Grizzlies/Spurs Playoff Series

Discussion in 'Memphis Grizzlies' started by Voodoo Child, Apr 17, 2004.

  1. Trip

    Trip 2000000000000000000000000

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    This will be Memphis's first ever home playoff game, and I think they will play to the energy of the crowd and play as good as they ever will.

    Grizzlies by 9.
     
  2. Linkin

    Linkin JBB JustBBall Member

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    The Grizzlies might have a better chance of winning this game. They are playing at home and they are great home team. They 31-10 at home but the Spurs will be playing excellent defense as usual. Mike Miller and Jason Williams,both will need to play better. They only scored a total of 24 points in the first two games. Jason will need to play better against Tony completely outplayed him in the first 2 games. I predict the Grizzlies by 4.
     
  3. Rudeezy

    Rudeezy JBB Senior *********

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    Wow, you couldn't ask for anymore out of a playoff game. The Grizz put themselves into a position to win it at the end but couldn't hit the game winner.

    The Spurs almost lost the game for themselves at the free throw line. Just a complete lack of focus. Their experience and superior defense won this game for them tonight. There were a few things down the stretch that I didn't agree on with regard to Hubie.

    1) He put the ball in Gasol's hands with about a minute to play with Duncan guarding him. Duncan is a premier low post defender in the NBA. Gasol doesn't stand a chance against him. They got a horrible shot while he was falling to the game which led to a shot clock violation.

    2)He put the ball in Bonzi Wells hands on their last possesion when they were down by 2 and he had arguably the best defender in the League in Bruce Bowen guarding him. These were two unfavorable match ups for the Grizz and it turned out disasterous for them.

    With that said, the Grizz played their hearts out and played an amazing game. They limited their turnovers and took advantage of the Spurs mistakes. They were on the offensive glass the whole night. The Spurs were just on fire from the 3 point line and that is what kept them in the game. The Spurs locked down on defense in the final minutes which eventually won them the game.

    Both game both ways.
     
  4. jwill2

    jwill2 JBB JustBBall Member

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    This hurts, please get rebound! Anybody just a rebound. Yikes
     
  5. Rudeezy

    Rudeezy JBB Senior *********

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting jwill2:</div><div class="quote_post">This hurts, please get rebound! Anybody just a rebound. Yikes</div>
    Yea, the Spurs came up with some HUGE offensive rebounds late in the game which led to some baskets. Horry once again came up big in the playoffs.
     
  6. Ezra

    Ezra JBB JustBBall Member

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    We won that game. It wasn't even close.

    It's just that the Spurs hit an insane amount of threes, and had the higher score at the end.

    It was a victory nonetheless.
     
  7. Ezra

    Ezra JBB JustBBall Member

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    I wouldn't necessarily call it a blowout either. I mean, the Spurs won by a lot of points, but the game was competitive for the first 7/8ths.
     
  8. Rudeezy

    Rudeezy JBB Senior *********

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ezra:</div><div class="quote_post">We won that game. It wasn't even close.

    It's just that the Spurs hit an insane amount of threes, and had the higher score at the end.

    It was a victory nonetheless.</div>Wow.

    The series is 3-0, nonetheless.
     
  9. Vyper

    Vyper -Vintage '73-

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ezra:</div><div class="quote_post">We won that game. It wasn't even close.

    It's just that the Spurs hit an insane amount of threes, and had the higher score at the end.

    It was a victory nonetheless.</div>


    If you won why isn't it 2-1? [​IMG] And isn't getting a higher score the point? Jeez.
     
  10. 30 standing ver

    30 standing ver JBB JustBBall Member

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    To bad for the Grizz. I was pulling for them and so far the Pistons series is the only series that's the other team has won a game.
     
