11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

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  • avoidingtheclowns
    streets ahead
    • Jul 2006
    • 6118

    11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

    DISMEMBER THE ALAMO!



    -VS-



    Game Time Start: 8:00 PM EST
    Where: The Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
    Officials: D. Crawford, S. Bolnick, J. Goble

    Media Notes: Indiana Notes, San Antonio Notes
    Television: FOX Sports Indiana / FOX Sports Southwest
    Radio: WFNI 1070 AM / WOAI 1200 AM, KCOR 1350 AM
    NBA Feeds:

    REMINDER: Per PD policy, please do not share a link to, describe how to search for, request a link to, or request a PM about streaming video of a NBA game that is not coming directly through the NBA. Not even in a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean" round-about sort of way. Thank you


    6-7
    Home: 4-1
    West: 3-2
    8-2
    Away: 5-1
    East: 2-1
    Nov 27
    Nov 30
    Dec 01
    Dec 04
    10:00pm
    10:00pm
    10:00pm
    8:00pm
    HIBBERT
    WEST
    GEORGE
    STEPHENSON
    HILL
    BLAIR
    DUNCAN
    GREEN
    NEAL
    PARKER


    PACERS
    Danny Granger - left knee tendinosis (out)




    SPURS
    Kawhi Leonard - tendinitis, left knee (out)
    Stephen Jackson - fractured right finger (out)



    Jared Wade: Who Wants to Watch the Mediocrity Treadmill?

    After nine games, Indiana has the second-worst offense in the league. Scoring only 92
    points per 100 possessions, the Pacers are only bested in impotence by the winless
    Washington Wizards. Things went from bad to worse this week, when the Pacers lost
    on their home floor despite holding the Toronto Raptors to five fourth-quarter points,
    then completely mailed in a game in Milwaukee.

    At a 2011 conference dedicated to sports statistics, Kevin Pritchard coined — or at
    least popularized — the phrase “mediocrity treadmill.” This NBA phenomenon, which
    in broad terms is created by the rules governing salaries and player movement, is
    something he suggested should be avoided at all costs. Its premise is simple: there is
    no point in trying to put together an average team, so if you can’t shoot for the stars
    then you should burn down your team and bury it underground.

    Try to be great or try to be horrible, those are the only two ways to compete.

    The problem with being average is that it is very expensive to do so and it
    necessitates locking many middling players into long-term guaranteed contracts. And
    in the process, you lose not only a legitimate shot to compete with the league’s elite
    teams but also all financial flexibility to improve your team. So if you can’t acquire a
    few truly great players who can carry you to a title, you should just liquidate the
    roster and stock up on draft picks and young, improving players on rookie contracts
    (which the collective bargaining agreement keeps artificially cheap no matter how
    talented they are). The salary cap just doesn’t permit you to sign enough middle-of-
    the-road, $8 million-per-year players to field a contender, so you need to bottom out,
    clear cap space and retool the roster around a few highly productive players who earn
    $15 million and a few more who make under $5 million.

    The Pacers, much to the chagrin of most national basketball writers I have seen
    discuss the subject, refused to bottom out. They have tried to take the mediocrity
    treadmill route. Rather than admit their early millenium run was over and falling to
    bottom of the standings — like the Heat, Nets Grizzlies and Timberwolves — the Pacers
    haven’t won fewer than 32 games in any season since 1989. (It should be noted that
    when Pritchard discussed the mediocrity treadmill at that MIT stats conference, he had
    yet to be hired by the Pacers in any official capacity.)

    One of the suspected motivations for the Pacers’ refusal to bottom out — and the one I
    subscribe to — is that the franchise quite literally couldn’t afford to. After the Brawl, the
    team’s fanbase was so turned off, so disgusted that those in power believed that a string
    of sub-25-win seasons might lead to financial losses so large that it might force to owner
    to sell. At worst, the result — especially if no Deron Williamses, Marc Gasols or Kevin
    Loves were acquired, which is always a risk — could be the end of the Pacers in Indiana.
    Or, less bad but still unacceptable, the franchise could get bad and stay bad for years
    while owner Herb Simon took eight-figure financial losses each year for a decade as he
    watched his team spiral the drain of irrelevance and futility.

