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  1. #1
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    Pre-Game:

    The Boston Celtics came into San Antonio on a bit of a skid. Losers of 3 of 4 and 4-6 in their last 10 games, the Celtics appeared to be tempering somewhat lofty expectations for their 2016-17 campaign. The venerated backcourt of Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas was built to contend in the East when the C's landed former Atlanta bigman Al Horford, a player who just a few years ago averaged 18 and 8 with a block and a half per game. With defensive specialist Amir Johnson, the Celtics were expected to have one of the stingiest squads in the NBA. But Boston has been middle of the pack for most of the season in both points allowed and opp FG%, and their DRTG is even worse. The Spurs, conversely, are putting together another incredible regular season start, with the notable exception that they tend to play much better on the road this season, a bizarre about-face from the nearly impeccable home record in 2015-16. Winners of 15 of the last 17, and with an injury to Isaiah Thomas, the Spurs needed to capitalize on the weakened guard spot of the Celtics, who had to give big minutes to perennial Shaqtin a Fool contender Marcus Smart, who has perhaps one of the most unfortunate names in the NBA. Smart “led” all players with a sterling negative 17 +/- for the night. The Spurs meanwhile were without starting big LaMarcus Aldridge, arguably less of an impact for the Spurs on D because of the lack of depth around the hoop for the Celtics.

    Game Breakdown

    1st Quarter
    Teams have started pretty hot against the Spurs this season, and the Celtics were no exception. The Celtics made 5 out of their first 6 shots – most of them well-contested, to jump out to a 13-10 lead. It would be their largest lead of the game. The Spurs offense to their credit was also firing away, and quickly regained the lead 14-13 on a Kawhi Leonard jumper. Kawhi furthered the Spurs lead with a series of buckets as the reserves took the floor for both teams. After a couple of miscues by the bench, Manu connected on a couple of 3s to give the Spurs some breathing room and then dropped a nice assist into Dedmon for to close the quarter up 32-23.

    2nd Quarter
    Characteristically, the 2nd quarter got started with Marcus taking a Smart shot from 33 feet away. After Mills and Rozier traded buckets, the Spurs went cold. Bertans, Tony, Kawhi, and Pau all missed shots to allow the Celtics to take the lead 43-42. Then Patty, sub-starter David Lee, and Kawhi all got rolling to put the Spurs up 56-47 at halftime. Both teams made some pretty difficult shots and both also had some trouble handling the ball in the first half. Overall it was a decent performance by the Spurs to this point and the Celtics were hanging tough, though they were setting some incredibly physical screens that at times involved them wrapping up the Spurs player with no whistle. Here’s hoping the NBA takes a look at that in this offseason (doubtful).

    3rd Quarter
    This was not a great quarter of ball from the Spurs. They started off excellent, with David Lee and Kawhi Leonard scoring at will and moving well off the ball. However, the usual bench energy and sparkplug scoring was not there, and numerous turnovers and poor shots late in the clock (a Bertans fading 3 pointer, really?) saw the Celtics crawl back within a single point as Mills, Kawhi, and Manu missed several shots down the stretch of the 3rd. A Gasol 3 saved the quarter somewhat for the Spurs putting the home team ahead 77-73 entering the 4th.

    4th Quarter
    The 4th started with some hustle-ball being played by the Spurs. Numerous offensive rebounds and defensive stops saw the lead quickly grow to 10 points behind contributions from Mills and Dedmon. The C’s scrapped back into it, but an early dagger by Davis opened the lead to 90-80, and the Celtics never really threatened again. The 4th degraded into a 3 point shooting compe ion that both teams lost, but ultimately the Spurs prevailed with a 108-101 victory in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicates.

