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Sadly, the Spurs have been getting in the habit of living and dying from the 3 pt line.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.296078a.html
Spurs: Threes tell one story
Jeff McDonald
As Mark Twain once wrote, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.
Spurs guard Jacque Vaughn shares in that sentiment wholeheartedly.
"I'm an anti-stat guy; I think they all can be manipulated," Vaughn said. "You saw that with Enron."
When it comes to the Spurs' season so far, however, there is one number that is difficult to dismiss.
Three-point percentage.
It has been the best barometer of the Spurs' performance so far this season.
When they shoot 3-pointers well, they tend to win. And when they don't, they don't.
Through 36 games, the Spurs are shooting about nine percentage points better in victory (41.3 percent) than in defeat (32.2). The significance of those numbers is not lost on another sworn anti-stat guy, coach Gregg Popovich.
His conclusion?
"We have to make threes to be the best team in the league," Popovich said.
Indeed, for the Spurs this season, victories have come by threes.
It seems an odd M.O. for a team whose best player is a 6-foot-11 power forward (Tim Duncan), and whose two next best players (Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili) are guards renowned for their slashing abilities.
But the numbers, in this case, don't lie.
The Spurs are better when their outside shooters — including Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ginobili — are burying 3-pointers. Only twice this season have the Spurs lost when shooting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Though they are making 38.5 percent of their 3-pointers this season, third-best in the NBA, the Spurs don't want to fall into the trap of living and dying by them.
"Hopefully we're a smarter team than that," Vaughn said.
The Spurs, however, do prefer to run their offense from the inside out, an approach that works only when players make jumpers.
"People are going to go after Duncan, he's going to get double-teamed, so we're going to have to make some shots," Popovich said. "They're going to pack the lane on Parker and Ginobili, so we have to make some shots."
In November, back when the Spurs were 15-3 and striding atop the Western Conference, they were shooting a scorching 42 percent from 3-point range.
As that number plunged to 35.6 in December, the Spurs' record fell with it.
So far in January, the 3-point arrow is pointing up for the Spurs. They are shooting 36.4 percent this month, a modest improvement.
And Thursday's NBA Finals rematch with Cleveland could bring more good news for the Spurs' 3-point brigade.
Barry, who leads the team in 3-point accuracy at 45.3 percent, appears to be on the mend after missing nine games with a torn calf muscle. He participated in full-contact workouts Tuesday and will endure another such practice today.
"If he does well there, I'd assume he'd be available for Thursday," Popovich said.
Meanwhile, Monday night's 89-82 victory over Philadelphia provided a look at the Spurs' dependence on 3-point prowess.
During the first 43:50, the Spurs made just 3 of 22 attempts, as the 76ers sat back and dared them to shoot. Not surprisingly, the Spurs trailed deep into the fourth quarter.
Only when they were able to knock down some 3-pointers, with Ginobili making four in a row in the final 4:10, were the Spurs finally able to put the game away.
"The shots were not falling, and that's why they kept in the game for so long," Ginobili said. "We just needed a couple of threes to change it."
More often than not, a couple of 3-pointers have been the difference between winning and losing for the Spurs.
Even an avowed anti-stat guy can buy that.
Sadly, the Spurs have been getting in the habit of living and dying from the 3 pt line.
Bruce Bowen would look funny with a beard.
"I'm an anti-stat guy; I think they all can be manipulated," Vaughn said. "You saw that with Enron."
That's a great quote!
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Pop strikes again.
Hmmm, wasn't that market manipulation, not manipulation of statistics?"I'm an anti-stat guy; I think they all can be manipulated," Vaughn said. "You saw that with Enron."
I hate seeing so many Spurs just camp out at the 3 point line.
When Manu was out, TP was the ONLY guy attacking the basket. One guy...and everyone was saying he had to attack the basket even more. He looked exhausted every game.
This team right now, lives and dies at the 3 point line.
Then again, that's how older teams tend to beat younger ones. From a Y league...to the NBA. It was nice when the Spurs usta be able to run a little.
Last edited by SouthernFried; 01-17-2008 at 09:10 AM.
I think they need to attack the basket more. They are settling for jumpers and thress this year more than ever before.
Watching Bonner shoot 3s just makes me cringe.
have you seen him take a hook shot?
I've seen way too much 3's for my liking from the Spurs this year. But that may be what we have to settle for considering the age of the team and the lack of slashers( Tony & Manu being the only true ones IMO) on the roster. I think/hope that we shoot our way out of this and come RR trip everything will start to fall into place.
Just as long as we stay healthy the threes can and will fall for us. They need to step it up in a lot of other areas and quick.
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