San Antonio Spurs: Jefferson Key to Title
The San Antonio Spurs notched a 102-88 victory in Dallas to tie the first round of the Western Conference playoffs 1-1. Richard Jefferson finally came alive for delivering 19 points, providing much needed support to the Spurs “big 3″ Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Jefferson’s emergence couldn’t have arrived soon enough for San Antonio.
As goes Jefferson, so goes the Spurs.
Jefferson’s performance in game 1 is analogous to how he played during the first two-thirds of the season: out of sync and over-thinking how to contribute offensively. His performance in game 1 can be summarized as an overall disappointment: 4 points.
Looking at the score by which the Spurs lost, 100-94, it raises the question: Had Jefferson scored a total of 10 points in game 1, aren’t we are talking about overtime, or possibly a win?
The Spurs played like title contenders in game 2, and should continue to be in the discussion so long as Jefferson continues making an impact for the Spurs, especially by contributing offensively.
Jefferson can San Antonio consist of a “Big 4″ with his defense, rebounding and by keeping Dallas or any other opponent honest on defense. When this combination works, it works well, and San Antonio can beat any team in the league.
The Spurs now return to the Alamodome with momentum and a chance at further capitalizing on their road win. An experienced winning team like San Antonio will know how to capitalize on this advantage.
Manu Ginobili has been “NBA Championship-caliber” Manu after finding his confidence after the All Star break. Manu overcame psychological issues caused by several injuries to his ankle issues and is now causing all sorts of problems for Dallas. He is averaging 24.5 Points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in 2 games.
Let’s face it, Manu Ginobili is a winner, and has won at every level he has played. There is no stopping a healthy Ginobili unless you are an injured Manu Ginobili.
Bad knees will not stop Duncan on his quest for a title.
It seems as though everyone has been talking on and on for years about Tim Duncan’s degenerative knees. They also debate that he has lost a step, claiming he is not the Duncan of old, and that this will inevitably doom the Spurs.
Hobbled or not, come playoff time, Duncan plays better basketball than any other power forward. Ever. He will unquestionably do what he has made a career out of doing: whatever it takes, any given game, to lead his team to victory, be it scoring, rebounding, both, blocking shots, or receiving technical fouls while laughing with a towel covering his mouth. He has been a monster thus far, averaging 26 points and 12.5 rebounds.
As Tony Parker and George Hill return to pre-injury form, the Spurs should only continue get better at the exact point of the season you would hope for. The Spurs are about to be running on all cylinders, so to speak. After spanking Dallas, at Dallas, in game 2, they appear poised to issue further damage and deliver the Mavericks another infamous and early round 1 playoff exit.
It is a given Ginobili and Duncan will show up to play. Parker seems to have shaken off the dust. If George Hill can get healthy enough to surpass his injuries and contribute, even better. In reality, the Spurs chances to win it all this season hinges upon multiple factors going right for the Spurs.
However, no one factor can be as transparent as this: the playoff production of Richard Jefferson from this point on will determine the fate of the Spurs this season.
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Thu, Apr 22, 2010 by Adam Sedie
NBA Playoffs, News, Opinions