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Both are animals
Coming off two of their most impressive victories of the 2009-10 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs took a step backwards against the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. After a solid first half, the Bobcats turned up the pressure and the Spurs cracked.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Spurs led 55-51. At that point, Charlotte illustrated why they're one of the best defensive teams in the league by holding the Spurs to only a pair of free throws over the next nine minutes of play. By the time San Antonio ended the offensive drought, the Bobcats held a 70-57 advantage and the game was all but over. When the final horn mercifully sounded, the scoreboard read 92-76.
I don't think there's any question whether the Bobcats will make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. They play fantastic defense and there are enough quality offensive players on the team to score a sufficient amount. Our old friend Stephen Jackson has been a perfect fit and Gerald Wallace is playing at an All-Star level. Although their road record is pathetic (3-15), their 15-4 home record indicates how good of a team this can be and I think it's only a matter of time until they figure out how to win on the road. I'd predict 43 or 44 wins for this squad.
As for the Spurs, they were snapped back to reality. There is still a lot of work to be done. Disappointingly, it appeared as if a lack energy and effort were two main reasons why the Spurs lost at Charlotte.
Tim Duncan
33:16 minutes, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
4-for-12 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line
Tim Duncan had perhaps his worst game of the season. Even though he didn't play last game, Duncan looked slow and listless. He seemed to have trouble running up and down the court and his quickness was non-existent. I'm really hoping it was a bad game and not that Duncan is in pain. To Duncan's credit, a lot of his problems were exacerbated by Charlotte's defense. The Spurs had trouble getting the ball into Duncan, and even when he got it, they send help from every angle.
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Manu Ginobili
28:05 minutes, 11 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
4-for-11 from the field, 1-for-5 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
To begin the game, Manu Ginobili played very well. He was 3-for-3 from the field in the first quarter and racked up three of his assists in his first nine minutes of action. In the second half, the story changed. Ginobili played a leading role in the disastrous stretch that cost the Spur the game. He was 1-for-6 in the final two quarters and seemed to be running on fumes.
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Tony Parker
29:53 minutes, 11 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 turnovers
4-for-7 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker, with help from Charlotte's defense, had a poor outing. He began the game well enough but his effectiveness waned as the game progressed. By the second half, he only attempted one field goal. The Bobcats deserve credit for pressuring him and making him give up the ball early, though Parker deserves equal blame for not pushing the action. To make matters worse, Parker's passing was often soft and a beat slow.
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Richard Jefferson
24:12 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 rebounds
3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
In the first half, Richard Jefferson played some of his best all-around basketball as a Spur. He was using his size on the defensive end, hustling to loose balls and gave the Spurs the energy they used to take a four-point lead into halftime. Like everyone else, he struggled in the second half -- especially in his second stint. By the fourth quarter, he was riding pine.
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Keith Bogans
22:06 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists
1-for-7 from the field, 0-for-5 on three-pointers
The shooting woes for Keith Bogans continue. In the last three games, he's now 3-for-21 from the field and 1-for-12 on three-pointers. Bogans shooting blanks was especially damning against the Bobcats because their gameplan was to give up the three-point shot -- and Bogans couldn't make Charlotte pay. He did much better work on the defensive end, especially against Jackson, but his offense more than negated his defense.
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DeJuan Blair
31:24 minutes, 11 points, 16 rebounds, 2 turnovers
5-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
DeJuan Blair might have been the only player for the Spurs who showed consistent tenacity. He followed up his huge game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with another very good outing. He was dominant on the offensive boards -- grabbing seven of the team's total of ten. Blair's defense out on the perimeter left a lot to be desired at times, especially when he was called to rotate. All in all, though, it was another step in the right direction for the rookie.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
20:13 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds
3-for-10 from the field, 2-for-7 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. had a chance to be the hero for the Spurs on Friday but he was unable to live up to the challenge. The Bobcats gave him a number of open looks and he didn't shoot well enough to force the Bobcats to slow their swarming ways. With Michael Finley and Matt Bonner likely returning before the end of the month, Mason better keep shooting straight if he wants to keep his current role when the roster is whole.
