Saturday, November 7th, 2009...7:43 am
San Antonio Spurs 84, Portland Trailblazers 96
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Another disappointing loss on the road. Before the game I said I’d be happier if the Spurs lost a defensive-minded battle than if we won an open-ended, high scoring game. By no means does last night’s game leave me content; the Blazers had a 106.7 offensive efficiency rating. But throughout the second, third and fourth quarters (our defense was terrible in the first), I saw glimpses of the kind of defensive intensity that the Spurs will have to recapture of they hope to get back to the Finals.
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30 Comments
November 7th, 2009 at 8:14 am
i think its time to get rid of bonner he is a defensive liability and start playing some of the younger guys like haislip and hairiston and see what they can do i wish pop wasnt so stubbon with his rotation and give some of these other guys a chance to see what they can do
November 7th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Although the Spurs generally looked bad, particularly their poor shooting and weak interior defense (again), there were a few bright spots. By the end of the game, Ginobili had his handle back, RJ looked much more confident and aggressive at both ends of the court, and McDyess’ offensive skill came through. Even Bogans played a few solid possessions on defense. It wasn’t enough to pull out the win, and by and large the Spurs played a poor game, but I’m feeling a little better about our new players and the rest of the season. If they play like they did in the second half, and we can get our big guys to jump a little higher, we’ll be in good shape.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I was actually pleased with this game (not ecstatic, but still pleased). We played a tough Portland team on their homefloor (where they were one of the best teams in the league last year), withstood a strong start to bring the game within three in the closing minutes (showing a grittiness I was concerned we were lacking), and showed some flashes of the offensive strengths that we’ll need to be successful. And, except for the 1st quarter, we played D. Portland ended up running out the shot clock several times, got close to it several times more, and was clearly frustrated by our D at several junctures. If a few shots of ours had fallen, if a couple of theirs hadn’t, and if a couple close calls had gone our way at the end, we would have walked away with a W (admittedly, that’s a lot of “ifs”). And we would have done it without one of the best point guards in the league, who missed the last three quarters. I loved that Pop yanked RJ after just three minutes, and I loved that RJ responded by picking it up on offense and defense. RJ’s aggressiveness, Manu’s intensity, and Dice’s jumper (not to mention George’s consistent play) were all bright spots. And I actually thought Bogans played very well against Roy, particularly with his ball-denial D. In fact, I tend to think if Pop had left Bogans on Roy instead of siccing Manu on him, we would have slowed Roy down more at the end and would have allowed Manu to have more gas in the tank on the opposite end.
Obviously, this was a loss, and a disappointing one at that (Timmy got ruled after his early hot start, we gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, and Tony didn’t look good before he left the game). But ours is a team that’s still coming together. And watching that RJ monster slam at the end of the game (however much Pop didn’t appreciate it) was thrilling.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Well, you have to see this game as a stepping stone for the Spurs since they had a taste of a come-from-behind game that the Spurs of old had been used to. You can tell that the continuity is still forming, but I see the Spurs being acclimated to much more of these types of grudge-match, fourth quarter games in the future; and I seriously would like to see them play this type of game and lose in game 5 of the season, rather than in games 70 or above.
Still, shutting down the other team is the key of the team, and the Spurs need to do a better job in the 1st and 2nd quarters from entrenching themselves too deep that they have to expend their energy to coming from behind. I by no means have any trouble watching the Spurs lose to the Blazers last night, as long as it lights a fire with the Spurs and makes RJ want to play defense and dunk on you in the clutch, sees McDyess find his role as a high post marksman, and ultimately as long as it gives us clues as to who we can see as Pops prefers on the bench and who he trusts as we make our run into the playoffs.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
1st time in 16 years the Spurs have lost their 1st 3 road games. 0 for 3 against teams that made the playoffs last year.
Duncan couldn’t guard the incompetent Oden on the post? Mason can’t guard Miller, but is on him instead of Blake, then a switch is made with Hill(who was on Blake)? Hill continually getting beat off the dribble?
