A Mesh of Afterthoughts

by day_late_friend on May 6, 2010 8:48 AM CDT

I went home from the airport at around 1 am with my head throbbing. It had been an exhausting day with a “bidding-my-friend- goodbye” scene serving as a finale. I went to bed and was instantly cradled by the eerie silence patrolling my turf. I woke up this morning feeling good. I decided to take a leave from work just to watch the silver-and-black troop in action. I was excited for this game; I firmly believed we can steal this one…

But we didn’t. The Spurs lost to the Suns buy 8 points. I was sad and frustrated, and at the same time completely concerned with how our team played. The Spurs lacked the intensity of a winner and seemed to play devoid of the focus that helped them get rid of the Mavericks.

Dudley and Frye killed us with their blue collar performance and razor-sharp three-point shooting, respectively. Bonner was supposed to be the equivalent of Frye but he continues to be a disappointment. He’s supposed to provide the spacing needed to efficiently implement the isolation plays on Duncan and/or the pick-and-roll strategy with one of our guards. With his three-point brick shooting ability, it will surely be hard for us to confuse the Suns’ defense. Since the playoffs started, I’ve noticed that whenever we have Duncan and Bonner as our big men, our lead eventually gets cut down or if we are trailing, a deeper hole is dug. Against Dallas, he was assigned to guard Dirk Nowitzki. It was a hard task for him but he was able to respond decently. Against Phoenix, he is matched up with Frye. I think everybody will agree that this would be an easier job for him. Unfortunately, I think Bonner knows this as well and tends to relax on guarding Frye. In one instance, Bonner went deeper down the basket to provide help defense against a driving ghost leaving a wide-open Frye for an uncontested, confidence-boosting-for-the-Suns-and-God-knows-who-else three-point shot. To win this series, I believe we would need him to drain a couple of shots from beyond the arc and start to be aggressive on defense.

Tony Parker is really doing well in this series. One thing I noticed, however, is that he has been taking a lot more jumpshots these days. Luckily, a lot of them have been falling. Heck, he even made both his three-point shots. I think he’s also doing better in defense compared to how he fared against Dallas.

Manu, on the other, hand, seemed to be bothered by something. He’s forcing shots and was quite hesitant in driving through the lane. His playmaking abilities are still there though. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t agree with a lot of people claiming that Grant Hill’s defense on Manu has been superb. I think it was okay, but I believe that the Suns’ team defense is a factor on why Manu’s having a hard time. But I believe Manu will find a way and bounce back big time in Game 3. Speaking of which, I think Pop should explore bringing back Manu off the bench and put Parker back into the starting lineup. Manu has the ability to make the people around him better and might help raise Bonner and Blair into their A-games. (Mason also has the ability to make the players around him better, the other team’s players, that is.)

Tim Duncan was brilliant in the first half but was visibly exhausted during crunchtime. He can barely make it to the other side of the court during the last two minutes of the game. I think we still need to monitor his minutes. Perhaps letting him seat the last minute of the 3rd quarter and putting him back after 3 minutes have gone by the 4th would help him play effectively in the closing minutes.

The Phoenix Suns are very competitive and they showed a lot of heart in the first two games of the series. They are in this series to win. They have had a counter for every run we managed to create. The Suns have killed us in a myriad of ways: the Amare-Nash pick-and-roll, the Richardson and Frye shooting-the-lights-out tandem, the hustle plays of Dudley and Amundson and the steadiness of Grant Hill at both sides of the court. I am really hoping Pop comes out with great adjustments for this series. The Spurs have always been good at that and we almost always find ways to win. I still have faith in this team, always have, always will.

After the game, I went to work. No signs of a fan mourning a loss. My day started badly, but I've been in this situation before, and I know that brighter days are ahead.

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Comments

I posted these in the game thread but it seems more appropriate to have it here. We touch many of the smae points.

The free throw difference was mostly self-inflicted. Too many silly fouls in this game.
Duncan logged long minutes and he played very hard. Im worried he will be fatigued in game 3
This is the first time I watched a game and felt that Pop got outsmarted in parts of the game. The part of the game where we went small and they just isolated Timmeh for jump shots clearly backfired. I understand the logic that they are settling for long shots but they were making them and it was painful to watch Timmeh so vulnerable.
Three pointer shooting was not that different and although during the game it seemed like an important factor, looking at the box score it does not seem so.
I was one of the biggest Bonner apologists around but my thought on him is starting to shift. Players that cannot do in the playoffs what they do in the regular season are a serious liability. If he cannot fulfill his role in the playoffs I believe it is time to move on and not play him in the regular season anymore because he makes you count in something that is going to disappear when it counts. Two playoffs of the same and although it might still be a fluke I do not want to find out while he plays for the Spurs.

"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG

by LasEspuelas on May 6, 2010 8:55 AM CDT reply actions

One thing about the three-pointers is that the Suns almost always made the right one at the right time leading to a shift of momentum that benefited their team.

