San Antonio Spurs

FOR TIMMEH!

With the Miami Heat facing elimination from the 2013 NBA Finals on Tuesday night, head coach Erik Spoelstra has decided to stick with his most recent starting lineup combination. Mike Miller will continue to start along with Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Spoelstra inserted Miller into his starting lineup prior to Game 4 of the series with San Antonio in the hopes of shaking things up a bit on the offensive end. Miller went scoreless in Games 4 and 5, somehow only taking two shots over 46 minutes of play. Miami went 1-1 in the two games he started. There was speculation that Shane Battier could start Game 6. Battier has played sparingly in the Finals, averaging just under 10 minutes a game. He logged a series-high 18 minutes in Game 5. After Manu Ginobili and Danny Green picked the Heat defense apart in Game 5, Battier's defensive ability will be needed off the bench as the team aims to force a decisive Game 7 in the series. More from SB Nation: • Ziller: LeBron and the age of sports skeptics • Doc Rivers trade to Clippers is dead, says Danny Ainge • Flannery: Finally, The Manu Game | How the Spurs won • SB Nation's blogger mock draft • NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

MIAMI — In basketball’s down time, twitter is gold. It’s full of observations and inside jokes to pass time in between games, and the running jokes in the NBA are a constant source of often sophomoric entertainment. Monta Eillis having it all. J.R. Smith’s shooting efficiency. Carmelo Anthony’s shooting efficiency. The Knicks. JaVale McGee. And then there’s Boris Diaw’s inflation rate. Whether it’s a French pastry joke you fancy or a comparison to a landlocked sea mammal you utilize (‘Land Walrus’), the hilarity never ceases, does it? But it’s his nickname among the Chinese that’s perhaps most apropos to the style of basketball for which he’s best known. Not only has the ‘French Magician’ impacted this series with his patented creativity on offense, but after the impact he had defensively in Game 5, maybe ‘Shao Tao’ (The Glove) should be his next moniker from overseas. Of course I kid, and I apologize for such a terrible joke, but it shouldn’t be understated: Boris Diaw defended the hell out of LeBron James on Sunday, and it could be the out-of-nowhere matchup that has a major ripple effect tonight. That’s not to say OH HEY BORIS DIAW CAN GUARD LEBRON JAMES! He can’t. Put the two on an island and James will blow by Diaw nearly every time. But this is a team game, and the combination of Boris’ length, quickness, girth and backup defenders makes him a serviceable presence in the individual defense of James. And it’s that length that affords him the ability to guard LeBron to some extent. According to NBA.com’s video archives, James didn’t score one field goal when Diaw was guarding him straight up on Sunday. (I’ve read and heard comments to the contrary on this, so please let me know if I’m missing something here.) There was a layup on Duncan, a 3-pointer out of a scramble and a fast-break dunk while Boris was on the floor, but nothing on Diaw when the two were isolated. On top of that, James was 5-for-9 from the floor with a ridiculous 61.1 effective field-goal percentage and a true-shooting percentage of better than 70 when Diaw was on the bench. But in the 25 minutes the two shared the court together, LeBron went 3-for-13 with a 26.9 effective field-goal percentage and a 28.8 true-shooting percentage. Those numbers stick out intensely. In 1-on-1 situations — moments in which Diaw’s plump presence should inspire a voracious appetite to attack for a physical specimen like James — Boris stands back, doing the best he can to drop his butt back in the paint and eliminate any angle LeBron might have. At the same time, he reaches one arm out as far as it will extend, shadowing James’ face and eliminating as much immediate air space as possible. And all the while, Diaw is giving himself one full King-sized step to allow for recovery in case James drives. And it has worked. For now, I guess. James was affected by the presence of the ‘French Magician’ and the size equality he brought to the table. The MVP is masterful when using his 260-pound frame to blow up smaller forwards and guards when he penetrates, and Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, despite their quickness, have no chance once LeBron bulldozes his way into the paint. But Boris can absorb the contact. On this play, James drives hard with his left hand and lowers his right shoulder into Diaw’s chest. It’s the same type of play that’s sent Green careening into the row of baseline photographers several times during this series, but Boris takes the immediate impact and recovers. What’s even more important, James isn’t able to continue his train of momentum toward the basket. He may have knocked Diaw back on his heels, but his progress was stopped as well. And whenever James is able to get to his spots on the floor, Boris has been there to contest. The paint is constantly c

