Spurs (43-28) at Celtics (47-25) 3/28

[barefacedmonk]

And I hear Pierce got injured by Manu after he almost took out KG and Rondo. UGH!!!!

Manu was LA's undercover agent tonight...hurt PP and KG. 

[Rondo_is_better]

We got absolutely wrecked tonight. We could've gotten it together at a few key points, but every time we got started on a run and built a little momentum something happened to kill it. Manu's buzzer bank 3 was the end of the game.

[nickagneta]

Stars of this game were Manu for playing Rondo into a lull by playing off him and being disruptive to the rest of the offense and George Hill for just COMPLETELY removing Ray Allen from the game.

I've been talking this kid up incessantly in the CB Draft and Pick Two Draft as a future star in this league without a heck of a lot of luck. He is defensively as good a guard as there is in the league and is shooting the three at nearly 40%, has a TS% over 57%, and is averaging 16 PPG, 3 APG and 3 RPG  as a starter for the Spurs and the Manu/Hill backcourt is a great backcourt for the Spurs.

[Drucci]

Just saw the game... very disappointing one. We got torched by a good Spurs team but we really lacked hustle and energy, they outplayed us in every manner. I thought the looks we were getting were good for the most part but we just didn't make shots (especially from 3, what a pain).

I also think our defense was really poor, right from the get go, we made illusions for one half but the Spurs got wide open shots every time during the game except for a few possessions here and there.

I was really worried about Pierce but glad to see he's OK.

So much for our advance on the Hawks... gotta regroup and play better against OKC wednesday, getting that home swagger back. Sheed played well in Perk's absence, especially on defense, but he got too "3 happy" when he made his three pointer (I suspect Doc on this one to get him "confident" again from beyond the arc).

[Bahku]

Watching the CSNNE re-broadcast right now with the third quarter just ending. We played a decent game in the first half, but the third quarter was Ginobili's. This game seemed to come down to Ginobili and Rondo, and Rajon just had a bad night on both ends, while Manu was eating the Celtics up. I really think the key to this team winning consistently is Rondo, and tonight was a good example.

[Bahku]

Just watched Manu drive to the baskets, and I saw three different Celtics reach at the ball, but nobody moved their feet to fill the lane. Horrible defense in the 2nd half.

[Bahku]

Man, KG is getting NO whistles from anyone lately ... he's literally getting mugged in this game and the officials just let it go. Terrible officiating in this one, and we REALLY missed Perk tonight, too.

[Bahku]

Biggest keys to this loss: No Perk, Rondo didn't show, half-hearted defense in 2nd half, terrible officiating, and the bench was useless. Other than that, it was a great game.   

[ACF]

  indeed.

[Who]

Stars of this game were Manu for playing Rondo into a lull by playing off him and being disruptive to the rest of the offense and George Hill for just COMPLETELY removing Ray Allen from the game.

I've been talking this kid up incessantly in the CB Draft and Pick Two Draft as a future star in this league without a heck of a lot of luck. He is defensively as good a guard as there is in the league and is shooting the three at nearly 40%, has a TS% over 57%, and is averaging 16 PPG, 3 APG and 3 RPG  as a starter for the Spurs and the Manu/Hill backcourt is a great backcourt for the Spurs.

George Hill = top 15 point guard?

That is the question I've been asking myself since midway through his rookie season.

I think Hill is one of those elite role player types. A lot like Battier or Varejao. So long as he is in the right role, he can have a huge impact on the game. And by right role I mean that he's playing alongside a wing player who is an elite passer/playmaker (Ginobili) because he is a below average passing point guard ... but Hill is also an excellent complementary scorer with great scoring versatility (at the rim, midrange, off the dribble, transition, long twos, threes, gets to the FT line), good rebounding, and for my money is the second best defensive point guard in basketball (behind Westbrook).

[nickagneta]

Stars of this game were Manu for playing Rondo into a lull by playing off him and being disruptive to the rest of the offense and George Hill for just COMPLETELY removing Ray Allen from the game.

I've been talking this kid up incessantly in the CB Draft and Pick Two Draft as a future star in this league without a heck of a lot of luck. He is defensively as good a guard as there is in the league and is shooting the three at nearly 40%, has a TS% over 57%, and is averaging 16 PPG, 3 APG and 3 RPG  as a starter for the Spurs and the Manu/Hill backcourt is a great backcourt for the Spurs.

George Hill = top 15 point guard?

That is the question I've been asking myself since midway through his rookie season.

I think Hill is one of those elite role player types. A lot like Battier or Varejao. So long as he is in the right role, he can have a huge impact on the game. And by right role I mean that he's playing alongside a wing player who is an elite passer/playmaker (Ginobili) because he is a below average passing point guard ... but Hill is also an excellent complementary scorer with great scoring versatility (at the rim, midrange, off the dribble, transition, long twos, threes, gets to the FT line), good rebounding, and for my money is the second best defensive point guard in basketball (behind Westbrook).

I wouldn't call him a top 15 PG but I would put him more into the position of a number 3 scorer on a good team. Eventually, I think he's will be the league's elite combo guard with an ability to play and score at either position and lock down his opponent at either position.

In a couple of years, a think he is could be the league's best defensive guard with Mo Williams-like or better offensive output. Depending on the year and conference he is playing in, that could translate to a one or two time All-Star. Getting him at 26 was maybe the steal of the 2008 NBA Draft.