The San Antonio System Looks Vulnerable and Other NBA Tuesday Takeaways
Even with Wednesday night's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans still to be determined, the San Antonio Spurs have already produced a December that no one really wants to remember.
Tuesday's 95-87 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies makes head coach Gregg Popovich's club 7-10 since November came to an end, guaranteeing San Antonio's first losing month since February 1999—the outset of a lockout-shortened campaign that ultimately saw the franchise claim its first title.
Optimistic fans will cite the continued absences of Tony Parker (hamstring) and Kawhi Leonard (torn hand ligament), both of whom have missed significant time this month. But the Spurs' system was supposedly built to handle times like these, and so far it hasn't.
An especially trying schedule certainly hasn't helped, but that's nothing new in the Western Conference. The deep ensemble cast that was so instrumental to last season's title effort has thus far failed to duplicate all that synergistic success.
For all the credit afforded to this organization's way of doing things, the top talent apparently deserves its share as well. Without it, no amount of ball movement or sound fundamentals is doing the trick.
The Spurs were 11-3 without Parker a season ago and went on to famously finish off the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the conference finals, despite playing the second half without him. Cory Joseph and Patty Mills filled in admirably throughout the season, and while the latter has played just twice this year after summer shoulder surgery, he probably won't turn things around single-handedly.
Even with those two combining for 28 points and six assists on Tuesday night, San Antonio's offense was anything but inspiring. It converted just five of 22 field-goal attempts and generated a modest 17 assists, poor numbers for a club whose hallmark has been sharing the rock and shooting it from virtually anywhere.
One can only speculate as to why the understudies aren't rising to the occasion. The afterglow of a historic Finals beatdown may have something to do with it, and there could very well be an urgency deficit until February and March approach.
That said, the concurrent absence of a reigning Finals MVP has something to do with it, too.
The team was just 8-8 without Leonard in 2013-14 and 4-7 when he's been sidelined this season. And while his defensive credentials have been well-documented, the data is especially telling. According to NBA.com, the Spurs only allow opponents 94.4 points per 100 possessions when Leonard's on the floor, a mark that soars to 105.6 points per 100 possessions when he isn't.
"He's our best perimeter defender, obviously," Popovich told reporters before Sunday's 110-106 win against the Houston Rockets. "He guards a variety of different kinds of players—point guards, 3-men, 2-men—so he gives us some good versatility defensively.
"That position is really important to rebound and help the bigs, and we really miss him there. He makes steals and energizes; we score a little bit off of his defense. So he's a huge factor for us defensively."
Sans that perimeter presence, Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley scored 16 of his 30 points in the first quarter on Tuesday, picking up more-than-enough slack on a night when power forward Zach Randolph was out with a knee injury.
There's no denying that San Antonio's team-first philosophy has been at the heart of its remarkable success over the years, but there isn't any substitute for sheer talent like Parker's or Leonard's. Without them, this rotation is a shell of its championship self.
With them, it just might be good enough to fix this mess.
Around the Association
Suns Surging No More
Here's a depressing thought: In all likelihood, one of the Phoenix Suns or New Orleans Pelicans—two certifiably fun teams bursting with intrigue—likely won’t make the playoffs.
That is why one of your New Year's resolutions should be making sure you catch the final two Suns-Pelicans showdowns later this season—and then promptly casting a curse on the Eastern Conference for being so terrible.
Buoyed by yet another gangbusters performance from Anthony Davis, New Orleans outlasted the plucky Suns 110-106, ending Phoenix’s six-game winning streak while halving its hold on the West’s No. 8 seed to a single game.
How good was Davis? Glass-eating good, as illustrated by his stats, courtesy of Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com:
Tyreke Evans was equally impressive, tallying 24 points, eight boards and four assists—this just days after a 26-point, five-rebound performance in a 107-100 loss to the mighty Chicago Bulls Saturday night. Sadly, the Suns squandered a combined 43 points from Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, the latter of whom finally looks to be recapturing last year’s Most Improved Player mojo.
So mark your calendars for April 10, the day these two upstarts face off for the third and final time. And if you end up watching the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, well, we can’t be friends.
D Stands for…Defense?
