San Antonio Spurs

[ppdd]

Nice win by SAS vs Grizzlies

they are now tied with the '95-'96 Bulls for best home start (37-0)

 

SPURS INJURY REPORT – 3/25/16
Posted: Mar 25, 2016

The following players are out for tomorrow’s Spurs-Thunder game:
LaMarcus Aldridge (rest) Tim Duncan (rest) Manu Ginobili (rest) Kawhi Leonard (right quad contusion) Tony Parker (rest)

[HarryPotter25]

Spurs Are Not Far Behind The Historically Dominant Warriors

The Warriors have understandably been receiving most of the media attention for their play. But their historic season has been overshadowing another team that has been having a nearly equally dominant season. This is not surprising as the media has been overlooking this team for years. This team is the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs currently possess a 60-11 record, putting them only four games behind the Warriors. Perhaps even more impressive though is their record since Dec. 1. The Spurs started the season 14-4 and have since gone 46-7. This gives them the same amount of losses as Golden State in that span. Comparing the team statistics of the Warriors and the Spurs demonstrates how dominant they have been.

When it comes to offensive efficiency, both teams are in the top three in the league. The Warriors average 112.7 points per 100 possessions while the Spurs are third with 108.9, putting them just behind Oklahoma City for second place. This proves that both are extremely productive on the offensive end. Both teams also shoot the ball extremely well.

The Spurs are first in the league with a 48.8% field goal percentage and the Warriors are just behind them with a 48.7%. The Warriors do have a slightly better true shooting percentage though (59.2% vs 56.7%) which can be accounted to their higher three-point percentage (41.5% vs 38.3%). On the offensive end of the court, it seems the Warriors and Spurs are top two when it comes to nearly every relevant statistic and this is a huge reason why they are having such dominant seasons.

One major similarity on offensive between the Warriors and the Spurs is their unselfishness. From the eye test alone, one can see that both teams pass the ball multiple times a possession, moving it from end of the court to the other to find the open man. This is a huge reason why both teams are extremely efficient when it comes to scoring. The assist ratio statistic helps exemplify their ball movement. Assist ratio gives the percentage of team possessions that end in an assist and it’s not surprising that the Warriors and Spurs are the top two teams at 20.6 and 19.2 respectively. It is not just offense where the teams excel though.

When it comes to defense, the Warriors are definitely an elite team. The Warriors are fifth in the league with a defensive efficiency of 100.6, meaning they give up 100.6 points every 100 possessions. The traditional stats also show the Warriors as an elite team defensively, as they are third in opponent’s field goal percentage (43.5%) and tied for second in opponent’s three-point percentage (32.9%). The defense is anchored by last year’s Defensive Player of the Year Runner-Up Draymond Green. The Warriors ability to switch on-ball screens allows them to remain at an elite level of play despite the fact that Green is only 6-8 and plays the center position.

The defensive end of the court is where the Spurs can claim to be better than the Warriors. The Spurs boast a league best 95.5 defensive rating, 3.4 points better than second-place Atlanta. The gap between them is the same as the gap between the Hawks and 10th place Cleveland. They are also first at opponent’s field goal percentage and tied with Golden State for second at opponent’s field goal percentage.

The Spur’s defense is anchored by 2015 Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and his ability to hound opposing wings. Tim Duncan helps anchor the paint and with Danny Green and Tony Parker on the team as well, this team has the formula for a historically good offensive and it shows. The Spurs defense is so good that they are actually posting a better point differential than the Warriors (12.2 vs 11.2). If the season ended today, this would be the best point differential of all time.

The Golden State Warriors have understandably been the talk of the league. Their performances on both sides of the court have put them in prime position for setting the single-season wins record. The San Antonio Spurs have quietly been having a equally good season. The two powerhouses are on a crash course for a Western Conference Final series for the ages in May.

[Labuyo]

Here's some news courtesy of Capt. Obvious.

 

 

With their playoffs seeding pretty much locked in, the Spurs are in full rest and recovery mode at this stage of the season.

 

We're looking at more minutes and reps for the B team as well as the new oldies in Miller and Martin.

[GTO15]

Let's go spurs!!!

