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Thank you Timvp
Really excited about the rookies
I have the feeling Pop will start McDyess along Duncan soon
Game Thoughts: Spurs at Clippers
http://www.sanantoniodispatch.com/sa...s-at-clippers/
By LJ Ellis
San Antonio Dispatch
Entering the game, the San Antonio Spurs had defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 16 straight times. Make that 17. The Spurs went on a run in the first half and never looked back.
Trailing 26-21 late in the first quarter, the Spurs scored 13 straight points in three and a half minutes. Nine of those 13 points were authored by Spurs rookie Gary Neal. By the fourth quarter, the lead grew to 17 points before the Spurs left Los Angeles with a 97-88 victory.
Coming out of this game, there is a lot to be excited about. Specifically, San Antonio’s three rookies looked promising.
Tim Duncan
30 mins (+1), 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers
7-for-12 from the field
Out of the gates, Tim Duncan looked slow and sloppy. Whenever a double-team came his way, Duncan either held the ball too long or turned it over. Eventually, he adjusted. He began making quicker decisions and found his touch. Defensively, Duncan mostly defended Chris Kaman and did a decent job of doing so. All in all, it’s a good sign that Duncan is seeing a lot of double-teams this season. For the sake of the three-point shooters, hopefully that continues.
Manu Ginobili
28 mins (+3), 14 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 turnovers
4-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 5-for-6 at the line
It was another quality out for Manu Ginobili. He was creative in finding shots for himself and others. His energy on both ends was contagious. That said, too much aggression on the defensive end led to a number of mistakes. He also had a lot of trouble staying in front of Eric Gordon. On offense, Ginobili drew Pop’s ire by being loose with the pass a couple times. Personally, seeing Ginobili play with reckless abandon is a promising sign that he’s healthy, confident and comfortable with his role.
Tony Parker
36 mins (+5), 19 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 3 steals, 4 turnovers
8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Tony Parker penetrating the lane and getting to the basket was the lifeblood of the team’s offense. He did a good job of finishing at the rim and also finding open teammates when the defense collapsed. To nitpick, Parker had a few miscues on the fast break and a couple of his jumpers were way off. Defensively, I was impressed with his ruggedness and continued energy.
Richard Jefferson
31 mins (-2), 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 2-for-4 at the line
Maybe Richard Jefferson really did turn over a new leaf during the summer. He has gone from being a second-guessing, unconfident streaky player last year to being a steely-eyed machine this season. Against the Clippers, Jefferson made perfect decision after perfect decision. He’s playing at a great pace right now and looks much more comfortable than he did at any point in his first season in San Antonio. Let’s hope it continues.
DeJuan Blair
20 mins (+1), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnover
0-for-1 from the field
It’s officially time to worry about DeJuan Blair. Three games into the season and Blair has looked really bad, all things considered. First of all, he’s not rebounding well, which destroys his value to begin with. On top of that, he can’t do anything right when it comes to looking for his own shot — he’s rushing and making poor decisions. Defensively, he has been passable at times but is still a sub par presence on that end. The only real positive has been a handful of good passes … but the Spurs need much more than that out of Blair.
Antonio McDyess
23 mins (+15), 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 turnover
2-for-7 from the field
For the third straight game, Antonio McDyess was a force on the boards and consistently hustled. He had a few issues with his post defense when attempting to guard the much quicker Blake Griffin but was otherwise good on the defensive end. McDyess continues to get wide open looks. He needs to start connecting at a higher percentage if he’s to keep defenses honest and Pop happy.
Gary Neal
20 mins (+14), 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers
6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-8 on three-pointers
Wow. Gary Neal was extremely impressive on Monday night. First of all, his beautiful jumper was deadly. He let it go without hesitation when given space. Neal was able to knock down a few contested jumpers and also created looks for himself and others with slick ball-handling. On the defensive end, he gave great effort — which earned him extra minutes from Pop. His toughness on the defensive end allows him to do well against players who are taller and more athletic. Overall, the Spurs have to be thrilled with their hired gun so far.
James Anderson
20 mins (0), 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
I thought this was James Anderson’s best game of the young season. His effortless three-point stroke is already really helping the offensive spacing when he’s on the court. Anderson’s ability to handle the ball, make the right pass and contort his body in the air are all very good to see. Defensively, he’s making strides in the right direction. Since the start of preseason, Anderson has gotten in much better shape. He’s starting to look like a legit NBA athlete, which gives him a higher ceiling as a player. He has a chance to be more than just a one-dimensional shooter.