    Player Grades

    Player of the Game:



    Kawhi Leonard: C

    Are you shocked? I bet you’re shocked. Just kidding. Kawhi Leonard was easily the best player on the court for the Spurs tonight. Some might question the “C” grade he’s been given, but that just shows how far Leonard has come that he can put up the best numbers, look in control on offense, shoot 9-17 and still be given a grade of “average”. All in all I wasn’t super thrilled with what I saw from Kawhi tonight. He had some very strong moments of defense, and his offense was anywhere from great to unstoppable when he was aggressive, but I wasn’t overly impressed by roughly 40% of the game from Kawhi. He got lost a few times and looked a little passive, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, where he took a total of 6 shots. The C’s clearly had absolutely no one to guard him in a half court set, and I would have much preferred him going to the rack and getting their already thin team in foul trouble. It is a testament to Kawhi’s work ethic that this cons utes an “ok” night from him, as the 4 turnovers and 1-5 shooting were somewhat balanced by 6 assists. A “bad” game from Leonard can still be a dominating 25+ point performance and a fairly comfortable win for the Spurs.

    Starters

    Pau Gasol: B+
    Gasol’s defense wasn’t the best tonight, and that prevents him from getting an A. Still, 17 points to go with 7-12 shooting, and more importantly, 13 rebounds on a night when LMA is out and Kawhi isn’t doing his usual glass scraping is excellent production from the veteran big man. Gasol was aggressive when he had the ball, not hesitating to post up or shoot 3s, but he was also eager to hand it off, as he racked up 6 assists to Lee, Kawhi, and Tony. Gasol channeled his inner-Duncan into a quiet, workmanlike, effective performance tonight. We’ll take these numbers every night from him.

    David Lee: B+
    I contemplated giving Lee an A- tonight. That was tempered only by the fact that he wasn’t too aggressive on offense and thus wound up with 8 points, albeit on 5 shots. But make no mistake, this was a great outing from our surprise rotation player this season. Dedmon and Lee both put in work tonight, and Lee was running hard to play defense – his hustle got him double digit rebounds for the game (10) and also allowed Pop to comfortably give him 30 minutes of action.

    Tony Parker: B
    Another player perhaps deserving of a higher grade, Parker was undoubtedly a threat tonight. Maybe Parker does have some gas in the tank left, or perhaps Boston is just haunted by his ghost, but they looked absolutely terrified of Parker’s driving ability in this game. Boston sagged off and went under screens against TP, and he still managed to make 4 of his 8 shots by getting into the paint, and had a couple of very nice inside scoring plays. Tony was generally good on defense this game, with a couple of frustration fouls marred an otherwise solid outing. As previously mentioned, his counterpart posted a -17 for the night, easily the worst for either team.

    Danny Green: D-
    Danny Green had a very good first 6 minutes of play last night. Afterward his brain was apparently possessed, or maybe he was just in awe of Smart’s hair, but Green fell off the face of the Earth. His defense was scattershot and he was generally a ghost on both ends of the floor. Avery Bradley lit up Danny for 25 points on 10-16 shooting, and this was perhaps the worst I have ever seen Danny play on close-out defense to stop open 3s from raining down. Two things saved Danny from an “F” tonight: He didn’t shoot enough to actively hurt the offense, and Pop was evidently tuning into Spurstalk, pulling the starting guard after just 23 minutes of action.


    Beeeeeeeeeench


    Dwayne Dedmon: A-
    Game high grade goes to one Dwayne Walking Dedmon (middle name might be inaccurate). He was extremely effective in his limited play tonight, compiling 5 rebounds and shockingly 10 points in his 16 minutes of action. He also had a very nice steal that led to a transition bucket for the Spurs. So, what’s the deal, then? Well, Dedmon doesn’t get an A+ tonight, because while his defense is good and energetic, he also makes some mistakes. He overcommits and the other team uses him to draw fouls. 3 fouls in just 16 minutes of action is far too much (though it’s strongly preferable to someone who’s passive on D). It also probably means we cannot depend on him for consistent minutes because of his propensity to attack on D. Still, a great overall performance from a completely unexpected source at the start of this season. Dedmon is almost assuredly going to be a very well-paid man by the end of Free Agency.

