Pounding The Rock

PtR QuickCap: So That Went Well... Wizards 84, Spurs 106

2009-11-22T08:05:51Z

More photos » by Bahram Mark Sobhani - AP

Good to have you back, Frenchie. (AP Photo/ Bahram Mark Sobhani)

Feels good to win, doesn't it? Let's make no mistake, Washington is a team that seems to be in total disarray right now. But it's hard not to feel good about this win. It was the most complete effort the Spurs have put together this season.

Oh, and some French guy played point guard for the Spurs tonight. He seems to be a decent player, so we might just have to keep him around after all.

BOX SCORE

Obligatory Parker Praise

Yes, Tony Parker was back in action, and not a moment too soon. For all the crap we give him, he comes back every time and shows us how important he is to this team. When Frenchie is on his game, the Spurs turn into one hell of an offensive team. And he was back to his normal brilliant self on that end of the floor, leading the team in points and assists. But that's not where he impressed me.

Tonight, I saw Tony doing something I haven't seen him do in a long while: playing tough defense. Apparently, he's decided to take a hint from his backup(who is earning a living as a better defender) and actually give a bit more of an effort on the defensive end. It payed dividends, big time. He was guarding Gilbert Arenas most of the time, and the Wiz went to Gil early and often in an attempt to exploit Parker's normal weakness. Nice try, Wiz. Tony was a force of nature tonight on the offensive end, but he was also giving a ton of effort on defense. He didn't give up on chasing his man around screens, he kept good positioning(funneling Gil numerous times towards Timmy and/or Ratliff), and he was just very active. I don't know what else to really say about it - it didn't look like the token defensive "effort" we've come to expect in the last couple of seasons from Tony. If he keeps that up, this team is in great shape.

Like A Different Team

Anyway, now that's out of the way, how did everyone else look?

For the first time all year, Pop went with a starting lineup that is one my personal favorites: Parker, Keith Bogans, Richard Jefferson, Duncan, and Antonio McDyess. This is the second-best lineup available to the Spurs while Manu is out, and has a good balance of offense and defense. Dice's incredibly accurate midrange jumper creates enough space for Duncan to do his thing down low, but he's not starting from as far away when trying for rebounds, plus he has the athletic ability to get said rebounds. Bogans hounded the hell out of Caron Butler and Randy Foye, who shot a combined 5-19 for the game. And between Duncan, Jefferson and Parker, the Spurs had more than enough firepower to get out to an early lead.

In the first half, the Spurs' offense was being run by none other than Tim Duncan, who nearly had a triple-double by halftime. The defensive duties were being performed admirable by the entire crew, but Theo Ratliff really stood out today, attacking the boards and challenging any Wizard who dared to come near the rim. Even Michael Finley was observed to be playing decent defense, but the fear of Pop's wrath got the better of him on the offensive end when he missed a dunk.

In the second half, the Spurs' bench really turned up the heat. George Hill was effective at both guard postions, despite a poor shooting night. Also, Roger Mason found his shot, and even dished out 6 assists. Matt Bonner had a hot hand in the second half as well, helping to bury any hope of a Wiz comeback during the second half, when he, Mason and even Richard Jefferson put on an incredible shooting display from beyond the arc. By the time Mason buried his final shot of the night, the Spurs had built up a 30-point lead. Truly a sight to behold for Spurs fans who have been tired of losing.

Your Three Stars

Tony Parker - see above.

Tim Duncan - The man does everything so well. It's good to see that Timmy still looks like Timmeh! despite the knee problems and the fact that he was logging a lot of minutes in the last 2 games.

Theo Ratliff - Theo brought his "A" game tonight. To the tune of 11 rebounds, 5 points, 3 blocks, and even 2 assists in just under 22 minutes. And Theo's contributions go beyond the box score, to the intimidation of any Wiz player who found himself within Theo's reach. Who knew Theo still had that in him?

Honorable Mentions: Richard Jefferson, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner all gave great contributions to the team tonight.

PtR Represents

2009-11-22T08:03:33Z

For those that didn't read the game thread, our own JanieAnnie was the Spurs season ticket holder representative for the captain's meeting. It's that thing that takes place at half court before the game where a couple players from each team talk to the refs. Here is JanieAnnie's play-by-play:

I was struck by how really tall the guys are. Everyone is really friendly and the hand shakes are firm, but I really wanted a hug like the players from the two teams gave each other. Except if Tim had tried to hug me he probably would have hurt his back from bending so low. Anyway, the head referee asked me if I had anything to say (people usually just say "good luck" or "have a good game") and my reply was, "Yes, sir - Just call 'em like Tim Duncan sees 'em." It really got a laugh from Tim and Tony, and a pat on the back from Tony, saying "That's good!" And yes, the refs laughed, too.

Full recap, with JanieAnnie's photos, coming tomorrow.

The Wiz @ Spurs: 2nd Half Thread

2009-11-22T02:45:34Z

I feel like The Grinch - my heart has swelled with hope tonight. Let's hope it continues. Everyone cross your fingers, wish on a shooting star, etc., etc., etc.

GO SPURS GO!

Wiz @ Spurs: Game Thread #11

2009-11-22T01:00:13Z

I've decided to take Lauri's advice and stop being such a Negative Nancy. I'm going to calm down and not panic for at least another 10 games. Here's hoping for a win.

Why the change in attitude, Cap? Well, it's my prerogative to change my mind (we females are tricky like that), and it's also my duty as a sports fan to overreact and go from the depths of depression to the heights of optimism. Plus, it's a gorgeous day here in Colorado, I actually got to spend some time enjoying the sun today, and I don't have to work this weekend. So I will be sending good vibes to San Antonio through the TV tonight. However, if we lose, I reserve the right to revert back to my depressed, suicidal (figuratively), alcohol-drinking self.

And now I present you with something that makes absolutely no sense but should get you up and moving for the game.

Now for the important stuff.

Likely Starters

San Antonio Spurs

Washington Wizards

(Fab might be starting)

Zebras

D. Stafford

B. Forte

D. Jones

Game Preview #11: Washington Wizards @ San Antonio Spurs

2009-11-21T08:00:14Z

Good with a little bit of yogurt and OJ in a smoothie

Why the picture of fruit, Cap? Because this is what I feel like doing: blowing razzberries, Bronx cheer, whatever you want to call it. And I'm out of beer. And the sports gods really, really hate me. More after the jump.

Warning: Massive amounts of crankiness and negativity ahead. Please keep your arms and legs within the car at all times as we plummet down the rollercoaster known as Spurs basketball fandom.

First, a musical selection that I feel appropriately symbolizes our current predicament:

Free Fallin'

Or to help you get through the next game, perhaps this is more to your liking:

Okay, this is really just for me.

And for the more hardcore, I present something completely different:

I am in awe.

Before I jump into the nitty gritty of the actual preview, let's take a little trip back to the summer:

Delusion Dwellers (thanks, LD)

Remember when we were all gushing over the trade for RJ, ecstatic when DeBeast fell into our laps on Draft Night, giddy over Cubits' improvement and new role as Pop's favorite player? Well, throw that out the window. We stink. This is not "the glass is half-empty"; this is "not a drop of liquid was left in the glass before it shattered on the kitchen floor". We really, really suck.

So to steal from At The Hive, here's a visual recap of our season to date:

Defense in the Paint

Ability to Box Out and Grab Rebounds

Free Throw Shooting and Turnovers

Win-Loss Record

We need to win a freaking game. Not after Thanksgiving, but RIGHT NOW! Or even the annual Rodeo Road Trip won't be able to save us. I'm so depressed.

Washington Wizards @ San Antonio Spurs
Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
When: November 21, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: NBA TV; My35 (SA)

How They Stack Up


4-2	Home	2-3
0-4	Road	1-5
99.2	Offense	95.6
98.8	Defense	98.1
45.8	FG%	43.6
34.3	3-pt%	34.6
73.0	FT%	75.7
41.2	Rebounds	43.3
12.7	TOs	15.4
4-6	Last 10	2-8
Lost 3	Streak	Lost 1
Not Good Enough	Position	4th, Southeast


Country/Time Zone	Game Time
Argentina	10:30 PM
Crazy Land	5:30 PM
Philippines	10:30 AM
Central Europe	2:30 AM
Palestine/Egypt	2:30 AM
Least Coast	8:30 PM
Drunken Time Zone	6:30 PM
Perth, AUS	8:30 AM
Tokyo, JP	9:30 AM
Sydney, AUS	11:30 AM

Spurs (4-6)	Matchups	Wizards (3-7)
George Hill Foul Prone	Point Guard Tony's probably out, along with our chances of winning this game. Sir Hotbod has done a decent standing in for him, except for the excessive fouling issue. Tonight he's going against Arenas, whose lack of defense is countered by his 23 ppg and 6 apg. Plus, our backup PG is Mason. It doesn't even matter who the Wizards' backup is - they automatically win the battle. Advantage: Wizards	Gilbert Arenas Finally Earning His Paycheck?

