Life in the fast lane: Spurs ready, willing, able to push tempo
Web Posted: 05/24/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2a413e309.html
PHOENIX — Maybe once every four or five games, Gregg Popovich will look up from his seat on the sideline, see the Spurs — his disciplined, methodical, patient Spurs — streaking down the floor, zipping the ball from point to point, and bury his head in his hands.
Tim Duncan's outlet pass nearly takes out the beer vendor in section 113. Tony Parker rushes headfirst into two defenders. Manu Ginobili pulls up for a 3-pointer without a single teammate under the basket to rebound.
The network cameras will zoom in on Popovich. His face will simmer. Inevitably, he will signal for a timeout and ask the offending player one question, "Are you crazy?"
The Spurs haven't lost their minds as much as they've found their legs. Their willingness to run — and, more important, selectively choose when to do so — is one not-so-small reason why they've overtaken the free-wheeling Phoenix Suns to become the early pacesetter in the Western Conference finals.
"With Phoenix, we know it's going to be a faster game with more possessions," Popovich said, "and we're willing to do that."
Sunday's 121-114 victory in the opener confirmed as much. While the Suns scored 32 points in the final quarter, the Spurs erupted for 43, matching the franchise's 22-year-old playoff record.
"I don't think you can beat these guys unless you put a lot of points on the board," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "Maybe if we play seven games, one night we'll be unbelievable defensively, or they'll be tired, or they'll miss a lot of shots, or whatever. But we've been in three series, especially Seattle and this one, where the premise in the beginning was, 'We better put 100 on the board or we're not going to win.'"
The Spurs are doing that with more regularity. Through 12 postseason games, they are averaging 101.3 points, an increase of more than five per game from the regular season. They also have won all six playoff games in which they've reached 100.
The Spurs haven't shed their defense-is-what-we-do iden y. The team's ability to limit Denver's transition opportunities and stick with Seattle's 3-point shooters carried it through its first two series. And though the Suns still shot 48.8 percent Sunday, the Spurs forced them to execute in the halfcourt more than they would have liked.
That said, the Spurs also have recognized this isn't the 2003 NBA Finals when they put on the brakes, slowed New Jersey's up-tempo offense to a crawl and limited the Nets to an average of 82 points. Phoenix has much better shooters than New Jersey.
The rest of the NBA also has changed. Perimeter defenders are more restricted than ever. More and more teams are using small, unconventional lineups, relying on speed instead of size. As a result, the Spurs used the regular season as an experiment, employing a variety of defensive schemes as well as different combinations of players to match up with the Suns, SuperSonics and Dallas Mavericks.
"I think it's an evolution every year, but more this year than years past," Duncan said. "To seeing how people have been playing, to seeing the success Phoenix had early in the year, knowing we have to adjust to that and play against that come playoff time, I think was just a great vision by Pop and understanding what the game is going to be like."
Not only has Popovich condoned the team's need for speed, he's often leading the break himself, sprinting along the scorer's table, swinging his arm like a windmill, screaming, "Push it! Push it!"
"I feel the difference, big time, since my first year," Ginobili said.
The Spurs' offense has become more versatile as the team's personnel has changed. Parker is one of the quickest players in the league. Ginobili is at his best in a motion-oriented system that emphasizes sharing the ball and getting out in the open floor. Even Duncan often leads the break.
"They're more willing to run now," Suns point guard Steve Nash said. "But they know what their bread and butter is."
That was evident in Sunday's fourth quarter when the Spurs repeatedly fed Duncan in the halfcourt. When Phoenix double-teamed him, he passed to Brent Barry, who drilled three open 3-pointers. The two players combined for 24 points in the quarter.
"The tempo is going to be fast and we have to be really, really careful in terms of, do we take quick shots or don't we, and if we do take quick shots, make sure they're high-percentage shots," Barry said. "We're not trying to run with this team for the rest of the series. It's just not something we can do. But if we're smart with it, we can be effective doing it."
Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni has vowed to retain his team's style "until they give me my notice." The Suns, he said, plan to push the ball even more tonight than they did in Game 1.
"We can get (the score) up a little higher," D'Antoni said. "I know it sounds ridiculous me saying that, but we can."
The Spurs think the same. Sunday was the second time this season they have scored more than 40 points in the fourth quarter on the Suns' floor. In each the Spurs limited their turnovers, something they weren't able to do during their Game 4 loss in Seattle when they became too frantic.
"Me, I love it," Parker said. "I'm always trying to push the ball. Pop just wants to make sure we don't go crazy."
D'Antoni said that their offense is just fine. They shot over 48% and scored 114 against SA, and that is like scoring 145 against anyone else.
Spurs need to continue to push the ball when they have a chance, but they have to play defense like only they and Detroit know how.
When both teams are willing to score, but only one can--or wants to--play defense, guess who will win?
And that is why San Antonio has their number this season...
For those who got their panties in a wad about some of those losses during the healthy part of the regular season -- about some of the odd combinations that Pop tended to play and some of the curious decisions that seemed to arise -- here's the answer that many of us have been shouting for months. The Spurs tried to win games, but spent much more time worrying about building schemes and rotations that would have a chance of being effective against a variety of styles and paces.
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