GT: Pacers vs Spurs

[Nolan]

When: 8:30 PM ET, October 27, 2010
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX



VS



Starting Lineups:

Spurs:
PG - Tony Parker
SG - Manu Ginobli
SF Richard Jefferson
PF Tim Duncan
C Dejuan Blair

Pacers:
PG - Darren Collison
SG - Mike Dunleavy
SF - Danny Granger
PF - Josh McRoberts
C - Roy Hibbert

And so it begins. After a long offseason its finally time to start the regular season and we get to do it at home against the Pacers. Its going to be a interesting one but i'm predicting a win. I really think we're going to exploit the Pacers frontcourt and thats going to be the key to game.

Lets start the season off with a win. Go Spurs!!

[Donald Kaufman]

And people call us boring. Watching the Pacers play 82 times a year would be painful. No offense Pacer fans.

Should take this one.

[co_laper]

Yeah, there's really no reason to lose this game. We're at home. Our core guys and starters have been together longer than they have. We're better in every way. Zero reason for us to lose this game.

[daschysta]

And people call us boring. Watching the Pacers play 82 times a year would be painful. No offense Pacer fans.

Should take this one.

Come now, you guys have had it good for a long time, and i've always took offense to people calling the spurs boring just because they are really fundamentally sound and don't need flash, but at this point the young talent of the Pacers are more exciting than watching a really old team with limited future upside. Collison is dynamite with potential, and I believe George has star potential in the future as well, and danny is really fun to watch when he gets it going. We're rebuilding but getting closer to the end of the tunnel (from a biased pacers fan)

[Nolan]

High Scoring first quarter, we need to start playing some defense. Duncan and Blair are killing the Pacers in the paint as expected.

[co_laper]

1st quarter recap...

Spurs got balanced scoring from the starting lineup. Talk about playing more uptempo this season, we start the 1st quarter scoring 37 points. Defense remains a problem thou since Indiana scored 31 themselves on 57% shooting. Jefferson's stats are nothing to brag about. 5 points, 0 rebounds, and 1 assists, but he's clearly more comfortable in the offense and is attacking the rim. He got 6 FTA but unfortunately made only 3. He's definitely more aggresive than last year.

[Nolan]

66-65 for us at the half. This game shouldn't be this close, we need to turn up the defensive intensity.

But on a positive note the big three are looking great and more importantly they're looking healthy.

[Nolan]

James Anderson is really playing well off the bench.

[Nolan]

We're finally starting to pull away. Up 13 with 7 minutes left.

[co_laper]

up 16 with 2 minutes left. We got this game.

James Anderson played pretty well offensively. He didn't try to do too much. Spot up for a couple 3 pointers and there was one basket he made by cutting to the rim. Had a couple possession where he tried to create thou and didn't look too sure on what he wanted to do. He didn't shine defensively thou. Granger got what he wanted on James Anderson. Although, Granger got anything he wants to day with 26 points.

Richard Jefferson is very impressive IMO in his first game. He got into foul trouble thou and had a hard hard time guarding Granger but he attacked the rim over and over again. He played 20 minutes, got to the line 10 times shot 4 for 6 from the field to finish with 16 points.

Manu Ginobili was hot shooting the 3.

Duncan was his usual self offensively and was extremely efficient, but had a hard time guarding Roy Hibbert. There was a point in the game where the Pacers went to Hibbert repeatedly (while being guarded by Duncan) and scored again and again. Thou in Duncan's defense, Duncan did came back at him on the other floor.

Dejuan Blair didn't look good. He had trouble getting his shot off. Got blocked like several times I think. And the bad thing is, it almost feel like he's not rebounding the way he used to. I don't know if he's focused on offense and it takes away his focus on rebounding or something, but if i'm judging simply by the first game, he looks better as an energy guy off the bench.

[SApuro_]

Not the best game defensively but good to see contributions from just about every position. Always nice to win your home opener. New Orleans up next.

[Nolan]

We looked pretty bad defensively tonight but we managed to win this one.

I can't wait until Splitter is healthy because it looks like we're really going to need him this season. Blair had a weak game and Bonner was useless. McDyess had a decent game but it wasn't anything special.

But we looked really good on offense. The big 3 played great and Hill (he heated up in the 4th), Jefferson and Anderson all contributed as well.

[co_laper]

Judging by the 1st game, we definitely need Splitter and I really hope he's as good as advertised. Our interior defense was damn weak today and that was only againts Roy Hibbert.

[co_laper]

Waiting for game 2 game thread. Is Nolan gonna make one? I just want to discuss it, but have no interest in making the game thread look good and all like he did in game 1.

[Nolan]

Waiting for game 2 game thread. Is Nolan gonna make one? I just want to discuss it, but have no interest in making the game thread look good and all like he did in game 1.

Thanks man, I'll make it.

[TAI8]

The perimeter defense is troubling. We only have one good perimeter defender, Ginobili, and even he didn't look the best defensively. I think we should consider trading Parker for a legit perimeter defender. Like a Battier type. Because the way I see it, our offense is amazing but we're a former shadow of ourselves defensively. Even Duncan was getting schooled by Hibbert. I also worry that we don't have enough beef up front. Duncan's a slim guy and so is Splitter. Who do we have that can successfully guard the Bynum's of the league? I love that our offense looks amazing and the team just put up 122 in the season opener but if we want to contend for a championship some changes need to be made.

[Nolan]

The perimeter defense is troubling. We only have one good perimeter defender, Ginobili, and even he didn't look the best defensively. I think we should consider trading Parker for a legit perimeter defender. Like a Battier type. Because the way I see it, our offense is amazing but we're a former shadow of ourselves defensively. Even Duncan was getting schooled by Hibbert. I also worry that we don't have enough beef up front. Duncan's a slim guy and so is Splitter. Who do we have that can successfully guard the Bynum's of the league? I love that our offense looks amazing and the team just put up 122 in the season opener but if we want to contend for a championship some changes need to be made.

The defense looked pretty average but i'm not going to panic until I see how we look with Splitter in the middle.

[co_laper]

I like how Roy Hibbert says after the game that he felt he let the team down because he LET Tim Duncan get going. What the ****???? Roy Hibbert let Tim Duncan get going? I hope next time we meet Indiana, we put him down on the floor and teach him a lesson. Ignorance by the young kid.

[Donald Kaufman]

Hibbert needs an NBA education. Duncan always starts the season strong.

[Blame Rasho]

Damn... we scored at will. It is kinda troubling that the Pacers so with so much ease...