Grades: Spurs vs. Jazz - Dec. 31

[timvp]

Tim Duncan C+
Defensively, Tim Duncan was decent throughout. He gave good effort on the boards and clogged the middle adequately well. Offensively, he really struggled in the first half -- missing six of his seven shots. In the final two quarters, he look a lot better on O and was 3-for-6 from the field. Unfortunately, Duncan continues to look slow and not very mobile. Let's hope he'll loosen up as the season unfolds.

Manu Ginobili A
In the first two home games, Manu Ginobili dominated due to energy and willpower. This time, he skinned the cat using technical precision. Ginobili hit 9-of-10 shots from the field, including 5-of-6 from deep. He also had a number of good passes and crafty drives to the lane. Defensively, he wasn't very active but also didn't get burned. All in all, it was another very good game out of the Argentine.

Tony Parker B
On defense, Tony Parker was solid. He kept Devin Harris in check and was actively helping his teammates. On the other end of the court, Harris and Earl Watson -- two of the best Parker-defenders ever -- made life difficult on San Antonio's point guard. Parker racked up eight assists but really had to force the action to score points. He ended up with 14 points, hitting 3-of-10 from the field and all eight of his freebies.

DeJuan Blair A-
Another game, another quality outing from DeJuan Blair. Offensively, he's moving with purpose and using his wide body to his advantage. He continues to show good touch around the rim and a court awareness that allows him to find open teammates. As good as Blair was offensively, I thought he was equally as good defensively. He was really active with his hands and feet against the numerous talented bigs on Utah's roster. One negative to Blair's game has been a lack of defensive rebounds from the usually board hungry post player.

Richard Jefferson B-
Richard Jefferson didn't do much good or bad. He hit a few shots early but his defensive intensity was inconsistent and his overall energy was poor. Jefferson seems content to be a spotup shooter these days. When he's hitting, he's useful. When he's not, he makes virtually no impact.

James Anderson C+
It wasn't a pretty game for James Anderson. On offense, he was oftentimes out of control. He didn't seem to know what he wanted to do -- both with the ball and with his cuts off the ball. On defense, he got tortured in the low post, especially against Josh Howard. For Anderson to keep a spot in the rotation, he's going to have to play a steadier and tougher brand of basketball.

Tiago Splitter B+
Defensively, Tiago Splitter was really good at protecting the rim. He's never been a shotblocker at any level in his basketball career, however he's showing that ability so far this year. His post defense against the Jazz wasn't very good, however. On offense, Splitter was really, really aggressive -- with mostly positive results. The Spurs need him to get comfortable offensively for Splitter to reach his potential and he appears to be making strides in that direction.

TJ Ford C-
At first, TJ Ford was playing pretty well. He was making plays offensively and hustling on defense. However, once the Jazz realized Ford is showing no ability to actually score the basketball, the wheels fell off. They doubled off of him and Ford couldn't make Utah pay. He then compounded the problem by dribbling too much and playing sloppy defense. By the end of the game, Pop couldn't pull him fast enough.

Kawhi Leonard B-
In the first half, Kawhi Leonard looked good. His movement on offense continues to be a plus. He was also a big factor on the boards and played fine defense. In the second half, Leonard experience a lot of growing pains. He got caught being too aggressive defensively a number of times and found himself out of position. He also made a handful of tactical mistakes on the defensive end, especially in transition. That said, there's no way the Leonard is going to learn on the fly without these types of struggles.

Matt Bonner B
Hey, compared to the first three games, Matt Bonner was pretty damn good. He actually pulled down three rebounds and hit his only shot. His defense was still sub par but his passing on the offensive end helped the Spurs get off to a good offensive start. Watching him closely, he appears to be favoring one of his legs. He had a knee wrap in the first half, which may be a hint that he's not totally healthy right now.

Danny Green A-
Danny Green played nine minutes in the second half and I thought he did about as well as possible. His perimeter defense was impressive and he played with tenacity. Green was strong on the glass and didn't hesitate when he got opportunities to attack offensively. Tonight he definitely helped his case for more minutes.

