Game Preview #14: San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets
by Tim C. on Nov 27, 2009 12:19 AM CST
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Damn, this team is deep.
After the nasty 4-6 start to the season, the Spurs have gone on a 3-game winning streak. In the last game, we beat an exhausted, overworked Warriors team that was on a SEGABABA. Big frickin' deal. The only "good" team we beat during our little win streak was Milwaukee, and that's a very liberal usage of the word "good". Tonight, the task gets a bit tougher - beat an angry Rockets team in their arena.
Did I mention the Spurs are 0-4 on the road this season? Then again, a couple games ago, they were 0-4 when Tim Duncan scores 20 or more points, which is just insane. Anyway, what are the chances of getting our first road win tonight? Let's talk it over a bit, after the jump.
 San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets Where: Toyota Center - Houston, TX When: November 27, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time Watch: KENS 5 (San Antonio); FSN (Houston)
How They Stack Up
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Matchups
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 Tony Parker Tornado |
Point Guard Tony creates havoc in the paint like no other point guard in the league can, and his midrange jumper is deadly. Basically, he's an unstoppable force of nature. Despite his limited floor vision, he does a very good job of knowing where his teammates are and getting them the ball in good situations. Brooks' game is modeled somewhat on Parker's, but he's definitely not as good at it. He shoots a lower percentage, and is somewhat turnover prone as well. If Tony plays a little D tonight, he runs away with this battle. OK, even if he doesn't play D, he still wins. Advantage: Spurs |
 Aaron Brooks Dust Devil |
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 Keith Bogans The Bogeyman |
Shooting Guard The bad news: Ariza is averaging 18 points, 5 rebs, and 4 assists. The good news: Ariza takes a criminal amount of shots, and making less than 40% of them. I don't expect that shooting percentage to get any better with Keith hounding him half the night. While we all know Keith isn't going to win any offensive awards, the Rox might switch Ariza onto Tony when they're on D, giving Keith a big height advantage over Brooks or Lowry. The Bogeyman might just have himself a big game tonight. If our best SG is back, that will be a huge boost for us as well. Advantage: Tied |
 Trevor Ariza Shoots Too Much |
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 Richard Jefferson Bring Some Energy |
Small Forward RJ has been solid for us, if a little reserved in most games. I'd love to see him attack the rim a little more, but he's going to be guarded by one of the best wing defenders in the game. Not expecting big numbers out of RJ tonight, but he'll get his if he works hard enough. On the other end, Battier is pretty efficient and works within his limitations on offense. RJ needs to keep Shane in his sights to prevent him from getting too many open looks. Advantage: Tied |
 Shane Battier PtR's Unrequited Love |
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 Tim Duncan GOAT |
Power Forward Hayes is 6'6" and he's going up against the best PF of all time. OF ALL TIME! [/Kanye] Do we really need to say anymore? Timmy is kicking ass lately, and the undersized Rockets frontcourt should make him feel like a kid in a candy store. Advantage: Spurs |
 Chuck Hayes Completely Overmatched |
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 Antonio McDyess Excellent Pickup |
Center The jury's no longer out on Dice - the man fits the Spurs's system like a glove. He gives Timmy and the slashers the ever-important floor spacing neccessary to be efficient, whilst still hitting the boards on a regular basis. He's definitely an upgrade over what we had last year, and that's why he starts. Too bad we didn't bother with signing the guy he's going up against, who just happens to be averaging a double-double. Advantage: Rockets |
 Luis Scola Salary Dump Folly |
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 MANU GINOBILI BEST PLAYER EVER! FANGIO! |
Bench & Role Players Manu's groin injury was supposed to keep him out 7-10 days. He sustained the injury 9 days ago, so I hope he's back. But even if he isn't back, BAM is going to take care of business. Landry and Kyle Lowry are nothing to scoff at, but Houston's bench firepower is no match for our own. There's also rumors that Tracy McGrady will be ready to play tonight. However, his shot selection is almost as poor as Ariza's has been, and I fail to see how a rusty T-Mac puts us at any disadvantage - especially if Manu's playing. Also, Houston's short frontcourt gives Dejuan Blair an opportunity for a monster game off the bench. Advantage: Spurs |
 Carl Landry The Blair Archetype |
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 Gregg Popovich GOML Unless You Brought Wine |
CoachAdelman got screwed in the 2002 WCF, and should have won a title with Sacramento. But that would still only give him 1, to Pop's 4. Advantage: Spurs |
 Rick Adelman Screwed in Sacramento |
| images via yahoo.com | ||
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Other Factors
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Intangibles |
