Bullets Forever - Wizards vs. Spurs: Washington blown out, drops to 0-12"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2012-11-27T12:47:00-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/34578492012-11-27T12:47:00-05:002012-11-27T12:47:00-05:00Spurs' offense teaches Wizards some lessons
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<figcaption>Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>San Antonio's offense is worlds better than Washington's. Is there anything that the team can learn from it?</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- It's no secret that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> are struggling to score this year. Averaging a measly 95.7 points per 100 possessions, the Wizards are dead last in the NBA in offensive rating, and by quite a bit.</p>
<p>Washington's opponent during <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/26/3693808/washington-wizards-san-antonio-spurs-november-26-2012" target="_blank">their most recent loss</a>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a>, aren't having any problems scoring. The Spurs' offense is currently ranked fifth in the NBA on a points per possession basis. Yes, they still have their big three, but it would be a gross oversimplification to assign all of the credit for their success to a trio of guys in their 30s who rarely play more than 30 minutes on any given night.</p>
<p>As Washington fans saw during the team's 118-92 home loss to San Antonio, the Spurs role players are enormously productive. <span>Matt Bonner</span>, <span>Danny Green</span>, <span>Tiago Splitter</span>, et al lit up the Wizards to the tune of 77 of the team's 118 points, largely a result of a lot open three-pointers from the corner and high percentage shots in the lane. Theses role players are largely specialists who focus on shooting, rebounding or getting points in the paint, and little else.</p>
<p>San Antonio's success has been largely tied to coach Greg Popovich's ability to successfully use players who aren't necessarily well-rounded, but can do one or two things really well. Throughout the years, a lot of players have come to San Antonio and blossomed into quality NBA players, apparently out of nowhere. While <span>not </span><span>everyone </span>who's come to San Antonio has worked out, the overwhelming majority have, and you'd be hard-pressed to name some players who left the Spurs and got better.</p>
<p>The key to the success of these role players is how they're used. It's not simply that Popovich can put the ball in the hands of Parker, Ginobli or Duncan and let them make plays, it's that he also keeps it out of the hands of the team's role player.</p>
<p>One example of this is the case of Green. Before the Spurs' game against the Wizards, it was brought up to Popovich that Green had mentioned hoping to handle the ball a bit more this season. Popovich immediately replied, "He's dreaming. You can tell him he's dreaming." He then went on to add that, "<span style="line-height: 9px;">w</span>e're not going to allow him to do that. He's too loosey goosey with the ball. He's just fine doing what he's doing."</p>
<p>This manifested itself during the Spurs' utter dismantling of the Wizards' then-ninth-ranked defense. San Antonio finished the game with 15 turnovers to 32 assists. Parker, Duncan and Ginobli handled the majority of the playmaking duties, while former point guard <span>Boris Diaw</span> and Australian point guard <span>Patty Mills</span> picked up the slack. As a result, the team's role players were able to focus on hitting open shots and making easy passes that were made available by defensive breakdowns, which is largely how Splitter was able to end up with seven assists on the night despite barely (if ever) dribbling.</p>
<p>While Washington averages a lot of assists, this is largely a result of the team's difficulty scoring off the dribble. Basically, the Wizards pass the ball around until someone gets open, resulting in either an assist or a contested shot late in the shot clock (unsurprisingly, the young, speedy Wizards are only 23rd in the NBA in pace this season). This leads to a lot of contested shots from unskilled offensive players, something that leads to a miss or a turnover almost every time. In short, Washington's offense isn't allowing the team's specialists to play to their strengths, and the results are ugly.</p>
<p>Coach <span>Randy Wittman</span> believes the Wizards need to improve their ball movement. Speaking after the game, Wittman said that the Wizards should learn from the Spurs and incorporate more passing into their offense. The Wizards should "take a page out of that, the passing, the moving and cutting, is much more quicker, more effective than the dribbling," he said.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, while a motion and passing heavy offense like the one Wittman is apparently advocating can work, it requires a skill level that many of Washington's players don't posses. Other than <span>Nene</span>, none of the Washington big men are particularly adept passers, while <span>Trevor Ariza</span> is the only wing on the team who could be described as even an average passer. Even the best systems fall apart if they don't have the right personnel, and Washington's roster just isn't set up to function well in the absence of a ball dominant perimeter player who can dribble and pass. Yes, the team's offense fell apart in the second half of the game, resulting in a lot of <span>Jordan Crawford</span> and <span>A.J. Price</span> dribbling, but this was an effect, not a cause, of the Wizards' problems. The ball movement Wittman discussed actually was happening for the most part, but a disciplined San Antonio defense managed to do a good job of staying around the basket and preventing Washington's cutters from scoring. The easy looks the team had been feasting on went away and, as a result, the guards were forced to start trying to create shots on their own.</p>