Pop B+
I continue to like Pop's rotation so far this season. Getting Leonard in early to play with the starters is working out well. Blair as a starter has worked out great and Pop isn't limiting Splitter's minutes even if the matchups are unfavorable. Against the Jazz, I thought Pop overreacted a little bit when he reinserted Parker in the fourth ... but that's the only nitpick I can muster.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Accurate takes, although TJ deserves a D and TP a C+ (interesting comment about TP-stoppers: I knew about Harris, but not Earl!). TJ's got to learn that he is allowed to try and make uncontested layups. He's overly pass-first and that's killing the offense. Gotta show his teeth occasionally.

Love the way Grizz, Splitter and Leonard are playing! Much better than I had expected coming into the season.

Pity that JA has regressed after a solid first game of the season, and that Tim look more like 40 than 35.

Manu is incredible.

[Obstructed_View]

Matt Bonner B
Hey, compared to the first three games, Matt Bonner was pretty damn good. He actually pulled down three rebounds and hit his only shot. His defense was still sub par but his passing on the offensive end helped the Spurs get off to a good offensive start. Watching him closely, he appears to be favoring one of his legs. He had a knee wrap in the first half, which may be a hint that he's not totally healthy right now.

I thought I noticed him limping a bit in the Houston game. I'd go back and check but I deleted that abortion from my DVR pretty quickly.

[objective]

I'd give TJ a D, and RJ a C-. Providing that C is just passing or satisfactory. RJ had moments in the 4th that were pretty bad.

[DMC]

I think Blair's drop off in rebounding is due to him not taking risky swipes at the ball which gets him into early foul trouble, though he did do that a couple of times without getting whistled.

[angelbelow]

I think Blair's drop off in rebounding is due to him not taking risky swipes at the ball which gets him into early foul trouble, though he did do that a couple of times without getting whistled.

Could it also be him sacrificing rebounding position for better defensive positioning? Just a guess, as its not something that I noticed or remember.

[Obstructed_View]

I think Blair's drop off in rebounding is due to him not taking risky swipes at the ball which gets him into early foul trouble, though he did do that a couple of times without getting whistled.

There was a drop off?

[DMC]

There was a drop off?

"One negative to Blair's game has been a lack of defensive rebounds from the usually board hungry post player." -Timvp

[ElNono]

You know, I would give Matty a B if he had to guard Al Jefferson. But he didn't even had to do that.

You also forgot to rate Pop. I would give him an A. He pushed the right buttons again, and as long as he keeps ginger in the 10-15 min range, I'll be pleased.

[objective]

TJ Ford has more turnovers than points so far this season, and nearly double the turnovers Parker has in about half the time. If he doesn't turn this around he will become a big problem for the Spurs.

He currently has a disgusting A/T ratio, about 1.4/1 (Parker is better than 4/1). And his TOV% before the Jazz game was an astronomical 42%.

[ElNono]

TJ Ford has more turnovers than points so far this season, and nearly double the turnovers Parker has in about half the time. If he doesn't turn this around he will become a big problem for the Spurs.

He currently has a disgusting A/T ratio, about 1.4/1 (Parker is better than 4/1). And his TOV% before the Jazz game was an astronomical 42%.

I'm sure Neal will have some tryouts at the backup PG. TJ will be waived as soon as Neal is deemed serviceable.

[Obstructed_View]

"One negative to Blair's game has been a lack of defensive rebounds from the usually board hungry post player." -Timvp

On a night when the guy got 23 percent of the team's rebounds and 100 percent of the team's offensive rebounds. Yeah, I guess there had to be some negative just to fill up space. Don't see how 10 rebounds is a drop-off from 12 the previous game. Also wasn't sure how anyone would complain that a guy was getting half or more of his rebounds on the offensive glass.

[objective]

I'm sure Neal will have some tryouts at the backup PG. TJ will be waived as soon as Neal is deemed serviceable.

I pessimistically expect Anderson or Kawhi to be benched instead, with TJ keeping his spot.

[timvp]

You also forgot to rate Pop.

Good point. Hopefully I remember to add that in the morning.

TJ Ford has more turnovers than points so far this season, and nearly double the turnovers Parker has in about half the time. If he doesn't turn this around he will become a big problem for the Spurs.