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George Hill
27:14 minutes, 11 points, 2 turnovers
5-for-11 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
George Hill has played very well of late. Against the Bobcats? Not so much. Hill is usually all over the court but was one dimensional on Friday night. No rebounds, no assists and no free throw attempts? Not good. Hopefully he can forget about this game and get back to the way he was playing in the previous handful of contests.
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Antonio McDyess
3:25 minutes
Antonio McDyess played the final three and a half minutes of the first quarter. He never re-entered the game. I'm not sure if it was simply for matchup reasons or for injury reasons. He was seen holding his shoulder for a few seconds but there have been no reports that he got hurt.
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Marcus Haislip
9:16 minutes, 2 points
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers
Marcus Haislip played his first meaningful minutes of the season. When he came into the game in the fourth quarter, he played about three minutes with Duncan and Parker as the Spurs tried to make a run. Haislip's stint started off well when he hit a layup. After that, however, he quickly went south. His inability to dribble the ball on the perimeter was painfully glaring and Haislip continues to look uncomfortable on the court in his return to the NBA game.
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Ian Mahinmi
5:28 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block
1-for-1 from the field
The legend of Ian Mahinmi grows. Even though he only played the final five and a half minutes of a blowout, Mahinmi once again looked good. He just moves on the court like an NBA player. Mahinmi had a nice bucket, an impressive block and was overall very active. I'm not convinced one way or the other concerning whether or not he can help, but I do think Mahinmi should get a few legit shots to show what he can do.
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Gregg Popovich
I blame some of the San Antonio's lackadaisical play on Pop. When he really ripped the team in the fourth quarter, the Spurs responded with energetic play. Where was that earlier? I also don't like how Duncan played 33 minutes (the most on the team) in what was basically a blowout -- especially being in the first game of a back-to-back. Playing McDyess or Mahinmi more wouldn't have hurt anything. Pop also needs a quicker hook on Bogans when he's bricking.
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Offense
We haven't seen the offense this bad in a long while. The Spurs shot just 38.8% from the floor and hit only 5-of-25 three-pointers. To make matters worse, they got to the line just 13 times -- hitting nine. Finishing with 18 assists and 14 turnovers is a bad ratio. After scoring 24 points in the first quarter, the Spurs finished with 18, 15 and 19 points, respectively, in the final three stanzas.
Defense
The defense for the first two and a half quarters was very solid. After that, however, the Bobcats got hot and the Spurs were defenseless -- literally. Charlotte shot 46.1% from the floor, hit 6-of-14 three-pointers and got to the line 21 times. The Spurs allowed the Bobcats to total 24 assists and only forced 11 turnovers. Rebounding was also a negative (44-42 Bobcats). In the second half, the usually inept Bobcats offense put 54 points on the board.
Drive to Five
The Spurs have to bounce back quickly. On Saturday, they face a very underrated Memphis Grizzlies team that has won seven straight at home and ten of their last 13 games overall. If they are lethargic again, the Spurs will have a losing streak on their hands. That said, the Spurs historically respond well to poor outings.
Believe.
Last edited by timvp; 01-16-2010 at 05:53 PM.
Both are animals
*@ Bobcats?
timvp has gone back to the future.
Duncan's game was worth no mention.
In almost every game the starters Spurs seem to be running out of gas in the third or 4th quarter. I think this is because Pop has them only playing an average of 30 minutes of a 48 minute game in order to 'rest' the old and the lame.
But league wide averages for minutes of starters have always been higher than that. I don't think these guys are in shape to play the extended minutes necessary and that comes from how they are being 'rested'.
No pain, no gain!
I was addressing this last year or two years back. And I think there is something in it. Like having concentration all game long. It is just need to be in players blood.
How D'Antoni teams were able to play 7 or 8 man rotation all year long and have that energy?
Their training sessions were lighter so they got much needed rest.
Wow, I didn't notice McDyess only played 3 and 1/2 minutes.
Also, where's Tim?
As I said in another thread, this team looked like they blew their load mentally in the first back to back. Hopefully they can refocus tonight.
