Season 49, Game 03
San Antonio 95, Boston 87
2-1

With the win in Boston on Sunday afternoon, the Spurs Big 3 of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan became the all-time winningest trio of players in NBA history. Poetically, they did it in Boston, where the record had rested for more than 2 decades with Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale. (In an interesting bit of coincidence / twist of fate, when the Spurs passed the Lakers trio of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper to go from third to second on the list, they did it by beating the Lakers.)

So that’s really cool, and another feather in the cap of an organization that has plenty of feathers already. The game that was played, however, was anything but historic.

If we want to be positive, we can say that the defense looks really good to start the season. Whatever growing pains exist on offense, the defense is helping to cover them up for now. I’ve been really impressed with Aldridge’s defense, in particular. We know what we have in Green, Duncan, and Leonard; adding Aldridge to that mix has made it even better. I thought the defensive end is where we’d miss Splitter the most, but so far I like Aldridge better, as he rebounds better, is equally as mobile, can protect the rim a tiny bit better, and more than holds his own in one-on-one situations.

And while no one on either side seemed to be able to hit a shot, Aldridge seems to get more and more comfortable each game finding his spot in the offense. With the Spurs holding on to the lead late in the game, they went to LaMarcus on three straight possessions and got three straight baskets. He’s still finding his shot, but you definitely want him taking it.

Boston is a really good team. They are well-coached and have a stout defense anchored by a couple of wing menaces. This isn’t an Eastern Conference patsy that should be beaten by 20. The Spurs won a tough game on the road. They won ugly, too, which is a good “skill” to have.

The team is still clearly learning to play with each other, though, which is a strange thing for both the team and its fans. It’s not just Aldridge, either; the team is also learning how to incorporate “superstar” Kawhi, who has earned his prominent role in the offense. In essence, the team acquired two new superstars this off-season.

Blending ‘the beautiful game’ with the immense talents of two great players will be a process. One that we should enjoy. For now.

A few more quick thoughts on the game:

• Manu and Boris sure do look great in this early season. Along with Patty, they are kind of our offensive kick starters off the bench. Manu hasn’t looked this good in years, and Boris is back to being the player we all loved during the title run. He’s such a unique offensive player that is a threat to do just about anything from any spot on the floor. As much as the starters are supplying the D, that bench is providing necessary offense.

• The big man rotation remains interesting to watch. In the first half tonight, Pop didn’t play West, and stuck with the 3-man staggered rotation of Aldridge, Duncan, and Diaw. Diaw came in for Duncan, then Duncan for Aldridge, before Aldridge came back in for Diaw. Either Duncan or Aldridge was on the floor at all times for defensive purposes.

In the second half, West played with Diaw, and the results were as disastrous defensively as they have been so far this season.

It presents an interesting problem, because neither West nor Diaw are bad players (both are quite good, in fact), but they don’t fit well together. It’s not either of their faults. They are a bit redundant, though. What the team really needs is a 4th big who is a true center. Maybe it can be Boban, but Pop is a long way from trusting him on a nightly basis with important minutes.

When the Spurs signed Aldridge, it was necessary to get rid of Splitter. But he is exactly the type of player we need right now. Some people thought it would be better to trade Diaw and keep Splitter, but I’m not sure that would have been possible. Given Diaw’s history, I don’t know what value he has to anybody besides the Spurs, while Splitter has real value.

Of course, Diaw is showing that we still need him, too. There was no way to keep both and get Aldridge. West and Diaw serve the same role, and Diaw has the upper hand because he knows it better and is a bit more versatile.

Keep an eye on West and his minutes and how he integrates into the system and rotation. He has real value: Pop just needs to find where it is.

• Rasual Butler got some good minutes in the first half and showed well. He played solid D and functioned well in the offense. He plays hard and seems to be a quick learner. It’s easy to see how he earned that final roster spot. I expect to see Butler get a good amount of minutes.

Pop likes Kyle Anderson as the back-up 3. Being a young player, though, he’s on a very short leash. One mistake and he’s back on the bench. Against Boston he was a moment late on an offensive rotation, leading to a turnover. (The ball was rotating and Anderson should have ended up in the corner for a wide-open 3, but was late, so the ball was thrown out of bounds instead.) Pop quickly pulled him out and put Butler in. It’s a role Butler is well-served to play. Anderson might have more upside, but Butler is proving, so far, to be more trustworthy.

The Spurs play Monday night in New York on their first back-to-back of the season.

Go Spurs Go.