Magicians and swindlers have a lot in common. In every scam, there exists some form of misdirection, a time when you watch the exaggerated motion as the "coin" disappears with virtually no movement. The exceptionally talented scammers make their marks think they are doing them a favor. The marks are so disoriented that they cannot wait to get taken again. And that brings us to the NBA. Hook, Line and Free Throw At the end of a typical NBA game, many fans take a look at the box score to confirm or disprove their observations of the game. If your team won, the observation starts with the points column and then proceeds to who shot well. Maybe you do the same for the opposition. It is fun to look for statistical anomalies such as double doubles or out of family performances (a center with 10 assists, a guard with 10 rebounds). Secure in your knowledge of your team's superiority, you can go about your life. If, however, your team lost, the pilgrimage to the box score takes on an entirely different meaning. If you had an inkling that you got screwed by the referees, your first stop will be the free throw attempts column. Seeing a huge disparity in trips to the charity stripe may piss you off. But let me tell you this; you are probably looking in the wrong place. The table below shows from most to least what a single bad call by a referee can cost your team. Note where an incorrectly called defensive foul lies in the table. This table assumes a simple 1.1 points per possession (PPP) and 75% free throw shooting. Your mileage may vary. Incorrect Call by Referee Statistical Cost to Team Offensive foul called on a shot that went in Should have been a defensive foul 2.75 points (basket + one FTA) vs. (loss of possession) Offensive foul called Should have been a defensive foul 1.5 (two FTA) vs. (loss of possession) Turnover Should have been a defensive foul 1.5 (two FTA) vs. (loss of possession) Incorrect travelling 1.1 (loss of possession) Incorrect carry 1.1 (loss of possession) Incorrect over and back 1.1 (loss of possession) Incorrect possession on out of bounds tip 1.1 (loss of possession) Incorrect offensive three seconds 1.1 (loss of possession) Missed goaltending 0.9 (basket) vs. (one possession) Incorrect defensive three seconds 0.75 (one FTA) Incorrect defensive foul 0.4 (two FTA) vs. (one possession) A defensive foul resulting in free throws is not a big statistical swinger during the game. A team shooting 75% on free throws has the expectation of 1.5 points from two free throws instead of 1.1 points from a single possession (there is some interdependence I am ignoring). If your team has 10 more or fewer free throws, the expectation is that changed the outcome by +/- two points. In a really tight game, two points can mean a lot. In most games, it is not a factor. On the other hand, missed turnovers that should have been fouls can add up in a hurry. The 2013 Heat At the risk of being obvious, let me point out that Basketball is a game. Even when it is played by people who bring in nearly $60 million a year for playing it, it is still a game. Upon retirement, many famous athletes from different sports marveled that they were allowed to make their living by simply playing a game that they loved. Those who respect their sports play within both legal and moral bounds. It is one of the reasons I love the Spurs, but alas, it is not universal. The 2013 Heat are as talented a team as anyone in the league. But talent is not the sum total of the Heat. The Heat coaching staff seems to have combined knowledge of the table above with human nature to get an edge, effectively lowering the bar for a win. After watching all of their playoffs games, their approach appears to be: 1) If you go for a steal/block/disruption on the defensive end and get caught, the cost vs. most tea

The San Antonio Spurs (15-4) will look to win their fifth NBA title tonight in Miami as they face the Heat (14-7) in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Miami. The Spurs are coming off a 114-104 win over the Heat in Game 5 in San Antonio to take a 3-2 series lead. Manu Ginobili made his first postseason start since and tallied 24 points and 10 assists. Tony Parker had 26 and 5 assists while Danny Green continued his hot shooting finishing with 24 points, including 6 more three-pointers and now has 25 in the series. Miami was led by LeBron James' 25 points in the loss. And as the Spurs look to walk away with title No. 5 in franchise history tonight, here are five things to watch for during tonight's game: • Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has compiled a 31-9 (.775) career home record during postseason play • The Heat are a perfect 6-0 after a loss during the postseason. • Miami is 8-3 at home in the postseason and overall are 14-12 in games played in Miami. • The Spurs are 4-0 on the road in the postseason when scoring 100 points or more. • The Spurs are 6-0 on the road when outscoring their opponent in the paint in the playoffs.

It's Game 5 of the Finals. LeBron James shoots a free throw, misses, slaps his hands against each other in consternation and steps back up to the line, ready to shoot his second. Then the buzzer sounds, announcing a player's entering the game. LeBron quickly swings his head around to see who it is and his expression immediately changes to one of disgust and disappointment. He shakes his head and drops an F-bomb while popping out his mouthpiece and stepping away from the free throw line. Mike Breen says the words "Leonard comes in and Green will sit." It has to be seen to be believed, and yet the more I watch it, the more the impossible seems to be as obvious as the grimace on LeBron's face: The league's best basketball player didn't want to see the Spurs' 21 year old small forward enter the game. There's not other explanation that I find plausible for his reaction. See for yourself. And now ... lotsa GIFs Danny Green's presence of mind -- and lights out shooting This just happens to be the three-pointer that put Danny Green ahead of Ray Allen as the sole possessor of the NBA record holder for the most threes ever made in a single Finals series. But that's not why I've included it. The big deal here is the fact that Green knew he was being trailed by Dwayne Wade on this play because both of them fell underneath the Heat basket as the ball was rebounded. Danny didn't want to get blocked, and had the presence of mind, even as he was receiving the ball and planting for his jumper, to take a look over his left shoulder to see whether he had enough room to get his shot off. I remember thinking as he did so that it would increase the difficulty on the shot. It obviously didn't make a bit of difference. I wasn't the only one to notice Danny's peek: Green looked behind him as he was gathering for that 3-point attempt. Doesn't even need to see the basket right now. — Matthew R Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) June 17, 2013 Here's a nice shot by Manu And here's another Here's a pass from Manu to Danny for a three And a pass from Boris to Danny for a three And finally: these were specially requested by tgojh of KL from G4