Parker is playing way too many minutes in this current stretch of games. He played almost 76 minutes in the first back to back. For a team that is preaching about resting Duncan to keep from overplaying him they are being awfully hypocritical in regards to Parker, who is by his own admission struggling with his PF and his ankles. Manu has played too many minutes in the last two games too. If the game would have remained compe ive it would have put him over 30 minutes for the second game in a row. That is playing with fire. Pop has to resist the temptation to overplay Manu in order to get the team back into/keep them in games.
Thanks. My bad, I must have contracted whatever ailed the Spurs last night. Sloppy, incomplete and slow to react.
Me too. I'm re-watching the Nets and the Lakers games to see if I missed anything that would indicate he got hurt in any way. A weird landing, a tweak of any kind. It doesn't bode well for the team if Duncan is hurt, especially with Parker not 100%.
I'm still wondering about what was up with Dice. He might have been injured but it's funny that he never seemd to get any treatment duiring the game. At least none that I ever saw.
At times Pop gets thoroughly outcoached by the other "thinking man's" coaches in this league, and last night was no exception. He didn't react correctly to what Brown was throwing at him in the second half. It appears that when he's the one in control, the one throwing the wrinkles into the gameplan, that he's an amazing coach. But when he has to react to someone else's in-game changes he doesn't always know how to counter punch. I think that's why Phil Jackson is so tough for Pop, he knows how to keep Pop reeling, and Pop can rarely spin off and start throwing haymakers of his own. When that happens it's almost like Pop covers up and quits thinking.
Games like last night worry me because a team that's trying to solidify it's spot in the standings shouldn't allow itself to get p'owned to open the second half like they did.
I was also unpleasantly surprised at the amount of minutes Duncan played, especially since he didn't exactly have a great outing. I didn't see any sign of injury, though, so hopefully, it was just a night to forget like for most of the other guys.
Haislip really doesn't seem to be able to play any kind of role in this league. Mahinmi, on the other hand, looked nice, as did Blair.
That was my first thought too, but they also seemed to play tenatively, as to not to turn the ball over, which is exactly what that mentality leads you to do; fighting aggression with tenativeness is never a winning formula.
Duncan looked a little rusty and out of rhythm and wasn't getting the ball in his usual manner, scoring-wise, to start. He got a couple of shots blocked (one either being spectacular or a goaltend on a layup attempt on the break by Wallace) and looked to force the action to get things going afterwards; taking a couple of shots and making a couple of moves that he's not accustomed to. After the less than ideal start, the Bobcats clogged the paint and gave the perimeter players poor passing lanes (the perimeter players failed Tim as well) which prevented Tim from getting the ball in his most desired areas of operation and finding his groove.
This defense could have very easily been exploited had the perimeter players seen fit to knock down their shots and thrown in a ball fake or two when executing a pass; the Bobcats helped and sagged off of Bogans and Parker so much that Wallace became a free safety and rover at the rim, while allowing he and others the opportunity to disrupt and/or overplay passing-lanes. They would've made the Bobcats pay for their aggression with smart cuts to the basket and forced them to play the Spurs honest had the shots been going down at their customary clip.
The Spurs were just simply on their heals from start to finish. Other than than immediately following a Pop ass-chewing, the team was stagnant, tenative and playing not to make mistakes, rather than imposing their collective will.
Yes, there was most likely a letdown factor to this game. They were coming off their most impressive wins of the season and playing their third game in four nights; maybe there was a touch of both mental and physical fatigue. But had they played a little smarter, crisper and more decisively off the dribble (Hill stands out as one who's not extremely confident with his high-dribble against these long and aggressive-types), a better showing and win would have been much more likely.
As I mentioned in the preview thread, the composure and coordination he's displayed has been night and day compared to before the injuries. He's really seemed to mature in that respect and really looks to belong out on the court; the court-awareness with a pass like he had to 'Slip last night, the quality way in which he's presented a target to receive the pass and the activity he's shown in the screen and role game has been impressive in theses short stints; watching the high pick-and-roll against the Nets late, was like seeing a taller, less skilled and explosive Amar'e Stoudemire on the floor. The guy's always had the tools and ability to be a contributor, now it seems he has the means to put it all together.-------------------------------
Ian Mahinmi
5:28 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block
1-for-1 from the field
The legend of Ian Mahinmi grows. Even though he only played the final five and a half minutes of a blowout, Mahinmi once again looked good. He just moves on the court like an NBA player. Mahinmi had a nice bucket, an impressive block and was overall very active. I'm not convinced one way or the other concerning whether or not he can help, but I do think Mahinmi should get a few legit shots to show what he can do.
