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Good you have some thoughts ...
Very nice win by the Spurs. The Orlando Magic are playing as well as anyone in the NBA and the Spurs beat them at their own game. The Magic play a small ball game in which they start a small point guard, a small shooting guard, two tall small forwards and a monster of a power forward. The Spurs matched down and eventually ran away with it.
Sure, the defense was pretty bad. Sometimes it was awful. However, I blame most of that on the small ball lineups the Spurs trotted out there. Pop not playing Francisco Elson until garbage time and not playing Matt Bonner at all showed how dedicated Pop was to small ball. I’m not a small ball fan but against the Magic, I can understand the thinking.
The thing I was most impressed with in the game was the offensive execution. Three turnovers in such a fast-paced game is ridiculously good. The Spurs executed their offense very well throughout and kept executing until the Magic cracked.
-As far as the Magic are concerned, Dwight Howard is going to be beast. I thought he was good coming into this year but I wasn’t sold on the fact that he could be a dominating force in the league. But Howard has a go-to jump hook move that is very impressive and isn’t turning the ball over as much as he used to, so he’s a load offensively. Even more impressive to me was the fact that he plays with a mean streak now. Happy-go-lucky Dwight Howard has been replaced by rip-your-heart-out Dwight Howard. That’s not a good thing for the rest of the league. As far as the other players, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu at the forward spots make the team tough to defend. Jameer Nelson is a battler and Keith Bogans is a Spur-like rugged player. Their weakness is their bench is horrible, especially Keyon Dooling. A couple times, Pop drew up isolation plays for whoever Dooling was guarding and Dooling would get destroyed. For his sake, hopefully this was just an off game because he was horrid.
-I was impressed by Tim Duncan in the second half. He had a stretch there where he broke out his playoff form. When he did that, the Spurs were able to blow the game open. He was rebounding really well and had some masterful moves on the low block. Duncan’s passing was good all game and even though Howard had a monster game, I thought Duncan competed well against him.
-Manu Ginobili had another very good game. You know Ginobili is playing well when he surprises no one when he scores 27 points, hands out five assists and pulls down four rebounds. Ginobili also had only one turnover and that turnover was at the very end of the third quarter when the time was expiring. He was roaming away from three-point shooters a tad much but cleaned that up as the game went on. All in all, another fantastic game by Ginobili.
-Tony Parker had a masterful performance. 32 points, nine assists, no turnovers on 14-for-22 shooting is a remarkable line, to say the least. What’s doubly impressive is he started off slow. He was 1-for-5 at one point and 3-for-9 at another point. That means he finished 13-for-17 or 11-for-13, depending on how you want to look at it. The Magic simply couldn’t keep Parker from shredding their defense. On the season, Parker is averaging career-highs in points (20.3) and assists (6.4), while averaging a career-low in turnovers (2.0).
-This was a classic Bruce Bowen game. In the first half, Bowen is put on Rashard Lewis and shuts him down (Lewis was scoreless other than a layup with 12 seconds to go in the first half when Bowen was out of the game). In the first half, Hedo Turkoglu was 6-for-7 with 16 points. Pop switched Bowen onto Turkoglu in the second half and Turkoglu goes 3-for-11 in the second half, while Lewis goes 4-for-7 in the second half without Bowen on him. It was a very good night defensively for Bowen and it really illustrated how great of a defender he is. It’s beyond scary to think of the day when the Spurs don’t have Bowen.
-Fabricio Oberto had another solid outing. He fought Howard on the low block defensively and offensively he was key in freeing up all three of the Big Three to do their work. He set nice picks for Parker, made good passes to Duncan and played his backyard Argentine basketball with Ginobili. Six points, eight rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes is fantastic work by Oberto.
-Michael Finley was helpful in the beginning of the game when the Spurs started off slow. Finley hit two of his first three shots (both three-pointers) within four minutes of the beginning of the game. From that point until the end of the game, Finley shot 1-for-10 from the field. He did have a couple tough shots with the shot clock running down mixed in but he has to shoot better than that. He was working hard defensively but his effectiveness on that end of the court was lacking.
-Major props to Brent Barry. He was instrumental in breaking the game wide open in the second half. In fact, he had a game best plus/minus of +25. When Barry plays without thinking, he’s a huge asset for this team. He was just letting it fly whenever he got it and finished 7-for-8 from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. His lone miss was a bomb from about 30 feet out with the shot clock running down. Defensively, I was impressed by how he stuck his nose in there – literally. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up a bit with Howard, even if it meant taking a couple blows to the face. I was very impressed with how Barry played and I hope to see more of him as the season goes on.
