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Parker played better than Manu imo
Quick Grades: Spurs vs. Suns
With the bitter taste of the sweep still fresh, it was fun to watch the Spurs beat the Suns for the second time this season. In a game full of runs, the Suns went on a 21-7 run to end the second quarter and take a one-point lead to halftime. However, San Antonio took control in the third quarter — outscoring the Suns 40-24 on their way to a 118-110 victory. The Spurs are now 24-3 and have won nine straight.
Tim Duncan A
In the first ten and a half minutes of the third quarter, Tim Duncan had one of his most dominant stretches of the season. During that time, he scored or assisted on 22 points as the Spurs outscored the Suns 34-16. Defensively, Duncan was very good throughout the contest. His mobility compared to last year in the playoffs was much improved. Overall, Duncan was extremely energetic and was far and away the best player on the court.
Manu Ginobili B+
Offensively, Manu Ginobili was relatively quiet. Nine of his 11 field goal attempts were of the three-point variety. However, Ginobili ran the offense perfectly when he was on the court without the other two members of the Big 3. In those six and a half minutes, the Spurs went on a 23-11 run. On defense, Ginobili was better than he has been recently but still had problems in one-on-one situations.
Tony Parker B
Going into the game, it was obvious Tony Parker wanted to force Steve Nash to play defense. While Parker did a good job of tiring out Nash, the strategy backfired at times because the offense stagnated as the ball-movement dried up. On defense, Parker had a few good plays in help defense but drifted away from Nash too often.
Richard Jefferson C+
Richard Jefferson wasn’t doing much right on the defensive end. His transition defense was inconsistent and he had issues when dealing with screens in halfcourt sets. His best moments on defense were on the boards. Offensively, Jefferson was aggressive and passed the ball well … but he seemed a step out of rhythm and missed a handful of shots he usually makes.
DeJuan Blair B-
In recent games, DeJuan Blair wasn’t very active. That definitely changed against the Suns. He was very active — often to a fault. He had four turnovers and got blocked at the rim a number of times. That said, his activity and physicality was important in setting the tone. The Spurs out-hustled the Suns and that started with Blair. Blair also made a couple great passes, ran the court hard and surprisingly defended well out on the perimeter.
Gary Neal A+
Gary Neal did a good George Hill impersonation. With Hill sidelined with a toe injury, Neal poured in 22 points in 31 minutes. Even though his three-pointers weren’t falling (1-for-6) he produced by hitting runners in the lane and getting to the line eight times. I haven’t been impressed with his defense as of late but I was actually very impressed against the Suns. He showed good agility in one-on-one situations and his defensive rotations were crisp. All in all, the Spurs couldn’t have hoped for more.
Matt Bonner B+
Matt Bonner was deceptively important late in the game. Even though the Suns were using small, quick lineups, Bonner’s ability to keep up allowed Pop to avoid going to a miniature lineup. Add in good effort on the glass to go with a pair of blocked shots and you have a recipe for a solid outing.
Chris Quinn A+
Chris Quinn did about all Chris Quinn can do on a basketball court. He shot well. He made good decisions with the ball. He authored correct passes. He avoided making any mistakes. What Quinn did that I wasn’t expecting was play good defense. He moved his feet to stay in front of drivers and also made complicated rotations look easy. Quinn is proving to be a valuable player that can be trusted when called upon. At this point, I don’t see a reason why the Spurs wouldn’t keep him around the rest of the season.
Antonio McDyess A-
In his stint in the first half, Antonio McDyess was very, very good. He played his role to perfection by defending, hustling and crashing the glass. McDyess wasn’t quite as good in the second half but he was still above average. After an extended shooting slump, McDyess is now 8-for-8 from the field over the last three games.
Parker played better than Manu imo
Someone will have to explain to me again...how did this team sweep the Spurs last May?
I mean I remember the 3's raining and Dragic and whatnot, but really, a sweep?
It was a fluke, they would've beaten the Lakers and any other team in the NBA if they shot the way they did against us.
Different team this year.
