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Written by David Rountree
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Monday, 30 January 2012 00:14 |
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 Popovich opted to play his bench players for most of the second half and all of overtime. It was a gutsy move that ended with a loss but was a great learning experience for his young bench players.
The Mavericks had a blistering 17 point lead in the third quarter but the Spurs bench refused to be denied. The overtime game revealed a lot about the two Western Conference rivals.
5) Mavs forwards are overrated - The addition of Vince Carter proved useless in the clutch. Vince Carter lit up the Spurs in the first half of the game, boasting a season high 21 points but disappeared in the second half. Odom and Marion seem loss for most of the game; together they shot an abysmal 36% from the field. Marion even almost handed the Spurs the game in overtime with his blatant foul on Gary Neal. The Maverick’s defense as a whole is overrated and was dissected by the Spurs 2nd/3rd string players—who shot 53% from the arc.
4) Lack of Manu Ginobili - The Spurs are weathering the storm at home, but the absence of their star guard is painfully evident on the road—especially at the end of games. Gary Neal played magnificently in the clutch but his drives weren’t as crafty and swift as the Argentinian star. Ginobili’s mere presence on the floor (as the Spurs’ closer) garners a lot of defensive attention and he is more dependable at the free-throw line.
3) Jason Terry off the dribble? - Terry has been known over the years to hit a timely three-pointer or two, but he was constantly getting into the painted area. He demonstrated a plethora of tear drops and floaters similar to Tony Parker. Popovich will surely bring up his penetration in the next practice. If the Spurs are struggling with Terry wait until they visit a player like D. Rose in Chicago.
2) Tiago Splitter - His feel for the NBA game is growing and his activity around the basket has been superb. When was the last time a Spurs’ center had two put-back dunks in the same game? His size alone is an asset and he is also starting to show some crafty moves in the post. But Splitter still has to work on his strength in the paint; because it was a couple times Nowitzki bullied him in the lane.
1) Danny Green the go-to guy? - Green has been the classic example of the wonderful Spurs scouting and he has fit in well. He brings a good mixture of size, athleticism, and shooting to a team that desperately needs it off the bench. Because of this it seems that Coach Popovich entrusts him time and time again with the final shot in a game. Against the Mavs Green almost made good on Popovich’s good faith but it seems like the ball (not just in this game) ends up in Green’s hand more than some fans would like. It will be interesting to watch if this trend continues and eventually proves fruitful.
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