Spurs Report Card: Grading San Antonio Against The Charlotte Bobcats
It's always a little nerve-wracking when a referee crew that includes Joey Crawford shows up to do a Spurs game. It's about the only reason Michael Jordan could get away with bickering at him from his courtside seat the entire time, and yet the 'Cats still got 12 FT's before the Spurs ever did. However, as dumb as Joey looked at times with his questionable calls and silly foul demonstrations, it wasn't a factor (this time).
What was a factor was the Spurs' re-discovery of their recently missing defense. For the first time this season, the offense was not clicking so the Spurs went back to doing what they've done best for decades: win it with good, old-fashioned defense.
Here is a report card for the each Spurs' performance in their 95-91 victory over the pesky Charlotte Bobcats.
Tony Parker (PG)
1 of 13
Key Stats: 12 points, 8 assists
It was a mediocre night for Tony, although he did a better job running the team than anybody else at his position. His shots were ok (6/15 FG and blocked 3 times), he passed well, and limited the turnovers compared to previous games with only two. He made a couple of poor choices that contributed to the 'Cats' late comeback by holding the ball too long and taking ill-advised shots, but otherwise he did a good enough job to win.
Grade: B+
Manu Ginobili (SG)
2 of 13
Key Stats: 26 points, 5/11 on 3pt's
Manu was leader of the pack once again by leading the way with points and hitting the most important shot of the game to give the Spurs a four point cushion with 5 sec left. He shot well inside and out (9/17 FG overall), distributed the ball (three assists), and played some pesky defense (five rebounds, two steals). The only real blemish on his stat sheet was three turnovers.
Grade: A
Richard Jefferson (SF)
3 of 13
Key Stats: 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Well RJ finally had an off-night when came to shooting (3/9 on FG for six points). He's not expected to be perfect every night, but unlike last year he found other ways to contribute to the team when his shot wasn't falling. Along with his seven rebounds and four assists, he also contributed one steal, zero turnovers, and a key offensive rebound down the stretch. He also had the highest plus/minus ratio with +6.
Grade: B
Tim Duncan (PF)
4 of 13
Key Stats: 14 points, 10 rebounds
A typical double-double night for Timmy. He didn't shoot the ball well at first, but it came around as the game progressed. He also contributed with three assists, two blocks, and a steal, but a few miscommunications lead to four untimely turnovers that need to be fixed.
Grade: B+
DeJuan Blair (C)
5 of 13
Key Stats: 4 points, 7 rebounds
Blair's shot is slowy starting to come around. While he was only 2 of 6 from the field, atleast two of those misses were attempted put backs on his three offensive rebounds. He made his presense felt on defense with two blocks and a steal. He also showed off some nifty passing skills with his two assists and no turnovers.
Grade: B
Overall Grade For Starters
6 of 13
It definately seemed like the starters were missed when they were not on the court. With possibly an exception of some great shooting by Gary Neal, the game was primarily won by the starters. Nobody had a negative plus/minus ratio, and overall for the starters it was +10. The turnover problems have improved compared to pervious games (nine for the starters), but it's still a hairy situation that will not always be so forgiving in the future. Overall it was a good outing for the starters with the defense starting to show up.
Grade: B+
Antonio McDyess
7 of 13
Key Stats: 7 points, 5 rebounds
Everyone is going on about how much Richard Jefferson has improved since last year, but many are failing to notice McDyess' remarkable improvement. He gave an excellent defensive effort with his rebounding and four blocks along with a couple of timely outside shots to keep the defense honest and open up the lanes. He seems much more comfortable and loose compared to last year while not forcing shots and committing as many turnovers.
Grade: A-
George Hill
8 of 13
Key Stats: 0 points, 2 assists
Hill's providing some good defense, but not much else. In probably one of the worst offensive outings of his career, he just cannot find his shooting touch. Given he only had four attempts in 20 min, but it's obvious he is becoming somewhat reluctant to shoot with his recent struggles and injury. It would be hard to move Manu to the bench considering how well he's doing as a starter, but it seems Hill needs some kind of confidence boost, and starting a few games just might be the answer.
Grade: C-
Gary Neal
9 of 13
Key Stats: 15 points, 5/7 on 3Pt's
Undrafted and playing in Europe, Gary Neal was given an excellent chance to make a name for himself by playing for the Spurs summer team. By now, he's pushed himself all the way up to a reliable shooter and spark off the bench. Neal hit several timely threes, including two consecutive ones in the fourth quarter to give the Spurs a much needed six point edge. His defense still needs work, but he's doing what he was signed to do: score. (much to the shock and frustration of others, see picture)
Grade: A
James Anderson
10 of 13
Key Stats: 6 points, 2 rebounds
It wasn't his best shooting day (2/8 FG), but like Neal, Anderson also hit some timely threes to keep the Spurs in the game during a struggling first half. His presense was definately welcome after being gone for the last game. (Congrats to the new father!)
Grade: C+
Tiago Splitter
11 of 13
Key Stats: 5 points, 4 rebounds
Tiago is doing a good job of letting his game come to him instead of trying to force his way back into shape after a long lay-off due to injury. He's getting better every game while still trying to learn the Spurs' system. He's doing a good job on the glass and letting his presense be felt on the defensive end. He's still only playing about 10 minutes per game, but as he gets into better shape he will see more time.
Grade: B
Overall Grade For Bench
12 of 13
Overall the bench did a fair job, primarily thanks to McDyess and Neal. They were outscored by the Bobcats' bench 33-40, but the starters were able to make up for that. This is probably the first time Greg Popovivh has depended on three rookies in his regular rotation, but they are showing him that there's no reason to stop now with nobody making any real rookie mistakes. Once Hill rediscovers himself and Matt Bonner comes back (which should be soon), the Spurs should have one of (if not the) deepest benches in the NBA.
Grade: B
Final Overall Grade
13 of 13
On a night when the shots just weren't falling like they have been, the Spurs re-discovered their defensive ways to win an otherwise choppy game. The starters were able to overcome a relatively slow start, and the bench provided some timely baskets.
One thing that seems to be a lingering trend at the moment is difficulty holding solid leads in the fourth quarter. For the second game in a row a seemingly comfortable lead was blown to let the opposing team back in the game. It might be ok against Houston and Charlotte, but games cannot be won that way against better teams like LA Lakers and Dallas.
In the end the Spurs did what they had to do to win, making them 3-0 on the road, and 5-1 overall for their best start in several seasons. As long as they keep winning the games that they should, things will be a lot easier down the road.
Overall Grade: B+
