61% shooting and we win by 2

[CelticG1]

Last night was a fun fun game. I felt like we just kept making every basket we took. Then I would look at the scoreboard and we would be down by 2 or tied or, whatever it was a close game. We have some SERIOUS flaws if we shoot 61% and win the game by 2. Imagine if we lost? That would have been a record for sure.

Clearly our problem is defensive rebounding. We held them to 45% shooting and the T.O's were even but they had 10 more offensive rebounds than us.

Is it just KG? I know he is a phenomenal defensive rebounder but you'd think if you shoot 61% even without KG that it shouldn't really be a close game. I liked JO on the defensive boards last night and I think he has got to get more PT over Shaq now that KG is out and should get more PT when we are getting worked on teh offensive glass. Shaq can really only get the rebound if it is right in his area. JO has more hops and can attack the ball and grab it.

Maybe I'm just high on JO right now but he's starting to look a bit more like the guy I hoped we signed even if the stats aren't baring that out

[Fafnir]

Our starting PF/C had 3 defensive rebounds in 54 combined minutes. That's why it was close. KG is one of the best defensive rebounding players in the league this year so he'll cover up for a lot of that.

I am really worried about Shaq, he's not looking good the last two weeks. Perkins can't get back soon enough now. Hopefully Shaq is just nursing a minor injury and isn't just breaking down after playing 1/3rd of the season. Either way with Perkins back we can rest him and hopefully get early season Shaq for the playoffs.

As Jermaine gets back game shape things he'll help too. Right now he's picking a few too many fouls, but other than that I like his defense.

[BballTim]

  Going 8-15 from the line didn't exactly help...

[Rondo9dunx]

Call me crazy but i'll take a win over the best team in the nba regardless of how we get it.


This post makes me think that you think we should be steamrolling people just because we're makin shots. We werent playing the clippers we were playing the spurs. Give the spurs some credit they are a fantastic team with tons of talent.

We won a game where we got outrebounded like crazy vs an elite team. What is there to be upset about?

[CelticG1]

 Going 8-15 from the line didn't exactly help...

Yeah but what's our team average? Prob 73-75%? so thats 3 or 4 more points. Plus we shot 61%! thats a ridiculous number that we don't even shoot in blowouts.

I feel like Baby has been a lot better on the defensive glass this year but last night was pretty bad.

Yeah Shaq hasn't looked very good lately. I think he will be fine and I'm sure he always has nagging injuries. This is a pretty brutal stretch right now for a guy like him and for a guy who wasn't even really playing Back-to-back games last year we might need to sit him a bit more especially as JO is progressing

[Snakehead]

 Going 8-15 from the line didn't exactly help...

This and also we blew a 9 point lead at the very end.

We have been outrebounded a lot over the past few years and we have also turned the ball over more than a lot of teams.  I kind of don't understand either but we have also been one of the NBA's best teams so I don't worry too much about it.  When KG is back we will be better, BBD just hasn't been a good rebounder for us.

[joeb]

 Going 8-15 from the line didn't exactly help...

i agree the FT misses contributed to the close score (won't even get into the last minute stuff), and the overall rebounding numbers were close if memory serves me correctly. i recall the total rebounding numbers differed by only one. since they out-rebounded us on the offensive end, that means we out-rebounded them on the defensive end. now, giving up 15 ORs is a bit much, though 2nd chance points is a better metric to look at (don't have those numbers). it would also seem that shooting 61% means there were not that many DRs available for the Spurs to go get.

having KG back will definitely help on this glass, especially with a more consistent big man rotation in place (now that both JO and Shaq are playing).

i agree with Doc when he says they will almost always get out-rebounded on the offensive end since they choose to stop transition baskets instead. So be it. that plays to their strength...setting up their league best half court defense instead of trying to stop fast breaks in process.

[dasani]

without boards and especially offensive boards this happens. also the defense in the 1st half wasn't great, especially defending the 3ball

[Rondo_is_better]

The Spurs are the best pick and roll team in the league. We didn't have KG, the best pick and roll defender in the league. Instead, we were relying on Glen Davis to hedge on screens. Its just not the same.

[Greenbean]

Our starting PF/C had 3 defensive rebounds in 54 combined minutes. That's why it was close. KG is one of the best defensive rebounding players in the league this year so he'll cover up for a lot of that.

I am really worried about Shaq, he's not looking good the last two weeks. Perkins can't get back soon enough now. Hopefully Shaq is just nursing a minor injury and isn't just breaking down after playing 1/3rd of the season. Either way with Perkins back we can rest him and hopefully get early season Shaq for the playoffs.

As Jermaine gets back game shape things he'll help too. Right now he's picking a few too many fouls, but other than that I like his defense.

Another thread where I 100% agree with Faf.

I too am worried about Shaq. He hasnt looked the same since that calf injury kept him out. He was routinely beating people down the floor but now he looks more like the guy I saw in Cleveland last year. He still isnt as much of a liability on defense as he was last year but he hasnt rebounded well at all. It's like he has the mobility to rotate out on defense but not the stamina/ leg strength to finsh the play and crash the defensive boards. Time will tell...

[pearljammer10]

Our starting PF/C had 3 defensive rebounds in 54 combined minutes. That's why it was close. KG is one of the best defensive rebounding players in the league this year so he'll cover up for a lot of that.

I am really worried about Shaq, he's not looking good the last two weeks. Perkins can't get back soon enough now. Hopefully Shaq is just nursing a minor injury and isn't just breaking down after playing 1/3rd of the season. Either way with Perkins back we can rest him and hopefully get early season Shaq for the playoffs.

As Jermaine gets back game shape things he'll help too. Right now he's picking a few too many fouls, but other than that I like his defense.

Wow. That is a very interesting stat. 3 defensive rebounds? Really. Incredible.

 Going 8-15 from the line didn't exactly help...

This directly correlates to the lack of defensive rebounds from the PF/C spot. Shaq and Baby were pretty terrible from the line last night. They missed 5 of those 7 free throws just on their own.

[Finkelskyhook]

When a 5'9 guard, in 16 minutes, almost doubles the rebound output of your starting PF and C combined in 54 minutes, you're in deep do-do.

Truly amazing we won.

[LB3533]

Spurs took 22 three point shots and made 4 more than us...how many of those attempts resulted in long rebounds that we missed?

[vinnie]

Hard to judge without KG, and they are winning against some good teams, but the rebounding thing and Shaq are starting to concern me. He has not looked the same the past few weeks -- not moving nor jumping as well as he was. Hopefully when Perk gets back and shows he can play 20 minutes a game, they can give Shaq a couple of weeks off to recuperate.

[Fafnir]

Spurs took 22 three point shots and made 4 more than us...how many of those attempts resulted in long rebounds that we missed?

I'm sure that's part of it, but the Spurs only missed 12 three points shots. That doesn't explain only 3 defensive boards from the starting PF/C combo.