Spurs vs. Kings Game 2: Grades

[timvp]

Tim Duncan
For the Spurs to win a championship this season, they’ll need more out of Duncan than what they got on Tuesday. Offensively, Duncan wasn’t his usual dominant self on the low block. Defensively, he was routinely scored upon by Shareef Abdur-Rahim. However, Duncan did a good job on the boards (13 rebounds) and to his defense, he was in foul trouble for much of the night.
GRADE: C

Bruce Bowen
Bowen wasn’t his usual defensive self in Game 2. Even though he had his moments on Mike Bibby, Bowen didn’t guard Bonzi Wells too well and was on the bench for much of the game. On the other side of the court, Bowen was a non-factor. In Game 3, Bowen needs to come up big and play shutdown defense on Ron Artest.
Grade: C

Nazr Mohammed
Mohammed played half the game and had six points, six rebounds and three blocks. Those look like decent stats, but his defense was sub par. He needs to step it up in that area to earn more playing time.
GRADE: C+

Manu Ginobili
The Argentine sensation finished the game with 32 points, nine assists and no turnovers. In overtime, Ginobili took over the game. Although he didn’t play exceeding well in the fourth quarter, Ginobili did enough the rest of the game to earn a high grade.
GRADE: A-

Tony Parker
Parker started off the game slowly and struggled with turnovers throughout, but as the game wore on he played better. The Kings put Kevin Martin on him for most of the game and early on it noticeably slowed down the Spurs’ point guard. As the series progresses, the Spurs need Parker to continue playing at a high level.
GRADE: B

Michael Finley
Finley hit a couple of big shots for the Spurs and also pulled down a key rebound. Finley has filled his role nicely in his first two postseason games with San Antonio. As the series heads to Sacramento, the Spurs will lean on their bench sharpshooters even more.
GRADE: B+

Brent Barry
After the ball eventually dropped through the net, Barry became an instant hero. His late three-pointer pushed the game into overtime and gave the Spurs the momentum to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Overall, Barry played very well on both ends of the court. He totaled 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field.
GRADE: A

Robert Horry
In his 20 minutes of court action, Horry played decently. He was feeling it from the outside, finishing 3-for-4 from three-point land. However, Horry didn’t do a good job rebounding (zero defensive rebounds) and was beat down the court a couple times. That said, look for Horry to be a key in Game 3.
GRADE: B-

Rasho Nesterovic
Nesterovic, although he didn’t play many minutes, had one of his best games as a Spur. He had four points and three blocked shots in only 13 minutes. His pick-and-roll defense has been impressive in the first two contests.
GRADE: A-

[kris]

Those grades seem about right. Duncan also got burned down court by Kenny Thomas.

[picnroll]

You forgot NVE.

Or maybe you didn't forget.

[Kori Ellis]

You forgot NVE.

Or maybe you didn't forget.

He usually does the grades only if the players play more than 10 minutes.

[Solid D]

Good grades. A couple of comments...

Parker was amazingly fortunate to come out of that game without his arm in a sling. I've watched that replay of TP's fall and I'm still scratching my head and thanking the Lord.

Nobody defended Wells in decent fashion and Finley was no exception.

Barry has been maligned for poor playoff performances over the years. Brent had a career best playoff night on Tuesday and the Barry Bounce was just the cherry on top.

[picnroll]

Saved by 10 seconds.

Bruce has had trouble with Bonzi forever.