San Antonio Spurs

With 21 combined games in the 2013 playoff data bag between the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies, it’s now time to look at what the data is saying as the Western Conference Finals approach Sunday. Remember, this is all quantitative data and like the last series before the Spurs and Golden State Warriors, the numbers were predicting a sweep or five game series. However, when you look at qualitative evidence, you might or the Spurs might not have known Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were going to explode in games one and two. Quantitative data didn’t predict Harrison Barnes would be in the company of Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson in Game 5. So here are the numbers on the eve of the Western Conference Finals. Look, analyze, and dissect them, but do not rely on them because as the Warriors proved, numbers will change once the ball is tipped. Offense and Defense Points Per Game – Spurs 102.8, Grizzlies 97.2 Points allowed – Spurs 93, Grizzlies 92.4 Offensive rating – Spurs 107, Grizzlies 104.4 Defensive rating – Spurs 96.2, Grizzlies 99.9 What stands out? Of the above numbers, the fact that the Grizzlies are allowing 92 points per game shows that the Spurs are about to play their toughest defensive foe of this postseason. Offensively, the Spurs seem to be Memphis’ biggest test of stopping a scoring team. Field Goal Percentage – Spurs 46%, Grizzlies 43.3% Opponent field goal percentage – Spurs 43.6%, Grizzlies 43.5% 3-Point shooting – Spurs 35.6%, Grizzlies 31% Opponent 3-point percentage – Spurs 33.2%, Grizzlies 31.8% 3-point attempts – Spurs 20.2, Grizzlies 14.5 3-Pointers allowed – Spurs 19.6, Grizzlies 19.7 An interesting number here is that the Grizzlies allow 19.7 three pointers per game. Since the Spurs shoot around 20 per game then their 3-point shots should be there so long as they are moving the ball on the floor. Seeing that the Grizzlies hold teams to 32% shooting from 3-point range means that they contest looks out on the arc. Free throw shooting – Spurs 75.8%, Grizzlies 76.7% Rebounds – Spurs 43.8, Grizzlies 40.1 Offensive rebounding – Spurs 10.2, Grizzlies 10.2 Unlike 2011 where Memphis dominated the rebounding game, the Spurs are better equipped in their frontline and wing players to help crash the boards. Later on though, we’ll see why Zach Randolph will be a whole other area of concern when it comes to rebounding. 2nd Chance points – Spurs 11.8, Grizzlies 14.7 points Huge stat right here for Memphis. They’re scoring nearly 15 points off second chance attempts which means they hustle for offensive boards and plays that are almost going out of bounds. The Spurs will have to match the intensity the Grizzlies bring each and every night. Assists – Spurs 23, Grizzlies 19.5 Opponent assists – Spurs 19.1, Grizzlies 16.9 This stat could be one of the most decisive aspects of this series. Quantitatively the Grizzlies look like a team that doesn’t allow solid ball movement by opponents as they’re holding teams to 16.9 assists per game. However, qualitatively, it looked the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t have too much trouble penetrating and kicking out to open shooters or slashers. Turnovers per game Spurs 11.1, Grizzlies 10.4 Opponent turnovers – Spurs 15.2, Grizzlies 14 Though both teams seem to take care of the ball pretty effectively, both defensives also force a few turnovers as well. The Spurs’ offensive firepower allows them to have the luxury of turning the ball over and then being able to score to make up those possessions, the Grizzlies however can’t afford turnovers as their offense doesn’t score at such a high rate. Points off turnovers – Spurs 17.8, Grizzlies 16.2 Basically, any team that tur

