By Shawn Kirsch | May 8, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

San Antonio was facing down a tough challenge in game 3, and as it turns out, they really are up for the challenge. With two point guards playing at very high levels, this was the best game of the series so far.

1Q New Orleans jumped out to a quick lead, running up a fast 8 points. Ginobili, who started the game, then stepped it up. Manu was noticeably more aggressive this game, as he consistently went to the rack and tried to draw fouls. As the first quarter went on, it is obvious that San Antonio is being much more active on defense, as Bowen made a HUGE play to close out the first with a block on CP3’s fast break attempt. At the close of the first, Spurs had 21, while Paul had 14 of the Hornets 23.

2Q While the Spurs passing is still a bit wild, it isn’t as bad as it was in New Orleans. Manu continued to attack the rim, and Finley had what is quite possibly his biggest defensive play of the playoffs, as he got off his feet to disrupt a lob pass. San Antonio would have a long ways to go though, as the offensive boards were looking better, but the defensive rotation still seems a bit slow. San Antonio would get the ball back with .8 seconds on the clock, and Ginobili would beat the buzzer, with 2 less than New Orleans at the break.

3Q There was much evidence throughout the third that the Hornets set much more solid screens than the Spurs, but either way, Paul and Parker were each taking as much advantage of them as they could. As time ticked on, it appears that CP3 graduated the ‘Reggie Miller Acting Clinic’ with honors. Also, Duncan was not used much offensively to this point, but he was efficient. San Antonio finally came out of the third with a lead, 83-78.

4Q Wells would make a mistake at the beginning of the quarter, fouling Ginobili on the 3 point shot, giving him a 4 point play. Moments later, Ginobili would feed a beautiful pass to Tony for an easy layup. From that point on, the game’s excitement eased up, as the Spurs maintained a lead until Byron Scott decided to look ahead to game 4. Spurs gather up a win, 110-99.

Review While it appears on the surface that San Antonio played magnificently better tonight than the first 2 games, that is not the case. They were more aggressive on the offensive boards, they turned it over no more than the Hornets did, had more assists, and made as many 3s as the Hornets attempted. New Orleans may have shot better overall, but 11 of 25 behind the arc is a definite advantage in the final score. There is still no indication that the Spurs have taken it to a level that the Hornets can’t overcome, they simply made more shots tonight. Duncan didn’t have a spectacular game, but his presence was more noticeable, especially on defense. The bench played marginally better, but still have a long way to go, as every starter except Ginobili and Thomas played 40 minutes, and Ginobili wasn’t far off. It remains to be seen how much energy the Spurs will take to game 4.

To Tie The Series The bench still needs to step up. Finley was 3 for 5 behind the arc ….. and that was about it. Oberto grabbed boards off the bench, but it’s clear he should have more, as he tends to tip it volleyball style, often to the Hornets, just as often as he actually grabs it. Chandler and Stojakovich will come back strong in game 4, and the defense has to be ready for them. This series is far from over, and the Spurs need to find another level to step up to, and show these young pups that they don’t know it all ….. yet.

Highlights

Parker: 31 pts, 11 assists Ginobili: 31 pts, 6 assists, many hustle plays Duncan: 16 pts, 13 boards, 4 blocks

Paul: 35 pts, 9 assists, 1 turnover West: 23 pts, 12 boards, 3 blocks Chandler: 12 pts, 8 boards

Things I Think I Think I know I’m not standing on the court, and these refs are there because they’re good at what they do, but seeing eerily similar plays from each team, the foul and travel calls inside of 18 feet seem to favor the Hornets. Oberto’s desire to rebound is suspect, as he is in position often enough, that he should probably be averaging close to 20 boards a game. The refs don’t like Kurt Thomas. Like I often told the kids when I was coaching, it’s more fun to play offense than defense, so if you don’t let the other team grab a defensive rebound, you’ll play less defense — San Antonio is still weak on the offensive boards, they must LOVE playing defense. It is obvious by now, that the only person in the NBA that can make Chris Paul have a bad game, is Chris Paul.

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Yeah The Spurs Are Coming Home But So What!

By Jeff | May 7, 2008 | 3 Comments | Print Print

Ok the Spurs are back in SA after two humiliating beating by the hands of the Hornets in Games 1 and 2. Now Spurs nation is going a bit overboard on the fact the Spurs are coming back home for games 3 and 4. Just because they are coming back to SA doesn’t mean crap! Coming home does not give this team an instant win, they still have to play the game.

