Round 1, Game 1: Spurs vs Nuggets Official Game Blog Thread

[dbreiden83080]

The history of their career's indicates they won't. God it's panic city in here. A player has one bad game and the totality of their career is forgotten immediately. It's like a bunch of Philly fans in here.

We'll regroup, figure out what we did wrong defensively, come out like gangbusters in Game 2, and take this thing to Denver.

I think the Spurs will win game 2 but it will not be easy because Denver is going to look to avenge that ty game 2 they played 2 years ago and they are also better than they were 2 years ago.

[1Parker1]

Agreed. Second to Pop's bonehead decision to guard Iverson with Parker, his second worst tactical decision was all the pick and roll and iso ball on offense.

Parker's defense as he's proven in the past on AI is pretty good. The weird thing tonight though was that on 2 or 3 straight possessions in the 3rd quarter, I saw Parker chasing AI on the perimeter off the 3 point line, only to have Duncan come all the way out and help out with that causing both Parker and Duncan chasing AI...and no one defending the rim. Duncan should have stayed in the paint and positioned himself to defend/block AI's shot instead of helping Parker chase him on the perimeter.


Either way, Duncan was tonight. Manu was un-aggressive and Parker waited too long to be drive to the hole.

Nuggets led the league in FTA's. Spurs went to the line something like 10-15 times less than the Nuggets. Showing which team was more aggressive from the get go.

[aaronstampler]

Manu needs to start driving the ball more. He got away with shooting a lot of 3's this year and you want him to shoot some 3's but his bread and butter come playoff time has got to be going to the hoop.

Manu took 1 shot in the 4th quarter. Whatever happened there offensively, he wasn't the problem. They weren't even looking for him in the 4th and certainly not running any plays for him. We just missed too many shots, Duncan had too many turnovers, and the defense and rebounding was atrocious the last 8 minutes.

[phxspurfan]

Leave the lineups alone.

wrong with Vaughn on Iverson, that plays into his hands, lke me and Aggie have said, you put Bowen on him AND KEEP HIM ON HIM!!

You treat him like ing Kobe Bryant.

I completely agree. There has got to be some stat that says Bowen's effectiveness plummets when he is assigned to guard more than one (maybe two) players for over many posessions.

In an ideal world, I would let Bowen know who he would guard beforehand, and he would be prepared to shut that (preferrably one) guy down. In the real world, maybe give him two options (one primary guy to check by himself, Iverson) and some help defense on the secondary (Anthony).

[1Parker1]

It's like a bunch of Philly fans in here.

Ahem. There are Philly fans here

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Parker's defense as he's proven in the past on AI is pretty good.

Look, I don't mean to be an ass, and I know you're on Parker's jock, but when AI goes 12-16 against someone, they aren't playing good defense.

[ALVAREZ6]

Ahem. There are Philly fans here

[ploto]

Oh, I forgot to mention. How hilarious was it to see BOTH Salvatore and Nies! Hope all the Crawford haters were happy.

[dbreiden83080]

Manu took 1 shot in the 4th quarter. Whatever happened there offensively, he wasn't the problem. They weren't even looking for him in the 4th and certainly not running any plays for him. We just missed too many shots, Duncan had too many turnovers, and the defense and rebounding was atrocious the last 8 minutes.

I agree with most of that but Manu to me looks like he is in a settling mindset instead of taking the ball into the heart of D. Timmy was awful tonight he will play better, Tony was ok tonight he will play better. This is going to be a tough series though, Denver is going to play hard in game 2 and not give the Spurs an inch.

[T Park]

How many boards did Horry get tonight?

well aggie i agree he did on the boards.

but look at it this way.

Without his offense, wtf would they have been had he NOT played Horry.


If Horry would put a better effort on the boards that would be fine.

Block out camby, hes the same build and can equal his muscle.

Duncans gotta do a ing better job on goddamn nene though.



So much for that puss bag being hurt BTW

[T Park]

Look, I don't mean to be an ass, and I know you're on Parker's jock, but when AI goes 12-16 against someone, they aren't playing good defense.

Yeah, parker didn't start playing good D till about 30 seconds left in the 4th...

[dbreiden83080]

Look, I don't mean to be an ass, and I know you're on Parker's jock, but when AI goes 12-16 against someone, they aren't playing good defense.

If Spurs are winning this series they need to force AI to shoot a somewhat low percentage. They are not winning this series if both he and Melo shoot it at 50% clip or better every game.

[1Parker1]

Look, I don't mean to be an ass, and I know you're on Parker's jock, but when AI goes 12-16 against someone, they aren't playing good defense.

Learn to read. Where did I say Parker's defense on AI was good tonight? I said in the past, his defense on AI has been pretty darn good.

Bowen is our best option to defend Carmelo. WHo exactly do you propose defend's him?

[1Parker1]

Devin Harris is a .

