Game #30 Recap: Wizards 80, Spurs 94 - Tune up for Lakers.
by Aaron "Hirschof" Preine on Dec 26, 2010 10:40 PM CST
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Your boys in the Silver & Black look to rebound after a taking a classic behind-the-woodshed whipping from the Orlando Magic. So how did they fare against the short-handed Washington Wizards?
Eh... alright.
To say defense has been a bit of an issue for the San Antonio Spurs would be an understatement. Prior to being manhandled by the Orlando Magic last Friday night, Spurs have allowed opponents to break the 100 point barrier four consecutive times while averaging 47.7% from the floor. Granted the Memphis game trekked into overtime but that was a home game against a sub .500 team missing its leading scorer, Rudy Gay. Color Pop unimpressed.
After a tough win against Denver the night before and with the Orlando Magic playing a fast and free offensive game plan featuring three new offensive weapons, the Spurs limped into the proverbial firing squad. Orlando scored 30+ points in two consecutive quarters, had seven players score in the double-digits, and shot a blistering 59.5% overall on their way to drubbing the Spurs 123 - 101. "The way I remember it, we got our butts handed to us the last time we came out and played so we got work to do," Popovich told reporters during today's shootaround.
It may be a bit of a dream to see the dominant defense that was once the hallmark of Coach Pop's Spurs but with the way San Antonio's opponents have been scoring, any improvement would be gratefully welcomed at this point. Maybe the nationally televised bare-end spanking will provide the necessary spark to bring the once defensive-minded juggernauts back to life.
They can start by feasting on the hapless 7-20 Washington Wizards (0-13 on the road), who will be without Andray Blatche (suspension) and JaVale McGree (suspension) tonight.
Game time.
Washington Wizards Starting Five: Hinrich, Young, Thornton, Lewis, Armstrong
San Antonio Spurs Starting Five: Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson, Duncan, Blair
1st Quarter
The Spurs started the quarter by going consistently, but not aggressively, into the paint. Blair and Duncan missed all of their opportunities inside until Blair finally knocked down a layup at the 9:22 mark. The Wizards athletic big men seemed to be giving the Spurs a bit of trouble and were playing the screens well. Although the Spurs obviously wanted to get their scoring in the paint, the outside shooting was clicking. Ginobili nailed three 3-PT shots before finally missing his fourth deep attempt near the end of the quarter. Washington started off hot by nailing their first four shots through decent ball movement. By the looks of it, Washington wanted to rely heavily on their backcourt's shooting off of one-on-one match-ups and high screens. There was no real interior presence on the offensive end for Washington, in fact, the first real attack in the paint (Thornton) was blocked by Richard Jefferson. The Wizards outside shots are falling decently but often enough to keep up with the Spurs constant attacks in the paint and 4-5 3PT production in the first quarter.
End of 1st Quarter, Wizards - 23 Spurs - 27
Quarter Quick Shots:
- The Spurs are alternating between man and a 1-3-1 zone defense. This is leaving the corners open and the Wizards are trying to take advantage.
- George Hill looks good in his first minutes in over a week. Hill scored on a fast break and hit a corner three.
- Duncan left the quarter 0-3 from the floor.
- Spurs need serious work on defending high screens.
via i.cdn.turner.com
From being a Bull to being run over by a bull. Tough times.
2nd Quarter
The Wizards tried to go inside early in the second quarter and did find some success with a layup and a couple free throws. Despite the early inside success, Washington stuck by their offensive game plan of high screens and one-on-one match-ups. Hinrich was the bulk of the Wizards scoring and finished the first half with 13 PTS, 6-7 FG, and 4 AST. It appeared that if San Antonio could continue playing their shooters without becoming soft in the paint, the Wizards would not be able to cover their shortcomings on defense.
San Antonio was moving the ball better than they did in the first quarter but the set plays seemed slow and a bit rough. Despite the slow play on offense, San Antonio only turned the ball over four times while producing 17 AST. The Wizards seemed content to leave the perimeter open and allowed the Spurs to take 12 threes (making 6). That, so far, has been the difference in this game.
