Spurs of the Moment

POWER FORWARD – a position once dominated by Tim Duncan. But now with smaller, quicker more athletic players in the league the days of the having a 7-foot power forward and forming twin towers is all but over. Over the last few years the Spurs have made offensive and defensive changes to adjust to a changed NBA.

Antonio McDyess  ht 6-9 | last season 5.3 pts 5.4 rbs in 19 mins a game. PLAYOFFS  5.7 pts and 5 rbs in 24 mins a game.

McDyess is a savvy veteran, decent defender, plus he is still somewhat athletic/mobile and can hit the midrange jumper with consistency. In last season’s playoffs Dice did OK, but not nearly what was expected of him. His defense didn’t look very effective against either Memphis big-man Randolph or Gasol. Did McDyess show his age during that series or were the Spurs asking too much from someone his age? Dice will turn 37 next month.

Matt Bonner ht 6-10 | Last season 7.3 pts and 3.6 rbs (45.7% 3pt fg) in 22 mins a game | PLAYOFFS 6.3 pts and 3.2 rbs (33% 3pt fg) in 21 mins a game.

Matt Bonner, aka the ‘Red Rocket’, was lighting it up from downtown for most of the regular season. However, the playoffs were a different story, and the ‘Red Rocket’ missed his targets (his 3pt percentage dropped 12% from the regular season). Matt Bonner is a solid 3pt shooter, but he is no Robert Horry. Robert Horry could miss 2o shots in a row spanning some games and still have the guts to take and make a clutch basket with no problem. Bonner is the reverse. He is 6-10 and can a make a defense pay with his shooting, but his rebounding and overall defense are poor for a player his size playing his position. His defensive rotations are OK, the problem is when he does rotate it doesn’t really bother the offensive player, usually resulting in a foul or and old fashioned three point play. For Gregg Popovich it seems that Bonner’s one plus outweighs his many minuses. As long as he hits threes and rotates on defense (regardless of the result) then he’ll get minutes.

Dejuan Blair ht 6-7 | Last season 8.3 pts and 7 rbs (1.2 stls) in 21 mins a game | PLAYOFFS  4.3 pts and 3.3 rbs in 13 mins a game

Dejuan Blair, solid energy guy. Sadly, the saying ‘energy guy’ usually means you’re lacking in something. In Blair’s case it’s height. Even though he is only 6-7, he was the Spurs 2nd leading rebounder averaging 7 rpg to Duncan’s 9 rpg. He also had a knack for making up for his height by using his quick hands getting at least one steal a game. Blair isn’t great defensively though, and his gambling to get steals also led to easy baskets for the person he was guarding. He doesn’t have a jumpshot, so you can definitely leave him to go double team someone else.

SMALL FORWARD

Richard Jefferson ht 6-7 | Last season 11 pts (44% 3pt fg) in 30 mins a game | PLAYOFFS  6.5 pts (35% 3pt fg) in 29 mins a game.

In the 2009-10 season, Richard Jefferson seemed to be the whipping boy for everything that went wrong in that season. Jefferson shocked the world a few times; first by opting out of his contract (worth $15 million) then second by resigning long-term with the Spurs. Third, Jefferson worked out tirelessly with Gregg Popovich during the offseason. Fourth, Jefferson like Bonner, hit an unbelievable percent from behind the arc. Jefferson has many different offensive skills and is athletic. With the Spurs he is nothing but a knockdown shooter that can drive (when necessary). He also is not the defender that the old 08-09 Bruce Bowen was. In the playoffs he hit a decent amount of his 3pt shots (35%), but overall his scoring average and field goal percentage was not nearly good enough to overcome the beating that the Spurs interior defense was taking.

Kawhi Leonard ht 6-7 | 2010-11 stats from San Diego st. 15.5 pts and 10.6 rbs (1.4 stls) in 33 mins a game.

