San Antonio Spurs 103, Chicago Bulls 94
AT&T CENTER — Upon first glance, Derrick Rose scoring 33 points on 15-27 shooting, including 2-4 from the 3-point line is a scary proposition for the San Antonio Spurs.
But to simply look at the box score would sell short the defensive gameplan the Spurs implemented in their 103-94 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
Rose attacked the rim on a number of occasions and he fired from deep on others. But that wasn’t what could’ve hurt the Spurs. Where the Spurs were vulnerable was when Rose involved his teammates and the San Antonio defense was stretched thin. Luckily, that didn’t happen often.
“We went over the top of screens with him and we tried to get him off that 3-point line,” Tim Duncan said. “He shot the ball really well last night. Â We tried to get him inside the range and contest every shot he got.”
San Antonio got the ball out of Rose’s hands and, when it left, it didn’t return. In a third quarter that saw the Spurs outscore the Bulls 37-12, Tony Parker forced Rose to the corner of the floor off of Chicago’s pick-and-rolls, where Parker and Matt Bonner double-teamed Rose. Most often, Rose had to pass to Luol Deng or Ronnie Brewer on the wing, where they clanged jumper after jumper. In the quarter, the Bulls shot just 26.1% from the floor.
“[Rose is] a handful for any individual and for a team, and he showed why he’s such a great player,” Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said after the game. “I think overall our team play in the second half got it done for us.”
Parker spent most of the first three quarters matched up on Rose defensively. When picks were set for Rose, the Spurs went under the screens to encourage Rose to shoot from deep, as opposed to attacking the basket and possibly setting up teammates.
And through three quarters, it worked. On the occasions where Rose got to the basket, he scored. But when he was forced away from the basket he was ineffective.
“I was little bit too far back in the lane in the first half and he got some of that mid-range stuff going, so we tried to tighten up a little in the second half,” Duncan said. “It’s better if he gets some of those shots in the middle contested as opposed to giving up layups.”
In the fourth quarter, with the Spurs holding an 83-67 lead, Rose turned it up a notch. Tony Parker was on the bench for his customary early fourth quarter breather, and George Hill was defending Rose. The Bulls point guard scored a quick nine points on Hill.
In total, Rose scored 13 points on 5-7 from the floor and hit two 3-pointers in the final frame to keep the Bulls in the game. But whenever Chicago ran pick-and-rolls with Rose anywhere but the middle of the floor, San Antonio was able to trap and force the ball out of Rose’s hands. Outside of Rose, the Bulls shot 24-65 (37%) from the field. Luol Deng struggled the most, putting up 18 points on 17 shots (6-17).
Rose got his, but the Spurs got the win. Eight straight for San Antonio heading into Salt Lake City on Friday night for a matchup with the Jazz.
This was a great comeback win. We were down 17 at one point in the first half and yet came back to win this thing. We are starting to become a really good second half team and a dominant 3rd quarter ball club. In a number of games last year it seemed like we built a nice lead in the first half only to lose or win by a razor thin margin the 4th quarter. This year, our pattern seems to be much different. We seem to start out slowly in the first half and really pick things up in the second half.
First of all, I will say that I’m very happy about our 9-1 start. That record indicates we are doing a lot of things right. However, I do have some concerns about the young guys. IMO, they simply aren’t developing at all. Here is what I see.
*Blair is still struggling mightily and played a season low 11 minutes tonight. I know several, including myself, have defended Blair for the past 10 games, but at some point he’s going to have to produce.
*Splitter, for some inexplicable reason, didn’t log a single second of playing time. I thought he could have matched up well against Noah, but we never saw him tonight after logging only 3 minutes against OKC. We really need Splitter to be playing well and that won’t happen unless he gets NBA playing time.
*Neal is a good player, but hasn’t shot the ball well for the past 3 games. Since his breakout game against the Bobcats, he’s only shot 6 for 20. It also concerns me that Pop is playing him at the SF position. This won’t work long-term.
*Anderson is obviously injured and out for the next 6-8 weeks.
Again, I’m not too worried about this yet, but we are going to need to see marked improvement with several of these players if we are to become an elite team and in the first 10 games, we’ve had VERY slow progress. Perhaps several of them will explode over the next 10 games because we can’t wear out Manu and Tim to win regular season games. We had a good win tonight and I’m really interested to see what happens against the Jazz on Friday. That should be our toughest test of the season so far.
Nice win.