Half Time, Wizards - 42 Spurs - 48
Quarter Quick Shots:
- Duncan hits his first shot with 5:56 left in the second quarter.
- I have not seen the Wizards run a set play.
- The Wizards have 8 assists to the Spurs 17. Wizards have four offensive boards though.
- "Where's the ****ing foul?" will be on Tim Duncan's tombstone.
- I would like to say the refs are letting the players battle it out but neither team is being particularly aggressive in the paint. Only five free throw attempts (total) in the first half.
- Spurs defense has reverted back to mostly man-to-man play.
- In the final seconds of the quarter, John Wall gets what looks like the easiest layup he will ever get.
Halftime box score via i54.tinypic.com
via i.cdn.turner.com
Pictured: Parker driving around a fallen Josh Howard. Not pictured: Manu sneezing.
3rd Quarter
In the early goings of the third quarter, the Spurs defense left a lot to be desired. There was little pressure on the backcourt which did not force any uncomfortable passes or shots from the Wizards. Slow rotations by San Antonio opened up shooters and a couple easy lanes to the basket. Washington's ball movement was crisp. How crisp? Well, after notching only eight assists in first half, the Wizards picked up four assists in the first three and a half minutes of play. The Spurs quickly picked up the hustle on defense and the Wizards began holding onto the ball longer. Open lanes and ball movement also died down and the Wizards were forced into taking tougher shots at the end of the shot clock. In the last seven minutes of the third quarter, San Antonio's defense only allowed five more baskets.
San Antonio continued to enjoy a relaxed perimeter defense by Washington, hitting 4-5 from deep (10-17 overall) in the 3rd quarter. Led by a driving Tony Parker, the Spurs picked up the tempo in the final five minutes and started going to the rim with more aggression. As a result, the Spurs found themselves at the line for the first time in the game and finished the quarter 8-10 from the charity stripe. The Spurs outscored the Wizards 33 - 23 in third and look like they'll run away with this one if their able to sustain such an aggressive attack.
End of 3rd Quarter, Wizards - 65 Spurs - 81
Quarter Quick Shots:
- Parker picked up the attack in the second half of the quarter and earned the Spurs first FTA with 4:41 left in quarter.
- In his first game back from injury, George Hill looked good: 11 PTS, 3-3 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2 AST, and 1 STL
- In the final minutes, the Wizards held the ball too long and took tough shots.
- Tim Duncan was having a frustrating night on offense against the Wizards athletic front court: 5 PTS, 2-9 FG, 0 O-REB.
- DeJuan Blair had four straight offensive rebounds against four Wizards before finally making a put back (odd that he was only credited for one on the play.)
via i.cdn.turner.com
Its OK, Tim. We're no longer playing the Magic. You can come out now.
4th Quarter
The fourth quarter started similar to the early portion of the third; Washington moved the ball around unharassed and got the ball deep into the paint even easier than before. After giving up seven points within the first three minutes, the Spurs defense shut down the passing lanes, pestered the ball handler, and allowed only 2 points (Howard free throws) between the 9:30 and 4:00 minute marks. The Wizards scored only 15 points in the final quarter, shooting 5-25, and committing 5 turnovers.
Although they maintained their aggressiveness, San Antonio fared no better on the offensive end; scoring only 13 points on 5-18 shooting and 5 turnovers of their own. In the end, Pop got what he wanted out of this game; a win, better defense, and plenty to chastise his players about.
Lets just hope this is a tune up for an angry Kobe Bryant and an under-achieving Lakers squad.
Final, Wizards - 80 Spurs - 94
Quarter Quick Shots:
- Although struggling from deep, Neal was 3-4 inside the arc and moved the ball well.
- I'm starting to pay more attention to Neal's passing. He side-armed the ball across the baseline, corner to corner, at 100 mph straight into his teammate's chest.
- Wizards wanted to shoot their way back into the game via the deep ball. Spurs solid perimeter defense only allowed 1-4 from deep and forced Wizards to look elsewhere.
- Tiago entered the game for the first time with 5:30 left in the game.
- Parker finished the night with 14 AST, one short of his season high.
