Thursday, November 12th, 2009...4:29 am
Dallas Mavericks 83, San Antonio Spurs 92: the Early Edition
As the “L” emerged from underground somewhere between North/Clybourn and Fullerton, I hurriedly checked my phone to learn the score of the game. Typically I am not that anxious when I miss the first half of a game; I’ve missed plenty before. But when I checked the score before I left the newsroom, I let my poise slip away.
“We’re up at half. I gotta get home.”
If you’ve ever lived in a major city in the Northern United States, you can speak to both the pleasure and the frustration that is public transportation. There have been more than a few nights that, blessedly, I did not have to get behind the wheel of a car; just stumble to the train and remember which stop to get off.
But, on night’s like tonight, you find yourself slamming your foot on the floor, reaching helplessly for an imaginary accelerator that will make the train go faster. In a desperate attempt to mask my frustration, I started rifling through the box score for clues as to how the game had gone.
“Keith Bogans. George Hill. Richard Jefferson. DeJuan Blair. Antonio McDyess.”
Four of our starters didn’t play for the team last year. All five were not on the Spurs during the 2007-08 season. And we were still up at half.
Tonight’s win over the Dallas Mavericks looked like many Spurs wins over the years. Stout defense created a lead. An ill-timed shooting drought closed it back up. The well timed rediscovery of our shooting touch and defensive prowess broke it open again.
But it’s hard to look at the numbers on the jerseys, the names stitched across the shoulder blades, and not smile ever so slightly. If, six months ago, you asked me to guess who would be on the Spurs starting five for the 7th game of the 09-10 season, I would have been incorrect about all five.
Any victory over the Mavericks feels tremendous. But unlike our win over Toronto, I can honestly say I am happy with the manner in which we won, not just the win itself. With that in mind, I am going to take some time, look at the game tape and, over the next couple of days, really dig into what is easily the Spurs most impressive win of the season.
28 Comments
November 12th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Seeing a Spur dunking in games with remarkable consistency is just a sight for sore eyes. So, so good to have some athletes on the team now who can manufacture some easy points! RJ’s really fitting in and Bogans was a relevation yesterday with his defense and 3 pt shooting.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Who was a bigger free agent pickup - McDyess, or Bogans?
I’m kidding, of course Dice is huge, bringing a grittiness that the Spurs lacked last year, but Bogans is impressing the hell out of me. I hadn’t even heard of him before the signing.
And I’m beginning to see what RJ can do, and what a tough match up he is. When I saw him defended by Terry and by Howard at different points, each of those Mavs looked small, something that had never occurred to me before.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I was at the game last night, and I was very impressed with McDyess. He seemed much, much more comfortable with his defense, although I suspect it was because his primary instructions were probably to stick as close to Dirk as possible.
Jefferson looked much more comfortable as well. I’ll second the comment from Jimbo. It was definitely nice to see some dunking (and a bunch of near-dunks) from him. He’s been much more aggressive.
I think, in this regard, it has been nice to have Tim & Tony out. With fewer people to take up minutes and take up possessions, the new guys have been much more aggressive and filling roles they are much more comfortable with.
Jefferson is used to being a primary option, and not as used to being the low man on the totem pole. Without Tim & Tony, he looks much more confident in looking for his shot and taking it to the rim, whereas previously, he seemed mostly content to float out on the perimeter and pass the ball around.
Blair had foul trouble, but I think that he learns a bit more and the referees get used to how he plays, that’ll go away. He’s had several calls go against him the last couple of games as he’s stepped up to take charges. Once he gets his timing down (and he gains the reputation as someone takes charges — for whatever reason that seems to matter), those will start to go in his favor.
Bogans looked really good last night too. Good strong defense, and he made enough shots to keep the defense honest. Nicely done. I’d still like to see some of those minutes go Hairston’s way, but it’s nice to start to see why the coaching staff is leaning in his direction.
On a more vindictive note, I had the opportunity to sit in a luxury box for the game (so people I work with invited me), and we had a good view of Mark Cuban’s seat. It was a wonderful sight to see him alternately pulling out his hair and slumping in his seat. I could almost imagine tears glistening in his eyes. Very satisfying.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Oh, one other thing. Was I the only one confused about why we bothered with that quick run with Ratliff? He wasn’t even out there long enough to break a sweat. We couldn’t have used those couple of possessions to dust off Mahinmi or Haislip? I understand they’re probably trying to protect Theo from getting hurt, but throwing him in there cold for 45 seconds in the second half isn’t going to help those aging muscles either.