-Jacque Vaughn played really, really, really hard. He’s not very good at anything regarding the game of basketball, but I thought his energy tonight was impressive – even considering he usually plays with a lot of energy. If Vaughn wasn’t fighting a bigger player trying to post him up, he was boxing out a player a foot taller than him or he was setting back screens offensively. You can question Vaughn’s skill level but you can’t question his heart.
-Ime Udoka got some decent minutes as Pop went small. He missed his first two shots while the game was close before hitting a three after the game was over. He’s getting really close to being an asset defensively. His understanding of what the Spurs are trying to do has grown tremendously over the last couple weeks. That said, his offense is still a bit lacking – both in terms of knowing which shots to shoot and making said shots.
-I was pleased with how Pop coached the game, for the most part. I have to admit that it makes me a bit uneasy to see Pop so readily go to the small ball lineup. Against the Magic, it’s probably the right move. I just hope it isn’t Pop’s go-to move against a team like Dallas. I thought it was a bit odd that Pop played this game almost as if it was a playoff game. The Big Three all played more minutes than usual and Pop used a D’Antoni-esque 7.5 man rotation. Also considering how this was a second game of a back-to-back with a bunch of games coming up in a short amount of time, Pop must have really wanted to get a win against the Magic. As far as the benching of Matt Bonner and Francisco Elson, it was mostly due to the fact that small ball was in full effect. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pop also used it as some sort of motivational tool because neither Bonner nor Elson has played that well since the beginning of the season.
Overall, as a Spurs fan you have to be thankful for not only having one certified superstar, but also a pair of guards who if they aren't superstars are at least playing like superstars so far this season.
Good you have some thoughts ...
bout time... waited 2 hours for this to come up.. great read as always and much appreciated.
good night.
Great, great analysis. Especially for those who don't have LP.
Great game from the Big Three too, I was impressed with this win.
I give Vaughn a lot of props for battling the out of Lewis on the block and holding his ground against guys who have a huge size advantage. That's why Pop trusts him and why they brought him back.
Dwight Howard is turning the corner. This is really the first game I've seen of him where he is actually starting to look like a basketball player. Before, he always was a giant, athletic, beast who had no touch or basketball IQ at all, but now he's getting comfortable with the game and I think will be in 2 to 3 years what everyone thought Oden would be (and still possibly could be if his knees don't bomb on him).
I'm not a consipiracy guy, but the officiating was pretty bad this game. Those 3 guys were on regular season cruise mode tonight and called a pretty bad game, thank goodness it didn't effect the outcome.
Great win against the best team in the East at this point. Dominating offensive performance to say the least.
If I wasn't still packing, I would've missed this part. LOL
Seriously...what the got into Barry tonight? He was boxing out Dwight Howard...I was like WTF?
He actually hustled on D.
Usually the only time he plays like that is if he gets knockrd down...and even then he doesn't get as firey or hustle on D like that.
Pop saying he was looking for ways to get Barry on the court must have done wonders for him...
Then again...when Barry signed here, he said he wanted to Steve Kerr it here for a few years...well, Kerr sucked until what was his fourth year with the team...and in that fourth year he became the perfect Steve Kerr. I don't think Kerr had a bad game his final season here...anytime we needed a shot, he hit it, and he always seemed to hit the shots to get our offense going when it was bogging down.
Maybe Barry, now in his fourth year, has hit that same zone...
This game rates as one of Barry's best IMO. For this one game, he was the guy everybody wanted him to be(even though he never really was that guy before) when he signed here. He actually had a swagger...
Nice job Brent...keep this up and Pop will want you back(but not at 5 mil per)...and then you can tell him to stick it and retire like Kerr did....
Seriously though...Barry's playing like a guy playing the final games of his career.
Yeah, that's why I want no part of the Spurs trading Barry. Even though his contract is expiring and that makes him more valuable than he was in previous years, I want the Spurs to keep him.
When Brent Barry just plays how he knows how to play and forgets everything else, there isn't a player who the Spurs could trade him for that'd be more valuable. Even if he falls out of the rotation, I finally trust him to have that Kerr-like ability to come into the game cold and be ready and willing to hit a big shot.
Hopefully I'm not wrong . . .
me too. Thanks timvp!
spurs tonight = impressive
buenas noches a todos.
You do realize the Spurs ran a couple of plays for him specifically to get some shots off...they haven't done that much. He's much better at that than camping out at the 3. He's better at transition threes, and he's better and hitting snap threes when he runs to a spot. I mean that's how they did it in Seattle. Fast offense, quick shots, quick passes...that's what he's really good at as a shooter.