- Spurs were scoreless for four minutes but held Washington to 2-6 in same stretch.
- I'm no Chip Engelland but Udoka's release looks late.
- Duncan did not play in the final 14 minutes of the game.
- Combined shooting for the fourth quarter? 10-43. Ouch.
via i54.tinypic.com
via i.cdn.turner.com
Rashard Lewis is introduced to the infamous "Ginger Slap."
Post-game Wrap-up
Wizards' Three Stars
- Kirk Hinrich: 15 PTS, 7-10 FG, 1-1 3PT, 7 AST, 2 STL, 4 TO (-9)
- Rashard Lewis: 21 PTS, 8-19 FG, 4-8 3PT, 12 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL (-8)
- Al Thornton: 11 PTS, 5-10 FG, 3 REB (-6)
Spurs Three Stars
- Tony Parker: 20 PTS, 8-15 FG, 1-2 3PT, 14 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO (+16)
- Manu Ginobili: 21 PTS, 8-13 FG, 5-7 3PT, 3 STL (-1)
- Gary Neal: 9 PTS, 4-10 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2 REB, 1 STL (+12)
Best of the Best from the Best
what kind of incriminating pictures does ime have of Popovich?
- uncguy0007
Udoka made a shot.
::looks outside for comet::
- TimC.
RJ just airballed a three. Udoka feels a little better about himself.
- r21x
Final Quick Shots:
- With as bad of a game Duncan was having, why did it take so long for Tiago to see minutes?
- But it's not like Tiago did much in his five plus minutes though: 0-2 FG, 1 REB, 1 BLK, and 2 TO.
- I can't wait for Anderson to come back. I'm done watching Udoka.
- Jefferson had a quiet game but grabbed nine boards and played decent defense.
- I'm digging DeJuan's steady improvement on defense away from basket. Still needs ton of work in the paint but I'm interested in seeing if and how he can overcome his height in the low block.
Next Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs. -- Tuesday, December 28th @ 7:30 PM Spurs time (CT)
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Dang very fast, one of these days you’ll post it before the quickcap.
“Where’s the ****ing foul?” will be on Tim Duncan’s tombstone.
If Timmy does become an assistant coach someday, he’ll probably pick up a lot of tees.
Parker finishes the night with 14 AST, one short of his season high.
This snuck up on me.
Duncan did not play in the final 14 minutes of the game.
Resting Big Fun up for the Lakers game. Go spurs!
I hope Udoka does something in the time he is a Spur to make us all eat our words about him.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
Like shutting down Kobe Tuesday? I’m not holding my breath.
by SaSleepless on Dec 26, 2010 11:35 PM CST up reply actions
He already did enough in my mind. That first game he played (on the road against the Timberwolves) he closed out on one of Minny’s bigs (either Love or Darko) after a rebound and forced him into a bad pass that allowed the Spurs not only to get a stop, but also to score on a fast break and get that game into overtime.
If he does nothing else this year, that’ll be enough for me … assuming that he doesn’t start getting tons of playing time while continuing his current level of production.
Enjoying the trip to # 172 as much as humanly possible
I think he’s here more for practice, both actual practice and to run sets correctly during blowouts. For new guys like Quinn and Splitter, it is critical that anyone on the floor with them are where they’re supposed to be.
Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I vow to never mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together again until we have a "quarterback."
our defense seems to have improved…slightly. Playing against the Lakers should be a real test to see how we measure up (and L.A loves inside shots, our BIGS have to be ready). Now I noticed our Ball Movement seemed to be non-existent for certain stretches of the game, leading us into taking contested/bad shots. We need to play SPURS basketball for 48-minutes especially with the next couple of games coming up. This games’ outcome was as expected, but honestly I don’t think we took advantage of this Wizard team especially when they were missing 2 of their starters.
by Scott Miranda-Kerr on Dec 27, 2010 1:52 AM CST reply actions
I’m not sure the Lakers will be a real test at the time. Definitely a test, but they are struggling and Bynum is still slowly coming back. This game is a little bit more winnable than games later in 2011.
