New Ways of Spurs Basketball

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Not looking forward to the playoffs, but so far this season still has been fun.

[Bruno]

Opponents FG% is a very limited stat.
Spurs doesn't defend the same way with Elson at center than with Rasho at center.
Remember the second half of the timberwolves game where Parker and Elson have pressuring Wolves backcourt : this kind of defense doesn't lower opponents FG% but create turnovers.

To me, the most meaningfull stat about defense is points per possession.
This year it's 0.99 points per possession, last year it was 1.00.

Of course, Spurs' defense can be better (I find Duncan quite lazy on D sometimes and Elson is still learnign the system) but it still quite good.

[picnroll]

I don't know where to find it but what is the change overall in FG% for teams? I know inspite of complaints about the new ball teams are shooting at a higher percentage.

Also how much of the opponents increased FG% is improved three point percentage against the Spurs? That seems like a particularly sore spot. Is that because of, without the shopt blocking Spurs have had in the past teams are penetrating more effectively and freeing up the outside shooters or is rotating just poorer this year. Only shotblocker, penetration defender we've lost is Rasho that I can think of.

[exstatic]

45.2% over the last five games.

Merry Christmas.

I hear what you're laying down, LJ, but the defense NEVER comes together this early. Do you have any 1/3 season split stats from previous years, because that would be the only valid comparison....

[sprrs]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...2&postcount=39

What's funny is that you are completely unable to refute any of the stats I've posted. The fact is that the Spurs haven't been playing very good defensive teams, and the only ones in the upcoming weeks that can be considered reasonable defensive teams are the Rockets, Woves, and Hornets.

Last year I would've killed to see them blow out two in the span of 15 games, much less two in a row. Even the crappy teams were making them work for the W.

[wildbill2u]

45.2% over the last five games.

Merry Christmas.

76, 82, 106 (Laker loss), 81, 82, and 77 for our opponents' offense totals sure doesn't look too awesome to me, whatever the percentage.

And this 'definitive' statistical increase in five games against our previous years average was mostly obtained while our starters were on the bench cracking jokes because took mercy on the other teams.

The Spurs are playing good defense and that's one reason why they are scoring at a record clip. They are beating the bejeezus out of teams.

Get a grip. I also wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you get some rosy colored eyeglasses like mine instead of those dark ones you're using now.

[boutons_]

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortab...able1.html#top

... say opp. FG% ranges from best 0.418 (HOU) to worst 0.483 (MIL), with SAS tied for 8th best at 0.447.

rank of best/lowest "opp FG%" :

1. Houston
2 Minnesota
3 Cleveland
4 Orlando
5 Utah
6 Charlotte
7 New Jersey
8 NO/Okla. City, San Antonio

... of those above, only HOU and UTAH are ranked also in the top 8 in "PPG +diff", with SAS being #1 and way out front of #2. And only HOU, UTA, SAS are in the WC playoff picture.

Pop, Jerry, and Jeff are known to insist on defense, so the above rankings make sense, but Pop's team is by far the best offense of that group of 3.

Sure, I wish our opp FG% was better, but any slight relative weakness there is apparently more than offset by PPG diff.

If timvp gave me the choice between improving opp FG% or RB diff, I'd take RB diff. Also, if Spurs'opp FG% was lower, there'd be more def RBs available to up the Spurs' RB diff.

[Bruno]

Opponents points per possession :

Rockets : 0.98
Spurs : 0.99
Bulls : 1.02
Wolves : 1.02
Cavs : 1.03
Magic : 1.03
Mavs : 1.04
Hornets : 1.04
Bobcats : 1.05
Pacers : 1.05
Kings : 1.05
Lakers : 1.05
Raptors : 1.05
Jazz : 1.06
Hawks : 1.06
Grizzlies : 1.06
Nets : 1.06
Suns : 1.06
Celtics : 1.07
Nuggets : 1.07
Pistons : 1.07
Clippers : 1.07
Heat : 1.07
Warriors : 1.08
Knicks : 1.08
Sonics : 1.08
Sixers : 1.09
Wizards : 1.09
Blazers : 1.11
Bucks : 1.12

[timvp]

Yeah, Spurs defense is great. Giving up 100 points on 50% shooting to the Sixers is the sign of a studly defense.

My bad.

[Extra Stout]

Yeah, Spurs defense is great. Giving up 100 points on 50% shooting to the Sixers is the sign of a studly defense.

My bad.

Tonight is not a representative sample. Nobody plays good defense while asleep.

[Spurs Brazil]

I prefer less ofense and more defense

[timvp]

Tonight is not a representative sample. Nobody plays good defense while asleep.

The Sixers shouldn't shoot 50% in an empty gym.

[ShoogarBear]

Good thing the Spurs offense is clicking, though.

[Nikos]

The Sixers shouldn't shoot 50% in an empty gym.

Once in a while these things happen. Not going to worry about it, unless it consistently happens against horrible teams.

[ChumpDumper]

If we see Kevin Ollie in the playoffs, look out!

[Trainwreck2100]

Question, are Duncan's missed dunks and his shots getting rejected some sort of "rope a dope"?

[timvp]

Good thing the Spurs offense is clicking, though.

You only say that because the Spurs won

[TDMVPDPOY]

i reckon we can blowout games if the starters still play in scrub minutes of blowout games, apparently we are not like the suns.

[Bruno]

Yeah, Spurs defense is great. Giving up 100 points on 50% shooting to the Sixers is the sign of a studly defense.

My bad.

Stop overreacting, Sixers have scored 98 points and shooted 49%.

[RonMexico]

i reckon we can blowout games if the starters still play in scrub minutes of blowout games, apparently we are not like the suns.

Again - what the are you talking about? Define "scrub minutes" - when the Suns are up 20 with 4 mins to go, they put in the "scrubs." When they are up 10 with 2 mins to go, they will generally keep the starters in because they tend to blow leads fairly quickly. If you ever look at D'Antoni's face, you can see the concern he has with even a double-digit lead under 2 mins - hence the 37 mins per game that Nash plays (I wish anyone out there could run the point for 4 mins to keep him down at 33 per game).

Stop basing this on the box scores or the 1-2 games you see of the Suns every year. Please give me some concrete examples because I will disagree with D'Antoni's subs ution patterns any day of the week, but not in this case until you provide some hard evidence.

P.S. It seems like any double-digit win is a "blow-out" to you...

[timvp]

Spurs bailed out by their offense again.

This isn't good.

[SequSpur]

Spurs bailed out by their offense again.

This isn't good.

Agree.

they have no interior defense. Duncan was getting used all night.

[timvp]

52% by the Grizzlies and the ending lineup had Finley at PF?

The Spurs have turned into the Nellie Mavs

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Its funny, because every single poster on this board foresaw these lineups, given the players we acquired in the summer. Sports are business, and Spurs are cheap.

Jeezus i sound like Marcus Bryant.

[timvp]

Is there any doubt that this team is the worst defensive team in the Tim Duncan era? Anyone want to say differently?

Didn't think so.