@Andrew
What’s up with TIAGO? He didn’t play at all tonight.
Have you heard of anything about how they are going to play him??
Is POP just going to ice him (especially in the playoffs) cuz he is a rookie.
I think he has shown enough to merit more playing time.
Being 9-1 is great but come playoff time they are gonig to need size in there.
This game left me with my hand still scratching my head. Why the hell did Pop left Tiago w/o minutes on this game? Was it because Tim’s struggles in the past few games and that Pop wants to “acquaint” him back to the line up and make him relevant once again? But we all know that Tim will bounce back if he really wants to. Prior to the game, I want a Tiago vs Noah matchup. But I guess Pop knows better and Im not gonna dispute that. Write me off the list among the Pop haters because Im with him from the very end. Some guys here crucified him last year but no way im gonna do that. One of the reasons is how Pop resigned Bonner in a long term contract. Bonner will always be effective as long as the defense doesn’t concentrate on him. Which is very noticeable this year since the defence focuses more on Manu and Tony.
Kudos to our team. it just 10 games, But what the hell, Im pretty convinced already barring any injuries to the big 4, We might be seeing 5 rings on Tims fingers after the season ends.
I think Pop didn’t play Tiago due to momentum. Timmy played all 12 minutes of the 3rd quarter for instance. Both Bonner and Dice worked really well in the 3-man rotation.
Heck, Bonner started after playing well in the 2nd quarter. He ended with a +29 in the +/- stats.
@Hobson13 – this is why they signed Green (wingspan/shot/defense/knowledge of Pop’s system/UNC guy), so they could avoid overplaying Neal. Much of the time, Manu’s taken the 3 spot, but he’s undersized for that/not as athletic as he once was.
And for anyone that says our record isn’t indicitive of anything right now because the wins are coming against teams with low winning %, I strongly disagree. At this point last season, the Spurs were 4-6 and gave away many winnable games. They would start out fast only to lose any kind of momentum in the 3rd quarter. It seems most games were lost right after halftime last season. This team has shown an ability to come out after the break and establish the things that they have obviously discussed while putting the pressure on the other team. 9-1 record playing against any competition is fantastic for the Spurs’ collective confidence!
I was actually quite happy with this game, and I’m not unhappy with any of the minutes allocated, or with production still being sporadic or slow-developing in some of our younger players. I really believe Pop knows what he’s doing on this. Neal is going to get more consistent with more experience. Pop probably saw some things out there that suggests to him that Splitter could use a short phase of down-time, focusing on up-close observation of what the team is actually doing out there without the concern of being an in-game productive member. I’m not worried about that at all at this stage. Green just got off the plane. Let him get a cup if coffee first before we worry about him giving relief to our 3-guard line-ups. Blair actually has been improving over the past 5 games. He is being productive out there, witness his 5 rebounds in ten minutes. Pop may have seen a match-up that made it favorable to have Bonner’s outside presence in this game. And that’s fine. Other than rebounding, Bonner was effective out there tonight.
The bottom line is we came back from 17 down late in the first half to win with some margin to spare against a very good team. We’ve now won eight straight games, and regardless of the competition that’s nothing to sneeze at. We are also winning all of our close games. And although our overall execution offensively, and particularly defensively remains sporadic, the third quarter tonight was probably the best overall quarter that we have played all season. That is encouraging. Also, on the defensive end, I was happy to see our leaders step it up a bit, particularly in the second half, TP & TD specifically. McDyess is also rebounding better than he has in years, and the overall “effort” has picked up a bit for the team in general.
Our shooting was the pits in the first half, but overall our energy & execution at both ends saw very sharp and active periods in this game. It suggests to me that our team chemistry is improving in fits and spurts, which is a very good signal at this early juncture. I have to say, despite this team’s weaknesses, our club may have “a bit more” potential than I had initially anticipated. I will be anxious to see how we fare against the “bigger” and more experienced teams like Dallas, LA, Boston, etc. to get a better sense of this. Certainly the hot and well-coached Jazz will be a big test on the road Friday. Should be interesting.
wow TP cheated on Eva with Brent Barry’s wife…WOW!!…shame on you TP….all I hope is it doesn’t affect the Spurs’ play……..it would be too bad after such a promising start!!!
Back on September 23rd, 2010 I ask this question:
“how many games can the Spurs win out of the first ten?”
This was my prediction,
“I think they can go 8-2; losing to Phoenix and Chicago.”