[Guiness]

Tony Parker thinks Gregg Popovich will rest starters

 

SAN ANTONIO -- The Spurs face the Golden State Warriors twice more in the regular season, but point guard Tony Parker has predicted that coach Gregg Popovich won't use any of the front-line contributors in those meetings.

"I think no one will play [against the Warriors]," Parker said on his French radio show, which was translated by News 4 San Antonio. "To Pop, the most important thing is that the players are rested for the playoffs. As for first place, he does not care. For us, the end of the regular season is a good time to rest. That's why we play hard throughout the season, trying to win the most games possible, to find ourselves in this situation of luxury. We are sure we will be the second seed and we can all rest before the playoffs."

Popovich held out injured forward Kawhi Leonard during Friday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies and rested Danny Green along with reserves Patty Mills and Boris Diaw. Then during a loss at Oklahoma City on Friday, the Spurs hit the court with just 10 active players as Popovich used Kyle Anderson, Mills, Diaw, Green and rookie Boban Marjanovic as Parker, Tim Duncan, Leonard and Manu Ginobili didn't even make the trip.

At shootaround Wednesday morning, when asked if Popovich cares about the home record, Parker said, "Are you seriously asking me that? He doesn't care at all."

Headed into the win over the Grizzlies on Saturday, the Spurs knew they needed to capture only one more victory to secure no worse than the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Western Conference playoffs. Throughout Popovich's tenure, the coach starts to rest players once the Spurs secure their postseason seeding.

"This is the earliest [the Spurs have had a seed locked], for sure," Parker said. "Me personally, I always like resting. It doesn't bother me. I think Pop does a good job. He's got a good feel for it. I don't think it's going to hurt us."

San Antonio has won 37 consecutive games at home, which ties the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the longest home winning streak to start a season in NBA history.

The team announced Monday that Leonard is probable for Wednesday's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"He's smart," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told CSNBayArea.com of Popovich. "They're locked into the No. 2 spot and there's no danger of anybody catching them from behind. And they're not trying to set any records. I will be interested to see if they rest guys at home. Do they want to go undefeated at home?"

[ppdd]

nabasa ko din tong article na 'to

as much as I want them to be full force for the 2 games vs GSW, nde malayo na ganyan nga mangyayari

the Spurs are already locked into 2nd place. they need to be healthy and rested for the playoffs, specially the veterans

and giving playing minutes to the bench will boost their confidence as well

 

Tony Parker thinks Gregg Popovich will rest starters

[Guiness]

i was looking at the schedule and those 2 games with the Warriors are at the end of the of season and seeing that they're not really caring about the number 1 seed or even looking to break records like their own home record. I figured Pop would do that, he's always does this every year. It's no different from what he decides to do each season. Resting his main guys is one of his main goals but the reason he does this is to give the bench guys experience on situations that they can encounter in a game and also give them the confidence when he would call upon them to play in the playoffs. From a developmental aspect it helps the player to grow.

 

THe spurs are the ones who actually started this whole thing about resting key guys at the end of the season. Other teams just followed the trend. I don't really know why other teams would do it. Guys like Lebron, Curry, Durant, they're still very young in terms of their age its not like they need the rest. THe spurs do it because they really are old. Like Duncan or Ginobili. But more than the resting the old guys its for the bench guys too that's why Pop does it.

 

The upcoming games between them and the Warriors won't really be meaningful or have any bearing because I expect Pop not to play the key guys like Kawhi, Duncan and company

[GTO15]

Let's go spurs! Beat gsw!

[Labuyo]

hmmm, with that GSW loss, the SAS are still able to secure the first overall seed.

just saying...

[ppdd]

hmmm you are right bro.. but will coach pop go for it?

SAS has 5 games remaining (2 games vs GSW)

 

hmmm, with that GSW loss, the SAS are still able to secure the first overall seed.

just saying...

[torotot_boy]

Getting the no.1 seed overall is a good thing, they protect their homecourt really well and that's an advantage come playoff time.

 

In Pop we trust! hahaha

[Labuyo]

If they can get it while giving lots of minutes to the Boban, Simmons, Red Rocket, Anderson, and the rest of the bench, I'd have no complaints.

 

I won't even try to predict what Pop's move will be at this point.

Just glad I'm along for the ride as a Spurs fan.