<p>The Wizards' lack of playmakers and ball handlers is a problem that can't be laid at the feet of the coach or roster. Even Popovich, with all his brilliance and experience, couldn't turn a team that runs its offense through the likes of Price, <span>Kevin Seraphin</span> and a miscast bench gunner like Crawford into an average offensive squad.</p>
<p>In the NBA, coaches can have an enormous impact on a team's defense, but offense is still largely a result of the team's talent level and composition. This has been demonstrated time and time again, as defense-oriented coaches like <span>Tom Thibodeau</span> and <span>Scott Skiles</span> have repeatedly turned average or worse defenses into good ones almost overnight. At the same time, offensive geniuses like Mike D'Antoni and <span>Eddie Jordan</span> have flamed out when put in situations in which they've been forced to fit square pegs into round holes.</p>
<p>Once John Wall and Nene are back and healthy, Washington's offense will definitely improve. How much it improves is still an open question. If Wall can take the next step and become a truly elite point guard, though, he just might allow the team's offense to function a little bit more like San Antonio's.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/27/3697164/washington-wizards-san-antonio-spurs-offense-nba-2012Thomas Pruitt2012-11-26T21:28:59-05:002012-11-26T21:28:59-05:00A bad season gets worse: Wiz fall to Spurs, 118-92
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<figcaption>Rob Carr</figcaption>
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<p>The Wizards kept it close for most of the first half, but in the third and fourth quarter the Spurs dominated and showed the winless Wizards exactly how far they have left to go. </p> <p>WASHINGTON -- The Wizards didn't need another reality check to remind them how bad things have gotten in 2012, but the Spurs gave them one anyway. San Antonio was coming off a double overtime win in Toronto Sunday afternoon, and many figured that the Spurs would rest Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. They didn't, and instead of sleepwalking through a game that would've been easy to sleepwalk through, the Spurs unleashed a beating. First with their starters in the second and third quarters, then with their reserves in the fourth.</p>
<p>Remember all the talk in the offseason about culture matters, and vague concepts like <i>professionalism</i> can be the difference between a winning team and a losing team? Well the Spurs are what that looks like. And the Wizards? They are still the losing team.</p>
<p>As Randy Wittman said afterward, "They carved us up pretty good."</p>
<p>Monday night dropped the Wizards to 0-12 for the year, and with the next three games against the Blazers, Heat, and Knicks, things won't get any easier in the immediate future. On the bright side, John Wall was seen dribbling on a basketball court about an hour before tonight's game, and Nene is still day-to-day and could play Wednesday. So maybe there's hope!</p>
<p>Other bright spots: A.J. Price looked solid for much of the first half, Martell Webster hit a few jumpers to keep the game close early on and finished with 16 points, and Kevin Seraphin put up numbers throughout (18 points and 7 rebounds). Jordan Crawford didn't start tonight, but finished with 19 off the bench. But it wasn't enough, and it actually wasn't even close to being enough.</p>
<p>For San Antonio, Tiago Splitter nearly had a triple double, (15, 12, and 7), which is notable because <i>Tiago Splitter almost had a triple double against this team</i>. Tony Parker did plenty of Tony Parker things through the first three quarters and he finished with 15 points, and Tim Duncan added 14 points on 7 of 11 shooting in 23 minutes. As a team, the Spurs shot 57 percent from three.</p>
<p>Anyway, the Wizards were outclassed. You know this, and I guess it's okay. Nobody had any illusions about this team matching up with the Spurs. But after 11 losses and on a night where Verizon Center was full of Spurs fans, a 26-point blowout (somehow) just twisted the knife a little deeper.</p>
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<p>Alright, now some important questions:</p>
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<li>Why do the Spurs make this look so easy?</li>
<li>Why do the Wizards make this look so hard?</li>
<li>Can we make Sam Cassell a player coach?</li>
<li>What would Gregg Popovich think of Jordan Crawford? Can this be a reality show? </li>
<li>How many times have you checked NBADraft.net so far this season?<br>
</li>
<li>Should David Stern step in and force Emeka Okafor and Kevin Seraphin to switch salaries?</li>
<li>Why isn't Chris Singleton playing 30 minutes-a-game? Let him foul out if he has to.</li>
<li>Did everyone else notice Matt Bonner wears New Balance basketball shoes? Because that is AMAZING.</li>
<li>Where are we on the emotion spectrum? Apathy? Anger? Sadness? Dementia? <br>
</li>
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<p>That's it for tonight. Comment/vent below, and we'll have more in the morning.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 11.26.2012 </span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> </span></td>
<td>29</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>26</td>
<td class="highlight">118</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> </span></td>
<td>25</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>22</td>
<td class="highlight">92</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com/">Pounding The Rock</a></p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/26/3695264/wizards-vs-spurs-final-score-recapAndrew Sharp2012-11-26T17:13:25-05:002012-11-26T17:13:25-05:00Discuss Spurs vs. Wizards here
