Game #5 Preview: Rockets @ Spurs
by Tim C. on Nov 6, 2010 8:00 AM CDT
in Game Previews
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PrintAfter narrowly defeating the team whose very name is synonymous with "offense", the Spurs face off tonight against yet another team that has a ton of scoring options. Lucky for us, this team's defense is even more horrendous than the Suns'. Will we have another barnburner? Or will the Spurs play defense well enough to put this game out of reach early on? Let's hope for the latter.
And now, the second first official hack preview of the season.
 Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio When: 11/06/2010, 7:30pm Spurs Time Watch: KENS; KTXH
By the Numbers
Data source: basketball-reference.com |
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Lineups
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Lineups
Starters
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Matchup Analysis
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Coach | |
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Intangibles | |
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Mojo | |
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Winner |
Starters
PG: These two speed demons going after each other on both ends of the floor should be entertaining to watch. Fast, fast, and more fast. If the other Spurs can cut off Brooks' passing lanes, Tony will have a better game due to his slightly better defense.
SG: Another fun matchup here, putting a scoring machine(Martin) against a guy that can do everything well and has no imbalance in his game, according to none other than the Rockets' starting small forward. Manu had an off night in Phoenix, so here's hoping he bounces back tonight.
SF: Battier is a long-term subject of PtR's unrequited love, and would probably still be a great asset to the Spurs. However, he seems to be slowing down with age, while RJ has been on an incredibl tear to start the season. Eventually, RJ's shooting numbers are going to return to normal human levels, but I'm not betting against him.
PF: Scola will abuse Blair, no doubt about it. It would be nice to get a surprise and see Timmy start here with a certain former teammate of Scola's at the center position, but I don't forsee Pop abandoning Blair just yet. DeJuan's numbers should also return to normal human levels at some point, but he has looked very, very bad so far.
C: Two years ago, most people would have told you that Yao vs. Timmy was a matchup of the two best bigmen in the league. Nowadays, some guy from Spain has crashed that party, but this still has the potential to be an epic battle.
Bench
George Hill should hopefully return tonight after sitting out the game aginst Phoenix. Maybe his shooting stroke will return, as well. Splitter has been amazing with help defense, especially on pick-and-rolls - I just hope he looks for his offense a bit more. The Houston bench is a bit thinner without Kyle Lowry, but Ish Smith, who killed us in preseason, will fill in for him in the interim. Someone needs to lock down their shooters.
Coaching
Adelman got robbed, as did the rest of that Kings organization, back in 2002. As crappy as that is for him, Pop has still had far more success, and deserves the star.
Intangibles
The Spurs found a way to win the other night by getting stops when they were most needed. If that isn't an intangible, nothing is.
Mojo
Tiago Splitter is undefeated. :P
Prediction
This has the potential to be a trap game, but I think the Spurs will take it seriously enough to win.
Other Reading
Spurs
48 Minutes of Hell - Our Spurs-blogging buddies are at it again, and they're cranking out the stories pretty quickly this year. Kudos to them for not missing a beat.
Project Spurs - PS has really stepped up to the plate this year. They're still doing the podcasts, but have added some new features as well, like "stat of the game", which I enjoyed reading, and a bunch more writers.
Rockets
The Dream Shake(SBNation) - Our SBN counterparts always have good analysis, even if they're feeling a bit shellshocked by how their season has started.
Following Along
TV
KENS(San Antonio); KTXH(Houston); NBA League Pass
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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Can’t wait for this game, hopefully there will be some good and intense battle between Scola and Splitter. They both know each other game very well after having played together at Tau Ceramica for many years. I’m sure Splitter will be eager to put one over Scola after being dumped out from the World Championship. As a fan of Argentina, most certainly I would like to see a bug number from Manu GINOBILI.
VAMOS ARGENTINA!!! Please visit my blog @ http://www.mundoalbiceleste.com
Fuck it, Spurs by 35
"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 6, 2010 10:20 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Spurs favored by 6 – let’s not $#*& this up
Doomsday Scenario is looking a hell of lot less likely, thankfully
"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
I thought we did really good to win a tight game in Phoenix the other night, but Memphis just did the same thing last night. Can’t believe they’re 1-4.
Actually, Memphis might’ve won had Gay missed his second FT, as he wanted to do. Instead, he made it, and J.Rich won the game for Phoenix.