I actually feel bad for TJ. He's trying really, really hard to fit in and has changed his game a lot in doing so ... but he just looks done athletically. Those spinal injuries have left him about three or four steps slower than his UT and early NBA days. If you watch before and after videos of him, it's pretty shocking to realize he's fallen off so much athletically and he's only 28.

Hopefully TJ can somehow find another gear. Otherwise teams are going to do what the Jazz did tonight: ignore his dribbling, force him to score and then take advantage because he can no longer score even when ignored. Even Jacque Vaughn could score when he was ignored . . .

[TD 21]

The general consensus all along has been that Leonard would eventually lose his spot in the rotation once Neal returns. But right now, there's no justification for playing Anderson ahead of him. Not unless Anderson starts looking like the shooter he's supposed to be. Ford, though he inexplicably no longer appears to be a scoring threat, at least gives them a true point guard, so that they don't have to play Ginobili with the second unit. Anderson can't defend or rebound as well as Leonard and can't shoot or create as well as Neal. He's been the biggest disappointment so far.

[therealtruth]

I wonder how much of the 3-1 start is due to better defense versus outshouting the opponent from 3. Tiago, Kawhi, and to a lesser extent Anderson are providing defense that probably wasn't available last year.

One fear is that the Spurs live and die by the 3. Living and dying by the 3 might get them thru the regular season but it's going to make it much easier for teams to gameplan in the playoffs. It's a little difficult to do because you want to take open 3's but you have to keep in mind those 3's won't be so open in the playoffs.

[timvp]

Also wasn't sure how anyone would complain that a guy was getting half or more of his rebounds on the offensive glass.

Blair's rookie season, he averaged 10.6 defensive rebounds per 48 minutes. Last year it dropped to 9.5. This year, even after tonight, he's sitting at 6.0.

Offensive rebounds are nice but the Spurs are built on cleaning up the defensive glass. Blair becomes much less valuable if he goes from elite defensive rebounder to an average or below average defensive rebounder.

I think it's probably a case of small sample size but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. Usually the first sign of a small power forward losing their athleticism is a drop in defensive rebounding rate. And with Blair's knee situation, no one really knows when that drop will come. We could be witnessing the drop already or he could have a complete career.

[DMC]

On a night when the guy got 23 percent of the team's rebounds and 100 percent of the team's offensive rebounds. Yeah, I guess there had to be some negative just to fill up space. Don't see how 10 rebounds is a drop-off from 12 the previous game. Also wasn't sure how anyone would complain that a guy was getting half or more of his rebounds on the offensive glass.

I was taking Timvp as meaning historically, not just in the past few games.

Maybe he will respond.

edit: nm, he just responded

[DMC]

Blair's rookie season, he averaged 10.6 defensive rebounds per 48 minutes. Last year it dropped to 9.5. This year, even after tonight, he's sitting at 6.0.

Offensive rebounds are nice but the Spurs are built on cleaning up the defensive glass. Blair becomes much less valuable if he goes from elite defensive rebounder to an average or below average defensive rebounder.

I think it's probably a case of small sample size but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. Usually the first sign of a small power forward losing their athleticism is a drop in defensive rebounding rate. And with Blair's knee situation, no one really knows when that drop will come. We could be witnessing the drop already or he could have a complete career.

Or it could be that the majority of the time he's in there now he's not the only good rebounder.

If the Spurs aren't giving up more second looks, that has to be considered.

[therealtruth]

The general consensus all along has been that Leonard would eventually lose his spot in the rotation once Neal returns. But right now, there's no justification for playing Anderson ahead of him. Not unless Anderson starts looking like the shooter he's supposed to be. Ford, though he inexplicably no longer appears to be a scoring threat, at least gives them a true point guard, so that they don't have to play Ginobili with the second unit. Anderson can't defend or rebound as well as Leonard and can't shoot or create as well as Neal. He's been the biggest disappointment so far.

I agree Anderson may be the odd one out. I think to improve the defense the best defenders are going to have to play. Leonard is looking like he can be a defensive stopper for 1-3.

[Obstructed_View]

I wonder how much of the 3-1 start is due to better defense versus outshouting the opponent from 3. Tiago, Kawhi, and to a lesser extent Anderson are providing defense that probably wasn't available last year.