Like I said in the Hornets/Spurs podcast preview, the preview blog (yes there is a playoff blog on this series but it hasn’t been posted), hell, even in podcasts before the playoffs started, I was nervous about this Hornets team and warned my Co-Host Mike, about this team. I even picked the Hornets to win this series! Looks like I am right so far. . . unfortunately.

It’s like you can already predict the flow of Game 3. Spurs and Hornets trade buckets in the first quarters, Spurs show signs of life in the second quarter, Spurs take lead at half, and Spurs fall apart in the third and fourth quarters.

What I am trying to get at is just because the Spurs are back in SA doesn’t mean squat! This Hornets team beat the crap out of the Spurs this season and you know Byron Scott is reminding his team of this fact.

Spurs haven’t showed anything to Spurs Nation in this series other than they are old, and lack a killer instinct. They didn’t even make the games 1 and 2 competative so what can I hang my hat on as the Spurs return to SA? NOTHING!

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Are The Spurs Too Deep?

By Shawn Kirsch | May 6, 2008 | 6 Comments | Print Print

As we have watched the first 7 games of the playoffs, we have seen some thrilling play by Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan. We have seen Barry do his thing, come off the bench to make 3s. We have watched Vaugn, in backup duty, hold down the fort against two of the best point guards a gainst the league. We have seen buzzer beating shots, a blowout in Phoenix, stellar defense, amazing offense, and a young team from New Orleans shred us. Twice.

As I watched two games against those Hornets, I asked myself, are we too deep? We have the obvious, Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan. They do their thing, but like any great players in the NBA, they do have a bad night on occassion. Bowen is there for defense, and he does it well. Every great team has a guy who made his name off of playing D, and the Spurs have Bowen, and to a lesser extent, Udoka. Mark Cuban has been gracious enough to pay Finley to occupy the 2 slot for a few minutes each game, until Popovich says Manu can play. Vaughn has played in the system long enough, that he isn’t going to mess it all up when ‘The French Flash’ needs a breather. Now, for the rest of the team.

Let’s start with Bonner, who is inactive for the playoffs. Every time I see David West doing his thing, I can’t help but wonder why Bonner isn’t playing. He’s had a moderate amount of success against that type of player. He’s not stellar, he’s not going to completely shut them down, but he doesn’t let them get out of control either. Bonner can also shoot outside. He’s like a poor man’s Robert Horry, from his younger years, but without all of those rings. But whose spot should Bonner have on the roster?

Stoudamire. Mighty Mouse is doing an excellent job of playing cheerleader this year. He basically keeps the seats warm, until somebody has a huge lead, and then he’ll play the last 4 minutes of the game.

This brings me to Oberto and Thomas. Thomas was brought in to help out on defense in the post, which he has done when he isn’t in foul trouble. Oberto seems to have forgotten what it is he’s supposed to be doing out there, as he’ll make a basket here and there, but disappears most of the night. Perhaps he’s already thinking about this summer’s Olympics.

Horry is still here as well, Mr. Intangible. Well, I’ve said it before, intangibles are well and good, and brains count for a lot in basketball, but so does production. This is one Big Shot who hasn’t done much offensively so far. A 3 here, a 3 there, a nice pass there, and 11 defensive lapses down there. Face it, he’ll probably hit a buzzer beater to win the game before the year is done, but he can’t move fast enough against West or Chandler, or Amare, or Gasol, or Garnett, he’s just being used when he’s playing D.

So what am I getting at here? Well, we need SOMETHING different. I still like the idea of young legs coming in here, but in San Antonio, you do need something resting atop your neck if you want to get playing time. This offseason, there will be options. The Hornets have shown us, very obviously, that aside from the Big 3, nobody can create anything. J.R. Smith will be available. So will Corey Maggette. These guys can still create. Mr. Clipper is a pretty decent defender, and Smith improved his defense this year, and the Spurs coaching staff will only help him progress. Stoudamire and Oberto haven’t brought that much to the table so far in these playoffs, so we can let them leave. Either of those perimeter guys should be able to fill in nicely.

