Game 1 Quick Cap: Dirkus Maximus carries Mavericks past Spurs, 100-94
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 19, 2010 9:11 AM CDT
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My last gasp of referee-hating for today.
It's always hard to recap a tough loss so I'll make this one short but not sweet (bitter maybe? I hope not). As I captioned in the photo above, that's as much as I'll talk about the officiating in this game. I'll leave the referee bashing to you guys, after the jump.
I didn't get to watch the entire game but I did see about 3/4s of it to have a good gauge of what happened. Let's break it down into two parts: the rights and the wrongs.
What We Did Right
Offensive Execution - We swung the ball around beautifully and had a lot of open looks for the most part. The Big Three had their way with the defense, especially inside where Duncan and Parker did their damage. Manu, too, and he shot well from distance, making three threes (out of the team's stinker total of 4 threes).
Defense - As many have already mentioned, we won't defend for a full 48 minutes like the Spurs of old but at least we can do it for stretches. The single coverage on Dirk allowed us to contest shooters and body up the opponents until late when Pop decided to send double and triple teams to Dirk. The big German was then able to read the defense and kick the ball out to his shooters who put the game away with those dagger threes. Only Dirk and Haywood shot above 50% and Caron Butler, despite scoring 22, shot 8-19 and Terry was 2-9. Assuming Dirk won't be able to shoot that well for the entire series and the Spurs will eventually figure out a way to clean up their fouls, we can take this as a positive.
Composure - Only a week or two ago, we saw how a still psychologically fragile Denver Nuggets team imploded when calls weren't going their way in the game which the Spurs won. The roles seem to have reversed against the Spurs in this one, but credit to the players for not losing track of the goal, which is to escape with a win. No matter the calls, the Spurs didn't whine too much (despite me calling for Pop to get a technical) and kept hanging in there so that's definitely a plus. Say what you want about Duncan's bulging eyes when he gets called for a foul, but this team is mature enough to not let external factors get the best of them.
What We Did Wrong
A lot of things, actually. Some may be of our own doing, others might not. I'd say let's not take the route of blaming external factors but rather look at the things that can still be improved upon.
Too many fouls - 28 fouls, with some inflation because of Hack-A-Damp in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Just like how we use that strategy to throw teams off their rhythm, a lot of our fouls took out momentum when the team seemed like they were ready to start a run.
Rebounding - To me, probably the single biggest thing that secured the win for the Mavericks. Dallas were +5 on the offensive end, with Dampier grabbing 5 and Haywood, 3. We held the Mavs to 47% shooting but shot ourselves in the foot by not securing those game-controlling defensive boards. Bob Knight likes to point out that rebounding is a good measure of a team's intensity and desire to win the game. The Mavs came out with a sense of purpose and wanted this one more than our Spurs.
Lack of production outside of The Big Three - Dice might be old and slow, but you just have to love that the man shows up for big games, no matter what. As for the rest of the team, it brought back memories of last year's playoffs when the role players again dug themselves a bunker and stayed there, choosing to blindly lob grenades at the enemy that were waaaay off target. Still ailing or not, George Hill's defense and production is sorely needed to offset Jason Kidd's effectiveness. And, as one of my friends told me, Richard Jefferson should stop stealing money.
Roger Mason, Jr. - It's his second playoffs go-round with the team and he still sucks. Me thinks Pop is trusting him too much and waiting for him to get over the hump. Sadly, when you've played as many awful games as Mase has, there is no hump. No hot hand phenomenon or any of that bull crap. Put an inexperienced but hungry youngster in there just for a few minutes and he might be able to make more of a difference than a supposed league veteran. Also, the coaching staff should've read Wayne Winston's lineup suggestions.
Good thing is, there's still plenty of basketball to be played and the schedule won't let us worry about the players not getting enough rest. As Manu succinctly put it, post-game:
"We lost by six points and made all those mistakes," Ginobili said. "That’s the good side of the story, that we really can improve."
Kudos to the Mavericks for a well-played game and making every Spur outside of the Big Three look like deadweight. Remember, it's still a long road so please do avoid getting too high or in this case, too low. Don't just trust in Manu. Trust in the team. They'll figure it out. Hopefully.
Your 3 Stars - Since when was the last time we had them all together here?
3 - Tony Parker. A single destructive offensive force from the bench. 18 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 TOs. He'll get better once he figures out more holes in the Dallas defense.
2 - Tim Duncan. Sure, Damp and Haywood jumped over him for a ton of rebounds, but playoff Timmeh can still score with the best of 'em. His turnovers (6) killed us though, so he has to improve on that next game. 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 TOs.
1 - Manu Ginobili. Like Tim, he had a bunch of TOs but was able to make timely buckets along with Tim to keep us within striking distance. I kind of get the feeling that he still has so much more to offer in this series. I hope I'm right. 26 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 TOs.
Feel free to vent out your ire in the comments section, or point out other things that I'm sure I missed out on. Recapping a loss is tough as hell.
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Sorry Silver but after watching the game for a second time, I feel the Spurs did not play good defense. In fact, the Mavericks missed alot of open shots in the first half and the last half of the 4th quarter. I can see a defense becoming porous as a direct result of double teaming, but the shots the Spurs were allowing towards the end of the game were inexcusable.