    Thus, their decision was at least understandable if still unpalatable. The on-court result
    wasn’t pretty (Troy Murphy was second on the team in shots one year), but last year’s
    attendance figures did start to show that the team’s paying fanbase, many members of
    which swore off the team forever during the Jail Pacers era, was growing.

    Coming into this season with high expectations, it looked like the Pacers had outrun the
    mediocrity treadmill. Maybe they couldn’t beat the Heat, but they seemed to have a legit
    shot at making the Eastern Conference Finals, and they would certainly once again be a
    product worth watching.

    But something funny happened on the way to the bank: The Pacers may have become
    terrible...CONTINUE READING AT 8p9s


    Jesse Blanchard: Injuries and the wrong kind of small ball

    Size remains a premium in the NBA, even as the league trends smaller and quicker.
    Since their first round playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs
    have been perceived as especially vulnerable to teams with large frontlines.

    While head coach Gregg Popovich continues to audition frontcourt partners for Tim
    Duncan—with Matt Bonner making a case for more playing time last night—the Spurs
    had quietly upgraded and deployed size in less obvious ways than bringing in another
    seven-foot shot blocker.

    In trading George Hill for Kawhi Leonard and bringing back Stephen Jackson, gone
    were the days of three guard lineups that stressed the Spurs defensive rotations
    against any team with even a modicum of size on the wings. With two oversized
    wings, the Spurs had an endless amount of roster versatility at their disposal and a
    framework for better defense.

    “With length at the two and three positions, often times can lend itself to a little bit
    better overall defense,” Popovich said a season ago. “More deflections, more
    contested shots, better rebounding, crowding the court a little bit more. All kinds of
    little things that add up to big things can happen with bigger people.”

    With Stephen Jackson out for a 4-6 weeks with a broken finger, and Kawhi Leonard
    expected to be out for two weeks, the Spurs figure to be hurting for size.

    “It’s difficult to lose any player, especially if you lost your starting small forward a
    couple of games before,” Manu Ginobili said when asked about Jackson’s injury
    after the game. “We’re going to be shorthanded for a while and we’ll have to figure
    it out. It’s going to be hard but it’s a good test for us.”

    Against the Los Angeles Clippers the Spurs failed that test. While the initial defense
    remained stout in the fourth quarter, forcing the Clippers into a number of difficult,
    contested shots, any defensive rotation from the frontcourt left the Spurs vulnerable
    on the glass—which the Clippers exploited to great effect.

    It remains to be seen what...CONTINUE READING AT 48 MINUTES OF HELL




    Pacers
    Mike Wells @MikeWellsNBA
    Jared Wade @8pts9secs
    Tim Donahue @TimDonahue8p9s
    Tom Lewis @indycornrows


    Spurs
    Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
    Andrew McNeill @drew_48MoH
    Aaron McGuire @docrostov
    Pounding the Rock @poundingtherock
    Last edited by avoidingtheclowns; 11-23-2012, 02:37 PM.
    This is the darkest timeline.
  • Trader Joe
    DIET COKE!
    • Jan 2006
    • 46892

    #2
    Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

    Yay, we can get to .500 just in time for 4 straight road games, thanks NBA!

    I saw today the Grizz who have the best record in the West are just now playing their 11th game of the season tonight. We will be playing our 14th of which 8 have been on the road and then when we get a 4 game road trip.


    Comment

    • OlBlu
      Banned
      • Dec 2011
      • 3288

      #3
      Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

      Originally posted by Trader Joe
      Yay, we can get to .500 just in time for 4 straight road games, thanks NBA!

      I saw today the Grizz who have the best record in the West are just now playing their 11th game of the season tonight. We will be playing our 14th of which 8 have been on the road and then when we get a 4 game road trip.
      That schedule and making adjustments to not having Granger are what is causing the slow start. If they can keep near .500 until this turns around, they should be in pretty good shape....

      Comment

      • Nuntius
        Member
        • Jan 2012
        • 35969

        #4
        Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

        I don't expect a win tonight.

        However, I really hope that Hibbert and PG are going to have good games. If Hibbert ends the game with a double double and a few blocks on Duncan and PG scores 20 and grabs 6-8 rebounds it would be a great morale boost for them and it could turn the season around for us.

        So, above everything I want to see a good performance by those two. Not that I wouldn't love a win. I'd love it

        Let's wish for the best, guys. Gooooooooooooooo
        Originally posted by IrishPacer
        Empty vessels make the most noise.

