Game #8 Preview: Spurs vs. 76ers - Keep it rolling

by Big50 on Nov 13, 2010 8:00 AM CST in Game Previews

Spurs are 6-1 and looking a little out of sorts. I guess if you're going to be out of sorts a 6-1 record to go along with that is nice. In fact, I wouldn't mind the Spurs looking out of sorts all season if they can keep this wining percentage up. Much like any sport winning is the most important thing, just ask the Dallas Cowboys. So as long as this team can keep managing to win, I'm good with that.

The one Spur not out of sorts at all is Richard Jefferson. Showing you his crazy 4 fingered hand in this photo. Creepy. Rage committed himself to getting better and has done so, at least to this point. I'm hoping he inspires the rest of the noobs to get 100% on board. If our rookies and new additions can show the same commitment that RJ did than this team will be able to make a deep run into the post season (let's just hope they figure it out sooner).

In honor of Rage's good play:

The schedule gets considerably tougher for the Spurs after this game. It would be good to see a nice easy win that gives Tim, Dyess, Manu and possibly even Parker some much needed rest. All of the Big 3 are averaging 30+ minutes a game and Dice is around 25. That number needs to get lower. The rest of the schedule this month is brutal. Winning the games they should will make life much easier later in the season for this team.

A guy that needs to pick it up: George Hill.

Where is the George Hill that we saw against Dallas last year in the playoffs? Cubits needs to regain whatever confidence he has lost and pick it up. This team needs a solid leader for the second unit and it needs to be him. We love you Jorge, but it's time to get back to your solid play.

A guy who is back from injury: Matt Bonner

That's right. Tonight marks the return of The Galloping Gossamer. May the FSM bestow him with great shooting, and have mercy on all who oppose him. Then again, there's not exactly a lot of frontcourt minutes up for grabs at this point.

San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
When: November 13, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Spurs Time
Watch: KRRT 35

By the Numbers

Data source: basketball-reference.com

Category	Stat	Rank
Offensive Efficiency	110.3	4th
Defensive Efficiency	105.3	9th
Defensive Rebound Rate	73%	16th
Offensive Rebound Rate	28%	9th
Field Goal Percentage	47%	10th
3-Point FG Percentage	43%	1st
Free Throw Percentage	74%	23rd
Turnover Percentage	15%	23rd

Category	Stat	Rank
Offensive Efficiency	104.9	21st
Defensive Efficiency	105.4	12th
Defensive Rebound Rate	75%	10th
Offensive Rebound Rate	24%	23rd
Field Goal Percentage	45%	18th
3-Point FG Percentage	31%	27th
Free Throw Percentage	80%	6th
Turnover Percentage	14%	18th

Record	Wins	Losses
Overall	6	1
Conference	4	1
Division	1	1
Home	3	1
Away	3	0

Position	Conference	Division
Record	3rd	2nd

Lineups

Starters
PG: Tony Parker
SG: Manu Ginobili
SF: Richard Jefferson
PF: DeJuan Blair
C: Tim Duncan

Key Bench Players
George Hill
Tiago Splitter
Gary Neal

Record	Wins	Losses
Overall	2	7
Conference	2	5
Division	1	0
Home	1	3
Away	1	4

Position	Conference	Division
Record	12th	4th

Lineups

Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Andre Iguodala
SF: Andres Nocioni
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Key Bench Players
Louis Williams
Thaddeus Young
Evan Turner

Matchup Analysis


	Point Guard
	Shooting Guard
	Small Forward
	Power Forward
	Center
	Bench
	Coach
	Intangibles
	Mojo
	Winner

Starters

PG: Frenchie McWonderbutt has been playing like his hair's on fire. He's been scoring and setting guys up. Jrue Holiday is a young PG for the 76ers and is very quick, but I don't see him being able to keep up with our beloved Frenchman

SG: Manu has been very solid lately, not to mention clutch, but he's not playing at his top level. Of course he could be playing with one arm and he'd be better than rookie Evan Turner. Igoudala is supposedly the 3rd string SG now days for the 76ers (this according to ESPN's depth chart), but he's still logging 35 minutes a game so I'm not buying it. He will be a tough guard on the defensive end. I'd like to see if Gary Neal can handle a tough defensive assignment.