Yes there were a few bad calls that went against us, but the Spurs would have shot more free throws if someone not named Manu had decided to go to the rack.
Despite the porous defense and the rebounding, what really did us in were the silly, silly turnovers committed mainly by Duncan and Gino respectively. It’s because of this that I feel the Spurs can still win the series. It’s going to be tough though, especially if this is the best defense the Spurs can muster…
The Spurs = Not your granddaddies 7th seed !
One small challenge to you: I’ve always felt that team defense late in the game when trailing is difficult to assess. What I mean is, when you’re down 4+ points (two possessions) you end up over-committing and switching everything because you have to get a stop. Often this means everyone rotating to an open shooter especially a good shooter. This either leaves someone wide open or everyone out of position to secure a defensive rebound. This is why it’s difficult to come from behind in the final two minutes when playing a team with an excellent ball handler/ passer/ scorer (think Manu, CP3, Kobe, Roy, Nash, etc).
I actually thought we played good but not great defense. Helping off Kidd is foolish. But when you keep Dirk and Butler out of the paint and force contested shots you can’t ask for much else.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
mason really messed up when he went under the screen set by dirk when Bogans was bodied up on Dirk, Kidd just took a wide open three with both of our defenders behind Dirk…..
Big 3 need a little help
I posted comment on Fri. stating the big 3 needed to score 80 ppg + 20 ppg from the role players in order to have a chance to win this series. Some who replied to my comment felt that Bonner, RJ, Mason etc. would deliver and I just don’t see it happening in this series.
It’s disappointing because the big 3 performed at a high level. Yet it’s the same old story from the supporting cast they can’t defend and can’t shoot.
by Este on Apr 19, 2010 7:17 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Bonner was a little off, but I was happy with his shots. He could have easily finished with 8 points instead of none. Hill being hurt and then benched sucked. RJ has to be more aggressive. Blair needs more minutes. I’m lost on Bogans and Mason….
More minutes for Blair means fewer for Timmy.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions
maybe that’s what Timmy and the Spurs need…a more concentrated effort of Timmy and more help from the other bigs
Maybe. Blair was in 8 minutes and the Spurs were -6. Timmy was in the other 40 minutes and it was even.
To me Blair’s performance was captured in a 10 second span during the 2nd quarter. He gets a monster dunk over Dirk then immediately gives up a silly and-1 to Haywood. Blair gets on ESPN but the Mavs come out one point ahead.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions
He wouldn’t have been -6 if Bonner made a few of his good looks.
Blair needs those plays to learn. Maybe you’re right though. Hopefully game 2 will tell us.
I think Bonner only missed one shot while Blair was in.
Blair had 4 points, including an O-Reb in his five and a half minute first half stint. But during that same time Haywood had 8 points, including a putback over Blair. Plus Haywood had a dunk attempt that Blair blocked, had it been called a foul he’d have probably scored 10.
GMac (below) is right — the Mavs don’t have anyone he can guard.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions
hide him on dirk since no one can guard him anyways?
might as well let blair be in if we are going to hack those players anyways…at least the mismatch will draw the ball out of dirk and kidd’s hands
Maybe that’s it, just hack-a-Wood whenever Blair is in. It’s true Haywood and Dampier were unprepared to play Blair in the regular season finale. The Mavs coaching staff made sure they were fully prepared yesterday.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
I think Blair could play Marion if they are running a big, Marion, and Dirk. Then we could have Bonner, Dice, or Duncan on their center and RJ/Hill could try defending Dirk since no one can anyways.
What if they are running Kidd, Marion, Butler, Dirk, and a big? Could he guard Butler? Butler seems a little less athletic than Marion and that would eliminate Butler backing down his man like he seemed to do last night. Like you said, that’d put RJ or Hill on Dirk, and we can’t guard him anyways.
Blair can’t guard Butler at the 3 point line. Carlisle doesn’t let Marion shoot 3s (in fact he doesn’t let Marion do much at all on offense) so Blair might have a chance there.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions
One game sample size. Stick to the game plan and don’t get bullied out of solid strategy due to one game. He’s fine against Haywood since he can get offensive rebounds and if it forces the Mavs to run their offense through Haywood, be my guest. Fewer shots for Dirk, Terry and Kidd works for me.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Completely agree with you ddw. Blair got that huge dunk and then quickly gave up the dunk/And1 on the other end.
And I think that’s Pop’s biggest quandry he is facing in this series. Dallas has nobody to stop Blair on the offensive end and his energy and emotion really help us. But he also can’t guard Haywood or Dampier, as they will just lob balls over him all night. So what he brings offensively, also hurts us just as much on the defensive end. The Mavs are just a horrible match up for Blair. (I’d say why not see Ian for a few minutes, but I think we all have wasted our breath on that subject and realize that isn’t happening.)
he dominated the same players you say he can’t last week….and I don’t think that 1 play is nearly as bad as getting outboarded on the game
How good are Haywood’s and Damp’s passing skills of a double team? Can we induce mistakes by scaring them with double teams?
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Apr 19, 2010 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
While Blair is defending of course. No point otherwise. It would be more like traps than double teams.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Apr 19, 2010 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
The only shot that I remember Dirk missing was one in which he had an open lane to the basket, was all alone but decided to take a jump shot. Maybe that is a viable strategy (just kidding).