The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Finals to earn the opportunity to play the Memphis Grizzlies this Sunday for Game 1. The Spurs and Grizzlies are no strangers to each other as the teams faced off in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs in the first round. The Grizzlies triumphed over the Spurs in 6 games and San Antonio hasn't been shy in saying they haven't forgotten that experience. This season the teams meet each other with the winner heading to the NBA Finals against whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference. The Grizzlies have looked dominant lately and the Spurs will need to top these two categories to have the edge in this series. 1) Rebounds The Spurs are have not been a good rebounding team during the regular season and for a good reason. San Antonio has been a solid defensive rebounding team but has suffered on the offensive end. While some see that as a weakness, the Spurs were such a good shooting and scoring team in the regular season and didn't need to offensive rebound as much as other teams. In their last 5 games against the Golden State Warriors, they've averaged 44.8rpg while the Grizzlies have averaged 42.8rpg in the same number of games. The Spurs were outrebounded in the series against the Golden State Warriors (47.8rpg) due to their speed and versatility while the Grizzlies were outrebounded by a less athletic frontcourt with not much depth in the Oklahoma City Thunder (43.4rpg). The Spurs have the depth to match the Grizzlies with Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, and (if they choose to go small) Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging 8.4rpg this postseason. 2) Toughness The Grizzlies traded Rudy Gay for Tayshaun Prince this season, but the bigs are still the focal point of their offense. Marc Gasol is averaging 18.3ppg this posteason and Zach Randolph's averaging 19.7ppg alongside him. The majority of the scoring is coming from the paint and that was one of the reasons why the Spurs fell to this team two years ago. Tiago Splitter showed some toughness against the Grizzlies this season as a starter and that's something they'll need in this series. San Antonio has to match toughness against Memphis for them to win this series. They have the advantage on overall versatility with Matt Bonner and Boris Diaw in the lineup, but wearing out the Memphis bigs when they're on defense and defending them with toughness will be key for the Spurs. The Spurs have a shot against the lower seeded Grizzlies, but they'll need to dominate these two categories to get out of this series and head to the NBA Finals. There's other categories the Spurs need to thrive in including shooting, but these two will determine if they'll have some breathing room during the series and will also dictate how the team plays on the other side of the floor.

The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies will meet in the 2013 Western Conference Finals for a shot at going to the NBA Finals which kicks off tomorrow in San Antonio. On this episode of the Project Spurs-News 4 San Antonio, Spurs Roundtable, Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs' Quixem Ramirez and special guest Jason Minnix of 1250 ESPN The Blitz, break down the Spurs-Grizzlies WCF series. From whether the Spurs should be concerned about facing the Grizzlies, the play of Mike Conley in the postseason to predictions, the panel looks at every angle of this Western Conference clash.

Spurs fans have every reason to feel confident right now. San Antonio swiftly dispatched the Lakers, a perennial powerhouse, and then quelled the uprising and youthful Warriors, a team which appears poised to contend in the West for years to come. The Spurs accomplished all of this through familiar means: systematic offense and suppressive defense, dropping only two games out of ten en route to a second straight Western Conference Finals showdown with a relatively familiar pseudo-rival. The Spurs and the Grizzlies are not rivals in the purest sense of the word. Tim Duncan and Zach Randolph haven't, and never would, fasten their fingers around the each other's necks, a la Bird-Erving. The teams have only clashed in one playoff series with rosters remotely similar to what they are now (The Spurs swept the Grizz in the 2004 first round. Not a single player on that Memphis roster still plays in "The Bluff City"), but that 2011 series sure was a doozy. While this matchup will never rival those Spurs-Mavericks/Suns tilts when each of those teams was in its prime, the sting from 2011 still lingers for many fans. That unceremonious first-round loss, only the third time in NBA history that an 8-seed defeated a 1-seed, was a serious gut-punch to the people of San Antonio. Most feel some combination of visceral dread and confident optimism, in varying degrees, heading in to a series with the physical Grizzlies. With a second straight chance to earn a spot in the Finals, however, those who wear Silver and Black would love nothing more than sweet, sweet revenge and a chance to dethrone King James. What's Different Now? Let's come back a minute to that sense of "visceral dread" we talked about earlier. Why are Spurs fans so scared of the Grizzlies? I'll tell you why. Because everybody remembers how Mike Conley subjugated Tony Parker, imposing his defensive will on the fulcrum of the Spurs offense. Everybody remembers that Zach Randolph never missed for the whole series. Everybody remembers that the Spurs shouldn't even have won two games, avoiding the Gentleman's sweep only through improbable heroics from Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili in Game 5. It was complete domination by the Grizzlies from start to finish, and it left most Spurs fans in a depressive offseason stupor. Fortunately, the guys from SA who will step out on the court on Sunday afternoon have a selective memory, and they know things have changed. This is a new series in a new year, with tweaked rosters, reborn players and shifted mentalities. Neither coach is game-planning for the respective opposing teams from two years ago. The series may display the same brand of grinding drudgery with which the Spurs of the aughts were well acquainted, but after a few years "lost at D," the Spurs have righted the ship and are prepared to treat national audiences to a great defensive series. Roster Changes: The Ins and Outs Each team has made some noteworthy roster changes in the last two years. Below are the playoff rotation players who have left or joined each roster since 2011. Spurs Grizzlies Out In Out In Richard Jefferson Kawhi Leonard O.J. Mayo Tayshaun Prince Antonio McDyess Boris Diaw Shane Battier Jerryd Bayless George Hill Cory Joseph Greivis Vasquez Quincy Pondexter There are some significant changes over the span of two years. While the core of each team remains intact, the surrounding cast is largely different. The Spurs ditched Richard Jefferson (who finally managed to help us win a playoff game via two wonderfully missed free throws), Antonio McDyess and George Hill. The loss of Hill certainly hurts the most, as the Pacers are now discovering following his concussion in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semis. Even two years ago, George Hill was a great defender who could create his own shots. When Manu joined the starting lineup in Game 2 of the 2011 fir