  11. notmuchgame

    notmuchgame JBB JustBBall Member

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    I just scratch my head at some of those shots Jason Williams took at the end...damn shame too, I was rooting for the Grizz
     
  12. Rudeezy

    Rudeezy JBB Senior *********

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">I just scratch my head at some of those shots Jason Williams took at the end...damn shame too, I was rooting for the Grizz</div>Same here. I know he has taken some huge steps in the right direction but he looked as though he reverted to his old ways the way he was just throwing up those shots.
     
  13. tidi

    tidi JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Same here. I know he has taken some huge steps in the right direction but he looked as though he reverted to his old ways the way he was just throwing up those shots.</div>

    I agree too. When they were 1 down with 29 seconds remaining he made a quick shot when he had all the time in the world to play the ball.
    I also didin't understand what they did when with 9 secs left and 3 down Gasol made a dunk consuming 4 seconds, they could try to even the game with a three specially when they didn't have any time-out left.

    And why hubie keep giving minutes to outlaw and watson. I was just stun to see them play almost 4 minutes in the last quarter. Watson was just awful, he mad 2 turnovers when the match was close. Outlaw freethrows are just scary, didn't he learn when he was at high school. Throwing the ball with one hand. Even in the early ages they don't allow you to do that.
     
  14. Voodoo Child

    Voodoo Child Can I Kick It?

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Same here. I know he has taken some huge steps in the right direction but he looked as though he reverted to his old ways the way he was just throwing up those shots.</div>

    I'm sorry, but it was not Jason Williams' fault at all. Sure, he missed the shot, but the play was designed for him to shoot it before the game clock got to 24 seconds. According to the radio voice of the Grizzlies, that's not exactly the shot Hubie Brown intended for Williams to take, but Williams was instructed to take the first open look he got. He followed his orders. There are two frames of mind about that shot. One possible scenario for the Grizzlies would have been if the Grizzlies had missed and the Spurs had made a two pointer on the other end, the Grizzlies would still have had time for a last second shot. The other frame of mind about that shot was that if the Grizzlies would miss, they could foul the Spurs. Even if the Spurs would have made both shots, the Grizzlies would still have the full 24 seconds to run a last second three-point play. Anyway, aside from this moment, Williams had a monster game.

    The shot by Bonzi Wells was a bad shot. To be fair to Bonzi though, you've got to notice that from the angle he caught the ball from, he couldn't see much of the clock. Not only could he not see the clock, but he was in a great position to draw a foul. Bonzi, just knowing that there was little time left but not knowing exactly how much, went for the foul and the basket. It was the same thing that a lot of us would have done, and if he would have gotten the whistle or had the ball had been a little more to the left.... the Grizzlies would have won.

    Rudeezy, you said that you would not want the ball in Pau Gasol's hands with Tim Duncan on him. Well, Tim Duncan was not playing Gasol first of all. Duncan was on Wright, and Rasho/Horry played Gasol for the most part of the game. Second of all, Pau Gasol is not the kind of player you can stop by putting a great defender on him. His best shot is the hardest shot to defend in the NBA, the hook shot. That being said, I was hoping that with a few seconds remaining the Grizzlies would have inbounded the ball to Gasol for the hook. Unfortunately it ended up in the hands of Mike Miller. That leads me to my third point. Who would you have rather seen take the last second shot? No one on the Grizzlies is clutch. Jason Williams and James Posey would probably be your next best bets, but they're nothing to write home about. Jason Williams has airballed wide-open shots that could have won the game in playoff series with the Kings before. James Posey has proven to be a spectacular defender and an versitile offensive player as well, but he hasn't been very clutch. He hit a luck shot in Atlanta, but he is usually a ghost in the last minutes. Mike Miller and Bonzi Wells are both the type of guard that slashes more than they shoot; they couldn't hit a last second shot if their life depended on it. The only player who I would trust with the ball more than Gasol would be Shane Battier.

