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Not the best timing considering they just allowed Linsanity to rise from the dead, but still worthy of discussion imo.
Only team in the NBA thats top 5 in pace, offensive rating, and defensive rating. Heres an in depth look at the new and improved D (collaboration effort with my timvpimp):
The San Antonio Spurs have garnered the top seed in the Western Conference in each of the last two seasons. Regrettably, as the world knows, neither successful regular season campaign translated into an NBA championship -- or even a trip to the Finals.
This season, with a quarter of the schedule in the books, the Spurs are once again atop the West. However, there is reason to think this year may be different and not simply a replay of the last two campaigns. That reason is the return of an elite defense.
Coming into this season, the Spurs had regressed defensively for nine consecutive years. The decline has been gradual but also irrefutable. In recent campaigns, the Spurs have adjusted to their increasingly porous defense by concentrating more on the offensive end. Statistically, the Spurs have sported the best offense in the NBA over the last two seasons.
Unfortunately, San Antonio has been reminded (quite harshly, in fact) that a great offense can only take a team so far without a sturdy defensive backbone to rely on when the going gets tough. Coming into this season, head coach Gregg Popovich and the rest of the coaching staff made it priority No. 1 during training camp to regain that defensive mettle. To date, the results are encouraging.
Currently, the Spurs are tied for fourth in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions (also known as defensive rating) at 100.6. But it’s even better than that: Before the start of the garbage time fourth quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night in which they surrendered 35 mostly uncontested points, the Spurs had actually moved up into second place in the league in this category.
2012-13 Defensive Rating
It should also be noted that the Minnesota Timberwolves have faced the league’s easiest schedule and the Chicago Bulls have faced the third easiest schedule. The Spurs, on the other hand, have faced the NBA’s eighth toughest schedule -- and that doesn't factor in the road-home inequality of their schedule. In other words, it’s reasonably safe to state that the Spurs have been the league’s second best defensive team so far this season.
As it stands, the 100.6 defensive rating represents a defense that is 4.23% better than league average. The chart below points to the significance of that amount.
Percentage Better than League Average Defense
The Spurs haven’t been this good defensively since the 2008 campaign. While San Antonio has boasted some great defensive teams over the years, this squad compares favorably to the 2003 championship team. Additionally, the Spurs right now are better defensively than the last four NBA champions and seven of the previous eight teams that made the Finals.
The next logical question: Why are the Spurs better defensively this season even though they brought back virtually the same roster from last year?
As with most things in San Antonio, it begins with the Big Three. The defensive improvements brought upon due to the rejuvenation of Tim Duncan don’t need much explanation. He’s currently posting career-highs in blocks per minute, steals per minute and defensive rebounds per minute. That’s simply astounding for a 36-year-old.
But don’t overlook Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili. Parker has been mentally engaged on the defensive end all season. Over the first 21 games, opponents are only putting up a 13.9 PER against him -- Parker's best showing since the championship seasons.
Ginobili’s defensive advanced metrics thus far are mindboggling. Coming off of a lackluster season on this end of the court, the Argentine has turned it around -- and then some. Opponents have an unbelievably low 9.0 PER against him. To prove that’s not a fluke, consider this: The Spurs have a 96.3 defensive rating when Ginobili is on the court and a 105.4 defensive rating when he’s on the bench.
Add it up -- Duncan's revival, Parker’s concentration and Ginobili’s crushing of the opposing bench – and the team’s defensive improvements aren’t as much of a mystery.
I recently conversed via email with someone associated with the Spurs in an attempt to dig deeper on this very subject. I was told the coaches specifically focused on two defensive areas leading up to the regular season. One was defending the three-point line and the other was being more physical.
In reviewing game tape, I’ve noticed how the Spurs have borrowed a few defensive principals from the Chicago Bulls of recent years. The Bulls under Tom Thibodeau have been extremely successful on defense mostly by eliminating open three-pointers -- particularly in the corners. They’ve led the league in fewest three-pointers allowed each of the last two seasons and the result has been a top-two placement in defensive rating both seasons.
This year, the Bulls are again leading in that category. However, as you can see in this chart, the Spurs are second.
Three-Pointers Allowed Per Game
Historically in the Popovich era, the Spurs have been good at limiting three-pointers. But the last two years, the Spurs were 11th and 7th, respectively, in fewest three-pointers allowed. To combat that slippage, the Spurs have subtly altered from where they send double-teams and how they defend pick-and-rolls. The outcome up until now has been positive.
An increase in physicality is more difficult to measure -- but not impossible. Last season, the Spurs averaged 17.3 fouls per game. That number is up 4% this year to 18.0. Last season, the Spurs allowed .168 free throw attempts for every field goal attempt. This year, that number is up 10.1% to .185. Also, steals are up 10.8% and blocks are up 13.6%.
During training camp, the Spurs brought in Jerry Sloan and one can securely assume that Pop picked his brain regarding how to best teach the virtues of physical play. Sloan was one of the most physical players to ever play the game and his Utah Jazz teams never shied away from laying the lumber. While the Spurs haven’t gone all the way to becoming a physically imposing squad, there has definitely been movement in that direction.
Subjectively, the San Antonio’s perimeter players are picking up sooner and more aggressively. The bigmen are fighting for position in the paint earlier in the shot clock. The Spurs are also rarely doubling off of three-point shooters while simultaneously avoiding the open lanes to the rim they had been allowing the previous few seasons by being a touch more physical. Overall, there hasn’t been a drastic change or a eureka moment defensively, but rather slight modifications to the gameplan that when combined have allowed today’s Spurs to better defend how today’s offenses operate.