via cdn3.sbnation.com Surprise! There will be no Lakers or Thunder in this year's Western Conference Finals matchup as predicted by the majority of sports analysts at the beginning of the year. Instead, on May 19, the #2 seed San Antonio Spurs look to seek revenge from their most embarassing exit in previous playoff history as they host the #4 seed Memphis Grizzlies.For Spurs fans, 2011 was a year to forget. They were the second #1 seed in NBA history to lose in the first round to the #8 seed. Not only was this series a major setback for the Spurs, but it also was the major confidence boost the Grizzlies needed to become one of the elite NBA teams. via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com Now, here we are with the Grizzlies reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their franchise history.And believe me, San Antonio fans hold grudges. "Remember the Alamo" ring a bell? via 5.nicekicks.com Spurs X-factor: Kawhi LeonardYou might not think the Spurs have changed much between 2011 and now, but I'd argue you would be wrong.Yes, the Spurs still have the Big Three. However, Manu Ginobili is playing and healthy (unlike 2011), Duncan has somehow improved as he has gotten older, and Parker is having another MVP candidate type season. The major addition however is the the 15th overall pick in 2011, Kawhi Leonard. In only his second year, Leonard has become the best perimeter defender on the Spurs team. In addition, he has developed a potent offensive game as well, averaging just under 14 points per game and 9 rebounds a game during the playoffs this year. He is a consistent double double threat each and every game. via ww1.hdnux.com Key Matchup: Tim Duncan vs Marc GasolThe Grizzlies are a selfless team, arguably without a pure superstar. Marc Gasol is their sole all-star player, however he is both a major defensive and offensive force to reckon with. Out of all current playoff players, Gasol is 4th in blocks at 2.2 per game. What does this mean for Duncan? He will likely not being drawing any double teams this series and will need to be aggressive with his offensive moves. On the flip side, the Spurs will need to commit to team defense when guarding Gasol or Zach Randolph. Duncan might not guard Gasol until the end of the game to allow Duncan to stay out of foul trouble. via www3.pictures.zimbio.com Prediction: Spurs in Seven Since 1999, the Spurs and Lakers have combined to have won 10 out of the last 13 Western Conference Finals. The major difference makers of this series include the following. 1)Spurs have homecourt2)Spurs have Kawhi Leonard3)Manu Ginobili is healthier4)Grizzlies are without Rudy Gay via cdn3.sbnation.com In the end, I believe the Spurs have adjusted enough from 2011 to have the firepower to get through the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals for the 5th time in 14 years. via cdn3.sbnation.com Surprise! There will be no Lakers or Thunder in this year's Western Conference Finals matchup as predicted by the majority of sports analysts at the beginning of the year. Instead, on May 19, the #2 seed San Antonio Spurs look to seek revenge from their most embarassing exit in previous playoff history as they host the #4 seed Memphis Grizzlies.For Spurs fans, 2011 was a year to forget. They were the second #1 seed in NBA history to lose in the first round to the #8 seed. Not only was this series a major setback for the Spurs, but it also was the major confidence boost the Grizzlies needed to become one of the elite NBA teams. via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com Now, here we are with the Grizzlies reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their franchise history.And believe me, San Antonio fans hold grudges. "Remember the Alamo" ring a bell? via 5.nicekicks.com Spurs X-factor: Kawhi LeonardYou might not think the Spurs have changed much between 2011 and now, but I'd argue you would be wrong.Yes, the Spurs still have th

