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Good lookup Bruno. I know the Spurs usually start off slow, but this team is not new like years in the past. Its the same as last year.
FG% allowed :
This year after 15 games : 0.466
Last year after 15 games : 0.454
Now take aside the last two games against Seattle and Sacramento.
FG% alllowed this year after 13 games : 0.454
I'm not saying that this year stat should be considered as a fluke. However, you had to be careful before drawing big conclusions from that. The reason for this high FG% allowed could just be Spurs being tired/lazy in the last couple of games and Spurs' defense starting slow.
Wake me up in one month.
Good lookup Bruno. I know the Spurs usually start off slow, but this team is not new like years in the past. Its the same as last year.
Last year, teams were still shooting 0.455 as of December 28th. So you may want to be wake up in two months.FG% allowed :
This year after 15 games : 0.466
Last year after 15 games : 0.454
Now take aside the last two games against Seattle and Sacramento.
FG% alllowed this year after 13 games : 0.454
I'm not saying that this year stat should be considered as a fluke. However, you had to be careful before drawing big conclusions from that. The reason for this high FG% allowed could just be Spurs being tired/lazy in the last couple of games and Spurs' defense starting slow.
Wake me up in one month.
Seriously though, I don't think it's as simple as pointing to last year and saying the Spurs are on the same pace. Last year the Spurs had the built in excuses that they were getting adjusted to the new centers and Ginobili was banged up early. This year everyone is back and the big three are each healthy.
Most likely the Spurs will turn it around like they always do. Weirdly enough, the worst case scenario is the Spurs just keep winning at their current pace and don't learn how to win with their defense until the playoffs come around ... and it's too late.
If the Spurs continue to struggle with their defense, the best thing may be for the Spurs to drop a few games until Pop has their ear again.
Spurs with Elson : 43.6 eFg% allowed
Spurs without Elson : 52.4 eFG% allowed
Sample size.
Unless you want to put stock in:
Points Per 100 Possessions
With Bonner on the court: 99.6
With Bonner off the court: 104.1
If you want a reason why Spurs have a low start and only by looking at numbers, the most likely only by looking at numbers is Duncan being lazy.
From 2003 to 2007 (5 years), Spurs have always allowed a lower FG% with Duncan on the floor than without him (about 3% lower).
This year Spurs are 3% worst with Duncan than without him.
Thank you Bruno. I thought Elson was useful.
The difference between him and Bonner on the boards is big. Bonner simply is eaten up on the boards.
Bonner even without regular minutes can be called upon out of the blue to hit a 3, he is that good a shooter.
I still say FREE IME UDOKA....
This is probably the laziest at ude I've seen of him as a Spur.
True. But in Bonner's favor.
With Elson on the floor, the Spurs get offensive rebounds 21.2% of the time. With him off the floor, 29.7% of the time. Defensive rebounds more of the same. 72.1% when he's on the floor and 75.3% when he's off the floor.
Bonner, when he's on the court, doesn't hurt the rebounding numbers at all.
Fixed.
More seriously :
I'm not saying that Elson is a good defender but that if you want to know why Spurs allow a high FG%, you can't blame it on Elson because when he is on the floor Spurs allow a very low FG% .
Nice going Timvp, I was about be thrown out of school for that ing hideous image.
Somewhere, allas fans are pleasuring themselves to this post.
My head is still spinning from seeing Boston at #1. I haven't watched them much, but I don't exactly think of them as a defense-first squad.
And how the Detroit's current "Red Carpet" paint defense gets them to #5 is beyond me.
As for the Spurs, maybe you guys are just taking away opponents' bad shots?
I think it's just been an increased dependence upon our offense to win games.
Despite the defensive 'woes', the Spurs are still 2nd in the league in Point Differential at +8.00, primarily because this club is better at scoring the ball than years past and is averaging just over a 100 a game.
However, nights like last night show that the offense isn't always going to be there. If the Spurs were playing Spurs Defense, that game would've still been there for the taking. Instead, every time we made a push they just pushed right back, and we ended up fighting out of a hole for the last quarter and a half.