The Spurs traded a fan/Pop favorite George Hill to acquire Leonard. Leonard has an athleticism the Spurs haven’t seen since…??? Well, you get the idea. They haven’t!! He is a solid rebounder, a raw defender, and he is young (21). He doesn’t have a consistent jumpshot and tends to gamble on defense. With some work and dedication to the system, Leonard can be a priceless piece on the Spurs roster. He can (hopefully) play/defend the 3/4 position that has given the Spurs problems over the years. He seems athletic enough to guard the hybrid forwards (Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith) that a lot of teams have today.

ANALYSIS: The Spurs have good shooting and experience at the Power forward position. The height, defense and stability are an issue. To explain, not every team can boast that they have the best 3pt shooting big man in the league. At the same time none of the players the Spurs have can play 30-35 mins a game for a full 82 games+ playoffs. McDyess is too old, Blair is too short, and Bonner – aside from being a very poor rebounder – has a number of issues defensively. At Small Forward the Spurs have two unknowns. Leonard was good in college, but what about the NBA? Jefferson is a slasher and finisher, and not a natural 3pt shooter even though his percentage was high last season, so you can’t expect him to be like Bruce Bowen from the corner all season. If the Spurs are expecting him to produce consistently and maximize his potential, then it is vital that they run a decent number of plays for him on a nightly basis. Him coming off curls, and getting a few post up opportunities a few times every game should do the trick. To solidify the PF position the Spurs have a few free agent and trade options. What the Spurs want is a magical 6-11 big-man who is young, mobile, can rebound, defend, oh and my personal favorite – be able to shoot from a good distance. They’re not gonna get all that in one player. However, they do have a few options in that position to look at acquiring: Carl Landry and Kris Humphries. Either guy can come in and play lengthy minutes at the PF position because of their age and abilites. Next week, we’ll look at the Center position.

The question asked in the title of this article started after the Spurs were ousted in the first round (for the first time in Tim Duncan’s career) by the then 6th seeded Dallas Mavericks in the 2008-09 season. Of course, Manu was unable to play, which changed that series dramatically. Manu being injured, however, showed that the Spurs were lacking in offensive firepower. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were the only Spurs to average double figures in scoring during that series. The Spurs weren’t just beaten, but lost in five games, losing two out of three home games. During the postgame interview after game 5, Tony Parker was asked if the Spurs window for a fifth championship was closed. He responded, “No, we just need better role players.”

Over a month later, the Spurs made a trade worthy of ESPN coverage. They acquired Richard Jefferson, a solid scorer, and only gave up three aging role players to get him. It was said that Jefferson would come in and help the Spurs get some more points in transition by running with Tony Parker. He would be an aggressive slasher and get to the free throw line, and he would add a post up game at the small forward position that the Spurs hadn’t seen since Sean Elliott was in his prime, plus throw in some decent defense since he was very athletic. In a phrase, ‘Manu Ginobili Insurance’ is what Jefferson was supposed to be – a guy who could come in and put up solid offensive numbers whenever Ginobili was injured.

Fast forward two years later and what do the Spurs have? For starters, no championships; an older, slower Duncan; a poor interior defense; and last, a very hefty un-Spurs-like payroll. And yet the same question is being asked with even more question marks behind it. Do the Spurs have a good enough roster to win the championship? Over the next few weeks, join me in taking a good honest look at the Spurs roster – 1) Forwards, 2) Centers, and 3) Guards. Is next season the drive for five, or the last breath for a team on life support?

Looking at the evidence of the last two articles, it would seem that if Tony Parker were simply in another system, and also without the creative services of Manu Ginobili, then he would be a top point guard – someone you can build your team around and win with. However, it’s not nearly that simple or true.  Two significant factors separate Tony Parker from guys like Steve Nash and Chris Paul: 1) Decision Making/Court Vision, 2) Perimeter Shooting.                  