Having said that, Lakers should bring their A game for a Spurs battle (since they are the top team in the league).
I’m digging DeJuan’s steady improvement on defense away from basket. Still needs ton of work in the paint but I’m interested in seeing if and how he can overcome his height in the low block.
He needs to learn how to block out on defensive boards. Too often he tries to out jump or out muscle opposing taller talent. The problem is the margin for error is higher when you do that on the defensive boards.
He has the strength to box out just about anyone. This is where he’d probably see better +/- numbers as this improves.
Lakers really didn’t play like the 2-time defending champs in that Miami game. The paint was shut down for them for most of the game and they couldn’t figure out how to ‘penetrate and kick’ and yes they’ll be looking to make a statement on Tuesday but we also have Dallas coming up as well. We have very tough stretch of match-ups coming into the new year and we’ll need our whole roster to play smarter and be more aggressive.
by Scott Miranda-Kerr on Dec 27, 2010 2:16 AM CST reply actions
TD has more bad games so far this year than I think like the rest of his career combined (except when he’s injured or ran out of gas as in the past two seasons or so). He looks to be in fantastic shape this year – lean and so on. He said he’s a rhythm guy and im sure this affects his game.
I’m quite surprised though that he seems to miss a lot of shots that he could, and made in the past. I know we’re saving him and Im very sure he’ll get in better rhythm as the months go on and playoffs approach. Right now, we’re not even seeing his patented bank shot much at all. In other words, many of his moves aren’t being used in games that he could go to.
I’m frankly a little suprised though that he’s playing quite badly relative to his standards and whether its his lack of rhythm or a big drop off. I really doubt his game dropped off that much from last years playoffs to now.
Up to this year Duncan was option #1 when it came to the Spurs’ offense. I think last year was supposed to be this year in the terms that Parker/Ginobili start taking the reins of the offense from him, but due to thier injuries that wasn’t the case. Last year they stuck to the ‘Duncan 1st’ options and so he had like 20 + shots a game – he still only hit like 9-10 (hitting his average actually, this year he’s only slightly off of it – http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=215) but he went to the line a lot more and his usage was very high (remember he was in the early MVP conversation)….sadly he could only do so much and thus he ran out of juice at the end.
If anything that was the wake up call they needed to absolutely change the ways of the O….This year there are times where the Spurs will go 4-5 possessions in a row where he won’t even touch the ball save for an occasional pass in/pass out for a shooter. When’s the last time you’ve seen that? Duncan is still ridiculously high in efficiency and all that but if you look at his shot attempts he has gone from 18-24 shot attempts a game to like…9-12. If the shot is falling that night he looks golden, if it’s not then due to him not being the #1 option he does not get many opportunities to ‘make up for it’. So…if you look at the box score constantly, yeah he looks like he’s lost quite a bit, but when you go from Option #1 to Option #3 (or even 4) on a team you will definitely suffer a drop off in production. To make up for it he concentrates more on defense – see the upped % for blocks, altered shots, steals and consistency in rebounds.
Go Spurs Go!
These are very good points. If you are only taking twelve shots, a dry spell gets compounded. And perhaps if Duncan knows he is only going to get limited shot opportunities, it might place an added sense of urgency on each shot that can adversely affect his mentality at that moment.
Duncan is adjusting to a changed roll on the offensive end, and I agree that he really seems extra focused on defense. You know, I have always thought that Duncan and Robinson were such different players and different people. It’s strange, and rather fitting, to see so many parallels rise up this season.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
by quincyscott on Dec 27, 2010 10:39 AM CST up reply actions
I think Duncan is focused on establishing an interior defensive presence for the Spurs when he’s on the floor. But I, too, am surprised at some of the chip shots he is missing. Aside from the bank, he’s missing a lot of little lay-ins and short stuff. Actually it’s his elbow jumper that looks the best of all of his shots so far this season. Maybe he worked more on that aspect of his game in the offseason. It seems to me that sometimes when he gets the ball in the low post he is (A) holding the ball too long/over-dribbling/being indecisive, (B) trying to force the issue too much against his defender. I think he needs to shoot quicker, or move the ball to an open shooter. Also, I would love to see him work on adding a sky hook to his arsenal.
