Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Hawks - Apr. 6

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

The Spurs need to find their chemistry again or we could be second round fodder.

Undoubtedly the injuries, which just keep coming, have affected the team's rhythm, but at this point in the season we should be seeing whoever is on the floor playing the system with energy and precision. Unfortunately, at the moment much of the team looks more like an engine in dire need of a service than a finely tuned unit clicking on all cylinders.

The signs aren't great with only a fortnight to the playoffs, but hopefully the team can sharpen things up in the first round and get a roll on for the tough stuff.

[Strategic]

Used to just be crackers on the end of the bench. Now it's Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

[cd021]

The trouble with both Green and Splitter is a lack of Parker and Ginobili. Neither Tiago nor Danny can create a play for themselves and it shows them up when Parker, mostly, is not available. They are entirely adequate role players within the Spurs system as it is intended to be run, but they are exposed when the system cannot be run because Parker and Ginobili are out due to injury or defensive attention from the opposing team.

People are always wanting Leonard to 'get more touches', and he is a truly talented player. If you notice, however, his talent is shown almost exclusively in one of two examples. He is a terrific spot up three point shooter within the Spurs normal offensive set, and he is a really good one-on-one player against a so-so defense.
What he cannot do, at least not yet, is create plays for other people or take a set shot that is not within the system. Eventually he will be able to do both of those things, I think. He is super talented and motivated as all get out. He just hasn't been taught how to end a fast break (he and Green are both horrible at it), and he cannot create a shot for anyone else not named Duncan.

I think his inability to create for anyone else is one of the reasons he has relatively few plays called for him on offense. Everyone who is paying attention knows that if his number is called and the defense stops him, the offensive set falls apart because he will take an ill-advised shot or lose the ball or give it someone who doesn't know any more what to do with it than he does.

As I said, he is learning and growing and will get there and when he does he will be unstoppable, I believe, but until then, he can be great or he can get us in trouble without Parker or Ginobili there to bail him out.

Chicago & OKC are Elite defenses and both were road games where he had 24 points a piece.I agree with your other points. I think it raises the question of whether Leonard can be a offensive weapon with the big 3 healthy. Most of his great games has had a least 1 or 2 of the big 3 limited or out.

@ N.O (No Manu)
@ Chicago (No Big 3)
OKC (No Parker)
@ OKC (No Manu, Parker Limited)

[Manufan909]

Chicago & OKC are Elite defenses and both were road games where he had 24 points a piece.I agree with your other points. I think it raises the question of whether Leonard can be a offensive weapon with the big 3 healthy. Most of his great games has had a least 1 or 2 of the big 3 limited or out.

@ N.O (No Manu)
@ Chicago (No Big 3)
OKC (No Parker)
@ OKC (No Manu, Parker Limited)

He is clearly part of the current Big 3, but he's just deferring too much. I hope he continues his assertiveness in the POs if and when Manu, Tim and Tony are all healthy. He'll need to average well over 15 pts AND be as close to Bowen as possible on the defensive end (a tall order of course, defensive stoppers tend to not expend much energy on O) in order for the Spurs to make The Finals this year. If that happens the new issue of the Spurs 3rd best player guarding the best player on the planet will arise. Hope Jax can cover Lebron 5-10 minutes a game while Kawhi "rests" on Wade.

Splitter will be the most important player against the Heat after Kawhi (outside of Tony/Timmy/Manu of course), because he can make the Heat pay dearly if they choose to go small like last year against OKC. Also, he needs to put Birdman in foul trouble early and not throw up weak that Anderson can feed on. Duncan should get the majority of the post touches, but Splitter need make sure that he sets an ass load of screens and positions himself well and out of TDs way for easy layups and such.

Speaking of Tiago, I truly hope the fatigue theory is correct, and not the game-planning one. He showed against OKC just a couple weeks ago that he has moves in the post (Idk if he'll ever be able to go 9-11 against defenders that don't bite on pump fakes so easily), so I believe he just need to get rid of his lazy on offense games. He'll never be an elite rebounder or shot-blocker, but I hope he can improve on this year by averaging 60%+ FG as a full-time starter next year.

[Darius McCrary]

Just pray Tiago is purposely playing lazy. Becausehe's been horrible.

[cd021]

He is clearly part of the current Big 3, but he's just deferring too much. I hope he continues his assertiveness in the POs if and when Manu, Tim and Tony are all healthy. He'll need to average well over 15 pts AND be as close to Bowen as possible on the defensive end.

A player who emerges in the 2nd half of a season. Doesn't just replace someone who has been one of the 3 best Spurs since before 2005. Thats clearly an overreaction. He is forth. I was pointing out that has yet to a have a big game with all of the big 3 playing close to their average minutes. In the post season fewer possessions and Manu Parker & Duncan are going to have big minutes bump. More post play. I don't see him averaging 15 a game over the course of the post season. 12.5ppg sounds closers to reality. He can have a good series against any given team but lets not get carried away he is an above average player but Manu is the key to us winning another le, without Manu our bench is a mess and it places a heavier burden on our starters who can't rest without our bench digging them a hole.