We beat the Atlanta Hawks 105-90 tonight. It was a well-played and (perhaps more importantly) hard-fought win for our beleaguered team. Antonio McDyess was reinserted back into the starting line-up and responded with his best overall game as a Spur. He had 17 points on 8-9 shooting. More importantly, he was active on both ends of the floor. Let’s hope this is a sign of McDyess rounding into his usually excellent second half form. I love Blair; but McDyess’s best is better than Blair’s best, and McDyess, not Blair, gives us the best chance of making some noise in the post-season.
George Hill also had a marvelous game. He got us going in the first, scoring on jumpers and Parker-esque drives to the hoop. He has a confidence and coolness that belies his age. Although I am a fan of Bogans, I am very pleased with Hill and his promotion to the starting line-up. Plus, I think Bogans is better served as a defensive specialist off the bench.
But the game belonged to Tim Duncan. 21 points, 26 rebounds, 6 assists in 35 minutes. He was a beast, and his defensive effort was clearly raised a notch or two. More than anything, that is this team’s barometer. When Duncan starts raising his intensity and focus on the defensive end, that’s when the Spurs start to make their surge. Let’s hope it’s here to stay and not just a reaction to losing 3 home games in a row.
Despite Atlanta’s 30 point 3rd quarter, our defense was actually quite good tonight. We controlled the paint and the glass for the most part, and we forced Atlanta to take the shots we wanted them to take. It just so happens that Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford were making those shots. That’s not bad defense; that’s spectacular (and a little lucky) offense. Almost all of their shots were contested mid-to-long 2 point jump shots, precisely the shot defenses want to give up. If the other team makes them, you tip your hat and play on. Outside of those two players, the rest of the team scored 34 points (24 of which came from Marvin Williams and Josh Smith) and shot 10-43, a baffling 23% from the field. I would say that’s good defense.
Finally, I was quite pleased with the rotation tonight. If McDyess continues to play this way, I like him back in the starting line-up with Jefferson, Parker, Hill and Duncan. Ginobili and Blair will be our first off the bench with Bogans used situationally (more defense, or, like tonight, to spell Hill with foul trouble). I like Blair off the bench for two reasons: One, he is a high energy player who can change the feel and complexion of a game instantaneously (much like Ginobili); two, he plays really well with Ginobili. The two have a natural rapport with each other on the court. Bonner and Mason, Jr. round out the rotation, as our best shooters off the bench. (Bonner is clearly out of sync and struggling, but once he gets that first 3 to fall, I think he’ll start settling back in). It will be interesting to see what the return of Finley does to the rotation.
Of course, this could all be moot, as Parker left the game in the 3rd quarter with a sprained left ankle. Winning the battle, losing the war.
We won’t know how serious the injury is for at least a day or two, but it seems certain with the way that he was carried off the court that he’ll miss playing time. The Spurs have shown great resilience in playing with star players down. Hill is more than capable to fill in for Parker. The real concern is who then fills in for Hill? Will Ginobili be used as our other PG? Will Mason, Jr. get some more run as a PG?
The other concern is exactly how many games he will miss. An ankle sprain can mean missing anywhere from a game or two to missing several weeks. Couple in Parker’s history of ankle injuries, and there’s just no way to tell. In a crowded Western Conference, a key injury can mean the difference between the 2 seed or missing the playoffs entirely. With an impossibly tough schedule coming up over the next month, it is not a good time to lose your starting PG and motor of the offense.
But there could be a silver lining to all of this: rest for Tony Parker. Perhaps now he’ll be forced to sit out. And while his ankle heals, he can get some much needed rest. His plantar fasciitis can not heal completely, but rest and inactivity can help it. And when we get him back, maybe he’ll be a bit refreshed, and we’ll see more of the Tony Parker we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, zipping past players into the paint and dropping his teardrops and layups into the basket. In which case, we’ll be better positioned to fight well in the war as well.
Looking Forward:
Everybody knows about the rumor that came out today about the Spurs’ interest in Amar’e Stoudemire. To most Spurs fans this must seem like a cruel joke. There is perhaps no player more antithetical to the Spurs’ Culture than Mr. Stoudemire, who is perceived as an all-offense/ no-defense chemistry-killing loser who can score lots of points but does nothing to help teams win games. Whether accurate or not, I can’t imagine a player being less accepted by Spurs’ faithful than Amar’e.
But there’s still reason to consider the trade. Players of his size and athleticism are extremely rare, and he has proven his ability to score big-time points in big-time situations. Is it too crazy to think that if he were to be paired with Tim Duncan Coach Popovich that his defensive effort and intensity might increase? And that he might rebound more? Could the Spurs’ all-encompassing and winning culture make even Stoudemire happy?
I doubt the trade will happen; big ones rarely do. But it does seem like a move is coming for the Spurs. The real question is: of what magnitude? And who is leaving?
The Memphis Grizzlies come to town Friday night. They are playing absolutely great right now, and have played themselves into the thick of the playoff hunt. We lost a close one to them in Memphis about 10 days ago; it would be nice to exact some revenge. It would also be nice to start a little winning streak and build some momentum while playing winning basketball, something we seemingly haven’t done in almost 2 years.