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
by LasEspuelas on Apr 19, 2010 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions
I started writing an onionisque article about RFMJ and Pop and blackmail but was too depressed to finish it. Not because we lost, but because it hits too close to home. I mean Mason has to have something incriminating on Pops right? Why the fuck else would he keep getting playing time? At least he was not in during the last few minutes. Sorry, had to vent a bit. But not done yet.
The moment he missed his first 3 followed by a screwed up defensive assignment on the other end leading to a Mavs 3 was the moment I gave up on the game. I was soooo $%^##* pissed at that point it was a good thing I was not on the game thread or I would have been banned from now until the end of time. I don’t blame RMJ – he is a player, a shooter. We cannot blame him for wanting to play and for shooting open shots. But when will Pop realize that Mase just does not have his shot right now?
Mase played because George was ineffective.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions
My thoughts exactly BlaseE. I wondered why Temple didn’t get a few minutes. He at least seems to play with some aggression and confidence. And that’s what we need. Somebody who doesn’t think the moment is too big and just goes out and plays. Looks like we’ve found out that the moment is too big for RMJ.
Just so we’re clear, RMJ played only 9 minutes. He took two shots and had one assist. Yes, he missed a wide open corner 3 but you can’t judge any shooter from one make or miss. I’m not advocating that he play more and realise that a healthy Hill likely means he wouldn’t have played at all but let’s not put blame on him for last night.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
i knew when i picked the Spurs in 6, I’d have to fight through two losses but last night was harder than I thought it would be
still though….Spurs in 6
by BlaseE on Apr 19, 2010 7:39 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I’ll just copy my comment from alomobro’s post:
I don’t think we lost the game all by ourselves.
Indeed, silly turnovers and mediocre defense hurt us badly. Although I think we defended Dirk pretty well. He had one of those there’s-nothing-you-can-do-to-stop-me games.
We played pretty clean defense on him, but the refs blowed their wistled when we just breathed on Dirk.
We lose by 6, which in my humble opinion means: we have more potential than this Mavs team. Our problem is, can we get going? We need role players to hit some shots. There’s no way that we can win this series with our big 3.
Yesterday, Dice was the only role player in double figures with 10 (5-9; that’s all we ask of you, Dice). Bonner was our next with 5 (2-6), and then Blair and Jefferson (4 points). Remember when TP was hurt in march and people said RJ was part of our big 3?!
George Hill had 0 points on 0-2 shooting in 17:45. I really hope that it’s because of his ankle. But this is a sophomore combo guard playing point guard. This might not yet be his time. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a HUGE GH fan, and I really hope he proves me wrong on wednesday.
"The Most Interesting Man in the World" wishes he were Manu Ginobili. - janieannie
Due to a delayed flight I missed all of the game. Oh except for the streamers coming down in Dallas.
So what was the deal with Hill only taking 2 FGAs? and Blair playing all of 8 minutes…? I can see if Manu and Tony are hot (as they seemed to be) then limiting Hill’s minutes makes sense. But Blair’s stat line looked prettay prettay good for his 8 minutes of play.
Whats up with that..?
Somebody needs to find RJ and tell him the real season started without him. That guy needs to get to the rack.
REVENGE!
I think I’d actually just settle for him playing some defense on Caron Butler. He just got abused all night long.
To Butler’s credit, he made some tough shots. RJ did well on him for most of the possessions I saw, with a couple of lapses. Obviously, those lapses should be kept to a minimum, but he needs to make Butler work hard on the other end as well.
REVENGE!
I just can’t see Butler doing that again next game. He seemed a little too good and can’t imagine that happening the rest of the series.
Completely agree on making him work on the defensive end too. RJ needs to be more aggressive and really work hard on O. One possession stands out to me that pretty much sums up the season for RJ. He was matched on JJ and had him posted up. I think Manu was making the lob over the top, but RJ gave up too soon and the ball ended up sailing out of bounds for a TO. RJ just needed to hold off JJ for 2 more seconds and we have an easy basket.
- Tony had a good line but he looked hesitant to me. I only remember him shooting one of his floaters once. A lot of jump shots (thank FSManu he was making them)
- The turnovers were devastating and the lack of height in our front court was obvious.
- The hack a DampWood was a good strategy in my opinion but it did not payoff fully this time. Its one of our ways to counteract their height at strategic points during the game. I think it is ironic that Pop is one of the only coaches to use the hack strategy and the Spurs were ranked 24th in FT% in the regular season.
- Dirk is an amazing player. The things he does are not easy to describe.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
I think the hacking was also Pop being a proud ass, meaning, if you’re gonna put us in the penalty with these BS calls I’ll put my bench guy out there and start fouling to make their center shoot FTs. It uglies up the game and frustrates the crowd but tough.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
PER Snapshot
Yes, PER means crap for one game, but as a relative measure, it’s pretty effective. I’m using ESPN’s positional assignments.