    Tidi, you're right on the money about Watson and Outlaw. They may be stellar contributers in the regular season. However, the postseason just isn't the place for them. I won't mind seeing them play four or five minutes in the first, second, and third quarters. I just don't want to see them in the fourth quarter untill the 7:30 mark. Pau Gasol could be regarded as one of the best players in the league if he just got more than forty minutes per game. As it stands, Gasol's approximate averages are 30 mpg, 18 ppg, and 8 rpg. I think he could raise those numbers to 28 ppg and 12 rpg if given the extra ten minutes. He's the most talented player we have at the moment. Jason Williams is also extremely talented. He may not be better than Kidd or Marbury, but he's a hell of a lot better than Watson. Earlier in the season, I defended Watson till the end. Afterall, he was playing better. This is just Jason William's time of year though. He's out-performing Watson in every single game. I don't think it's fair to Gasol or Williams either. They don't need the rest. They can both play the full forty-eight minutes per game every single night. They're young athletes in their 20's. They don't need that much rest when you have timeouts and breaks. It's not forty-eight straight minutes of basketball. Every five or six minutes you have a timeout or break. It's just sad to see Tim Duncan and Tony Parker toying around with the Grizzlies while Gasol and Williams are on the bench. I'd keep also give Battier more time than Miller. Battier has been one of our five most valuable players in this series. He makes big shots, and he does the dirty work. Swift and Wright have a nice thing going with their rotation. Although, I'd like to see Tsakalidas play some minutes. I think it'd be nice to have a body to put up on Duncan. Bonzi Well's play is on and off. When it's on, he's our best player. When it's off, he's our worst. For that reason, I'd keep his minutes consistant if I were Hubie. I don't think you'll change Hubie Brown's mind though. No one changed his mind when he was sitting Bernard King in the 80's during the playoffs, so I don't expect it to happen now.

    Last night's game made me realize two of our weaknesses. We don't have a rebounder, and we don't have a clutch performer. How nice would it be to have Robert Horry? Not only would his offensive rebounds tipped the game in our favor, but he would have more than likely hit some of those shots down the stretch. Instead of looking for a player that's a combination of the two though, I think the Grizzlies need to get one of each. They might be able to get someone in Free Agency with a cap exception, but I think our best bet is through trade. Our most tradable player looks like Mike Miller, with Bonzi Wells as a close second. I'd really like to see Mike Miller shipped for a Cato-Dalembert type of player. Sure, we see Miller as a more valuable player than Cato and Dalembert, but if we would have had one of the two we would have one last night. Then after acquiring a big man from Miller or Wells, we can get a clutch swingman to fill the open spot through Free Agency. Small Forward and Shooting Guard are probably the two most common positions in this upcoming free agency, and there's always Dahntay Jones.

    Maybe I should just focus on this series though. The Grizzlies are down 0-3, and no team has ever come back from 0-3. No one expects the Grizzlies too, but if there's one thing I've learned from this season in Memphis it's to expect the unnexpected.
     
  15. Bakaj

    Bakaj nfl-*****s member

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    It was a great game, but the Grizz did not have enough the beat the Spurs. The Grizz had some great looks but they wore not able to make them.

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I just scratch my head at some of those shots Jason Williams took at the end...damn shame too, I was rooting for the Grizz</div>

    JWill had two bad shots during the whole game, he took a bad 3 point shot and the shot that he took from the baseline. Jason had a great game overall.
     
  16. Voodoo Child

    Voodoo Child Can I Kick It?

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    <font color="Red">***Threads Merged***</font>
     
  17. Ezra

    Ezra JBB JustBBall Member

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    Posey's clutch. Maybe not uber-clutch, but he hardly disappears for the end of games.

    Gasol should get 30 minutes, no more.

    And Watson and Outlaw are on the floor because they defend. As much as I love Eboy and Mike Miller, they can't defend. Not even semi-competently, and not even for short intervals.

    Can't make a comeback without getting stops, right?
     
  18. Voodoo Child

    Voodoo Child Can I Kick It?

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ezra:</div><div class="quote_post">Posey's clutch. Maybe not uber-clutch, but he hardly disappears for the end of games.