I trust the coaching staff, but I’d also like to see Hairston, Mahinmi, and to a lesser extent Haislip get some burn so we can get a better idea of how they can/will contribute.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:52 am
I think the story last night was the defense McDyess played on Dirk. I am curious about Dirk’s fg% against him vs. everyone else. He really got under Dirk’s skin too, which is always a pleasure to see. Don’t want to get ahead of myself, but could he be the Dirk Stopper?
November 12th, 2009 at 8:06 am
The things that most impressed me in yesterday’s game were:
1. Defense. I don’t think any Maverick except Marion shot higher than 50% from the field. That is certainly something we can live with.
2. Every Spur except Roger Mason and Michael Finley had a positive +/-.
3. Defense on Nowitzki. Everyone who defended him was on him aggresively (this included McD, Bonner, Blair, Manu, and Bogans)and even shots he took close to the hoop were contested. Props to Bonner, McD and Blair (nice shot block on Dirk).
4. Overall team play: We just seemed much more active on defense and offense and not getting outrebounded by the Mavs (a’la last year’s playoffs).
Now that props are out of the way, I have to nitpick:
1. Free throws: 52% is not acceptable and hopefully was just a one game thing.
2. Manu not taking shots inside. Many a time he would drive to the hoop and kick it outside for a 3 point attempt. Learned later that he had a strained hamstring (or was it calf?). Maybe it was because of this.
3. Too many 3 point attempts. Is it just me or did it feel like we took too many 3s?
All said and done a W is a W and with Duncan and Parker out, I will take it.
Caution:
In Feb/March last season, with two of our stars out we beat the Mavs and come playoff time it did not matter. This game though well played by the Spurs is just that - a regular season game. Good morale boosting win but not necessarily an indicator for the way future games may go. Apologies for the long post.
P.S: Normally I do not like to complain about refs, but does it seem that Nowitzki got too many calls yesterday for tripping on his own two feet and throwing up his arms?
November 12th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Damn, we killed a healthy Dallas team with basically a 9 man rotation and without Tony & Tim. I’m really liking this team. Defense is not dead in SA. It just needed some resuscitation, and by that, I mean 7 minutes from Findog off the bench, and Bogans starting. I don’t even think Pop can be disappointed with our overall performance (I can’t say anything about individual performances. Pop is Pop, as we all know). Well, we could have fouled a bit less, but some of that was due to poor officiating. Once we’re able to play this smoothly with Timmy & Tony back in the line-up and have Mason Jr. break out of his shooting slump, our Spurs will know no bounds.
Go Spurs Go!
November 12th, 2009 at 8:27 am
RJ’s breakout game!
November 12th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I’d say it was more of Bogans’ breakout game.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Good game by Spurs, starting to gel and give consistent defensive effort. Mason Jr seems to be rushing his shots.
But, I still question how we’ll do against teams with interior bigs. We seem made for small ball with Blair, Bonner, Jefferson and Finley playing the 4 spot.
Against teams with post players that exist on Magic, Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, Nuggets, and Trailblazers, the teams we need to compete against for championships, I still have questions.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I’ll admit that the Duncan and Parker being out has been beneficial for our team in that the new guys are getting some room to expand their games without worrying about deferring. But I’ll only admit it so long as no one here goes on about how the team would be better off without Tony and/or Tim (read the Mysa.com comments to see the idiotic takes I’m talking about).
Was at the game last night too (at ever game, sweet). And I gotta say a three-game poster streak is the longest in Spurs history. It’s fun breaking out the old Mutumbo/cookie monster voice for a “I like RJ dunk way better. Malik dunk nice, but RJ dunk had style” (see Spurs 2003 championship videos for reference) everytime RJ throws one down.
There are so many odd sites when watching the Spurs these days that its bewildering to a fan, let alone a team that’s trying to put it all together. I mean, a small forward who can post up and throw it down? Never. A point guard who can hit a three-pointer? Kudos George Hill.
The only thing that seemed to slow us last night was an extended period of a 2-3 zone the Mavs ran. Our shooters are still cold and it was at that point we could have used Tim or Tony to get into the middle of that zone and rip it to shreds rather than settling for threes.
