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I liked what I saw from the Spurs tonight. Yeah they lost, but the effort in the third quarter was the best I've seen from this team in quite a while. The fourth quarter wasn't pretty, but I take a lot of positives from tonight's game.
1. Tim still has it. When he wants to, he can play. He has that bank shot and even attempted some nice post moves tonight. I'm confident he will not only get healthier down the stretch, I think he can play harder in the playoffs. He's been through this too many times to be dumb enough to burn up some fuel in a regular season game. Right now he has Robert Horry-itis.
2. Manu can flip the switch. Manu hasn't played well for a couple months, but when the crowd got on him, he took his game up a level. At that level is where I expect him to play in the playoffs. He was all over the place and hitting Playoff Manu shots. Hopefully he can get even healthier and be ready roll in the playoffs.
3. Parker seems like he's figured it out. He's in a tough position in that he's the point guard for most of the game, but then has to hand over the reigns to Manu and Tim in the fourth quarter. That's especially tough because he's not a natural spot up shooter. But I see him figuring it out. He's scoring off the break and is providing easy baskets with his speed. He's also figured out how he can score as the third wheel in the fourth quarter.
4. Bowen is better than ever. His defense is good. He gets away with a lot defensively -- like all great defenders. His offense is miles ahead of where it was even last year. He's peaking right before our eyes.
5. Horry has gas left in the tank. Much like Duncan, he limps around the court and doesn't show much energy. But in flashes, you can still see he as the athleticism that is needed. He's such a smart player that he could be effective without that athleticism, but with it he's deadly because he's deceptively a very gifted athlete.
6. Nazr is starting to learn the ropes. He's sloooowly becoming a better defender. He's doing a decent job rebounding. His face-up jumper is nice. He still has a bit to learn but he's a good minute eater in the playoffs.
7. Finley and Barry are playing well. Finley was a little off tonight, but he's been blazing since the All-Star break. Barry has been playing well since the trade deadline. Pop should be able to always have at least one of them playing well in the playoffs.
8. Beno is playing hard. You couldn't always say that about him last year. He didn't play overly well tonight, especially in the fourth quarter, but he's giving it his all. When Nick Van Exel gets back, it'll give Pop good options to go to behind Tony.
9. Pop is in his prime as a coach. He knows when to jump on players and the players still react to him. One day this might not be the case, but for now he's a top three coach in the league.
10. Experience. These Spurs know what they are doing. They know how to win. Yeah they may lose a few more regular season games, but they are damn savvy at this point. At full health, they beat anybody.
