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Where there's a will . . . there's a way.Now, there's almost no way Pop can't give Hairston more minutes.
After one of their more impressive victories of the season, the San Antonio Spurs traveled to Houston in hopes of taking another step in the right direction. Instead, the Spurs were tripped up early and suffered another momentum stifling loss.
The first quarter was difficult to watch. The Rockets were playing with tons of energy, while the Spurs were passive and listless. When the period mercifully ended, the Spurs trailed 31-14. Utilizing their deep bench, the Spurs eventually made a run late in the fourth -- but it turned out to be too little, too late.
The Rockets came into the game struggling but they looked good against the Spurs. Kevin Martin showed off his scoring potential, while Aaron Brooks illustrated his explosiveness. And let us not speak of the salt Luis Scola applied to the open wound that is current state of the Spurs.
Overall, it was another case of taking a couple steps back after seemingly taking a step forward.
Tim Duncan
24:21 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
8-for-17 from the field, 1-for-3 at the line
Tim Duncan entered the game trying to punish the Rockets. Houston rarely sends double-teams his way and Duncan tried to take advantage. While the intentions were good, the execution wasn't. Duncan ended up being too aggressive and the team's offensive rhythm suffered. Defensively, he did a poor job defending the rim. All in all, it's not a surprise that Duncan had a team worst plus/minus of -25.
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Manu Ginobili
24:06 minutes, 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers
1-for-8 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 6-for-6 at the line
Versus the Thunder, Manu Ginobili willed the Spurs to victory in one of the most memorable outings of his career. In this game, Ginobili's effort was still very good but he couldn't get it going on the offensive end. Without Ginobili putting the ball in the hole or creating offense on a consistent basis, the Spurs didn't have much of a chance -- especially with Tony Parker sidelined. His individual D wasn't too great but his nine defensive rebounds were really helpful on that end.
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George Hill
37:37 minutes, 26 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
8-for-14 from the field, 3-for-5 on three-pointers, 7-for-8 at the line
It was a tale of two halves for Hill. In the first half, he was really bad. His extremely weak play in the first quarter doomed the Spurs. His play in the second quarter wasn't much better. In the second half, Hill turned up the intensity. He scored 23 points in the final two quarters to finish with a career-high despite scoring only three points in the first half. Defensively, Hill was disappointing throughout. Brooks' speed and craftiness really gave Hill fits.
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Antonio McDyess
15:24 minutes, 2 assists
0-for-3 from the field
Just when it looked like Antonio McDyess may be turning the corner, he just had two horrendous games in consecutive contests. Going 0-for-9 with three rebounds is not the way to solidify a starting gig. Playing sub par defense on top of that is a ticket to the bottom of the rotation.
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Keith Bogans
14:24 minutes, 3 turnovers
0-for-3 from the field, 0-for-3 on three-pointers
Keith Bogans did some good work against Kevin Durant last game. Against the Rockets, he was a disaster. If he wasn't missing shots offensively, he was turning it over. Defensively, he wasn't helping at all. How this guy is a starter in the NBA is a question I cannot answer.
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Michael Finley
9:41 minutes
0-for-2 from the field
Michael Finley's NBA career is over. It's now just a matter of getting Pop to figure it out. That said, I have to give Finley credit for his effort on defense. He knows where to be and fights as hard as he can to stop his opponent. Unfortunately, he just doesn't have it anymore.
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Richard Jefferson
30:10 minutes, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers
6-for-12 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 3-for-5 at the line
It's a little late but Richard Jefferson is finally starting to play with some aggressiveness. We've seen more contested rebounds in the last few games than we saw all season. Jefferson is also attacking the rim smarter and defending a bit better. However, he still has a long ways to go to even become an average NBA player at this point.
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Roger Mason, Jr.
30:57 minutes, 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
4-for-13 from the field, 3-for-9 on three-pointers
Since subtly asking for a trade, Roger Mason, Jr. has spent most of his time missing shots. He added nine more missed field goal attempts in the game against the Rockets. Mason made a few quality plays with the basketball but his defense was very poor and his shot selection was iffy.
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DeJuan Blair
17:43 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds
4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
DeJuan Blair was one of the few players on the Spurs who brought the needed aggression and toughness. Blair's physicality ultimately led to him fouling out of the game. Offensively, he showed very good touch around the basket. His defense wasn't very good -- then again, that could said about most every player in this game.
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Malik Hairston
17:54 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot
4-for-6 from the field, 0-for-2 at the line
Malik Hairston played like someone who absolutely refuses to be ignored any longer. He has spent most of his season either sitting on the bench or starring in the D-League. Now, there's almost no way Pop can't give Hairston more minutes. His ability to take the rim off the dribble was very impressive. Hairston defended with tenacity, rebounded the ball with authority and he hustled relentlessly. Overall, it was a very encouraging outing from Hairston.
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Ian Mahinmi
10:08 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds
3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-3 at the line
I'm not sure what was more of a miracle on Friday night: Mahinmi getting first quarter minutes or my tiny yet unbelievably beautiful daughter coming home for the first time. After a rocky start, Mahinmi played better and better. By the fourth quarter, he was one of the main reasons why the Spurs were able to make a run. Like Hairston, Mahinmi should have earned more minutes with this effort -- at least in theory.