During the San Antonio Spurs' title chase, Rey Moralde of The No Look Pass will be contributing to Project Spurs. So apparently, the then-New Jersey Nets could've picked up Danny Green last year. According to Avery Johnson, who was coach last season, they were so close on getting the NBA Finals record-holder for most three-pointers. Here's NetsDaily with the report and the transcript After the Spurs' win over the Heat, Green's' shooting was a hot topic on First Take, hosted by Stephen A. Smith. Johnson took the opportunity to talk about how good he thought Green was during his tenure at Nets coach. AJ: "I remember with the Nets, Billy King and I, we were trying convince Pop to cut Danny Green so we could bring him at the time to New Jersey." SAS: "You were trying to hoodwink Pop? AJ: "YES!" (all laugh) SAS: "Oh my goodness! You were trying to hoodwink Pop." AJ: "And Pop said if he has one more bad game we're going to cut him and he made a bunch of threes in this one particular game and he kept him." According to NetsDaily, that "one particular game" was January 7th, 2012 when the Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets, 121-117. Danny Green scored a season-high 24 points. That obviously got him back on Pop's good side. Avery Johnson, as we all know, has a history with Popovich. Johnson played with the Spurs in 1991, 1992-93, and then 1994-2001. We all remember the shot he hit against the New York Knicks that clinched the Spurs' first championship in 1999. So Avery Johnson knew Pop pretty well but not well enough to outsmart him. Green would've been a nice addition, too; the Nets could've used his three-point shooting as they only shot .316 from behind the arc against the Bulls in the playoffs. The Nets did end up signing Gerald Green, Danny's cousin, on February 27th, 2012. Gerald Green would end up going to the Pacers during the offseason. In the meantime, Danny Green has a chance to add to his Finals record for most three-pointers. More importantly, he has a chance to help the Spurs clinch their fifth championship later on tonight against the Miami Heat.

Through four playoffs series this postseason, the San Antonio Spurs have now only lost four games total. Sweeps in the opening round and Western Conference Finals mean the Spurs’ only losses have come at the hands of the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat. 4 losses. The Spurs will look to end the playoffs tonight with that same number as they enter a crucial Game 6 in Miami. There’s nothing easy about closing out a series on the road, but the Spurs have been here before and have a 100 percent success rate in closeout games on the road. Back on April 28, behind 23 points from Tony Parker, the Spurs ended their first round series with the Lakers in the Staples Center in a 103-82 rout. After splitting the first four games, the Spurs won Game 5 at Home against the Golden State Warriors and were faced with a closeout opportunity in Oakland. The Spurs took an early lead and never looked back, winning 94-82. In Game Four of the Western Conference Finals, Tony Parker went off and the Memphis Grizzlies had no answer for his 37-point outburst in Memphis as the Spurs completed the sweep with a 93-86 win. The Spurs have history on their side when it comes to closing out the NBA Finals on the road as well. Going back to the 2007 Finals, in their sweep of the Cavs, the Spurs closed in Game Four in Cleveland in a narrow lead, with Manu Ginobili finishing with 27 points and five assists. Even with their first Finals appearance in 1999, the Spurs won in Madsion Square Garden, getting the best of the three games on the road. While this series has not seen two consecutive wins from one teams, with both teams making key adjustments after losses, they have yet to pass up a chance to finish in a closeout situation. Being up 3-2 also presents an advantage, and after having Manu Ginobili turn back the clock in Game 5, the Spurs have several weapons to use in a big game tonight in Miami. While James, Wade and Co. will be primed and ready to try to stretch this to seven, as I've said before, the Spurs are as focused as I've seen them and have more than enough motivation, considering they are one win away from a fifth title for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. Celebrating a championship on the road is nothing new to the Spurs, so it should be no surprise if they are raising the Larry O'Brien trophy in South Beach tonight.