In Manu, we trust.

by day_late_friend on May 6, 2010 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions

It wasn’t that the Spurs went small, it’s that Gentry went smaller. Pop started the 4th with Blair and 4 smalls. Gentry took Frye out and went with Stoudemire and 4 smalls. The Spurs did OK with this, even taking the lead at one point. But when Pop sent Tim in for Blair Gentry countered by sending Frye in for Stoudemire. There was no one Tim could defend. Frye shot a 3 over him then Grant Hill shot a couple jumpers over him. At the other end, Tim was not able to make the Suns pay for their tinyness because Frye fought him hard for position and fouled him when necessary. Tim went 3-4 from the line (hooray) but scoring 3 and giving up 7 doesn’t work when you are expending precious energy and Nash and A’m’a’r’e are just chilling on the sidelines.

by doggydogworld on May 6, 2010 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions

This was my biggest key of the game as well. It was a subtle switch that didn’t get a lot of credit, but Gentry left a lineup out there with no one that Duncan could guard that effectively and it paid off. I expect that in the long run, the Spurs would exploit that kind of a matchup, but for a 3-4 minute stretch it worked perfectly.

For some reason I see the Spurs winning by like 15 in Game 3. Hopefully that’s not the case.

by Azreous on May 6, 2010 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

I have to question then, how do we defend effectively when the Suns go tiny but without the Spurs going tiny. It seems to me that everybody would need to stay with their man and avoid switching as much as possible. The on ball defender needs to get under any screens, if the player with the ball shoots and scores from deep we will have to live with that.

What is the alternative?

"If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert"
- DBG

by LasEspuelas on May 6, 2010 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

What is the alternative?

Zone? Frye can’t slash but the others can. And I’m not sure Tim is mobile enough to anchor it.

by doggydogworld on May 6, 2010 10:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Put Dyce back in with TD. Just because they go smaller does not mean we have to match it. Notice that when the Jazz go small, LA sticks with Gasol and Bynum. Size does matter, so use it. TD could stick with Frye and Dyce can guard Hill. Dyce can sag off Hill who is not a 3-pt threat. If we’re worried about switching, this would’ve been a good time for Bogans but his play in the 2nd Q cost him any confidence that night from Pop. But he still has a role in this series because he can guard various Suns players and thus is not a weak link if caught in a switch.

You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on May 7, 2010 4:08 AM CDT up reply actions

I think the Spurs started the 4th quarter with Bonner and Blair. Pop took Bonner out after a few seconds and put Jefferson in. The Spurs initiated the small ball. The Suns began the quarter with Amare and Frye. Gentry pulled Frye out and replaced him with Grant Hill to counter Pop’s move of bringing back RJ.

In Manu, we trust.

by day_late_friend on May 6, 2010 9:24 PM CDT up reply actions

You’re right. Gentry knows he loses a RJ vs. Frye matchup, so he avoids it. But his switch from A’m’a’r’e to Frye when Duncan came in for Blair was inspired.

If Pop had sent Dice back in would Gentry have sent A’m’a’r’e back in? Don’t know.

by doggydogworld on May 6, 2010 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions

If he cannot fulfill his role in the playoffs I believe it is time to move on and not play him in the regular season anymore because he makes you count in something that is going to disappear when it counts.

Very good point.

I did a lot of soul searching. I didn't find anything.

by Hipuks on May 6, 2010 10:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Good thoughts, dlf. I think the reason for Parker taking a lot of Js is that the Suns are sagging off him a bit , daring him to beat them from outside and also makes it harder for TP to penetrate.

Though the Spurs led for a good chunk of the game, I kinda got the feeling that Phoenix was just hanging around, keeping it close knowing that they can explode in the fourth and take the game away from us. At least even down 0-2, our team knows for a fact that this series is not over yet— very far from over.

Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.

by silverandblack_davis on May 6, 2010 9:44 AM CDT reply actions

Completely agree about the Phoenix hanging around comment. I think in that 2nd quarter when we had a big lead and their bench came in and played well, it was really important. I remember Doug Collins making a big deal about it too, with how much hussle and energy Dudley brought. But if you look at the game stats, our lead was still at 8 when Nash and Stoudemire came back in the game. As soon as they did, Nash set up 2 3 pointers, the lead was down to 2, and you could just see the whole momentum of the game shift.

I think this Suns team is different because for the first time, I think they believe they can win this series. They don’t feel they are out of games because unlike previous years, the Spurs can’t get stops, where as the Suns actually feel they can.

And like your comment about the Suns sagging on Parker. I also think that’s hurting Manu a bit too because their defense knows we aren’t making 3’s and is sagging a bit. This is causing less driving lanes for our guards.

by GMac14 on May 6, 2010 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions

I think they believe they ~~can~~ will win this series.

by doggydogworld on May 6, 2010 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Just wait for the next game when we completely dominate them and bring the momentum to our side. I’m so positive will beat the Suns that if we end up losing game 3, I’ll stop visting these forums (I’ve been coming year for a year+, more as a reader) for good.

Mark my words, we take 4 straight and meet the Lakers in the Western finals.

by SpursGerbil on May 6, 2010 9:57 AM CDT reply actions