Grantland: Don't Look Now, the Spurs Are Changing Their Game

[ace3g]

Here’s a sobering thought: The Spurs are 8-2, with the fifth-best point differential in the league, and they are basically screwing around.


OK, that’s an exaggeration. Gregg Popovich rarely screws around, even though it’s delightful when he does. But the Spurs are clearly experimenting, with an eye on reinventing themselves on both ends of the floor by the time the playoffs come around. It seems strange to redesign a team that went 31-2 in the 33 games before the Thunder rallied for four straight wins in the conference finals, but the redesign is happening, and it’s Popovich’s way of recognizing that the team got as far as it could with its pick-and-roll-all-the-time offense and just-above-average defense. The Spurs ran into a more athletic team that did enough defensively to at least limit San Antonio’s pick-and-roll devastation, and they found they didn’t have enough on either end to compensate. The Thunder are still there, the Lakers are a powerhouse-in-waiting, and the Heat should be monstrous in the spring.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...ing-their-game

[siraulo23]

good read

[ace3g]

and there is speculation around the league that the Spurs are suddenly playing Blair more in order to showcase him. But everyone is always su ious of San Antonio, waiting in fear of the next R.C. Buford heist.

The Spurs are getting more of their offense this season from cuts and off-ball screens, per Synergy Sports, in part because they’ve introduced non-pick-and-roll sets designed to produce those kinds of looks.

Definitely agree with this, Green being the catalyst (has about 4-5 cuts to date he never would have made last season). Continued reading looks like has even more than I thought:

he’s 10-of-14 on cuts this season after attempting 39 such shots all of last season, per Synergy.

There are other changes. The Spurs are using more Utah-style “flex” sets to get Kawhi Leonard the ball on the move above the foul line, in position to attack from the mid-range — an area from which Leonard is shooting more often this season:

The way Kawhi is shooting it, glad this was added.

[elemento]

Very nice reading. I wonder if Sloan on the training camp has something to do with this Utah-style. Last season SA's offense was 23.4% P&R, 7.9% cuts and 4.2% off-screen moves. I wonder how the percentages are right now.

btw, Thanks ace. Nice info per usual.

[Brazil]

nice reading indeed

[Mouth is Bleeding]

If there is a better or more interesting NBA writer currently than Zach Lowe I would like to know who.

[therealtruth]

I've always argued the offense had to be more varied so the defense can't sit on the plays. Extending less effort on offense should leave more energy for defense.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Don't look now, but Zach Lowe is getting to become the best writer on the NBA.

[spectator]

great read - i have always been a fan of zach lowe. also, there are quite a few troohoop blogs that do a good job of breaking down plays with video snippets.

[TampaDude]

Good read...SPAM will arrive right on time again this year.

GO SPURS GO!!!!!

[Sean Cagney]

Good read...SPAM will arrive right on time again this year.

GO SPURS GO!!!!!

That is bound to end one year sooner or later, lets hope it is not this year though.

[ace3g]

Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA Fewest corner threes allowed as % of opponent FGAs: CHI, Spurs, Wolves. Bulls led this category in '11 and '12. Thibs is scary.