Keith Bogans Not Manu	Shooting Guard Manu is definitely out. The Boogeyman almost fouled out last game and the SGs shot a combined 2-11 from the 3-pt line. Even before I saw that Miller is shooting 60% from the field (57% from 3-pt land), I knew we were overmatched. Advantage: Wizards	Mike Miller Get a Haircut

Richard Jefferson Shoot the frickin' Ball	Small Forward Butler shoots over 80% from the FT line; RJ does not. Butler averages over 15 field goal attempts per game; RJ does not. Butler grabs almost 8 boards a game; RJ does not. Advantage: Wizards	Caron Butler Cap hates UConn

Antonio McDyess Only Option	Power Forward Dice has played decently lately, but Jamison's season debut was out of this world. His first game back from injury, Antawn drops 31 points and grabs 10 rebounds in the Wiz' upset of the Cavs. He wins. Advantage: Wizards	Antawn Jamison He's Back

Tim Duncan The Big 1	Center Haywood is actually averaging a double-double this year. (Yeah, that surprised me too.) However, he ain't Timmeh. The only one of the Big 3 left standing, Duncan has taken on more of the load, but at what expense to his body? 40 mpg during a SEGABABA ain't gonna help Duncan get to the playoffs healthy, Pop. Advantage: Spurs	Brendan Haywood Not Awful

Michael Finley No Defense	Bench & Role Players Other than SAM, our bench played like crap against Utah. Blatche and Foye are providing good production off the bench. In addition, tonight marks the return of the tip out king himself, Fab. Advantage: Wizards	Fabricio Oberto ARGENTINE

Gregg Popovich Bring back The Beard	Coach I thought Flip did a good job in Detroit, until he was unceremoniously shown the door. His job in Washington is still a work in progress. Even though Pop finally played Malik some minutes in the last game, his inconsistent lineups are driving everyone crazy. Pop needs to start taking the regular season seriously. Advantage: Tie	Flip Saunders No Caption
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
Intangibles
Both of these teams are below .500. However, the Wizards did pull a big upset this week against the Cavs, and the Spurs have been One Stud and a bunch of suck. Advantage: Wizards
Mojo
We have none. Advantage: Wizards
Winner: Wizards
We shouldn't lose this game; therefore, we will. Probably in a heart-breaking double OT loss where Timmeh plays 50 minutes. Prediction: Wizards win.

Keys To The Game

Defend the Paint - This matador defense is getting old. Allowing the other teams to waltz in and out of the lane with ease is not the way you win basketball games. The Spurs used to be known for their physicality. I have no idea where that toughness went.
Box Out - The first rule for rebounding is to find and box out the opposing players, thereby not allowing them to corral the ball for easy layups and tip-ins. There's a reason the FSM gave everyone a butt.
Make Free Throws - There's a reason free throws are called "freebies" - they're supposed to be easy. Making them at a better than 75% clip means possibly a different outcome vs. Utah. And it wouldn't hurt to stop with the sloppy turnovers either.

Strength of Schedule

The Spurs had a day of rest after a SEGABABA. Timmeh played waaaay too much in both of those games (losses). Tonight is a home game, so rest shouldn't be an issue.

The Wiz lost in Oklahoma City last night, so they're on a road-and-road SEGABABA. Brutal, but they're young and athletic - except for Fab.

Last Time They Met

The Spurs last played the Wizards March 6, 2009 (last season). Here's the boxscore for anyone who cares. We won. Yippee. Doesn't matter - they were decimated by injuries and were already out of the playoff race. We didn't suck at that time. We do now.

Some Other Reading

Wizards

Bullets Forever - The Wizards SBN blog. They are happy Jamison is back. And can we get some Bullets throwback unis going this year?
Truth About It - This is the TrueHoop network blog for the Wizards. They have some funny content over there and seem to worship LeBron as much as we do.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: I think Tim and Graydon are just as frustrated and disappointed about the season so far as we are. But they still kick ass with the blog.
Project Spurs: Now featuring live chats, call-in shows and podcasts (in Spanish too). I should call and see what they're drinking.

The (sort of) Daily Twitter

Cap was uncooperative on this section, so you're stuck with Tim C.

manuginobili

Good News: MRI was negative, so nothing serious. Will be back soon. Bad News: Out for a week and we lost again. //...http://bit.ly/2x5BxP

MoneyMase

Now its time to get back to some wins! Who's coming tomorrow?

And these are for Hipuks:

tp9network

Hey facebook world did anybody see new moon i was thinking about going??? http://bit.ly/07ai5rb

DeJuan45

LOL!!!!!!

You can also find all the official Spurs Sports & Entertainment Twitter accounts here: http://twitter.com/spurs/official/members

Other things of possible interest

As we in the States are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, I bring you The Thanksgiving Letter. If this woman were in my family, she'd probably have been brained by a can of jellied cranberries by now.

Where to Tune In

TV

This game will be aired nationwide on NBA TV (which means I get to watch it), and in the San Antonio area it will also be on My35 HD.

Online

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. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance.

Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM).

Pictorial and Statistical Recap of Jazz-Spurs

2009-11-21T20:57:11Z

I felt bad that JanieAnnie sent me these pictures late Thursday night and I didn't use them. With her photos and in the spirit of Fred, I give you this statistical recap.

He's dissing Tim on the intro and this is the closest he came to bodying up his assignment all game. -1

Too much angle in the lower body. Even if this shot went in, which is unlikely, it was lucky. -2

You can't out low and out leverage a shorter man. -1

Tim is too experienced to even try and this shows the inability to learn. -4

Looks like The JV attempting a layup. -5

Getting paid $14.2M and making me think of The JV. -10

Challenges jumper. +1

Ineffective when doing what you are supposed to be doing. -3

Arabesqueing? -1

Arabesqueing with Boozer? -100

JanieAnnie says Pop was glaring at Joey Crawford tyring to get a technical and failed.

Failed to get a T from Joey 'T' Crawford? -5

No, really. That's not a foul. That's just Tim being wimpy and trying to avoid contact. This is a man's game and you have to be physical. You can't shy away from contact. -3

Terrible jumpshooting form. That won't get you off the bench rookie. -2

Still trying and still failing. -8

Could we have more guys with ugly shots? Split leg leaners? Any wonder you are in a shooting slump? -5

Nice form. +1

Shot too early in shot clock. -1

Shot too early in shot clock as a point guard. -2

No dancing is not allowed. -1

Doing Thriller is just plain disrespectful. -4

Tony says he is playing

2009-11-21T17:49:16Z

Tony says he is playing

via Twitter: big game tonight need to get some wins ankle feeling better im playing tonight cant wait!!

This Week In San Antonio Spurs Basketball: Saturday 3-Game Losing Streak Desensitizer

2009-11-21T07:42:57Z

Tim C. made the logo for hacks like me who don't release TWSS on its supposed Friday schedule, so thanks Tim.

Anyway, we have our first (and hopefully last) three-game losing streak in the bag, we're depressed as hell but that doesn't mean we won't care about basketball in general, or to checking out Ice Thrown-cool links. Make the jump with me to ease that stinging losing feeling a little bit.

Mood Music

From Tim C. and his never-ending well of musical goodness:

Sometimes, a lot of video links get lost in the comments section. Here are two rocking tracks I picked up from bellasa. It's the same song but Chris Cornell's cover is awesome, too.

Have some Sigur Ros to calm those early season jitters.

Peachtree Hoops: The impact of Jamal Crawford
"A look at Jamal Crawford's role so far in an Atlanta Hawk uniform."

Rufus on Fire: Have the Bobcats Made Progress in the Larry Brown Era?
David Arnott wonders whether the Bobcats' total roster turnover under Larry Brown has accomplished much.

CelticsBlog: The Latest Nocioni Rumor
Forget Captain Jack. Let's go after Noc and make Manu happy.

Blog a Bull: Gar Forman's team is on the floor
"It'd be very hard to find such a deal to satisfy what the Bulls are trying to do this season (tread. water.), at least for now."

Mavs Moneyball: Saying Goodbye to Reunion Arena
A Mavs fan revisits memories of Reunion Arena, former home of the Dallas Mavericks.

Denver Stiffs: Three Days with George (Part 1)
As an aside, I don't know why someone would type all caps in the title of a post when one isn't trying to convey any emotion whatsoever, and then put ellipses at the end. That being said, Andrew Feinstein let's us in on how his three days with Georgy Pudgy went, and the result makes for a very interesting read. I seriously recommend you to read this, except maybe for CapHill. Too bad we can never have WVATS spend even at least a day with Pop. That would've been epic if it happened. You can find Part 2 here.