Personally I think Pop rewarded him for his improved defense.
He actually played defense tonight. With intensity...he's not Bruce Bowen or anything...but as you said, he stuck his nose in there and mixed it up. He boxed out...
Now that he's done it though...he can never go back to the, I'm Brent Barry and I can't move on D card...not after tonight. He just burned that card up....
True.
And whottt has to burn his If The Spurs Wanted A Defender They Shouldn't Have Signed Barry card. Pop and Barry both showed that Barry can play Spurs level defense if Barry wants to.
That strip on the fast break was a damn nice defensive play showing good instincts and quickness for Barry... and... he actually rotated on defense all night.
Manu "worst" game so far would be considered really good by most players. Amazing, i hope he keeps this up, making 2007-2008 his best season.
Hey dude...I'm not about excusing guys from not doing things they've shown they can do...consider that card burned. Barry just upped his expectation level and standard on D....
He's never gotten in there on D like he did tonight before...
I'm not really worried about his clutchness...he is clutch. Period.
Although I will admit...IMO, being a hustle guy actually hurts clutch factor...for the simple reason that hustle guys operate on a higher energy level and when they amp their already amped energy level up for a clutch situation...you can wind up with the proverbial, trying too hard, scenario...
For an example of this I give you...oh let's say Matt Bonner in a big game. ...even Manu actually over does it sometimes.
But the guys who tend to hit those really huge last second shots(shots, not layups)...are not usually energy guys. They are usually just the opposite...and the reason for that is simple as well...low energy guys enter into a higher energy level state in clutch situations...however, since they aren't energy guys, the result isn't usually the, trying too hard, scenario. It usually puts their energy level right at about the optimum level...and the result is a very calm and poised player in what for most people would be a very uncalm and nerve wracking situaion...
For an example of this...I give you Robert Horry.
There are exceptions of course, but not really when it comes to role players...what's I've said is about as true as it gets when you are talking role players.
So it's possible that an upped energy level Barry could be less clutch...but I don't think he's going to turn into a total energy guy, so it's probably moot.
Good summary, as usual.
A couple of points.
Recall that when Pop first resorted to the small-ball lineup versus the Mavs in the 2006 WCSF, it seemed then as though the Spurs vaunted defensive principles were scrapped in the process. The games were played at a much higher offensive level. Same thing with tonight's game versus the Magic.
As for Dwight Howard, I'd say he's already a beast. I understand and agree that he's drastically cut down on his turnovers and developed a couple of go-to moves. Yet he's always been an raw, athletic, freak of a big man whose had "beast" written all over his game. Because of his stated desire to be "the best player in the league", we knew this day was coming. He was a beast least year. His improved games simply means that he's just a bigger beast this year.
Finley inconsistent? What else is new?
Barry was great tonght. There isn't an enormous impetus to trade him or anyone at this point because the Spurs are playing well and they have an empty roster spot to plug in whatever young man impresses in the D-League (I'll have my eye on Jeremy Richardson). The Spurs are almost on cruise control in Novemeber; it's enough to make a poster nervous.
I don't think the Spurs are looking to trade anyone...that'd most likely be capspace they are trading away, unless it's one of the core. I don't think the Spurs are big fans of trading capspace...he's one of their favorites.
Barry on D....
Bruno can give the particulars, but the Spurs could take on a free agent in late December or early January without having to pay the luxury tax -- about the time the cream starts rising to the top of the D-League. Cap space is not a major concern these days because they can either re-sign the free agents they will have for reasonable deals and/or spend the full MLE to get or keep new players. There are a good number of young talented swingmen who will be getting a chance to prove themselves in the D-League (Jeremy Richardson, Devin Green, Brandon Bowman, Justin Bowen, Sean Banks. Andre Patterson, Carlos Powell and Mike Hall are the ones I have in mind) and the Spurs will be in a prime position to pick up the best one when the time is right without giving anything up.
Just pick up someone in D-league who is quick enough to keep Mav in check is excellent
This was the truest statement in your analysis. I think it's about time we started thinking about the "big 4" instead of the "big 3". Bowen is key.It’s beyond scary to think of the day when the Spurs don’t have Bowen.
I'm worry about several decisions against Mavs like this one
I thought this was going to be one of those games where Howard finished with 25 boards after grabbing 12 in the first half. I can't believe he only ended up with 16
I know it's really too early on in the season and Manu's already said it's just because he's in a good rhthym, but so far he's been somewhat consistant so far and is averaging 20.5 points/game right now. I hope he can keep it up.
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