48MoH: Matt Moore Makes Charts

[Blackjack]

Small-Ball and Defensive Rating
by Timothy Varner

This is a short addendum to the Rockets/Spurs recap just down the page.

Why does Gregg Popovich like to play small?

As I wrote over the weekend, the Spurs’ forays into small-ballish lineups garner a certain amount of success. But for many fans–those who grew up on a twin towers approach to defending the lane–this doesn’t sit well. Those fans aren’t asking for the return of David Robinson. They’d happily accept a lane clogger after the fashion of Rasho Nesterovic or Nazr Mohammed. Their complaint is not that small-ball doesn’t produce points, or at least that’s not what I hear them saying. Their complaint is that small-ball gives the Spurs a different defensive iden y.

How does small-ball factor into the Spurs’ overall defensive play? Stats geeks of the world unite.

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Matt Moore Makes Charts

[MannyIsGod]

Those charts are pretty damn good. The dropoff that TP has had is so brutally aparent in those charts it hurts. The dropoff from Duncan is all we need to know about why this team is struggling. While on paper this team has more talent than any Spurs team in a long time they're much closer to teams of the 90s that were David Robinson and nothing else.

Thats a scary thought.

Oh and Bogans sucks ass but we already knew that. Some one email Pop a link.

[Blackjack]

Sorry, screwed up the le..

But this made me lol

From Matt's chart:

Duncan reclaims his rightful place at the top of the heap, but you can tell there’s a downgrade in supporting talent. Specifically, they need shooters, and adding combo forwards has not done the trick. In closing, Matt Bonner sucks.

Obviously not aware of Bonner's domination of the +/-.

[Bender]

maybe Ian should get some of Dice's minutes, at least based on the 2nd chart.

[Sobe_Kucks]

I absolutely love stat geek charts like this! This is a sobering chart for Spurs fans. It illustrates what we've all seen with the drop off in TP's game this year, but the scariest thing is that it shows that Pop is doing a good job with minutes. It's hard to fault who's got burn and who hasn't. There is no one player that screams out that you must give him more minutes, change the rotation and that would solve the problem. Only Ian sticks out but his stats are scewed due to his one monster game. What we got is what we got...

The Clippers chart should excite the "trade for Camby now" crowd. Let's hope the Rodeo Trip works wonders for chemistry and fosters a sense of urgency. Buying lucky Rabbit's foot and crossing fingers now.