Decision Making 

When Nash, or Paul, or anybody for that matter, runs a pick-n-roll, they always have options. What is done with those options usually shows the difference between a true point guard and a scoring point guard. In Dallas, when Nash would run a screen and roll with Nowitzki, a switch in defenders would normally be the result. What would Nash do with his options? He would wait for Dirk to establish good position mid-post (about 15 feet out) and pass him the ball. That would allow Dirk to take uncontested mid-range jumpers, because he was being guarded by the other team’s point guard. For Nash, giving up the ball to Dirk on a switch opens up even more (easy) options for him. If he gets the ball back from Dirk,  he can pass to an open teammate due to the defense shifting because of the mismatch Dirk has. Or he can take the open jumper since his taller, less mobile defender is probably sagging back due to his driving ability. Chris Paul does the same thing with David West. In each situation with Nash or Paul, they make decisions that don’t always get them assists, but give the main scorers on their team (Dirk/West) easier circumstances to operate under.            

Court Vision

We all know Nash and CP3 have court vision, but the point is that you can basically take four other guys in the NBA (at their respective positions) and put them with Nash or CP3 and it’s almost guaranteed they’ll get that team to 100 pts by the end of four quarters. What about Tony Parker? Parker always looks to score off a pick-n-roll, even if there is a switch in defenders. This takes away easy post-up/scoring opportunities for players that are bigger and don’t get plays run for them (Splitter, Blair, and Jefferson). Also, players don’t cut to the basket because Parker either doesn’t see them or is not comfortable making the pass.  In transition, Parker usually gets the ball and looks to take it all the way for the “score” even if there aren’t favorable numbers. Because of that, players that can score in transition (Jefferson, Anderson, and former Spur George Hill) don’t get easy opportunities since the ball-handler is so far ahead of them. (Note)  When Ginobili handles the ball on the break, several players get a chance and have scored (Blair, Hill, and Jefferson especially).                                    

Perimeter Shooting

Point guards that have a consistent midrange jumpshot are generally harder to stop than point guards that are lightning quick. Also, when running the most basic of NBA plays (Pick-n-roll / Isolation for a post player) the other players on the floor don’t have to be big perimeter threats. Example: Jose Calderon from the Toronto Raptors is one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. Why? He is slow, somewhat skinny and isn’t a great one-on-one player. However, over the last 4 seasons Jose Calderon has averaged 11 points per game ( 40% 3PT FG, 48% FG overall) and 8 assists per game (only 1.8 turnovers per game). Calderon runs a lot of pick-n-rolls, as does every point guard. Because of his shooting ability, however, he has a lot more options than a point guard that is simply quick. In addition to driving for a layup or kicking out to a 3-point shooter, when the defense goes under a screen he can knock down jumpers pretty much all night. If the defense traps him he can make the outside-in pass to the player that set the screen for an easy dunk or 10-foot jumper. All of that is accomplished simply because he a can knock down shots.

What about Tony Parker? To start, many Spurs fans complain about other players besides Parker; two players in particular - 1) Richard Jefferson 2) Matt Bonner. Why is Richard Jefferson not a very consistent scorer on the Spurs? (a player who averaged 20 points per game before joining the Spurs) or Why does Matt Bonner get heavy minutes? (a frontcourt player who is arguably the worst defender and definitely worst rebounder on the team). The answer is Tony Parker’s shooting ability. Parker, like many point guards in the league, is fast but has a jumpshot that comes and goes. YES, Parker does have the ability to get to the rim and score around 20 points while shooting a high percentage. ONLY WITH THE RIGHT SPACING. That’s why Richard Jefferson, a player who was known to slash, dunk, and get many trips to the free throw line is relegated to shooting 3′s from Bruce Bowen’s corner. Matt Bonner is a one-dimensional player who would normally get minutes only in special situations or when someone is injured. Just look at the minutes that guys like Brian Cardinal and Steve Novak get. Add to that the fact they don’t get big contracts or stay on a team very long. Because of Parker’s need for space to drive, Bonner is essential to helping the offense flow when it’s being run by Parker. What happens to Parker when guys back off, stay home on shooters, and allow him to take jumpshots all game? Look what happened to Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose during the conference finals.