There's probably a less than zero chance he gets the opportunity to help the team during the playoffs but seeing as the team has an older frontline and is looking to keep people fresh, it would seem a wise move to let Ian steal some minutes as the dog days of the regular season come to bear.
I agree Blackjack. There is absolutely no harm in letting Ian get some minutes. But like Timvp mentioned, why play Duncan 33 minutes in a blowout? Those are opportunities for guys like Ian and I would like to see Ian get some time when the game matters against some opponents where it makes sense.
I also agree with the Amare reference. Obviously he is no where as skilled as Amare offensively, but he moves like him and has his build. I have made that reference before as well. Ian is certainly a better defender than Amare though.
I think Dice played in the 2nd quarter not in the 3rdAntonio McDyess
3:25 minutes
Antonio McDyess played the final three and a half minutes of the third quarter. He never re-entered the game. I'm not sure if it was simply for matchup reasons or for injury reasons. He was seen holding his shoulder for a few seconds but there have been no reports that he got hurt.
Yeah, I made the Amar'e reference early on in his career, but it was lost on many as thinking he could be as good as him; never my intention.
It's the way he attacks the defense off the screen, roles to the basket and even how you could see him having that face-up jumper upon his development. He doesn't have the hands or freakish athleticism of Amar'e, but he's got a similar feel in his half-court approach; he is a taller, longer and more capable/willing defender than Amar'e, though.
Definitely someone that could contribute to this team in, if nothing else, an Elson-type role.
Good catch. It was the first quarter. Not sure why I typed third.
I pin that game on Pop. It might have been one of the worst coached games I have ever seen by a Spurs coach. You push the ball on a team like this. The SPurs have shown that they can speed it up when necessary, that was absent the entire game and one of the best half court defenses in the league destroyed us.
I was also pissed at the 4 PF line up with a shooting guard as the PG. That was crap and I immediately turned it off at that point. It was hard because I always watch games to the end. But I was so pissed at Pop that I could not stand another second of it. We can lose to LA and Dallas, I can deal with those, but when you get outcoached by a team that is light years behind the Spurs, that is just sad.
That's vital. It's kind of obvious when Bogans can't buy a bucket. They gave him so many open looks.. and took advantage of it.
I guess in these kind of nights, Finley will take most of Bogans' minutes. Those games when Bogans' able to make his shots, Fin's gonna take Mase's minutes.
Well said.Ian Mahinmi
5:28 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block
1-for-1 from the field
The legend of Ian Mahinmi grows. Even though he only played the final five and a half minutes of a blowout, Mahinmi once again looked good. He just moves on the court like an NBA player. Mahinmi had a nice bucket, an impressive block and was overall very active. I'm not convinced one way or the other concerning whether or not he can help, but I do think Mahinmi should get a few legit shots to show what he can do.
I couldn't have said it any better myself, so I won't even try. For the life of me, I don't understand this. Personally, I think Pop should strongly consider sitting the entire big three tonight, playing Jefferson extended minutes and have him be the go-to offensive player for a game. The big three appear to be running on fumes, but by playing a more athletic, eager to either expand their role briefly (Jefferson, McDyess, Blair, Hill, Mason) or just flat out play period (Mahinmi, Ratliff, too bad Hairston isn't still up or I'd say him too) lineup, I think you'd see a more energetic team, which would help greatly given the situation and the opposition.
Wasn't Jefferson brought in, in large part, for situations like these? 5 games in 6 1/2 days in 4 different cities. Rather than taxing the big three and running them into the ground, how about playing the in his prime, athletic, durable, big, strong, proven scorer and letting him take on a far bigger role than he generally would? It's baffling as to why he's being underutilized. About as baffling as to why the majority of the size is being benched consistently as well. Why did Holt s out so much for Jefferson + additional front line depth if Pop were going to under-utilize one and rarely ever utilize the other?
Haislip seemed to be able to dribble just fine overseas, now you're saying he can't? I haven't seen him so I'm curious about that
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