Tiago Splitter
10 mins (+4), 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
1-for-2 from the field
By just looking at Tiago Splitter’s statistics, you wouldn’t think he did much on the court. However, I’m excited with what I saw. To put it simply, Splitter passed the eye test with flying colors. Going against a talented Clippers front court, Splitter looked tall, long and, most importantly, quick. His ability to move his feet on the defensive end was fantastic. In his ten minutes on the court, he defended the pick-and-roll better than a Spurs big has defended it in years. Splitter also showed great instincts when it came to giving help and collapsing to protect the rim. I still think Splitter is going to have an adjustment period learning how to score and rebound against NBA athletes, but his defense and ability to pass should more than make up for any other shortcomings. If Splitter was this good in ten minutes of action in which he struggled to catch his breath, I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Bobby Simmons
9 mins (0), 1 assist
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Bobby Simmons has played the majority of his NBA career at small forward. Pop, however, is using him as a power forward — and it’s the right decision. Injuries have robbed Simmons of mobility and he simply can’t keep up with swingmen on the perimeter. But down low, Simmons is using his strength and toughness to hang. He’s small but he’s surviving on defense by doing his work early and being physical for all 24 seconds. If he can find his three-point touch, he could be a useful cog in Spurs machine.
George Hill
6 mins (+3), 1 steal
0-for-1 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
George Hill got injured on a flagrant-2 foul by Craig Smith. The initial diagnoses is a muscle spasm in his neck area. Thankfully it wasn’t a shoulder or anything else that would have kept him out for an extended period of time.
Garrett Temple
5 mins (-2), 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block
0-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Garrett Temple had a couple good defensive moments. Unfortunately, he continues to look like a fish out of water on the offensive end — a trend that began in preseason. He may very well need a stint in Austin with the Toros to regain his offensive confidence.
Gregg Popovich
Pop coached a very good game. He utilized all 12 players and kept everyone’s minutes in check. I thought he handled Splitter’s minutes perfectly by giving him short bursts of action. Pop is also putting Anderson and Neal in positions to succeed, which is important when handling rookies.
Offense
San Antonio’s offense was mostly a positive. The Spurs shot 48.1% from the field, hit 9-of-21 three-pointers and dished out 28 assists. They did turn it over too much (18) and didn’t get to the line enough (12-for-15), however the execution on the offensive end was a plus for much of the night.
Defense
Though not great, the defensive performance by the Spurs was much better than what we saw in the first two ballgames. The Clippers shot 46.3% from the field, which is still too high for San Antonio’s liking, but the Spurs did well keeping L.A. off the three-point line (4-for-13) and the foul line (8-for-16). The Clippers were also forced into 17 turnovers.
Drive for 5
The Spurs responded well to their first loss of the season. Next up is a chance to get an ounce of revenge for last season’s playoff sweep. The fans in Phoenix are sure to be amped. If the Spurs can go in and get a win, it could do wonders for the team’s early season confidence.
More Spurs at Clippers Articles:
Thank you Timvp
Really excited about the rookies
I have the feeling Pop will start McDyess along Duncan soon
Excellent Post. Thanks once again timvp!
I had not seen any pre-season games so i didn't get to see much of gary neal. But wow am i excited. And I love how both Anderson and Neal both do not hesitate to shoot, they are looking really confident. Even after misses, they go right back up and shoot again.
Good to see Neal, Anderson and RJ being quite effective from downtown, that coupled with more bigs to choose from might help limit Bonner's minutes to something healthier than previous seasons.
James is playing better defense than what I expected. He seems to be getting a block in each game. An interesting note is that his block percentage is the same as Antonio's and Dejuan's. Tim has a higher percentage. I can see Anderson's potential on both sides of the court.James Anderson
20 mins (0), 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers
I thought this was James Anderson’s best game of the young season. His effortless three-point stroke is already really helping the offensive spacing when he’s on the court. Anderson’s ability to handle the ball, make the right pass and contort his body in the air are all very good to see. Defensively, he’s making strides in the right direction. Since the start of preseason, Anderson has gotten in much better shape. He’s starting to look like a legit NBA athlete, which gives him a higher ceiling as a player. He has a chance to be more than just a one-dimensional shooter.
The Spurs two major issues are starting to look like they could be solved with the lineup in place. Defensive rotations are looking sharper and Splitter looks to be a natural post and help defender on paint penetration (Chris Paul ate their lunch in the paint) and pick n' roll. I know the Clippers' backcourt is pretty far from Chris Paul but the rotations and help D where like night and day from the Hornets game.
The other issue is perimeter D and the backup SF spot specifically. James Anderson is turning out to be a much better defender than anyone could have anticipated. New RJ is defending well, Manu is a crafty, wily (sometimes too risky) defender and even Tony looks more committed.
The ability to defend the perimeter and funnel the opposing team's backcourt into the paint where there are quick and capable defenders are waiting is bread and butter defense.
The Spurs have some work to do to smooth out the edges and get everyone in the same mindset (Blair), but at least you can see the potential for a good defensive squad on the floor.
In other news, Gary Neal is a cold-blooded killer.
Last edited by ohmwrecker; 11-02-2010 at 10:10 AM.
