Go Ahead, Pop, Mess With Their Heads
One of the many grand traditions of the trade deadline is to not play players in games right before they are traded. That happened tonight with John Salmons, and we learned that he purportedly has been traded to the Bucks. In that light, Pop caused quite a stir tonight by not starting either Jefferson or McDyess. Many speculated (with good cause) that this could be portending a trade, despite Pop's words to the contrary.
But we all know that Pop likes to fuck with people. And fuck with line-ups. So when both Jefferson and McDyess checked into the game in the first quarter, it left many scratching their heads. Just the way Pop wants it. I think. Who knows?
Mason, Jr., the player most often mentioned in trade rumors these days, played 22 minutes and shot as if he was auditioning for other teams. He missed some bad shots, and he missed some shots badly. I can't imagine what it feels like to play with the knowledge that you may be suiting up for another team the next night, so we'll give him a pass for tonight.
As for the rest of the game, it was quite the odd affair. We looked like we were still on all-star break for the first quarter, then seemed to come alive, racing out to a 14 point lead midway through the third. Then we stopped playing, allowing them to come all the way back and take a 4 point lead on us. Then we regained control of the game, and did something so rare that I had forgotten what it looked like: we outexecuted them down the stretch and made clutch plays. Granted, it was against a not-that-good Pacers team, but still. And to see Ginobili be our closer-in-residence was also a sight for sore eyes. He looked really good in this game, actually dunking the ball twice.
Parker also looked very spry. The rest must have done him so good. With his plantar fasciitis, it won't be a sustained return to form, as the pain will start to creep back in. But he was scoring every which way and running the offense with his usual excellence.
The player of the game, oddly enough, was probably Duncan. Even though he was threatening to miss as many shots as he had rebounds (19 to 26, if you're keeping count), he was a team high +19 and pretty much anchored the team when he was in there. +/- can be a tricky stat, especially for one game, but in this case, I think it's telling. The next closest Spur was +9; and more than that, just watching the game, you could tell that he was responsible for the runs that the team made, especially in the second half. His 26 rebounds were huge, and I think every one of them was important, especially on the defensive end. As much trouble as we've had giving up second chance points this season, it was nice to see Duncan dominating the defensive glass and getting quick outlets to Parker and Ginobili.
One last note: I thought Jefferson played his best game as a Spur. He scored 14 points, which I think is right about where we need him. But he grabbed 6 boards (tied for 2nd on the team with Ginobili), was aggressive on offense, which I think led to his making some clutch jump shots, and, most importantly, he was tenacious and scrappy on the defensive end, coming up with 2 big steals and even diving on the floor after a loose ball. He seemed to be playing like a man who didn't want to lose his job.
Certainly not our best night, but at least we're starting to see flashes of the players that we need Jefferson, Parker, and Ginobili to be.
Looking Forward:
Our next game is against Philadelphia on Friday. But before that is the trade deadline. Will we make any deals before then? What will our roster be like in Philly on Friday? I'm just happy that all of this trade talk is almost over, and we can start focusing on the rest of the season.
But we all know that Pop likes to fuck with people. And fuck with line-ups. So when both Jefferson and McDyess checked into the game in the first quarter, it left many scratching their heads. Just the way Pop wants it. I think. Who knows?
Mason, Jr., the player most often mentioned in trade rumors these days, played 22 minutes and shot as if he was auditioning for other teams. He missed some bad shots, and he missed some shots badly. I can't imagine what it feels like to play with the knowledge that you may be suiting up for another team the next night, so we'll give him a pass for tonight.
As for the rest of the game, it was quite the odd affair. We looked like we were still on all-star break for the first quarter, then seemed to come alive, racing out to a 14 point lead midway through the third. Then we stopped playing, allowing them to come all the way back and take a 4 point lead on us. Then we regained control of the game, and did something so rare that I had forgotten what it looked like: we outexecuted them down the stretch and made clutch plays. Granted, it was against a not-that-good Pacers team, but still. And to see Ginobili be our closer-in-residence was also a sight for sore eyes. He looked really good in this game, actually dunking the ball twice.
Parker also looked very spry. The rest must have done him so good. With his plantar fasciitis, it won't be a sustained return to form, as the pain will start to creep back in. But he was scoring every which way and running the offense with his usual excellence.
The player of the game, oddly enough, was probably Duncan. Even though he was threatening to miss as many shots as he had rebounds (19 to 26, if you're keeping count), he was a team high +19 and pretty much anchored the team when he was in there. +/- can be a tricky stat, especially for one game, but in this case, I think it's telling. The next closest Spur was +9; and more than that, just watching the game, you could tell that he was responsible for the runs that the team made, especially in the second half. His 26 rebounds were huge, and I think every one of them was important, especially on the defensive end. As much trouble as we've had giving up second chance points this season, it was nice to see Duncan dominating the defensive glass and getting quick outlets to Parker and Ginobili.
One last note: I thought Jefferson played his best game as a Spur. He scored 14 points, which I think is right about where we need him. But he grabbed 6 boards (tied for 2nd on the team with Ginobili), was aggressive on offense, which I think led to his making some clutch jump shots, and, most importantly, he was tenacious and scrappy on the defensive end, coming up with 2 big steals and even diving on the floor after a loose ball. He seemed to be playing like a man who didn't want to lose his job.
Certainly not our best night, but at least we're starting to see flashes of the players that we need Jefferson, Parker, and Ginobili to be.
Looking Forward:
Our next game is against Philadelphia on Friday. But before that is the trade deadline. Will we make any deals before then? What will our roster be like in Philly on Friday? I'm just happy that all of this trade talk is almost over, and we can start focusing on the rest of the season.
posted by secretchord53 at 8:07 PM
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