Wednesday, January 5
7:30 p.m. Eastern
NBA League Pass
At the end of last season (prior to Boston's run to the Finals, anyway) a lot of NBA people were saying the same thing about the Spurs as they were about the Celtics; namely, that these were two former heavyweights whose championship windows had closed. Now, with the halfway point of the 2010-11 season approaching, the Spurs have the league's best record and have been the surprise team thus far.
What's so fascinating about San Antonio is that they've resurrected themselves among the NBA's elite by completely changing their style of play. For years, the Spurs have been associated with slow-paced, defense-oriented, and (to some) boring basketball. This offseason, however, the coaching staff decided to change to a more up-tempo attack -- and with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker healthy, the team has flourished. The 72 points the Spurs gave up to the Knicks in the first half on Tuesday night aren't exactly par for the course, but it isn't going to give Gregg Popovich a heart attack the way it might have in recent years. (The fact that San Antonio scored 69 points themselves in the first half helps.)
What this means is less reliance on Tim Duncan, arguably the best power forward ever to play in the NBA. Statistically speaking, the 34-year-old Duncan is having the worst season of his 14-year career, with his stats -- including his minutes -- at career lows almost across the board. But he's by no means been put out to pasture, and with Kevin Garnett out of Boston's lineup, it wouldn't surprise me to see a heavy dose of Duncan on Wednesday.
Parker is the point guard, but in my mind it's Ginobili who is the true key to San Antonio's success. The improvisational Argentine has often drawn the ire of Popovich with his freelancing ways, but he has more freedom in this system and his ability to score and to create for others isn't matched by too many players currently in the league.
Another key to the Spurs' winning ways has been the re-emergence of Richard Jefferson, one of the front-runners for Comeback Player of the Year. He signed a pretty big free agent contract with San Antonio two offseasons ago, then drew the ire of many Spurs fans with a poor performance. He got some personal instruction from Popovich this offseason, and has been much more effective this year. His statistics look almost exactly the same, except for one key area: three-point shooting. Last season, he shot 31.6 percent on 2.3 attempts per game; this season, he's at 43.2 percent on more than four attempts per game.
The long ball is a big part of the Spurs' attack. They were 11th in the league in attempts last season, but that's moved up to fifth this season, and they are near the top of the league in percentage from behind the arc. It a major component of Ginobili's arsenal, and perhaps the only weapon of note for backup center Matt Bonner and rookie reserve guard Gary Neal. Boston is among the best teams in the league at guarding the three-point shot, so that will be a big key.
Inside, in addition to Duncan, the Spurs start second-year player DeJuan Blair, who is very short for the center position but is active, skilled, and strong as an ox. He struggled to start the year but put together a very nice December. Given Shaquille O'Neal's recent struggles, Blair is a guy to worry about, especially on the offensive glass.
San Antonio started with a very easy schedule, and most people assumed they'd come back down to earth a bit during this difficult stretch of games. Although they did suffer a loss to Orlando on December 23 (foreseeable, on the second night of a back-to-back), they won five in a row before losing to the Knicks, including big-time blowout wins over the Lakers and Thunder, and a tight win in Dallas over the Dirk Nowitzki-less Mavs. Wednesday's game in Boston, on the second night of a road back-to-back, is another potential measuring stick for the Spurs. But Popovich has always played the regular season with an eye toward the playoffs, so there's a chance this marquee matchup could turn into a dud. Otherwise, it should be a good game.
Also, my beautiful girlfriend (who celebrated a birthday today) wants me to mention that she's a Spurs fan. A big Spurs fan. A scream-at-the-TV-even-though-it's-the-first-quarter-of-a-regular-season-game, will-forever-carry-a-grudge-against-Roger-Mason-Jr., forgives-Tony-Parker-even-though-she-loves-Eva-Longoria Spurs fan. I know what you're thinking, and yes, it's tough to take, especially given the fact that we were the ones supposed to get Duncan all those years back (which would have made her a Celtics fan; her allegiance to San Antonio comes from liking Duncan in college). But given that I met her in Los Angeles, it could be a lot worse, no?
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