I've noticed Manu has been running out too hard on shooters who have the ability to put the ball on the floor (when he's rotating). This leads to a defensive breakdown more often than not, as the player gets to the paint pretty easily. Manu needs to be more aware of what kind of player he is closing out to in his rotations and find a median to where he can defend the option of penetration more effectively and still contest a possible 3 point attempt.
i was very impressed by tiago. once blair picked up his 2nd, tiago went in and the clippers had a much harder time getting to the rim and running the pick and roll. blair is going to eventually wind up back on the bench as he will be much better playing with the smaller units off the bench. tiago and tim are going to be a very solid defensive duo. once he gets his legs and learns to gel with the other i expect tiago to do more on the offensive end as well. nice to finally see another competent 7 footer out there next to tim. it's been a long time coming.
If I recall correctly, Neal didn't play well in the preseason so seeing the games he's been having is a great sign for the future
I am very excited about Jefferson's recent play. Dude looks very confident. I hope that when he hits a drought or slump that he doesn't return to the RJ of last season.
As an out-of-towner long time fan of the Spurs, its great to read the TIMVP assessment of the game. Now that the Rangers run is over (a great year) and the Cowboys are in the tank Im ready for the long haul with the Spurs. Go Spurs Go!
Blair needs to get off Twitter and focus on basketball!
Really excited about Splitter's. When he gets 100%, he should move to the starting line up. It will help the Spurs defense a lot. And it will be better for Blair to play in the 2nd unit.
Gary Neal looks like a legitimate NBA player thus far, as does Anderson. Combine that with an extremely effective RJ and suddenly the Spurs have a lot of depth. Really good defense from all of them as well.
Splitter looked so good I'm having trouble containing my excitement. He plays good smart defense too. Keeps his hands up and doesn't foul. Changed a few shots inside doing that. Also, dunks are nice. I miss them.
Blair isn't playing well, and I wish a trip to the bench were the cure for it. Unfortunately he's just in a funk that he's going to have to play his way out of.
It was really refreshing to see Pop play all the young guys and give them a chance to contribute.
Tony Parker needs to turn his head on the fast break. Hey, Tony: Michael Finley isn't here anymore; there are guys to pass to this year.
If Temple can play defense the way he did he can probably earn enough burn to find his way. A couple of the plays he made were a stark reminder of why Curtis Jerrells didn't make the team.
Word.
I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I give a lot of credit to TP for upping his assist total to start the season. It's also a credit to the new cast of players the Spurs have. One big difference in this new cast of players is they WANT to get out and run. We've all heard that Pop has even implored the team to do so at given opportunities. , I even saw Splitter get out and run with Tony during one sequence.
That said, Tony should no longer need to feel as though he's a "one-man fast break". It's ok to draw the defense in and kick. He should now have the luxury of picking his spots. There's no need to take on 2-3 defenders on the break all the time.
nah man. Temple looked solid. He is a defensive specialist and great 3rd string to have.
that block was sick!
He's half lion and half eagle.
Tiago Splitter looked like a quick Rasho Nesterovic on defense.
You may say WTF, but Rasho was alot of things, a good post and bigs defender he WAS.
A quicker version of that is HUGE against the likes of LA. IMO if Splitter can keep building and improving theres no reason for him not to start.
Neal I wont hold my breath on it continuing BUT, again like I said last night, he reminds me of a 97-99 Jaren Jackson.
I think Pop also sees a 99 version of Jerome Kersey in Bobby Simmons.
If he can knock down the three and the midrange, and scrap claw and be a bas on the defensive end in small ball, then he will be worth the roster spot.
Another thing that theres a slight flicker to this team? They have a bit of an at ude. Simmons, Neal, Anderson, Blair, Splitter. They all have a dont give a I will punch you in the face at ude that they seem to exude on the court. I could be wrong but there seem to be the beginning levels of it last night.
The one thing I LOVE about Neal, is he has a don't give a at ude. Very Stephen Jackson esque. He put those shots up last night like he was in Europe and was the number 1 option. Now, if he's not making shots should he be out there? Like Bonner, no.
That said, defensively he's got a little Jaren Jackson Mario Elie in him.
Griffin is the real deal. If he stays Healthy he is going to be one dangerous player. I just wish he wasnt rotting on the Clippers,
I agree with that. Rasho was an outstanding shot blocker and shot changer. Splitter was able to use his feet to get in position and throw his hands straight up in the air without fouling the same way Rasho did (Duncan was actually really good at that until Rasho left). As a rookie, that's going to be essential because the only rookies getting any love from officials are named Griffin and Wall.
Bad. Mother. Shutyoumouth.
Sean said last night that Amare was the only other big who could make the move he made. I say Amare's not that quick.
You guys had better be prepared to stuff the ballot box come All-star time.
I think Sean also mentioned that Griffin looked like he had the strength of Karl Malone.
He's pretty strong, but he's quicker and has better hands than Malone. He dribbles the ball like a guard. Like a GOOD guard.
O_V has a major man-crush...
That said, Griffin did look pretty good. Which makes one wonder how long the Clippers' drought can last.
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