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Houston's roster is decimated by only one injury. Namely, the best center in the league is out all season. Time for the best PF the game has ever seen to go to work. Also, the Houston frontcourt is very small, so Blair should also be able to do very well. Advantage: Spurs |
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Mojo |
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In a word: Manu. Advantage: Spurs |
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Winner: Spurs |
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| The Spurs don't want to go back to .500, and they don't want to continue having 0 road wins. It will be ugly, but the Spurs should pull through. Prediction: Spurs win. Barely
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Keys To The Game
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Strength of ScheduleWe'll be playing on one day of rest, like we have for the last several games. This game marks the beginning of a pretty tough part of the schedule for the Spurs. After tonight, the Spurs head home to face Philadelphia, Boston, and Denver, followed by a road game in Utah. The Rockets are also coming off one day of rest, and will begin a 4-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Last Time They MetOur last meeting with the Rockets resulted in a collective groan when Luis Scola got a wide open layup under the rim to finish us off, 87-85(scroll down). Those groans were heard throughout the game, as Luis finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. If only we hadn't traded him for some old copies of Wine Enthusiast, maybe we wouldn't have had to go so far over the tax to compete this year. And maybe we'd be coming off our third consecutive championship. But, anyway... |
Some Other ReadingRocketsThe Dream Shake - The Rockets' SBN blog is full of insightful hoops junkies and diehard fans. You gotta respect that. Go show them some love. Rockets Buzz - The TrueHoop blog for the Rockets. Seems like a pretty cool place, similar to its THN sibling 48MoH. Spurs48 Minutes of Hell: Best damn TrueHoop affiliate out there. Always a must visit Spurs site. Twitter MusingsHere's Kyle Lowry, tweeting Marcus Williams(the other one) about the retirement of Allen Iverson: Klow7 RT @mw1ll: And say NO to practice! RT @rudygay22: Everyone in the league should wear a sleave and a headband tonight lmao!!! manuginobili In HOU, tonite dinner w/ Mr.Scola. Always fun to catch up. Happy ThxG'in to y'all!!
That's right, even the classy Mr. Finley uses text-speak. You can also find all the official Spurs Sports & Entertainment Twitter accounts here: http://twitter.com/spurs/official/members |
Where to Tune In
TVThis game will be aired by KENS 5 in San Antonio and the Fox Sports Network in Houston. If you have cable or satellite, you'll have to look up your individual channel. And of course, there's always League Pass for the haves. For the have nots, read on. OnlineAs always, NBA League Pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Most Spurs games will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance. Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out. RadioIf you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). |
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Comments
tp9network thats 3 wins in a row lets enjoy today!! my wife been cooking all day yesterday shes the best cook!! i cant wait to taste everything…happy thanksgiving everybody!
And she cooks? AND she puts up with his “rapping”?
Lucky bastard.
If you haven't lived with a squirrel, you haven't lived. - Bob Ross
Yeah, and she doesn’t grumble while watching the game. And she doesn’t seem to give him shit for playing video games. And she ain’t ugly nor poor either.
"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man." - Some Tall Guy Who Wore #50
by theonlyromeo on Nov 27, 2009 2:58 AM CST up reply actions
may I one day be as blessed as he
Evey- "Are you a crazy person?"
V- "I'm quite sure they'll say so."
V for Vendetta, blowing your mind away since 2005.
i cant wait to taste everything
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
does chuck hayes still have the worst free throw form in the league?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7P6eil2yds
free george hill!
by sleep research facility on Nov 27, 2009 2:41 AM CST reply actions
it’s sad, but regretfully and surprsingly, he didn’t blair-ball any of them.
When the tooth fairy's own tooth falls out, it is taken during the night by Princess Peanut.
by the little o on Nov 27, 2009 2:55 AM CST up reply actions
Is Chuck Hayes the best Post-Defender of all time? OF ALL TIME? of the league?
The Charles Barkley 2009/10 Ancestors Count: 2 Grandmothers , 0 Mother Alltime: Reg. 25-0 Playoffs 7-0
"There were arms coming from everywhere, and I knew they weren’t going for the ball," Miller said. "I was just trying to get [the shot] up before they called some crap like ‘on the ground.’ "
"What do you want me to do?" Wright asked. "Do you want me to Derek Fisher him?"
"Give them some fucking credit, i mean for real." Jackson said.
"I just fell on my face for no reason," Bryant deadpanned. "I'm a klutz."
"Fucking right i'm preachin' it!" Carlisle replied.
"Rough life, isn't it. It's tough all over, isn't it." Smith chuckled.
Mutombo, Ewing and Yao at the restaurant...
MUTOMBO: "The chicken is the bomb."
EWING: [Rubbing belly] "I gotta go work out tonight. I'm full. You got a treadmill for me?"