Here are some of the answers I got, interesting stuff:
BlaseE
“I think 7-3 is the worst we can do”
Francesco
“I’d be happy to finish 7-3″
Jim Henderson
“Best case, probably 7-3. Highest potential losses: Suns, Bulls, Rockets, OKC”
I think this post by Jim Henderson was the best:
Of all the great teams we’ve had for more than two decades we’ve NEVER had a team start out better than 8-2. Thus, 9-1 can only be considered the best “fantasy†case this year, but certainly not a “realistic†best case.
How about it Jim? Realistic or fantasy?
Again I must temper this win with consideration that the Bulls were on a second of a back to back while the Spurs had a day of rest at home. Not that it makes this win any less important or meaningless with regards to the overall scope. It’s great to see this team winning games that they were losing in similar instances compared to last year.
It was mentioned in another article of 48 that DeJuan may be in jeopardy of losing his starting spot. We might have seen the beginning of that last night when Bonner started the second half over Blair. His rebounding is not the question. He has and probably will remain at great per 36 rebounder. But in order to be (play) a more significant role, Blair has to become a more dependable/consistent player in other facets of the game. Otherwise he’ll only manifest into a player of one deminsional proportion and thus become only situational with regards to importance.
In other words Blair (and eventually Splitter after being given some time to develop) will need to become trusted to be counted on and more of a factor in these types of games in order to warrant realistic expectation of what their future may hold.
I wouldn’t put too much into some’s concern regarding Neal. He’s being asked to play a position he normally wouldn’t be playing and giving his best while waiting on Anderson to heal and Green to become acclimated. I see more developmental potential in him thus far than I’ve seen in others on this team. Matter of fact…I’ve seen potential in Neal to possibly playing some PG on this team. He’s done some good things regarding being able to create off the dribble which I thought was supposed to be one of his weakest attributes.
Utah next. That’s one team last year that gave the Spurs problems. Looking forward to watching this game.
Add to that…I do think somehow, some way the Spurs will eventually add a rim protecting big to the roster if Splitter or Blair do not develop into consistent rotational players.
Did you guys know that Matt Bonner left tonight’s the game due to back spasms???
Sources say he got hurt after colliding with Noah. I hope he’s ok.
@Pop-a-vich
Bonner seemed fine after the game. In the locker room, he told a few of us he was planning on sleeping on his bathroom floor with his feet up against the wall. Who knows if he actually did it or not.
Regarding Splitter, Pop didn’t give any reason for the lack of minutes, though Jeff McDonald tweeted during the game that Pop said earlier in the week that someone could end up being the “odd man out” in the rotation this week. We’ll see how Friday goes.
Also of note is that DeJuan Blair didn’t play in the second half until garbage time. Bonner started the second half.
@ ITGuy
I like the sound of fantastic reality.
Hobson13,
I don’t think Blair not playing after his first stint had anything to do with his indivdual play. He was active on D, causing a couple of TOs, had 5 boards and an assists. Unfortunately, it seemed that the team, while rebounding well and playing solid D, couldn’t find the basket on O so Pop made a change. Playing Bonner certainly opens things up on offense and with TD and McDyess dominating the glass, they didn’t make us pay that way.
Let’s not forget Boozer was out for them. Still a quality win. I loved the simple play they ran for Manu with the Spurs up 7 to put them back up 10. It was simple but Duncan’s handoff and screen gave him room to pop an open 3. 6-6 for Manu in the second half.
It’s funny how different this forum is now compared to about this time last year when people were talking about blowing the team up, trading Tony Parker, etc, etc……..winning cures people’s ill wills.
Just sayin’
I was at the game last night and I tell you the team is very cool, calm & collected. They do not panic or press when they face a deficit. I found that even when they seem to have trouble scoring or make mistakes here or there, they have the gumption to dig themselves out and right the ship.
They exhibited this same dogged determination against New Orleans, where they also faced a 16+ point hole and climbed out. The biggest difference is they did so in the 3rd quarter against Chicago as opposed to near the end of the game as was the case with the Hornets.
This team is growing by leaps and bounds….they have just the right injection of youth, the metamorphisis of R-Jeff is providing this team what they were hoping for last year and the fact that they have some length to bother teams like the Lakers and Bulls, among others will bode well come playoff time.
This team just feels like the best team that has ever been constructed 1-13. I am sure that Pop and RC have a couple more moves that they plan to make before the trade deadline.