    Manu Ginobili: B
    Sadly, the time where we can anticipate Manu just dominating a game has come and gone. It appeared he might do that tonight, as he looked like he was about to catch fire in the 1st quarter after burying a couple of 3s. This was precipitated by Jaylen Brown literally taking the ball out of Manu’s hands, after which it seemed to light a candle under Manu, who apparently doesn’t like scrubs being mean to him. Manu was solid on defense tonight and didn’t try to force the issue too much, perhaps showing a bit of maturity where his old self used his capable recklessness to shear defenses apart. While that GINOBILI is lost to history, the Manu we had tonight was a positive experience.

    Davis Bertans: B-
    I’m not terribly displeased by what I saw from Bertans tonight. He was hustling, he wasn’t afraid to shoot, and participated in some nice ball movement. But this comes with a caution – this guy has a really, really low skill ceiling on defense. He’s just slow, both laterally and in the open court, and I’m not sure how much the coaching staff can do to resolve it. That said, as an offensive player he does tend to hit when left open, so he could be a slightly less skilled version of Marco Belinelli for this year’s squad, and with 5 inches of height he offers potentially more utility.

    Patty Mills: C-
    It has been a long time since Patty gets “passes” on games from me. He is sufficiently talented and skilled that I expect far more out of our journeyman Aussie guard than this pedestrian effort. Mills had a couple of good stretches and his shooting was solid for the most part – but that, again, is only enough to earn him a “C” from me. He also had some ugly possessions and generally wasn’t as impactful unless he was shooting. It speaks to how well Mills is playing that this is considered a sub-standard performance, because it is not long ago that this would have been a pleasant surprise from Mills.

    Incomplete: Jonathan Simmons and Kyle Anderson:
    Are these guys in Pop’s doghouse? It’s not too surprising for Anderson, but Simmons has played well most of the year and on a night when we didn’t have all of our horses should have seen expanded time for Simmons. After playing so well in 18 minutes against Brooklyn, I can’t really explain why Simmons didn’t see more time, especially with Green struggling. Hopefully this is just a game off for Jonathan. Kyle, meanwhile, did acceptably well in his 6 minutes and had a nice block to go with limited time on the court.

    Gregg Popovich: B
    A solid outing from Pop. I’m curious as to why he didn’t play Simmons, but many of his plays seemed to work well, although at times they broke down and ended up in numerous fadeaway 3s (which I cannot fault Pop too much for). I also would have liked to see Leonard force-fed a bit more, as he was caving in the entire C’s defense when he stepped inside the 3 point line. A side note: It would be nice to see the Spurs stop taking the illegal screens on the chin, even if it means picking up a technical it would be nice to see one of our players respond physically to those cheap plays, as the Celtics used them numerous times in the first half to get free for open 3 pointers. At one point, they held Manu’s hand to stop him from getting around the screen, and it was far less romantic than that sentence suggests. Short of the 3rd quarter stall, this had all the hallmarks of a comfortable Spurs win and could have been a 30 point game if they would have closed out on 3 point shooters better. The Spurs are now the only team in the NBA in the top 7 in both ORTG and DRTG and are on pace for 66 wins for the season.

    Around the League
    Surprisingly, the Warriors are not the best offensive team in the league by ORTG this year. Despite their plethora of weapons, it’s the Raptors who have a 118.79 to the Dubs 117.33. Memphis maintains its status as a defensive stalwart. The worst DRTG goes to Portland.

    The NBA and NBPA reached a 7 year agreement on Wednesday.

    A report that retired star Dikembe Cookie Monster Mutombo (again, middle name might not be accurate) was robbed was refuted by Dikembe himself, or at least his official instagram page.

    The Lakers are now 2.5 games out of having the worst record in the league after losing 8 straight.

    The Pelicans Tyreke Evans will return to action on Thursday after 11 months of inactivity following knee surgery.

  2. #2
    Klaw apalisoc_9's Avatar
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    Thanks for Ascending effort.

    But a C grade is way too cute for a best player in the game.

  3. #3
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    Thanks for Ascending effort.

