Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Spurs notebook: Bad shooting doesn’t concern Duncan

MINNEAPOLIS — Spurs captain Tim Duncan seemed amused Saturday to learn about Raptors coach Dwane Casey’s new motivational tool. Casey had a 1,300-pound boulder placed in the locker room at Air Canada Centre to reinforce a “pound the rock” theme in his first season as Toronto’s coach.

Duncan adopted Gregg Popovich’s hammer-the-rock philosophy as a rookie, and he continues to lean on it through a tough start to his season. His playing time has been limited through the first four games for a variety of reasons: three first-quarter fouls in the season opener and Popovich’s decision to sit him during the second half in Houston on Thursday. Playing time aside, Duncan also has struggled with his shot.

Heading into tonight’s game at Minnesota, Duncan has made only 14 of 41 shots (34.2 percent). A career 50.8 percent shooter, Duncan said there is little to do but keep firing away until his accuracy returns.

“I finally got one to drop late,” he said of his 4-of-13 shooting against the Jazz on Saturday. “I’m getting just about every shot I want. I just can’t seem to put them in the hole.

“Hopefully, down the stretch here in the next couple of games, I can finally get some to go.”

SHORT-TIMERS: Popovich’s plan to limit the playing time of his veteran players — especially the Big Three of 35-year-old Duncan, 34-year-old Manu Ginobili and 29-year-old Tony Parker — is off to a good start.

Richard Jefferson’s average of 29.0 minutes per game is tops among all players. Of the Big Three, Parker’s 28.8 minutes per game is tops. Ginobili averages only 25.8 minutes per game and Duncan just 22.3, less than backup center-forward Tiago Splitter’s 24.8.

Ten Spurs average at least 14.8 minutes per game as Popovich has gone to his bench early and often, mindful of the grind of 66 games in 120 days.

Except for the opener, when Duncan left early with three fouls, Jefferson has been the first starter to come out, replaced each time by rookie Kawhi Leonard. He has been getting significant time with the second unit, even late in games.

“Over the course of 10-plus seasons, I’ve played 42 minutes a night (but I’ve also) played 31 minutes a night,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s a matter of getting in that group.

“The second unit is without Manu and Tony and Tim, so I’m able to get a few more looks, a few more shots. I feel comfortable in that group. But in whatever Pop needs, whatever position he puts me in, I’m going to try my best.”

THREE-FICIENCY: With the notable exception of the loss in Houston, the Spurs have been remarkably efficient from long range. Their 10-for-16 shooting beyond the arc in the victory over Utah pushed their season percentage to 37.6. Without their 2-for-17 performance against the Rockets, they are 30 for 68 (44.1 percent).

Ginobili made his first five 3-pointers against the Jazz. Utah’s C.J. Miles got a finger on his sixth attempt, deflecting it enough that it fell short of the rim.

“First two games I felt pretty good, but in Houston I couldn’t make one,” Ginobili said. “(Saturday) it felt great. I’m not the kind of shooter who will go 5 for 5. It was different (Saturday). We moved the ball. I didn’t force the shots. I was open, and I made them.”

Green, Jefferson lead Spurs past Denver

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

Denver point guard Ty Lawson, 5-foot-11 with a head of steam, was loose in the open floor, the one place no opposing team wants to see him loose, and T.J. Ford knew what was coming.

“I thought it was going to be a dunk,” the Spurs’ backup point guard said Saturday.

Ford did not count on Richard Jefferson strapping on a Superman cape, likely lifted from Manu Ginobili’s locker, and stepping back in time. Nor did he count on the power of positive frustration.

Jefferson beat Lawson, one of the NBA’s fastest guards, in a 90-foot dash to one end of the ATT Center for a run-down block, then followed with a 3-point dagger at the other. That five-point swing squelched a last-gasp charge from the feisty Nuggets, keying a 121-117 victory for the Spurs.

Instead of Denver cutting what had been a 20-point deficit to three with less than two minutes to play, Jefferson’s superhero routine provided the Spurs an eight-point advantage and just enough juice to pull out their third consecutive victory without Ginobili, the injured All-Star guard.

Jefferson said the play was borne of pure annoyance. He was tired of watching Denver put on a layup parade.

“They had been running it down our throats all game long,” said Jefferson, who finished with 19 points and, continuing his torrid shooting, made 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. “The coaches had been talking about it for two days. I’m glad I was able to catch him.”

With Ginobili out, the Spurs (6-2) have been in nightly search of a hero to help them hold the fort. Jefferson had the game’s signature moment, but he was Robin to the Batman played by Danny Green, a 24-year-old journeyman guard.