We needed to sign Nesterovic as a big for the Oden, Shaq, Howard, and Bynum’s of the NBA. Especially if Ratliff is never going to play.
It’s early but I’ve yet to see any signs of progress. Effort and competitive spirit should be an every game occurrence, so just because it occurred in the 2nd half, I don’t see that as a sign of progress.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Well, to keep things in perspective, we played two of the best offenses in the league back-to-back. And we did make a comeback without our best scorer.
But geesh, we comitted a lot of bad non-shooting fouls.
And we either suck around the rim, or Greg Oden’s one of the best interior defenders in the league. Maybe a little of both?
November 7th, 2009 at 10:47 am
The “incompetent Oden”? Really?
5 games into his second year he is averaging 10 pnts 10 rbnds and 3 blks and he just turned old enough to buy his first beer in January. It isn’t the kids fault that some fans/media expected him to to outshine Duncan without any NBA experience. NBA coaches don’t see those kind of stats as “incompetent”. That kids gonna be just fine.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Portland looked really good, I like that team with Oden and Aldridge anchoring the interior, I think Roy is a star in the making. But this isn’t a Portland Trailblazers blog, and I am not a RipCity fan.
I just have to say to a few players on the current roster of the Spurs . . . . . . “Welcome to the San Antonio Spurs!” It was, in my opinion, the first game I saw some real gritty play in a losing effort from Bogans, McDyse, and Jefferson. Can’t say the same for our rookie star Blair, who looked overmatched against a seasoned pro Joel Przybilla.
I think that toward the end of the season, with a first half like the one they had last night, the Spurs pull out the win. But as it is, we missed some shots, missed some defensive assignments, and could not rebound on either end of the floor. Nothing new when compared to the last couple of seasons. Going back to my previous point, a major positive from last night was that the new players actually got to witness what it means to play for the San Antonio Spurs. We don’t just win because we’re good, this isn’t the eastern conference. Each game in the western conference is a conference final and the new guys will do well to wipe the stars from their eyes and start playing like Spurs!!!!
November 7th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Everything went wrong for the Spurs right from the get go. There just too many turnovers within the first few minutes.
Though they were keeping pace with the Blazers, Parker’s injury was severe blow for them to make any progress from this game. This is where Portland capitilize on their game the most.
But remember, at a certain point throughout the game we did came close. The almighty comeback which Spurs were always famous for did seem look possible.
Much largely thanks to Manu’s performance. For a while I felt that he was way off tonight. But as soon as he made one basket, he was back for good. If only that came sooner rather than later.
But in the end, it was our defensive error that let us down. Our offensive was great but just as when you thought that things are happening, they just didn’t.
To ba fair, it was a tough game to loose when you consider how did the team carried without Tony. All hope is not lost yet, that’s what I believe.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Tony Parker is a ball hog. The offense began click when he left the game. Overall the team is coming together. So many new faces makes it almost impossible for an early impact. RJ’s dunk over Oden is EXACTLY what the Spurs lacked. Once Manu finds his rhythm, Duncan improves his conditioning (remember, he did not enter the season in the same shape has in past years) and the new faces become more comftorable in the Spurs system… I imagine the team will look MUCH better.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Parker’s early season injury and our subsequent reliance on Hill is eerily similar to last year. I’m confident Hill will be much better than last year, which wasn’t bad.
I thought it was a great game even if we lost. RJ turned the corner. Dice showed a pulse. Hill competed and kept his wits, which is important for a young PG, and something he does a lot more when Parker isn’t able to play. Manu is still rusty and making horrible mistakes, but that will improve. I’m not sure Tim is really out of shape since he busted his ass losing weight all off-season, but something does seem different about him. He no longer is dominant but still extremely efficient. Blair got schooled more than ever on defense, but I think this should be a good lesson for him, especially in a tense game.
