San Antonio Spurs Breakdown: Has the Spurs Defense Rested?

[Erick Blasco]

After jumping out to an exceptional 25-3 mark to start the season, the San Antonio Spurs are once again up there with the NBA’s elite. As such, their game against the rebuilt Orlando Magic provided an opportunity for the Spurs to examine how they measure up with another fringe title contender under adverse conditions—a road game as a third contest in four nights.

 

That the Spurs lost 123-101 isn’t at all damning in and of itself. However, there were several troubling aspects the game presented that may require a roster tweak as the year progresses. Let’s examine the game to see what San Antonio did and didn't do well.

Offense

 

 

 

While the Spurs have implemented a much-ballyhooed new motion offense, they still have the same principles as their previous offenses—screen/rolls for Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, post-ups for Tim Duncan, iso’s and drive-and-kicks for Parker, Ginobili, and Richard Jefferson, screen/fades involving Matt Bonner—with a few new wrinkles. The Spurs liked to have one of their post players have the ball at the high post with a strong-side perimeter player receiving a brush screen before executing a handoff/roll with the ball handler. If this doesn’t happen, a weak side perimeter player will curl off a weak-side brush screen and get the ball at the perimeter, continuing into a handoff/roll, screen/roll, or isolation at the top.

 

This off-ball action gets San Antonio’s perimeter players on the move before executing their various two-man games, a nice tweak that puts a bit more pressure on opposing defenders than San Antonio’s double and triple or chase screen/roll series of the recent past. The Spurs also ran various zipper and pin down action to free up Ginobili in the middle of the floor, and some baseline cut/fades and baseline screens for their point guards and Jefferson.

 

For the most part, San Antonio’s offense generated open looks throughout the duration, mostly because of Ginobili’s brilliant passing. Whether off curls, isolations, or two-man games, Ginobili was always able to get penetration and force Orlando’s defense into rotation, freeing up open three point shooters throughout the game. If the Magic zoned the area in a two-man game, pocket bounce passes would free up long jumpers, and a ripped one-handed pass to a cutting Matt Bonner in traffic resulted in the best pass of all.

 

His six assists were mitigated by two turnovers—an alert rotation by Ryan Anderson intercepted a pass intended for Ducan, and an accurate pass to Antonio McDyess was bobbled out of bounds with the turnover credited to Ginobili.

 

However, Ginobili—and most of the Spurs—were stymied when trying to finish at the rim because of ferocious interior defense by the Magic. He missed all four of his attempts at the basket.

 

His teammates likewise found the going difficult, only making 19 of 41 attempts inside the paint, a horrendous ratio.

 

Tim Duncan posted up eight times, six against Dwight Howard, twice against Brandon Bass. Against Howard, he made an out-pass that led to a missed Richard Jefferson three, while only converting two of his six shots at the basket (one of his posts was a missed runner that led to a tip-in), a ratio of four points on six possessions. He made one of his two attempts against Brandon Bass, for two more points on two possessions. Overall, against Orlando, Duncan post ups only resulted in six points in eight possessions, with zero free throws drawn, a sure sign that Duncan’s once prodigious post talents are no longer able to dominate elite post defenders.

 

As always, Duncan made several crisp passes, was active on the offensive glass, and converted a nifty layup on a roll to the hoop, but he’s becoming increasingly ineffective in creating his own offense. Without his stability around the hoop, the Spurs become an increasingly perimeter oriented team. On the other hand, in the playoffs, Duncan won’t have to deal with third game in four nights scenarios allowing him to be fresher, and somewhat more explosive in the postseason. Still, it is a concern that San Antonio’s offense won’t be able to operate from the inside out come the postseason.

 

Aside from forcing a transition floater in double coverage 10-feet from the hoop, Tony Parker was aggressive, taking nine shots in the first quarter, plus a pair of free throws, as he tried to set a tone of the Spurs being unafraid to attack the basket. He also knocked down half of his six jumpers, meaning he displayed both the speed to get to the basket, and the jump shooting to punish defenses from sagging off or ignoring him.

 

Richard Jefferson is simply playing with more aggressiveness in attacking off the bounce, and especially shooting when he’s open. If he didn’t have a good game—4-11 FG, 2-5 3FG, 10 PTS—he’s having a career season knocking down his threes.

 

DeJuan Blair’s lack of size and elevation left him extremely vulnerable to Orlando’s interior defense, as he only converted four of his 10 shots inside the paint. Many of his misses came in the fourth quarter when Dwight Howard wasn’t on the floor.

 

Antonio McDyess bobbled a pass, clanged a jump shot off the backboard, and was an absolute non-factor.

 

Matt Bonner—4-6 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-1 FT, 10 PTS—shot the ball well with his assortment of catapulted threes and pull-up springers. He even converted a terrific layup, count it, plus the foul, on a well-timed cut and an exceptional pass from Ginobili. Bonner is also a good decision maker triggering San Antonio’s handoff/fade game, as he virtually always fades after his screens to space the floor, rather than cut to the basket. San Antonio’s spacing is always at its best with Bonner in the game rather than Blair or McDyess.

 

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2010/12/27/1897987/san-antonio-spurs-breakdown-has-the-spurs-defense-rested

[Finch23]

Spurs defense is showing signs of improvement, it also wasn't a coincidence that the Spurs allowed more points per game when George Hill wasn't playing. Hill is very underrated defensively and maybe his job against Bryant will open up some eyes.