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Matt Bonner
7:35 minutes
Matt Bonner just hasn't been able to recover from his injury. His timing is shot, his confidence is non-existent and he also doesn't seem to be in very good shape. It has gotten to the point that there's no reason for him to play. Bonner has been given chances; Pop needs to move on.
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Gregg Popovich
We'll get a good idea on how stubborn Pop really is now. Anyone who watched the Rockets game saw that Hairston deserves a lot more minutes going forward. His athleticism and energy alone would be a huge assets to this team. Mahinmi playing more is also likely to help. On the other hand, a few players are begging for DNP-CDs (See: Bonner, Matt; Finley, Michael; Bogans, Keith). Will Pop see the light? Let's hope so.
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Offense
Putting 104 points on the board against the Rockets is notable, especially after the Spurs scored just 14 points in the first quarter. The second half saw San Antonio put 63 points on the board. For the game, the Spurs shot 44.7% from the field, got to the line 30 times and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. San Antonio struggled from deep (6-for-21) and didn't do a very good job handling the ball (21 assists, 16 turnovers).
Defense
The Rockets scored easily in the first half. In the second half, their field goal accuracy faltered. However, the Rockets thrived by getting to the line. They shot 45.6% from the floor and hit 34-of-38 attempts from the charity stripe. The Spurs actually did a good job defending the three-point line (3-for-16) and limiting the Rockets to 18 assists.
Staying Alive
The Spurs are currently tied for seventh in the Western Conference. At noon on Sunday, San Antonio hosts the Phoenix Suns in a game the Spurs really need to win for playoff positioning.
Where there's a will . . . there's a way.Now, there's almost no way Pop can't give Hairston more minutes.
daughter?
have I missed something or my english is worse then I thought?
You brought home your daughter Friday? Congratulations to you and Kori!
Thanks for the game thoughts, I hope you're right and Ian and Hairston force Pop to play them. I won't bug you for game thoughts any more this year, you probably won't be getting a lot of sleep for a few months.
Cheers and blessings to you and your family
Thanks.You brought home your daughter Friday? Congratulations to you and Kori!
I miss that thing called sleep alreadyThanks for the game thoughts, I hope you're right and Ian and Hairston force Pop to play them. I won't bug you for game thoughts any more this year, you probably won't be getting a lot of sleep for a few months.
If Hairston doesn't play against the Suns, I will wonder about the alcohol content in the wine Pop has been drinking lately.
Congratulations!
As you said, we'll truly see how stubborn Pop is. Phoenix is a game just begging for younger legs. Let's see if he utilizes them.
Congrats on the new family member.
I was also very encouraged by Hairston and Ian's effort. Here's to hoping Pop sees the light on Finley, Bogans etc.
Congrats!
But I suppose you think that is an acceptable excuse for late Game Thoughts.
Thanks for the game thoughts and congratz on the good news.
congrats!
Making babies. Felicitations.
I hope Pop gets his crap together soon to perhaps make something of this season. Hill, Hairston, Blair and Mahinmi comprise a solid young group to put to good use NOW.
You would think he would play the young'uns in the Phoenix game...
However, the Phoenix game is shaping up to be one of those pivotal must-win games. And based on how Popovitch has coaching this season and in the past...I would not be completely and totally surprised to see him trot his veteran lineups; relying on his experience and corporate knowledge mantra to win in a must-win situation. I seriously doubt that he will lean on youth in a back against the wall situation.
God, I hope I'm wrong. Maybe he will decide to go with the youngsters to finish out the season; try and salvage something in this season and see what will happen if he infuses some energy and hunger into the team.
And congratulations on the new member of the family!
Holy wtf? Congrats!
Wow. Congrats to you and Kori, LJ!! One point of advice: when my brother was born, we said he was less than 2 until he hit about 4, so he didn't need a ticket to the games. Thank god we never had the same ushers year to year.
Wow. Everyone having kids these days . Congrats, welcome to the club and good to have your thoughts back.
Finley on the court is only taking up space, feet firmly planted on ground but ya Pop's playing him and Finley is putting in the effort. Nice guy, seems like a great teammate, just hasn't got it anymore. If he missing shots then there's nothing positive gained from playing him.
Congrats on the little one Timvp! Don't worry about losing sleep. Your little one will more than make up for it the first time she says 'dada'.
Loved the thoughts. Like you said... we will get to see how stubborn Pop really is vs. Phoenix.
A thought from me from the game... Jefferson played well with the young speed added to the lineup. Perhaps the halfcourt set offense of the Spurs has been holding him back. He did great work when the tempo sped up.
Congrats
Congrats on your daughter! Wish her a long and a happy life!
I am encouraged.
Showing more audacity than the San Antonio media has all year Bill Schoening asked brett brown (i believe it was him - northeastern accent through radio fuzz) in the postgame what is going to happen with these toros the spurs have invested up to 5 years in and have produced the few times they are actually put on the court.
Brown admitted they have been impressive and show they deserve evaluation. he covered his ass a bit but i'll believe till the day i die
Congrats on your baby. Now I realize what the "private matter" you were dealing with some time ago was.
With the way your couple nurtured this forum, I'm sure your daughter will be fine and happy in your family.
they said the same thing in the postgame of the Nets game about Ian (don't remember if it was Newman or Brown though).
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And congrats to timvp on the daughter.
Congrats
Congrats. Have a wonderful (sleepless) time alltogether!
Thanks for the Game Thoughts. They were waited, as always.
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