter to build a 13-point lead. It took a while but the Spurs eventually climbed all the way back into the game after a 9-0 in the third quarter that was capped off by a Danny Green three-pointer.
The end of the third and the beginning of the fourth featured runs both ways. Back-to-back three-pointers by Manu Ginobili tied it at 103-103 with 5:20 remaining. Unfortunately, Mo Williams responded with back-to-back threes of his own. At that point, San Antonio's offense finally couldn't keep up with its porous defense and the game was over.
The story of this game was the astonishingly poor defense by the Spurs. While the Clippers deserve credit for executing well, the home team was simply pathetic on that end of the court on an alarmingly high number of possessions. If the Spurs are going to amount to anything, they are going to have to improve by leaps and bounds defensively. As it stands, they are one of the worst teams in the league at an aspect of the sport which used to be the franchise's calling card.
Tim Duncan C+
In this first half, Tim Duncan was very effective. Offensively, he was physical down low and had great touch on his shot. His hands were great and he seemed primed to carry the team in the second half. But then his horrid free throw shooting seemed to fluster him and he lost focus. I don't particularly mind the missed free throws but Duncan can't let it effect his overall effort and sharpness. Defensively, he was good at defending his man and played a key role in keeping Blake Griffin in check but he was almost of no help in pick-and-roll defense. And with Chris Paul running the show, the fellow Demon Deacon made sure to exploit that … over and over again.
Manu Ginobili C+
Offensively, I thought Manu Ginobili was great. Scoring 22 points on only ten shots is obviously a fantastic rate and his passing was tremendous. The only thing that slowed him down was the fact that he's not totally in shape yet. And even though he had four turnovers, they were all in the first half and didn't play a role in the Spurs losing the game. That said, this might have been Ginobili's worst defensive game of his career. I realize he was conserving his limited energy for the offensive end -- but wow. Except for rare instances, he sagged totally off of his man while offering little to no help anywhere on the court. When his man caught the ball, Ginobili was almost never in position to challenge the shot. It's no accident that the Clippers scored 80 points in the 27:56 Ginobili was on the court.
Tony Parker Inc.
Tony Parker missed the game with either a thigh contusion, a thigh strain or a hyperextended knee, depending on who you want to believe. While it's obvious that Parker has been an asset on the offensive end this season, he's actually been a bigger difference-maker on defense. When he's been on the court this season, the Spurs allow 91.1 points per 48 minutes. When Parker has been on the bench, the Spurs have allowed 102.7 points per 48 minutes. I'm not sure what the reason is for the huge disparity but let's hope San Antonio's All-Star point guard can return soon.
Gary Neal B-
First of all, Gary Neal's defense was bad -- but we've come to expect that this season. He's not tall, long or athletic, so he has a hard time challenging shots or staying in front of anyone. When Neal attempted to defend Paul tonight, it was comically bad. Even a player like Randy Foye was a challenge for Neal on this night. Offensively, with Parker out and TJ Ford also sidelined, Neal started the game at point guard. Though his PG skills are rudimentary, to put it nicely, he actually did a good enough job. He got to the free throw line, made a decent amount of quality passes and didn't turn the ball over. More and more, Neal is proving capable of running the point when needed.
Danny Green C
On offense, it was good to see Danny Green bounce back with more points tonight than he had in the last three games combined. His outside stroke looked smooth and his shot selection was good. Although, inside the three-point arc continues to be an adventure for Green when he looks to score. Defensively, he was great against CP3 … for the first three minutes of the game. From then on, it went down hill in a hurry. By the end of the game, Paul was just toying with Green. It became just sad to watch after a while.
Richard Jefferson C
I have to admit that I enjoyed watching Richard Jefferson drive the ball to the basket a handful of times for perhaps the first game all season. It's good to see he's still physically capable of doing so. And while four free throw attempts doesn't sound notable, it's the most he's had in a game since Jan. 18 against the Magic. Other than that, Jefferson just had another generic RJ game. He might have been even more listless on defense than usual.
DeJuan Blair A-
On this night, Spurs fans can't blame DeJuan Blair. His defense against Griffin was solid; he stayed in front of him, bodied up and didn't let the Clippers superstar get comfortable. Offensively, Blair had three great passes and made his final three field goal attempts. If anything, Blair deserved more minutes tonight.
Matt Bonner C-
Friday night was an odd evening for Matt Bonner. Though he was effective off the dribble and made a few nice passes, his three-point touch failed him. Other than a few glaring exceptions, his post defense was decent and he wasn't a liability around the basket … but he was poor against pick-and-roll sets and in terms of switching to the open man. It added up to a negative night at the office for Bonner. To complete his underwhelming performance, Bonner missed his final three field goal attempts -- each of which would have been big shots in the fourth quarter.
Kawhi Leonard C+
Earlier in the season, Kawhi Leonard could be counted on to bring a presence defensively but was a liability on the offensive end. Today, it's the other way around. He scored in double-digits for the fourth straight game. Over his last six games, he has 69 points in 130 minutes -- for an extremely impressive rate of 25.5 points per 48 minutes. He's also averaging 12.6 rebounds per 48 minutes over that time frame. That said, as was the case again against the Clippers, Leonard's defense has really suffered. He's decent at challenging jumpers but he isn't keeping anyone in front of him and his help defense is non-existent.