SF: Rage has been playing so well I'm starting to doubt if he can keep it going for the whole season. Nocioni is a decent SF and should test RJ's willingness and focus on defense. Nocioni can get hot in a hurry, let's hope that RJ is there to answer.

PF: Good ol' Elton Brand. This guy has got to be one of the most overrated and over-payed players in the NBA. Every time he leaves a team they get better. He does have a solid post game. Timmeh should own him on the offensive side of the ball. I'm hoping to see Duncan's minutes under 30 by a wide margin tonight.

C: Neither team gets a spur here. Blair has been very rough to start the season. His defense was a liability against the Clippers. The one thing I'd like to see Blair work on is, once the ball is in the air, BOX OUT. He's got the jumping and all that down, but get your body on your man and make sure you secure the rebound. Also, learn to layup. I have no thoughts on Hawes. I imagine we'll see a lot of Thaddeus Young here.

Bench

Anderson is hurt and out for 8 weeks. It's Gary Neal's chance to shine. Of course that assumes he'll see playing time. Hill had a pretty solid game against the Clippers and will look to keep that momentum going. The 76ers have Evan Turner and Young coming off their bench. It should be interesting to see how the Spurs second unit handles the new rotation.

Coaching

Greg Popovich or Doug Collins. Considering I know how Collins thinks since he spent several years trying to make my ears bleed, I'm going to go ahead and give Pop the edge here. I'm hoping Pop gives us more Splitter and Duncan together, that's a very nice defensive lineup.

Intangibles

Spurs are winning despite not playing Spurs like defense and the offense is still there. The 76ers, despite the Doug Collins factor, are not that good of a team and will be playing in a SEGABABA.

Mojo

Raging against the machine with the Bald Spot.

Prediction

Spurs win, but not as easily as they should.

Following Along

KRRT 35 - In San Antonio

Radio

WOAI 1200AM; Audio League Pass[streaming]

Online

As always, NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game 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. You can also shoot an email to poundingtherockmail@yahoo.com(IMPORTANT: Please include your PtR username in the email for reference) for further assistance.

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Comments

First!

Spurs win, all the way. There isn’t even a player on the Sixers that’s remotely threatening.

"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on DeJuan Blair

by Manu ex Machina on Nov 13, 2010 9:07 AM CST reply actions

It’s still a TARP…

by DrumsInTheDeep on Nov 13, 2010 9:16 AM CST reply actions

I don’t think this is a tarp, we survived the first true tarp of the season last game…

[ "Duncan, the Spurs' 34-year-old captain, was aghast when Splitter told him he used to watch him as a kid."]

"I didn't enjoy that at all," Duncan said

by alamobro on Nov 13, 2010 3:26 PM CST up reply actions

When you’re a hammer, you see every problem as a nail.

When you’re Drums, you see every game against a bottom feeder as a TARP.

Make sense now?

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

I am a hammer, see me swing.

[ "Duncan, the Spurs' 34-year-old captain, was aghast when Splitter told him he used to watch him as a kid."]

"I didn't enjoy that at all," Duncan said

by alamobro on Nov 13, 2010 5:09 PM CST up reply actions

This is true.

by DrumsInTheDeep on Nov 13, 2010 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

So far in this very young season, we’ve played the 4th easiest slate in the league. I really hope we take care of business tonight and beat another obviously inferior team because our schedule is about to get much more difficult. 7 out of the next 9 games we play (maybe 6, depending on your opinion of Golden State) are against very good, or even elite, teams.

by shost on Nov 13, 2010 9:36 AM CST reply actions

These other teams that you mention, you call them “elite.”

“We’ll put their name to the test.”

"He has an innate ability of putting the damn ball in the hole." - Pop on Ginobili

by ZeusVizzle on Nov 13, 2010 12:25 PM CST up reply actions

Duncan = Leonidas

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions

Duncan: “THIS IS SPUR-TA!”

