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i've not read it yet but thanx
Tragedy was averted. The San Antonio Spurs didn't lose to the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night. The Nets entered the game with only one win on the road and were winless against Western Conference teams. Thankfully, the Spurs kept them that way with a 97-85 victory.
The contest was actually tight for entire first half. In fact, the Spurs trailed after the first quarter. In the third, however, the tide started to turn. The Big 3 scored a flurry of points in the middle of the quarter and the Spurs never looked back. From that point on, the Ian Mahinmi Show continued (more on him later).
As for the Nets, they were more short-handed than is usually the case because Devin Harris missed the game with a wrist injury. They don't have much talent on their squad -- with the most notable exception being Brook Lopez. Lopez is a young center who could blossom into a 20-point, 10-rebound type player.
Overall, it was good that the Spurs got this win out of the way. It had all the makings of a trap game. With the Los Angeles Lakers on deck, San Antonio couldn't afford a tragic outcome against the now 3-34 Nets.
Tim Duncan
27:17 minutes, 14 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers
7-for-13 from the field
Tim Duncan's rebounding set the tone for the Spurs. He was cleaning up the glass on both ends and finished with a season-high in rebounds despite not playing in the fourth quarter. Offensively, Duncan missed a number of shots he usually makes but still put up solid numbers. His defensive play was energetic and he passed the ball well -- both from the low block and on outlets following rebounds. In other words, it was just another day at the office for #21.
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Manu Ginobili
26:25 minutes, 21 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers
6-for-11 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 8-for-8 at the line
After a disappointing end to the Mavs game, Manu Ginobili bounced back in a big way against the Nets. Most importantly, he showed a lot of athletic ability. He had quickness with the ball and even elevated for a power dunk within the halfcourt offense. This might have been the most healthy Ginobili has looked all season. When he's attacking the rim, getting to the line and able to finish with authority, he's one of the most unstoppable weapons in the league. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come.
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Tony Parker
29:00 minutes, 8 points, 5 assists
3-for-12 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
Tony Parker has looked really tired at times this season. This game against the Nets was a prime example. Parker's speed wasn't at its normal level and he had trouble finishing. I'm not sure whether it's time to press the panic button but Parker is obviously paying the price for all the basketball he's played in the last few years. The good news for Parker against the Nets is he finished without a turnover for the first time this season.
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Richard Jefferson
26:19 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
4-for-9 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line
The former Net played like he wanted to teach his old team a lesson. Richard Jefferson's statistics aren't too impressive but he played with a lot of energy, especially on defense. His man-to-man defense was really good and he got out and ran when he had a chance. He's still not getting that many touches offensively but he's getting more and more decisive once he gets the ball. All in all, this was a step in the right direction for Jefferson.
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Keith Bogans
25:16 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
1-for-4 at the line, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Keith Bogans played a fine all-around game. He dented the stat sheet in a number of areas -- and did so while picking up only one foul. Prior to this game, Bogans had at least three fouls in every game this month. While it is unfair to hold him up to the standards of Bruce Bowen, it's important to remember that Bowen dominated defensively even though he rarely fouled. Bogans needs to learn to do the same so that he can be called on when needed. And considering that defending without fouling is one of Pop's main coaching principles, Bogans could earn even more time if he starts to keep his fouling to a minimum.
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DeJuan Blair
14:57 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
2-for-6 from the field
DeJuan Blair had his second straight disappointing outing in a row. He had a lot of trouble finishing around the hoop and now has only three rebounds in his last 23 minutes. This is around the time that a lot of rookies start to hit a rookie wall. If that is the case with Blair, hopefully he works his way through it. It's difficult to imagine the Spurs being a championship contender if Blair is taken out of the equation.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
20:41 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds
3-for-8 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers
Roger Mason, Jr. continues to play with a lot of confidence. Earlier in the year he wasn't shooting with the carefree at ude that made him such a good player at the beginning of last season. That doesn't seem to be a problem anymore. He's letting shots fly whenever he's open. That attribute helps spread the court and earns him more minutes from Pop. Add in his improvement in rebounding plus his underrated passing and Mason might actually have a shot of holding off Michael Finley once Finley is able to return from his ankle injury.
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George Hill
24:26 minutes, 10 points, 4 assists
3-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line
Quietly, this was one of Hill's most complete games of the season. He got to the charity stripe, connected from the outside, dished off a handful of assists and avoided turning the ball over. He usually plays more of a combo guard role, but against the Nets Hill looked more like a true backup point guard than usual. With Parker not at 100%, it's important that Hill continues to play this role well.
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Antonio McDyess
22:49 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
1-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
Antonio McDyess didn't have a particularly good game but he at least played a lot better than he did against Dallas. He was aware defensively and made a few really good passes on the offensive end. McDyess was 2-for-2 from the free throw line, which is notable because he hadn't made a free throw since Dec. 7 against the Jazz. While he's a jumpshooter at this point of his career, it'd be nice if McDyess' aggression rises in the second half of the season.