If ever there was going to be a win to officially launch the Rajon Rondo-era Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday’s 114-87 shellacking of the surging Washington Wizards certainly qualifies.
Caveats aside, of course; Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News highlighted the win:
As far as offensive performances go, Rondo’s was fairly pedestrian (11 points and five assists on 4-of-10 shooting).
But, as Yahoo Sports' Eric Freeman recently underscored, it’s at the other end of the floor where the rangy Rondo stands to have his biggest impact—as he did during much of Tuesday’s game:
"It's also true that Rondo gives the Mavericks something they didn't have before—a potential elite defender on the perimeter. In fact, this is where the pairing with Ellis becomes a clear improvement.
Monta has always struggled to defend superior offensive players, but Rondo can guard the West's top guards—James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, et al.—better than most while allowing his backcourt mate to focus on his offense. Even if the Mavs' offense gets worse, they will still have a top outfit in that area while vastly improving their defense.
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The Mavs have a long way to go before being considered an elite defensive team. But judging by Tuesday’s ball-hawking exploits (Dallas forced 22 Washington turnovers), that delicate balancing act coveted by any would-be contender may be closer at hand than previously believed.
Lakers Shoot Their Way to Win No. 10 (This Time, Kobe Helps)
Kobe Bryant led the Los Angeles Lakers with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in just 32 minutes in a triple-double effort that secured a 111-103 win against the Denver Nuggets. The 36-year-old had plenty of help, including a combined 9-of-13 three-point-shooting effort from Ronnie Price and Wesley Johnson.
But in making his second appearance after resting his body for three games, Bryant probably deserves the lion's share of attention. It was his third-most efficient shooting performance of the season and just his second triple-double aside from a Nov. 30 129-122 win against the Toronto Raptors that required overtime. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News shared Kobe's postgame comments about his performance:
Even in his 19th season, the iconic shooting guard still finds himself in rare company, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:
Unfortunately, wins have proven far more elusive than individual accolades this year. The now-10-22 Lakers remain 7.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Suns.
The Poor Get Poorer
The Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets haven’t had much to celebrate this season, and their New Years won’t be getting off to much better starts. ESPN's Marc Stein provided an injury update for both teams:
The former was enjoying another strong season after agreeing to a four-year contract extension in October, and the latter was his team's leading scorer and rebounder. With just 21 wins between the two teams, their subpar stars could be replaced by something much worse.
Golden State's Gift Keeps on Giving
Seven players don't reach double-figure scoring by accident. Head coach Steve Kerr's Golden State Warriors have made a habit of passing the ball, and it showed in Wednesday night's 126-86 demolition of the now-4-26 Philadelphia 76ers. GSWStats provided a stat comparison between the two teams as it relates to assists:
The Warriors finished with 38 dimes. Stephen Curry led with nine, but six others finished with at least three apiece. It's a testament to the team concept Kerr has instilled in his first months on the job and a reflection of depth shared by few rivals.
Now 25-5 this season, Golden State remains hot after a 16-game winning streak that surpassed even the most optimistic expectations.
LBJ Turns 30, Sits in Cleveland's Second Straight Loss
A sore left knee sidelined LeBron James on the day he turned 30, and point guard Kyrie Irving's game-high 35 points weren't enough to save the Cleveland Cavaliers from a 109-101 loss to the 23-8 (and No. 2-seeded) Atlanta Hawks.
Still, some 'happy birthdays' are in order. SportsCenter shared their message for King James:
Though more pardonable than Sunday night's 103-80 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers can't be happy about losing six of their last 11 contests after an eight-game winning streak had seemingly cured their ills.
Fortunately, they remain fifth in the East and still within striking distance of a top seed.
Trail Blazers Survive in OT Against Raptors
On a night when neither team shot especially well, the Toronto Raptors lost their fourth game in December against a Portland Trail Blazers team that made it through the month with just three losses.
Point guard Damian Lillard only made four of his career-high 15 three-point attempts, but he still tallied a game-high 26 points and nine assists. The effort secured Portland's ninth win in its last 10 outings along with a spot in the standings just a half-game behind the top-seeded Warriors.
Bleacher Report's Jim Cavan contributed to Tuesday night's news roundup.
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