Pregaming: Spurs vs. Jazz

by

AT&T CENTER — It’s the last home game of the season and it’s becoming fairly anticlimactic. The Spurs have wrapped up home court advantage in the Western Conference Playoffs, and though home court in the Finals is still up in the air, there doesn’t seem as much desperation on the front.

With that, let’s take a look at a few notes from pregame of the Spurs’ final home game against the Utah Jazz.

  • The only major news pregame is that Antonio McDyess will not play, and DeJuan Blair will start in his place. Dice isn’t injured, just old. Basically. Dice gets a night off.
  • Tiago Splitter looks a lot like a low post player, much more than he did earlier in the season. Splitter and Blair are usually the two players getting some work in when I get to the arena, before Coach Pop does his pregame press conference, so they’re the two I see the most of. Splitter footwork has improved tremendously this season he’s much smoother in the post getting into his moves and reacting to defenders.
  • It’s interesting watching the opposing players who come out to get shots up, and seeing how they’re greeted by Spurs players, especially the older vets like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Before today’s game, Paul Milsap came out and was pretty much ignored by Duncan and Parker. Then Devin Harris came out and got a man-hug from Duncan and a shout-out from Parker.
  • I asked Coach Pop during his presser about lineups featuring DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner, hoping to get some reasoning to pass along to y’all about why he plays them together. I got none.”Well, I don’t like those two together more than I do any other two, it’s just the way the substitutions go. They’re going to be on the floor together, whether I like it or not. You got to put two other guys in, and they’re the subs. If they’re doing well, I like it. If they’re not, I guess I don’t.”
  • Obviously, Coach Pop is being a little coy. There are reasons he likes playing Blair and Bonner together, but he’d rather not say too much. And asking Pop straight up why he likes to play Blair over Splitter will get me a death stare and no response. It’s not being brave enough to ask questions with Pop, that’s not that hard. It’s asking questions that will get you genuine answers that is difficult.

Related posts:

  1. 3-on-3: What the Spurs have with DeJuan Blair
  2. Holt driving a new amnesty provision
  • Bruno

    Well done, i enjoy read these news, good to know how the players/coach work. Thanks

  • AmyfromLA

    Thank you for continuously providing insight to little things from pre-game workouts to pre- and post-game interviews. I appreciate everything you guys do here to give us fans another peek into our favorite team. =)

  • DorieStreet

    I guess it the Spurs’ familiarity with the ex-Mav Harris that generate the warm greetings. It’s one of those curious things you can observe when attending games in person and getting there early.

    Blair, Bonner, Splitter - their names have far and away dominated 48MOH posts of late, and will continue to do so during the playoffs, as they man the positions where the Spurs are deemed too weak to pursue and capture the title (along with too much dependence on the 3pt shot).

    Hope the squad gets it going early and complete a home finale victory.

  • fkj74

    Would love too see Duncan, Splitter, Parker, Manu, and Hill for extended minutes.

  • TD = Best EVER

    No DiCe means a lot of SPLITTER tonight folks……Enjoy…..

  • Bruno

    @TD = Best EVER
    After those DNP-CDs, I am not so sure…

    Pop should rest Manu and Timmy too…

  • Dr. Who

    Many thanks fr asking the questions (even though you say thy are easy to ask) that many do not! True Pop CIA fashion… There is a reason in his head but we don’t see it. Great insight, making this the bet place to follow the Spurs. Lotsa Tiago tonight, he may be playing for PT. Should be fun and let’s hope the Bulls lose at some point.

  • Mark B

    I don’t think Pop even tells his players exactly what he thinks about them, instead he says stuff he thinks will motivate them to perform better. If he said something different to the press, it would undermine that effort. I think it’s a good idea to ask the questions, but of course, the coach is not going to always answer.

  • idahospur

    On a different issue, one of the posts a few games back talked about a quote that would appear on Pounding the Rock website. Well, I completely missed it (I don’t check PTR enough, compared to this site). So if anyone knows what I am talking about and can give me the post on this site as well as what it refers to on PTR would be very appreciated.

    Thanks.

    GO SPURS GO!!!!

  • MSteele

    Come on Pop your a great coach but you have to give Splitter more mins. Your playing with a three man big rotation. Its really annoying.

  • tradetp…..for rose

    I wanted to compare some numbers:

    All three of these players play 20 mpg

    ppg Or Dr Tr Stl Ast Blk FG% TO PF
    8.2 2.6 4.3 6.9 1.2 1 .54 .500 1.4 2.6

    7.2 .9 2.7 3.6 .4 .9 .33 .470 .43 1.6

    5.3 1.7 3.7 5.4 .5 1.1 .54 .490 1 2.2

    EFFICIENCY

    12.32

    8.94

    9.08

    Care to guess the players????

    DeJuan Blair

    Matt Bonner

    Antonio McDyess

    Playoffs last year:
    DeJuan got his minutes halved yet his production from season stats improved..

    Bonner does as always and shoots HORRIBLY when athletic players D him up/pressure situations. Career 31% from three in playoffs 14/44

    McDyess saw an increase in minutes during the Playoffs last year. Improved his shooting % and rebounding. But he only averages 6ppg.. so…

    DeJuan has his name on 15 ranks (per NBA.com) in which he is 47th or better in the NBA. ALL DIRECTLY RELATED TO STEALS/REBOUNDING (so defensive categories) as well as efficiency.

