Game 19: Spurs 95 - Bucks 70

San Antonio improved their home record to 10-0 after dispensing the Bucks last night...  A game that was a little hard for me to follow because of events that were unfolding on the News (San Bernardino Shooting)  It also didn't help that MTV brought back the Challenge last night also...

Ballerz of the Night

  1. TIm Duncan - 16 points, 10 rebounds 18 minutes

Game 19 Observations

The Spurs couldn't have had a better opponent to take on after losing to the Chicago Bulls...  The first line had their minutes reduced and the bench handled the task of winning the game.  The Spurs have a back to back against Memphis, so I'm curious to see if we may get to see some Boban tomorrow.

Game 18: Spurs 89 - Bulls 92

So there's two regular season games in the 82 game schedule that mean more to me than the others...  Those two games are the home & away battles between the Spurs and my beloved Chicago Bulls.  Going into Monday night, I was of the opinion that the Spurs were the 2nd best team in the Western Conference and the Chicago Bulls are the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference.   I wasn't entirely sure if Pop was going to have his team make a genuine effort to field a proper starting line up, or if he was going to sit players in favor of having them rested for an upcoming home game.   I mentioned to my better half and a co-worker that the Bulls would edge the Spurs in Chicago, because they're a team that's conditioned to dig just as deep as the Spurs do in a regular season game.  This is something that Tibbs instilled into them before his departure and you can see it in the stat line...  they're simply a team that wins 20 games a year because they simply want it more than the other in the regular season.  

Ballerz of the Night

  1. Kawhi - 25 points, 8 rebounds
  2. LaMarcus - 21 points, 12 rebounds

Game 18 Observations

I haven't had a chance to read a lot of recaps on the web regarding last nights game, but I'm kinda curious to read what our local press had to say about the Spurs playing a front court that is just as long as they are.   Going into the game, I liked my chances because I think a Gasol (who was the best player of the night) is slightly better than Duncan who basically plays on one leg.  Jimmy Buttler is just as good on the defensive end that Kawhi is and he did enough offensively to allow the Bulls to narrowly win.  What are we to make of the Spurs going 2 - 14 from 3 point land?  It was also nice to see the Spurs go up against a bench that could put up 30 points with ease also.  The Bulls had a quality win tonight, which means the Spurs suffered a bad loss...

Game 17: Spurs 108 - Hawks 88

San Antonio Spurs improved their home record to 9-0 last night...  showcasing a team that will be difficult to beat if they shoot above 45% from the field and above 50% from behind the arc.

Ballerz of the Night

  1. Tim Duncan - 10 points, 18 rebounds
  2. Kawhi - 22 points, 3 for 3 from behind the arc
  3. LaMarcus - 13 points, 6 rebounds in 25 minutes
  4. Patty Mills - 13 points going 5 for 6 (3 of 4 behind the arc)

Game 16 Observations

With the Spurs pulling off another comfortable win last night...  I've been thinking a lot about what they could do to improve the team.  The only thing I can think of is figuring out a way to improve the productivity that Danny Green brings to the starting line up.  He's in my opinion, night in and night out the weakest link.  Statistically, its a little misleading to read him going 4 for 9 behind the arc, when the three's he sinks are rarely ever made in situations where the Spurs are trying to dig out of a hole or stop a scoreless streak.   I sometimes feel like the home crowd - erupts into a roar because one of his shots finally hit the bottom of the net.   Defensively, Green brings something to the table, that keeps him into the starting line up.  I look at the box score this morning and wonder Jonathan Simmons could do if he had the same number of minutes that Green got tonight.  All I'm saying is that he's someone of value I could see the Spurs spin out in a trade they may want to make.

Game 15: Spurs 88 - Mavericks 83

Spurs found themselves in a little bit of a dog fight tonight against the re-tooled Mavericks.  Defensively, the Spurs got it done again and held the Mavs to only 83 points.  The biggest take away from the game was seeing Kawhi put in more work and improve his confidence as the go-to-Spur.  His decisive end of the 4th quarter three capped one of his best outings of the year.

Ballers of the Night

  1. Kawhi Leonard - 26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
  2. LaMarcus - 18 points, 7 rebounds
  3. Parker - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists 

Game 15 Observations

I believe that the Spurs are currently the 2nd best team in the West...  they have a stretch of games in December that are going to be difficult to take on because of travel tho'.  So they're in Denver tonight, then fly home tonight for a back to back in San Antonio tomorrow against the Hawks.  They then fly out on Sunday to play the Bulls in Chicago only to turn around to fly back and play the Bucks at home.  They then travel to Memphis the next day for a back to back, only to fly back the next day to play the Celtics at home on Saturday.  They then fly out East to take on the Sixers the following day and then visit Toronto to take on the Raptors.  That's a lot of inconsistent travel for anyone, let alone a team that is a little older...


Game 14: Spurs 98 - Suns 84

Prior to watching the game at home last night, I walked over to a co-workers desk and informed her that I was a little worried about how the Spurs would take on Suns with LaMarcus Aldridge out of the line up.  The Suns score points in bunches and they have a pair of really exciting guards that may exhaust Tony Parker to the point where we have would have to rely on lots of minutes from Mills and McCullum...   Well, those worries went into the shitter as soon as the Spurs turned up the defensive intensity and had put up a quality win at home.