The Truth: Parker is not a top point guard, he is an above average point guard. One San Antonio talk show host referred to Parker as a “20 (points) and 5 (assists) guy”. Tony Parker has above average skills in certain areas. For him to be a top point guard, he has to fill the holes in his game. Namely, his shooting from the perimeter must be a lot more consistent. He also needs to be a more willing passer. Nothing spectacular, but simply giving the ball to players in areas that they can operate. So, while Parker is not a guy you wanna build a championship team around, he is still an important piece for the Spurs if they ever want to win a championship again.

Last week we looked at the offensive system the great Chris Paul of the Hornets plays in and compared it to Tony Parker and the Spurs. This week we will look at another factor that robs Tony Parker of getting his so-called 10 dimes a game that every good point guard should have, and that is the personnel they play with – in particular at the shooting guard position.

Steve Nash – A few years ago he was the best point guard in the league (before the 07-08 CP3 came along). He has incredible court vision and on ESPN they always show his incredible passes, just like with Chris Paul. However, when looking at the personnel he plays next to in the backcourt (09-10 Jason Richardson/10-11 Vince Carter), you’ll notice that their play-making abilities are almost non-existent when compared to Nash.

Steve Nash 09-10 [11 apg]
Jason Richardson 09-10 [1.8 apg]

Steve Nash 10-11 [11.4 apg]
Vince Carter 10-11 [1.6 apg]

What about Tony Parker? Who is his running mate in the backcourt? Why yes, probably the most loved Spur in SA right now, Manu Ginobili. How are his playmaking abilities next to TP?

Tony Parker 09-10 [5.7 apg]
Manu Ginobili [4.9 apg]

Tony Parker 10-11 [6.6 apg]
Manu Ginobili [4.9 apg]

Ginobili has great court vision and pure point guard characteristics. In pick-and-rolls and on the break he is dangerous as a scorer and a passer. Meanwhile, Vince Carter is not the player he once was, and his passing ability is almost gone, especially since he is already playing with one of the best passing point guards in the league. And former Sun Jason Richardson was always an athletic scorer and nothing more anyway.

Looking back at Parker, he not only has to share his ballhandling abilities with Ginobili throughout the game, but is basically playing the two-guard position in the 4th since Ginobili is the Spurs ‘Closer’. For the Phoenix Suns, Nash will have the ball in his hands almost all the time, especially when it’s deep in the 4th.

Bottom line – Nash, unlike Parker, always has the ball and rarely will you see someone else bring up the ball and initiate the offense if he is on the court. So if there is going to be an assist on a play, there’s a 90% chance it will get credited to Nash. While in Parker’s case, he doesn’t always bring up the ball and start the offense. Parker’s career high in assists per game is 6.9 in the 2008-09 season. Is there any significance to that? Yes, Manu Ginobili was sidelined for most of the season and all of the playoffs, therefore the ball was put in Parker’s hands almost all the time like Steve Nash. This is pretty much true with all of the high assist point guards in the league. Just take a look:

Chris Paul 10-11 [9.8 apg]
Marco Belinelli [1.2 apg]

Rajon Rondo 10-11 [11.2 apg]
Ray Allen [2.7 apg]

Deron Williams 10-11 [12.8 apg w/ Nets]
Anthony Morrow [1.2 apg]

Thus far, looking at the evidence it would seem Tony Parker does get unfair criticism for his style of play considering the system and personnel he plays with, or does he? Next week the finale, Part 3- The Truth.

Three time NBA Champion, three time NBA All-star, and throw in an NBA Finals MVP award. Normally, any player with those type of credentials would be forever loved in the city he plays in. That’s not the case for Spurs guard Tony Parker, who has all the accolades listed above. Lets take a deeper look at one reason why Tony Parker is not liked and gets unfair criticism among Spurs fans.

Reason: He is a Point guard that can’t distribute.
Or so that’s what many think. Is he a score first point guard? Yes. He is not going to rack up assists like former Spurs point guards Avery Johnson and Johnny Moore. However, when looking at other point guards in the league (in particular those with a high number of assists per game) like CP3, Nash and Rondo; many people look at the numbers they put up instead of how they get them during the course of a game. Lets look at TP and the players mentioned and do a legitimate comparison of both system and personnel.

