Game #65 Preview: Kings @ Spurs

by Gino20 on Mar 11, 2011 8:30 AM CST in Game Previews

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two teams that are realIy (sports cliche alert!) headed in opposite directions. I can probably spare you some of the details, but I would like to remind you Spurs fans just how good we have had it this season. The contrast of these two teams could hardly be greater, as the Spurs have, by some mathematical calculation, already sewn up a playoff spot, while Sactown has already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

I'd also like to draw attention to the plight of Sacramento Kings fans, who may be on the cusp of losing their franchise.

To hoops fans everywhere: beware the ides of March and make sure not to take anything for granted.

Who wins this competition of roundball wizardry? Hop in with us to see what's in store after the jump...

First of all, we have the Kings. There are reports that they could move to "greener" pastures (cha-ching!) and settle in Anaheim, essentially giving the league three Los Angeles area teams. An empassioned Kings fan , Mad D, has gone as far as joining PTR and writing a post asking that Spurs fans hold signs and/or start chants pleading that the Sactown ballers stay in the capital of the Governator's state. I suppose this has been done on other teams' sites as well. I, for one, am all for this and I have no problem with the idea of getting fans from other teams to be vocal about not relocating the Kings or other teams. I actually grew up in a state that had its NBA team plucked from home and moved to another part of the country. We are talking about a team with four-plus decades of history, including an NBA championship (before I was born, but still).

While the Kings have not had the same history as the SuperSonics, I will say that their fans are just as passionate about their team. Not only that, but Sacto's success really isn't all too far in the rearview mirror. Less than a decade ago, they were thisclose to winning a championship (yes I am going out on a limb and assuming they would have beaten the Nets in the Finals had they advanced past LAL). They also made the playoffs every year for eight straight seasons (1999-2006).

That's not to say that winning, losing and money should be the only matters considered here. The fans are a big part of any team. Apologies if this doesn't seem apt for a game preview, but with the opponent on hand and the post I linked to above, I felt it was appropriate right now.

Moving on to the Silver & Black. I think it's time that we enjoy the ride we have been on with the Spurs. I know most of us have been enjoying this season immensely, but maybe we are 1) a bit spoiled by the success and 2) too caught up in worrying about the future (read: will we or won't we be the champs?) instead of (sports cliche alert!) taking it one game at a time.

Don't get me wrong; I think it is perfectly fine for us to critique the team's strengths and weaknesses and keep our eyes on the prize. But sometimes you've got to stop and smell the roses.

Here are some numbers for a little more perspective.

Team record: 52-12 (first in NBA)
Home record: 30-3 (best in the NBA)
Road record: 22-9 (trailing only Dallas' 23-9 road record)
Scoring Differential: +6.8 per game (leads the NBA ... barely)
Record in FIGABABAs: 8-3
Record in SEGABABAs: 7-4

I suppose if I had predicted the Spurs record in each of the above categories before the season started, I probably would have underestimated them across the board. The FIGABABAs maybe would be the closest one to being predictable, but how about that SEGABABA record for a bunch of old fogeys, eh?

San Antonio Spurs vs SACRAMENTO KINGSAT&T CenterMarch 11 @ 7:30 p.m. Spurs Time - Timezone Converter
Watch: FOX SW

By the Numbers

Data sources:
hoopdata.com | basketball-reference.com | John Hollinger's team stats

Category	Offense (rank)	Defense (rank)
Efficiency Rating	109.2(2nd)	101.3(7th)
Rebound %	25.3(20th)	74.2(14th)
Field Goal %	.474(4th)	.449(9th)
3-Point %	.401(1st)	.371(24th)
Free Throw %	.769(13th)	.755(9th)
Turnover %	12.96(9th)	12.66(25th)
Assist %	60.09(9th)	53.74(4th)