I’m VERY curious to see how Pop interpets the data from this game. He went away from Bonner (which he’s done before) but went away from Finley more than I thought was possible. I think the reality of Finley’s sunset is finally dawning on Pop. Let’s see if Pop recognizes this and…gasp…plays Hairston in the next game, as there now will be an open roster spot with Parker supposedly out for a week.
(Question: can players be in/activated on a game by game basis or is there still a minimum of a few games like there used to be a few years ago?)
November 7th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
“To me, commenting with any certainty on the Spurs seems like a wasted exercise, and not worth your time. It’s almost like discussing the exhibition season. These aren’t the Spurs, and they may not really be the Spurs until winter really takes hold.” -Kelly Dwyer, Ball Don’t Lie
I would just like to say that I completely understand everyone’s frustration. We’re losing, on the road especially, and we don’t look like the Spurs. We’re confused about who is playing, who should be playing, and who will probably play well. We’re upset about rotations. We’re angry about offense. We’re furious about defense.
All of this is okay. We should feel this way. You wouldn’t be a fan if you didn’t. But let’s get a few things straight.
We’re five games into the season. Last year, we started 0-3, were almost without one of our big three each night, and still managed to finish atop our division. Sure, other teams have loaded up. Sure, we look rusty. So what?
Remember how great we all thought it sounded when Pop said he wanted Timmy (and to a certain extent, Manu) to come into camp and the season out of shape? Well, guess what, people? This is the fruit of that idea. A rusty beginning is to be expected.
RJ warned us. He said we’d lose a couple at the beginning. But we’re scared. We see Boston and Denver kicking butt and taking names. We see LA winning without a big man or two and a point guard who turns in a giant bagel in a nail-biter. Heck, we see a Phoenix Suns team that is starting to look, well, good.
I promise you, though. These things will change. Phoenix will look good, but does anybody think they can maintain this or even utilize it for a playoff run? Of course not. LA has essentially the same team as last year. There’s really no adjustment there that’s on par with ours. Same goes for Denver. And Boston. Dallas got destroyed their opening night and looks uneven, too. It’s okay, Spurs fans. We’ll get there. It’s only been five games!
Looking at last night’s game, is there anybody that thinks those will be normal rotations come January? Bogans starting? Really? Blair only five minutes? Ratliff no time at all? Pop is adjusting the team even as it adjusts itself. These are growing pains, and they’re too be expected. Let’s give RJ and Dice and Blair — and, hell, Pop too — the benefit of the doubt.
Let’s leave the panicking for early next year. I know it’s hard to be patient with so much basketball going on, but take a deep breath. I promise you’ll feel better by the end of the year.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Over the last five games it’s become quite evident that we’re confused/undisciplined at interior defense. I know blair is a tenacious rebounder and McD is a solid 4 but when you play the spurs system of basketball the discrepancies between PF and C are murky at best. It doesn’t help that 2 of our 4 “big men” (what’s a theo ratliff?) are 6′8 or shorter. Rather than go into detail about the styles of these big men I’ll simply say this.
We need size.
Although he’s the 2nd tallest guy in the team and I just said we need size, I propose we trade bonner for a good TALL defender like oh I don’t know Theo Ratliff. We don’t need big men that can shoot three’s. EVERYONE on the spurs can shoot three’s. A 15 foot jump shot is nice but we have so much offense with the smalls that i don’t see much else for spurs big men to do but play defense, rebound/put-back and be tall. It’s painfully clear that Duncan can’t jump anymore. We need another stifling presence in the paint. There isn’t a guard in the NBA that is going to think twice about driving against bonner, McD or blair. We might as well go with Nellie Ball at this point. I think we can pull it off.
(In all seriousness, it’s 5 games. We’ll be fine.)
November 7th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
No matter what gelling or conditioning that the team will go through these next few months, I still think we need another young shot blocker/rebounder who can bang and clog the middle.
