Category: Featured (Page 12 of 78)

Season 49, Game 21
San Antonio 108, Boston 105
17-4, 2nd in the West

We started poorly and we ended poorly, but in between we played just well enough to win the game.

The Celtics scored 27 in the 1st quarter and 34 in the 4th. That’s 61 points in half of a game – not the Spurs defense we’re used to seeing this season. If we want to cut it even finer, the Celtics were up 18-8 after about 6 minutes. So in the first 6 minutes and last 12, Boston totaled 52 points. 52 points in 18 minutes is really not the Spurs defense we’re used to. (44 points in the middle two quarters, however, is.)

On the other hand, in those intervening 30 minutes, the Spurs offense was unstoppable. It started with the insertion of the second unit: Manu, Boris, Patty, and David just overwhelmed the Boston reserves. (The bench is usually a strong point for Boston, as they have fairly equal talent up and down the roster; not so against the Spurs, who often have better talent coming off the bench many nights.) Diaw and West were particularly strong bullying the Boston bigs under the basket.

Once re-inserted, the starters found their stride and kept the offense humming. Aldridge showed why the Spurs signed him, hitting shot after shot and looking mostly un-guardable with his smooth jumper.

Like many games this season, it seemed the Spurs had this one in hand. Give Boston credit, though: they are relentless. What they lack in elite talent, they make up for with intelligence, execution, and tenacity. They just never stopped coming. Thomas squirreled his way in and around our usually stout defense. Avery Bradley hounded our ball handlers on one end, and make big shots on the other. Every player contributed as positively as they could.

Where did the Spurs turn when they found themselves in a tight game? The ‘old’ Big 3, of course. On consecutive plays, the Big 3 worked perfectly timed and executed backdoor cuts for easy layups that gave the team just enough breathing room to put the game away. The first was Parker to Duncan to Ginobili; the second Ginobili to Duncan to Parker, just to mix things up a bit.

These are the types of plays that can only be executed with complete trust and faith in each other, and with an intuitive understanding of how each player is going to behave and react. A great coach can draw these plays up. But the Spurs Big 3 know each other so well, they can execute these game winning plays without a timeout, without a play call from Pop, even without a word uttered on the court between the three. in the most tense of live game moments.

As soon as Manu fakes the cut up the lane and plants that foot to turn back, Parker knows to pass to Duncan on the wing who immediately flicks the ball to Manu charging the rim. Layup. On the next play, as soon as Parker and Duncan invert (Parker heads down low and Duncan into the high post), Manu understands what both players want. He passes the ball to Duncan, who lobs it over the top to Parker being fronted for an easy layup.

When people talk about chemistry, this is what they mean. The Spurs have a commodity that no other team boasts: over a decade of repetition and familiarity.

Even while the future is being constructed on this team, let’s not forget the past is still here with us, playing top shelf basketball. Treasure it.

A few more thoughts from tonight’s win:

• Kawhi had a bit of a tough game. This was a ‘growing pains’ type of game for him. Perhaps he was a little bit tired, as Sean Elliott suggested. Maybe he just had an off night. He still played solid basketball, but he just seemed a bit out of sync on both ends.

• The Celtics play a really aggressive defense that actively tries to force turnovers. The Spurs were happy to oblige. A nice side effect of this aggressiveness was that the refs seemed to not call a lot of borderline fouls on the Celtics defenders. On the other end, the Celtics seemed to be the beneficiary of a lot of questionable calls.

In general, Boston was the more aggressive team, and had the Spurs on their heels in those two stretches at the start and end of the game.

• Despite his hot shooting, Pop sat Aldridge in the end of game. Perhaps it’s nothing. Perhaps he wanted to play the players he trusts. But eventually we’re going to need Aldridge out there in close games, and it’d be nice to get him some reps with the other players who will be playing in those moments.

• Manu, at 38, still might be the fiercest competitor in the league. He made several winning plays in the final minutes that helped to salt the game away, including a huge 3-pointer and a few defensive rebounds.

• One move I loved by Pop: in the last 3 minutes of action, when the game was close, he didn’t call any timeouts. He just let his guys play, trusting they knew what to do. The other advantage of this tactic: it prevent the opposing team from setting up their offense, or making offense/defense substitutions. Once it became a fouling game, Pop had banked enough time outs to never be put in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, Boston ran out of timeouts, and probably could have used one on the final play to actually get a shot at tying the game.

The Spurs head out on a 2-game road trip, starting Monday night in Philadelphia.

Go Spurs Go.

Season 49, Game 17
San Antonio 108, Atlanta 88
14-3, 2nd in the West

So this is what it looks like when the offense catches up to the defense.

