Pregaming: Spurs vs. Bulls

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The Spurs return for their first game at the AT&T Center since February 4. That was a long time ago. So long, in fact, that Manu Ginobili was still nursing his first injury of the season.

That said, we’ve got a few pregame notes for you:

  • Speaking of Manu Ginobili, he and Kawhi Leonard are both out tonight against the Bulls. Manu with the strained oblique and Leonard with the tightness in his calf muscle. TJ Ford and Tiago Splitter will play.
  • Spurs assistant coach Chad Forcier had Cory Joseph running through a hell of a tough pregame workout. Joseph was doing a lot of 1-on-2 full court fast breaks against a couple of younger Spurs assistants. TJ Ford will be in uniform tonight, so. Joesph’s chances of playing some meaningful minutes are pretty slim. Hence the tough workout.
  • The Bulls do an interesting thing during pregame shoot around in that they have some of their players warmup by taking close range shots with a medicine ball. I saw both Omer Asik and Derrick Rose doing this.
  • There are an awful lot of Bulls fans at the AT&T Center already tonight. As always folks, blame Michael Jordan.
  • Typically in the first game back after the Rodeo Road Trip, the AT&T Center doesn’t smell very pleasant. In fact, it smells like crap. But credit goes to the arena crews for making the place smell respectable tonight.
  • Tonight is new-ish signing Eric Dawson’s first game in the AT&T Center and it showed. While we were waiting for Coach Pop to emerge for his pregame press conference, Dawson came out for his time at shoot around… and headed right for the players’ parking lot. An arena worker directed him the proper way to get to the floor.
  • Adam

    Popovich had a tough night at the bench. Yes, even coaches have a bad game, and tonight coach Pop had a bad game against the Bulls. Two big reasons, first Jefferson can’t guard anyone and he went with Jefferson in crunch time instead of Green, and he paid the price. Jefferson could not close out on shooters and as a result the Bulls knocked down the open shots. Period.

    Second, TJ Ford was very rusty coming back from such a long layoff and this was not the game for Ford to return to the lineup. In the 3rd quarter when the Spurs regained the lead and Timmy and Neal were rolling, Pop should not have brought Ford back into the game. Ford was obviously struggling in the first half, and he should have kept his butt nailed to the bench. Bad move. The rhythm and chemistry the Spurs had in the 3rd quarter quickly left in the early fourth quarter because Ford struggled so badly. He is not used to playing with Tiago Splitter, so in essence Splitter was ineffective offensively when playing with Ford.

    By the way, I’m I the only one irritated at the ridiculously under sized center, De Juan Blair, - not rebounding as he proclaimed he would as a Spur? I mean, really? Who tries to tap offensive rebounds from 3 and 4 feet away from the rim that many times a game? Certainly not Joakim Noah. His tip ins are always right at the rim. Just check the footage. Grab the damn rebound and kick it back out to reset the offense Blair. Those are just wasted opportunities at second chance points.

    Finally… Get rid of Ricard Jefferson, that guy will not help the Spurs win. Sorry if you are a die hard Jefferson fan, but that guy is a defensive liability and an offensive ZERO. …An expensive ZERO.

    -Adam Rendon

  • Bob

    I’ve got to agree. DB’s being selfish. Either make sure you get the close shot or grab
    the rebound and reset the offense. That’s what a team first player
    would do. In fact guys like Oberto used to be good at tapping the
    rebound back into the backcourt so our guards could recover it.