    But a C grade is way too cute for a best player in the game.
    He scored 1 point more than his season average, had 4 TOs, 3 rebounds with LMA out, and generally wasn't a force like usual on defense. I guess you're still using 2014 standards to judge Kawhi? I didn't know you thought so lowly of him.

  4. #4
    Veteran silverblackfan's Avatar
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    Enjoyed the write up very much.


    I think Pop is saving Anderson and Simmons for tonight with a well-rested LMA.

  5. #5
    Veteran superbigtime's Avatar
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    This was a very well written and well explained synopsis from the first to the last sentence. Can see you put in time and effort. Thank you.

  6. #6
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    Has parkers expectations fallen so much that a bad game garners a B grade? Sure he had a good 4th quarter but his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters were atrocious. Every time he was in we lost a lead or fell farther behind.

    But hey it your grades so good job. well written

  7. #7
    Veteran Spur|n|Austin's Avatar
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    Awesome write-up! Thanks Cry Havoc

  8. #8
    Less is More Darius Bieber's Avatar
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    Has parkers expectations fallen so much that a bad game garners a B grade? Sure he had a good 4th quarter but his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters were atrocious. Every time he was in we lost a lead or fell farther behind.

    But hey it your grades so good job. well written
    He really isn't good anymore. In a league filled with point guard talent, it really sucks to be stuck with Parker.

  9. #9
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    Great and entertaining write-up. Thanks a ton.

    I might have given Kawhi a C+ or B-, due to his clutch offense down the stretch. But I agree his defense and effort seemed to wane in the game, at a time when the Spurs could have started cruising. So the Celtics got back in the game.

    Patty to my mind deserves an A for the first half, and then a much lower grade for the second (at least the third quarter). I might have given him a B- overall. Pretty solid effort, with some lethargy and lack of creativity in the second half.

  10. #10
    Woof Woof! PÒÓCH's Avatar
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    This type of post is the reason why I visit Spurstalk

  11. #11
    Klaw apalisoc_9's Avatar
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    He scored 1 point more than his season average, had 4 TOs, 3 rebounds with LMA out, and generally wasn't a force like usual on defense. I guess you're still using 2014 standards to judge Kawhi? I didn't know you thought so lowly of him.
    By that Logic, He's a C player...

    He's a superstar, there's very little room to "explode" in his status from a statistical standpoint. When you get to that points, it's all about consistancy.

    If I was told Kawhi was gonna score 26ppg every game and had 6 assist, I would never guessed some dude would evaluate his total performance as a "C"..

    Its just too Hipster of a mindset.

    But its a great Game grade effort.

  12. #12
    Grab 'em by the pussy Splits's Avatar
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    Probably the best write-up of the season, thanks CH. I missed the game and after reading this it felt like I didn't.

  13. #13
    Erryday I'm Hustlin' Robz4000's Avatar
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    Of course Evans is back in time for Tim's Retirement night. That game's gonna be a doozy. Thanks for the in-depth write-up CH; don't agree with all your grades but the explanations behind them are sound.

  14. #14
    Veteran RD2191's Avatar
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    Terrible grades. Too much bull . Just get to the point, got.

  15. #15
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    By that Logic, He's a C player...

    He's a superstar, there's very little room to "explode" in his status from a statistical standpoint. When you get to that points, it's all about consistancy.

    If I was told Kawhi was gonna score 26ppg every game and had 6 assist, I would never guessed some dude would evaluate his total performance as a "C"..

    Its just too Hipster of a mindset.

    But its a great Game grade effort.
    I'm not judging him based on the performance of Davis Bertans. I'm judging him based on the talent and performance of Kawhi Leonard. He is absolutely capable of doing what he did last night every game, and had lapses on defense.

    Scoring was average for this season, 1-5 from 3. We've seen him explode for 30+ tonight -- that would have raised his grade to a B or higher, consistent defense would have made it an A or A+.
    Turnovers way up at 4 Assists up at 6 but 6 ast 4 turnovers is not good from a superstar.
    Rebounds at 3, with LMA out, is not average or close to it.