Category	Offense (rank)	Defense (rank)
Efficiency Rating	100.1 (27th)	106.3 (20th)
Rebound %	30.1(2nd)	73.6(17th)
Field Goal %	.446(22nd)	.477(27th)
3-Point %	.336(27th)	.356(15th)
Free Throw %	.730(28th)	.767.(17th)
Turnover %	14.33(26th)	13.71(12th)
Assist %	52.13(29th)	53.72(3rd)

Record	Wins	Losses
Overall	52	12
Conference	31	7
Division	8	4
Home	30	3
Away	22	9

Position	Conference	Division
Record	1st	1st

Lineups

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

Key Bench Players
George Hill
Gary Neal
Matt Bonner
Antonio McDyess
Tiago Splitter

Record	Wins	Losses
Overall	15	47
Conference	9	29
Division	4	8
Home	8	25
Away	7	22

Position	Conference	Division
Record	14th	5th

Lineups

Starters
PG: Beno Udrih
SG: Marcus Thornton
SF: Francisco Garcia
PF: DeMarcus Cousins
C: Samuel Dalembert

Key Bench Players
Jason Thompson
Omri Casspi
Luther Head
Donte Greene

Matchup Analysis


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

Starters

PG: Parker needs to dominate Fisher. And this particular "Fisher" used to play with the Spurs. That is all.

SG: You may have noticed the absence of one Tyreke Evans from the rosters above. I am going on the assumption that 'Reke is still out with plantar fasciitis as he has missed the past 11 games. Either way, Manu gets to put a spur on his boots.

SF: Interesting matchup. While these are not the biggest stars on their respective teams, they may be the proverbial X-factors, and are certainly on the higher end of what we may call a "role player."

PF: I almost gave the spur to both players, but in the end I went with the size of Cousins.

C: Timmy and Sammy sure seem like a couple of fun islanders, don't they?

Bench

Having Jason Thompson off the bench is quite a luxury, but the Spurs depth beats that of the Kings.

Coach

Paul Westphal coached the 1993 Suns to the NBA Finals. That said, the less time I spend explaining why Pop wins this one, the better.

Intangibles

We have more intangibles than MC Hammer.

Mojo

"Mojo? I'm too old to drink that stuff anymore."

--my impersonation of @FakeCoachPop impersonating Gregg Popovich

Prediction

Spurs, 106-95

Key(s) to the Game

Key 1: Focus - you're not guaranteed anything in this league, no matter who you are or who you're playing.

Key 2: Crash the glass - the Kings are second in the league in offensive rebounding rate.

Key 3: 3-pointers. San Antonio leads the league in 3-pt % and the Kings are near the bottom in defending the three. Caution: our shooters may be flammable tonight.

Following Along

TV LISTING

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.

Spurs Fan Confidence Poll

Last tallied on 03/09.

21|1:|0|100&chxt=x,y&chco=5098c7&chd=t:78

Tweet Comment 44 comments | 2 recs |

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Comments

Going to the game tonight, have fun in the game threads! I’d love to see a 25 point win by the Spurs.

by Spurlady on Mar 11, 2011 9:18 AM CST reply actions

Have fun tonight Lady… I hope our boys show you a good time.
GSG!

by In the 666 on Mar 11, 2011 6:18 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

TWSS.

"Resentments are the rocket fuel that lives in the tip of my sabre."- Charlie Sheen

by Hipuks on Mar 11, 2011 6:25 PM CST up reply actions

Let’s work on cleaning those lapses on the boards. Hope we continue rolling. GSG!

by TD21 on Mar 11, 2011 9:34 AM CST reply actions

Nice work Gino20. I’m hoping the Kings will stay in Sac-town, but if most of the city doesn’t want to fork over the tax revenue to build a new arena some other city will. I think it’s kind of stupid that a city has to pay for a team when it’s the owner that gets all the money, but that’s the way things are these days.

by Big50 on Mar 11, 2011 9:45 AM CST reply actions

GSG!