PG
Parker 18.85
Hill -10.22, worst PG rating out of 29 players by 5.98 points
SG
Manu 27.17 (2nd of all SG’s behind R. Murray who only played 11 minutes for Chicago)
Mason -12.50
Bogans -3.60
SF
RJ 3.53, 4th worst SF
PF
Blair 37.31, second to only Dirk…yeah, there is the whole minutes thing but that’s the stat that is out of his control
Bonner 7.97, probably a few makes from being at his normal number
Dice 22.55, he did exactly what we need him to do….it’s hard to fault him for rough defense on Dirk who was unstoppable
C
Duncan 17.57 , a 19.9% TO rate will do his otherwise good scoring effort…he also had the highest usage of any center by 5.5%
So…..
PLAY BLAIR MORE!!!! AND BENCH MASON AND BOGANS!!!!! AND GIVE TEMPLE AND HAIRSTON A CHANCE!!!! hill, please get better….miss you….
11 Players with Negative PER in Game 1's
All numbers are negative..
11. Nazr 0.96
10. Jason Williams 1.47
9. Jarron Collins 2.88
8. Vince Carter 2.92, wow, worse than RJ and the only player negative with more than 22 minutes (30 minutes for VC)
7. Sefolosha 3.54, well, he is a defender primarily, I’d never fault Bowen for having a single negative game…he lead the team in positive +/- at +4 along with Nick Collison who were the only players on their team to end positive
6. Bogans 3.60, you’re not Bowen…lead us in negative +/- at -12
5. Barea 4.24, hey a Mav!
4. Dorell Wright 4.37
3. Hill 10.22, please get better! we know you can
2. Mason 12.50……was Pop the only one who didn’t see this a mile away? he isn’t healthy either….HIS SHOOTING HAND!!!
1. Harden 15.78, Rookie on a young team…he’ll turn it around, probably tried to force too much
Hairston is still out with his ankle.
"Ginobili. . .He's weaving, he's throwing up triple axels in sneakers, he's willing the ball into the basket. It's Cirque du Soleil with refs." Dan Oshinsky / KENS 5
In each of our four titles, we played principally with Tim and another defensive minded big on the block. Tony and Manu had no problem getting into the lane even though the second big was supposedly “clogging the lane.” So why the fascination the last couple of years with “a big who can spread the floor” (Bonner)? We’ve never won a title with that approach, so why start now? And, please, don’t give me the crap that “we no longer have those kinds of players.” We got rid of Rasho, Nazr, Oberto, Ratliff, Haislip and don’t play Ian.
Actually we won two: Horry. I’d also add that the league has changed a bit since the ‘99 title. If you don’t change with it you get left behind.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
by SpurredOn on Apr 19, 2010 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
First Timmy TO was an awful pass from Manu he couldn’t handle which led to the Mavs first FG of the game. I count that as a Manu TO. His last TO was late 3rd quarter when the ball was going out of bounds after a Kidd miss and Timmy saved it behind his back but it went past Mason and a diving Bogans out of bounds. That was scored as a defensive rebound and TO, but I would have scored it as neither, just a Mavs team O-Reb because the Spurs never had control. Of course that means Timmy really had only 7 boards in 40 minutes, which I think is a bigger problem than his 4 TOs (by my count).
Manu, on the other hand, had 7 TOs by my count. That’s a real problem.
The turnovers killed us, but it was the points off turnovers in the first half that really did it. Not a lot of dead ball turnovers and that allowed the Mavs to get out on the break and score easy baskets. They did a better job in the 2nd half, but giving up that many easy points in the first half let them gain confidence, get the crowd involved, and put us in a hole early on. I know we’ve been prone to the TO’s all year, so it’s not like we’re just going to stop. But we have to at least limit the fast break opportunities after the TO’s.
Phoenix lost to a Royless Portland team so I feel much better this morning. Not because I dislike Phoenix, who I feel has a very tough team but because I don’t feel alone anymore. I expect Phoenix to win the series, and if they have to come back from 0-1 so can we.
Game two depends on Richard Jefferson. He’s our wild card and if he just gives us a bit of the old RJ we’re going to have a great game two.
Bonner is not a slasher. He should stick to his outside shot. I am sick of seeing his first thought from the outside being a pump fake rather than a shot. Just sink it man!
yes, ugly – his hesitation makes me sick everytime i see it
"Mr. Gilmore 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 Apr 19, 2010 2:55 PM CDT up reply actions
The thing about him cutting to the basket is that once he decides to go, no one wants to try to stop a train that’s gone off it’s rails.
"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on Blair
by Manu ex Machina on Apr 19, 2010 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions
a lot of tic tac fouls in the beginning of the game against dice… spurs should’ve attacked the basket more if the refs were callin the game that close.
DIRK was amazine. give credit where due.
Kidd knocked down clutch 3s for them as well.
spurs need a guy that could knock down consistent and timely 3s (like bowen/sjax/kerr/jaren jackson)
as mentioned before, turnovers.
its not a series until someone loses on their home court. hopefully the spurs can steal game 2.
Duncan had 5 FTA’s on 20 FGA’s and i can’t remember too many of his shots not being within 8 feet maximum from the rim always bodied up….that’s crazy
true that. i do remember stretches in the beginning of the game that pop only went to timmy to stop the bleeding. still, duncan should get the benefit of the call..
when did the spurs shoot their first free throw again?
by FreshmakerDTM on Apr 19, 2010 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions
Before the game, Elliot said .....
