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Repeat Performance

Season 49, Game 74
San Antonio 101, Memphis 87
62-12, 2nd in the West

So the Spurs at home with the original Big 3 had a tougher time with the scrappy-but-shorthanded Grizzlies than they did on the road without their Big 3? Ok, then.

Based on last Friday’s game, I thought this game would be a lot tougher, given how hard this Memphis team has been playing and that we’d be without Tim, Tony, and Manu. I wasn’t counting on Aldridge playing, however. I guess I wasn’t counting on a more focused and determined effort from the Spurs, either.

Or maybe the Big 3 have been holding us back this whole time.

While that scenario is not likely, there is something to be said for a team playing without their long-term core and not having a safety net to fall back on. Without those key players (they were also missing Kawhi due to injury and David West due to a DNP-CD), the role players really had to step up and play strong games.

They delivered. Mostly. Kyle Anderson was the most impressive, putting up 13 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block in a do-it-all performance. He has the size of a small forward with the natural instincts of a PG. In the wrong system, he’d be lost and forgotten, a minor footnote in the NBA. With the right Spurs seasoning, though, he has a real shot at a good and productive career, maximizing his strengths and hiding his flaws.

His biggest flaw is his speed, or lack thereof. But he’s shown that’s not really an issue on offense, as his ‘speed’ often serves as a change up, getting defenders out of position by committing too early.

(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

On defense, what he lacks in speed he makes up for in intelligence and natural instinct. He has those long arms and has great timing to poke balls away. And he’s a better than average rebounder for his size.

Andre Miller also played well. He’s got the classic ‘old man’ game and is a natural PG. He seems to have picked up the Spurs’ system really quickly, and does well getting players the ball in the right positions. As long as he shoots enough to keep the defense honest, I trust him on the floor.

Patty’s shot was falling, which was a nice sight to see.

Danny played his usual excellent defense. However, it is a bit alarming that he is still missing shots, and is unable to have productive scoring nights even in games with multiple players sitting. These are the types of games for role players to score more points, not less. Without his shot (and scoring) coming around, the Spurs will struggle against better teams.

Boban played hard, but he was just a little lost out there. The Memphis bigs (who weren’t all that big) were able to really disrupt him, and absolutely destroyed him on the boards. If he is not outrebounding everybody when he is out there, we’re in trouble. The only way Memphis was able to keep the game close was by crashing the offensive glass and either getting second chance opportunities or drawing fouls on our bigs attempting to box out. Boban should never be on the short end of those match-ups.

Kevin Martin seemed nearly invisible in 22 minutes of action. His first shot – which came at the top of the 4th quarter – was an airball on a wide open jumper. If he can’t get opportunities to score in bunches in a game like this, I don’t know where he’ll find his niche on this team.

The star of the night, of course, was LaMarcus, far and away the best player on the court. He didn’t disappoint, and seemed to welcome the chance to play the role of lead player, at least for a night. Nobody on Memphis could do anything to stop him, and he got whatever he wanted out there. With his jumper falling, the Spurs had a clear upper hand in the game. Even with the increased offensive load, he still played good defense and still did the ‘little things’ on both ends of the court. It was a superstar performance, and one that probably won us the game.

So far I’m not minding the string of rest games, but I hope Pop doesn’t take it too far. Rhythm is as important as rest, and we can’t afford to let up too much as the regular season winds down.

The Pelicans come to San Antonio tomorrow night. I would expect a full and active roster.

Go Spurs Go.