    Gasol should get 30 minutes, no more.

    And Watson and Outlaw are on the floor because they defend. As much as I love Eboy and Mike Miller, they can't defend. Not even semi-competently, and not even for short intervals.

    Can't make a comeback without getting stops, right?</div>

    The first line knows how to play defense. James Posey is one of the ten best defenders in the NBA. The rest are decent as well. You rarely make it in the NBA without knowing how to play defense. If the second line's defense were that good then the lead would not deteriorate when they come in. I used to think Gasol wasn't worth more than 30 mpg earlier in the season, but his play at the end of the season has really impressed me. He helps our team a lot more than Outlaw does.
     
  19. Voodoo Child

    Voodoo Child Can I Kick It?

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    Game 4: Spurs @ Grizzlies

    [​IMG] @ [​IMG]

    Season Series

    Memphis - 3, Spurs - 1

    11.3.03: Grizzlies 88, Spurs 80
    12.15.04: Spurs 78, Nuggets 67
    3.1.04: Grizzlies 81, Spurs 80
    3.9.04: Grizzlies 94, Spurs 88

    Final Records

    Spurs 57-25 (.695) 3rd West
    Grizzlies 50-32 (.610) 6th West

    Series Outlook:

    <strike>April 17th - Today - ESPN - @ San Antonio</strike> - Loss
    <strike>April 19th - Monday - TNT - @ San Antonio</strike> - Loss
    <strike>April 22nd - Thursday - TNT - @ Memphis</strike> - Loss
    April 25th - Sunday - TNT - @ Memphis
    If necessary April 28th - Wednesday - TBD - @ San Antonio
    If necessary May 1st - Saturday - TBD - @ Memphis
    If necessary May 3rd - Monday - TBD - @ San Antonio

    Probable Starting Lineups

    <u>Backcourt</u>
    [​IMG] [​IMG] Jason Williams/Tony Parker
    [​IMG] [​IMG] Mike Miller/Hedo Turkoglu

    <u>Frontcourt</u>
    [​IMG] [​IMG] James Posey/Bruce Bowen
    [​IMG] [​IMG] Pau Gasol/Tim Duncan
    [​IMG] [​IMG] Jake Tsakalidis/Rasho Nesterovic

    <u>Sixth Men</u>
    [​IMG] [​IMG] Bonzi Wells/Emanuel Ginobili

    Injury Update

    Memphis Grizzlies
    N/A

    San Antonio Spurs
    N/A

    <u>Memphis? Statistical Leaders</u>
    PPG - Pau Gasol - 17.7
    RPG - Pau Gasol - 7.7
    APG - Jason Williams - 6.8

    <u>San Antonio's Statistical Leaders</u>
    PPG - Tim Duncan - 22.3
    RPG - Tim Duncan - 12.4
    APG - Tony Parker - 5.5

    <u>Playoff Series</u>

    Spurs - 3, Grizzlies - 1

    I'm simplifying these preview more and more everytime. It seems to me that writting stuff about the games is pretty much pointless. The fans know what to expect. The purpose of these threads is just to have a place to discuss the game.

    Anyway, I'm predicting a Grizzlies win: 89-86. The Pyramid will be a huge factor. Although I hate these bandwagoners for not carring about the team the last 3 years but all of a sudden showing up, I can't say that I'm dissapointed that the Grizzlies are selling out. For the first time in it's history, I felt the Pyramid was intimidating last Thursday (At least that's how I saw it from the $100 nosebleeds.) The Grizzlies need to get offensive rebounds and limit the Spurs fastbreak points. I'm hoping we can be the first team in history to come back from being down 0-3. Last year the Pistons came back from being down 1-3 to beat the Magic. Maybe we can pull off the same kind of run.

    Go Grizz!

    :dancepart
     
  20. Peja King

    Peja King JBB JustBBall Member

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    these matchups are perfect for each teams, no miss match

    but i think SA's gonna win that series
     

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