Golden State Of Mind: RUMOR: Monta Ellis wants out of Golden State and Warriors looking to trade him
First it was S-Jax, now it's Mo-Ped Ellis. Don Nelson's ship is sinking.

Motown String Music: Is Charlie Villanueva Playing "Terrific" Defense?
"Charlie V putting his name in the same sentence as Ben Wallace in terms of his defense thus far definitely raised an eyebrow for me." -- Tweet Master CV31 makes me laugh.

The Dream Shake: Fun with interesting statistics
Houston's most effective unit is an ultra small-ball one. I wonder what would be the most effective for the Spurs. Mebbe I should get off my lazy ass and try to look it up.

Indy Cornrows: Pacers' Chemistry Remains A Work In Progress, But Well Worth The Effort
".,.the element of bringing five guys together from different walks of life to trust each other and play as one also plays a big role in sustained success. It's the reason you can't plug all of the new stats into an algorithm and predict the outcome of an NBA game. You just don't know how the human element will impact a game from one day to the next."

Clips Nation: A Quick Talk With Mike Dunleavy from Playa Vista
Can Mike Dunleavy the GM fire Mike Dunleavy the Coach? I hope he does, just to show how crazy the Clippers franchise really is.

Straight Outta Vancouver: No End in Fin: Allen Iverson Bought Out, Leaves Memphis
Yo, A.I. See you at practice at 8 am, okay? What? You're not coming? Don't give me that "I hate practice" shit again, alright? Say what? You're not part of the team anymore? What the hell am I gonna do now with the Memphis A.I. jersey I just ought? Aw, c'mon!

Peninsula is Mightier: Hey LatinD I think you'll like this.
Let's see if someone actually pays attention to the Friday TWSS. Heh.

Brew Hoop: Here we go again? Bogut to miss 2-4 weeks
Introducing the new Mr. Glass. Hey, at least more opportunities for B.Jennings to hog that ball and keep on shooting!

Canis Hoopus: Nearing Unwatchable
The T-Wolves suck. It didn''t say that, their fans did.

Third Quarter Collapse: Regarding Vince Carter's Jump-Shot-Happy Ways
Magic fans, welcome to the Vinc Carte jump-shooting era: where uber talented players too scared or too lazy to drive to the basket happens!

Posting and Toasting: Isola: Signs Pointing to Iverson Acquisition
Iverson joining the Knicks is like... I don't know, like doing a remake of The Hours with Megan Fox playing the role of Virginia Woolf?

At The Hive: The Prospect of Losing Emeka Okafor
The Hornets franchise has no meaningful direction. Seriously.

Liberty Ballers: Brand out? Who's in?
"A suggestion from a Sixers blogger on how Eddie Jordan should do his job." -- Maybe they'd want to trade Brand for Bonner.

Bright Side Of The Sun: The 10-2 Phoenix Suns Are Tough
Wait until Nash gets hip-checked by Theo Ratliff in the playoffs.

Blazersedge: Travis Outlaw Has Successful Foot Surgery, Out 3-5 Months
"Portland Trail Blazers forward Travis Outlaw is expected out 3-5 months after having foot surgery."

Sactown Royalty: The Prospect of, Um, Samuel Dalembert
"The Kings are highly interested in a defensive-minded center."

SLC Dunk: The Ditziness of Hope
SLC Dunk isn't as big as PtR and when I can't find any interesting front-page content for the SB Nation roundup, I often turn to FanShots. Here's a good one, and very useful in our situation as Spurs fans (just be made aware that it's from a female's perspective, as the title suggests). A little ironic though, considering that the Jazz just recently beat the Spurs.

Bullets Forever: How does Antawn Jamison help the Washington Wizards? Some stats to consider
"Trying to find some statistics to give Wizards fans a better idea of just how Antawn Jamison's return from injury can improve the team." -- or in other words, Gilbert Arenas is overrated.

Raptors HQ: A Play for Monta Ellis?
Fuck, yes! More "should my team make a trade for Monta Ellis?" news! So... should the Spurs make a trade for Monta Ellis?

Ridiculous Upside: Ridiculous Transactions: 11/9 - 11/15, Plus Trade Analysis
Wow, I mean, I don't know how many actually watch the D-League, but these guys at RU do a tremendous job of covering it.

The Boston Globe: Perkins says sloppy practice isn’t helping
Maybe they should sign Allen Iverson. I hear that dude likes practices.

NYTimes.com: The Pick-and-Roll Is the N.B.A.’s Old Reliable
Awesome article by the New York Times on the usage of pick-and-rolls in today's NBA. As they say, "the more things change, the more they remain the same." And oh, the Spurs come in second only to the Heat in pick-and-roll usage. Blame it on ballhog TP if you want.

Yahoo! Sports: Passing on Jennings could cost Knicks LeBron
"After not drafting Brandon Jennings, the Knicks are considering A.I. That won't help them in the LeBron sweepstakes."

Yahoo! Sports: McGrady unsure whether Rockets want him
"Sources say McGrady has started to wonder whether the Rockets want him back with this team, or whether they’ve been motivated to let him sit and collect on insurance money."

Yahoo! Sports: Ankle injury continues to slow Rose
"A sprained right ankle Derrick Rose suffered early in the preseason has limited him. Three weeks into the schedule, it’s clear his game isn’t the same as last season when he was named Rookie of the Year."

Yahoo! Sports: Rockets reassign C Dorsey, waive F Mensah-Bonsu
Nobody wants the PMB... booo.

TrueHoop: Sonny Vaccaro: Brandon Jennings broke the mold, part one
"Jennings famously skipped college basketball entirely, waiting out the NBA's age limit with a highly paid year in Europe, instead of playing at Arizona where he was academically ineligible. "

Larry Brown On The Still Homeless Allen Iverson: "If you think you’re going to manage his minutes and he’s going to be satisfied with that, it’s not going to happen."
Larry loves Allen, Season 6, Episode 38.

SLAM ONLINE: SLAM 134: The How-To Issue
An example: "How To Deal With Losing by Jamal Crawford, eight seasons, no Playoff games"

FOX Sports: LeBron needs to focus on NBA ... not NFL or MJ
Stick it to 'im, Mr. Whitlock!

FOX Sports: Magic would go along with plan to retire No. 23
Okay, maybe we should all ban the wearing of No.23 in any league, be it the D-League, junior varsity or little league. Sheesh.

FOX Sports: Knicks have no excuse to pass on Iverson
Well, this is a first. Uncle Charley Rosen actually endorses A.I. to the Knicks.

FOX Sports: Injuries not always a bad thing for some teams
Wise words from an old man, yet again.

SI.com: Rich season for basketball books
Right now, I'm reading Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball, so yeah, sue me. After that, I plan on getting Chris Ballard's book, The Art of a Beautiful Game.

NBA FanVoice > Hornets pushing all the wrong buttons with Paul
"That the Hornets didn't bother to consult Paul before making the decision to fire Scott is easily their greatest misstep in this entire affair. And now that the total team makeover is underway in New Orleans, does anyone really believe this story has a happy ending?"

If the truth hurts, then hurt us because we can take it
Wouldn't it be neat if ... Gregg Popovich said, "You media have no idea how stupid you really are." (Maybe he's already said that.)

The Painted Area: What Will The NBA's Next Wave of International Players Look Like?
"Looking ahead, the interesting question is whether international players will have as much impact on the 2010s as they did in the 2000s."

Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook: Only a small percentage of young guys can come into this league and lead
And Al Horford is one of them. I'm hoping for George Hill to be one, too.

Basketbawful: My new favorite quote of all-time
Ron Artest talks about throwing Trevor Ariza's shoe. Crazy pills strikes again!

Lord of the Rings Movie Character Interactions
Courtesy of LatinD. The LOTR world is more complicated than I thought.

Eva Longoria: Philanthropist of the Year
I, ah, umm... err... uhh...I'm speechless. (thanks to TDZilla for the find)

Unique Scoop: Geeks can't ride a roller coaster like normal people
Hah, geeks for the win! I find it funny that I've ridden in some of these roller coasters and I was like every other person aside from the geeks. On a positive note, at least I've confirmed that I'm not one of them.

Your Kitten Is Safe on Snuzzy
Kitteh is alive and well.

Ubersuper: History of the Coca Cola bottle
From slim to fat to sexy to just right. No, I'm not talking about the evolution of the supermodel.