Barry isn’t getting any younger, and his defense has become suspect, so adding a guy who can shoot the 3 makes him expendable. We’ll let him leave with Horry, and somewhere out there, is a young big guy, who is a ferocious rebounder, particularly on the offensive side, who is also an athlete that can really get up and down the court in a hurry. This is who we need on the other side of the Big Fundamental. He’ll get points off of putbacks, and Duncan won’t have to shoulder the rebounding the way he did against Phoenix. Who knows, maybe the Spurs brass can pull a Lakers and get Dwight Howard or Al Jefferson for some spare parts.

Is this post a bit far fetched? Absolutely. Will we see a lot change before next season starts? Probably not. Does something need to change? Most definitely. The Olympics are coming, Manu and Tony will be a bit worn out next year. We need some younger legs to help carry the burden. We aren’t going to get anyone who can challenge the Big 3’s dominance, but someone else who can create their own shot would be nice. A young guy who can rebound, run, and defend would be great too.

San Antonio will continue to look for players who fit the system, won’t disrupt the culture, and are smart. Maybe T.J. Ford will become available cheaply. He may be banged up, but he passes, creates, and will only play 15 minutes a game, at best, behind Parker. Maybe another unknown from Europe will be drafted, to blossom into more than anyone ever imagined. Whatever happens, we need someone on the depth chart who puts numbers on the stat sheet, in addition to the intangibles.

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Spurs Can’t Take the Sting Out of New Orleans

By Shawn Kirsch | May 5, 2008 | 2 Comments | Print Print

As the last 2:30 minutes of this game tick off the clock, both teams have emptied the bench. It has become painfully obvious that there are some things the Spurs need to address.

1Q The game started out competitively, as always, with both teams trying to assert themselves. Chandler would pick up two fouls early and go to the bench. Yet, even without him, the questions are posed. Is the Hornets D really this good? Or is the Spurs passing getting sloppy? Before the quarter would end, Ginobili would start to get frustrated, and the early signs of him forcing things appeared.

2Q Manu opened the second with a 3. While this would usually be a good sign, the Spurs would repeatedly throw risky passes. After 5 1/2 quarters in round 2, we are discovering that Julian Wright will be very good someday, showing a lot of energy and doing the most fundamental things on defense. San Antonio would go into the half with a lift, as ‘The French Flash’ would hit a buzzer beater to lift San Antonio to a 1 point lead.

3Q The first half displayed a lot of missed shots, and the Spurs continued to brick 3s in the third. Ginobili’s frustration would continue, as he is making rookie mistakes on perimeter defense. After a couple of touchy moments, cooler heads would prevail, with no technicals. New Orleans would continue to settle into a groove throughout the third, and Ginobili would pick up his 4th foul, as the third closed with New Orleans up, 78-61.

4Q Popovich would sit Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan down at the beginning of the third. Whether it was supposed to be purely motivational, a message, or punishment, it wouldn’t change the outcome. Chandler and Ginobili would each finish with 5 fouls, but neither on the court as time wound down. The Spurs go home in a 2 game hole, as the Hornets win 102-84.

Review San Antonio needs somebody to simply shoot the ball. They are over passing, giving it up as soon as someone runs towards them. Somebody needs to just rise up, shoot the ball, and start hitting the shot, or getting fouled. New Orleans won’t be able to leave the perimeter so distantly guarded if they know the shot will be taken. Sometimes, a player is just too open, and that’s why they miss the shot. Some dicey moments have arisen in the first two games, and I will confidently say, before we come back to New Orleans for game 5, somebody will have been suspended, and their logo will probably have an insect on it. So far, everything has been broken up quickly, but emotions are running high, and I think David West is approaching a breaking point. Duncan was more involved tonight, but the bench really needs to come alive and do SOMETHING that shows up on the stat sheet. It’s improving, SLOWLY, but they need to do more, do it earlier, and do it longer.

Back To San Antonio The Spurs have looked like they’re in a haze in these first two games. Perhaps they still haven’t recovered from the Phoenix series. However, somebody needs to suck it up, rally the troops, and REBOUND. New Orleans is walking away with too many easy rebounds, San Antonio will shoot and run the other direction, leaving 3 Hornets to fight over the ball. Any good 5th grade coach can tell you somebody needs to rebound. It may be part of the game plan for most of the guys to get into transition D, but there is always 1 or 2 guys looking for the offensive put back. Also, the passing needs to be cleaned up. Whether it’s desperation, or the Hornet’s defense is that good, the Spurs are doing a lot of driving, and just throwing it in the general direction of a teammate. They should probably do some passing drills with some coaches yelling at them to put some mustard on it, but that’s Pop’s call, not mine.

