Roger Mason and George Hill have added a young, one-two punch that the Spurs' offense haven't enjoyed for some time.
Hill led the team with 20 points against the Grizzlies, a nice follow-up to his 23 point game against the Jazz on Friday night.
The rookie's quick start has Spurs fans asking whether Tony Parker has now become expendable. That thought seems every bit as extreme as Hill's speed. Many of his points have come via slashing cuts straight to the basket.
Roger Mason has started eight consecutive games. During the past two games, he's found that sliding over to the point guard position has allowed him to control the tempo and facilitate a comfortable rhythm for his own offensive game.
In Utah, Mason shot 70 percent from three point land. Against the Grizzlies, he hit five of seven from beyond the arc. That's light out shooting from a player who relies on cadence and uniformity for his shot.
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"Yeah, you definitely get more of a rhythm," says Mason. "Starting off with the ball in your hands it helps, especially when you're a rhythm player like myself."
Interestingly, the Spurs have done better without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili than they did when just Ginobili was out. The team went 5-2 without both of its star guards, as opposed to 1-4 when only Ginobili was on the mend.
The team's response during the difficult early stretch was satisfying to coach Gregg Popovich.
"Defense is sustaining us," Popovich explained. "We've played pretty solid defense."
Even if the Spurs start a game playing sloppy offensively, Popovich always teaches his squads that defense can keep them in games. Once they find their shot, like they have during the last two games, they can pull away from their opponents.
"Defense is what allows that to happen for us," Popovich says.
It didn't hurt that Manu Ginobili has found his scoring touch right away. After convincing everyone not to expect too much his first game back from injury, he scored 12 points in 11 minutes.
"I felt pretty good about it. I didn't rush it a lot," Ginobili said. "I took my time, found the open seam, made a couple of shots. I wasn't thinking about a great game on my first one, so I'm happy with what I did."
Parker Update
Tony Parker continues to take steps in his recovery from a sprained left ankle. He joined the team recently for some light shooting. Coach Gregg Popovich said Parker is improving rapidly, but other than saying he's ahead of schedule gave no timetable for his return.
Analyst Sean Elliott has already gone on record predicting that Parker will return to the lineup sometime next week. Parker suffered his injury Nov. 7 against Miami.
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about 1 month ago
"Interestingly, the Spurs have done better without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili than they did when just Ginobili was out. The team went 5-2 without both of its star guards, as opposed to 1-4 when only Ginobili was on the mend."
That's what playing the Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, Kings and a banged up Jazz team can do. Any talk that the Spurs are better without Parker is ridiculous. Really?
Do keep in mind that the above teams stink and do not offer the same challenges as, say, the Lakers or the Hornets.
The only championship contender the Spurs beat thus far is the Rockets, and that was sans Rafer Alston and Shane Battier, two of that squad's glue guys.
The defense is great, and that's why the Spurs still look like a capable champion. But, without drowning the fan flames in hopeless water, I do want to be realistic.
If they can keep this up in the next two months, I will be convinced.
And, question: your thoughts on the Spurs logjam at the guards spots? Who gets the minutes and who spends the majority of the game on the bench? When Parker returns, how many minutes do you give to Hill, who makes the Spurs younger and more athletic just with his presence?
I'll probably write a piece on this before the end of the week, but your thoughts?
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