Prior to Friday evening’s contest against the lowly Seattle Sonics, the San Antonio Spurs had scored 64, 72, and 79 points in their previous three games. The Spurs actually managed to win the second one, but looked pitiful in doing so.
What’s the diagnosis, Dr. Dan?
Good question.
An easy answer may be "age." Outside of Tony Parker, the rest of the regulars were born before 1980. Perhaps last year’s championship run, combined with the tough competition in the Western Conference, has simply worn this team down.
Ah yes, a good theory indeed.
Well, not so fast. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Tim Duncan remains the Spurs’ leading scorer and rebounder. Duncan led the team in scoring the last two games and has had one of his steadiest seasons.
And therein lies the problem.
Please, do explain.
In order for the Spurs to make another run at the championship, their guards, specifically Parker and Manu Ginobili, must be more consistent.
But Ginobili has the same PPG as Duncan, and Parker is only 1.2 behind them…
Yes, but Duncan is likely to score 20 points on a given night while Ginobili will score 30 one night and 10 the next. The same goes for Parker.
Ah, yes, but Michael Finley can pick up the slack…
Finley’s near-10 PPG may be an accurate reflection of his contributions at this point in his career, but his 41 percent from the field is neither impressive nor reliable.
Ime Udoka has been a nice surprise for San Antonio this season, but has seen his playing time dwindle as of late and his scoring average is down to 5.5 PPG.
Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili can match up with any trio offensively. With the defensive support of Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and others, they are still the gold standard in protecting their basket. Consistent play from that threesome will be the perfect prescription for the Spurs to get past the other seven contenders in the West.
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6 months ago
i find it funny that people say that the spurs are an inside outside team where there first option is tim duncan yet every time i watch the game its tony parker getting the ball or manu ginobili making the plays. duncan rarely gets the ball down low and when he does its against the shot clock and he has to jack up a shot. if the spurs are going to win again it will have to be with duncan. get him off to a nice shooting start in the first and when the teams double team let manu and tony finish the load. soooo...
Tim inside and let him do his thing
when double teamed let manu and tony do there thing
repeat...simple as that
from 6 months ago
Not a bad thought. I think the Spurs are at their best offensively when they set high screens for Parker and he attacks the basket aggressively. If Duncan or Horry set the screen and the defense collapses on Parker, Parker has an easy option to pass to. Otherwise he can give it to Manu on the wing and let him do his thing, with Bowen (or Finely) camped out in the corner if they leave him open for a three.
When Parker is tentative to the hoop, the opponents are not afraid of his jump shot and they can collapse on Duncan. The only solution the Spurs have in this case is to let Manu do his thing and if Manu is not playing consistently, the offense doesn't have a weapon that ca break down a defense.
6 months ago
you know what really makes me peeved though? when parker starts the play and ends up finishing it without passing. there are times where he can be a ball hog. i see that at times there isnt anyone open but atleast pass the ball. and i still think we need to get duncan in the game early and let him feel out his defender and the rest of the defense
from 5 months ago
i think parker was 5-for-17 in one of the recent losses - unacceptable for a guy who has been amongst the league leaders in FG%...
yeah, for whatever reason, teams need to get their big guys involved early, maybe they fatigue easier...especially duncan, knowing that he can be a little bit of a head case and will feel the weight of the game on his shoulders if he hasn't been productive
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