Highlights

Duncan: 18 pts, 8 boards Barry: 14 pts, 3 assists, 4-5 3s Ginobili: 13 pts, 4 boards, 7 assists

Paul: 30 pts, 12 assists Stojakovich: 25 pts, 6 boards West: 10 pts, 10 boards, 5 assists Parker/Ginobili: 8 0f San Antonio’s 15 turnovers

Shooting Trend Once again we see New Orleans shooting 48%, and San Antonio shooting under 44%. The Spurs need to start hitting their shots efficiently if they would like to see a game 6.

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Hornets Continue To Sting At Home

By Shawn Kirsch | May 3, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

This has been a hyped series, after Paul and Parker each opened up the playoffs with a bang, and they both continued to bring it in Round 2. Manu Ginobili, eager to atone for his disappearance the last game against Phoenix, came out with a bang, and Bowen brought his offense with tonight as well.

1Q Chandler came out and dominated the boards early, quickly getting 6, count ‘em, 6, rebounds very early in the game. San Antonio, after starting slow, brought Ginobili in, who quickly jump started things with a couple of BEAUTIFUL passes, and hitting shots. Bowen was also on fire, as they would do most of the scoring in the first quarter.

2Q After a LONG cleanup from entertainment gone wrong, the Spurs continued to hold onto their 4 point lead. Wells would foul Bowen hard, but Bowen would recover to soon hit yet another 3 from the corner. Before the half would end, CP3 would also pick up his 3rd foul. Nobody would have guessed it, but Bowen led the Spurs with 17 at the half, off of 5-8 triples.

3Q With Duncan still not getting anything going, San Antonio would soon go cold. New Orleans would heat up, as Paul stepped up his game in the third, inspiring his teammates, and erasing a 4 point deficit to go up 74-66 to end the third.

4Q San Antonio continued to give up way too many rebounds, and the Hornets continued their run. Ultimately, Popovich would dig into the bench to finish the game, but not before Chris Paul led a fast break against Bowen, and pulling out a streetball move seemingly saved for the double B, who rarely gets his ankles broken. Hornets maintain home court advantage, winning 101-82.

Review Duncan was all but invisible in this game. The Spurs got hot beyond the arc early in the game, Tim didn’t get enough touches early enough, and never established a rhythm. San Antonio was outrebounded by 16, and allowed New Orleans to grab 16 offensive boards. Just like the regular season, the winner shot better than 48%, and the loser shot in the low 40s. San Antonio was hitting shots everywhere in the first half, but only produced 33 points in the second half.

Game 2 San Antonio’s bench really needs to start delivering. Intangibles are a great asset throughout the game, but production in visible stats is also a must. Duncan will be more involved in the game earlier in the next meeting, which will make life easier for both Ginobili and Parker, who struggled in the second half. The Spurs will need to put the game out of the reach of Paul’s crew before the 4th quarter, as Parker won’t be able to continue doing what he does every game much longer, logging 40 minutes a night. San Antonio was also inefficient, turning it over 13 times, which should’ve been more, but they saved themselves from more several times during this game.

Where in the world is Matt Bonner? It seems to me that he could be effective against West, but he’ll need to be on the court to do that.

Highlights

Ginobili: 19 pts, 6 boards, 7 assists Parker: 23 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists Bowen: 17 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists

West: 30 pts, 9 boards Paul: 17 points, 13 assists, 4 steals Chandler: 10 pts, 15 boards (6 offensive), 3 blocks

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Spurs vs Suns Game 5 and Series Awards

By Jeff | April 30, 2008 | 2 Comments | Print Print

The Spurs made the Suns thier bitches once again, winning the opening round series, 4-1 and next will face the New Orleans Hornets in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. Here are 5 awards for your reading enjoyment.

Awards:

The MVP for the Spurs in Round 1 has to be Tony Parker. He sliced up the Suns defense, made outside shots, and kept Nash running on defense. His numbers are up from the regular season and just flat out caused headaches for the Suns. Granted Tim Duncan’s heroics in Game 1 is worthy of MVP honors but Parker was the steadier hand for the Spurs in all 5 games.

Non-MVP goes to Ime Udoka. Ime did not show up at all in this series. He did not contribute on offense enough for the Spurs, and his defense was so-so. Mike Finley was close but he did hit some shot in the classic Game 1 win.

