We all respect the time and energy that Timvp puts into the grades for each game. Most everyone agrees to the grade he post for the players and Pop. One thing that should be noted are the following grades for a player since the b2b2b:
Matt Bonner A
After missing a game due to back spasms, Matt Bonner returned with a vengeance. It wasn't his best game of the season but it very well could have been Bonner's most well-rounded game. On defense, he defended Nowtizki well a couple times. He made swift rotations and competed on the defensive backboard. Offensively, Bonner knocked down his open threes and had a season-high five assists. He made a lot of smart reads without wasting too much time and was overall just a lot sharper than he had been as of late.
Matt Bonner C+
Against bad teams, the Spurs rely on Matt Bonner to find open spaces to make the opposition pay for sagging into the paint. This game, Bonner just wasn't able to do that. He wasn't moving crisply (to be fair, it appeared as if his back was bothering him) and he was slow to pop to open spots after setting picks. As a result, Bonner was basically a non-factor on the offensive end. Defensively, I thought he was mostly good. He was a tad slow to rotate at times but he was physical in the paint and pulled down a few contested boards.
Matt Bonner A-
Doug Collins is one of the best coaches in the NBA but he did the Spurs a big favor by putting 7-foot-1 Spencer Hawes on Matt Bonner. Not only did Bonner pull Hawes out of the paint, he was able to use his mobility advantage to find open looks. Defensively, Bonner was very good against their pick-and-roll sets and was sturdy in the paint. Overall, I thought Bonner played a very clean game and did a much better job of sticking to his strengths than we've seen recently.
Matt Bonner B
Matt Bonner has never been much of an offensive rebounder but tonight he did some of his best work of the season on the offensive glass. And usually I'm not a fan of him trying to create plays off the dribble, but his success in that area was undeniable. Bonner's only real flaw offensively was the fact that he was 0-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter. Defensively, there were some instances where he could have been more physical but overall he did a slightly better than average job.
Matt Bonner B
There's not much to complain about tonight regarding Matt Bonner's play. On defense, while he did give up a few open jumpers, Bonner had a few really good plays on the post and even a couple in transition. His rebounding on the defensive end was also a plus. Offensively, while he missed his treys, he took high-quality shots and didn't hesitate when it came to either shooting or passing. Bonner's moves off the dribble were also working for him tonight.
Matt Bonner B-
Apparently, Matt Bonner played ten minutes tonight. I don't remember him doing much of anything. If I commented further on him, I'd just be making something up -- so I'll give Bonner a B- and leave it at that.
Matt Bonner A-
Give the man some credit. Matt Bonner gets criticized for not rebounding and not hitting shots in tight ballgames. Tonight, he rebounded the ball extremely well and hit what ended up being the game-winner from 16-feet with 46 seconds remaining. His hoop at the shot clock buzzer put the Spurs up by four points and the Celtics would only score again on a Ray Allen three-pointer. In addition to his work on the defensive glass, Bonner prevailed on the defensive end even though the Celtics made it a point to attack him. Offensively, he did well. He got the yips a bit in the second half -- but so did just about everyone else.
Of the 8 games, Bonner played in 7, in one only 10 minutes. Back spasms held him out of a game a couple of weeks ago and that may be why he missed one and sat early in the other.
3 A's, 3 B's and a C+, yet we are wanting to get rid of him and replace him with someone who has played 6 games scored 18 pts and gather in 19 reb during 115 mins of playing time.
Stop hating on anyone on the Spurs and look at what they have done this season. Maybe next I will do Blair, and show what he brings to the table for the Spurs.
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