We are getting murdered on the off. glass and in the paint. Bring in Haislip or find someone else because we can’t make up for Bonner or Blair lack of strength/lateral foot speed or height respectively. We someone to complement Blair or McDyess who are going to be our main PF options off the bench.
When Tim goes to the bench, no one other than Blair or Ratliff - if he even plays - makes an effort to get a off. rebound. Our offense depends on the drive/dish to work and it’s either feast or famine with this approach.
Most of the combos of PF/C have a weakness:
Duncan, Blair, McDyess/Bonner: Bonner causes the defense to play zone and walls up Tony’s penetration and once we brick a three, they can easily box out our PF and get the rebound because all their guys are around the paint area. Defensively, it’s pretty obvious when every team goes iso. on Bonner.
McDyess/Blair: Two guys who aren’t the best with man-to-man defense need a tall, lengthy, and athletic C to come on the weak side to clog the paint and both of them are under 6′10″. McDyess is no spring chicken.
We need a first off the bench true center to back up McDyess, if that’s who eventually starts. I am completely willing to part ways with Bonner and Finley to make that happen. We do not have the personnel to make our 4 shooter sets work effectively anymore. Teams have figured us out.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
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November 7th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I panicked last season when the spurs struggled early in the season… but they won the division title nonetheless, even without Manu for the good chunk of the season and with TD’s ailing knees.
Now when they are starting the season 2-3 (and possibly a worse record to come), it hardly surprises me. Only seven players spent at least a year with the team (I’ve excluded Hairston and Mahinmi who were barely with the team last season) that is (in)famous for having one of the most complex systems in the league. Spurs fans should just kick back and relax, enjoy the team developing into a legitimate contender throughout the season. It’ll take time, but I’m sure they’ll get there eventually.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
It’s almost funny because when the Celtics picked up Garnett and Ray Allen, very few people expected them to be that strong immediately even though their talent was recognized. I wonder if that first dominant season has influenced perceptions of how quickly new stars should contribute to a contender.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:41 am
bonner just played aldridge good last night,but he won’t be consistent so put haislip on and hairston,and let hill be our pg since tony’s out.let manu play the pg role and malik if if hill’s resting.plus bonner doesn’t contribute at all.what kind of coach pop is?!he should play dice as pf or c(starting)and let td be the c.we cant do anything,its the only way we get better,dice played well last night,subtle ways of saying: “hey pop if you played me 30 mins and didn’t let matt start and get rid of his 12 mins to theo and let blair play for like 24mins?we should be winning by then!”come on pop.don’t wait for january with a 2-22 record to say.”hey i need to start the better defensive and offensive guys,say dice?and get rid of matt!”
come on im not loosing faith on this team.its just i wish i was pop and im your spurs head coach,to end this dumbness.and win!use your guys!you got talent,don’t waste it!
November 8th, 2009 at 1:47 am
well caleb’s right but we can’t be too complacent at all. that’s all i care.i think we started 0-3 or 0-8?until that ot game in Minnesota.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:02 am
http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/roster/
marcus williams is now on the memphis grizzlies for iverson’s crap absence. good luck to him
November 8th, 2009 at 10:48 am
That looks like a different Marcus Williams. 6′3″ and from Connecticut?
November 8th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
i have to hand it to the spurs. despite looking totally outclassed by the blazers athleticism at every position, we still had a chance to win the game.
i hear ratliff won’t see any significant minutes because we are saving his 36 yr old legs for the playoffs. is this is the case then PLAY MAHINMI OR HAISLIP! these guys are hungry and have something to prove. i think pop is going to be forced to give them minutes. he can no longer stand by the logic of the lack of athleticism is “not an excuse” for losing. this stubborn viewpoint must change and in response to an earlier comment to acquire nesterovic, he was replaced by muhammed in 05 and would and to this problem.
like it or not, pop has to play these youngns’ and find some answers to this ever-present problem
November 8th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
p.s. mahinmi knows the system better than dice or blair! play him and hairston!!!!!!!!