One fear is that the Spurs live and die by the 3. Living and dying by the 3 might get them thru the regular season but it's going to make it much easier for teams to gameplan in the playoffs. It's a little difficult to do because you want to take open 3's but you have to keep in mind those 3's won't be so open in the playoffs.

So far the threes haven't mattered, since none of the games have been close. The Spurs have played good defense in the wins and no defense in the loss.

[siraulo23]

DeJuan Blair A-
Another game, another quality outing from DeJuan Blair. Offensively, he's moving with purpose and using his wide body to his advantage. He continues to show good touch around the rim and a court awareness that allows him to find open teammates. As good as Blair was offensively, I thought he was equally as good defensively. He was really active with his hands and feet against the numerous talented bigs on Utah's roster. One negative to Blair's game has been a lack of defensive rebounds from the usually board hungry post player.

Except for the first regular season game where Blair was in foul trouble, Dejuan has played an exceptional brand of basketball. He plays with poise and controlled tenacity and has shown a couple of go to moves in the post. He also is more patient down low, and is finishing consistently.

With that said, lets see how he performs against the better and more physical post defenders. It will be a great plus if Blair can provide this team consistent points in the paint as Duncan has regressed and is practically a jumpshooter this early in the season

Kawhi Leonard B-
In the first half, Kawhi Leonard looked good. His movement on offense continues to be a plus. He was also a big factor on the boards and played fine defense. In the second half, Leonard experience a lot of growing pains. He got caught being too aggressive defensively a number of times and found himself out of position. He also made a handful of tactical mistakes on the defensive end, especially in transition. That said, there's no way the Leonard is going to learn on the fly without these types of struggles.

Kawhi has been the best perimeter defender every time he's out on the court.

[TD 21]

I agree Anderson may be the odd one out. I think to improve the defense the best defenders are going to have to play. Leonard is looking like he can be a defensive stopper for 1-3.

Exactly. You can't claim your goal is to "get back to being 4th-7th defensively", then drop your best perimeter defender from the rotation, when he's done nothing to warrant that.

As Pop basically alluded to in his post game comments, they're going to be patient with Ford, because he's still learning the system. Also, it would be ideal to have a true point guard on the second unit, so that Ginobili doesn't have to essentially play that role. At some point, that patience will run out obviously. But right now, I'd stick with him and drop Anderson.

[Obstructed_View]

Blair's rookie season, he averaged 10.6 defensive rebounds per 48 minutes. Last year it dropped to 9.5. This year, even after tonight, he's sitting at 6.0.

Offensive rebounds are nice but the Spurs are built on cleaning up the defensive glass. Blair becomes much less valuable if he goes from elite defensive rebounder to an average or below average defensive rebounder.

I think it's probably a case of small sample size but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. Usually the first sign of a small power forward losing their athleticism is a drop in defensive rebounding rate. And with Blair's knee situation, no one really knows when that drop will come. We could be witnessing the drop already or he could have a complete career.

Okay, that makes more sense. I don't know that I agree, but I see what you're saying now, and it's something to keep an eye on. Don't know how to figure out if Blair's drop in stats after going to the bench made all the difference in his rebounding numbers or just part, but it's probably a factor.

The Spurs gave up the fewest offensive rebounds in the league for a couple of years before Blair arrived and they're moving down the charts. I don't know how much pace factors into it. I do recall that those Spurs teams took no chances, never pushed the ball, never challenged passing lanes. They finished near dead last in offensive boards, so nobody was getting second chances on either side of the ball.

This is a really interesting train of thought; I'd love to compare the stats on this, but it's too late and my brain is fried.

[analyzed]

I'm sure Neal will have some tryouts at the backup PG. TJ will be waived as soon as Neal is deemed serviceable.

nah as bad as TJ is , I think you still need a real point guard in the regular season, especially early on and back to backs. I do see Neal playing more minutes at the point as the season progresses towards the Playoffs with Manu helping him out quaterbacking the second unit. The other reason Neal playing the point is important is it allows Anderson to still get minutes. I think its key that Anderson becomes a rotation player in the playoffs, this can only happen if Neal plays PG