Can the defensive improvements continue to succeed for the duration of the season? That’s the $250,000 question. While it’s probably impossible for the Big Three to continue their torrid defense for 61 more games and the playoffs, perhaps their unavoidable slippage can be negated by the return of Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson in addition to the a continued team-wide mastery of the new defensive philosophies.
I can’t blame Spurs fans for their cynicism at this stage of the regular season. Around these parts, many a great win-loss record has ultimately proven to be more style than substance as of late. But, so far, this year is different. The winning formula of here and now is reminiscent of formulae that resulted in nearly a handful of rings. Maybe it all unravels before the finish line. Maybe it doesn’t. That hope, for the first time in a while, has a backbone.
Not the best timing considering they just allowed Linsanity to rise from the dead, but still worthy of discussion imo.
They''ve raised their ceiling to NBA Finals runner-ups. Still impressive though.
Son not much to worry as San Antonio Heat will be bringing home the LO'B trophy.
This will be a bumpable thread when spurs lose in WCF to the Oklahoma City Sterns
Nah, Clippers will make their first Finals in franchise history...
Of course they are for real. They usually are. In a hypothetical match with OKC (I think SA's biggest threat in the West), I think it boils down to Westbrook, or Westbrick as we like to call him. Like many teams, SA is fairly ill equipped in terms of guarding Westbrook. The question is, can they guard him in such a manner that will allow him to beat himself and turn into Bad Russell? One thing to consider, despite a horrid start to this season, is Westbrook's assists are up overy FIFTY percent this season vs. last, while turning the ball over less. The fact is, Westbrook is actually showing some signs of actually become a smart (or smarter) point guard. Too early to tell, but it's promising. If Westbrook can get the game going between his ears, it could potentially be a big challenge for SA.
Did you even watch this year's first SA vs OKC game? Russell was Bad Russell on every key possession.
Yes.
"despite a horrid start to this season, is Westbrook's assists are up overy FIFTY percent this season vs. last, while turning the ball over less. The fact is, Westbrook is actually showing some signs of actually become a smart (or smarter) point guard. Too early to tell, but it's promising."
The Spurs are damn good no question about it. The question with them is whether they can make it through the season without breaking down with injuries. The best team in the league right now is Memphis. They are physical and they play good D. The Grizz are capable of taking anybody down, including Miami.
a more physical and aggressive game will always give you an advantage in the playoffs imho, which had been missed so bad on spurs squad since bowen gone. sloan's team might not always end up getting a top3 see in the west during the deron/boozer years but no team would ever want to take em on for the first round tbh
Being top 5 in pace isn't a good thing at all, it usually implies fast break oriented gimmicky team. The Spurs will go as far as Duncan can take them, because we all know there's a ceiling to how far Parker can take them.
The big difference defensively between the Spurs now and their championship teams is rebounding. This year they're slightly above average at defensive rebounding when in their championship years they were among the best in that category.
Last edited by Edward; 12-11-2012 at 10:15 AM.
tl;dr
lol utsa
lol regular season NBA basketball
Still trying to figure out who wrote the op
LOL stop jinxing us, damnit!
Yep, Memphis is easily our toughest matchup. I don't buy OKC as a le contender now without Harden. Yes, he the bed in the finals, and yes, they look good without him right now, but playing well in the regular season doesn't suddenly mean it will translate over to the playoffs. It's baffling to me that people are suggesting OKC has hit "the next level", when without the guy they traded away, the Spurs probably would have rolled over them in 5 last year. Harden brings a lot of versatility to that team off the bench that they just won't have in crunch time anymore. Memphis is the one team who's solid in both the post and along the wings to make a deep playoff run and give the Spurs problems. If the Spurs get the #1 overall though, and Memphis and OKC play in the semis, I like our changes of beating whoever limps out of that series, especially if one of them has to play a 6th or 7 seeded LA and get beat up by Howard in the post for 4-5 games until they see the Lakers off to their final fishing place.
LOL OKC
let's face reality. Ibaka will not go 11-11 in another playoff game, especially not one where Jax is a part of. They also don't have James Harden, their 3rd and many a times 2nd best player. I don't think any NBA team has ever surpassed their previous goal after losing such a gret asset in offseason and not replacing it with even equivalent talent. OKC might have trouble getting to the WCF and will most definitely fail vs teams like the Spurs and Grizzlies.
Spurs are deep but still have 1 aging cornerstone to their team. Spurs will go as far as Duncan goes.
anyway all this will be meaningless when the Heat get their ring #2. LOL thinking Lebron won't repeat
You're right - They might have trouble getting to the WCF. Also, Ibaka will likely not go 11-11 again in a playoff game, although the 8-12 type nights are a pretty common thing for him these days. It remains to be seen if their early season success with Martin will carry over to the playoffs (and yes, they are looking very very good at this point with the personnel changes), but at least at this point there's some indications that they have the potential to again become a WC Champion caliber team. That's not to say I'm calling them the clear favorite by any means, but they are a legit contender.
maybe. but I doubt it vs. a healthy Spurs/Grizzlies/Heat.
anyway all this is meaningless. This is Lebron #2 season, nothing more.
It's a long season. The Heat are as injury prone as anyone else now, especially with the Wade we have seen as of late.maybe. but I doubt it vs. a healthy Spurs/Grizzlies/Heat.
anyway all this is meaningless. This is Lebron #2 season, nothing more.
Lin did well because he's the go to. He doesn't do well when he's trying to make plays for unskilled centers and forwards. With a TC like center, he would do fine since those guys feed off crumbs, they don't demand the ball.
Who here didn't know Lin was going to up that last play in regulation?
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
As good as the Heat are, I think Memphis is more problematic for us matchup wise. I think we can slow down Wade and Bosh pretty well in a 7 game series.
5 game series max.
At the end of the day, the scrub players always show their true colors--and the spurs rely on too many of them. Danny Green is still Danny Green.
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