The Hawks were playing their 4th game in 5 nights. About 30 minutes into the grindstone that is the Spurs’ defense, the team had had enough. Can you blame them? 88 points is actually a charitable total. Garbage time started with about 8 minutes left in the game, and if not for the final push by the Hawks bench, the final margin would have been closer to 30, not 20. In essence, the Spurs played so well that it hurt their final accounting numbers.

It was a pleasure watching the Spurs’ defense just squeeze the Hawks’ offense lifeless. Every shot at the rim was contested. Every 3-point shooter was run off the line. Pick up your dribble in the corner? Suddenly there are three defenders smothering you, with no outlet. Even if you make the proper outlet, every rotation recovers perfectly. The Hawks are nowhere near the caliber of the Warriors, but it’s a reasonable facsimile to the general style of offense. The Spurs defense is built to snuff it out.

We know about the defense, though. Slowly, the offense is starting to come together. It’s still a work in progress, all clumsy limbs and awkward motion, like a fawn learning to become a stag. On 3 separate occasions, Tim Duncan cut off his own roll man on a pick and roll (Kawhi twice, Patty once). Just straight up bumped into him and knocked the ball out of his hands. Aldridge is still learning the system, his instincts often working against him. You’ll notice him running into players off the ball often. This is a good sign, as it means he inherently understands the system, he just needs to figure out his role in it.

Each game it gets a little bit prettier. Or, perhaps, a little less ugly. A huge part of this is simply Kawhi, who is becoming nearly unguardable in his own way. He’s too strong for quicker defenders, and too quick for stronger defenders. He’s clearly spent more hours working on his midrange jump shot than you or I have spent on anything in our lives. And wouldn’t you know it, after a slow start, his 3-point shot is becoming nearly automatic. (He’s over 50% in the last 10 games or so.) You just trust the ball in his hands on any offensive possession. (He’s also starting to get superstar calls, drawing several shooting fouls on plays that wouldn’t have been called for him two years ago.)

Writing about Kawhi’s continued growth is starting to become like writing about Tim Duncan’s greatness: how many different ways can I describe it? (The answer is: infinite, as long as he continues to play this way.)

You know who else is having a fantastic season: Tony Parker. Who would’ve thought? It’s going to take a few weeks or possibly even months for the narrative to change on Parker’s season. He had a bad summer and a slow start to the season, and that set the tone for how the national media talk about Parker. But for those of us who watch every game, we know that he is quickly figuring out his new role on this team: orchestrator, facilitator, reliable shooter. And he can still take the offense over for small stretches when called upon.

While Aldridge is still learning the system, my concern is his midrange shot. I’ve never seem him struggle with that shot quite like this. (Living in Portland, I’ve seen a lot of his career.) It’s obvious watching the games that he rarely takes that shot in rhythm or with conviction; it looks like he’d always rather pass or drive, and only shoots it reluctantly. Of course he is trying to “fit in”, and the hope is with time he’ll understand that the team wants him taking that shot quickly and assuredly.

What I have been impressed by with Aldridge is how much he is willing to go in and do the dirty work on both ends of the floor. He’s been a great offensive rebounder and garbage man on the offensive end, and he’s been fantastic on defense. I had a hunch he was going to be a better defender than anticipated, but he is even exceeding those expectations. He is the only real difference in the defense from this year to last, and the defense is noticeably better.

Life is good in Spurs land. Even better because the Warriors are so ridiculously good that the Spurs aren’t getting much attention. Just the way we like it.

A few more thoughts from the win over Atlanta:

• Kyle Anderson has been playing better and better over the last few games. His foot speed on defense will always be an issue, but he makes up for it with intelligence, quick hands, and surprisingly solid rebounding. On offense, his game is like a change-up pitch. It’s so much slower than expected, he is able to draw a ton of fouls on his jump shot. Defenders just aren’t used to the speed he is playing at, they get completely off balance and ahead of themselves and end up fouling Kyle. It’s a real weapon.

• Hey, Tim Duncan had 18 rebounds in the game. Remember that thing about how hard it is to continually write about his greatness? So, yeah.

• Manu dunked! I love it, but dang it, Manu, don’t risk pulling your hamstring. You’re 38 years old, for crying out loud. I’m 37, and I tweak my back reaching for my towel in the shower.

• There is such a fine line between “good” Patty and “bad” Patty, and that line is his shooting. His shooting (and scoring) can cover up a lot of other ills.

• The Spurs essentially put the game away at the end of the first half, going on a 31-12 run. Kawhi scored 11 straight on his own to end the half. (Have I mentioned how good he is?)

The Spurs travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Monday night.

Go Spurs Go.