Tiago Splitter C+
Tiago Splitter turned back the clock on the offensive end … and that's not a good thing. Like he was doing earlier in the year, he was using too many fakes and jukes instead of simply finishing at the rim. He also passed the ball when he had wide open shots in the paint. He was on a roll on offense prior to his calf injury but that version of Splitter is missing in action right now. Defensively, though, Splitter was one of the few non-liabilities. He switched off onto Paul and did wonderful work a couple times. Splitter also continues to protect the rim well.
James Anderson Inc.
James Anderson had a slick layup but that was about it. Oh, and he missed yet another three-pointer.
Pop C+
On one hand, Pop should be commended for doing enough to keep the Spurs in the game against one of the better teams in the West without the team's All-Star player. But his utter lack of imagination on the defensive end was baffling. It was painfully obvious that Green on Paul wasn't working but Pop stubbornly stuck to his guns. Pop of the past would have kept changing things up until he found something that was working on the defensive end. Tonight, he seemed resigned to the fact that the Spurs were literally defenseless.
Last edited by timvp; 03-10-2012 at 02:45 AM.
You're too generous to Pop with a C man, the dude deserves an F he's starting to act like Phil Jackson, with letting things get out of control, then call a timeout when it's too late, & I'm still puzzled at why he didn't have Leonard on Paul.
Thanks for the writeup Tim.
Good write-up. TP plays this game Spurs win, without him they lost. Doesn't help they had no real PG to run the offense, which led to way to many dumb turnovers. No excuse for the D, but despite that they would've won if even Ford could play imo.
Cory Joseph warmed the bench, then shot a 3 pointer, then went right back to
the bench.
I think Pop deserves a higher grade for keeping this game compe ive without
a point guard.
Not calling timeouts hurt Phil Jackson how?
Good work as always Tim, thanks for the write up!
I actually liked Pop's decision to stay with Green on CP3. There is a good chance we 'll have to play them in the second round, and I am just saying, what if Green finds a way to limit CP3? His D is solid, and is long and athletic. That could be huge. It's not like we have a reputation of developing young players
When is Pop gonna learn that Green is not a starter in this league.
Green was just a spot start, due to injuries. Doesn't seem that Pop wants to put Ginobili back in the starting lineup just yet.
First time (IIRC) I'm going to disagree with the grades this season...
Tim and Manu at the very least deserve a B
Sure, Tim missed his freethrows, but he got himself to the line making the right moves. A good indicator is that the Clippers registered zero blocked shots when they average 3+/game combined between Griffin and Jordan. Defensively, I think he did what he was supposed to do. It's easy to say go trap or cover CP3, but then he would be lobbing passes to DJ or Griffin. He didn't rebound much, but the Clippers were not missing much to begin with, so I'm not sure there were that many boards to be had.
As far as Manu's grade, if you pre-condition your grade for Neal because you already know he's a liability, you have to take into consideration that Manu is still out of shape (something you pointed out). I thought he actually tried to be a bit more active at the end (he challenged that second 3 that Mo made anyways) and went for a couple of steals at the end (which he didn't get) that Spurs needed to have a chance.
The Clippers actually started their first run when both of these guys sat down and we looked like a JV team. That's just how good they were playing.
Green and Bonner were really, really bad defensively
Green found his 3 point stroke, and he should get credit for that. But he was put on CP3 because he's allegedly a hard nosed defensive guy, and he got schooled BAD tonight. And I mean really, really bad. He ended up playing almost twice the amount of minutes that Leonard played, and (I have to review the tape) I don't think Leonard even got a chance to guard CP3. The rationale goes that Green goes in because he brings more offense, but Leonard has been carving his offensive niche too lately.
When it comes to Matt, missing the 3 pointers can happen, but he was completely overwhelmed on defense. Now, if you just look at the boxscore, you'll see 6 boards (tied with Leonard for most on the night), but the reality is that Matt had 3 board through the first 3 quarters and collected the last 3 in a 3 minute span at the start of the 4th. He actually got beat repeatedly for boards by the guy he was guarding (Reggie Evans, who ended up collecting a game high 13). On top of that, he provided extremely poor help defense even though leaving alone the guy he was guarding was probably actually desirable, and when he ended up helping, he ended up in pathetic plays like having all the time in the world to wrap Griffin and still letting him put up a shot and an and1. Embarrassing stuff.
I thought both of these guys were on the D realm. D+ and D- is what I would've probably used.
Pop
I don't necessarily disagree with the grade, but I'll add some thoughts about him.
I thought that he just gave up on a defensive plan tonight. Hearing the half-time comments from the coaches, along the lines of needing to cut down on the turnovers and getting sharper on offense (despite the team shooting 70+% in the 1st quarter and the alarming bad defense), was just an admission that the gameplan was win with offense, screw the defense.