I was quite pleased with Tony’s efforts in the face of this dirty laundry being hung out on the media clotheslines. You always wonder how a player will respond to it and Tony was able to focus after a shaky start.
So many people forget that Sean Elliott went through a similar, although not identical situation with his 1st wife Akiko, as he wound up in a mess with his current wife Claudia. The biggest difference is that with social media outlets and text messaging record your every move.
Perhaps TP should have been paying attention to the Tiger Woods mess from this time last year. This really drives home the fact that these types of things can happen to anyone, no matter their career path or social scale.
I hope that they are both OK going forward and that TP is able to completely focus on the task at hand but so far, so good.
The fact is that the Bulls outplayed the Spurs through 3/4 of the game. If the Bulls knock down even just 40% of their shots in the 3rd quarter, or if the Spurs don’t shoot an incredible 71%, the Spurs lose this game. It looks to me more like the Bulls lost this game more than the Spurs won it.
Then consider that this Bulls team was coming in from Phoenix on a tail end of a back to back. As a Spurs fan, you take the win but realistically, this is a game they should have won, yet it took a Bulls 3rd quarter collapse for them to do it.
@ John
I agree that we need to temper our excitement about the win because it was a back to back for Chicago (although they came in from Houston, not Phoenix). However, as Sean Elliott says, “If my auntie had a beard, she’d be my uncle.” We can play the what if game and say “If the Spurs hadn’t shot so horribly in the 1st half, they wouldn’t have needed a huge 3rd quarter” etc.
the next time we play the bulls, they will most likely have a healthy boozer on their roster. Chicago will be you much scarier team when he arrives, and the blair boozer battle will start over again. I think the reason blairs not getting enoug PT is because he is missing easy shots. Shots that he made with ease last season. I think he’s thinking too much about his shot, and he should just go back to his old ways.
Regarding playing time, lineups, etc…
The way Bonner is shooting the ball right now, you have to play him. Also, against Chicago, he’s going to be matched up with either Noah or Gibson, who aren’t exactly great offensive threats in the post. Last night, it made sense from a matchup standpoint to start Bonner in the 2nd half. It made sense to sit Blair for Bonner.
McDyess. What can you say about the guy? He’s playing better now than he has in the past 3-4 years. He looks like he’s in the best shape of his life, and he’s playing like it too. He’s getting his hands on a ton of balls, he’s knocking down jumpers, finishing with authority. Before this year, I thought the speed of the game might have past him by. But this year, if you hadn’t known better, you would have thought we had another 26 year old PF out there. The spring in his legs in reminiscent of his Denver days. He’s been huge for us.
Last point. If I had to sum up our first 10 games with one phrase, it would be – everyone has contributed. From the big 3 to RJ, Neal, Anderson, all the way down the line. Whether it was Charlotte, OKC, PHX, etc, we’ve continued to get positive contributions from different guys every night. That’s very encouraging going forward.
Great “dig” @ ITGuy. Lol. If I was posting from a PC or Lappy I’d point out other’s incorrect predictions as well. Since I’m on my blackberry whenever I read and post I’ll just stick to the game notes. Bonner is more valuable than all of you Bonner-Bashers could ever imagine. Was I the only person that wanted to see a Bonner vs. Scalabrini match up? Blair still looks lost even after a couple of decent games. He’s tailor made for our bench. Tiago didn’t play for the same reason Neal only played 1 minute the game after dropping 15 points all on 3′s. Other player’s need time as Pop said when asked about Neal. There will be times they don’t play. Tiago doesn’t rebound well enough to be matched up with the uber active Noah. I feel Joakim would have had a 20-20 game if Tiago guarded him for even 4-6 minutes. Am I the only person who thinks every pick and pop jumper from McDyess is going in? It was not mentioned that George went right back at Rose and had success. Manu may not be Kobe Bryant….but in the 4th Quarter I’d take Manu. Just my opinion.
@ Colin
Totally. Last year to this year is a great example of why you shouldn’t make rash decisions. Once again, I think our FO made some pretty great, underrated moves.
Was it just me or did Tony look more focused than he has in several years last night?
All game long Tony had the same killer look in his face and serious demeanor. As crazy as it may sound, I think his divorce may be fueling him a little. Maybe getting out of his Hollywood relationship has taken some pressure off Tony’s shoulders and he can just focus on playing ball now.
Or, maybe I’m over analyzing this whole situation.