“The Spurs are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Dirk tonight ". The Spurs did NOT do that. And if they did, then they need to go ahead and include the “kitchen sink” for game 2. We can NOT let Dirk beat us…double him…triple him….I don’t care if that opens up their other shooters…we can’t let Dirk beat us!! Also, I noticed the offensive rebounding was poor…need to pick that up. Bottom line: This Spurs team is too stacked to lose to the Mavs. For now…I’m sticking with my original pick…Spurs in 6 :-)
by titansfan4ever on Apr 19, 2010 10:24 AM CDT reply actions
They forced Dirk to make tough shots and assure that other Mavs do not find a rhythm. I’d stay with the strategy for now. If not for our foolishly sagging off Kidd, Butler would be the only scorer feeling good about himself today. It’s a seven game strategy. Remember, Pop plays the long game. If Dirk can do that every night then he’ll have to be great every game. We need only clean up our errors, to say nothing of better officiating, and we win even with Dirk being great. I’ll take that.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I agree. Other teams have done that to us, too – that strategy of letting one player (Manu or Tim) beat us but we’ll shut down everyone else. Manu had 40 against the Cavs and we still lost. There’s some value to that strategy but still, Dirk is capable of scoring 30+ points for the entire series.
I’d rather the team just clean up those rebounding and turnover lapses and we’ll be fine. The formula doesn’t need to be rewritten all over… well, at least not yet. More Hill and Blair but less Mason, maybe.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 20, 2010 1:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Sloppy
The Spurs started pretty well and then everything turned sloppy. From TO’s to weak rebounding to bad/slow rotations. It just wasn’t a good game for SA. That being said, I’d love to see the Spurs play straight up on Dirk and make him score 80 in order to beat us. This double teaming non-sense needs to stop.
If the Spurs play Dirk one on one and stay at home on the other guys they will wear out the big German and keep the role players for Dallas out of rhythm. If they continue to double team he can pass out of that for wide open looks for Kidd, Terry and Co.
Also, can we please get a well officiated game? They were bad last night…really bad. Even making bad calls in favor of the Spurs, although they kept that to a minimum. Over all, if we don’t turn the ball over as much and pick up the rebounding, I like our odds.
by Big50 on Apr 19, 2010 10:48 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree about doubling Dirk. When we double Dirk, a bad rebounder, we are leaving one Mav completely unblocked out for the offensive board (if he ever missed anyways). I think single coverage on Dirk might help some on the rebounding.
That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about it, but it makes sense. Another reason to play him straight up and make him score 80% of their points if they want to win.
I think Bonner and Dice had some BS calls that may have forced Pop’s hand to double in that first game. If we get some refs with some fortitude, we might be able to play more 1 on 1 successfully.
We doubled late in the game anyway, so that’s just a last-gasp attempt on Pop’s part. I think he just wanted to see (and risk) how Dirk will react and in all fairness to him, he passed the test and the Spurs paid dearly for it.
Also, even if Dirk often makes those crazy, patented fadeaways, those are still low percentage shots. I’d rather have him take those with one defender all day than say, let a low-post player or offensive rebounding machine continue to dominate with high-percentage shots.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 20, 2010 1:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Dirk shot 90 percent—and the majority, if not all, were jumpers.
Nobody in the league can guard that. Not even a laser cat.
Here’s hoping for some reality for the rest of the series.
probably in the game thread, but…
Anyone else think it was awesome when Duncan and Dice ran the two man fast break when Manu saved that ball out of bounds?
Wasn’t it hilarious when the announcers said that this might be the Mavs best chance at a championship? I really thought it was when they were in the Finals against Miami in 06.
That fast break was fun, but dumb. We could have held for the last shot and ended the half down 1 or 2. Worst case was we miss and end up down 4. Instead they got a momentum-juicing and-1 from Dirk and we trudged into the locker room down 5.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Dirk is 32, right? How come no one’s calling him old?
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 20, 2010 2:00 AM CDT up reply actions
This may be idiotic, but here’s what I would at least try temporarily: small ball, the dreaded words every Spurs fan hates.
I know, may be insane, but Dirk does not have to guard anyone of any significance. He sits back and fluffs his hair and thinks about things Germans think about, while spending his energy on the other side of the court.
So, I’d go TP, G HIll, Manu, RJeff, and Blair—give up some numbers on D for a bit, but make Dirk guard someone, hopefully getting him in foul trouble.
and you’re right: it didn’t work for Golden State.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/sports/04iht-NBA.1.5564263.html
Bogans can be the 4. Crazy as that sounds, I think it has happened before.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 20, 2010 2:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Hopefully some of the problems with the supporting cast is just 1st game jitters. If i remember correctly we only have 6 guys who have been all the way to the Finals.
As already pointed out Manu, Tim and Tony did their part except for TOs. Dice also stepped up to the plate. Which leaves two to be concerned with- Bonner and Jefferson. Hopefully, the younguns are over their jiters and step up.
I have avoided trying to call Jeffeson out this year by telling myself that he just needed time to adjust to the Spurs. At this point, I have to say that time is up. Jefferson needs to start playing.
Overall, I still believe we can win this in 6. Even if we lose game 2. It will be easier on my heart (and my candy supply) if we win Game 2 though.
Go Spurs Go!
