Corporate Knowledge: February 8, 2012

by Jesse Blanchard

Since the beginning of the Gregg Popovich era, the San Antonio Spurs have valued experience and system above all else. They refer to this as “Corporate Knowledge.” At 48 Minutes of Hell we too value experience, information, and insight on all things Spurs and look forward to providing you with links and quick-hitting analysis for your daily dose of Corporate Knowledge.

• Was Manu Ginobili’s injury a blessing in disguise? That depends on how Ginobili returns from surgery after starting the season on a scorching tear. But it has had some benefits, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News points out. He also delivers my favorite line about Danny Green for the season:

“Had Ginobili been healthy, would Gregg Popovich have discovered that Danny Green is the kind of player whose fortitude makes up for marginal physical gifts and a routine skillset?

• The San Antonio Spurs got off to a great start on their Rodeo Road Trip with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. If the rest of their road trip continue to be a success, Jeff McDonald of the Express-News says the Spurs can look back to their overtime loss in Dallas as the turning point of the season.
• In the Spurs win over Memphis the offense went through long droughts (discouraging), but it was the defense that allowed them to hold onto a victory (more encouraging than the droughts were discouraging). Jeff McDonald and our own Andrew McNeill have their own takes on the Spurs defense.
• (Insider only) With inconsistent production and minutes from game-to-game sometimes it’s important to remember that DeJuan Blair is still a young player. Over at ESPN, David Thorpe and John Carroll still have high hopes for Blair, listing him as the 12th best player under the age of 25, slotted between Ty Lawson and DeMarcus Cousins:

“Blair has brute strength and a tremendous feel for the game. He runs the court, establishing early position. Blair fundamentally uses angles and positioning to lock up his opponents in the paint, often finishing in the paint over taller opponents. Tremendous pickup for the Spurs.”

• The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season. They are deep, they are athletic, but lately they are also injured. John Mitchel off the Philadelphia Inquirer reports the Sixers could be without the services of Spencer Hawes and Elton Brand tonight.
• Zach Lowe of The Point Forward offers up a great scouting report of the Philadelphia 76ers in the last 40 seconds of any quarter.

There is a joke going around that perhaps the thing should be nicknamed the “Lou-for-one.” The man himself endorsed that nickname, though he did so with a nonchalant shrug befitting of a player who cares not for your time concerns. “It’s just part of how we play,” Williams said. “If there are 30 or 40 seconds left, I pretty much want to shoot.”