Tag: Manu Ginobili

Five quick takes: Why deep bench should have Spurs surging for playoffs

As he watched Gregg Popovich alternate his players Wednesday night almost like a grandmaster would play a chess board, Spurs television analyst Sean Elliott couldn’t keep from raving about the Spurs’ deep bench.

Popovich used Wednesday’s 117-112 victory almost like a laboratory, utilizing 11 players in the first quarter alone.

Elliott raved at one point that the Spurs’ bench could be better than the team’s starters. And while that bit of hyperbole might be a little exaggerated, deadline trades and free agent-signings have placed this team in a better position heading into the latter part of the season and the playoffs than in recent memory.

Spurs captain Tim Duncan agreed he’s never had a supporting cast throughout his team like this one.

“This is as deep as I’ve ever had a team here,” Duncan told reporters after the Spurs’ victory in Sacramento. “We’re using everybody possible. And that’s been great, especially in the condensed season.”

For the first time since the trade deadline, Popovich had a complete roster at his disposal. And he got contributions from throughout his bench, which outscored Sacramento 55-20 in Wednesday’s game.

Manu Ginobili came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points in his first back-to-back game since recovering from a hip flexor. Tiago Splitter produced seven points and six rebounds, all coming in a productive stint in the first quarter. Gary Neal shot his way out of a recent slump by hitting all four shots in the second half for 13 points after missing his first four shots. Stephen Jackson scored six points in 16 minutes in the second half when he received most of the playing time. And Boris Diaw didn’t score, but he grabbed four rebounds,dished off two assists and was a pest defensively.

“I really trust that unit,” Ginobili told FOX Sports Southwest. “We’re going to hustle and we’re versatile, we’re long and we can switch a lot. I think whenever we get used to playing with each other, we have a very special unit.”

That development could be the best part of this late-season transformation. The Spurs’ depth should make them more ready to withstand injuries like Ginobili’s late broken arm that helped derail the team’s playoff chances last season. If a starter goes down with an injury this season, the Spurs are better able to overcome the absence.

“I’m really excited about how we’re playing now,” Ginobili said. “I think we’re going to make things happen.”

The transformation will continue over the final 17 games of the regular season as the Spurs prepare for the playoffs. It should have them more ready than in any season since their last championship in 2007.

Here’s a look at a few other takes from a game where the Spurs’ offensive production bailed them out in the second half for a tough victory against the pesky Kings.

  • Patty Mills gave a strong demonstration of what he can bring coming off the bench as a backup to Tony Parker. Mills hit a deep corner three and was determined to push the pace when he was out there. He’ll be a useful part of the rotation very soon.
  • DeMarcus Cousins has the kind of talent that had Duncan raving after the young Sacramento center challenged him with 25 points and 11 rebounds. But as far as complaining and scowling, it looks that Cousins has taken the honor of the NBA’s surliest big man that has been vacant since Rasheed Wallace retired.
  • The early development of Kawhi Leonard has been greater than the Spurs could have ever imagined during his rookie season. And his 18-point, nine-rebound effort Wednesday might have been one of his best games of the season. He was disruptive on defense, more comfortable and controlled on fast breaks and confident shooting when he had his opportunities. And after he gets a chance to work with the team this summer and a full training camp, he could get scary good very quickly.
  • We run a weekly survey of power rankings from the NBA writers around the nation each week to gauge what the national perception of the Spurs is. I’m curious to see what they have to say after five victories in the last six nights, including the first back-to-back-to-back sweep for the team in 34 years. The Spurs don’t have the NBA’s best record at this point of the season. But they are playing the best basketball in the league. It will be interesting to see if that is reflected in anybody’s rankings early next week.

What the Spurs, Mavs said after Friday’s game

Here’s a collection of some of the comments from both dressing rooms after the Spurs’ 104-87 victory over Dallas Friday night, courtesy of the Spurs media services representatives.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich:

(When asked what he envisioned defensively when Boris Diaw came into the game…)

“I didn’t envision anything.  I just threw him out there to get use to the team and what we’re trying to do.  He did a fine job.  I thought overall the team’s defense was pretty good.  That was probably the best part of the game.  No matter who was out there, we were pretty aggressive defensively.  We reacted as a team to each other pretty well on defense.  Dallas is such a great scoring team you have to do that if you want a chance to beat them.”

(When asked about the energy of Danny Green in the first quarter…)

“It looked like he was shot out of a rocket for the first couple of minutes.  I don’t know how he did that, but maybe I should find out and have everybody do it before next game.”

(When asked about the energy Stephen Jackson had in the third quarter…)

“He (Stephen Jackson) has an edge to him.  He’s got a toughness, a physicality, he’s a competitor.  I think our whole team had more energy then we had the last time in Dallas and that showed.”

(When asked if he thought that this game had a playoff intensity…)

“I not sure it was all the way to playoff status tonight.  Maybe where you were sitting it was louder.  They are the NBA champions, they competed and we competed as well as they did tonight and our defense did well.  It’s one game and that’s that.  The next game is the most important.  They’ll bounce back and hopefully we’ll play well again.”