"No Questions?...Dinner Time." - Coach Pop

by MikeyKosa on Mar 11, 2011 9:51 AM CST reply actions

Good job Gino…and looking back at the previous game with them we won 113-100 with Tim playing less than 13 min. This is a prefect game for everybody else we love to get e x t e n d e d minutes.

by indiancharlie on Mar 11, 2011 10:00 AM CST reply actions

Also, Splitter played very effectively against them last time, especially Cousins.

"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."

-Timothy Varner 48MoH

by Jordan Leithart on Mar 11, 2011 10:43 AM CST reply actions

Chuck Norris is Luke Skywalker’s real father.

by Big50 on Mar 11, 2011 11:23 AM CST reply actions

No, it’s not true, that’s impossible. NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on Mar 11, 2011 11:32 AM CST up reply actions

And the force? It’s just tiny little bacteria in your blood called midicholorians…

"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."

-Timothy Varner 48MoH

by Jordan Leithart on Mar 11, 2011 11:36 AM CST up reply actions

Although it is not common knowledge, there are actually three sides to the Force: the light side, the dark side, and Chuck Norris.

by Big50 on Mar 11, 2011 11:41 AM CST up reply actions

I KNEW it had to have something to do with MIDI!

"Entropy isn't what it used to be."

by oldtimeyspurfan on Mar 11, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions

The Spur to Cousins… hm. Beast for 20/20. Forget The Beatles; All You Need is Blair.
KGP!! GSG!

can't forget Matty, if you did you'd feel gyped
like your sandwich ain't a sandwich without Miracle Whip

by Iullaby on Mar 11, 2011 11:47 AM CST via mobile reply actions

FakeCoachPop answered questions on Twitter, there are some doozies. Check them out if you haven’t yet.

by Spurlady on Mar 11, 2011 3:15 PM CST reply actions

yes – quite entertaining

"Everybody thought he was going to be gone forever, including me, and the foie gras and truffle treatment worked really well." Pop on Tony's Injury 3/4/11

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

by Joe deLarios on Mar 11, 2011 6:42 PM CST up reply actions

fun stuff

My blog

by Freezer90 on Mar 23, 2011 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions

This is the game where I’d like to see a more complete and focused game from our guys, both starters and reserves. That would result in a less than difficult victory by a large margin, and get everyone some minutes. This would be nice with a game tomorrow, and with the goal of slowly building to our best basketball of the season.

- Thank you SF Giants for an incredible 2010 season and painting the City orange & black!
- I vow to never again mention "playoffs" and "49ers" together until we have a "quarterback."
- You gotta bring ass to get ass.

by SpurredOn on Mar 11, 2011 3:19 PM CST reply actions

I guess officially it will be Dyess from now on. But I hope Blair keeps up his energy off the bench.

by LionZion on Mar 11, 2011 3:46 PM CST reply actions

Yes, I hope he responds well to this. Really, it’s the minutes that matter most, not the roster spot. We need great play from both McDyess and Blair come playoff time.

All these GIFs are breaking my browser.

by quincyscott on Mar 11, 2011 6:47 PM CST up reply actions

by SpurredOn on Mar 11, 2011 10:02 PM CST up reply actions

Here’s one reason why I love the Padres GM, Jed Hoyer:

Hoyer thinks R.C. Buford of the San Antonio Spurs is the best GM in sports. Hoyer has friendly relationships with GMs in other sports, it’s easier to bounce ideas off of GMs outside of baseball.

"It's hard to see all my teammates working hard and have to sit there and watch the games." "Of course, the massages are nice." ~Tiago Splitter

by eastbaysd on Mar 11, 2011 4:04 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

anddd GO SPURS GO!

"It's hard to see all my teammates working hard and have to sit there and watch the games." "Of course, the massages are nice." ~Tiago Splitter

by eastbaysd on Mar 11, 2011 4:04 PM CST up reply actions

Nice.

"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 Mar 11, 2011 7:38 PM CST up reply actions

I’m a longtime Kings fan who will be in attendance at tonight’s game. It makes me sad — depressed, even — that this may be the penultimate occasion for me to cheer on my beloved Sacramento Kings in the flesh.