The “MVP Keeps On Giving” Award goes to Nash. A back-to-back MVP winner, Nash, did not show up at all in crucial Game 5. Assists were down in game 5, made numerous turnovers in game 5, and did not show up when the Suns needed him the most. Turn back in your MVP trophys Nash.

The “Did The Little Things” Award goes to Horry. Yes he sucks ass but when it was close in Game 5 he did the little things. He stole the ball from Nash when the game was tight, blocked some shots when needed and was actually good for something for once.

The “Biggest Bitch” Award goes to Amare Stoudamire. This bitch is the biggest sore loser ever. He smack talks Duncan when his team is losing, and again like for many years before, leaves the court after the Spurs made the Suns their little bitch once again. He did not congratulate the Spurs, did not shake hands, nothing!

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Turnovers Prove Costly, Spurs Win Game 5

By Shawn Kirsch | April 29, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

In a much anticipated game 5, we saw the return of the compelling, down to the wire game that was introduced to us in game 1. After 3 less than dramatic games, both teams came out swinging, and didn’t ease up until the final horn.

1Q Both the Suns and the Spurs came out with strong first quarters, which would ultimately end with San Antonio leading. ‘The French Flash’ repeatedly got to the rim and drew fouls. Bell and Shaq each picked up 2 fouls, giving them each some early time on the bench. Kurt Thomas came out firing on all cylinders, in what would turn out to be a big game for him, finishing the period with 4 points and 5 rebounds.

2Q The Suns would show that they have some problems with turnovers throughout the second, in addition to their free throw woes. Ginobili had a hard time getting anything going, and would ultimately leave with 3 fouls. However, Udoka came off the bench to make several big hustle plays. Udoka and Thomas combined in the first half to produce 11 points and 9 boards. The half would close with San Antonio leading, 54-45, in large part due to the Suns’ 11 of 24 charity stripe action, compared with San Antonios’ 12 of 12.

3Q Ginobili would continue to struggle in the third, as he seemed to be forcing everything, trying too hard to get something going. Troublesome for San Antonio, was that Shaq was resting on the bench, as the rest of the Suns made a big push and slowly chipped away at the lead. After losing the lead, Oberto would gather a couple baskets to close out the quarter, giving him 8 points. Diaw has slowly been gathering stats throughout the game, with 18 points, 7 boards, 8 assists, and one more quarter to play. Oddly, through 3 quarters, Bowen has seen less than 15 minutes of action.

Most of 4Q Bell would lay a hard foul on Parker, who would recover to drop a sweet dime, while flying under the hoop, to Duncan, only moments later. The fourth would continue to get interesting, as Manu danced into the lane, only to have the rock RIPPED away by Stoudemire under the hoop. Nash would soon hit a leaning 3 to tie it, which was soon accentuated with an Amare rejection on Parker’s drive. San Antonio would recover, as Horry poked the ball loose from Nash, and Parker would race down the court, get fouled, making one of two shots.

Closing Moments Phoenix had several HUGE turnovers down the stretch, perhaps none bigger than when they inbounded the ball, only to have Bowen get his hand on it, but being last touched by Nash as it bounced out of bounds. The Spurs would inbound the ball on the other end of the court, off of a risky pass to Manu, who would be fouled and make both shots. The Suns would still get two 3s off before Duncan rebounded, got fouled, and make 1 of his 2 shots. Final score, 92-87, with San Antonio moving on to meet New Orleans in round 2.

Review The score was even closer than it looks, as this game could have easily gone either way. A couple more free throws, and a couple less turnovers, and Phoenix wins this game. San Antonio finally saw some role players step up and make huge plays throughout the game, which they needed as Ginobili struggled to get started. It was surprising to grind this one out with Bowen on the bench so much of the game, but Udoka did an admirable job off the bench, and Parker held his own against Nash on the defensive end. Phoenix simply missed too many free throws, and turned the ball over far too often. The Suns lost by merely 5 despite their turnovers, as San Antonio had many opportunities to put the hammer down throughout the second half, but missed easy shots, and gave up rebounds they should have had.

Highlights

Duncan: 29 pts, 17 boards, 3 blocks Parker: 31 pts, 8 assists, 13-16 FTs Thomas: 8 pts, 12 boards Nash: 4 major turnovers in closing minutes

Diaw: 22 pts, 8 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block Stoudemire: 15 pts, 11 boards, 3 blocks Bell: 14 pts, 8 boards, 3-5 3 pointers

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