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Ian Mahinmi
20:43 minutes, 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover
6-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 at the line
Ian Mahinmi got to wear his Spurs uniform for the first time this season. Once inserted into the game, the French bigman wasted absolutely no time in leaving his mark. Considering he hadn't played in an NBA game in two years and had been totally inactive since preseason, Mahinmi's play was utterly amazing. Mahinmi looked like a legit NBA player, even when he was going against Lopez mano a mano. The play of the game was when Mahinmi had an impressive block on one end and followed it with a dunk on the other end.
The one area Mahinmi struggled with was -- not surprisingly -- foul trouble. He had five fouls in his 21 minutes. The good news is that he picked up his fifth foul with ten minutes to go in the game and avoided his sixth the rest of the way. If he can learn to play without fouling, he very well could have a future in the NBA. As it stands, his NBA play has been very impressive. In his career, he's played 44 minutes and has 36 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, while shooting 12-for-18 from the field and 12-for-13 from the free throw line.
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Gregg Popovich
After Mahinmi's explosion, Spurs fans around the world are wondering why Pop hasn't played him up until this point in the season. It's difficult to come up with a logic answer. Mahinmi has been healthy. There are no reports of him being a bad apple. Pop has just refused to play him. Going forward, it will be very interesting to see how Pop deals with Mahinmi. Was this a one time showcase or was it a legit shot for Mahinmi to make an impression with the Spurs? We'll find out.
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Offense
The offense wasn't spectacular but it got the job done. San Antonio shot 45.6% from the field while hitting 4-of-12 three-pointers and 21-of-25 free throws. The ballhandling stats were very solid (24 assists compared to ten turnovers). In the middle two quarters, the Spurs scored 57 of their 97 points.
Defense
The Spurs took advantage of the worst offensive team in the NBA. The Nets shot 39.5% from the field and hit only 3-of-14 three-pointers. The Spurs did a decent job of limiting New Jersey's assists (17) but could have done better work in keeping them off the line (21 attempts) and forcing turnovers (6).
Drive to Five
The big, bad Lakers are next on the schedule. There won't be any problem getting amped up for this game. The Spurs are still searching for their first quality win of the season. Will this be the one?
Believe.
i've not read it yet but thanx
I’ll press the panic button if TP is still playing like that after the All Star Weekend rest. But I’m very worried now.
Mahinmi could very well be averaging 15/10/2 by the end of the year and in the starting lineup. I absolutely loved the way the kid finished everything around the rim that he got his hands on.
After watching Blair and McDyess miss point blank shots all year so far it was refreshing watching this kid show a knack around the rim.
Hopefully this wasn't a one time show and tell and we'll get to see if this was a fluke or not.
I think TP is coasting... He will leay it all out come playoff time he has never failed to deliver in the PO after the 2003 championship...
I am not worried yet
Thanks timvp your game thoughts are best in class
Great read as always! Thank you!
Thanks Timvp!
I'd love to see Mahinmi get more run, if for no other reason than to see if the NJ game was pure adrenalin or if he's really capable of being a decent NBA player.
It made me wonder about Pop's relationship with post players not named Duncan through the years. DRob was the only one able to put up decent stats on a Pop coached team, and his numbers were far below his par (his back obviously played a huge role in this). Since DRob there's been a revolving door of post players that have never lived up to their potential, and some that never even got a chance to show us what they could do (Scola - traded, and Mahinmi - relegated to the IR). I'm sure the Spurs' style of play has a huge role in that, but it's just interesting to me that no one can make a significant mark. Malik Rose is probably the only guy I can think of that played up to his potential as Duncan's frontcourt mate, and he ended up being shipped to the Knicks.
The more I think about Ian and the failure of the Spurs to pick up his option, the more I think he's through as a Spur.
I doubt the FO and POP could get over their egos about not playing him and failing to pick up the option. It's a lose-lose proposition for them.
What If he got some more minutes and made them look foolish with some good play?
What if they played him (or not) and some other team offered him more than they were willing to pay with his option?
What if he's a guy who doesn't practice particularly well but comes alive when the adrenalin starts flowing in a game?.
Will they take the risk of looking foolish by giving him more minutes to prove them wrong? I'm not sold on him as a player yet, but on the other hand part of my unwillingness is reliance on the Spurs expertise in evaluating talent.
This is the part that pisses me off the most - egos standing in the way of sensible decisions that benefit the greater good. As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I see enough of that with that self-absorbed, egotistical owner, Jerry Jones. It makes it very hard for me to continue rooting for them, but I still do.
The most refreshing thing about being a Spurs fan has not only witnessing their on-court success, but also their organizational excellence and the respect they've earned over the past decade. They have become the envy of all sports teams. Along the way, Pop, R.C. and the management brass, have always appeared to demonstrate a sensible approach toward how this franchise is run. They've been successful, in part, because they've not allowed their egos to stand in the way of sound decisions regarding personnel. In the process, they've created an culture of winning by steering clear of some of the pettiness that fosters poor decision-making and ultimately dooms other franchises.
When mistakes are made, a good manager will usually own up to it, apologize, adjust and correct. If this Ian decision has become a political one, in which Pop is trying to save face, and it's sure starting to smell like one, then it goes against every priniciple Pop has espoused since he's been at the helm of this franchise.
The success of any franchise should be about whatever is good for that franchise, as an en y, and not about the personal agendas of one person. I just hope Pop can "get over himself" before he makes a colossal mistake with this kid.
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