        Comment

        • IUfan4life
          Member
          • Nov 2009
          • 810

          #5
          Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

          No Leonard. No Jackson. If we make any shots this game we have a pretty good chance to win.

          Comment

          • Johanvil
            • Jun 2011
            • 3760

            #6
            Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

            As an eternal optimist,I expect a heaving beating from the Spurs.
            Never forget

            Comment

            • BlueCollarColts
              Member
              • Oct 2012
              • 9569

              #7
              Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

              Originally posted by OlBlu
              That schedule and making adjustments to not having Granger are what is causing the slow start. If they can keep near .500 until this turns around, they should be in pretty good shape....
              I 100% agree with this, we have struggled but most of our games were on the road, on a happy note we are 4-1 at home this season so we should have a stretch of a lot of home games coming up.

              Comment

              • OlBlu
                Banned
                • Dec 2011
                • 3288

                #8
                Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                Originally posted by BlueCollarColts
                I 100% agree with this, we have struggled but most of our games were on the road, on a happy note we are 4-1 at home this season so we should have a stretch of a lot of home games coming up.

                I expect then to make a run at the Spurs tonight. Road games are hard for all teams.... This team will come around, patience grasshoppers....

                Comment

                • kmjohnson
                  Member
                  • Jan 2011
                  • 121

                  #9
                  Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                  Originally posted by OlBlu
                  I expect then to make a run at the Spurs tonight. Road games are hard for all teams.... This team will come around, patience grasshoppers....
                  I really don't understand what I'm reading... Two positive posts from OlBlu in the same thread?!?! Haha. Just ribbing ya OlBlu. I think we are in for a nice run to start tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed.

                  Comment

                  • BlueCollarColts
                    Member
                    • Oct 2012
                    • 9569

                    #10
                    Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                    i really do like our chances in this game, the Pacers are probably really confident right now, Hibbert just had a triple double, first of his career, Paul George just had his career high in points (37) last night, so you know they are feeling good and the team just won back to back games for the first time this season, plus San Antonio is minus to key players in Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson, I think we have a shot

                    Comment

                    • OlBlu
                      Banned
                      • Dec 2011
                      • 3288

                      #11
                      Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                      Originally posted by kmjohnson
                      I really don't understand what I'm reading... Two positive posts from OlBlu in the same thread?!?! Haha. Just ribbing ya OlBlu. I think we are in for a nice run to start tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed.
                      I haven't been negative about the Pacers. I think management in a small market is doing about as well as they can..... I have lots of problems with the Colts and Irsay but the Simon family is a class act. They may make mistakes but their hearts are always in the right place. I don't mind mistakes. I don't tolerate outright lies well but since you bring it up, how about that RGIII.. Two games in a row that Mr. Luck will have trouble matching.... I didn't want you to think I have gone soft.....

                      Comment

                      • Johanvil
                        • Jun 2011
                        • 3760

                        #12
                        Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                        Oh and Hibbert vs Duncan.Enough said...
                        Really hope Roy will turn this (offensively) around but i definitely can't see him doing it tonight.
                        Never forget

                        Comment

                        • MiaDragon
                          Member
                          • Mar 2008
                          • 1748

                          #13
                          Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                          Originally posted by Johanvil
                          Oh and Hibbert vs Duncan.Enough said...
                          Really hope Roy will turn this (offensively) around but i definitely can't see him doing it tonight.
                          I dont have the time to check the stats but Roy seems to do well against Duncan.

                          Comment

                          • Eleazar
                            Member
                            • Jun 2010
                            • 13839

                            #14
                            Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                            Originally posted by Johanvil
                            Oh and Hibbert vs Duncan.Enough said...
                            Really hope Roy will turn this (offensively) around but i definitely can't see him doing it tonight.
                            Hibberts trouble have nothing to do with a single player. 1 v 1 Hibbert can beat anyone. The only type of players he struggles against are short stout players who are strong and have a low center of gravity. That isn't Duncan. Hibbert has a history of strong performances against Duncan and Howard.

                            Comment

                            • Johanvil
                              • Jun 2011
                              • 3760

                              #15
                              Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

                              We must have been watching different games then.Whenever i have seen Hibbert against Duncan not only he was terrible,but also **** scared.Let me remind you that I'm talking about his offense.
                              The last game at San Antonio is still fresh.
                              Never forget

                              Comment

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