Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Rockets Jan. 19th

[td4mvp21]

I was in full-panic mode last year at this time, and then the freaking team goes 16-4 on the way to winning a le. I have to confess to having no idea what to think about losses like this until March and April roll around.

I think this year is worse than last year

[Russ]

I think this year is worse than last year

The trend on maturing dynasties is to take a tougher road to the le in each successive year (see Lakers 2000-'02 and Spurs '03-'07). Each started with the best overall record in the league and slid progessively, daring the fates a little more each time. Getting a little more y each time. Then it ends.

I am still optimistic about this version of the Spurs but I think HCA for a round or two is critical. The factor that people who discount the HCA forget is travel (vs. the abiility to win on a hostile court, which the Spurs have).

The magnitude of the travel diference is deceptive. For example, if you end a series in 5, whether you have HCA for the next series is huge. You don't have to travel for a week or more if you have HCA in the next series -- it's almost like a mini training camp until Game 3 of the next series. Getting a solid week at home during the playoff marathon is critical, especially for a team of the Spurs "vintage" agewise. Have the Spurs ever won when they didn't have that amount of time at home at some point?

Also, ending a series in 5 is easier if you have HCA -- then you only spend two games away from home. Winning in 6 without HCA, entails a longer series and two travel trips.

Therefore, my advice to the Spurs is to get in gear and don't try to play with fire.

[Ice009]

I think Pop should seriously consider inserting Udoka in the starting lineup in place of Finley. Finley getting inconsistent minutes as a starter is making him an inconsistent player. Not to mention, he's not exactly a 3 point threat as of late. That combined with Bowen's lack of offense leaves Parker and Duncan to shoulder the entire offense for the STARTERS. That's a huge task against above .500 team starters. I think Udoka would benefit from extended playing time along Duncan and Parker and he's a good 3 point shooter as well.

I said this in the game thread last night. No one seemed to agree with me about starting Udoka. Any one else think it would be worth a shot?

[td4mvp21]

I said this in the game thread last night. No one seemed to agree with me about starting Udoka. Any one else think it would be worth a shot?

That's just another guy for the defense to sag off of. Having Finley out there is good, most games he hits his open shots. Others, like last night, he doesn't.

[Slinkyman]

I said this in the game thread last night. No one seemed to agree with me about starting Udoka. Any one else think it would be worth a shot?

I don't agree but think Udoka should get more minutes, more then finley anyway.

[Ice009]

That's just another guy for the defense to sag off of. Having Finley out there is good, most games he hits his open shots. Others, like last night, he doesn't.

That's the thing, if Udoka starts and gets into a rhythm from the open looks Tim will give him he might be an even bigger offensive threat than Michael, plus his defense will be better and may help us finish the first quarter with leads. We won't know usless we give it a go. Pop should have tried something like this a lot earlier though. He needs to do it soon if he's even thinking about it at all.

[Ice009]

I don't agree but think Udoka should get more minutes, more then finley anyway.

Udoka seems to be playing a lot better lately, stats might not show it but he's definitely playing better. I hope Pop is thinking about giving him a shot at the rotation NOW and not waiting until next season.

[SenorSpur]

Udoka seems to be playing a lot better lately, stats might not show it but he's definitely playing better. I hope Pop is thinking about giving him a shot at the rotation NOW and not waiting until next season.

He definitely should. When a team is struggling, the coaching staff SHOULD try different options in order to get them jump-started. I like this idea a lot. Why wait until next season to give the guy significant minutes if he's earned them now.

[td4mvp21]

He definitely should. When a team is struggling, the coaching staff SHOULD try different options in order to get them jump-started. I like this idea a lot. Why wait until next season to give the guy significant minutes if he's earned them now.

The problem is Udoka isn't consistently hitting his shots-Finley has been more consistent than Udoka.

[Ice009]

The problem is Udoka isn't consistently hitting his shots-Finley has been more consistent than Udoka.

That's why you should start Udoka or at least give him more minutes, let him play through his mistakes. It's worse not giving someone like Udoka a real chance and then losing at the same time. Might aswell give him a shot. Also, Finley wasn't hitting jack off the bench either. Who knows, maybe Udoka starts hitting everything if he's in the starting 5 and getting open looks from Tim. Won't know unless Pop tries it out.

[greens]

-Manu Ginobili had a favorable outing for the most part. His shot looks really good right now and he’s being aggressive offensively. Ginobili hit 4-of-7 three-pointers on his way to 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. Offensively, Ginobili did about all he could. Defensively, I thought he could have boxed out better in a number of situations. Ginobili also had a bonehead foul on Yao at the end of the first half. 94 feet away from the Rockets’ basket and with less than a second to go in the half, Ginobili fouled Yao on a reach in foul – leading to two Yao free throws. As Ginobili matures as a player, he has to better understand time and situation and when it’s inappropriate to go for a steal or blocked shot. It turned out that those two points could have been useful at the end of the game.

Honestly, I don't think the game was lost over those two points right before the halftime. The Spurs had plenty and plenty opportunities to win the game and more than enough time to do. I think the main problem was indeed the rebounds as you had mentioned, and the fact that outside of the Big Three, no one seems to really step up anymore....