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili:

(On the introduction of Boris Diaw…)

“He played well today. Besides his defensive play, he is very active. He passes the ball well. We got a very good game out of the bench. Tony Parker did a good job of running the same Spurs plays on the French National team and that helps. He knew some of the basics because that was what they ran over there. Diaw did a really good job on Dirk.

 (On the intensity of the game…)

“We are trying to be more intense. We are better this year with trying to push the ball a little bit harder. Now we are trying to play with more aggressiveness and toughness. I believe we hustled a lot. We scrambled and made a few mistakes as everybody does, but we played with more intensity. This is something we need. We know how the playoffs are and there only 14 or 15 more games left until then (actually 21).”

(On the team’s collective victory tonight…)

“It was a team victory. We did not have Tony Parker. Parker has been leading us the last 40 games. He has been amazing scoring 30 points in a lot of games. We did not have him today. Also, not having Splitter in the paint hurt us too. But we got a great game from Stephen Jackson, Boris (Diaw), and Kawhi (Leonard). Leonard made three huge plays and it was a great team effort.”

(On starting at point guard…)

“It was different. It was a new thing. If you have to do it because Tony is struggling or not feeling well than you have got to do it.”

Spurs forward Matt Bonner:

(On a collective win against the Mavericks..)

“It was a team effort on offense and defense. We put five or six guys on Dirk Nowitzki in order to try and make him work for everything he got.”

(On Dirk Nowitzki’s shooting struggles tonight…)

“Like I said before it was a team effort. We kept rotating guys on him and tried to be physical. We made him work for everything.”

(On the Spurs rebounding tonight…)

“Guys have been going in and getting offensive rebounds. Especially guys like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. They have been doing a great job of hustling and getting 50-50 balls for us. They have also been controlling the defensive glass.”

(On Bonner’s night of shooting…)

“I am a catch and shoot guy. I am the recipient of ball movement. Tonight we did a great job. Everybody was moving the ball and found the open man. It was a fun game to play in.”

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle:

(How do you explain you guys getting beat so badly on the boards and in the paint?)

“A lot of the damage on the boards came in the first half. We did a better job early in the third quarter and that’s what got us the lead. The lineup that they had out there tonight had a lot of big guys that were crashing from all over. Our inability to secure rebounds early in the game kept us from climbing out of a hole in the first half. Clearly, that’s what got us the lead. (Jason) Kidd got hot and made some shots. We were doing some good things in the second half. Then, the 22-2 run, that killed us. We had worked our butt off to get a five-point lead, we were in good position, and actually increased the lead with Dirk (Nowitzki) on the bench. It’s disappointing. ”

(What were they doing against Dirk defensively that made it so difficult tonight?)

“Everybody plays Dirk hard and physically. We have to work on getting him some cleaner looks. He had some that he normally makes, that he didn’t make tonight. In those cases, you have to make up for that with efficiency with the ball, being able to rebound, and not giving up second-chance points. It was a tough game. I liked a lot of what we did out there. We played hard, but the rebounding, and then the run in the third and the fourth quarter just killed us. ”

(On decision to not play Lamar Odom?)

“It’s something that I talked to Lamar about, both yesterday and today. That, I was going to look at a different rotation tonight. There were a couple scenarios. If (Manu) Ginobli had come off the bench, (Shawn) Marion would have come off the bench and match up with him. Marion is probably the defensive player of the year this year. He’s been that great on guys individually. So, we wanted him on Ginobili. The way it happened with Ginobili starting, we started Shawn. It tweaked what the original plan was but we knew that was a possibility. It was something I wanted to look at. The thing that it shows is that Lamar’s minutes are valuable to us.”

Dallas forward Shawn Marion:

 (On being beat 50-16 in the paint and being outrebounded…)

 “Rebounding was the key tonight. Our rebounding was a big part of tonight. They got every rebound and they out rebounded us. That’s the game right there. We win the rebounding game and put ourselves in great shape to win tonight.”

 (On the Spurs…)

 “With this team you have to rebound. They get their hands on a lot of balls on defense. Throughout the game the Spurs grab all the loose balls and that hurt us tonight. We took the lead in the third quarter but we exerted so much energy because we were playing so hard out there. Our legs got heavy in the fourth and we could not knock down shots and that is when things hit the wall.”

(On the team’s mindset going forward…)

“We know what to do defensively and offensively, it is just a matter of going out there and doing it. If we rebound the ball, we win the games.”

 Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki:

 (On the Spurs outrebounding and the outscoring them in the paint…)

“They obviously did not want to lose the season series so they came out with a little more fire. I thought we came out strong even though I had a brutal night. We played well at times but we just did not close the game the way we wanted to.”

(On his play…)

“I actually felt good at the beginning of the game then during the middle of the game I just could not get the ball in the rim and a lot of my shots were just short. I just did not have enough to get the ball in tonight.”

(On the Spurs 22-2 run….)