Breathtaking photography might make your day (especially after a tough three-game losing streak)

23 Beautiful Examples Of Fall Color Photography
I'm no photographer but I can appreciate a great shot when I see one.

instantShift: 100+ Examples of Brilliant Tilt-Shift Photography
Tilt-shift photography is THE BOMB. Seriously, these photos are incredible. (there's a nice shot of Hoover Dam included, for all the PtR engineers to drool over)

The Invisible Agent: Vintage Stewardesses of the Jet Age
Maybe NSFW or a lot like cheerleaders, but these photos are just really, really cool. I love vintage AND stewardesses, so double yay for me.

Most of you have probably already seen this, but I still think Timmeh's rasta-man wig is funny.

Thanks to Lauri for these cutesy, weirdly funny videos

Kitteh versus paw-lees!

Kinder Surprise commercial starring Humpty Dumpty on Crack

Videos that will blow your mind, courtesy of LatinD

If you're not watching TED's videos, you are seriously missing out.

As the title of the video says, this is rather inappropriate. Don't eat while watching this.

The latest... Prank War!!! Man, I love these. The half-court shot prank still remains to be my favorite, though.

Photos of the Week

Choice photos from the Jazz, Mavericks and Thunder (courtesy of janieannie) games

Some off-topic but interesting photos that LatinD and his friend would like to share with us

Quotes of the Week

Richard Jefferson after the tough loss to the Mavericks:

A good start, a slow start, it doesn't matter. You've got 70-something games left to prove who you are.

Pop on the worst 10-game start of the Spurs since the 1996-1997 season:

We just have to stay the course. Stay focused on the learning part, and not the record part.

It's probably tougher on the defensive end. Everybody likes to score. All of these guys have been scoring all of their lives. ... It's tougher for a team to come together and trust each other at the defensive end.

Roger Mason on breaking out of his extended slump:

I came into the season all about defense, all about all the other things, and I forgot my jump shot. But you keep plugging and keep working on your game, and I got some shots to fall (Thursday).

It's refreshing to do these after a week's hell at work. If you have any suggestions, links and photos that you want to share with other PtR'ers, just drop us an email. Off to see the Wizards then.

"If the playoffs started tomorrow, I think we’d be in trouble. But we’ve got a long way to go." — T...

2009-11-20T23:23:00Z

"If the playoffs started tomorrow, I think we’d be in trouble. But we’ve got a long way to go."

— Tim Duncan

Thanks, BlaseE. I feel better already. (ht: ESPN's Daily Dime)

Stat of the Game: -20.5: Also, Matt Bonner Makes My Head Hurt

2009-11-20T18:20:27Z

After last night's game, I was really not sure of what stat to use. I considered writing about how every time the Spurs were on the verge of making a run, they gave up a three point play or an offensive rebound. This game could really be summed up by the phrase, "momentum killing." It felt like I was punched in the stomach 36 times last night. Well, when I gave more thought to what exactly was momentum killing, Matt Bonner immediately came to mind. I re-watched the game and wrote a running diary that focuses on Matt Bonner. I also kept track of his negative and positive contributions to the game. That is where -20.5 comes from. What does this mean? Continue reading to find out.

A friendly note: Kids, don't try this at home. Re-watching a Spurs' loss is painful enough. Re-watching a Spurs' loss while observing every move that Bonner makes is damn near torture.

1st Quarter
4:41 Bonner checks into the game. I remember thinking, 'Why do we not play Blair more often?'
4:13 Bonner misses a wide open three. He will receive a -1 for that. I will be assigning values to every play he makes as we go along.
3:08 Bonner attempts to set a screen on the much smaller Wes Matthews and somehow gets manhandled. The officials make the call and Bonner goes to the line where he makes 1 of 2. He gets a +.5 for this play. While we are here, have you ever watched Bonner shoot? I mean, do not watch the ball, stay focused on his form. It is unbelievable. Who told him to shoot like that? When I was learning how to shoot, I watched Michael Jordan and tried to mimic his form. I feel that's what most people do. Find the best there is and try to be like Mike. Who the hell did Bonner copy? Bill Cartwright?
2:54 Kirilenko blows past Bonner forcing McDyess to come over and help. McDyess alters Andrei's shot but Milsap is left wide open under the basket for the offensive rebound. Bogans fouls Milsap for two free throws. Now, after Andrei blows by Bonner, Bonner is completely out of the play. It's like he disappears from the court. Get back in it, Bonner. Block someone out. Alter Milsap's shot. At the very least, Bonner should have been the one to foul Milsap. Bogans and Hill's foul trouble killed us. -1 for Bonner.
2:46 Bonner walks around aimlessly as McDyess is called for the Spurs first illegal screen of the night. -1 for Bonner because he seriously spends the majority of his time on the court wandering aimlessly. It's like he just woke up and is searching for his glasses. He is slow, somewhat clumsy and contributes nothing to society.
2:35 Kirilenko posts up Bonner on the block. There is a lot of contact but no call and the Spurs secure the rebound. +1
2:10 Bonner gets called for the Spurs' second illegal screen of the game. Alright, just 36 seconds earlier McDyess was called for the same violation. Now, if you follow basketball at all, you know that officials have a tendency to really focus on making one or two calls each night. Sometimes it's traveling, sometimes it's a blocking foul, and sometimes it's setting an illegal screen. The tip off occurred when they called an illegal screen on McDyess. They never make that call, but they made it clear early on that they were going to enforce it tonight. -3 for being incompetent, Bonner.
1:55 Finley and Bonner fight over a rebound. Bonner wins the battle. Way to go, Bonner. +.5
1:30 Bonner fakes a three, drives into the lane, and finds a wide open Finley for three. +1
:59 Bonner fakes a three, drives into the lane, and makes a horrible pass that gets picked off. Bogans commits the foul to stop the fast break. That's the second foul that Bonner caused Bogans to commit. Also, at the NBA level, you cannot make the same exact move two times in a row. The players and defenses are too gifted. How does he not know this? -2.
:03 Bonner gets the rebound and throws a JaMarcus Russell like duck over half court as time expires. +1 for getting the rebound, -.5 because, "You throw like a GIRL!" -- Sandlot

2nd Quarter 20-19, Jazz lead.
11:30 As Boozer hits another one of his funky fade-aways, Milsap beats Bonner like the red headed step child he is. -1 because Bonner was manhandled the entire night. He gets treated like a little brother out there.
10:59 Bonner fakes a three, drives into the lane, realizes he has absolutely no where to go with the ball, and flips it up and over the backboard. That's right, he shot the ball over the entire backboard. -3 for sucking at life in general.
10:38 Bonner is on the weak side as Brewer drives baseline for an uncontested layup. Thanks for the help, big guy. -1
10:10 Mason shoots a deep three that misses and the long rebound bounces right to Bonner. Bonner tips the ball back to Mason for a new possession. After watching Bonner closely, it became evident that he never fights for offensive rebounding position. Whenever he gets an offensive rebound, it's because the ball took an unlikely bounce and went right to him. He is the Bizzaro Blair. +1
9:21 Bonner drives baseline for a reverse layup. +1
9:03 When I watched this in person, I was very confused as to how Bonner managed to put himself in such a bad situation. Well, it turns out Boozer caught the ball at the top of the key and Bonner thought he was going to shoot. As Bonner attempted to block Milsap out, Milsap cut across the paint and Boozer passed him the ball. Bonner was facing the wrong direction under the basket as Milsap received the pass. Bonner managed to foul Milsap preventing the easy layup. -2 for not following one of the main rules of defense. "Always keep an eye on your man and the ball." Bonner managed to lose track of both.
8:55 Finley misses a long three from the corner and the long rebound falls into Bonner's lap. +1 At halftime, the Jazz lead 44-40.

3rd Quarter
Bonner gets benched for the entire third. Not coincidentally, this is the only quarter that the Spurs win as they tie the game at 60 to begin the fourth.