Chris Paul – On ESPN they always show a few plays of CP3. Usually it goes something like this: Him crossing over some big guy and throwing a no-look pass in between three defenders for a two handed dunk. Then they show his stats and he ends the night with 13 assists. Truth is folks, he only gets about two of those plays a night, which is still incredible. Still, by watching a full game you’ll notice he gets a lot of easy assists that are all system-based. Besides getting the assists where he penetrates and kicks out, he gets alot of assists off David West. David West is arguably one of the best pick and spot up players in the game. Also, when West gets the ball isolated at 17 feet out, he usually faces up and hits the jumper or simply takes one dribble to his right and goes up with a baby hook. In addition to throwing the ball to West, the Hornets/CP3 runs quick shot motion plays for the shooters (Belinelli, Ariza and sometimes even bigs like West and Landry). One simple pass to a shooter coming of a screen and there’s another easy assist. Simple math = think how many assists Paul can get if he runs that play ten times and the guy he passes to is a 50% shooter.

Tony Parker – The Spurs also have shooters they can use the same way that the Hornets use theirs. Neal, Novak, Anderson, and even Jefferson are all pretty capable shooters wouldn’t you say? However, while the Hornets and Chris Paul use a considerable amount of player movement, the Spurs use alot more ball movement. Example: Everyone except for the screener is behind the 3pt line while Tony Parker drives to the basket and kicks out to Neal, who then drives and kicks out to Bonner, who swings the ball to a wide open Jefferson in the corner. Parker did most of the work but doesn’t get credit for the assist. Of course, if he simply called plays for guys like Novak and Neal to come off screens he could probably get alot more assists, less turnovers, and have energy to play more defense, which is something else Spurs fans don’t like about Parker.

This article covered and compared the different systems that both point guards play in. Coming Soon: The personnel they play next to at the shooting guard position.

I would say that the Miami Heat Dwyane Wade and Friends were just beat with the Ugly Stick, perhaps the entire Ugly Tree. And they can expect another drubbing on March 14th.

Highlights Below:

The Spurs became the first team to reach 50 wins this season by beating up on the poor, defenseless Cavaliers. Hey, somebody had to do it. George Hill (I told you he’d fill in nicely for Parker) led the team to a 109-99 victory with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists. DeJuan Blair had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. Tim Duncan only had to play 23 minutes but still scored 16 points along with six assists, three blocks, and four boards. Also, Gary Neal returned to score 14 off the bench.

The Cavs were led by the Man, the Myth, the Legend – Samardo Samuels. I don’t know either, but I wish the guy in my keeper league who picked him up would stop squawking about him already. Samuels had 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first start. Not bad, now let’s see you do it again. Former Spur, Alonzo Gee, had 18 points and seven rebounds.

Also, so much for the Spurs getting Corey Brewer. The Mavs are set to sign Brewer today. Frankenhead strikes again I guess. It won’t help them though – at least not against the Spurs. Feel free to get out of the first round this year though. And, in the words of Michael Scott , “Boom, roasted!”

Tony Parker, who injured his calf on Sunday against Memphis, is expected to miss the next 2-4 weeks. That’s not cool seeing as how the season is winding down and the last thing we need is a hobbled Tony heading into the playoffs. The injury didn’t look too serious tho, so I am not in panic mode. I don’t think the Spurs need to rush out and try to get Mike Bibby, but part of me hopes that they will just so that the Heat don’t improve any by signing him. In reality though, the Spurs don’t really need him as George Hill should be able to fill in just fine at the point. Also if Gary Neal returns soon, he will also be able to pick up some of the slack.

