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Yeah in two years when Oberto is gone he should be able to slide in just fine.He's still far away from being able to contribute but he's looking like a nice prospect.
-Nice to see Udoka come into the game and produce. It's usually hard for perimeter players to figure out how to play within the system but Udoka seems like a natural. He still has a lot to learn but he'll be an asset if he can keep progressing.
-Beno should get plenty of time at point guard for that team. No one on the Kings seemed capable of even pretending to be a point guard.
-Manu's energy this season is through the roof. His stats weren't great but his energy has been awesome in preseason and into the regular season.
-I'd like to see Parker step back a few feet to avoid taking long two pointers as he has in the first three games of the season. His three-point stroke looks good enough that he shouldn't have to shoot long twos anymore.
-Duncan's rebounding in the first half was a big key to getting that big lead. Also good to see him nail all nine free throws.
-Finley and Barry both doing a good job of shooting shots when they are open. They both struggled at times last year in that area.
-Bowen's defense on Kevin Martin was impressive. It wasn't until he got switched off him that Martin started to score.
-Oberto's rebounding was really good. He's playing at a higher level than he was playing last regular season. Hopefully that keeps up.
-Elson is active and is playing with confidence. With the free reign pop has given him, Elson should be able to put up pretty good stats this year.
-Bonner on pick-and-pops with Manu or Parker could become deadly because Bonner's three-pointer when he pops is usually money. Bonner's D is still a work in progress, though.
-Darius Washington was out of the rotation for the first time this year. However, I'm guessing this was due to the Kings not really having a point guard to match up against. Instead, Pop put Manu at backup point which allowed Udoka to guard Martin. We'll see if this was a one game thing or something Pop could do more of.
-It's hard not to get excited about Mahinmi. He came in with six minutes to go and pretty much dominated as much as one can dominate in the final six minutes of a blowout. If I remember right, he got an And-1, followed by a block, followed by a nice jump hook. Then he had another block soon after. He's still far away from being able to contribute but he's looking like a nice prospect.
-Pop is probably the only unhappy one. Pop LOVES early season losses. He thinks that the team will listen to him more if they lose early in the year. With the Spurs 3-0, this is a nightmare for Pop
Yeah in two years when Oberto is gone he should be able to slide in just fine.He's still far away from being able to contribute but he's looking like a nice prospect.
Right now, Franbrisco Elberto is averaging 11.5/11.5. I'll take that.
In your opinion what does he need to learn?He still has a lot to learn but he'll be an asset if he can keep progressing.
The defensive scheme? Offensive?
Ian's first block was a jaw dropper. Who the blocks a shot at the FT line extended, and does it easily, to boot? He just climbed right up the ladder. Right now, he's a raw freakish athlete, but if they can actually turn him into a basketball player, he's going to be a very good one.
Ian looked freaking incredible. I'd love to get some youtube video of his time on the floor. That jump hook was pretty ugly though; it looked like he threw it on a rope, and got a kind roll.
Last year, they averaged 9.5/9.5 in the regular season and 9/8 in the postseason. I'd definitely take 11.5/11.5 from those two.
Defensively, he hasn't mastered exactly where he has help. Offensively, I think he needs to work on his shot selection.
Luckily, Udoka is smart and should learn his role pretty fast.
Yeah, at the very worst, Mahinmi is fun to watch. His athleticism is definitely NBA level and he seems to understand his role more and more on defense each time I see him.
Right now, he's basically a Steven Hunter clone but he's extremely young and raw. Hopefully the Spurs can let him grow into something nice. He's a couple years away but so far, he's much better than I expected. With playing time, he should start to figure out how he can succeed in the American game. Thank the basketball gods for the D-League.
Wish you could depend on him more. he would be perfect to throw at the Mavericks.Right now, he's basically a Steven Hunter clone
timvp, how is Ian's lateral movement, his leaping ability is off the charts, but do u think he could develop into someone who we could see guarding quicker big men like a Dirk or a Stoudemire.
I'm impressed by the Spurs sharpness and how fresh the whole team looks.
First, this team looks more in shape than any Spurs team I've ever seen and the dividends are showing. Pat Riley needs to take notes from Pop because for all the talk he gets about his world famous regimens, his team is always injured and/or lethargic.
Second, Duncan and Manu really look refreshed from having the summer off. Parker is still young, but I hope he starts relaxing more in his offseasons to keep his energy.
Third, the team looks very cohesive in their play. If they are ironing out any plays and personnel, they are doing a good job of keeping it to a minimum.
Overall, the Spurs have come back better than I ever imagined. I read someone say they would be happy and fat. Instead they are lean, eager to play, and precision like while the players and coaches figure out new subs utions, minutes, and playing together.
Specifically, I really like Darius Washington. If he can continue to shed weight and work hard in practice, he will be a very solid find at backup point for the Spurs. He is a change of pace from Tony, but doesn't disrupt the Spurs. Instead, he provides a different look for teams to consider. He isn't afraid of anyone and he's very aggresive so that's half the battle right there.
One other player I am especially impressed with is Matt Bonner. Bonner is in tremendous shape and with his new found athleticism, he has expanded what he can do on the court. The Spurs will lean on him more during the playoffs and I think he will be ready.
The champions are looking good 3 games in.
I didn't see the game, but who was Udoka guarding?
I didnt either...but i assume it was Martin during the 3rd and 4th quarters...
It's tough to tell. He's obviously played center more than he has power forward and isn't overly comfortable away from the basket. Hopefully when he's with the Toros they can play him at power forward so he can work on his perimeter skills.
He appears to be pretty mobile but it's tough to tell until he's put in the situation.
So who gets in the dog house first?
Thoughts instead of grades
Could be.
I'll take that kind of insight, and thanks timvp for it. I can't watch the games so I vision the players
But the Houston game I'm gonna see.
Are you just referring to Manu's game last night? For sure, Manu filled-up the stat sheet the past games excluding last night.
Mostly Kevin Martin.
Yeah. And like I said, even though his stats don't show it, his energy level was great and a big part of the win.
The grades may return. I have to think about how to best do it this season. Maybe weekly grades until the playoffs. Maybe weekly grades until SPAM. Maybe just go back to grades after each game.
I'll have to plan it out.
Ime Udoka is going to be a great defensive piece for the spurs when they play in these matchups:
Boston: Udoka and Bowen vs Allen and Pierce
Denver: Udoka and Bowen vs Allen and Anthony
Dallas: Udoka and Bowen vs Howard and Dirk
I'm liking the new guys
Nice work LJ, and to all - great thread.
Yup, that + hustle is all we can ask for, and more than our centres have given us since DRob times.
-Pop is probably the only unhappy one. Pop LOVES early season losses. He thinks that the team will listen to him more if they lose early in the year. With the Spurs 3-0, this is a nightmare for Pop
True...plus his doghouse is empty. This is the first time I can think of that the season has begun with Pop having an empty doghouse. Even the two guys likely to be IR'ed, Washington and Mahinmi, are hustling defense over offense players.
Ack! The last time the Spurs started 3-0 was 2000-01.
3-0
Cool...if we win the next game it'll be the first 4-0 start in team history.
Really....the first 4-0 start in history??? Damn...
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