They had an offensive behemoth named Amar'e Stoudemire who was Yang to Steve Nash's Yin and they pick and rolled the Spurs to death, with out-worldly three point shooting to add to the mix.
Besides this team was a shortened 8-man lineup. I assume the Suns to contend for a higher playoff spot once the three additions- Gortat, Carter and Pietrus fit in. I suspect the Suns would also want to trade for Boris Diaw to get a PF that fits their system in a trade by selling either of Childress/ Pietrus.
1. Amare Stoudemire, 2. Frye made his 3-pointers
Authored correct passes?
I'm getting you a thesaurus for Christmas. :jab
Hey timvp, this question has puzzled me for a while - i get that the players are rated compared to their own individual standards and expectations...
BUT
Is Richard Jefferson ranked based on THIS seasons performances, or last seasons, or both?
Great job by the bench players(Neal, Quinn) that have stepped up and produced in extended minutes in the absence of Hill and Anderson. The Spurs have really had a difficult time in the past plugging the holes when shorthanded, but this year they have managed to stumble upon a couple gems that have been difference makers during this stretch.
"I'm getting you a thesaurus for Christmas"
See if you can buy/bum one from LarryJ.
"passed excellently" (includes crisp, accurate, appropriate, timely, successful)
I follow this, but Manu runs more team oriented ofense, TP did a great job, quick and solid.
Manu might run a well-balanced run, it still feels like he's preparing his professional reconversion to bricklaying.
Quinn and Neal are doing a great job in the last 2 games with Hill out.
Dice is playing very very solid.
What more could a team want from their third string PG?
He plays for the minimum salary.
He executes the basic elements of the offense without turning the ball over.
He knocks down open shots all the way to the three point line.
He competes on the defensive end.
Definitely a keeper.
I stand corrected on Quinn. Hes stepped in and been able to fill minutes in a pinch. Plus his defense hasn't been nearly as atrocious as I'd have thought. Props to Chris.
Neal continues to impress. I've been very pleased since I heard he was coming in for summer league.
Agreed on all parts there Mel 13 as always.
When in doubt, leave it to Mel!! A true medal award winner
All you black and bold wannabe's need to recognize.
Agreed. A third string PG needs to be willing to sit on the IR if necessary. Take virtually no minutes in good times, and step up and not screw up in bad times. Quinn has, to my surprise, done that quite well. I hope theres a non-guaranteed second year on his contract (doubtful) as he might be worth keeping around next year too. I wouldn't mind the Spurs finding a career 3rd string PG that can stick around for 2-3 seasons. Kind of like Jason Garrett did as a QB for the Cowboys.
Seriously, what is your fixation with the colour of somebody's name on the site? Who really cares? Just post quality thoughts and don't worry if somebody with 18,000 posts talks smack to you.Agreed on all parts there Mel 13 as always.
When in doubt, leave it to Mel!! A true medal award winner
All you black and bold wannabe's need to recognize.
Be careful what you wish for, or you might get Jacque Vaughn.
It annoys the out of me when Tony dribbles around for 20 seconds before settling on a 12 foot jumper.
Yeah, Tony can truly hog the ball and end the possession badly. 4 other guys made the trip down the court and probably think they are on the same team as Tony, they merit a touch or two.
Vaughn was a major success as a 3rd PG. We would only be so lucky so as to acquire a 3rd so good. The problems with Vaughn were never with him but with Beno. Had Vaughn stayed in that role as the third PG he would have been fabulous. But as a long term solution as the primary back up spot he failed.
Have to say right now Im very pleased with the past summer getting Neal and Quinn and agree that Quinn may be worth keeping around. Wonder what will happen when we get Anderson back, poor dude is watching his replacements kick ass. Only pinerider we have now is Udoka.
I thought Quinn and Neal did a great job. Although his 3ball wasn't falling, Neal did great by penetrating and making his free throws. I am not sure I agree with Bonner's grade, at times it felt like he couldn't rebound and was constantly being abused by the Suns frontcourt.
It feels like the team can't get around pick and rolls. Every time Nash ran the P&R they scored at will. Parker needs to do a better job of staying in front of him.
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