So who should the Spurs pursue in the Trade Deadline Aftermath of player buyouts?
Troy Murphy is out of the question because he can only sign with an Eastern Conference team. Personally, I hope he goes to New York, but I think he’ll head to Bostonunless he wants to stand around and watch LeBron throw up bricks in the waning moments of games in Miami.
There’s Rasual Butler who was just bought out by the Clippers, but I don’t see any reason the Spurs would care to entertain that idea, plus he is supposedly headed to Chicago.
Corey Brewer is being bought out buy the Knicks, who I am a little surprised don’t want to keep him. Boston (they want everyone it seems), San Antonio, and Dallas are all drawing interest. Hopefully Brewer wants to play for the best team in the league (sorry Boston), and a proven winner (sorry Dallas). If not then all I can say is, “meh”. I think he would get some good minutes with San Antonio – at least more than in Boston or Dallas.

Other players being bought out include Leon Powe, T.J. Ford, Jared Jeffries, and Jason Kapono.
Powe may end up back in Boston, with Jeffries possibly headed back to New York. Ford is likely the Heat’s consolation prize if Bibby signs elsewhere, but it’s not inconceivable that he could end up in San Antonio if they really feel like they need another point guard. It’s anyone’s guess where Kapono will land. I don’t see teams clamoring for his services.

I don’t really think the Spurs need to sign any of these guys, but I would open to Bibby, Ford, or Brewer since I can see them each playing a significant role.

It’s not their first Rodeo (road trip), it just looked like it last night. The Spurs lost 77-71 to Philly after shooting a mere 33% from the field and scoring only 25 points in the second half. Maybe it’s the travel, maybe it was just a weird day in the NBA. The Jazz played their first game in 1000 years without Jerry Sloan as coach (and they lost). Also, the Cavs won their first game in eons. Just a weird day I say.

The Spurs committed 16 turnovers, but out-rebounded the Sixers 57-46 and held them to 35% shooting. Also the Spurs bench outscored the Sixers bench 27-16. The problem was that our starting backcourt was outplayed by Jrue Holiday. Manu and Tony combined for 17 points on 5-of-20 shooting (0-of-5 from downtown and 7-of-10 from the line), six turnovers, 10 assists and a steal. Holiday had 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting (3-of-4 from downtown and 6-of-6 from the line), five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Richard Jefferson’s 1-for-8 night didn’t help matters, but at least he held Andre Iguodala in check (seven points on 2-of-15 shooting, four boards, six assists). Call it an off day I guess.

On the bright side Duncan looked good with a 16-point, 13-rebound effort. McDyess also had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. Also, DeJuan Blair had 14 rebounds and eight points (3-of-11 from the floor though… *sigh*).

Highlights and lowlights below:

The complete rosters for the 2011 NBA All-Star game were released on Thursday and the Spurs have two players who were chosen as reservers – Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Duncan is averaging 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks per game this season. Manu Ginobili is averaging 18.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season. Tony Parker (17.3 points, 6.7 assists) missed the cut. While there is going to be another player selected to take Yao Ming’s place on the team (he’s been injured for basically two years, how the !@#% did he get voted in?!) I wouldn’t hold out much hope for Parker. I expect the slot to go to LaMarcus Aldridge… at least it should. The Celctics lead all teams with four players (Rondo, Garnett, Allen, Pierce).

Spurs vs Lakers

The Spurs topped the Lakers last night 89-88 on a McDyess tip-in off a Duncan miss just before the buzzer. And this is why the Spurs are the best. Parker misses, no problem. Ginobili misses, no problem. Duncan misses, no problem. The Spurs don’t stand around and hope one guy will save them (*COUlakersGH*), or have three stars and a bunch of scrubs (COheatGH*). Honestly this year should be the Boston Celtics vs the Spurs in the Finals. You can’t tell me that wouldn’t be a great match-up. Anyway, the main problem the Spurs had last night was poor shooting, only 41% from the field. Tim Duncan was only 3-of-12 for eight points points plus eight rebounds. Parker led the team with 21 points, Jefferson had 18, and Ginobili had 14 along with eight assists. McDyess finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

Kobe was one rebound short of a triple-double. Guess which rebound he wishes he got. Mwahahaha.

Highlights Below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KgjuG_GhHw