I hate to say it, but that kind of game may help Phoenix turn things around. If Memphis were able to hold on for the win, I could see the Suns’ imploding from the effect of a second close loss in a row.
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 6, 2010 5:29 PM CDT up reply actions
G hill inbounds from half court to Jrich for a reverse to tie it. there was only .4 seconds left for the play…
Bitchen!
"I feel younger almost every year. I feel like I'm getting better every year. I feel like the season gets easier for me the last two years." Steve Nash
Well, congrats… I was ready to write your guys off after two heartbreaking close losses at home, but that might just be the spark that lights the fire.
Ooops, got that wrong. For some reason I thought JRich won it with seconds left rather than sending it into OT.
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 6, 2010 11:10 PM CDT up reply actions
from a suns fan perspective that game was AWESOME….I think you’re right though this will go a long way to finally bring the guys together, a double OT loss could have bad implications
"I feel younger almost every year. I feel like I'm getting better every year. I feel like the season gets easier for me the last two years." Steve Nash
Yeah, the chemistry seems to be fragile, to say the least. Winning a game that they shoulda lost (and they woulda, had Gay actually missed the FT he wanted to) will go a long way to solidifying the team. A loss would have been devastating.
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 6, 2010 11:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Good preview Tim. I’m also wishing to see Tiago start rather than Blair, if only to eliminate Timmy’s need to start on Yao. One thing about your preview is I think you might have made a mistake giving the rockets a win in the conference and away. Maybe you meant to do that but I doubt it.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
Though one might think that Tiago isn’t quite ready to start, since Yao will be playing only a limited number of minutes himself it would seem to me a good idea to have Tiago in whenever Yao is in and let Blair play when he is out.
Goddamn it Bonner just get back from injury already. Our hometown Rocket increases our lineup flexibility by a huge amount even just playing ~15 min a game. I really think we will have the better frontcourt than Houston when we play them in April and March. Until Splitter is acclimated and Bonner back and up to speed, they probably have the advantage…
All I can say is, I didn’t expect these Rockets to go 0 and 5. I think they’ll challenge us more than Indiana or the Clips did. If Blair does have a good night we’ll probably beat them, because the rest of the team is playing at a pretty high level. The question mark is at our frontcourt and Blair is a large part of that.
Good point. But I’d also want to let Splitter play after the bell rings on Yao’s 24 minute clock. After all, Tiago isn’t on a timer.
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 6, 2010 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Also, playing Blair on Miller means that DeBeast might have to go out with Brad into the perimeter, which could reduce his rebounding effectiveness. Then again, I suppose they could have him go up against Scola, and put Duncan (or Dice) on Miller. I’m not sure I like either scheme….
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 6, 2010 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Based on how the Rockets have performed in the first few games, the only star they should have is next too PF. Scola has been out of his mind and the rest of the team has sucked out loud. If they play like they have so far this year, we should win handily. Of course, they’ll probably turn it around against us tonight. That always seems to happen.
We get out to a good lead and the 0-5 thing might actually work in our favor. Yao’s minutes limitation is a big distraction and probably demoralizing. What I hope for most is just good defense on Scola, Yao and Hayes, and let everybody else take jumpshots all they want.
I think I may be responsible, since I mistakenly wrote that they were 0-5 in the comments of another thread.
Of course, I corrected myself, hoping to appease the mojo gods… but if the Rockets manage to go 1-4, I suppose I’ll have to shoulder the responsibility for angering them. :’(
Anyone have any suggestions for an appropriate sacrifice before the game? I suppose I could punish myself by restricting myself to ‘watching’ the first half via a combination of an audio feed and the Yahoo! play-by-play ticker.
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 6, 2010 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
i prefer the old skool Norse style – hang yourself upside down from a tree until all the blood pools into your head, your eye comes out and then you are granted special powers by the gods. sweet!
"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
GOL.
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 6, 2010 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
I was thinking more along the lines of sacrificing a chicken… one that comes in pieces and in a bucket.
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 6, 2010 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions
thought you might like that……now to teach myself C++ until game time
"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
Interesting. They drop Simmons right before this happens. Looks like Temple should be getting some time as a stretch 3.