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<figcaption>Soobum Im-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Here's the place to discuss tonight's Spurs vs. Wizards game.</p> <table cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2012/2013 NBA Preseason</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/6/233/full/828.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/wizards_alt_logo_hand.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>November 26, 2012</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Verizon Center</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7 p.m.</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>CSN, 106.7 The Fan</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>Projected Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Tony Parker</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>A.J. Price</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Gary Neal</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Bradley Beal</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Danny Green</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Trevor Ariza</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Boris Diaw</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Kevin Seraphin</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Tim Duncan</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><p><span>Emeka Okafor</span></p></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>2012/13 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">92.8 (10th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">90.9 (25th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">107.1 (7th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">95.2 (30th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">101.6 (4th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">102.2 (9th)</td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">Also see: <a href="http://www.poundingtherock.com">Pounding The Rock</a> | <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/26/3693808/washington-wizards-san-antonio-spurs-november-26-2012">StoryStream</a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
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<p>I'm needed to do <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Knicks</a>-<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nets</a> coverage on the mothership, so Thomas and Andrew are at Verizon Center. I wouldn't be surprised to see the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> change their starting lineup and/or the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> rest some players after a double-overtime game in Toronto yesterday. If there are any changes, we'll keep you posted.</p>
<p>GO WIZARDS!</p>
<p>LATE UPDATE: The Wizards have changed their starting line up. Livingston, Vesely, and Crawford are out, Ariza, Price, and Okafor are in.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/26/3694662/spurs-vs-wizards-game-time-tv-schedule-and-open-threadMike Prada2012-11-26T13:59:07-05:002012-11-26T13:59:07-05:00Previewing Wizards vs. Spurs
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Wizards have a steep hill to climb tonight if they want to get their first win of the season.</p> <p>Coming into tonight's game, only three teams are top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency: The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a>. While some teams may join the club as the season progresses and defensive intensity rises (Hi Miami!) it's pretty clear the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> will have their hands full tonight as they try to avoid losing a dozen games to start the season.</p>
<p><b>Where, When, and What Channel:</b> The game will start at 7:00 p.m. at the Verizon Center. You can watch it on Comcast SportsNet.</p>
<p><b>Why You Should Care: </b>Because beating an 11-3 team would be a pretty neat way for the 0-11 Wizards to get their first win of the season.</p>
<p><b>What They Do Well: </b>Like the title says, the Spurs are just a really well-rounded team. Offensively and defensively, they can pretty much do it all. With <span>Tony Parker</span> running the show and <span>Tim Duncan</span> taking care of thing in the paint, they've always been solid on both ends. But with the influx of new talent on the wings, they've helped the Spurs to stay ahead of the curve as their stars start to age. In addition to always-excellent <span>Manu Ginobili</span>, the Spurs can now trot out <span>Danny Green</span> and <span>Gary Neal</span> to help ease the burden as well as <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> and <span>Stephen Jackson</span> when they return to health.</p>
<p><b>What They Do Poorly: </b>If you had to find one flaw with the Spurs, it would be rebounding. Other than Tim Duncan, no one on the team is averaging over 10 rebounds per 36 minutes. <span>DeJuan Blair</span> just hasn't been the same force on the glass since his first two seasons, and the rest of their bigs (<span>Boris Diaw</span>, <span>Matt Bonner</span>, <span>Tiago Splitter</span>) aren't guys who were brought in as rebounding specialists.</p>
<p><b>How the Wizards Match Up With Them: </b>Not gonna lie, it doesn't look pretty. The Wizards don't have a guard who can keep up with Tony Parker and they don't have good size to battle with the Spurs' wing players. Additionally, their defense loves to funnel players who love to shoot (<span>Jordan Crawford</span>) into spots on the floor where they take bad shots. Don't be surprised if this is one of those games where Crawford scores 25, but takes 23 shots to do it.</p>
<p><b>Reasons for hope:</b> The Spurs are coming off a double-overtime win in Toronto on Sunday night, where Duncan, Parker and Green all played over 40 minutes. Tonight is a night where the Wizards can exploit the Spurs' fatigue. Although the Wizards are much slower paced team than the Spurs, tonight is a night where they should try to play closer to the Spurs' usual pace to wear them out.</p>
<p>Also, as we said earlier, the Spurs aren't great on the glass. The Wizards aren't exactly great either, but they've been hovering around the league average so far this season. If the Wizards stand a shot, they'll need to get good performances from Okafor, Singleton, Seraphin, Booker, Vesely and yes, <span>Earl Barron</span>. If they can hold their own and cut off some of the Spurs penetration, which should be a step slower tonight, they might have a shot.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/11/26/3692422/washington-wizards-san-antonio-spurs-nba-preview-november-26Jake Whitacre