[T Park]

Learn to read. Where did I say Parker's defense on AI was good tonight? I said in the past, his defense on AI has been pretty darn good.

Bowen is our best option to defend Carmelo. WHo exactly do you propose defend's him?

actually Bowen is more set up to guard ai.

Finley or ginobili have to stick with Melo.

Force ai into bad shots, or getting melo his shot down in the shot clock.

you arent gonna shut down Melo with Bowen.

[dbreiden83080]

Learn to read. Where did I say Parker's defense on AI was good tonight? I said in the past, his defense on AI has been pretty darn good.

Bowen is our best option to defend Carmelo. WHo exactly do you propose defend's him?

They need to guard AI by comittee. Bowen has got to stick to Mello because given his size and ability he is a more efficient offensive player than AI. Alllen usually shoots a lower percantage than 50% and will need to if the Spurs are going to win.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Learn to read. Where did I say Parker's defense on AI was good tonight? I said in the past, his defense on AI has been pretty darn good.

Bowen is our best option to defend Carmelo. WHo exactly do you propose defend's him?

I already said, Finley and Manu are going to have to make do. Bowen is a much better defender of AI than Tony is. And sorry, I don't think Parker has ever played him well since he got to Denver. I could care less about Philly, they had a wing that couldn't shoot to save his life playing alongside Iverson.

[Tanya]

I thought SA got three weapons: Duncan, Ginobili and Parker
But tonite's game showed that if Duncan doesn't play well, they are in trouble. The spurs is better than that. They are a deep team. What's wrong with Ginobili? Why wasn't he started?

[Clutch20]

Want to know who's fault it was? Who really is at fault for losing tonight's game against the Nuggs?
Mine.
This is the first time I DIDN'T DRINK A SINGLE BEER for a televised game.
No , I do weights like I always do during the first half, then take my game brew seriously for the 2nd half, but- I -jinxed- us.
Not a drop, seriously.
This is the week I play with my group at NIOSA, 4 nights in a row and I'm on the streets of downtown San Antonio wrestling with tearing down 300 lb. speakers at 11:00 at night, get home at 12:30, wake up at 6 am the next morning to go to work.
So I didn't want to drink any beer tonight because this is the week when every night I drink nonstop from the first note to the last so's I wanted to put moola into the sober bank this weekend.
But I jinxed the team.
Well, I'll take care of that for sure, next game

[spursrule32]

Why do y'all think the big 3 sucked so much tonight? There was an obvious lack of aggression, but I gotta think there was a little bit of the oh so familiar lack of intesity that has plagued the Spurs so many playoffs before (and that usually changes.) Bottom line is that they know the task at hand and the talent that gets discounted so often will show up in game 2 and the rest of the series. No problem man - it's hard to be impressed with the Nuggets. AI and Melo got theirs and Nene had his way down low, but overall they weren't dominate and Spurs just looked rusty. It's all about rythm and the Spurs' starters had none. One game down - let it go, but if they don't step up in game 2 then obviously I would worry

[Clutch20]

Why do y'all think the big 3 sucked so much tonight? There was an obvious lack of aggression, but I gotta think there was a little bit of the oh so familiar lack of intesity that has plagued the Spurs so many playoffs before (and that usually changes.) Bottom line is that they know the task at hand and the talent that gets discounted so often will show up in game 2 and the rest of the series. No problem man - it's hard to be impressed with the Nuggets. AI and Melo got theirs and Nene had his way down low, but overall they weren't dominate and Spurs just looked rusty. It's all about rythm and the Spurs' starters had none. One game down - let it go, but if they don't step up in game 2 then obviously I would worry

Cause they didn't score more.
Back to basics, quickness, ball handling, settling into a playoff mindset that happens BEFORE the game starts, our boys will take care of all that stuff.
They freaking just don't like to lose.
Case closed.

[T Park]

Learn to read. Where did I say Parker's defense on AI was good tonight? I said in the past, his defense on AI has been pretty darn good.

Bowen is our best option to defend Carmelo. WHo exactly do you propose defend's him?

actually Bowen is more set up to guard ai.

Finley or ginobili have to stick with Melo.

Force ai into bad shots, or getting melo his shot down in the shot clock.

you arent gonna shut down Melo with Bowen.

[angel_luv]

This is my one and only game comment so listen up.
Don't despair.

It's gonna be just like 2005. This is the last win Denver is going to get.

I still believe. Go Spurs!

Also-
Those noise makers they handled out tonight- love them. They are super fun.

[phxspurfan]

This is my one and only game comment so listen up.
Don't despair.

It's gonna be just like 2005. This is the last win Denver is going to get.

I still believe. Go Spurs!

Also-
Those noise makers they handled out tonight- love them. They are super fun.

Sorry, I was too busy watcing Dallas get owned by the Warriors to hear that...

What did you say Angel?

[T Park]

Gonna be wayyy wayyyyyyy tougher than 05.