[Guiness]

Looking at the standings with the Warriors at 69-9 and the Spurs at 65-12 they do have a chance at getting the number 1 seed from the Warriors if they manage to win all the remaining games in their schedule and beat the Warriors twice while the Warriors will lose 3 out of their 4 remaining games. Which to me is highly unlikely that they will lose 3 of the their 4 games. Stranger things have happened but i don't think it will happen. Not to mention they have a chance to create their own Home record without a lost.

 

You can never tell with coach Pop as he just might decide not to care about their home record or even play his guys tomorrow against the Warriors at Oracle.

 

Tony Parker no longer thinks Spurs will rest down the stretch

 

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker reversed course Monday night regarding his belief that coach Gregg Popovich would rest the team's frontline contributors during its next two meetings against the first-place Golden State Warriors.

Parker expected Popovich might rest key players in Monday's 88-86 win over the Utah Jazz, but Popovich utilized the majority of the roster, with five players -- Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Manu Ginobili and Kyle Anderson -- scoring in double figures. That led Parker to expect the entire group would play Thursday night at Golden State.

The teams meet again the following Sunday.

 

 

"I think we'll play," Parker said. "Utah, I thought he was going to rest everybody. But we played Utah, so I don't see any reason we're not playing Golden State."

In March, Parker expressed pessimism about the chances for a Spurs and Warriors matchup involving all the team's key players, citing Popovich's penchant for resting key contributors leading into the postseason.

"I think no one will play [against the Warriors]," Parker said on his French radio show, which was translated by News 4 San Antonio. "To Pop, the most important thing is that the players are rested for the playoffs. As for first place, he does not care. For us, the end of the regular season is a good time to rest. That's why we play hard throughout the season, trying to win the most games possible, to find ourselves in this situation of luxury. We are sure we will be the second seed and we can all rest before the playoffs."

The Spurs played nearly the entire roster in Monday's win over the Jazz except for new additions Andre Miller, Kevin Martin and rookie Boban Marjanovic. Tim Duncan played 23 minutes, and the rest of the team's starters logged at least 25 minutes apiece, including 35-plus minutes for Aldridge and Leonard, who nailed the go-ahead jumper with 4.9 seconds left and finished with 18 points. San Antonio picked up its 65th victory.

"Like I said, before the Utah game, I thought [Popovich] was going to rest everybody," Parker said. "He said he wanted to play. So if we played Utah, I don't see any reason now we're not going to play Golden State. Before, we were going to rest everybody like against Utah and Golden State. But I guess he changed his mind. Everybody's playing now."

 

 

 

- While Parker thinks that they will play against the Warriors tomorrow. I think that Pop will rest his players and instead have them play at At&t center at home against the Warriors to try to get their home record.

[torotot_boy]

Well, Spurs lost today. But it's okay, I am just hoping that come playoffs time, they are ready and well prepared.

[ppdd]

SAS defeated OKC in OT (102 - 98)

they tied the '95-'96 Bulls home game record 40W-1L

[ppdd]

back-to-back DPOY award for Kawhi wooohoooo!!!

hoping we can get that 6th ring for TD this year as well

http://i.imgur.com/nglsdt2.jpg

[Zometa23]

Hopefully umabot kayo sa finals...

[J121212]

Spurs are so deep this year.. I feel they win the championship if all healthy

That being said, I don't want Duncan winning another ring..

[ppdd]

another win for SAS! 3-0 vs the depleted Grizzlies

Kawhi with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals

[Labuyo]

04 of 16.

12 away from 6!

[ppdd]

04 of 16.

12 away from 6!

oh yeah! time to rest and be ready for the 2nd round battle versus OKC

[Miguefaw]

San Antonio will beat GSW in West Finals for sure!

[Labuyo]

i'm strongly for the Silver and Black, but i personally try not to be too sure about proclaiming that the Spurs will win.

we will always be in the mix. usually in front of the pack.

but we still have OKC to contend with.

very dangerous to assume we'd get past a team with KD and Westbrook that easily.

 

having said that, it'd be nice to totally outclass the Thunder that KD to SAS talks can't help but gain traction.

[slapdash2345]

Go Spurs! Beat the Thunder!

[ppdd]

a very convincing win by the Spurs! iba talaga pag may pahinga :-)

1-0 vs OKC

expect durant, westbrook and the whole team to fight back in Gm2

go Spurs go!