“Just bad decisions…throwing the ball away, we turned the ball over some and they turned up the heat. One time Bonner got a defensive rebound around three of our guys and that is something that should not happen. Those are just things you cannot let happen against a great home team in the Spurs.”

(On the Mavericks’ offense…)

“Offensively we struggled tonight. The Jet (Jason Terry) got going there for a bit. Then he forced some stuff because he felt like he was the only guy that got going tonight but it just was not enough.”

What the Spurs, T’wolves said after Wednesday’s game

The Spurs and Timberwolves were talkative in the locker rooms after San Antonio’s 116-100 victory Wednesdaynight.

The good folks from the Spurs media services office were there to collect some of what they said.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

(Any word on Tony Parker?)

“I think they said mild hamstring, so we won’t know much until tomorrow.”

(How did you feel like Gary Neal did filling in the second half?)

“Gary did a great job for a two guard.  He did a great job.  He’s not a one (guard), but I think he kind of likes it for some strange reason.  We are happy that he can do what he does at that position and Manu does it a little bit, so the two of them kind of share it.”

(Talk about Tim Duncan setting the tone early on the boards…)

“Tim’s been really fresh all year long.  I’m really enthused about his health and his body…the way he’s taking care of himself.  He’s got quickness and he’s got more agility than he’s had in a while.  He’s had it for the whole season, so it’s been fun to watch.”

(Is that as good of a job as you’ve done keeping Kevin Love from dominating?)

“I think so. I thought the guys were really focused on that and at the same time, I think he helped us out.  I think he was hurting a little bit.  I don’t know what it was but I think it’s his back or something.  He looked like he was a little stiff tonight, so he helped us out too.”

(How do you think Kawhi Leonard did against him in the post?)

“He and Jack kind of shared it down there.  I think they busted their butts trying to keep him from catching it, so he definitely had fewer catches than he would have had if we had just had a big standing behind him someplace.  So, they did a good job.”

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili:

(On filling in for Tony Parker after leaving with an injury…)

“We have been doing this for short periods of time. The mindset was the same. We tried to get everybody involved and create. This did not change much. You know your role and it is just different. I think we did pretty well.”

 (On Parker’s injury with back-to-back-to-back game coming up…)

“It is very bad. Everybody knows how important Tony Parker has been for us right now. It is going to be difficult. We need to figure out. Great teams figure it out. Whether you are missing a player or not you have to find a way.”

(On his minutes and play…)

“Today I felt pretty good. The best I have felt. I was very happy about it. I played 25 minutes. I know I did not play 35 but I felt good and my legs are starting to respond better. They are not cramping or hurting now. I have to see tomorrow how I feel, but I am optimistic because it is the best I have felt.”

Spurs forward Stephen Jackson:

(On first game back in this arena…)

“We won. That’s what I am all about. I am glad to be here on a team that wins. It feels good to finally get back on the court and get this first home game out of the way. I did not have too many jitters because I have been doing this for a long time. To be able to get out there and win this game is great.”

(On shooting his 3-point shots)

“A lot of those shots just came through the offense and gave me wide-open looks. We practice this everyday and these are the shots we are going to get with this offense. We just need to knock them down.”

(On how it was playing with Tim Duncan again…)

“This is the Tim I have always known. He is moving great. From watching him last year to now, he definitely looks like the old Tim Duncan. To get where we want to be, we are going to need him to play like that.”

(On Tony Parker coming out in the second quarter…)

“Things are going to be difficult for us playing without Tony. We are in a good position with Ginobili being able to play point and move the ball. We just have to figure it out. We did not expect for this to happen but Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili are picking up the slack.”

Timberwolves center Kevin Love:

(Do you feel like the Spurs were making a big effort to keep you off the glass?)

“Yeah, as a group. They did a good job on the offensive boards. They had three days of rest and we just seemed to not have any legs, me included.”

(Did they seem like a different team since the last time you both played each other?)

“Yes, they are in playoff mode. You can tell and they’re ready for the post-season.”

(Is there a fatigue factor?)

“Yeah, we need a full roster if we’re going to win against teams like this. It’s tough. I know it wasn’t just me. It was the whole team. We just didn’t have our legs.”

 (How much does Nikola Pekovic not playing effect the team?)

“(Pekovic) is huge for us. He’s the guy we can throw it into and know we can get easy buckets and keep the other team off the glass. It was tough for us.”

Timberwolves guard Jose Barea:

(What does a team like this learn from a game like this tonight?)

“We played against a tough team tonight. They are playing really good. You have to give San Antonio a lot credit. We didn’t come ready. We started bad and we started the second half bad. They played with more energy and it’s tough without a center. We have to definitely play with some more energy on Friday and see what happens.”

(On playing without Nikola Pekovic Friday?)

“We have done a good job of bouncing back this year. I know we’re going to play a lot harder on Friday and with more energy. We definitely have to defend better.”

(What makes Tim Duncan so impressive for so long?)

“He’s just so smart. I think his coach (Popovich) helps him out a lot. I think their system and they way they have been running it for years shows they’re good at it.”