Take a look at Tony’s face next game, the expression does not change- and the expression is not a smile.
I agree about Blair. It wasn’t that he wasn’t playing well, because I thought he was doing good. He was active on every rebound and being pesky as usual. His timing in his jump for the rebound still needs to be tweaked and that’s when he’ll be even more effective. The fact is Duncan and Bonner were just a better matchup against this team. It won’t always be the case. 1 Post player surrounded by 4 shooters can be hard to defend, especially when that post player still demands a doubleteam on certain spot of the floor IMO.
I was one that posted putting Blair on the bench and start Mcdyess a few weeks ago. I was wrong. Mcdyess looks great coming off the bench. He seems to understand his role better in this situation which is how he played in Detroit. He is the type of player that can be really effective against 2nd units. Blair will be fine and is great in his role. We don’t need his scoring with the Big 4 on the court, just his rebounding, peskiness, putbacks, and occasional great extra pass.
I know Blair is excited about being a Starter for this team as well he should be. But starting for Pop is not as big of a deal as for other teams. Throughout the game Pop is experimenting and exploiting anything he can(remember the HackaShaq days and now the overuse of smallball now?) Just as we saw last night, Pop found the lineup that best worked and used it.
Sometimes just because a player didn’t play, doesn’t mean he’s in Pop’s doghouse. It’s probably more along the lines of that player’s abilities not needed against the team were playing.
The youth movement is working for us because it’s based on this simple principal. The Big 4 are the foundation. As a player coming in, you’ve got to prove to me (Pop), why I should let you play with or behind them in the rotation. These young players are ambitious, teachable, and pliable for the most part.
When we played “like dogs” in the 2nd quarter, Pop called a timeout and didn’t even budge from his seat. He let the Big 4 lead the team and take responsibility for the teams performance. That kind of stuff is great and will go a long way for the development, chemistry, and success of the team.
With all that being said, Neal is playing great for a 4th guard in a predominantly 3 guard rotation.
And what was up with that T getting called on Timmy for just a gesture he made trying to show the ref Hill got fouled on his 3 point shot(which he did)?
John,
And if we don’t shoot terribly in the first half we dominate this game start to finish. So what? The bottom line is this was a game we should have won (given that we had a rest and home court advantage) and we did. I agree that it’s not cause for excitement, other than the great start in general, but it’s certainly no cause for concern.
People keep bring up our easy schedule. Yes it’s easy. We’ve also been dominating it, which is what good teams do.
All I’m saying is that I just can’t get too excited about this win. I’m not saying it’s undeserved. Pop had a great game plan to open the second half and the team executed it to perfection. But I’m also saying the Bulls had every disadvantage in this game, including playing without their second scoring option in Carlos Boozer, and still took it to the Spurs for most of this game. Don’t get me wrong, the Bulls are still a very good team — better than I thought they were– even without Boozer. But, hey, I agree, you take the wins any way they come. Good teams find a way and win the games they’re supposed to win, and that’s what we did. I’ll take it, but I don’t have to be giddy about it. The next time the Spurs play the Bulls, they’ll have to be much better if they expect to win.
Splitter probably didn’t play cos he would’ve fouled out against Noah. Noah is a quick, physical guy. Tiago would’ve matched that intensity but eventually get called for fouls. And the spurs were down early, free throws would’ve ruin any chance of a comeback.
McDyess seems more athletic than Duncan. Duncan looked really slow against Rose, though he still blocked one of his shots. It feels painful to watch Duncan move cos of his limited movement. I might be over reacting.
I wonder if anyone will be an All-Star this year.
@ JustinFL
I thought the T was unnecessary, but I guess the ref was just following orders….At least Duncan didn’t laugh at him! Hill was clearly fouled, and Duncan was looking out for him.
I thought Pop did a great job making adjustments coming out of the half. I was jumping out of my chair when Ginobili made those two driving dunks in the 2nd half! Great game, keep it up.
I never thought a Spur would be the John Terry of the NBA.
9-1 and SPURS still get no love. I think the argument that they are beating below 500 teams isn’t fair. For one thing the season just started. Technically the SUNS,ROCKETS were under 500 but come on, those were some tough games. Plus with the CHARLOTTE game they could easily be 5-4. But they’re not they found a way to win those games. 9-1 ain’t a fluke.
And I feel they could have been 10-0 if they didn’t go cold at the end of the 3rd quarter against the Hornets.