"He has an innate ability of putting the damn ball in the hole." - Pop on Ginobili

by ZeusVizzle on Nov 13, 2010 4:51 PM CST up reply actions

Good preview Big. Short and to the point.

by indiancharlie on Nov 13, 2010 9:37 AM CST reply actions

Thanks, I assume my other’s have been too long winded? :)

by Big50 on Nov 15, 2010 1:09 PM CST up reply actions

Great F*#@ing Song!

"The A-Train deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html

by Joe deLarios on Nov 13, 2010 9:48 AM CST reply actions

yeah it is

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Nov 13, 2010 1:13 PM CST up reply actions

Fuck it, Spurs by 50

"He was just a young skinny guy who looked like a winner. We didn’t know he was going to be as good as he is."
—Popovich on Manu Ginobili

by spursfan87 on Nov 13, 2010 10:23 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

another rec for you, good sir.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 4:01 PM CST up reply actions

I meant to mention this earlier, since it was first relevant right after the Clips game when people were wondering where Neal went.

I’m pretty sure Neal only getting a minute in the Clippers game was a matchup thing. The Clippers played most of the game with three or four forwards on the court. Manu and Hill had to guard Butler, Gomes and Aminu… all big wings who would tower over Neal.

by greyberger on Nov 13, 2010 10:58 AM CST reply actions

Isn’t Neal two inches taller than Hill? I realize that much is often said about George’s wingspan, but it seems Neal is listed at 6’4" and Hill at 6’2".

by Alamo on Nov 13, 2010 12:55 PM CST up reply actions

Dang you’re right, he’s even got 30 pounds on Hill. Oh well it could have been for defensive reasons, if not necessarily size ones

by greyberger on Nov 13, 2010 2:29 PM CST up reply actions

Hill’s a better defender and more versatile, when he’s playing at his best compared to Neal who is still very new. I’m sure all those factor in.

by grego21 on Nov 13, 2010 5:10 PM CST up reply actions

I was playing NBA2k11 the other day….

I wanted to smack my PS3 for such an offer.

Biggest coach Pop/Tiago Splitter homer on the internet™

by Josh Guyer (completely deck) on Nov 13, 2010 12:38 PM CST reply actions

and no, this wasn’t meant to open the “trade tony” can of worms, jrw.

Or was it..

Biggest coach Pop/Tiago Splitter homer on the internet™

by Josh Guyer (completely deck) on Nov 13, 2010 1:07 PM CST up reply actions

See Deck. See Deck stir the pot. Stir, Deck. Stir the pot.

Deck has stirred the pot. Deck is happy. Smile, deck. Smile.

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 3:16 PM CST up reply actions

C Deck uses “trade tony”….
its not very effective.

Kahn uses “Darko Milicic”
Kahn is confused! It hurts itself in its confusion! Kahn faints!

C Deck has gained 100 exp points.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 4:06 PM CST up reply actions

“Fun with Dick and Jane” meets “Magik: The Gathering”?

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 4:10 PM CST up reply actions

i was thinking Pokemon.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 4:15 PM CST up reply actions

Are they that different? I’m asking seriously. I really don’t know.

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 4:24 PM CST up reply actions

I’m not sure about the card game. Never was able to build a good enough Magik deck, or a good enough Pokemon deck, to get into the cards. But the Pokemon video games were kinda fun. Went back and beat one of them last spring.

I may have just realized why i’m 22 (23 in 10 days) and still single. Damn.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 4:34 PM CST up reply actions

You’ll grow out of it … or you’ll meet a nice little geekette and settle down to raise a clutch of geeklings.

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 4:55 PM CST up reply actions

I’m more partial to the second option. :)

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

im a big fan of both the videogames and the card game. Pokemon has taken a lot of years of my life. And I just realized Im too 22 and single……

"Rock and Roll angels bring that HardRock Hallelujah"

by Chilai on Nov 13, 2010 7:29 PM CST up reply actions

i was so happy last year when i caught Articuno…

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 14, 2010 12:01 AM CST up reply actions

LOL

the computer insulted your intelligence with this bad trade offer.