4th Quarter
12:00 Okay, this is only somewhat Bonner related. I realize that the Spurs are experiencing foul trouble with Bogans and Hill, but we really needed to make a push to begin the fourth. We had been trailing the entire game. It was important for the Spurs to come out aggressively. Pop's lineup to begin the fourth was about as bad as it gets. Mason, Hairston, Finley, Bonner, and McDyess. Shockingly, our first possession ended with an air ball and a 24 second shot clock violation. I mean, what is the purpose of this lineup? Can they defend well? No. Can they score in bunches? No. Can they completely destroy the Spurs' momentum? Yes, and they did.
11:15 Kirilenko receives a pass at the free throw line extended, crosses Bonner over, and makes the layup as Bonner catches up just in time to commit the foul and send him to the line. Vintage Matt Bonner. -3 because this was a huge momentum killer. The crowd was begging for a defensive stop and this play completely took the air out of the building.
10:18 Pop finally subs in RJ for Bonner. The crowd was restless as the Spurs were down 66-63. Also, this lineup sucks. We just went small for no reason. Now our lineup consists of 'Showing Signs of Life' Mason, 'Mistake Prone" Hairston, '0%' Finley, 'Too short to be a 4' RJ, and 'Likes to Hide' McDyess. Again, what is the purpose of this lineup? When a team goes small, they generally do it to upgrade their offense at the expense of their defense. But this lineup is not good offensively. Maybe if Mason and Finley were red hot it could work, but Finley shot 0% from the field and Mason was cooling off at this point.
8:31 The Spurs have completely lost the momentum and Pop finally decides to put in a competent lineup. We are down by 5. Now, 5 points may not seem like a big deal, but it is. The Spurs were trailing the entire game. They battled back to tie it at the end of three, but now that group re-enters the game to find themselves once again in a hole. It's simply draining to be losing. And as the second game of a back to back, playing from behind becomes that much more tiring. We should have began the fourth with our best lineup, built a lead, and then rested players as needed. I just hate the substitution patterns. The team is in a funk and so are the coaches. It's a tug of war match and we are always either losing or tied. That's not how you win basketball games.
3:20 McDyess gives up a three point play to Boozer so Pop replaces him with Bonner. As you can imagine, I was furiously screaming at this point.
2:53 It looked as if Deron Williams pushed off as he began his drive, but no call. Williams gets into the paint and Bonner arrives just in time to give up the three point play. Vintage Bonner. -4. Oh, and great call on replacing McDyess with Bonner, Pop. That fixed everything. Pop calls a timeout and puts McDyess back in for Bonner.
:45 For reasons that could only be illogical, Pop decides we need more Bonner. We are down by 5. I told my friend, "We are still in it. All we need is a quick score, one stop, and another score to tie it." Well, Bonner delivered one last punch to the nuts. He set his second illegal screen, thereby eliminating any chance that the Spurs had of coming back. -5.

Horrible. Why did I do that to myself? I guess I wanted evidence to support my hate for Bonner. Well, adding up all of my points, we come to -20.5. Bonner is like that friend you have who always is a negative. You have friends that contribute to the group, you have friends that do not contribute one way or the other so no harm done, and then, inevitably, there is that one dude who somehow always shows up and brings the fun level down. He just sucks at life. He can't help it. You cannot even pinpoint what he could do to improve himself. He is a lost cause. The good Lord simply did not bless him with the tools necessary to be successful. This is Matt Bonner in a nutshell. Generally, the group rids itself of the negative over time. It's a process. So, what's Tonya Harding up to these days? I mean, she is capable of handling this situation. Does anyone have her contact info? I would like to speed the process up. (Just kidding, kind of.)

Suicidal Thoughts and Home Losses: Jazz 90, Spurs 83

2009-11-20T05:14:39Z

Well, the absence of Tony and Manu is just as bad for the team as we all feared. Is it too much to ask for Tony to come back for the next game?

Oh yeah, we're 4-6. And we've lost 3 in a row.

First, I give you mood music:

BOX SCORE

This game started out decently enough. The Spurs briefly led in the first quarter, and managed to keep it close even after Paul Millsap went off. But then, it all went to hell. The Jazz got a double digit lead in the second quarter, and got back that double-digit lead in the third quarter. The Spurs came all the way back to tie it by the end of the third, before it all went to hell again. There, that's all the description you need. Now, on to the players:

Keith Bogans: The Boogeyman did a good job defending Deron Williams, but a certain someone made sure he was in foul trouble(anyone who exerted effort on D tonight got called for stupid fouls). Didn't do much on offense, but he's not supposed to anyway.

Theo Ratliff: Rat was a brief bright spot in an ugly game. He didn't take a single shot, but got 3 blocks and made things easier on Timmy.

Michael Finley: The pinnacle of suckitude. He didn't turn the ball over, but he wasn't exactly helpful with his 0% shooting. Or getting blocked. Or getting burned repeatedly on defense.

Antonio McDyess: Dice had a solid game, but like everyone else who attempted to play defense, he was saddled with some stupid fouls.

Roger Mason: Believe it or not, Roger didn't suck... on offense. Roger shot 5-9 for 12 points, and only had one turnover in at least 17 minutes at the point. But he sucked on defense, as much as Findog.

Matt Bonner: Sucked almost as bad as Findog on both ends. Actually, he was probably worse on defense. I'll let Fred handle the more thorough Bonner-bashing, though.

Malik Hairston: Played defense, so got in foul trouble. Malik shot as well as Findog, but was definitely better on the defensive end.

Dejuan Blair: I didn't even get to see Dejuan's minutes, because there were so few of them. His stat line looks decent for 8 minutes of play, but he had no fouls. That must mean he didn't play any defense.

Three Stars

George Hill: Cubits had a good enough game, but his shots weren't falling very well(7-17) and he fouled out in the 4th quarter, thanks to a certain someone's refereeing.

Tim Duncan: 50% shooting, 21 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. What else is new?

Richard Jefferson: Also 50% shooting, with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Took too many long jumpers instead of attacking the rim.

And The Winner Is...

Yes, Joey wins again. Congratulations.

No, I'm not bitter at all... when does Manu come back?

SPURS INJURY UPDATE Manu Ginobili underwent an MRI examination this afternoon in San Antonio. The...

2009-11-20T01:28:04Z

SPURS INJURY UPDATE

Manu Ginobili underwent an MRI examination this afternoon in San Antonio. The exam confirmed that he has a mild left groin strain and showed that he has no structural damage in the area. Ginobili will begin his rehabilitation process tomorrow. He is expected to miss seven-to-ten days.

Ginobili suffered the injury in the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Mavericks game.

Straight from the Spurs.

Game Preview #10: Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs

2009-11-19T08:06:08Z

That kid is soooo a Spurs fan right now.

Are you pissed off now? You can bet the Spurs are. Both teams in this game are already backed into a corner in the young season, and are going to fight to the death tonight. This is a SEGABABA for all involved, so... we got that going for us.

Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs
Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
When: November 18, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: FSN Utah (SLC); FSN Southwest (SA)

How They Stack Up


4-1	Home	3-2
0-4	Road	2-4
101.9	Offense	100.8
99.9	Defense	100.9
46.4	FG%	48.1
34.8	3-pt%	32.5
73.1	FT%	79.0
40.1	Rebounds	41.5
12.0	TOs	13.6
4-5	Last 10	5-5
Lost 2	Streak	Won 1
3rd, Southwest	Position	4th, Northwest


Country/Time Zone	Game Time
Argentina	10:30 PM
West Coast	5:30 PM
Philippines	10:30 AM
Central Europe	2:30 AM
Palestine/Egypt	2:30 AM
Least Coast	8:30 PM
Colorado/Arizona	6:30 PM
Perth, AUS	8:30 AM
Tokyo, JP	9:30 AM
Sydney, AUS	11:30 AM

Spurs (4-5)	Matchups	Jazz (5-6)
George Hill Coach's Pet	Point Guard Tony's still out, and George has done a pretty good job standing in for him. Unfortunately for Cubits, he's getting a nightmare assignment tonight. Unlike the two-headed monster of Beaubois/Barea that he was up against last night, Williams is the total package. He's got size, speed, athleticism and excellent court vision. Did I mention he also plays defense? He's my personal favorite among current point guards, because he usually gets the better of CP3 head-to-head. Look, we all love Cubits, but he's completely out of his league here. And let's not even talk about Mason running the point. The best thing George can do is attack the rim on offense and use those long arms to draw contact. Advantage: Jazz	Deron Williams 2nd Best

Keith Bogans The Boogeyman	Shooting Guard As of this writing, Manu is officially out for this game. That means we'll see a lot of Bogans, probably guarding Williams. If he can get a couple of corner threes, that'll be nice, but I want him completely focused on limiting Williams. When Bogans is sitting, we'll probably see a lot of Michael Finley and Roger Mason, with a bit of Malik Hairston thrown in for good measure. Malik did good things last night, and appeared to earn Pop's trust for the most part, so I hope he can have a decent contribution off the bench. For the Jazz, Wesley Matthews and Ronnie Brewer will likely rotate at the 2 - these 2 need to be SHUT. DOWN. Cubits, are you up to it? Advantage: Nobody	Ronnie Brewer Meh.