The Grass is Greener in San Antonio

Is it just me or does it seem like the majority of Spurs fans have it out for Danny Green? I log in to Twitter and see comments like “trade Green,” “the hell with Green”, “bench Green”, “why are you shooting Green?”, “where is Green?”, “send Green to the Austin Torros” , “How is Green a starter?” and many others that I dare not repeat.
Please, take it easy on Mr. Green. It wasn’t all that long ago you were high-fiving your best friend when Green set the record for most three pointers made in a Finals series in 2013. While the Spurs didn’t win that series, Green left his own personal mark on history against a tenacious Miami Heat squad.
Is it that we have been spoiled by the timely Tar Heel Three? When we are given something, we want more and when we don’t get more, we complain. Human nature always causes us to overreact to situations, to always assume there is something better out there. Spurs fans, I am here to tell you that the grass is not Greener on the other side. No pun intended.
Let’s look at this from a money stand point. At the end of the day isn’t that what’s important to most teams? How much are we spending on this player and what are we getting in return? Danny Green is currently making a ten million dollar salary for the 2015-16 season. While you and I may be able to live the rest of our lives (and our kids’ lives for that matter) on that salary, Green is a bargain for what he brings to the table night in and night out. I can spew my opinions all day but the numbers don’t lie. Notable shooting guards that are making significant more mullah than Danny Green this season: Dwayne Wade-Miami Heat ($20,000,000), Jimmy Butler-Chicago Bulls ($16,407,500), Eric Gordon-New Orleans Pelicans ($15,514.031), Kris Middleton-Milwaukee Bucks ($14,700,000), Nicolas Batum-Charlotte Hornets ($13,125,306).
Hey, those are pretty darn good players, especially on the offensive end; and boy do we love our offensive studs. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that Green is on the same level offensively as those other players. In fact, statistically Green is having one of his worst years on the offensive end of the floor. I submit to you this fact though, teams are not surprised by Danny Green anymore. He is on every teams scouting report. Defenses have keyed in to guarding the Spurs three point shooters, which is why the Spurs team as a whole are not shooting the three as well as they have in previous years.
I would like to shed some light on what he does bring to the table, in comparison to his positional counter parts who are living a more lavish lifestyle. Danny is averaging the fewest minutes played per game, logging an average of 26.3. With the fewest minutes played per game, Green is averaging 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes, the highest of that group. He is also averaging 1.3 steals per 36 minutes, trailing only Jimmy Butler and Khris Middleton, both of whom are franchise players for their respected teams. Green also commits the fewest turnovers per 36 minutes than the others. Grant you, he doesn’t handle the ball nearly as much as the others but when he does, he doesn’t give it up, averaging only 1.4 turnovers per 36 minutes. Not bad for a ten million dollar player huh?
Bruce Bowen, another beloved Spurs player whom was a fan favorite. Funny thing is, we knew that Bruce was not a great offensive player but boy when he got that corner three down we drank it up. Oh! almost forgot, his #12 jersey is also displayed for all to see in the rafters of the AT&T Center in San Antonio. I personally was a huge fan of Bruce. Like most Spurs fans, I would cringe when he handled the ball too much and if he wasn’t shooting that corner three, I was yelling for him to pass the rock. What made Bruce special was not his offensive power but his tenacity and willingness to do all the dirty work that most players shy away from.
Think back for a moment. When you think Bruce Bowen, what first comes to mind? For me, it’s defense. Kobe stopper. Bowen was relentless on defense and played every possession like it was his last. With that said, in Bruce’s career he averaged 0.8 steals per game and 0.4 blocks per game. Now get ready for this. In Green’s career, he has averaged 1.0 steals per game and 0.8 blocks per game, not to mention he has a significantly better 3 point and FG percentage than Bruce ever did. Don’t hate me, I’m not speaking blasphemy just giving you the hard facts. Bruce was a lockdown defender and disrupted shots while not causing quite as many turnovers as Green. Like I said, I was a huge Bruce fan also but it’s obvious that Danny is a better all around player than Bruce was.
I know the game has changed and fans are hungry for offense. But the game of basketball is all about those gritty moments where someone is forced to push a little harder than his opponent. That is Danny Green. He is our modern day Bruce Bowen but with a much better jump shot and an evolving penetrate to the basket game. He is relentless on defense in the same way that Bruce was. Most recently in what was considered to be the Spurs biggest game of the regular season against the Golden State Warriors, Green played his heart out. Again, the offense wasn’t there but he recorded three blocked shots in that game. One of which is etched in to my memory; Stephen Curry has the ball at the three point line, he steps back for one of his patented long range three pointers. Guess who’s there? Danny Green of course. He meets the ball as it is just released from the hands of Curry. And the AT&T Center goes wild. That is Danny Green. Right on time and never shying away from a big moment.
Spurs fans, relax. Green isn’t going anywhere and we should be grateful for that. We have a dependable starter in Danny Green who is payed much less than most at his position. He is a lockdown defender in the way that Brucey was. Perhaps, one day we will see Green’s jersey in the rafters of the AT&T Center, who knows.
Do me a favor? Next time you watch the Spurs, keep an eye on Green. Not only when he has the basketball in his hand but more importantly when he doesn’t. I think you will be impressed. This man does not deserve your criticism but rather your gratitude.

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