Jun 16, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (right) and small forward LeBron James addresses the media after game five in the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT Game six, NBA Finals, Spurs are just one game away from notching their fifth title in the teams history.  Listening to sports talk radio on the way home this morning from my job, everyone was pretty much stating that the pressure is not on San Antonio but on the Miami Heat.  I still am trying to figure out the way these finals have gone.  I can’t recall teams going back and forth with winning a game, then losing the next, and so on. I then switched to ESPN Miami Heat Radio and they stated the pressure is not on the Heat but on San Antonio.  Of course right?  San Antonio playing under the radar and they continue to be left out of everything when it comes to talking about these finals, from ESPN.  Every other news outlet have given the Spurs their due. Tonight is the night. The Spurs and the fans have been waiting six long years for this time to come.  It happens.  The Drive For Five because reality.  But first, there are some things that San Antonio needs to do and continue to do in order to clinch the title. Control Emotions.  I have stated this times through-out these finals but tonight is where San Antonio really needs to keep their emotions in check.  The younger guys, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard have done a remarkable job showing no signs of nervousness with this being their first finals.  Them two have played about the best basketball you could ever hope for in their first trip. Limit Turnovers.  The Miami Heat feed off of being able to get steals and take it to the other end as quick as they can.  This is what happened in game 5.  LeBron and Wade love to get out into the open floor and finish at the rim.  Taking care of the ball and not trying to force passes into double-teams as well as across court, ala Ginobili, needs to be key. Get Ginobili Going.  Raising from the ashes Ginobili decided to join the Finals by having his best game notching a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists.  Didn’t LeBron state before that they were preparing for Ginobili as if he was going to have a huge game?  Hmmm, wonder what happened. Finish It.  I woke up today feeling probably about as good as all Spurs fans.  This is our time.  We have seen our team with their ups and downs.  We have heard it through the media, they are to old, they can’t compete with the younger teams in the league.  Well how about that, they have proven that age does not matter.  They know how to play as a team and use their skills.  Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard have been playing lights out.

With the San Antonio Spurs ahead 3-2 in the NBA Finals over the Miami Heat, it’s safe to begin looking at who a potential Finals MVP for the series could be if the Spurs win the title in six or seven games, or the Heat force a seventh game and win the championship. The numbers provided below come from NBA.com/stats are only taken from the averages through the five NBA Finals games. If the Spurs win the Championship Danny Green: 18 points (10.6 FGA), 66% shooting from 3-point range, 1.6 blocks “Danny Shoot Ball” is what Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said about Green back in early January, and that’s exactly what Green’s continued to do at an even higher rate through five games in the Finals. Green is scoring the most points per game for the Spurs and producing on both ends of the floor. It’s not just that Green’s the type of player who floats around the perimeter. He’s constantly moving baseline to baseline to lose his defender and he’s also working hard on offense to get himself in position to receive a pass in catch-and-shoot position. And even though Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich joked about his dribbling ability on Sunday after Game 5, Green has been able to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim with floaters or layups at times in the series. Defensively, he also has to guard two of the Heat’s best players on the floor at different times in games, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Where Green’s defense has been superb is in transition when Wade and James have had him on the break - and Green’s disrupted some of their attempts in the open court. If the Spurs end up winning the title and Green hits about four to five more 3-pointers, his new nickname should become “consistency.” Green not only broke Ray Allen’s Finals MVP record which was 22, but he’s now four 3-pointers away from breaking the All-time 3-point playoff record set by Allen at 28 when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks early in his career. Tony Parker: 16.2 points, 6.6 assists, 49% shooting from the field Parker’s goal is always to be a 50% shooter from the field. If he has an effective shooting night to close the series, he could get his shooting percentage right where he wants to be. Even though Green is scoring the most points in the series of any Spurs player, Parker needs to be credited because if it wasn’t for him sucking in the Heat defense from dribble penetration and finding Green open on the arc, Green wouldn’t be getting those 11 shots per game, a chunk of them wide open. What hurts Parker in this series are the turnovers (2.6 per game) and also his inconsistency in the games where Miami’s hounding defense took away a lot of the Spurs’ pick-and-roll options in Games 2 and 4. Though it wasn’t his fault, Parker also had the hamstring injury affect his play in Game 4 as it led him to fatigue in the second half after a strong start. Parker said his hamstring could tear at any point during the series. So if the Spurs go on to win the title, just remember that Parker was risking his health just to get his team the ultimate prize. That’s worth a mention for Finals MVP candidacy. Tim Duncan: 15.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 46% shooting Though they’re not “Roy Hibbert” numbers (22 points, 10 rebounds), Duncan has been productive in the series. Duncan’s biggest attribute is that he’s the anchor on the defensive end and also a solid secondary option on offense. Duncan has had his way with Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, and really exploited the Heat’s smaller players when they’re matched up on him with dunks or drop offs over them. Even though the Heat’s defense isn’t giving him time or letting his teammates give him his usual jump shot from the elbow, he’s continuing to establish h