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I think I'd classify Kawhi as Good. plus he's only going to improve game by game.
I'd go:
Good
1. Tiago Splitter
2. Tim Duncan
Above average
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Manu Ginobili
Average
5. Tony Parker
6. Danny Green
7. James Anderson
Below average
8. Richard Jefferson
9. TJ Ford
Poor
10. Dejuan Blair
11. Matt Bonner
12. Gary Neal
I think I'd classify Kawhi as Good. plus he's only going to improve game by game.
yeah, above average is good..enough..
trick question. Bonner isn't a defender.
Kawhi Leonard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
George Hill >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Michael Finley.
1. Tim Duncan
2. Splitter
3. Kawhi
4. Ginobili
5. Green
6. Parker
7. Anne Hathaway
8. Traffic Cone
9. Paper Cup
10. Dejuan Blair
11. Gary Neal
12. Open gym
13. Matt Bonner
1. Splitter
2. Duncan
3. Leonard
4. Manu
5. Green
6. Parker
7. Anderson (although lack of playing time won't show it)
8. Ford
9.
10. Blair
11. Neal and Bonner
Blair, Bonner and Neal are difficult to rank, tbh..
IMO
Good
1. Tiago Splitter
2. Tim Duncan
3. Kawhi Leonard
Above average
4. Manu Ginobili
5. Danny Green
Average
6. Tony Parker
7. James Anderson
Below average
8. TJ Ford
Poor
9. Richard Jefferson
10. Dejuan Blair
11. Matt Bonner
12. Gary Neal
Were there any good impact bigs (looking back in hindsight) the spurs could have nabbed @ 29?
If Pop continues to enforce his stubbornly-dumb decisons like, limiting the productive on-court play of Tiago Splitter by choosing to play Matt Bonner over him, and forcing Gary Neal into a regular backup PG role over Cory Joseph, the Spurs will not need as much luck to fall into the lotto. They'll be able to easily miss the playoff and slide into that made-for-tv event.
I agree, but I think Blair is slowly creeping into the Below average tier. He needs to be consistent with his effort/activity and remain patient. Also his defensive rebounding needs a bump. We'll see where he ends up at the end of the year.
If anything I would think he's creeping into the tier below Poor. When you surrender a league leading PER to your opponent in head-to-head matchups, you're defense probably needs some work.
Hes unlikely to ever be anything above "below average". Thats probably his ceiling as far as potential is concerned. But hes flashed some nice defensive games this season. In certain stretches of the game hes play passable defense without making critical errors the rest of the games. Blair is hard to rank but I think hes attempting to tip the scale from poor to below average. Heres to being optimistic.
I won't comment harshly seeing as I haven't seen many games this year. Mainly basing my opinions on some of the advanced stats Timvp has nicely laid out for us all, plus Timvp's and others' personal observations, plus what I know about Blair from last year and bits and pieces this year.
Just seems to me like game by game, a regression is taking place, not only on the boards, but in the defensive front. Alot of people have said he is not boxing out hard, that he's gotten lazy and instead of sticking his nose in he stands and watches instead. These are all not good signs. Maybe all those other GM's that passed on him in the draft knew something Pop didn't.
I've caught maybe half the games so far and you're absolutely right about the recent games, namely the game against the Kings.
And keep in mind, I never said Blair was "below average" rather than he may be "slowly creeping" from poor to below average. Hes definitely not consistent enough but I think hes shown stretches of being a capable defender. (This too is reflected in the game thoughts - but more so the games earlier in the season.)
Blair's main problem is is consistency regarding his focus and his effort. He'll be extremely active and disruptive for a few possessions but stop and take it easy on others. And his defensive rebounding continues to be a concern.
Last edited by angelbelow; 01-21-2012 at 06:46 AM.
Defensive rebounding is a critical part of good defense. Once you've gotten the stop you need to make sure you get the ball.
todays game was fkn frustrating, watchin splitters defensive efforts goto waste altering alot of drive-bys, only to see the pansy bigs on the team cant grab a defensive rebound, only give up another 2nd opportunity basket...
WTF, Splitter a better defender than Duncan?This old version of Duncan is still a much better defender than Splitter in just about every area. Splitter definitely has the tools to be damn good on defense but he's still adjusting to the NBA and he's a work in progress regarding where to be in the Spurs defensive schemes. Duncan is stiff some games and can get lazy in other games but when the chips are down, there's no question he's the team's best defender right now.
As of today, my list would be:
Good
1. Tim Duncan (Ranging from great to slightly above average depending on how well he's moving and how hard he's trying.)
Above average
2. Manu Ginobili (Very good team defender, average at best individual defender.)
3. Tony Parker (Very good individual defender when he's actually focused [which unfortunately is the case only like 50% of the time in the regular season]. Average at best team defender.)
Have the ability to be very good but too raw to be classified as much more than average
4. Tiago Splitter
5. Kawhi Leonard
Mistake prone but has made up for it this season with effort
6. Danny Green
7. TJ Ford
Fundamentally sound but struggle in intense situations
8. Matt Bonner
9. Richard Jefferson
Well below average
10. James Anderson
Bad to really bad due largely to being short and unathletic for their position
11. DeJuan Blair
12. Gary Neal
Can you explain this one for me? The reasoning behind that.
Not trolling, BTW. My allergy towards Matt defensively isn't new, but what I actually think is terrible about him defensively is actually his fundamentals.
It's quite possible we have a different concept of what we consider fundamentals though.
His shooting mechanics are also fundamentally flawed IMO.
Fundamentally sound meaning he knows where to be in the Spurs defensive scheme and is almost always in the right position. Bonner rarely makes mental mistakes defensively and doesn't deviate from the gameplan. (Top three fundamentally sound defenders on this team are probably Duncan, Parker and Bonner. Ginobili would probably be next but he loses some standing in this category since he likes to roam so much.)
That said, Bonner is still average at his absolute ceiling because players can still score on him if he's technically doing everything right due to his lack of length and lack of athleticism. And the few times he does make a mental mistake, it's extra glaring because he has no ability to get back into the play and redeem himself.
And while I say Bonner is fundamentally sound, I'd say he has bad instincts. Someone like Robert Horry wasn't too long or athletic but he was both fundamentally sound and had fantastic instincts so he was able to be an asset on defense even when it appeared he was overmatched.
Tangential to this thread... You tell me this guy couldn't be helping coach a guy like Leonard right now...
Miss Bruce
Interesting point. Without really thinking about it, I would assume if one was fundamentally sound, his instincts would be sound as well.
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