Richard Jefferson Still Waiting For Some RAGE	Small Forward RJ still looks lost out there sometimes when the big 4 all play. Luckily for us him, Tony and Manu won't be there to defer to. Kirilenko is an able defender, but there's no way he can stop Rage. There better be a full assault on the rim tonight by RJ. Advantage: Spurs	Andrei Kirilenko AK-47

Antonio McDyess Anti-Boozer	Power Forward Poor Dice - he gets two incredibly difficult assignments in a back to back. Luckily, Boozer had to chase Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani around all night last night. If SAM plays the kind of D he has on Dirk tonight against Boozer, he'll be all right against a tired Boozer. In other news, DeBeast will get another shot at Millsap tonight. Let's hope all those comparisons were right. Advantage: Jazz	Carlos Boozer

Tim Duncan WWTD?	Center Okur was held out last night with flu-like symptoms, replaced by the 7'1" Ukranian, Kyrylo Fesenko. I'd expect him to return tonight, but Timmy has the advantage either way. If Timmeh does enough to counter the Boozer/Millsap combo, this game is in the bag. Something tells me he will. Advantage: Spurs	Kyrylo Fesenko Chernobyl Mutant?

Michael Finley Wise Beyond Our Years	Bench & Role Players The Findog is going to be backing up both of the wing positions, and needs to hit some shots to make up for his horrible defense. Roger Mason attacked the rim last night, and I would love for him to continue doing that, but he's going to be playing PG at times tonight. Please, Roger, break out of your shooting slump tonight. Matt Bonner, Malik Hairston, Dejuan Blair and Theo Ratliff probably see court time tonight as well, and they can all be effective. Utah's bench is decidedly thinner, but their bench wings are a pretty nasty matchup. Advantage: Spurs	Wes Matthews Undrafted Rookie Starter

Gregg Popovich The Veins Are Popping Out	Coach That Sloan has never been Coach of the Year is a crime against humanity, and a stain on the NBA. He gets no respect. He's the only coach who's been with his team longer than Pop, and he's done a great job year after year, even when he doesn't have much to work with. I still can't bring myself to take Pop's white box away, but Sloan gets one too. Advantage: Tie	Jerry Sloan Rodney Dangerfield
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
Intangibles
Both of these teams are failing to live up to expectations so far. That doesn't mean it will continue, though. The Spurs have only looked slightly better. Advantage: Spurs
Mojo
On a SEGABABA, it's coming down to whose home crowd can give them an extra boost. Oh look, that's us! Advantage: Spurs
Winner: Spurs
There's no reason for the Spurs to lose this game. Well, no reason other than having our 2 best guards unavailable. Prediction: Spurs win, or our secret suicide pact takes effect.

Keys To The Game

Defense - The Jazz destroyed us in Utah a few weeks ago because our interior D was pathetic. The inside D has made great strides since that sad day, but it needs to continue. Without our two best outside scorers, we're also going to need the perimeter guys to step up. If the Bogans/Hill combo can limit the effectiveness of Utah's backcourt, Pop will have a happy face. OK, that was a lie - Pop never has a happy face.
Rebounding - This is getting old. Dallas got 17 offensive rebounds last night. Seventeen. The fact that the Spurs even had a chance to win this game is pretty ludicrous when you take that into account. These guys need to box the fuck out.

Strength of Schedule

The Spurs played a tough, demanding OT game against a division rival last night. The impact of that is compounded by the loss of Tony and Manu, causing our available backcourt to play a lot of minutes.

As for Utah, they had an easier go of things last night, beating Toronto 104-91. However, they always play much better at home. A SEGABABA on the road is usually terrible news for Jazz fans. The short flight the Spurs took home from Dallas is much easier than the considerably longer flight from SLC to SA.

Last Time They Met

Utah sliced and diced us mercilessly at home about 3 weeks ago. REVENGE!

Some Other Reading

Copied from previous Jazz game, due to lack of sleep.

Jazz

SLC Dunk - The Jazz SBN blog. They are not too happy about the start of the season and the Boozer mess.
Salt City Hoops - This is the TrueHoop network blog for the Jazz. I know nothing about this blog, but it looks snazzy.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: Speaking of THN blogs, we're extremely lucky that the best one is dedicated to the Spurs. Tim and Graydon always do an excellent job of breaking down everything that's happening in the Spurs' organization.
Project Spurs: Good independent blog with lots of good content. Spurs fans are lucky to have so many good blogs out there.

The (sort of) Daily Twitter

DeJuan45

How do everybody like my new pic? It's a hott wall paper!!! Lol http://twitpic.com/q0m09

The Magic That Happened

Lots of stuff to read in the comments if you flip through the game threads. Really, it's fun.

Where to Tune In

TV

This game will be televised on local stations only. Fox Sports has the rights in both Utah and San Antonio.

Online

Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year if all else fails, so check it out.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM).

Spurs @ Mavs: Stats of the Game

2009-11-19T17:29:08Z

I really don't want to write this. Let's all swallow our medicine after the jump....

Here is the full boxscore.

The Spurs were:

-22 FG attempts (78 to 100). I don't know how we got to overtime with that stat alone. It's not like we were sharpshooting out there (43.6 %).
-9 offensive boards (8 to 17). Percentage-wise, it isn't as bad as it seems in the same way that our defensive boards aren't as impressive. We had 16 more opportunities to get defensive boards (42 to 32, advantage Spurs), and they had 16 more opportunities to get offensive boards in turn.
-7 steals (1 to 8) and +14 turnovers (19 to 5). These ,combined with the offensive boards, explain the shot attempt differential. Some of those traveling calls (and others) were absolute garbage though. They did let Timmy offensive goal tend though....
-11 fastbreak points (7 to 18) which is likely because of the turnovers.
-24 points in the paint (22 to 46) or P in the P, as my girlfriend says. I like to come up with other things it could mean like Pee in the Pool. Our interior defense gave up too many second chance points which usually are from the paint. We settled way too often on jumpshots as well. We didn't even have that many 3's (only 15 of our 78 shots).

What an ugly game.... I can't believe we got to overtime looking at these numbers. Our offense is supposedly one of the most effiicient in the league, but if we play like this and give the opposing team 22 more opportunities on offense, I don't think our defense even matters. We just flat out don't deserve to win. Tonight, we play Utah, and hopefully we see a low turnover-high rebounding effort tonight with some aggressive scoring in the paint. I'm looking at you, RJ, and you, Hill, and you, Hairston, and you, Blair to score in the paint and not settle for anything. Duncan and Dice, you guys can shoot from wherever.

Yeah, Duncan, that says it all....that...says...it...all.
(Photo taken as he leaves the court after OT according to AP. Photo by Tony Gutierrez)

Unofficial Spurs/Mavs Recap

2009-11-19T16:36:54Z

That was a tough game to lose. There are some really good signs from last nights game, but one thing that is really not good is the loss of Manu Ginobili. I haven't heard if he's going to be out for an extended period or if everything was just precautionary last night. Let's just hope that game last night didn't cost us more than a loss.

On to the game....

The defense was pretty good last night. You have to give credit to Dirk Nowitzki, he put up 41 points on some of the hardest shots anybody could make him take. Matt Bonner and Antonio McDyess shared most of the duty guarding the large German. McDyess seemed to handle Dirk the best. 48 MoH has a table of how it Nowitzki did against Bonner and SAM. Bonner only gave up one more shot and deed seem to make Dirk work hard for his shots.

They worked hard, but came up just short

Over all our defense was strong, George Hill lead the charge on the perimeter defense. His foul trouble hurt us late in the 3rd quarter. Richard Jefferson, Keith Bogans and a rare Malik Hairston sighting really gave the Mavs trouble on the outside. Our interior defense is really suspect when Timmeh is not on the floor. In fact, it's sometimes suspect when TD is on the floor. Drew Gooden gave us worlds of problems as did the quick guards the Mavs where throwing at us. I would have liked to see a little more DeJuan Blair coming in to guard Gooden.

The little cockroach gave the Spurs trouble

Offensively, the Spurs seemed out of sorts most of the game. RJ is still not comfortable when playing with Duncan. He seems like he doesn't want to upset anyone by being aggressive. This was the kind of game we needed RJ to come out and dominate. Late in the game he was working hard, but couldn't seem to get it going offensively. Cubits ran the offense pretty well, but made several turnovers when his spacing got bad. We really could have used the Sickness during stretches where things got stagnant. There were way too many turnovers. Many times we made the Mavericks job easier with a quick shot or poor spacing.

Finley played pretty well. Roger Mason Jr. is lost. You know this is true when he tries to give somebody a facial. I'd like to see more of that type of aggression from him. McDyess did his thing. I'd like to see him in the game late to force teams to play Timmeh one on one. Tim Duncan was a rock last night. He should have gotten at least two calls late in regulation and a couple in overtime that he didn't get. He worked hard and almost carried this team to a victory.

We'd like to know why you can't get a call too, Tim

Overall I think this game was a positive. The defense looked good, the offense was a little off, but had moments that seem to tell us a bright future is coming. If we were rolling with Tony Parker and Manu I think this game would have been different. A tough loss to be sure. Yes, there is work to do, but there are signs of a team that is going to be very very good.