But hell, he’s Tim Duncan. I am not about to lecture him on post moves. Let Pop or Engelland mess with him if they think it’s needed.
It’s a long season. We are not going to know what he really has in his tank until the playoffs get here. Then we’ll see. Maybe Duncan will be like Muhammed Ali in his last fights. Man, Ali looked great. But all the strength was gone. Or, maybe he will finish things up like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, simplifying his game to a few efficient things that his old body could execute, and aging like a fine wine. Or maybe he will go out like David Robinson, cementing the Spurs defense and getting leftovers on the offensive end. I can see all three of these scenarios as plausible. To me, Duncan is the real story of this season. How his story plays out. Even more than I want the Spurs to win a title, I want Duncan to leave the game on his own terms; there, I’m done. It seems to me that Robinson got that chance, and I hope this team is able to give Duncan something similar to cap his career.
All these GIFs are breaking my browser.
by quincyscott on Dec 27, 2010 10:30 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Am I remembering correctly that last season Pop had TD take more jump shots to further limit the post pounding and keep his legs and torso fresher for later in the season?
I certainly get the feeling that Duncan is trying some things on certain nights, while focusing more on setting screens and passing from the high-post to get everyone else involved on every night. He knows what he can do in the paint and will likley start having more touches in March and beyond.
Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I vow to never mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together again until we have a "quarterback."
Heh your post made me imagine a pissed off Tim Duncan, hoisting the trophy while saying, “Now I’m done!”
When you look at Tim’s shot locations this year, nothing much has changed except in the “10-15 feet” category (Hoopdata has five categories of shot range – At rim, Rim to 10 feet, 10-15, 15-23, and Three.)
In the 10-15 range, which I suppose is mostly post possessions, Tim is shooting just 29.4% and attempting 2.4 per 40 minutes from this range. Last year it was 42% and 3.7 per 40. Everything else seems to be right in line with his recent and career numbers, so I imagine most of the (vastly overhyped) decline in his efficiency is coming from this part of the floor.
quincyscott, this is a case where my standard:
please check out the Quotes page which has been updated to reflect your recent awesomeness.
is simply insufficient to properly recognize the quality of this comment — especially the last paragraph.
This is seriously SERIOUSLY, some very good stuff. For you, I have this JTU².
Enjoying the trip to # 172 as much as humanly possible
Spurs have allowed opponents to break the 100 point barrier four consecutive times while averaging 47.7% from the floor
I have to remind myself, after all the seasons of keeping teams at or under 90 points, that points allowed are not the best measuring stick for the defense. FG percentage and points per 100 possessions are the best measurements, correct?
Does anyone know the last time a Spurs team went an entire half without a FT attempt?
Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I vow to never mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together again until we have a "quarterback."
I have to remind myself, after all the seasons of keeping teams at or under 90 points, that points allowed are not the best measuring stick for the defense. FG percentage and points per 100 possessions are the best measurements, correct?
This is especially true since we’re playing at a faster pace now, so that means more points for both teams without necessarily meaning worse defense.
opponent FG% gives you a good idea of team shooting defense, but for a one-glance summary eFG% or TS% might serve you better. eFG% counts three pointers as being worth three points, and TS% includes free throws. If your team is especially good or bad at allowing free throws it’ll be reflected in opponent TS%.
Yeah, efficiency and FG% allowed are definitely better measuring sticks for defense than points per game allowed. In one of those(efficiency) we’re in fairly good shape. On FG%, however… let’s not talk about that.
Free Tiago Splitter!
All I can say about BigFun, is that when everything was falling apart in the second round of the playoffs last year (Tony hit the wall, Manu was gone via NoDickSki & IUPUI blew his wad in the 1st round), #21 was screaming for the ball & delivering, consistently too!.. When it’s crunch time, BigFun WILL deliver! I have no doubt in my mind.
GSG & The Drive for Five is ON!!!…
by In the 666 on Dec 27, 2010 9:49 PM CST via mobile reply actions
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