Going for "50"
Most of the writers are acting like the Spurs were blown out of the water. But when you look at the Boxscore by quarter, it was only the 1st quarter that we truely lost (5 ponts). We tied the second quarter and won the fourth by 1. They won the 3rd by 2. When can win this series with just a few minor adjustments.
Going for "50"
by Nlclove on Apr 19, 2010 12:18 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Second time all season that our entire big-3 have played the Mavs (third time in fourteen games going back to last season). The commonality of each game? A high Spurs shooting percentage.
- Dec 9, 2008: 49% shooting, 10/25 on 3s, only 6 TOs.
- Jan 8, 2010: 52.6% shooting, 7/15 on 3s, 12 TOs.
- Apr 18, 2010: 50% shooting, 4/11 on 3s, 17 TOs.
The Mavs can not effectively guard the Spurs when the big-3 are playing. The stat that stands out is turnovers. The Spurs lost night as they did in January due to high turnovers. The 3pt shooting in these games has been even and with the exception of last night, so were the FTs. The Mavs had has a slight advantage in offensive-rebounds in each game but they’ve also missed more shots than us. We did this with nothing from RJ or Hill and one combined 3-pointer from Bonner, Hill, Bogans and Mason. We got this.
Side note: The double OT win Dallas from last season had 22 fouls called on us in 58 minutes of action, 20 against Dallas. We had 28 called last night in 48 minutes. Just saying.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Spurred On – “We did this with nothing from RJ or Hill and one combined 3-pointer from Bonner, Hill, Bogans and Mason. We got this….”
What have you seen from this group with the exception of Hill that makes you think the rest of this series is going to be any different. In the past Bowen wasn’t going to go for 20 on most nights but you could at least count on him to play lock down D. This group’s shooting is very inconsistent during the reg season and only gets worse when seeing playoff D. What’s even worse they can’t matchup defensively with the Mavs.
Give the Mavs front office credit they took care of business at the trade deadline the Spurs couldn’t get a deal done to give the big 3 some help and this is the result.
I can’t say that it gets worse in the playoffs for RJ or Bogans since this is our first playoff with them. I know that Bonner and Mason didn’t do well but I don’t expect Mason to play much if at all if Hill is healthy. So all I’m looking for is HIll to be at or near his 12 point average and RJ to score in double digits. I realize that some of those extra 18+ combined points will come at the expense of someone else but it would put us over 100 points and win on a night that Dirk was unstoppably great and the Mavs were +20 on FTA.
As for Bogans, some nights he scores and others not. That’s who he is. His missed layup last night hurt and is an expample that any points from him are gravy, especially because they’re usually 3s. Bonner is giving us what he gave last post-season, the difference being he’s the fourth or fifth option on the floor instead of the third. That makes a huge difference.
We’re not talking needing these guys to be 20 point scorers. If they combine for 3+ three pointers, regardless of which player makes them, that’s all that is needed.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
If the Spurs are relying on Bonner, Mason and Bogans to produce any offense in this series than they’re going to be very disappointed. The Spurs were most effective during that stretch in the 3rd qtr where they were able to force some turnovers and got points in transition. I would argue to go with a more athletic group on the floor that can create turnovers. Like Temple, Hairston and Hill instead of Bonner, Mason and Bogans.
Get some guys on the floor that are capable of running and finishing (unlike Bogans) with Parker and Manu.
I don’t think they’re realying on any offense from Bogans or Mason (if Hill is healthy). As I stated, points from Bogans are gravy. Bonner is expected to expend some energy guarding Dirk and space the floor while hopefully making a few 3s. That’s not expecting too much from him.
The problem with Temple (besides his being a playoff novice rookie) and Hairston is that they’ll receive even less respect from the refs and are no better (Temple) or worse (Hairston) at making 3s than Bogans. One game does not make desperate and the playoffs are not the time to experiment.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Hairston is out with a bad ankle, and even when it heals he’ll still be a bad shooter. Worse even than Bogans and RMJ, hard as that may be to believe.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
I think Parker needs to start, and he needs to attack the basket to score. He was getting there yesterday but he was trying to create for others. He looks healthy and his jumper is back. He needs to keep the pressure on Kidd.
"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
The Parker-Kidd starting backcourt puts enough speed on the floor to exposr Kidd’s defense. I’m in favor of putting Manu back into his role as Bench Badass.
REVENGE!
The problem with this strategy is that the Mavericks have obviously learned from it and are trapping and then packing the lane to prevent Kidd from being exposed. In that case, I like Manu better. He can get past Kidd just as easily, only he’s craftier on traps and working around defenders. Plus I like the Parker-Hill match up better defensively when Barea’s on the floor.
Really, I think the gameplan was sound, with the exception that the Spurs often had no more than one shooter on the floor at a time. (This is why the RJ-Parker combo doesn’t work well). This was mostly due to Bonner’s foul trouble and Mason sucking. Manu-Hill start, bring Bonner in when Parker replaces Manu or Hill, then use Bogans to fill in the gaps.
At this point in time, Bonner is our only 3-pt specialist, which makes the offense rely on him more than it should. RJ also has to take the open 3s when he gets them. The Spurs would be better if he takes the open 3 rather than force an awkward drive into a packed lane as he did several times when his defender was sagging off of him.