My family relocated to San Antonio a year and a half ago, and the I was immediately struck by the similarities between Kings fan and Spurs fan. Small-market, single-team towns seem to engender a certain breed of fan unique in their passion, loyalty, and basketball intelligence.

For tonight… after much deliberation, I decided to go old-school and wear my Jason Williams jersey to the game, in homage to the reason why I first fell in love with the Kings upon my arrival in Sacramento in the late 90’s. I’ll also be carrying a poster supporting the Here We Stay movement – it’s at once the least and the most I can do from 1,500 miles away.

My 8-year-old son will be wearing his Duncan jersey. I have no problem whatsoever with his becoming a Spurs fan. San Antonio will be the city where he discovers and grows into his own identity in sports fandom, and truth be told there are few non-Kings teams that I hold in higher regard than the Spurs. Solid ownership, premier managment, top-shelf coaching, phenomenal athletes, and remarkable consistency… not to mention the qualities of the fan base as mentioned above. My son could do far worse than the Spurs, that’s for sure. And who knows… if the Maloofs decide to rip my Kings away from Sacramento (and my heart from my chest at the same time) and depart for “greener” pastures, it’s not out of the question that I could quickly become a Spurs fan.

But I digress.

I’ll be in Sec. 220 – if any PTR’ers are in the area, feel free to stop by and say hi. I don’t think you’ll have any problems spotting me amongst the sea of silver and black…

Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully considered what they do not say. - William W. Watt

by doogman77 on Mar 11, 2011 4:42 PM CST reply actions 7 recs

So sorry about your beloved Kings. :(

Los Angeles seems to take whatever it wants. Greedy bahstads.
I live in San Diego, so I know this.

I feel for you.

We Spurs fans would be proud to take you in. You sound like a fine fan.

"It's hard to see all my teammates working hard and have to sit there and watch the games." "Of course, the massages are nice." ~Tiago Splitter

by eastbaysd on Mar 11, 2011 4:50 PM CST up reply actions

Respect to you and your son.

by SpurredOn on Mar 11, 2011 5:06 PM CST up reply actions

There is no better organization to jump to San Antonio.

That I will agree with.

EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter

No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

If Omri has 12 games with 85+ TS% (20+ mins only) on the season, I will send RikSmits a slice of Cherry Pie with real Californian cheese pasteurized locally in Washington state.

by pookeyguru on Mar 11, 2011 6:02 PM CST up reply actions

lame – but if it happens – welcome aboard!

"Everybody thought he was going to be gone forever, including me, and the foie gras and truffle treatment worked really well." Pop on Tony's Injury 3/4/11

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

by Joe deLarios on Mar 11, 2011 6:43 PM CST up reply actions

I sure hope the Kings stay put. It wasn’t that long ago that the Spurs were rumored to be considering a move. It’s a business, but to the communities, especially the smaller markets, it’s more than just that.

We of course stand ready to welcome you and your boy into the Spurs fold, but I hope your Kings can stay number one for you.

All these GIFs are breaking my browser.

by quincyscott on Mar 11, 2011 6:55 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs

Thank you, sir.

I appreciate the well wishes.

My young Kings gave the Spurs a heck of a game tonight… One-point lead with 6 to play, can’t ask for more than that at this point. They’ll figure out how to close games as they grow up.

Had a great time, Spurs fan was classy as always.

Cheers.

Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully considered what they do not say. - William W. Watt

by doogman77 on Mar 11, 2011 11:04 PM CST up reply actions

I say we’ll win with 5+ tonight + drink the mojo :)

by cojones2thewall on Mar 11, 2011 5:05 PM CST reply actions

i’m drinking!

"Everybody thought he was going to be gone forever, including me, and the foie gras and truffle treatment worked really well." Pop on Tony's Injury 3/4/11

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

by Joe deLarios on Mar 11, 2011 6:44 PM CST up reply actions