As for that foul, yeah, it wasn't a smart foul at all...but every single player makes a couple of bad plays during a game...kind of weird to point out this foul right at the halftime, when it's kind of meaningless...the game was more lost in the fourth quarter, in the very few minutes left...basically.

Plus, I think Manu is one of the very few Spurs players at the moment playing with any intensity at all and has been scoring rather nicely in the last few games even with that splint on his finger...take away his points in this game, the Spurs would have lost by more than 20 pts...

[td4mvp21]

That's why you should start Udoka or at least give him more minutes, let him play through his mistakes. It's worse not giving someone like Udoka a real chance and then losing at the same time. Might aswell give him a shot. Also, Finley wasn't hitting jack off the bench either. Who knows, maybe Udoka starts hitting everything if he's in the starting 5 and getting open looks from Tim. Won't know unless Pop tries it out.

True, I'm not opposed to the suggestion, I'm basically playing devil's advocate Very good point. Not sure if Pop would do that though.

[ClingingMars]

Score 101.

the glaring failure in that logic is that there are nights where your guys are simply going to be cold, and playing 0 defense like usual won't work. If you play solid defense every game, whether your offense is flowing or not, you have a chance to win every game.

-Mars

[Manu-of-steel]

i beg to dis agree with the idea of inserting manu in the starting line-up. if the bench players are sucking right now, and manu is in the starting 5, who will act as the energizer bunny from our thin bench? as spurs fan, i'm also worried on the way our team is playing, but deep inside me, i still think there's a long way to go for them to catch up. i hope our team find it's way into playing their type of basketball again.. mabuhay spurs! laban kung laban!

[Please_dont_ban_me]

i beg to dis agree with the idea of inserting manu in the starting line-up. if the bench players are sucking right now, and manu is in the starting 5, who will act as the energizer bunny from our thin bench? as spurs fan, i'm also worried on the way our team is playing, but deep inside me, i still think there's a long way to go for them to catch up. i hope our team find it's way into playing their type of basketball again.. mabuhay spurs! laban kung laban!

I disagree, we're not a long ways off.

I think if we were just a little more hungry and less lackadaisical we'd be fine.

[Please_dont_ban_me]

That's why you should start Udoka or at least give him more minutes, let him play through his mistakes. It's worse not giving someone like Udoka a real chance and then losing at the same time. Might aswell give him a shot. Also, Finley wasn't hitting jack off the bench either. Who knows, maybe Udoka starts hitting everything if he's in the starting 5 and getting open looks from Tim. Won't know unless Pop tries it out.

I don't think Pop trusts Udoka.

The only time I've seen him start someone where he really didn't know what he was getting was with Tony Parker. And Udoka's no Tony Parker. He's more of a...Malik Rose. You can develop him off the bench with extra minutes. No need to start him.

[spurspf]

Yes he is and it will come next Wednesday against the Lakers.

It usually does, but I think that it has to do more with Kobe, leaving Bruce completely alone to go freeranging on defense. Bruce alone in the corner means bang.

[timvp]

I think this year is worse than last year

No way. Last year was the worst of all the swoons over the years. The Spurs looked horrible at this time last year. And they looked horrible until the middle of February.

[thousandth]

I watched the game two times. I'm just a little bit masochistic.
Where's Fin's offensive What the ...? Why Bonner in last minutes Brent shoot! Tony what's happening?

Only Tim, Manu, Ime and Fad didn't take it lying down'. Only this guys fought their way out of.

Props Oberto for a pretty game against Yao. Oberto 6-10 245 Yao 7-6 310. Yao scored only five times on him (3:29 remaining 1st quarter Yao scored his first two points. 5:32' 2nd q. 8:05 3rd q. 5:59 Yao Layup Shot: Missed Block: Oberto 1 BLK. 3:05 4th q Oberto foul and Yao Free throw 2 of 2. 2:24 4th q) 10 points in 30'. Good job for Fab.

Props to Ime, too.

I don't think Pop trusts Udoka

.


You must have heard it from ...somewhere

[thousandth]

-Francisco Elson was the first bigman off the bench for the Spurs. He contributed two turnovers, three missed shots and a foul in his six minutes of play. Oh and don’t forget how he got an offensive rebound for the Rockets late in the game by knocking it away from Duncan and Oberto. Behind Yao, Elson might have been the second best Rocket on the court tonight.

Sadly. That's right.

[G-Nob]

I truly believe the Spurs made progress in Houston. They were swingin the ball better, moving better on defense, and letting the game come to them. Unfortunately, the boards and the turnovers killed us. Even with the Rockets making their run in the 3rd quarter, the spurs had a chance to win and probably would've had battier not gotten that last rebound. The spurs were getting out to quick starts in the beginning of the season and I think that stemmed from moving the ball better on offense. A couple of folks in here are dead on when they said the spurs offense becomes so stagnant when they try to isolate one on one. I still think we'll see more of the same positive steps today in Charlotte and again as this rodeo trip gets underway. Do I think they need to make a move? Possibly, to provide a little more offensive punch off the bench. Two guys I think the spurs can live without right now are Finley and Elson. But even if the Spurs don't make a move, I have confidence these guys can make it work again.