RJ should NEVER take 3s
"Mr. Gilmore 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 Apr 19, 2010 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Ok, then they’re just going to sag off of him. Watching him drive into 3 defenders and brick a floater isn’t a winning strategy either, which is what he did in G1 just about every time he was open on the 3pt line. Taking 2 3s a game, when he’s open, isn’t going to kill the team, and he might just make a few of them.
The problem with RJ is his BBIQ (he shoots when he should drive and vice versa). If he can’t figure this out, it basically just boils down to hoping he can make a few hustle plays.
1.0-1.7 per game over a series is what we need out of RJ from 3….
he is shooting 22% from three to end the series so don’t count on them going in, but he should take an attempt a game so the defense knows he is willing to take them…we have to live with that
maybe but if he does not make them which is well known to the Mavs I am sure, then the defense will collapse and make sure they pick up the d-reb. You have to show that you can knock down the outside to keep them honest and then drive to the basket.
"Mr. Gilmore 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 Apr 20, 2010 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
Regarding Bonner’s three point shooting. I noticed that some of the swinging passes to the three point line where extremely lazy and soft. By the time they reached Bonner (or whoever else) they were covered again and they had to pass up the shot. They need to add some speed to those.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
It's the Playoffs
Teams are not going to let you stand behind the 3 point line, set the ball just right and line up your shot like it’s warm ups. They’re going to run at you and do everything they can to deny you open looks. It’s even easier for the D when the shooter (Bonner) is not a real threat to put the ball on the floor and create a shot.
I was not implying that they are not going to be defended but that at least they would have time to shoot. I remember in one occasion Bonner even had to jump high like going for a rebound to get the ball from the air in one of those passes. That is not the way to set up a three point shooter. The pass should be sharp so that the shooter can receive it and shoot in a fluid manner.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
I understand what you’re saying. I would have to go back and look at those plays specifically but to see for sure but it’s possible that pressure being applied by the Mavs D led to those passes not being sharp.
Look at the guys who are most effective shooting from the perimeter in the playoffs and it’s guys who shoot the ball when coming off screens. They’re not planted at a spot behind the 3 point line like a statue.
Like Bowen or Horry used to do. They were planted like a statue in the corner or in the case of Horry someplace else waiting. The strategy can work if executed correctly. Then again, those days the big 3 were much bigger than today (as much as we hate to admit i age has taken its toll, maybe 3 years ago Manu and Tim would have combined for 70 points yesterday) and isolating them with statues is not as effective as it used to be.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
With all due respect even at a late stage in his career Horry was a much more dynamic player than Bonner will ever be and Bowen was a much more consistent shooter from 3 than Bonner has been thus far in his playoff career. Which makes Bonner’s contribution look even worse because unlike Bonner, Bowen was on the floor specifically for his defense.
passing was atrocious all around
"Mr. Gilmore 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 Apr 19, 2010 4:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Weren’t his two misses from the corner and his make was far out on the wing? Perhaps he needs to stay out of the corner since it seems most of his makes are from up top of the key.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Bonner was 1-2 from the arc. His miss was indeed from the corner and his make from the wing (he also missed a long 2 from the corner). You are 100% correct that Bonner should never be in the corner. It’s not only a lower percentage shot for him but it moves Hill, Bogans, Parker, RJ, etc. away from the corner and their only real chance to be effective from 3. Double loss for Spurs.
That’s why the Spurs offense is designed to keep Matt out of the corner. Sometimes after a corner player penetrates, though, he has to rotate down and fill the slot.
by doggydogworld on Apr 19, 2010 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, the corner doesn’t work for him. He just has so much firepower that he needs the extra distance. Usually when he misses, he overshoots the ball.
"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on Blair
by Manu ex Machina on Apr 19, 2010 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Anyone else see this?
I was watching the TNT postgame show, I think after the Portland-Phoenix game, and they showed a picture of Finley with the Celtics next to a picture of Billy Ocean and I think Webber called him “Caribbean Queen.”
I want some royalties dammit.
Give a man a chicken and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to chicken and he'll call you crazy and question your command of the English language.
A few things:
- Seems like the refs know how the Spurs shoot free throws and just decided to speed up the game by not calling fouls in our favor anyways.
*Pop doesn’t believe it’s the real season until we’re down 0-3, then he’ll stop experimenting with the line-ups. This is the only reason why I think Mason is still playing. - Prince Manu has to go and rescue Princess Peanut and bring her to the game.
- How do you stop something you’re not allowed to even see? That is the task Rouge must figure out in order to contain Dirk.
- The second year player George Bell made his first appearance since the summer league.
- Pop, why did you let the dogs out?
Despite all this, I still believe we will win.
Fuck it, Spurs in 4.
GTFOML!
Seems like the refs know how the Spurs shoot free throws and just decided to speed up the game by not calling fouls in our favor anyways.
Everything makes sense now.
Spurs in 4? You make me laugh. :)
I smell death... everywhere.
I just dont see Dirk only missing TWO shots the entire night, nor do i see him shooting that many free throws again in any of the reamining games in the series. Caron was extremely efficient but i dont think he can produce that type of perfomance again either, and this helped me sleep better Sunday night.