Also, Keith Bogans?! who knew? Did you guys see his block (or Blair’s for that matter), or his Eurostep drive in Toronto? I despised him in preseason but it’s two games now I’ve been pleasantly surprised and if put another two or three together this month (reasonable I think) I’ll be won over as a short term solution.
I’ll write my own posts about this game at some point today, but on this site and in closing I’d like to close with some thoughts on RJ dunking: As I’ve grown to be more knowledgeable in basketball, watching the Spurs games have been more about appreciating basketball rather than a general excitement. Even in their titles. With RJ I find myself actually getting to the edge of my seat whenever he has a clear lane and some momentum…it’s a new sensation as a Spurs fan. We’ve had some poster dunkers before (Malik-sorry Mutumbo, his was nicer-and Derek Anderson to name two) but none other than early David could do it on the consistency RJ can.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I think the best part of seeing Jefferson and Dice playing as been the mean streak they both possess. On more than one occasion last night, Dice and Dirk were shoving, and things seemed to be getting a little testy.
We really have not had that on any Spurs team, with the exception of Manu (sometimes) and Horry (long gone).
I can’t help but smile and laugh while I watch the games though, as Jefferson relentlessly attacks the rim, drawing fouls, screaming, and dunking. Manu didn’t even have a good game (for him) and we still pulled it out.
Sean Elliot summed it up best when he said “The next 6 months are going to be FUN”
November 12th, 2009 at 8:59 am
LVmainman-The Lakers remain the only team whose frontline concerns me. With the Blazers, Mavs, and Magic; Aldridge, Dirk and Lewis can be guarded by Jefferson (he’s a bit bigger than Bruce if you haven’t noticed) because of their jumpshot oriented game. Wallace on the Celts is in a similar position (look at his shot chart). Though a Perkins/Garnett combo could cause some problems. Denver only has one big who can create on offense (Nene). This time around I’m not as concerned with our small ball lineups because we have a small ball 4 in Jefferson who is strong enough to hold his ground, rebounds well enough to get away with it, and is athletic enough to make the other teams pay for it with something other than a three-pointer.
November 12th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Last night’s game was a good one with many positives for the Spurs. I believe it was a second in back to back for the Mavricks, both on the road, which gave them some disadvantage, but of course, the Spurs were without Timmy and Tony. We meet again on the 18th in Dallas and that will be interesting.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Great game last night.
Heart, intensity, active hands.. everything you want from your team.
I would love to see everyone continue to play this hard once Tim and Tony come back instead of becoming passive.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am
jesse
well said, i mean you described my feelings exactly and im sure most spurs fans. i find myself standing up most of the game too. George got DEFENSE in his bones, im not saying i dont love parker because hes one of the best pg’s in the league right now and almost feel like he’s a family member lol, but wow i love george hill’s defense!!! i mean parker scores, but he also lets pg’s score all the time, the thing that worried me the most was parkers comments about leaving when tim leaves, im just gald we have a great back up pg.
I too have noticed that RJ is alot more aggresive since tim and tony are gone, do you think this might change his role as a starter? sounds silly but if you had him as your #1 option off the bench he would be extremely effective!! I am worried about gasol and bynum but w/those kind of injuries, it sure keeps you from playing your best for a while. and if its as light as they said it was he wouldnt be out until xmas i think its pretty bad
November 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
zack,
i like you idea of rj coming off the bench. parker, duncan, and bonner will provide some offensive punch with our 1st unit. a second unit that would include ginobili and jefferson sounds extremely dangerous. its all about spreading out the offense throughout the game. of course, manu, tim, tony, rj, and possibly dice will finish the game.
i , and i think most, stick by the idea we need another shot blocker. either give theo some more minutes or pull mahinmi up.
great win last night. couldn’t be more proud of the intensity. win or lose, gotta love those spurs
November 12th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I was looking for Blair’s block on dirk and I found this link on ESPN Spurs message boards (thanks ironman2886). It is at the 4:25 mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMPBooQ1vXg&feature=player_embedded
November 12th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
RJ off the bench? There needs to be a balance of slashers in both the starting lineup and secondary lineup. Otherwise the bench will just be coming in sooner to help keep the pace.