As for TIAGO, I learned a long time ago that POP has crazy rotations during the season. But if POP is going to put him on ICE cuz he is a rookie can he just let us know now? Correct me if I’m wrong but TIAGO is supposed to be a part of this “last title run” right??
I think he could have gotten some great minutes against NOAH last night. Plus the SPURS missed a ton of tip ins that maybe TIAGO could have put in.
I know MCdeezy has been playing great so maybe that has something to do with it?
It’s just odd that they have been talking about him for so long and he’s HERE, and he’s not playing so much.
I hope they are still “easing” him in.
junierizzle–
the clippers and suns games shouldn’t have been so tough.
meanwhile, the hornets beat the spurs, mavs, heat, and nuggets (plus the bucks twice, blazers, clippers, and rockets)
it is what it is
Can we all agree that if we win on Friday against Utah, on their home court, means our 10-1 start is legit? It doesn’t matter if we versed the clippers twice and philly, we still won 9 in a row beating, phoenix, OKC, Bulls and the Jazz.
I think the spurs are going to push for 60 wins this year and steal Kobe’s 6th ring.
Unfortunately, the only thing we will always agree on here is that we will never ALL agree on anything!
@Bert
Atleast Splitter could have matched up with the Bulls rookie Asik for a few minutes.
The Spurs offense looked terrible at times. People didn’t want to shoot, they didn’t know who to pass to, where to go on the floor, or even how to get others the ball.
Then we go back to 2 consistent problems with the Spurs: bad turnovers (even the fans could see it coming), and poor ft. shooting.
It seemed like early on Duncan was making some bad low post moves and hoping the refs bailed him out. He played much better in the 2nd half.
I am also pleased that Manu has been attacking the rim more consitently and not settling for so many bad 3′s.
For those who think Hill is defensive stopper, “stop it”. Yes he can gaurd 3 pos, but there are plenty of players who can take advantage of him. He is solid but some seem to think he is better than what he is. Hill finished relatively well on the offensive end; hopefully this is a sign of things to come. I don’t mind the small ball when teams can’t really take advantage of it, but I keep hoping it doesn’t become a trend.
the what if game is wack… spurs are 9-1 and not in fantasy land. Enjoy it.
John,
Something else I though I’d point out. They shot 6-23 in the 3rd, which is bad. We shot 6-23 in the 2nd. So I think those things even out. The truth is, we played well on D all night which is why we were only down 10 at the half despite shooting 32%. So, while I agree that this is a game we should have won, make no mistake, we did win it. Chicago didn’t give it away or lose it or anything else people say to take credit away from the winning team.
It’s time for people to realize that this is a really good team. Yes we’ve had any easy schedule. That’s why we’re 9-1. We’re not going to win 90% of our games for the rest of the season obviously, but we are going to win a lot. 55+, mayber over 60.
@ Flavor: HappyHappyJoyJOY!
Much enjoyment and happiness with this 9-1 start. Before the season, I’d figured 7 or 8 wins would be doable, but 9? SA-WEEEET!
I am loving this 9-1 start for the spurs, even tho we still have ugly games we still do what is necessary to win. Just shows that you have to stay on your toes when you play the spurs !!!!
John,
You said it once and I figured I would ignore it….2nd time I couldn’t resist. How did the Bulls dominate “3/4″ or “most” of the game? We killed them the entire 2nd half and the last 2 minutes of the 1st half which caused the momentum shift in the 2nd. That’s 26 minutes of dominance for the Spurs compared to 22 minutes of dominance by the Bulls.
@ John,
Any way you want to look at it, we were down by 17, and still came back to win. This is something last years team, for whatever reason, just could not do. We are finding a way to win, regardless of our short comings. That is what seperates championship teams from contenders…
“After a Chicago basket, the Spurs closed on a 9-2 run to first half. And then when the third quarter blitz is figured, San Antonio outscored the Bulls by a 46-14 margin after Popovich’s timeout to the end of the third quarter.”
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/18/notes-on-a-scorecard-why-playing-was-good-for-parkers-soul/
ITGuy
November 18th, 2010 at 4:30 am
“How about it Jim? Realistic or fantasy?”
