The Notebook: Breathing Easy

As a Spurs fan, it is somewhat heretical to act as if anything other than the postseason has any substantive value. The regular season exists so that the postseason may, and the postseason exists so that a champion may be crowned. Of all franchises, few are as unwaveringly teleological as San Antonio.

And then a game like last night’s contest against the Los Angeles Lakers comes along. In May the game will be a footnote, a 5 second slice on an introductory highlight reel. Jagged images of Kobe’s dagger and elephantiasis, quickly juxtaposed alongside Mason’s improbable three-point play and outstretched tongue. For the average NBA fan, the game will be remembered for its final 12 seconds if remembered at all. But that isn’t how I will remember it. I’m going to remember last night’s game as the culmination of a slow and steady cathartic process that began in the waning days of the 2007-08 postseason.

There was a point during last season’s playoff run that I grew tired. I felt stressed and angry. Here, on the pages of 48 Minutes of Hell, I repeatedly exploded about missed foul calls and media bias. It was only when the Spurs finally lost that I found myself able to breathe easy; able to sit back and just enjoy the game of basketball. Since the conclusion of the 2008 Western Conference Finals I have been searching for how to make that feeling permanent. I have been searching for temperance. I have been trying to grab hold of a fanhood that has no telos. For some this is not a difficult journey, but for a Spurs fan it is nothing less than a rejection of the principles upon which our belief system is founded.

My experience of last night’s game was the fruit of my labor. A sign that the regular season is just as powerful a vehicle of drama and joy as any postseason struggle. It is a rivalry game, maybe even the rivalry game, but at this point is any Lakers-Spurs match-up really about bragging rights?


I won’t remember this game because we defeated a hated rival. I won’t remember this game because in front of a skeptical nation we made a statement. I won’t remember this game because I, for the first time all season, believe a fifth ring is possible. I’ll remember this game because I learned to forget all that and just let the game speak.
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In the closing moments of the 3rd quarter Trevor Ariza nailed a three-pointer in the corner, muting the air of control the Spurs had cast over the game. The ball was quickly inbounded to Manu Ginobili, who raced up the floor with 4.5 seconds left. Dodging in and out of purples bodies, his pinball momentum made the court seem as if it was on a slight incline. With the seconds ticking away ever more quickly, he dribbled behind his back and hoisted a 40 foot shot into the air. As the buzzer sounded sharply, the backboard glowed softly and the net nervously flexed as it welcomed an unexpected visitor, the crowd uproariously reclaimed the air of control.
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In my head it was crystal clear. I didn’t even need to watch to know the outcome. I saw him receive the pass and crouch into the triple threat position. Mason played him just a tad far off, betraying a concern for the drive that, although not unfounded, would prove near fatal. The camera angle showed the back of his head but I imagined his eyes. When many people look into the eyes of Kobe they see hardened focus but I see something very different. Or at least I pretend I see something different. I pretend I see thousands of little equations scrolling by, an inescapable web of calculus.

And then there is that moment. That startlingly static moments where Kobe allows his competitors to see their fate. In some ways he comes off as hardened, “cold-blooded” if you will. But in some ways he is surprisingly open. He is so honest about his intentions. And then, with a disorienting combination of suddenness and inevitability, his knees erupt, his arms compress and extend, and you don’t need to look anymore because you know how this scene always ends.
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His shot is so elegant. He is the essence of a pure shooter. His feet are square. His hands are high. His body and the floor form a perfect right angle. He can stop on a dime and still go straight up. And even when being fouled, which obviously limits his ability to maintain such idyllic physical composition, the mangled forms of his shot shine through. You see each little puzzle piece working tirelessly to make sure the shot remains on target. Some might call it “focus” but I think it comes from something slightly different. It radiates from his confidence. Not just confidence. Charisma. Roger Mason Jr.'s late game heroics are like an unexpected baptism. Without warning You are awash in freezing river water and when you open your eyes you have the creeping sensation that what didn’t used to be possible now is.

Typical Spurs-Lakers Stuff: Random Thoughts

It's always nice to wake up and read a Johnny Ludden Spurs column. Last night's Lakers-Spurs game was a classic, and the best NBA game this season. Graydon will be along later this afternoon with a proper Notebook, but for the time being he's on a jet plane heading east. In the meantime, I'm here to offer up a delectable assortment of game recap donuts and bagels. Let their sugary sweet bouquet waft through those little hairs in your nose, won't you?

• It's doubtful he'd admit it, but judging by his body language, scorching first half, and buzzer beating 3rd quarter triple, I suspect Ginobili earmarked last night's game as the end of his rehab stint. Welcome back, Manu. We missed you.
  