My 3 stars:

George Hill: Played good defense, hustled and was hitting open shots. 15 points, 4 assists

Richard Jefferson: Played hard, did fairly well on defense. 13 points, 11 rebounds

Tim Duncan: Carried the team, scored when he needed to and kept the interior defense up. 22 points, 14 rebounds

NBA Live 10 Simulation (4):: San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks

2009-11-18T22:44:04Z

First off, just wanted to say sorry for the lateness on this. I try to get them up the morning of game days but had to do some 'honey dos' before I could play, hehe.

Outcome after the jump.

Virtual Dirk lit us up for 27!

Well, I didn't think this day would come and it has and I am dreading typing this out right now. Dirk Nowitzki lit us up for 27 points and the Mavericks at one point were crushing me by 21.

Though we were down to start the fourth period, I had a lot of time to come back. The players who gave us that spark of fire were Tony Parker, Michael Finley, and Richard Jefferson. Tim Duncan was not much of a factor; he was in foul trouble all game long after picking up three in the first quarter. He didn't see much of the floor after that.

In the fourth quarter, we would score 38 points to the Mavericks 22. We came all the way back from 21 down and tied the game with just 30 seconds to go. The Mavericks came down looking for their man, Dirk Nowitzki. Even though we tried not to send him to the line by not being so aggressive on defense, we fouled once again. He nailed both his free throws to put Dallas up by two.

Richard Jefferson finished with 27.

With the final seconds running down, we turned to Richard Jefferson, who led our scorers with 27 points. He got a nice look off a screen to tie the game . . . and the ball rimmed out.

Tony Parker would finish with 20 points. Michael Finley paced the bench with 15, hitting three out of six from long range in the final period to cut the Mavericks' lead.

Box and Player Stats

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

PTR Game Preview
Spurs vs Mavericks coverage
Mavs Moneyball

Game Preview #9 - San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks

2009-11-18T07:00:13Z

Didn't we just do this dance 2 games(but 7 days) ago? Sure - we beat Dallas at home a week ago. We then followed that by losing to Oklahoma City, also at home. Meanwhile, Dallas has played 3 games since we beat them, and won every time. Also, they're going to throw some new wrinkles at us, and this one is in Dallas. Not too difficult to see where I'm going with this...

Mavericks of the Spurpocalypse

And now, a blatant copy of silverandblack_davis' preview from last week.

San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks
Where: American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX
When: November 18, 2009, 8:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: ESPN(Nationwide); FSN SW(San Antonio); KTXA(Dallas)

How They Stack Up


4-1	Home	3-1
0-3	Road	5-2
101.9	Offense	101.2
99.9	Defense	94.6
46.4	FG%	45.3
34.8	3-pt%	37.2
73.1	FT%	80.1
40.1	Rebounds	45.5
12.0	TOs	13.6
4-4	Last 10	8-2
Lost 1	Streak	Won 3
3rd, Southwest	Position	1st, Southwest


Country/Time Zone	Game Time
Argentina	11:30 PM
West Coast	6:30 PM
Philippines	10:30 AM
Central Europe	3:30 AM
Palestine/Egypt	3:30 AM
Least Coast	9:30 PM
Colorado/Arizona	7:30 PM
Perth, AUS	9:30 AM
Tokyo, JP	10:30 AM
Sydney, AUS	12:30 PM

Spurs (3-3)	Matchups	Mavericks (5-2)
Tony Parker Token French guy	Point Guard Tony was pretty ineffective against the Thunder. Against old man Kidd, he'll be looking for his own offense. Another advantage here is that Dallas can't shift somebody else to guard Tony, like they did last year. If they switch Beaubois or Tony onto Parker, Kidd's man will torch him, badly. It's fun to create mismatches at multiple positions, huh? Advantage: Spurs	Jason Kidd Scientific Oddity

Manu Ginobili Sky Watcher	Shooting Guard Now, I realize that Terry is still coming off the bench, even though Howard is injured. But we'll likely see more of him at SG than anyone else. The starter will likely be Roddy Beaubois, but we'll get to him in a minute. The 2 is likely to be a nightmare for us tonight, unless Manu's hamstring isn't bugging him anymore. Expect Cubits to start, as a counter to Beaubois. Advantage: Tied	Jason Terry Paper Airplane

Richard Jefferson Let's See Some RAGE	Small Forward RJ kicked some ass in the game last week against Dallas, and needs to come out and attack the rim agressively again tonight. Marion never looks good against the Spurs. Please be selfish, RJ. Advantage: Spurs	Shawn Marion Shitty Matrix Sequel

Antonio McDyess S.A.M.	Power Forward As much as we all love Dice, no Spur outside of Timmeh could get the ATS white box against Dirk. Hopefully he makes life hell on Dirk again, though. Advantage: Dallas	Dirk Nowitzki 4th Quarter Supernova

Tim Duncan WWTD?	Center Yeah, Duncan will be listed at PF. But let's get real - he's the only big on this team with the all-around game to give us an advantage at C, so he'll be playing like a C. Also, Gooden sucks, and Blair doesn't. Advantage: Spurs	Erick Dampier "2nd Best NBA Center"

George Hill Sir Hotbo... err, Cubits	Bench & Role Players Beaubois didn't even see the floor against us last week, because Carlisle foolishly thought JarJar could duplicate the magic he provided against us last season. Tonight, Roddy Beaubois gets the start again. Beaubois is quick, fairly athletic, and has super long arms(his wingspan is 6'10") - remind you of anyone? If Pop doesn't counter with Cubits, it means Keith Bogans is doing a great job. In other bench news, we have Dejuan Blair and they have... Drew Gooden. Advantage: Spurs	Rodrigue Beaubois French(ish) Cubits

Gregg Popovich Brain Aneurysm	Coach I think Carlisle is going to experiment more tonight. And I think it's going to work. I also think that Pop is still the better coach. Advantage: Spurs	Rick Carlisle Ace Ventura
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
Intangibles
Since we beat them a week ago, Dallas has won their last 3 games. They will also be motivated by that loss at the AT&T Center last week. Advantage: Mavericks
Mojo
They're going to throw a ton of lineups at us, and they're guaranteed to find at least one outrageous mismatch that will work. The crowd is also going to be like a wind at their backs. Advantage: Mavericks
Winner: Mavericks
This is gonna be ugly. OK, maybe I'm hoping to work the reverse jinx like davis did last week. Prediction: Mavs by double-digits

Keys To The Game

RJ's Mentality - That's right, I'm calling RJ out. He was far too deferential to Tim and Tony against the Thunder. He needs to attack the rim frequently, and with extreme prejudice. After all, that's why we agreed to pay him so much money - to have someone else that can create offense off the dribble. Also, he should have a slightly easier go of it with Howard out. Tim and Tony are going to get theirs anyway, they don't need RJ to feed them constantly.
Adjust to Their Game Plan - I'm really intrigued by the fact that Carlisle didn't even attempt to throw Beaubois at us last game. He's going to be a nightmare for us, especially if Carlisle is smart enough to use him in a lineup with JarJar at the 2. Hill is probably the only one that can guard him with any level of success, so Pop might want to time his substitutions appropriately. Even so, he'll have to find someone to guard JarJar if they're both in the game together.
Quiet the Crowd - The Dallas crowd is going to be pretty raucous... unless the Spurs can get a fast start. After several days off, that might be easier said than done, but if Pop starts Hill at SG, it gives us the best chance of doing just that. And obviously, a couple of thunderous dunks from RJ couldn't hurt either.

Strength of Schedule

The Spurs haven't played since that ugly loss to OKC at home on Saturday. The extended period between games may have let the bad taste from that loss sink in and motivate the team, but more likely it's only served to make them rusty.

For Dallas, they got their first taste of Brandon Jennings on Monday night, when they barely escaped Milwaukee with an overtime win on a SEGABABA. The fact that Jennings and Luke Ridnour(sad, right?) were able to torch them pretty easily says that our PG tandem will probably do well, but the Mavs are going to be motivated and sharp.

With this being a rivalry game, sharpness is going to be a big key tonight.

Last Time They Met

The Mavericks eliminated the Spurs in five games during last year's first round clash, in San Antonio no less. Regular PtR member SinCitySpur had this to say to the winners: "Congratulations Mavericks, your 2009 First Round Champions. Hang that banner with pride."