Well, certainly with the 9-1 start our “dreams” have come true thus far. But at the time I made those statements it was in fact not “realistic” to go 9-1. Things have fallen our way more than one could have possibly expected. The Rockets are in a much bigger funk early on than anyone could have expected, Yao has had limited minutes, and he’s already injured and out for at least a week. And despite our soft schedule, three of our nine wins we’re by 4 points or less, including an overtime win against the befuddled Rockets. We could have very easily been 7-3, even while Neal and Anderson have given us more than we could have possibly counted on over the summer.
rob
November 18th, 2010 at 4:54 am
“It was mentioned in another article of 48 that DeJuan may be in jeopardy of losing his starting spot. We might have seen the beginning of that last night when Bonner started the second half over Blair. His rebounding is not the question. He has and probably will remain at great per 36 rebounder. But in order to be (play) a more significant role, Blair has to become a more dependable/consistent player in other facets of the game.”
Really? What parts of the game is DeJuan so poor or inconsistent at to justify moving him to the bench after a 9-1 start? And don’t pooh pooh rebounding. It’s one of the most important stats in the game. Overall, Blair is the best rebounder of all the “bigs” with the exception of TD (and he’s pretty close to him already), he’s a better passer than Bonner and McDyess, and a better shot-blocker and steal guy than both. Obviously he’s still working on getting comfortable with his shot/selection/offensive game. This is not a quick fix, and those that are expecting that are not being realistic. Even so, Blair obviously has potential offensively. For example, in his first 82 games as a pro his ppg./36 was higher than McDyess & Bonner. So no, I think you’re jumping to conclusions here. Last night was merely a match-up issue Pop wanted to exploit. And he did. Don’t read more into it than it is.
Bankshot21
November 18th, 2010 at 7:46 am
“Blair still looks lost even after a couple of decent games. He’s tailor made for our bench.”
In terms of being lost, I suggest you look in the mirror. Blair is about as lost as a lion in his den. And he’s not going to be collecting a ton of splinters from the bench this year. You might as well get used to that, and be happy for a change that we’re 9-1 “with him in the starting line-up”.
“Am I the only person who thinks every pick and pop jumper from McDyess is going in?”
Probably, since his FG% is a modest .446.
JustinFL
November 18th, 2010 at 7:58 am
“I was one that posted putting Blair on the bench and start Mcdyess a few weeks ago. I was wrong. Mcdyess looks great coming off the bench. He seems to understand his role better in this situation which is how he played in Detroit. He is the type of player that can be really effective against 2nd units. Blair will be fine and is great in his role. We don’t need his scoring with the Big 4 on the court, just his rebounding, peskiness, putbacks, and occasional great extra pass.”
Yes, very astute observation, and very well said.
I must say, this whole “Should Blair start or not” debate is a little overblown. In the big scheme of things, it’s not a major issue, yet the issue keeps getting brought up, time after time.
On one hand, having Blair come off the bench for a few games (or even more than a few games) doesn’t mean he won’t develop and reach his potential (which is, from what I can tell, one of the major reasons used to support the idea that he should start). It sure didn’t hurt Manu and countless other Spurs. On the other hand, we’d all like to see him start and excel with the first team because ultimately, most probably see him as a cornerstone for life after TD (me included). And besides, we’re 9-1. It’s not like this team is suffering from Blair being included in the starting five.
But the reality is, every year Pop tinkers with the lineup in an attempt to find the optimum rotations. Essentially, everyone’s role outside the Big 3 is subject to change at any time (and even Manu’s changed this year). That includes Blair. And if/when Blair is called to come off the bench, it shouldn’t be a surprise. And if he starts playing better, this team should be that much better.
In the end, it really doesn’t matter if Blair starts. As hard a worker as he’s proved to be, he’ll be fine, both in the short and long run.
“Overall, Blair is the best rebounder of all the “bigs†with the exception of TD”
This isn’t really aimed at you Jim. Just that your comment made me go look up the information.
Dejuan had 12.7 per 36 last year. so far this year he’s 12.5. TDs best year is 12.2. Blair is an amazing rebounder and our best. Although not by much. TD is average 11.8 per 36 about his career avg of 11.5. And McDyess is averaging 11.5, way above his career average of 9.8. Maybe the river is the fountain of youth?
Anyway, those guys are why we’re 3rd in rebounding difference and second in rebound rate. Hollah.
Tyler
November 18th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
“I must say, this whole “Should Blair start or not†debate is a little overblown.”
The debate was initiated by the “Blair non-realists”, and it rightfully should be assertively confronted because it is generally not good for the team to be making a starting line-up change when the team is 9-1 merely because some have unrealistic and distorted assessments of Blair’s overall game at this early juncture.