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Nov 13, 2010 1:08 PM CST up reply actions

If you’re PS3 offers the 30-30 machine (Love), you may want to pay heed. (Though not for TP….)

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

Mike Monroe: ...the uninformed presume Parker is expendable.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Nov 13, 2010 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

the 30-30 machine

Chuckle.

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 13, 2010 4:24 PM CST up reply actions

Igoudala is hurt so that is most likely the reason why he is a third stringer on the depth chart. I am afraid that Philly might try to make this game a track meet. That seems to be what they try and do in there games. Like stated above, this is a game we must win because the schedule is about to start getting tougher

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Nov 13, 2010 1:11 PM CST reply actions

Jump ’em early, hold ’em down, dig ’em deeper, then stop on them.

Win big so that no Spurs player plays more than 30 minutes. We got another game tomorrow.

Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on Nov 13, 2010 4:57 PM CST reply actions

a game tomorrow that i shall be attending :)

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 5:38 PM CST up reply actions

The den of the Ford Center where the Spurs have won three consecutive? Awesome. You gonna write an in-attendance recap?

Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on Nov 13, 2010 6:18 PM CST up reply actions

That very den where i watched Blair put up his first 20/20? You betcha. As far the in attendance recap…I’m in the nosebleeds this year so i’m not so sure. If i can see the action pretty well i might give it a shot.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 6:59 PM CST up reply actions

Also, the two people i’m going with and I are going as the Spurs Bigs of Past, Present, and Future. My friend is wearing his #50 jersey, his wife is wearing Timmeh’s, and I’m going to be in my Blair :)

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 13, 2010 7:00 PM CST up reply actions

Bakkie likes this

The point with intangibles is that no one can see them.

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 14, 2010 1:30 AM CST up reply actions

I’ve been doing that a lot recently. Mostly it comes from hitting the “post” button before i’ve completely finished my thoughts.

I had the same problem as a child in the bathroom. I’d be dropping a duece, finish my business, get up and leave, but then have to go again like half an hour later. It’s important to take ones time with such things.

Fortunately, now that i have a laptop, i can take PtR in there with me. It makes me slow down. Now, if i could only make myself think more about when to cut off a post.

(this might be a good example of one i should have cut off a few paragraphs ago) ;)

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 14, 2010 1:36 AM CST up reply actions

Love that you’re doing this. Get a pic. And tell us how many Thunder fans have no idea who all three of you are.

Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on Nov 14, 2010 11:53 AM CST up reply actions

didnt get a pic :(

But I can tell you- Thunder fans do not like playing our big 3. And after last year, they ALL know who Blair is. Thunder/Spurs is going to be something akin to Spurs/Suns, if not a full blown rivalry, in no time.

Rim Rockin' Red Rocket -silverandblack_davis

by SpursfanSteve on Nov 14, 2010 11:44 PM CST up reply actions

A guy who is back from injury: Matt Bonner

That’s right. Tonight marks the return of The Galloping Gossamer. May the FSM bestow him with great shooting, and have mercy on all who oppose him. Then again, there’s not exactly a lot of frontcourt minutes up for grabs at this point.

Part of the way he will get minutes is that Blair (unless he picks up his game)/Dice/Duncan will all see reduced minutes which can help. Also, if he’s hitting, Spurs can push the lead up and play the big 3 less. So his benefit can be greatly tied to less minutes for a lot of players when he’s on.

by grego21 on Nov 13, 2010 5:06 PM CST reply actions

Yep, and hoping that all of these take place.

Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on Nov 13, 2010 6:19 PM CST up reply actions

And it did. Bonner played the entire (or nearly the entire) 4th, as the starters sat after running the lead to 30+. Dice only had to play a tad over seven-and-a-half minutes… didn’t have to finish the game with Splitter and Bonner playing.

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

Mike Monroe: ...the uninformed presume Parker is expendable.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Nov 13, 2010 11:15 PM CST up reply actions