GIF Breakdown: Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Boris Diaw has averaged just 5.8 points per game in his last eight contests. Despite this, the Spurs have been rolling over all comers. Bobo finished with only seven points on Monday night, but he also had six boards and seven assists in this one. Early in the first quarter he had a nice post possession. A couple left hand dribbles as he explores the baseline with Thaddeus Young guarding him before Boris then changes direction, dribbles several times with his right hand and knocks down a turnaround banker, à la Timmy Duncan. Good stuff from the Big Frenchman.

I don't know if this is a nice offensive play or a defensive blooper.

Kawhi Leonard brings the ball up in transition and the Sixers have a bout of failed communication as the sea of bodies parts for the young powerhouse. Whi notices and he hits the nitrous as he takes it to the rack and throws down a fierce jam. KaWhiLights!

Bonus GIF content: Patty Mills with the holster and The Hand.

The Spurs usually show great ball-movement in a set halfcourt. They're also great with broken plays.

In this play we see Leonard drive, get met by a couple of defenders, and pass out to the GOAT PUFF. Young makes a nice play on the ball and Tim is forced to tip it to himself. Duncan makes a slick bounce-pass to Bobo who sees a cutting Manu GInobili and immediately feeds him the ball in the lane. Gino finishes with a nice layup and the good guys put two on the board.

This was quite the lopsided matchup on paper. The Spurs didn't play a particularly sharp game, but they had moments of brilliance.

This is one of those moments. Gino curls around a Duncan screen and passes from the free throw line to Boris in the corner. Bobo passes up a decent look to get Big Fun the ball as deep as one can be. The Sixers look like a junior high team (love you Brett!) as Timmy gets an easy layup to go. Philly was a couple steps behind the Spurs on this play.

Austin Daye had a fine game against Philly. He looked good in the three phases of the game, knocking down treys, playing pretty good D, and making plays in transition. We'll see one of those transition plays in this GIF.

Philly is pushing the ball after a Spurs miss when Daye snatches a pass out of the air and takes it back the other way. It's three on one for the Spurs, and Austin has quite the glove and he uses it to great effect as he makes a sick behind-the-back fake to Timmy before a quick toss to Cory Joseph. Cojo makes the littlest pass to Tim for the effective one-hand slam. Timmy was good on Monday night, but what's new?

Manu in Training (MIT) has been a revelation this season. His ability to shoot, pass, cut, and fit the system have made him one of the best free-agent signings the Spurs have had in years, and perhaps one of the most important in the league this season. Marco has become one of my favorite players on a team full of guys who are easy to root for. Really, this team is so easy to root for.

Probably the best cutter on the team goes backdoor, a common sight, as Patty is running a pick-and-roll with Jeff Ayres. Patty hits Marco with a solid bounce-pass, and The Spicy One makes an absolutely gorgeous touch-pass to the rolling Ayres. Jeff then finishes with a sweet reverse. I'm not sure it's a no-look dish that Beli makes, but it's close, and either way it is a really pretty dime. The Spurs are ridiculously deep, and I feel GREAT about the team!

We don't get to see Patty Mills steal an inbounds pass too often these days, as most teams are now aware of his knack for picking off the pass. Well, this was the Sixers and Patty knocks the ball away from Casper Ware, who is one of the few guys in the league that is smaller than Mills. Patty gathers the loose ball on his way to an an uncontested layup. Points don't get easier than this.

Let's see one more play from the surprising Daye. Mills passes to the newest Spur at the top of the key. Austin shows off his court awareness and passing ability as he makes a terrific touch-pass to Ayres, who was wide open under the basket. That's a great play, and I have to say that Daye has the look of a Spur. Cautious optimism.

I wasn't much of a de Colo fan (all the best to him though) and I'm happy the Spurs get a look at the 6' 11'' Daye. This change of scenery seems to have rejuvenated him, and he could very well become the Spurs' next scrap-heap dude to rotation player for the team. Let's not get too crazy with expectations, or puns, just yet. This was the Sixers.

The Foreign Legion is something else. Those guys just understand the game and have a great feel for each other. This play features just two of them, and they get an easy triple versus Philly.

Patty Mills brings the ball up in transition and drops the ball off to Manu, who is pretty open in the wing, before working to the corner. Ware leaves Patty to keep Manu from jacking up a triple, but Hollis Thompson is just too late getting out to cover Mills as Manu fakes and dishes to Mils in the corner. The little Aussie launches the deep ball and gets three more for the fellas without touching iron.

Here we see the Spurs in transition once again, and they show off their superb ball-movement. Manu is handling the ball and throws a fastball to Patty across the court. Patty attacks and finds CoJo who has looped backdoor under the hoop. Cory catches the pass, fakes, then shows a little patience as he get the hoop and the harm. Again, this team is wildly deep.

We started this one with my man Bobo, and we'll finish it with another from Le Croissant. The Spurs don't run many isolation plays for their players (it not being a particularly efficient play type, and the Spurs are wildly efficient), and Boris isn't usually one of the guys called upon to do it when the Spurs go that route. So this is a rare play, made even rarer by the player.

Boris executes a good fake to get Thaddeus Young going the wrong way as he "explodes" to the hoop. El Jefe said that Bobo drove like a gazelle on this one. It's a nice drive and a graceful finish for the highly-skilled Frenchman. Spurs win!