AUSTIN – Fabian Coulthard and Jamie Whincup were the fastest drivers in V8 Supercars qualifying during the twin 15-minute sessions on Saturday afternoon at the Circuit of The Americas. The qualifying sessions were held to set the grid for today’s two V8 Supercar races on the 2.4-mile COTA short course. In the first session, Coulthard set the fast time with a 1:32.5934 lap in his No. 14 Lockwood Racing Holden Commodore VF race car. “To start the first race here at the Austin 400 on pole is a pretty awesome feeling,” Coulthard said. “There’s not much pace left to find. It’s all about how many sets of tyres you use [...]

It’s 2013. The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies are about to face off in another playoff series after the Grizzlies defeated the Spurs two years ago in the first round. Unlike 2011, Manu Ginobili is healthy, Tiago Splitter is a key player, Kawhi Leonard is a Spur, Boris Diaw is a Spur, and Richard Jefferson is already on vacation. The Grizzlies too have new faces with Tayshaun Prince, Jerryd Bayless, and Quincy Pondexter. For them, Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, and Greivis Vasquez are now gone. “(We) make no comparisons to anybody we’ve played in the past,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich Saturday, the eve before the Conference Finals begin at the teams practice facility. “Everything sticks,” said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili of remembering how the team was two wins away from making the NBA Finals a year ago. Ginobili too much mentioned the series from 2011, but he also remembers every series since his rookie campaign. “Everything builds up to who you are now,” finished Ginobili of all his experiences in the playoffs. On the Grizzlies, the Spurs know they’re about to face their toughest defensive foe of any they’ve played so far in the playoffs. “A very good basketball team,” said Popovich. “One of the top defensive teams in the league,” continued Popovich, “finding ways to score is going to be difficult.” “They’re very physical,” said Parker. “They create a lot of turnovers.” “It’s more like the Lakers,” said Ginobili of the Grizzlies being a post-oriented team. “They have the best defense in the league.” A player who allows the Grizzlies to have a premier defense is the defensive player of the year, Marc Gasol. A player Ginobili and Parker know all too well from their experience of playing him overseas. Parker said Gasol has great “position defense” but added “he knows I’m coming.” “He’s one of the best for sure,” said Ginobili of Gasol. “He’s longer and gets in good position.” Ginobili said Gasol’s style of defense reminds him of Tim Duncan, who too doesn’t go for highlight blocks but instead puts his body in the right position. On Memphis’ point guard Mike Conley, Parker had plenty of praise. “He’s very underrated,” said Parker of Conley. “For me, he’s definitely Top 10 point guards in the league.” Parker also said he expects Grizzlies two-time all-first team defender Tony Allen to spend some time defending him. “Definitely,” said Parker of thinking Allen might defend him. “I’ll be ready.” Lastly, with all the talk of defense from the Grizzlies, the Spurs know the only way they’ll be able to score in the series is by moving the ball around the floor and looking for the best shots possible. “We’ve got to move the ball,” said Parker of scoring on the Grizzlies, “play ‘Spurs’ basketball.” Ginobili added the Spurs would have to be “strong on the boards” to help in the rebounding department. But Ginobili also reemphasized what Parker said, “It’s all about moving the ball.” Game 1 tips off at 2:30 PM CST Sunday at the AT&T Center.