If everyone were healthy, it might look like:
Duncan/McDyess/RJ/Bogans/Parker
RJ can spot up, but also can scare teams by diving to the basket. Bogans doesn’t have that ability. You also want to make it so it is difficult for defenses to cheat on Duncan or Parker (pack the lane).
It’s good to have Manu and RJ on slightly different schedules because it means you have a slasher in at all times who can also pass pretty well. With Manu, you already have Hill (who gets better by the day).
November 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Not feeling RJ coming off the bench. We do need some athleticism in our starting lineup because we have it, AND energy (two different things) coming in spades off the bench (Manu, George and Blair). Plus, it would be nice if Parker had someone, ANYONE, to join him in producing Spurs fast break points.
Speaking of which, it seems at least once or twice a game Hill is just outright ripping his opponents dribble and creating a turnover. We might not ever suffocate opposing teams as we once did-we simply don’t have the length of a boston in our frontline anymore-but I would argue we can make up for it by some trapping and creating turnovers.
We can create some more Jefferson touches by featuring him at the end of the first or third quarters, when Parker leaves for some rest and before Manu takes over. Good problem to have, no?
November 12th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I didn’t think the Spurs would beat the Mavs without TD and TP.
I was so impressed by how Dirk was just shut down, even if he had 29 points, he shot 9/27, which is just terrible. I think if other guys had taken some of his missed shots instead, maybe it would have been a closer game.
Defense looked quite sharp yesterday. The Mavs’ field goal percentages were horrid.
I also was very impressed by RJ, he knows he had to step up now that Duncan and Parker are out, and he did!
Seems like Manu has f0und his touch from downtown again…the whole team actucally; first time in franchise history that the Spurs have back-to-back games with 14 3’s made!
And yesterday highest points scored under Pop ever, all that sounds pretty good to me…but they have to play defense like last night, every game. After all, that’s the true Spurs’ way…with, on top, a dunk from RJ every now and then.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
As far as starting Jefferson on the bench, I don’t know if I would agree with that. I can’t argue with the chemistry of the guys we have been putting out there so far.
The new guys haven’t had time to jell with the starts yet, especially since Parker and Duncan sitting out, but the offense has looked the most fluid it has all season in our last two games…
November 12th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Lets not forget it takes a special type of player to be not just starter quality, but all star or super star quality and be willing to come off the bench. Manu is one such player, and Jason Terry seems to be another. Allen Iverson is obviously not one such player.
Who knows how RJ would react to being brought off the bench. Also, who would start in his place? Finley?
November 13th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I don’t agree with the “RJ coming off the bench” crowd.
Call me old fashioned, but I like it when our 5 best players start and finish the game.
The lone exception is Manu, but even then, the only reason he came off the bench in the past was because our bench was so weak. Not the case anymore.
5 best players
C - Duncan
PF - McDyess
SF - Jefferson
SG - Ginobili
PG - Parker
Bench - Hill, Blair, Bogans, Mason, Bonner, Finley, Ratliff
November 13th, 2009 at 9:10 am
One more point -
I think sometimes Pop and we the fans overthink our line-ups like there’s some kind of magic elixir out there of player combos.
I can’t see what’s wrong with playing our strongest guys together, make other teams adjust to our line-ups, and substitute accordingly to match-up issues that unfold.
I know it’s still early so experimenting is better now than later. It will be great when the rotations are set and we can see what we’ve got.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Still better to have Manu off the bench so that you can always have one of the big 4 in the game.
Parker and Duncan will tend to dominate the ball, and will provide opportunities for 3 point shots.
RJ provides that guy who can slash and shoot, but can also get to the line.
To get the best out of all the talent, you want to stagger it slightly so you don’t have huge drop offs when the second unit is in.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
[...] Antonio just beat up Dallas while playing without Duncan and Parker. Well then. I don’t even have anything to add. That’s [...]
November 14th, 2009 at 4:42 am
For me it was all about Bogans and Dice in the starting lineup - they completely changed the complexion of our defence.
Bogans has been a successful swing defender for some years, particularly in Orlando, and it looks like we finally have a guy to successfully hassle Dirk (and other mobile forwards like Odom and West) in Antonio.
Also, I can’t wait to see what can develop between Tim and Dice as their defensive chemistry grows. Anyone who remembers Dice and the Wallaces in 2005 knows what an excellent defender he can be in a strong system next to a trusty big man.
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