Green, a 5.3-point-per-game scorer whose previous career best was 13, pumped in 24 points, lifting the Spurs at moments when it appeared nobody else could. He made 9 of his 13 tries, none bigger than back-to-back drives midway in the third quarter with Denver closing.

Green attributed his outburst to “luck, opportunity, a lot of things.”

Surely, the Nuggets (6-3) would agree. The book on Green in Denver’s pregame scouting report was like something out of Reader’s Digest.

“We didn’t know about Danny Green at all,” forward Corey Brewer said.

Green’s stealth was understandable. He didn’t log meaningful minutes until two games earlier, when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich stumbled upon him as a defensive answer to high-scoring Golden State guard Monta Ellis.

Nobody — on either bench — really expected Green to produce a stat line like Saturday’s, which also included seven rebounds and a key fourth-quarter charge drawn against Arron Afflalo.

“He did a little more than I thought he would do,” Nuggets coach George Karl said.

This is how Popovich knew his team would have to win after Ginobili broke his hand in Minnesota on Jan. 2 — everybody stepping up, with unexpected production from unexpected sources.

How’s this for stepping up? The Spurs have not trailed for a single second in any of the past eight quarters, beating Dallas and Denver wire-to-wire.

Green’s explosion helped offset another career-night — 31 points from Denver forward Danilo Gallinari, including 16 in a torrid third quarter that kept the Nuggets from capsizing.

Tony Parker scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help steer the Spurs toward a 6-0 start at home.

Still the Nuggets had hope when Lawson broke free in the final two minutes, nothing between himself and a dunk but a few dozen feet of hardwood.

Lawson and his coach would dispute what happened next, when Jefferson tracked down the track-star point guard and slapped his shot away.

“He got away with murder,” Lawson said.

Crime or not, whistle or no, a dunk at one end became a 3-pointer at the other and for the Spurs, frustration gave way to victory.

Opening night extra special for Spurs’ Bonner

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

When the Spurs take the ATT Center floor tonight for their first game that counts since April 27, the loudest cheers are sure to be reserved for the team’s All-Star trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

The savvy fan, meanwhile, might reserve a cheer or two for Matt Bonner.

A vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, Bonner was a member of the negotiating committee that — after a five-month slog — was finally able to broker a new collective bargaining agreement with NBA owners that salvaged at least a 66-game season.

“Pretty much up until the deal happened, it was looking like we might not even have a season,” Bonner said. “I’m really happy everything worked out.”

For Bonner, tonight makes the long hours spent in a sport coat and a boardroom worth it.

An optimist by nature, Bonner never stopped believing a deal was possible. Even while being let down almost daily from July 1 until Nov. 26, when lawyers negotiating on behalf of the league and the players announced a deal had been reached.

Bonner admits there were dark days when even he thought opening night might never happen.

“Every time we met with the owners, I went in thinking we were going to get a deal,” Bonner said. “Every time up until it happened, that was the mindset, just to be let down and frustrated.”

In the end, the two sides forged an agreement that satisfied neither completely, but was enough to make NBA basketball possible.

“Everybody thinks they got the wrong end of the deal,” Tim Duncan said. “I think we gave up a lot, but we’re back on the floor, so we’re happy.”

STILL A SPUR: Calling the team’s attempts to replace him “a dead issue,” Richard Jefferson says he is eager to move past a tumultuous offseason.

Earlier this month, the Spurs seriously considered waiving the 31-year-old small forward under the league’s one-time amnesty provision, a move that would have gotten them below the luxury tax line.

In the end, the team opted to keep Jefferson for at least one more season. He is expected to make his third opening-night start tonight.

“I’ve said my piece, so there’s really nothing to revisit about it,” Jefferson said. “If something happens in the future, something happens in the future.”

JOSEPH IN UNIFORM: When rookie point guard Cory Joseph missed the first nine days of training camp tending to immigration issues in his native Canada, it seemed certain he would begin his pro career with the Spurs’ Development League affiliate in Austin.

Yet when the Spurs open the regular-season tonight, Joseph will not only be present in San Antonio — he will be in uniform.

With only 13 players on the roster, and one of them (Gary Neal) unavailable after an appendectomy, Joseph will stick around to be a warm body on Gregg Popovich’s bench.

Has he been in camp long enough to contribute?

“We’re going to have to make it enough time,” said Joseph, who will back up Tony Parker and T.J. Ford.