• Other than RMJ's go ahead shot in the 4th, the play of the game goes to Popovich. At about the 4:30 mark in the 4th, the Lakers cut the lead to 2. Pop called a timeout and drew up a play that gave Ginobili the ball on the inbound, two high screens, and a dribble drive down the left side of the lane. It resulted in an unconverted And-1. It was a simple play, but it allowed the Spurs to stem the tide of a Lakers run that threatened to up end the game. As usual, Popovich's in-game adjustments and work in the timeout were masterful.
  

• The Spurs played last night's game with basically one swing player: Michael Finley. Ime Udoka didn't make it off the bench and Bruce Bowen logged a mere 6 minutes. The Spurs used a trio of Hill, Mason, Ginobili at one point. In the '08 Western Conference Finals, Kobe Bryant averaged 29.2 points on 53% shooting. Nothing had changed last night. It looks as if Popovich has decided that Bowen can't slow Bryant, so he might as well put his team in a better position to trade baskets. In my season preview, I noted that the Spurs needed another rotation big and a wing who could score. That remains the case. Great win, but their roster needs attention.
  

• Mason has marbles too. After hitting a daggers three that would have been the game winning play, Bryant drew attention to the fact that he had elephantitic testes. Mason returned the favor, hitting his third game winning shot of the season. Swing low sweet chariot. Do you think Kobe felt emasculated?

• The Lakers are an incredible 7-2 on the back half of back to backs this season. Last night's game was played with a depleted bench on the heels of a tough game in Houston. Splitting the Rockets-Spurs with a short bench is still impressive. Spurs fans should temper their morning after enthusiasm.
  

• Of regular season contests, Popovich vs. Jackson now stands at 18-17, in favor of Pop. Phil Jackson is now 24-26 lifetime against the Spurs. How many teams does he have a losing record against? Two. The Spurs and Bobcats. Yet, he's 4 out of 5 in postseason series against San Antonio. Is there any doubt that these two coaches are in a class of their own? Rarely are games worth watching simply to observe the coaching. But in this case, I'd watch if these two were coaching little league teams against one another.
  

• George Hill. He's good. But he's still a rookie with a sometimes sloppy handle. He had two way preventable turnovers last night that sullied what was an otherwise remarkable performance in his first "felt like the playoffs" game. If he plays as well in the postseason, the Spurs will roll right back into the Western Conference Finals.
  

• Only 3 bigs? Pop gave Oberto a DNP-CD, limiting his rotation to Duncan, Bonner, and Thomas. My point here echoes the third bullet in this list: the Spurs roster needs tweaking. Ian Mahinmi's odd ankle injury and the waiving of Anthony Tolliver raise many more questions than answers for the Spurs frontline. Because of his relationship with Ginobili, I've always assumed that Oberto was quasi-untradable. I'm beginning to wonder. His contract is only partially guaranteed for next season, which might make him a prime trade and buy out candidate in a salary dump for another team. I'm a little stymied that the Spurs still haven't signed a D-League try out to replace Anthony Tolliver. There is a puzzle piece on the table that doesn't fit. In short, the Spurs frontcourt is not yet set. Update: Robert Horry was cheering for the Spurs last night with a view from R.C. Buford's press box. We're not reading too much into this, but it's on the radar. We're hoping it falls off the radar too.
  

• This is the Spurs first victory of the season against an elite opponent. On the season, 7 victories are by 3 points or less, four of which were on final shots. The Spurs have won a remarkable three games by way of double overtime. I'm not sure if that's championship moxie or a sign of decline.
  

• Playing the positive spin on the previous bullet, this team is all kinds of clutch. Just from a personnel standpoint, Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Mason, and even Finely are good candidates for last second heroics. That has to be tough on opposing coaches.

• The front office really did a fine job last offseason. This is the stuff of a future post, but the Hill selection and Mason Jr. are looking like smart plays. Kudos. Update: Marc Stein is all over this angle.
  

• The final play: Ariza missed the shot. The traveling call controversy is straining at gnats. And to further extinguish the flames of that silly little fire, Duncan grabbed the board. Had Ariza made the shot and received a whistle for traveling, I'd give Lakers fans a greater hearing. Otherwise, let's not pretend it was something it's not.
  

Match-Up of the Night: Jackson vs. Mason

Tonight's Warriors-Spurs game features our newest gunner against an old favorite. It's always a pleasure when S-Jax comes back to town. His prolific 3-ball, booming enthusiasm and emotional depth (Duncan has at points referred to him as the best teammate he has ever had) made him a centerpiece of some of my favorite memories from that 2003 championship run. Mason has a long way to go before he holds a similar place in my heart to the one Jackson does.