Some Other Reading

Mavericks

Mavs Moneyball - The Dallas Mavericks SB Nation site. Wes Cox and crew are nice guys and do a good job trakcing Cuban's boys. Go say hi and maybe drop a little friendly banter or two before the game starts. But remember to be nice and classy.
The Two Man Game - Part of the TrueHoop network of blogs that covers the Mavs. From the site banner: "Completely biased and unbalanced coverage of the Dallas Mavericks."
Blog Maverick - Mark Cuban's blog. Curiously, he hasn't posted NBA stuff for the last few entries. I hear he wants to buy the Dodgers or some baseball team? Damn rich freak.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: Am I glad we got these guys on our side. They're always spoiling Spurs fans with excellent articles.
Project Spurs: Lots of content in this great site. Also, you can drop by and join their live chats during games.

The (sort of) Daily Twitter

MoneyMase

Spurs Foundation Grants $75,000 To Local Non-Profit Organizations http://www.nba.com/spurs/co...

George_Hill3

I need a new default pic who got me.....LoL I need something very creative and tight......

manuginobili

After an awful game, we had Sunday off and now get ready for Dallas again. Is gonna be rough. Btw, my hamstring feels good

tp9network

Big disappointment Saturday for the Oklahoma game. But there's no time to be sorry we have to think about Dallas......http://bit.ly/2u2PRN

manuginobili Wow! Great timing w/ @tp9network. We posted at the same time

Da_Finster

Thought of the day: Two wrongs don't make a right, ..... but three rights make a left!! Think about it.... U can laugh, it's good 4 u!

The Magic That Happened

Lots of stuff to read in the comments if you flip through the game threads. Really, it's fun.

Where to Tune In

TV

This game will be televised nationally on ESPN. It will also be aired locally in San Antonio(Fox Sports SW) and Dallas(KTXA)

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. This game, however, will be aired on ESPN360 - if your ISP provides access, you'll be able to watch it for free.

Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year if all else fails, so check it out.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM).

Spurs International Roundup: Tiago Plays Big

2009-11-18T03:03:39Z

Tiago took on the ACB Big Dog Barcelona this week. He didn't disappoint.

Tiago Splitter

Caja Laboral

ACB (Spanish League): 5-2

EuroLeague: 3-1

Age: 24

Height: 7' 0"

Weight: 240

1st round, 28th pick, 2007

In EuroLeague play, Caja scored buckets against Maroussi BC 103-86. However, Tiago didn't do much in this one as he was in foul trouble which limited him to 11:30. He managed just 7 points and 2 rebounds.

HOWEVER.

In the ACB, in which Barca crushed Caja 100-72, Tiago manned up and put in 24 points with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes. His boys got crushed though and found themselves down 31 going into the final 10 minutes. Still. This is an impressive performance against one of the two best teams in the ACB. It's always better to have big games against the good teams. Unless, you know, you are A-Rod.

Not much Tiago in here. Just one boring dunk. There is a great alley oop pass by a Barca guard.

Nando De Colo

Valencia

ACB (Spanish League): 6-1

EuroCup : 0-0

Age: 22

Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 185

2nd round, 53rd pick, 2009

Valencia doesn't start EuroCup until next Tuesday against Hemofarm Stada.

Valencia got a tough 75-71 win at home over Lagun Aro GBC in the ACB to improve to 6-1. Typical Nando. 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers. 0-5 from 3-pt and fouled out in 26 minutes. But hey, his team won.

Some nice passing by Nando.

James Gist

????

Age: 23

Height: 6' 9"

Weight: 220

2nd round, 57th pick, 2008

I'm going to put out an APB on James. Anybody? Bueller?

Robertas Javtokas

BC Khimki

Russian League: 2-1

EuroLeague: 3-1

Age: 29

Height: 6' 10"

Weight: 240

2nd round, 56th pick, 2001

BC Khimki improved to 3-1 in EuroLeague Group D with big win in Milano over AJ (for Armani Jeans) Milano 72-68. Robertas had 8 points and 4 rebounds. Keith Langford had a team-high 17 points to go with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

In Russian League play, BC Khimki played a late Sunday game that isn't showing up in the scores yet. I guess we'll have to wait in suspense until next week.

Jack McClinton

Aliaga Petkim

Turkish League: 2-3

Age: 23

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 185

2nd round, 51st pick, 2009

Aliaga Petkim got pasted by Turk Telekom 109-73. Ewwww, that's a butt whipping. Jack had 6 points on 3 for 11 shooting that included 0-5 from long range. He did have 3 rebounds and 5 assists.

Lamayn Wilson had 27 and 6 board for Turk Telekom. Bekir Yarangume posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists for the winners.

Asvel Basket

Tony's Team

French League: 2-5

EuorLeague: 0-4

Asvel kept itself winless in EuroLeague with a 76-62 loss to Barca. Ali Traore had 20 and 8 in the loss.

In French League play, Asvel dropped another one. This to Paris-Levallois 77-75. Traore had 13 and 4 in this game. Benjamin Dewar put up 20 for Asvel.

Angel Vasallo had 24 and 3 in the win.

Eric Dawson

Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins

JBL (Japanese League): 1-13

Age: 24?

Height: 6' 9"

Weight: 235

Austin Toros 2007-2009

Mitsubishi keeps getting crushed. This time dropping a pair of games to Panasonic 90-71 and 86-70. Eric had 23 and 13 in the first game, but only 6 and 5 in the second game as he only played 19 minutes.

In the JBL, they play the same team on back-to-back days every weekend.

A Little Something About the ACB/Spanish League

The ACB is the best domestic league in Europe and I don't think there is a close second. They have 4 teams in the EuroLeague. Last year, in fact, they had 5 of the 24 EuroLeague teams. Caja, Barca, Real Madrid, and Unicaja are the 4 EuroLeague teams. Unicaja is 4-0 in EuroLeague and 1-6 in the ACB. Go figure.

Caja Laboral, as Tau Ceramica, has been a consistent final four team the last few years. Barca was a final four team last year, and it looks like Real Madrid is going to be a serious contender this year. I believe that all four teams made it out of group play and into the round of 16.

The ACB is top-heavy with powerful teams, but also has great depth as another 4 teams play in the EuroCup. Nando's Valencia squad, Gran Canaria, Ricky Rubio's former team DKV Joventut, and Bilbao Baskets.

Just to give you an idea of how good the rest of the ACB is, here is the list of the 8 teams and their current ranking in the standings after 7 weeks:

Real Madrid - 1
Barcelona - 2
Valencia - 3
Caja Laboral - 4
DKV Joventut - 5
Gran Canaria - 9
Bilbao Basket - 16
Unicaja - 17 (amazingly at 1-6 they have only been outscored by 5 points)

Tuesdays are for Losers

2009-11-18T00:00:14Z

You crazy kids posted 402 times in a 3-game Monday night loser thread. Granted, 300 of those posts were mine, but still. What a bunch of loo-hoo-hoooo-serrrs.

Just kidding. Don't leave!

Last night's games turned out to be pretty exciting, especially the Bucks and Mavericks contest. What's on tap tonight? Find oot (that's my Canadian imitation) after the jump.

Golden State at Cleveland

OKC at Miami

Indiana at New Jersey

L.A. Clips at New Orleans

Phoenix at Houston

Toronto at Denver

Chicago at Sacramento

Detroit at L.A. Lakers

Some intriguing match-ups. Can the Rockets beat Phoenix? Can anyone?

Fab posted this on his Twitter today. It's charming--it made me happy.

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

The story behind the video:

Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Here's an interview with the composer about making the video.

Warning: Blair Rebounding (Wallpaper)

2009-11-17T18:23:57Z

BLAAAAIIIIRRR!

Ever since Jalberto showed up, I've been suffering from the photoshop equivalent of penile inadequacy and shame (thanks a bunch...).

Hirschof on that fateful day.

I went through all of the stages of grief: Denial, anger, binge drinking, depression, more anger, listening to Linkin Park, and reluctant acceptance. Now its finally time to move forward. I think I'm ready.

In an attempt to prove my myself to be somewhat worthy to step onto the same digital block as Jal, I present, Warning: Blair Rebounding.

1600 x 1200

1280 x 1024

1024 x 768

Background:Last week, BSPN was going over the top NBA rookies. Mentioned (briefly) was DeBeast and mixed into the 20-25 second highlight package was a series of vicious rebounds and aggressive put-backs.

The ~~boy~~ ~~man~~ beast needs a warning label. So I started to make something that youmight see on a hot iron, a cup of McDonald's coffee, or your wife's sister (or your husband's brother). While browsing google for texture images, I came across a warning with a long stick figure in falling motion. Sound familiar?

Blair's Ippon Seoi Nage needs work but I'm sure as hell not going to tell him...

ANYWAYS. From that point on I started working on a street warning sign. For your game thread posting pleasure...

From there I thought I could work that into a wallpaper and now here I am (submitting this nonsense to you). Many thanks to BlaseE who critiqued the living hell out of my work and offered a few suggestions that immediately found their way into the final result. Much appreciation.

Thank you.