As for our boys, they had a good gameplan but dirk wouldnt miss and our untimely turnovers killed any chance of cutting into the mavs lead.
look for hill to be a huge contributor on wednesday and for RJ to step up his game because he last outing was pathetic and unacceptable. hey, we can dream cant we?
still very optomistic, lets take game 2 fellas!
Pop sounded pretty disappointed in him. Dejavu no Hill again for the playoffs? It doesnt make sense as he was playing sooo well.
"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG
He’s still in Pop’s fav-5. I think Pop was just lighting afire under him, plus knowing that he was rusty with the ankle troubles of the past few weeks. But this ain’t the time for excuses. It was nice when Hill came off the bench as a surprising spark of energy last year. His job this post-season is to be a leader and make things happen on both ends, and certainly no getting shutout. He can be a 20 point scorer so he at least needs to hit his average of 12.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I think so. I think he likely was and certainly should be after two more games. My guess is that Pop, still filled of rage after last season’s loss to Dallas, wants to emphasize that injury is no excuse. If you can play then you play well. He’s seen Timmy fight through tired legs and Manu too injured to play last year. Hill can do better and I think that was the message. Otherwise don’t dress and let Temple or some healthy person play.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
If Pop pulls out a stunt again on Hill like last year’s and then continue to play Mason, he should be fired. Seriously.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 19, 2010 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd love to see Temple and Hairston get minutes instead of Mase
I think they are both superior defenders/rebounders and unfortuantely shooters right now.
"When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges."
I’ve been busy, and couldn’t read all this. Two things:
- Thanks for biting the bullet and writing a recap for the most painful game of the season, Davis.
- Can someone please, please put down Dirk? We need someone to be physical with the guy. It’s proven effective in the past, and we have nothing to foul. Bogans, do your thing.
I smell death... everywhere.
No problem. I eat bullets for breakfast.
Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.
by silverandblack_davis on Apr 20, 2010 2:06 AM CDT up reply actions
if only bogans was 6-11
Ginobelieve!!!!!!!!
----That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)
unfortunately, he has the wrong set of genes, not enough to make him 6-11
If you liked it then you should have put a 5th ring on it. Oh oh oh.
it’s not the genes. it’s the gene product he’s lacking.
In Manu, we trust.
by day_late_friend on Apr 20, 2010 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions
if we can hang with them despite the turnovers—-its clear that 60% of the time it was the refs fault helping out daLLAS—-it was just unfair
second is the turnovers—-but despite that we should have won
another is that dirk was unstoppable so as haywood and caron—even if with his shooting but others stink so i guess we did a better defense that what we usually do.
i guess more temple-malik than mason would do
Ginobelieve!!!!!!!!
----That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)
If we can’t stop Dirk.. stop Kidd and his SG.. They move the ball all too well and ends up in Dirk’s hand.. I agree that Temple and Malik should be on the floor.. And Blair should also be playing more minutes.. if only he can play SF then we have solved RJ’s rotation problem..
I think Malik is still injured.
If you liked it then you should have put a 5th ring on it. Oh oh oh.
If only Malik and Ian were also Pop’s favorite players.
If you liked it then you should have put a 5th ring on it. Oh oh oh.
maybe next year. hah.
In Manu, we trust.
by day_late_friend on Apr 20, 2010 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions
they should ask hill how to be pop’s favorite so that we can unleash them and unleash mason to another team
Ginobelieve!!!!!!!!
----That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)
i had a post once suggesting blAIR AS SF
I THINK BLAIR-DICE-TIMMY in the front court is dangerous—-they rebound well—-
hill—manu backcourt is dangerous defensively and offensively
and a parker-ginobili backcourt is less on the defensive side due to tony but tony if he can be tony would make it up to the offensive end—-still deadly
spurs should sign Winston so that the line up would work
plus he has a mavs jersey—-idk if his the guy in that website’s layout
but i think even if his a mavs fan or not he is supporting the spurs as a great team despite the record—-in terms of statistics—-sign him maybe pop won’t mess it up
Ginobelieve!!!!!!!!
----That is Matt Bonner straight down the lane with the dunk,I repeat Matt Bonner down the lane with the dunk!LoL---NBA guy that recaps the games on NBA.com(Spurs-T'Wolves recap)
By funneling the ball to Barea and Haywood and making it hard on Butler and Terry, we’ll win easy. We really need Manu, Hill, and RJ to shut those two down. When Tony is on Barea, I think he needs to play off of him. If Haywood is taking shots, he isn’t there for the easy putbacks.
Just some thoughts from looking at the Dallas roster win-loss splits.
The other dog
You forgot to mention that Bonner stunk as much as Mason and Jefferson. Without another big man to help Duncan on defense, this team is going fishing soon. Barkley called it right the other night: The Big Three need to play perfect games every time in order to win because the bench is so small and so weak.
our bench needs to disprove that they are playoff chokers
If you liked it then you should have put a 5th ring on it. Oh oh oh.
Manu and tim’s TOs killed us. You can’t talk about the defense when one offers so many points. We will see how well we do when we don’t have to come back on defense hurriedly and uxpectedly.
I think starting Tony is a good idea. He has always scored during the first three quarters, with Manu then taking responsibility and winning the game. Whatever we can say about TP, he is quite dependable scoringwise (always efficient). But he will rarely be the X-factor and often gets tired during the 4th quarter. His scoring is a necessary building block towards victory.
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