YAO: " Leave your car keys here and run home. I'll give you the keys tomorrow."
the key is Scola
we need to play him like we did Dirk a couple games back. Throw a bunch of different defenders and defensive looks at him. Create double teams and do as much as possible to make this an off-game for him.
This way we force Houston to kick out to the wing to Ariza and possibly T-Mac. Defenders like RJ, Finley (yes even Finley), Hill, and Bogans coupled with their bad FG% will make this a much easier game. If Manu comes back, that perimeter defense will be incredible and the Rockets will struggle heavily.
This is a bad matchup for the Rockets, but if Scola gets going early, that bad matchup just became a close game.
Evey- "Are you a crazy person?"
V- "I'm quite sure they'll say so."
V for Vendetta, blowing your mind away since 2005.
I’d like to see Mahinmi in this game instead of Haislip. He could get a few opportunities for blocks, and we won’t need another floor spreader in Haislip. But really, it won’t matter who will be the last big suited up tonight.
by Manu ex Machina on Nov 27, 2009 1:53 PM CST reply actions
Newb
Finally, I get to post here. My activation email was lost and drowning in the seas of Facebook updates.
But anyways, I believe the Spurs will walk away with the win here tonight. Luis Scola is the only one I’m a bit worried about. But if ‘Dyess can play the same intense defense that he has been playing these past few games, our chances of winning will be increased dramatically. And if either Aaron Brooks or Trevor Ariza have a hot hand tonight, we can always stick Hill on them. TimmyD looks like he’s gonna have a great game tonight, and Tony should (I said should) be able to drive down the middle with ease.
I look forward to the game, and I’ll see you all in the game thread tonight.
It’s a sad, sad day in PtR when I have to be the one welcoming you. But welcome anyway.
If you haven't lived with a squirrel, you haven't lived. - Bob Ross
Well, I wasn’t going to do it. That would be even worse. Plus I kind of thought he might be indirectly bragging about being popular, with all the Facebook updates, and that made me insecure.
It’s true about everyone’s being nicer than Hipuks, by the way, Daniel. That avatar, that looks like a hugging dinosaur-mouse or whatever—all lies.
Hilariously maladjusted. But for all the right reasons.
Well I made one person insecure. Mission accomplished. Just kidding, of course. But honestly, I thought I had never received the activation email. So I decided to search for it today, aaaand I found it. Success.
You know, the more we talk about Hipuks, the more insecure I’m getting.
runs to Facebook for relief
Damn, I missed this. Welcome, Daniel. I’m much nicer than Hipuks.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
And it’s great that you’re joining the game thread. I wish more lurkers did.
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Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Ariza = Bogans?
Okay, you just lost ALL credibility.
The Dream Shake ...on Twitter.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak
Care to support this statement based on the description of the matchup? Or do you just like to make blanket statements as if your view of ALL credibility was the only one that mattered?
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 27, 2009 4:51 PM CST up reply actions
I thought it was off base too. Look at it this way. Bogans is a good defender, Ariza is a good to great defender. So Ariza gets edge there. And no matter what kind of slump Ariza might be in shooting he is still an all around better offensive player too. I can’t see it being tied anyway I look it at it. But knowing Tim (via PTR) I wouldn’t say he lost any credibility. I can definitely see how an outsider looking in would think so though.
Just call me The Profit
I think Mr. Terse is being terse, don’t worry.
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That was partly based on Manu’s availability. But yeah, just go ahead and say that I have no credibility. If Ariza’s already shooting terribly, and going against our best defender, you do the math.
The Spurs - now playing defense again!
Tim did call the Battier-RJ matchup even using the same rationale, Tom Martin: defensive specialist versus offensive stuff.
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That's the idea
Ariza can play both sides of the court, can Bogans? How’s it tied?
Sure. I can agree with you about Ariza on the Lakers.
Ariza with the Rockets, meh. Is he supposed to scare teams? Nope. Is he a 3pt threat and good defender yep. Can he create his shot? Nope. But can he jack them up anyway with some modicum of form?(refer to Mason man pages) Yep. Does anyone game plan for him? Yep, same plan as far Battier and the other 3pt guys.
Is he that much better than some randomn Bogeyman on the SPURS? meh
Credibility? Start using arguments. Refer to all my points and turn them around and they will still sound good. This is only an example! Not for kids.
I like to think Tom was kidding about the credibility comment.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
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Yeah, I agree with LD on this. Tom is one of the guys from DreamShake and is a good guy. I think my comment, because of it’s terseness, came off a little more hostile than was necessary. Plus, I spent today with the inlaws so I’m a little off my game.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 27, 2009 5:52 PM CST up reply actions
Manu out, it seems. Thanks for the preview, Tim.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
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