Ballerz of the Night

  1. Kawhi - 24 points, 13 rebounds - there's a shit load of people (the media) who I think are sleeping on the year of Kawhi...  It's crazy to think that Porzingis is getting as much dap as he is when Kawhi is fucking destroying the west.  Golden State on the other hand deserves all the love.
  2. Tony Parker - 20 points, 8 assits
  3. Dany Green - 18 points, 6 rebounds and a menace on Defense
  4. Patty Mills - 10 points off the bench

Game 14 Observations

The Spurs had an incredible night defensively...  I'm really curious to see how that will carry over into tomorrow nights game against the Mavericks who have kinda come on as of late. Two of the biggest highlights from the game was seeing more of Jonathon Simmons (a guy they called up from the Austin Spurs/development league) and Boban Marjanovic getting some minutes at the end of the 1st quarter.  He's a little awkward when transitioning from one end of the court to the other... but he's a lot of fun to see on the Offensive end of the court.   He kinda gooned Markief Morris at the start of the game by nearly tearing his head off.  I believe this was a little retaliatory to the play that P.J. Tucker was giving Kawhi on the offensive end.  Kawhi kinda put that shit to an end when he charged Tucker into the center of the court tho'.   I can't believe I like this team... 

Boban is a goon. 

Game 13: Spurs 92 - Grizzlies 82

Caught a good part of tonights game on the iPad tonight...  There was a number of football games going on tonight that I was a little more interested in, so my attention was split during the first half of the game.

Top Ballerz of the Night

  1. Kawhi - 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals...  he could have had 5 or 6 but lost the handle on one or two during the game.
  2. Tony Parker - 18 points in 32 minutes
  3. Tim Duncan - 10 points/10 rebounds in 36 minutes...  hit some key floaters to close the game.

Game 13 Observations

Just noticed that Duncan and Kawhi put in over 36 minutes apiece tonight to win a game I think they really wanted to not lose tonight.  I have a strange feeling about the game on Monday against the Suns, who I think have a back court that is going to give them a little trouble.  There was a little drop off with LaMarcus out of the lineup tonight.  

Game 12: Spurs 90 - Pelicans 104

Not sure how this happened... but I laid down for a short nap just after 5 pm and woke up a few minutes after the game against the Pelicans ended.   I guess I was tired and stressed out from some shit that happened earlier in the day.

I'm kinda bummed about missing tonights game...  I have Anthony Davis on my fantasy basketball team so it would have been one of the few chances I would have had all year to see him play a full game.

I reviewed the box score and read a couple of game re-caps.  It appears that the Spurs had a bad game and they didn't find a way to win it like they have in other games this season.

in black n white to signal i missed the game completely.


Game 11: Spurs 109 - Nuggets 98

Spurs hosted the Denver Nuggets last night at the AT&T Center...  I tuned in with the presumption that they would easily dispatch the Nuggets if they played better than they did on Monday night. Which the Spurs did for the most part...  they shot dangerously close to 50% from the field last night and they appeared to play with a swag and energy I hadn't seen from them in a number of games.

The Spurs announced that Manu would be sitting out a couple of games because of some issue he's having with his hip.  I wondered how the second string would respond in his absence, in the event they needed to have a big night from the bench to eek out a win.

Any concerns I had before watching the game were eased when I saw Fox Sports Southwest feature a group of nuns who went into the At&t Center.

I wonder if the Nuns had to actually spring cold hard cash for their jerseys?  I think they're season ticket holders too.

Top 3 Ballerz of the Night

  1. Tony Parker - 25 points, 9 rebounds - he played with an energy that propelled the team to 65 points in the first half.
  2. Kawhi - 20 points, 8 rebounds and went 3 for 4 from behind the arch.  It was a quiet but consistent night from Leonard.
  3. Patty Mills - 17 points off the bench and he managed to keep the tempo up when Parker came out of the game for a few spells.  He had an amazing night.

Game 11 observations

The Spurs played a great game and the high level of energy they played with in the first half is something I think they needed to feel before going to New Orleans on Friday night.  Something seemed off on the defense end tho'...  this kinda felt like a game they could have won by a bigger margin.  The Nuggets played much better than I ever expected...

Game 10: Spurs 93 - Trail Blazers 80

So... I typed up a very lengthy recap that managed to get lost somehow...   I'm really not feeling up to getting all my thoughts out on paper again.  So tonights late - recap for Game 10 will be brief.

Game 10 Observations

Spurs finally played in their White Jerseys...

I'm of the opinion that the Spurs won (another) close game because of lucky (a.k.a. timely for those who drink the Kool Aid) shots and timely defense.   The Spurs nearly lead the entire game, but if it wasn't for Manu dumping 14 of this 17 points, the Spurs would have lost their first home game of the season.  I'm really curious to see how the team stacks up to better teams in the league. 

I need to make it a point to jot my thoughts right after the game too... i was really upset after watching the team have a shitty performance and I kinda wish I could channel that anger again.

 

Game 9: Spurs 92 - Sixers 83

San Antonio Spurs returned home to begin a two week stint where they will play 6 out of 8 games at home.  Tonights game will be remembered as the first home game to take place after the tragic events in Paris, France.  The Spurs have two notable Frenchmen (Parker, Diaw) who undoubtedly played tonight with heavy hearts.

Tonights Score Board before tip-off

Tonights Top 5 Ballerz

  1. LaMarcus Aldridge - 17 points, 19 rebounds, 7 out of 8 from the line
  2. Tim Duncan - 15 points
  3. Parker - 16 points in 25 minutes
  4. Kyle Anderson - Only 10 points but he pulled 31 minutes with Kawhi out with respiratory infection.
  5. David West - 10 points off the bench

Game 9 Observations

When I heard that Manu and Kawhi would be out of tonights line-up, I got a little worried about the Spurs dropping a home game they should have easily won by 18 points...  I was curious to see how the team would emotionally respond to the events that occurred in France and I wanted to see who would get into the starting line up.   In short, the Spurs overcame everything I just outlined due largely in part to playing a horrible Sixers team.  The 76ers scored 12 points in the opening quarter and with the exception of one stretch where they lowered the lead to 4 or 5 points... they were never a threat to win the game.