But Jackson also offers some interesting challenges for this Spurs squad. As I mentioned in my Spurs-Nuggets recap, since Parker and Ginobili's return the silver and black have had less issues with talent and more with execution. Well, Golden State is the type of team that tempts you into executing poorly. Jackson will shoot without regard for pace or positioning, and it takes a hearty helping of self-control to keep the game plan intact. The Spurs have proven time and time again that they can control the pace and structure of games against Nelson-led teams, but it's time for our newest addition to prove he is up to the task as well.

There is a subtle line to be walked here: Mason has shown he has confidence, and at points (such as the closing seconds against the Clippers) true guts. But knowing how to harness that confidence so that it doesn't turn into self-destructive bravado is key. The Warriors do an excellent job of making it difficult to walk that line.

The other key to this game is closing out on perimeter shooters, something we did poorly against the Pistons, and in all honesty, could have done better against the Nuggets (whose shots really weren't falling anyways). Don't be surprised if you see a more even rebounding distribution this game than last, not because we aren't hustling for boards, but because against the Warriors Pop likes to drop one or even two men back after every shot to take away the fast break. It's a surprisingly tough assignment against GS, because instead of just heading for the paint and cutting off the drive, you have to be just as prepared for a warrior to perch anywhere along the perimeter and chuck. I can almost assure you Mason will consistently draw this assignment.

On a brief personal/editorial note, I am in Pittsburgh visiting my family and subsequently won't be watching the game (instead my grandfather and I are going to watch the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight). Typically I would watch the game the next day and write a recap but I'm going to Steelers/Cowboys tomorrow, so that's not going to happen either. Sorry about that. Enjoy the game, everyone.

That 4th Scorer

Manu Ginobili connected on his first post-injury shot attempt, a 3 point basket. We should have expected as much. The Spurs live on the arc. Prior to the season, I wrote:

From a personnel standpoint, they've [the Spurs] added offensive-minded free agents and rookies. Hill and Mason, for example, can score and allow Tony Parker to play off the ball, making him more of a threat in certain line ups. Even with the loss of Barry, the Spurs should improve their 3 point percentage and be among the league-leaders in 3 point attempts when adjusted for pace.

Coming into tonight's game, the Spurs were 7th in the league in unadjusted 3 point attempts, and added 24 to their number by the final buzzer. Most notably, Roger Mason was an unconscious 5-7, bringing his season 3 point percentage to 51%. I expect Mason's numbers to settle. He won't shoot 50% on the season. Having said that, I couldn't help but recall this story from Buck Harvey:

For example, a year ago, he would end every summer workout the same way. His trainer, Joe Connelly, would require Mason to make five consecutive 3-pointers.

This summer, Mason took it further. Connelly says Mason missed only two days; the day Mason signed his contract with the Spurs, he flew back to the Washington area and was in the gym that night.

“He's no longer just a spot-up shooter,” Connelly said Monday. “He's revolutionized his game, and here's my prediction. He will be a candidate for the league's most-improved player award.”

The Spurs aren't anticipating that. But they don't yet know what Connelly knows, and what happened the day before Mason left for San Antonio earlier this month.

Connelly didn't have Mason make five 3-pointers to end the workout. Mason instead shot 109.

And made 101.

In other words, there is reason to think that while Mason's percentage is certain to come down, his early shooting marks an improvement over the 40% he shot last campaign. One of the striking things about his 2008 3-ball is where it is connecting from. According to NBA.com's Hot Spots, in 2007 Mason made 44% of his straight-on 3s--this was his most accurate spot from behind the arc. This season Mason is shooting 41% from that spot, but, unlike last season, this is his least accurate spot from behind the arc. On the season, he's more accurate from the wings and corners. Joe Connelly deserves a raise.

Even though Mason will cool off, I don't expect this to dramatically drag down the team percentage. When Parker returns, his penetration will allow teammates to hover around the arc. More interestingly, Parker does not seem as shy about taking open 3s this season. Prior to his injury, Parker was 3-5 on long ball attempts. Not a big sample, but a curious one for a player who is notoriously bashful about such shots. But, having watched his 5 games this season, I can tell you they were not forced shots. Tony wanted to take them.

Then there is Manu Ginobili. As with Parker, Manu will force defenses to collapse. With the likes of Mason, Finley, and Hill stalking the stripe, he'll have plenty of efficient kick-out options. And as with Mason, there is strong support for supposing that Ginobili will shoot at or above 40% from deep. Manu Ginobili has improved his 3-point percentage in every season of his career, slowing charting up from 34 to 40%. His step back 3 has become something of a signature move.

No one thinks of the Spurs as 3-point chuckers. They're too far east of Oakland, I guess. But in this respect, they can stand in the center of the Nellie Ball ring and look respectable.