Manu Ginobili and Ben Gordon, both sixth men off the bench for their respective teams, will be the matchup of the game when the Charlotte Bobcats visit the San Antonio Spurs tonight.
This is the final meeting for these two teams this season. In their first meeting, the Spurs had a 132-102 decisive victory when San Antonio traveled to Charlotte. Ginobili scored 11 points with 7 assists in 19 minutes while Gordon chipped in only 6 points with 2-3 shooting. Gordon only saw 11 minutes on the floor also, which was one of the reasons why his production wasn't great. These two players off the bench will be difference makers this game, especially if either team needs a spark off the bench.
What Ginobili must do on offense:
Manu Ginobil (6'6") over Gordon (6'3") along with long arms which will play a part on both ends of the floor, especially offense. Ginobili can get a jump shot off over Gordon at any time and also not be bothered by a possible shot block on drives. Manu does have to worry about Gordon trying to take a charge every now and then, so if Ginobili can get a good percentage shot over Gordon without forcing too much he should score more points this time around. While scoring will be easier for Manu, so will distributing the ball around. Gordon's height will give Ginobili a clearer view of the whole court and will make passing easier. The Spurs should see as many assists as they saw in the first game from Ginobili if he plays around the same or more minutes this time around.
What Ginobili must do on defense:
Gordon was 0-1 from the paint with Ginobili on the floor. That was the only shot he took with Manu on the court at the same time. Ginobili must stay in front of Gordon since he's known as mostly a jump shooter. His height, quick feet, and wingspan will give Gordon trouble the whole night. The two shots Gordon made were when Ginobili was on the bench, so that tells you how much influence Ginobili's defense has. Gordon isn't the fastest or quickest player either and if Manu chooses to show some pressure when he's has the ball, he'll likely have a hard time getting a shot off or looking for his teammates to make an easy pass.