November 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I really want to see a line-up of Ginobili, Bogans, Hairston, Blair, & Duncan out there tomorrow. I hope Parker being out for a while will allow this to happen.
Go Spurs Go!
November 8th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I’d rather see Mason out there than Bogans, GMT. His D has been better in his limited minutes, plus he’s quicker and better on offense.
Bogans got straight up BURNT by Roy several times. i do not think he is quick enough to handle the quick guards in the league. He doesnt contribute on offense, too slow for perimeter D, remind me again why we have him?
November 8th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
bogans is still a defensive experiment to find in place of bruce bowen. I tthink udoka was actually quite more productive than bogans will ever be. (lets hope I’ve am proved wrong). And udoka shot the three much better than bogans has this season. But its too early to make player judgements. And by the way, pop needs bonner or mahinmis contract to expire next season in order to bring in tiago splitter/nando. The game against toronto will be very interesting as they are a team that is also struggling to win games early in the season. Hmmmm….
November 8th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I was at the game, and from my experience of seeing the Spurs in person over the years, I’ve never seen Pop so pissed at his players. I’ve also never seen Duncan so ineffective and old. I know many people feel he has several years left in terms of a championship window, but after Friday I’m thinking he may not even have this year, and that our deepest hole is at the power forward/center position. He has zero lift and was schooled by Oden (and Boozer during the Jazz game) at both ends. How he’s going to defend the likes of Gasol in a LA match up is beyond me at this point.
My biggest fear, however, is our coaching. Bonner and Finley are incredibly terrible defenders and put added pressure on our interior defenders, who at this point in their careers have diminishing effectiveness, yet continue to receive significant minutes. Additionally, playing small ball puts pressure on Duncan to defend a shot and rebound the ball, which might be managable if our perimeter defense was keeping guys out of the paint, which it hasn’t thus far. I seriously question Pop’s decisions to play Bonner and Finley and small ball, none of which compliment our team’s best players or goals. If we can’t stop penetration, this season is over, and so far we haven’t. At all.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:42 am
i love what pop said about the Utah:
“we played poorly, but we’re only down by 10″.
we’ll figure it out.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:56 am
On a lighter note, I really appreciate the graphical information presented in these last two recaps. Keep up the good work. Hopefully these tools can be used soon to show why the Spurs got a WIN.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:02 am
A lot of people are ragging on Bonner, but I thought Duncan was the weak link in that game. He couldn’t handle Oden defensively. I remember one possession where Oden either caught a pass or an offensive rebound maybe three feet from the net and Timmy stood there while Oden hesitated, then laid it in. And whereas Oden was filling up the lane making it hard for our wings to penetrate, Duncan didn’t make an impact on help D. And 2 boards in the first half, was it? 8 for the game? It didn’t only look like a lack of ups; it also looked like a lack of aggressiveness and drive.
Tony also looked pretty bad for the brief time that he was in the game.
Manu was meh.
I was very impressed with Jefferson. I thought he was by far our best player that game. Not only because he was the only one making shots; he also showed some will and heart, going hard for rebounds when we were getting KILLED on the glass. Hill and McDyess looked good too.
I’m not panicking yet. For one thing, Timmy was averaging almost 14 boards/game coming into this game. Also, the summer is a long time to be away from basket-ball. Hopefully he’s rusty and once he gets back into the swing of things, he’ll be effective. But with our lack of height, I don’t know if effective will cut it. We need him to be dominant to win because the rest of our frontcourt is so weak. Unless Timmy can take over games, I don’t see any way our frontcourt can hang with LA (when healthy), Orlando, Boston, or even Portland (who overwhelmingly won the frontcourt battle the other night). Teams need a strong frontcourt to be effective in the NBA and while I think we’ve improved at other positions this last offseason, we haven’t solved this basic problem. I think we’re still more similar to last season than I’d hoped.
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