Bonner's defense is non-existent. Elson doesn't get playing time so he can't be in there to block and defend the paint, and Oberto is really too short to really deter anyone from roaming into the lane. Add to it, Parker's defense has been slow, Ginobili is gambling way too much on steals, and Finley is an average defender, I don't think these things help the Spurs cause. Not to mention their team defense and help defense has been bad....especially evident in the Dallas game.
One word: Bonner sucks.
Oh and small ball does not help their defense!
The Flip Saunders School of Basketball. Be afraid..be very afraid.
Tim needs to be more involved. GET HIM THE BALL! Big men play D when they are involved in the O.
4 Down BABY.
I agree, Im wondering the same thing. I think they'd do that in the playoffs more.
Can you please explain what 4 down is? When all four other players are spread on the three point line?
I'm hopeful it's not a real problem. If there is one coach who can make a team flip the switch and start playing defense -- it's Pop.
But unless the Spurs turn it around on their own soon, they might need some losses to get their attention.
I was just trying to figure that out. The odd part is Bowen, Ginobili, Parker, Barry and even Finley are all playing right around their normal level of regular season defense. Bowen has actually been ahead of schedule this season.
But I think I found the answer. While the Spurs allow teams to shot only 33% on three-pointers, they allow teams to shoot 49.7% on two pointers. 49.7%. I haven't done the math but that might be the worst in the league.
When teams shoot that well on two-pointers, the problem usually lies in the middle of the defense. Duncan has been in full regular season mode defensively (in other words, not that good) but that has been compounded by the lack of defense the Spurs are getting out of the other big. Oberto, Elson, Bonner ... none of those guys have done much defensively so far this year. Oberto has been decent at times but sometimes he's loafs on that end of the court. Bonner has been horrible defensively and Elson has oscillated between horrible and very bad.
Also, not to be forgotten is the fact that Horry hasn't played yet. Even at 55 years old, Horry is by far the second best bigman defender on this team. By far. Without him and without dominant postseason defense out of Duncan, the middle of the Spurs defense is beyond weak. The Spurs are 24th in the league in blocked shots at 4.26 per game. That's probably one of the lowest marks in Spurs history. Duncan is averaging a career-low in blocks (1.9) and the player second on the team in blocks per game is Ian Mahinmi
Elson for being as tall and athletic as he is, is averaging a pathetic .47 blocks per game. Fabricio Oberto is averaging as many blocks as Tony Parker (.2).
The problem is the bigs. Get well soon, Horry. And get well soon to whatever has robbed Elson of his shotblocking ability.
I was about to say...so in summary...we miss Robert Horry.
Which in a way verfies a long held theory I have had...that Robert Horry is the reason this team was able to overcome the loss of David Robinson without much of a loss defensively. It's not to say that Horry is the same caliber of player that David Robinson was...but by the end of David Robinson's career...David Robinson was, as Pop described it...a role player to the Nth degree...and that's exactly what Horry has been for virtually his entire career. A HOF Caliber role player...to the nth degree. Now Drob did stuff on the offensive end...but IMO, Manu was the guy who picked up the slack there....but the combination of those two are what offset the loss of the Admiral. Horry being the one that offset the major loss of Drob's defensive prowess...not a really a surprise, since the main reason Pop and Duncan wanted Rob on this team was because he was best Duncan defender in the NBA(by their own words).
This has huge ramifications beyond this season should Horry retire....while Pop is arguably a genius level defensive mind...he's not capable of turning just anyone into a role player to the nth degree...and I don't see anyone in the pipeline capable of filling that void. Ironically...the guy that comes closest to having the talent set to pull it off...is Elson, but he doesn't have the mind for it....Oberto OTOH, has the mind, but not the physical talent...and there's not really a way we can have both of them on the floor at the same time with Duncan.
Better win it all this season...could be a while before we get another shot.
give it to Tim and get out of his way.
4 Down, the 4 stands for PF aka Timmy. Basically you throw the ball down in the paint to the PF and let him do his thang. I think Spurs also have 5 down as well.
As a card carrying Elson supporter, how do you rate Elson's play as of late?
Thanks in advance.
This is even more data in support of the greatness of Beno.
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