FanPost

Say Goodbye To Turd Quarters

1479958245007-95c70ffa-f83a-460f-9856-204866fb4be4-974189-3.576x324.0.jpg

You know that thing that truly great people do where they turn their biggest weakness into their biggest strength? Absurd right? How could you suck at something so bad and then make it your best thing?

Remember last season where we would call Spurs' Third Quarters as "Turd Quarters"? How they would always seem to blow their leads coming out of half time or simply play lethargic right after the break?

Guess what? No more Turd Quarters this season. Flushed down the toilet. According to an article posted by Project Spurs (link at the bottom), the Spurs have been playing their best defense in 3rd quarters this season. Better than the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters.

Quarter Defensive Rating
First 102.4 Pp/100
Second 102.2 Pp/100
Third 95.6 Pp/100
Fourth 103.5 Pp/100

How much better you may ask? Remember how the Spurs last season had historically great defense that limited opponents to 96.6pts per 100 possessions? In 3rd quarters this season, the Spurs are even topping that historically great defense by limiting opponents to 95.6pts per 100 possessions. A full point lower than last year's historically great defensive team which by the way had the historically great defender Tim Duncan on it.

We are defensive beasts in the 3rd. And we have seen it on full display the past number of games take for example most recently against the Hornets. We struggled in the first. Barely tied the game at the half. Come 3rd quarter? Blow Out City (forget Spurs Lob City, we are Blow Out City now).

How and why is this happening? What is Pop saying in the locker room at half time? What defensive adjustments are we making in the 3rd quarter? Is there something in our rotation? The guys who start the 3rd are the same as those who start the 1st. Why the significant change then (almost 7pts difference per 100 possessions).

My personal theory? It again has to do with this team having so many new guys on it. This team has only played 30+ games together. At this point in time, they are probably still adjusting to each other during the first half of a game. Then by the 3rd quarter, they all begin to get comfortable with each other. They dont have that muscle memory yet of playing together. On opening tip, they are still feeling a bit lost and confused. Then after those 24mins of playing and then getting coached during the halftime break, they come out in the 3rd like a different team. Like the team they are supposed to be.

And if that 3rd quarter team is the team they are going to be come Playoff time, let's just say I like our chances.

http://thesportsdaily.com/project-spurs/despite-increased-scoring-league-wide-spurs-remain-efficient-defensively/

This is fan-created content on PoundingtheRock.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff at Pounding the Rock.