    Bonner has his name on 1. Best 3% shooter in NBA

    McDyess has his name on 4 which he is 21 or better (all behind Dejuan except for Blocks per 48 minutes)

    For ALL around game and minutes deserved how can ANYONE justify Blair as a weakness when STATISTICALLY he outperforms both on both ends of the floor per minute and per 48?

    Blair needs to be a bigger part of the playoff rotation this year. McDyess is old, too unathletic/slow, and not a weapon on offense. Blair is clearly better on the glass, shooting, stealing, passing, insert any other category you want to here.

  • Bruno

    Great finish in 1st half byHill, RJ, Neal. Splitter knocked a guy in the head. Only Parker/Bonner playing bad

  • Mark B

    What’s the deal with giving up so many easy alley-oop plays? I counted 4 or 5. It’s gotta be a slow rotation, not to mention that the passer isn’t getting any pressure.

    Any, nice little run at the end of the half. Hopefully there will be another big 3rd quarter like there was against Sac … I mean Anaheim … followed by extended garbage time for the 4th.

  • Titletown99030507

    Thanks for asking the questions. Good job. This is the place to be for real Spurs insight. Game is on DVR. Not watching will dissect it later.

  • DorieStreet

    Followed the game on the internet; glad the team got a win for the home crowd in the final game at AT&T Center. I’ll leave the disection/analysis to those who laid eyeballs on the contest.

  • Bob

    I am getting tired of the posts where people think Pop has some secret master plan to improve the defense. He’s basically already said he doesn’t see the defense getting any better. He’s also said they are not going to win it all without playing better defense. I don’t see where you can read more into that. Regularly allowing teams to shoot 50% can probably only take you as far as the second round. I just don’t see the Spurs winning it all with offense.

  • play tiago

    see name

  • Jeremiah

    Just because I’ve done this the last few games….

    Bonner/Splitter stats comparison time!

    Bonner: 22 minutes, 7 points (1-6 from 3), 2 defensive boards, 2 assists
    Splitter: 19 minutes, 13 points, 8 boards (5 offensive), 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

  • MSteele

    The game was quite fustrating for the 1st quarter then I remembered that the game didn’t matter. It got much more watchable after that.
    Splitter got schooled in the post by Jefferson but he played very well offensively, challenged other shots and rotated over to prevent their perimeter guys from attacking the rim. Nice game. Liked the aggressiveness from RJ and just great offensive basketball all round.

  • Mark B

    Really good game by Splitter. Blair was infuriating … some really good play and some really bad plays. He had a good second half and seems to play well in a lineup with Splitter.

    Bonner clanked 4 3s at the beginning of the 4th, played well before that, but just feeding him the ball when he wasn’t hitting gave the Jazz a chance to catch up. I don’t know what the master plan is for him. Just when I think he’s back on track, he goes cold again.

    The only ugly thing about Splitter’s game is his free throws. He looked really good tonight, although he couldn’t stop Jefferson at all. When Jefferson got him 1-on-1, he scored at will.

    Also nice game by Richard Jefferson. In addition to spot up 3s, he actually attacked the basket some. He looked much more involved than he has in a long time.

  • MSteele

    Btw that’s no knock on Splitter, Jefferson is one of the best offensive post players in the league. He showed Tim up a few times as well in the 1st quarter.

  • DorieStreet

    P.S. -I meant final regular season game -

    @Bob

    Fans have diverse opinions and perspectives on how they see this team moving forward. You read them all -ponder & respond to those that pique your interest, in a good or bad way; and dismiss the ones that you think are whack.

    The big debates for the final road trip: (1) rest or rust; (2) how much time each reserve gets to play.

  • Bruno

    Man, Spurs defense will be better with Timmy playing 35 minutes/game and (i hope) Blair/Bonner don’t play (much)together.

    This RJ is who i want to see in playoffs!!
    About Splitter, he didn’t played well in defense against Al Jefferson, but draws some charges and you don’t see easy layups when he is on the floor.
    In offense he played very well, 13 points(5-7 FG)/8 rebounds in 18 minutes!

  • Titletown99030507

    Good point MSteele, I think Al Jefferson schooled whoever was covering him. He’s a bad dude. The second half was funner to watch especially the fourth. I noticed after watching Splitter play during the season it takes him longer stretches to get going but when he does he gives everything kinda like a big Manu. Now only if he can play like a big Manu by next season would be great. I know I’m getting ahead of my self here but add a cocky developed Ryan Richards next season then the future doesn’t look to bad post Timmy.

  • rob

    As far as playing Bonner and Blair at the same time…I’m sure there’s some reasoning to it. But it’s only reasoning that Pop alone has in his decision. Perhaps it’s something he sees as an advantage during the playoffs. Then again it could be something he’s stubbornly trying to work out. Who knows?

    All he (or the fans care about) is that the best rotations are being applied during the playoffs. For…by the time that roles around…it’s going to take the best rotations and excellence as a team to advance and have a chance to win it all.

    I wonder if any player that might be having a difficult time during the playoffs will be substituted for the better of having a chance to win a series over sticking to what may be the initial thought to winning a series.