I also thought he waited way too long to bring Duncan back in the 4th quarter. Manu tied the game with 5 mins to go, and Tim was still on the bench. Only after Mo Williams drained his back to back 3s he was brought in with 4 mins to go. Obviously, Tim wouldn't have defended the 3s any better, but it's easier to patrol the perimeter when you know you have a guy like Tim backing you up in the paint.
JMO
Oh, and thanks for the writeup
In 2008, the Spurs almost lost to the Hornets in the playoffs because Pop tried to have Bowen defend CP3. It wasn't until he switched Parker onto CP3 and Bowen onto Stojakovic did the Spurs come back to win the series.I actually liked Pop's decision to stay with Green on CP3. There is a good chance we 'll have to play them in the second round, and I am just saying, what if Green finds a way to limit CP3? His D is solid, and is long and athletic. That could be huge. It's not like we have a reputation of developing young players
So if Bowen couldn't guard CP3, I'm not going to bet that Green can.
I would say that is a safe bet lol! Bowen could in his prime guard Nash and Billups etc. though (Bron too), but I guess CP3 in 08 was too spry for him and that young while Bowen was nearly done. I agree though Green can't guard him, so we need Tony to beat LAC, which is not shocking nor surprising, good post TIMVP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm curious to how Bowen's defense on Nash and CP3 compares. I know Bowen has always given Nash fits. CP3 is similar to Nash though more athletic.
I think he has to and maybe that will accelerate Ginobili's development.
I thought Green was interchangeable with Leonard? The sight of seeing Green on the court late in the 4th quarter is making me nauseous.
fck pop
as for green his a streaky player man with alot of intensity just like a rookie ginoboli...yet how does he continue to get more minutes and gets to close out games, while the better defender KL is stuck on the bench is beyond me.....
wtf is pop saving KL for? i hate this rookie bull pop pulls with young players who looks ready to come in and develop/contribute straight away, but his playing that safe card for no reason by limiting his minutes behind scrubs ahead of him in the rotation. If KL gets burned who cares, at leasts his getting the experience and will improve from that, but no...pop only puts him in when his need and pulls him out when his not needed....
I think TP can handle Paul again, given a chance in the playoffs, but maybe this time foul calls will get into TP and that's gonna be a problem
Nothing would have worked against CP3 tonight, don't blame Danny Green or Pop. Impossible to guard someone like Paul when ALL the shooters are hitting everything.
Yep they kept on shooting and never missed.
You cant blame anyone tbh. You can blame Bonner for bricking about 5 wide open threes that could gotten us back into the game.
So in typical Pop fashion, another wasted game basically. And I'm not even talking about the loss per say. This game is a perfect preview of what's going to happen in playoffs if Pop continues to do nothing but suck his thumb in the fetal position. Teams will exploit the weak interior repeatedly with no Splitter-Duncan combination, and abuse & Boner. I'll refrain from mentioning Blair this one game but it's not much of a stretch to imagine Griffin abusing Blair in a 7 game series, too.
Timvp, what I don't understand is why a guy who was playing so well earlier in the year defensively (Leonard) was ushered to the bench while a guy like Jefferson who does nothing on either end over 2+ seasons now continues to hold his spot in the starting lineup.... Is it any wonder why Leonard's defense continues to regress while he continues to look for his offense only? Obviously this is what Pop respects. It's all been all brought about by Pop's "coaching". Which leads me to once again berate that fateful blazers' "forfeit" game.
Tell me I wasn't right on the mark about that game... it has had a very negative ulative effect, especially on our younger players. Since then a number of players have seemingly picked up bad habits, lazy defense, and poor execution.
Last edited by TJastal; 03-10-2012 at 06:53 AM.
@spurs “Chris Paul’s obviously a great player and I thought Danny (Green) worked really hard on him and did a wonderful job.” Coach Pop
I dont get why Tim played 29 minutes. He had it going in the 1st. He sat more than half the 2nd quarter. They're off the next 2 days. I get the whole big picture crap, but come on. He was playing so well, why not give him 34-36 mins? NO reason why he had 12 points in the 1st and end up with only 17. He was attacking and looked very spry.
Maybe then we're not relying on Matt Bonner to hit 3's to win the game. Although he had 3 open looks. HIm and Green were awful tonight.
+1
Pop should be trying to secure all the wins he can now while he has the luxury of a favorable schedule to give the team a nice cushion heading into final stanza of games.
As per usual, when the team was playing winning basketball and opposing coaches we're proclaiming him the best coach in nba history that was his cue to start tinkering with everything.
But don't fret I'm sure we'll see alot more Duncan as the losses start to pile up and the spurs start dropping in the standings.
Yes, the defense wasn't the best, but when you don't have your best player Parker in the rotation, it just throws everything off. Throw in Duncan's bad night at the line, Bonner missing some open threes, and IMO the biggest thing, Mo Williams shooting lights out, it's amazing the Spurs were even this close.
It happens in the NBA. As a matter of fact, it happened last night to OKC against a team with an even bigger disparity in talent, the Cavs. On to the next game.
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