Tag: Tim Duncan

Spurs look to go up 2-0 on Thunder

 

“It was a hard-fought ball game. Nothing to be ashamed of.” Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks

The San Antonio Spurs have continued their winning ways and look to capture their 20th consecutive victory tonight as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

In game 1, the Spurs showed the rust of a week plus off while waiting for the Thunder and were behind for 3/4 of the game until Head Coach Gregg Popovich uttered those words that will most likely flood the city of San Antonio via posters and T-shirts “I want some nasty!”

The “nasty” that Popovich was looking for erupted in the 4th quarter as the Spurs outscored the Thunder 39-27 to turn a 10-point deficit into a 10-point lead that the Spurs never relinquished.

“They found some rhythm. They were able to attack us through penetration,” said point guard Derek Fisher. “We spent a lot of time trying to talk about doing the job, taking away the penetration of Ginobili and (Tony) Parker. We didn’t do that in the fourth quarter. You can’t give up a 30-point quarter in a playoff game and expect to win.”

The Spurs and Thunder kick off Game 2 tonight at the AT&T Center at 7:30.   Get your tickets to the hottest series thus far in the NBA Playoffs.

Supporting cast provided Spurs with huge value

With a shallow-pocketed owner and limited revenue steams, the Spurs have few peers when it comes to stretching dollars.

Combine that with their savvy front office, and it comes as no surprise that the team got massive value last season from their supporting cast — defined as everyone not named Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Indeed, not only were those players generally productive, in most cases they vastly outperformed their contracts.

Just look at the numbers dug up in this , using a formula involving win shares and individual salaries. (Follow the link for more details, and the complete table.)

Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner outperformed their contracts by nearly double. Guys like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and DeJuan Blair were even better, playing as much as EIGHT TIMES better than their deals would suggest.

On the flip side, Duncan is suggested to have been overpaid by almost $12 million, but that’s what happens with aging superstars. And he still didn’t even , as compiled by CNBC.

Duncan mentors young Hornets during recent visit

For a group of young, hungry players, there probably couldn’t be a better mentor than a future Hall of Famer like Tim Duncan. So when Hurricane Isaac forced the New Orleans Hornets to relocate their volunteer workouts to San Antonio for a couple of days, they jumped at the opportunity to work with one of the NBA’s grand masters. (Or, as the Wu-Tang Clan might call Timmy, a battle-scarred shogun.)

recounted their experience yesterday, in which nine players — including top draft picks Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers — went through a battery of informal workouts and drills at San Antonio’s practice facility. Even Ryan Anderson, a grizzled vet compared to his teenage teammates, said it was a thrill to work with Duncan.

“Obviously, Tim was around, and there’s not a better guy to learn from,’’ said Anderson, a 6-foot-10 forward whom the Hornets acquired in a sign-and-trade deal from the Orlando Magic in July. “He is such a great leader and just talking with him was a positive experience in San Antonio.’’

Davis, who asked for restaurant guidance on Twitter during his visit, couldn’t be reached for comment in the story. But one can only imagine what the top pick in the draft soaked up from Duncan, even in just a few days. Should make for an interesting sidebar when the two teams meet in New Orleans on Oct. 31 for the season opener.