    For an A, Kawhi needs to get 30 points+, with solid defense, and good stats across the boards with aggressiveness for 4 quarters. That's what I expect from a superstar max player having a great game.

    But thanks.

  16. #16
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    Great and entertaining write-up. Thanks a ton.

    I might have given Kawhi a C+ or B-, due to his clutch offense down the stretch. But I agree his defense and effort seemed to wane in the game, at a time when the Spurs could have started cruising. So the Celtics got back in the game.

    Patty to my mind deserves an A for the first half, and then a much lower grade for the second (at least the third quarter). I might have given him a B- overall. Pretty solid effort, with some lethargy and lack of creativity in the second half.
    the team played so much better with Mills out there over Parker. Yet somehow Parker has a better grade? Go figure.

  17. #17
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    Terrible grades. Too much bull . Just get to the point, got.
    I suppose it's a compliment that my posts distress you so much that I'm actively forcing you to read the entire narrative rather than just glancing at the pictures and the grades that headline every section. Must be rough for you.

  18. #18
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
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    Thanks for the write up Havoc. I like your writing style and sense of humor.

    I missed this game so I have no comments other than being very appreciative.

    Also,

  19. #19
    Believe. Em-City's Avatar
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    I was really impressed with the gasol /Lee combo. Lee's desire to score at the rim is much more evident than LA 's and pau's passing allows him to be soft and post on the perimeter, while hitting Lee on baseline cuts. Once Aldridge is back, I'd like to see gasol benched early so he can get more minutes with Lee.

  20. #20
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    Enjoyed the write up very much.


    I think Pop is saving Anderson and Simmons for tonight with a well-rested LMA.
    This was a very well written and well explained synopsis from the first to the last sentence. Can see you put in time and effort. Thank you.
    Great and entertaining write-up. Thanks a ton.

    I might have given Kawhi a C+ or B-, due to his clutch offense down the stretch. But I agree his defense and effort seemed to wane in the game, at a time when the Spurs could have started cruising. So the Celtics got back in the game.

    Patty to my mind deserves an A for the first half, and then a much lower grade for the second (at least the third quarter). I might have given him a B- overall. Pretty solid effort, with some lethargy and lack of creativity in the second half.
    This type of post is the reason why I visit Spurstalk
    Probably the best write-up of the season, thanks CH. I missed the game and after reading this it felt like I didn't.
    Of course Evans is back in time for Tim's Retirement night. That game's gonna be a doozy. Thanks for the in-depth write-up CH; don't agree with all your grades but the explanations behind them are sound.
    Thanks guys.

    Hopefully we do see more of Simmons tonight. Maybe 25 minutes would be nice.

    Re: Grades -- if I didn't grade on a curve I might as well just give Kawhi a B+ to A+ every single game. Most players are going to post stats close to their season averages. I think it's more involving to grade them against their own abilities. I don't think much information is given if Kawhi is given a higher grade than Bertans - everyone on the planet knows who's going to play better if you use the same baseline for them.

  21. #21
    Klaw apalisoc_9's Avatar
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    Terrible grades. Too much bull . Just get to the point, got.
    Not sure why such a basic post is so funny. Insults like these is always a nice curveball in an otherwise complimentary thread.

  22. #22
    Veteran RD2191's Avatar
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    Is OP lost? Didn't he trash this place and claim reddit is better?

  23. #23
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    Is OP lost? Didn't he trash this place and claim reddit is better?
    You just posted twice to a thread that's actually talking about basketball, and that's such a rare event that I'll understand and forgive your confusion. No harm done.

  24. #24
    MVP
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    Terrible grades. Too much bull . Just get to the point, got.
    The 2 best players got the lowest grades. Dude is a reddit gots. Straight up. I don't give a what he he thinks about expectations. That is unacceptable.

  25. #25
    Chunky Brazil's Avatar
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    RD is my nigg' but I disagree on dat one, I liked reading those game grades with breakdown per quarter and the touch at the end about other news in the NBA

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