“In the end, it really doesn’t matter if Blair starts. As hard a worker as he’s proved to be, he’ll be fine, both in the short and long run.”
The primary point is that there is NO justifiable reason not to start him now, after the club opens a better than expected 9-1 with “Blair in the starting line-up”. Granted, he’s young enough whereby he may not have yet solidified his long-term hold on a starting spot. That’s a dynamic and evolving process, and I’m okay with that decision being in Pop’s hands, as should the rest of us.
bduran
November 18th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
“Dejuan had 12.7 per 36 last year. so far this year he’s 12.5. TDs best year is 12.2. Blair is an amazing rebounder and our best. Although not by much. TD is average 11.8 per 36 about his career avg of 11.5.”
Yes, I know that, but for me it’s still a bit too soon to crown Blair the “better rebounder than TD”, particularly on the important defensive boards. But you do confirm my point about the value of Blair.
Jim
“Probably, since his FG% is a modest .446.”
Kobe and KD shoot lower percentages. That doesn’t mean that when they are wide open you think they’re going to miss. Furthermore I said “pick and pop” unless your telling me his pick and pop % then your statement is moot. And Blair looks lost in the opinion of many of the bloggers and myself. Guess we all look lost in our mirrors or was that a tactless shot at me once again? I know your period came down once ITguy called you out for your banter of anything better than an 8-2 being whimsically conceived. Boy were you wrong about Bonner as well. This just isn’t a good season for you thus far is it? You’re getting owned. Poor little fella.
9-1 is a great record….we all can agree on that. When the chips are down and we need a run Blair is not in the game. I’m not anti-Blair but when people are labeling him to be an All-Star in four years when players like Elton Brand came in the league averaging 20 and 10 and waited more than 4 years before he finally got the nod leads me to remind people to stop putting Barkley and Millsap attached to this kids pedigree. He can be good and already is good but there are better proven options on the bench. Maybe the better player should remain on the bench a la Manu, but let’s not act as though this kid in the starting line up is the sole purpose of our record. I feel that he would get more minutes coming off of the bench. Maybe that’s not the case but it could very well be.
Jim Henderson
“What parts of the game is DeJuan so poor or inconsistent at to justify moving him to the bench after a 9-1 start? And don’t pooh pooh rebounding. It’s one of the most important stats in the game. Overall, Blair is the best rebounder of all the “bigs†with the exception of TD (and he’s pretty close to him already), he’s a better passer than Bonner and McDyess, and a better shot-blocker and steal guy than both. Obviously he’s still working on getting comfortable with his shot/selection/offensive game. This is not a quick fix, and those that are expecting that are not being realistic.”
I’m not expecting a quick fix. And I have never “pooh poohed” Blairs rebounding. Nor have I ever thought he’s not a good player at what he does.
But some of these ideas seem to indicate some think Blair is the next coming of Duncan. That’s fantasy and unrealistic. Duncan’s performed at that level “consistently” his whole career. Huge difference between performing consistently and having a really great game every now and then. Most starters are “consistent” performers and the main reason they start.
Blair HAS had games where he has played like a perineal all star. But those have been few and far between those in which he struggles to manage an 8 and 10 performance or stay out of foul trouble enough to play significant minutes.
That’s not starter material in this league. And if it wasn’t for the fact that others on the court play better consistently…it only helps mask his flaws.
Will he get better? I believe he will. But he continues to prove to be more of a high energy off the bench contributor than starter.
Do we continue to except the “excuses” as to why Blair hasn’t been able to play as consistent as a starter should play just because he manages to once and a while put up great numbers between the games he plays average at best?
And this is not a knock on Blair…but he is who he is. A great energy player who happens to be really good at what he does (when he’s on). Bonner (like many already know) isn’t as good a passer/rebounder…But right now and as proven in the past two games…allows the starters to perform better when he and Duncan are on the court at the same time.
Those TOO are stats I look at when forming an opinion regarding this matter.
How could it be detrimental to the team if Blair came off the bench and managed to play just as well as he is now starting if Bonner starting is helping the other starters perform better while he is out there with them?
I mean…it’s not like Bonner could keep step with Noah either. And though maybe not as prevailent as Blair in certain areas…Bonner does other things more consistently than Blair.
Can we at least let Blair prove to be consistent before honoring the player like he’s already achieved that aspect?