There was a time when RJ played 38, 40 minutes a night. He’s older but he looks to be in great shape. He played 38+ only 10 times last season, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Well, it could also be Neal and/or Manu asked to fill in there for this game. I’m assuming, of course, that Hill has fully recovered and will be able to play significant minutes at the guard spots.
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 6, 2010 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Congratulations to Anderson and here’s hoping for a safe delivery.
No one here has a private jet that can help James make it to Houston by game time? It’d be awesome if he got back in time to drain some threes in celebration. :)
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 6, 2010 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions
He needs to make it to SA, it’s a home game ;-), but seriously we thought that the team would have arranged a private plane of some type also.
lol. I woulda gotten Anderson on a plane that went to the wrong city, lol
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 6, 2010 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions
I predict Yao in early fould trouble and the rockets having to use “The Chuck Wagon” more at center… that being said; unleash DeBeast
Go Spurs Go! Sadly, I have to save animals’ lives tonight so I’ll miss the game.
'Offensive rebounding' is a gross understatement of DeJuan Blair's skill. It is far beyond 'offensive' and should be qualified as 'Get The Hell Out of My Way Or I'll Tear Your Arms Off and Eat Your Babies' rebounding.
Nothing sad about saving animals’ lives… good for you!
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 6, 2010 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, it’s an Emergency Clinic so 80% of the cases are due to dimwitted owners. Oh well! I’ll save a life for y’all! ;)
Y’all have good nights and… GSG!
'Offensive rebounding' is a gross understatement of DeJuan Blair's skill. It is far beyond 'offensive' and should be qualified as 'Get The Hell Out of My Way Or I'll Tear Your Arms Off and Eat Your Babies' rebounding.
Great preview, Tim.
I think the kind of team the Spurs are — players and coaches both — they won’t pay much attention to Houston’s record thus far, so I doubt they’ll fall into the ‘trap’ game mode for that reason. I’m not saying it might not happen, but I suspect it such a situation would have to do more with the two pre-season games against them than believing that Houston is playing as poorly as their record indicates. There’s just been too much history between these two teams for either to take the other for granted.
It would be great if Hill made use of his healing time to rediscover where his game has been hiding. I’ve long suspected that there’s a planet far, far away where player’s missing games can be found, and that Blair’s and Hill’s decided to take an early-season vacation there. Maybe Hill can bring back Blair’s, as well. :)
I’m not gonna bet against RJ 2.0 neither, though Battier could make things difficult. If I can tear my eyes away from following the ball, that’s the matchup that I’m going to be watching.
I’ll note again that Yao’s timer makes playing Houston like playing two different teams… I woulda thought presenting two markedly different looks could be an advantage for the Rockets, but they’ve clearly not worked out the kinks yet. I’m hoping that it’ll take them longer to figure out, until after this game, at least!
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 6, 2010 6:04 PM CDT reply actions
Absolutely agree, this season is way too young for the Spurs to be thinking about Houston’s record. Hopefully we can continue to improve defensively and George and Dejuan can find their shots back.
I’m eager to see how we stop Scola. Will we let him get his while shutting down everyone else? Or will we focus in on him and let others get going? Who will be his primary defender? All questions I’m looking forward to the answers to. It should be a great game nonetheless.
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
will the Spurs play defense well enough to put this game out of reach early on?
I certainly hope so, though I think even great Spurs defense won’t prevent this game from being competitive late. Houston is desperate and better than 0-4. Let’s hope they don’t get some weird breaks to go their way tonight.
In comparison to the Suns game, let’s cut the turnovers in half. That alone should help make for a smooth victory tonight.
Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I think it was pointed out by 48MoH is that one big source of team turnovers against the Suns was lazy and telegraphed passes by the Spurs. I hope Pop ripped the players fresh ones after the game, so that all passes tonight are sharp and quick.
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 6, 2010 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions
It certainly looked that way to me. Those turnovers had little to do with Phoenix defense. Fortunately they were mostly dead-ball turnovers thus the Suns could not turn them into quick and easy scores.
Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Missing the game to play some ball, hopefully I get to watch a win when I get back. GSG and win this one for Fab!
"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It’s what happens while you wait for moments that will never come." - Lester Freamon, The Wire
by silverandblack_davis on Nov 6, 2010 7:06 PM CDT reply actions
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